Episode 10 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?

I must be mad.

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.

What am I going to do?

So, will it be the fast lane to success

or the slow road to bankruptcy?

Wish I'd just kept my money in my pocket.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

All this week, we've been on the road with Mark Stacey and Margie Cooper,

and there's been some fierce competition.

-Are you teasing me?

-No, I'm not!

I am teasing you. I'm playing with your emotions.

Mark took the early lead and hung on tight

until it all unravelled yesterday.

£80 down.

After a sticky start, Margie's been pulling in the profits

and now finds herself back in contention.

-Bye.

-Good luck!

-Thank you.

From his original £200, Mark's had plenty of ups

and then one enormous down,

leaving him with £281.86 to spend today.

-Well done.

-I'm pleased with that.

Meanwhile, Margie also started the week with £200

and a few smart buys later, she now has £245.86 to play around with.

I thought it was going to go for about 80-90.

Yeah, well, think again.

Our experts started their week in Chilham, Kent,

and have travelled over 250 miles across southern England,

where they faced their final showdown in Torquay, Devon.

We kick off in Hele near Exeter

and will conclude at an auction in Torquay.

Holding up traffic as they motor along in their 1960 MGC,

Mark and Margie are heading into their final day.

With only £40 separating them, our pair are on a mission.

Get on our hands and knees, get in that dust, get in that dirt, and find something!

Overlooking the pretty village of Hele is the local paper mill,

fed by the soft waters of the River Culm.

The Victorians built it to make high-quality writing paper.

Since then, it's produced the paper for five pound notes

and now makes the paper for teabags.

No tea for our experts, though, there's shopping to do

in one of the largest antiques emporiums in the south-west of England.

Mark's been here before and knows the owner, Chris Strong.

So, he's keen to use his insider info to get ahead of the competition.

-Hello, Mark.

-Nice to see you again. Are you well?

-Yeah, fine.

The thought of coming back to your place terrifies me.

It's so big and you've got so much to look at and it's so confusing.

-I have got a special room.

-Have you?

-Well, it's my sorting office.

-It's fresh stock coming in.

-Can you show me, Chris?

I'll allow you to go up there.

Oh, wonderful. Going to the sorting office!

What a relief!

Going round the rest of this place could have taken hours and hours.

Ah...

We're surrounded by lots of things here

which I think have been here probably for decades.

I have found something. Now, we all know what this is.

This is Wemyss pottery from Scotland.

Very, very fragile pottery.

It chips and flakes and breaks very easily

and it's had a little bit of a chip there.

Chris, can you come round here a sec? How cheap can that be?

-Oh...

-And I mean cheap.

-Please.

-It's Wemyss, my boy!

-It's what? What's Wemyss?

I thought you said Wemmies!

You can have that for 30 quid.

I'm sorry to be mean and I know you'll forgive me.

-I mean, how close can we get to £10?

-Nowhere near it.

-25.

-OK.

Well, we're getting closer, we're getting closer.

I'm going to hang onto this because I know we'll squeeze a bit more blood out of you.

Got the old taxidermy here. Oh, dear.

That one's going to escape, he's got the glass off!

I always think that these places are like men's haunts.

I don't think it's really a place for women.

Dear me!

Yes, Mark seems quite at home and now he's unearthed something else.

This has got a church influence because of all this gothic decoration

and then when you look closely, it's got traces of writing on it.

So, it says "Congregational Church...

"Founded in 1790, rebuilt in 1883."

I think it's very good for interior design/

If you've got a big Gothic house, i would be great in a kitchen.

Chris does know his stuff and I'm not going to pick this up for a song,

not even a Sunday school song.

The Gothic frame is priced at £120,

but Mark and Chris might not be singing from the same hymn sheet.

How much is it, Chris?

-80 quid.

-Oh, gosh.

-That is such a good deal.

I was thinking they'd probably put something like 50-80 on it.

Hm... I would have said 80-120.

So, we're not one million miles away, but...

-I'll do another 10 on there.

-So 70?

Hm. But don't ask for any more.

-Am I pushing you?

-Yes.

-Can I ponder it a bit?

-Of course.

I really do like it, actually. HE SIGHS

Margie's grabbed Chris now.

She's found a little corner with something more up her street.

It's quite nice, that, isn't it? And not very old.

Well, it is old, it's 80-years-old.

"The Sailor's Tear.

"He thought of those he lov'd the best

"A wife and infant dear

"And feeling fill'd the sailor's breast

"The sailor's eye - a tear."

-Oh!

-You can have it for 20 quid, now you've said that.

Oh, no. It's not going to make much, is it?

Oh, here we go!

-All right, 15 quid. If you'll stop whining.

-A tenner.

-No!

Oh, God help us. I quite like that.

All right, a tenner! I'm losing money.

So, the deal is done at a tenner

and Margie's snapped up her first purchase of the day.

Mark's praying Chris will be kind to him too.

-Christopher?

-Yes?

I don't know why, but that thing is talking to me downstairs, the churchy thing.

-I would say so.

-And I do like Wemyss.

-So, what I'm thinking, if I may...

-100 quid, the two?

-No.

-Just to tempt you, is there any way we can do the two for 80?

-No.

-Can we get close-ish to that?

-100.

-No, that's a bit too much, Chris.

-Split it, then.

-Because, we've got 70 on the other thing...

-Split it.

..and you already said 25 on that.

-We'll split at 90.

-85.

-90.

Come on, 85. You want to, really. Come on, 85?

Seeing as I've had it for so long.

-Thank you. Thanks a lot.

-All right.

Phew!

Margie's trip to Fagin's is over. She now has a treat in store.

She's travelling 15 miles south from Hele to Kenton,

to Powderham Castle.

Gosh, this is lovely, isn't it?

A beautiful day to see a beautiful castle like this.

She's here to meet the estate director, Simon Fishwick,

who will be her guide for today.

-Simon.

-Hello!

-I'm Margie.

-Lovely to meet you.

-Welcome to Powderham.

-Thank you very much indeed.

Powderham Castle was first built back in 1391.

600 years later, it's still in the same family,

with each generation leaving behind startling evidence of their power and wealth.

Their forefathers arrived from France during the 12th century

and apparently, married into money.

So, this is Sir William Courtney, him up in the portrait up here.

This is called a swagger portrait, by the sheer size and scale of it.

It was done to impress. It's done in a grand style, grand setting.

The interesting thing is the table in the middle,

which he's resting on, is that table over there.

That is wonderful, isn't it, to see that?

Along with works of art, the first viscount also commissioned

some staggeringly beautiful and unique pieces of furniture.

So, this is the anteroom.

This is where the women would withdraw to after dinner

so the men could then sit and enjoy themselves

and talk and things like that.

The main interest in this room are these two magnificent bookcases.

They are the first example of brass inlaid work in this country.

They are very, very interestingly made.

The first time I opened them, I almost had a heart attack.

-Go on, show me.

-Just watch this.

Oh, my goodness!

-The whole thing moves.

-Goodness gracious me!

And that huge pillar, when I was opening it, I thought it was going to fall.

-Was going to just collapse?

-Yes.

-Gosh, it's like a piece of engineering, isn't it?

-Yes.

Each successive generation made additions and changes to the castle.

The third viscount added a huge, grand room to the library.

But where is?

There is a door somewhere. Let me show you.

-Is something going to move? Ah!

-A secret passage.

-Oh, my goodness!

The castle is full of secret passageways,

designed for the servants to have discrete access into the grand rooms.

This is the music room, which was built for the third Viscount

to celebrate his coming-of-age. Designed by James Wyatt.

And, unfortunately, as per nowadays, it wasn't quite ready

for his party, so he had to have his party in marquees in the park.

-But, obviously, it's a spectacular room.

-Nothing changes, does?

-No, no, no.

Well, it was definitely worth the wait.

But now, for Margie, sadly, it's time to leave Powderham Castle behind her.

Meanwhile, Mark's praying he'll find a bargain.

He's travelled to Newton Abbot to St Leonard's.

CHURCH MUSIC

But this is no church any longer.

It's been reincarnated into an antique hunter's paradise with a host of interesting items.

-But will anything receive Reverend Mark's blessing?

-This is a tile-top table.

The tiles form the county of Devon, including Torquay down here,

which is where of course we're going to hold the auction.

But it's says, "Not for sale". That's a good start, isn't it (?)

"Not for sale - display only"... That's for sale either.

-It's a bit frustrating, really.

-Come on, Mark! This place is huge.

There's got to be something.

# Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

# Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! #

It's very plain. It's got this quite nice, soft-textured, ribbed base to it.

And it's marked underneath, "Doulton", and says £54,

which we're going to totally ignore, because there's no way I'm paying anywhere near £54 for it.

