Top 10 Traders on "Bares für Rares"
Bares für Rares (Cash for Rarities) is a daily German TV show that first aired in 2013 on ZDF. It usually airs at 15:05 and lasts for 45 to 60 minutes, running without commercial breaks. The host of the show is Horst Lichter, who initially gained popularity as a TV chef and has since become well-known as a host for various shows. The series was a sleeper hit, gathering a large, multi-generational fanbase and becoming ZDF's biggest afternoon show to date. It reaches up to 3 million daily viewers. As of May 2018, eight seasons with over 450 episodes had been produced.The concept of the reality show is that ordinary people bring items they believe to be rare, very old, or valuable to the Bares für Rares hall to have their worth estimated by experts. If the expert's appraisal meets or exceeds the owner's expectations, they are allowed to meet a group of five professional traders who bid for the item without knowing its appraised value. Whether the seller decides to accept the highest bid (which, given that the traders aim to make a profit, is usually a bit below the appraisal), they may or may not sell the item. Each episode typically features six different items.
The show's unexpected success is largely due to its unique approach compared to similar programs previously aired in Germany. Some of those earlier shows focused solely on expert valuations and were very dry and factual. Others centered on people in financial need selling items at garage sales with the help of a trader and were overly emotional and allegedly staged.
In contrast, Bares für Rares has a more lighthearted tone. Not only does Horst Lichter frequently deliver humorous dialogue, but the recurring cast of traders also adds personality to the show. It's exciting to hear their bids increase, especially as viewers know the actual appraised value of the items. Although the traders are often more likable than the sellers, viewers still root for the sellers to get as much as possible - sometimes even more than the object's worth.
The traders, many of whom have distinctive quirks, unique speaking styles, and diverse professional and regional backgrounds (ranging from sophisticated art dealers to flea market traders from rural areas), are a crucial part of the show. Throughout much of the series, the classic cast of five dealers has included Walter Lehnertz, Susanne Steiger, Fabian Kahl, Wolfgang Pauritsch, and Ludwig Hofmaier. Occasionally, other traders fill in when these main cast members are unavailable, a practice that has become more common over time. In recent episodes, Daniel Meyer, Julian Schmitz-Avila, Friedrich Häusser, and Elke Velten-Tönnies have become recurring members, frequently alternating with the traditional cast. In addition, there have been several other temporary replacements.
This list is dedicated to honoring our favorite traders on Bares für Rares!
Ludwig is awesome. Being the oldest of the traders, he's wise and has a lot of knowledge about all kinds of objects, no matter from what era or culture they originate. But he's also got a lot of humor and is extremely likable as a person.
Often, he bids along not because he actually wants the object, but because he feels the current bidding is far below the worth of the item and wants a fair deal for the seller. Ludwig buys all kinds of objects but prefers old rarities and folk art.
Walter is without a doubt the funniest of the bunch. He's from the countryside and always has some very direct but friendly humor, with a lot of "running gags" in his behavior. His bids always start with 80 euros, whether it's worthless trash or expensive jewelry. Often, when he doesn't get the object for sale, he buys the package it came in separately.
While other traders use words like "object" or "artifact," Walter uses words like "der Prügel" ("the club") or "der Vogel" ("the bird") to describe them. He always feels very light-hearted and fun.
That being said, he always buys the stupidest things. Either it's terrible kitsch for which he pays prices higher than the actual worth, or it's nothing worth buying to begin with. The other traders buy things they assume will sell well, but he buys things he personally likes, and he does have a thing for terrible trash.
Fabian is fashionable, androgynous, and cool. He's even more unlike the stereotype of the stiff, suit-wearing, and humorless art trader than the others, and that's what makes him so awesome.
He usually only buys antique artifacts that fit the tone of his family's castle. Despite being very young compared to the others, he has a huge knowledge of art history. He's also the most likely of the traders to buy objects for himself instead of re-selling them.
Wolfgang is an Austrian auctioneer with a big knowledge of arts, historical pieces, and special interests (e.g., Freemason objects). Due to his job, he knows the prices very well and has many regular customers for extremely specific interests.
Julian is an extroverted type who seems to be constantly in a good mood and also knows what he wants. He definitely gets points for sympathy because with him the bidding process always feels friendly. He doesn't seem to have a specific interest and bids for almost every object.
Susanne is a very confident, professional, and persistent young woman who will not give up until she has her preferred object. When a bidding fight between two traders occurs, she is usually involved in it, and often, I tend to sympathize with her. She prefers to buy luxurious jewelry and accessories.
Saskia sometimes steps in for Susanne as a professional jewelry trader. Of all the female traders on the show that temporarily took her place, she is by far the best choice, as she has all the qualities that Susanne has, just in a lighter form.
The other women were always pretty restrained and hesitant and didn't really fit into the fun atmosphere of the bidding round, but Saskia is the only one apart from Susanne that could keep the men in their place.
Daniel keeps it professional and win-oriented. He's definitely a pro in art and antique trading and knows what he is doing. He's also less extroverted than the other traders and less likely to take a risk.
Sandra was the predecessor of Susanne in the first season, which had only six episodes. We got little impression of her in this short period of time, but unlike some other guest traders, she didn't stand out negatively.
I must admit that I was stunned that she has already appeared in so many episodes. Mainly because, to me, she left no impression at all. She's probably pretty quiet and does not bid that often, and it's not that she's not likable, but in between all these memorable people, she just doesn't stand out.