Episode 19 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts...

I don't know what to do!

..with £200 each, a classic car, and a goal

to scour Britain for antiques.

What a little Diamond!

The aim, to make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.

Back in the game! Charlie!

There will be worthy winners, and valiant losers.

So, will it be the high road to glory, or the slow road to disaster?

Oh!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

This week, we've been hitching a ride with two antiques experts,

Philip Serrell and Natasha Raskin.

Do you know, there is one thing that you can rely on in this country.

What's that?

Unreliable weather!

Esteemed auctioneer, Philip, has an eye for a bargain,

and a nose to sniff out antiques unlikely places.

This is just the best, this is much better than antique shops.

Joining him on this road trip is enchanting Glaswegian, Natasha,

with expertise in paintings, sculpture,

jewellery and female wiles.

Oh my goodness, I'm going to have to be like Cupid and sort of...

throw a little arrow in your direction.

Our duelling duo set off in a 1957 Porsche with £200 each.

As the penultimate leg of the road trip gets underway,

Philip edged in front with £214.04 to spend.

Natasha, however, has just £122.84

-Your purse is bulging now. You're over £200.

-It's not bulging!

It's about 12 quid better than we started, I don't know how many days ago.

I'm almost £100 worse off than when we started.

I've lost the plot, I think I got the rules wrong.

Natasha and Phil kicked off the week in Narberth, in Pembrokeshire,

their journey has seen them travel through the Home Counties.

Now they're heading to the south coast,

before heading to Salisbury, Wiltshire,

the fourth stretch has them going to an auction in Rayleigh in Essex.

But, they're starting in Arundel.

According to local tradition, if you shake yourself

on Arundel Bridge on the 1st of March,

you'll be free from fleas for the rest of the year.

Handy, that.

Our experts first stop is Arundel Antiques.

David's been trading in militaria for over 20 years

and has amassed quite a stock.

Perfect, if you know what you're looking for.

Here we go.

Stand by.

Atten-shun!

-So, what do you know about militaria, Phil?

-Nothing.

-Nothing?

Most of it comes from the military.

Most of it, that's sounding good, yeah(!) Thanks.

As Natasha heads to the back of the shop,

Philip spots something in David's window display.

-The flying leather helmets and goggles, old?

-Period, yes. 1940s.

And what the ticket price on those?

-The helmet and the goggles, £140.

-OK.

Bit of room for negotiation on these prices?

Well, £140 was kind of calculating a bit of a knock, 120?

OK. And that figure, is that plaster or wood?

-It's wooden, Florentine, 17th century.

-How much is that?

1850.

You couldn't do it for £17?

-I couldn't, actually, no. Thank you so much.

-Just a thought.

Putting the decimal point in the wrong place to get a deal

never really works, Serrell.

You've got to try, haven't you?

Natasha faring any better?

OK. This looks a bit more my cup of tea. Less militaria, more stuff.

But it's, very nicely set out, isn't it? Very nicely set out.

Which is a bit of a worry, because it makes me

think that this is antiques in a kind of retail, retail style.

But, we'll give it a good shot, see what we can find.

Better if you take the covers off, Phil.

-What about that?

-Oh, yeah. That's quite a good old piece.

-A good solid piece.

-How much is that?

-35 quid.

-It would benefit from a polish up, but...

-Wouldn't we all!

Speak for yourself(!)

-Is 35 the best, or can we get under 30?

-Um, 28. How about that?

-OK.

I might just have a go at you with that,

let me just have a wander around see if there's anything else I can see.

As Philip continues his search, Natasha finds David.

So, I'm a little bit worried that I can't afford anything in your shop,

So I was coming to you to say, "Yes, there are beautiful things here,

"but do you have anything on the cheap,

"but not common kind of scale?"

We've got some bargains. Would you like to follow me?

-We'll go and have a little look.

-I'd love to follow you.

Thank you so much. Maybe you're going to save me. What do you have in mind?

Well, I think these are quite interesting.

Two albums of cigarette cards from the 1930s.

-Right, OK. Something I've never bought before.

-Always a popular subject.

-So you've got all the insignias in there.

-Are they totally complete?

They're totally complete and in marvellous condition.

Cigarette cards were introduced to stiffen the packaging

and to advertise brands.

The first in the UK were introduced by John Player & Sons in 1893.

Because of the popular subject matter, will still be of interest.

Oh, I hope so. And do you think in this sort of quantity they'll be... Oh, hello!

-PHONE RINGS

-Please take your eyes off my lovely RAF badge cigarette cards.

We've not talked money yet, what do you think of these, Phil?

Oh, I'd be happy to give 400 or £500 for those, I would have thought.

Don't listen to him.

-Sell them to him, we'll split it.

-Yeah?

The ticket price is £25.

What about 20 for the two, a tenner a piece?

-Oh, I don't know. Can I have a look?

-Naturally. I think they're a really good subject matter.

Because I don't have a clue. I'm just worried about the rarity value,

because I don't really think there is one, is there?

These two collections are complete, with about 50 cards in each book.

So, that bodes well.

So, what's the most you're prepared to pay?

The most that I'm prepared to pay, if I'm honest,

and I only want to be honest, not offensive,

is probably eight quid.

-Eight pounds sounds like a good deal to me.

-Really?

-Yeah, I think so.

-I'm quite surprised.

-No, because I'm going to be stuck with them otherwise.

Oh, really! I get it. Well, shall we do it then?

-Yeah, we'll do it.

-Eight quid.

What an incredible deal.

Natasha has persuaded David to part with

these at a third of their ticket price.

And with one deal done, David makes his way over to Philip.

He's spotted a 19th century boxwood truncheon.

It's got a ribbed handle.

Leather here, which looks suspiciously like it's been replaced

-at some point in time.

-Replaced, yes.

And it's got a not overly subtle screw in there and there,

and then this is led filled.

And they used to call these life preservers, didn't they?

Which is actually the last thing in the world they did.

Cos when you got that on the back of the head,

-that really would just see you out, wouldn't it?

-Mmm.

-And how much is that?

-It's £45.

Phil's still keen on the bronze propeller, too.

Total ticket price for both items is £80.

What could you do the two for?

40. 20 quid each.

-£40 for the two?

-Yep.

You caught me by surprise, cos I thought they were going to be more than that.

I'd better pay you now.

Yeah, and with that both experts leave their first shop

with some promising purchases for auction.

Philip's moved on, and has motored the Porsche along the coast to Hove.

He's visiting Hove Museum and Art Gallery

to find out about a forgotten genius and pioneer of early cinema.

And to tell Phil all about this remarkable man of the movies

is museum curator, Suzie Plumb.

-Oh, hi, I'm Philip.

-Hi, Phil. I'm Suzie.

-Good to see you.

Welcome to Hove Museum and Art Gallery.

This is pretty cool, isn't it?

Do you want to come through here and have a sit down?

In our mini cinema.

You don't get many cinemas smaller than that, do you?

It's pretty small.

Mm, cosy.

George Albert Smith began as a showman in the 1890s

at a time when live performance alone entertained the masses.

He performed as a stage hypnotist, illusionist and psychic.

Spinning stories to a spellbound crowd,

he used a Magic Lantern and colourful slides.

So, Smithy, he sounds like a really larger than life character.

I think he was. He was a showman, his roots were in showmanship,

so he's working the Magic Lantern, doing performances around Brighton, at the Brighton Aquarium.

He's interested in photography.

He's also set up this, erm, what he calls a pleasure garden,

which included live animals, monkeys.

There's a hermit in a cave. So, he's an entertainer.

In 1896, Smith travelled to London to witness the first

demonstration of film by the Lumiere brothers.

So, the Lumiere brothers, sort of, they pioneered, what?

-Moving images, generally?

-Yes.

And our man George Albert Smith, what did he do?

He went to see the first showing in London in 1896

and came straight back down here and started making his own films

in 1897, so less than six months, really,

after he'd seen the first moving images in this country.

And they would've most definitely been black and white and silent, wouldn't they?

-Absolutely, absolutely.

-Yeah.

Inspired by the Lumiere brothers,

Smith turned his storytelling talent to film.

Smith was really instrumental in developing what we call the narrative of cinema.

Developing techniques and practices that enabled people to tell stories through moving image.

So, he was the pioneer, wasn't he, really?

Yes, certainly was one of them.

To tell his stories, Smith used the first ever close up shots

and pioneered editing.

He was leading the way, not just by creating new techniques to tell a story,

but also by developing revolutionary camera technology.

So, there's bits of work going on around the country

towards trying to find a colour film process.

But Smith beats them all to it.

-This is the Kinemacolor camera.

-What?

-Kinema...

-Kinemacolor camera.

-Right.

Inside there's a wheel here that sits between the film itself and the lens.

And this wheel consists of two filters.

-One half of the wheel is red...

-And one half is green.

Using a red and green filter to create a colour film

is just a trick of the eye.

It's just an optical illusion,

where red and green spinning fast enough makes it look like it's colour.

Smith's Kinemacolor was launched in Paris in 1908,

and he produced over 100 colour films.

But in 1913, disaster struck.

A court case brought by his competitors challenged his patent.

The judge ruled against Smith,

allowing anyone to produce a colour film.

After this court case, what happened to Smith then?

Well, he stopped making films, sadly.

And by that point, you know, this is from 1914-ish, the First World War comes along.

But, also, it becomes a lot cheaper to produce films in Hollywood.

Plentiful sunlight in Los Angeles made it the perfect place to produce films.

By the 1920s, Hollywood had become the movie capital of the world.

What happened to him, then?

He faded out of recognition for many years,

and was kind of forgotten about by the film industry.

Until probably late '40s, early '50s, when people started recognising

the value and the impact of his work on early film-making.

Smith looked on as the film industry, using techniques he pioneered,

became a global entertainment medium.

I don't think I'm ever going to be able to go to the cinema again

and watch a film without thinking of my new best friend, Mr Smith.

Thank you. Thanks very much.

Next stop for Natasha is just along the coast, in Peacehaven.

The town is located above the stunning chalk cliffs of the South Downs.

Natasha's here to shop.

This place may be small, but it's crammed full.

I'm really into a little bit of pokerwork,

and these are really sweet, these wee napkin rings.

It's called pokerwork because that's exactly what it is.

It's a hot poker that goes in and actually makes the design.

We've got the actual stylised flowers have been lined out by the poker.

And then the background has been, typical of its style, dot-dot-dotted in.

Then they've been filled in in colour.

But they're a little bit lacking in their colour.

It's all come off, to be honest with you.

And then I think maybe from the same sort of set is this one here.

Let me just get it. There we go.

Because I think this one's the most obviously Art Nouveau in its style,

because this here, you've got a lovely soft yellow,

and then the green and the blue all working together in harmony.

Yes, there's a wee bit of paint loss and it's not in the world's best condition,

but I think for its age, that's just such a lovely thing.

The arts and crafts pokerwork pot has a ticket price of £20.

One to think about.

Dealer Steve is on hand to help Natasha find some more goodies.

There are some sweet wee things in here.

I just have a feeling that novelty is what I'm after next.

There's one down here that's lovely,

The enamelled one with the 19 on it. Yeah, that's really sweet.

-What's that - 12 quid? Oh, it's a tie clip!

-Yes.

-And it's the 19th hole.

-Yes, indeed.

So, I thought that when I saw the price tag from above it said 120,

because I presumed it was going to be a nine carat gold. But it's not.

It's just in a sort of rolled gold, or gold plate.

I mean, the enamel's all right. It's not in the worst order you've ever seen.

But it's kind of cool, isn't it?

That's now two items Natasha has her eye on.

Anything else?

-I absolutely love this little pillbox.

-OK.

-It's just...

Cupid has, sort of, picked up his quiver

and, sort of, shot an arrow towards my heart.

I don't want to get too carried away, but what a lovely box.

It's absolutely gorgeous. Do you mind if we do a closer look at that?

-No, indeed.

-Right, OK. Thank you very much.

Anything to do with Greek mythology is just my favourite thing.

This pillbox has a 1992 hallmark.

Hardly antique, but as it's not terribly old it is in pristine condition.

It's basically purporting to be something that it isn't in its style,

but certainly it's hallmarked clearly enough to say, you know,

"Yes I'm not a period piece, I am from the late 20th century.

"But I'm very much mimicking

"the style of the early 20th century."

It sports a ticket price of £24.

OK, Steve.

There are things that I like in your shop, truly.

I really like the pokerwork box.

And I really like the tie pin.

Then you've got this gorgeous hallmarked bit of silver as well.

I wonder if you would be open to a sort of deal?

You can tempt me, Natasha.

And how often do you fall for temptation?

-I'm a fool for temptation.

-You're a fool for temptation!

Oh, my goodness, so I'm going to have to be like Cupid

and, sort of, throw a little arrow in your direction, see how I get on.

Try throwing a price at him!

Just say... £30 the lot. I'm just going to say it, Steve?

Make it 35 and it's yours.

-35? For the whole lot?

-Yeah.

Steve, I can't resist. I'm now falling for you.

I think that's an absolute deal.

Natasha has picked up three items

that had a total ticket price of £56 for just £35.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

I think these are going to fit perfectly into this pokerwork box.

Look at that!

And I'll say thank you very much, wish me luck.

It's been a pleasure, Natasha.

-It's been really nice, thank you so much, Steve.

-Good luck.

Bye-bye, bye-bye!

And with that, one day down, one to go on the Road Trip.

Time for a rest.

Nighty night, you two.

Morning has arrived.

And Philip's in charge of the map.

I know this sounds stupid, cos I used to teach geography,

-but have you any idea where we are?

-Oh!

You're in East Sussex. Ha!

Yesterday, young Natasha spent £43 on four lots for auction.

Two albums of cigarette cards, a pokerwork pot,

a novelty tie clip and a hallmarked silver pillbox.

After that spending spree, she has £79.84 left today.

Philip spent £40 on two items.

A 19th-century lead weighted life preserver, and a ship's propeller.

Philip has £174.04 left to spend.

Our two experts have driven to the picturesque village of Golden Cross.

-This is your stop, sir. Have a really good time.

-Yeah, you too.

-I will see you later.

-Yeah, have a good trip.

-Bye.

-Bye.

Philip's first to shop today.

-Hi, I'm Philip.

-Oh, hi, I'm Rhoda.

-How are you, Rhoda? All right?

-Fine, thank you.

-You have some stock in here, don't you?

A few bits and pieces, yes.

Rhoda's being rather modest.

Her shop is crammed with all sorts of goodies for Philip to have a look at.

He's really casing the joint.

An organ!

Oh, Lordy.

These are cool, these things, because they're operated...

Oh, look! By pumping these pedals down here.

What you do is that, look.

Now, I started out life as a PE teacher. Played a lot of rugby.

Used to teach geography.

But what many of you won't know is I am, in fact,

a classically trained pianist.

Really?

Are you ready for this?

Standby.

COMEDY TUNE

Don't know any more!

Thank goodness for that.

Rhoda, how much is this?

I think its way beyond your budget.

Probably a very good thing.

Right, let's go and see what else we can find.

Yep, stick to what you know.

These are quite interesting, Rhoda. How old do you think those are?

I would imagine about 1910, something like that.

-What do you think?

-Yeah, I think you're right.

Philip's keen.

I think they're quite interesting.

And I don't blame him.

They're in the style of William Benson,

one of the most forward-thinking of the arts and crafts designers,

known for producing well thought out functional items,

particularly light fittings.

-This is a drip pan.

-Yes.

So, you put your candle in there, and this is a drip pan.

Quite clever really,

so it catches the wax so you're not forever getting

wax off your damask table cloth, or worse still, in my view,

off your beautifully patinated mahogany dining table.

If they're by Benson, they could be worth a few quid.

However, there's no maker's mark, and Philip's spotted a problem.

That's just... It's been dropped, hasn't it?

-If you look at that one.

-Yes.

-If you look at that one there. And look at that one there.

-Yes.

And it's just been absolutely... It's been dropped.

Yeah, maybe Rhoda will drop a bit off her £25 ticket price.

I could do them for...

I could do them for 20.

Is that your very, very best? What can I squeeze you down to 15?

-No, not really as far as 15.

-What could I squeeze you too?

-18.

-OK.

I'll have those, my love. Thank you very much indeed.

That's most kind, Rhoda.

Philip's leaving with the brass candlesticks for £18.

Natasha has taken the Porsche onwards to the village of Burwash.

She's visiting a house deep in the wooded landscape

of the Sussex Weald, which became sanctuary to a world-famous writer.

Hello, hi. I'm Tasha.

Hello. Welcome to Bateman's.

Thank you so much. Bateman's, indeed! This is...

a spectacular home,

and the residence of one particularly important gentleman.

An extraordinary man with an extraordinary story.

In 1902, Rudyard Kipling was at the height of his fame.

His Just So Stories were ready to go to print

and The Jungle Book had been published globally

and translated into many languages.

As a man of great wealth and fame,

Rudyard could have chosen to live anywhere,

but he fell in love with Bateman's

in the secluded Dudwell Valley.

And it was here he experienced some of his greatest joys

and deepest sorrows.

Rudyard Kipling comes to Bateman's in the autumn of his life, really.

But where did it all begin for him?

He was born in India.

His father was a head teacher

who had set up a school in India

and that Indian influence,

those early years in Bombay, really had a big influence on him.

His father managed to get him a job as a reporter

on one of the English newspapers in India

and he started writing little stories.

One day the editor asked Rudyard if he'd mind writing a story

to, sort of, fill half-a-dozen pages.

That became really successful,

and so they were serialised into little booklet forms

and they sold by an extraordinary amount, as well.

By the age of 32, he was the highest-paid author in the world.

Rudyard married and had three children.

Life could not be better.

But all the riches in the world were no compensation

for the loss of the eldest of his three children to pneumonia.

So, Josephine died,

and that really did influence him.

It took a long time to get over it.

Josephine was just six years old.

Overcome with grief, and wishing to escape public glare,

Rudyard bought Bateman's,

and he threw his energies into writing -

drawing inspiration from his new surroundings.

Look at the view! His surroundings...!

And being at Bateman's and being in such a beautifully beamed study

with this view...

-He can't have lacked inspiration in here.

-No, he certainly didn't.

He really did... His whole focus had slightly changed,

by the time he moved to Bateman's.

He was really influenced by the Sussex countryside,

by this valley, this environment.

It really did influence his work.

He doesn't have to write for money,

for monetary reasons any longer.

He can actually just write for the enjoyment.

So he writes his stories for his children.

Rudyard welcomed many guests to Bateman's,

and kept a meticulous record of every visitor.

So, you've got extraordinary people.

You've got politicians - so, Stanley Baldwin.

You've also got people like Scott and Shackleton, the explorers.

And you've got American presidents.

George Clemenceau, the President of France - he comes here.

He was the man to visit, I was going to say. Yeah.

And even Mother gets a mention.

In fact, she's highlighted!

Mother came on August the 4th, 1920.

"About 6.30pm."

And he's annotated that "FIP".

Yes, that's a bit of a personal joke, that Rudyard made.

For many, many years no-one has actually known, really, what it meant.

And it was only a maid, many years after Rudyard's death,

was able to come back and explain what "FIP" meant.

It turns out it was Kipling's little personal joke

-for people who fell in the pond.

-Fell in the pond?!

Yeah... It's interesting, because the pond here is not that dangerous.

And considering the amount of people that did seem to...

That it did seem to happen to,

I've got a feeling it might've been closer to PIP, or Pushed In Pond.

-Pushed!

-And it may show you a little bit more of the sort of high jinx,

and the japes he would get up to,

and how he was very much an interesting figure

-that would love to have a good time.

-That's wild!

You can't throw your mum in the pond!

Well, Rudyard certainly did by the look...!

But this idyll was soon to be shattered.

The world lurched towards the Great War,

and Rudyard was to know personal tragedy for a second time.

His son John - he then struggles to get into the military,

during the First World War.

Eventually manages to go away,

partly because of Rud pulling a few strings for him.

And, of course, John disappears during the Battle of Loos

never to be seen again.

Rud not only, then, blames himself for Josephine's death,

but very much also for John's death, as well.

While Rudyard continued to write for the next two decades,

he never again returned to the bright, cheery children's tales

he had once so delighted in crafting.

Health issues eventually caught up with Rudyard -

the result of age, but also of grief.

I mean, Kipling must have been a man of extraordinary character

to really carry that burden of outliving two of your children.

Throughout all of this tragedy,

for a man that has so much to give, and gives so much to the world

with his literary genius and stuff,

he experiences so much tragedy himself.

So it is very strange how that all comes out,

all this literary genius comes out of all that tragedy, as well.

Philip has hit the road

and journeyed to just outside the East Sussex town of Battle.

Although this doesn't look like an antiques shop.

Philip's known for going rogue,

and, true to form, he's making an unscheduled stop

at a fencing contractor.

And it looks like busy managing director Jon Hobden

is humouring him.

This is just the best.

Much better than antiques shops, this is!

Anybody can go and buy stuff at antiques shops.

Natasha, this is where you should be.

Jon's taking Philip to a storage unit.

There's a few bits of old woodworking kit in there,

-you're welcome to have a look at.

-Can I have a wander?

Let me see what... I can find all the company records in here.

Only Serrell would go looking for a bargain by torchlight.

Jon, I think I might...

Can I drag this out?

Lord above...!

I don't know what that is,

but could we take that outside and put it into some daylight?

So that's presumably bolted to the floor...

-Hopefully John will know what it is.

-You know, I've no idea!

-Oh.

These clearly go round and round.

Come on, chaps!

Everyone knows that's a cast-iron saw-sharpening stand, right?!

It does all work, doesn't it?

It does all work. It's all freed up, which I'm amazed...

It's been sitting up there for... years and years.

Decades, probably.

When would've been the last time that this was used?

-Would've been 20 years ago, at least.

-At least.

-That it was used. At least.

-It's cool thing, though, isn't it?

Philip knows there's value in bygone machinery

that can be upcycled into something trendy.

Well, I tell you what, when I saw it dragged out, I thought £20, but...

That's what I thought.

Can I... I'll have a deal with you at 15 quid.

-Deal.

-You're a gentleman.

-Good man.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Philip's nose for a unique buy has bagged him his fourth lot for auction.

-There you are.

-Good man. Thank you.

-Thank you for having me.

Pleasure doing business.

Got to lug it to the car now - Gordon Bennett!

As Philip gets back on track,

Natasha's stopped off in the village of Appledore

just north of Romney Marsh.

Here we go.

Here in this mid-19th-century building,

was once the local blacksmith's.

Today it's home to Old Forge Antiques.

Hello! Hi, there. You must be Steph.

-I am.

-Hello. Hi, I'm Tasha. Lovely to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-How are you today?

-Fine, thank you.

-You're well.

And you're in charge of this place, but not all of your stock.

Not all my stock, no.

-About 15 traders here.

-About 15 of you.

OK, so I'll go and have a wee look.

I'm sure I'm going to be asking for your assistance, Steph.

-So I'll see you in a bit.

-OK.

-Thank you.

Natasha has just over £79 left in her pocket.

What's she found?

I always look at mahogany dressing mirrors, or toilet mirrors -

whatever you call them -

because they are always lovely and Victorian and Georgian

and always really super-expensive.

But there's one here that is not crazy expensive.

It's £63. So, first of all, I thought - "Why's it only £63?

"Maybe it's repro or something."

But, actually, it's really nice.

A lovely mahogany finish, and it's really nicely carved and turned.

It's got everything you'd want from a nice toilet mirror.

It's quite large.

So it would work in any interior.

But, at the back, it's a bit of a mess.

It's actually the backing panel here...

has all split and it's been repaired.

And it's not done very much good to the front because,

although there are no repairs or splits or anything like that

that correlate to the back panel directly,

it's a bit of a mess, the original mirror.

I mean, it IS the original mirror, which is quite nice,

but, personally, I'd only want to be paying £30 for it, or so.

So I don't REALLY know...if that's going to work out.

There's another one, too.

This one's £55 and it's marked "AF" - As Found.

I think the As Found or Sold As Seen sort of element

is because of this really poor glass.

Yes, but that's reflected in the ticket price.

The pros about the other one are the style and the glass,

the con is the back.

The cons about this are perhaps the more simple style

and the glass, but the pro is the back.

You can see that the wooden panel back...

is totally...

complete.

So you can see how the other one SHOULD look,

and this one has that.

Two mirrors, neither in great condition...

Natasha can see an opportunity for a deal

staring at her in the face.

Now, Steph...

Currently they have a combined price of 63 plus 55.

Some fast math tells me that's £118.

Right.

But I was going to make you an offer that's a little bit cheeky.

If, for the two, I were to offer you a really cheeky £65...

For the two.

-For the two?

-For the two.

It would be, sort of, £32.50 a mirror.

I'll do them for 70.

£70 the two?

-You're quite happy with that?

-Yeah.

What a deal! A £50 discount.

Could these two mirrors be the lot to give Natasha a big profit?!

Just outside the village of Appledore is Philip.

He's found Station Antiques,

housed in the original railway goods shed of the Hastings to Ashford line.

-Hi. How are you? I'm Philip.

-Hello! I'm Kelly.

-Good to see you, Kelly. How are you doing?

-Welcome.

Introductions over...

What's this over here?

..Philip wastes no time in getting down to business.

That's a bit of fun, isn't it? That clock.

Hang on.

You got a bent second-hand, my love.

There's nothing wrong with a bent second-hand.

It's unique.

-Unique, maybe, but does it work?

-There you are, look. It's off.

There you go. You hardly notice it's bent now.

PHILIP SNORTS

Well...

Clearly a career in sales was destined for you, Kelly.

Oh, now, there's a problem, Kelly. Look.

Oh, dear.

Kelly, it stops after 29 seconds.

It does.

This is really very unusual.

Because we've got a stopwatch...

That stops.

It's a stopwatch that stops!

Yeah, so, whatever you're going to time,

you've got to do it in 29 seconds, otherwise you've had it, really.

-KELLY LAUGHS

-So, that is just absolutely...

It's a very rare 29-second stopwatch.

So why has that stopped, Kelly?

-Possibly because the hand's bent.

-SHE LAUGHS

Despite Kelly's valiant sales approach...

It's a one-of-a-kind.

Thankfully, yeah. So... So are you, I reckon.

Huh. Philip moves on.

-Those are quite interesting, aren't they?

-They're lovely.

-They're Indian, aren't they?

-Yeah.

Philip's found three carved-wood friezes.

Originally, they would have been over a door or fireplace.

Kelly, I like these.

-So these have come from India, right?

-Yeah.

They probably cost...

the middle and both ends of not very much, over there.

They're priced at £40 each.

What could you do them for? What would you be prepared...

I could phone the owner of them

and ask what his lowest would be for the three of them.

I tell you what, you could do.

-Ask him what his best would be for one, two and three.

-Yep.

I think they've got to come for somewhere between...

£50 and £80 - something like that.

-I'll go and give him a call.

-Give him a call.

And see what he can do on them.

All right, you're an angel. Thank you.

I think those are quite fun things.

And the thing about them is that...

in this day and age, it is upcycling.

It is turning things into other things.

I think those are really good decorators' lots.

That was quick. Kelly's back.

How much for one?

For one it's has got to be the 40.

-For two.

-It's cost price.

If you have all three...

We can only really drop another £10.

So you're saying that if I bought all three...

-You could do them for £110.

-Yes.

No. That wouldn't work for me.

Let me just...

Let's put that one there.

I like them.

They're lovely.

I think Kelly knows a cheeky offer for two of them is on its way.

If you agree to 60 quid, I'll take them now.

That's £20 off what the dealers asking for.

OK. I'll do 60.

You're an angel, my love.

And I will take the flak for it.

Oh, Kelly.

I hope the Serrell hasn't landed

you in too much trouble with the dealer.

Kelly, this is it.

You've been very kind to me.

-Two, four, six.

-Lovely.

-£60. Thank you.

-Thank you.

And let me just sit and wonder if I've done the right thing, or not.

Of course you have!

Well, we're about to find out,

as we're now off to auction.

Here's a rundown of what Natasha and Philip picked up on this leg.

Natasha bought the two cigarette albums, a poker work pot,

a novelty golfer's tiepin,

and silver pillbox,

and two large Victorian dressing mirrors.

The five lots cost her £113.

Philip's purchases included a lead-weighted life-preserver,

a bronze ship's propeller,

a pair of candlesticks.

A saw-sharpening stand,

and the two Indian carved friezes.

All that lot cost him £133.

What do they make of each other's lots?

Well, Phil's lead-weighted

life-preserver could be his life-saver,

because I've never seen anything like it in my life -

sort of half truncheon, half beater.

I have no idea what's going on with it, but knowing Phil

he's bought it for a good price, £20,

and it will make double that at least, I'm sure of it.

This really is Natasha's Little And Large Show.

She's bought four items for little or no money,

and then really gone large on the last one.

Her little cigarette card albums,

I think they're quite sweet things. RAF theme...

They could do quite well.

It's exactly like Philip Serrell to buy a crazy saw-sharpener

for £15 from a timber yard.

He's been true to himself, and I'm sure it will pay off.

It always does for the Serrell.

And, at the end, she goes in large at £70

and buys two toilet mirrors.

You know, I think she could do quite well.

And I'm sort of bothered about what I've bought,

because I was taking a bit of a risk, you know?

We could be all square, after this one.

Well, it's time to turn those lots into a profit

and head to Rayleigh in Essex.

Rayleigh is a charming Essex town

which can trace its origins all the way back to the Domesday book.

-It's really nice around here.

-Really?

-It must be Rayleigh.

-It's where we're headed.

-They must be very posh in Rayleigh.

-Really...?

-Rayleigh!

-Did you really...?

The scene for today's auction is Stacey's Auctioneers And Valuers -

a family business now operating

under the third generation of the clan.

Oh, this is exciting. Good luck.

-You, too, lovey.

-Oh, here we go!

Mark Stacey, but not our Mark,

will be wielding the gavel today.

The candlesticks, I really like this lot.

Arts and Crafts influence - should do really well.

The little silver box... Lovely little thing.

Shame it's the date that it is.

I'd have liked it to have been of an Edwardian period.

But I think it will still make about £30-£50.

Let's find out. It's time for our experts to take their seats.

First up, is that a silver pillbox.

Hallmarked as 1992,

technically, it IS last century,

but will it make any money?

£20 for it. 20, 22 online.

25 is bid. 28.

Internet's running at 30.

32 now bid.

30, 32. 35.

All on the internet.

Now, 38 bid.

38, 40.

At 40, 42 now.

-(Well done, girl.)

-Running online at £42.

All finished online.

You finished in the room?

Internet bidding at £42. All done?

That's a great start!

-(Hurrah!

-That's a good £30 profit there, isn't it?

-That's all right.

-Yeah, that's really good.

-That is OK! Oh, cool!

First up for Philip - the two Indian carved friezes.

Interest commission bid, I have.

Must commence the bidding at £40.

The bid's here with me on the commission at £40.

Against you, at £40.

Any advances?

42 on the internet. 45 back with me.

Against you, online-bidder.

48. 50 is bid.

And five. Internet's at 55.

60 anywhere? £60, thank you, sir.

£60 against you, online-bidder.

Back online at 65.

One more? At £65, internet bidding, then.

-All done. All finished.

-(That's a loss.)

-I'll sell at 65. Fair warning.

-Minor.

-That's a loss.

Yep. Sadly, so.

Because after auction costs are deducted,

he'll be slightly out of pocket.

Up next...

Natasha's lovely novelty golfer's tiepin.

Commission bids, two of them.

Must start the bidding to clear the book at £15. 18 anywhere?

Promising start.

18, 20 against you.

22. At £22.

Back in the room at £22.

Advance, if you like. All done? All finished?

At £22, only.

-(That's all right.)

-That's OK, isn't it?

-Write it down, girl.

-I can deal with that, Phil.

-Absolutely right.

-Well, it is going the right way, isn't it?

-It can only go...

Come on. Stay positive, chaps.

A £13 profit isn't to be sniffed at.

Next lot is Philip's salvaged saw-sharpening stand.

20 straight in, please. At 20, thank you, sir. £20 yours.

20, 22.

Against you online. 25.

Now bid 28.

Back in the room at £28. All done?

Are you all finished at £28?

Philip's wandering off-piste has landed him a profit.

Next under the gavel, is Natasha's pokerwork pot.

At £10 bid.

12. 14.

Against you online.

16 internet bidding.

18, back on the commission.

18 now. Two bidders online now.

£20 bid. All on the internet at £20.

Now 22. Going on.

At 22. 25. Internet.

All at £25 now.

28 anywhere?

All done. All finished.

I'll sell to the internet, then. At £25.

28. Come along a bit quicker online.

Last opportunity, then, please.

I'm selling. At £28. Hammer's going down.

He eked that out for me, thank you.

She's more than doubled her money with that.

Up now, Philip's bronze propeller.

£20 bid. £22.

25 against you online.

28, I've got. 30, if you wish, sir.

At £28, now.

Internet bidding is at £28.

30, new bidder. Thank you.

Coming back online, 32.

35.

38. 40 bid.

42.

45.

By the gents, at £45.

You all done? All finished 45?

Another strong profit for Philip.

Putting the pressure on Natasha.

Can her two Victorian toilet mirrors turn a profit?

Let's not waste time. £20 to bid straight in.

£20 now. 20 bid. Thank you.

At 22. Five. Eight. 30 bid.

At £30, now.

Coming on the phone...

32.

35.

38. 40 bid.

42. 45.

48. 50 bid.

(I think you'll show a profit.)

-( Oh, no...!)

-55.

-(Come on...!)

-New bidder. 60 I've got.

-(Tempt him!)

Commission bid's at 60. Against you.

Back in the room at £60.

-Commission bid I've got now. £60. Out on the phone?

-(No, one more...!)

All done. Fair warning at 60. Hammer's going down.

Ah, disappointing. Bad luck.

Och, well! What can you do?

What can you do? I tried.

Philip's candlesticks in the style of Benson are next.

Two commission bids on this lot, ladies and gentlemen.

Must start the bidding to clear the book at £50. 50 is bid.

Five anywhere. At £50.

-You only paid 18?

-Yeah.

55 online. 60 I've got.

£60 against you, online-bidder.

65. 70 is bid.

£75. Commission bids are out.

75 on the internet.

75 online. 80 if you like.

£75, internet bidding all done.

All finished. Last chance then.

I sell to the internet at £75.

Hammer is going down.

-That's OK, isn't it?

-You're a legend! You're a legend!

A very healthy gain for Philip.

Next, Natasha's cigarette card albums.

She bought two for £8.

Commission bids. Two of them. Must start the bidding at £20.

-(Why?

-Get in.)

-£20 advance if you wish.

We're at 20. 22.

25. 28. 30.

32. 35.

38, I am out.

Back of the room at £38.

I am just so, so pleased.

At £38. Hammer's going down.

Another canny buy gets Natasha a great profit.

Next Philip's last lot.

Must commence at £60. 60 bid.

Five anywhere. You coming in, sir?

-Great start.

-70 against you.

75.

80. One more takes it.

85, I'm out.

Just behind, 85.

£85, any advances. Are you all done?

All finished, fair warning. At £85.

(Yes! Phil!)

(You're a genius. You're a genius!)

A cracking result and a lovely profit.

And what's more, I think you're driving.

No, I'm wearing heels. If you don't mind.

Yeah, but I am, as well.

Come on.

After paying auction house fees,

Natasha has made a gain of £42.80.

As a result, Ms Raskin

has £165.64 in her kitty.

Well done.

Philip made a gain of £111.36 after costs.

Phil now has £325.40

to start the final leg of the road trip.

-Where are we off to?

-Erm...

-Hampshire!

-Hampshire.

-Here we come!

-Don't test me, Philip! OK...

Right, OK.

Cheerio, Road-trippers.

Next time on Antiques Road Trip,

Phil has a bit of a wobble.

(As tables go, that's not what you're looking for!)

While it's all fun and games for Natasha.

Oh, hook the pig.

Hook out the pig.