Episode 8 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antique experts with £200 each,

I love that, a classic car and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

-Yippee!

-I've got pieces that could fly.

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

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Hello, ladies.

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

But there's nobody bidding!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

Today, we are out on the road with an enchanting pair

of antiques experts -

Mark Stacey and Paul Laidlaw.

-I'm just a giver, Paul.

-Well, I've heard that.

If I wisnae driving, I'd hug you.

Antiques dealer Mark Stacey is very supportive

of his Road Trip compadre.

Well done, Paul, for finding something.

And I mean that really sincerely.

THEY LAUGH

And he is finding this antiques adventure a journey of discovery.

I'm going to stick to my principles.

My God, there's a sentence I never thought I'd hear myself say.

Auctioneer Paul Laidlaw is a happy chappy.

HE LAUGHS

Muahaha! But a real tough cookie when it comes to buying antiques.

-Are they ever going to be 20 quid?

-Um...

And really enters into the spirit of the adventure.

He who dares, wins.

Mark's biggest profit so far, from the previous auction,

was the China Lassie dog.

But it wasn't enough to take on the might of tough-talking Laidlaw.

Oh, no, he stormed it with profit after profit.

From his original £200, Mark has made some small gains.

He has £210.66 to play with today.

But second-time winner Paul Laidlaw is racing ahead.

He has speculated and accumulated his £200 to a hefty £371.10.

The boys are travelling in style in the 1967 Sunbeam Alpine GT.

But do you know, it's not over yet. There are three more auctions.

I looked at it. I don't think I'm sitting pretty!

Paul and Mark will travel over 300 miles from Sabden, Lancashire,

to Bridgwater in Somerset.

On today's show, they're beginning in the county town of Stafford.

And will auction 30 miles away in the town of Nantwich,

in Cheshire.

Stafford has a rich history

and is home to the largest timber-framed townhouse

in the country. But back to present day.

Our antique hunters are ready to spend, spend, spend

in their first shop of the day.

There it is.

We passed a wee half-timbered street up there that

had your name written all over it, I suspect.

-Should I be listening to you?

-Trust me, Mark,

love you like a brother.

There is no competitive element to this.

-I'll see you later.

-Have a good one.

They're playful duo, aren't they?

Anyway, let's get the show on the road.

Mark's first shop is just around the corner.

Assistant Maureen is on duty today.

Look out.

-What a lovely little shop you've got here.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

-I love it.

-Curiosity shop.

-It really is, actually.

I don't know where to look first.

Well, as all antique experts know,

store rooms can be a haven of fresh, unsorted stock.

This looks quite interesting, doesn't it?

Because when you look at something like this,

what's the first thing that comes to mind?

You've got a sort of Eastern style,

all this very busy etching with foliage,

this absolutely bonkers handle,

which is shaped with a sort of, I don't know, some sort of animal

that has eaten the lid, this animal head at the bottom.

This is almost certainly silver-plate.

Now, there's three pieces to this.

You've got the teapot, the rather big sugar bowl,

again with the same sort of decoration,

and you've got a charming little cream jug.

Again, the same decoration.

Now, is it Indian? No, it's not.

It's actually made in England for the Indian market.

We're probably looking at something that was made in about 1860.

The only problem is, again, the price.

£150.

No, that's lovely.

The owner isn't here,

so Mark gets on the telephone to find out the very best price.

Could we do it for 50, please?

Oh, please, 50.

OK, listen, I'm not going to argue over a fiver.

Honestly, Stuart, that's very kind of you.

If you are happy to let it go for 55.

Listen, thank you so much. Bye-bye, Stuart.

£55, Mark?! You're a very lucky boy.

Paul, meanwhile, is heading to Browse Antiques, also in Stafford.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-How are you doing? I'm Paul.

-Hello, Paul, Hugh.

-Pleased to meet you. This is your emporium?

-This is it, yep.

Come and have a wander around.

Oh, what have you got there then?

A carved meerschaum pipe.

It is actually probably a cigarette pipe.

Meerschaum is a soft white mineral,

often used to make highly decorative smoking pipes.

We have what I think

is a rather little charming 17th century tavern scene.

