HOLY SSSSSSHH**! dude, i gotta go flea market/antiquing with you! You get some real good ass prices!
The couple times i have gone antiquing, the typers were WAY overpriced, even twice or thrice eBay prices.
few dealers dont know what theyre worth so they overprice them - they go off the mrtypewriter or vintagetypewritershoppe prices (for those refurb machines) rather than recent sales at a dynamic market like at eBay. It's frustrating.
At the antique mall i went to last month, there was no such haggling over prices. The price was set, fixed. even the "discount" is pre-arranged. Same with the antique shop i got my groma at a couple weeks ago. The most she would go down is 10%. She didnt even offer to call the dealer to see if he'd take my bid. I think its because the shop and the dealer are in cahoots - the shop wants their cut to be as large as possible and they will hold out to sell the item for the set price rather than let the dealer get a sale.
dumb.
great stories though! theymake me want to go on an adventure to hunt some typers!
There are plenty of people selling them my way that seem to think they are solid gold. The worst thing in the world is to walk up to a nice typewriter, just to see a page printed from Mytypewriter.com rolled in the platen. Then they price theirs a hundred dollars less and call it a great deal. It really, really irks me. Most antique stores are overpriced, but with all of the ones I go to, you are bound to find a good deal eventually. Try flea markets in your area. You'll be surprised...hopefully, anyway.
Ha. I actually am still home. At the moment, I am taking a break from fixing a Hermes Rocket. I have the thing completely disassembled, so now I just have to sort out the carriage problem and put it all back together. Good luck on the typewriter pick up. I, of course, expect full documentation of said purchase. :)
Thanks for the stories, we need to share more like this.
Although I get most of my typewriters on eBay, finding them "in the wild" is much more exciting. There are stores I've gone to again and again, repeating the mantra "you never know," only to be disappointed. But "you never know" is true. Once I went in to an otherwise hopeless little antique mall and found a Blick on a table. Not just a Blick #5, but a Home Blick, in its original case -- a very difficult typewriter to find even on eBay -- and I think it was only $75. No haggling necessary!
Fun stories! You've inspired me. I have only a few such stories on my blog, and need to relate more.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely love to hear them!
DeleteHOLY SSSSSSHH**! dude, i gotta go flea market/antiquing with you!
ReplyDeleteYou get some real good ass prices!
The couple times i have gone antiquing, the typers were WAY overpriced, even twice or thrice eBay prices.
few dealers dont know what theyre worth so they overprice them - they go off the mrtypewriter or vintagetypewritershoppe prices (for those refurb machines) rather than recent sales at a dynamic market like at eBay. It's frustrating.
At the antique mall i went to last month, there was no such haggling over prices. The price was set, fixed. even the "discount" is pre-arranged.
Same with the antique shop i got my groma at a couple weeks ago. The most she would go down is 10%. She didnt even offer to call the dealer to see if he'd take my bid. I think its because the shop and the dealer are in cahoots - the shop wants their cut to be as large as possible and they will hold out to sell the item for the set price rather than let the dealer get a sale.
dumb.
great stories though! theymake me want to go on an adventure to hunt some typers!
There are plenty of people selling them my way that seem to think they are solid gold. The worst thing in the world is to walk up to a nice typewriter, just to see a page printed from Mytypewriter.com rolled in the platen. Then they price theirs a hundred dollars less and call it a great deal. It really, really irks me.
DeleteMost antique stores are overpriced, but with all of the ones I go to, you are bound to find a good deal eventually.
Try flea markets in your area. You'll be surprised...hopefully, anyway.
Ken, if you are still home, i think you accomplished it and managed to take a break from hunting today.
DeleteME? i am actually about to head out the door to nab me a typer!
Ha. I actually am still home. At the moment, I am taking a break from fixing a Hermes Rocket. I have the thing completely disassembled, so now I just have to sort out the carriage problem and put it all back together.
DeleteGood luck on the typewriter pick up. I, of course, expect full documentation of said purchase. :)
Have fun!
Thanks for the stories, we need to share more like this.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I get most of my typewriters on eBay, finding them "in the wild" is much more exciting. There are stores I've gone to again and again, repeating the mantra "you never know," only to be disappointed. But "you never know" is true. Once I went in to an otherwise hopeless little antique mall and found a Blick on a table. Not just a Blick #5, but a Home Blick, in its original case -- a very difficult typewriter to find even on eBay -- and I think it was only $75. No haggling necessary!