Antiquing in Walnut, IA

If I'm selling gold, I want it to be marked.

Can you show me something else?

I'm racing the clock.

The rain is starting, people are starting to pack up.

Are you closing?

Right now, pressure's off.

Piece of cake.

This one goes $40.

JOHN: Wow!

Walnut, Iowa, is called Iowa's antique city, not just because of its many antique shops bunched along these cobblestone streets, but due to the annual Walnut Antique Show, a destination for serious dealers and collectors for over 30 years.

The town grew up around the railroad station built by the Rock Island Railroad in 1868.

This was the destination for settlers lured by some of the most fertile farmland in the state.

The station no longer exists, but the tradition of drawing crowds carries on.

This town of 900 people welcomes upwards of 20,000 visitors to its world famous market.

RORY EVANS: This is a once-a-year show.

The people really save their money up, so they really come prepared to buy.

WALBERG: As have our four Market Warriors, who won't be leaving town empty-handed.

Their first challenge, the target assignment, which will be made by the auctioneer at Abell Auctions in Los Angeles, California, where all of today's items will be sold.

For the target item, you guys need to find something gold for us to sell.

Obviously, we'd want anything with 14-karat, 18-karat, 24-karat gold in it.

Other things that would do well here would be tasteful doré bronze, things with gold accents, Chinese and Japanese vases with bronze or that show the appearance of gilt bronze.

I'm excited to see what you guys bring to us, and good luck.

I hope you do fantastic.

Gold?

Not just gold-colored, gold.

Well, could be gold colored, I guess.

I don't know.

Are you guys ready to see how this game is really played?

(groaning, laughter) WALBERG: Game time will be kept by this Atkins & Downs clock.

Pickers have one hour to find their target item, starting now.

Well, there's gold, obviously.

We can do gold jewelry, but there's the color gold.

Anything is gold, sunshine is golden, corn is golden.

We're in Iowa, for goodness' sake.

I think gold is kind of broad.

WALBERG: He's barely begun to shop, and John Bruno is already revising the assignment.

The target item is gold, not golden.

And while gold-colored objects are also golden, all that glitters is not gold.

So John, no sheet music to David Bowie's "Golden Ears," no golden oldies vinyl records and, of course, no Golden Girls lunchboxes, got it?

It's a spool cabinet.

Patented July 20, 1897.

This is wonderful.

What you would do is they would load the spools of thread from the top, and then sell them out here from the bottom.

So I'm thinking gold, this is golden oak, so this fits in the same category as far as I'm concerned.

Something to keep in mind.

You just never know.

MICHELLE CHEZ: Are you looking for Deco jewelry?

Because I specialize in it.

Oh, this is gorgeous.

Can I see it?

Yes.

Okay, do you have anything in gold?

I specialize in diamonds, gold and platinum.

Really?

Where are you?

I'm in the schoolhouse.

Okay, I will find you.

Excuse me.

None of this stuff looks familiar to me.

WALBERG: Oh, Bene.

You will learn soon enough that in this competition there's no time like the present.

Getting lost in a flea market is par for the course for any picker.

But try not to let it happen during the target round when the game clock is ticking.

BENE: She said she was in the schoolhouse.

Where is the schoolhouse?

Anybody know where the schoolhouse is?

Yeah, right up there to the right.

Where is it?

Show me.

That's where I'm heading now.

I have to bring some stuff in there.

Really, are you a dealer?

Yup.

Oh, let me walk with you.

And what is your name?

Mike.

Mike, hi, Mike, I'm Bene.

They call me Cowboy.

They call you Cowboy?

And I'm not sure why.

Oh, maybe it's the hat.

That's what I think it is.

So do you have any gold?

Not with me.

This might seem real well.

I think it's funky, the Planters peanut watch.

It's probably a gold plate.

But it might do well.

MILLER: Is this your booth, ma'am?

LINDA BALLARD: Yes, it is.

Is this a gold plate, the funky watch?

It would be, yeah.

That's kind of neat.

What year do you think that is, the '50s?

'50s, '60s, yeah.

Oh, I like Mickey, too.

This is a gold watch, right?

LINDA: Well, no, it's not.

MILLER: Plate, it's plate?

Yeah, they're all plate.

Okay, what are you asking for this, $75?

Mm-hmm, it's Mickey.

Would you work with me on that?

I would.

Okay, it's kind of cool.

LINDA: Yeah, it is.

That's a lot more than I would normally pay.

Okay.

But, I'll be back.

Okay.

Thanks, Linda.

Thank you.

KEVIN: I'm finding the prices to be great retail prices.

I got to find it a little lower.

As soon as I find that item that has like a really good price on it, try and work it a little bit more, that's the item I'm looking for.

I found some nice things, but the price is just too much.

I'm torn between looking for something gold or just going totally off track and looking for something to make money.

If I have to give up on the gold and give up some cash to my competitors, that's what I'll do.

I love walking sticks.

This is a nice, heavy one.

It's a stack stick.

It's actually a horse training stick, you know that?

A lot of people wouldn't know, but it's actually a stick to train a horse.

It's quite flexible, but yet it's really heavy.

If you think about it too, it's got kind of a stylized hoof end on it, which is kind of cool.

I love the horse training walking stick.

It's actually well worth $125, but unless you put it in a specialized cane auction, I don't think a generalized crowd is going to actually go, "Oh, a horse walking stick."

It's just not going to happen.

WALBERG: No sooner did Kevin close the door on buying a walking stick too specific for a general auction in Los Angeles, does he close a deal on a cane he feels has broader appeal.

He's able to finish the transaction with a camera-shy dealer just as Miller comes walking by.

Oh, Kevin.

What are you hiding?

I can't show you.

By law, I can't show you.

Did you break your back?

What's wrong back there?

Yeah, I hurt my back.

Oh, my back's killing me.

Oh, look out, look out.

I know.

Okay.

All right, thanks.

So I walk into the guy's booth, and he has a selection of canes out there.

And this one being the only one with gold was actually the best one.

So I picked up the cane, I asked him what price it was.

I figured it was going to be $125, and he said $30.

I was, like, $30, really?

And of course I'm going to try and get it even a little cheaper, so I asked him $20.

He was, like, "No way."

We met in the middle at $25; it's a great deal.

This is one of my most favorite pieces to buy, walking sticks and canes.

They are still highly collected today, one of the things that actually has gone up in value all the time.

Wow.

Hi, how are you?

Good, welcome.

Thank you.

Why don't you look, let me know if there's anything...

I'm looking for gold.

When you're buying for an auction, things move quickly.

You want to display the item and they can look at the item, immediately make a decision.

You want to be very obvious in what you're selling.

So if I'm selling gold, I want it to be the color gold and I want it to be marked.

Is this coral?

DEALER: That's coral.

Coral, and that is also gold, isn't it?

Absolutely.

This is ten-karat, it's coral, and it's $399.

Okay, I see.

You can see the white from the coral in it.

And it should be marked ten karat.

This is a beautiful ring.

It's all hand-carved.

It is ten karat.

Unfortunately, I don't like the white on it.

That shows that it's not fake.

I know.

That's intrinsic in coral.

It is a double-edged sword because you see the white, then it's not fake.

But also most buyers don't want the white on it.

Got a great wooden model of a Stutz racer, and it's yellow, which is golden yellow, which is pretty nifty.

WALBERG: Golden yellow, really, John?

The assignment is broad enough to make this a golden opportunity, but your opponents are likely to push back if you push that envelope too far.

JOHN: The color is gold, just like butter, like sunshine.

WALBERG: If they reject your item, be prepared to pay each of your opponents a $50 penalty.

You can pay in cash or gold coins, if you had any.

JOHN: I've seen a few things so far.

I mean this is a fantastic outdoor market.

I want to see the whole market.

I think I've got time to get all the way through.

Excuse me, is this yours?

DEALER: Yes.

Tell me about this, this is real.

It's like it came off a small Cessna or a Piper.

But things like this are always fun to hang on a wall, especially if they're real.

How is it gold?

Look at the wood.

It has a nice, golden hue to it.

Yeah, we're pushing the envelope a little bit here.

WALBERG: A little bit?

John, at least in "Rumpelstiltskin," the spinning the miller's daughter did turned straw into gold.

Where's the gold on the tale you're spinning, pal?

And as long as the propeller keeps working, it's gold, it keeps you alive in the plane.

It's certainly something to think about.

Thank you, Barbara.

All right, thank you.

Good talking to you.

Nice talking to you.

This is a rare clock.

BENE: Yes.

About 1790, 1820.

BENE: I walked into Mike's booth; he had good quality items.

That's bronze too.

The only trouble is we polished it.

If you look at the inside, you can see the age.

This is what the original patina should look like.

I know, and sometimes these applied metal decorations are in different colors, which is very desirable.

Yes, very much so.

So why did you polish it?

It was jet black, and so everybody walked up on it, and it looked ugly.

Yes, yes.

My whole thing, at a certain price, I got tired of explaining and apologizing for it.

Six ninety-five.

When I first looked at it, it said $695.

And I looked underneath, and it said $395.

But I need $190 is all I need.

This is $190?

Yeah, it's a bargain for you if you want to make some easy money.

BENE: I like it because it's Japanese bronze with applied metal decoration.

They made the vase, and then they came back and applied the decoration in metal.

WALBERG: Dealer Mike Hammes knows polishing away the patina that was years in the making was a bad move because it's bound to be a deal breaker for serious collectors.

Bene will need to use Mike's mistake to her advantage.

Unless she gets a really good deal, she'll have a hard time making a profit with this item at auction.

BENE: I would like to see what I can do.

There's a couple of big dents here.

Two hundred.

No, I'm not... no, no, no.

I'm thinking more like $125.

$150, and I'll let you have it.

BENE: It is bronze.

It was polished to this high gold color, which is very good for me because now it fits into the category.

And you'll take $125?

$135.

You got a deal.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

$140, and I'll take your $5.

MILLER: Hi, Linda.

Okay, so if we wind it, will it work?

No, you have to put a battery in it.

The battery's not working.

And this isn't the old, old one with the bigger Mickey on it.

Remember where Mickey's hands move?

Yeah, right, right.

That was neat.

Right, yeah.

I like those watches.

Okay, so I think the ones where Mickey's hands move, those are worth a lot.

And you think this is a gold plate?

It's gold tone.

I don't know, I can't tell you for sure.

It's not marked that it is.

So Linda, you're at $75.

What about $20?

LINDA: Oh, no.

What's on there?

$75?

Yeah, $75.

I think people want the ones with Mickey's hands move.

This little guy's hands move.

WALBERG: Hold on, did you just not see what I didn't see?

After making such a big deal that this Mickey is less valuable because his arms don't move, why doesn't Miller seem happy to learn that that's not the case?

Unwilling to do an about-face, Miller treats the revelation as a nonevent.

Okay, would you take $30?

No.

(laughing) I wouldn't.

Could you work with me any?

$40, $40's my bottom dollar.

$40, okay, and I'm at $35, so why don't we go $38?

No, $40.

I just had to show Linda the latest prices out there and prove to her that she was asking way too much of a retail price.

Look at that, $30.

Two of them, $40.

One, $25.

The thing is, I'm racing the clock.

If I don't get back there, I'm supposed to get back there, and they'll disqualify me.

All right, I'll help you out.

Give me $38.

Oh, thank you, Linda.

Thank you.

MILLER: I think it's perfect for Los Angeles.

Not only because Disneyland is there, I think it's going to bring in a lot of novelty collectors, Disneyana collectors.

This piece is money.

All right, I've just got 15 minutes.

I want to go check on that car first, and then we'll compare that with the propeller.

I'd love to get this car for $30, $35.

The propeller, $50 or less.

So those are kind of my numbers.

I hope I can stick with them.

Tell me about this.

What vintage are we looking at?

That little car was made somewhere in the mid-'30s because the gentleman made this after the original Stutz Bearcat that was the champion with the world record-- you know, what they held back then.

And for Christmastime for his son, he made that model after the real race car in every detail.

So what are you asking for it?

Well, it's not cheap.

It's $850.

(mumbling) Yeah.

Well, that just threw that away.

Hand-made.

JOHN: I can't do it, no, I can't touch that.

He's at retail.

Probably a little bit beyond.

So we're going to go back for the propeller.

I mean, it's pushing the gold, but hey, it's gold tone, it's gold-colored.

Let them yell at me.

I'll fight my way out of it.

What you get, Bene?

Oh, I got something.

Oh, let me see this.

No.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

What did you get?

Oh, forget it then.

Okay, well.

No, it's a cane.

Uh-oh, I see Miller coming now.

BENE: Oh yes, I see her.

KEVIN: She better watch the humidity.

I think her hair went flat.

Oh, stop it.

(laughing) All right, we were chatting before about this propeller.

Yes.

Talk to me seriously about it.

You got $125, what can you do for me really?

Well, what are you offering?

You want an honest number?

I want to spend $50, that's what I want to spend.

Okay, probably come down to $100.

I might be able to sneak up to $60, but that's... $60.

I can't.

What's your absolute rock bottom, seriously?

Seriously, $100.

No, we got to get below $100.

I have four minutes, I have got to hustle.

I've got to have something.

$20, $40, $60, $80, $100.

You're rough.

I got to get out of here now.

Bye.

Oh!

Two minutes.

You made it.

You made it, Miller.

Where's Bruno?

I wonder if he's going to make it.

BENE: Less than two minutes, he's not going to make it.

Oh, it's one minute.

Uh-oh.

KEVIN: You probably can't see him because he's probably on his hands and knees.

No, he's running.

I see him, he's running.

No, no!

You just made it.

You just made it.

Oh, man.

What the heck is this?

You got a little workout today.

I did.

Hey, guess what?

Somebody's sweatin'.

Guess what?

We're getting $50 apiece, I can tell you that right now.

WALBERG: The four pickers will now assess all of the items to determine if they fulfilled the target round assignment, which was gold.

The pickers can reject any item for whatever reason they choose.

Wrong or right, majority rules.

All right, guys.

I got an awesome deal, and the challenge was gold.

I got a little gold plate going on right here.

That's what I came up with.

But it's a really cool walking stick, solid horn handle, a really nice hardwood shaft.

What do you figure?

Where is the gold?

Right here, a little bit of gold plating right on here.

And that's a new category: a little bit of gold?

It meets the gold qualifications to me.

Well, it's gold-colored.

Gold-colored works.

Well, when they told us gold, did they mean gold the precious metal, or anything with a gold tone?

It wasn't specified.

Exactly, it wasn't specified.

So anything with a gold tone qualifies.

Right.

What are you, kind of lining something up for your item?

He's setting the stage.

Right, I know where you're going.

So this will certainly work.

I think it qualifies.

You met the challenge, Kev.

Give me my cane.

Give you your cane back, there you go.

Bene, let me see what you brought to the table.

Okay, I have... this is a Japanese bronze with applied metal decoration.

A big vase, turn of the century.

What are you thinking?

What price did you have to pay?

There's two of them.

Do I have to tell you?

No, that's all right.

Great, because I'm not going to.

KEVIN: This is definitely Japanese.

But unfortunately, the Japanese market is kind of depressed.

I hope you didn't pay a ton of money for it and you got a really great deal.

What would you have paid for this?

In my opinion, you probably paid somewhere around $250 to $275.

I'd want to be $200 on that based on the Japanese market, yeah.

All right.

WALBERG: Kevin is the Asian expert of the group, and Bene is doing her best to keep a poker face because all she paid was $135.

You did good.

JOHN: Yeah, I think it's very good.

Way to go, Bene.

Thumbs up.

Good job.

Miller, what you got?

(humming a fanfare) KEVIN: Oh, nice.

(exclaiming) JOHN: Mickey, very good.

Everybody's got a little bit of the kid in them, right?

How old do you think it is?

MILLER: I think it's maybe from the '70s, maybe early '80s.

It could be '70s, the size is screaming '70s.

I like the large watch face, and I love it that his hands tell the time.

I give Miller a thumbs up on that one.

I give her the thumbs up too.

KEVIN: All right, Bruno, what have you got?

MILLER: Whoa.

It looks like you're buying lunch.

I don't even see a little bit of gold.

We have a nice wooden prop with a golden oak wood.

That isn't even oak.

They would never make a prop out of oak.

No, it's birch, it's golden birch.

Didn't we say gold, not golden?

Right.

Well, yours is golden, it's not gold.

Mine is gold.

If you say gold, it's true gold.

John, there were so many options out there.

Why would you go for this when I saw beautiful pieces of jewelry?

Well, I needed something for L.A. that I thought would sell and was really cool.

Or, we're not doubting that it might sell in L.A., but it just doesn't fit the category.

In my opinion, no way, zero, goose egg, X, the whole thing.

Hey, listen, it's this simple, thumbs down.

Pay up.

WALBERG: You've seen this clock, now let's hear more about it.

Beautiful clock we have here today is an Atkins & Downs, circa 1831-1832.

It's mahogany, original hand-painting still on the columns.

They call this type of case a half-column and scrolled splat, which means the top is just scrolled.

What's really unique about this clock is the fact that it has wooden gears in it.

Finding a clock that's manufactured by Atkins & Downs is quite rare because they were only in business two years: 1831-1832.

A clock in this condition I would price at $1,200 to $1,500.

WALBERG: Was Kevin Bruneau right?

Will Bene's purchase of this vase for well below the $200 price tag he said she would need in order to make a profit pay off?

Or will the loss of the patina take the shine off the good deal she made?

We're going to fast-forward our game clock ahead of the rest of the flea market buying and bonus round to watch this vase get auctioned at Abell in Los Angeles.

Remember, Bene paid $135.

Let's see what happens.

SCHIRESON: All right, on this Japanese vase here.

$50 for the Japanese vase?

How about $10 to start the vase?

$10, now $20.

Someone help.

$20, now $30, $30 how about $40, $40 now $50.

$40's way in the back now.

$50's saying no.

$40 now $50, $40, any advance at $50?

No?

This one goes $40.

Thank you, way in the back.

The Japanese gilded vase didn't do as well as we would have hoped.

Japanese, unfortunately, is not the most collectible at this time.

If it was Chinese, you would have saw the price skyrocket.

WALBERG: Let's rewind our way back to Walnut, Iowa, where the flea market bonus round is about to begin.

The pickers are meeting Nebraska dealer Paul Smith, who specializes in kitchen gadgets and stoneware.

What do you have us here for today?

We're going to talk a little bit about egg beaters.

There are over a thousand different patents for egg beaters.

Egg beaters will have values from a couple dollars up into thousands, with the record being over $7,000 paid for an egg beater at an online auction.

Wow.

So what is the deal today?

What's our challenge?

The very first electric egg beater ever patented was in 1885 by Ferris Eastman of Boston, Massachusetts.

But my question for you is in what year did Ralph Collier patent the very first rotary egg beater?

These are all examples of rotary egg beaters.

The rotary egg beater will simply have the gear that you turn.

KEVIN: I'll go first.

Give me some room.

All right, I'm going to say, um... 1820.

Okay.

JOHN: This is interesting.

I don't have a clue.

I'm just... the first number that came into my head was 1820.

Okay.

So I'm going to go with 1820.

Okay, cool.

JOHN: Bene, you're in.

This is totally out of my area of expertise.

Well, that's half the fun.

Okay.

I'm going to guess 1834.

1834?

Yes.

Okay.

BENE: Miller, you're up.

Okay, 1852.

1852, okay.

You can all come back.

Who's the lucky winner?

This is not an answer that you would expect anybody to know.

JOHN: Okay.

The answer is December 23, 1856.

Miller, you came closest with your 1852 guess.

Whoo... yes!

Very close.

Can I get an egg beater to go with it?

No, but you do get $50 total towards your next auction.

I'll take it, I need that.

We do have a bonus question coming up later.

Oh cool, excellent.

The first person to answer the bonus question correctly will win an additional $25 bonus towards their auction.

Oh, sweet.

Okay, very cool.

WALBERG: Now it's time to shop 'til you stop.

It's an untimed round where our pickers can buy one or two items, but no more than that.

The round begins now.

Let's go make some money.

Go do it.

MILLER: Don't follow me now.

Fabulous aluminum airplane.

Wonderful modern look to it.

I'm liking this.

Come over here, doctor, tell me all about this.

It's post-World War II, when they had a lot of aluminum.

Aluminum, yeah.

And it was cheap.

The guy was an aviator nut, and this was his idea.

It's truly one of a kind.

WALBERG: John has just given us a big clue that he really wants this airplane.

And that clue has nothing to do with the airplane.

It's about the hat, the dealer's hat.

You see, John loves kooky stuff and hats as much as anything else in life.

I've got 200 of these throughout my house, holding all my hats.

The one hat I don't have is a cool turban.

WALBERG: The dealer's, "I don't want to grow up" propeller beanie is like a twofer, and yet John hasn't said one word about it.

That could mean only one thing.

He's got it bad for that plane.

So let's get down to the nitty-gritty.

What's this thing going to cost me if I wanted to buy it?

Well, as much as I can get out of you, you know.

Well, of course, of course.

So you got $545 on it, which is a little high for what I'm doing.

What can you seriously do on this?

I could do like $475.

Oh, God, no.

I've got to get down much lower than that.

Go ahead, give me a number.

I was going to say where you at?

Well, I don't want to insult you.

Nobody can insult me.

I'd love $200.

WALBERG: When it comes to dealer diplomacy, John isn't as tone deaf as that offer may make it seem.

He floated a number that's less than half the dealer's asking price.

Not because he thought he'd get it, but because it sets parameters for the negotiation yet to come.

Since the dealer's asking price is the high, John moves quickly to set the low.

The convention would be to end up somewhere in the middle, and John shrewdly has set the stage for the dealer to go lower than where he would have gone on his own.

There's no way I can do $200.

And quite frankly, I would be losing money on it.

Um...

I'll...

Okay, bottom line, no more would be like $350.

I have to think on that.

Okay.

But I will let you know one way or the other.

All right.

And within an hour.

I'm Jim.

Jim, I'm John, thank you.

And I love the hat.

WALBERG: Finally!

It sure took you long enough.

Is it me, or is there an aircraft theme about to take off?

It's a stylized combination of a streamlined jet and a prop plane.

JOHN: Yeah, that's just too neat.

DEALER: Yeah, it's all carved wood.

It's almost Buck Rogers-y.

DEALER: Yeah.

JOHN: I'm really seeing my youth.

I had this as a kid.

It's a thin metal dirigible, maybe an amalgam.

These were the ocean liners of the air.

They flew between Europe, America, Asia and America.

They were travel in luxury, travel in style.

All right, the rain is starting.

You can see people are starting to pack up.

I don't want to lose out.

They're going to start shutting down very quickly, so I'm going to head back and work on that airplane.

Oh good, he's still open in the rain.

I think we left this at $350.

Correct.

Can I do anything to convince you to come down any more?

No.

I want $300.

Will you do $325?

I know I'm being hard.

Okay, I'll split the difference with you.

$325?

$325.

Good man.

WALBERG: John paid 40% below the dealer's original asking price.

My friend, real pleasure meeting you.

It's been a pleasure being had by you.

(laughing) Let me twirl your propeller.

Oh yeah, there you go.

I'm sort of going to head over towards the bonus round.

Hey, Paul.

Hey, John, it looks like you're first.

I'm first?

Wow.

Your challenge today is to name the fruit or vegetable that each one of these gadgets goes with.

I have to get all three of these?

You have to get all three of these, but feel free to take your time.

Oh, look at that.

So that's obviously meant to go around something, and then you probably pull it.

This is probably meant to strip the outer covering off a fruit or vegetable.

Am I right so far?

I would say that you're definitely on the right track.

Well, it's not corn because it's just too heavy for corn.

So what has a heavy husk?

All right, so I'm thinking this has something to do with the thick coating of a pineapple.

Probably strip off all the sharp edges off the pineapple.

Okay.

This looks like an apple peeler, corer, slicer.

And that's what I think that is.

This... Oh, that's got to knock the stone out of something big.

A peach.

Maybe put a peach there and stone a peach.

Okay, so your answers are: pineapple, apple and peach.

You're very close.

You got two out of three.

Oh, bummer!

BENE: It's probably gone.

It's going to be sold.

WALBERG: No sooner does this round begin than Bene is off and running.

While pickers are not allowed to put items on hold from one round to the next, scouting items in advance can be an advantage.

That is, if what you had your eye on doesn't get snapped up before you get back to it.

BENE: After I got my target item, on the way back to meeting with the group, I noticed the Herman Miller chair.

Oh.

So in Shop 'Til You Stop, I immediately almost ran to the chair.

But let's do a quick check.

And I turned it over, and it was marked Herman Miller.

It is just a nice, fluid design.

Everything about it says mid-century modern.

In Los Angeles, mid-century modern tends to do well.

It's marked $39.

I would love to take this off to make sure there's nothing under here.

Even if this was a big rip here, I would still take the risk.

Because it's just such a great price.

What is your best price on this chair?

Uh... $35.

It's a Herman Miller, yeah.

It has some damage to it.

Well, I'm going to take the risk at $35.

You did give me some... a discount, I appreciate that.

Here's the $35.

Thank you very much.

Oh, thank you.

Thanks.

WALBERG: Bene is off to find a second item.

In this competition, because we have a limited amount of time, I'm going to what I know.

I've made a connection with a dealer, so it makes sense on a strategic level to go back to his booth.

Especially because it's about to rain, and I haven't looked at everything here, and some of these dealers out here might not be here when I come out of the school room.

WALBERG: And what a good move this was.

No sooner did Bene get indoors then did the downpour begin, catching all three of her opponents still outside.

BENE: How much is that?

Mint condition, like $3,500.

Yeah, I can't do that.

$2,200?

I can't do that.

BENE: He had really good items, good quality, and his prices reflected that.

His prices were almost retail.

There was no way I would be able to make any money on that.

WALBERG: At flea markets, a higher echelon of merchandise is often priced in the realm of retail, making the prospect of turning a profit at auction much harder to pull off.

BENE: I like it, but I'm going to keep going.

Because I think that's a little high.

Can I see this?

How much is this?

There's no price on this.

DEALER: $1,800.

$1,800.

Yeah... oh, well.

You have beautiful stuff.

It's just a little bit out of my budget.

I understand.

Can you tell me more about these, the French maker?

It's French, yes.

And the time period was... 19...?

Uh, 1864 to 1930s.

That's when they made vases, but this one you think is 1920s.

Yes, probably '20s, yes.

I think it's '20s because it has that look.

They are signed by the maker.

Legras vases.

What I like about it is that the colors are fired on.

This is like enameling on glass.

This was made, blown piece of glass.

It looks like it has a polished pontil.

It was a blown piece of glass, and then they added the color.

And then they put it back in an oven to make the color stick to the glass.

Because there are at least three steps in the production of this vase, it raises the value, in my estimation.

And your best price?

Uh, I could do $185 on them, for the pair.

Would you do $150?

I can't on these.

You can't?

$185?

$150 wouldn't do it for you?

No.

$175?

Meet me?

We'll compromise, yeah.

$175?

Great.

Thank you.

WALBERG: Bene is the second picker who shopped 'til she stopped, and now she gets her chance at the second bonus round question.

Name the fruit or vegetable that each of these gadgets goes with.

This looks like something to peel an apple.

This one's to take the pit out of something.

Cherry pitter?

Okay.

And this looks medieval.

Like a squash or something.

So squash is the final answer on that one?

Squash, yeah.

Cherry and apple-- I don't know.

Well, you did very well on the first one.

Okay.

WALBERG: In describing Kevin Bruneau's technique as a picker, one would call him a scanner and sprinter.

I don't see any glass.

So just do a quick scan.

Yeah, this makes it easy.

I know, but you can't see in there.

Yeah, you can; look, they got all Pre-Columbian.

We're not going to find any good art glass in there.

WALBERG: Kevin looks furtively one way then the other as he keeps moving forward, like a hawk in search of his prey.

He prides himself on covering more territory than any of his opponents.

So imagine his surprise to find his first Shop 'Til You Stop item in Walnut, Iowa, sitting right in front of him.

Was it disheartening to have the wind taken out of his sails?

Not at all.

I was sitting here eating lunch today, and the whole time I'm looking over at those lamps, saying, "Those things are cool."

So I'm going to go take a look at them right now.

I'm hoping and praying that they're wood and not plaster.

And they're wood, and they're signed on the back by the artist.

His name is Stasack.

They're mid-century modern, people both male and female, a pair, so psyched.

Look at the great old bulbs.

They look like Edison-type bulbs, don't they?

It's marked 400 bucks.

Who owns these?

Oh, come here, talk to me about these.

DEALER: I can try.

Tell me what you know about them.

They're from an artist named Edward Stasack.

He was born in Chicago.

But he did most of his designing when he was living in Hawaii.

Oh, no kidding.

WALBERG: Dealer Sandy Carlson has made the mistake other dealers have made also-- attributing these lamps to the artist Edward Stasack, when they were actually made by his father, Clifford Stasack.

Although museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago and Brooklyn Museum own works by Edward Stasack, neither father nor son have a known following in the resale collectible market.

So this misattribution is unlikely to impact the hammer price at auction.

So these are, like, vintage 1950s?

Yeah, '50s, '60s.

KEVIN: What do you think you could sell a pair like this for to me?

I'd give you a little bit of a break.

Only a little?

Yeah, about $300.

About $300?

I was hoping more like a couple hundred.

Is that going to happen?

Two bills, cash?

If you talk sweet to me.

Two bills cash, please?

I will do two bills.

You'd do two bills cash?

Yes.

I'm going to buy them for two bills cash.

Those are awesome.

They are beautiful, and they go well with my business name too: Full Moon & Buck Naked.

Full Moon & Buck Naked!

(laughing) You know, right now, pressure's off.

It feels great.

Got one down, one to go, no big deal.

Piece of cake.

WALBERG: Piece of cake, huh?

Some might wonder if Kevin's tempting the flea market gods to remind him this competition is anything but a piece of cake.

(thunder) Uh-oh.

It's starting to pour out.

I don't think of it as a problem.

I think of it as bargaining power.

This is great.

This is when people are kind of worried about their stuff getting wet.

This is when you can get a great deal.

Don't be scared, it's just a little rain.

Miller's hair must be flat as a board.

Shopping right now is not easy at all.

Everybody has everything covered.

It's really going to be hard to find something else.

I was hoping to get a good deal, but instead I'm getting shut out.

I don't know, I'm having a hard time right now.

All right, this is it.

At the finish line, got my two lamps.

Only one item today, but a really good item, I'm really happy with it.

I think I'm going to make a lot of money.

This is it, this is what I'm going to battle with.

WALBERG: That makes Kevin the third picker to get a shot at the second bonus round.

Hey, what's happening, Paul?

Hey, Kevin.

How you doing, man?

Just fine.

What we have here are three different gadgets.

Your challenge is to name the fruit or vegetable that each of these is used with.

Oh, okay.

Can I pick them up and touch them?

Absolutely.

All right.

I'm going to get one out of the way.

All right, this is an apple peeler.

Apple peeler, all right.

Hmm... Just fruit or vegetable?

Just fruit or vegetable.

Corn.

One more.

I'm going to say fruit, peaches.

Peaches.

Okay, so we have apple, corn and peaches.

You're absolutely correct.

Congratulations, Kevin, you're the third person to come in, and you're the first person to get all three of them correct.

That's awesome.

What did I win?

You win $25 towards your next auction.

Sweet, I could use it.

Okay, it's time to play ball.

Whose booth is this?

Hi, how are you?

Miller.

Hi, I'm Ron.

Nice to meet you, Ron.

Tell me about this tramp art frame.

It came out from my family from Nebraska.

MILLER: That's such a neat folk art that's respected today.

It is.

They carved old cigar boxes by hand with a pocket knife, and they made those frames.

You can find pieces that are very intricate and pieces that aren't.

But what's very important with tramp art is condition.

And if it's missing lots of rows, forget it, don't even touch it because the value's not there.

And you can see the old nail heads right here.

Yup, that's correct.

It's good shape.

MILLER: And tell me about the art inside.

Don't know anything about it.

You think it's an Iowa scene?

Nebraska.

That's the old wavy glass?

Yes, it is.

Really?

WALBERG: Miller's skeptical response is a clue she's in negotiation mode.

She's determined to find the chink in this item's armor, and in lieu of anything else, what's wrong will be the dealer's price.

It's kind of high, $145.

Would you work with me?

I would.

I'd go $125.

Oh, my.

Well, yeah, it's $20.

That's still retail.

(laughing) That's a retail price.

Have you priced those lately?

Yeah, but tramp art's gone down for a cigar box.

Look how old it is-- every day it gets older.

Look, this has been in the sun.

Four layers of tramp art on there.

I know, but I've seen them coming out this thick.

