 Your coca-cola bottler presents Claudia Claudia based on the original stories by Rose Franken Brought to you transcribed Monday through Friday. Are your friendly neighbor who bottles coca-cola? Relax and while you're listening refresh yourself Have a coke and now Claudia Yes dear your way I have the impression that I am oh were you asleep? It's not time to get up yet What's the matter? Nothing. I was just wondering if you knew what day it was Monday. Oh It's come to that just Monday. It isn't an anniversary of our marriage There are other anniversaries than marriage anniversaries. Your birthday isn't until December and I'm not talking about my birthday Oh, I know what? We met just four months four days four hours and 44 minutes ago to the doctor that isn't fun No, I won't tell you please mama, please Tell me I'll come over and tickle you Well, what anniversary is it all right, I'll tell you I'll tell you we moved into this apartment just a week ago today Oh Darling what a brute. I was to forget can you ever forget I'll think it over and it wasn't a week ago today It will be a week ago tomorrow. Well practically a week Do you realize we haven't bought a stick of furniture for this place? We have the bedroom except for the rugs curtains a couple of chairs and some lamps what more do you want? Well, don't you think we ought to start buying things? No hurry. Well, we have got a place to sleep and the kitchen's furnished so we can eat But we might like to have somebody in oh Thanksgiving Day I didn't notice that lack of furniture stopped you Hartley and Roger and mama We had the trunks and the bells to sit on and eat off of now They're all unpacked and we sent them down to the cellar. Well and darling if the Homemaking instinct is staring within you. Let's go ahead. Good. How much have we got to stand much as we need I guess I'd set aside about 2,500 It's an awful lot with the price of things today. It probably won't be enough I'll knock off this afternoon and we'll shop together. Oh, you sound so Masterly. Oh darling you even kiss good morning in a very masterly way Even I've never been to an auction I've always wanted to go to one the way you say that makes me wish I'd never brought the matter up Why I don't like to look in your eye Something tells me you've got the auction bug before we ever start David this is wonderful. What's wonderful the auction say it hasn't begun yet. What do you do? Do you just call out the price you want to pay for something? It is an awful lot of men in the audience. They all look like they could be your uncles or something. They're antique dealers most of them Buying things the same as us. We're not going to buy anything. We're just going to watch the day that you said We were gonna buy our furniture today. We're just going to get ready to buy it We haven't examined any of the things they're going to sell You have to look at them beforehand But you you can see them when they're put up on the platform. Can't you not enough David if dealers come to Auction sales to buy things and then you buy them later from the dealer in a store. You pay just that much more, don't you? Theoretically, yes, then why doesn't everyone buy their things at auction because Why because like most theories it only works that way in theory darling read your catalog like a good girl It's a lovely big catalog to get for nothing pictures and everything Say how can they afford to get them away free they afford it don't worry Hey listen to what this says David furnishings a famous Long Island house to close the state David look at the picture of this sofa. Now look that's what I call a sofa. Which number is it? 32 32 32 30. Here it is Genuine sheriff and sofa with original needle point. Hmm. You've got good taste darling. Wouldn't it be lovely in our living room? Yes, very lovely. It's just what I had in mind Say you don't object. It's being second hand. Do you it isn't second hand? It happens to be a collector's piece It's an original and that's good. Yes darling. Very good Say of the beginning remember we're not going to buy anything. We're just looking around this afternoon The estate of Ari Emerson the entire contents and furnishings of a famous Long Island mansion will be put up at seven Look what they're putting up on the platform a checker set They sell toys to that isn't the toy Checkers is a toy and it isn't checkers. It's chess Actually the same first time on the server day. Do I hear a hundred dollars a hundred dollars? Do I hear 50? 25 do I hear 10 three dollars? I did I have three dollars three dollars? Do I hear five? Ladies and gentlemen, is it possible? I've been only three dollars with this rare and beautiful late 18th century Ivory chess set elaborately hand-carved and in perfect condition. I can hardly believe my ears. Five But David, you don't need a chess set? Five dollars, I did five. Five dollars, I did. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a crime. He's right. It's giving it away. Five, six, seven, fifty, seven, fifty, seven, fifty, I did, I did. David, don't be silly. You don't play chess. I was on the chess team at college. Darling, you're out of college now and we need chairs to sit on and at tables to eat from. One table will do. I can only eat from one table at a time. Such as we haven't got any things to put on any of the tables we haven't got yet. Uh, ten dollars. Ten dollars, I'm big. I have twelve fifty, twelve fifty. Does the gentleman say fifteen? Fifteen. The gentleman wasn't going to buy anything, but the gentleman says fifteen. But Claudia, just with David, who are you going to play with? I'll teach you, heaven help me. Sixteen. I asked ten dollars for this handsome chess set. Seventeen fifty. David. A bid of seventeen fifty from the gentleman. Nineteen dollars. Twenty-two fifty. Twenty-two fifty. You could have bid nineteen fifty. Twenty-two fifty. And the bidder against me would have kept going up. I wanted to stop him. You see, there's a system to it. Going once, going twice, sold. I've got it, Joe. I've got it. It's a steal. It's worth five times that much. That's good. David, look, is it stunning? Uh, nothing. What did you say, David? What can I bring in now? Look, look. Isn't that stunning? What is it? Sheffield Punch Bowl, eighteen twenty. I don't know what we'd do without a punch bowl. Ten dollars for this eighteen twenty Sheffield Punch Bowl. Ten dollars, ten dollars. Do I have fifteen? Do I have fifteen? All come now, friends. You can't fail to take advantage of this rare bargain. Just look at the piece. David, it's beautiful. I want it. What for? I have fifteen. I can't bear it. We've got two soup terrains from Aunt Louisa. Remember, if you have a punch bowl, you have to have a table. We lose your chess table when you're not playing chess. Now that is hitting under the bell. Twenty fifteen, going to the gentleman on the side of fifteen, going once, going twice. Twenty two fifty. Twenty two fifty to the young lady. Twenty two fifty, going once, going twice, sold. Gentlemen, this is a beautiful piece of furniture. Just look at that. One of the finest pieces in the collection. One of the finest pieces we've offered in many years, and I have auctioned many, many objects over the years. Now, who will give me a bit of fifteen for this lovely Sheraton sofa? David, that's awesome. Fifteen. It's even more beautiful than in the picture. Fifteen. Fifteen. Pretty nice. Do I have fifteen? Fifteen. Come now, ladies and gentlemen. Surely that isn't asking too much for this fully valuable piece. Fifteen, I have fifteen. And now I have fifteen, fifty, fifteen, fifty. Do I have sixteen? David, that's dirty. Do I have sixteen? Because it's so shabby, I guess. I have sixteen. I have sixteen. Don't shush me. It's nothing. I have sixteen. Sixteen, sixteen. Now I have seventeen. Who'll make it eighteen for this rare and priceless old piece? David and the sofa were thinking of as four hundred dollars, and there was all. Who'll make it eighteen? Eighteen. I have eighteen, fifteen, fifteen, fifteen, ladies and gentlemen. This is a crime that's no price for this beautiful old piece. Ladies and gentlemen, the needlework alone is worth more. David, he's right. Eighteen, fifteen. Eighteen, fifteen. I'm bid eighteen, fifty. Do I hear nineteen? Nineteen, I have nineteen. Nineteen, fifty on the side. Twenty-two, fifty. Twenty-two, fifty. I have twenty-two, fifty. The little lady in the rear has good taste. She knows a bargain when she sees one. Twenty-two, fifty for this rare collector's piece. Twenty-two, fifty going once, going twice. Are you done? Sold! David, it's my something. Heaven's sakes don't just stand there staring at me like that. Say something. I... I can't. But you love it, don't you? You said it was beautiful, didn't you? Now you have number thirty-three, a pair of valuable chip and nail chairs. Now what am I doing for this beautiful... Let's get out of here. Excuse me. What's wrong? Hey, wait for me! I need air, I'm going out in the hall. David, you're positively white, don't you feel well? Oh, sure, I feel fine, fine. Well, you don't look fine, you look sick. Listen to me, darling. Do you love that sofa? Of course. Don't you? Yes, I love it. I don't even want to change that old cover, and I think it's beautiful. From a distance, at least. It better be beautiful close-up, too, darling. Say, David, why do you act so funny? Me? Acting funny? Yes, you acting funny? Look, darling, which would you rather do? Own one beautiful, lovely thing are dozens of mediocre, ugly things. One beautiful, lovely thing, of course. No, that's good. Come on back to the cashier's desk, and I'll make out a check for the sofa. And $22.50 for the chess set. And $22.50 for the punch bowl. Say, $22.50 is our lucky number today. Yes, darling, $22.50 is our lucky number. Oh, lady, just a moment, lady. That man's calling us, David. What's he want, do you think? I'm past thinking. I just want to get out of here. Excuse me, but you're a lady that just bought the shirt and sofa for $22.50. You wouldn't consider selling it, would you? Why should I, for goodness sakes? Claudia, wait a minute. But, David, I don't want to sell it. Where could we get another one at the same price? Well, Hank, no harm in asking. Thought maybe you'd want to make a little profit on it. I'd be willing to give you $25 for it. But if you wanted it, why didn't you bid on it? Well, frankly, lady, I did bid on it. I got a client, asked me to get it for her, and I know she's going to hate to lose it. I bet she is. To be honest with you, the way you bid, lady, scared me off. It sort of takes courage to jump a bid like you did. I don't know what you're talking about. You wouldn't consider letting me have it for, say, $2,600, would you? No, I love that sofa. I would. What did you say? $2,600, what? $2,600, Claudia. The gentleman is asking you to sell the sofa that you just bought for $2,250 for $2,600. David, what have I done? It's what are you going to do? I think I'm going to faint. This broadcast of Claudia was supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney. Your day's work is done, and you slide comfortably into your favorite armchair. The music is soft and pleasant. What more could you ask? Just one thing, an ice cold Coca-Cola for the pause that refreshes. Now that more Coke is available, you might as well buy it by the case. Then there'll always be plenty in the refrigerator for hospitality as well as family refreshment. Suppose you ask your grocer or service station attendant to put a case in your car tomorrow. Every day, Monday through Friday, Claudia comes to you transcribed with the best wishes of your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola. So listen again tomorrow at the same time. And now this is Joe King saying, au revoir and remember, whoever you are, whatever you do, wherever you may be, when you think of refreshment, think of Coca-Cola or ice cold Coca-Cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes.