Ardingly 10 Bargain Hunt

As I wander through this field of antiquities,

I thinks to meself, "Let's go Bargain Hunting!"

Ardingly antiques and collectors fair goes on for absolutely miles.

It's been raining cats and dogs recently

so let's hope they've brought some sensible footwear!

On today's shop, Mark talks his team out of a purchase that could have cost them dearly.

Look at those antlers.

-£240.

-£240.

-I think we'll say no to that.

-No to Rudolf.

Poor Rudolf!

Speaking of a good shot, though...

-What's that?

-A little shot glass!

Right. Time to dig a little deeper.

And here they are, two teams of very good friends.

Now, Lynne, I gather you and Poo have known each other for some years.

Like almost forever, I suppose, yes.

We were born and brought up in the same village.

Sailing has formed an important part of your friendship.

We're both members of the same yacht club, on the river.

-We've both spent... This is on the Hamble.

-On the Hamble.

-Yes. We've both spent a lot of time...

-Mucking about in boats.

-Yes.

-You also have a passionate interest in antiques.

-I've always enjoyed antiques.

-What things do you go for?

-In the early days, furniture.

-I love going to auction sales.

-Yeah.

Now, Poo.

-Or should I call you Patricia?

-I'd rather you called me Poo.

I'll call you Poo.

You spend a lot of time in France.

I do now. About seven years ago we decided to sell our family home

and have a place in France, which we've done up over the last six or seven years.

-Lovely.

-And we've finished it now and are enjoying it.

You furnished your house largely in France?

-No, I've mostly furnished it from auction rooms here.

-Have you?

Yes. I've managed to pick up French things in England.

-Cheaper than you'd buy them in France?

-I'm afraid so.

-Really.

Marvellous. So this bargain hunting lark today will be a breeze for you, Poo.

We're looking forward to it. We're determined to spend some money!

-Good for you. I'll give you 300 in a minute. What could be better?

-Wonderful!

Very nice to see you on the show.

-Very good luck, girls.

-Thank you.

-Now,

Jules and Jess.

You've only been friends for a short while, Jules?

Just over a year.

We work together. We hit it off straightaway. We go on nights out

and girls' nights at each other's houses.

-You're a bit naughty together?

-Yes, we're the jokers of the office.

-Lord.

-We like to play practical jokes a lot.

What sort of business is it, the Jokes Company?

No, no. It's a serious company.

We sell graphic materials and fine vinyls.

You're a bit of a collector when you're not causing trouble?

Yes, I've got a coin collection.

Dad's passed it down to me, and the grandparents as well.

My dad collects stamps

so whenever I'm out and about or get an unusual stamp, I take it to him.

-You nick it for him.

-Yes, I do.

-Jess, do you have a passion for collecting, darling?

-Yes, I do.

Me and my dad go to auctions quite a bit.

So I got my passion from him, really.

Really. And do you buy or does he do the buying?

He does the buying, but he's given me a table and chairs to sell before.

-Has he?

-Yes, and I made a bit of profit on them.

It was really good fun, actually. So, yeah.

-I really enjoyed that.

-He sounds very nice, your dad.

-He's fantastic.

So,

-have you two come up with a plan as to how to win today?

-Yes.

-We want something that's not broken or damaged.

-Good condition.

Good condition. Something wooden.

Something that catches our eye. Something different, maybe.

-Maybe like a game or something.

-Yep.

-Right.

-We like games.

-And you also like shopping.

-We love shopping!

A magical combo, this! Girls that like shopping and have a game in mind. Lovely.

-Here's your £300.

-Thank you.

There's your £300.

You know the rules. Your experts await. Off you go, and very, very good luck!

Lynne and Poo have grabbed expert Mark Stacey

and James Braxton has linked up with Julie and Jess.

We haven't got time to chat!

Now, come along. Clocks are ticking.

Now, we've started our shop.

Let's have a good rummage, shall we?

Any ideas, girls, what you want?

-The little dog's quite sweet.

-It's that cold-painted bronze effect.

-VENDOR:

-I think it's an Austrian one, but it's lost its...

Lost its paint, I think, hasn't he?

This would have been made at the end of the 19th century.

-It would have been all painted. But he's got a lovely face.

-Yes.

-He has.

The technique that these employed at this time is cold-painted.

The bronze would have been made and then it was painted when cold.

Its colour would have probably been black on silver.

But what we need to know is how inexpensive it is.

-I'll take 120 for it.

-Ooh.

That could be a real bargain.

It could be. But it would be a real bargain if it had some paint on it!

-We'll think about it.

-Think about it and come back.

One little doggie on hold, then.

Time to check in on James, Julie and Jess.

James, hello! All the J's! A full J plan.

-Very good.

-Getting on OK?

-Very well. I'm lucky to have two lovely ladies.

You've got the blonde and the brunette. A nuclear family already!

I've landed in clover!

-Very nice. You've just started shopping?

-Yes.

I won't disturb you. Your clock is running.

-OK.

-Have a lovely morning.

-Thank you!

-A lovely morning.

-Bye!

This stall looks interesting.

-Tell me about that, Poo.

-There's quite a fun stick here

-with another dog. I seem to be homing in on dogs.

-160 again.

-Jolly expensive, isn't it?

-Not really, because they're very collectable.

-I don't know anything about walking sticks.

-Very collectable, particularly with unusual heads.

-Or googly eyes!

-But look at the price.

-How much is it?

-£160.

-I think maybe we ought to move on and come back.

-We'll come back.

We've got some thoughts, haven't we? We can always come back.

That's two little dogs in the kennels on hold.

-Look at that big bell!

-Ding-dong!

We did say maybe a painting, if we found one that we liked.

That is very nice.

What I like about this is it's a complete package.

It's contemporarily framed, in its original frame.

This was done... Give me a date. When do you think it was done?

-'40s? I don't know. I'm guessing.

-'30s?

Yeah, you're in the right area.

It's about 1910, 1920.

OK? And they used this, they used an oak frame and then gilded it.

But they gilded it down, so revealing the open grain.

They used oak. We were quite nationalistic.

-How much is it?

-It needs to be 140, really.

-140.

Hmm.

Can I squeeze you a bit? There's a little bit of surplus there.

How about 100?

-Um... Yes.

-Really?

-I suppose so.

-Shall we buy?

-Yeah. I reckon so.

-Yeah.

-Well done.

An early 20th-century watery watercolour.

Nice!

Ladies, not to worry you, but we've had ten minutes and still haven't bought anything.

We've seen some expensive things. You've got good tastes.

I think we need to get confident. We need to have something under our belt.

Let's try and find something to purchase.

All right, bossy boots!

Anyway, I've found something!

I am becoming increasingly passionate

about small little pieces of silver.

What do you think about this little joker?

You can see underneath an array of hallmarks.

What happened was,

if you were commercially importing a bit of silver from abroad,

you would have it hallmarked when it came into this country.

The original mark that it had

which, in this case, are these Dutch marks,

relate to the time when it was originally made.

So already by 1896, this was an old little piece of silver

and it would have been imported for resale.

What's its true purpose?

Well, it's a miniature model of something called a charcoal brazier.

In Holland, in the 18th and 19th centuries,

they would heat their houses using a full-sized version of this.

Stick the glowing charcoal into that drawer,

then, with the swing handle,

transport it to the room you were heating in your Dutch house

and hey presto, you don't need a fireplace,

you don't need central heating, you've got a portable charcoal brazier.

Why's it so small, then?

The other thing that the Dutch were frightfully keen on

was furnishing their dolls' houses.

And what this is is a specifically-made

piece of dolls' house furniture.

Charming, isn't it?

And what's it worth?

The dealer didn't know it was a miniature piece of silver for a dolls' house.

In fact, he didn't know what it was at all.

So he's asking £40 for it.

What would the dolls' house collector pay for it?

Say three times that?

120 to £150, I'd say.

Now, that's enough to warm the cockles of your heart.

Cos it's freezing out here!

This is quite fun.

It's got a certain look about it, and if it was reasonably priced,

that could be a good seller at auction.

It's a good decorative art shape.

It's made of aluminium, I think.

It's got its tray as well, which is rather nice.

Wooden handles. If that was... I daren't think. He's probably asking 60 to £70.

But if it was a lot less than that, I think we should consider it.

