Episode 11 Antiques Road Trip

The nation's favourite antiques experts. £200 each. One challenge.

Well, duck, do I buy you or don't I?

Who can make the most money buying and selling antiques

as they scour the UK?

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

It's not as easy as it looks and dreams of glory can end in tatters.

I'm a loser. I'm a loser.

Will it be the fast lane to success, or the slow road to bankruptcy?

Oh! There's a mouse! There's a mouse!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

It's another Road Trip and we join antiques maestros

David Barby and Charles Hanson on the road.

# Greased Lightning Go Greased Lightning! #

David, don't you feel we're like Sandy and Danny

from Greased Lightning?

Well, I certainly feel as though I'm stuck in the 1970s.

They're taking the air in a classic 1959 Hillman Minx.

I think this is so iconic as a car. We've got the lovely bent seats.

I can rest my hand on your thigh if I really wished to,

but I don't want to.

-But you've done it twice already.

-By accident!

LAUGHTER

# ..The power you're supplying

# It's electrifying! #

Antiques valuer David Barby is known for his haggling style.

The infamous Barby stare.

But lately, he's been forced to change tack.

I'll go 55.

SHE LAUGHS

How low will you stoop?

While his rival, Charles,

an auctioneer from Derbyshire, likes quirky things.

Much like himself.

The helmet is a bit greasy.

So, equipped with £200 each,

our experts are ready to roll with the punches

as they buy antiques to sell at auction.

What a price! What a price!

On this trip, David and Charles are on one huge 300-mile road trip

that starts in Lichfield, Staffordshire,

stretches south to Frome in Somerset,

heads back up to the Wirral and finally ends in Nottingham. Wow!

On their first leg, they're only moving a few inches on the map,

starting their shopping in Lichfield

and heading for the auction in Coventry.

-Shall we pull in here, David?

-OK. Let's have a look around.

TYRES SCREECH

Oh, do be careful! For heaven's sake!

David, the thing is, I know Lichfield like the back of my hand.

Well, this worries me, because, I think you have an unfair advantage.

No need to worry, David,

Lichfield Antiques Centre

is packed with goodies from over 60 specialist dealers.

So there'll be enough for both of you!

Now, any thoughts on a strategy, Carlos?

I really want to find out what this auction house is like,

and I wonder if the young lady on the reception desk

might have the Internet and I can just tap in this sale room

and find out what the auction's like.

Good call.

So, here we go.

It will be a general sale.

That's great, that's superb.

Which means...they sell anything from a second-hand washing machine

to decorative candlesticks like these.

These are very nice. A very nice pair of Maling Ware candlesticks.

They're quite Art Deco, with this enamelled and printed design.

They must be 1930s.

Indeed, this was the period when Maling's Newcastle-based factory

produced pottery with the signature lustre glaze and gilding.

But is there a deal to be done?

What's the best price on those, Madeleine?

Well, you've got £14.50 on those,

so we could do those for £13.

Would you take £10 for them?

-We could contact the dealer and see...

-Fine, OK, Madeleine.

-The answer was?

-You're in luck.

-Great. That's really good.

If I can't make money on a £10 purchase, when can I?

Now, there's a question.

At the other end of the shop,

David's also spotted something decorative.

A pair of late 19th-century silver shades, for candles, of all things.

I see there's £80. What's the best price on those?

-What price are you looking for?

-I'd like these at £50.

-I could speak to the dealer.

-See what he has to say.

See what his position is.

-All right.

-OK.

-I'll just continue looking. OK.

Hmm.

Will the dealer really go for David's daring £50 offer?

-The best price he could do would be 60.

-60?

-60.

-That is £20 off the original price.

-£60.

OK. Let me come back to you on those.

All right, be coy.

With everything to play for, Charles now steps up his buying strategy.

His victim, Madeleine. Poor thing.

What I quite like, which has caught my eye, Madeleine,

is this wonderful corner cabinet here. Oak and mahogany.

You open the doors up, there we are.

It's missing a panel back.

The interior isn't in the best of states,

but it's a pretty little corner cupboard.

I would like to make an offer of £30.

Meet in the middle on £40?

Would you go, Madeleine, at £35?

Are you sure?

-All right.

-Going once.

-Not sure.

Not sure?! Oh, no! What have I done?

-Going twice.

-Go on.

-Are you sure?

-I'm sure.

-Positive?

Oh, get on with it.

-Going, going, gone.

-It's a bargain.

-Madeleine, thank you, you're a star.

Thank goodness that's over.

I thought I was going to be sick, there.

But there's no respite for poor Madeleine.

David now has her in his sights over the £60 on those candle shades.

What do you think he'd come down to? What would you come down to?

We may be able to persuade him to do another £10 off.

-So, that's at £50 for the two.

-That's £50 for two.

I think you've got a bargain there.

Right, you have a sale, Madeleine. Thank you very much indeed.

Keen on exploiting his Lichfield contacts,

local lad Charles heads across town to another friendly dealer.

He's on the trot.

We could go the more scenic route, I hope you don't mind,

I'm sure it's this way.

Charles is off to see an old friend,

Jim Jordan, in the hope of finding something special.

Hello, Jim. Surprise.

-Hello, Charles!

-How are you doing?

This is a man I have known for a long time, James Jordan.

-Good to see you.

-Morning, Charles, nice to see you.

What's the best bargain which I could set sail with?

In your opinion?

Definitely the little fork and shovel set.

I like it, it's £75.

-What would be the best price, Jim?

-£65.

-Between friends?

-Between friends, I'll let you have it for £60.

-Tempting.

The fork and spade is in fact a novelty piece of Victorian cutlery,

and may not be one to be missed. So, what else?

I've got a couple of old silver pocket watches.

What we've got here is a tired, working order, silver pocket watch.

That's the Chester hallmark there,

the assay city shield mark.

Enamel dial, it's in nice condition, although it's missing its small

subsidiary seconds dial hand.

Likewise, this one hasn't got a glass cover.

They're quite nice. How much would they be to buy,

-those two watches?

-That one, £30.

And that one, £20.

They're nice, aren't they? There's one more thing, Jim.

In the centre, just hidden behind, is a cut-glass slipper.

It's just a pretty thing, isn't it?

It's just a pretty thing.

Almost an adornment in the cabinet, to show off the jewellery.

Eight pounds isn't a lot for it.

I think I shall leave the spade, fork, and knife.

If I said four pounds for him, that's a deal,

and with the watches,

I must remember they're not in great condition.

-Would you take £25 for them?

-I'll do that.

-Thanks, Jim.

Back at the first shop, David feels there's more good fruit to be picked

and he is getting passionate

about this late 19th-century Arts and Crafts plate.

It's got a nice William Morris type background,

and then the head,

with that very floppy collar all the way round.

At £68, I feel a haggle coming on.

Not surprisingly, Madeleine has left this one to colleague Mark.

There's only so much you can take.

£68 seems an awful lot to pay.

I would like to see it at about £40.

Time to phone the dealer.

Thank you.

That, I liked.

That OK? 40? Thank you very much, take care now, bye.

You're in luck, 40, it is.

£40, my God.

He's done it again.

And he's not finished yet.

I love the engraving of the fruit and vine,

and the dimpled effect.

It's hand blown and a nice piece.

Ticket price, £24.

Can you try him for £10?

-Yes, I will give him a call for you.

-OK.

-That's fine, he'll do that for £10.

-Oh, that's wonderful!

A bargain.

I think so, as well.

I'll say, at £10.

Right, let me out of this shop, before I buy it all.

I think they will only be too glad

to see the back of David's ruthless bargaining skills.

Charles is riding high, so decides to take a break.

Bad idea! David looks like he's going in for the kill

in his mate Jim's shop.

And what's the first thing he finds?

The very item local boy Charles was offered a £60 deal on.

Let's see if David can do better.

Want to put that price down.

It's a lovely replica, isn't it?

Isn't it nice? And Mappin and Webb, good makers.

Mappin and Webb are a famed company of silversmiths

and cutlery manufacturers, with roots going back to 1774.

This sweet miniature fork and spade set is probably late Victorian.

How lovely is that?

I can imagine a piece of Brie on the end of there, cutting it off.

Picking it out with the fork.

It's very nice, but £75 is just a little bit too much.

What's the very best price you can do on that?

£50?

I need it lower than £50.

Uh-oh! Out comes the Barby stare.

-I will do it for 42, for you.

-42?

£42, eh? What a pro.

Well, there's a lesson for you, Charles.

-James, thank you.

-Pleasure.

David is certainly the cat that got the cream.

So, there endeth the day's shopping.

Good night and sleep tight, road trippers.

It's a new day on our road trip and we start again in Lichfield,

but it appears one of our road trippers has had a rough time,

and it wasn't down to the shopping.

What's happened, David?!

-Well...

-David Barby, what's happened?!

-Look at that.

-Mate, what have you done?

-I tripped last night.

-You didn't?!

-Where?

-Straight into a garden bench.

-You didn't?!

-I did, it cut me just there.

This is a sympathy vote. I shall go in there, say, "What's the price...?

"..Oh! Sorry, could you repeat that?"

-Have you had stitches?

-There and there.

-How many?

Oh, I don't know. Glue and stitches. I feel like a panda.

And just as cuddly.

Well, he may be a bit down in the mouth,

but he is certainly not out, old love.

So far, David Barby has spent £142 on four quality lots,

leaving him just £58 to spend.

His rival, Charles Hanson, on the other hand,

has opted for more general items,

parting with a mere £74 on four auction lots.

And that's left him with a nagging regret.

I almost regret not buying one item.

In a cabinet was a sweet little knife and condiment spoon.

I just saw it and I could not get him down from £60.

Oh, very, very nice.

Seems David's not letting on.

Now, Charles has kindly volunteered to chauffeur poor David

to Lichfield's Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum

for an early-morning tonic of local history.

Well, in that fragile state, he can hardly be expected to drive himself.

It wouldn't be safe! Waiting for David

is museum curator Joanne Wilson.

Perhaps she'll perk him up.

-Hello!

-Hello!

-What a greeting. How are you?

-I'm very well, thanks. Welcome to Johnson's birthplace.

-Thank you.

Seems to be working.

Dr Johnson made literary history in the mid-18th century

with his dictionary of the English language.

He was born in this very house in 1709.

His early upbringing here laid the foundations for the monumental work.

Wow.

This was the Johnson family bookshop,

where Michael Johnson, Samuel's father, had the house built.

This was the family business and they lived above it.

