Episode 9 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...

BANG Gone.

-Yes!

-It's a bit like fishing.

The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

Goodness' sake!

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

What have I done?!

So, will it be the high road to glory

or the slow road to disaster?

They better look out!

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

On this road trip, a canny Caledonian

vies with a smart Southerner for antiquarian glory.

Antiques maven Anita Manning is a Glaswegian auctioneer

who's always ruled by her personal sense of style.

Wee jaunty angle?

While jolly bargain hound James Braxton

prefers to rely on his supernatural nose for quality.

It's rather like Lovejoy is channelled through me.

So far on this road trip, James has seen his profits soar.

230, 240...

James!

Yes!

But also bought some ill-fated books of vintage stamps which

failed to sell in his last auction, so he carries those on to this leg.

Anyone want them, £5? No, pass.

HE LAUGHS

Both our esteemed auction experts started this road trip with £200.

Anita has gone forth and multiplied that

into her current cash pot of £369.54 - well done.

While James has grown his seed money to a blooming marvellous £442.40.

We're in an interesting position, James.

I've made up a wee bit.

-Just slightly!

-Yeah.

-You did very well.

You could say that I'm snapping at your heels.

I think you are.

Today they're driving a saucy little French starlet,

the 1986 Citroen 2CV6 special.

Monsieur, monsieur, monsieur, monsieur.

Ha-ha! Mais oui!

On this whole road trip, James and Anita traverse

the ancient byways of eastern England

from Stamford in Lincolnshire to end up

at their final showdown in London's Maritime Borough of Greenwich.

On today's leg they begin in the city of Cambridge,

aiming towards auction in Rayleigh, Essex.

On the last leg, James was careful with his cash, and it cost him.

Five anybody? No.

He's vowed to spend big on this leg

and to let his inner wild man run free.

-You could be putting yourself in big danger.

-I don't care.

-You don't care?

-No.

-A devil-may-care Braxton.

-Devil-may-care.

That's fighting talk, Brackers.

The beautiful city of Cambridge is, of course,

dominated by its ancient and illustrious university.

Let's hope some of the city's famous smarts rub off

on Anita and James as they head for their first shops.

A different sort of traffic.

Here we are. Perfect.

Goodness, it is a different world, this Cambridge, isn't it?

Marvellous, marvellous.

Well, good luck.

It's very hard to emerge elegantly out of this.

-Isn't it glorious?

-It's wonderful, wonderful.

It really is.

Come on, you two, you're not here to sightsee.

Let's go shopping.

BICYCLE BELL

And watch out for the cyclists. Oh! Lordy.

Anita's heading off towards Cambs Antiques,

where she's meeting dealer Stephen.

-Hello, I'm Anita, nice to see you.

-How do you do, Anita?

Lovely to see you.

-I've got some new stock...

-New stock!

..that I haven't even priced up yet.

Oh, that's music to Anita's ears.

Oh, Stephen!

This is great fun.

So I'm getting first shout at this new stock?

Yes, I just got it out of my car this morning.

-Is this a silver one, Stephen?

-It is.

Which I think is rather pretty.

Hand hammered.

I like this, Stephen.

Yup, it is a silver sauce boat,

hallmarked Birmingham in the style known as Arts and Crafts,

hence it has that hammered - or planished - finish,

and it dates from 1922.

I like that.

-I shouldn't be telling you that I like it so much.

-Why not?

What I was thinking about when I looked at it was roundabout the 50.

Let me think about it.

-I'll just get my book out.

-OK.

-I've just checked the jug.

-Uh-huh.

I can tuck just under the £50 for you. 45.

-Yes?

-45 is wonderful, wonderful.

-Good.

-I'm very happy.

-We've got to give you the best chance.

-Yes!

-Good.

-45. Yes!

So, Anita's got a great deal on her coveted silver sauce boat,

and she's browsing on.

Manning for Mackays, that's good.

A wee jaunty angle?

You blend in like a local, girl.

But now some more silver's caught her magpie eye.

Stephen, I had a wee look at some bridge pencils down here

which are rather pretty.

It is a set of four propelling pencils.

Made to use while playing the card game bridge,

they're probably of modern manufacture,

but are fashioned out of sterling silver.

-Sterling.

-There're just so sweet, aren't they?

These belong to one of the other dealers, they're not mine.

Fortunately, she's here this morning, so we can ask her.

Janet, what's the very best price on your bridge pencils?

You've got 85 on them.

Janet, I really think these are quite sweet.

50 would be bottom line.

-50's the very bottom?

-It is, yeah.

I'm wondering if I can make a profit.

She is thinking on it.

I really fancy these little things.

I wonder if Janet would come another little bit.

Could these be bought for 40?

Er...

It's got to be 45.

-45?

-Yeah.

-So I'm earning just a little on them.

-Mm-hmm.

Let's go. 45, then. Thank you very much, Janet, that's great.

So, deal done. Anita's got the sauce boat

and the set of pencils for £90 total.

James, meanwhile, is right next door in antiques centre The Hive,

where dealer Bill is assisting.

-Hello. James.

-Bill, pleased to meet you.

-Hello, very nice to meet you, Bill.

-Come on in.

Now, Bill, what have you got?

I want something cheap that's going to make me lots of money.

And James just might be in luck today, as Bill's a specialist

dealing in items that could see James flying high.

-This is me, the Persian rugs.

-The Persian rugs.

And I've just bought a collection this morning.

-Really?

-If you want something cheap.

-Oh, come on, Bill!

-Back outside.

-I don't miss any of your programmes.

-Thank you, sir.

Always nice to meet a fan.

I've just bought this small collection this morning.

This sort of thing if you want something to make a profit.

Nice little bag face.

Hey! Who are you calling a bag face?

It's a piece of Kurdish weaving from the early 20th century.

In its homeland it would have been the decorative front of a bag

slung over the shoulders of a camel or a donkey,

but these pieces were often converted into cushions

or small rugs in the West.

About 1930s, something like that would normally retail at about £80.

-Yeah.

-£30 today.

James is tempted,

but might Bill be willing to come down even further on the price?

I feel I'd do you that for...£20.

-£20?

-Yeah.

I think it's a very... I think that's a lovely,

lovely item there.

I love that, Bill.

Bill, I'm going to buy that, it's a very nice item for 20.

Thank you, really lovely.

So, that buy's all stitched up at £20.

But he's still looking.

What else is going to turn me some money?

A really nice Chinese piece.

-Oh, you spoil me!

-He does!

This is a little lacquer box,

but it's full of the most beautiful mother-of-pearl counters.

He's right there.

A Cantonese lacquered box dating from the 19th century

and containing four smaller boxes, each filled with gaming counters

made of cut mother-of-pearl and used for playing card games

and all that kind of jazz.

Look at the top of that.

Yeah, really sweet.

And there are 93 counters.

And these sell individually, on their own,

-normally, for about £3 each.

-Really?

Look at those little fish.

-And they're all engraved, aren't they?

-Yes.

-Yeah, it's really fun.

-It's very, very nice.

Oh, what a lovely lock! Ying and yang!

-Yeah, yeah.

-How much has this got to be, Bill?

This has got 98 on it.

With being new stock, erm...

-£90.

-£90.

For the lock alone, Bill, that's fabulous, I'll buy that, £90.

That's really kind, thank you.

In a bold move, James gambles some serious dosh

on the lovely box and gaming counters,

so he's got that and the Kurdish bag face for £110 total.

Ah, look who it is.

-Ahhhh.

-James, darling.

-Anita, how are you?

-Have you spent lots of money?

-I have.

-Oh, excellent, excellent!

-Can I go in there?

-Course you can, he's a very nice chap, Bill.

Indeed he is, and a good thing, too,

as it's Anita's turn for a browse in his shop.

"The Rudiments Of Gentle Behaviour."

I'm sure you don't need any help there, Anita!

Bill, could I have a wee look at this screen?

-That's intriguing.

-It's really decorative, isn't it?

That's wonderful.

What sort of date would this come from?

I think it's around 1920s, could be 1930s.

-Probably Continental.

-Uh-huh.

But it's a wonderful scene on it, isn't it?

It's a four-panelled screen,

covered in an early form of imitation leather

and depicting a fantastical naval scene.

Ticket price is £80. Ahoy!

So we've got these fabulous galleons.

And you've got the dove, there's an angel with a bugle -

there's a bit of everything going on in it.

-It's like a scene from The Pirates Of The Caribbean.

-Almost!

I like that.

How about 65?

Could you go to 50 on that?

Would 50... Would 50 buy it?

Well, James wouldn't have bought it for 50, but you can.

-Oh, thank you.

-There we are.

-50 and a kiss. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

I say, with a bit of twinkle-eyed charm from Anita,

she has the screen.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

And it's the next shop ahead.

James, meanwhile, has motored the ten or so miles

south to the environs of Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

Here he's heading towards the Imperial War Museum's

massive complex celebrating the history of aviation.

Stand by for takeoff.

That is, if he can get past security.

Give them a wave.

Oh, well, there we are.

James is meeting research and information manager Carl Warner.

Hello.

-Hello. James.

-I'm Carl.

-Hello, very nice to meet you, Carl.

That's nice.

The hangar in which James and Carl are standing

was built during World War I, when Duxford aerodrome

was constructed as a training base for British airmen.

However, it was during the Second World War

that the base really rose to fame.

You're standing, effectively,

in part of a Battle of Britain fighter station.

So Duxford was fighter station during that period.

In June, 1940, Continental Europe from Norway to Sicily

was dominated by Nazi Germany and her allies.

Britain stood alone against the enemy,

and Hitler planned to conquer us next.

In the summer and autumn that followed,

the Battle of Britain was waged in the skies over southern England.

It was a battle for national survival

and for European freedom from Nazi tyranny.

As this Imperial War Museum footage shows,

the brave servicemen and women at RAF Duxford

were hugely important in this most crucial of fights.

Duxford was basically responsible for defending

the industrial Midlands,

but also helping out with the defence of London.

It's in that role that it sort of became very famous.

Up to 50 or 60 aircraft in a huge sort of group

went down and supported and helped out with the defence

of London's northern flank during that battle.

Carl is taking James on to another area of the centre,

a new exhibition called Historic Duxford.

Amongst other things, it houses a number of objects

connected to the war records of Duxford's most celebrated airmen.

We have a uniform that belonged to Douglas Bader,

who was very, very famous,

probably one of the most famous pilots in the Battle of Britain.

Bader was an RAF fighter pilot who lost both of his legs

to amputation after an air crash in 1931.

Denied active service as a pilot after his injury,

Bader fought determinedly and bravely

to prove that he could still fly missions.

He fought really hard to get back into the RAF

and to be allowed to fly.

He wasn't really interested in being in the Royal Air Force

if he couldn't fly - he made that very clear.

But he was convinced, and he convinced a lot of people,

and indeed he showed that he was a very able fighter pilot.

Having no legs really didn't... It wasn't a barrier to him.

Amazing.

Bader won his battle, and in February, 1940,

joined 19 Squadron here at Duxford as a fighter pilot once more.

He went on to fight over Dunkirk

and to both fly and command a squadron in the Battle of Britain.

He personally destroyed 20 enemy aircraft - an incredible number.

The medals he won, you can see straightaway,

Distinguished Service Order,

Distinguished Flying Cross, the DFC there,

the little rosette on it obviously indicates that he won more than one.

And then you have his various campaign medals.

Bader might be Duxford's most famous flyer

but countless others also served bravely here

and the collection honours them also.

What is this fine fellow here?

This is a flying suit belonging to Gordon Sinclair.

Sinclair was also a heavily decorated fighter pilot who flew

daring and courageous missions in World War II.

One of the things I like about this is Gordon Sinclair was very self-deprecating,

he wasn't the sort of person who would brag about this

sort of thing, certainly not in the dealings we had with him

and we discovered that he actually used to garden in this.

-He just treated it as if it was a nice overall.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Practical.