Could you tell us what the tea set is, with the tray?

-25.

-£25.

I think if we could get that for less, that is a steal.

It's a steal. I think we should try 15.

Flash him a little smile and we might get somewhere.

-Would you take 15?

-No, I wouldn't. Sorry. I'll take £20.

-20?

-I'll do 20.

-20.

-17?

-No, sorry. 20 is the best on that.

It's in good condition. I think the dealer is being extremely generous.

It's quite unusual.

You should shake his hand quickly before he changes his mind!

-Thank you, sir.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Perfect. Come on, we've got to go!

Rain spoiling your hair, love?

So, £20, and this sweet tea set is hopefully bargain number one.

What a splendid box that is!

-Oh, blimey!

-Is it really heavy?

-Yes!

-Careful!

-Oh!

Quite interesting with the red veining, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Because normally this green onyx is sort of brown.

It's a real sort of... It was first found in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

Near Marrakesh. At first, onyx was incredibly expensive.

-And now...

-It's so heavy...

It is heavy, isn't it?

The '70s telephones and lamp stands have rather killed it.

-I wouldn't want it on my side.

-I wouldn't want it on mine.

Nice try, though, James!

-How are we for time?

-How long have we got?

-18 minutes.

-18?

But we're one down and we've spent a chunk of money. We're playing properly!

-We're just going to leave you £5.

-Excellent!

Those are quite fun.

There's a bridge box here, Lynne.

I don't think they're very old, but I like those.

-Is it a pair?

-Yes.

-Oh, it is, too.

-With the lions on it.

-Why the lions?

-Is that the name?

-Were they in a shop?

They're shop display.

-I can see those being quite collectable in the right place.

-Yes.

-They are quite fun.

-They're tactile.

-Could you use them as bookends?

You could make them into bookends. I like the way you're thinking!

They're a bit of a novelty, aren't they?

I'm sure they'll be very inexpensive.

-VENDOR:

-£18.

-How much?

-18.

-No.

-£18 each or for the pair?

-We'll definitely buy them for ten.

-Shall we?

-Yes.

-They're fun, aren't they?

-A bit of fun.

-These are really nice. If we can do a deal for £10.

-Yes, we can.

-It'll make our day.

-OK. Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

-Great.

So, item two for a tenner. Poo's bookends.

Actually, wooden shoe lasts.

-Well, that wasn't too bad, was it?

-No.

-We've got two items.

-We need to buy something big now.

-Now we're going to be extravagant.

Trouble here? How are you getting on?

We're doing quite well. We've got two items and we can now spend some big money.

-Big money coming up?

-Big money item is our final one.

-What have you got in mind?

-Well, we just like small pieces of furniture, maybe.

Children's chairs, or...

-What you've got so far is rather peculiar.

-Do you know what we've got?

I have a fair idea! These things get reported to me!

-Oh, no! Don't!

-Anyway, how much have you got left to spend, roughly?

-Um... We've spent £30, haven't we?

-On two items.

-There you go.

Buck up, spend the lot! Good luck, girls!

Thank you!

We'll find lots of smalls in here. Silver, jewellery, lots of goodies!

Goody!

-Oh.

-What's that?

-A little shot glass!

-That is so cute!

-How much is that?

-£38.

I'm not sure that would make a lot of profit, though.

No.

-Look at those antlers!

-£240.

Do you really want to buy a stuffed deer's head?

No, but my daughter would like me to!

-I think we'll say no to that.

-No to Rudolf.

-No.

-No to Rudie.

-We've got a chess set.

-OK.

-OK.

-The bottoms are a bit worn.

-A bit scabby, aren't they?

-What are they made of?

-The white ones are made of boxwood.

-OK.

They're turned boxwood.

There was a very famous maker called Staunton who did these.

It's not a bad weight. Always feel the weight.

I just saw one down here.

You hold those. Just bring out a castle. Bring out a castle.

-OK.

-Feel the respective weights of them.

-That's a lot heavier.

-I would always go for the heavier one.

She thinks this is the cheaper set.

She's put, I think, the better set at a cheaper price.

Which I don't quite understand.

If we got it for, say, 25, £30, I think that would be quite a nice buy.

I recommend that buy far more than this one.

I'm not sure if the bottoms will put people off.

Do you think they will?

-Would somebody be able to restore them easily?

-Very easy. You just cut felt.

-Look at that.

-Yeah, I saw.

-It looks kind of scary.

-Rather pinched, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Ugly-looking.

-Right. We know it's here.

Just not James's "knight"!

Sorry, couldn't resist!

That's quite fun, isn't it?

-It's got age, hasn't it?

-Got a bit of damage, but it's old.

-I like the deer up there.

-Yes.

-It's got a sort of...

-I like the woodwork.

-..country house look to it.

-And I like the scrolls.

-Yes.

It's probably again beyond our budget. Go and find out.

Find out what the price is.

-Excuse me, are you the stallholder here?

-I'm not.

Are you the stallholder over here?

-Yes.

-Could I talk to you about the mirror on the end?

We just wanted a price on that magnificent mirror.

I think it's certainly early 19th-century.

Yeah. What's your budget?

£150.

It cost me about 600!

I think it's gorgeous, actually. But thank you, anyway.

-You won't take £50 for it?

-I'd love to, but...

Nice try, Lynne!

-That's quite a clean little fellow, isn't it?

-Hmm.

What would that be for?

It's just a little novelty box.

I've seen these boxes sometimes split in two.

They might introduce a right angle there for stamps.

40 on that one.

Can I look at that little star one?

Often, the eight-point star was associated with a chap called Barton.

This is a little powder pot.

Sometimes these circular ones had little gaming counters.

But they were slightly taller.

I like this one. It's really cute.

-I think that would do quite well.

-I think so, too.

They were for ladies, for rouge and powder, for covering things up.

-I quite like that. Do you?

-I quite like it.

-How much is that?

It's priced at £33.

The label there. This one's priced at 45.

But the gentleman's said this one could be 30,

-that one could be 40.

-OK.

-I think I prefer the little one.

-I prefer the little one.

-Go with what you prefer.

-Go for 30?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, OK.

OK. You couldn't do 29, then?

It would be lovely if you could. Could you, sir?

-29?

-29.

-Yes, OK.

-Oh, lovely.

That pound may make all the difference.

Yeah. Right(!)

OK. Pressure's on. Ten minutes left.

Ercol has really revived.

We're just outside Brighton for the auction, so that's not a bad spot.

-Lynne's not listening to a word!

-No. Lynne!

-Lynne!

-Just talking about the Ercol.

That can be very popular. We're very close to Brighton and it's popular in Brighton.

That's a nice coffee table with the under tier.

-How much is it?

-How much is this?

£135.

£135?!

You are looking to flash some cash, Poo!

-It's Ercol.

-What's your best price on that?

Um... 110.

110, Mark.

-Let's have a quick look over here and assess...

-We'll be back.

-Thank you.

-JULES:

-That's sweet.

That is sweet. May we look at the bird pin cushion?

-That's English, but I brought it back from South Africa about a month ago.

-Really?

It's a little wren.

A little song bird.

It's got English hallmarks.

I'm not sure about this one.

-Perhaps maybe have a look around and come back if...

-What,

-with the three minutes we have left?

-Three minutes?!

Well, five minutes, actually.

But you might need a plan.

-We need to keep an eye out still for the games.

-The games.

But if not, what shall we go for?

-Something sweet?

-Maybe go back to that stall with the little bird?

Or the chess set?

I think the bird is a bit wonky.

-I don't know.

-I saw 120 on it.

-Was it?

-It said silver. I don't think it's a winner.

I think the chess set. If you could get that for 25...

-Right.

-You think that's OK.

-I think it's a good one.

Quite a cheap chess set.

Oh, dear.

We'll come back to you!

-What do you think?

-I think it's a modernish table.

It's very attractive.

I must admit it looks a little bit nicer from a distance!

Very nice(!)

Two minutes, ladies!

-Lynne, tell me what you think.

-I think the Ercol is a genuine article

and would possibly have an appeal at auction.

You wouldn't take 105 for it, would you?

-Just for us? Bale us out of a problem?

-I will, my dear.

-Oh, that's excellent.

-You're so kind!

The Ercol coffee table completes the trio for the reds. Now, blues,

only seconds left!

-14.

-15.

16.

This is the final countdown!

I think it's a nice set. They won't go any lower than 35.

-OK.

-35. Wa-hey!

-Let's go!

-Done!

Phew! Recap time.

Cue the fancy graphics!

Lynne and Poo took Mark's advice and snapped up the affordable tea set

for £20.

Poo fancied those shoe lasts as bookends for a tenner.

Eventually, they upped the stakes, spending £105 on this trendy Ercol table with its dirty great stain!

Right, girls, did you spend much?

-Not as much as we intended to spend.

-How much did you spend, Poo?

£135.

Please may I have £165 of left-over lolly?

Have you got it?

You don't like handing that over at all, do you?

It's like extracting the housekeeping money!

Talking about investments, here comes £165 for you.

What will you do with the cash?

It's a lot of money, but I think I've found something which they'll really enjoy.

Ah! Good luck, girls. Good luck, Mark, with your quest.

Why don't we remind ourselves of what the blues bought, eh?

Julie and Jess steamed out of the block buying this canal scene for £100.

-Then Jess slammed on the brakes.

-Won't the bottoms put people off?

I'm not sure about this one.

Blimey! But eventually they fell for the Tunbridge ware rouge pot for 29.

And went with James's favourite, the chess set,

even with the funny knights, for £35.

I don't know when I've seen such happy contestants!

I don't know what you've been doing! Have you had a lovely time?

-Wonderful.

-He's great, isn't he, Jess?

-Fantastic.

So how much did you spend overall?

-I think it was 164.

-Yeah.

164. I'd like 136 of left-over lolly, please.

That's my 136. Thank you very much.

-Here you go, James.

-Thank you.

-Nice wodge of money.

-Yeah.

What will you spend all this cash on?

The girls wanted to buy a bit of silver as well.

-So I'll try and fulfil that.

-OK.

Good luck with that. Go and warm up. Brilliant.

Meanwhile, we're heading off somewhere really rather unusual.

This is a ship's figurehead,

once on the bowsprit of HMS Trafalgar.

These aren't just fancy pieces of decoration, you know.

Oh, no. They're supposed to symbolise the very spirit of the vessel.

And here at Portsmouth's historic dockyard,

is the best collection of naval figureheads in the country.

They say that bowsprits are supposed to represent the spirit of the ship,

and, indeed, affect the morale of the crew.

If we look at this particular bowsprit, which came off HMS Eurydice,

it doesn't exactly inspire one with any great sense of jollity!

Who would have selected the figurehead to go on the ship

in the first place?

Well, generally speaking, they came from the officer class

who would be well educated in the classics.

In Greek and Roman.

And the person who commissioned Eurydice would have understood the Greek legend

about the young girl who was married to Orpheus, who stood on a snake one day and died.

And Orpheus, in his rescue mission, made a fatal mistake.

He glanced backwards on his journey up from the underworld with her

and as a result, she disappeared in a wrath of air.

And this is the moment that she disappeared,

with this terribly painful expression on her face.

Gradually, during the 19th century, the Navy used more and more steam-powered vessels

which made these figureheads become redundant.

Not all figureheads, of course,

are carved with three-dimensional sculptural emblems.

Some are simply carved with elements

that reflect the power and majesty of the nation.

Including this one,

which is carved with the royal coat of arms

because it is the bowsprit from Queen Victoria's favourite yacht,

the Victoria and Albert II.

That was launched in 1855

and was powered by paddle wheels.

Despite the fact that soon this was frightfully old-fashioned,

Queen Victoria so loved the vessel, because Prince Albert had designed the interiors,

that she refused to let it be scrapped.

Thus the Victoria and Albert II lived on

until after her death,

being scrapped in 1904

when it died of natural causes!

Now, I wonder if our teams will be carving out a profit over at the auction?

We've skipped across Sussex from Ardingly to just outside Horsham

-to be at Denham's with Simon Langton. Good morning.

-Morning, Tim.

-Lovely to be here.

Now, the three-piece picquot tea set.

Do you rate these things? Do you sell them?

We do sell them. They're hit and miss.

You either hit or you don't.

-Yes.

-I don't like them, to be honest. Makes me think of the 1950s.

-What's your estimate?

-30 to 50 on those.

-OK. £20 paid.

-Oh, we stand a chance.

-Lynne and Patricia will be pleased.

Next is the shoe trees.

Mr Testoni.

-Do you know him?

-No. Very big in the Italian shoe market, I would think.

-What are they worth?

-Ten to £20 on those.

They paid £10. A bit of fun, though.

And their last item is the Ercol elm low coffee table.

Looks as if it could do with a bit of a buff-up to me!

It's the right colour, thankfully, the light stuff, not the dark.

Very trendy amongst students and retro people.

-Yes. What's it worth?

-40 to 60 on that.

£105 paid.

That is their Waterloo.

-It is.

-I'm afraid.

-Retail price there, you see.

That's the trouble. That's where they'll fall down. They need their bonus buy. Let's have a look.

Now, Lynne and Poo.

The bonus buy moment. You spent a magnificent £135.

You gave £165 to Mark Stacey.

-What did you spend it on, Mark?

-I spent it on...

-this box.

-Oh!

-Oh, my word!

Now, we had a chat the other day and I know you like nautical items.

When I saw this, it's got the anchor on it, but if you look on the top,

you have all these little love messages.

-A bird with a love letter in his beak.

-How charming!

-I think this was done,

it's a crude little box with a heart on the side there...

-Somebody on a ship.

-Yes. Probably travelling a long way.

While he was doing it, he whiled away his hours creating this for a loved one.

-I thought that was rather fun.

-It's quite heavy.

-Priveted, as we call these sort of things.

-It's sweet.

-Lovely.

Does that close right down?

It should do. It did on the day,

but it's gone sentimental on us all. Temperamental.

-It's got a bit inset at the back.

-Is that a repair?

-What?

-I thought it might have a secret...

-Oh, yes! It has!

-You are such a sharp-eyed one, Poo!

-For your love letters!

-Yes.

We have to go with this, it's delightful!

-How much did you spend on it?

-Quite a lot of money, thinking about it.

-We gave you quite a lot of money!

-You did, which was naughty because I wanted less!

But 110.

-Right.

-£110.

How much do you think we'll make on that?

You're straight in there, aren't you?

Well, I'd like to see a profit of again 20 or £30. But who knows?

Here we go, girls. Very intriguing.

That's absolutely lovely. Well done.

Cogitate for a bit longer, because your moment to decide will be after the sale of your three items.

But for viewers at home, let's find out what the auctioneer thought.

Right, Simon.

Well, it's a bit lumpy, isn't it?

Yes. It's what I call shed work.

-Yeah.

-The man did it in his shed of a weekend.

On a rainy day.

Well, it took him a long time to do,

and I think it was probably done in 1850, don't you?

It's got that 1850s look about it. We're talking 40 to £60 on that one.

Mark will be devastated! He paid £110 and it's supposed to be a bonus buy.

But maybe the team won't go with it. Anyway,

that's it for the reds. Now for the blues.

Julie and Jess, the first item that James Braxton found for them is this watercolour.

-What do you think?

-Nice thing. A bit speculative.

Not quite sure who MG, or MC, is it, on the bottom there.

Talking, I suppose, 75, 125 on it.

OK, James paid £100.

I think, like you, he also feels it's very speculative.

And this little something for the weekend

is, I think, quite decorative and charming and it might just take off.

-It's top drawer of its type.

-Of its type.

What about that wee Tunbridge box?

That's quite a pretty little box. Tunbridge Wells is not far away.

There are collectors for it, a nice portable antique type thing.

I suppose we're talking 30 to £50 on that one.

£29 paid by the eagle-eyed Braxton, so that's good.

And their last piece is the chess set,

which I believe is complete.

It is complete, but it's a stonking pack.

Chess sets are very, very popular, worldwide, with America and so on.

It's been photographed for the internet.

Has it? You're on the internet.

On the internet here. It could make all the difference.

-Talking 50 to 75 for this one.

-£35 paid.

-Good price.

-The entire team agreed on this so that's very happy.

They'll be delighted to maybe double their money. Super.

Well, it'll all depend on how the painting performs.

If it doesn't do so well, they'll need their bonus buy. Let's have a look.

Girls, you remember spending £164.

He had £136 of left-over lolly.

What did James spend it on?

I went large. I spent something from the land of the rising sun.

A mighty pot!

-Wow.

-Hey.

-That's colourful.

-Isn't it lovely?

I rather like that. I'm quite surprised.

We weren't too sure what you'd get!

How old is it, James?

I think turn of the century. It's very well painted.

It's got very nice panels which are very well painted, finger panels.

And lovely chrysanthemums rushing around. It's Japanese, rather than Chinese.

And it's just a really lovely porcelain pot.

-How much did you pay for it?

-£70.

-70.

Do you think £70 is good, then, Jess?

-Yeah. Yeah, I think...

-It's bright and breezy.

-It's reasonable.

I would be pleased if this made £100, or being an old sucker like me, I'd pay £100 for this!

-Possibility of 20, 30, £40 profit, there.

-OK.

Mull that over. Your choice comes a bit later.

But for you at home, let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about it.

Here we go, Simon. 54 million for that one?

No.

Not today!

It's Japanese Imari. A bit out of fashion at the moment.

-It was the in thing for many, many years.

-Yes.

But sadly no more.

Probably talking 30 to £50 on that one.

£70 paid.

-Oh, dear!

-So as a bonus buy, it's going to be a real struggle, isn't it?

-I think so.

-Anyway, we look forward to a successful auction

and to looking at your performance with interest. Thank you. Good luck!

Girls, are you feeling nervy?

-Um, apprehensive.

-Are you, Lynne?

-A little bit.

Is it like setting out for a sail in a full gale?

-No.

-No. Not at all like that.

-No.

Is it like setting off to France and not knowing if you'll arrive?

-It's anticipating what'll be wrong when we get there.

-Yes.

So the three-piece tea set is a 30 to £50 estimate. You paid £20.

-It's quite shiny out there.

-It's had a polish.

They do their best to make things look as good as possible. Here it comes.

The three-piece metal tea service.

There we are. Highly collectable, these things.

What do we say for this one?

£20, do we say? Come along. I'm bid ten, 12, 14, 16,

18, 20. And two. 24.

26. 28. 30. £30 now.

Are we done and selling now at £30?

At £30 all done, are we?

£30 is plus ten.

You paid 20. Made £10 profit. Here we go.

144 is the pair of beech and gilt metal advertising shoe trees.

Approximately size eight.

I know this cos I'm 8½ and they don't fit me!

Size eight. What do we say for them? £10, do we say?

Five to get us going.

I'm bid five pounds. Six. Seven.

Eight. Nine. Ten.

12, 14, 16, 18, 20.

And two, now. 24.

Seated now at £22. Are we done now at £22?

Only £10 the pair. At £22, then, all done and selling now.

-Wow!

-That's plus £12.

-Amazing!

-Steady, girls!

Lot 142, then.

The 1970s, here we are, the 1970s light Ercol oval coffee table.

There we are. Ever popular Ercol.

And I am bid 30 and five. 40.

And five. 50.

And five. 60.

With me now at £60. Are we all done and selling at £60? 60, are we?

-£60.

-Oh, no!

Bad luck, girls. You are minus 45 on that.

But you had £22 before that.

Which means you are minus 23.

-You are minus £23.

-It's not as bad as it could be.

-Quite right.

Who would have thought Testoni would have come up at £22?

That is a real result!

OK. Minus £23. You have a big decision now.

What are you going to do about Mark's box?

Minus £23 could be a winning score.

Or do you want a tickle at the box?

-We love the box.

-I love the box, but I don't think it'll make a profit.

Mark paid a little too much for that box.

-So that's your...

-Awfully sorry, Mark.

-That's your decision.

-We're going to decline it.

-Decline the box, much as we love it.

-Fine.

-Will we hear when it comes up?

-Yes.

-So, no bonus buy.

-No bonus buy.

-OK, here it comes anyway.

See what happens.

The 19th-century sarcophagus-shaped box.

The lid decorated with figures of Faith, Hope and Charity.

And the greatest of all of these, is, of course, Charity!

There we are. Heard that somewhere before!

What do we say for this one?

I'm bid 50. And five.

60. And five. 70.

With me now at £70. Are we all done and selling at £70?

Away it goes at 70, then.

That's minus 40.

-Minus 40. So you made the right decision, girls.

-Yes.

So your final position is minus £23, which could easily be a winning score.

-Don't say a word to the blues.

-No!

We'll keep quiet!

So, Jules, are you feeling all right?

Quietly confident, I think. Yeah,

hopefully we'll do quite well.

First up is your picture. Here it comes.

160. 160 is the Glasgow School watercolour drawing

of the canal scene.

Monogrammed MB.

Nice speculative painting, this one.

What do we say for this? I am bid 50.

And five. 60. And five.

70. And five. 80. And five.

90. And five. 100.

And ten. With me now at 110, then.

Are we done and selling at £110?

All done at 110, are we?

That's your worst lot!

-Well done, James! Ye of little faith!

-Magic's still there!

-Yes. Plus £10. Marvellous.

-Really good.

-Let's see what happens with the Tunbridge pot.

The cylindrical Tunbridge ware box.

A rouge pot. Do what you will with it.

What do we say for this one? £30 for it, do we say?

£20 for it, then?

Come along, now. Ten if you must.

I'm bid five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. At £10, then.

Are we all done and selling now at £10?

Cheap lot here at £10. Going to sell it. 12. Fresh place. 14. 16, sir?

16 with you. All done and selling now at £16.

£16. I don't like that.

£16 is minus £13. This isn't supposed to happen!

Overall you're minus three.

Look out, here comes the chess set.

The Staunton boxwood and ebony chess set.

There we are. Boxed for you. What do we say for a chess set?

£50 for it, do we say? 30, then?

20. Come along, now.

I'm bid 20 at the back. Do I see two?

At £20, now. I'm looking for two.

At £20, then. Going to sell at 20. No further bids?

And two here. 24. 26. 28. 30.

And two. 34. 32 at the back, there.

-All done and selling...

-Is it complete?

At £32. A complete chess set.

At £32. I'm selling at 32.

Oh, dear! £32.

£32. That's minus three pounds.

Which means overall, you're minus six pounds.

£100 estimate!

Oh, dear, oh, dear.

-I feel really embarrassed for you.

-We started off so well!

-£32 for a complete... I can't believe that.

-That's cheap.

They got a bargain!

I'd say checkmate, that's what I'd say!

What are you going to do? Are you going with the Japanese pot?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Minus £6 could be a winning score.

We said if we're in the minus, we'd go for it to try and push it up.

You wouldn't just ring-fence your losses?

-No?

-We trust him.

-You're going with it, yes?

-Going with the bonus buy?

-Definitely.

-Here it comes.

The 19th-century Japanese Imari porcelain vase.

Character marks to the base. Not a bad-looking vase.

I'm bid £20. And two. 24. 26. 28. 30.

And two. 34. 36.

38. 40. With me at £40. And two.

44. 46. 46 seated there. Are we all done now?

At £46. Going to sell at 46, are we?

What did he sell it for? 46?

£46 is four short of 50.

That's minus 24, which means overall you are minus £30.

-That's OK.

-Minus £30.

That's not too bad. It could be a winning score.

-It could be.

-It could be.

We'll find out in a minute.

Don't talk to the reds.

-OK.

-Well done, you two.

-Go out with smiles!

-Yes.

This is fun. The auction is still going on. Hear all this racket.

-Have you been chatting to one another?

-No.

-No?

-Not at all.

Well, it is extremely close, this competition.

It's no secret to the teams that you've both failed to make a profit.

Sadly, you are not going home with pound notes.

I'd like to call it a tie, but it isn't exactly a tie.

In fact, the team that's marginally behind are the blues.

Oh, no!

There's no shame in it, darling, with having minus £30.

Jules, are you terribly disappointed?

Yes, we did want to win. Never mind.

-When I tell you there's only seven pounds between you, you don't feel so bad?

-No.

-No.

Great team. But the victors today, girls. You didn't go with the bonus buy.

So you did ring-fence your losses at minus 23!

Minus £23 and you're ahead today. Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-You can walk tall.

-Had a good time?

-Lovely.

-We had a great time.

-Join us soon for more bargain hunting. Yes?

-Yes!

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