“But they look really cool,” says Horst Lichter happily when he sees the three helmets lying on the expert table at “Bares for Rares”. When Sven Deutschmanek put one of them on his head, Lichter called him a “stubborn person”. Then the moderator tries it himself – and the headgear fits him too. Surprisingly, he begins to dance: “That would be something for our boy band,” he tells the puzzled expert. “What’s that supposed to be called?” he wants to know. Lighter’s suggestion: “The Helmet Boys. Or: I’m on Fire”. Deutschmanek is impressed by the creativity – after all, these are fire brigade helmets: “The gentleman has a derivation,” he praises.
The owner Matthias Pfluger speculates that it may be a complete set for a carrier. The 64-year-old master mechanic from Schwalmstadt bought the helmets in Czechoslovakia in the 1970s. As Sven Deutschmanek explains, the objects probably date from the first decades of the 20th century, he dates them to between 1910 and 1925.
The expert recognizes from the laurel ribbon that the helmets were not used for the military but for the fire brigade. “The laurel tree is said to be the only tree that has never been struck by lightning.” This makes him a patron saint for the fire department.
Pfluger would like 300 euros for the set: 100 euros per helmet. However, Deutschmanek corrects this sum significantly upwards: He estimates the value at 1000 to 1050 euros. “That’s good,” says the seller.
Looking at the helmets in the dealer’s room, Julian Schmitz-Avila is reminded of Darth Vader. “Waldi” starts with its obligatory 80 euros – per piece. But the Eifeler has competitors, and so in the end Markus Wildhagen, who buys the three fire brigade helmets for 660 euros, wins the race. The estimated value is not quite reached – but Matthias Pfluger goes home with significantly more money than he actually expected. A great deal!
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