Newbury 27 Bargain Hunt

I rather like a town that keeps a bit of history alive,

and, here in Hungerford, they're still keen on one ancient tradition.

Hear ye!

Welcome to Hungerford!

God save the Queen!

Let us now try shopping for our own bit of history,

and let's go Bargain Hunting, yeah!

Our contestants today sure have their work cut out,

because they've only got one hour and £300 to scour

this high street to find

their three bargains with which to make a profit.

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

The Red team are letting their imaginations run wild.

-Imagine that filled with the amber fluid...

-On a lady's table.

Of a morning. It's beautiful. Sun shining through.

Oh, I'm getting carried away.

Mark is put in his place by the Blues.

You can buy it, but on your head be it if that flops.

And there's excitement at the auction.

-50 now.

-Yay!

Five already is on my book.

First up, let's meet the teams.

On today's show, we have two teams of best buddies.

Well, they are best buddies at the moment.

We've got Martin and Nick for the Reds.

-And Grace and Jenny for the Blues. Hello, everyone.

-Hello.

-Hello.

Hello, hello, hello.

-Now, Martin, you've been friends for a long time, I gather.

-We have, yes.

We were born three days apart and our mothers

were in hospital beds next to each other.

So we've been friends for pretty much all our life.

Isn't that just the sweetest thing?

So, as newborn babies, you were close.

-And you've remained close for ever.

-Absolutely.

Nick was best man at my wedding,

-and I was best man at his.

-That's absolutely charming.

You're a bit of a high-flyer, aren't you, Martin?

-I'm taking flying lessons.

-Well, how marvellous.

But then, of course, you'll want to buy your own plane, won't you?

And fly all your mates over the Channel on a booze flight.

-Absolutely.

-All that stuff.

So I'm hoping to make enough profit from this to pay for the plane.

Yes, good for you. Now, Nick, you are a business consultant.

-I am indeed.

-And you also like a bit of dressing up.

-Absolutely right.

Yes, am dram is my big thing, I try to do four or five shows a year.

-But the two are not connected, are they?

-It depends.

-I work from home, so I can do what I like.

-Oh, I see.

-But generally no.

-This year, I was an ugly sister in Cinderella.

-Miscast, I would say.

-I'd say so, thank you.

-Got the jackboots?

-Got everything. Already.

-In the wardrobe.

-What fun.

-Yes.

So you collect anything between you?

-Nick is the collector out of the two us.

-Really?

-What sort of things do you collect, Nick?

-Well, really simply,

British first aid covers. I've gone all the way since 1950.

And Martin says I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth,

so I started to collect them.

Mum and I have got a collection of about 40,

-from George III up to modern day.

-Have you?

-Yes.

You'll be in great company today, then, won't you?

Going round all these shops. Anyway, I wish you good fortune.

-Thank you.

-And thank you very much.

-Now, girls. Grace, you work in a laboratory.

-I work on viruses.

At the moment, I'm working on animal viruses.

In the future, I'd like to work on some human viruses.

I think they are probably more interesting.

Don't you have to be frightfully careful working with these bugs?

Yes, yes. Everything is really secure.

Don't worry, we're not going to cause any epidemics.

-Now, you have a common interest, don't you?

-Yes. Cake.

-Really?

-We have a cake club at work.

There's 28 different people,

and each person takes a turn to bake a cake once a week.

And it is incredibly stressful, because, if you don't bake a cake,

-there is a sort of hate cake group, and there's much e-mail...

-Terrific.

And, Jenny, you work in the science field, too.

So I work at the same place as Grace,

so we are The Pirbright Institute.

And I work in the bioimaging department.

-I'm a microscopist.

-Are you?

-Yes.

-So you like anything small.

Yes, exactly. And so, looking at viruses and cells,

and then those images get put in publications and corporate things.

So you are in charge of recording all of this stuff?

So, what do you know about antiques, you two?

-Not very much, to be brutally honest.

-Really?

I think you're going to do incredibly well.

In fact, I feel so generous, I'm going to lob out the £300 now.

There you go, £300.

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

and very, very, very good luck.

So, who's assisting our teams today?

Never one to be caught off-guard, for the Reds, it's Natasha Raskin.

Hoping to teach the Blues a thing or two is Mark Stacey.

Well, Martin and Nick, what on earth are we looking for today?

-We're definitely going to buy some silver, Natasha.

-Oh, silver.

-What are you after?

-Uh...

Not entirely sure. There are some things we know we don't want.

-I feel awfully small here. Tell me, are you friendly giants?

-We are.

-Very friendly giants.

-Excellent.

Time waits for no man and, teams, your time starts now.

WHISTLE BLOWS

-Let's go find out how friendly and how good at this you are.

-Let's do it!

-Should we go shopping?

-Yes, let's go.

-And they are off.

-Tell me if you see anything you like.

-OK.

-Let's go!

No messing about for the Reds.

They know exactly what they're looking for.

We passed some silver when we walked in back that way.

It looked awfully expensive, it looked pretty fine,

maybe we want to go into more sort of the bowels.

-Let's go into the bowels.

-Let go into the bowels.

Well, that doesn't sound very appealing.

A really weird ring in here. It is silver and it's two wolves' heads.

-Do you hate it? You hate that.

-No, but do you know what?

There was value in looking at that.

I've gone underneath, look what I found.

A silver pillbox. Birmingham, 1906, 48.

-That's got a bit of swag, doesn't it?

-It's got a nice ornate top.

It's from a good place. It is solid silver, which we want.

It's a Birmingham hallmark, which is always good.

Sounds like you're after Natasha's job, Martin.

Basically, I'm reading what's on the menu.

It's good when the label does it for you!

Do you think it's worth opening up this cabinet,

so we can have a closer look at some other things?

-It is quite a nice one, isn't it?

-Let's do that.

-That sounds good.

-I'm not giving up on those wolves. I will go and ask.

-I'll be back in just a wee sec.

-OK, brilliant.

You might be hungry for those wolves, Natasha,

but I don't think the boys are won over just yet.

And nothing seems to be winning over the Blues.

It has got a massive chip on it. Small craft vases.

-All this is relatively modern.

-Ignore that, then.

-Doesn't look great to me, to be honest.

-No. Move on. Move on.

It is too much choice!

Back with the Reds, and lone wolf Natasha has herded in dealer Pauline.

Can she twist the boys arm about that ring?

Well, you guys, remember, we are on the clock.

So, if you hate it, you have to tell Pauline

that this is the time to move on from the ring. Are you into it?

-Does it make you want to try it on?

-Yes.

-It is a man's ring.

-You have massive hands.

-I think that is even bigger than my finger.

-That is creepy.

-It is a bit creepy.

Now I see it on, I'm a little bit freaked out.

-But I do think it's got good novelty value.

-It does.

-It is quite quirky, isn't it?

-But conscious of time,

-should we stick it back in the box and have a think?

-Yes.

I think you lost that battle, Natasha.

-Meanwhile, Mark is losing track of the Blues.

-What is that?

-Well, that's... Where are you?

-THEY LAUGH

Don't creep up on me like that. Give me warning.

That's a silver-top perfume atomiser.

You see, you put your perfume in and then you pump it. Oh.

-Well, it is meant to work. I've broken it.

-Oh, Lordy, Mark.

Does it just spray out of there?

-Would you stop asking questions? I don't know.

-I'm not loving it.

Right, OK. I can see what is going to happen here.

It looks as if Mark has got his work cut out here.

The Blues are a little indecisive.

Let's see if the Reds are doing any better.

There's actually two little items down here.

We've seen both, Birmingham silver, 1906, Edwardian.

And it is this pillbox here

-and this lovely little, small scent bottle.

-OK.

-And at the exact same date?

-I think they are. 1906, Birmingham' 1906,

-Birmingham. Same price as well.

-It is quite cute, isn't it?

-Same date, same price.

-I quite like them both, actually.

-I think, you know...

-Are you thinking pair?

-Exactly.

-Same date, same assay office.

-Oh!

Guys. Imagine that filled with the amber fluid of...

On a lady's table. Of a morning. It's beautiful. Sun shining through.

Oh, I'm getting carried away.

And then of course you have to hit the pills, because you're so taken

-away by the perfume.

-Very true.

-They are £48 each.

Can I start off with a semi-cheeky bid of £50 for the two?

-STALLHOLDER:

-Oh!

-Oh, that was cheeky.

-Oh, really?

That was sort of to the jugular.

SHE LAUGHS

-How about 65?

-I'll tell you what we'll do.

50, 65, erring towards more you, and not meeting in the middle,

and go for 60 for the two.

-Would that be all right?

-Yes, 60.

-You are a star.

-Thank you, Pauline. Brilliant. Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

Well done, Reds, your cheeky offer paid off

and you've made your first purchase.

A bulk buy box and bottle set no less.

Back with the Blues, and it's time for a pep talk.

Grace, Jenny, I have to tell you, you've had 20 minutes or so already.

-It is a third of your time.

-Oh!

-And you've spent nothing.

So you need to get those brains working.

-You need to start buying.

-We can do this!

-Got it.

-You carry on looking. I'm looking over here.

-OK.

So, while the Blues try and find their first item,

the Reds know exactly what they are after for their second.

-Novel animals.

-How do we find animals?

-Well, in this place with 150 things...

-Dogs and pigs.

..I reckon we're going to find something. I reckon we will.

I knew I could count on you, Red team.

The Blues, on the other hand...

-Is that new Moorcroft?

-It is, I'm afraid.

Oh. It's obvious we just like the new stuff.

What does the old Moorcroft look like?

Well, it looks very much like the new Moorcroft,

-but it's old.

-THEY LAUGH

They don't call him an antiques expert for nothing, you know.

How's the pig hunt coming along, Reds?

-I can see a pig here.

-Oh!

-Here we go.

-What's that?

-OK. Oh, he's a bit of a...

-Bit of a beefy pig.

-Bit of a porker.

-A porker.

Beefy would be cow, that's right.

That's excellent. OK. So what have we got here?

Tell me what it says on the tin.

Yeah, so it says "delightful," so he must be.

-It says Doulton vintage.

-Vintage.

-Vintage, which is good.

-It's a Tamworth sow.

-A Tamworth sow.

-And it's £21.

Ooh. I don't know how much I love the pig.

I'm not going to be too over-zealous about the pig.

However, it is nicely modelled, it's a collectable market. It's Doulton.

But, oh, he's not the most attractive...

SHE'S not the most attractive pig.

-She doesn't have much colour about her. I don't know.

-Poor piggy.

Poor piggy.

I'm going to pop it...

-Let's keep moving on.

-We'll save that. Leave it there.

OK, let's move on. Let's move on.

No need for a SOW-er face.

I'm sure you could find swankier swine if you keep looking.

What about you Blues? Found anything yet?

-Mark, what's this little show thing?

-Well, I like that.

-Oh, yes!

-That's lovely.

-Yes!

Hallelujah!

Well, I think that's a little snuff box,

so I think, when you open the lid, you take a pinch of the snuff.

Georgian snuff box... Oh, I think it's 175.

-Ooh!

-It would be. See, that's too much.

-That's too much.

-It's a wonderful thing.

-At least we found something we like.

You're heading on the way, you see?

The quality's going up now, isn't it?

You might like it, but you're walking away from it.

And with half your time gone, Mark is starting to get worried.

I thought these girls would be focused. Bang on, grabbing things.

And I'm showing them bits, but it's just not speaking to them.

But it'll be all right. It'll all happen in the end, I think.

We have no plan and we've seen nothing that we're going to buy.

-I don't know. I don't know.

-Everything Mark points out to us,

we don't like. And then everything that we like is far too expensive.

-So, it's...

-A disaster. Essentially a disaster.

At least the Reds are on more solid ground.

-Ahem... Oh, lordy...

-Mind your step, mind your step.

Let's quickly hop back to the Blues

who have spotted a swan centrepiece.

-Here you are.

-Thank you very much.

What we've got is a moulded-glass base

and then the wings and the head are silver.

-OK.

-Not silver-plate, but silver.

-And there are marks on the wings here.

-Oh, yeah.

And the dealer's very helpfully put "London import marks, 1965."

-It's quite an exotic-looking swan, isn't it?

-Yeah. I like the wings.

-I like it.

-Not an elegant mute swan or anything, but an exotic swan.

A continental swan.

-Is it something you'd like to possibly buy?

-I think so.

I would say sort of 60-80, so 88 is right at the top end,

-but if we could get it down a bit...

-Let's get it.

-Well, I'll go and have a deal with dealer, if you'd like.

-OK.

-And you can keep looking here.

-OK, yeah.

-Thank you.

I'd swan back quickly, if I was you, Mark.

There's nearly 40 minutes gone

and these girls need to buy something soon.

The Reds, meanwhile, have discovered another porker.

-Hey, look.

-He's really, really, really, really great.

-He is...nice and shiny and lustrous.

-Yeah.

And likely not to be silver at that kind of size.

-But very nice indeed. He's a pig.

-Yeah.

In the last few minutes, we've become obsessed with pigs.

-We're obsessed with pigs.

-And he's a pincushion.

Not old, by the looks of it, but it's harking back to a tradition

of things that have become valuable which are novelty pincushions.

And I think that would do really well.

I'm afraid of the price, because these tend to be pretty expensive,

because the dealers are aware of the fact

-that you can get a pretty penny for it.

-Yeah.

-So shall we have a wee look at the price?

-Yeah, let's do it.

So it's...£48.

It's on the label as white metal and I think that's as far as we can go

without testing it for silver,

but the fact that it's not marked for silver, that's just silly.

It would be. Such a fine piece like this would, of course,

be marked for silver if it were.

-Yeah.

-But it just looks so good!

Looks good, but can you get it for a good price?

Meanwhile, Mark's back with an update on the swan.

I've got some reasonably good news.

-He's dropped down to £60.

-Oh!

-That's perfect, because you said £60-£80.

Yes. So I think, for £60, it's probably worth a try.

Yeah, definitely.

I don't know if it's going to fly, but it won't sink.

-No. No, I think so.

-So that's our first one!

-BOTH:

-Yay!

Well, thank heavens for that.

Blues, you're level pegging with one piece purchased

and the Reds are giving you a real run for your money

and are already negotiating on that pig. Oink!

The very best price on the pig is £30, which includes the hat pins.

-Oh, OK.

-OK.

-I think that's a good deal.

-I think we'll shake on that. Thank you very much.

-Excellent.

-Thank you very much, Rita. You're a star.

-You're very welcome.

Well done, Reds. That's two items bought.

£30. I mean, it's brand-new,

but it's got to have a shot at that price.

Everybody loves a beautiful pig.

Thank you so much, Rita.

Even Rita said it - everybody loves pigs.

Everyone may love pigs, but will it bring home the bacon at auction?

While the teams continue their search, let's take some time out.

Now, last week, I bought at auction the sweetest little

what I think is a 17th-century lantern clock.

I paid £220 for it.

Let's visit the clockmaker here in Hungerford

and find out some more, shall we?

How exciting.

-Ah, Chris.

-Hello, Tim.

I see you've got it up and actually it does work.

-And it's working very well.

-Which is a miracle. Look at that!

Now when I found this thing, I thought

either this is the most extraordinary survival of a small -

really small - 17th-century lantern clock,

so it's completely bogus. What's your opinion?

It's not bogus.

I think it's easy to get confused - there were a lot of later lantern

clocks and people looking at it might have thought it's a later one.

So when would you actually date it?

I don't think it's 17th-century, I think it's early 18th-century,

so we're talking about 1710.

And it's inscribed "Parslow Stonehouse."

-Is that the Stonehouse near Gloucester?

-That's right, yes.

I have to say, when I saw it, these pillars are particularly nice.

Where you get a finial like that, that's really well-cast, that is

a sign of quality, isn't it?

It's always a sign of quality and if you look at the detail

in the engraving, just the way it's made -

everything of it is really screaming quality.

What might it be worth if it was restored sympathetically?

Once it's restored properly,

you would be looking at getting £4,500-£5,000 for it.

-In its restored state?

-In its restored state.

That's brilliant, isn't it?

So do you think a purchase price of £220 was reasonable?

-It's a bargain.

-And that is the answer.

-Thank you so much for having a look.

-Nice to see you.

-We can talk about the restoration. Very kind.

-Thank you.

To fully restore this beauty would cost around £1,500

and would certainly be time well spent.

Back at the shop floor, there's only 15 minutes remaining.

The Reds have two buys under their belt

and know exactly what they want for their third.

We've got something animal-related

and, finally, we've got to go and find something militaria.

The Blues are chasing their tails with just one piece purchased,

but Mark's got his eye on something he hopes will make him top dog.

I love little doggy things.

Don't you think he's quite nicely made?

He does have a very cute face.

I mean, he's got little bead eyes and bulldogs are quite fashionable.

-Yeah, they are.

-You could fix it onto the top of something.

Yeah, you could do, I suppose. And there's another one there.

Aw, I like the sausage dog!

-That's a sausage dog, isn't it?

-Oh, it's a little dachshund.

-Yeah.

-Aw!

There are collectors for dog-related items.

-How much are they?

-Er, 39 each.

Well, they need to be quite considerably less than that.

I would probably put them

in at auction with an estimate of £40-£60 the pair.

You'd think you would buy them as a pair.

-Yeah.

-I think, as a pair, yes.

Cos they look nice together, don't they? If you know what I mean.

I...

What are those?

Oh, look. Mark's spotted something he thinks is even better.

-Looks like jade.

-It does look like jade, doesn't it?

But only 68...

I don't think it'll be jade if it's 68, surely.

-Well, it could be.

-I like these better.

-Yeah, prefer the wood.

You're not listening to a word I've said, are you?

Can we find out how much? If we could afford these?

Hold those. Honestly, you two are a right pair.

THEY LAUGH

While Mark pops off to see a man about a dog - or two dogs -

back with the Reds, Natasha has called for backup.

Alex works here and has quite an interesting item

-that he thought you might be interested in.

-Oh, fantastic.

I told him the brief - vintage, military and... Fire away.

What we've got in here is an emergency radio transmission pipe.

-So if you were flying a bomber in World War II...

-Yeah.

..and you went down in the ocean, you'd have your life-raft,

obviously, and then, in order to let somebody know,

you would need to send out a radio signal.

And so this kite is the aerial.

So you would fly the kite

and the actual string is the aerial for the transmitter.

-It's amazing, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Really interesting.

That's really got a history, got a story to it.

Seems to fulfil your brief, boys.

Meanwhile, Mark's back with dealer Fran and it's time to talk money.

-So they're £39 each?

-Yeah.

They are.

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

-It's a lot.

Shall we say...

-35 the pair?

-35 for the pair?

-Oh, yes, please!

-No, don't, don't!

-Sorry.

I like round figures.

-Are you going to say 30?

-I'm going to say £30.

Is that a possibility?

Well, only because I like you.

-Not a lot?

-Not a lot. I'll do 30.

-30.

-Oh, thank you very much.

It's not a problem.

Are you sure you don't want to think about the vases?

-You really don't like them?

-No.

-You hate them?

-A little bit. Sorry.

-Off to Crufts!

-THEY LAUGH

So, you're choosing puppies over pots, but will they be best in show

or has your chance of winning just gone to the dogs?

Back with the kite and are the Reds still flying high?

-In here, we have the skeleton. No fabric.

-Ah, right.

Which is why it's so cheap.

I mean, it's just a bit of interesting history.

-Yeah.

-I don't know if you just heard what I heard?

I heard "which is why it's so cheap."

-Yeah, I pricked my ears up.

-Cheap is the word I heard, yes.

What are we talking about here?

Er, well, it would have been about £12-£15.

-I'll do it today for £7, if you're interested.

-Seven quid?

Yeah. It's all in it...

The risk is in our favour with this massively, I think.

I think it's a wiped face -

worst-case scenario with three people in the auction.

Best case - it's going to do quite well, I think.

-Can we shake hands on that?

-Thank you very much for finding that.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you. Seven quid! Thank you.

-Well, that means that we're all bought up.

-We are. Fantastic.

-Which is exciting. Time to spare.

-Absolutely.

-Believe it or not.

-I think we've covered all bases.

-Job's a good'un.

-Fantastic.

-Shall we head off?

-Let's head off and have a cuppa.

-Let's go poke fun at the Blue team.

-Absolutely.

-Bet they didn't get as nice stuff as we did.

-Definitely not.

Well, that's not very kind, Reds.

The poor Blues are in a real panic now.

With just a few minutes left and one item still to buy,

Mark's had second thoughts about that boot.

I like this snuff box, you know.

-I know we...

-No, I love the snuff box.

You've got £210 left.

-£175 is so much money.

-You want this, don't you?

-I love it.

-Although I can't actually get it open.

-I do like the decoration.

If you look, this is Georgian.

This is, I suppose, 1800-1820, so it's 200 years old.

And it's got little studs going down and even underneath,

all the little picot work.

-Are you still...?

-No!

-You love it, don't you?

I absolutely love it, yeah.

This is going to cost us the win, I'm sure.

But sometimes, you know, you have to go with your heart.

And you've got to be decisive in this life.

We should find out how much we can get it for,

but we need to decide quickly,

cos otherwise we're going to run out of time all of a sudden.

-It's this or a Moorcroft.

-Yeah.

Can you find out the very best price on that for us?

Best foot forward, eh, Mark?

There's only a few minutes left.

And those confident Reds are already heading for the door.

-Three items bought and all sorted.

-Brilliant.

-Really good.

Oh, lovely. High-fives all round.

Back with the old boot

and Mark's managed to knock £50 off the asking price.

Will Grace be persuaded?

You can buy it, but on your head be it if that flops.

OK. Yes.

I want this. Sorry, Grace!

-Are you sure? Oh, no!

-She's never going to let me live it down.

-No, I am not.

-I'm willing to take the risk.

On your head be it, Jennifer.

-So £125.

-Yes.

Oh, we're done.

-Time's up, team.

-Third item.

-Sorry!

-I need to lie down.

Let's check out what the Red team bought, eh?

The team wanted silver

and they got all dreamy about this duo of scent bottle and pill box,

which cost them £60.

Next on the menu was pigs,

and this silver-plated piggy pincushion was perfect.

Price paid - £30.

No need to panic!

This emergency kite was the militaria they wanted

and only set them back a paltry £7.

-Well, guys, that was fun, wasn't it?

-It was indeed.

-How much did you spend?

-We spent £97.

-Did you? 97.

-We did.

-Not so much.

-Not so much.

No.

-OK, can I have £203 of leftover lolly then?

-Yes, you can.

There's the 200.

-Very kind, Nick.

-And the three's coming. There we go.

Good. And what's your favourite piece, then, Nick?

-For me, it's the combined pill box with the scent bottle.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-Very nice. And yours, Martin?

-It's the same for me, actually, yeah.

-You tend to agree with him, don't you?

-Every time.

-Best mates.

It's teamwork, isn't it?

-Well, how very easy. What a lovely pliant team you had, Natasha.

-Indeed.

-Thank you.

-And you go off with £203. How splendid's that?

I know, I know. And these guys are really firm friends, so I'll try

and find something over which you can continue to bond.

-Fantastic.

-Isn't that sweet?

Great. Anyway, good luck, chaps.

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

They're hoping to glide to a profit with this silver

and glass swan, bought for £60.

Continuing the animal theme,

this pair of pooches was their second purchase.

Price paid - £30.

The 19th-century show snuff box caused some tension within the team

and cost them a whopping £125.

-Well, girls, that was something, wasn't it?

-It was.

-Now, what's this I hear about an executive decision?

-I liked an item.

Grace did not like an item. But we've got it.

It was worth way too much money.

-OK, well, you're standing by to take responsibility, Jen?

-Yes.

That's the main thing, isn't it? Good.

So which is your favourite piece?

-Mine would be the last item that I chose.

-OK.

-The little snuff box.

OK, the snuff box is your favourite

-OK, what about you, sweet pea?

-I think I like the little dogs.

We're not sure what they're supposed to hang on, but very cute.

-OK.

-I think people will like them.

-Yeah. Lovely.

And are the pendant dogs going to make the biggest profit?

Maybe, because they weren't very expensive.

We got a good price knock-down on them.

-Do you agree with that?

-Probably, yeah.

-What do you mean, probably?

You never know! Someone might like my little box.

OK. OK, how much did you spend in total?

-£215.

-That's what I call a mature amount of money.

£85 of leftover lolly, please.

85 smackers. Thank you so much.

That's the 85. You've had fun, haven't you, Mark?

Oh, we've had great fun.

I think I've got something that might create quite a bite.

Really? Ooh.

Enigmatic to the end.

Thank you very much, Mark Stacey. On that thoughtful note,

we'll go away and cogitate and pitch up at the auction very, very shortly.

Thank you very much.

Well, we've popped east of Hungerford, not very far.

Just down the road to Newbury -

actually, Greenham Common,

to be at Special Auction Services sale room with Thomas Plant.

-Thomas, grand to see you.

-Thank you very much.

-And what a mix we've got.

-We have got a great mix today.

Natasha and her team, first up,

two classical Edwardian dressing table bits.

-Silver mounted. See them all the time, don't you?

-Very popular.

Honestly, really very popular.

Love the sort of cut glass, the hobnail cut glass to this.

OK, then, Tom. Very nice, very topical, very fragrant.

Erm, how much?

-£40-£60.

-OK, £60 paid, so that might just be slightly on the top end.

-What about this modern pig?

-Well, I think it is quite modern.

There are earlier models of this pig.

-Hmm.

-Definitely. I've seen them before in pewter, actually.

I've gone- because it's a pig collectable - £20-£30.

-OK. £30 paid.

-Oh, fine.

But they may have just slightly overcooked it.

So there's two potentially slightly overcooked pieces there.

Now we come to this seriously one-off weird tubular survivor.

Never seen one of those before and the inside, I'm afraid,

-is just the frame.

-Yes.

Everything else has gone and it's a radio, so this would have

-helped with communication, sent a message, an SOS.

-SOS, yes.

-Looks like World War II to me.

-£10-£20.

-OK, fine.

Well, the team only paid £7, so it is sufficiently weird and novel,

I think, for anything to happen and that's what makes this game

-so interesting.

-Absolutely.

But one way or the other, they always have the bonus buy to fall back on.

Why don't we see what Natasha has spent all that money on?

Now, chaps, this is exciting, isn't it?

What has the girl spend £203 on, when she's known to be extravagant

and wanting to spend the cash, as urged on by me?

Right, cos you only spent 97. This is leftover lolly at its most exciting.

-Isn't it?

-I don't think this is going to be in your comfort zone.

Wow!

It is a beautifully kitsch and really just up your street,

I think, novelty decanter set with shot glasses.

It's the 1880 Iron Horse locomotive.

-I'm sure you recognised it straight away(!)

-Absolutely.

It's in the finest plastic, the finest moulded glass forms,

the decanter, the finest glass makes these very plain shot glasses.

-It's just...

-Ghastly!

-Really ghastly! Tim, you said it.

It was on the way out of my mouth.

It's wild and I saw it and I thought...

You thought of us, that's fantastic.

I thought, "What's the most wild thing?"

Tell me genuinely what you think of it.

Let Nick handle it. Go on, Nick, have a play.

I mean, if this was from Del Boy's flat, it'd be worth a fortune.

Listen, you have put your finger on the spot.

How much did you pay for it, Natasha?

-You left me 203.

-Yes?

And I love round numbers.

-Fiver?

-So I spend three.

-No!

-Did you really?

-No!

-£3!

-God bless, that's fantastic.

-Oh, wow.

-£3?!

-Well, there you go.

-That's a no-brainer.

And it's quite keen, this little decanter, isn't it?

TWINKLY TUNE

-What?!

-Oh, wow!

-How good is that?

-That is good.

How can we not go for that?

And you can shut it up.

-Yeah, quite. Yeah.

-Brilliant.

-Which is, some would say, the best feature.

Anyway, why don't we right now find out

whether our auctioneer today is similarly entranced?

You don't want to be left in the station

when one of those goes through, do you, Tom?

-When you're sort of chugging along?

-Yes.

At a dinner party in the 1960s, early '70s, you could have

wheeled this in and then you could have all had a little digestif.

A nip of something spiritual.

Anyway, Tom, it is so ghastly and so kitsch,

it's probably going to do rather well.

-Well, we've put £20-£30 on it.

-Did you?

Natasha's been very clever, I think. £3.

-That's all she spent on it.

-£3?

-Yeah.

Well, that should certainly... make a profit.

So, £20-£30, could make £40 on a good day

and there is the antique of tomorrow.

Absolutely.

No, the Blues, Grace and Jenny.

First up is the continental silver and cut glass nut dish.

It is of that 1960s...

we would call it kitsch now, but it's quite sweet.

I've put £50-£70 on it.

-£60 paid.

-Well, that's in the middle.

-Isn't it? Grace loved it.

I can see it making £100. I really can.

Now, what about these two hanging dog mugs. They're jolly, aren't they?

They're lovely. Little glass eyes.

-They're well-carved...

-Do you think they're Black Forest?

-They could be.

They look very much like central European things to me.

-They need to be mounted on something and they've lost the...

-Yeah.

..the thing they came off, which is a pity. So, how much?

I've put £50-£70 again.

-Oh, really? £30 paid.

-Oh, brilliant!

-So Mark's done very well with that.

And the last thing is the little boot snuff box.

So a 19th-century snuff box of your Northampton-style boot.

Lovely thing. However, it is yesterday's antiques.

-£60-£80.

-Well, they came in... How much?

-£60-£80 I put on it.

-They paid £125.

-Ooh, gosh!

-That's the wrong size, isn't it?

-Yeah. And only one.

£60-£80 is fair. We might get 40.

OK, well, this is exciting.

What they might win on one hand, they might lose on the other

and, if that's the case, they'll need their bonus buy,

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

You spent 215, which is a magnificent effort.

We're incredibly proud of you. The nation is behind you with this.

The miserable 85 leftover lolly pounds

went to the genius Mark Stacey.

I'm just going to help you, Mark, by whipping that off.

Ta-dah!

-Now this is wonderful.

-What on earth is that?

It is a snake venom kit.

-Ooh!

-OK.

From the late 19th-century. French.

In its original box, all its packaging,

all the vials are still there

and I thought, you being scientists, you'd find this quite intriguing.

-Isn't that just amazing?

-What snake does it cure?

Funnily enough, the dealer didn't know that.

I think any snake will do.

So it's an anti-venom kit?

-An anti-venom kit.

-Wow.

OK. How much did you pay for it?

-40.

-Really?

-£40.

What do you think people will pay for it?

I have absolutely no idea.

Because I've never seen one.

-A bit bizarre.

-Medically related things are collectable, aren't they?

They are. Yeah, and this all untouched.

This is in good condition.

What I love is you've got this alloy box, so it's lightweight.

You could put it in your knapsack wherever you were

going for a walking holiday or something about that,

really worried about being bitten by a snake.

I'd definitely have one of these in my kit, I tell you.

-It's really cool. I really like it.

-I do like it, yeah.

It's very different.

Only you with a scientific bent will have suitable choice skills,

I'm sure, to make the right choice.

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

just how venomous our auctioneer can actually be.

Well, Tom, there is a first for everything

and this is a first for me.

This is a first for me. So Michel Legros here was a Frenchman.

Him and his son made these amazing sets for fisherman and then

your intrepid adventurer in the late 19th and early 20th century.

I mean, it looks cheaply made, the whole thing,

a little alloy cover, but to have a thing like this complete,

you've got the hypodermic syringe,

you've got the needle arrangement in a sleeve and all the box

and the instructions - is that quite rare, Tom?

It's immensely rare to have it all.

To have the boxes, the contents, the paraphernalia with it

and all the information... It's delightful.

So what's it worth?

Well, I've put it down at £30-£50.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-£40 paid by Mark.

-It's a one of a kind.

-But how much? I wouldn't like to predict that.

-No.

OK, well, we're about to find out. You're taking the sale.

We'll look forward to it. And just don't get bitten in the meanwhile.

No, I won't!

-Now, Martin, Nick, how are you feeling?

-A bit nervous, actually.

-Apprehensive.

-How can that be?

-I don't know, just apprehensive.

-You're Mr Confident.

Yes. But we've never been in this environment before.

-Have you never been to an auction before?

-No, never.

-Have you not?

-No.

Nick, you've been lots of times, though, haven't you?

-Are you up for this?

-Very much so.

First up are the silver-topped bottles and here they come.

Start the bidding with me at £30.

£30. 30 I have, gentleman's bid at £30.

Any advance at 30?

At 30 we have with the hand over there. At £30.

Surely there's 5 somewhere else?

At £30. Looking like this man might get away with this at £30, are we?

30... Oh, 5!

40? 40, room bidder. Still there at £40.

Against the internet at 40 once.

It's not going to plan.

40 twice. Any advance? All done?

-40.

-Oh, no!

-£40 is minus 20.

He did estimate 40-60, so he's on his estimate.

He was right, we were wrong.

Here comes the pincushion.

Start the bidding. £10 for the pig pincushion?

10 I've got. 12, 15, 20.

Five.

25 I have. Are you sure?

Cos one more, it's yours.

Come on. Come on. Go for it.

25 here online. At £25. 25 it is. Is there any advance at £25?

Eight! Lady's bid.

28, lady's bid.

-We're at 28.

-All done, then, at 28?

-28 I have once.

-Oh, no. Come on.

-28 twice.

-One more!

Selling.

-Oh, no!

-£28 is minus 2...

-Oh.

-Which means you're minus 22 overall.

Now, the emergency radio kite kit

is going to save your bacon.

You'll never see another one, so I suggest you buy it now.

-Start me. £10. £10 I have.

-Profit!

At a £10 note it is. Any advance?

12. 15.

15, you were saving your bacon, weren't you?

15 it is.

15 I have. Is there any advance on £15?

Once at 15, twice at 15.

Are we done? 15 it is.

That's all right.

That is plus £8. Thank you very much.

Which means you are only minus £14.

-What are you going to do about the drinks decanter?

-Going to go for it.

-Absolutely 100%.

-Yeah, got to do it, haven't you?

Now that you've decided to go with the bonus buy,

I can tell you that the auctioneer's estimate is 20-30.

Even he loves it.

OK, you need this to make £17. Can we make £17 to break even?

