Episode 11 Antiques Road Trip

The nation's favourite antiques experts. One big challenge.

Who will make the most profit buying and selling antiques

as they drive around the UK?

-£6.

-£5.

-Done.

Is that the very best you can do?

By the end of their trip, they should have made some big money.

But it's not as easy as it sounds.

And only one will be crowned champion

at the final auction in London.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

It's nearing the end of this Antiques Road Trip.

Our final leg is with Mark Stacey and James Braxton.

Mark has worked for the prestigious Bonham's and Sotheby's

and is well versed in ceramics and glass.

I really do need to make an offer on them,

but I don't know if you're going to be happy with my offers.

James Braxton is a seasoned auctioneer, the proud owner of this

beautiful old car, and also loves fine furniture and decorative arts.

Should I be walking out of the shop without old Dobbin here?

James and Mark began their journey with £250 each and, frankly,

neither of them has really made any money. James has been taking

big risks on big items and losing big money.

He needs to work hard today, just to get back to where he started.

So after big wins but even bigger losses,

his £250 has been slashed to £166.47.

However, he still has an unsold tiara that he's hoping

will turn a profit on this leg, or head.

No more big price ticketed items.

I'm a 20-22, or even a £15 man from now on.

Mark's been gradually creeping up on James

with his tactic to buy small and cheap.

He's taken a substantial lead over James,

with his £250 now up to £279.07.

I think I'm still going to err on the side of caution

and try and buy cheap and try and get the dealers

to really negotiate down so I can maximise the profit.

This road trip is round the Southeast of England

and on this leg, they're leaving Abingdon, in Oxfordshire,

taking a cheeky detour north to Oxford itself,

before heading south through Henley-on-Thames

and ending at auction in Billingshurst, West Sussex.

Oxford is one of Britain's oldest cities

and was the location for its first ever coffee house in 1651,

opening local people's eyes, literally,

to the new caffeinated drink. And, of course,

Oxford University is fairly well-known around the world.

The man in the white suit heads out alone

to the first antique shop of the day.

Here we are! Antiques On High.

Will I be lucky?

-Hi!

-Hello, I'm Joan Lee.

Hello, nice to meet you.

May I look in the cabinet there?

Wouldn't mind looking at the hip flask, please?

Nicely shouldered, beautifully cut, no signs of damage,

but still nice and tight, good bear neck fixings.

Nice item, isn't it? I wonder who CD is?

James needs to check the hallmark to get the rough value of the flask.

Hallmarking dates back to 1300 in Britain,

governing the trade of precious metals to protect the public

against fraud and the trader against counterfeiting.

Here the hallmark tells James

the date of the silver drinking cup on the bottom of flask.

There we are, 1907. So a nice Edwardian fellow.

-Very cheeky. Could you do it for 50?

-I'll do it for 100.

It's a good retailing price but the problem with me is

I'm on me uppers a bit.

LAUGHTER

Still in Antiques On High,

James moves on to another, hopefully more persuadable, dealer.

-And suddenly there's an important call.

-Excuse me.

-Hello?

-She hasn't re-thought her hip flask, has she?

What did you offer her?

-50 quid.

-Yeah, I think she could probably take that.

Really? Ooh, that's really kind.

It's not for the first time

that I've had my breath taken away on this show.

-There you are, you see.

-Thank you, that's really kind.

God! He who dares wins.

This is the best deal I've had on any leg so far. I'm really pleased

with this and if this doesn't make me a profit, I AM the Dutchman.

Well done, James. But you've broken your £15 to £20 rule already!

Oh, there you are, James.

-I've been waiting ages for you.

-No smile on my face.

You're clutching something, you've bought something.

-Should I be worried?

-You should.

I think this is the best item I've bought on the trip.

I haven't bought a thing.

Come on, off to Wallingford.

And it's back on the road, heading through Oxfordshire to Wallingford.

Pretty, historical Wallingford has been a town for about

a thousand years, since it became a favoured resting place

for William the Conqueror in 1067.

Today, James and Mark need to conquer the antique shops

and find some bargains to get out of their auction doldrums.

Not a moment too soon,

Mark finds a delicious antique shop and actually goes inside.

He's got work to do, to catch up with James' early star purchase.

That's a little Tiffany dish.

Oh, that's rather pretty, isn't it? What would it be used for, I wonder?

-A little bonbon dish, or something?

-Yes.

-We've talked about silver

and I've found this ridiculous little shell pocket, a wall pocket,

which is Clarice Cliff, Wilkinson Pottery.

It's certainly not our first Road Trip encounter with the

world famous Clarice Cliff. Clarice was an English ceramics designer,

who eventually owned and ran her own business, and is best known

for her brightly coloured Art Deco designs of the 1930s.

I quite like the simplicity of it, don't you?

Yes, she was more versatile than people imagined.

Yes, she was and I think also, in fairness,

sometimes her signature was just put on things.

-Do you?

-Yes, I do.

Well, that's a matter of opinion, Mark.

More importantly, are you going to buy it?

I really do need to make an offer on them,

but I don't know if you're going to be happy with my offers.

So I'll just say them and you can say "yes",

or "get out of my shop, Mark".

The Clarice Cliff wall pocket,

I would ideally like to get for about £15.

And the little Tiffany's piece, really for 20 or £30.

Is there any, any chance that you can do them for that for me?

I know I'm terribly mean.

I really can't do the Tiffany's dish, but I'll do the Clarice Cliff.

