- How are you doing?
Great. How are you?
Amazing.
What do you have here?
This is an antique prank device for secret societies.
It's a what now?
All I heard was secret societies.
Well, in the immortal words of Groucho Marx,
I'd never belong to a club that would have me as a member.
[laughs]
Ditto.
I have a DeMoulin brothers prank device.
I got this device at a garage sale.
I wasn't exactly sure what it was,
but I knew I needed to have it.
And I got it for a great deal.
I'm looking to get $3,000 for my antique device.
So what exactly is this?
So this is an electric branding iron,
but it's a prank, so it's not-- you
don't actually brand somebody.
You pretend to brand them as a way of initiating them into--
Like a fraternity.
Like a fraternity prank.
All right, this is great.
Yeah.
So this shows you the whole setup of what they would be
doing and then a little description of how the prank
works, along with the pricing.
I get it.
Yeah.
You're going to get the secret brands from your friends.
[laughter]
You're going to get the secret brand to be part of the club.
I mean, I'm just thinking how--
you must really, really, really want to be in this club
if you're willing to get branded.
Yes, I think so.
You know, there's always been secret societies
and fraternal organizations.
I mean, the Masons have been around forever.
They were huge in the United States.
But in the late 1800s, tons of them start popping up,
like Elks Lodge, Moose Lodge, Buffalo Lodge, the Odd Fellows.
We should start the Pawn Lodge,
and we won't let Corey in.
No Coreys?
No Coreys.
[laughter]
How much you want for it?
I'm looking for $3,000.
Dollars?
Yeah.
I mean, the thing--
I know it doesn't look like a lot, but--
In the catalog, it's $15.
Yeah, well that was 1920.
Inflation.
[laughter]
To tell you the truth, I have no idea what it's worth,
but I know a guy who will.
Perfect.
OK.
As a matter of fact, his hair looks even
more electrocuted than yours.
I'll be right back.
I'm going to call him.
Great.
Just hang out for a few minutes.
I feel great about having an expert come
in because it'll just verify the rarity of this item
and how cool it really is.
Hey, guys, Murray.
- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you, man.
How you doing? You well?
Good. Yeah.
- I love the hair. - Thanks.
My God, a guy who's got better hair than me.
[laughter]
So this is it.
This looks like one of the old branding irons
they used to use in the secret societies.
This is great.
The subject would be in the room,
and they'd see an iron like this or a medal iron
in or over an oven burning to create the illusion
that, wow, that's hot.
Then you get blindfolded.
Then they take it behind you, and they don't realize
you're switching it out for this little small,
wooden, electronic-plate thing.
So mentally you thought you were actually branded.
In reality, you were just shocked by this.
And then the mask was taken off.
It was disclosed it was just a prank.
Does it-- can we see if this actually works?
Yeah, absolutely.
Let me brand you, Chum.
Why not?
Better not shock me hard.
Pull your sleeve up.
Do you want to do it in your sleeve?
Sure.
OK, so you can actually see it work.
Yeah.
So you hold this against your skin.
Here, I'll hold it.
OK.
And then I'll get the thing charged up,
and then it'll produce--
Now, if it does shock you, don't smack me in the face.
It didn't even happen.
- It did. - No, it did not.
Yes it did.
No.
You already did it!
[laughter]
I think I'm getting sick, Rick.
I'm going to have to go home.
So the cool thing that this works with this
is amazing because this thing is,
you know, way over a hundred years old.
- Yeah. - You know what I mean?
So what's it worth?
Well, because this works, this is a huge factor.
The value of this is between $2,200, $2,400.
Thanks, man.
So there you go.
Thanks.
Hey, good luck, all right. - Thank you, sir.
All right, take care. Have a good day, man.
Take care.
So, how much you want now?
Well I still think his estimate is kind
of low a little bit because, I mean, it's over a hundred years
old.
I'm still thinking, you know, closer to $3,000.
Just because something's old doesn't make it worth more.
It's just-- it's desirability.
You know, Murray knows this stuff,
and if he says it's worth $2,400,
that's probably what it's worth.
So I'll give you $1,200.
No.
I've got to hold tight.
For me let go of it, it would have to be much, much higher.
I'll go as high as $1,500.
Yeah, it's got to be--
it's gotta be $3,000.
It's gotta be.
OK, well, if you change your mind.
- Great. - Happy branding.
Great.
Thanks.