Detling Bargain Hunt

Today we're at the Kent County Showground

where ingredients for our collectables include

500 stalls, 30 arcades and over 100 outdoor pitches, together with a few old dogs.

Mm, delicious.

'I'm off inside to meet our teams. They'll get £300 each and an hour to find three bargains

'to sell for a profit at auction.'

Looks tough, doesn't it?

But they have the help of an antiques expert and the prize?

They keep any profits!

So let's meet the teams.

For the Blues, in-laws Mick and Carl. Welcome.

And for the Reds, mother and son Maureen and David. Welcome.

Now, Maureen, David is just one of your offspring.

-How many have you got?

-Five.

-This is the youngest of all of them.

-Your little nipper.

-This is my nipper, yes.

What do you do at weekends to relax?

We've got a boat on the Thames and we cruise up and down.

-Have a glass of champagne?

-Yes! You can come.

You've also got the collecting bug.

-I have. I collect pink plates.

-Pink plates?

-Or teapots.

-Any plate so long as it's pink?

-No, Constable with pictures or the Willow Pattern.

-How many have you got?

-200.

-Never!

Gosh. That's something else.

David, you got the bug quite young?

I've been collecting comics and annuals from a young age.

All through childhood. I think there's a good couple of hundred comics now.

-They're worth money.

-It's what I've been told, but I'd rather keep them.

-Little memories from your youth.

-That's it.

-You go to lots of concerts.

-Yes.

-An indie fan, bit of Oasis.

-Oasis.

-And a few newer bands.

-How many times have you been to Oasis?

-Oh, I think 13 or 14 times.

-You do spend your cash wisely(!)

-Yeah, yeah.

-Good luck. Have a great day today.

-Now, the Blues. Mick, what's your relationship?

-Carl's my son-in-law.

Married to my daughter for 11 years.

Are you much good at collecting?

-I collect Dickens memorabilia. The Dickens Rochester Fellowship.

-A good Kentish man?

-Yes - born in London!

-And what else do you collect?

-A lot of coins and banknotes.

-Older ones, foreign and English.

-Carl, you're good with money.

-Good with other people's money.

-What do you do?

-I'm an asset finance manager for a major bank.

-So you're in charge of the lolly?

-I think so.

-You have to make a profit. Up for it?

-Absolutely.

-What do you do when not working?

-I do like Laurel and Hardy memorabilia.

-You like slapstick?

Yeah, Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, but big Laurel and Hardy fans.

-And you write comedy scripts?

-I do, with some friends.

A very good, relaxing outlet. We're just working on one now.

We'll stand by for some one-liners.

Anyway, the money moment. £300. 300 smackers, there you go.

Your experts await. Off you go. And very, very good luck.

Our experts today -

hatching a plan for Bargain Hunt domination is Mark Stacey.

And for the Blues, it's Catherine Southon.

-What's that, Mick?

-Quite nice little gaming tokens. Nice little case, as well.

-For a casino.

-OK.

-Marked as well. At 35 quid. I think we should be able to get it cheaper than that.

-Shall I get Catherine over?

-Yeah.

-Catherine? We've found something.

-What have you there, Mick?

-Gaming chips.

-OK.

-It's £35. If we get it down. I think there could be a profit.

-Right. Why did you go for this?

-It's an interesting object. We haven't seen anything like it.

-Right, OK.

-I think it's probably a one-off.

A little wooden holder with your poker counters.

It's quite simple. Probably 1940s in date.

-And then, obviously, here we've got a little plaque here.

-Yeah.

"Wishing you all good luck, from CHK."

From a wife to a husband or a company to an employee? Or something like that?

To be honest, I can't see it really exciting an awful lot of people.

-They want £35 for it?

-Yes, I think if we can get him down to 25...

I don't think it's got a great age to it. Probably 1940s.

-You really like this?

-Yes, I do.

-Just because it's unusual?

-I haven't seen anything like it here today and I'd like to go for it. Carl?

