Episode 6 | 53m 11s | Video has closed captioning.
This week on MARKET WARRIORS, our pickers (Miller, John, Bob and Kevin) return to one of the largest markets in the world, the Brimfield Antique Show in Brimfield, MA, where they search for the best piece of art pottery. In this week’s episode, one picker is drawn to an item that will bring them great rewards while another buys a forgery that will cause them to second-guess their knowledge.
Aired: 09/24/12
I would buy that lamp in a second.
No.
We're in big-time trouble.
JOHN: Kevin's got his finger
on the pulse of the dull.
They were all reproductions.
Forget about it.
I think I scored big.
WES COWAN: This is a total fake.
Whoa.
♫♫
MARK WALBERG: Welcome to Brimfield, Massachusetts,
where outdoor flea markets and antique shows
don't come any bigger or better.
With over 6,000 dealers spread out over 21 fields of booths,
either tented or full-monty al fresco,
Brimfield dealers are some of the savviest antique experts
in the world.
John Bruno and Kevin Bruneau know this market inside and out.
As former Brimfield dealers themselves,
they may think they have the edge in this competition.
But don't rule out Bob Richter.
He may be a newcomer to this world-famous marketplace,
but Bob knows quite a few of the New York-based dealers here.
With no real connections to people or place,
Miller Gaffney is the odds makers' long shot.
She may be the underdog,
but as they say in the South, "That dog won't hunt,"
because this woman is a bloodhound
when it comes to sniffing out good deals.
Each of our pickers knows that losing at Brimfield
is going to hurt way more than anywhere else.
♫♫
"This neck of the woods
"is known for, well,
"where we are for starters--
"the biggest outdoor flea market in the country--
"but also for glorious fall foliage
"and blistery cold winters.
"In 1891, Dr. James Naismith,
"a phys ed teacher in this area,
"was determined to keep his students active
"during those frigid Massachusetts months.
"He came up with an activity that involved
"nailing a peach basket to a ten-foot elevated track,
"and that's how the game of basketball was invented.
So toss the ball and grab your cash..."
Look out, Kevin!
"...because the only net in this game is net profit."
Okay.
WALBERG: Here are the rules for the competition.
There are three rounds of buying.
Pickers get $2,000 each for their individual buying rounds
and $500 per team for the buy-and-sell round.
Sounds like a shopping spree to me.
WALBERG: The round one target item must be one item only
unless what they're buying is being sold as a set or a pair.
The target item will be chosen
by an appraiser at Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati, Ohio,
where all of today's items will be sold.
The target item this time is to find art pottery.
What you want to look for is aesthetically designed.
Names to look for: Grueby, Van Briggle, Newcomb,
Rookwood especially, because that's a Cincinnati favorite.
Yes!
There's a lot of pottery around here.
There really is.
WALBERG: Game time will be kept by this shelf clock
at the Old Sturbridge Village Museum.
Pickers have one hour
to find their target item, starting now.
Good luck.
All right, good luck.
All right, see you.
Who's got some good,
high-end art pottery for me to look at?
KEVIN: Art pottery is going to be
some of the great makers during the early 20th century.
Good Owens pottery, possibly some good Rookwood pottery.
Teco, Van Briggle and George Ohr.
It doesn't just have to be,
like, a stand-alone piece of pottery.
It could be a beautiful lamp.
The reason Cowan does so well with the art pottery
is that all the American art pottery companies
are from the Ohio River Valley.
It's where the best clay is found.
Manufacturers have been there
since the mid-1800s to this very day.
MILLER: I'm thrilled.
Art pottery is all over the place here at Brimfield.
This is going to be...
not an easy target, but it's going to be a good target.
WALBERG: Miller is right on two counts.
There's plenty of art pottery at Brimfield,
and it's not going to be easy,
mostly because there's so much territory to cover
and so little time.
The Brimfield show is actually 21 independent antique shows
in different fields on either side
of a mile-long stretch of Route 20.
Seems to me she's already stumped as to where to go.
Huh...
I love art pottery.
In fact, I have quite an enormous collection of it.
One of the fields here at Brimfield is called May's,
and I know several dealers
carry great pieces of art pottery.
There are certain American art potteries
that do well at Cowan's.
I also think that European art pottery would do well--
if it was very special-- there.
They're beautiful.
What are you asking?
$6,000.
WALBERG: Bob is the only picker
who thinks European art pottery would do well
at an Ohio auction house, the state in which
some of the best American art pottery is made.
They're incredible.
Art pottery.
I'm thinking of going over to the New England Motel.
The New England Motel has a lot more pottery dealers.
Right off the bat, we find something interesting.
Unfortunately, it's a fabulous piece but it's Austrian.
We're looking for American art pottery, though.
Hey, how are you?
JOHN: I've been shopping on this field,
set up on this field as dealers for over 30 years.
I know half the dealers on the field,
so it's great to see the familiar faces.
I know I'm going to see a ton of people in here.
This is going to be a fun day.
We'll talk later.
Have fun.
American art pottery.
Rookwood.
You got a minute?
You can come talk?
Tell us about Rookwood art pottery.
Well, it was a pottery founded in Cincinnati
around the late 1800s.
If you turn it over, I can show you the date.
Under the mark, there's a Roman numeral,
and that indicates 1910.
I like that one.
DEALER: Figured you would.
This is what they call a scenic vellum.
A vellum is a glaze that Rookwood used
from the early 1900s up through the '40s.
You have $2,575 on this.
I need to be able to find something
that I can buy at an affordable price.
You know Rookwood, I know Rookwood,
so why should we play the game?
Um, well, most of my prices are pretty much at retail.
WALBERG: Rookwood is Cincinnati's native son of art pottery,
so obviously it has local appeal.
But is buying Rookwood to flip at Cowan's Auction
a bit like carrying coal to Newcastle?
If John ends up purchasing this high-end local brand,
he better find an unusual piece at a price well below retail,
because Cincinnati bidders know their Rookwood.
How you doing, you got any art pottery back there I could buy,
American art pottery?
You don't?
WALBERG: Like John Bruno, Kevin Bruneau is a former Brimfield dealer,
so he's very familiar with the lay of the land here.
KEVIN: Who's got some good high-end art pottery for me to look at?
WALBERG: Kevin likes to pursue the road less traveled,
looking for good buys in less obvious places.
In this case, he's walking through a parking lot,
hoping to find some art pottery
that dealers haven't even unloaded yet.
KEVIN: American art pottery?
No?
Good names-- no?
Okay.
Nobody knows.
Actually, I see some pottery right down here.
It's actually a nice-looking piece.
What would be the very, very best on something like this?
DEALER: $215.
$215?
Yeah.
Can I make you a cash offer on it?
Try me.
Buck seventy-five cash offer.
No, I can't, that's about what I paid for it.
Right now, I'm trying to research
if I can find anything on this exact lamp,
and I can't find anything exact on it.
It's a good-looking piece,
it's Van Briggle and it's pretty nice,
and it's only $215,
and it's signed with the conjoined "A"
for Artus and Anne Van Briggle.
That's what it stands for.
Would you sell it for a buck ninety?
How's two?
200 bucks, yeah.
I'll take it for two, two's cool, two's fair.
Thank you very much.
$200, great, thank you.
$2,500.
I knew this was going to be more than I can pay, but...
Yeah, it's Teco...
I know.
I knew it was Teco because of the base,
but I haven't seen it
with this floriform design around the top.
Just a little stylized thing going on there.
You know, he worked with Frank Lloyd Wright.
They executed his designs.
DEALER: That's Villeroy & Boch, if you can believe it.
Really?
Yeah, this is great-looking, how much is this guy?
$350.
Okay.
So you could probably come down to, like, two...
$275.
Just good for me to know.
WALBERG: This was a classic Bob Richter pre-negotiation.
Bob likes to hear in advance
what the dealer's rock-bottom price is
so if he circles back, he can start thinking
about how much further down he'll try to get him to go.
I recognize this clock from the Garage.
WALBERG: Lon Manning is a dealer Bob knows
from a Manhattan flea market called the Garage.
Lonnie, good to see you again.
I'll see you at the Garage.
Yeah, absolutely, all the time.
I love his merchandise.
He has beautiful things.
I'm thinking about the Villeroy & Boch vase
because I think it's interesting enough.
I'm also keeping my eyes peeled, and I know I have a little time
and I want to maximize that time.
Okay, this is the best thing I've seen so far.
This nice saltware pitcher.
19th century.
That's not really what does well at Cowan's,
but I think it would do decent.
For this saltware pitcher, you're asking $250.
Would you take $125?
Can't do that.
Can't go too far.
That's pretty high for $250 for this.
Well, birds are good.
It's not spectacular.
WALBERG: Miller just asked the dealer
whether he'd cut his price in half
and then went on to diss the merchandise.
It's best she move on,
especially since this pitcher doesn't qualify as art pottery.
Oh, I'm going to go back to the Heart-O-the-Mart
because everything else I've seen out there
is mainly junk and reproductions.
So far, you've got the best selection
of American art pottery that I've seen.
That's a nice little Lenore Asbury.
Lenore Asbury, tell me about her.
She's, again, one of the better artists.
She did a lot of floral work, she did a lot of scenic vellums,
very, very accomplished artist.
On her floral work, you can see how she outlines everything.
Yeah, very interesting.
And the age of that?
1920.
And you've got 17 on that.
What could you do on something like this?
Um, we could be, like, $1,250 on this one.
And there's probably money left in it at that price.
It's a nice substantial-sized piece.
Can I beat you up to an even 12?
Yeah, you can do that.
I like this a lot.
I think I can make a few bucks on that.
I think so, too.
I think we got a deal.
Okay, sounds good.
Thank you very much.
The people in Cincinnati will love it.
It's coming home.
That's where it belongs.
Yeah.
JOHN: I'm a happy camper.
I gotta pet the flamingo.
WALBERG: John is the second picker to buy his target item.
JOHN: All right, we gotta hustle.
WALBERG: But it's hard to tell if Miller is still looking for art pottery
or just trying to find her car.
MILLER: Forget it!
WALBERG: This happens to me all the time at Dodger Stadium.
I always think I'm going to remember where I parked,
and then I don't write it down and I never do.
MILLER: We're in big-time trouble.
I thought that art pottery would be pretty simple.
It turned out to be very challenging.
I think I went to the wrong fields,
so I just had some back luck.
Do you have any Rookwood?
No Rookwood today.
Oh...
Oh, I'm in so much trouble.
WALBERG: Miller is in trouble, not just because she may run out of time
and have to pay a $50 penalty to each of her opponents,
but with all of the available art pottery at Brimfield,
returning empty-handed would be downright embarrassing.
Wonderful.
Hey, Lonnie, just out of curiosity,
what was the very best on the Villeroy & Boch?
Because I have to cover a little territory.
$275.
(sighs)
For an old Garage buddy, $200?
Two cash.
All right.
All right, Bob.
Not bad.
I feel great about what I just bought.
It's pre-1920, it's Art Nouveau, it has a great shape,
it has great decoration, a great name to it,
and I got a terrific price.
He came down from $375 to $200.
That's almost cut in half,
so I know I'm gonna make money on it.
I feel really confident about this piece.
BOB: What's up, Kev?
Hey, what's happening, Bob?
How'd you do?
I did all right, how'd you do?
Yeah, me too.
Let's get back.
We're back.
All right, Kev, we made it.
I hear somebody.
Hey, hey!
How you doing, you all worked out?
(laughing)
KEVIN: Where's Miller?
Look who's not here!
Oh no...
WALBERG: Miller is the only picker
who hasn't found her target item,
and time is running out.
Well, where is it?
I'm on a time restraint, so do you have any Rookwood?
I do have Rookwood.
This is a very rare bowl, that's Roseville.
And I actually have a very rare piece of Fulper.
What are you asking for that?
$600.
Oh my.
Okay...
I have, let's see, I have a small Van Briggle right here.
What are you asking for it?
Around two on that.
Would you take $125?
Let me check.
TODD CLEMENS: That little guy there is $185.
MILLER: I know, but that size is so small.
And it's very rare, you don't find them that small.
I know, but can you do $125?
WALBERG: You've got to give dealer Todd Clements credit
for turning the tiny size of this Van Briggle piece
into a rare advantage.
Did you notice how neither Todd nor his wife Michelle
referred to it as a vase or even a pot?
Todd just called it "the little guy."
That little guy there is $185.
Can you do $125?
Uh-uh.
Can we do $140?
(chuckles)
"Do I hear $150?"
Yeah!
On that, no.
$165.
They're too hard to find.
We've been collecting for 35 years.
You know how many of those I've had in Mt.
Craig brown?
You're looking at it.
Okay, you said $160?
It's cash!
You can buy me a coffee later and we'll call it even.
Yeah, okay, good.
Okay, so $160?
You can have your $160.
Thank you!
Tell me your name.
Todd.
Todd, you're so nice.
My wife's Michelle.
Oh, thank you, Todd and Michelle, yay!
I hope you enjoy it.
Okay, 20, 40...
MILLER: I had five minutes to go when I bought my item.
Ideally, looking back, I probably would have purchased
something with more height or a different color.
But I'm glad I bought that little piece
because it wouldn't be such a loss in the end
if it doesn't do well.
Okay, I'm going to get that coffee for you later.
Okay.
Oh, two minutes!
Oh, I forget where we are.
It's 12:29.
BOB: Yeah, she's got one minute.
Counting down...
Unbelievable.
Oh!
You're gonna make it!
You just made it!
And my clock just turned 12:31.
You made it, Miller.
WALBERG: The four pickers will now assess all the items to determine
if they fulfill the target round assignment, art pottery.
Pickers can reject any item for whatever reason they choose.
Wrong or right, majority rules.
All right, guys.
There you go, nice Van Briggle.
BOB: Very nice.
And Cowan's sells Van Briggle.
Right, it was kind of one of the things
they wanted us to look for,
with the price point and everything.
I think it's a winner.
It's nice.
Thumbs up, did I do all right?
Yeah, absolutely.
Hit the mark with it, cool.
Okay, I'll go next.
Cool, Bob, what do you got?
All right.
Another piece of art pottery here.
Art Nouveau.
Isn't it beautiful?
Is that Newcomb?
No, it's Villeroy & Boch.
Oh, really?
I love the incising, like right here,
and I love the floral pattern.
Probably pre-1920.
That's a beautiful piece.
I give you a thumbs up on it.
Definitely art pottery, it's got a great look.
Thanks, guys.
All right, Miller, you go next.
Okay.
Good things come in small packages.
KEVIN: I knew that was coming.
Van Briggle.
Ooh, very nice.
Very sweet.
KEVIN: Definitely Van Briggle.
With this beautiful glaze.
Whole desert motif feel to it.
Hey, Miller, I have to just say too,
all that running around,
you come back with that little tiny piece of Van Briggle
just under the wire.
Hey, it's not the size that matters, Kevin.
Oh, geez.
Cool, fits the bill.
Good job.
I guess I'm next.
What, does it come in pieces?
Rookwood?
Rookwood, Lenore Asbury, 1920.
I love the color combinations.
Met all my aesthetics, just priced great.
Did you pay over $1,000?
It was priced right.
It's lovely.
It's lovely.
It's a good piece.
So did I do it?
Thumbs up.
Excellent, thanks, guys.
WALBERG: You've seen the shelf clock, now let's hear more about it.
This is made by Aaron Willard, about 1820.
The face of this clock with its Arabic numerals is painted steel
that's made dome-shaped
by a process called raising, hammering it.
One of the distinctive features of this timepiece
is the reverse glass painting on the front panels of the clock.
Very often, the maker did put his name and location
on the face of the clock as a form of advertisement.
WALBERG: For the bonus round, we have a twist.
Our pickers are teaming up to sell an item
they bought earlier in the morning right here at Brimfield.
Good luck.
Come on.
WALBERG: Each team had a budget of $500 to buy one item.
Put it up at $150 and see what we negotiate.
WALBERG: How did John and Miller end up
with this vintage leather suitcase
and Bob and Kevin with this Venetian glass lamp
they're now trying to sell?
Let's rewind the clock and find out.
I know a guy in the front field here
that I could buy really well off of.
All right.
I know he's got a nice pair of boxes out there,
and I know we can buy them cheap.
BOB: I love Kevin Bruneau.
He's got great energy.
He doesn't mess around when it comes to haggling and shopping.
I felt immediately confident.
KEVIN: Sandy, what's up, brother?
Hey, I wanted to take a look at these boxes right here.
Oh yeah?
Yeah, these are really nice ones.
Rose medallion, 19th century,
and they're both in really good shape.
They're in great shape.
WALBERG: But when they started negotiating,
they just couldn't get the dealer to go low enough.
How much did you say?
$575 list on the two of them.
$250 for two would be cool?
That'd be really cool for you guys.
$200?
DEALER: I'd go $475.
KEVIN: Oh, come on.
BOB: Maybe we can find something else.
Yeah, I bet you can.
WALBERG: So it was on to plan B.
What do you have in your mind?
I just came across some enameled candlesticks.
WALBERG: On the way to find those candlesticks,
something else caught Kevin's eye.
I kind of caught it out of the corner of my eye, walking by.
KEVIN: Holy...
It's $135.
We turned around and we saw this lamp.
It's the real deal.
It's Murano glass, and in addition it has this added fruit
and stuff like that, it's got all the gold flecking...
It's got all the latticework,
it's probably one of the good names.
I think it's, like, a Barovier & Toso or something like that.
BOB: What do you think,
this one's mid-century, a little bit earlier?
Yeah, it's probably around 1930s.
Yeah, '30s, '40s, yeah.
Very rare to find the nice color, the blue, the latticework
and then the gold with the applied grapes on it.
Perfect piece.
Excuse me.
Yes?
We're interested in your lamp.
Sure.
What is the best price on the lamp?
I could do $90.
Dude...
Okay, I think we need a pow-wow.
When I first walked over there and saw the tag, it was $135.
I would have paid the $135 for it.
I mean, that's cheap for a beautiful Murano glass lamp.
I feel like we should do that.
Right?
I would buy that lamp in a second for 90 bucks.
All right.
Cool.
I got a question for you.
Sure.
BOB: Can we get closer to $70?
We really need to make some money on it.
How about $80?
$75 and we'd take it right now.
Sure.
All right, we're going to take it for $75.
Okay.
Sweet.
KEVIN: To get it at the price we got it, $75,
it's like a steal, it's a bargain.
That's teamwork.
That's good, I'm very happy with that.
Yes, me too.
WALBERG: Meanwhile...
I'd like to find something garden
because it's spring, it's May...
Oh my gosh, I've seen so many garden things.
WALBERG: Miller and John are as focused as ever.
Is it me?
It's you.
Where did you get the fire hydrant?
That's wonderful.
I'm kind of afraid... what is it, the Tortoise and the Hare?
I was gonna say, the Tortoise and the Hare.
Speed doesn't win.
I know, but I'm a little concerned.
You think we should step it up?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Come over here.
Luggage is always...
I know, but look at that.
That's okay.
MILLER: I think the leather's cooler.
All right, let's keep looking.
It's at $475.
Oh my gosh, forget it, walk away now.
DEALER: They're 1,400 bucks for the pair.
Come on, John.
Bummer.
How much are you asking?
There's something about it...
No, no, this ain't gonna do it.
John is just looking at things
that are way out of our price range.
JOHN: Miller!
Okay, what are we going to do?
I'm getting worried.
I want to go down the center aisle.
I thought you knew this place.
"Brimfield, Brimfield, Brimfield,"
that's all I heard from you.
Can you get a little bit more hyper?
Just a little bit more.
Okay, we gotta do something now.
You wanna go for the luggage?
I'm going for the luggage.
Okay, let's find the luggage.
We got $85 on it, what could we do?
Could you do $50?
$50.
Got a good buy.
Whoo!
WALBERG: We know how well our pickers buy.
Now let's see how well they sell.
Let's go to the row.
WALBERG: Will our teams make a profit on what they bought,
or are they going to take a loss?
What do you think we can sell it for?
I'm going to put it up at $150 and see what we negotiate.
Okay.
The strategy is when you show it to him,
we look in his eyes
and we see what he has to say with his eyes,
and then we'll tell him.
Perfect.
Come on, who wants to buy a trunk?
Piece of luggage, vintage luggage, $150.
$150, look at this!
Fabulous piece of vintage luggage.
Wait, John, I think we better figure out
whose booth we're going to.
No, we're just going to go on the road
and sell this on the road.
Okay, but...
You kidding me?
Let's backtrack a minute,
because I just saw somebody I know over there
who's another big buyer.
You want to check out our lamp?
Yes, sir.
All right.
Barovier & Toso, nice Italian glass.
Nice, looks like Venetian.
Right.
How much you asking?
$250.
$250...
I'd do, like, one-and-a-half.
Oh, one-and-a-half's a little tight; how about two?
$175.
Oh, man.
That's gonna leave us kind of...
It's really, really tight.
I really can't do two.
You wanna let it go for that money?
What do you want to do?
BOB: Well, I want to sell it.
How about $180?
All right, that's fine.
Thanks, man, I appreciate it.
I know you're a big buyer, that's why we came to see you.
I know you buy tons of stuff.
We turned it right around, just like we were supposed to do.
Made a little bit of money.
I think we make a good team.
That was a good job, good job.
Okay, hello.
Ooh, is this...
Is this your booth?
Yes.
Aren't these nice?
Look, we've got...
Would you like to buy this from us?
We have another one.
We have an amazing suitcase for sale.
Look at this, how it matches yours.
Very nice.
You wanna buy this and add to it?
But I didn't sell mine!
What am I going to do with it?
But if you add them all together...
The third will bring you good luck.
Maybe a hundred bucks.
Oh, gosh.
Make it $125 and we got a deal.
I can't.
Oh, come on.
(laughing)
You want it for $100?
Yes.
Okay, you got it for $100.
Yay, thank you!
Sold!
Deal!
Good deal, okay.
Cool.
Somebody's going to like it.
Either I keep it myself.
I'm so glad I got it anyway.
WALBERG: Now it's time to Shop 'Til You Stop.
It's an untimed round where our pickers can buy
one or two items, and no more than that.
The round begins now.
Well...
I'm kind of concerned about my morning target round piece,
so I really need to go for a winner this afternoon
where I'm going to make a big profit.
Oh, what about this piece?
That's Owens, also from Ohio.
That's an artist-signed piece by Frank Farrell.
What are you asking for this?
$1,325.
Hmm...
Do you have any Newcomb?
Right here.
Isn't that lovely?
Those are, of course, a little bit expensive.
Mm-hmm.
But they're all hand-carved pieces and one-of-a-kind.
Okay.
That's the Newcomb College cipher on the bottom.
Okay, I think I'm going to take some photographs
to think about some things, is that all right?
Absolutely.
MILLER: If I had my choice, this is what I would buy.
So right now, this is my best bet is the Newcomb,
but I don't know how willing she is to work with me.
You know, definitely send the Newcomb.
