Horst Lichter was impressed by these guests: Andrea Richter and her son Alexander were guests at “Bares für Rares” – and encouraged the 61-year-old to perform poetically at their best: “That’s what happens when the Richter family comes to the lights”, rhymed the moderator: “I’ll stop right now, because I’m not a poet. My name’s just lights.”

The object he brought with him also aroused his interest: an opulent silver tray from the Richter family. It once belonged to Andrea Richter’s grandfather, a general from Hungary. This coincides with the expertise of Wendela Horz: she estimates that the tray, which was made in Austria-Hungary, was made in the years between 1867 and 1872.

Up to this point everything went as planned. But then Andrea Richter came out with her desired price: she would like 4000 euros for the family piece. But that seems to Wendela Horz to be too high: she estimates the value at only 1600 to 2000 euros. Despite the setback, Mother Richter wants to try her luck in the dealer’s room.

Things are starting to look very promising there. Walter Lehnertz praises the “heavy bowl” and increases his usual starting bid of 80 euros tenfold. In the next step, Susanne Steiger even increases it to 1000 euros. But the rest of the dealers have already left. So the auction does not go beyond the 1110 euros last offered by Waldi.

The Steigers don’t want to sell for that. Waldi tries one last time and offers 1050 euros. “Hare, you were already at 1110,” Steiger reminds him, and Waldi corrects himself to 1150 euros. But that doesn’t bring an agreement either – after all, mother and son actually wanted 4,000 euros.

So the Richters go home empty-handed. At least they can see it positively: the piece of family history will remain with them.

Source: “Bares for Rares” in the ZDF media library

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