I have a friend/neighbor who I call my "mentor". He's a big-time yard-saler and really knows his antiques. He's the kind of guy who arrives at the flea market at 5:30 a.m. with a headlamp and wellies. It he sleeps in until 6:00, he won't go because all the good stuff is gone. He once told me that when he spots a hideous piece, he takes a second look figuring it's either really ugly, or it's worth a lot of money.
These words of wisdom were with me on Thursday when I made a quick tour of the Salvation Army in North Providence. I was empty handed when I spotted these (in my humble opinion) ugly slippers. As soon as my eye passed them, I thought--they may be really ugly, but they could be worth a lot of money. And they looked to be in good shape. So I picked one up for closer examination. Never heard of the brand "Stubbs and Wootton", but right beneath the brand name I see "Palm Beach". Things are looking up. And the shoes are new! Not a sign of wear on either one. But the price on the bottom says $12.99. A bit much for me. I punch the brand name into my eBay Droid app and see several pairs selling for upwards of $100. Then I look inside the shoes and find a yellow tag. It's half price on all yellow tags, so I leave the Salvation Army with my pair of shoes for $6.50.
Once home, I google Stubbs and Wootton. There's my exact pair of shoes "Osiris Blue" for $395! I have a new appreciation for these ugly shoes. And thank you mentor!
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