Episode 3 Antiques Road Trip

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

-I'm here 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.

We're wending our wee way through Scotland

in high summer with Mark Stacey and Anita Manning.

-Now, there's a coupling for you.

-Welcome to British Summer Time.

Well, it's always Mediterranean climate in Scotland, Mark.

Yes, I can see, Anita. My castanets are frozen!

Mark, Anita and their wee Morris have taken the high road,

the low road and even a few wrong roads.

It's right turn.

And now they're getting very close to the border.

So, just over that hill is England.

I'm sure there's been a few battles around here over the years, Anita.

Do you think it'll improve your performance, Mark?

-I hope so, Anita, because it needs improving, doesn't it?

-It certainly does!

Mark is a valuer and a dealer who loves to splash out now and again.

-I daren't ask you for a discount on...

-No, you wouldn't.

-Although that can get him into trouble.

-I can't believe it.

While Anita, an auctioneer, is both the Queen of Canny...

-£22.

-That's too much.

-And a mother with a shoulder to cry on.

-I clearly know absolutely nothing.

-Well, as long as you admit it.

They began with £200 each and have already made a major profit.

Mark goes into today with £327.44 to spend.

While Anita has sneaked ahead on £378.60.

Oh, dear. I knew this was going to be a bad day.

This week's journey is from the Cairngorms

via the charming cities of Edinburgh and Durham

to Thirsk in North Yorkshire.

Today's show starts out at Melrose in the Scottish Borders

and heads for a bonnie auction in Sunderland.

Several hundred years ago, the Borders were a frightening place.

A lawless region where raiding bands from both sides

wreaked indiscriminate destruction,

which is why you'll find an awful lot of ruined abbeys hereabouts.

-Beautiful little Borders town.

-Lovely, isn't it?

-I think we've got four antiques shops.

-I think so.

So there should be plenty of choice.

This is Melrose, where the heart of King Robert the Bruce is buried

and where rugby history was made when they invented the seven a side version in 1883.

Today's activity, however, is strictly a singles competition.

What's your strategy today?

I'm not quite sure, Mark, I think I'm going to remain a little canny.

I do think you ought to try less of this canniness, Anita.

You need to risk sometimes, you know.

So, with that thought, our duo hit the streets of Melrose to try for a bargain.

Anita's arrived at Whole Lot Antiques

where there are, indeed, quite a few objects gathered under one roof, but no dealers present.

So inquiries must be directed through the shopkeeper, Pat Glass.

This is a seal.

And this part here would be used

to stamp the wax to seal your letters.

Just for extra confidentiality.

I'm not sure of the age of it.

Do you know anything?

I'm afraid we don't know.

All we can tell you is what the dealer puts on the ticket.

Unfortunately, the only thing on the ticket is a price for £52,

but Pat may be a little bit flexible.

I could do that for £30.

I'm really looking to get that for around about £20.

-I can give her a ring and find out what the best price would be.

-OK.

So, while Pat makes the call, Anita steps outside, not to nick it,

but to take a closer look.

I'm still not absolutely sure if it's a modern replica.

It really is touch-and-go. It is touch-and-go.

Anita, we have good news.

-I've had the dealer on the phone, and she will take £25.

-Right.

I think we should just go for it.

Elsewhere in Melrose, Mark is exploring his first shop,

Michael Vee Design.

It's a great place to visit, but hardly a traditional antique shop.

Among all the painted and the shabby chic, you can spot things like this.

This is carved piece of doorway.

It would have gone over a lovely big entrance door.

Possibly Georgian, probably more likely to be 19th century.

But a fantastically decorative item.

Not quite sure that that's going to go down well in the saleroom,

but it's a lovely object.

-Hello, Enid.

-Hi.

-I love your shop.

-Thank you.

-I love it.

I mean, it's just really what the market's going for now,

a mixture of the new and the old. But, I was looking for

something a bit more antique and a bit smaller.

Well, I might have something upstairs

that was in the filing cabinet,

and now could come out of the filing cabinet.

I'm intrigued, I'd love to have a look in your filing cabinet.

I know. I'd like you to see it. I'll go and get it.

Well, you see, you never know.

-I know what's in my filing cabinet at home, bills.

-Here it is.

Oh, no, this is intricate, a cased item.

Oh, wow!

Gosh, Enid.

Where on earth did you get this from?

Well, I think I bought it from a local dealer about...

maybe 12 years ago, 15 years ago.

Good lord. First of all, we've got some sort of insignia

with a lion's head. Now, that could be anything.

-We've got a long chain. So it's going to hang like that.

-Yeah.

-And then, what happens when you open it...

-Well, it's a whistle.

Gosh!

I bet it still works. WHISTLE TOOTS

It does.

Absolutely. Police, fire brigade...

Do you know, I think it is some sort of Commander's,

-for ceremonial purposes.

-Yeah.

Whether it's when they're on parade and you've got your finery on.

You've got all your silver buttons polished up. The big question is,

-is it for sale?

-I think it could be.

-Oh.

I don't suppose you have any idea of what you want for it, Enid?

I can't remember what I paid for it. That's the honest truth.

-So it can't have been too much?

-I think it was over £100.

-Was it?

I'm sure it was over £100.

I mean, how close do you think we could get to £80?

Oh, a bit more than that. No. Definitely, a bit more than that.

-How much more?

-Well...

Putting you on the spot a bit.

Putting me on the spot.

£120.

HE EXHALES

Can we meet in the middle, Enid, and say £100?

£110. I'm a hard woman from Scotland.

You are a hard woman!

-£105?

-OK.

-And a kiss.

-Absolutely.

Lovely. Despite having sealed her deal,

Anita is still wholly occupied at the Lot down the road.

I keep seeing lovely things.

It's a wee bit small.

Sometimes I like having things like that just to, sort of,

lie on my dressing table.

Even though you couldn't wear it. Yes.

At £15, it may be worth it just as an ornament.

I mean, could it be done for 10?

Oh, I'm sure we could do that for 10.

There we go.

So, Anita has spent a mere £35

on an amber seal and a jade bracelet,

while her rival has already blown a packet on a whistle.

£105 there, Enid.

Oh, never mind.

I'll tell you what I'll do, £5 back for a luck penny.

That's so kind of you.

I'm sure it all helps.

Well, I'm absolutely thrilled with that.

It's just a hop, skip and a jump to my next shop.

Steady old boy! Hopefully, the best things in this shop aren't hidden under the dog.

This is much for what I'm used to and comfortable with.

An antiques shop with lots of antiques, hopefully.

The question is, will they be in my price range?

This is a very interesting little object.

We've got a very finely modelled porcelain

or bone china fox's head here with lovely eyes.

Everything is nicely decorated.

And then you've got, written on the bottom, Tally Ho.

We know it's something straightaway to do with fox hunting

and these would've been served

with a nip of whisky or brandy before the hunt.

You'd swig that back and hand it to your man-servant and off it would go.

It's almost got a look of Anita Manning, cos she's a sly old fox!

Miaow! At £750 the pair,

these stirrup cups are well beyond Mark's budget

but he soon hunts out something almost as foxy.

That's a pretty little brooch. H Samuel.

Largest watchmaker and jewellers in the world, it says.

Market Street, Manchester, London, Glasgow and Cardiff, no less.

And all principal cities.

There's a box and a half, isn't there?

That's a charming little art nouveau brooch, probably in gold,

set with a little bit of turquoise.

I don't normally go for jewellery,

but I'm sure that's just the sort of sweet little quality piece

that Anita would find endearing.

It's a beautiful thing. Be out of my price range, I'm sure.

I love the box.

-Yes, it is its original box.

-It is beautiful, isn't it?

-Go on, hit me with it.

-70.

-70?

I don't often buy jewellery. I just think it's such a charming...

-Would 50 help you?

-It would help me a lot.

-I couldn't do any better than that.

-You couldn't go lower than 50?

-Not 45?

-No.

Go on then.

-Go on what?

-45.

Thank you.

When Anita was here earlier, there were a lot of antiques to choose from.

Now, there are a few less, but still, quite enough for Mark.

Might be a good sign.

This has been in the window so long, it's faded the price ticket.

This is sometimes called Satsuma ware,

after the region in Japan where it comes from.

You can see here, it's got a signature

and that little mark there,

is the mon for the Prince of Satsuma.

That shows it's come from that area.

It's not the best quality but it's not the worst quality either.

It's actually quite decorative.

Satsuma earthenware originated in Japan in the late 16th century

and is still produced today.

It's usually brightly enamelled.

I think I read that as 28.

-28?

-Yes.

Are you able to negotiate on behalf of the dealer?

I can do it for £20.

I'm going to take that.

So, while Mark oversees the wrapping of another potential bargain...

That's lovely, thank you.

..Anita drives a few short miles to Abbotsford...

..to visit the home of the great poet and novelist, Sir Walter Scott.

He was the first English language author to have a successful international career

as a writer in his lifetime,

for romantic novels like The Lady of the Lake and Ivanhoe.

Anita's here to meet Jason Dyer, of the charity that safeguards the estate.

-Hi, Jason.

-Hi, Anita, welcome to Abbotsford

and the home of Sir Walter Scott.

Tell me when this building was built.

It's in the Scottish baronial style.

It is and it's the first in the Scottish baronial style.

Sir Walter Scott started building in 1811

and he completed the house in 1824.

This is the study, so this is where Scott actually wrote many of his later novels.

-This is?

-This is his original desk where he wrote those novels.

It really is the beating heart of the house, if you like.

And in the desk, his spectacles are still there,

his Thomas Coutts chequebook that he'd have used is still there.

So quite incredible.

Also, his indexing system that he used for the various books around the shelf.

There are 2,000 books normally in this study,

these were books he was working on right up until his death.

It has incredible atmosphere, this room.

Not only did Sir Walter Scott virtually invent the historical novel,

but he was also a great collector of historical objects.

People would send him significant artefacts from all over the world,

which inspired both novels and non-fiction,

like his biography of Napoleon.

According to the museum, the wood in this chair grew at the place

where Scottish rebel leader, William Wallace, was captured.

And the timber in this box came from the Spanish Armada.

OK, Anita, this is just a few of the items that Scott was collecting.

Quite an incredible array in this case here.

This is intriguing.

A piece of oatcake found in the pocket of a Highlander

on the field of Culloden.

Incredible if that's what it is, that it survived all this time!

Quite often Sir Walter did want to prove

what he was collecting is what it was meant to be.

But you have grey areas around some objects.

-He liked doing the detective work.

-He did, yes.

Scott's incredible collection at Abbotsford also includes

several famous locks of hair,

as well as some precious possessions that have rarely been handled.

-What about this crucifix here?

-The crucifix is an important object in the case.

It's believed to be the crucifix

that Mary Queen of Scots took to her execution.

We'd like to think if Sir Walter Scott's done the detective work,

that is what it is.

If it is, it really is something that's been held by history.

One of the central features in this case

is the blotting book that belonged to Napoleon.

-Is it possible to have a look?

-Of course.

I'm going to have to ask you to put some gloves on, I'm afraid,

so we can handle these.

-This is a privilege to handle this!

-It's wonderful.

-I've never looked inside before.

-It's an adventure for both of us.

It's an adventure for me.

There's this letter here which again, I've never looked at before.

It would be interesting to see if we can make out what it says.

It says, "This sealing case was left by Napoleon on his writing table

"in the Palace of the Elysees in 1815."

So, as he was obviously making his escape, he left this behind.

That's wonderful.

Do you want me to open it to see if we find any other surprises inside?

And we have got what looks like some letters.

And this one does seem to say something about Napoleon.

-And it is some of his hair.

-ANITA GASPS

"I take the liberty of sending you some of Napoleon's hair."

So that is amazing, actually, to suddenly see that.

So what would have happened is that...

I mean, Scott would have a wide circle

of influential friends throughout Europe,

-and they would know of his passion...

-Definitely.

-..for collecting.

-Yep.

And they would send him perhaps this type of thing.

Indeed. He had a whole series of people who went out and collected for him.

-So this is a find of some significance.

-I think so, yes.

-We just didn't know it was there. That's quite incredible.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

-We did it together.

-We did indeed, yes.

Well, I wonder if the significance of what Anita has found has sunk in yet.

I mean, anyone can discover the odd bargain, but the Emperor's hair?

Incroyable!

The next day, Jason did some further research into their discovery

and asked Anita back to hear about the reaction

it had already provoked.

The flurry of e-mails I've had back from various people,

all saying it's an exciting find,

and for some of them, because they've seen it referenced

in his letters, even more powerful to them because it matches up

an object in the collection to something that's mentioned in his letters

that they've never been able to find before.

You know, did this really happen? And now we know for certain that it did.

-The provenance is there.

-Yes.

And what is incredible, when you look at that lock of hair,

when you compare it to the other locks of hair we've got in the case,

they're all bleached white by the sun,

and yet this, you can see the actual colour of Napoleon's hair.

-What a story!

-Indeed!

And a real first for the Road Trip, too. Bravo!

Back on the road and our trippers are taking the easy way

out of the Borders.

-Mark, the second day of our third leg.

-And the sun is shining, Anita.

-The sun is shining.

The weather's on our side.

-There's nobody listening, this is just a conversation between us.

-Just between us?

-Just between us.

-A wee secret?

-A wee secret. Tell me what you bought.

-No.

Well, strictly hush-hush,

but Anita spent just £35 on two wee things, including a jade bracelet.

-So she now has £343.60.

-Bye-bye.

-Thanks now, bye-bye.

While Mark lavished £165 on three items, not least a very collectable whistle.

WHISTLE BLOWS

Leaving him with just £162.44.

Today's minor excursion is from Melrose to Sunderland,

calling in first at Kelso.

Situated where the River Teviot meets the Tweed, Kelso has an abbey,

also ruined, just like its neighbour,

plus a fine castle where Mark will soon be heading.

Look up there. Floors Castle.

-But there's something for you there, Anita.

-What's that?

-Retirement apartments.

-Watch it!

THEY LAUGH

-It's Melrose Abbey. That's fabulous.

-Melrose Abbey? We're in Kelso.

-Oh, Kelso Abbey.

-I think we'll nip to those apartments sooner than I thought.

SHE LAUGHS

But the town of Kelso is well worth a visit, too -

a model of Georgian elegance and grace.

-So, Mark, off to Floors Castle.

-Off to Floors Castle for me, Anita.

And you've got a lovely market to go and explore.

There will be hundreds of bargains in that market,

and I'll buy one for you.

I look forward to seeing it, Anita.

Kelso's marketplace is nicely cobbled and resembles,

on a sunny day, somewhere in Provence or the Dordogne.

Luckily for Anita, however, the vendors here today are not flogging

local legumes but a varied collection of antiques and curios.

-An old spanner.

-A Rolls-Royce spanner.

-This man's better than me.

-Would this work in a Morris Minor?

-No, I think it's a wee bit more sophisticated than that.

-Is it?

I suppose there is a market for that, for Rolls-Royce collectors.

-Well, having Rolls-Royce written on it is quite good.

-Yeah.

I quite like this piece here, the wee jockey.

So this, we would put this into our decanter.

And it has a hallmark here. We'll just have a wee look, see where it was made.

Birmingham hallmark.

But the date letter's a wee bit obscured, but I think we're maybe

thinking about '20s, '30s.

I would be estimating it round about £20.

And I think you'll make a lot more money than £20 for it.

You think so? But you're selling it to me.

-Yeah, yeah.

-You're a good salesman.

-But since I would like you to win the competition...

-Oh, wow!

-Um...

-20?

-I would be prepared to sell it to you for £20.

-Give me a kiss.

Thank you. £20. I hope this little jockey gallops past the post.

-I'll be looking forward to it - first place again.

-I know.

Thanks very much. Thank you.

I'm always interested in fountain pens.

-And I also like to see a nine carat gold nib. There's three here.

-Uh-huh.

And we've got two quite plain ones and this quite jazzy affair here.

-What kind of price can you do on the three?

-£22?

-Uh-huh. That's too much.

-20?

-That's still too much on them.

-What do you think yourself?

-Can I make you an offer?

-Yes, certainly.

-Could you do those for 12?

-Yes, all right.

-Could you do them for 12?

-Uh-huh.

-That would be great.

No sooner has Anita pocketed her pens than she is accosted

-by a tall, dark stranger.

-Hi.

-Sorry to interrupt.

-Are you looking for stuff for your competition?

-Yes.

My car's parked just round the corner

and I've got an item that you might be interested in.

Lead on. I'm intrigued.

It's not the usual premises for the purchasing of fine antiques,

but Anita Manning's not put off by the back of a people carrier.

You'd know what that is straightaway.

-Is that a lovely piece of Carltonware?

-No, it's not.

-Is it Wedgwood?

-Oh, it's Crown Devon. Right, OK.

-With a lid.

-That's a lovely bit.

Crown Devon originated in a pottery in Stoke on Trent

which used to be called the Railway Works until it was reinvented in 1912.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-That's a nice bit.

-Pretty.

It's still got the original label on it.

The label on the bottom, yeah.

The only thing that worries me is that slight wee nick there.

What price are you looking for on it?

I haven't a Scooby Doo. Not a clue.

I know what my minimum would be.

-Tell me your minimum.

-No, you tell me...

-No, tell me your minimum.

-30.

-30?

I'm sure you'll make a profit on that, even with the nick.

-OK, let's do it. It's a deal.

-Super.

-Lovely, thank you very much.

-Thank you. That's lovely.

-Thank you very much.

So, while Anita completes her pottery purchase,

Mark makes for Kelso's Castle, the seat of the Duke of Roxburgh.

There's been a castle here beside the Tweed since 1721,

but Floors didn't acquire its fairytale turrets and pinnacles

until the middle of the 19th century.

-Hello, Mary.

-Hello there.

Mark's here to see some of the highlights

of the Duke's collection with guide Mary Campbell.

It's a real privilege to welcome you to Floors Castle today.

Thank you. I'm very much looking forward to the visit.

I hope you'll enjoy it. I'm sure you will.

The largest inhabited house in Scotland has always possessed

an excellent art collection,

but that significantly increased in the early 20th century

when the 8th Duke married Mary Goelet, an American heiress.

-It's a very spectacular room.

-It is, it is. It's lovely.

One of Mary's contributions was this outstanding work by Gainsborough.

It's Captain Roberts, who was Captain Cook's cartographer.

And he's pointing to the Sandwich Islands, which he charted,

-and which is now, of course, Hawaii.

-Hawaii.

-It is actually a beautiful portrait, isn't it?

-It is.

It's one of my favourites. In fact, I think it is my favourite one in the whole castle.

Wow!

What a wonderful picture.

One recent addition to the collection comes close to rivalling

what Anita discovered yesterday - a treasure from one of Scotland's greatest sons.

-This is a hitherto unpublished poem by Robert Burns.

-No!

-Scotland's greatest poet.

-Wow!

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Gosh, yes, you can see it's signed down here.

-And the date as well.

-1789.

-A long time ago. And this is about a poor little wounded hare.

Oh, how romantic!

Yep. The poem, an early version of On Seeing A Wounded Hare,

in Burns' own hand,

was enclosed in a letter recently unearthed by a member of staff,

and it's now displayed at the castle.

This must be really exciting for Scotland,

-to get a find like this.

-Oh, it is.

And all sorts of people are making their way to Floors

-purely to look at it.

-Gosh!

"Inhuman man, curse on thy barbarous art.

"And blasted be thy murder aiming eye.

"May never pity soothe thee with a sigh.

"Nor ever pleasure glad thy cruel heart."

Wow, this is turning into quite a trip!

Ah, but it's time to get back on the road.

Mark and Anita are heading from Kelso to Jedburgh.

The man who wrote Rule Britannia was born here.

The border with England is just ten miles away.

Jedburgh also has strong rugby ties

and, you've guessed it, a ruined abbey.

-Look at the abbey.

-That's fabulous.

-Spectacular.

You go that way, and I'll go this way.

-I'll go this way?

-Yeah.

-Are you sending me the wrong direction?

Would I do something like that!

She would do something like that! I'm sure it's the wrong direction.

-On you go, see you later.

-See you later.

-Good luck.

I'm sure she's sending me the wrong direction. It's not down here at all.

Anita is tempted into the curiosity shop and soon finds plenty to excite.

Quality antiques. Many with a local flavour.

This is a wonderful bowl.

It's an example of Sunderland lustre.

And we are going to an auction in that area,

so it's the type of thing that would be,

it would be a real hit in that auction.

It has an almost naive look about it,

but it's highly collectible and sought after

by collectors of this type of thing.

"Too oft is a smile but the hypocrites wile."

Now, isn't that wonderful?

Well, I don't know, but at £225,

that bowl might struggle to make a profit even at a Tyne and Wear auction.

I haven't got any pictures yet. There's lots of pictures in here.

Having a quick glance around, there's a wild, big abstract

in the corner there, and I'm going to have a closer look at that.

But it's a bit expensive.

-Have you got it?

-Yes.

This is done by Robert Methven.

And he lived in 104 Renfrew Street in Glasgow, which is just where the art school is.

My interest in abstract art has grown,

and I think it's because, as an auctioneer, I handle so many things,

and I think I'm being drawn away from the natural, into the abstract.

But it seems that a price of £145 just can't tempt her enough.

And while Anita's agonising over her art, Mark is just plain lost.

Perhaps Anita's directions weren't altogether accurate after all. Cunning woman!

I've enjoyed my little walk, but I've had enough. I'm going to Hawick.

And, hopefully, when I get to Hawick, there might be a nice antique shop

or an antique centre, and I'll be finding my missing bargains.

So, off to a place which, unless you knew better,

you might think was called Haw-wick.

I think we're coming up to the antiques centre. It's around here somewhere.

That's a golf club.

Lovely village green.

Antiques centre. Now...

This is it.

This looks like the place. Antiques centre.

They've even got a vintage car which is better than ours.

It's a nice old thing, isn't it?

Might come in handy if the Morris has an off day too!

But there are plenty of smaller, less mobile items on display as well.

This is a very sweet little Victorian miniature frame,

I suppose for maybe a lady to put on her dressing table,

with a photograph of her loved one on.

It's very highly decorated, with these flowering scrolls. There's a little ram's head here.

And you've got little figures at the bottom.

It's a very pretty little object.

Something I think would be quite highly collectible these days.

And it does look in good condition. Mind you, the price is 48.

But it's London 1890, so it's an antique piece of silver.

It's rather charming.

While Gail goes to blow up a storm with the dealer,

Mark gets the scent of another possible purchase.

Well, now, that's a bargain.

I couldn't possibly.

I couldn't, could I?

Come over here.

Follow me.

I've brought you into this quiet room because you know how Anita

is always going on about her beautiful pieces of Murano glass?

And they've never got any labels or anything on them.

Well, here we have a glass vase by Murano,

with not a label, but two labels.

And it's got a price label.

And it's priced at £4!

Murano glass was produced originally

on the Adriatic island of the same name.

The glass makers were allegedly encouraged to move there

from nearby Venice because of medieval 'elf and safety concerns!

News that the dealer will take a very reasonable £28 for the silver frame prompts Mark to go for a deal.

Listen, I'm going to go for this at 28.

And I daren't ask you to discount on £4, dare I?

-No. You wouldn't.

-Wouldn't I?

Yes, you would, but no!

You're not getting one.

Well, I think that's fair enough.

With those two final items,

Mark is now happy to reveal all to his friendly rival.

It's been a great day, hasn't it?

I've had a wonderful time, Mark. I'll show you my first buy.

And this is a little seal. Nice little glass handle,

and a little amethyst glass matrix.

Very charming. What did you pay for it, Anita?

-I paid £25.

-£25?

You can't lose too much on £25, can you?

This is an oriental bangle.

It's not of the best quality.

But I thought it was rather pretty.

And I bought it for £10.

I think it's a good punt. And I can see that you're really stretching yourself there, Anita!

Now, my first item I've got to show you. It's a lovely little...

-Oh, isn't that gorgeous?

-Satsuma cover.

Oh, that's lovely.

I was first attracted to the little heart-shaped cut-outs.

And it is marked underneath. It's signed, and it's got the Prince of Satsuma's mon on there.

-I love it, it's wonderful.

-I'm so pleased.

-Tell me?

-£20.

That's a cracking buy. That is a wonderful buy.

Next, Anita's equestrian stopper.

It's hallmarked silver.

It has a Birmingham hallmark.

-What I liked most about it was the little jockey...

-Yes.

-On the top.

Very appealing.

-I liked that, and I paid £20 for it.

-Well, it's not a lot of money, Anita.

Next, Mark's brooch.

But I do hope you agree with me that it's a lovely little object.

Oh, that's very, very sweet.

-Art nouveau.

-Set with a turquoise.

-Nine carat rose gold?

-That's right.

-Edwardian?

-1905 or so. And I love the little box.

Aha. It all depends on price.

I know, that's the key thing, isn't it? £45.

It's certainly worth more than £45 of anyone's money.

I'm finding that pen collectors just love this type of thing,

particularly the marbled one. And I'm hoping that the addition

-of gold content in them will carry the thing through.

-Absolutely.

-What did you pay for them?

-£12.

-Well, it doesn't sound a lot to me.

-No.

My next item, Anita, it's a little silver photo frame.

Ah, isn't that...

It's hallmarked for 1890.

Very much in that classical style.

And I just thought it was a lovely little quality item.

-How much did you pay for it, Mark?

-£28.

That's excellent. Really, really excellent. That's your best buy, don't you think so?

-You haven't seen my other item yet.

-Oh no!

I just thought it was a really attractive thing, and I love glass, as you know.

I love the Italian glass factories.

-Tell me what you paid for it?

-£4.

-Oh! Well done!

You've done an Anita!

£30.

I love the shape, I love the cover.

-There is a small chip on it.

-I know.

Which I think you could probably just get over with a bit of gilding.

Aha. I know. That slightly worried me a wee bit.

-I think there's a working profit, in my opinion.

-Aha.

But I can see why you wanted it, it's a beautiful object.

What we're looking at here, Anita, is a ceremonial item

connected to the police force.

We've got a silver chain.

We've got a lovely little badge here that would have gone on the tunic.

-But this is what really appealed to me. It's that.

-Oh!

You got a whistle.

And, when you go like that.

HE WHISTLES It still works.

Absolutely superb.

I don't really even want to ask you how much you paid for it

-because it's such a pleasure to see something of that quality.

-It actually cost me 100.

And I, obviously...

That's got to get £200.

I think, Anita, if my hunches are right, and your hunches are right, we know quality when we see it,

if the bidders recognise it for what it is,

this could well make £300 or more.

And here's what they really think.

The brooch, 45. A wee bit dear.

It was very pretty. But the gold is high just now, so he might just get away with that.

She brought out that little seal.

In my mind, it's a reproduction.

The glass is too clear, the silver is too clear.

He bought glass, that was just a bit of fun.

It had no quality at all, absolutely no quality.

The jade bangle. I honestly have to say that's got utterly no quality at all.

After starting out in the borders at Melrose,

this leg of our trip will be decided in Sunderland

at the auctioneers, Boldon Auction Galleries.

-Are you nervous?

-No, I'm excited.

-And so you should be.

Oh, Anita, you never know, it's not over till the end of the sale!

Until the fat lady sings?

Well, that's not you, Anita, is it?

Wearsiders and Tynesiders have gathered to get a good look at the lots.

Giles Hodges, the man with the hammer, has his own views on what Mark and Anita are selling.

There's a pretty little jade bangle.

Anything oriental, Chinese, flavour of the month at the moment.

My favourite by far is the Victorian silver whistle.

I think it's lovely. It's nice to see it in its original box.

I'm hoping it will make £200-300, maybe over the 300 mark.

Again, we'll see where we're at when we're on the rostrum. The proof of the pudding.

Mark has spent £197 on five lots.

That's lovely, thank you.

While Anita has spent exactly £100 less. Also on five lots.

-OK, let's do it, it's a deal.

-Excitement mounts.

Yes! Yes!

-All right, Anita.

-Yes!

First, Mark's Victorian frame.

-I'm bid 15 to start it.

-15?

-Straight in at 15.

18. 20. 22. 25. 28. 30.

32.35. 38.

-40. 5. 45. We're upstairs, right.

-I'd have thought more than that.

Make no mistake, at 45.

Ooh, that's a bit disappointing really.

Especially after commission, oh yes.

45 is a profit at the end of the day. £17.

Anita's Crown Devon jar.

40, straight in.

40. 45. 50. 5.

At £55, anybody else, feel free.

At £55, and all done.

That was very good.

Actually, almost twice what she paid.

Next, Mark's Murano. Was it a bargain?

And £5 bid for it, somebody?

Fiver and away?

A couple of pounds to start me then?

£2 bid on the front. At two. Four. Six. £6.

-Oh no.

-Six. At £6. All done?

At £6.

Definitely not what Mark had hoped for.

I mean, £6 for that. It's fully marked.

That's all it was worth.

Next, the fountain pens from Kelso market.

-20 to start them.

-Yes.

-At £20, for the three.

At £20. Two, anybody now? 22, the lady's bid. At £22.

25, yes or no? All done at £22.

785.

That's a nice £10 profit, Anita. Well done.

Less commission, of course.

Mark's art nouveau gold brooch next.

I have two commission bids.

We start at £55.

60 now? At £55. 60, anybody?

At £55, last chance.

-At 55. Commission bid.

-That was a very good price for that.

That wasn't too bad actually.

Thanks, in part, to a late discount from the dealer.

-I think you're lucky to get out of that one.

-Really?

-Yes.

Next, the little silver jockey stopper.

And I'm bid 15 to start it, At £15. 18, anybody?

At 15. 18. 20.

Two. At £22. The bid's upstairs. 25.

25.

Once costs are deducted, she's just got her money back.

I'm surprised. I'm surprised at that.

-Now, Anita's jade bracelet.

-I've got two bids.

And 30 starts me.

35. 40. 5. 50. 5.

I'm out. £55. 60, anybody?

At £55. And we're away at 55.

Yes!

Well! Over five times what it cost.

Well done, Anita, you've got an eye for picking these bits!

Don't be jealous! Next, Mark's Satsuma vase.

£45.

£45.

5. 60. The bid's upstairs at 60.

Anybody else left?

All done at 60.

-Good.

-I'm pleased with that. I'm pleased with that.

And so you should be.

I was thinking 40 or 50. So, 60 is above my expectations on that.

-It made its price.

-I'm pleased.

Mow, the amber desk seal.

Will the bidders give it the stamp of approval?

Commission bid straight in at £5 to start me. 5. 8. 10. 12.

15. 18. 20.

£20. The bid's upstairs. £20.

Are we all done? At 20.

-Well.

-I suppose it could have been worse.

Sadly, after auction costs, it will be.

It needed to go up to 20, so, well done, auctioneer.

Now, for the once forgotten whistle.

-I'm bid 100 to start it.

-Oh gosh.

120. 140. 160. 180.

200. 220.

240. 260. 280.

At 280. At £280 for the last time. At 280.

-That's good.

-Yes.

That real treasure has put Mark back in the lead.

In a fine sale, it might even have made a bit more

but I'm thrilled with that, I'm very pleased.

-I'm happy you're happy.

-Thank you.

Well then, we're all happy!

And we want everybody to be happy.

A great day in Tyne and Wear then. Especially for Mark Stacey.

He began with £327.44.

And made £168.72 after auction costs.

So he has £496.16 to spend tomorrow.

Anita started this round with £378.60.

And made £48.14 after auction costs.

Leaving her with £426.74 to spend tomorrow.

So, Mark, that's our third auction over.

-Absolutely.

-There was one each and now you're on top.

I'm on top. 2-1 to me, Anita. It's like a tennis match.

Just promise me one thing, Anita.

Keep buying small things and making small profits and I'll be really happy.

Leave the big profits to me, all right?

We'll see what happens next time.

Join us tomorrow when Mark gets cheeky.

-Oh Mark, I love cheeky offers.

-You like cheeky offers?

-I do.

Anita gets sentimental.

SINGS: I belong to Glasgow, dear Glasgow town...

And the little Morris has a "minor" mishap.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]