Episode 1 Antiques Road Trip

The nation's favourite antiques experts, £200 each,

-and one big challenge...

-Testing, testing.

Who can make the most money buying and selling antiques as they scour the UK?

Do I see 80? 75?

The aim is to trade up and hope each antique turns a profit -

but it's not as easy as it sounds,

-and there can only be one winner.

-Come on - let's go!

So, will it be highway to success or the B-road to bankruptcy?

Job done.

I'm now broke!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

This week, we kick off with our first duo of antique trippers,

and they're two young guns who just happen to be the best of friends.

Whoo!

Charles "Hands On" Hanson is an auctioneer,

whose great passion is early English porcelain.

He also has a lot to prove.

He came bottom in the last series, finishing with a paltry £98.66,

and he's determined to redeem himself this time.

£85. Do I see 80? 75? 70? 65? 60?

Jonathan Pratt hails from Sussex

and runs one of the county's leading auction houses.

The reason he became an auctioneer is Lovejoy.

Yep, that's right - the 1980s series about a dodgy antiques dealer,

with an even dodgier mullet.

I'll give you a £200 deposit and pay the rest next week?

-Well, that'd do.

-OK, brilliant!

We start the first leg of the trip with Charles and Jonathan

zipping through Northern Ireland to the north-west of England.

The first leg of the competition starts in Greyabbey,

ending with an auction showdown in Belfast.

And they're driving this sporty little number,

an Alfa Romeo Spider Kamm Tail.

-Is it '71, this vehicle?

-'77.

-'77?

A year before I was born.

-And yourself?

-I was five.

So you've got experience.

Five years more of wearing flares and stupid tank-tops than you!

Our chaps are in picturesque County Down,

heading towards their first shopping stop, Greyabbey.

It's called Greyabbey because of - surprise, surprise -

this stunning 12th Century Cistercian abbey,

but it was almost completely destroyed just over a century later

by Edward, the younger and less famous brother of Robert the Bruce.

You know - the one who gave the English a drubbing

at the Battle of Bannockburn.

I wonder if the village is ready for its next invasion.

Yee-ha, boy!

There we go.

Nice dismount, Charlie!

-Good luck, mate.

-Yeah, good luck. Don't spend all your money.

-Take your time and look after your money. See you later.

-Oh!

Right, here we go.

Do stop jumping everywhere, Jonathan! You're not Zebedee.

You must be fit guys, jumping over the fence like that!

Thank you very much. I've got to remember my back, actually.

This is quite an impressive place you've got here. A nice selection of stuff.

Not only is Jonathan a Road Trip novice,

he's also buying for a market he doesn't know.

Well, there's nothing like taking a chap out of his comfort zone, what?

This is actually the first antiques shop I've been in outside England.

Outside my neck of the woods, really.

Meanwhile, Charles hopes that tapping into Janet Greeves' insider knowledge

will give him an advantage over his rival.

We're going to an auction house in Belfast, looking for things which really are going to make some money.

So something local, which might just have the right ingredients for success.

And success is what Charles is after,

given his poor showing in the first series.

-A few things to point you at - Irish silver.

-A-ha.

-Have you got a certain amount of money you can spend? What is it?

-£200.

-Oh, dear!

What makes Irish silver so sought-after is both its rarity

and quirky design features,

such as the splendid engraving you see on this fine silver platter

that Jonathan's admiring next door.

168 ounces. Dublin 1870.

-That's the biggest salver I've ever actually seen.

-That's a big one.

It's a weighty old thing.

Hibernia, Dublin.

Jonathan's a man who knows his hallmarks.

Jewellery is his particular area of expertise,

but even the £6,500 price tag hasn't out our young blade off this joker.

-I'll give you a £200 deposit and pay the rest next week?

-That would do!

Brilliant! I might owe you a lot more money, then.

-We'll not charge you interest.

-Good.

Yes, Jonathan, probably safer to put that one back in the cabinet.

Meanwhile, Charles is fantasising about his perfect purchase.

What I'm hoping to find is something which really describes history,

is full of heritage, full of age,

which, with those ingredients and condition, really will make money at auction.

That's my game plan - buy a genuine antique.

Here's a very fine teapot - around 1775, 1780.

It's evocative of the neo-classical movement.

OK, we've got a lid which has had some restoration...

Just by giving it a small...

Feeling a bit peckish, Charles?

Actually, he reason he's doing this is that porcelain usually has

a hard, dense, cold feel to the tooth,

but this teapot has a softness and warmth, which points to Restoration.

But even so, it's elegant, desirable and, at £78, it isn't bad.

But the heart is ruling the commercial mind.

I must put it down and walk away.

But Jonathan isn't quite ready to walk away from his first shop.

Bridge On The Logan by George Kirk, is that?

Er, not quite, Jonathan.

The Lagan. That's Belfast, so it is.

The Lagan is Belfast's most important river.

Whilst it looks deceptively rural in this engraving,

it supported a major shipbuilding industry in the city itself,

and it's on offer to Jonathan for a mere £20.

I really do love engravings.

The amount of work that goes into producing something like this

is the same as a watercolour and as an oil painting.

Engraving is a technique that's almost 600 years old.

An image is cut onto a metal plate and ink is applied and wiped off,

so the ink stays only in the engraved lines.

Press paper onto the plate and you're left with this.

-This would be done around 1900, 1910 again?

-Yes.

We're going to Belfast,

and this is such a major part of Belfast. I like that. 15?

-20!

-It's 20?

-Yeah.

It's worth that all day long.

20 quid. Thank you very much, job done.

I've gone for something which is Belfast -

identifiable as a Belfast subject - and not a lot of money.

I think it's perfect, actually!

£20. Very happy.

Congratulations, Jonathan -

the first decisive purchase of the week.

Just across the courtyard, Charles is still trying to sniff out his first bargain.

-Nice table, isn't it?

-It is lovely.

-Very Irish in inspiration.

This front is so typical of the 1870 period, it really is.

How it lobed and falls in is so evocative of high Victorian furniture.

This late 19th Century, Regency style, mahogany side table

has been made in the manner of the Regency designer Thomas Hope.

He was a man with a vision,

determined to reform contemporary taste by imbuing it

with the spirit of classical purity.

-What's your best price on it, between friends?

-About 200.

-£200.

That's the top of Charles's budget.

We can see we're missing some of the beading, the moulding, on the frieze.

It's a gamble at £200, isn't it, in a saleroom?

I would probably say to you, "Look, here's £100."

-Done deal.

-Really?

Absolutely.

Am I being a bit too keen?

Yes, Charles, you are!

Meanwhile, Jonathan's on the hunt for his next lucky purchase.

I'm not going to buy paintings.

What's this one?

That's the toilets! HE CHUCKLES

Oh, dear. Try spending a penny in an antique shop, Jonathan!

Charles, who's still in shop number two,

is in a quandary over his table.

I should really stay away from it but I like it because of this decorative lump.

Charles's impulsive nature has led to trouble in the past, but will he learn from his mistakes?

Can I just take these bits off and have a quick look at it?

Well played, Charles.

If you really want to have a closer look, take everything off first.

You never know what might be hiding underneath.

We've got some...

woodworm and losses to the veneer.

-What's absolutely the best price?

-Say 75.

From an opening £200 down to £75. Good work, Charles.

Would you take...

£40 for it?

-OK.

-Lovely. Thank you very much.

No problem at all.

Wow! You really turned the tables on him there.

Impressive haggling, Hanson!

In another of Greyabbey's little antique shops,

Jonathan's distracted by something ticking.

And the Omega Constellation's in at 100?

Yeah. It's just gold-plated.

I think it's about 1970.

The Sea Master is Omega's iconic water-resistant watch range,

worn by - amongst others - British Royal Navy divers,

the pioneering marine conservationist Jacques Cousteau

and, of course, James Bond.

That's a possibility for the auction you're going to.

They have a lot of watch collectors.

Do they? What's the price on that?

-80.

-80? That's the very best?

-Mm-hm.

It's ticking away nicely.

You wouldn't do it for 70?

-I can't. Sorry, I really can't.

-That's possible. OK, that is possible.

Next door, Charles makes a surprising discovery.

Derek, is that a watercolour down there, the picture?

Do I recognise that? I know!

-May I say...?

-Yes.

-James Lewis...

He bought this on the last Antique Road Trip.

-There you go.

-Great head of hair.

Yeah, I wish! I feel quite envious.

When I was younger I had a head of hair like that.

Are you sure, James?

Would you take 65?

No, honestly. No, it won't happen.

We'll call it 70 and have a deal.

James paid £70 for this picture in the last series.

How much is it now priced at?

-280.

-Isn't that amazing?

Yes, Charles, the world of antiques is a small one.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking for Jonathan.

I will take the Omega, please, at... What did we agree?

Good question!

£80, wasn't it?

-I think I said 85.

-You did say 85.

No, it was definitely £80.

Do it for around 80?

It's so well priced at that - it really kills me to do more.

I'll split it with you.

-OK.

-82.

-OK, £82.

-Now you're haggling upwards.

You've not got the hang of this, have you, Jonathan?

-I'll take it. Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

What I'm going to do is wear it for the next couple of days

and I bet you Charlie doesn't notice.

-Cos he's all go, isn't he?

-He's all go.

-And he won't...

-There we go.

-OK. Best of luck.

-Thank you very, very much.

-Hope it works out for you.

-Fantastic.

It's Charles, now, who can't drag himself away from Derek's shop.

-This mug here.

-Little Chinese mug.

-How early is that?

-About 1810, 1820s?

-Might be a bit earlier.

-What's the best price on that, Derek?

-£30 to you.

-Would you take...

£20 for it?

DEREK CHUCKLES

-I'd buy them all day long at 25.

-Would you?

25 - split it with you.

Why is porcelain expert Charles

so reticent to tell us anything about this mug?

I want 60 for it and you're having it for 25.

Derek...

Thanks ever so much. I'll buy it.

-Bought. Happy. Thanks, Derek.

-No problem.

What's that cunning look in Charles's eye, then?

The clock strikes.

That's my second buy.

I'm very happy. Derek, could you wrap it for me?

I'll have a word shortly on what we've got.

Thanks, Derek. Cheers.

Charles looks suspiciously pleased with himself.

I'm quite happy with this.

Derek sold it to me as being early 19th Century Chinese.

In fact, what we do have here

is probably a late Kangxi piece of porcelain, or what they call

Chinese Yongzheng, which would date this mug to around 1700, 1720.

So, in fact, it's probably 180 years earlier than Derek thinks.

Charles, I wonder if your expertise has helped you choose a cheeky winner.

The morning has gone and our two young blades have already bought two items each.

Now it's time to crack on to the next destination.

-You ready?

-Yep, go now. Let's go.

They're heading south to the ferry, crossing in the picturesque town

of Portaferry on the banks of Strangford Lough.

It's just idyllic, isn't it?

Absolutely. You can smell as smell the sea air now.

For our young road trippers, not even paying for the ferry crossing

-is as straightforward as it should be.

-£5.80.

-Come on!

-Any discount?

-£5.80.

-Between friends?

-No.

-Well, thank you.

It looks like Charles has met his match.

-£5.80.

-This is coming out of my spending money, you know.

-That's the idea.

-60, 80...

Cheers. Thank you very much.

And we're off.

Having left Greyabbey

and taken the ferry over to Strangford,

they're now heading north to Saintfield,

their next stop.

Saintfield dates back to the early 18th Century,

and it was then known for its corn, flour and flax mills.

Today, however, it's better known for its antiques.

Good news for our boys.

With two shops to choose from,

our guys decide in time-honoured tradition who goes where.

-OK, ready?

-One, two, three...

-Blunts the scissors.

-Your choice.

-See you later.

Thank you very much.

Hiya.

-How are you?

-Very good. How are you?

-Not too bad.

-This looks very nice.

It might look nice, but the prices are a bit rich for Jonathan.

82, I've spent 100 and something.

So I've got just under £100 left.

Everything... Look at that - that's really sweet.

It's the sort of thing I know will sell well, but he's asking 248.

Way over the money. Not even worth looking at, to be honest.

£95.

Ooh, careful, Jonathan.

Where there's no sense, there's no feeling.

Next door, Charles is trying awfully hard not to break anything.

They're nice, aren't they?

-They are nice.

-Very, very stylish.

They're very pink, they're very pretty. Like you are, madam.

-Thank you.

-Very, very pretty, OK.

-How much are they? I'm not trying to sweet-talk you at all.

-Right, OK.

Yes, you are, Charles!

-85 for the pair.

-Do I see 80? 75? 70?

65? 60?

Are you selling at 60?

-Well, I will sell them at 60.

-£60.

I think at auction, they're probably worth between £50 and £80.

I might have a chance.

-You just might.

-I'll think about it.

-Thanks for your help.

-That's fine.

-I might come back.

-OK.

Hi, Charlie.

-Did you find anything in there?

-No.

-There's nice things, but it's all quite expensive.

-In here, much the same.

Very, very nice, quite expensive.

Our two young chaps swap shops

and immediately, Charles is drawn to another vase.

These are interesting because these,

to all intents and purposes,

look to be Worcester first period from around 1775,

but, in fact, these were made by an imitator or a forger or a faker

who was Emile Samson, based in Paris in the 1880s,

and you wouldn't know by looking at them.

The only way you do know is by the paste, by the body.

-What are they worth?

-I would need £180 for those.

180. You know your stuff. Yeah.

If they were the real things, £3,000 or £4,000,

but they're not - they're fakes but for the right reasons.

That's quite fun. A pigeon clock.

Presumably, a clock for timing your pigeons when you're racing them.

Rubber rings with unique serial numbers are attached

around the pigeon's leg before it's sent off to race.

The clock is set and when the bird returns,

its trainer removes the ring and puts it back in a specific slot

inside the clock, marking the official time the bird arrived home.

This pigeon clock, it says £48. What would you do it for?

-I could do it for round about 35.

-£35.

And it's... It's just a novelty.

It is a novelty, yes. Some people do collect...

pigeon "mobilia".

Pigeon "mobilia" - that's a new one on me. Sounds like a car, doesn't it?

I'm in the Pigeon Mobile today.

This pigeon clock isn't coming home to roost for Jonathan.

It's now the end of the first day.

This is our first day, hopefully, of many.

-Raring to go?

-Raring to go.

-Happy?

-I'm very happy. I've had a good day, a really good day. It's been...

-What?

-..a really good experience.

Time for our experts to speed off to bustling Belfast.

And given that our boys have another strenuous day's shopping ahead of them tomorrow,

I'm hoping that they'll get some rest.

It's the start of the second day and our experts are raring to go.

Today, they're in Northern Ireland's capital, Belfast.

It's a city which once had the UK's biggest thread and tobacco factories.

It's also home to the historic Harland and Wolff shipyards,

which is where the last century's most iconic ship was built, the Titanic.

So far, Charles has spent a respectable £65 on two items -

a Regency style mahogany side table

and a Chinese porcelain blue-and-white mug.

My second buy.

I'm very happy.

So, he's left with a handsome £135 to shop.

Jonathan, meanwhile, has spent an impressive £102, also on two items.

An early 20th century engraving of the bridge over the Lagan...

-20 quid.

-Thank you very much. Job done.

..and a racy Omega Seamaster gentleman's watch.

He's left with just £98.

While Charles swans off to see the sights, Jonathan hits the shops.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

How are you? Nice to meet you.

-Would you like to have a look round?

-Thank you. This is a nice big shop.

Just like yesterday,

Jonathan's keen to find items of local interest, with the shop owner's help.

It's a little map of Ulster, which, really... Just from a local aspect.

-There's a couple of options. Obviously, you're your own...

-Yeah.

I don't want to buy a map, though that's very kind of you to show me that.

I don't know - are you familiar with Killarney work?

A whole souvenir industry arose around the prime tourist destination

of Killarney in south-west Ireland.

A little needle holder and a little cylindrical box,

but a real touristy thing. It's late 19th, early 20th Century.

A big collectors' market for such things.

This might look like ebony, but actually, it's bog oak.

Entire forests lie perfectly preserved

underneath Ireland's many bogs.

The lack of oxygen in waterlogged peat

prevents the natural process of decay,

giving bog oak strength and durability

and its characteristic black colour.

That piece could be £60.

-And £70 for that.

-60 and 70?

-Yes.

-That would be...

-Right.

Well, that's got a harp on, as well.

-Is this the sort of thing that would sell at the local auctioneers'?

-I would think they would fly out, yes.

Would you do it for 65?

What about 68 and we'll have a deal?

That will leave me £30.

That will leave an even £30.

-Go on.

-OK.

-And that's mine.

-That's good. The luck of the Irish.

-Yes, indeed.

While Jonathan's on a mission to spend, spend, spend,

Charles is seeing the sights of Belfast.

Belfast City Hall is the city's most iconic building.

It was planned when Queen Victoria gave Belfast city status in 1888

and finally opened in 1906.

Today, it's the civic building of the city council.

If you want to register a birth or death,

apply for a wedding licence or even get married,

the City Hall is where you do it.

Wow!

The grandeur, the opulence. When you look around,

you see the ornate plasterwork,

the wonderful marble slabs mounted on every conceivable wall.

In the centre we can see this wonderful cupola.

It goes up so many tiers, like a big icing cake.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

What a grand staircase you have. Charles Hanson.

-Cindy. Welcome to Belfast City Hall.

-Nice to meet you.

-What do you think of our wonderful building?

-I think it's incredible.

I... Cindy, to me, it's evidently so classic of a great Roman past.

The rooms are full of precious antiques,

and one piece in particular catches Charles's eye.

So this over here, to me,

looks a very, very nice

early 20th Century Edwardian cum George V mahogany sideboard,

but we all know in the business of auctioneering and

the value of antiques, pedigree, provenance, where it came from,

who it belonged to is everything.

-It's actually walnut.

-Oh, it's walnut? Right, sorry.

It's a beautiful walnut sideboard specially commissioned

to go on to the Titanic, to the captain of the Titanic's quarters.

It wasn't finished in time. The ship had sailed.

This ought to now be resting on the seabed. Can we value it, Cindy?

Well, we've had it valued at over £100,000.

Because of that provenance -

-the pedigree, the romance, the drama.

-Very much so.

Don't get too carried away by the sideboard, Charles.

Remember, there's still shopping to be done.

Meanwhile, Jonathan's remaining £30 is burning in hole in his pocket.

What are these two little chaps here?

-Those are little spirit measures.

-OK.

They've been given out for music festivals.

"Londonderry junior piano."

-They're like trophies?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Let's hope these juniors were old enough to drink their shots.

They're Birmingham hallmarks.

It's a capital D, which is...

-1924. There's an element of the Deco about it with the fins.

-Yeah.

It's almost reminiscent of, er...

It's like a bomb, you know. You know, the, er...

the rocket sort of thing.

And on sale for £50 for the pair.

They're quite sweet.

Early. Nice design.

Made of silver.

Local interest.

You'll let me have these for...?

-£30.

-£30, that's basically what I've got left.

OK. I'll take it.

Thank you very much. Job done.

I'm now broke.

Asset rich and cash poor, I think I am.

It's the first leg of the road trip and already,

Jonathan's blown all his money.

Is it a brave or a foolhardy move?

Only time will tell.

This is a really steep learning curve.

I'm hoping I'm going to come out at the end of it

with £200, at least, in my pocket.

I'd be very pleased

and I'll have learned something for the next auction.

If I come out with a loss, after I've finished crying,

I'm going to...pull myself together and rethink my strategy.

With only two items for auction and £135 still to spend,

the pressure's on for Charles.

However, there's just one problem.

Well, I'm in downtown Belfast,

trying to find an antique shop or two.

-Trying to find an antique shop round here, can you help me at all?

-No.

-Antiques?

-No.

-No? Er...

Belleek or Dublin silver, I'm trying to find.

-No.

-Thank you, sir. Nice seeing you. All the best to you. Take care.

Fortunately, Charles decides to stop harassing passers-by

and look for the shop himself.

Hello?

Hello? No.

Oh! "Enquiries, number 88." This way.

-Afternoon to you, sir.

-How are you, sir?

-Very well.

-Nice to see you.

From England, I wish you well.

But it's his other shop that Charles is interested in.

We'll go for a wander.

I think one sold in Salisbury.

That's pretty, isn't it?

I like that. It's a nice silver

bonbon dish.

Birmingham 1920.

And it's £48.

Can Charles sweet-talk him into a deal?

Would you take £30 for this?

That will give me a chance.

35 and I'll do you a deal.

I'll pay you £30 for it between friends.

It'll give me a great start.

-OK.

-Lawrence, you're a good sport.

As Charles wheels and deals, Jonathan's spent all his money

and is in the pub. But it's not just any old pub.

The 200-year-old Duke of York was blown up in 1972.

Since then, owner Willie Jack has tried to refurbish the pub

as it was in the 1950s and recreate a Belfast that no longer exists.

The mirrors, the murals, the bottles, the stained-glass windows

all go back to a time when the city was a strong industrial centre -

and knew how to distil its whiskies.

We walk through here to an individual collection of Dunville's Distillery,

the largest whisky-producing distillery in the world at one stage,

until too much was exported to America and Prohibition came along.

During Prohibition, low-quality bootlegged liquor

found its way into bottles labelled "Irish whisky".

Its reputation never really recovered and the whole whisky industry

was soon overtaken by the Scots.

We come into, er,

perhaps the nicest bit of the Duke of York.

All these things here are all Belfast companies, long since gone.

What we have never found out is some of these languages.

We think it's Moroccan.

Perhaps you can pronounce that.

I don't know.

JONATHAN READS THE SIGN

Maybe Moroccan.

Actually, Willie, it's a lot closer to home.

It's the native language of Jersey.

While Jonathan enjoys a pint...

Very nice.

..Charles, who still has £105 left to spend,

is following in his old mate's footsteps, literally.

-Look at that. So this... What we've got here...

-The province of Ulster.

..is a Huntingdon engraving map of Ulster.

Thanks, Charles. Jonathan's already told us that.

1676. We're talking 10 years after the Great Fire of London.

I like it very much, I really do. It's the sort of thing which could make £150

or it could make £40. I think if I bought this,

I'd have to spend...about £50.

To buy it from you.

Yes, yes. No, unfortunately, that wouldn't happen.

£90 would be the price on it.

I just think it tells a great story about my journey I've had so far, with Mr Pratt.

It's lovely to roll back time

and to be adventurous with objects that are so early.

Could it be that Charles is letting his art rule his head...again?

Put your hand out and clinch the deal.

You're a good salesman and I'm so, so keen.

I just... I just KNOW that will sell.

-I really, really know that will sell.

-Do you?

-I'm so confident.

I like it because it tells the story of my trip so far,

so I'll buy it. I've only got £15 left.

That doesn't matter. There's a long way to go.

-Isn't there, Donald?

-Yep, absolutely.

-A long way to go.

So...life's too short.

Let me wrap that and get you a receipt.

-Thanks so much.

-Keep the books right.

-That's a real gamble.

No point in having second thoughts now, Charles.

Now the buying's over, it's time for our chaps to show off their purchases.

But have they spent wisely?

I've had a great day - a really, really good day.

-How about you?

-I've had a full 24 hours without you. It's amazing. I feel fresh again now.

-THEY CHUCKLE

-Come on, let's go for it.

Oh, very nice.

A little engraving, early 20th Century, signed by the artist down the bottom there.

-George Kirk, is it? My valuation is between £30 and £50.

-Oh, brilliant.

-What did you pay for it?

-£20.

Oh, no! Good, I like it. I like it!

I've shown you mine, you show me yours.

Look at that. Do you like it?

Er, yeah, it's all right, actually.

I think it's quite nice because, in fact, it was sold as being early 19th Century.

To me, it's earlier.

I think it's late, late Kangxi, early Yongzheng,

which would make it around 1720. What's it worth?

-Those nibbles on there.

-Age.

-We all over time get a few bruises.

-Yeah, but, you know. £30-£40.

-That's OK. It cost me £25.

-OK.

This is my next one.

-Tension, isn't it?

-It is tense.

-Is it bog oak?

-It is bog oak.

Rather than being ebony.

I would say it's worth between £30 and £40.

-Ooh!

-What did you pay for it?

-68 quid.

-Oh, no!

Ooh, a bit of silver.

Feel the weight of it.

HE CHUCKLES

It's going to blow out of my hand!

Do you know who it's by?

-No.

-It's by Zimmerman.

-Is it?

Birmingham. About 1915, I think.

If that came at the counter at the saleroom, I'd say it's worth £40-£60.

-Yes, yes. £30.

-Very good.

Small profits but long-term gain.

Oh, nice. Now these are good. They're explosive, aren't they?

-Futuristic.

-Absolutely.

-They are for shots, measures, something like that.

-OK.

-Nice weight.

-Feel the weight of those.

-Feel the weight. Oh, my God.

I would say they're nice. Between £40 and £60 for the pair.

-Paid £30 for them.

-Good, excellent.

My next item...

I must admit, if I'm going to come a cropper, it's this.

Because I was swung by the dealer completely.

Just look at that.

It's not my area of expertise. I could have blown a bomb here.

I could have completely wiped my profit out. I'm a bit concerned.

-I actually saw this as well.

-Oh, right!

-I turned it down.

-Oh, right! For me, it's a souvenir for you and I

and I'm hoping for me it will make some money.

-If it doesn't sell, you can keep it at the end.

-What's it worth?

I know what you'll say. "If it came to my auction room, between £30 and £40."

I might be a little bit more generous than that,

but I know what he was asking for. I might say £50 to £70.

It cost me 90. Have I paid too much?

Possibly.

But I think it's worth it.

-My fourth object.

-Where is it?

-No! You bought a watch?

-Yeah, I've been wearing it.

Is that the one you wore yesterday? I said, "Nice watch," in the car.

-You told me it was for your sale room.

-I didn't. I said I bought it.

-Omega Seamaster.

-Is it gold?

I bought it as being gold plated.

Oh, yes? It's marked 18K, isn't it? So it is gold.

-JP, this is your trump card.

-Yeah, it could be.

-I've gone all quiet now, have you noticed?

-I paid £82.

-Oh, you're joking.

What's it worth?

I really think I could get £150 for it now. On a good day.

That's a very, very good watch.

I'm envious. I think that's your trump card.

I think you could be the victor.

Don't know. Get to your final piece, then.

It looks like you've got a piano, Charlie.

-You know, they say big is bold.

-Big IS bold.

-I'm a bold guy.

-Look at that.

-Now, you might say, "Hanson, what have you done?"

I might say the same.

It's a very, very nice shape.

What I like so much are these wonderful cabriole legs. What's it worth?

I reckon you'll get 90 quid for it.

Cost me £40.

-Very, very good.

-Yes!

They're shaking hands now, but let's see what they really think.

I think his biggest loss out of that lot is very likely the map.

I think the pin box or the small dressing-table jar and cover at £68,

a lot of money.

If it had been £48, I wouldn't have bought it.

£28, I wouldn't have bought it.

£10, maybe.

The little tatza.

Yeah, no, I mean, it's... It's pretty boring, really.

Again, he hasn't paid a lot of money for it, but that's possibly because not many people want to buy it.

It's been a fabulous road trip.

Our two chaps started off in scenic Greyabbey,

stopped off in Saintfield,

before finally arriving in Belfast.

And once again,

our two experts roll back into the city for auction day.

-Best of luck to you.

-You might need it, anyway.

-Don't get too upset about it.

-I won't. You going first?

-No, ladies first. After you.

Aww, charming. Belfast Auctions first opened its doors 25 years ago,

and it sells everything from antiques and collectibles

to jewellery, furniture and household goods. Perfect, therefore, for our boys' varied collection.

And before the start, our chaps want to find out from auctioneer David

what will sell and what won't.

I bought that Omega wristwatch.

The back of it's 18-carat gold.

Yeah, it's in reasonably good order as well.

I think that will do well at auction, there's no doubt.

18 carat, as you say. Reasonably good order.

There's always a good interest in wristwatches.

My biggest concern overall - I spent £90 on a map of Ulster.

What's it going to make?

It's one of the ones I would worry about, to be honest.

That would be truthful. I have seen them before

and they tend not to get a great deal of money.

Nobody seems impressed with your map so far, Charles.

Charles started this leg with his full allowance of £200

and spent a confident £180 on four items.

With his £200 starter pack, Jonathan blew it all, also on four items.

A clever or risky strategy?

Only time will tell.

The time for talking is over.

An expectant hush descends.

The auction's about to begin.

I've been dreading this moment.

First up is the Omega Seamaster watch,

which Jonathan bought for £82.

-Here we go.

-JONATHAN SIGHS

-£60?

-Here we go, JP.

-Someone bid £60.

Five. 80. 85. 90.

-Oh, thank you.

-100. 110.

120. 130.

£140. 150. Back in again.

-160.

-Yes!

With Paul at £160.

Well played, JP, well played.

Beginners' luck pushes Jonathan into the lead

with a convincing £78 profit.

But how long can it last?

Welcome to Road Trip, as they say. That's a cracking start.

Next up is Charles's map of Ulster.

A gamble at £90.

Hello, sir.

How are you? There's a nice map for sale next, coming up.

A map of Ulster. Could be yours for £90, if you're lucky.

Interesting wee lot. £60?

-40?

-Come on.

-£20 start.

Come on, David, let's push this.

-25.

-Come on, let's go!

-£30.

The site is still now at £30. Cheap lot.

It's a cheap lot.

That's one gamble that didn't pay off,

and an unwelcome loss to kick-start Charles's auction.

Will Jonathan hold onto his lead

with the lucky bog oak trinket box at £68?

..to really get my mind focused.

I've set the ball rolling now. I'm down and you're up.

Hey, guys.

14. 16.

Exactly. I'm going to be complacent from now on.

-Exactly.

-Shouldn't you be paying attention?

I need the added value of pressure now to prove a point.

For goodness' sake, stop talking.

-You're a fighter, are you?

-I'm a fighter.

-At £30.

-When I'm on the ropes and JP's knocking for six...

-£30.

That'll teach you two to chat.

Lot number 93A, has it been sold? The Irish bog oak box?

-It has been sold. How much for, please, sir?

-30.

£30.

Thank you.

But the not-so-lucky Irish trinket box has just made Jonathan

a loss of £38 and decimated his lead.

Charles is hoping to redeem himself

with his silver bonbon dish, a snip at £30.

I need this to pay dividends. Come on.

-£50.

-Come on.

-£50.

-Let's keep going.

-55. 60.

-Yes.

-65.

70. Selling this one for £70.

-Hanson's back.

-Well done, mate. £40 on that baby.

-I'm delighted.

-So you should be.

That's a tidy £40 profit, Mr Hanson.

Jonathan's hoping to reclaim his winning streak

with these silver shot glasses. £30 for the pair.

£20?

20 I'm bid. 25. 30. 35. 40.

-45.

-I'm getting competitive, Charlie.

All out for the pair at £47.50.

And Jonathan's streaking ahead, with another cheeky little profit.

Next up, Charles's porcelain mug. A bargain at £25.

Even more so because Charles was right

in dating it to the early 18th, rather than the early 19th century.

-Come on.

-Circa around 1720, a very early peace. £30.

35. £40. 45.

-£47.50.

-I'm happy.

Another profit, but Charles is still struggling

to claw his way back into the race after such a heavy loss on the map.

It's time for Jonathan's final lot, the engraving of the Lagan.

A snip at £20, but will it do well

or has Jonathan been sold down the river? Ha!

20 I'm bid. 25. 27.50.

Bid's at the back at 27.50.

Come on, someone.

Any offers for it now? 27.50.

But it's enough profit for Jonathan to maintain

a convincing lead over Charles,

who, with three items, has made a paltry £2.50 profit. Oh, dear.

I just wonder - Hanson's been on this great voyage.

A massive loss but he's back.

He's bigger, he's better.

-The Great Escape, you know.

-HE WHISTLES "The Great Escape"

Charles is banking everything

on his Regency-style table to stay in the race.

A steal at £40.

£40. £50.

-It's cheap, it's cheap at that.

-60, new bidder. 70.

At the back now at £70.

All done for it. All finished at £70.

That's OK. Happy with that.

-Well done.

-It's been a great start.

After my disaster, I've proved a point -

-we're back in business.

-Well done.

It's the end of the first auction

and Jonathan goes straight into the lead.

He started off with £200 and after paying the auctioneer's commission,

he's made a tidy profit of £18.29.

After commission, Charles has gone from £200 down to £194.16,

his spending money for the next day's shopping.

But it's early days yet and anything could happen.

-Well, one-nil to me, I'm afraid.

-In the end, it was quite close.

-It was.

-I think that's how it's going to be throughout the journey.

In the next show, Charles drives a hard bargain.

You know, I want a nibble of the profit. I want to...

You've been nibbling since you came through the door.

And Jonathan's lead comes under threat.

JONATHAN GROANS

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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