Got a little, I'm going to call this chap a Cavalier here.

And here is a rather buxom tavern maid

serving up the ale.

OK, bank that.

Paul definitely has an eye for the unusual,

and now he has found a real little rarity.

We have a little silver cylinder,

this cockerel finial, I don't know what he's doing there.

We've got this little knob here that clearly turns this carousel

and they appear to be cocktail recipes.

Now, if I turn this, do these just like...?

Look at... Oh!

Oh, please!

Oh, I love a gadget.

I'd quite like a drink, as well, to be honest with you.

That's working on many levels for me.

And me!

"Doctor's Cocktail." I think that is a riot.

Date wise, cries out mid-20th century. Could it be 1930s?

It could be as late as the '50s, in all honesty.

Mid-20th century, I think, is your hedge.

But what's not to like about how novel,

I'm going to say decadent, that is.

Bank that. What a hoot.

Well, that's a good couple of items rooted out,

maybe he'll start buying soon.

Oh, hang onto your hats, Paul has that glint in his eye again.

We see a little enamelled white metal brooch.

I like that very much.

Could this be Tut-mania?

What, Tut-mania?

Howard Carter, 1922 I think, has uncovered Tutankhamen's tomb.

And there was a huge revival and interest in such,

and we get all of these Egyptianate

Tut-mania influenced pieces.

And we have a little look

and we see two cracking little initials - we see CH.

CH is Charles Horner, famed for his enamelled silver work,

his Art Nouveau silver work, small silver brooches, hat pins and so on.

That's a name to conjure with.

Have we made a Road Trip discovery?

Ten pounds?!

We have also got a big smile on our face.

That is what they call a no-brainer.

Right, let's keep going.

But before he begins negotiations,

he wants to have a nosy in the back storeroom.

I love that. Well, it appeals to me.

Has nothing to do with buying, he's just such good fun.

We know the pe... we know the origin. Chinese.

We know the period - it's going to be inter-war.

In carved hardwood.

But we have carved bone and horn eyes and a full set of dentures here.

Look at his smiling face. I mean, it looks absolutely... I adore it.

We have the problem that it is lighting and lighting can frighten.

You know I am passionate about it,

But the end user at auction can worry. They go,

"Who am I going to get to wire that?

"Will I get a socket to fit? Does a modern bulb go in it?

"Is it safe?"

And this a hurdle you would overcome at auction, so ignore my enthusiasm.

This is cold, rational... This is business.

Um... Is there money in it?

We'll see. It starts at 75. That's not a lot of money.

Right. He's certainly picked out enough. Let's get buying Paul, eh?

-Hugh, how are you doing?

-Fine.

-Sort anything out?

-Uh, yeah.

I mean, there are things I'm interested in.

Cheeky Paul asked for a combo price for the laughing Buddha,

the pipe, the cocktail menu and the brooch.

150, that sounds like a good price.

And the brooch is in there?

If you do it at 150, the brooch is in today.

-Lovely work. Thank you.

-Yep. Excellent.

£150? That's almost a quarter off the combined ticket price

of £195. Who's laughing now then, Buddha?

Meanwhile, Mark is heading 17 miles away to Stoke-on-Trent.

This area is considered to be the home of the pottery industry

in England and is commonly known as The Potteries.

Mark is going to visit a wonderful collection of Paragon figurines.

The Paragon China Company was a British manufacturer

of bone china from 1919 until 1960.

The company was renowned for producing high-quality teaware

and tableware and were granted three Royal Warrants.

The Paragon brand enjoyed great success throughout its reign

and was visited by celebrities such as Gracie Fields

and also a young Princess Elizabeth.

Kathy Artus has one of the largest collections of Paragon figurines in

Britain and, as a third-generation former employee of the factory,

her passion for this once great company is second to none.

Kathy is going to give lucky Mark the grand tour.

Kathy, thank you for inviting me to your home to see...

-your Paragon collection.

-Yes.

-I mean, it's amazing!

-How many pieces have you got?

-206 all together at the moment.

And I'm still collecting. I've been collecting for a long time now.

But at its heyday, how many people were employed at the factory,

-do you know?

-There must have been at least 60 gilders

-and lithographers and things.

-Really?

-Yes.

It was quite a large factory.

And they did such a variety.

They did the dogs, the ornaments, they did all the cups

and saucers, the dinnerware.

And when did they close down?

Well, they were taken over by TC Wild and then Doulton

and I suppose it was mid-'70s when they actually finished.

-And how many did they produce, do you know?

-There is no record.

In fact, until I started collecting, all I got was a very rough list,

which I have added to over the years.

Who was the chief designer of these figures?

Basically, Reg Johnson. He designed most of the figurines.

I've got an example to show you.

Reg Johnson was a renowned studio potter

and was a design director for the Royal Doulton group,

working mainly for Paragon and Royal Albert brands.

This one of Princess Margaret, this was one of the original moulds.

As you can see, all the flowers are actually made individually.

Individual little petals. So they are put on and then hand-painted.

And then fired, yes. That was one of the original ones.

When it went into production, because it would cost

so much to have them done and have the individual flowers made,

they actually started painting... they just put the blue dress

-and they painted the flowers on.

-Painted on.

-Hand-painted.

And the features aren't quite as strong and as crisp,

because that was taken off a mould. That was the original.

# I'm going to see you today

# All's well with my world

# And the people that I meet

# As I hurry down on the street

# Seem to know I'm on my way! #

I've got a few that really... Took a lot of getting, if you like.

-Gosh.

-This one, which is Urchin, I had this one from America.

-I probably paid over the odds for him. Don't tell my husband.

-OK.

But all we got was a name. We didn't know what he looked like,

there was no record of colour or pattern.

And as far as I know, there's only one.

-And the date on this is '30s?

-'40s.

-'40s.

-Yes.

-He is rather cheeky, isn't he?

-Yes, he reminds me of my grandson.

-Oh, does he?

-Yes, I think he is lovely.

-He is obviously a little pixie.

-Yes. He is very rare.

I think these are lovely cos they're... what I like about them,

-they've got that sort of real energy about them.

-Yes.

-They've all got different features.

-And they have got a real quality

rather than the mass-produced, who all look very...the same.

-Yes.

-These look very individual. They've got individual characters.

But alas, we must say farewell to Mark

and catch up with that cheeky chappy, Paul Laidlaw.

Paul's still in Stafford and continuing his shop-athalon

in Windmill Antiques.

He's already bought four items and he's hungry for more.

-Hello, Ian?

-Hi, Paul.

-Yes, how are you?

-How are you doing?

-Nice to meet you.

Good to see you.

Love the feeling of your establishment. My kind of shop!

Good man, good man.

Is that a travelling pipe? It is, isn't it?

Yeah, I've seen them.

They're mad, aren't they? It all disappears into itself.

How totally insane.

Is that...? That's not dear, is it? What's the price on that?

-Out of interest.

-Tenner.

-I'm going to put it back, but it's...

To be honest with you, I've already bought a pipe.

And that's why it resonates. I knew what it was.

In this treasure trove, it is not long before he finds something else.

Sugar tongs. Modelled as a wishbone.

Delightful. Good fun.

Decent set of assay marks.

-What's on those?

-£20 to you, Paul.

20 quid on the sugar tongs isn't expensive

but you know I'm going to... bid you on it.

HE LAUGHS

-That was a given.

-Right, yeah.

So what am I really going to pay for them before I shake your hand,

wish you well and bid you adieu?

-£15. As a goodwill gesture.

-I'm going to do it. Cheers, man.

Thanks very much.

I'll get you some money. One last parting shot.

We looked at your wee travelling combination, your pipe thing.

-It is missing its...

-It is lacking that.

-Take a couple quid for it? Parting shot?

-I don't see why not.

-Yeah, it's a bit of fun.

-Excellent.

I've already bought something that marries...

I bought a bit of meerschaum.

-You can put it with the others.

-Exactly.

-It all grist to the mill. Thank you. We keep doing this.

-I know.

We're on a roll.

Crikey Moses, with a total of six items, Paul's going to

combine the small travel pipe with the meerschaum pipe

and the silver sugar tongs with the silver broach. Got it?

After a long, exciting day though,

it's time for the boys to turn in and have a good night's rest.

Nighty-night.

It is a brand-new day and the boys are raring to go, even though

the heavens have descended.

Day two, Cheshire.

-Footballers' wives territory.

-Absolutely.

We don't fit into that category.

I don't think, anyway. Are you a WAG?

THEY LAUGH

Ha, ha.

So far, Mark has spent £55 on one lot -

the silver-plated Indian-style tea set -

leaving a princely sum of £155.66 for the day ahead.

Paul, meanwhile, threw caution to the wind and spent £167

on six items, which he will combine into four auction lots.

That gives him a nice chunk of £204.10 to spend.

The boys have travelled to the village of Walgherton,

in Cheshire.

They are heading for Dagfields, a mecca for antique lovers.

There are six giant antiques emporia, with over 200 dealers.

Don't abandon, come on.

You've got to at least give it a try, Mark.

It's not over till it's over.

-It's not over, but it is over if you can't get out of the car.

-It is.

That is a problem.

Stay.

Come on, dearie, it's not that bad.

Mark is first to get stuck in.

We'll have a little mooch in here, I think.

-Hello, good morning. I'm Mark.

-Pleased to meet you, Mark, I'm Jeff.

Nice to meet you, Jeff.

-This is your shop, is it?

-It is, yes.

What will tickle his fancy in here then?

This is rather interesting. We've got...

This is certainly 19th century.

The first thing that struck me, actually,

was the little shield there with the initials on it.

I think it says HS.

What I think we've got is four 19th century coloured aquatints

or something like that in a later frame.

But then somebody has drawn and water coloured all these

wonderful birds and decoration around them.

And the colours are still quite vibrant on it.

And we've got exotic birds. We've got a golden pheasant here.

A peacock.

I think that bird is strangely called hoopoe.

Interesting. I never knew you were bird lover, Mark.

And there's a cockatoo which doesn't look very happy, she's squawking.

Then there is a hummingbird and various other birds.

It's rather fun, though.

It is priced up at £49.

Which actually is reasonable for all that work, I have to say.

And he's spied something else.

It is a banister-shaped vase with gilt decoration, cobalt blue.

No factory marks.

It feels as though it has a little bit of age, though, I don't know.

Painted with a windmill scene.

So it might be somebody who has just bought a blank and painted it.

But this cobalt is very nice.

It is quite stylish for a mantelpiece or something

in a big Cheshire sitting room.

There is no hanging about with this Mark.

He is going to strike up a negotiation.

Now, what this is building up to... is my ridiculously low offer.

-I was expecting it.

-Which... Oh.

Then, do you need to sit down now or after?

THEY CHUCKLE

Do you think, Jeff, that I would get this for a tenner?

How about 15?

£15...

Tell me about this vase over here.

I mean, I don't suppose we could say the two for £15?

Um... Oh. Oh, the pain is growing.

-Um, yes, seeing it's you.

-Are you sure?

-Yes, I am sure.

Oh, please, I really do... I mean, this is going to help me.

Thank you very much.

-Are you sure you are happy with...?

-I'm very happy.

What a chancer!

Let's catch up with Paul.

Although he has four lots, he just can't help having a good nosy about.

The old pro.

Check this out.

1920s, 1930s, we see a vogue for pewter tea sets, OK?

What they tend to look like is pretty dull, olde English, yeah?

Just dreary.

And, of course, they oxidise to that pewter, that flat pewter grey,

but in this instance, you've got this geometric form,

you've got compressed forms,

I love that to bits!

And look at the price tag.

Yes, you guessed it, he's found something he loves.

For an oval tray, the pot,

the sugar, the cream...

£22.

I'm going to have a word, but I need a give-away price.

I'm going to ask... £22, we'll see what happens.

-Yeah.

-I think he's addicted to antiques.

It has got 22 on it.

Philip is calling the dealer of the tea set to find out

if Paul's bid of £15 is acceptable.

OK, Mark, thank you.

He says for you, sir, he'll do it.

Because you are one of his favourite, he says.

THEY LAUGH

He is now one of mine.

Maybe Mr Laidlaw needs to calm his jets.

Seven items and a total of five auction lots.

Back together again, the Road Trip wheels are on the move once more.

Mark's being dropped off in Leek in Staffordshire.

Did you know that former five-times world professional darts champion

Eric Bristow lives here?

Not a lot of people do.

Anyway, Mark is hoping to score a bullseye

and take the lead from Paul.

He is going for a mooch around in Christopher Mudd Design.

-I'm Mark.

-Dealer Natalie is manning the shop today.

Mark is keen to get back on form in the old profit stakes

and he has stumbled on a new strategy.

This is the sort of thing that Paul Laidlaw would like, you know.

A pair of vases in brass.

But they are made of old shell cases.

And it is known as trench art.

The soldiers in the trenches,

when there were long periods of non-hostility,

they would take these spent shells

and use whatever primitive tools they had to sort of, in this case,

planish the actual shaft of this with the little dots.

And actually beat out that pattern and then shape the top.

I mean, these are not terribly rare, but they are...

they're great fun and are really collectible.

And I really like them because I think it just shows you that,

you know, in amongst all that, um,

carnage of the Great War,

life in the trenches must have been absolute hell.

The soldiers had to keep themselves busy

and they turned out, you know, actually,

wonderful pieces of art like that.

And these are priced up at £48 the pair, which is not very much.

I love the thought of something that was causing such destruction has

now been turned into, you know, a pair of lovely vases to use at home.

Mark is on a mission to find out the very best price from Natalie.

-If I buy them, I have got to get them at a very cheeky price.

-Yes.

OK. You can say no, of course.

There is no obligation on your part, all right?

I'm just trying it on a bit here.

If I buy them, I need to get them for about £10 for the pair.

-That's quite low.

-It is quite low, I know.

-12? We could do 12.

I'm not going to argue, that's fine. Thank you.

-Thank you very much, Natalie.

-You're welcome.

And on that bombshell, let's catch up with Paul.

Paul has travelled three miles away to the large village of Cheddleton,

in the Staffordshire moorlands.

He is visiting the unique Cheddleton Flint Mill, a site once

highly important to the potteries industry in nearby Stoke-on-Trent.

Good for the soul.

In the late 18th century,

when pottery making was reigning supreme in the UK,

Josiah Wedgwood was a pioneer of a type of English earthenware

called creamware.

It was discovered that the baked flint produced by the mills

was an excellent ingredient to provide durability and strength,

therefore allowing a cheaper alternative to expensive porcelain.

At the peak of the pottery boom,

there were dozens of flint mills in and around Stoke-on-Trent.

The Cheddleton Flint Mill Preservation Trust

was formed in 1967 to save the site from dereliction and ruin.

Since then, the mill has undergone substantial renovation

and is open to the public.

Paul is meeting with Treasurer Helen Outram to find out more.

-You've got two water wheels here.

-Two, yes, we have.

And I believe that is unique.

In Britain, at any rate, yes.

So, where does the whole process begin on site?

It begins by the canal.

So, the flint came in by narrow boat from the South East of England,

Kent or Sussex, or even from the coast of France.

And was unloaded by the crane.

Put into the kilns.

It was laid - a layer of coal, a layer of flint,

a layer of coal, a layer of flint until it was full.

Then they set fire to it and it burned for two days.

Then it was unloaded from the bottom of the kiln

and loaded onto little trucks and it used to come right across here.

-And then it's ground in the mills.

-Right.

-This one is about 1800. The other one is earlier.

-Right.

And this is the rest of the plateway, see?

Oh, I see, yeah, yeah.

And then it did actually turn into here, as well.

-That's cool.

-Yeah.

Inside the mill, Helen has some examples of flint before

and after baking.

-I see a couple of pebbles.

-That's right.

-Now, that's the raw flint, which is almost black.

-Yeah.

And then after it's been calcined, it becomes white.

It's like something you'd rake out the bottom of your hearth.

-That's right, and much easier to grind.

-I see.

The heart of the mill is upstairs.

-So, here is the grinding pan.

-Wow.

And the flints go into the grinding pan.

So, what is the end product, Helen?

The end product is a milky liquid

which is actually a suspension of silica particles in water.

And when it's to the right consistency, it is run off

down the trench there and goes down into the wash tub,

which is on the floor below.

Once washed, the liquid would be baked in the drying kiln.

The finished product would be clay-like blocks,

which would then be transported to The Potteries to be

used for the manufacture of creamware.

Helen, that's a fascinating tale.

Thank you very much for letting me come here today

on such a glorious afternoon.

-Lovely to meet you.

-A real pleasure.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

While Paul has been discovering the lost worlds of the flint mill,

Mark Stacey is still in Leek, visiting P&J Antiques,

his final shop of the day.

Hello, Jo, nice to meet you.

Mark is meeting with proprietor and dealer Jo.

And, as usual, Mark likes to get to the heart

of the dealer's fresh, unsorted stock.

Oh, now what are these, Jo, covered in dust?

There's something I've had for a while.

We think they're Austrian silver,

-but we can't really find the hallmark.

-Oh, is it?

I don't know where you can see. Probably go out there.

Yeah, go outside.

-They are in good shape, aren't they?

-They are nice.

They need a little bit of work on the bottom.

They're all there, aren't they?

I think they're quite nice.

Sort of early 20th century, I would've thought.

They have a slightly classical look, but in a 20th century style,

-haven't they?

-Yeah.

-They are filled silver, as you know.

How much are they, Jo?

If you don't beat me down, they're £20 for the pair.

20 for the pair.

-He's going to say, "Oh..."

-I'm not allowed to beat you down then?

-That's not fair.

-Go on then, try.

-If I said £10, you are going to come back at me and say...

-15.

£15. And I am going to say, "Jo, I'll take them."

Thank you very much indeed.

It is time for the boys to show one another their antiques goodies.

Oh, my good Lord.

I am not sure about the old Buddha lamp there, Paul.

No, I thought you were going to love him! Seriously?

No, I don't like that.

Oh, I would take him home, I love him!

I... You can have him. You can have him.

And I hope if you touch his belly, it brings you good luck.

I love this.

Bonus is the tray.

Oh, that is nice. I do love this, Paul.

-This is my little gem.

-I do like that.

-That is really sweet. Charles Horner.

-That's the one.

-Yep.

Beautiful. How much was it, cheap?

-Ten.

-That's very reasonable.

Even in damaged condition, that should be £80, £100 or more.

But I think that has got Mark Stacey written all over it.

-I love that.

-Yep.

-Love the cockerel on the top.

-Yep.

-Very nice. Silver?

-I wish.

-Silver-plate.

-Yeah, yeah.

I think you have done extraordinarily well, I applaud you.

-Thank you very much, old man.

-Except for the lamp.

-Except...

Go on, show me, show me. Come on!

OK, we have gone down the metal work route. Oh, and we've got...

-Actually this.

-Right.

-I absolutely adore that.

-I absolutely adore it.

-I absolutely adore the mount.

Yes, but the vibrancy and the quality...

That's a fascinating piece.

I love it. I fell in love with it, Paul.

Expensive? How much?

I don't know, you tell me. £10.

It was a gift, wasn't it?

Now, the other good buy that I made today...

You bought a pair of silver candlesticks as electroplate, didn't you?!

-Yes.

-250 quid worth of candlesticks for...?

-£15.

You've done it! You've done it!

But what I thought you would really like, Paul, and I bought them

because I love trench art.

-I don't think they're valuable, they were £12.

-Well...

You've done it, you've done it. You didn't think you were going to.

I told you, Paul, there is life in the old dog yet.

There is life in the old dog yet.

Having seen each other's purchases,

what do our experts really think?

If Stacey had a hat, he's got a rabbit in the hat.

Where did he get the candlesticks from?

Ah!

Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.

I shan't think Mr Laidlaw is very happy with me, do you?

Let's get back on the road and head to auction.

It has been a competitive third day,

starting in Stafford via Stoke-on-Trent, Walgherton,

Leek, Cheddleton,

with the final destination of Nantwich on the horizon.

The town of Nantwich

was renowned for its salt houses as far back as the 10th century.

-Here we are, Paul.

-Looking good.

-The auction room.

-Sun shining on the righteous yet again.

-Absolutely.

-Story of my life!

-Of course, Paul.

Peter Wilson Auctioneers have been established

in the town for many years and are renowned for their gallery

and fine arts sales.

Auctioneer Rob Stearns tells us about his favourite lot.

Three top hits for me are going to be... The candlesticks because I

think they should do well since they have had a little bit of a clean.

The cocktail menu dispenser, I think, that is a terrific thing

and everybody seems to like that.

It is in and out of the cabinets a lot.

And last of all, purely because it makes me happy, the Buddha.

Mark Stacey started today with £210.66

and spent £97 on five auction lots.

Paul Laidlaw began with £371.10 and spent

£182 on five lots.

Not only do we have a packed sale room,

but we also have an audience live on the web.

First up, it's Mark's 19th-century vase.

He thinks it could do pretty well.

Who will give me ten to start this off? Ten anywhere?

Do I hear it? £10 surely.

Lovely decorative vase for somebody at ten.

-At £10 only.

-Oh, come on.

15. The internet like it.

At £15 bid. At 15. 20 is it now?

£15 on the internet. At 15.

20 is it now? £15, bid's on the internet.

£15 only then.

-Take hold of your money.

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

Not the profit you were expecting, though, Mark,

but, yes, it is still a profit.

Next up, it's Paul's laughing Buddha.

Let's hope the smile attracts a nice big profit.

-I've got £50 bid for this.

-Oh, 50 straight in.

-55 is it now?

£50 on bid.

55. 60 on commission.

65. 70. 75. 80.

85. 90. 95.

I'm liking it a lot more now.

110. 120. 130?

120 is here.

130? 130.

I'm liking it a lot more now!

-Anywhere else, at 130 bid?

-Where's the net? Come on.

I like this very much. At £130, bid is there.

At 130 and going to be sold at 130.

Paul definitely enjoyed that result.

Not so sure about Mark, though.

Quite ridiculous.

HE LAUGHS

Now, maybe Mark's unusual 19th-century decorative frame

with photographs will claw back some winnings.

-I've got £30.

-30 straight in.

35. 40 is it now? 35, bid at 35.

40. 45. 50 now. 50 bid.

And they're off. Yeah, that's going to do you.

Come on, a little bit more. Come on, internet.

50, it's your bid at 50.

At £50, had its chance, £50 then and being sold at 50...

Well, that was a great buy, Mark, with a wonderful slice of profit.

It has definitely put a smile back on your face.

Come out of your shell now, I see!

PAUL LAUGHS

Over to Paul and that rare little cocktail carousel.

£50 bid, straightaway at 50.

55 is it now? At £50, and bid at 50.

And five now do I hear?

55 there. 60. 65.

65 is it now? 65. 65. 65 there.

65, the bid is there now. 70.

Multiple bidding on the internet at 70.

At 70. 75. 80.

-It's all the internet.

-It is now on the internet, 85.

£80 we have. 85. 90 again on the internet.

90 you are bidding. £85 on bid.

Is that 90? 90 bid now. At 90.

At £90 only, any more bids?

It's a lovely thing. At £90 only then.

Put the hammer down. Put the hammer down!

OK, OK.

Yet another sizable profit for Paul.

This is all going very well.

It's Paul again with the silver lot of sugar tongs

and the Egyptian brooch.

£50 bid straightaway.

At 50. I bid at 50. And five now do I hear? 55.

60 on commission. 65? 65.

70. 75? 70 with me on commission.

75, fresh bidder. 75.

80 is it now? 75, your bid at 75.

Going to be sold at £75 then.

-Oh!

-Well, that's £50, Paul.

The bidders of Nantwich are loving Paul's lots.

It is yet another chunk of profit.

There, there, Mark. It is your turn next with the Indian tea set.

It should make a £100, but, you know...

Not if my prayers have been answered.

HE LAUGHS

At 30. Where are you now at £30?

This is really cheap. At £30. £30 bid down here.

At £30. I have... 35 is it now?

At 35. 35. 40 now. 40 bid.

45. It's good value at 45.

At 40, the bid is here. At £40. At 45. Anybody else

for a cup of tea? At £40. The bid is here £40.

I can't believe it, Paul.

45. 50 now? Are you sure?

45, the bid is there at 45, going to be sold at 45.

Bid's there at £45. Going away at £45 then.

I just don't understand it.

-I don't understand that.

-I don't understand it, Paul, honestly.

I'm not understanding.

Sadly, it didn't make £100.

That is your first loss of the day, though.

Over to Paul with the charming pipe duo lot next.

At £50 on bid.

55? 55. 60. 65.

70 is with me. 75 now.

At £70, the bid is with me at £70.

At 75 on the internet. 80 here.

85 now. 85. 90.

95 on the internet, at 95.

95, your bid on the internet at 95.

110. Multiple bidding on the internet. 110 now. 110.

120 is there? 120. 130 now.

130 bid. 140 is there?

140 bid. 150 now. 150 do we hear?

150. 150 bid. 160. Multiple bidding on the internet. 160.

160. 170 now. Bid at 180 now.

Bid at 180. At 190 we have now.

At 190. Finished up on the internet?

£200, make it a nice round figure?

200 bid now. At 200.

The bid is there a £200

and will be sold at £200 on the internet.

Multiple bidding.

-Congratulations, Paul.

-Yes.

-Congratulations.

If I smoked, I'd open a big fat cigar.

What a cracking profit, Paul! That is the best result so far.

It is Mark next with the trench art shell cases.

Straightaway £30 for these. £30.

35 anywhere now? 35 there. At 35.

40 with me. 45 now.

45, your bid at 45.

-At 50, fresh bidder.

-Oh, 50.

-Doing well.

60 now. 60 bid. 65?

At £60 I'm bid, away at the back at £60.

65 anywhere else?

65. 70 now. 65 on bid sitting down here.

£65 and will be sold.

-At £65, bid there.

-At 65...

-That was a good break, Mark.

-That was a very good price.

It was indeed. Thankfully.

That was a great buy, Mark.

Next, it's Paul with the 1920s pewter tea set.

£20 to start it off, please. At 20. 20 anywhere now?

20 bid straightaway.

Hand went up like a demon there. £20 straightaway.

-At £20. 25 is it now?

-Disappointing.

What great value for money this is at 20. And five? 25.

30 bid. 35 now.

35, just one more. 35?

At 30, the bid is here. £30, bid's there.

At £30. Very stylish thing for little money.

At £30, and going to be sold for £30 only then.

If you are all finished and done, being sold at £30 then.

Not one of your best results today, though, Paul,

but every penny counts.

You know, you have doubled your money, there is no shame in that.

Yeah.

Right, it's the candlesticks.

Dah-dah-dah!

Now for the final lot of the day,

it's Mark's pair of silver candlesticks

that he managed to buy for a song.

I've got £80 bid for them straightaway. £80.

85 is it now? £80 on bid.

85 now. What value for money. Come on, now.

-There's no bidding!

-There's the Net. Net

85. 90. 95 on the internet. 95.

95 do I hear? 95 surely.

-95 on bid.

-Yep.

-95, that takes my commission out.

95 on the internet.

At 95. 100 anywhere else?

-It is going to be the net.

-But there's nobody bidding!

Super value for money at £95. And going to be sold at 95.

I mean, this is just unbelievable.

-It had to be the damage.

-It's unbelievable.

Go on, Mark, it is an £80 profit.

Great results, but not enough to beat Paul.

-Congratulations.

-Cheers, man.

-The drinks AGAIN are on you.

Mark started today's show with £210.66,

and after paying auction cost, made a profit of £124.40.

Mark has £335.06 to carry forward.

Paul, meanwhile, started with £371.10

and after auction costs,

made a bumper profit of £248.50

Paul is today's winner.

He has a whopping £619.60 to take forward.

Well done.

-Well, Paul, congratulations again.

-Yes.

-I think I'll drive this time.

-Yeah, good.

You can bask in your own glory.

-Home, Jeeves.

-Onwards and downwards, Paul.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

Paul and Mark head for the Herefordshire town of Leominster.

Mark gives it the full monty.

The first thing I'm going to do is start stripping off.

Now, don't get excited at home, it's only the jacket.

And Paul gets upset by a plate.

It's insane, isn't it? I mean, really,

what on earth...? I love that.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd