Claudius

Dear Brian;

I found your 'tis the season' observations a delight and add them to the treats of the season.  As you said, this time of the year makes a cynic's life nearly effortless.  As a professional myself, I refuse such low hanging fruit and blithely ignore the proffered marketing spectacle to save my barbs for the hype surrounding the upcoming Star Wars movie.  Those kinds of comments can provide a greater provocation than a Jehovah Witness knocking on the door of an ISIS war-lord.

May the self-induced euphoric Force be with you. 

Claudius

I'm in too much disbelief to reach inward and plumb the depths of my sorrow right now.

There used to be a combination flea / antiques market in an abandonned hangar in the Old Port of Montreal, it closed a few years ago.

I remember seeing a militaria dealer (about 20 years ago) and thought "oh wow!"... The glee soon disapeared!

I looked at a British Campaign Service Medal with the clasp "PALESTINE", the dude was asking $380.00, I told him he had one zero too many but was told I didn't know what I was talking about... I looked at another display of his, there was a tin Luftwaffe set of NCO cap wings & cockade, he wanted $175, I nearly punched him in the mouth... The "pièce de résistance" was a $6.00 NAZI tinnie, asking price? $250.00! When I laughed, his answer was "oh, you know the real value of this stuff... Then nothing here will interest you, please leave my stall immediately".

The SOB!!

I think this'll turn into a very good blog for venting!

I was 19 when I learned my lesson when "calling out" a dealer at his table. He used stronger language than "Wancker" I can tell you. Lenny Bruce would have been proud.

whoa...my "w%ncker" turned into "######". Sorry if "w*nker" is a curse word. As I say in my response above, "Wancker" isn't so much the use of foul language as it is a funny name.

Dear Mike;

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your description and take on the recent show you attended. Your rapier jabs were (mostly, I believe) not lost on me. Perhaps a few of the cutting remarks were lost in the translation from English to English (American). I guess “######” is truly out of our lexicon as a serious insult in my area. I think if I yelled out to someone that they were a ###### they would be simultaneously confused, amused and angry. They wouldn’t know what that meant, but would figure it can’t be a good thing and would like a better explanation at the prompting of their fists.

I haven’t been to real Antique Show for a long time but I am somehow satisfied that things have not changed much. Caveat emptor indeed. Overpriced genuine items and underpriced fakes together on the same tables. The high priced genuine pieces trap the buyer who recognizes good inventory but doesn’t know market prices. And the low ball fakes trap the buyer that knows market prices but not this (particular) fake.

With seller and potential buyer alike cautious on making a poor transaction, the pieces languish on table for years. After seeing them time and time again I would begin to recognize the antiques, more than the sellers. I have slowing come to the conclusion to that the dealers don’t really want to move the inventory. Sure, they will sell something nice if they can make a huge profit, but they are just as happy to come to show to get out of the house, stretch their legs, and talk with their other dealer friends. It’s a lifestyle. The dealer talking that he is, at the same, both the expert and the innocent “picker” of the antique is just the Game.

Evilbay is now an option, but for the purchase of an antique, I would like to handle and examine it for myself. And for that, these shows are invaluable and the dealers that bring those items are providing a great service. For finding just the right thing, for just the right spot in your home the Antique Show or Antique shop can be a real pleasure to browse.

Brian;

Sorry for your loss.