Episode 22 Antiques Road Trip

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The nation's favourite antiques experts, £200 each

and one big challenge!

I'm going to declare war!

Why?

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

Nothing in here.

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!

So, will they race off with a huge profit

or come to a grinding halt?

I'm terribly nervous.

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

This week, we're out and about with the suave, laid-back James Braxton.

Very nice action on these cobbles.

And the naughty Jonathan Pratt.

You've got the fun piece of him with his pants down!

But James has to keep young Jonathan in check.

Neigh!

I see you have time to play!

James is always a winner with the ladies.

Too much for you, I'm afraid.

Are they? How do you know?

And Jonathan gets in a spin!

Crikey, we're going quite fast!

Oh, yeah.

With a shaky start...

Honestly, there's nothing in here for me.

..Jonathan proved triumphant.

I'll take that for £15.

If it gets through the viewing process, you've got a profit, mate!

Being sold at 100.

Get in there!

James Braxton, however, employed a full-on charm offensive.

£29.

£29 and no other small change?

I've heard the sob story before from other people.

-But you do it so nicely!

-That's really kind of you. Thank you very much.

Although he didn't win, his World War I medals made a tidy profit.

At 90. All quietened, then.

Jonathan means business

with a healthy sum of £331.50.

I'm going to be up there against him, taking full advantage.

Mr Smug, or what?

From his original £200, James now has £270.60 to play with.

The chaps have James's pride and joy,

the 1952 MG.

It looks as if she's firing on all cylinders - at the moment!

This week, James and Jonathan will travel over 300 miles

to the enchanting climes of Lostwithiel in Cornwall.

On today's show, they'll make their way to auction number two

in Birmingham.

The first destination is the ancient town of Leek in Staffordshire.

Leek is hailed as the Queen of the Moorlands.

The Pennines are on the doorstep of the town.

Once a booming silk town,

there are strong connections with the Arts and Crafts movement.

William Morris studied printing techniques here in the late 1800s.

-Here we are.

-Here we are.

-Nice shop front.

A lovely gilt swag above the door. Bit of a swag like you!

-Good morning, gentlemen.

-Hello!

-Welcome to the House of Antiques.

-Thank you.

-There are two floors.

-Yep.

-Is there a basement?

-Not that we know of, no!

-No basement.

-I don't mind starting upstairs.

-OK.

-I'll go upstairs.

-You go upstairs.

-I'll head off and leave you to it, OK?

-Yeah.

Looks like the basement tactic is ruled out here, Jonathan.

Upstairs for you, young man.

They're nice. How much are those?

Too much for you, I'm afraid.

How do you know?

-They're fire irons, or implement rests.

-225.

Put them down, Jenny. Put them down.

I don't enjoy taking a price from £100 down to 40.

Everyone can do that.

I want to find something I can make money out of without having to haggle too much.

Come on, Jonathan, get real! Surely that's what buying antiques is all about!

There's a bit of Tunbridge ware down there. Can I see that?

-I'm not mad about brushes.

-No, I'm not, either.

My speciality is Tunbridge ware.

It's perspective cube. Quite sweet.

I like that. I'll pop it down there.

This is a cabinet full of pottery

and it has a look of pottery about it, which is this little tray.

The decoration on it is very much 18th century.

Little cattle and sheep. A shepherd with a riverscape behind

and some buildings.

When you pick it up, you realise how cold it is. It's on a metal base and it's a bit of enamel.

It's a novelty item, it's a nice item

and it's very difficult to quantify the value of it.

It's a good collectors' type thing.

What would you let me have it for?

I could sell that for £70.

I think it's the sort of thing that might interest private people.

I will...

Should I... Shall I make it a fiver less?

Oh, crikey!

Think I should do that?

I'm never going to be one for turning down an extra fiver!

Hey, what's going on, Jonathan?

Surely you're the one that's meant to do the haggling!

Any more in your little treasure trove here?

Right. How about that?

-A nice bit of coral and it's a christening set.

-That's lovely.

You've got a little necklace.

-Yep.

-And then a bracelet.

What I like about this coral is the colour.

It's a nice bit. I like that.

Yippy-doo.

The popularity of christening gifts really kicked off with the Victorians.

A tradition that's still going strong today.

-He's broken, so...

-Is he?

-Yeah.

-"Paul Pry". Who was Paul Pry?

-He was an actor.

OK. Oh!

What's the significance of him having his pants down?

I understand that he was an actor who played the part of a buffoon.

I like the novelty factor.

I'm not a pot man, really.

You don't say, Jonathan(!)

This Staffordshire pepper pot is a novel choice.

Early 19th century, slip moulded. And the fun piece of him with his pants down!

-What would you do for that?

-25.

I love it. I like it. I like it a lot!

I like it a lot. You're talking my money. There we go.

James will be jealous!

Hmm. Still not haggling, Jonathan?

-Right. What have we got next?

-How about those?

-Ooh! They're nice, aren't they?

-Yes.

A pair of glove stretchers from Canton.

The carving is absolutely stunning.

You've got loads of little people and trees, and on this side,

-you've got the little cartouche that's been left blank.

-Terrific.

They're very nice.

So gloves, natural things, made of kid, whatever thing,

and when you get them wet, they shrink.

So when they're damp, when you bring them home,

as they dry out, you stretch them.

So you bring them back to their former size.

Ah, glove stretchers.

Just what you need in this day and age(!)

-Jenny, I'm going to make you a cheeky offer.

-Right.

-£50 for the three.

-60 and you have a deal.

60 and I have a deal? I'm very happy to accept. Thank you.

Neigh!

Jonathan, I see you have time to play.

I take a moment at home normally

and make sure I have a play on the rocking horse!

Oh, stop horsing around, you two!

-Did it please you not, then?

-I'm not just pleased, I'm delighted!

-Really?

Well, you've certainly made some interesting choices. Let's get a move on!

Just under 50 miles away, Jonathan is journeying south

to the town of Willenhall in the Black Country area of the West Midlands.

I have come here to Willenhall, to The Lock museum

to learn about locks.

Lock-making began in the area during Elizabethan times.

It started as a cottage industry and at its height

there were over 340 back-yard businesses in the area.

Number 54, New Road, Willenhall

was once home to the Hodson family

and now opens its doors to the general public.

The family were renowned for lock-making and produced all sorts of padlocks and keys

that would be sold locally and as far away as South America.

Willenhall is also known as Humpshire.

The locksmiths would develop humps in their backs

due to the long hours being spent over their work.

Resident locksmith Andy Middlebrook isn't humpy, but has a rather unexpected treat for our Jonathan.

-How do you do?

-Wow!

Welcome to the Hodsons' workshops.

-How long have you been doing this?

-I've been here about 25 years

and I help out with demonstrations when they have open days and holidays.

-Keeps you fit!

-It keeps you fit, yeah.

What are you making on here?

We're making the bar for the bar padlock.

-That was the Hodsons' main type of lock that they made.

-OK.

I can show you there, it's great for locking double doors, single doors.

You can drill a hole in the wall and slide the bar into that and snap things into position.

If you take the key, drop the key in,

and when you unlock the bolt, it throws the bolt across,

lifts the shackle out of the way

and you slide the whole bar out.

It's like a lockable bolt.

I could do with one of those for home!

Would you like to have a go, Jonathan?

-Come round the barrier.

-I'll take this off.

Yes, one's stripy sports jacket is not suitable for this type of work, methinks!

-Like a pump on the bellows?

-Why not?

In for a penny, in for a pound!

-You've got to start as the apprentice!

-OK.

Start with a point. Start losing it.

Right. Come on, give it some welly! Put your back into it, man!

-I just keep going?

-Keep going. Put a pair of goggles on.

-Right.

-Look the part now, do I?

-You're getting there!

We'll move you on to forging the end of the bar.

Bring it round to your anvil.

-Tilt it up very slightly.

-I'm hitting the point, am I?

Crikey, this is a bit different to hammering the gavel at auction, Jonathan!

-Work your way along to the edge of the anvil.

-This looks rubbish!

-The more you do, the better it gets.

-OK.

I wouldn't give up the day job if I were you!

Put it in further, this time. I'll quench it down.

-Do you want to put the bend in?

-Yeah, why not?

A couple of inches where we want it to bend.

-This is like The Generation Game!

-Yes. So if you come round this side.

-I'll drop it in and you grab hold of the end I'm holding.

-Right, OK.

Then just evenly, flatly bring it round.

-Off you go. Keep going while it's still off.

-OK.

-Down a bit.

-I see.

-Yes, yes, yes. Touch it to there.

-OK.

-Look at that.

-There you go.

Your first bar padlock bar.

Fantastic!

I'm so proud of you, Jonathan!

Pumping bellows, banging a hammer.

Bending iron. Whatever next?

-What's this big old thing?

-It's our floor press.

A press tool, so it actually punches out the shape of the...

Straight out of the metal.

It makes the front and back plate for the bar padlock.

So we're then moving on to your bar

to make the bar padlock.

-You drill through there and it fixes inside?

-It fits on a rim, yeah.

-OK. This is one real beast, isn't it?

-Would you like to operate it?

Because we can.

-One, two, three.

-Right. Crikey, we're going quite fast here!

-That's it.

-Was that it?

-Yeah, that was it.

-Blimey.

-So wind him back up again.

Because it's mounted on a block of sandstone,

the component that we've just pressed

drops through... There's the one we've just done.

Then we have to tap the metal through again.

And we're on for the next one.

-That's why this was called Humpshire!

-Yes, exactly.

-You'd be like this a lot of the time.

You'd spend 40 years standing at a vice that's the wrong height

-and it ruins your actual stature.

-I'm getting a bad back thinking about it!

While Jonathan has a quick lie-down,

where's that Mr Braxton?

He's a perfect candidate for banging a hammer and getting his hands dirty.

Not! He's shopping in Leek, hoping to get more items in the old bag.

-Hello.

-Hi, James. Julian. Pleased to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

What a great mix!

It's your first male shop owner, James.

Will you still weave your magic?

Can I have a little sniff around everywhere?

-"Sold."

-Yes, this morning.

-Put it down, James.

-Sorry.

-Put it down. It's nice, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Where's that come from?

Just a local sale.

A stuffed chicken! What a weird thing to do!

-I thought the hands were nicely done.

-Very nicely done, isn't it?

-Some good whiskers on him.

-Yes.

Never mind the whiskers! Have you seen anything you want to buy?

We're still waiting for the frame.

-Have you got a frame?

-No, I'm still waiting for it.

And is this cheap, Julian?

60.

It's an Italian landscape.

It's got no figurative interest, which is a minus.

It's got rather bizarre silver birch trees in it.

You'd expect to have cypresses, which are long, elegant conifers.

For those of you who don't speak Braxton,

he means cypress trees.

Does he give a location for it?

Yep. My Italian's not hot, though.

1958.

-Had it had cypresses in -

-you mean cypress -

I think it might have been more of a goer.

I've already bought three items.

This would be a fourth.

Quality problem. Lots of choice.

Ah, Julian. I'm undecided. I like that picture downstairs.

-My only conundrum, had it had cypresses -

-Oh, I give up! -

-are you open tomorrow?

-I am.

-You are.

-I will come and see you tomorrow. Either way I'll phone you.

-No problem.

-Very kind. Very nice to see you.

-Thank you.

-OK. Bye!

-Bye.

Looks like James needs more time to think.

Anyway, better get an early night.

Tomorrow there's an antiques fair in the centre of Leek.

And the early bird catches the best antiques, don't you know!

And the boys are up at the crack of dawn.

There's antiques to hunt down in Leek market square.

So far, James has spent £60 on three lots.

The Tunbridge ware box,

the matching coral jewellery

and the wooden glove stretchers.

Leaving £210.60 for the day ahead.

Jonathan, on the other hand, has a big wodge of cash

and has decided not to haggle.

He's spent 90 whole pounds on two lots.

The Paul Pry pepper pot

and the Bilston enamel pin tray.

He has a delightful £241.50 to spend as he wishes.

Giddy up, let's get stuck in, boys.

Let's go down here and see what he's got.

This is uranium.

If you put a Geiger counter to it, it would go "bzzzz"!

They used a bit of uranium for the orange glaze.

That will be radioactive for ever!

I won't sleep with it!

I once found a little fob in the bottom of a box

which was worth £200.

And it wasn't even made of gold.

It had a calendar on it.

It was rattling round in something like this. Always worth looking.

All you need is one object.

How about your Art Deco lady on the onyx?

80 quid.

-I think it's been re-attached.

-Has it?

It's quite a Lorenzl look to it.

On the outset, it looks a bit clumsy.

but it has got a bit of definition to it.

It's just been battered a bit. Hasn't been looked after.

It's been abused a bit.

I think it is bronze. It's got the weight there.

It's silvered bronze.

Silver is very much a Deco colour,

associated with the motor car, the train. Everything was chromed.

I like the white onyx.

Green onyx or brown onyx would have killed this.

Can I squeeze you a lot?

You can squeeze me down to 60 quid.

Would you do it for 45?

-OK.

-45, OK.

It's worth a punt. I think it's a lovely item.

Thank you. Very kind.

That's rather fun.

You look at it and wonder what on earth it is. Very unusual shape.

Looks like silver, but the marks say EP, electroplate.

It's a little cigar lighter.

The only thing I can say that gives away its age

is this spiral fluting, which would be early part of the Victorian period.

1840s or '50s, something like that.

The little flame in the top so you'd pass it around and light the cigars.

It's sadly not in great condition. A bit of Blu-tac as a form of restoration!

And little ones all the way round the outside as well.

It's sweet. On little ball feet.

-What's the best price on it?

-20.

-£20.

I mean, £20. I don't think I'd lose any money on it.

What do I do? What do I do?

Well, you could try getting a cheaper price!

I'll take it.

Yeah. Go on.

-It makes my day a little easier.

-Thank you.

-If I take that.

Oh, dear, Jonathan.

Three items bought so far, and still no haggling.

James has just heard that the Italian landscape is now framed.

Will this be his fifth item?

I'm going to the shop now

to see this frame Julian's found for the picture.

If it really works with the Italian landscape,

I'll go for it. I want to try and buy it for as near as £20.

Hi, Julian, again.

What's this about a picture being framed?

I found a frame. I remembered I'd got a frame at home

that fitted.

-That's better, isn't it?

-It lifts it up, doesn't it?

It does. It really lifts it. I like it.

Um, er, hmm.

Nutty problem of price.

-£20.

-No, I couldn't.

I was thinking last night, how should I phrase this?

Any chance?

Uh...

What sort of price are you looking at?

-Sorry?

-What sort of area are you looking at?

£20!

Yeah.

With it framed, I can knock it out at about 40.

If that would help.

I'm very happy. Can we strike middle ground here?

What about 30?

Don't think about it, shake on it!

Thank you. Thank you. That's lovely.

There you go, Jonathan. You should take notes from James. That's his fifth item in the bag.

Hello, James.

You're looking very relaxed. All over, is it?

Yes, you know. Nearly there. Ooh, crikey!

You're not supposed to comment!

-Felt it sag in the middle there! How are you doing? Finished?

-I am finished.

I've finished here now and I'm moving off to a couple more shops.

-Got money in your pocket?

-I have a lot of money still.

-I'm going to sit back. I've done my work.

-Enjoy it. Have a coffee.

Get on. Get on.

I'll carry on rocking.

Very nice action on these cobbles.

Come on, you old rocker! You've got an appointment to keep.

James is waving goodbye to his beloved Leek

and heads off 40 miles south to the cathedral city of Lichfield, Staffordshire.

James is on his way to the home of Charles Darwin's grandfather, Erasmus.

A widely-respected physician, inventor and naturalist of the 18th century.

Tony Nevin is an author and expert on the life and works of this great man.

-Hello, Tony.

-Nice to see you.

-Very nice to see you.

Why are we in this garden?

I thought we'd start here because Erasmus Darwin was a fantastic doctor.

This is his herb garden, which we've just recreated.

He was also, of course, a tremendous scientist

-and so plants were very important to him.

-Yes.

So botany is the route of medicine, is it, or not?

It was, and still is, of course,

because most of the things we treat people with today are synthesised forms of these floral remedies.

So this is the early start of Darwin.

His profession was GP, but he was obviously a very curious man.

I think he was immensely curious.

A terrific polymath and one of the great thinkers of the mid-18th century.

Anyway, take me further.

Let's go.

Erasmus was a key thinker of the Midlands Enlightenment,

and helped found the Lunar Society of Birmingham,

the intellectual power house of the Industrial Revolution.

A master inventor, he developed ideas that we still use today.

-Tony, what's this room? Take me in.

-Now we're entering the parlour

which we've done out in 1770 and so on.

We've thought about Darwin as the great medic. Now let's think about him as the great inventor.

-Another guise for the man.

-Absolutely.

-He really was formidable.

-And what's this?

This is his design for a canal barge lift.

"Let a wooden box be constructed

"so as to receive a loaded boat."

It wasn't made in his time,

but the Anderton lift, which was later made towards the end of the century,

is absolutely just as his was.

-How interesting.

-He had a wonderful mind.

If you thumb through this commonplace book

the ideas pour out.

-There's a flushing toilet.

-I thought that was Thomas Crapper!

-That's a later one, I suspect!

-A later one.

I don't know. It's in there, a genuine flushing toilet.

Erasmus had a great friendship with pottery entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood.

And this intellectual bonding made for some startling discoveries.

-So, may I introduce you, James, to Dr Darwin?

-A-ha, here he is.

I had a picture of him being a lot larger. He seems slimmer!

Well...

I don't think I can answer that!

That's how he was made, bless him.

And that, of course, is Josiah Wedgwood, his great friend.

The families intermarried and so on.

He was the great entrepreneur, the great pottery entrepreneur.

Amazing. Amazing man.

And they worked together. What we've tried to do here is show something of this.

Because those fossils represent fossils that Wedgwood sent to Darwin

which he found in the Harecastle Tunnel when they were making the Grand Union canal.

So he said, "What are marine fossils doing in the middle of England?"

-Ah!

-Very naturally, and in different layers,

from, say, mammoths' tusks or mammoths' teeth.

So classic things. Building new infrastructure for a new age

for the beginning of the industrial age

and it unravels all these keys for which Darwin starts unlocking evolution.

Generally, we associate the theory of evolution with Charles Darwin.

But it was actually 60 years earlier

that his grandfather, Erasmus,

created one of the first formal theories on evolution.

Fascinating. It's lovely to see Darwin keeping such good friends.

Absolutely.

After James's afternoon of enlightenment,

Jonathan has his head in the clouds,

27 miles away in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

This time around, he's definitely been a stranger to a bit of haggling.

So let's see what he gets up to in Ashbourne Antique Centre.

-Hello, there.

-Hello.

-Nice to meet you.

-Jonathan Pratt.

-Hello, Barbara Aycott.

-One floor?

-Yes.

-OK.

-A mixture of things.

-We've got a lot of different items.

Different dealers as well.

That little bottle. Is it a silver case, or just a plated case?

It's a plated case.

-No, it's a silver case, but the bottle's cracked.

-Oh, is it?

-Yes.

-Yes, it's cracked.

-With a lovely coronet on the top.

-Gorgeous.

-It's not English, is it?

-No. But it's an English label on the bottle.

But it actually comes with it.

Continental 800. Probably German.

-How much is that?

-40.

Now I'm thinking.

I really like that. I like the colour of the glass and the stopper with the crown.

It would be great if it was English and not cracked!

-Do you know what, I'll take that.

-OK. Thank you.

I like that. It's really pretty.

Crikey, Jonathan!

A damaged pepper pot, a cracked bottle and no haggling!

Let's see how you get on in the last shop of the day.

-Jonathan Pratt.

-Hello!

-Mind if I look around?

-Not at all. Please do.

-Thanks.

Manion Antiques is just across the road. Go on, Jonathan,

I dare you to have a haggle with shop owner Vivien.

A blue transfer-decorated porcelain cup from the 19th century.

Very pretty decoration on it with one or two minor chips.

A nicely-moulded handle, which is attached still, always a bonus!

And it's got a glass bottom.

But there is one little thing. There's a hairline crack.

You can hear it.

DULL ECHO

Running just down there.

It affects the price. OK.

I'm adjusting my thoughts about value.

What do you think?

-£30.

-Ooh! What about 40, then?

40's better. Will you accept £35 for that?

Sorry? Are you haggling?

For you, yes.

So I now have five objects.

And James will be arriving shortly.

Gosh, Jonathan! Five lots

and three of them are damaged!

Ah, well. Moving on, then.

It's time to show one another your wares.

James has arrived to join Jonathan in Vivien's back garden.

Rather like golf, it's your turn to tee off. You won last round.

-OK. I've had a hard time, I must say.

-Good!

This is a novelty figure. It's a pepper pot.

-OK.

-Not without fault.

Staffordshire made. His name's Paul Pry

who was a satirical character of the 19th century.

He was not afraid to poke fun at himself.

So you're having dinner and putting pepper on,

-and there he is!

-In all his glory!

-Rear of the Year!

-If I brought this to your sale room, what would you estimate it at?

I'd tell you to take it to the next sale room!

-Go on.

-I paid £25.

-£25?

-Yeah.

I would buy that myself in an antiques shop.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Would you?

-Yeah.

If you're laughing at me, I'm looking forward to seeing your stuff!

Here's my first item.

You're familiar with these, aren't you?

-Yes.

-It's nothing brilliant. It's just a tidy little souvenir box.

Tunbridge ware box.

-A little rosewood box, parquetry top with a traditional border.

-Yeah.

How much?

-£20.

-That's nice for £20.

-Yeah.

-My second item here, I'm going to show you.

-Woo.

-Bought from the same place.

-Oh, lovely.

Now, is this a piece of enamel?

It is a piece of enamel.

That's a nice bit. A very nice bit.

Late, late 18th century.

-Picturesque landscape.

-Yes. Pretty.

I haven't handled too much 18th-century enamel.

-It's a nice little cabinet piece.

-A lovely cabinet piece.

How much did you pay?

-£65.

-I think that's a very good buy.

A marked improvement on the pottery, I might add!

Next purchase is more up your street.

OK. A little branched coral necklace.

-Two of them.

-A necklace and a bracelet.

-Bracelet.

It's one of these things that go out of fashion and come back in.

It's picking up again. How much did you pay?

-£20.

-£20.

I think you'll make money out of that.

-This morning I went and bought...

-That looks tremendous. What's this?

The finest silver plate!

Don't pull that off!

-Oh, a cigar lamp.

-A cigar lighter, yes.

These are what you light the cigars with. Very fine. How much did you pay?

-£20.

-£20. That's a good buy.

-Yeah.

I wouldn't have bought it, but because it had this novelty shape.

This is my third. Here we are.

-This is obviously for eating noodles with!

-Exactly! How did you guess?

I've been in this business a long time!

-Glove stretchers. They're probably 1930s at the earliest? And the latest.

-No.

I don't think so with the reserve on it.

That's quite a Victorian thing. Put a reserve for somebody's initials.

I think it's earlier. Late 19th.

You paid eight pounds.

-No. 20.

-Sorry, James.

-A loss, is it?

-I think so.

-Oh, very nice, with the coronet top. A big toilet bottle.

-Yeah.

-Pewter.

-No.

-Oh?

-Silver.

-Is it silver? But it's not English silver, it's 800 standard.

-And if you get the thing off, it's...

-Lavender oil.

It's sadly cracked. What do you think?

-I think the stand it's in is very nice.

-How much did I pay?

I think you paid about 20 or £30.

-40.

-40.

OK.

-It's a punt, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Item four.

-Now, there we go.

A little patinated spelter figure. Art Deco style.

-Lorenzl, perhaps?

-Lorenzl, I think.

I don't think it is spelter.

-Feel it in the balance of your hand.

-Bronze isn't grey, that's all.

It's got more weight than that.

-It's grey!

-But the weight.

-It's made from the finest lead.

James thinks it's bronze.

Jonathan doesn't. And he's got a handy test to prove it.

What you need is a piece of paper.

-OK. Fire away.

-That'll do.

-If it's a lead body, it will leave a mark.

-OK.

-A grey streak.

-It does!

-That, dear boy, is as good as a pencil!

-It is, isn't it?

-Afraid so.

-What did you pay?

-45.

-Yeah, it's got a chance, hasn't it?

-Your go.

-My go.

Here it is.

-That's rather fun.

-A porcelain cup.

And incorporated a glass bottom.

-Yeah.

-That's nice, isn't it?

The downside is...here.

There's a crack.

-I paid how much?

-15 to 20.

-No, I paid £35.

-I think it has a real novelty,

-I think it's a great shame it has the hairline crack.

-Quite.

-The countryside of Siena.

-Oh, isn't that pretty?

Isn't it pretty?

The colours give it away as being painted in the '30s, maybe '20s.

Yeah. I like the skies. And I like the Siena landscape.

-Siena countryside.

-I think you still paid some money. £35?

I paid 30.

-Yeah, all right.

-£30.

-All in all, are you pleased?

-I am quite pleased, really.

Good luck. See you at the auction.

OK. So what do they really think?

I have the nicer objects.

They're nicer quality, if the condition may be a bit suspect.

Nicer quality, nicer age, nicer stories.

They'll sit better in the sale.

I think mine are slightly more get up and go.

They're cleaner, they're undamaged.

And I think generally, hopefully, I'll do better.

Right. The gloves are off. Both boys think they'll be victorious.

But only the bidders of Birmingham can decide.

They started in the town of Leek

and journeyed via Willenhall,

Lichfield and Ashbourne

to their final destination, the city of Birmingham.

Birmingham, or Brum as it's affectionately known,

is a thriving city in the West Midlands.

It's auction day as our sparring partners roll into town.

Here you are. Palace of Dreams, Jonathan. How do you think you'll do?

-I've bought some quite nice things.

-I've bought some nice things.

My two stars are the Art Deco figure and the picture.

Biddle & Webb have been established for over 50 years

and hold up to five auctions every month.

They specialise in fine art, antiques, silver and jewellery.

Taking to the rostrum today is auctioneer Liz Winacott,

nearly a relation!

Unfortunately, she thinks the boys might be punching above their weight.

I think overall there's not going to be any great profit in either of their items.

Hopefully, maybe somebody in the room

will take a shine to, say, the picture or something.

But I think overall a bit of a shocker.

We'll have to see what goes on the day.

James Braxton started today's show

with £270.60 and spent £135 on five auction lots.

Jonathan Pratt began with 331.50 and decided to employ the non-haggle tactic.

He actually spent £185, also on five lots.

Now, settle down, the auction is about to begin.

First up, Jonathan's chipped pepper pot.

-There he is.

-Nice little thing, this.

Do I see £10 anywhere? £10?

-£5? Do I see £5?

-Come on!

-£5 anywhere?

£5 there. Do I see eight?

I've got £5. Do I see eight?

I'll sell at £5. Selling now at £5.

-I liked him!

-Well, he got a good old spanking, didn't he?

That's a whopper of a loss, Jonathan.

Next, James's Tunbridge ware box. Maybe it will attract some interest.

Nice little bit of local treen!

OK. What shall I say for this, then?

£20. £20. Do I see £20 anywhere?

£10. £10 there.

Ten. Do is see 12? I've got £10. 12. 15. 18.

18? 20. 22. 25.

28? £25 there, then.

Are we all done at £25?

Oh, dear. We're not off to a good start at all.

Surely to goodness the little Bilston pin tray

will get you back in the running, Jonathan?

Come on, come on, come on.

Ooh. Telephone bid coming in.

What shall we say? £40. £40 anywhere?

£30 to start, then. £30 to start. Any interest at £30?

£30 at the back of the room. Do I see 32 anywhere?

I'll sell at £30.

-I'm going to cry!

-Here's a tissue!

We're not doing terribly well here, chaps.

-I don't know what to say!

-I don't know what to say either!

Up next is the coral necklace and bracelet. Best of luck, James.

There's no justice in the world if it makes £20.

£20 for the coral necklace.

£10 to start. £10 anywhere?

Any interest? A coral necklace with matching bracelet.

No?

Pass and move on.

Oh, dear! Birmingham is not brimming with profits for the boys.

That's an unsold lot so I can move it on to the next!

Then why did she sell mine for five?

An unsold item means it moves on to the next leg.

Maybe it will fare better at the next auction.

That's not fair! That is not fair!

Another of your non-haggle buys, Jonathan.

Could it strike a light of hope for you?

Victorian silver-plated table cigar lighter of triangular form

with wavy, fluted body.

You never know. I might just...

Something to pop on your desk. What shall we say for this?

£20. £20 anywhere.

Do I see £20 for the desk lighter. £20?

15? 15 to start. 15 anywhere?

-15 there. Do I see 18?

-Come on, someone.

-Do I see 18?

-Come on.

-I'll sell at £15.

It's going to haunt me, the sound of that gavel!

And again another loss.

You need to rethink your tactics, Jonathan. Next up

it's James's handy glove stretchers.

19th-century Cantonese glove stretchers.

Box-wood knuckles carved figures in relief. Nice little things. What shall we say?

£10 anywhere? £10 for the glove stretchers.

£10. £10. Who said that?

£10 there. Do I see 12 anywhere? £10 there.

Do I see 12 anywhere? I'll sell at £10.

Oh, dear. Oh, well.

As expected, really.

It's better than a fiver!

So far, the boys are three lots down each.

Jonathan hasn't made a profit on any and James has an unsold item.

Could it get any worse?

I'm going back to buying pictures from basements!

That's what I'm going to do.

This is very disappointing, chaps.

Maybe Jonathan can claw back some profit with the silver-mounted bottle.

Oh - is that the one with the crack in it?

£20. £20 anywhere?

£10 to start?

£10 anywhere? Any interest at £10?

£10 there. 12. 15?

-You're away.

-Only got two bidders.

£18 seated. I've got £18 seated. Can I see 20? I'll sell at £18.

-There you go.

-£18. Dear, oh, dear.

Play nicely, boys!

Right, James, it's the scantily-clad Deco figure next.

The one you thought was bronze.

Lot 691A. After Lorenzl.

Decorative little item there.

What shall we say for this? £20 anywhere for the figure?

£20. £20 anywhere?

£10, then? £10 there.

12, sir? 12?

-It's worth more.

-15. 18. 20. 22.

25. 28.

30.

£28 seated.

£28. Do I see 30 before I sell at £28.

Joke, isn't it?

Could this be a record for the most disappointing results ever?

Shall we go home now?

It's the last chance saloon, Jonathan, with the blue transfer mug

with the glass bottom... and the crack.

£10. £10 anywhere? £10

for this.

£5, then? £5 there. £8 anywhere?

£5 on the front.

-You're away again!

-I've got £5

and I'll sell at £5.

-Well done(!)

-Thank you, James.

There we go.

That's brilliant.

A loss on every single item! It beggars belief, Jonathan.

So, it's the final lot of the day.

Glass-bottomed mugs with cracks aren't big in Birmingham,

but perhaps the painting will be a hit.

Mario Bordi. Campagna di Siena.

Oil on board. Signed with label en verso. There's interest in this.

-Don't!

-Steady!

-I can start the commissions on the book at £60

-with me.

-Oh, please!

65. 70. 75. 80.

85. 90.

95. 100. 105?

110 with me. 120? 120 takes me out.

-120 in the room.

-Clearly mad!

130. 140.

150. 160. 170?

160 in the room, then. Are we all finished at £160?

-Very well done, James.

-Thank you.

-Very well done.

Best of a bad lot, that.

Good golly, so it is. Braxton has played a blinder.

£130 profit on one item.

He is the clear winner of the day.

For goodness' sake!

Well, that's it, isn't it?

That's it. It's all over.

Jonathan started today's show with £331.50.

He experienced disaster on every single lot

and made a devastating loss overall of £125.14.

Mr Pratt will hopefully remember to haggle next time!

He's almost back to square one with the sum of £206.36.

James started today's show with £270.60.

And, after paying auction costs,

made a small profit of £47.86.

He takes the lead with the princely sum of £318.46 to carry forward.

There you go, James.

Sorry, that is the position.

The winner takes all.

The winner takes the key.

-I'm on the tee.

-I'm raising the game, James.

I'm raising the game.

I think you need to!

Go on, then. Safety first.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

our boys head for Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire.

Jonathan recovers...

Yay!

..and our Braxton is a man with a mission.

-At the end of the day, I'll try and squeeze you on a price.

-Of course!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd