I can vividly remember “the one’s that got away”. There have been many times I was hunting for antiques an hesitated or just did not have the cash, or talked myself out of a good deal. Then I find out later what a dummy I was. Last week, I was behind one of my competition buddies in an estate sale. The ad said they had antique cameras. I actually saw the antique cameras after my friend. There was a box with a vintage Leica and a bunch of lenses, and accessories, and literature. They had it marked $700. I commented to the dealer $700!? He said “Yeah, punch it up” (look online) then blurted out some prices. I walked away, asked my buddy, “Did you see the Leica?” “yeah, he said, $700 is to much for me”. So I felt my decision was good. I find out later that day that he just walked up to the dealer putting on the sale and asked, “What’s the least you’d take?” He said “$550.” My buddy bought it. Gosh, I would have paid $550!
What happened here is, I was one of the regular buyers the dealer knew, so was my friend. We and everybody else were passing on the camera. The sale continued on with no purchase at $700. My asking was not a negotiating question. My friend’s asking WAS a negotiating question. So the dealer probably decided quickly, (“I’ve got to get a sale here..”) and sold it to my friend. It will probably go for about $2000 on ebay.
I beat myself up about these regrets. So, I’ve decided to just put them all on my “picker pile” with all the others that went south. It’s now just a pile. I learned. Now I’ve taught you.
Do you have any regrets you want to share here? It’s very therapeutic!