WALBERG: According to our rules,
each picker is allowed to call an appraiser
at the auction house in Cincinnati,
where their items will be sold.
Miller is the first to exercise this option.
Let's see if this went through.
Hi, Diane, how are you?
WALBERG: The JP?
Is that the junk pile?
Woo!
We think you have something with this bowl,
and as long as you buy it right,
I think it could do between $3,000 and $5,000.
And with Newcomb, you never know, it could really fly.
Wow, this is music to my ears.
Yes, indeed.
If you buy it right, you got it.
Yay, I'm going to make this happen.
Okay, wish me luck.
WALBERG: Not so fast, Miller,
and maybe not so lucky, either.
The price on that Newcomb bowl is $3,550,
and all you have left is $1,840.
Okay, I'm going to go over there and count all my cash
so I'm prepared to go in and negotiate with Maxine.
I'm willing to just lay it all out there and tell her
and see if she'll work with me.
She seems like a nice lady, and I hope she will.
Okay, let's talk about the Newcomb.
Okay.
What's your asking price, again, on this?
I can do 29, which is a fair price.
Would you be willing to take 18, cash?
I doubt it, but let me look.
I mean, it's cash, it's an offer, you never know.
I know.
WALBERG: Yeah, you never know for sure, and Maxine is making it seem
as if Miller still has a shot at this Newcomb bowl
by checking her record books
to confirm her absolute bottom line.
But after more than 30 years selling antiques,
Maxine White is smart enough to know
that keeping a prospective buyer in your booth
can be a game changer.
Can't do it, I wish I could.
You can't do 18?
No.
There's nothing you can do for that, for the Newcomb?
I mean, I can't get to that figure.
Hmm.
I wish I could, but I paid a lot for it.
Darn.
The Newcomb just didn't work out,
and I understand she's got to meet her price line.
She'd rather sit on it than lose money on the deal.
WALBERG: Some dealers wouldn't have been so polite
rebuffing Miller's lowball offer,
but being gruff can be rough on sales
if an interested buyer walks away.
So, any other Newcomb pieces here that I could afford?
Uh, nope.
Would you take 17 for that?
(chuckles)
Oh, let me see.
I can do that on the Grueby for you.
You can?
Yep.
Okay.
I like the form, I like the shape of that Grueby vase.
I like the color, I like the glaze.
Going to try it.
When you get into Grueby, you want, you know,
the really desirable are multicolors,
but then those prices go way, way up,
and we're talking up in the thousands.
So this is a good example,
but it's not a really unusual example.
WALBERG: As savvy as Maxine is, she may have just made a bad move
giving Miller a tutorial
on why this Grueby vase isn't a very special piece.
You know what's going to happen now.
Okay, can we do 15?
WALBERG: I thought they already agreed on the price.
Let's rewind the clock and find out.
Would you take 17 for that?
I can do that on the Grueby for you.
You can?
Yeah.
Okay.
WALBERG: By giving her honest assessment of this vase,
Maxine gave Miller an opening to renegotiate,
and Miller did what any market warrior would do: she took it.
Seventeen.
Can we do 16?
$1,650.
$1,650, what's the $50?
Can we just do 16?
I really need that $50.
You do, why?
Yes!
I'm in this competition,
and you know I've got fierce competition.
You'll do good with that.
I don't know.
They said my number, my bottom line was 15.
I'm already being generous going up to 16...
Sixteen.
Okay.
Okay, thank you!
Good luck.
Thank you so much!
I don't know, I'm hoping that this is my winning piece.
I don't feel it for the other piece this morning.
Let's go do a little shopping.
Talk to me about this.
I know nothing about this sign.
(laughing)
All I know is that I like it.
How much do you have on it?
$325 on it.
It's pretty interesting.
JOHN: So at this point I've got to confer with Diane at Cowan.
So I've taken a picture and I'm sending it to her
and see what she thinks of it.
Hey, Diane, John Bruno from Market Warriors.
Hello!
So what do you think of it?
Usually, great advertisement pieces with the brand on them.
Okay.
I would say keep looking.
Okay.
The audience here is looking for better than that.
Okay, well, that's what I needed to know.
WALBERG: I'm glad Diane told John what he needed to hear.
I have no doubt he thinks that sign is nifty enough
to hang in his own house,
but is it nifty enough to lure bidders in Cincinnati?
Uh-oh, what's he on to now?
I gotta ask you about this.
What is it?
DEALER: Could be an apple sorter.
JOHN: Oh...
What would you do with it today?
No idea.
You'd put it in the front room and it'd be a,
"What is it?"
Yeah, it's a great conversation piece.
How much are you asking for it?
$145.
Would you take $100 even?
Cash?
Cash.
Sure.
Good.
I like this.
It's unique and it's only $100.
And my instincts are good on this.
WALBERG: Wait, something else has caught John's eye.
Maybe he's found something more in line
with what bidders in Cincinnati would want to buy.
This is fabulous, it's a tobacco press.
WALBERG: And maybe not.
Oh, that's just absolutely fabulous.
WALBERG: I think it's time for another reality check.
JOHN: Yeah, Diane, I got a couple of things I need to talk about.
I'm not sure what it is.
It's an apple sorter.
I would say this is a reach.
Okay, well, that's fair.
WALBERG: And how about the tobacco press?
Hello?
Diane?
(both laughing)
I'm reaching, I'm reaching.
Oh, you're killing me.
You've got to educate your customers
to have a sense of whimsy.
Come on.
WALBERG: That is so John Bruno.
If bidders won't like it, they need to learn to like it.
But I'm not sure how much profit there is
in John's idea of whimsy.
All right, Diane, thank you, darling.
Good luck, John.
They're putting the kibosh on it, I'm sorry, Doctor.
See you in Texas.
JOHN: I'm getting destroyed by the folks at Cowan's,
but I have to listen to them,
so I've got to go with them,
I've got to get into the mundane world again,
so we're just going to keep shopping
until we find something.
I want to make this week John Bruno's week.
You know, Kevin, I love him, but yeah,
he's got his finger on the pulse of the dull, unfortunately,
so I've got to go play dull for a little while.
But I'm going to beat him, I know I will.
WALBERG: You notice how Bob and Miller aren't even factors for John?
Wait until they hear this.
JOHN: Come talk to me.
You have some great cabinets over here; tell me about these.
This is a medicine-type chest.
DEALER: Mm-hmm.
Now that I like.
You see the license plate on that sign?
I see the license plate on the Burma-Shave sign.
There were states in the Union, in order to hang a sign,
you had to have a permit license.
I did not know that.
Nope, neither did we.
It would be nice to have a piece of advertising
and something that's usable.
$245 and $295.
What can you do on the sign?
I can do $250 on the sign.
$250 on the sign,
and you've got $245 on this one.
Can you do...
I can do two on that.
So that's $450.
That would be $450.
We are both good at math.
Yeah, so far we're both good at math.
If you really want to be good at math, I want to do $400.
I know you do.
Give me $400, come on.
I really can't.
Come on, come on...
These are two of my absolute best pieces.
Give me $400, $400...
I have to make money.
Do something with it...
All right, I'll meet you halfway.
Four-and-a-quarter?
Four-and-a-quarter.
Two pieces?
Two pieces.
It's a deal.
Give me a hug.Okay.
You're a lot of fun, you're fun to play with.
You're good, you're good.
JOHN: I've picked two items
I think are going to sell at a reasonable price
and make a decent profit.
Thank you, baby.
WALBERG: And he didn't even call Diane to check these items out.
I guess he couldn't handle any more rejections.
JOHN: Excellent, excellent...
WALBERG: He may end up regretting he didn't take his own good advice.
I'm getting destroyed by the folks at Cowan,
but I have to listen to them.
BOB: I'm going to head back over to May's
because that's where all the dealers are
that I know personally,
and I know that's where I can get deals.
It's the end of the day.
I'm going to see it as an opportunity
to get some end-of-the-day bargains.
Sometimes packing up is an opportunity
and sometimes packing up is really the end of the day.
I also know some people at booth 220,
which I'd love to try to find them.
Do you know if 220 was over there?
This is 237, so 220 should be down that side.
Yeah.
220.
They packed up already.
The dealers are packing up and leaving,
so I do have a sense of urgency,
and it's overcast and rain is coming.
WALBERG: Now Bob is stuck in the middle of a field
where dealers are leaving, and he's got no plan B.
These?
Awesome.
WALBERG: You can tell he's nervous because he's looking at shoes.
Browsing for personal items
is a way some market warriors handle anxiety.
It's kind of like the flea market equivalent
of reaching for a pint of ice cream.
If they fit, they're yours, keep them, take them.
Are you serious?
Wrap them up, they're out of here, take them home.
Thank you so much, man.
If the shoe fits, wear it.
I so appreciate it.
You got it, brother.
Thank you so much, that's really nice of you.
You got it.
Awesome.
WALBERG: Now Bob has even less time
and fewer dealers to help him out,
but hey, free shoes.
You have some beautiful things.
The thing about that guy's stuff
is that they were all reproductions.
They looked good from the outside,
but once I picked them up and looked at the other side,
forget about it.
I didn't want to start feeling desperate,
so I took a moment and centered myself
and just told myself that it was all going to work out,
as it always does.
(chuckles)
I made a turn and I saw this lamp.
It's like the lamp my grandmother gave me.
You should see it lit up.
(gasps)
They're wonderful, yes.
My grandmother gave me hers, and it's so beautiful.
It is beautiful, it absolutely is.
See, that's the one that my grandmother gave me.
Oh, aren't they gorgeous?
BOB: My grandfather's brother
gave it to my grandmother and grandfather
as an anniversary gift,
and I always admired it as a little boy.
And then when my grandmother thought it was time
and I had my first place that wasn't a dormitory,
she brought it to me and I've had it ever since.
This lamp is what led me to the booth.
How much is the painted chest?
Frankly, I didn't see the painted chests.
It wasn't until I engaged the woman in conversation
that I saw them.
I'd do $250.
It's really beautiful.
And then this one, what's the story with this?
This I just bought years ago, same thing, years ago.
Look at the beautiful age inside here.
Oh, it's gorgeous.
It has the little mouse hole.
Are you kidding me?
Yeah, there's a little mouse hole.
I love that!
I always buy stuff with mouse holes.
Really?
Yes, I love stuff with mice.
(laughs)
The handles are beautiful, too.
Painted furniture is definitely under the category of folk art.
It wasn't always done by someone who was a professional artist.
And painted furniture is highly collectible.
And the colors on these two pieces
are absolutely incredible.
If I wanted to buy both...
Could I do better?
Yeah.
Um...
I'll do $45 on that,
and I still want the $250 for that.
Would you do $230 on this and $40 on this?
What do you think?
I don't mind doing the $40 on that,
but I've got so much money in this.
I just need a little bit...
It's about the same thing, you know what I'm saying,
it all balances out.
So say yes.
Yes, she said I should say yes.
WALBERG: Like many dealers,
Jocelyn Sickles and her daughter Wendi McGillis
are more flexible on price when they're packing up
because they'd rather have fewer things to bring back with them.
This was Jocelyn's first time
selling at Brimfield in 15 years.
So this is $230 and this is $40.
Right.
Okay.
You got yourself a deal.
Got myself a deal?
Yes.
Hey, thank you!
Thank you!
BOB: I came here to May's
thinking I was going to buy more art pottery,
and I stumbled across two pieces
of really beautiful painted furniture.
Primitive, gorgeous, great prices,
and I know that they're going to sell,
and I know they're going to sell for a profit.
Here's five.
I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to do business with you.
Oh, I'm so glad.
You know, that lamp is what drew me in.
BOB: And then for me, seeing my grandmother's lamp,
it centers me, it puts me in the right frame of mind,
and I get to have an authentic interaction
with a beautiful woman
who has great stuff, has a great eye
and had a great sense of humor.
For me, there's a connection.
I knew that it was right.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
How you doing?
Hey, what's happening?
You're set up here?Yeah.
Where's your booth?
New England Motel.
How you doing, man?
Good to see you, it's nice to see you.
That's actually a guy I compete with at auctions all the time,
but, you know, there's competition,
but there's also camaraderie, it's all the same, you know?
Good guy.
WALBERG: Even though Kevin Bruneau may know more dealers here
than most of his opponents,
it isn't helping him find good deals.
Here they come again.
That's a good piece of Tiffany.
WALBERG: In fact, being a bit of a know-it-all
may actually be hurting him.
What's that weigh, about three-and-a-half ounces?
Yeah, maybe four ounces.
So it's a buck-and-a-half an ounce?
No, it's $110 an ounce, so it's $450.
$450, I'm sorry.
But I can't seem to find that form,
it's a very, very unique form.
That can be both good...
It's good.
...and both bad, when you can't find other ones to match.
What else do you want me to show you?
Here's a thing you ought to take a chance on.
A circus thing.
It's a paddle, okay, that you take out this
and you put an explosive charge in.
Oh, no kidding.
WALBERG: Interesting how he's trying to sell Kevin an object
used to deliver a good spanking.
Pow!
WALBERG: Think he's trying to tell him something?
Cool, man.
Good luck to you, we're going to go take a walk around
and see what else we can find.
Have a great day.
Hey, thanks.
Nice seeing you.
Nice stuff.
How are you?
How you been, man?
I'm doing all right.
You got a lot of cool stuff.
Who's this big one right here?
That's Quezal, $3,750.
Wow, beauty, huh?
All right, hey, thanks, you got some great stuff here.
I appreciate that.
Sweet.
Hey, what's the deal with this photo?
Carl Moon?
It's Carl Moon, it's signed over glass.
It's called an orotone, or goldtone.
You know, he documented the Native Americans.
Yeah, yeah.
That one's a special thing.
That's, like, on glass.
How much is something like this?
That's $950.
I just want to check out what these sell for.
I got to buy stuff
and put it in Cowan's Auction out in the Midwest.
Yeah, you'd do well.
Yeah, they're looking for this type of stuff,
and I don't normally buy this type of stuff.
If I can make money, maybe we can make a deal.
Sure.
Who's one of the number one sellers of these in the country
but Cowan's Auction Gallery?
They have all the listings for them,
and they're selling orotones for over $3,000 apiece.
This is an original?
Yeah, absolutely, never been out of the frame.
And what's the best you could do on that one?
$750 to you.
I'm on a budget.
What would be the absolute best on the orotone?
$750's the best.
You couldn't go $650 on that one?
No, I wouldn't.
That's, you know...
Meet me in the middle at seven, cash?
I'll do seven cash.
All right, I'll buy it for $700 cash.
I am seriously stoked right now.
You don't always have to know everything,
you just have to know how to figure out
what you're looking at.
Got the Carl Moon signature engraved right in the orotone.
The back with the original Carl Moon label.
All original, never out of the frame, the real deal.
I think we're going to make really good money on this.
Good luck with that.
Thank you very much, man.
WALBERG: Seems to me
Kevin has this competition wrapped up.
It was a lucky break for him to stumble upon this orotone,
and even though photography isn't his specialty,
he knew enough to do some research.
What a bonus that the auction house in Cincinnati is
one of the leading authorities on Carl Moon orotones.
Let's review what each of our pickers bought
and how much they spent.
Here are John Bruno's lots:
A Lenore Asbury vase designed for Rookwood,
a painted medicine chest,
and a Burma-Shave advertising sign.
Miller's lots consist of a small Van Briggle pot
and a green Grueby vase.
Bob's lots include a Villeroy & Boch vase,
a small painted trunk,
and a large painted chest.
For Kevin, there's the Van Briggle lamp
and the Carl Moon orotone.
Now it's on to Cincinnati,
where all of their items will be sold at Cowan's Auctions.
Potential bidders are reviewing our pickers' items
in addition to hundreds of other lots
that will be sold at the same auction.
Watching the bidding from behind the scenes
will be all four of our pickers,
but before they do, they each have the option
to choose one item to remove from the auction block.
The choice is strategic.
Do any of them have buyer's remorse
when it comes to what they bought or how much they spent?
Let's find out.
So is everybody good with what they bought?
I don't know, I think I might pull my Van Briggle,
the smaller piece.
KEVIN: I would definitely pull it.
I would, too, I'm thinking probably it's gonna bring $100.
It's up to you.
It's up to you.
I think I'm going to pull it.
So you're going to auction with one thing.
Putting all your eggs in one basket.
Why not?
All right.
Yeah, I'm staying.
I'm just not an expert on orotones.
JOHN: Neither am I.
I hope it's right.
I'm staying.
Let's give it a shot.
WALBERG: This is the moment we've all been waiting for.
Remember, as a result of the bonus round,
the profit John and Miller made
on the suitcase they bought and sold
starts each of them off with $25 in the black.
The profit Bob and Kevin made
on the Venetian glass lamp they bought and sold
starts each of them off at $52.50 in the black.
With online bidders ready and waiting, here we go.
The Van Briggle Damsel of Damascus lamp.
Ooh.
And $100 here, please.
$100 for the Van Briggle.
$50 to start.
Don't look good.
$50 to $75, bid $75.
Is there a bid at $75?
I'll take $65 and try that.
$65, $75.
$75, $85 okay?
In or out at $85?
Thank you, $85, now $95.
Asking $105 from anyone else.
Sold, $95 for 161.
$95.
Junk.
162, the decorative medicine cabinet in blue paint.
$50 here to start, please.
$50, $75, now $100.
Now $125, now $150.
$175, sir, okay?
$200, $175 and now $200.
Come on, come on...
$175 on the floor, asking $200.
Last call at $175.
Asking two.
You're breaking my heart.
And sold to bidder number 203.
Bummer.
You broke even.
I broke even.
COWAN: The vase with the snowdrop shape.
I like this piece of German pottery an awful lot.
We'll start the bidding at $100.
Any interest at $100?
$50?
$50, $75, now $100, now $125.
$125, $150.
$150 to the phone.
$175, great piece.
He's pushing it.
$200, $225, Sam, back to your bidder.
$225 to the net now.
MILLER: Wow.
Two is bid, asking $225.
Sold, $200, bidder 849, to our phone bidder.
We break even, we both break even.
Another few items to go here.
JOHN: Ready to rock and roll.
The Burma-Shave advertising sign.
I used to see them all the time when I was a kid.
$100, bid $100, is there a bid of $100 to start here?
How about $50 to start?
$50, $75, bid's $75.
Any interest at $100?
$75 only is bid, asking $100.
Damn.
COWAN: Are we all through at $75, then?
Last call.
Sold, $75 your way sir, 198.
Not easy.
Lot 160, the tool chest in mustard paint.
$50 here, please, to start.
$50, $75.
Right off the bat.
Your profit, damn.
COWAN: Bid's $75.
Now $100.
Now $125.
$125, in or out?
$125, $150, ma'am?
$150, $175.
I'll need $175 to advance.
Are we through at $150?
Sold, $150 your way, ma'am, 173, thank you.
Wow, you're rocking it.
You're fab, Bob.
You're on fire.
Yeah.
I'm really hoping that my Grueby vase
is going to do well in the next round.
Hold on tight.
Grueby, Grueby.
Great piece of Rookwood here, Lenore Asbury Rookwood vase.
$300, $325, $350, $375.
$400, $425, $450, $475.
New bidder $500, $550.
Go to hundreds, go to hundreds.
$550, $600, $650, $700.
$700, well worth it.
$750, now $800.
$800 to the phones.
$800, in or out at $800?
Oh, come on.
Ma'am, $850 to you.
She was the pusher.
So are we all through at $850?
$850, $900.
Keep it going,
keep it going.
$850 once, twice...
And selling for $850 to 161.
It's okay.
Oh, here you go.
Lot 166, the Grueby piece.
Great piece of Grueby pottery here.
Okay.
And let's start the bidding here at $1,000, please.
$1,000 for the Grueby.
Any interest at $1,000?
$750, $800, I'll take it.
$800, $850.
$900.
It ought to bring $1,500.
You want it to bring more than that.
$950, $1,000, $1,100.
$1,100, only $1,000 is bid.
$1,100, $1,200, $1,300.
$1,300.
$1,200 only is bid, asking $1,300.
Great piece of Grueby here.
Are we all through at $1,200?
Sold, $1,200.
We both take it on the chin with pottery.
Painted blanket chest, this is of course an old blanket chest.
It's been repainted, but still a nice decorative chest,
and how about $100 here, please?
$150, and $175, bidding $175, $175 and now $200.
$225, $250, Sam.
$250, $275 and now $300.
You're up.
JOHN: Whoa!
For repainted?
$325, $350.
Keep going...
$350, $375.
$375 and now $400.
Absolutely.
COWAN: Thank you, $425.
$425, $450.
Whoa.
Keep going...
COWAN: $475, now $500.
Only money.
$550 to you, sir.
Come on, you want it.
$600.
Yes, $600.
COWAN: Asking $600.
Are we all through at $550?
Sold, $550.
JOHN: Whoa!
Wow.
That was really good.
Nice job, well done.
COWAN: Lot 168...
I'm rejecting this Carl Moon photograph...
BOB: Oh my gosh.
...because this is a total fake.
Really?
It's a copy of an original Carl Moon photograph.
In fact, this is not an orotone.
I can tell that it's not
because Carl Moon's name is engraved in the cover glass.
The other thing that's the dead giveaway
is when you look at the back of this,
see how this is sort of meant to look like it's old?
And then there's a leather label here
with Carl Moon's name and his address.
Carl Moon never used that.
Whoa.
Everyone I researched had that same tag on the back.
JOHN: Darn.
WALBERG: And the winner is...
Bob Richter!
Bobby!
Congratulations, Bob, way to go.
Thank you.
Good job.
Good man, good work.
The rookie at Brimfield did really well.
I have to say,
I just fell in love with that painted furniture
and I felt really good about it.
You did really good.
I won!
I really won!
And it feels great.
You did really good, I did horrible.
In my heart, I can't believe it's a fake.
I can't believe I messed up $700.
I really thought I did my due diligence on it.
I don't even know what to say.
What was I looking at?
It just doesn't make sense to me right now.
WALBERG: Don't beat yourself up too much, Kevin.
This forgery is extremely well done.
Fakes like this have fooled even photography experts.
Dealer Lon Manning was more mortified than you
when he heard the orotone wasn't right.
His first reaction was a commitment
to refund the total purchase price.
I just like the worn appearance on it,
and it's a nice little size that you can put anywhere
and use for a lot of different things.
She likes unusual artifacts of Americana
that we like to put around the house,
and it fits in with the motif of our house.
WOMAN: We hadn't seen them.
There weren't pictures of them in the catalog,
so we came to check them out in person
and kind of, you know, almost on a whim buy them.
Sold, $150 your way, ma'am.
The Rookwood vase I purchased today is very unusual
because of the size, the glaze that it has.
This piece is artist-signed.
There's a lot of nice, different variations in the colors
that are very important.
Selling for $850 to 161.
There's some money left in this piece.
I can either put this in my collection
or I can switch it out for another piece
or sell this piece and make some money on it.
There's some value left here.
Scoreboard
We are! See who comes out on top at the end of the first season of Market Warriors.
Take a Look
