Builth Wells 2 Bargain Hunt

We've come to beautiful Builth Wells in Mid Wales,

an area renowned for its agricultural heritage.

So let's be bullish about this. Ha-ha!

Let's go Bargain Hunting. Yeah.

Today we are at the Royal Welsh Showground, which is normally

a great shop window for the farming community.

But today it's going to be a great shop window for Bargain Hunt,

with the Red team and the Blue team each needing to find three items

to take away and hopefully sell for a profit later at auction.

Let's take a sneaky peek as to what's coming up, eh?

On today's show, Phil goes begging for profit.

-Here we are.

-I could walk around with that, couldn't I?

It was made for me, this was.

And then...for forgiveness.

Do you do confessions?

The Blues try and drive the price down.

-We've got to make a profit.

-Just a little bit.

Tweak it, a little bit. Please.

And then back up again.

-Come on, come on, come on. More.

-65.

So let's meet today's teams.

Well, we have a team of friends on today's programme.

Well, they're friends at the moment.

It's Judy and Jane.

And for the Blues we have a daughter-and-father combo,

Fionella and Malcolm. Hello, everyone.

-ALL:

-Hello!

Hello, hello, hello.

Now, Judy, I don't have to ask you what your profession is.

-No, we've both rather given it away today.

-You're sporting dog collars.

-We are.

-So what is the good bits about being a vicar?

It's incredibly varied.

You never know quite what you're going to be doing from day to day.

Just being part of a local community

and there for people whatever is going on in their lives,

the difficult and the great, is a privilege.

But you had another life as a vet.

I did. Yes, yes.

I qualified as a vet at Bristol and then I taught vet students

and ended up specialising in horse colic.

If you want to know anything about horse gut, I'm your person!

So, what happened?

Where was your epiphany? That you were dealing with horse guts

one minute, and you thought, "I can't stick this any more...

-No, no, no.

-"..I'm moving on."

It had been a background thought since I was about 15 that

at some point some kind of full-time Christian work was in the offing.

So, Jane, how long have you known Judy for?

I've known her for 20 years, when she arrived as our vicar

and I was, innocently, not a vicar at the time.

You're relatively new to the Church, aren't you?

Yes. I've not been a vicar for more than six years.

-Before that I was a teacher, a geography teacher.

-Oh, yes.

I decided really - this doesn't sound too good - that there would be

a point when I couldn't run up sand dunes any more.

What are your tactics going to be today?

Are you going to spend all the cash? Spend every last penny?

-No, I don't think so.

-You're not?

-We're very careful.

-A bit cautious.

-Oh, yes.

-You'll regard it as the collection money?

-I think so.

-Exactly.

-It's on loan.

-Good stewardship.

-That's a better word.

-Everything is stewardship.

Good fun. Lovely to meet you.

-Now, Fionella. It says here that you're an estate agent.

-I am indeed.

-Well done, for your pains.

-Absolutely.

-Some people are very rude about estate agents, aren't they?

-They are.

-That's incredibly unfair.

-Unfairly, really.

-Do you love your job?

-I really do.

-I get paid to talk to people all day.

-Yes. And you like that?

Yes, generally I do. Most people are really nice.

There's an awful lot of ground to cover here

at the Royal Welsh Showground and you are very fit, right?

-Because you like to run.

-I do like to run, yes.

-I hope that'll be to our advantage.

-In a big fair like this, it probably will.

Absolutely. I want to get there first before the other team!

-Now, Malcolm. You also like to keep fit, don't you?

-I do, I do.

I walk seven miles to the baths in Shrewsbury.

-Do you?

-Then swim for 40 minutes, 45 minutes.

-Do you mind my asking how old are you?

-77.

-Are you?

Malcolm, it's not so often we have a person on the show

who has been awarded an MBE.

So congratulations for that. Tell us about the circumstances.

My wife and I, we do foster.

My wife has fostered longer than I have because I worked,

I was a car salesman.

When I retired I became the foster carer's assistant

and we really, really enjoyed it.

-And how many children have you fostered?

-Just over 140.

Have you really? That is quite something.

-Do you guys ever get together at auctions?

-Yes, we do go to auctions.

-But we don't give Dad a free rein very often.

-Why is that?

Because he buys things nobody else wants

and then we have to resell them again at a loss.

I see! It's that good a business, is it?

No, what it is, Tim, the poor old auctioneer's struggling there

to get a bid, and I think I'll start the bidding off for him.

Of course nobody else bids and it's knocked down to me.

On that happy note I think we should have our £300.

-Here comes the £300, there we go. £300.

-Thank you.

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

Godspeed.

Let's get things started and meet today's experts.

Rooting around for the Reds, it's Phil Serrell.

