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Ohio Secondhand Shop Sold My Typewriter After Accepting It For Appraisal Only, And Now Says The Sale Cannot Be Reversed Without The Buyer's Permission

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Location: Ohio

I left a 1950s typewriter at a secondhand shop on August 29. The clerk signed a receipt saying “appraisal only” and “owner retains property.” We never discussed consignment, a sale price, or commission. It belonged to my grandfather, but I was considering selling it later if the value made sense.

When I returned last Saturday, the manager said a newer employee had tagged it and sold it three days earlier for $240. They will not give me the buyer’s contact information. The shop offered me either the sale proceeds minus 25 percent or a “similar model” they found online. Neither option feels adequate because this one had a matching serial-number card and a repair invoice from 1962.

I still have the receipt, photographs, and their email admitting it was entered into inventory by mistake. I didnt authorize any sale. I asked them to contact the buyer and offer a refund, but they say the buyer already declined. Does the buyer legally own it because the sale happened through a shop, or can I demand return of the typewriter? If recovery is impossible, would my claim be for its fair value or the shops sale amount?

submitted by /u/Sober_Actuary_47
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