Todd Merrill chatted enthusiastically about the show, saying it has all the drama from Amazing Race to Antique Roadshow as the four sets of amateur and part-time pickers vie for the highest prize.
Each team starts off with the same amount of money, at the end of the round everyone meets in the barn (it's all on location) to hear what the experts have to say about their finds. They evaluate the pieces telling the pickers what is both wrong and right about the items. After they finish describing and evaluating (without telling them the worth) all the finds, the Merrills then tell the pickers who "won" that round. The last place team leaves and the remaining groups continue on their quest for the next great find.
Todd said that he tells folks not to listen to the story, but look at the facts and take everything with a grain of salt. Does it have all the parts, is there any rust, is anything restored? He said pickers can get enthralled with the idea and story, overlook the actual facts and condition.
One of the hardest things for the two appraisers is that they are on location and have about 30 - 45 minutes to figure everything out. And that means everything, from comic books to watches, toys and furniture. That means searching on the computer, thumbing through the reference books and using all their phone contacts to get the best information available from multiple experts.
Todd related how some teams did really great, trading up with antique dealers at the flea market before even going to the barn, but then there was also when a large payoff was reduced to nothing when a team took their hundreds of dollars to buy an item and got faked out, winding up with an item worth $5.
The show sounds great, certainly a different take on all the shows about appraising out there and I'm looking forward to the first episode.
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