Published
Video length: 9 min
Occitanie: an auctioneer surveys the region aboard his “Expertibus”
Monday June 3, 13 Heures and Valérie Heurtel take you to meet an auctioneer who roams the villages of Occitanie in search of that rare pearl.
We all have bits and pieces in our attics, family memories, which most of the time are not worth much. We therefore do not think about having them assessed, and we are wrong. In Occitania, a traveling expertise firm called “Expertibus” evaluates everything that residents bring to it. For two years, the Expertibus has been traveling through the region’s small towns, three days a week. A resident wants to know the value of a letter signed by the hand of General de Gaulle.
Auctioneer Marc Labarbe consults the databases of all auctions to deliver his verdict: “300 to 500 euros”, he announces. The auctioneer will receive 10% of the sale. The letter will be auctioned this fall at its auction house.
Some see it as a way to clear out their attic, others as a way to make ends meet. “There is clearly a need for money and as soon as we reach a certain amount, people are interested”underlines Marc Labarbe. “France is a bottomless pit, there will always be treasures to unearth”estimates the expert.
