Edinburgh Bargain Hunt

We're in Edinburgh today and behind me is the famous castle,

perched on a rock,

formed when a volcano erupted 340 million years ago.

And I thought we had enough eruptions, outbursts,

and tantrums from our teams.

Let's go Bargain Hunting, yeah!

Just a caber's toss from the city, the Royal Highland Centre here

plays host to thousands of dealers and opportunities for our teams.

So let's take a sneaky peek as to what's coming up.

The Reds are real straight talkers.

I think it's rubbish.

But it's only £18.

And the Blues' biggest hurdle today is the generation gap.

I would think that's about 1960s, '70s. That's old, isn't it, to you?

Is that old? Yeah...

Over at the auction, it's all to play for.

I don't believe it!

Let's meet the teams, eh?

On Bargain Hunt today, it is wall-to-wall friends.

For the Reds, we have Mark and Derek.

And for the Blues we have Rachel and Ellie. Hello, everyone.

-Hello!

-Lovely to see you.

Now, Derek, strange that you're in the Red team,

-because really, you are boys in blue, aren't you?

-Yeah, absolutely.

Both Mark and myself are police officers.

We work up at the Police Scotland College at Tulliallan Castle,

both teaching crime reduction

and crime convention to our more experienced officers.

And is that where you met, teaching?

Yeah, well, I've worked at the college for five years now.

And Mark joined the team just two and a half years ago.

That was where we met at first.

To be honest, we've got on really, really well since.

We became really good friends.

-As well as colleagues, albeit, technically, I'm Mark's boss.

-Are you?

And that's quite challenging.

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

Too much, to be honest.

This could be a secret getting out of the bag here, but I write.

I write poetry. And I'm actually currently writing a novel,

which is going really well.

What's it like then?

-It's a bit of a slow burner to start with.

-Oh! He's your friend?

-Well, was.

-That's lovely.

So, if...your mate's the writer.

-You're the performer.

-That's right.

-So, what do you get up to?

I do a lot of Burns singing, round about Burns time.

I go to the Burns suppers and sing for my supper.

-You eat haggis?

-A lot of haggis, a lot of turnip, a lot of potato.

-Not very pleasant to be about for...

-Oh!

..quite a lot of January and February!

But, over the last few years, I've been getting into gemstones

and collecting, mostly semiprecious gemstones.

Are those the sort of things to go for today, if the price is right?

Probably not. I like to feel things

and touch things.

So, if I pick something up and it feels good,

it could well be a purchase for us today.

Who's going to be the boss at the fair?

Who's going to be the leader, the senior officer, or the junior?

I think I've probably got a better grasp on, maybe, antiques

and collectables than the boss has.

I absolutely concur with that. Mark's going to be the boss today.

No doubt, he's going to pick one hideous item

that I'm really going to dislike,

but I'll bow to his superior experience today.

-Well, you never know. Great team. Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Lovely. Now, Raquel, or should I call you Rachel?

-Either or.

-I get both.

-Now, you met at university.

-We did, yes.

So what are you? Or where are you studying?

We're studying speech and language pathology.

So, what does that mean, speech pathology?

It's just the study of different disorders of voice,

of speech, of language, of swallowing.

It covers quite a lot, that's really interesting.

You can go from children with stammering,

right through to geriatric patients with strokes.

But it's a really rewarding course, just helping people that

can't communicate or have difficulty just finding their voice again.

There is a chance that you might run off to the circus, isn't there?

I don't know if I'll run away, but definitely a brilliant hobby to have.

How'd you get to learn how to do high wire acts?

To be honest, I was just bored one day and googled it

and found that there were classes in Glasgow. So, I went along and...

-No! Really?

-Yeah, loved it. Absolutely love it.

But, when you're up in the top of a tent,

you've presumably got something to catch you if you were to slip?

-There's a crash mat on the ground. So...

-Well, that's something.

-Yeah.

-Well, there we go.

-It's really fun.

-These dealers better watch out today

because they don't know what they're taking on.

Now, Ellie, your extracurricular activities involve some high-octane sports, too, don't they?

Yes, I do dancing. I've done dancing since the age of two.

-Wow!

-So, ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary.

Some hip-hop, but it's not really my strongest.

Erm, but, yeah, done that since I was two, carried it on

through to university. I now compete with the university team.

Do you do any ballroom?

-No ballroom.

-Oh, that's a pity. So, what are your tactics?

Are you going to go for something old? Do you know about antiques?

I mean...

Well, we both said we really wanted to get some jewellery,

-or something quite ornate and pretty.

-What do you think?

I want to try and spend as little as possible.

Try and get those bargains.

Well, you can get a bargain and still spend quite a lot of money.

So, I'd just be cool about it.

Anyway, this is the money moment, £300 apiece.

This is good, isn't it? Look at that, Mark. His face lit up.

There you go, Raquel.

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

Very, very, very good luck.

Trapeze artist? Oh, I say!

What great teams. Just as well we got great experts to match.

There'll be no flies on the Reds with Paul Laidlaw.

And here to bag a bargain for the Blues, it's Caroline Hawley.

Did you guys have a plan? What are we buying today?

-What are we buying, Mark?

-Maybe a bit of cranberry glass.

-Right.

What are you looking for?

-We said jewellery, something quite pretty.

-Pretty. Jewellery.

-Unusual.

-Unusual.

-Yeah.

-Anything I can take.

-At the right money?

-That's it.

-Something silver.

-Silver, unusual, pretty.

-Yes.

Time to take off. Teams, your 60 minutes starts now.

-BELL

-Over there.

-Let's go.

Come on then.

So, that's the shopping list sorted. Small matter of finding it all now.

-That's a kilt pin, isn't it?

-I quite like those.

Now, this is actually Scottish silver

-and this will be glass in here.

-OK.

And it's altogether a lovely thing.

I think, at 25, it's probably a little bit much.

OK. Look for something else. Something similar.

-That's the sort of thing you're looking for.

-That's the idea.

Right. Well, we'll put our heads together and we'll find something.

Not pinning their hopes there, then.

The Reds, however, could be speeding into their first buy.

Marked up at £35.

It's a scratch-built model speedboat. Was it ever powered?

Well, it's got a prop.

Is there a way to get into the...

Yeah.

-Ah, it is.

-It's got a live steam engine in it.

-It's been a wee petrol engine, I think.

-It had.

-I quite like that.

So, it was sophisticated enough.

-You know, it wasnae just a piece of O-Level woodwork.

-No.

It was meant to be a functioning... Yeah, I get it. Fair enough.

-Did your mate mention a price?

-He did indeed.

-Go on.

-£20.

Well, I mean, what I've got to do there is go, pfft...

What I really mean is, seems all right.

-It's not a lot of money.

-It's not a lot of money. I'd like to buy that.

-Derek's keeping quiet over there.

-You going for it just now?

-I'm going to buy that.

-I'm happy for you to buy that, Mark.

-Seriously?

-At that price. 15 quid, was it? Was it 15?

-18.

-18. There you go.

Sounds like a deal.

Want a carrier bag? That's five pence.

-LAUGHTER

-There you go!

I like your style. Good man.

-Cheers.

-Are you guys always this, erm, palsy-walsy?

We agreed one of us could pick an item, the other one could pick one.

-We could fight over the third one.

-Aah!

So he's picked his item there.

Personally, I think it's rubbish. But it's only £18.

And it's made this guy's day, if nothing else!

Oh, Derek, you are so magnanimous.

And that's your first buy in double-quick time.

Nice bit of tartan there. A little vintage bag. But it's not silver.

-It's not silver. I do like it, though.

-It is quite nice.

-Is it old?

I would think that's about 1960s, '70s. That's old, isn't it, to you?

-Is that old?

-A wee bit.

-It is old. OK. Yeah.

-I do quite like it.

-I think we can do better, though.

-Right, OK.

-I'm just checking how much it is.

-Ellie thinks we can do better.

-OK. It's £15, though.

-Something to remember.

-If we need a cheap item.

-OK.

Good plan, Ellie. You've plenty of time.

-Which way do you want to go?

-Erm... Over that way.

-This way?

-This way.

-Right.

-It looks colourful.

-It does look colourful.

Well, the big boy took six minutes to buy his first thing

and we blethered for a minute. So, you got you've got five.

-Get a move on.

-All right. Here we go.

Paul, this item over here, I just...

I very much come from a house where you'd get the pepper in the original packaging

and the salt in the original packaging on the table.

This is something a bit different, something quite nice.

I imagine it's something that my granny would have had in her house.

Your granny would have been proud to have that in her house

because it's a smart object.

Date wise, it's going to be late 19th, or early 20th century. OK?

Cannae be any more precise than that.

-Mustard is the hinge lid.

-Yeah.

Vinegar and oil. And then a hell of a lot of salt.

-Heart attack central.

-OK.

-So there's not one for brown sauce, then?

-PAUL LAUGHS

Salt and sauce!

The important thing about these, from our point of view,

is they've got to be perfect to have a fighting chance.

-Right.

-It is damaged around the edges.

-Oh!

Look at this. Eagle eye there.

-Well spotted. I think a decision is made then, yes?

-I fear it is.

Now your six minutes are up, so you are now officially a loser.

-Oh, right. I better put this down.

-PAUL LAUGHS

Now, the Blues have found an item that ticks a few boxes.

Now, these are silver and pretty, but do you know what they are?

I'm not too sure, no.

-They're a specific purpose. They are actually fish knives and forks.

-OK.

And if we have a look at them, this is silver-plated,

and this lovely mother of pearl handle.

I think these are very, very pretty.

And look, we've got the knife and the fork.

-Really rather lovely.

-It is a full set, and they are good quality.

Full set, good quality.

-And £20.

-Mm-hm.

It's not a bad price. They're not going to go in the dishwasher.

We are students, we don't use dishwashers.

Don't you students... Do you do any washing up at all?

-We do, but we don't have the luxury of a dishwasher.

-We hand wash it.

-They would be good for us.

-So would you use these?

-I think if we had them.

-Yeah, if we had them.

-And what about the price?

-£20.

-Erm...

-I think we can get it down.

-Yeah. If we can get it down a wee bit lower, that would be...

-It would be good.

-Let's go for it, Ellie.

What's your best offer...?

-STALLHOLDER:

-15.

-15?

-She's straight in there, Ellie.

-13?

OK. That's fine.

-Thank you very much.

-Good for you. Thank you.

That's great, thank you very much.

It's a topsy-turvy world where students behave sensibly...

-We've only spent...£13.

-We've only spent £13!

..and bobbies muck about?

-Must have had a small head.

-It's a hell of a look.

Anyway, both teams now have an item apiece with 50 minutes gone,

and the search continues.

-What about these ones?

-What!

-What about if we save up our pennies for a year?

-OK.

-I'm not loving it.

-It is very cold.

It wants to be obsidian or basalt.

-Do you want to have a think, girls?

-Yes.

Desperately out of fashion. They're more interesting in somebody else's stall

than in your house, I would suspect.

-Anything that stands out for you, Rach?

-Mmm...

30 minutes gone now, teams.

So, with neither team drawn to anything in particular,

time for a gentle nudge, do you think?

Now, there is some jewellery here, girls.

-There's a few silver ones I like.

-Do you want to look?

-Yes, can we have a closer look?

-Now look at that.

-Do you like that?

-Yeah, that's really nice.

-Now, if I turn it over, can you see how it is a brooch here?

-Yeah.

But then, with a little bit of magic...

See what I mean? It comes off.

-And that will act as a separate lapel brooch.

-Yeah.

That. And the other one matching, to wear on a jacket or a dress.

Really lovely thing.

-Now, what to check with these is that's there's no stones missing.

-Yeah.

So I'll put my glasses on for this.

But can you see, this beautiful sparkle to it?

-We'll turn over, are you ready for the price?

-Yes.

-98.

-Right. OK.

-So, it is quite a lot.

-What do you think we should get that down to, to make a profit?

I would be happy if it came down to 70, certainly. It needs to be that.

-OK. We'll try...

-Shall we have a try?

Hello, sir, I'm wondering if we could talk to you about your lovely dress clip?

-Yeah.

-Now there is 98 on it.

-What would be your best price, please?

-Probably do it for 90.

Would you go down a bit lower? 70?

-A bit lower.

-Do it for 80.

70 would really help us.

-OK. We'll do it for 70.

-Oh, you can't resist their cheeky smiles.

-Thank you.

-No problem, OK.

-70, are you happy?

You can see he's on our team, in the blue.

Hey, whether it was the cheeky smiles or the matching fleeces that

swung it, that's item number two, with 20 minutes left.

-What about that, Paul? I like that.

-The cranberry glass there.

That whopping great big piece of glass.

-The great big one.

-From the guy that said at the off, cranberry glass.

What is it, then? It is an epergne.

A fancy name for a flute-form vase.

Generally an epergne will have more than one flute.

Backlit, it is beautiful.

To be honest, I don't like it. I don't like it at all.

Most of the buying public are in your camp.

Wouldn't be for me at all. And at the price it is quoted at.

-What is the price? Can you see that tag? £95.

-£95.

Is this yours? How are you doing?

Tell me that's an old friend

and you want to sell that heavily discounted.

HE LAUGHS

-Well, yes, I would like to.

-They are hard work, aren't they? They have fallen from favour.

-Well...

-Once upon a time, that was, what, 250 quid all day long?

And now they are a nightmare. Can that be cheap?

Very best on that, 75, sir.

At what price are you saying to Derek, "I want it, and I'm having it"?

-50 quid.

-Make your man your last offer.

-50 quid.

-It...

I understand, I understand.

You've got to run a business. At 50, we'd take a punt.

But it's...

I can't... Can you meet me at 60?

-What do you think, Derek?

-55.

-You can't go far wrong with that.

-Would you do 55?

-50...

-55. 55.

Yes, go on, then. 55.

I think you got away with your skin of your teeth there. Thank you.

Thanks for working with us on that. Good stuff. How you feeling?

You've got your cranberry glass! It is utterly elegant. I love it.

-I love it.

-Behave yourself.

So that's two Red items reflecting Mark's taste,

meaning the last buy is down to Derek.

I'm not going to be buying it, I'm really sorry.

Well, buy your third items soon, Reds. That goes for you too, Blues.

Right, girls, time is ticking away.

-We've actually only got 12 minutes left.

-OK.

No pressure, but just a little pressure. Come on.

What about this item, Paul? It looks like some kind of trinket box.

-Oriental.

-OK.

-Japan.

-Japan, right.

Parquetry veneered. Parquetry and marquetry veneered, in truth.

Because it is a trinket box.

The cross-section, of course, is that of a fan.

And I must admit, while I've seen several today of these little

Japanese parquetry boxes, I like them.

The first time I've ever seen one of this configuration.

And that really works for me. What is it worth? £30-£50.

40 to 80, if you're being bullish. But I don't see a price on it.

What do you want me to pay for it?

It is the first thing to really jump out at me all day,

so if you could get it for £30, I'd be more than happy with that.

-It jumped out at you?

-It jumped out, literally.

You sound almost passionate there.

-You moved me.

-I'm more passionate about the £30.

-PAUL LAUGHS

-Any more than that... No deal.

With Paul on the case, surely that's a done deal.

Less than ten minutes now, Blues. And time to part with some cash.

-I do like mother of pearl, it is quite pretty.

-We've already got the mother of pearl.

-We've got a theme going here, haven't we?

-That's true.

But that is in nice condition.

And there's a lot of people that collect card cases.

-Right.

-There might be a little bit of profit at 75.

-I think it is still quite expensive...

-OK, then.

-..at 75.

Yes, students are careful with their coppers.

-Talking of coppers...

-I saw a handshake.

With time to spare, the Reds have their third item.

-30 quid. Are you happy?

-Yes, very.

-We did it.

-But the Blues have taken their eye off the ball.

What are you like? There we are.

-Oh, it has got balls in it.

-I want to know where the Red team are,

-just to scout out the competition.

-They could be anywhere.

-I wonder how they're doing, those boys.

-I know.

-Not as good as us.

Of course they won't be doing as well as us, would they?

No, it wouldn't be gentlemanly to tell them otherwise.

Right, come on. You owe me a brew, that was hard work. Come on.

-Let's go.

-With five minutes left,

the boys head off for a cup of tea.

Will the girls take the biscuit?

I quite like it. It is... Oh, it is a bit dented.

It has got some age to it. Take...

"Huntley & Palmers".

Ah, it's a Huntley & Palmers biscuit tin. That's exactly what it is.

It looks a wee bit like it had a hinge or something.

Does it matter that that's gone?

Yes, it does matter, but how much it matters is another thing.

It's...it's had that, and it's got...

-Yes, that's the hinge there, isn't it? Can you see?

-Yeah.

-Does it say how much it is?

-How much is it?

-45.

-How much?

-45.

45. So...

In a better condition, it would be more, but do you like this?

-I think it is quite...

-I'm just worried about the condition, that's the only thing.

It is a bit dented.

-Is there anything else in the stall that...

-Now, you were looking at brushes earlier.

-That is quite a nice set over there.

-Yes, and it is a complete set.

You've got the mirror. And the clothes brush, complete with the comb.

There's two problems with it.

It has got a little bit of damage on the enamel.

And the other thing is that it's actually silver plate.

If it was silver it would be a lot more money,

but it would be a lot better. Better ask the lady how much it is.

The dealer might be camera shy, but not shy of a deal.

60.

We are going to have our work cut out to get any profit on that.

So it's either this or the globe. What do you think?

I really do like that,

but it is not silver and we said something unusual.

-I really like the biscuit tin.

-And Rachel really likes the biscuit tin.

-You spotted it...

THEY LAUGH

-Do you think it will make a profit?

-Not at that price.

-I think you need to offer less.

-OK.

-OK, so if we can get it for 30.

-Yes, OK.

-Right, we are going to leave it to you, Rachel, to ask the lady.

-OK.

Hello, excuse me. For this one here, would you do it for 30?

-STALLHOLDER:

-We can do 35.

Meet me halfway at 32.

-Yeah, that'll be fine.

-32. Take that?

-Yes... 32.

-Is that all right?

-Yes, you both love it, don't you?

-We will take that. Thank you very much.

HORN BLARES

-Time's up, teams.

-It was looking a bit dodgy.

-A bit close to the wire.

-But we did it.

-Let's weigh up what the Reds bought.

They bought the scratch-built toy speedboat for £18.

Mark got the cranberry glass he wanted,

paying £55 for the Victorian style epergne.

Lastly, the fan-shaped, parquetry veneered trinket box

was picked up for £30.

-How are we, chaps?

-We are well.

-We've had a good day.

-And how much did you spend in total?

-£103.

£103. I would like £197 of leftover lolly somewhere.

-Thank you very much.

-There you go.

-OK.

-Which is your favourite piece, Mark?

-The speedboat.

-Speedboat is your favourite.

-The model speedboat.

-Would you agree with that?

-No, I'd completely disagree with that.

I like the trinket box, the Japanese trinket box.

-I think it was very nice.

-That's your favourite?

-Yes.

Will that bring the biggest profit?

Truthfully, I think the speedboat, at the price that we got it for,

-could bring the biggest profit.

-Well, the best part, as they say, is to come.

That's Paul Laidlaw going off and finding his bonus buy.

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

First up was the boxed,

silver-plated mother of pearl fish knives and forks for £13.

Next, the silver and marcasite metamorphic brooch

was bagged for £70.

Finally, they spent £32 on the Huntley & Palmers globe biscuit tin.

-Well, girls, was that fun?

-It was really good actually.

-Quite stressful towards the end.

-Was it?

-Yes, we got pushed a wee bit for time.

-Which is your favourite piece?

-My favourite is the biscuit tin.

-What about you, Ellie?

-The brooch.

-Brooch. Will that bring the biggest profit?

-Hope so. Hopefully.

-Do you agree?

-I think the brooch might bring the biggest profit.

Well, that's your prediction anyway. That is perfect.

So I will have the leftover lolly. You spent 115, you've given me £185.

I give that straight to Caroline.

What are you going to do with all that cash?

I've seen one or two things,

-and I think I'm going to spend this very wisely.

-Oh.

Well, it is your challenge, and good luck with that.

Meanwhile, we are going to head across Scotland

and go to the Clyde, to sunny Glasgow.

For over a century, Glasgow's main industry was shipbuilding.

A thriving international import trade developed as a result,

which brought great wealth and prosperity to the city.

Successful Victorian industrialist William Burrell was born in 1861,

and he was a real bargain hunter of his day.

Part of an old Glasgow shipping family,

he became renowned for buying

up entire fleets in time of slump, and then selling them

on for an immense profit when the market became more buoyant.

But Burrell's real passion was something other than ships - art.

His much-loved treasures

were donated to the people of Glasgow in 1944,

and now almost 9,000 items are housed here at the Burrell Collection.

But in true business-like fashion,

the gift came with one or two conditions.

And to find out about those,

I'm going to talk to head guide John Rattenbury.

-Now, hi, John, how are you doing?

-Hi, Tim.

Now, I need to find out what were the conditions that were

attached to the Burrell gift?

It had to be a museum with only his items in it.

It had to be in Glasgow, but the problem at that time

was that Glasgow was such a dirty city.

Finding somewhere that was good, that wouldn't destroy the objects,

was very difficult.

But it was when the Maxwell family donated the Pollok Estate to

Glasgow that this was the ideal opportunity for it to be

built here, and it opened in 1983.

And some of Burrell's collection

finished up being built into the structure here, didn't it?

Parts of that is the Hornby Portal just over here.

Which is a magnificent thing.

-So, did Burrell actually remove it from Hornby Castle?

-No. No.

Somebody else removed it, put it up for sale.

It was bought by William Randolph Hearst,

the American collector, and then subsequently when it came

up for sale from his collection, it was bought by Sir William Burrell.

-Just after the Depression.

-Just after the Depression.

So knowing Burrell, he got it at a cheap price.

£250, which was a fabulous bargain, and Burrell would have loved that.

So for £250, he gets all that

14th century architectural detail,

but it wasn't just ancient stones that he was interested in, was it?

Not at all, no, he loved his stained glass. So, can I show you some?

Yeah, please.

-Well, John, this is magnificent, isn't it?

-Certainly is.

What a clever way of displaying all this ancient stained glass.

Yes, wonderful. Most of it's from around the 1500s, late 1400s,

and it's just remarkable.

So how did they finish up in Britain?

Around the early 1800s, a cloth weaver from Norwich,

he took the opportunity of the Peace of Amiens

to head over into the continent to do some dealing.

Didn't have any intentions on stained glass at all,

but there was all this wonderful stained glass that was being

removed from churches, it just wasn't appropriate.

Changes in taste and so on.

And so he was picking it up and sending it back home to England.

-Really?

-And it went into various collections,

and then of course people die, these collections come

up for sale, so William Burrell is there buying them.

-At the right price.

-At the right price.

Well, that's the point, isn't it?

In 1802 or three, ravaged by the Napoleonic Wars,

things are really bad on the Continent.

There they are on their uppers, and that cloth dealer, at that

-moment in time, did a very sound, commercial thing.

-Saving it.

-And saving it.

-Because it wouldn't be here otherwise.

It is a magnificent tale of survival, and I have to say,

it is incredibly impressive to see it here in the Burrell,

and a real treat for you to show us.

Thank you very much, John.

Meanwhile, it's time for us to head off to the auction, to find

out if there is a tale there that is equally as illuminating.

Well, how lovely is this?

We've popped to Great Western Auctions to be with Anita Manning.

We couldn't come to Scotland without coming to see you!

Of course you couldn't.

It's a real treat.

First of all is this so-called scratch-built model

of what I think is a Fairey Huntsman,

or a Fairey Swordfish, for those people who are into

powerboats of the late '50s and early '60s,

but built by a man in a shed, right?

It's a home-made put-together thing.

But it did have an engine, and he could go to his local pond

-and he could have great fun.

-Yeah. I think it's a lot of object for £18

-and it ticks my box.

-Yeah.

-Er, how much do you think it'll bring?

-30 to 50?

Well, there you go, it ticks your box too. Which is super.

Next is the cranberry glass centrepiece,

which looks a bit better than it actually is.

It's very impressive, it's very impressive.

Now, the Victorians loved cranberry glass, they loved the colour.

These wonderful centrepieces with the flutes and so on.

It's still quite an impressive piece,

but it's not Victorian.

-No. I mean...

-Not all of it.

-No.

Well, that bit looks old,

but I guess that's about the top and bottom of it.

Anyway, there it is, it's a reproduction, effectively.

How much do you think you'll get?

-Well, I put 70 to 120...

-Did you really?

-Round about that.

Well, the team paid £55. I think £55 is plenty for it.

Good. Now, the last item is this extraordinary

parquetry and marquetry Japanese box. What sort of a box is this, Anita?

This was probably made as a souvenir piece,

and I would use it as a little trinket box.

The fan shape is very, very feminine,

and I think the marquetry with these lovely sort of kaleidoscope patterns

-are very nice.

-What is your estimate?

-I put £50 to £80.

-Have you? Oh, well, that's marvellous,

cos they only paid £30.

-Uh-huh?

-They'll be well pleased with that.

And in fact, depending on what happens with the cranberry epergne,

they may or may not need their bonus buy.

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

Now, chaps, here we are. You only spent £103,

which is pretty miserable,

and £197 went to Paul Laidlaw. Paul, what did you spend it on?

OK. Maybe not the biggest thing in the auction,

but might be one of the most interesting.

What do you think?

It's an Imperial German Iron Cross, is it not?

Have a look at it.

But that's not a medal you're looking at, it's a fob.

A locket.

The recipient of an Iron Cross

went out and procured that, cos he's damned proud of his achievement.

-Yeah.

-And he either gives that to his wife

or maybe wears it in mufti,

so when he's out and about,

he's saying, "I've done my bit for the Fatherland."

Paul, more importantly than all of that,

-how much did you pay for it?

-It's the numbers with you guys!

You're cold, aren't you? Cut to the chase.

-I paid £50.

-£50. For me, it looks a really nice item.

How much is it going to sell for, Paul?

-I reckon that's £50 to £80.

-I trust him.

-I trust him.

Anyway, guys, you're cops, you trust everybody.

We're all innocent until we're proven guilty, right?!

You don't have to decide now,

you decide after the sale of your first three items.

But for the audience at home, let's find out what the auctioneer thinks

about Paul's Iron Cross locket.

Right then, Anita.

I'd like to reward you the Order of the Iron Cross, first class.

