To dispell all the rumors by drunken sailors or people who don't have a clue about how I operate the shop, here's the real scoop on how Lost & Found works.

I don't buy anything! I have a place you can bring your stuff for others who may need it! Or I may know where or who has something you need. In the past I tried to mark things up a straight 30% like bigger consignment shops in the states. I found that unless I had more volume and space to do so, I couldn't make ends meet here to pay for the space. So what I do now is get the asking price from the customer. Hopefully they realize that money here is much less abundant than in other countries and as a rule, nobody likes to pay for anything around here. I guess people think that comodoties in third world countries just grow on trees without any cost of living expenses!

SO, once I find out what you want when you bring in your stuff with a priced inventory list, I research on e-bay or Amazon to try and find something similar to get an idea how much a reasonable "used" price is that may sell here. If I have to go to a catalog for a price, I try to go half the asking price of new. If, at that time, I discover the asking price is too high and I don't feel I can sell it at the asking price, I contact the owner and see if they will renegotiate their asking price, or return that item. If you have been trying to sell it at the flea market or on the Net, I will have to sell it at that price so figure you will have to reduce the price at least 30% to me so I can make something. Once all is said and done, I can have that much room to move and you get the price you agreed on. No hidden charges, no B.S., sometimes I can make money, other times at least I am able to help you get rid of the stuff. It seems to all balance out in the end.

When you bring an item to my shop, I ask that you leave the selling of it to me for at least one month. If you want to send people to me, that's fine, but it can get complicated if you are selling the item for one price and I give them another once they are here. I spend a lot of time researching, cleaning (if necessary) and listing on the website, cataloging and trying to effectively display the stuff (which is a challenge on it's own in this cracker box!). SO if you decide to pull your item before that time, I ask a 30% handeling charge for each item.

It is also the responsibility of everyone who brings in stuff, to keep in contact with me at least every two months so I can keep the books straight. I don't have enough space for storage and if things don't move, we need to renegociate. I have a room of things people have told me that they work, but don't. If I have no contact with the owners in a reasonable time, I will put it out front in the "Cosas para gratis" box and give it away. So make sure your stuff works correctly when you bring it in as I hate explaining to people "Well, they told me it worked" and I have to give them their money back. If items are left without any communication with me for five months, I will consider them abandoned and they become my property to dispose of as seen fit.

As a rule, new things come in daily. Unfortunatley, not everything sells as fast as it comes in. So because of the size of this location, from time to time I have to thin things out to make room for new stuff. This keeps your visits interesting and me busy. If however an item does not sell in a reasonable amount of time, I list it on the website if it is not already there. So if you enter the shop and don't see your item, it may or may not be sold. In some cases, I can store the stuff, others, I will keep it listed but return it and just try to sell it for you on the website.

I have a ton of stuff here from many people! In order to keep track of whose is whose, and what is here can be an incredible challenge keeping it all sorted out. I mean, I DO inventory each and every item in my book with your price, contact info etc. But do you realize how many of those items are owned by grey haired, bearded sailors that wear shorts and baseball caps? By learning the local language, attempting to dodge the happy hour rumor mill, and keep focused on all the new projects, my brain is full! OK, maybe I just don't remember as much as I used to. So to make a long story short, let's just put it this way, please remind me if I am selling your stuff when you come back so I can pay you and keep the books straight if I owe you.

So, that's about it in a nut shell. I am grateful to all of you for your patronage and just for stopping in with new stories and tales of your adventures. It adds to the wonder of this paradise and I enjoy adding to yours when I can. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I just advise people there are many "experts" here on the river (myself included!) But it is always wise to see things for yourself. Many of us have learned what we know and missed a little in the translations from who we learned of things from. If you find that I am in error, I appreciate being corrected. I work hard to learn about this wonderous country and all it entails, but not everything is as clear as it may seem.

I look forward to seeing you,

Lost & Found