You can make easy money or swindle

[elusivek]

... From me pretty easily.

Today was another busy busy day. Natural History Museum, V&A, Harrods, then back to the boulevard type of place with all the patisseries, Portobello market, and Westfield. It was a busy day.

Okay. How to make money from me: just ask.

So at Portobello market I found this 1932 copy of Anne Sewell's Black Beauty. So-so condition, but considerably ok, maybe just one part where the spine is slightly cracked.

Black Beauty is a special book for me. It's the first book I bought with my own money some 20-something years ago when I first went to London with my mom. (I bought Black Beauty whereas my sis bought Mort, one of the Discworld books). I read that book every summer throughout primary and secondary school.

So it held quite a bit of sentimental value to me.

So I took the book to the guy, and asked "how much?"

He flips through the book and says "41 pounds, is that ok?"

At that time, I simply coughed up the cash for him. Now that I think about it, should I have asked "am I supposed to haggle?"

Now as I flip through the book I see, scribbled in pencil, "£6". £35 easily earned from me. Let my hypnotize myself that it's an antique book. (Read: now I wonder what I'm supposed to do with this book that I already have)

Then, much later, when we were walking from portobello to the tube station, a woman stopped us and went on a long winded story about running out of gas and having to get her kids somewhere and it's freezing and whatnot. She showed me some official looking letter claiming it's her name and whatever else. She asked for "7 quid". I suppose a quid is a pound? I gave her 10. In truth, it's not me being altruistic or what, it was more "take this and go away". I'm not sure if it's a scam, or if she really needed help. Let me just buy myself some good-feel and naive hope that one day in future someone would help me.

I'm tired. We walked a lot. We ate a lot. I'm going to bed now.

Comments

[wicked-jester.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that last one is a really common scam. Of course it can be hard to tell when it's genuine or not, but that same story has been used forever almost verbatim by scammers. They nearly always will involve kids and mention how cold it is. So yeah, I dunno. :(

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

Never trust a market trader!

Yes, a quid is one pound. I use the word quite often in my journal.

[seizetheday.livejournal.com]

I saw a first edition of Black Beauty at a thrift store near where I live last year. It was in pretty bad shape sitting with all of the rest of the books in the store.. Right next to it in a locked glass case were copies of Harry Potter books, nothing special to do with them either - no autograph or anything. I couldn't believe it.

[katemacetak.livejournal.com]

Yes, when I went to Portobello market my tutor told me we were supposed to haggle. But I'm not good at negotiating!

I've definitely given people money just to get them to go away before, even though I usually don't believe their stories.

[imogen-blue.livejournal.com]

It might be an old price in the book. It sounds in fantastic condition for 84 years old. =)