THIS WEEKS FEATURE

 SPECIAL EDITION 

Carlton's 800 mile L.A. Road Trip To the Glendale Show and Long Beach Flea Market

 PAGE 4 

plan as to what it was and if I wanted it. Finally I left. But it stuck with me as I walked around. Collectors know how it is when you see something great, you look at other stuff but you don't really see anything....your mind is thinking back to the great piece. I assembled the logic as I strolled...not my kind of thing, but great....original work of art....looked circa 1950 but couldn't tell....It all kept churning together.

Finally I went back and looked at it again. The dealer saw me back but didn't make any effort to persuade the sale, and basically ignored me...which was fine, I needed the think time. So I left again....and went right back to thinking about it....Two isles later and it was getting dark with clouds and it was time....I went back the third time and nicely asked what was the best he could do. He said he couldn't come down lower, and that he'd already turned down $_____.00. We discussed the signature and he said he hadn't researched him. Finally like a bad boy I made a hard offer just a little less than his asking. He hesitated a moment and reluctantly said OK...and told me that if it turned out to be something, not to tell him. Sounded like he had intuition. I left it with him and went and did a little more looking around but came back twenty minutes later to get it and leave. As I was leaving two pretty hot babes asked to see it, and gave their approval...of course I was the one giving the approval at that moment...but anyway. I asked the dealer right as I was walking off, where he'd gotten it. He said he'd had it 25 years, and picked it up at a garage sale, and that it hung in his daughters room for years. That about wrapped up Long Beach for the day. I headed out and it started to pour just as I was leaving. 

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