-£15 pounds, thank you so much.

-Thank you.

Mark has stuck to his strategy and got a rock bottom price

and something else seems to have caught his eye.

Excuse me, Pat, can I have a chat with you

-about the painting you've got here?

-Yes.

-Come along.

I think these are rather fun, they're rather summery, aren't they?

I don't know the artist but I've looked on the back

and they seem to be Russian or something like that, sort of 1990s.

Do you think we could negotiate a bit on the price?

You make me an offer and I'll tell you if I can.

Well, I'm going to be very cheeky, is that all right?

Yes, I thought you might be.

So do forgive me and don't hit me, all right. But what about £30?

Er, no. How about 45?

-Oh, can't we compromise a bit and say 35?

-Mmm, no.

So what you're really saying is you want to get about £40 for them?

I think so, yes.

Decisions, decisions.

Decisions, decisions.

Ha-ha-ha.

I think I'm going to give Braxton a run for his money.

Two fantastic oil paintings, framed, originals, for £40 quid.

Can't be bad, can it? Plus the Clarice Cliff for £15.

I think we're laughing.

Well, James might be able to wipe the smile off your face

with a nice piece of car trouble.

Oh, my giddy aunt.

Well, unfortunately, Mark, there seems to be

a small problem with the...

Can you listen? That's the fuel pump.

-What have you done?

-James doesn't have a clue.

Luckily, help arrives.

-Are you sure there's petrol in the tank?

-Yep.

This is the truth. He's ran out of petrol.

-Are you sure there's petrol in the tank?

-Doubly sure.

Are you really sure there's petrol in the tank?

There's no petrol in it! I don't believe it!

Not trusting James with the car,

Mark puts himself in the driver's seat as the day draws to an end.

But can I just say one thing, James, that I've been dying to say to you.

-You've actually put the Wally into Wallingford.

-Hey! Easy.

It's the final day of shopping for this trip.

Leaving Oxford and Wallingford behind,

the road trip continues south towards Billingshurst.

Next stop, Henley-on-Thames.

Henley has a great musical heritage.

Once home to George Harrison of the Beatles

and the final resting place of the late, great Dusty Springfield.

A commemorative Dusty Day is held here annually.

# You don't have to say you love me. #

Just be close at hand.

So far, Mark has spent £55 on three items.

The Clarice Cliff wall pocket and two Russian landscape paintings.

Mark has £224.07 left to invest.

James has spent £50 on one item, the cut glass and silver hip flask,

with £116.47 still burning a hole in his pocket.

-Where are you off to?

-I think I'm off ferreting, James.

-I'll see you later.

-I'll go to Tudor House.

Mark has gone for a rifle through The Ferret,

a popular antiques and collectables shop in Henley.

I actually quite like this barometer. It's rosewood and it's inlaid

with mother-of-pearl and brass string in here.

It's a typical, what we call, a banjo barometer.

Rosewood-cased banjo barometers were fashionable instruments

in the late Victorian period. Barometer movements were mostly

made by Italian craftsmen who came over to Britain in the 19th century.

Could I ask you to look into

giving me the very best price on that, please?

Let me look at the ticket and see what we can do.

-150.

-150. I was hoping for a bit less

cos I've got to think about what it would make at auction.

Whilst Mark contemplates blowing the budget,

James is on his way to a cluttered treasure trove.

Well, I don't think I'm going to be lost for choice here,

look at all these ceramics, what a place!

-Hello.

-Hi!

-James.

-Hello. Pleased to meet you.

-Good to meet you.

I can't wait to start unearthing things.

Have a dig around.

I know from the auctioneers that our auction is to include collectibles

so maybe I should be looking for something fun,

something a bit glam, something colourful. Skates, copper, brass.

I think if you were to melt this shop down,

I think 10% would be copper, 10% would be brass

and then the rest ceramics. It's great fun.

James burrows ever deeper and Mark is still smitten with the barometer.

I really do like the barometer but I think in order

to get the maximum profit I can to take onto the next leg,

as it were, I'd have to get it for around 100.

I don't think we'll get down to 100 but I do think

maybe I could do a little better.

-I'll leave it with you.

-If you'd like to wait.

-I will. Thank you.

Carol calls the dealer

whilst Mark takes a last nervous look at what could be his star buy.

This is quite nerve-wracking, really,

because I'm risking a lot again and I said I wouldn't do that.

It is such a pretty one, though.

-Right, I've managed to make the phone call.

-Well done.

We can't go 100 but we can do 110.

-110.

-Do you think you can?

-I'm going to take it.

-Good. I am pleased.

-Do you think I've made the right choice?

-I think you'll do very well.

-I really do.

-Well, I've decided. Look, life is a gamble, isn't it?

And I'm fed up of buying things for £10 and £20.

Oh, dear, Mark. If anyone would have stuck

to the small and cheap strategy today, we thought it would be you!

Can James play it safe with a pair of ornamental favourites?

I quite like these, always fun, sculptural things, aren't they?

-Was it Melba Ware?

-It's Melba Ware. I'm sure of it.

I think that's Melba Ware as well.

Melba Bone China originates from the home of British pottery,

Stoke on Trent. Bone china was developed in England

in the 18th century as a soft paste version of porcelain

and used ground cattle bones to produce a strong, white body.

Could you give any of them at, say, two quid or something?

Two quid? I don't think so.

Could you do a fiver on this one, then?

I could probably do him for a fiver, yes.

-It's a deal.

