Lincoln 14 Bargain Hunt

Welcome to Lincoln, the cathedral city

that the Vikings and the Romans once called home.

Together, they transformed Lincoln into an economic powerhouse

that traded goods all over the world,

so we're in the right place to do some good deals.

Let's go Bargain Hunting.

Lincoln's reputation for trading is still alive and well,

thanks to its huge antiques fair.

There's something for everyone,

with deals being done left, right and centre.

And soon it will be the turn of our teams.

Now, they've got £300 each and 60 minutes to buy three items

that, hopefully, will bring them a profit when they go to auction.

So, let's see what's coming up.

Will the Reds be laughing all the way to the bank?

-THEY LAUGH

-They are very good.

-They are funky.

And do the Blues ever break a sweat?

You're lazy. Come on, guys, we want a bit of action.

But who will romp home when their items go under the hammer?

You're riding a winner here, Charlie.

-Yes.

-£60. You're back into profit, girls.

But before all that, let's meet our Bargain Hunters.

Our Red team today are twin sisters and that's Penny and Pat.

-And our Blues are friends, Michael and Harry. So, hello. ALL:

-Hello!

Hello. Starting with our Reds.

Penny and Pat, you're working at the moment

but you've got great plans for your retirement.

Yes, in two years time, I plan to retire and I'm going to buy

a Dutch barge and cruise down through Europe into the Med.

-Have you got a boat at the moment?

-Yes, this is our fifth boat.

But the first boat we ever bought,

we'd never, neither of us, driven a boat in our lives.

Didn't even know how to start, stop or anything

and we had to ring the bloke up to tell us how to do it.

Any scary moments along the way?

The last lock we came to, my husband had started getting a bit cocky

and he decided that he'd get through this lock pretty quickly.

But I was still on a weir mode and he just went too fast

-and I fell off the back into the lock.

-Oh, no!

-Yes.

-Pat, you don't mind getting wet, do you?

-No, I love getting wet.

Tell us a bit more about your love of water.

I'm a diver. I first started when I was 53 and I love it.

-You've dived in some amazing places.

-I have.

I've dived all over the world.

I've dived Malta, Egypt, but I think my best dive was in England,

-which is surprising.

-Yes!

But it was down in Cornwall and it was a beautiful dive.

She took me into this cave,

all jewelled anemones on the top of the cave.

-It was fantastic, absolutely brilliant.

-Fantastic.

Do you take a camera with you?

Always take a camera, just a normal Sure Shot camera. Pictures.

-Never see it again, so you've got to catch it.

-So, any tactics?

-Yes.

-I'm going to find something I like.

-I'm going to find something

-I

-like.

-Then we're going to buy something that's got profit in it.

-Yeah.

-OK.

Now that's a very interesting tactic,

but I'm going to turn my attention to the gentlemen.

-It's Michael and Harry and you're friends.

-Yeah.

-We are.

But I know for a fact there was a time

you were anything BUT friends. In fact, you were rivals.

Yeah, we were.

This is my arch-nemesis, playing for rival football teams.

We had matches abandoned against each other for dirty tackles.

-His dad was the referee.

-Oh, no!

He pulled his team off the pitch.

In the end, we signed for the same football team.

I didn't speak to him for about a month, then he cracked a joke

and I broke and I laughed and started speaking to him

-and ever since then, like a house on fire.

-The rest is history.

So, Harry, I believe you're bit of a whizz

when it comes to doing deals etc,

cos you use an interesting method at which you excel.

Yeah, we use rock, paper, scissors to settle a lot of stuff.

-If I remember rightly, it's... TOGETHER:

-One, two, three.

-Yeah, so rock beats scissors.

-Rock beats scissors, does it? Right, OK.

When we're all in the pub, it's a bit of banter

to see who gets the next round,

so it's like, try and get a few free drinks out of my mates.

Basically, I will play for the next round and I've got a running joke

where 85% of the time, I always go rock,

so I get in their head a bit so they think I'll go rock,

I go scissors and I just keep beating them.

It's like taking candy off a baby, really.

That might come in useful if you're doing a bit of haggling there.

-Definitely.

-And you get to a point

where you've got to split the difference or whatever,

-that could be a way forward.

-Yeah.

-What about you, Michael? What's your plan of attack?

-Just go big.

-Go big or go home. Win or bust.

-Yeah?

-All eggs, one basket.

-All eggs, one basket.

Well, all eggs, one basket, one life, one Bargain Hunt, I suppose.

-We're only here once.

-OK, so let me give you the money.

£300 each team. Go and shop till you drop and off you go.

So, this is a game of tactics, tactics, tactics.

So, who are stepping out with our teams today?

He's bold as brass. Richard Madley looks after our ladies in red.

And he won't stop until he's made a profit.

Charlie Ross joins the Blues.

-You excited, guys?

-Yes, very.

-Yeah.

-Going to be spending?

-All of it.

What are we going to buy today?

I'd like something owls or certainly animal related.

Anything that catches my eye. Something unusual.

I'd like something nautical but maybe a nice bit of silver.

Right, teams, your 60 minutes starts now.

ALARM CLOCK RINGS

I think I know where we'll start.

Come on then, let's go and see some silver.

These first few minutes are a golden opportunity to have a nose around

-but the Reds are diving straight in.

-I like the toadstools.

-Yeah, they are metal.

-They certainly are. Hand-crafted.

Oh, I like them! "Tattoos removed."

I like them, they're good.

-THEY LAUGH

-They are very good.

-They are funky!

-These are not... They're vintage saws.

-The saws are old, yeah.

The saws are old, the decoration is "later". Later.

-But, hey, they are fun, aren't they?

-Catch your eye, don't they?

They do and they make you smile. I think that's very important.

-Yes.

-They would be quite interesting.

Now, we've got the smaller ones here.

-There's a bigger one over there, which I like.

-I didn't see that one.

If you're going to go for one,

-you'd better go for the grandfather of tattoo removals.

-Yes.

So, I guess the saw could be 40 or 50 years old.

-It might even be a bit older.

-Yeah.

And the decoration could even be done by the owner.

-Probably, cos they all look the same, don't they?

-They do indeed.

So, shall we find out how much they want? Would you like to go and ask?

-I'll go and ask.

-Go on then.

That would get rid of your "I love Mum" tattoo.

Could you tell us how much the saws are, please?

The small ones are £15, the large one is £30.

-Shall we go for that one?

-£30, OK.

-Is that your best price?

That is, I'm afraid. That is.

-PENNY:

-I think...

-Do you like that?

-Yeah.

-I like that.

-I like that.

-I think it's a bit of fun.

-I like that.

-It's funny.

-In that case, we'd like to buy it.

-We'll buy it.

Thank you very much.

Blimey, that could be the fastest deal in Bargain Hunt history!

A minute, come on, and we're 1-0 up.

This is a result. I like that. Excellent!

I'm very keen to see how that saw does at the auction.

Over to the Blues and Charlie is sticking to the shopping list.

-What did you say you wanted to buy?

-Silver.

-Silver.

Well, there must be 100 or 200 pieces of silver here.

-What about these that are in a pair?

-The salts?

-Salts.

-They're nice.

-They're fairly standard.

-OK.

-It would be nice for you

to find something that perhaps you haven't seen before.

Time to take a look at something else then.

Although there's not much silver in that.

This is French...I think. It looks French.

It's an ormolu mount on a marble base

and I think it was probably made for the export market to England

because, if you look at the front here, it says so many days...

Oh, hang on, there we go. "Made in France". Isn't that interesting?

-Narrows it down a bit.

-You'd think if it was made in France

-it would say something about "Francais".

-Yeah.

-But it's made for export.

-Right.

With regard to its date, it's about 1910, 1920.

Can you see the winder there? It's been soldered up.

People won't like that. All these things have a price.

I'll do this in my best French.

-Combien, madame?

-VENDOR IN SCOTTISH ACCENT:

-Not got a clue!

-Said in her best Scottish!

-How much?

-£95.

-£95.

-No.

-No?

-No.

-Nah.

-Thank you.

-You heard the enthusiasm of these two, didn't you?

-I did!

Do you like that? "Nah!"

THEY LAUGH

Don't waste precious minutes here then, Rosco.

-The Reds are now trawling the stalls for item number two.

-Richard.

-Yeah.

Would that be original whale bone or something else?

No, that would be a copy of a Scrimshaw whale tooth.

-It was probably made in the last few years.

-Yeah.

-The original would be worth probably thousands.

-Thousands.

Therefore, it's priced accordingly.

Find an original one in a car boot sale and you've done very well!

OK, teams, you've have just hit the ten-minute mark.

Found anything, Blues?

-Ship's wheel.

-Yeah.

-They're very "sailable".

-Oh!

-Allow me.

-Oh, dear, I think there's more where that came from.

-Look at that!

It looks like you're having a "wheely" good time there, mate.

-Oh... I'm not...

-Oh, no, I can't bear it.

-Oh...

I'm trying to "steer" him in the right direction.

-Oh, keep going, keep going!

-No, please, that's more than enough!

-That's a fabulous old ship's wheel.

-Isn't it?

And I should think that's about 1900 in date.

-I know you want to spend big, boys.

-But we haven't probably got enough.

-Do you know how much this is?

-A lot more...

-Have a guess?

-I did say £120, but I think more than that.

-I think...

-£300.

-I thought about £100.

-About £100.

-This is £350.

-That's sunk their hopes of buying it

but I think these boys won't be rushed into anything,

despite Charlie's efforts.

I love that! Do you know what it is?

-I don't know.

-No, I don't know.

It's a pot. It's a pot! It's an olive pot.

You put your olives in there and slowly they decompose

and as they do, the olive oil comes out.

-Can you see there's a hole in the bottom?

-Yeah, I can see that.

Your olive oil comes out the bottom.

I think what makes it nice is this sort of treacle glaze

round the top of it.

It's very loosely done, just to give it a bit of colour.

-But it would look fabulous in a garden.

-Mmm.

-It would.

With plants coming out of it and what have you.

-Don't sound too enthusiastic, guys.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Don't go over the top about this!

Don't worry, I'm sure they'll go "potty" over something soon.

We hope! Anyway, it's plain sailing for Mr Madley, though.

Ooh, yeah, it does fit into your nautical theme.

That would be the name of the ship.

-And that's probably when it first launched.

-How does it sound?

BELL RINGS CLEARLY

It works. Shall we just enquire as to how much it is?

-We haven't got to...

-No, we can come back to it.

-It could be a bargain.

Exactly, we can still come back. Let's go and ask the owner.

The ship's bell. A price for it, please.

-Best on the ship's bell, £120.

-£120.

That's going to be about its top level for an auction.

-I think that will be its price.

-Yeah.

Yeah, I think it's a fair price.

-It's a fair price but it's the top level.

-Exactly.

-What's the best price?

-Very best price is £100.

-£95?

-It's tight, but we'll do it.

-Thank you very much.

What a gentleman!

The deal has been done. The hands have been shaken. We're out of this!

-She wanted a bell.

-She wanted it.

-She wanted nautical.

-I've always wanted a ship's bell.

-Not a lot of choice.

-Yeah, always wanted a ship's bell.

-We wanted something nautical.

Now all I want is a ship that goes with it.

That will cost you a lot more than £95, Penny.

Right, that's it.

2-0 up, 20 minutes down, 40 minutes to go.

You can take it easy then, Reds. It's the Blues I'm worried about.

-We're not having much luck, are we?

-No.

-Seen a few things.

-In a nutshell.

Hopefully, Lady Luck will cross your path soon

and while you carry on shopping,

I'd like to introduce you to a special lady in my life.

I love coming along to antique fairs like this

and doing a bit of buying

and I've brought along a ceramic photographic tile

that I bought at an antiques fair, believe it or not, in South Africa.

There are no prizes for guessing the subject.

It is, yes, Queen Victoria.

This is one from a series of different subjects.

You can find Gladstone, you can find Abraham Lincoln,

you can find all the First World War military personalities

and, if you're lucky, you can find the Maoris.

They're a little bit special.

But more about Queen Victoria,

because the designer responsible for this

is a man called George Cartlidge.

George is also known for being a well-known designer of ceramics.

But as regards this portrait tile, it's a very clever technique,

because you need a precision mould

and it's all about getting your tile absolutely level

and actually flooding it with what they call a monochromatic glaze.

It's a very special glaze

because it changes colour with depth by an infinitesimal amount,

1000th of a millimetre or something like that,

and you get that wonderful photographic effect.

There's a nice bit of information on the back.

I like things that are documented.

If we turn it over, we'll see

that this was made by Sherwin and Cotton

and it gives all the details about being made

for Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee of 1897.

So, I had to bring this queen home with me.

I don't mind telling you I paid £40, or the equivalent of,

about four years ago for her.

I saw one recently exchange hands on an internet site

for somewhere in the region of nearer £200.

But this queen is going nowhere.

She lives with me in my office

and I do my very best to keep her amused at all times.

Back to the shopping

and there's just under 30 minutes left on the clock.

That's ample time for the Reds to find their item number three.

I wonder what will take their fancy.

On a day like today?

THEY LAUGH

But the Blues are yet to splash any cash.

Was I really put on this planet to be made this harassed?

35 minutes with two delightful guys

who have not a clue what they want to buy.

Seen a few items and then there's always other bargains out there.

I'm not sure they want to buy anything at all!

-I don't know what we're going to do.

-I'm not going to sweat yet.

-Yeah.

Glad you're feeling relaxed, boys.

I can't say the same for poor old Charlie.

What do think of that, guys?

It's beautifully inlaid with olivewood and satinwood and boxwood.

It has an enamel dial which has no damage.

Opens at the top. You can see here there was a maker's name on there.

Now, I suspect, rather like the clock we saw earlier,

that the movement is French-made but, again, made for export

-but put into an English case. This was 80 quid, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

I think that is a handsome clock.

I can tell that neither of you like it, do you?

-I don't think they do, Rosco. VENDOR:

-Tomorrow that will be £120.

We weren't planning to be here then

but it could take this lot that long to buy something.

People often ask me what I collect and they're often surprised.

-Globes.

-Globes.

I've been buying these globes probably for the last ten years.

I've got about 50 of them. For years, my wife said,

"What on earth are we going to do with those?"

Then when we moved house, we had a unit, a bookcase unit,

and we filled it with globes.

-Different-sized globes.

-And they look great.

But I don't think your team are keen, Richard. Back to the Blues.

Has something finally got their attention?

-VENDOR:

-Hi, guys, I've got a radio here.

-I'm worried about the lack of expert supervision here.

-Original box?

It's in its original box. 1950s. Perfect working order.

-That's all right.

-No cracks. £60.

-We've only got £45.

-That's a naughty fib.

You've still got £300 in your pocket.

-I can't do it for £45 though.

-What's your best price?

-£55.

-£50.

-Meet you in the middle.

-£50.

-Do you want it?

-Yeah, I'm happy with that. I'm happy with that, yeah.

Shouldn't you have asked Charlie before shaking this man's hand?

-CHARLIE:

-What have you found, guys?

-We've just bought a radio.

-Have you bought a radio?

-We thought we don't really need you.

-Brilliant! A Bush radio!

-Of course we need you!

-How much was it?

-£50.

-VENDOR:

-In its original box.

-CHARLIE:

-You haven't bought it?

-Sharpen up, guys!

-Yeah, yeah.

-May I look at it, sir?

-VENDOR:

-You certainly can.

-Tell us what we've bought.

-I'll tell you what you bought.

-You've bought a 1950s...

-VENDOR:

-'57.

-CHARLIE:

-Was it '57?

-Is it £50-worth?

-VENDOR:

-In its original box.

-CHARLIE:

-God, it's fab!

This is the sort of radio I used to have at home.

-VENDOR:

-It works. It's out of my own private collection.

-CHARLIE:

-If you put that on, you'll get the news from the war.

-VENDOR:

-You'll double your money on that.

-CHARLIE:

-It's wonderful. It's in amazing condition.

-VENDOR:

-It's out my own private collection.

-But is it worth £50?

I have to say it's not a bad starting price.

But they shook on £50.

Although maybe Harry could use his special talent to get a lower price.

-Might we do £40 or £60, rock, paper, scissors?

-I can't.

-You can't.

-It's got to be £50.

-But it could be £60 if you win.

-CHARLIE:

-Have you ever played rock, paper, scissors?

-VENDOR:

-Yes.

If you win, we'll buy it for £60, if you lose, we'll buy it for £40.

That's quite fun, isn't it? I'd like to witness this.

-VENDOR:

-Go on.

-CHARLIE:

-Go on! Love it!

-I'm scared to watch as well, Michael. TOGETHER:

-One, two, three.

-TOGETHER:

-One, two, three.

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

Harry told me rock always wins, so the Blues get the radio for £40.

Just two buys to get in the final 15 minutes then.

-The Reds only need one.

-What have you seen there?

-A Doulton figurine?

-Yeah.

-Young man.

-Fishing? No, cooking his fish.

-Cooking his fish.

With an HN number.

Now, the HN number will tell you when it was produced

and, ultimately, the lower the HN number the earlier it is

and the more valuable it is. What I'm most concerned about is...

-Damage or if it's been repaired.

-Exactly. We want to check...

Felt round his head.

Check the extremities, that's the important thing.

-Around his head here.

-And his fingers.

-And around his frying pan.

He seems to be in good shape to me.

-Now, I don't think he's particularly old.

-No.

-But that doesn't matter.

It's a collector's market. He is rather charming.

-Now, he's got a price on of £48.

-I was thinking more like £25, £30.

-Oh, were you?

-Yeah.

-Right, indeed.

Do you think it might be worth me

-asking the owner what his friendliest price might be?

-Yeah.

While Richard has a word, Charlie needs the boys to step up a gear.

Come on, guys. We want a bit of action. Come on. Come on.

You've got ten minutes to get two lots!

Now, any news on the figurine?

I've been to ask the dealer what he said the best price he'd do on it.

It's marked at £48. He'll give us a discount down to £40.

As much as I do like it, I would love to get it just under that

if I could. Do you think that...?

Well, I think I've taken it as far as I can.

-If you think you can just shave him a couple of pounds...

-So, you stay.

-..without risking losing the sale.

-Yeah.

-Let's leave it with you.

-OK.

Good luck, Penny, although I think Rosco needs it more.

Look, a bit of militaria here. See that old case?

It's got a strap there to put it on your belt. And what is it?

First World War compass, I think.

And in working order... and intact too.

It doesn't appear to be damaged.

Quite an interesting piece of history. Excuse me, sir.

-How much is your military compass?

-VENDOR: £55.

-We have got about five minutes left.

-40 quid.

-40 quid.

-VENDOR: All right, 40 quid.

-Yeah, 40 quid.

-Are you happy?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Go on, buy it! Buy it!

You may have got your second buy but there's no time to waste.

You've five minutes and counting. Try and keep up.

No need for Penny to run. Looks like she's done a deal.

-£38.

-£38!

-Well done.

-Well done. Excellent.

-That's our third item.

-We're there.

-I'm happy.

-Third item, over, done and sold. Fantastic.

-Well done.

-You're happy?

-Really happy.

-You're happy?

-Very.

-I'm happy.

-How about a nice cup of tea?

-How about let's go to the pub?

All right, the pub!

THEY LAUGH

I know Charlie will need a drink after all this sprinting!

The boys not so much.

And with time nearly up, I think Rosco's come back for the clock.

Oh, glad to see you've turned up, boys. Don't bust a gut.

-Don't rush yourselves.

-The wizard arrives precisely when he needs to.

Now, you're going to see a master at work here. This was £80, wasn't it?

-Yes.

-But you'll take £70 off me cos you've known me so long.

-No, sir.

-£75 and we've got a deal.

-Done.

-That was a bit sharp.

-Cheers.

-To say I'm relieved is an understatement.

ALARM CLOCK RINGS

Teams, your 60 minutes are up.

..Such a nerve-racking hour in my life with you two.

-You are cool dudes, aren't you?

-I've been pretty laidback.

-Yeah.

-PRETTY laidback? Nevertheless...

-But we got there in the end.

So, let's remind ourselves what the Red team bought.

I'm hoping this is going to be used as advertised. £30 paid.

The ship's bell was £95

but will it leave the ladies drowning in a profit?

And the River Boy figurine from Royal Doulton was theirs for £38.

Let's hope it makes a splash at the auction.

-Tell me your favourite buy.

-Mine was the bell.

-The bell, yes.

-And mine was the little Doulton figure.

What's the one item you think is going to make the most at auction?

-The saw.

-The saw.

-You both agree on that, do you?

-The saw.

-So, how much money did you spend in total?

-£163.

So, by my reckoning, you should be placing, in my palm, £137.

-That's correct. There you go.

-OK.

Richard, been doing a bit of homework there, have you?

Well, they're a very well-travelled pair of girls here

and I think I might have to venture overseas to find something

that will satisfy you, so I've got my eye on something.

-Watch this space.

-OK.

Well, let's remind ourselves

how the Blues have been spending THEIR money today.

Harry conquered the dealer at rock, paper, scissors

to get a decent discount on this 1950s radio. £40 paid.

The boys lacked direction during their shop,

so maybe they should have bought one of these a bit earlier.

The brass compass was £40.

And time had nearly run out

when the team paid £75 for this Victorian clock.

Let's hope it hands them a profit when it goes under the hammer.

Well, gentlemen, you did take some time to warm up today, yes?

-Yeah, took us a while.

-Mmm-hmm.

Everything we looked at was too expensive.

We were just pretty laidback. We weren't feeling the pressure.

These lads could chill for Britain, couldn't they?

Crikey, I actually felt like an ice block at the end of it.

It was just unbelievable and they made me run to get the last lot.

We were down to a minute and I said, "Sprint, you young lads."

"No, we'll come along, Rosco, you do the running."

-We were perfectly on time, perfectly on time.

-OK, fellas.

-Tell me, favourite object that you bought today?

-Bush radio.

-The radio in its original box.

-OK.

Which is the one you think is going to deliver the biggest profit?

-The same.

-Profit, probably the Bush radio.

-The radio again.

-Oh, right.

-Listen, how much did you spend?

-£155.

-So, you're going to give me £145.

-I can do, yeah.

-There you go, Charlie. £145.

-Thank you, Eric.

You've got your work cut out here, haven't you?

I'm under pressure here cos these guys, I think,

have cemented the golden gavel.

Charlie, you thrive on pressure, don't you? OK.

Well, while Charlie goes off to shop, we're off to the auction.

So, we find ourselves in the esteemed auction house

of Golding, Young & Mawer, here in Lincoln,

and joined by a stalwart of this programme over the years,

-Colin Young.

-Good to see you, Eric.

-It's good to be here, Colin.

-Thank you for having us and straight down to business.

-Yep.

Our Red team today is Penny and Pat.

They've obviously got a sense of humour

cos they start off with a vintage-style saw

-that I think has been decorated at a slightly later date.

-Mmm.

But it does raise something of a smile, does it not?

It does. I think it's a great thing.

If you had that in the front of your tattoo shop,

I'm sure you'd have no customers whatsoever.

It's a bit of fun though, isn't it?

Yes, but that said, they paid £30 for it.

Yeah, seems a bit heavy, to be honest.

£10 to £20 is where I've gone, just out of humour.

Fair enough. Well, let's see where we go.

Next on their shopping list was the ship's bell,

dated 1949, with the name Claridge.

These things don't come cheap, as far as Penny and Pat are concerned,

cos they rolled out £95 for that.

-That seems very heavy.

-Mmm-hmm.

-And so does the price.

£30 to £50 would be my estimate.

I have sold quite a lot of bells over the years

and I think that's probably going to see a little bit of pain.

OK, all right. Well, let me move into my comfort zone.

-Let me move into the world of ceramics.

-Right.

And a household name, when it comes to figurines,

-has got to be Royal Doulton.

-Yes.

-River Boy.

An endearing little thing,

possibly the sort of thing that your aunt and your grandma used to buy.

I'm not sure where the market is today.

But without being on a downer,

-it's nowhere near where it was 25 years ago.

-No, it's not.

I mean, I think it's a sweet little figure there.

The strange thing is, obviously very famous for the crinoline ladies

and all of those other types of wares and some animals

but, essentially, this isn't the key area that's most desirable.

But, nevertheless, I think it's a great-looking thing.

-They paid £38. The estimate is?

-£25 to £40.

-OK.

On balance, it doesn't look like the mathematics

are working in favour of the girls here,

but let's see what Richard Madley can come up with

when it comes to the bonus buy.

Penny and Pat, you went out there and you've gone and spent £163.

But that left Mr Richard Madley here with the best part of £137 to spend.

-Richard, you boldly went and bought what?

-I went a long way from here.

I went to...China.

A Chinese double gourd sang de boeuf vase.

-Sounds very posh.

-It does.

-Double gourd - two nuts.

Sang de boeuf, that blood red.

And underneath, the mark, the Chien Lung period,

so an 18th-century mark.

-But don't believe all that you see.

-No.

-No.

So, it's later and I will tell you, it's a lot later. But...

-How much is it worth?

-I gave £30 for it.

-Yeah, we'd go with that.

-Yeah.

-You're happy?

-That's all right, yeah.

-Listen, you can't go wrong, can you? It's a lovely shape.

-Yeah.

And I tell you something, in the world of the Chinese,

-red is a lucky colour.

-Mmm.

But the question is,

is this double gourd vase going to double its money?

That's why we're going to ask the auctioneer.

So, he came up with a Chinese double gourd vase,

-covered in a sang de boeuf-type glaze...

-Yeah.

-..with an interesting mark on the base.

-Right.

Character mark on there, a good seal.

That's going to put it as Chien Lung period.

But, unfortunately, as I'm sure we'd all appreciate,

it's probably not of that period. The condition of it is immaculate.

It's more of less come out of the kiln,

really within the last five years, I would imagine.

Having said that, a very stylish thing

and an original piece from, say, the 18th century,

you'd be looking at many thousands of pounds.

But for something like this, £30 to £50, £25 to £40.

I'd like to buy that for £30, you know,

-so I can understand why Richard went for that, big time.

-Yeah.

Well, moving the bonus buy to one side, let's move on to the Blues.

We start off with a 1950s Bush brown and cream Bakelite radio

in its original box.

-It's got a sort of art deco feel to it, has it not?

-It has.

It's that deco renaissance that came through the 1950s,

of course using, again, the traditional materials

that were used in the early deco period as well.

Just a really great stylish thing

and to have the original box with it as well really does add...

It certainly adds interest. Now, whether it adds value,

-I'm not quite sure.

-They paid £40 for it.

I think we're probably going to be trailing a bit behind that

-but we've placed an estimate of £25 to £40 on it.

-OK.

I've got a good feeling about that one.

Next is a military issue brass MK III compass

-with its original canvas case.

-A good thing.

There's plenty and plenty of reproductions out there and copies.

-They're worth £5, £10 apiece.

-Right.

With this one, I think a fairly standard model

that you are looking at, easily £25 to £40.

-They paid £40 again for this.

-OK, yeah. Perhaps just a little steep.

-OK.

-But we'll see.

-In with a chance in with a chance.

-Yeah.

And then they got their late Victorian

mahogany and marquetry mantel clock.

Beautiful mahogany, nice marquetry on there,

with a good mixture of woods in there of satinwood.

There's also that really nice green tinge of harewood

which is a stained sycamore.

And it's a great-looking thing.

It's a shame there's a bit of wear on the dial but, nevertheless,

-it's a good solid lot, I would say.

-They paid £75 for it.

-OK.

I would go with £50 to £80 as an estimate,

which sort of straddles it but, unfortunately,

-straddles it a long way at the lower end rather than the higher.

-OK.

Well, let's have a look at the bonus buy

and see what Charlie came up with.

So, the Blue team, Michael and Harry.

I see that you spent £155

and, Charlie, you had the princely sum of £145 to go out and spend.

-I did.

-And what did you come up with?

To be perfectly honest, I was so terrified by these two boys.

They are so confident they are going to win a golden gavel,

-I thought, "I don't want to ruin this for them."

-No.

-I just thought one word.

-Yes.

-"Profit".

-OK.

It's a cheroot holder case.

This is probably a male one.

This would have been an amber holder, probably,

into which you put your cheroot.

It's solid silver, it's Birmingham, it's 1916

and, I have to say, it wasn't overly expensive.

-What's it worth, guys?

-20 quid?

-20 quid?

-Paid 15!

-That's a bargain.

-All right, boys, what do you think of it?

-I'm a fan.

I think £15's a steal and I think it will make profit.

It fits the mould of getting profit off every item, definitely.

If you don't go with this bonus buy, you are bonkers!

Well, fortunately,

our auctioneer can spot anybody who's bonkers from 100 yards,

and on that basis, let's see if he agrees

that £15 was a pretty good buy.

So, here it is. It's a silver cheroot holder, dated 1916.

-What do you make of that?

-It's a bit of a case, isn't it?

A useful little trinket in silver and so, 1916, George V,

and, as for value, I suppose £25 to £40.

I couldn't see it being anything more useful than that

because, to be honest, there's not much of a use for it today.

No, when was the last time anybody offered you a cheroot?

It's got to be quite a good bonus buy, that,

-because he only paid £15 for it.

-Seems OK.

-So, are you taking the stand today, Colin?

-I am indeed, Eric.

We're in a safe pair of hands, so no pressure, Colin.

AUCTIONEER CALLS OUT BIDS INDISTINCTLY

-Penny and Pat, you Reds.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Is the auction room your natural habitat?

-No.

-I've been before.

-You have been before?

-Never.

-Oh, really.

-No.

-First time?

-Yeah.

-At least it was with me.

-Ah, that's true.

But Richard, we've got every faith in yourselves, haven't you?

-Absolutely. Total confidence.

-Good.

-Said with authority.

-Yeah.

First off is the vintage-style tattoo sign. Here it comes.

Start me at £20. £20, anyone? 20? 10 to go then, surely.

10, do we have 10? 10 bid.

-12? 12 bid. 15. 18, 18, 20.

-That's good.

22, 25. 28. And 30? 30 bid now?

-28. 30 bid. 32. 35 do I see now?

-Yes!

38 on the book. 40 in the room now. 40 bid?

Thank you, 40 bid. 42? At 42.

-45 now?

-Internet bidder.

-Yes!

-45. 48?

At £48, are we all done? 50 again now?

-£50 bid. That's £50. My bid's in the room.

-50.

Are we all done? Last call for everybody here.

Last call for the net. Selling in the room at £50.

AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL Down comes the hammer. £50.

Good start, ladies! Plus £20 already.

-So, here's the bell.

-Lot number 126 is a brass ship's bell. There we go.

1949, Claridge.

-I'll take 50 to go, surely. £50. Who's going to be first in?

-Come on.

30 then. 30. It's not a lot of money for a bell. 30 bid.

32. 35. 38 bid. 40.

And 2. 42 now. 45.

48 bid. 50. 55.

-At 55. Do I see 60?

-Keep going!

-Last call then.

Selling at 55. Front row has it, selling at 55.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL 55.

-Oh...

Pay attention, girls, OK.

Minus 40, so we're in a minus £20 situation, OK.

So we go to lot number 127.

Royal Doulton figure. This is River Boy, designed by Peggy Davies.

Who's going to start me at 30 for it? 30? 30 I'll take.

30? 20 to go then. £20 anybody?

-Come on, it's worth more than that.

-£10 anybody?

At 10 bid down here. Make it 15.

15. 15. 20? At 20. 25 bid. 30? 30 bid.

35 bid. 40? 40, I've got a bid.

5. And 50? 50 bid. 50. And 5?

50 I've got. 5 anywhere else, surely? At £50, are we all done?

-55. 60 now? 60 I've got.

-Yay!

-Last call then.

-It's going, then, at £60 and sells.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL

£60. You're back into profit, girls.

-You're back into profit. You're plus £2.

-OK.

-So you're going to go with the bonus buy? TOGETHER:

-Yes.

-Yes, OK.

-Definitely.

-OK.

-Yeah, definitely.

-I think that could be a wise move.

-I think so.

-Here we go.

-Lot 131 is the Chinese sang de boeuf double gourd vase.

£50. Who's going to put me in at £50 for it?

50. All right then, 30 to go.

50 already on the net. 50. 55 now do I see? 55.

60 do I see now? 60 on the net. 65 in the room?

-One more.

-At £60 bid, back on the internet.

All the room's out and there's a heck of a lot of pot there for £60.

Are we all done? Last call then, selling at £60.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL

-Yes!

-£60. OK.

We now have a total profit of £32. It could be a winning score.

What I need to tell you more than anything else

is that you've not got to talk to the Blues, OK? All right.

OK, Blue team, Michael and Harry, it's the moment of truth,

as they might say. We've got your radio coming up now.

-You both agreed it was going to give you the biggest profit.

-Yeah.

-We got 100% guarantee off the guy we bought it off.

-Really?

He said, "If you don't make profit, come back."

-There we go.

-Lot number 147 is the 1950s Bush.

Who's going to start me at £50 for it? 40 to go then, surely?

-£40 anyone? 40? 30?

-That box is quite important.

-There's a few...

20's down here. 22 there.

25. 28 bid. 30. 32.

35. 38 bid. 40. 2.

-45.

-Boys!

-52. 55.

At 55. Last call for the room then, last call for the net.

-Selling at 55.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL

-£55, boys.

-You need a better poker face.

-Yeah.

I was cool. I was waiting.

I was, like, "Come on then, let's go, let's go."

Pay attention.

A £15 profit, boys. Good start. OK. Straight off with the compass.

Lot number 148 is a military issue brass MK III compass.

Who's going to start me at £50? 50.

-Surely 50.

-Easily £50...

40 to go then. 40.

30, if you like then. £30 anybody?

20 to go then. £20, who's first in?

20 in the front row. At 20 bid.

2, surely. 22. 25. 28.

30. 32 now. And another one.

-32.

-Come on.

-At £30 bid. £30 all done.

It's down here in the front row then, going at £30.

AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL £30. Ooh, where are we?

Um... OK, it sold for £30. You lost £10.

You're now in a plus £5 situation, OK.

-Here comes the clock.

-OK. Here's the clock.

Lot 149 next is a late Victorian mahogany and marquetry lancet clock.

Best part of £100, surely? £100, anybody? 100?

-80 to go then, surely? 80? 50?

-No, that's a nice clock!

30? Got to be £30!

£20? 20 at the back of the room.

30 anywhere else now? I'll take 5.

-30. 5. 35 bid. 40.

-Oh...

5 bid. 50. 5. 60.

5. 70. 5. 80.

85. 90. 95. 100.

And 10. 120. 130 now anywhere else?

At 120, last call then. Last look for the room, any more for the net?

-All done. I will sell at £120.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL

-Nice.

-You were sweating so bad. Sweating. I was like...

Pay attention.

£45-worth of profit, so you are £50 into profit at the moment.

-Are you going to go for the bonus buy?

-Got to.

-Yeah, definitely.

Here it is.

Lot number 153 is a George V silver cheroot holder case.

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

-£20, anyone? 20? I'll take 10.

-What?!

10's there. 12 again now? At 10 bid.

12 again now, do I see? 12 bid.

15 bid. 18 bid. 20 bid?

20 now, do I see? 20 bid.

22 bid. 25 bid. 28.

-And 30. And 2.

-You're riding a winner here, Charlie.

Are we all done? Selling then, on my left here, at £30.

AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL £30. £30.

Double your money without any hitch.

You are in a plus £65 situation, fellas. Are you happy with that?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

I'm not happy about not getting the golden gavel.

-We've gone for a clean sweep today.

-You can't have everything in life.

Look, Charlie, take them away, give them a cup of coffee.

Put it on my account, all right?

It was all exciting stuff but, there again, I'm easily excited.

But having said that, the good news for both you teams

-is you're both going home with money!

-Yes!

Yes, you are both in profit.

The bad news for one team is the team making the least profit,

coming in at number two, just happens to be...

-the Reds. ALL:

-Oh!

Well, ladies, you did give it your best

and we can't ask for more than that from you.

The ship's bell, that really let you down.

So, don't spend it all at once, ladies. There is a profit of £32.

-Not to be scoffed at.

-No.

-Well done.

But all things being equal, boys,

I feel I'm having an out-of-body experience

telling you that you've won.

I'm not being unkind but you just got it right, didn't you?

-You got it right. But you had...

-We had a bit of help.

-..this man,

this man who is a legend in certain parts of Bicester.

LAUGHTER

When it comes to profit, you are walking away, gentlemen,

with a very acceptable £65.

So, all things being equal...

Yes, I think they're worth a bit of applause there.

-You've all had fun, yes? ALL:

-Yes.

-Excellent.

We hope you people at home have also had fun.

In the meantime, you can go to the website or follow us on Twitter.

But better still, join us again for some more Bargain Hunting.

-Yes? ALL:

-Yes!