Lincoln 13 Bargain Hunt

Now, you might be wondering what I'm searching for.

But many centuries ago, Lincoln had its own mint.

So I'm in search of a bit of their old money.

No luck yet!

DETECTOR BUZZES

It's all happening!

Bingo!

Wow! In all my days,

I never thought I'd set my eyes on one of these.

So, it's heavy, it's gold and it's inscribed.

It says here, "Let's go bargain hunting."

So let's do it. Let's go bargain hunting.

Well, our teams will be wanting to make the biggest

profit from the three items they find amongst the stalls.

DETECTOR BUZZES Wahey! But the question is,

will they win one of these?

That would be telling. But here's a taste of what's coming up.

The Reds struggle to contain their excitement...

-Ooh!

-Ooh!

-Already "ooh".

..the Blues strut their stuff...

# Glorious feeling

# We're in the profit again. #

Everyone tries keeping up at the auction...

-Oh!

-Come on.

Get your hands out, come on. Come on.

And who is the man who found time to amass one of the best

collections that I've ever seen?

I'm getting short of words, because quite simply, they're breathtaking.

But, before all that, let's meet our teams.

And our Red team today, we've got friends Judy and Mary,

and our Blues are Mr and Mrs, who are Kathleen and Stephen.

-So, hello! ALL:

-Hello!

-Hello. Well, Judy, can I start with you?

Because you're not going to be camera-shy today, are you?

Well, I do quite a bit of TV and film extra work, which is great fun.

I've worked on Downton Abbey, right through until the end of the series.

-What else?

-I've worked with Tom Cruise, who was really lovely.

-Tom Cruise, no less?

-And that was in Edge Of Tomorrow.

-Any gossip from the set?

-I can't give you any gossip,

but I can say Tom Cruise is a really nice guy.

I can see you're wearing some very interesting, sort of vintage...

dare I use the word vintage? Jewellery and...

Now, you're into all that?

Yes, we both are, very into this. This is actually how we met.

Judy needed a model for a fashion show,

and I stepped in, and we did a very successful fashion show, didn't we?

And that's lead onto re-enacting, 1930s and 1940s particularly.

And any excuse to dress up and have a lot of fun.

-I'm with you on that one!

-Yes.

-LAUGHTER.

In every sense! So, Mary, you're also involved with a charity shop?

I work in a local charity bookshop,

which raises money for our local hospice.

It's an open door, and you never know

who's going to come in through it.

-Maybe Tom Cruise?

-Maybe.

-LAUGHTER.

Now, turning my attention to the Blues.

Stephen, tell me, you're very keen on fishing?

Oh, I love my fishing. I love going out fishing.

Just the quietness of the river bank or the lake.

I go mainly after the larger fish.

My record's a 32 lbs carp.

How big, with your hands, show me how big is a 32...

-32... It's about that long and that deep.

-Yeah, OK.

-You know when you pick it up!

-LAUGHTER

I know exactly they're that long and that big,

so you are a fisherman.

Do you do any meditation

-while you're waiting for that thing to pop up?

-I do a bit of drinking.

LAUGHTER Oh, you do a bit of drinking?

Right, well, that's interesting.

Well, your secret's safe with us and a few of the others out there.

Well, there you go.

Kathleen, something I've learnt about you,

you're very nimble on your feet.

USED to be nimble on my feet.

No, no, I don't know about that. Um, because you're into tap dancing?

I was lucky enough to go to a stage school, and we did lots of theatre

and dance and things there, and it was brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

Was it? My mother, believe it or not, was a tap dancer as well.

-Was she?

-Yeah. Until she had the accident.

-Oh, fell in the sink.

LAUGHTER That's the one, that's it!

BOTH: The old ones are the best ones! Yes, OK.

But in all seriousness, my mother was a tap dancer.

But you say you're not... Come on, give us a twirl... Give us a...

-Oh, well, what do we think, a round of applause!

-Jazz hands!

-I must give you Michael Flatley's telephone number.

-Thank you.

LAUGHTER

All right, we've got £300 each for you.

I want you to go off there, buy those three items

and I want you to go now and find your respective experts.

So, good luck! And I think we're in for a bit of fun.

So, which experts are joining our teams today?

He's been good, so we'll let him out early.

Richard Madley does time with the Reds.

And buckle up, Blues, you're in for a wild ride! It's Charlie Ross.

-Kath, Steve, come to me!

-LAUGHTER

Oh, lovely to see you.

-Lovely to see you.

-Now, what are you going to be looking for today?

-Bargains!

-Bargains, yeah.

-SHE YELPS

-So, losing your hat already?

-Have you come here today with some tactics in mind?

-Yes, we have.

-A bit of silver, maybe.

-A bit of silver?

-Jewellery.

-Of course.

-And for you, Kath?

-Whatever takes my eye.

I don't want to choose something

-and then not be able to find it within the hour.

-Really?

-Yes.

Something that can be used inside and outside.

KETTLE WHISTLES

Well, I'm sorry, teams. There's no time for tea.

Because your 60 minutes are about to begin.

-WHISTLE BLOWS

-Hang onto your hats,

let's go shopping.

-Excitement! Come on, let's have it.

-All of those!

Well, the skies may be grey,

but our teams are braving the elements.

And the Reds have spotted a window of opportunity.

-Richard!

-Richard, what do you think of this?

What do I see through the window?

-It's definitely inside-outside!

-LAUGHTER

Yes, it certainly is. You've got to think, yeah,

-you've got to think of who's got the space for something like that.

-Yeah.

And unless someone is rebuilding or is looking to incorporate

a period feature, then you're limiting the number of people

who could accommodate it.

Absolutely. Well... Um.

-So I would be steering you away from that.

-OK.

-Right, OK.

-Let's move on.

-Good decision. You don't want people glazing over at the auction.

-Look!

-A wonderful stall! Let's get cracking.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-May I look at your inkwell, please?

-Wow.

-What about that! Good grief!

-That's a big weight.

-Kath, feel the weight of that! He said.

-Oh!

LAUGHTER

That is rather delicious. No mark on it, is there, though?

There will be a mark on it. Trust me. There we are.

A little shield with a leopard's head in it. Where was it made?

-Is that Sheffield?

-No.

-No.

-Birmingham?

-No.

-That's...

-London!

-ALL: London!

-Well done, well done.

-Go to the top of the class.

-And this is 1893.

Do you know what that's worth?

-The ticket says...

-What does the ticket say?

-No, no, I like that, "The ticket says..."

-145.

-Yes.

But our new best friend, Greg,

he's going to come down a bit from that for us,

-I would think.

-130?

-Yes.

-You can't do any better than 130?

-I could squeeze in another five.

-Squeeze a five! I think we're very early into our shop.

-Yes.

If that Red team come here, tell them it's 200 quid.

And a note for everything.

THEY LAUGH

I can tell you lot aren't to be trusted.

I think the Reds have something else in mind anyway.

-I quite like militaria, but...

-Yeah, militaria is a good subject.

Talking about militaria...

There's something that catches my eye.

I've also seen something else that catches my eye,

but we'll start on the drum.

-Is there any age to this?

-Yes, First World War.

-First World War?

Yes, the Officers' Training Corps,

which is before the Combined Cadet Force,

which was the school... It's my old school.

-You were at Denstone College?

-Denstone College.

The old-school drum.

-Was it Army cadets?

-Yes.

-Army cadets.

So, could we enquire about the price?

-£150 would be the cheapest.

-£150. It's a good-looking thing.

-It is.

I've got to say. It is a good looking thing.

But it would be half your budget.

Put it on the maybe list, you've still got 45 minutes left,

and there's plenty out there, even if it is a little soggy.

-The weather's really coming in now.

-It's coming in, isn't it? I know.

-That'll keep the rain out!

-LAUGHTER

I saw an umbrella salesman...

I think that would be a very good idea.

# I'm singing in the rain

# Just singing in the rain

# What a glorious feeling

# We're in the profit again. #

You're getting ahead of yourself there, Roscoe, you need to buy

-something first! You best get on the case!

-Ooh, I quite like that.

Yes, I do that quite like it.

-Well, we've seen something you like!

-I know!

We're getting there, at last! We've only had about two hours shopping.

-More like 20 minutes!

-Do you want to ask how much it is?

-Yes.

My Kath would love that if it was ever so cheap,

because she'd pretend that somebody could make it into a coffee table.

I have a champagne taste, pale ale pocket.

THEY LAUGH

-Well, disregarding that, it's still £35.

-£35.

-Yes.

-Not untoward, is it?

-No. No. No.

-That is definitely an old trunk.

-Yeah.

Whether the labels are old is anybody's guess.

But, whoever did it, if they aren't old, has done them very cleverly,

-because they've ripped bits off...

-THEY LAUGH

-I like it, it looks the part.

-Answer an honest question?

-Did you put the labels on?

-Of course I did.

-Yeah, of course. You see!

Isn't that wonderful, when people are honest? There you are.

-The very best price on that being...?

-I can do that for 30.

-Happy with 30 quid?

-Yeah, happy at 30.

-Brilliant.

-Shake the man's hand.

-Thank you.

Brilliant, Blues.

-Thank you.

-Bye.

-Bye-bye.

-But don't stop now.

You've got two lots to go, and just over 30 minutes left.

Anything on that inside/outside theme you'd like to pursue?

-These.

-These.

-These?

-They just caught my eye. They caught my eye.

-What do you think of this one, Mary?

-They look like horses.

-Half a horse, half... Serpentine-like.

-Yes.

THEY LAUGH

This has caught our eye.

The price is usually 65, I'll do it for 55.

-And what is it?

-It's a hippocampus.

Which is a mythical creature from Greek mythology.

-MARY:

-And it's like a ridge tile? Ridge tile.

They're all... I really like the dragons, as well,

but I just think this two-headed one

-has got something about it.

-That's my favourite.

Do you have these made for you,

they're available in the marketplace?

-We make them ourselves.

-You make them yourself?

Can we just squeeze it a little bit lower?

How close can you get to me?

-48?

-48? Yeah, I'll settle on that. 48.

-Could you do 45?

-STALLHOLDER:

-Got a deal there at 48!

THEY LAUGH

I'll tell you what, we'll spin a coin, 45 or 48.

-You can call, Mary.

-Oh, yes.

-Ready?

-Toss the coin.

-Heads or tails?

-MARY:

-Heads.

-STALLHOLDER:

-We go on the ground?

-MARY:

-It's not a double-headed one, is it?

-Tails.

THEY LAUGH

Good old double-tailed coin, it never fails.

I promise you it's a real one.

That's it, the first deal is done. Excellent. In the bag.

-Thank you very much indeed, sir.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

And yourself.

You can't win them all, Reds,

but at £48, the hippocampus could still be a steal.

LAUGHTER

-Evening, all.

-Evening, all.

I'm going to give you a caution -

you've less than half an hour to go.

We've got one purchase in the bag.

I'd have liked to see have seen a little bit more.

Maybe one and a half, but we have got the drum, haven't we?

-How many things have we bought?

-One.

-One.

-How many have we got to buy?

-BOTH: Three.

STEPHEN LAUGHS

-Are we worried?

-Two...left.

-You're right, three in all.

Come on, let's go and look at that drum.

I have noticed that you have a bit of a tendency to walk past things.

-I'm waiting for something to draw me in.

-Grab our attention.

THEY LAUGH

Does that charm work on the dealers, Charlie?

I see the Reds are hoping to get the price down on the £150 drum.

-Can I turn it over?

-Yes, turn it over.

-OK.

Might need a bit of help with this, Mary.

-It's all right on the bottom?

-Wet.

-That's fine.

-Yeah, how does it sound?

-Sounds good.

-Good.

But I've got just one question to ask you, sir - would £140 buy it?

No, I'm afraid it wouldn't.

I asked you the same price that I wanted, and it's a fair deal.

-In that case, sir, we'd like to buy your drum.

-Wonderful.

-Thank you very much. Deal.

-Thank you.

-I love your hat.

-MARY:

-Thank you very much.

-STALLHOLDER:

-I wish I'd worn it up, you know...

You're getting into the rhythm now, Reds, which requires perfect timing.

Talking of which, this is your 15 minute warning.

Feeling the pressure, gents?

We've got £100 left. As long as they leave me two,

we can go and buy a piece of jewellery,

and that's what they wanted to do.

So, yeah, I'm feeling pretty relaxed now.

They wander into a stall, and they wander out.

We have a laugh, we enjoy ourselves, and what have we got to show for it?

One trunk. With fake labels. I'm thrilled, really.

Cheer up, Charlie. Maybe your luck is about to turn.

-Have you found something?

-No.

-No?

-"No" is the answer to that.

-Or maybe not.

We've got 15 minutes to buy one piece. Let's get inside.

I'm in your hands now.

You are the jewellery experts, so lead me on.

So you're going for something sparkly and sophisticated.

What about you, Blues?

-I like this one.

-Really?

You like a knackered old malt shovel, do you?

THEY LAUGH

I feel a bit like a knackered old malt shovel,

to be honest, perfectly honest.

Looks nice, it's got a nice bit of age to it.

-I like it.

-It's got age?

-Yeah.

I love the repair.

I love the hallmark silver repair on it.

-It's particularly nice.

-It's delicate, isn't it?

I think if it was free, I would go for it.

-90, but for you, 30.

-90 would be... What, pence?!

STEPHEN LAUGHS

I love it, but would somebody pay more than 30 quid at auction?

-No, they wouldn't.

-No.

Which is a shame, but on the other hand...

# My old man's a dustman He wears a dustman's hat

# He wears cor blimey trouser... #

-STALLHOLDER:

-..because you play.

-KATHLEEN:

-22.

22! I want it for a tenner,

because I think it will make 14 quid at auction. She's going to play it.

-She's going to strum to me.

-You know what?

-Because I like you, make it for 20.

-KATHLEEN:

-I like it.

I'm just going to say one thing...

I'm going to hand over the money, and if that makes a loss,

-don't blame me.

-I won't.

So, you're a gentleman and a player.

You have made a £20 profit on that lot.

-KATHLEEN:

-I love it. I'd give you 20 quid.

-Thank you very much indeed.

STEPHEN LAUGHS

It's not the most glamorous object I've ever seen, but who knows?

It may get you out of a hole at the auction.

Both teams now need their final buys,

and have just under ten minutes.

Found any jewellery, Reds?

-Over the course of...

-Ooh!

-Oh!

-Ooh!

-Already "ooh".

-There we go.

-There we go.

-Mary, there's jewellery over there.

-OK, right.

-Is that enamel?

-Yes.

Enamelled and silver are nice, as well.

-I know it's not jewellery, it's just rather decorative.

-Very pretty.

I don't know if it has any real use, but it's rather nice.

-Letter opener, isn't it?

-Yeah...

Think about it, take it back to the money man?

Don't take too long. Five minutes and counting.

What do we want to do?

-I think we'll go back and get that inkwell.

-Yeah?

-An actual antique.

-A proper antique.

It would be nice to have just a splash...

-A bit of quality.

-A splash of quality. Come on, then.

Now, whilst the Reds were looking for jewellery,

they're now hunting for something else.

-We've lost...

-Have we lost Richard?

The ladies are looking for you, Mr Madley.

Get the impression we've been here before?

-Now, have you still got the inkwell, sir?

-I have, sir, yes.

-He's still got the inkwell.

-Bonus.

-Look at that.

-Isn't that magnificent?

-I do still really like it.

You really like it, you really like it? 130?

-130?

-Yeah. Sure that is the very best?

Being an honest man, I think we agreed on 125.

-KATHLEEN:

-I think we did, as well.

-125.

-125...

-Marvellous.

-Thank you.

-You're a good man, Greg.

-Thank you.

So, the Blues are done and dusted. How about the Reds?

-All we've seen so far is the letter opener.

-Well...

You came looking for some jewellery, and you sort...

-Did you like the letter opener? Was it...?

-Yeah, we both liked it.

It was very pretty. I don't think it's old.

I'd like to get the price down on it.

-I'd like to see that before we close the deal.

-It's just over there.

OK, let's go in and look at it.

Let's hope it's first-class, as you teams need to post a profit.

-We've done well.

-That's my quality item.

And we've finished within time.

Come on. Show me some more dance moves.

Loving your moves, Blues.

Maybe the Reds should try out a quick step,

as they're running out of time.

I thought you were... I thought you were down the...

I'm an expert? What do you think of that, Richard?

-I think it's very nice.

-OK. It's different, isn't it?

-And functional. A bit Nouveau.

-A bit Art Nouveau.

Yeah, peacocks. Always a good design.

-It's almost Japanese. It's probably 1890...

-Japanese?

I think, yeah, Japanese... Well, Japanesque is a term that is

used for things of a Japanese influence.

The price is £17.

We can get it for £15, so...

And you'd be happy with that?

You think we'd make a bit of a profit on that?

-I think...

-I think we will.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, I think so.

-I think...

-Should we go for this?

-We're short of time.

It's lovely, actually. It's a lovely item, I think.

Good. Thank you. We'll have it.

ALARMS RING

That means, teams, your 60 minutes are up.

That was a rush, wasn't it?

So, let's remind ourselves what the Reds bought.

The Reds hope this hippocampus ridge tile

will raise the roof at the auction. It cost them £48.

£150 was paid for this military drum,

but will the punters stand to attention

when it goes under the hammer?

And the gilt brass letter opener was just £15.

Fingers crossed it delivers.

So, ladies, forgive me. A bit of a slow start there,

but eventually you picked up speed

-and got past the winning post.

-We did.

Well, let me just ask you - your favourite object?

My favourite object is the finial.

It's a bit of an unusual item, and I really like it.

-You do?

-Yes, I agree with Judy on that one.

-You do?

-Yes, I do.

-Oh, good. That's nice to have that solidarity.

And, of the three things you bought, which is going to

give you the biggest profit, do you think?

I think the paper knife.

Although it's only a tiny object, I think so.

-Now, remind me what you spent.

-£213.

-£213?

So my maths tells me that, in my hand, you should be placing

£87, is that right? Lovely.

So, Richard, there you go, £87. Have you got anything in mind?

I saw something shining in the jewellery quarter that

caught my eye, that I hope is still there.

All right. Well, they do say,

"If you want to get ahead, get a hat," so...

Richard, while you're spending that money, let's remind

ourselves how the Blue team have been spending their money.

The labels may be fake, but they still closed the deal on this trunk.

£30 paid.

Will people dig deep to get their hands on this wooden malt shovel?

It cost the Blues £20.

And Charlie thought the Victorian inkwell

was something to write home about.

But at £125, could it blot his team's copybook?

Well, Charlie, I believe you've been following

a song and dance act, is that right?

We have done more singing and dancing than we have buying,

-that's for sure.

-THEY LAUGH

Well, come on, you two, what's your favourite object?

I think the inkwell. I think the inkwell's my favourite.

-Mine's the shovel.

-The shovel?

-I'm in love with my shovel, yeah.

Sorry, Charlie, I love my shovel.

You do, and it is a shovel, not a spade?

-No, it's definitely a malt shovel.

-OK, that's good to know.

-All right, how much did you spend?

-175.

OK. 175. So you're going to give me £125, is that right?

Which I, in turn, am going to give to Charlie.

-Oh, Eric.

-So, Charlie, have you done your homework?

-I've done my homework out there.

-There were more shovels.

-There were more shovels?

-And it won't be a shovel...

THEY LAUGH

Well, before we go off to the auction,

I'm off somewhere rather interesting.

Lincoln has many jewels in its crown.

The castle...

the cathedral...

But the gem I'm here to learn about wasn't made from stone,

but flesh and blood.

James Ward Usher was a jeweller, who ran this shop in Lincoln.

He was a shrewd businessman, who didn't miss a trick.

And in the late 19th century, he made his fortune after

spotting the moneymaking potential of a Lincolnshire legend.

The story goes, Satan sent two unruly creatures called imps

to Lincoln to create mischief and mayhem.

The two imps found their way into the cathedral and ran riot.

And it's said that an angel appeared and turned one of them into stone.

The legend goes that the imp was imprisoned here forever.

And there he is.

Usher exploited the tale of the Lincoln imp to his advantage.

He made all sorts of souvenirs featuring the mischievous creature,

and sold them to Lincoln's tourists.

As the sole supplier of imp memorabilia,

Usher watched the money roll in.

This meant he could afford to indulge in his real passion.

And that passion was collecting.

Usher amassed a huge collection of treasures from all around the world.

But he didn't forget his roots,

and his heart always belonged to Lincoln.

Well, there's no doubting that James Ward Usher had a good eye

and impeccable taste.

And when he died, he left his collection

to the good people of Lincoln.

And on top of that, he left them

enough money to build the Usher Gallery.

Andrea Martin is the curator, and can tell me

more about this wonderful place and the man who made it possible.

He seems to have concentrated primarily on objects?

Yes, very much an object man.

So, ceramics, silver, watches, enamels.

I can imagine the auctioneer spying him at the back of the building

and thinking, "Hmm, we're in for an OK sale here.

"Mr Usher has landed."

Oh, I definitely think so.

Being a fan of the decorative arts, Usher rarely bought paintings.

Surprising, given his hidden talents.

Well, this is one of Usher's watercolours, of his own collection.

He really liked to document what he had.

So this one here actually portrays the cabinet behind us

-that you can see.

-He is a good artist, insofar as

the attention to detail on something like this is quite remarkable.

His attention to detail, as you say, is particularly fine,

right down to the little gilding and the gold work

you get on top of the plates,

that you can see as you look at the objects themselves.

It's just remarkable. There it is, and there it still is.

As well as being jewellers, the Usher family were talented

clock and watchmakers, which meant James had an incredible eye

for things that go tick, tock.

So the first watch we've got here is one of Usher's favourite watches,

made by a watchmaker called Rigby, so it's a 19th-century watch.

But actually, on the back,

we have some beautiful blue enamelling.

-With a star of diamonds, I can see.

-Yes.

And when you twist it in the light,

it's a sort of semi-translucent, deep, cobalt blue, that enamel,

and picks up what appears to be like an engine turning.

I mean, you think of people like Faberge,

amongst others, using that method.

-Yes.

-But I'd think twice about taking that out of the safe,

never mind taking it out of the house.

This one, I mean, it looks a little bit older, would I be right?

This watch was made by Justin Vulliamy, who was working in London.

-We think about 1750 it was made.

-Yes.

You can see the enamelling on the back, and it's a picture called

Hope Nursing Love, and it's taken from the work by Joshua Reynolds.

I'm looking at something which has retained the same strength of colour

-since it came out of the kiln when it was fired.

-Yes.

It's a little bit like time travel, this, isn't it?

Because you're experiencing the same visual pleasure that somebody

-else witnessed in 1750.

-Yes, very much so.

And then they get smaller.

I mean, a little watch on a ring.

It's only 18 millimetres in diameter.

It was made by a watchmaker called John Arnold,

and it was reputedly made for George III.

Provenance is everything. Isn't it? You know, the royal connection.

The royal connection is the thing

that really, truly makes that one.

I think that would have sold it strongly to Usher.

I'm getting short of words because, quite simply, they're breathtaking.

But there's no doubt the legacy Usher left Lincoln is in safe hands.

CLOCK CHIMES

Well, what an inspiring place.

I'll tell you now, you could lock me in there and throw away the key

and I would not complain.

But time is of the essence, and it's time now to go off to the auction.

We've landed here in the saleroom of Golding Young & Mawer.

And I'm joined by a familiar face on this programme,

none other than Mr Colin Young himself.

-Good to have you here, Eric.

-Thank you for inviting us,

we're delighted to be here, and let's discuss our Red team.

They've come up with a very interesting terracotta ridge tile,

with a mythical beast known as a hippocampus.

What do you make of that?

I think a teasing 30 to 50 should sort of get people going for it.

-They've gone and paid £48 for that.

-Yes.

So, not a bad piece of sculpture.

No, and, in the big scheme of things,

-it's really not a lot of money to spend, is it?

-No, it's not.

OK, let's go and bang a drum, shall we?

I have to admit that I find them fascinating,

and yet, at the same time, I know nothing about drums.

I'm hoping that you're going to throw a little bit of light

onto this particular one.

The maker of it, Potter's, are still going today,

but because the condition isn't great, there's an awful lot

of damage to the paint decoration, it's been used, essentially.

And £50-£80, I think, is going to the as good as it's going to get.

I feel a big "ouch" here

because they went and paid £150 for this little fella.

-Ooh.

-So, yeah, that could be their undoing,

-but let's be positive.

-Yeah.

The next item we've got is the Japanese brass letter opener.

Not the greatest quality, it has to be said.

It is just brass.

-It is a little bit boring for me, I'm afraid.

-Yeah.

Having said that, it's decorative, it only cost £15,

so they may be in with a chance.

That's OK, I mean, we've put 10 to 20 on it,

and I wouldn't be surprised if it did better than that.

-But it's not going to race away.

-No, it's not, that's very true.

Bearing in mind that this drum could have put them

in a bit of jeopardy, I think it's probably as well to find out

what the bonus buy is and see if that can make amends.

Well, Judy and Mary, I have to complement you

because you spent a very credible £213,

leaving Mr Richard Madley here with £87 to go out and spend.

And Richard, I'd be intrigued to see what you've got for the money.

Well, for these two stylish ladies, I wanted something

sparkly and silvery, and I found you...

Ooh!

-..this.

-Ooh.

-A double "ooh."

-Gorgeous.

-Yes.

A Victorian heart-shaped silver pin tray.

Maker's mark is SC, made in London

around about 1895 to 1905.

So, it's late Victorian, Edwardian.

This would fit on anybody's dressing table,

I'm sure you'd find space for it.

-It's beautiful.

-Just right for earrings.

-And I bought it for 30.

-That's pretty good.

-That's brilliant.

So, I was happy with that. Are you happy with that?

-Yeah, yeah.

-And I've got a feeling that there is a little bit of profit

-left in that.

-How much would you think?

-How much?

We might make a 50% profit.

I think being heart-shaped...

Oh, heart shapes are so popular.

-Yeah.

-I'm with you. Eric, they're happy.

Listen, you can't beat a double "ooh" to start with, can you?

But... But let us see

whether the auctioneer is going to be ruled by his heart

or whether he's going to consider this piece

to be nothing more than pin money.

So, Colin, here it is, a late 19th,

early 20th century silver heart-shaped pin tray.

Pretty little thing, not a lot of weight in terms of silver,

but I think I'd put an estimate of £25-£40 on that.

I think that should encourage people

to fall in love with the little heart.

Well, that was snapped up for £30,

so the omens are working in its favour, yeah?

So, that's our Red team.

Let's have a look at our Blues.

They start off with a 20th century canvas coloured trunk.

Elaborate on the description of being that canvas finish

with nice beech banding on it, that's bentwooded around it

and given it a little bit of pizzazz.

Beech banding, I like that terminology.

-That's going to sell something, isn't it?

-It should do.

The downside with it, of course,

is that it's been jazzed up a little bit

and, probably, the labels are considerably later.

But turns it into a furnishing item rather than something you'd

be using, and they're sort of adding a little bit of history

and adding romance to it, really.

So, it's not really a case of faking, forging,

or something like that,

it is really just enhancing the presence of the object.

-Right.

-The problem is, there are plenty of them out there,

and maybe £10-£30 is an estimate.

OK, well, they paid 30 for it,

so that's going to need a fair wind behind it, yeah?

-Yeah, I think it is.

-OK.

Where would you be without a wooden shovel?

Malt shovels seem to be out there in quite a quantity.

Of course, it's one of those industries,

there are so many maltings that have closed down over the period of time.

Quite a heavy industrial thing of the 19th century.

-And your estimate?

-10 to 20.

They've gone and paid £20 for that.

-Yeah.

-This is their big spend.

Quite a handsome late Victorian table inkwell with a silver top.

Got a good, chunky writhe and body to it,

nicely matched with the top as well. £50-£80.

They went and spent the best part of £125 on that object.

Well, that's all three.

It looks to me that there might be a bit of an overspend there,

so let us see what Charlie Ross has come up with

when it comes to the bonus buy.

Kathleen and Stephen, you went out and spent the best part of £175,

which meant that Mr Charles Ross here had the sum of £125

to play with. What did you come up with?

-Ooh!

-Oh!

-A tray.

It's much bigger than an ordinary dressing table pin tray.

It is silver, it's English,

it's got a wonderful gadroon border to it,

but it's got other things going on.

It's got this rococo decoration,

it's got an acanthus leaf swirl to it,

it's got this wonderful mask.

Look at him, do you like him?

-Yes, yes.

-Just feel the weight.

You see, it's got real weight, and it's solid silver.

There's an awful lot of work in there, isn't there?

A huge amount of work, yeah.

-It's not my cup of tea, but will it make us money?

-Well, it cost £120,

but I think it stands a sporting chance

because it is a cut above the average example.

Well, let's find out whether our auctioneer considers that

our Mr Ross has made something of a sterling effort...or not.

So, Colin, here it is, described as a late 19th,

early 20th-century rectangular white metal tray.

Yes.

We have described it as such, for a fairly basic thing,

because of the Hallmarking Act.

And I actually do believe that it is silver,

I do believe that it is late Victorian.

I think it's period, I think it's fine,

but there is a definite absence of a hallmark there.

Myself, three staff, we've all looked with great depth

-and I can you see still...

-I am, I am.

You're quizzing away as well, aren't you?

Essentially, I don't think it's going to make one jot of difference,

because you pick it up, you know it's period,

you know it's a really good quality thing.

-So, an estimate of £50-£80.

-OK.

Well, dear Charlie Ross paid £120.

-I don't see much of a profit out of it for him.

-OK.

-Are you going to be taking the sale today, Colin?

-I am indeed, Eric.

Excellent. So, in Colin we trust.

The auction is underway,

but there's breaking news about Charlie's bonus buy.

He's found the hallmark.

It was quite plain to me.

Salaman & Levi, 1900,

Birmingham.

Proper antique.

I'm sure Colin will make amends when it goes under the hammer.

But first up are the Reds.

So, ladies, have you been to many auctions in your time, or...?

-I've only been to one.

-I've been to several.

-You've been to several?

-Yes, I do like them, yes.

-You're quite seasoned in it.

-She's a professional, yes.

We've got your decorative ridge tile coming up now.

You both loved this, didn't you?

-We did.

-I want to take it home with me.

Look, it's just about to come up,

so hang onto your hats and all systems go.

There we go, the ridge tile, hippocampus. £50.

£30. 22 go, then, £20, everybody.

20 bid, 2 bid, 5, 28, 28, 30, 32, 32 now, 35.

38, 40.

2, 45, 48, bid 50, 50 bid.

-Come on.

-50, surely, 50 bid?

-5, 5, 60.

-We're in profit.

-55 bid. 60, do I see?

-60 bid, 65.

-Good, good.

-65, 70.

70 bid, 75.

80 now, 80 bid, 85.

-85! Come on!

-Are we all done at 80?

Come on! Come on, you Reds!

-Any of you? Nope, £80.

-Go on.

-We should have bid, too.

Going with £80. Any more?

-Sold at 80.

-Yes! Whoa, crikey!

Good start, ladies. Right, well, you're plus £32 on that.

Excellent, I think we're making history today.

OK, all right, the drum.

Who's going to start me at £100? £100, anyone, 100?

50, if you like, then. £50, anyone? 60, 70?

80, 90, 100.

At 90 bid, I'll take 5 now.

At £90, the bid's down here, then, at £90.

5 for anybody else, then? Selling at £90.

-Ouch!

-I knew, I knew...

Well, I'm afraid minus 60 is getting us down to

a minus 28, so, you know,

take one step forward and two steps back. There's your opener.

You thought this was going to give you the most profit.

£10, anybody. 10 at the back of the room. 12 now, do I see?

12 on the internet. 15 bid. 18 now.

At 15. 18, 18 bid. 20, at 18, 20 surely.

At £18 bid. Last call, then. It's on the internet.

All the room is out. Back in the room at 20.

22 now, may I say? 20 bid.

There's these two people on the net, hovering. Are you going to bid?

No, they've both gone away. At 20. 2 now, may I say?

-Selling in the room at 20.

-20. OK.

Well...

Listen, it's £5, and it's in your pocket,

so you're going in the right direction. Minus 23.

The question is, are you going to go with the bonus buy?

-Definitely.

-Are you sure about that?

-We really like it.

-Love it.

-We think it's so pretty.

-We like it.

-Let's find out.

Who's going to start me at £50 for it? 50, anybody? 50.

30 to go, then, surely. 30, 20 to go. I'll take 10.

£10 for a bit of silver.

10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 2, 5, 28,

30, 2, 35, 38. 35 standing here.

-At 35 bid. 38, surely. 38 bid. 40 now.

-40 bed.

42. £40 bid. 42?

-You know you want to.

-LAUGHTER

42 now. At £40. 42,

45 now. Do I see 45?

You know you want to. Never works twice, does it?

Well, it might do.

45. At 45. Phew! Lightning.

At 45. 48 now? No, it didn't work twice with you.

45. 8 or not, then? Selling, lady's bid standing here at £45.

Yes, excellent!

I'm plus £15.

But we're in a total, I think, of minus £8.

That can be a winning score, girls, I can assure you.

So, um, you know, take heart, if you will.

OK, Blues. Hello, Kathleen, hello, Stephen.

Your first item that's coming up is the trunk.

-It's a good-looking thing, isn't it? Are you excited?

-Yes.

-So am I.

Hang on, everybody, this could be a rocky ride.

Let's hope it's going to be a nice, smooth crossing.

-OK?

-Who's going to start me at £50 for it?

30 to go, then. £30, anybody. 30. 10 to go, then.

Ideal for interior decor. 10 bid. 12 now.

12 bid, surely. 12 bid.

Do I see 12, surely? 10 is here. At 10.

You're not looking very excited about it. At 10 bid.

12 now, may I say? £10 bid. Any more now? At 10.

12 on the internet. 15 there.

-18 here. 20 bid.

-It's moving.

-At £20 bid. 2, surely. At £20 bid.

-You're in.

Last call for everybody, then.

On my left here. Original bid is in at £20.

Oh, minus 10. Minus £10.

OK, it's not the end of the world.

You've got three lots to play with here. If you go with the bonus.

-Shovel!

-You'll love this. You loved this, didn't you?

Who's going to start me at £30 for it? 30. 20.

£10. £10, anybody.

-Surely £10 for a malt shovel.

-KATHLEEN:

-Please, bid!

10 up. 5, surely. £5, anybody.

£5, anybody? 5 bid. 5. Any more now? 6, surely.

At £5 bid. 6 now, do I see? At £5. 6 now.

Surely somebody else can dig it. £6 bid. 6, 8, 8 bid, 10 bid.

-11 bid. 12 bid. 13. 13, do I see?

-He's going in ones!

13, 13, pay attention.

Last call at 12.

That made minus 8, so we're in a minus 18 now.

-So the next two lots could turn things around.

-This is a proper lot.

£100, anyone? 100. 50 if you like. Who's coming in at £50?

50. 50 bid, 50.

5 now, may I say? We're on the market at 50. 55.

Bid 60. 5 now.

At 65. 70. 5 now.

75. Quickly now. 75. £70 bid.

I'll take two as a last call. At 70. £70, are we all done?

Last call, then. Done, finished on 2?

No. Selling in the room, at 72 on the net. At 72, 75, 75, 78 now.

75, last call at £75.

-Oh, £75. Minus 50.

-What's the damage, Eric?

-Minus 68 at the moment.

-Is that all?

-Don't worry, don't worry.

-I think it's that moment of truth. Do we go with the bonus buy?

-Yes.

-We'll trust our expert, Charlie.

-You do that.

It's a really good, crisp, bold hallmark.

Salaman & Levi, Birmingham, 1900.

And it's there for you all to see, Eric.

He is now in the know, and he will announce it from the rostrum.

I'm hoping he'll big it up when he's up there,

because you've gone with it now.

-We've found the hallmark on this...

-KATHLEEN:

-Hurray!

..which is 1900.

It is Levi & Salaman, so there we go. Quite a nice dish there.

Who's going to start me at £100? It will be easily over £100 for it.

80 to go, then. 80. £50 bid. 50.

5 anywhere else now? We've got 50. 5?

55 at the back of the room. At 55. 60,

5, 70, 70...

-Will it.

-Will it. Get your hands out.

-Will it, will it.

-5, 80,

-5. Come on!

80. 5, surely. At £80 bid. At 80.

We've nearly reached scrap value.

85, 90. At 90 bid.

We're into market value now. 92, 95, 98 in the room. 98 now, surely.

-98, do I see? 95 on the internet. 95.

-Come on!

Is anybody else going to bid? 90.

Very pretty dish. All done and finished at £95.

Sold at 95, thank you very much.

It was a noble effort, which has sadly resulted

in a £25 loss.

However, however, you know,

at least we're keeping a common theme going there.

So I reckon we've done minus 93, if my maths is correct.

And the most important thing to remember, don't talk to the Reds.

-OK. All right?

-I don't think they'll want to.

THEY LAUGH

Well, it was a game of ups and downs,

and both the Reds and both the Blues had to take a few hits

and one or two on the chin, yes?

And I'm sorry to say that nobody is going home with any cash today.

But the team that managed to rid themselves of the most money...

LAUGHTER

..coming in second, were the Blues.

So, a noble effort.

I'm not one to patronise.

You did everything right apart from make money.

LAUGHTER

The sorry truth is, you ended up with minus £93. OK.

To the ladies in hats,

you actually have taken the day with a negative

of minus £8.

And, um, as I say, there's nothing coming out

of either of my pockets for you.

LAUGHTER

-But all we want to know is, have you had fun?

-Yes.

-You have indeed.

Excellent. Do join us again for some more bargain hunting.

-Yes? ALL:

-Yes!