Episode 5 Antiques Road Trip

-It's the nation's favourite antiques experts.

-All right, viewers?

-With £200 each, a classic car,

and a goal, to scour Britain for antiques.

I'm on fire. Yes!

Sold. Going, going, gone.

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

-50p!

-There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

-You've had it a while, haven't you?

-Will it be the high road to glory,

or the slow road to disaster?

-Ooh! Ooh-hoo!

-Oh, no.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

On this Antiques Road Trip,

two esteemed auctioneers are battling for fortune.

Anita Manning is a gabby Glasgow gal

with an eye for quality and nerves of steel.

Whilst James Lewis is a doughty Derbyshire dandy,

always keen to take a goggle at a potential bargain.

Both our game gavel-meisters started this road trip with £200.

So far, Anita has managed to leverage her lolly

up to a respectable £439.32.

But James is in the lead.

His wallet positively overfloweth.

He begins this leg with a whopping £971.94.

Well, I never did.

On this whole road trip, they began in Oxfordshire

and will tour the sunny southern counties of England,

before ending up in grand old smoky herself, London.

On today's leg, they're dawdling through delicious Devon,

beginning in the city of Exeter

and aiming for auction in the small town of Chudleigh.

Devonshire's handsome county town

seems a lively place to start their day,

but it looks like James has nodded off.

Tut, tut.

Wakey-wakey, James. Wakey-wakey.

-Ah...

-ANITA LAUGHS

-It's too nice for antique shopping.

-No, no. Mind on your work, on you go.

Quite right, Anita.

Have fun.

Anita's on her way to her first shop of the day, Otto Retro,

where resides the very dapper dealer, Lewis.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-I'm Anita.

-Nice to meet you.

-And I love your shop.

This shop specialises in 20th-century retro pieces,

quirky items which appeal to Anita's wild side. Stand by.

And she soon found something which packs a stylish punch.

This, despite the fact that it looks a wee bit scruffy,

is a very romantic item.

It's a suitcase, probably from the early 20th century,

1910, 1920 and it's made of leather.

But what I like about this one is we've still our original...

labels on them. Look at this.

We've got one for the Royal Hotel in Windermere,

we've got a French one here.

Bruges...

Ticket price is £60. Lewis will be summoned.

I was just looking at this suitcase

and I fell in love with these wonderful stickers, original ones.

-And below it is another suitcase.

-This one again, probably very, very early 20th century,

sort of '20s, '30s. Made in China. When China was of quality.

Ticket price on that is also £60, so, £120 for the two.

I love these little Chinese tigers.

-I love these.

-It's beautiful, beautiful detailing.

-When you go on your holidays, do you take one of them?

-I do.

You're a man of style.

She's buttering you up, Lewis. Guess what's coming.

I'd like to buy the two of them for about 45 quid.

Crikey, Anita. That would be a discount.

Am I way out there?

-Am I a wee bit out?

-Quite a bit, really. Yeah.

Would 55 buy them?

I really, really couldn't do 55.

I... I think probably the lowest I could really do...

..on two suitcases like that would probably be 80.

-Would 70 buy them?

-Erm...

-75 would.

-It's a deal, Lewis.

-That's lovely.

-Thank you.

I love them to bits.

A good deal at £75 for the two.

This is quite fun.

This is a medical poster, which is

showing the injuries that you can get on ankles and knees.

It's in French, so I don't know what it says.

Medical items are very popular - people like them.

Look at these ligaments and tendons - they're scary.

I think I'll have a go at that.

Ticket price is £25.

But, of course, Anita is going to ask Lewis for a discount.

-Poor Lewis.

-Could I buy it for ten?

We would do 12 on it.

-You could do 12?

-Yeah.

-Right. That's a deal. Thank you very much.

So, she's packed her bags and she's off.

Now James is elsewhere in Exeter

and is wandering into McBains Antiques complex,

where he's meeting dealer Aaron.

-Good morning.

-Hello there. Nice to see you.

-You, too. How you doing?

Best get browsing, James.

Look out. That's Tilly the Shih Tzu,

and James has also to meet another member of the family.

My dad, Gordon.

-Gordon, boss man.

-Gordy. Lordy.

Soon enough, James has spotted someone else he's quite taken with,

though she does seem a little worse for wear.

It's a 20th-century shop mannequin, who's taken

a bit of a knock on her bonce. Ticket price is £80.

I don't think it's her head that needs covering, James.

He's going to make a cheeky offer. Stand by.

Well, she could be something really silly...

-Yeah.

-..like 20 quid or something.

-She can be 40. There you are.

-40.

The damage is still a problem,

but he's having a brainwave.

A wig would do her.

If you can find me a wig, you can have 35.

I do have a big bouffant wig kicking around, I think.

HE LAUGHS Hang on.

I think I've got one of these somewhere.

You've been to...those 1970s dudes, haven't you?

Hmm. Suits you.

Here we go. I'll give you 35 quid for that.

ALL LAUGH

-We can do it for 35.

-You sure?

The wig for free.

-You've got a deal.

-Thank you very much.

He's got the mannequin and wig together for £35,

and he's soon reflecting on another item elsewhere in the shop.

It's a big two-handle tray.

About 1900 in date.

It's made of copper electroplated with silver.

The fact that the copper's coming through,

some people absolutely hate it, but other people actually like it.

It's known as bleeding.

It's where the copper comes through the Sheffield plate or

the silver plating.

-I can do that for £45, James.

-Hello, puss. What do you think?

Eh?

She's your lucky sign, James.

Could be.

That's Jess, the shop's pussy.

What do you think, Jess?

-Should I buy it?

-Jess says yes.

-I'll give you £30 for it.

-Go on, then.

You've got a deal. £30.

On Jess' sage advice, James takes the tray and he's on his way...

..to the city's historic quayside

and into Exeter Vintage Warehouse.

All right, mate?

I don't think everyone's as keen on that hat as you are, James.

He's meeting dealer Simon.

-Hello there.

-Hi. How are you doing?

-Nice to meet you.

-I'm James.

-Hi, James.

It's quite a big place.

It is all yours? Is it...?

There's 3,500 square feet here, James,

and it's pretty much all down to me.

Blimey, Simon. You've got some ground to cover then, James.

Best get on the prowl, mate.

I love this sort of piled-up stuff.

Fingers crossed there might be something here.

And in a flash, he's found a group of items that take his fancy.

How about your cases?

More luggage? After Anita's buys this morning, eh? Golly.

They're quite sought after, but I can do you a deal.

Shall we get them down and have a look?

It's a collection of four pieces of vintage luggage,

two gentleman's suitcases, a lady's suitcase

and a bag in a style known as a Gladstone.

They all date from between the mid-19th century and to around 1920.

What can Simon do on the price?

You can see they've been there a while from the dust.

Blimey.

How about all four?

100 quid. 80 if it helps you.

-60?

-I can't.

On a bad day, they could make 50 quid.

So, how about 65?

Erm...

-75.

-That is a fair price.

-It is.

-Right. Let me think.

Now, though that's a great deal from Simon,

he's still not sure he can turn a profit on them as auction,

so he's browsing on.

HE LAUGHS

Perfect for a classic car.

And after a thorough scout about, he's heading outside,

where Simon is relaxing with his partner's children Oliver and Tegan.

That's quite fun.

Is that Egyptian, do you think?

-I'm not sure.

-Your tea table.

Honestly, James!

Let these nice people have their tea break in peace.

The table at which they're eating is brass topped

and decorated in the Egyptian style.

We could do that for 30 quid.

-It should be 30 quid, shouldn't it?

-It's worth that all day long.

James is also still keen on the collection of luggage.

He's going to make a final offer.

So...60 for the luggage and 20 for the table. How about that?

-Is that all right?

-It's a deal.

-You've got a deal. Brilliant.

-Thank you. Well...

-I guess we have to clear it now. Do we?

-I'm afraid so.

But nothing can keep bargain hounds

of this calibre off the road for long.

They're driving along the Devon coast.

James, I love this south coast and I really, really,

really love the seaside.

The seaside brings out the wild child in me.

Crikey Moses. They're heading towards the Torquay area.

The capital of the so-called English Riviera,

Torquay is one of Britain's best-loved seaside resorts

and Anita's dropping James off here.

We'll come back to you shortly, James.

Anita is motoring onwards to Ashburton,

another pretty little Devonian town.

Anita's aiming for Etcetera Antiques,

where dealer Rob is ready to greet her.

-Nice to meet you.

-It's lovely to be here.

Soon enough, Anita's alighted on an unusual little something.

-That comes off.

-Careful now.

I think it's a ruler. Not to measure, but to actually rule lines.

Sometimes they're made of ebony and I think it's one of those, personally.

I quite like it.

Ticket price is £15.

What I'd like to pay for that is very, very, very little.

We're somewhere close because I want to get very, very, very much,

-so we're not that far away, are we?

-Not that far away.

Good, good, good. Can that be bought for a fiver?

No. BOTH LAUGH

We can get somewhere near if you buy something else, maybe.

OK. Well... I actually don't think

that I'd have a great deal of difficulty

with that because I've spotted something else that I like.

Lead on, Anita.

The other thing that drew my attention was this female bust here.

I quite like the image.

She's a... maybe from the early part of the 20th century.

This bohemian babe is priced up at £30.

Is she bronze? Can I have a wee look?

Unfortunately, she's not bronze.

She's actually a plaster.

Oh, yeah.

It's not bronze price, so that's an advantage, isn't it?

Music to Anita's ears, then.

I would not be wanting to pay a lot of money for that either.

I guess we're coming to the haggling bit again.

-Is this...? Are we coming to the haggling bit?

-It felt like it to me.

I like you, Rob.

Could that be bought for a tenner? And that bought for £5?

Erm, I don't think I can go down that low.

Being incredibly generous -

I'm not known for my generosity, to be honest with you...

-I don't believe that.

-..we're going to go for £20 for both bits.

-Do you think I'll make a profit?

-Erm...

I don't want to lose anything.

-No.

-But I don't want to upset you either.

I want you to be happy when I walk out the door.

-I'll be very happy when you walk out the door.

-Touche, Rob.

Well, let's just go for a deal.

I'm happy with that. I like both of these items.

Excellent. Rob stands firm at £20 for them

and Anita's got another two items bagged.

James is back in Torquay, where he's going to spend the morning

exploring the subterranean wonder

of a world-class archaeological site.

Hello, there.

Hi, I'm Nick. I'm the owner of Kents Cavern and we're here to show

you around the caves and find some exciting stuff in there.

This is a large cave complex with a truly ancient history.

-Right. Watch your head here. Just...

-Oh, wow.

The stalactites and stalagmites of these limestone caves

are a time capsule of ancient life,

which were formed over hundreds of thousands of millennia.

Human beings have occupied the warm sheltered caves for many

thousands of years.

The caves were first systematically excavated in the 19th century

and yielded up countless archaeological finds,

which shed light on the early history of man

and continue to astound scientists to this day.

