Episode 9 Antiques Road Trip

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

-Do I buy you or not?

-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 each antique turns a profit.

-Oh!

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

-What will I do?

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

-I should have kept my money in my pocket.

-This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

This week, we're on the road with two experts, Mark Stacey and Margie Cooper, raring to get shopping.

Let's give up on this. Because we're not good at it, are we?

Don't give up yet. Today's another day.

Margie Cooper is a dealer with a penchant for silver,

but can she whistle up any good bargains this week?

-PLAYS A NOTE

-It's working.

Mark Stacey is a Road Trip old hand and knows how to get the dealers to dance to his tune.

-Do you think that I could buy that for a tenner?

-A tenner?

-Yes.

-You must be joking!

So from his original £200, Mark has made a few canny purchases

and now has a rumbumptious £337.16 to splash about...

..whereas Margie also started out with £200,

but after a few losses, her grand total has dwindled to £192.06.

Not so hot.

-That was a bummer.

-That was awful.

Our experts started this week's journey in Chilham, Kent,

and are travelling 250 miles across southern England

to the final showdown in Torquay, Devon.

Today's leg starts in the heart of the New Forest in the village of Burley, Hampshire,

then meanders through Dorset, ending up at an auction in Sherborne.

Welcome to the New Forest,

the largest expanse of pasture land in the south of England

where we find our experts, Mark and Margie,

gearing up their 1960 MGC for another day's antiques grazing.

Margie, I've just pulled over here. We're close to your shop. Look at that view!

-It's superb.

-How are you feeling?

-I'm feeling really up and running.

-Fourth buying leg.

-You've made a bit of money.

-I'm back to square one.

-You're slightly below square one.

-You've been doing your sums again.

-Are you itching to get there?

-I am.

-You want me to take you?

-Go on.

-Seatbelt on?

-Yeah.

-Money in your pocket?

-Definitely in my pocket.

Then we're off.

The New Forest village of Burley has been around since the Bronze Age,

but became notorious in the late 1950s due to a resident white witch called Sybil Leek

who also happened to own an antiques shop here.

Nowadays, you're more likely to encounter a wild pony than a witch,

-but there is still a healthy trade in antiques.

-Here it is.

-Here we go.

-Oh, lots of lovely things.

-Yeah.

-Listen, I'll drop you off here.

-OK.

-I'll see you later.

-Yeah.

-All right?

Margie's first shop of the day looks promising

with all kinds of interesting-looking collectables from jewellery to ceramics.

-Vanessa?

-Yes.

-I'll have a quick look round.

Owner Vanessa runs both the shop and the ice cream parlour next door,

so can she find something sweet to tempt Margie?

Nice, little scent bottle. £50 on it, so I think that would make life a bit difficult for me.

Wemyss Ware. Did you pay a lot for it?

-80.

-Yes, that's quite a lot, isn't it?

-I think I'm way out on the price.

-OK.

-I don't like them enough to even bid, really.

I'd really have a go if I liked them, but I'm not very keen on them.

Margie, you're being terribly dismissive today, but what's this tucked up high on a shelf?

-That's interesting.

-This is an old water filter.

How long have you had that? I'll see if your ticket's faded.

Oh, it's not... Oh, gosh! That's the price.

-160.

-We can do it for less than that.

Henry Doulton not only ran one of Britain's most successful pottery businesses in the 19th century,

he also developed ceramic water filters that removed bacteria from drinking water.

They were widely adopted and contributed to saving many people

from the ravages of cholera and typhoid.

-So it's Doulton Lambeth.

-It's lovely. It's like Wedgwood Jasper.

-It is, yeah, a little bit.

But how much? It's got to be...

-60.

-60 quid?

£60, down from £160.

That's £100 off. Margie's got to go for that.

I don't know. Is this calling me, is this calling me?

-Or maybe not.

-So that's...

-So you've had this...?

-55.

LAUGHTER

That's got to be a deal, hasn't it?

-55. Thank you.

-It's a deal.

Thank goodness for that!

Mark's travelled five miles up the road out of the New Forest to his first shop in Ringwood.

Lorraine Tarrant's emporium is stacked to the gunwales with gorgeous collectables

and all manner of decorative items, plenty for Mark to feast his eyes on.

And he's not afraid to confess all to the owner of this fine establishment.

-I need help, Lorraine.

-What sort of help?

-Psychiatric.

-Psychiatric? We all need that!

I think that's probably what I really need.

Before long, Lorraine has found something Mark might fancy.

I love that wooden background and the eyes are so appealing.

-Yeah, it's very nice.

-It's really stunning.

Those are really rather charming.

-So you like your birds?

-I do like my birds.

But even with my charm and my love of pigeons, I don't think I'll be able to afford that painting.

But it is lovely. What have you put on it?

-Shock me.

-It's £850.

HE SIGHS

I'm sure we could negotiate.

-No, trust me, we couldn't.

-We could.

It's only one nought out. 85 would have been nice, wouldn't it?

-Oh, a real antique dealer!

-I know. I'm terrible.

After that flight of fancy, it's time to get down to some serious browsing.

This is, I'm guessing,

a sort of 1950s child's tinplate... well, hobbyhorse.

You sit your child in here and he holds on to these early plastic handles.

And he rocks and is very happy, I'm sure.

But what I like about it is the colours are still in quite good condition

and all the wood is there.

It's rather appealing in a sort of bygone way.

Time to fetch the lovely Lorraine.

-It's in remarkably good condition.

-It is, isn't it?

No, I got that wrong. It's in terrible condition(!) It's worn all here and there's a lot of wear here.

-There's scratches everywhere.

-That's where some little darling has been racing it down the road.

-I'm a little darling and I want to race it to auction.

-Oh, race it to auction!

-Be honest with me, Lorraine.

-Yes.

-Do you think that I could buy that for a tenner?

-A tenner?

-Yes.

-You must be joking!

-Really?

-Too much?

-Do you think I get given things?

-Would you do it for a fiver?

-Don't show me the price.

-Oh, my word!

-I don't want to see the price.

-It's too much, a tenner. We might get it for eight.

-A tenner?!

-I just think in auction, what would they put on it? 20 to 30?

-Probably, yeah.

-Well, I could go to 11.

-11?! LAUGHTER

15.

-15?

-15.

Oh, can I be awful?

-You can try.

-How awful can I be with you, Lorraine, because you've got such a sweet, innocent face?

Could we say 13?

-13?!

-Yes.

My goodness me! I've never really been this much of a bargain person.

-(I think we'll get it.)

-I say £14 and it's yours.

Oh, do you know, I...

It's terrible. I get these blanks when I can't hear anything.

-I must pop my hearing aid in. No, that's a microphone.

-Oh, dear.

-13.50.

-£14, it's yours.

-13.50.

-You're a terrible person!

I'm terrible, but I've got to win.

-You've got to win. Go on, 13.50, it's yours.

-You're an angel!

-Thanks again.

-Bye-bye!

-Bye!

-Bye!

Waiting patiently in Burley, Margie has found a new strategy to deal with her sparring partner.

-TOOTS HORN

-Hey, look what I've got for you!

Margie!

-Oh, darling!

-Fandabby-dozy!

Whatever I said about you, I didn't mean it.

-I'll hold it and you drive.

-Hmm!

-I'll hold it. Off we go.

-Oh, it's all over me.

-You are kind.

-I know I am.

Stop eating my ice cream, Margie. Don't eat all the nice bits off it and leave me with the vanilla.

I don't think the charm offensive worked, Margie.

With them both in the car, they're now heading to Bournemouth.

Back in the early 1800s, Bournemouth was known as "Bourne Heath"

and was a remote desert of barren heathland, frequented only by turf-cutters,

fishermen and gangs of smugglers taking full advantage of the empty beaches.

Our pair of marauders have sailed in, hoping to plunder its treasures.

While Margie heads off to her next shop,

Mark strolls up the sea front to discover more about one of Bournemouth's great industrialists.

He's here to visit the Russell-Cotes Museum, an extraordinary building right on the sea front.

-Hello. You must be Duncan.

-Nice to meet you.

-I'm Mark.

-Welcome to the Russell-Cotes.

Showing him round will be collections officer, Duncan Walker.

The Russell-Coteses, Annie and Merton, were a couple that lived in Bournemouth.

Merton owned and operated the Royal Bath Hotel which is behind us

and he spent his money collecting fabulous artworks and treasures from their trips around the world.

Finished in 1901, the house is one of Britain's last truly Victorian buildings.

It was built as a token of love by Sir Merton Russell-Cotes

for his beloved Glaswegian wife Annie

and combines the Italian Renaissance style with Scottish Baronial.

At a time when women artists were still scorned upon, Merton and Annie were keen collectors.

Gosh, now, that's quite a dramatic painting, Duncan!

That's Evelyn De Morgan's Aurora Triumphans.

You say De Morgan. Is that any connection to William De Morgan?

Yes, that's his wife who painted this in secret as her family didn't approve of her being an artist.

-Really?

-It was sold to the Russell-Coteses as a Burne-Jones, the Pre-Raphaelite follower,

to the point where an unscrupulous dealer altered the signature to be Burne-Jones's.

You can see it there in the corner on the rock.

In terms of value, probably a lot less than a Burne-Jones, but it's striking.

-It's one of our best-selling postcards.

-I might even get one myself.

-Please do.

Merton and Annie also collected furniture

and Duncan is keen to show Mark one piece in particular that once belonged to an emperor.

-This is Napoleon's bureau.

-Oh! Now tell me about this then.

We've had this completely restored, but this is exactly where Merton had it

and presumably, Merton used to use it.

-Sit there and imagine himself controlling half of Europe!

-Yes.

It's very, very subtle for the former Emperor of France, isn't it?

-I'm sure that in the Champs-Elysees, he would have used something much grander.

-Yes.

-It is one of our treasures.

-Certainly.

-And I can say that I've touched it, if that's all right.

-That's fine, that's fine.

Merton and Annie died within a year of each other in the early 1920s,

leaving the house and many treasures to the people of Bournemouth

as a museum and art gallery for all to enjoy.

Along the Bournemouth sea front, Margie has arrived at her second shop du jour.

-What a lovely shop!

-Pleased to meet you. I'm Bonnie.

Perhaps this emporium will tempt our hard-to-please expert.

Little nodding figures. He's doing what all men do.

He's nodding his head that way. She's going, "Oh, yes, I will." "Oh, no, you won't."

Hmm, can't make up their minds. That reminds me of someone.

Could a bit of glass cut it, Margie?

So I think being a set of three is always nice.

Yeah, they're nice.

I think they call it ice glass.

-Quite attractive, aren't they? Very attractive.

-Hmm.

Isn't that nice with the sort of cranberry snake?

Careful, Bonnie. Margie's coiled and ready to pounce.

Well, I was hoping for about 50 for the set,

but there's possibly a little room for manoeuvre.

-Yeah.

-40 for the set is very...

-It's quite a fair price.

-£40?

-Yes. That's the lowest I can go to, I'm afraid. Sorry.

-I'm sure.

I'm sure. Would 38 seal it, to take the commission off,

if the worst comes to the worst?

I'm feeling sorry for you now, so yes.

-Done.

-OK.

Signed and sealed, that's Margie's last purchase of the day

and as the sun sets over Bournemouth, it's night-night time for our dear experts.

It's Day Two and Mark and Margie are up with the lark and digging for worms.

Margie, how did you find buying yesterday?

-I'm quite pleased.

-Nobody's listening.

-Are you going to tell me?

-Of course I'm not going to tell you.

-You'll have to wait.

-Are you teasing me?

-No.

-You're playing with me.

-I'm playing with your emotions.

Yesterday, Margie spent £93 on two lots -

the Doulton water filter with classical figures

and the three Victorian ice glass dishes,

leaving her with £99.06 to spend today...

-Done.

-OK.

..whilst Mark spent a mere £13.50

on the 1950s tinplate rocking horse,

leaving him with a grand total of £323.66 to splash about today.

-Thanks again.

-Bye-bye!

-Bye!

-Bye!

Bournemouth is a hazy memory as our duelling duo head west

to Owermoigne where Mark will drop Margie off

before heading to the shops in Dorchester.

-See you later, darling.

-Bye.

-Bye, darling. See you.

-Have one on me.

-Bye.

Margie has a date with a cider museum while Mark has another pressing concern.

With only one item in the bag, he's travelling six miles up the road

to spend all day shopping in Dorchester.

