I witnessed one of the stupidist acts ever today. (Just a rant)

[puerco-bellies]

I got a notice to attend an estate "pre-sale" that occurred today. Ali wanted to go with me so she asked and got off early and we sped off to Beverly Hills. The estate contained a lot of Navajo pottery, rugs, and blankets. The ad also mentioned jewelry so that's why we wanted to get there before the general public does tomorrow through Sunday.

We get there and had to wait as they let in the first ten people and only let in another person after someone else leaves. The pickings jewelry wise was slim, was of low quality mostly of the costume variety, and not as well priced for an estate sale. We only picked up a pair of earrings, a pendant, and a few silver chains. There was a two sided drum that was deerskin and sounded nice. Deer skin is ok but will fade if used during a sweat-lodge. The preferable drums are made with elk, or buffalo. I picked up the drum and stick noticed it was made just over ten years ago and signed by a New Mexican Pueblo Indian. There was no price so I asked the girl running the sale and she said to find her mom and ask her the price. I found her mom in the back of the house and she say that she would price it and put it back out later. She was kind of rude about it. Just before we left I noticed the drum back in the front room and checked the price.

The woman had marked it at $750 dollars. WTF! A small hand painted drum by a noted artist might run a few hundred dollars in Santa Fe, or Sodona Az., but for a no name deerskin with nothing other then being signed with a red felt pen.. WTF??? I ask the daughter if it was $7.50, and she said "No that's $750". I asked if her mom was joking, and she said that she was "very serious" about the pricing. I started to the back of the house to tell Ali just as she came looking for me to tell me what the woman had told her.

Moments before Alison bumped in to the lady walking out of the back room and was told the price. Ali asked if she was joking, and the lady told her "If you don't like it you don't have to be here". Holy shit. How can you be so clueless. $750 dollars is not just missing the mark, they did not even graze the planet. I don't know how, or even why these people are in business.

We will only attend estate sales if there is an abundance of S.W. Native items, or jewelers tools. We also want to attend estate sales that are run by competent people. This company has no credibility with me. Unbelievable.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear puerco-bellies!

Well, all I have to say....

A most excellent rant!

Sounds like you will stay away from that company in the future...

:hug:

[puerco-bellies]

2. You would think that..

But something tells me that I won't be able to suppress that "find the treasure" mentality that most estate sale vultures have.
I'm a chump, blood and bone.

So how's it with you and yours?
:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Oh, you are NOT either a chump!

I'm good!

I have a thread in GD-P....see my Journal for details!

And my grandson arrived last Sunday...more stuff in the Journal!

And there's an erotic poem in there too!

I've been a busy girl!

:woohoo:

[Richard Steele]

4. No, you're not a chump- whoever eventually bought that drum is!

I agree with your assessment- if that was a Company running the sale,
it's a company to avoid. There are a lot out there that make a habit
of that type of BS, and enough chumps to make it profitable for them.

It's a damn shame, but what can ya do except look out for yourself? :shrug:

[ThomCat]

5. They'll probably find some fool to buy it.

:(

It's amazing the amount of mark-up you can get away with when your target audience is clueless people with a lot of disposable income.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. I'm sure that's the plan.

Someone who thinks that a high price in a high priced town means something. Of course, the people who show up at estate sales aren't always the ones with the disposable income to piss away $700 over the value and maybe the owner won't find a fool willing to pay that price.