Lewes 5 Bargain Hunt

Today we're in Lewes, in East Sussex, once the site of a mint,

but will anybody be making money today?

There's only one way to find out. Let's go bargain hunting, yeah!

Coins were minted here in Lewes from Anglo-Saxon to Norman times,

as the town increased in size and commerce.

Today, our teams are going to be hitting the antique centres,

but the big question is, will they come back with any change?

'And on today's show, the Reds are on a mission.'

How much would you pay for that?

35, and I'd sell it for 160.

She's hot, this girl!

'The Blues drive Mark to distraction.'

It's 145.

-It's a lot, isn't it?

-We can keep saying that.

-I know, I know, I know.

-The time is running out!

-I know!

-'And someone's in for a lucky day.'

Yes. Well done.

-Wow!

-Yes!

'So let's go and meet the teams.'

Well, today we've got two teams of chums.

For the Reds, we've got Hazel and Ann,

and for the Blues, we've got Cheryl and Ailsa. Welcome, everybody.

Thank you.

Now, Hazel, how did you two meet?

We've got daughters the same age,

so we met at the school gate five years ago.

-Did you?

-Yes.

-And immediately bonded up?

Immediately.

Now, you are an interior designer, aren't you?

I have done interiors, and I'm training.

I'm on a City and Guilds, doing Interior Design at the moment.

And do you take your passion home with you?

I restore old chairs, recover them.

I don't like to see anything thrown away,

so I'll take old bits of furniture and repaint them or strip them

back to their original sitting, or turn them into little window seats.

You know how they say that antiques are green,

because there's so much recycling that goes on?

-It is true, though, isn't it?

-Yes, and I like to restore things

and keep things going for as long as they can.

Now, Ann, it says here that you're currently on maternity leave.

-I am, yes.

-So who's looking after your little stinker today?

My husband, hopefully, yes. With the help of a friend.

Has he done that often?

-He's not too bad, yes.

-Really?

-Yeah, not too bad.

-How many texts have you had so far today?

Quite a few.

"How do I feed it?," and all that kind of thing?

Yes. "It's crying. What do I do?"

-But you work in recruitment.

-I do.

What's the difference between recruitment and headhunting?

It sounds harsh, doesn't it, headhunting?

I suppose it would do if you were in some African village.

In the wild.

-I wouldn't want to come across too many head-hunters!

-Slightly different.

-But I would think in Sussex you're probably quite safe.

-Yes.

You're quite adventurous - you've been up Kilimanjaro.

I did, yes. At the end of 2010.

-We did it for charity, for Macmillan nurses.

-Oh, well done.

We raised quite a bit of money.

The big question today, of course, is, what do you know about antiques?

That's a very good question!

Very little!

-I like looking at them.

-Yes. Well, there we go.

We're going to have a great show today, I tell you. Very good luck.

Now, Cheryl. You've been friends with Ailsa for years.

Yes, 20-odd years.

-20 years?

-Yeah.

We met at work 20 years ago,

and have grown up together in our families,

had our daughters the same year. They're now best of friends.

Married the same year. Not to each other, obviously!

Well...

Very careful with what one says, when presented with that kind of thing!

Thank you, Ailsa. What do you like to get up to in your spare time?

In my spare time I'm a member of Rock Choir, which I absolutely love.

We meet once a week and the choir's about 150 that I'm in,

so it's an amazing sound when you get all the harmonies together.

Yes.

And later this year, we're going for a world record.

We're going for a massive flashmob.

I beg your pardon?

Flashmob!

What exactly is a flashmob?

It's where people come out of crowds,

and all of a sudden start singing and dancing together.

How lovely is that? Where are you going to do it?

Hopefully Gatwick Airport, but all the rock choirs in the country will be doing it at the same time.

-How many are there in the country?

-There's about 5,000 members.

-Ailsa, it says here that you're a freelance writer on pharmacy-related issues.

-That's right.

-But you're also a linguist.

-I am.

How many languages?

I speak seven languages, but some better than others.

And I'm counting English in that!

Well, I'm struggling along with English. Seven languages!

How did you clock that lot?

Well, some of them were a necessity, because I have lived abroad,

and you have to speak the language a bit sometimes to get along.

And which ones are those?

-Japanese.

-Japanese.

Yeah. I can speak Russian. I speak Swedish.

-Do you?

-I do.

I speak some Spanish, and I speak German.

Well, that is quite a recipe of languages, isn't it?

I congratulate you.

-I don't say no in any of them!

-No, no, quite!

"Fill up my glass, I'll have another."

Now, Ailsa, it says that you collect, but Cheryl doesn't.

-That's right.

-What does that mean?

It means Cheryl has a tidy house, and I don't.

Full of clutter.

-Yeah, and dust.

