Episode 7 Antiques Road Trip

The nation's favourite antiques experts,

£200 each and one big 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?

Sold.

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

But it's not as easy as it looks,

and dreams of glory can end in tatters.

HONKING

So, will it be the fast lane to success

or the slow road to bankruptcy?

That's the sweat over.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

Today, ladies and gentlemen, auctioneers James Lewis

and Anita Manning are going head-to-head in Norfolk.

And it seems someone's getting a wee bit competitive.

-How much have you got to spend?

-I've got...

Not as much as me!

THEY LAUGH

Yet, James, yet!

So far, James has turned his original £200 stake

into a marvellous £428.20.

As for Anita, she's currently sitting on £306.84,

which makes James the undisputed champion so far.

Although, as our experts take their 1970s VW Beetle

on the third leg of their Road Trip, anything is possible.

The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley.

-It's Robert Burns.

-Robert who?

-ANITA LAUGHS

-Oh, James!

This road trip is taking us from Pateley Bridge, Yorkshire,

and heading south via East Anglia and on to the West Country,

ending up, we hope, in Cirencester.

But today, we're kicking off in Fakenham,

and we'll end this leg with an auction in Aylsham.

Situated on the River Wensum, Fakenham owes much of its

good fortune to Henry VIII because when he abolished

the monastery in the neighbouring town of Heston, suddenly this

market town became the stopover of choice for weary pilgrims.

So, what better place for our experts to park the VW

and conduct a little commerce?

-20 dealers, James.

-That's 10 each.

-OK.

Though, one shop, two experts - things can get messy.

There's only about £100 between James and I,

and it's possible to catch up and go forward, that would be fun.

But James is a formidable opponent. Oh, he's a cracker.

-He's a hard guy to beat.

-I'll say.

Already he's found something he likes.

-It's probably French. It's Art Deco.

-And a snip at £35.

The inkwell is typically Art Deco.

They're straight lines, very architectural in style.

And inside, a little glass liner.

My problem is, again, I think my heart might be ruling my head.

I'd like to have that on my desk.

James is still at that cabinet down there.

I'm just waiting for him to go away.

I heard that!

-Hello, darling!

-Hello!

Not much longer, Anita, he's called Mandy over.

It's got a bit of something about it.

But, a bit of breakage on the top there.

-Yes, it's sad that so many things are damaged, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-That would need to be about 20.

-25?

I was thinking 15, but 20 would be my max.

Can I split it with you, £22.50?

I can't. I can't, that's...

If I was going to go for it, it would have to be that.

-OK, go on, 20, I'll do that.

-OK.

-With the deal done...

-Thanks very much.

..and the cabinet finally vacated,

it's Anita's chance to find something gorgeous.

And she's thinking Murano. Not one piece but two.

Here's another piece here.

It's got that nice weight in it, a nice polished base.

And that's rather pretty.

Together, a nice wee lot,

but it all depends on the price I can get it for.

Together, they're priced at £20, but naturally,

Anita's motto is "never pay retail".

I'd be looking to buy the two of them for 10. Would that be possible?

-OK, let me go and make a phone call.

-OK.

Not exactly high-stakes negotiation but every penny counts.

-He says the best on those would be 14.

-14?

-Yes.

-Could you ask him if he'd go to 12?

-I could do that for you.

Thank you, Mandy, thank you.

I know he will cos he already told me.

SHE LAUGHS

-He said, "Try 14 and if they won't do it, I'll take 12."

-Oh, Mandy!

Right, here we go.

Our next stop on this road trip is Holt,

a small market town with rather a colourful history.

Yep, from the plague of 1348,

which saw the surprising demise of 23 priests,

to the great fire of 1708 which destroyed the entire town,

Holt is no stranger to drama or antique shops.

-I'm James.

-Nice to see you.

-What a fantastic shop.

-Just how they used to be 20 years ago.

-My prices are going down!

-Good, I'll have a wander.

-Now, that's a little mercenary, James.

Although, considering you love the old-school nature of the shop,

I'm surprised - have to say delighted -

that you're ultimately drawn to this collection.

Could you tell me about these?

They don't seem to fit in your policy of glass and ceramics.

-My son has joined the business.

-OK.

-These are mammoth teeth with the roots here.

-That's wonderful.

This is a mammoth tusk.

Now, bones can be highly saleable IF they have the right provenance,

and Richard says this collection's from the late 19th century

and was purchased from a Norfolk country house.

So, given that they're new to the market,

they might stir a bit of interest.

-My son's put 480 on the collection.

-Oh, right.

-Yes.

Good heavens, that is a lot of interest.

Would you be able to do it for 200?

-Would you be able to phone him and ask?

-I'll phone my son, shall I?

-Thank you. Just see what he says.

-Right.

Well...I don't know. Maybe I'm mad, offering £200.

It's a collection of old bones, at the end of the day. It's...

But it's different.

In a way, I hope I get the answer, "No, they won't take £200!"

because I think to offer £200 for that lot might be slightly bonkers.

-I've been in touch with my son...

-Yes.

..and he said...

..£250 would be the very best.

