Episode 27 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?

Got to make a profit!

The aim is 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.

That could have done better.

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

-That would be 100.

-Not 40, then?

This is the Antiques Road Trip. Yeah!

On the road this week, David Harper and Anita Manning.

They're at the wheel of the little red devil, a 1971 Triumph Spitfire.

This is lovely! This is the life!

I know. I tell you I could do this every day, couldn't you?

David Harper is an antique dealer. Well, he's not that old, actually,

but he is the reigning Road Trip champion and he delights in pushing down prices.

-Would you be happy with 45?

-Ha! Sadly not.

Anita Manning runs one of Scotland's most successful auction houses and has done for over 20 years.

A lover of all things Arts and Crafts and she has a winning charm.

-What's wrong with going with your heart?

-Yeah.

Both experts started the week with a £200 float.

After buying bumper booty, they faced off at auction in Heathfield, East Sussex.

-Yes!

-£25?

I shouldn't have got too excited.

Now, what's in each of their pockets is another tale indeed.

It's been an absolute pleasure.

David is romping ahead.

He's turned his original £200 into an impressive £386.16.

But Anita wasn't quite such a cash magnet.

From her original £200, she is starting today's show with £221.92.

-That was a good buy, that was a good buy.

-Fantastic. Fantastic.

This week's Road Trip, a marvellous

meander across England's stunning south coast from Dover

all the way west to Bideford, North Devon.

Today's leg begins with our dazzling duo zipping off from Heathfield, East Sussex.

They'll head South to Lewes, Brighton and Arundel,

with their auction showdown taking them to Chippenham in Wiltshire.

Well, it certainly blows the barnacles off you driving about in this wee thing.

It doesn't half, and the thing is we are doing 48 miles an hour

and it feels like we are doing 100!

Lewes is a tourist hotspot,

but it's also a draw for the antiques trade with emporiums and boutiques sprouting across town,

a good place to begin today's proceedings.

Right, OK, then, Mrs Manning

which direction do you want to go in? What does your instinct tell you?

-I want to go that way.

-All right, well, I want to go that way.

-OK, good luck.

-Have a nice time.

-Remember - stick to the rules!

-No rules for me, baby!

-Bye-bye.

David's heading to a little independent shop which sells

antiques lovingly restored by shop owner Patricia Pavey.

-Hello, Patricia, Do you mind if I have a look around?

-Not at all.

-OK.

Almost all of Patricia's items are brass or copper

and like a veritable magpie, David is attracted to shiny things.

Has that been restored?

That has been restored as everything else in the shop has been restored.

That, I suppose, is a double-sided coal bucket.

And it has the marking here, the Victorian mark.

There you go VR, Victoria Regina, so that was made within her long reign.

-So 1837 to 1901.

-Yes.

The drawing room and its fireplace were the focal point of a well-to-do Victorian home.

It was a stage from which to project good taste, wealth and social standing.

So the humble coal bucket could no longer be just that.

-I think that was manhandled by servants.

-Correct, yes.

Because if you think about it, if they needed a double bucket,

it so going to be a big fire, isn't it?

Because David is an antiques dealer, he always pushes for trade prices.

And on the Road Trip this is his key tactic.

What's trade on him?

-The very best on that would be 100.

-Not 40, then?

-No.

-Just out of interest.

I spent that much on having it restored.

Did you, really? That's a double whammer, isn't it? That's really mint.

-Sell me that bucket for 45?

-I couldn't.

-Couldn't you?

-I really couldn't.

-Are you serious?

Patricia isn't budging.

She's met David's sort before.

It's been great meeting you. Thank you. You have got a lovely place.

But David can't resist trying one last time.

It's been a delight meeting you, thank you very much.

Are you sure £50 wouldn't get that?

Yes, OK, I will do it for 50.

-Really, are you sure?

-You are so charming, how can I refuse?

Oh, stop it! Lovely, thank you very much indeed.

Meanwhile, Anita can be found sifting through the wares of several

different dealers at one of Lewes's biggest antiques centres.

This is a Piquotware tea service.

Unfortunately, this one isn't in the best of condition,

but it does have its original tray and there are the four other pieces.

Piquotware began life in the 1930s when vacuum-cleaner makers

Burrage and Boyde began experimenting with aluminium and magnesium.

They created magnalium, an alloy with a silver-like finish.

Still made today, a new set would cost around £500.

It's £12, that's not bad.

In good condition in a saleroom

I have had up to £60 for those, but condition is very important.

Jamie, there is a tea set there.

The condition of it is not as fresh.

It's obviously been used many, many times to make a nice wee cup of tea.

I'm sure.

Would I be able to buy that for £5?

Well, 10 would be the logical best price on it. It's only £12.

But the final decision doesn't rest with Jamie.

Anita needs to phone the owner directly.

Hello, Pete.

I was interested in the little Piquotware tea set.

I was wondering if I could buy the tea set for £5.

OK. So there is no deal on that.

Oh, but thank you for talking to me anyway.

OK. Bye-bye.

He said, "I think we should end this conversation now!"

David's next port of call is also an antiques centre.

There are wares on sale here belonging to 60 dealers.

But will our man be able to get a good deal?

We have got it described as an Art Nouveau leather blotter.

Yeah. Arts and Crafts.

Yeah, it's absolutely bang-on.

Actually, you could use that, couldn't you, as just a plaque.

Yes, you could do. Or for it's original purpose, but it's a nice

-decorative piece.

-It is, it's actually a good thing, that.

It's got some writing in here, a name, Miss somebody Morgan.

This mopped up surplus ink.

Pop a letter in between the folds along with blotting paper,

and voila, nasty smudges are avoided.

But what's really attractive is the copper design on the front.

It's £45 to you and me.

Art Nouveau, which is very much that, began about 1890 and came to

a crashing halt at the beginning of the First World War in 1914,

because nobody really felt like that when horrible things were happening

in the trenches in Northern France.

So everything became much more sombre and all this flamboyancy and this

beauty and all this organic growth just came to a halt completely.

So that must be 1900, 1905-10, somewhere around there.

But David faces the same problem as Anita.

The owner of the item isn't here.

We couldn't give Steve a call and tell him to hurry on up?

He doesn't do mobiles, but he is probably on his way down right now.

-He doesn't do mobiles? Why doesn't he do mobiles?

-I don't know.

I want to meet him! He sounds very interesting.

I mean, can you send a pigeon with a message to try and

-tell him to hurry up!

-No.

Which means a lot of hanging about for David.

# So tired Tired of waiting

# Tired of waiting for you. #

With no sign of the owner of the blotter, David will have to come back later.

But what about Anita?

Has she found Lady Luck?

That is a sweet wee thing there.

Dating back to around the 1940s, this is a Windsor-type chair designed for small people.

It would have sat in the nursery. It's priced at £28.

I like that.

Nice wee sort of country child's chair and, of course,

people like these for showing off dolls and teddies and so on.

Would I be able to buy that for £10?

I think ten is pushing it a little.

I mean, I would do it for £20.

-20?

-Yeah.

-Could you bring it down a wee bit, say to 15?

Well, I did have another one and I made some money on that so, yeah, OK, I'll do 15.

That is lovely. 15, then. Thank you very much.

Well done, Anita, you could be on a roll. Better than a bun.

So why not have a scout about for something else?

Now, it's by Foley, not a bad factory,

the design is April and we have a designer's name here.

Now, I can't make out the surname but it is good that we have that.

Indeed it is, Anita.

The designer is Maureen Tanner.

She created whimsical designs for china makers Foley.

Tanner was a graduate of the Royal College of Art,

and today her pieces are extremely collectable.

-It has a price of £9 on it.

-Yeah.

Is there anything that you could take off that?

Well, we don't normally do discount under a tenner,

-but I suppose we could knock a pound off it.

-A pound off.

-Jamie, every pound counts!

-I know it does.

Not Scottish for nothing. Finally a spot of success. But it's not been easy.

Perhaps our pair will strike gold in this establishment.

OK, David, we are both in together,

but I think we should go to separate ends.

Can't we stay together? You don't want to be with me?

It's David who spots the first gem, and an unusual one at that.

A 19th-century coconut shell transformed into a bowl.

You would have to be a sailor or a merchant or an incredibly wealthy traveller to go to the lands where

these coconuts were grown, so they were sought-after novelty pieces that you would show off at a dinner party.

They were so highly prized that they would spend a fortune in sending it

to a silversmith and glamming it up and making it all posh.

It's absolutely amazing.

£150, I can't make a profit on that.

With no fruits to be gained from the nut, David is heading off to see a man about an ink blotter.

However, Anita's spied an object with a bit of spiritual promise.

Here we are.

-This is obviously not an old thing?

-Not very old, no.

-But these are quite collectable figures.

-It is Minton's as well.

We have this sort of

copperised material here and the white porcelain.

Minton's, a famous Stoke-on-Trent factory, made bone china.

In the 1970s, they created a series of bronze and porcelain figurines

that quickly became collectors' items.

The Sage is a rare piece costing £45.

Could that be done for £30?

I think £35 would be more acceptable.

-£35?

-Would that be OK?

-It is just a wee bit, tilting it over a wee bit?

-Would £30 buy it?

-30, I am happy with.

-OK.

Thank you very, very much.

Very sage.

Round the corner, David is hoping to finally do battle with dealer Stephen Furniss.

You know, the bloke who doesn't do mobiles.

Now, your stall is round here. Can I talk to you about a few things?

-Sure.

-Let's see what you have.

-I think you have a very good eye, I have to say.

-Thank you kindly.

You can turn on the charm all you like, David, but beware,

Stephen does not zip up the back.

In fact, he knows exactly how to deal with a man who's always looking for trade prices.

And you are a bit of a trade man, I hear.

-I am to a certain extent.

-Oh, dear, that is not such a good thing.

But before David even gets to the blotter, he's been drawn to a spot of sparkle.

Oh, they are quite grand, aren't they? Sheffield plate?

Sheffield plate, yeah.

-Early 19th century?

-Yeah. They are going to be 1830-1840, I would think.

Sheffield Plate was invented by Thomas Bolsover in 1743.

He fused thin sheets of silver to copper, which resulted in a new

material resembling solid silver in appearance,

but it was only a third of the price of the solid silver.

What's trade on those?

Er... They are up at 85 on the pair.

They would be 75 for the pair.

Hmm... Would £50 buy them, Steve?

I would feel happier with £55.

-Would you? Would you feel really happy at £45?

-No!

David's now going to try and get a deal on the candlesticks

and the Art Nouveau ink blotter priced at £45.

How about £60 for the lot?

-No.

-Let's try something else.

What have you got to really tempt me?

This came at no money.

-It's a pie dish.

-Oh, a pie dish.

It's in from porcelain, it's almost certainly come from Germany.

It's a very continental numeral underneath and we couldn't compete with Germany for price,

so they flooded Europe and America with inexpensive porcelains from the 1860s onwards.

-This one is probably 1890, something like that.

-I think so.

-The ticket price is £45.

-I really like it.

But Stephen is feeling generous.

OK. Let's do £20 for that.

-So, what are we talking?

-I am going to squeeze you to £85 for the three.

Go on, you good man. It's been worth the wait.

I have been waiting hours to see you.

That's £15 for the Art Nouveau blotter, £55 for the candlesticks and £15 for the pie dish.

Not a bad result.

-What a mixture.

-Thank you very much.

-I'll see you again.

-Surely.

-Things are also on the up for Anita.

Dealer Michelle Doyle has found her another possibility.

Anita, have you seen this?

Oh, Michelle,

-that's wonderful cloisonne work, isn't it?

-So fine.

I mean, that is an item of quality.

Perfect condition, Michelle.

Cloisonne is an ancient way of decorating metal

pioneered by the Chinese.

On this cup and saucer, a design would first have been drawn in ink

and then fine wires were fused along the inked lines

and coloured enamels

were applied within the wires.

The ticket says £60.

It's an antique. A proper antique.

It's just been reduced, but you could have it for 40.

-I think you can double up on that.

-Se if we did 30 on it?

I know you have come down a lot.

-Can you do £35?

-Taking the chance on it for its beauty.

Can you do 35?

-Yeah, let's go for it!

-OK.

-What's wrong with going with your heart?

Perfect condition, intricate work.

It's got to make a profit!

It's been a long day for both Anita and David. Time to get back on the road.

They're taking a picturesque open-top drive to Brighton

to enjoy the glorious evening sunshine and the beach.

Brighton is just 11 miles from Lewes, and well worth the journey.

First of all, it's the boots and the socks and then I'm going to do

what every self-respecting Englishman

does at the seaside - roll his trousers up.

All you need is one of these wee hankies for your head.

Here we go.

-Oh, no, it's too cold!

-Uh!

Go in further David, further!

-Come on in! Get those pink boots off. Come on, let's be having you.

-Too cold!

Anita, you don't know what you're missing.

That, honestly, was worth all the hours of toil that we have been through today.

I don't believe you!

I promise you, honestly. It's fantastic, it's made my day.

Early morning and both experts are raring to go.

David's starting off on foot, while Anita's at the wheel of the Spitfire.

There's never a booster seat when you need one. Can she see?

They bought four lots each. David has spent £135 on the brass coal bucket, the Sheffield plate

candlesticks, and the Art Nouveau blotter and the German pie dish...

-All right.

-Good man.

..while Anta has been much more conservative.

She's spent just 88 wee pounds on the Maureen Tanner cup and saucer,

the child's chair,

the bronze and ivory figurine, and the cloisonne enamel.

I absolutely love them.

She's heading 15 miles from Brighton to Charleston House near Firle.

This was the country HQ of a band of writers, painters and intellectuals

known as the Bloomsbury Group,

so called because most of them lived in the Bloomsbury area of London.

Some of the most prolific were Virginia Woolf, her sister Vanessa Bell,

economist Maynard Keynes, author EM Forster and artist Duncan Grant.

-Oh, it is so lovely to meet you.

-Hi.

-Are you going to show me around?

Yes. Welcome to Charleston, come on in.

Curator Wendy Hitchmough will reveal to Anita the fruits of this union of friends

who challenged the religious, artistic,

social and sexual taboos of the early 20th century.

Wendy, I'm so overwhelmed, my eyes are being pulled from the pictures to the furniture.

In 1916, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant

rented this picturesque haven from a local farmer.

Far away from the hustle and bustle of London's Bloomsbury,

this was to be a place of artistic toil.

After breakfast, the artists would return to their studios to paint and the writers would go to

their rooms to work, and if you didn't have work with you, you would be given work to do.

So the Bloomsbury group, in actual fact, were very disciplined?

Yes, Charleston was absolutely about working.

There is a wonderful portrait of Vanessa Bell by Duncan Grant

painted just a year after they moved to Charleston in a red headscarf showing what a bohemian,

what a radical character she was, and equally a self-portrait

by Duncan Grant in a turban.

What's most famous about Charleston is that the walls, fireplaces

cupboards, tables and chairs are all covered with

paintings and decorations inspired by Italian fresco painting and post-impressionism.

Another thing that interests me, Wendy, is the painted furniture.

This is absolutely charming

and the complete opposite of what was popular at the time. Why did they do this?

Well, it was partly a matter of economy.

The furniture was drawn from lots of different sources.

One of the ways that the interiors became harmonious was because so much of it is painted.

I recognise this image immediately.

Yes, this is the original plaster bust of Virginia Woolf by Stephen Tomlin.

Strong features, strong face.

She hated sitting for her portrait, so he had to do that in just a very few sittings, very quickly.

The walled garden is another of Charleston's treasures.

It was laid out with ponds, statues and pathways to resemble the great gardens of Southern Europe.

And when the Bloomsbury Group did take time out from working,

there was a very special room from which to enjoy the incredible view.

This is the garden room, and they would gather in here in the evenings after dinner.

-To have some fun?

-Absolutely, yes.

-To have a drink.

-They would have a drink and coffee and they would sit with the French windows open

and the scent of cigar smoke drifting out into the garden and the scent of nicotianas drifting in.

It is s an absolutely wonderful room. It is a period that appeals to me so much, I love the decoration,

I love the feel of this, I would love to have been sitting with them at that time.

It's just so wonderful.

Back on the coast, David's sniffing out the wares in Brighton.

This seaside town first became popular in the 1800s thanks to the Prince Regent's patronage.

Nowadays, it's Brighton Pier which draws the crowds.

When the sun shines, this could be mistaken for a holiday destination on the continent. Ah!

But David's socks and shoes are firmly back on

as he immerses himself in a substantial antiques market.

-OK just to have a wander round?

-Feel free. Find a bargain.

I'm looking for a bargain. That's exactly why I'm here.

There's a variety of possibilities here belonging to about 60 dealers.

There's only one thing on David's mind, though, and it's absolutely filthy!

It's quirky, it's battered, and it's obviously been in a barn or something for donkey's years.

Chinese moon flasks often carried water or wine.

Very rare ones were buried with noblemen

to help them on their way to the afterlife.

This flask isn't quite so grand and is priced at 17 smackers.

It's hand-painted, it's got a big dent in it,

it's got age, but how much? It might have

20 or 30 years or it might have 80 years.

Right. I think nearer 20 or 30.

I agree with you. I would love to clean that up.

So it's out into the sunshine

to apply a bit of elbow grease and polish.

See, it is coming up already.

It is coming up already. It's got a layer of rust.

You don't want to make it look too new. Shabby chic is right in.

It's got bits of insects in it.

-You can't be putting bits of insects on a nice antiquity.

-Have you actually bought this yet?

It depends what it looks like when it comes up.

I'll get myself in all sorts of trouble here.

So how much is it going to be?

It's £15 to you.

Look at that. It's coming up beautiful.

We should set up a new business...

Marks and Harper Restoration Specialists.

There you go, £15.

Thank you very much indeed.

And I will see you again and I do owe you a pint.

Someone else is keen to do a spot more shopping.

Anita's back at the wheel and heading west.

She's travelling the 33 miles from Firle to Arundel.

Straddling the River Arun, just five miles from the sea,

and formerly a busy international port which thrived

under the control of the Dukes of Norfolk, who have had their seat here since the 16th Century.

It's also a popular stop-off point for antiques lovers.

Just have a look at this Moorcroft here, it is absolutely beautiful.

The colours are singing at me.

I'd love to buy a piece of this.

Too dear to make a profit. Not dear, but too dear to make a profit.

I have decided that what I should do is stick with what I have got,

hope for a profit on that and bank the rest of my money.

I hope that this is the right tactic.

I wonder what David's done.

He's also given up shopping in favour of something much more highbrow.

David's visiting Brighton's Royal Pavilion,

a magical party mansion created for the Prince Regent, later George IV.

He was the son of George III, who famously went mad.

Building began in 1787 and was mostly the work of architect John Nash.

It's been described as everything from Brighton's Taj Mahal

to a Norfolk turnip.

The effect is gloriously OTT, and what's inside is even more so.

I am David. How do you do?

Hello. Welcome to the Royal Pavilion.

Art historian Alexandra Loske will give David an insight into

the world of the Royal Pavilion's mastermind, George IV himself.

The palace as you see it now took 40 years to develop.

Apparently, he burst into tears when he first saw it in its finished state.

This was the music room. Well, the band would have been playing here,

George had his own band and sometimes he would sing himself.

-Was he a good singer?

-We don't know, but of course, you had to be polite.

In the banqueting room, glamorous creatures such as Lord Byron made merry.

Guests like him would regularly dine on sumptuous meals of French cuisine

which could last four hours or more.

-Alexandra, this is...

-Quite, quite. I know.

But what's most incredible is that this oriental wonderland

was born completely out of George IV's imagination,

because he never actually travelled any further east than Germany.

So, a bedroom, I assume?

This is one of the few bedrooms, yes.

George's brothers, would have stayed here,

-so this is the Duke of York's room.

-This is a very vibrant yellow.

It is chrome yellow, very vibrant,

first commercially available here from about 1818.

And then, of course, George being George, he wanted it.

Alexandra will also reveal one of George's personal possessions

kept in his royal apartments.

This is an inkwell where the ink would have gone.

I see. So you lift the crown.

You lift the crown.

Very small inkwell

for such a fantastically grand item.

I assume it is silver?

It is silver gilt.

Oh, my God, that is extravagant in the extreme.

So we have got a solid piece of silver made by?

Rundell, Bridge and Rundell.

So we have an incredibly well-known and top-end maker.

And George owed them a lot of money. He gilt everything.

Would this have been specifically designed for him with his input?

He probably commissioned this and he probably came with his design ideas.

-So that is the only one in existence.

-Probably.

-Oh, gosh.

-Do you want it?

-Can I have it, would you mind?

-How much would you pay for it?

-£75?

-Oh, not enough, not enough!

I won't let it go for that.

This leg's Southern shopping spree has been a struggle

for both David and Anita, with dealers standing their ground spectacularly along the way.

So have they actually bought well?

-Time to reveal those wares to one another.

-OK.

First item, it's a little figure.

-It's Minton's, ivory porcelain...

-Can I grab him?

-..and bronze.

The Sage. What's he worth?

He would have been a lot of money when he was new.

He would have been a lot of money when he was new. I paid £30 for him.

Well, he doesn't sound dear. Very nice.

Right, here we go. That's a bit of you, isn't it?

-Absolutely lovely.

-Very Glasgow, is it not?

And that is bang-on Art Nouveau.

Oh, it's a blotter, that makes it even more desirable, David.

And in original condition, a nice leather backing, bound well.

It's not going to make a fortune, but I paid £15.

-That is very cheap.

-It's a bargain.

Now for Anita's 1950s Foley cup and saucer designed by Maureen Tanner.

The collectors of that period and of that artist will love it.

-What's that, £20 or £30?

-Well, I paid £8 for it.

I'm not going to make a huge amount, David.

-Well, you're certainly not going to lose very much, are you?

-Promise?

These, Anita, I'm hoping you're going to be impressed with.

David, I love these.

I love these, I think they're quality. How much did you pay?

You're going to be surprised, because there's no rubbing.

I can't see any, you know the bleeding that comes through on

-an old Sheffield plate when it's been rubbed. 55.

-That's a good price.

It's a little piece of 19th-century cloisonne. Look at the detail on it.

That is singing quality.

This is a little work of art.

I like that. Now, £60 ticket.

-What did you pay?

-I paid 35 for it.

-Well, you did a good deal.

-Following on, David's pie dish.

Now, you'd want to eat that, wouldn't you?

It has the look. Tell me how much you paid for that?

Well, cheap. £15.

15. That's not too bad. OK, my last item, David.

It's a girly pink stool.

I know. It's the type of thing that's bought these days

to display teddies and dolls and so on.

-I paid £15 for this.

-OK, what's it going to do at auction?

-It might do 20.

-Close your eyes.

-Close my eyes.

You may be impressed...or may not.

Feast your eyes on the most magnificent,

Chinese, cloisonne in style -

now, come on, you're not looking very enthusiastic - moon flask.

HOLLOW RING

-Bring it over to me, bring it over.

-HE LAUGHS

Tell me, what is it saying to you, Anita Manning?

I think it's a great decorator's piece, David.

I think that's a great decorator's piece.

I think that in auction with a couple of private buyers

or interior designers thinking it could look well inside a hallway...

It would even sit outside architecturally in a garden.

-The best of luck, David.

-I haven't told you how much I've paid for it.

-Tell me how much.

-15.

-That's OK.

-Plus £2 cost for a spray of polish and a rag. £17.

And finally, the 19th-century brass coal bucket.

I think that it's a splendid big cracker.

Cracker, yeah, yeah.

But I'm not convinced about the age of it.

I knew you were going to say that, because I've had this situation before.

Now, I am convinced, because I've had some of these things restored, and they do come up like this.

You see, once I see that tinting on a base, on an inside,

it makes me suspicious.

-I feel it's a period thing.

-Are you trying to persuade me?

I am, I am, but in a way, I don't think it matters even if it isn't.

No, it's a reasonable buy for £50.

It's a big, shiny lump of brass

and it would look wonderful in any house.

I detected a bit of polite disagreement there.

Let's hear the real verdict.

On the coal bucket. I think that this is a modern item.

I don't see any quality in any of the fittings.

I know Anita does not think my big coal bucket is a Victorian one.

I can't be 100% sure, but I am buying them like that these days.

There are people mega-restoring them.

I think that my items deserve more than David.

They are nicer items, there is a wee bit of quality there.

David and Anita have ripped their way through several antique hot spots on the south coast.

They've gone from Lewes to Brighton, then on from Firle to Arundel.

Now they're heading 125 miles northwest to Chippenham in Wiltshire.

Here our dynamic duo will go head to head at the second auction of the week.

Forward, Macduff!

Chippenham sits on the River Avon. In 1812, Robert Peel was MP

before becoming most famous for creating the Metropolitan Police.

The town's motto is "unity and loyalty",

irrelevant, really, if you're two competitive antiques experts

trying to get one over on each other.

Full of anticipation.

Full of anticipation. Full of enthusiasm.

Wessex Auctions deal in everything from fine art to sports memorabilia.

Today is a general sale where decorative items and affordable antiques do well.

Good news, you'd think, except David and Anita are still at loggerheads over that brass coal bucket.

Brand-new!

David's description for the auction is that it's a rare 19th-century item.

Anita disagrees, she thinks it's a reproduction, so David's pretty peeved.

You can't tell me that ain't a period piece, but Anita is going around

the saleroom saying, "It's new, it's new." Anita, for goodness

sake, don't tell the world you think it's new!

With trouble brewing it's time to call in auctioneer Peter Wessex.

-What do you think? I mean, I love it.

-We're a little bit split between two or three of us.

The general feeling is probably is 19th-century, but the way it has

been restored it gives the impression of being more modern.

I think that is where the question mark has

come over it, but look at it, it is a fine piece.

And in the antiques game, if the auction house is comfortable with

an item's description, it's on with the proceedings!

David began this leg with £386.16.

He's bought five lots and spent £152.

While Anita started with £221.92.

She has nabbed four items and forked out just £88.

With a truce declared, the auction can finally begin.

I start this...

I feel nervous.

But you're always nervous.

-You shouldn't be nervous, David.

-I'm a nervous person.

Up first, Anita's Minton figure.

What shall we say, will someone start me at £100?

100? 50, then? 30, then?

30 I've got, low start.

Where's 32? 32, 34, 36, 38, 40,

42, 44, 46, 48.

Anywhere else, are you sure? Selling, then, at £46 at the back.

I'm happy enough. I'm happy enough.

A cracking start, Anita,

proving that this piece is extremely collectable.

-Anything over 40 I would have been happy with.

-Yes.

David's stunning Sheffield plate candlesticks are up next.

42, 44, 46, 48, 50,

55, 60, 65, 70.

65 in the corner, where's 70?

70 anywhere else? 70, come back in.

75? 80?

75 stays there. 80 anywhere else?

Selling at only £75.

Thank you, sir.

Never mind, David, you made profit.

-A little bit, a trickle.

-Which is definitely better than nothing!

Well done.

Can Anita follow up on the profit stakes with the child's chair?

12, 14. 16 in the room. Commission's out.

Looking for 18. 16 only, any advance?

18 anywhere else?

Selling in the room at only £16.

£1 profit on paper.

On paper. Och, well, there we are.

That's right, it's actually a small loss after commission.

I knew it wasn't a £60 to £80 shot.

For the Art Nouveau lovers out there,

it's David's leather and copper blotter next.

Start at 20, that's really low, looking for 22.

-Started in profit.

-Any advance on 20?

22, 24, 26?

26. Commission's out. 28?

In the room at 26, that's no money, look at this piece! £26 only!

Selling, then, at only £26. Thank you, sir.

Oh, that could have done so much better.

Yes, it should have,

proving yet again just how unpredictable auctions can be.

It's not going to buy lunch, is it?

Now for the piece that's had both our experts in a tiz-woz.

The rare 19th-century double-sided, recently restored coal bucket,

stamped VR for Victoria Regina.

Let's start nice and low, start me at £100.

Straight in at £100, there it is, look how impressive that is.

£100. 100? 50 and away, then?

-Anybody at £50? Surely for that, 50?

-What?!

30, see what happens.

30 there, 32, 34?

34, 36?

38, 40.

42, 44, 46, 48, 50 only. Where's 55?

Late 55. 60, 65, 70, 75?

70 only with the lady with the hand at 70. Are you all done?

Expected three times as much as that. 75 anywhere else?

You won't see another one like it...

Selling, then, at just £70.

Thank you.

That is the price of an item which is modern.

-It's not modern! It's not modern.

-A period one would be £200-£300.

Well, maybe it's the wrong day.

Oh, dear, Anita still isn't convinced this is 19th-century

and nor does the market, and that's the ultimate test.

Moving on, David's moon flask takes the stage.

Nice decorative piece.

We thought it might be a giant's perfume bottle when we saw it

but there we go, start me at £30 for this. Nice decorative piece.

-£30? 20 and away, then?

-Come on!

£20, surely? Look at all that item, £20?

Start me at 10, then.

10. I've got lots of hands, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18,

20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32.

Only £30. Still no money, 32 anywhere else?

-Go on!

-Selling to the gent sat down at £30.

Thank you, sir.

A bit of profit, anyway.

And it was fun doing it. It was fun.

For a profit like that, it was well worth the elbow grease.

-Hasn't been so bad, has it, really?

-No. It's a decorative piece.

Anita's Maureen Tanner cup and saucer is up now,

and a lot of bids are expected on the internet.

12, 14? 16 online, 14 in the room, then.

Are you all done at only £14?

16 anywhere else? Selling, then, at just 14.

16 online, thank you, online. 18?

18. Make it 20 online.

Don't lose it online, think of the petrol you saved not coming here.

Make it 20.

18 going to take it, then, last chance online, 20 anywhere else?

Selling at £18 in the room.

Thank you, sir.

Well done, it's a good piece.

That was all right, It's doubled its money.

That's a good result for Anita.

Well done. You took it out and you made money.

Another cup and saucer now - Anita's 19th-century cloisonne ware.

20 online. Thank you, online, looking for 22.

Only £20, is that a bid, sir?

Make it 24. 24 online. It's against you online.

24, 26. 24 is going to take it, it's here to be sold.

26. Thank you, sir. Make it 28 online.

30, make it 32 online? Make it 32 online?

Make it 34? 32 online, any advance?

34 anywhere else, are you all done? Fair warning. I sell online at £32.

Thank you, online.

I'm disappointed with that one, because that was an item of quality.

It just wasn't the right sale.

Despite the interest on the internet,

that has turned a surprising loss.

-That's what happens.

-There you go, Anita.

-C'est la vie, c'est la vie.

The final lot of the day, David's pie dish.

Let's start at £10, see where we end up.

£10? 10 I've got, thank you. 12, any advance on 10?

12, is it? Are you all done, selling to the lady at £10.

We've both made one loss.

That's David's first loss of the competition. Never mind.

That's all right.

I think we've escaped quite well.

We've done all right.

It's been a tough auction for both our experts in more ways than one.

After paying the auction costs, Anita has made just £4.26 in profit,

giving her £226.18 to take on to the next leg.

David Harper has beaten Anita for the second time this week.

After paying commission he's made a profit of £21.81,

giving him £407.97 to buy with from tomorrow.

But is this the end of a beautiful friendship?

She is a bit grumpy with me, if I'm honest, and she is stomping around,

but you know, it's a competition, isn't it?

I think he was lucky.

In another auction, he might not be as lucky.

Let's wait and see.

So, with the white flags out, it's back on the road.

-Let me take you for a drive.

-Oh, lovely.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

David breathes new life into the term butterfingers.

-Cannonball.

-Wey! My goodness me.

And Anita gets an eyeful of a different sort.

She's lost her top!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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