And aiming to rake in a profit for the Blues, it's Ben Cooper.

What are you looking to buy, do you think?

We're looking for, I think, small items, intricately made.

-Small and intricate?

-Yes.

-Is that not you?

-But you've got me!

-I like silver.

-Right.

-And something that is unusual.

-And is going to make us a profit.

-And quirky.

I'm kind of hoping that with you two we might get a bit of divine help.

I think we might need it.

Get skating, teams, cos your time starts now.

TRAIN WHISTLE

-Let's do it.

-Come on, let's do it. Come on.

-Come on, let's have a go.

-OK.

We need to speed up.

Very much a gentleman's thing. It's quite cool, isn't it?

What about one of these retro deckchairs? What do you think, Dad?

-Do you like them?

-Yes, I think they are very now, and what people like.

-Do you know how to put them together?

-They just fold up, don't they?

Do you like that or not?

-Silence...

-I'm not sure, I'm not sure.

-Silence means rubbish.

-Silence says, no, we don't really like it.

-Follow me, follow me.

-Oh.

-Oh, dear.

Oh, Lordy! Here's a fact.

Deckchairs were first used on the decks of ocean liners in the 1860s.

-Is it a retro one?

-It's not so much about age,

what you are trying to find is something which will make a profit.

-A profit, yes.

-How much have you got on the deckchair?

-20 each for those.

-They're 20 each?

-OK.

-How are you feeling?

-And how much for us?

-20 each!

Oh, we've got to make a profit.

-Just, just, just a little bit...

-Tweak it a little bit.

-Just tweak a little bit.

-We'll go 16, then.

-16.

-16.

-I think the gentleman is being very...

-Fair.

-..fair.

-Yes.

Could we put it behind for just, like, ten minutes?

And we will come back to you? Fab. Let's do it.

Right, OK. We've only got started. Only five minutes in.

So let's see what else we can find and maybe come back to this later.

One for the back burner then, Blues,

but there's no time to sit back and relax.

Now, will this make an impression with the Reds?

-What do you think to this?

-What is it?

-It's an old company seal.

Right, OK.

In the days when any limited company had to have its company seal.

And its own seal.

And here, you stamped it down,

it impressed into the paper what your registration was, effectively.

It's beautiful, actually, isn't it?

Yes, it's quite nice, because that's a locking device there.

You can't actually use it as a seal with that lock in place.

We've got a tonne of seals and all sorts going on.

These are plain ones.

I've got to say, I don't think this box has got anything to do with it,

-but it does the job, doesn't it?

-It does.

The real key to all of this - let's just pop it back how it was -

is, in all its glory, do you like it?

-Yes, I do.

-Yes. Both of us.

It's £65.

Let me have a word with the dealer and I can see what they can do.

Go and see if you can seal the deal, Phil.

Now, what has Malcolm spotted?

-Who would want to buy that, Dad?

-I don't know.

-Is that what they call a mahjong something or...?

-Yes, a mahjong set.

-Yes.

-But who would want it?

-Ben?

-Yes?

-Would that be of interest to anybody?

-A mahjong set.

What is a mahjong set?

It's a Chinese game and to be honest I have no idea how you play it.

But it's about building walls and so you've got to have all the tiles...

That's the character for chung, which is central.

Often they are made out of ivory. This one's not.

By the looks of things it's a complete set

with some spare blank tiles, which is always useful

because you're bound to lose some.

They're always sought after and I often get asked by people,

-"Have you seen a mahjong set recently?"

-Right, OK.

-So it may be...

-Yes, but it depends on the price, doesn't it, Ben?

-Yes.

-This one's £78.

-Yeah.

-It's not a desperately old set...

-No.

-..looking at the box.

-No, the case is not very old.

-No, no.

It's nicely made.

In all honesty I don't think there's going to be much of a profit.

Even if the gentleman would be very kind to us, I still don't think

it's necessarily something that'll be great in a general auction.

OK, well, let's move on.

Back to Phil, who has price news on the seal stamp.

I think she's been really kind to us. She said we can have it for £45.

-45?

-There's one crucial question you haven't asked yet.

-What do you think it will sell for?

-You've got it! You've got it!

She's got it.

I think if you have a bad day, it's £30.

If you have a good day, it might make 60.

I think it's quirky enough and it's just a lovely-looking piece

-which somebody's used, haven't they, and that's what we wanted.

-It's different...

-I wouldn't mind it on my desk.

-Are you going to buy it?

-Yes.

-You're going to write to the bishop?

-Send him a seal. Absolutely.

-Send him a seal.

-I think so.

Right, I think you've done really well

because you've only just started, first lot gone.

Well done you. Come on.

And in ten minutes the Reds are stampeding ahead.

