Mike: This guy got gas pumps, has he got signs,
Old cars, car parts, what's he got?
Danielle: Hmm... It's a little more vibe-y than that.
Mike: Vibe-y? Danielle: It's pretty vibe-y.
Mike: Oh I like that. Think he's got any gas-and-oil stuff?
Last time we were here, remember you set us up
With that one place, the guy had the concept drawings.
His father worked at the place
And he had all those different concept drawings.
Mike: And then that other time I bought that...
That mini cooper, that '68 mini cooper...
Remember that, and that guy worked at cadillac?
You know what else was in this neighborhood, dani?
The dude that had all the big, the search lights.
Remember that, the search lights for the openings at the theater.
That was in this town too.
So we're in motor city, where are we going today?
Danielle: Yeah. Not a pick like that.
(knocks on door)
Danielle: I'm excited for you to see this place.
Mike: Okay. Danielle: Joe. I'm danielle.
Joe: Danielle. Danielle: How're you doing?
Joe: Good, good, nice to meet you.
Mike: Hey, I'm mike. Nice to meet you.
Joe: Good to meet you guys, come in, get out of the rain.
Danielle: Ooh, alright, alright. Mike: Very cool.
Joe: What do they say, welcome to my nightmare?
Don't get scared.
Mike: Oh wow. You got a lot of dolls, huh?
Joe: Yes I do, it's my passion.
Danielle: I told you it was vibe-y, right?
Mike: Yeah, it is vibe-y.
Right away, I walk into this place, and I got to admit,
I'm back on my heels, there's a lot of dolls,
There's a lot of figurines.
Danielle: The photos don't do it justice.
Okay, I know what you're thinking.
This place is just nutso. There's dolls everywhere, right?
Mike: They look neat. Some of them look like puppets.
Danielle: Yeah. Joe: Yes.
Danielle: But these dolls are historical pieces of art.
Mike: Are these european-made?
Joe: These were made by an artist called bernard ravca.
And bernard ravca lived in France.
I think he was a window display person in the beginning.
And then he started making dolls
And he found out that he could sell them.
In 1939, because of the war, he came to the united states.
And he met his wife frances diecks.
She was a dollmaker as well.
And they joined forces to work together.
They started a cottage industry and made dolls
And he was quite a businessman.
Joe: He made very small ones and they were probably 2.99,
And then he made large ones that were probably 299.
Mike: Wow. So this whole case is his work.
Joe: This whole case is his work here.
And he made dolls that were popular of the day,
Popular movie stars
And politicians, literary characters.
Joe: Now this, this is... Mike: Is that roosevelt?
Joe: Mark twain.
Mike: When we were on the way over here, you were telling me it was vibe-y,
And now I'm like, I didn't even realize I liked dolls so much.
I mean, I'm looking at- I didn't, I mean, look at this.
This is a piece of art!
Joe: I loved that reaction. Mike: Who's that?
Joe: This is harry truman.
Mike: Oh wow.
Joe: They got excited because they saw the artistic thing
That I see in them.
Danielle: Look at the little wire-rimmed glasses.
Joe: Somebody made them with their hand,
They're not manufactured
Where they're cranked out, you know, hundreds of them.
Mike: Oh, he's got a joe louis, look at that.
Danielle: Look at this! Joe: Look at this!
Mike: Whoa...
So like, what year is this from?
Joe: When was he popular?
Mike: Oh you mean, this was made when he was popular.
Joe: Right. Mike: '50s?
Danielle: This is pre social media.
We all want to connect with somebody who's in the public eye
That we respect or we admire.
This is a way to do that.
Mike: This is actually made out of sweatshirt material.
Look at that.
Danielle: And look at that, the 'louis' across the front,
That's all sewn in there,
And look at the detail of his face.
Mike: They're works of art.
But they're also pop culture figures of that time.
You know, the fact that he was doing public figures,
Different celebrities.
I'm kind of blown away, to be honest with you,
That I've never seen anything like this before.
What is that value of something like this? Like around?
Joe: Priceless. Mike: I- well I- I know, I get-
Joe: 500. Mike: Really?
Danielle: The one thing that I found out right away,
Is that joe is not interested on any level
In selling his ravca collection.
He wants every piece and he wants more.
Let's go check out the basement. Mike: Alright.
Joe: Watch your head over here.
And I'd like to take you into my vinyl room.
Danielle: Vinyl room! Mike: This is vibe-y.
Jersey jon: There it is.
Robbie: What are you- are you hangry?
You're hangry? Jersey jon: Yeah, I'm hangry.
Robbie: Yeah.
Jersey jon: Alright, I'll be right back.
Robbie: Alright, dude. Jersey jon: Alright, hang tight.
You don't want anything, do ya? Robbie: I don't need anything.
Jersey jon: Alright.
Hey, thank you, bud.
Jim's wife: Okay, follow me, I'm in the red car.
Jersey jon: That's you? Alright.
Robbie.
Robbie: Yeah? Jersey jon: Follow her.
Robbie: What? Jersey jon: Follow that lady in the red car.
That gal is really cool,
She's got a bunch of stuff in her barn.
She's got a workshop and stuff, you never know what you can find in a workshop.
Robbie: Dude, what is all this?
I mean, that's like garbage stuff, dude.
Jersey jon: Dude, man, it's uncle ray's, it's good stuff.
We're going on a lead, follow her.
Robbie: I'm following her, dude! Settle down.
Jersey jon: Yeah, she said she got a whole barn, old barn,
1890s barn or 1900s barn.
Robbie: What happened? I mean, what the hell...
Jersey jon: I was at the counter.
And then she was talking to her friend in there,
And they were saying something about a model t.
I'm like, you got a model t?
She goes, yeah, we got an old 1890s barn,
She went 'blah, blah, blah' about all the stuff she had.
Robbie: I love it when you say the word 'blah, blah, blah'.
Jersey jon: A 'blah, blah, blah' shop, you know,
Like, it's got tools and stuff like that.
Robbie: What are you mumbling about?
Jersey jon: Nothing. I... Robbie: Did you say tools?
Jersey jon: No, no, model t. Robbie: I thought you said tools.
Jersey jon: Cars, hot rod stuff, you know. That's what she's talking about.
Robbie: Dude, did she say hot rod?
Jersey jon: Alright, so there are some tools there, dude,
But you got to check it out! Who knows what's she's going to find.
She's going to turn. Robbie: I like the dirt road.
Jersey jon: Old barns. Robbie: Hey, look at that.
Jersey jon: That's an old place that's cool.
Robbie: That, that's cool.
Jersey jon: Alright... Wow.
This is cool. Robbie: Yeah.
Nice little lake here. Jersey jon: See robbie?
Robbie: I like it. Jersey jon: What did I tell ya?
Danielle: You have so much aretha.
Joe: Well I try to get all the girl singers
In every single thing that they ever did.
Mike: Look at this one song, high geared daddy.
Joe: Yeah, I can stay down here all day.
Danielle: Are you wanting to sell any of your collection
Or you want to hold onto it?
Joe: No, the only things I sell is when I get a duplicate.
You know, when I was younger, I'd buy all these girl singers,
Just for the covers.
How about that one? Mike: Um-hm, yeah.
Danielle: What's the first song on there?
Mike: You oughta see her box.
(group laughing)
Joe: What about my andirons?
Mike: Wow, look at this, whoa, my gosh.
You got the kitty, oh you got kitty, oh there you go.
Look, you got cats.
Oh so you only have these,
You only have the ornamental part,
You don't have the arm for the back?
These are cool. Joe: Owls.
Mike: Oh yeah, the owls too. Cats and owls, okay.
Joe: Yes. Dogs are the best.
Mike: I found the owls, and I found the cats,
But I've never seen dogs.
Oh these dogs are nuts! Joe: They're fabulous.
Mike: Look at those dogs! Joe: Fabulous, huh?
Danielle: Ooh... Yeah. Mike: Look at that dog, man.
Joe: Fabulous? Mike: Oh look at 'em.
Joe: Deco doggie. Mike: Deco doggies.
The cat, the dog, the owl, the marble eyes.
You know, I've got a set of these in a fireplace,
The cats, and when there's a raging fire behind it,
All you can see is the silhouette,
The black silhouette of the cat,
And then the flames through the glass eyes, man.
It's mesmerizing.
I'm there, you know what I mean?
Mike: What are you thinking on all of them?
Joe: The dogs are the best. Mike: The dogs are great.
They're just missing the part that goes into
The fireplace that holds the logs.
The fact that they're missing arms in the back
Does hurt the value considerably,
Because that has to be made,
It has to be made out of the right material,
Which would be iron, you know, that's not cheap.
Joe: How about 600 for everything?
Mike: I'll do 7, 700. Joe: Thank you, pal.
Mike: This is a collection, this is a life-long collection,
And the fact that you can come in and just buy it all,
Is incredible.
Jim's wife: I got to get my husband, he's in here working.
Jersey jon: See, robbie?
Robbie: I haven't seen anything yet. Settle down.
Jersey jon: Hey, how are ya? Robbie: Hey, how're you doing?
Jersey jon: I'm jon. We're pickers,
So we're just out and about. Robbie: Rob, how're you doing?
Nice to see ya. Jersey jon: I met this lovely lady at the gas station.
I'm like, and she said, we're- you know,
She's talking about a model t.
Jim's wife: Followed me home.
Jersey jon: Yes, I followed her home.
Jim: My name is jim stauffer, I am from clarkston, michigan.
Jersey jon: This is the things we're looking for.
Jim: We've got some of this stuff, yeah.
People have wanted to get on this property for years.
Jersey jon: We buy this stuff and we buy tools.
Jim: But we've been trying to keep most people away,
Unless we're ready to sell something.
Jim: My dad was a collector. My wife called him a hoarder.
Jim's wife: And I don't want you to follow in his footsteps.
(group laughing)
Jersey jon: Well, maybe we could help you out with that. (group laughing)
Thank you so much.
Jim's wife: Take lots and lots of stuff.
Jim: It's very surprising to have pickers come here.
I'll take you to the other barn here where the model t is.
Robbie: What year t is this?
Jim: A 1924. Robbie: '24.
Jersey jon: Oh wow. Robbie: Dang.
Jersey jon: And it runs?
Jim: The last time we took anybody for a ride in it
Was when we had our funeral service for my dad,
And that was in 2012.
My dad was very much into trying to retain as much
Original history as you can.
He was not into taking a piece of history
And making it go faster,
Making it do something it was never intended to do.
When we built this model t,
He tried to keep it as original as possible.
Robbie: So jim, did your dad
Teach you how to drive this thing?
Jim: Oh yeah. By the time I turned 16, I actually had...
I would pick up my girlfriends in this car.
Jersey jon: Wow. So you know how to drive it.
Jim: I did drive it, yeah.
Robbie: These things aren't the easiest to drive.
Jim: No they are not. And actually it's a lot more difficult than it used to be.
It's needs a lot of repair. Robbie: Yeah.
Jim: He wanted to have four model ts.
One for each one of his kids.
