Attic Treasures That Shocked the Shop | Compilation | Pawn Stars

Hey, got out there.
>> Yes. Got an item I’d like to show you today. I’ve got a World War II 1945 US Japanese landmine training set.
Four Japanese landmines.
>> All right, that’s definitely different.
>> I came to the pawn shop because I have a World War II Japanese landmine training set that I found after my father passed away. I want to sell it because it’s just taking up space in the garage. I think it’s worth probably $200 to $3,000 and I’d like to get about $2500 for it.
Uh the first time I saw this, I was a little kid. Dad took it down out of the garage and said, “I want to show you something interesting.” He said, “But you can’t ever speak of it and you can never touch it.” And he opened it up and said, “These are landmines and they are real.” So all my life I grew up thinking, “Dad has landmines in the attic of the garage.” So I didn’t speak about it.
>> So you just got up there and tried to get rid of them. You didn’t call the bomb squad or nothing?
>> Well, we weren’t exactly sure what we had. I got my cousin’s help who had done bomb disposal.
>> So, we’re all clear there’s no explosives in here, right?
>> Absolutely no explosives.
>> All right.
>> Okay. Well, it’s easy to tell. All you got to do is open them up. That’ be >> See, there’s nothing inside it. Besides, you need detonators for them.
>> Oh, well, you may be a landmine expert.
I’m not.
>> Over 300 million landmines were used during World War II. That’s why the US military created training kits like these. They would help assultter learn how to identify, diffuse, or destroy Japanese mines. It’s got the original manual with it. It’s got a picture inside here to identify what they are.
You’ve got a yard stick mine. You’ve got a anti-tank mine. And this big one, >> type 97.
>> Type 97. Then you’ve got a magnetic mine. This one has four magnets on it.
This one always had me the most worried because there was detonators in the top of it. But after we looked closer, I found out it’s just a block of wood inside.
>> Okay.
>> Some of these versions had Japanese grenades in them. The few sets I have been able to find like this don’t show them in them either. So, I don’t know if they’re missing.
>> So, what do you want to do with it? Do you want to pawn it or sell it or >> I think we’d like to sell it. I want to know if it’s complete. That’s the whole problem here. These training mines look amazing and they’re the kind of thing that collectors will go nuts for. But even though I’m pretty sure they’re rare, I just don’t know how rare. I got a friend. He’s the curator of the Clark County Museum. Let me get him down here.
Let me have him take a look at this stuff.
>> Okay. Send it there.
>> All right. Thanks.
>> Thank you.
>> Hey, Mark. How’s it going?
>> Hey, how are you doing? I’m the administrator of the Clark County Museum System. I started working in Clark County in 1993. So, I’ve been here 17 years. What do we got here?
>> Brought in a 1945 World War II.
>> Yeah. The set number two >> Japanese landmine training set.
>> Very nice. So, how did you end up with a Japanese mime training kit?
>> Well, my father retired after 42 years in the US Army. He passed away. I found this case up in the attic.
>> It’s not a good idea to have landmines in the attic.
>> So, what’s worse, landmines in the attic or skeletons in the closet?
>> I think landmines in the attic, they do a lot more damage.
>> Not necessarily.
>> That’s true. That’s true. Okay. So, what you have in the set are the four main mines that you’d run into if you were going to be invading a Japanese-held area. The yard stick mine, it’s used for blowing holes through fences, for blowing holes through barriers, that sort of thing. The type 93, this is an anti-personnel mine. That is one that if you step on this, it goes off. the ceramic landmine. The real problem with that one is you couldn’t pick it up with a mine detector rather than a metal like this one. And then the magnetic mine, you could adhere that to the side of a vehicle. It would direct the blast where you wanted it to go.
>> Is it all here?
>> Let’s see what we’ve got here. You had four fuses. That was normal. You had this fuse. Got the manual with it. The only thing that’s missing is the grenade. It’s nearly a complete set here with the exception of the grenade with only 600 having been made. You know, you don’t see a lot of these sets.
They’re not by any means common.
>> Thanks, Mark. Okay. Thank you.
>> Thanks. I appreciate it.
>> Good to see you.
>> Good to see you.
>> Talking to give me a price for it, can I?
>> No, you can’t. Don’t do.
>> Thank you very much. It’s nice to meet you.
>> Have fun now.
>> All right. So, the big question is, what do you want for it?
I’d >> like to have 2500 for it.
>> What do you really want for it?
>> I’d take 2,000 today.
>> It’s a specialty specialty specialty item. I’ll give you 800 bucks.
>> About 1,800.
>> I will give you 800 bucks and it is a shot in the dark. These mines are incredible and they’re the kind of thing that collectors will go nuts for, but I have no idea how long I want to sit on them.
>> Okay.
It’s 800. It is.
>> All right. 800 bucks.
>> All right. Thank you. Appreciate it.
>> Thank you.
>> Well, I’d hope to get a little more out of it, but I think 800 was a fair price.
I don’t have to take it back home with me now. Maybe it’ll have a new home and somebody can enjoy it and appreciate it for what it is.
>> Hey, how’s it going?
>> Good, man. How you doing?
>> So, tell me what you got.
>> So, I was cleaning out my aunt’s attic and came across these really weird old looking coins. They look rare. I’ve never seen anything like these.
>> Okay. Do you know anything about them?
Really?
>> I tried looking them up on the internet and I couldn’t find anything about it. I just know they’re well over 3 to 500 years old.
>> I’m going to go with they’re probably a lot older than that.
>> Hopefully for me and my wallet.
I’m at the pawn shop today to sell two coins that I found in my aunt’s attic.
They look really old, really rare. I have no idea what their deal is. I hope somebody can tell me what they are. I’m hoping to get around 2,000 for the pair just because I feel they’re really old and collectible.
>> This is interesting. I’m going to go with Roman on these because you hear the, you know, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It didn’t fall in a day either.
Once Christianity started taking hold and there was probably over a hundred different emperors or whatever you want to call them, everybody wanted to kind of make their mark and there was all kinds of different coins that got created.
Is that Jesus or an emperor?
>> You know, that looks like it could be Jesus.
>> Kind of looks like he has a cross behind him, but I’m not the expert on Jesus here.
>> Me? Me neither.
>> Now, don’t get your hopes up quite yet.
Before I get ahead of myself at all, what are you looking to get for him?
>> I’d love 2,000 for the pair.
>> That’s totally possible, but I have no clue. There’s so many different variations, so many different things that come into play here. So, do me a favor, hang out for a little bit. Let me call a buddy of mine to come take a look at them because these are two I’ve never seen before.
>> Cool. All right, I’ll be right back.
>> I’m really hoping the expert comes and sees the coins and says they’re thousands of years old and hopefully worth thousands of dollars.
>> So, these are them.
>> Oh, wow. I got a feeling that they may be Roman or something.
>> Right. They’re sort of Roman descendants. So they’re Byzantine, >> but the Byzantines consider themselves Romans.
>> Okay. So tell me what I’m looking at here.
>> Well, these give or take 25 years about a thousand years old. These were struck for a little over a century and only Christ’s portrait appeared on these copper coins which was really amazing because for the first thousand years it was the portraits of emperors and then suddenly in 970 the emperor John the decided to take his own portrait off of his copper coins.
>> You know, I’ve had 2,2500 year old coins come in the store that actually weren’t worth anything. So I’m I’m always a little bit leery when it comes to stuff like this. as you should be. Yeah.
Ancient coins. They’re worth anywhere from 50 cents to several million dollars.
>> So hopefully these are the ones that are actually worth money. Do you mind taking a look?
>> Yeah, I’d love to.
>> These are not bad. Have very clear portraits of Christ and they were used for everyday commerce for just ordinary purchases. So they get very worn. So to find them in this condition is not common. So that’s really good news. So, just give me an idea. What are they worth?
>> Well, these are very pleasant examples.
The portraits are extremely clear, and that’s why people want them. If the portrait’s not clear, 20 or $30 each. If the portrait is unbelievable, maybe $1,000 each. These fit very nicely in the middle. They’re about $300 each, and they should sell very quickly.
>> I appreciate it, man. Thanks for coming down.
>> All right. Thanks. Always.
So, what are you looking to realistically get out of them?
>> 300 each.
>> You know, 300 bucks. I might have to get them graded, encapsulated. All this stuff costs money. I got to pay somebody to sell them. I think 300 bucks for the pair.
>> I’d really like to get at least two for each.
>> I’ll tell you what, I’ll do 350 and split the difference with you.
We got a deal.
>> Yeah, we got a deal >> right over there. Okay. Right chip.
Okay.
>> Thanks. so much. Appreciate it.
>> Honestly, I think I made a pretty penny for two coins that were sitting in my aunt’s attic. So, it’s a win.
>> Hey, >> hey, what can I help you with, man?
>> This is a book that was printed by Benjamin Franklin.
>> Okay. Printed and sold by B. Franklin 1945.
I mean 1745, excuse me.
1945 would be a little bit off.
I came down to the pawn shop today to try to sell my book that was printed and sold by Benjamin Franklin in 1745. I’d like to sell the book because I have no use for it and I could really use the money. 1,500 is probably the lowest I’ll take. How did you get this thing?
>> Uh, this was in my grandma’s attic and came across this.
>> Benjamin Franklin was one of the forefathers. He was an inventor. He was a statesman.
>> You know, he was considered one of the greatest inventors of his time. He never patented anything because all of his inventions, he said, were for the people. He almost controlled all the printing in this country. I mean, the majority of the printing was done by him all the way from New England all the way down to the Caribbean. Benjamin Franklin was an author, scientist, printer, and diplomat. The man did it all. And anything tied to him is potentially worth a fortune. It It’s a religious book. The Confession of Faith, Catechisms.
You didn’t put the tape on here, did you? No, that’s antique right there.
>> Okay, cuz whoever put the tape on there did more harm than they did good. It kills me that someone tried to tape this thing back together, but since it appears to be published by Ben Franklin himself, I think it still has value. So, what do you want to do with it?
>> I was hoping to sell it. I did a little research on it and goes for auction like anywhere from 3 to 5,000.
>> Uh 3 to 5,000 in what shape?
>> It’s older than the Declaration of Independence.
>> So is he, but that doesn’t make him worth a lot of money. Uh, the problem is I don’t know what it’s worth being in such bad shape. So, let me call somebody up, get him down here.
He’ll take a look at it, and we’ll talk to him and see what we can do. All right.
>> All right. I’ll be right back.
>> I think the expert’s going to come in and realize the book is authentic and worth a little bit of money.
>> Hey, Dana, what’s up?
>> Hey, Rick. How are you? Rick usually calls me in whenever he has any historic American items.
Oh boy, is this fragile. The Confession of Faith, printed and sold by B.
Franklin, 1745.
He printed 16 books himself where he put money out of his own pocket. And although he did only a few himself, he did a number of books for other people.
This is one of the religious books he would have been contracted to print during the day. It’s rare to find any book that’s printed by Benjamin Franklin. He tried to stay away from printing books because they were so costly and so hard to accomplish. You’re missing the first six pages and uh they taped in page seven and eight.
Typically, collectors want a complete edition of a book.
>> So, what do you think it’s worth? If it were in really nice condition, I would think that it would be something in the $4 to $6,000 range. But in this kind of condition being so rough, maybe $1,500 to $2,000.
>> Thanks, Danny. You’re very nice meeting you.
>> So, what do you want to do with it?
>> Uh, yeah. I’d definitely like to sell it.
>> Okay. So, how much you want for it?
>> I was thinking maybe 1,200.
>> I’ll give you 500 bucks.
>> 500? This a piece of history.
>> Say nightmare is what this is.
>> It’s a monstrosity. I really don’t want it, Rick.
>> This could have some kind of secret Freemason code in it.
