Carmarthen 31 Bargain Hunt

'Today, we're in West Wales.'

Not that it looks or feels much like it.

Because I'm inside the world's largest

single-span glasshouse at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales,

where some of the planet's more exotic-but-endangered flora

can feel at home.

Giant llama-eating plant, anyone?

But there's a much more familiar crop sprouting up around here

today as they play host to an antiques fair.

So, let's go Bargain Hunting.

This spectacular garden was opened

on the site of a Regency estate, back in 2000.

And our teams will be hoping to harvest three items

from today's fair.

They have £300 and just one hour in which to spend it.

Will they flourish?

Let's take a look at what lies ahead.

We'll be baring our souls...

-Lisa's fallen in love.

-I think I have. I'm attached.

-Ah, you see...

-She's holding it like a baby.

..showing some keen, strategic thinking...

"Make the best of a bad bargain?"

Oh! What do you think of that one, Tom?

-I hope they'll be no "bad bargains" today.

-No.

..and then getting hot under the collar at the auction.

(Come on.)

INAUDIBLE.

-In there!

-I'm selling at...

But that's all for later.

Now, today, on Bargain Hunt, we have a bit of a best friend special.

For the Reds, we have Lisa and Lizzie, and for the Blues,

-we have Tommy and Ross. Hello, teams. ALL:

-Hello!

Oh, my goodness. Deafening.

-Hello, Red team - Lizzie and Lisa.

-Hello.

Now, I believe that you two have been friends for a very long time.

-Yes.

-How long have you been friends for?

Since we were in year three. We were about six years old?

Lizzie was the new girl and she had just moved from London.

She got walked to the front of the class, and they said,

"Who wants to be Lizzie's friend?" And my hand just shot straight up.

Aw! That's really sweet.

And I believe you're still studying in the same town.

-Yeah.

-Is that right?

-In Cardiff.

OK. So when you're not studying hard, you go out shopping together?

And I think you once had an amazing bargain with a pair of shoes?

Yeah. Went in a charity shop,

I found an amazing pair of designer shoes for £5,

in my size, and they were actually worth £350.

-What? Really?

-Yeah.

-Oh, dear.

-Yeah, watch out, Blue team.

-You're doomed!

-It's not looking good.

Brilliant. So you go vintage shopping together,

but I also believe you're multi-talented - cos you moonwalk.

I love to do the moonwalk.

You've got to give us a demonstration.

Come on, moonwalk for us.

Oh, she is talented.

-I hope you're as talented.

-The carpet's not great, but...

Now, you are obviously great mates, so what's your tactics, as a team?

Hopefully, we're going to keep it pretty and practical.

I'm sure you'll be an amazing team today, so very, very best of luck.

-Now, our Blue team, Tommy and Ross. BOTH:

-Hello.

Welcome to the show, guys. I believe you bonded over football -

-is that right?

-We did. I met Ross through a mutual friend,

and it kind of blossomed from there, really.

We ended up spending the next 12 years being friends,

watching football together, supporting Cardiff City.

But it hasn't always gone smoothly, the whole being a fan for them,

-has it?

-We went on a spontaneous trip to Newcastle...

-To go and watch them play?

-To watch Cardiff, yeah.

-Amazing.

But when we got to Newcastle,

we realised the game was actually in Cardiff,

-so we'd travelled...

-6.5 hours.

Yeah. So, you know...

Well, please, please tell me that Cardiff won at home in your absence?

-No.

-No.

-Lost.

-Oh, dear.

Well, that's no good, is it?

Now, I believe that you also have a mutual love of Bargain Hunt,

not just sport?

-Yeah. I've watched Bargain Hunt since I was a child.

-Mm.

It's all down to my nan, really.

She'd make me a crisp sandwich, cup of tea, then we'd settle down

-in front of the TV.

-What's granny called?

-Iris.

-Iris.

-Iris, bless her.

Granny Iris. Now, Ross,

I believe you're a bit of a collector. How did that start?

My uncle, who worked in a pub,

used to bring home beer mats

and different-shaped bottles.

-Oh, right.

-So, I started collecting them.

That's great. Breweriana can be very collectable and very sought-after.

I moved on to collecting trainers then, when I was about 13/14.

Nothing better than buying them for, like, 20 quid,

selling them £150/200.

Oh, my goodness! We've got some shoe addicts on the programme today.

What about antiques? What's your knowledge of antiques?

Are we going to have a hotline to Granny Iris today?

Yeah, I'm not going to lie, it's very minimal.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-We don't want to give too much away to the other team.

-Our tactics.

-Oh, my goodness. Are you scared?

-Not particularly, no.

-Fighting talk.

-It really is fighting talk.

Right, teams, what do we need to buy all these bargains?

-ALL:

-Money.

-Money, exactly. Who'll have the money over here?

-I'll take the money.

-Tommy, you're in charge.

-Who's going to have the money over here?

-I'll take it.

-Enjoy, there we go.

Right, teams. £300 each.

Your experts await. Now, off you go.

Enjoy.

Ooh, it's going to be a bit competitive today, isn't it?

But, first, let's meet our experts.

Representing the Reds in this rugby stronghold, it's...

..and digging in for the Blues, it's...

Now, what is it that we're looking for?

I'm thinking something sport-related.

I was thinking, jewellery?

Looking for music memorabilia, but I think I'm quite open

to anything, really.

Well, I think I know a good place to start, so just come with me.

-Great, let's go find it.

-Let's go.

Right, teams, your 60 minutes starts now.

BELL RINGS

Now, we do have an hour, but it goes

very, very quickly.

She's right, you know.

Stalls left and right.

-OK.

-So always keep scanning.

-Always keep scanning.

-Yes, you may decide you like something,

even if you're unsure exactly what it is.

-It looks like a tweezers.

-Excuse me, sir.

What are these pair of legs?

Are they tweezers?

They are indeed. Yes, you were right on that.

Late-Victorian, probably be blue steel,

so they may be a little earlier.

I don't think they're Georgian.

I mean, 35 would be the best.

-Thank you.

-You may stand a chance there.

We need to stand a chance, don't we?

-Yes, we do.

-Back for them later, maybe.

OK, we know where they are. Thank you very much.

Legs, stood down.

Meanwhile, the Reds have something in their sights.

-Children's furniture always draws a crowd, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

And look, there's a stick back child's chair.

It's very expensive.

-£200-and-something?

-Yeah.

-Too much.

We don't want to blow all our money early on, do we?

Quite! It's bargains we're looking for.

Spirit kettle, 1904. Look at that - silver-plated.

-£65.

-£45?

-Needs to be about 40.

-40.

-Is that something you like the look of?

-I do like it.

-I quite like that, actually.

-Do you?

Yeah.

What's the best price you

-can do?

-SELLER:

-45.

-45? We were

thinking nearer 35?

-Oh, I bet you were!

-Oh, we were!

If you've already got a small margin, and you start

spending major money...

-No, I think it does need to be £40, yeah.

-Profit is key.

-Yeah, OK.

-Thank you very much, sir.

You're welcome.

We've got some canny teams today

waiting for the inspiration to strike.

I like this.

-Ooh, yeah.

-I really like that.

-Interesting.

-A spinning stool.

So a high back to support you and you're sat

with a spinning wheel in front of you.

Probably dates from the end of the 19th century,

could even be 20th century.

-OK.

-These stools have been made in the same style

for generations, for centuries.

I could picture that in a modern house. It's just beautiful.

£59, it's a little bit heavy.

However, if you thought you could get a little bit of a discount.

-We could try and get a little haggle going.

-Worth trying? You've got

-to start.

-Why not?

-Go on, who's going first for the haggle?

-Go on, Lisa.

-Would you be willing to do a little bit of an offer on that?

-SELLER:

-£40 would be the lowest price.

I would say that is a good...

It's nearly a 50% reduction in the asking price.

-Shall we just get in there...?

-Would you like to get your first buy?

Why not? Shall we get our first buy?

-SELLER:

-Go for it.

-Look, encouraged by the owner!

-Good, going for it. We've gone for it.

-Thank you.

Decisive stuff. Lisa leads the charge.

Can the Blues match that?

Ooh. Hello, madam. Can we have a look at your lovely stall?

You certainly can. I have something for everybody's taste.

-You do, indeed.

-Price-wise?

-We're looking for bargains.

Here's a nice bargain.

Oh, look. "Make the best of a bad bargain."

What d'you think of that one, Tommy?

I hope they'll be no "bad bargains" today.

-No.

-How much is the "make the best of a bad bargain?"

-For yourself, I would do £8.

-£8?

Can we have a look?

Can we have a look? I just think it's so amusing.

And this pottery? Is it made round here?

-Devon Pottery.

-It's Devon Pottery, isn't it?

You see, it's not marked, is it?

I think £8 is...

I think if we could get it for a fiver.

Split the difference - £6?

Make it a fiver and we'll take it.

£5 and I'll shake on it.

Being Scottish... being Scottish, this is a new one. Exactly.

There we go.

Thank you so much.

-I think this is brilliant.

-There you are, that's a bit of a find.

Absolutely brilliant.

-Isn't it fantastic?

-And we can bubble-wrap it

-to make sure it arrives safely.

-Thank you very much.

-Pleasure.

-Woo! First one bought.

-First one done.

-Nice and cheap, as well.

That is great.

And they've barely dented their £300.

Now, are the Reds going to be similarly tempted?

-Plates? I think it's hard to judge with plates.

-Yeah.

-Yes, it is.

-With a plate, it's got to be from a named factory.

Factories like Moorcroft are selling very well at the moment,

but Royal Worcester is not.

So, yeah, just ask me on that.

-I might be able to just help you...

-Help us have a plate education.

We could talk about...we could talk about plates...

-All day.

-We could indeed.

The Blues clearly differ -

they haven't budged.

-Wemyss Ware?

