Liverpool 18 Bargain Hunt

We're in Liverpool, the Red team versus the Blue team.

Football? Nah! Much more interesting.

Let's go Bargain Hunting.

No, we're not at Anfield or Goodison Park, either.

We're at Aintree race course.

Of course, in this game there's no football,

just an hour to find a hat-trick of bargains before the final whistle.

So let's have a look at the highlights.

Henry Meadows' Blue team struggle to make decisions.

So that's on the "Let's go back and have a look list"?

And the Red team send Jonathan Pratt round the bend.

I despair.

Who will emerge triumphant at the auction?

-My goodness, this has been a struggle.

-Excellent.

CHEERING

Today on the Red team we have firm friends Dave and David.

Dave, you share the same name and quite a few other likes and dislikes.

Yeah, Dave's really into The Who and that type of music

and I'm into classical music, so we're totally different.

I love football and Dave hates football.

-But yet you're friends.

-And business partners.

-What sort of business?

-We're in mortgage advice.

So what do you get up to when you're not being entrepreneurial?

Collecting football memorabilia, getting shirts signed.

-I go up to the ground, Liverpool FC, and get them signed.

-Do you?

Is there anything else that you two don't agree on, David?

Well, it's mainly the football, to be honest.

I can't be bothered with football at all.

-You are a collector like Dave, though, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-There's common ground there.

-Music collectables, memorabilia.

I've got a tour tracksuit from 1974 owned by Keith Moon of the Who,

the drummer.

-How do you know it was Keith Moon's?

-It was bought in auction.

It was a guy who used to be his driver who put them in auction.

-So he authenticated it?

-Yeah.

What sort of things are you going to go for today?

We think with it being Aintree, we might go for equestrian stuff.

I think you're going to have fun. Lovely to meet you.

-Now, girls, Karen and Sharon. Best mates, yes?

-Yes.

-Where did you meet, then?

-We both work for the ambulance service.

We're resource coordinators.

-Are you two in tune with one another?

-No, absolutely not.

We're like the Red team, we have nothing in common.

We are really best buddies but we just don't agree on anything.

Now, you've also got something of a sixth sense.

I'm very much into the paranormal.

Sharon will laugh because she thinks it's completely bizarre

but I love it, I think it's great.

-You can't predict the future, can you?

-No. I wouldn't be here.

I'd be in the Caribbean with my lottery winnings.

-Now, Sharon, you're also a collector.

-I am.

But of some pretty out-there stuff.

Well, I'm a big science fiction fan

and have been since aged 12, Star Trek.

-I am a bit of a Trekkie.

-Have you got your own Darth Vader wand?

Erm... no.

-You haven't got one of those?

-No, I didn't like Star Wars very much.

What about Karen? What does she think about it?

-She thinks I'm absolutely nuts.

-And she's your friend.

-She's my best friend.

Your best friend. Good.

So, Sharrie, what's your plan today for victory?

Well, I did have my own plan set out

but Karen did actually send me an email in work,

listing things that I wasn't allowed to look at,

ranging from Toby jugs, matchstick models

-and garden gnomes.

-Right.

So I'm going to try to look for something a bit quirky

and possibly go with Karen.

-Yeah. Well, you are in a team together, you know.

-Exactly.

I think we could have some sparks today.

Now, the money moment. Here you go. Here's your £300, boys.

-£300, girls.

-Thank you.

-You know the rules, your experts await

and off you go and very, very, very good luck.

Well, Trekkies, eh?

-Well, this is a one-horse race, isn't it, guys?

-We're going to win.

-May the best man win.

-Or women.

-Or women.

We're going to win.

Well, neither of our teams agree on much.

How on earth will they decide on three items to buy?

The budget is £300 and off we go.

I'm looking at that picture frame, £180. Does that catch your eye?

-It's spending it all in one go really, isn't it?

-Sure, yeah.

-I like that. What's the price on that?

-65 on that.

It might get 40. I don't think it's worth any more than 40.

I think it's worth thinking about.

I don't think it's got the legs, chaps.

-It's brass, isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

-What actually is it?

I'd probably call it a page-turner, really.

I'd say looking at the handle it's probably Japanese,

Meiji period, which is going to be circa 1900, that sort of period.

But, I mean, let's have a look. £42.

Erm... So we need to get a little bit more off.

I suspect if that came into one of our auctions,

I'd probably say £30-£50, so we're not adrift, really,

but let's see whether...

-I don't know. Do you like it?

-I actually quite like it, myself.

-It's...

-I got my attention when we walked past.

That looks nice. It's a relatively hot market at the moment.

-Yeah.

-Sorry, am I selling this to you?

-You are. I like it.

-You like it, don't you?

-I do.

There's evidence of solder here, whether that was when it was originally made

or it could be a repair

but if you could get it for £25, £30, you stand a chance.

-Shall we give it a go?

-Yeah.

-Are you going to try, Karen?

-Who's doing the haggling?

-Looks like it's me.

-Nominated.

-See what you can do.

-Thank you.

The Reds are still looking for their perfect picture.

This is a late Victorian reproduction...

Sorry, 19th century reproduction of a larger oil.

The Death Of Nelson is a well-known print.

This is a steel-point engraving of HMS Victory.

-It's the size of it, as well.

-It's not in that bad condition. It could be worse.

-How much is it?

-It's 290.

-What?

-That's why we liked it.

-290?

-Sorry.

-We've only got 300.

-I'd do 240. That's it, though.

I like but if he'd said it was £150, £120, I'd have snapped his arm off.

Mm, remember. It's three items for £300.

-Keep walking.

-Thank you.

-Cheers.

We're looking around 25.

-No.

-28?

-30.

30. Sharon?

-For £30 you're not going to go wrong, really.

-OK, that's great.

Thank you very much.

First item for the Blues but has Karen got the price down far enough?

This is interesting.

-No! No!

-Just...

This is right up your street, isn't it, David?

It is mine. That's been signed by a few players, as well.

-That might be worth about...

-70 quid.

-..50 quid, something like that.

-How much for the shirt?

-I've got 120 on it.

-Very good.

-Not for us.

-No.

OK, right, moving on.

Mm, I can see a pattern emerging here, Reds.

We've had 20 minutes already, which is nothing to panic about,

but we need to concentrate.

At least we can discount where we've been so far.

Let's just go through here, keep working this way and see what we can find.

As long as you go somewhere. Just hurry up.

What about this piece for a second, relatively low-value?

-It's unusual, isn't it?

-Art Deco, isn't it?

-It's lovely.

-I really like that.

-Yeah?

It's the horse's stirrup, which is quite good for Aintree.

Yeah, it's equestrian. The other side were interested in equestrian things.

That's what I'm thinking.

I guess probably, looking at it, it's 1930s, '40s,

perhaps at the latest.

It was the age of chroming things - cars, mascots, things like that.

Can I have a look at it? Just have a quick look.

Because often things get replaced when they get broken.

Yeah, well, I mean, that's 25 quid, you know.

If you can get a little bit off, we're going to stand a reasonable chance...

What do you think that would be valued at at auction?

Well, obviously you need a couple of equestrian enthusiasts there,

but I guess, I don't know, maybe £30, £40.

It's tricky to say. Perhaps 50 on a good day with the wind behind it.

-But do you want to have a think about it?

-Yeah.

-I do like that one.

-It would depend how low we can get it, I think.

-Yeah.

If we look for something bigger, we can go back,

if we're looking for a last-minute thing.

Let's hope no-one buys it in the meanwhile.

Risky strategy this, Blues.

It's a roulette wheel.

I wonder if the Reds are about to take a chance on their first item?

It's gambling, it's races, it's got horses on.

Elephant racing - I haven't heard of that one -

but you've got cock-fighting, horse racing, hare coursing.

And these are painted lead figures and you can see there's age to it.

This is all coloured. This isn't all made yesterday.

-It's absolutely fine.

-When was it made?

-Oh, '20s or '30s.

-Right.

If the base is original, too, which it probably is,

that will give you an idea of the age.

Obviously, the '20s and '30s was that sort of gambling age.

-It's a party-type thing, isn't it? So...

-Yeah.

-140 quid, though.

-Are we going to have that?.

-Have a think about it.

That's £1,000 we've spent so far.

Yes, spending in your head isn't getting you very far, though, is it?

Halfway on the clock and still no buys.

All this tension! I need to sit down for a moment.

This is nice and comfy, as well it ought to be,

because when you look at that seat, that lovely lilac upholstered seat,

it's thick and it's sprung and it's built for comfort.

But it's a chair that's got a few unusual features.

If you look at those front legs, they've got oddball turnings, look.

The leg tapers in the turn

but then it's got this rather oriental looking turned foot.

Those turnings continue not only in these uprights

but throughout all the stretchers that go to make up the under-frame.

Now, the back is pretty oddball, too.

It's almost a rectangular Georgian back.

It's got a simple, fine-line moulding to it

but instead of having a series of horizontal rails running all the way through,

they're interrupted every so often with a vertical,

which gives you this rather Chinesey looking back.

The secret to this chair is that it's not a standard, mass-produced,

Victorian little bergere armchair.

It's an architect-designed piece of furniture,

produced in a limited quantity,

and the architect who's designed it

is no less than the great designer EW Godwin.

Now, you might get lucky and find such a chair for £50-£100

in an auction

but if it's properly attributed to the architect designer,

as this piece is, then the value leaps

to the ticket price which the dealer has on this example,

which is £750.

Oh! Great Godwin!

Right, on with the show.

-How about that thermometer?

-No. Don't like that.

LAUGHTER

-Are you quite sure?

-That was a definite no.

-They're pretty but... Don't you think?

-I think they're horrible.

-I don't like that.

-It's a Toby jug. It's what you like.

-It's not colourful enough.

-It's not colourful enough. I hate it. I thought you might like it.

-No.

Well, at least they agree on something.

The Reds' lack of action is starting to take its toll.

-I'm feeling the pressure.

-We have seen a few things we can go back to.

Everything's been £200 plus.

If we'd bought any of the three objects we've seen so far, we'd need a loan

and you're the guys to organise it.

-Do you want to go right down there?

-Up that way.

-Let's go this way.

-That way.

-And then we'll go back up that one there. We started down here.

I really like this. This is really, really, nice.

-It's got good novelty charm about it, hasn't it?

-It has.

Something else we banned Sharon from looking at was matches

but I see what you mean. It's quirky.

I just think that's really quite fun.

What date would that be from?

It's a difficult one to date, actually.

The glaze suggests it's probably sort of early 20th century, 1920s.

It's one of those things that you either love it or you hate it, really.

But what are your thoughts?

I feel mean because I know Sharon really likes it but I think it's gross.

-It's awful.

-What's the condition of it like?

-It's lost the sheen off the top.

-Not the most attractive cat

but I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

-How much is it?

-28.

-£28.

-I don't know, Sharon.

-Have a think about it.

-We'll come back.

-Yes, it's another one for the think-about list.

That list is getting rather long.

Time is ticking on and you've still got two items left to buy.

We need some compromise here, girls,

and the Reds can't agree on anything, either.

I should bang their heads together or smack them.

That's quite nice. A nice figure group.

They're having a good time, a good drink, probably,

before going out to sea and to battle etc.

-Let's look at the condition.

-There's some damage there.

The trouble is with Staffordshire pottery,

it was produced throughout the 19th century

and this sort of painted decoration is quite prone

to chipping and flaking.

-So this is probably about 1860, so... How much is that?

-90.

90. About right. That's, you know...

What if we get it down a little bit? What would it make, do you think?

It depends on how flexible the stallholder is, really,

but this sort of thing in a sale room,

in our sale, we'd probably guide at £60-£80, that sort of price.

So you can see at 90, you need to get it down somewhat.

-What do you think?

-Shall we give it a go?

-You look quite pensive.

-Mm.

I think... I don't know. If we got it down - not at £90.

Shall we see what the flexibility is?

-That will help us make up our minds.

-Yeah.

-Where's Dave?

-He's down here.

Looks like he's made a new friend.

What is the lowest you can go on that?

The ultimate is 80. The death is going to be £80, honestly.

-It is an early piece, so...

-Yeah.

-..it's worth that.

I think... I think it's borderline, really.

-You think it's borderline.

-I'm conscious of the time, really.

-Erm...

-Could you do 70?

-Yeah, go on, then. I'll take 70 for it.

-OK.

-You're a star.

-Thank you very much. Thank you.

-All right.

-Thank you.

-£70.

-There we go.

-That's great. OK, that's our second buy, then.

-Brilliant. Don't drop it.

-I won't.

-Item number three, let's go.

-Well done, girls!

You finally put your differences aside for item number two.

All the pressure's on the Reds.

I am er... I don't know. 40 minutes and not buying...

I've never been in this position before.

I think with 10 minutes to go, I'm just going to say, "We're going to buy that, that and that."

I despair.

Poor Jonathan.

How's Henry getting on?

They're absolutely fantastic.

You know, they've got ideas about certain things

and I think we're working quite well as a team.

Obviously I'm there to guide them

and I think, yeah, we're gelling together as a team

and one more item left - let's see how that fares.

-That's two items.

-Shall we have quick scoot round and if we don't like anything,

-then maybe go back?

-OK, let's go.

It's a sort of Arts and Crafts thing, which is cool.

The box is suggesting it's early 20th century.

I was looking at those. They're not hallmarked. Are they silver?

-I think they're more likely to be silver plate.

-Yeah.

-How much?

-I've got a price tag of £95 on there.

-Yeah.

-And you want to do a deal, don't you?

-Well, it's an idea.

To you, as you're such a nice man, he says...

-£80.

-Ah!

-Can you not do 70?

-You know the music to Countdown?

-Yeah.

-That's what we need to get us going.

HE SINGS

-70, I'll do.

-70.

-Let's go back and look at the paintings, first.

-We've seen them all.

-Let's make a decision.

-We'll go for those at 70.

CLOCK TICKING

'Could this be it? Their first buy.'

You want to go for them, you go for them.

-£70?

-£70.

-That's a deal.

-# Hallelujah! Hallelujah! # Hallelujah! Hallelujah! #

-'Finally!

'Jonathan has sorted them their first purchase.'

Slight sigh of relief, there. Thank you very much.

'Come on, Reds! No time to waste.'

-We've got one object.

-We've got to go with the watercolours.

How about the racing thing?

Interesting, fun, parties, Cheshire, bit of sport about it.

Go on, then. We need Dave.

No, no, forget Dave. You're man enough to make a decision.

-Shall we go for it?

-Let's go for it.

-Great!

Divide and rule, eh, Jonathan? It's for their own good.

-Just bought the second object.

-What have you bought?

-We've bought that.

-Oh, I like that. I pointed that out.

-OK.

-I thought, what the heck, let's make a decision.

-What did you pay?

-140.

-140.

The boys have caught up.

Now, both teams have just minutes to buy their third item.

Eight minutes. Eight minutes.

140... 210 spent. We've got 90 quid left.

So, two items, £200, seven minutes left...

-We should go back.

-The stirrup.

-The stirrup.

Get them down to like 15 quid. If we can get it for 15, you know,

if they make £40, it's a small profit but it's a profit.

-At least it's a profit.

-Let's go.

-It's this way.

I hope it's still there.

-Go on.

-It's your turn.

-We've only got seven minutes left.

-I've got a good feeling about this.

-I have, too.

-I just hope it's still there.

-I do, I do.

-If it's not, we're going back to the matchbox.

-Not the cat!

-Please not the cat!

-No.

What, this cat?

-Oh, it's still there.

-Fantastic. Let's see what we can negotiate.

-Best price?

-What have we got on it? 28?

-28.

We can go 25.

Go on, Sharon, you can do it.

Go on. There's only seconds left.

It's a good novelty. It's good money.

The lady says 18.

-22. Come on.

-Oh, 20.

-That's a good price.

15 sounds better than 18.

15?

-Oh, thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you

-Oh, all right, then.

-Hooray!

-Is that a deal?

-Yeah.

-Are you sure?

-CROWD CHEERING

Yes!

-I can't wait now to see how much.

-Have to wait for the auction.

-We've got to beat the Red team.

-We've got to.

-Fingers crossed.

-Thank you very much.

-Was that stressful?

-Very stressful.

Time's up. The ref's blown his whistle

and no doubt one team will already be grumbling about their performance.

Let's check out how the Reds got on.

Jonathan told the Reds to button it and buy these.

They cost £70.

At £140, the gaming wheel was a gamble in more ways than one.

Let's hope the buyers like quirky.

And with time running out, the Reds went for the ceramic cat

that the Blues had rejected for just £20.

-So, overall, how much did you spend?

-£230.

-£230. I'd like £70 of leftover lolly, please.

-There you go, sir.

-Jolly good.

It's like the tax man - get it with one hand and straightaway with the other.

There you go, JP, and very, very, very good luck.

Meanwhile, why don't we check out what the Blue team bought, eh?

£30 bought the Blues a brass page-turner

but will Karen get the right turn at the auction?

Struggling to agree on anything,

they were taken in by this Staffordshire figure group

for £70.

And lastly, the Blues ended up back where they started

with the silver stirrup calendar.

£15 paid. Giddy up.

Girls, you were a bit mean with your purchases, weren't you?

-I know. Just a tad.

-You know.

-What did you spend?

-£115.

-Only £115. That is truly pathetic.

I know. I'm quite embarrassed, really.

I thought women were supposed to go out there and spend big time?

-Well, we do like a bargain.

-We like a bargain, don't we?

£185 of leftover lolly, then, which is a fortune. There you go. £185.

-That's very generous of you.

-You could buy half the fair with that.

-We're excited to know exactly what he's going to spend it on, aren't we?

-We are.

Jolly good. Anyway, see you at the auction.

Meanwhile, we're heading off down the road,

literally walking down the road to the Walker Art Gallery, ooh-ah.

Andrew Barclay Walker was a successful Liverpool brewer.

He made a fortune selling beer, which paid for this gallery

to be built in 1877.

The temperance movement was at its height

but I can see no evidence of self-restraint in here.

It looks like nothing but sheer luxury and indulgence to me.

Look at this chap.

Lewis Pantin, the Huguenot silversmith, made this

around 1744-5, when the rococo was at the height of its popularity.

Rococo forms are always asymmetric

and they incorporate shell and rock forms,

which is exactly what you have in the finial on the top of the cover

and, of course, vines.

Symbolic for the purpose of the two-handled cup and cover

because, strictly speaking, this utensil would be filled with wine

and passed from person to person at a special function.

What adds to the luxury and feel of this piece

is, of course, the gold effect.

In a way, silver gilt is a sort of con

because your eye is teased into thinking

that this thing is made of solid gold,

which would make it 50 times more expensive to make at the time.

Actually, of course, it's just a thin layer of gold

laid on top of the silver, which gives this effect.

Indeed, if you look just inside the foot rim,

136:14.

That's 136 troy ounces and 14 pennyweights.

Lewis Pantin would have scratched that weight onto the piece

before sending it in to be hallmarked

when they would have had to pay the duty.

In short, it's a magnificent piece.

Now, on either side, we seem to have some more silver gilt.

Well, that's what your eye would lead you to believe

but actually, these two candelabra aren't made of silver at all.

They're made of a base metal, brass or bronze,

which were cast and constructed about 30 years after the making of the two-handled cup

by Matthew Bolton in his manufactory

in Soho on the outskirts of Birmingham.

This technique is known in France as ormolu,

the technique being that you would take real gold

and mix it into a paste with mercury,

apply that to the base metal and then apply heat.

The mercury evaporates and the gold is left adhering to the surface.

One big problem, though.

If you happened to be the ormolu gilder,

when the mercury is given off, it evaporates,

it's in suspension in the air

and if you inhale the mercury into your lungs,

it doesn't do you a great deal of good.

In fact, shortly thereafter, you're dead.

Of course, the big question today is,

which one of our teams is going to be the winner of the gold cup

over at the auction?

Now, this is the exciting bit, Bargain Hunters.

Will our teams make a profit on their items?

Let's find out.

Today, we're at Peter Wilson's sale room in Nantwich

with the boss, Robert Stones.

-Oh, my word. That makes me sound very important, Tim.

-You are.

You're very important to our teams, that's for a certainty.

Dave and Dave are looking to you, Robert, with great expectations

on their sunflower buttons.

-How do you rate those?

-Well, I'd rate them highly if they were silver

and sadly, I think they're base metal.

There's no silver mark on them.

They're in a very pleasing presentation case

but everything stops there

because they want to be silver, they should be silver to have any value.

-Right. So how much, then?

-We've said £15-£30 on those.

Oh, lordy. £70 paid.

-Did they really? That's a lot.

-Moving on quickly.

How much is this game worth?

Well, I tell you, I've spent an awful lot of time researching this.

I wish I could find out more about it.

It's French but I think there was a board that went with it

-but I don't know any more about it.

-No.

I'd love to know more about it because it's so well made

and it looks good fun.

-So not easy to value, either.

-No.

-How much, do you think?

-£50-£100.

-£140 paid.

-Well, it was a fair old price.

-It's a fair old whack.

-Mm.

-Yes.

Now, how are you with black cats?

Well, I have a theory, as so often I do on these occasions,

that this was probably an advertising aid

-for Black Cat cigarettes.

-Right.

1904 was when Black Cat cigarettes were originally produced

but they were then reinvented again

following their demise during the Second World War.

They were reinvented in 1957

and I think that is probably an advertising aid

to promote the reintroduction of Black Cat cigarettes.

The fact that it's got the Austrian matches put on the dispenser there

-is just...

-Irrelevant. Just something that fitted.

-What's your estimate on the black cat?

-Ten to 20.

-Perfect. They paid £20.

-Good.

This team are in deep trouble.

This team are not going to, according to the estimates,

be anywhere near making a profit,

so they're going to need their bonus buy, so let's have a look at it.

You gave the man £70. What did he spend it on?

OK, JP, show us your wares.

Oh, right.

What we have here is a luggage rack made of aluminium,

-from the, I suppose...

-Is it from a train?

-..first half of the 20th century,

-when aluminium was a fashionable metal.

-OK.

You've got a mirror to see yourself in, somewhere to put your hat

and you can hang your coat and it's practical.

-So it's a nice interiors thing for a modern-day home.

-Fantastic.

-How much did you pay for that?

-OK, well...

Erm, I paid the princely sum of £60 for it.