The earliest sort of modern finds in the caves are actually Roman coins,

so the Victorians, when they were excavating the caves,

found these coins. So, we know that they...

The Romans were here. So, that was about 2,000 years ago.

And then, coming right through history,

there's evidence of people using the caves.

But it wasn't till the 1820s when a Roman Catholic priest,

a chap called Father John MacEnery,

started to discover something very, very strange about the cave.

And he was finding bones of extinct animals,

mammoths and woolly rhinos and sabre-toothed tigers,

lying side-by-side next to stones that had been shaped by some

kind of intelligent being.

This intelligent being was, of course, a human.

At the time, it was popularly supposed that human history

stretched back only a few thousand years,

but MacEnery's discovery showed that people had

been around for very much longer than that.

His finds led to the cave being carefully excavated in the 19th

and 20th centuries.

Today, the cavern is recognised as one of the most important

archaeological and paleontological sites in Britain.

Don't try saying that too quickly.

Nick's taking James to see a copy of a find that has only recently

revolutionised our understanding of early man.

-This was discovered in Kents Cavern.

-In the 19th century?

In the 1920s. This is... Well, it's a copy.

..of the oldest piece of human bone found anywhere in Britain,

and it's a piece of human jaw bone.

In the last few years, new scientific analysis

of the specimen has suggested that the jaw bone is more than 40,000 years old.

While Nick has a copy, the real thing is nearby in Torquay Museum.

It's about 42,000 years old.

Just to put that into perspective.

If we think of Stonehenge, for example.

Stonehenge is about 5,000 years old.

This discovery suggests that modern humans were living in Britain

much earlier than was previously though.

It's the oldest human bone in the whole of north-western Europe,

-comes from Torquay, which is pretty extraordinary, really.

-Incredible.

Almost 200 years after MacEnery's finds,

the cavern is still offering up the secrets of our ancient

Stone Age past.

Thank you very much. One last request. Show me the way out...

-because I'm totally lost.

-It's over here, James.

-Thanks very much.

Now don't get lost, James.

People tend to get stuck down here for quite a long while.

Meanwhile, Anita's driven on to the town of Bovey Tracey

to shop at Courtenay House Antiques.

-Hello, Anita.

-Hello.

-How lovely to meet you.

-And you as well.

This shop incorporates a little tea room.

-Hello, girls.

-Are you having a lovely time, ladies?

ALL: Yes.

Anita has a plan this afternoon.

She's decided that she'd like to find some jewels.

I'm continually drawn to jewellery cabinets

because I love jewellery and I like buying it.

And I like to see a selection like that.

Tina! I've been looking in your jewellery cabinet here.

I wondered if you had anything behind the counter,

anything that's fresh in.

-I have a hidden little box I might be able to show you.

-Yes!

Now this is what I call very exciting.

I'll get my wee glass out.

Anita's selecting a little group of rings -

two nine-carat gold pieces, a gold and platinum ring

and a 22-carat wedding band.

All of these items bear some damage or a little tired in style.

She's aiming to build up a lot that might appeal to a scrap gold dealer or a rag and bone man.

And you're dealing with gold, which you know has to be recycled,

and I sometimes think that that is a wonderful aspect

of our business...

-Yes.

-..in that we are the original recyclers.

I'd like to make an offer on that little group.

I'd like to be paying £25 on that wee lot.

-You're happy at that?

-Yeah.

-That's great.

-That's what I had in my mind.

-Is that what you had in your mind?

-Yes.

What a team we would make.

Indeed. Anita's happy with the lot of gold rings

she thinks might sell for scrap,

but she's spotted a broach fashioned of a non-precious yellow

metal that she'd also like to throw into the lot.

This is not for scrap. I think it's cos she just likes it, to be honest.

-See this wee thing here?

-Yes.

-If we put that in with it.

-30.

-You're a very decisive woman.

You are, Tina.

Let's go for £30 AND let's shake on that again.

Thank you very much.

And with that, Anita has all her buys for auction.

Now James is back in the Beetle and he's got some company.

I'm not quite sure how to break the news

to Anita that she's been replaced.

He's hatching a plan to return to Exeter, if he can figure out how to get there.

Erm, excuse me. Hi.

You couldn't tell me the right way to Exeter, could you?

-Go up to the top of the junction.

-I do apologise.

-That's quite all right.

-She's showing a bit too much.

So, why exactly are you going back to Exeter, James?

The hotel that Anita and I stayed in last night

is littered with odd antiques here and there,

so I had a word with the owner

and she seems rather keen to sell the odd one.

And so back to Exeter.

And to the Gipsy Hill Hotel.

The owner's name is Grace, but she's a little camera shy.

-So, James is meeting the duty manager.

-Hi, I'm James.

-Hi, I'm Thierry.

James is hoping that he might find a forgotten treasure amongst

the hotel's knick-knacks and objects.

James is keen on a pair of 19th century Chinese vases he spotted.

At the moment, these are really doing OK,

so these are quite fashionable.

They're Chinese and they're known as famille rose.

Of course, being French, you'll know - family of pink. Erm...

And we've got warriors and we've got these figures of the Oriental court.

It's got a chunk out of that one.

-On the top there.

-Yeah.

But it's a small... In overall terms, it could be worse.

Oddly enough, there's no ticket price because this is a hotel,

-but what will James offer?

-One perfect, one damaged.

£100.

-What do you think?

-I'll go and find out for you.

Have a word. Thank you.

Thierry will got and ask the owner if £100 would buy them,

but James is having an uncharacteristic change of heart.

I've come in at 100 because I want to be fair.

Do you know, I think even if he says yes to 100, I think I'm going

to give him a bit more.

150 probably. What do you think?

-She said it's not enough, £100. She said 150.

-Oh, did she?

OK. I'm going to give you 180.

Gosh. He must be feeling guilty.

That's because it's not a shop, so I'm taking a bit more of a risk.

But I'm hoping that they'll do well.

But I want you to feel that it's been fair as well.

Thank you. That's great. Thank you very much.

On this leg, Anita began with 439.32.

She spent £137 on her five lots.

A vintage medical chart,

vintage suitcases,

a plaster bust of a lady,

a Victorian cylinder ruler

and a collection of jewellery.

While James began with a budget of £971.94.

He spent a total of £325 also for five lots.

A pair of famille rose vases,

a selection of 19th century luggage,

an Edwardian rococo tray,

a female shop mannequin with a big wig,

and an Egyptian table.

And, after that, what do they think of their rival's lots?

His vases. He's playing that old Oriental card again,

and he's found them in the hotel.

My goodness. No place is safe with James Lewis about.

Anita's things, well, what has she got?

We've got a little ruler, the Art Nouveau bust.

She's not going to lose anything.

And that gold, my goodness. Guaranteed profit.

On this delightful Devon road trip,

James and Anita began in Exeter

and are now motoring towards

auction in the town of Chudleigh.

And indeed to Chudleigh's town hall,

wherein today's auction will take place.

Oh, I can smell bacon!

And presiding over this morning's sale is the auctioneer

Michael Bowman.

The sale is about to begin. Oh! The tension.

First up, it's Anita's French medical chart.

Start me at £10 for the chart.

Ten is there? Five if you like.

This medical chart. Five bid, thank you. £5.

At five. At £5.

We'll have one bid at £5. At five.

I'm selling at £5.

-That wasn't a good start, James.

-HE LAUGHS

Not very healthy.

Next it's another lot for Anita,

as her two leather suitcases meet the crowd.

£10 for the two.

-£10.

-£10.

12.

15. 17.

20. At £20.

-Gentleman's bidding in the centre at 20. At £20.

-No!

At 20. In the centre at 20. All done?

At £20.

Slaughtered, James.

20 quid!

Oh, dear.

They're sent packing at a stinging loss.

See if they like yours better, I'm going to burst into floods of tears.

So, with hopes that Anita's mascara is waterproof,

it's James' own lot of luggage now.

Start me at £10 for the lot.

10 bid, thank you. 12.

15. 17.

20. 22.

25. 27.

30. 32

35. 37.

40. 42.

45.

At £45 in the centre seated.

-Well...

-At £45.

Gentleman's bid at 45.

All done? At £45.

Still pretty depressing, isn't it? SHE LAUGHS

Cheer up, James.

Now it's Anita's plaster bust of a bohemian lady.

10 bid, thank you. £10.

At 10.

12. 15.

17. 20. At £20.

Up on the stairs at 20. At £20.

At 20. Up on the stairs at 20. Are we all done?

I'm selling at £20.

Well, that is a tiny, tiny blood transfusion after the blood bath.

A profit. Let's hope this is the lot that changes their fortunes.

Now, will James' silver plated tray shine?

Start me at £10 for the tray.

10 bid. 12.

15. 17.

20. At £20.

Back of the room standing at 20.

-What?

-£20.

-No way!

-It's not good.

25. 27.

30. 32.

35. At £35.

Back of the room now at 35.

Gentleman's bid standing at 35.

All done? At £35.

It does scrape a small profit,

but he'll have to pay auction costs on that.

Now, will this lot make James feel a bit of a dummy?

It's the bewigged mannequin.

At 10.

Is there 12 anywhere? At £10 for this mannequin.

12. 15.

17. 20. At £20.

-Go on.

-On the stairs there, 20.

At £20.

At 20. Up on the stairs at 20. We're all done?

At £20.

Oh!

Surprise, surprise - no-one else likes it as much as James does.

Anita's cylindrical ruler is next.

Will it draw a straight line to a profit?

10 bid, thank you. At £10.

At 10. 12.

You're in profit. £12.

15. At £15.

-Trebled your money.

-15. Back of the room now at 15.

15. On my left at 15. Gentleman's bid at 15.

Are we all done? I'm selling at £15.

That does rule in her favour.

Now it's James' Egyptian-style brass top table.

20 bid, thank you. At £20.

And five, may I say? At £20.

Are we all done then at £20?

At £20. I'm selling if there's no further bids at 20.

-All done?

-No way.

At £20.

LAUGHTER

No need to throw your toys out of the pram, James.

It was a ghastly thing. Although that is a loss after costs.

-Bad boy.

-HE LAUGHS

Now it's Anita's job lot of gold rings,

along with a yellow metal broach.

James fancied it. Will the punters?

20, is there? 20 bid, thank you.

25. 35. 40.

Five. 50.

Five. 60.

-65.

-It's climbing.

100. 105.

110. 115.

And climbing.

140.

And 140. Are we all sound at 140?

At £140.

A very nice profit pulls Anita back from the brink.

NARRATOR WHISTLES

-Wow.

-£140.

-Well done.

Now it's James' moneybags purchase,

two Chinese vases privately bought from a hotelier.

At £50. 60.

70. 80.

90. 100.

-110.

-It's getting there, James.

130. 140. 150.

160. At 160.

-On the landing at 160.

-No.

No, no, no.

Don't panic, James.

-Don't panic.

-I'm not panicking.

180. 190.

200. 210.

-Telephone's still in.

-220.

It's got legs, this one.

320.

340.

360.

