Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi's guitar puts Bentley dealers on top of Trade Up table
Competition in Birmingham’s top business trade-a-thon got turned up to 11 last week – with the arrival of Brummie heavy metal legend Tony Iommi.
The Black Sabbath axemaster is used to sitting at the top of the charts, but this time it was the team at Bentley Lamborghini providing back-up instead of Bill Ward, Geezer Butler, Ronnie James Dio or Ozzy.
Iommi – who created the classic heavy metal sound on Sabbath’s first album way back in 1970 – donated a signed guitar to the Bentley team, as part of their latest move in The Great Trade Up – the charity competition that has Birmingham’s top firms competing to raise money for the new renal unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
The Great Trade Up has its teams all trying to swap up as high as they can from a single balloon. When the time is up the things they end up with will be sold, with all money going towards the new unit.
It is based upon the experience of Canadian Kyle McDonald who bartered his way through 14 trades, beginning with a red paperclip and ending up with a house.
The 17 teams playing were each given a BCH red balloon just one month ago at the launch event and have gone on to trade this for an item of a higher value and are still going. The teams will continue to trade for another two months with the intention of finishing with an item of huge value which they then ‘cash in’. Whoever raises the most money will be named Great Trade Up champions.
Tony Iommi’s left-hand black Gibson guitar is worth an estimated £5,000 and puts the Bentley team at the top of the list. The guitar comes with the black leather lined case and Tony has also included a signed photo of himself.
The guitarist was brought on board the Bentley charity team by senior sales specialist John Machin. The rocker is a regular customer at Bentley’s garage on Fort Parkway, and so Mr Machin got in touch with his agent to ask Iommi – who was recording in Los Angeles at the time – to get involved.
Trade Up team leader Claire Pettis said: “He was in LA recording and he just immediately said ‘not a problem at all’.
“We are really really chuffed about it. Everyone here is feeling like its game on and we are trying to think what we can do with the guitar now.”
The £5,000 guitar has put Bentley in the top trade up spot, ahead of law firm Beachcroft. Beachcroft had traded up to a free party at the swanky Alhambra bar on Colmore Row, thought to be worth about £4,000. But everyone’s in it with several weeks still to go in the competition.
| Company | Date of trade | Traded item | Traded to | Traded for | Est. RRP/£ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley Lamborghini, Birmingham | 18.03.09 | Framed England Cricket shirt signed by Andrew Flintoff and Sir Ian Botham | Tony Iommi | Tony Iommi's brand new left hand black Gibson guitar that Tony has signed. The guitar comes with the black leather lined case. | 5000 |
| Beachcroft LLP | 25.02.09 | A private screening for an afternoon for 50 people at the Electric Cinema in Birmingham with glass of wine for everyone on arrival | Bar One Ten, Colmore Row | Drinks party for maximum of 30 people at Alhambra, champagne on arrival with canapes and cocktails. A raffle will include prizes of Alhambra Corporate membership, worth £1,300, Blue Membership worth £500 and Red Membership worth £300. | 4000 |
| Browne Jacobson | 12.03.09 | 2 tickets to see X Factor live, including back stage passes and a signed photo of Simon Cowell | Ivan Merrill -Photography session, Nicki Clarke Mailbox - VIP hair style session, Browne Jacobson colleague - Bullring vouchers | Backstage passes traded for an exclusive photography session including prints with photographer Ivan Merrill. Signed Simon Cowell photo traded with the Nicky Clarke Salon at the Mailbox for a VIP pamper experience. A Browne Jacobson colleague has donated £100 of Bullring vouchers. | 850 |
| Weightmans | 12.02.09 | Harvey Nichols Case of Champagne | Radisson SAS Hotel, Birmingham | Overnight stay in presidential suite and £100 voucher for Filini bar and restaurant | 800 |
| Virgin Media | 12.03.09 | Two-hour chocolate master class for a group of 5. An artisan Belgian chocolate cake for 35-40 people worth £70 is also included | Virgin Media | Virgin Media 50MB Broadband - FREE 12 month contract | 612 |
| Shakespeare Putsman | 02.03.09 | One hour pleasure flight piloted by Shakespeare Putsmans Operations Director Ian Smit | David Cox, Commercial Manager at Grosvenor Casino, Fiveways | Fourball round of golf at The Belfry on either the Belfry PGA course or Derby Course | 240 |
| Lloyds TSB Corporate | 05.03.09 | Round of Golf for 4 people at Moor Hall Golf Club, Four Oaks | Lloyds TSB Autolease | iPod Touch | 214 |
| Barclays Wealth | 16.02.09 | Four Circle tickets for the CBSO performance of Symphony Ballroom in Symphony Hall with Strictly Come Dancing winner Camilla Dallerup on either 15th May at 7.30pm, or 16th May at 3pm. | Graham Nicoll, Barclays Wealth | Dickie Bird's Test XI. In 2006 Dickie Bird was asked to select his greatest test XI. Contained in this display is a reprint of the original sheet he used to select his team, and a signed card. The display is mounted and framed with a photo of each player including a photo of Dickie's final match in the middle. | 200 |
| AMEY | 06.02.09 | Squash game with the Great Trade UP Master at the Edgbaston Priory Club | AMEY | Tickets for a London show | 100 |
| Capsticks Solicitors LLP | 16.01.09 | red balloon | Birmingham Children's Hospital Director of Communications | 1x bch balloon pin | 1.5 |
* The Great Trade Up is organised by Birmingham Children’s Hospital alongside BBC Radio WM. The Great Trade Up lasts until May 15. An entry fee of £500 is required. If you are interested in making an offer to one of the teams, contact the Great Trade Up Master on 0121 333 8539 or greattradeup@kidneykids.co.uk to be put in contact with the appropriate team. The campaign has a home page on the Post website here>.
