Know what you're getting

I've spent a goodly amount of time snooping around second-hand shops, thrift and consignment stores, and antique shops, and have seen a lot of stuff that made me shake my head in wonderment. I always come away thinking, "These people can't be serious." I've also made some pretty good scores because someone didn't know what they had. I've been a member of a certain "auction site" since 2002, and learned a long time ago to research anything I'm interested in buying. There have been things I've hit the "Buy It Now" almost as soon as I saw them; I've also seen stuff that literally made me laugh out loud. I mean, just because it's old doesn't mean it's worth an arm and a leg. And if I didn't know what something was, I looked it up.

When cruising the auction sites, you'll see "rare", "vintage", and "antique" thrown around a lot, along with "appears unused", "mint", and "like new". I grew up in a time when "antique" meant something at least 100 years old (and, according to some definitions, still does). An 1889 Carson City Morgan silver dollar is rare; a Type E2 Schick injector? Not so much. As far as "collectible" goes, just remember: Anything can be collectible.

Be wary of mislabeled items as well. I've seen a 1912 GEM single edge razor listed as a "Micromatic" because that's what was on the case. And the Gillette Adjustable was nicknamed "Slim", not "Slim Boy". Never was, never will be. This also applies to condition. Other than the common descriptors like "NOS" (New Old Stock), I know of no grading system for razors. It's what the seller thinks it is. The guys & gals that have been doing this sort of thing for a while (and for a living) pretty much know what they're talking about. It's the ones who go to a yard sale now and then who don't. Watch for the "I'm no expert" and "look at the pics for description" for red flags. Now, this doesn't mean you can't get a good deal, because they're out there. But vague descriptions and fuzzy pics can (and do) hide defects. 

(Note: All this jibba-jabba I've been posting is for the guy like me, who finds something interesting to collect and use, not the mint condition, still in the box razor that will just sit on the self and be looked at. My son and his posse came up this weekend, and I gave my middle grandson a case containing 28 of my 41 razors, along with a box with like a year's worth of blades. I later got a text from my son: "Say, can I use these, or are they for display only?" I replied, "Grab one and get busy. They ain't doin' no good sittin' in a box."

I think the youngest can't wait to get his hands on my coffee pots.)