Equilibrium

I'm not quite sure why (or maybe I know), but I spent Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and - yes- today shopping.

Oh, not all day, every day. Duh - it's the crazy season, and I had twenty billable hours spread out over 27 (drive time and meals) just the last three alone. But I had opportunities this long weekend, and I took them.

What opportunities?

Well, Friday I went to visit my watch guy - not the one who fixes but the one who sells. He had the loveliest 14K, 23 jewel watch ... I bought it for a good (not great) price, along with eleven others (plated) and three empty cases. More than I'd wanted to spend, a lot less than I thought I would, but since only four of them need work (cleaning) and none of the ones that needed cleaning was the the golden beauty, I got a deal.

Saturday was an estate sale that started early, before my first class. I spent too much on a 10K ring, but it fit so I won't have to size it. (Emeralds and diamonds, too - small but ... well, I don't know my stones as well as I'd liked but they looked pretty fine for 10K). I also, it turned out, spent well under what I could get (not market, but actually get) for a 14K locket, so it evened out.

Sunday I went to a small antiques show, local. Actually I'd stopped in on Saturday between students, to scope out the place. I found a couple of dealers who seemed to be willing to negotiate, and I figured they'd do so even better on the last day of the sale. I was right, but I found only one thing I was willing to pay even the lower price for - another ring, gold, just my size, and - oddly enough - after weighing it at home found I could sell it for scrap and make a profit. I won't, but it makes me feel better.

Today was my thrift shop. Found a nasty-looking set of maybe-pearls, but I bought it for the two beads that might (might) be something other than rhinestones. (Shut up - it was charity, and cheap.)

That's the key, I guess - I needed something to make sense, to balance correctly for a change. It doesn't surprise me that it was jewelry that helped me feel that, especially gold. Money isn't a love for me, not as in root-of-all-evil anyway, but it is a great method of keeping score. I like it when the numbers work out. I like it better when it works out (even slightly) in my favor.

If that were all, you might label me reformed. But there was an ... incident yesterday.

I went to one of the booths and saw a pretty woman's Bucherer watch (nonfunctional, no band) as well as a ladies' pendant watch (no crown, no stem, damaged dial) that I hadn't seen during my recon on Saturday. The dealer - oh, let's call him Richard - wanted a certain amount for the pair. I looked them over. Both were marked in French. I don't know much French, but I know gold is "oro," and I didn't see that anywhere - not even connected to the "plaque" on the first one (which I was pretty sure meant "plated"), while the second had, on the inside flap (flap?) something that looked more like mechanical specifications ("ligne" means "line," right?). I thought Richard wanted too much for both, started to walk away, and he shouted out another price, lower but not within my comfort zone to gamble with (especially since I'd bought so many on Friday, after I'd sworn I'd buy only solid gold).

Later, after the success with the ring (and wondering if the lapel watch wasn't old, therefore unmarked, gold), I went back and asked if he still wanted that price. "I repriced everything," he snapped (seriously), "you missed your chance."

I smiled brightly (which was not faked), thanked him, walked away, then parked on the internet once I got home late that night - I had to Google and eBay everything, didn't I?

The Big Lug caught me. "It doesn't matter," he said despite my brilliant idea to go to the next small show, just to see if he's there, and if they've sold at his tripled price. "No matter whether you're his lesson or he's yours, all you should be glad of is that you didn't give your money to ... Dick."

Oh, come on, you had to see that coming.

And you know I feel better.