RICK HARRISON: We got a drum.
JUSTIN: It's a Civil War drum you just can't beat.
CHUMLEE: No, you could.
[laughing] [gunshot]
[drum music]
JUSTIN: I'm here today to sell my Civil War drum
my father gave me 30 years ago.
My father being an antique dealer,
we have so many antiques, this won't even make a dent.
I want the drum to go to somebody
that can really appreciate it. RICK HARRISON: OK.
It's definitely cool, man.
The way it was, when you were out on the battlefield,
they would have a different drum beat for different commands--
attack, retreat, move left, move right.
Generally, younger boys would be carrying these around.
JUSTIN: Sure.
But it was a gnarly job.
From my understanding, you didn't
want to be the drummer boy.
The enemy knew that if they took the drummer boy out,
it would be hard for them to arrange and organize.
RICK HARRISON: Everything about the Civil War
was just bad, anyway. You know what I mean?
It was just-- it was a brutal, brutal war.
So I imagine the drummer boy would be--
it'd be tough.
Some people have referred to the Civil War as the boys war
because so many of the soldiers were children.
The commander basically looked at him and says,
you're too young to carry a gun and it's too damn heavy.
Here, here's a drum.
Is there any reason why you think
this is from the Civil War?
JUSTIN: I've seen other examples.
It seems to to be Civil War.
RICK HARRISON: OK, well, we know it's not Revolutionary War
because the whole American civil thing
hadn't been invented yet because we had to win the war first.
JUSTIN: Sure.
There's been repairs to it.
I can tell you that. JUSTIN: Really?
RICK HARRISON: That's post-1900 hardware right there.
JUSTIN: Right.
RICK HARRISON: This right here, a newer piece.
This maybe is original right here.
See, it's all rotting and everything like that.
You would never expect this thing to be
100% original if it was used.
JUSTIN: OK.
RICK HARRISON: And how much do you want for this thing?
JUSTIN: 12,000.
RICK HARRISON: There's been a lot of repairs done to it,
and I still got to figure out the date on it.
So if you don't mind, I would like to call a friend of mine
in.
He will know everything about this.
- All right, great. - OK?
OK, so hang on. JUSTIN: Absolutely.
Yeah, no problem. Thank you.
So this is the drum I called you about.
MARK HALL-PATTON: Oh, very nice.
RICK HARRISON: He claims it's from the Civil War.
MARK HALL-PATTON: All right.
You know, the youngest drummer in the Civil War was nine?
RICK HARRISON: Whoa.
MARK HALL-PATTON: Yeah, a fellow named John Clem.
He was a little tiny kid. - Sure.
Yeah, I know.
And you look at him and you think,
you were on the battlefield?
The bombs going off and bullets flying and beating on the drum
to make sure that the regiments were going
where the general wanted them to go,
it's a huge role to play in it.
JUSTIN: Sure.
MARK HALL-PATTON: But if you're a drummer,
this was part of what defined you on the battlefield,
so people would hold on to these.
They're a very nice display item,
and they are in private public collections.
RICK HARRISON: What do you think?
JUSTIN: Is it of civil war era?
[sighing]
[tense music]
MARK HALL-PATTON: Um, I don't think so.
OK.
MARK HALL-PATTON: I think this is a later piece.
My guess is 1870s, 1880s.
And this looks, to me, like one that
would have been used as a parade drum post-Civil War.
It's still 19th century, I'm sure of that.
It doesn't mean it couldn't have been in the Civil War,
but I don't believe so.
OK.
But there is a market for them.
There are people that collect 19th century drums.
RICK HARRISON: Thanks, man.
- Thank you very much. - Thank you.
Thank you.
RICK HARRISON: See, I told you he's smart.
JUSTIN: Very smart. Nice guy.
[laughing]
All right, so how much do you want for it now?
Well, you know, he did say it's possible it
was used in the Civil War and--
It's possible I could graduate from Harvard.
JUSTIN: I don't know.
[laughing]
RICK HARRISON: I think the fact of the matter
is it's not Civil War, OK?
[sigh]
I'm looking at 500 bucks.
You know, I can understand not 12,000, but 500?
You know, this is a piece of Americana.
RICK HARRISON: When you sell something, you sell a story.
The story previously was, as you had a young boy in battle
during the Civil War.
We have-- now, the story is, once every four or five months,
they pulled this drum out and they paraded down the street.
Those are the differences between them,
and those are the differences people pay.
I'll tell you what I'd do.
I'd sell it for $1,000, but I can't
sell it for anything less.
[tense music]
RICK HARRISON: I'll tell you what.
I'll go 900.
[inhales]
[exhales]
Meet me in the middle, 950, and it's done.
- All right, I'll do the 950. - Cool, sounds good.
All right.
I accepted the 950 because it does take
up too much space in my house.
And with the kids and the dogs, I figured
I would accept his offer.