Anglesey 15 Bargain Hunt

We're on the island of Anglesey today.

Dublin's that way, Liverpool's that way.

All the antiques are that way so let's go bargain-hunting, yeah.

The Mona Showground is the venue for our teams today.

Each with £300 and an hour to shop for three items,

there should be no stopping them.

So, let's have a quick peek as to what's coming up.

The Reds need to focus on the job in hand.

-Got another item to buy and not much time to do it.

-Oh, my.

While the Blues seem to have a one-track mind.

-Is it a stagecoach lamp?

-It's a carriage lamp.

What is the obsession with lights? I was looking at that lamp.

But before we give too much away, let's meet the teams.

Now, we have two teams of friends on the show today.

For the Reds we have Nicky and Marian

and for the Blues, Alex and Hayley. Hello, everyone. Lovely to see you.

Now, Marian, you had a very important experience this year.

-I went to Glastonbury for the first time.

-You never did!

-I have.

-You raver.

-And I've got a ticket for next year.

-Have you?

-What tempted you?

-My son.

-Oh, was it?

-He said I had to go before a certain age and I did.

-Good for him.

What was the best bit at Glastonbury?

Watching Professor Green was brilliant.

-And the London Community Gospel Choir was amazing.

-How long did you go for?

-Five nights.

-You were there for the full Monty, then. Good for you.

-It says that you've also found your calling.

-Yes, modern jive.

-This year, I jived through Cuba.

-How did you find Havana?

Havana, different. Scary.

And you go into a cafe and they dance and sing

and do whatever they do with the music.

-At the cafe table.

-It's great.

Nicky, you've got a bit of passion in you, too. Tell us about it.

I'm a big Madness fan so I'm reliving my youth,

following Madness around the country.

How many times have you seen them?

-20-something.

-And you collect things connected with Madness.

Yes, we've got a games room at home

and it's full of Madness memorabilia,

bunting and pictures.

Does this mean you've got another half who is equally mad about it?

No, he doesn't like Madness at all.

How do you girls think you are going to get on together? All right?

I think we'll do well.

We work OK together, so I'm sure we'll shop OK together.

It will be interesting for us to see, and good luck today.

Thank you very much.

-Now, Alex, you're a thespian.

-Yes.

-Tell us about that.

I started doing a little bit of amateur dramatics after I left school

but in the past 12 months I've gone into a bit of professional acting.

I'm in quite a few well-known adverts at the moment

and will be over the next 12 months or so. So keep an eye out.

What sort of things do your adverts advertise?

At the moment, mostly cars.

It's not only on screen that you do entertaining things

because you think you could teach us a thing or two, don't you?

Nothing personal, but I do like to dabble behind the camera,

as well. And I've created a series on a well-known internet programme site.

-Is it doing well? Are you getting a few hits?

-It's doing very well.

A few episodes have over 19,000 views

so I'm very impressed with myself indeed.

Hayley, you also enjoy treading the boards, darling. Tell us about that.

Yes, I've done that since leaving school and one year, when

we were doing a production of Sweeney Todd,

I played the part of Mrs Lovett.

It was a very warm evening in Liverpool

and we had all of the windows and doors open.

At the end of the play my character has an accident with an oven.

At that point I had to let out a blood-curdling scream.

So I did that and it went down very well, and we were packing up

and getting changed and ready to go home

and suddenly the neighbourhood was flooded with police.

One of the neighbours had reported hearing a female in distress.

My screaming face was all over the local press.

-Now, how do you feel about taking £300?

-Fantastic.

Everybody happy with taking the £300? Glad to hear that.

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

and very good luck.

Hoping to come up stinking of roses is...

And going all flower power on us is...

Hey, man. Cool.

-Ladies, I'm loving this. A bit of girl power.

-Definitely.

What's going to appeal to you? Can you say?

-I think you are looking for...

-I like lighting.

I wouldn't mind looking at some lamps.

-I'd like a nice piece of jewellery.

-OK.

I'm getting competitiveness. We've only just started.

Just a small, small...

Look, we're surrounded by these beautiful antiques. Let's go.

Here's a stall. Let's have a look. Is this you? Thanks very much.

Right, the clock's started, teams,

and the Reds aren't wasting any time.

This stall caught my eye because it is really brightly coloured.

-Good, good.

-I love that orange.

You do remember we have a budget of £300?

Let's get her away from the orange.

You've got expensive taste, Nicky.

Now the Blues are trying to get a slice of the action.

That's the opening of Wembley Stadium. How interesting.

It's got its packaging, for what it's worth.

Just a little cardboard carton. And Wembley Stadium of old is no more.

Yes.

Do you know, it does it for me but I think it's worth £15-25 at auction.

-How much are we saying there?

-It says 28.

-How does that grab you?

If we can get a bit lower, I'd be more confident with it.

I think you need to get it a lot lower

but it's not out of the question.

-I think it's worth having a punt.

-I'm going to try.

-OK, you know what you want to pay for it.

-Wish me luck.

-Good luck.

Excuse me?

We're looking at £28, and is that your very best on it?

-We'll do it for you for 25.

-Can you take maybe, say, £12?

-No, we can't go down to that, I'm afraid.

-Can I give you 20, then?

-No, I'm afraid you can't.

-He's trying, though.

-What did you say, 25?

-OK, we have a deal.

-What have you done, Alex?

Have you blown the budget?

-We don't own a cake knife, do we?

-Yes, we do.

-OK. Not shy in holding back. You better hit us with it, then.

-OK, 25.

OK, you waded in.

You never know who is going to be there so...

-I suspect a shorter leash might be required with Alex?

-Maybe.

Come here, you.

He just didn't listen, Paul. You said £15.

But we'll find out later how it gets on.

-Now, are the Reds being any wiser?

-We've got these beautiful owls.

Anything with owls on it really sells well.

-Although I have a feeling those will be marked up.

-What are they?

They're what we call menu-markers.

You'd have a name card or a menu card in there.

There will be a little slot in the back where you could slot

the card into. But very beautiful.

Sadly, Samson Mordan will be way over your budget, girls.

The enamel on this butterfly here is really beautiful.

It's on its own and unboxed but we can always ask on the price.

Hi there. Could we ask about the butterfly menu-marker?

What's that marked up at?

Often you find these things that were used on a day-to-day basis

-have had a knock.

-Enamel's perfect on it.

-It is pretty, isn't it?

-Really beautiful.

So that is marked up at £145.

-That's quite a lot.

-It is quite a lot. Birmingham 1914.

Would it sell well, being a single one?

It's difficult because a set will always add a premium.

But you'll always have to pay for a set.

One by itself, because it is a butterfly, and the enamel is in good

condition, I think somebody would buy this as a work of art in itself.

Having said that, if I were to put this into my auction house,

I would be looking at somewhere in the region of £60-£100,

maybe 80-120 on a good day.

Would there be any negotiation on the price?

Probably the best I could do on that would be 120.

Which would be towards the top end of my estimate.

So we would have to be fortunate on the auction day.

I think it's one to keep in the pipeline because it is a really

beautiful thing.

So, no buy yet for the Reds

but always good to have something to flutter back to.

Meanwhile, Paul's spotted something of a timepiece.

The clock garniture up there, with the two breezy flanking figures,

-is that your...?

-It is, in a way. Hayley, what do you think?

I think we need something that grabs us but has a profit in it, for sure.

We all like a profit, Paul.

-Now, the Reds have gone all modern on us.

-I like this vase.

The black and white one? That's fab, isn't it? Marked at £119.

-That would look nice in my house.

-What have you got at home?

-You're a bit of an '80s fan, aren't you?

-I'm particularly into Madness.

I think you can't listen to Madness and not smile.

-They don't make songs that make you miserable.

-She can even do the walk.

Show me the walk. Show me the walk. Go on.

Brilliant. I love it.

I think they need more practice.

And you've not bought anything yet. Come on, girls.

That's enough madness for one day, surely.

The Blues have spotted something.

-That's right up their street. They wanted lights.

-There's your lamps.

-Is that what you were talking about?

-Yeah, plenty here.

-Anything for you?

-That's interesting.

-This Art Deco affair here?

Yeah, I like the geometric design. The shape on top I really like.

-That was a head-turner but below it, that's more to my taste.

-Right.

-What do you think?

-It looks like we've got an alabaster plinth base.

And we've got a cast

and anodised figure of a little girl with a peacock or a pheasant.

It's £50-80 under the hammer.

I suspect it's going to be priced a lot more than that.

-But we have to ask. Open up the dialogue, have we not?

-Yes.

-Hello there. Is this yours?

-Yes.

My friend Hayley admires your lamps.

The large piece, I really like the geometric design on top.

That's a real head-turner.

As we've come closer, the one below it is more to my taste.

The phenolic one, that's £350.

Right, OK.

The other one is French and that's probably 1930s.

It's an original globe, and those globes, to find them

actually with an original globe on is fairly unusual.

That's around £80, £90.

Right.

The one you like is the one that's got most life in it,

for our purposes, hasn't it?

Are you the kind of man we can haggle with, or not?

I like a good haggle.

Hayley, you like the girl

and that's the one that's the better price.

What could it be? Can you be generous?

I could do it for 75.

It's entirely up to you.

I mean, I must admit, I do personally like it.

-It's head over heart here.

-Yeah.

I think it's your call, Hayley.

What do your guts tell you? What does your instinct tell you?

Yea or nay?

Let's... You like the first item, I like this.

-And then we'll try and make some money on the third.

-Yes.

-Wonderful. Sale. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Shake the man's hand.

-Hope you enjoy it.

So, the Blues are switched on, but the Reds need to march a bit.

-What do you think about this?

-Aww, clothes!

-Clothes!

We're not here to do clothes shopping,

we're here to shop for antiques.

Vintage is very, very in at the moment.

I've just seen some boots.

Can I have a look at the boots?

See what you think. I'll have a look round here.

Walk away from the boots, girls.

-I love that.

-You can't have it. Get out of there.

# You're unbelievable... #

But Hayley's spotted something interesting.

I don't know a lot about medals.

I'm wondering if you do, if there's anything unusual or rare.

There may be a margin in it?

Well, what I see there, in all honesty,

are First and Second World War British campaign medals.

-Right.

-Anyone that served got given them

and because there are so many out there, what are they worth?

Burma Star, £25, you know?

These items are very emotive,

but they do have to be at the right price.

Meanwhile, the ladies have found something sparkly.

We've got some good named makers here.

The dress clips, I mean, they scream Art Deco.

This wonderful combination of colours.

And you've got a pair of them, as well,

so you would have worn them on your dress straps.

They're really lovely and sparkly and quite appealing.

Do you think that's saleable?

I do think it's saleable and, of course,

you've got the two of them, as well.

With a nice cocktail dress or something like that.

Yeah, they'd really zhoosh up a nice dress, wouldn't they?

I just think they're really pretty.

They're marked up at £42 for the pair.

What's your thoughts on that?

-Do you like them?

-I actually quite like them.

I've never even heard of dress clips. I didn't know they existed.

-Well, you'd wear them on your...

-On your strap or something.

-Quite.

You'd put them just to zhoosh up a nice dress like that.

What are your thoughts on that?

-I like them.

-Those are quite nice.

What do you think they would fetch at the auction?

I think if you were to put them in by themselves, I think

you'd probably be looking at maybe £20 or £30.

They're never going to be big bucks.

-Is this for the pair?

-Yes, yes.

Having said that, you have got a missing stone there,

which would be a bit of a worry.

So, maybe we could get that reflected in the price.

They are quite pretty.

Shall we see what we can do?

Where's our lady?

Hi, there. Hello. Hi.

-My ladies have just... Well, I have just...

-Fallen in love.

-She's persuaded us.

-They're marked up at £42.

What would be the best that you could do on them?

We have got a bit of a missing stone.

Oh, have we got a missing stone?

-Yes.

-Sorry, I didn't see that.

It is difficult to see, isn't it?

We've got one there.

And one there, actually.

And one there. So, three missing.

Very, very best price, 25.

What's your thoughts? We've got to agree on this.

-Yes.

-Go on, yes.

-Shake the lady's hand?

-Yes.

-Brilliant.

-Thank you very much. Very kind.

-Thank you ever so much.

A great pleasure. I hope you make some money out of them.

So do we. First one down, well done, ladies.

Brilliant, Reds. We love a bit of glitz and glamour on this show.

-Yes.

-Yes. Let's go.

Look at that!

Lot of bronzes.

Those brightly coloured pieces keep drawing the Reds in.

See, this is quite funky, isn't it?

Not my cup of tea, necessarily, but it's quite fun.

I don't know whether it's my cup of tea, I just thought it is...

-It's eye-catching.

-It's eye-catching, it is.

So, we've got a 1960s French studio pottery cheese platter

with bamboo handle.

I think it's nice. You've got nice, bright colours.

Would it have mass appeal at auction? I don't know.

-I don't know whether it would or wouldn't.

-I like that, as well.

This is quite fun, as well.

It's probably more representative of the 1960s.

It's quite funky, isn't it? Have we got a name on this?

-Ah, we've got an impress mark just on there.

-What does that mean?

Well, that will be stuck with a name.

It says France and then a model number.

So it's great that you've got that impress mark.

Is this the kind of thing that you wanted to buy today?

I think something a little bit quirky. A little bit different.

Not necessarily ever so old.

I can see that, if we got this at the right price,

it might make a profit. It's stylish,

it's quite funky, it's quite fun.

Like Nicky and Marian, really.

Shall we ask the lady how much?

I think we stand an outside chance if we get it for £15 or £20.

Hi, there. We were just looking at this dish here.

What would be your very best price on that?

-Probably do it for 20.

-For 20.

What's your thoughts on that, ladies?

Squeeze you down maybe to 18?

It's so tough...

Ideally, we would be looking for £15, that sort of region.

Can't go that low.

I could meet you with 18, but I couldn't go down to 15.

Are you sure?

-Pretty certain.

-What's your thoughts, ladies? It's your...

18's not bad.

-Are you happy with that?

-I think so.

-OK, right.

Thank you very much.

Well done, Reds. That's just one item needed now for both teams.

I don't know quite what I'm looking at. Is it a stagecoach lamp?

-It's a carriage lamp. Yes.

-Can I just ask one thing?

What is the obsession with lights?

It's interesting. How much are they?

Is there any money in this?

There can be. If this was in decent condition and it had its partner,

if you could get it for £30 or £40, the pair,

I'd say "OK. It's worth a punt."

-But you wouldn't be making a fortune.

-Right.

And we do need to make a fortune, otherwise we're walking home.

I'd like you to make a fortune.

And how are you feeling about it all, Christina?

We've spent very little money,

which in a way is probably a good thing,

in another way, I think, with our third item,

what I'd really like to do is spend big.

-We need to hurry up!

-Time's running out!

It's taken so long to pick up two items, hasn't it?

I know, and we haven't spent very much, either.

But I'm not sure I want to blow the budget, really.

-But we do need to spend a bit more.

-Yes, I think we do.

-Quickly.

You do, Reds. And chop chop.

What is this obsession with lights, Alex?

I was looking at that lamp, as much as I eat my words on lamps.

I quite like that, actually.

Dare I say, it's got a bit of industrial chic going for it.

-I quite like it.

-That's an uncommon lamp.

Would we have any trouble with the old wiring?

You cut that flex off, you've got no worries at all.

I think that's extremely unusual.

It's not doing itself justice.

This is chrome plated, bit of chrome polish is going to bring that up.

If you want to touch up these, fair enough.

But, at the end of the day, it dates to when? 1925, 1930.

It wants to show its age.

It's a proper collector's item.

It will be an antique in a decade's time.

And of course... Is this how it works?

See. Look at this reflector. Do you see how it works?

That's really nice.

It's actually rather ingenious, as well as visually striking.

It's a clever design.

So, what are we waiting for, then? Why don't we find out?

Give me two ticks.

That's really good. I can't believe it does that trick, as well.

I know, it's fantastic. I just hope it's a good price.

Oh, here he is, with the news.

-Your last lamp cost you?

-75.

-How much do you think that's going to cost you?

-55.

Hopefully less than 75.

35.

25? 23?

It's 20 quid!

-Oh, I was try to get a bit lower. That's fantastic.

-20 quid?

It's £20. For my money, it's there.

-So, we've done it, guys, yeah?

-Yes, we're going for it.

-Whoa!

-Two lamps. And a knife that we won't mention.

-Never again.

Unless it makes a fortune,

-and then we can eat some humble pie with the knife.

-Yes.

A-ha, yes indeed, Hayley. Great, Blues. Shopping done.

But the Reds are running out of time and seen to be in a bit of a panic.

We've got another item to buy and not much time to do it in.

We thought we'd head back towards the menu thing.

We'll see if we can find a fallback, in case

we can't knock him down any more.

We'd like to knock him down a bit more.

-Ladies, if it's still there.

-Oh, quick!

Go on, then, Reds!

And, if it's not there, we'll all be in trouble.

So, that's it, there.

Oh, that's lucky.

-OK, right. Hi!

-It's still there.

Could we have a look at it again, see what you think?

My ladies aren't keen on this, but I'm saying to them,

it could make a profit at the right price.

-Not keen on the price.

-What's your very best?

If I was to give you that at £100,

-you would certainly make a profit on it.

-We've got five minutes left.

That's the very best I can do on it.

-100?

-Is that the very, very best?

-It is.

I've checked it in my itinerary.

-Not even 95?

-No, I couldn't.

-Not even another £5?

-Oh, go on.

What can I do? Surrounded by three beautiful ladies.

Here we go! Please!

-Oh, go on.

-I really think you should go for it, honestly.

I really think we should go for it.

-95.

-95?

-95.

-You happy at that?

Shake the man's hand. Stop the clock!

Hey, that's my line, Christina!

So, let's remind ourselves what they bought.

First up, the girls paid £25

for the Art Deco style dress clips.

They spent £18 on the retro brown French art pottery dish.

And the silver and blue enamel butterfly menu-holder

fluttered off to auction for £95.

Well, girls, how's it been for you?

-Wonderful.

-Has it?

-Brilliant.

-Been good, Marian?

-Yeah.

-Which is your favourite piece?

-I like the brown dish.

-Brown dish.

That sounds like a technical term.

What does brown dish translate to in expert speak?

-French art pottery leaf dish.

-Very good.

Brown dish. We've got that.

-Which is your favourite piece?

-Dress clips.

-Dress clips.

Yes, a bit Deco, sparkly.

Are they going to bring the biggest profit?

-Probably the clips.

-Probably the clips.

-You've spent how much?

-£138.

£138. I would like £162, please.

Coming out, very beautifully presented.

Do you want this £2, as well?

-Yes, I do.

-I might need it.

I tell you, this one here, she is very demanding!

-Thank you very much.

-She likes the full monty.

Now, what are you going to go and spend it on?

They're quite difficult to please.

I've got to find a nice middle ground. I want to make them happy.

-I hope you're going to spend the lot.

-I'll do my very best for you.

I'm sure you will. Good luck with that.

Meanwhile, why don't we check out what the Blue Team bought, hey?

The 1924 Wembley commemorative

cake knife with box cost them £25.

£75 was spent on the mid-20th-century lamp

depicting a girl and a bird.

And, finally, lamp number two was the 1930s chrome

and black painted tilted number which cost £20.

Well, you happy trio.

Now, tell me which is your favourite piece, Hayles?

I like the first lamp we bought, with the girl and the bird.

The first lamp with the girl and the bird. Do you agree with that?

No, mine has to be the knife, the Wembley knife.

That's your favourite favourite?

-My favourite.

-But that won't bring the biggest profit, will it?

Possibly not. No, I think the biggest profit

will definitely be the last lamp that we got.

-Do agree with that?

-Yeah, it's got the best margin.

How much did you spend in total?

-£120.

-£180 for leftover lolly.

Thank you very much. That's a disappointing spend, I have to say.

I saw you young ones going out there and blowing the lot.

But, nevertheless, it means that the old boy's got

a nice wodge to go off with.

What are you going to do with that lot?

Tim, I kid you not. I'm drained. Drained!

Hope something jumps out at me.

OK, well, good luck with it all.

Now, I'm going to show you

a little something that I've found earlier, which just

reinforces why it's a first-class reason to put pen to paper.

What do you do at home with all those irritating little bits

and pieces that are sitting around in the kitchen?

Well, in 1900, in your study, you would have had one of these things.

It's a wirework letter or stationery rack.

And, if you look carefully, the wire is in two strands

and each bit has been interwoven to make a perfect grille.

There's actually quite a lot of work in late-Victorian terms

creating this little novelty.

And then, as if to remind you what it's for,

you put a plaque on the front saying "letters".

Sweet, isn't it?

Well, I think it is. In perfect condition,

just a little bit of cleaning up to the gilding is all it needs.

And the one thing to write home about with regard to this

is the price.

Which is only £20, which I promise you is not expensive.

What happens, though, if your eyesight's a bit dicky?

You reach for your specs, don't you?

This 1930s spectacle case reveals a surprise.

Because the glasses inside don't date from the 1930s.

What's special about them are these folding panels.

Fold that bloke back like that and that fellow back like that

and they go to make side shields,

filled with a fine metal gauze.

Do they fit?

You betcha they fit!

Those wire bits grip your ear holes

and the whole thing wraps around your face perfectly.

And why would you use them?

Because you'd be sitting in a very early motorcar,

probably in 1900, doing 15mph,

on a bright and sunny day,

hence you need the tinted glasses.

What you don't want is dust and muck and flies going into your eyes,

hence these rather chic side mesh grilles

will prevent any of that.

The big question is, do they look cool? Yes.

Do they look £20-worth cool?

Yes. And that is the right answer.

Because that's what these specs would cost you

here in the middle of wet Wales.

What might they be worth?

On a good day, in an optical sale,

I would say between £100 and £200.

Now that is cool.

# Oh, yeah

# Ooh

# Oh, yeah... #

Well, it's very nice to be in Knutsford with

Nick Hall from Frank Marshall auctioneers.

-Nick, good morning to you.

-Welcome, Tim. Good morning to you.

For our Reds today, their first item are these Art Deco clips.

Yeah, Art Deco style, I think.

-But decorative, all the same.

-Aren't they just?

But missing all these stones. That's a bit of a problem, isn't it?

Yeah, it must have been a raucous night out

at the party they were worn at.

There's a few missing there.

They're collectable, aren't they, Nick?

Yeah, costume jewellery sells well. The condition is a factor.

So, how much?

-£10, £15.

-OK, £25 paid.

So they're near enough on the money.

Next is the so-called Vallauris-style dish.

I mean, for me, I really hate this treacly stuff.

You either like it or you loathe it,

and I'm afraid it doesn't do it for me. They paid £18.

Well, there is a little bit of a market now

for this retro '60s design.

We haven't gone crazy, we've got £25, £30 on it.

And, quite frankly, for £18, what you get for your money.

-It's in good condition. That's the main thing.

-It is.

-And it's sort of interior designer friendly.

-Yes. All right, fine.

25 to 30. Well, they'll be delighted if you get anywhere near that, Nick.

Now, the last item is the butterfly menu-holder, which is

their big ticket number.

OK. There's a little bit of an issue with this.

We've catalogued it to the hallmark and the hallmark is quite clear

and on the base and the hallmark is genuine 1914.

It's the enamel butterfly that is rested on the top.

He hasn't been there since 1914.

OK, fine. So it flitted in later. Got welded on.

So, a bit of alteration there,

-which I guess will affect the value somewhat?

-It would.

I mean, if the whole thing was genuine, it would

easily make £100, £150, if not more.

We've put £50-£80, cos it's decorative,

although not truly original.

Well, this may be a body blow for the team, because they paid £95.

But there we are. You never know. OK, Nick. Thanks very much for that.

On the basis that the butterfly might be a bit off kilter,

they'll need their bonus buy. So, let's go and have a look at it.

Well, this is exciting, isn't it?

-Very exciting.

-You gave £162.

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

-It is!

And Christina, you are known as a spendthrift.

You love to go out and blow the lot, I know.

So show us what you blew the lot on.

-You ready?

-Yes, ready for this.

-There you go.

-Wow.

-Do you know what it is?

-A letter-opener, I'm guessing.

-Yes, exactly.

-Before the days of e-mails, we actually had post.

-It's a dog!

THEY LAUGH

She's quick, isn't she?

It's a retriever.

How much did you spend?

I spent all of £7 on it.

Really? £7?

I gave you £162, you promised me

you were going to blow the lot!

How much do you think it will actually fetch?

Well, if that came into my auction house,

I'd put maybe £25-£30 on it.

It's a nice thing.

Which means it's an extremely good buy for £7.

-Do agree with that?

-Definitely.

-Lovely.

I think the girls are feeling quite warm about this. Good.

Right, on that happy note, why don't we find out

from the auctioneer for the viewers at home, of course, what he thinks?

There we go. One letter knife for the use of.

A nice gun dog on the end there.

Yes, it's sort of country pursuits friendly, isn't it, really?

We're in the heart of Cheshire here. Someone will be interested,

just as a little knick-knack for the desk.

No, very nice. How much do you rate that at?

-We put £10, £15 on it.

-OK, fine.

-She only paid

-£7. Brilliant.

That seems to be a bit of a snip.

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

The British Empire Exhibition Wembley commemorative cake knife.

Yeah, there's a mouthful. A mouthful of cake, if you like.

I mean, marvellous, isn't it, that in those pulsating

days in between the wars, such a thing would have been produced?

Yeah. There is a following.

Again, it hits that sort of retro, nostalgia market.

Not in great condition. In a bit of a box.

OK, how much, Nicholas?

Well, because of the condition of the box, 10 to 15.

OK, £25 paid.

Still close enough on that.

Next, it's the figural lamp that looks mid-'30s,

but might be a few years out of period.

-How do you rate that?

-We've catalogued it as mid-20th century.

My gut feeling is, it's probably '50s.

But still, it's got the Art Deco look.

There is a following for it.

-How much?

-£25, £30.

-£75 paid.

-Ouch.

If the casting had been crisper and better,

as the '30s ones would have been, it would have sailed away past 75.

But it's later, and the quality is apparent.

Now, as to the last table lamp,

that is very much of its period, isn't it?

Slightly flecked chrome, a bit of bent pipe work.

Could be the handlebar off a Sunbeam motorbike, don't you think?

-I like that story.

-You'd buy that?

-I think I might.

How much would you pay to buy that?

Well, we put £30-£50 on it.

Say no more. £20 paid. That's a very fair estimate.

-They'll bite your hand off if you get more than 20.

-Yeah.

-I'm hopeful that we get somewhere near that.

-They only spent £120.

I bet they don't really need their bonus buy,

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

Well, what's all this, then? Where's Hayley?

Well, unfortunately, Tim, she is not very well at all.

-Oh, dear.

-She had a slight problem with her appendix,

but luckily, the good old NHS came along and have saved her.

-But she's better?

-She's better. She's on the mend.

-She's on the mend.

-Yeah.

-Now, just to recap, then, you gave £180 to your man.

And, Paul Laidlaw, what did you spend the 180 on?

-Well, Tim, I've got this... piece of madness!

-Wow!

And the reason behind this...?

Well, the reason behind me buying this clockwork alarm bell,

is that I've never seen one before.

Look at that.

Age-wise, surely late 19th century.

An iron framework, which is very splendid,

and, fingers crossed, moment of truth, I think if I pull on this...

DINGING

-A bit genteel, very civilised.

-Can I feel it?

-Go for it.

And it's got quite a weight on it as well, hasn't it?

-It has substance to it.

-How much did you spend?

-I spent £40 on that.

-Hmm, I think...

-It's a gamble, I don't mind telling you.

It's one of those things.

I think it's really rare, but if it falls on stony ground,

-it's worth £20.

-There's a lot of mystery in this, isn't there?

Yeah, so you've not seen one?

-I've never seen one like it in all my life.

-That's reassuring.

-Well, thanks.

-Safe to say, I haven't seen one either.

-Well, there you go.

I guess, if the sale's online, and somebody kind of twigs the clockwork bell business, it might...

-Fingers crossed!

-Cross everything! On that happy note...

why don't we check out, for the audience at home,

what the auctioneer thinks about the old bell?

Right, then, Nick, does this ring the right bell with you?

HE LAUGHS It's an oddity, isn't it, really?

The key to the value of this is knowing where it's come from,

what's its use is, and then targeting two collectors of that genre.

And we don't know the answer to the question. Sadly.

I mean, it could be military,

-but you'd think it would have WD or something stamped on it.

-Yeah, I don't know.

I mean, there are collectors for this sort of thing out there.

-I don't think they're going to pay a lot for it.

-No?

-I hope I'm wrong.

-OK, then, what's your estimate?

-£15-£25 with a question mark over it.

And Paul Laidlaw paid the £40 for it and he clearly rates it.

He may well know something we don't.

-Anyway, we'll find out in a minute. Thanks, Nick.

-OK.

Last chance...

-Well, this is fun, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Are you excited?

-Yes.

-Not nervous at all?

-No, not at all.

OK, you've got the butterfly menu-holder,

which, I'm afraid to report,

that the enamel butterfly bit is not the same period as the silver base.

-Oh, no!

-But still a very pretty thing.

-Yes. Still pretty.

£50-£80 is his estimate. £95 paid.

But he's bound to say, from the rostrum,

that the top is later to the bottom.

And it's terribly difficult to spot that, I have to say.

It's got a perfectly clear hallmark. Stand by, girls. First lot coming up,

and here they come.

Lot number 30 is a pair of Art Deco style dress clips.

Very smart, very decorative. Bid me away £20. Come on, £20? £15? 10?

Where's 10? Come on, who's in at £10? 10 online, thank you.

-At £10, had £10...

-Come on.

-Any advance on 10?

At 10, come on, squeeze a bit more. It's £10 only.

Not each, for the pair! Come on, £10.

-At £10, the bid's online...

-Oh-oh.

-Oh, dear.

-At £10 only.

-That's £15, girls.

-Someone got a bargain!

-That's pretty well on trend, isn't it?

-Yes.

-I'm afraid.

OK, now, the French dish.

Lot 31 is the Vallauris-style French art pottery dish, circa 1960s.

Good look about it. Where are we going to go? £30? 30? 25? £20?

-Come on, smart bit of French artwork.

-Yes.

'60s designer, retro-chic. Come on. £20?

£20 somewhere, surely? Where's 20? 15?

Come on, don't make me beg. Come on, £10?

Surely, someone in the room. At £10? £10 only.

Is this microphone working(?) Can you hear me(?) Come on.

-Surely, someone somewhere. £10, do I hear? Thank you, madam.

-Hooray!

10 I'm bid. Hammer's hovering now, and I will sell at £10 if sure.

£10 is a very good price for that.

Minus £8. Now here we come with the menu-holder. Look at that.

A silver and blue guilloche enamel butterfly menu-holder.

Levi & Salaman, Birmingham 1914, '15.

That is the hallmark on the base.

However, the top section has been later added.

Just so that you're aware. OK. £50 for it?

-50? 40? 30? £30?

-Oh, no.

-It's so beautiful. Come on!

-Come on, who's in?

A nice hallmarked silver base. Enamelled top. 20 online.

-5, 30. It's online at 30.

-Come on, more, more, more.

-£30. Any advance?

-35. At 35. 40?

-Dire straits.

-Any advance? The bid's online at £40.

-The room's quiet. It's all online. At 40,

-5... 45.

£50? Come on.

£50. And 5. 55. It's online at 55.

They're waking up, they're waking up.

Any more? The tension is killing.

Come on. £55 online. 55 if you're sure.

£55 is minus £40.

That means, girls, you're minus £63.

Sorry about that.

So, what are we going to do about the letter-opener?

-Are we going to go with it?

-Yes, definitely. It's lovely.

-What more can you lose?

-Exactly! In for a penny...

So, we've decided we're going with the letter knife. And here it comes.

Lot 36 is the brass letter-opener.

Nicely cast on the end with the retriever and pheasant.

Nice-looking thing, this. Where are we going to go?

I've got commission interest.

I'll start the bidding straight in at 10. £10. At £10.

Who's next with a little bit more? Come on, surely worth more.

10 with me. At £10. Yes? Come on. Yeah, 15. 20? 20 against. At 20.

-At £20, try another.

-Well done. Look at that.

Nothing else, nothing online? It's £20, then. The commissions have it.

Selling at £20...

£20 is not bad. That's plus £13...

-Well done, Christina.

-Which takes you down to around minus 50,

-which is nothing, really.

-Yay!

-That's not bad.

-That's not bad.

And the way things are looking today, that could be a winning score.

-You never know.

-You never know.

-Say nothing to the Blues, all right?

-No.

-OK, Alex, have you been speaking to Hayley?

-I have indeed.

-Have you?

I tell you what we can do.

If you like, we'll sell the first three items,

and in that pause when we try and decide about the bonus buy,

if you can get her online in that little pause, she can be involved in the choice.

-Fantastic.

-With her perforated appendix, poor thing.

-Anyway, first up is your cake knife. And here it comes.

-Thank you.

Lot number 52 is the Wembley 1924 commemorative cake slice.

Nice little lot. £10 for it, come on. £10 anywhere?

Surely, bid me at 10. At 10, £10 only.

Not a lot of money for a great bit of British history.

At £10, anywhere, surely? Thank you. Online. Someone's awake.

At £10. 10, I'm bidding. At £10. At £10 online. The room's quiet.

He's in. 15. Thank you, sir. A little bit more, do I hear?

The bid's in the room at £15. Come on, online. One bid's not enough.

Let's see another one. At £15, it's in the room. I will sell.

-£15 is minus £10. Bad luck.

-We are in trouble.

-It's going to be used as a weapon.

-Now this is the Deco style lamp.

The mid-20th-century Art Deco style lamp. There we are.

Smart figurative piece, this. Nice lamp. Where are we going to go?

£30 for it? £30? Come on. £20? Thank you, madam. 20 I'm bid.

At £20. 5 I'm offered. At 25. 30. 5. 40. £40.

-Try another.

-Come on, come on.

-I've got 50 seated. At 50 bid.

Any advance on 50 now? At £50, the bid's in the room.

At £50, all done, are you sure?

-£50. It's minus £25.

-No!

-No?

Lot 54 is another lamp. Another smart, iconic, '30s design.

Chrome and black-painted desk lamp.

Where are we going to go with this one? £30 for it?

Smart-looking thing, this, at £30. 25? 20? Come on, surely £20?

-Good-looking Deco lamp like this.

-I'm surprised at that.

At £20 only for it? Thank you, sir. 20 I'm bid. Any advance on 20 now?

All done, you sure? I have to sell, £20. Hammer's hovering.

Uh-oh. £20.

It's wiped its face. It's minus £35. This is not looking so swift.

Get on the phone, quick!

Let's just try and get the girl and give her the bad news.

It may not help her recovery much.

We're here at the auction and we are currently on minus £35.

-So, do you think we should go for the bonus buy?

-At £50...

-I think we should go for it as well.

-She thinks you should go for it?

-She thinks we should go for it.

-Tell her to get better soon,

-and we'll ring her with the result in a minute, all right?

-Get better soon.

That's the decision made. We'll go with the bonus buy. Here it comes.

The late 19th-, early 20th-century wall-hanging, clockwork,

manual-operated alarm bell.

Nice bit of social history, this, the alarm bell.

Where are we going to go with it? £20? £20? 15?

Not a lot of money, surely. £10? Who's in at £10?

Interesting mechanism and all in working order. Thank you, madam.

-10 I'm bid. At

-10... That's old money, that.

-15 online.

Try now there, come on. £15. It's only money, madam. 18 I'll take.

18 I'm bid. I have a 20 online if you're still awake.

-Come on, come on.

-20. It's online. Room's quiet. 20 I'll sell.

-£20.

-Argh!

Minus £20. Means it's minus 55.

I don't think we'll ring Hayley with that.

-No. Too unsettling.

-I think you'd better go and see her and tell her.

Anyway, minus £55 might be a winning score,

but don't say a word to the Reds, and all will be revealed in a moment.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Well, it's no secret that today has been an absolute disaster all round, right?

-You been chatting, you lot?

-No.

-No.

-Not at all.

-No?

Well, you'll be glad to hear

that you're almost equally bad as one another.

And in fact, there is only a £5 note between the teams today.

The team that has managed to score marginally more

in the way of losses today...

-are the Blues.

-Ah.

No!

-You have managed to lose £55.

-How did we do that?

-Which is...

I'm so sorry about Hayley, but perhaps it's the best place to be.

-Yes.

-In bed for the day rather than suffer this.

-Has it been a great experience, Alex?

-A fantastic experience all round.

Well, we've loved having you on the show and we want Hayley to get better,

-so go and give her a squeeze and all our love, all right?

-I shall do.

-Very good.

And congratulations to the Reds, who managed to lose £50.

They too made no profits on anything at all

until they came along with the brass letter-opener, courtesy of Christina,

where they made a profit, which was a joyous thing to see, wasn't it?

-Yes.

-Was it good fun?

-Brilliant. Fantastic.

-Was it?

-Well, we've loved having you. Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Well done, team.

It's been such fun,

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

ALL: Yes!