Newbury 26 Bargain Hunt

Cor!

Time is short today at this one-day fair

with only one hour to shop here at Newbury Racecourse,

so let's go bargain hunting!

Yeah!

Now, I'm not a betting man, but I would say

that Redsen Blues are the favourites,

followed by Expert Effort,

and why not try Golden Gavel as the outside chance?

300-1 sounds right.

Let's take a gander as to what's coming up.

The Reds get a stern talking to.

"Where have you been all night, young lady?

"You're meant to be studying philosophy."

Whilst the Blues think big.

-I think we need a big ticket, don't we?

-I think so too.

Something that's going to really...

Like a suit of armour.

Like a suit of armour, exactly.

That's exactly what I was thinking of.

But over at the auction, the Blues get serious...

-Come on!

-Yes!

..and the Reds get excited.

-ALL:

-Oh!

Before all of that, let's meet the teams, eh?

Done then at 40.

On Bargain Hunt today, it's family versus friends.

For the Reds we have mother and daughter Lorna and Erin

and for the Blues we have friends Sam and Vicki.

Hello, everyone.

-ALL:

-Hello!

Hello.

Now, Lorna, you're a florist by trade,

but it says here you like getting your hands dirty in another way.

-Yeah, archaeology. Yeah.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Like a nice dig?

Yeah, I do like a good dig. Yeah.

-Where do you go digging, darling?

-I've dug at Silchester.

-Do you know that? South...

-Roman town?

-Roman town.

Ever find anything splendid?

No, just flints and old Roman nails and bits of old Roman pot.

-I bet you love it.

-I do love it.

-I bet you're jolly good at it.

-You still find time to hang on the back as a pillion.

-Yeah, yeah.

My husband has got - or we have got - a maxi scooter,

so it's like a scooter but massive.

-Yeah, and we go off on that.

-Yeah.

-We've been down to Cornwall recently.

-Right.

That's the furthest we've been.

It was a bit of a test cos it was, like, four hours.

We thought, "Are we going to get a sore bum?"

SHE LAUGHS And did you?

-No, no. We were fine. It was really good.

-Did it rain?

No, it was like this. It was lovely.

Erin, has your mother always been a raver like this

or has it come on later on in life?

It's actually come on later on in life, yes.

-Yeah.

-It's a recent development.

-You're a philosophy student, yeah?

-I am, yes.

But you've got a gambling streak too.

Well, when I was little, we used to go on holiday to Bournemouth

and we used to go in the arcades and go on the 2p machines.

-We used to save up our 2ps up all year.

-The slotties?

-Yes.

-Yes.

And then I sort of moved up to 10ps and I just got, like,

-a thrill out of putting in one and getting loads out, so...

-Yeah.

What is your philosophical stance on today's shopping?

-Are you going to spend everything?

-Yes.

-I'd like to just blow the lot.

-Would you?

-Because we're here.

-Yeah.

-Exactly. There's no point...

-And it's not our money!

-So...

-No point in mucking about, is it?

-No, no.

You can tell this is going to be great, isn't it?

OK. Very, very, very good luck.

Now, Sam, it says here that you like dressing up.

Well, I actually like dressing up other people, Tim,

cos I work as a dresser at the National Theatre.

-Do you?

-Yes, I do.

-Gosh.

Do you have these Speedy Gonzales contests?

I did one show quite recently

and we had 200 changes in an hour and a half.

We had 300 costumes and one of my changes was eight seconds,

-so it was quite...

-Really?

-Yes.

And you met a very special person

who you undressed and dressed a few times

before he got to know you.

-My lovely husband, yes.

-That's the one.

-You did meet at the National doing your job.

-We did.

We met on The Lion King.

-He was playing Timon on The Lion King.

-Was he?!

-Yes, so he was green.

-Oh, yeah.

And that was love at first sight, I think, saw the green face.

So, Vicki, you're in the process of swapping

the National Theatre for a slightly different sort of theatre.

Yes, I am. I'm hoping to become a midwife in September.

-And you're prepared for the retraining?

-Yes. I can't wait.

I've been studying this year, so it's all been good fun.

I should be doing it right now.

-Are you going to spend all your money?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-No. I...

Seems to me that there's a dominant partner here.

Not at all. HE LAUGHS

Well, it'll be fun to find out.

Anyway, now, talking money, here's the money moment.

-Here's your £300.

-Thank you.

-There's your £300. £300.

-Thank you.

-You know the rules.

Your experts await, and off you go!

And very, very, very good luck.

Ha! Midwifery, eh?

The Reds have the model expert. It's Natasha Raskin.

The Blues will definitely get a reaction from Mark Stacey.

Tell me, what are you looking for today?

Something quirky. Something...

-BOTH:

-..a bit different.

-Oh, you said that at the same time.

-THEY LAUGH

-You're in tune. I like it.

-We are, we are.

I'd like something enamelled. Maybe a compact, something pretty.

-Sounds fantastic. What about you, Vic?

-I have no idea.

Let's hope this magic carpet takes off,

cos your 60 minutes, teams, starts now.

-BELL RINGS

-Let's go shopping, shall we?

Let's do this.

We have the teams, we have the weather.

All we need now are those bargains.

Oh, are they Whimsies?

-Were not touching Wade Whimsies. I'm sorry.

-OK.

What would be the ideal thing?

-Something just really decorative, maybe.

-Yeah.

-Right, OK.

-I tell you what, this has grabbed my attention.

-Oh, yes.

-Is that Napoleon?

-No, I don't think it is, actually.

-Oh, silly me.

-Let's have a look. The label says Wellington.

-It's not Wellington either, is it?

-It's not. It's actually Nelson.

Of course it is.

And the interesting thing with Nelson, you know,

we all think Napoleon was short, a small little chap.

Well, he was actually average height.

Nelson was only 5'4".

-Oh, OK.

-Tiny.

-Same height as me.

-Yeah, that's the same height as us.

-Yes!

-Now, this is a...

-I should know that.

-I'm from Portsmouth.

-You should know that.

-There's a link with Portsmouth.

-Yes. So, that'd be good for you.

-Yeah.

-I mean, I'm not terribly keen on the frame.

-No.

-It's sort of cast metal.

-Mm-hm.

But the miniature itself is quite rough and ready

and I think that's quite interesting.

I do quite like it.

And historical things like this are always popular.

I shouldn't actually hold it cos I'm quite clumsy.

Oh, yeah. No, don't let her hold. Oh, please don't drop it. No.

How old do you think it is, though?

It's difficult, because it could just be an amateur

who's copied it, but it isn't actually that badly painted.

-No, it's very sweet, isn't it?

-And it's got a good look.

-It's got a country house look about it.

-Yeah.

And even though the frame is not to my taste, you know,

it's all ready to go.

-You know, you can just sit that on your collector's cabinet.

-Yeah.

And the other good thing about it, it's marked up at £55...

-Right.

-..which is a reasonable price...

-OK.

..but if we could get that down a bit,

-I think that's quite an interesting first item.

-Righto.

And you're happy with that?

I do like it, and I like all the social history

that goes behind it.

-Shall we find out? Hello.

-WOMAN:

-Hello.

-We quite like the little miniature here.

-Right.

-You've got 55 on it. Can I make you a very cheeky offer?

-You can try.

Can I? Ooh. That's a good start.

Well, I was thinking about £40 to give us a chance.

-I can't do 40.

-You can't.

-I could do 45.

-Well, I...

-Do you think that's good?

I think that's a fair compromise, cos if I was here on my own,

I would be very happy to pay £45 for that.

-OK.

-So, should we shake on it?

-Absolutely.

-Yeah, come on.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you very much.

They made short work of that. First buy bagged in five minutes.

-These are nice.

-What are they, bats of some sort?

-Wash bats.

-Washing bats.

I can imagine if you've got a really beautiful farmhouse,

you'd have them on display, maybe.

-What do you think, Erin? Like them?

-Yeah, they look good.

-To me, I don't see them as money-makers at auction.

-No.

I see them as much more of a retail product

than the secondary market,

but it's up to you, but I don't know.

I don't know how I feel about them

as items that are going to inspire competition.

-That's fine.

-Because that's what we want.

-Absolutely.

-We want multiple bidders.

-Yes, yes.

-We want something...

-You are right.

..that someone's going to look at the online catalogue

and say, "I'm after that."

-Yes, that is true.

-Multi-bidders.

-I don't know if wash bats are going to do that.

-No, that's fine.

But this is good. What we're doing is ruling out stuff.

-We're getting an idea of what we're after.

-Yeah.

-It's all a learning curve.

-Yeah, that's good.

Nice advice, Natasha, and you've got loads of time,

but are the Blues going to buy

as quickly as Sam performs costume changes?

This, I think, is rather charming.

-I think this is sort of Anglo-Indian or Burmese.

-Mm-hm.

-We would call it white metal...

-Right, yes.

..but I'm almost certain it'll be some sort of low-grade silver.

But it's just quite a sweet little cream jug, isn't it?

It is very sweet.

And you've got various sort of Thai gods or Burmese gods here.

-Mm-hm.

-Probably made about 1890, 1900.

-OK.

-Something like that.

-Gosh. OK.

Now, if I'm guessing, I'm hoping the amount, say,

is around £20 or £30, but do you think it will be?

-I have no idea. Who can we ask?

-Who do we need to ask?

How much is it?

-MAN:

-75.

-£75?

-Yes.

-Gosh.

Well, we won't be the cat that's got the cream.

-DOG BARKS

-Even the dog agrees it's too much.

What about the little revolving bookcase?

-Have you seen one of those before?

-I don't think I have.

No, let's have a look.

Personally, I love these little bookcases.

-Have you ever seen one like this before?

-No, never.

Hopefully, if we give it a wee spin, it's not going to be sort of...

-SHE GRUNTS

-Fall off, yeah.

-..and need WD40.

-But... Oh, look at that. How smooth!

-I think that's lovely.

I do like that. I like it. It's practical.

-Yeah. It is practical.

-Somebody would actually use that.

-It's oak, so it's bog-standard wood, but nicely stained.

-How old is it?

-Definitely 20th century.

-Yeah.

-Probably 1940s, something like that. 1950s.

-That's pretty good.

It's got this kind of split down the middle here,

which is probably just a natural split.

Do you know, we can all see the price there.

-Yes.

-Does that scare you, £36?

-I don't think it does, no.

-It's quite reasonable.

-What would you think it would sell for?

The auction estimate is not going to be exciting.

It's going to be 20 to 40, so at that price, it's, like,

-all the money.

-Yes.

But it would be nice if we could get a bit of a discount on it.

It's not glamorous, though, is it?

Cos you're quite lovely ladies and you've got nice jewellery on,

and you're lovely and attractive, and this is not glamorous.

But it's practical and usable.

-I think it's lovely.

-I just think it's quite different.

-I've never seen anything quite like it.

-OK.

-What would you like to pay for it?

-30, something like that. Or...?

-Hmm.

-25?

-25?

-Yeah.

-25.

-I think we want to start the figure with a two.

-Two. A two.

Excuse me, sir. The ladies have some questions for you.

-What would be your best price on this?

-30. Would 30 do?

Would you to 25?

-28.

-Go on, then.

-That's good.

-Oh, straight in!

-ALL LAUGH

-I like your technique.

-Yeah.

-You just sort of grabbed her there.

You were shaking before she had a choice.

-That's great. I think at 28 quid...

-28, yeah.

Typical auction thing. We've got it at a good price.

-Sir, you're a gentleman. Thank you very much.

-And good luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you. OK, one item down.

Perfect. Well done.

Shall we spin-off and find the next one?

I think you should, girls. First buy after 15 minutes.

The Blues, meanwhile, are well into their second act.

-Girls. Vicki, Sam...

-Yes.

..what do you think of this?

-That's cute. It's quite quirky.

-It is, isn't it?

-What is it?

Well, I think it's for a ham bone.

If you unscrew this up and then you put that on the sort of end

of the bone of ham and tighten it,

then you can hold it while you carve it.

Oh!

I thought you meant you had it at the table to eat.

Well, you could use it like that.

I mean, you know, where did you say you were from again?

-Portsmouth.

-Well, yes. You probably would use it in Portsmouth for that.

When at sea.

-I like it because it's a bit of fun.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

I mean, originally, this was all silver-plate,

but I kind of like it with that mellow copper colour coming through.

And this is sort of turned wood here. It's got a nice feel about it.

-Yeah.

-And the other thing I like...

And this is why I love fairs like this,

cos you never know what you're going to find on stands.

-Yes.

-..it's priced up at £14.

-OK.

Now, with a fair wind behind it, that could make £30, £40 at auction.

OK.

So, even though we're only spending £10, you know,

potentially we could get three or four times our money.

-Triple our money.

-Yeah.

-Do you like that, Vic?

-I do like it.

-Good.

-How old do you think it is?

Well, I think it's probably sort of 1900, 1910, something like that.

-So, shall I go to have a word with the dealer?

-You should.

-Absolutely, yeah.

-See what I can get it for.

-Yeah.

Goodo.

So, while Mark goes in for the deal, the Reds are looking for a sign.

The only thing that's caught her eye is over there,

the Odeon Winchester cinema sign.

-How close are we to Winchester?

-Quite close.

-Quite close.

-Well, we live quite close.

-Ah, OK, OK.

-It would be really nice if we had a poster.

-If it had something, yeah.

You know, an amazing blockbuster from the time it was released.

-Yeah.

-It must be, what, 1960s or something? It can't be very old.

I think maybe size works against it a little bit as well.

-It is a bit big.

-It's a bit of a chunk.

-All right, we will forget that one. Move on.

-OK, OK.

-Yes.

-They actually said ten quid.

-Perfect.

-Brilliant.

-So, that's our second buy, isn't it?

-Yeah. Fantastic.

And we've only spent £55.

Tim's not going to be happy, is he?

Oh, don't worry about me.

No, he will be happy,

because actually we've bought very interesting items for £55.

-Yes. Brilliant.

-There's a difference.

-We haven't bought...

-Tat.

-..something for...

SHE LAUGHS

Well, there's still another item to find. We could break our record.

Come on.

So, while the Blues aim for new lows, I've got a question for you.

What connection does Newbury Racecourse have with Japan?

Well, on the face of it, not much...

until you come to consider this object.

Because if you were a Japanese samurai warrior

wandering around Newbury Racecourse today

and you came across one of these things,

you would know all about it,

cos this is something called a tsuba,

and the tsuba is a Japanese sword fitting

from a samurai's weapon.

The katana is the long-edged bladed weapon

that the samurai traditionally carry,

and that triangular hole in the middle of this thing

is designed to take the blade.

And then you slip it over the length of the blade

until you come to the handle

so that in battle if your opponent hits your blade

and their sharp blade comes towards your hand,

this tsuba will stop the blade cutting your hand.

Now, the material that's been used for this tsuba is iron,

and there's one thing that the Japanese in antiquity

were extremely good at and that is forging different metals.

And indeed, you can find tsubas dating back

to the middle of the 13th century,

but this one, I think,

probably dates from around about 1800 or 1820.

The foliage on the bird has been hammered

or carved into the metal, and all the detail,

all those dots in the water have all been done by hand.

Now, I'm no Japanese sword fitting expert,

but what I can tell you is that the quality and colour

of this one is very fine.

What's it worth?

Well, frankly, you've got to do a bit of research,

but this one ought to be worth, say, £600 to £800.

What might you be able to buy it for

in a place like this?

It could be yours for £60, which makes this tsuba rather super.

Now, back to the teams.

With 30 minutes gone, the Reds have bought one item

and the Blues have two, so the search continues.

-I think we need a big ticket.

-I think so too.

-Something that's going to really...

-Yes.

-Like a suit of armour.

Like a suit of armour, exactly.

That's exactly what I was thinking of.

-I quite like this opaline...

-Right, OK.

I mean, I'm quite surprised, actually, because you're 18, right?

-Yeah!

-And it's quite old-fashioned.

I sense that there's not a huge interest.

Well, my mum did say don't buy anything that was a bit broken.

-It's not broken.

-It's not broken?

-It's just missing.

-It's just missing.

-There's a difference, you see.

Well, it's a fine line.

The Reds are still finding their feet.

This is an enamelled brass belt buckle...

-Mm-hm.

-..with four pearls.

-These aren't real, though, are they?

-They're not real pearls, no.

I don't think we need to do the tooth test thing.

I think we can just say, "Yeah, they're not real."

But look at the way they sit, right? And they look pretty stylish to me.

I think they're really nice.

They're in a very sort of Edwardian style.

How old do you think they are?

I would say they're probably 1940s or '50s costume jewellery.

They're not terribly old.

But is that the sort of thing that you'd be interested in?

-It doesn't grab me.

-No, I...

-Doesn't grab you.

-It doesn't strike me. I thought it was more your thing.

-No.

-No?

-It doesn't grab me at all.

-So, steer clear of those.

-There's nothing really tickling your fancy on this table?

-No.

-So, maybe we should head deeper...

-OK, move down.

..into the belly of the beast.

The problem therein could be that

you get stuck with no time and not enough buys.

No such issues with the Blues, though.

-There's so many lovely bits in here, isn't there?

-There are.

-I don't know where to look.

-MAN:

-This piece here is a bargain.

-It's only £20.

-Gosh.

-Oh, it's so lovely.

-It's silver.

-And it's a photo frame for a fob.

-Is it really?

How does this work, then?

-You just pull this? Oh, look.

-Oh, look. That's lovely.

-Isn't that charming?

-Oh, yeah!

-That's really lovely.

And then you can see...

-And it has got little hallmarks on there.

-Yes.

Well, of course, you're in dressing and making up,

so you know how this would be used, don't you?

Absolutely, yes.

On an Edwardian gentleman's waistcoat, he'd have his fob chain

with his seal and his pocket watch.

So you can keep your beloved with you.

You have a photo of your loved ones. So when you're reaching in

to tell the time and you're missing your other half...

And just the thought of someone carrying a picture of someone around

that they can't be with is just really, really lovely.

Yeah.

I mean, it's a very simple little piece,

-but I think the simpleness of it will help sell it.

-Yeah.

-I've never seen one before either, so...

-No, I haven't.

And somebody's had their initials engraved on there as well.

Will that make a difference to someone buying...?

I don't think it will on this, because the novelty angle.

-How much did you say it was?

-£20.

-That's amazing.

-That would have to be the best price.

-I mean, that's nothing, really.

-VICKI:

-No.

I'm certainly thinking we put £40 to £60 on that at auction.

-It's really pretty.

-Yeah.

-I love that. I'm all for sentimental.

-Shall we get it?

-Shall we?

-Lovely things. Yeah, I think we should.

-We have to, don't we?

-I think so. Definitely.

-I think we've got a deal.

-Yes.

-SELLER:

-Thank you very much.

-Now, it was 20 quid.

Hey, three items bought and hardly a haggle in sight.

Take a break and cool down now, Blues. Well done.

The heat is on, though, for the Reds

who are still in search of their second buy, but hurry!

Believe it or not, nearly 45 minutes have gone.

-Oh!

-I think they're lying to us. I don't believe it.

-I don't believe that.

-Yeah.

-But can you believe it, 45 minutes?

-So, what we need to do now is be super ruthless.

-Yeah, we do.

-Right. OK.

-So, let's do it. Let's pick a couple of things.

-Maybe if we're lucky on one stand, we'll find two items.

-OK.

-Right, let's have a look here then.

-OK, let's have a wee look.

-I like that.

-Look at this wee silver-case scent bottle.

-Oh, I do like that.

-It's super cute.

-It's very Art Nouveau.

-That's what I like.

-It's a really nice shape.

-I really like that.

And it's got quite a reasonable price tag on it.

-I like it.

-And I wonder if we could see that out.

Hello, sir.

We were wondering if we could have a wee look

at this silver-cased scent bottle, which is super cute.

Let's have a wee look then. I love it.

It's really, really sweet. And do we have...

Is it hallmarked silver, do you know? Yes. OK.

-So, here we are. Can you see that, ladies?

-Oh, yes.

It is super tiny, right?

So, it is hallmarked and it's marked 925,

so it's the mark of sterling silver, which is great.

Don't think it's real Art Nouveau period,

but it's really that style, isn't it?

-Do you want to have a wee touchy feel of it?

-Yes.

Because what's quite nice is that all works,

it's all pretty and good.

-What are your thoughts?

-BOTH:

-I like it.

-I like it.

-I do like it.

-To me, it's got kind of gift appeal.

It's for the lady who has everything, right?

Yeah, why not have this silver-cased perfume bottle?

-Yeah, I like that.

-How much is it?

-32.50.

-32.50.

And I think it's the sort of thing you can pop in a envelope.

People are going to come in online and think,

-"Yeah, I'll have a bash at that."

-Yeah.

-It's nice.

What would be your best price on that?

-SELLER:

-You can have it for 25.

-VICKI:

-25?

-£25.

What are your thoughts on that? I'm thinking that's pretty kind.

-Yeah.

-Do you want to shake on this one?

-Definitely.

I think we definitely do. Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you ever so much too.

-SELLER:

-You're welcome.

-Thank you.

Just over ten minutes left, team. The pressure's on, eh, Blues?

-Girls, you haven't spent much money...

-No.

..but you've bought wonderful items.

I reckon we've got it nicked.

No-one likes a show-off.

But you bought quickly, which is what the Reds must do now.

Come on, Nattie! Whip them into shape, girl!

-If it's OK, with you, we're rushing a wee bit.

-Wow.

-SELLER:

-We have a very nice First World War whipping stick.

Oh, right. OK. Tell us about it.

-MAN:

-Rattan, Chinese silver band.

It's good fun. Is it silver-marked at all?

No, but it's 800 Chinese silver.

-And what's your price on that?

-55.

55.

-How does that appeal to you?

-I don't mind it.

-It's quite unusual.

-It's quite fun.

-Have a feel of it, cos it's quite tactile.

So, tell us more about the history of this sort of stick.

Senior officers at that time used to carry swagger sticks,

and they would literally swagger with them.

They'd be under their arm like that.

-They would hold that.

-What would be your best price, sir?

-10%.

-10%.

-So, we're talking about 50 quid.

-We're talking 50 quid.

I mean, it is quite unusual.

How about I gave you a chance with it at 45?

-What do you think?

-We don't have much time left, so...

Don't have much time, but we do have a wee bit of time.

I don't want you to make a snap decision. It's a bit of a risk.

-We did want something a bit quirky.

-It is quirky.

-That's definitely quirky.

-It is, isn't it?

-It definitely is.

-Do you think that you could keep Erin in tow with this?

-Absolutely.

"Where have you been all night, young lady?"

"You're meant to be studying philosophy.

"Why are you hung-over?"

I mean, a little bit of Chinese silver never goes amiss.

It's got a little bit of auspicious nature...

I suggest we get it.

-I think we should go for it.

-Do you want to go for it?

-I do think it's really good.

-I like it, you like it. Are we...?

-Yes.

-You're going for it.

-We've done it.

-Go for it.

You know what? You sold that to me.

All the best dealers do. BELL RINGS

Time's up.

Well, it is for you.

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

The revolving tabletop bookcase had them in a spin, costing £28.

The 20th century silver and glass scent bottle

was not to be sniffed at for £25.

To finish, they bought part of a twisted and white metal

mounted carriage whip for £45, as you do.

-I say, Lorna, how was it for you?

-Fantastic.

-Was it?

-I really enjoyed it.

-Was it?

-Yes.

-And good for the daughter, too?

-Yeah, it was wonderful.

-Had a really good day.

-Now, Lorna, which is your favourite piece?

-Well, I think I like the swagger stick.

-Do you?

-Just as a personal favourite, yeah?

-Mm.

-Do you agree with that?

-I like the perfume bottle, personally.

-All right.

Is your personal choice going to bring the biggest profit?

-I think it might do.

-Yeah.

-It wasn't massively expensive, so it's possibly...

-No.

But a little birdie told me nothing was massively expensive.

-We didn't really spend much.

-We didn't spend a lot.

-No, no.

-How much did you spend, actually?

-98.

-£98, gosh, that's not much.

£202 of leftover lolly, please. 202.

-You don't like handing that over, do you?

-No, I don't.

Yeah, but don't worry about it cos Natasha is going to transform it

-into something dazzling. Aren't you?

-I'm going to try.

There were a couple of genre of items that you wanted to look at

that we didn't get to look at or find,

so I'm going to try my damnedest to find something that you wanted.

-OK.

-And something profitable, hopefully.

-Always is, Tim.

-Always is, right?

-Good luck with that. Cos it ain't that easy.

Anyway, girls, go and relax up

cos right now we are going to find out

what the Blue team bought, aren't we?

The naively painted miniature portrait of Lord Admiral Nelson

was a triumphant buy at £45.

The beach and silver-plated ham-bone holder was secured

for a £10 note.

And finally, the George V silver locket sleeve

was pocketed for £20.

-Now, you two smilers...

-Yes.

-You had a lovely time, didn't you?

-Yeah, we did.

-We had the best time.

-Just the best!

That's what we like to hear.

-Now, let's not make a drama out of this, right?

-No.

-Vicks, which is your favourite piece?

-Our final piece.

-Is it?

-Yes.

-What was it?

-It goes on a fob watch.

-Oh, yeah.

It is a little memento -

you can keep a picture of your loved one in there.

-Well, it sounds intriguing. Anyway, that is your favourite.

-It was.

-So, Sam, do you agree with that?

-I absolutely do, I love that.

-Yes, that is my favourite.

-And it is your favourite, too.

-Yes.

And is your little locket going to bring the biggest profit,

Sam, do you think?

-I think it might. Do you? Yeah, possibly, maybe.

-OK.

What is the total amount that you spent? Did you spend the 200, 300?

No, we spent £75.

-£75?!

-But they are lovely things.

-Yeah.

They are lovely things. OK, please may I have £225 of leftover lolly?

OK. 225, thank you very much.

I won't bother counting it cos I trust these girls.

So, Mark Stacey, how do you see it?

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

-It certainly is.

-It is a sunny day, though.

-It is.

And I am looking for something primitive

-from Portsmouth, maybe.

-HE LAUGHS

-Don't look at me!

-I think he's from Portsmouth.

-Oh, right.

-So what they call old Pompey?

-Yeah.

Oh, well, there is a challenge for you, isn't it?

Anyway, relax up, OK? Cos the auction is nigh.

We're about to head off round the corner.

Well, we have travelled a short furlong out of town

to be with Thomas Plant, our auctioneer, today.

Thomas, good morning.

Good morning, Tim. Thank you very much.

Well, thank you for having us. This is an excitement.

Now, for Lorna and Erin and Natasha,

their first item is this revolving bookcase.

Is it truly revolving or is it revolting?

Well, it is truly revolving. Whether you think it is revolting or not...

-It serves a function.

-It does.

-Definitely.

You can put your books in there.

-It wasn't made by Thomas Chippendale, though, was it?

-It wasn't.

It was probably made by - dare I say it - a man in a shed.

Yeah, shed work, really.

I mean, it was... Part and parcel of the social history and make-up

between the wars was that form of relaxation

which is making things for the home.

And this is, undoubtedly, one of those things that was made.

It is a classic of its type but not made by a cabinet maker

or a proper maker, really.

And that's why it's a bit wonky

and it's got these cracks and everything.

-But, OK, yes, I mean...

-£30 to £50.

-£28 paid.

-Well, that's ideal.

-The team have done well.

Next is this scent bottle.

And I cannot believe that is hallmarked 1987.

-Somebody made that in 1987?

-They did, they made that.

It has got a moulded glass inner

and then you've got the hallmark on the top there.

It's a little sweet scent bottle. Could do with a polish.

People collect scent bottles.

If you wanted to carry your perfume around with you,

it is the ideal thing to have.

-What is it worth?

-£20 to £30.

-OK, £25 paid.

-So that is perfect, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is. It is a great thing.

And then moving on, you've got this little switch stick.

Cos it's not so much a swagger stick.

There is no military bearing to that.

-It is a civilian, little, lightweight switch.

-Like a crop.

It is like a little crop.

So you might just tap the side of your donkey,

just to remind it, which is what a switch is all about.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

-It is brilliantly made. The twisted bamboo.

-Exactly.

The white metal collars.

-Awfully nice.

-It is an awfully nice thing.

-£30 to £50.

-Perfect. £45 paid.

-Good.

I wouldn't be surprised if that doesn't make 60 to a collector.

Well, the team only spent £98.

I don't know that they'll need their bonus buy,

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

Now, Natasha Raskin, reveal all, please.

Yes, let me show you something lovely, ladies,

-because you are lovely ladies.

-Oh!

So, first of all, it is a wee pin tray.

And it's the period that you were looking for.

-Yes.

-Art Deco.

What's an Art Deco item without a naked woman?

-That is what I have to ask myself.

-Absolutely!

Do you want to have a wee feel? Because it's beautifully done.

It is moulded on top, hand-finished on the bottom,

faceted almost like a precious stone on the bottom to create that

-lovely, really, really tangible look.

-It is really cold.

-Isn't it interesting?

-I really like that.

-It is a Bohemian glass.

-I like it.

-It's opaque.

It is a specific type of glass that mimics the look of a stone.

Yeah, it is.

And it has just been beautifully manufactured to create this

-really quite interesting item.

-How much did you pay for it?

Well, one of us had to spend some money!

-That's true!

-That's true.

-So I did spend 70 on it.

-OK.

But it is one of these things that is small, perfectly formed.

What do you think it could go for at auction?

Well, I hope the estimate would be in the region of £70 to £90.

-I mean, it is fun to handle, isn't it?

-It is very tactile.

We shall find out really what it is worth when the hammer drops,

but right now, for the audience at home,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks about Natasha's little dish.

-There, Tom. Isn't she lovely?

-This is delightful, absolutely wonderful.

I would say this is mid-century, mid-Art Deco period.

It is a pin tray for your pins, brooches, rings, etc.

-And then this has been wheel-cut, though, here.

-Yes.

-It is a quality piece of Art Deco glass.

-Exactly.

-I actually really quite like it.

-Me too.

-Yeah.

Well, it has a universal appeal, I think, and really quite collectible.

-Well, I think so. We put £30 to £50 on it.

-Is that all?

-OK.

-I think probably it would fall between that.

-Do you?

Hopefully, it makes more.

-But, you know, we are all into tempting people in.

-Exactly.

Well, Natasha paid £70. And for my money, it could make £100.

It has got the potential.

-It has got legs.

-It has got legs.

-It certainly has got legs.

-Definitely got legs.

Now, moving on from the Reds to the Blues, Sam and Vicki.

Their first item is the portrait of Nelson.

-Yeah, the portrait of Nelson here. Quite floral, as you can see.

-Yes.

It's not very well done, is it?

Well, it's an over-painted print.

-Oh, is it?

-Yeah. If you get a magnifying glass on it,

you can see a slight pixilation underneath the paintwork.

I must say, I'm not over keen on the frame.

No, and the frame is quite new. But still, I put £30 to £50.

-Well, the team paid £45.

-Hm.

-Which is plenty enough, I think.

-Plenty enough.

-That, I think, could be a bit of a loss.

Now, what about this ham-bone holder?

Have you ever seen a ham-bone holder with a wooden handle, ever?

-Well, normally they are silver or silver-plated.

-Hm.

This might have been something else.

You don't think it is something to do with pulling pints, do you?

Could be to do with pulling pints.

Well, in fairness, the lovely Mark found it for a £10 note.

And for £10, for the fun of it,

whether it is a real ham-bone holder or something else that has been

kind of re-described as a ham-bone holder,

-it doesn't really matter, does it?

-No. I put £10 to £15 on it.

-Did you?

£10 paid. Well, that's OK.

Now we've got something which is intriguing, this thing.

A locket sleeve. Tell us about that, Tom.

Well, I've never seen one, and I think it is absolute delightful.

So it is in silver.

It would've been to put a photograph or a little miniature.

-Of your loved one.

-Of your loved one.

And it could have gone onto a chatelaine,

it could go onto a key ring.

It is quite flimsy, but it is desirable.

You can't display it, though.

-No.

-Because it is always going to be covered.

And that is the big problem behind that.

It has got to be bought by somebody who is going to

put it in their pocket, put it on their key ring...

And have it close to their heart. That's the romance, Tom!

There is the romance.

Therefore, if you want to show it,

you are not going to pay much for it.

-So 30 to 50 is my estimate.

-That's all right!

-They'll be pleased with that. A £20 paid.

-That's brilliant.

Mark paid £20. He is such a cunning monkey.

Depending on what happens with Nelson, I don't think this

-team are going to need their bonus buy.

-No.

But that is a bit of a dodgy picture, if you ask me.

In which case, we better go and have a look at it, the bonus buy, I mean.

-Well, girls, this is exciting, isn't it? BOTH:

-Yes.

What has our Mark gone out and found? OK, put us out of our agony.

Tim, I found...

-Oh!

-A wonderful naive painting of a ship.

It is sort of late Victorian, 1872. But I love this sort of thing.

-Yeah.

-I like it too. I love the colours.

-I like its simplicity.

-It's called Margery.

-Yes, that's the name of the boat.

-Yeah.

-How brilliant.

-And then you've got

a sort of...quite an old frame on it as well.

-Nice tatty, original frame?

-Yes, it is.

I think these are still quite popular. People like primitive art.

Is it by anybody in particular?

No, it is not signed.

Well, it has got initials here, but often these were local artists.

-They weren't anybody known.

-How much was it?

-It was only 75.

-OK.

-Which I think is a pretty good bargain, actually.

-Yeah.

How much do you think it will make?

Well, I would really like to see that making over £100.

-OK.

-I mean, I would estimate it myself at 100 to 150.

-Right.

-Isn't that fun?

-Yeah!

-Exciting.

-Isn't it exciting?

Anyway, you don't pick now, you pick later,

after the sale of your first three items.

But let's find out whether the auctioneer is similarly enthusiastic.

-Now, Tom, look at that. Isn't that marvellous?

-It's delightful.

And it has got that lovely naive charm of that sea green here.

And then the yachts either side.

And this fabulous vessel flying the Anson.

-That is trying to be a vessel from the 1840s, 1850s?

-1840s, 1850s,

-you are quite right. And it is dated 1872.

-Oh, is it? OK, fine.

-It's still going.

-I think that's got great potential.

-It has got real charm.

-What is it worth, do you think?

-£50 to £80.

-OK, 75 was paid by Mark,

so I think he's done the right thing here.

I don't think that is out-of-the-way.

If the team want to take a chance and run with it, that is the secret.

-OK, Tom, are you taking the sale today?

-Of course.

-Ah!

We are in safe hands.

£10, any advance at 10?

25 against you all, and I sell at £25...

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

-It is.

-Yes. Your bookcase.

The auctioneer loves it, he has put £30 to £50.

You paid the £28.

I mean, it is not made by Thomas Chippendale, right?

But so what, it works and it is good fun.

Here we go then. Here comes your revolving bookcase.

There we are, start me at

£20. £20.

-'20 I have. At £20.'

-Come on!

'Any advance at 20?'

22 online. 25 in the room.

25, it's in the room.

-'At £25.'

-25.

-'Great for one's Kindles. 28.'

30 now. Room bidder has it at £30.

-WOMEN WHISPER

-'35. 40.'

-35!

40 against you. 45 it is. 50 now.

Tom-tom!

£50 I have.

-'50, lady's bid. Dead centre.'

-He is phenomenal!

Once, twice...

-GAVEL BANGS

-50 it is.

50. That is two shy of 30.

-That means you get, kids, a whole £22.

-Yeah!

Now, here comes the scent bottle.

Moulded glass with a silver cover.

£10. Ten I've got.

'At 10. It is an immediate bid of 10.'

£10. At 12.

15. 18. Go on, 20, sir.

18 I have. 20 there.

Make it 25. Thank you.

-Yes, yes, yes, yes!

-'30 now.'

-Yes!

At 30, has it far back.

-This is going somewhere.

-'30 once...'

30 twice... Selling... Oh, and he's back in at 35!

-RED TEAM:

-Oh!

-'He is back in at £35.'

Are you going to let him have it for 35?

'It means the world. At 35'

to them... £35.

-Yes!

-35 is plus £10.

You are now plus 32, children.

Here we go. Now...

An interesting Asian swagger stick.

Like the swagger stick here.

Twisted cane. Could be a little crop for your horse, donkey, etc.

-LAUGHTER

-Don't think it is military.

Start me here at £15. Surely at 15.

-No money, this.

-'18.'

20. Two.

Five.

-'Eight.'

-Yes!

-'Go on, one more, sir.'

-RED TEAM:

-Go on!

30 I have here online.

And five against you.

35, room bidder has it.

Should be 40 with you. At 35.

I have 35. At the back... Once...

Oh, no!

Are you sure you don't want to do 38?

'38 I have.'

38 it is. 40, sir?

40 with a nod.

I have £40. All done then at 40...

'40 it is.'

That's fine.

Minus five. How could that be so cruel?

But don't worry

-because you are still plus 27.

-That's all right!

-And that is cool, isn't it? Plus 27.

-That's pretty good.

Now, don't look at her cos she's

not allowed to guide you in all of this.

What are you going to do about that pin tray? You can park it for £70.

-You don't have to take it.

-I think we should go for it.

OK. There we go then.

And if you go for it and it doesn't make its money,

-it just wipes out your £27 of profit.

-£27 is like...

It's quite a lot to you, isn't it?

It could be a winning score, £27.

OK, should we...? All right, we won't go for it.

We are going to leave...

-But yet you love it.

-Oh, Tim!

-Sorry, love.

What are you going to do? Quick!

You! Quit swaying me! No, we are not going to go for it.

You're not? We are not going with it, but we are going to sell it anyway.

Crikey, Moses!

Lovely lot, this one.

Rectangular shape, form of a reclining nude.

Start the bidding at 20.

'£20, at 20.

-'£20.'

-Oh, yikes!

-'Lovely lot.'

20, I've got. Lady's bid at 20.

Two now.

Five it is.

25, I have in the room.

'Is there any advance at 25?

'At 28 now. Another place.'

30 it is. 35.

40.

45, I have in front. At 45 it is.

'At 45 here. All done that at £45?'

Surely there is more. At 45... 45 it is.

Well done, well done!

45 is five short of 50,

that is mine is 25.

That would have taken you to the cleaners, wouldn't it?

So overall, you are plus £27.

And £27 could be a winning score, so well done.

-Good.

-Thank you very much.

-Well done, ladies.

-Are you excited?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-I mean, it is like a first night, right?

-Yeah.

You know, standing in the wings,

not really knowing what is going to happen,

-are the audience going to love the show...

-You just think you do.

You just think you do, but you don't in reality.

Nobody knows what is going to happen in this auction room,

but we wish you well anyway.

Your first item is the wee portrait of Nelson, and here it comes.

There we are, portrait of Nelson,

one of our great Britons, in a gilt metal frame.

Start the bidding with me here at £20.

'£20. At 20.

'For the hero Nelson.'

Here at 20.

Any advance

'at £20?'

20, I've got. Lady's bid here at 20.

-This is not looking good.

-'At £20 we start.'

Surely there is 22 somewhere else.

£20, we start. Dead centre.

'At 20 there is.

'Surely there must be more here at £20.'

20 once... Are we all done?

-At £20...

-GAVEL BANGS

-'Maiden bid.'

-20!

-£20...

-Minus 25, I'm afraid.

-That was my fault.

No, no, no-one's fault.

Here we are, ladies and gentlemen, your own ham-bone holder,

to hold your fabulous ham hock there.

So start the bidding with me here. £5.

'£5.'

You could be thinking of Sunday roast today. It's fine.

8. We've got 8 online.

'We've got 8 online.'

Surely there must be £10 in the room.

-Surely!

-'A £10 note.'

8, I have.

At 8. We've got 10 online.

-Come on!

-'We have 10 online, it is moving on.'

At £10 it is.

At 10 against you all. All done then at 10. 12 now!

-Oh, yes!

-'Moving on, at 12 it is.'

12, I have.

-GAVEL BANGS

-12, it is.

-Yes!

-£12 is plus 2.

You are now minus 23.

Look, here comes your locket sleeve.

It is absolutely delightful, this sweet little locket with a sleeve.

Portraits of your loved ones. Start the bidding with me here at £20.

Somebody start me at 20.

'Lovely bit of silver here.'

At £20. At £20. At 20.

'Any advance at £20?'

20, I have. 22.

-'Go on, 25.'

-Go on!

-'28.'

One more.

30, I've got online.

35, it is. 35, I have.

35. It is. At £35 I have.

Any advance at 35?

Once at 35...

-Twice at 35... Are we done?

-GAVEL BANGS

£35 gives you a profit

of £15, which reduces your losses

to only £8.

-Gosh!

-Minus £8.

-That's all right.

-Which is nothing, is it?

-No.

Now, what are we going to do about that lovely naive oil on the panel?

-Go for it.

-Yeah.

-You're going to go for it?

-Go for it.

-Yeah, we are.

Well done, Mark. It is all resting on your shoulders, old boy.

A Victorian naive oil on board, Margaret, 1872.

The lovely paddled steamer there.

Start me here at £30.

'Great naive picture at £30. At 30.'

Any advance at £30?

35. And 40. And 5 we have online.

At 45. The bids go on at 45.

At 45.

At 50 I have in the room.

At 50 there. At 50 it is. At £50.

-'Any advance at 50?'

-Go, Tom!

Room bidder has it at 50, once.

Room bidder at 50, twice.

-Are we done? At £50...

-GAVEL BANGS

-50 it is.

-£50...

-Mark! That was painful, wasn't it?

-That was...painful, Tim.

Minus £25,

which means overall you are minus 33.

That's all right.

Well, it could be a winning score. Do not despair.

And don't say a word to the Reds.

-We shall not.

-Be positive.

-We will.

-We are positive.

-Well done.

-This is fun, isn't it? ALL:

-Yes.

-Isn't this fun?

-Yes, it is.

-Have you been communicating? ALL:

-No.

-No!

Oh, no, we never talk about score or anything like that, right?

What is the score, anyway?

Well, it is sad, but on this programme -

we don't have losers any more, we have runners-up -

and the runners-up today, quite convincingly, are...the Blues.

-Oh!

-Oh!

I'm really sorry, you Blues.

That Nelson portrait let you down seriously.

-It wasn't your day, basically, was it?

-No.

-We've had a lovely day.

-You've had a lovely day. I've loved having you on the show.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much for coming and making our day. And thank you, Mark.

It is a pleasure. But the victors today are going home with cash!

CHEERING

Go home with 27 smackers!

-Yay!

-Woohoo!

-There we are.

Erin, this is, for a student...

-It's amazing!

-A big old moment, isn't it?

-Yeah!

No, very good. You got close even to a Golden Gavel, didn't you?

Natasha was getting excited.

Anyway, there we are. Now, Erin, did you have a lovely time?

I had a wonderful time, yeah, it was brilliant.

Will you say to all your student friends

-what fun it is on Bargain Hunt?

-Of course I will!

Oh, of course you will.

-And you had a good time? Mum?

-Yes, definitely.

-Excellent. Good.

Well, it has been super fun. Join us soon.

Actually, first look at our website and then join us soon

-for some more Bargain Hunting, yes? ALL:

-Yes!

Oh, so good!