-And dust.

OK, fine. Well, we seem to have the yin and yang here, don't we?

-We do. We are yin and yang.

-Interesting.

Well, we're longing to see quite how it turns out for you two.

Anyway, now, the money moment. £300 apiece.

You know the rules, your experts await, and off you go,

and very, very good luck.

'Taking the Reds for a spin today is Catherine Southon.'

'Helping the Blues punch above their weight is Mark Stacey.'

I'm going to let them explain to you the rules.

Cue Catherine!

Each team has £300 and one hour to buy three bargains which will

then be sold at auction.

The winning team is the one that makes the most profit

or the least loss.

Hazel and Ann, this is terribly exciting.

-Yeah, really exciting.

-Bargain hunting.

What's our strategy for today, then?

Well, high value.

-High value.

-Hopefully going away with a few pennies.

Yeah.

What are we going to buy? Are we going to spend a lot of money?

All the money. Give you £5 at the end of it.

We think you'll be better with the fiver than us, so...

I'm not quite sure what to read into that,

but I think we'd better get on and start spending, don't you?

-Sounds good.

-Come on, then.

We are girls, after all. We've got to spend big.

That's what we said on the way here.

£300, get to spend lots of money shopping.

-It's the perfect day, isn't it?

-I like your way of thinking, ladies.

OK, after you, ladies.

'There are shed loads of antique shops in Lewes,

'and the girls are diving right in.'

Is there anything you're particularly interested in buying?

Is there anything you think you've got your...

Because you're interior, aren't you? Interior designer.

Yeah, I like furniture, but we were thinking glass, and Deco.

-We love Art Deco.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

Do you know, I think sometimes it's a good idea,

because you can come into somewhere like this and get

swamped by things, and think, "Where do we start?"

Sometimes, it's a good idea to find a cabinet

and just have a look in there.

Do you know, I quite like that.

Oh, Murano glass, isn't it?

No.

It's a bit naff!

-I like it.

-Do you?

-Yeah, I do.

-I'm really surprised.

'And talking of naff,

'the Blues aren't off to a much better start themselves.'

What do you think about it now we've got it out?

I'm not sure about it, really.

No, it's not quite as nice as it was in the cabinet, unfortunately.

And there's not many Swiss chalets in Sussex either.

I think it's the lacquer look for me that...

-The lacquer look?

-The lacquer look.

Oh, I like it. I'm going to be using that again.

You know that, don't you? The lacquer look.

'Well, it's definitely got a lack-a something!'

-Let's carry on, shall we?

-Right.

-OK.

'Come on, Blues. Time to get cracking.'

I just like the look of that watch.

'The Reds have something, and it's about time.'

-It's really pretty.

-OK, let's have a look.

The hands are very pretty, aren't they? Like little sort of hands.

But if you open it up, you can see 935,

which tells us that it is silver, but it's not English silver.

It's going to be probably continental,

but it is quite nicely engraved on the back and around the sides,

and you've got a little cartouche there for the lady's initials.

-How much would that be?

-45.

-I don't think it's a bad price, is it?

-No, no.

The question is, is it in working condition?

Can we ask you about this little watch here?

Do we know if this is in working condition?

-Probably not.

-No.

It's because it's pretty.

I mean, you never know how much it can to cost to repair a watch.

It could just need cleaning, or it could be overwound

and the spring's gone.

This is the problem with this.

Bit of a risk, isn't it?

I mean, what would be the best price on that?

40 is a trade, but 38 would be OK.

Not working 30?

We could squeeze to 35, but silver and gold are so high at the moment,

it's probably scratched to about 30.

It might be worth a gamble, but have you noticed

that there are a few chips on the actual glass on the top?

-30, and then we might buy something else here.

-OK.

-Are you happy with that?

-30, yes.

-We're going to take a gamble on the ladies' watch.

Michelle, thank you very much indeed.

You're welcome.

First piece!

Yay!

'Well done, girls. Good negotiating skills.'

'You really wound her down on that one. Now for the Blues. Tick tock!'

These look quite interesting. Pairs of things.

Yes. I mean, the first thing to look at with those is, first of all,

the quality.

-Can you see there's not much quality in the casting?

-Mmm.

And what do you think they belonged with?

I don't know. They look like they would go on a mantelpiece.

But can you imagine a clock in the middle of them?

-OK.

-So you would have a clock with a similar porcelain

decoration in the middle, and then those would be the garnishes.

-We'll keep them in mind.

-OK, all right.

-OK.

So we'll keep looking around

and see if there's anything else that grabs us.

Look at that!

'What a lot of old bull!'

That any good for us?

I think that's horrible!

Time to give the Reds a tinkle.

-I love them. I'd have that in my house.

-Would you?

-Yeah.

-And how much would you pay to have that in your house?

Well, 35, and I'd sell it for 160.

She's hot, this girl! She is really hot!

'Red hot!'

You could spend hours.

Of course, if we were shopping normally, we would,

-we'd spend hours looking at this, wouldn't we?

-I know.

Pop for a cup of tea, and then pop back in.

Absolutely. Sit down on that stool and have a glass of wine.

Actually, that's not a bad idea!

Is it too early?

-No, it's never too early for wine!

-Never too early.

What about this?

What's that?

That's quite nice, isn't it? It's Art Nouveau.

Thank you very much.

Now, is it marked?

It's just got those little numbers,

which would probably be the shape number.

-Oh, right.

-It is pewter, but it is actually quite stylish, isn't it?

Mmm.

You've got a sort of... I suppose it's a heron,

or something like that, isn't it?

I mean, I think it probably dates to the Art Nouveau period,

so we're looking at the end of the 19th century,

beginning of the 20th century.

I think it's probably German or Austrian.

I think it's got a Germanic look.

Yes, it has, but I really like it, I think it's very stylish.

And £28 isn't too bad, is it?

-What do you think?

-Yeah, I like it.

So shall we see what we can get it for?

Let's give it a go. We're just wondering what you could do for us.

20.

20? Oh, gosh. Well...

Certainly, an auction estimate, if this helps you.

I can't believe they'd put less than £20 to £30 on it.

-OK.

-And it is very stylish.

OK. Let's give it a go. Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll take it. Thank you very much.

That's great. We've got our first item. Well done!

But we've still got two more to find.

'Served up on a plate. You go, girls!'

Oh, what a gorgeous dog!

'Surely it's not time for drinks already?'

What about this? Bit of fun. Little miniature cocktail shaker.

It's so sweet.

And it's got a nice little look about it. Hold the top there.

We've got a semi-precious stone, and then these little cherry picks.

Does it have a mark?

Yes, it's got a maker's initials, there, PHV & Co.

Maker, retailer, I don't know, but it's E-P-N-S,

so it's electro-plated nickel silver, so we know that it's plated,

and it's lovely quality, actually. It's nicely made, isn't it?

-Oh, absolutely.

-It is.

-Very nice for your dinner parties.

-Yes.

-Put in your cocktails.

-It's fun.

-Very nice.

I don't think it's very old. What have they put on?

68. That's it. That's pretty high, isn't it?

Yeah, that is quite a lot.

What do you think?

I think we ask.

Best price.

The very, very, very best price!

I mean, that needs to go for 30. And I know that's ambitious.

-Shall I have a go on this one?

-Yes.

-I think we need the expert.

-Try and get the price down.

-OK. I'll see what I can do.

-Good luck.

OK. £40.

From 68.

Not bad.

-I think we go for that.

-Shall we go for it?

-Second item.

-Yeah!

Second item in the bag!

If not, actually, if it goes wrong, you can blame me for this one.

Great.

-We'll remember that!

-And if it goes right, we say we chose it.

Yes!

'Two down for the Reds. These girls sure do know how to have fun.'

'With less than 20 minutes to go and only one item bought,

'our Blue birds aren't having such a good time.'

Now, have a guess what that is.

Looks like something you might bury your pet in.

See, it's beautiful, isn't it, but it's just dear. That's 375.

That's dear, too, isn't it?

There's another piece there, a book slide.

-Oh, that's quite nice.

-But it's 145.

-That's a lot, isn't it?

-Yeah.

We can keep saying that, but the time is running out.

I know.

You wanted to spend a lot of money on this.

-We do.

-Yes.

But you don't, because every time I say something, you say no!

-I know, but I think it won't make that money at auction.

-Fine.

I'm not worried about spending. It's the money it makes.

That's the problem.

I don't think we're going to...

'Is that a bit of a hissy fit, Mark?

'You're supposed to be shopping, not stropping!'

We've got 15 minutes left, so let's just close that a sec, and start.

-I think we need to do a bit of sprinting, actually.

-OK.

Let's find something else.

After you, ladies.

Thank you.

That's quite nice.

It's a walking cane, with, I think, what is a silver top.

I can't see any marks on it.

But it does say silver topped.

Has that got a mark?

Oh, yes. Well spotted.

What do you think of that?

I think it's nice.

It's got plenty of character about it, hasn't it?

-Exactly.

-Walking canes are quite commercial.

I mean, this one, certainly, I would date to the end of

the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century.

£65. Well, you might get it for 55, I suppose.

Or 50 would be much better.

And I would probably estimate that at, sort of, 40 to 60,

so we're on board.

It's not the big item you wanted, but we are running out of time.

Is this something you think we want to negotiate on?

OK, yes.

Do you want to go and have a go and see what you can do?

Go on.

Hi. Just wondering if there's any movement on this?

We can do £55.

55. What do you think, Ailsa?

Any chance of 50?

50, great, then. £50 bottom.

Super. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Perfect.

Done.

Here you go, Mark.

-How did you get on?

-£50.

Gosh! What did you do? Put the thumb squeeze on them?

Nice man. Gave him a nice smile.

Oh, dear. Really?

OK.

Well, I think you've done remarkably well. Well done.

That's a really good price for your second item,

and you've now only spent £70.

I know. This is not going according to plan, is it?

-Shall we try and find another big item?

-OK.

'After a slow start,

'Cheryl and Ailsa are really sticking it to those Reds,

'but who will be first to find their final item?

'Ann's got her eye on some Keith Murray, a favourite of mine.'

Can I be honest? I think it's yellow and dull.

But if you like it, that's fine.

-He was slightly ahead of his time, wasn't he?

-He was.

And he did these nice sort of simple designs,

but now very collectable.

£38?

£38. That seems quite reasonable.

I mean, I get where you're coming from,

-because it's not terribly inspiring, is it?

-It doesn't scream at you.

No. It doesn't excite you, but it's a good name,

and I think it's a lovely condition.

There's no cracks, chips or anything.

Do you want to get it down slightly?

And then I think there is a bit of a profit there, a bit of a margin.

Do you mind if we have a look at this? Because I do like this as well.

It's just so different, it's pretty.

Hornsea, John Clappison.

It is absolutely beautiful.

It is very pretty.

I love the blue interior.

Yeah, but is it collectable? I've not heard much about it.

No, I'm afraid I'm not that familiar with this.

So this would be a risky buy?

£195.

I really do like this.

I am worried about the price, and I think we might make a loss on it.

If we can get the best price on these three and the Keith Murray...

My mug. My very plain mug, but I love my mug!

Could we have a quick look around the back? We've got about ten minutes.

Right, OK.

Shall we start upstairs and work down?

-OK.

-Ten minutes.

I do want you to try and have a chance

of finding something suitable, do you know what I mean?

Rather than just rushing into something that you might hate.

What about this grandfather clock?

-Does it look old?

-No.

-No.

OK. Great. What do I know?

Gosh, this is harder than I thought it would be today.

'While the Blues are beating about the bush,

'Ann's hard at work beating down the price on the pottery.'

195 is the best on that.

One and a half.

The Keith Murray, what can you do on that?

25, OK.

Would he take 20?

'Five minutes left. Skates on, girls.'

What's this, Mark? Looks quite interesting.

Well, it's a little miniature bench.

Cheryl.

A dust collector, I would say.

I think herbs and spices could go there. Do you see it in the kitchen?

Date-wise, it's going to be, I suppose,

the early part of the 20th century.

It's a slightly continental shape,

but there's a lot of turn in there, in the decoration.

I could see that up on the wall, actually.

You could put a little tray in there,

and as you say, keep your salt or something in it.

Alternatively, if you got a nice country dresser,

it would sit just nicely on the dresser.

I was thinking a Welsh dresser.

It's only 45.

I think it needs to come down to 30, maybe, though.

Do you know why I think you should get that?

Because we're running out of time?

That's a pretty good motive, but my main reason is

because you've gone against everything you stated this morning.

You wanted three items, at least £80 each,

and if you get this, you failed on every single challenge!

Perfect! That's a recipe for success.

It is. Now, go and sort it out for me, girls.

Right. I need to go.

And you go. Come on. She needs moral support. And I need to sit down.

'Oh, poor old Mark. Don't worry. It'll all be over soon, dear.'

Exhausted, quite honestly.

I mean, they're lovely, and we could talk for hours,

but either everything I say is too expensive, or it's not interesting.

Everything they pick up is too expensive and not interesting,

so it's a recipe for disaster, but we have managed it.

I think, if they can get that for 35 or less, we'll call it a day,

and I just hope that I can find something decent

for the rest of the money.

'Cup of tea, and he'll be a new man in no time.'

OK, ladies, it's decision time,

because we have literally a few minutes left.

So, we could go for 140 on the Hornsea,

or we could go for 22 on the Keith Murray and play it safe.

-Shall we just risk it?

-Yes.

-Shall we?

-Yes.

-Shall we?

-Yes.

-Yes!

How much did we say? £140?

140.

Look at you!

We're doing all the work. What are you doing?

Please, please, bring me good news!

What do you think?

35.

Lower.

32.

Lower.

30.

30.

Are we good girls now?

You're very good girls!

Are we good girls now?

You're very good girls. I'm thrilled with you.

And do you know what? We've given you loads of money.

You have. Now, could you get me a nice cup of tea,

quite strong, with one sugar?

No problem.

Time's up.

Cor, doesn't time fly when you're having fun?

Or, as they say in Latin, tempus fugit.

Let's check out what the Red team bought, eh?

'The girls didn't waste any time

'in buying the pretty Swiss watch for £30.

'They were shaken and stirred by the miniature cocktail set. £40 paid.

'And finally, they lost their hearts to the retro Hornsea trio,

'but paid a hefty £140 for the pleasure.'

I know you've just finished your shopping, and you're incredibly

excited about this, but there's a few things I need to ask you.

Like, Ann, which is your favourite piece?

I think the Hornsea pottery.

The Hornsea pottery is your personal favourite. What about you, Haze?

Me too, but I do like our little watch.

It's got the shine. Do you agree with that, Ann, or not?

I would say the pottery, actually, yeah.

-And what did you spend all round?

-210.

£90 leftover money, then, please. You got that? Oh, that's hot!

Been in your pocket. £90, there we go.

Thank you so much.

What do you think about that, then, Catherine?

I think I'm going to buy something beautiful, like these ladies.

Oh, you are such a flatterer.

But for a change, you're absolutely right.

Anyway, on that happy note,

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

'Cheryl spotted the stylish Art Nouveau dish with the stork design.

'It should deliver for the £20 paid.

'The girls also bought

'the smart ebony and silver walking cane for £50.

'And finally, they settled on the sweet miniature settle.

'A nice thing, and a nice price at £30.'

The big question is, how much did you spend all round?

£100. A recession-busting spend, I think.

-What, on all three items?

-Absolutely.

£100? Really?

-Yeah.

-Don't know how that happened.

What's your favourite piece?

The pewter plate.

Do you agree with that, Ailsa?

It's really nice, yeah.

Dear, oh, dear. OK, that's lovely, then.

-I'd better have the £200, I guess.

-There you go.

Thank you. £200. There you go, Mark. That's a lot of cash, isn't it?

-A lot of money.

-What are you going to do with it?

Well, try and find something...

Try and find something big and something important.

And to spend a lot.

Every last penny.

They don't want you doing that.

Are you sure, Mark?

I'm going to try. I'm going to try.

Well, you can be very trying!

On that happy note, we're shoving off to the sunny Surrey hills,

to a lovely house called Polesden Lacey.

Ever heard of it? Well, you're about to find out more than you know.

Polesden Lacey in Surrey is a stunning Edwardian house.

For more than 30 years, it was the country home

of Mrs Margaret Greville, a wealthy widow who really lived in style,

and she liked to spend money on a large scale.

What about this vast cathedral-like space?

Mrs Greville used the decorators White Allom and Co

between about 1906 and 1909 to fit out this space,

and the focal point is, of course, the fireplace.

Now, the fireplace bit is this little chunk,

but the fire surround is absolutely vast.

Of course, the secret is here that this fire surround wasn't

originally made as a fire surround.

It was made as a reredos.

That's the back panelling behind the altarpiece

in one of Sir Christopher Wren's churches, built in the 17th century,

and St Matthew's Church in Friday Street contained this reredos.

St Matthew's Church was demolished in 1885,

and Mrs Greville simply subsequently bought this panelling

and this architectural detail and had it fitted here.

The carving and detail is typical of the 1680s.

Edward Pearce was employed by Wren to do such work,

and it's thought that this reredos is his carving.

He specialised in cherubic masks, and there,

in the centre of the centre panel, we have a splendid example.

The arch top panels underneath would have contained oil paintings

showing the Ten Commandments, but it's the architectural

monumentality of the thing that impresses me,

and what a wonderful way of showing off your central entrance hall.

But it wasn't the only thing to show off in this space.

On the other side of the hall,

just a few short steps en route up the staircase, is a vitrine

full of the most precious early ceramics that you could imagine.

Tin-glazed earthenware, sometimes called majolica.

Just look at this lot. I mean, the vibrancy of the colour.

Unlike paintings or any other artistic medium,

the glaze protects the colours.

The colours remain as bright and vibrant as when they were painted.

This is the earliest piece of majolica, and it dates from

around 1500, having been made in Deruta, in Italy.

That's 500 years ago.

Which fair takes my breath away, I have to tell you.

Now, to decorate majolica is difficult,

because, having got the pottery part, you cover it in tin glaze,

and then you have to draw your design over the dry tin glaze.

It's a bit like drawing on blotting paper,

and there's no room for error.

Most of the dishes in the vitrine

are what are called istoriato plates.

In other words, they tell a story.

This one shows the scene of the Judgement of Paris.

Paris, effectively, had to judge which was the most beautiful

goddess, and you see Paris here, holding the prize, the golden apple.

Isn't that lovely?

Almost as lovely as it would be for me

today to present a golden gavel or two, perhaps, over at the auction.

Well, it's been a pleasant hop across Sussex,

almost from east to west, to Wisborough Green.

Jonathan Pratt is our man of the moment. JP.

Good morning, Tim.

-How are you?

-I'm marvellous.

Well, we're very happy to be here, I tell you.

Their first item is this little Swiss silver-cased wristwatch.

We sell them reasonably frequently. I think the condition is fair,

I suppose it's a little cabinet piece, or whatever.

-Are they saleable, Jonathan?

-They're saleable enough.

I would say £40 to £60.

-£30 paid.

-That's good.

-That is very good. Hazel will be over the moon about that.

-Good.

Anyway, moving on, we've got the cocktail stick pick holder,

with the maraschino fake cherry on the end.

-No age to that.

-Not particularly, but novelty.

Novelty sells, and it's a cocktail shaker,

and that's kind of what's going on.

I think beer's out and cocktails are in.

-How much?

-I thought about £50, £70.

-Did you?

-Yeah.

-£40 paid.

This is our second winner here,

in terms of the Jonathan Pratt estimating machine.

It's a good day for me, I think. I'm being very generous.

Moving on quickly, then. Hornsea pottery. There it is. What's your estimate?

I thought about £40 to £60.

What did you say?

Am I being quite mean?

-I don't know. Say it again.

-£40 to £60.

You are being quite mean. £140, these girls paid.

Well, the thing is, you know, internet bidding, it could run away,

it's the style, but I never would have put that sort of money on it.

It needs to canter away, not just run!

Such a stride, though.

You're predicting profits on the first two, but not on the third.

We shall see what happens.

If it all goes badly, they'll need their bonus buy,

so let's have a look at it.

Now, Hazel, Ann, how are you, my darlings?

-Very well, thank you.

-Good.

You spent £210, which is really fab, and you gave 90 to Catherine.

Yes.

And what did Catherine spend it on?

Well, Catherine spent it on...

Keith Murray!

Ah, I like Keith Murray!

Whilst we were walking around,

you will remember we picked up a Keith Murray mug and deliberated.

It wasn't this one.

I found you this one, and this is a Moonstone,

which is a sort of matte, creamy white colour.

I paid £18 for that, and I thought it's cheap.

It's the Moonstone colour, which I think is slightly more desirable

than that yellowy colour.

That was a bit off, wasn't it?

-It's good, isn't it? Do you like it, Ann?

-I do like it. Yes, I do.

-It's got the look, hasn't it?

-It has.

-Thank you, well done.

Thanks, girls.

So, prospectively, it might make £20 or £30?

I think it should make £30.

-Do you think?

-Yeah.

-Good. Are you happy?

-Yes.

-Super.

Well, on that basis, we'll check out now, for the audience at home,

what the auctioneer thinks about Catherine's mug.

OK, Jonathan. Mine's a pint.

Lovely.

I really rate this Wedgwood body.

I like it in blue, I like it in turquoise, I like it in what

they call Moonstone, which is that whitish colour.

So, you've got a house full of jasper and things like that, do you?

No. That particular Keith Murray is, I think, just the business.

I mean, it's not high value, but it's very clean and wholesome.

Bit like you, Jonathan.

I like to think I'm valuable, too.

Well, tell me, how valuable are you?

I thought about £20 to £30.

Did you really?

Well, I tell you, Catherine Southon will cover you in kisses,

because she only paid £18 for it, and if you get £20 to £30,

and they select it, everybody will be just stinking of roses.

Anyway, that's it for the Reds. Now for the Blues.

First up for them is this rather queer-looking pewter dish.

It is rather queer, isn't it? I mean, it's a very odd shape.

I quite like the handle with the birds motif,

and the wings then coming, but I'm not really that taken by it.

Are you not?

If it were polished bright, you know, it might be more interesting.

Nonetheless, £30 to £40.

That's perfect. £20, they paid.

So, that is, actually, don't you think,

inexpensive in a retail environment.

£20. I mean, that's a pretty good price, really.

Next is the walking stick with the silver top,

painted black rather than ebony, right?

Well, there's a hue of brown showing through,

but you do get a grainy bit of a lighter wood in there.

I love the hue of Brown.

"When I was in Honduras!"

Well, he got replaced by Cameron, so there's no more hue of Brown.

What is your estimate?

I would have thought £50 to £70.

If you get £50 to £70, they're going to be so pleased with you, JP.

I was in a generous mood that day. I'm not in such a generous mood any more.

Lastly, we've got this little settee job, which is fun, isn't it?

Look at that. All those little turn, finial, blibbly-blobblies.

Yeah, you could sit your dollies on there.

You could use it as a little glove box, or for candles.

Fan mail!

The daily crop! So, what do you think, then?

£20 to £30.

OK. They paid £30.

-We'll see. This is what's so exciting about the auction.

-Absolutely.

Well, if it all goes wrong, we're going to need the bonus buy,

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

Now, Ailsa, Cheryl, you naughty girls, you only spent £100.

-I know, terrible!

-Disgraceful.

Anyway, you gave Mark £200. Mark, what did you do?

Something underneath these.

-It is.

-What have you done, Mark?

-Ready?

That's a lovely pair!

-Well, shall I tell you what they are?

-Yes.

They're a pair of cast-iron finials.

-They're acorns.

-They could be an acorn.

More likely a pinecone.

But they're meant, I think, to go on the garden gates, or something like that.

I think they're rather funky.

-They're quite Brighton, aren't they?

-Very Brighton.

But we're not in Brighton.

I was keen to say we're not in Brighton!

-We're not far away.

-Just down the road.

Where do you come from, Mark?

I live in Brighton, funnily enough!

Funny that, isn't it, really!

What did you pay?

Oh, I paid an awful lot of money for them. £180.

They could be 1880, they could be as late as 1940, but no later than that.

No, no, no later than that.

-If the right people are there, they'll be picked up.

-OK.

Well, you've got some recommendation.

It's nice, isn't it, to have the reassurance of the man beside you.

Absolutely. He's within hitting distance!

OK, then. Well, that's it.

You can decide after the sale of your first three items,

but for the audience at home,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Mark's nuts!

Ta-dah!

There's a couple of cones.

Absolutely, yeah.

I like these sorts of things.

We sell lots of garden ornaments,

and we had 130 lots of garden ornaments in this current sale,

you know, on view, so people will have seen these.

Yeah. Well, they are pretty spectacular, aren't they?

And I suppose the big question is, what are they worth?

Well, I've been, possibly, a little on the mean side,

in that I think that the estimate will encourage bidding.

£80 to £120, and I feel that's realistic,

but a private buyer might take it and run with it.

Well, Mark's going to hope that they're going to canter at it,

because he paid 180.

That is quite a lot of money.

Yes. You taking a sale today?

I am, yeah.

Thank goodness for that.

£30. Straight in at 30. Looking for five. 35. 40.

45. 50. £55. On the net now at £55. Do I see 60?

Hazel, Ann, how are you feeling?

-Excited.

-Nervous.

-Slightly nervous, are you?

-Might be!

What do you mean? But not saying, right?

-Yes, keeping it to ourselves.

-We're excited.

I'll run through what the auctioneer thinks about your lot.

-The Hornsea trio.

-Yes.

In terms of the estimate, it's not looking pretty, I'm afraid,

because he's put £40 to £60 on that, and you paid 140.

He could be wrong. Let us hope so.

Oh, yes, absolutely!

Because we are the experts, of course, aren't we?

First up, your Swiss silver-cased watch. Here it comes.

Someone start me at £20 for this. £20.

-Surely worth 20?

-Come on!

-Oh, dear.

-Ten, then?

£10 is bid.

-To my left at ten. Let's go up. 15 on the net.

-15 on the net.

Jill?

20, she says yes. 20, very generous, Jill. £20 to my left.

-Any more at £20?

-Oh, come on!

At £20, come on. At £20. Any more?

Last chance at £20. All done.

£20. That was your banker, that one was. Minus £10.

Right, OK, now. The pick container. This has got do better than that.

Yes.

Start me at 50 for this.

£50?

20, then.

It's all gone very quiet.

Everyone's looking away.

£10, then, is bid at ten. £10 is bid.

£10.

This is not looking so pretty, girls.

It's shocking.

£10. 15 on the internet.

She shakes her head. It's a 15 internet bid now. Any more at £15?

-I don't like the sound of this.

-All done at £15.

Oh. Minus £25.

And they were supposed to be good, those two.

-The best of them.

-So now...

You watch. It's Hornsea coming up now. You watch.

Hornsea.

Pretty lot this, very collectable. Start me at £20 for this.

Oh, dear.

Jonathan, please, no.

Ten, then. £10.

Jill, surely £10. No, she shakes her head. £10.

Flog it for 150.

Clearly popular.

Who's going to say yes?

Is that yes?

No. Fiver, then.

I'm absolutely shocked.

Five. Does it go down this low on the internet?

£5 internet, please.

Surely worth a fiver.

-All those Hornsea collectors out there, are you worth £5?

-No!

£5. Five at the back, thank you. At £5.

£5 in the back of the room.

It's supposed to be the most popular design.

No further bidding at five.

That's minus £135.

Rubbish!

To add to the other minus 35 is minus 170, girls.

Yes!

I mean, really, your two bankers, to do so badly...

Well, I don't know what's going on.

Someone's got bargains.

What are we going to do about this Moonstone mug?

I think it's a no-brainer, don't you?

-In for a penny, in for a pound.

-Absolutely.

I don't know about anything any more, Tim.

I don't think anyone's going to buy the mug, but let's go for it anyway.

I think we have to.

I think you'd be mugs not to!

A Keith Murray Moonstone jug. Wedgwood, 1950s.

It's a jug, not a mug.

I mean, it's a mug, not a jug!

I have £10. I'll take 15 now.

-15. 20 with me.

-You're into profit.

25? No, £20 with me.

Looking for five now.

Oh, come on. That's £2 profit. We need more than that, Jonathan.

Fair warning, selling 20.

Yes, he's done it. You've made a profit.

Well done.

Plus £2. Well done, Catherine.

Now, that means, overall, you're only minus 168.

Which doesn't sound so bad if you say it quickly!

No.

Now, Cheryl, Ailsa, you all right?

Yeah.

Do you know how the Reds got on?

No.

No, you don't want to know, either, I tell you.

Right. First up, then, is your pewter dish, and here it comes.

I have bids at 20, 25, £30.

Look at that!

-Straight in at 30. Looking for five now. 35 and 40.

-Look at this.

45, 50. 55 internet bid clears the commission at 55.

Come on!

£55, do I see 60?

Last chance, internet bid at £55.

You are plus £35, you girls, without even winking. Here comes your cane.

Bids on the book.

40, 50, 60, 65, straight in at £65.

£65. I'll take 70. 70 on the internet. 75 commission bid.

-£80 commission.

-Nice auctioneer.

£80 on the internet. Any more at £80, then?

-Come on!

-Selling, £80.

So good. That is plus £30 on that. You are £65 up.

Now, is he right or is he wrong about this settle? Here it comes.

Rather fun little lot, this, with a little lift-up seat,

and I'll start straight in at £35.

Wow!

So we're straight into profit.

I've got £55, commission bid. 60. I've got 65. No, I've got 65.

Do you want to go 70, internet?

70, internet bid.

I think we were right.

£75 internet bid, then, and selling.

That is plus £110 profit on your £100 investment. That is phenomenal.

So, what are you going to do about these pinecones?

Bird in the hand.

Are you going to risk £180?

Bird in hand, I think, Mark.

No, I think we're going to stick.

No offence, Mark. They're lovely.

None taken.

£110 is in my pocket.

Real money.

They seem cemented in, these two. They're not going to do it.

And now you've decided, I can reveal what the auctioneer's estimate

is on them, which is £80 to £120, so you may have made the right

decision, but we're going to sell them anyway, and here they come.

I've got lots of interest on this lot,

and I can go 70, 90, 110, £130 with me, straight in at £130.

Looking for 140 now.

£130 with me. 140 on the net. 150.

At £150. Any interest in the room? It's £150 commission bid.

I'll sell at 150, all done.

Well done, girls. An impeccable performance.

-Nearly.

-Close, close.

Minus 30 on that, but you didn't go with the bonus buy,

so you reserved your £110 of profit, which is phenomenal.

-Yay! Well done, Mark.

-Well done.

-Brilliant.

I think you girls should give up your day jobs.

And I have 100, 110. 110, 120. All done at 120.

Well, we do have some strange results on Bargain Hunt,

but not very often do we have teams that are quite so poles apart,

and the runners-up today by a considerable margin are the Reds.

Bad luck, girls. I mean, minus 168 is not a great score, is it?

When you compare that with the plus score on the other side of plus 110.

You get to see the contrast between the two teams today.

Same auction, same teams, all girls, my favourite, but poles apart.

It could have been, I suppose, so much worse.

Could it? No.

It couldn't have been any worse.

Anyway, thank you very much for coming.

You've been absolutely F-A-B.

But I've revealed already, girls, £110 up.

This is your pile of dosh coming over, which is super,

and because you've made a profit on all three items,

you're entitled to join the venerable and ancient order

of the golden gavel.

So, what about that? Now, you have to go with that, then, Cheryl.

-It's for your own bosom.

-Thank you.

-And this is for you, Ailsa.

-Thank you.

And Mark, one to add to your collection.

-Thank you, Tim.

-There we go.

Wear it with pride in your high street,

and people will come up and say, "You didn't do it, did you?"

And you can say, "Yes, we did."

You didn't go with the bonus buy.

-We didn't.

-And you therefore preserved your £110.

-We did.

Which is very wise.

In fact, you've been thoroughly savvy throughout,

-you two, and I have to congratulate you.

-Thank you.

Great team.

We've had so much fun. Join us soon for some more bargain hunting, yes?

ALL: Yes!

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