One item in the bag.

Are the Blues going to be as snappy?

-Why do you think about this?

-Oh!

-Looks like a big crocodile.

-Yes.

It's a stationery box, is what it was originally made for.

Date-wise, I would have thought

you're looking around the turn of the century.

In 1947, it became illegal to import crocodile skin

into the UK, but this piece is late 19th century.

Oh, Dundee.

-That wouldn't be Crocodile Dundee, would it?

-Er...no.

-No. Oh.

-Edwards & Sons, Regent Street.

That will be the retailer and they probably made them as well.

In lovely condition. What you can't fake is patina,

that wonderful word we have in the antiques trade.

You've got this patina, where it's been handled.

Your fingers go there. Lovely marks.

That can't be faked.

-So, it's a great box. It's got 160 on it.

-Right.

I'd have thought, if you asked him what his price...

he'd give, probably, about 140.

-I think you'd need to get it a bit lower than that...

-OK.

..to be able to make a profit.

-All right.

-See if you can use your charm.

-Go on, Dad, see what you can do.

-I'll have a word.

Have a word with the gent.

Excuse me, sir.

Now, some words of wisdom from Phil.

-See that there?

-Yes.

If you've got a long case clock and the bottom's rotted,

and someone pinches the movement and the hood's a bit warped,

-what you do is cut it out and make a cupboard out of the trunk.

-Right.

All clever stuff, this.

Wise words, Phil.

How are the Blues getting along with that stationery box?

-How did you get on?

-We've cracked it, I think. £110, Ben.

-I think he's been very generous.

-That's our first buy.

Shaking his hand, you've done it.

The Blues are moving forward with the box

and both teams have one item each.

We've used up 20 minutes, we've only got one item.

I think we need to crack on.

Let's get into the warmth, we've got two more things to buy.

Come on, let's do it.

I'm already in the warm and I've spotted something

that, at first glance, might not catch your eye.

So, what have we got here?

On the face of it, rather a tatty album.

The spine here, look, has rotted and come away.

And if, as I did, wondering around outside here at Builth Wells,

you passed this too quickly you would miss a real treat.

Because this is a photo album with a difference.

Depress the brass catch to let the spring off to enable the top

to open, and inside that front cover is a rather unusual feature.

Two little catches, look.

If I pull the silk string it opens up a compartment

with two empty sections.

What's all that about? Well, you'll find out in a minute.

Open it up inside and it reveals the standard

late-Victorian photo album image sleeve.

You would tuck into that a snap of your loved one

and indeed it would appear that Idris Fletcher's daughter Marian

once sat inside this album.

But the images of the loved ones have largely been removed

before the album, clearly, went up for sale.

Except that there's one image left and that is of...

"My Dad".

Look at that!

But apart from the interest in the album itself,

this one contains a secret.

To reveal that, all I have to do is to depress the hinge.

Like that.

MUSIC

As if by magic, from within the volume itself,

in the secret base

we have a mechanical musical device.

Isn't that amazing?

This particular type of mechanical musical device is called

a polyphone.

It's a type that uses a thin steel disc

that's been pierced, which enables the tune to play.

This particular steel disc says "Mikado-Walzer".

Do you remember in the lid of this album we had some compartments?

Funnily enough the compartments are exactly the right size

for these polyphone discs.

So effectively you would have some spare discs

in the lid of the photograph album,

so when you get fed up with one tune, rather like a CD, you change them.

You bring out some fresh music, which is quite fun.

In fact, it's a lot of fun,

and that's why this thing is such an amazing find.

These polyphones come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

If you're a collector of mechanical music you simply have to have one

of every example in your collection.

A little fellow like this,

of no great quality but interesting as a novelty

to a mechanical music fan,

could be worth as much as £150-£250.

What would it cost you here in Builth Wells

wandering around an outside stand?

It could be yours for £10.

Now, that's what I call music to my ear.

MUSIC

Back to the shopping and both teams have one item each

and with just over 20 minutes on the clock.

So, Blues, what's the plan?

-We need some purchases.

-We've only got one thing bought at the moment.

Yeah, we've got one thing on standby as well.

-There's always a deckchair to fall back on.

-Yeah, literally!

-These are topical, aren't they?

-Oh, look!

-No, no! No, no, no, no!

-We could have...

Guide Me Oh Thou Great Redeemer, Come All Ye Faithful.

-What's that?

-How about, God loveth a cheerful giver?

I could walk round with that, couldn't I? Made for me, this was.

-I think we should be restoring that to somebody, don't you?

-£98.

-£98?

-What sort of wood is that?

-Expensive!

No divine inspiration there, then.

We haven't looked at many things, have we? Is that all right, though?

You best had, though - time's ticking.

I quite like these bowls and things.

Is there anything else that takes your shine?

-I quite like the shape of this.

-Do you?

-A malt shovel.

-A malt shovel.

-A malt shovel?

-For shovelling malt.

-That's all right.

Why do you like it? Why do you like it?

There is the feel of it, there's the... Is it old?

Yeah, I would think that's 19th century.

It looks as if it's done some work but that wouldn't matter, would it?

No, that actually adds to it. That's what we call patina.

-Patina.

-Right.

-How much is it?

-It's 65, is it?

-59.

59. Let's have a word with our good lady.

-How are you?

-I'm fine.

-Are you well?

-Yes.

-Your malt shovel, do you think it's made out of beech?

-Yes, I think so.

-Yes.

-19th century?

-Yes.

-£45.

-You can do it for 45?

Thank you very much indeed. Thank you.

Right, you've got a decision to make.

We bought something in our first 20, we're looking at our second 20.

Need to make a decision. Yes, no? Yes, no? Yes, no?

Do think there's a chance of it making a profit?

I think that's going to make £40-£60. All day long.

We're only looking to tip over the edge, aren't we?

-Thing is, we like it, don't we?

-It's decision time.

-I think, yes?

-We'll go for it? Yes.

-We'll go for it.

Our vicars are digging deep.

That's two in the bag.

Now, Ben, how are we doing for time?

-35 minutes gone.

-Right, OK.

-One thing bought.

-We've got two more to go.

-Two more to get.

-Get your eyes peeled, let's hone in to what you want.

-What we want.

-Silver.

-Yes, please.

-Right.

-Let's do it.

-Let's walk down. I can see a stand of silver just in front.

-OK.

Right, we're on a budget of time and money.

Have you got anything that you could drastically reduce us

to make a profit at auction?

I don't like the sound of a drastic reduction but I will help a little.

-OK.

-What sort of thing are you thinking of?

I like silver oddities, so something that's...

..interesting.

There's a wonderful little enamel and silver mirror there.

I do like that.

Mirror's a little bit frosted, as you'd expect with an aged mirror,

but it's still a beautiful picture.

The mirror won't detract hugely

because people don't buy it as a mirror to use.

Originally, it would have hung, as you can see,

off a chatelaine or something.

But it's really for silver collectors to buy little things,

also enamel collectors.

Hallmarks are very important. They've got to be nice and clear.

OK, which they are. Do you like it, Dad?

I do. I think it's lovely.

-What's the price on it?

-How friendly can you be?

-VENDOR: 98.

-Oh, no! Please!

-We said "friendly".

-Oh, discount, oh.

-Please, please.

-98. How about if I said £80?

-Take my hand at 70. Come on.

-Please!

-75 and you've got a deal.

-We're running out of time.

I think 75 is a very fair price.

To be fair, with silver, as I said earlier,

-you've got intrinsic values, as well.

-OK.

What about, then, if we say £72?

-Oh, go on. 72.

-Yes!

-Well done.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

TIM: The Blues have got their silverware.

Both teams now have one more item to find,

so will these maps keep the Reds moving in the right direction?

"Wartime maps of Scotland." Do you like those?

-Well, I'm a geographer so...

-Yeah, but I'm not.

I'm not a very good one, though.

I wouldn't even have known if they were Scotland.

The thing is, who do you think is going to buy these?

-Well, at an auction in England, I don't know.

-No, you're right.

-If it was Scotland, maybe, but...

-Yeah.

Maps of Scotland by and large probably sell well in Scotland,

-not England.

-Not England.

-Plenty of exiles, though.

-She's good, isn't she?

-Oh, she is good.

She probably doesn't like them either. I get that impression.

-Well, I think I'm not as keen as you.

-Prejudiced and good.

Yeah. The thing is, Judy, these are wartime maps.

-Can I just say something to you?

-Yeah.

-Ten minutes left.

-Right, ten minutes.

-JUDY GASPS

-Ten minutes left.

-I'd rather go and look around.

-OK.

Whilst the maps are lost on Judy,

the Blues have found some more silver.

Let's have a little look at the vesta.

-What do you think, Malcolm?

-I think it's very nice. It is silver.

-There's a hallmark?

-Yeah, it's got a hallmark.

-What do you think, Ben?

-Well, it's priced at only 45.

-What do the silver hallmarks say?

We've got...

the anchor for Birmingham.

We've got the lion and the date letter...

I haven't got a book with me but, looking at the work,

-it's probably around about 1900, 1910, somewhere in that period.

-OK.

-And it's a nice, honest little vesta case.

-Yes, I think it would appeal.

Shall I go and see what we can get it for, then, Ben?

See what you can do, Malcolm.

-Use your charm and your good looks and we'll see what we get.

-Well...

-Good luck, Dad.

-SHE LAUGHS

Work your magic then, Malcolm. Our vicars can't escape the day job.

They've spotted a church collection box.

That's what you should have.

-This is gorgeous. 1850. It says all the details about it.

-Oh!

Oh, no, it's from a church! We keep coming across church items

and we're both vicars.

There we are, a theme. A theme is developing.

It hasn't got any alms in it still, I suppose?

-No, unfortunately not, no.

-It's alm-less.

So, Malcolm, what's the deal with the vesta case?

I've had a word with the guy.

Nice chap and, as he said, there's not much margin in it,

but he will let us have it for 40,

which I think is very, very reasonable.

-I think 40 is...

-Very generous.

-Yes, absolutely.

I think it looks like the deckchair is down.

-Yeah, and the silver vesta...

-The vesta is up.

We've done all three.

You go and shake the gentleman's hand and say,

"Thank you very, very much."

That's job done for the Blues. Cor, they're smoking hot.

-I think it's time for a cup of tea.

-Let's do it.

-Oh, wonderful, wonderful!

-Come on, guys.

-Yeah. You're buying?

What? No, no, no, no. Don't be silly.

Reds, it all hangs in the balance.

You need to level things up and find your final item. Just minutes left.

-What do you think of these?

-Well, they're quite nice, aren't they?

The price is quite high but they're different.

They're parcel rates, aren't they? Parcel scales.

-I would think they're probably...

-Do you think original or not?

Well, some are and some aren't, aren't they?

-What do you think, Jane?

-Do you like them?

-I like it actually, yes.

I like it because of that.

Because it's got the rates on it.

-What about that? That Alex Hartley sign, do you like that?

-Yeah.

-I wouldn't.

-She doesn't.

Do you know what? She doesn't exactly hold back, does she?

When she's going to give you a kick, you get a kick.

-You say we're short of time so...

-Takes no prisoners.

Absolutely none at all. None whatsoever.

How much is it?

£65.

Sir, could we have a quick word with you?

These goodly ladies here,

they're interested in your letter scales, postal scales.

VENDOR: They're good ones, being parcel scales

rather than small letter scales. They're a bit rarer.

Now, I tell you what I'm going to do now. In you go, in the middle.

In you go. Now then, we've got two ladies of the cloth here.

-We've got two reverends, right?

-Bless you.

All the best. All the best.

-TIM: Go for it, girls.

-What's the best you could do for us on this?

-Absolute best.

-Normally, the absolute would be 90.

They cost me 80. But as I know you're trying to make a profit

and I do understand, you can have them at cost for £80.

-That would be brilliant.

-That would be wonderful. Thank you very much.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

-Bless you.

That's all three items for the Reds. Amen.

-I like his sign.

-I know you do.

-I know you do.

Oh, no! No, no! I can tell what's coming.

I think that's a really cool thing.

CLOCK CHIMES Time's up!

Let's remind ourselves what the Red team bought, eh?

First up, the Reds made their mark and paid £45 for this seal stamp.

Next, they forked out another £45 for the wooden malt shovel.

And finally, they weighed in with these scales. £80 paid.

It's all in the balance.

-Well, Rev, Rev.

-Hello.

-Are you feeling revved up?

-Oh, we have been, yes.

Oh, I bet you have. What's your favourite piece?

-The shovel.

-The shovel is your favourite piece?

-The shovel, yeah.

-Do you agree with that?

-I like the seal stamp.

-OK.

-This is just personal favourites.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-What's going to bring the biggest profit?

-The seal stamp will.

-Do you?

Is that the biggest profit for you too, Jane?

-I always agree with Judy, yes.

-Lordy.

And nobody agrees with Phil, right? THEY LAUGH

-Anyway, you spent £170.

-We did.

-I'd like £130 of leftover lolly, please.

-There you go.

Thank you very much. That 130 goes straight to PS.

So, what are you going to spend it on, Philip?

I don't know but with these two I need some sort of a sign, really.

-What, from above?

-Mm.

-Really?

-Mm.

Well, we won't hang about here. It looks rather grey.

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

First, the Blues got things moving with this stationery box for £110.

Next, they liked the look of this silver mirror and paid £72.

And finally, they invested £40 in the silver vesta case. How sweet.

Fionella, Malcolm, how was that shopping for you?

Fantastic, thank you. Really enjoyable.

-Can you tell me, how much did you spend?

-£222.

That is a magnificently mature amount. I'm so proud of you.

-Thank you!

-I'd like £78 of leftover lolly, please. Thank you very much.

Now, Malcolm, which is your favourite piece?

My favourite piece I think is the...

-vesta case.

-Do you agree with your dad?

-No.

-Which is your favourite piece?

-The little miniature mirror.

-The miniature mirror.

-Yes.

-Is that going to bring the biggest profit?

-I think the vesta is going to bring the biggest profit.

-OK.

-And you think the vesta case?

-I do. I do.

-Perfect.

OK, well, it's a relatively modest amount of money

to hand over to your expert,

but I'm sure he'll do all he can to go forth and multiply, won't you?

-I'll do my best.

-And good luck with that.

Meanwhile, we're about to shove off to Shrewsbury for our auction.

Ooh-aah.

I'm here at Halls Saleroom to catch up with auctioneer Jeremy Lamond.

Jeremy, good morning.

-Welcome, Tim. Nice to see you again.

-Thank you for having us.

Judy and Jane, very excited.

They've invested heavily in this seal stamp,

which I have to say is one of my favourite objects.

I love the idea that the company would lock up their seal

using a padlock.

So, there's some pre-gummed, as if it was sealing wax type, seal.

In it goes into the old plunger.

Give that a ram down like that. Plonk.

Jeremy, what do you think about that?

Well, that's fantastic, isn't it?

There was a silver maker in Victorian Britain, James Collins.

I think it might have the bidder's seal of approval

as you've got all the kit.

You've got the seals, you've got the sealer,

everything there for your bespoke...

In fact, it's worth setting up a company,

-James Collins and Co Limited.

-Just to be able to use the seal.

Just for this. And I think, in the age of the internet,

to bring back this sort of sealed letterhead would be a novelty,

-probably something somebody will pay for.

-How much?

-£20 or £30.

-Is that all?

-Yeah.

-Anyway, £45 they spent, so we shall see.

Next is the so-called malt shovel.

And malt, for me, it's for moving toasted grain

for distilling purposes,

and hops are a stuff for beer, right? Could be for hops.

I'll drink to that. Yes, I'll drink to that.

I'm sure it's all of those things

but now it would be classed as a very large piece of treen,

and I don't think anybody's going to use it as a malt shovel any more,

but that doesn't matter, does it? It's a nice object in its own right.

How much would you say for this particular shovel?

Well, for all that craftsmanship, Tim, we've said £20 or £30.

-Is that all?

-It should fly, really.

-It should do.

Well, they paid £45 for it. Now, the postage scales.

How do you rate that, Jeremy?

It's a good thing, isn't it?

But they are less uncommon than you suppose.

The smaller ones are more popular than the larger ones

-because, again, where do you put it? What do you do with it?

-Mm.

-How much?

-30 to 40.

£80 paid, so I smell trouble ahead

and I suspect they're going to need their bonus buy.

Judy and Jane, you gave Philip Serrell £130 of leftover lolly.

Philip, what did you buy?

Well, I needed a sign.

-Oh, no.

-Oh, no.

-So I got one. There we are, look.

-Alex Hartley.

-Of Manchester.

Now, having thought about this since I bought it,

it does create a rather narrow market, in that

I'm looking for someone called Alex Hartley

in Shrewsbury from Manchester.

-But you're not really, are you?

-No, no.

-Do you like it, girls?

-Well, I do.

-That's a "no" then.

-And I don't.

-You don't?

OK. Material?

It's bronze. It cost me 65 quid.

I think if I have a bad day it's going to make £20 or £30,

and if I have a good day it's 60 or 90, and the difference is

whether there's one person in the room that wants it or two.

-That's all that it boils down to.

-Right.

-So we need an Alex Hartley, really.

-We need Alex Hartley.

-We need two.

I think it's just somebody who fancies the period nature of it

for the decoration, actually.

Particularly in a rustic house, I could see that looking really cool.

Anyway, there we go. Think on, girls,

because right now we're going to find out whether the auctioneer

is suitably moved.

Is this your cup of tea, J?

Well, I think it will sell

to somebody called Alex Hartley from Manchester.

-Let's hope so.

-Is my bet.

Any chance of finding a couple of them to bid against each other

in the auction?

Well, you know, there's the keyword search, Alex, Alexander Hartley.

-How much would you say?

-It might make £20 or £30.

OK, £65 paid by Phil as a bonus buy.

Now, moving on to the much more traditional Blues,

Fionella and Malcolm.

First up, Malcolm found this stationery box. He loved it.

-Do you love it, Jeremy?

-Well, I think it's a very smart one, as they go.

It's nicely lined, it's nicely put together, good hinges,

beautifully made. Edwards & Sons. It's of their ilk.

-It's a pretty good one.

-I don't care who you are,

if you want to keep your envelopes

and a little bit of stationary in something smart...

-That's the one.

-..that box ticks all the boxes.