Dorchester worries me because it's a very expensive town, so I'll have to use all my charm.

Prepare yourselves, people of Dorchester.

This market town was immortalised as Casterbridge in Thomas Hardy's famous novel.

The mayor in the book auctioned off his wife and daughter.

I really hope Mark will stick to antiques and collectables in his first shop today.

-David, this is your shop?

-Yeah.

-How long have you had it?

-Just the week before Easter this year.

-So it's quite new?

-Yeah, it's going very well.

-What on earth are you doing, opening a shop in a recession?

-Because everybody told me not to.

-If you're told not to do it, you do it.

-Absolutely.

A-ha! So there could be some interesting negotiations ahead.

This is a nice early piece. This is, I think, Regency.

It's a little jar and cover or urn and cover.

Very nicely cut and various decoration with a nice sort of faceted knop.

That might be a possibility, actually. It's a nice, elegant piece.

I could see that on somebody's...

..sideboard filled with little sugared almonds or something like that.

Do you like a vase for sugared almonds? What are those sitting pretty on the window sill?

I seem to be in quite a glass mood today

because I've spotted these two slightly pink vases.

They are called "a pair of lizard vases".

You can see the sort of lizards here.

They look like very exaggerated newts to me.

They look very 1930s, don't they? They look very Art Deco.

But when I look underneath, there's no wear on the base.

I think they're almost certainly French.

But they are rather fun if you like newts.

Well, who doesn't?

The cut-glass urn is priced at £110

and the pair of newt vases at £50.

David, I do quite like these two pieces.

-Right.

-And again I just think those newts are so funny.

What sort of price could you do those for me?

-35.

-35. That's quite reasonable, isn't it?

And what about this?

Oh, I'm not looking.

I'm not looking.

75.

75 and 35, that's 110.

That's quite a lot, isn't it?

-50.

-50?

-Yeah.

For the jar and top

and 25 for the pair.

That's 75.

Is it possible... I know I'm being mean. It is just because of the damage.

Can we do the three for £60, cash?

65.

Go on then. 65. Thank you very much, David.

Two more lots in the bag. Well done, Mark.

-Thank you very much.

-I'll pop in and see you again.

-Do.

Now, we last saw Margie disappearing off to the Mill House Cider Museum.

-Ah, Penny!

-Hello. Nice to meet you.

-Margie Cooper.

-Hiya.

-Are you going to show me around?

-Yes, come on through this way.

# I am a cider drinker

# I drinks it all of the day... #

It's a family-run establishment

and Penny, the daughter of one of the founders, is showing Margie around.

-We've run the museum for about the last 20 years.

-Right.

My father bought a press when he moved from London to Dorset and decided to make a bit of cider,

found it was nice and the interest grew from there, really.

Penny's father and uncle have collected 53 pieces of machinery, some hundreds of years old,

from all over the West Country to form the museum.

-This is a horse-drawn crusher.

-How old is it?

-It's early 19th century.

So the apples would have been in the stone trough around the edge here

and the horse would have pulled this big stone wheel round, crushing the apples in the trough.

-What kind of horse would go in there?

-The more elderly ones

because they didn't mind walking around in circles for hours on end.

-So an old nag?

-Yes. You're welcome to have a push.

-Shall I have a go?

-I can't budge it.

-It makes you appreciate how strong the horses used to have to be.

-They've got four legs. I've only got two.

-Yeah.

Once the apples were crushed, then they would need to be pressed.

-This is one of our oldest presses we've got up here, about 1750.

-Right.

-You can see this one has got a wooden screw on the top.

-Yeah, like a big corkscrew.

-Yes.

-Then the apple pulp that we've already crushed...

-Goes on here.

It would be wrapped in layers of straw to keep it all together and filter the juice out.

That gets squashed and juice comes out of the bottom.

Some of the machines are just too impractical to use now,

but the museum has a few examples that are in good enough working order

to demonstrate how cider was made the old-fashioned way.

This is our early 19th century scratter mill.

There's iron cogs in the top of there that grip the apples,

crush them up and push them down the bottom.

-You can have a go at turning the handle.

-Terrific.

-Forwards?

-Yeah.

Oh, it's easy.

When the apples are soft, it's really good. If you've got hard apples in there, it's really hard.

It's not as bad as I thought. Oh!

I expect those apples are well and truly crushed by now, so time for a bit of pressing.

This is a slightly smaller version of the big wood-screw press in there.

This is us building up our layers of straw.

The pulp is layered into straw,

which is folded over to make a kind of parcel traditionally called a "cheese".

In a minute, we'll squash the whole lot down and you'll see the juice come out.

-I can't believe how much work it is.

-Yeah, it's very physical.

There'll be one person on each of the iron screws and they just turn them round.

-I have noticed there's no fat men here.

-No, it does keep you very fit.

Even if they do drink a lot of cider.

-It's really coming down now.

-Yeah, it really starts to come out.

To make this juice into cider, it would need to be barrelled for the winter, allowing it to ferment,

but no such luck for Margie today.

-Would you like to have a little taste of some juice?

-I'd love to. I'll hold it under here.

It's like syrup, nectar.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

-I'm glad to see you sensibly stuck to the apple juice there, Margie.

There's shopping to be done and you need all your wits about you.

In Dorchester, Mark is already on his second shop of the day -

the De Danann Antiques Centre, a large emporium housing the wares of about 20 dealers.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Can I have a look round?

-By all means.

-Thank you.

Our Mark's got nearly £260 burning a hole in his pocket, so surely he'll find something to please him.

Do you think I've lost the plot?

Because I do.

I'm rapidly losing the will to live here.

There's going to be something here for me. I know it, I can feel it. But where?

Oh, he's spotted something.

Somehow.

Do be careful. Don't hurt yourself on my part.

This Chinese lacquerware...

Can you see these winged creatures, I suppose, on the front here?

There's quite a bit of wear on here. It's quite nice, reasonable quality as a carving.

You've got a Greek key design going around here, all carved round the back as well.

And...

It must be fairly strong because it's taking my weight.

But have a guess what the price is.

-£80?

-No.

-£100?

-No, much higher than that.

You'll have to think a lot higher at home than that because I think I'm sitting on £145.

I can't see it at that, really.

Mark's up for some tough negotiation, but the dealer isn't in today,

so centre owner John gets on the blower.

Hello, it's John from the centre.

-Could you give us a call back as soon as you can?

-(Answerphone.)

-Thank you.

I hope that dealer phones you back soon, Mark,

because Margie is hot on your heels,

although with only two lots for the auction so far, she's feeling the pressure.

I'm just getting a bit panicky...

..because time is running out.

Time has run out for the owner of the Chinese stool too,

so centre owner John has decided to step in.

I do want to buy something here because you've all been so lovely.

-You couldn't take a gamble at 50?

-55.

-They always say that!

-You know they do.

Come on, Mark. That's £85 off the asking price.

All right, 50 quid. I'll take the gamble.

I'm doing it. Thanks so much. I don't care what happens. I like it.

The deal done just in time. Here comes Margie.

Oh, no.

-Hello, Margie.

-Oh, no!

Will you go? I'm running out of time.

-What do you mean, "Will I go?"

-I'm panicking.

I've hardly seen you all day. I thought you might be missing me.

-Not at all.

-Really?

-Not one moment.

That was annoying,

bumping into his nibs.

-RINGS BELL

-Time's up.

Very funny. Very funny!

Don't worry, Margie. Your nemesis is leaving the premises.

Better get on with some hard browsing!

I like that. That's a little bamboo magazine rack.

It's rather small which makes it rather nice.

It's a nice size, isn't it? I like the size of it.

And you've got this Japanese decoration.

The price is £48.

And the trade is £3 off it which is £45.

It would have to be a lot cheaper than that if I was to buy it.

The magazine rack, or Canterbury, as they're known, is one to bear in mind. Is anything else calling her?

So it's a flute.

These are very expensive to buy.

And unlike a violin, you can't really damage a flute, so it could be used again, couldn't it?

-PLAYS A NOTE

-It's working.

I like it even more now.

-PLAYS HIGHER NOTE

-It's getting really good.

Don't give up the day job, Margie.

So the bamboo magazine stand is £45 and the flute is £40.

Can the dealer do a good price?

If I had the two,

how...how do you feel about that?

I'm nowhere near that.

I was thinking of...

..£20 for the rack

and £25 for the flute.

Is that pushing you too hard...?

Yeah, OK, so we're down to 55, which is very kind of you.

And I've said 45.

Can we meet in the middle and do the deal?

I'd much rather be facing you, but if we can say 50 for the two, I'd be very pleased to go ahead.

And it is cash.

You're going to go for it.

Oh, that's very sweet.

Great stuff. So I can go ahead with the lady here?

Oh, gosh!

£50 for the two. That's got to be all right, hasn't it?

Two more items successfully bought and Margie's shopping is done and dusted.

-Right, thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-Fantastic.

A lot of kissing going on!

Across Dorchester, Mark's come to his very last shop of the day,

a large warehouse filled with all things vintage and unusual.

That's rather nice, isn't it?

The sort of thing Margie would go for.

Oh, you meanie! Talking of which, you've still got over £200 waiting to be spent. Get a move on!

# Money

# Burns a hole in my pocket... #

Perhaps proprietors Dean and Martin can dig something out to tempt you, Mark.

What have we got in here? Anything of interest?

-The old pinball machine there, that's a treasure.

-That looks very interesting.

You know me, I like a challenge.

And my goodness, this is a challenge!

Because first of all, I have never bought or thought of buying a pinball machine.

Actually, Mark, this is a vintage pachinko machine, most likely from the 1970s,

similar to pinball, but you play it without flippers and many more balls.

It's still a phenomenally popular game in Japan,

making an annual turnover double that of the entire Japanese car industry.

There is something intriguing about it. I just want a bit of fun.

Like Cyndi Lauper, I just want to have a bit of fun.

For all I know, this could be the rarest model of Japanese pinball machine that could be worth £1,000.

On the other hand, it could be the most common and it's worth £30 or £40.

Brace yourself. The machine's ticket price is a hefty £300.

How much am I going to have to pay for this?

As little as possible because I don't know what it's worth,

but come on my journey with me and give me a round of applause if I get it.

I'm not sure if applause is appropriate, so will Dean and Martin strike a wizard deal?

-145, Mark, come on.

-You couldn't go to 130?

Cut the deal at 140 and we're done.

-He's a hard man.

-What am I going to do? I'm mad.

I don't know anything about it, but I just think it's so retro, isn't it?

I think I'm crazy, but you only live life once

and I'm going to make a massive profit on this at £140.

-Lovely.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Cheers.

Where's the money?

LAUGHTER

He's either utterly foolhardy or devastatingly clever. I don't know which.

-Thanks a lot.

-Thanks very much.

-Good to meet you. Wish me luck.

So with the last purchase in the bag,

it's time for our dear experts to reveal to each other what they've bought.

Oh! Oh, very nice.

First up, Mark's Chinese stool. Or is it?

Is it a stool or a table?

-It's a...

-A little table?

-I think it is a table.

-I sat on it and it takes my weight, so it's quite strong.

-I love it.

-The boy's done well. How much?

-£50.

-Oh, fine.

-Is that a hit?

-It's a hit. I'll open my treasure chest.

-Yes, quite.

-Here it comes.

-Oh!

-A little...

I think that's rather sweet, a little sort of Canterbury...

-It's a small magazine rack.

-Age?

-About the same as you(!)

-1900.

-I think it might be a bit earlier.

-1890?

-Yeah, I like it, Margie. Did you pay a lot?

-25.

-Oh, I think that's very reasonable.

Will Margie be charmed by Mark's glass urn?

I just thought anybody with a nice retro or a nice Georgian house would love that for their sideboard.

-I really like it.

-I thought it was very "you".

-Very elegant.

-Yeah, that's what I meant.

Oh, darling!

-So how much?

-£35.

-That's OK, isn't it?

-I thought 50, 55 on a good day.

-CLINKING SOUND

That rang a bell. More glass now. Margie's this time.

-Oh, I love it, a snake.

-I know.

-Where did you get that from?

It's ice glass. I thought it was crizzled, but it's not.

It's lovely to have three. That would grace anyone's dining table.

And that snake is very nicely decorated.

-It's cranberry, isn't it?

-Probably.

-What did you pay?

-Are you ready?

-Yeah.

£38.

-For the three?

-Yeah.

-That's ridiculous.

-I can see those making £100.

-Ah!

-Unless they get broken before we get to the saleroom.

Do I sense the old green-eyed monster there, Mark?

-Those are really nice. No damage.

-They're quite nicely modelled.

And there's quite a quirky charm to the faces of the newts.

-We're doing quite well today.

-I hope so.

-So how much?

-£30 for the pair.

-Oh, golly gee!

-There's got to be a profit, hasn't there?

-I hope so.

Can Margie whistle up some enthusiasm for her next item?

Even to have on the table as decoration.

So many of my friends in Brighton have got one of these on their table as decoration(!)

I'm saying, if you don't want to play it, I've put it all together and we've had a bit of a blow on it.

-You've had a blow on it?

-To make sure it's working.

-£25?

-Bargain.

-Right. Job done.

Now, don't get too smug there, Mark.

LAUGHTER

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

-That is so sweet.

-I thought it was such a lovely piece of vintage.

-£10?

-A little bit more.

-12?

£13.50.

You obviously drove a hard bargain!

-How about that?

-Let me look.

-It's a water filter, as you know.

-I know what it is.

-1880-ish.

-Yes. I love the children. Are they satyrs?

-It's classical, isn't it?

-That is rather sweet.

-I thought this was really quite a nice thing.

And it had a price tag of 160 on it.

-Gosh, that's a lot.

-Yeah.

-Lovely quality.

-Yeah.

-55.

-Gosh, that sounds terribly reasonable.

-It ought to make £100, £120. It's worth that.

-Yeah.

-Are you ready for this?

-I am ready.

-I don't think you are, Margie.

-Oh, my gosh!

-Told you.

-It's a wall-mounted pinball machine.

-Oh, my goodness!

-Japanese.

-Does it work?

-I haven't the faintest idea. We can't plug it in.

-Don't you think it's fabulous?

-Well, yeah, it is. It's very interesting.

-Tell me how much first.

-I don't want to tell you.

-You've paid a lot?

If I say it quickly, it might not sound bad. £140.

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

-Do you know the market?

-No.

-Neither do I.

-I can't wait for the auction.

-I can't.

-I really can't.

We've really got some... ridiculous items, haven't we?

So come on then. What do they really think?

The Doulton water filter, I noticed a few chips around the rim. I don't know if it'll make much of a profit.

His Chinese little table is OK, but it's not fantastic quality.

Maybe he's in for £20, £30 on that.

I'm really pleased with mine. I'd rather have my lots than his, but I would say that!

The fourth leg of this road trip began in the village of Burley, Hampshire,

and will conclude at the auction in Sherborne, Dorset.

Margie's been a loser so far this week, but Mark is keeping her spirits up.

What can go wrong?

Quite a lot, actually.

Margie Cooper spent exactly £143 on four auction lots,

including a set of three ice glass compote dishes,

a small bamboo Canterbury and a silver-plated flute...

PLAYS NOTE

..whereas Mark Stacey pushed the boat out by spending £268.50 on five auction lots,

including a vintage Japanese pachinko machine,

a pair of Art Deco style pink vases

and an oriental stool.

I might take a long boat to China!

Charterhouse Auction House is the theatre of dreams today,

so what does our auctioneer Richard Bromell make of our experts' choices?

The Japanese pinball machine, there's a lot of plastic in it, it won't be dear, but someone will enjoy it.

The chinoiserie-decorated Canterbury, great fun. Where do you put your Country Life?

I think there'll be a reasonable profit on that. It's a very good, useful item.

Settle down, everyone. It's time for the auction to begin.

-I don't want to even look, Margie.

-Be brave.

Margie's first under the hammer with her Doulton water filter.

Straight in at £20. At £20. 5. 30.

5. 40. 5. 50.

60. £60 in the third row.

£60 seated third row. Selling this time at 60, at 60...

I think that was very good.

It's a profit, but after the auction house takes off their commission, only a small one.

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

-Yeah, well, think again.

Both experts have gambled on glass,

so let's see how Mark's urn gets on.

Straight in here at £20. 20. 5. 30. 5.

40. 5. 50. 60. 70.

Against the internet at £70.

Selling, going away at £70, this time at 70...

-That's fantastic.

-It's a reasonable start.

It looks like it paid off - a solid profit for Mark.

-That's cheered you up?

-I've doubled my money, yeah. Thanks, Margie.

Now, will anyone succumb

to the temptations of that cranberry snake?

40. 5. 50. 60. £60 I have now and I'm out.

70. 80. 90.

Selling away this time at 90...

-Great.

-I was close.

-I said 100.

-Yes, spot-on!

An excellent profit for Margie, her best this week so far.

-That's my best one yet.

-That's a good profit.

-Yeah.

And I needed it.

Yes, you guessed it, more glass. Mark's this time.

-20. 5. 30. £30 I have.

-Oh, come on.

-£30.

£30 and away now. 5. 40. At £40 now. You're out at the back at £40.

Here selling, going away this time at £40, at 40...

-Can't be bad.

-Disappointing.

It's a profit, but Mark clearly hoped for more.

I'm disappointed with those.

I would have liked those to have done a bit more.

Anyone want to learn the flute out there?

I'm straight in at £15. Here at £15. 20. 5.

30. 5. At £35. Against the internet there at £35.

-Oh, no.

-40 at the back now, thank you. £40 standing. £40 standing.

Done, going, selling this time away at 40, at 40...

I thought that might have done a bit more actually, don't you?

It certainly played to someone's tune.

It's a profit. You're not used to those sort of things.

So be grateful. Don't get carried away.

Cheeky! Now, will Mark's pachinko machine hit the jackpot?

£50, the pinball machine? £50 and away for it?

50? £50 and away? 50?

-30 to start it?

-Oh, no.

-£30, the pinball machine?

Internet bid at 30. £30 I have now. £35 I have.

New bidder at 35. 40. 5.

At £45 I have. At £45 I have. £45. 50. 60.

-It's going up on the internet.

-At £60.

-Come on, a bit more.

-It's the internet.

-Selling at 60, at 60...

-Oh, dear.

-Oh, no.

£80 down!

It was a gamble, Mark, and you lost. Big time!

I did it as a favour. I wanted to come down to your level again.

I want to give you a chance.

Can Margie keep the momentum going with her bamboo Canterbury?

15. 20. 5. 30. 5. At 35... 40.

-5. 50. £50 and I'm out.

-You've doubled your money.

At £50, the internet is out. It's seated right there at 50, at 50...

-Well done. You've doubled your money.

-I have. Bless it!

Margie is making steady, good profits. Watch out, Mark!

You've had a very good day. Are you pleased?

-I'm getting there.

-You are.

Mark's tin horse is up next.

Internet, £10 I have. At 10. £10, the maiden bid.

-10. 15. 20. £20 and away now...

-It's a profit.

-Come on.

-25. Still on the net at 25.

At £25 I have. At 25. Internet bid at 25. 30.

-Selling, going away at 30, at 30...

-That's all right.

That's what I thought, that's what I hoped for. I hoped for £30.

Straight past the finishing post. Well done, Mark.

I'm clawing my way back, but I've only got one lot to claw with.

And it's you up next, Mark,

with the last lot of the day -

the Chinese table or stool or whatever it is.

£50 and away for it? 50? 30 for it? 30 bid, thank you. At 30.

5. 40. 5. 50. 60.

The bid is at the back at 60.

-I'm out now. In the room at £60.

-Where's the net?

Selling away at 60, at 60...

Nope.

Well, it didn't save me, did it?

No, your dragons failed to set the auction alight.

I'm glad to get out of here. That's me done.

You might feel a bit glum, Mark, and no surprise. You've been well and truly beaten by Margie today.

Mark Stacey started this leg with £337.16,

but his gamble on that pachinko machine meant he made a crushing loss of £55.30.

That leaves him with £281.86 to take forward tomorrow...

..whereas Margie Cooper began with £192.06

and made a profit of £53.80 after auction costs.

That makes her today's winner and gives her £245.86 to spend tomorrow.

Well done, Margie.

-Gosh! So it's all down to tomorrow.

-Tomorrow is another day.

Join us tomorrow as Margie goes on the offensive.

-All right, 15 quid.

-A tenner?

-Stop whining. No.

And Mark finds a friend for life.

Go to sleep, little froggie.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2012