Episode 3 Auction Hero

Right now, all of us are feeling the pinch,

and our nation's charities are no exception.

It's difficult to give as much as we used to,

and sadly, it's the small charities that are suffering the most.

It is a struggle to find extra money.

I'm up to my limit. I can't work any harder than what I'm doing.

These charities are run by volunteers,

who dedicate their lives to helping others.

-One adult, one child?

-That's correct, yeah.

My life is a world away from Britain's struggling charities,

but now, I want to give something back.

My name is Andrew Lamberty,

and I'm an international antiques dealer based in London's Belgravia.

I find beautiful, esoteric, unusual, amazing things.

I have found a collection of glass eyes.

I buy them and I sell them.

'Now, I think I can use my talent for buying art and antiques...'

-550, is it?

-No, well, 500 is it.

'..to sell to my wealthy clients...'

That has actually seen the Cuban Missile Crisis.

'..and give the profits to these heroic small charities.'

-Always go round the front of the horse.

-Hi!

But it's not going to be easy.

The recession has hit the antiques trade, too.

Well, they're not right for this room.

1,600 quid.

In isolation, I probably wouldn't buy either of these.

And making money is harder than ever before.

When the market was really buoyant,

people would have your arm off for those, because otherwise, someone would just buy them.

I've given myself just three months to make the money

the charities need, so I'm going to bid at auction, travel overseas

to trade fairs, and even organise a special auction evening.

-I'm going to sell, thank you!

-APPLAUSE

'And rather than keeping the money, I will give all the profits

'to these small charities who make Britain a better place.'

This represents changed lives, Andrew. It does.

I've been in the art and antiques trade for over 20 years, buying and

selling from around the world for my own gallery in the heart of London.

I first started in this business at the very bottom.

I started as a van driver.

Each week, you're doing a tour round the Southwest,

a tour round the Midlands, a tour round East Anglia.

You're visiting maybe 30 auctions a week,

and come back to town on a Friday and sell round the dealers.

If you're selling to dealers, you're selling to people who know what they are about,

so you cannot make mistakes.

So, I learned from that a great deal.

I have been there, I've run out of cash, and it's not nice.

I'm going to help two small, struggling charities.

I will be putting up my own cash to buy art and antiques.

The money I make selling them on will go straight to the charities.

I'll do the work. The charities will get all the profits.

But the three months I've given myself is a pretty small window

to make the sales, either to my personal network of clients

or at a charity auction I've got planned.

The first charity I'm helping is in Manchester,

where I'm meeting Maxine McCarthy.

She's a featherweight boxer, and she set up the not-for-profit Pro Box Academy.

OK, get angry, come on!

It's a fitness gym aimed at women.

All of Maxine's clients have been through rough times -

everything from depression and long-term unemployment to domestic violence.

Can you tell me a little bit more about your boxing club?

Fitness is the key to having a good life.

You know, a lot of these women, they wouldn't step in a gym. A lot of them can't afford it.

They have children, you know, they are single parents,

some of them have weight issues, mental health.

-You know, it's all walks of life that come in here.

-Yeah.

'One of the women that inspired Maxine to set up the place is her very own sister, Kathy.

'The gym is her lifeline, and she uses it five days a week

'to help deal with a deeply traumatic experience.'

Six years ago, I was stabbed by three men.

They broke into my home at five o'clock in the morning,

and I was repeatedly stabbed. Eight times.

I lost a kidney,

I've got horrendous scarring on my stomach, my back, my legs, nerve damage,

through the amount of injuries that I sustained at the time.

I lost my unborn child, too.

-Right.

-Which is quite hard to talk about.

-This is a godsend, this gym.

-Right.

-The gym has given my mind something to do.

-Mm-hmm.

When something bad... When you've been through trauma like I have,

-you seem to tend to overthink things.

-Do you come here every day?

I come here Monday to Friday, and it sets the tone for the day for me.

-OK.

-It's something for me to get up for.

I couldn't go to a normal gym where it's all different people

-and it's mixed, it's men, women...

-Cos you've got community here?

This is. Coming to the gym and being around lots of women made me feel normal again.

I'm not meant to be lost for words,

but you come up somewhere out of your own comfort zone

and then you find out that there's someone so brave like this who is,

you know, out of their comfort zone every single day

because of this horrendous thing that has happened to them.

Each woman that comes here is given the personal attention she needs.

-Julie's reason is more... it's health.

-More health.

She's been advised by her doctor. Would you go into a normal gym?

-No, because I need Sharon to shout at me.

-You need that kick!

I'm diabetic, I've got high blood pressure, high cholesterol, plus

my allergies, plus I'm asthmatic, so it's more health for me.

That's why I'm here.

'Jenny Black is a single mum of three.

'She comes here to fight off depression.'

I love coming here. It benefits me so much.

My confidence, I've gained a lot of confidence from it, and I feel

more relieved when I go home rather than anxious and stressed.

Again and again, Maxine has seen lives completely changed

for the women that have come through her door.

I've watched them from the beginning, transform.

You know, from somebody who was like this and lost weight,

-and now they're dating.

-So they feel better about themselves?

-Yeah, yeah, and then you've got, like...

-Are these people all paying?

Yeah, but we only charge £5 a week.

You know, they don't have a lot of money, these ladies that use it.

I'd give it away for free if I could, but I have to keep it running.

Last time! Four, three, two, one... Time! Well done, everyone!

Have a drink.

She does all this on just £8,600 a year, which she tops up

with charitable donations and some of our own fight prize money.

I want to know what Maxine and the women that come here need the most.

Most of the members are single parents and they have children.

They really struggle to get here sometimes because they don't have anyone they can turn to.

Do you have something tangible that you need here?

We have an empty room at the front,

so this room would be turned into a childcare room just for one hour

in the morning and one hour in the evening, and some of our ladies

-are child minders, and they are offering their time to volunteer.

-That's great.

So you just need to convert the room and then you've got people who are offering to do the child minding.

-Yeah.

-OK.

What kind of money are you needing?

Give me a breakdown of how you're going to spend it.

Roughly, about 2,000-3,000 for the childcare room,

which would be spent on equipment, making it comfortable,

making safety an issue and, yeah, roughly about 2,000-3,000.

'A childcare facility will mean mums can use the gym more regularly.

'I won't let these girls down.'

This place is fabulous.

It's a veritable cauldron of self-improvement.

You couldn't not want to contribute something here.

WOMEN LAUGH

Thanks. I'll be in touch. Yeah. Got your phone number off the producer.

Aw! Can I have a kiss, Andrew, too?

-See ya! Aw, thank you. That's beautiful.

-Bye.

-See you later.

See you, Andrew.

I've got three months to make that three grand for the childcare room.

'It's September, start of the buying season after the summer holidays.

'I need to find art and antiques that I feel sure

'I can make a profit on, and I know a great place to look.'

I'm in the south of France on one of the buying trips

I regularly make for my business.

There's a quarterly trade fair held in Montpellier,

and it's one of the highlights of my annual buying calendar.

I've been going here for 17 or 18 years,

so, yeah, I know the ropes here.

It's exciting, actually. You never know what you'll find here.

I've found some pretty interesting stuff.

I found a table by Gilbert Peyre once, which I bought for, I think, about 2,000 euros here.

Actually, I sold it to Ridley Scott.

Buyers and sellers come from around Europe for this one-day bonanza,

which increases the chances of finding something unusual

and at a great price.

It's very French and very busy. A lot of Gauloises and coffee.

And, in the French spirit of egalite and fraternite,

there's a unique way of starting the day down here.

This is the scrum.

This will be a mixture of sellers and buyers.

Because no one's allowed in before the start

so there's no trading before eight o'clock.

It gives everyone a level playing field.

As soon as eight o'clock comes,

there will be a massive stampede through the porte.

OK. Here we go. This is the crush.

There you go. Trucks opening.

You've got to be able to look in the back of a van

and pick out a piece you want to look at,

just by seeing an arm or a leg.

And you've got to move fast to get to the pick of the crop.

The best stuff goes in the first hour.

This is the kind of madness you see here.

Something's already caught my eye.

Some Scandinavian chairs - bang on trend.

But these are original pieces - potential high earners.

Ah! They're very nice, these chairs. They're by Hans Wagner,

who's a very good Scandinavian designer

but he wanted 8,000 for them. Too much!

I was hoping to buy those for about 1,000.

I need to find something that I can be sure will bring in a profit

back in London.

It's always worth looking at the famous names.

We've got a set of four Barcelona chair stools,

designed by Mies van der Rohe.

The early ones are in 1931 - they're very valuable.

Single chair, top price about 100,000.

These look like they're from the '50s or '60s

so they'll be a later edition. But they're still early ones.

I don't know where the cushions are, so let's find out.

Mies van der Rohe was a pioneer of modern architecture and design

and he adopted the motto "less is more" to describe his work.

No cushions, that's a bit of a disaster.

The old leather's kind of important for that.

It doesn't matter how iconic it is, you have to walk away

from something that's incomplete.

But buying in pairs is often an easy way to make double the profit.

Oh, they're quite fine!

'You may not think these lamps would be in demand

'but I know that 1970s design is reaching good prices back in London.'

'450 euros is a good price but I'm still going to try for less.'

'I think they're kind of cool.

'There's a fine line between kitsch and cool.'

And those are it.

The lamps are going on display back in my gallery in London,

to draw in a buyer.

Now that I've got the trading ball rolling for Maxine's gym,

it's time to meet my second charity.

I'm on my way to Farnham in Surrey this morning.

And it's a charity that runs riding for disabled children.

I'm a father myself and children are something that's close to my heart.

There are 500 volunteer groups for Riding for the Disabled

up and down the country.

Each group operates as a small charity and is responsible

for raising its own funds and offering its own menu of activities.

The Farnham group focuses on riding lessons for disabled children.

It's run by Anne Payne,

and she pulls this off on just £7,000 a year.

Helping disabled children is very dear to my heart.

I was a sister on a children's ward so I came across

quite a few disabilities and they were lovely to nurse.

Also I have a grandson who has dyspraxia.

He had no co-ordination with his legs, arms or any muscles,

and he was able to get on a pony.

And he improved so much now that he's even playing football.

This was all because he went to RDA and strengthened his muscles

and his posture.

It's such a transformation. It was absolutely wonderful.

Once a week, local children with disabilities

come for a riding lesson.

And, as with her own grandson,

Ann and her team of dedicated volunteers

see the improvement in the children's lives week in, week out.

Because they all have special needs, it helps the co-ordination

and their posture. Not only is it a physical attitude, also mentally.

The children, they come here - some of them

have probably never seen a horse - they are scared to go near a horse.

They get on a pony and once they get on that pony

-you just see the transformation over a matter of weeks.

-Really?

Their confidence grows. They're in charge of a pony.

They just thoroughly enjoy it.

They look forward to it every week and it's so important we keep going.

But Ann offers far more than what goes on in the paddock.

We send them on holidays every year.

That is very important because they are away from home,

away from the parents, away from the normal environment. They just adapt.

Sometimes they sleep in a stable.

-That's confidence building, isn't it?

-Confidence building.

Self-esteem. And they come home absolutely full of it.

-It's worth every penny.

-And how much does that cost per child?

-It varies - about £50, £60 a child.

-It's not a lot.

-Not a lot.

We can't afford a lot.

We're limited to how many we can send and how often.

It's very clear to me that Ann is totally dedicated

to this riding school here and her wonderful volunteers.

This volunteer team help children with a wide range of disabilities.

Can you bounce? One, two, three, well done! What a good bounce!

11-year-old James has learning difficulties.

One of the highlights of his week is riding his favourite horse here.

-Do you always have the same horse?

-I'm always on Puzzle, which is this.

Kind of nice looking, isn't he?

Probably a supermodel horse.

The children get so much out of this.

As a father, I really get their little faces lighting up

when they're on top of those horses, enjoying their lessons.

I'm committed to the cause. I'm on board.

We've got to get Ann what she wants.

-We're in desperate need of new equipment.

-Yes.

-We need stirrups, safety toe caps, reins, and helmets.

-Yes.

We need all that. And, of course, one of the most important things

is sending the children on holiday.

Yes! Yes! That would be something to look forward to, wouldn't it?

-Yes, it would.

-I'd love to be able to contribute that.

So, it's hats and hols.

That's it. Hats and hols.

-Kit is going to cost what?

-Say £1,000.

-1,000 for kit. And holiday?

-Hopefully about £1,500.

-1,500, 1,000 on kit. 2,500 target.

Ooh, that sounds good!

Two and a half grand will get all the equipment Ann needs

and send 30 children on holiday.

I'm determined to raise it.

I'm still looking for bargains in the South of France

but this time fired up by my visit to the riding school.

I've always done well in the antique shops of Nice,

helped by my schoolboy French.

The French are very much more amenable to you

if you can communicate to them in French.

They will not make an effort to speak to you in English

until you've made an effort to speak to them in French.

It's one of the bylaws of doing business in France. Speak French.

The antiques quarter in Nice has over 40 different shops.

Because I've been coming here for years,

I know the ones that have the best kit.

Some interesting old bits and pieces.

I like having a rummage in galleries like this.

It's just you never know what you're going to find.

'There's always a chance of finding something that may not make

'much here but, when shipped back to London,

'can sell for a much higher price.'

Mm. I've found something I like now.

He's got a great face.

A sort of Triton or something. He looks like he could be

a sort of sea god. He's quite crusty. Hoary.

With stone, any type of stone - it could be carved

but it can also be cast. We call that "composition" in the trade.

The most famous composition type of stone is probably Coade

from the 18th century - Coade stone.

It was really an early type of cement.

No-one has ever found the ingredients.

They were kept as a secret and they are lost.

They are the Coca-Cola of the antiques world.

And it doesn't crack when it's frosty.

It is very, very resilient to the elements.

It also colours beautifully and it casts very crisply.

Carved stonework is a lot more valuable than cast stone work.

Because obviously ramming it into a mould, you can produce it

as many times as you like, whereas having to carve something

takes someone rather a long time and quite a bit of skill.

It's reflected in the price.

If you want to see whether something's carved,

and you're not quite sure because it's all weathered like this,

and you're thinking, it's quite tricky to see, look at the back!

At the back, it will all be carved away.

Whereas if it's a cast one, it would just be straight.

Carved!

'This means the price may be way beyond

'what I'm prepared to risk here.'

-Monsieur Ginac. Salut!

-Ca va?

-Oui. Tres bien. Et vous? Oui?

J'avais vu un truc dans l'autre salle. La tete d'homme pierre.

I'm just saying I've seen a head carved from stone.

'Carved and nearly 500 years old, I think we've just blown the budget.'

So, Monsieur Ginac.

It's not bad for that.

'It's a great piece.

'I know I could make money on it but I can't guarantee

'I can do it in three months and the charity needs the money now.'

So, on y va. let's go and have a look round some other galleries.

'This is one of my favourite galleries in Nice.

'It's owned by Mr Harter,

'who specialises in 20th century classics.'

I like the sofa.

-Beau sofa.

-It is, isn't it?

-Convivial?

-Oui.

This is 1980s.

It's very South of France looking. Is this Herman Miller?

-Herman Miller!

-You can tell from the feet that it's '80s - a very '80s leg.

'Surprising as it seems, the '80s look is back.

'The Herman Miller company in America was one of the most

'influential manufacturers in that decade.'

It is 6,500 euros, which is far too much money.

'Good business is all about buying cheap and selling high.

'But this price isn't cheap enough.

'But something else has caught my eye that might just fit the bill.'

There's some nice little objects out the back here, actually.

I'm asking about these two decanters.

And the other one...?

(These are good!)

Il y la carafe de monsieur.

-C'est plus grand?

-Un peu plus grande, la carafe de monsieur.

He's saying the mister's carafe is a little bigger than missus.

Look at those!

-From the 1930s/40s.

-Yeah.

-By Venini.

-Venini.

-C'est sur?

-C'est sur.

He's absolutely sure they're by Venini

and that's a very, very good glassmaker/designer.

I mean, the best.

A Venini chandelier can make £150,000. So...

'I've got to get these for under 1,000 euros.'

Ils sont collection prive.

He's so smart. I asked him how long they've been resting

on this bibliotheque? I'm like, look at them,

they're covered in dust! They've been here forever.

No one's noticed them at the top there. I'm looking at them.

He said, "They're the private collection."

From the home, you know.

He's the best.

So, I mean, for 800 euros, they are fabulous.

Good! Not a bad haggle.

1,200 euros down to 950 - that's £760.

I'm confident I can make a profit on these.

Nice has been nice to the disabled riders.

And I've bagged myself a pair of sitting ducks.

So that's one item for each of my two charities now.

The duck decanters for Ann's riding school

and the palm tree lamps for Maxine's boxing gym.

But I have to make a lot more trades to hit the targets I've set myself.

Till now, I've been looking at antiques, but I also deal

in modern art, and it's time to pick up something more contemporary.

So I'm heading to the studio of Ryan Callanan.

You know, Ryan is part of a scene that's going on

that's almost like a contemporary pop art, really.

They like to call it street art and that sort of thing,

just because that's the sort of buzz word.

It's very hard to find good, contemporary artists.

There's an awful lot of competition for them.

This bloke has not really broken into main market yet.

He is good. He's witty, he's immediately accessible.

He's got what it takes, this guy.

Hello, Ryan.

-How you doing?

-I'm good.

-All right?

-Yes. A few smileys.

RYAN LAUGHS

-It's a happy time.

-Yeah, it is. It is happy times. Happy days.

The story behind the origin of the smiley face is fascinating.

Apparently, it was created by American commercial artist

Harvey Ball, who, in 1963, was asked to create a logo to cheer up

the staff of an ailing insurance company.

He was paid 45 at the time, but unfortunately for him,

he never applied for the copyright of his work.

I'm just experimenting with different finishes at the moment,

so I don't know what's next.

Everybody loves these.

They epitomise for me what really good art is about.

They're simple, effective, they create a great impact.

And they make you smile.

What more could you ask for from something?

Do you want to do me a super-super price today,

as it's going to be for Maxine's boxing charity?

I know what you normally want for them,

but can we do 1,200 in this instance?

-Because it's for a good cause, I'll do it.

-OK, super. Done.

-Cheers.

-Thanks, Ryan.

This is a great piece at a great price,

and I know I can make money on it.

I've got a client lined up for this particular one.

And it's going to a great home.

The palatial Aynhoe Park is home to James Perkins.

Last time I was here, I tried to sell him some starburst mirrors, which I thought he'd really love.

But he didn't bite.

However, I know he'll find the smiley face irresistible.

He built his fortune on the back of acid house music and 1990s raves.

James is no pushover.

He's going to beat me up over the price.

I'm going to end up getting less than I want, he's going to end up

getting a glass of champagne for beer money. I know it.

We're in those kind of times.

To increase the chances of what I can raise today for Maxine's gym,

I have also brought the palm lamps with me.

They've not sold in my gallery in London, and I wonder

if I can tempt James to take them off my hands for a good price.

Right, James, thank you for seeing me. Pair of palm lamps.

Which you know I'm rather fond of,

although I've not seen any like this before. So, tell me about these.

Well, bought in France. 1970s, late '70s.

-Original paint. I have had them rewired.

-Erm, they're very nice.

They're quite small-scale for the house. They're probably designed to be floor lamps, aren't they?

-They would have to be more of a sort of table lamp for me.

-Right.

-They shouldn't look like that, should they? They should have the domes on the top.

-Absolutely.

I think we should plug one in and try it.

At this point, I'm going to sit down and see how they look.

It's difficult for me to imagine how that is going to set this room off.

-But let's have a look.

-If you put a very low-watt bulb in that...

Well, they're not right for this room.

I think the problem I've got is scale.

-I think they're going to give off a right nasty light.

-Right.

'I don't think he's going to go for the lamps.

'But I know he's not going to be able to resist Ryan's smiley face.

Come on, let's have a look, what else have you got?

I've brought a really cool thing, and I think you might recognise the motif.

Well, straight away from my early career,

this was our logo, the smiley face.

I find these sorts of things very interesting,

because I'm from that time.

I'd like to give that one to you for 1,800, inc...

..and the lamps for 1,000.

In isolation I probably wouldn't buy either of these.

Look, I'm trying to be charitable.

-So, let's go and see what this looks like somewhere else.

-OK.

James, you're thinking in here, aren't you?

Well, I thought the TV room,

but the rest of my similar paraphernalia is in the boys' loos.

So, are you thinking about here?

-Well, maybe.

-Good.

It's certainly going to provoke a conversation.

I think it's another reason to make you smile when you come to

-the bathroom, as well as the spinning chandelier.

-Yes. Good.

I really like the smiley face,

but I'm not sure about the palm lamps, so...

..where have we got to?

I think we've got to a place where I'm going to be taking a pair

of palm lamps back to London,

and I'm going to be leaving a smiley face.

At what price, what level are we going to do the smiley face at?

1,800.

Including the VAT?

-All right then. Deal.

-Done.

Very happy for the charity.

Enjoy. I'm happy for you.

In this game, you win some, you lose some.

I've made my first bankable profit for Maxine's gym,

£600 from the smiley face.

But the lamps are on their way back to my gallery.

I need to find a buyer for them to keep moving towards

the £3,000 target for the childcare room.

The need is becoming more urgent every week.

Since Andrew was last here, we've had an influx of new members,

most of them being, like, mothers and daughters,

so I'm just concerned about the children - what do we do?

Maxine puts some of her own prize money from her

professional boxing career into the gym to keep the lights on,

so I don't want to let her and the rest of the girls down.

'It's a constant worry for me.'

I've put my heart and soul into it, I love this place

and I love helping every person that comes through the door,

so I don't want my hard work and the volunteers,

you know, just to crumble, to go under.

I also don't want to let down

the Riding For The Disabled school in Farnham.

Ann has asked for £2,500 -

1,000 for essential equipment updates,

and another 1,500 for holidays for the children.

-Hello, Ann.

-Hi, Andrew, how are you?

-How nice to see you.

-And you.

-It's been a while.

-It has, it has.

-Is this all the safety kit that you urgently need, then?

-Yes, yes.

We've got these new toecaps, which every child has to have,

a safety toecap, and we have some but we need so many different sizes.

You were saying last time about helmets.

We urgently need some more because the children grow

and we have different children each term, and so they've all

got different head sizes, so we haven't got enough choice of helmets.

And, of course, the leathers are getting very badly damaged and worn.

And, of course, our poor little reins,

which are specially designed so they know where to hold the pony

when he's trotting, or when he's walking.

And we need different sizes of these, because they're all one size

and of course we've got big horses, or ponies.

OK, everyone, I'm in charge now.

They have a great time down here, these children.

And I've got to deliver that money fairly soon,

because, you know, they need the kit in order to carry on riding,

simple as that.

But so far I haven't made a bean for Ann.

The duck decanters still haven't sold, but I'm convinced they will.

I still love my ducks.

I don't mind that they haven't sold yet.

Someone's going to fall in love with those.

I think they're really fun and quirky little objects.

There's a rule in my game that things that make you smile sell.

And those make me smile.

In the meantime,

I've got to turn my attention to the charity auction I'm hosting,

and a piece of jewellery has caught my dealer's eye.

It's a ring studded with yellow sapphires, a real knuckle-duster.

The reserve price is only £2,400.

If I can pick it up for around that figure,

I reckon I could sell it for a whole lot more.

At auction, the spot I like best is at the back of the room.

Standing here, I can watch what everyone else is doing

and hopefully outsmart them in a bidding war.

AUCTIONEER: We can start with Lot 201, showing there on screen.

A yellow sapphire ring,

and I can start at 15, 16, 17, 18, £1,900.

At £1,900.

2,000 is bid, and 22.

24, standing at the back of the room.

I can sell, unless there is a higher bid.

£2,400, selling them, 2,400...

Sold to paddle 379.

'What a result.'

Success. Bought on reserve at the bottom estimate,

so that's really great.

'I'm really relieved about that.

'And I've spotted something else in a future sale that I think

'could also be perfect for the charity auction.'

These are Coronation chairs from Elizabeth II's

Coronation in Westminster Abbey.

I'm really excited about those chairs, and the reason is

that these things have become rather popular,

their market has gone up significantly

since this Olympic year and the Jubilee.

They're numbered, and they've got the original "ER",

with the Latin two numerals on them, signifying her reign,

and a pair recently made £7,500.

These are in at 1,000-1,500.

'They'll do very nicely for Maxine's gym, especially

'if I manage to get them around the reserve price, as well.

'I'll be back to bid on auction day.'

Ryan Callanan's smiley face made £600 for Maxine's gym,

so for Ann's riding school I've asked him to sell me

another piece that I can auction off at the charity event.

OK, Christmas comes every day if you're in the antiques trade

or if you're an art dealer, and today's Christmas present

is a smiley face from Ryan Callanan.

And he's done me a special, one-off sparkly one in Swarovski crystals.

He produced the multicoloured telephone boxes around

the Olympic village, so people will be familiar with his work.

This is new, I mean this is a new design, this is, you know...

This is right there, cutting edge.

I think this should make £2,500-£3,000.

'And if I'm right, those children in Farnham will be going on holiday.'

But I've still got lots to buy before the charity auction.

So I'm turning to drink.

I'm heading to rural Essex to meet Robin Butler

and check out his collection of antique wine accessories.

-OK?

-Yeah.

-Right, here we are, Andrew.

-Oh, goodness.

'I think a vintage decanter would make a perfect auction item.'

I think all decanters were made for virtually any drink.

I've even seen a decanter for milk.

-Right.

-And, certainly, you see them for beer.

And the ship's decanter, always obviously very broad-based

so it doesn't fall over.

They're very heavy. Just pick up one of those and feel it.

-Yes, and that's English lead crystal?

-Yes, absolutely.

Which is the heaviest glass, isn't it?

-A lot heavier than continental glass.

-Yes.

-It sort of feels more quality.

-It's lead, as opposed to soda glass.

Up here is the chap I've come to see.

-Do you mind if I take him down?

-Please do.

-I'm going to hold the stopper carefully.

-Right.

Because a lot of people go like that...

-And out comes the stopper.

-..out comes the stopper

and if there's a hard floor, then it's broken.

-Is the gilding original?

-Yes.

Unusual to be on top of engraving.

Well, this is a very continental feature.

This is not an English decanter, like most of my stock.

-I fancy probably Sweden, but...

-It does feel northern European.

I mean, it's very, very delicate and decorative, isn't it?

-It's why I picked it out, because it's just unusual, as well.

-It is.

I think it's a very handsome thing,

-and being a magnum, of course...

-Yes.

-..raises it above the ordinary.

-I homed in on that.

-Actually, I did put some red wine in that to photograph it once.

-Yes?

And the gilding against the red wine is fantastic to look at.

Right, I can imagine that, actually, yes. Lovely.

Robin has moved seamlessly into sales mode.

THEY LAUGH

Of course.

Let's talk some money.

What's the best trade price to me?

-The trade price to you, and it's not negotiable...

-Right.

None of my prices are negotiable -

I have a trade price and I have a retail price.

-well, I notice that your prices are sensible, so...

-Well, exactly.

-They're realistic.

-I don't like haggling.

The price is £750.

That sounds very reasonable to me.

Well, you know, I price it to sell it,

I don't price it to look at it for ever.

Well, it's priced to sell, and it's sold.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

'Robin's price is good, but I know I can get a lot more

'for this when I auction it for Maxine's gym.'

I've got just days to go now until the charity auction.

and I'm up against it.

I haven't got quite enough items to put under the hammer,

so I've put the word out to my network of fellow dealers.

One of them has called me about a piece I might be interested in.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-How are you doing?

-How are you? Nice to see you.

I have just the thing for you, and I've held it aside for you.

There he is, I can see.

'It's a tastevin,

'a wine taster used to scoop wine out of a barrel to sample it.'

Now that is a proper sized tastevin.

Obviously, the originals were very small,

they were carried in the pocket, and in the days...

You know, people weren't using bottles for wine until after 1800,

so you'd be down in a cellar checking the wine,

straight out of the vat, using only candlelight,

and by making it in silver and using all these relief patterns...

You'd get the reflection.

Yeah, you reflected the light, you've got the concave bottom

and it would show you the clarity of the wine.

I just think it's so cool.

It is fabulous.

I shouldn't be saying this, because I'm meant to be driving a bargain,

-but you know I'm already sold on it.

-It's so good.

It is the largest tastevin I have ever seen.

It is the daddy.

And, as you know, normally they are three or four inches in diameter.

I've never seen an oversized one.

-Interesting, there's no maker's mark on it.

-There's nothing.

I reckon it's 1920s, it's silver plate.

As you know, people were building stuff for exhibitions,

and I think it's probably one of the big American silver companies

used it as an exhibition piece.

I bought this in America and it just fits with all of those

American companies, like Gorham and Napier.

-You have covered yourself in glory.

-Pulled it out of the bag, I think.

You have.

I'm not doing myself any favours on negotiating the price,

but we've done plenty of business before,

so I know you're going to be a good man.

I tell you what, I'm asking £2,200 for it,

you can have it for a straight 1,500.

I was thinking that you might shake my hand at £1,350.

I think that's fair.

-Done.

-Done. Thank you.

'That's one more auction lot for Maxine's boxing gym,

'and at a good price, too.'

Another day, and some great news -

at long last the ducks and the palm trees have sold.

I was beginning to lose faith in my own judgement,

but sometimes this business is as much about patience as skill.

The palm lamps were an OK trade up.

It's around about £300 profit - it's not bad on a £400 investment.

So, in the grand scheme of things, pretty good.

So that's £340 going straight to the gym.

And the ducks have brought in £140 for the riding school.

That may be a modest profit, but at least I've got the ball rolling.

Another dealer's got a profit, but you know what they say,

always leave a profit in it for the next man,

I don't begrudge them that. It's fine.

There's always some more stuff out there.

And, after all, you know what? I'm in this business to buy things.

We're shopaholics, really. Tomorrow's another day.

'Tomorrow's actually a big day.'

It's the charity auction I've organised.

it doesn't matter how many you do -

the night before is always a little nerve-wracking.

Big day, yes. I've got my penguin suit,

and we have a few things to do today.

Actually, I bounced out of bed like Tigger this morning

and discovered an inner Buddha.

I am, actually, very calm.

But I doubt I'm going to stay that way for long.

I've got a shortfall of items to auction off tonight

and a ton of stuff to do before the evening begins.

These are all the items that are going up

to the auction this evening.

They're all here, they're all wrapped and ready

and they're going to go up by cab.

We've wrapped them all, cos we're not leaving any thing to chance.

We don't want any damage happening now.

'But the fact is, I haven't bought enough items for these charities,

'so to make up lost ground I need to dip into my own stock.'

Ivan, would you mind taking down that one, as well,

and wrapping that up? We're going to take that with us.

'For Maxine's boxing gym, I'm going to let go

'of my prized Sex Pistols posters.

'These iconic images epitomised the punk era and were designed

'around the official Jubilee portrait of the Queen in 1977.'

Those posters cost, from memory, 4,300.

They're not cheap original Sex Pistols memorabilia.

I sold a triptych of posters not long ago for 11,500.

They were graffitied by the Sex Pistols and they did come

from their dressing room from their last gig

so the provenance was very solid.

One of these posters here, I'm doing my market research,

I found sold five years ago for 6,000.

So there's a market precedent for them fetching a lot more money than I'm asking tonight.

Yeah, I mean I think that punk rock

encapsulates the very best of British attitude, frankly.

And on behalf of Ann's riding school,

I'm going to sell a model of a boat built to break speed records.

Its Ferrari engine was so powerful

it could spin the boat's propeller at 10,000 revs per minute.

I bought the model for £500

but a Ferrari fan might be prepared to pay a lot more.

With only six hours till the guests arrive,

I'm checking all is well at the venue.

I think it looks amazing!

I can already tell it's going to look super when it's formally set. Look at all the flowers!

With everything on schedule in the ballroom,

it's time to unpack the auction lots.

'But there has been an accident.'

Look at that, that's what's happened.

Look at that. That survived for 230 years.

That's not mendable.

Soda glass, I'm afraid, is not as tough as lead crystal.

The decanter's history.

It was quite a good piece of history.

It's now recent history.

This day really isn't going to plan.

'I had high hopes of selling that decanter for megabucks tonight.

'And now I've got to get those coronation chairs

'or else I'm in serious trouble.'

The most important thing is to pick up these chairs for a good price.

That's what I care about now.

The reserve price is £1,500 so if I can buy close to that,

I'm sure I can make a good margin.

Lot 1736 is the pair of Elizabeth II coronation chairs...

'I know that a pair sold recently for £7,500.'

We have interest in this lot so we're going to start at 700. 750.

800. 850. 900, I have.

950. £1,000.

1,100. 1,200.

1,300. 1,400. 1,500.

1,600. 1,700. 1,800.

1,900. 2,000.

2,200 with you, sir. Commission has gone. At 2,200.

I've seen 2,400. Anywhere else?

'This is way beyond the reserve

'but there's still potential to make some decent cash at this level.'

2,400. I will take 2,600, would you like, online?

It's at 2,500.

It's at 2,500. 2,600 is bid online.

I will take 2,800, sir. Back in the room, now at £2,800.

3,000 is now bid in Thailand. At 3,000.

I'll take 3,200, sir. Thank you. £3,200. In the room had 3,200.

3,500 online, now. 3,800 back in the room.

4,000 online.

Next bid is 4,200, sir.

Thank you anyway, sir.

It's online now to the bidder bidding from Thailand.

'£4,000 was my upper bid and I'm not going over it.'

At £4,000. Do I see 4,200 anywhere else?

4,000. Are you sure, sir?

It's at 4,000 and selling online at 4,000.

4,000. Lot 3054. Thank you very much.

HE SIGHS

So just explain what happened? You got outbid?

-OK. I'll explain what happened but then I'll go because I'm

-BLEEP

-and I've got to do some thinking.

So what happened was I was outbid.

That's what happened.

Someone in Thailand was bidding on the Internet and bid more than me.

That's what happens at auctions and it's kind of annoying.

But there we go.

'This is a disaster for Maxine's gym.

'I'm out of options and I'm out of time.

'All I can do now is work the room tonight for every last penny on the lots I've got left for her.'

The moment has arrived and it's time to wield my gavel.

Maxine from the gym is in the audience with her sister Kathy.

They're down from Manchester for the evening.

And Ann from the riding school in Farnham is here too.

First up are the lots for Maxine's boxing gym.

The Sex Pistols posters and the tastevin.

'I need my clients to splash their cash tonight.

'I've still got two grand to pull in for the girls.'

APPLAUSE

I hope you've all drunk plenty of wine and you are all talked out

and now you're thinking about spending a few quid.

All in a good cause.

First up, there are two of these Sex Pistols posters.

I'm selling one and then the next one.

This one's God Save the Queen and I'm selling for 2,000.

Who will give me 2,000 for this lot?

Who's going to give me... 2,000 at the back, there. Thank you very much.

2,200. Thank you. I have 2,200 in the middle.

2,200. It's an iconic poster.

2,300, front left. Anyone else?

2,300. I am going to sell.

He's got himself a bargain. It's worth 3,500! 2,300.

It's going to sell. Sold. Thank you, sir.

APPLAUSE

Right. Who's going to give me 2,000? 2,000. Thank you very much, sir.

2,100. Are you going to give me 2,200?

2,200. Thank you, sir. Do I have 2,300? I have 2,200 here.

Who's going to give me more than 2,200?

Is anyone going to give me 2,300?

Do you not like the Sex Pistols? Are you all too old?

LAUGHTER

2,300. Thank you.

Do I have any more? Cos I'm going to put the gavel down.

I do. 2,400. Thank you, sir.

2,500. Any more to my left?

2,500. It's going to sell. Sold.

APPLAUSE

This is a very oversized wine taster.

I think I'm going to start this at 1000.

1,000 over there. Thank you, sir.

1,100? I need more than this.

1,500. 1,600.

1,700. I'm holding this at 1,700.

Go 1,800, it's worth it! 1,800, sir. Thank you.

Do I have any advances on £1,800? Do I have no further bids?

I'm going to sell. Thank you, sir.

APPLAUSE

Now it's Riding for the Disabled's turn

and I've got to raise nearly £2,500.

I'm going to start first up with this sapphire ring.

This is yellow sapphire. It's very rare.

And I would like one of you to offer me £2,000 for it.

£2,000. Who's going to give me 2,200?

2,400. 2,600. 2,800.

Is anyone going to give me 3,000?

You are a love. 3,200. Thank you.

Will you give me 3,400 and I'm going to sell it? 3,400.

Thank you very much.

You've just sent a few children on holiday to Devon on horseback.

Do you want to just want to up it to 3,500 and be a hero?

3,500? Thank you.

-It's done.

-APPLAUSE

Thank you.

Ryan Callanan is an up-and-coming street artist.

I don't know how street all of you are.

You're not looking particularly street tonight in your dicky bows.

I'm going to start it at £500. Thank you.

It's made from Swarovski crystals. 1,000.

1,500. 2,000 over there.

Anyone else with any imagination?

No. I'm going to sell for £2,000.

APPLAUSE

This is a bit of fun.

That is a model of the only boat that Ferrari ever produced

and I'm going to start you at 500 quid. It's hand built.

500. 600.

700. 800.

900. 1,000.

1,100.

1,200 at the back.

1,300 front. 1,400! That was nod!

Sold. Thank you.

APPLAUSE

'So I've done brilliantly for the riding school

'but really not for the boxing gym.

'My business is all about finding something at the right price for the right market.'

Some of the pieces I've found really paid off,

like the ring for Ann and the tastevin for Maxine but some didn't.

Perhaps those 1970s lamps are not quite back in fashion.

Ultimately, I know I haven't reached what I promised Maxine

and I'm heading back to Manchester with a heavy heart.

-Just let it fall. That's it. Just work on that.

-Hello.

-Oh!

-Hello, Andrew!

-How are you?

-OK?

-Yeah. Nice to see you.

-Nice to see you.

-How are you doing?

-I'm good, thank you.

-And my interrupting?

-No.

-She's just going hell for leather, there.

-She is!

-Go on, Ruth!

Come on, try a bit harder!

-This is Andrew, Ruth.

-Hello. How are you?

You sort of go like that, don't you?

Say hello like that? Well, you know why I'm here, don't you?

I've obviously been working away on your behalf

and now I've come to deliver, so...

-Yes.

-Woo-hoo!

So on this bright sunny day

-I've brought a little bit more sunshine with me.

-OK.

-# De-de-de-de! #

-Here we go. So, yeah.

To contribute to a little bit of financial health

to your emotional and physical fitness

and especially for the single mums here, that's for you.

And I hope that makes a difference.

-Eee!

-Thank you very much. Thank you.

-Do I get another kiss?

-Thank you.

'The girls here inspired me so much I've reached into my own pocket

'and given the money I think I could have made. Five grand.'

Honestly, it'll make a real difference to our club. Thank you very much.

I love this place. I think you're all terrific.

'Even antiques dealers have hearts.'

Right, ladies. We just got this cheque from Andrew.

-Has it got my name on?

-No, it's not got your name on it but I'd like to show you.

-That's brilliant.

-What do you think of that?

-Oh, thank you, Andrew!

-You're welcome.

-Thank you. We're really grateful. Thank you.

No, you're very welcome. Your story particularly inspired me...

'I'm just delighted to be helping women like Maxine's sister Kathy

'and mum of three, Jenny.'

It will make a huge difference.

Cos that was particularly a thing here, wasn't it?

To be able to have childcare so that mums can come and do some training.

Yeah, of course.

And it's help for the children as well.

They can see what their mums are doing and then they're brought up with it as well.

Yeah. So expansion next?

-All girls?

-Bigger and better, yeah.

LAUGHTER

-You take care.

-Thank you, Andrew. Thanks for everything.

You're very welcome. Bye.

-Bye, darling.

-Thanks for your support. Cheers.

-We'll never forget you, Andrew.

-Hope the children are well looked after.

Bye, darling.

'That's one happy charity.

'Now I'm bringing a cheque to the Farnham riding school.

'It's also for more than Ann asked for but this time no breakages

'and some smarter buying and selling.'

-Hello, Ann.

-Andrew! Hello! Lovely to see you!

-You, too.

If I can drag you away from your duties for a moment or two.

-Yes, lovely.

-Well, if I show you that...

-Can I open it?

-Yes.

I don't believe it!

Yeah, I think we've got a little bit over target.

-2,500, I think was the target.

-That's wonderful!

I got you just over 3,000.

I can't believe it! Oh, that's absolutely fantastic.

-What are you going to be able to do with that?

-What will we do?

We can keep going, Andrew. We can survive.

When I started this journey,

I didn't really know what to expect

and what I found is an amazing collection of people

in different places

who give a lot of their time and effort

to the benefit of others around them in their local community.

It's been humbling and enjoyable and informative

and very nice to be able to contribute in a small way

to enable them to carry on the great work that they are doing.

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