“Money for rare” sellers argue over objects: Horst Lichter must mediate

“But I need them!” – “But I need more of them!” Such disputes now reached the “Cash for Rares” studio, where two dealers fought over shiny objects.

When Leonie and her aunt Nicola introduced two perfectly preserved photo studio lights to the show, they later sparked a heated debate among dealers. Nicola once needed a passport photo in an emergency, time was short and it was the weekend. In this emergency, his father used two old studio lights to provide professional lighting. Until that moment, Nicola had no idea these lights existed.

The lamps were designed for professional lighting work

Two identical lamps were manufactured by the company Jupiterlicht in Berlin-Neukölln. The concept of Jupiter's light is very old. This light began to be produced around 1870, explained Sven Deutschmanek. To do this, oil was vaporized, which produced a very bright light. The devices were also called oil vapor lamps and were generally used in theatrical productions and later in film work. The copies were from the 50s/60s. of years. This was evident, among other things, in the hammer finish typical of industrial design at the time, which is now very much in vogue again – and is getting retailers excited, as the show reveals.

The two lights were designed for professional lighting work where strong lighting was needed. “It hurts your eyes,” Horst Lichter had to say painfully when the expert turned on the light. The diffuser also made it clear that the intense 500 watt bulbs can generate tremendous heat. That thin material on the lights to soften the light was a bit shrunk here. This did not affect the quality: “In terms of condition, these two lights are otherwise absolutely perfect,” Deutschmanek summarized. “You can still use it today as a photo lamp, or you can use bulbs that don't emit as much and turn it into two beautiful bedside lamps.”

Horst Lichter stepped in as arbitrator: a deal was a deal.

Nicole wanted 100 euros for a double pack. According to Deutschmanek, it should be much more: 200-300 euros, he said. As expected, not only the lamps but also the merchants' eyes lit up when they saw it. In particular, David Suppes and Ester Ollick wanted these objects. They quickly achieved five times the asking price. And when Esther mentioned €520, David complained: “I need it now – 'I need it too, David!'

Things continued happily – until David put out the lights of his disappointed opponent with his offer of 570 euros. At the end of the show, when Esther begged David to give her one of the two copies, Horst Lichter stepped in as arbiter. A deal was a deal.

The original article “Cash for Rares' dealers fight over objects: Horst Lichter must mediate” is from Teleschau.