-OK.

-This may be an easy decision for you.

-It might be.

-How much do you think it'll make?

-Oh, it's a speculative object.

It might only make £10 or £20 but it might make £50 or £60.

-It's nice, it's nice.

-You're warming to it.

-It's a bit pricy but yeah.

-It has got style, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

Anyway, your moment for a decision is later

but for the audience, let's find out what the auctioneer thinks

about Jonathan's luggage rack.

Now, Robert, let's not get hung up on this.

-What do you think?

-I don't quite know what to say about it.

It must have come off something commercial,

probably a boat or a train or something of that kind.

-You think so?

-Because it's lightweight.

That's my theory. We've put an estimate of £20-£40 on it.

Yes. The big problem is that Jonathan Pratt paid £60 for it.

-Did he?

-Yes, as a bonus buy.

Anyway, moving on. I'm going to put this lightweight roof rack here.

Lovely. Came off an Austin A40 by the look of it.

Moving on, Karen and Sharon, Japanese page-turner.

-Now we're back on track.

-Yes, a piece of brassware, here.

It's probably been brought back as a souvenir from Japan.

It's got a pressed metal handle

and the blade has got some sort of engraving on it.

It is decorative, we have to say that about it.

-OK. What do you think it's going to make?

-10 to 20.

-£30 paid.

-Right, OK.

Staffordshire figure, Auld Lang Syne.

Yes, well, the big thing about Staffordshire figures is their colour.

They have to have plenty of colour about.

This has got cobalt blue jackets, it's in good condition.

There is a small firing crack on the base but it's in good nick.

There was a time when this stuff was making a lot more

-but for the collector, the opportunities have never been better.

-Quite.

-How much?

-£30-£50.

-Oh, Lord. £70.

-Oh, really?

-£70 paid for it.

Next is the novelty desk calendar.

It's quite nice to see one that's complete.

They invested £15 in that. Did they invest wisely or not?

Well, we'd hope to take a profit on that. We've said £20-£40.

-Have you?

-Mm.

-So they could double their money.

But it may not be enough and they may need their bonus buy, so let's have a look at it.

Karen, Sharrie, you gave the boy £185. What did he spend it on?

Well, let me show you.

-What do you think to this?

-Oh, I love it.

-I know. I thought you would.

-I think that's brilliant.

-I tried to buy something that...

-Karen's face!

You mentioned that you like advertising items

and we've got a great clock here. It's an electric advertising clock.

Obviously, "Brylcreem your hair."

No reference to my hair but...

-Are you a user, Henry?

-I do like gel, I have to confess.

But, yeah, I think it's a smashing item.

It's a good collectable item in today's society.

It's a good retro piece and I think it stands a good chance.

I just love it. How much did you pay for it?

-How much do you think I paid for it?

-I don't know.

-£40.

-A little bit more.

-50.

-60.

-70.

£70. But, I think, personally, as a youngster...

-I'd have paid £70.

-Exactly.

-You'd have paid £170.

-Well, there you go and that's your friend.

-Yeah.

You choose after the sale of your first three items

but for the viewers, let's find out what the auctioneer thinks

about Slick Henry's hairdressing clock.

Well, there we go, Robert. That's amusing, isn't it?

I love it. It's a really good bit of memorabilia.

I can almost feel myself sitting in a barber's chair now

and looking at this on the wall.

It's a great piece. I really like it.

Absolutely genuine, too. None of this reproduction stuff.

-It's got its old electric motor. It probably wants rewiring.

-Yeah.

-So how much?

-We've been a bit mean. We've said £20-£40.

-I think you have, too. £70 our 'Enery Meadows paid.

-Yeah.

-Will he get away with it?

-I think he could.

-If the team goes with the bonus buy?

-We'll see how we get on.

-Are you taking the sale?

-I am indeed.

-We're in safe hands.

20 I'll take.

-How are you feeling? All right?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-At all nervous?

-No. Confident.

-Yeah.

-You are nervous?

-Yeah.

-What have you got to be nervous about?

-They bought an item behind my back.

-Yeah.

-So I'm panicking about that now.

With five minutes to go, having not bought anything, it was justified.

-Which item is it?

-The roulette wheel.

-You don't care for it?

-I like it but not the price.

-Not the price.

So you're going to blame both of your mates here if that goes wrong.

We made an executive decision.

First lot coming up, then, is your sunflower buttons and here they come.

Lot 92, ladies and gentlemen,

the cased set of Continental buttons and don't those look terrific?

What may we say? £20, for them, somebody. Worth every cent.

£20 I'm bid. At 20. 25 is there now?

At 20. The bid's there. 25 anywhere now, quickly?

At £20. I'll even take 22 on this one if it helps.

-At £20.

-It will help.

-The bid's there. 22.

25 is there now? 25, thank you. 28, now?

28, yes. 30 now?

-30 bid.

-He's milking this.

-He is milking it.

-£30.

-£30. 32? The bid's at 30. I'm going to sell them.

-He's done well.

-At £32 on the internet.

-Oh, there's 32 on the internet!

At £32 on the internet. At £32 only on the internet.

Going to be sold for £32... 32.

-£32.

-Good start.

-That's bad luck. 38, that would be. Minus £38.

-It was on its way.

-That was Dave's that one.

-Yes.

-It was on its way, that.

Now, listen, you sportsmen, here comes the gaming wheel.

£70 I'm bid straightaway. That's on commission. 75 now do I hear?

At 75 straightaway. 80, there. 85 now? 85?

-90, now.

-This could be a surprise here, Tim.

95. 100, now, and five.

-105? 100's there.

-Go on!

At £100, the bid's there. Five anywhere now do I hear?

-105.

-Hooray!

-Good girl.

At 110. 115? At 110. The bid's there at 110.

-115 anywhere else?

-Come on.

-Come on.

-The bid's there at £110.

-115!

-Look!

-Hooray!

-Hooray! 120, now.

120. It's your bid at £120 and being sold.

-120.

-Oh!

-£120. Thank you very much.

-Minus £20.

-Good object.

-You are minus 58. That was so close, wasn't it?

-It was.

-We've got to make it on the cat.

-Here it comes.

The matchbox stand. £20 I'm bid. £20. 25? I have it. 30 is there now?

-25 I'm bid. At 25.

-You're in profit.

-25, the bid's with me.

At £25 on commission. At 25. 30 in the doorway.

At £30. 35, now?

30's in the doorway. 35 anywhere else?

At £30 only in the doorway. At £30 and will be sold.

At £30. All finished and done? At £30. Going away, then.

At £30, then.

You're minus 48. What are you going to do about the TV aerial?

-The TV aerial?

-We're not going to go for that. No.

-Or are we?

-Are you?

-Shall we toss a coin?

-It's up to you, mate.

-Come on, let's put it in.

-Oh, go on, then.

-Put it in.

-Is that sensible?

-Yeah, we'll go with it.

-OK.

-Are you absolutely certain you want to do this?

-Go on, then.

Another executive decision.

I mean, do you want to win the programme or not?

-Er...

-Yeah, we do.

-We'll leave it, then.

-All right.

-Do you not have this in the office?

-We're not going for it.

-But you quite like it.

-No! Get lost!

-I like strange things.

-I like strange things.

-Your strange things have lost us money.

Well, it's... It's a bit of a debate, isn't it?

-Are we going to do it or not?

-No, we're not.

-No.

-You're not going for it.

-We're not.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

We're not going for it.

Listen, you, stop stirring it up. You're not doing it.

-We're not going for it.

-We're not going with the bonus buy.

My goodness, this has been a struggle.

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

This terrific 1940s aluminium coat stand.

How much will you say for it? 20 to start it, please.

At £20. Only at £20. You should be queuing up for this.

-Yes!

-At £20 only. At £20 do I hear?

At £20. It's all I'm asking. 20 anywhere now?

20 bid there. At 20 and five now do I hear?

At £20 bid in the middle of the room there. At 20.

And 25 anywhere now? At £20 the bid's there.

25 now? At £20 only. Your last chance. At £20.

-I always had my doubts about this.

-It's going to be sold. At £20.

-It's a good bargain for £20. I'd have got that for 20.

-Minus 40.

But you chaps made the right decision. Congratulations.

You've ring-fenced your losses at minus £48.

-OK. That's not too bad.

-And it could be a winning score.

-You never know.

-Don't say a word to the Blues.

-OK.

-Perfect.

-Brilliant.

So, girls, how are you feeling?

-Quietly confident.

-Quietly confident.

-Do you know how the Reds got on?

-No.

-No.

-You don't know how the Reds got on?

-No.

-You have no idea. All right.

That's good. First up is the Japanese page-turner and here it comes.

Lot number 113. I'm going to start the bidding at £20.

-Hooray!

-£20, I'm bid. At 20. And five now do I hear?

-25 anywhere now? 25 bid, 30 with me. 35 now?

-Red-hot object.

-35, fresh bidder. At 35, I'm bid. At 35.

-Excellent.

40 I'll take. At 35. I'm bid at 35. All finished and done?

All finished and done at 35?

-Very good.

-That's fantastic.

-Yes!

-£35 - plus £5.

He said £10 to £20, you make 35, so that's very nice.

Plus £5. Now, let's hope you'll do as well with the Staffordshire.

Auld Lang Syne, lovely lot.

25 I'm bid straightaway. 30 I'll take.

-25 I'm bid here. At 25.

-Slow start.

-30 is there now?

-Come on.

30 anywhere now? This is value for money.

At £25. 30 is there now? 30 I'm bid. 35, then?

-It's slow, isn't it?

-35 now do I hear?

At 30. The bid's there. 35... 35 there. 40 is there now?

-35. The bid's there.

-Come on.

-I think I'll need a drink after this.

At £35. It's going to be sold at £35. The bid's there at 35.

£35. Bad luck, girls. That is minus £35.

Overall, you're minus 30. Next is the stirrup clock.

-What may we say? £15 I'm bid straightaway.

-Excellent.

20 is there now? At 15. The bid's with me. I'm looking for 20.

20 bid. At £20. 25 is there now?

20, the bid's there. At £20. 25. 30, now? 30 bid.

-Oh, go on, go on.

-35 on the internet. At 35. We're waiting.

At 35. At £35 only.

At £30. The bid's there in the room at £30 and will be sold.

At £30 only, then, all done?

Plus £15. That's excellent,

which means overall, you're minus £15 now.

-So that's not too bad at all. It could be a winning score.

-It's not too bad.

-Not too good, either.

-Well, come on,

it could have been worse, couldn't it?

Now, what about the Brylcreem sign?

-We've got to go for it.

-We're going for it.

-Really?

-Yes.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

-Yes.

Are you sure you're sure?

-A lot of pressure on me, now.

-There's pressure on you, Henry.

If we're going to bomb out, let's do it spectacularly.

Minus £15 could be a winning score.

-No.

-Do you want to go?

-I think...

What are you going to do? Are you going to go for it?

Yeah, let's go with the Brylcreem.

It'll just be a long journey home if this gets hammered.

-Let's just go for it.

-I'll never speak to you again.

All right, then.

-This is for certain, is it, this? Yes.

-Yes.

-Are you doing it?

-Yes.

-Going for the Brylcreem?

-Decision made.

OK, then, Sharrie, be that up on your head, darling,

because you're the most enthusiastic about it.

-We are going with the Brylcreem sign.

-Karen's about to crawl out.

The auctioneer's estimate is £20-£40.

-Oh, no!

-I can only tell you that after you've decided.

Anyway, it ain't over till the fat lady sings

or does her hair and here it comes.

119, ladies and gentlemen, is this terrific clock.

Brylcreem - do you remember that? Brylcreem.

I wish I could use it but there we go.

LAUGHTER

£20 I'm bid straightaway for it and it's great value for money. 25.

30 on commission. 35 now?

35. Now the door's wide open. 35, the bid's there.

40 anywhere else? 40 bid there. This is very reasonable.

45, 50, 55, the bid's there.

-£55 and going to be sold.

-Come on.

-At 55. Finished and done?

-At 55... 60 on the internet.

-Brilliant.

-60 I'm bid.

-Somebody knows a bargain when they see one.

-65?

It's worth all the money. 65. 70 now on the internet?

-70. At 70 now.

-Come on, internet.

-70 on the internet.

-Excellent.

-75?

At 70 on the internet. At £70, there, at £70, on the internet.

It will be sold at 70...

-Well done, Henry. You've wiped your face.

-Phew!

You brushed your hair and you wiped your face.

-That's minus £15 overall, girls. Don't say a word to the Reds, all right?

-No.

-No.

-Thank you.

Well, well, well, well, well.

Some days it's good days and some days are, well, not so hot.

-Now, have you been chatting at all?

-No.

-You don't know about the scale of losses?

-No.

Well, I have to reveal that as we don't have losers,

the runners up are the Reds.

-Oh!

-Yes! Delayed reaction!

They suddenly twigged it.

-Anyway, it wasn't so bad, lads, was it?

-It wasn't that bad.

Minus £48. You fortunately didn't go with the bonus buy.

You preserved your losses at minus 48 but it wasn't enough.

-Are you disappointed, David?

-Very disappointed.

-Yeah.

You're disappointed. I'm sorry, too, but it was good fun, though.

-Yes, good fun.

-It was good fun.

-But, girls...

-Hooray!

You have won by only losing £15, so nothing, really.

-Respectable.

-It's a win.

-It's been lovely having you on the show.

-Join us soon for some more Bargain Hunting, yes?

-Yes!

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