Antique Stores Disappointing

Just got back from a Thanksgiving Trek home and stopped at a bunch of antique stores along the way. I've often recommended taking Rt 20 through NY state rather than the Thruway for antique lovers. I still recommend Jan's Early Attic in Bloomfield, NY, and the shops in Manchester and Canandaigua, NY. Good selections-fair prices-nice attitude.

But.... you go through Richfield Springs and think, 'Oh what a lovely little town filled with quaint antique shops!' NOT

These stores were filled with dirty and broken stuff. Everything I picked up was inferior quality and HIGH prices. And one store HAD no prices, ie one price for me, another for someone else.

I picked up a nice set of Roseville bookends. Looked them over, mmm, $125. A big chunk broken off and sloppily glued back on! What?

Another store, I picked up two children's books, both dirty and in bad condition, and a 60's skirt from a pile of rags. $10 for one book, $5 for the other, and $12 for the skirt! I said politely, 'OK, no thank you, I'll put them back.' and she followed me, 'Uh, how about $22 for all of it?'

As far as I'm concerned, if it's broken or in a pile (not displayed) it's almost worthless. And I'm a museum restorationist who can fix stuff properly.

C'mon.

: how much something is if there's no price on it.

Never was one to cutoff my nose to spite my face. If it is something I want I'll ask. Worse thing that can happen is that they ask too much and I walk. Occassionally the price is right and I get a steal or a fair

That's one way not to get emails - post with a phony email address. I've seen posts from you in the past, asking for email replies (in other newsgroups)

I should clarify what I mean, Wes. Occasionally, an item has no visible price - I'll ask. But I don't ask when I'm in a shop and find nothing (or few items) price marked.

One thing I do find interesting is that at antique shows, it seems that one or two items 'lose' their pricetags

Ronnie

Ronnie

Ronnie - I probably wouldn't have gone far enough into the shop to find that 'thingumajig' in that far corner, if this shop was the filthy and disorganized type we've been talking about. (Normally, the corners are the worst.)

;

I've got a corner of my booth reserved for filthy and disorganized stuff, and it tends to be quite popular. It's where I put the stuff I don't want Kris to know that I stock

Ronnie

I'm not above sending my husband into dank and spidery basements, icky garages, and I myself have pawed through stuff at private homes that would make a stronger man than you spew chunks.

But.....I've only been in two antique shops that made me cringe - and they were so bad that neither my husband or I did much more than watch where we step while we exited.

Where do we get our stuff? Primarily thrift stores, estate sales and infamous garage sales. Dealers, occasionally.

Just thing, Ronnie. I'm leaving all the good stuff for you!