Edinburgh 3 Bargain Hunt

Today, we're in a country famous for its great outdoors

and in a city known for its art and culture.

We're been to the Royal Highlands Centre, here in Edinburgh, before,

and we had such a cracking time that we've come back for more.

Loads more. 60 minutes, to be precise.

So, let's go Bargain Hunting! Yeah.

As usual, our teams have £300

and an hour to find three items to sell at auction.

Today we've tweaked the rules a tad

and instead of getting the expert to find one bonus buy,

I'm going to get them to find two.

And then I'm going to have a look at the two and decide

which is going to bring the biggest profit or the smallest loss.

So, let's have a little look at what's coming up.

Today's teams have very different passions.

The Reds are crazy about climbing

and they give their expert a mountain to climb.

I have done this in the last minute before,

but never in the last second.

And the Blues are professional puppeteers.

No prizes for guessing what they'll be looking for.

I don't think she's the sexiest of Pelham Puppets.

I think she's slightly scary, to be honest with you.

And so will it be physical fitness

or artistry that wins the day today?

110.

Time to meet the teams.

On today's show, we have partners Lynn and Tom,

and chums Matthew and Ross. Hello, everyone.

-ALL: Hello.

-Very nice to see you.

-Now, Lynn, it says here that you met Tom up a mountain.

-We did indeed.

We met in Morocco, we were climbing Mount Toubkal,

which is the highest in North Africa.

-Do you need oxygen when you get to the top of that?

-No, you don't.

But you do suffer from lack of oxygen.

So, did you come across Tom panting halfway up, or...?

-How was the encounter?

-Yeah, it was something like that.

-Was it?

What, he took one look at you and he thought, "Oh, dear. Oh, dear.

-"I'm feeling a bit short of breath"?

-Was that how it was?

Well, we were on the same trip and we met each other and discovered we

had a real interest in climbing and things developed from there, really.

-Which is rather lovely.

-Yeah.

Now, tell me about this climbing business,

because you've been up Ben Nevis a bit?

Yep, I've been up that... Goodness,

I've been up it too many times to remember, actually.

What about Kilimanjaro?

That was absolutely fantastic, it was one of the best trips I've been on.

The satisfaction when you reach the top is absolutely amazing.

-And the views are pretty good?

-The views were fantastic, yeah.

We were up there for dawn.

Now, Tom, you're just mad about this climbing lark.

Yeah, my real passion is mountaineering,

so Lynn and I are trying to climb all the Munros,

-which are the mountains over 3,000 feet in Scotland.

-Yes.

There's 282.

I've done 252 of them,

so hopefully finish them over the next year, 18 months,

that's the plan.

What about antiques, then? Do you know anything about antiques?

-Well, not hugely.

-Oh, you'll do very well on this programme.

-Yeah.

But I am kind of interested in some old things,

something that's got a bit of history and a story about it.

And, Tom, what about you?

The closest, I guess, I come to collecting anything

would be malt whisky, but I tend not to keep it for too long.

Anyway, I think you're going to do very well today

and I wish you good luck.

-BOTH: Thanks.

-Now, for the Blues.

Ross, how did you and Matthew meet?

Well, we were at university together and I was studying directing

and Matt was studying acting,

so we bumped into each other through the performing arts.

And since then, Ross, you've employed Matt, is that right?

Yeah, well, we've worked together.

I've got a puppetry company

and Matt's worked as a puppeteer with me on a couple of projects now.

So, tell us more about the puppet theatre, then?

So, it started when I left university with a couple of friends,

we went from puppets this size

to we're currently building a puppet that's 5.5m tall.

Is this for the Fringe or what?

Yeah, we've done some at the Edinburgh Fringe, it's nice

living in Edinburgh cos we can rock up there whenever we need to.

Lovely. And you do a bit of magic?

I do, yeah. Bits and pieces, now and again.

You became the Young Scottish Magician of the Year in 2003?

-Yeah, I did.

-Well, that's an accolade, isn't it?

Yeah, that was my geeky years as a teenager paying off.

-So, Matthew, you have a job in an art shop...

-I do.

..but you're also into the puppet lark?

Yes, so I work with Ross with the puppets

and when I have to make some money, because you have to do these things,

I work in an art shop selling art supplies.

And you also do a bit of cookery?

I do, I love cooking and baking and that type of thing,

so concocting my own little inventions...

And what's a favourite invention?

Well, I did make a rather good banana and toffee profiterole.

-Oh, did you?

-Yes, I did.

-What, all in the same dish?

Oh, yeah.

Melded it together and whoa, there it came out.

So, what floats your boat between you for this antiques lark, then?

I collect magic memorabilia, so little bits and trinkets

and old magic books.

And what's this about you, Matthew, and Beanie Babies?

-That's an old thing.

-Oh, is it?

In fact, I went home recently and found all my old Beanie Babies

and there's many of them sitting in a bag doing nothing,

but I haven't bought a Beanie Baby for...

15 years.

Really? 15 years without a Beanie Baby.

Perhaps today is going to be your day to find another Beanie Baby...

-Fingers crossed.

-..with some of our £300.

-There you go, £300.

-Cheers.

-Thank you.

You know the rules, your experts await,

and off you go and very, very, very good luck.

And let's meet the experts.

Hat's the way to do it!

For the Reds, Catherine Southon's in the driving seat.

And pulling a face but pushing for profits,

Paul Laidlaw is bossing the Blues.

Spooky.

This is terribly exciting,

we've got a big mountain to climb in only one hour.

Am I right in thinking that puppetry

comes into your careers and passions?

-Yeah, we're puppeteers.

-Yeah?

So, here we are, we're looking for bargains.

What are our tactics?

I think silver and things with a Scottish theme?

-What are you bringing to the party?

-I'm just, you know, I'm on it.

You're on it? We are ALL on it! Come on, let's go.

Now, this fair's a whopper, with hundreds of stalls to choose from...

Ah! Needle in a haystack.

..and just 60 minutes on the clock.

What's this chap got here?

So, teams, you need to be decisive.

-You know what you like, do you?

-Let's hope so.

-Oh, the parrots. They're quite fun, aren't they?

-Yeah.

-Have a look. What do you think?

-Well...

-Is it a brooch?

-It is, but just a thin...

-Probably Bakelite.

-Yeah.

-Nice colours, though.

-It is, but no.

-Oh.

-Not for us? Nope.

-She knows.

-You know.

So, the two birds of a feather are back in the box and the boys in blue

are pulling the strings,

as they give their skipper a lesson in puppetry.

You have to have a look at the puppet, at least.

-Yeah, but they don't...

-I don't think they're...yeah.

Are they dolls or puppets?

No, those ones are puppets.

Marionette or glove puppet?

A marionette can be a puppet. You get all different types of puppets,

but marionettes are always string.

Those look more like, uh, Punch and Judy style.

Yeah, they don't look particularly...good.

Do you know what? I know nothing about them and I agree.

Now, Reds, remember what we said about being decisive?

-I'm still thinking about those parrots.

-The parrots?

Oh, you like the parrots?

I think just because they're nice and colourful.

-I just thought £8, that might be quite...

-Yeah.

-Just thinking parrots.

-Should we get it as a...?

-Maybe we should.

-Shall we go back and have a look?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

So ten minutes gone and Catherine is looking a little concerned.

-Is she always like this?

-Oh, yes. Yeah, indecisive.

I thought she was going to be really decisive. She's as bad as I am.

-Yeah.

-Oh, no, she's not!

(Oh, yes, she is.)

Now, where are those parrots, and are they parrots at all?

It's a great subject. Are they parrots? Actually, are they parrots?

I'm not sure.

-STALL OWNER:

-No, I think they're possibly lovebirds or something.

Lovebirds. Oh, you two are lovebirds, aren't you?

There you go, that's perfect.

Lovebirds.

-STALL OWNER:

-I think it was probably made in one of the French islands.

Right, yeah.

-So, it's probably only '70s or '80s, is it?

-Oh, is it?

-Yeah.

-OK.

It's not a '20s Bakelite one, this is just plastic.

There's no name or anything on there.

-It's quite unusual, if you like birds.

-Yeah.

-Would you wear that?

-You don't strike me as a lady that would wear this.

-Well, possibly not.

-But I think it's quite eye-catching.

-It's £8.

I mean, maybe you could let us have it for £5, I don't know?

-6?

-6...

£6?

-OK, let's just do it.

-Yeah, why not?

Yeah, I think it's nice, I like it.

So, deal done. £6 spent and Catherine has perked up instantly.

If you carry on like this, I'm going to be a very happy bunny.

-Excellent.

-Let's go.

Meanwhile, with nearly a third of the hour gone,

the Blues have yet to spot anything that lights their fire.

-What about the tobacco tin, what's that?

-Er...

It's not got the meat, you'd need a cardboard box full of them

to add up to a pile of beans, you know?

Now the Red team have got a thirst on.

-I think I'd like to try and get a hip flask.

-Hip flask?

-Yeah.

-That's very...

-Something silver, as well.

-..definite.

-Yeah.

-A silver hip flask.

-Yeah.

-OK.

Time is ticking on, and the Blues have yet to make a purchase.

But what's this that Matt's got his eye on?

-What's that thing over there?

-What's this?

-A plate.

-It's kind of interesting.

-Do you know, I would never have picked this up?

-Is it a...?

It tells us what it is.

It's celebrating the free Czech Army in England in 1941.

So Czechoslovakia, of course,

is overrun right at the beginning of this era.

And of course, a load of would-be combatants

flee the invading German forces

and a lot of them settle in Britain and that's what it's celebrating.

And this is a breadboard.

I assume this decorative technique is peculiar to Czechoslovakia

because it does not feel in any way British

and I think you really have tapped into...

-..a fantastic little moment.

-It's a breadboard?

-It's a breadboard.

I think if it was cheap, if it was a tenner, how badly wrong can it go?

It's got rarity on its side and a great back story.

It's got £32 on it.

STALL OWNER: £22.

I think it's hard, it's too hard work.

£15.

-STALL OWNER: Go on, then. 15.

-Go on, 15. Let's do it.

-We've bought something?!

-We've got it.

-We've broke our duck.

MATT LAUGHS We've bought a chopping board.

Indeed you have, Matt, and you've parted with £15 of your bread. Ha!

-Now, Catherine has spotted something appropriate.

-That one?

-Oh, yeah.

-That's a nice one.

-That is.

-That's funky.

-That's a nice shape, actually.

-What wood would that be?

-25...

-It's a hardwood, anyway. You'd have to have a hardwood.

-I think it's dark mahogany.

-It could well be.

A beautiful colour, nicely turned,

but look at that nice little narrow waist. It's a nice shape, isn't it?

-Yeah, I do like it.

-Really nice to hold that. It's lovely.

I mean, there's a little bit of wear to it, but it's nice.

It's not damaged.

Do you think there's much age to it?

It's got a bit of age to it, maybe late 19th century,

early 20th century?

The thing is, a lot of people, a lot of auctioneers, collect these.

-Oh, OK. 25 on it.

-STALL OWNER: 20?

-Could you do it for 15?

-Oh, no.

-Oh, yeah!

-Oh, no.

We're desperado here.

-Give us a wee chance.

-16?

-OK, that's fair.

-What's a pound between friends?

-We'll do that.

-That'll be great. Thank you very, very much.

The hammer's gone down at £16 and we're halfway through the hour.

Now, here's a little something I found on my travels recently.

Do you know the expression "ripe for modernisation"?

Well, it's usually a term that's applied to property.

Ribby old property, with bad roofs and poor wiring and no bathrooms.

Well, occasionally you can apply the term "ripe for modernisation"

to a piece of furniture too - a piece perhaps like this.

It's a dresser. A classic Welsh dresser.

The joy of this type of furniture is it has its naive charm.

It is not a posh and expensive piece at the time that it was made.

Had it been, it would have been constructed of more expensive oak.

Actually, the timber in this piece is of the worst and lowest quality,

kind of orange box type deal,

because they weren't worried about what the timber looked like

at the end of the day,

because it had this glorious paint effect applied all over it.

If you look here,

you can see an extraordinarily complicated grain

that runs along this flat surface.

That has been artificially created using paint.

It's a paint effect.

It's not scumbled, it's not grained,

it's simply been combed

and here is the bare timber

onto which was put a cream surface of paint.

And then over the top of that,

some brown overlay and then combed using a tool,

creating all that busyness that makes it look like expensive pine.

What's it worth?

Well, in oak,

a dresser like this could be as much as £2,000 to £3,000.

This one could be yours, in need of modernisation, for £750.

How's that?

So, back to the shopping

and the Blue team are about to make Paul's life a dog's life.

-Now that is a dog.

-Paul, how about something really big?

What?

Does it have any substance to it whatsoever?

If it is some '60s kitsch painted plaster dog,

-there's a market for it.

-Yeah.

If it's straight out a container from China, we're dead in the water.

-STALL OWNER: It's 1960s.

-Is he big bucks?

250, I've got on him.

We've not got the pennies and at auction,

-it's, how do you put a value on that?

-Yeah.

In the right sale, you'd go, it's worth 100 to 200 quid

and the price is actually probably pretty reasonable retail, but...

-..but it's no use to us, is it?

-Moving on.

-No big dog for us.

-Thank you.

-Thanks very much. Love it.

But not enough to buy it, it seems.

Now, once again, it's Catherine's turn to look a bit worried.

We're finding it hard to get our teeth into something,

something really meaty that's going to grip us.

Tom knows that he wants one of these silver hip flask

and it's got to be Scottish, but I think Lynn is a bit more open,

but we've really got to work at this.

Yes, you have, especially as Lynn's having a bit of a wobble.

-Are you panicking?

-Yeah.

-I can feel it.

-We need to buy!

I can feel it, we need a bit of head massaging going on here.

-I think we need to move quicker so we can see what's here.

-Yeah.

-I think we'll just have a quick scan and then move on.

-Action!

Quick scan, move on.

And talking of action,

our puppeteers need to get a shift on,

as 45 minutes have already passed.

-That's a marionette there.

-Yeah, that's a marionette.

-Oh, here we go.

This is it. And that'll be a Pelham, won't it?

-Yeah, that's a Pelham Puppet.

-English puppet?

-Yep.

Pelham Puppets are mainly known for making puppets like these,

but the company, set up in Wiltshire in 1947 by Bob Pelham,

also manufactured glove puppets and ventriloquists' dummies.

That's an early one in a buff box,

so I guess early '60s?

They're fallen away.

See a few years ago, there was a spike in values of Pelham Puppets,

they were making mad money, and now I think sense has returned.

I don't think she's the sexiest of Pelham Puppets,

I think she's slightly scary, to be honest with you.

And that has a bearing.

What's it worth at auction?

-It's probably worth 20, 30 quid at auction.

-Let's leave it.

Let's move onwards.

Quick scan, move on.

I quite like that little box.

Guess you don't like it, do you, Tom?

-No, no.

-Do you like anything?

-Yeah, little silver hip flasks.

You like that?

I suppose it just caught my eye

-but it could be absolute rubbish, I'm not sure.

-Why did it catch your eye?

It's just cos it's unusual.

It is unusual to have that, to have a fox,

but I don't know if it's particularly well-modelled.

It's got £50 on it.

-No, I don't think so.

-No?

It's just not enough money.

-We won't have spent enough money.

-You're telling me.

You've only spent £22 so far, Reds.

Meanwhile, the Blues seem to have gone round in a circle.

Here we are again...

looking at puppets.

-Yeah, some marionettes.

-It is meant to be.

-Right. Can you make these things work?

-I think I could give it a go.

-No, I... Oh, that's...

-Oh, that's spaghetti junction, Holy Moses.

-Mint condition...

-Mint condition, never out of the box, Pelham Puppet.

-How much is it?

-£30.

We've got to buy something at some stage.

-I say... This is my plan.

-Uh-oh.

-Right...

-I say we go for the trio.

Three puppets, one lot?

-Three puppets, one lot.

-I love your style.

-That's the banter.

-And, of course, I'm thinking bulk discount.

-Exactly.

-Yeah.

But it would need to be, because I think they're priced up at about...

-72 for the three.

-72, the lot? Seriously?

That's what their price says.

£40 would be my bid.

Can you do us a great deal?

I'd do those two for 50 and I'll put her in as a gift.

-Can we go a little bit lower?

-No.

40 for the three?

No, nope. Definitely not.

45 for the three.

48 and that's it. We have to retain the upper hand here.

Yeah...

-Can I just say, you're doing it admirably well!

-Good.

-47.

-47.

-Thank you very much, madam.

-Thank you.

-My pleasure.

With just ten minutes left,

the Blues have finally got buy number two.

-And they have a plan for their third item.

-Time to get a dog.

Oh, is the dog back in the frame?

Let's have a gamble, let's go and see if we can get it.

-Seriously?

-Yeah, let's go for it.

So, Paul, how's it going in the Blue camp?

Matt's got this thing about animals.

And that dog, I reckon, is still making eyes at them.

£200 worth of plaster Doberman or whatever it is.

And while the dog is bugging Paul,

the Reds' quest for a hip flask is starting to bug Catherine.

It's about the history of Scotland as well, isn't it?

So, we've got a Scottish silver hip flask and we've got to find one.

And finally Tom finds not one hip flask, but four.

It's like Edinburgh buses.

You are looking at big prices here.

Which of these do you think would sell best?

-Well, Asprey is a great name.

-Yeah.

-It's probably '20s, engine turned.

What I like about it is, it's got these little cartouches here

which are unmarked. It's quite a simple shape

and you can see today that this would be used.

So you take this little bit off the bottom,

and you'd pour your bit in there and...

..knock it back. £325.

What's the very, very best...?

Best I can do on that would be 260.

I'm thinking more about 200.

245 and that's it.

I'd love that, but is it going to make us a profit?

Yeah. I don't think so, at that price, is it?

We have so little time, we've got seven minutes.

I think we should have a quick run-round.

It's going to be very quick.

About seven minutes quick, actually.

Now, Paul's team have gone to the dogs - literally.

It's an uncommon piece of kitsch and I've seen them do well.

I stick to my guns, it's worth 100 to 200.

-At 140, yeah, I get it.

-140.

So, can they do the doggy deal?

What would be your best offer for it?

-200.

-200?

-Give you a chance.

-I don't know what to say.

-I was thinking more 100.

No way.

-Meet even halfway? 150?

-Really, I'd need to make a phone call.

You're going to make a phone call, perfect. Thank you.

And whilst the dealer makes the call,

the Reds are starting to struggle.

Jewellery, maybe?

Or maybe not.

-All right, nothing there.

-Come on, Reds.

And how much is that doggy going to cost the Blues?

170, that's his best on it. He couldn't go any lower.

At 150 quid, it's a gamble. At 170 quid, it's a loser.

Are you sure?

No, I can't be sure, it could make 250 quid.

-It's an auction, anything can happen.

-I say, let's go for the dog.

-Let's gamble.

-You're off your head, no!

-Yes!

-No, no.

-No?

I'll take the risk, right? And I'm going to say 160, that's it.

-160?

-Dead.

See, that's... Let's do it.

-It's a big dog.

-It's done, isn't it?

That's the deal.

This has been surreal, but well done, guys.

Come on, shake that woman's hand.

£160 paid for the dog.

Now, the Reds are almost out of time and they need to make a decision.

What are you going to do? Do you want your piece?

Do you want it or not? Because we've got no time.

We only have that, we don't have anything else in the bag, do we?

We've only got that or we've got the bronze knocker.

Oh, this bronze knocker, do you want to go and get that?

What do you think? Is it a better bet if we can get him down?

-We might be better on that.

-Right, let's do that.

-Shall we do that?

But as we enter the final minute, Catherine takes control,

as her team are in danger of not making a third purchase.

-£30?

-40.

-Please? 35.

Please, 35. Please, please.

35 and we'll take it.

-We have seconds!

-It would really help us...

-Go on.

Oh, thank you so much.

Thank goodness for that. Well done, Catherine.

You two really know how to put the pressure on.

I have done this in the last minute before

but never in the last second.

-That was tough.

-I'm coming over all unnecessary.

That was tough.

Time's up! Well, it is for you.

Let's check out what the Red team bought, eh?

For the 1970s lovebird brooch, our team of lovebirds spent just £6.

For the auctioneers' gavel,

they hammered the dealer down to £16.

And they bought the foxy Victorian door knocker

for the knock-down price of £35.

Well, you beautiful twosome, how much did you spend?

We spent a miserable £57, I'm afraid.

-On all three items?

-Yeah.

That is going to please Anita so much, I can't tell you.

So, I would like 243.

There we go. 243.

So, what's going to bring the biggest profit then?

-Possibly the gavel.

-Tom, what's going to bring the biggest profit?

-I think the gavel.

-Do you?

-Yes.

-Now, Catherine. This is your challenge.

-Double challenge, today.

-Oh, no.

-For our special programme.

-Now, there is the leftover lolly from the team...

-So much money.

..for you to find bonus buy number one

and I'm going to give you a special £100

to go and find bonus buy number two.

Good luck with your double challenge.

Meanwhile, let's check out what the Blue team bought, eh?

For the folk-art breadboard, they dipped into their dough,

spending £15.

For the three Pelham Puppets, the puppeteers paid £47.

And finally, for the life-sized model of the Great Dane,

they spent the sizable sum of £160.

So, how much did you spend, Ross, altogether?

We have £78...

-I have no idea how much...

-How about £222?

-£222, OK.

-And 78 would be lovely.

-Yeah.

-Good.

Well, we got that lump of cash.

Now, which is your favourite piece?

-The dog.

-The dog is your favourite.

-It is amazing.

-Do you love that dog?

-Yeah, I'm a big fan of the dog.

-Big fan.

-Great. So, there is your cash.

The ordinary bonus buy cash, and then today,

because it's a special day, I'm going to give you £100

of extra leftover lolly to find the extra bonus buy, how about that?

A cup of tea for the boys and a rush around for the expert.

And if you'd be kind enough to come back and show me what you found,

we'll have a little natter. Super duper.

Right, bonus buy time for Catherine and remember,

she needs to buy not one, but two items

and her team will choose which one they want later at auction.

Now, first up, it's the regular team bonus buy

and she's got a whopping £243 at her disposal.

-They're quite nice, aren't they?

-They're quite pretty, yeah.

They're really in the style of Secessionist.

-Do you they are period Art Nouveau?

-Yes, definitely the period of Bronze.

-They've a nice bit of weight to them.

-Nice weight to them, yep.

I love the design, the Art Nouveau design.

I can imagine these in a really nice sort of interior,

nice wooden interior and I think they would look

fabulous on a mantelpiece.

A nice Arts and Crafts house or something, they'd look fantastic.

They would be nice.

-How much do you want for the pair?

-I was looking for 150.

That's too much. What about 120?

Meet me in the middle, we'll do 130.

It's a gamble, but I'm going to take a gamble.

-You'll always do well with these in Glasgow.

-I like those.

-I do like them.

-So Catherine's in a mood for a gamble.

I wonder what will catch her eye

if she goes in search of her special £100 bonus buy?

I just love the fact that it's in the shape of an egg cup.

It's wonderful.

What have you got inside? A little thimble.

So we've got a little sewing accessory there.

It's what we would call a piece of treen.

Nicely turned but there is a bit of damage there on the top.

This could be glued back together,

but there is a bit of damage around here as well. It's been broken.

-Hello, sir.

-Hello.

I do like your sewing accessory.

What can you do on that?

Well, before it gets damaged any more,

it's a piece I'm rather fond of. What have we got on there?

How about 40?

Could you possibly come down a little bit more, sir?

35, that would be the death on this.

Is it? I like it... I do like it.

I'm probably mad, buying a damaged piece.

-I'm going to have that.

-Well, thank you very much.

Now, time for me to cast my eye over the two bonus buys.

So this is our little array,

-how lovely.

-It is.

So, your standard bonus buy

are these two,

-for the teams, if you like, out of their leftover lolly.

-Yes.

-I certainly spent substantial money.

-Oh.

Whether I bought a substantial pair of vases,

I am now questioning.

Most of the time, when we see these things, they're in white metal,

they are WMF or they come from some Continental metal manufactory.

Because they are essentially Continental in manner.

You say they're Art Nouveau,

-I would call them vorticist.

-Oh, OK.

They come from a bit from about 1905 to about 1915.

They are beautifully...

I mean, the colour is fantastic.

The colour is lovely.

What did you pay?

-Oh, Tim. 130.

-Did you?

-Yes.

My estimate would be 100 to 150

and I wouldn't pay a penny more than 80 for them.

Now, moving on to our special £100 bonus buy.

You're a good egg.

-So, what's all this about?

-I...

Well, I just liked it first of all,

I thought, "Oh, that looks interesting, what is it?"

-And then I undid the top of it...

-Yes.

-..and then I realised that part of it was broken.

-Oh.

So what we've got is the socket, there,

within which any old thimble could go...

-Now, that's not a great thimble, is it?

-No, it isn't, no.

But you could have a really nice gold or silver thimble

and keep it in this egg cup form thimble case.

-Have you seen one of those before?

-Never in my long life.

I just thought that was quite nice.

It has been damaged, as well, and repaired a bit round the base,

-but...

-So, that's these splits here.

It's made of hardwood, probably rosewood or something like that,

it's fallen over, that bit's come off, they've glued it back on.

Then they put these fake bits of ivory strapping,

cos that's ivorine, it's a type of plastic.

And then the dome bit on the top looks like ivory but it isn't,

it's another nut, a vegetable ivory.

-But, yeah, it's a condition issue, really.

-Yes.

-So, did you pay £30 for it?

-I paid 35.

-Did you?

-Yeah.

-That's pretty well on the money, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Now, if you've got your speculative hat on,

if you were saying to me,

"Which one are you going to go for, Tim?"

Even though I think you've paid too much,

the money has to be on those, rather than that,

because I think £35, damaged, all the money, don't worry about it.

-Oh.

-Ah.

-It's hard work.

You do it so beautifully.

Anyway, what about poor old Paul? He's still struggling out there.

And he's got much less leftover lolly available to him.

£78, to be exact.

After a quick tour of the fair,

he decides to put his expertise in militaria to the test.

First off, a little brooch, a sweetheart brooch.

A piece that would have been bought by a serviceman for his wife,

sweetheart, sister, mother, who knows?

It bears a device.

Now, that's a crown, this much we know.

Underneath, there are two Vickers machine guns,

the standard medium machine gun of the Great War

and the Second World War, for the British.

And that is the badge, the cap badge,

worn by the Machine Gun Corps, OK?

It's worth £30 to £50, any day, anywhere.

Ticketed up at 45 and I asked what it could be

and £30 is what it could be.

I think that needs buying.

And that's exactly what he did. Now, for the special bonus buy.

Paul hasn't moved an inch and has £100 in cash at the ready.

I think that could go towards this foxy lady here.

And I'm slightly besotted with this lady and I hardly know her.

Art Nouveau, Belle Epoque period, late 19th or early 20th century.

And she's assumed quite a pose,

she's got lovely Princess Leia style hair

and she's bent forward,

clasping this somewhat, I imagine, diaphanous dress.

What is she?

She's a desk seal.

This vacant matrix here could have been engraved

with some gentleman or lady's - I suspect a gentleman's - monogram.

I think she's gorgeous.

She, too, would you believe it, today, £30.

What's she worth?

I think she's worth £50 to £70, if I'm lucky.

Second buy. Do it? Do it!

So, let's have a quick shufty at Paul's bonus buys.

OK, Paulus, how's it been for you?

I sent you off with all that cash

and as far as the team's bonus buy is concerned,

-we're settling on that brooch, are we?

-We are.

As sweetheart brooches go,

this is rather superior, precious metal, 9ct gold marked.

A pair of crossed Vickers .303 machine guns,

THE medium machine gun of the British Army during both World Wars.

So is it First or Second World War?

First World War, they were wound up after the First World War.

I've seen tonnes of these things in silver and worse, but in gold?

Higher end, officer piece.

-What did you pay?

-£30.

-Is that all?

-No money.

-It's not its weight in gold, is it?

I mean, you'd melt that for £30 in 9ct?

-Little bit of country metal off.

-Pretty good. OK.

Now, the special £100 bonus buy.

Who's this slender, rather sensuous looking girlie here?

-I am just a tad besotted by my new friend here.

-Are you?

-She would have lived on rather a wealthy gentleman's desk.

-Right.

Because we know it's a desk seal.

Desk seal, any initials underneath?

No, vacant. Right.

So, it never got engraved with his monogram or his crest,

he just looked at her.

And I would say it's been handled quite a lot,

because you can see where the yellow is coming through

so it'll be cast nickel, electroplated, slightly worn.

How much did you pay?

I paid £30 for that and I'm delighted.

I don't believe it.

I mean, both of those buys are jolly good, aren't they?

That is a really difficult choice.

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

I'll go with the gold brooch, if I had to make a prediction right now.

I'd go with her.

-OK, we're not falling out.

-We've not fallen out.

-What could be nicer?

Anyway, I'm heading out now, down to Devon.

I'm going to Saltram House.

Cor, it's wonderful.

This 18th-century mansion in Devon oozes style and elegance

and is one of Britain's best preserved Georgian houses.

Over the centuries,

Saltram has been altered to suit the tastes of successive generations

of its owners, the Parker family.

Just look at the family motto on the pediment at Saltram.

Fideli Certa Merces.

"To the faithful, reward is certain."

Well, not so certain, actually.

Not for the Parker family who owned this pile,

because it was more a question of boom or bust...

the latter, bust, being the most certain because this house

was taken by the Treasury in lieu of Inheritance Tax

and then passed to the National Trust in 1957.

The Parkers were a family of considerable social standing.

Some made money, others married money, and most were big spenders.

And the family's wealth is reflected in the fine works of art

that hang on the walls, several by Sir Joshua Reynolds,

a close friend of the Parker family.

Wow.

Look at this. What a treat if you happen to be keen on paintings,

because it would be difficult to cram more pictures into a room

than we see here.

It's called the Red Room and it's this room, for me, at Saltram,

that reflects the family's collecting interests

in the 18th century.

Reynolds was by far the most important British painter

of the latter half of the 18th century.

In this portrait, we see Reynolds portraying his friend,

John Parker II, in an informal setting,

with John Parker perhaps walking around the estate here at Saltram,

holding his fowling piece.

But it's this dominant picture that is the all-time favourite

because it shows John Parker II's children, seated on a bank.

And in this gorgeous portrait,

we've got the young boy clutching his sister most affectionately.

These are aristocratic privileged children wearing the trappings

that their money can buy.

But basically, in their rosy cheeks and their clear eyes

and their delightful expressions, it sends that message out.

Health and happiness.

And here, in the staircase hall,

amidst a further array of the family's paintings,

is this splendid portrait,

a portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds himself,

and painted by his good friend, Angelica Kauffmann.

Now, Angelica Kauffmann was an unusually talented artist.

She was taught by her father,

she was brought up in Switzerland and on the Continent

and when she arrived in London, she created a sensation,

not only because she was a jolly good artist,

but also because she was young and beautiful.

She became a founding member of the Royal Academy,

along with Sir Joshua Reynolds.

And, not surprisingly, she painted a painting of him.

This is a fine likeness of Reynolds and what is particularly fitting,

perhaps, is that Kauffmann has painted him next door

to a bust of Michelangelo.

It's as if there's one genius sitting in front of another.

Angelica Kauffmann's bread and butter

was made out of society portraits.

Indeed, on this wall, we've got a young lady in Eastern dress.

She's pretending that she's in Turkey

and that is a classic Angelica Kauffmann portrait.

High society, delicious costume in an exotic environment.

But it was thought at the time, if you were a society painter,

that you should aspire to a higher form of art.

Portraiture was for hacks.

Historical paintings, however, were another matter.

And Angelica Kauffmann painted those also.

For example, scenes from the Iliad,

or Venus before Carthage.

All delicious images, all reeking of historical resonance.

Now, from Saltram House in Devon,

we're heading north once more to Glasgow, and Great Western Auctions,

to meet Anita Manning.

It's great to be at Great Western Auctions, Anita.

It's lovely to have you here.

Now, stand by for a treat, because the Reds' first item

is this plastic brooch. Looks a bit like Lea Stein,

-but it ain't, right?

-It's not, it's more modern.

But it's rather pretty, charming, sweet

and I like those sort of big blocks of colour so it's a nice thing.

Super duper. What's it worth?

-10 to 20?

-Fine, bit of fun, isn't it, really?

-Yes, it is.

£6 is all it cost the team, so they're all right with that.

Then we've got the auctioneers' gavel.

-Now, your daughter's in the business here with you.

-She is.

-Has she got her own gavel?

-Everyone's got their own gavel.

Oh, dear. So we're not going to find many buyers around here.

-Well, anyway, there we are. What's it worth?

-20 to 30.

£16 paid so we're happy with that.

And lastly, but not least, we've got old foxy the door knocker.

And it was a traditional image that was used in Georgian times.

Yeah, I suppose so, when hunting was all the rage.

Anyway, it's not an old thing, is it? Made in Birmingham, cast brass.

-It's not. It's functional.

-What's it worth, £10 or £20?

-30 to 40?

-OK, fine, but you're very generous today, Anita.

£35 paid by the team,

so they should turn a small profit on that. There we are.

Looking at them, I don't see any vast profits

and I think the team are likely to want to take up

either one or the other of their bonus buys.

Let's go and have a look.

First up, the team's bonus buy. You gave Catherine Southon

an amazing £253. Catherine, what did you buy?

-I bought you these babies.

-Oh.

-I'm going to give you one each.

-Now, we have a pair of bronze... Aren't they heavy?

-They are, yes.

Lovely and heavy, bronze Art Nouveau vases.

They're a nice bit of quality, I quite rate these.

-They're what they call gutsy, right?

-They are gutsy.

How much did you pay for them?

-I paid £130.

-130 for them?

What would your best guess be?

I'm thinking that we're going to make about £50 on these.

-Good.

-Like it.

-Now, for the special bonus buy,

which Catherine had the additional £100 for,

I'm going to reveal now... that little joker.

-Oh, wow.

-So, what is this, you're going to ask me?

-It's an egg.

-It is, it is an egg cup,

but it's a piece of treen, essentially.

But it's actually a sewing accessory,

so this would unscrew here and you'd put your thimble...

-Oh, wow.

-There are issues with this, there's a bit of damage,

but people do like sewing accessories, things like this

are collectable. I paid £35 for that.

-35...

-It's not a lot of money

-and I can see that there might be something in that one.

-Right.

You don't have to take either of the bonus buys, but after the sale

of the first three items, I'll give you a choice.

You can either have the team's bonus buy,

or you can have the special bonus buy, or you can have no bonus buy,

all right? That will be your choice.

But right now, let's find out, for the audience at home,

what Anita Manning thinks about Catherine's bonus buys.

-These are handsome, aren't they?

-I think these are absolutely lovely

and I think they're the type of things that will appeal

to the Glasgow buyers. They are in the style of Darmstadt,

which had an association with the Bauhaus.

I think they're absolutely lovely.

-So, how much?

-120 to 160.

£130 Catherine paid. She felt very nervous about paying that amount.

-She wasn't cheap.

-And the special bonus buy.

-Yes.

-For which she had £100, she spent £35. Is it a good egg or not?

It's an interesting wee thing. It's visually interesting for me.

If we take this top part off, we'll see a little damage

and I think that's such a shame.

Someone can repair it but we have to take that into consideration.

-What's your estimate?

-I'd put 40 to 60.

If that was in mint condition, we would be looking nearer the £100.

£35 she paid. I have to say that I fancied these most.

Anyway, we shall find out shortly.

Next for the Blues is a weird mixture.

We've got the folk-art breadboard.

Now, what do you know about the Czechoslovakian Army in waiting

in the Second World War, Anita? Stand by.

Czechoslovakian government was exiled in England in the 1940s

during the war. So it wasn't the whole army,

it was just the government that were exiled here.

And we have the Czechoslovakian heraldic lion there.

It's on an English board.

-And someone has painted that to remind them...

-Of home?

-..of home.

-I know, very sweet, isn't it? What's the estimate?

-30 to 50.

-Excellent, £15 paid.

-A good price.

-Good buy.

And now, Pelham Puppets. They go, as they say, up and down, don't they?

Children have played with these from 1947,

when Wonky Donkey Bob Pelham started making these.

Is that what he was called, Wonky Donkey?

Yes. In the army, he used to make little wooden donkeys

and his friends used to call him Wonky Donkey Bob.

They're wonderful toys. These are not rare ones,

but we've got three of them and we've got two in boxes.

-So how much?

-30 to 50.

-Is that all?

-£47 paid.

-Oh, right.

And last, but not least, is this extraordinary hound.

-I mean, what's it made of? Plaster, isn't it?

-It's made of plaster.

It's life-sized. I mean, this dog is a statement.

-It's a bit of kitsch, isn't it?

-It really is kitsch.

I mean, I can't see me ever owning one, but anyway.

Send our Jack Russells mad if it had that thing in the house.

OK, so how much, then?

I put 140 to 160, but I really just don't know what he's going to get.

-£160 was paid by the team.

-That's a lot of money!

-Certainly is.

Anyway, depending on how the dog does will determine

whether they make a profit or not.

So they may or may not need their bonus buys.

Let's go and have a look at them.

So, the team's bonus buy, you gave Paul Laidlaw £78 of leftover lolly.

-Paul, what did you buy?

-OK, guys.

-I bought you jewellery.

-Ooh.

But I've got to say, boys-toy jewellery.

It is a sweetheart brooch pertaining to the Machine Gun Corps,

a war-raised unit of the Great War and these are the chaps

that manned the Vickers machine guns that, in many senses,

epitomise the industrial nature of that horrific conflict.

I think it's a poignant and smart object.

So how much did you pay for it?

£30. 9ct gold.

OK, chaps, this is the special bonus buy,

an extra £100 was given to Paul to find something special

and this is it.

This is an Art Nouveau-inspired Belle Epoque period -

it's going to be late 19th, early 20th century -

little silver plated figure of a delight of a lady.

A desk seal.

-How much did you pay?

-Well, £30. I think that's a gift.

-£30?

-£30. I hope she does £60 to £80

and I don't think I'm going to be disappointed.

After the sale of your first three items, I'm going

to ask you which of the bonus buys you want to go with, if you want to

go with one at all. Right now, for the audiences at home,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Paul's bonus buys.

So, starting with the team's bonus buy, how do you rate that, Anita?

This is a little sweetheart's brooch,

relating to the Machine Gun Corps.

Women would have worn these as a mark of loyalty or affection.

-My estimate on that would be 40 to 60.

-OK, £30 paid by Paul.

What do you think about the seal?

Because that's basically what that is, isn't it, a desk seal?

It's a desk seal and a terrific little item,

it's beautifully moulded, it is of the period,

it's of a beautiful young woman, scantily clad.

-What's it worth?

-I put £60 to £100.

-Did you?

£30 paid. I have to say that my preference between the two,

the Machine Gun Corps brooch pipped the post,

I thought that would do rather better.

The big question is, will the teams go for a bonus buy,

either one of them? Or go for no bonus buys at all?

We'll find out in a minute.

Thank you, Anita.

Any advance on £100?

110. 120.

130. 140.

-Tom, how you feeling?

-Good.

-Are you?

-What about you, Lynn?

-Bit nervous, bit excited.

-You're a bit quivery, if you don't mind my saying.

-Yeah, I am.

-And why would that be, then?

-Just excited.

-Is it? Now listen,

your first item is your plastic birds,

which you invested a princely sum of £6 in.

You can't be worried about that.

-No.

-No.

-Well, kind of.

-No, she says, not worried about that.

OK, here it comes.

This stylish French 1970s lovebirds brooch,

in the style of Lea Stein.

I have four bids on the books and I can come straight in here at...

-Four bids!

-£20, £30

-Good lord. £6 paid.

-Any advance on 30?

40. 50.

-60. 70.

-Look at that!

-£80.

-God.

-Look at that!

-£80.

Any advance on £80? All done at £80, £80?

£80! You just made £74. Well, that shuts me right up, I can tell you.

Oh, my God. Seriously, me too.

Are there any budding auctioneers in the room?

This is an early 20th century auctioneers' gavel.

It has a nice weight, ladies and gentlemen,

and I've tried it a couple of times myself.

Start me at 20. 20?

30. 40.

-£50.

-£50!

Any advance on 50, where are we?

-60. 70.

-I don't believe this.

We're still in at 70. 80.

-90.

-90? Wow.

Any advance on £90?

£90...?

£90 is plus £74.

That is plus £148.

Lot 144 is the Victorian bronze door knocker

in the form of a fox's head.

£100. £50?

30, 30 bid. 40. 50.

-60.

-Look, £60.

You've made a profit on this one, as well!

70 with the gentleman.

Any advance on £70? 80.

-90.

-£90!

-100.

-Dear, oh, dear.

-110.

-120.

-I'm absolutely shocked.

It's bronze. 130.

It wasn't such a bad buy, after all.

£130. All done at 130?

-Reality has been suspended.

-GAVEL SLAMS

£130 means you've just made another £95,

which is £243 profit.

And we spent £57.

You spent £57, I was rude about you only spending 57.

-You've made... I can't believe it.

-I can't believe that, either.

I think that is just something else. Is that not something else?

I mean, is that not something else?!

You don't have to take any of these bonus buys, all right?

You've got so much profit sitting there. Do you want to risk £130

on the two secessionist vases?

Or do you want to risk £35 on the thimble holder,

or do you want to do nothing? Chop, chop.

-Right. What do you think?

-I still think the vases are great.

-The vases?

-Do you?

-The vases.

-You're going with the vases?

-Honestly, the vases?

-We think they're really, really good.

£130 is what was paid.

Anita's estimate is 120 to 160, she really rates them.

That's your pick and I have to say that,

out of my picks between the two, I went with the Continental vases.

-Yeah.

-So, I rate them, too.

-They're really nice.

And the little egg cup thimble holder will sell for charity,

as you haven't picked it. So, first up are the secessionist vases,

the really lovely bronze vases.

Will you start me at £100? 100.

80. 50, then. 50 bid.

50 with you, sir.

Any advance? 60. 70.

Come on.

80. 90. 100.

-This is sounding a better

-(110...)

Any advance on 100?

All done at 100. 100?

It's not going to do it.

100 is minus 30, which means you are plus 213.

-That's still good.

-I am so sorry.

-Don't worry about it, it was a punt.

I rated it. But not today. Anyway, here comes the thimble holder.

Such a beautiful shape and it's so pleasing to the eye,

ladies and gentlemen. Start me at 40. 40 bid.

Any advance of 40? 50. 60.

70. 80. 90.

90 with the lady.

£90, that's a better thing.

Any advance on 90? £90...

Plus £55.

Sadly not for you, but for charity,

but it's nevertheless a profit, so well done, Catherine,

for making a nice £55 profit for our charity today, that's really good.

Now, overall then, you are plus 213, you kids.

You should be very proud of that, well done.

-Now, Matt and Ross, do you know how the Reds got on?

-Haven't a clue.

Very good, we don't want you to.

First up, your breadboard. Weird thing, that, actually.

-Yeah.

-£15 paid. Anita likes it, she likes the romance,

-she's put £30 to £50 on it.

-Good.

-And here it comes.

A World War II carved and painted folk-art breadboard,

commemorating the Czechoslovakian exile in England.

Little piece of history.

Can we say 100? Start me at £50.

-50 bid.

-£50. You paid 15. Yes!

60.

70. 80. With you, sir, at 80.

Any advance on £80? All done at £80?

£80?

-Did she say £80?

-£80.

Oh, that's lovely.

£80, that is plus £65. £65, I'm nonplussed.

OK.

The three Pelham Puppets, we have Fritzi, Dutch Girl and German Girl.

Can we say £80 for the three? 80?

60? £20 to start me. 20 bid.

Any advance on 20?

30. 40.

£40, any advance on £40?

Any advance on £40? £40?

£40 is minus 7, so bad luck.

Takes you down to 58.

-Now it's the big one.

-Come on.

Oh, ladies and gentlemen. If you love Great Danes

and you can't afford to feed them,

this is the item for you.

-His name is Tiny.

-CROWD LAUGHS

Start me at £100. £100.

£50, then. £50 for Tiny.

-Uh-oh.

-50, thank you, sir.

This is going to start it off. Come on now. Come on!

50. 60. 70.

Any advance on 70?

80 on the phone.

90.

-Yep.

-100. 110.

-120?

No.

-No?

-No.

-110.

120 behind you.

130.

Come on, keep it going.

130.

Any advance on 130?

All done at 130? 130?

Oh, bad luck.

That is minus £30 for Tiny.

Which means, overall, you are plus £28.

There's nothing the matter with that.

Could be a winning score, £28.

£28... What you going to do, then, with the bonus buys?

Are you going to go with either of them or ditch them?

I say we go for your favourite lady.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, let's do it.

OK, you're going with the second of the bonus buys.

The estimate on the special bonus buy, according to Anita,

-is 60 to 100, all right?

-Oh.

So you paid 30, she sees it as making 60 to 100.

I was asked to predict which of the bonus buys is going to do best

and I've been contrary to all of this

and I've gone with the Machine Gun Corps.

We're going to sell it, first.

If it makes a profit, that profit will go to charity.

So, win-win all round with this.

The 9ct gold Machine Gun Corps

regimental ladies' sweetheart brooch.

The bid is on the book at 30.

Any advance on 30? 40.

50 with the book.

60. The book is out, it's on the phone at 60.

70, fresh bidder.

Very nice, come on.

80. Any advance on £80?

All done at £80? £80?

Very good, plus £50,

that's a fair profit. Well done, Paul Laidlaw,

-that goes to charity.

-Pretty good.

Here's our little lady.

Now your little lady.

Late 19th, early 20th-century Art Nouveau silver plated

figural desk seal. Beautiful little female figure.

Can we say £100? This is a nice item.

Yeah, yeah we can.

Start me at £50. £50?

30, then? 30 bid. 40. 50.

60. 70. Any advance on 70?

Keep going.

All done at £70?

£70?

-Yes, that's good.

-£70.

£70 is £40 profit.

You had 28, you've now got plus £68.

That is your final tally.

And the Machine Gun Corps made more profit than the other one, so...

Tough. Anyway.

Well, you're both substantially in profit, which is lovely, isn't it?

Really, really nice.

And the team that is less substantially in profit,

I'm afraid to say, are the Blues.

-LYNN:

-Yay!

-MATT:

-Gutted.

Which is bad luck. You are plus £68.

-Matthew, there's 65.

-Thank you very much.

I'll have to dig deep and come up with another £3.

-I'll get that.

-Oh, will you?

Well done, Ross. No, that's super, so congratulations.

-I hope you've enjoyed the show.

-It's been great.

Great, but the victors who go home with £213...

MATT: Wow!

..which is a good number. Here we go, here comes your dough

-and a little bit more, another £3, there we are.

-Thank you.

£213. Well, we have had some amazing results,

just the most amazing results I think I've ever seen

on Bargain Hunt.

A plastic brooch, bought for £6, makes £74 profit.

The auctioneers' gavel, bought for £16, makes a profit of £74.

A door knocker that was made in Birmingham last year, I promise you,

that you paid £35 for, you make a profit of £95 on!

I mean, how does that happen?

And the only thing that let you down out of your performance, at all,

just happened to be the Secessionist vases,

which we all picked, we all thought they were marvellous

and they made you a small loss. But...

the thimble holder made a profit of £55

and your profit means, Paul, that the total to the charity today,

they get £105 of profits from the experts' bonus buys,

which is lovely. So, it's a win-win situation all round.

And in addition, the Reds, of course,

made a profit on all three items,

which gets you admission to the Order of the Golden Gavel.

-You take one of those, that's lovely.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Tom Tom.

-Thank you.

-Well done, Lynn. Thank you.

Pin that to your bosom.

-Have you had a good time?

-A fantastic time.

-Been good for you, Tom?

-Yeah, it's been superb.

-Glad to hear it.

In fact, join us soon for some more Bargain Hunting, yes?

ALL: Yes!