Ardingly Bargain Hunt

Look at that. Isn't it lovely? Actually, completely useless!

Let's hope that today's teams can spot the riches from the schmutter.

Let's go bargain-hunting, yeah?

We're at Ardingly's world-famous antiques and collectors fair.

There are literally thousands of objects here for our teams

to choose, which is quite a challenge,

for them to find three items in only an hour to sell off at auction.

With only one hour and £300 to do it, they're going to need all the help they can get

from experts Anita Manning and Catherine Southon.

You have a playful side to you?

-He does!

-You've got expensive taste. That's a good thing.

But before all that, let's find out some more about our two competing teams today.

On the Red side, we've got newly-weds Emma and Matt.

-Welcome to Bargain Hunt.

-Thank you.

And the absolute contrary on the Blues, a married couple for 32 years, Mark and Iris.

Welcome to Bargain Hunt. Lovely to see you. Now, Emma, how did you two meet, darling?

We met in our current jobs.

Across the crowded office, I saw Matt and I thought, "Yep, that's...what I'd like to see,"

-and I sort of chatted him up and we had our first date.

-Ohh!

-And everything went on very nicely from then on.

-Here we are, married.

What sort of office were you in?

In travel, in a travel company, yeah.

-Brilliant.

-Yeah.

Brilliant. What about extreme sports?

I've done a bungee jump before in Greece. I did that.

I went up in a crane and did it over the beach, so that was good fun.

I mean, I can't understand why people want to jump off things.

-Well, it's the adrenalin rush.

-Is that what it is?

-You're supposed to disturb all your internal organs, aren't you?

-They were still intact, so...

-I'm glad to hear it!

-I can vouch for that.

-So what have you done, Matt, in the way of extreme sports?

-Extreme sports?

Well, I've sky-dived and I guess my absolute dream now

is to do another bungee jump, but from a helicopter.

That's the dream I'm kind of hoping to fulfil.

I think it could be somebody else's nightmare!

-It could be.

-So Bargain Hunt's going to be a walk in the park for you, then?

Time will tell, but we'll certainly give it our best shot to get a good bargain today.

And what interests have you got in antiques, Matt?

I'm interested in archaeological and old...

I'm particularly interested in the Roman period but anything generally that is old where I can just have

my mind racing about what this item was used for or how people lived back in the day.

That's your interest, anyway. You're not going to go for that stuff today on Bargain Hunt, I hope!

-Absolutely not.

-Avoid the 2000-year-old stuff and tend to go for the 100-year-old stuff.

-Yes!

I think we'll have more choice that way today.

Then of course you've always got your expert.

Now for the Blues. Mark, how did you two meet?

We met when I was a young lad in the Air Training Corps.

-You're a good deal younger than youre wife, aren't you?

-A little.

Yes. 22 years younger than your wife.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-And proud of it.

-And proud of it.

-Dare to be different.

You must have snatched this boy when he was in shorts, then!

-What do you collect, Mark?

-I like clocks and I like tinkering around with clocks.

-I also like militaria.

-Brilliant. So what's all this about bare-back riding in Argentina, then?

We were on a ranch just outside of Buenos Aires

and we'd had a very good lunch with lots of vino...

-Oh, yes.

-This gaucho came flying up with his huge great horse and said

-for me to get on the back.

-"Hop up on the back, love." And off you cantered into the sunset?

He galloped straight off with no saddle, with me clinging on this chap on the back!

That's the trouble with red wine at lunch time.

You know what your mother told you. You shouldn't be doing that.

And are you interested in collecting at all, Iris?

Yes, I love Moorcroft and Spode Italian, Copeland.

Gosh, she sounds experienced, doesn't she? Are you quaking in your boots, you two?

No, we love a challenge, so it's game on.

I love that. The fighting talk. We're going to have fun today. Now, £300 apiece.

There you go, £300.

You know the rules, your experts await and off you go, and very, very, very good luck.

I don't know what's going on here. Toy-boys, bare-back riding. Whatever next?

It's a big old place, Ardlingly,

and an hour is barely enough to do it justice, but them's the rules.

Both teams have already decided on their tactics.

-While the Blues head for the high-brow indoor market...

-Have you found anything?

-..the Reds take on the miles of stalls outside.

-What are you looking for today?

Something that had a purpose in a past life.

Now, he's my favourite guy here.

He has the weird and the wonderful.

You guys are in the travel industry.

-That's right.

-Right, planes?

-Yeah.

-Trains?

-Yes.

-Automobiles maybe?

-And boats.

-Ah.

-Ah, I see.

-The Cunard liner.

Can we have a wee look at it?

Sure. Now, you have a look.

The Cunard liners...

Cunard made the Lusitania and it was one of the luxury liners.

-Now, I'm sure you guys know all about luxury liners.

-Yeah.

Tell me if it's like a boat that you were ever on.

-Emma, what do you think?

-I wish!

-Not when it was sunk!

-No, no, definitely not.

-I like the colours, just along here.

-I would say it's probably '20s, '30s.

-OK.

-What I like about this is it's collectable!

-It is.

People like Cunard Line memorabilia.

-Absolutely, yeah.

-Although I see there is just a small...

-There's a wee bit of damage.

-Some damage there.

-Anything on the back? What's this?

Framed and bought in Byres Road in Glasgow,

-which is just down the road from where I live!

-Oh, right. OK.

-Serendipity.

-Yeah. I actually quite like this.

I'm worried by the damage, that it might reduce the value at auction.

We have to take consideration for the damage.

What would be...?

It's a lovely thing. I'm sure it's worth about £40, isn't it, in the real world.

Oh, I wouldn't take 40, no, cos obviously you have the damage, so I'd be looking for a lot less than that.

Some people like the damage. Restorers don't buy perfect stuff.

-They like it to be damaged.

-Right. To be honest with you, I'm probably more looking about £15 for that item.

Could somebody call the police and get this lady arrested?

No, I suppose we could take £25. How's that?

Er, no. 15 is my last offer.

Can you make it 20? If you can make it 20, we've got a deal.

-OK, all right, we've got a deal, then.

-OK.

Blimey, Emma! There's no messing with you.

Only ten minutes gone, but the Blues are already struggling.

-Not my personal taste.

-No.

-It's a pair.

Pairs are good.

-So one for one and all for all?

-Yeah, that's right.

-You're in this together.

-We are.

-What have you bought so far, then?

We've bought a picture of a ship, memorabilia, the Cunard. Was it 1914?

Yes. Lusitania.

-Yeah. £20 we paid for that.

-Clyde-built, just like me.

Ah-ha! So the greyhound of the seas.

Slim, attractive... I think I'll move on while I'm ahead! Anyway, very, very good luck.

All right. Cheers, Tim. Thank you.

Now, what's caught Iris's eye?

Time for Catherine to have a look.

-Iris, what have you got here?

-A lovely piece of Moorcroft.

I have a jar at home, the same pattern, like a ginger jar.

You said you loved Moorcroft, didn't you, right from the start?

Yes, and it's exactly the same colouring. The only thing is it's £195, but it's an old one, signed.

Right, OK. Let's just have a look at it. So this is one that's actually done by the son,

Walter Moorcroft. It's in lovely condition, I must admit.

There's no real chips or cracks or damage to that.

But £195? That's punchy.

-Yes.

-What's your feeling?

Um, I must admit, when I saw the price, I was a bit...

I thought it was a bit hefty, and I don't think we'll get that much out of it.

Fine. Now, if you really like it...

I can see it in your eyes!

There's real love there, isn't there? What would you...?

I know what would be a good idea.

What would you, as a lover of Moorcroft, pay for that at auction?

At auction, I'd go up to...

..£160.

-That is what you would pay?

-Mmm.

-You need to get that below £160.

-Yes.

-Do you think you can do it? We'll try our very best.

You really have to pull that price right down. Confident?

-Yes.

-Come on, then.

With Iris's heart set on the Moorcroft pansies,

she managed to get the plate for £140, but time is ticking on.

Over 20 minutes gone now.

Very pricey. I think we'll have to love it and leave it.

It is beautiful, though.

You're looking for something functional.

What about a croquet set?!

Ah, that's really unusual, that one.

It's quite sweet. It's a children's croquet set.

-Yeah.

-People like miniature things.

-Yeah. What year is this?

-That looks from about the 1940s or '50s.

It's in the original box, the box is in good condition.

It's been looked after.

It looks like, for an English sort of game,

a gentleman's game, it looks like it's been made in Germany.

Oh, yeah. Well, lots of good toys were made in Germany. Germany had a big toy market.

You had the dolls, you had the tin plate toys and so on.

-Shall we have a look at the bottom of the box?

-Yes, certainly.

-There's something there.

-It was 2/6 at the time.

-Half a crown.

-Way beyond my time.

And it was in Tunbridge Wells, it looks like this was bought in.

-It was retailed there.

-Yeah.

-What price is it?

-25.

-25.

It's not too bad. It's not too bad.

If you can get a little off,

-I think we've got a good chance.

-OK.

-Do you think you could go for it?

-Absolutely.

-On you go, Emma.

-OK, let's go.

Emma may be playing around with the croquet set,

but she certainly isn't playing around with the bargaining today.

£18 paid and two items bought so far.

But as we approach the halfway mark, the Blues are yet to find their stride.

We've pretty much exhausted this room, haven't we?

Yes. That's nice.

Come on, chaps, there is a time limit, you know!

-It's beautiful.

-It was in my kitchen for three years.

-Was it?

-Got thrown out by the boss.

-Oh, right.

A hunting flask. Has it actually got the bottle that goes... Does that actually go in there?

I quite like that, Iris. It is unusual.

I can't say I've ever seen one.

-And it's got its leather case.

-Yes, that's what attracted me to it.

It does fit. I can first of all, there's no sort of clasp.

I'm thinking it probably would've had a little buckle where you would've attached it to your belt.

But I like it. I like the fact that the leather's in good condition. Let's open it up.

Take it out. I like that shape.

It's a lovely shape, isn't it?

-It is.

-Put your little gin and tonic in there. And that is silver.

-It's hallmarked there. It's Birmingham.

-Birmingham, yes.

And I think the letter is telling us it's 1890.

-What's your feeling?

-I like it.

-What attracted you to it?

-I like things in leather cases.

Telescopes, things like that. It's something I've got at home.

I've got a couple of telescopes that are in similar cases.

-Sort of military style.

-And this has got a nice feel to it.

-I'm concerned about the price.

-Yes.

-It's £98.

Its auction price is going to be about 40-60.

Let's try for 40, then.

-Who's good out of you two at getting the price down?

-I'm not frightened.

-You're not frightened.

-Mark's brilliant.

What's your best?

Um...

I was going to say 90, but probably 85 is really the best.

Can you meet me halfway?

No, I can't. No, I'm sorry.

Can you say what your rock bottom is for it?

I'd do 75, but that is absolutely rock bottom.

Shall we think about that and then maybe come back to it?

-We could perhaps come back, couldn't we?

-Yeah.

Thank you very much for your time. Thank you.

Don't use ALL your time thinking.

There'll be none left for buying if you're not careful.

The Reds are doing better, but so far, they've only spent a piddling £38 out of their 300.

But I think they have a cunning plan.

We've got two small items. Let's go for a real giant killer at the auction.

15 minutes to go now, but have the Blues found their second item?

What have you found? What have you found?

I saw this. It's a lovely Art Nouveau piece.

£90. WMF, which is great.

-Oh, it's got name down here.

-Yes, La Madeleine.

That's the name of the ship, presumably.

Yes. It's lovely, isn't it?

-It is nice.

-Do you like that?

-I like it, yeah...

-It's a little sort of pin tray.

Where's WMF?

-Not actually stamped WMF, although it's got this number here.

-Perhaps it isn't.

I think it probably is. I think this number here will tell us.

If you did a little bit of research, it would probably tell us that it is WMF. Do you know anything about WMF?

-Yes, it's German.

-German factory. I won't even...

Machine fabrik or something.

-Yes, Wurttembergen...

-That's it.

I like the Art Nouveau connection.

Lovely Art Nouveau, these sort of whiplash curves around.

Quite badly scratched, though, isn't it?

Too badly, do you think?

Mmm...badly enough to try and get the price down a bit more, I think.

-Shall I try?

-Yes.

-OK.

-Let me have a word. Excuse me.

-Hello.

-Hello there. I believe you've spoken to my team about this.

-Yes, I have.

I'm a bit concerned, because it hasn't got WMF stamped on the back.

With that in mind, and also with the fact that it is quite badly scratched,

I'm wondering if we can squeeze you down a little bit more.

85 would be the best.

How about 80 for my lovely team?

As it's your lovely team, OK.

-80's fine.

-What do you think about that?

-That's brilliant. Thank you very much.

-Shall we give it a go?

-Yes.

Thank you very much.

It's a nice thing, but it's damaged, so let's leave it.

It's damaged, yes.

With less than 15 minutes left, the Blues take stock of their whopping £220 spending spree.

We've spent a lot, haven't we? Yes. Isn't it lovely?

A water bottle or whatever.

Probably, maybe military or something.

An officer's flask? Uh-huh.

Full of brandy!

-Hello, Tim.

-Hello!

-How are you? Very well. Are you?

-Yes...

Well, we've spent big, big bucks.

-Have you?

-Mmm.

-But you like that.

-I do like that.

I'm delighted for you. Have you bought everything, then?

No, we're one item short.

-How much have you got left?

-£80.

80? Well, that's not too bad.

You don't need to worry about leaving her...

-We're not, don't worry!

-She can manage with a fiver.

With the seconds ticking away, the Blues decide to go back

for the glass, but they're in a for a nasty surprise.

-Have you sold it?

-Yes.

-That's cos we were looking at it.

-I know, and I got my price.

And you got your price. Well, there you go.

Right.

That's a shame, cos you liked that.

-Not to worry.

-Positive thinking.

And now, the Blues have to pull all the stops out to find their last item.

The clock is really ticking. We've got one more thing to buy, so come on.

Time for a change of scenery.

Shall we head over there quickly? Do you want to go that way?

No, no, just go.

Come on, team!

I shall need a gin and tonic!

What I want is a croquet set.

Sorry, Mark, the croquet set's already gone. The Reds have bought it.

And with less than ten minutes left, I think the Reds may have found their killer item.

-Are these microscopes?

-How much are your microscopes?

180, 120.

120? And...?

-85.

-85.

-I really like these.

-You like these?

-Yeah, I really do.

I like the fact that they've got the different magnifying glasses in here.

-Mm-hmm.

-They've got inscriptions on them, haven't they?

If we get the maker's name, that's good.

We're looking at condition and we're looking at quality.

I also like the fact that we have...

-The box.

-We have the box here, so we've got a complete item.

-Can we have a look?

-I would say it's from maybe '30s, '40s...

-Yeah, OK.

-..'50s, so it's not a Victorian one, but it has a bit of age about it.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

People collect scientific instruments, so there's a market for that type of thing.

I think they're visually interesting.

Absolutely. Anybody that's there that is into scientific equipment,

-this is going to appeal to them immensely.

-So do you want to have a go at that?

-Yes.

-Yeah, we'll have a go at this one.

What did he say the price was on it?

It's £120.

-OK.

-Now, we're not too far away.

Shall we go in about 80? Why not? You know...

Go in a wee bit lower.

-A bit lower, OK.

-Well, give yourself room for negotiation.

To go up to 80-plus.

But the stall-holder was firm.

He wouldn't sell his microscope for less than £110.

Now, our experts will be keeping one eye open for their teams and one eye open for the Bonus Buy.

That's the mystery fourth item that's bought with any leftover cash.

Whether they go with it or not, it can enhance their profits, or not.

That's the gamble.

I'm getting a bit concerned. We have eight minutes left.

-So are we.

-I did actually see something I rather liked inside.

-Do you want to come in and have a little look?

-Go on, then.

-Let's go. You've talked us into it.

-Yes.

Iris, come and have a little look.

What do you think to this? Do you know what it is?

-It's a buckle.

-A buckle. Absolutely.

-Belt buckle.

-Yes.

Art Deco,

so we're thinking 1930s, semi-precious stones here.

I love the colour and I love the design, and I just think it screams Art Deco.

-I like the way the stones are cut on this edge.

-Yeah, it's like faceted, the way it's been cut.

She's asking £38, which is fairly reasonable.

If we can get this right down -

sort of £10, £15, £20 maybe - I think we can make a profit on that.

-It's bound to sell.

-It's Mark's choice.

Yeah, go on, let's have it.

Yeah? Can I leave it to you?

Can I leave it in your hands to try and see if you can...

-I'm sure I can get a deal.

-..get a cheeky deal on it?

-Yeah, I'm sure I can.

Mark bought the belt buckle for a cheeky £15.

Not quite the object they were looking for, but they only had a few minutes to spare.

Mmm, very tasty.

Your time's up, Doris.

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

The commemorative picture

certainly floated Emma's boat to the tune of £20.

They went cock-a-hoop for the croquet set at just £18.

-Toys always make money.

-Yeah.

-Especially old ones.

And the last of the big spenders forked out £110 for the microscope.

I think that's a cracker, and Emma picked it out,

so I'm hoping we'll do very well.

Did you have a great time doing that shopping?

-Brilliant.

-Fantastic.

-It's quite an experience, isn't it?

-It is.

-Oh, absolutely.

But such a short time, yeah?

It is, but hopefully we've got the three items that are going to maximise our profit at auction.

Which will bring you the biggest profit?

Well, we're hoping, because it's a Henry Crouch microscope, it's going to come in at maximum value.

-And you agree with that?

-Definitely, yeah.

-Oh, well, this microscope had better do well.

-Fingers crossed.

-£148 you spent. I'd like £152 of leftover lolly for the Bonus Buy, going to Anita Manning.

Gosh, how exciting, Anita.

Well, they were looking for something functional,

they were, however, seduced by the decorative and the playful.

-Easily done.

-So I'm going to get something functional for them.

Functional, but fun.

That's the two Fs, isn't it?

If I can spell correctly! OK, Anita.

Off you go! Come back with the two Fs while we go and trot off and see what the Blues bought.

The Blues weren't afraid to splash the cash either,

starting with this Moorcroft plate for £140.

And I'm slightly nervous.

Then another £80 slipped away for this Art Nouveau dish.

Catherine saved the day

when she found this Art Deco belt buckle for £15.

Really, we just sort of ran out of time and it was like,

"Ah! We'll have that."

-Did you have a great time?

-Yes.

-We had a wonderful time, thank you.

Yes, you are something else, aren't you, you two?

-Which is your favourite bit, Iris?

-The Moorcroft for me.

-What's your favourite, Mark?

-Probably the WMF.

-WMF. Favourites.

-Which is going to bring the biggest profit?

-I think the buckle.

-The buckle.

-I think the buckle as well.

OK, you spent £235, which is quite magnificent.

I want £65 of leftover lolly.

-You don't like handing that over, Iris, do you? Here comes the £65, Catherine.

-Thank you.

-How do you feel about that?

-Well, I think that Iris and I have been ganging up a little bit on Mark.

We bought quite girly things, didn't we?

And we sort of ignored him a little bit, so I'm going to buy something for Mark...

-Something butch?

-Well, don't know about butch, but maybe something slightly masculine.

Yes. Break with the habit of a lifetime, eh?

-I will, absolutely. Forget the girly. I'm off.

-Good luck, Catherine. Me?

I'm going to take a very long walk off a short plank next to a moat.

Ah, what an enduring and iconic image of all things British.

No wonder they say a man's home is his castle,

but there's one thing missing from this almost perfect picture.

That's right. A man's best friend is his dog.

But hang on a minute, Fido.

He's lost his collar.

So if a man's best friend is his dog, a dog's best friend is his collar.

And a few hundred years ago, it might even have saved his life.

All right, Fido?

Leeds Castle is not the first place you might think of to find a museum of dog collars,

but thanks to a personal bequest,

it has the largest public collection of canine neck-wear in the world.

They've got over 100 dog collars in the dog collar museum,

and one of the earliest is this example.

It's made of wrought iron

and it was designed to go on a hunting hound

around about 1600, 1620, that sort of date.

If you were going on a boar hunt and the boar might have turned on one of the hunting dogs

and tried to gore it with its horrible snout,

the dog could whip around and flash this collar in front of the boar's nose

and if it came on, it would get a nasty mouthful of these sharp spikes.

So, a completely practical collar.

But the second example, which dates from the end of the 17th century,

around 1680-1700, is a much more comfortable and luxurious collar.

What do you think about this, Max?

He looks happy in it, doesn't he? And so he should do.

This thing is leather-lined inside for comfort,

and in the middle on the outside is a plaque.

Now, that plaque is made of gilt copper and has been raised with a coat of arms.

That's the coat of arms for the Bishop of Salzburg.

Either side of that, we've got plush, which is almost like carpet,

so comfortable indeed that I think old Max would like to go walkies.

Walkies, Max! Here we go.

# Everything reminds me of my dog... #

I quite fancy a squirrel this time of the afternoon.

I bet you'd like to have one too, wouldn't you?

Now, for a slightly more utilitarian metal collar,

what we've got here is a brass fellow.

It's adjustable.

You've got three positions, so it could go on a significantly smaller hound than our Max here.

This time, it's inscribed, not with the dog's name,

but with the owner's name,

so that if the hound ran away, it could at least be returned.

Lots of comfort here, though, cos the clever old Victorians

have developed the rolled edge, where the sharp edge of the metal

has been turned into a roll

so that it sits nice and comfortably round the dog's neck.

So, Max, how about something completely different, yeah?

# Everything reminds me of my dog

# Beautiful things remind me of my dog... #

I'm not quite sure who is taking who for a walk here,

but Max is certainly enjoying himself. Come on, Max.

What we're going to do is to scroll forward to the middle of

the 20th century and have a look at a most interesting collar, a collar that was issued to the military dog.

It says on the plaque here, "War Dog 1939-1945".

Not necessarily a regimental mascot dog,

but a working dog for our boys in khaki. Extraordinary, isn't it?

Anyway, it's time for us now to go walkies to the saleroom.

Let's just hope it isn't too "ruff" there for our teams!

William Rouse is our auctioneer today at the Chiswick Auction Rooms in West London.

-Lovely to be here, William.

-Pleasure to have you.

-Thank you.

Now, the Reds, Emma and Matt, their first item is this Lusitania plaque.

-Now, some of these things can be worth money, can't they?

-Absolutely.

There's a terrific amount of interest in nautical things of that sort.

We're certainly getting a bit of interest here in the saleroom.

What do you think this is worth, that plaque?

Well, I have to admit I was quite bullish with this, actually.

I've put around £80 estimate on it.

-Have you really? £20 they paid.

-Well, it's a shame it's slightly damaged. That doesn't help.

But apart from that, I think it's quite a commercial image.

On that happy note, let's move on to the croquet set.

-Nicely boxed.

-Yep. Good condition box too, which is important.

-Good. What do you think it's worth?

-Probably £30-£40.

OK, fine. £18 paid.

-So, between those two items, they could be more than doubling their money so far.

-Absolutely.

What about the microscope, though?

They seem to, if anything, have gone down in value, and this particular example,

there's more than one maker involved in this box,

so I think the whole thing is perhaps a bit cobbled together.

A bit of a combination. OK, so, putting your most bullish hat on, what's your estimate on this?

We've put about £70-plus on it.

OK, well, £110 they paid, so that could wipe out whatever profit they've made on the other two items,

so they could need their Bonus Buy, and let's go and have a look at it.

So, team, you spent £148, which is fine.

You gave Anita £152 to buy your Bonus Buy.

What did she spend it on? Anita.

Surprise us. Oh, wow!

-That's interesting.

-I'm not sure if it's a plumbing object or a kitchen appliance.

When we started off, we thought we would buy useful things.

In actual fact, we bought really frivolous things, so I thought I would go for something useful.

-OK.

-And what does that...?

-Well...

-That's a very good, practical question, that.

It's a Royal Doulton whisky tap.

Doulton, as well as making wonderful decorative objects,

made this sort of utilitarian thing as well, and people do collect that type of thing.

And I think it's an interesting-looking object as well.

It is. And how much was that?

I paid £25 for it.

-Oh, OK.

-OK. And what sort of profit do you think might be had on this?

Well, there will be collectors for that type of thing, and I think it could maybe do round about £30.

OK.

-Do you want to see if it's something that appeals to you?

-It is very interesting.

So we've got a prediction here of a relatively modest profit, right?

But you don't have to pick it now.

You can decide after the sale of the first three items,

but for the viewers at home, let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Anita's tap.

So here we go, William.

-Intriguing, isn't it?

-It is.

Not the most useful of objects, or the most decorative of objects.

No. I mean, people like Doulton, but really for their artistic wares rather than the kind of

utility stuff, which is what this is all about.

That's what Doulton started off doing. Making tiles and that sort of thing.

-And drain pipes.

-Drain pipes.

-Yeah. Difficult thing to value, I'd say.

-Not the most obviously commercial object that you could imagine.

-No.

-£30. Something like that.

-£30, OK.

£25 was paid by Anita Manning. Anyway, that's it for the Reds.

Now for the Blues.

First up is their Moorcroft plate.

It's one of the more popular patterns.

It's not a specially early one, it's not one of the modern copies,

so the best thing you can say about it is it's not damaged and there's always a market for them.

How much, then, do you think?

We ended up putting about sort of £80 on it.

-Well, they paid £140, so that's a pretty...

-Well, you never know.

What about the WMF silvered metal dish?

I think it's a great subject.

Not great condition. Been a bit scratched and got at by somebody, but there's always a market for WMF.

It's got the look, for me anyway, but will it make £80, do you think?

I'm afraid my estimate is a bit lower than that, around the 40-60, I think largely due to the condition, really.

Well, we'll have to hope for the best.

And lastly is the chunky belt buckle. That's a monster, isn't it?

-I don't know quite what to say about it, really!

-It's green.

-It is green.

-Lovely colour, green.

-Yeah.

-And glass.

-And glass.

Not going to have a huge estimate on it.

-I think it'll be £30 or £40, really.

-They'll be happy with that, cos they only paid £15.

-Great.

Bit of a mixed bag.

Really, it's the condition element of the WMF which will probably determine whether they make

a profit on these items or not, in which case, they may well need

their Bonus Buy, so let's go and have a look at it.

Mark and Iris, you spent £235, you gave Catherine £65.

What did she blow it on?

Well, I wanted to buy something for Mark, because, Iris,

we bought quite a lot of things for you,

and poor Mark didn't really get much of a say in it.

So I thought maybe silver or treen...

-Mm-hmm.

-..and I bought you these.

-Oh, wow.

-Some little silver...I think, sugar tongs.

-They're lovely.

-In the form of a wishbone. Aren't they great?

-Yeah, nice.

-Really unusual.

-That's very pretty.

-Hallmarked.

-Silver, hallmarked 1910.

There's always fun, those things, you use can them

-for ice cubes if you don't have lump sugar.

-Absolutely.

The big question is, how much?

Well, what do you reckon? You gave me £65. What do you think? How much would you pay for them?

Solid silver, right? Yeah?

Yeah, solid silver, 1910 - what would you pay for them?

-30?

-I paid 15.

-Like it. Yeah. I'm impressed.

-Got to be a profit.

-That was a bargain.

-I'm impressed.

-That really was a bargain.

Well, that's the name of the game, so let's hope so.

Well done, Catherine. You don't decide right now,

you decide later, but for the benefit of the viewers at home,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Catherine's little nips.

-I don't like that!

-Are you allowed to say that?

LAUGHTER

I like that! Well done.

OK, William.

Always popular, these novelty nips like that, aren't they?

Yeah. I think this is rather a nice thing, and there's plenty of people

who do collect sugar nips and it's an interesting variety on a theme.

Yeah, and it's solid silver, which is good. 1910.

-Nice clear hallmark.

-How much, then?

-£40.

-Gosh, that would be marvellous. £15, Catherine paid for that.

-I'm sure we can do better.

That's a bargain, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

-Good. See you on the rostrum.

Ems, Matt, how are you feeling, kids?

Yeah, looking forward to it.

-Confident, fantastic...

-Just hoping our items are going to do well.

First up, then, is the Lusitania commemorative, and here it is.

Good thing, this. Start me for £40 for it.

£30 for it, then. Surely for 30... At £30. £20, then. £20 I'm bid here.

Finally, at £20 now, and they're all coming to life now.

32...34...36...38...40...

45? Still cheap for 45. At £45...

I can't believe it. 45.

Half price, then. At £45.

It goes for 45, then.

-Well done, Anita.

-A good enough start.

-Excellent.

£25 is very good. You've doubled your money there. That's great.

-Excellent!

-Now, croquet to come.

Bit of fun, this.

Start me for £20 for the croquet set.

20 I'm bid. A maiden bid at £20, there at 20. And 2 I'll take.

£20 for that maiden bid at 20.

It can be sold at £20. 22...24...26...

28? Anybody else? For £26, it's still cheap there for 26. At £26, then.

26 it is, then. 26 is the bid.

That's £8. That's very nice.

You are plus £33.

-OK.

-Now...the microscope.

Um...this could be...the black hole.

-Make or break.

-134A, the microscope.

£30 for the microscope. I'm bid straight off.

At £30, and 5 I'll take. 35...

40. And 5 anywhere? 45, thank you.

45 by the flowers.

50, anybody else? For £45. It's seems cheap for 45.

I can sell it. 45 it's going, then.

-Minus £65.

-We did so well on the first two items.

That's two, so that means you are minus £32 overall. So what are we going to do about the whisky tap?

Is he going to turn it on for us or not?

What's it going to be?

-Yes, no?

-No.

-No?

-No.

-Let's leave it at a no.

We're going to sell it anyway, and here it comes.

The Doulton Lambeth stoneware two-piece barrel spigot.

Unusual lot, this, but what's it worth? £10 to start me.

Surely somebody for a £10 note.

The spigot for £10. Nobody want it?

£5? £10 you're bidding. £10 I'm bid.

Here at £10. 12 anywhere?

£10, the hammer's coming down.

12, just in time. Thank you.

Relief! No...are you going to bid 14?

No? All right, £12 I'm bid in the doorway, then. At £12.

14, fresh bidding.

16...18...

20...

In the doorway at £20, then.

At 20 it goes.

I'm selling it for 20, then. At 20 it goes.

Good decision, team. £20, so it's minus £5 on that.

-Ah, well done, well done.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-So overall, then, you got minus £32.

-Excellent.

-The big trick here is don't tell the Blues a thing, right?

-Iris, Mark, how did the Reds get on? Do you know?

-No idea.

-You don't know how the Reds did?

-They looked extremely miserable on the way out.

-Did they?

-Yes.

-Oh, good.

Anyway, here comes Walter Moorcroft at his finest.

-Everything's crossed.

-Fingers crossed.

I have got a £40 left bid on it.

And 45 in the room against commissions. At £45. And 50 there.

55...60...65...70...5...80...

85...90...

95... 95 on the table here.

At £95. 100, anybody else?

Make it round money.

£95 then. The hammer's coming down.

For £95 it is, then.

£95, I'm afraid.

You're minus £45 on that.

But don't despair. Here comes your dish.

WMF dish in the form of a dinghy.

153A. Bit of interest in the lot straight off.

I'm bid already £40 for this dish.

With me at £40 for the WMF.

-Come on!

-And 5 I'll take. Anybody else want to come in?

It's a left bid at 40. 45, thank you.

50 with me. 50 still on the book.

£50 and 5, somebody else.

For £50... Anybody else?

£50 it is, then. Selling it for 50.

-What a miserable lot!

-£50.

-That's minus £30.

-Sorry, but they are!

-You're minus £75.

-Not good.

-We need the belt buckle to...

-It will.

It's quite nice, but I don't think it's that nice.

It's an unusual belt buckle. £10 for it surely, somebody?

For £10... Anybody want it for £10, the little buckle?

Oh, come on!

£5, then?

Thank you, I'm bid £5 for the buckle.

£5. And 6, somebody.

6 I'm bid here. Good.

I can't believe this.

-It's a fantastic thing.

-..10, 12...

£12 there. We have it at 12, and 14, somebody else? At £12, is that all?

-At £12 it's going, then. £12, I'm selling it for 12.

-£12.

Genuine white metal and glass.

Minus £3. That is minus £78.

These estimates mean nothing.

-So, team, this has not been the best outing, has it?

-Definitely not.

Are you going to go with the Bonus Buy, then?

-Yes, have to.

-Definitely.

It's not going to struggle to make a profit on £15.

I think they're all dead.

-Dead?

-Over there!

-Oh.

-What, you mean them?

-Yes!

Well, there's a thought, Iris.

Well, they're not very animated, are they?

No, quite. We like a bit of movement, don't we, Iris?

-We do.

-What are we like? OK. Here we go. It's the last hope.

It's your last hope, Iris.

-These are fabulous.

-Amusing pair of Edwardian silver tongs.

£10, then, to start me. I thought so.

£10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20...

£20 there with the lady.

22... Did I see somebody else?

22 there now. 24, 26, 28, 30...

-32, 34, 36...

-You tell them, Iris.

There at £36. With the lady at £36.

Anybody else want to come in?

For £36, it's yours, madam. 36 it is.

Catherine, well done.

Super. £21 profit. That's excellent.

Which means, overall, you are now minus £57.

-That's not too bad, is it?

-That could be a winning score.

-And don't tell the Reds.

-Could've been worse.

-Could've been a lot worse.

I have to reveal who the runners-up are today, and sadly, they are the Blues.

-Excellent.

-Minus £57.

-It wasn't bad, was it?

It's not bad. I mean, it would've been a lot worse had it not been for Catherine's nips, right?

-Yes.

-Because her nips made you £21 profit.

-Quite an achievement!

-What can I say?

-But have you had a nice time?

-We've had a wonderful time.

-You've been a great pair of contestants.

-A wonderful time.

-It's been good fun.

-Thank you.

Now for the Reds, the victors...

by only losing £32!

-No profits in there, but it was so close, wasn't it?

-I know.

-It was.

-You made two belting profits to start with, then that wretched microscope dragged you back.

-Yeah.

And you didn't go with the Bonus Buy.

You've done everything just so and you should be walking home with pound notes.

-But sadly, just the victory.

-No, that's OK.

-A pyrrhic victory.

We had a great show, though.

-Join us soon for some more bargain-hunting. Yes?

-ALL: Yes!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail us at: [email protected]