-We have a deal.

-Woof! Woof!

For a fiver, that's lovely. But I'm still wondering if

I should be walking out of the shop without old Dobbin, here.

It's going to have to be £15. Have to be.

£15 pounds? Gosh, the shock!

I'm going to have to sit down, he's a tough man, this Dave.

15. There wouldn't be a small discount to 13, would there?

£15.

Make my day, Dave, come on, £13.50.

-14.

-14! Well done, well done.

Now I can afford lunch, just!

Not entirely sure what James can achieve with a ceramic shire horse

and a spaniel, but we wish him well.

Meanwhile, Mark's gone off to West Wycombe

to feel the Burning Fires of Hell.

Well, not literally! He's delving into the scurrilous past

at the West Wycombe Park Estate, former venue for the original,

infamous, scandalous Hellfire Club.

-Hello, are you Chris?

-I am.

Hello, I'm Mark, nice to meet you.

Chris Hathaway is the head guide at West Wycombe Park

and leads Mark into temptation.

In 1740 the estate owner, Sir Francis Dashwood,

founded an organisation modestly called the

Order of the Knights of St. Francis of West Wycombe.

Otherwise known as the Hellfire Club,

for its commitment to booze, mischief and, erm,

dressing up as the Pope.

-Is that him?

-Indeed.

The whole idea of the Hellfire Club,

it was a kind of parody of Roman Catholic rituals.

So the men would dress up as monks and the ladies would dress up

as nuns and they would party to extremes, you could say.

These Hellfire Clubs were an interesting band of people

because they got up to all sorts of mischief.

Rumours abounded of naughtiness in the caves around the estate,

fuelled by alcohol under the direction

of Sir Francis Dashwood himself.

-Wow.

-Ooh, aren't they gorgeous?

They are, can I hold one?

Recently recovered by the estate,

these ceremonial Hellfire goblets were used, possibly,

for toasting the Devil. Or perhaps just for getting drunk.

Gosh! I do feel honoured. And here's his initials, I suppose.

-FD.

-Yes, that's right.

-Francis Dashwood.

If you look underneath there's a very clear hallmark and that's London,

that shows that it's Georgian silver as well.

I never know if it tastes very nice drinking out of silver gilt.

-A bit metallic.

-It would be a little bit, all that oxidisation,

I don't know, but I certainly wouldn't mind them.

With the money you've got left, Mark, you can't afford them!

Back on the shopping trip, James has found his way from Henley to Eton

and found a pretty, antique bell push

retailed by Thomas Goode & Co.

Isn't that fun? Just a fabulous fitting.

They opened their Mayfair shop in 1827,

just before the Victorian era got going,

and have been purveyors of fine objects ever since.

-Just do that, "beep, beep".

-Wire it up and it's just as practical today

as it was when first made. You could have that for 40.

Gary, I couldn't push you a bit more, could I? Could you do 30?

All right, James.

That's really kind, you can get me out of the shop now.

The final purchase of the day, just in time before the shops shut.

And for the last time, Mark and James get to show and tell.

-It's a little Clarice Cliff wall pocket.

-That's lovely.

-And I got it down from 42 to 15.

-Well done!

-So there must be a profit in there somewhere.

-Yes, must be.

-Oh, gosh, James.

-Now, there's the shire horse.

And you've got a little dog with it.

Not quite Maud, but similar.

-Oh, sweet. This one is not great quality, James.

-I know.

-Two items, £14.

-14?

-14.

-Oh, well, that's all right, James.

They're Russian oil paintings.

Russian oil paintings? Hey!

That's the first one.

-That's the other one.

-Nice colours.

They were priced originally at £50 each and I got them for £40,

-so £20 each.

-I think you did very well.

-I think that's quite reasonable.

-You had your buying hat on there.

Well, I try.

And here we are. This mighty fellow.

Oh, that's nice, James.

-Silver?

-Bayonet one.

So you twist and pull. Oh, the stopper's missing, never mind.

It didn't have a stopper because it has a cork liner.

-Initial, which is a shame.

-It's rather nice.

ET, extraterrestrial, my extraterrestrial item and I love it.

How much did you pay for that, James?

-£50.

-And how much are you hoping to get for it?

Watch and weep, I should get 80 to 120.

It's a lovely little rosewood and brass inlaid.

1830, 1840, needs a little bit of work.

It was marked at £185

and I got it for 110.

It's obviously not working because it should be on "much rain".

As we have enjoyed on this leg.

Ding-a-ling-a-ling!

That's a very nice little bell push.

Just turn it over and you could redo it and rewire it today.

Absolutely. A little bit of damage, unfortunately.

Don't worry about that, turn it round.

Beep, beep, beep. Profit. Profit.

Oh, well I think you will "ring up" a small profit on that.

Are you worried by my purchases?

-No, not at all.

-Am I worried by yours?

-No.

-Not bothered!

Girlfriend.

And what do you really think, girlfriends?

The two pieces of pottery, the horse and the dog, are awful.

Clarice Cliff? Not my cup of tea.

It's a rather kitsch thing that might end up in a bathroom.

He has to make so much more now than I have

to come out on top, so he has to clear £140-£150.

Back on the road, it's been a long journey from Abingdon,

through lovely Oxford, Wallingford and Henley-on-Thames.

Finally, it's auction day and the road trip arrives in Billingshurst.

SQUEAKING

Was that you?

Bellman's auction house specialises in fine arts, paintings

and collectables and the auctioneer, Jonathan Pratt, has a few thoughts.

I mean, you know how barometers are doing at the moment?

-Stop flapping, Jonathan how much have you put on it?

-40 to £60.

-That's so mean!

-No, it's a kind of "come and buy me" estimate.

-I hope it is, I paid 110 for it.

-Did you really pay 110 for it?

Do you like my bit of adding value here?

BELL RINGS

I like it. Onyx and lapis lazuli with the Thomas Goode on the side,

it's a quality item, isn't it?

A couple of "no sale" items have tagged along from yesterday's show.

James has his silver tiara

and Mark has his freebie Art Nouveau needle case.

Starting this leg with £279.07,

Mark boldly spent £165 on three items.

James started with £166.47

and timidly spent just £94,

overcoming his Achilles heel on blowing the budget.

Storm clouds gather around Billingshurst. The wind picks up,

birds flee to their nests and the strangest scent is in the air.

The auction is about to begin.

First up, Mark's got nothing to lose on this needle case,

but a little extra profit would be nice to extend his lead.

Mitrailleuse by Royal Letters Patent.

Start me at a fiver on this? Five. Eight anyone, eight now, ten, 12,

15 anywhere? I'll sell at £12 then if we're all done at £12.

-Another £12.

-Well done.

An excellent start.

£12 that Mark didn't have before and it cost him nothing.

James' tiara didn't sell in yesterday's show.

Will it find a pretty little head today?

Let's hope there's a secret bride here somewhere in the room.

-Are you looking around?

-I can't see anyone to be honest with you, James.

We have a silvered metal and colourless paste set tiara

of Belle Epoque design.

I can start straight in at £20, with me at 20.

22, 25, 28 and 30,

40 at £40 and selling,

45, 50, 55, £60.

Any further interest?

Selling, last chance, at £60.

-Up 27.50, James.

-I think I've recovered.

At no extra effort, James is heading back to level ground with Mark.

Next up, Mark's Clarice Cliff wall pocket.

Will it leave him out of pocket?

£10. 12 at the back, sir.

15, 18, 20, 22 at the back.

Come on, a bit more.

Last chance and selling for £22.

It's up seven, James, it's a profit.

It's good.

James got a great deal on this companion set.

Will anyone give them a home?

It's awful, no point to it whatsoever.

I wouldn't give you a fiver for them.

£10, any interest?

£10, thank you, at the back. 12 now.

I'll sell at £10, all done at 10.

James, at last there is some justice in the world, you're down four.

1581A, Russian school, oil on board.

Mark's first Russian landscape

needs a nice, rich buyer to fall for its charms.

Start me at £20 for the painting. £20.

At ten, 12, 15, 18, 20, 22, then I'll sell at 22.

That's ridiculous.

Last chance at £22.

I'm up two but I'll be down overall on that, James.

You're loving this, aren't you?

You saw how kind I was when you were down?

And now the other one. Let's hope it's the more attractive of the two.

Girl on a pony on a Russian farm.

Here we go, Mark.

£20? 10 then. 10 is bid, 12,

15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28, £28.

-Well done, Mark, so that's....?

-Up eight, there.

Ding Dong!

Large profit, please! It's James' lovely little bell push from Eton.

# Ring my bell, ring my bell. #

Lovely white onyx...

Don't push it too much.

Start me at £30 for the bell push, 20 then, 22, 25,

28, and in the front row at 30, are we all done at 30?

OK, selling at 30. Last chance.

-Oh!

-Wipe my face there.

Isn't that a shame?

Hmm. Not great.

After paying commission, James can't break even on the bell push.

Mark's feeling the heat, too.

He needs his barometer to sell big and keep him in the lead.

-I can't look.

-I'll talk you through it, don't worry.

Start me at 65, 75.

Well, 75, come on.

And 80 and five,

90 and five, 95, all done at 95.

-95.

-Well, that's terrible.

Ouch! Barometers have not been good sellers on this Antiques Road Trip.

Maybe it's the weather.

Go on, rub it in.

No, I don't, I have all sympathy, I've been there.

It's all to play for on the hip flask from Oxford.

James loves the quality and design,

but he needs to double his money or all is lost!

65, 70, 75,

80, 85, 90,

95, 100, 110, 120,

130, 140, 140 seated front row.

Selling front row at £140.

Up 90.

Yes! He's back with a vengeance!

Today's underdog, James Braxton, just about tripled his money

on that hip flask and finishes his road trip victorious with...

..well, not a lot more than he started with.

Mark started today's show with £279.07

and made a loss, after commission, of £16.88.

Mark finishes his road trip with £262.19.

James started today's show with £166.47

and made a big profit, after commission, of £103.60.

Which means James wins this South East leg

of the Antiques Road Trip with £270.07

So tell us, how much profit have you both made?

-Mark.

-James.

Final crunch moment.

-Final crunch moment. I made £20.

-And I made £12.

I tell you what, I think we could become successful dealers, you know.

LAUGHTER

Best of luck!

Mark and James started this final leg with £250 each.

Antiques Roadshow, we love it!

It's been a road trip of ups and downs with James taking an early lead.

That's up 50! Well done, James.

After circumnavigating the Southeast of England,

visiting several towns, dozens of antiques shops...

Now would you take £20 for this?

No!

That I've just sold at the weekend.

-No.

-Yes.

-You see, this is my luck.

..and hitting the best auction houses in six counties...

Somebody buy it!

..they've achieved...

not an awful lot, really.

Silly, that was silly.

In keeping with the rules, our two experts will now use

their monumental winnings to buy one killer item each

for the final group auction in London.

Lets see how Mark and James fit into the Antiques Road Trip Leader Board.

As expected, there's no challenge to our clear front runners.

James Lewis and David Harper are still way out in front.

Philip Serrell beats Anita Manning

to take 3rd place and James Braxton

takes 5th place, just above his

travelling buddy, Mark Stacey.

And both beating the shy, retiring

David Barby and the crushingly

modest Charles Hanson.

Ok, take it over to the...

Yes, I know what to do now.

And so the bickering continues.

The final of the Antiques Road Trip is in London

for the series climax. Each expert has used their profits

to buy one killer item for the final auction.

-Oh, that's devastating.

-Delighted!

All eight of our antiques experts faced one big challenge -

to make the most profit buying and selling antiques,

as they travelled the highways and byways of the UK.

But who will ultimately make the most money

and be crowned champion of the Antiques Road Trip?

Our experts have been scouring the UK's antique shops,

buying antiques sometimes from the most isolated of dealers, and at

the end of each programme, they've taken their treasures to auction.

We took eight hard-nosed antiques experts and turned them

into four pairs of bosom buddies.

Together they travelled a massive 3,176 miles around the UK

in a variety of wonderful, soft top classic motors.

They took in a myriad of towns and cities like Liverpool

and Barnard Castle, Belfast, Edinburgh and Conwy,

Oxford, King's Lynn and Bath.

Our experts have bought 133 items between them.

They went to 20 auctions...

Yes!

..and made 91 profits...

-£85!

-That's a lot of money.

..and 41 losses.

Well, that's a total wipe out, isn't it?

Each expert started their week with a budget of £200...

I hate parting with money.

..except James Braxton and Mark Stacey,

who had £250 because their road trip was only four days instead of five.

It's been snakes and ladders all the way...

It's a little bit too big.

..but everyone came dressed to kill.

-You look like a pirate.

-A pirate?

And it's all been leading to this exciting moment

at Christie's South Kensington saleroom in London.

Each of our eight experts have spent their profits on a single item

which they're going to sell on here.

Our champion will be the expert who makes the most money altogether -

that's the total proceeds from the sale of their item today,

together with the money they've already got in the bank.

And it can't be any ordinary antique for this sale. Oh, no.

Top-notch only. Well, on the Antiques Road Trip, all roads lead

to London, and our eight experts are on their way here, right now!

So who's going to win today?

Let's take a look at the leader board and remind ourselves

of the state of play.

It's James Lewis in the lead,

with David Harper not far behind.

In third place is Philip Serrell,

over £500 behind David.

Then there's only £40-odd

between the five other experts...

Anything can happen!

They've all got a fantastic item to sell at today's final auction,

except ONE.

One of the experts had their item rejected for today's sale,

so they're only here for the ride.

But which expert?!

Christie's South Kensington claims to be one of the busiest salerooms

in the world, with interior sales like this one almost every week.

They're fussy about what they accept, but go to great lengths

to market their lots and show them off to best advantage.

GAVEL BANGS

I'm not sure if they're quite prepared for this bunch, though.

-(RUSTIC ACCENT)

-I've never been to London before.

It's a really nice day out and smashing people!

Everybody's a little bit...

..hoity-toity!

You can keep Geneva, New York and Paris.

For me, the art capital of the world is still London.

Sold!

Our Antiques Road Trip competition

kicked off with Anita Manning and David Barby.

Let's see how they got on that week.

Our pioneering first team hit the road in a racy red Austin Healey.

They travelled from the northeast coast of Scotland,

down to North Yorkshire.

-Oh!

-Yes!

Each expert has followed their own path with varying success,

or lack of it!

That's devastating.

Anita began showing off the Scottish countryside to David,

but took her eye off the ball.

Her first auction was a total disaster.

Oh, that's disappointing.

So she had to learn fast and change tack.

Bit by bit, she drove for hard bargains.

Could you give me them for 20 quid? Go on, they'll be out of your life!

In Fife, she fought for a bargain diamante watch...

If there's a possibility of it at a couple of pounds...

..and a pair of Scottish landscapes.

-£16 for the two?

-That's ridiculous!

She clawed her way back up to where she'd begun, and beyond.

It's nice to see you smiling!

David, on the other hand,

started strong and had a terrific first auction.

GAVEL BANGS

Lady luck is smiling on you today!

But early successes went to his head

and he began making progressively riskier purchases...

-I was looking for that "wow" factor.

-It doesn't have that.

..which became his undoing.

At £70!

Oh!

So David never wants to hear the words "Art Nouveau charger"

or "Gray's Pottery lamp" ever again!

£60.

Well, that's a total wipe out, isn't it?

And despite his best efforts...

Is that your very best? The very best you can do?

What's the very best? Is that your very best?

..it was Anita who won the day.

I think you make a lovely couple, actually.

LAUGHTER

Watch it!

Anita, you had £285.59 in the end.

What did you buy for today's sale?

I bought a beautiful little dressing table mirror

with a lovely silver frame. It's Edwardian,

made by Goldsmiths & Silversmiths, a good London maker,

and it's dated 1909.

How much did this little delight cost you, Anita?

£280.

Now, David, you had £253.88 total.

What did you spend your cash on?

Two terracotta plaques. Late 19th century, possibly Austrian,

in the manner of Goldschneider, they're terracotta, cold painted.

These are in the form of two gable ends, and I looked at them,

I wanted somebody to associate the trip, and there's Anita, there,

and me, and we're both wearing spectacles, and I thought to myself,

"I've got to have those."

I'm not sure that's terribly flattering to you both!

David's extraordinary choice has been the talk of the town!

-What was he thinking?

-He said, "What period do you think they're from?"

-I said, "Early horrific."

-They're monstrous.

-Grotesque.

-Hang it over the fireplace,

and keep your children away from the fire!

Would I buy them myself?

Possibly not.

David Harper and James Lewis came next, driving David's car.

Let's see what happened.

These bearded wonders travelled through

three countries in the Union.

They started off at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland,

and finished up in Leicestershire,

quite a stretch!

For these two lions, it was a serious competition from the start.

The key, I've realised, is that you have to double your money.

But I want to beat him!

David's successful campaign began with an Irish butter knife.

And what a knife!

-A heck of a butter knife.

-Indeed.

-Imagine that on your crumpet.

£110.

Brilliant.

But James took the lead, thanks, in part, to a green French deer.

I'm selling at £140.

And a dark-haired stranger.

All done at 180.

Then disaster struck.

David bought a lovely bowl which turned out to be a fake.

And both had a fragile item broken in transit.

But in spite of bad luck,

they each made some serious, serious cash.

David overtook James, thanks to his quirky nutcracker.

£210, now selling.

Well done.

And lady's travelling box.

-Sold at 100.

-Well done! Put it there, Andrew.

But, in the end, James won the day, thanks to a silver tea set...

£260 and selling.

Well done.

..and a Victorian sampler.

-That was great fun.

-Right down to the last lot!

You two had a terrific week with some tremendous profits.

David, you had £880.22.

Tell us about the item you bought for this, the final auction.

It was bought on the final leg, in the final shop, and it's

a fantastic late-19th century, 5ft 7 tall, Chinese, hardwood,

rosewood, gorgeous colour display cabinet. And it's interesting

because it's not just Chinese.

You've got that kind of British influence of gadrooned top

and gadrooned base, on ball and claw feet so quite obviously made

for the British market in Hong Kong, or even as an export piece.

How much did this cost you?

£300 and I think it was an absolute steal.

And what's your reckoning as to what it will bring?

-I think it's got a very good chance of doing £1,000, or more.

-Really?

I do, I really do. I hope!

If you're right, and that's the exciting thing, isn't it?

Because you just can't tell in these auctions.

Now you finished up with the highest score of all,

that's £969.02 you've got in the bank.

What did you spend your money on and why?

I bought something for the local well-heeled lady.

I bought a French bureau de dame. It's in tulip wood, it's late 19th,

early 20th-century, but it is perfect for a little lady to sit

and write her letters, the traditional lady in home.

It's got these very fine little ormolu mounts set with Sevres panels.

Beautiful, a really pretty little object.

If it doesn't do well here, it won't do well anywhere.

Right. How much did you pay for it?

I paid £490.

Next to take on the Antiques Road Trip challenge

were Philip Serrell and Charles Hanson.

Their starting point was Llandudno in North Wales,

and they were due to finish in Devon,

but they finally ended up in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.

Sometimes it was like watching Laurel and Hardy.

Charlie, what are you doing? Get off my leg!

This is the trouble when you deal with children.

Excuse me, just a moment. Thank you.

Philip!

Philip held on tight to his money and stuck with cheap, shabby chic.

He got a horse harness for a fiver...

-£6.

-£5.

-Done!

..and a cut down gate-leg table which cost £50

and doubled its money.

All out, selling on the book at 100.

But the odd lot didn't sell.

-Sorry, chaps.

-It hasn't sold.

-She's passed it.

-Well, it has to make something, surely.

Bonnie young Charles, the great pretender, was much more outlandish.

His cinema seats were memorable, giving him an early lead.

At £200, all finished at 200.

I am absolutely flabbergasted, Charlie. Well done, you.

His gambles didn't always pay off. Remember the tinned food?

-All done at five. Thank you, sir.

-He's as mad as you are, Charlie.

There was a risky armchair that bombed.

If you're all done at £90?

GAVEL BANGS

Bargain.

And then the Chinese punch pot that flew.

At £280...

Well done, Charlie.

But at their final auction, Charles got knocked back

on his battered old moth collection because some were illegal.

-So they're not in the sale?

-They're not in the sale.

And Philip came out on top.

Congratulations.

You're the victor, but there's still London and there's still my star buy.

Selling at 120.

Yes... Charles' star buy has been a bit of a disaster.

Remember I said someone's item got rejected for today's sale?

Well, Charles bought a table which Philip was selling

at their last auction, and sadly, London didn't like it.

Charles, what happened?

I spent £140 and I really thought I had bagged a great find.

I thought it was shabby chic. I thought, "Off we go to Christie's

"with something of great integrity, for a high refined saleroom,"

and I was wrong, because, sadly, they turned it away

as not quite being of a quality... Perhaps it was more the condition,

I don't know.

What are you going to do with your shabby chic table

now Christie's won't take it?

It's going in the back of my car later on

and it's waltzing up the M1 to Derbyshire.

So Charles will sell the table at his own auction,

and the proceeds will be added to our final total.

Now, Phil, you had £308.93. What did you buy?

It's a lovely walnut table. It's 20th-century, it's effectively

a reproduction because it's meant to look like an 18th-century table.

And I just think it might just appeal to the London set.

It's completely clean, yes. I mean, no woodworm.

No, no, no. I don't think it's been around long enough to get worm, Tim!

What do you think it's going to bring, Phil?

I'm just hoping it'll make £400 or £500.

The Antiques Road Trip had James Braxton

driving his own car, with Mark Stacey as his passenger.

They set off from King's Lynn in Norfolk

and travelled a particularly winding route, finishing up

in Billingshurst, West Sussex.

Wind in our hair. Fabulous, isn't it?

Somebody, buy it!

AH! How's my little Welsh friend?

These two were never going to make big bucks.

They were having far too much fun,

buying things that appealed to them, but not at keen enough prices.

-Would you take £20 for this?

-No.

Oh, no, James, that's down 15.

-That was silly.

-Are you going to change your buying strategy?

I certainly am, yeah.

The good old British summer hampered them,

plus some rather rash decisions didn't help.

10? Anyone, £10 only? No?

James started with the intention of going mad with his money.

-I am a gambling man.

-I like your style!

-£20 and selling.

-Oh!

-£10.

-It just gets worse, doesn't it?

£28 and selling.

You're down 450, that's not too bad.

-Any commission bids?

-£30 and selling.

-Oh.

Mark, meanwhile, struggled to let loose the purse strings.

-Decisions, decisions.

-Decisions, decisions.

But he couldn't keep himself from buying things that he just loved,

like the lovable Thread Bear.

-You won't regret this.

-I already do!

In the end, James' cavalier approach was more profitable...

At £140.

-Up 90.

-That's very good.

-Thank you.

..but only just.

With James exactly £8.51 ahead of Mark, it was nothing if not close.

I tell you what, I think we could become successful dealers, you know.

And they managed to hold up the traffic through six counties.

So you didn't make great profits, either of you,

but it was neck and neck all along, wasn't it?

-It was.

-Very much so.

Now, you had £270.07 to spend.

What did you buy?

I bought something I'm very happy with.

I bought a little element of Marrakech, a bit of north Africa.

A lovely little table with eight legs, chip carved on the top.

If you looked at it, you'd think, "Ah, Islamic piece,"

immediately with that rather nice octagonal top, and then you

look down and you see the quality of the fabulous walnut legs.

Just tell me when do you think it was made, then?

I think it's sort of turn of the century, I think, around 1900.

But it's exactly the thing that would have been retailed, one hopes,

by that mighty store in Regent Street, Liberty's.

What did you spend on it?

I spent the whole lot.

-Did you?! Typical!

-Including the pence!

£270.07 you blew on this table, right?

-The 7p made the difference, he was wavering.

-I bet it did.

Now, Mark, you had £262.19. What did you buy?

Well, I bought a rather charming little 19th-century table cabinet.

Around 1860, 1880. Napoleon III, ebonised with wonderful brass,

and it's a very pretty piece to look at, I'm really happy with it.

And I'm very pleased to say, also, I didn't spend all of my money.

Cos I knew other people were banking so I banked my £2.19.

-So you spent 260?

-I paid 260 for it.

-You banked £2.19?

-Yes.

What do you think it might bring in the sale?

You never know with the London market,

but I would like to see £500 or £600.

So out of all the extraordinary pieces that our experts have bought,

who's going to surprise us and who's going to win?

As you can imagine, everyone's got a view.

First, Christie's chairman and auctioneer, Nic McElhatton.

I think my favourite item out of all the pieces,

and I think they've all got great merits,

is probably Mark's Napoleon III cabinet. It's got all the quality.

I could see that one actually exceeding the others

at the end of the day.

If you want to see someone come up on the outside rails,

Braxton's table could just sneak in there.

The winner probably is James' bureau,

with the Sevres-style plaques.

Lots of French. French love Kensington, you know?

Every other voice is Franglais going on around here,

and I think they'll love it.

I think of all the objects here, my favourite one is David Harper's.

OK, no more speculation.

No more guessing games.

It's show time!

So the auction is under way.

First lot up is James Lewis's bureau de dame.

James, you paid £490 for it.

-Are you just as confident about this thing?

-No, not at all.

Well, we're closely contained by all your colleagues here,

so you're not going to get away with anything, quite frankly.

Anyway, £490 you paid. The auctioneer's estimate

is £700 to £1,000, which is pretty encouraging,

and, frankly, here it comes.

And I can open the bidding here at 480, 500.

At £500. 550 I have.

At £550. 600, 650 now, at £650.

Any advance on 650? 700. 750.

At £750, it's here with me at 750.

I'm offered £770 with a commission here, at 770. Any advance?

At 770, here on the book, it's against the room,

it's against the internet, it's against the telephones, at 770...

Sold at £770.

Not bad, James, well done.

James is putting a brave face on that,

but the result has shored up his lead.

Next up, Phil, is your centre table.

I just hope it does well. If it does over £400, I'll be happy.

The auctioneer's estimate is £500 to £700, so you should be OK.

Here it comes. Good luck.

I can start the bidding here at 350.

380, it's here with me at £380.

Any advance at £380?

It's all done here at 380.

400 now, I'm selling.

£400, absentee bid at 400.

Any advance?

All done with this one at £400?

Sold at 400, thank you very much.

You said your threshold for no pain is £400. You're not in pain, mate!

No, no, it's all right. I think after the auctioneer's modest commission,

I'm back to where I started!

That's what we in the trade call "wiping its face".

Philip's not really better off but at least he didn't lose anything.

David Barby's next, with his lovely...terracotta plaques.

The auctioneer's estimate is £500 to £700,

so in his opinion, at least, you'll double your money, David.

-That's what I wish for.

-That's what I wish for.

Is that the very, very best, do you think?

What do you mean, "Is that your very, very best"?

I've got interest here at 300,

320, 350. Up here at £350.

Come on, come on. Where are the internet?

Any advance here at 350?

I have 380, £400. At 400, my commission here at 400.

Any advance? Commission bid at 400, I'm going to sell them,

if there's no advance, at £400. All done, then, at £400.

Sold.

-That's respectable, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Good.

-There's no shame in that.

So if we check the leader board,

James Lewis is still miles out in front.

David and Phillip haven't done

enough to break into the big time

they haven't even got

close to David Harper,

who still has his

Chinese display case to sell.

Next up, it's Anita's pretty little mirror.

Quite a bit of interest at 300, 320, 350. Here on the book at £350.

I have 380, 380, against the telephone. Do I have bid 400?

400, 420...

Here with me at 420.

440. 460. £460, here with me at 460.

480? 480,

500. £500, still my commission at 500. All done, this one, at £500.

All finished here at 500.

Yes, yes, yes, yes! Wasn't that wonderful!

Well done, Anita! Well done indeed.

How super was that?

A thrilling result for Anita.

Now it's James Braxton's turn.

If buyers think his table WAS retailed by Liberty's,

he could have a cheeky winner here.

So James, octagonal table coming up.

Exciting. The auctioneer has estimate £500 to £800.

If it's picked up with it's potential Liberty whatnot,

I reckon that thing could make £1,000.

I think it's an extremely nice table,

and extremely well bought by you. Anyway, here it comes.

And we have a change of auctioneer.

Possibly retailed by Liberty, circa 1900.

-Ooh!

-Ooh!

I have interest here directly at 260, 280, 300.

£300 now, on commission at 300. Any advance, please, at £300?

At £300, then, at £300 on commission.

Against us all, then, and selling at 300.

£300. James, that is such bad luck.

Well, poor old James. Very disappointing.

No-one has got anywhere near

to catching James Lewis, though.

It's all down to David Harper

and Mark Stacey.

Can either of them beat James?

First to go is David Harper and his heavily fancied

Chinese display cabinet.

Estimate £800 to £1,200. Here we go, Dave.

Hardwood display cabinet, and I have interest here directly, at £500.

At 50, 600. At £600 now.

Any advance, please, at 600? At £600. 650, 700, against you.

£700. With me now at 750.

750. 800 on the telephone.

850 in China.

-850 in China! It's going back home.

-In China!

900, £900 now on the telephone.

950 on another telephone.

Do the grand. Do the grand.

-1,000!

-Yes!

-1,000 in China.

1,100, 1,200...

1,300, 1,400.

In China now at £1,400, on the internet.

1,500, back on the telephone now.

1,600. 1,700.

-Yes!

-They do realise it's pounds, don't they?

1,900, come back to me on the internet. 2,000.

-£2,000!

-Aaah!

You're certain, 2,000?

Finished, then, at £2,000.

On the internet and selling at 2,000.

Well done, David.

That is something, this is the man!

Well, that was just extraordinary.

Well above the estimate and a fine finish for David.

So this is it, the ultimate lot to decide who is going

to take home the trophy. Who is going to be

the champion today of the Antiques Road Trip final?

And to get this, Mark, you have to make £2,700 with your cabinet.

How do you feel about that?

-It's in the bag.

-It's in the bag.

The auctioneer's estimate is 500 to 700.

It's a "come and get me", I feel it's a "come and get me" estimate,

and I think we'll all be very, very surprised when he says,

"I've got bidding in China, in Berlin, in Paris, in London..."

-Brighton.

-Brighton. Reading.

-Reading.

-Carlisle.

-Greenwich.

-They'll all be there.

They'll all be there. Aberystwyth.

-They'll be lining up for your cabinet, won't they?

-Absolutely.

I've got interest here, starting me directly at £300.

320, 350, 380.

400 I have now, at 400. At £400.

Any advance, please, at 400. 420.

I think the internet's down.

485. 556. One more, Madam? 650, I have.

Oh, 650! Well, I'm pleased with that.

Here in the room at £650.

Any further advance, please, at 650?

At £650, your bid, Madam. I'll sell to you directly.

At 650, then.

Well, that's not bad, is it? £650. That's an achievement, actually.

So Mark didn't get nearly enough to beat David.

The Chinese cabinet fetched the biggest price by far,

which means the Antiques Road Trip champion is David Harper!

We now all appreciate just how difficult it is to go around

the United Kingdom and make profits in all these obscure places

that you have been. And you have done this now, David, big time.

-You are our champion today, and congratulations.

-Thank you so much.

As our leader board shows, David's final total,

after paying commission and adding in what he banked

at the end of his trip, is a gargantuan £2,488.22.

His arch-rival James Lewis, in the lead until today,

is the runner-up, with £1,162.77.

Then comes Mark Stacey,

who's done very well to reach third place, with £565.94.

And frankly, there's not too much to choose between the rest.

Charles did sell his table for £260.

Add it in with the entire profits of the Antiques Road Trip,

it means £5,921.18 is going to Children In Need.

Well played, road trippers!

It's been one heck of a journey, and we hope you enjoyed the ride!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd