Have you ever found out years after the fact that you'd been cheated?

The BBQ Pit
1

I just did exactly that. Here’s the back story.

In 1982 I found a great used bookstore. Physically, it was a rabbit warren of little rooms and hallways. It had magical cats. They were invisible. It had a fireplace with big comfy chairs, hidden deep in the center, where the casual customer never ventured.
The owners were a bright, friendly couple, who loved to chat about books, movies or the invisible cats or anything else, for that matter. They seemed so honest and open. Hummm.
On my birthday that year, Crazy Husband decided to buy me an “investment”, a first edition book. Because he was crazy, and he rarely, if ever actually read, he went to the book store and told them he wanted the most expensive first edition they had. Well, they knew he was crazy, and they knew we couldn’t afford the $1000.00 they were asking for a signed, limited edition of The Gunslinger by Stephen King.(Oh I wish!) But there were rumors that the paperback first edition of Running Man by an unknown named Richard Bachman may have really been written by SK. They sold him a copy of that for $4.75. Cover price was $2.50. That time it was true.
I bought a few other paperback first editions over the next few months. Then one day when I went in, I was greeted by a very excited Mrs. Usedbooks. She told me she had found two first edition paperbacks by Shirley Jackson. They were a little more expensive than I’d been buying, but not terrible. They were $20.00 each. She showed them to me wrapped carefully in plastic. I could see they were fragile, so I didn’t ask her to take them out. I bought them, took them home to a safe place, but one of great honor, and promptly forgot I owned them.
They moved with me, many times over the years, still packed in their plastic armor.
Well, today, while cleaning, I ran across them in the china cabinet, and decided to unwrap them and check for damage.
The only damage was to my ego. * The Haunting of Hill House* was written in 1959, * We Have Always Lived in the Castle* in 1962. Shirley Jackson died in 1965. So, if they were firsts, how did Hill House mention the Castle and her death on the cover?! Castle’s copywrite page says it a 6th printing!
Its not that I spent tons of money on them, its more that I thought for all these years I had something rare and valuable. I had considered her my friend, and she sold that for 40 bucks.
Well, I still have the others. The Running Man is worth considerably more than $4.75 today. The few others are worth a little, maybe 4 times what I paid, but that was $3.00 or $4.00.
Ok, I’m done now.
Thanks for allowing me to have my little internal tantrum.

2

I’m sure it’s not likely, but could they have not known about this? They could have been cheated themselves and never had a chance to examine the books closely before they sold them to you. I would probably assume this myself, since I have a tendency to think the best of people.

3

I rarely mistrust people. In this case however, The references to thelater book and the author’s death were pretty obvious on the cover. Caveat Emptor. I should have noticed it myself, even through the plastic.

4

When I was about 10, I woke up at 3am to find a stranger in my room. He ran off. (My mum had left the front door unlocked) I then went into my parents room and told them what had happened. They told me I had been dreaming and sent me back to bed. A few days later, we noticed a key was missing. No one thought anything of it.

A few months later the man returned and my mum woke up while he was in her room.

NOW they believed me, I thought.

I have recently discovered that they believed me all along. They just didn’t want to worry me. I feel cheated!

5

Erm, if they’d believed you all along, they’d have had the locks changed. You’re still entitled to vindication.

As for the OP, simple ignorance still hasn’t been ruled out here. If they’d really been trying to cheat you, it seems more likely that they’d have gone for a lot more of your money, and that they wouldn’t have done it in such an obviously checkable way.

6

I had two flood insurance policies for two years. When it surfaced somehow, I was told that this was illegal. I changed insurance companies and the first policy was still in effect and being paid out of escrow. The mortgage company told me it was the fault of the insurance company and the insurance company told me it was the fault of the mortgage company and I finally lost enthusiasm for pressing the issue. This happened about four years ago. Last summer, out of the blue, I received a refund check from the insurance company. It was a nice surprise and I felt like I had won money or something.

7

Santa’s not real? :frowning: