[rock music]
Mike: Alright, so, Francie's gonna stay here.
You're gonna have to watch her, Danielle. My baby.
Danielle: I can do that. Mike: Very cool.
Danielle: Why do you only have one bag? Where's the other bag?
Mike: That's all our stuff. That's all we need is one bag.
Danielle: Using your brother's bag?
Rob: Yeah? What's wrong with that?
Danielle: What?! Mike: [laughs]
Danielle: Nothing at all. Rob: See you.
Mike: We're professionals! Rob: Yeah.
Danielle: I love your brother's bag. That's super cute.
Mike: We're professionals! Danielle: Professional what?
Rob: I don't know about the 'cute' thing.
[laughs]
Have fun!
[honk, honk]
Danielle: Francie, come on, babes!
[dog barking]
[country rock music]
Mike: When's the last time you were at Wauseon, Ohio?
Rob: God, it's been like...
Mike: That meet is supposed to be just as big as Davenport now.
Rob: The last time I was there was with you.
Mike: Oh my God, that was like 15 years ago.
Rob: Well...
Mike: I didn't even have grey hair then!
I don't even think I could grow a beard back then.
Rob: [laughs]
Mike: Things have changed a lot.
How are we looking, Robbie?
Rob: We're good.
Mike: Oh yeah, this guy's got the spread.
Rob: He's got a lake in the front.
Mike: Yeah, this is the way to live, man.
Rob: Yeah.
Mike: Got your own zip code.
Rob: Right here. Oh, oh, oh!
How are you doing?
Mike: Hey, what's going on?
I'm Mike, this is Robbie.
Angie: Hi, I'm Angie. ow can I help you?
Mike: You talked to Danielle on the phone?
Angie: Oh yeah!
Mike: Yeah. Nice to meet you. Angie: Nice to meet you.
Mike: Hello. Rob: Nice to meet you.
Good to see you.
Angie: I talked to Danielle, I gave her a call.
We have a few Isettas.
Mike: I know, I heard.
Angie: I heard that's something you guys were interested in.
Rob: Yeah. Mike: Yeah.
Angie: And a lot more. Rob: Okay.
Mike: Cool. Rob: So, where's he at?
Angie: He's over there by the barns.
Mike: Oh yeah, I can see it. Rob: Alright.
Angie: You guys want to head over there,
I'll meet you out there in a little bit.
Mike: Alright, bye.
She's cool.
Rob: Yeah. Right here.
I think he's right here.
Mike: Oh, okay. Get a flyer.
Mike: Hey.
Rob: Hey, hey.
Mike: You Bob? Rob: Bob?
Bob: I'm Bob.
Mike: Hey, I think your daughter signed you up.
Bob: I think you're right.
Mike: [laughs]
Mike: Good to see you, man. How are you doing?
Rob: How you doing? Good to see you. Robbie.
Bob: Hello, hello.
Bob: I collect whatever I can buy at a fair price.
Whatever's cheap.
Angie: His barns are exploding.
Every time I clear an area, it would get filled again
when he would go to a yard sale.
Bob: She said I needed to get rid of all of this stuff.
[laughs]
Mike: God, it's gorgeous.
Bob: It is.
Mike: What is that, a '56? Bob: '56. All original.
All carburetors and Lincolns.
Mike: Nice.
So, what are you thinking on this?
Bob: Uh, it's in the low hundred thousand, 125.
Mike: Oh yeah, I bet. Bob: 125.
Bob: I always liked old cars.
I used to have a '55 Chevrolet.
Used to drag race it all over the country.
Mostly on the street. So...
Mike: What are you doing here?
What's going on with this?
Bob: Oh, this is my baby here.
Mike: This is it?
Bob: Yeah, I've had this since 1970.
Mike: Dani said you were in a local car club.
Bob: Cincy Street Rods.
Mike: Okay. Rob: Cincy Street Rods.
Mike: They still around? Bob: Yes.
Mike: Okay, very cool.
Bob: I've been in it for 44 years now.
I joined the car club in 1980 I believe it was,
1980 or 1981.
Mike: Yeah. Rob: What were you driving then?
Bob: This.
Angie: That's like a part of our family, that '33 Chevy.
We all went to prom in that Chevy.
Bob: It's just been a labor of love.
I never get it finished, I just drive it all the time, you know?
Mike: There you go. Knight Rider, baby!
Rob: Oh! Mike: Wow.
Bob: This is a 1981 Camaro Z28 black on black.
Mike: What's going on with this thing?
Bob: It's got 240 miles on it. Mike: Really?
Rob: This car in today's market
is probably worth 50 to 100 grand easily!
Mike: Did you buy this new? Bob: A friend of mine did.
Rob: 242 miles!
Mike: Why didn't he ever drive it?
Bob: When it came in, he had to leave for service or whatever,
and when he came back, he was married and needed a roof.
He said, "I'll trade you for a roof and a new door,"
so I went down and put a new roof and door on.
Mike: So, then why didn't you ever drive it?
Bob: I just didn't.
Mike: [laughs]
Rob: You stuck it back here in the corner
and it's been sitting here ever since?
Bob: I kept it for him forever
and it never did get in the rain, it's never been wet.
Mike: The first owner didn't have the opportunity
to drive the car much.
And then it came to Bobby.
Bobby's a car guy, he's a collector,
he understands that the mileage on this car is what matters.
Rob: What about the Chevy clock? You said everything's for sale.
Bob: Yeah, well...
I guess everything's for sale if you got enough money to buy it.
Rob: Obviously, Bobby is not gonna sell me the Camaro.
But the Chevy clock?
Rob: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
Mike: Whoa... Bob: Good catch!
Mike: [laughs]
Rob: I saw that going on, I was like...
there's not even a cord on it.
Is it in there?
Mike: No, it's not. See?
Here's the little nubs. The neon looks like it's intact.
Bob: It is. Rob: Yeah.
Mike: There's a big, for some reason, water stain from it.
Drips all the way down and then real heavy into the corner.
See it? Rob: Yeah.
The cool thing about that clock is most of the dealerships,
they would've had I call it the privilege panel
where the name would've been in it,
but that one doesn't have it.
Bob: Right. Rob: Yeah.
Mike: And then this is different
because this has Chevrolet Time on it instead of just Chevrolet.
Bob: I had that Chevrolet Time clock for a long, long time.
Got that from Blanchester Oil Company.
I used to work for them and when they closed down,
I bought a lot of the stuff out of the buildings.
Rob: If that was working, Bob, that's a $2,000 clock.
Rob: This is Super Chevy. This is 1930s into the 1940s.
They branded this.
This one doesn't have
the nameplate of the dealership on it
meaning I could put any nameplate in there.
That's what's so cool about this.
Rob: 900 bucks.
Where do you got to be on it?
Bob: I don't know.
Let's talk about that after we look around a little bit.
Rob: Alright.
Bob: It's sort of sentimental, but...
Rob: I know.
Bob: I promised I wasn't gonna be sentimental.
[laughs]
Mike: All collectors are sentimental.
It's basically what drives us, what connects us.
Bob: Everything's got a story.
Mike: You know, these things aren't random in here.
They're here for a reason.
Mike: Yeah.
Rob: Single dot.
Three and a quarter retail.
It's in good shape.
Mike: 200 bucks.
Bob: 250 and it's a deal.
Mike: 225.
Bob: Sold.
Rob: Alright.
Mike: [laughs]
Bob: I thought $225 for the Pepsi sign
was a fair price.
Mike: What about this pedal car over here?
Bob: Yeah, that's the first one I've seen
that had a Buick sticker on it.
Rob: Yeah.
Mike: Let's put this out here.
Rob: Whoa!
Mike: What was that? Oh, there's the caps!
Rob: 1, 2, 3. There's only 3.
Mike: Look at that sucker.
Are they real?
Rob: I think they're repops.
Mike: Yeah, they are.
Bob: Yeah, this is a real one over here.
Rob: Here's a real right here, Mike.
Mike: Yeah, it's got plastic on it too.
Bob: Yeah.
Rob: They still look good on there.
Mike: So, you can see right here where the batteries went.
It's still got the battery tray in it for the headlights.
Bob: Right. Rob: Yeah.
Mike: They've got a couple different things going on here.
They've got this massive reflector on the back
which is cool,
and then they've got a full-sized
car license plate on it.
Rob: That grill is a '34.
Bob: Yeah. Looks like a '33, '34.
Mike: Something's missing here too.
Rob: Probably the horn.
Mike: Yeah, there was a hole there.
Let's see what it looks like on the front.
Mike: Original paint from the right time period, 1930s,
it's got the streamline swoopy lines,
it's got the headlights,
and then that electrifying grill.
The patina on this car to me is perfect.
I would never restore it.
Mike: 800.
Bob: That the best you'll go on it?
Mike: That's definitely the best I'll go on it.
Bob: You know what? I'm gonna let you have it for 800.
Mike: Alright, we're gonna do it.
I appreciate it.
I know you've had it for a long time.
Bob: Yep.
Mike: A lot of these pedal cars are getting
extremely hard to find.
The good stuff has been snapped up.
Rob: What's the deal with this thing?
Bob: Oh, just something I picked up at a yard sale.
Rob: It's a wall hanger. Bob: Yeah.
Rob: It's got little wall mounts on it.
Bob: Yeah.
Rob: Maximus Cigar. I mean, it's like aluminum.
Bob: All day smoke.
Rob: Imported, handmade.
$200.
Bob: How about 250? Rob: 250.
Bob: You got it. Rob: Alright.
Mike: Alright. So, here's the Isetta engines.
Rob: Got a motor?
Mike: Danielle told us you had Isettas.
They're both 300s. Bob: Right.
That's the engines for both of them right there.
Mike: I see that.
Are the Isettas something that you would consider selling?
Bob: I would if the price was right, yes sir.
Mike: Okay.
Can we see the car - the bodies themselves?
Can we see the cars?
Bob: Sure. They're in the other two buildings.
Mike: Okay.
Mike: So, how long have you been on this property?
Bob: I've been on this property about 35, 40 years.
Mike: No kidding?
Bob: Actually, I used to work on this farm.
We used to raise cattle.
Mike: So, is that what you were doing here?
Bob: Yeah.
Mike: You were helping raising cattle?
Bob: Yeah, and farming.
Mike: How old were you when you started on this farm?
Bob: Uh, 10, 12 years old.
Rob: Really?! Mike: Get out of here!
Bob: I just lived up the street.
I was born right up the road there.
Mike: No kidding?
Bob: I used to put up hay here every year,
age 10 or 11 all the way up through my 20s.
I used to come out in the morning at 4:30
and we used to milk cows here.
Mike: And how many acres is it?
Bob: 159 and a half.
Mike: So, you got your own zip code?
Bob: Yeah. [laughs] Just about. Mike: Wow.
Bob: This came out of a little town over here called Vera Cruz.
Mike: No kidding.
So, do you remember this when it was open?
Bob: Oh, yeah. I used to cash in my pop bottles, 2 cents apiece.
Mike: [laughs] Rob: Yeah?
Mike: Is this - this is metal.
Rob: Yeah, that's what I said. Metal siding.
Mike: Oh wow.
So, this would've been like um - this would've been like a kit?
Bob: Yes, it was a Sears kit,
Sears and Roebuck's for a little filling station.
Mike: Wow. This is so cool.
Rob: Yeah, look at this.
Mike: So, you filled this up -
you filled this up with a ton of stuff.
Bob: Oh, there was an older lady and an old man
that used to run it,
and then it sat vacant for 20 years.
Bob: They was gonna get rid of it
and they got down to where they was gonna burn it
and I said, "Oh no, I'll just take that home and fix it."
So...
Bob: I went over and put it on the back of a trailer
and brought it home.
Rob: How many powerlines you knock down taking this thing?
Bob: Every one between here and there.
[laughs]
Mike: That's incredible. Was any of this stuff in here?
Like, I notice this - there's this big tweezer display.
Bob: There was nothing.
Mike: There was nothing in here at all?
We actually have old gas stations too.
Bob: Okay.
Mike: He's got one in the back of his property in Davenport,
and I've got one in Columbia, Tennessee.
Bob: Okay.
Mike: My Texaco gas station
that has a Chevrolet dealership connected to it
were both built in 1947.
We've been chipping away at this project for about 5 years
and it is amazing how much it means
to so many people in the community.
Mike: What are your plans for this building?
Bob: Sell it to you. Mike: Really?
You want to sell the building?
Bob: [laughs] I'll sell the whole thing.
Mike: No kidding.
Bob: I don't want to split it up and tear it apart.
Mike: So, you want to sell it intact like with all this?
Bob: Oh, that's the way I'd like to get rid of it.
Rob: The problem with this is transportation.
Transportation would kill you
because of the height of the roof.
Rob: This thing's 20 feet tall, Mike!
Mike: Gosh, this thing's nuts.
It's unbelievable that you did that.
Angie: It's just such a beautiful piece of history.
They were talking about selling it,
I was standing in the back
and I was like, "We're not selling that!"
Bob: I didn't think anybody would be dumb enough to buy it.
Angie: They were like, "We'll lay it down,"
and I was like, "No, you won't."
[laughs]
[hard rock music]
Mike: Where's these Isettas you're talking about?
Bob: I've got one of them back there in the back corner.
Mike: Alright, I see it! Ah!
Mike: In the 1950s, BMW motorcycle sales were down
and they had two cars
that weren't making them a lot of money.
They were on the brink of bankruptcy.
They needed a miracle, basically.
They needed a car that was low in production costs,
something they could bring to market right away.
Also, had to be affordable.
They acquired the licensing rights to the Iso Isetta
and then they were off to the races.
They made BMW Isettas from 1955 to the early 1960s.
Mike: So, when you bought this car, was this a complete car?
Bob: It had the motor in it.
I think the seat in this one was missing.
Mike: Okay, so yeah, it's still missing.
Rob: The floor is gone, Mike.
Bob: I've got a new floor made for my other one.
Mike: So, this is the one you said earlier
that there was one that was complete
and then there was one that was a parts car.
Is this the parts car?
Bob: I was gonna use this one as a parts car, yes.
I've already put one together that was real nice.
The last one I built won top 50 at the Owensville show.
Mike: Really? Bob: Yeah.
Bob: I restored the one '56 bubble window.
The other two, I was gonna put one car together out of it.
Mike: Does that thing run? Bob: My bulldozer runs, yes.
Mike: Okay, well why don't we do this then?
If you wouldn't mind pulling it out, I would love to see...
Rob: The back.
Mike: I would love to be able to walk around this thing
and crawl underneath it and everything.
Bob: Okay.
Mike: Alright, why don't we do that then?
Mike: If we're serious about this car,
we've got to see the whole car.
Mike: 1, 2, 3...
[laughs]
Rob: It's stuck on something there, dude.
Mike: You know, we got to get it away from this wall,
look at the back end of it, crawl inside and out of it.
You know, it's so crammed up against this space
so the fact that he's got a bulldozer
and he's willing to play ball, game on.
Rob: Found a strap? Bob: Got a strap here.
Rob: Yeah, that's a 10,000-pounder.
Bob, you going to ask if he's ever used one before?
Bob: [laughs]
Rob: It doesn't work that way.
Mike: I got a fireman knot on here.
Rob: Yeah, I see you got.
Mike: There we go.
[bulldozer starts up]
Rob: Right there.
Mike: It doesn't matter if he steers it.
Rob: We'll have to drag it.
Pull it this way, Mike.
There you go.
Mike: Whoa! Whoa, whoa!
Rob: Alright.
Mike: There it is, baby!
Angie: Hello. Mike: Hey!
We put your old man to work.
Angie: Oh man.
Mike: [laughs]
You can see on this side the floor is gone.
Angie: Yeah.
Rob: There's the bumper, Bob. Bob: Yeah.
Just re-chrome and it's all new.
Angie: Dad, I'm very proud of you for pulling something out
and actually considering selling it.
This is the same conversation with me...
Bob: It's all your fault.
Angie: Ah... [laughter]
Rob: So, Mike, there are no other parts.
You didn't see anything in there.
I mean, I'm not seeing - I see two wheels.
Mike: You know, it's pretty rough.
It's obviously a parts car.
Mike: I've seen worse.
Rob: Yeah.
Mike: Do you have the engine cover?
Bob: Yeah, I believe I do. Mike: Okay.
So, when these cars were new,
they were doing like 78 miles per gallon,
a car like this back then. Which was unheard of.
Angie: Wow. Bob: Right.
Mike: You know, in the '50s.
You can buy one of these driving down the road
for 20 grand, you know.
I'm not talking about museum quality restoration.
Bob: Right, right.
Mike: I'm talking about a car that's solid, drivable.
Bob: Right. Rob: Right.
Mike: Why don't we do this?
Why don't we look at the other one...
Bob: Yeah, if we're gonna do it,
let's make a deal on both of them, get them out of here.
Rob: Yeah.
Bob: The other one's over at the other side over there.
Mike: Okay.
Mike: Okay, so this one is taken apart
a lot more than the other one.
Bob: Yes.
Rob: Actually, Bob,
looks like you've doing bodywork on this one.
Bob: It has. It's been sandblasted.
The holes has been filled and patch panels has been put in.
Mike: So, this whole care is completely stuffed with parts?
Bob: Yes.
Mike: From this car and the other one?
Bob: Yes.
Mike: Alright.
Bob: These are my Isettas.
Mike: Now that I'm seeing this car,
I'm understanding the overall plan.
This was the car you were gonna completely restore.
Bob: Yes. Right.
Mike: You did the bodywork on this yourself?
Bob: Yes.
Mike: Alright,
so you did everything except the engine work.
Bob: Pretty much, yes.
Rob: It's in pieces, man.
It's gonna take a restoration guru
to put this thing back together.
In the back of my mind, I'm thinking to myself,
please don't buy that car, brother.
Please.
I don't want to have to get it out of here.
I don't even know how we're gonna get it out of here
even if he does buy it!
Mike: There we go. They money shot!
Bob: There you go.
Mike: Oh yeah.
Rob: It's got the bumper and everything on it.
Bob: I like my Isettas. I know them inside out.
I've tore every bolt, nut, and washer apart on them.
They're fun to work on and they're pretty reliable
once you get them finished.
Mike: What would you feel comfortable at selling the cars?
Bob: To tell you the truth,
I think that both cars together is worth an easy 8.
Mike: Yeah, with all the parts?
Bob: With all the parts.
Mike: Yeah. Here's the deal.
If I had these in my shop,
and if somebody wanted to take it all,
I'd be like, "Hey, give me 6500 bucks,
you can have both of them. All of it."
If you're 8 on the cars,
the way I break that down is,
5 on this one and 3 on the other.
Bob: Yeah.
Mike: I think those are both-
Bob: Those are realistic, I believe.
Mike: Those are the realistic numbers.
I don't think you're crazy at 8, but for us,
if we got to pay shipping, would you take 5?
Bob: No.
Mike: Because even at 5,
I'd have to pay probably somebody a grand.
I'm at 6.
There's not a lot to be made there
after you sort through everything.
Mike: For him to sell an $8,000 pile for 5,000, you know,
it's just not adding up.
Plus, I can tell when I'm looking over at my brother...
Mike: Where you at?
Rob: I'm not on this.
Mike: You're- Rob: I got too many projects.
Mike: He's like, "Don't buy these cars,
don't buy these cars!"
Mike: I'm like you, man.
I got a soft spot in my heart for them.
Bob: Yeah, I like the minis. I really do.
Mike: I know, and they're fun.
They're one of those cars, if it goes down the road,
it makes you smile.
Bob: Oh yes. Mike: When you see it, you know?
Bob: Every time.
Bob: When you find them, you're supposed to buy them.
If you're gonna keep them, you know.
So, that's what I did.
And I will keep them until it gets worth
what I thought it was worth.
Rob: So, Bob. What about the Chevy clock?
Bob: I think I'm just gonna...
Rob: Angie?
Bob: I think I'm gonna hang onto that.
[laughter]
Angie: How much did you offer him for it?
Rob: 900.
Angie: [clears throat]
Rob: [laughs]
Rob: Chevy produced these clocks in the early 1930s.
They're neon.
Angie: What would you sell it for?
If 900 wouldn't do it?
They can always say no.
Rob: What's the 'I don't want to sell it' price today, Bob?
Bob: 12. Rob: 1200? I'll take it.
Bob: You bought it.
Rob: [laughs]
Angie! Thank you! Thank you!
Angie: Before Mike and Robbie came,
he said 'they're gonna want my clock,
and I'm not gonna sell it to them.'
And he said '12', and Robbie said 'deal!'
I was like, praise the Lord!
Mike: Hey, you know what they say in the South.
Closed mouth don't get fed.
Bob: That's right!
[laughter]
Bob: We got no problem with that.
Robbie: Alright!
[rock music]
Rob: Spotted an engine in the back corner
when we were in here.
Bob: Yeah.
Rob: Is that something you might sell?
Bob: The one with the transmission?
Rob: Yeah.
Bob: Yeah, that's a 327.
Rob: This engine right here.
Bob: Yes. Rob: Yeah.
So, it's a 327...
Bob: Yes.
Rob: It's got the automatic transmission.
You got a Lokar shifter for it right here.
Bob: Yep.
Rob: You drove this car that this was in.
Bob: I did.
Yeah, the motor and transmission both worked good.
Rob: This was in a car how long ago?
Bob: A year. Rob: A year?
Bob: It's been out about a year.
Rob: It costs 3 to 3500 to rebuild this motor.
You know, this a 327 motor with a Lokar shifter on it
with an automatic.
This is why every hotrod guy
wants to put in their vehicles right now.
Simple to work on, and simple to install.
Rob: So, what do you want for the engine
with the transmission and the shifter?
Bob: Somewhere... 15?
Rob: You know, I'm looking at probably putting this
in an old truck that I have.
Bob: Do you use the ram horn exhaust manifolds
or do you just put a set of headers on?
Rob: Why, do you got the headers to it?
Bob: I've got the ram horns.
You know, the-
Rob: Those come with it?
Bob: For the right price they do.
[laughs]
Rob: 1400 bucks with the ram horns.
Bob: Split the difference, 1450.
Rob: Alright. Done.
Bob: Good deal. Rob: Done.
Rob: Years ago, my brother gave me this 1947 Chevy.
It says Cope's Mobile Service on the side of it.
This thing's going in my '47. I'm on cloud nine!
Mike: Oh yeah! What year is that from?
That's got to be '70s, isn't it?
Bob: It's 1980. Mike: 1980?
Oh yeah, look at that.
This is Cincy Street Rods, established 1970.
So what year is that?
Bob: I joined the club in '80.
Mike: 200.
Angie: For both?
Mike: Yeah.
Angie: I'd say 275.
Mike: Hm. Let me see the front of the jacket.
I haven't even looked at it.
I just keep looking at the back of it.
What size is this here?
Mike: I'm a sucker for a car club jacket.
The hat is a bonus.
Mike: Oh...
Yeah!
Angie: It's the perfect fit.
Mike: 275. Angie: 275.
Mike: Okay. [laughs]
Angie: 275!
Mike: [laughs]
Mike: The jacket and the hat aren't real old,
but they're definitely real cool.
Angie: This is the piece that I was telling you about.
We had it dated and they said it was over 300 years old.
Mike: Really?
Aw, look at the little mannequins!
Those are cool.
And this is the piece you're talking about?
Angie: Yes.
Angie: When I saw that piece, I fell in love with it
because of the symbol that was on the front of it
and all the intricate carving that was on it
and we were just kind of thinking about using it
for the front of the farm.
Angie: The name of my farm is Wildwood
because we're in Woodville,
and so I have this thing called Her Name is Wild.
Mike: Yeah, your dad said that you're -
you're the caretaker of the farm now.
Angie: Yeah. I own the farm.
Mike: What are you gonna do with it?
Angie: Gosh, I don't know.
A wedding venue?
Mike: Angie is creative, she's determined,
and she has a hell of an opportunity here.
The fact that she even mentioned event space
on a property this beautiful, this size,
I think, is brilliant.
Mike: But to be honest with you, I'm jacked up on these, too.
Angie: Yeah.
Mike: I mean, I've had Wolf mannequins before
a number of times
but nothing obviously this small.
Um, where'd you get these at?
Angie: I was a clothing designer in the fashion industry.
Mike: Really? Angie: A design director. Yeah.
I specialized in menswear, workwear, and denim.
I worked for Abercrombie and Fitch,
American Eagle Outfitters.
Mike: Get out of here! Look at this! This is 1940s.
Angie: I know. I noticed that as soon as you walked in.
Mike: No kidding?
Angie: I used to be a fashion designer
in the apparel industry for over 15 years.
Angie: Yeah, I moved home from New York.
My mom got sick.
Mike: Hey, God bless you. For doing that.
I mean, there's not a lot of people that would do that.
Angie: My mom passed away a day before Mother's Day.
Mike: Oh...
Angie: So, yeah. Mike: How long ago did she pass?
Angie: 2017. Mike: Okay.
So, you were in the fashion industry
and now you're here and you've got 160 acres.
Angie: Yes.
Mike: You've got two Wolf mannequins in a trailer.
Angie: That's right.
Mike: And what are you gonna do with these?
Angie: Sell them to you. [laughs]
Mike: You are gonna sell them to me? Okay!
Alright, well, to be honest with you, I mean I love them.
And I deal with a lot of vintage clothing, too.
Angie: Mhm.
Mike: But, I very rarely ever find any kids stuff.
Angie: Yeah.
Mike: I mean, these are almost kind of like
just a museum quality just like this, you know?
Angie: Yeah.
Mike: I've never seen the children's version
of these mannequins before.
Obviously, it's gonna be a little harder
to find things to put on them.
But at the end of the day, they're in great shape,
they're unusual, and they're Wolf.
Angie: How about, um, 1000 for both?
Mike: 800 for both.
We doing it?
Angie: Let's do it. Mike: Okay. We're doing it.
Angie: I feel really lucky that they came.
Rob: I got the big cigar. Mike: Alright, baby!
Bob: Some of the stuff was really hard to get rid of.
I had it since I was a kid.
But I'm sure I can do without it.
Mike: Woo!
Mike: Bobby is living the American dream
and he is a true romantic at heart.
Mike: I can appreciate-
Bob: Better not leave without pay.
Angie: [laughs]
Mike: Hey, I can appreciate your passion.
And thanks for sharing your family's story with us.
Angie: Thank you so much.
Bob: I'm glad you got to come out.
Mike: Thanks for putting up with us.
Angie: Thank you so much!
Mike: Oh my gosh, absolutely.
Angie: It was - it was great.
Bob: I was hoping you guys wouldn't come, so.
Angie: [laughs] That's true!
Bob: Drive careful!
Mike: Alright.
Angie: But aren't you glad they came now?
Aren't you glad they came?
Bob: [laughs] I don't know how to answer that.
Angie: [laughs]
Rob: Hey, come see us in Columbia!
Angie: Alright! Thank you!
[rock music]
Mike: Wait, stop.
Rob: I will. Mike: Right here.
God, that's cool.
I wonder what gas they originally sold there?
Rob: What are those purple trees right here called?
Right there.
Mike: These are what locals call serviceberry trees
and the reason they call them that
is because they would ripen around the same time
that the revivals would travel
through the Appalachia area,
in the hollers and the ridges.
And so, they called them serviceberry trees because,
you know, they were having service outside.
Rob: The revivals?
Mike: Yeah. Rob: Yeah. I knew that.
Mike: You didn't know that! Rob: I knew it!
Mike: Robbie, you've been playing that trick
with everything.
Like, somebody will say,
"That's a 1919 Chevrolet transmission,"
and you're like, "Yeah, that's a 1919."
You always say what they say.
Rob: I have to think about that for a minute.
Man 1: It's a '72?
Rob: I was gonna say, '71, '72?
Rob: 42 flathead 80. Man 2: '74.
Rob: '74. Man 2: Yeah.
Rob: I would say this is... Man 3: 1900.
Rob: Yeah, I would say late, late 19 -
you know, probably 19-
Mike: Teens. Teens. Rob: -teens.
The teens, the teens era.
Mike: I've never heard you say, "I didn't know that."
[phone rings]
Mike: Dani D, what's up?
Danielle: Hey, what's happening boys?
Mike: Nothing!
Just educating my younger brother on a few things.
Danielle: So, how do you intend on educating Robbie
when he already knows everything?
Rob: Yeah, I do. Mike: Exactly!
Danielle: [laughs] Mike: What do you got going on?
Danielle: So, I've been talking to this gal named Sue.
Now, her husband Clifford has been building up
this museum for like the past 50 years.
It's kind of like an automotive museum
with these little hints
of little things he loves here and there,
and, you know, local history.
Mike: Oh, that's cool. Rob: Yeah.
Danielle: He has a whole entire scratch and dent area upstairs.
Mike: Really?
Danielle: So, I think he wants to roll through
some of this older stuff in that scratch and dent area
so that he can fund the next iteration of the museum.
I think he's talking about displays.
Mike: What's the word iteration mean?
Danielle: Iteration?
Like, the next version, the next step,
the next natural progression for the museum.
Rob: Yeah, yeah, like the next version. Exactly.
Mike: You just did it!
Rob: [laughs] What's the matter with you guys?!
Mike: He just did it!
Danielle: I mean, he's quick on the draw.
I will give that to Robbie Wolfe.
Mike: You didn't know what iteration meant.
Danielle: Okay, I'm gonna let you boys figure this out.
I got stuff to do here so I got to get going.
Mike: Send us the coordinates. This place sounds amazing.
Danielle: Okay.
Rob: See you, Dani! Mike: Bye.
[rock music]
Mike: It's not unusual for us to get a call
from a small town museum wanting to sell a few things.
But at the end of the day, it's a business
and it comes with all the overhead
that any business would have.
Mike: Yeah. Alright.
Mike: The great thing about small town museums
are that you're going to see some incredibly rare stuff.
Mike: Oh my gosh. Rob: Wow.
Mike: When we walk in the front door,
you can tell this place is legit.
Sue: Hello? Rob: Hello!
Mike: Hey, how are you?
What's going on, what's your name?
Sue: I'm Sue.
Mike: Hey, Sue. I'm Mike, this is Robbie.
Rob: Nice to meet you. Sue: Good to meet you.
Mike: Wow, this is incredible. Rob: Yeah.
Sue: Thank you.
Mike: This is a lifelong collection, huh?
Sue: Clifford's been doing this all his life.
All of his adult life.
Mike: How long have you been on the ride?
Sue: Only about 15 years.
Mike: Only 15? Yeah? Sue: [laughs]
Mike: Where's the man at?
Sue: I bet you'd like to see the man.
He's this way. Come, come.
Mike: Okay.
Wow, look at this. This is like his parts room.
Sue: This would be the parts room.
We spent a whole winter inventorying parts
and putting them on shelves.
Mike: Oh my gosh.
Rob: So, if I needed a part, I can call him,
and he'd know exactly where it was?
Sue: Yes.
Sue: This is Clifford. Mike: Hey, I'm Mike.
You talked to - one of you guys talked to Danielle on the phone.
Clifford: I'm Cliff. Mike: Cliff, hey.
This is my brother Robbie.
Rob: Nice to meet you. Clifford: Nice to meet you.
Clifford: My name is Clifford Weese
and I'm the owner
of Cliff's Museum of Automobile Memorabilia.
I collect anything that you'd walk into a garage
or service station and see.
Mike: Dani was saying that you're really into
like local history, not just automotive history.
Clifford: Yes.
We try to incorporate as much West Virginia
and Ritchie County stuff in the museum as we can.
Clifford: One of the reasons I'm selling off
the museum's excess
is because I want to focus more on local history.
Mike: Well, can we look around a little bit?
What do you got going on?
Clifford: Sure can.
Sue: I'm gonna let you guys go on.
I'm gonna be up front watching the door.
Clifford: My wife, Sue, she helps with everything.
Cleaning, organizing, setting up displays,
inventorying things,
and she also comes in and gives tours
and has the museum open when I can't be here.
If it wasn't for her, this place wouldn't be the way it is.
Mike: Did you find a lot of this stuff locally?
Clifford: No.
I've been going to Hershey since 1968.
Rob: That's a great photo.
Clifford: I did that early. Rob: Look at that.
Clifford: Very early on. I did that.
Rob: That's still all grass.
How much money would you take to Hershey in '68?
Clifford: Probably, in the early days, $100.
Mike: Those were back - those were the good old days.
Rob: Is this a dealership pedestal or a home?
Clifford: No, it came from a home.
Mike: Let me see here.
Clifford: It's a little hard to do, but yeah, it's manual.
Mike: Most people back in the day couldn't afford a car,
let alone a car turntable.
Clifford: It's from 1919, and it's manual.
You would drive your car in onto the turntable
and you just get out and take a hold of the bumper
and turn it around.
The bearings in it are old and they were pretty rusty
when I got it which I cleaned up.
Of course, I had to rebuild a lot of it.
Clifford: This was flat with the floor.
Mike: Okay.
Clifford: See this bar here? Mike: Yeah.
Clifford: It went up here
and the concrete was poured up under
for your floor so that was flush.
Mike: Okay.
How much you want for that?
Clifford: No.
[laughter]
Rob: These car turntables were luxury items.
They were built in most mansions back in the day.
Clifford: Let me show you a picture of the dealership
when they first opened.
This right here.
Mike: Oh wow!
Clifford: This was a Dodge and Plymouth dealership.
The far corner was a restaurant.
And I don't know if you can see it in this picture or not
but there's a barbershop.
Rob: So, it was a barbershop, a restaurant, and a dealership.
Mike: These guys got you coming and going here, didn't they?
Clifford: Yes. Rob: Wow.
Clifford: This building here is 13,000 square feet.
Mike: Wow! This is great!
[country rock music]
Mike: So, when - when this building was built,
this was built as residential up here?
Clifford: Yes.
This is where I put my stuff
that doesn't really fit in the museum or duplicates.
Mike: Okay, so the tour has finally led us
to the scratch and dent room, to the overflow room.
This is what we've came here to look at.
Clifford: There's a little bit of everything up here.
Mike: What about anything, um, literature-wise
that's motorcycle related or bicycle related?
Clifford: Yes, trade journals.
Rob: Wow.
Clifford: There's two stacks of extras.
Mike: What are those, where's the year on that? 1918.
What's all - what's that one?
Clifford: '04. Mike: '04.
Here, let's see that.
But it's - that's a cycle one.
Anything motorcycle '04,
it's gonna be like really, really small companies.
I mean obviously like Harley made bikes in '03,
but they only made 4 bikes.
Indian made bikes in '01,
but again, tiny, tiny numbers.
Here, like here for example.
Clifford: Yeah.
Mike: This is a Mayo motorcycle
that was made in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
Clifford: Yeah.
Mike: So, that would be a very rare bike.
I've never even heard of, or seen, a Mayo.
Mike: It's exciting to me
to turn the page on a magazine like this
because you never know
what motorcycle you're going to see
that you've never seen before.
You know, like this Mayo,
you know, someone that owns one of these,
or an engine, or a gas tank,
would love to have an early piece of literature for that.
Mike: What year is this one? This is...
Clifford: '05.
Mike: This is '05. Okay.
So, this is '05 without a cover.
Mike: The great thing about this piece of literature
is that it is the dealer magazine for 1905
and it just happens to be the motorcycle review.
Mike: This is Marsh, you know, which later on,
this became Marsh-Metz.
These are out of Brockton, Mass.
Mike: There's so many bikes listed in here...
Mike: And then here's a Mitchell.
Mike: ...that I've never seen before.
This is a treasure trove of motorcycle history.
Mike: So, here's like a '05 Merkel.
That's an ad for a Merkel ad which obviously
later on became Flying Merkel.
Mike: This trade journal is a perfect example
of how many American manufacturers there were
in the motorcycle industry.
Mike: See, this is a good one
because it's got a lot of different brands.
Mike: It's like you're thumbing through these pages
and you're looking at the evolution
of the American motorcycle industry.
Mike: 400 for the pair. This one's pretty rough.
Clifford: I'll do that.
Mike: We'll do it? Okay, thank you.
I love it.
Mike: I mean, this motorcycle literature
has freaking got me over the moon, man.
I mean, this is so rare.
I can't stress how unusual and difficult it is
to find anything from this time period.
Rob: What are these?
Clifford: Uh, that's old lettering
out of a marquee off a Ruby Theater in Spencer.
Rob: That came out of a movie theater?
Clifford: Yeah.
Rob: So, these actually look like - these are from Flexlume.
So this is - you can always tell Flexlume,
Flexlume was out of Rochester, New York area.
Clifford: Uh-huh.
Rob: They always did their signs with ripples in them.
They were one of the biggest sign manufacturers
when milk glass was very popular.
Rob: Flexlume signs are one of the most desirable signs
in the advertising industry.
These guys started in the early 1900s.
Rob: For an O, there was, you know, 19 different Os.
Clifford: Right.
Rob: And in the early teens,
basically started building signs.
They were all lit by milk glass with lightbulbs behind them.
Rob: And they also made the fingers
and the hands that went to the left and the right.
Clifford: Yeah?
Rob: The thing about Flexlume letters are,
they made 36 different fonts.
So, some were bigger, some were smaller.
Rob: Oh, these actually have the letters in them.
Clifford: Yeah.
Rob: See, that's what I'm talking about. Like this.
Clifford: Yes. Rob: Isn't that neat?
Clifford: Yes, it is. I like them.
Rob: They even made larger ones than these.
Rob: So, that's a milk glass letter that's inside there.
Rob: You got to sell me these just for the W.
Clifford: How about 25 apiece for what's in that box.
Rob: Uh, there's 28 of them here.
Clifford: That'd be $700.
Rob: 700 for these, and then there's uh, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
43.
Times 15.
Clifford: 1360.
Rob: $1400.
Rob: When you find them, they're like the Holy Grail
because 90% of milk glass signs,
they have broken letters in them.
There's guys out there looking for these right now.
Rob: So, they actually had to take their customers
through the shop area to get to the dealership side?
Clifford: Yes. Rob: Wow.
Mike: So, this, what is this? Local stuff?
Clifford: This is Ritchie County corner.
Uh, a lot of automotive stuff in there.
Mike: So, this is your local component to the museum?
Clifford: Yes.
Rob: I have to give it to Clifford,
it's not just about the automotive stuff.
It's about West Virginia history.
And he's got it all right here.
Mike: So, how bad was this building when you bought it?
Clifford: Well, the roof was bad,
the water was pouring in,
the windows and doors were all boarded up.
Clifford: It was just pretty well run down
so I spent 9 years making repairs with new roofs,
all new gas, water, electric, all new windows, doors.
A lot of work for 9 years.
Mike: You've got this set up basically
like it would've been in a working shop.
I see you've got inventory tires up here.
You've got...
Rob: Fenders. Mike: Sheet metal here.
Clifford: Yes.
Mike: You know, so many of these guys
that open small town museums,
they literally could be art directors or prop masters.
I mean their passion for what they collect
drives them to create these beautiful displays.
And they're usually displayed in a way
where you can actually touch it.
There's story here,
but it's really sometimes more about the hands-on history.
Clifford: Uh, it's just fun.
Just like if you had your garage at the house
with some signs in it.
You bring your buddies in to visit.
Mike: Yeah.
This is next level from that, for sure.
Clifford: Yeah. This is my playhouse.
Clifford: The reason I wanted to set up a museum
was so that I could share my collection with other people.
Show them how things were back in the old days.
Mike: That's a great sign there, man.
You had to be happy when you bought that.
Clifford: Yes.
No, it's not for sale.
[laughter]
[train whistle]
[rock music]
Mike: There's a V.
Mike: I find myself in this honey hole
of blue porcelain letters underneath the shelf,
underneath the boxes.
Mike: There's more over here.
Mike: And Robbie and I start having
this like Wheel of Fortune moment
where we're trying to figure out what this spells.
Mike: Does it say anything at all?
Rob: E-S-S-O.
Esso, right there. But it's small.
Mike: There's one 'service.' Rob: Yeah.
Then you have another S. Yeah, you have two 'services'.
Mike: You know, I'm starting to imagine what this could be.
It could be more than one sign here.
Rob: C-E.
There it is, right there.
So, you got two service and one Esso.
And these are miscellaneous. Boom, boom, boom.
You have one Esso.
Mike: That's a tiny Esso.
Rob: It should be this size.
Mike: Yeah, I know.
That's what I'm thinking.
Mike: Part of the connection with some of these things
is finding them, digging them out.
That's where the journey begins.
Clifford: How about 1000 bucks?
Mike: Phew...
Rob: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12...
24 times 25.
So, it's 25 bucks a letter typically.
Mike: He's got 600. Rob: 600.
Mike: Yeah, if you were to sell these individually,
that's what you would get.
Rob: Right. That's what I'm saying.
Mike: So, I should get some sort of break if I buy them all.
500 bucks.
Clifford: Let's stick with 6.
You got 3 words out of it.
Just a few extra.
Rob: You got Esso, service, and service.
Clifford: Yeah.
Mike: You know why I'm buying it?
Because I'm doing, right now, a late '40s Esso gas station.
I bought it.
Clifford: Okay. Mike: So, I'm renovating it.
Rob: I like it.
Clifford: This is actually where they kept their new cars
and their used cars.
They didn't have an outside car lot.
Everything was inside.
Mike: All the license plates. Rob: So cool.
Clifford: I try to track all the West Virginia
plates from 1916 back.
Clifford: The things that I really enjoy collecting
is the license plates.
So, I'm always looking for new plates.
Clifford: To the best of my knowledge,
this is the largest collection
of West Virginia license plates that exists.
There's over 4,000 plates in here.
But it's car, truck, trader,
motorcycle, state, police, governor's plates.
Anything issued in the state of West Virginia.
Mike: Nobody starts a small town museum for money.
It is all about the passion.
It usually starts with a large collection
and the desire to want to tell the stories of these pieces.
Mike: Hey, what about this Globe Battery piece?
What about that?
Clifford: No. Rob: [laughs]
Mike: This, right here.
Rob: Yeah!
Clifford: No. I better hang onto that.
Mike: 1000 bucks.
Clifford: No.
Clifford: When Mike found the Globe display,
I knew he would want that.
It was early. It's rare.
Something I wouldn't let go cheap.
Rob: It's glass, it's backlit by bulbs, it's not broken.
Is the bulb socket still in it?
Mike: Yeah. Rob: Yeah?
Rob: In the early days of transportation,
there were a lot of independent battery companies.
Globe was one of those.
And this reverse-painted glass piece,
that tells me this is from the teens.
Mike: What would it take for you to break up with it?
Clifford: How about 2500?
Mike: Woo! 2000 bucks.
Clifford: Let's do 2500.
Mike: I can't.
I mean, it's just so much paint loss to it, you know.
Clifford: I'll split the difference with you.
Make it 2250.
Mike: Yeah, I can't do it.
I'd do 2 grand on it.
Clifford: Doll baby? What do you think?
Sue: Sell it. Go for it! Just let him have it.
Clifford: Let me think about it.
Mike: Alright, think about it.
Mike: Sue steps in and tries to get the deal done.
[laughs] And she can't get it done!
Clifford: It's, uh,
it's kind of hard to let go of things like that.
Mike: How about this Globe - how about this Globe battery sign?
It's all in there all lonesome.
Rob: Is that porcelain?
Mike: Yeah, look at the back of it.
Rob: Mike found the only two pieces
that weren't related to West Virginia history.
Yeah, it's an automotive piece,
but it didn't have a tie to this dealership.
Rob: If that sign was dead mint, uh, 3500.
Mike: Yeah. It's far from that.
Rob: But it's far from that.
But it's still cool,
you know, the fact that it's shaped like a world,
it's got the lightning bolt still on it, battery station...
Mike: 1000.
Clifford: His first offer on that Globe sign was way low.
Clifford: Let me think about it.
If you buy the other one,
I might consider selling you that.
Mike: Okay, why don't we do this?
1000 and 2000. 3000.
Clifford: No.
Clifford: Mike doesn't have much of a poker face
and he really liked the Globe display.
So, I figured he would come up a little bit on his price.
Mike: 3250.
Clifford: Make it 3500.
Mike: 33.
Clifford: 35.
Mike: 33. Clifford: 35.
Mike: 3350. Clifford: 35.
Mike: I can't do it! Clifford: [laughs]
Mike: Come on!
Clifford: 35 for the pair of them.
Mike: I'll come up a little bit more
and we'll just do the deal.
We're only $100 apart. 3400.
Rob: Wow! Mike: I knew it! Ah!
Rob: Man. Mike: Whoa!
Mike: This is a great piece, it's early,
I've never seen one before.
Mike: Woo!
Rob: Man, that was a tough one.
Clifford: I think Robbie and Mike
appreciate this stuff just as much as I do.
Mike: Alright. We scratched the surface a little bit.
Clifford: I thank you very much!
Mike: It is a huge commitment to open a museum
on a lot of different levels, and he is doing it right.
He's not just doing it with automotive history,
he is doing with his community's history.
Mike: I love what you're doing here.
Clifford: Thank you very much. Mike: Keep it up.
Clifford: We will. Sue: Thanks for coming.
I enjoyed the heck out of you.
Mike: Keep him in line. Sue: Oh!
Not - not gonna happen.
[honk, honk]
Sue: Bye!
Rob: See you guys! Thanks!