Do you not realise that a guy would have given this to his sweetheart?

It is an intriguing business, isn't it, to have a locket,

clearly to be worn by the wife,

who wouldn't have been awarded the Iron Cross,

apart from her duties standing by at home.

But the thing is, she would have been proud of it,

if it was a wife or a sweetheart,

and her husband had been awarded the Iron Cross.

-And it's a nicely made object.

-Yes, it is indeed,

and it's made of silver and it's ready to go.

-What's it worth, do you think?

-£50 to £80.

He paid £50, so, typical Paul, he's paid the right price,

and let's hope for the best if the teams decide to go with it.

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

The plated set of fish-eaters.

It's in this very scruffy box, which probably has got nothing to do with

these mother-of-pearl knives and forks.

Er, but...if they haven't paid too much for it...

-They've only paid £13.

-Yeah...

-Which when you think about it is not much.

-It's not a lot.

-How much?

-20 to 30?

-OK, perfect.

Now, moving on to the dress clip...

I like the fact that it is a metamorphic piece.

That means that you can use it as a brooch,

and you can unhinge it, and the mechanism is beautifully done,

and turn it from a brooch into two dress clips.

-How much is it worth?

-I think 40 to 60

-is probably a fair estimate.

-OK, well, £70 was paid.

Now, the last thing, which I have to say I really like,

is the Huntley & Palmers tin.

I mean, I think that is just the business. I think it's great.

-Will it clean up, do you think?

-I'm not sure. There's rust on it,

and I think that rust can be a difficult thing.

If that had been in good condition,

it would have...the estimate would have been much higher,

because that is a desirable tin.

Where do you put the value?

I put 80 to 120 on that and I think I might have been a bit kind.

-Oh.

-The collectors of biscuit tins

will be looking very, very carefully at that

and they may reject it because of the condition.

£32 is all they spent,

so they got it, I think, at a jolly good price.

And I suppose the success of the biscuit tin

will determine whether they need the bonus buy,

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

You spent 115, which isn't much.

You gave £185 to Caroline, and I bet you she blew the lot.

-Caroline.

-I didn't, actually!

You're both looking very expectantly at me.

I bought something tiny, tiny, tiny,

but beautiful. It's a silver vinaigrette

from 1837

and if you open it up...

-Have you got it?

-Just about, yeah!

..this beautiful silver gilt pierced little grille here,

that's a vinaigrette.

You would have a sponge in there

soaked in a wonderful-smelling ointment

and you would be able to hold that to your nose

-to avoid the smells of the street as you walked along.

-Oh, OK.

So how much did you spend?

-115.

-OK.

-Do you think it's going to make money?

-Yes, I do.

-I think it's going to get a minimum of 150, 160.

-OK!

-You like it a bit more now, don't you?

-Yeah!

OK. You don't decide now, you decide later,

but let's find out for the audience at home

what the auctioneer thinks about Caroline's vinaigrette.

Now, Anita, here's something to be sniffed at.

It's a very nice little object.

And it would sit beautifully in a little bijouterie cabinet.

Yeah. So, Anita, a perfectly formed specimen.

Likely to be worth what at auction?

-120 to 180?

-Perfect.

That cunning Caroline paid £115,

so she's just under your low estimate,

and with any luck and a fair wind,

if we've got a decent auctioneer on parade, all will be well.

-Are you taking the sale today, Anita?

-I am indeed.

I rest my case.

-Derek, Mark, how are you feeling?

-Good.

-Feeling confident?

-Yes.

The first item is the model boat,

and here it comes.

£100? £50?

Start me at £20.

£20 for the model. £20.

£20!

£20.

Surely £20!

Thank you for coming along, sir.

20 bid.

20 bid...

Listen, you're going to have great fun with that.

Any advance on £20?

£20...

£20 is plus £2, it's a profit.

£55 paid for the epergne, here it comes.

This magnificent cranberry glass epergne.

It's beautiful. £150. 150.

100.

100, surely?

She's standing up - never a good sign, that.

50 bid. Any advance on 50 for the epergne?

-£50.

-This is not looking good, kids.

-£50?

-I can't bear it.

£50 is minus £5,

which means overall you're minus £3.

That's a blip, but a temporary blip.

Cos here comes the trinket box, and this will make money.

Start me at 50. Start me at 50.

With you, madam, at £50.

-It's beautiful. 50, 60. 70.

-You paid 30. You're safe, boys.

..90, 100. 110, 120, 130.

130 for the Japanese marquetry box. 130.

-Any advance on £130?

-You found it, Derek.

-Any advance on 130?

-I'd give up the police, mate.

130, that's a cool plus £100.

That is the doctor's orders. 100.

That means now, overall, you're plus 97 squid.

What are you going to do about the Iron Cross locket?

-Go for it?

-Go for it.

-Go for it.

-Go for it, yeah.

This is our chance to unlock

the worldwide Iron Cross locket market.

Now, you've decided that, I can tell you the auctioneer's estimate,

which is £50 to £80.

So, paid 50, Anita thinks it's £50 to £80 worth.

You're plus 97, you're going with the bonus buy,

and here it comes.

I can start the bidding at 30.

It's with me on the book at 30.

Any advance on 30? Where are we?

40. 50 with me on the book. 50.

60, the book is out.

-It's with you, sir, at £60.

-Made a profit, Paul, well done.

-Any advance...?

-That's all we need, is £60, well done, Paul.

£60...

£60 is plus £10.

Yet another performance from the man.

97 plus your tenner is plus 107.

That could easily, easily be a winning score.

-But don't say a word to the Blues.

-Absolutely not.

Thank you very much, chaps.

-Well, girls, do you know how the Reds got on?

-No.

-No idea.

Did they look a bit, you know, numb?

No, they looked a bit smug.

That's the trouble with policemen, isn't it?

You never can really tell what they're thinking.

-So, are we feeling cool?

-I think so, yeah.

First up are the fish-eaters, and here they come.

The beautiful mother-of-pearl, ladies and gentlemen.

10 bid, I'll take 10.

Any advance on 10? 20 on the net.

30. I'll catch you in a wee minute.

-30. On the floor at 30.

-I don't believe it.

With this lady at 30.

40, the young lady at £40. 40.

With the lady at £40.

-£40...

-You've just made £27, kids!

Look at that! £27!

Now the dress clip.

This may not be so funny.

..is this iconic Art Deco dress clip.

Start me at £20.

20 bid. 20 on the floor.

30. 40 online.

50.

With you, madam, at £50.

Any advance on £50?

60.

-One more.

-Go on, crack on. Go on.

-70!

-Yes!

With you, madam, at £70.

£70...

Thank you very much, that's very good.

A wiped face. You were lucky there, girls.

Now, here comes the globe of the world.

50 bid.

50. 60. 70.

80. 90. 100.

£100 with the lady for the Huntley & Palmer tin.

110, fresh bidder.

Oh, it's so exciting, isn't it?

120, she's still in. 120.

130. 130.

-Well fought at 130, 130...

-I don't believe it.

There you are!

£130.

Which means you've just made £98 profit - how about that?!

-Is that ridiculous, or what?

-It is.

That is ridiculous. No, not at all. Well done.

Are you going to go with the £115 vinaigrette?

-I think we said we'd go for it.

-You're only here once.

-We're going to do it.

-I love the bravery of youth.

Start me at 100.

110, 120, 130,

-140, 150, 160...

-Yes!

..170, 180, 190,

200, 210...

..220, 230,

240... £240.

240 for the Thomas Shaw vinaigrette.

-250, fresh bidder. 260.

-They love the little ones!

260. Any advance on 260?

All done at 260.

169...

£145 profit.

You are unbelievable. Plus the 125,

£270 profit overall - that is phenomenal.

I feel numb.

Well, this is fun, isn't it? Have you been chatting?

No? And you don't know who's ahead?

-We've got quite an idea.

-You do?

We lose at everything we do, so...

I think that's just such a terrible thing to say, because...

you're absolutely right!

Oh, bad luck, chaps.

I mean, how brilliant to make £107 on Bargain Hunt.

It is quite something, I tell you.

There's 105, OK,

and here comes a couple of smackers. There we go. Lovely.

Poor Mark. You made £2 on our famous boat,

£100 profit on that fan-shaped box,

and then the Iron Cross made you a nice profit of £10 too,

so overall, plus £107, is magnificent!

-We've loved it.

-We've loved having you on the show.

You've been great sports. Not quite good enough, though,

to beat the girls, who go away with £270! There you go.

-Thank you.

-Rach, what are you going to spend it on, darling?

I don't know, we haven't thought that far ahead!

-You still in shock?

-A little bit.

Yeah. You just missed your golden gavel -

you made a profit of £27 on those fish-eaters,

£98 profit on your lovely tin for the biscuits.

A profit of £145 on that bonus buy, your vinaigrette, was remarkable.

-And lots of fun, yeah?

-Yeah.

In fact, join us soon for some more Bargain Hunting. Yes? Yes!