Ardingly 20 Bargain Hunt

Today, we're going global

because we're at the International Ardingly Antiques Fair.

So let's go bargain-hunting!

You OK, Uncle Sam? You bet ya!

Dealers come from as far away as Asia and America

to stack their stalls with antiques.

The big question today is, will our teams

be doing their business with the East or West?

And which will be doing it best?

Coming up in today's show, Anita has a cunning plan.

that's music to the ears of the Reds.

I did not expect to find something

-quite so personal and quite so beautiful.

-Now, let's have a look.

And why Mark's being so darned rude to the Blues.

-It was made for us...

-Just hold on a sec.

I'm trying to work out which is the ass...er...donkey(!)

And who will triumph at the auction?

Yes!

But first, let's meet the teams.

Today for the Reds, we have partners

Louise and Matthew.

And for the Blues, we've got good friends

-Bev and Lucy. Hello, everyone.

-Hello!

-Hello!

-Good to see you.

Now, Matthew, how did you two first meet?

Well, we were both on tour with the BBC Symphony Chorus.

We did a splendid six-day tour of Europe

with 120 chorus and 120 orchestra,

-so we were quite a swarm going across Europe.

-Gosh.

And we had a day off in Rome, which was very fortunate,

and we happened to spend the day together.

And, as they say, things sort of developed from there.

We became chums and, on a slow burn, here we are today.

Isn't that nice? So music brought you together?

It did indeed. And it keeps us together still. We still sing together and...

And where do you sing now?

We sing locally, really. We don't do anything big any more.

-You know, the voice is going a bit now.

-Oh, come on.

What, on account of your advancing years?

-Yes, that's right.

-Steady on.

Good. What do you do for a living?

Me, I'm a music teacher, and I absolutely love my job.

I spend my life working with five-year-olds up to 12-year-olds,

teaching them music on percussion instruments,

on recorders, on clarinets, on brass instruments, singing.

-You name it, I'll teach it.

-Lovely.

Yeah, but my favourite instrument is the ukulele.

The moment you put a little ukulele into the hands

of these little children, they're like, rock gods!

-Good.

-They're absolutely fantastic. They love it.

You have a collection of ensembles, don't you?

-I do, yeah. I have a collection of flute ensembles.

-Right.

The original was Flute Salad. Yeah.

-You see where it goes from here.

-Yeah.

Flute Salad. And then that grew,

as it expanded into Fresh Flute Salad,

which is for the younger children.

And then, as the older ones developed and got more experienced,

-we have Flute Cocktail.

-Oh, how sweet.

So I have 30 children in total now across the three flute choirs.

I'm very proud of them, they're fantastic.

Well, all I can say is the children are jolly lucky to have such a lovely teacher.

-Thank you very much.

-Don't you think she sounds fab?

-Thank you.

I feel like taking up music.

-Very good luck.

-Thank you.

-Lovely to meet you.

Now, Lucy. How did you two meet? Tell me.

Bev and I met a couple of years ago when we worked at the Samaritans together.

-Did you?

-And we've been friends ever since.

That's an amazing organisation, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

And are you there to receive the calls,

-or how does it work?

-Yes.

That's what you're trained to do, to sit on the phones

for hours and hours and hours, as all the calls come in.

Yeah, it's a valuable organisation.

-And that's where you became friends?

-Yes.

-Lovely.

We've got lots in common cos we're both vegetarians and we're both animal-mad.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-And she's just such a lovely little darling.

She's young enough to be my granddaughter.

But she's just so sweet and wonderful and I love her.

Oh, isn't that nice?

And Bev, you alluded to your love of animals. Tell us about that.

-Yes.

-Well, my late husband was a vet

and I used to work in the surgery with him,

and we'd take home rescued animals.

And in the end I had eight cats and three dogs,

some rescued chickens, tortoises and baby goats.

-All my friends think I'm mad.

-Well, that doesn't matter a scrap, does it?

That doesn't matter a scrap, not at all.

Both of you are pretty cool when it comes to bargain-hunting, aren't you?

-We're scavengers.

-Absolutely, yes.

So give us the scavenging routine then. What are your techniques?

Well, early start in Brighton, walk around the skips,

see what's hanging out.

-Skip-dipping!

-See what we can grab.

-I don't know if that's allowed.

-What, skip-dipping?

-But we do.

-Yeah.

-Skip-dipping. I know people who have found fabulous things in skips.

-Yeah, we clean them up.

-Bev cleans them up and takes them to charity shops.

-Yeah.

So we're doing our recycling, our green bit, helping the charity.

-Well, you're not only blue, you're also green, which is so nice.

-Absolutely.

And talking about greenbacks, this is the money moment.

Here comes your £300. £300 apiece, there's your 300.

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

And very, very, very good luck. Well, what great teams we've got today.

Captaining the teams today, the fantastic...

