I walked away

Over the past few years, we drove by the store many times, and it was always closed.

Through the window of the old, and somewhat sad looking building we could see some of the items this resale store had in stock. A visit could be interesting since we like vintage items in general.

Much to our surprise, the store was open one day and of course we had to take the opportunity to check it out.

The first thing I noticed when I entered was the absence of a counter and a register. A guy was sitting outside at one of two entrances, and I assumed that he was the man in charge.

This place was packed with items of all kinds, and none of it has a price on it. That was annoying to say the least. It meant that if I wanted to know how much an item was I had to see the man in the chair and ask him.

In stores like that I always look for old woodworking tools like hand planes, drill braces and such. I didn’t find any here, but I did see some old cameras and hopefully I can find a cool one to add to our small, but growing, collection.

There were a few that would fit the bill, but an old light meter was of more interest to me. I figured I would pay up to $15 for it.

I went to see the man, but he was not there, and I couldn’t find him anywhere. In other words, he just left the store unattended. It could have easily walked out with it, and he would probably never find out that the item was missing.

Finally, I spotted him, he was a little ways up the road talking to someone. When I gestured him he returned, and he was not in a hurry.

He wanted $40 for the meter, obviously far more than I was willing to pay. I also asked him about a small camera, and he was asking $20 for it. Two weeks earlier I paid $5 for an identical one at a yard sale.

I did not try to make a deal and he did not seemed to be interested in making a sale. His whole demeanor was that of a person who couldn’t care less whether he sold something or not.

So, I walked away, and I may never go back there again.

I see the same attitude at some garage sales where the proprietor can hardly be bothered to talk to potential customers. Just a week ago I went to a sale where there was some good stuff, but the owner was very busy with his phone, and he totally ignored me and a few other people who were looking around.

This is my take on it: If you can’t be bothered to put some effort into it, you don’t deserve my business.