JAMES SIGHS

It's too much. It's too much for me, I think.

So, the sensible thing to do here is walk away. Right, James?

My right hand is just waiting to come out.

-An extra 10, would it make any difference to him?

-220.

-Oh, blimey!

The more you hesitate, the more it'll go up.

215 and you've got a deal.

And I am completely insane.

-Well, I think you are making a bad mistake, really.

-Do you?

-Yes.

In search of a less expensive purchase,

James has moved on to Mews Antiques,

but Peter is proving to be quite the salesman.

-If you can find the name on it, you've got a hell of a piece.

-Yeah.

-I've been looking at that for a long time.

-I wish.

-It ought to say something, "Glasgow School" or something like that.

-Yeah.

-But...

-It doesn't.

-It doesn't, no.

There's a great big hole, as well.

It's been repaired, it's as I got it, on the bottom there.

And just in case you're wondering, it's an Arts and Crafts log bin,

embossed rather nicely with Viking galleons in choppy seas, circa 1890.

What could that be?

-75's our very best on that.

-75, yeah.

-It's worth it all day long.

-For me, I'd be looking at about 45.

-Can't do.

-No.

I don't mind giving you a fighting chance,

but I'm not going to cut my throat.

I don't blame you, I wouldn't want you to.

Yeah, I'd be looking at 50, 55.

-Oh, you're not going to toss a coin for it! Oh, no!

-If you're game, I am.

-65 upper, 50 lower.

-45 lower.

-No, too far out.

You've got to leave me something in it.

-You've got to leave me a chance, too!

-Too right.

-60-50 then.

-Done.

Go on. I'll have heads.

-Tails, my son.

-Tails. Oh! You've got a deal, £60. Done.

-I didn't even want it!

-Nobody comes in here for anything they want!

-They certainly don't come here for anything they need.

-Like a haircut!

And something else James doesn't need is...

-This weird thing here.

-Oh, that marvellous device.

Handle him tenderly.

Now, the gong is an ancient Chinese custom used to signal

peasant workers in from the fields.

This one, however, is more ornamental, probably English

and dating back to the 1920s.

-Ticket price - £42.

-£20, it needs to be.

Ooh, I really don't know, we'd have to ask.

If we get in touch with the guy,

whether he's remotely going to consider that.

It's a long way short.

-See if you can make him feel sorry for me!

-Right, I'll go and ask.

Thank you.

£20 is the absolute limit.

I'm not budging, I'm not tossing a coin.

-Just as well, when the dealer's answer is..."Yes."

-Deal.

-There you go.

-Deal.

Leaving James and Anita to end the day's shopping

with a game of twenty questions.

-Is it some weird and wonderful, obscure thing?

-Yes.

-Is it?

-Yes!

-Is it lovely to look at?

-No.

Am I going to love it or hate it?

-Hate it.

-Am I?

-Yeah.

Time for James to take his mind off his troubles for a while

as he's dropped off in the village of Thursford.

It's here you'll find the Thursford Collection,

something that started as a hobby for the late George Cushing

and has ended up becoming one of the world's most important

steam and fairground museums,

though these days the man in charge is his son John.

-John, great to see you.

-And you.

-I've heard so much about this place.

-Let me show you around.

-Love to.

The tradition of fairs dates back at least 800 years

and was a chance for traders to sell their wares.

Over time, acrobats, musicians and performers also joined the mix.

But what really revolutionised the experience was steam,

providing everything from the rides to the music.

Oh, look at that! So when was this made?

Well, this would have been made before the war,

this is actually a German organ. It was overhauled

and Father bought it in '62 or '63, I think.

Just because he loved the sound.

It brought back his childhood memories

when he went to the fair and heard nothing but fairground organs.

-Does it still play?

-Indeed it does. We'll crank it up.

-Come on, then.

FAIRGROUND MUSIC

-That is absolutely incredible, it's so loud, isn't it?

-Yeah.

But I suppose, in the hustle and bustle of a fairground,

-it needed that volume to get an attraction.

-It did.

Of course, there were many other fairground organs

in the fair at that time, including inside the rides.

In the 1860s, the arrival of the steam-powered merry-go-round

had some people fearing for their children's lives.

But despite their concerns of injury and explosion,

the ride went on to become a classic.

I've never seen one of those.

Well, you wouldn't have done,

-because this is the only one in the world.

-Is it, really?

It's really an antique, yes.

-At the time, people would stand 50 deep to watch this.

-Really?

Yeah, just going round.

Not only is this penny ride the only one of its kind,

it's also a local, produced in the Norfolk factory of Frederick Savage.

It was always rumoured that when the showmen paid for these things,

they would take sacks of pennies to pay for them.

Wow.

And the people who built them

-obviously had to count all those pennies out.

-Yeah.

-Does this still work?

-Indeed it does, yes. We run this every day.

-Would you like a ride?

-I was hoping you were going to say that!

Come on, lead the way.

Of course, the organ would be playing.

I never went to sea because I got seasick.

The feeling's coming back to me.

HE LAUGHS

Oh, James, you big old girl's blouse!

You just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Anita's headed to the seaside town of Sheringham,

the jewel in the north Norfolk coast

where she's greeted by another classic.

Maybe you could exterminate your competitor with some fine finds in here, Anita!

SHE LAUGHS

-Could be an interesting shop. Love your Dalek.

-He's gorgeous, isn't he?

-Is he for sale?

-No, no, no!

Perhaps just as well. Best we see what else Glenda has to offer.

There's certainly a diverse range.

And after the most thorough of searches,

Anita's rather keen on this.

Good quality, no name. Probably Italian. Probably Murano glass.

(I quite like that.)

While Murano glass dates back to the 10th century,

this piece practically screams the early '70s.

But not to worry, in the world of antiques and collectables,

glass is hot right now.

Which could explain why there's no price tag, or it's fallen off.

-Could I make an offer?

-Yeah.

£20. That's what I'd like to pay on him.

-OK.

-Shall we go for it?

-We'll go for £20.

-But Anita's not done yet.

Something curious has caught her eye. No, not that, this.

-This is a shortbread mould.

-Yeah.

-And it's probably late 19th-early 20th century.

-Think so?

-It's a country piece.

-It is, yes.

Actually, I think that country might be Scandinavia.

And given the size of the mould,

it was probably used by a high-street baker.

But £45? Really?

If I was buying this,

I would be looking to buy it in the region of £12-18.

-Right. I would've liked it as close to 20 as possible.

-How about 15?

-OK.

-Can we do 15?

-We'll do 15.

-That's wonderful, thank you very much.

Thank you.

After a slow start yesterday,

Anita now has three auction lots up her sleeve.

AND she's got her determined stride on.

Though things aren't going nearly as well for James,

as I'm afraid there's bad news about the fossil collection.

'I think that yesterday when you were in the shop, you asked my dad

'if they came from a local auction

-'or if they came from a country house.'

-Yeah.

'And he got muddled up, they actually came from both.

'They came from the local country house,

'but I bought them at auction.'

Oh, right. Where did you buy them from?

'I bought them from a Keys auction,

'from their antiques sale, which is in Aylsham.'

I know exactly where it is. That's where I'm taking them to.

-'Ah! OK.'

-OK.

Even worse, at that auction they sold for £70.

Oh, jeez!

But the good news is Luke's prepared to refund two-thirds

of the £215 James gave him. Wow!

If I give you a fiver profit, and took them to Keys and just...

just because they are the most wacky things I have ever seen,

what would you say?

'Actually, yes, let's do it.'

-Will you?

-'Yup. I would be happy to do that because this is a mess that I have made.'

Ah, yes. So that we are all clear here,

as the fossils have recently been bought from

the auction house we are going to, Luke is kindly dropping the price from £215 down to £75.

Which hopefully means all parties are happy.

A very honest mistake made by his dad.

He has been an antiques dealer there for over 40 years

and to still take a much reduced profit.

But at least he has made a fiver, it is a couple of pints in the local pub.

Oh, good, a happy ending, I think, particularly for James.

Our next stop - Cromer -

a popular resort town often referred to as the gem of the Norfolk coast.

Oh, lovely! Lovely!

And there are lovely shops like Brisbane Antiques for Anita to browse.

-BELL RINGS

-Hello, it is lovely to meet you and be in this fabulous wee town.

-Yeah, excellent.

-This looks nice.

Yes, very nice and before long our canny Scot is finding herself

quite excited by Philip's knick-knacks.

This is rather sweet. It is a little ivory box.

And this cartouche here is probably gold.

I think this is probably Georgian.

It is a period piece.

And, because it is pre-1947, as far as the ivory goes

it is legal and above board.

Inside is a little toothpick.

This is the type of thing that a fine Georgian gentleman would

have in his pocket, and after lunch would take his little ivory box out,

take his little silver toothpick out and make himself lovely again.

And for the ladies,

Anita is thinking this gold brooch - Edwardian and fabulous.

It has a lovely turquoise and little row of seed pearls.

Now, this is in the shape of a wishbone.

Maybe if I buy this brooch I might get my wish to make a profit.

Well, if anyone can twist Philip's arm, it's you, Anita. Watch out!

I quite like the wee ivory box. Could it be sold for £45-£50?

I'd do a straight 50 on that

and that would give you a chance on that. And 60 on that.

I tell you what, what I would like to buy the two for is £100.

-That is what I would like to buy the two for.

-I will do 100.

-Would you?

-Yeah, that will give you a chance.

Oh, you're a darling! Thank you so much!

As for James, he's in Aldborough,

looking round the village antiques store.

And after a wee bit of looking and some chin-rubbing,

James has found something to get his brain ticking.

As you'd expect for an Arts and Crafts style clock, it is carved in oak.

And at the top here we have these very stylised flag irises.

The whole shape is typical of the Arts and Crafts period - 1870, 1890.

With a very plain dial and the screws are prominent, not hidden.

Because the idea of the Arts and Crafts is you show how it's made.

It is, however, not as early as it looks.

It's 20th century, probably around 1930,

maybe even later than the Arts and Crafts style.

-How much is it?

-I could do 30 quid.

-I don't think it would make...

-By the time the commission gets taken off.

-This is the problem. 25.

I think there is a profit in that one.

OK, that is something to think about.

What is this one, this little chap here?

-Oh, it is not as nice, is it?

-No.

I'll do the two for 30 quid.

-Now there must be a profit.

-30?

Would 20 buy them?

-By the time they take the commission off.

-I know.

-Hang on, I'll get my handkerchief out in a minute.

-Go on.

-25. How's that?

-That's a deal.

-OK.

That's James done and dusted then, and just moments

after his departure, guess who's also in the neighbourhood?

Hi! Are you Terry?

-Lovely to meet you.

-What are you doing here? I just seen a friend of yours a while ago.

-Has that big besom James Lewis been here?

-Yes, he certainly has.

-Has he bought all the bargains?

-Well, he may have done.

-Oh, no!

I am not 100 percent sure.

Don't you worry, Anita,

I'm sure Terry will hand you a bargain on a platter(!)

This wee thing here, it's not a thing of any great significance.

Not going to make a lot of money,

BUT I have another two items which I thought

I might put THIS with my other items to make a wee lot.

Well, you're going to tell me you are hard up and you need to make a profit, so three quid?

ANITA LAUGHS

-How's that?

-It is a very generous sort of price. But...

I thought there might be. What?

I am looking to put it with another item.

It is just to bulk up the item

and I was wondering if you could give me it for £1?

Oh, take the damn thing! God!

And so, shopping over, let's see what they bought.

James started this leg with a very solid £428.20

and after paying a reduced price on that fossil collection,

his total spend comes to £200 for five auction lots.

Dem bones...

The Art Deco inkwell...

The ornamental gong...

The log bin...

And two clocks.

Anita meanwhile, began with £306.84

and has been just as frugal as ever, spending just £148

also on five auction lots,

consisting of the shortbread mould...

The glass pussycat...

The ivory toothpick box...

The Edwardian brooch...

And the mix of Murano glass and pottery.

But what do our experts really think of each other's items?

James' two clocks might struggle.

They are standard auction fare.

And this type of item has gone down in price.

But the little clock with the enamelled face deserves £25,

but maybe only in a retail situation.

I think he might be lucky to get out of that one.

I don't think Anita's got anything that's going to make big money.

But then again,

I don't think she's got anything there where she's going to lose either.

She's been very canny in the way she's spent,

hasn't spent very much money at all.

Whereas I have spent loads more money. Loads more.

After teeing off in Fakenham,

Anita and James end this leg

with an auction showdown in the country village of Aylsham.

Our experts are taking their wares

to the weekly auction at Keys Auctionners

with James having won the first two legs of this trip.

So, without further ado, let the auction begin!

First up, Anita's 1960s Murano glass pussy. Meow!

At 30 in the middle of the room now. 32 at the back. 32.

35? 35. 38? 38.

40? No encouragement from the front there. 40 there. At 40.

42? 42 now. We will take it then at £42...

We're off to an exciting start!

That's a pre-commission profit of £22.

Well done.

Let's see if James' Arts and Crafts log bin can do better.

£50 start? £30 start? £30. I'm bid at 30.

32, I have in the middle of the room now. 32.

A fresh bid at 35. 38.

At 38, the hammer is up, I shall sell then. At £38...

Well!

That was disappointing.

-I thought it would do more than that.

-I mean, really?!

Huge loss.

£22, to be exact, old bean.

Although, on a happier note, if you would like to make the world's

biggest shortbread biscuit,

then look no further than Anita's next lot.

Look at that! How striking!

Opening bid here, beside me at 30.

You are all out in the room, at £30 I have.

At £30. 32.

35? 35. 38? 38? 38. 40?

42. Right-hand side, takes it then at 42...

So far our canny Anita is in the money.

That is another profit of £27. Hooray!

Time for James' collection of early 20th-century clocks.

Which even HE is beginning to doubt.

I like the stylised irises. It is a good heavy solid oak clock.

The other one's an also-ran.

£50 is the opening bid beside me now.

At 50, 50 the opening bed is 50. 55.

-60. 65.

-Go on!

-He's got a bid on the book.

70, 75. 80. 85. 90.

Right beside me at 90.

All done then at 90. £90 goes to commission.

Bravo, James. That's a sensational profit of £65.

That was good. That was... Stunned into complete silence.

Onto Anita's mixed lot now,

which from Murano glass

to Scandinavian pottery, has it all.

£10. Five for it? Do I hear £5 anywhere for it?

Five pounds. Five. Eight?

Do you want 10, madam? Ten it is now. At 10.

12 in the middle of the room.

At 15. A fresh bidder. At 15.

At 15 then and selling. 15.

I thought they were going to sell it at five for a minute.

I know. Maybe you should have taken that plaque for nothing!

Yap, a poor showing there. But moving on...

it's James' Art Deco desk stand.

Finely adorned

with a family of heffalumps!

Starting me at £50 on this lot here? At 50? 30? £20 start.

20, I'm bid in the middle of the room.

20? 20? 22?

25, 28. 30. 32.

35. 38. 40. 42. 45.

48. 50. 55. 60. 65.

70. 75. No. 75.

At 75. 75 and all done.

Hammer's up and away then at 75.

Well blow me down, that's a result and a half!

Not to mention a £55 profit pre-commission.

Something to trumpet about.

Yup, here is hoping the bidders are just as passionate

when it comes to Anita's Edwardian gold brooch.

-I think we both liked that.

-Yeah, the wishbone.

-Yeah!

£40 is the bid beside me here.

-Straight in at what you paid.

-£40 now. At 40, 42. 45. 48.

50? No. At 50. 55, fresh bidder. 55.

60. 60 beside me. Still at 60. You're out in the room.

60. £60 goes to commission.

Not a bad result. But we were hoping for better.

-Next it's James' rather amusing table gong.

-We will start at £50.

50? 30? Is the bid at 30?

32 - I have now. At 35. 38. 38, 40?

£40. Now at 40.

40. 42. 45?

45, 48 at the back now. At 48.

48. The hammer's up, I will sell at £48. £48.

-That is a good profit.

-It is.

I am happy with that.

And so you should be, James.

£28, that is not to be sniffed at.

One of my favourites now -

Anita's Georgian ivory toothpick box,

complete with silver toothpick.

That is a lovely classic little Georgian antique.

46 is the opening bid. 46. 46. 46. 48.

48. A fresh bid at 50. 55 now.

At 55. At 55 now. Hammer's up. We will sell then. At 55.

Oh, a bit disappointed at that.

I'll say. That was very surprising.

But the drama isn't over yet.

We are ending with a lot that's

no stranger to this auction house -

it's James' infamous

fossil collection.

Anybody start me here at £100 on this lot here? £100 is the bid.

It is right beside me here. We have an opening bid of £100 now.

The hammer is up at £100 and selling. £100 goes to commission.

Never mind, you made a profit, James.

Yes, against the odds, too.

The story of James' fossils has a happy ending, for James.

Anita, though, started this leg with £306.84.

And has made a modest profit of £27.48.

Giving her a grand total of £334.32

to spend going forward, bless her.

James, meanwhile, began with £428.20.

And after another cracking auction,

he's made a profit of £87.82, which means the lead is still his

with £516.02 in the kitty. Cheer up!

What a day. Do you know, I will never ever try and predict an auction again.

The things that we thought were going to do well didn't.

And other things that we weren't too sure about went up in price.

-Yeah, completely crazy.

-Where are we going, James?

-Suffolk.

-That sounds nice.

-I've never been to Suffolk.

-Neither have I.

-Adventure.

-Adventure.

This trip kicked off in Pateley Bridge, Yorkshire

and now heads south, via East Anglia,

and on to the West Country,

reaching its conclusion in Cirencester.

But right now, we're en route to Needham Market in Suffolk

and we'll end this leg with an auction in Bedford.

Back in its day, Needham Market thrived, thanks to wool.

But the plague of 1663 put something of a spanner in the works,

as the town was ultimately chained off

and two thirds of the population perished. Oh, dear.

OK, darling. I'm going on to the next town. Have fun in there.

-I will.

-And remember, James...

-spend, spend, spend.

-Not a chance!

-You spend if you want to. Not me.

-THEY LAUGH

So, as Anita heads off James enters his first shop,

weighed down by his hefty £516.

-Hi.

-Hi, how are you?

-I'm James, nice to see you.

-Ellie.

-Hi, Ellie. Hi.

And here, in the Station Yard Emporium,

there's a little something for everyone.

That's a nice little thing.

Good, practical, useful box.

Bridge written across the front.

Little angles on it, even got the original playing cards

and a drop-down front.

But the great news is that bridge is as fashionable today as it was then.

Anita's hurtling towards

the historic market town of Framlingham

or, as the locals call it, Fram.

This neck of the woods is also where, in 1553,

Mary Tudor took refuge and gathered supporters

in order to campaign for her rightful place on England's throne.

And speaking of campaigns,

Anita is to finally outbuy that old rogue James Lewis with her £334.

-Hi, I'm Anita.

-Hello, Anita.

Which brings her to Witchball Antiques,

a shop she is already just a little bit in love with.

-Those, there's two prints, there.

-Oh, right.

The National, Grand National.

Nice choice, though these John Beer prints of the 1903 Grand National

are priced at £145 the pair!

-Jill, we're in horsey country.

-Yes, definitely. That's for sure.

We're going to an auction in Bedford, which is not too far,

surely there must be interest in horses there?

-Absolutely.

-I do like them.

In that case, go on, make Jill an offer.

I dare you.

They're a wee bit dear for me.

Is there anything that we can do on price?

I'll get down to 60, but I can't do any better.

That is actually what I paid for them.

That's what you paid for them. You can't come any lower than that?

I don't want to take a loss.

To tell you the truth, I can't resist them, so it's a deal. Thank you.

Well done, Anita.

Back in Needham Market, James has found something else he likes.

To start with, we've got the city, Worcester, 1902.

Obviously, it tells you exactly what it is.

It's a plate made for the coronation of Edward,

Queen Victoria's son.

But you often get these in Staffordshire pottery

and they're fairly cheaply made most of the time,

but this one is a porcelain.

Turn it over and it has the Royal Worcester mark.

Turn it back and it has the same price tag as the bridge box.

My favourite price of £22.50.

I'll ask what their best is on that.

And I'll see if I can do a deal on that.

See how we go.

The woman to talk to is our Ellie.

What would be, what could you do that for?

Are they very flexible at the front, there?

Well, it would normally be 20.

-18?

-18, OK.

The same for that one, I think.

-35 for the two.

-35.

-That would probably be the best on them.

-OK.

The only thing that's worrying me about that is the fact it's lost a tray inside.

It should have a little tray in there.

If they could be 30, I would take them.

-Yeah.

-OK. 30 on those, that's a definite yes, then.

That was easy, wasn't it?

How is Anita getting on?

This is a little miniature microscope.

I like miniature things and they are very appealing to the buyers.

I think we are going into a collectors' sale, so this

is the type of thing which might be of interest to the buyers there.

It would have perhaps been used in maybe the turn of the century,

beginning of the 20th century.

I'm going to ask the price of it and see if I can get a deal on it.

As for the ticket price, £45.

I'd like to be buying it in the region of...15-20.

Is it possible anywhere near that?

I think it would probably have to be about £30. I don't think I can do any better than that.

I don't know if I'd be able to make a profit on that.

OK, I'll continue looking. There was another thing I was looking at.

The clock. The brass clock.

Hmm... Not bad, and by the look of it,

I think we're talking the Arts and Crafts period here.

I like the shape, I like the embossed flowers here. And it's ticking away.

-Your husband's sorted that out.

-It does go.

Would I be able to buy that for about 20?

-Can I just...? Maybe 25, but I'd have...

-To ask the boss?

-Yes!

I thought you were the boss!

The thing is, the many clocks in this shop belong to Jill's husband, who repairs them for a living.

The final say on this goes to him.

-Anita.

-How did you get on?

-I can do £30 on that for you.

But the other piece, the little microscope, he can do 20.

-He can do 20?

-Yes. So does that help?

Ah-ha. It helps...

-What it's given me now is a dilemma, which one do I like the most?

-I see. Which one to buy?

If I take two of them, can you knock another wee bit off?

-How about 45 for the two?

-45, will we go for it? It's a deal! Thank you so much.

Extremely chuffed with the morning's shopping,

Anita's next stop is what's considered to be

the birthplace of thoroughbred horse racing.

Where else but Newmarket?

After all, they've been racing here as far back as 1622

and currently, the town is home to more than 50 trainers,

not to mention 3,000 racehorses,

making it the logical location of the National Horseracing Museum.

Alan, how lovely to meet you.

I'm so excited to be in this museum because I am a girl who loves horses.

-Excellent. We've got some wonderful things to show you.

-Lead on.

Amongst the many exhibits, there's everything from a skeleton of Hyperion,

considered by some the greatest thoroughbred racer of the 20th century...

He was a small horse, only 15 hands.

But he had a tremendous engine and a wonderful stride.

..to the silks of some of the world's most acclaimed jockeys,

such as local boy Francis Buckle, also known as the Pocket Hercules,

who first raced in 1783 weighing just 3 stone 13 pounds.

Gosh! And then there's the legendary Frankie Dettori

who, in 1996, achieved the miraculous feat of winning seven races on a single day at Ascot.

I was there that day and as each race went on,

it became more incredible - "He can't surely win the next race!"

It came to the seventh race and he was on this not very fancied horse.

But he managed to summon up something and put this horse on the line to win.

If only you had money on that, Anita!

Ah well, never mind.

On to the city of Cambridge she gallops,

home to one of Britain's most famous universities.

Established in the 13th century,

the likes of Francis Bacon, Sir Isaac Newton

and Charles Darwin all received their education right here.

Then, of course, there's the shopping.

-Hi. I'm Anita.

-I'm David. Very nice to meet you.

It's lovely to be in Cambridge.

Now, while Gabor Cossa Antiques may not be the biggest shop in town,

it's certainly packed to the gunnels.

And what a range, inspiring Anita to forget her love of jewellery

and glass and opt for something outside the box.

This is a lovely little box of dolls' clothing.

On the top, we have a selection of hats from various periods and styles.

Look at this rather elaborate affair here,

which would probably be worn by a dowager duchess.

A pair of Victorian bloomers.

No girl should be without a pair!

I think I'll have a word with David about this little box.

Because after all, a price tag of £45 is just a little high for our Anita.

I have mixed feelings about this sort of thing.

I find dolls' things actually a little creepy.

But on the other hand, I'm quite attracted to it as well,

not that I want to dress up dolls!

But there's something about little things...

-I thought that this would be fun to buy.

-I think it will be 35.

Would it be possible for you to come...

..to nearer the 25 limit?

I will take 27, if that's any good?

That's great. 27, I'm delighted with that.

And I think it's great fun, and it's nice really to have something different.

My thoughts exactly, which is probably why James is now headed back to Fram...

..into the very shop Anita did so well in yesterday.

-Hello.

-Hello, James.

-Lovely to see you. What a shop!

The only thing to consider is, with so many objects,

how can James possibly decide on just one?

Hmm!

It's, erm...

It's a tribal quiver, which would have been over the shoulder...

That should be tied on.

..with little steel barbed arrows

that are varying according to whatever you're trying to catch.

And do you know what? I'm thinking Amazon Pygmy circa 1895.

Funny old thing. How much is it?

-£20.

-£20?

-Yes.

-Well, that's not going to break the bank.

But will it make a profit? And more importantly,

is James ready to make a decision this soon after lunch?

All right. So £20 for that. That's something to think about.

Righty-oh, then.

Back in Cambridge, Anita's moved on to the local antique centre,

where she's wasting no time in tracking down her next bargain.

-Stephen?

-Yes, Anita.

There are a couple of Scottish items on this desk.

Well, I did say we have a complete mixture of merchandise.

Although it's made in Birmingham, I thought it was quite apt,

where we have this lovely thistle,

with the amethyst glass stone atop.

And in case you haven't guessed,

it's a Charles Horner hatpin holder, early 1900s.

Very stylish, and right next to it,

the item that made Charles Horner a household name, the hatpin.

I say...buy them both.

-I have to have a go at that, don't I?

-Well, I think you should.

The Scottish connection.

Would it be possible to buy that in the region of...in the 20s?

-20, 25... Would it be possible?

-Certainly not 20.

-Not 20?

Because I know what it owes me.

-You've paid...

-I could certainly do it for 25.

-25.

-Which is nearly a 50% reduction.

It's very tempting.

-Are you going to throw that in with it?

-I certainly am not!

My goodness gracious me!

Oh, well. It was worth a try.

What if I said you can have them both for a 50 pound note?

That's got to tempt you.

It's certainly tempting me.

It's certainly tempting me! I've got to take that.

-Well, OK. I'll get them wrapped up.

-It's a deal.

-And good luck with them.

Thank you. I'm very pleased at that.

And so you should be, girl! That's an absolute bargain.

James, on the other hand, loves just about everything he sees.

How about the shells for a group, for the whole lot?

50, OK.

I like that.

It's a good little group.

It's by a very well known factory called Royal Dux,

based in Czechoslovakia.

And the raised pink triangle mark is the earlier mark.

They were well known for doing this...

what's known as a blush ivory glaze,

which is quite matt, and then they would have a dusted gilt.

And in this shop, there's two pieces.

One group of donkeys, very nice, and one goat pulling a cart.

If you wanted the two, I could do them for...55.

-How about that?

-55. OK.

Let's see... There's the quiver for £20,

the shells for 50 and the Royal Dux also 50, or 120 the lot.

What sort of deal could you do for all three?

I could take another £10 off, but that's it.

110.

Deal.

Thank you very much.

So, with their shopping done, let's see what they spent it on.

James started this leg with an impressive £516.02

and has gone on to spend £140 on five auction lots, comprised of -

the collection of shells...

The Worcester commemorative plate...

The silver-mounted box...

The Royal Dux donkeys and goat...

And the unusual quiver and arrows.

Anita meanwhile, kicked off with £334.32

and has parted with £182, also on five auction lots.

These are the two horse prints...

The brass clock...

The dolls' clothing...

The microscope...

And the Charles Horner hatpin and holder.

But what do our experts really think of each other's items?

The dolls' clothes really leave me totally cold,

but I do know that there is a great market for them.

And textiles, at the moment, are doing really well.

But dolls aren't. So it's going to be an interesting thing to see

whether the doll buyers are still prepared to pay a lot of money for miniature textiles.

The quiver and arrows... Well, is that not a typical James Lewis item?

For ten quid, it's not going to make all that much difference.

Not something I'd have bought, but there'll be somebody out there that wants them.

Here's hoping!

After beginning this leg in Needham Market,

Anita and James now end with an auction showdown

in the town of Bedford.

During World War II,

Bedfordshire effectively became the spy capital of Britain,

possibly due to its central location,

with everything from code-breaking

to the training of secret agents taking place right here.

Though more importantly for us,

it's also home to W&H Peacock, our auctioneers du jour.

Are you looking forward to it, James?

What do you think the answer is to that one?

-No!

-We look forward to every auction!

-I dread every auction.

-But the room's full. They're flowing out of the door.

-Wow!

Doing the honours on the podium today is David Fletcher.

So, without further ado, let the auction begin.

First up, Anita's brass Arts and Crafts mantle clock.

-This is going to do well.

-Let's hope so!

£50, may I say?

30?

Straight up.

40 online.

5.

50. 55.

Calm down. It's not you. You're not up there.

Stop it! Stop it!

In the blue shirt. 65, it's you. 70, the blue shirt. At £70.

I'm selling now at £70.

GAVEL BANGS

-Yes!

-Well done. Well done. That is fantastic.

Yes, indeed. That's a £45 profit, pre-commission.

On to James's Edward VII commemorative plate.

10 for this.

11, 12.

