Market Warriors: A Rant

 (Photo: PBS website)

Okay this is going to seem like crazy  nonsense if you don't know what the "Market Warriors" show is on PBS. But I just have to get this off my chest. (If you want to know what I'm talking about, you can watch episodes on the website. They're quite amusing.)

I have a intense love/hate relationship with that show. Mostly hate; but just enough love to keep watching with sick fascination.

I am no expert - this is just my humble, by-standing opinion. They're PBS, and I suppose they know what they're doing...... 

Okay. First of all, I cannot stand Miller. They need to let her go! Her and her whiny voice, prancing around the outdoor markets like it's some kind of beauty pageant stage.... please. 

Also: they have the whole premise of the show backwards, in my opinion. The contestants have to buy items at "flea markets" (pppppfffffffttt - the big Liberty, NC antique show? NOT a flea market.) where most of the vendors are professional antiques dealers. These people do shows for a living..... it's not a "flea market"!
So, because of this, the contestants on the show are pretty much buying at retail.... anyone can see that.
Then, the items they bought are expected to make money at auction?! Seriously? I thought everyone in this business knew that you buy cheap at auction and flip your item for more money in a retail setting such as a booth or shop or outdoor market type of thing.
How can you be expected to buy at retail and flip it for profit .... at auction?! C'mon. I just don't think it's realistic. Not one bit. All dealers know you go to auctions for dealios,  and mark it up in your shop/booth/shows.

One more thing: the items the contestants go for. I know they're given target items for the target rounds and those items have to fit criteria... I get that. Okay.
But in the Shop Till You Drop rounds? They're going for these smaller, decorative type items.... like tramp art boxes, and needlework samplers, and folk art, lamps, pottery, art glass, and stuff like that. Half of the time, I'm looking at items just off camera, that I know cold be sold for bookoos of money, just based off what little I know from the home decor point of view. From things I have seen sell for tons of money right now. Case in point: in one episode, one of the guys is looking at a piece of pottery for a couple of hundred bucks, and right behind him is a vintage wood card catalog. Now, I don't know what the dealer wanted for the card catalog, but I guarantee you, that contestant would have been able to make some kind of money on that card catalog, just based off how I know card catalogs are selling right now because they're so wildly popular!! He got the pottery, and lost several hundred dollars on it when their items went to auction. Meanwhile, I am screaming at my TV screen.....

The only dude who I think had half a clue was the bald guy they replaced this season with the new lady. He was a professional decorator or something like that... so he knew what people were buying! He always went for the mid century stuff, chairs, tables, etc. and he usually did really well when his items went to auction.

They have a good idea for a show but they need to seriously re think some of the rules and the "bones" of it, and re cast the whole thing. Get some fresh blood in there; liven things up a bit.... keep it different. Let them sell in other venues besides auctions. Let them pick their items from some place besides these glorified "flea markets" populated by professional dealers. Visit a real life estate sale; or a country auction, or a thrift shop, or a big church rummage sale.... or something.... Puhleeeeeeeze?

Okay, rant over.

:)

Check out the show: Market Warriors