Peterborough 22 Bargain Hunt

Stopwatch? Check. Cash? Check.

All we need now is somewhere to go shopping.

Ah, look at that! Perfect!

Let's go bargain hunting!

The stage is set for a shopping extravaganza here in Peterborough.

Do you fancy a quick sneak preview?

With only £300 and one hour to shop, things get too much for David.

We know what you've been doing!

The pressure gets to the Red Team.

We need Nick first.

-Have you found anything?

-We've got a confession to make.

But it's at the auction where they can find a profit.

Today for the Reds, we've got Claire and Pete.

And for the Blues, we've got Jan and Elaine.

-Welcome. Lovely to see you.

-ALL: Hello.

Now, Pete, you had a lucky job interview that got you two both together, right?

That's right, I did. I was working at a college for learning difficulty students,

and we were interviewing for a lecturer

for the post of performing arts,

and Claire came for the interview.

-So you gave her the job and then you married her.

-Not married as yet!

-But that is on the cards!

-I see!

-Jumping ahead slightly!

-OK!

But we became really good friends and things progressed from there.

-Apart from Claire, the other love of your life is sport.

-That's right.

I've always been interested in sport ever since I was at school.

And then went to university to do a degree in sport.

And all my jobs have been involved in sport.

And recently, I've completed a few triathlons.

Right. So, Claire, your big passion is the theatre.

Yes, it is. I started dancing at the age of three.

I performed regularly in summer and Christmas seasonal shows.

I performed a few times at the London Palladium.

In between all that, I got my teaching qualification.

I teach young people with learning difficulties, and associated disabilities, performing arts.

I suppose my big ambition is to have my own performing arts school.

-Well, we'll watch this space.

-Definitely.

-Have you got any strategy?

-Er...

-We need to be decisive.

-Definitely need to be decisive.

Are you going to spend a lot of money or a little money?

We'll have to see how we go.

-I think we need to look for something that we like the look of and, hopefully, others will.

-Yes.

-Because you've got very good taste!

-Of course.

-Of course!

-Well, good luck.

-Thank you.

Now, you two bluebirds, you met thanks to the game of cricket.

We did, yes. About 30 years ago,

we met when our husbands were playing cricket together,

and so we carried on going to matches

and found we enjoyed cricket.

Now, Elaine, we've got a sport-loving couple of teams today,

because in an earlier life, you were a PE teacher.

A long time ago. In my previous life, yes!

-Did they call you a games mistress?

-Yes.

-That shows you how long ago it was!

-It does!

Yes, when they did what they were told and they all wore gym kit.

Jan, you're also a rowing coach. Tell us about that.

That's right, Tim. I followed my sons along to the local rowing club,

they joined when they were about 12 years old,

and I just joined in with them and took it up.

You don't do that thing, rowing up the towpath shouting through a megaphone?

-That's me! That's the one!

-You don't! Do you really?

-Didn't you recognise me?

You're two clearly extraordinarily well-organised girls,

-so you'll have some strategy, won't you?

-Mm...!

-I think we've kind of decided to do exactly what our expert tells us to!

-Seems a good idea!

That is what you call a cop-out!

The money moment... £300 apiece. There you go.

A crumpled wodge.

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

Well, what charming teams.

And we also have some charming experts.

For the Red Team, it's Nick Hall.

And leading the Blues is David Harper.

-Here we are at Peterborough on this fantastic day.

-Fantastic.

Spoilt for choice for stuff!

I suggest we get stuck straight in and see what we can find.

-One hour is all we've got.

-Let's go.

-Morning.

-Morning!

-That's a little sweetie! Aww!

I didn't realise you were such a softie, David.

-Is that spelter?

-I think that is a bronzed effect.

-So that is absolutely brand-spanking new.

-Oh, right.

Look, girls, why not try something with a bit of age?

What do you think? Do you like this?

If I'm being honest, not really my taste.

Not something we'd have ourselves. However...

I tell you what drew me to them, it's this classic Arts and Crafts shape.

Hold one. Let's have a look round. Ideally, with this sort of thing,

what you want is to be able to attribute it to one of the great designers.

We're looking for W.A.S. Benson, Christopher Dresser.

Something of that ilk. Gimson, of course.

Nice mixture, as well - the copper, brass and ebonizing on the handles.

But it has got a few dints in it.

-Is that going to affect the price?

-Probably not.

-It would date to 1880, 1890. Late Victorian.

-OK.

-They're not broken. They've just got signs of wear and tear.

-Yeah.

I think they're a really smart design.

I'm just a little disappointed that there's no makers' marks on them.

He's asking £148 for them.

I think at around £100, they probably wouldn't be a bad buy.

It's not my taste, but if you think it's popular at the moment, it will sell well at the auction.

-Shall I have a chat with the dealer, see what he says?

-OK.

You have a look at those, have a chat. I'll go and find him.

The Reds are straight in to some bargain-hunting action.

If that was a Ming Dynasty pot for £45, I'd be running out of here, leaving you two alone!

-We'd be right behind you!

-Following you!

-Chasing me!

Now, what price has Nick got on those candlesticks?

They've got to be 140.

Now, for me, I still think that's worth a punt.

If they were stamped with Benson on them,

that dealer would be asking five or six hundred quid.

But they're not stamped, which gives us a chance.

-Shall we give it a whirl?

-OK, let's go for it.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Be brave!

-OK!

-Come on, let's go and give him some money.

-OK.

That's one item down for the Reds and we've only just started.

Elsewhere, some Delft tiles have caught the eye of the Blues.

I think they're rather nice, actually.

You know what you could do? You could put a little collection together.

-Yes.

-A little cheeky auction lot.

Maybe four Dutch Delft tiles,

all with a similar theme, a boating theme,

and put them in as one lot.

I'm concerned about the damage on them. That's very damaged.

But you could use that as a coaster. I think it's been used as a coaster!

So someone would buy this purely because they think it's sweet

and, you know, it would look nice in their house?

-What are you laughing at?

-Because I wouldn't buy it!

The trick with auctions is to create something of real interest.

I think if you put four Delft tiles together, 18th or 19th century,

somebody might just think, "They could be quite special and they're worth a punt."

Let's remember those.

-All right. Come on, you two!

-You can come back.

Still nothing for the Blue Team.

Now, would you believe that that is a biscuit tin? But look.

-Oh, wow.

-Huntley and Palmers.

It's 45 for that one.

If it was in perfect condition, it's £100.

So the price reflects the condition.

-You've gone very quiet on me.

-I know!

-Sorry!

-Is that a good sign?

-We're thinking.

-We're looking.

Just consider, how upset would you be if it had gone when you came back?

-I wouldn't be that upset!

-No!

-Fair enough. Let's go.

Hang on. Looks like David has convinced the Blues to go not for four

but eight of those tiles.

-What kind of deal?

-Can you give me a price on all of the Delft tiles?

Erm... Six each... They've got to be five each on them.

Five each.

-Oh, we're missing one, are we?

-Just sold it.

-You haven't? The one with the chips?

-Yes.

-That was my favourite!

-Oh, no!

That one was the one with the coaster mark.

-Could there be 30 for the seven?

-They've got to be a fiver each.

-What's that, 35?

-Yes. That's the best.

-OK, girls, I think you should have a go.

-We'll take them, then.

-Thank you very much.

-We'll have them all.

And stop messing about, you two! Get spending money quicker!

Lesson learned, hopefully.

What's this, Reds? More biscuit tins?

-Can I ask how much it is, please?

-It's 24.

What about if you gave him 18 and a biscuit? How would that...

The Blues have got their eye on some glassware.

-I'm going to move round here.

-Look at this junk. We love this.

There are two pieces of Murano here, David.

Lovely quality. There's no damage on these.

-I think they're both absolutely lovely.

-What's your thoughts?

I like them. I think they're quite fresh.

-They're reasonably new.

-They're modern.

-There's not a great deal of age in them, is there?

-No.

-You know the story of Murano? Little island just off Italy.

-Right. No.

There's, potentially, or has been, hundreds of glassmakers for hundreds of years,

-maybe even a couple of thousand years.

-Really?

Even though there's no age in them, someone would say, like we have,

"Gosh, that's really beautiful."

-Let's talk about figures. What kind of money could we have one of these for?

-It's 58.

-Out of the two, I prefer the jug, Jan.

-Do you?

-Yes.

You spotted the jug straight away from across the other side.

-Will you be able to do 50 on the jug?

-Best - 55.

-55 or...

-I think it's 55 or you don't have it.

-Do you want it?

-Yes.

OK, we'll have that.

That's much more decisive. Good.

It's a little Edwardian lady's glove box. Isn't that sweet? Where do you keep your gloves?

-In my drawer, but if I have one of those...

-That's where you'd keep them.

-Let's get outside.

-Yes, into the sunshine.

-15 minutes and you've bought two things. I'm impressed.

-We've done well!

While they're all shopping outside, come and have a look at what I've found.

How's your sight getting on? Are you seeing me at all blurry?

If you are, you'll need a pair of glasses.

In the old days, you would be presented with a nice green leather case like this.

And inside, you'd find a solid silver-framed pair of specs.

And this is what they look like.

I think these spectacle frames are just lovely.

Look at the way the slides pull out on each of the arms,

so that when you put them on,

they literally wrap round the side of your head,

and you've got the lenses presented

in whatever adjustable position you want to keep them on your hooter!

Which is what it's all about.

Now, if you look carefully at the frames,

you can see that they're fully hallmarked.

You've got P&T for the maker

and on the other side, you've got the anchor for Birmingham.

As far as dates are concerned, I would guess something around 1810, 1820.

Now, they're without the lenses,

but to the spectacle collector, strangely enough,

that doesn't matter all that much.

It's the frames that they're after and the fact that they're solid silver.

What would a pair of spectacle frames like this, early 19th century, cost you?

The price here is £115.

Is that good value or not?

Well, it all depends on your vision of these things.

Back to our teams.

-The Blues have lost their expert.

-Where's he gone?

-We've lost him.

-Sorry, girls.

-THEY LAUGH

Come on, David. You know you have to spend more than a penny to make a profit on Bargain Hunt.

-Looks like a proper pirate's chest.

-It does, yes.

-For 60 quid, there's nothing wrong with it, but it's not good enough.

-Not what we're after.

It's getting really crowded now. All the buyers are pouring in.

-Goodness me.

-Oh, I say!

NICK: We've got a lot of competition around.

Keep those eyes peeled.

They're nice. See those shell casings?

-Aren't they?

-Yes. Vases made out of shell cases from the First World War.

-Do they appeal or are you just looking?

-A bit...

-I'm a bit iffy on those.

-Oh, right.

-Guys.

-Yes?

-What do you think about this jug?

It's Victorian. It's salt-glazed stoneware.

They literally threw salt into the glaze when it was being fired and you get this lovely finish.

Has he got something in his mouth? Is it meant to be an instrument?

-It's bagpipes, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Probably dating to the early-to-middle 19th century.

-OK.

I'm just going to check if there's any obvious restoration.

The rim is the usual... That has been restored.

Can you see the way the colour gets very dark

and very thick around there?

That's because, when that was restored in the 20th century,

nobody threw glaze into it.

They're asking 63 quid.

-What do you think?

-With the decoration round the outside, it's quite interesting.

We're debating the jug.

Would something round the £40 mark be acceptable?

45. With the restoration.

If we said 42, are we getting close? What do you think?

43 and it's yours.

Right, we're not going to go any lower.

-Shall we go for it?

-I think... Yeah, I would say so.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yes.

-It's an interesting thing. It's a bit different, quirky.

At last, they've bought their second item.

Just as well, because time is running out.

We've got nine minutes left.

We've got plan A and B to fall back on, the biscuit tins, erm...

Why don't we split up? See if we can find anything else.

I'll meet you at the biscuit tins and we'll make a decision.

-OK.

-Yes? I'll see you there.

Splitting up? Things must be getting desperate for the Reds.

The Blues have just one more item to find.

-I think it's absolutely gorgeous.

-Why? What's making it so gorgeous?

It's Georgian. It's a proper Georgian candlestick.

-It's in the silver shape, yes?

-OK.

So you would've found these things, made about 1770, in solid silver.

This, I think, is Sheffield plate, which is the earliest form of silver plating.

It's, effectively, rolling real silver on top of copper so many times

that you end up with something that looks very much solid silver,

but with a thin layer of copper.

It's a cheaper, a cheating way, of making something look like silver.

If I can just look at those markings.

Because it's very unusual to have silver plate marked.

RH, which is the maker.

And then I think that must be a Sheffield plate marking.

-I love the column.

-Yes.

-I absolutely love that.

-An acanthus leaf carved into it.

-BOTH: Yes.

And what looks like maybe bamboo, possibly.

It's an exotic thing.

If that was a pair, Sheffield plate, Georgian,

they're going to be five, six hundred pounds a pair.

But a single is dramatically reduced in price.

-What do you think? I don't think we've got much time.

-I'm excited about this.

