Why do some show dealers not price their items?

[Raphael]

I no longer sell at shows, but when I did prices were always posted on the item, unless it was something that I bought at the show and was going to send home for additional work, research, etc.

On the other hand, I do not post prices on my website because I want the opportunity to present the full details and a picture portfolio to a potential buyer before he or she can make a price judgment. Also, for various reasons, prices do vary a bit, because buyers in different parts of the world expect varying discounts. Some cultures expect more, some less.

I just returned from the annual Miami Beach Antiques Show, one of the largest such shows in the country, if not the world. My guess is that 75-85% of the items are not price marked.

In my opinion, more important than a posted price is seller attitude and cooperation. At Miami Beach I had serious interest in an item that the dealer from England was asking $32k for, and he could not tear himself away from the solitaire game on his iPad long enough to properly answer my questions. Another dealer was selling a piece for $40k that he knew I had a customer for. While I was arranging the deal with my client, which took about an hour (I was in his booth most of the time) and having my restorer come and inspect the piece, the seller turned around and handed it off to another dealer on consignment. WTF? It cost me a nice sale and in my opinion was totally arrogant.

Raphael

[Curt A]

Rafael said: "Another dealer was selling a piece for $40k that he knew I had a customer for. While I was arranging the deal with my client, which took about an hour (I was in his booth most of the time) and having my restorer come and inspect the piece, the seller turned around and handed it off to another dealer on consignment. WTF? It cost me a nice sale and in my opinion was totally arrogant."

Arrogant is not the correct word... the correct word also starts with an A, but ends with a hole...

Another peeve is NOT putting items you have for sale out on the table, but hoping the "right" buyer (someone with a certain pedigree, so you can have bragging rights) comes along...
I collected southern folk art pottery for years and there are a lot of arrogant a...holes in that hobby, as well. Some of them would set up at a show and hide items that were for sale under their tables (not things that had already been spoken for, but items that they wanted to control who had the opportunity to see them) and play these ridiculous games. I have paid for early entry to many shows and not found anything worthwhile, only to be told that "someone" (special) found a great piece from a certain seller on Sunday - an item, which I would have bought if I had seen it. OMG, a newbie might have gotten it... No wonder antique sales have fallen off. Let's not turn this hobby into that kind of craziness...

[NEFaurora]

Jerry, Easy answer..... You know the old saying.....The first one to name a price is usually the loser...

It gives the Sellers more room to haggle with a buyer....

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

[melvind]

I always have believed, and still do, that people that do not price things at shows are just lazy. If that is not the case, that is how it comes off to me and I rarely will consider buying from a booth with no prices. I don't want to start the bargaining for the seller. That is their job. Period.

[Herman]

No price, I just move on. First impression is something shady going on as already he or she is hiding an important feature of an item. As a seller if I do my research and if I do not have an idea of the value I will either not offer it for sale or I will put a note saying so and leave it to the conscience of the buyer as still have some faith left that most people are honest.

[PeterF]

No price? Offer 50% of what you know it’s worth and be pleasantly surprised when they take it.

If not, then they will tell you their price, and the haggling can begin. Or if their price is silly, you can smile and walk away.

Be sure to loop back at the end of the last day, as they ponder having to lug it home again (unsold because of their silly price), for a last chance at a good price or even a great bargain.

[Herman]

Another observation of mine is many sellers return with the same stock from the previous year only to pack it all up to return with the same items next year.

I sold over 100 blue amberol cylinders because I priced them very reasonable. Sold one lot of 33 and another lot of 50 two buyers. That put some money in my pocket which I spent it all on a couple of items instead of taking back home 100 cylinders. I may not have made any money on the cylinders but they allowed me to buy a couple of items I needed without putting out any extra money. That is why I consider it a hobby and not a liability.

[vansteem78]

Not priced. I confess I usually think they want to haggle so I 'walk on by.' Even if someone says what do think it's worth. I say I don't know and keep walking. I am not much for that foolishness. Put a price in it and then I'll ask if that's your best price! ha ha

[Chuck]

This question brings to mind a story.

6 or 7 years ago at the Union, Illinois show after
my entire stock of brand new brown wax blanks had
been sold very quickly, I had a modest few dollars
in cash in my pocket, and started looking around.

Came across a dealer who had some very nice Edison
machines displayed, all with price tags. Very nice,
but somewhat out of my league.

Just about this time, some dusty boxes under the table
caught my eye. I asked the friendly dealer if he'd mind
if I pulled out a few of these boxes and started looking
at the piles of parts in them.

He said sure, help yourself, if you find anything
you're interested in, let me know...

Well, so I dug around and came up with a complete
Edison cylinder 2 minute recorder of the later type
that has the stylus holder glued to the thin mica
diaphragm. Pulled it out, inspected under bright
light with a loupe, a and saw that the cutter
was nice and sharp. Everything perfectly intact.
Loose item though, no original box.

I asked him if he had a price in mind and he said
no. He told me to make an offer, so I stammered
out rather apologetically "would 40 bucks be too
little?" He accepted my offer.

That recorder only needed a very minor bit of
resealing with beeswax and it talks up loud and clear!

So, the moral of this story is:

No pricetag means open to offers.
If your offer is too ridiculously low, the dealer
will simply not accept it. That is when the
haggling can start.

If the dealer is actually intending to sell stuff,
even a very affordable offer will be accepted.

If, on the other hand, the dealer prefers to keep dragging their items around, loading and unloading them repeatedly from one show to the next, for years on end, then your offer will likely not be accepted.

If you want to be really snarky, you can phrase it
like this "I'd be willing take <fill in the blank item>
off of your hands for $xxx"

But seriously though, no pricetag means make
your own price!