Jan and John Maggs Antiques

The vanishing decimal point

On Sunday morning of the Vermont ADA show in September we were visiting with our friend and fellow dealer Howard Graff, when we noticed a beautiful cast iron piece on the wall of his booth. The object had a wonderful graphic appeal, and we expressed our appreciation to Howard.

"Great, isn't it?" Howard said. "Everyone walks up to admire it , but then they just walk away. I really don't understand. It's only $100."

We agreed. The price was so attractive that there must be some hidden defect, or it wouldn't still be there. We moved closer for a better look. When we got close enough to read the tag, the reason became obvious.

$11,500 seemed a bit steep!

MORAL: If you must use a decimal point on your price tags, be sure that it's visible!

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