Best deal I ever found was a vase. An ugly green vase about 12" tall. I just had a feeling about it.
I was at a local auction and bought it for 5 bucks. When the seller finished selling, I asked him to give me my 5 bucks back and just consign it into our next antique auction. I told him I had a feeling I'd make plenty just on commission. He said no way! You bought it, it's yours! I tried to explain to him that I had a feeling it was very valuable and that I didn't want to take advantage of him. He said I don't care if you get a thousand bucks for it, I never want to see it again.
The next month we listed it in our auction, it brought around 900 in a live bid, but my wife had put a reserve on it of 1 grand. (I think she was just being silly, but with her you never know) She pulled it, I told her she was a certified lunatic, and threatened to have her commited to the loony bin.
I wasn't sure though, and was very busy at the time, so I just sat it on the desk in my office where it sat for several years. My wife finally got around to looking at it seriously, noticed a partial signiture on the bottom. After researching it, she found out it was an unlisted Grueby vase, value unknown. Since it was ours and it's just bad business practice to appraise your own items, she hired a fellow appraiser in Memphis to do a written appraisal. It just so happened this lady was going to Boston that next week and took it along on her flight and took it by a Grueby museum there.
It's mate was on display and listed as one of a kind.
It appraised for tons of money, but I sorta liked it and figured it wouldn't bring much because it had two tiny chips and a small hairline crack. But eventually, I sold it to a collector who had helped me out when I was in a bind years before......
for 3 grand.
