The Fool I Know

And sometimes I'm such a Grade AAA fool. While in an antique shop ......

Me: "Could I see the price on an item in the case?"
The Guy: "Which one?"
Me: "This case right here .... the figurine there."
The Guy: "Oh the little guy. He's Four Ninety Five" (Interpreted in my mind as four dollars and ninety five cents.)
Me: "I'd like to get it." (Thinking what a deal and that it looked like a twenty-five dollar item as he flipped it over and I saw the tag $495.00)
Me: "Oh you meant four hundred ninety five!"
The Guy: "Yeah that sculpture's made of ivory."
Me: "Oh Ok So that's ivory.Thank you for showing it to me."

Why the hell don't they put the price tag where a person could see it, instead of hiding it and causing the borderline but inquisitive fool to appear as and sound like a full blown, just in town off the watermelon truck type of fool. Next time I'm in an antique shop I'll just wear a flashing neon sign.

I suppose one day, after the shock of spending five hundred dollars had worn off for what I initially thought was a simple but interesting human figurine, I would have been able to truly appreciate it for artsy factor and marvel at it being ivory.