Leominster 12 Bargain Hunt

Today, we're in Leominster in Herefordshire,

with our teams who are prepared to fight the good fight.

But will they achieve the unattainable?

Will they reach those sweet uplands

and eventually bask in the glory of enormous profit?

Well, we can live in hope.

Let's go bargain hunting, yeah!

Herefordshire is part of the Slow Food movement,

which tries to promote regional cuisine.

Of course, on Bargain Hunt, we source all our ingredients locally.

But the teams can't afford to be too slow,

because there's only one hour on the clock.

Coming up on today's show, the Reds like changing their minds...

I kind of dismissed it initially,

and now I think it's the prettiest bag I have ever seen.

..whilst the Blues just can't make any decisions at all.

I'm not going to discount it, but I suggest we park it for now.

Just park that for now, if you would. That would be great. Thanks very much.

Let's meet the teams.

Today on the programme, we've got chums Carlo and Victoria,

or should I say Vicky?

And Sheila and Stephen are an engaged couple for the Blues.

Hello, everyone. Lovely to see you.

Now, Carlo, what do you do to earn a crust?

I have always been passionate about classical music, but it's not always easy to earn a living.

So, at the moment, I work at Colston Hall in Bristol.

But really, you'd like to be interfacing with music yourself.

-As a performer?

-Yeah, I think so.

I'm concentrating on classical music, so I've bought a grand piano.

-That's an investment!

-It is, yeah, yeah!

I wanted one for ages, but finally got one to practise my scales on,

so I'll see where it takes me.

-Vic, what do you do for a living?

-I'm a dance teacher.

-Oh, are you?

Yeah, all ages from preschool up to 70. Yeah, good fun.

And what do the 70-year-olds dance to that the three-year-olds don't?

So three-year-olds would maybe do Dingle Dangle Scarecrow or Heads, Shoulders, Knees And Toes,

-which might not be mature enough for 70-year-olds.

-Well, I don't know!

I suppose we all come to it sooner or later, don't we?

-So what inspired you to get into dance?

-I have always been dancing.

I have always been a big fan of Michael Jackson and Madonna.

I used to learn all the routines from their concerts,

and my mum said she still knows the routine to Lucky Star

because she has seen me do my performances so many times.

So what are your tactics today, you two?

-We want to spend all the money!

-Yeah.

-Do you?

Yeah, cover all bases and go for some cheap,

middle-of-the-range, something expensive.

Now, moving on to the Blues.

Sheila, how did you two meet?

We met in a bar in Chester.

You came up to me, started talking, and that was it head over heels.

-And what do you refer to him as?

-He's going to kill me for this!

-There's lots of things, but I don't think...

-It says here, "Mr Darcy".

-Yeah, cos he's lovely.

-Is that it?

No, then there's Gorgeous Scrumptious.

Gorgeous Scrumptious is a nice one, isn't it?

It says here you've just started a new project that's keeping you busy.

Yes, I'm currently writing a series of children's books.

-A series of children's books?

-Yeah, I want to do about ten altogether.

I'm on number four at the moment.

It's about a snail who wants to be a superhero.

-And why shouldn't he be?

-Why shouldn't he?!

Just cast off your shell and set forth!

It's not going to plan for him at the moment, but I'm sure at some point it'll work.

-Stephen, what do you do for a living?

-Slightly more boring,

but I'm an area sales manager for an independent lubricant blender.

An independent lubricant blender?

In other words, I work for an oil company.

Lubricants, greases, fluids, coolants.

Sticky stuff!

-Sticky stuff.

-THEY LAUGH

-Anything that keeps industry moving.

-No, brilliant.

And what you get up to outside work?

My main hobby from the age of probably 14 to about ten years ago was coarse angling.

I was a competition angler for most of that time.

And do you think you'll make a great team today, you two?

I think we make a pretty good team everywhere else,

-so, yeah, I think we will, we'll be good.

-Just have some fun.

I think that's very sweet. That's the right answer to have some fun,

which is exactly what we're going to do. Now, the money moment.

Here you go, £300 apiece. Whoopsie! Hoo-hoo-hoo!

-That doesn't happen often!

-THEY LAUGH

£300, you know the rules, your experts await, and off you go!

Very, very good luck.

Lubricants, eh?

So, which fine experts have we got lined up for you today?

Hoping to unmask a few bargains for the Reds, we have Claire Rawle.

And finding out what's hot and what's not for the Blues,

it's Paul Laidlaw.

So, teams, you have £300 to spend on three items in 60 minutes.

Step to it!

What are your tactics going to be? What do you want, Vic?

I don't think we're afraid to spend, to be honest.

We did have a tactic to stick with £30-60 items.

I like kind of pretty, sparkly kind of things.

I'd like something wooden, if we can find something nicely carved.

-Not really!

-We had a plan. But it changes by the minute.

-See whatever.

-"See whatever"...

-See what we find.

-..is probably fair enough.

-Yeah, open mind.

OK, off we go.

# Groove is in the heart... #

Now, what has caught the Blues' attention in that cabinet?

What is this item here? What's it made of?

That is tool hide, isn't it?

It's leather, but pressed in imitation of reptile skin.

It says, "Victorian binocular case", in inverted commas.

"Travelling inkwell..."

-I love all of this apart from...

-The price!

It's all about the price, Blues.

Now, have those Reds found something to guide them through the day?

-We've found this item.

-Yeah, OK. Yeah.

That's a ship's lantern, isn't it? Copper and brass.

Looks like it's been converted to electricity

rather than having its original burner.

So what has he got on the ticket?

-It's priced at 42.

-OK, we want to get it for a bit less than that,

otherwise there's not an awful lot in it.

We can either go with it or keep looking a little bit more?

We found it, we'll keep it.

-Keep it logged?

-Yeah, yeah.

-OK, let's pop him back then.

You carry on. Carry on looking. We can always come back to him later.

So that's one to think about, eh, Reds? But time will fly.

Now, there are so many goodies in that cabinet that the Blues have drafted in Ros to help.

So, very pleasing domed form,

and we've got inset a little bit of nickel. A key would've been nice.

-Yes.

-You must have liked your deck of cards if you kept them under lock and key, eh?

Obviously a marked pack in there.

Ah-ha, we know your type, Stephen!

-May I have a wee look?

-Of course.

-So, it's a fabulous burr, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Of course, you know what a burr is?

You know when you see those growths on the side of trees?

It slices through that for your veneer and this is what you get.

Absolutely delightful. Datewise?

-No idea.

-No clue.

-It's a Victorian piece, isn't it?

-Price?

-Price is at 48.

And I'm going to estimate £30-50 on that.

-So you want to be paying £20 for that.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Do you want to take a punt?

So, as Ros goes off to get the best price from the dealer,

something has taken the Reds' fancy.

-Got a racing-pigeon clock.

-They're quite collectable, actually.

-Are they?

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

-No way. How much is that?

£55 on that one.

Turn him round, let's have a look at his mechanism.

Yeah, so you can clock your pigeons in and out.

I think, probably, it dates from the '50s or the '60s.

It's not old in those terms, but it is just quite fun.

You'd want to get it nearer £30, if you could, really.

I know the box is a bit kind of scathed...

-Yeah, yeah, but it's obviously been used, hasn't it?

-It's well-loved.

-It's random.

-It appeals to... Oh, random is good!

-He seems really happy with it. I think we should.

-Do you think so?

Do you think I should go and find the guy we need to speak to?

OK. Oh, here's the man himself, lurking here. Must have heard us.

-Hello.

-So you've seen your pigeon...

-Pigeon racing clock, yeah.

-That's right. Nice, isn't it? Absolutely.

-It's marked at 55.

-Right.

-And, obviously, it jumped out because it's unusual.

-Yeah.

-What's the best price you could let it go for?

-The best best?

Well, I know the dealer fairly well, as it's me.

THEY LAUGH

That was handy!

Well, let's see, it's 55. I think the very, very best would be 45.

Do you think you could go any lower than 45? Maybe heading towards 35?

-I tell you what, the very, very best is 40.

-Very best, 40?

-Very best, 40.

-40's great.

-What do you think?

-That's not bad, that's not bad.

I can see you clutching it! He's hugging it, isn't he? Yeah!

-He really wants that.

-He's stroking it.

-Yeah!

I tell you what, let's go for it at 40,

and if we make a profit, fantastic.

If we don't, it'll be great to see how it goes anyway.

You're flying now, Reds. But how are the Blues doing?

Here you go, Sheila.

The best he'll do on this is 30.

-Oh, it's the magic number.

-Right on the knuckle, isn't it?

It's the magic number. Over to you, boss.

-Yeah, over to you, boss.

-I'm not going to discount it, but I'm going to suggest we park it for now,

have a tour, and if we're struggling, come back for it.

Cor, you're a hard man to please.

But the boss has spoken, Blues, so jump to it!

Hold on a minute!

Those Blues haven't moved on.

-Do we know what those are?

-It says...

-Yeah, that's cheating!

-THEY LAUGH

-They're sugar nips.

-Sugar nips.

Yeah, probably made in the 18th century.

We're looking at age here, 250 years, perhaps.

Silver, probably English,

and we can see a more baroque feel that we have going on there.

Now, they tend to be marked precisely there.

And I've got a feeling...

Now, these are Victorian copies of Georgian originals.

What are they worth? They're worth 40-60. Yeah, it's fair enough.

50-80 on a good day.

They're priced at 68, which isn't a country mile off.

Are you still liking them?

-Not as a copy so much.

-A Victorian copy!

It's still firmly in antique category.

-It costs nothing to ask.

-OK.

-OK.

-Sound OK?

-Yeah, definitely.

We quite like these as well. Oh, right, OK.

-But we want to see how flexible they can be.

-How flexible our friends are.

Oh, we all like flexible friends, Blues!

So, fingers crossed, eh?

Now, how are the Reds getting on with their mission to spend big?

-Erm, if you just sort of...

-It's just the price, though!

-Yeah.

-You thought it was suitably expensive, did you?

-It's only 170.

-Oh, is that all(?)

-That's all.

That's quite a lot. It's quite nice, and people like rustic items.

It's a food preparation boat. It's come from India, maybe Africa.

They're not the easiest things to sell. I know you're burning to spend all your money,

-but let's not rush into it too quickly.

-Maybe we'll reject it.

Let's not lose track of what we're actually...

We're buying stuff and, like, the pigeon clock, is that practical?

Well, it is for the pigeon fancier, Carlo.

So, is it sweet news for the Blues?

How did the price work out?

The best would be 40.

OK. I've got to say, the ball is in your court again.

-I'll tell you this much...

-I think we should take a chance on them.

If they only made 35, I think you'd be hellishly unlucky.

If they made 60 or 70, I think you'd be lucky in the other direction.

I think the odds are that there's a little profit in it.

So, it ain't, "Book a world cruise".

It ticks a couple of boxes, doesn't it? Silver, it's quirky, it's about the right money,

-I think we'll take them.

-I like them.

-Is that a yes?

-We'll take them.

-The decision was made.

-We'll take those.

-Get in! There you go.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

Timewise, just over half an hour.

So, with the box in hand, you're doing all right. OK, let's go.

At last, a buy. But 30 minutes at the same cabinet? Come along!

Better get a move on and move on.

It looks OK, actually. Yeah, it's quite nice.

That's going to be sort of late 19th, getting into the 20th century.

They used quite a lot of celluloid in their jewellery and things.

It's nicely pressed. Pretty beadwork.

-With some of it being missing there, would that affect...?

-Not too badly.

You'd expect it to have a little bit of wear,

otherwise you'd be nervous about the age of it.

To find one in perfect condition would be very, very rare,

and then it would be worth a lot more than that.

But it's not too drastic. A clever restorer could put something back.

-To be honest, it doesn't detract too much, does it?

-No, no.

The important thing is to look inside at the lining.

That's not too bad at all, because the silk lining is fraying

really badly, but that's actually not bad in there at all.

So, you have a closer look at it. Are you still happy about it?

Yeah, I like... I kind of dismissed it initially,

and now I think it's the prettiest bag I've ever seen.

-CLAIRE LAUGHS

-Excellent, right!

Wow! The Blues have found another cabinet.

Now, would you have put a bet on this?

We're going back to where we started.

The boss said you could have this for 25, if you're still interested.

-That's far more appealing.

-That means he could probably let it go for 20,

-but I'm not going to push to that!

-THEY LAUGH

-SHEILA: 25.

-Do you want to still...?

We've still got some time. Do you want to still park it?

Accept the price and just have a little look around. Is that doable?

-You're the boss!

-Are you happy for us to do that?

-That's fine.

-Park that for now, if you would.

-Yeah, OK.

-Thanks very much, appreciate that.

Oh, Stephen, you are a hard man to please!

Hello, again. Hi. Right, now then, over to you.

-They've seen this pretty bag.

-It's really nice, isn't it? Quite unique.

It's 75.

The best we can do on that is 68.

Quite nice to get it nearer 50, I think, if it's possible.

Well, because it's one of the dealers that has got this on at the moment,

I need to ring her and just check.

So if you'd like me to do that, I can get the very, very best.

-VICTORIA: If that's OK, yeah.

-That would be absolutely excellent.

-Give me five minutes and I'll do that.

-OK, shall I hang onto it?

Brilliant, OK. Right, we'll...

A tense moment waiting for you.

So, as the call is made to the bag dealer,

the Blues are finally on the move.

Is it good news for the Reds?

-I wish I had, because being a sunny day, I can't get hold of the dealer.

-Oh, no!

Both phones aren't answering, so the very best I'm afraid I would be able

to do is the £68 that I said earlier, without talking to the dealer.

-Yeah.

-Is it something we could come back to?

How dare she be outside in the sun, I mean, really(!)

-I do apologise!

-We'll pop this in the cabinet and have a look down there.

OK, we'll leave that with you to shut away.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you for trying, anyway.

It's Bargain Hunt, this, not Browsing Hunt, teams!

Check out the ancient rowing machine.

How mad is THAT? It is a rowing machine, isn't it?

-I'm not really sure! I have my own views, but...

-THEY LAUGH

You should be running, not rowing, you Blues.

You've still got two bargains to find.

-Lots of wood in here, Carlo.

-I know.

-Yes, yes.

-Easy, girl!

Please, am I going to have to have a look at this? Take your hand?

Easy, Blues!

-On your head, be it!

-It's fun. It's fun.

Moving swiftly on, then...

Right, enough of this running about, teams.

Come on, experts, it's time to take charge.

Right, it's decision time. We need to make a decision about the bag.

-Right, so...

-We've got the box downstairs.

Come on, let's not beat about the bush. The box is going to happen, isn't it?

I think we need to move somewhere else. We're not going to have time to come back here and talk about it.

15 minutes left. I guess we're starting to run out of time.

-The very best we are going to be able to do is £68.

-OK.

Got a hell of a budget, but no time.

-Quite pleased with it, are you?

-Yeah, I love it.

-You love it, don't you?

-I love it, yeah.

-It's yours. Well done. Yay! Thank you so much.

-Well done, Reds.

I would hot on the trot, like virtually jog.

Absolutely jog on, team!

Time is running out.

-Is that doing anything for you?

-Well, it's...

The money is obviously attractive, but it depends on what it's going to return.

It's a black slate mantel clock.

Late Victorian architectural case.

-Why am I even looking at it?

-Tell us, Paul.

Partly because of that, and because it's priced at £38.

-And listen to that.

-It's working.

-It's running.

-Yeah.

What's that worth at auction?

-20?

-No, it's £30-50, £40-60 on a good day.

Because there is one problem.

-There are hairlines to the porcelain chapter ring.

-Right.

-OK?

I'm not proud of this, I'm not saying to you, "I have found an absolute gem."

-I have found something that's going to make you a profit.

-That's what it's about.

But I tell you what, I would be brutal on price.

I would go in really pushy and say, "Look, could that be £10 or £20?"

Because it's another black slate clock,

but it's got a fractured chapter ring.

Look, we've got ten, 12 minutes. You can walk from here to the counter.

If we find something startling, the Holy Grail jumps out, bingo.

-But there's a fall-back.

-OK.

-Yeah.

-Quick, quick, quick.

-I don't like it, but I think...

If it's going to make a profit... We've got two we like.

Let's go and get a price on it. Let's go and get a price.

So, as the Blues find out the price,

the Reds are on the prowl for their last item.

What about something like this?

I know we're not talking hundreds of pounds here

and you are so desperate to spend money!

I know you liked wood. It's sort of late Victorian, early Edwardian.

It's quite nice wood. It's what they sort of loosely term red walnut.

65. If we can get a bit off, there's a bit of money to be made on that one.

-What do you think?

-Do you think we could make money out of it?

How much do you think we should get it down to?

I mean, if we can get it down to...

Under 50 would be absolutely ideal, as near 40 as possible.

It just depends how much they are willing to come down.

Obviously, I am looking at a bigger profit then.

It's the sort of thing I could see making sort of £70, £80,

perhaps a little bit more than that at auction.

-What do you think, Vicky?

-We've got something each that we like,

so maybe we should think practically about profit-making.

Although, you do want to spend £1 million!

