Ardingly 3 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.

And they're going to have to get their skates on, because today,

we have not two, but four teams.

On the Red side, we've got newlyweds 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,"

-Ohh! And everything went on very nicely from then on.

-It did.

And here we are, married.

What sort of office were you in?

In travel, in a travel company, yeah.

-Brilliant.

-Yeah.

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 your wife, aren't you?

-A little.

Yes. 22 years younger than your wife.

-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.

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.

It's a big old place, Ardingly,

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

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.

-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.

-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.

What's your feeling?

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

I thought it was a bit hefty.

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.

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.

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.

-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.

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. German factory.

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?

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.

H. Crouch, London.

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.

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 stallholder was firm.

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

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.

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.

-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 we bought quite girly things, didn't we?

Quite pretty things.

So I'm going to buy something for Mark...

-Something butch?

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

Break with the habit of a lifetime, eh?

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

-Good luck, Catherine.

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.

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.

-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.

Surprise us. Oh, wow!

-That's interesting.

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

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.

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.

-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.

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?

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.

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.

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?

I paid 15.

-Like it. Yeah. I'm impressed.

-Got to be a profit.

-That was a bargain.

-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.

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.

-Fair enough.

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?

-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.

£10 to start me.

Surely somebody for a £10 note.

£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... £5, then?

-Oh!

-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.

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.

But still, no cigar, since the Reds lost a mere £32.

In a moment, two more teams take on the Bargain Hunt challenge,

but first, I fancy a little trip to the country.

Leeds Castle has had a colourful history over the last 1,000 years.

It's withstood sieges, it's seen hangings from its chain drawbridge,

at various times, it's been used as a prison,

as a hospital, even as a refuge from the plague of London.

Wow!

During that time, the rooms inside the castle

have been continuously altered to reflect its changing use.

Lady Baillie, the castle's last private owner,

was a perennial socialite,

and she adapted the rooms to create

a luxurious party venue in the 1920s.

This space is the chapel, but in Lady Baillie's time,

she used it as a store for her collection of gramophone records.

She must have had quite a collection, and the music was piped

from here into the adjoining banqueting hall

for the benefit of her guests.

The space has now been reconsecrated as a chapel,

and I think one of the most spectacular works of art

in this area are these four carved wooden panels.

They were made in Ulm, which is in Bavaria,

about 60 miles from Munich,

and are most unusual.

The scale of the panels themselves is extraordinary.

What we've got here is pear wood, which is dense, light

and relatively easy to carve,

which is probably a sandwich of three layers,

and then this has been carved alto-relievo,

and alto-relievo means that the carving

is very bold and stands out from the background.

Overall, they tell a story. We have the Annunciation,

we've got the Nativity, we've got the Adoration,

and we've got the Presentation of Our Lord.

But my favourite, I think, is the Adoration.

Here we've got the Three Kings making their presentation.

Over the back wall is a character,

probably a shepherd, looking over

to see the Presentation of the gold, frankincense and myrrh.

These were created around 1500,

which makes them 500-odd years old.

All in all, the four panels make up an incredibly important work of art.

The big question today is,

will any of our teams' works of art turn out to be incredibly important?

Back at Ardingly Fair,

our next two teams are about to shop for bargains.

So let's meet our new Reds and Blues.

Today, we have medical students Joseph and Alex

for the Reds, welcome, and partners Melissa and Samuel for the Blues.

-Welcome to Bargain Hunt.

-Thank you very much.

What do you hope to do when qualified?

I hope to be a doctor in the RAF, that's the route I'm going down.

I'm with the University of London Air Squadron, learning to fly.

-That's very nice, isn't it?

-It's fun.

-You don't have to fly to be a doctor in the army?

-No.

-But it is nice to do anyway.

-Yeah, and somebody else is paying for it.

-Exactly. Shh.

-Super.

Do you enjoy shopping for antiques?

I do a bit with my grandma.

I bought a top hat from the early 1900s which was very nice,

mainly to go with a set of tails that my dad got.

And also I have a few canes.

It started from my great-great-grandpa on my grandma's side.

He gave me - not personally - I got a cane from him with an ivory handle

and a gold band on that, which is my favourite one.

They are a good collectable. Good fun too.

Alex, what do hope to do when you've completed your training?

Originally, I was thinking about doing psychiatry,

but I think I'm leaning more towards a paediatric sort of route now.

My parents have fostered so there's always been children around.

