This is off topic for phonos but relates to the dealer's not knowing their business.......I went into a local antique shop a couple of years ago and was looking at the wares when I spied one of those cardboard display boxes with glass in the lid to display the contents. It contained what looked like plates out of an old book. Upon closer examination it was of a religious nature (30 plates depicting the passion of Christ). Each plate was on very thin paper tacked to a larger piece of paper. They were of very fine detail. I was about place it back on the shelf when I noticed writing on the back of some of the prints. It was in a sepia tone ink and looked to be latin and of a style of writing that was unusual. I ended up buying the set on a whim. Trying to do some research, I took them to a local book seller who claims to deal in antique and rare books. He took a look at them and said they were "JUNK, Just throw them away!!!!" I didn't accept his word for it and did a little more research. I asked questions online then I took them to the Art Museum in Toledo and had the Print curator look at them. I got kind of excited when she put on cotton gloves to handle them. She then pronounced them 16th century engravings by a Flemish old master. This was like a Antiques Road Show Moment! No value was given because she cannot do appraisals..... However the book seller was an idiot and who knows how many valuable items have been pitched on his advice and the selling dealer could have done the research the same as me and done much better. It just goes to show, always do the homework!!! I haven't paid for an appraisal yet, but maybe the Antiques Road Show will be in the neighborhood sometime soon! Gregg Cline
Phil O'Keefe wrote: >Yeah, a lot of antique dealers are in the wrong line of business. > >Years ago, my friends and I got permission to go through an old foundry that >was going to be torn down. We took all kinds of really beautiful wooden >patterns for gears and machinery components. One pattern was for a big >pulley with beautiful spokes on it. I didn't want it anymore so I took it >down to the local antique store and tried to sell it to the owner. She >looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "Absolutely not interested!" As I >was walking out the door, a customer was on the front steps and he stopped >me to ask what I was carrying. I told him what it was and he asked if I >wanted to sell it. He paid me a surprising amount of money for it. The >store owner saw what had happened and became furious and threw both of us >off of her front porch and told us never to come back again! > >-Phil >http://www.engineeringexpert.net/edphono.htm > > > >On 3/11/04 3:21 PM, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >>On a similar tack I went into an antique shop near Williamstown Mass. some >>yerars ago. It had a Going Out of Business, Make an Offer sign. There was >>a large quantity of 65 note piano rolls. (For those who don't know, it's a >>format that will only play on caetain pianos.) The selections weren't >>exciting, but I had a Pianola, so I askled what he wanted, he said "Make >>an offer" and I said how about a few bucks a roll. (I was aiming for a >>buck or two a roll, although there were a couple selections I'd phave paid >>five bucks for.) He was livid with rage. Insulted! He pointed out how old >>they were, in the original boxes. He said that he could get fifteen >>dollars a roll! I pointed out that they were not able to be played on >>regular player pianos. He looked at me like I was an idiot. "People don't >>buy them to PLAY" he bellowed- "They buy them for Antique Authenticity!!!"I'd >>have given him two hundred dollars or more in business. I doubt that >>he moved many of them at fifteen dollars. No wonder he was going out of >>business. >>Eric Stott >> >> > > > >_______________________________________________ >Phono-l mailing list >[email protected] >http://t2.cwihosting.com/mailman/listinfo/phono-l_oldcrank.com > > >