-Well, how long have we got left?

-Only seven minutes to go.

-A few more minutes.

-Well, we know where it is. We know where it is.

These teams just can't make decisions today.

Meanwhile, the Blues have picked up the pace.

This is something else we want to offer you a price for.

OK.

It's listed at 38. I can only see it at 20.

How does that sound to you?

-Can I just check on that?

-Of course you can.

-Thank you.

It's not a piece of cake, is it?

Now, stop pricing, Reds, Claire's getting a grip.

Right. Hi, guys!

Here we are, this is the gentleman you need to speak to.

So come on round and here we are.

This is the little cabinet that has caught their eye.

If a nice deal can be done, of course!

-We'll do our best for you.

-Over to you, Carlo.

Let's begin with your best price and see if we like the sound of that.

It says 65, doesn't it?

So if I were to give you 10% off...

Well, we could do better than that.

How about if I make it...

Oh, I'll squeeze it right down, £50?

-£50?

-Yes.

-Any chance of going any lower, towards the £45 mark?

-45.

Let's make a deal on 50.

I'm going to go for 45, that would be a done deal.

-No, I can't do that. That's too much.

-Split the difference and go 48.

-48?

-Go on, then.

Job's done, Reds. Now, how are those Blues getting along?

That'll be fine.

-Damn!

-We're running out of time.

So, a few minutes left, are we sealing the deal?

Yes, we're taking that, and we're doing that at 25. We're done.

I'm sure you're going to throw in a slice of cake.

Don't push it, Stephen.

-I think we've done it.

-Well done, guys.

Well done, teams, indeed.

But where does the time go? That's the 60 minutes up.

Let's remind ourselves what the Red team bought.

They took a flutter of £40 on the automatic pigeon-racing timer.

They bagged a vintage beaded bag for £68.

And £48 was paid for the Victorian walnut table cabinet.

We got there in the end, didn't we?

Getting there is the important thing, of course.

-Did you have fun getting there?

-Yeah, lots of fun.

Really pleased with what we've got in the end.

Well, what a lovely couple they are.

Absolute smilers.

Don't know when I've seen such good smiles!

Which was the best bit for you?

The bag, I love the bag.

-The bag is your favourite.

-Really pretty.

Is that your favourite, Carlo?

No, it's the racing-pigeon timer,

I thought it was quite unusual so I'd go with that one.

Is that going to bring the biggest profit?

Not sure, I think I am going to go with Claire's cabinet on that on.

Sensible.

What did you spend in total?

156.

Can I have 144 of your leftover lolly? Look at that, lovely.

Good, well, Claire, you're getting rather good at this.

I'm going to ask you what you've got in mind.

I've got a few ideas.

You're not giving very much away.

-I like surprise.

-Do you?

-I do.

Well, go away and surprise us.

What fun!

Now, let's check out what the Blue team bought.

They spent £40 on the mid-18th century style sugar nips.

They took some time to decide

on the burr walnut playing-card box costing £25,

and at the same time paid £20

for the Victorian black slate architectural mantel clock.

Buy one, get one free.

Well, not quite.

Hey, that was tight on time, wasn't it?

-Yes, very much.

-I don't know.

-Now which is your favourite piece?

-Mine has got to be the sugar nips.

-Do you agree with that, Stephen?

-I do, actually, surprisingly.

Are they going to bring the biggest profit?

-I've got a funny feeling the clock might surprise us.

-Really?

It was a bit of a last-minute purchase.

And spent the grand sum of what?

Oh, it was £85.

Very good. Then I'd like £215 of leftover lolly, please.

There you go.

That's 215, very good. Across to Paul, then.

This is your opportunity to let rip.

Well, I've found something.

-Have you?

-It might take a bit of selling to you guys,

if I can buy it in the first place,

but it's a good collectable, a good thing.

OK, that's your challenge, good luck with that.

Meanwhile we're heading off to Kent, somewhere just so interesting.

In 1831, the 22-year-old Charles Darwin was about to set sail

on a voyage of discovery that would determine his whole career.

Darwin was about to travel the world aboard HMS Beagle,

exploring Brazil, Chile, the Galapagos Islands,

Tahiti and New Zealand.

The last leg covered Australia, the Keeling Islands and South Africa,

reaching St Helena and Ascension Island in July, 1836.

Six years after his return, Darwin, now married and with two children,

came to live here at Down House in Kent,

and it was thought that he was already developing

his revolutionary theories regarding evolution.

This house, where Darwin lived for 40 years, is now a museum.

Visitors can come and walk in his intrepid footsteps,

learn about the man and about his life.

And this is a model of the ship that the Cambridge graduate

was called upon to be companion to Captain Robert FitzRoy,

as well as being the ship's naturalist.

I can't tell you what a thrill it is

to actually be in Charles Darwin's front room,

examining the objects

that he specifically shopped for to take with him on the Beagle.

One of the things in particular that Captain, later Admiral, FitzRoy advised him to do

was to splash the cash on a decent pistol.

And sure enough, Darwin acquired

this double-barrelled percussion-cap pistol.

FitzRoy also told Darwin

never ever to go ashore without a loaded pistol,

and I guess, for five years, whenever he went ashore,

Darwin did exactly that,

because these rubs and marks and scrapes,

for example, on the walnut butt,

would indicate that it has had hard service,

but what we don't know

is whether Darwin actually ever fired it.

This is an amusing object,

the like of which I have not seen before.

It's a cosh,

it's a weapon to protect yourself, if you like,

but what's unusual about it, for me,

is that this spiral core is actually porcupine quills,

and then on either end there is a lump of lead

that has been enclosed by some netting,

and actually, I guess it would be quite a lethal weapon.

You would expect to find at Down House

examples of Darwin's voluminous correspondence,

and, sure enough, we've got a letter here which he wrote

to his sister Susan before he departed on the voyage.

"First, I will give you my commissions.

"Tell Mary to make me soon 12 instead of eight shirts.

"Tell Edward to send me up my carpetbag,

"my Spanish boots,

"my new microscope, my geological compass et cetera."

And actually, by a quirk, I think that this

is Charles Darwin's geological compass,

the one he describes in that letter.

But the interesting thing,

as far as the geological part is concerned,

is here we've got an inclinometer.

Attach a piece of cotton and a lead weight to that,

and you could measure the angle

of any geological specimen in the ground,

which proved to Darwin that the world

had not been created in seven days,

it had indeed taken many millions of years to evolve.

The big question today is, of course, for our teams over at the auction,

will their belief in their objects prove to be well founded?

28, it's in the room with you, sir, then, £28...

All done.

Jeremy Lamond's our man today at Halls in Shrewsbury,

and it's a treat to be with you here, Jeremy.

Thank you for having us.

Good, now, the Red team have gone for a mixture,

how are you on pigeon-timing clocks?

They're not great sellers

because they were made in quite large numbers, as you'd expect.

I date this one, if I'm being perfectly honest, at earliest

being about 1950.

The ones that I've seen that have made money are about 1910 or 1920,

which horologically have something interesting going on in them.

So, tin case like this, beechwood box, what's it worth?

Is it worth £30?

At the most.

Well, our lot paid 40.

Next is the beaded bag with the plastic fittings.

It looks like celluloid, it looks like the sort of thing that was made in the '20s.

I think we have to say £20-30.

-Do you really? Is that all? £68 our lot paid.

-Wow!

But you see, the thing is, all this is naked of beadwork,

so all those little bits of glass have come shying off

in some party when the owner was having a bit of a jig.

-It's nearly bald.

-Nothing wrong with that.

Oh, moving on, then!

Next is the table cabinet.

You know those dressing tables that have a cresting on here,

and then they have a mirror that goes heave-ho in between,

then it sits on a flat surface,

I bet you a £5 note once upon a time this was part of a dressing table.

It could well have been, or a tobacco cabinet

-with its little drawer and pipe cupboard.

-How much?

-£20.

-Fair enough, our lot paid £48. This is not looking good.

Let's trot off and have a look at the bonus buy.

So, Carlo, Victoria, you spent a thoroughly respectable £156,

144 went across to Claire what did you spend, Claire?

I spent £100 on

a little Sheraton-style stationery box.

I thought it was quite an attractive item,

because you've got the nice inlay work,

then if you look inside, it's all fitted

and you can put your stationery and whatever in there.

-That's good, I love that. £100?

-Yes.

Do you think it will make much?

Well, I'm always hopeful we'll make a profit on it, 120, 130.

I know it's not a lot but I just thought it looked very decorative.

I agree, I like it.

Sometimes the problem is that this inlay can shy off, can't it?

Yes, they dry out as well, if they're kept in very heated houses,

but it's got a nice bit of figuring in the front, hasn't it?

-What do you think?

-Yes, it's really pretty.

I thought it was a jewellery box to begin with.

But stationery is nice as well. Just as good.

You can put whatever you like in there, I guess.

Well, treasure those thoughts.

Because right now we're going to find out from the auctioneer

what he thinks about the stationery box.

Now, Jeremy, your old favourite, nice Edwardian box.

Here we are, mahogany Adam style, Adam revival.

That has been relined, hasn't it?

£30, £40?

£100 paid.

Claire has invested £100 in that and she reckons it stands a chance.

Now, moving on from the Reds to the Blues.

Bit of a specky group, here, look.

How do you rate those nips?

I think it is nice that they are shell bowls,

they are in the style of George II.

And they're quite collectable little things, £30 to £40.

OK, £40 paid, so they're more or less on the money there.

Then we've got the burr walnut playing-card box.

People do still play cards,

nice little box for all of that. In good condition.

Lovely amboyna.

Nicely finished.

Not too much veneer off it, it's all right, £20 or £30.

£25 they paid.

I rate that, I think it could get nearer 40 or 50, actually.

Well, I like the inlay.

With your persuasive powers on the rostrum,

legendary in this part of the world, anything could happen.

Last but not least is the black slate mantel clock.

-This is Ansonia Clock Company.

-American.

-Anson George Phelps of Connecticut.

-How much?

-£30-50.

-£20 our lot paid.

Which just goes to show,

retail for £20, you can buy something

that looks as splendiferous as that.

It's a good looker, I have to say.

Anyway, there we go, thank you very much.

Overall, I think they're going to do all right,

I think they're not going to need their bonus buy,

but let's have a look at it anyway.

Sheila, Stephen, you two lovebirds.

£85 is what you spent.

£215 to Paul Laidlaw.

Never has an expert been given more, I fancy. What did you find, mate?

Right, well, it'll make a difficult sell, this.

Manky old tinplate.

Do you like it? Do you like what I bought?

-What is it?

-I'm speechless.

I don't expect you to be enlightened by the term, it is a fire mark,

or a fire office mark.

After the fire of London,

it transpired that there was no adequate firefighting service,

so some bright sparks

decided that they could sell some protection against fires.

And for your money

you knew that if the terrible event happened,

Worcester Fire Office guys would turn up and put your fire out.

-These marks are on the outside.

-You would see this bolted to the outside of the property.

They would only come and put your fire out if you had paid up.

-What did you pay for that is?

-I paid £20 for that.

And seriously, I think that's, "Get in!"

Because...it's definitely worth £20.

It's going to set the world alight, is it?

Could it do £100? It could do £100.

What do you think, Stephen?

Not a lot.

We had a choice of expert, yes?!

I've no idea.

It doesn't feel much, didn't cost much,

-doesn't look much!

-It's certainly got a lot of history to it.

I wasn't expecting to see that.

There we go, we have had the pearls of wisdom,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Paul's fire mark.

Well, we're not far from Worcester here.

This is a fire plate, a sheet-tin one,

and the very earliest were lead,

so this is a late example.

You're in the right part of the world, and it's £20 or £30.

All right, fine, £20 paid by the Laidlaw, he's a canny fellow.

He might get out of that, but it is a late one.

He's bought for the right auction room

and it's got that kind of ring to it, the ring of quality.

-TAPS PLATE

-Very tinny ring.

Thank you very much for that.

-Just don't do that on the rostrum in a minute. Promise?

-Promise.

35.

OK, Carlo. How do you see it?

Loads of profit.

That's what your vision is telling you. Do you agree with that?

£1,000 we've said all along we're sure we're going to make, so yes, excited.

What is going to turn you this four-figure profit?

The handbag, yeah, that I picked.

The beaded bag. £68 you paid for that.

The auctioneer has estimated between 20 and 30.

That was me, sorry.

I think his problem with it is

that a lot of the beads have fallen off,

but we've seen all of this change very easily,

don't take any notice of that, let us hope for the best.

Let's hope that your bird is about to come in.

Because first up is the pigeon clock, and here it comes.

Lot 162, the automatic timing clock for pigeon racing. £10.

Who's going to start me at £10? For the pigeon clock.

10 is bid, at £10 immediately. 15.

20. £20.

Against you, internet, £20 and I'm selling it.

All done at 20... Be quick, internet, £20.

It didn't take off, £20 is minus £20.

Beaded bag, all right, your fav. Come on, old bag.

163 is the beaded bag, lot 163, I'm bid already £22.

At 22, 22, any more?

At 22, 25, 28.

28, on commission at 28, selling at £28.

-28, I think, he sold it for is minus 40.

-Down the pan.

-Minus 60.

-We need to make £1,000 on this, then.

-Yeah.

Lot 164, the Victorian walnut table cabinet with drawer and base.

Who'll start me at £15?

Nice handy cabinet.

15 at the very back of the room. 18.

20. Something happening.

22, 25.

Against you, sir, 28. 30.

One more? £30, finished at 30.

Minus £18, which means overall you are minus £78.

It hasn't been your morning, has it?

What are you going to do about the stationery box?

Do you fancy having a go?

No question, it's a no-brainer, I think we'll go for it.

-Definitely?

-Yes.

-That's your decision,

let's find out what's going to happen because here it comes.

Stationery box, lot 168, who's going to start me at £25?

18. 25 immediately at £25. 28 if you like.

At £25. 28,

30, 32, 35, 38, 40,

£40 now, on the aisle at £40. At 40.

One more, anyone? At £40, all done at 40.

£40 he sold, minus 60, you were 78, that is minus 138.

If you say that quickly, it doesn't sound too bad.

Might be a winning score, you never know,

if everything goes really badly for the Blues.

-So do you know how the Reds got on?

-No.

Did they look gloomy or happy when you passed them in the corridor?

-One of each.

-A poker face.

-It is a mixed message. You feeling OK?

-Yes.

-Slightly nervy?

-A little. Excited.

Listen, first up are your sugar nips and here they come.

Lot 179, the silver sugar nips, hallmarked,

I'm bid £30 already, lot 179,

at £30 for the sugar nips, at 30, £30.

-Come on.

-£30, one and only,

at £30. All done.

£30 is minus £10.

That's disappointing. Now, watch this box.

180 is the walnut playing-card box, stylish thing here,

who will give me £15 to start?

15 is bid.

15, 20, 25 already, £25,

anybody else want to go? £25.

On the internet,

all done at 25, at 28 in the room, £28 against you, internet,

all finished at £28.

Plus £3.

Better than nothing. Overall you are minus seven.

191 is the Victorian black slate architectural mantel clock

by the Ansonia Clock Company, lot 181.

Start me at £25.

£25 only for this large clock, £25.

Who's got it? 25? Start me at £20. £20 only.

20's bid with you, sir, £20. I'll take two if it helps.

At £20 here, I'm going to sell it.

20.

£20, wiped its face.

Overall minus £7. That is ridiculous.

What about the fire mark? Going with that?

I recognise quality when I see it.

-Go with it.

-You said it was tinny.

Where is all this quality coming from?

Nobody is buying quality.

-You're going to go with it then?

-Definitely.

-Risk it for a biscuit?

Going with the fire mark, here we go.

185 the Worcester fire plate here, lot 185,

who will bid me 15 to start?

On the fire plate, 15 bid on the net already, at £15.

At £15, 18 if you want, at £15.

15 on the internet.

£15, all done at 15. Sure?

Minus £5.

That equals...equals minus £12, that is where you stand.

That could be a winning score today. It could be a winning score.

Don't burst into tears, all will be revealed in a moment.

-Everybody happy?

-Yes.

-As you ought to be.

Because basically there's not a lot of profit going home with anybody to day.

There's nothing amusing about that.

Actually, for one team, it has been absolutely shocking,

and that is for the Red team.

That performance of minus 138...

is kind of going some.

But we don't like to dwell on all these minus signs.

What happened to your £1,000 profit?

I got it wrong today.

Just by a little bit.

-Had a nice time, though, yes?

-Really good.

We have had a joyous time, but for the victors who have managed to win

by only losing £12, that is quite a difference, isn't it?

How can sane, intelligent people in the same shopping environment

get it so polar opposite? It is very strange.

You made a profit of £3 on a Victorian card box

but apart from that, you made absolutely no profit.

Bit of fun, though, right?

Can I just say, Sheila and Paul take full responsibility?

OK, that's enough of that. We have had a great time.

Join us soon for some more bargain hunting, yes? Yes!

I know you're sitting thinking, "I could have done better than that."

Well, what's stopping you?

If you think you can spot a bargain, go to our BBC website and apply.

It'll be splendid to see you!