Antiques and Those Who Swipe Them

CREATIVE ACTIONS AND COMPELLING REACTIONS IN ANTIQUE SHOP ADVENTURES

PRICE TAG FLICKERS, SELLING HOT STUFF AND SHOPLIFTER SHENNANIGANS-

WHEN I WAS ENTRUSTED BY MY WIFE, TO RUN OUR BRACEBRIDGE ANTIQUE SHOP ON MY OWN, I WOULD FREQUENTLY TAKE EXCEPTION TO HER INCESSANT WORRYING THAT I COULDN'T HANDLE IT. HECK, I'D BEEN IN THE ANTIQUE TRADE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE BY THAT POINT. OF COURSE I KNEW I COULDN'T HANDLE IT, BUT I CERTAINLY WASN'T GOING TO SHOW THOSE CARDS. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER IN THIS SERIES OF ANTIQUE BLOGS, I WAS A GOOD HUNTER-GATHERER, BUT SUB-PAR AS THE SELLER OF ANTIQUES.

I'D JUST WALKED AWAY FROM TWO JOBS, AND LOST ANOTHER, DUE TO THE RECESSION OF THE LATE 1980'S, SO IT WAS PUT-UP, OR CLOSE-UP SHOP. COULDN'T HAVE BEEN CLEARER THAN THAT! MY PRIMARY JOB WAS AS "MR. MOM" FOR OUR TWO LADS, AND THE SECOND DAILY RESPONSIBILITY WAS TRYING, AGAINST THE ODDS OF A SEASONAL ECONOMY, TO MAKE MONEY FROM SEPTEMBER TO JUNE. SUZANNE WAS THE PRIMARY SALES PERSON DURING THE SUMMER SEASON, WHILE I KEPT THE KIDS BUSY. SEEING AS I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG KID, WE FOUND LOTS TO KEEP US OCCUPIED. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME MOTORING ABOUT THE TOWN ON THE SANTA'S VILLAGE TROLLEY. AND PLAYING ON THE SWINGS AT WILLIAMS PARK.

RUNNING THE SHOP ON MY OWN, EVENTUALLY WORKED OUT OKAY. IT TOOK ABOUT SIX MONTHS BEFORE I GOT THE HANG OF IT, AND SOMEWHAT FIGURED OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH STICKY SITUATIONS THAT DEMANDED TOP NOTCH PUBLIC RELATIONS CAPABILITIES. DID I MENTION PROBLEM-SOLVING MOXY? ONE AFTERNOON, A MOTHER WITH HER YOUNG SON, CAME INTO THE SHOP LOOKING FOR A SELECTION OF VINTAGE KIDS' BOOKS. THEY SPENT ABOUT A HALF HOUR GOING THROUGH THE BOXES OF BOOKS I'D JUST BROUGHT TO THE SHOP THAT MORNING. NOW BEING A NEW PARENT AS WELL, I ENJOYED CHATTING WITH THE YOUNG LADY, AND IT WAS A LOW-TENSION SITUATION THAT I LIKED. SOME CUSTOMERS REMINDED ME OF THE WHIRLING DERVISH, THE WAY THEY BOUNCED AROUND IN THE TIGHT SPACES, AND NARROW PATHWAYS BETWEEN BOOK SHELVES, CREATING A TENSE ATMOSPHERE FROM THE GET-GO. SO AFTER AWHILE, THE LADY COMES OVER TO THE COUNTER, AND ASKS IF I HAVE A COUPLE OF KLEENEX FOR HER SON. WITH OUR OWN LADS, WE ALWAYS KEPT A GOOD SUPPLY BEHIND THE COUNTER. SHE CAME BACK TO THE COUNTER WITH THE USED KLEENEX, EXTENDING THEM TO ME FOR DISPOSAL. OKAY, I THOUGHT. I'LL HANDLE THEM WITH GREAT CARE AND THEN WASH MY HANDS. AFTER HANDING IT TO ME, SHE JUST STARED, MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT AN INCIDENT HAVING JUST OCCURRED, BUT NOTHING I COULD RELATE TO WHAT REQUIRED THE KLEENEX.

