Greetings! We all have our strategies for holiday shopping. But prop shopping is a different sort of hunting. Here's a few tips for the trips that take you to small town antique stores.
1. Bring cash
And your checkbook. I run into a lot of shops that don't take plastic. There might not be an ATM in town when you get there.
2. Bring small bills
Once I was shopping for tools in an antique shop. The bill was under $20 and I tried to pay with a $100 bill. The owner apologized, and explained he didn't have enough change in the register. Even the post office in town couldn't change me on a Saturday morning.
3. Know the schedule
Not just the shop's hours. Some little towns have fall festivals and Labor Day car shows. There's little parking and lots of out-of-towners. These are terrible times to hunt!
4. Know what you're looking for
Your director wants green glassware from the 30s. Let's say you're doing These Shining Lives. And he mentions something about glassware that glows. Hopefully, the store owner can decipher your description and show you to the Vaseline glass case (if they have one).
Do your homework. Know what you're looking for, and what you should be paying for it.
Speak intelligently about what you need. Last year I learned True Detective magazines not considered 'pulps' in the antiquarian bookseller community.
If you can't find the answer, call Grandma. Seriously.
5. Bring a camera and a tape measure
Take a few pictures if your purchase is going to require approval. Write down the measurements, price, store name, who you spoke with, the store's number, shop's hours, and any other relevant details. On the days I visit multiple shops these details can blur quickly.
Happy hunting!
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