Weird item of the week... Mallard Duck Gumball Machine

One of my favorite pastimes is hunting out interesting and unusual objects to post on eBay.

For the most part my buying judgment is pretty good, but I'm not always on target when it comes to figuring out what people will go for.

Part of the fun is definitely the element of chance. I suppose it can be compared to a gambler's high — the rush you'll get when an inexpensive item is bid up to levels you never expected.

Such was the case with my summertime purchase of a Miss Suzette Barbie-like doll. She came in her original vinyl carry case, along with a few outfits too! I picked her up at a church rummage sale for $5. She brought $108.

After experiencing that kind of excitement a few times, one keeps a keen eye out for anything that might have a remote chance of triggering a bidding war.

Just a word to the wise...

It's great to strike up a conversation with flea market sellers,
but don't always take their word at face value.

Jeff and I visited the new flea market in Central Village on Saturday.

We stepped inside and meandered around. There was nothing that immediately caught my attention.

The merchandise reminded me of what you might find at a tiny hole-in-the-wall antique shop. I was a little disappointed, because when I check out a flea market, I immediately seek out those selling used home goods. These are people who don't do flea markets for a living -- they just want to clean out the house and unload the stuff. Their spots usually have the greatest bargains. There were no tables like that on Saturday.

Jeff stopped to talk with Rob, one of the owners, so I browsed around to see what was for sale. I came across a corner set-up that had a couple of interesting finds... A Winnie the Pooh tea-pot in the original box. The seller asked $10 for it. An ET coin bank... He wanted $10 for that one too.

Oh, and here's what I thought was really neat -- a gumball machine that was also a mallard duck! Pretty cool, I thought.

It was heavy for it's size and the maker's name was on the bottom. It was interesting in how the gum was dispensed. It popped out one end and rolled down a shoot along the side of the bird.

Well, the seller probably sensed that I really wanted the thing. He asked $40 for it.

I didn't want it that badly. That's actually what I was guessing it might bring on eBay.

Thinking he'd jump at it because the place wasn't all that busy, and it was nearing the end of the day, I counter-offered $25. He didn't bite.

As I continued to look it over, the dealer started telling me what similar gumball machine-mallard ducks are going for on eBay — a lot more than $40 he boasted.

I was surprised to hear that there were more of these on eBay. I had never seen anything like it. But you know, I hate when flea market or yard sale sellers tell me what an item will bring on eBay. My immediate thought is, "Well, why don't YOU just put it on eBay???"

I left without the duck -- or anything else.

Out of curiosity, I checked eBay when I arrived home. I found two Mallard Duck Gumball Machines. There were none in completed listings, but both were going for less than $10 in price.

I'm glad I didn't buy it, even at $25.