"if I knew then what I know now"

[Foofoogal]

Didn't want to take away from what do you do for a living thread and in response of the Martin D-28 loss.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Foofoogal
My stars. I just went back thru 44 pages and realized I have never stated what I do.
I have been a collector since about 9 years old but an antiques dealer since 1996 in real world and online since 2002.
Sold at 7 different venues including 2 e bay shops but mainly at Tias since 2002 and now am at Tias, RubyLane and soon to be RubyPlaza.
It is all about the Find and the History to me. I still love what I do immensely and passionately.
Sandy
foofoogal

Would you get mad at me if I told you I sold a 1941 Martin D28 for $1000 back in 1983 when my granduncle died and left it to me? I was 19 and that was a lot of money back then!

I understand they were just south of $100,000K at the peak before the economy tanked.

Could be worse, It could have been a D42 or D45! (MD11)
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Unfortunately we get into that "if I knew then what I know now" mode of thinking. Who knew that those things would skyrocket in price like that? Back in the same time, you could get D'Angelico archtops for less than $2000 bucks. Nowadays when you find a really good one, you'd be hard pressed to find one for under $20,000 bucks and that's one that has been refinished, repaired and messed with. The pawn shops were loaded with them back in 84. Now you're lucky to find them in the best vintage stores. Silver Dollar
-------------------------What have you lost and wish you had not sold, trashed, given away that is now worth something to you or others.



In response. Don't feel bad as I found a guitar that looks like the one you mention and could be it back then in a pawn shop as my honey wanted to learn to play the guitar. He never did and I ended up giving it to a Missionary group. I would like to think it is being played in Peru for a good cause. lol
One reason I got in the business is someone ripped me off on postcards and tv schematics when I didn't know anything.
Do your homework. sometimes even when you do as a dealer you can be wrong. One time I bought a brand new doll price guide. In the price guide it stated a doll was worth tops $75.00. I had the doll for a long time so when I first came online sold this doll in about 10 minutes for $60.00 as I thought it was a fair price. Turns out I sold a Kenner Blythe doll in a original bikini and at the time was worth about $2800.00. I sold her as at the time she scared my 3 yr. old granddaughter and Nana didn't dare want to do that. lol

 

[Silver Dollar]

In all truth, I really don't worry about what got away from me in the past. Prices for these things can be so volatile and the economy is so screwy that something worth a million bucks yesterday can plummet to 55 cents the next. You just have to take things in stride.

 

[Foofoogal]

lol :eusa_clap

That is for sure. fickleness rules in the field. Hot potato today, cold tomorrow. That is why I always pick up what I like. In case I have to look at it for a very long time. lol

 

[Silver Dollar]

lol :eusa_clap

That is for sure. fickleness rules in the field. Hot potato today, cold tomorrow. That is why I always pick up what I like. In case I have to look at it for a very long time. lol

That's the only way I will buy an antique now no matter what it is. If I buy anything with the idea of selling it later for a profit, I always take a bath on it. If I decide to sell it and make a profit then that's by luck alone. I used to collect vintage archtop guitars as an investment. Dumbest thing I ever did. All the gurus said archtop prices will continue to rise at a rate better than the stock market and they saw no end in sight. As soon as they said that, the archtop market tanked and no they saw no growth at all. I sold most of the collection and kept only what I really wanted to play. I didn't make a profit but at least I'm happy.

 

[Edward]

The problem I typically have is not being able to let stuff go, as I'm convinced as soon as I sell it it'll be worth ten times what I get. I need to just get over it, or I'll turn into that old guy that gets found dead after three months, buried under a pile of old newspapers.... lol

 

[Diamondback]

If I knew then what I knew now...

...I'd have asked Grandpa to leave me his .45 in his will, and to teach me how to shoot and run a machine-shop while he still could.

...I'd have asked Uncle F. to teach me the basics of investing and finance, and how to pick winning stocks.

...after Dad left, I'd have kept in touch with his ex-buddies from the airstrip and had them help guide me down the road to my own license.

...instead of wasting time on my Junior and Senior years, I'd have asked to do 'em by correspondence over Summer Vacation after my sophomore year--and given that tall blonde cheerleader-type classmate who acted like she was interested in me a chance.

...instead of wasting time in Business Dept., I'd have gone All In on History from square-one--and found a way to make ROTC work.

...I'd have laughed more, loved more (if given the opportunity), fought less and all those other simple little things in life I've missed out on.

 

[Foofoogal]

A bit off original topic now but we can expand a bit.
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I had an Aunt that was a very successful Interior Decorator. I would of camped out on her porch till she taught me a ton of stuff.
She had her own personal assistant that traveled with her. I would of picked her brain as to how she became so successful financially. She came from very humble beginnings and was very smart.
Not so much for the financial wisdom I could of gleaned from her but her thought patterns.
She was a red headed knockout so I am sure that helped but she had enough smarts to not waste her beauty.

 

[Diamondback]

Also, I'd have had Mom get a safe deposit box at the bank to store the savings-bonds I always got for Christmas so my oxygen-thief father couldn't swipe 'em when he did his bug-out. (First ones would be hitting maturity pretty soon, which would really be helpful for rolling them over into a Coverdell Education Savings Account or an IRA.)

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I woulda hung onto all my old toys,...stuff like the first G.I. Joe from Hasbro. All of that stuff is worth a mint now! :eusa_doh:

 

[Wire9Vintage]

My Mrs. Beasley doll.... that's all I can say.... :eusa_doh:

 

[Silver Dollar]

Ain't life funny? Once you start to get some of the best answers, it's too late to use them. I just wish I got some of those answers when I really needed them. :eusa_doh:

 

[WolfeMan]

Sort of fftopic: I would have spent my pay from my summer job on a nice A-2, suit or boots, but i wasn't into that stuff yet.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Ain't life funny? Once you start to get some of the best answers, it's too late to use them. I just wish I got some of those answers when I really needed them. :eusa_doh:

you ain't kidding brother

 

[Edward]

Yeah.... I'd like to go back and tell my twenty-one year old self a few things..... though that said, I'm likely more of an embarassment to him than vice versa... lol

 

[Atticus Finch]

Deleted by AF. Too far off topic.

 

[Foofoogal]

Yeah.... I'd like to go back and tell my twenty-one year old self a few things..... though that said, I'm likely more of an embarassment to him than vice versa...

most definitely. More like I would like to go back to that 16 year old. I would probably slap myself silly. My poor mama. She wore her knees out on me I am sure. lol

 

[PistolPete1969]

I would do several things:

1. While I was overseas in the Navy, I would tour more and take more pictures, instead of being a 19 year-old sailor on shore-leave.

2. Also while in the Navy I would save more money.

3. I would do everything I could to spend more time with my grandfather.

4. I would ask for my great-uncle's WWI uniform

Thats it for now....

 

[Atticus Finch]

I would have joined the military.

When I was eighteen, the war in Vietnam was still winding down, everyone was sick of it and nobody my age wanted anything to do with the military.

But not signing up for at least one hitch is now my single greatest regret.

AF

 

[Chas]

I wouldn't have gone into nursing. I would have gone to music school instead, and got my BA and then MA.

Hospital politics sucks.

 

[Foofoogal]

But not signing up for at least one hitch is now my single greatest regret.

this is funny as my honey says the same thing. He was in the next round to be drafted when the war ended or draft ended.