SHE WHISPERS

380. 400.

-(400.)

-Well, that's what I thought they should make.

It's gathering momentum.

420. 480.

500.

That's good now.

520.

540.

At 560.

At 560 and I'm selling.

At £560.

(Yes!)

Jeez!

Look out! He's more than trebled his money on that one.

It's been a very odd day.

Certainly has been an odd day.

Anita started this leg with £439.32.

After paying auction costs, she holds a small profit of £27 exactly,

giving her £466.32 to carry onwards and upwards.

Whilst James began with £917.94.

He made a smashing profit of £232.60, giving him

a whopping £1,204.54 cash in hand.

Oh, James, that was a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

Wasn't it just?

That's all it needs - one star lot.

-Come on.

-Thank you.

So let's hope there will be some more star lots to come. Drive on!

On this final leg, our twosome are driving a Swinging Sixties sweetheart -

the 1969 Volkswagen Beetle.

We've seen some wonderful counties in England.

We've been to Herefordshire. No, Hertfordshire.

Hertfordshire, Herefordshire and Hampshire,

where hurricanes hardly ever happen.

Huh!

They started this whole road trip actually in Oxfordshire,

and have toured the stately southern counties of England,

heading for auction in London.

On this last leg of their journey,

they'll begin in Dorchester,

with all eyes on their final auction in our nation's capital.

It's a fine day in Dorset as they drive towards Dorchester,

where they're both beginning this leg's shopping.

Oh, they've driven straight into the middle of a classic motorcycle meet.

-Trust you two!

-Wow! An old Norton. Wow!

-This is very much your era, isn't it?

-Yeah!

-'30s and all that.

-Watch it, watch it!

Golly!

-Anyway, less about the old bikes, more about antiques.

-OK.

Indeed.

They're splitting up to wander to their first shops.

James is strolling off into De Danann Antiques,

where he's meeting dealer John.

-Golly! You've got a big place.

-No need to be personal.

It's a sizeable antiques centre, so he'll need to use his head

if he's going to root out a bargain.

Hello!

Hello! He's shortly spotted another couple of animal-themed items.

Crufts dog show.

Oh, really?

A pair of EPBM - electro-plated base metal - cups.

Commemorating the Crufts dog show.

When did Crufts start?

1891, as it happens.

These possibly date from the early years of the event.

Ticket price is £45 for the pair.

This is very much in what we call the Rococo style.

Very Victorian.

Embossed with flowers and these giant C-scrolls.

It says they're a pair, but they're not,

because if you hold them together,

one is about half an inch longer than the other,

and also, different makers,

so I reckon they'd have been different years.

He's noting them and browsing on.

Soon he spies something else which really speaks of its own history.

That's quite interesting.

Lt W Batty of the Royal Signals.

So we've got an engineer's tool cabinet

with precision instruments and chisels.

I don't see any precision instruments,

but the Royal Corps of Signals is a branch of the armed forces

dedicated to telecommunications.

This toolkit dates from the early 20th century.

Well, maybe. Ticket price, £60.

John, I've got a couple of things I'm looking at up here.

I thought they're quite interesting.

-Yeah, Crufts.

-I thought they might be early Crufts trophies,

but they're not a pair, though.

-Good lord! One for one year and one for another?

-Yes, that's what I think.

Er...25.

25. OK.

And what about the signalman's toolkit?

That could be 40.

(40...)

65.

60 for the two.

-50 the two?

-55?

There you go. 55. Thank you.

Excellent! A great deal done with military efficiency.

Now, Anita's nearby at Dorchester Curiosity Centre,

where she's meeting dealer Martin.

I love this type of place.

It's a big warehouse and there is thousands and thousands of items

of every type and every fashion.

And she's soon spotted something outside

that she'd like to take for a ride.

What's this wee soul doing out here all alone?

He's a black beauty.

Certainly is.

It's a metal spring-mounted rocking horse.

Ticket price is £65.

He's a tin toy. He's from the 1940s,

so he has a bit of age. He's a vintage item.

He's resting on these springs,

and it's a fairly tough and substantial toy.

Of course, she's going to test that theory. Stand by.

He would probably take my weight.

Careful!

TIM TITTERS

My legs are too long!

But he's a good strong creature.

I think I'll have a go at him.

Hmm. Better get Martin.

What I'd be looking to buy him for

is round about £25.

HE INHALES SHARPLY Right.

I'd like to look at 30.

-At 30?

-Yeah.

-Uh-huh.

Could you come a wee bit sort of...

halfway between the two?

-Let's go £28, then. How's that?

-£28? That sounds absolutely wonderful.

Thank you very much.

One item safely stabled,

and she's soon toying with the idea of another playful buy.

We've got a whole army there. I'm not sure

which army!

I think it's second childhood, you know.

100 lead toy soldiers,

not all originating from the same set.

Ticket price on the whole assortment is £108.

Is she going gaga?

The dealer who owns them is called Gary.

What I do like about this is that you've got quite a quantity.

You can have a good wee...war there.

A good battle, yeah!

And if all else fails,

you've got these four Scotsmen with kilts on,

who will come down and win the battle.

And all this chat about brave Scots warriors

has whetted Anita's appetite for a serious haggle. Look out, Gary!

Can they be bought for in the region of,

say, £30, £35?

I think the best I could do really is 55.

-55 on that?

-Yes.

Could you take another tenner off of it?

I'll met you halfway. 50.

Shall we go for it?

-If you're happy.

-Let's go with that. Thank you very much, Gary.

-You're very welcome.

-That's smashing.

So, she's got the rocking horse and the lead soldiers

for a total of £78.

And now she's trotting off to find a sandpit to play in, perhaps.

Now, James is still in his first shop.

That's ominous.

That's quite interesting.

It's a shot flask for...

or powder flask

for an 18th-century musket. Made from one whole cow horn.

Mmm. It's designed to hold shot or gunpowder.

Ticket price is £18

and James is impressed with its quality.

Just look at the way that's been heated

and flattened. Very subtly done.

Into these panels and then spiralled.

£18.

Well...it's not expensive at that.

I'll just see what he can do on it.

Go for it.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-What could you do on that for me?

-9.

-9?

-Yeah.

Deal. Thank you very much.

That's grand.

Golly, that deal was over like a shot. Swift work, chaps.

And his magpie eye is soon caught by something shiny

elsewhere in the shop.

I'm thinking about useful things for the dining table.

And there we've got a pair of

Victorian Sheffield plate bottle coasters.

Sheffield plate is clever stuff.

It looks just like the real solid silver,

except it's silver on top of a layer of copper.

Popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Two pairs of the coasters, priced up at £30 each,

so £60 the lot.

But it's the damage, and the damage is key.

We've got a boss missing off that one in the centre

and we've got woodworm in the base there.

HE INHALES

Best see what John could do, then.

John, what could they be?

40 the lot.

How about 35, then?

-35, yeah?

-Is 35 all right?

-Yeah. That's fine.

You've got a deal. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Smashing.

After a bumper browse in this shop,

James has secured a whopping four items.

Thank you, John!

Now, Anita's also still in Dorchester.

Continuing the playful theme she started this morning shopping with,

she's now wandered on to the town's teddy bear museum.

Fancy a hug?

She's meeting the proprietor, Jackie Ridley.

Hello! It's lovely to be here.

-My name's Anita.

-I'm Jackie.

-And I'm a teddy bear girl.

-I'm so glad!

You've come to the right place.

This enchanting museum grew out of

Jackie's own enormous and quirky collection of teddy bears.

Collecting bears is a personal passion

that she's had since childhood.

-Do you still have your first bear?

-I do.

-And he's here today.

-Is he? Oh!

-Can I have a wee cuddle?

-Oh, yes.

Aw! He's very sweet.

Teddy bears are named after

US President Theodore - or Teddy - Roosevelt.

The story goes that Roosevelt spared the life of a bear

when on a hunting trip,

and this inspired a couple who owned as Brooklyn candy store

to create a toy in tribute.

The wife, Rose, Rose Michtom,

would actually make a little tiny Teddy's bear.

So she makes a Teddy's bear and pops it in her husband's shop window.

-And that's how they started?

-That's how it all started.

Though the teddy is as American as apple pie in its origins,

it was a German company, Steiff,

that really popularised it

and remains the key name in collectable bears to this day.

Well, Margarete Steiff had the capacity

to key into this Teddy's bear.

She had a huge factory and she was able to suddenly

manufacture them in quantity,

and by 1903, the Germans had virtually taken over

the market for this new phenomenon which everyone wanted,

which was a teddy bear.

The Steiff company has remained synonymous

with valuable and collectable bears.

Jackie's taking Anita to see a copy

of the most valuable teddy in the world -

a Steiff bear that sold at auction for an astonishing £110,000.

What are we looking for in an early Steiff bear?

-What are the characteristics?

-Look at the length of the arms.

Look at this lovely hump.

Look at the way the stitching is done,

the way the nose is made, and the eyes.

The eyes are glass eyes.

They're not plastic eyes.

I don't think it's only that,

but it's the fact that this is just a gorgeous...thing.

Well, I think this will send us all

-searching in the attics for our old teddy bear.

-Absolutely.

But it would have to be a very, very special teddy.

It would.

It's nearly time for Anita to hit the road,

but first, she's going to have

a last look around Jackie's collection.

# If you go down in the woods today You'd better go in disguise... #

Look out, Anita! Some of the locals are taking an interest in you.

They'll want an autograph.

# Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic. #

Back in the car and back on the road, our experts are as competitive as ever.

What I want to do today, James, is to find something

that's going to make me £3,000!

Don't we all, Anita.

Let's hope your luck's in, girl.

They're driving to the city of Portsmouth in Hampshire.

Portsmouth has, for centuries,

been one of Britain's most vital naval ports.

Its history is commemorated by the city's modern Spinnaker Tower.

They're pulling up beside a naval hero.

-There we go!

-Well done, James.

Who is that?

-It's Nelson, of course.

-Oh, yeah!

Good-looking guy from the back.

Hey, Anita, stop ogling a statue!

She's going to drive onwards, though.

But James is going to his first shop.

He's marching off towards the Antiques Storehouse,

which is located right in the heart of Portsmouth's historic docks.

James has been here before, so already knows dealer Andrew.

-Hi, Andrew. How are you?

-Hi, James. Good to see you.

I've got to find something that's got a chance of making a profit.

Yep, that's the general idea.

But he's just found something with real historic interest.

One thing that almost everybody finds

when they're doing a house clearance,

stuck at the back of the bureau,

is Granny's death certificate, or Grandad's death certificate.

But...

..this one is slightly different.

Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill.

I mean, that...

is an incredible thing to see.

There would be more than one.

You would have to prove to the tax office, to the Inland Revenue,

but also, you would have copies made

for the family as well, for the family records.

Yeah, there could be lots of copies knocking about.

It's priced at £1,100. Huh!

So James isn't sure he could make a profit on it.

But he's visited this shop on a previous road trip,

and he's remembered some stock of Andrew's he'd like to revisit.

One of the things you pointed out very kindly

were two very thick boxes, blue boxes of William Wyllie sketches.

-I haven't moved them since!

-Haven't you?!

Andrew has two boxes crammed full of works

that came from the studio of popular artist William Lionel Wyllie,

who painted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

-There you go.

-Ah, brilliant! Where shall we go with these?

James did rather well from the last Wyllie sketch he bought here.

Can he repeat the trick?

William Wyllie was really known for his etchings

of yachts and ships,

and there's the man himself.

There he is. That's William Wyllie,

painting a large-scale oil.

James has found one unusual sketch that he really likes.

I think that's quite smart.

And there's a bird sitting on a cat's head,

sharing a bowl of milk with mice.

"United Happy Family" he's called it.

That's bonkers!

Love it.

He's going to speak to Andrew about that one.

-Could that be 10?

-Yeah, that's fine.

And he's also selected another piece.

There's a yacht, which I thought would be more his sort of thing,

so, I mean, what would you want for that?

That's going to be getting...certainly £50 for that.

50. OK.

-Take 50 the two?

-I'll do them for 60.

That was 50 and that was 10 anyway!

Was it? I thought I said 20. OK, 50's fine.

-You've got a deal.

-That is really nice, actually.

It is. James gets his wily way with his Wyllie pictures for £50.

And he's sailing onwards. Hopefully upwards.

Now, Anita's driven on to the town of Fareham, Hampshire,

where she's visiting Antiques of Fareham.

-Hello.

-Hello! I'm Anita Manning.

Hi. I'm Nick.

-I'm looking to buy some antiques. Am I in the right place?

-Yes, you are.

Tell you what, if you just stand over there,

I'll open up the door and reveal all to you.

Sounds interesting.

It does!

-Hello, again!

-Hello!

Nick and his wife used to have a shop in town,

but now mainly deal online and at antique fairs,

so they've generously allowed Anita into their garage,

where they keep their stock.

Best behaviour, now, Anita.

And she's soon unearthed something that she likes the look of.

I rather like this little purse.

Late 19th, early 20th century.

If you open it up, it's in absolutely perfect condition.

But it has a faintly Art Deco look about it.

As if it was blowing a kiss to the Art Deco period.

Hmm. You do have a way with words, Anita.

Ticket price is £35.

The purse is made of ivory,

but of course it's illegal to trade in ivory items made after 1947.

But this little purse here was made well before that time.

And there's something else from a similar period

that's also caught her fancy.

I like this. I find it very appealing.

It's a little evening purse.

Now, the body of the purse is made of the finest kid leather.

This is probably the type of purse

that a fine stylish lady would have carried on a night out

at the turn of the century in Shanghai.

Ooh! Ticket price on the leather purse is £18.

She's going to ask Nick about both her Art Deco-influenced items.

What will Anita offer on the ivory purse?

I would be thinking of that probably in the region of...

£12 to £15.

And what about the leather one?

I'd be maybe in the region of £8, round about that.

Hmm. I think we might be able to do something. I don't know if I can do it quite as low as that.

What I'd be looking at would be about 25, 27 for the pair.

-Is there any possibility of coming near 20 on it?

-Um...

I think just to make a little bit in it for me,

if I said 22?

That's absolutely fine with me. I'm happy with that.

Anita's got her stylish buys and she's off.

Ten miles down the road to Southsea, where she's heading into Parmiters Antiques

to meet sharply dressed dealer Ian.

-Hello.

-Hello. I'm Anita.

-Hello, Anita. Welcome to Southsea.

Oh, nice jacket, sir!

Ian's shop is stuffed to the gunwales

with eye-catching and eccentric items,

which plays right into Anita's wheelhouse.

Time for a browse, Anita.

Shortly she's fallen for something

redolent of the great British seaside.

Isn't he adorable?

Not another one!

This is Puck the magic dragon.

Ah, Puff's brother, is he?

I think that this is a fairground animal.

I think this is off one of the rides of maybe the 1940s

or 1950s.

And it appeals to me because it is so colourful.

I wonder how much it is?

Best ask Ian.

I've fallen in love with Puck the magic dragon.

I suppose you want to know how much it is?

She sure does.

I'm asking 150, but I'm open to an offer.

-We can do a wee bit of bargaining.

-Yeah.

-Without falling out.

-I won't fall out with you, Anita.

-Cos you're nice.

-That's good!

Say I come in at...

£80?

-How does that sound?

-120.

100.

-Go on, then.

-Thank you very much!

Cor, she's splashing her cash today.

But she'll have to be bold

if she's going to stand any chance against James. Hello!

Not my type.

No, but there's someone outside who does take her fancy.

This is one of the things that I noticed

when I came in at the beginning.

A footballer.

It's a piece of a fairground attraction. Ticket price is £120.

I'm going to have a go at that. I think that's great.

And he's got fabulous thighs.

Yeah, footballer's!

-I want to ask you about something else.

-OK.

What can you give him to me for?

Well, again...what am I asking? 120.

120. Could I come in at 60?

Um...go on, give me 60 for him.

Oh, 60 quid - that's wonderful!

Absolutely wonderful.

-He can be my new boyfriend.

-Yeah!

Yes! You've scored, Anita.

She's got both her final items, and now everyone's all bought up.

Anita started this leg with £466.32.

She spent £260 on her five lots.

An Art Deco ivory evening bag,

a collection of toy soldiers,

a playground Puck the Magic Dragon,

a spring rocking horse,

and a fairground footballer. As you do.

While James began with £1,204.54.

He spent £149 and also has five lots.

A horn flask,

bottle coasters, a precision engineer's toolcase,

a pair of Victorian Crufts vases,

and two pieces of original artwork by William Lionel Wyllie.

So, what do they think of each other's items?

Wyllie is just absolutely marvellous

on that type of marine drawing or watercolour or etching.

So, I think he'll do well on that.

I think Anita's suffering from too much sun.

What a mad lot!

The little dragon - £100?

HE SIGHS No.

Don't mince your words, eh?

On this final leg of the road trip,

Anita and James began in Dorchester, Dorset,

and they're now aiming for auction in grand old London town.

Today's auction is in Wandsworth,

on the banks of old Father Thames,

and not too far from the iconic edifice of Battersea Power Station,

They're driving to Criterion Auctions.

Hang on! Something's different.

Have you changed your hair, Anita?

Oh, no! Silly me.

Unfortunately, James has been taken ill

and won't be able to attend this auction.

But fortunately, I've got a stand-in!

He's a cracking guy! He looks a bit like James as well.

He does a bit, actually.

Our new friend is a bull mastiff by the name of Nelson.

But today, he'll be playing the part of James Lewis.

They're arriving at the auction house. Look at that.

Here we are, darling. Here we are.

There we are. Hold on a sec. Hold on a sec.

Wait a minute!

He's keener than you are today, Anita!

The saleroom's looking a little sparse today,

but will be accepting bids over the telephone and online.

Today's auctioneer is Daniel Webster.

First up is James's 18th-century shot flask.

Will it go off with a bang?

At £30. The money's with me at 30.

Surely worth more. At 30, and 5 now.

At £35, are we all sure, then?

At 35...

-BANGS GAVEL

-Yes!

A tidy profit for James.

Who's a clever boy, then?

Well done, darling! Well done.

Next, Anita's job lot

of ivory purse and early 20th-century leather bag.

At £30, are we sure?

-35.

-35, darling!

-40.

-You're not interested in this one.

Of course he's not. It's more of a lady's lot, to be fair.

-£40, are we all sure?

-For 40...

BANGS GAVEL

Anita's eye for vintage style sees her clear to a profit.

Now it's James's set of four Sheffield plated bottle coasters.

We have 40 and 5.

At 45, money's here.

At 45...are we done and sure at 45?

-BANGS GAVEL

-Well, that was short and sweet.

Indeed it was.

Another £10 profit to James,

whose attention seems to be wandering.

James! James.

Hey, are you listening? You made a profit.

Now it's Anita's job lot of toy soldiers.

Will they prove victorious?

At £30, someone, surely? 30 is bid.

And 5.

40.

Come on, come on!

And 5. 50.

50!

5. 60.

5. 70.

75, back in.

80.

£80!

At 85.

Are you listening?

Going for 85...

-BANGS GAVEL

-Did you hear that?

I think he's jealous of your profit, Anita.

Now it's James's Royal Signal engineer's toolbox.

We have 35. 40 now.

At £40, the money's with me. And 5. We're in the room.

At £45 in the room. A neat thing at 45. Are we done?

At 45...I'll sell, then, at 45.

BANGS GAVEL

That manages to carve out a little profit for James.

See, you're getting all excited when it's your lots,

and when it's my lots,

you're lying down there and you don't give a damn!

Next it's Anita's 1970s footballer.

With the thighs.

50, if you like, surely. 50 is bid.

-50 bid!

-55, 60.

60 now.

At £60 we're away.

£60 and we're not away!

-Fair warning at 60...

-BANGS GAVEL

It makes what she paid for it.

But that's a loss after auction costs are deducted,

so a bit of an own goal.

Let's hope Anita's next playful lot does better -

the tin plate rocking horse.

Waiting for the horse, surely?

Rock away for £20.

20 is bid.

At £20, no money. Are we done?

£20!

-Selling at 20.

-BANGS GAVEL

It refuses at the first fence.

What a pity.

The bidders in this room today

are not in a playful mood.

Now it's James's vases,

commemorating an early Crufts championship.

£50 for them? At 50. 30, if you like.

At £30...

NOW you're interested!

Crufts!

At £20 now.

25, internet.

30, we're in the room. £35, internet's money, then.

-£35.

-BANGS GAVEL

£35. That was a profit. That was a profit, darling.

That was a profit.

Well done. Do you want a biscuit?

You never offer me a biscuit.

Now, all Anita's hopes rest on her dragon.

It was her bold buy, in an attempt to chase James.

But will it pay off?

And £40?

20.

Oh, 20! Oh, no!

-10 is bid.

-10!

10!

At £10 now.

At £10, then.

BANGS GAVEL

10 quid!

Well, that went up in flames, didn't it?

That was tough to take. Tough to take.

Certainly on your own. Now, James's last lot of the day -

his two William Wyllie pictures.

100 is bid.

He's doubled the money already.

30. 40.

140.

50.

£150.

150, are we all done?

150. We'll sell, then, at 150.

-BANGS GAVEL

-The hammer's down. £150.

£150, darling!

They sail away. Well done, James!

So a terrible pity that the real James had to miss his last auction,

but he ends this road trip triumphant

and swimming in lashings of lolly nevertheless.

Anita began this final leg with £466.32

and after auction costs, she made an unfortunate loss

of £83.70,

leaving her with a total of £382.62.

Just lay off the dragons in future, Anita.

But James has beaten all comers.

He began this leg with £1,204.54.

He made a smart profit of £105.20

and ends the road trip high on the hog with £1,309.74.

All proceeds go to Children In Need.

It's been another wonderful Road Trip. Toodle-oo, you two.