Episode 6 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts

with £200 each, a classic car

and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

-Going, going...gone.

-Yes!

-How do I look?

The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction,

-but it's no mean feat.

-Yes!

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

I'm going to become a bin man.

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

I like it when you're chasing me.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

It's the beginning of a fresh and fun-packed week on Road Trip

with another pair of antiquarian wheeler-dealers,

Mark Stacey and Will Axon.

Keep buying the wrong things, making less money than me,

and we'll have a lovely week.

Listen, Mark, I don't mind being your stooge. I'm quite happy.

New kid on the block Will Axon is

an experienced valuer and master of the gavel.

-You may remember him from the last series.

-Who else is in?

28. At 28. Shake it the other way, madam.

Surely, you can't value them for £2. 28 in the corner...

Now he's switched to join our happy gang.

It all seems a lot easier when you're watching it on the telly.

He won't get an easy ride against Mark Stacey.

Oh, no. One of the antique trade's big hitters.

A bit clumsy, but he knows exactly

who to speak to to get the best deal.

Will you show me where the bargains are?

Mark and Will are sashaying around the country in this little

British beauty - a 1963 Triumph TR4,

and Will is first in the hot seat.

-As long as I can reach the pedals.

-We'll get you a cushion.

Is he old enough to drive?

Our duelling duo's trip takes them through five counties, no less,

starting in East Sussex, travelling through Kent, Essex,

Suffolk and Hertfordshire

and ending up at an auction in the London suburb of Ruislip.

This leg stays firmly in East Sussex,

travelling along the south-east coast of England.

They're starting in Hastings, finishing at an auction in Lewes,

but the first shopping stop is Bexhill.

As it's the start of the trip, they both begin with a bountiful £200,

but things aren't going quite to plan.

What have you done to the car and the weather?

I've broken both of them.

It won't be like this all week, I hope.

As long as it's downhill, we're all right.

Certainly it's going downhill at the moment, as far as I'm concerned.

It could be the weather or human error. I couldn't possibly comment!

JUDDERING SOUND

-No, it's gone.

-Hang on. I'm going to try and coast it into this space.

The first and maybe the last stop

for this pair is the pretty little seaside town of Bexhill,

but the chaps have to ditch the car and take to Shanks's pony.

This looks all right.

It's time for the spending spectacular

to commence and they're off!

No pushing, chaps. Keep it clean.

Will, Will, look at this.

-Hello. I'm Mark.

-Pleased to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hi. Will.

-Hello, Will. Andy.

Nice to meet you, Andy. Lots

-and lots of stuff and not the right budget.

-An eclectic mix though.

I know you are, Will, but what about the stock(?)

Joking over, men. Time to split up

and get down to the business of buying.

Lickety-split, Will's spotted something!

He's reaching for the bottle already,

a vintage Scotch whisky display bottle with a price of £65.

This is quite fun, isn't it?

I suppose...

Yeah, shop display.

Scotch whisky.

What I like about it is the way the

glass has been coloured just to give it the impression of being full.

If only!

A bit of damage to the label. That's a shame.

Where's Mark lurking?

There could be something hidden in the bottom of this box

that's going to wipe the smile off that little Will Axon's face.

I don't mean that. He's rather sweet, isn't he?

-Shall we see if it works?

-CLICKS SWITCH

No, I've broken that as well.

The car first and now this. It's not your day.

Now, I did spot this when we first came in the door.

He's gone booze-daft.

It's a 19th century, etched glass

spirit barrel with a brass tap and it's not cheap.

It has a whopping ticket price of £120.

If you look at the tap or spigot,

I think they're sometimes called, we've got a nice stamp, London,

which is a sign of quality,

and then on the other side,

either the maker or the retailer perhaps - Loftus.

The total ticket price of the whisky bottle

and the spirit barrel is £185.

Will's offered £120 for the two. That's more than half his budget.

Go on, then, Will, as we're your first call on your first show...

-What do we do? 120 for the two?

-Oh, lordy!

-I'll do 120 for the two.

Nice one, Andy. I hope I've done the right thing.

-I'm sure you have.

-May your luck be with me.

Meanwhile, empty-handed Mark is heading 12 miles west to Eastbourne.

You can see why Eastbourne has the title of Sunniest Town in Britain.

The maritime climate has people

flocking here to the beautiful pebbly beaches

and a stroll down the famous pier for a bit of kiss-me-quick.

Mark is off to a rather special shop,

but his sterling won't buy diddly-squat here.

He's visiting a wonderfully eccentric couple,

Graham and Jan Upton,

who have brought over 100,000 items

of vintage packaging, products, signage, clothes

and ephemera collected together

over 50 years into one multi-storey, jam-packed shop -

the Museum of Shops.

This must be one of the more sort of uniquely bizarre places

I've ever visited - in a very positive way.

People used to visit our house

and apart from the fact they thought we were bonkers,

they used to say, "Your house is more like a museum." It gave us the idea.

Their lifelong passion for

collecting can be seen crammed into four floors of themed shop displays

and domestic room settings.

This is fascinating.

It's like walking into an old Victorian arcade, isn't it?

Among the displays is Mr Barton's grocer's shop.

The shelves are packed with nostalgic items such as Oxo, Rinso,

Smith's Crisps and many more.

Anyone remember the Bisto Kids?

Upstairs, there's more densely packed shops with

painstaking attention to detail,

right down to the very last and most intimate of items.

Would you like me to show you my pre-war condoms, Mark?

I beg your pardon?

-Oh, good Lord!

-Looking a bit worse for the wear now,

but in a little box that was supposed

to look like a chocolate box, complete with the doilies.

I love this. "The only really hygienic preventative.

"Hygiene should be first and foremost."

I wasn't expecting to be talking about these.

Good Lord! Me neither. In the basement are the domestic rooms

and there's a wonderful World War II kitchen

that Jan and Graham have re-created in minute detail.

Oh, look at this!

Do you know, that is so much like my grandmother's house.

It is a bit like you've stepped back in time.

Yeah, I hope so. I hope that's how it feels.

To be honest, I thought the Blitz as soon as you see the costumes.

-Yeah.

-You know, I mean, this is so 1940s, isn't it?

If you look through the kitchen window, you can see the bombs beyond.

SOUND OF EXPLOSIONS

And the other striking thing

is you've got it down to the fact that probably everybody smoked.

Smoking in the UK increased during both world wars,

but it wasn't until the Second World War

that it became really popular with the ladies.

-I think you're quite mad, Graham.

-Do you?

-I do, I do.

-In a very nice way.

-That's fine.

-A nice madness.

-That's good. I'm pleased to hear that.

LAUGHTER

No street would be complete without a local pub

and Jan and Graham have re-created

one of those too, called The Admiral Lord Nelson Inn no less.

Graham, do you not think

-you're creating your own little world here?

-I suppose so.

-Do you think it's an escape from realism?

-Is it an escape?

-You tell me.

-I think so, really.

-We enjoy it.

-Do you?

Graham, I find this really fascinating.

You're an absolute joy to talk to.

If I could fill the glass,

I'd happily toast a long, successful opening of your museum.

That's very kind and we're pleased to meet you after all these years.

With that heady hit of nostalgia over,

let's find out what Will's up to.

He's made his own way 17 miles inland

to the quaint little hamlet of Golden Cross.

It may be quite small,

but it does have a lovely little antiques place

and shopkeeper Rhoda is open for business.

My buying head on, buying head on. Maybe smalls.

Yeah... Cigar-cutter.

Cigar-cutter - I'm thinking

down the drinking and smoking route. What a terrible role model I am!

First booze, now fags, and it's only day one of the trip.

He's got his beady eye on a 20th century, silver-plated cigar-cutter.

Items like these can be very collectable to the right buyer.

It has a ticket price of £35.

The cigar-cutter's a good, clean example.

-A shame that's not solid silver.

-No. I know.

I'm thinking I might be able to work with this somehow

if perhaps I could find something else to go with it.

Oh, hang on a minute. What's this poking out from over here?

Now, this is...

This is following on from my theme a bit, isn't it?

An old oak, sort of smoker's box.

A little bit of damage there, but this is nice, look -

little strikers here for your vestas.

This late 19th century, oak smoker's box would have been all the rage

back when smoking was fashionable

and everyone was lighting up, but what price is Rhoda looking for?

80 for the two.

Could we do 70 on the two?

And that... I'm being honest with you.

That leaves me with £10 for tomorrow.

Hmm...

As it's your first day, yes.

You're very kind. Rhoda, I appreciate your help.

Will's almost spent out, with only £10 left after only two shops.

Gosh, he's quick.

Meanwhile, back in Eastbourne,

Mark's bargain-buying bonanza hasn't even begun,

so the pressure is on for him to get in the game.

Lots of curious pieces here, but...

Oh, no, that's... Ah!

Now, this is something that Will would be jealous about.

It's a big hammer or a gavel.

It is indeed a gavel.

It's an early 20th century,

large fruitwood gavel and it's not as expensive as you'd think, Mark.

The ticket price is £25.

It's got a bit of age to it

because it's walloped a few things in its time.

It's probably sold a Picasso or two now and again.

You never know, do you?

That's a definite possibility, actually.

Time to get owner Jasper involved.

Are you sitting down?

I'm going to start off very low because I know you'll hammer me up.

-Hammer...

-Hammer!

-Every one a winner.

Oi, I do the jokes round here!

I'm going to start with an offer of £10.

I did say I'm starting low,

but it's not where we start, it's where we finish.

That's a good start, but nowhere near...

-He's cheeky all right!

-What are you going to sell it to me for?

-15.

-15. Gosh! I wasn't expecting you to say that.

I was expecting you to say something else.

Do you know, I can't argue with that.

£15 is a very good price. Thank you.

What a bumper deal, eh? It all seemed a little too easy.

Thank you very much and I suppose I should say, "Going, going...gone."

It's time you were gone too before he changes his mind.

So, with that cheeky first purchase,

Mark has finally bagged a lot for £15 of his £200 budget,

But it's Will's turn now to shop till he drops.

He's headed south to Eastbourne,

where he's popped into Old Bank Antiques

where he hopes to make a withdrawal.

Oh, wow, look at this!

This must be the old bank vault, look.

-LOUD METALLIC SOUND

-Oh!

He's roped in shopkeeper Ray to give him some help.

He's confessed that he only has a tenner to spend.

This is the sort of thing, you see, a little snuff box.

-Yes.

-Again, look, remnants of the old snuff.

-28.

-I expect we can do something with that.

Do you reckon that might be doable?

That sounds promising, so Ray is off to phone the dealer.

This papier-mache, pewter-inlaid snuff box is 19th century.

-OK, bye-bye.

-It's the moment of truth.

-Right, Will, well, I've made the call.

-Tell me it's good news.

-And it is good news.

-Really?

-You're a lucky man.

-Because it's you...

-Yeah?

-£10.

-That's a result.

-Absolutely. I think it is.

-Well done. I can't lose much on that.

-I don't think so.

-Surely not.

And with that, he has spent his entire budget.

Meanwhile, Mark has popped

into the local antiques centre, but it's time he got a move on.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-I'm good. Yourself?

-Who's this chappy?

-That's Chase.

-Chase. Hello, Chase.

-The cleverest dealer in here!

Oh, get on with it! Rope in the help of Paul,

the antiques centre owner. Get him to show you some goodies.

It is quite crudely made, the lock there, but it is quite nicely...

-Reasonably nicely carved.

-Reasonably nicely carved.

This 19th century, Anglo-Indian box and key have a ticket price of £40,

so it's not too pricey.

Any other goodies?

You didn't actually look at that one.

That's got quite nice inscriptions on the back

The painting is 19th-century oil-on-board,

possibly portraying Mount Blanc, with an inscription on the back.

I like the colours.

Bit of a dull scene actually.

But I do love the colours - I love the thickness...

It's the sort of pictures I like. Ooh, I like that.

-It's dated here.

-Yeah, 1865 - gosh.

And it's to whoever it is, from where she painted...

-Maybe she was at a hotel.

-Very possibly.

And she was painting the vista.

I mean, it's very decorative.

-Is it very cheap though?

-60 quid.

-Oh!

-It's an antique.

-I know.

-If I'm here much longer, I'll be an antique.

-Too late!

How close to 40 can we go?

-We can't cos I gave 50 for it.

-Oh.

-Uh-huh.

-So 60's your best?

-55. I'll take £5 off.

-I'll take it.

-Go on.

-I'll throw the box in for 25.

-Oh, my God!

-I won't go any lower than that.

So that's 80 then - let's do that.

Another humdinger of a deal done

and Mark's finally filling up his goody bag,

but still has £105 to spend. Onwards and upwards!

The next shopping stop of this leg,

takes him around 15 miles west to Peacehaven.

Located above the chalk cliffs and nearby famous Beachy Head,

Peacehaven town was formed for

retiring World War I veterans to recover from the effects of the war.

Mark's popping into Collectors Haven to meet Steve.

He needs to knuckle down and buy, buy, buy.

How odd is that?

A handmade bottle in the form of a pig?

It's a perfume bottle.

Why on earth would you have

-a perfume bottle in the form of a pig?

-I've got no idea.

Pigs are not renowned for their sweet smells, are they?

-Happy as a pig in...

-COUGHS

Mark's picked out a pretty, cloisonne enamel box.

Not old, circa 1960, with a ticket price of £100.

All this blue and the green is little glass...

powdered glass, little glass crystals,

which they put on and then fire.

As it fires, it melts and forms the pattern here.

It's put in within wires.

But it's a pretty little thing. It's a nice little work of art.

-It is.

-It's got a nice, decorative appeal to it.

Piggy Toby.

Don't you think he's rather fun?

It's a little jug in the form of a pig,

holding a pint of beer in his best suit.

He's fixated by pigs today

and this little piggy is a novelty majolica jug, circa 1900.

I love his little trousers.

I think he's great. I think he's lovely, actually.

Crazy, but lovely. I'm going to put it...

Sound like any one you know, Mark?

The ticket price on this jolly fellow is £40.

But what will Steve be willing to let him go for?

I'd go to 30, but that would be it.

What about the unknown quantity?

65?

I think 60 sounds better.

-£60.

-Let's shake on it.

-You've got a deal.

-I've got to give you 90 quid?

-Yeah.

-Perfect. I'm very happy with that.

Sweet-talking devil! And with that, Mark's maxed out on lots

.and the spending spectacle is at an end.

Mark and Will both began this leg with a Road Trip budget of £200.

Will went hell for leather and

managed to spend the whole lot on five lots -

an over-sized whisky bottle,

a glass spirit barrel,

a smoker's box, a snuff box,

and a cigar cutter.

Mark also amassed five lots, spending £185 on a

large gavel, an oil painting,

an AngloIndian carved box,

a novelty pig jug,

and a cloisonne circular box.

So, let's see what they really think of each other's items.

I think I might just have the edge.

I've got the gavel that cost very little,

the pig, the enamel box,

the painting. I think he was quite impressed with my items actually.

The little Anglo-Indian box - sweet enough, but of no great quality.

And the pig - bit of a punt on that really.

And with that, it's time to trundle

off in the Triumph to the auction house.

Let's hope a lot of...

Oh, God, it's gone dead on me again.

Go into second. There you go.

Woo! Are we late?

I'm just eager to get to the auction.

On the first leg of their road trip, theses jolly jousters have travelled

through East Sussex, 1066 country no less, from Hastings to Lewes.

Lewes is an ancient market town

with wonderful architecture, left behind by generations.

And this building is of great importance -

it's where they make their local brew.

Come on, Will, let's get it over with. I think we'll be all right.

-Yeah.

-Keep smiling.

Whatever - we're a couple of happy chappies.

-We are a couple of happy chappies. What can go wrong?

-Let's go.

Boasting almost a century's-worth of experience,

Gorringes Auction House know what they're about,

and today's miscellaneous auction is also online.

Auctioneer Philip Taylor is primed,

-as our knights of antiquity are about to do battle.

-This is it.

Lot 1, Mark's early 20th century, large fruitwood gavel.

Will it hammer home a solid profit?

A bit bigger than mine. £10? Any bids at 10?

-Now he's just bragging(!)

-Surely £10 for the gavel? Any bids at 10?

Thank you, 10 I'm bid. 15 now. At 15. At 20. At £20.

The lady in the centre at 20... 25 at the back wall.

£30 bid. It is yours, madam, at 30.

Any further bids? Are you all done at £30...?

-35, just in time.

-Oh, just in time.

Have another one, madam? Done then on 35. Your bid, sir, at 35...

-That's all right. £20 profit.

-Good work, Mark. Good work.

I'm happy with that.

The gavel nailed it. Strike one to Mark!

Once the gavel's gone down, you can't get the gavel again.

Oh, he's like a Zen master!

Now it's boozy Will with the Scotch whisky display bottle.

-Anyone fancy a wee nip?

-Start at £10? Surely, someone, 10?

Thank you. 10 I'm bid. 15 bid. At £15.

A shop display lot at £15 only.

At £15 only.

-At £15...

-It's all over now. That's cheap.

It's yours at the back there at 15.

Are you all done? All finished on 15? It's yours at the back, sir, at 15...

GAVEL BANGS £15 only...

Not a great start for Will's first Road Trip auction.

Mark's up next with his Mont Blanc painting.

Could this pretty little picture make him a pretty little penny?

Bid me £30 to get it started? Any bids at 30?

20 then? Any bids at 10?

-Oh, come on!

-Start me at £10 on it? Any bids at £10?

A little view here of Mont Blanc. Any bids at £10?

No bids at all? Oh, dear me! We can't sell it if you can't bid.

£5. I've got it there at £5 only. The frame is worth more. At £5 only.

-Oh, this is silly.

-Are you all done? I'll let it go at £5 only...

-GAVEL BANGS

-That's ridiculous.

What a hefty loss! That's obliterated his earlier profit.

My 15 quid for my bottle's looking quite good now.

It is looking very good. That's very disappointing.

There's a chance for Will now with his 19th century glass barrel,

but he needs to make over £80 to clear a profit.

-A rather nice item.

-Thank you very much.

-It is nice.

-By Loftus of London.

-Come on.

-Quite a nice item. Surely, £50?

Get me started at 30, someone? Any bids at £30?

The spirit barrel at £30? Surely, £30?

10 from someone then? Get it going at £10? Any bids at £10?

Any bids... Thank you. 10 at the back. At only £10.

15 at the back. At 15. 20. Come along, sir. At £20. 25.

At £25. It's no money at 25. I've got to sell it though at 25.

I'm letting it go at the very back wall at £25...

-GAVEL BANGS

-I'm sorry, Will.

-That is just...

I'm really sorry, Will.

What a disaster, eh? No-one seems interested in the alcohol theme.

But will his smoking lots fare any better?

And here's one now - the 19th century, oak smoker's box.

Must be £30? £20 from someone? Who bids me £20? Thank you, £20.

Only bid at 20. 5 with you now? 25. At 25. £30 bid now.

At 30. 35. And 40.

At £40. At 40. At £40.

-Bid again, sir? No? At 40.

-Go on.

Have we all finished then? Done on £40, it sells...

GAVEL BANGS Bidder number 5,000. £40, thank you.

Well done. You made a...

-A small loss.

-A small loss, which is good, actually.

Loss after loss after loss.

Poor Will. He took a risk with his theme. So far, it's not paying off.

And Mark's not doing much better.

Could this Anglo-Indian box have some eastern promise?

-Beautifully carved.

-Oh, beautifully carved.

Get me started at 20? £20, someone? Surely at 20? Any bids then at 10?

-£10?!

-10 I'm bid. 15, anyone? 15 bid. 20 against you, madam?

£20, surely? Is that a bid, madam? I can't see you. Will you bid me 20?

-He's trying.

-At £15 only then.

At £15. At £15. It's got to be sold. It goes then on 15. Last time at 15.

It's had its time at 15. 15... GAVEL BANGS

A small loss, but a loss nonetheless and it's all stacking up.

-We've got our health, Mark.

-Yeah.

-We've got a nice car parked outside.

We have. The sun's still shining.

And only a few more lots to go, then we'll hit the bar.

I'm in for that!

Mark's up again with his novelty pig jug.

It'll have to be one miraculous piggy to stop this losing streak.

People collect pigs. How do you like this one? Start me around £40?

Any bids at 30 then? The pig at £30?

10 to get it started? Someone bid me £10 to get it started?

Any bids at £10 for it? Any bids at £10 for the pig? Oh, dear me.

Thank you, £10. I'm bid 10. 15 now against you. At 15. £20 I have.

It's yours in the centre, madam, at 20. Any further bidders?

I'm letting it go at 20. Finished on £20 only...

This little piggy did not get to market.

-There seems to be a theme emerging from today's sale.

-Yeah.

If Will can make a profit on his final two items,

he could still be in with a chance.

Next up is his silver-plated cigar-cutter.

Somebody bid me? Any bids at all?

-Get it started at a fiver? £5.

-The blade's solid...

-A fiver, Will?

8 I'm bid. At 10. 10 I have.

At £10. At £10. Bid again, sir, at 10?

Right in the corner, will you bid me? At £10 only.

I'll let it go at 10. Finished with it at £10 only...

-Back there at 10...

-Thank you very much.

Oh, lordy! Another crushing blow for Will.

Mark's Japanese cloisonne, circular box is the next lot.

Surely, this will do some business.

-Your pretty box.

-Oh, my pretty box.

With me here at £20 only. £20. 25. 30.

5. 40. 5. 50 bid.

At £50. The desk at £50.

At £50. At 50. Any further bidders then, at 50?

All done, finished then on 50?

At £50, it goes... GAVEL BANGS

-It went a little bit more than I thought, but still a loss.

-Yeah.

Another beastly outcome, eh? But there's not much between the pair,

so it could all change with Will's final lot.

It's his snuff box.

If this sparks the crowd's interest, he could still be in with a chance.

-Here we go.

-£10 to get it started?

-Thank you. 10 I'm bid. 15 now. 15. 20. 5.

-Come on.

At £25. At 25. Are you all done at 25?

Finished then... £30. At 30.

In the centre I've got it at 30.

-She can come again.

-Last time then. It goes at 30...

-The highest profit of the day.

-Get in!

-Well done, 20 quid profit!

Thank you very much, sir.

Hurrah, profit at last! But too little, too late.

And despite desperate losses on both sides,

Mark beats Will by a nose.

-I've had enough of this. Let's go.

-I've had enough of this. Come on.

Newbie Will Axon started with the

princely sum of £200 and spent the lot.

After auction costs, he's lost £101.60,

leaving him £98.40 for the next leg.

Mark Stacey spent £185 of his starting budget of 200

and after costs, made a loss of £82.50,

which means he has just £117.50 to play with next time.

Not so hot.

-What a disaster!

-I'm still a bit shell-shocked, to be honest.

-Me too.

-We have a little money left.

-We made small profits and big losses.

Small profit? One each, that's it.

-Oh, yeah.

-And then big losses.

-Big losses.

Shall we see if we have enough

-petrol to get to the next stop?

-Shall we check the gauge?

-But we did say we were going to stay cheery.

-We are cheerful.

-It can only get better.

-What else can happen?

Probably quite a lot. Drive on, chaps. A new leg awaits you.

On this leg, they'll start in Bilsington

and end up at an auction not far away in Sandwich,

but clocking up some 80-odd miles in between.

I'm going to change my tactics, I think. I've been a bit soft.

-Have you?

-On the dealers, I think.

I thought it was just you didn't buy very nice things.

They are deep in the countryside in Kent,

near a little village called Bilsington

and Mark's dropping Will off at the first shop.

It's time for Will to put his new tough-guy tactic into play,

as he kicks off his bargain blitz at the Barn at Bilsington,

with just £98.40 in his pocket.

Watch out, Gabrielle - he means business.

Gabrielle specialises in French country furniture,

though you could be mistaken for thinking

you were in her lavishly decorated home,

complete with a fire in the hearth to get you warmed up

and in the buying mood.

But anyway, there's business to be done. Let's have a rummage.

See? It works a treat.

That's quite nice, isn't it?

Bone rather than ivory.

And you've got this sort of penwork.

It's almost got a sort of...

Indian feel about it.

Gabrielle's glasses in there, and a little nail file.

That's what they're used for - handy little box for knick-knacks.

No price ticket on it.

That might be one to mention.

These decorative little boxes are just the kind of thing

that could fly at auction.

Hmm.

Nice Chinese blue and white vase.

Got a mark underneath.

Always be slightly suspicious of the Chinese marks.

I believe that's the Kangxi mark.

This pretty blue and white painted vase

is 19th-century Kangxi.

The production of Kangxi ended in 1722,

but the style was copied into the 1800s.

It's got what I would call a sort of star crack

to the body,

and that has spread somewhat.

Well, it's no Ming dynasty,

so can Will stick to his new macho technique

and get it within budget?

-I found this upstairs.

-Yes.

-Which is interesting.

-Mm-hm.

But quite badly damaged.

Can you see that nasty crack?

-It's got age to it.

-It has.

Um...

Going to have met with some problems in its life.

Haven't we all, dear?

Can we say £40?

And 5.

Well, if I find something else and round it up to 50?

-You've got quite a sweet little box next door.

-Yes.

That's more. That's got to be 25.

So, £45 for the vase

and £25 for the box is £70.

But how much does Will dare to offer?

Could I have both for 60?

That seems fair.

To who? To you or to me?

-To both of us!

-Fair enough.

-Can we do that?

-Yes.

I'm thrilled. Thanks very much.

Good. A pleasure.

Ding-ding! Round one to Will.

He's struck a good bargain, but £60 is over half his starting budget,

so he only has £38.40

for the rest of this leg. Pretty risky, this.

Meanwhile, Mark's put his pedal to the metal

and gone nearly eight miles southeast

to a place called Appledore.

He's at the Old Forge with just £117.50 to spend,

so he's trying to forge an alliance with storekeeper Jenny.

Jenny, I've a good feeling we're going to do some business today.

You have, and I've got you a cup of tea,

because you must be frozen.

I'm frozen. I know we're going to get on.

You old charmer, you.

-Thank you, Jenny.

-It's a pleasure.

This is the sort of thing I think might sell quite well.

I'll lift it up. It's quite heavy, I should imagine.

Yes, it is.

I mean, how would you describe that?

Cheap? Concrete? Doorstep?

I could go on.

I think these are quite cheeky.

Painted in a nicer colour, I think that could be quite a fun item.

It's a bit much at the moment - £22.

And it just says "Doggy"!

But I think she's rather sweet.

Look, there's a little bow. You can see a little bow.

I think you're barking up the wrong tree here.

It's rough, rough, rough!

Like a moth to a flame,

Mark's alighted on an outrageous vintage 1970s lamp

that is, frankly, camper than knickers.

I think it's green and brown onyx.

I suppose it is, yes.

With these sort of gilt metal or brass mounts,

with sort of caryatids on the base there.

And this outrageous shade!

Everybody comments on it, I have to say.

You could almost get away with it at Ascot, at Ladies Day.

But I think, to me,

it sort of screams the 1970s. I don't know about you.

-I think it probably is.

-Abigail's Party and all that.

There's no ticket price on the lamp,

so let the tussle begin.

What would be your bargain price? Because you've got to get rid of it.

It doesn't fit in with your theme at all here.

What - retro chic?

Um...35. MARK GASPS

-Oh, lordy!

-What were you thinking?

I might have to have a sit-down.

Um...

Oh, dear!

The old ticker's going now - palpitations.

Am-dram, eat your heart out!

But if I could get that

for somewhere near £20, or in between 20 and 30...

What about 25?

Oh, Jenny, I've got to have it for £25.

At the end of the day, the shade's worth that.

Yeah.

So, first deal of the day in the bag.

But what about that concrete terrier?

# How much is that doggy in the window? #

Graham, the little doggy's owner, has arrived.

So now they can have a pet talk.

What could you do it for? It's marked as 22.

15. How's that, Mark? MARK GASPS

Ideally, I'd like to get it for a tenner or so.

I'll let you have it for ten if it'll help.

Thank you so much, Graham. You are a star.

You're very welcome.

Meanwhile, Will has made his own way ten miles northeast

from the Barn in Bilsington to another barn in Bethersden.

His crusade for curiosities continues.

-Hello there!

-Hello there.

-You must be Tony.

-That's me.

-Nice to meet you. I'm Will.

-And you.

Will's spotted a couple of decorative vases

he wants to take a closer look at.

I like those, in a way.

And being damaged doesn't put me off that much,

because I've already bought a damaged item today,

so that might be my theme!

Oh, lordy! Not another theme.

They've got a Whitefriars look about them, haven't they?

Textured sort of bark finish, I would say.

No marks. Ground pontil.

Whitefriars were Britain's longest running

and most productive glass house.

Their glass always reflected the fashion of the day,

but these are looky-likies.

How much have you got on the ticket there?

-Nine.

-£9 for two vases.

That's well within my budget.

I tell you what...

Can I put those to one side for the moment?

He's interested, but he's browsing on.

And he's drawn to another set of vases just along the way.

That's quite interesting.

Old shell cases.

First or Second World War.

They've been tooled or worked

into a pair of vases.

Generally called trench art.

For obvious reasons.

What interests me is that there's no price ticket on them.

I shall go and ask Tony.

To be honest, I think they'll be out of my budget,

but let's ask him anyway.

Yeah, let's! And remember, you're a lean, mean negotiating machine.

Can they be...

very affordable?

-I'll try my best. Deborah, they're yours.

-As I flutter my eyelids.

Are they? Oh, Deborah, face-to-face.

Ah, the boyish charm offensive.

You can tell me where to stick 'em...

-Go for it.

-..but would I be able to buy those for a tenner?

That would really help me out.

-OK.

-Yeah?

It's working, it's working!

Blimey! It is, too!

I'm going to have those

and I think I'm going to go for those two glass vases

-at nine quid.

-Fine.

And I'm not even going to knock you down on the nine quid. How's that?

Wonderful.

How very kind of you, Will.

And with that, Will's bagged himself a veritable feast of vases

and it's time to pack up and ship out.

Together again,

the chaps are heading from Kent back into East Sussex.

They're on their way back to historic Hastings.

They're in King's Road, where Mark's continuing his treasure hunt.

-Good luck.

-See you later.

-Take it easy - don't spend it all!

-I will.

Good work, Mark, good work.

-Hi.

-Hi. I'm Mark.

-I'm Charles.

-Charles, nice to meet you.

Oh, stop horsing around and get on with it, Mark!

This is a little Chinese export ware bowl and cover.

Decorated with these little Chinese mons. You've got a dragon,

an eagle, and these little peonies and flowers.

Painted in what's generally referred to as Imari colours -

these iron reds, golds and blues.

This early 20th century Imari bowl and cover

have a ticket price of £25.

Having had a thorough look round,

he's hatched a new plan.

I've made an executive decision.

I'm going to go off-piste.

Quelle surprise!

Mark's off to explore the rest of King's Road

and is leaving the Chinese bowl with Charles for safekeeping.

If you can have a little think about the very best price,

and I don't want to in any way influence you,

but about ten would be lovely.

-And I'll be back later to have a word with you.

-Excellent.

Subtle as a brick.

A couple of doors down,

and Mark's already drawn to a cheeky turquoise vase.

I really like this. The dealer's got it out of the cabinet for me.

It's Chinese.

I love the colour - that bright turquoise glaze.

But I mean, this immortal sitting on this water bottle or wine bottle

or sake bottle.

He looks as if he's actually drunk the contents!

-I think you may be right there.

-Sake is Japanese, not Chinese, Mark.

He has a rather lovely expression on his face.

There's no ticket on this jug, but Andy the dealer

is offering it for a knockdown price of £15,

which Mark cannot refuse.

I think I'm going to have it for 15. Thanks very much, Andy.

I love it. I think it's great. It's making me smile.

And with that natty little purchase,

it's time to hot-foot it back to King's Road Antiques,

where Charles is waiting expectantly to complete the deal.

-Charles, hello.

-Hi.

-I'm back again.

-Like a bad penny.

The Chinese bowl had a ticket price of £25,

but Mark wants it for a tenner, and he's not ready to settle.

-You're going to squeeze me, aren't you?

-I am. I'm sorry.

I've got to, because I'm so short of cash.

I'll do anything...within reason.

Well, a good squeeze sounds about right.

-Could you?

-I think we could do a tenner.

-Are you happy with that?

-I'm not squeezing you too much?

-No.

-Gentle enough. Shake my hand then.

-Thanks very much, Charles.

Mission accomplished. Two more items for auction

for the princely sum of £25. Is there no stopping this man?

This is Will's final opportunity to load up on swag,

so he's snuck into Hastings Antiques Centre,

where Rob has more vases to tempt him with.

There's a couple of Whitefriars pieces here.

Look at this - we're straight into business.

And this is nice, because it's got the original label on it.

-That is nice.

-That's a nice thing.

Very nice!

They would be nice for 30.

And you'd get a profit.

He's only got £19.40, Rob.

-I'm appealing to your good nature, Rob.

-I know.

-What do you reckon?

-You know,

I'm going to let you have them for £19.40.

-Both of them?

-Yeah.

Oh, man!

Today is just getting better and better!

-Rob, you're a star, man!

-That's all right.

What a jammy so-and-so.

Another handsome deal struck, and he's all spent out.

While Will's been blowing his budget,

Mark's popped off on his own to Rye,

12 miles northeast.

It's his final push for plunder,

as he drops into Wish Barn Antiques,

where all your dreams come true.

Well, maybe.

Hello. I'm Mark.

Mark, I'm Robert. How do you do? Nice to meet you.

Very small on the outside, but it goes back for ever.

-It's like the TARDIS.

-It is.

Mark's homed in on a pair

of Victorian papier-mache folding shelves with a ticket price of £28.

They're hand-painted

with these sort of ship scenes,

and this is little shell,

sort of shell motifs.

And then they hang on the wall like that.

I think those are rather fine, actually.

But I like them because they're that marine subject.

And I keep thinking

that the saleroom is on the coast.

Mark's putting the shelves aside with Robert

while he takes his time finding something else to float his boat.

Mark's so drawn to highly-decorative little pieces

and today is no different.

Isn't this charming? It's a little chamber stick.

This is something you'd have used in Georgian and Victorian times.

And you would have had a little candle in here,

so it would have sat on your bedside cabinet.

And obviously, the drips would have fallen into the little leaf design.

It's Staffordshire porcelain and priced at £16.

The ticket says circa 1900,

but I think it's a little bit earlier,

so this could be a bargain worth keeping an eye on.

The papier-mache shelves and chamber stick

have a combined ticket price of £44.

Is Robert in the mood for a deal?

He's being ably assisted by his daughter, Frances.

What if I said £35 for the two?

That's not bad, is it?

I think I'm going to have to go with that, Robert.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

Ker-ching!

A pretty hefty discount, I think we can all agree.

Job's a good 'un, Mark.

That concludes his splash of cash for this leg.

Will too, has made it to Rye to visit a remarkable old building.

Ypres Tower,

or Wipers Tower, as it's known locally,

was originally built for defence

against invasion from the French,

who burnt Rye to the ground on several occasions.

The tower was one of the few buildings left standing,

and its history spans over 750 years.

Will's dropping in for a chat with Jo,

who has all the info.

The tower looks much as it would have when it was built,

and has served the town as a fort, private dwelling,

court hall, mortuary and prison. Wow!

1249, it was built as a castle.

By 1262, we know it was actually being used as a prison,

because we had two couples here charged with murder,

in the King's Prison at Rye,

-which I think is really quite nice.

-Yes.

Ooh, lovely!

The castle became a private house in 1430,

when a man called John de Ypres bought it - hence the name.

Around 60 years later,

it once again became a prison,

and remained so until 1892.

Among the prisoners who languished in Wipers Tower,

awaiting punishment, were smugglers.

Smuggling in the area began in the 13th century,

when Edward I introduced a tax on wool exports.

This was a huge wool-producing area,

so he would tax wool and the money was used to raise his armies.

So, as soon as you put a tax on something,

somebody wants to avoid it, so they started to smuggle wool out.

In 1661, the export of wool was forbidden

and smuggling became rampant.

Wool would go out and luxuries would come in.

Smugglers became large, highly organised groups.

If captured, smugglers could find themselves in Wipers Tower

awaiting trial or punishment by burning.

Men, women and children were imprisoned together.

So this is one of the cells?

Yes. It wouldn't have been very pleasant.

I'm sure there were quite a lot of creatures in the straw.

-Oh, don't!

-And several people, and also of course...one pot.

-Oh, for doing the business?

-Yes.

And how many people would have been in a cell like this?

-I would think probably maximum six or seven.

-Six or seven?!

Of course, no prison is complete

without its own infamous inmate story.

John Breads, he was a butcher,

and he'd been accused by the townsfolk

-of giving short measure in his meat.

-Oh!

So he went to court and was fined by the mayor.

He bore a grudge

and eventually decided he would get his own back.

He stabbed who he thought was the mayor,

-but it turned out to be the deputy mayor instead.

-Oh, no!

So he killed the wrong man.

He was arrested and brought in here.

He was tried, and who should be chairman of the bench

but the man who was the intended victim, James Lamb.

I think the cards were stacked against him somewhat.

So he was convicted and sentenced to death.

Once dead, his body was placed in a cage

and swung above the marshes for 70 years.

Women of Rye stole his bones, boiled them

and drank the infusion to aid rheumatism.

Yuck!

What's left of his skull still resides in Rye.

And with that happy tale told,

it's time for Will to take his leave.

Mark set out on this leg with £117.50,

and forked out £95 on six items

for his five lots.

A stone model of a Yorkshire terrier,

a vintage lamp,

papier-mache wall shelves,

a china chamber stick holder,

and a Chinese water jug, paired with an Imari bowl.

Will began this leg with a lowly £98.40,

but made every penny count on eight items that comprise his five lots,

including - a Kangxi vase,

two glass vases,

an Indian box,

a pair of trench art vases,

and two Whitefriars glass vases -

one with its original paper label intact.

On the second leg of their road trip,

these two daredevils have done a round trip from Kent,

popping into East Sussex, then back to Kent,

starting in Bilsington, ending in Sandwich for the auction.

What a cat's cradle!

Sandwich, with its many medieval buildings,

landed the first captive elephant in 1255,

which was taken on foot to London Tower Zoo

as a gift from the French king to Henry VI.

-How's that, Will?

-Perfect, Mark.

Here we are - sunny Sandwich.

Sunny sandwich. Are you hungry?

I am a bit peckish, actually.

Oh, come on, chaps!

You're making a meal of that joke.

Pettmans Sandwich Auction has been established for over 50 years.

