The shoes were lined up neatly on the auction table, atop their original boxes, about 25 pairs of them. I had seen women shoes at auction before but never such a large number of men’s.
This was one man who loved his shoes and he bought them in all colors. Red. Yellow. Green. Brown. Blue. To match every outfit, I presume.
And they were not your boring leather dress shoes. Most of these were ‘skins – as in alligator, ostrich, lizard. Some came with matching belts, along with stretchers still inside holding their shape. The shoe boxes had names I was unfamiliar with but might bring knowing smiles to some men’s faces: David Eden. Giorgio Brutini. Mezlan. Mauri. Matteo & Massimo.
Curious, I Googled to see how much these brands normally sold for. All except one were made exclusively of “exotic skins,” as one site described itself. The prices were very competitive. Here’s what I found:
Mezlan – from $325 to $1,000 a pair.
David Eden – from $199 to $525.
Mauri – from $245 to $995.
Giorgio Brutini – less than $100.
Matteo & Massimo – from $249 to $700.
Comedian Steve Harvey has his own collection of ‘skins (along with suits) for sale. The prices were more manageable – $80 to $130. One retail site even showed the animals from whence the kinds of shoes came. It was a little unnerving.
At the auction, one auction-goer surmised that the man who owned these shoes must have been a ‘playa’ who got married. Translated: He was a single man, partied and dated often, got married, and then traded in his ‘skins for the conservative look of plain leather.
He also got rid of some suits, too, because hanging near the shoes were four of them. Both the suits and the shoes were in good condition.
Once the auction started, the auctioneer checked the shoes for the size: 7 ½. One man walked away from the table. Too small for him, I guess. But once the bidding started, he returned and picked up a few pairs.
The bidding was spirited, and a dealer – a regular at the auction house – bought more than half of the lot. It was not what he and his wife usually bought; they’re designer-glassware types. The shoes went for prices ranging from $15 to $37.50 a pair.
When the suits came up, the auctioneer looked for a size in one of the jackets, and finding none, declared them “small.” No one was interested, so he passed them. One auction-goer reconsidered, asked that they be put up again and got them for $3 each.
What a bargain.
