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    Valkyrie
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

A Plethora of Prompts - 3. Prompt #121 - A Rare Find

PT Prompt #121: You enter an antique shop and immediately see something on a shelf that makes your heart pound and hands shake with excitement. When you pick it up and express interest in it, the shop owner gives it to you for free. What is it and why did they give it to you?

Spring Lake Antiques – 5 Miles Ahead

We have something for everyone!

The large, wooden sign looked like an antique itself. The once brightly colored paint had faded, but not to the point of being unreadable. The arrow pointed more toward the ground versus down the road, but the point was made. I was surprised I had even noticed it on the winding rural road I was on. If I hadn’t slowed down for the driver making a right turn in front of me, I probably would have driven right on by it.

I glanced at the time displayed on the car’s console. I had about an hour to kill before reaching my destination, so figured what the hell? At the least I would kill a few minutes, and at the most, I would find some kind of treasure. Maybe something to take my mind off my upcoming appointment.

Exactly five miles later, I pulled into the gravel parking area in front of a weathered red barn. It didn’t look much better than the sign. It didn’t look like all that great of an establishment, but sometimes those places held the biggest treasures. Not that I expected to find any such thing. But there was always hope, right?

The parking lot was empty, so I wondered if the place was even open. There were lights on inside and an open sign on the door, so I pushed it and entered the place. Loud bells jangled in my ear, causing me to flinch. I hated loud noises. I took a few seconds to look around before making the most important decision when entering these establishments – do I start to the right or to the left?

I chose neither. I stifled my gasp as my eyes locked onto an object on a shelf right in front of me. I had trained myself not to outwardly react when seeing valuable objects in places such as this. An antique poker face. I was a master at haggling. I walked slowly over, heart pounding and hands shaking. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans before reaching up and removing the ceramic horse laying on its side on the middle shelf.

The poor thing was missing three of its legs, but it had a sticker on its side with its name and the name of the manufacturer. I’d only ever seen a handful of others made in this color. People waited a lifetime to find this particular animal. I turned it over, looking for a price tag, but couldn’t find one.

“I was unpacking a box of things to put out for sale, and that poor fella was in there. Couldn’t find any of the missing pieces, so I was going to throw it out. I must have gotten sidetracked. It’s yours if you want it.” A middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair had appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

My poker face was not good enough to hide my horror at the thought of this beauty being thrown in the trash. “Yeah, I want it. How much?”

The man smiled. “Seriously. I was going to toss it. It’s yours. No charge.”

I stared at him. No charge? As in free? These guys were all out to make a profit, so giving stuff away was absolutely unheard of. “Thank you. Wow, that’s very generous of you.”

“Generous?” he laughed. “I’m glad you think so. It has no value in that condition.”

I wondered if there was anything else he had trashed. The thought made me sick. “Actually, it does still have value. I’ve been looking for this piece for years. Please tell me you haven’t thrown anything else like this out.”

“Really? Wow. I had no idea. No, I haven’t, but there may be more of these in the estate I just bought. I will definitely not throw them out, no matter the condition.”

“I don’t mind paying for this. And can I give you my number if you do come across any others?”

“Absolutely. And no charge. Seriously. You can pay for any others I find.” The man winked. “How about I wrap that up for you while you browse?”

“Perfect.”

I didn’t find anything else in the shop I particularly wanted, but the man called me about a week later to say he had found a box full of more horses, and he’d reserve them for me if I wanted them. I couldn’t get over there fast enough.

Be sure to check out Cole Matthews' response to the same prompt. We each had a bit of a different take on this one. Stay tuned for more prompts we wrote during my visit. Thanks for reading! What would be your ultimate antique store find?
Copyright © 2021 Valkyrie; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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On 3/10/2023 at 2:32 PM, Parker Owens said:

Value, like beauty, is in the eye and heart of the beholder. This story speaks to that. Any dealer knows that a single gift or bargain granted brings a repeat customer. That horse was a bargain for both the narrator and the dealer. 

Yes, exactly!  Good customer service equals repeat business, especially for niche collectors. I'm always happy to provide education about value to people willing to listen, and will reward that willingness with a purchase sometimes.  If it's something I particularly want, I'm happy to pay retail price.  I once bought a collectible off someone for a cheap price (what it was worth, although he had been erroneously told it was worth more) simply because he was willing to listen to me about that brand of collectibles.  I didn't actually want it, but figured I would either donate it to a raffle or give it to a kid to play with.  

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On 3/10/2023 at 5:57 PM, Geron Kees said:

Antique shops are like lost treasure houses. Stories about antique shops, like this one, are pretty nice, too! :)

 

Thank you!  Yes, they definitely treasure houses.  You never know what you might find :) 

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On 3/11/2023 at 4:35 AM, raven1 said:

You have captured the feeling I had every time I acquired a new treasure from an antique story.  Very well done!🏅

Thank you!  I swear I feel like a kid at Christmas every time I see a display featuring items I collect. I try my best to maintain a poker face and not go immediately running over to it lol  Needless to say, I did not inherit my mom's gift for haggling :unsure: 

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On 3/11/2023 at 10:01 AM, Dabeagle said:

As a collector/restorer of Telechron Clocks, I love how you capture the feeling of hope from each run down antique spot that suddenly appears while driving. The anticipation of the unknown that you might find on a dusty shelf, looking for the right person to claim it.

Thank you!  Only other collectors know that feeling ;)  

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I collect hats and musical instruments. You should see my extremely bored expression when I detect a treasure. I could see you in that shop.

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3 hours ago, Aditus said:

I collect hats and musical instruments. You should see my extremely bored expression when I detect a treasure. I could see you in that shop.

LOL  When I spot a treasure, I casually saunter over, looking at everything else in the area while keeping the treasure always in sight.  Then I grab it and won't let go :rofl:

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