Ya know, at that point, the question is… *can I get it for the right price?
*
But he REALLY wants it.
ZipperJJ, I know WHY they do it. My problem is that suspension of disbelief is getting hard after three seasons. Last night, some guy sold something for $200 after holding out for $300. Rick countered that the customer could probably get $300 for the item if he got a business license and paid a ton of overhead to run his own shop. It would have been refreshing to hear him say “Nah, I’ll just try putting it on the internet,” especially given that this is probably what happens 2/3 of the time when a customer doesn’t need the money to eat that week.
I’m not saying I blame them for this–it’s the model of the show. The kayfabe is getting a little thick on this point, though.
I doubt it was ever meant for any practical purpose. Some craftsman just like to make crazy stuff like that for the novelty of it or as a demonstration of their skills.
That Isaac Newton book was cool as shit. I collect books, some worth a fair amount (although nothing like the Newton book). What I don’t understand is that the apprasier said, right in front of everyone, that he appraised the book at $20,000.
So why the hell would the seller haggle between $6-7K? Take it to Heritage Auctions or a museum or a rare book society and see what they’d pay for a 500-year old book appraised at $20,000, owned by Newton himself.
That must be some coke habit to sell that book for a third of its value.
And, yes, I know that “appraised value” and “cash in hand” often do not match up, but geeze, you’d think he’s at least try!
Most ominous is when Rick says “I can’t let him leave this shop with that _____” when he really really wants something. I keep expecting him to push a button that seals the doors and then the screen goes black.
I love it when people set their own ridiculous value on an item. The guy with the film of FDR’s inauguration who wanted something like $60,000 for it (cool but nothing remotely historically fascinating), or a guy who had some Princess Diana photo negs that he wanted something like $20,000 (again- if it was a picture of her making out with Osama bin Laden in 1988 or romping nude on a beach then maybe, but these are just paparazzi stuff).
One thing I learned from the show is if you have a true antique - say a steamer trunk - leave it the hell alone! That is, don’t do anything stupid like refinish it and then try to sell it.
I find the show interesting for its educational value, and I hate Rick’s “cigarette cough”!
Q
There was a partial followup show – I believe it was “Steaks at Stake” the 5th episode of the second season where the Old Man is on the guys about their profit margin.
Remember the incredibly rare car chassis the tow guy brought in after it was abandoned (a Shelby Cobra)? They paid like $30k for it after getting a positive ID from the President of Shelby West, spent $100k fixing it up cherry and sold it for some crazy sum. I don’t remember exactly but they made a tidy profit despite the $130k they had sunk in.
BTW, was that the best freaking towman’s lien EVER or what?
I can’t remember the other recapped items off the top of my head, but they covered like 5-10 or so memorable items from the first season.
I liked the guy who brought in the wooden leg, and he thought it was probably a pirate leg. They determined that it was probably from the Civil War – but still pretty valuable. I think the expert said it was worth about $1500. The guy then asked for $7500. :smack: Dumbass.
Did you see the one where the guy had the antique pistol that he cleaned with a wire brush? It would have been worth about $1500, but instead he ended up getting $150! Ouch. I almost puked when the guy said that.
(Although the Pawn guys don’t get off easy either – they should be wearing gloves when they handle some of that stuff.)
Actually, I think this thread has inspired me to change my signature.
There is something I’m not getting.
They preach over and over how an old item would be more valuable if only it were all original. “This is not the original hammer lock”, “this has been re-painted”, “this screw is not original”, and so on.
So, when the get their hands on some old, beat up item, what do they do? “It’ll cost us at least a grand to restore this”, “it will need this and this and this replaced”, “this is pretty rough, we’ll have to sink a lot of money in it to bring it to a sell-able condition”
Did anyone see that old toy pedal car the other night? They had it completely restored, even replacing the hubcaps, even though they had the original hubcaps with it. New tires, even though they had the originals. New pedal hardware.
Any thoughts?
mmm
I’ve also wondered at what point restoration supercedes original condition.
They had an unusual old jukebox once- it was round and the size of a wringer washing machine- that when restored was beautiful but was basically just a case for a completely new insides. IIRC it was even set up to play CDs instead of 45s.
I don’t think it’s at a point. I think some thinks are better when restored, and some things are better when left alone. How and why such determinations are made I do not know.
It does depend on the item. For example restoring a guitar will ruin its value in most cases.
Perhaps if something is so far gone, condition-wise (like the pedal car), it may be worth restoring.
But still, as cool as that car is post-restoration, I could see someone bringing it into the shop and one of Rick’s ‘buddies’ coming in and saying, “these hubcaps have been replaced, that seat isn’t original, obviously it’s been repainted…” Then Rick, facing the camera: “this just goes to show you, folks, keep it all original!” <loud, wheezy laugh>
mmm
If one is actually going to use the item (gun, pedal car, guitar, etc) then restoration is practically required. If I was going to let my kid use a pedal car, then I would restore it and make it look new. If I am going to be playing the 1950’s guitar, then I want it restored to working condition.
If you are going to hang something on a wall or put it into a vault forever and never use the thing, then leave it UNrestrored.
The pedal car needed to be restored. But I didn’t like the way it was restored. Keep the original parts, and only replace parts that are missing. Do some research. The paint job looked cool to Rick’s eyes; I would have found existing examples and used an original paint scheme. The result wouldn’t have been ‘like new’, but it would have looked like the original it is.
I cringed at the wire brushed Colt. I don’t have a problem with restored firearms. I prefer them, since I want to shoot them. Granted, I’d rather have a non-restored original in factory condition and I probably wouldn’t shoot it. I have 2nd and 3rd generation Colts that are NIB that I don’t intend to fire. But something that’s been used I have no trouble using. And if a gunsmith can remove any rust spots and blue it nicely I’m good with that. So what about that Colt?
They’re not especially rare. Most of the ones I’ve seen IRL have most of their bluing worn off. They’re plentiful enough that if I wanted one I’d spend the money to get the best example I could afford. Even one of the not-so-great examples I’d leave as-is. But I wouldn’t turn my nose up at a nicely restored one, since there are plenty of unrestored ones out there.
But ‘cleaning’ it with a wire brush? Um… no. The cylinder engraving is light enough and often worn off on originals. Other markings are also easy to brush away. My Mauser C96 is missing most of the right-side stamping because of over-polishing. (I may pick up an unrestored one sometime, in .30 cal.) So Rick was right to admonish the guy for the way he ‘cleaned’ the Colt, and the guy certainly knocked down the value. But I’d take a competent restoration.
Willie Nelson uses a guitar that is so old and beat up it looks like it was run over by a car. I assume it sounds OK to him. It even has an extra hole in the top. He might have done some small fixes to it.
I was sort of irritated whent he signatures guy said “I’ve made a special study if Sir Isaac Newton’s handwriting (really?) and he never wrote this small. So these notes aren’t made by Newton.” These are margin notes - he’s not going to write in a large script. If the guy had said something about how Newton’s I’s where shaped differently, something like that, I could see it. But basing your valuation on the size if the writing seems bogus.
And I’m sort of tired of getting in an expert for everything that comes in the shop. That’s why I like American Pickers better. They fly and buy by the seat of their pants. Sometimes they have a good idea of value, sometimes they just think something could make them money.
StG
They don’t have an expert for everything but they probably do overuse them. Also it’s funny how the experts only have first names. 
To me, the experts constitute one of the most interesting things about the show. You actually get some kind of educational information in those segments. Ultimately, I don’t care if the pawn shop makes a profit, so I’m not all that interested in the risking-a-guess aspect that American Pickers has.