Friday, January 1, 2010

Maiden Voyage

Why "Lady Antique Dealer" as a blog title? Several years ago, on one of our antique buying trips to England, I read a wonderful classified ad in an antiques trade paper that said "Lady Antiques Dealer Desires to Buy Your Old Things. Enquiries to Mrs. W. (phone number)" Could anything be more "English" than that? I wonder why Mrs. W felt the need to indicate her sex and then not give her complete surname?? She may have thought potential sellers would trust her more if she was female rather than male. But then not to indicate her full name? She felt the need to solicit goods--but then not to identify herself? Many possibilities--member of the witness protection program? Shilling for the oldest profession? Regardless--clever advertisement and I have adopted it.

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