-Let's hope so.

-We're going with the bonus buy.

We're going with the most ugly thing we've seen in yonks

and here it comes.

Wow your friends and your next dinner party.

For your entertainment, here we are. Start me. It's got to be worth £10.

-£10.

-Come on.

-It's got musical notes,

glasses and a decanter AND in the form of a train.

-10 I've got.

-Yay!

Lady's bid at £10.

At 10 it is. At £10. At £10. Any advance at 10?

I thought... Oh, 12 now!

-You've started it.

-Come on!

15, yes. At 15 it is. At 15, we have.

-Internet, you're going to comeback, but at 15 it is.

-Yes!

£15 it is once.

15 twice.

Done!

-Hooray! Well done.

-£15.

-Well done, Natasha.

That is plus £12. Well done, girl.

Plus £12. Which means overall, I'm afraid, we're just minus £2.

Oh, no!

-Which is surely going to be a winning score.

-Potentially, potentially.

-We've seen before, haven't we?

-We have.

-Grace, Jenny.

-Yes.

-Do you know how the Reds got on?

-No.

No, we don't want you to.

All right?

Now, are you worried about anything?

-Er, yes.

-What?

-Obviously, the snuff box

which Jenny decided to buy against all advice.

OK. Still a big worry for you. How are you feeling about this, Jen?

I don't care!

Being the cause of your friend's nightmares.

I'm going to be sad, cos, whoever buys it, I really want it.

I have to say, the auctioneer's not been

so terribly keen on the snuff box, but it's your third item.

The first is coming up now and it is the cut glass and silver centrepiece.

Start the bidding with me here at £30.

Start the bidding at 30. Five. 40. Five.

-50. Go on, sir.

-Go on.

-One more!

-Go on.

You know you want to.

Five. 60. Five.

65. 65, I am.

At 65. Any advance? At 70 anywhere?

65 I have. Sir, are you coming back in?

At 65. Are you sure? 65.

It's all done. £65.

-65 is plus £5. I've loving this.

-So excited.

Now, we've got two dogs. Here they come.

Could be Black Forest. These are lovely. 45. 50. And five, I have.

55 already is on my book.

At 55. It's already on my book.

Is there any advance at £55?

Look at these. These are so sweet.

We've got the dachshund and the little bulldog here.

At 55 it is. All done?

Once at 55, twice at 55. Selling then.

Well done, girls.

That is plus £25 straight up.

Overall, you are plus £30. Now...

Oh...

The shoe snuff box.

19th-century shoe snuff here and I can start the bidding with me

at £40.

£40. At 40.

£40. Any advance?

-HE SOBS

-40 I have. Gentleman's bid at 40.

45. 50. Five.

60. Five.

65 I have. Room bidder, dead centre.

At 65.

65. 65 against you all.

All done? In the centre at £65.

And I'm selling.

65 is 35...

55. That is minus £60.

You were plus £30, you're now only minus £30.

OK. That could have been worse.

-Minus £30, that's not too bad, is it?

-No.

-It could've been a lot worse.

-Just bad luck.

What are we going to do about the snake kit?

-I like it.

-Should we go?

-I think we should.

-Going to go for it?

-Yes.

OK, we're going for the bonus buy, the very unusual venomous kit.

The auctioneer doesn't know what it's worth either.

He's hazarded a guess at £30-50.

That's OK.

-And you paid £40.

-I did.

-You've decided?

-Yes.

Are we together on this? Let's join hands.

Join hands, Mark.

Let us hope for the best.

Start me here. £30. It's got to be worth £30.

This is pure entertainment.

Is there £30 anywhere in the room?

20, then. 20 to start us. At £20. At 20.

20 I have. At £20 it is.

Is there any advance at 20? Any advance at £20?

Interesting lot, this one.

At 20. It's in the room at £20.

Any advance at 20?

All done? Very much disappointingly.

£20 is minus £20

equals minus £50.

Minus 50 isn't great!

-Sorry about this.

-Never mind.

-Anyway, minus 50 it is.

Don't say a word to the Reds because minus 50 could be a winning score.

-Could be!

-Could be.

-Could be.

-Hmm.

-Everybody happy?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, so you should be.

We have had a great show today.

Nobody's going home with any cash, of course,

so I'm not giving anything away, it's just the scale of the losing.

So... Somebody has to win and somebody has to run up

and the runners up today, by a chalk, are...

the Blues.

Oh, no!

THEY LAUGH

These two girls don't look disappointed to me.

What would have happened if they'd won?!

No, seriously, you have been incredibly jolly for us

on this programme, so thank you very much for that.

So that's how it finished up. It's minus 50.

THEY CHEER

But thank you for joining us and having such a good play.

The victors go home with no money.

Their score is minus £2.

-Ooh!

-I know.

-So close!

-So close. Anyway, you had a good time?

-Brilliant.

-Amazing, thank you, Tim.

Well, you've been great contestants and I congratulate you.

-Thank you.

-Anyway, it's been such fun.

You need to have a look at our website and join us soon

for some more bargain hunting, yes?

Yes!