Peterborough Bargain Hunt

We're in the East of England Showground near Peterborough.

The place is crammed with 1,700 stalls, so our teams

should have no difficulty in shopping for bargains.

Now the rules of the game - we give each team £300 and 60 minutes

to snap up some low-cost collectables.

They even have an antiques expert to help them.

And if they make a profit later at auction, they get to keep it!

So let's meet the teams,

first the Blues, good friends, Nola and Frank. Welcome to Bargain Hunt.

And now the Reds, Christopher and Doreen, welcome.

Very, very nice to see you.

-Now, Christopher, how long have you two been together?

-48 years!

And he laughs. 48 years, I mean,

you'd have to bump somebody off big time to get 48 years, wouldn't you?

-No, we've stuck at it, we've got another 48 to go.

-Where did you meet?

-We met in Cambridge

when we were students, and Doreen was scraping the barrel because I was one of the last few men there!

The modesty of the man! What were you doing at Cambridge?

I was a scholar at St John's, and I read geography and French literature.

-And, Doreen, what were you reading?

-I was reading geography with a subset of drama,

and when we met I had been playing Sarah Good in The Crucible which was the old tramp, grey hair.

-Blacked out teeth.

-Blacked out teeth, what's changed?

-It was like a vision of the future, then?

-It was, really.

-Brilliant.

-You're retired now, Christopher. What was your job?

-I was a vicar for about 40 years.

Now you're also an author, you've had three books published. What sort of things do you write?

-I've put the whole Bible into limerick verse.

-Is that it?

It's quite fun, really. I've got one for you too, if I may read it?

There's really so much to be got At BH with Tim Wonnacott

You only need say Yes, yes, yes, on the day

And with luck You'll go home with the lot! LAUGHTER

Brilliant. We're going to have tremendous fun with you two. Good luck on Bargain Hunt.

-Thank you.

-Now for the Blues, Frank and Nola, how lovely to see you.

-Now, you're just good friends, is that right?

-Yes, we've been good friends for about 45 years.

Frank, you like to do a lot of flat green bowling.

-Does that mean you don't like bowling uphill?

-No, I like it on the flat.

You also go digging around in Victorian rubbish dumps.

I used to, I have had to give it up.

Well, my back's given up, I'd still like to do it, it's good.

What are you laughing about, Nola? he just said his back gave out. You're bursting into laughter!

-He's bowling one minute and his back's given up in the next.

-Oh, yeah!

We're going to have trouble with you two, I tell you!

It takes a little bit more effort to dig bottles up than it does flat green bowling.

But your hobby must help with this bargain hunting lark.

-Which one's that?

-Poker.

-Oh, yeah, I like a gamble.

-So you can keep the old straight face?

-Bit of a flutter. Yes.

You're extremely modest, aren't you?

-Absolutely.

-You once won a great poker victory, didn't you?

Yes, I did, I went in a competition and I beat 80 other contestants.

At the old poker?

At poker in a casino for two nights, and I won.

-Did you? What did you get?

-£2,000 and a holiday to the Caribbean.

-The Caribbean!

-I know!

-Is that brilliant?

Yeah. Going again when we've made some more money on bargains!

-What, you're going to make a couple of thousand profit today?

-I hope so.

-They're quaking over here, these Reds!

-I'm sure they are(!)

I think you'll do very well at this.

Now it's the money moment, here's your 300 smackers coming up.

There you go, Christopher, there's the collection money.

Now, are you ready for this? You know the rules, your experts await, and very good luck.

For the Reds, and she's no mug,

it's the talented Kate Bliss.

And preaching for the Blues

is the divine David Barby. Amen!

Kate, what about this?

I think that's lovely, Doreen, for several reasons.

You've got this lovely Art Nouveau design, this twirling silver spiral,

and just as an added bonus, you've got a little gem set in there.

That's a citrine, which is a type of quartz,

and it comes in that lovely amber colour, but the other thing is,

we've got some initials, you may be able to pick them out with your spy glass. Can you see that?

-Oh, yes.

-And they are the initials CH - they belong to a gentleman

called Charles Horner, and he's very collectable in his own right.

-How much is it?

-Well, the ticket price is £75.

-What do you think about that?

-Lots of money for a hat pin, isn't it?

I would estimate this at auction at anything from £50, particularly since it's Charles Horner,

to £70, maybe, on a good day.

So I think if we can just negotiate a bit, we might stand a chance of making a small profit.

It's small and neat, like us.

-Yes, dear.

-Well, you'd better show me where you got it from.

-Oh, yes.

They paid £68 for the hat pin. Have they been needled?

I've just found this, David, what do you think of it?

It dates from probably around about 1900, 1910, that sort of period.

This here with the two turned columns is highly decorative,

but what I like, you've still got the original pediment and the mask.

-And it's got its key.

-Original key.

-And the pendulum.

And the pendulum. It's good looking, and people are buying clocks at the moment.

Bit like you, you see, David, good looking.

-What's that, an old clock(?)

-Good looking!

What do you reckon to the price of it then, David?

I can see a price tag there of £80 and then it's been reduced to £65.

I wonder if you'll get him down any more.

He's waiting for you there, off you go.

-I'll be off, then.

-See what he says.

Nola's haggling skills, otherwise known as a battering ram, brought the clock price down to £35.

-Hi.

-Now I know you said you weren't particularly interested in pictures, didn't you?

-Not really, no.

But little portrait miniatures are slightly in a different class,

they're almost classed as objets.

And I found this one, which is quite interesting.

-It's beautifully painted.

-Isn't it just?

-And is that silver?

Yes, it is in silver, you can see the hallmark just here,

-dated for 1905.

-I do a bit of watercolour and oil painting,

I mean, not as exquisite as that, but I can appreciate

the craftsmanship of that, it's really beautiful.

The most commercial subjects are pretty girls or young children

and you've got a second best here, quite a young dapper gent there.

He is, sort of sitting on this armchair here, red armchair.

-What is it actually painted on?

-They are usually painted on ivory.

I know it's a controversial subject these days to use ivory,

-but well over 100 years ago, it was commonplace.

-And so how much is it?

OK, I knew you were going to ask that!

-Well, the price tag was £150.

-Oh, that's quite a lot.

I would probably estimate it at auction at between £100 and £150,

but I could go and flutter the eyelids

and see if I can get a little bit off for you?

Go and do that. Flutter them really well!

Kate had a frantic flutter and got the price down to £130.

The teams are hard at it.

Hopefully they haven't spent all their cash, as any leftover lolly will be given to their expert

to go and scour the fair for that bonus buy which may boost their profits when they get to auction.

Fingers crossed.

-I've jumped the gun and I've bought something.

-Oh!

-Let's have a look.

-I hope you like it.

-Oh.

What did you buy that for, Frank?

Because I think it's nice, I thought it was nice, it's boxed.

It's all right, but I'm not that keen on it, for goodness sake!

-I'll make a profit on this.

-Well, I hope you would do.

It's half my money, remember. We're going to the Caribbean, I want half.

Well, Frank, I think this is very good, because the overall style

looks back to immediately after the Russian revolution.

Post-revolution,

and it's called Suprematist style. This was done in the 1950s.

It was a reaction to the Second World War.

It's a very, very interesting design.

Festival of Britain you're talking about, aren't you?

Yeah, this is when it became very popular.

-It was marked up at £35 and I got it for £25.

-Oh, that's not bad.

-I didn't think it was bad.

-No, I think that's right.

Is it all perfect, Frank? Have you checked it?

-Yes.

-Let me take one out.

-Oh, look, it's called Gay Day.

-Oh, how nice.

-How nice.

Gay Day, that's lovely.

This is a collector's item, and it's got its original box.

I don't think it's ever been used.

Right, Frank, you know what you've got to do now, don't you?

-Yes.

-Go and make the coffee, clear off.

-OK, I'm off.

It seems nostalgia is in the air today as Christopher

finds an item from those good old post-war days too.

This is Beswick. I'm not a great collector of pottery,

but we do have two or three pieces at home.

Well, this pattern is called Happy Morn,

and it's titled on the back here.

It's essentially depicting a couple on their wedding day.

There they are coming out of church.

We've got the bridesmaid in taupe.

It looks a bit like a younger Charlie Chaplin.

-He does, in that bowler hat.

-And that moustache.

What I like about it is, it's really of the time,

it's so 1950s, just after the war,

and there was a great outpouring of feeling,

people relaxed for the first time, they were happy,

and what a better way to picture happiness than a couple on their wedding day?

-Absolutely.

-Absolutely.

-So how much, Christopher?

-Well, £45.

At auction I would estimate it probably between £25 and £40.

So I think if we can negotiate a little bit, perhaps it might be a good buy.

-We will.

-If you can get it within Kate's auction price, we'll have it.

-OK.

-Good decision.

They got the fruit bowls for £35, so it's a Happy Morn all round, really.

We've got five minutes left and you keep passing this table,

and I think it's something you should consider.

-Yeah.

-This is an envelope card table.

-Right.

It works quite skilfully. Look, as I move it

one section raises, can you see that?

-Yeah.

-So it folds out, that's the little peg

that pushes up, and then you fold the other ones out like this.

There you are, mahogany, complete with these little saucers

for counters and cards and money.

This is a very nice piece of Edwardian furniture.

Now we call this Neo-classical or Sheraton Revival,

because he was the designer and manufacturer

-that produced furniture in a classical style.

-You know what it is?

It's brown furniture. What do we say? We wouldn't buy brown furniture?

Yeah, but when you saw brown furniture, we're not talking about a table and four chairs.

Well, it's different, Frank, it's brown, for God's sake, brown!

It's £190, OK?

He's come down to 160.

If you can get it down any more,

you do so, but honestly we have no more time and I've had enough.

Well, I don't want to spend my £160...

It's got to come down, Frank, else we don't have it.

We'll haggle with the man and see what he says.

Off you go, I'll see you back in the green room in one minute.

All right, come on, let's go.

With Nola's notorious steely resolve,

they nobble the card table for £130.

Time's up, let's see what they've bought.

The heavenly Reds

bought an Art Nouveau hat pin for £68.

Let's hope their optimism isn't pricked at the auction.

The miniature may be of a dashing gent,

but at £130, will a profit sweep them off their feet, Darcy?

And at £35 they'll be hoping the Beswick fruit set

leads to a Happy Morn on judgement day.

Let's remind ourselves what the Blues bought.

Those devilish Blues, Frank and Nola,

bought this old ticker for a mere £35.

But will things run like clockwork on auction day?

Have they poured away any chance of making a profit

with their 1950s Gay Day coffee set for 25 pink pounds?

And will the Edwardian card table

live up to being more than just a £130 lump of brown...furniture?

Well, can you believe it? We're in Market Harborough,

at Gildings Auction House with John Gilding himself.

-How are you?

-Fine, thank you.

-You're keeping well?

-Yeah, nice to see you again.

-It's lovely to be back.

-Now, Christopher and Doreen are what you call up for it, right?

-Right.

And their first item for the Reds is the Charles Horner hat pin.

Is this pin going to be a good buy or not?

I would hope, I don't know what you've paid,

but it's £30 to £50 on my estimate.

-Well, they paid £68.

-Oops.

Next up is the Edwardian miniature,

-which is very beautifully painted, isn't it?

-Fine painting, that is.

Do you rate that at all, is that a collectable?

I think it's very good, it's a very nice painting.

My estimate is 80 to 120.

Oh, that's a bit tight, that, £130 they paid.

It might be a bit dodgy for them to make a profit on,

but still, we shall see. And their third item

is this little fruit set,

which is Beswick, or Bes-wick, as some people like to call it,

-and that is the Happy Morn pattern.

-Right.

Do you get a happy warm feeling when you see that or not?

Well, Beswick is very collectable at the moment,

but this is Beswick, it's Creamware,

-not special.

-It's plates, not figures.

Exactly. I'm not in great...favour of that being of any great value.

I think I said 30 to 50 as an estimate.

Well, they only paid £35, they should be OK with that.

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

Now, Christopher and Doreen,

you spent £233, and you gave Kate £67 of leftover lolly.

-Now, what did she spend it on? Hi, Kate.

-Hi there.

-Hello.

-There we have it. I couldn't find a sheep!

But I found you a boxer.

Right(!)

Now, there is actually more than meets the eye to him.

He's in lovely condition, but if you notice,

-he's got a little tag in his ear...

-Oh, a Steiff?

-..so he is Steiff, you're right, Doreen.

-I see, right.

-You're very quick off the mark.

-Sorry.

-Oh, I didn't see that.

He's probably '50s, I would say. I wouldn't call him antique,

but as I say, in lovely condition. And quite saleable, quite collectable.

And how much did you pay for him?

I paid £55. I'm afraid I couldn't get him any lower.

And what do you think he's going to bring?

-Well, I think a collector might pay 60 to 80 for him.

-Right.

-Well, he's not exactly beautiful, is he?

-No, he's not that, is he?

If it's a Steiff, that's a different story.

It's not the sort of furry type that you normally buy.

-It's not as furry, no.

-You don't have to be barking to like these things!

Anyway, you don't have to decide right now, you can decide after the sale of the first three items,

but for you at home, let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about the old dog.

Well, John, have you ever seen a woofer like this?

It's got a serious bad breath problem, that one, hasn't it?

-Look at its muzzle! Look, he had a growler in it, look.

-Yes.

-Its growler's bust.

-Yes.

-It should go, "Grr, grr, grr!".

-I'm sure you're right.

-Got a button, though.

Yes, that's the bit with value, really.

What's your estimate?

My estimate is 40 to 60.

Well, that's all right, she paid £55. That Kate Bliss, she rates it.

-It could be one of those great surprises.

-It could take the biscuit, that dog.

Because I've never seen...!

Anyway, that's it for the Reds.

Now, moving onto the Blues, first up for them

is this little coffee set, which is a really nice period set, isn't it?

All complete in a box, it says on the bottom, Gay Day.

-That's the pattern.

-Bound to be popular.

My estimate is 50 to 70.

You're joking, surely! They only paid £25!

Well, then that's a very good purchase, then.

Anyway, second up is this truly hideous and ghastly

continental Vienna regulator-type clock.

-Dreadful.

-I'm so glad you agreed. It's sort of rough, isn't it?

Well, it's been over-varnished, it's got a paper dial,

it's not really got a lot of hope.

-No...

-I mean, would you want to hang it on your wall?

I wouldn't hang it anywhere! But they only paid £35,

-which is terribly cheap.

-Well, yes, but, I mean,

our lowest estimate is 30 to 50, so, I mean,

we just hope we can find someone to buy it.

-This next item, I have to say, I think is phenomenal.

-Right.

The Edwardian envelope card table.

-Give it a tweak.

-Give it a tweak.

-Ah, look at that.

-And there it comes, see it, it's coming up.

It allows you to turn it over.

-Yes, clever, isn't it?

-Very good.

Well, I've got it in - conservatively, I thought -

at 150 to 200.

-Well, they only paid £130.

-They bought it very well.

I would predict they're going to make a stonking great profit.

I've got a funny feeling about this, and they probably won't need

their bonus buy, but we're going to have a look at it anyway.

-Now, Nola and Frank, you spent £190, yes?

-Yes.

-Yes.

You gave £110 to D Barby, what has he spent £110 on? Let's have a look.

Well, you know I wanted a black cat to give me luck

-when I found something for you two?

-Yes.

So I got another little cat.

-Meow.

-Do you like it?

-Yes, I do.

-Who made it?

-David Sharp from the Rye Pottery.

-Oh, right.

Quite a well known maker of the '50s and '60s.

Fully signed, here we are. There are the two holes.

How much did you pay for it?

-£38.

-That's good.

-That is all.

-It's unusual.

-It is unusual, I love the decoration.

-Actually, I love the colours.

-I do too.

-The colours are lovely.

People do collect cat items.

Oh, yes. Cats are great favourites.

-Yeah.

-Particularly on our show.

-Why?

-Do you want to feel it, Nola?

-No.

-Do you want to stroke it?

-No, I like dogs better.

You don't have to decide right now, you decide after the sale

of your first three items, but for the viewers at home,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about it. Poor little pussy!

So, it's raining cats and dogs today, John.

Rather, kind of, flattened form, this pussy cat, don't you find?

-Do you think it's been run over?

-Recumbent.

-Recumbent, yeah.

-Good auctioneering term, that.

-Yes, of course.

What do you think it's going to bring?

-£20 to £30.

-Right.

-Although I do realise

that they cost somewhere in the region of probably £70 to £80.

Brand new from the shop, yeah, absolutely.

Barby paid £38, but then, I think he's obsessed by cats, you see.

-He loves cats.

-He loves cats. OK, well that's a big mistake.

-Anyway, you're taking the auction, right?

-Yes.

-Very good. Stand by!

INAUDIBLE

-Doreen, Christopher, how do you feel?

-Top of the world.

That's what I love to hear!

That's what's great about being on Bargain Hunt.

-Are you excited about this process?

-Very.

First lot up is the little hat pin by Mr Horner,

who sat in a corner, and here we go.

138 is the hat pin, Charles Horner, Chester 1909.

Lovely piece, this piece. I open the bidding

at £40, and you're all out.

£40 on commission, 5 in the room,

50, I'm bid 50, I'm bid 50,

at £50, it's your turn.

-5. 55...

-Come on, come on!

Do I see £60 anywhere?

Selling and away, then, at £55.

£55. It's only minus £13,

and that's not as bad as it could have been. Now, the little miniature.

Lovely little miniature here, please.

What will you say for that? Ought to be 200.

I'm only bid 70 here on commission, at £70 on the miniature,

will this hold at no reserve?

-at £70, I'm in...

-70 is very cheap!

-Come on!

70, 70, 70... Now it's being sold. Make no mistake,

£70, have you all done? Quite sure, finished away at one main bid of £70.

-Oh, no.

-£70, that's minus £60. Oh, dear, oh, dear.

-I'm so sorry.

-I'm not getting a good feeling here.

-He catalogued it very well.

-The Beswick fruit set.

-Now the Beswick.

Large bowl and six small, Happy Morn.

Who's in there at £50? £20, and again, no reserve.

at 5, bid 25, bid 25, at £25 I'm bid.

Quite sure? All done? Finished away, then, at £25.

-£25, that's minus £10.

-They've all gone to sleep, haven't they?

We've lost on everything!

You've got what they used to call a GSOH, right, Great Sense of Humour.

WLTM, Would Like To Meet somebody who could make a profit!

No, seriously, that means overall you are minus 83.

-That's not too bad.

-It could have been worse, couldn't it?

So what will you do about the old dog? Will you go with the woofer?

-Yeah, I think I'd go for it.

-It's good quality.

-It did have a growl.

-Did it?

-Yeah.

-Has it lost it, has it?

-Yeah, it's gone.

It's been neutered. We're going with the bonus buy,

it's the old dog, and here it comes.

The Steiff boxer. There we are, please,

the boxer dog, the puppy,

button in the ear, and bidding starts with me on commissions

-at £50, and you're all out in the room.

-£50! Straight in.

£50 I'm bid 50 for the Steiff, at £50, I'm bid.

-Do I see £5?

-Oh, come on!

At £50, it will be sold, maiden bid.

£50, selling at £50.

-Oh, no.

-Oh, no, £50.

-He lost his growler!

Minus £5. You went with the bonus buy, so that means you're minus £88.

That's a good round number!

I must say, you're a couple of punters, you two, aren't you?

-Oh, I'm so sorry!

-Don't worry.

-Don't tell the Blues anything.

-No, no.

-No, no.

-No, don't even mention losses.

Now, Nola, we don't want any more trouble from you, right?

-Do you know how the Reds got on?

-No. Not at all.

-No idea.

We're glad about that.

We're all predicting a bit of an awayday winner if you're lucky.

-A GAY Day winner!

-A Gay Day winner.

Well, a Gay Day winner and, frankly, the card table winner,

and your continental clock should do pretty well too,

so stand by, bargain hunters, because this could be a result.

Now, first lot up is the Gay Day coffee set, and here it comes.

161, the cups and saucers. Gay Day pattern, original box,

another good lot here, please. £80 for those, £22 bid and a low start,

22, how about 25? £25, I'm bid 25,

-25, in the room now at £25.

-No money, this.

-Oh, come on!

30. £30 I'm bid. £30, I'm bid. 35?

-Well done, Frank.

-£30, I'm bid. Now this is not enough, surely.

At £30 I'm bid, 30, at £30, I'm bid 30,

-do I see 5 anywhere?

-Not a Gay Day set, is it?

-No.

40. £40 on the dresser, I'm bid, 40.

I thought they'd make a lot more than this.

£40, in your hand entirely,

the lady's bid, finished away then at £40.

-No money, £40.

-Yes, Frankie-boy, we done it!

61a, extra to some of your catalogues,

this is the little Vienna wall clock on the side there, please.

I think the nail has just come out...

LAUGHTER

-OK, this is it.

-It is such a nice clock.

Will you bear in mind there's no smoking in the room, please?

LAUGHTER

What will you say for that, £80?

£30 I'm bid on commission here at £30.

£35 in the room. £35, I'm bid 35, the commissions are lost.

-Go on!

-£35 I'm bid.

-Come on!

-At £35.

£40 I'm bid, 40, 5, 45, bid 45,

bid 45, 50 for you, sir,

at £45 along the line then at £45.

All done, quite sure? £50 I'm bid, £50.

-Yeah, go!

-It's there at 50,

5. 55, another bid of 55, at 55, bid, 55, you all done?

Selling then, £55 and away at £55.

-Yes.

-Yay! We're off!

You are plus £20 on that!

-You are phenomenal!

-We're giving it to charity anyway.

-Now, hang on.

-161b, which is the envelope card table.

Lovely little piece this is, please.

Here we go then, what will you say for that, £300?

I'm bid £100 on commission,

£100 I'm bid for the envelope table.

£100, I'm bid 110, I'm bid 120,

120 bid, 120, 130. £130. Now this should be more.

£130 I'm bid, it will be sold, there's no reserve.

At £130, I'm bid 140.

-It's not on the screen, you see.

-That is so cheap.

-At 140, I'm sure it should be more.

-It's cheap! Cheap.

At £150, I'm bid 150. £150.

At £150, I'm bid 150. Quite sure, then, all done,

happy and away, sold at £150, the bargain of the day.

Bargain of the day, look at that.

£150. Plus £20 though, you are overall

-plus £55, how cool is that?

-Oh, magic.

-What about having a go at the bonus buy?

-No, no, no.

-You don't fancy the cat?

-What, the road kill? No.

-You sure? It's 38... It's £38.

-We're going to...

-You're going to bank it?

-We're going to take the money and run.

-You're a bit of a poker player, aren't you?

-Yes!

-OK, cats are off.

We're going to sell it anyway, so here comes the pussy.

And 166, the David Sharp sleeping cat,

this is the Rye Pottery model.

Hand painted, what will you say for that, £100?

£30, I'm bid £30, the Rye cat here at £30, I'm bid £30,

I'm bid 30, do I see £5 now? It's the maiden bid and it will be sold,

at £30 I'm bid. £35 in the room,

at £35, are you all finished?

Sold and away at £35.

It's minus £3 on that, which is nothing, is it, really?

You didn't go with it anyway,

-so you banked your £55, congratulations.

-Brilliant.

Isn't it amazing, the difference between two teams?

What a bit of luck can make,

and what a bit of misfortune can bring upon you.

Anyway, have you been talking to one another?

-ALL: No.

-No idea how well or how badly you've done?

I have to say that the runners-up today have done particularly badly,

and they happen to be the Reds. So sorry about that.

Doreen and Christopher, minus £88 overall,

and it's quite a score, isn't it?

-We certainly hit the jackpot, didn't we?

-You really did there, Doreen!

-Anyway, I hope you've had fun.

-We have indeed.

Cos we thoroughly enjoyed having you, but for the victors, this is extraordinary.

You have made a profit on every single lot.

-Yes, Frankie-boy!

-Yes, Frankie-boy.

-What about me?

-Good old Davie!

Davie-baby!

So you are £55 up, which is brilliant.

But you didn't go with the bonus buy so you managed to preserve your £55.

-Yes.

-And indeed, I'm going to give you £55.

-Oh, brilliant.

-What do you think about that, Nola?

-I think it's magic, marvellous.

-We'll give that to charity, aren't we, Frank?

-To the Macmillans.

-The Macmillan nurses.

-Yeah.

That's very noble of you, and I hope they'll be duly grateful.

Great programme, join us soon for more bargain hunting, yes?

ALL: Yes!

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