Episode 1 Antiques Road Trip

The nation's favourite antiques experts, £200 each and one big challenge!

I might need to declare war.

Why?

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

-£15?

-No!

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

but it's not as easy as you might think and things don't always go to plan.

Push!

So, will they race off with a huge profit or come to a grinding halt?

I'm going to go for it.

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

This week, auctioneer Anita Manning, who's a proper Scot, and valuer Mark Stacey,

who's quite fond of a bit of porridge but wouldn't know Robert Burns if he bit him,

drive their delightful blue Morris Minor through some major Scottish scenery,

a soft top, but hopefully not a soft touch.

You're a local girl and I think you're going to have a very competitive advantage over me.

-You've got to roll your Rs.

-Leave my Rs out of this!

THEY LAUGH

Anita, from Glasgow, has an in-depth knowledge of all things Scottish.

A wee bit wibbly-wobbly.

So will that give her the edge over Mark?

-Could you take another couple of pounds off it?

-No, sorry.

That's a Scotsman for you!

Mark, who's also Celtic, having come from Wales via Brighton, is ambitious, to say the least.

I want to hold the world in my hands.

Although this isn't his home turf,

he hopes that a sussed Southerner might grab a crafty Caledonian bargain too.

If we could go 18...

You naughty man!

The mind games and friendly rivalry start here.

Well, what else would you expect?

-You could be Mary, Queen of Scots.

-Well, if I'm Mary, Queen of Scots, you will have to be Elizabeth I,

the Virgin Queen!

THEY LAUGH

This week our journey begins in the heart of the Cairngorms

and progresses via the beautiful cities of Edinburgh and Durham

to Thirsk in North Yorkshire.

Today's shows starts out in Aberfeldy and concludes with a tasty little auction in Dunblane.

Mark and Anita are all set to turn their £200 each into a tidy profit,

but who will triumph and who will have a tantrum?

Well, I can't believe that! It's shocking!

First stop en route is the little town of Killin at the western head of Loch Tay.

-How many lochs are there in Scotland?

-Millions.

-Millions!

Steady! They used to grow flax and weave an awful lot of linen in these parts,

but nowadays Killin earns a living from tourism.

Mark and Anita are here to visit Maureen Gauld Antiques.

-That's our first stop. Shall we go in together, Mark?

-I think we should,

but I don't want you rushing in without me. You wait for me.

What I'd like you to do, Mark, is if you see any bargains, will you give me a shout?

So what happens when a Scotswoman and a Welsh man walk into an antiques shop? This is not a joke!

-Gosh, it's so exciting! It's like a treasure trove in here.

-Our first shop!

Listen, Anita, I think...

-I'll stay here.

-You stay here. I'll go and explore round the back.

Gauld's is very much a traditional antique shop with a little bit of everything.

Somewhere, though, there's a bargain to be found.

This is a piece of Scottish pottery. Look at the motto.

"Freens are like fiddlestrings. They maunna be screw'd owerticht."

Which means, "Friends are like fiddle strings. Don't overstretch them."

Of course I know what it means, but Mark may need a translation!

That looks quite interesting.

Now, this is a little Victorian, I would say, sort of pokerwork.

Somebody would have carved all this pattern out by using hot pokers and then staining it.

It was something that often Victorian-Edwardian ladies did at home.

Mark's unearthed a late-Victorian example of pyrography

or the art of decorating wood by burning with the tip of a heated poker.

Barrels like these could be used to keep hats in.

And actually what I quite like about it, of course, is Anita is Scottish,

but this is an English rose on here.

It's probably about 100 years old, but that Tudor rose might not impress a Scottish auction.

It's in pretty original condition. It hasn't been tarted up, so it doesn't look all bright and shiny.

But, of course, the crucial thing is the price.

Victorian pokerwork barrel, £45.

If we could get that down, that might be a possibility.

Anita is always up for something a wee bit vernacular, don't you know?

And in amongst the glassware she's spotted something that fits the bill.

We've got this wonderful big piece of Monart.

Now, Monart was made from the late '20s to the '60s

in the factory of Moncrieff in Perth.

This glass became wonderfully popular in the 1920s and 1930s,

and it was sold in Liberty's.

It's still collectable today, but it's a bit expensive.

Quite! At almost £700 it's way beyond your budget!

Mark, meanwhile, is already pondering another addition to his little horde.

What we've really got here is a sort of decorative needlework panel, I suppose.

I think it probably is 1920s or '30s, but the colours are still quite good in this.

If you look at the pinks there and the greens,

and the little blues there, it's rather an attractive thing.

But it's quite a substantial piece really for £25.

I think that's going to be another piece we're going to add with our bit there

and see if we can get a good price on that.

Anita, though, has found something with global appeal.

Practical too.

Now, terrestrial globes are quite collectable. People like this type of thing.

But this little globe is also...

..a biscuit tin! Isn't that sweet? I like that.

Crawford's Biscuits were founded by one William Crawford in Leith, near Edinburgh in 1813.

Fancy tins came later, and curios like this from the '30s are now highly collectable.

The price label, however, says £60.

Wow! Tome to talk to canny shopkeeper Jimmy Gauld.

-Good morning.

-Jimmy, good morning.

-Nice to meet you.

-I'm Anita.

-When I looked at that at the beginning, I was trying to open that out.

-Yeah, it opens up.

That's an awful lot of trouble to get a ginger snap.

Are you sure you haven't got India on Africa there?

-I think you might be right.

-No, no, you're fine! I'm kidding you on.

-I wasn't sure whether I was coming or going.

-Jimmy,

I think that...again, we're putting it into auction. It's going into a general auction.

And we're trying to make just even a wee bit of profit on it.

Can I have £30 on that?

-Oh, no chance!

-Is there no chance on that?

-Not a hope in...

-Could we come...?

-Nowhere even near it! I'll do it for 50.

-That's the best I can do on that.

-Is that the best you can do?

Mmm...that didn't go well! But already Anita's found something else to bargain with,

an imitation Tiffany's vase for a tenner.

I wondered if I could do the biscuit tin and this wee thing, which is not a thing of any great significance,

if you could give me the two for £50?

But Anita's reckoned without the very thin walls in this establishment!

-Could you?

-I can hear Anita. I'm just going to earwig what she's saying.

-I could do it for 5, make it 55 for the two of them.

-55 for the two?

-Two of them, yeah.

She's not sure about something.

-Could you come down?

-No.

-Every pound counts!

-I know.

I'll just have a peek round the corner.

-Could you come to maybe 53?

-I've got a wife and three publicans to keep, I need the money!

-A wife and three publicans?

-Aye!

That's a Scotsman for you!

-Oi! Flower of Scotland! Can you hurry up, please? Cos I'm trying to do a deal here!

-All right, OK.

-I don't want to interrupt you.

-You're not interrupting me.

-Are you sure?

I've got to give the man some money, hopefully!

While Anita heads off for another scout around, it's time for Mark to try his charms on our Jimmy.

For some reason, I quite like this frame.

And I rather find this rather charming.

I mean, I don't know how flexible you can be with me...

As I say, whatever price is on it, just double it and then we'll do a deal!

Well, you see, I was thinking the other way, to halve it...

No chance of that!

So what would be the best on this one, then?

-I'll do that for 20.

-That would be 20?

-Yeah.

-And that one would be...?

-Make it 40.

-Listen, my friend, I really do like those two pieces.

I know...I'm not here to slash the prices from you,

-but I do have to try and negotiate as hard as I can.

-You are trying!

I know, I'm very trying! Everybody says that to me!

Is there any chance we could get to 50?

-No.

-Please.

-Not a hope in hell!

-55?

-No, it's got to be 60.

-Oh, come on, Jimmy!

-I can't!

-Please!

55 and we've got a deal, I promise you!

-Er...

-Please!

-Anything to get rid of you!

Oh, don't say that, Jimmy! Don't say that.

-You've got a smile on your face.

-I've always got a smile on my face.

It's not trapped wind?

I hope not!

Anita just can't drag herself away from the Scottish glass.

And she's now discovered something which at £22 is an awful lot cheaper than the Monart.

This is a piece of Strathearn glass. It's from about the '70s, '80s.

It's still nice, I like it,

and I might be able to get it for a reasonable price. I'll go and ask Jimmy.

Worth a try, Anita, and adding it to the other items which you've bought may help.

55 for the two of them and 22 is 77, so I'll make it 75.

-Could you take another couple of pounds off it?

-No, no, sorry.

-Two wee pounds!

-No!

-No.

-Oh, you're a hard man!

75!

So while Anita deposits an awful lot of her budget inside Jimmy's ancient till,

Mark's found time for a quick trip to one of Scotland's most impressive castles.

Mark and his Morris are heading for Inveraray.

Look, it's breathtaking. It's almost like a little fairy-tale castle, isn't it?

Like a medieval French chateau!

The house itself is very fine indeed,

based on a sketch by Vanbrugh in the 18th century,

although there's been a castle here beside Loch Fyne since the 1400s.

This is the seat of the Dukes of Argyll,

better known as the Campbells,

a family that's played an important role in several key moments of Scottish history.

Hello!

-Mark!

-You must be Jane.

-Welcome to Inveraray Castle.

-Thank you for having me.

-Delighted to meet you.

-Lovely to meet you too

-on such a wonderful day.

-I know, it's stunning, isn't it?

Jane Young is the manager at Inveraray

and the best possible guide to the castle.

So as you enter into the armoury hall, you'll see a lot of the armaments.

The castle contains several reminders of the family's early fighting years,

as well as a priceless object that once belonged to a Scottish folk hero.

So this is Rob Roy's sporran.

-And this was found in his cottage which was just up at the top of Glen Shira...

-And that's nearby?

-Yes.

It's just on the outskirts of the town.

Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue, was a sort of Scottish Robin Hood,

a legendary outlaw and freedom fighter,

the difference being that, unlike Robin, he and his sporran were real.

-You can see all the beautiful ornate work...

-Detail.

-Yes, around about.

Wonderful, isn't it?

The Argylls fought on the side of the Government

and against Bonnie Prince Charlie's claim to the throne at Culloden in 1745.

Incredibly, you can see original banners from that battle still hanging on the castle walls.

They are so fragile. You can see there's hardly any...

-Yes, very delicate.

-..Decoration left on them.

-But you can actually still see the outline

of the Argyll Militia.

They're obviously a very important part of history.

And just over 100 years after that, the Argylls actually married into the British Royal Family.

In the Victorian Room, there's a fine painting of the future 9th Duke getting hitched

to Princess Louise in 1871.

-I can spot Queen Victoria in the middle there.

-Yes, yes, pretty...

Then you've got the bride and groom at the end. And I must admit

-she does look for once as if she's got a cheeky smile on her face!

-Yes.

I'm sure she's delighted that's daughter number 4 married!

But perhaps the most surprising item at Inveraray is one unlikely survivor of the big day,

a piece of cake!

Now, Judy, I'm dying to ask you... It just looks like an envelope. Where is the piece of cake?

-Well, you can see how it's all been delicately wrapped and sealed at the back.

-Wonderful.

And this isn't the sort of thing that one takes home to eat?

No, I wouldn't think so. I think you would want to keep it and preserve it carefully.

It's absolutely beautiful.

Wonderful.

And with the sun setting over Loch Fyne, Mark heads back to the hotel to find Anita.

Day 2, and Mark's at the wheel as they continue their trek around the Trossachs... Sounds painful!

-Are you dying to get to the shop?

-I am. And are you planning to spend all of your budget?

I'm not telling you!

Yesterday Mark spent a mere £55 from his precious £200 on two items.

That'll be fantastic. Thank you so much.

While Anita lavished £75 on three things, including an astonishing £50 on a biscuit tin

shaped like a globe!

Oh, you're a hard man!

Will she make a handsome profit at the auction or just crumbs? Time alone will tell.

Today Anita and Mark hope to motor all the way down to Callander,

calling in at the little town of Balfron

to add to their haul.

Balfron has got quite a history. The name in Gaelic means "village in mourning",

apparently because a pack of wolves once stole their children. It could have been the Vikings, though.

Either way, do the good people of Balfron know that Manning and Stacey are a-coming?

Right, stop!

Just wait there, Anita.

I won't take any unfair advantage of you!

-Why's that, then?

-Because I know you've got your beady eye on me!

THEY LAUGH

-Well, I'll just nip in!

-Hey!

Junktion Antiques is a very different retail experience for Anita and Mark. Plenty of room,

and with a range that extends from humble bric-a-brac all the way to top quality.

There should be a bit more scope for our dynamic duo here

if proprietor David Hill is as good as his word anyway.

-Have you got any bargains?

-They're all bargains!

-Be serious!

-They're all bargains!

Anita always was the bookish type and Junktion seems to have quite a library.

I always find these Victorian photograph albums very sweet, very evocative.

Look at that wee girl there.

She's all dressed up in rather stiff Victorian clothes.

Nobody ever seems to be smiling in them.

Mark's found an avian oddity.

It's really a novelty little item.

