Author - Naomi Luc

Barry’d Treasure: European Naughty

BarryWeiss-zamboni-BT-1-3Barry’d Treasure: Season 1, Episode 3: “Big Vice Country.”

Barry was in Denver, Colorado. His companion for this trip was John. Barry owed John a favor for helping him win a Halloween costume.

John wanted extreme adventure on this trip. Barry would deliver.

BarryWeiss-John-BT-1-3The Collector

Barry went to meet Bill, a collector of Victorian vice. Advertisements for tobacco, liquor, and gambling items. One little collectible figurine made of brass could open her dress. Barry called her a “European Naughty.”

Bill had his eye on three vintage ads owned by Don who lived in Montana. He was a hard sale to part with his collection. Top price Bill was willing to pay was $25,000. Barry had his work cut out for him.

If Barry was successful, he would keep the “naughty.”european-naughty-BT-1-3

The Hunt

Barry spotted a ranch not far out of town. They stopped to give John a ride on a horse.

Barry: I promised Johnny a ride on a horse. And when I make a promise, I capital D-eliver.

The ranch operated by Jesse and Chelsey, true rodeo folk. It just so happened they had a rodeo to attend up in Montana. Barry offered them a ride.

Who could say “No” to Barry?

Conversation during the drive about the vehicles Barry has had the pleasure to drive. A tractor. Semi-truck. But not a Zamboni. Barry realized this lapse on his driving resume. Today they would stop at an ice rink.

Barry’s new mission – drive a Zamboni on ice. Everyone had fun at the ice rink, even John who could skate very well. Time for fun and games to end. Hit the road again. Barry drove his borrowed Land Rover into a snow bank. “The Collector” literally hit the snow. John suggested they use his skateboard on the back wheel for traction. It worked!

Rodeo folk thought Barry could use a makeover once they arrived in Montana. He was not dressed in “Cowboy” style. Barry bought a few western themed clothes to fit in at the rodeo.

Barry: I got Jesse here on the rodeo, and most importantly, I did it in style.

cowboy-barryweiss-BT-1-3If only it looked like regular cowboy clothes, but you know Barry. He went way-out-there-eccentric. He said his goodbyes to Chelsey and Jesse after a day at the rodeo.

Enough distractions. Time to make a deal. Off to finally meet Don.

The Collector

Don had forgotten all his appointment with Barry. The girl friend said Don was gopher hunting… wait, that’s a thing? She took Barry and John and yep, he was shooting gophers.

Barry: First step in this negotiation: don’t get shot!vintage-ads-BT-1-3

Wise move!

Don took Barry to look at his vintage ads. Barry picked the three Bill wanted and Don was not too happy. At first Barry tried to play it cool, but the negotiations were at a standstill. Barry decided to level with him.

Barry: Obviously my best strategy here is no strategy. I’m coming clean.

Don didn’t like Bill. He felt like he did all the work and collectors such as Bill just sat back and bought all the good stuff from him. He asked $31,500 for the ads.

Barry said Bill should get a loyalty discount at $25,000. Don reluctantly agreed knowing Bill would come back again for another piece. Done deal!

One “European Naughty” for Barry!

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Storage Wars: Darrell Shocked Himself

DarrellSheets-SW-5-4Storage Wars: Season 5, Episode 4: “Operation: Intimidation.”

Ivy said today he was Mr. Un-Nice-Guy. Isn’t that everyday? It seemed no one wanted to play nice today as Darrell decided Brandon’s next lesson would be how to mess with Rene. Rene offered Brandon a job and called everyone amateurs.

Jarrod and Brandi’s day began with a mess when their truck driver hit a tree. Damage to the truck about $1,000. It looked as if this was going to be a very un-nice, messy day.

1st-unit-SW-5-41st Storage Unit

Electric wheel chair, clothes bag, stroller, table, wood furniture, totes, mattresses and boxes. Ivy won the unit for $350.

He found DVDs, vintage jewelry, desk and dresser, and a small, locked bank. Ivy hoped there might be silver and gold inside. Wishful thinker.

Ivy took the bank to a locksmith. The locksmith informed him it was an old children’s bank. He opened it in under two minutes. No gold, just coins.

Bright side? The bank itself was worth $2,000.

Ivy: It’s party time!