-Yeah, go for it.

-Are you a gambling man?

-I am!

£25 paid for the chips. Inexpensive fried potatoes(!)

-What have you got there, Maureen?

-This is from New Zealand, look.

-A Royal Tour of New Zealand back in 1949.

-Very interesting. Who is it made by?

Brentley ware. They're interesting. A small Staffordshire firm, produced a lot in the 1920s and '30s.

-I think it's probably a baby's plate, to help them eat.

-Could be.

-Why did you like it?

-Because it's connected to New Zealand. I've got a son and a daughter out there.

-Do you like it, David?

-I do.

There is some interest in Royal collectables, but not as big as it used to be. This is fairly modern,

but I've never seen one.

What are they asking for it?

-34.

-Oh, we need to get that down a bit. That could be our first item.

-Smile sweetly at the dealer and get the price off.

-OK.

A baby price for the baby plate. £22 paid.

-Catherine, what do you think?

-They're rather nice, actually. Why were you drawn to these?

-Not that I like ivory, but I'm assuming it's ivory.

-Yeah.

You're absolutely right there. Mid to late 19th century. Probably third quarter 19th century.

-OK.

-Ivory binoculars or opera glasses.

They're brass and ivory. They operate upwards and downwards by moving this little dial here.

-They're rather charming. Ivory is susceptible to heat and does damage and crack easily.

-Sure.

You've got a few little surface cracks here, but no major damage.

It's mid to late 19th century ivory, not sort of modern ivory.

Oh, they're nice, Carl.

-Did you find those here?

-Yeah.

-Would these be a present for a young lady going to the opera?

-Absolutely.

They would originally have come in like a leather case

-and the lady would perhaps have put them in her bag and gone off to the opera.

-Lovely.

-Are they expensive?

-How much are they asking?

-Em, I think they said £45.

-I don't know what we can get off.

-Need to get down.

-That's not too bad a price.

-If you can get it for £30, that should be great. Happy, Carl?

-Yeah. I like these.

If you're happy, I'm happy. Shall we go and do a deal?

Deal done! And £30 paid.

Making a profit from collectables is not all plain sailing, but help is at hand.

Any leftover lolly from the teams' buying spree will be spent by the experts

on a Bonus Item which could boost their profits!

David, Maureen, look what I've found.

-What is it?

-A hip flask. It's in silver and glass.

-How old do you think it is?

-I can tell you. It's hallmarked for London, 1886.

With Victoria's head on it.

-A perfect gift for a gentleman.

-How much is it, then?

-Well, the dealer's got it marked up at £110.

-Right, OK.

-Which is quite a lot of money.

-But I think I could probably get her down.

-Feel a profit in there?

-It's in good condition.

-Right.

-I think we can get her down.

At auction, I'd put an estimate of £80-£120.

-If we can get it for about 80, we might have a chance.

-Right.

-Do you like it, Maureen?

-I do. I like the pattern on the glass.

-Nice, isn't it? Lifts it up a bit.

-Definitely.

As I'm going to do all the hard work negotiating on this,

when I next find you, I want you to have found our third and final item.

-Up to the challenge?

-No problem.

-See you later.

Mark's haggled that down to £80.

-Feel the weight of that.

-Ah, is it silver?

-It is.

-What is it?

-Have a little feel.

-It's heavy.

Let me just show you.

-Open this little hook there.

-Ah!

-And you've got yourself a lovely little magnifier.

It's beautiful. And it's such superb quality.

It's probably Georgian. I'd say 1730s, 1740s in date.

-A little bit of damage there.

-There is a bit.

-You'll see a ticket for £120.

-A lot of money!

-It is quite a lot.

Because of the damage, they'll let us have it for £70.

So a chance of a profit on that?

The problem is people like to have the original glass.

You can replace this glass, but... that would detract from the value.

-If you can get it for £70.

-We might have a bit of a chance.

Obviously, people are going to be a bit worried about the chips,

but if we can get it for 70, it might be worth a gamble on it.

-Happy to trust me?

-Yes.

-We trust you.

-Sure?

-Yes.

-I hope I don't let you down. I'll put my money where my mouth is.

-Great item.

Go for it, Catherine.

One magnifying glass, £70 paid.

Hello, guys. What have you found?

That's a nice object, isn't it? What attracted you to this?

-I like the shape of it.

-It's silver, isn't it? And it looks quite nice.

-It does.

-What would it be used for?

-It's a claret jug.

-Right, OK.

You would decant your claret, your red wine, into this

-and at a nice posh dinner party you'd pass it around the table.

-Right, OK.

Quite a nice object. It's got a good feel to it.

-How old do you think this is?

-You can tell from the hallmark. It's London and the G is 1902.

-Really?

-Yes.

-1902? Blimey.

So it's getting on a bit. Edward VII.

-Absolutely.

-But the crucial thing is how much is it?

Well, it's 165.

-That's a bit much, isn't it?

-Too much.

-I think it's too much.

We need to try to get it down a bit. It's a nice object and if you have a private buyer who wants a go...

-You see a profit in it?

-If we get it down a bit.

-Yeah.

-We all like it.

I'll trust you to get the price down as much as you can.

You better hurry. They're all packing. See you later.

They decanted £140 for that claret jug - and just in the nick of time.

Well, that all adds up. Time to stop the shopping. Let's recap and see what the teams bought.

Our Reds, David and Maureen, started with the Brentley ware baby plate at £22.

They warmed to the Victorian hip flask at £80.

And stuck with the boozy theme for the silver and glass claret jug at £140.

Let's recap on what the Blues bought.

Mick and Carl took a gamble with the £25 gaming chips.

They paid £30 for the opera glasses.

And their biggest buy was the magnifier at £70.

-It's lovely to be in Sussex at Denham's Auction House with Simon Langton.

-Hello, Tim.

Now David and Maureen went with this baby plate, which frankly I am intrigued by.

Yes, it's celebrating the 1949 Royal Tour of Australia.

Which has to be quite rare. They can't have produced a lot of baby plates, surely?

I wouldn't have thought so. You've got two interests - Royal collectors and Australia.

-It's really interesting. I hope it does well.

-Well, £20-£30.

Right. £22 they paid.

-What about the silver and glass hip flask?

-A nice little thing.

It's all there, it's Victorian. £40-£60 for that one?

Is that all? £80 they paid.

-And the claret jug.

-Like that. Nice Dresser design with the handle there.

Edwardian, nice thing. £70-£90?

Oh, dear. £140 they paid for that. It's not going to pour out a lot of cheer, I think.

They'll definitely need their Bonus Buy, so let's have a look at it.

You spent £242, you gave Mark £58. Let's see what he's spent on the Bonus Buy.

-Ta-da!

-A-ha. OK.

-Now it's a cigarette box.

Silver, and what is known as shagreen - sharkskin.

Hallmarked for 1922, so right in the Art Deco period.

-I think it's rather stylish.

-Quite nice.

-It's not bad.

-That's sharkskin, is it?

-Yes.

-They stain it sometimes, green or red.

-That would be green once.

-It's been rubbed down a bit.

-It was marked up at £85 and I got it at £55.

-Will it make a profit?

I hope it lights up the sale room.

All you have to do is just think about that.

Remember what he's told you. Decide after the sale of your three items.

Here's what the auctioneer thinks.

-Quite unusual to have one in sharkskin.

-Oh, yes. Shagreen boxes are very popular.

You've got a few problems - a few chips and bumps round the edge.

Nice thing. 1922. I see that at £50-£75.

£55 was paid by Mark, so that stands a very good chance. Anyway, that's it for the Reds.

Now Mick and Carl from the Blues first up went with the counter box.

Nice thing, 1930s, quite decorative, I suppose. Sort of £40-£60.

-£25 they paid, so that stands a good chance.

-Yes.

Nice to kick off with a decent profit. Next, the opera glasses. Slightly kind of worn.

I'm not that passionate about them. They're not like binoculars.

-Hardly anybody goes to the opera.

-I don't know about that. Glyndebourne is just down the road.

-I see that at £30-£50.

-I'd love to be corrected.

They paid £30. Another decent profit. What about the spy glass?

Right. Nice little thing. I would question that it's silver. I suspect it's silver-plated.

-I see that at £30-£50.

-It's also got damage.

-Yes.

-They paid £70.

I think they got a bit over-excited. So, two pieces that may make a profit.

Let's go and have a look at the Bonus Buy.

-Mick and Carl, you spent a miserable £125.

-We did.

-We did.

-I don't know what your theory is!

-We can't lose too much.

-We'll find out if that's correct!

-Catherine had £175. What did you spend it on?

-Would you mind revealing, Carl?

-Sure.

-Oh!

-There we are.

-A tin-plate toy.

-It is, absolutely. Made by a company called Lehmann.

-German?

-It's German.

Made between 1910 and 1920.

-He's a climbing monkey.

-In good condition.

-The thing about tin-plate toys that's important

is that people like them to be in fairly good condition.

They were actually asking £85 for it. I paid £65 for it.

I would hope that it would make about 85, something like that. We should make a profit.

A good piece, fairly good condition, good name, why not?

What more could you ask for? Anyway, you don't decide now,

but let's find out what the auctioneer thinks.

Well...! Simon, just look at that!

Isn't that the sweetest novelty German tin-plate toy?

-He's rather nice.

-And Lehmann are well known for these.

-A good manufacturer.

Very collectable. £40-£60, I suppose.

Ah. £65 Catherine has paid. I think she's rather rated this little novelty.

-He's fun, appeals to all ages. What do you think, monkey?

-He doesn't give a monkey's!

We'll find out soon enough in the auction.

Now, David and Maureen, how are you feeling?

-Em, yeah, fine. A bit nervous, but excited.

-Nervous, but excited.

-The first lot is going to be your little baby plate.

-Brilliant.

You paid £22 for it. The auctioneer's estimate is £20-£30.

-Mark, you found the hip flask.

-Yes.

-Jolly nice thing that is.

-You paid £80 for it. His estimate is £40-£60.

-A bit mean.

-You didn't do very good, did you?

-We haven't sold it yet.

-The claret jug - paid £140, estimate £70-£90.

That might be a bit of a hole.

Anyway, first up is the baby plate.

351, then.

The child's pottery feeding bowl to commemorate the 1949 Royal Tour of Australia.

A real one-off, this. £20 for it?

10 to get us going. Come on now. 5?

I'm bid 5, straight in. Do I see 6?

Maiden bid of £5 now. Looking for 6.

Do I see 6? At 5 now. Going to sell at 5.

-£5. Dear, oh, dear.

-Shocker.

Minus £17 on that. Don't despair. Here comes the flask.

352 is the Victorian oval cut-glass hip flask.

What do we say for it?

Bids here start us at 50. And 5. 60. And 5.

70. And 5. With me now at £75, then.

Are we all done? At 75 and selling at 75, then.

-£75.

-Only £5 off.

-Minus £5 on that.

-That's your lunch gone.

-Minus 22 now. Here comes the claret jug.

353 is the Edwardian Dresser-style silver and glass jug, as we see it there.

Lots of bids here. 150. 160. 170.

-180.

-Look at that!

190. 200. And 10.

220. 240 now, sir? 230, then?

Go on! < 230, standing.

Do I see 240? All done at £240, then.

You're joking!

£230! That is brilliant.

That's plus 90 quid. On one lot!

Isn't that fantastic? You are plus £68.

-£68 in the bank, Ma. What do you think about that?

-Brilliant!

-Absolutely fantastic! You two found the pot.

-We did.

I helped you make up your mind.

-Going to risk the £55 or hang on to your £68?

-We'll hang on to our 68.

-Absolutely.

-Definitely? Fine.

But we'll sell it anyway. Here it comes.

Lot 357.

The Art Deco silver and shagreen cigarette case.

There's a handsome case for us. What do we say for it? £50?

30? 20? Come on now.

10 if we dare. I'm bid £10.

-Do I see 12?

-Hang on.

-All done and selling at £10.

12. 14. 16 now, sir?

16 at the back there. All done and selling now? At £16, then. All done at 16?

Blast it! £16.

You did exactly the right thing. That's 4 shy of 20. That is £39 down the drain, right?

Minus 39.

-But you hang on to your 68 quid.

-Oh, brilliant!

-Now promise me something.

-Yes.

-Don't tell the Blues.

-OK.

-Don't tell the Blues.

-All right?

-Now, Carl and Mick, do you know how the Reds got on?

-No.

Brilliant. We don't want you to know. First up is your little gambling chip box.

Lot 376 is the gambling chip dispenser.

Start here at 30. And 5.

-40. 5.

-In profit already!

60. And 5. With me now at £65, then.

Are we done and selling at £65?

-That is fantastic.

-Well done.

-You are plus £40!

Lot 377, then.

The pair of opera glasses. What do we say? £20 for them?

-10?

-Could be gloomy, this.

-5 have we there?

I'm bid £5. Do I see 6? Maiden bidding at £5, then.

-Looking for 6.

-Not in this room.

-At £5. Going at 5, then.

-£5 only.

You are minus £25 on that.

Overall, you're still plus £15.

Lot 378 is the 19th-century little spy glass for you.

I'm bid £20. And 2. 24. 26. 28.

-30. And 2. 34. 36.

-All the way, all the way.

38. 40. And 2. 44 now, sir?

44 standing. All done now at £44?

-All done at 44?

-£44.

You are minus £26 on that.

Which means, overall, you are minus 11. Minus £11.

This is nothing, is it? What are you going to do? Go with the old German what-not?

Minus £11 could be a winning score.

-Are you going to risk it?

-Go with the monkey.

-Yeah.

-We trust you.

-Absolutely sure?

-Yes, go with the monkey.

-You're sure?

-382 is the 19th-century tin-plate toy

in the form of the monkey there.

What do we say for it? £50?

40? 30? Come on now.

It's hard work, isn't it?

10 if we dare. 5, then? It's here to be sold.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 12.

-14. Yours at 14 here.

-Stand by, chaps.

18. 20. And 2. 24. 26. 28. 30.

And 2. 34? Remains at £32, then.

All done and selling at £32? All done at 32 now?

-£32.

-I can't believe that price.

You are minus £33 on that.

So, overall, you are minus £44.

-Minus £44. Not so brilliant, is it, really?

-Not the end of the world.

Absolutely, but you were determined to go with that monkey.

Anyway, it wasn't such a climber. Never mind. Don't tell the Reds.

It could be a winning score. Well done, chaps. Good sports.

If you go down in the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise.

One of our teams will get a great big surprise, but which one?

Have you been chatting at all? You haven't. Just as well.

I'm afraid we have a substantial chasm between our winners and our runners-up today.

The runners-up are, sadly, the Blues, which is bad luck.

You were minus £11 until you went with the Bonus Buy.

It did you no good at all and took you to minus £44,

but you've remained incredibly jolly, which is marvellous.

You can see the jollity, but they would like to have one.

-Yes.

-Anyway, bad luck, but there's no shame in that.

But for the Reds, the result is substantial.

I'm going to bring money out.

£68-worth of money! You did not go with the Bonus Buy,

which turned out to be a remarkably clever move! Bad luck, Mark!

We don't hand out £68 very often. I do congratulate you.

-How are you feeling?

-Brilliant!

-Chuffed.

-Yeah! I'm very glad you're chuffed!

We're all chuffed! Join us soon for some more bargain hunting. Yes!

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