Bares for Rares – Germany's largest junk show
Singer Tom Gaebel surprised by the antique he brought with him
Singer Tom Gaebel is a guest on the ZDF program "Bares for Rares".
© ZDF / Frank W. Hempel
What Tom Gaebel tried to sell on "Bares für Rares"? At the beginning he didn't really know that himself. The bigger the surprise.
Swing artist Tom Gaebel (45, "It's a Good Life") tried his luck with "Bares für Rares". On Wednesday evening (December 16), he presented host and presenter Horst Lichter (58) at Drachenburg Castle an antique that he himself didn't really know what it was. He found the paravent-like piece of furniture in a bungalow near Cologne, which he bought in the summer of this year.
Expert Albert Maier (71) explained: It is a fireplace screen made of mahogany and silk. Pieces of furniture like this used to be placed in front of the fireplace in the summer months to cover it up decoratively. In his estimation, Gaebel's copy came from the early Biedermeier period, made between 1810 and 1820.
Expectations were exceeded
What is such an antique worth today? The singer "still has no performance," he said and hoped for 100 to 250 euros. The expert said that Gaebel shouldn't expect a fortune, but EUR 500 to EUR 600 are realistic. And indeed: dealer Julian Schmitz-Avila (34) initially opened the sales pitch with 400 euros before he bought the fireplace screen for 550 euros.
Gaebel was pleased. It was "difficult to stay super hard" for the singer. For him, "Bares for Rares" went "great". He wants to donate the money to the Cologne food bank. At the end of the program, he delighted the viewers with a musical greeting in the form of the Christmas classic "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" by Bing Crosby.