Art and antiques investors must sometimes deal with smaller art galleries, coin shops or antique dealers that will only accept cash as payment. This often necessitates carrying large sums of cash on one’s person to consummate a business deal. Likewise, after a high value investment grade antique is purchased, it isn’t uncommon to have to carry the item some distance in a busy or urban area, either to your car or to public transportation.
These conditions create security risks. However, these dangers can be partially mitigated by engaging in “Gray Man” behavior. The Gray Man concept revolves around blending into the crowd as much as possible, yet still being aware of your surroundings. The Gray Man does nothing to draw attention to himself. He dresses like everyone else. He walks like everyone else. He acts like everyone else.
The Gray Man does not make himself a target by showing off his wealth. He doesn’t wear a Rolex and drive a BMW, or otherwise flaunt his good taste and material success. These things may appeal to our egos and help our social standing, but they can also make us potential targets for opportunistic criminals.
Gray Man behavior is invaluable in the world of art and antiques where it isn’t uncommon to deal with large sums of cash and high value items. Being The Gray Man will help you remain inconspicuous, even if you are carrying several thousand dollars or a high end piece of antique diamond jewelry. In fact, I have a personal story to support this assertion.
One time many years ago, I was shopping for bullion at my favorite Boston-based coin store, J.J. Teaparty, when a young man walked in who wanted to sell a gold bracelet. This guy was a little rough around the edges and didn’t fit in with the shop’s normal clientele. The store proprietor, Miles, took one look at the guy and told him to get out.
I had been standing off to the side in the small shop, watching the entire scene unfold. I inferred from Miles’ behavior that the gold bracelet the man wanted to sell was probably stolen goods. This wasn’t immediately obvious to me, but I knew Miles was a trustworthy business man. If he wanted nothing to do with someone, then there was undoubtedly a good reason for it.
In any case, the man with the gold bracelet stormed out of the store in a sour mood, having been unable to convert his possibly ill-gotten treasure into cash. I quickly conducted by own business, buying two 100 troy ounce silver bars, and then departed the store.
Once I was out on the street, I was dismayed to find that the bracelet man had waited for me, just out of sight, outside the coin shop. He quickly approached me, offering to sell me the gold bracelet that he had been unable to sell at J.J. Teaparty. I politely told him I wasn’t interested, but the rough-looking man didn’t want to take no for an answer.
This was even more harrowing at the time because I was carrying almost 14 pounds of silver bullion in my messenger bag worth about $1,000. After I tersely declined his offer to buy the possibly hot property, he began loudly denigrating me right in the middle of the street. He nonsensically shrieked that I thought I was better than him.
The situation was growing dangerous. But this is where the Gray Man concept proved itself useful. Even as the man approached and engaged me, I continued walking briskly from the low-traffic side street where J.J. Teaparty was located to the nearby and more active Downtown Crossing area.
I also avoided eye contact and never raised my voice when refusing his attempts to sell me the bracelet. I kept one hand firmly underneath the messenger bag at my side, so as not to make its excessive weight obvious. But my body language was one of firm disinterest. I never stopped or turned towards the man, nor gave any other indication that I would engage him.
These tactics worked. After haranguing me for a tense minute or so, he gave up and walked away. I am certain that it was my Gray Man behavior, in part, that prevented the situation from escalating further.
Although my experience was atypical, The Gray Man concept is a good idea when buying any kind of high value, tangible goods in person. While it is my sincere hope that you will never need it, The Gray Man concept may prove invaluable to your personal security. The man who blends into the crowd is the man who avoids trouble.