What do you get up to in your spare time?

Pretty much all of my spare time is taken up rowing.

We are training almost every day.

Three days a week, we're on the water - there's land training on all but one other day.

Well, you'll need plenty of strength today at Ardingly

because it's a big old fair to get around.

Now, for the partners, how did you first meet?

We met when we were at university.

I was at Goldsmiths doing drama, Sam was at Chelsea College of Art doing fine art.

-So you're an actress?

-Yes, well, struggling.

How is it going?

Really good. I've just finished a tour of a play in the Midlands,

and I've just done a couple of adverts and things like that.

-Are you what they call "resting" at the moment?

-Yes, I think so. I like to think so.

Not after this programme, you won't, with any luck.

I hope you have a good time today, because it's a tough profession that you are in.

Samuel, do you have equally enormous ambitions?

I'd like to be a portrait painter one day if possible.

At the moment, I'm teaching literacy and numeracy to support that.

Some 20th century portrait painters

have done enormously well, haven't they?

They have, yes. There is a thriving modern art market,

but I'm not in it yet.

-Just a question of breaking in, isn't it?

-That's right, yeah.

Do you enjoy shopping for antiques?

We're both novices, but we enjoy having a look around the markets where we live.

We live just off Brick Lane, Spitalfields at the moment. We do enjoy it.

-That is a great part of London, isn't it?

-It is fantastic, very vibrant.

-You never know what you're going to find.

-No, it's brilliant.

It's just like Ardingly today. What fun.

£300 apiece for our lovely young teams,

who need to be fit to dash off.

You know the rules, your experts await,

and off you go, and very good luck.

Any aircraft memorabilia?

I was drawn towards this, because I know you said

you wanted something decorative, thinking about dressing up a house or flat or something like this.

It's actually pony skin, you can see on here.

It is quite nice and early, probably 1830s, 1840s in date.

-I love this studded pattern around here.

-We really like it, don't we?

We do really like it.

Slightly worried about the price for the condition of it.

Yes, the price is asking 128,

which is very high, I think.

It has got wear, but that adds to its appeal, I think?

Its charm. It's not the sort of item you could restore, is it?

No. I don't think you would, you'd just leave it.

-You'd leave it as it is.

-Yeah.

Not happy with the price, or the woodworm,

Melissa and Sam continue to browse, while Catherine hangs back

to have a word about the trunk.

-These are from the 1930s.

-OK.

So they are collectable,

it is useful and lighting always makes reasonable prices.

-What I like about this one here is that it's a miniature one.

-It's a small size, yeah.

It's a miniature one.

Now, if you hold that up to the light,

that is going to glow a beautiful...

-When the light shines through.

-When the light shines down.

I think it's a nice wee item.

It has £30 on the ticket.

Try and get it down to... if you get it about 20,

or even below that, we might have a chance here.

-OK, thank you very much.

-We'll see what we can do.

Their teamwork paid off. The boys bought the lampshade for £15.

Fast work, guys.

So the Reds have got off to a good start.

Now, after some tough negotiation from Catherine,

the Blues can have the trunk for £75.

OK, I have spoken to your governor, your boss -

she said we can have it for £75.

-Very cheap.

-Well, let's hope so. Deal?

-Deal.

I quite like this piece.

It's a mirror and a matching... matching comb with it.

I love the combination of silver and enamelled work.

But when you're looking at enamel work,

-you've got to make sure that it's not chipped.

-OK.

-Very difficult and very expensive to restore.

-To repair.

So we've got to... Do we have it in perfect condition?

The comb looks in good condition.

-The enamel on this looks pretty perfect as well.

-Excellent.

Price, what's the price on it?

85, it's priced.

We're interested in this collection piece.

Would you be able to, be willing to take some money off the price?

Yes, I can do you a discount.

-Let me have a look at this.

-85, it's at.

At the very best, last price is 65.

Can you take another couple of pounds off?

No, sorry, that's it.

-What do you think?

-You've been very generous,

thank you very much, that's wonderful.

This Red Team don't hang about making decisions, oh, no.

With two out of their three items already bought,

over half an hour left on the clock and still £220 to spend,

I'd say they're doing all right.

I missed that on the way in.

It's a bit large to miss.

-This will get us going, boys.

-Yeah.

You're the guys that know about aircraft

who have been waiting for this piece all afternoon.

-You tell me about it.

-Well, it's a propeller, it's wooden.

Is that right? OK.

I'm not sure if it's an actual one that has been used before.

It doesn't... I'm not sure how airworthy that one is.

How airworthy it is, uh-huh.

It's a very well-made thing. Look at these strips here.

I'm not sure that that would have been the airplane clock.

I think that has been put on at a later date.

Looks a bit fanciful to be inside the vehicle.

Boys, I think this might be the item that we've been looking for for the last hour.

THEY LAUGH

These lads are into flying.

This laddie here wants to join the Air Force.

So we thought this propeller might help him fly.

How much is it?

65 is really...

65. Is that the best that you can do for us?

£60, if that will help.

You're a darling.

Thank you so much.

The Reds look as pleased as punch, and so they should be.

They've bought all their items with 15 minutes to spare.

The Blues, however, look like they're starting to feel the pressure.

OK, what's this?

-We saw this photo album.

-I like that.

It's really nice but it's got some damage, though, as well.

OK, so we've got this nice, diamond, mother of pearl inlay on the top,

sorry, overlay on the top, and on the other side that's nice.

There's a few fragments missing.

-It's got some interesting photos in it.

-Has it?

I like that.

Do you get all the photos?

Yeah, yeah.

-Let's have a look. How much are they asking?

-125.

That's too much.

Let's see what we can get.

Excuse me. Hi.

Can I just have a word with you about the mother of pearl?

-You like this, Samuel.

-I do like this, yeah.

A little bit of damage here.

Would you be willing to do anything on the price for that?

I'd do it for 100.

I'm thinking more about £80.

Yes, that's actually what I paid for it. 90.

I understand you've got to make a profit as well.

We understand that. Can we meet halfway and say 85?

Ouch, this is getting a bit arm up the back time.

We'll take it off your hands.

Go on, take it for 85.

Are you happy with that? You found it, didn't you? Are you happy?

I hope you do well with it.

Thank you very much. Right, let's go.

Well, that was a good deal.

There's another covered building up there.

So they've now bought two items and have £140 left.

But they've only got a few minutes to spend it in.

Let me just tell you something about it.

It's actually made by Charles Horner.

You can see the initials there.

There's the hallmark, which I actually couldn't read because it's quite dusty.

My friend tells me it's...

-What did you say it was? Sorry.

-Approximately 1908.

1908. It's Art Nouveau in style.

There's a slight bit of damage to the enamel there and there.

The lady's asking for 85.

I've had a word and we can get it for about 62.

Can we get it for 60 so it's a nice round number?

-You can try.

-We can try.

-We can have it for 60?

-That'll do nicely.

-Yes.

-Shall we go for it?

-I think we'll go for it.

-Are you happy with that? We've spent oodles of cash.

-We have.

-But hopefully we've bought good pieces.

-Nice Charles Horner brooch.

-Yes.

-Yes. Yes?

-Well, I don't know, Catherine.

It still leaves you with £80 to spend on a bonus buy.

-HE HONKS HIS HORN

-It's time to stop the clock. There's no time left to shop.

Let's check out what the Reds bought.

The boys switched on their charm and bought the small lampshade for £15.

They took a shine to the silver enamelled mirror and comb set.

It cost them £65.

The time certainly was ticking along when they stumbled upon

the propeller clock. £60 paid.

OK, chaps. Which is your favourite piece, Joe?

-My personal favourite piece is the wooden propeller and clock.

-Yes. Lovely. What about you, Alex?

-I'd say the glass light shade, cos we got it so cheap.

-That's why it's your favourite?

-Yes.

-And it's your prediction for the greatest profit?

-Yes.

-What about you, Jim?

-I think the same. We managed to knock it down to half price.

-OK, great. You spent £140.

-Yes.

-Which is kind of average. Can I have £160 of leftover lolly?

-There you go, Anita.

That's very handsome, isn't it?

These boys were a pair of sweethearts.

Sometimes I can be a wee bit of a sweetheart myself.

That's a hint.

Oh, Lord. I'm not sure I'd better go there, Anita.

You'd better go off and get your sweetheart, whatever it is,

while we remind ourselves what the blues bought.

At £75, the blues are hoping the pony skin trunk

will race away at the auction.

Sam found the mother of pearl photo album and after

a bit of negotiation, settled on a price of £85.

The Charles Horner silver brooch was bought with

just a couple of minutes to spare - £60 paid.

-Mellissa and Samuel. You had fun, didn't you?

-We did, yes. We really had good fun.

Which is your favourite piece?

-Mine would have to be the photo album.

-The photo album?

-Yes.

-I like the photo album as well.

There are some really nice photos in there. But I think the pony chest is my favourite.

-Which is going to bring the biggest profit, Melissa?

-Probably the brooch.

The brooch. Do you agree with that, Simon?

No, I think the pony chest has got an excellent chance.

You're well coordinated anyway, which is brilliant.

You spent a great £220, giving £80 of leftover lolly

to go to Catherine Southon for the bonus buy.

-Thank you, Tim.

-Did you have a good time with them?

-They were great. They're fun and trendy and I want to get them something retro.

-Really?

-Something they can shout about.

-All right.

-An interior piece.

-I think there's a bit of hinting going on here.

We've come 40 miles-ish north-ish to west London.

Chiswick Auction Rooms is our venue today, with our auctioneer William Rouse.

-Glad to have you here, Tim.

-Very nice to be here.

For the red team, Joseph and Alex, they've gone with this light shade, found by Anita.

-Do you fancy that at all?

-I think...

The merit is, it's a bit smaller than usual, so there is something quite interesting about that.

Plafonnier is the word that we use to describe it.

Good. Does that make it worth...?

-Probably not.

-More than £15, hopefully.

I'm sure it will fetch more than £15.

I think we probably reckon £25 - £40 or something like that.

Brilliant. Well, Anita will be delighted about that.

Next is the enamelled mirror and comb.

Nicely engine turned and bright blue and in good nick.

I like that very much.

The critical thing with enamel is that if it's chipped it's no good because it's so difficult to repair.

Any lady would find that a useful little thing to have in the handbag, I'm sure.

Yes, quite. I'm sure, too.

How sure are you, though?

What's it worth, do you reckon?

I think we've put about £50 - £80 on it.

Very good. £65 paid. What about this aircraft propeller timepiece?

Well, I can't help thinking it must have come from a very small aircraft, cos it's a tiny propeller.

It's got an interesting conversion

with a quartz concealed movement inside.

Oh, yes. That's very special, that.

-Yes. Perhaps a more recent addition.

-Still, there we go. Interesting.

-What's it worth?

-I think it's definitely worth £50 to £80.

OK, £60 paid. So, on prediction, there should be a small profit

on all three of these items, and they may not need their bonus buy.

But let's go and have a look at it anyway.

It's very nice.

I wanted to buy something with an RAF connection.

And this little brooch is called a sweetheart brooch.

And it was given to RAF servicemen to their wives or girlfriends.

It's silver, with enamel.

-And it's a very pretty thing. People collect them.

-How much did you spend on it?

-£20.

It's just about the right price for it.

-We might make a couple of pounds profit.

-It looks in good condition.

-It is.

Alex is giving it the forensic approach.

-Scientific.

-Yes, scientific. The dissection from our medic is taking place here.

I don't think it'd sell for so much if I dissected it.

You don't have to decide right now. You decide later, 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 RAF brooch.

I can't say it gets me terribly excited.

-It does say silver on the back, which implies that it isn't even English.

-It may not have been.

Made cheaply abroad and then imported for distribution amongst the boys in blue.

Does it mean it's going to make any money at auction, though?

Probably not a huge amount. £20, £30.

Anything over £20 will see us soaring into profit. Thank you, William.

That's it for the Reds. Now, for the Blues, Melissa and Samuel.

Their first item is the pony skin covered trunk.

This is pretty horrid, really.

One can't help wondering if it looked rather nicer 150 years ago.

Definitely. Unfortunate about the condition, but there we are.

What do you think it's worth?

I think I've put about £50 on it.

Have you? £75 was paid.

So that could be a bit of a loss.

Next up is the mother of pearl encrusted photo album, which is a handsome example.

I think this is a good thing, actually.

So often one sees card cases with mother of pearl on,

with bits missing. At the very least,

there's an awful lot of material there for restoration, if you were a restorer.

-Yeah. Well on that happy note, what do you think it's worth?

-I think we put about £100, £150.

£80 was paid. What about the Charles Horner enamel brooch?

It's a very small, discreet little thing.

-Yeah.

-Quite sweet.

I mean, it's got the Arts And Crafts look to it, hasn't it?

And I love that green enamel. I think it's the most exciting colour scheme.

-Horner is a good maker.

-It's a sweet thing.

-£50 - £80?

-£60 paid. Can't argue with that.

-Well, there's plenty of leeway there.

It's this old pony that's going to let them down. That's the trouble with it.

-Better go and have a look at their bonus buy, eh?

-Yep.

-This all looks a bit delicate.

-I'm going to need some assistance.

I'm going to whip it off. Oh, my God! There it goes. Look at that.

Don't you think that's fantastic?

-What is it?

-This is a drinking set.

It speaks for itself. It's funky.

Just like you guys. I know you wanted something retro.

We have got so much for our money here.

I paid £25 for this. This is going to make us money.

What do you think it will make then?

I think they should make about £50.

-Profit?

-No, Tim!

Come on.

Why not, frankly?

You've got five pieces, all in brilliant condition.

Stoneware. And it's got a kind of contemporary look to it, hasn't it?

What do you think, Melissa? Do you like them?

Yeah, I do. I really like a pattern. I like the blue colour.

-They're like nice little coffee cups or something.

-Beakers.

-Anyway, there you go.

£25 is what we've got.

We've got a prediction of maybe making £25 profit.

That's what the girl said.

That's what she said. We watched her lips.

Hold that thought. Because for viewers at home,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Catherine's drink set.

Very stylish. I like this diamond design.

-And of course, Stoneware, so it's kind of bullet proof.

-That's right.

How much then, do you think?

£70 - £100?

Catherine will be over the moon. She paid £25 for it.

Goodness me. I'm sure we can improve on that.

She could triple her money on this.

-Who knows?

-That's if the team go with her bonus buy.

-We'll find out about that when the auction starts, eh?

-Absolutely.

-OK, boys, you up for this?

-Yes.

-It's a long wait before you get to the auction.

-It is a bit, yeah.

-But it's the most exciting part.

First up is the glass lampshade, and here it comes.

172a, a small marbled glass satin plafonnier.

172a. Little one there. Is it worth £10?

£10, surely, for the plafonnier?

Anybody want it for a tenner?

10, I'm bid. A maiden bid of £10. We're in for £10.

And 12, I'll take from somebody else. At £10 then, is all I'm bid.

10 pounds? It's going for £10.

Selling it for £10, nobody else. £10.

It's not good.

It's minus £5.

Next lot up is the nit comb and the mirror. Here it comes.

Lot 173a. It's a lady's handbag mirror and comb, 173a.

What's it worth? Start me for £30.

A pretty thing for £30. £20 then, to go.

£20 I'm bid, I thought so, at 20.

And 22 I'll take. Bidding 22? No, bidding there at £20.

A maiden bid of £20. Anybody else?

At £20 for the enamel, for £20.

£20, it's going there for £20. £22.

£24. £26. £28. £28 down there.

£28, it's still cheap at £28. I'm selling it then £28.

Minus £42 overall, you've got the propeller clock to go for.

All right? That is pretty shocking so far.

It's not doing well.

I'm not going to lie. It might buck up. Here we come.

174a, it's a laminated wood propeller.

Set for the clock, 174a.

What's it worth, start me for £30, a bit of fun there for £30.

£20 to go then. £20 I'm bid everywhere.

20 there, £22, £24, £26, £28, £30,

£32, £34, £36, £38, £40, £40 there.

£45, fresh bidding. £45 there. £50.

Is that a no? £45 I'm bid then. At £45. At £45.

Anybody else, at £45? It's going for £45 then.

£45, minus £15.

Which means overall you are minus £57.

-That's not bad.

-Could have done worse.

Not much! So what are you going to do about the sweetheart brooch?

-Are you going to go with the bonus buy?

-We might as well.

On current form, you can't do a lot worse, can you?

Anyway, you're going to go with the bonus buy.

-We are.

-You are going with the bonus buy, and here comes Anita's brooch.

Lot 177a is the little white metal and enamel RAF brooch.

177a. Is it worth £10?

A little brooch for £10.

Surely somebody for £10?

It must be worth £10. £5 then, surely?

Oh dear, we are not doing very well. £5 I'm bid. £6, anybody?

For £5 with the lady.

I thought you might. £6?

You want £7, madam? £7?

£8? No, £8.

I'm bid in the red here at £8. And £8 it goes.

For £8 for the brooch, at £8.

Not many sweethearts here.

Minus £69, I think.

-An impressive figure.

-Minus 69?

-Oh, I didn't hear the minus.

You only spent £160 and you're already minus £69.

Anyway, let's park this.

Don't tell the Blues a thing. Keep your chin up, walk tall.

-Will do.

-Lovely.

So, Melissa and Samuel. How do you think the Reds got on, do you know?

-I don't know.

-We've got no idea.

-Hopefully well, though.

-Well, not too well!

-That's very sporting.

-You're a lovely bloke. Sweet.

First lot up is the old pony skin covered trunk, and here it comes.

Lot 192a is a Georgian pony skin dome top trunk.

Where shall we start that?

£20 for it, surely? £20 I'm bid, straight off.

£20 I'm bid at £20. £22.

£24. £26, £28, £28, here at £28.

Anybody else at £28? That's £30 there. £32.

£34. £36.

£38. £38, to the lady at £38 then.

I can sell it for £38. Anybody else want to come in for £38 then?

£38, old thing, then. Selling for £38.

-£38, it canters off into the sunset.

-You were right, and I was wrong.

It got some bidding interest though, didn't it?

That's £37 down the drain so far.

Next up is the pearl covered album, and here it comes.

193a is a Victorian mother of pearl carte de visite album, 193a.

Let's start me for £50 for it.

It must be worth £50 for the carte de visite. Surely, for £50?

40, then to go. £40 I'm bid.

£45, £50, £55, it's very cheap for £45. £50 I'll take.

At £45, I can't believe it. At £45.

All I'm bid for £45.

Anybody else want to come in for 45?

£50, just in time there. £50, we're crawling along at £50.

Anybody else for £50? It's half money at £50.

It's crawling, isn't it? For £50, I'm going to sell it for £50, then.

I'm sorry, but that's another minus £35.

Now, Charles Horner.

194a is an Art Nouveau silver and enamel oval-shaped brooch, 194a.

There it is.

Is it worth £20?

Surely for the little brooch at 20. 20 I'm bid. I thought so. £22.

£24. £26.

£28. £30. £32. £34.

I can only do two at once, I'll come to you in a second.

£34. £36.

£38.

£38. Would you like 40, madam? £40.

£45. £50. £55.

£55, there at £55. £55.

Anybody else for 55? Then it goes at £55.

Oh no, £55. That's tight, isn't it?

Minus £5, which means overall you are minus £77.

Minus 77.

After all that prediction of joy.

I know! It was looking so good.

It was looking so good.

Anyway, what are you going to do about the old drinks set?

-I think we'll take it.

-We've got nothing to lose.

You could lose another £25.

But you're going with the drinks set.

197a is this Goebels jug with four tumblers. 197a.

Decorative lot. Must be worth £50.

Start me for £40 for the lot, please, for £40 for it.

For the jug - for £40.

No?

Surely somebody wants this for £40.

£30 then to get me going? 30 then, anybody?

Surely for 30?

£20, then? Goodness me. £20 I'm bid.

Dear, oh, dear. £20. Anybody else?

It's surely worth more than this for £20. It's here to be sold.

Anybody want it? £20 I'm bid, with a maiden bid of £20.

-It's going then for £20, it goes for 20 then.

-There we go, £20.

So overall you are minus £82.

-It is a tragedy.

-It is.

Now, minus £82 could be a winning score.

THEY LAUGH

So don't tell the Reds a scrap. OK?

Not a word out of those old lips.

OK.

-Been talking? Communicating at all?

-No.

Absolutely not. Well, I had to tell you that the scale of today's losses are pretty massive.

This should come as no secret to either of the teams.

It's simply a question of scale.

And the one with the serious whopper is, of course, the Blues.

THEY LAUGH

-£82. Pretty good, isn't it?

-It's pretty bad.

I make that minus, minus throughout.

I don't know what happened in there, but

they were predicting some profits that just never materialised.

-They were.

-Bad luck all round.

-I thought we were going to do all right.

-I thought so, too.

Everybody thought you were going to do all right. It goes to show that you just can't tell.

You've been a great couple. We've loved having you, all of you on the programme.

It's been great.

Before we all burst into tears, let's get really miserable.

The Reds, who didn't do that much better, they managed to lose £69.

And every single one of your items is a minus score as well.

Even though the prediction was there for reasonable profits.

They again didn't materialise. Sometimes an auction is just like that.

But I hope you've had a good time, because we've loved having you on the programme.

-Join us soon for some more bargain hunting, yes?

-ALL: Yes!

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