Gentlemen,
Thank you much for your insights. I went back and examined the vise based on your input, and considered it to be in good shape. While I was talking to the owner someone else came up asking about the price and was told $85; the price had increased slightly overnight. The inquirer replied that that was a good price as he had paid more than that for his. At that point I balked, then walked.
I kept the seller's contact information and may yet make him an offer. My reason for going to this antique show was to search for an anvil, and saw nary a one. When I saw the vise I knew this was a tool I lacked but would end up needing. I need to fess up here and now that I am a complete greenhorn in the area for which this forum exists, having had a small forge with a Champion blower for perhaps ten years and nothing more. In recent months I decided it was time to jump in, and in that time have been diligently seeking an anvil. That has been a most frustrating venture, until yesterday when I found an M&H Armitage Mouse Hole that met my minimally educated standards. It is stamped 1.0.24 (136 pounds, I reckon?), if someone during its lifetime stamped "130" on it, and my bathroom scale is telling me it weighs 127 pounds. At a firm price of $275 I may have payed too much, but I am comfortable with the decision and even excited.
I apologize for my wordiness here but I guess this serves as some kind of introduction; I do expect to be hanging out on this forum and likely coming up with all sorts of questions. I appreciate the timely and helpful responses here, and these serve as another example of a great and unexpected benefit in getting into "smiting": there seems to be a lot of great folks involved, my kinda people.
Mount'neer
WestERN (make that Afton) Virginny