>> Yeah. Yeah. That I doubt. But the problem is I have to put this out for sale. Okay. I start showing it to a lot of customers. The condition it’s in, I’m really afraid something bad’s going to happen.
>> Yeah. It’s going to fall apart like a $2 watch.
>> I tell you what, I’ll give you six and a quarter and that’s all I’m going to go.
>> 650 maybe. Meet in the middle.
[Music] You know what?
I’ll do it. 650.
>> 650.
>> All right.
>> Got a deal. I’ll write you up.
>> I was hoping for a little more, but the book was just collecting dust in the attic. And 650. I’m happy.
>> What do we got here?
>> I believe it’s a presidential document signed by Grover Cleveland.
>> I’d be so mad if my parents named me Grover. Pops, come here.
>> What do you want? Thank you for not naming me Grover.
>> I decided to come into Pawn Shop today to try to sell a presidential document and I believe it’s signed by President Cleveland. Thought I’d bring it down here to see if I can get some extra cash to pay some bills.
>> Grover Cleveland, President of the United States of America. Where’d you find this?
>> I was actually rehabbing a house and I was in the attic and I saw that tube and I opened it up. That document was in there.
>> Okay. President Cleveland is known for two things. He was the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and his face is on the thousand bill. That’s about it.
Right here it says he’s appointing William Lochner of Minneapolis, Minnesota to the commissioner of pensions.
It’s signed by the secretary of the interior and Grover Cleveland.
>> Pops, what do you think?
>> I mean, everything looks right. I mean, it’s >> it’s definitely old.
>> The paper looks right. The ink looks right. Uh, but I know some presidential documents were signed by secretaries.
So I have no idea if this is Grover Cleveland signature right here or as secretaries. Um, did you want to ponder it or do you want to sell it?
>> I’d like to sell it.
>> Uh, I think I need to have someone look at it before I make an offer. I just don’t want to put out the money without knowing.
>> Okay.
>> Let me call someone in here knows more about it than I do.
>> Okay.
>> We’ll get this thing figured out and we’ll see if we can do some business.
>> All righty. Thank you.
>> Thanks. You never know with something like this. President Cleveland signature could be very rare and this guy could have found a treasure in his attic.
>> I’m president of Early American History Auctions. The guys at the Pawn Shop call me whenever they have early American documents or items that need authentication and valuation. Let’s see.
Grover Cleveland. He was our 22nd and our 24th president. I have a really interesting story about Grover Cleveland. Before he was president, when he was 27 years old, his law partner had a little baby. Grover Cleveland purchased the first baby carriage for that little baby. 21 years later, when he was 48 years old, he married in the White House, the little baby girl who he gave the carriage to 21 years after she was born.
The White House has definitely had its fair share of scandals. I mean, FDR married a distant cousin. Harding had an affair with his wife’s married friend.
JFK and Marilyn Monroe supposedly had a fling. And Bill Clinton, well, [Laughter] this appears to be a presidential commission to this fellow, William Blackman. The document itself is in fairly rough condition. Typically, a document of this nature would have been fairly well treasured by the person who received it. They’re typically framed that hung on a wall if you’re given a a a document by a president, but the printing on the documents appears nice.
There’s a embossed seal in the uh left lower corner.
>> I know some things like this were signed by secretaries. Well, having been doing this for a long time, I’ve seen a number of signatures of Grover Cleveland. You have a signature that’s in brown ink that’s very sharp and clear with a very nice consistent float. And um I believe this um this is authentic. There’s no question about it. Typically, if a document is signed by a secretary, the name of the person who is signing for the president would have been listed just below the president’s name.
>> How much you think it’s worth?
>> Um, in the condition that it’s in with the tears and the stains and all and being wrinkled and edges crinkled, it’s worth maybe couple hundred, $200, $300, something of that nature.
>> Thanks, Danny. I really appreciate it.
>> You take care. Take care, Cory.
Well, you know what it’s worth, son. You handle the deal.
>> All right, man. What would you realistically take for it?
>> Like 250.
>> Realistically, man, I’m going to have to have this thing framed and matted. It’s going to cost me another 50 bucks and offer you like a hundred bucks for it.
>> Okay, I’ll take 100 for it.
>> All right, let’s go do some paperwork.
>> Thanks.
>> $100 wasn’t even close to what I was thinking I was going to get, but what the heck? I found a documented attic, and that’s better than nothing at all.
What do we got here?
>> I have a Stratavarious violin dated 1763.
>> A Stratavarius.
>> Stratavarious violin.
>> That’s what I thought you said.
[Music] >> I bought a new house a couple months ago and there’s an old cedar chest and I was going through it. There was a violin at the bottom of it. I pulled it out and took a look at it and my heart just started beating. I thought I found a real Stratavaris fiddle and going to make millions of dollars off of it.
>> So, where’d you get this at? Actually, in a house that I bought is where at the back of the barn, an old cedar chest had a bunch of old quilts on top of it. Do >> you know nothing about it? There was no paperwork in the box or anything.
>> No, >> actually his name was Stratavaria. It wasn’t Stratavarius.
>> Stratavaria. Oh, okay.
>> He latinized his name. It was really common back then. Like Christopher Columbus.
>> Yeah.
>> His real name was Christopher Columbus.
>> Ah.
>> But after he became important, he made it Latin sounding. So the us on the end of it.
>> Learn something new every day, don’t you?
Antonio Stratavari was an instrument maker back in the early 1700s. His instruments were considered the best ever made. Many people would argue that even today the sound quality and the precision cannot be matched. That’s why they go for millions of dollars.
>> You’re either the luckiest man alive or I don’t know what you are.
>> Well, if it was a real Stratavarius, it would be worth millions.
>> Yeah, you got a better chance of hitting the lottery though, my friend.
Antonio Stratavari made over a thousand violins in his lifetime. So, is it possible one ended up in this guy’s attic? Anything is possible, but it’s extremely unlikely. It is old.
I don’t think it’s a Stratavarius. Every Stratavarius has been accounted for. The dates completely wrong. Stratavarious died long before 1763.
>> Yeah, but his kids carried on. They made some more.
>> I’m 99% sure this is a copy. But some copies were so well made, they’re still worth a lot of money. Not millions, but thousands. So, what do you want to do with it?
>> Like to sell it.
>> And how much did you want for it?
>> Well, if it’s a real one, if I can get million for it.
>> I do have a buddy. Um, I can call him in. He can take a look at it. There could be something here.
>> All right. And when he confirms it’s a Stratavarius, I want my million dollars.
>> Well, if it’s a real Stratavarius, I’d give you a million dollars in a minute.
Let me get him in here. he could take a look at it and maybe we can figure it out.
>> I don’t know much about Stratava violins or any violins period, but I’m not leaving here till they call in an expert cuz I have a gut feeling that this is one.
>> I’m a violin maker and I’ve been doing it for over 20 years. If you find a real Stratavari in an attic, it’s a miracle.
Antonio Stratavari gave us the modern violin essentially. He improved upon the sound. He gave the instrument more power. He wanted a violin that could project over a baro-sized orchestra. One of the first things I like to look at is the style of the violin making. The back is curly maple of a medium curl.
The top is medium wide grain spruce. So the wood is what Stratavari would have used, but it’s also what any violin maker would use.
Okay.
>> So, that doesn’t prove anything pro or con.
>> So, there’s a chance.
>> Maybe.
>> What I’m going to do next is get a little feel of the style of the instrument inside.
See if I can see any interior construction.
[Music] Well, this is really interesting. I think I might have found something. I see it does have a base bar that’s a separate piece of wood from the top. So, that’s good.
>> Man, you’re killing me.
>> The uh blocks are spruce, which would not be typical of Stratavaria. Willow would be more likely.
My conclusion is that this violin is a copy of a Strata and it was made around 1920 in either Germany or Czechoslovakia.
>> Meaning it’s not a million-dollar violin.
>> Went from a million dollars to nothing to nothing. Sometimes these violins can make good student instruments. They can sell in the price range of $1,500 to $2,500.
In this condition, not anywhere near that.
>> So, what’s the value in the condition it’s in?
>> They’re more than 500.
>> Thanks, man. I appreciate it.
>> Thanks for all your help.
>> They made thousands of copies of Stratabberry violins. Just because something has a label doesn’t mean it’s real.
>> So, how much you going to give me for it?
Nothing.
>> Nothing >> for me to buy it off you, fix it up, and try and resell it. It It’s just not going to happen.
It’s a losing proposition all the way down the line. Thanks for bringing it in, though, man.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you. Well, I’m disappointed. I could have sworn this thing was going to be a a real Stratava violin. That’s what I was hoping for, and it turned out it didn’t, but it is what it is.
>> Hey, what can I help you with? I’ve got some papers and documents from the Lindberg kidnapping case.
>> It was the crime of the century. Has anyone seen this stuff before?
>> You’re the first one to see this since the early 1940s.
I decided today to come into the pawn shop with my Lindberg papers. They were given to my grandmother by a detective.
If it’s worth enough, I might sell it.
It’s a picture of the baby.
picture of the ransom note.
>> So, where did you get these?
>> These were willed to my grandmother.
Leon Hoyes, the investigator, he rented a room at the hotel that my grandmother managed. He used to tell us about famous cases he had been on. He was hired by Charles Lindberg to work on the case.
American dream stories don’t get bigger than Charles Lindberg. At the age of 25, he was an unknown air male pilot and he decided to be the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic.
In 1932, Charles Lindberg had just bought a house in New Jersey, really rural. Right after he moved in, his little boy was kidnapped. Right around 10:00 at night, a nanny went up to the room. The kid was gone. There was a ladder going up to the window. Weeks after the kidnapping, they ended up finding the baby’s body. What most likely happened is when the kidnapper took the child, the kidnapper either killed the kid immediately or when he was coming down the ladder, he dropped the kid. In 1932, when 20-month-old Charles Lindberg Jr. was kidnapped. The story consumed the world. The kidnappers wanted $50,000. And even though it was paid, there was no sign of the Lindberg baby. They had written down all the serial numbers and all the money.
So 2 years after the kidnapping, some of the bills showed up. What was the guy’s name? The guy who was convicted of it?
>> Bruno Hoffman.
>> They traced the money back to him. They found some of the ransom money in his house and he ended up getting the death penalty for it.
These might interest you. Inside the envelope here are the actual nails that came out of the floorboard of the garage where supposedly the ladder was made.
Why would he pull floorboards out of his attic and build his own ladder?
>> One of the rungs in the ladder was broken, right?
>> That’s correct.
>> So, it had to be replaced with a board, so he just pulled a board out of his attic or something.
>> They were comparing if any of the nail holes lined up with the nail holes in the studs of the attic. Uh, so they were trying to do some CSI back in the day. I got you. Must have not been too smart of a criminal or you was framed.
>> Most criminals are pretty stupid.
>> Back in the 1930s, forensic science wasn’t nearly like it is today, but they were making all kinds of leaps and bounds. So, like most criminals today, they didn’t realize what technology could do until it was too late. I’ve also got ransom notes addressed to Charles Lindberg. There were hundreds of people trying to get in on the act back then. So people would actually send bogus ransom notes hoping that he would send them some money.
>> That’s true.
>> Anyone who would write a random ransom note is just a douchebag. Beyond just records, this guy seems to have actual evidence from the case itself. There’s original ransom notes and actual nails from the Hoffman house. It’s been over six decades since anyone’s seen this stuff. It’s unbelievable. So did Bruno Hoffman actually do it or >> I believe he probably did it.
>> I personally don’t think he did.
>> You think he was framed? I think he was framed. There’s enough evidence in here that uh it would convince you also that he was framed.
Leon Hoyes felt it was a rush to judgment. The public wanted somebody held responsible and they executed an innocent man.
>> Okay. So, did he have an idea who did it?
>> Yes, he did. It was Bruno Hopman’s friend from Germany. That man uh stayed at Bruno Hopman’s home. After the kidnapping, he disappeared. And Leon Hoyer’s theory was that he had left some of the ransom money in a tin can as an appreciation for letting him stay there with Bruno Hoffman.
>> Okay.
>> And that backfired for helping him out.
He ended up getting him executed.
This is one of the most incredible items ever to come in the shop. But I have no way of knowing how real this stuff is without someone taking a look at it. Let me have someone look at all this stuff cuz I’m a little overwhelmed with it and he can help us out.
>> Great.
>> Okay. Thanks.
>> Thank you.
>> Hopefully I can get someone down here right away cuz I’m really intrigued.
>> I never believe what we got for you here.
>> I never believe what you have for me most of the time. I’m the administrator of the Clark County Museum System. So what do we have? New evidence in the Lindberg case.
[Music] >> Okay.
>> I don’t even know where to start.
>> All right. So, what’s the story behind this?
>> These were handed down to my grandmother by Leon Hoyes.
>> Okay. Okay. Let me take a glance. Do you mind?
>> Sure. No, go right ahead.
>> This was one of those cases that caught up everybody in the United States.
Charles Lindberg was probably the most famous person in the United States at that time. And the whole idea of Charles Augustus Lindberg Jr. being kidnapped was just huge. This was something that people throughout the United States were following day by day, step by step.
Could they find who did this? Most of Leon Hoy’s papers are at UCLA. Leon Hoy got involved with um doing some of the research on the uh attic at the Bruno Halman home. The nails from the Halman attic. That’s an interesting piece. They tried to prove that one of the side rails on the ladder came from the attic area of the apartment building. This kind of nail would make this kind of a groove in the board once you took them out.
>> So, was it the same?
>> Yeah, it was. ransom notes that were part of the case, but they were not the actual ransom notes.
>> This stuff is just so overwhelming. I just wanted you to look at it and tell me, is it real?
>> Uh, from what I’m seeing here, looks to me that that this is all legitimately Leon Hoy’s uh papers. I think you have a fascinating collection here.
>> And I’d like to know whether the guy was innocent or guilty. The evidence that I have here suggests that Bruno Hutman uh was innocent.
>> If you’ve got $13,000 from the ransom, you’re in a bad place.
>> Yeah.
>> Of course, there’s all kinds of conspiracy theories that have been spun out around it. You know, there have been books published probably every 10 years claiming that they finally found who was actually at fault. So, the interest in this is still huge. I mean, I know you don’t give values, but is this like collectible?
>> Certainly, there’d be researchers who would love this kind of stuff. There’s enough conspiracy theorists that that they would want to, you know, get into this. It’s not something that you’re going to find on the open market, >> okay, >> by any means.
>> Thanks for what help it was.
>> Thank you. I am really glad that the family had this held on to it. It’s wonderful material.
>> So, you’re looking to sell it?
>> Yeah, I think I would. How much did you want for it?
>> I have no idea.
>> Okay, that makes two of us. For once in my life, I’m overwhelmed with something.
I would give you $1,000 and I am just taking a complete shot in the dark.
That’s why I’m not going to offer some crazy number.
It’s a neat collection. I would love to have it, but you have to understand it is going to be difficult to sell.
>> Would you go 2000?
Um, no. 1,500 would be it.
If I was to shop around a little bit, my offer will stand.
Boy, I’ve held on to them for 65 years plus.
So, from what I’ve just learned today, I I think I’ll just pass on it.
Sorry we couldn’t make a deal then.
>> I didn’t want to sell it for $1,500. I don’t think $1,500 is is that much money in this day and age. It could well be worth more. I’ll have to wait and see.
>> Hey, how’s it going? What do you got here? I have two original Duesenberg presentation drawings. Nice. Some people will say that is the coolest car America ever built. I was going to say I brought you a couple of doozies today.
My uncle found the Duesenberg drawings in an attic. I’m looking to get $25,000 per drawing and the least I will take is probably right around 10.
>> All right. So, where did you get these at?
>> Well, they were actually left to me by my uncle. He was working for an antiques dealer cleaning out the attic and found these rolled up and they’ve been framed above his bed ever since 1959.
Okay. Now, the whole point of the drawings was actually to present them to the people buying the cars. They would actually design the car specifically for the buyer.
Back in the 20s and 30s, the Duesenberg was up there with the Rolls-Royce, the Bentleys. It was a the super luxury car.
If you were a person of means, that was the car you wanted to have. A couple German brothers started making these in Iowa back in the early 1900s and they were as luxury as it gets. Everything was custom. They actually started by having an artist sketch it for you first. Doesn’t get more custom than that.
>> So, what can you tell me about these men?
>> This one was drawn by George McQuary and this was drawn by Franklin Hershey who was lead designer at Murphy Body Company. My uncle David had corresponded with Mr. Hershey and set up an appointment to have him sign it. When Mr. Hershey saw the two drawings, he was shocked. These typically went to clay studios and engineering and they were usually destroyed. So somehow the owner of the car managed to get these. I’m an old car buff and I’ve got a few old cars. This is every carbuff’s dream. No car made today compares to Ducenberg.
It’s a classic just like me. Any idea of what you want for him? I decided to start at 25,000 per drawing.
Okay. Um, for that kind of money, do you mind if I call a buddy of mine up and have him come down and take a look at them?
>> He can give me an idea of what these are going for, what they sold for, stuff like that.
>> I’d be excited to hear somebody talk about them.
>> Let me give him a call. I’ll be right back. I’ve done a lot of research regarding Duesenberg presentation drawings. I haven’t been able to find one comparable, so I’m really excited to see what this guy has to say about them.
>> What did you bring me down here for, guys?
>> Well, what I have are a couple of original Duesenberg presentation drawings. They were left to me by my uncle.
>> Interesting. Now, I noticed that they’re signed. Were these signed when your uncle originally found them?
>> Here’s the interesting thing. In 1991, we uh went out to Manhattan Beach where Franklin Hershey was living. Actually had Mr. Hershey sign this one. Mr.
Hershey then said that George McCory had done this one.
>> And so my uncle had penciled that in.
>> Now Franklin Hershey, he’s he’s quite a luminary. Yes, he is.
>> And he designed the the Ford Thunderbird, I believe, >> and he worked for GM as well.
>> So the fact that you got his signature on this one was a real coup. And he has since passed.
>> He has. He has >> real tight lines, very clean, very indicative of kind of the the deco period. Beautiful. These are these are very very well done.
>> Brett, I don’t know if you would call this fine art >> or line drawings or what.
>> That’s a valid concern. It’s definitely a beautiful piece and it’s a very artistic work, both of them. Uh, but it was done by design team. They weren’t intended as a fine art piece. They were meant to show to clients and typically after that they were either destroyed or filed or you know just lost to time.
>> Now Cory, did you have some concerns?
>> I got one giant concern. What do you think I could sell them for?
>> I would say this one since it wasn’t hand signed, but it does have the notation as well as some provenance.
That might be more in the3 to $4,000 range.
this one with the signature uh and again the additional provenance behind it probably closer to five but I do think they’re very salailable and I think they’d be marketable pieces here.
>> You’re the best man.
>> Cory. Hey, my pleasure. Richard, good to see you. Andrew, very nice meeting you.
Beautiful works.
>> Thank you.
>> I don’t know if we can make a deal or not. We’re awful far apart.
Well, where do you want to be at?
>> Well, what do you think, Cory? I think about four grand for the pair.
>> That’s exactly where I was at.
You wouldn’t go anymore. Maybe six.
>> No, >> I’m just not in the collector’s market, buddy. I mean, I’ve got to turn these and I got to sell them quick.
>> Well, boy, I’m not sure what to do, to be honest.
Um, [Music] >> I might have to hang on to them.
>> It’s your prerogative, my man. Take care. Thanks a lot.
>> All right. Thanks a lot.
>> Thank you.
>> All right.
>> Since we weren’t able to make a deal today, I think I’m going to hang on to them for a while. Maybe find a real buyer for him.