Corby 12 Bargain Hunt

Today, it's girls versus boys.

Stand by for a monumental battle of the sexes as we go bargain hunting!

All right, chaps. Oh yes.

We're at Corby at the Deene Park Antiques Fair

which is compact but perfectly formed

with stands crammed with antiques and curiosities.

But will our teams be able to find the bargains?

Let's have a quick peek and see.

Cor, the boys are quick off the mark.

-I can see you down the pub on a Friday night in that.

-I know.

Drinking beer out of it!

And eventually, the girls find their feet. Ha!

I'm quite happy to wear a decapitated bird foot on me.

I'm not sure anyone else would.

And I find a few surprises at the Sheffield Millennium Gallery.

This soup tureen was made to hold turtle soup.

That's all to come. Let's meet the teams...

Welcome girls. Charlie and Louise, and Jack and Ash for the boys.

Hi.

Louise, you are such good mates that you each have

spare rooms in your houses dedicated to each other.

-We do.

-So you can do a sleep-over?

-We do.

My room in Charlie's house is decorated to my preference as well.

-And vice versa?

-Well, near enough.

-Charlie, you have an unusual hobby.

-I have, yes.

-Tell us about it.

I am a member of MCW Wrestling Company

and I'm a female wrestler for sports entertainment.

-You never are! Are you really?

-I am, yeah.

I've never had a female wrestler on Bargain Hunt before!

So this wrestling lark, do you take your kit off for that?

-How does it work?

-Well, I leave some items on!

-Oh right, yeah.

We have a costume, a character and it's performance, so it's fun.

-What's your ringside name?

-It's Poison.

-Is it? Scary.

-What are your tactics today?

-Spend a little. Make a lot.

-You're not going to spend much?

-We're trying not to.

-Beat the prices down!

We're going to steal their items!

-If stall holders aren't nice to you, give them a special throw into the barbed wire?

-That's right.

-They'll get a quick busting crab.

-Today's shopping is outside.

You'll find a nice roll of barbed wire behind the marquee.

Good luck, girls. Boys, frightening, isn't it?

-Have you ever come across female wrestlers, ever?

-No.

-I'm scared.

-Ash, it's antiques that brought you together.

-Mainly.

We've been going to school together for the last eight or so years.

But be both went to car boots without actually knowing,

then we met each other at a car-boot.

-Were you trying to buy the same thing?

-I think we were, actually.

Buying and selling between the two of us.

I suppose you could say the friendship blossomed from there.

So over eight years what sort of things have you been going for?

Toy cars. Trains, that's our domain. That area.

-So you like Dinky, Meccano, Hornby? The big names.

-Yeah.

What are your team tactics today then, boys?

-What will you do to beat these wrestlers?

-I don't know if we can beat wrestlers.

We are going to give it a good shot. I think we'll buy things you wouldn't expect.

Unusual things?

-We'll be different.

-You want the oddball?

-Definitely.

-Are you going to spend all your money?

-It's not our money, so probably, yeah.

That is a very good answer. And indeed it's the money moment.

£300 apiece. You know the rules. Your experts await and off you go.

Very, very good luck. How lovely. Such unusual teams.

I think they're going to need a bit of help.

From Charles Hanson!

And David Harper.

And they're off, armed of course with the rules

because each team gets £300 and an hour to shop for three items

which they sell later at auction and the team wins

that makes the most profit.

Simple really, isn't it?

Now, I'm not needed for a bit, so let's have a bit of a read.

-Go on then, off you go!

-The hour starts now.

£300 burning a hole, what are we going to do with it?

Bargain, bargain, bargain!

I think we've got to look for like, old toys,

-like car models, things like that.

-Maybe trains as well.

How unusual, the girls want bargains and the boys want toys. Ha!

-I'm well liking that.

-I'm well liking it as well!

-But I don't know what it is.

-We beat the expert.

-Already!

You said it!

Charlie?

A pair of gas lamps from Langham Baptist chapel.

Wow! What's the price on them?

£65. What's the best, madam?

I could do them for 55 for you. I don't think I can do them much less.

We are so early in our time. We've had two minutes.

-Can you save them for us?

-I will.

-Lovely.

-I think that's really cool.

-Can you see me in this?

-I can.

What's it worth? £15? 20?

-£40.

-He'll take a bid from you, and from you.

-30.

-Sold!

Oh girls, stop mucking about!

These war medals are very interesting.

So which ones do you think we've got a chance to make a profit on at auction?

-The Indian war medal will.

-So that medal was issued to a native Indian?

-A Sepoy.

-A Sepoy, yeah.

-It's all on there, round the rim.

-Can we have a look at that one?

-Yeah, it's all wrapped up.

-The best I would do is 90.

-Is that trade?

-That's trade, yeah.

-Are you into medals, chaps?

-It's quite modern history,

this 1900 period is something that quite fascinates me.

So this character, whoever it was, served from 1897

-to at least to 1902 so not only in Victoria's reign, but in Edward's reign.

-Yeah.

And the ribbon is in good condition, too.

-Medals aren't my forte.

-I know they're not.

-85, but that's it.

-I think it's worth a go.

-Do you want have a go?

-Yep.

-Shake his hand and do the deal.

-Thank you, sir.

-Thank you.

-Anything there you like?

-No.

-Let's walk on.

Talking of walking, I've found some rather smashing old sticks.

One of the most highly collected items that you find

in these fairs are these chaps.

I've found these two, one is for sale and one isn't.

The one that's for sale is this fellow.

This is a piece of cane that was once growing in the jungle in Java, or Batavia.

Look up the end, it's hollow which makes this thing extremely

light weight and it has the charm of an attached silver handle

which is also slim and elegant and feels just gorgeous to the touch.

The other encouraging thing is the price.

I reckon this cane, to a specialist came collector, is worth £180.

What would it cost you here?

Well, it's available on a stand down there for £65.

That's what they call a snip.

Now this one, which isn't for sale, is much more extraordinary.

Every square inch of this walking-stick

is covered in this knotted cord.

The thing is what is called sailor work.

This is what sailors on sailing ships in the 19th century

did during their voyages around the world.

The idea being to create a novelty like this,

using their extraordinary skills with ropes and knots

that would entertain and frankly earn them cash when they get back home.

Because around the ports of Britain,

the visitors would buy objects like this

directly from the sailors at the docks.

But I have to tell you one thing, it LOOKS like a walking stick,

but it doesn't ACT like a walking stick,

because if I put it on the ground and put some pressure on it,

Look what happens. Boing! Like that, see?

So the sailor that sells this on the docks is selling a novelty,

a novelty which is a joke.

Great, isn't it?

What isn't a joke about this though, is its likely value.

The dealer doesn't want to sell it. He thinks it's so marvellous he wants to hang on to it.

I said to him, "how much might you expect for it if you were

"to sell it?" and he thinks it would be worth 400-£600.

But he isn't selling. So he can get knotted!

-Into pirates?

-Yeah.

-Aye!

-Aye aye, captain. There we go.

I quite like this here.

It is so Victorian in style. Look at the form.

It's this desk stand, typically high Victorian taste, typically 1890s.

You've got these two ink bottles here, they come out like so.

And what's it made of?

Bronzed rather than being bronze, a coated base metal. Do you like it?

-I love it.

-It's nice.

-I love that.

I wonder how old it really is?

Sir, may I ask you please how old you think this little object is?

1890, 1892, High Victorian.

I would say it could be 1900.

I quite like it because it has a nice feel about it.

Just feel the weight of that, Louise.

Wow!

Heavy, isn't it?

Oof, yeah!

The big question is, is it a reproduction?

I don't think it's a reproduction. I think it's an original desk set.

And does it matter that the clock's not working?

Well, if we wind it up, it might still...

THEY LAUGH

Sorry. It's not working.

-Do you want me to prop you up with my knee?

-Please!

How much is that?

45.

45. What do you think?

I love it. And what's your best on that, sir?

38, how's that?

-Shall we think about it?

-Can we come back?

-We've seen, so far, the lamps, haven't we?

-Yeah.

I like either. It's up to you.

I like the lights.

I like the inkwells.

LAUGHTER

-Shall we think for five minutes, no more?

-Yes.

-I love that.

-Do you?