But I think, if I shout over the top of the wardrobes,

do you think Derek will come running? Shall we give it a go?

-Derek!

-Hello!

Here!

-Hello. How are you?

-Yes, fine.

-Are you in a happy mood?

-Yes, very good.

Cos you might be after I've made you an offer on something.

But I quite like this, because it's quite contemporary.

But I don't like the price.

And I think they would estimate something like £20-£30.

-32, how's that?

-Well, that's above the estimate.

I mean, that's a good discount, but I honestly don't...

-I think that will struggle to give me a profit once I've given...paid the commission.

-30, then.

-OK.

-If that's convenient.

-£30.

-If you're happy with that.

Surprise, surprise! Mark's not happy with that.

-Even with £24 off the asking price.

-I do like that, but £30 is too much.

So I'm going to be absolutely fair with Derek and I would put my offer - a £20 note -

in the vase and see if he takes it.

Derek! I do want to buy this, but I've left my offer inside there,

which you can have a look at in a moment.

I'm going to go off to the gentleman's room and when I come back, don't be rude.

-You can say yes or no. Is that fair?

-Yes.

-See you in a moment.

-Yes, certainly.

-And I do mean I'm going to the loo.

-Hurry, Derek. You haven't got long.

FLUSHING

What am I meant to say? Yes or no?

-Well, Derek, what you think?

-It's a deal.

-Thank you very much.

I hope he's washed his hands!

And I don't know about you, but I could certainly do with a lie-down,

which is just what our dear experts need too.

Night-night.

Day two finds our two experts contemplating the end of their journey together.

-MARGIE: Are you going to miss me when I'm gone?

-Who said that?!

I think it'll take me a while to get to know how to finish a sentence again without being interrupted.

Yesterday, Mark spent £105 on three lots - a broken Wemyss marmalade pot,

a Gothic pine frame from a chapel

and a Royal Doulton stoneware vase,

leaving him with £176.86 to spend today.

-See you later.

-Yeah.

Whilst Margie spent a tiny £10 on an Adams cup and saucer,

decorated with a galleon, leaving her with the gargantuan sum

of £235.86 to splash about today.

Good. Well you at least bought something.

Our experts have left Newton Abbot behind and are heading

for the town of Ashburton, the southern gateway to the Dartmoor National Park.

With just one day's shopping left,

the competition is really hotting up.

I'm excited, aren't you?

Yes, we're at the end of the road, at the end of the road.

Thanks to its position in the wilds of Dartmoor

with its rich deposits of tin,

the town of Ashburton has long been a prosperous place.

Oh, this is all messy!

-This could take some time(!)

-You try!

I'm so relieved.

It's nearly over, trying to get in and out of this car.

Well done for eventually reversing(!)

No time to waste now.

These are the very last three shops of the week.

-While Mark heads into one...

-Hello! The Shambles.

-Indeed!

-It's what I feel like this morning.

-Look it too(!)

..Margie has made a beeline across the road to Apollo.

This place might have everything she could possibly desire.

We got Aladdin's lamp, here.

What shall I buy?

And it doesn't take long before she spots something grisly.

Oh! Look at him. He's cute, isn't he? I love desk blotters.

He's got Brunnen written on the side.

And he's a little Swiss carved wooden bear,

from the early part of the 20th century.

£35.

Mmm. He's got a bit of a chipped ear.

I've picked him out because these little bears are quite popular.

Going to have to be considerably cheaper.

That's one to BEAR in mind!

-Now, what's in the cabinet?

-A little hunting flask glass.

Got your nice little case, here,

which is nicely worn but in good condition.

A nice little glass bottle.

Just enough to put a bit of whisky in there or whatever you want,

and there, you get your little collapsible cup

so you needn't swill out the glass.

It is plated. If it was silver it would be a fortune.

The price on it is £38.

So if I can get that down

to say 20,

I'll have a little go on that.

MUSIC: "Frog Chorus" by Paul McCartney

Across the road, Mark's found something to lurve(!)

"Cast-iron frog, AF", it says.

AF means "as found", and you can see, unfortunately,

his back foot is missing. What a shame!

Don't you think that's rather amusing?

So I think, in somebody's pond, that would look rather fun.

Maybe he could dip his leg in something and hide it?

Go to sleep, little froggy!

I wonder,

am I leaping in to profit? Or leaping into the unknown?

I might be hopping mad after the sale.

I could go on forever with these puns, you know!

But it really could, I could croak it on this auction with this(!)

That's quite enough of that.

Time to shave a few of the £58 off the asking price. Ribbit(!)

Rob, I've rather fallen in love with your cast-iron

frog here with the missing flipper.

So I want to pay £20 for him...

cash.

-Unfortunately, you're not going to buy it.

-Oh.

-Really?

-No, you're not.

-No?

-No.

-Oh well!

-I'm sorry about that.

-What price were you hoping for?

The lowest I'll go on it's £45.

Gosh, that's not a lot off really, is it?

If I went to 30, what could you come down to, if at all?

-We'll do it for 30.

-Can we? Oh, Rob, thank you.

-It's OK.

Rob, thanks, that's really kind of you.

-But you've got to carry it out yourself!

-I think I can do that.

So a quick-fire buy for Mark who decides

to pop along the road to another shop,

-little realising he's been spotted.

-Look who's there.

Don't look now.

Look at him, he was only supposed to be going to one shop.

Look at him!

And then he spots something, too.

Those look quite interesting. Let's go in.

-Are they pewter coasters or...

-Yes.

They're unusual. Art Nouveau.

They look very much Art Nouveau, don't they?

With those sort of stylised marigolds or whatever.

I think we've got six.

So you would place these, you see, on your table.

That would have been in the centre, and then you could have

put those for you to put your plates down for six people.

And you have got the six, and as you say, on some of them,

there are signs of wear, so people had a jolly good dinner party.

I think they've been well used.

Oh, and there's a little buckle here as well, and what's this?

-This is generically called a nurse's buckle, isn't it?

-That's right.

-Just a little bit different with the dragons.

-Yes.

And actually, if you look...

closely, I think it's got, actually,

the Prince of Wales' feathers there as well.

And at the bottom, it's got daffodils, I think.

My only problem, of course, is

sentimentally, I quite like it, being Welsh, but...

is that going to fly in Torquay?

I'll have to have a ponder, you know.

In Apollo, Margie's fallen for the bear desk blotter

and the hunting flask, but can she get a good deal from Dani?

It's got 38 on it. You got a rough idea of where you're aiming at?

I'm looking at, like, £20.

It's a very good thing.

It is nice. And that's a very kind offer...

-Yes.

-..however...

-She's well mannered.

-However...

-What were you thinking?

-25.

-25.

-Yeah.

So what if I bring this little chap in as well?

-Original ticket price at 35.

-Yeah.

I mean, quite frankly, his ears are a bit chewed -

someone's chewed his ear.

But bears are always popular and...

I think 15 is the furthest I can go for him.

Because, you know...

I can't. I can do 20 on him and, as I say, 25 on that.

If I could walk out of this shop with the two of them...

-Yeah.

-..for...

..for 38.

I think I've got a chance.

-I can do 40.

-Yeah.

-And that's it?

-And that is absolutely bang on, I'm afraid.

Right, well, I'm going to go there.

-Yeah?

-Thank you, Dani.

-You're more than welcome.

-Or not!

-Right, yeah.

Yes, Dani, I sympathise completely.

Do you know,

I think our Margie seems to be getting the hang of this.

-That's lovely.

-Thanks very much indeed.

-Thank you.

But she's not finished yet.

Robert.

-Hello, how are you?

-Margie.

-Nice to meet you.

Yeah, under a bit of pressure now.

You certainly are, Margie.

But don't worry - Rob might have something to tempt you,

a Victorian extendable book stand, made of mahogany.

They're pretty, aren't they?

-Mm, that's quite a nice thing, and it's not damaged.

-Yes.

And it's how much?

£38.

I don't know how I do it so cheap.

It would have to be something really annoyingly cheap, like 20 quid.

-20?

-Yeah.

-OK. I'd like you to win.

-Would you?

-Did you say that to Mark as well?

-No, I didn't like him very much.

Well, I never! Ha! Blatant favouritism!

The man in question is still with Mike and Theresa,

considering his buckle and coasters.

-Out of the two items...

-OK.

..the safer one for me, to be honest with you, is the coasters.

I think, if they were going into auction,

they would estimate them at something like £20-30.

So I need to try and get them for about 15.

-What about 18?

-MARK GASPS

16.

-16, we've got a deal.

-Thank you so much. That's my fifth item.

Thanks, guys, I really appreciate it.

Well, that was painless.

So with his final purchases in the bag,

at last, Mark can afford to relax.

No such luck for Margie.

It's her turn to head along to Ashton House Antiques.

I do hope you're keeping up.

And straight away, she picks up something Mark put down.

Typical.

Then we've got the good old nurses' buckles. So, what, 1980s?

Erm, early '70s, I think.

-Is it? I'm trying to see the mark.

-'71, '72, like that.

-Yeah, yeah.

But I think you've got the dragon,

the Prince of Wales' plumes and daffodils at the bottom,

just in case there's any doubt that it's Welsh!

THEY LAUGH

-So it's 68?

-Yep.

It's not very old, but I know it's the silver content. So what...?

How much do you think we could do a deal with that?

-If I said that was £40 to you...

-Mm.

..hopefully, that would be saleable to somebody

apart from a scrap dealer.

-Right, yeah.

-And make it an attractive item for someone to buy.

-So you're not going to play at 38, are you?

-OK, 38, yes.

-You're very sweet. Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

Phew! That's Margie's shopping all finished at last.

Meanwhile, Mark's got the wind in his hair

and his foot to the floor -

he's travelling 20 miles north to the city of Exeter...

where he'll be visiting a guildhall that is over 500-years-old.

Waiting to meet him is project manager Mike Walker.

-Hello. Is it Mike?

-Yes, Mark. Hello, good to meet you.

-How are you?

-Welcome to Tuckers Hall.

I'm very grateful to be here. I can't wait to go inside.

-Do come in.

-Thank you.

Tuckers Hall was built back in 1471

for the Guild of Weavers, Tuckers and Shearmen -

a group of craftsmen who controlled the business

of the cloth-making industry in the south-west.

A tucker was someone who softened woven cloth

by beating and trampling it in the water.

The trade was so prosperous, it turned Exeter into a great city,

with the Guild's reach stretching out far beyond our shores.

Some people have described it as the first cash crop.

Instead of just making cloth for your family to wear,

this was something you could sell.

You weren't just bartering it for a pig or a loaf of bread,

-it was a cash crop.

-It was a quality.

And it went all over the world, the cloth.

The East India Company sold Devon cloth to Cathay, to China.

I'm not sure where, but as far as that.

It went to the Eastern Seaboard of what's now the United States.

Throughout the Baltic, Devon cloth was found.

They wanted Devon cloth to be seen around the world.

Such a powerful guild was determined to maintain high standards,

so the Hall also functioned as a court

for any members who stepped out of line.

The court would sit in session,

-a bit like a criminal court, I suppose.

-Oh, OK.

And anyone who transgressed was invited to represent themselves

and be judged.

And the offender, once found guilty, I guess,

was invited usually to pay a contribution.

-This was the fine box, money in there.

-Oh, yes.

-There were three keys. Sadly, one is missing.

-Yes.

But the under warden, the head warden and the master

each had a key, and I suspect what happened

was on a regular basis, perhaps once a month, they came,

unlocked, emptied, and took the money out.

I'll just try...

Sadly, not, no. There might be a bit of a candle in there, nothing much.

The fine craftsmanship as a display of wealth and power

is carved into every detail of the Hall.

The panelling, put in between 1634 and 1639, really, I think,

an expression of, "We've arrived, and we're a powerful organisation.

"We're beginning to become wealthy, we're controlling the cloth trade, and this is a demonstration of that."

Here is some of the artefacts of the cloth trade that have been carved in,

and this is called a sleigh, that's part of the weaver's loom.

-This carving is still so crisp.

-It looks good, doesn't it?

You could have said that was done a few weeks ago.

Eventually, the cloth industry was to disappear from Exeter,

but luckily, this hall has survived 500 years of history,

not to mention a near miss in the bombing in the Second World War.

I've had a really fun afternoon, thank you very much.

Yeah, thank you for coming.

Now, Mark has a pressing engagement with Margie.

It's time to reveal to each other what they bought.

First up, Margie's cup and saucer.

It's not that old, looking at the mark on it, Adams Ware.

I mean, that's certainly 20th century.

Well, I'm not worried about that, am I?

How much did you pay, Marjory?

£10.

Well, it's not a lot of money, is it?

Well, I won't bore you with the sailor's tear.

-You don't want me to read it to you?

-No.

-All right.

Something tells me they're not his cup of tea.

Ta-da! It's Mark's gothic frame.

Found in 1780, re-built in 1883,

and then it's got various things about when the services are

and when the Sunday school classes are,

but it's in that wonderful Gothic frame.

Well, it's most unusual. And what did you pay?

I paid £70 for that.

-It's a very, very nice thing.

-I think that's very cheap.

-Anyone for a tipple?

-Is it silver-topped?

Unfortunately not. It would be way out of my budget if it was.

-Edwardian?

-I would think so.

It's very nice. And what did you pay for that?

-£20.

-Well, that sounds very reasonable to me.

Mark's Doulton vases, next.

I just thought it was a nice little piece of Doulton stonework.

Yeah, I love the colours. One of a pair, yeah?

Possibly, yes, but I think it would stand on its own

in a small apartment or something. I thought it was very decorative.

-Very nice.

-1900, 1910, something like that.

-How much?

-20.

-It's fair enough, isn't it?

-Which I think there's...

-I don't know there's a huge profit in it.

-No.

I would be happy with anything over £30.

I always liked these. These little...

-The Black Forest-y things?

-Yeah.

-Is he all perfect?

-Uh, he is. He's got a little bit of a chewed ear.

-Nibble.

-Yeah.

-Oh, and his leg has gone.

-Oh, no, it hasn't.

But I only paid...£20.

Oh, well, that seems reasonable. I mean, it seems reasonable to me.

Will Margie find this jar sweet?

But I thought it was a nice, commercial little piece,

and I think it was very cheap.

Well, it must have been with this damage, here.

Well, it's not a lot of damage, Margie, I mean, a lot of Wemyss...

I don't know if you handle china a lot, but a lot of Wemyss is restored. And it was £15.

-SHE SIGHS

-Which I think is very reasonable. That should double its money.

I mean, I should get £30 for that.

Well, you obviously know all about Wemyss.

-I should get 30 quid for it.

-It's lovely. Very colourful. Very nice.

Good.

-You've probably seen this, cos I saw you coming out of the shop.

-Mm-hmm.

Oh, yes, I did. Yeah, I did.

-And it's early 1970s, so it's modern.

-Mm-hmm.

But I think it maybe coincided with Prince Charles' investiture.

-Well, it's a bit late for that.

-Well, no, wasn't that early 70s?

-No, 1969.

-Was it? Well, hang on. How old was he? 21?

-Yeah, but it was 1969.

-Are you sure?

-I'm Welsh, Margie.

-Oh, yes, well...

I think I know when the Prince Of Wales was invested.

-59, 60... So, he was 20.

-It was 1969, Margie.

-Was it really?

Ooh. Is it me, or is this getting a bit tetchy?

And I paid 38.

-I think it's a jolly good item.

-It's lovely.

-I'm glad one of us bought it.

Mark's coasters now.

How many have we got, here?

Uh, six of those, as I just said to you, Marjory.

-Well, I didn't hear you.

-And one of these, which is seven.

-Yeah.

-Very nice.

-It's rather nice, Marjory, isn't it?

-And how much did you pay for those?

-£16.

A little sliding book-press?

-Yeah, it is.

-Very nicely carved. Late Victorian?

-Uh, a little bit later, I think.

-Do you think?

Mm, I thought, sort of, about 1910.

I thought it was a bit earlier than that, actually.

That's nice. That's an added bonus.

Uh, he was very nice and he let me have that for £20.

Now, that's not bad.

Last up, Mark's little precious.

-Unfortunately, he's lost his back foot.

-SHE LAUGHS

Which is, I suppose, another thing I found...

But it's damned heavy, you know.

And I just think he has the sweetest face. I mean, look at him, Marjory.

Oh, well, you're really pleased, aren't you? I'm so pleased that you're pleased.

Mm. Well, go on, then. Let's hear what you really think.

His church piece, you know? The pitch-pine piece. He's really excited about it.

I'm not sure I would have spent £70, but he really loves it

and if you really love something then you've got to go for it.

I mean, the cup and saucer. I don't really know what to say about it.

I mean, I know ceramics. That would be the sort of thing

you'd find in a job lot of ceramics.

I can't see a profit in that, I'm afraid.

The final leg of Mark and Margie's road trip began in Hele near Exeter

and will conclude at the auction in sunny Torquay.

Our experts have certainly had some tense moments,

but as they head towards the auction, their spirits are high.

It must be the sea air.

You can almost smell donkeys. Can you smell donkeys?

Sorry about that, I think it's my breath.

Pooh! The final showdown will take place

at the West Of England auctions.

We've got to do it, Margie. Let's go and see what our fate is.

-We've got each other.

-We have, if nothing else.

If all else fails, Margie.

