London 16 Bargain Hunt

The battle of the sexes sure rages today.

We've got a particularly fine pair of bonnie girls versus two bouncing boys.

The big question is, who will come out top?

Let's find out. Let's go bargain hunting!

The Bargain Hunt battle ground today is the magnificent and historic Alexandra Palace in North London.

The People's Palace has played host to a number of prestigious events over the years

and today is no exception.

Over 600 antique dealers have flooded the main exhibition hall

to sell their wares and make some profits.

And that's just what our teams are hoping to do.

They'll get one hour and £300 to make three profitable purchases,

but will feminine wiles and intuition win out over male bravado?

I can't wait to find out.

So it's girls versus the boys today and representing women

-are Emma and Briony. Welcome to Bargain Hunt.

-Hi, Tim.

-Hello, Tim.

-And representing the manhood of the nation we have Nick and Mo-Mo.

-Hello, Tim.

Otherwise known as Mohammed. Now, you girls, how did you two first encounter one another?

Briony and I used to work together at a PR agency. Great clients, terrible company.

We bonded over a view of a brick wall through the window and too much Pinot Grigio after work.

-I hope you like your current job more?

-I do. I get to travel a lot. It's a lot more enjoyable.

-What do you do?

-I work for an IT company. They're getting broadband and internet to developing countries.

That's really interesting. Briony, you're no stranger to working abroad either, are you?

-No, I've lived in Dubai and Hong Kong.

-And what have you done there?

I work in public relations, so I've jumped around in different industries using these PR skills.

-I understand you are accident-prone when it comes to vehicles?

-No, that's Emm who's accident-prone.

-Oh.

-We went to go and see my grandparents and she needed some biscuits,

so we decided, because it was raining, that we would take the mobility scooters out instead of...

-Your gran's and your gramps'?

-Yeah.

-What happened then?

Emm, rather than braking, accelerated and I ended up pinned against the shop door.

-I don't believe it!

-So we broke the biscuits, broke Briony a bit...

-Sorry.

-No serious broken bones?

-No.

-We don't want any of that behaviour today.

If you see a mobility scooter, resist.

-I promise we will.

-Now, you boys... Nick, are you and Mo-Mo up for this challenge?

-We're always up for a challenge.

-Any experience in buying antiques?

Funny you should say that because I sell them. I work in a gun shop that sells antique firearms.

-Aren't you a bit young to work in a gun shop?

-Not at all. I've been working there for three years.

Mo-Mo, you're up against a team of women. Can you handle this?

Well, I think so. Me and Nick have got a bit of experience.

For a friend's art project, we reluctantly agreed to dress up as transvestites.

We went to the pub after. We managed to take off the wigs and clothes,

but we forgot all about the make-up.

We got quite a few funny looks at our local boozer.

But you've got another goal in life?

That's right. My friends back in Sheffield, they challenged me

to try and slip their names in whilst talking to our expert.

What names will we see subtly dropped into your conversation?

Well, they are Fi, Dave, Frank, Josh, Ram...

Alice, Suzie, Phil and Tom.

-You'll get all that lot subtly into a conversation with your expert?

-I think I will.

Now the money moment - £300. Ready for this, girls? There you go, £300.

You know the rules. Your experts await and off you go!

I'm supposed to remain neutral and the gender wars have just begun.

Lending an extra bit of girl power to the Reds today is Kate Bliss.

And trying to help the Blues figure out the opposite sex

is Thomas Plant. Good luck, mate!

He's going to need it because,

today, our experts will be helping not one but two lots of teams.

# Go to war, go to war

# When two tribes go to war, one is all that you can score... #

Hey, girls. Now, what do you think about this?

-You told me you like glass.

-Yeah.

-What do you think about that piece?

I think it's quite interesting. I like the lines and the sculpture.

It's by a factory called Whitefriars. And this dates from the '60s.

But the best thing is it's by one of the most notable designers at the factory - Geoffrey Baxter,

which dates this to 1964, '65, and Baxter pieces are very collectable in their own right.

So a profit at auction would be possible or...?

I would price this at auction at between £50 and £80 conservatively and it might make 100.

So if the stallholder knocks a little bit off, I think we've got a good chance with that.

-OK. Let's go for it.

-Happy?

-Yeah.

-Come on then. Come and help me.

The Reds paid £60 for the vase right in the middle of Kate's estimate.

Could this mean the girls have lost Round 1 already?

Mo-Mo is too busy trying to sneak his friends' names past Thomas Plant to care.

-Are you a leg man?

-To be frank, I love these kind of legs.

-These legs?

-Especially these legs.

-In brass?

-In brass.

-Especially when they crack a pair of nuts as well.

-I love cracking nuts.

-That's what you've got - a pair of nutcrackers.

I reckon they date... maybe late 19th century? Who do you think would have owned them?

I think a gentleman called Dave.

Come on. What kind of person?

What kind of person? Just a gentleman drinking brandy in his posh leather chair,

-cracking nuts over the fireplace.

-They're great fun.

At £58. How do you feel about that?

Maybe that's a bit strong for just a nutcracker.

-Maybe I could drive it down a little bit.

-What about you, Mo?

-We need to ram that price down.

-Do you feel they'll make a profit?

-Definitely.

-Really? You're so optimistic, you two.

-We really are.

-Why are you so optimistic?

I think, personally...personally, you could struggle at £58.

Maybe at 50, maybe 40, you've got a chance.

-So I'll give them back to you. You want someone nuts about nutcrackers. We'll have a chat to the dealer.

-OK.

Mo-Mo did well to sneak three names in,

but will the £40 leggy nutcracker help them to race away from the girls at auction?

Oh, girls, I like it.

It's a fantastic stall, but we can't afford most of the things, but this might be within our price range.

It looks like it's an inkwell. What do you think, B?

I love the structure and design of it.

It has that sort of like Russian steam engine, early period artwork.

-I like that.

-Or Rennie Mackintosh.

That's really interesting that you say that because this is the forerunner

to what became Charles Rennie Mackintosh's design.

This is German and it's made in what's known as the Jugendstil, the German equivalent of Art Nouveau.

-If I just rummage for my eyeglass, you see that little mark?

-Yeah.

-Let's just have a little look.

What we've got is exactly what I was looking for - a little stork mark,

the bird, a stork, and we've got some magic initials - WMF.

WMF stands for Wuerttembergische Metallwarenfabrik.

It translates basically as a metal factory in Wuerttemberg in Germany, the name of the place.

And this particular factory was known for producing very Art Nouveau

or very German design pieces of this period,

of the 1920s, 1910 even,

and this is exactly what this is, so it's over 100 years old.

-Let's see what we can negotiate. It's quite expensive.

-What's quite expensive? Let's have a look.

-£250?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, that is a lot. That's quite a large chunk of our 300, isn't it?

-It is.

-You're the major bargainer, Briony?

-Bit of haggling experience in the past.

-OK.

-Fierce.

-This comes with international travel?

-It does indeed.

Well, I say go for it. I think it's a cracking little piece.

It's the sort of thing at auction which is either going to fly and we make a profit or it might bomb.

But if it's marketed properly, it'll be on the internet and has every chance of doing very well.

-I love it.

-Go, girl.

-Lots of luck.

-Thank you. Bye.

-We'd better look for something else.

Lone lady in red Briony used her well-travelled negotiating skills, paying £190 for the inkwell.

-I quite like these.

-Yeah.

-"Phil" the weight.

-What are you doing?

-What do you mean?

-We're playing with these roller skates.

-Why did you pick them up?

I'm not a keen roller skater, but I have been roller skating before. It just sort of appealed to me.

I have to admit something. When I was a youth, roller skating was a craze and I was a roller skater.

Any idea of how old they are?

If you want my honest opinion, I think they'll be '30s, '40s.

I don't know if they're post-war. I wouldn't know.

At least they work and somebody will pay good money for these.

They're 28 quid, £14 each. That's too much.

What if "Fi" managed to get them down to 10 quid a pair?

I still think you're mad. I really do.

I'm going to have nothing to do with this. It's up to you guys.

-You're in agreement with this?

-Absolutely.

-Off you go, do the deal. It's your decision.

Thomas reckons he used to be a roller-skating king,

but at £20, will they make a profit at auction?

-Does it work and can we still make cocktails with it?

-We can.

That is a key thing. It looks as if it's all working.

It's got the inner tube there and the lever works well.

The thing I like about it is this chrome top has the inscription here,

"Tower Table Water, Hull," which matches the etching on the bottle,

so we know that it's all original. I love the colour.

Blue glass is always more commercial than a clear glass.

And this etching is lovely. It's almost sort of Art Nouveau

in this sort of scroll work cartouche which places it at probably sort of 1910, 1920s,

so it's a lovely period piece. There is a market for it, but it's a question of how much.

£50 is a fair retail price, but at auction that's gonna be expensive.

-So what do you think?

-I had a chat with the stallholder

and he said he would do it for 35.

-Is that gonna give us enough profit?

-It'll certainly help.

-If you like it, we should do the deal.

-Brilliant.

We've got to beat the boys. If it can make a profit, we should do it.

-Over to you, Briony.

-Follow me.

That's fighting talk from Emma.

The Reds mean business and the Blues are just playing a different game.

What is this?

What is this playing? Playing when we're meant to be making profits?

-We are making profits.

-Yeah?

-I think we're on to a profit here.

-Really?

-So what have you done?

-We've just bought this game.

-You've bought it?

-Yes.

-No?

-Yes, sorry.

-Without me?

Are you into this old school sci-fi?

-I had all the leftovers from the '80s, growing up in the '90s.

-How about you, Mo?

As "Suzie" Nick said that he's a fan of Captain Scarlet,

-I knew we had to get it.

-Really?

-This is more of a purchase for Nick.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Not for you?

-Not especially, no.

I'm more of a Tom-morrow kind of guy. I like futuristic things,

-rather than past things.

-Bit more of a sci-fi...?

-Yeah.

When we're looking at antique toys, condition is so important.

So we don't want to have a box in poor condition and the board game is in poor condition,

but so far, it's looking good, guys.

Do you know if it's complete?

There's "Alice" one small piece missing.

It's one of these little cars, but I don't know if that's a huge problem.

I reckon if you went to a toy fair, you could probably find one of those cars quite easily.

What was the damage?

Well, the stallholder wanted 50 for it

and we managed to get it down to £40.

You've done really well. And it's a real boy's game.

We should beat the girls with this.

Definitely.

Good team talk, but I think the girls have got a different idea about who's going to win.

We'll soon find out as their time is up.

In the Red corner, the girls paid £60 for the Whitefriars glass vase.

They're hoping the £190 polished pewter inkwell

will help them win the good fight.

And their last item is the soda siphon at £35,

but will girl power win the day today?

-So, girls, did you have a good time?

-Yeah. It went very quickly, but fun.

-Which is your best bit?

-I think it was the inkwell.

-The pewter inkwell.

Which is your personal favourite item?

-The inkwell.

-Your favourite too.

-What about you, Briony?

-I think the inkwell will do well, but I think my soda bottle will be fantastic.

You spent £285 which is quite magnificent. I'm very pleased.

£15 of leftover lolly, a miserable 15 goes to Kate Bliss.

The girls always seem to spend more. Do you find that?

Funny, that! All the girls around me spend a lot.

-What are you going to do with that £15?

-I have something up my sleeve which is a little novel.

-A novelty for £15?

-Possibly.

Possibly? You're such a tease. Go on, off you go.

So let's see what the Reds are up against and remind ourselves what the Blues bought.

Thomas wasn't at all keen on the nutcrackers, but was outvoted

and the boys trousered it for £40.

Once again, the boys didn't take Thomas's advice

and paid £20 for the roller skates.

These two just can't seem to stop mucking about

after buying the Captain Scarlet board game for £40.

I'm not sure that's gonna help them beat the girls,

but I'm not supposed to be taking sides.

-So was it good or was it good?

-Amazing.

-It was amazingly good.

-Which is your favourite piece, Nicko?

-My favourite piece is the nutcracking legs.

Oh, really? What about you, Mo-Mo?

Oh, stop Josh-ing about with me, Tim.