-OK, how much?

-£30-£40.

£110 paid, which is a huge amount, I have to say.

Anyway, next is the chatelaine purse mirror.

So, you would have that on your chatelaine.

You would have it in your purse,

and you would presumably do that in the 1920s?

Well, it looks like it.

Guilloche enamel on the back. Nicely marked. Good condition.

Sometimes these were known as flirty mirrors, weren't they?

-Were they?

-Yes! Young ladies would powder their nose

and look over their shoulder at whoever was looking at them.

-Check out the blokes?

-Yeah, they're known as flirty mirrors.

How interesting.

What you don't know about, Jeremy Lamond, is just amazing.

OK, flirty or not, how much?

The enamel, all-important, is in good condition, so £30 or £40.

-It is in good condition.

-Uh-oh. £72 paid.

OK, now the vesta case.

Nothing more standard than a little bright-cut vesta case like that.

There are millions on the market. Is it worth £20?

Well, it's been well-thumbed, this, so, no, I wouldn't say it...

Well, it might make £20 but they're making 15-20 at the moment

unless there's something exceptional about them.

Well, Malcolm paid £40, so it looks as if he's paid double

what an ordinary, unexceptional one might be.

So, let's go and have a look at their bonus buy.

Fionella and Malcolm, a treat.

-You spent £222. I'm so proud of you.

-Oh.

-Thank you.

£78 of leftover lolly went to Ben-bo.

-Ben, what did you buy?

-Something good, I hope.

-Well, I trawled back through things we'd looked at.

-Right.

-And you can probably guess...

-Oh, fantastic!

-Oh, no!

But a stripy one.

You were looking at the green one so I got the stripy one.

I like that a lot.

And also I managed to get them down to £15 on it.

-Brilliant.

-How much?

-Be pleased, Malcolm.

-Yes!

-Be pleased.

Are you pleased, Malcolm?

-Erm... Yes, ecstatic.

-I am.

-THEY LAUGH

-I am. That's fabulous.

Well, I looked round and there wasn't a lot of money to spend

and I know you'd looked at silver frames and things

-but they were all beyond budget.

-It's got no brand mark on it, has it?

-No, I haven't seen any brand on it.

-So is there a profit?

-I don't think it's going to make a lot.

-No.

But it should be hopefully 20-25-ish, I would think.

Quick, look over there, Fionella! See that pig flying?

SHE GASPS

For the audience at home right now, let's find out

whether our auctioneer thinks it's a good buy or not.

Goodbye.

-Do you think they nicked it from the beach?

-I hope not.

It doesn't say "Brighton District Council" on it, anyway,

cos sometimes they have branded marks, these deckchairs.

But not this one. It would have been good to have, say,

-"Titanic" branded on it.

-Oh, yeah.

Then it would have been worth something. This one is...

A deckchair is a deckchair is a deckchair.

And what might it bring?

It might bring £10 if you're lucky.

Well, £15 was paid by Ben.

Anyway, good fun and I thank you again for having us

and we look forward to some dazzling success.

-Have you been to auctions before?

-I used to go to cattle auctions

-but I don't think they're quite the same, are they?

-I don't know.

They are! We both did cattle auctioneering in our youth.

-That's how I started off.

-Right.

-Absolutely right.

A good deal muckier than this business, eh, Phil?

-My first job was cleaning out the sheep pens.

-Yes, exactly.

Well, on that happy note, we're going to start out with the seal.

Here it comes.

£20 bid. Already at 20.

At £20. At 20, I've got.

At £20. I'll take 5.

25 at the very back of the room. At £25.

At £25 and I'm selling to the back of the room at £25...

GAVEL BANGS That is wicked, isn't it?

All complete for £25. Phil, I could weep.

£25 is minus £20.

The malt shovel, typical form, lot 98.

And commission's here at £25.

-At 25. At £25 it is.

-It's worth more.

-At £25. 30 where?

-Keep going, keep going.

-At £25.

Who hasn't got a malt shovel? At £25.

30. Somebody on the internet hasn't.

-£30 is bid.

-Keep going.

-At £30 I've got. At 30.

5 again if you like. £30. At 30...

-GAVEL BANGS £30 is minus £15.

-Oh, dear.

-We're doing well, then!

-Oh, dear.

-Now, come on, these are Post Office.

99, the set of late-Victorian brass postage scales.

There they are, lot 99. I'm bid 30 already. At £30. At 30.

-More, more, more.

-At £30 it is. 5 where?

35 now. In the room at £35. Room bid at 35.

-40, 5, 50...

-Keep going. Two people.

-£50. The bid is 50 at the back of the room.

-Keep going, keep going.

-Selling at £50.

-No, no, no!

GAVEL BANGS Just as well I'm not depressive.

-Oh, dear.

-OK, £50 is minus £30, which is minus 50, minus 65.

A loss on everything.

What about Alex Hartley and his lovely plaque?

THEY SIGH

-We disagree.

-We do.

-I like it.

-Keep me out of this one.

-I don't!

-Oh, go on.

-We'll go for a big loss.

-We'll go for big.

-Let's go for it.

-We'll go for it.

I think it's a lovely piece.

Hartley or not, take heart, girls, because you have made a decision here

that could be earth-shattering.

Lot 103, the 19th-century bronze retail plaque

cast with "Alex Hartley, Manchester."

Is he in the room? This is for him.

-I'm bid 30 already.

-Oh.

-At £30. At £30. At 30.

At 30. At £30. Alex, if you're out there, bid now.

-At £30 I'm selling, then, to a commission bid.

-Oh!

All done at 30?

-GAVEL BANGS

-Do you do confessions?

-Sometimes, but we don't always...

-For a price.

We don't always absolve, though.

Anyway, there we are.

I'll tell you what it does, it rounds you up to the ton, right?

-That's what we wanted.

-You are minus £100.

But the way things are going, who knows,

it might be a winning score, so say not a word to the Blues.

Absolutely not.

Here we go, then. Your first item is the stationery box and here it comes.

119 is the late Victorian leather-bound stationery box.

£30 is bid already. 30 I'm bid. At 30, 30.

£30, 5, 40.

5, 50. 5, 60, 5, 70, 5, 80. 80 here on commission.

At £80 it is. 5, 90. One more?

100. Have another go.

-We're going to make a profit.

-£100, then.

-At £100 I'm selling it.

-No, we're not.

-All done at 100?

-Just shy.

£100, well done. Taste wins out.

Too far out.

-Next one.

-The silver and guilloche enamelled chatelaine purse mirror,

Birmingham 1920. Lot 120.

£30 bid. 5 where? At 30.

At £30, 5 on the internet. 40 here.

At £40, commission bid at £40. Internet, 5. Commissions are out.

At £45 on the internet.

At £45 anywhere else? At 45.

50 just in time in the room. At £50.

-Somebody's having a bargain here.

-5, internet.

-Somebody's having a joke.

-At 55, still on the net, and selling at 55.

-55.

-He sold for 55. Five short of 60.

That's 12, that's minus 17. That's minus 27.

This has got to make more than £40.

Lot 121, the late-Victorian silver vesta case.

-£15 bid.

-Cross everything, darling.

-Already crossed.

£25 here on commission at 25. 30 on the internet.

Commission is out at £30. It's an internet bid, then.

35 in the room. At £35, room bid.

-At £35.

-Come on!

-Selling at 35.

-£35 is minus £5, which means minus £32.

-There's been worse than that.

In relation to the estimates you have done brilliantly.

What are you going to do about the deck chair, want to go with it?

Definitely.

-I do as my daughter tells me.

-Definitely.

-Go with it.

-OK, fine.

You're going to go with it.

125 is the late-20th-century British hardwood deck chair.

What about that? Who is going to start me for £10?

£10 bid, 15. No? 15 here. Bidding at the back?

-20.

-There you are.

-25, 30.

-He knows his onions.

Very back of the room at £30.

I'm selling it at £30.

He doubled his money. Ben, you are brilliant. Anyway, there we go.

You have £15 profit on that, thank you very much.

Which means you are only minus £17.

Listen, minus £17 could be a winning score. Say not a word to the Reds.

-Haven't we had fun?

-We've had wonderful fun.

It's been a treat meeting you.

Just a question of the scale of the losses today, I'm afraid.

And the team with the largest number of losses by far are the Reds.

Minus £100 is a fair old strike when you've only spent 117 to start.

Anyway, let's not dwell on the detail, hey?

Let's just say that today was not the day to be selling those things

here at auction.

Either the auction room wasn't kind or the market wasn't kind.

One way or the other it's not been your day.

-No.

-But that doesn't matter. Have you had a nice time?

-We did.

-Did you?

We loved having you on the show.

It's been brilliant, actually. Super-duper stuff.

But the team that is winning today, by only managing to lose £17,

are the Blues.

And there's one Malcolm who's looking very happy.

You're pleased about this, aren't you?

-Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

-Ecstatic.

The only profit of the day was the object you loathed,

which was the deck chair. Which turned in £15 thanks to Big Ben.

So that's a result.

I'm not going to dwell on the detail.

Suffice to say that I've loved having you on the show today.

I hope you've enjoyed it at home.

You should further enjoy our website and, of course, join us soon

for some more Bargain Hunting, yes?

ALL: Yes!