Auction Hunters: Season 2, Episode 23: “Auction Hunters, Ink.”
Haff-Ton team drove back to Los Angeles, California. Home sweet home. They were glad to be back.
Duo attended an auction at a high-end facility; state of the art with climate control and solid security. It attracted businesses and wealthy individuals alike.
Fact: Cadillac coined the term “climate control” in 1966.
Wooden Bear Unit
Bikes, wooden bear statue, PA, face mask, gas cans, trash can, rubber bins, and boxes. Duo won the locker for $325.
Ton found a 600 volt flood light. Sometimes you just have to wonder how the original owners accumulated their “stuff.”
Haff-team then dug up several “hot saws”.
Fact: A “hot saw” is a high-performance, modified chainsaw, often used for competitions.
The saws were all heavy duty. One had a customized smoke stack attached.
Fact: Expansion chambers help enhance engine power by reusing the energy in burnt exhaust.
The wooden bear was obviously carved with one of the saws. Bear was missing a mouth, however. Allen decided it was time to get creative. He fired up the saw and carved. Luckily, Allen didn’t lose any fingers.
Haff-Ton team took the saws a chain collector, George. 
He was impressed with two of the saws. One was valued at $1,500-$2,200.
Fact: The hot saw world record is 3 cuts through a 19″ thick log in 5.085 seconds.
The second saw had a value of $2,500-$3,000 with 21 or 22 horsepower.
Fact: A riding lawnmower is generally 20 to 30 horsepower.
If however, the saws don’t work, they’re not worth a dime. Need a volunteer.
TON!
Crank. Tree. VaVOOOOM! Mulch.
Saws worked perfectly. George paid $4,000 for the lot.
Company Unit
Collectable posters, artwork from a tattoo parlor, suitcases, and cornucopia of boxes. Duo won the locker for $900.
Allen discovered some costume jewelry. Ton found comic books from the 1980’s.
Fact: A Superman comic book valued at $1 million was found in a storage unit in 2011.
They found a complete beginner’s tattoo kit. Ton unpacked some tattoo ink. In the mix were tattoo designs which were used to trace tattoos onto skin. Ton discovered custom-made tattoo tools. One had the name “Pike” engraved on it.
Fact: Renowned tattoo artist, Mike Pike, got his first tattoo when he was 7 years old.
A second machine was signed by Bob Shaw. He helped boom the popularity of tattoos in the US.
Fact: Bob Shaw began tattooing in 1941, at age 16.
Haff-Ton team took the designs and custom-made tools to Rick, an expert tattooist and collector.
Several of the tattoo designs were from the 1940’s made by Bob Shaw himself. Duo showed him Mike Pike “Teacup” machine.
Fact: The Mike Pike “Teacup” gets its name from the shape of the machine’s frame.
Rick was very impressed by the Bob Shaw “Swing Gate” tool. It was made of cast iron, which often broke, so they were very rare and hard to find.
Fact: Bob Shaw worked as a tattoo artist for over five decades until his death in 1993.
Rick was astonished the tool had been signed by Bob Shaw. Unsigned alone the tool was valued at $2,500. Signed, the Haff-Ton team learned the value was $10,000.
Ink-Me!
Fact: The world’s most tattooed man is 100% covered, including the inside of his mouth.
Rick paid $8,000 for the lot. He threw in a tattoo for Ton made with the Bob Saw tattoo machine.
Ton was stoked with his tattoo made by a Bob Shaw tool.
Auction Total:
Paid $1,225
Sold: $13,415
Profit: $12,190
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