-I love this. Good.

-I'm glad you've found something.

-It's good to excite you, finally! On something!

-Yes!

-You've done it.

-Let's get a price on that.

-Can we get it for 20 quid?

-Let's have a look for you.

It says it's only 28.

-Stop saying "only"!

-Well, for something that old...!

-20 quid, it's yours.

-Really?

-Good man. Thank you.

-I think that's a yes, Jan.

-That's good! Thank you.

-That's your third item.

-We've done it.

-Lovely!

-I'm going to buy you two a lovely cup of tea.

-Excellent!

Well done, team.

Only five minutes left for the Reds and they're considering an impulse buy.

What will they do?

-Do you like it?

-It's interesting, isn't it?

-Do you think people will buy it, though?

-Well, potentially.

-They might do.

-OK.

-We haven't got a lot of time.

-No.

-Shall we ask the gentleman his best price?

It's only got that bit there. Is it all right everywhere else?

Excuse me. Hello there.

Would you mind if I asked you what your best price is on this one?

-48.

-48?

-OK.

-I'm quite tempted, to be honest.

-I know. It's...

-I'm thinking of the time.

-There's a couple of marks, but you'll not see that.

It's unusual, isn't it? The shape of the whole thing...

-I quite like it, actually.

-Yes?

-I think we should do it.

-We've got no time.

-Let's do it. Hopefully, Nick will like it.

48? Is that final? Shake your hand.

-OK.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

Done now!

Will it turn out to be a panic buy? They'd better find their expert.

-It's this piece of furniture here.

-You bought this?

-We bought this.

-Yes.

-It says £58, but we got it for £48.

-We just liked the look of it!

-What do you think?

-You done all right.

-BOTH: Yes?

-What drew you to it? Why?

-We both looked at it and we both quite liked it.

We like the detailing.

Er, it's probably made around about 1910, 1920.

So it's got age, it's an antique. It's just a functional thing.

-Well done, you two.

-BOTH: Thank you.

Great stuff. Brilliant.

So after striking out on their own,

the Reds got the last item in the nick of time. Without Nick!

They quickly bought the candlesticks,

but Nick didn't get the price down as much as he'd have liked.

Next was the 19th century salt-glazed jug.

And with no time to spare, they took a punt on a pedestal cabinet.

Tell us about this exciting find of Nick's.

Nick just happened upon a couple of candlesticks,

-and you think they're by Benson.

-Mm.

So there's going to be a bit of researching going on?

-Yeah. Hopefully, the auctioneers will...

-Exciting!

-How much did you spend overall?

-£231.

-Now that is a proper amount of money!

-Good spend.

-So I want 69 smackers, please.

-There we go.

-Lovely.

£69 goes straight to Nicholas. You've got a nice wodge there.

-Yes.

-Any ideas what you're going to spend it on?

Some Arts and Craft candlesticks reference books!

Good idea! Anyway, very good luck.

Why don't we check out what the Blue Team bought?

They bought seven Delft tiles. Not the eight they'd hoped for.

They haggled for the Italian Murano glass.

And not to be outdone by the Reds, they bought their own candlestick.

-Overall, you spent how much?

-BOTH: £110.

-Well, that's not much, is it?

-No! We tried.

-I thought you were going to go out and spend big bucks.

-We're were.

-What happened to that resolution?

David kept pointing us to other things.

-Did he?

-Nothing to do with antiques!

-Always blame him!

-Yes!

-Yes! We've got the hang of it.

-Please may I have my £190?

-You may.

-£190...

-I can hardly bring myself to hand it over.

-I know!

But is going to safe hands and I know it's going to a good cause.

-The David Harper pension fund!

-Thank you, Tim. I'm going home!

-What are you going to buy?

-I'm loathe to leave these two. We had such a nice time.

-They're glamorous, good company.

-You have to unglue yourself.

-I know!

-Detach and get on with it!

-I'll do my job.

-Go and do your job.

Very good luck, girls. Thank you.

Meanwhile, we're heading off to sunny Oxfordshire.

We're going to go to Stonor Park, and it is fab!

In the 1970s,

most of the contents of this stately home were sold

and the For Sale signs on the house itself followed shortly thereafter.

Times were hard for the Stonor family,

who'd lived here for nigh-on 800 years.

But Thomas Stonor, 7th Lord Camoys,

secured a deal and saved the day.

Cor, this is my type of house. Absolutely crammed with treasures.

A lot of which were given to the current Lord Camoys

by his cousin, Francis Stonor,

who was a passionate collector.

Francis Stonor was a frequent visitor to London auction rooms.

He only bought what he liked, which was often out of fashion.

He adored extravagant Baroque furniture,

pictures and bronzes.

It's perhaps in this room, the study,

that we get the best impression

of Francis Stonor's collecting tastes.

He was very interested in old, traditional art.

Hence, the room is, in part, lined

with delightful pencil and crayon Old Master drawings.

It wasn't only paintings that Francis Stonor enjoyed.

He also liked bronzes, particularly old Italian bronzes.

This inkwell was made in Venice in the 16th century,

around about 1580,

with these Baroque, muscular men supporting a central dish

that originally would've had a liner to it for holding ink.

But by far the most important and eye-catching objects in this room

are the pair of globes.

A terrestrial globe, showing the then-known continents

and a celestial globe, showing the stars in the heavens.

What's nice about these is, they're early,

they date to about 1699,

and what I like is the stands,

supported by four freeform pieces of sculpture.

They have everything that a Baroque piece of sculpture needs to offer -

swirling robes, lots of movement and drama.

Francis Stonor wasn't shy of a bit of drama in other objects either,

as evidenced by this pair of cast-metal pineapples.

In the 18th century, the pineapple was the emblem,

the motif, of good hospitality.

Originally, in my view, these were a pair of brule-parfum,

dating from the Louis the 16th period.

You simply had some shallow dishes here

that would've held incense.

If there was a bad smell about, you light the incense

and the brule-parfum would spread a good smell about a room.

But somebody in the 19th century, I guess, has decided to jolly them up,

and have cast these gilt pineapple

and applied all this serrated, rather spiky, pineapple foliage,

simply to make up a more decorative and furnishing object

to have in your dining room.

The big question today is,

will our teams over at the auction be bearing fruit?

What a joy this is to be in the cathedral city of Lincoln with Colin Young.

Pleasure to have you here.

First up for our teams are these so-called Arts and Craftsy candlesticks.

-Very stylish, aren't they?

-They are. Very much a statement piece.

We see plenty of pieces from the Arts and Crafts period of lower quality.

What we've got here is something that's well constructed and well designed.

-What do you think they're worth?

-We've put an estimate of 75 to 100.

-Is that all?

-Yes. Is that not enough?

-Not half good enough.

-Oh.

-£140 they paid.

-What about this salt-glazed jug?

-It is one of those areas that,

overall, the market has gone down for them,

but we still have fairly positive results.

-Yes.

-Estimate-wise, we've put on it 40 to 70.

Wow, that's super.

£43 paid. They'll be delighted with that. Well done, Colin.

-Now, the last item...

-Yes.

-..does, I have to say,

fail to get my pulses racing.

It's described as a "stripped and waxed pedestal cupboard".

Yes. I think probably that's good cataloguing.

Minimalistic cataloguing, not really saying too much about it.

No. Where do you think it comes from?

It's highly likely to be Continental. It may well be French.

The extra moulding that's been applied to it

sort of looks like it covers a multitude of sins.

Er... The only positive I can give is that it's got concave sides.

-Yes. If that's the best you can say, I think we'll stop there.

-OK.

-What's your estimate?

-We've put 30 to 50 pounds on it.

-OK.

£48 paid. Which is, in my view, about £47 too much.

Anyway... Almost certainly, they're going to need their bonus buy,

so let's go and have a look at it.

Now, Claire and Pete, what do you suppose Nick Hall spent your £69 on?

-Do you want to find out?

-Definitely.

-OK. Bonus buy, show us all, Nick.

Are you ready? Are you sure? Because if all else fails...

we can go busking...

BOTH: Oh!

-..down Bombay way.

-Yes.

-It's very...

-Not what I had in mind, but...

-Not something you see everyday, is it?

-No.

Which is the reason behind it. It's unusual.

-How much did you pay for it?

-Ooh, £45.

-What do you think it might make at...?

-I've no idea!

I've not a clue.

-It's a proper instrument, isn't it, Nick?

-Yes.

-Not a toy. It'd play if you gave it a tweak.

-It would've been made to have been used.

It's not an early one. It's 20th century.

-I actually quite like it.

-Do you?!

What you've got is, basically, a calabash, which is a natural gourd.

This thing was once growing in an Indian field, a bit like a big old pumpkin.

So they've taken the pumpkin, removed the skin, dried it,

and that's your resonance box out of which the thing, these vibrations, will sound.

Which is quite fun, isn't it?

I've never sold one before. I was just caught by its unusualness

and thought, "Hey-ho, let's have a go."

Hold that thought. For the audience at home,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Nick's sitar.

-There you go, Colin.

-Thank you! You don't get many of these through the sale room.

How do you rate it?

-I think it's something that we're going to have a bit of interest in, because it's different.

-Yes.

Money-wise, valuation on it is going to be just guessing a figure,

except we haven't got many comparables to go with.

Once upon a time, it was nicely made,

but I can see down here lots of inlaying missing.

-Very expensive to get that restored.

-Yes.

What I'll do, I'll go with the auctioneer's favourite estimate when they really haven't got a clue.

-Which one's that?

-80 to 120.

I think that's quite tempting. £45 was paid.

You stick to your 80 to £120, Colin, and everybody's going to be absolutely delighted.

That's it for the Reds. Now for the Blues.

-What a shame - all these tiles. Every single one are smashed.

-Yes.

They've obviously been in a fireplace at some stage and, er,

-and they've had to do a little bit of a hatchet job to get them out.

-Yes.

They kept the good ones, and all the awful ones

-went into a bag of smashed fellows.

-Yes.

I don't think they'll go crazy for it. It's more crazy paving really.

-Yes.

-I did put an estimate on at 40 to 60.

I'm looking at them now, thinking perhaps I was a little ambitious.

I think it's going to be a struggle to get to 35.

-Moving on. Murano jug.

-Yes.

-That's at least sound, isn't it?

It is. Very nice thing. We've got very nice decoration on here.

Lovely colours. Big, bold, strong item.

-30 to 50 pounds estimate.

-£55 paid.

-OK.

That could be a struggle, too. We've got big struggles, in my view.

What about this Adams-style little candlestick? It's rather sweet.

I think it's rather a sweet little thing.

I mean, it's a typical piece of 19th-century plated ware,

done in the early Neoclassical style.

-Single stick on its own...25 to 40 pounds, I would think.

-OK, £20 paid.

So that is their sole guiding beacon of potential profit after three items.

Indeed. And that might make ten or 20 pounds' profit.

It might do it. Which won't make up for the losses on the other pieces,

so they are going to need their bonus buy. Let's have a look at it.

-Jan and Elaine, this is your bonus-buy moment.

-Yes.

David Harper took £190 of your well-earned pounds

and converted it into a stellar object.

-We hope!

-Let's hope so.

-OK, show us your wares!

-OK. I think you're going to like it.

-Ready?

-BOTH: Ready.

It's an oak barrel. Look at the grain and the wood. You've got that quarter cut.

So it's oak and then bound. It's got a carrying handle and a cork,

so it obviously contained liquid.

-Yes.

-But I think it's a cider barrel.

Something in the 19th century. You're a farm worker, you're out in the fields...

-So you'd take it off to lunch.

-Yes.

-You take a big chunk of cheese and bread and a barrel of cider.

-Sounds good!

Paints a lovely picture, don't you think?

It's a handmade thing. It's lovely quality.

-It has...

-But money... How much?

-Hang on! I'm still building it up!

-I realise the build up!

-You cannot recreate that colour.

-You're avoiding the answer.

-How much do you think I paid for it?

Erm... I guess you might've paid 50 or 60 pounds?

I think I probably would've paid 50 or 60 pounds, but I didn't.

-I paid 20.

-Oh, right.

-He's such a tease, isn't he?

-Yes! It looks a little better now, doesn't it?

He's all puffed up now! He only paid £20!

-An interesting item.

-Yes, very interesting.

For the viewers at home, let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Dave's barrel.

-Now, Col, there we go.

-Thank you!

-Something to wet your whistle.

-Mm.

-Obviously you're getting this round in, then!

-I love it, don't you?

These barrels are great fun. Where do you think it's from? What do you think it's used for?

Er, well, it's going to obviously be a liqueur or a spirit.

It was noted for cider.

I think I'd want a little bit more cider than that if I was after a drink.

So brandy, port, something like that.

Nice bit of oak. Good strapping on it. Very well coopered.

I would've thought 25 to 40 pounds. That's a good-looking little lot.

David Harper paid £20 for it.

-And at £20, I think that's cheap.

-Absolutely.

-That should get them out of trouble.

-Should do. It should help, anyway.

-Good. Well, are you standing by?

-Indeed. Ready and raring to go.

Very exciting, Colin. Good luck.

-Claire and Pete, are you excited?

-BOTH: Yes!

We've got a full room. And Colin tells me

he has 220 bidders for this sale registered online. Amazing, isn't it?

First up is the high-ticket number, your Arts and Crafts candlesticks.

Lot number 92.

Late 19th century Arts and Crafts candlesticks,

very much in the style of W.A.S. Benson. Good-looking pair.

Who's going to start me at £100? 80 to go, then, surely?

-£80, anybody?

-Silence.

-£50?

50? Surely somebody in the room?

-Oh, dear.

-30? 30.

30 bid. Five anywhere else now? 35. Bid 40.

40. 40 bid. 45. 50?

They're moving slowly, but it's moving.

..45 bid. 50, anywhere else? Do I see 50?

-Can these people not spot a bargain?

-NICK: Obviously not.

-60 now.

-Hang on, it's going on.

..Just hovering this time. 55 bid. 60. £60 bid. 60.

Five again now, surely? At £60, it's the last call, then, at 60.

Sold this time at £60.

That is minus £80. That is a big hit.

I'm really sorry. I didn't see that coming.

The salt-glazed jug this time. 80 to go, then. £80 for the jug.

50? 40?

30?

-£30 bid.

-We've got a bit to make up.

35. 35 bid. 45 bid.

-Come on, come on, come on.

-You're in profit.

50. 50 all done and finished, then.

My bid's over here. Last call, then, selling at £50.

£50 is plus seven, which is a nice little profit, thank you.

You are now minus 73.

-Minus 73...

-A lot to make up, guys.

It's not over till it's over!

-Now, here comes the cabinet.

-Come on, cabinet!

Lot number 94 is the early 20th century

mahogany concave-sided and bow-fronted pedestal side cabinet.

Who's going to start me at 100 for it? £100, anybody? 50?

-£10?

-You're joking?

-I don't think he is.

Five bid. Eight bid. Ten bid. 12 bid. 15. 18. 20.

18 bid. 20 now. £20 bid. 22 bid? 25 bid?

28 now. 28.

Bid 30.

32?

35?

-38?

-SHE SIGHS

-Keep going. Keep going.

-It's doing better than the candlesticks!

..At 40, surely we've got another bid out of this? 40. Last call.

All done and finished at £40.

Brilliant piece of auctioneering. I thought it was going to sell for £5.

He sold it for 40, which is only minus eight,

-which takes you to minus 81.

-Oh!

So minus 81. What are you going to do about this sitar?

-I think we should go for it.

-I think we should.

-It's £45. You want to risk £45?

-Yes.

-You're minus 81. You might as well.

-Not a lot to lose, have we?!

-Definitely?

-Yes.

-Right. Having made that decision,

I can tell you that the auctioneer has estimated the sitar at £80 to £120.

-He really rates it.

-Good.

And if he's right, Nick makes £120, it will get you out of trouble.

-Back out of trouble.

-Where we want to be.

That's what's so much fun about the bonus buy.

We might make sweet music yet between us!

Steady on!

Lot number 98 is a 20th century Indian sitar.

Applied with bone, ebonized and brass decoration.

Very interesting instrument.

Who's going to start me at bottom estimate £80 for it? 80.

-£80.

-Come on!

-50 to go, then, surely?

£50, anybody? 50? 30?

30? Surely, surely? Yes, 30! 30 bid.

We're off.

35. Bid 40. 45 now.

-Keep going. Keep going.

-That's not much, is it?

45 bid. 50 bid.

55 bid. 60 bid.

NICK: Ooh! In profit.

..Bid 70.

-75.

-Come on!

-80 bid.

85 now.

Bid 90. 95?

-£100 bid.

-Yes!

-NICK: That's a bit more like it.

Hey, this is getting close now.

..At £100. If you don't bid, you're going to miss a "sitter"!

All done and finished at £100.

That is plus £55 for the sitar,

which means overall you are minus 26.

-No shame in that.

-No.

-Absolutely not.

Thanks to him! Well done, Nick.

-Jan and Elaine, do you know how the Reds got on?

-No, we don't.

Good. We don't want you to know.

-First up is your Delft tiles.

-Lot number 113.

A selection of Delft tiles.

Start me at £50. £50.

-JAN: I wish.

-£50 for some fine Delftware.

£10 for crazy paving?

-LADIES: £10!

-Come on, get on with it.

£10. Surely you're going to bid me. 12 anywhere else?

12. 15, sir. 15 bid. 18 bid. 20? £20 bid.

And two more. 22? 25? 25.

-Come on.

-It's like drawing teeth, isn't it?

And 30? No. £28 bid. 30 for it?

30, 30, 30!

32 do I see? 32 bid?

The internet.

38 bid. 40 now?

-You've made a profit.

-38 is the last call.

Selling on the internet at £38.

-38! Oh, my God!

-That is plus £3. How did that happen?

Lot number 114. Murano glass

Millefiori-designed jug there with very fine colourings.

Who's going to start me at £40 for it? 40? 30 to go, then. 30.

-It's such a pretty thing.

-I think that was the trouble.

-I know.

£10, anybody? Everyone now. Ten bid. 12.

-Come on.

-JAN: 12? Oh, no!

25? Five bid. 28, then? 30? 32 bid. 35 bid.

35 now. 32 bid. 35 again now. 32 bid.

Any more now? At 32, it's the last call, then.

Selling all done at £32.

-Not quite good enough. 32.

-Oh, I'm sorry!

-Minus 23.

115 is the single silver-plated candlestick

in the Neoclassical style.

-£100, anyone?

-Go on.

-JAN: Go on.

-30?

-Oh, dear.

£20 for it. 20. 10, sir?

-JAN: 10? No!

-This was my hope.

12 bid. 15 bid. 18 bid. 18 and 20. 20 bid. 22.

-You're in profit. You're in profit.

-Good.

Go on!

28 bid. 30 I've got. 32?

32 bid. 35 surely. 32 in the middle of the room. Are we all done?

We're selling this time - your bid, sir - at £32.

-That's brilliant!

-Well done.

-What a brilliant auctioneer.

You are plus 12 on that. Which means overall, you're minus eight!

-DAVID GROANS

-That's not bad at all!

-Well...

-Better than we thought!

-It's not bad.

-It's better than...

-Really? You were that confident?!

-It was those tiles.

-We were so worried!

-I've had nightmares about Delft tiles.

I must say, I think it is extraordinary

-that it went from crazy paving to £38 in only about eight bids!

-ALL: Yes!

Your bonus buy - what are you going to do? It could be a winning score, minus eight.

You could park it at minus eight. No shame in that. Or you could go with the little barrel.

-We want to go with the barrel.

-We'll go with the little barrel.

-We'll give that a go.

-Yes.

-Go with the barrel?

-We love the barrel!

-Here it comes.

-Lot number 119, the small barrel.

Very nice one there.

Who's going to start me at £30 for it? 30?

-£30 for the barrel.

-JAN: He's trying.

-He's doing his best.

Surely £20? Does nobody appreciate this coopering? £10?

JAN GROANS

-That has got to make money!

-Going again. We're off.

12 anywhere else? 10 bid. 12 now, do I see? 10 bid.

ALL: No, no!

..12 bid. 15 bid.

No? 15 now.

15 bid. 18 again? Last call. All done and finished at £15.

£15 it is. £15, girls. That is minus five.

-Which means overall, you are minus 13.

-Minus 13!

-That turned out to be a barrel of laughs!

-Oh, dear...

What an anticlimax for something so pretty.

-Oh, well.

-Oh, well.

Listen, minus £13 could be a winning score. Don't say a thing to the Reds.

-OK, we won't.

-Our lips are sealed.

-Promise, you two girls?!

Now, teams, have you been chatting to one another at all? No? Not at all?

I can reveal there's only 13 smackers between you.

It's needle-close today.

But the runners-up, I fear, today are the Reds.

REDS GROAN

Despite them making a profit of £55 on the bonus buy.

Can you imagine that? £55 profit from our leader here!

It was not enough to staunch the flow of losses

-from that ghastly pair of candlesticks!

-I know.

-Did you enjoy it?

-It was brilliant.

-Absolutely.

-Good for you, Pete?

-Yes.

-We've loved having you.

But the victors today are our girls in blue, who managed to win by only losing £13.

-Yes!

-Which is nothing, really.

-Nothing.

-It's a winning score. Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Have you had a nice time, Elaine?

-Lovely.

-What about you, Jan?

-Yes.

-We've loved it, too.

It's been so fabulous, join us soon for some more bargain hunting.

Yes!

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