Originally selling cattle and furniture,

it now specialises in fine art, antiques and collector's items.

The man at the helm of today's auction is the lovely Kevin Hall.

Time for the gladiators of antiquity to enter the ring.

-It's a good crowd here.

-Yes, it is.

I like a general sale with plenty of people.

Absolutely.

Can Mark's folding shelves with marine scenes

make waves with today's crowd?

£10 I have. Any advance on 10? Looking for 12.

12. 14. 16. 18.

20. 22. 24. 26.

28. 30. 32.

32 with you.

Any advance on £32?

-It needs to be a bit more.

-Fresh bidder.

34 with you. Any advance on £34?

Selling for £34.

Oh, well, there's a profit, but not much.

Profit nonetheless.

But this is how their first auction started, so let's hope it picks up.

Now Mark with a couple of crackers.

His turquoise jug and the Imari bowl,

which he's combined as one lot.

-£10 I have. Any advance on 10?

-Oh, come on!

12. 14. 16. 18.

20. 22. 24.

26. 28. 30.

32. 34. 36.

38? 36 with you.

Any advance on £36, now?

Selling for £36.

Not the perfect pairing, but not a loss.

MARK SIGHS

Oh, well.

-I tried.

-I'm feeling for you, Mark.

Will's first lot. Hopefully, someone will shell out plenty

for this pair of trench art vases.

£10 I have. Any advance on 10?

Looking for 12. 14.

You're in profit.

20? 18 at the back.

Any advance on 18? 20.

22. 24. 26.

28. 30.

28 with you.

-I would like to get 30.

-It's a profit, though.

Selling for £28.

-That's a good profit, Will.

-Thank you, Mark.

Well, those hit the spot!

And Will is off and running.

-I think that's good.

-Thank you.

I'm really pleased for you(!)

WILL CHUCKLES

Sincere as always, Mark.

Can Will's luck hold out

with his Chinese vase?

£40 I have.

Oh, he's got 40.

42. 44. 46.

48. 50. 55.

60. £60 with you.

Any advance on £60 now?

Selling for £60.

-50% profit.

-Yeah, good. Thank you.

Two lots each, and Will's in the lead.

Can Mark's '70s lamp

light up a profit for him?

£40 I have.

Oh, £40!

42. 44.

46. 48. 50.

Come on, Mark Stacey!

65. 70.

75?

70 with you. Any advance on £70?

Are you all done at £70? Selling at £70.

I can't believe it - £70!

He's cashing in on the kitsch.

Mark now takes the lead.

Oh!

I don't feel so bad now.

Let's hope that there are some fans of Whitefriars glass in the crowd.

First up are Will's genuine pair.

£10 I have. Any advance on 10? Looking for 12.

Are you all done at 10? 12.

14. 16?

£14 with you.

16. 18. 20.

22. 22?

20 with you. Any advance on £20 now?

Selling for £20.

60p?! It cost more in petrol to get them here.

Doesn't bode well for the other pair coming up later.

It's the reconstituted stone dog next.

Will it fetch Mark any cash?

£10 I have. Any advance on 10? Looking for 12.

-Are you all done at 10?

-Oh, no!

£12 with you. Any advance on £12?

Are you all done at £12?

Selling for £12.

Oh, that's so disappointing!

At least he's gone to a good home.

I can't say I'm surprised.

Still, Mark remains ahead.

My poor little dog! If I'd have known

-he was only going to make that, I would have kept him.

-Aw!

Will's Whitefriars-style vases are next.

Can they do better than the real McCoy?

-Bit of damage on one.

-Oh, there's a bit of damage? Sh!

£10 I have. Any advance on 10? Looking for 12.

12. 14. 16. 18.

20. 2. 24.

-24 with you.

-Doing well.

26. 28?

26 with you. Any advance on £26 now?

Selling for £26.

-I mean, that's good, Will.

-It's profit.

That's a big profit on £9.

Crikey! Even better than the real thing.

Will's catching up on Mark.

At this rate, by Friday, we might have all our money back.

This is his final lot -

the carved bone box. Can his good fortune continue?

£10 I have. Any advance on 10? Looking for 12.

12. 14. 16. 18.

20. 22. 24. 26.

28. 30. 32.

34. 36. 38.

38 with you. Any advance on £38 now?

Selling for...40.

-42?

-Don't lose it now, madam!

44?

Selling for £42.

That's carved him another tiny profit

and put him back in the lead. But there's not much in it.

-You should be pleased with that.

-I'm very pleased today.

-You've more than doubled your money there.

-Yeah.

Could there be light at the end of the tunnel for Mark

with his Victorian chamber stick?

-Here we go.

-This is it.

-£50 I have. Any advance on 50?

-Oh!

Looking for 55.

-£50 I have.

-The master strikes again!

Selling for £50.

Oh, I'm happy with that, Will!

I tell you, Will, we're back up there.

I'm still chasing you!

I like that. I like it when you're chasing me.

BOTH CHORTLE

A tremendous tussle from the two titans of treasure

and another win for Mr Stacey.

-Thank you, Sandwich!

-Come on, then.

Will Axon leapt forth on this leg with £98.40 and spent the lot.

After auction costs, he made £45.92

and starts next time with £144.32.

Springing into shopping mode,

Mark spent £95 of his £117.50 starting budget,

and after costs, made £70.64,

giving him £188.14 to play with on the next leg.

Will, are you smiling?

Yeah, I think so, Mark, but you've done it again, mate.

That last lot of the day...

We crept up. I'm just under 200 now, Will.

I think I'm just under 150.

Listen, we're on a roll.

We can do this, you know. We can end the week where we started.

Come on! Brothers unite!

THEY LAUGH

Best foot forward, chaps.