Jim: And this was his first one and actually was
The only one he got finished.
This is something you're looking... You're keeping it.
Jim: Yeah, I definitely want to keep this.
Jim: This is family. My dad built it.
My sisters would probably even shoot me
If I even considered selling it.
Jersey jon: I understand why they want to keep it.
I mean, it's part of the family history.
Robbie: Any picker worth his weight in salt
Is always going to sniff out something to buy,
Especially on a property like this.
Find anything, jersey? Jersey jon: Ah, some photos.
Robbie: Ugh... What was this?
Jim: It's an old siren for fire.
Jersey jon: A siren? Robbie: Jersey likes sirens.
Jersey jon: I like sirens. I always run into sirens.
You know, guys had sirens for their motorcycles,
They had sirens for their cars.
They put a siren in a model t. That's a siren?
Jim: Yeah.
Jersey jon: Look at this thing.
I couldn't even get my brain wrapped around
The size of this thing.
Mike: That lighting's cool. Joe: That lighting is so cool.
There's more.
Mike: Here, hold that for a second, let me see something.
Let me see, is this the diameter or is that,
Is that what's going on here?
Oh yeah, that's what's going on.
Joe: I love the fact that mike and dani
Are excited about these things.
Mike: You got this... Joe: Yeah I got a pair of those.
And they're all pretty spectacular.
Mike: Yeah, these must have all came out of the same house
Or the same building.
Joe: I'm excited when I can pass something onto somebody
That I know they love it.
Mike: Look at that.
Joe: It almost looks like a tambourine, just a tambourine.
It's so deco to me. Mike: Oh my god, I know, I love it.
Joe: And that's part of this whole thing.
You love this, it should go home with you.
Mike: Okay so, that needs a piece of slag glass.
Okay, and then you've got all of this.
What are you thinking on this stuff and that?
Joe: 500.
Mike: Alright, I'll give you 550.
Joe: Thank you. Mike: Thank you, buddy.
Joe: I love the fact that I would say one price
And they would give me more for something.
But they more have a finger on the market
And what things are worth.
Danielle: What is the story with these bookends?
Joe: They're nasty.
Danielle: They are... Hilarious.
Joe: Many people
Like naughty things.
(chuckles) you're not supposed to look at that.
Danielle: She's... Joe: On the phone.
Joe: And he's peeking through the keyhole at her.
Nasty!
You know, he's peeping through a peephole
While she's bent over on the telephone.
You know, and so they're- they're naughty.
Danielle: Do you know when they're from?
Joe: Uh I mean... When I look at her and that lingerie,
That panties and girdle should tell you something
About the vintage of it, right?
Danielle: The base looks really old.
Joe: They look pre-'50s to me.
Danielle: They do from the bottom.
But they look like they're in great condition,
You can see every little detail still.
So either they were really well taken care of,
Or they're not as old as I hoped they are.
Joe: I would sell these to you. Danielle: Stop!
You're going to sell 'em? Joe: $65?
Danielle: $65.
These pieces really speak to almost everybody.
I mean, everybody has a naughty side.
Joe: Don't get scared, there's not a lot of room up here,
But there's a lot for sale.
Danielle: We don't scare easy, so...
Joe: Okay.
Danielle: Whoa...
Joe: Okay, we're going up, be careful, be careful, be careful.
Up, up, up, up.
Be careful, be careful, be careful.
Mike: Hey, how about this mirror piece with the horns on it?
Joe: I would like those gone. Mike: You would like those gone?
How do you get back there to look at it?
Joe: Well, we got to, we got to work our way back.
Be careful, there might be holes in the floor.
This is a wind song chair.
Danielle: That's incredible. Joe: Yes.
Mike: Here, I'm going to pull these out.
Danielle: Look at that, joe.
Mike: Horn furniture originated in europe in the mid- 1700s,
And it was stuff that you'd see in like, castles.
When a lot of those craftsman relocated to the united states,
They started making that stuff here.
San antonio, chicago, st. Louis,
And a lot of these manufacturing facilities
Were right next to stockyards.
So they had access to all of these horns.
And then you've got two chairs.
Joe: Yes, they need work, and they're...
Mike: They need a lot of work.
So the chairs and the piece behind you, the mirror.
Joe: Right, right, they all go together.
Mike: Hunting lodge, cabin decor,
The great outdoors, western, cowboy,
It's definitely a look, and it's a thing right now.
What are you thinking? Joe: What am I thinking?
Mike: Yeah.
Joe: I have no idea what they'd be worth, so...
I would like to give you a good price so you could sell them.
Mike: Well, the chairs are interesting
Because they're so low to the ground.
I think it's cool. I've always liked it.
And I've never found many pieces of it.
A lot of it's in really bad shape.
That's probably why it's up here, I mean, it's being held
With metal straps,
And there's big sheetrock screws put into it.
There's no way you could sit on any of this stuff.
I mean, it would just completely collapse.
But it's moved from utilitarian to purely decorative.
For this piece...
And the chairs... 900.
Joe: Oh please yes, thank you. Mike: You want to do that?
Joe: Oh! Mike: Okay.
Joe: Thank you, bless you. Mike: Alright.
Joe: Bless you, I might even throw this in too.
Mike: Okay, you're throwing that in too? These?
Joe: Absolutely. Mike: Okay, absolutely.
Jersey jon: That's a siren? Jim: Yeah.
Jersey jon: That thing is crazy!
Robbie: So are these extra wheels to it?
Jersey jon: No, no, robbie, this is the part that goes over here
That makes the sound. These are cast iron.
Watch.