-Practical, yes. He used to do his gardening in it.

We look at it and we think, my goodness,

-what a fantastic piece of history this is.

-It is, yeah.

And treated very cavalierly by the man who wore it

and won gallantry awards for flying and fighting.

And that is the courageous spirit that Duxford so rightly celebrates.

Chocks away.

Inspired by all he's seen, James needs to be off.

Carl, thank you, I really have been transported back to Duxford.

Duxford at its peak.

If he is going to have any chance of besting Anita, he needs to fly.

Er, in the car, James.

And speaking of Anita, she has travelled around 20 miles

onto the delightfully named village of Steeple Bumpstead.

Picturesque Steeple Bumpstead, cor, I love saying that,

retains its delightful 15th century coaching inn

so let's hope Anita can lay her hands on something half so

venerable in her next shop, Bumpstead Antiques and Interiors...

Watch her go!

..where dealer Graham awaits.

-Hello, good afternoon.

-Hello, I'm Anita. Lovely to be here.

-Welcome.

-Everything looks absolutely wonderful.

Is there anything that you have had for a long,

long time and you want to get out of the door?

Well, you've been here quite a while.

THEY LAUGH

I like you, Graham.

But, look, she's found something.

Quite a nice little decorative dish.

It's white metal, it's probably on copper

and you can see the copper shining through here.

It has these wonderful embossed birds.

I think these are herons but I'm not great on birds.

Oh, I don't know.

Ticket price is £21.

I would like to buy it for ten.

But I don't think he will sell it to me for that.

-Graham, hi.

-Yes, Anita, hi.

I was looking at this wee, little dish here.

White metal, over copper probably.

I'm not sure of the age, doesn't matter,

it's just quite a pretty thing.

Is there a possibility of buying this round about the £10 mark?

If you can go to 15, I am happy to do it at 15.

Is there a possibility of bringing this to about 12?

Er, I will do another pound, 14.

Let's go for that, then. Thank you very much.

Well haggled.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Bye-bye.

So, Anita has got all of her buys for today.

And with that, they are reunited back in the car

and heading off to sleep, perchance to dream of bargains.

Night, night.

But nothing can keep our pair off the bargain trail for long,

and a rather damp morning finds them back in the 2CV and jolly as ever.

-There's a bit of a change in the weather today.

-There certainly is.

It is a bit steamy in here but that might just be me and you!

THEY LAUGH

You are incorrigible, Anita!

Anyway, so far, Anita has spent £154 on four lots.

The silver sauce boat,

the set of four bridge pencils,

the faux leather screen

and the embossed white metal tray.

While James has forked out £110 on only two lots,

the Kurdish bag face

and the box of mother-of-pearl gaming counters.

They're in Essex today

and James seems to be adapting to his surroundings.

Hello, love, where are you going?

-HE BEEPS THE HORN

-Where are you going?

-Battlesbridge.

-Have you been there before?

-Never. No.

This is all a revelation to me.

Glad to hear it.

They are indeed beginning the day in Battlesbridge.

Through which flows the tidal River Crouch.

If a little mistily this morning.

Morning.

They're actually pulling up into this sprawling glory

of Battlesbridge Antiques Centre, which houses over 80 dealers

in a variety of buildings, sometimes called sheds.

They're splitting up to hunt like lone wolves.

-Perfect, James, perfect.

-Right, we're here, Battlesbridge.

Let's get out.

Oh!

Well done, James. Isn't this beautiful?

-Isn't this lovely?

-OK. Let the battle commence.

"Ring the bell for assistance."

She's heading into an area presided over by dealer Denise.

Hello, Denise.

Or is it?

It's hockey.

I think you've got a hole in one there, girl.

Why are you looking at me like that?

Can you play it?

-I mean, I might turn out to be Patsy Cline, here.

-You could do.

You could do.

PATSY CLINE: # I'm crazy... #

Rock 'n' roll, man.

But you, you could be good.

Yeah... I wouldn't give up the day job.

And, speaking of which, back to the antiques.

But her musical interlude looks to be continuing.

I think that this is so sweet.

-It is beautiful.

-It's lovely.

Is it in working order?

-Don't know. Not tried it.

-Oh, right. Uh-huh.

So it's the type of thing that would appeal to a radio buff.

It's an American Bakelite radio,

manufactured in the 1930s or 1940s by Detrola.

This model's known as the PeeWee. Ha!

Ticket price is a substantial £85 but Anita's hoping she can haggle.

Let's see if she and Denise are on the same...WAVELENGTH. Ha.

Has that been lying here for a long time?

Yeah, it has. Being truthful, it has.

-Do you think we could make a deal on it?

-Mm...

ANITA LAUGHS

Are you all right? There's somebody over there saying yes.

-That's my husband.

-Is that your man?

-Yes.

Come on over and tell us a wee bit about this radio.

It's a cool radio.

The only thing is, I know what I want to pay for it.

Right. Hit me with it, then.

"Hit me with your rhythm stick"?

# Hit me, hit me... #

Will you sell it to me for 20 quid?

-ANITA LAUGHS

-Ooh....

HE COUGHS

It's been lying there, it's taking up a lot of room on this table.

Er...

-30 quid.

-30 quid?

-Yeah, then it's yours.

-Then it's yours.

Yes!

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

She gets a fabulous deal on the Bakelite radio

and she is rocking and rolling onwards.

# Hit me with your rhythm stick

# Hit me slowly, hit me quick

# Hit me, hit me

# HIT...ME! #

James is elsewhere in this village-sized antiques centre

and, in contrast to Anita's focused buying this morning,

he seems to be feeling a little lost.

It's like a sort of antiques Disney World, isn't it?

Anyway, I'd better get down and get dirty.

Yes, old chap, you'd better way had.

Let's keep going. What have we got in there? More stalls.

Never seen so much stuff!

And, to make matters worse,

James's shapely pins are giving him some gyp.

I've done something to my tendons and I just can hardly move.

I haven't done any exercise since I left school

and, suddenly, my wife decided to get me a personal trainer.

I think it's a way of women getting rid of husbands, isn't it?

That's worrying.

As my doctor friend said in his speech, he said,

"I know many colleagues who've rushed around all their life

"and now are having hip operations.

"The best advice I can do for you is sit down as much as possible

"because I've never heard

"of somebody having a replacement bottom."

HE CHUCKLES

This health advice is not endorsed by Antiques Road Trip. Ha!

But aching gams or not,

James has soon unearthed something that looks like real treasure.

Hey!

Look at this.

Now, something like this...

Something like this is generally quite a lot of money. Specimen case.

Now, the case is mahogany.

And, just to give you an idea, it's very nicely made.

It's got incredible weight. You won't be able to feel that.

Yeah, funnily enough, James, no! This is TV, see?

It's a 19th-century specimen case

containing a wide array of mineral samples,

as well as some fossil teeth

of prehistoric super shark the Megalodon.

And, look, very tooth-like fellow down here.

We've got some amethyst crystals there.

And some ores - iron ore...

This has "Victorian collector" stamped all over it.

Exactly! Ticket price is £78. That's so cheap.

I would buy it at 78, but I'm hoping to get it for less.

Ooh, this has got me all excited! It's rather like...

Lovejoy is channelled through me.

-GHOSTLY HOWL

-Oh, spooky!

The person who owns it isn't around at the moment

but young dealer Tara can assist.

I hope you're standing on a step here, James.

Do you know the owner?

I do know the owner and the best we can do on that is 10%.

10%? So what does that make it? 70?

Give or take 20p.

-So we can bring it down to 70 for you.

-70?

-HE CLAPS

-Go on, you have a deal.

Thank you very much indeed.

Ripping stuff!

James gets a box of goodies and he's hobbling bravely onwards.

Anita, on the other hand, now has all her lots for auction.

So she's motored the 10 or 12 miles onwards to Southend-on-Sea.

Sitting on the Thames Estuary,

"Saafend" is a quintessential southern English seaside town.

This afternoon, Anita's heading for Southend Pier

and its shoreside museum.

She is meeting voluntary manager Peggy Dowie.

-Hello, Peggy.

-Hello, Anita.

-I am so excited to be in Southend!

-Are you?

I'm very pleased to meet you.

And at the longest pier in the world.

The longest PLEASURE pier in the world.

MUSIC: "I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside"

At a mile and a third in length,

Southend is indeed the longest pleasure pier on Earth! Ha!

A wooden pier was constructed in 1830,

while the current iron structure was completed in 1889.

For the first time, the pier allowed large pleasure boats

to dock at Southend-on-Sea at all tides,

bringing a steady stream of holidaymakers

and establishing Southend-on-Sea

as a bustling place of fun and leisure and pleasure.

-Of course, the whole town began to grow...

-And flourish.

..in the early 1800s, late 1800s. And flourished, yes.

-Because of this pier.

-Yes.

The pier also has survived its fair share of hard times.

It's suffered four major fires since the late 1950s.

-And I think we have some photographs here of...

-Of the fire.

-You have the photographs of the pier here, yes.

-Oh, dear.

But it just shows you the spirit of the old gal, you know?

That she's had her disasters but she comes back strong.

You are so right. I think she's a fighter.

Cos each time we have these disasters, she fights back.

Indeed she does!

Now Peggy's taking Anita to see a naughty little attraction

that was once all the rage on the boardwalk.

Let me show you this.

-Oh!

-You put an old coin in here...

-Uh-huh.

..and now, if you turn the handle...

-This is a Mutoscope, real moving pictures.

-Is this naughty?

-This is a naughty lady, yes.

-Is it? ANITA LAUGHS

Hey! Ding-dong.

It's maybe more artistic than naughty.

If you say so, Anita!

And there's one more thing that makes this pier so special.

A tiny tram has transported visitors along her mile or so's length

since just after she was built.

-So, tell me, when did they have the earliest trains?

-On this pier, 1890.

They were revolutionary. People had not seen anything like it on a pier.

Let alone the fact...

-So this was the first pier to have trams or these trains?

-Yes.

Anita's going to take a driver's-eye view.

Stand by.

You see, this is good practice

for getting in and out of those classic cars.

-This is all you did to drive it?

-Yes.

-I can feel the wind blowing in my hair.

-Yes.

-What is that?

-That's the bell.

-BELL RINGS

-That's it, you're away.

And the tram's still running today.

Anita's going to leave Peggy shoreside

and take the modern tram along to the pier head.

Oh, here's the train.

Oh, it was absolutely wonderful. I really, really enjoyed it.

Bye-bye. Bye-bye.

The pier truly is a British icon

and the beating heart of this town since the 19th century.

As the poet Sir John Betjeman said,

"The pier is Southend.

"Southend is the pier."

It's certainly made an impression on our Anita.

Standing at the end of the pier, a mile into the Thames Estuary,

and after my marvellous visit to the museum,

I can just imagine what it was like in Victorian times.

Quite so.

But it's time for you to get back to dry land, girl.

Now James is still back at the super-sized antiques centre

in Battlesbridge.

After some more aimless and rather painful wandering,

he's remembered that he still has the books of stamps

that he failed to offload...

-HE COUGHS

-..I mean SELL at the last auction.

Anybody want £5?

No, pass.

He's decided to see if he can find

a stamp holder they might be paired with

in the hope that this will make them more saleable.

He's headed into an area of the centre

that specialises in militaria and is meeting dealer James.

Hello, James.

-Hello, James.

-Hello, how are you?

-Very well. How are you?

-Not so bad, thanks.

-Brilliant.

Now, what I'm after, Jim, is I've bought a mistake.

I've bought some stamps and I want anything sort of stamp-related.

-That is actually a stamp folder.

-Is it?

With the enamel badge of HMS Raleigh on the cover.

How unusual. Just a little chromium-plated fellow, isn't it?

The sort of thing that would've been bought on board ship.

Yeah, sort of badged up as a souvenir, isn't it?

Probably as a present for a girlfriend or a wife

-or something like that.

-Yeah.

Probably dates from the 1950s.

It's a fun little thing, isn't it?

Just a little chromium-plated thing with the crest, the arms.

-It's the ship's badge.

-The ship's badge?

-Yeah.

-So HMS Raleigh.

-I don't know what class of ship it was.

-Obviously, you could research that and find out.

-Yeah.

Er, let me be of assistance here.

It's not, in fact, a ship at all.

Since 1940, HMS Raleigh has been the Royal Navy's

shore-based training facility at Torpoint in Cornwall.

There you go.

Is this very cheap, Jim?

Er, is a fiver very cheap?

No, it's too expensive for a chromium-plated fellow.

JAMES LAUGHS

£3, there you go.

That's... I'll do it for a pound, Jim.

-Oh,

-go on, then. A pound?

-Yeah. Deal.

-Thank you.

-Most kind.

-Anyway, thanks a lot.

-You're welcome. Bye.

James needs to hightail it to Southend to meet Anita

for the grand unveiling of their buys.

Or, on the other hand...

Ha! ..they could just sit down to enjoy a plate of fish and chips.

Come on, you two! Some of us have a Road Trip to be getting along with.

OK, come on.

James is up first.

This is the Santa Claus moment. I love it.

Here we go.

Right...

-I like this. Lots of rocks. And we've got some fossils.

-Fossils.

-Would that be a wee Victorian collection?

-It is.

-How much did you pay for that?

-£70.

-Right.

Well, that seems to have spooked her.

But what have we got here?

This is a Cantonese little box with the gaming counters.

Mother-of-pearl counters?

These are doing very, very well...

-Are they? Really?!

-Oh, no!

And another winner!

What about your little, er...?

Little bag cover, sort of 1930s, got some age, and £20.

All in all, then, a good haul for James. Now for Anita.

Hey!

-Look at this!

-Uh-huh.

My word. You've got a vessel there, haven't you?

-How much did you pay for that?

-45.

Phwoar!

Jealous, James?

My next thing, a little set of bridge markers.

-I paid 45 for those, as well. Got one more thing.

-What's that?

A room divide? I think it's very stylish.

-Do you want to go back to your fish and chips?

-Of course I do!

Come on, it's getting cold.

But now they're suitably fed and watered,

what do they make of each other's buys?

I really like Anita's silver Arts and Crafts sauce boat

but is it big enough to take on me minerals?

That bloomin' old Braxton might have done it again!

I loved his little Victorian collection of fossils and gemstones.

But the stamps!

Let's hope he gets a couple of quid for them

and they'll be out of our lives!

So they're ready for auction.

On this leg of their grand old Road Trip,

they've motored from Cambridge

to end up in their saleroom in Rayleigh, Essex.

Rayleigh is a venerable Essex town which can trace its origins

all the way back to the Domesday Book.

Stacey's Auctioneers And Valuers is a family business

that now operates under the third generation of the clan.

Brothers Paul and Mark P Stacey will be wielding the gavel today.

But, before that, what does Mark make of James and Anita's lots?

I really do like all the fossils. I think that's a superb lot.

The Victorian folding screen, I don't think that's very good.

It's not very fashionable any more

and I don't think there'll be many bids on that today.

Anita started this leg with £369.54.

She's spent £184 and has five lots in today's sale.

While James began with £442.40.

He's spent £181 but has only managed to amass four lots.

And we're ready for the off!

Doors to manual, chaps.

Here we are, James, here we are. £40.

First up, it is Anita's little Arts and Crafts silver sauce boat.

-Start the bidding at £60.

-That's all right.

That's all right. In profit.

And 70's against you, sir. 75.

80 is bid. 85. 90.

110. 115 is a new bidder, where are you?

120 on the internet now. 120's the bid. 130. Are you all done?

The bid on the my left at 130. Fair warning. Last chance at £130.

-Yes!

-Anita's palm is crossed with a sizeable pile of silver.

What a start!

Give me a kiss.

-Well done.

-That's enough canoodling.

-Good start.

-It was a great start.

-Snapping at your heels.

Next, it's more silver from Anita as her set of

modern bridge pencils are up. Is another profit on the cards?

-Two commission bids I have. I must commence the bidding at £55.

-Yes.

Commissions are 55. 60 bid. 65. 70 now. 75. My commission's at 75.

Are we all done?

And once again she's played a winning hand.

-That's amazing.

-Don't. Honestly.

-You're on a roll. Anything you touch turns to gold.

-Or to silver, anyway.

One for James now as his 19th century box with

mother-of-pearl counters is up.

Will this gamble pay off?

Starting at £50. Bid's at 55 anywhere? At 50. 5.

60 on the internet.

Internet bid's at £60. The count as we sell at 60.

5 is my commission bid.

65 against you. 70 is bid. 70. 75 against you. 80 is bid.

£80 now. I sell at £80.

Sadly James' luck isn't in.

-You never know in this game, do you?

-No.

Anita is up again with her American Bakelite radio.

But will the punters tune in?

I start the bidding at £30. Let's get going. £30 is bid straight in.

At 30. At 32 anywhere? 32 is on the internet.

At £32. 35. 38. It's on the internet at £38. On the internet, then.

It's not exactly a smash hit, but it does turn a profit.

Well, at least you're making money.

-I'm losing.

-Quite so.

Another for Anita now as her copper and white metal tray is up.

Straight in at £20 is bid. 20 I have. At £20, commission bid.

Any advances? 22. 25. At 25 now. Against you at £25. At 28.

28 on the internet. Internet bid's at 28.

At £28.

And it cops a fair price.

It's not going to break the banks, but it's a wee profit.

Now it's James' woven Kurdish bag cover.

Does a profit loom?

Straight in at £20. 22 we've got straight in. 22 online.

Going again, 25 now. 28. All on the internet, then.

-30. 30's now bid. And 32.

-What's happening?

-All on the internet.

At £32, last opportunity now. We're all done and selling at £32.

So, a profit's in the bag.

-Oh, you lucky devil.

-I'm lucky on that one.

Lastly for Anita now it's her screen in early imitation leather.

40 we have straight in. 42 on the internet now. Internet bid's at £42.

45 back in the room. Thank you. At 45 in the room. 48 is now bid.

At 48 now. Are we all done at 48? And 50 now.

At £50. Any advances at 50? And 5. At £55 the bid now.

We all done? At £55 and selling.

It just squeaks a profit,

but remember she'll have to deduct auction costs from that.

That's all right, £55.

That's all right.

James' lot of stamps and stamp holder now.

Will he finally be able to post these off?

£10 anywhere? Jumping straight on the internet, then.

16 is now bid.

Internet bid's at £16 and 18.

Still online at £18.

20 in the room. Thank you, sir.

Last opportunity now. Selling to you, sir, for £20.

-That's yours.

-Success!

James is finally free of his vintage postage.

Come right, get in right.

To wrap up now it's James' Victorian box of minerals, fossils and ores.

Can it dig up a profit?

We'll start the bidding at £100. The bid's straight in at £100.

110. 120 now. 120. 130 bid against you. 140 back with me.

150 finish.

At 150. 160 against you, sir.

170. Bid on my right at £170. 180 now on the internet.

190.

All done. Last chance, please.

At £190.

All that glitters earns him a fortune

and it's a nail biting photo finish profit-wise.

Oh, that was exciting.

My heart was beating there.

So, they both have star lots, Anita just barely steals this leg

though James is still winning the war.

James started with £442.40.

After auction costs are deducted,

he made a profit of £83.04 giving him £525.44 to carry forward.

Gosh.

But Anita won this leg by a massive 28p.

She started with £369.54.

and after paying auction costs she made a profit of £83.32

giving her a total of £452.86 to carry onwards.

And upwards, hopefully.

That was wonderful.

I do not believe this, Anita.

I won that auction. Onwards and upwards, James.

And away now to the next leg.

On the next Antiques Road Trip

Anita's on the hunt for a big cuddly toy.

You're coming home with Mummy.

And a confident James drives a really hard bargain.

I don't want to be too cheeky, but I quite like that.