Episode 6 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts, with ?200 each...

I love that. ..a classic car,

and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

Yippie!

I can see better with those.

The aim? To make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

LAUGHTER They'll probably have a row!

So will it be the high road to glory, or the slow road to disaster?

Thanks! He's just about killed that, hasn't he?

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Yeah!

On this road trip we've got double trouble, with the two Jameses.

You have been a past winner of this road trip.

I think I'm going to raise my game

if I'm going to give you anything remotely like a challenge.

James Braxton has 20 years' experience in antique auctioneering,

and alongside being dandy and dapper,

he's not afraid of a cheeky offer.

I thought I was being fair! LAUGHTER

En garde!

His competitive companion, James Lewis,

is a seasoned auctioneer, with his own business in Derbyshire. He loves

a bargain, and would risk life and limb to get the best buy.

Ouch! I've just stabbed myself.

James and James are travelling in their sunshine yellow 1983 VW beetle,

and it's about the only sunshine they're experiencing right now.

It's trying to widdle on us, but not very successfully. I have my hat.

Well done, well done. In case of danger.

The route for this road trip takes our intrepid road trippers

from Ampthill, in Bedfordshire,

across the Channel to Jersey

and back again to the final

destination of Leamington Spa,

covering almost 1,000 miles. Epic, eh?!

But for now we begin in Ampthill, and will auction

in Market Harborough.

Ampthill is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin, the first settlement

here was called Aemethyll, which literally means ant-infested hill.

It doesn't look THAT bad, does it?

That was good. Made it.

How do I get out of this? Stretch my legs! Oh!

I'm not built for these classic cars, you know!

Maybe they weren't built for you, James!

James Lewis is off to his first shop,

Lawson and Lee's, to meet owner Claire.

Hello. I'm James. Nice to see you.

James has spotted a walnut music box, inlaid with

geometrical micromosaic panels, if you want to get technical about it.

GENTLE MUSIC Listen to that.

Probably Swiss, 1940, the Swiss musical box.

But it's that little marquetry inlay that the whole box is covered in

that makes it desirable.

For some strange reason,

he wants to pair the ?55 box with some wooden napkin rings at ?20.

For me to stand a chance, I need to pay about ?15 for them.

Erm... Yes, OK. That's fine.

Blimey, an odd combination, but that was easy.

Well, that was easy!

I just said that! Beginner's luck? No.

Meanwhile, just around the corner,

James Braxton is forging ahead at the Ampthill Antiques Emporium.

He's got his beady eye on a copper hearth surround

in the Arts and Crafts style.

The chancers are asking ?45 for it! Dear, oh, dear, oh, dear!

Cheeky devil! But that's not going to stop him

doing a deal on it, oh, no.

Libby, is there some discount on that?

Do you really like that, then? I do like it.

Well, the best would be ?40.

?40, OK... Well, you've definitely got a deal with that, Libby.

Thank you very much. Yes, I'll have that.

Would you clean all that up? I was hoping you might! No, you've got to be joking!

Ah, James has got his eye on something else -

a gold-plated wax seal, priced at ?44.

So we've got a sort of citrine here,

beautifully intaglio engraved with a crest.

How much could that be, Libby?

38.

38. Well, that's better than normal, isn't it?

That's a good price.

Do you think they might be pushed to 35?

I'd have to do a phone call.

Would you? Yes. That might take me a moment.

Could you do a phone call? I wouldn't mind a...

Well, if you're phoning, why don't you say 30, then?

Well, a wasted opportunity, isn't it?

I'll see what I can do.

Now who's the chancer, James?

This seal would have been used to validate a document.

Handsome, and it dates back to about 1830.

How did we do? He's accepted your offer of 32.

Why, he's a very kind man. That was very good.

He is a very kind man. I'll have that.

OK, that's lovely. Thank you very much.

I thought the offer was ?30 on the seal. Ah, well.

What's ?2 between friends?

Meanwhile, the other James has spotted an odd-looking brooch.

It's a bit of 19th-century jewellery, but the unusual thing is,

it's made totally out of hair.

Human hair? Yuck!

The only thing rarer than this is the collectors for them.

They're even rarer! LAUGHTER

You're either going to rate this really highly, or not at all.

LAUGHTER

He'll need to trim something off the ?100 price tag.

20. 25.

A snip on the hair brooch,

but it looks like he's going for a job lot ` again.

That is a mid-19th-century brooch, How much could that be?

40.

I like that, and I like that. I think they work quite well together.

If I gave 45 for the two...

It's a cheeky offer!

Erm... OK.

OK, how much do I owe you? The marquetry - 15.

And the two brooches for 45, so ?60, yes?

Bye! Thank you.

So, that's a bonanza of buys for James Lewis.

He's now on his way to Olney for a spot of shopping

at the Antiques Centre, and he's looking for something special.

What have you got there, James?

It's a box from the 19th century.

It's got marquetry around the edges, and the corners are missing.

But there are various ways of sorting that.

It looks like the casket is ebony, with ivory inlay.

Now, items containing ivory made after 1947 are illegal to sell,

but as this piece dates from around 1880, it can still be traded, but

will owners Sheila and Nick let it go for less than

the price tag of ?25?

?15, offer.

That's it. Last chance. Last throw of the dice.

That sounds fine.

Brilliant, thank you.

After all that... ?15. It's just unbelievable!

There we are. Thank you very much. Thank you. OK.

And just as he's about to leave, James spies one final buy.

I didn't see those when I walked in. They're quite sweet.

Little pair of lunettes.

You can imagine an Edwardian lady taking those out, can't you?

Very much so. They actually work. I can see better with those! ?22.

As we are on a roll, how about 15 again?

Yes, I'm sure she'll do that.

Yeah? It's not a big discount, is it? It's not a big discount.

I can't believe that! A flourish at the end!

So, I owe you 15 again. There we go. Thank you.

With four lots in the bag, it's been a good day for James Lewis.

Onwards, as our boys keep those road trip wheels a-moving.

But before James embarks on

more shopping, James Braxton is

dropping James Lewis off at

a car-boot sale in Northampton.

I love car-boots. I used to go,

but now, of course, they say, "Oh, it's him off the telly!

"I'm not selling anything to him!" LAUGHTER

And can you blame them?

The thing about car-boot sales is that one man's trash is

another man's treasure, so good luck, James.

How much is the pestle and mortar?

That can be ?15. It's quite early.

It's 18th century.

When qualifying, every pharmacist was given one of these

as a classic graduation present. And because they're made out of bronze,

they last in quite large numbers.

But 15 quid is not expensive.

I like that. Yes?

What about if I throw an old book in? And we'll call it ?25.

The Badminton Library. Fishing - Pike And Coarse Fish.

Sounds like a bit of a catch to me!

That could almost go with that.

Really?!

I'll give you a tenner for that.

I'm going to have to hold out for 15.

Because of what it is and because I think it's got some age.

In that case, I'll give you 15 quid the two. Throw your ?2 quid book in.

OK, yeah. Yeah? Yeah. You've got a deal.

Hook, line, and sinker.

But James's buys are turning into a bit of pick and mix.

Thank you. Goodbye, thank you.

Whatever next, a medieval bronze bell to complete the lot, eh?

I ploughed that up in the parish of Yelvertoft a few years ago...

Oh, yeah? You ploughed it up?

Yes. It's goat or a sheep, is it? Yeah.

Looks like a bell to me!

Car-boot sale...

A load of brand-new bits and bobs. Bit of medieval bronze.

How much is that?

50p. Sold.

Me and my big mouth, eh? Ding-dong!

Thank you very much. Have a good day. And you, thank you.

Back on the road, James Braxton

has driven on to Finedon,

in Northamptonshire, for his next stop.

Hello. Good morning. Hello.

James is off to Affleck Bridge Antiques.

Owner Edward is a very helpful chap, and has something that might be of interest.

Nice chamber stick. Nice chamber stick, isn't it?

It's sort of perpetual movement, almost, isn't it? It's rather fun.

One for the back burner, eh, James?

What's this? "Umbrella Covers North."

What attracts me about this item is, you've got a very novelty...

sort of stylised, looks like a kookaburra, forming a handle.

It's a lady's umbrella, that all works... Parasol.

It's just got a little bit of loss there.

But if you look at the detail of this, this is a luxury good,

a luxury accessory, and it's ?28!

So with the umbrella at ?28, what about that chamber stick at ?24?

Could you do 40 for the two, Edward?

That's pushing us. I thought I was being fair!

Well, to give you a chance at the auction, we could do that.

OK, that's very kind. Thank you very much indeed, thank you.

That's really kind.

So, two more items for the swag bag, and without a moment's delay,

James is on to his next location, Brackley,

and the final shop before auction.

Historically, Brackley is a market town built on the wool and lace trade,

HE HUMS And just one look at this place,

it really is an Aladdin's cave.

James finds owner Jim to ask about something he rather likes.

It's a very nice design, that,

but quite sort of weird for a lady to wear,

a big brooch like that.

Well, he's not weighing anchor yet,

although he is sailing towards more silverware.

What is it? I think it's German.

"Emil Langer. Hamburg."

And it's a teapot.

It's that terribly tough silver plate.

It's very well fitting.

It's got a certain robust charm about it, isn't it?

Vorsprung durch teapot, some might say!

Not me, though.

How much do you want for that one, then?

Five pounds? Five pounds.

Let's see if we can get something else to go with it, shall we?

I think I'll go in this side.

I've always loved these nests of beakers.

1945. These are German as well.

It's a lovely Second World War font, isn't it?

Yes, it is. Very German.

Do you think you could do a decent price on those?

Yes, I would think so. What have we got on at the minute?

It's got ?25. Yeah.

I could certainly give him a ring and find the best he'll do on it.

After a quick phone call to the owner,

James secures the beakers for ?15

but something else is weighing on his mind...

I like the anchor as well.

So Jim's partner, Deborah,

gets on the phone to the owner of the ?28 anchor brooch.

Go, Debs! Hold on.

?15. ?15, ?15, definitely, I'll take it.

That's very kind of her.

Thank you. Thanks, Shirley, bye. Thank you, bye.

That teapot, do you think it would make a happy bedfellow

with the beakers? I think it would, being German.

Being German. And well-made.

What have I got on me? What have I got on me? Here you are.

That's a bit insulting!

There you are.

Would a big two buy it? The teapot? Yeah.

Two pounds?! Oh, would it?

How about double or quits, then, James? Definitely, definitely.

Double or quits. Double or quits. Are you going to spin?

I'll spin, you call. OK.

Heads, because it's the Queen's time.

Tails!

HE LAUGHS

Jolly lucky I had the other one.

THEY LAUGH

Thank you, James. Thank you very much indeed, Jim. Thank you.

So, after gambling and losing, the teapot has cost James dear.

Four pounds, instead of two. On top of that,

he's bought the beakers and the anchor brooch for ?15 each.

Having finished his shopping earlier,

the other James has driven to Kettering

to visit England's answer

to the Palace of Versailles.

Boughton House has been home to the Montagus since 1528

and you'd be forgiven for thinking

it's a little bit of France

right here in England.

Its design and contents have been heavily influenced

by the tastes of the famous French Sun King, Louis XIV.

James is here to meet Charles Lister, to find out more.

Charles. James, welcome to Boughton House.

The English Versailles. Thank you very much. What a place!

I was not expecting to find a French palace

in the middle of Northamptonshire! What's it doing here?

Well, it's very much the creation of Ralph Montagu,

English Ambassador to Louis XIV,

who transformed his Tudor house here into a very French-style building.

If you'd like to come through, I can tell you all about him and his life.

Gosh!

This is the Great Hall, the centrepiece of the house,

where all the entertaining would take place.

William III would have been invited by Ralph Montagu,

the first Duke of Montagu, who's portrayed just over here.

This is Ralph, himself. So, he built this house?

He turned a small Tudor mansion

into a grand vision of what he'd seen

as ambassador to Louis XIV over in France.

What inspired him to do this, from an original Tudor style?

It was very much, he's advancing in society.

He starts as the second son of Lord Montagu

and he increasingly becomes more important, more prominent,

so he wants to have a house that reflects that,

and partly the way you do that, you invite the King here,

he enjoys it, hopefully, he'll give you a dukedom.

So, it's a bit of one-upmanship and a bit of social climbing, as well!

Some things never change, do they?

It seems not.

Montagu drew on his time in France

to recreate his own version of Versailles here.

Boughton House is now owned by the Duke of Buccleuch,

but with such opulence and grandeur,

this place really was fit for a king.

My goodness! That is incredible!

The colours! Not the original upholstery, surely?

Yes, indeed. This was purchased by Ralph Montagu in 1660 from France.

It formed the centrepiece of his state apartment,

created to show King William III by this point.

He was going to come here, enjoy the state apartment he created for him.

I suppose he purchased them with the intention

of making the state apartment for Charles II? That's right.

Eventually, William took over by the time he'd finished. Exactly. Gosh.

There's some money spent in here, isn't there? Vast sums of money.

Furnishing the bed itself, the furniture here,

even the parquet floor here cost ?5,000

in the 1680s to actually complete it,

which was a vast sum of money. Goodness me!

That's approximately ?631,000 in today's money.

And all really for the King to come and be here for one day, really.

Incredible!

It might have been an expensive case of social climbing,

but almost 400 years later, Boughton House is one of the jewels

in Britain's crown, essentially English-French in flavour.

That was fascinating, but now here's a quick reminder

of how our boys have been spending their dosh.

James Lewis began this leg with ?200 and spent ?105.50

on the Victorian lorgnette,

the 19th century casket,

the George III hair brooch and accompanying brooch set.

Also, there's the unusual duo of the walnut musical box

and five napkin rings,

and the combo lot of the bronze pestle and mortar, the bronze bell

and the 19th century book on fishing. Hmm.

From his ?200, James Braxton

spent ?146 on the gold-plated seal,

the Arts and Crafts copper hearth surround,

the 1930s lady's umbrella,

the chamber stick, the set of four German plated beakers

along with plated German teapot,

and finally, the white metal anchor brooch. Phew!

So, let's see what the boys think of one another's goodies.

My items look quite good beside his.

I think I've actually got a better lot of stuff than he has.

But he probably thinks exactly the same!

It sounds like the gloves are well and truly off.

With both our experts feeling confident, there's only one way

to find out who's bought best.

From Kettering, our boys are back

on the road, as they head to

auction in Market Harborough.

Here we are.

Our experts are going head-to-head at Gildings,

which has established itself as an auction house of distinction

over the last 30 years.

Here we go.

First up for James Braxton, it's the Arts and Crafts copper hearth

surround, and it's over to auctioneer Mark Gilding.

Nice, this one.

?50, do I see? It's going for 50.

10. ?10 only. I'm bid at 10.

At ?10, I'm bid at ?10.

?12, do I see?

Come on. I'll even polish it for you.

At ?12, I'm bid.

At 15, 18... We're getting there.

At ?18. You're not bidding at 18.

The bid's 18.

?18 and selling away. At 18.

Ouch! Well, that failed to set the auction room ablaze.

You were dead right. Obviously the wrong size.

First up for James Lewis, the pair of brooches -

the creepy hair one and the evil-eye one.

Is it undamaged? Yes, it's perfect.

It's six loops of different hair. What will we say for these?

The two of them, ?100, do I see?

Don't all bid at once(!)

OK, then, ?20, I'm bid.

?20, I'm bid. Have it your way. 5, 30. 35.

?35, 40. 40, I'm bid.

No way! It's creeping.

45, I'm bid. At 45. Still a loss.

48, 50. ?50, I'm bid. At ?50.

5, at ?55. 60, do I see? It's 55.

You're all quiet in the room.

?55 and I'm instructed to sell.

At ?55.

A pin-prick of a profit for James Lewis.

It's washed its face.

A little profit there.

That's my expression. Next up for James Lewis,

it's that dainty gold lorgnette.

Good luck.

We'll see. At 22, 25, 28. 28,

I'm bid now at 28.

At ?28, I'm bid now.

At 32, 35. At 35.

All my bids are out.

38, do I see it? No way! Are you bidding, internet?

Just flashing, then, at ?35...

A man of vision, is our James Lewis.

But he didn't see that one coming, did he?

They could have had a one in front of them, couldn't they?

That is disastrous.

Now it's James Braxton's gold-plated seal.

Will it make an impression on the bidders?

Do you think people still collect those seals?

That was lovely. It was beautifully... It was.

?20, 5, 30, 5, 40.

45. Into profit.

That's ?45 bid. 45 and selling away.

His first profit. Good. And it's not that bad.

A nice little profit, there. I'm all right.

Now it's James Lewis' 19th-century Indian sadeli casket.

Bidding starts at 25, 35, ?40. I'm bid at 40.

At ?40, 45, 50, 55, seated. At 55.

At ?55 I'm bid. Do I see 60?

It should be worth more than this,

but ?55, I'm bid.

All out in the room and the net is out. 55 seated, 60. New bidder, 65.

You were right. At 70...

And I'm selling at ?70.

That's not bad.

I'm pleased with that.

Yes, it's turned out to be a right little treasure chest

and puts James Lewis into an early lead.

Come on, Brackers!

You've got some catching up to do with the 1930s lady's umbrella.

?10, I'm bid only.

I thought this would make a lot more. 12, 15, 18, 20.

22. 22 bid now. In the room at 22.

At ?22, the net's out as well.

Oh, go on! 22... A new bidder here.

30. 30 I'm bid. At ?30.

At 30, and selling at ?30.

A luxury item at 30.

Oh, dear.

At least he's covered himself.

Next up for James Braxton is the

pottery chamber stick. There we are.

?10, I'm bid. The Linthorpe style.

?10, I'm bid. At ?10, I'm bid.

?12, do I see? It's ?10 only.

?12, I'm bid now.

?12 bidder in the room.

Bit of a charity bid, there. Yes.

At ?12, and selling away.

The chamber stick fails to light up the room.

Another loss for James Braxton. Next!

This is my box that you really hate.

Slightly strange bedfellows now.

The walnut music box and the wooden napkin rings.

Lovely quality marquetry here.

Lovely quality marquetry, James.

Actually, only, ?5 I'm bid. God!

That's about right.

?12, 15, 18, 20, 22,

out this side, it's 22. Are you

bidding at 22? 22 on my left.

At 22. 5 to bid. I'm selling quick,

then, at 22, and away. Oh...

Oh, bottom!

That's about the right price for that.

The odd collection clearly appealed to someone and gave James Lewis

another creeping profit, but can James Braxton accelerate with

this set of German beakers and a teapot?

I like these beakers.

The beakers are nice.

You could take them on a picnic.

?50, are we? ?10, I'm bid.

I'm bid 12, 15, 18, 20, 22...

You're out now. It's down here,

at ?22. 5, I'll take. At 22...

A good pairing, but not the match of the day.

My last chance

at profit is the anchor. It's got to make...

It's got a big responsibility. It's got to make about 60 quid.

No pressure, then(!) It's the anchor brooch.

It should be ?40-50, shouldn't it?

Yeah, it should.

Bidding starts at ?15. 18, 20, 22,

25, 28 and I'm out.

28, it's in the room, and selling at ?28.

30. Go on. Go on.

Go on. 32, 35. This side.

You're out on my left. At 35.

Well done. Well done.

Anchors aweigh, with a tidy profit.

The final lot for James Lewis

is the pestle and mortar,

the medieval bronze bell,

and the book on fishing.

He does love a good pick 'n' mix.

Bidding starts at 10, 12, 15, ?18.

Oh! 18, I'm bid. 20, 22, 25, 28, 30.

30, I'm bid in the room.

All my bids are lost at ?30.

?30 in the room. At 30.

Oh, that's all right.

There we go. An odd lot, though, hooks him one last profit.

Is it enough to land the first victory?

James Braxton started the show with ?200, and after auction costs,

he's made a loss of ?13.16, sending him

through to the next round with ?186.84.

Don't look so serious.

James Lewis also started with ?200 after costs.

He's made a profit of ?68.34, taking his total to ?268.34

and claiming the first victory of this road trip.

He's looking serious too. Tight-lipped.

Well... Winner decides? Do you want me to drive? Go on, you drive.

I should sit in the back. You should do. Only ?60-odd.

You don't get the full chauffeuring service.

It's better than a loss, James.

It certainly is. Oh, dear.

Our competitive pair of Jameses

are still pootling along in the 1983 VW Beetle

to tackle the next leg of their journey.

As a quick reminder of the road trip for our pair of adventurers,

takes them from Ampthill in Bedfordshire

across the Channel to Jersey and back again to the final destination of Leamington Spa,

covering almost a thousand miles.

Gosh!

But on this leg, we begin in Woodstock in Oxfordshire

and end up at auction in Swindon.

I think Oxfordshire is glorious, isn't it? It is lovely.

No, it's not that Woodstock. No hippy-dippy, flower power festivals here.

This Woodstock is the home of the UNESCO World Heritage Site,

Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

James Lewis is dropping James Braxton at his first shop of the day

and the bells are ringing out for their arrival.

There we go. Good. Thanks a lot.

All righty...

James Braxton has a disappointing ?186.84 in his wallet.

Bye. Bye.

Woodstock Arts and Antiques is run by a Mr Michael Jackson. Sham on!

Hello, James. How are you? Hello. Nice to meet you. Good to see you.

I never knew that Michael was alive and well and dealing in antiques in Woodstock.

Great look to it, isn't it? Hmm.

I really like that poodle. It's very well done.

It has a sense of humour. It has a certain naive charm about that.

It certainly does. Mid-19th century Staffordshire at ?28, in case you were wondering.

But this, this rather sweet owl, isn't it...?

That's a candle snuffer. That is just fabulous.

Humorous and naive, the owl is Royal Worcester and has a ticket price of ?55.

Worth a punt, James?

At the other extreme, what a lovely little '50s, mint and boxed tea set!

Never been used. Some poor little kiddie had it as a present and it stayed there.

I mean, that's not a bad little thing.

That's great, isn't it?

I do like that. What could that be?

A tenner? A tenner.

These two little bits...

It's really got to be another 40 for those.

Would ?35 buy them? 35 would do it.

35 and 10 - 45. That's really good. Thank you.

Super, sir. Thanks a lot. Thank you. I appreciate that.

Yes, now beat it!

A joke. I'm sure dealer Michael Jackson always finds that amusing.

After dropping off James Braxton, James Lewis has driven on eight miles to Oxford.

Oxford is home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world.

James' first port of call is Antiques On High

and he has a rather jolly ?268.34 to spend.

Hi there. Hello.

It isn't long before James spots something that looks like a silver sugar basket.

Unmarked with a family crest.

I think it's early. I think it's 18th century.

I'm hoping...

I'm hoping it might be Irish, the fact that it's not marked. OK.

What could that be? 35 on there... I can get 30.

Is 20 any good? He wouldn't do 20. He might do 25 if he's in the right mood.

I could ring him and see if it's got a chance.

25, save your phone bill. Take a gamble.

Let's do it, James. LAUGHTER

Quick and easy! Not much wrong with that. Let's hope it's silver and not silver plate.

James Braxton is now "Beetling" away to Bicester.

Hello. Hello.

The Old Flight House is James' next shopping emporium.

Before long, our Jack Nicholson lookalike has spied a silver charm bracelet for ?33.

Maybe it reminds him of The Shining!

Now, could that be a silly price of, say, ?20?

A silly price? No, not a... That would be a good price, wouldn't it?

How about 21? ?21, you have a deal, Karen. I just like the number.

Thank you. Thank you.

I'm very pleased with that, Karen. That's very kind. Good. There's the 20. Perfect. And the one. Thank you.

Thank you very much indeed, Karen. Bye. Bye-bye.

Cor, he doesn't hang about, that James Braxton, does he?!

The boys are reunited once more and keeping those road trip wheels a-moving.

Before he starts his shopping though, James Braxton is giving James Lewis a much-needed head start

by dropping him off in Chipping Norton.

Cheers. Bye.

James is having a mooch in the very modern sounding CoCa,

run by John Cooper.

That's a completely weird object, isn't it?

Can you imagine James Braxton's face if I bought that? Go on, I dare you!

What do you think it is then?

I think... I think it's Japanese.

And this section is carved out of a nut.

The parasol, the face and the cane, I think, are bone. Yeah.

Or the tongue might be stained ivory, but more than likely, probably bone. Right.

And I think it's probably a figure from a Japanese comedy, about 1900, 1910. What can that be?

15?

I'll have to make you a cheeky offer of a fiver. A tenner and it's yours.

Eight and you've got a deal.

Only because it's totally stupid. Go on then.

?8, you've got a deal. Thank you.

Back in the Beetle, James Braxton has driven to Gaydon in Warwickshire to take a much-needed pit stop.

With a bit of time to spare, James has come to the Heritage Motor Centre near Banbury,

home to the world's largest collection of historic British cars.

And he's driving a VW Beetle! Has the man no shame?

Hopefully, curator Tim Bryan will forgive him.

Hello. Hello, James. Welcome to the Heritage Motor Centre. What an amazing place!

All British cars here? Yes, everything in the museum is built in this country,

right from the 1890s up to the present.

I'm rather ashamed to tell you I've come up in the VW, our German cousins.

The Germans have had quite a lot to do with our industry over the last few years,

so I'm sure that's a good connection.

In the 1970s, the newly formed British Leyland company sorted out

all the old motors it had in storage, turning up vintage vehicles of all shapes and sizes

from the Mini to the Land Rover, Rolls-Royce to the Aston Martin.

Although the collection focuses on iconic British brands,

the motor industry first began in the home of James's VW.

This is where the story starts. You mentioned German cars.

This is a replica of a German car.

This is a replica of the first Benz car, built back in 1886.

It looks like a trap, like a horse and trap, doesn't it? It is.

In 1886, Otto Benz, when he built this car, it was based, I guess, on the technology of the time,

so a bit of horse-drawn technology and also a bit of bike technology.

The wheels look very much like a bicycle tyre. They do, don't they?

What is this? These are solid rubber tyres.

But it's got hardly any features you'd recognise.

The steering, of course, is a tiller, so if you want to move it, you can do that.

And of course, there's no boot, there's no windscreen.

But it can only do about nine miles an hour, so it was very primitive.

The story I love to tell is it's said that Mrs Benz actually drove it first, rather than Mr Benz.

Mr Benz had to run along behind with his toolbox to make sure it didn't break down.

A bit like some of our classic cars on the Road Trip then!

Ah, Mr Bond, I've been expecting you.

The James Bond fans will, of course, recognise the V12 Vanquish from Die Another Day.

Die Another Day. Yes.

Was that on the ice with the Jaguar? That's right, yes.

Again, a fantastic bit of technology. You have to have deep pockets

to own and run one, but really the flagship of the Aston Martin fleet.

As far as many people are concerned, this is one of the iconic British cars, so it's great to have it here.

No longer in production, the V12 Vanquish would have set you back around ?160,000

and that's without an ejector seat!

One of the things I think that this place is really successful at

is getting people to think about and look at their memories of cars,

so people think, "My dad had one of those cars,"

or, "We went on holiday in that sort of car," or, "That was my first car."

A real trip down memory lane and the best of British all under one roof.

And with that, it's time for our special agent James Braxton

to get back in his classic car and on the road.

Oh, less 007, more...

Herbie Goes Bananas?

Time now for James to head down to Deddington to continue his shopping.

His final shop of the day is the Deddington Antiques Centre, run by dealer Brenda Haller.

It's got a bit of weight to it.

Good. Brenda's shop is famous for the Deddington Duck.

Not an ornament, but a move.

Duck!

Too late!

Slightly concussed, James spots a rather curious curio.

A bombilla. Is that what it is? Yeah. It's for tea.

Ah! So it's a South American thing.

And this is a gourd. Yeah.

You put your leaves or whatever and the water in there.

Because it was all pretty messy stuff, you drink through the straw. How amazing!

That might be a possibility, Brenda. Let's hold it out. Let's keep it out.

Next up, James has his eye on a white metal bowl which Brenda thinks is an ashtray.

Yeah, that's one that slots on, you know, when they had a table at the side?

Oh, I see. You'd slot that one on to a piece of wood.

It's got dragons on it, has it? Dragons, yeah.

If you saw that, you would think Chinese,

then you turn it over and you've got the Arabic script. Isn't that interesting?

Leave it out. You held it more than 2 seconds, so you're interested. You're reading me, you see!

You crafty dealers.

He seems to be starting a collection of possible maybes.

There's a piece of Japanese silver there. Could have been a tea bowl, trinket bowl, sake bowl.

Who knows? Yeah. Nice price at ?22, but they don't seem to know what it is.

I reckon it could be a rice bowl lid. Well, it is if you hold it the right way up, James.

But he's not done yet. He's turning into a bit of a magpie today.

Oh, that's a good weight. It's not silver. Silver plate. Any other redeeming features?

It's nice and heavy. Walker and Hall. Can't get better than that.

And actually it's a perfect thing for you to put your goodies on. It is, isn't it?

Let's have a look what it looks like. Put it on there. Very good.

Fantastic. Sets them off, doesn't it?

James has selected the gourd jobby at ?68, the white metal bowl at ?78,

the silver lid at ?22 and the tray at ?38.

A grand total of ?206. How's he going to manage that when he's only got ?120.84 left to spend.

I see the package at ?100. You do?

Is that...? This is a one-off deal. One-off.

I don't do this for anybody else, but because you're so lovely... You're too kind.

..I will do it. I want you to win. Good. Thank you.

Obviously the Jack Nicholson approach goes down rather well.

Good on you, James. Thank you very much. In the till!

A selection of items at half price. That's as good as it gets. Well done, Jack. I mean, James.

James Lewis has travelled on to complete his shopping in Yarnton.

James is casting his eagle eye around Yarnton Antiques Centre,

and looks like he's found something.

The great thing about these little tins was that there were Jacobs Biscuits

and other makers who were designing these novelty tins just to help try to sell their biscuits.

I suppose from about 1900 to the 1930s.

And they're now really sought after.

But one thing that is so important is condition.

And there's a hole there for some reason. Could that be a tenner?

It might be worth a go.

The price tag of the biscuit tin is ?18.

The shop owner calls the dealer with a cheeky offer from James.

A tenner. Is that any good to you? Please. Yeah?

Star! OK, thank you very much. Bye-bye.

You have a sale. Yay! It was worth a go. Finally.

Brilliant. OK, well, that's one. And once he's started, there's no stopping him.

Next on his shopping list is a 19th-century Regency ormolu pocket watch stand,

circa 1825.

Looks nice. Could you offer 20 for me? I'll try for you.

Shortly followed by a string of ivory beads for ?30.

It's legal to buy and sell items that were made of ivory before 1947.

So, James, what to do?

15? 15. Just give it a go. See what happens. Right, OK. Thank you very much.

What would be your absolute best? Whilst Mia phones the dealer, James gets back into the cabinets

just in case he's missed something.

As it's you, yes, she'll go 20 on the stand and 15 on the ivory. Brilliant.

OK? That's a deal. Thank you.

He really is on a roll now.

The little pig that says, "Scratch me," on it. A bacon roll!

There you go. Thank you. Oh, that's funny.

It would have had a bit of sandpaper or something there, do you think?

Not necessarily if the box slid in. You'd have the striker on the box.

On the side...

At ?9, the Victorian brass match case is a cute novelty item,

but he's not committing just yet, not when he's just spotted a tortoiseshell and bone trousse,

the Chinese equivalent of a Swiss Army penknife, at ?55.

It's a knife, a pair of chopsticks and a little bone implement for digging bits out of places.

Tortoiseshell is now covered by the same laws that protect ivory,

but because the trousse pre-dates 1947, it's legal to trade.

25. Just see. ..You've got 55. He's offering 25.

Another cheeky offer gets a cheeky response.

I won't say what she called you. She says for 30 you can have it. She can't go down to 25.

Go on, James. What's an extra fiver when you've still got ?190 to spend?

Don't be tight. Deal.

Thank you. Thanks very much. OK.

So James has lucked out in his last shop. That's the biscuit tin for ?10,

the pocket watch stand for ?20, the ivory beads for ?15

and the oriental trousse for ?30.

How much do I owe you? 75, please.

And with one last throw of the dice he takes a ?9 gamble on the pig matchbox holder.

I like buying small things. Good luck with that. Thank you.

Both our chaps are well and truly shopped out,

so let's have a catch-up of what they've spent their money on.

James Lewis started with ?268.34 and dished out

?117 on six auction lots.

The 18th century sugar basket,

the Japanese novelty figure coupled with the 19th century

Oriental trousse.

The novelty biscuit tin, the ivory beads,

the 19th century pocket watch stand,

and who could forget the Victorian pig match case?

James Braxton began with ?186.84

and splurged a total of ?166, also on six lots.

The Royal Worcester candle snuffer,

the 1950s child's tea set,

the silver bracelet,

the bombilla and white metal bowl as a duo,

the Japanese miniature rice bowl

and the Walker and Hall plated tray.

Come on, spill the beans.

What do they really think of one another's chances?

Without question, my favourite thing is the gourd. Is there a great profit? Probably not.

There might be a few pounds in it. He hasn't seen the thing to lure his hand deep inside his pocket.

It's been very shallow diving in Mr Lewis' pocket thus far.

Miaow! Saucer of milk for James Braxton.

From Yarnton, it's now on to auction in Swindon.

Our boys are battling it out at Kidson Trigg Auction House, a family business,

that not only serves the local buyers, but internet bidders from around the world.

Mark Anderson is the auctioneer taking to the rostrum.

Nice.

First for James Braxton is the Royal Worcester owl candle snuffer and the Staffordshire dog.

Quite a humorous pair. Yeah.

?20 anywhere? ?20 to start me?

10 to get on, surely. 10.

?10 bid. 15 where? At 15. At 15.

You're out in front, madam. ?20. 5 again. 25. 25.

30 would you like? ?30 bid. 35. 35. 35. Would you like 40?

At ?40. ?40.

With the lady at the front at 40. One more? No more. At 40. All done?

Any further calls? Selling then at ?40.

Well done. A small profit, isn't it?

Any smaller and it would be a loss! A lucky escape, James Braxton.

Time to lift the lid on James Lewis' first item, the novelty biscuit tin.

I had confidence in this. And this was bought for ?50? 10.

In good condition these make ?80.

How much for one in bad condition?

Oh, thanks(!) He's killed that.

?20? Surely worth that. ?10 anyone?

Thank you. I'm started at ?10. At 10. 15?

20 would you like? At ?20. ?20 here with the lady.

At ?20. ?20. Have we any further calls?

?20 is all I have for this? He's unlikely to get any more, is he?

Crumbs. I'm sensing a bit of tension here as James only doubles his money. He's going crackers.

It was worn, James. A bit worn. It was worn.

Next, James Braxton's children's tea set.

I paid ?10 for this. Don't tell anyone.

?10 to get on for this. No interest at ?10?

Surely there's somebody out there. Buy it for somebody you don't like.

How about a fiver, then? ?5 at the back of the room. 10.

15. At 15. Shakes his head. At ?15 at the back of the room.

I will sell, make no mistake. If there's no further calls...

At ?15, then. All done?

?30-?40 estimate. It was so exciting, wasn't it?

?15. Tiny.

But it's still a profit. Just.

Next, James Lewis' lot is the string of ivory beads.

They're useful for restoration.

I'm no ivory fan. Who'll start me on those, then?

?20 to start me, surely. ?20?

?20 I'm bid. At 20. 25.

At 30. At 35.

40. At 45.

Shakes his head. At ?45 on the right-hand side.

At ?45 in the room. All out at home?

I'm selling at 45 if there's no advance. At 45.

45. Well done. That's 30 quid.

James is slowly, but surely creeping ahead with another healthy profit.

James Braxton's next lot is the modern silver bracelet.

Let's hope it gives him the profit he so desperately needs.

It's pretty, isn't it? It is. Who's got ?20 for the chain? ?20?

Come on.

?20? 10, then, to get on, surely. ?10 at the back.

We've started. ?10 the bid. Who's got 15?

?15 for the hand over there. Good. 15.

He shakes his head. He's out. At 15 on the left.

Are there any further calls? Done and finished? Fair warming at home.

Sold for 15. Not a lot of internet action on my lots. A loss.

A loss.

It's just not James Braxton's day, is it?

Next, it's the 19th-century ormolu pocket watch stand for James Lewis. Oh, here we are.

Who's going to start me off at ?30? Surely got to be worth that. 30?

20 to get on? 20? ?20 I'm bid, thank you. 5. 25.

25. ?30. 5, surely.

At ?30. That's all I have for this.

At 30. In the room at ?30. 35?

Are you bidding against each other? No! You want to watch doing that.

Go on! Do bid against each other!

Go on! Bid against!

At 30. For the last time. If there's no advance, I will sell at ?30. Back of the room! 35.

Your turn to go again, sir. 40.

45, thank you. 45.

Are you sure? At 45. 45.

One more? Maybe? At 45 at the back of the room. I've tried for you.

What can I do? ?45. I'm selling.

A timely profit. Maybe the other James could do with the husband and wife bidding on his items!

I was more amused by the husband and wife bidding against each other.

That's all right. Double money.

Next for James Braxton is the oriental silver lid he bought as part of a job lot.

Your little silver bowl. Who's got ?20?

?20, surely. Who's got ?20? ?10?

?10 for the hand at the back. Who'd like 15 here? 15.

Would you go again? ?15 on the left-hand side.

At 15. At 15. For the last time. 20 to the 'net.

At ?20. Do you want to go again. Shakes his head. ?20 to the internet.

?20. Selling then at 20.

20. That's not good, is it? No.

If you want to go home now, James, it's fine. We'll hold the fort.

Strike a light! It's the Victorian match case, but will it spark any interest?

?10 note to get on? ?10 to start this one? Thank you. The lady's there at 10.

?10. You're away. ?15. 20 again?

Yes, ?20 I'm bid. At 20.

5 again to the internet bidder.

At 25. Want to go again, madam?

Out at the front, then. At home at ?25.

All done and finished? 30.

?30. ?30.

Fair warning at home. Selling to the internet at ?30.

Done. At ?30. That's not bad. 30. Brilliant. Pleased with that.

So you should be. A great mark-up. James is as happy as a pig in...

profit.

Goodness, gracious! Time for James Braxton's next item.

A gourd, elevated to artistic status. It's a gourd lot! It is.

Look, I do the gags. And it comes with a Chinese bowl.

Yeah, OK.

Start me off. Who's got 40? ?40?

40. Who's got 20, then, to get on?

?20? It's got to be worth that. ?20 anywhere?

Interesting lot. ?20 at the back. ?20 bid. Who's got 5?

At 20. At 20. Come on! It's worth more!

Should be worth more than that. I rated it more like 60 or 70.

Definitely! Come on. At ?20. At 20. At 20.

5 anywhere else? It's the young gentleman at the back.

If there's no further calls, I have instructions to sell. Oh, no!

You're all out except for the young gentleman? Selling at ?20.

Ouch! That was rather disappointing. I'll say! A loss of ?35 would wipe the smile from anyone's face.

Bad luck, Brackers, old boy.

The next lot has caused a little controversy.

It's the Irish silver sugar basket. Or is it?

Here's the basket. Irish silver. Or I'm hoping is Irish silver.

We have a difference of opinion, myself and James, on this one.

I believe it's silver-plated, James believes it's silver. We are selling it as white metal.

He thinks it's silver plate because it's not marked. Who's going to start me off?

?50 to get on? ?50 for it? ?50?

Surely it's got to be worth that. They've written "silver metal".

55 anywhere else? 55. 60. 60 in the room.

Out at home at ?60. At ?60.

It wouldn't make that if it was silver plate. They have written silver, though.

Against you at home. At ?70. ?70.

Is there 5 anywhere else? I'd like a bit more, please. At ?70.

Finished at home. Anyone else? At ?70. 5 in the corner. 75. 80. 85.

90. Starting to roll now. 95. ?100. Would you like 10, madam?

110. Shakes his head.

That's because it's silver!

Want to go again? You sure? 110.

Go on. All out at home. At 110. I'm selling if there's no advance to the lady at ?110.

Good. Well done.

That's double your money. Well, whatever its silver pedigree, the bidders love the sugar basket.

Sweet. Next, it's James Braxton's final lot, the Walker and Hall tray.

Quite a lot of wear on it.

Is there ?10 to get on for this? ?10, surely.

Who's got a fiver for it? ?5 to get started. In the middle.

At 5. At 8. Go on! At 8.

We've 10 on the net. Going crazy!

At ?15, the lady on the left. At ?15 then, all done? If there's no advances, I will sell. At 15.

That's yours, madam. 318. Thank you very much.

Oh, James. Oh, James, indeed! It's been a bad day for James Braxton.

So much so, they've gone all mute. Both of them.

James Lewis' last lot is the Kobe Japanese novelty and the oriental trousse.

Who's going to start me off? 40?

?40, thank you. At ?40. 45. 50.

55? 55 on the left-hand side. At 55.

55. 55. 60. 65.

It's all around us. 75. 80.

?80 there. 80. At 80.

At 80. At 80. At 80. Are we done?

Are we finished? All out at home?

The hammer's up at 80.

Well done. Good.

A final flourish for James Lewis and another tidy profit to end with.

You should be smothering that auctioneer in kisses.

James Braxton started this leg with ?186.84

and after auction costs he's made a loss of ?63.50,

sending him through to the next round with ?123.34.

James Lewis started with ?268.34

and after auction costs he's made a profit of ?153.60,

taking his total to ?421.94

and claiming his second victory in a row.

I think I'll drive, James.

It will keep my mind off the obvious disappointment.

Oh, this seat's wet!

Oh, dear. Now come on, boys, cheer up. It's still all to play for.

On to the next. On to the next.