2nd-unit-SW-5-42nd Storage Unit

Rack of clothes, old computer, keyboard, artwork, tripod, hard metal case, trash bags, and boxes.

Darrell and Rene bid war. Darrell outwitted the German and won at $1,200.

Darrell: I hope Brandon was taking notes, because that is how you mess with Rene.

Darrell found several containers full of surgical, stainless steel utensils. He also found a Louis Vuitton bag and a doctor’s bag full of papers and…Viagra.

Darrell: I don’t need Viagra. I already have a boner for this unit.

The less said about that the better.

Darrell opened up more boxes and found tools, CDs, photos, books, and Rolex watches.fluvita-marital-aide-SW-5-4 Duo then found a mystery medical box. Darrell guessed it might be a fancy marital aide. They took it a sexual therapy expert.

She told them it was Fluvita from the 20’s or 30’s. She valued it at between $300-$400. The mechanism sent electric shocks to stimulate pleasure to the body.

Darrell tried it on his foot. Yeah, he shocked himself. I think he burned some flesh too. Ew!

3rd-unit-SW-5-43rd Storage Unit

Bed, vase, computer, fan, lamps, tool box, DVDs, folding table, fish tank and boxes. Everyone started bidding on this unit. Ivy tried to intimidate everyone but Brandi wasn’t phased. She won the unit for $3,400.

Brandi found an IKEA chair in an unopened box. Jarrod found a box of Disney princess collectables. The locker also had, a dresser, nightstand, washer, driver, and dining room chair.

Jarrod opened a box and saw brand new, expensive knives. He thought the blades would sell great at the Long Beach store.

Brandi: I don’t think you can actually sell knives in Long Beach, because you might be accessory to murder.JarrodSchulz-fish-tank-SW-5-4

Oh, my!

Jarrod insisted on taking the fish tank to appraisal. Aquarium store just a stroll from their thrift shop. The fish tank was only worth $250. Jarrod took a stroll back to his thrift store with the fish tank and a very long face.

Profit Scorecard:

Darrell Sheets: $11,030
Ivy Calvin: $2,650
Rene & Casey Nezhoda: $0
Jarrod Schulz & Brandi Passante: LOSS $-460

What do you think Jarrod and Brandi’s strategy should be to get back on top?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Storage Wars: Jarrod Smokes Brandi

JarrodSchulz-BrandiPassante-carbon-dioxide-gun-SW-5-3Storage Wars: Season 5, Episode 3: “Nerds of the Round Table.”

Jarrod said if they didn’t win a locker soon, they wouldn’t be in the game much longer. Brandi urged him to be smart, not reckless. That woman has brains and looks.

Ivy declared he was on a hot streak. Rene played mind games with Darrell via text. At the parking lot, Rene gave Darrell a hug. Not a bromance. “The Gambler” warned Rene one more touch –  he’d punch. I’d watch out if I were you Rene.

1st-unit-SW-5-31st Storage Unit

Fan, trashcan, cooler, chair, audio equipment, furniture basketballs, sport shoes, golf clubs, boxes and mouth moisturizer. Really? Mouth moisturizer? Weird.

Darrell wanted Brandon to learn how to have warm fuzzy feelings for a good locker. Brandon took point on and bid war with Rene. The kid won at $500.

Darrell and Brandon found a Bissell vacuum, school supplies, and books. Darrell found a breastplate, helmet, and foam sword inside a rubber container. Darrell tried on the helmet and his hair was caught on the chain. He couldn’t get the helmet off.

Brandon: Just pull, you ain’t got that much hair left anyways.

Not very sympathetic, Brandon.

Darrell and Brandon took the armor to LARP (Live Action Role Playing) expert, Walter. He said the armor would be allowed for LARPing, however it’s costume armor. Not genuine medieval wear. Walter valued it at $400.

Darrell and Brandon decided to have some fun and joined the LARP game in progress. Darrell “Braveheart” won the battle.

2nd-Unit-SW-5-32nd Storage Unit

Chair, couch, step ladder, lamp, pool cue, microwave, Wii, DJ Hero 2, television, surround system and boxes. Everyone was interested in this unit. Jarrod and Brandi won it for $1,000.

Jarrod found a set of four patio chairs. Brandi discovered beer pong equipment.

 Brandi: This definitely looks like a party locker, but if we don’t start making some money, the party’s over.

Jarrod found what looked like a flame thrower. A gas tank near which attached to the item. The “Young Guns” took the contraption to Ryan, an special effects expert. He informed them it was a portable fog gun with Co2 tank. It’s value at $1,000. Did it work? Just ask Brandi. Jarrod smoked her!

3rd-unit-SW-5-33rd Storage Unit

Table saw, refrigerator, speakers, tires, old TV, pictures, bike, craftsmen tools, fishing rod, musical instruments, plastic bags and boxes. Darrell and Rene butted heads again. Darrell inflated the bid which forced Rene to pay $1,300.

Rene and Casey found a coat rack, chop saw, drill, helmet and pool table. Rene openforensic-light-SW-5-3ed a plastic container and found laser device. He guessed it might be for forensic science.

The couple took the laser device to Don, a forensic science professor. He told them it was a light source that produced different colors of light for examination of evidence. Don valued it at $2,500.

Rene: Maybe I should mess with Darrell at every auction.

Profit Scorecard:

Rene & Casey Nezhoda: $3,700
Jarrod Schulz & Brandi Passante: $700
Darrell Sheets: $365
Ivy Calvin: $0

What did you think of Darrell and Brandon’s role playing act?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Barry’d Treasure: Million Dollar Jade

BarryWeiss-BT-1-2Barry’d Treasure: Season 1, Episode 2: “Kentuckyana Jones and the Emperor’s Vessel.”

BarryWeiss-JR-BT-1-2Barry drove to Kentucky to meet collector Michael. His nickname – Kentuckyana Jones. Barry brought sidekick JR to play his banjo along ride.

Barry sang, ” She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain.” Is there anything this man can’t do?

The Collector

Kentuckyana Jowhite-jade-BT-1-2nes owned a wax museum. He took Barry back into a secret room. Ooh, the intrigue! The piece he wanted to sell was an emperor’s vessel from the Han dynasty. It weighed thirty pounds and was made of white jade.

Barry: White jade? Oh the memories. Reminds me of a dancer I used to know. Talk about flexible.

It would have taken two men twenty to thirty years to carve that particular piece. Kentuckyana said it had been valued at 3.7-4.2 million dollars. So why does the guy dress so dirt poor?

The Hunt

Barry decided to take the white jade to a buyer in South Carolina. Kentuckyana went along for the ride. But first, he loaded the car with knickknacks to trade along the way. Barry couldn’t make sense of the nickle-and-dime peddling when there was a multi-million dollar collectible to sell.

A few miles out Kentuckyana stopped to at a used car lot for trade. What? Used car lot trades collectibles? Michael traded pre-Columbian-figurine-BT-1-2two vases and three emeralds for a pre-Columbian figurine. Barry wasn’t impressed with Kentuckyana’s bargaining skills.

Barry: The only time you see a used car salesman laughing this hard, is when he’s just sold you a lemon.

Barry’s next unexpected stop was at an antique store in North Carolina. Kentuckyana traded a pre-Columbian statue and a small topaz for an art deco mannequin. Barry still wasn’t impressed.

At a gas station, Kentuckyana left the briefcase containing the multi-million dollar jade on top of the car… yep you guessed it. Barry drove. Briefcase fell. Thankfully, nothing was broken.

Barry and his crew finally reached their destination. The buyer was Clark, a white jade collector, and he was filthy-stinking rich. His house was gorgeous and filled with $$$ collectibles.  Kentuckyana tried to jump right into business after the handshake. How uncouth! Barry told Michael to take a minute.

Barry: Tact Jonesy, tact. You’ve got to ease into these things.

Clark showed them his collection, including a bronze ram worth $315,000.

The Sale

Kentuckyana wanted 2.5 million for the white jade.

Barry: That was a bonehead move. Jonesy opened up with his bottom number.  He’s about to get lowballed and not in a good way.

Clark countered with 1.6 million, the best deal he could do. Time for Barry to use his negotiating skills and make this happen.

Barry pulled Kentuckyana aside. He proposed that he accept the 1.75 million and ask Clark to tbronze-ram-BT-1-2hrow in the bronze ram.

Kentuckyana or Clark a tad reluctant but they both agreed to the deal.

Go Barry!

Work was done. Time to have fun. On the way out of town Barry spotted a ranch. They had CAMELS! You know Barry could not resist a ride.

What did you think of the bronze ram deal?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Storage Wars: Hit and Miss

DarrellSheets-black-powder-SW5-2Storage Wars: Season 5, Episode 2: “The Hills Have Buys.”

Ivy ranted about his hatred of mattresses. Umm…okay? Darrell decided it was time Brandon became a better buyer. Rene was concerned for his reputation and determined to beat Jarrod.

Jarrod had bigger worries on his mind as he and Brandi decided to bid conservatively to make some money for their failing store.

1st-storage-unit-SW-5-21st Storage Unit

There were tools, lights, dishes, an old car part and lots of boxes. Brandon didn’t think it looked like a promising unit, but Darrell felt confident and went for it.

Darrell: Today Brandon’s learning from the master!

Rene and Ivy both bid on the unit as well, but Darrell won it for $1,250. He and Brandon dug through the unit and found an old spittoon. Ew!

Jackpot! They found two Rolex watches!black-powder-SW-5-2

Darrell found a black powder gun which they took to Jason, a gun expert. The gun was made in Germany. Good news, it was in decent condition. Bad news, it was a replica valued only at about $100. What do father and sons do with guns? Go to a firing range.

Darrell and Brandon made a friendly little bet on who could shoot the target. Brandon shot the target right in the heart, while Darrel shot the ceiling. Guess who bought who lunch?

2nd-storage-unit-SW-5-22nd Storage Unit

Suitcases, an old bike, a stove, skate board, bed and stroller. Packed and stacked. Jarrod, Ivy and Rene all bid on the unit; but it was Ivy who won at $500.

He found an old water heater, a coke sign, and his favorite – a mattress!

Ivy: Unfortunately in this business you can’t get stuff without getting mattresses.

Seriously dude, that’s a lot of mattress-hate.bat-box-SW-5-2

He found a marble topped dresser, fishing nets, golf clubs, and a bat house. Wait… what?

It was a wooden box with ‘Bat Conservation’ written across it. Ivy took the “bat cave” to Cindy Myers, an expert in bat rehabilitation.

She explained it was a five-chamber bat house that could fit up to 500 bats! Ivy was disappointed to learn it was valued only at $100.

3rd-storage-unit-SW-5-23rd Storage Unit

Sporting goods, a hideaway bed, snow boots, a couch, boxes, and plastic containers.

Jarrod and Brandi wanted it. Rene determined to take it. Jarrod and Brandi had set a $500 cap. Rene rose the bid to $750. Oh, well.

Rene and Casey sorted through lots of clothes and bed sheets. The couple were gleeful when they founstiga-sled--lib-tech-SW-5-2d a box marked “fragile.” Tupperware. Talk about false advertising!

The couple did find a heavy-duty hiking backpack and survival kit. Rene had creepy-fun when he found an axe in the unit.

Rene: Here’s Johnny!

They found a Lib Tech snowboard and Stiga snow sled. They took the items up to the slopes to be appraised. Both disappointed to learn the items were worth around $100. At least Rene got to have some fun on the sled downhill! It was like watching a grown man ride a tricycle. Next time, Casey should give it a go!

It was $100 appraisal items day for everyone.

Profit Scorecard:

Darrell Sheets: $3,230
Ivy Calvin: $440
Rene Nezhoda & Casey Nezhoda: $300
Jarrod Schulz & Brandi Passante: $0

Do you think Jarrod and Brandi were smart to play it conservatively?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Storage Wars: Jarrod Buys Everything but the Girl

JarrodSchulz-SW-5-1Storage Wars: Season 5, Episode 1: “Flight of the Gambler.”

Jarrod did a little beard maintenance while an impatience Brandi waited to leave for the auction in Montebello. Ivy announced he needed tools. He was going to bid on any units with tools. Seriously, there’s got to be an easier way to get hold of some tools, man.

Rene counted his chickens before they hatched. He had hired a truck and mover. Darrell proclaimed himself, “King of Montebello.” All hail the king!

1st-storage-unit-SW-5-11st Storage Unit

Chairs, tables, mattresses, bags of shocks, and a bed. Definitely a household unit, though how the creepy red mask came about wasn’t clear.

Jarrod jumped into ring to buy but Ivy threw all the other bidders for a loop when he won locker for $237.50.

He found matching chairs and table, scrap wood, an old computer, and blankets. Lots and lots of blankets. One blanketice-skating-harness-SW-5-1 even had butterflies and flowers.

Ivy: If you can’t buy what you like, buy what you love, and I love butterflies.

He then found some very odd looking equipment. He was clueless, but once he found a pair of ice skates, he imagined it was sports training equipment. He took the pole to an ice skating expert named Brianna.

Brianna stated it was a harness to help teach kids how to jump on the ice and not fall. She demonstrated the pole/harness with one of her students. Valued it at $1,200.

2nd-storage unit-SW-5-12nd Storage Unit

Stove, dishwasher, DVD player, fridge, grandfather clock and plastic containers.  Darrell and Rene both wanted this unit.  Darrell distracted by poking at Rene he lost the locker to Jarrod who bought it for $3,700.

Jarrod exploded into a spending spree.

He bought the next storage units without blinking an eye.

3rd Unit – $450
4th Unit – $425
5th Unit – $350

Brandi didn’t like the looks of the units and wasn’t happy. Jarrod assured her they needed more stuff to sell at the Long Beach store.

Jarrod: You can’t win if you don’t play.
Brandi: Don’t start giving me the, “More you know” after-school special line.

Brandi paid a visit to the new store later that day. She discovered it was fully stocked and not a single customer in sight.

After a heart-to-heart with Jarrod, he finally admitted the store had been losing money since it opened. He said he kept it from her so only one of them would lose sleep at night. Aw, sweet.

6th-storage-unit-SW-5-16th Storage Unit

Industrial equipment, compressor, drill press, commercial tools, sawdust collector, refrigerator, electric keyboard, and a bed.

Darrell and Rene went head-to-head, but Rene finally dropped out. Darrell won the locker for $1,600.

Darrell: I can’t decide what makes me happier. Winning an awesome locker, or shutting Rene down.

Darrell and Brandon went through the unit. They found a commercial table saw and a sander.

It went from tools to toys when they found a huge R.C. airplane.  They took it to an RC-airplane-SW-5-1expert to have it valued. Like new, never used, worth around $2,000.

The expert tested the plane. It flew beautifully until around mid-flight Brandon took controls. Crash landing! That’s a $2K s-p-l-a-t. Oops! Next time, let the professionals fly.

Profit Scorecard:

Ivy Calvin: $1,132.50
Darrell Sheets: $650
ReneNezhoda & Casey Nezhoda: LOSS -$300
Jarrod Schulz & Brandi Passante: LOSS -$3750

What do you think Jarrod and Brandi should do about the store?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Barry’d Treasure: The Collector’s Show Begins

BarryWeiss-BTreasure-1-1Barry’d Treasure: Season 1, Episode 1: “The Candyman Can’t.”

Barry drove to eastern Pennsylvania to meet up with Carter Reese. Yes, that’s Reeses Candies himself. He has been a collector for fifty years who needed to thin his hoard of collectibles. Barry took his sidekick, Kenny “The Praline King” along for the ride. Barry wanted to deal Reeses’ collectibles. Kenny wanted to sell his pralines to Reese. Why is this not such a good idea?

Barry: Since I retired from the storage auction game, I’ve been caught up in a whole different racket. Acquiring rare things for strange birds.

BarryWeiss-Kenny-BT-1-1The Collector

Carter collected salesmen samples. For those who are unfamiliar they are simply miniatures models of a product inside a store used by salesmen to push the product to distributors.

Carter had over 800 salesmen samples. Wow!

Barry picked out an early Sickle Mower sample. Made in the 1870’s. Carter valued it at between $6,000 and $8,000.

Barry also took a sample Compound Marine Engine worth $8,000 and a sample Reclsalesman-sample-sickle-mower-BT-1-1 copyiner, which was valued at $200. Barry thought it would make a great opening piece for the deal.

All the pieces were fully functional, even the recliner; but Barry wasn’t quite done.

Barry: I’ll take the marine engine, the farm implement, the recliner, and one other piece which you’re not going to be happy about.

He also took a sample Barber’s Chair from 1910, worth a whopping $40,000. It was clearly one of Carter’s favorites. Not at all wanting to part with the item. Reluctantly, he agreed.

The Hunt

Barry and Kenny packed the items in the trunk and drove off.  A few wrong turns later, and the two were lost in Amish country.

They stopped an Amish buggy and asked its driver Jake for directions tosalesman-sample-recliner-BT-1-1 the highway. Barry took an instant liking to Jake and decided to take him along on their adventure.

“But don’t tell the Bishop!”

Barry asked $500 for the Recliner; $10,000 for the Sickle Mower; but once the store owner heard the $50,000 price tag for the Barber Chair, he was out.

Barry took the items to two more antique stores. Too expensive for their clientele.

Barry decided to take a break from work to give Jack a makeover. The trio went shopping for clothes. After, Barry then decided to introduce Jake to a non-Amish, tattoo-riddled gal. Barry had them share a root beer float. I think Jake blushed!

Barry: But let’s get one thing straight, nothing’s more valuable than a good time.

At their fourth antique store they were given then name of a guy named Kelly who lived in New Oxfsalesman-sample-marine-engine-BT-1-1ord. He might be interested in the items. New Oxford was right next to Jake’s farm, so the guys dropped him off and said their goodbyes. An Amish kid with a suit?

Barry and Kenny shouted back at Jake: “Don’t tell the Bishop!”

Kelly was very interested in the salesmen samples and didn’t bulk the prices. Barry offered him a volume discount if he wanted to buy in bulk, and took him up to meet Carter.

The Sale

Carter wanted $44,900 for everything and Kelly countered with $25,000.

Barry: Come on, you guys are pros. You know that the best deal that’s going to happen here, you’re probably not both going to love it.

Barry suggested the happy compromise of $35,000. Both men agreed.salesman-sample-barber-chair-BT-1-1

Now it was time for Carter to show off his pralines to the Reese family. Carter loved them. However, his family has been out of the candy business for years. Whoops.

What did you think of Barry’s new show?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Auction Hunters: Par-Fect

AllenHaff-golf-club-AH-3-11Auction Hunters: Season 3, Episode 11: “Allen’s Got Balls.”

Haff-Ton team drove to Panorama City, California; hub of the San Fernando Valley auction scene.

Fact: Panorama City is a district in the San Fernando Valley, just north of Los Angeles.

Competition fierce.

Fact: Panorama City was once the home to a GM assembly plant and a Schlitz brewery.

golf-unit-AH-3-11Golf Unit

Antique cabinet, big screen TV, antique golf bags, golf balls, stools, and boxes. Duo won the unit for $900.

Allen and Ton found an antique exercise bike with Pittsburgh Steelers’ logo. Allen mentioned that bike constructed of Pittsburg steel before the team had adopted the logo.

Fact: The Pittsburgh Steelers adopted the U.S. Steel logo in the 1962 N.F.L. season.

Allen found an Arnold Palmer putter plus a Walter Hagen gold club that dated back to the 1900s. Vehicle of the day was a golf cart picker.

Fact: Hagen won 11 major titles, third all-time behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Ton pulled a couch and an armoire out of the storage unit. Allen liked the armoire. Ton called it trash.

Furniture piece became trash once Jones drove the golf cart picker right through the furniture.

TonJones-Golf-car-armoire-AH-3-11Allen and Ton had the golf picker cart appraised by Ron, a golf pro. Cart dated back to 1975, extremely accurate, and could pick up a hundred balls in one sweep.

Fact: The first driving range, nicknamed ‘Maniac Hill’, opened in North Carolina in 1913.

Problems with the golf picker cart. AllenHaff-golf-cart-AH-3-11Gaps in the cage could allow a golf ball to hit the driver. Mechanism that picked up the golf balls rusted and would need to be replaced. Time for a test drive.

Fact: The world’s largest driving range, in Tokyo, is 3 stories tall, with 300 tees.

Allen drove around the driving range. Ron and Ton both grabbed a golf club and hit a few rounds.

Sold for $5,000.

tool-unit-AH-3-11Tool Unit

Carpet cleaner, tools, lamp, furniture, trash can, and boxes. Duo won the storage unit for $1,000.

Ton found boxes of pots and pans. Big whoop! Allen found a European backpack with external frame.

Fact: External frame backpacks are common in the military and among mountain climbers.

Looky, looky… Ton found a European rifled barrel gun. Unique weapon with the hammer at the bottom to protect the charge from bad weather.

Fact: ‘Rifled’ barrels contain grooves that improve the accuracy of a gun.

AllenHaff-TonJones-Kammerlader-rifle-AH-3-11Jo, an antique weapons expert, appraised the rifle. He stated it was an 1855 Kammerlader rifle made for the Swedish Navy.

Kammerlader rifles were imported into the US for big game hunting.Kammerlader-rifle-AH-3-11

Fact: The earliest Kammerlader rifles fired massive .69 caliber rounds.

Kammerlader range at 1,000 yards with accuracy.

Fact: At an 1861 competition in Belgium, the Kammerlader was accurate up to 1 km.

Did it work? Ton’s target – a prop zombie target.

Steady.
Aim.
Kill shot!
Wait – zombies are dead…

Sold for $2,200.

Golf and guns. A man’s perfect day.

Auction Total:

Paid $1,950
Sold: $10,050
Profit: $8,100

Do you play golf?

Please post your insightful and thoughtful opinions in the comment box below.

Auction Hunters: Oh, Skeet!

AllenHaff-gun-AH-3-10Auction Hunters: Season 3, Episode 10: “The Jersey Score.”

Haff-Ton team drove to North Brunswick, New Jersey. Home of Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and The Sopranos.

Fact: Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen was born in Long Branch, NJ in 1949.

Allen and Ton attended a silent auction. Big crowd, big spenders, and expensive cars. One bid per unit only.

Fact: New Jersey has over 1100 residents per square mile.

Antique-Unit-AH-3-10Antique Unit

Antique sewing machine, shoe shine box, mattresses, antique cabinet, washer, dryer, and buckets. Haff-Ton team won at $801.

Fact: Shoe shines gained popularity in the 1800s, as leather shoes became affordable.

Shoe shine box dated back to the 1800s. It needed a little TLC. Allen, quite an antique collector himself, confident he could restore it.

Fact: Radio host Rush Limbaugh and singer James Brown were both once shoe shiners.

Allen and Ton found an enclosed carriage. Interior still in good condition. Original tires with the rubber a bit degraded.

Fact: Additives to prevent rubber from cracking weren’t available until the mid-1930s.

Duo pulled the antique vehicle, as it were, out of the storage unit.

AllenHaff-TonJones-brewster-antique-carriage-AH-3-10Appraiser was Jerry, an antique carriage expert in Central Park.

Fact: Central Park was officially completed in 1873, on 843 acres of public lands.

Jerry noticed that the carriage was made by the Brewster Company.  Style of carriage called a brougham.

Fact: A brougham is an enclosed, two-door horse drawn carriage from the 1800s.brewster-antique-carriage-AH-3-10

Carriage dated back to 1903 and intended for use by wealthy gentleman.

Fact: Brewster’s clients included J.P. Morgan, the Rockefellers, and the Vanderbilts.

Lamps did not look original. Jerry interested, but he had to test it with horses. Jerry harnessed his horses, Dixie and Daisy, to the brougham carriage.

Structure sound. Sold for $5,500!

furniture-unit-AH-3-10Furniture Unit

Professionally wrapped furniture, bedroom set, chairs, lamp, painting, tools, and boxes. Haff-Ton team won at $701.

Allen found an antique Underwood typewriter in mint condition with all the original paperwork.

Fact: The first typewritten manuscript was Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Allen retrieved a RCA radio microphone from the 1940s.

Fact: Thomas Edison was awarded the first patent for a microphone in 1877.

Guys found two-clay pigeon throwers for skeet shooting. Off to meet Angelo, a skeet-shooter-AH-3-10skeet specialist.

Fact: Skeet shooting was invented by a Massachusetts bird hunter in 1920.

Angelo stated the two-clay pigeon throwers were the original, automatic skeet machines. Thrower could hold up to 75 targets. Height and distance could be adjusted. Multiple targets could be thrown at a time.

Fact: Skeet shooting officially became an Olympic sport in 1968.

Skeet throwing machines currently still use the same principle technology.

Fact: “Skeet” was the winning entry in a 1926 magazine contest to name the new sport.

But did it work? Big money or big paper weights. Allen cranked the machine. Nothing. Tried again. Victory!

Allen and Ton shot clay targets with ease.

Sold at $1,500.

Duo ended the day with hotdogs and a nap.

TonJones-bench-AH-3-10Auction Total:

Paid $1502
Sold: $9,860
Profit: $8,350

Have you ever been skeet shooting?

Please post your insightful and thoughtful opinions in the comment box below.

Auction Hunters: Bubble Ton

TonHones-Zorb-ball-AH-3-9Auction Hunters: Season 3, Episode 9: “Fake Punt Payoff.”

Haff-Ton drove to Pasadena, California. Town known for wealthy residents and famous flea market. A popular spot for collectors and antique dealers.

Fact: Pasadena’s Rose Bowl flea market attracts over 15,000 buyers monthly.

Allen and Ton attended a large shipping container auction. Mix nuts of buyers from teachers, students, and pros.

apartment-unit-AH-3-9Apartment Unit

Chair set, refrigerator, mid-century fabric, plastic bags, and boxes. Duo won the unit for $350.

Chair set was made of solid oak. Mid-century fabric belonged to vintage 1950s chairs made with Naugahyde.

Fact: “Naugahyde” is an American blend of artificial leather trademarked in 1936.

Ton found Princess pattern china.

Fact: “Princess” is a pattern of glass made by the Hocking Company in the 1930s.

Allen discovered a mint condition vintage football board game.

Fact: A 1933 edition of the board game ‘Monopoly sold at an auction in 2010 for $146,500.

Duo retrieved a carpet rolled and duct taped at the ends. Ton wondered why anyone would duct tape a carpet. Allen’s response: “Because you have a dead body.”

AllenHaff-TonJones-carpet-AH-3-9Ton opened the carpet. No dead body. Phew!

Fact: The oldest surviving carpet, found in a Siberian tomb in the 1940s, is over 2000 years old.

Jones however, did find one very long, l-o-n-g, gun.

Fact: The longest gun ever built is the 140 ft. long “Gustav Gun,” used in WWII.

Allen and Ton both carried the gargantuan gun to Brian, a firearms expert.

AllenHaff-TonJones-punt-gun-AH-3-9He told them it was a “punt gun” used to lash onto a boat. It could decimate an entire flock of ducks. Really? Longest gun you’ll ever see just to kill ducks?

Fact: A ‘punt’ is a flat bottomed boat propelled with a pole and used in shallow waters.

Punt gun in good shape. Logo was made with a Dremel Moto-Tool, which Punt-gun-AH-3-9 was a newer model.

Fact: The Dremel Moto-Tool first hit the market in 1945.

Ton volunteered to shoot the antique gun.

Fire!

Fact: Punt guns can fire over one pound of lead shot at once.

A ginormous gun appears only once in a blue moon. Brian knew that – Sold at $5,000! Allen and Ton allowed visitation rights.

bubble-wrap-unit-AH-3-9Bubble Wrap Unit

Dresser, bubble wrapped items, and crates. Duo gambled and won the container for $250.

Ton unpacked furniture. Side table and leather top desk.

Fact: A mahogany desk from the 1760s sold at auction in 1989 for over $12 million.

Allen found handlebars to a Segway. Ton did better. He found three whole Segways in the back.

Fact: The ‘Segway’ is a two-wheeled vehicle that one controls by shifting their weight.

Allen discovered a giant inflatable ball called a “Zorb.”

Fact: “Zorb” balls were first invented in New Zealand in 1994.

Ton explained to Allen that people entered inside the Zorb then rolled downhill or even rolled on water. Yeah, they had to give it a go.

AllenHaff-zorb-ball-AH-3-9Segways were taken to Suzanne, a dealer, for appraisal. She said they were first generation Segways.

Fact: The name “Segway” is derived from the word ‘seque,’ which means ‘smooth transition’.

Gen 1 Segways didn’t qualify as collector’s items, though still used today.

Fact: In 2001 the ‘Generation 1’ Segway was featured on the cover of Time magazine.AllenHaff-TonJones-segway-AH-3-9

One of the machines was past repair. Two were in good condition. Two Segways. Two Auction Hunters. Allen and Ton took the Segways for a spin.

Suzanne was impressed and bought the pair for $5,500.

Big gun. Big ball. Big fun.

Auction Total:

Paid $600
Sold: $12,760
Profit: $12,160

Would you like to walk over water inside a Zorb?

Please post your insightful and thoughtful opinions in the comment box below.