America’s Treasure King

On Saturday morning, Li Xiaoshuai and his wife got up early, and they left in Li Xiaoshuai's pickup without having breakfast. Today, their destination is the second-hand market of Hell's Kitchen on the west side of Manhattan.

This name is quite strange. It is said that in the past, there were often gang fights here, so it was called this name.

Speaking of the second-hand market, every large and small city in the United States has it, and is known to be used to wasting electricity, wasting gasoline, and using plastic bags in supermarkets.

When eating in the store, the tip is also very refreshing, only in the aspect of "clothing", I don't know how to do it.

There is an American college student who spends thousands of dollars on short trips during the holidays, but in terms of clothing, this person will also buy a T-shirt for a few dollars on the street and wear it casually.

Rabbit people claim to be thrifty, but most of them don't like to buy old things from other people's homes, unless they are antiques and the like. In the second-hand market of Laomei, old shoes and clothes are readily available, and many people buy them.

Coupled with the fact that the financial crisis has not yet passed, there are more people coming to the second-hand market today.

Li Xiaoshuai also saw on the website that some people said that as soon as he entered the big shopping mall, he felt guilty in his heart. The reason is that the current economy is in a recession, and the cash on hand should be saved.

As soon as he entered the market, Li Xiaoshuai saw that the popularity of this second-hand street was still very strong. He was afraid that he and his girlfriend would get lost, and he held her hand tightly.

On both sides of the street are makeshift sheds that contain almost everything.

There are English vases from the 18th century, old-fashioned telephones with dial dials from the 1950s, modern glass fruit bowls, floral skirts; green trousers; fake hoods. These are not what Li Xiaoshuai is interested in.

On the street, Li Xiaoshuai also saw an old acquaintance. Thiago, a Mexican treasure picker, and his partner were also picking up leaks on the street. Seeing Li Xiaoshuai, the two of them glared at each other like life and death enemies.

I found a hot dog stall, and the couple had a hot dog in one hand; they filled their stomachs with coffee first, and then they went shopping.

Li Xiaoshuai took his girlfriend and looked at the stalls one by one.

Although there are many stalls, and the goods visited by each stall are also dazzling, but that is not what Li Xiaoshuai wants.

When a stall owner saw that Li Xiaoshuai was of Chinese descent, he also recommended him a pair of very fresh imitation ancient paintings. He said that it was passed down by his family, and he would sell it for $100.

There is also a stall owner holding out a brand new rice cooker, saying that this thing is the most suitable for Chinese home cooking.

At one booth, a hexagonal silver coffee cup caught Li Xiaoshuai's attention, and a perspective eye revealed that it was from the Victorian era in England.

Dragging his girlfriend to the booth, Li Xiaoshuai picked up the coffee cup and looked at it. Although it was a few years old, the cup was very well preserved, with no bumps at all, but the oxide layer was very thick, and the whole cup was almost gray. .

It stands to reason that people like Li Xiaoshuai who came with the purpose of picking up leaks should choose a complete set.

And he wanted to buy it because he saw the second-hand goods business experience given by old Gardner. That is to spend a small amount of money to buy this cup, and then slowly accumulate a set of one cup and one teapot, so that the combined set can be sold at a high price.

There are still a lot of factory-produced coffee sets on the market. As long as you have the heart, you can always collect a set.

This method of spending small money to do big things is now the most suitable for Li Xiaoshuai who is short of funds on hand.

Li Xiaoshuai picked up the coffee cup and asked the boss, "How do you sell this cup?"

"This cup is an antique, $100" The stall owner was a middle-aged white woman in her forties. Seeing someone liked it, she immediately started raising the "knife".

Elaine complained in a low voice that the set is so expensive, I don't think $10 is worth it.

Li Xiaoshuai also said, yes; your price is calculated according to the complete set. "Also tell you, I'm a treasure hunter, you'd better say the real price."

"Connoisseur," the stall owner smirked and said, "You can take the $20."

Li Xiaoshuai took out two banknotes: "15."

"You win." With a swish, the banknotes in Li Xiaoshuai's hand were taken away by the stall owner, and the silver hexagonal coffee cup was wrapped in newspaper and handed to him.

Putting the cup into the backpack, the two continued to stroll down hand in hand.

Most of the stall owners in the Hell's Kitchen second-hand market are professional. It is very difficult to pick up leaks from these old birds. Li Xiao visited many stalls, and basically he liked the items, but he couldn't agree on the price. Finally had to give up.

Only like the one just now, the order was placed; Li Xiaoshuai took a few more silver coffee cups that were not complete sets.

In addition, I bought a new-looking T-shirt and a pair of sneakers for Elaine, which made Xiao Nizi very happy.

In an open space, a stall owner who appeared to be in his early 50s had just arrived and was still taking things out of a large bag. UU reading www. uukanshu.com A reddish-brown object caught Li Xiaoshuai's idea.

Open the perspective eye, it is displayed as "Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, Fengyinggu style bamboo pen holder."

Bamboo carving; Li Xiaoshuai doesn't understand at all, but this does not prevent him from buying it. Anyway, the ability has already been told to him. Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty still has money, which means that it is very valuable.

Well, at least a few thousand dollars should be there.

Li Xiaoshuai is more interested!

Looking at the stall owner again, it is definitely an amateur, because the stall owners who make a living have set up the stall early, and he has only arrived now, which shows his layman.

"Boss, what's the price?" Li Xiaoshuai picked up the pen holder, he wanted to try his luck.

The stall owner pushed up his glasses and said, "This one, $50."

Li Xiaoshuai listened to it as if he heard the sound of the sky, more attractive to him than his girlfriend's low voice on the bed. "It's just a piece of bamboo, isn't 50 dollars too expensive, 30 dollars, I'll pay right away."

"Ok."

Shush, Li Xiaoshuai swiftly took out three ten-dollar bills and handed them to the stall owner, a pen holder in one hand and his girlfriend in the other, and quickly left.

After walking several hundred meters away, Li Xiaoshuai picked up the pen holder and looked carefully.

This pen holder has an elegant atmosphere and is very seductive to look at. It is engraved with a picture of three friends in the cold season. The carvings of pine, bamboo and plum are very fine and lifelike.

In the blank space near the bottom, the author's name "Feng Yinggu" is also engraved in negative script.

Seeing that Li Xiaoshuai had a happy face, he was carefully wrapping the pen holder, and Elaine asked, "Is it very valuable?"

"Very valuable, at least a few thousand dollars."

"Oh cake buyer, you're amazing, you're so capable."

Li Xiaoshuai's face was pecked twice again.