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(Billy) There's a lot of dealers here, and they will annihilate me...
if I make a mistake.
It's a huge risk.
Ah-ha-ha-ha!
Ahh!
All right!
It's like a (bleep) zoo, all right-- it's bingo night's gone crazy.
[bell dings]
This thing is drenched in human blood.
(narrator) Every day, $40 billion
in property travels around the world.
One percent of that gets lost or left behind.
When this property goes unclaimed,
it's put up for public auction.
Sold!
(Sally) We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars.
(narrator) This is "Baggage Battles".
(auctioneer) Sold!
(Billy) We're in Red Hook, New York-- Hudson River...
it just smells of money.
Red Hook is the epicenter of the rich.
That means there is so much great stuff
in those basements and attics--
this auction is gonna be a gold mine.
(Laurence) Usually you would think when somebody says an estate sale,
it's more like a yard sale... it's an estate sale,
so we're expecting to find nice, expensive pieces,
pieces of quality.
(Mark) If there's some sports memorabilia, some antique toys...
something that I know I can sell back in New York,
I'll be able to buy it and make a good profit.
What do you think, Billy?
Pretty cool.
This is a perfect example of the kind of stuff that ends up
in this Red Hook auction-- not a Chevy, a Delorean.
(Billy) These are aluminum, right?
They're stainless steel-- stainless steel.
Stainless steel.
Gull-wing.
What is it, a V8?
It's probably a V6-- the engine's back there.
Yeah.
I think Billy should get in the Delorean,
travel back to the past, and pick a new career.
They're not selling, like, loose-leaf paper and office supplies here.
They're selling Victorian-era furniture, lamps,
collectible military pieces, silver coins...
Billy's gonna blend right in at this auction.
It's my first favorite box.
Thirty dozen eggs... wait, look.
There's a metal pole.
This is something I think maybe for...used outside
because it's just like metal-plated.
It's pretty intriguing, don't you think?
There's obviously not, like, 30 dozen eggs in here, you know.
[dog barks]
Always look at the back of drawers--sometimes there's money.
Aw, this is like a bad nightmare.
She's got an attitude... I went to school with girls like this.
Look how high her nose is stuck up in the air.
She wouldn't even speak to me in high school.
And you know what? You're going back in the box.
Yeah, how do you like them apples?
Ooh, smells like old socks.
Ohh...
All right, this is a World War II bayonet,
and it's completely original.
If this bayonet was used in battle and it can be proved
that it was used in battle...
it's worth a lot more money to me.
Oh, yes! Let's go.
We're at an antique auction... these aren't antiques.
These are gas RC helicopters.
This is the largest, and I actually think is the easiest to buy and sell.
This is way beyond a toy, okay.
A toy is when you go to Toys "R" Us and you buy one for a hundred bucks.
When you spent $1,500... it's not a toy, it's a full-blown hobby, okay--
one you hide from your wife.
Depending on whether they work, they can be worth as much as $1,500 to $2,000 apiece,
but that is a big if they work.
What's this?
You've gotta look under the table...oh, it's a bag.
(Laurence) That's pretty light.
Oh, yeah, that's a good way to do it.
(Sally) Laurence has the most amazing way of testing what's in this particular bag.
The only way, really, to do it is to sit on it,
and it's...not just sit on it, it's sit on all sides of it.
Can I see the bayonet?
(Mark) I think Billy is overvaluing this bayonet.
It's not a World War II, which would be the money-maker.
This bayonet is from Vietnam.
I think that this is a $45 to $55 set, so I gotta get it
for $20, $30... something real good.
Oh, that's good.
It's definitely an original ship's wheel,
I would think from a large sailing boat.
We live near the ocean, so selling a nautical item...
piece of cake.
Oh, great.
[metal rattling]
These estate mystery boxes come from basements
in this rich area of Red Hook.
This is old, Yankee,
American money!
At this auction, there could be Fabergé eggs in it.
I'm afraid to break it... oh, man this weighs a ton.
The truth is, being in Red Hook with all these antiques's...
the sky's the limit.
(Mark) It's impossible to conceive that this egg box still has eggs in it.
That thing would stink.
Ahh, there you go-- that's not clothing.
That's not grandma's underwear.
(Billy) It sound's like metal's inside of it.
So we're talking about a big box with metal inside of it
at a really important estate auction...
there's gotta be something great in there.
(Billy) There's a lot of dealers here,
there's a lot of antique shop owners here,
plus there's a lot of collectors,
and they will annihilate me... if I make a mistake.
(auctioneer) All right, ladies and gentlemen...
who's got a hundred, get it started?
(auctioneer) Sold! Sold! Sold! The helicopter...
I think you could sell this helicopter for up to $3,000.
Who's got the hundred? I got a hundred-- $125, $150...
I absolutely want this helicopter...
I have a real strong feeling I can get close to $1,000 for it.
$275, $300, $325, $350--$350.
Does it work?
It's a huge risk to not know if it works or not...
it could make or break your entire budget.
Sold, $350.
The only way to know if this helicopter flies or not,
is to buy it and find out.
75B...box.
We have no idea what's in the boxes.
I'm gonna go after this box because all of this stuff
comes out of the basements and attics
of these mansions here in Red Hook.
$60!
It's like every time I make a move, Mark makes a move.
It's like he's mimicking me.
C'mon, Grinch!
$150, $150, $150-- $160, $160.
$170, $170?
Sold! $160.
Billy wins this box for too much money.
I think he took a step in the wrong direction.
Mystery box--30 dozen eggs.
I really want this egg box.
I will fight anybody to get this box.
Who's got $25? $25, $35, $45, $45.
The mind starts ticking, the cogs are going 'round,
it's like whoo, I wonder what's in the box?
This egg box, it's like Laurence's brain...scrambled.
(auctioneer) $55, $65, $75...
The egg box intrigues me.
It's obviously not the original packaging.
$85, $95, $95, $105...
(Billy) The fact that Mark wants it tells me there's something really good in there.
Even though Mark is a young, snot-nosed kid...
I respect his nose.
Billy and Mark--they have no business in our business.
I will fight anybody to get this box.
(auctioneer) $115, $115, $125, $125, $135, $135...
$145, $150, $155...
I like the egg box, but not $150 like.
Eh...
Sold! Buyer 333.
Because you don't know what's in it, that's why.
USMA A1, bayonet.
I absolutely want this World War II bayonet.
$50, $60, $70, $80, $90...$90.
What?
This bayonet was mass produced.
If someone offered me $100 for that bayonet in my shop,
I would kiss them and say thank you.
(auctioneer) $125, $150, $175...
Mark has a passion for militaria,
but he doesn't know it the way I know it.
He's not thinking with his wallet, he's thinking with his emotions.
$175, $200, two...
sold, $175.
Okay...
That was a foolish move-- $175 on that bayonet is three times what it's worth.
I spent $500 at this auction.
I got an awesome helicopter, some sealed boxes...
I'm thinking I'm gonna make a lot of money here.
I didn't see this when I first bought it,
but according to my home girl right here,
this is a wardrobe box, and I'm really hoping
I find more than just clothes.
Size matters when it comes to mystery boxes...
makes me feel like I'll get a good *** for my buck.
Boxes! Exactly what I was hoping to find.
I got a ways to go before I make some money.
I don't know what this is.
All right--this is a decorative lamp.
This is not looking good right now.
I actually like the boxes more than I like the lamps.
I could use these for shipping.
Please be something good, please be something good.
Okay...
If this is another lamp, it better be a real pretty lamp.
What do we have... all right!
Yeah, baby! This is what we're talking about.
The most interesting thing about this drum is
the fact that it's made of wood and brass.
I'm very confident that this is over 50 years old,
from the paint, the brass, and the fact that I have never seen one like this before.
It's possible it could be military.
If this drum was used in World War II,
the drum could be worth over $500.
[cha-ching]
This is the coolest thing that I have seen all year at an auction, and I got to buy it.
It screams awesome in every way possible.
This isn't a toy, it's a full-blown hobby,
and the guys that are into this stuff, oh--
they're into it in a big way.
Here's the problem-- if this helicopter does not work,
it could cost me hundreds to repair,
and my profit will be out the window.
I'm gonna go to a hobby shop down in the Bronx.
Now these guys are the ones that can help me out.
Thank you, I'm glad you think so.
So this is an early production Hirobo helicopter.
They don't make them like this anymore.
So how old would you say this is?
The late '80s...it's actually a really nice design.
The whole tail end is full of C & C Aluminum.
Okay.
Wow.
And then you would've had to buy everything else separately.
Someone probably would have spent no less than
probably $2,500.
Wow, so if the owner of this spent nearly $3,000
to get this kit 20 years ago, what's today's price?
The way you have it now, it doesn't work.
If it's not gonna be working and it can't be fixed,
you know, maybe $300.
I thought this helicopter was gonna be money in the bank.
Now I'm really starting to think this purchase was a bad idea.
If we did fix it up and you had it running,
I'd say you could probably get about $1,000 for it.
So...listen, I'm really jacked up.
Do you think you could get this running?
Good.
I'm leaving this helicopter behind with Danny.
I've got a lot riding on this.
One, two, three...
I spent almost $350, and I got a sealed box
and a World War II bayonet.
There's a lot of unknown for me.
This is a US-made, World War II bayonet.
The outside condition is pretty good.
I absolutely paid top dollar for this bayonet.
The only way I could make any kind of money
is if I could prove it was battle used.
Wow...this is crazy.
I cannot believe it.
Wow...this is crazy.
This looks like blood on this thing.
This bayonet is completely covered in blood.
I have never, ever seen
a bayonet drenched in human blood.
It's not uncommon for veterans, after they stab somebody,
to sheath their blade, not wipe it off,
and then all of a sudden the war is over,
and they ship this thing home and put it in a drawer,
and then it ends up at the Red Hook auction.
I have a collector who will pay $1,000 for a bayonet
with World War II blood on it...guaranteed.
I'm ahead of the game here, but not by a lot.
Everything is depending on this box right here.
Right now, it's a blue duffel bag
with something clacking inside of it.
It's heavy...
not a good sign, guys, but let's look inside.
It's probably a tent or something.
Ah, (bleep), I knew it--(bleep).
It's for a baby or something.
[metal rattling]
This (bleep) mother (bleep)!
A portable crib-- I am not feeling good
about this so-called great estate auction.
There's still some more stuff inside of here.
All right, this looks-- this looks interesting.
All right, this is interesting-- I feel money.
This is some kind of magnifying device.
I'm feeling so much better now.
I am feeling so much better now.
[singing] I am feeling so much better now.
[singing] I am feeling so much better now
because I have something cool
that screws in!
It's some kind of early projection device.
[normal voice] Yeah, just as I thought.
Oh, this is fantastic-- kerosene lamp,
you light it up, it's got a projection magnifying glass,
and you slide the image through here,
and it puts it up onto the wall.
This is a late 19th century magic lantern...
it was not only used for entertainment,
but it was also used by con men.
They would have a séance, and people's untrained eye
could not recognize that it was a projected image,
and people would really be conned into believing that
their long-lost relative was there at the séance.
This stuff is absolutely beautiful and crisp.
It sure as hell is worth more
than the $160 I paid for this entire box.
Here's Billy's math-- I can get $800.
We spent almost $500 at the auction today.
We got a blue duffel, the egg box, and a beautiful ship's wheel.
This is actually fabulous-- it's mahogany.
[cha-ching]
It's the blue bag-- here you go!
Ah, look that! Okay.
And it's a...
Pillow!
[laughs]
It's a million pillows.
It's full of pillows.
Choose your weapon.
[laughter and grunting]
[cha-ching]
I'm thinking that we paid too much for this-- we paid $155.
Well...
For you.
This is new.
To mix drinks and stuff?
Yeah.
[grunts]
This box has got a bunch of junk in it.
An old Chinese pot.
There's a black trash bag stuck inside of the vase.
This is just a big disappointment, I'm sure.
It's nothing.
It's nothing.
(Laurence) I'm kind of intrigued by what this item is and what it's used for.
It's obviously handmade-- somebody put a lot of effort into makin' it.
Where?
It's signed.
Somebody made this 'cause there's a signature...
Yes...seabird.
(Sally) It does have a bird foot on the bottom.
Maybe we can take it to somebody who knows about hunting stuff, or birds...
(Sally) Laurence has seen almost everything that there is.
If he doesn't know, we've gotta get it checked out.
(Sally) Absolutely not.
That's a turkey call-- they call it a friction call
because you're making friction here to make the sounds.
[turkey sounds]
Turns out it's a turkey caller.
[laughs quietly]
[laughing] A turkey caller.
Depending on what you're trying to do, basically you wanna entice the male.
Basically, yeah.
What kind of a premium for this one, you think?
Well, by looks of the call, it's a pretty nice call.
I'm sure this was all done by hand where now they're done by factories.
And he's gotta spend a lot of time to tune it
and get it to sound the way he wants it to sound.
And this has writing on it by the guy who probably built it.
Really?
It's one-of-a-kind, and if we can get this to call a turkey in...
it could be $1,000.
A thousand dollars? What the (bleep)?
[laughing] It's a piece of wood!
So you wanna see if this thing works?
You've got it, man.
(Sally) It's worth $1,000, but only if it works,
and Sal raises wild turkeys.
[suspenseful music]
[turkey sounds]
You've got it, man.
(Sally) This turkey caller-- it's worth $1,000, but only if it works,
and Sal raises wild turkeys.
[suspenseful music]
[turkey sounds]
[turkey sounds]
[turkey gobbles]
[laughs]
♪♪
(Sally) Not only is it a turkey caller,
it's a customized, souped-up,
totally pimped turkey caller.
[laughter]
[turkey gobbles]
(Mark) Danny called me to tell me he was able to find some parts
for this RC helicopter.
We're taking it to a local park in the Bronx for a test flight.
If this helicopter works, it could be in excess of $1,000,
but if Danny can't get it to run, I'm looking at a $200 shelf hanger.
I'm nervous, but we gotta do this.
[symphony playing "Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner]
[helicopter blades whirring]
[cha-ching]
The helicopter's flying--that's what I'm talking about.
A thousand bucks, in my pocket.
Whoo!
(narrator) Billy killed it in Red Hook with a bloody bayonet and a magic lantern
for a projected profit of almost $1,500.
When the RC helicopter finally got off the ground,
Mark's profit soared over $1,000.
Laurence and Sally scored a giant ship's wheel
and a one-of-a-kind turkey caller,
gobbling up more than two grand in profit.
(Mark) Fragile can be good and bad at these auctions,
because if it's broken, I'm screwed.
Crack 1--
Sherlock Holmes has a crack in the front,
so I'm feeling foolish for buying the "Fragile" box that wasn't packed well.
All right--so I'm thinking this is a cookie jar.
This guy had a, you know, had a *** for Sherlock Holmes,
so here I have a collection of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia.
When I find a Sherlock Holmes collector that wants the faces,
the cookie jar, and this getup,
I'm gonna sell it to him for $200.
The problem is...finding a Sherlock Holmes collector.
Mark, do you have any Sherlock Holmes stuff?