It's made out of an early form of plastic, actually,

and it's meant to be a sort of rather exotic bird sitting on a branch looking at a little box.

But actually if you're too lazy to open the box yourself for a cigarette,

what you do is you push the bird and it picks the cigarette up in its mouth,

and then you take it from the bird.

Back in the 1930s when such items were all the rage,

complicated cigarette dispensing was as popular as devilishly strong gaspers,

but this one, unfortunately, needs a trip to the novelty bird vet!

Its beak's broken. What a shame.

-You haven't got that bit, have you?

-I haven't, Mark.

-What a shame.

Charming little object.

There's plenty of furniture at Junktion,

and beneath its shabby exterior Anita may have found a chest to treasure.

This is a nice wee chest.

It's a little Victorian mahogany apprentice piece.

It's been painted white and it looks terrible,

but this would strip down quite nicely.

Plastic handles! Wrong handles.

Oh, Mark's found a bit of old metal.

I think it's quite fun, actually. It's quite imposing.

I suppose if you've got a big Glasgow house or something,

to have a big tray like that up on your wall...

It's had some drill holes here.

If I'm being honest about the piece, it's only a little... It's a beaten tray.

It's not of huge quality, but actually there's some quite nice detail on it.

I can't quite make out who it is. Oh, Robert Dudley.

Associate of Queen Elizabeth I, and as Anita has christened me the Virgin Queen,

it could actually be quite fortuitous, shall we say?

Dudley, First Earl of Leicester was certainly one of the Queen's suitors

and allegedly responsible for the death of his first wife.

he was also hated by many Scots for his role in the execution of Mary Stuart.

I can hear him blethering away to David. I want to get in there!

-David?

-Yes, Mark?

-This is not the sort of thing I normally go for, I have to say.

-It's got no price on it.

-That piece could go today for somewhere in the region of £30.

Could I make you a sneaky offer?

-I'm all ears!

-Can we get anywhere near 15?

If we could go 18, you've got a deal.

-16.

-17.

-You naughty man! Go on, you've done it.

-Right, Mark. Thank you.

Inspired or just plain bonkers?

I mean, how will a Robert Dudley charger go down in Scotland?

Now, that looks familiar!

I'm thinking that I should probably stay away from terrestrial globes!

Well, the jury's still out on yesterday's purchase.

Five minutes later, but who should find himself in that part of the shop but Mark Stacey?

I think that's lovely.

I think this is really nice. It's a piece of 1950s or '60s furniture.

You've got this very typical shape here.

But I love globes and I'm fascinated by globes anyway.

And I just think that's really nice.

There we are, look. There's Glasgow. I'm really getting into this '50s and '60s stuff now,

because it's what the youngsters want, and you can mix and match it in with the old and the new.

And it actually creates a home which looks like it's been through the generations.

It's marked up at the moment at £38,

which in my part of the world, Brighton, would be terribly cheap.

I certainly wouldn't have that on it in my shop!

But whether of course the good bidders of Scotland are ready for the '50s revolution again,

I'm not sure.

-David, I absolutely love this. I'm laying my cards on the table.

-Okey-dokey.

I want to hold the world in my hands.

-Don't we all?

-And this is my chance of doing it.

I don't think you can move much from £38, to be honest with you.

But there is a price I'd like to pay in my mind.

I'd love, honestly, to pay £25 for it.

I think at £25, you've got a chance of making something on it,

-and I think we've got a deal there at £25.

-David, thank you so much.

Mark has four items so far for a whisker under £100.

-The world in your hands.

-Thank you very much, David.

But Anita after yesterday's splurge has yet to spend a shilling.

This is a fairly modern whatnot.

But it's rather a nice shape with these three tiers.

Actually less of a whatnot, more of a reproduction three-tier dumb waiter,

based on a Georgian model first made in the 1760s.

I like the three tiers and I also like the little metal claw feet.

Might have a go at that.

But will David budge from his £30 asking price?

Thinking auction value on it. You don't know if it's going to get £10,

-you don't know if it's going to get £40.

-Very much so.

-I can do that in the region of £20.

-Right.

I think that...

-Oh, Lordy!

-There we go.

-I think that's needing glued.

-It's needing glued back together.

-That should halve the value!

-I'll do that at £10 to you and you put that in the auction.

Crikey, it worked! I must try that.

I mean, I know this is really the naughtiest thing in the world,

but could you come down to a fiver?

-We'll split the difference. We'll do 7.50.

-7.50?

And we've got a deal. And if you can't make £15 on that...

-If I can't make £15 on that...

-It's time to chuck it!

-It's time to chuck it!

Thanks very much.

-Where's Mark Stacey?

-TOOT!

Am I keeping you waiting, darling? I've just got all the bargains.

-Are you happy, darling?

-I'm ecstatically happy, Anita.

So, darlings, with a potential bargain safely in the boot, Anita is now in the driving seat.

I love this big steering wheel. I think it's great, it's wonderful.

It's like driving a huge, big car!

You look like the flower of Scotland...or is it an old thistle?

From Balfron our trippers head north to Aberfoyle where they might do just a little more shopping.

Aberfoyle is in the heart of the Trossachs, and has several tales to boast of,

and most of them involve trees. The local minister, Reverend Robert Kirk,

used to write books about fairies, as you do.

Legend had it that he fell out with them and they trapped his spirit in a tree.

Not this one, though! That's where Rob Roy once hid from the law, allegedly.

Aberfoyle is also famous for its ice cream and Mark and Anita simply can't resist.

Delicious ice cream, Anita.

Listen, I'm going to do you a favour. As you need to get shopping,

I'll relieve you of that and finish it for you. Off you go!

Anita wants to buy still more and knows of a place nearby,

while Mark chooses to shop locally with both ice creams.

And who should he bump into but that nice Jimmy Gauld from Killin!

We're just in to do some more shopping because you were so mean to us!

-Well, naturally, I'm an Aberdonian!

-We had to get some bargains.

-I'm an Aberdonian!

-I'll never go to Aberdeen.

-Thank God for that!

Nice to see you!

Anita, however, doesn't head straight for the next shop.

She takes a quick diversion into Scotland's industrial past instead...

..making her way from Aberfoyle over to Dumbarton near Glasgow.

This is the River Clyde, sunny and a bit sleepy today,

but once one of the world's major shipbuilding areas.

Great ships like the Lusitania...

..the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth were built here.

And the Scottish Maritime Museum is based on the site of William Denny and Bothers,

a famous name in shipbuilding since 1840.

This here is the model of the Cutty Sark.

-And this was the fastest tea clipper in the world?

-Indeed, yes.

-And one of the most famous ships in the world.

-Of course.

Built here in Dumbarton.

But Denny's were a go-ahead company who soon introduced science into shipbuilding,

and here in Dumbarton they created one of the world's first experimental testing tanks.

And what does it do?

Well, what happened was when Denny's won an order to build a new ship, the order would come here first.

And the drawing office upstairs would then produce a drawing of a scale model of the ship's hull.

The innovative design of Denny's tank

meant that those little scale models could be tested under the conditions

that real ships would encounter at sea, and the idea was soon copied elsewhere in Britain

and around the world.

I heard a wee story that this was called the mother tank,

and when they built other tanks of this type they would take a cup of water from the tank.

-Is that true or is it just a myth?

-That is true.

-So that's holy water?

-Yes, more or less, yes!

Now that she's done in Dumbarton, Anita must make her way to her final shopping date in Callander,

gateway to the Highlands.

Callander, which became famous during the 1960s as the setting

for fictional Tannochbrae of Dr Finlay's Casebook fame,

is also notable as the birthplace of Helen Duncan,

Britain's last convicted witch in 1944.

Well, I never did!

All that and Lady Kentmores, an antique shop.

-Hi, George, lovely to meet you again.

-How are you doing?

-I'm well.

George's shop is one of Anita's road-trip favourites, full of quirks and curiosities.

It's the sort of place where Crown Derby can happily nestle up against a jukebox or a slot machine.

-Have you got 5 pence, George?

-I'll give you 5 pence. I know what a gambler you are!

I'm going to try my luck, George.

-Am I going to win?

-It's like Vegas!

Oh, this is great fun!

Many have compared antiques dealing to gambling, but I don't know how many of them are good at both.

I've got 20 pence back!

Yes!

-You can now buy something now you're rich!

-All right! What have you got for 20 pence?

Well, first pay him back his 5p!

In amongst the porcelain in this cabinet,

there's certainly a couple of very unusual and collectable items.

Are these eyes old eyes?

A pair of blue eyes from the 1940s.

What happened at the beginning of World War II,

the Spitfires and everything, the pilots got a lot of eye injuries,

and Churchill found out about this.

And he summoned the tops ones on the medical side of the Army in and said, "We need to fix this!"

These eyes are ceramic, all hand-painted with the eyes,

and they used to take a day to do each one.

I mean, they are absolutely gruesome.

But beautifully done.

Mark is still browsing in Aberfoyle. Slate used to be mined hereabouts,

and Mark has found something made from the rock in the James Rae antique shop.

This is a very nice late-19th century slate mantel clock.

This is all slate which has been engraved and then gilded.

I think they're very elegant but they don't actually, funnily enough, sell that well at auction.

But they look wonderful. I'd love one of these in my house,

because it's very imposing and I'm sure it tells the time very nicely.

Meanwhile in Callander Anita is also looking at a clock.

What attracted me to this one

is the shape.

-Mm-hm.

-I like the shape.

And it has a little Arts and Crafts look about it.

The Arts and Crafts movement flourished with William Morris

in the third quarter of the 19th century, and the philosophy soon spread to Scotland,

especially Glasgow, where it was adopted enthusiastically in both architecture and design.

A conservative estimate on that, I would say, would be £20-30.

Yeah, I think eventually that would finish up about 45-50.

If you was wanting this, we could probably do something around about the 30, which would be...

Round about the 30s? How about 22 on it?

-25 and it's yours.

-I'm tempted to say, "Let's halve it and go 23."

-That's not half.

-Oh, no!

Arithmetic!

-OK, what about 24?

-24 and you've got a deal.

Oh, you're a darling!

Mmm...enough of that! Anita now with five items to declare must head for a date

with Mark at the lake at Menteith, Scotland's only lake.

It apparently got its name because the local baron was a traitor to the English.

Do you know, Anita? No wonder I'm so tired.

-You're sitting down and I'm always fetching and carrying!

-Well, I like a man to run after me!

-Cheers, darling.

-Cheers.

-First up, Anita's Strathearn vase.

-I love the colours.

-The colours...

-The swirls.

I think that there's a lot of movement in this piece and I quite like it.

Well, I just hope there's a lot of movement in the price. What did you pay for it?

-I paid £20.

-Well, that's a bit cheap, isn't it?

Show me your first one.

I just thought if there was a buyer in the saleroom who had quite a sort of baronial entrance space

or fireplace, that would look lovely hanging up.

-It's not great quality, but it's quite impressive.

-I like this.

It has the look and I love the detail in the border.

-How much did you pay for it?

-You won't laugh, will you?

-I might.

-£17.

It's a thing which will appeal to the Scottish rural buyers.

-Now, the biscuit tin that doubles as a globe.

-Oh, how lovely!

And it was made for Crawford's Biscuits.

-Lovely.

-It was made in 1938.

-Fabulous.

And it was made by Chad Valley, so we have several good elements there.

There is also an example of this little biscuit tin

in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Gosh, Anita, you are bigging this up!

-How much did you pay?

-I paid £50!

It's a corker. I'll tell you what, I really, really like it, Anita.

And after Anita's corker, Mark's barrel.

I like the fact that the coloration is quite good and the detailing is quite good.

-I think it's the type of thing that will look very nice in a country cottage.

-Well, I thought...

Or a wee croft.

-How much?

-35.

Well, I know, it's not... you might make it back.

-I might.

-And you might make a wee profit.

-But then again I might make a wee loss.

-Yes.

Next, the imitation Tiffany vase.

It's fairly insignificant, but it is rather pretty.

-But I hope you didn't pay a lot for that.

-No, I paid a fiver for it.

-Well...

-I know.

-It might get £1.

-Or it might get £20, you just don't know.

-Now, my third item, Anita...

-Oh, right.

-It's a sample panel.

Now, when I looked at it, of course, the first thing that struck me was the frame.

Because it's very decorative with all the graining on it.

And again I thought if somebody wanted something for a long alcove or a hallway or a small room,

-that would actually look quite appealing up on the wall.

-Yeah.

-Uh-huh.

-You don't like it, do you?

I guess in the end it depends on the price that you paid for it.

-£20.

-I think that for £20, they will overlook the fact that the frame is not contemporary

with the panel, that the moulding is split,

and that it's absolutely...wrong!

But for £20, I would have bought it for £20.

Go on, say what you really think, Anita!

Now for the wonky dumb waiter.

-Do you like it?

-No.

I don't!

-Well, what I was doing... There was a psychology behind the buying of this item.

-Right.

-It's modern. We know that it's within the last 20 years...

-Oh, is it(?)

Yeah... We know that it's within the last...

ten years. We know that it might be in the last... Stop laughing!

Five years! You haven't seen the best of it yet!

It was a wee bit shoogly-woogly.

Well, I was just going to say to you, Anita, I love Italy,

and I've been to the Leaning Tower of Pisa,

but I've never seen the leaning dumb waiter before!

Has it had a wee drink?

-I put a wee bit of sticky tape on it.

-Well, at least that's added value!

-It's in quite good condition, although it's wibbly-wobbly.

-Shiggly-wiggly,

-or whatever it is you say!

-£7.50! I've got to make a couple of quid on that.

-Absolutely!

-This is my favourite item.

-Yes.

-It's in the art nouveau style.

There's a little bit of detail on the carving here,

but what I think I like most of it is this shape.

I completely agree with you about the tendency towards the art nouveau.

It's not quite there, because the leaves are too formalised,

they're not quite organic enough, as you know.

-Was it expensive?

-£24.

-I think that's a very reasonable buy, Anita.

-I think there's a profit in that.

-I think there's a chance.

-I think there's a very good profit in there.

Oh, I love that!

Finally, Mark's globe.

Well, I like that one a lot better than the one that I bought.

-Well, I paid for this one...

-Uh-huh?

-25.

-That's not bad.

I raise my glass to you.

-Thank you so much for being so entertaining.

-We've had a lovely couple of days.

And here's to the rest of the trip.

All very jovial, but what do they really think?

His big embroidery... well, it's kind of OK, but I think the frame spoils it.

She was start staring bonkers when she bought the wibbly-wobbly brand-new dumb waiter.

I think that Mark might win this stage.

I think I'll have to be very, very lucky or make a very big profit on one thing to beat Mark.

I think I deserve to come out marginally on top.

Anita, though, at the saleroom, might well just have that clan spirit amongst the Scots!

And they might just beat me.

After starting out all the way back in Aberfeldy,

this leg of our bargain battle concludes in Dunblane...

MOO!

..here, at the auctioneer's, Robertsons of Kinbuck.

-OK, Mark, here we are.

-Oh, it's exciting, isn't it, Anita?

-The saleroom! All this hard work over the last few days.

-I know. Are you worried?

-Very worried.

-Come on, I'll hold your hand.

Lead me into the saleroom, Anita!

So, as the would-be bidders begin their inspection...

MIAOW!

Hey, watch out for the China, pussy!

-..Auctioneer Bob Robertson has his own thoughts.

-Thank you.

The biscuit barrel, that's by Chad. Chad predominantly made

tinplate toys and whatever, so quite unusual to see a biscuit barrel made as such.

Robert Dudley plaque. Quite unusual. Nice. And I reckon that might make the most this evening.

With the hammer about to fall, Mark has spent £97 on four lots.

Very pleased with it.

And Anita, £106.50 on five.

Thanks very much!

Let the auction begin!

Who's going to win?

-Well, of course you know the answer to that.

-You?

-Of course!

First up, Mark's late-Victorian, lidded pokerwork barrel

with those Tudor roses.

-Oh, here it is, Anita.

-Good luck!

£30. £30 opening.

30 bid. 35. 40.

-Oh, my!

-You're away!

-At £40 only. Come on, a wee bit more.

-A wee bit more.

-Please, one more.

-£40. All out now at £40.

At 40. Selling at £40.

Oh, I need some air.

We've got a long way to go.

Phew! A modest £5 profit, less commission.

But out of jail for Mr Stacey, eh?

-£40, that's not too bad, actually.

-It's good.

Now it's the turn of Anita's little biscuit globe

and the quest to get her money back.

50? 45? £40 only.

-Start the bidding. 35. £35. This is a collector's item.

-Anita, behave!

35! We need your bids, come on!

-Stop it!

-We need your bids for this woman.

-Stop encouraging him!

Come on! She's against that rascal next to her.

We've got to help the poor woman out!

No, you don't have to help her out.

£35. 30 only?

£35 only.

40. Come on, a wee bit more!

-45. £45.

-Oh, come on!

£45.

-Well done, well done.

-Well, I can't believe that! It's shocking!

Shocking display of nationalism!

So Anita loses £5 less commission, but it could have been much worse.

-Smile at him.

-I won't even look at him after that!

Now for Anita's jack-in-the-pulpit vase.

£15. Go on! That lassie's jumping about in her seat again!

A tenner.

-£10. Bid at 10.

-Oh, my God, I can't believe it!

-At 10.

-Come on!

-At 10.

At 10. 12. 14. 16 I'm bid. 18?

18. £20.

22? 22. All done now at £22.

Yes!

First blood to the lassie. A nice profit of £17.

I might as well give up now. There's no point in me sitting here.

Oh, don't do that, Mark,

just as your favourite purchase goes under the hammer.

£60?

£60? 55? 50.

£40. Start the bidding now at £40.

£40. 30 bid. That's 30. 35 at the back. 35.

40. 40 bid only. 45.

50? Come on, a wee bit more.

-Come on!

-50. 55. 60.

65? Come on, a wee bit more.

I'm doing your trick here!

-All done now.

-Come on, it's worth more than that.

He's shouting! Come on!

I need some help here.

65. 70.

Thank you, sir. I'm getting the hang of this!

Sold! Give him a round of applause, guys!

Thank you, thank you.

There's one happy chappy, and so he should be,

with a whopping £45 of profit, less commission.

-That's a good price.

-Are you happy, darling?

-I'm happier now, yeah.

Now for Anita's Arts and Crafts clock.

I have a 75. Any advance on 75?

£75. Any advance on 75?

£75 only.

80. 85.

£90. £90 I'm bid.

At 90. At £90. All out on £90. Selling now at £90.

Yes!

£66 profit and Anita, it seems, is on a roll.

Anita, it was a nice clock, I admit that, it was your best buy.

Watch out, Scotland! Here's Robert Dudley.

The auctioneer thought the plaque was the best item.

Well, he's clearly wrong because the clock was the best item.

-You've maybe...

-It's not going to make £90, let's be honest.

The first Governor of the Netherlands. 150, 120, £100?

£100 on it. Bid.

Any advance on 100?

At £100. 100. Any advance on 100?

Come on, guys, we're needing a bit. Lady's getting rather excited there.

£100.

At 100. Any advance on 100? At 100.

Well done!

From £17 to a ton. Beat that, smiler!

-Was that a wee smile on your face?

-A wee smile.

Now for Anita's Scottish glassware.

£50. 45 to start.

£45 to start the bidding.

30 bid.

35. 40. 40 bid. 45.

50. 50 bid.

At 50. Any advance on 50? At £50.

-Come on, boys, a wee bit more.

-That's it.

All done now at £50.

Not bad, Anita, for a £20 outlay.

That is a very good price.

-And I am very happy.

-I'm very happy you're happy!

And he'll be even happier if the embroidery does well.

-£60?

-Come on.

-45, then?

30 to go.

-We've got 30, so...

-35. 40.

40 only. 40.

45. 50.

At £50. Come on. £50. Somebody needs to...

-Come on!

-It's getting you £50.

-55.

55. Another wee bid.

-You want it, madam!

-60.

At 60. Any advance on 60?

£60. The last time at £60. Yes, no? Here, then.

Ah, yes!

-You happy?

-I'm happy with that.

-And I do believe he is!

It's reasonably good.

It's blooming great!

Now, we hold on tight for that dumb waiter.

-A lovely object, lovely!

-50. 50 I'll start it.

-Start it at £50.

-It's not worth 50.

-40.

Start at £30. Bid me, come on! £30.

At £30. 35. £35, any advance on 35?

35. I can go 36. £36?

36. 38?

At 38. Any advance on 38? £38.

-Well done, Anita.

-38, good, good.

-Good, good.

-38 was a good price for what you paid for it, in fairness.

Very good indeed for an item costing all of £7.50.

I think you're right.

It was worth 38.

So it's pretty much neck and neck after round 1 with Mark's nose just in front.

Maybe Scotland could turn out to be bonnie for him after all.

Mark began with £200,

and made £124.40 profit after auction costs,

leaving him £324.40.

While Anita, who also started out with £200,

made £94.40 after auction costs.

So she now has £294.40 to spend tomorrow.

-We've made substantial profits, Anita.

-I so enjoyed that.

-Are you pleased?

-Oh, I'm ecstatic!

-Is it my round?

I think you've made more money, so it's your round!

That's what I like to hear! Long may it continue!

Join us tomorrow on Antiques Road Trip to see Mark catch sight of a bargain.

That's a beautiful thing! Oh, I'm looking in the mirror. That's me!

Huh! Anita models a brand-new look.

Do I look like a standard lamp?

But will Mark be in her shade at the auction?

I don't think I could even look at these!

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