Portobello/Alexandra Palace 27 Bargain Hunt

Today we've gone all palatial.

Alexandra Palace, to be precise.

And I tell you, we've got our work cut out

if we're going to get through this lot.

So, no time to waste.

Let's go bargain-hunting.

Yeah!

-UPPER-CRUST VOICE:

-This is BBC television from the Alexandra Palace.

Cor! Presenters did talk posh in those days.

I've always wanted to say that,

because this is regarded as the birthplace of British television.

So let's hope that our teams here today

will come up with some bouncing, baby-booming bargains

on Bargain Hunt.

Let's have a quick look at what's coming up.

Our teams simply steam ahead.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

But will they do our experts out of a job?

They see what they like and they go for it.

And they don't necessarily include me in it!

Yeah, I love it.

I think I'm going to have to lie down in a darkened room.

Let's meet the teams.

Well, today it's all about sibling rivalry,

and, yes, we've got sibling versus sibling.

We've got brothers - Jack and Sam -

and sisters - Helen and Claire.

Hello, everybody.

-How are you doing?

-All right.

Good. All right then.

Now, Jack, your passions are politics and music.

-Tell us about that.

-I worked for an MP in Birmingham last year,

and I think I probably prefer the music side of things.

I DJ and play a bit of guitar myself,

but hopefully, in terms of job prospects,

I'll make enough on this programme to see me through for another year.

Well, that is quite likely, I should think.

In the way of profit you'll make on your objects?

We hope so.

This can't leave you a lot of time for antiques and all that stuff.

Well, I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert in antiques,

but I know my brother has a penchant for collecting beer mats.

-I do, actually.

-Do you?

Would this be after sometimes a student kind of

studying the beer mat department?

I wouldn't say it's exactly relevant to my course,

but every beer mat's got a story to tell.

What exactly is your course?

Well, I study history.

I focus on American political history at the moment.

Next year, I'm thinking about going abroad to study the Czech Republic

and I'll be living in Prague. Currently, I'm in the less exotic region of Essex.

I love it! These boys are going to do very well.

-And you're up for it?

-Yes. I'm surprised you're trusting me.

Well, I would trust you boys with my life.

Now, Helen...

-Yeah.

-You deal with textiles, I'm told.

Yes, I'm a textile designer.

I do the fashion prints for women's wear, mainly, and children's wear as well.

You like to perform a bit of music too?

Just a little bit!

-I have a penchant for the karaoke.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

-You don't want to give us a tune now?

Not really!

Haven't got one up your sleeve?

No, but I do have a particular favourite, which is Firestarter by the Prodigy.

-Really?

-Yeah.

You are aware that the Ally Pally has burned down twice?

No!

-Now, Clairey, you work for the NHS.

-I do.

-For my sins, yes.

-What do you do?

I'm an admissions co-ordinator,

so I book the surgery dates

and it's very rewarding.

-And is this in a London hospital?

-It is indeed.

-So, busy old place, then?

-Very busy, yes!

-And stressful?

-Stressful, yes.

What do you like to do to relax?

I like reading, listening to music,

collecting Art Deco-style pieces.

-Do you?

-And accompanying this one to book fairs

and the like.

Ever found a bargain?

-She has.

-Definitely.

-Have you?

Yeah.

-Lots of bargains?

-Yeah, lots of bargains. Lot of retro collectables.

Hey, guys, are you hearing this?

They've found lots of bargains.

Well, this is going to be fun.

Anyway, now, our £300 moment.

Here you go. Here's your £300. You know the rules.

Your experts await, and off you go! Very, very, very good luck.

Gosh, what's going to happen today?

We've lined up a couple of excellent chaps to help out our teams today.

For the Reds, a man who's dapperer

than the average expert - it's Jonathan Pratt.

And for the Blues,

it's a man who's never off his guard.

It's Mark Stacey.

So, this is it.

Time to start the shop.

Right, guys, here we are.

What's your strategy for today? Do you have any

clear thoughts on any of this?

We'd just like to win, really.

Yes, that's what they all say, Claire.

Don't forget, teams, you've got to get around this fair in 60 minutes.

What about that globe over there?

Do you like the look of that?

Yeah, rather nice.

Very detailed. How much do you think someone would pay for that?

What are you asking for it?

-£80.

-£80.

-It's got a really nice shade to it.

-Yeah, it does. I like the look of that.

And the texture's nice as well.

Spins rather well.

Yes, it's very Phileas Fogg, isn't it?

Jonathan, what do you think?

It's a good decorative object.

The good thing about it is the stand is very '60s or '70s.

The other thing is, this is a bit of nostalgia.

It is an object which could be used as a decorative object in a house

for a sitting room, if you wanted to, but it also has an educational purpose for children.

People do buy these things.

-Do you like the look of it?

-I do like the look of it.

I'd be happy to pay £60 for that. £60 would be good.

< The best I could do is £70.

Ooh, he strikes a hard bargain.

-He does indeed. I think we should probably go for that.

-Yeah?

Yeah.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

Well, forget 60 minutes. At this rate,

those Reds will have made it round the fair in a fraction of the time.

That was well done.

Expertly done.

Pretty happy with that.

I'm sure our Blues will be more considered in their buying.

I love that. That is gorgeous. Too much money, though, I think.

-Yeah.

-It's over our budget, isn't it?

I mean, look at this, girls.

That's beautiful.

-That's very nice.

-And it's signed, as well.

And then you've got traces of "Lim" for Limoges.

Limoges were very well known for enamels, right back

to the, oh, Middle Ages.

-French?

-French, yes.

-So this is all enamel work.

-That's really beautiful.

You've got all this enamel work. It's initialled there as well.

That's very pretty.

And that lovely beaded edge.

I like the turquoise.

But the thing I like about it... You can imagine, even someone who doesn't like antiques

-would fall for this.

-Yes.

The worrying thing, actually,

-there's no price.

-No price on it.

-I don't think it's going to be free, do you?

-No.

I don't think it's going to be free.

-Should we ask?

-Yes, I think we should ask.

I think we should definitely ask.

There's no price on this...

-I'll do £35 on that.

-£35?

-Yes.

I like the delicate flowers

and the detailing and the beaded edge.

It smacks of quality, doesn't it?

You said £35?

Could you do it for any less than that?

< I'll do it for £30.

-For £30.

-I think we've got to do it.

We'll go for it.

£30.

-I think that's actually quite a charming object.

-I do.

I really like that.

Well, so much for being considered.

I suppose when you like something that much,

you've just got to go for it.

One item each, and only five minutes gone.

Am I sniffing early tea here, teams?

How about this number here?

That's rather colourful, isn't it?

-It's definitely bright and vibrant.

-Which is that?

Is that your sort of thing?

Well, I mean, it's...

it's quite flamboyant. I can be flamboyant at times.

That's flamboyant with a capital F.

That's probably Italian glass. It looks very much Italian.

Um...

< Murano.

Is it from Murano? OK.

Does it have a Murano label or anything like that on it?

< No, but I know where it came from.

What sort of price would you be looking at with that one there?

£130.

Ooh! Oh, right. That's quite steep.

Well, what sort of period is it from?

It's the last 30 years.

So it's quite a recent piece?

You're looking at modern glass.

-Look at that.

-Right.

These have basically got coloured canes,

so it's like making rock.

You get loads of different coloured glass,

make a big rod out of it, then they roll it, roll it, roll it

and then they cut bits out. They used to make paperweights out of them in France.

You really like it, do you?

I don't know about you, but I certainly do.

I'm not a fan.

Oh, really? OK.

Well, we could go back to it.

Well, um...

how much would you be willing to pay for that? If we could get it for a bargain, I'd be quite happy.

Yeah, yeah. Well, I'd look...

Couple of local boys, you see.

I'd look towards sort of 50, 60 quid for that.

I wouldn't really move too far on that.

< I'll do you £110 on it.

£110.

If we said £100, would you shake my hand?

< Go on.

You're good to me. Thank you!

Cheeky charm will get you everywhere, Sam.

Well done, boys. Two items,

and we're whistling through this shop.

JP is having one of his easiest days ever.

-We need to kind of let Jonathan step in and do a bit of the talking.

-Yes.

-He probably knows a little bit more than us.

-It seems like we're not really making use of the expert,

-and he's the man with the knowledge and the moustache.

-Indeed, yes!

These guys are on fire.

I can't fault them.

Um...they're determined. They see what they like and they go for it.

And don't necessarily include me in it.

It's like, "I really like that - I'm going to have it."

Well, the boys may be on fire, but our firestarter girls

are simply burning to find item number two.

They could be cheap as fish and inexpensive fried potatoes.

-Fish bookends.

-I like them.

-Can I have a look?

-I'm sure you can have a look.

What are they made of? Wood and...

bronze?

Bronze or something. They look like Austrian or something, are they?

Well, Austrian or French.

I like these a lot.

-Do you like them?

-I don't love them,

but I like them.

I think they're going to be French, and they're probably 1950s.

-So we're keeping the '50s theme.

-You're keeping the '50s...

I mean, people will call them Art Deco,

but I like the way they're sort of scaled...

Scaled, yes, for the texture.

-Can you see it? It's very textural.

-They have, yeah.

And I think it's rather cheeky, that fish.

-They're fun, aren't they?

-Yes.

-I like the idea.

-If we're going to buy anything, we've both got to agree.

-Yes.

-But it comes down to...

-Claire, don't agree yet.

-Let's see how much they are.

We've got to know the price first.

-We do like them, but they've got to be the right price.

-Exactly.

Yeah.

There's no price on this. Does that mean they're ultra-cheap?

They are.

-I'm getting excited.

-£85.

-Oh!

-Good price!

It's a bargain.

I'd want a school of fish.

I'd want a school of fish for £85.

Our Mr Stacey is clearly angling for a proper bargain here.

I do really like them.

For the right price.

£45? £60. >

£60.

Did you see that?

Those fish just jumped £25.

-£50?

-They've been really good to us.

-Can you do it for £50 for us, please?

£55. £55.

-I don't know, what do you think?

-You do like them.

Yeah, let's take a risk. That's what it's all about.

They are superb.

They are lovely.

-Are we saying yes?

-What do you think - £55?

I think they're great, honestly. I really like them.

-I think they're fun, and I would buy these.

-Yeah.

-£55. Is that what we're saying?

Are we going to shake on it? Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thanks very much. Thank you.

-We'll be finished in record time!

-Sorry!

-We've got two already.

-OK, we'll slow down now.

No, please, don't.

You're doing incredibly well.

You're doing extremely well.

I'm just not used to having decisive people!

I love it.

I think I'm going to have to lie down in a darkened room.

Both teams are reeling in the bargains

on an unheard-of scale.

We're less than 15 minutes in, and it's two bargains apiece.

I really like what we've bought.

I'm feeling confident. Very confident.

I think now we should play it that we calm down a little bit,

buy maybe a quality piece for a bit more money.

-Yes.

-I think that might be our strategy.

-Yes.

These girls are a miracle.

I mean, they're knowledgeable, they're decisive,

they're clear. They're clarity galore.

And in ten minutes or so, we've bought two lots.

And it's going swimmingly.

Time for the Reds to reflect, perchance.

Guys, we've had... This is a record, I think, for me.

-12 minutes for two purchases.

-Decisive buying.

-Decisive buying.

It may be decisive buying,

but it could all go up in smoke at the auction.

What do you think about that?

Is that an ashtray that appeals?

Or that little fellow.

You have to admire the mixture of material.

The timber that's been selected for the outer surround

of this ashtray is palisander wood,

which is a rich and exotic Brazilian hardwood

that looks a bit like rosewood,

and it takes an extremely fine polish.

And as such, is a very popular, quality cabinet wood

amongst the French and Italian cabinet-makers.

But what attracted me to these two things

is not so much the fact that this is an ashtray,

not so much that this is a match-holder.

But it's the mixture of the timber

and the silver and the enamel

which I find so appealing.

It's a sheet of silver

that's been planished in the Arts and Crafts manner.

That is, entirely worked by hand.

Look at all those little dents in the middle of the dish.

That's hundreds of thousands of hammer marks

from a tool around a mould,

as this thing has been shaped and formed.

And then we've got the stylised foliate decoration in the spandrels.

All very Arts and Crafts looking,

and, to cap it all,

the recesses have then been filled

with this gorgeous royal dark blue enamel

and fired to fix them

exactly in that position.

For me, this is a bit of modern design

that absolutely works.

And what's clever about it

is that if you filled that with matches,

on the other side of the clock itself

is a square of sandpaper.

That's your striker for the matches,

sitting in that receptacle.

Clever, isn't it?

Now, if you're sharp-eyed,

you'll make out it's got a little mark.

Here it is, look - "Ottaviani".

Sounds Italian, doesn't it?

925 next door to that - proving that it's continental assay,

and solid silver.

But the research thing to be done is to find out more about

Mr Ottaviani.

How good was he? Was he operating in the 1950s or '60s?

I don't know.

But I bet you

when these piece were made,

they were very expensive retail.

But they're not expensive here today

at Ally Pally.

In fact, I don't think anybody in this place

knows anything about Mr Ottaviani.

Hence...

the asking price for the two pieces

is £100.

Stupendo!

Or teams both made a somewhat stupendous start to their shopping,

so how are they doing now?

That's cute, isn't it?

Compressed oval teapot, early 19th century...

You're not taken by these things, are you?

Not really, to be honest.

No, that's fine.

You've done it all yourself so far,

so I just thought I would help.

JP clearly wants to make his mark on the Reds.

And as for Mark...

-I found the first lot, didn't I?

-Yes.

-And you loved it. You found the second lot.

-Yes.

So, Claire...my little petit pois...

Yes.

-You need to...

-It's my turn.

-It's your turn.

Mark is keeping the Blues on an even keel.

Now, these are proper antiques, you see.

-We've bought all mid-20th-century.

-It would nice to have an antique.

-Well, it would be nice. If you like it.

-I do, yeah.

So it's Claire's turn,

and they want a proper antique.

-Look at it!

-No.

-No?

I don't like that at all.

You see, I think that's really kitsch.

Yeah, in the garden.

-Or a bathroom.

-Yes!

-You know.

-I want to do that...

-It's a very contemporary market in London.

I'm sorry, I'm...

-Claire!

-I don't want a bath in your house!

-No, no, no.

-I think it's great.

I love it.

It's fascinating to look at.

You know.

Can we bring it out so we can look at it...?

It's very heavy, I think.

-I think it's amazing.

-It's great.

And if you told me this morning I'd be buying a picture of a swan...

Right, so Mark likes it and Helen likes it,

but whose choice should it have been?

Claire's!

I think she sees more of an ugly duckling

than a swan.

Oh, gosh, that really is heavy.

The only research I've done, I've looked at that name

and they make props for TV, so this has probably been on TV...

It probably has.

I like the 3D-ness of it.

-I think it's amazing.

-It is amazing.

I think it's absolutely amazing.

I absolutely love it.

I really do.

I think it's a fantastic thing.

If it was the right price, of course.

Well, Claire seems to have been won over,

but will they swan off with this?

Can we be cheeky as an opening gambit?

-Go on, then.

-And then you can laugh and give us what you really want for it?

-OK.

You said £200.

So if we said...

..we'll start at £100,

what would you say?

I'd say, "There's the exit"!

And quite rightly too. Quite rightly too.

It can be 160, and that's the death.

That's the death? Not £150?

No, no.

155?

155? Come on!

You had it that way. I saw that.

-That would round us up.

-That would round us up.

-Because we've already spent...

Go on, then.

Thank you very much!

-Sorry - was that all right?

-Go on.

There you go.

Thank you.

-Was that OK?

-I...

-We don't need you!

I know!

You carry on. I'm going.

I'm off.

That's nice!

That's exactly it, Mark.

Underneath, the legs are calm,

but above the water, they're flapping like a mad thing.

Speaking of flapping, are the Reds getting nervous about item number three?

That's an interesting little stand.

I did mention I wanted to buy something Chinese-made.

I'm thinking that piece over there looks particularly...

-That one there?

-Yeah. Curious.

-It's rather small.

Yes, it's Kangxi, which is the very, very best time for the production of porcelain.

I could do this for £45.

£45?

Yeah.

Sounds like quite a good deal to me.

-How much?

-He said £45.

£45.

Do you have any idea what sort of year that'd be?

Well, he's saying it's Kangxi, so it's circa 1700.

Aha. Jonathan, any thoughts?

Yes, boys. That bloke with the 'tache is your expert.

It's in nice condition. It's an old... It is an old bowl.

I mean, you're talking something which is over 300 years old.

You want to go for Chinese.

-It's not an enormous amount of money to be investing in the object.

-Yes.

-There's not much to lose.

I mean... And who knows what it might do.

I don't want to twist your arm too much, but if that's what... It's quite a good little gamble.

Would you be willing to part with that for £35?

No, I couldn't do that, I'm afraid.

£45 will be my best.

£45's your final. OK.

Er...yeah, go on, then. Shake hands.

Thanks very much.

Well done. Thank you. Beautiful piece.

Wonderful.

So that's it. Well done, Reds.

You too are done and dusted in well under an hour. Quick work.

Let's remind ourselves what they bought.

First of all, a 1960s globe cost them the unearthly sum of £70.

Then they took a little trip to Italy with this Murano glass jug

and splashed out £100 on it.

Finally, they ended up in the Far East,

with this Chinese porcelain dish, which they gave £45 for.

Jack, which is your favourite piece?

I'd go for the third one, the porcelain.

-That's your favourite?

-Yes.

-Do you agree with that?

-It's quite exotic. I reckon that can make some money.

-How much did you spend?

-£215 in total.

-£215 in total. So I'd like £85 of leftover lolly, please.

-Sure.

There we go. You don't like handing that over?

It's in the very, very capable hands of Jonathan here.

Well, it's going to go over.

JP, what are you going to spend £85 on?

Well...

they were so decisive. They bought everything they saw.

It was done in super-quick time.

-So I don't know.

-Are you just going to be reflective about it?

I'll be reflective. Wise, wise...a good investment.

A wise, good investment. We'll hold that thought.

We'll remind him of that when we get to the auction.

Anyway, good luck with that, JP.

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

The Blues started off with a Limoges enamel dish.

£30 paid for that.

For their second deal, they went for

this pair of Walter Bosse style dolphin bookends for £55.

Finally, they bought a 20th century mosaic panel

depicting a swan, paying £155 for it.

Now, Claire, which is your favourite piece?

I think the French decorative plate.

-That's your favourite?

-That's my favourite.

What about you, Hell's Bells?

-I LOVE the mosaic swan.

-OK.

Is that going to bring your biggest profit?

Who knows, but I think the plate might do it.

And what did you spend altogether?

£240.

-£240. Please may I have £60 of leftover lolly?

-You may.

The treasurer is going to produce the £60. Thanks very much, Hels.

Over to you, then, Mark, with my very best wishes.

Thank you, Tim.

-What are you going to spend it on?

-No worries.

I mean, I know exactly what these two girls are going to love.

And I've got my eye on it.

That sounds very, very promising.

-Let's hope so!

-Slightly ominous.

Good luck with that, Mark.

Meanwhile, why don't we head off to Hampstead - Fenton House, what, what?

The gardens here at Fenton House

offer a tranquil respite

from the hustle, bustle, smells and stresses of central London,

which is but a stone's throw away.

I can't stand here without taking at least a glimpse

at this statue.

What do you think it's made of?

Stone? No.

If you touch it, it's cold to the touch.

Give it a little tap - it's clearly metal.

This thing is made of cast lead.

But don't all lead statues look like lead - grey?

No. Not a bit of it.

In the 1730s,

when this was made by John Cheere,

it was all the rage to paint your lead statues

to resemble a real figure.

This is a rustic gardener.

That's why he's hanging onto a hoe,

and that's why he's so happy in this garden.

I love the dress, don't you?

The fact that his shirt has no buttons.

It's simply got this clasp,

which he'd use to shut up his shirt

if he felt it was a bit draughty.

The expression on his face

looks mighty dreamy to me.

But he's not the only fine figure to be housed here

at Fenton House.

The keys to Fenton House passed through the hands of many owners

since it was built in the late 17th century.

Its last private owner was Katherine, Lady Binning,

who came here in 1936.

She was a collector of many things, and amassed

this impressive collection of porcelain figures.

Did you ever go to a Punch and Judy show at the seaside when you were a nipper?

Well, if you did, and you enjoyed it,

500 years ago,

strolling players were going around the streets of European towns

doing knockabout-type humour.

And they were called the commedia dell'arte,

an Italian term for strolling street players.

And these characters are immortalised

in 18th-century porcelain terms

in little figurines like these.

This one is German,

and extremely rare,

and dates from the 1730s.

It was modelled in Meissen by Johann Kandler

and what I like about him in particular

is the mask that this harlequin is wearing.

Horrible, isn't it, in some respects?

It's got stars on it, it's got bats on it.

It's got a serious case of acne on it.

All of which is related to this man's humorous depiction

of a harlequin comedian.

He's dressed up in garb

the like of which is bound to be eye-catching.

And to make the point that they're revelling and having a great time,

he's gripping a jug that no doubt

held some foaming amber liquid.

On this side of the table,

we've got Lady Binning's taste in the seasons.

Both of these figures represent the same season.

Springtime.

This girl's holding a basket of spring flowers.

This one has flowers at her feet

and she's gripping a posy.

Both of these figures come from the rare West Country porcelain works

at Bristol, which was around between about 1770 and 1780.

What I think's quite fun

is the contrasting style of the two figures.

One is said to be neoclassical.

Well, I suppose her dress is neoclassical

and rather Grecian-looking.

The one on your left-hand side

is slightly more crudely modelled.

Although her dress is beautifully sprigged,

she is, it has to be said, considerably more chunky.

The big question today is,

what sort of a look are our teams going to have

over at the auction?

Well, we've come approximately ten miles south from Ally Pally

to High Road Auctions in Chiswick

to meet David Porter.

-David, good morning.

-Good morning to you, Tim.

Lovely to see you. Now, first up for the Reds

is this globe,

which isn't that old.

I think it's 1960s, late '60s,

judging from the stand, the teak stand.

It's a bit of fun. People love collecting globes.

And it'll fetch £40 to £60.

Will it? Good.

£70 paid by the team.

Next, my least fave object.

This so-called Murano jug.

-Murano-style. We have to say that.

-Oh, Murano-style.

Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, Murano-style.

I mean, it could have come from Romania, couldn't it, last week?

It could. And there are sections of it that look like

-paperweights.

-Mm-hm.

-You see there?

-The little millefiori.

-The millefiori pieces.

Do you rate it? Will it make any money?

I rate it £50 to £70.

-£100 they paid.

-That's quite a lot of money.

It's an original one-off piece. It's what we call the antiques of tomorrow.

Is it? I'm glad that came out of your lips, not mine.

OK. Lastly,

the traditional, uber-traditional, Chinese blue and white 18th century tea bowl.

Polygonal. In pretty good nick.

It's lovely condition for the period, which is 18th century.

I think its size and quality are lovely. I think it's a lovely piece.

-So what will it bring?

-I'd be between £100 and £200.

-How much?!

Over £100.

-Over £100?

-It's 18th century.

-£45 they paid.

-They'll be well on this.

-£100 to £200.

-Yes.

-Well, you'll be the all-round hero, David, if you achieve that.

On that happy note,

they're not going to need their bonus buy. But let's have a look at it anyway.

Right then, Jack and Sam. Two likely lads.

You spent £215. £85 went to Jonathan Pratt.

Jonathan, what did you spend it on?

When we were looking at that stall with the Chinese bowl on,

he had something that stood out as being the only English piece on there.

And it was this little thing.

It's a little silver card-marker.

So when you're playing cards... I don't know how you use these things, but you flip your little bit up...

and you use them to mark your score, I guess.

Nice thing about this is it's a Victorian one.

And it's rather crisp, rather pretty. Signs of gilding on the bottom.

So quite a nice quality object, quite collectable.

Would have probably been presented originally in a little velvet-lined box.

I spent £85.

-All of it?

-Which was all of it, yes.

Have a little handle.

Yes, please.

Just get the feel of it.

It's got a very nice weight to it.

Quality always sells. If it lost money,

it would be losing pence.

I can't see it'd be worth less than £85, I really can't.

-I think it's a decent item.

-Happy?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Once we've seen the Murano jug sell, you never know...

The less said about the Murano jug, the better.

Now, for the audience at home,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about JP's little marker.

Well, Jonathan Pratt's done well here. Look at that.

This is a lovely piece. Late Victorian.

1894.

Hallmarked at the back.

There's a little silver-gilt panel here

that lifts it from other pieces.

Sign of quality. Hallmarks all the way round here.

As we turn it over, it's functional, it works.

It's all in there. The condition's good.

It's a piece that I think is absolutely charming.

We've put £60 to £100 on it.

Have you? Is that all?

£85 Jonathan paid.

For anybody who likes their little novelty pieces of silver,

if you played bezique, or you played whist...

-Absolutely.

-You could actually use it.

-Yes.

Anyway, your estimate is £60 to £100.

Jonathan paid £85

and I jolly well hope it makes over the ton.

That would be brilliant.

That's it for the Reds.

Now for the Blues.

Something completely different.

The Limoges enamel little bowl.

This is a tourist piece.

It's beautifully done, I have to say.

We've not put a lot of money on it.

Lots of them would have been made.

Condition is all-important with enamel, because you can't repair it.

Or you have to know a very good craftsman.

There are very few left.

We've put a modest price of £20 to £30 on it.

It could make that.

Don't bang yourself up. They only paid £30.

And anybody who knows anything about it will pay £30 for that.

-Yes.

-Because it's not, as you say, damaged

-and that's the important thing.

-Exactly right.

Not made very long ago, though.

Next are the rather stylish bookends.

-When do you think these were made?

-1960s.

You can tell from the stylisation of the fish.

It's a bit of fun.

I think, really, £40 to £60 on these.

Not a lot more.

They only paid £55. They paid the right price.

They paid something spot-on in the middle of your estimate.

And lastly, and not least...

is this massive mosaic panel.

This is most interesting, David, isn't it?

This is the opposite of micro-mosaic, basically.

This is mosaic on a large scale.

And actually, the more you look at it, the more detail

and the more quality is there, in fact.

This would have taken a lot of time to make.

That is, to me, an incredible piece of work.

I love the way down the swan's torso

you get the sharper, flintier lengths of glass.

I mean, I cannot believe the amount of work in that.

-The time it would have taken.

-It's unbelievable.

-So what do you think it's worth? £40 to £80.

-Is that all?

It's speculative, Tim. It's a very hard thing to put an estimate on.

Well, the team paid £155,

in the hope that it'll make substantially more.

Well, it's a speculative piece.

But you can only do what you can do, David.

This is going to be very exciting,

because our team's hopes are seriously pinned on that thing.

And if all goes badly, they're going to need the bonus buy.

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

Helen and Claire, this is the exciting moment.

What did Mark Stacey spend your £60 of leftover lolly on?

-Mark.

-Are you ready?

Small, but beautifully formed. I had my eye on something beautiful for you.

That had gone, so I had to choose this.

I mean, it's a lovely piece of silver.

Anything heart-shaped, I absolutely love it.

That is gorgeous.

-I know you like your names, you two, don't you?

-We do.

And it's by Tiffany's.

Ah!

How much did you pay for that?

Quite a lot of money.

£55.

That's all right.

Sometimes the names can sell these things, can't they, Tim?

Certainly can. You say "Mark Stacey", people know it's expensive.

It's all in the name!

-Do you like it, Claire? Would it be the sort of thing you'd buy?

-Yes.

I really do like this.

Yes. And you've been so put-upon, haven't you, because all your choices have been removed from you?

-Yes.

-Nobody ever allowed you to do what you wanted to do.

-No.

-So it's nice that you've got something you can really bond with now.

And I will be blaming her

should everything go wrong!

Exactly. You're not sisters for nothing!

Absolutely. Good.

OK. Well, on that happy, familial note,

we'll go and find out for the audience at home

what the auctioneer thinks about Mark's little dish.

Well, here we go. Isn't that sweet?

Isn't it lovely?

Solid silver.

Beautiful style.

Turn it over, and we find it's by Tiffany.

Anything by Tiffany, you have quality, basically.

This is in the form of this lovely flower petal,

-with these on top.

-What's your estimate?

-£50 to £80.

Perfect! Mark Stacey only paid £55, the cunning monkey,

and I think he's got it absolutely spot-on.

-Anyway, we'll find out in a minute, won't we?

-We will.

-We will.

Sam, Jack, this is it. You're on the edge.

-Happy?

-Yes, indeed. Looking forward to this one.

I bet you are.

First up is the globe on the teak stand.

And here it comes.

Lot number 130

is the brass gimbal-mounted globe.

I've got interest in this at £25.

30. 35.

Yeah.

40, new bidder.

With you, madam, at 40.

45 on the internet.

50 now.

55 with you.

£60.

Yes.

65?

Thank you. 65.

She's gone with it.

£65 is bid.

-£70.

-Ooh, lovely.

Wiped your face!

Are you sure? One more bid?

Come on.

75.

Yes! She's done at 75.

At £75...

Selling in the gallery at £75.

Sold.

Yes, well done!

Plus £5.

Love it. OK, now...Murano.

Murano-style art glass.

25.

30.

35.

Good lord!

You'll need to go 40.

I have 35 in the room.

Are we going 40?

£35, your bid, sir.

At 35. I have to sell this.

Selling for £35.

40, new bid.

40... £45.

50. £55.

60.

£65.

70.

He's back in the game at 70.

75.

80.

Selling this fine piece for £80.

Fantastic result.

Last chance, sir. You might regret it. 80 it is.

Sold.

That's decent. That's all right.

Anyway, that is minus £20.

You're minus £15 overall now.

And we're going to go with your Chinese pot.

Let's see this go. I've got a good feeling about this.

132 is the late-17th-century

Kangxi blue and white.

45. 50.

5. 60.

Sam, you're my man!

70 here. Do you want to go 80, sir?

80 I have.

85, new bidder. 90.

95 on the internet.

£100 with you, sir.

£110.

£120.

With you, sir. 120 and selling.

Sold for £120.

Plus £75. Plus £75 - how can that be?!

Plus £75. You are a genius.

Overall, you're plus £60.

Wonderful. You have pounds for pints here.

I'm very happy.

Now, what are you going to do about the card-marker?

£85 paid.

Do you want to ringfence your £60, which is take-home money,

or chance it by going with the Victorian silver card-marker?

Stick or twist?

You only live once.

-I think we should not go for it.

-Are you going to stick?

I think we should stick. We've got a healthy profit there.

We're not now going with the bonus buy. We're going to sell it anyway.

Lot number 136, the Victorian little silver playing-card marker.

Hallmarked for 1894. It's a lovely little piece.

I've got £55 on the internet. Do you want to join in now?

-£55.

-Come on!

At 60. It's against you on the internet.

The bid's in the room at 60.

65 on the net.

Selling to the internet at £65.

Bid's there with the net.

£65.

You did well. You did well. You resisted. It's minus £20.

But on another day, I tell you,

that thing is 120 notes' worth.

But it's another day.

You've done what you've done. You've got your £60. That could be a winning score.

Don't say a dickie bird to the Blues.

Now, Hel and Clairey, how are you feeling?

-Bit nervous.

-Are you?

What have you got to be nervous about, Claire?

I think I'm nervous about the swan.

The swan mosaic.

-Are you?

-Yes.

-Why's that?

Cos I wasn't sure about it.

If the worst comes to the worst,

you've got the Tiffany silver dish to fall back on.

Anyway, first up is the Limoges enamel dish. Here it comes.

Lot number 150

is the 20th-century Limoges.

And let's start the bidding at £30.

35 now.

I've got 35 on the internet.

Yes! Come on!

On the internet at 40.

I'm going to sell it to the internet at £40.

45.

Excellent!

We like this!

We'll sell to the internet, £45.

-Thank you, internet.

-Thank you, internet.

It's a good start.

That's good.

Now...the bronze bookends.

I have a bid of £10.

These are unusual. They're a bit of fun. 15. 20.

Stay up. It's going up.

We're up to £30. It's all on the internet.

35. 40.

The internet's great!

Do you want to come in? I've got £40 on the internet.

45, if you like.

With the internet at £40.

£40, then.

£40. Minus £15.

You had £15 profit.

Now you've got absolutely nothing.

Bring out the big guns now.

-This is the big one.

-The mosaic.

Make or break.

We've got a large mosaic.

It's an elegant swan.

Bit of fun, this. I've got £45 on the telephone.

Do you want to come in now on the internet?

This can't go for £45! I want to cry.

Me too.

Am I going to sell the swan for £45?

It's your last chance to buy it on the net.

Oh, no, please!

50 on the internet.

At £50. Bid's on the net.

55 in the room.

The telephone bid is £55.

For £55, then.

Sold to the telephone.

I tell you, girls, what a tragedy that is.

But don't worry about it.

It's minus £100.

You made 15. You lost 15.

You just lost 100.

So, are we going to go with the Tiffany dish?

I think so.

We've got to. We trust you.

-Yes, trust in Mark.

-Yes.

This is a lovely little Tiffany piece.

Silver dish. It's a lovely piece for 50, ladies and gentlemen.

55.

Well, we've wiped our face with it.

With the internet. Are we going to sell it for 55?

Last chance.

No, no! Come on.

Oh, no!

For £55.

Sold.

No shame in that, old boy.

Overall, then, it's minus £100.

The thing to do is to go out and look really cocky.

Go and strut your stuff.

Absolutely. You'll scare those boys.

And we will reveal all in a moment.

Well, what is extraordinary about Bargain Hunt

is that we go shopping in the same place,

the same amount of money,

the same opportunity to do brilliantly well or not so well.

But yet, things can go...

still so terribly wrong for one team

and do so terribly well for the other.

And the team that's done most terribly badly today

are the Blues.

We've got minus £100 here.

Yes!

Which is quite a number.

Particularly when you go for the most fantastic mosaic picture that lets you down.

So hats off for being brave.

I'm sorry it didn't work out. Have you enjoyed it?

I loved it, every minute.

You're not going to burst into tears on me, are you?

You've been great, you two. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mark.

-It could have gone better on another day.

-Yes.

Because the boys

are managing to go home with money in their pockets.

They're going home with £60. There's your £60.

Thank you very much.

Talk about bravo.

I mean, Sam's the man when it comes to the old Orientals.

So, from that point of view, congratulations on that.

Altogether a good team effort.

And very satisfactory, yes?

-Loved every second.

-We loved having you on the show. In fact, we've loved it so much,

why don't you join us soon for some more bargain-hunting? Yes?

ALL: Yes!

I know you're sitting there 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!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd