“A saxophone with a cable?” Horst Lichter can’t really make sense of the instrument that’s on the expert table at “Bares für Rares”. It belongs to Fritz Kahn from Rotterdam, who had mounted it on the bar in his basement: beer flowed from it. The 76-year-old wants to part with it after owning it for more than 40 years.
As Detlev Kümmel explains, it is actually a real saxophone that has been converted into a tap. This means it is no longer playable, as the expert demonstrates. Horst Lichter is very enthusiastic about the idea: “I think it’s wonderful, it’s an eye-catcher,” he enthuses. The saxophone itself comes from the musical instrument maker Julius Heinrich Zimmermann, who opened factories in 1880, first in St. Petersburg and later in Moscow and Riga. Zimmermann was even a purveyor to the royal family, says Kümmel.
Kahn imagines the desired price to be 3,000 to 4,000 euros. An unrealistic price: Detlev Kümmel crosses out a zero and estimates the value at just 300 to 400 euros, “even if I rate it as a great idea.” But the seller is flexible and still wants to try his luck in the dealer room.
However, people there are skeptical about the converted saxophone: “A musician’s heart bleeds,” says Lisa Nüdling. Steve Mandel, a musician himself, agrees. Nevertheless, the five dealers are enthusiastic about the object: “We’ve never had anything like this here before,” says Nüdling when Kahn enters the room.
Wolfgang Pauritsch starts the auction with 100 euros. Fabian Kahl and Steve Mandel are also interested. But Kahn doesn’t want to sell for the last offered 220 euros. So Kahl increased it to 250 euros, and the deal went through to everyone’s satisfaction.
Watch the video: “Cash for Rares”: Exciting and curious facts about the junk show on ZDF.
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