-Shall we buy it, then?

-No, but I want it for ME!

Girls, don't leave it TOO long before you start shopping, please.

Tell me what you think about that. Where's it from?

Have a hold. I'm passing it to you cos it's blinking heavy.

It is heavy. Is it some sort of tribal piece or something like that?

Positively tribal. From where, do you think?

-Africa?

-It's got to be, hasn't it?

It's got that African edge to it.

And I can with confidence say this is not new.

Yeah, you can tell.

The marks just here as well.

That is all hand-cut. It's quite crudely cut,

it was never meant to be a very fine piece of furniture

but I tell you what, it's bomb-proof.

-You could chuck it out of a window.

-Yeah, it's heavy!

-I just don't know about it.

-Shall we just get a price on it?

-We've got one there.

-Yeah, but we can get him down a bit further.

Hi, guys. What's the trade on the tribal stool here?

About 110.

Really? Is that trade?

Yeah, it's a really good old one.

I've got to say, I rate it very highly.

-It couldn't be like 70 quid, guys, could it?

-No.

-I can do a hundred on it at the most.

-I don't know.

I think we're going to have to work on you two.

I do like the tribal stool, I've got to say.

I know, I'm liking it too. Just got to win this one over.

I just think we should have a look around.

All right. Come on. But if it was me, I'd be buying it!

It's not all about you, David.

Girls, stop window-shopping now, get spending.

Look at this.

Whoa!

Providence is a really, really important factor

and I, four-five years ago, bought one of these...

..on Bargain Hunt for £20

and it went to auction

and made £105.

Wow!

And it's almost identical.

Fantastic.

Chrome-plated, Italian, it's got the feel of the 1950s,

think of the great American motor car, and it's red.

High risk, high gamble. It worked for me last time. What do you think?

-We like red.

-We do like red.

Do you? It's on at £45.

If we could buy it for 25 or thereabouts, I would speculate,

solely based on what my last one made about five years ago.

How does it work with the electrics?

For auction, the actual compliance would require the plug

to be cut off and then for an electrician just to give it the test

to confirm it's safe to use.

But they are great icons. Probably this one's 1970s, 80s.

They have a great look about them.

Is there any damage on that one?

Have a look.

There you go. I think it's probably a '70s one. I love it.

It's just so iconic, of an age.

Have you got something on your nose or you just..?

Not convinced.

-Not convinced?

-No.

I really like this.

I just don't know if it will go in modern-day.

Shall we try £18?

But you must like it.

-Let's do it, come on. £18 or nothing.

-Yep.

Hello, there. We like the fire but we don't like the price.

We've got one offer and one offer only...£18.

-I'm afraid that wouldn't...

-What would be your lowest?

The lowest would be 38.

Would you take 35?

35? I'll take 35, yeah.

Do we trust the men on this one?

-Man power!

-Man power!

Not girl power, believe in man power, OK?

-£35.

-Go on, do it.

-Deal.

Thank you very much. Cheers.

You'd better be right!

I'll be right.

So electrical goods for the girls

and a...lampshade for the boys?

-That's nice.

-Yeah, it's different, isn't it?

-Do you like that?

-Yeah, it's...

Let's have a look at it.

Another heavy piece.

Two wires, so that would need rewiring.

Let's have a look on the underside.

Probably 1930s, or '40s.

'40s.

Now, is it glass or plastic?

I think that's plastic.

It's a plastic one, isn't it?

I think it's glass, because on one of them, it's cracked.

It's sort of age-related.

-What sort of trade is that?

-Er...

-I could do that for 35.

-35?

Do you think it'd make some profit?

I think it's got a chance, Steve, if it was £20.

Come on!

25.

25?

-Do you like it?

-Yeah, I mean...

It's a good price.

I'd be more happy if it's 20.

25 quid, you can't go wrong.

It might make 50, it might make 60 and again,

how much are you going to lose?

The most you're going to lose...

Well, it's never not going to get a bid on it.

It's going to get a bid, yeah.

-Yep.

-That's a safety one. We like a bit of safety.

Got to go out there, bag your safe one.

-25 quid, thanks a lot.

-Cheers.

-Wow!

-That is awesome.

-Do you like it?

-No, but it's fantastic.

Isn't that absolutely lovely?

I want one of them.

Like it? Raaaarrr.

-That's an unusual piece, silver-topped.

-Wow!

I would say...

Well, it's your choice, Louise.

It's gross!

It's really nice!

You need to decide, OK?

No, she won't let me buy the dead bird foot.

-It's my chicken's foot.

-Oh, go on.

Wise decision, Charlie.

Oh, God. He's running again.

What is with all the running?

Right.

Out of that wind.

Out of the wind, redo my hair, you know how it is.

Follow me. Look at this.

Wow!

Just stagnating, isn't it? Just sitting here.

The top will come off? Yes, there we are. I quite like it.

And what would it have been?

-A dough box.

-A dough box?

No lead lining any more.

-So it would have been for the purpose of...?

-Rising the dough.

-Out of ten, how do you like it?

-Zero.

-Zero?!

-Nothing for me.

-Charlie, friends?

-Probably a three or a four.

You're joking?!

THEY LAUGH

-Thanks for inviting me!

-He's fired.

-I'm fired?!

-Let's go.

-Oh, right.

-Yeah, it's plastic.

-OK.

There's only one of those stools here.

I don't think you'll find anything nicer.

I think we should play safe.

Play it safe.

Do you want to play it safe and buy that?

OK, yeah.

-That's a good cane, isn't it?

-It is nice.

That's lovely.

Do know what, it's a wonderful cane and I just wonder

if it's out of our price range.

-Ah.

-Is it not?

-I don't know. There's no price.

I don't know, how much do you want to spend?

First of all, Malcolm, tell me about it.

We know that it's a vertebrate, but I'm not sure

whether it's a snake...

-Wow.

-It's fantastic.

-..or a reptile invertebrate.

If you're interested in it, we can do a bit on the price.

I would think it's, what? late Victorian?

I'd have thought, looking at it, Louise, Charlie, 1870.

-Malcolm, what's the best price on it?

-Bucket price...

..cos I like Charles, £115.

We agreed not to spend more than £100 on a single item.

-Do you love the cane?

-I love the cane.

I want to whip you with the cane.

Ooh, steady on!

Let's make some decisions.

-Let's do it!

-Malcolm, we'll have your cane, sir.

Well done, girls. Two down and the boys are after a hat trick.

Windy out here. One of you big, strapping lads grab the stool,

-cos it's too heavy for me.

-Easy!

Chaps, obviously...

-You like it?

-Yeah.

And we don't have very much money and we hate spending money.

What's the absolute double death trade to me?

£90 and that's it.

I would pay £90 for that every day of the week.

-Yeah, it's something different.

-Are we going to have it?

-Yeah.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

-Cheers mate.

It's going to be a sprint finish for the girls.

Now, what will it be? The clock or the lamps?

-We've got two choices.

-It's your choice, Lou.

Out or in?

-Out.

-Is it in the dough box?

-No.

-No.

-Literally four minutes to go.

-Oh, God!

Run, Forrest!

-There it is.

-Yay!

It's got to be, I think, the best price you can get.

-Now, how much do you like it?

-Very much.

-Right, you've got four minutes to go in there, negotiate and buy.

-£28. Go.

-Hi, I've come to barter.

-Hello, kind sir.

-Because we love you so much.

-Right, is that what it's all about, then?

-Yes!

-We've got it.

-You bought it?

-Yes.

Hooray, they're done with only minutes to spare.

I'd better stop the clock.

Let's take another peek at what the Reds bought.

Charles eventually persuaded the girls

the electric heater was hot stuff. Ha!

As the hour run out,

Charlie fell in love with the snake vertebrae cane.

In the dying minutes,

Louise chose to go with the Victorian clock and ink stand.

Hey, come on, guys, that's enough of that. Share it round.

-You finished, which is a great relief, isn't it?

-Yes.

-How much did you finish up by spending in the end?

-185.

£185, that's brilliant, so we've got £115 of leftover lolly.

This is a nice sum to give you, Charles. £115 is grown-up.

-I'm quite nervous, Tim.

-Are you?

-There's lots of girl power here.

I must be careful and spend it wisely.

-You must be careful cos they'll be after you.

-Exactly.

-Good luck, Charles. Good luck, girls.

Why don't we check out what the Blues bought, eh?

Ash pinned his hopes on the Indian campaign medal.

The glass lampshade set them back £25.

And David pushed them towards the £90 African carved stool.

-Hello, Tim.

-Isn't that lovely?

These two boys make you look thoroughly short.

And me, too, actually.

-You must be 6'1, 6'2, something like that?

-Yes.

-Tim, I'm 6'3.

-Get out!

-They must be seven foot.

If you're 6'3, I'm 5'11(!)

-Anyway, how did you get on? Had a good time?

-Yes, very good.

-Really enjoyed it.

-How much did you spend?

-We spent £200 on the dot.

£100 of leftover lolly, please. Nice and blustery today.

We don't want that lot blowing away. £100, David. That's folding money.

-Got any ideas?

-I think something young and trendy and funky.

-Like ourselves.

-For our young bucks.

-What?

-Young bucks.

-Oh, that's right.

My hearing's a little faulty, you know. Anyway, very good luck.

For me, I'm heading to Sheffield. What could be more divine?

The sheer ingenuity and imagination of the workers here in Sheffield

led to this place becoming known as

the metalworking metropolis of the world.

Just look at this thing. Isn't it wonderful?

Here at the Sheffield Millennium Gallery,

we have the candle stands, teapots, the cutlery that you'd expect,

but also there are some pure flights of fantasy.

For example, would you go to a dinner party today

and expect to find one of these flapping round on the sideboard?

Well, once upon a time, it might have been thought commonplace

because this Sheffield plated soup tureen

in the form of a green turtle was made to hold turtle soup.

And from the 17th century,

green turtle soup was a delicacy that was imported.

And soup made to go inside and ultimately be ladled out with some ceremony.

Another oddball and really rather fantastic object is this.

It's in the form of a beehive.

It's unusual because this thing is actually a tea or hot water urn.

Normally these hot water urns have a spirit burner underneath

where the methylated spirits is literally burned

to heat the liquid contents.

This one, though, you take the top off,

there's a central reservation, a cylindrical hole,

into which a pig of red-hot iron heated in the fire is inserted.

Then it would radiate heat into the surrounding fluid and keep it warm.

Sheffield produced some pretty extraordinary examples

of utility items such as this.

This spoon has got a most extraordinary lip on it.

And for those of us who sport beards and moustaches,

it's a very handy spoon.

You'd simply take your soup and then when you're drinking the soup,

the serrated raised piece on this side of the spoon

will enable you to keep your moustache perfectly dry.

And avoid that rather embarrassing red tomato soup high tide mark

running across the middle of your upper lip.

But possibly, today, the most gracious of the items

of a novelty nature that we are showing you is this thing.

Have you ever seen one of these before?

Well, it's actually a cucumber slicer.

What you do is to introduce your cucumber into this end

where it engages on that rather vicious looking plate.

And, as you wind the handle,

so the thread on the side advances the plate

with the spikes effectively pushing the cucumber to the fore.

As you whizz the blade around you get wafer thin slivers of cucumber

accumulating on the bottom here

which is when the great Victorian dame doing the tea ceremony

would take the pieces of cucumber and put them on

wafer thin bits of brown bread-and-butter

to have with the Earl Grey at 4:15pm.

How delicious!

Of course, the big question today is how big a slice of the action

will our teams achieve over at the auction?

It's a treat to be in Nottingham at any time of year

and an even bigger treat to be at Mellors & Kirk, the auctioneers here

with Nigel Kirk.

-Nigel, morning.

-Good morning, Tim.

-Lovely to be here.

-Very welcome.

Rather red on this side of the table dominated by this red bar heater.

-Yes.

-But it's an excellent looking object, don't you think?

Isn't it stylish? Chromium plated and bright scarlet.

-How much do you think it is worth?

-Things like this are now quite collectable, of the 1960s.

-I think it will make £80-£100.

-Do you?

-Well, that's brilliant, because they paid £35 for it.

-Sounds reasonable.

Next is this walking stick made out of bits of vertebrae and whatnot.

How do you rate that on the scale of good things and bad things,

stick wise?

You'd struggle to get any competitive bidding on it.

OK, so translate that into money if you can.

£40-£60.

-But not £115 worth?

-Sadly not.

Well, I think the good Lord might be giving with one hand and taking away with the other.

Their third item is this pretty wacky combo inkwell alarm clock job

which has its appeal, but is made of the wrong material, isn't it?

It's trying to make us think it's ormolu or gilded bronze.

In fact, it's an alloy known as spelter

which has been surface coated with a sort of bronzing paint.

It probably looked a good deal better when it was new in about 1910

than it does today.

Yes. How much?

-£40-£60.

-£35 paid. It's magic, isn't it? I mean, spot-on.

What a team, led by Mr Hanson.

They are hardly likely to need their bonus buy,

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

Now, Thelma and Louise, I mean Charlotte and Louise,

-you gave Charles Hanson £115, which is a mammoth wallop.

-Yes.

El Matador here has bought you something.

-OK, Charles, show us all.

-Here it comes.

Charles! Thank you.

-Wow!

-OK, have a feel of it.

What is it?

It's what I would call a late Victorian

specimen wood swagger stick or baton.

-What's it worth?

-30, 40?

I wouldn't know what it was.

-Well, you're quite right. It cost me £40.

-OK.

-So the cost is 40.

-Feeling a little bit better.

-Feeling better now?

-A little bit.

-She's warming up, this girl.

It's all down to price with Louise. Be confident, be brave.

-Absolutely.

-That's the way, Charlotte.

You don't have to pick it now. You can decide later.

But for the audience at home, let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Charles' little stick.

-There you go, Nigel. What do you make of that?

-Interesting, isn't it?

It's a pointing stick made of all manner of different specimen timbers

including ebony, olive wood, rosewood,

and several others which I can't immediately name.

Fascinating, but no doubt woods which have come from the four quarters of the globe.

-Yeah, interesting. What's it worth?

-£40, £50.

Great. Charles paid £40 for it as a bonus buy.

And I fancy he'll make a small profit on it, too.

Now, that's it for the Reds.

Cruising over to the Blues, Jack and Ash,

first of all is the little campaign medal.

The interesting thing with campaign medals

is they have engraved around the edge the name of the recipient.

And if this had been awarded to a member of a regiment of the British Army,

it would have been worth perhaps three times as much as it is.

-Because it's awarded to a member of the Indian Army...

-Ah.

..and, of course, because the actions were taking place in India, such medals are a lot more common

-when awarded to native recipients.

-Right.

-OK, what's it worth, do you think?

-£80-120.

Brilliant, £85 they paid.

Anyway, your next challenge is to parse this lampshade.

Is it 1930s, or is it Laura Ashley 1970s?

-I'm inclined to think it's probably 1970s, it certainly isn't as early as the '30s.

-Hm. How much?

-I think pretty well whatever we can get for it.

-Make a tenner, do you think?

-Yeah.

Yeah. They paid £25. Their last item, which has more legs than most, is this stool,

a tribal stool.

Difficult things to value, these, aren't they?

They are. If you're lucky enough to find an example that you know dates from the 19th century,

or certainly before contact with Western civilisations, the sky is the limit.

But, of course, most,

the majority of these items that turn up today are trade goods.

-What do you think it might bring?

-£20-40.

They paid £90 for it. I think they've gone slightly over the top.

But we shall see. So they seem to be OK with the medal, they've got a dodgy issue

with that stool and they aren't going to make much from the shade,

therefore, they will need their bonus buy.

Let's have a look at it.

Jack and Ash, you spent £200. You gave David £100 of leftover lolly, what did he spend it on?

OK, boys, are we ready?

-Right up your street, I think.

-Wow, that's really good.

-I like it now.

-You're liking it?

-I'm liking that.

-Is it the box or the spoons you like?

-I was unsure when I saw a box.

-I was like, "What's in there?"

A box. That's it.

Lovely fitted box, solid silver spoons, coffee spoons probably,

in the Arts and Crafts style.

-You really like them, Jack?

-I wouldn't buy them, but I do think...

-Maybe your granny.

-Yes.

Do like them, Ash?

-Yeah, I really like them. I think they'll go for quite a bit. How much did you pay?

-20 quid.

-20 quid.

-That's good.

-In the box, ready to go, £20.

-Come on.

-You're their hero, Dave.

-Not yet!

-Look at that! I can feel a group hug coming on.

Anyway. Let it be a victory hug, maybe.

Anyway, you decide later, boys, but for the audience at home,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Dave's spoons.

-So, Nigel, there's something special for you.

-Isn't it just?

-Yeah.

A set of Edwardian silver coffee spoons, known as the seal-top pattern.

-And somebody's wedding present, no doubt, in about 1902.

-Never got opened.

-Never got opened.

-Never got used.

They are therefore in pristine condition, complete in their original cases.

-What are they worth?

-About £20-25.

Brilliant. David Harper only paid £20. There may be a small profit.

That's absolutely marvellous. Thank you very much, Nigel,

for enlightening us in so many areas.

-Are you going to be taking the sale?

-I am.

-Ah, that's a treat.

What sort of a coincidence is this?

We've just been in Sheffield Millennium Galleries

looking at old Sheffield plate and what have I discovered in a sale in Nottinghamshire,

but a pair of old Sheffield plate chamber candlesticks?

What's a chamber candlestick?

You've got no electricity in your house

and you want to light your way to your chamber.

So downstairs you'd have a candlestick like this.

Extremely convenient to carry around.

And, when you get upstairs, and you want to put the candle out when you are settled beside your bed,

you take that snuffer and ram it on top of the candle.

That extinguishes the candle and you can have a nice doze.

The next time you want to use the candle,

it's going to have an untidy mess of wick on the top,

because you squashed it with this snuffer.

You need to straighten it out

and, to do that, you need to use a pair of trimmers, like this.

If you look carefully at these fellows, that's got a sharp point up there.

That would help you tease out the remnants of the wick.

When that wick gets too long, it guts.

It makes a nasty smell, little bits come off, it doesn't burn cleanly.

Then you open up this scissor action and that reveals a little plate there.

You approach the top of the candle like that and close the scissor bit like that

and it has the effect of trimming the wick on the candle.

Now, most chamber candlesticks you find like this

are either missing the snuffers - that bit -

or they're missing the trimmers,

which fit so neatly into the base like that.

Imagine my thrill finding not only that one complete in the sale,

but also this one. What are the odds of finding

a pair of old Sheffield-plated candlesticks with all their bits?

Very, very long odds, I have to tell you.

And, even better, if you look at this trimmer, you can see a mark. That mark says "Gilbert".

And Gilbert was a Sheffield plater recorded in the bible

of Sheffield platers as working in the city in 1804.

So you can precisely date these things,

which is absolutely fascinating.

What are they worth? Tickled up, cleaned, nicely presented, £200-300 at least.

What's the estimate? In the auction, here, today, £70-90.

Strike a light, heh?

-Charlotte and Louise, how are you feeling, chickens?

-OK.

-Fine.

-Not at all tense?

-No tension there?

-No.

-No.

-Completely cool.

-Yes.

-And relaxed.

Are you worried about anything in particular, Louise?

Any item you're concerned about?

Maybe the heater. I'm sorry to say.

-Maybe the heater.

-It's so stylish.

-Where are you, Charlotte, with this?

-Um...

-Any concerns?

-Half and half on the heater.

-The heater.

-Strangely enough it's the first lot up.

-Here we go.

-Here it comes.

Lot 163, £30 for it.

1960s vintage. £20.

Any interest? £20 for it?

Is there a bid? £20.

20 I am bid.

20, 5. 30?

30, 5? No, at £30.

-All done at £30 only.

-Oh.

Close. £30 is minus five.

Lot 164, £20.

20, 10?

£10.

10 I'm bid. At 10. 15 now. 20?

20, 25? Yes? 25.

30? No. £25. At the back of the room, all done at 25.

This is not so good. £25. That's 75, 85. That's minus 90.

Lot 165, £20 for this.

20. 20 it is. At 20, 5, 30,

35 anywhere? 35. 40.

40, 45, 45 and 50.

50 to you? £50. 55 is it?

£50, then, at the back of the room. Selling at 50.

£50. Good girl. That's plus 15. Are you pleased about that?

-I am.

-You ought to be. Overall though, you're minus 80.

£80 down the toilet.

-You are going to go with the swagger, or not? Risk another 40?

-(ALL) Yes.

They're going to do it. Here it comes. Here comes the swag.

Lot 170, £20 for this. Nicely made.

£20? £10. A bid at 10. I'm bid £10 only. 15 for it?

15 for it. At £10. All done?

-Uh-oh.

-Just put us further into debt!

-£10. Minus 30.

That is minus 110.

I can't believe that, Tim.

Well, it just happened, Charles. It just happened, mate.

All right? This could be a winning score, I have to tell you.

-No trouble at all.

-It could be(!)

Next up are those nice Sheffield-plated chamber sticks. The estimate is £70 to £90.

A pair of them with the snuffers, all genuine and ready to go and here they come.

Lot 185, bidding here of £30.

30 I am bid. And five. 40 anybody? 40.

45. 50, 55, 60, 65.

£60 it is and five. 70, 75. 75, £80.

85. At 85 now. 90?

£85. All done at £85.

There we go. £85. That is cheap enough.

OK, Jack and Ash, do you know how the Reds got on?

-No.

-No idea.

-That's good. Don't want you to.

First up, is Ash's medal and here it comes.

Lot 186. Campaign medal.

And £40 for this, the medal. 40. 40 I am bid. At £40.

And five for it. 45.

50, 55, 60, 65. 65.

70. £65. Any more? And selling at £65.

65, bad luck. You're minus 20 on that. I don't believe it.

Lot 187. There it is.

£20 for this lot.

20, £10. Any bid? £5.

Five I am bid. 10, 15.

-Come on.

-15, 20. £15.

£15. You're minus £10 on that. This is fast and furious.

-Here comes the Nigerian stool.

-Uh-oh!

-This could be make or...

-It could be bids coming in internationally here(!)

Lot 188. £20 for it.

A lot of work in this. £20? £10.

Oh, my...

10 I'm bid. 15 do I see? At £10. All done.

First and last bid. It sells.

-No!

-£10. That's minus 80.

-It all looked pretty earlier on. Minus 110.

-Sorry, guys.

-Minus 110. So what are we going to do about these spoons?

-Just go.

It can only stir up more trouble!

-LAUGHTER

-OK, fine, we're going with the spoons definitely, yes?

-(BOTH) Yes.

-'Both teams are minus £110.'

'It's all down to the spoons.'

20, 10. 10 I'm bid. 15, 20.

-£15.

-Come on!

-No!

-£15.

-No, no!

That's it. I'm afraid the tragedy continues. £15 minus £5.

-I think we may have lost!

-Minus 115.

Well, the thing is, Jack, you just never know.

This could be a winning score. I know it's disappointing, minus 115.

It's all on David's face. That is a disappointment.

-It's pretty horrendous, isn't it?

-It is.

Sometimes, it's a bloodbath out there in the street and the gutters are just aflow.

Today, I'm afraid, it's one of those days, but it could be a winning score

-and all will be revealed in a moment.

-Right.

-Well done!

So I do hope you haven't been comparing any notes as to the profit you're taking home today.

-No.

-Good, because if you've been talking about profits, you'd have been telling a bit of a fib.

Because both teams made substantial losses and there is only a £5 note between you.

-(ALL) Oh, no!

-This is killing me.

So it's seriously close as to who is going to be the victor today.

The runners-up, because we don't have losers any more,

are the Blues.

CHEERING AND SHRIEKING

-LAUGHTER

-I mean, that is a shriek of joy, isn't it?

-Well done.

-I'm not going to dwell on this. It's simply minus 115.

Yes? Which is no money at all, when you think about it,

but, unfortunately, all the scores are minus, minus, minus. I'm not going to rub it in.

Good luck with everything, you've been a great team.

-But the victors are the Reds.

-CHEERING

Very, very pleased.

Your final score is minus 110 and you're the victors and deserve all the spoils of victory.

You got Charles Hanson, after all.

-Anyway, join us soon for some more bargain hunting. Yes?

-(ALL) Yes!

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