The $40,000 Elephant

So yesterday I went into midtown to meet a friend for lunch. It was totally snowing out and I had some time to kill but I wore the wrong shoes and my feet got wet. So I wandered into one of these like antique type stores they got in midtown. They're all over the place. They're not really antique stores they're more like high-end garage sale cluttery stores. They're just jam packed with like big statues and large old furniture and like chandeliers and like gold lamps and like carpets and just random stuff. I have no idea how these places stay in business or have any idea who shops there. They might be fronts for something or something maybe. They're totally mysterious. 

Anyway I'm walking around in this store looking at stuff and being extra careful not to knock anything over. And the owner dude is sort of following me not saying anything. I check out an old table that has a lamp built into it. I pull open drawers on this super thin chest of drawers. Then I check out these two large brass elephant statues. They were big. Like knee high. They were decorated with elephant gear on their heads and backs. I asked the guy, 'How much for the elephants?' He told me in an accent I couldn't identify,  that they were '$40,000 a piece. 80 for the pair.' I nodded my head and made a frowny confirming face like that's what I figured they would cost. I kept 'browsing' and started to wonder... 'WHO THE FUCK GOES INTO THIS GARAGE SALE CLUTTER STORE AND PLUNKS DOWN $80,000 ON A COUPLE BRASS ELEPHANTS?! Goddangnangnang! Is there anyone that stupidly rich? Like to wander into a store like this and decide they neeeeed these elephants? Does it happen? Could an impulse buy like that really happen??'

I started to get paranoid that I was going to smash something by accident and walked toward the door to head out. As I was leaving the guy said, '$50,000 for the pair.' I looked back at him and said ,'No thanks...' Then he said right away, 'Twenty for one?' I guess times are tough even for a crazy store like that. I smiled and shook my head and left. It was nice to know there is that much haggle flexibility if I ever need to buy a frickin giant brass elephant. 

While walking in the snow I wondered if the people who buy stuff from these crazy stores know that all they have to do is "walk out" to bring the price down like 50%. Do they know they can haggle with these people in such a big way? 

Or if they have crazy money for stupid stuff like that... would they even bother?

ok bye!

tOdd