Hemswell 30 Bargain Hunt

Cor! Chilly out here today, isn't it? And more snow forecast.

What you want is 45 minutes of warm frontage

and a sunny disposition. Let the sunshine in, I say,

and let's go bargain hunting! Yeah!

Our teams today are going to keep nice and warm and cosy in here,

at the Hemswell Antique Centre just outside Lincoln.

But the big question is, how hot are they going to get

in the heat of the competition?

James manages to keep his cool.

What do you think we should pay for that one?

As little as possible, is the idea.

The Blues are hot on the trail of something special.

I'm really desperate to find a candlestick with bits sticking off

-because I had a dream about one.

-A dream about a candelabra?

£10. £15.

But how high or low will the temperature go

when the hammer comes down at the auction?

£30 for that...

-And here we are. Hello, everyone.

-Hello!

-Lovely to see you all.

-Ann, how did you and Paula meet?

-We met about 30 years ago,

and I went to have my hair cut,

and decided that I would choose a really good hairdresser,

and I chose Paula. And we got on really, really well.

-You just clicked?

-We did.

-You just snipped, actually.

THEY LAUGH Sort of.

Lovely! And you've been mates ever since?

-Ever since.

-Do you go sometimes and have the old bouffantay,

-get under that egg cosy?

-They don't do that any more, Tim.

-Don't they?

-Times have changed. THEY LAUGH

So, Paula, you've had quite a run at it

-as a hairdresser, haven't you?

-I have.

-It says here

that you had a really swinging time in the '60s.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Well, I lived in London in the '60s,

and worked in a hairdressing salon in Marlborough Court,

just off Carnaby Street, so that's where the world went.

-Dead trendy.

-Yes.

-Did you have your micro-skirt?

-Yes, I did.

-Bit of a pelmet.

Yes!

-And those leather boots?

-Of course!

-Oh, perfect.

I can imagine this now, walking down Oxford Street,

-heading for Carnaby Street.

-Oh, please don't go there!

Oh, yes! Take us back!

Anyway, any fruity experiences at all?

I went to a Beatles concert, and I went backstage

to get their autographs. I met Paul McCartney,

and he said, "What's your name?" and I said, "Paula."

-He said, "I've always wanted to meet a girl called Paula. Can I take you home?"

-Oh-ho-ho!

This is the business! OK, dish the dirt. What was he like?

He was very nice.

-He was OK.

-"He was very nice!"

-I was only 17 at the time.

It was quite a long time ago. But yes, he took me home and...

And what?

-Well, he kissed me good night.

-Did he?

-Did you make any music together?

-Um...

Not as much music as you're thinking.

THEY LAUGH

Are you up for this challenge? What are your tactics, Annie?

We're going to just take our time, and what takes our eye,

-we're going to go for.

-You're going at this with passion?

-Oh!

-We are, yes. We come from Derbyshire!

-Oh, yes!

-THEY LAUGH

Well known, the girls in Derbyshire, for their passion.

Watch out, chaps.

Anyway, now, Sean, how did you and Rodge the Dodge meet?

Well, I was 17, working in a bar,

and I couldn't work the till properly. They'd left me all alone,

and it was a round of drinks for Roger and his friends.

And they told me about a third of the price and I just punched it into the till.

And that was it. They had a round on me like that.

-Then we became friends.

-They came back for more, didn't they?

Every night. I saw him every night without fail.

Brilliant. Roger, being in the Blue Team is appropriate for you, isn't it?

Yes, it is. I worked for Pontins, er, as a Bluecoat.

-Did you?

-Yes.

-Happy days!

-Very happy days.

-We went away with Pontins

when we were 17, with Roger's grandparents, and we never came back.

TIM LAUGHS And that was the end of it.

We stayed that season. We went back for the following two,

and we just formed a lifelong friend since then.

And now we do a singing comedy act,

and a comedy magic act called Magical Mayhem.

And it's madness.

Roger's put on a few pounds now, so we have a few problems.

-What sort of problems do you have?

-I can't get in the box any more.

-I beg your pardon?

-I can't...

-HE LAUGHS

-We've got a trunk.

-I can get in the box.

What box are we talking about? A coffin?

-No. It's where you disappear.

-Ah, a disappearing box!

-And I push swords through it.

-Oh, one of those boxes!

And Roger's meant to disappear, and then I open the box.

Well, one night I kept opening the door, and Roger was still there!

Oh, dear! And how many swords had you stuck into him?

-Nine.

-Nine!

-THEY LAUGH

It's no wonder you were still there.

I think we're going to have a riot today.

Here's the money moment. There's your £300.

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

Abracadabra!

And hoping to conjure up some profits for our teams are...

..a debonair James Braxton...

..and a fighting-fit Thomas Plant.

Right! That's an hour on the clock, guys.

-What are we going to be looking for?

-I love ceramics and jewellery.

Maybe a bit of silver, glass?

Come on. We've got a nice wide choice. Let's...

I'm really desperate to find a candlestick with bits sticking off.

-I had a dream about one.

-You had a dream about a candelabra?

'Gosh! Dreams, eh?

'This'll be an enlightening shop.'

James!

I wouldn't mind looking at that candle.

I've got this thing about candles!

'We know, Sean.'

-Can't see a price.

-We could make a note of that,

and there's another one there for you, as well. 120.

They're late 18th century, early 19th century.

-Put it down, Paula.

-THEY LAUGH

Put it down! PAULA GRUNTS

-Now, it's fun, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Sometimes they're wood,

-sometimes they're plastic.

-I think she meant the dish.

Oh, the dish. It's got a label on it, as well.

It's that sort of cased glass, isn't it?

So you've got that two-colour, greeny-tangeriney...

And this lime-green colour's in at the minute.

-My room's lime green.

-It must be in, Paula.

-It must be!

-It must be in.

-I quite like that.

-No chips or anything, is there?

-Feel away. Your eyes -

-I thought just there.

-Your eyes can -

-They've got a fault on there.

-Ooh, hello.

-Hello!

Don't worry. I think that's not a crack.

I think it's part of the pontil.

'Ooh, grab your dictionary!'

Where they knocked it off.

-So that's...

-That could be a possibility.

What have we got? That's 30. It's not expensive, is it?

Get that for about 25...

Let's hold that thought.

'You hold what you like, James.'

What are you going in there... He's picking up the Philippe Starck!

There he is. You like that, don't you?

I just like the shape of it.

'Funny looking candlestick!'

-Unusual's what people like today.

-It's brand new, though.

-Yeah, it is.

-You can still buy those today.

It's a lemon squeezer. This is an antique of the future,

there's no question. This is a collectable.

There's certain things of Philippe Starck's

which have a real collectorship, and one of them is his teapot.

Not many were made because they didn't really work,

but this is quite iconic design.

You can buy them new. Be OK to bash you over the head with one.

Interesting, these two vases.

They look quite clean. You take one.

Early ones, 18th, 17th-century Chinese vases,

-will have some firing cracks, little blemishes.

-Glazing.

-These are very clean, aren't they?

-Yes, they are. Yes.

What age? What sort of age would you say...

I would say they're early 20th century,

so 1910, 1920.

And they're translucent. They are porcelain.

They're nicely painted. They're most likely to be Paris porcelain.

£45. I think they're all right.

-They're decorative items, aren't they?

-Yes. They're nice.

And also I just wanted to quickly look up here.

'Never mind the looking, guys. What about the buying?'

'So far you have nothing. Nada.'

If you're sitting comfortably, then, I'll stand up!

Actually, I was sitting quite comfortably

in this rustic chair.

What do I particularly like about this chair?

Well, frankly, it's its integrity.

This is a chair that was made

about 250 years ago

by a village craftsman called Bodger -

literally a local fellow who hacked lengths of green wood

from hedgerows, roughly formed them into shape

on his string-powered treadle lathe,

and in effect created these circular members

that go to make up the legs.

The only complicated thing he had to turn was this front rail,

which, as you can see, has been turned with three balusters -

a big globby one in the middle,

which is pretty well the same shape as when he turned it,

but the ones on either side

have curiously become flat on the top,

and that's because, for 250 years,

little people - that's children -

have sat in this chair and roughly swung their feet

on top of the rail, and they've worn it flat.

But that's an honest and genuine and rather nice sign,

I think, in a piece of rustic furniture.

The back itself is called a ladder-back,

literally because these thin lathes

that have been shaped to form the back

look a bit like a ladder.

But what's really nice for me as a collector

is this top rail. It's called a yoke rail,

that resembles the yoke that might sit in the harness of an oxen,

and this form of yoke rail

is peculiar to one particular chair-making centre

in Cheshire, just by Macclesfield.

And what would such a thing cost you?

Today, here, in this antique centre,

it's marked up at £59.

Now, that is not a lot of money.

'Right! Have our experts led their teams to a buy yet, I wonder?'

Shall we see if he spots it? It's like a dog with a bone, isn't it?

-Oh, there he is!

-There he is.

-Reaches it right out.

Bring it over here. Don't smash anything.

'Now what's he got?'

-Is that what you like?

-This is...

Silver plated. £90.

'Surprise, surprise!'

-There's quite a bit of solder here. You can see that, can't you?

-Yeah.

I liked it at first glance, but that puts me off a bit.

Well, they're always going to have something wrong with them.

OK. Let's just... Luckily, if the dealer doesn't mind...

-She is here right now, so shall we ask her?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Is that all right? Would you mind us asking you?

So, £40. She's putting up four fingers.

£40. That's a good reduction. What about 30?

-I'll do 35.

-35.

-30 for the Blue Team on Bargain Hunt.

-Don't!

-Please!

-I think you've done jolly well.

-I know.

-You've done jolly well. I think 35 is a decent price.

-What do you want to do?

-What do you think we could make?

Well, it's got a chance at £30 to £50,

so there's no question that's got a chance.

It's not unattractive. It satisfies your demand...

-SEAN LAUGHS

-..for a candlestick, which is great.

-£35. Do you like it?

-Yeah, I like it.

-You want to go with that one?

-Yes.

'At last! A buy!

'If only the Red Team would follow suit!'

-Bisto. Bisto.

-Is that a good make, or...

Yeah. Bisto did masses of services,

so a Staffordshire manufacturer.

-Marigold probably refers to the pattern.

-To the design.

-Yes. Look here.

-It's rather nice.

-Lovely.

-Gorgeous.

Have you felt round the rim? Has it got any chips?

-No, it's not. It's fine, and it's...

-It's not crazed or anything?

-And there's no leaks.

-And it also has...

VASE CHIMES SOFTLY Ring.

Yeah, that's ringing. It's not dead, is it?

Bit of blue and white. Not the greatest maker.

-How old do you think it is?

-You could probably date it exactly.

-It's probably about 1910.

-Really? It's in fantastic condition.

-Yeah. It's a nice bit, isn't it?

-Mm, like that.

-Can we bid on that, please?

-Of course you can.

It's your money. It's your show. £69.

I think that's definitely a possibility.

So let's line that up. It's all on price!

What do you think we should pay for that?

-As little as possible, is the idea.

-THEY LAUGH

'Stating the obvious, James!

'Oh, still there, boys?'

So, quick question - how many pieces in a chess set?

-48.

-Come on! Think again!

-I don't know.

-No!

-24.

-No! There's 18 pieces in each side.

-36.

-36.

This is really boring, but we've got to do it.

I like to set it up as if I'm going to play a game of chess.

It's the only way to make sure that you've got it all there.

This may sound a silly question, but don't you normally have a board?

'Sounded perfectly sensible to me, Sean.'

It's a bit like railwayana, railway items.

A train collector, you've always got track.

If you're a chess-set collector, you've always got a board.

Pick one of these up, and what do you feel? What's on the bottom?

-Felt.

-Felt.

And it's got a nice thump as you put it down.

They're weighted. They've got a weight to them.

-It's quite a nice set.

-And what's the age?

-Um, Edwardian.

-I've never played chess.

-Never played chess?

-No.

-Never played chess?

-Draughts and tiddlywinks.

-Yes.

-It's a great game.

And it's at £50.

It's a very good example. I love it.

What would it make at auction? Would it make a profit?

I can see there being a profit in that personally.

-I think so. Yes.

-You like them?

-Yes.

So you've got the candlestick and you've got the chess set.

-Do the deal.

-Do the deal!

That's quite pretty.

It doesn't do anything for me, James.

It'd be even prettier if that was gold, wouldn't it, the chain?

What they asking for it?

16. Like a little fob watch, isn't it?

-Have you got a magnifying glass?

-Yeah, course I have.

SHE LAUGHS

Just see, because if it's marked gold,

-it's quite a cheap little chain.

-Mm.

It's not marked gold, but I see...

You don't think it's pinchbeck, do you?

Buyers beware!

Could be a pinchybecky, couldn't it?

-I suppose it is...

-Just, er...

-What make is it?

-Oh, no. It would just be a little, um...

You'd have to take off the back. It's not gold. It's brass.

But it's mother-of-pearl, and somebody's turned it

into a little pendant watch. But that's quite pretty, really.

It is, with the mother-of-pearl round it, when you look closely.

-And £16 is not a lot of money.

-No.

And you've got the opportunity of the chain.

So if that turned out to be gold,

you've probably got a little bit of value. 30 or 50 quid there.

'Well, buy it, then!'

-Yes.

-I think you'd do quite well with that at auction.

-OK.

-And 16 quid, I don't think that's a lot.

So let's keep that and see what we can do on that.

I think that's a possibility.

'They've all been possibilities, James! Make a decision!'

There you are, boys. Have a look at it. Don't drop it.

So, it's Japanese,

which is OK.

Not Chinese.

Chinese is obviously much better.

-What do you think the age is of that?

-Not very old.

Well, it's 100 years. Probably 1900s, 1920s.

-Right-oh. And it's...

-245.

-245.

-Why do you like it?

I think it's more of a decorative thing.

I just picked up on it and thought, "Ooh, I like that."

I've got to go with that. I've got to respect your opinion.

-I mean, it is beautiful.

-But it's too expensive.

Well, it is a lot of money, but you've got a lot of money to spend.

You can certainly try and get a deal.

-In for a penny, in for a pound.

-Go and phone up.

See what you can do. But before you do,

can I just show you one thing? I don't want to bully you into this,

I really don't, but there's just... In here, I just noticed,

there's this. You might not agree with this.

This is an ivory puzzle ball on a stand.

It's £85. Whatever you think about ivory, it can be sold

as long as it's pre-1947.

This is a profit, OK?

Whatever way you look at that, that's a profit.

You'd really have to work hard at that.

-That's a gamble.

-That's a gamble.

-I actually do like that.

-I think the carving...

-This is a ball inside a ball inside a ball.

-How do they do that?

-Well, exactly. It's a very skilled thing.

-And what would that make at auction?

-If you get that for 60, 70 quid,

-you'd be doing well.

-I've gone off my vase.

-HE LAUGHS

-You've gone off it now, have you?

-Yeah. I don't like it.

-You don't like it now.

-Throw it back in the shelf.

-Throw it back.

-Not throw it!

-You want to look at that?

-We'll get...

-I'd get that.

-You try, Roger, this time.

-Go on.

-I'll try this time.

-You want to do it?

-Hold on to it.

-OK.

-Watch him drop it.

-Do your best.

-£75. That's the best.

-Is that the lowest he'll go?

-It is.

-It is.

-70?

Couldn't do another five, Mike, could you?

-£70?

-Please?

-Yes, he will do it for 70.

-OK. Deal.

Thank you.

-I'm going to cry.

-Are you? Really?

-We've got a deal.

-What's the deal?

-£70.

Well done, guys. You've been brilliant contestants.

You've got a very good chance of doing well on the show.

'We'll see, Thomas. First, let's remind ourselves what they bought.

'Roger followed Sean's dream all the way to the plated candlestick

'at £35.

'Thomas persuaded the boys to buy the chess set for £50.

'And their final buy was the Chinese ivory puzzle

'at £70.'

-So, you had a great time, yes?

-Fantastic.

Now, you spent how much?

145.

-Oh, 155?

-155.

£155. That's lovely. So you've got £145 of leftover lolly.

-Yes.

-Thank you. I'll have that, please.

Got that, Seanie. Great.

How do you see your performance going from here?

I can either spend the whole lot and really scupper your chances,

which I'm going to do...

THEY LAUGH

-Spend it all!

-We trust you.

'Now, Reds, you're almost out of time,

'and drastic times call for drastic measures.'

Go away and find your favourite item. Bring them back here.

-Only five minutes. Off you go.

-OK, then!

'Right! What's Ann gone for?

'Ah, the bowl! After some hard bargaining

'with the ladies downstairs, she managed to get it down

'from £69 to 62.'

Got it!

'The pendant watch for James. He got £2 off the asking price.

'Last but not least... Ah! Paula's got her glass.

'It was £38, but she got them down to 35. Well done!'

-Bought three nice items.

-I'm really proud of you girls.

Excuse me interrupting you. That's marvellous.

You spent the whole of £291. Is that right?

-No.

-No.

-111.

-111.

-You spent £111?

-That's not so nifty.

-THEY LAUGH

You mean to say you bought three items for £111?

-Yes, we did.

-That's a disgrace, that is!

So, who's got the £189 of leftover lolly?

-I have.

-Have you?

Well done, Ann. Thank you very much.

-You'd get a few blow-drys for that, wouldn't you?

-You would!

-Paula would know all about that. Here we go.

-Thank you.

There's your blow-dry money. What are you going to do with it, James?

-Blow the lot, I hope?

-I think we've got one weak item.

I think I need to put on a bit of mileage with the last one.

I hope so. Something big and silvery.

Well, good luck with that, James, and good luck, girls.

They're going to have a cup of tea to restore themselves,

and we're heading off to sunny Hampshire to see a house

that's had a bit of restoration too.

Oh, no, we're not in a museum of antiquities.

Nor are we in Egypt.

We're in Hinton Ampner.

-HE CHUCKLES

-This house is full of surprises,

not the least of which, here in the library,

is the extensive use of porphyry.

Now, porphyry is an exotic and rare mineral,

that at one time was thought only to exist in Egypt.

It's this deep purple,

white-flecked stone

that you see all around this room.

It's relevant if you're furnishing in the Georgian style

because, of course, it was in 1797

when Napoleon invaded Egypt

and threatened the British Empire in India,

that led to Nelson beating up the French

at the Battle of the Nile and basically saving the day.

As a result, a lot of late-18th-century furniture

and objects reflect the Egyptian style.

For example, here we've got a black basalt centrepiece

made by Josiah Wedgwood

that absolutely is Egypt in your face,

with these sphinx-like supports.

The collection was put together in the early part of the 20th century

by Lord Ralph Dutton.

Here in the dining room, the most prominent piece of furniture

is this mahogany beauty.

It displays Egypto-revival style in spades.

It was designed by Thomas Hope.

It shows its Egyptian influence,

for example here, with its sphinx-like masks,

which are inset into a variety of the corners.

At the top of the pedestal we seem to have a cupboard,

but actually, if I press it in like this,

most unusually, these swing out

to reveal a series of apertures for cutlery.

Down below there's a cupboard door,

which appears to enclose some standard drawers,

except the bottom couple of drawers are joined together,

and inside they're divided

specifically to receive spirit decanters.

I particularly like this wine cooler

that's in the form of an oddball trolley.

It's lined with lead, so that it would take the ice

and the bottles that you're trying to cool down.

In this end pedestal,

we've got a similar arrangement with the cutlery arrangement, look,

and down below, another cupboard,

this time lined with tin, ready to receive plates

and red-hot charcoal to warm them.

It's a magnificent object, isn't it?

What would it be worth today?

Well, very difficult to value, I can tell you,

because this thing has to be jolly nearly unique.

What we do know is, though,

that Ralph Dutton invested heavily in this.

The bombs were falling all over London

during the Second World War,

and he bought it for £8.

£8!

So difficult was it to remove furniture and store it,

and anyway, half the stuff was being blown up,

that nobody wanted large pieces like this.

Of course, the big question today is,

will our teams generate a pharaoh's riches

over at the auction.

Well, we've flitted across the country to Lichfield -

sunny Lichfield Auction Centre, to be precise,

at Richard Winterton's auctions. Richard, how are you?

-Very well, Tim. Yourself?

-Very fit.

-Excellent.

Firing on all cylinders, and longing to find out

what you've got to say about this lime-green St Lambert

-Belgian modernist piece of glass.

-I quite like it.

You might look at me funny, but I actually quite like that sort of style.

Listen, would I look funny at you because you like one of our contestant's lots?

No, I would not. Funnily enough, I rather like it, too.

In its place it could be super, couldn't it?

Well, it's 19-... Spot-on 19-... Late '60s, '70s.

It is etched in, the name, in the bottom, but we can't quite read it.

-What's your estimate?

-30, 40, quite comfortable.

OK. £35 paid.

Ann and Paula both loved it, and I think they're absolutely right.

-Then the absolute contrast...

-PEOPLE CHATTER

They're a bit rowdy in here! The absolute contrast

-is this thing...

-Ghastly!

-..a typical late-Victorian...

-Ghastly!

-..transfer-print.

-Ghastly!

-All right. We got three "ghastly"s in a trot there.

It's the sort of thing we put in a box of odds, to be blunt with it.

-On its own...

-Yeah, OK. How much?

Well, I'm going to put ten to 15 to be kind on it.

We might just scrape it, but it doesn't do anything for me at all.

-I don't believe this. £62 they paid.

-Oh!

And the other tasteful thing

is the mother-of-pearl-cased ladies' fob watch. Do you rate that?

It's just a nice little, commercial little watch.

It does, again, what it says.

It's neat, tidy, easy to read. It's OK. It's all right.

-How much for that one?

-We've gone about 30, 40 for that one.

That's all right. We'll get money back off that. £14 they paid.

Oh, that was a good buy.

So, what with the speculation of the '60s glass

and the profit that we're anticipating

that they will make on the fob watch,

maybe this blue business won't be such a disaster after all.

But just to make quite sure, let's check out the bonus buy.

Now, Ann and Paula, you gave the lovely James Braxton

-£189 of leftover lolly.

-We did.

-James, you're straining there.

-Yeah. I'm struggling here.

-Copper Braxton's done it again.

-Oh!

-Wow!

-Look at that! That's a thumper!

-That's a beauty!

-It certainly is.

You could get some spaghetti in there.

-It's extremely heavy.

-That is weight.

-Do you want me to help you?

-Brass and copper.

-Oh, my gosh!

-Feel that, darling.

-Whoo!

-Is that...

-Is that heavy?

-It's heavy, heavy.

-You try that for weight, darling.

Ooh, it is!

It'll pull a little one like you right over!

We'll shove it down there. Is it going to stay upright?

-No, it won't stay upright. There we go.

-Perfect.

-It's gorgeous.

-How old do you think it is, James?

-Probably 1920. 1910, 1920.

-Right.

So early 20th century. Do you like it, Ann?

Yes, I do. I think it's very, very nice.

-And what about you, Paula?

-Yes. I like it as well.

I've always been a fan of copper. How much did you pay for it, James?

£55.

Right. How much do you think it would fetch in auction?

I think hopefully between 50 to 100.

-I can't see it making under £40.

-Yeah. Well, there you go, girls.

-I like it.

-It's pretty good, isn't it, for £55,

to buy something quite so substantial.

-You're quite keen on it?

-Yes. We like it, yes.

Wait and see how you get on with the first three items,

but let's find out what the auctioneer thinks

about Braxton's jam pan.

-Hubble, bubble!

-I know you're going to hand it to me.

Yeah! You feeling strong? Because it's heavy.

-Ooh, look at that!

-Fantastic.

-Isn't that marvellous?

-Yeah.

So, we've got a copper pan,

we've got a bell-metal handle. It's all been tinned,

so you could use it for cooking. Do you like a bit of home-made jam?

Certainly in this. It's fantastic.

-I'd like us to get on with it. It's heavy.

-I'll take it back.

OK. Kitchenalia is everything, right?

-How much for this one?

-I think we're 50 to 70 quite comfortable.

OK. £55. Yeah. Spot-on.

-James Braxton loves a bit of heavy metal.

-Spot-on.

And he's got it now. That's it for the Reds. Now for the Blues,

Roger and Sean. Their first item is the candlestick.

They just had to have this candlestick, and here it is.

It's the sort of thing we see all the time. It's a standard item.

-Nothing much more to be said on it.

-How much?

-30 to 40 all day long, really.

-£35 paid.

-So they didn't pay too much for that.

-No.

What about the chess set? Is that all complete?

It is, yes. It's loaded, as well, which is nice.

-Which means it's got a lead weight in the bottom?

-Yes,

-so it's a bit more quality in there.

-It's a proper job, isn't it?

Oh, yes. That would've been expensive when new.

Yeah. But no label on the box,

and no stamps on the individual pieces. So, how much, then?

Er, we've gone 70-90,

and I don't know if we're a bit optimistic on that one,

I have to say. It would certainly be 50 plus.

Yeah. Well, it's always better to check, isn't it...mate?

HE CHUCKLES

-70 to 90 is the official estimate. £50 was paid...

-That's all right.

..by our venturesome boys, so that's OK, isn't it?

They should make a nice profit on that.

And what about the Chinese ivory puzzle job?

-There's a lot of work in this, you know.

-Yeah.

-I counted seven balls in there.

-Seven balls within the ball!

And when you think that starts out as one solid lump of ivory -

I mean, not much fun for the elephant,

but from there on in, the Chinese have done a complete whiz on that.

-Oh, superb.

-Seven balls within the ball!

-How do you rate it?

-We've gone 50 to 80,

-and it will be comfortably top end of that.

-Right.

-They paid 70, so it needs to get there.

-We'll be OK.

I think this team aren't going to need their bonus buy,

but we're going to have a look at it anyway.

Right, Roger, Sean. Here comes the £145 moment.

What did you spend it on, Tom?

Very pretty. A little enamel box.

This is beautifully done.

Guilloche enamel and then some champleve around,

on a gilt metal, circa 1920s.

But an extremely pretty item.

-Right.

-Very attractive.

-Very commercial in today's world.

-OK. And how much did you pay for it?

A very small amount of money. £90.

-90?

-These items, these small enamel boxes, are extremely collectable,

with the enamel on the top, and what's going for it, it's perfect.

-And what would it be used for?

-Oh, it's a little pin box,

-needles, etc.

-Pills.

Pills. But you've got a mirror in there,

-so powder, like a little compact.

-It seems to be a bit of a hit, Tom.

That's lovely. We've absorbed all that knowledge.

You don't choose now. You choose later.

Why don't we find out what the auctioneer thinks

about Tom's little dressing-up box?

Well, I'm jiggered! That's a good bit of enamel. Look at that!

-Yeah. Sweet thing, isn't it?

-Oh, charming!

-Is it silver?

-It's not, no. It's a gilt metal,

which is surprising, with the amount of work on the top.

Well, quite! I mean, the quality of that enamel

would justify it being in gold or silver gilt,

-but not just gilt metal.

-No.

-How much?

We've gone 40 to 50, which I think is very conservative.

You think it could make a bit more? Well, it needs to make 90,

-to make Thomas Plant a happy man.

-It's a touch-and-go one, really.

So, touch and go! We'll soon find out. Thank you, Richard.

-All right, you guys? Happy?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Looking forward to it?

-Oh, yes, very much so.

This is an exciting saleroom when it goes well,

which I have a funny feeling it might be today.

First up is the Val St Lambert bowl, and here it comes.

The Lambert-studio glass bowl there,

circa late '60s, early '70s.

-£10 to start.

-Oh, yes, it's worth £10!

Five. 30. £30 I'm bid. 30.

Five. 35. The lady on my left at 35.

-35. 35.

-Come on!

£35 I'm bid. At 35. We have 40?

-Come on!

-Come on!

All finished at £35?

-That's it. £35.

-It's all right.

-No shame in that.

That's fine. Now the jardiniere. Oh, dear.

Lot 159.

£5 start.

THEY GASP No!

Anyone for £5? Five!

Ten. 15.

£15.

20. £20. Right here at £20.

-Oh...

-What was that?

-62.

£30. At £30. Right here at £30.

At £30. £30.

-35.

-Ooh, yes!

35. No?

35. At the back at 35. Sold at 35.

£35 is five short of... I think that's minus 27 on that, girls.

-Oh, dear!

-27.

Not so hot. Are you going to make it all back on the fob watch?

The ladies' fob watch there. Mother-of-pearl there.

£10 to start me.

£10. £10 I'm bid. £10, £10.

At £10 I'm bid. £12. £15. £20.

-25.

-This is nice.

25. Right, then. At 25. At £25 I'm bid. To the lady, then.

-We want more!

-We need more.

-£30.

No? £30. On my left at £30.

We have five? All sold.

£30.

Going.

£30 is plus 16. You were 27 behind. You're minus 11.

Are you going to go with the saucepan?

-We've got to go with it.

-You're going with it? Definitely?

I think you're going to need to boil up something.

-Oh, James!

-Anyway, here it comes.

The copper and the brass saucepan now.

Commission bids in. I'm in at £30.

At £30 I'm bid. The saucepan at £30.

35. £40. 45.

£50. £50. I'm bid at £50.

-At £50.

-Oh, James! James, it's sticking.

-Come on!

-All finished?

Sold at 50.

-THEY GROAN

-50. I can't believe that.

-No. It's worth more than that.

-It is.

-Definitely worth more.

-They're not discerning customers.

-It was 55. You're minus five.

-Yes! Minus 16.

-I can't believe that.

Anyway, overall, girls, you are minus 16,

which could be a winning score. As we know on Bargain Hunt,

-that could easily be a winning score.

-Are you winking?

No, I'm not. It could be a winning score.

-Could it?

-Honestly. Seriously, darling. No wink.

Straight face. It could be a winning score.

-I'll take your word for it.

-Just don't talk to the Blues.

-As if.

-Not a word.

-Not a word, Paula. No. Lovely.

Are you going to be as sharp as your shoes are

-as far as profit's concerned?

-I think so, yes.

-Definitely.

-Two sharp ones here, I tell you. You're confident?

-Yes.

You wouldn't want to swap anything that you bought?

Apart from him.

You don't want to swap anything? You're confident with your things?

-Yeah.

-Well, I know you're obsessed, Sean, with the candlestick.

-Yes?

-I'll never live it down if I make a loss on that candlestick.

You'll be all right. The auctioneer thinks it's worth 30 to 40.

You paid £35, so you should be lucky with that. Here it comes.

The Old Sheffield plate candlestick there, 19th century.

Where will we start, then? £20?

£10 to go?

No bid on my book. £10, the candlestick.

Who's going to come in? £10? £10? Don't want to go any lower. £5?

Five I've got. £5 I'm bid, the candlestick.

At £5. At £5 only. At five. £8. £8. £10.

Now we're waking. £10. £12.

-£15.

-Come on!

-£20.

£20 I'm bid. £20. Centre of the room, at £20.

At £20. Everyone else out?

-That dream wasn't any good!

-All sold?

£20. To you, sir, in the centre, at 20.

-Minus £15. You're fired, mate.

-This is nice. This is lovely.

It's the treen chess set, then.

A bit of interest on this. Weighted base. It is complete, as well.

-I'm in at £50.

-Yes, quite right. Straight in at 50.

60. 70 on the right. At £70. I'm bid 70.

-At 70. At £70. Far right at £70.

-We want a bit more.

Sold at 70. Yours at 70.

That is lovely. That is plus 20. You are plus five.

All right? You're £5 up. Now, here comes the ball.

Lot 179,

again, the bid's on the book with £50 bid.

-Yeah.

-50. 60. 70.

At £70. 80 at the back. At £80. I'm bid at 80.

-Profit. £20 profit.

-90. 100.

-£30 profit.

-100.

At £100. I'm bid at 100.

-Back of the room at 100.

-That's what I like.

-All finished? Sold at 100.

-Yes!

Plus 30. You are plus £35 overall, team.

That is what you call folding money, isn't it?

Very nice. Spend £155 and make £35, straight up.

Now, what are you going to do about the bonus buy,

-that old box?

-No. We're not going to go.

-You're not?

-I don't think we should.

-Just on the chance?

-No.

-You're not going to do it?

-I'll listen to him.

-Sean, you would be there, wouldn't you?

-I'd be there.

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

The cosmetic box there, the enamel lid.

-Seven bids on the book.

-Hey!

We are in at 70. £70.

At £70. At 70.

80. 90. £90. With me at £90.

90. At £90. Lot of bids all round there at £90.

We have 100. At £90 with me.

All sold at £90.

-Whoo-hoo-hoo!

-Wiped its face.

Well done, Tom. On another day that would've made £50 profit.

-Yeah.

-Anyway, there we go. Good decision, lads.

£35 in your back pocket. That could be a winning score.

Don't talk to the Reds, all right? All will be revealed in a moment.

-What fun!

-THEY LAUGH

Well, teams, we've had a great show, haven't we?

-Oh, yes.

-Have we had fun? I tell you!

-So, no chatting, then, between you?

-No.

-No.

So you absolutely have no idea that the runners-up today are...

-the Reds.

-Ohhh!

-Ahhh!

-Ohhh!

I know. You thought that your minus-16 score

-was going to win you the show today, didn't you?

-Yes, we did!

You got that lovely profit on the little fob watch, which was super,

but not enough, I'm afraid, to stem the flow.

Particularly not from this lot over here,

because they've been flowing! They are going to go home

-with £35 of real money.

-Gosh!

That is folding money to take away, isn't it?

£30 profit on that puzzle ball. Lovely!

£20 profit on the chess set. Lovely!

-And a loss, Sean...

-Ssh!

-..on your plated candlestick.

But seriously, apart from that, that was absolutely super.

-No profit, no loss on the bonus buy.

-No.

-Nothing to ascribe there.

-Have you had a nice time, chaps?

-Fantastic.

-Very good, isn't it?

To walk away from Bargain Hunt with £35 profit is a considerable achievement,

as we all know. Well done for that. We've loved having you on the show.

We've had a great day. Join us soon for more bargain hunting! Yes?

THEY ALL SHOUT Yes!

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