And on duty for the Blues, we salute...

-The plan is quality, something pretty.

-And a bargain.

And it's to win, win, win, win ,win.

Oh, I like the attitude. Come on, let's keep this up.

So the animal-loving Blues are full of fighting talk.

But the musical Reds think they've got it cracked too.

MATTHEW: I think there's a magic formula actually.

It's magpie...I want that shiny thing.

-Something shiny.

-Yeah. Something musical.

-Something musical.

-And a name.

-A name.

-A name if we can.

-Not too expensive.

-Not too expensive.

-Not Clarice Cliff.

We want to make a couple of quid, don't we?

-We want to make some money.

-That's all you need.

OK, let's go and find something.

So both teams have got plans.

But will they stick to them?

-How about that?

-Well, it's very Deco, cos you've got the classic woman

and you've got the, sort of, is it an Afghan?

Would that be good to take, do you think?

-Well, it's quite decorative, isn't it?

-Yeah.

We can come back and have a detailed look if we don't see anything else.

So the Blues have gone to the dogs already.

But are the Reds on song?

Is this something someone might want to put in their hall,

to put a pot on, or dried flowers and things?

-Yeah, it's obviously a piece of Victorian indoor architecture.

-Absolutely.

Really, it would have been, perhaps, at the bottom of a stairway

-with railings and so on.

-Oh right.

Or supporting something. Do you want to have a wee look at it?

-Yes, I will.

-How do they...?

-Well, they fit flat against the wall

and then you can have a thing on top, you see?

-I think it's oak, is it?

-Yeah.

-Probably, I should imagine.

-I actually quite like them.

-Do you? OK.

-I quite like those.

-I don't know what price it is.

-Shall we go and see?

-Oh, go on. Let's go for it.

-Yeah.

Go on, Matthew. Go on, Matthew.

So, Reds, was it shiny? No.

Was it musical? No.

Did it have a name? No.

best laid plans, eh?

What's the little glass with the double...?

Oh, I think that's a scent bottle. A double scent bottle.

-It's quite sweet.

-Is it unusual to get a double one.

-But can put them in our minds.

-Absolutely. Put them in the back of our minds.

The plaque is quite nice. Art Nouveau.

-Do you like the Art Nouveau movement?

-I love Art Nouveau.

Do you think it's appealing, or do you think it's a bit dull?

Well, it's very appealing to those people who like Art Nouveau.

If you don't, it's dull.

-Well, shall we move on into the other room?

-Yes.

-That's our back-up plan.

I love having back-up, but don't forget we have to buy things.

Three things, to be exact.

But it looks like the Blues might be ditherers.

How did you get on? They'll very kindly do it for 45.

Sorry, the pair for 45.

-I think we ought to go for it.

-Could you come to 40?

-Too much?

-40 and a mint?

-40 and a handful of mints.

-She's a trier.

-Yeah, absolutely. Yes.

-Oh, he's taken the mint.

-He's taken the mint.

-£40.

-Oh, well done.

-Lovely.

-£40.

-Well done, love.

-For A mint.

-And a mint.

That was a £5 mint.

-Excellent.

-Fantastic. Pleased with that.

-First one in the bag.

-Fantastic. How long was that?

-About five minutes?

-Yes.

-Yeah. We're doing well.

-Fantastic.

Aha! Bribery.

A case of SWEET persuasion, if ever there was.

Now, what are those dithering Blues up to, eh?

-It's in a nice, maple frame.

-Yeah.

-Let's just note.

The colours are relatively good on it.

-She's 14, look, Ethel Masters.

-Sweet.

Oh, "Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone". I mean, I quite like that.

-Well, it's quite decorative.

-It's a possibility.

-Well, everything's a possibility at the moment, Bev.

-Absolutely.

This is our fourth thing that might be a possibility.

You know we're only allowed to buy three?

Sadly, yes.

I'm determined we're actually going to spend some money at some point.

-Do you think that's frightfully boring?

-Yes.

I thought you would.

That's your veto. That's your veto.

-It's not shouting at me at all.

-No.

-Far from it.

-But I do like the frame.

-I've had a word with the dealer

and she says the very best price she can take for it is £65.

-OK.

-I mean, I don't think that's a bad price, actually.

Samplers are quite popular things still.

And 1892, yeah, it's a genuine antique.

Yes, and I love the frame.

And I would have thought, comfortably,

they would have put an estimate of 80-100 or something on that.

So we've got a chance of a profit on that, you know.

Yeah. I'm quite keen on it now.

Well, we've had 55 minutes already discussing it,

So I'm making an executive decision, Shall we make a decision.

-We're buying it.

-Yes!

-£65, OK?

-We're doing it.

-Wonderful, wonderful.

Winner. Sold.

The Blues have finally bought something.

Albeit with some strong-arm tactics from Mark.

-What exactly are these? A wonderful shape.

-They're called fire dogs.

And we've got a pair here.

And they would sit on either side of your hearth.

And you would place the poker, the shovel

-and the tongs on top of it.

-OK.

-They're a lovely dog shape.

-They do look like dogs.

-They're quite sweet.

-They're very sweet.

-Edwardian.

Early 20th century.

-Very nice.

-What's the price on them? £78. Crikey.

-We have more to look at, I think.

-Yes.

-Let's go and have a look.

-We may well be back, though.

-Thank you very much.

-We may be back.

-MAN: Have a good day.

But will those fire dogs have run off?

Talking of dogs, is this little painting pedigree or not?

Two children playing on the beach.

And the artist that springs to mind

that you'd like this to be by is Dorothea Sharp.

A modern British artist who was painting between

about 1900 and 1950.

And her scenes of children are super-desirable.

A little one like this by Dorothea Sharp would be worth £5,000.

And a big one, £50,000.

But if you look carefully, the signature on the right-hand corner

is not Dorothea Sharp. It's somebody else,

but perhaps a contemporary of hers.

The whole thing looks genuine enough.

Nice, old, tatty frame, look. And if I turn it round,

we've even got gummed paper holding in the back board.

But I have to say, I am suspicious.

This gummed paper looks a bit too old.

How would you get it aged like this?

You get a tea bag on a modern piece of brown gummy paper,

and you dab that all over it. The only way to find out

is to cut out the back board and see what sits underneath.

Are you ready for this? We're going to have

a high-speed back board renewal.

Here we go, are you ready for this?

Ba-dam! Look at that.

Well, it looks pretty good, doesn't it?

It looks pretty good, but is it right?

First of all, sniff it.

Smells suspiciously of new turpentine.

Look at that area up there in the water.

See how brown and aged and mucky it is?

That's because the person that painted this

has put some brown muck on it to make it look aged.

Overall then, lads, I'm afraid that, on balance,

this is not an old picture.

It's a picture that was painted last week

and has been put together to deceive.

Clever though, isn't it?

I still love it as a little picture.

They always say, you get what you pay for, right?

And this little bogus,

oil on canvas, is available here at Ardingly for...

..£40.

There you have it. For £40,

this is a sweet little thing, isn't it?

And, talking of sweet little things, look what the Blues have spotted.

A woofer. All on their own.

-Good morning.

-Hello.

-We're just looking at the bronze. Are these bronze?

-Yes, it is. Absolutely.

-Oh, it's rather lovely, isn't it?

-Do you collect bronzes?

Well, I think bronzes are lovely. How much is he?

Well, I've got £85 on it.

But I could do a little off, I could do it for 70.

-I don't know. I'm not sure. I'm not sure whether I like it or not.

-OK.

MARK: It's an Alsatian, by the looks of it, isn't it?

-German shepherd.

-A German shepherd.

-What are your instincts?

-Well, I'll be honest, it doesn't bark at me.

It didn't bark at my Lucy either. So if it doesn't bark at you,

we'll pop it back till we find a doggy that barks.

But it is very nice quality, so we can put another thing

in our thinking cap.

-Thank you for showing us.

-WOMAN: Thank you. You're welcome.

So no bark, but could it bite at auction?

Meanwhile, the Reds have also gone to the dogs.

The fire dogs, that is.

I'll treat you, £60.

They are bronze. They're fantastic.

-Are these bronze ones?

-They're bronze. They are really stylised.

-They are. They are lovely.

-What do you think.

-£60?

-£60?

-Do you want us to try the mint trick again?

-What, get another fiver off?

55.

It's worth a try.

I don't know about you, but I really feel good about those.

-I really do feel good about those. They've got a lovely weight to them.

-Exactly.

-I can see the practicality of them.

-Let's go for it.

-You shake hands this time.

-I'll do it.

-Sorry.

-Thank you very much.

So the Reds bag their second buy.

Looks like they might teach the animal-loving Blues a lesson today.

Well, we're both totally animal-mad, it's our life.

So I don't want to say we've got to have it.

But I think you're leaning towards saying you want to, aren't you?

-It's ticking boxes.

-Is it ticking boxes?

-That's what it's doing.

Let me just see. I mean, it is ticking boxes, this dog.

They're both animal-lovers.

It means an awful lot to them to buy an animal.

-WOMAN: I can feel what's coming.

-You can feel what's coming.

You can feel. I'm building up here.

-I'm building to a crescendo.

-Yes, yes.

-I know.

I love working in my round numbers.

-Is there any chance you can do it for 60?

-Right.

-I'll have to ask my husband.

-He said yes, I can see.

-Yes.

-Did he?

-Well, we do need food for the baby, don't we?

We do. We do indeed.

-Can we shake hands at 60?

-We can indeed.

-Thank you very much.

-Are you happy with 60?

-Yes.

-Thank you. We're happy, very happy

-.

Well, I can see you want it and, I think, if you really want something,

you should have it. All right? All right, Bev?

Woof woof.

The best of the general end, and the best of the fine art end.

You spotted that. Your eyes...

-Are you happy?

-Very happy.

-Cool.

-Yes, yes, yes. Wonderful.

The Blues are back in business with their second buy. It's even-stevens.

The Reds are looking to get their game plan back on track.

My formula went out the window straight away.

-Our third item, it's got to be something musical.

-It has got to be something musical.

-Cos we did promise ourselves we would.

-Not an instrument.

-No.

-What could it be? Sheet music?

-Sheet music.

-A plate with notes on it?

-Possibly.

Or a silver conductor's baton. That would be lovely.

A nice, ivory baton with a silver end.

-That would be fun.

-Silver-plated baton?

-Well, you know what I mean.

You might be laughing at him now, Louise,

but Matthew might just get the last laugh,

with a little help from Anita.

-How much have we spent?

-£100.

-All right.

-Why?

-Both of you are choristers, aren't you?

-We sing, yeah.

-We sing, yes.

-She's got a look in her eye.

I don't know about this look in her eye she's got. Where's this going?

-I remember something.

-Oh, right.

-OK. Is it back that way?

It is back. Now, wait a minute, wait a minute.

-You have a look there. Give me two minutes. OK?

-OK, all right.

So what cunning plan is Anita hatching, eh?

Meanwhile, the Blues are talking about...guess what?

Yes, you've guessed right. Animals.

-And there's another.

-Have you seen that little picture of a donkey?

-Aw, he's lovely, do you like it?

-But I was thinking of your animals.

-It's quite a heavy frame.

-Oh, it's beautiful.

-And it's signed. It's 1920.

-It's so wonderful.

My late husband was a vet in Zimbabwe.

-Whereabouts in Zimbabwe?

-In Bulawayo.

-Oh, Bulawayo.

And I helped, sort of, start up the donkey sanctuary in Bulawayo.

-Really, a donkey sanctuary?

-A donkey sanctuary.

-So donkeys are so, so, so precious.

-And I didn't know that.

-No. But this was meant to be.

-What is the frame made of?

It's wood, but it's got a gesso on it, to give the decoration.

-So it's just wood.

-Yes.

What would you like it to be made of? 15 carat gold?

-Solid gold, really. For £125.

-Absolutely.

-But it's not... Where can you see £125?

-Just there.

Oh, you're right. All right, smarty.

I'll go and have a word with the dealer,

-you carry on looking.

-See if you can knock her down.

No, don't knock her down, try and haggle the price down!

Now, what's that naughty Anita Manning up to?

I've found something which I think you will fall in love with.

-Oh yes?

-Oh, how exciting.

-Musical?

-It's musical.

-Oh, right.

-Great.

-And it will be very relevant to the pair of you...

-Oh, right.

-..as singers.

-Oh, wow.

-Follow me, darlings.

-Oh, how exciting.

-Thank you.

Clever old Anita. Sounds like the Reds' game plan could be back on track.

Back with the Blues, Bev has some serious persuading to do.

How old is that picture? Why is it 125 quid?

It's the subject matter,

I don't think it's all that old.

-It's just wood.

-That's fine.

-Sorry.

But don't you think people are absolutely going to love that?

I mean, there are other people that like donkeys and doggies.

We do. Do you think other people will like them as much as we do?

-Yes, Lucy, look, I want that so much, please, please, please

-.

Bev, It's wood. It's wood.

I won't speak to you if you don't let me have it.

Oh, nice try, Bev.

Right.

-Oh, wow. A conductor's baton.

-Oh, my goodness.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

It's what you said.

-Isn't that gorgeous?

-Oh, it's gorgeous.

Now, there's an inscription on it.

And these were usually presented to conductors

of orchestras or choirs.

And I think this might be a chorister's baton.

-Oh! Is that a hallmark, there?

-A hallmark, yes.

-Each of the little pieces of silver. Each have been hallmarked.

-Lovely.

-And it's 1921.

-1921.

Do you know, it makes me go quite...

-That was really special for somebody, wasn't it?

-Yes.

There are echoes of the past here.

-Has it made you happy?

-Very, very happy.

-It's very, very nice. But the big question is, of course...

-I know.

-It's very dear.

-How much is it?

Oh dear, how much are we going to need?

Well, there's more on the ticket

-than we actually have.

-Yes.

-Oh.

-Right.

-That's a bit of a problem.

-The ticket price is £210.

And we've got £200 left.

-So we will really have to strike a deal on this one.

-OK.

-If you want to buy it.

-It's wonderful.

-I absolutely love it.

-So do I.

-I really do love it.

So the big question now is,

will the Red team be able to talk the dealer down below 200?

Meanwhile, the Blues move in for the kill.

The news is, I've spoken to the dealer,

she said we could have it for 100.

-And then I told her about the Bulawayo story.

-Yes, yes, yes.

-And she said, "I can't go any less than 90".

-OK.

Well, what do you think? You love it, don't you, Bev?

-I absolutely adore it.

-I love it because you love it.

It just look... Look, it's all nicked.

-Age.

-You're our expert. What do you think, expert?

Here we go, Mark's in the firing line.

I think you love it. And I think the subject of friendship.

-Yeah, that's lovely.

-And you two are friends.

-Absolutely.

-I think it was made for us.

-Hold on a second,

I'm trying to work out which is the ass...er...donkey(!)

-I'm the donkey.

-You're the donkey and you're the doggy.

-Yes, yes, yes.

I think it looks quite kitsch. The frame.

-I know that's how it's meant to be.

-I think it's cute, isn't it?

-I think it's lovely.

-And with your story about Bulawayo.

-You have to have it.

-I've absolutely got to have it.

-Can I have it, Lucy, love?

-You can have, Bev, anything.

-Anything for you, Bev.

-I love you. Thank you.

-Although it is wood.

I knew, as soon as we saw that from over there.

-Done. Thank you, my friend, thank you. I love you.

-I'll blame you.

So there's a turn-up for the books.

The dithering Blues have bagged their final item before the Reds.

You and I have just made this couple's day.

But it's too much money for us.

What is the very best that you can do on that?

Well, I'll give you one price and it is absolutely the best price. And it's 160.

160.

-I think we've got to go for it.

-I think we've got to go for it.

-It's beautiful.

-I think you've made them very, very happy.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you so much.

It's nice to meet you.

I did not expect to find something quite so personal

and quite so beautiful. Thank you so much.

-You've made our day.

-It's brilliant.

You really have. Thank you.

Can I go...Oooh!

That's it. Bargaining time's over.

Let's remind ourselves what the Reds bought.

SNIFFS

The Reds' first buy was the fake pair

of 18th century wooden corbels for £40.

Next they paid £60 for the pair of bronze fire dogs.

And their final buy was the Edwardian silver and ebony

conductor's baton, for which they paid £160.

At the end, that was so exciting to find that.

A particularly cheap thrill.

-She wasn't giving it away. It wasn't a cheap thrill.

-It wasn't a cheap thrill.

How much did you spend, all through? We spent £260.

-That was not a cheap thrill.

-No.

-Who's got the £40 left over?

-She has.

-You have.

-I have.

-Thank you very much.

-There you go.

-Now, which is your favourite piece?

-The baton.

-The baton.

-The conductor's baton.

-Well, it would be.

-Definitely the conductor's baton.

-Beautiful.

Do you feel a concerto coming on?

A concerto of ukuleles.

-Ukuleles and clarinets.

-OK, super.

Now, over you go then. £40. Not much in the way of smackers.

But I might be able to buy something wee and something sparkling.

Very good luck, Anita. Meanwhile, why don't we check out what the Blue team bought, eh?

The Blues paid £65 for the late Victorian sampler.

Then £60 for the Art Deco bronze German shepherd.

And, finally, £90 for the little watercolour of the donkey and dog.

-Fantastic.

-You were both brilliant.

-Thank you.

-I thought you were really good, too.

A lot of admiration all round.

-And you spent altogether?

-215.

-215.

£85, please. There, you've got it.

-That's hot to trot straight to Mark.

-Thank you, Tim.

-What are you going to spend that on?

-Well, I think I'm under orders

to find a certain piece of glass.

So I shall do my very best to find that piece of glass.

Oh, really? Is this like a secret between you all or can we share it?

We did a secret wink.

I've been stabbed and pointed in the right direction.

Whether I'll find it, I don't know.

Will it be Scottish glass, Italian glass?

-French glass.

-French?

-French glass, Tim.

Well, we're very, very close to France here, aren't we?

Anything might happen. Anyway, how intriguing. We'll see later.

Thanks, girls. Thanks, Mark.

Meanwhile, we're heading off to Bristol. Westwards ho!

Today I've come to the Bristol City Museum And Art Gallery.

This magnificent, Edwardian, baroque-style building

was opened in 1905.

Like so many wonderful, municipal museums,

it's packed to the gills with fascinating objects

from the very old to the very special.

And the rare to the quirky.

Bristol is famous for a number of things.

John Cabot's voyage of discovery to America.

Bristol cream sherry. The Suspension Bridge.

And glass. And that is what I'm here to look at today.

The Romans brought glass-making to Bristol

and it continued as a steady trade until the 18th century,

when business boomed, and the city soon became

one of the most important glass-making centres in Europe.

Now, if you look at the glass in this cabinet,

by and large, it's got a greenish tint.

That's because it's made of something called soda metal.

It's a lower grade of glass,

if you like, sometimes called crown glass.

And it was a speciality from an area

just outside Bristol called Nailsea.

The Nailsea Glassworks was set up in 1788

by a fellow called John Lucas,

who invented a series of cone-shaped structures

that were much safer for the manufacture of glass,

because the poisonous gases were able to be released.

But what Bristol's really known for is the blue glass.

But why is Bristol glass associated

so closely with this deep, glorious blue colour?

Well, it's a bit of a mystery, really.

Of course, in the town, they had got their porcelain works.

And the porcelain works

were already importing cobalt blue from Germany.

And some bright spark thought one day,

"I'll put a handful of this cobalt blue in the clear glass mix

"and see what happens".

Hey presto, there was a miracle.

And this deep blue hue was created.

The only way of being absolutely certain

that the Bristol Blue Glass you're buying was made in Bristol,

is to get a signed piece. Which is what we've got here.

This is extremely rare.

Underneath you can see in gold script "I. Jacobs",

who was a celebrated maker in the city of Bristol

between about 1780 and 1820.

One of the other novelty items that I like

is this decanter stand, or coaster.

But my all-time favourite

out of the museum display is this fellow.

If I open it up, look.

Isn't that amazing? It's a xylophone.

Or, more properly, a crystallophone,

made out of sections of Bristol blue glass of different lengths,

representing the various notes.

You can hardly believe that you'd make a xylophone

out of solid glass rods like this.

But, with special consent, I'm allowed to strike a note or two.

Not too hard, mind you. Cos we can't afford to break 'em.

But just listen to this. How sweet and clear.

ASCENDING CHIME

Marvellous, isn't it? And not a fracture in sight.

The big question today is, of course,

for our teams over at the auction,

are they going to be going home with any notes at all?

I can't tell you how delightful it is to be in Canterbury

at the Canterbury Auction Galleries once more.

-Anthony Pratt, thank you for having us.

-Good to have you back.

Now, first up then are these wooden corbels.

I think they've recently come out of a container from the Far East.

-What like they're brand Harry spankers?

-Absolutely.

OK. Well, there it is.

They invested £40, which is quite a few rupees, I suppose.

-What are they worth?

-£10-15.

-Oh, is that all?

-Very decorative items.

-What about these solid bronze hand irons.

-Do you like them?

-They're particularly good quality.

They are period and well-made. And they deserve to do well.

Good. So, what's your estimate, Tony?

I like those. I've got £60-80 on them.

Oh, that's perfect. They paid £60.

-Good buy.

-So they'll be in clover with that.

Last up is their most exciting find of all for them,

as musicians, is the conductor's baton.

This is a lovely quality thing.

I would say hardly used, wouldn't you?

It doesn't look like it's had much use. It's well hallmarked, 1921.

OK then. Well, they invested the princely sum of £160.

Will they get their money back?

I think that was a little bit brave, I've only put £80-120.

OK, fine. Well, it may all depend on the bonus buy,

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

Now...Lulu.

-You spent 260, which is a magnificent total.

-Yes.

And you gave Anita a measly £40. Anita, what did you spend it on?

I wanted to buy something wee and sparkly,

but I ended up with something which was just wee.

It's a little, silver brooch. It's hallmarked silver,

from about the 1930s.

But it's the pattern that I like.

It's lovely. It's beautiful, Yeah, I love that.

The Celtic interlaced knot.

-Yes.

-That would look really nice on a scarf

-or a cravat or something.

-Yes.

-It's lovely.

-How much did you pay for it?

-I paid £22...

-Is that all?

-..which is not too much.

-Is that all?

-I think that's pretty good.

-It's silver.

-It's beautiful.

-And it's hallmarked.

-Beautiful.

£22. I mean, would you like to make that for £22?

I don't think I could.

I was going to say, would you like to buy that for me for £22?

Of course, my love. Of course.

-Absolutely beautiful. Well done.

-£22!

-Thank you very much.

-I'm glad you like it.

-That's fantastic. Yeah.

-£22!

OK, great. Lovely. The writing's on the wall there.

There you go. Now, for the audience at home,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Anita's wee plaid brooch.

So Tony, can you believe this?

A piece of Scottish jewellery from Anita Manning.

Well, of course. But there we are, we come to expect that.

But this is nice quality.

It's got a little bit of age. 1938, the hallmark.

Of course, she's Scottish and she's obsessed with this stuff

but what are your audience going to think of it?

Well, I've been rather mean and put £10-15 on it.

But I think it should do perhaps a little bit better than that.

Well, she paid 22. And she may well make a small profit,

if the team decide to go with it.

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

And the first-up piece here is this sampler. Which is a gem, isn't it?

It's a nice, local thing. From Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone.

So not too far away.

It's unusual to have the address of where it's come from.

Normally we just have the name and a date.

-What do you think it's worth?

-I think it's worth £60-80.

Well, that's brilliant. They paid 65. So that's really hot.

Now, what about the German shepherd? Do you rate that?

I do. It's nice quality.

The casting's good, the patination's attractive.

-But, sadly, it's not terribly old.

-How much then?

As it's new, I've been a bit cautious and only put £30-50.

OK, £60 paid. So there may be a slight hole there.

And their last item is Friendship,

which is just the most sentimental amateur-hand watercolour, isn't it?

It's charming. But as you say, it's by an amateur.

Slightly dozy-looking dog.

Yes, the donkey doesn't look too happy either.

So we've got a dozy donkey and a dozy dog by an amateur hand.

But it's sentimental and slightly slushy,

-which is what people like.

-Some people do. So £20-30.

Oh, Lord. Not many people like it. £90 paid.

That's going to be their dark hole.

That's going to mean they need their bonus buy, so let's go and have a look at it.

Now, Luce, Bev, this is exciting, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

-And they're all giggling with amusement here.

£215 you spent. £85 went to Mark. Mark, what did you spend it on?

Well, Tim, I was on strict orders to find a piece of Lalique.

-It's lovely.

-I love you!

-And I found a piece.

It's not a period one, I'm afraid.

It's not Rene Lalique, it's certainly post-war.

-But I thought it's nice quality.

-It's magical.

-And it's always a good name, Lalique.

-It's perfect quality.

Yes, the quality's good. But it did cost a lot of money, you know.

-OK, how much did it cost?

-It cost me £70 of the 85 you left me.

-OK.

-I would have put sort of £50-70 on it.

So it's right at the end of the estimate.

But you can't find much at a good fair

that's Lalique for under £100 really.

-Yes.

-I'd pay 100 for it.

-Easily.

And it's a really decorative little piece.

And that's exactly what we were looking for.

-And you found it.

-Yes.

-We're well chuffed.

-Well chuffed.

-Unbelievable.

-We're well chuffed.

-Good, isn't it?

-Well, you don't have to go with it,

it just depends on where you are at that precise moment.

But right now, for the audience at home,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Mark's golden pheasant.

Here we go then, Tony. Nice little bit of modern Lalique.

This is a nice little model.

Although it's modern, the moulding's good quality.

And it is marked on the base, there.

And it's the sort of thing, I guess, the internet bidders will pick up on.

I'm sure it will. Because Lalique always has a following.

-I think it will do well.

-Well, how well?

-I put £40-60 on it.

-OK, Mark paid £70.

-So no pressure on you today, Tony.

-I'll have to rise to the challenge then.

Well done.

Now, Lulu, Matthew. How are you feeling?

-Confident.

-Are you?

The patron saint of auctions is looking favourably on us.

-Smiling at us this morning.

-Which one is the patron saint?

-St Bargain of Hunt.

-Oh, St Bargain of Hunt.

Of course it is. He's sharp, this one.

And here we go, look. How exciting. Come on, the corbels.

And we go to 178, a pair of modern hardwood corbels.

We have a starting bid of £30. 35 where?

Pair of corbels there. 35 I have. 40. 45.

50. 55. 60. 60 where?

It's only got £55, the bid's standing in the room there.

All done at £55 then.

Plus £15, I feel another container coming on.

OK. Now, here come the bronze fire dogs.

170b is the pair of bronze fire dogs in the Arts and Crafts style.

£50. 40 then to start.

-Oh, come one.

-Get it going. 40 I have. 45 where?

45? 45. 50 on the internet.

55. 60 on the internet.

-60. 65. 70.

-Yes!

75. 80. 85, no? 85.

Bidder at 90? Internet, 95. 100.

110. Bid's on the internet at £100. All done at 100.

Yes!

You made another 40. Plus 40.

-You are plus 55.

-Oh, my goodness.

-You are so good, you two.

And 170c is the conductor's baton.

London, 1921.

-Who will start me at £100?

-Come on.

100 someone? 75.

Let's get it going at 75. 75 I have.

80 where? 80 I have.

-85. 90.

-Yes, yes.

-95?

-It's a good one.

-95 internet?

-It's so beautiful.

-95?

-Go on.

-95. 100.

And 10, internet.

110. 120.

Where's 120? It's only 110. 120.

Another bidder in the room. 130.

Selling at 120, bid standing in the room at £120,

are we all done then?

£120. That is such bad luck.

Anyway, there we go. It's minus 40,

it could have been a whole heap worse.

Which means overall, you are plus 15.

You still have 15 in the bank.

-Wow. Goodness me.

-Even after all that.

-I hadn't been counting.

-The rollercoaster of Bargain Hunt.

-So exciting.

-Gosh, it's exciting, isn't it?

-It is.

-And rather tiring, don't you find?

Anyway, fine. There we go.

-Now, are we going to go with the Celtic knot?

-Definitely. Yes.

We're going with the brooch. And it is going to be sold now.

175a. The George VI silver brooch,

Celtic design. £20.

-Yes, please.

-20 I have. 25 where?

-25. 30.

-Look at this.

-Yes!

-30 someone?

-35. 40. 45.

-Yes!

50. 55. 55, someone?

55. 60 for someone?

Selling at 55. Bid's on my left there. All done at 55 then.

-That's good.

-Well done, Manning.

£55. That's brilliant.

So that is plus 48.

-We've made money.

-That is folding cash, isn't it?

That's a pub lunch.

-Well done, Anita. That's perfect.

-Thank you. Brilliant.

Anyway. Plus 48 ought to be a jolly good winning score.

-Yeah.

-So don't say a thing to the Blues. All right?

-Lips are sealed. Thank you.

-Well done.

Now, Bev, Luce. Here we are. Do you know how the Reds got on?

-Not a clue.

-Not a clue. Good. That's what we like.

So first up is the sampler, and here it comes.

190a. The Victorian needlework sampler, dated 1892.

£50. 50 I have. 55 where?

In red there. 55. Someone at 55, I have.

60. 65. 70. 75.

-80. 85. 90.

-Yes!

95. 100. Selling at £100, the bid's standing.

Are we all in at £100 then? No further bid?

-That's plus 35.

-That's all right.

-Yes.

-I wonder if he lives in Foley Villa.

-Quite.

-You never know.

190b, the bronze figure, the German shepherd.

30 I have. 35. 35 I have. 40. 45.

-50. 55. 60. 65. 70.

-Yes!

-You're in profit.

-75? 75, someone?

Selling at 70, bid's on my left there. All done at £70 then.

Plus £10.

You are brilliant. Brilliant, Bev.

Now, donkey and dog.

And the little watercolour, 190c.

Friendship. Commission bid of £40, 45 where?

45 I have. 50. 50 for someone?

Selling at 45, bid's in the middle then. Are we all done at £45?

-Selling at 45 then.

-No, bad luck.

You've just lost £45. And you had £45 worth of profit,

which means now you have absolutely nothing.

-No loss. It doesn't matter.

-No profit. No loss.

-We didn't make a loss though, did we?

-You didn't make a loss.

Now, you've got the pheasant.

-Are you going to punt on the pheasant?

-Absolutely.

-We're relying on you.

-Are you sure?

-I love it. We both love it.

That's a decision then. We're going with the pheasant.

-Yes.

-And here it comes.

195a, the modern Lalique figure of a pheasant.

We have several bids. Starting at £50. 55 where?

55 I have. 60. 65.

70. 70 for someone?

-70 where?

-Come on.

Come along now, 70 for someone. Selling at £65.

Go on, go on, please.

Is that a bid? 70. 75.

80. 85.

90. 95.

Selling at £90, bid right at the front. All done at £90 then.

-Well done.

-We didn't make a loss.

Well, isn't that brilliant? You made £20 profit on that pheasant.

So congratulations, Mark. Well done, Bev and Luce.

-It's so good, super. That feels good, doesn't it?

-Fantastic.

The thing is now. We've got to keep zipped.

That's it. We know that bit. We're not going to say a thing

-till we catch up with the Reds in a moment.

-Absolutely.

-Well done.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, isn't this lovely? Out in the park.

But this programme is not a walk in the park, is it?

It's jolly difficult to make profits.

And today, we have two teams who have made profits.

Both of you are in the black and that is quite an achievement.

Just a question of scale of profits again.

And the runners-up, the team that have marginally less

-in the profit stakes, are the Blues.

-Oh!

-That's OK.

-Which is a pity, isn't it?

-We're cool. We're cool with that.

-You certainly are cool, Luce.

-I'm going to hand over your £20.

-Oh, bless you, thank you.

Which is £10 for both of you.

Or are you going to make a little donation with that?

It's going to go to our animal charity.

-Is it?

-So we're so pleased about that.

-Well, lovely.

-You must be very chuffed.

-We're really happy.

-Unbelievably chuffed.

We've had the most wonderful time. Bless you, all of you.

Well, we loved having you. It's been a treat.

But the victors today are going home with £48.

Which I think is going to be spent in the pub, isn't it?

-No, no.

-It's not going to be spent in the pub?

-Actually, it's not.

-Oh, isn't it?

No. I've commissioned a new piece of work for my flute choirs.

-And this is going to go towards it.

-Is this for Flute Salad?

-For Flute Cocktail.

-Oh, for Flute Cocktail.

-So that's going towards that.

-Well, that's great fun, isn't it?

-Yes.

Anyway, join us soon for some more bargain-hunting, yes?

Yes!

Good on you.

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