So this is like a siren for like, the community to hear.
Like hey, we got something going on.
Look it.
Robbie: Right, goes on top of this, all the way on.
And then you bolt it back on there. Jersey jon: On both sides.
Robbie: That would go over the top.
Jersey jon: Right, over the top. And so this slices the air.
One rotates inside a stationary vane and it creates a whistle.
And you have all these whistles around this circular drum.
And it creates the siren sound.
It's ear-splitting!
It makes a high-pitched whine.
(imitates siren)
This is something you would put on top of the building.
(sustained loud siren sound)
Robbie: It's so loud that you don't want to be in front of it.
Jersey jon: And look at the size of this motor.
What attracted me was the electric motor.
It was an early electric motor.
This might be like from the '20s?
I mean, where did it come from? - Yeah.
Jim: My dad was on the volunteer fire department for vestaburg.
I remember as a kid riding with him.
You know, he had a police band radio, so he could
Know where the fires are at and he could take off.
The siren came off the richland township fire hall.
Jersey jon: Okay, local community siren.
Jim: They'd fire that thing up every day at noon.
Robbie: Your dad was, it sounds like he was one of those guys
That wanted to save everything. So they probably updated
And he's like, don't throw that away!
Robbie: I'll take that, boom. Jim: Yeah.
Jersey jon: You know, it's a limited scope who's going to want this thing.
I mean, I'm just weird enough to want it, to buy it,
To take a chance on it, because I like the early electric stuff,
I like the fire engine aspect of a community siren.
I'm thinking about like, 250 bucks.
Jim: I think we probably ought to get 400 out of it.
Jersey jon: You know, this could, this could be,
You only get 50 bucks for it at the scrapyard.
I mean, I could see it bringing $400 retail,
But I got to make some money on this thing.
Plus I got to haul it back to new jersey.
Jim: Meet me half-way? Jersey jon: What's half-way?
Jim: 300.
Jersey jon: Alright, thank you sir, I appreciate it.
I'm going to fire this thing up while robbie's sleeping tonight.
(laughs)
Danielle: These are amazing. Joe: Oh I did that...
Danielle: Ahh... Let me see this. Okay.
Wow!
Joe: I'm a talented man.
Those were things that I did in that period of my life,
In the '70s, when I just came out
And I was exposed to all the different people,
Drag queens to the strippers.
And so I would record that.
These are two drag queens at a bar in toledo.
This one is fred shaeffer who changed his name
To niña montgomery.
Niña means little girl.
He had the biggest feet and the biggest hands,
And he was taller than me, had a big deep voice.
And he went by niña, niña montgomery.
Danielle: Niña montgomery.
So this drag queen, niña montgomery, and this one?
Joe: That was a friend, co-worker, I don't know that one.
Danielle: Amazing.
Burlesque and drag history have always been intertwined.
And this is a really wonderful representation
Of that lifestyle from someone who lived it
Firsthand in the 1970s.
Danielle: I'm in love with this, I think this is incredible.
Joe: I was shocked that she would get excited and want them.
Joe: Since you're so beautiful,
You're going to have this for 65 bucks.
Danielle: Stop it right now. Joe: Right now.
Danielle: I will take this for 65. Niña montgomery.
I mean, you couldn't stop me from buying the thing.
Joe: Most of the things up here in the attic are my,
Were my partner, dean galatis, interior designer.
Mike: Now this makes sense.
Because the majority of this stuff in this attic
Doesn't match what's downstairs.
Joe: Dean passed away in 2009.
And I inherited his collections.
Joe: Difficult to part with them,
But I can't keep everything.
Mike: So he was a big collector too.
Joe: Oh he was a huge collector and extremely talented.
He was a very handsome man, extremely intelligent.
He went to the rhode island school of design
And had a degree in architecture.
Mike: What a great crossover because you're collecting,
And then you're doing interior design.
So you're feeding both your passions, you know.
Joe: We had a great time. We'd wake up at 4, leave at 5,
Get there at 6.
All day long, load up the van, come home and throw it
In the heap, you know, and it was just a blast.
Mike: Yeah, he was using a lot of the pieces for his work?
Joe: I have photographs of homes for people that he did,
And it's just fabulous stuff because he was just so gifted.
He was particularly fond of arts and crafts and art deco.
He would buy all these things that I would wonder,
'what the heck did he buy that for?'
And then after seeing it for a while, I could understand.
And he would take it and turn it into something.
He always called himself a man of parts.
Mike: Oh my gosh, I'm looking around in here,
I'm not kidding you, I thought,
This is an interior designer eye.
Joe: He's got a very good eye. Exactly.
Mike: Everything pulls together.
Danielle: Now I know, you know, we all know,
Mike loves his motorcycles.
Anything that leaves an oil stain is like,
That's home for him.
But I remember him coming into my house one day and saying,
This looks like tgi Friday's, you need to move this here
And move that there, and move the whole thing around.
And it looked gorgeous by the time he left.
Mike: You're creating a lifestyle with somebody.
When you've set up their home,
That's their life, that's their lifestyle.
Mimike: I mean, this a blois a simpler lamp....
But I'm a sucker for this stuff.
Joe: Arts and crafts slag. Mike: Arts and crafts slag.
Look at that.
This lamp is a very simple, traditional
Craftsman's style lamp.
But the gold, the yellow gold slag glass in it,
Is pretty bad to the bone.
What are you thinking, joe?
Joe: 250.
Mike: Give me a little more room, 2-and-a-quarter.
Joe: Okay, 2-and-a-quarter. Mike: Alright.
This is incredible stuff!
I'm just so excited, like, I'm a lighting guy.
Joe: Open that box and see what's in it.
Mike: And I've always been a lighting guy, but now
The lighting guy is really coming out in me.
Alright, I'm opening the box.
Danielle: Mike's like an 8-year-old boy.
Mike: And there's another lampshade in it.
Danielle: As soon as he sees something he loves, his life is only that thing.
Mike: Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo... Oh my gosh...
Danielle: That's it. He's obsessed with it, he wants to eat it, he wants to drink it.
Mike: Is this the shade to that base down there?
Look at that, oh that's like a blood-red!
Oh my gosh!
There's a base back there, it's so cool.
Danielle: Have you ever tried to stop a curious 8-year-old boy
From rifling through somebody's attic?
Mike: So look, so this is what I'm talking about,
That shade, where's that shade at? Joe: Right here.
Mike: Ok so here, you can hold that up and see
If this is the right width.
Joe: I'll hold this like so. Mike: We'll do this.
Wait, oh you're doing it like that?
Wait, okay wait there's one leg, we got it.
Okay wait...
We're just connecting these things so gently together
Because there's a big piece of glass that's chipped and cracked
And it doesn't want to fall out.
Joe: That's it. It's got to be it.
Mike: Is that, is that all the way up?
This like the lunar module docking with the command module.
Yeah, that's it, this is it!
Again, this is like, whoa! Wow!
Mike: I love this stuff because...
To me it's timeless. Joe: Of course.
Mike: And it's overbuilt, and it just so beautiful.
Joe: It's sturdy.
Mike: Yes and it's sturdy, well, it's sturdy it was,
But no I mean, this can all be fixed. I love it.
This is a masculine lamp, you know what I'm saying?
This is a craftsman, bold, masculine lamp.
I mean, this is the kind of lamp you see kevin costner
Sitting next to on a table in his lodge on yellowstone,
That kind of lamp.
It's insane. Look at that red. Look at that.
The glass in this lampshade is so amazing,
It's like this blood-red orangey slag glass.
Look at that red.
It's so cool and there's just so much going on here, man.
Mike: I'd pay...
In the shape it's in, I'd pay 300.
Joe: Sold. Mike: Oh my gosh, I love it!
Mike: I love it, I love it. Joe: I love it.
Mike: I love it. Joe: I love it. Thank you.
Mike: When you look at this stuff, is this dean?
Joe: Yes, yes, it's dean.
It's my 40 years with him.
Dean and I had a great life together.
He taught me a lot, I learned so much from him.
Mike: So I'm kind of meeting him...
Joe: Yes you are. Mike: ...Through meeting you.
Joe: Seeing mike get so excited about the things
That dean collected was, was really good for me
And it was just bringing back all these memories
Of the fun times we had.
Jim: There are a lot of model t parts
That we are willing to sell, right in here.
Robbie: Oh yeah.
Jersey jon: What's that, robbie? Robbie: Oh look at these.
Let me see here. Look at this, jersey.
I think this is one of those...
Let me see here... This is one of those skis.
Jim: Yeah, the other one's here, but it's broke.
Jersey jon: Oh yeah, we're in michigan! Look at that.
Robbie: Look at how early that is though, dude.
Jersey jon: Man. It looks cool.
Jim: In the wintertime, driving a wheeled vehicle on snow
Is sometimes a little difficult. You do slide around.
And having skis on the front of a vehicle
Is a little easier to steer on snow.
Robbie: That wasn't manufactured...
Jersey jon: No, it's like a homemade farmer's thing, right?
Robbie: That thing's cool as can be.
Model t skis were mass-produced.
But not these.
These were made out of necessity.
Very, very deep snow.
Robbie: These are actually huge.
Extra long, all hand-carved,
Hand-forged metal on the bottom.
Jersey jon: They flattened out the rim, right? And they bolted it.
Robbie: They flattened out the rim, bolted it to the wood.
And that's how they got around up here.
We're in michigan. I mean, heck.
Jersey jon: They would put chains on the back wheels?
Jim: They actually had a track that you could put on the back of them.
Jersey jon: Oh sure I'd seen pictures of that.
They got a great look, robbie, hang it on the wall.
Robbie: Whoever buys these is not going to be putting them
Back on a model t.
They're going to be hung on a wall like the piece of art
That they are.
Jim: They were used in the day, but I think their use is more art.
Jersey jon: They probably had a winter or two of fun with them.
Jim: Yeah. Definitely.
Robbie: 125 bucks. Jim: I'm good with that.
Robbie: That work? Jim: Yep that works.
Danielle: This is really cool too. What is this?
Joe: This is cool. Dancing naked ladies and the dragons below.
Danielle: What?
Joe: Somebody carved all that. Danielle: This is amazing!
Dancing naked ladies with dragons underneath.
It even goes into maybe a little bit of the adam and eve.
Adam is hanging from a tree with the snake coming down,
And eve is holding onto him and there is a serpent
Or a dragon coming up from behind her.
Danielle: What I really love about it,
Is it incorporates a couple of my favorite types of art.
I love woodworking, I'm a burlesque dancer,
It incorporates all of these nudes.
I come from people that really talked a lot
About adam and eve and that story.
Temptation. Desire.
I mean, could there be a more 5perfect plant stand for me?
(laughs)
It has a couple little nicks here and there.
Joe: Yes. That's what happens.
Danielle: But I think it's at the joints.
Joe: When we get to be that age,
We're going to have a little damage too.
Danielle: I got some damage on my joints...
(laughs)
I love it, I'm really enjoying it. It's a little naughty.
Joe: Could you give me $95 for it?
Danielle: I could be in at 95, for sure.
I just, it's so unique, wow. Joe: Thank you, there's more.
Robbie: After you. Jim: Alright.
Jersey jon: Yeah, that's what I'm talking about, look at this floor.
Jim: Yeah, it's original floor. Robbie: Dude, it is original.
Jim: This is an old school house
That my dad moved from the town of vestaburg.
It was built in 1883.
It was richland township's school house.
They built a brand new school,
And they were going to tear it down.
He did turn it into his woodworking shop.
Jersey jon: Ooh, I love the space here.
I mean, you got big natural lighted windows,
You got a lot of light come in here.
It's a great school house for the kids to see their books,
But it's also a good workshop space.
Jim: Yeah. And all the equipment.
Jersey jon: The metal lathe is cool. This was your dad's?
Jim: Yeah, it was my dad's. Jersey jon: Yeah, it's got...
Robbie: Does it have all the pieces to it?
Jersey jon: Yeah, they got the change gears and stuff.
There's different kinds of lathes.
There's woodworking lathes, there's clockmaker's lathe,
There's jeweler's lathe. This is a metal lathe.
It's a heavy-duty, precise instrument.
This is a logan lathe, actually. The brand is logan.
This is from 1945, this is just post-war.
I think they designed it for the home shop machinist.
Got a lot of g.I.'s coming back from the war,
And they took up hobbies.
A lathe like this, you can repair
A bearing in a motorcycle,
You could repair an axle on a bicycle.
I do a lot of antique motorcycles, I'm making parts
And I have a lot of friends who are machinists,
And guys who are in the same hobby.
There's a lot of younger guys who are getting into it,
Who I'm trying to mentor as well.
And if I can give this, a new home to a young machinist,
Try to like... You know, keep the hobby alive.
Would this be something you'd be interested in parting with? Selling?
Jim: We are pretty much interested
In moving most things out.
My wife and I have a dream to restore the school house.
We want to get our family reunions back together,
Coming into the school house.
My father, his brothers, and his sister went to this school.
My oldest sister went to this school.
So it does have some family memories.
Jersey jon: I'm at 350 bucks.
Jim: Ahh, well that's pretty low.
Jersey jon: No, it needs a lot. You got to clean it up, you got to go through the whole thing.
Jim: Would you go 400?
Jersey jon: It includes the stuff that's in these drawers? Jim: Yes.
Jersey jon: There's a couple of things in there.
Alright, I'll do the 400. Jim: Alright.
Jersey jon: Absolutely. Thank you. Jim: You bet, thank you.
Robbie: That's awesome, man. Jersey jon: Let's see what else we can find, robbie.
Robbie: I can appreciate what jim's dad was doing here.
By him saving the school,
That was his way of giving back to the community.
Jersey jon: That little shaper is cool.
You can make window sash with that thing.
Robbie: The only thing I would be doing is doing
Like an early frame.
Jersey jon: Yeah, for around signs.
Like those early signs, they're all like the bullnose molding.
That will make that bullnose molding.
As a matter of fact, with that cutter on there right now.
Now a shaper makes molding. It produces profiles on wood.
Now robbie's a sign guy.
You always find molding missing on a sign.
Robbie: The subject matter is on it,
But the condition is not there. It needs a wooden frame.
That's probably going to cost me 100 bucks to do the frame.
Jersey jon: This machine will help him those moldings
He's missing on his signs.
Jersey jon: Yeah. Works.
Robbie: 100 bucks.
$100 'cause you got all the cutters to it.
Jim: I'm good with 100 bucks. Jersey jon: Great.
Robbie: I don't ever look at tools.
Jersey jon: No other tools going to do what that thing can do.
Robbie: Look at me now. Jersey jon: This time next year, you're going to be
Thanking me you bought that.
Mike: I'm going to hand you guys out some stuff,
I'm buried back here.
Where the roof meets the floor, there's this like dead space,
Where he couldn't cram anything,
So I'm crawling back in there in this little vein.
And once I get in there, I'm not backing out.
Here you go, joe, take this...
So I'm just kind of passing things out
And I'm staying in this space because it's amazing.
Here. I found more horns!
Yeah. Love it.
Danielle: Yeah. Mike, that's so cool!
Joe: Is that a foot stool?
Oh my horns, I've been looking for those!
Joe: You horny thing, you.
Danielle: When mike handed me the footrest
With the horns attached, game over.
This footrest is so beautiful. I love the tapestry on it.
What about these two pieces?
They'd be great, they look good together.
Joe: They do. Danielle: They'd be great in the shop.
Joe: They would, wouldn't that? Danielle: Yeah, I think they would sell well.
That's just going to walk out of the building by itself.
Joe: How about 150?
Danielle: I was thinking closer to 100.
Joe: How about 110?
Danielle: I think we can do 110, yeah,
We can work that out.
It's like an accessory from beetlejuice.
It's colorful, different,
It's weird, it's masculine, still feminine.
I don't know, there's something about it I love!
Mike: Oh wow, look at this. Joe: It's fab.
Danielle: I'm going to just scoot out.
Mike: I've got this piece here.
It's a table.
It's a very elaborate, like, there's cast iron to it.
And then where's that other light that I handed you?
Joe: Right here. Mike: Yeah, that one.
Joe: That's heavy.
Mike: This is really incredible to pick
An interior designer's attic.
There's a lot of stuff from this time period in the back there.
This is a desk lamp, it's craftsman period,
And you know, after all these years,
The shade is still there,
The magnifying lens underneath it is still intact.
This is isinglass. You can see that right there.
Joe: Mica.
Mike: I'm saying isinglass, he's saying mica.
They're almost the same thing.
You know, they would have used this actually in
Wood burning stoves.
For the illumination.
It's a heavy base.
And if you can look at how it will be magnified as well,
You can see there's a chip here.
Um...
400.
Joe: 425. Mike: I'll do 425.
Let's do that. Joe: Okay.
Mike: Lighting was definitely his partner's specialty.
Okay so this piece I dug out of there.
You know, it's just a wall sconce.
Joe: Right. Mike: Nice arch.
And it pivots as well.
There's floor lamps, there's desk lamps,
There's table lamps, isinglass, mica,
Whatever you want to call it.
Mike: 40 bucks. Joe: Okay.
Mike: I mean, some of it needs some repair, but big deal,
You know what I mean?
Mike: This is another floor lamp piece.
Looks like it has the original shade.
You know, these floor lamps that I'm finding...
Mike: 150. Joe: How about 160?
Mike: 160.
They're just so unique and so different.
Alright, here we go. Look at this one.
Joe: He was into lighting. He just loved it.
Mike: I'm trying to protect that shade.
Joe: And so he would go and find these wonderful things,
Like if he would see it and he hadn't seen it before,
And he thought it was fabulous, and if he could afford it, he would buy it.
Mike: Whoa. Okay.
This is some coolness here. Joe: Yes it is.
Mike: Very medieval bavarian castle.
What I love about all of this stuff is the simplicity of it,
The simplicity of it in its strength it's timeless.
2-and-a-quarter.
Joe: 250 is better. Mike: How about 230?
Joe: 235, if you're going to be hard on me like that.
Going to give me a hard time on it.
I mean, it's a fabulous thing.
Mike: I know, it is a fabulous thing.
So much of it isn't light that's to light a room.
It's just mood lighting. Look at that base.
Joe: Yeah, it's so cool, isn't it?
Mike: Neat, neat base. Really cool base.
It's kind of blacksmith craftsman john henry look to it.
You know, the colors and the way it illuminates, it's just,
You know, it just sets a mood, man.
It's a great aesthetic. 200. Joe: Okay.
Mike: I love this, and I love the fact that I'm finding
So much of it, it's like a full-on lighting honey hole.
Jim: Let me take you to the other building here.
It's kind of, the roof is kind of caving in,
But I think we'll be ok.
Get some light in here, there's no electricity out here.
Robbie: Wow, what was this? Jersey jon: What was this place?
- Oh, robbie, look at this. Jim: This is where my dad did most of his automotive,
Tractor repairs.
He built the model t in this shop.
Robbie: In this shop? Jim: Yeah.
Jersey jon: Robbie, look at this thing. Got some cool tools.
Look at the cabinet, robbie. It's on wheels.
It's been wet, it's been full of water at one time,
It's a mess right now. But it's a really cool size.
Robbie: I like it.
Jersey jon: 2-and-a-half feet square.
Drawers are great for storage of course,
And organizing things.
How bad is the top, robbie?
Robbie: It's made of wood,
So it wouldn't be that big a deal.
Jersey jon:I know a wood guy. Robbie: Yeah, I'm sure you do.
Jersey jon: It has the industrial look.
It's got all the drawers, it's got the butcher block top.
It's like a work table or a work bench,
That you could use in your kitchen.
Jersey jon: It's sturdy. Robbie: Yeah.
Jersey jon: You'd be surprised how well this thing's
Going to look when you clean it up.
You know, you got to do a lot of work to it, you know,
Clear coat of paint, it's got the nice chippy look.
But the way it is, I mean, I would offer you like,
150 bucks for the thing.
So in my restoration business, this is a perfect example
Of something I could work with my client.
Hey, I got this piece, and they're going to tell me how they want it finished.
Jim: I think that's fair.
Robbie: Your lucky day, jersey.
Today started out with a bag of chips.
Get it all the way up there, no, no...
Not too bad. There.
Jersey jon: It just goes to show, you never know
Where your next lead's going to come from.
Robbie: I appreciate it. Jim: I appreciate everything.
Jersey jon: Thank you, jim. It was a pleasure.
Jim: I enjoyed picking with jersey and robbie.
It was, it was a lot of fun. Jim's wife: Bye-bye, you guys.
Thank you so much.
(honks horn) jim: Take care!
Mike: Here, I think is the top
Piece to that base.
So if we put this...
I'm being challenged here, to find each one of these pieces,
Like the table base.
I found the table base, and then later on,
I find the top to it.
Joe: Perfect. Mike: Whoa, look at that!
She's together again!
Look at that. Joe: Very good.
Mike: I love that. Joe: Very good.
Mike: So anyway, I love this. The base is very ornate,
And the top is wood.
The top articulates, and it's adjustable.
And it's just so cool.
It's got this like, beveled edge on it.
Alright. 200.
Joe: 200?
Mike: Yeah, what are you thinking?
Joe: 250.
Mike: I can do 2-and-a-quarter. Joe: 2-and-a-quarter is good.
Mike: Alright, let's do that. Alright, thank you.
These were maybe some of his best pieces
That he was holding back for clients,
Or maybe just collection, I don't know.
But the man had... Like I mean, seriously an incredible eye.
Alright, let's go find danielle
Before she gets in trouble or something.
Joe: Okay, and there's things here
That you've got to get out yet, right?
Mike: Okay yeah, yeah, I'll just move this downstairs.
Hey, let me ask you this, can I look around up here still?
While you guys are down there? Joe: Of course.
Mike: 'cause I still want to dig around back there
And maybe try to get those horn chairs out too.
Joe: I would love that.
Mike: The things that we're finding here, are things that
I haven't seen in a very long time.
So many different looks and so many different time periods
In one attic is unbelievable.
Danielle: Joe. Joe: Yes.
Danielle: What is this loveliness?
Look at these...
Joe: This is an artist called dorothy kendall.
Dorothy kendall was an african-american artist
In the '50s.
And these are mugs, and she's in various states of undress.
Here she is in her gown, to finally you get her nude.
Danielle: Wow, look how beautiful.
Joe: My mother bought this on her honeymoon.
So I have to keep these. Danielle: Okay. Ah neat.
Joe: I don't have a lot of her things.
I have a handful of them, but they are
Really wonderful pieces,
Because they're glorifying the african american woman
In a very glamorous way,
Which was something that was,
There was not a lot of that being done in the '50s.
Danielle: That is amazing.
Look at the beautiful flowers in her hair right here.
Joe: Here's another, here's my favorite one.
My favorite one. Danielle: What?
Stop right now!
Look how perky her little nipples are doing that!
Joe: Danielle and I have very similar interests
In the type of things that we both like.
Danielle: And none of these are for sale?
Joe: No, this is part of my collection, I'm so sorry.
Danielle: I don't blame you, you know, but a girl's got to check.
Joe: It was hard for her to buy from me because
Everything that she would flip over,
Is something that was dear to me.
Is that called a crazy quilt?
Danielle: Yeah, this would be a crazy quilt.
Joe: That is beautiful, isn't it?
Danielle: Beautiful. Yes.
Joe: I think that should belong to a beautiful person.
Danielle: Really, this is something you'd sell then?
Look at that, look you got the little lamps
On the other side, red, white, and blue.
Joe: Isn't that cool? Danielle: I'm going to say 100 bucks.
Joe: And I'm going to say okay.
Danielle: That works for you? Joe: That works for me.
Danielle: Beautiful.
Joe: All the textiles that, that dani was finding,
They were dean's.
They were from his office.
That's a little rag rug that somebody put together.
Danielle: What's this? Joe: That's a little yo-yo quilt.
This is more for a child, I would say.
Danielle: Love it. I was thinking about the same.
About 100 on this one. Joe: Okay, that would be great.
Danielle: That works? Joe: I would be happy with that.
Danielle: Lovely! Look at us!
We're making it work, we're figuring it out. Look at that.
I'm going to go home with some things.
Joe: There's more. Mike: Dani d!
Come look at this table.
Do you know what table this is? Joe: I do.
Mike: You kind of have an idea what it is?
Joe: I know what table that is. Mike: Can I put it on here?
Joe: Yes you may. Mike: Alright...
Joe: You're finding my good stuff, I can't stand it!
Danielle: Oh that's so beautiful!
Mike: Look at this, look at this.
Someone took this top, and made this folk art nude out of it.
Danielle: Inlaid it. Look at that.
With velvet.
Mike: It's a nude woman laying in a bed of ivy,
Over the top of red velvet.
It's folky, and it almost kind of, I mean just a little bit,
Has some art nouveau going on.
Danielle: Beautiful. Mike: Would you sell it?
Joe: I would have to have a very outrageous offer
To let it go, because I do love this.
Mike: The artist that made this piece
Went to a tremendous amount of work because there are
So many details to it.
They had to carve each leaf, they had to lay
That velvet into it, and then they had to cut
The top of the table in a way that didn't destroy it.
Let me examine the situation more.
She looks scared, or she looks surprised.
She might want something, she might not...
Danielle: She's got the wilting flower look on her face.
Mike: This is another example
Of what a widely creative eye that dean had.
I'm blown away by it. I've never seen anything like it.
It's definitely one-of-a-kind.
Danielle: What's an outrageous number on it?
Mike: $500.
Joe: 500, I was thinking 6.
Mike: Let's split it, 550.
Joe: I'll have to take a picture of it.
Mike: Frame it? You want to do it?
Joe: Okay. Mike: Urgh... Alright.
Danielle: Aww... I'm so excited!
Joe: You're going to make a grown man cry.
Danielle: What a find.
I told you, whenever he's bird-dogging on something,
I don't know how he does it,
He has a sensor inside that just hones right into
The coolest stuff in the room, immediately.
Mike: Alright, you guys loaded or what?
Joe: That was a roller-coaster ride.
You know, that was, that was tough, you know,
Because it's kind of hard to say goodbye to his things,
But I'm still collecting
And still passionately buying things.
Danielle: This is the last of these guys.
Mike: Okay. Danielle: Yeah.
Joe: A few of the items, I was a little nervous about
Letting them go.
Mike: I love this... Danielle: Yeah.
Mike: I'm glad I found both pieces!
Joe: But they were here, helping me, to clear out
So if they were real excited about it,
I felt like, thank you.
And I always have dean with me.
Mike: Thanks for sharing you and dean's story.
Joe: It was fun, thank you. Mike: It was awesome.
I had a great time. Joe: Please come back.
Danielle: Coming in and meeting joe, but also getting to know
Dean through what he collected,
I feel closer to him too.
Oh, one more, one more... Joe: (chuckles) thank you.
Danielle: So it was nice, it was kind of like I got to meet
The two of them.
That felt really sweet.
Mike: What a life. To share this kind of passion
With your partner through collecting.
See ya down the road, buddy! Joe: Okay, thank you guys.
Mike: All of these things that you've surrounded yourself with
In your house, it was so cool.
Danielle: Really honestly, I think he's selling
Most of this other stuff
So he can buy more ravca dolls.
Subtitling: Difuze