This very room was where Johnson discovered his love of reading,

over 300 years ago.

Johnson left the family home in his twenties

to seek his fortune in London,

but it wasn't until 1747,

when he was commissioned to write the dictionary,

that he came into money.

Up until he started on that work, he was really quite a poor journalist.

It was only when he was approached, in 1747, to write the dictionary

that his fortunes changed.

Why did they choose him?

They chose him because he was getting known by the printers

and publishers in the area

as having a fantastic knowledge of literature,

almost an encyclopaedic mind, and it was this quality which made him

perfect for writing the dictionary.

Have you got examples of this work, this first dictionary?

We have, indeed! We have a first edition of his work over here.

My, my, my!

Johnson judged it would take three years to write.

In fact, it took nine,

despite having several assistants.

This is almost a trembling moment.

Something so part and parcel of English history.

There are over 43,000 definitions in Johnson's dictionary,

some of which we'd find quite quirky today.

His definition for oats.

A grain, which in England is generally given to horses,

but in Scotland supports the people.

DAVID LAUGHS

What's rather lovely is that the six assistants

who worked with Johnson on the dictionary were all Scottish.

Johnson was also known for his scruffy appearance,

and that's not been lost on the museum's costume department.

-Gosh, it's a scrubby wig.

-Well, he was a scruffy chap.

Was he, really?

Yes, it was actually said he'd have the front of his wig burnt, often,

because he'd been leaning over the candlelight to do his work.

Oh, God, that looks terrible. Oh!

You may need a hat, as well, to top it off.

Oh, this looks ghastly.

Oh, dear. I don't think he was a very good-looking guy, was he?

DAVID LAUGHS

Hmm. Hardly a picture of beauty, is it?

But, joking apart, it's not his wig, but his English dictionary

that Johnson will be best remembered for.

A remarkable piece of writing which remained pre-eminent for 150 years

before the Oxford English dictionary superseded it.

And after that tonic,

our intrepid road trippers are ready to bid goodbye to Lichfield.

They're heading south to Balsall Common,

a village seven miles west of Coventry.

And here lies Old Lodge Farm Antiques,

with Trevor and Diane on hand to meet and greet.

Good to see you.

-Trevor, I'll give you a call if I see anything I quite like. OK?

-OK.

Oh! Oh, there's a mouse! There's a mouse!

Sorry, sorry, sorry!

Oh, for goodness' sake, Charles, settle down.

It's a tiny shrew!

But for good measure, let's take another look.

Oh, there it is.

The only way to guard against a scary shrew is to get a defence,

and luckily, help is at hand.

-Oh, no!

-Charles, your armour.

-They'd be great shrew protectors.

-Yes.

They could be yours for £65, as well! Wait...

So your foot goes in like that.

I might even buy them, they're quite...

What's the best price on them?

What have we got on them? £65.

-Um...

-55?

-55.

There's a helmet as well?!

-Yes.

-Goodness me.

-Don't put it on, in case you can't get it back off!

Is the helmet inclusive?

I don't mind seeing to a shrew for you.

-Do you want me to see to him for you?

-Yes.

-Great.

Carlos, what do you look like?!

Armour came in varying materials, including leather, chainmail

and plate.

This suit, however, is a modern decorative version.

Diana, he won't go to 30, will he?

30 would be my price, if he would.

I know it's half price,

but I just think it would give me a good chance.

-What do you think? £30.

-All right, yes.

I came into an antique shop expecting to find

a glorious Royal Worcester vase, or a fine pair of silver pepperettes.

What have I bought?

An armour to protect myself from a shrew. Amazing what you come across.

So, with his new backseat passenger,

Charles heads nine miles east on a return visit to Coventry.

This time, he's got shopping on his mind.

Now, just as the proprietors of the Antiques Emporium have got rid

of one cheeky haggler, here comes another one.

Hello!

With two black eyes, maybe David needs a suit of armour too.

Unlike Charles, David only has eyes, be they a little sore,

for traditional antiques

like these attractive watercolours by local artist G Hammond.

The quality is quite good.

The artist, G Hammond, rings a bell there.

Either it's a local artist from the Leamington Spa, Warwick area,

or I have had his work before, coming through the salerooms.

-You've got £85, is that the pair?

-No, that's £85 each.

That's £85 each.

Is that the very best you can do on that one?

I can do £75 on that.

I was thinking something like 40.

No, I couldn't do 40.

The very, very best, I'll do 65.

Could you do 48?

I am not moving off 60.

Crikey, Moses!

The famous Barby stare has failed on Diane.

Maybe because it's so black.

It's just that I think I've only got £58.

I would have given it to him for nothing

just to get him out of the shop.

Anyway, he is on his knees - could this be a proposal?

I can go up to £55. That's my max.

£55.

I'll go £55, but...

SHE LAUGHS

Just when we all thought the deal was sealed...

This knock on my head, I can't remember the price we agreed.

-Was it 45?

-No, 55 was the final figure.

55. Let me give you £55.

Thank you very much indeed.

It must be tough handing over that last bit of cash.

So, with David all spent up,

it's left to Charles to wind up the shopping,

at Antiques of Earlsdon. The owner is Steve.

Looking for anything in particular?

Something a bit interesting, something that's highly decorative,

that's going to go down well.

Nothing like a bit of a desk set,

which we could do you a nice little...?

-That's the whole set there?

-A whole set, marble.

Yeah, it's nice, isn't it?

Sets like this would have taken pride of place

on a gentleman's desk,

made of solid striated marble.

You get a blotter, two inkwells and a stationery rack.

The whole lot would cost you £38.

It's missing its glass wells, isn't it?

It is missing its glass wells.

It's a bit tired, I like the style.

It's striking, it's quite jazzy,

but, Steve, they're difficult things to sell.

If I was going to buy this from you, I would buy it for five pounds.

I can't give it to you for a fiver, Charles. Sorry.

I was going to say, a tenner.

OK. Meet me halfway, at eight pounds.

Right, deal. Eight quid.

Go on! At eight pounds.

That was cheap.

Well, shopping over, let's recap on what our chaps have bought.

Charles has spent £112 exactly

on a glass slipper,

a pair of Victorian pocket watches,

a corner cabinet,

a pair of candlesticks,

a suit of armour, and a black marble desk set.

David, meanwhile, has parted with £197

on a pair of candle shades,

an Arts and Crafts plate,

a 19th-century vase,

a miniature spade and fork,

and a drawing of a hunt.

So what do they think of each other's goodies?

The vase, at £10, with the little dimples

and that wonderful included body is a wonderful find.

But I think David's bought with his mind in the clouds,

with what he likes, and he hasn't really bought for the saleroom.

So, hopefully, they might come unstuck, slightly.

I think Charles Hanson's items

was a huge eclectic mixture of goodies.

I think he is trying to back every avenue,

that he expects to find in the auction room.

So, after kicking off in Lichfield,

the first leg of this road trip

comes to an end in Coventry.

Their destination - Warwick Auctions.

Time to see if they've made the right choices.

Let the auction begin!

I feel apprehensive.

Positive, deep breathing, you're with me.

DAVID BREATHES DEEPLY

Right, are we ready now?

So, David's quirky candle shades are the first to face the bidders.

Lovely quality things, commission bids with me at £40.

-Wow! Fantastic.

-Five, anywhere? Five, I've got.

50 with me, five, sir, 60,

five, 70, five.

80, the bid is with me at £80.

Five, anywhere? And selling for £80.

And the sale room loves them! Well, who wouldn't?

That's a relief.

David's second item, the art pottery plate,

and another one he haggled hard for.

-£30 to start him...

-Sell it!

-Come on.

35 with me, 38, 40. Five takes me out. Bid is in the room at £45 only.

50, I've got. Five. Make no mistake, the bid is in the room at £55.

-And selling for £55...

-Down there!

-£60, he's back in, five.

Well pointed, Mr Barby.

And it's selling for £60.

And that's another profit.

Charles's turn now.

Can his glass slipper find its Cinderella?

Where do you want to bid for it?

-£100 for it?!

-Oh, brilliant!

Five pounds to start him off.

Must be worth £5. Eight pounds, I've got. 10.

-One more!

-10, I've got. £12.

-Great.

£15, £18?

-I don't believe this.

-And selling for £15.

Well, would you believe it?

If that can sell, surely David's in the money with his next lot!

A lovely, quality glass vase.

Where do you want to bid for that?

Five pounds to start him. Eight, 10, 12, 15, 18,

20, 22, 25.

28, anywhere?

Selling for £25...

Disappointing, but still a profit, David.

I can't believe you make £11 on the glass slipper,

and on the wonderful, wonderful glass vase, I only make £15.

Charles now needs a £55 profit to steal a lead.

Can his locally made watches seduce the bidders?

20 for them? Must be £20-worth of scrap.

£20, I've taken. 30, 40.

Gentleman standing up at £45. 50, anywhere?

Selling for £45...

-50, I've got on the internet.

-Yes, 50!

-God!

Five in the room.

-One more!

-60?

That's a good buy, Charles.

60 on the internet, five?

65, in the room.

Selling for £65.

Thank you, David. Thank you.

Now for David's star buy. Eat your heart out, Charles!

Commission bids start me at £45.

50, anywhere? 50, I've got.

Five with me, 60. Five with me, 70. Five, 80, five.

-The bid's with me at £85.

-Come on, come on, come on!

Selling for £85...

And I was so nearly tempted to buy them.

Yes, but you didn't...

Now, can Charles pull himself out of second place

with this battered half a cupboard?

If I was going to be nervous on any item

with you, David, this is it.

-Once, this would have been the best part of £200-300.

-Hear, hear!

-Ssh!

Where do you want to bid for it? £40 for it? 20 for it?

-Five pounds for it?

-Oh, my God.

-Oh, please!

-Hammer down! Come on, hammer down!

£10, I've got in the room.

I've got 12 on the Internet. 15, sir? 15, I've got.

-18?

-Oh, it's painful.

I've got 18, I've got, there. 20, two, 25. 28, anywhere?

Selling for £25...

Ouch! I bet that hurt.

-So, what's that? A loss of £10?

-I can't believe it.

Plus the commission you've got to pay.

Right. Let's hope David's picture can cheer us all up.

£20 to start him off?

22, I've got. £25, £28, £30, 40,

50, five, £60?

Any more? A cheap lot for £55.

60 is back in.

I've got 60 in the room. 65.

70, at the very back. Five, 80, 90.

Oh, somebody appreciates it.

95 on the Internet.

100. 110, on the net.

Selling for £110...

That's put David firmly ahead by £122, before auction costs.

-What a price!

-That was good. It was touch and go, Charles.

Can Charles's Maling candlesticks dent that lead?

Perfect condition.

£30 to start them?

10 for them?

-Five to start?

-I don't believe it!

-Five!

Five, I've taken.

Eight on the Internet.

10? I've got £10 in the room.

12, anywhere?

12, the hand. 15, 18,

20, on the Internet. Two?

Selling for £20.

Going, going, going, gone.

That's plus-ten Charles. You're good.

That's OK. I'm doubling up, David. I am on my way.

Ever the optimist!

I think, David, it all rests on my armour.

An interesting part suit of armour, ideal for a night out in the town(!)

Ha-ha-ha!

£20, I've taken. Two, anywhere?

22, I've got. 25, 28, 30, two?

32, I've got. 35, 38, 40, 42.

Selling for £40.

That's OK, £10 profit, David.

I'm nibbling, like that shrew almost nibbled me, David.

You need bites, not nibbles, to win this lark, Charles.

Now it's all down to that lump of a desk set.

Lord help us!

Where do you want to be for it? 10 for it?

£10, I've taken. The lady.

12, 15, 18, 20, two, 25, 28.

-Lady's bid of £25.

-Wonderful thing.

-Chipped.

Selling for £25...

Well, no surprises, there.

The winner...

is David Barby.

Congratulations, a good start. We're on the road.

David started this first leg of the Road Trip with £200

and, after auction costs, made a profit of £98.20.

Which means he ends this leg with £298.20.

Charles started on £200, but only made £43.80,

leaving him with £243.80 going into round two.

David, I've had enough of buying tat.

I am determined now that I'm either going out with a bang,

or I'm going to go out there and find the Rolls-Royce of antiques.

Job done. The gents are now leaving Coventry

and heading off into Worcestershire.

We are like Man Utd and Arsenal

competing for the trophy in series four.

-You are the Wayne Rooney of the Road Trip.

-Oh, dear.

This leg of the Road Trip

is a huge 300 mile sprint from Lichfield, south to Frome,

back up north to the Wirral Peninsula,

and ending in Nottingham for the final showdown. Gosh!

We're going to turn on our engines in Malvern and, if all goes well,

should end with the auction down in Pewsey.

-MUSIC: "Pomp and Circumstance"

-Ah. Elgar.

A bit of Pomp and Circumstance seems only fitting for Malvern

as the famed British composer lived much of his life here.

The town's also famous for its spring water, believed to have rejuvenating powers. Lucky David!

-We're here, David!

-What an adventure!

-I'm so excited

because I feel Malvern, with its spa feel, and its ambience of polite society, is my sort of place.

And you need to be rejuvenated, you've been talking too much.

We'll go and get some water. It's kill or cure.

-OK.

-There's the water.

-The Malvern water! This is it?

-Yes.

-Tell me about it.

-This is the whole basis of the fortune of Malvern.

It was rather like a watering place, like Bath or Tunbridge Wells or Cheltenham,

-and people came here to take the waters.

-So the purity...?

-You actually drink it!

-OK.

So by drinking it, it might just give me the strength to go out there and find these star lots?

-I hope not.

-I hope so! I'll drink some more now!

So, while Charles bounces off to the shops, newly invigorated...

Having had that water, I'm feeling quite lucky.

..David is in the car park thinking strategy and sensibly phones the auction house about the sale.

But there's a problem.

They start the viewing at half past eight, so we just have an hour and a half for our goods to be seen.

My immediate inclination is not to go for expensive items, but I don't want to buy rubbish.

Oh, dear! So with hardly any viewing time at the auction,

our experts will have to pull something special out of the bag.

And Charles is already in Promenade Antiques,

determined to spend his £243.

They call me Hawkeye Hanson, but thus far, nothing.

Well, it looks like the Hanson's radar's locked on to something

and Leslie's there to clear the decks.

It's a sweet table, but a bit tired.

-It does have this.

-Nice little birdcage action.

And there we go. And you can see

-it has got some filler here.

-Some repair.

-Repairs as well.

So a very nice little snap-top tea or occasional table,

in oak,

that will date to around 1790.

I would probably, Leslie, say to you £30.

-No, that's not enough.

-Going, going...

-Not enough.

-And the best price would be...?

-45 at the most.

-Would you take £40 for it, madam?

-I will.

-Thank you. Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

Meanwhile, David is down the road in Foley House Antiques.

The lovely Sid has the job of showing him round. Poor thing.

She looks so young, too...

Oh!

-Steady! You'll have the whole lot down.

-It's all right.

I like the Wedgwood mug. The 1969 mug.

There you go.

This is probably the best commemorative wares you ever buy.

It's Wedgwood. They're not producing this sort of ware.

It's all detailed on the bottom. Investiture of the Prince of Wales.

Most commemorative ware is made to mark a Royal event,

but sometimes it'll honour a noteworthy national occasion,

like the visit of a Pope. Unfortunately, Royal memorabilia is hard to shift.

-Is that yours?

-It's not mine. I could do it for 30.

Is that the lowest?

-£28 is the lowest.

-Is that the very best you can do?

-It's the very best, I'm afraid.

-The very best. Well, £28.

-Included with the box.

-Oh! Is that extra?

-It comes supplied.

-Thank you! That's lovely of you.

Elsewhere in the shop, Charles has some startling news.

I've found a bargain. I can't believe it!

-I've found a bargain.

-OK, Mr Hawkeye. What have you found?

I love it.

The whole voyage of my trip is about handling history.

And here you have got a true teapot which dates to around 1770.

Look at the handle. It's been broken and re-stuck.

The spout has long since gone.

But that silver spout would date to around 1800, 1810.

And this Chinese Chien-Lung Ching Dynasty teapot

with a Georgian silver spout is described as "an old Chinese teapot, very damaged".

It doesn't do this baby justice, does it?

No!

You're quite right.

-I found this in a cabinet.

-OK.

-It's priced at £8.50.

A very nice old Chinese teapot.

It's damaged, it's a bit tired, but it tells a story. Best price?

Em...

I could do it for £6.

I like it a lot. It's just the condition, it's slightly tired.

Take £4 for it?

-£5.50?

-Meet me at £5.

-Yeah, go on.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-Great. £5. That's great.

-Would you like it wrapped?

-Wonderful. Thank you very much.

It was a good deal at £8.50, but an even better one at £5.

Someone's very happy. And a little skip, too. How sweet.

David has abandoned Malvern

and hit the road for Tewkesbury, leaving Charles on his tod.

What's striking about this Gloucestershire town

is its black and white Tudor buildings

and its famed Norman abbey,

which was saved from dissolution in the 16th century

when the townspeople bought it for £453.

A bargain in anybody's money.

David's first port of call - Annie's shop.

Measuring just 18 feet by 9 feet, it's a squeeze, but everything's within stretching distance.

It's quite small, that one.

It's not me, is it?

I'll now look at myself... Oh, no! I look like something out of Laurel and Hardy!

-He's nodding in approval!

-Do you know, he really does?

Oh, and another. I'm not so sure. I prefer the bowler hat,

but these are hardly the eye-catching antiques you want.

Ah, but maybe that is!

What I like about it is it's 1960s. It has that sort of molten feel about it.

This is cased glass - you have a clear crystal glass and inside it that ruby glass.

And when the light's on it, it's very good indeed. People do collect this coloured glass.

This, he thinks, is a piece of 1950s Murano glass,

named after the Venetian island of Murano. The ruby interior with clear casing is typical

of the island's glass factory and others.

What's the best you can do on this?

Um...what's on there now?

An horrendous £16.

Um, that's not mine, so I can only really take off 10%.

My hands are tied. She'd probably go to 14. That would be the best.

-Wouldn't go to 12, would they?

-All right, 12, yes. I'll risk it.

Annie, you have a sale.

-Wish me luck.

-I will. Who are you up against?

-Charles Hanson.

All right, OK. Oh, no contest.

Well, we'll see.

Charles is taking a break from shopping to indulge his ferocious passion for history.

Oh, don't be misled by the house. There's a museum behind it.

-Steve!

-Charles!

-Charles Hanson. May I come in?

-Come on in.

Behind this ordinary-looking bungalow is an 80-foot shed,

and it houses Steve Wheeler's very unusual collection.

-Unbelievable, Steve.

-A lot of bottles from virtually everywhere, I suppose.

They are, in fact, milk bottles.

About 17,500 of them.

That's some 14 tonnes of glass.

The different sizes, shapes, and advertising on the bottles,

each tells a story of bygone days.

Can I ask one really important question? It's fundamental - why?

Because people throw them away.

There's social history in a milk bottle. It goes back and forwards from a milkman to a dairyman.

And then people just throw them out.

So how did it all begin, really?

Finding milk bottles on walks. If a bottle was found, I put it in the rucksack and took it home

to find out where it had come from.

That was 30 years ago. Since then he's got them from the strangest of places.

-How do you find these bottles?

-I'd say, "Who delivered your milk?" You'd say, "It was such and such."

I would then track down any family, was the dairy still going?

I would talk to electricians.

When they rewire a house, they find old milk bottles under the floor.

Ladies will find me an old milk bottle underneath the sink, used as a pint measure.

And I suppose size-wise we've got pints, half-pints, two pints.

Pint-and-a-halfs, quarter-pints, a third of a pint for a school.

I've even got gallons.

One of the stars of Steve's collection is this brown bottle.

It was the first ever British milk bottle, produced in the 1880s by Express Dairies,

and designed to ultimately replace the less hygienic milk churns.

Is this what most homes had their milk in, back in the 1880s?

-Yes, they would have had bottles like that.

-Right.

And aqua-green glass.

-A special patent bottle, Kilner's.

-Right.

The reason behind the colouring here was because the milk wasn't treated. It came straight from the cow.

They thought if it was on the doorstep in sunlight, it would last longer if the glass was tinted.

-Absolute rubbish.

-Yes, of course.

And a bottle for you. I have a spare one.

-Are you serious?

-Absolutely.

You're giving me a milk bottle that is named after me -

Hanson and Sons.

Model Dairy, Edge Lane. Steve, I'm absolutely blown away.

Back in Malvern, the day is drawing to a close

and David has one last visit to make -

Abbey Antiques and proprietor Tony.

With the auction day looming fast and no time to show off their items,

David wants to snap up something eye-catching.

It looks like he's found a lump of marble and a crystal ball.

It's either a carpet bowl - it goes along the carpet in one of those long halls.

Carpet bowls are a version of the indoor game, but what makes it distinct from other types

is the 30-foot-long bowling mat.

Date-wise, probably 19th century, early part of this century.

That is a stonemason's art.

At £10, that layered marble bowl

seems a bargain and it turns out the clear crystal jobby

is also a carpet bowl.

But David is still hunting for that attention-grabbing buy.

-I just want to put it over my face.

-Yes. Oh, good.

Don't say it's going to be an improvement!

I want to see where the eyes are placed. If I can see through it, then it's a genuine mask,

not one made as a tourist souvenir.

And that is brilliant.

Some would say an improvement. I can't tell.

-I can see everything that's going on. What does it look like?

-Fantastic.

A mask like this is traditionally used in ritual dances

and usually has a spiritual or religious meaning.

-What's the price on this?

-£90.

-Oh! I can't afford it.

-Would you do it at 50, please?

-No, certainly not.

-60, then.

-57.

-It'll just give me a chance.

-All right.

-At 57.

Thank you very much. I'd love to purchase that. Thank you.

Don't forget your balls, David.

-Now...

-Ah.

-I like these.

-What's the very best you can do?

-I'll do it for eight.

-For £8. The two for £8.

-Don't drop it! It's a deal.

-Thank you very much indeed.

So far, Charles has barely spent a penny.

£40, actually, on a tea table and £5 on a Chinese teapot,

tea being the theme of the day.

One lump or two, then, lads?

David, however, spent £105 and came away with four items,

including that scary African mask and those carpet bowls.

So, with the pressure on to buy something with a bit of va-va-voom to sell at a challenging auction,

our boys had better get cracking.

-Particularly you, Charles.

-See you.

Shirt's coming out.

-Come on.

-Silly boy. He's making a beeline for Attica Antiques.

Hello, how are you? Is it your shop?

-No, it's a dog, you fool. Mark's the owner.

-These are sweet.

They are a pair of late-Edwardian ladies pincushion boots.

If they were silver, they would fetch £1,000.

-It's very hard sometimes, knowing what to go for.

-For you, yes.

I always buy too much.

This picture on the wall. What do you think of it?

I think that is a genuine Louis Wain. Condition lets it down.

Louis Wain was a Victorian painter best known for his human-like cat drawings,

sometimes portrayed smoking or fishing.

-His work is popular and often forged.

-I don't know.

You look so closely...

It takes a specialist to say if a picture is the real thing.

A genuine Louis Wain could change hands for more than £1,000.

The ticket price on this piece is 70. Miaow!

It's a difficult one. The one issue with it, Mark,

is its condition,

but it's a picture which has a good look about it.

-What's the best price, Mark, on it?

-Well, I'd say 70.

I would probably want to offer... maybe half that. 30?

-Go on, then.

-Thanks, Mark.

-I'm vaguely happy.

£30.

Mark, if it can go back in the frame, that would be great.

-I'll have the other one.

-Thanks.

Charles is on a high, but he still needs something extra

if he's ever going to beat David at this selling game.

Let's pray Annie's tiny shop can spring a surprise.

What we've got here is a very nice little Doulton jardiniere, plant pot.

Marked Doulton, Lambeth. What I like is this delightful detail of gilding,

and opaque turquoise and white jewelling.

Again, we have got two chips here which will affect value greatly,

but it's only £12 and quite rightly when it is so cheap, it's being used for its function still.

And there's a plant.

Annie, what's in here? This is where you often find some real gems.

We've got a lovely little ivory ring rattle.

Also a very nice silver vesta case, which is hallmarked,

hallmarked for Birmingham with a date code - it's George V.

This is around the First World War, it's heavy, it's silver.

Silver's at a fairly strong level.

There are collectors of vesta cases and if you were a gent going to light a fag or cigarette,

you'd take your match out here, then you'd close that, strike it on there and then...off you go.

-All right, isn't it?

-It is. I like it.

-Silver vesta cases are collectable,

and at £38 is there a double deal to be done with the jardiniere?

-What's the best price on the jardiniere? Priced at 12.

-I could do five on that.

-£5.

-And on your decorative silver vesta case?

-30. 30 is the best.

-I do like it.

-35 for the two.

I would need to really pay about 20 for the vesta case and about five for the jardiniere.

I'll agree to 25. I don't like customers to escape.

£25. So I'm all set. See you, Annie! Bye-bye!

David, however, is taking the day in his stride like the master he is.

Our veteran antiques bloodhound is at Attica Antiques

and has found those very same shoe pincushions Charles spotted earlier.

-They're collectable, aren't they?

-They are attractive.

But there's so many reproductions, but these are quite genuine.

And those laces have been made for these shoes.

These little beauties date from around 1915, judging from the style of the shoe,

so fairly modern,when you think pincushions first emerged in the 15th century.

-They've got £24 on those.

-Mm-hm.

-What's your very, very best?

16.

I think that's a good price.

-You wouldn't do them for 12, would you?

-No. 14.

-£14.

-14.

-Thank you very much indeed.

There we are, Mark. That's 10 and that's 5. Thank you very much.

That's the shopping all over, so let's see what they've bought.

David has spent £119 on a Wedgwood tankard,

A 1950s Murano vase,

an African mask, a pair of carpet bowls,

and a pair of shoe pin cusions.

Charles, meanwhile, has splashed out exactly £100 on an oak table,

a teapot, a watercolour of a cat taking tea,

a silver vesta case, and a jardiniere.

So what do they think of each other's goodies?

I thought his picture after Louis Wain was dreadful.

Absolutely dreadful.

It's blatantly a forgery, a fake, a faux.

His only real problem might be with that little African mask head,

which could just falter at £57.

David's big success will be the delightful Murano vase.

It will also do well.

It's the day of reckoning.

After kicking off in Malvern, this leg comes to an end in Pewsey,

a pretty Wiltshire town

which sits on a stretch of the 87-mile Kennet and Avon Canal.

The Jubilee Auction Rooms

will be the backdrop for our trippers, and the tension is building.

-Shall we hold hands for good luck?

-Just not too long, please.

Steady, lads.

So it's David's ruby glass vase to start.

-Lot 162.

-Come on, David.

It's the 1950s Murano clear and ruby glass vase.

£30 for this. 30? 20?

10, then?

10, thank you. At £10, at £10. Take 12 now.

At £12, seated. At £12. 14.

-That's a good price.

-At £14, then. Lady's bid down here. All done at £14.

Well, it's a profit, but David's not happy.

-It's unbelievably disappointing.

-I think we're in for a bloodbath,

but if we go down together, we go down together fighting, OK?

Oh, crumbs. Let's hope David's Wedgwood mug can put a smile back on his face.

-£20 for this.

-Come on.

-10 away.

-Come on.

-10 somewhere, surely.

-A couple of pounds?

-10 I've got.

-At £10 for the Queen's ware.

-Absolutely devastating.

At £12, then, in the doorway at 12.

Oh, dear. That's giving it away.

Now for that controversial Louis Wain picture.

Very, very, very attractive little picture in the style of Louis Wain.

It might make £5. If it does, c'est la vie, David. We're in it together.

-I've got commission bids and open the bidding at £20.

-£20! Come on!

At £20. Take 2. 22. 22.

-24, commission.

-Come on. Keep going.

-I can't believe it!

-26, sir. Outside at 26.

28, commission. At £28.

A commission bid against you all at £28.

That's a shame, but thanks for coming.

If only you'd gone with your gut feeling, Charles.

I'm getting rather excited now.

This is my major piece coming up. It's the Mali mask.

20 I'm bid. 22 now. 22.

-24, sir. At 24.

-Come on.

At £24. The bid's on my left at £24. All done.

Oh, no! A £33 loss and David's feeling the pain!

I'm just collapsing.

-So, can Charles get lucky with the vesta case?

-20 I've got.

-Oh, come on! It's worth that.

-25. 28. 30.

Take 2, sir. 32. 32.

At £32, then. Seated at 32.

Well done, Charles. You made a profit of £12. That's excellent.

Charles is all smiles.

Now David's got to hit the jack with his carpet bowls.

-10 I've got, commission bid. At £10.

-That's profit.

-A profit!

16. At 16. £18, commission.

-At £18...

-One more!

-Well done.

All done at £18.

-You made £10.

-£10 profit.

Yeah, but David's still slipping behind.

Can he stitch a comeback with these pincushions?

I almost bought these. Please don't make too much.

£30? 10?! Does anyone like them?

At £10 I'm bid. 12, sir, thank you.

Come on! One more bid!

-14. At 14. 16.

-I can't believe this!

At £16. And finished. 16.

Ha! A small profit, but will it be enough to take the lead?

The way the auction's going, with things falling so far short, this teapot could make £10.

Will I be upset? Yes, I will be.

I hope there won't be tears.

£20? 10, then. Thank you, sir. 10 I'm bid. £10 only.

At £10. At 10. 12. 14.

Come on! This is crazy.

At £14. At 14. 16. 18.

At £18. At £18 and I'm going to sell it at £18.

You made a profit. I'm making losses. So don't grumble.

You tell him, David!

Now for Charles's jardiniere with the hairline crack -

and minus the plant.

It could be yours. Doulton, Lambeth. There it is. Have a go.

-It could be yours!

-I'm up here, you're down there. For a reason.

-My apologies, sir.

-Thank you. 10 I've got. £10 bid.

At £10. 12, thank you. That worked.

14 with me. At 14. 16 in the room.

At £16, then. I'll sell for 16.

Charles is scenting blood.

I am now £34 profit.

-And still got your table to come.

-And here it is.

The apparently 226-year-old tripod table.

Is victory at hand for Charles?

If this table can at least break even, we're almost neck and neck.

-40.

-You're in.

-45.

-That's good.

-One more.

-At 50.

At £50. Bid's on my left.

Good!

And the winner is...Charles!

I think we deserve a cup of tea.

Yes, we do. Come on, David. Well done. I'm delighted.

David started this leg with £298.20

and after auction costs made a loss - ooh - of £50.12,

leaving him with £248.08.

Charles began with £243.80 and made £18.08 after costs,

putting him in the lead with £261.88 going into the next leg.

He still looks a bit moody, though.

-Congratulations.

-Can you believe it?

-I shall chauffeur you...

-I'm now ahead of David Barby!

-I've been in your position many a time.

-How does it feel?

-What?

-Losing to me.

-I want to cry.

Ha-ha!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd