Sneaky Buy And Sell -
Back in his workshop, Elias didn't find gold doubloons. Instead, tucked into a false bottom he’d suspected was there, he found a bundle of letters wrapped in oilskin. They were correspondence from a mid-1800s diplomat, detailed accounts of private negotiations that had never made the history books.
His latest mark was a listing for a "Heavy Metal Box - $50." The photo was blurry, taken in a dimly lit garage. To most, it looked like a rusted toolbox. To Elias, the hinges and the specific patina on the latch shouted 19th-century seafaring chest . sneaky buy and sell
The "sell" required more finesse. You don't put history on Facebook. Back in his workshop, Elias didn't find gold doubloons
He messaged the seller, a guy named "Big Al," and agreed to meet at a gas station—the neutral ground of the digital marketplace. His latest mark was a listing for a "Heavy Metal Box - $50
Elias spent a week "finding" the chest in a more reputable way. He contacted a boutique auction house specializing in Americana, claiming he’d purchased it at an estate sale in Virginia. He didn't mention Big Al or the gas station.
The local "Buy/Sell/Trade" Facebook group was usually a graveyard of stained sofas and outdated electronics. But for Elias, it was a goldmine of desperation and overlooked treasures. He wasn't a criminal, exactly; he was an "arbitrage specialist."