In all honesty, I'd say the nutcrackers as well.

So which piece is gonna bring the biggest profit, Nicholas?

I think... I'm thinking the Captain Scarlet board game.

And what about you, Mo-Mo?

I'd like to think my roller skates, but after what Thomas said, I'd go for the Captain Scarlet board game.

OK, fine. You spent £100 which is absolutely miserable.

I'd like £200 of leftover lolly. Thank you. To Thomas Plant. You've had your hands full today, Thomas!

-Ever so hands full!

-This lot?

-I didn't know about these names and thinking back...

-Yes?

-Whoosh!

-Whoosh?

-I've been conned, I've been duped!

I'm afraid it won't be the first time, Tom!

-What are you going to do with all that cash?

-Spend it.

-To spite them!

-The lot!

-Blow the lot.

-Blow the lot.

-You love it! Good luck, Tom.

We're at Bellmans Auctioneers in Wisborough Green in West Sussex today with Jonathan Pratt.

-Good morning.

-Good morning. We've got Emma and Briony today

who kick off with this so-called Whitefriars vase. Do you think it's Whitefriars or not?

No, certainly not. If you look underneath, what you've got here is a rough pontil mark.

Whitefriars would be polished out. It would be a nice, clear disc.

-So, lookalike?

-The price is reflected in that. £30 to £50 is what it's worth.

-That's what you've put on it?

-Yeah.

-They paid 60.

What about the WMF wee inkwell?

-Very good. A nice decorative thing for the desk, quite a masculine object.

-Yeah.

-£80 to £120.

-£190 they paid.

-190?

-190.

-We'll see if we can get there. I'll try my best.

-I'm sure, but that could be a long way off.

-What about the siphon?

-Quite a smart thing really.

-Get what then?

-£40 to £60.

-£35 paid.

-Possible profit there.

-Stands a chance.

But highly dodgy on the WMF unless it gets picked up and a bit dodgy on the Whitefriars.

I think it will get picked up. We'll get close to that money, I hope.

You hope. He's so optimistic. He needs to be.

Otherwise, they'll need their bonus buy, so let's look at it.

There's not a lot you can buy for £15, but I found you this rather fun little teapot.

Now, before I go any further, unfortunately,

an accident has befallen it on the way to the auction house,

-so I'm going to hand it very gently over to Tim.

-Oh, Lord.

-Oh, dear.

-That's not supposed to represent anybody, that fellow with the moustache?

-Well...

You cheeky Bliss! Tell me what happened. Is this crack in the wing something to do with the damage?

Yes, the wing has been broken off completely and has been re-glued, unfortunately,

which is a shame because it's rather fun with "T46" on the side.

"Tea for six." But it is a pity, isn't it? Kate, how much did you spend on this?

-I blew the whole £15.

-£15?

-Yes.

-When it was in sound condition?

-Exactly.

Girls, because this is supposed to be your bonus buy and we're not happy about the damage,

we will give you girls a credit of £15 automatically on your bonus buy, so you will not make a loss on this.

-OK.

-If it does make a pound or two or five or maybe ten or somebody goes bonkers and pays 20,

-all of that will be your profit. Is that fair?

-Yeah.

-Is that fair to you, Chief?

-That's fair.

-Have a handle of it cos it is great fun.

-I like it.

-Sorry about the wing.

In the meanwhile, let us find out what the auctioneer thinks about the damaged bonus buy.

What would this thing be worth if it was in brilliant condition?

-To sell it at auction?

-Mm-hm.

-£10 to £20.

-£10 to £20 is what it's worth undamaged.

-What we're going to do is to give the team and Kate Bliss effectively a £15 credit on it.

-Yeah.

-So whatever it brings above that will notionally be a profit, which I think is fair.

-Absolutely.

That's it for the Reds. Now for the Blues.

-Their first item are the skates. What are they worth then?

-Probably about £20 or £30.

-They're quite fun.

-Good. £20 paid.

-Now, novelties, the nutcrackers. How much do you think?

-Well, I put £25 to £40.

-Did you?

-Yeah.

-£40 they paid.

-Right.

-Now, you've got the Captain Scarlet game.

-Mm-hm.

-That looks pretty well complete.

-This is a bit of a classic,

-Captain Scarlet.

-'67.

-But it isn't complete.

-Isn't it?

-There's a couple of counters missing. It limits the people who will buy it.

-Absolutely.

Even though they're great fans of the show. How much then?

-£15 to £25.

-£40 paid.

-Yeah.

-Bit risky then, isn't it, for them?

They may need their bonus buy. Let's have a look.

Have a look, now hold it, touch it, feel it. Just have a good look. What do you think?

It's Russian. It's 1850s. Silver and silver gilt.

It's actually quite a fine thing - a vodka cup or some sort of drinking cup, of course.

It was marked up at about 280. I said, "200 quid cash." Taken!

How much do you think it'll go for in the auction?

It's got a good chance of touching the 200 and maybe a little bit over.

But it's an interesting object.

You don't have to decide right now. Let's see what the auctioneer thinks about the beaker.

A nice Russian beaker.

It's a silver gilt cup, OK? It's been engraved backwards.

You've got the decoration showing through.

But there's a good collectors' market for this sort of thing. That's £80 to £120 at auction.

-Oh, dear, oh, dear. Thomas Plant's gone completely overboard. £200 he paid for that.

-Wow!

-We've done well with Russian things here before. They get picked up.

-Well, that's the big thing.

Hope does spring eternal. Good luck on the rostrum!

35. 40. 45.

At 50. And 5. 60...

Briony and Emma, looking as lovely as ever, if you don't mind my saying...

-Are you ready for this?

-Yes.

-Are you excited?

-A little bit.

-Only a little bit?

-I'm nervous.

-What are you nervous about, Emma?

I want to make some money. I don't want to be embarrassed.

Nobody will be nasty to you on this programme.

First up is the Whitefriars Baxter style vase. Here it comes.

1532A, a Whitefriars, Geoffrey Baxter style,

cinnamon Sunburst vase.

Lots of bids. I'll have to go straight in at...

£70 is bid. Lots of interest. We're in at £70. £70. 5?

At £70, straight in. 75. Clears the commissions now.

-£75. At £75, are we all done?

-We nearly didn't buy it!

-Selling at £75...

-75 smackers. Well done, Kate!

-Brilliant.

Plus 15. Is that not great?

1533A, a WMF pewter inkwell with geometric design.

And again this time I've got £55 on the book. At £55.

Looking for 60 now? £55.

-With me at 55.

-Come on!

-60.

65. 70. 75.

-£75 against you, sir.

-Not much.

Looking for 80? £75 with me, commission bid at £75.

All done and selling at 75...

-£75.

-That's shocking.

That is minus 115. You're minus £100.

1534A, an Edwardian blue glass soda bottle with chrome-plated top.

And I have two bids. I've got to start at £20. With me at £20.

Looking for 5? I'll take 2?

22 then. 25. 28.

And 30. 32 if you want? £30 it is then. Against you at £30.

At £30. 2 anywhere else?

At £30 and selling. Last chance at £30...

You are minus 105. You're going to take the teapot, aren't you?

-Of course.

-You've got no choice.

-We've got to take the teapot.

1537A, a novelty teapot in the form of an aeroplane, circa 1975.

Who'll bid me £10 for this lot? Any interest at £10?

£10, thank you, at the back. 12? At £10 and all done at £10...

No further bidding, at £10... All done at £10.

£10. You get, therefore, the whole of that £10 as profit,

which means overall you're minus 95.

Minus £95, that could be a winning score.

Seriously, it could be a winning score. You could be ahead, even though you've lost £95.

-Don't tell the Blues a thing.

-No.

£90 with the lady seated...

95 at the front. 100 if you like? 100 on the phone...

-Mo-Mo and Nick, do you know how the Reds got on?

-No.

-You haven't been talking to them?

-No.

-Let's run through your lots. How are you feeling? Feeling confident?

-A little bit.

-Mildly confident.

-Do you see any dark holes opening up in this process or is it all good news?

-No.

-No.

-It's all good.

1553A, a pair of Unit roller skates,

circa 1939, '40.

Surely worth £20 to start me? £20? £20, anyone?

Start me at £20? 10 then? Got to be worth a tenner.

10 is bid. Front row with 10. Let's go up. £10. 12?

-10 it is. At £10. 12?

-Come on.

10 it is then. Front row at £10. I'll sell at £10, maiden bid.

Last chance? £10.

Minus £10, I'm afraid, boys.

Lot 1554A, a pair of brass nutcrackers,

modelled as a lady's legs. I've got £15 on the book.

With me at £15. At £15 bid.

£15. 20. 25. 30 if you want?

£30, he's gone. At £30.

£30. 5 anywhere? On the right at £30. I'll sell at 30. Last chance?

All done at £30...

-Bad luck. £30, minus £10 on that. Bit of a pattern developing here.

-Minus £10 all the time.

1555A, Captain Scarlet board game,

Waddington's, circa 1967.

-Start me at £10 for this?

-Oh!

Captain Scarlet game for a tenner? Any interest at £10?

-No, this is...

-No interest at £10?

Are you gonna bid? He's bidding £10. 10 in the front row.

At £10. Looking for 12 now? At 10 it is. I'll sell at £10.

Last chance at £10...

-£10.

-As my late grandmother would say, bitterly disappointing.

-Minus £30 on that.

-Bitterly disappointing.

-You're minus £50.

What are you gonna do about the beaker then?

-Let's go for the bonus buy.

-We've got nothing to lose.

Here it comes.

19th century Russian silver and silver gilt engraved beaker.

£80 to start me? Start me at £80?

60 then? Surely worth £60?

£40? Surely worth 40? £40 anywhere?

£40 bid in the centre. Now looking for 5?

I'll sell at £40. Looking for 5?

In the centre of the room at £40.

Are we all done at £40? That's it at £40.

Last chance at £40. His hand's still up at £40...

£40. Good choice, boys(!)

Minus £160.

You were in quite a healthy position then.

You're now minus £210.

So, bad luck to the Blues.

They made a whopping loss of £210 - ouch!

Which means the Reds win because remember, they lost only £95.

Coming up, two more teams go bargain hunting,

but first, I'm heading off somewhere relaxing.

And where better than here in an unspoilt valley in Gloucestershire

at Sudeley Castle?

It has a long and intriguing history spanning more than a thousand years.

Over the centuries, Sudeley has had some infamous owners and occupants.

In the 16th century, it was Crown property

and following the death of Henry VIII in 1547,

his son, Edward VI, gave it to Sir Thomas Seymour

and created him Lord of Sudeley.

Henry VIII's sixth and last wife, Katherine Parr,

went on to marry Sir Thomas Seymour shortly after Henry's death

and the newly weds then took up residence at the castle.

Sadly, Katherine didn't have long to appreciate the wonders of Sudeley.

In 1548, a few days after giving birth, she died and was buried in the castle's chapel.

About a hundred years later, during the Civil War,

old Oliver Cromwell and his troops attacked Sudeley

and they effectively made it a ruin.

They also desecrated this chapel and it turned into a ruined state.

And as a result, the precise site of Katherine Parr's grave had become lost.

It wasn't until 1782 that a local farmer dug under a wall of the ruined chapel

after a panel had been discovered.

During that excavation, a lead coffin was unearthed.

Bingo! They had struck gold.

They decided to open the lead coffin

and they found inside the body of the late Queen entire and uncorrupted.

Not surprisingly over the next 80 years,

continuing curiosity about Queen Katherine led to more disinterring and openings of the coffin.

In 1792, some hair and a tooth were removed and can now be seen in the visitors' centre.

In the 1830s, the estate had been acquired by the wealthy Dent family

and they undertook in the next decade or two an extensive programme of restoration.

And they decided that for the deceased Queen she ought to be re-interred

in a rather more appropriate tomb.

And this is it.

It's after a design from Sir George Gilbert Scott,

the Victorian designer who had designed the Albert Memorial in London

and eventually, in 1861,

her remains which were further examined

and found to be but a small pile of brown dust

were finally, finally laid to rest here.

But back at Alexandra Palace,

there's to be no rest for our next two teams of bargain hunters.

So, let's meet our new lots of Reds and Blues.

We've got Evan and James for the Reds,

and we've got Holly and Ellie for the Blues.

-G'day!

-Hello!

Strewth! We've got a pair of Aussies on the programme.

-Too right!

-Certainly true-blue, down under Aussies right here.

-You're big Bargain Hunt fans down under, aren't you?

-Absolutely.

Does it go down well in Oz?

Yep. Everyone's glued to their sets.

That's what I like to hear! Brilliant!

Is it your parents we have to thank for your trip over here?

Well, not this trip, but when I was younger,

my parents were actually antique collectors of Royal Doulton

and they went into a shop and my dad saw a Charlie Chaplin figurine up on the wall

and he thought he recognised it from a magazine so bought it for quite a good price

and it turned out to be a really rare piece, so he sold it a few years later for a good price

and that funded a trip over here and I had my first birthday in England.

So that's one or two years ago that he sold this thing, isn't it?

-Maybe just, maybe just.

-Maybe just. Fantastic!

James, what do you miss most about home?

It would definitely have to be the food. Good fish and chips.

The English, I'm sorry, don't make it like they do back home.

-What's the matter with our fish and chips?

-It's all pre-prepared and just not the same!

-Pre-prepared? Come into my fish shop, they're still alive!

-We grill our fish and dim sims.

-Do you know what dim sims are?

-Yeah, I know what dim sim is.

-You don't get them here.

-Not at the fish and chip shop you don't!

-They should be!

-We go to a Chinese restaurant for those.

-That's dim sums.

-Oh, dim sums! What's a dim sim?

-I don't think you wanna know what's in a dim sim, no-one ever asks!

-Oh, right!

Like sausages, you don't wanna know what's in it. You eat it cos it tastes good.

That's probably why we don't have them in fish and chip shops.

I'm sticking up for our fish and chip shops, our chippies!

Will you be on the lookout for anything special today, James?

I'll be looking for... I've got an avid collection of keyrings, funnily enough.

-Keyrings?

-Yeah. I just travelled Europe recently for two months

and every city that I visited I collected a keyring from there.

They're small, easy to keep in your luggage and to transport.

I hope your collection of keyrings unlock a decent profit for your team.

Now, Blues. So how do you two girls know each other?

We fly for an international airline together.

-Really?

-Yeah.

Holly, is being an air stewardess as glamorous as it's set out to be?

Not quite. When we get to the places, it's really good,

you get to do loads of shopping and sunbathing...

But it's not so glamorous on board?

Not quite, not really when you're sort of clearing up sick...

-No, quite!

-..and things like that, not really!

-No!

Lovely! Well, moving on...!

-Ellie, any clues as to what you'll be looking for?

-Um, not really.

Just something that takes my eye. Just see what's about.

Yes. You're frightfully keen on shoes, aren't you?

Yeah, I like the old shoes, yeah. I've got lots of shoes at home.

-I shouldn't be going for shoes, if I were you!

-I don't think I will.

-You're extremely competitive, I'm told.

-Yeah. Me and my dad like the old crazy golf,

and playing on the old computer, and we get dead competitive, yeah!

-So these boys don't stand a chance, eh?

-Not at all!

-Not a chance!

There's a challenge, then.

-The £300 moment is here. Here's your £300.

-Thank you.

You know the rules. Your experts await, and off you go!

And very, very good luck.

# Well, come on everybody! #

-Guys, what do you think of this beauty?

-No, it's interesting.

-Yeah, it's nice.

-Who's the figure of, though?

-Well, I think this is probably Eve, as in the Garden of Eden.

-Yep.

And what we see here, beautifully cast round the edge,

is the serpent, of course, to tempt her.

You see a lot of them cast but the figural ones,

where you've got a 3D figure sculpted within it,

are more unusual and more commercial.

-What's it made out of?

-Although it looks silver,

-it's actually made of polished pewter.

-OK.

We've got the number 249 here.

Now that's the design number, but if we look just here,

you can see it's a little bit rubbed,

but there's the mark of a stork, the bird, and the letters WMF.

Some people would go wild hearing those initials,

because they stand for Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik,

which literally translated is a metal factory

in Wurttemberg in Germany... This particular design dates from 1905.

-It's actually in the WMF patent books.

-Oh, really!

So it's got a lot of age to it. £250 is what they're asking for. What do you think about that?

I reckon we see how far we can come down, maybe around the £200 mark.

Start it around there, or even lower, and we might be able to get a good bargain.

Who's the best at driving a bargain?

-We'll both do some dealing together.

-Yeah!

Between us both, I'm sure we can pair up!

-Over to you then.

-OK.

-All right. Thanks.

-Give it your best shot.

I like these boys! They're not frightened of flashing the cash.

Evan and James landed the pewter tray for £190.

Now, let's see if the girls are really high-flyers.

Ellie, what have you got there?

-I don't know! What do you think it is?

-This is a dance card, shaped like a fan.

So if you think of 1900, and you think of girls of your age

going out to a ball or a dance, you'd have one of these with your little purse,

and there's a little pencil there, and this is ivory,

and this is mother of pearl, with a bit of silver inlay,

and if a gentleman asked you for a dance,

you'd go, "I'm booked up for the waltz, but I can do this one."

Then you'd put your name of the man you're gonna dance with.

-That's really nice.

-Lovely.

-It's a dance card shaped like a fan.

-Aaaw!

About 1900s. It's really Edwardiana.

-So how much is it?

-£60.

-What do you think of that, Holly?

SHE GIGGLES Do you think someone would buy it?!

-Why do you think somebody wouldn't buy it?

-I think someone would buy it

but maybe we can get it for a little bit less.

Absolutely. Something like that at auction needs to be a bit less.

-Shall we have a chat with the dealer?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Oh! Thomas and the girls are in a romantic mood, eh?

Let's hope somebody falls in love with the mother of pearl fan over at the auction. £45 paid.

-Yeah.

-Ooh, what have you found, guys?

These teaspoons. They look like jelly beans at the end. What are they?

They do, it's funny. They're stylised to look like coffee beans

as little finials on the end of these spoons.

You see them often on coffee spoons, but I love the bright enamels.

-They're really eye-catching.

-They really stand out.

It's what know as baisse-taille enamelling, after the French term,

and what's happened is the silver here

has been engraved in this lovely pattern and then the enamel,

the molten glass, is laid over the top

and it gives it this lovely sunburst effect here,

And they're hallmarked here.

We've got a little mark of an anchor which shows that they were tested in Birmingham.

That's the symbol for Birmingham, and then the date letter, that little "O", is 1938, 1939,

How much are they? £50.

Now £50, I don't think that's too bad.

At auction I can see them making anything between £30 and maybe £50 or £60 on a good day.

OK, so maybe we should ask to get it down to about £40?

-That would be even better!

-I like them.

-So do I. Let's give it a go.

-OK. You'd better show me where they came from.

-It's over here.

True to his word, James dropped them down from £50 to £40.

-Ah, it's really cute, this.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It would be really nice in a little dolls' house.

What have you got there, girls?

A little dresser and chair with, like, tassels on it.

And why have you chosen that? Why have you picked that up?

Because it's pretty.

And how old do you think it is?

-1920s.

-Absolutely!

-Oh, wow!

-It's about that date, well done!

-It's got a bit of damage here.

-Show me the damage.

-Will that affect the price of it?

-OK, it's so fine.

That will affect it a little bit, but it's not the end of the world,

because as you see when you turn it over, that's on the very back

and it's not something you're going to look at.

And I noticed as you turned it over, we saw the price, £155.

What do you think about that?

Oh, it's a little bit...

-A little bit what?

-Expensive.

Exactly. I think it needs to come down a little bit.

Do you think it's something which people would like?

-Yeah, definitely.

-Yeah?

-I think someone will buy it, but maybe a little bit cheaper.

You're quite right. There are dolls' house collectors out there.

-So we have a chat to the dealer?

-Yeah.

-Shall we have a go?

-Yes.

All right. Come with me.

Holly and Ellie settled on the miniature pieces at £130.

Now, what's brewing with the boys from down under?

Do you know, I could murder a cup of tea!

Oh, well! I could make tea.

-We've looked at a lot of teapots, haven't we?

-Yeah.

-This one, I think, is the best.

So what do you think about this piece?

It's quite nice. Maybe it does have a little tarnish around the top,

but it'd make a good cup of tea.

I think you're right. What you actually think is tarnish

is actually where the plate has rubbed,

cos I'll let you into a little secret.

This isn't actually silver, it's known as electroplate,

so it's got a very thin layer of silver over a base metal

and what you can see here is the brass just showing through a little bit.

Having said that, it is by a particular maker

and if we look, in fact, at the bottom,

you can see a little mark here and the name "Benson".

Now Benson, in fact, stands for William Arthur Smith Benson

and he was actually one of the main designers

in the Arts and Crafts movement.

-Well, I'm interested. What do you think of it?

-Yeah.

Maybe find out... How much is it?

Well, the ticket price here says £70. Now it's quite a lot, isn't it?

I mean, it's a fair retail price but at auction,

I would like to see this estimated at about £40 to £60,

so what do you think?

Let's go and see if we can get the price down and put the kettle on.

That sounds good to me. OK!

The boys strained out a deal at £40 for the teapot.

-Well done.

-Fantastic!

-What do you think of this?

-Oooh!

What's that "oooh" for?

It's all right.

If I was to say to you it's 50 years old, what would you say?

-No way!

-No way. Really?!

-Yeah.

-It's actually 50 years old.

-Oh, is it?!

It's 1950s.

This is made by Kosta, Kosta Boda

a famous glass factory in Sweden.

Now, in the post-war period, the Scandinavians had this great way of designing items

and it's so lovely, it's sleek, it's slender,

it's got this lovely... what we call a sommerso,

and this really decorative bubble design through it.

-So, what do you think of the price?

-Far too expensive!

-Far too expensive, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Is it far too expensive?

-I wouldn't want it for that price.

-No, I agree with you.

We need £100 off that, at least,

because these sell for about £80 to £120.

Am I winning you over?

If you can get a good price for it then, yeah,

I think it's cool.

-You think it's cool?

-Yeah, it's quite cool.

-It is quite cool for 1950s.

-Yeah.

And there are a lot of collectors of Scandinavian glass,

and I sell quite a lot of it and it does make that sort of money,

so if we can get almost 100 quid off, but I really need your help.

-Are you going to help me?

-Yep!

-We're a team?

-Yes!

-Right, let's go, come on!

-Better make a profit, anyway!

-I'm sure it will!

That's the fighting spirit we love, Holly,

and that also means both teams' bargains are all found,

so let's have a reminder of what the Reds bought. Good on you, boys!

Evan and James kicked things off

with their Art Nouveau pewter polished plate for 190,

then came their set of six 1930s coffee spoons at £40,

and lastly, their hot brew obsession continued

and they picked up a Benson-inscribed teapot for £40.

So, cobbers, how did you get on?

-Fantastic! Had a ball!

-Enjoy the shop?

-Yeah, it was good.

We had a good shop with Kate. She was very helpful.

They sound quite surprised, don't they?!

I don't know why! Which is your favourite bit, James?

I think we agreed that the teaspoons that we bought,

-they really stood out because of the colour.

-Uh-huh.

-So are they going to make the most profit, then?

-Hopefully, yeah.

-Hopefully?

-Fingers crossed.

Everything's crossed, actually,

but you spent £270, which is jolly good going.

30 smackers coming over for Kate to find the bonus buy with.

-I haven't a clue what I'm gonna get!

-Haven't you?

-No!

Oh, that's unusual because you've got, usually, a very good idea.

Are you a bit worried about this?

-Oh! OK. Well, we're worried for you, and good luck.

-Thank you.

Let's remind ourselves what the Reds are up against

and see what the Blues bought.

There were no delays for the Blues and they took off

with an early 20th century mother of pearl and ivory dance card for £45.

Next, they thought it was pretty,

but will it be sitting that way at the auction?

And Thomas's final destination was Sweden, as the Blue's last piece

was this Scandinavian '50s glass vase, packed away for £80.

Well, how was it?

-Brilliant!

-Fantastic!

-I think those grins say it all, don't you?

-They were wonderful!

Which is your favourite piece?

Mine would be the dance card with that fan out

with the mother of pearl front.

Ooh, you're getting all the lingo, aren't you?! What about you, Holls?

I like the miniature table and chair for the dolls' house,

it's really, really sweet.

-Which piece is going to bring the biggest profit?

-The vase.

In unison, you're determined about that!

Well, you spent a magnificent £255, and I'd like £45 of leftover lolly

for Thomas to go and find the bonus buy with.

Now, you've had a very envy-making day today, haven't you?

Do you know, I feel honoured,

I feel so special the BBC chose me to look after these two glamorous girls.

I'm over the moon, so I'm gonna buy something slender and beautiful.

-Are you slender and beautiful?

-Not like me, obviously!

Thomas, I didn't say that!

But I'm glad you had a good time, anyway. Good luck with your trawl.

Thank you.

Today we've come to Bellmans in deepest West Sussex

to be with Jonathan Pratt.

-Jonathan.

-Good morning.

-Our auctioneer of the moment.

First up is this quite stylish and at least stamped Benson teapot.

It's only nickel-plate.

-It's got the look...

-Exactly.

It's very typically of that late 19th century style he was doing.

I've put £25 to £40 on this.

OK. £40 paid.

Now, the WMF tray.

You've got Eve and the serpent, so it's sort of suggestive as well.

-And a bit of a lily pad.

-Exactly.

-It's clever.

-How much do you think for that?

-I've put £100 to £150.

-Have you?

-Yeah.

£190 was paid. It might just get that, might it?

-It could get that.

-I hope you get them tempted.

-Of course, you've got immense willpower yourself.

-Oh, yeah.

You're able to resist even a cased set of coffee spoons like this!

-I think that's lovely!

-Yeah?

-Multi-coloured bowls,

nice bit of engine turning underneath,

really nice bright colours, really cheerful.

-So how much?

-Well, I would say £30 to £40.

£40 they paid.

-But somebody could be tickled by those colours.

-Could be.

-They might pay £50.

-Sure!

But it all hinges on the WMF piece, and if all goes belly up with that,

let's go and have a look at the bonus buy.

Evan and James, you spent £270.

You gave £30 of leftover lolly to Kate Bliss.

What did she spend it on?

-A sweet little Arts and Crafts spoon.

-Nice! Lovely!

Quite collectable, because it's Arts and Crafts,

hammer decoration, a really distinctive hallmark of the Arts and Crafts movement,

that very handmade look about it,

a lovely pierced little finial, and set with a little carnelian stone.

That was £30.

Is this gonna make us a big profit?

I think it has a chance to.

You don't have to decide right now,

but for the benefit of the audience,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about the jolly old spoon.

Isn't this sweet?

Very pretty.

-What do you think it is worth?

-Well, I reckon £30 to £40.

-Great, she paid 30.

-I think she could do well with that.

-She could do well? That's lovely.

That's it for the Reds. Now for the Blues.

Their first item is the novelty fan,

which is actually, I think, some kind of dance card marker, isn't it?

I think so. You've got this little pencil holder on the end

which isn't the greatest quality, actually.

Oh, yes. That's crud metal, isn't it?

That's really crud metal!

How much do you think?

-I would think probably £15 to £20.

-Well, £45 was paid, so there's an uphill struggle there.

Now, talking about struggles, we next move onto the filigree work.

Yeah.

I'm not a fan of filigree, to be honest. I don't like this wirework metal.

I shouldn't necessary reflect that in the valuation,

-cos there are collectors of all things.

-Quite.

But I would say about £40 to £60 is what it's gonna get at auction.

Oh, dear! £130 paid.

Lastly, then, something completely different.

-A bit of modernist glass.

-Yeah.

I quite like 20th century glass.

People are buying this sort of thing today and they are using it.

Not just the collector, someone will buy because it's nice on the mantel.

It's nice, it's good condition. What more can I say? £70 to £100.

£70 to £100?

-Gosh! £80 they paid, so that's not too bad, it's on the cusp.

-Absolutely.

But they have a got a problem with the filigree,

and may have a problem with the novelty fan,

so just in case, let's go and have a look at the bonus buy.

Now, Ellie and Holly, you spent £255,

leaving Thomas with £45 to spend on your bonus buy.

-£45 was well-spent.

-Ooh!

-Oooh!

-What, another vase?!

Another vase! I've got another piece of Swedish glass.

Now it's by Johansfors, designed by a man called Bengt Orup.

-Bengt who?

-Bengt Orup.

-Oh, really!

-They were... Hold it, go on!

-You won't fit many plants in here!

No, it's a signature piece! It's something you put on a sideboard.

It only cost £45.

It was marked up at £78. It's a designer piece.

It's got a chance.

How come you got the same sort of thing?

Well, because we've already got a piece of glass in

-and I thought it would be a good idea to sort of have a friend in the sale...

-A friend!

Because one person to buy that one friend, might buy the other friend.

-Anyway, you don't have to decide right now.

-No!

You decide after the sale of your first three items.

Let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Tom's piece of glass.

Oh, look at that! Isn't that superb?

-A bit more smoky glass.

-It speaks for itself. What would you use it for?

I suppose you could just about get a stem flower in there, couldn't you?

-Yes, a bit of Ikebana.

-What's that?

-It's one bud up to heaven.

-OK.

-It's a Japanese economical flower-arranging form.

-Well, wonderful!

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

So, how much for it, then?

Well, about £40 to £60 is what I've set for it.

£45 Thomas has invested for the Blues

-and we will have to hope for the best, won't we?

-We will!

-We will!

Now, Evan and James, how are you feeling, boys? Are you excited?

Yeah, pretty excited.

Nervous, anxious, yeah.

First lot up, though, is the teapot and here it comes.

Handsome looking lot.

Surely start me at £30 for the teapot, £30? Surely worth £30?

-£20 then...

-Oh, dear!

Start me off at £10, surely worth a tenner?

Come on! £10...

is bid! Thank you at 10. Do you want 12, sir?

12 it is. 15 on the right? 12 seated in the centre. At £12.

I'll sell at £12. All done at £12, last chance, I'm selling for 12.

£12. You're minus £28 on that.

Lot 1574A, an Art Nouveau WMF pewter tray in the form of Eve,

with the serpent border.

I've got interest to start me at 70, 80, 90, £100. Straight in at £100.

Commission bid at £100. Looking for 10 now, maiden bid of 100.

At £100, are we all done? No further interest?

I've gone cold at £100. On the book, then,

commission bid against you all, £100.

-£100, that's grim.

-Ouch!

Minus 90.

That means you are minus 118.

Lot 1575A,

a set of six Art Deco silver and enamel bean end coffee spoons,

Birmingham, 1938.

I've got £25 on the book, with me at £25.

Looking for 30 now, £25 and 30,

-35, 40...

-Come on!

45, £45, do you want 50?

45 against you then. On the book at £45.

You're in profit.

Commission bid against you all at £45, selling at £45.

£45, that's good. Plus £5.

Unfortunately, that means you are still minus £113.

-OK, yeah.

-Right? But, you've got Kate to fall back on.

-Do you think we should ride with the spoon?

-I think we'll spoon it.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-We're hurting at the moment.

-You could be hurting even more!

Well, I'm happy to hurt more!

Arts and Crafts hammered silver spoon with engraved pierced trefoil finial,

and again I've got £25 bid.

£25, straightaway at £25, looking for £30 now. I'll take 28.

28, 30, 32, 35, 38 if you like.

-35 against you...

-Well done, Kate.

..on the books still at £35.

And selling, commission bid all done, £35.

£35, that's a brilliant profit of a £5 note,

and that means 5 off 13, What's 5 from 13?

8, isn't it? 108.

You are £108 down. I mean it could be a winning score, right?

You never know, hopefully! Fingers crossed!

-Could be, if things go really badly for the Blues!

-Really badly!

-Don't tell the Blues a thing, right!

-No!

-Mum's the word.

Now, Ellie and Holly, do you know how the Reds got on, those boys?

-Haven't got a clue.

-Not a clue?

-No.

-That's very good, we don't want you to know.

How are you feeling?

-Confident!

-I'm dead nervous.

Is there anything that you feel particularly shifty about what you've bought?

-Yeah...

-The dance cards, I think.

-No, the table and chairs.

-Oh, yeah, and that!

-A bit dodgy, yeah!

Do you wish you hadn't bought them?

-It was too expensive. I don't think anyone's gonna...

-We still like them!

-You still like them?

-They're just a little bit pricey.

That's the problem, isn't it? Well, 130 you paid, right.

The auctioneer, he's put £40 to £60 on those chairs, which is tight.

Harsh.

First up is your fan dance-case and here it comes.

1593A, a 20th century mother of pearl and ivory dance card

with silver overlay, so I can start straight in at... £15 is bid.

18, 20, 22, 25, 28 and 30.

32, 35, £38. Clears commissions at £38. 40..

Lots of people bidding!

5, madam? 45, 50 is gone and 5, 55 with the lady, at £55.

Looking for 60. All done at £55 and selling.

Last chance, with the lady, £55.

-£55, a cool £10 profit.

-I think you'll find that were my purchase!

-Taking credit!

-"That's my purchase!"

That's a good start!

1594A,

an early 20th century silver filigree miniature dressing table and chair,

and I'm bid £20.

-Bid £20 on the book.

-You paid £130.

£20, looking for 5. £20. I'll take 2 if you like.

25, 28, 30.

£30 standing left, in at £30.

At £30, are we all done at £30?

£30 standing left and selling at £30.

£30. That's minus £100!

That's not so bad!

What do you mean, that's not bad! It's awful!

It's a small loss!

Well, overall, you're minus £90.

Lot 1595A,

a 1950s Kosta Sommerso vase by Vicki Lindstrand

and I have bids at £40, with me at £40.

-Looking for 5 now.

-Come on!

-£40, 5 anyone?

At £40 it is, at £40. 45 and 50.

55 and 60.

-At £60, with me still at £60.

-Bit more!

One more? And 5 and 70. £70, against you then.

-A bit more!

-It's still with me at £70 then.

-On the book commission then at £70, last chance. At 70.

-Grrr!

Right, £70, that's minus 10, that's nothing.

-You're back at minus 100.

-We weren't that far out.

-They did quite well, yeah.

-It's very gracious to say that!

And I'll give you the dance card!

What are you gonna do about this bonus buy, then?

-I'll go for it.

-Are you gonna go for it?

-Yeah.

-Really?

-We're putting our faith in you, Tom.

-You're going with it, here it comes.

A Johansfors smoky glass vase by Bengt Orup

-and I have on the book a commission of £10.

-Oh!

10 I'm bid, 10 it is. At £10, I'll take 12 if you like.

At a tenner with me on the book in at £10.

Not getting a good feeling here, Tom!

No-one will take it on at £10?

Selling then, on the book, commission bid against you all, £10.

£10, minus 35, you are minus £135.

Whose idea was it to go for that?!

-Yes! Whose idea was it, girls! I told you!

-Holly!

-It was a nice looking thing, but the wrong sale.

-Aaaw!

This is the moment when I have to reveal all.

Both teams know that they have made substantial, whopping losses today,

you both know this.

It's just a question of scale, really,

and marginally ahead on the scale of losses,

I have to reveal, are the Blues.

Aaaah, no!

-You felt so good about this, didn't you?

-Oh, and it's going on TV!

It is on TV, actually, yeah.

£135 you are down the drain.

But have you had a good time?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant, yeah.

-We've loved having you.

You've jollied up our programme enormously!

Now, boys, the victors, by only losing £108!

So you're not gonna be going home, I'm afraid, with any cash,

But, so what?! It's been good fun, hasn't it?

-Yeah!

-Yeah!

-It's good to know we beat the girls!

-It was a good game!

-Yeah! Stop rubbing it in, James!

Anyway, we've had a great time.

Join us soon for some more bargain hunting, yes?

ALL: YES!