Anglesey 26 Bargain Hunt

Here's a voice you may not recognise

as I'm usually an expert on the show.

I'm standing in for Tim on Bargain Hunt today.

And we're in Anglesey, separated from mainland Wales

by the Menai Strait.

And we're bringing a belter of a show,

straight to your screens today.

Right, hang on a minute, Tim's lines, they're not usually that bad.

They are, yeah, they are.

They are? OK.

In that case, ladies and gentlemen, let's go bargain hunting!

Yes!

Today on Bargain Hunt, time is of the essence

and our teams have one hour to spend their £300.

So, they're about to have the time of their lives

but first let's see what's coming up.

The fast starting Reds have cash burning a hole in their pocket...

Ignored my advice, let's look around.

THEY LAUGH

I just wanted to get spending.

..whilst the Blues are following their animal instincts.

-I quite like those bears but you don't, do you?

-No.

-I'm not too sure either.

-OK, I like your style. Be honest, OK.

But how successful will they be at the auction?

-Yes, over there!

-Oooh!

Oo-oo-ooh!

But before that, let's meet today's teams.

Today's Bargain Hunt is made up of a couple and a couple of friends.

We have Ian and Gemma for the Reds

and Gemma and Karen for the Blues.

-Hello, everybody.

-ALL:

-Hello.

-So, Ian and Gemma, welcome. How are you?

-Very good, thank you.

-Fine, thank you.

-Excellent.

Well, Ian, I hear that you're the head teacher of a school

-but it's not your average school?

-It's not your average school.

We've got 240 children but we've got

150 chickens, 33 pheasants and more reptiles than I care to think about.

-OK, I actually wasn't expecting that!

-No, no.

-So a veritable zoo?

-Yeah, it is.

What we try to do

is we try to link literacy and numeracy targets to chickens.

-That's one way of doing it.

-Slightly different to most schools, isn't it?

With all this going on at school,

I guess at home it's a haven of peace, do you just relax at home?

We do relax at home but we've got...

I think I've got 27 tortoises at home at the moment

and we've got the large ones living in the attic.

So, at night you can hear this kind of knocking sound

coming from the attic.

In fact, the first thing I said to my neighbours was,

"If you hear a knocking coming from ours, it's not me and Gemma,

"it's the tortoise."

And Gemma, what is it that you do yourself?

I'm a nurse in our local hospital. Been there for about ten years now.

That's amazing. The world needs more caring people like yourself,

-it must be a tough job, though?

-It is tough at times, yeah.

-Oh, gosh.

-So a way to unwind is with the tortoises?

-With the tortoise, yeah.

And what about your tactics today, what are you thinking about?

I think we're just going to go for what we like. Stick to what we know.

It generally pays off.

-It's lovely chatting with you.

-BOTH:

-Thank you.

Let's talk to the Blues. The lovely Gemma and Karen.

-Hello, how are you today, ladies?

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Excited?

Really excited.

Well, Gemma,

I hear that you have an interesting job that might involve the arts?

Yeah, I'm an art teacher at a secondary school.

-It's a Welsh secondary school.

-Oh, fantastic.

-So you teach art in Welsh?

-Yeah.

So if you teach in Welsh could you teach me a little Welsh?

-I could. I could, yes.

-What do you want to teach me what to say?

-What about, "Welcome to Bargain Hunt"?

-That would work!

-Croeso...

-Croeso.

-..i Bargain Hunt.

-Croeso i Bargain Hunt.

Yeah!

That was OK, that was great.

When you're not teaching, what do you get up to?

-I love to row.

-Oh, wow.

Yeah, I row at the bottom of Snowdon, there's a lake there,

-that's where I row.

-Wow, what an amazing setting.

-It must feel like you're in another world.

-It's amazing.

And Karen, what about yourself? Are you also involved in teaching, too?

-No, I'm a speech and language therapist.

-Ah, right, OK.

I thought there was a theme here with teachers going on.

So you teach therapy, OK. So tell me about that.

Yeah, I work with people with learning disabilities

so from the little children to adults of all ages.

It's so important, isn't it?

All this communication but I suppose with the advent of the internet

and things, people don't need to communicate so much verbally,

so it's important that you keep up this therapy

-cos it's easy to shy away from it, I would imagine.

-Yeah.

Yeah, well, people get by and it's more sort of getting...

helping people to make their choices and it's really interesting.

-It's quite a variety, really, no day is the same.

-Absolutely.

And when you're talking about making choices, what kind of choices

are you going to be making today when you're out shopping?

-Oh, winning choices.

-Yeah!

-Oh, you reckon, do you?

-Plan to win.

-Excellent.

Are you listening to that, guys?

Well, I suppose it's time to see. Let's hand over the money.

So, I've got £300 for Ian and Gemma

and £300 for you, Gemma and Karen.

Now, off you go and have an amazing time.

And there's only one thing left to say, "I ffwrdd a nwh!" away they go.

Hoping to teach our teams a thing or two about antiques today

are our experts.

Keeping a lookout for his pupils in the Red team, it's Thomas Plant.

And hoping to set the class alight with inspiration for the Blues,

it's Charles Hanson.

So, what are our teams looking for today?

-Ian and Gemma, are you excited?

-Yes.

-I'm excited, yes.

I'm quite nervous because I'm here with a head teacher.

Don't worry, we're after your advice today.

Karen, look at me, what's the plan?

We're going to look for nice pretty things, jewellery.

-Find something that we really like, really, isn't it, Gem?

-Yeah.

Maybe something a bit unusual.

-Gemma?

-Yeah, arty and creative, I think.

-OK. That is very interesting.

Right, teams, your 60 minutes starts...now!

But be careful, it can fly by.

Come on.

Let's go and find those fabulous bits.

They're off!

Professor of profits Charles has some wise words

to help the Blues start their shopping.

-Just take a look.

-OK.

-Look at the glitz, look at the glamour.

-Where to start?

Look at the antiques, OK.

But with a cunning strategy up his sleeve for the Reds,

it sounds like Tom has plans to be top teacher.

I think what you do is you look and you look

and then you make notes of what you've seen and you get the prices.

-Then, in the last 10, 20 minutes, you then decide.

-Yes.

-OK.

-But that will go out the window in the first items of your buy.

-OK.

-Yeah?

-Right, OK, then.

Hm. So some interesting tactics from the teams.

But at the end of the hour, just who will have this in the bag?

-Just look at what you see.

-That's pretty. Do you think it's silver?

I actually think it's plated rather than being silver.

£18.

-It's something maybe we could, like, keep in mind.

-Absolutely.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Just warming up.

Warming up is fine, Blues, but don't take too long

as the Reds look like they're already up to a canter.

What about that amber glass?

-The decanter?

-Yeah.

-Mm.

You really have got this...

vintage-come-moderno look. You like it.

So, the amber and the clear... Very nice, isn't it?

Turn it over. What have we got there?

The point at which the glass blower has polished...

Cos when he's blown that,

he's got his bit of amber glass out of the glory hole with his steel

and his tools and he's blown it

and that's the bit which has cooled down and he's polished that off and

then he's got a bit of clear glass and then attached it on to it,

so quite a bit of work's been done.

-Do you think the blob is original to the...?

-Yes, the stopper here?

Yeah, it fits well. Would you use that?

I'd have it in the centre of a table. That would look lovely.

-It's a decanter, for wine.

-For wine? Yeah.

I think that would be used now, wouldn't it?

Yeah, that's exactly what it's for. Right, we can see the price at 45,

-which I think is slightly better than the coffee set.

-OK.

-A bit more special, isn't it?

-Yeah. Let me see. What's the best on that?

-40.

-40.

-40 would be on that.

-So, what do you really like about it?

-I love the colour, the shape.

-Yeah.

-I can imagine on a large table.

If you really like it and you're going with your heart,

-do you think that's going to make a profit at £40?

-Yes!

Of course, you're going to say yes. But I think that it's got a chance.

If you want my honest opinion,

I would value that at auction at between £40 and £60.

It's cool, it's got a look to it,

it's what people are buying at the moment.

-It's quite fashionable, even now.

-Absolutely.

And as auctioneers, we're only in the fashion business.

-Is it Scandinavian?

-I reckon that's Scandi all day long.

-Probably Danish.

-I reckon we should go for it. It's lovely. 40 quid.

-Are you hot for this?

-I agree.

-Hot for this!

-Done!

-40 quid.

-Thank you very much.

-First item down, within sort of ten minutes.

-Yeah.

-Ignored my advice.

-Let's look around.

-THEY LAUGH

I just want to get spending!

Fantastic. So, the Reds have their first item.

Well done, Ian and Gemma!

But with only ten minutes on the clock,

there's barely anything between the two teams yet.

-THEY LAUGH

-The polar bears down there as well.

-I quite like those bears, but you don't, do you?

-No!

Be honest, OK.

I'm a man and sometimes the taste can be different.

Brrr! Frosty reception there, Charles. But, come on, Blues.

You do need to get your skates on,

or you could end up poles apart from the Reds.

-Is this Moorcroft?

-That is Moorcroft.

-Yeah.

-Very popular.

-Everybody likes Moorcroft.

-£100? That looks like a Moorcroft.

-That is Moorcroft as well, yeah.

-120.

-I think you've bought really well with your decanter.

-Yeah.

And you'd be letting yourself down by buying the Moorcroft.

-It's a bit mumsy, isn't it? And we're...

-You're not!

-Yeah.

-You're more than that!

Mum's the word on the Moorcroft then, Gemma.

And from one piece of china to another,

it looks as if the Blues have spotted a new best friend.

-This one here, you like?

-He's amazing!

-What do you think of him?

-I'm scared to pick him up. He's beautiful.

-Oh, wow!

-Wow! Well, you know what? It's the Blue team, isn't it?

He's definitely on the Blue team!

-And he's pretty.

-Why is he pretty?

-I just love his quirky face.

-He's so charming. Hello!

-He's...

-THEY LAUGH

Well, you know what, he's almost speechless, isn't he?

What can I tell you?

First of all, what's really important is the condition.

So, just caress his body and make sure there's no chips or

blemishes or crazing as well,

lines in the body. He's good, isn't he?

He's what we call a Chinese Dog of Fo and these

dogs of Fo works are synonymous with Japanese, Chinese culture.

Back to the K'ang-hsi period, the Ming dynasty,

and then they've just been blossoming ever

since in manufacture and indeed made for export.

So, this is a European Chinese Dog of Fo, made for us

Westerners to enjoy. What are we missing?

-You two are mates, aren't you?

-It looks like he's one of a pair.

-Aw!

-That's a shame.

-He's on his own.

-I think he needs to be part of our team.

-You think so?

-Yeah.

-So, what would you pay for it in a saleroom?

-See if we can get near what the dealer's wanting for him.

-10, £15?

-Say again?

-10, £15?

-It wasn't me!

It wasn't me who said that!

I like your style. Always start low. So, how much is he?

-With a big smile!

-We've got 65 on him.

-I think take a gamble.

-I like him.

-So, the very best, sir...?

-38.

-Oh!

-Yeah.

-What do you think?

-Yeah.

-OK, it's up to you.

If that hand comes out for a handshake, it's a deal.

We've got it! Thanks, sir!

Great stuff!

The Blues have released the hound for their first purchase

and are off the leash at last!

So, whilst the teams continue to look for their second items,

it's time to have a look at something that made me tick.

Let us take a moment to look at this absolutely beautiful

timepiece here.

It's an unusual shape, isn't it?

And it's a telling shape because any one of the dealers here today,

if you were to bring this in front of them,

they would know it's a Sedan clock. Now, what an unusual name - Sedan.

And what is that? Well, it's an 18th century mode of transport.

You know, those lovely bourgeois boxes in which the gentry sat,

as a porter on either side carried you around town.

Well, that's a Sedan and here, we're probably 1850s or so,

but that's where it gets its shape.

Now, the shape is unusual.

You've got this lovely pendant bow up here

and the rods attaching it to the fitting.

And it's heavy because it's made of bronze.

And this gorgeous gold exterior is

described as French ormolu.

And that's when high carat gold was ground down

and mixed with mercury and then used to paint items made

out of bronze and it really has a lovely effect.

And the rose garland that carries on continually around the case

really keeps the floral theme of the pendant

continuing into the actual body of the timepiece.

And what about the enamel dial itself?

It's got that beautiful motif of the swags

and they join together to create a continual swag of lovely pink

and blue flowers and, really,

it's such a shame that there's a slight chip on the white

enamel dial because someone has been a little bit overzealous with

the key while they were winding the cylinder movement that's inside.

So, why would this Sedan clock be fashionable today?

Well, they're ornamental, luxurious,

and that quality is reflected in the price because to pick up

one of these today would set you back £400 or £500.

It's probably time to start saving.

Back with the shopping and it's one-all.

However, the Reds may just have found something not to be

sniffed at.

-That's lovely. Very simple again, isn't it?

-1896.

-What have you seen?

-Snuffbox.

-Snuffbox. Ian, you have a look.

-How do you open that?

-Oh, wow! Look at the hinge.

-Look at the hinge in there, yeah.

-Wow! Seamless.

Yeah, it is seamless, you're quite right. Yeah. Go on, Gemma.

-You have a go.

-Has it got a hallmark?

-That's lovely, that is.

-Do you press it, do you think, somewhere?

-Well, you're close.

What you do is you just squeeze it either side.

-Ta-da!

-That was quick, wasn't it?

-Yeah, have a go. It's lovely.

It's just so perfect.

-How much is it?

-It's 128.

-THOMAS GASPS

-I think I might need your nursing...

-CPR here!

-CPR.

I need your knowledge here!

-Oh!

-And is it silver-plated?

-That looks like it's...

That's the hallmark there. It's rather nice.

-That's beautiful, that, isn't it?

-Yeah. What's your very best on that?

That one, I can do for 95.

-I like that.

-Yeah.

-You've probably got just under 40 minutes.

Believe you me, that time zips by.

-OK, we'll have a think, shall we? I do like it though.

-Yeah, me too.

So, the Reds aren't turning their noses up at the snuffbox.

Meanwhile, the Blues are still "brooching" the subject of that

ever-difficult second item.

-Hello, madam.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-I'm good, thank you.

We think she's too good to be true, is that right? That lady brooch?

I'd call it a very young collectible,

in the sense that it's purporting to be an Art Nouveau bar brooch.

It caught my eye.

If it was London 1903, it wouldn't be, as the price says, £25.

-It would be more like 150 or 180.

-Yeah.

Because it's not actually what it purports to be, in terms of age...

-Steer away.

-I'm out.

-Yeah.

-Time's ticking. We'd better go.

-Thanks!

So, Charles and the Blues are out, and if the Reds don't get

a move on, they could be out of time before they know it.

Some gentle persuasion could be called for. Tom?

-Have a look round here.

-OK.

This is why I was sort of hovering around the chairs,

thinking that maybe you might think, "Oh, look.

"They look quite clean and cool,"

and it matches the clean and cool design you bought with the decanter.

-They're nice.

-And they are Ercol, aren't they?

-How much?

-Golden Dawn, Ercol.

-68.

-Are they 68 each?

Sorry, I've disturbed you from doing something quite important.

-But they're 68, they're each though, aren't they?

-Yes.

-Each.

I would have thought it would have been the bargain of the century

if they were 68 for the pair.

-We can try.

-Maybe we can work something out.

-110 for the two.

-110 for the two.

-I was just sort of...

My brain was sort of cogging along.

Do you think it's yet another thing we've got to think about?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Is it?

-Oh!

-They are lovely, aren't they?

-Yeah.

There's a lot of style to them, isn't there.

What you've got going for it, you've got style, you've got a name,

they're proper designer pieces,

but they are £110.

Now, it's about time I popped in and had a word.

I'm sorry to interrupt, but I spotted you a mile off.

-You look comfortable.

-I am! I'm having a good time!

-Are you having a good time?

-Very much so, yeah.

-Oh, my goodness!

-Can we have some more money?

-THEY LAUGH

I'm going to leave you in this man's capable hands, but have fun!

-Enjoy yourselves! Time is running out.

-Thank you, thank you.

Well, time is running out. You heard what Natasha said.

I'm going to give you ten minutes, walk around, have a think,

and then we'll move on.

-OK.

-OK.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Come on, let's go.

So, the reserve list is growing for the Reds,

but this could be a risky strategy.

Only time will tell.

Charles has recalled the Blues for a bit of a pep talk.

We've got now about 20 minutes to buy two items,

-which means one item per ten minutes.

-Yeah.

-Feeling confident?

-Yeah.

-Yes. Let's do it.

-True Blues.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, let's do it.

Sounds like a plan! And they're off! Again!

Now, Thomas has found a couple of pepperettes

with an asking price of £90.

-So, little novelty peppers.

-Little chicks.

-Little chicks.

-Cos you do chickens.

-We do chickens.

-Little hinges for the lids.

-They're lovely.

-I'm going to make a cheeky offer and see what she says.

-Madam...

-Yes.

-Would you take £30?

-No, not really.

-What would you take?

-How about 40?

40, that's very, very reasonable. 40, so we started at...

They were 90.

£40, this is... I think we've got profit in these.

-And I think it's time to make a decision.

-OK, the chairs, definitely, yeah?

-Yeah.

-For myself, I'd go for the snuffbox. It's just the lovely...

-OK.

-The hinge.

-Lovely. And the hinge...

-OK. Go away. And do your buying.

Well said, Tom. Go on, Reds. It's definitely time for some decisions.

Time is running out for both teams.

-Why don't we wrap round and come back down here, shall we?

-OK.

-OK.

And the Blues are literally running

and could be running out of ideas too.

Sorry. We've been here before.

It's starting to look like you need a sit down, Charles.

Maybe the Reds can help.

-Right, they're still here.

-Yeah.

-That's a good sign.

-We'd like to buy those.

-Can we buy them, please?

-You may.

-Excellent.

-Well done. Shake the lady's hand.

Diolch yn fawr i chi. Diolch.

-What was that?

-Thank you very much in Welsh.

-Thank you very much in English. Thank you very much.

-Say "diolch".

-Diolch. Diolch.

-That's not bad, yeah. Very good.

-Diolch.

That's "thank you" is it?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant. £110, that's your second item.

I think we need to go and wrap up the buying and get the last one.

-Thank you. Diolch.

-Diolch. Thank you.

He's just showing off now! Well done, Gemma and Ian.

With only six minutes to go, that's your second item retrieved

and purchased. One to go, but hurry!

-And speaking of hurrying...

-SHE CLEARS HER THROAT

..Charles and Co...

Hold on. I was thinking polar bears.

-Polar bears?

-They've gone, they've gone!

-No, they're there.

-They're there.

-They're there.

-What do you think of the polar bears?

-OK, let's have a proper look.

-You liked them from the start, didn't you?

-Yeah.

What can you tell us about them, Charles?

I just think, if you think about the fact that this beautiful white

onyx has almost been cut to create that icy polar bear landscape.

-Now, what would you use them for?

-Bookends.

-Exactly.

Do you know what?

They do actually look nicer closer up than they did on the table.

-They're sweet.

-They would date to, I suspect, 1920s, '30s.

-What do you think?

-How much do you think they would go for?

I think if these could be about £30.

I would happily guide them at sale between 40 and 60.

Your very best price? We were thinking 20.

-What price is it?

-45.

Trideg.

-Trideg?

-30.

£30.

-£30? Tre... Tre...

-Trideg.

-Trideg.

-What are you thinking?

-30.

-I think 30 is a good price.

-Trideg punt.

Now, pay attention, here's another Welsh lesson.

Dwy o'r afalau Cymraeg...

-Sori?

-Dwy afalau.

-Dau afal?

-Am trideg.

-Am trideg?

-Ie.

He said he'll give us the two apples for 30 as well.

-Included in the price.

-How could a girl refuse?!

We can eat them on the way. We've got another ten minutes to go.

A un i Charles.

-Well, that's very kind. So...

-We've got an apple and these.

So we've got a snack and these to take to the auction.

I say, let's go. I think the polar bears at 30 is a good buy.

How do we say we'll buy them?

-'Nawn ni brynu rhain.

-'Nawn ni brynu rhain.

-Diolch yn fawr.

-Diolch.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Pob lwc.

-OK, head's on the block, Charles!

-Ten minutes. And my head's on the block.

Thanks a lot(!)

So, with Charles' head on the block and not much left on the clock,

it's time to shuffle off for their third and final item.

Well done, Blues.

Tic-toc, Reds!

Was that plan to be sniffed at after all

or will they get back for their final item in the nick of time?

-I hope it's still there. I hope it's still there.

-Fingers crossed.

-Fingers crossed.

-It's still there. Right. 95.

-95.

-Thank you very much. What do you think? You want to go for it?

-Yeah, definitely.

-Yeah, 95.

-Thank you very much.

Well done, Reds! Last item bought and only three minutes left.

But finding that final item for the Blues is proving to be a real pig!

Look! A pair of pigs! Aw, they're really cute!

-Are you being serious?

-Yeah. They've got bow ties on and everything.

I think you should hold him.

-THEY LAUGH

-Tell me, are you being serious? Gemma, look at me.

-Are you being serious?

-She is.

-It's the 11th hour now and you've pulled out a pair of pigs.

-Yeah.

-Actually, they're not bad.

It says, "HJ Wood and Sons, 1940s cookie jars."

Pull the other one down as well.

-Just tell me.

-Aw...

-Just, just sell them. I hear all these "aw"s. OK.

Well, I had an auntie who used to collect pig things,

-like fridge magnets.

-Yeah, yes.

-All kinds of things.

-And I think they're really cute.

-I think they're sweet.

-They're useful, cookie jars. Really useful.

-Let's put them into context.

I wish they were Wemyss, because the most important pigs ever made

were probably by the Wemyss factory in Fife in Scotland.

These pigs are second-rate but

they're charming because actually when I first saw them I thought,

"Oh, my God, they're quite modern. They really have got no age."

But looking at the base-mark for HJ Wood and Sons, and look at the

foot-rim there. They've literally been in the mud for about 60 years.

-What are they worth at auction?

-As a pair...

-I think they'd start at 50 for a pair.

-Hello, sir.

-This wasn't what I was expecting.

-Hello.

-Like, it wasn't me, OK?

-They... They're period and they will sell.

-Two for one.

-Look at the ladies.

- Oh, no, no. - Two for one.

- I've got to make a bit, haven't I? - Two for one.

- No, I'll do 40. - Please.

- 40 a pair. £20 each. That's fair.

-Deal. Thank you very much.

-Don't drop it.

-Are you a marksman?

-I am.

-Thanks a lot, yeah. Thanks a lot.

Time is up.

LAUGHTER Well, we've got two pigs.

-We've got two polar bears.

-Two polar bears.

-And the Dog of Fo.

And that's it, the hour's up, team.

Now, let's remind ourselves what the Red team bought.

The Reds blew £40 on a hand-blown Scandinavian glass wine decanter.

They hoped to rest easy with a pair of Ercol carver dining chairs.

And sniffed a whiff of potential profit with this silver snuffbox.

Right then, Red team.

I hear you didn't have a lot of time at the end, there.

-It went really quickly.

-What's your favourite item?

-I'd say the amber decanter.

-And Ian, what about you?

I like the snuffbox. I would have liked that myself, to be honest.

Now, what's going to bring you the biggest profit?

-I think it's the decanter.

-Yeah. We'll see in the auction.

The decanter. So you must have bought it for a good price.

-And how much did you spend overall?

-245.

Which leaves a measly £55, which I will take back from you. Thank you.

Hand straight over to Thomas. Did you have a great day today, Thomas?

I had a fabulous day. They were wonderful. Stylish, intelligent...

That's so lovely to hear. What are you going to

spend this stylish, intelligent couple's money on, then?

Well, we did see something at the very end,

which we deliberated about.

-Oh.

-And you never know. They might be bought.

Hmm, well, it sounds like Thomas has a good plan for you guys.

So while he's off buying the bonus buy,

let's go and find out what the Blue team bought.

The Blues made a friend out of the Chinese Dog of Fo,

are hoping to avoid being left out in the cold with

the pair of onyx-based cast metal polar bear figures,

and went the whole hog with a pair of

comical pig cookie jars by HJ Wood.

Karen and Gemma, you survived your buy. Did you have a great time?

-Oh, it was brilliant, yeah.

-Ah, that's so lovely to hear.

-And what did you buy?

-Pair of pigs.

-Pigs.

-A pair of polar bears.

-A pair of... No, no.

-And a dog.

-I know.

-You've created a zoo. I thought it was Ian that had a zoo.

Oh, my goodness, that's bonkers.

And which is your favourite animal, then, I guess?

-Oh, it's definitely the pigs for me.

-And me.

-The pigs? Unanimous.

You love pigs. That's so bonkers.

But which item, which animal is going to bring the biggest profit?

-I'm going to say the pigs again.

-Are you?

-I think it might be the polar bears.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Cos it was our expert that chose them, really.

-Thank you.

-Oh, my goodness.

-Actually, yeah.

-So, what did you spend in total?

-£108.

-£108, which leaves 192.

-Yeah.

If I could please take that back from you. Oh, my goodness,

I know where that's going. It's going straight over

-to the delightful Charles Hanson.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you, boss.

-Thank you. What on earth are you going to spend it on?

Has it gone very...is it very "animalia"?

I want to go more figurative, OK,

and just buy two things rather than four.

Oh, my goodness.

Well, Charles is off with your leftover lolly

and we're off to the auction.

Well, here I am in Northwich Auctions in mid-Cheshire,

with the lovely auctioneer Peter Critchley. Good afternoon,

-Peter. How are you?

-Hello. Nice to see you. Fine, thank you.

Let's start with Ian and Gemma. Ian's choice was this lovely

Scandinavian amber glass decanter.

Well, it's a nice item - Scandinavian, hand-blown.

We're a little bit unsure about the stopper,

whether it was the original one, but it's a nice thing that's got

-a polished pontil on it and we reckon it should do £30-50.

-£30-50?

-Well, £40 paid. 30-50's OK.

-Yeah.

-I think it could do all right.

-I think we might be OK.

-OK. So, this is an item for the dining table.

Let's move on to the dining chairs behind us.

We have a lovely Ercol golden-dawn-style stick-back chair.

-In fact, we have a pair of them.

-We have a pair of golden dawn carvers.

They are quite popular, especially the lighter colours.

Darker colours are difficult to sell at the moment

but the lighter colours are good things.

We've estimated them £60-80 and they may even do better than that.

-Well, 60-80 is a bit conservative. 110 paid.

-Oh, these...

-A little bit "yikes".

-They may make the three figures, they may not.

They stand a chance, though. They stand a chance.

And when we say Ercol golden dawn, Ercol's the designer

but golden dawn is very much the colour of the wood, is that right?

-The colour of the stain.

-This is likely to be beech or elm, perhaps?

It's probably elm seat and beech back.

-Well, I hope it's popular in the saleroom.

-So do I.

And then we move on to the incredibly tactile third lot.

I think it's absolutely gorgeous.

A hallmarked silver snuffbox and very chic, don't you think?

It is a smart piece.

It's got a name engraved in the top, which we'd rather it hadn't

but it's a good leather-maker from Piccadilly and

it's a spring-top, which is a little more bit unusual for a snuffbox

so we do quite like that. We've estimated about £60-80.

Well, £95 was paid, so we're not so far away.

Not that far away. Whether we quite make it to the top,

I don't really know. We'll have to see on the day.

OK, so are you suggesting that the Red team might need their bonus buy?

-I think they may, I think they may.

-Well, who knows?

According to Peter, the Red team might need their bonus buy.

So let's go find out what it is.

-Ian and Gemma, lovely to see you again.

-Thank you.

Tell me, how much fun did you have with Thomas?

It was great. He's an expert, yeah.

-Are you desperate to see what he bought?

-I'd like to see.

-Yeah?

-Show us.

-You'd like to see? So here we are,

I bought you a little Easter egg.

Papier-mache, 1920s, but what's better, it's a chick in a top hat.

And remember we did see something with a top hat on and inside...

-Oh, excellent.

-Oh...

-A pair of chicks.

So there they are, these little silver-plated numbers.

And they're a pair of peppers.

-How much did you spend?

-£52 on all of this.

Cos these were on one stall and this I found on another stall.

-Very appropriate.

-Yes, cos chickens is a theme in your lives.

-Theme at school, yeah.

-Are they not just gorgeous?

-Beautiful.

-Absolutely gorgeous.

-I'd like to buy those myself.

-I like the presentation part, as well.

-This was on another stall.

So I had to buy the silver chickens on one stall

and then I was walking round and I thought, "Do you know what?

"They've got to buy them together." An egg with the twins in there.

-Now, Gemma, are you sold on these?

-I love them.

-I think they're lovely, yeah.

-Ian?

I think we'll definitely go with them.

Oh, well. Definitely's a strong word

because we're yet to see how you get on in the auction.

-So don't decide just now.

-OK.

We'll find out how these guys get on in the auction.

But just now, for you at home, it's straight to the auctioneer.

OK, I'm going to reveal to you this papier-mache egg,

which is jolly good fun.

And inside it houses, totally unrelated, but equally sweet,

little silver-plated pepperettes in the form of chicks.

-What do you think?

-I think they are charming.

The hats lift off, they're very, very nice.

It's a pity they're not silver but they're well-made items.

No great age to them but they're very well made.

The egg is perhaps another matter,

-as a container.

-SHE LAUGHS

But the pepperettes are rather sweet.

We've estimated them at £30-50.

Thomas just loved the look of the chick on the papier-mache

also wearing a top hat and he paid £52 for the chick papier-mache

-egg and the chick pepperettes.

-They stand a chance.

-They have to stand a chance.

-I think they're absolutely fab.

Peter, now that we've covered all the Red lots,

let's see what the Blue team went for. It's a bit of a zoo.

It is, isn't it? Certainly is.

And we start off with this gorgeous turquoise-glazed Fo dog.

What are your thoughts, being on its own as it is?

I think, obviously they're always made as a pair, and shown as a pair.

This is the male one, with its foot on the ball,

-rather that...the female one has her paw on a cub.

-Mmm-hmm.

-We like it.

It's good quality but there's no great age to it.

-So we've estimated it £40-60.

-Well, £38 paid.

I think that stands a good chance. It's a well-made piece.

Then the ladies went on to go for these lovely cold-painted

polar bear bookends. What are your thoughts on the species?

I think...I think it's a bear, I think that's quite clear,

but I don't think it's a polar bear.

I think it's a brown bear and somebody has painted it white.

-And what about the bases?

-The base is a bit soft, probably alabaster.

But the actual casting is very nice.

Cos if you're buying cold-painted bronze,

you either want a fabulous Art Deco lady or you want a bear.

If I'm buying a cold-painted figure, I think they're perfect, animal.

But bookends? How popular are bookends in your saleroom?

Not massively. Not massively, I have to say.

Books themselves are not very popular any more with the internet.

That's the thing, hmm. So what's your estimate on those?

-I estimated 60-80 on those.

-60-80?

-Fantastic. They only paid £30.

-Well, I think they've done well.

-How good is that?

-They won't lose money on those, definitely.

Now, last lot of the three are these fabulous cookie jars, Staffordshire.

-And least, I would say.

-SHE LAUGHS

Yes, last and least. I mean, they are cookie jars.

They're made in Staffordshire by one of the lower-end potteries.

They're quite amusing.

I'd put £30-50 on them and they probably will make that

but there's no great style or quality about them whatsoever.

-They're a bit of fun.

-They are such good fun.

And Charles loves ceramics, so he's probably said,

"Go for a good bit of Staffordshire.

"They're a pair, unlike our dog."

They could get their money back on that.

Well, your estimates against what Charles paid are very healthy.

-Excellent.

-Perhaps they won't need their bonus buy so much

but should they wish to choose it, let's find out what it is...

Karen, Gemma, Charles. A bunch of zookeepers,

all those animals that you bought. You're wild. You're absolutely wild.

But they didn't cost you very much money.

-In total, how much did you spend?

-£108.

-£108, it's nothing.

So it's left Charles with £192. Now, Charles, tell us.

-What did you spend that on?

-I really searched hard. Look at that.

-Oh...

-I love it.

-Girls, what do you think?

-Yeah, that's beautiful.

-Really.

-We did say that we like pretty things, didn't we?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, well...

-And we didn't quite get that far.

We...we were very animalia-strewn. And I felt, "Look, handsome,

"put a bit of glitz and glamour back into my ladies."

So it's a very nice bonbon basket.

Cast in a near-classical, almost sort of a Coco-style.

And it is sterling silver, marked sterling,

so it could be American or European, with a lovely reeded handle.

-It is beautiful.

-You've spent a lot on this, haven't you, Charles?

-Well,

you know what, sometimes the good things come to them who wait,

and it took me a while to find.

-What do you think, ladies?

-Has to be expensive.

-Yeah. It cost me £40.

-No?

-Yes. Yes, £40.

-How good is that?

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

So tell us what you think about it, Karen.

You've got it in your hand, how does it feel?

It's quite...it's heavier than it looks, actually,

and it's nice and shiny. And I love the little flowers there.

Well, ladies, this could deliver you to the sweet taste of success.

But as you know, you do not need to make any decisions now.

Viewers at home, let's go find out what our lovely auctioneer thinks

of Charles' beautiful basket for bonbons.

-Peter, tell me your thoughts.

-It's sterling silver.

You've got a little bit of Art Nouveau in it

but it's quite a useful thing as a little bonbon dish.

It's not quite straight, but near enough.

It think it'll sell. It would do better

-if it was English hallmarked silver. £40-60, this one.

-OK.

-40-60 against £40 paid is going to be all right.

-Absolutely.

-Now, Peter, are you holding the auction, today?

-I am.

Oh, I'm excited. I heard you're a wild one on the rostrum.

-Erm...yes.

-THEY LAUGH

Well, hold your horses, Peter's about to take the auction and let's wish our teams best of luck.

30 with you, madam. Saw you first.

-Here we are at the auction. Are you excited?

-Yeah.

-Want to make some money.

-Is this your first ever auction?

-Yeah.

-We've done a chicken auction before.

-Oh, you have not. That is too good.

Now, first lot coming up - hand-blown Scandinavian amber

and clear glass decanter. Let's see how it goes.

Hand-blown Scandinavian amber and clear glass wine decanter.

-There we are. There's only £10 on it.

-No!

-It's online at 10.

-Anywhere?

-12 in the room, anywhere?

-Oh, look at it go.

-It's all online, 15.

-All the bidding online, now,

for £15, I have online. Is there 18 anywhere?

£15 it is. All UK bidding online. 18 in the room, anywhere?

-Oh, no.

-Oh, no.

Selling... Sold.

-Oh, 15.

-Somebody's had a bargain.

That's a...it's minus 25. Minus 25.

He's item number two - our golden dawn Ercol carver chairs.

Let's see how they get on.

A pair of vintage Ercol golden dawn stick-back carver dining chairs,

now, in lovely condition.

Commission interests start the bidding with me at £40, only.

-£40 a pair, looking for 45.

-Go on. Give me some more.

Come on, internet.

Must be worth than that. It's only £20 a chair.

You can buy them new, still, at round about £700 each.

-There he is.

-He's trying to sell them.

-To be fair, he is going for it.

-He's doing his best.

Surely 45 somewhere. £40, on commission and selling. £40 only.

-No!

-They're in for a heat. They're in for a heat. OK, so £40.

That's minus 70 so you're minus 95 just now.

Don't you worry, you've got this gorgeous snuffbox.

It's a nice little snuffbox.

It's very tactile, gilt interior and the squeeze-sprung lid.

Start me off with £30, please.

Start me at £30 on the snuffbox.

-Start me at 30, hallmarked silver...

-Right, straight in online.

-35 with the lady. 35 is in the room.

-Yes.

-Looking for 40, now, online.

45, madam? The nice gilt-interior sprung snuffbox. £40 online.

45 online, now. Is there 50? Is there 50 anywhere?

-Keep clicking.

-Keep going.

-£45 online for the snuffbox,

and selling for £45.

-SHE GROANS How much was it?

-45.

-We spent 90.

Maybe we should come to auctions more often.

No, you spent 95, so that's a loss overall...145.

That's a three-figure loss. It's never good.

But guess what? You've got those gorgeous pepperettes.

-You've got to go with it, don't you?

-Definitely.

-Definitely. For sure.

-OK. So, are we clear, you're going with the bonus buy?

-Definitely.

-Yeah.

-Well, I tell you what, here we go. Chicks, chickadees...

Little pair of white-metal novelty pepperettes

and you get a free egg-box to carry them home in.

They're very, very sweet. I've got a couple of commissions.

They're not enormous, the commissions.

Start the bidding with me at £15.

Oh, £15. He's such a tease.

-There's someone in the room.

-25.

I've got 30, one more will clear.

35? 35 on that...

-OK.

-35. We want some more.

-£35 on the chicks and the egg.

Is there 40 anywhere? Lovely little things, these.

£35 it is. Looking for 40. £35 with the gentleman in the middle.

Aw... Sold for 35.

That's a loss of 17.

All right, all right.

So overall that's a loss

-of 162. Oh...

-Oh, that's sore, isn't it?

-But do you know what? Have you ever seen Bargain Hunt before?

-Yes.

-That could be a winning score. So keep it shut.

-OK.

Because you never know how that Blue team have done.

-So let's go see how they get on.

-Lovely.

-Oh, thank you.

-Oh, my goodness.

Oh, it's OK. What can you do? What can you do?

Thank you kindly, sir.

Karen and Gemma, what do you make of the atmosphere in here?

-It's amazing.

-It's so busy, yeah, it's great.

-It's great.

-This is your first auction, right?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-I've been to a few

but you still have that feeling of nerves and it's great.

It's so exciting. Now first up, it's our Chinese Fo dog. He is gorgeous.

Fingers crossed. Here we go.

Mid-20th-century turquoise Chinese dog of Fo.

It's a nice item, this one.

-Like you to start me off at £20. Start me at £20.

-Come on.

The dog of Fo. £20 for the dog of Fo. It's a lovely thing.

Start me at a tenner, then. Start me at 10 on the dog of Fo.

-£10 is bid.

-10 is bid, 10 is bid.

-Come on.

He's off the mark, he's off the mark. Oh, look.

15 is bid with the gentleman.

15 bid with the gentleman there.

-At £15 now.

-Oh, come on.

-One more. Yes.

-Should be more.

There's a bid there, from that charming lady there.

18 with the lady. Thank you.

Do you want 20, sir? Thank you. 25? 25. 30?

-30. 35?

-One more.

-Oh...

-One more.

-Are you sure? Positive?

-No...

-30 bid with the gentleman, there.

Do we want 35 anywhere? £30 bid. It's a really well-made item.

Oh... 30. OK, just a loss of eight, just a loss of eight.

-That's OK. Long way to go. Got the bears now.

-Make it up somewhere else.

We've got a pair of white onyx-based cold-painted casts,

now they're good castings, these bears.

Whether they're polar bears or other sorts of bears we're not sure.

Start me at £40 for the bears.

Start me at 20, then. That's £10 a bear.

They're lovely things, these. Really well-cast.

-Come on, come on.

-It's painful.

Is there £20 anywhere? Surely, for these.

-He's in.

-Him again.

-And he was bidding on your last lot, too.

That's 25. They're worth a lot more than this, surely. £20 is bid.

-I will sell that.

-Come on, internet.

-£20.

-One more.

-On the two bears...

-Oh!

-25, just in time.

Just in time. Do you want 30, sir? They're nice.

They're good things. 30. Do you want 35, madam?

£30 we have, then, with the gentleman. And we sell...

Aw!

£30.

No profit, no loss.

-Oh, so we're still minus eight.

-Yes.

-You haven't wiped your face.

-Aw...

-Here we go, our pigs.

-Two pigs.

Lovely jars, there, nice things. Pair of cookie jars.

Start me at £20 on the cookie jars, please. £20, that's £10 each.

-They're nice things. 20 bid.

-Straight in at 20.

-At 25, now. It's 25. £20 is the bid. Where's 25?

-Come on.

-These pigs, we want a piggy profit.

-They're perfect.

-At 25. Who's got 25?

-£20 is bid in the room. Do we sell it to the main bid?

-What's going on?

-One more.

-Any more?

-Is there 25 anywhere?

Oh, £20.

That's minus 20...we're minus 28. So, three lots in and here we are

looking at our bonus buy.

Sterling silver, basket, useful. £40. It's a good price.

-Shall we go for it?

-Yeah, let's go for it.

-Oh, are you going for it?

-Yeah.

-OK. Final decision?

-Fantastic.

-Excellent.

-I really hope our finale will be a profit.

Got a stand 925 sterling silver bonbon dish, there.

Pierced decoration, arts-and-crafts-style handle.

It's a lovely thing.

-Two commission bids.

-Ooh!

-Come on.

And I am starting the bidding at £25. £25, the bid is with me.

Looking for 30 now. It's the silver spring-handle bonbon dish.

30 with you, madam. Saw you first.

30 within the room now. 35, the bid is...

Oh, he's got 35 on commission. We need one more.

-40 bid with the lady.

-Come on, internet.

-Got 45, sir?

-£40.

-It's lovely.

-Are you sure you don't want 45?

-You can carry your other purchases home with you.

-Yes, you can.

-40's the bid, looking for 45.

-Oh, we're still at 40.

-Come on.

-Come on.

We have 40 with the lady, it's there. 45 anywhere?

45 anywhere?

Oh... Sold at 40 again. No profit, no loss. So overall,

you're minus 28.

Ladies, ladies, come on.

-I hope it's a winning score.

-Yeah.

-We know Bargain Hunt.

You know that could be a winning score.

Yeah, it could be a winning score and I'm just sorry

we didn't see a profit, but...that's the game, isn't it?

-It's all part of the game.

-Yes.

-Ladies, well done,

-but promise me you won't say a word to those Reds.

-No.

-We promise.

And you never know, minus 28, you could still come out in front.

15 is bid with the gent.

Well, here we are.

Gemma and Karen, Ian and Gemma, did you all have fun today?

-Yeah, we did.

-Oh, my goodness,

it was a Welsh extravaganza and I don't know

-if you know how close it is. Have you been talking?

-No.

-We haven't.

-You promise?

-Secret.

-Promise.

Well, let me tell you then, folks, today, top of the class,

was not our head teacher. I'm so sorry, Reds.

-Yeah!

-I'm so sorry.

Our Blue team won, but Reds, let's go through it.

It was a loss on everything and overall, it was £162,

which means that with a loss of just £28, but still a loss,

Gemma and Karen have come out in front.

So I'm not handing over any money. But you had a great time?

-Yes, we did.

-Yes.

-Would you join us again?

-Yes.

-Definitely.

-You would?

Well, on that note, join us again next time

-for some more bargain-hunting. Yes?

-ALL: Yes!