SHE CLEARED HER THROAT, COUGHED, ADJUSTED HER NYLON JACKET, AND SAID, "BE CAREFUL WITH THE KLEENEX. IT'S FULL OF PEE." YOU KNOW, IF IT HAD ALL OF A SUDDEN BURST INTO FLAMES, IN MY HAND, I WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT TO DO WITH THAT KLEENEX. SO LIKE HER, I JUST STARED AT IT, BALANCED ON THE TIP OF MY OUTSTRETCHED FINGERS, AND WATCHED HELPLESSLY AS THE LIQUID OVERLOAD DRIPPED ONTO MY NEWSPAPER. I HADN'T FINISHED READING IT YET, BY THE WAY. "I'M SORRY SIR. I WASN'T WATCHING HIM, AND HE DECIDED TO HAVE A PEE IN THE CORNER," SHE ADDED TO OUR LIGHT CONVERSATION. "CORNER? WHAT CORNER WOULD THAT BE," I ASKED, IN A PANIC BECAUSE OF THE OLD QUILTS SUZANNE HAD ON DISPLAY IN TWO OF FOUR CORNERS IN THAT STORE. "RIGHT OVER THERE," SHE POINTED. "OH, THAT'S JUST WHERE I HAVE MY OLD BOOKS. THAT'S ALL RIGHT," I SAID, STILL HOLDING THE DRIPPING KLEENEX.

I FOUND A CONTAINER WITH A LID UNDER THE COUNTER TO DISPOSE OF THE KLEENEX, PULLED OUT THE SANITARY WIPES WE STORED FOR PARALLEL ACCIDENTS, AND WROTE UP AN INVOICE FOR THE BOOKS SHE WAS PURCHASING. I JUST DIDN'T HAVE A LOT TO SAY, SO THERE WAS AN UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE. I WANTED TO TELL HER ABOUT THE WASHROOM SHE COULD HAVE USED, IF SHE'D JUST ASKED. AT THE TIME HOWEVER, I WAS A LITTLE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POOL OF URINE CONTAMINATING MY BOOK NOOK. ON THE WAY OUT OF THE STORE, "SHE DID OFFER WHAT I BELIEVE WAS A SINCERE APOLOGY FOR LITTLE BILLY'S PEEING EPISODE. "STUFF HAPPENS LADY," I SAID. 'I'M A PARENT TOO." ON THE WAY AROUND THE CORNER, I SWEAR THAT LITTLE BUGGER PULLED A FACE ON ME, AS IF TO SAY, "HEY BUDDY, I REALLY ENJOYED PISSING ALL OVER YOUR BOOKS." WELL, THAT LITTLE DICKENS HAD CONTAMINATED AT LEAST TEN BOOKS ON A BOTTOM SHELF, AND A SECTION OF CARPET THAT REQUIRED ME TO MOVE ABOUT THREE HUNDRED BOOKS, AND A HEAVY SHELF TO CLEAN PROPERLY. LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY. SELLING HER TWENTY DOLLARS WORTH OF BOOKS, DIDN'T MATCH THE SIXTY DOLLARS WORTH, COVERED IN URINE.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO SUZANNE, WHEN SHE CAME OVER TO THE STORE AFTER WORK (AT THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL). "SO HOW WAS YOUR DAY TED," SHE ASKED, TAKING OFF HER COAT AND SETTLING INTO ONE OF THE WOODEN CHAIRS BEHIND THE COUNTER. "AND WHY DOES IT SMELL LIKE URINE IN HERE?" I SAID IT WAS PROBABLY THE SMELL OF MUST FROM A STORAGE CLOSET I'D JUST OPENED, AND PRETTY MUCH SWALLOWED THE INCIDENT, SO AS NOT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO MY GENERAL INCOMPETENCE RUNNING THE SHOP. IF I TOLD HER THE STORY, SHE WOULD HAVE HAD TO REMIND ME,THAT I SHOULD HAVE MADE A PREAMBLE ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE WOMAN, ABOUT THE WHEREABOUTS IN THE BUILDING OF A SUITABLE WASHROOM, FOR HER CHARMING SON. I MADE IT THE NEW STORE POLICY, TO MAKE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE VERY NEXT MOTHER OR FATHER AND CHILD TO CROSS THAT STORE THRESHOLD. THE FACT SHE COULD STILL SMELL PEE BOTHERED ME A LOT, SO I HAD TO CLEAN THE SAME AREA AGAIN THE NEXT MORNING. I SUPPOSE IT WAS GOOD THAT THE LADY CLEARLY IDENTIFIED, THAT HER CHILD HAD URINATED IN MY STORE, ALTHOUGH SHE DIDN'T MENTION DOING SO ON THE BOOKS. I JUST CAN'T FORGET THE LOOK THE KID SHOT BACK AT ME. I WONDER IF HE PISSED IN ALL THE STORES HE VISITED.

ON ANOTHER MORE SIGNIFICANT OCCASION, I EXPERIENCED "DISTRACTION THEFT," IN ALL ITS GLORY. IT WAS IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON IN ABOUT FEBRUARY, AND SUZANNE HAD GONE BACK TO SCHOOL, AFTER HAVING LUNCH AT THE SHOP. THREE YOUNG PEOPLE CAME DOWN STAIRS, TWO SEVENTEEN YEAR OLDS, AND AN OLDER GIRL. ONE OF THE LADS CAME AND TALKED TO ME FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND I THOUGHT HE WAS RATHER INFORMED AND INSIGHTFUL. WE HAD A REASONABLE CHAT ABOUT THE TOWN, AND LOCAL EVENTS, AND JUST AS QUICKLY AS THEY ARRIVED, THEY MERGED TOGETHER AT THE DOORWAY, AND EXITED LIKE A STEAM VAPOR OUT A SPOUT. I STOOD THERE FOR SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, REPLAYING WHAT I SHOULD HAVE SUSPECTED RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. THEY DIDN'T SEEM THE ANTIQUE-TYPE, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE CAN USUALLY TELL. THESE FOLKS WEREN'T INTERESTED IN WHAT I WAS SELLING. THEY WERE INTERESTED IN THE GOODS THEY COULD GET EASILY, WITH A "FIVE FINGER DISCOUNT." SHOPLIFTING. THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THE GREATER THE SUSPICION, I HAD JUST BEEN THE VICTIM OF A SNATCH AND RUN. EVEN BEFORE I GOT OUT FROM BEHIND THE COUNTER, TO TAKE A QUICK GLANCE AROUND THE STORE, I NOTICED A SMALL BABY QUILT MISSING OFF A NEARBY RACK. I KNEW IT HAD TO BE MISSING, BECAUSE I'D BEEN STRAIGHTENING IT ON THE RACK THROUGHOUT THE MORNING, AS IT WAS SITUATED WHERE CUSTOMERS BUMPED INTO IT, AND DISLODGED IT FROM THE TOP RUNG. I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED, SO I LOOKED ON THE FLOOR, HOPING IT WOULD BE THERE. GONE.

I RAN UP THE STAIR AS FAST AS MY STUBBY LEGS WOULD ALLOW, AND IT WAS ONLY A FEW MINUTES BEFORE I WAS OUT ON THE MAIN STREET SIDEWALK, AND LOOKING NORTH AND SOUTH. IT WAS A SNOWY DAY BUT THERE WASN'T EVEN A SILHOUETTE OF ANOTHER HUMAN ON THAT STRETCH OF ROAD. CARS YES. PEDESTRIANS NO. I RAN UP TO MEMORIAL PARK AND LOOKED TO SEE IF ANYTHING HAD BEEN UNCEREMONIOUSLY STUFFED IN A GARBAGE CAN. AGAIN NOTHING. ON THE WAY BACK TO THE STORE, I STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE BABY QUILT THAT HAD OBVIOUSLY BEEN STOLEN. IT HAD BEEN ON SALE FOR AROUND FIFTY DOLLARS, AND GUESS WHAT? SUZANNE HAD MADE IT FOR THE STORE. SHE SOLD QUITE A FEW OF THESE SMALL QUILTS IN THOSE YEARS, AS KIND OF A LOSS LEADER. THEY WERE TIME CONSUMING PROJECTS AND SUZANNE DID THEM MORE AS STRESS RELIEVERS FROM HER TEACHING JOB. SHE DIDN'T GET MORE THAN A FEW BUCKS FOR HER LABOR, BUT THEY WERE IMPORTANT TO THE STORE INVENTORY. SO HERE I WAS, ALL COVERED IN SNOW, ANGRY, HURT, AND THINKING ABOUT THE TONGUE LASHING I WAS GOING TO GET…….FOR ALLOWING HER NICE LITTLE QUILT TO WALK OUT THE DOOR. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY VENDORS LOSE QUILTS TO SHOPLIFTERS BUT IT WAS A FIRST FOR ME.

SUZANNE WAS VERY GOOD ABOUT IT. I ACCEPTED BLAME FOR NOT WATCHING THESE PEOPLE CLOSER, AND NOT GETTING OUT FROM BEHIND MY DESK FASTER. SO SHE MADE ME ANOTHER TWO BABY QUILTS JUST SO WE'D HAVE SOME COLORFUL INVENTORY FOR THE SHOP. ONE DAY, ABOUT A MONTH LATER, IT WAS A COLD BEGGAR OF A DAY, AND SUZANNE WAS GETTING READY TO GO BACK TO WORK. WE STOOD AT THE DOOR OF THE SHOP, LOOKING OUT ONTO THE WINDSWEPT MAIN STREET. JUST IN TIME TO WATCH A YOUNG MOTHER PUSHING HER BABY STROLLER PAST OUR BUILDING. "THERE'S MY QUILT," SHE YELLED OUT, STINGING MY EAR. "THERE IT IS. IT'S HANGING OUT OF THE CART. THAT'S IT ALL RIGHT. SEE THE TEDDY BEAR (DESIGN)?" WHAT TO DO. WHAT COULD WE DO? SHOULD DO? CALL THE POLICE? SUZANNE AND I JUST STOOD THERE WITH OUR MOUTHS HANGING OPEN, ABSOLUTELY STUNNED ABOUT THE SITUATION. NOT ONLY WAS IT HER QUILT, BUT IT WAS ALSO A GIRL SHE HAD TAUGHT IN FAMILY STUDIES THAT PAST SEMESTER. "I KNEW SHE WAS HAVING A BABY. I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GIVING A SHOWER GIFT." AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT CAME DOWN TO, IN THE END. "I CAN'T GO AND RIP THE QUILT OUT OF THE STROLLER CAN I," SHE ASKED BUT REALLY IT WAS MORE LIKE AN IRON CLAD STATEMENT, APPEARING INITIALLY AS A QUESTION. "ALL I KNOW IS THAT MY QUILT IS WARMING THAT CHILD, AND ULTIMATELY, IT'S DOING WHAT I MADE IT FOR."

THE SAD THING ABOUT THIS, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW US, PARTICULARLY SUZANNE, YOU'D REALIZE SHE WOULD HAVE GIVEN THAT GIRL THE QUILT AS A GIFT, IF SHE'D ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE. WE'VE DONE THIS KIND OF THING MANY TIMES, AND HAVE ALWAYS HELPED OUT LOCAL CHARITIES AND FOOD BANKS FACING HARD TIMES. IT DID HURT HER FEELINGS THOUGH, TO HAVE THIS GIRL, SHE THOUGHT HIGHLY OF, PARTICIPATE IN THE THEFT FROM OUR STORE. THEY NEVER SHOPPED IN OUR STORE AGAIN. I GUESS THAT WAS THE ONE GOOD THING.

WE SUFFERED QUITE A BIT OF THEFT OVER THE FIVE PLUS YEARS WE OPERATED THE SMALL BASEMENT SHOP. EACH TIME IT FELT AWFUL, TO LOOK AT THE SHELVES, AND REALIZE SOME ITEMS WERE MISSING. WHEN WE DECIDED, OUT OF SHEER MADNESS, TO SELL HOCKEY AND BASEBALL TRADING CARDS, IN THE EARLY 1990'S, SHOPLIFTING WAS A DAILY OCCURRENCE. BY THIS TIME, I HAD SHARPENED MY SKILLS IN THIS REGARD, AND OUT OF ABOUT TEN MAJOR INCIDENTS, I SOLVED NINE OF THE THEFTS. ON A TIP FROM A FELLOW SHOPKEEP, I GAVE THE PERPETRATORS AN OPTION WHEN I CAUGHT THEM. TO EITHER DEAL WITH THE POLICE, AS SHOPLIFTERS, OR TO COMPENSATE ME FOR THE CARDS THEY STOLE. I DIDN'T WANT THEM BACK. I WANTED THEM TO PAY FOR THE CARDS. AND AS THEY ONLY EVER TOOK THE BIG MONEY CARDS, I HAD SOME REALLY STRONG SALES THAT PERIOD, BECAUSE ALL OF THEM OPTED TO BE CUSTOMERS INSTEAD OF RIDERS IN THE BACK OF POLICE CRUISERS. FOR ONE PERSON, I MADE A TWO HUNDRED DOLLAR SALE, AND HIS MOTHER STILL MADE HIM GIVE BACK THE CARDS HE TOOK. WHILE IT TOOK A FEW OF THEM A WHILE TO PAY THEIR BILLS, I FOUND IT A TOTALLY WORKABLE ALTERNATIVE TO FILING CHARGES, AND POTENTIALLY HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS. I WAS PREPARED TO DO THIS, BUT THE YOUNG LADS WEREN'T SO KEEN. ONE KID DID MENTION THAT I WAS BLACKMAILING THEM, AND I WHOLE HEARTEDLY AGREED. THE KID LOOKED AT ME, SMILED, AND SAID, "HERE'S THE FIFTY BUCKS I OWE YOU."

IN ANOTHER CASE, I HAD A CUSTOMER WHO LOVED TO COME IN AND GO THROUGH MY BOXES OF CARDS. HE LIKED TO TRADE CARDS BUT THERE WERE CERTAIN BIG NAMES I INSISTED ON CASH-ONLY. THE CARDS WOULD BE SPREAD ON THE COUNTER IN FRONT OF ME, AND HE WOULD HAVE HIS PILE OF TRADERS SITTING TO THE RIGHT OF THE FANNING OF MY CARDS. OVER ABOUT A MONTH OF WEEKLY VISITS, I CALCULATED THE LOSS TO BE ABOUT THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS, OF CARDS I KNEW HAD BEEN IN THAT SAME BOX. HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO I ALLOWED ACCESS TO THIS PRIVATE STASH. I WAS HUGELY UPSET BY THE FACT MY CECIL FIELDER ROOKIE (BASEBALL) CARDS WERE MISSING. FOUR OF THEM WERE IN THAT BOX, AND IT REPRESENTED ABOUT $150 WORTH. SO THE NEXT TIME HE ARRIVED, AND DID THE SAME THING, WITH THE SAME BOX OF "A" QUALITY CARDS, I WATCHED HIS MAGIC FINGERS. HE WAS ABLE TO FAN THE CARDS OUT CLOSER TO HIS OWN PILE, THAT WHEN HE WENT TO MOVE THEM, HE WOULD ALSO GRAB UP SOME OF MINE ON THE COUNTER. IN ONLY MINUTES, PRETENDING I WASN'T WATCHING HIS HANDIWORK, I HAD LOST ABOUT TEN "MONEY" CARDS. I HAD THEM RECORDED, SO I KNOW WHAT WAS MISSING. I CONFRONTED HIM, AND GAVE A LITTLE SPIEL ABOUT ALL THE MISSING CARDS, PROBABLY ABOUT FIFTY, AND WHILE HE CLAIMED IT MAY HAVE HAPPENED ACCIDENTALLY, THERE WAS NO ARGUMENT WHATSOEVER, WHEN I MADE IT CLEAR THE CASH EQUIVALENT WOULD BE IN THE "BALL PARK" OF $350, OWING TO BIRCH HOLLOW. IT TOOK ABOUT A HALF HOUR TO GET PAID BUT IT CAME WITH AN APOLOGY. MAYBE IT SHOULD HAVE MADE ME FEEL BETTER BUT IT DIDN'T. WE HAD BECOME CASUAL FRIENDS, AND I HAD ENJOYED OUR LITTLE SPORTS TALKS. I SUGGESTED IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO SHOP ELSEWHERE IN THE FUTURE. I THINK I LOST MORE MONEY THAN THE $350 RESTITUTION, BUT AT LEAST IT DIDN'T BECOME A CRIMINAL MATTER. HE DIDN'T GET OFF LIGHTLY. I'M PRETTY GOOD AT BROW BEATING. TO THIS DAY, HE WILL REMEMBER THE FIREBRAND OF BIRCH HOLLOW…..AN URBAN LEGEND OF THE ANTIQUE TRADE.

WHILE I DESPISED SHOPLIFTERS, FROM THE ORIGINAL QUILT INCIDENT, I ALSO HAD A MAJOR DISLIKE FOR PRICE TAG FLICKERS. I HAD ONE ELDERLY GENTLEMAN WHO FREQUENTED THE SHOP, AND HE WAS NOTORIOUS FOR REMOVING PRICE TAGS BEFORE HE GOT TO THE SALES COUNTER. IN MANY THRIFT SHOPS TODAY, THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM, BUT THERE'S ONE STEP ADDED. NOW PERPETRATORS, OF WHAT IS STILL A CRIME, REMOVE THE PRICE TAGS THEY DON'T LIKE, AND REPLACE THEM WITH OTHER PRICE TAGS, THEY'VE PAINSTAKINGLY PEELED OFF MERCHANDISE, OF COURSE ALWAYS FOR MUCH LOWER PRICES. THIS CHAP NEVER WENT TO THAT MUCH EFFORT. HE WAS A PRETTY LAZY GUY. HE'D ALMOST TAUNT ME WITH IT, SAYING "YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW THE PRICE THAT WAS ON IT…..WHAT IS IT WORTH NOW THAT I MIGHT WANT TO BUY IT?" HE HAD A WICKED HABIT OF ALWAYS DOING THIS ON CONSIGNMENT PIECES WHERE THERE WASN'T MUCH WIGGLE ROOM TO DISCOUNT. SO I USED TO BEND, AND LOSE MY COMMISSION, JUST TO SELL THE ITEM. I CAN REMEMBER ONE REALLY BAD SATURDAY. I'D SPENT AN ENTIRE DAY WITH TIRE KICKERS AND WHINERS, AND HADN'T MADE A SIGNIFICANT SALE. IT WAS AT A TIME WHEN THE STORE WAS A HUGE DRAIN ON PERSONAL RESOURCES, AND I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE MUCH MONEY FOR WEEKEND GROCERIES. WE WERE TAPPED OUT, AND MAXED OUT ON CREDIT CARDS. SO JUST BEFORE FIVE O'CLOCK CLOSING, IN HE COMES WITH GREAT FANFARE AND BLUSTER. I REALIZED THIS WAS MY LAST CHANCE OF THE DAY BEFORE THE "CLOSED" SIGN WAS FLIPPED ON THE DOOR. AFTER AWHILE, HE CAME TO ME WITH A LARGE VINTAGE OIL BOTTLE AND SEPARATE SPOUT THAT I HAD ON CONSIGNMENT FROM ANOTHER DEALER. "THERE'S NO PRICE TAG ON THIS," HE BLURTED, HOVERING OVER MY DESK. I HAD TO DO THE DANCE. IT'S WHAT ENTERTAINED HIM, I SWEAR TO GOD. "IT WAS ON IT THIS MORNING," I ANSWERED. "I WONDERED WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO IT SINCE THEN?" "WELL LET'S NOT WORRY ABOUT WHAT THE PRICE TAG WAS…..TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT FOR IT RIGHT NOW," HE DEMANDED. OF COURSE WHAT HE WAS DOING WAS DISHONEST, BECAUSE I LATER WENT BACK AND FOUND THE PRICE TAG STUCK ONTO SOMETHING ELSE. HE HAD INDEED TAKEN IT OFF THE BOTTLE, AND PUT IT ON ANOTHER PIECE NEAR BY. I SHOULD HAVE TOSSED HIS BEHIND OUT OF THE SHOP. BUT AS I KNEW IT WAS A FAIRLY EXPENSIVE BOTTLE, FROM A LIST I KEPT IN THE DESK AS BACK-UP, I DROPPED MY COMMISSION ENTIRELY, AND SOLD THE BOTTLE FOR FORTY BUCKS. HE WAS HAPPY, I WAS ABLE TO BORROW THIS MONEY FOR A WEEK OR SO, TO BUY SOME NEEDED GROCERIES, AND I GOT TO SEE THE BACK OF HIM HEADING OUT THAT DOOR. FROM THAT POINT ON, I NEVER ALLOWED THAT TO HAPPEN AGAIN. I'D SIMPLY SAY, "LOOK, I'LL JUST GO BACK AND SEE IF I CAN FIND THE TAG THAT HAS OBVIOUSLY FALLEN OFF." IT MADE HIM CRAZY THAT I WOULD INCONVENIENCE HIM, BY PATIENTLY LOOKING FOR THE TORN-OFF PRICE TAG. OVER TIME, HE JUST LEFT THE TAGS ON, AND ASKED IF I COULD GIVE HIM A BETTER PRICE. BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT TODAY, AT MANY SECOND HAND SHOPS, THEY FACE THIS MANY TIMES IN A DAY, AND IT CAN COST THEM THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PROFIT OVER THE COURSE OF A MONTH.

ONCE AGAIN, I MUST FOOTNOTE, THAT THE PERCENTAGE OF THESE CUSTOMERS, COMPARED TO THE VAST MAJORITY, WAS LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF MY CLIENTELE OVER THOSE FIVE TO SIX YEARS IN THE SHOP. I WILL HIGHLIGHT EXPERIENCES WITH THESE DELIGHTFUL CUSTOMERS IN THE NEXT BLOG. THEY CERTAINLY MADE UP FOR THE BAD ACTORS, THAT'S FOR SURE, AND I LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM A WIDE ARRAY OF ANTIQUE COLLECTORS, HOME DECORATORS, MUSEUM CURATORS, AND SO MANY HOBBYISTS WHO LOVED TO TALK ABOUT THEIR COLLECTING INTERESTS.

THANKS FOR READING THROUGH TODAY'S BLOG. JOIN ME FOR ANOTHER ANTIQUE SHOP ADVENTURE IN TOMORROW'S COLUMN (BLOG).