15, sir? No? At £12.

15. 15, there.

15. 18.

20. In the front row.

22. 25. 28.

30. 35. No?

At £35. Back of the room. All done.

GAVEL BANGS

-That's all right.

-I haven't got a clue what that was worth.

-£25.

-35!

Oh, sorry.

Are you pinching a tenner off me?

Nicely played, James. We're off to a cracking start.

And next, it's Anita's miniature microscope in polished brass.

20, I'm bid. Thank you, sir. At £20.

-22. 25. 28.

-Come on.

-30.

-Yes!

-At £30.

-Go on!

-Come on!

We'll go with 35.

At 35. 40.

45. 50.

At £50. You're about to make a young lady very happy.

-THEY LAUGH

-In the middle of the room. At £50.

GAVEL BANGS

Yes! THEY LAUGH

-Well done, well done.

-Great auctioneer.

Oh, yes, that's your money doubled,

and then some.

But can our fabulous auctioneer sells James's

seashells from the seashore? Let's find out, shall we?

£30. 35.

40, 5. 50. Five, sir? No? At £50.

55. All done.

GAVEL BANGS

-Oh!

-A bit of a disappointment.

Never mind, James.

You'll just have to chalk this one up to experience.

Moving on now to Anita's collection of dolls' clothes.

A specialist lot, to say the least.

But how will it do in a general auction?

20. 22. 25.

28. 30.

35. No? At £35.

Latest bid at 35. All done...

GAVEL BANGS

Oh, well.

No, it's fine, James. It's fine.

Oh, knickers!

So much for textiles.

Next!

Ah, James's silver-mounted bridge box,

the very definition of style.

-30!

-Ooh!

30, 5. 40, 5.

50, 5.

60, 5.

70, 5.

80, 5.

90, 5. 100.

At £100.

110. Oh, gone up now. 120.

At 120. All done at 120...

GAVEL BANGS

-Yes.

-Thank you. Thank you.

Bravo! That's a £100 profit, pre-commission.

Let's hope there's some money left

for Anita's Grand National prints

by First World War artist John Beer.

At 30. 35.

40, 5. 50, 5.

-At £55.

-Come on.

-And £55.

-Aah...

GAVEL BANGS

Oh...

-Well...

-There was nobody even to look at to encourage.

-I know.

It's our first loss of the day, I'm afraid.

And it means James is galloping ahead.

His next item, that cheeky South American quiver.

-I've got £10 on the book.

-Ooh!

-£10. 12. 15.

18. 20. 22.

At £22, 25, 28. 30.

35. 40, 5. 50.

55, fresh bid. No? At 55.

All done then at 55...

GAVEL BANGS

-That's OK, that's OK.

-Absolutely fine.

Though let's not forget, it did make a decent profit.

Looking to regain a little lost ground,

Anita's last great hope

is this charming Charles Horner hatpin and hatpin holder.

Best of luck, old girl!

At 50, 5. 60, 5. 70. At £70.

-Here!

-Here!

-Online, 80. With me at £80.

-Hello!

-Come to you in a minute,

come to you in a minute. £85...

LAUGHTER

Oh, my, this IS exciting!

100.

-110.

-Yes!

-110 on online.

-Here, here.

-I'll take you now. 120.

See, I didn't forget you.

130. 140. 150, may I say? 150.

160.

170? 170.

180. At the back of the room, 180. 190.

-190...

-Go on, round it up. One more.

-One more.

BOTH: Yes!

210. At 210.

I'm working jolly hard on this lot! 210. It's online. All done...

Sure? Have another go.

GAVEL BANGS

-Oh!

-Oh.

-Thank you.

Well done.

Well done. Well done.

-Brilliant.

-Ah, that was good.

-That is a fantastic result.

-I know, but it was so exciting, wasn't it?

And dare I say it? That figure gives Anita the lead in this auction.

But there's one item still to go.

James's slightly damaged Royal Dux.

Mind you, there is no doubting the quality.

They've got everything going for them,

apart from the fact that they're broken.

Now, start me, please, £200.

-Bid, thank you. At 200. 210.

-What?!

At 210. 220. 230. 240. 250.

At £250.

-Good Lord!

-250, all go?

-260, on the telephone.

-Go on!

270.

-280.

-Go on!

-290.

-Go on! Keep going!

300. 320.

350.

LAUGHTER

At 320.

At £320...

GAVEL BANGS

Yeah!

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

Oh, my word!

James Lewis, you old dog. You surprised yourself.

Pre-commission, that's a staggering profit of £270.

When he said 200, I thought he was asking for 200.

When he actually said 200 bid, I thought, oh, what?!

I can't believe that.

That's a great result. Really, really pleased.

Well, what an auction!

Anita started with £334.32 and, after commission,

made a profit of £162.40,

giving her a grand total of £496.72 to spend going forward.

GAVEL BANGS

James, meanwhile, began with £516.02,

and after making a massive £339.70,

that means James has won both auctions

and fills his coffers to £855.72 for the next leg.

-Where are we off to now?

-Oxfordshire.

-Let's go.

-Onwards and upwards.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd