Ira lifted an eyebrow as he slotted the bill into the register. “Are you accusing us of running a dirty business, sir?” he joked, then added: “Don’t be put off by words like ‘vintage’ or ‘antique.’ Old stuff may be valuable in one way or another, but it shouldn’t always have to cost you an arm and a leg.”
.“One it is. I’ll be there.” Shaking out a small plastic bag, he placed the doll’s accessories and the putty egg into it and offered it to Staas. “Thank-you-for-your-purchases-and-have-a nice-day,” Ira intoned blandly, his face deadpan.
He broke character to grin at the children, leaning over the countertop to look down at them. “It was very nice to meet you, Alida, Theo. I hope you had a good time.” Ira certainly had, and he hoped that they’d enjoy those toys at home as much as they had in the store. “You can stop by any time you like, just to look around.”