Mike Reppa inspected the Swiss pocket watch, looked at Dan Bierman and gently gave him the bad news.

"I'd sell it for the pieces," Reppa said. "It's just not something we want."

Jason Burmeister did not have any better news for Bierman — A knife found in North Africa during World War II was a souvenir given to many soldiers; a German bayonet was nothing special.

Bierman, 63, a St. Louis resident, was surprisingly genial about the judgments.

"We wanted to find out what they were worth," he said. "What surprised me was how fast (Burmeister) could tell it was a souvenir. He looked at it and knew right away."

That's his job. Burmeister, Reppa and Steve Harmon were buyers working for Crescent Jewelers, a jewelry store near Chicago that also handles a wide variety of collectibles. The men were traveling through the Midwest, hosting gatherings for people to sell their valuables.

On Sept. 13, they were in a small conference room at the Hampton Inn in South County. It was furnished simply with three tables, two laptop computers and three rows of chairs.

Burmeister's specialty was historical "militaria," from the Civil War to World War II; Reppa, 54, looked at jewelry and watches; Harmon, 39, handled art, coins and paper money, and collectibles.

Traffic was slow. The men often had times to talk or go fetch a snack. Every now and then, somebody brought a plastic bag filled with items.

Affton resident Jesse Anderson brought a German officer's dagger and a regular U.S. Army issue knife. Although they were in good shape, they also were pretty common. Millions of each had been made. No sale.

"I guess I'll hang on to them," said Anderson, 82. "It would have been nice to sell them, but I'm glad I came."

When people bring in their items, they're hopeful and curious, Burmeister said.

"You can see it in their faces," he said. "Sometimes, you hate to tell them the truth because they're so nice."

The vast majority of people are understanding if they don't sell anything. If their items are purchased, they're glad to have made some money and gotten them off of their hands, Burmeister said.

Every now and then, though, a person will insist that the price should be higher. Why? Because they read about it or somebody told them.

That's not necessarily true, Burmeister said.

When it comes to business, he wants sellers to remember an old adage: "Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it."

With each potential seller, the men were courteous and respectful. They went into detail to explain why they wouldn't buy the items.

Harmon declined to purchase an old camera, but advised the gentleman that "if somebody offers you $20, grab it."

One man was disappointed that he didn't sell a fancy World War II German dagger. He then learned that 10 million of them were made. In fact, the factory continued to produce them after the war as souvenirs for Allied soldiers.

Some people brought in jewelry, hopeful that the high prices for gold and silver would help make a sale.

"People will bring in dental stuff," Reppa said. "They bring in watches, rings. Right now, nobody wants to buy yellow gold. Young people want white gold."

A couple of people sold their jewelry, collecting several hundred dollars. An elderly mother and her daughter received $1,700 for their rings and bracelets.

Surprisingly, Burmeister didn't believe the slow economy was bringing people out with their old stuff. He pointed to the popularity of eBay, the online shopping site, and the PBS television series, "Antiques Roadshow."

On "Roadshow," appraisers give estimates on the value of various items, some of which have been with families for decades. Occasionally, somebody brings in a real treasure worth tens of thousands of dollars.

"People see that and start to wonder if they've got anything valuable in their basements or their attics," he said. "They always remember something."

Just then, an older gentleman walked in with a plastic bag.

"Hello, what do you have? Jewelry? Military?" Burmeister greeted him. "Military. I'll take you over here."