Store wouldn't sell me marlinspike.

[Tom Montgomery]

It was a local antique store here in Louisville called Joe Ley Antiques (www.joeley.com). This place has a lot of extremely expensive items (they have signed photos of celebrity customers in the entryway... Al Pacino, Jonathan Winters). But the basement has a lot of "junk" including many used-up, neglected, rusted tools piled up on shelves. Any item without a price tag, you take to the register and they give you a price.

Anyway... in a pile of rusted junk I found a home-made marlinspike. About 10" long, slender w/ a nice point. The end was hammered flat with a slot cut for a lanyard. Lightly rusted.

I take it to the register, and no one even knows what it is. I explain that it is a rigging tool, remark that they are still manufactured and (like an idiot) mention approximately what a new one would cost.

They ask me what I am willing to pay and I say (expecting to haggle), "Oh... I'd give a few bucks for it."

They don't even counter. One of them just snatches it up and says, "I've gotta talk to the owner about this. Give me your name and phone number."

Jeesh. I'm afraid they're gonna be stupid and the thing will lay in a pile unrecognized and unused for another twenty years or so...

[bamamick]

You may very well still wind up with it.

Sometimes I think that 'Antiques Roadshow' has everyone believing that everything they own is some sort of valuable antique.

Mickey Lake

[sawcutmill]

next time, put it in your pocket, tee hee....good luck

[ssor]

Tom, those things look like tent pegs to me. In an antique shop you never let on that you know anything. I once bought a 50 dollar antique glass compote for five dollars because I asked the dealer how much he wanted for this dish.

[Rick Starr]

Welcome to the world of 'antique' shops where a barrage of get-rich-quickers and unscrupulous dealers have turned the trade sour. No wonder everyone wants new when the run-of-the-mill turd polishers want van gogh money for velvet elvis product.

By the way, in the trades, "I'll give you a coupla bucks for it..." is code for "Why doncha just bend over..."

Better luck next time, eh.

[johngsandusky]

I bought a nice drawknife at a yardsale once, the seller told me "10 bucks if you can tell me what it is" I did, he really didn't know.

[Tom Robb]

As one who has done stupid things beyond counting (& no doubt will in the future) the really dumb part was telling them what it is (Marine-$$$$$$) and what one ought to cost. :rolleyes:
You shot yerself in the foot. Welcome to the club:D

[Thorne]

I usually don't even name the object in question, just point at it and ask, "How much?"

Best response I got was looking at a Victorian-era cavalry lance in an antique store in Worcester, UK. When the shopman said, "The spear?", I knew I'd gotten lucky.

Too bad it wouldn't fit in the container for shipment home, but I gave it to a friend who was doing various era's cav impressions so he was able to use it.

[Ed Weldon]

One of my favorite approaches to antique or swap meet dealers is "I've got a $2 use for this thing". Another is "I'm doing a junk art sculpture and this may work on it" Still another is "I'm not sure this will fit on my project; but for ($X) it's worth an taking a chance on" And another "I just need one part off this thing to fix a broken one I have at home" Ed Weldon

[ishmael]

Mick is right, Antiques Roadshow has ruined flea market picking. I used to do it a lot, just for fun. Now, everyone thinks they may have something out of Tut's tomb.

I still stop at the venerable NE tradition, the yard sale, every once in a while. There you're more liable to find someone who knows their rusty ol' marlinspike ain't worth but what someone will pay for it, a couple bucks.

[S.V. Airlie]

I went to a store in Annapolis Royal..
Was given a price on a certain item. The individual said the price was by pair.
I questioned it.. as the definition of pair differed. After saying I was wrong.. not the first time.. I decided to keep my mouth shut.
I think I won out but I did feel that I was honest. No sense pushing. It would have cost me another 45.00 bucks.

[Ric_Bergstrom]

I bought a near perfect Kabar Marlinspike for $15.00 at a gun show.

Guy didn't know what it was and had it priced accordingly. Said he'd had it quite a while.

Just jumped off the table in polished black and gleaming stainless with a locking marlinspike...Well worth the price of admission.

[rbgarr]

OTOH, Ebay has had the effect of bringing alot of Stanley tools ot of the closet. A local actioneer says the price for Stanley 55s, for exaple, has dropped to the floor.

[nedL]

It is true that sometimes people don't know what they have. This past Saturday my wife & I stopped in a local "antique shop" that we like to brouse, not a high end place, mostly common nick-nack stuff. Well, on a bottom shelf I found a cir. WWII Chelsea naval ship's clock, all dirty and with some gray paint ("battleship gray") on the case. What REALLY got me was the $35.00 price tag! After some 'negotiations' I took it to the counter only to find that there was also a 10% discount for this weekend.:D

[rbgarr]

I took a Chelsea clock to the factory to get a price for ref*rbishing. Q*ote was *ore than the original clock and al*ost the price of brand new!!

[nedL]

Yes, it can get pricey to have clocks cleaned & serviced, luckily working on clocks & watches is another 'interest' of mine. :) I've got pretty much all the tools I need & this Chelsea is in fine condition inside, it just needed a complete disassembly, cleaning, reassembly, & proper oiling - Piece of cake.:D

[mike hanyi]

A few years back I was stateside and went thru PA, boy there is stuff in them hills...
One shop had a #5 in perfect nick, it was not that old and the price was 22 bucks,-fair price on a good used tool.
I got a razor sharp drawknife for 10 bucks.
my favorite Tool was in upstate NY, the guy collected tools and I said I was after a slick I could use as I needed a usable tool.
He said hmm... I got just what you are looking for, he left me in the shop, walked across the street to his home ,came back five minutes later with the pitted slightly bent tool with a stub of handle that has been hammered like a circus tent peg, He said this is a xxxxxx brand, the company was in business 2 years 1850-1852.It needs a lot of work to make it a usable tool but he gave it to me for 15 bucks
I spent probably 2 days in metal shop repairing it and regrinding it flat to remove the pits, turned out to have a laminated blade and I can shave with it now- use it all the time.

Im happy there are some antique dealers who do listen to you and care to help you.

It might not be in perfect collectable condition but I have a lot of jealous boatbuilders who would love to have it.Now I just need to make a handle for it

mike

[Uncle Duke]

Those of you who are really into yard-sales and garage-sales, etc., owe it to yourselves to download and read Cory Doctorow's great story: "Craphound". Great story....
This link goes to a pdf version - story starts about the middle of page 7, after the history and copyleft notice:

http://tinyurl.com/33aoqz

[alkorn]

I'd like "Antiques Roadshow" to include some of the conversations they cut from the broadcast version. The ones that go like this:

Expert: "How much did you pay for this?"

Visitor: "Only $250!"

Expert: "Its worth about $5."

[Gary E]

Marlin should be cought with a rod and reel, not a spike.

http://www.bluemarlinfishingcharters.com/My_Homepage_Files/IMG_16.jpg

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Yes, it can get pricey to have clocks cleaned & serviced, luckily working on clocks & watches is another 'interest' of mine. :) I've got pretty much all the tools I need & this Chelsea is in fine condition inside, it just needed a complete disassembly, cleaning, reassembly, & proper oiling - Piece of cake.:D

I think I may just have to hate you!:)

Last Chelsea I saw, ship's bell striking model, was in a clock dealers at £ 850 ( $1,700) !:D

[nedL]

I wish it was what you saw Andrew. Being a military version it is non striking, and the case is black bakelite (hinged front, port hole type). Sort of all function & not the prettiest. Still, it is a nice jeweled movement in nice shape. They are ebay regularly & sell for about $150. :D

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

OK, I don't hate you any more, and you got a good deal.

I was in that particular dealers because the owner is an expert in re-laquering longcase clock cases; a friend had acquired a nice 1760's London clock by a Master of the Clockmaker's Company, but in a hideous oak case. He had then come by a knackered laquer clase and was in the process of doing the thing that all reputable clock delears deny ever doing and effecting a "marriage" . The case had been restored. My estate car is bigger than his, so we could get the case into it!

Said friend owns an Edward East! (green emoticon for "jeaousy" needed here! ;) )

[Rum_Pirate]

Tom, those things look like tent pegs to me. In an antique shop you never let on that you know anything. I once bought a 50 dollar antique glass compote for five dollars because I asked the dealer how much he wanted for this dish.
This one

http://www.goantiques.com/detail,antique-clear-glass,1069195.html?source=VYZ4474
is $25.00

[rbgarr]

Ugh... compotes. My wife collects them. My kids used one for a huge ice cream sundae once. When she found them the shriek was amazing.

[JBreeze]

I think I have the same clock, purchased in similar circumstanses....-please check your PM's.

Thanks

JB