The professionals at Bares for Rares work with treasures every day. That’s why they know full well that you have to show a lot of sensitivity when it comes to antiques. But even complete professionals make mistakes. There was a complete catastrophe at Bares for Rares XXL: An old art treasure was ruined by a mishap in the show.
Luxury treasure ruined at Cash for Rares
At Bares for Rares XXL you can see valuable rarities. This is also the case in the issue of October 9, 2024. The couple Dagmar and Rainer bring an antique table to the show and are looking forward to selling the luxury item. But unfortunately everything turned out differently! Horst Lichter seems depressed when he comes out with the truth:
We had a little mishap while setting it up. Unfortunately the table is… It’s easy to say, it’s damaged.
A huge crack appears in the surface of the table and ruins the beautiful motif. Lichter makes it clear that the couple is innocent: “Of course you delivered it, it was in better condition.”
260-year-old baroque dream destroyed: That’s how much the table would have been worth
Expert Colmar Schulte-Goltz is in love with the table. The antique piece dates from 1760 and was made by a Braunschweig master. The 260-year-old table is a unique piece because thousands of glass beads are embedded in the surface.
Without the XXL crack, the baroque dream would be worth a fortune, according to the expert: “The table in the condition in which it actually arrived here, would have received a 9,000 euro expertise prize.” Unfortunately, the broken pearl motif cannot be easily restored; the materials are rare: “To get pearls like that […] is very, very difficult.”
Damage to property at Cash for Rares: This breakdown has expensive consequences
Horst Lichter asks the couple where the pain threshold lies: “My dears, Now act as if it wasn’t damaged yet.“ Owner Dagmar wants “5,000 euros.”
Expert Schulte-Goltz has good news: “The price now with this crack […] I can now rate it at 6,000 to 6,500 euros.” This means that the expertise for the table is still higher than the original desired price. Despite the loss of 3,000 euros in value, the couple is allowed into the dealer’s room.
Owner Dagmar explains to the dealer how the crack came about: “Unfortunately it happened here during construction.” As she proclaims this message, The dealers are shocked. Antiques lover Julian Schmitz-Avila buries his hands in his face.
The dealer explains why the damage is so fatal: The damage would “30 to 50 hours” require work – the missing pearls in particular cost money: “They are expensive because they are so rare.”
Happy ending despite the accident: Horst Lichter announces a surprise
Even though the motif is destroyed, the antique still creates enthusiasm. Baroque fan Julian Schmitz-Avila in particular fell in love. That’s why he engages in a bidding war with the competition grabs the piece of furniture for 4,300 euros.
When the couple leaves the dealer’s room, Horst Lichter has a huge surprise ready:
I said we’d take care of it. And since it was our damage that we did: We’ll compensate up to 9,000 euros.
The saleswoman can hardly believe her luck and hugs Horst Lichter. So despite the mishap there was but still a happy ending.
TV broadcast & streaming: Then comes cash for Rares
Cash for Rares is running Monday to Friday at 3:05 p.m. on ZDF. The latest episodes can be streamed for free in the ZDF media library.