It is immediately clear to Horst Lichter that he is dealing with something special here. And Heide Rezepa-Zabel can hardly hide her enthusiasm for the antique Jardinière, a noble flower container. “You can’t get enough of this piece,” enthuses the expert.
It is a family heirloom that Christine Gloning would like to sell at “Bares for Rares”. Rezepa-Zabel explains what makes the property so special. She mentions the boyish figurines adorning the jardinière, which she calls cupids: hybrid creatures, with a human-like upper body and a fish-like lower body. “They are the companions of Venus,” explains the expert, “they accompany and comment on love.” The work marks the transition between Historicism and Art Nouveau, Rezepa-Zabel dates the object to 1898. Her conclusion: “A sensational piece.” And Lichter is also “totally enthusiastic”.
The office manager from Ortenberg would like 150 euros for it. “300 would be nice,” says the 57-year-old modestly. But the silver value alone amounts to 1710 euros. Overall, Rezepa-Zabel estimates the work at 4800 to 5800 euros. Gloning has to cope with that, who actually has tears in his eyes when she hears the sum. “It really blew my mind when I heard how old this thing is and what it’s actually worth.”
But the saleswoman quickly adapts to the new situation and adjusts her negotiation tactics. Because when the bids in the dealer room stagnate at 3000 euros – i.e. 20 times their original desired price – Gloning refuses to sell. Instead, she starts playing poker and now demands 5,000 euros. Wolfgang Pauritsch counters this, and in the joint struggle, the two parties finally agree on 4,000 euros.
Afterwards, the saleswoman can hardly believe her luck: “I’m bursting with joy,” says the 57-year-old. In view of the sum, she really has every reason to be happy.
Source: “Bares for Rares” in the ZDF media library
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