Tonight I watched the new PBS show about flea market pickers

[grasswire]

It's a competition. Four pickers get $1000 to spend, but there are certain goals. One piece tonight had to be costume jewelry. The rest of the money they had to spend on two other items. The pickers as a group judge whether each one's targeted piece (the jewelry) met the criteria. If a picker's item doesn't meet the criteria, he/she forfeits $50 to each other picker.

Then they ship the items to an auction house in another area.

It was interesting. Only one picker made money. The auction was tough -- in Hollywood. One picker got skunked on what she thought was a mid-century coffee table but it turned out to be late century. The best piece of the night was a small vase that was mixed metal and beautifully crafted, from Japan. I knew nothing about Japanese mixed metal items prior to tonight!

Anyone else see it?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. I caught it, and last week too when Willard was still the host

Market Warriors continues without Fred Willard while PBS facing GOP funding cuts

After actor Fred Willard was arrested July 18 for “engaging in a lewd act” – at the Tiki (adult film) theater in Hollywood – the Washington Post reported July 23 that Willard was sacked as narrator of Market Warriors “less than 24 hours after his arrest because the programming service was afraid his ‘unfortunate circumstances’ would become a ‘distraction’ and it needed to move quickly, PBS chief Paula Kerger told television critics on the opening day of Summer TV Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton hotel.” In turn, the “Antiques Roadshow” spinoff program Market Warriors continues Monday, July 23 at 9/8c on PBS channels nationwide with this second episode – in a 20 program series – featuring antiquing in Philadelphia at the famed “Philly Flea Market,” that’s legend back east for fine antiques and collectibles. At the same time, the bubbly Roadshow host Mark Walberg now serves in Willard’s old job as the off-screen narrator for Market Warriors.

In turn, “Market Warriors” is being marketed by PBS as “the forerunner of television’s popular antiques and collectibles genre,” with four antique experts going on a treasure hunt with the victor decided at the end of each program with auction results.
more http://www.huliq.com/10282/market-warriors-continues-without-fred-willard-while-pbs-facing-gop-funding-cuts

[democraticinsurgent]

2. Wondering where they got these pickers...

As noted, only one made money this week. I think last week, maybe two and the guy named Kevin won both weeks. He seems like the only sensible one. The others do not seem as knowledgeable and are impulsive.

Perhaps this is "according to the script" but I would rather see four really talented folks go at it. The woman seems really ditzy and not very smart. The old hippie dude is entertaining but he takes big risks that so far haven't paid off. The designer guy just seems to buy what he likes without much regard to resale.

I know this isn't exactly real world, and yet, for a vintage dealer, it kind of is. Going to a flea market and trying to score something at their retail price that you can make money on is a time honored tradition in the antiques biz.

Also I miss Fred Willard. Sad that they dumped him so unceremoniously.

Still, entertaining show and I'll probably keep watching. I always learn something.

[TeamPooka]

3. I just discovered Antiques Road Trip, the British series that Warriors is based on. Love it and

the items they find but the accents make it very relaxing TV.

[wyldwolf]

4. Don't like the angle

I'd rather see the contestants given the cash, then have a camera crew follow them around for a weekend - no stipulations on what they can and cannot buy.