So, what does auctioneer Warren Hunt think of our experts' choices?

The Edwardian hunting flask with a little plated top to it is nice,

but it's not going to make a lot of money.

The worst, in today's auction, I think might be the Gothic sign.

If the lettering was on there, the sky was the limit on that item,

but unfortunately, heavily rubbed out,

I don't think it's going to do very well at all.

Now, Margie Cooper spent £108 on five auction lots,

including an Edwardian hunting flask and a large Adams cup and saucer.

Oh, a tenner. Oh, I'm losing money.

Whereas Mark Stacey spent a little more - £151 on five auction lots,

including the 19th-century Gothic pine frame

and a cast-iron model of a frog.

You go to sleep, little froggy.

Could turn out to be a toad. Well, this is it.

No going back now, there's only £40 separating our two experts.

This really could be anyone's auction.

You've just got to be hopeful. Well, at least we've got each other.

We've got each other,

I'm not quite sure what a consolation prize that is, Marjory,

but he have got each other, darling.

First under the hammer, though, is Mark,

with his Art Nouveau coasters.

-Start the bidding at £5.

-£5?!

Start me at five... five is bid, thank you, can I see six?

Got a six is bid, eight? Ten. 12. 14.

16. 18? Are you all done at 16?

-GAVEL BANGS

-That's a loss, Marjory.

-Not exactly a cracking start.

Not a great beginning, there. A break even in a loss, actually,

once the auction house takes off its commission.

Well, it could have been worse, I think.

Well, it should have made a profit, Marjory. They were nice.

Margie's cup and saucer are up next. The ones Mark hated.

-Five is bid, thank you, sir.

-You've got a fiver, it's creeping up.

That's a five opening bid, can I see six?

Six is bid, seven? Eight. Nine.

Ten. 12.

14. 16. 18.

-£16, can I see 18?

-Yes!

£16. Are we all done at 16?

-GAVEL BANGS

-I just can't believe it.

-Thanks, dove.

A bitter pill to swallow for Mark, because Margie's made a profit.

-Who'd have believed it?

-Nobody.

-SHE LAUGHS

Mark's frame is next.

The auctioneer wasn't keen on it, but what about the bidders?

Gothic pine frame, there,

it's a shame the writing's been slightly rubbed out.

Oh, well, thanks for selling it(!)

30 straight away, looking for 35.

-There you go.

-35 I'm bid. 40. 45.

-There you go.

-50. 55.

-There you go.

At £50. Going to go at 50.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Well done to that lady for getting a bargain.

But a big blow for Mark. Margie's catching up.

It's a general sale, it should have made more in my opinion,

but that's the way it happens on the day.

Marge's flask is up next.

Five is bid, thank you. Six, sir? Seven?

Eight. Nine.

Ten. 12, madam?

14? 16.

18. 20. 22. 24.

24, new bidder.

26.

28. £26.

GAVEL BANGS Oh.

Another small profit for Margie. Steady gains.

I think that should have made more, you know,

because it had that lovely little top on it, which collapsed.

-They didn't show it.

-And it was in the fitted case.

Now, will someone love Mark's frog as much as Mark?

14. 16. 18.

20.

22. 24.

26. 28.

30. 32. 34.

36...38.

-It's a profit at the end on this.

-There is.

At last. Well, I paid £30 for that and it went to 38.

A well-needed profit.

Someone's keen on animals, out there.

Anyone for a bear...hug?

30.

32. 34. 38.

-Black Forest.

-Well done.

-40.

-Wow. The bear's quite a hit.

-42.

Can I see 44? New bidder at 44.

-My word.

-Well done.

48. 50.

52.

54.

56. 58.

-60.

-You never know.

-65.

-65? 70.

-You never know.

-£65.

-For £20

-All done, 65?

-GAVEL BANGS You never know.

-£45 profit, Marjory.

-Somebody wanted it.

-Well done. Several people wanted it.

That has completely turned the tables.

Margie's edging ahead.

Well, would you believe the little bear.

Well done. That wrong toe.

And she's up again with the buckle that Mark might have bought.

20. Two? 24?

26. 28. 30.

Two. 34. 36.

38. 40.

Two. At £40.

Are we all done at 40?

-GAVEL BANGS

-I thought that should have made more

-I thought that was a better lot.

Sadly, after commission, that's actually a loss.

£40, Marjory?

Now, that's a disappointment. I'm surprised at that.

It's Margie's last lot now.

-Her book stand.

-Start with £10.

Oh, come on.

Starting at ten, got to have ten. Ten is bid, thank you, sir.

And 12 is bid. 14. 16.

18. 20. 22?

20 in the front here, can I see 22?

Come on. Surely it's worth more than that.

At 20... 22 is bid.

24. 26. 28.

30. 32. 34.

-That's more like it, Margie.

-32 in the front.

Are you all done at 32?

-GAVEL BANGS

-Well done, Margie.

-That's the last one.

-Gosh.

-£12 profit.

-What a relief.

It's another solid profit for Margie.

-Well done.

-Thank you, love.

Margie's now well ahead, but Mark still has two lots to go.

His Doulton vase is next.

30. 32. 34. 36.

-There you go.

-£34, can I see 36?

Oh, well, that's a reasonable profit.

-There you go.

-40. 42. 44.

-(There you go.)

-46. 48.

50. 55, madam.

60.

55? Are you all done at 55?

Well, I wasn't expecting that.

-GAVEL BANGS Has that cheered you up?

-A little bit.

An excellent profit, and our pair are once again neck-and-neck.

That's your best of the day

-and you thought it was a bit boring, didn't you?

-It was.

-Do you know what I'm going to do now?

-What?

-Buy boring bits.

THEY LAUGH

It all comes down to the last lot of the day.

If Mark makes the profit he hopes for, he'll be the winner. Tension.

And we are so close. This is going to be the decider.

Hold on to your hats - the deciding lot is Mark's Wemyss ware.

Start me at £20.

-Oh, come on.

-10 to be off.

-Come on.

-Got to have £10.

-Oh, come on.

Ten? Ten is bid, thank you, madam.

Can I see 12? There's a £10 opening bid.

Oh, this is silly.

-12 is bid. 14.

-There you go.

-16. 18.

£18, can I see 20?

At £18.

Gosh, this is cheap.

-Are we all done at 18?

-This is for nothing.

That's absolutely for nothing, I'm afraid.

-Maybe because it was broken, Mark.

-There you go, Margie.

That's it. It's all over.

-It's over.

-Bar the crying.

Now, let's see where that leaves us.

And remember - all profits go to Children In Need.

Mark Stacey started the final leg with £281.86

and made a loss of £5.86 after auction costs,

leaving him with exactly £276 at the end of the journey.

I'm going to have to have a fan.

Whereas Margie Cooper kicked off with £245.86 today,

and made a profit of £38.78, after auction costs,

leaving her with a total of £284.64,

just nudging her into the winning position by a mere £8.

I can't believe it. Eight quid.

I won by £8 and I've beaten Mark Stacey on my first series.

I cannot believe it. I'm delighted.

Oh, Margie. You'll have me going in a minute!

-Ho-ho! No wonder you're smiling.

-I can't believe it.

-We've had our highs and lows, haven't we?

-What a journey.

-Shall we walk off into the sunset? Together? Hand in hand?

-Definitely.

-Are we still talking?

-I think we are!

What a week it's been.

Our Road Trip rookie, Marjory, has defeated a Gaelic Goliath in Mark,

but it wasn't always plain sailing.

MUSIC: "Madness" by The Specials

Oh, look at the cows. Oh, no, they're horses.

There was panic aplenty.

I'm in desperation and I haven't got a clue.

What am I going to do? It's a bit panicky now.

I'm beginning to panic.

Just getting a bit panicky.

-BELL TINKLES

-Time's up.

-Very funny.

And some unconventional bargaining.

-I have never sold a pair of police...

-OBJECT CLATTERS

If you can stand a bit closer, darling. I haven't got BO.

Let's try it again, shall we? I've never sold a pair of policeman's...

-Handcuffs.

-Thank you, I'll try it again.

-Where's the money?

-THEY LAUGH

Despite the odd testy moment, Margie and Mark have struck up a friendship

as they've wound, wend and shopped their way from east to west.

You know what they say - the sun only shines on the righteous.

Next week, we're with veteran Road Tripper Thomas Plant

and new boy Mark Hales.

Thomas will try anything to melt the dealer's heart.

Halfway at 65.

-Oh, you do drive a hard bargain.

-I'm only trying.

Although it doesn't always work.

40.

SHOPKEEPER LAUGHS

Mark may be new, but he doesn't mess about striking a deal.

Yup. Wrap it up for me, that's brilliant.

And he's a real animal lover.

So. An animal in distress. What do we do?

We give him a home, don't we?

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd