“Bares for Rares”
She is Germany’s biggest advertising icon: “White Woman” sparks a bidding war
These three women made Horst Lichter happy at “Bares for Rares”: Gunhild Müller and Beatrix Mittmann next to the “White Lady” (from right)
© ZDF
This woman wrote advertising history: With his “White Woman” the artist Kurt Heiligenstaedt created an icon 100 years ago – which the dealers were also keen on.
Horst Lichter recognized the woman immediately: “Oh, that’s Persil’s most famous motif,” he exclaims when he sees the enamel sign with the “White Lady”. Gunhild Müller, who traveled from Hildesheim with her friend Beatrix Mittmann, would like to sell the billboard. It was in the basement of the house she bought over 40 years ago.
Sven Deutschmanek provides the background to the famous advertising icon and even knows who it is: The “White Lady” was not a fantasy figure, the expert explains, she was the girlfriend of the person who designed her. The creator was the famous artist and caricaturist Kurt Heiligenstaedt, who was commissioned by Henkel in 1922 to design an advertising poster for Persil. He then went to a fashion house on Berlin’s Alexanderplatz with his girlfriend Erna Muchow and bought a white dress. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
“Bares for Rares”: Everyone wants the “White Lady”
Gunhild would like at least 700 euros for it. Deutschmanek has another sum in mind: he estimates the value at 1700 to 2000 euros. Then the two women let out a cheer that was contagious to Horst Lichter: “It makes me even more happy what a pleasure you two have,” says the moderator.
When the women enter the dealer’s room, Walter “Waldi” Lehnertz immediately lets his charms play: “Little angel, I have a really tough question for you: do you want to sell me the sign?” asks the man from the Eifel. It starts at 380 euros. But it doesn’t stay that way for long. The price quickly rises to 500 euros.
ZDF show
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Then Daniel Meyer steps in and doubles the price to 1000 euros. Since Waldi is flabbergasted: “What’s wrong with you?” But that’s not the end of it – now the bidding war really starts: In the end, the price rises to 2100 euros and thus exceeds the estimated value.
Saleswoman Gunhild Müller beams with happiness afterwards: “I wanted 700 euros, I got 2100 for this old sign. It couldn’t have been better.”
source: “Bares for Rares” in the ZDF media library
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