WALBERG: By now, Miller has gone after everything about this object-- price, sun damage, the thickness of its frame, even the raw material that makes this tramp art tramp art.

That's perfect shape for being that old.

MILLER: Well, it takes my eye, but that's a little higher than I was planning to pay.

What would you want to pay?

I might pay...

I don't know... $65.

How about $115?

Mmm... Where are we between $65 and $115?

About $85.

Yeah.

All right, I'd go $85.

$85, but look at that chip right there.

It's old.

It's 100 years old.

You expect it to be perfect?

I know, but still.

Okay, so we're at $75?

$85.

Okay, and I offered $65 to begin with.

And I offered $115.

I know, the market's gone down so bad.

(laughing) I got to make a little something.

80 bucks-- final, 80 bucks.

$80, final?

Yup.

Mmm... not $75?

No.

$75, you got a deal.

$75, done.

All right, it's a deal.

Yay!

Thank you, Ron.

You're welcome.

This is great.

WALBERG: Miller's technique isn't for everyone.

But when push comes to shove, and it quite nearly did this time, she got her deal.

More than 50% off the original asking price.

I was worried he wasn't going to negotiate with me there.

I thought we were at a standstill and I was going to have to walk away.

But all of a sudden he changed his mind.

Let's go shopping.

(thunder) Uh-oh, it's starting to rain!

Yikes!

Are you closing?

WALBERG: Miller is the only picker who brought an umbrella.

Let's see if she can find some dealers who are equally prepared to withstand the weather.

Hey, let me protect you from the rain.

Let me provide you some coverage.

Rain or shine, we love antiques, right?

That's why we're here.

Yup.

MILLER: For a decorative piece in Los Angeles, this chest could do really well.

It's got a nice gothic vibe.

People like to make these into coffee tables, or just as a neat storage piece.

It's missing the leather straps on the side.

Which that's an important feature to have.

It's missing the lock right here on the front, and sometimes you can date it by looking at the lock.

Okay, let's see if we can knock this one out of the ballpark too.

It's time to negotiate.

Okay.

Would you work with me any on the price?

You're asking $50, would you take $30?

No.

(chuckling) You're pretty...

The rain's not making you amenable.

I know.

Wow, kind of ornery.

No, I'm just kidding.

I'm just kidding.

Okay, maybe $35?

WALBERG: There's a fine line between kidding a dealer and insulting him, and you can tell Miller's not sure which of the two she's done.

How about $40?

I get at least a 10% discount because of the rain.

I did give you a 10% discount.

With $45?

$45.

That only seems... minor compared to the rain.

And most people are already leaving.

Well, there's other shows.

How about $42?

No.

This is once a year.

I know that.

WALBERG: Patrick Hill, a 15-year veteran of this Walnut Antique Show, is well aware this is a once-a-year event and that the rain is putting an early end to this year's selling.

But by suggesting she's got his back up against the wall, Miller's more likely to get his rancor up, not break him down, as she intends.

$42?

You're going to have that trunk 'til next year.

Oh, well.

On this rainy day?

Yeah, that's fine.

Darn.

I know it.

You're tough.

I know.

Really tough.

Can we meet in the middle a little?

$44.50.

What is the 50 cents?

How about $44?

Okay, $44.

Okay, you've got a deal.

You are tough.

I know it.

I didn't even get your name.

What's your name?

Pat.

Nice to meet you, Pat; Miller.

And does this include you helping me carry it out?

I suppose.

Oh, yay, that's nice, Pat.

Okay, here we go.

WALBERG: Let's review all the items and what the pickers spent.

Here are Kevin's lots: a walking stick with a horn handle and a pair of Stasack wooden lamps.

Now for Bene's lots.

In addition to the Japanese bronze vase, she also purchased a Herman Miller chair and a pair of Legras vases.

John's lots include a wooden airplane propeller and an aluminum airplane.

Miller's lots consist of a Mickey Mouse watch, a dome-top trunk and a painting in a tramp art frame.

Now it's on to Los Angeles, California, where all their items will be sold at Abell Auction.

The auction house is filling up with bidders from the L.A. area.

They include dealers trying to buy low to flip these antiques.

Others are collectors who may be inclined to spend more for what they really want.

Watching the bidding from behind the scenes will be all four of our pickers, who were just told about the $40 hammer price on Bene's bronze vase, giving her a loss of $95.

Oh, bummer.

Sorry, Bene.

That's heartbreaking.

You've been saying that all along, that Chinese is much more desirable than Japanese right now.

This vase was old, though.

I think what threw them off was the patina.

That's what killed it.

You know, that's what killed it.

If it had the original patina, I think you would have seen a much better price.

WALBERG: Time to watch the rest of the auction.

Remember, as the winner of the bonus round, Miller is starting off with a $50 profit.

And as winner of the second bonus round, Kevin is starting with $25 in the black.

All right, here we go.

SCHIRESON: The first lot we have is this horn-handled cane with an interesting gold carving at the top.

How much to start the cane?

I have $10 as an opening bid.

$20, now $30, $30 how about $40?

$40, now $50, $50, $40 is saying no, $40, now $50 is saying no.

$40 now $50?

$40 now $50?

$50 late bid, now $60.

$60, how about $70?

$70, yes or no, now $80?

Wow.

Once, twice, third and last time.

$70, asking $80?

This one goes to $70 to buyer 8006.

MILLER: Wow.

Congratulations, Kev.

Thanks.

All right, airplane propeller.

Interesting propeller here.

It's certainly interesting.

How much to start?

$50 to start it?

$50 for it?

No interest at $50... Oh, come on.

(laughing) I have $50, now $75, $75 now $100.

$100, yes or no?

I have $100, now $125.

$125, now $150.

Okay.

$150, $175.

$175, is that a yes?

It just takes two people.

There you go.

Don't laugh.

$175 once, twice, third and last time, now $200?

This one goes to $175 to buyer 33.

Big profit.

Nyah, nyah, nyah... (laughing) On the Mickey Mouse watch that Ricky's holding.

$50 to start it on a Mickey Mouse watch.

Anyone interested in a Mickey Mouse watch here?

$10 to start the opening bid?

I have $10, $20?

Now $30, Mindy, $30, how about $40, sir?

$40, now $50.

$40 is the gentleman here.

Now $50, $40, last chance at $50.

$50, now $60.

Whoa.

$50 once, twice, third and last time, now $60?

Sold, $50 to buyer 19.

That's not bad.

Profit.

It wasn't premium Disneyana.

KEVIN: You made 25% on your money on the watch.

There's nothing wrong with that.

I'm impressed with the cane.

Let's jump into the next round and see what happens.

Just fly right in there.

Yeah.

All right, made by Herman Miller on this swivel, little bucket chair here.

$50 for the chair, $50 for the Herman Miller chair.

It used to be desirable.

$50, now $75; $75, $100.

$100, yes or no?

Keep going.

$100, now $125.

Ooh.

Oh, yes.

$100, now $125 for a Herman Miller bucket chair?

Guess not.

Sold $100, thank you.

Good job.

Very good.

There you go, pretty good.

On the slat trunk, interesting trunk here.

It looks to be an antique trunk.

$50 for it.

No interest, huh?

$50?

$10 for the slat?

$10, now $20, $20, $30, now $40.

$40, how about $50?

$50, now $60, $60, $70, $70, now $80.

$80, $90, $90, yes or no?

I have... $80's here.

Now $90, $90, now $100, $100?

$90, now $100.

You doubled your money.

Now $100, you all through?

This one goes for $90.

Good job.

All right.

All right, our next lot we're selling is a pair of these great nude lamps.

Oh, I love those.

Those are gorgeous.

$50 to start it.

No interest in lamps, huh?

$50 as an opening bid in the way back.

How about $60 on the second bid?

$60, now $70, $70, now $80.

$80, how about $90?

$90, sir, now $100?

$100, how about $125?

$125, now $150.

$125, now $150, is that a no?

I have $125's in the back, now $150?

Thank you anyway, sir.

Sold for $125 in the back to buyer... Oh, my gosh.

JOHN: Oh, bummer.

Whoa.

KEVIN: I thought they were pretty great.

JOHN: I thought those would have gone $350, $400, yeah.

Well, do I get a congratulations?

JOHN: No.

Well, yes, you made money on Mickey Mouse, congratulations.

No.

So far, you're doing very well.

You're doing good.

I can't wait to see what your plane does.

Let's look.

Okay, let's go buzz that field.

I'm not flying with you.

Never.

TODD: Al right, isn't this great?

Aluminum airplane here.

Very decorative piece, look great on a sofa table in your house.

You know, I have $100 opening bid.

I have $100, now $125, $150 is ahead of you.

$175, now $200, $200, now $225's here.

Now $250, $250, $275, $275, now $300.

I have $300, now $325, $350, $350.

$375's ahead of you, now $400.

$400, now $425.

$425, now $450, $425, now $450.

$425 once... twice... third and last time now $450.

You all through?

Sold $425... All right!

KEVIN: There you go.

Congratulations, that was great.

Can we give it?

Give it.

All right, awfully interesting on the frame.

I have $50 as an opening bid.

Thank you, I have $50 is here.

Now $75.

I have $100 ahead of you, now $125.

I have $100's here, now $125.

$100, once, twice... Wow.

Third and last time, now $125?

Sold, $100,i to the absentee bidder 2507.

These are the pair of Legras vases.

Very pretty, decorative vases here.

How much to start?

$50 for them?

$50 for the vases?

For art glass, I have $50, now $75.

How about $60 on the second bid?

I have $50 on the first bid, now $60 for a pair of Legras vases.

$50 once.

Thank you.

$60, now $70.

$60, now $70.

You in?

$70, now $80, $80, now $90.

$90, $80.

Last chance at $90?

Keep bidding.

Keep bidding.

Come on, people.

Sold, $80 to 8006, thank you, sir.

Tanked.

JOHN: That hurt.

WALBERG: And the winner is John Bruno.

John?!

(cheering and applause) You did it!

That's great, John.

Congratulations.

Wow.

Is that your first win?

Yay!

Way to go, John.

The prices were right, I was able to negotiate, made a profit.

It's what it's all about.

MISSION ANNOUNCER:e lamps.

They're very modern, mid-century lamps, kind of in the style of Weinberg.

I like anything that's nude, so...

I've seen some other pieces kind of similar to them that were not actually lamps, they're sculptures.

They're really interesting and unique pieces.

So we'll just put them on a set somewhere.

So you may see them somewhere again.

Sold for $125 to buyer 937.

I was stoked with the price that I got for them.

You can't go down to a lamp store and buy any kind of lamps, especially ones that are of that quality and vintage, something that's really unique like that for anywhere near that price.

You never know who shows up, and that's when you're in the auction game, that's what it's all about.

It's whoever else is there.

WALBERG: Less than 24 hours later, buyer Adam Hebb sold the lamps to a Los Angeles gallery, which, after adding lampshades and silver leafing to the carved figures, put them on sale at a price of $2,800 for the pair.

Kevin's loss at auction seems to have been a gain for two consecutive buyers.