-Yes. Goes with the Scottish accent.

It does go with the Scottish accent.

Wemyss Scottish pottery.

The rose is the most-recognised pattern.

-The daffodil's rather lovely, isn't it?

-It is beautiful.

-And, being Welsh...

-What do you two guys think about that?

I quite like it.

-I think, certainly, being Welsh...

-It's something different.

-SELLER:

-I have 175 on it.

To give you a chance, I'd take it down to 150.

-£150.

-Is that the absolute dearth on it?

There's a hesitation. There's a hesitation.

Yeah, there's a hesitation. OK, I would say, 145, end of.

-OK. What do you think?

-We'll keep that in mind.

No need to rush, we've got plenty of time left

if we want to see if it's still here.

I think it's a great thing, and can we put it on the back burner?

-We might be back.

-Well, if you come back,

I'd be delighted to see you.

One very Welsh-looking piece of Scottish pottery on hold.

Always good to keep the auction in mind, team.

-Teddies?

-Teddies.

They always do well.

-Really?

-People buy them with their hearts.

It's got nothing to do with how much it is.

He looks a bit lonely down there, doesn't he?

In my experience, when teddy bears and stuffed toys go to auction,

people get a bit emotional about them.

You can't say no to a teddy!

Because it's 1930s and '40s. You can imagine a child in like the wartime seeking comfort.

You've got it priced at £20.

Would you be able to help us at all?

-I'd do it for 15.

-£15?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Well, if you like it,

I mean, how can anybody not like Green Ted?

Yeah, I think Lisa's fallen in love.

Yes. I think I have. I'm attached. Holding it here like a baby.

Now we just need two other people at the auction room to do the same

and lock horns in a battle, and find a new home for Green Ted.

Well, thank you very much indeed. I think we have a deal.

-OK.

-Can we shake hands on that?

-Thank you so much.

-Excellent. Thank you very much indeed.

A new home for Green Ted. Excellent.

They really are off to a flyer.

Two down with barely 20 minutes gone.

Not that the Blues are very far behind!

Boys, boys. Where are you?

Do you know what that little book is, there?

In brass, with the swans, the lovely Art Nouveau design.

And there's a pencil.

Do you know what that might be?

No. No, I've never seen one of them.

It's actually a dance card.

Yes. You are looking blank!

-Yes.

-In the days when ladies used to sit

and they had to wait to be asked to dance,

and the gentleman would ask them,

and if they liked him, then they would say "Yes, I'll accept."

Dance number one, two, or three.

And she would write his name with the pencil against the thing.

-Seems a lot of hard work!

-It is a lot of hard work.

What do you do now then, Tommy, when you ask a girl to dance?

-You just go up and...

-Yeah, shimmy on over.

-Shimmy on over!

-Yeah.

-How do you shimmy, Tom?

-Oh! I'm not showing...

Go on, Tom. Shimmy over to the... Ooh!

Oh! Who could say no?

Would you like a little look at it?

Honestly, being Cardiff City fans, to buy a swan...

Oh, dear. You see... Football.

-So, is that a no then?

-We'd have a lot of explaining to do.

-OK. Thank you so much, but I think we will leave the swans where they are.

-That's fine.

-No problem.

-Oh, dear. Well, you've taught me a lesson. Come on.

Oh, it's complicated, Caroline.

But what does her opposite number make of the Reds?

These two got off to a flying start and we had the first lot in the bag in the first five minutes,

the spinning stool.

And then straight in, Green Ted. Now, Green Ted is our mascot today,

So he's got to bring a lot of luck to us.

So, we've got £245 in the kitty.

We've got over half an hour.

They wanted something pretty, or practical. We're going for pretty.

They are focused. It's easy enough to get distracted in here, though.

Tommy, what are you doing?

-Just looking at the fish.

-Just looking at the fish?

We've only got 35 minutes left and two items to buy.

-Don't look at the fish.

-Come on. Let's go.

Quite, Caroline. Eyes on the prize.

We've got one item.

We've got a couple of things we're still thinking about, haven't we?

-Yeah.

-What would Iris think about the daffodil? Wemyss Ware?

-I think she'd be over the moon.

-Would she?

I really think she'd like it.

-Do you?

-It's starting to tempt me there.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-So, do you want to go back for the jug, or shall we keep going?

I think we keep going, but definitely keep it in the back of our minds.

-For later.

-Excellent.

Let's have a look in here. See if there's anything in here that

catches your eye.

The search goes on.

Their rivals, meanwhile, are having a bit of a conflab.

I think we need to branch out a little bit. We've kept it quite young. A little chair and a bear.

-I think we need to...

-Do you want to...

-Widen the theme?

-Yeah.

We need to broaden our horizons a little bit.

Do you want to go big, or silver and small?

-Yeah, silver.

-Jewellery.

-Bling, yeah.

-Let's get some bling.

Let's go and have a look at some bling, shall we? Come on.

That is the answer.

The Blues are thinking of extending their search

beyond the confines of the glasshouse.

I hope they've brought their brollies.

-Oh, gosh.

-Yeah, not very nice.

-Shall we go back in? Oh, no, no.

-What do you think of that?

-Do you know? I really love that.

-I didn't see that when we came in.

-I just thought it was part of the furniture.

It says stone but I think that's reconstituted stone.

OK. How old would you say that is?

I would imagine it's 1920s, 1900.

It has some age from being outside, doesn't it?

Yeah, it has and it looks really beautifully weathered.

I think at auction that well gets 100, or even a bit more.

-OK. Ross, can you go and find the owner?

-Will do.

-And bid him

-as low as you dare.

-I'm on it.

-OK.

-I'll be back.

-Right. Is he as good at bargaining as you are at shimmying?

No, no-one's that good.

A-ha! He's found her.

I was looking at 75.

I was looking at more 65.

Oh, that's a big, big drop.

65 and a shimmy from Tom.

-I've got to see this shimmy first before I...decide.

-Go on, Tommy! Go on, Tommy!

-Oh, wow!

-Got to be worth £65.

Oh, I was going to say 68, but after seeing that, it's gone up to 70.

-I'm not surprised.

-65 and I'll shake your hand.

-Thank you. Lovely. Thank you.

-Take care. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Pleasure.

-Brilliant.

-That's my deal.

-I know it's your deal!

Sealed with a shimmy, though.

Now, while the shopping continues, we'll take a break for a very Welsh snack.

If you were wandering around an antiques fair, like this, today,

you might stumble across a piece of furniture such as this.

And you might think, "What on earth?"

Because, from the outset, it's quite a curious looking object, isn't it?

It is a chair?

No, because, if you look at the seat, it's far too narrow.

So, what on earth is it? What was it used for?

Well, this, believe it or not,

is quite a fascinating and really very important piece of Welsh domestic history.

For a start, it's made of oak - a native timber.

There are absolutely no fancy dovetail joints here.

It's been very, very simply pegged together. So, what was it used for?

This, believe it or not, is an oatcake drying rack.

"What?" I hear you saying.

Well, Wales was built upon a tradition of smallholders

that ate what they could grow, or rear, themselves.

Now, oats were a reliable cereal crop and one of the few that would

flourish in the harsh, wet, and cold conditions.

Oatcakes were a staple form of bread,

rolled or pressed into discs and cooked on a griddle.

Now, the oatcake has formed a staple part of the Welsh diet

for hundreds of years. Indeed, in the 10th century,

it was said that oatcakes had to be as wide as from the wrist to the elbow.

They were eaten until the end of the 19th century

in south-west Wales and, in north-west Wales,

they were regularly produced until the middle of the 20th century.

But time and progress marched on, as it does,

and when oatcakes were no longer eaten,

many oatcake racks were either thrown out or burnt on the bonfire.

Believe it or not, this little piece is really quite rare

and a sought-after thing.

You may be able to pick one of these up at an antiques fair

for possibly under £100, but on the right day in a specialist sale,

it could make up to £500.

Back at the fair, our teams are making short work of their task -

two buys each and one very contented expert.

The boys are doing absolutely brilliantly.

A little over 30 minutes and two fantastic items bought.

They really are my dream team!

But the Reds have definitely set the pace today.

Any closer to that final buy?

-If you're looking for something shiny...

-I see some sparkles!

OK, oh good. Excellent.

Now, the style of that silver box is late Victorian.

So, yeah, if the hallmark was Birmingham, or London, from 1895,

that would not surprise me.

But it is a modern box.

So it's been made in 1970-ish.

-1974, I think.

-1974.

Had this been Victorian made by William Cummings in London, in 1895,

it would be worth £150 to £200.

This has a ticket price of £58.

If we could get this for a better price,

I think it would do well at auction.

-OK.

-So shall we inquire about...

-Yeah, let's inquire.

-Excuse me,

could I inquire about the price of the circular Birmingham box?

-40. That is a friendly price.

-Yeah.

-But do you like it?

-I do, I do like it.

-Yeah, I like it.

-Do you like it?

It's pretty, it is pretty and it's actually quite practical.

Because inside, it's lined with velvet to protect your jewellery.

Yeah, that definitely ticks the boxes for the pretty practical list.

-It's got all the hallmarks that we're looking for.

-Yes.

-It's got the Birmingham anchor.

-Mm-hmm.

-It's got the lion passant and it's got the date letter.

-For 1974.

-I think this one's a done deal.

-Are we there?

-Yes.

-OK, let's do it. Final purchase?

-Yes.

-Final purchase.

Thank you very much. It's sold.

Talk about decisive!

We have got plenty of time for that most important cup of coffee.

-Shall we go?

-Yes, we deserve it.

-You do! Let us go, come on.

But while they put their feet up, the opposition's definitely feeling the strain.

Tommy, you're looking worried.

-It's a lot of pressure.

-It is, you're looking stressed.

What are you thinking? Come on, share it with me.

I'm drawn back to that daft little piece we saw earlier.

-Take a plunge.

-Now, what was the price?

-About 50 I think it was.

-145.

-145. And what are you thinking of offering?

-Well, 125.

If we can get it for 135.

-Right, and who's going to do the bargaining this time?

-He's doing it.

-You're doing it?

-Yeah, he's done well last time.

-No wonder you're looking stressed.

-I feel a bit... I've gone a bit pale.

-Oh!

-Go on, best of luck. Bon chance, Tommy!

-All right. There you go.

So, while he seeks out the stall holder,

the Reds have one last issue to decide - one lump or two?

-One for you.

-Thank you very much.

-One for you.

-Thank you.

-One for myself.

-And, of course, one for Green Ted.

-Oh, thank you.

-Absolutely.

-Yay!

-Cheers!

-Cheers!

Now, come on, Tommy. Get it for your nan.

Right. Going to lay it out there.

-I want that jug.

-OK.

-But not quite at 145.

If there's anything...? Cos he's just showing me up big-style.

He's haggled his...

-I hope so, I hope.

-You've been haggling, have you?

-Hmm.

-Haggling hard.

-Here we go.

140. And that's, you know...

-I'll come looking for you if you make a lot more.

-Right. We've got a deal.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Great.

That's it, teams, your time is up.

Now, Tommy, do you feel better already?

Yeah, much better. Think I'll go and have a lie down.

Oh, you've done so well.

Let's see what the Red team bought.

First up, their Welsh spinning chair for £40.

Then their lucky mascot Green Ted for £15.

And, finally, that pretty and practical silver box for £40.

What was your favourite item that you bought today?

-It had to be the teddy.

-I sort of might have guessed that.

You dragged it round with you, didn't you?

-Yes, definitely.

-You do realise that we do have to sell him?

-What?

-Sorry, I hate to break it to you.

I'm going to get emotional.

Brilliant. So Teddy was your favourite.

-Lizzie, what about you?

-Definitely the teddy as well.

-Unanimous teddy lovers.

-Yeah.

-OK, all right, fair enough.

Do you think he's going to bring you the biggest profit?

-We're not sure.

-We think the little silver box might bring us the most profit.

-That was beautiful.

-Yeah. Really beautiful. Loved that.

-But we do love the ted.

-He's our favourite.

-Do you think Teddy's going to bring in the readies?

-Yeah, I have a lot of trust in him.

-Yeah? You have faith in your teddy.

-OK, brilliant. So how much did you spend, guys?

-£95 altogether.

-£95?!

-Yeah, we love a good bargain.

-You really do, don't you?

OK, in that case, £205 of leftover lolly, please.

Brilliant, that's fantastic. There we are, £205. What do you intend to do with it?

I've got to buy something practical or pretty so it's one of those Ps.

When have you ever done as you're told?

-Never, and I'm not going to start now!

-There we are, girls.

While Richard goes off to find something practical and, maybe, pretty,

we'll see what the Blue team bought.

Definitely a bargain - the novelty jug for only a fiver.

One slightly battered bird bath for £65.

And their big spend - the daffodil mug for £140.

Boys, you started off as cool as cucumbers and ended up singing for your suppers, didn't you?

Or dancing.

Singing or dancing, multi-talented. Brilliant. Did you enjoy it?

-Did, yeah.

-You did. Fantastic.

What was your favourite item, Tommy?

-I think the bird bath.

-The bird bath, OK. Yeah. And, Ross, what about you, darling?

-I think the bird bath, as well.

-Oh, really? You're in agreement.

-I think so.

-I think it's going to make or break us, I think.

-Oh, really?

-I like the couple that Tommy chose as well, I think.

-That's definitely going to break us.

-And, Ross, what do you think's going to bring the biggest profit?

I think the bird bath, maybe. I've got a feeling.

Fantastic. Right, how much did you spend, boys?

-210.

-210... That's good!

-Not bad.

-That's really good.

OK, so who's got £90 then, please?

£90 of leftover lolly.

Thank you very much. Right, £90 goes straight over to Caroline.

-Thank you very much.

-Now, Caroline, how are you going to spend that £90?

I'm going to spend it very, very wisely

so as not to let my lovely Blues down.

They've done so well so far.

Brilliant. While Caroline goes to invest her money very wisely,

which I'm sure she will, we'll head off to the auction.

We have ambled down the road to Carmarthen

to be with Charles Hampshire

here from Peter Frances Auctioneers and Valuers.

Charles, thank you so much for having us today.

-Pleasure to have you here.

-Thank you.

-Right, shall we start with the Reds?

-We shall, yes.

-OK.

So their very first purchase was this really rather lovely

spinning chair over here. What's your thoughts on that?

I think that's, sort of, early to mid-20th century.

Nice geometric decoration on it and we sell them quite regularly.

I bet you do. Yeah, I bet you do. Perfect place to sell them.

-Ideal.

-At what sort of level?

-What are we thinking?

-We've put on this one, because of the age,

-£20 to £30.

-£20 to £30, OK. They paid £40 for it.

-OK.

-Have to get those spinners backing it out, won't we?

We'll get them on the day, yeah.

So their second item that they purchased was this really rather

lovely little green teddy bear over here.

-Now, both of them loved this.

-OK.

It was their favourite purchase of the day.

-Sure.

-What's your thoughts?

Nice honest thing, no marks unfortunately, but in good order,

nice button features.

So I like him. I can see why they liked him.

But really in order to get up to that, sort of, stratospheric price

level, you need a label, don't you?

You need a Merrythought or you need a Steiff button or something...

-Absolutely.

-..for collectors to really want him.

-That's right, that's right.

-So what do you think for our teddy?

-I think we will see £15 to £25.

OK. Well, look, they paid £15 only for him.

-Ideal.

-So that's great.

-Potential profit on old Teddy over there.

-Yes.

So their final item here is this really rather sweet

little silver box. What's your thoughts on that?

I like it, nice ring box, maybe, nice decoration to the top.

-Yeah.

-Fairly modern but silver.

Small bits and pieces tend to do well at auction.

And, at first glance, you would think it was a Victorian example.

Exactly, with that sort of top, yes.

OK, so auction estimate on that one then, please, Charles?

£30 to £50.

OK, so they bought it for £40,

-so right in the middle of your estimate there.

-Bang on. OK.

So potentially we might see a profit on that.

We might go on that one, yes.

So, overall, it's looking relatively positive, isn't it?

-I think so.

-So they might not need their bonus buy, but just in case,

we'll go and have a look at it.

Richard, you had a £205 of leftover lolly.

How did you get on?

-Well, I think I found something pretty and practical.

-Oh, wow.

I've bought you a late 19th century tea cosy.

It's embroidered with wire work.

It's got that, sort of, naturalistic design

of the late 19th, early 20th century.

And any other questions that you need to know?

-Yeah, how much did you pay for it?

-How much did I pay for it?

I paid, after a little bit of negotiation, £9.

-Oh, my gosh.

-Do you reckon it'll get a big increase at auction, or...?

-(£9.)

-Yeah, I think we're on for a profit here.

I think we're on for a large percentage profit.

-Amazing.

-We could even make 100% profit on this if the auctioneer...

£18?!

Sold!

Have a little look at it, girls, see what you think.

See you what you think, see what you think.

-I want to put it on my head so desperately.

-Oh, go for it. Why not?

-Go on.

-Just imagine I'm a teapot, OK?

-Time for tea.

-Oh! Pretty and practical.

-Exactly.

So multifunctional!

It looks like you absolutely love this piece.

So for the benefit of those at home,

let's see what the auctioneer thinks about Richard's

time for tea bonus buy.

What's your thoughts on that?

It's fair to say, it's seen better days, hasn't it?

It has seen better days. A lot of the detail's gone here unfortunately.

I quite like the, sort of, gold wire work, shall we say, detail.

-But a few problems as well.

-Problems... Problems.

-It has issues.

-This has issues, yeah. Don't we all?

-What's your auction estimate?

-£15 to £25.

OK, fine. Well, look Richard will be delighted.

He paid only £9 for it. Got a chance at that, yes, indeed.

So let's move over to the Blues.

Now, they started with that really rather lovely, sort of, Torquay

pottery jug at the bottom there. Eternally collectible, are they not?

They are. It's close to where I'm from, so I have an attachment to

these and I like the inscription on it -

"Make the best of a bad bargain."

-So that's very appropriate for the day.

-Very appropriate.

-Yeah.

OK, so what's your thoughts with regards to value?

-Just £10 to £20.

-Oh, fantastic.

Well, Tommy and Ross will be delighted

-because they only paid £5 for it.

-There we are, that's a steal.

-I don't think that is a bad bargain. I think that's brilliant.

-They've done well.

-Yeah, inspired.

Now, not particularly inspirational is that bird bath.

-I have to agree.

-It's looking a bit sad, isn't it?

Yes, it is. It's a little bit of a lash-up,

a bit of a marriage, I think, with some problems.

-Yep.

-But it's standing, it's a good garden feature, let's be honest.

Exactly. What's your thoughts regarding value?

Value wise, we've put £40 to £60.

-Well, look, they paid £65 for it.

-OK.

And this was their absolute favourite piece

-that they bought of the day.

-There we are. Each to their own.

Yes, let's gloss over that.

Now, their final item was this really rather stunning...

Oh, it is stunning, isn't it? It's beautiful.

-It is a lovely thing, yes.

-Wemyss giant mug.

Nice cylinder mug, yep.

Wemyss, as you say. We've had lots of inquiries, e-mail, phone calls.

And have you been able to give them a glowing report?

We have, yeah, in general, yeah, absolutely.

-People are happy with the size, the decoration and so forth.

-Great. So they're happy...

-Yes.

-Which make us happy. Is it a happy estimate?

What have you put on it?

The estimate we've put on is only £30 to £50

-and I've probably been a little bit harsh.

-How much?! Really?

-They paid £140 for it.

-OK.

Do you think we're likely to get anywhere near that sort of price?

We've a lot of interest so maybe we'll get to three figures,

but that might be the extent.

OK, well, that's OK. You've kept the estimate low,

-hopefully that will generate some more bidding, you never know.

-That's the aim.

-Good.

Brilliant. Well, look, all in all, for these guys,

it's looking like a bit of a rocky road, isn't it?

-I agree.

-So they might need their bonus buy.

Let's go and have a little look at it.

Boys, I think it's fair to say that your purchases

were fairly eclectic, was it not?

So I'm hoping that Caroline has got something under that

blanket there that will match your eclectic taste.

You had £90 of leftover lolly, Caroline.

-I did.

-What did you do with it?

Well... I'm going to spoon feed you a bit of profit here.

-Now...

-Ah.

-Hmm.

-Weren't expecting spoons.

-I wasn't expecting a spoon either.

Well, it's a spoon and pusher - a baby's christening set.

So you'd have your spoon and the baby can

then push the food onto the spoon.

Solid silver, retailed in Leeds, made in Sheffield, 1924.

The full silver mark here.

It really is a lovely set in its original case.

-Yeah.

-I can't say I've ever seen a pusher before.

-Have you not?

-No, definitely not.

-That looks nice, though.

-How much did you spend?

How much do you think I spent?

-He's gone straight in for the kill there, hasn't he, Caroline? My goodness.

-Very direct.

That's what we need to know, that's where the...

Bearing in mind, it's solid silver.

-I think you spent quite a bit on that.

-25 quid.

-25?

It's got to be more than 25. 70.

Oh, it's like having an auction, isn't it?

-Any more for any more?!

-We've got 30, that's our guess.

-30, 70.

-I'll put 70.

-£20.

There has got to be a profit in that.

I think you've done brilliantly there, Caroline.

Guys, you do look, firstly, confused and secondly quite underwhelmed.

-What's your thoughts?

-No, it's fine, you get a spoon, push it in.

-That's true!

-Pretty much.

-Put it in your mouth and push it in.

-Have you fed a small child before? That's pretty much what you have to do.

-Yes, you do.

Well, look, guys, you don't have to decide now.

Have a good think about it. Really think about what Caroline said

because she's brought up some very good points there. For the benefit of those at home,

let's go and see what the auctioneer thinks of Caroline's really rather savvy bonus buy.

Here is Caroline's bonus buy for our Blues.

Good first impressions. Silver christening set,

the pusher and the spoon, in good order and cased.

Not inscribed. So often you see them initialled on the terminals there.

-But not...

-Not this case, no.

It's really to go into someone's collection.

-I really like it.

-Good, right, OK.

Well, look, how much do you think it will make here? £30 to £40.

£30 to £40. Well, clever Caroline paid only £20 for it.

-Onto a winner.

-Onto a winner. Good, absolutely fantastic.

-So predicted profit there.

-Yes.

Now will you be taking the auction for us?

-I'm happy to say I will be.

-Fantastic. Well, we're hugely looking forward to it.

It should be a very good day.

50 and bid. Thank you at £50 and five to my right.

At £55, selling...

-Lizzie, how you feeling?

-Really confident, actually.

-Really confident? I love it.

-Good.

-Amazing. Lisa, how you feeling?

Quietly confident. I'll just go with her vibes.

-Brimming with confidence. I like this.

-We can't wait.

-Great, fantastic.

Well, look, you've got your first lot coming up,

which is that really lovely oak spinning chair.

You paid £40 for this. OK, best of luck, girls.

Here it comes.

257, mid-20th century carved oak spinning chair

with incised geometric and folia decoration.

We tend to have a lot of these in and they do rather well.

This one seems as though it'll be the same way.

We're 20, we're 2, we're 5.

We're £25 straight in and 8, if you'd like.

-£28 waves. 30 I have.

-Oh, come on! Come on.

32, the lady's bid. 35 here.

£38, a bid in the room. I'm out.

Make no mistake. Bid's with you, madam, at 38.

Is there 40 for you now elsewhere?

-Oh, you're so close, girls, you're so close.

-£38.

Oh! £38.

So that gives you a loss of £2, that's not too bad.

-Next, we've got ted.

-Come on, ted.

-We've got Ted.

-This was both your favourites.

-Green Ted.

-Are you going to be sad to sell him?

-Yeah, actually.

-Oh!

-Here we come.

-It's going to be an emotional parting.

258, mid-20th century green fabric teddy bear.

In his mechanic's overall,

what do you make of him with his button eyes?

I like him. Lot 258. £20 for him?

-Yes.

-£20 straight in.

£20! You're straight into a profit, girls.

2, if you'd like. 22 seated. Front row. 5 online.

28 for you now? Surely, one more?

28 is bid.

-Oh, come on, Ted!

-This is brilliant!

£28 and selling...

Fantastic. So that's just made you a profit of £13, girls.

Very well done. You've got £11 profit now.

We're onto your silver little box,

-which you both thought would bring you the most profit.

-Yeah.

You paid £40 for it. Good luck. Here it comes.

Lot 259 is the pretty silver circular ring box.

What do you make of that? £30 for you?

-The ring box. Straight in for me. 20 only. £20 only.

-Come on!

Four more, 22, 25, 28, 30, 32 in the room. I'm out.

At £32, standing bid to my right. Is there 5 for you elsewhere?

-Come on.

-All sure? Fair warning given there.

Lot 259 at £32.

£32, OK. So that's minus 8.

So you're back down to plus three profit though.

-Yay!

-So you've made £3. Exactly. £3 profit.

Now, girls, what do you want to do?

Do you want to go with your bonus buy or are you happy to stay where you are?

-Definitely, we're going to trust you.

-100% bonus buy.

-Right.

-Let's do it.

-Now, our auctioneer, Charles,

has put an auction estimate of £15 to £25 on it.

OK? So he predicts a profit for you.

I sincerely hope he's right.

Here it comes. Good luck.

264, turn of the century fabric tea cosy with a gold coloured

wire work decoration. Rather like that there.

I chose for you lot 264.

What do you make of it? £20 to go on.

Tea cosy - everyone needs one today. 10 if you will? 10 is bid.

At 10 only and 12 if you will now?

£10 the money and 12 online. At £12.

We're off. We're in profit.

Fair warning to all, the tea cosy is shown.

It's an online bidder. We're in the UK. I've got you out there.

At £12 and selling...

-£12.

-Another 3.

£3 profit, you have doubled their profits, Richard.

Well done. So you're at plus-six overall.

-Girls, that's fantastic.

-Yeah!

-Not bad at all!

-Not bad at all.

That gets you a, you know...

I don't know what that gets you really.

-A coffee?

-Yeah!

-Cup of tea!

-Well done.

-Absolutely.

-Exactly, and you were absolutely right to go with the bonus buy.

So into a profit, this is Bargain Hunt, it could be a winning score.

-You never know. Don't say a word to the Blues for me.

-OK.

-OK.

-Brilliant. Well done.

-How you feeling?

-OK.

-Yeah? Yeah. Are you sure, Tommy?

-Yeah.

-Nerves of steel Tommy.

-Oh, yeah. Calm and collected.

Calm and collected, I like it.

-I'm a bit more nervous now, I think.

-Oh, do you?

-Yeah.

-Is that why you're jiggling a bit?

-Yeah.

Well, look, Ross, Tommy, here we go.

Your first item is your Torquay pottery jug

with its wonderful motto. I love this -

"Make the best of a bad bargain."

I don't think this was a bad bargain at all. £5 only paid.

You've got to be into a profit, surely. Here it comes.

280, the Devon ware, probably Torquay ware, pottery jug.

But what do you think? £20 for it?

Can we make the best of a bad bargain?

10 if you will? 10 surely? 5 and 8 only.

-£8.

-Oh, £8 profit.

Right, at £8, it will be sold. Is that £10 for you now?

Final call. Sure and done?

Finished it seems then at £8 and I'm selling.

Hey, not too be sniffed at.

That's a first-off profit of £3, that's brilliant.

Next is your garden bird bath.

281, reconstituted stone garden bird bath.

A little bit of a marriage there,

four different pieces making up something that you've seen there.

In the Gothic style, lot 281.

Is it £50 to start you?

The bird bath, always useful.

-50, surely? 30 we are.

-Oh, no!

£30 and away, take 2, if it helps.

32, 35, 38, 40.

42 with you, sir. I'm out.

-42!

-45 online, fresh bidding, and 8 in the room.

-At 48, 50.

-50! Hey, we're getting up there, guys.

At 55, 60 and 5.

Surely now, sir? I've lost you. At 65 and two bidders online.

-70.

-Yes!

Can you go the same as their 5?

Still lost you, sir. It's all online, then.

Gavel raised, 75. At 75, still going.

Is there 80? First and last call given again.

Don't miss it for a bid, then. At £75...

Well done, guys.

So you've made £10 profit, that's £13 profit overall.

So now on to your biggie. You invested the most money in it.

-This is the risky one.

-This is your risk.

-This is the risk.

This is your fabulous Wemyss daffodil tankard.

You paid £140 for this.

-It's a lot of money.

-It's a lot of money. Good luck.

Lot 282, got all the right elements going for it.

Lot 282, lots of interest here with me.

-Lots of interest.

-Lots of interest!

-I've got to start it at 80.

At £80 we start and 5, if you'd like.

At 80 and away. Take five from me now.

85 waves, 90.

5, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140.

-You're nearly there, you're nearly there!

-Bid's at 140.

Is there 150, any advance?

-Well done.

-Quiet online. Lost you, madam, at the back. At 140...

You've wiped your face.

So you made nothing, you lost nothing on that.

So you are overall up £13.

-That's not bad, is it?

-I think that's brilliant.

-I'll take 50 each.

-Hey, can't ask for more than that.

-Couple of pints.

-More to come.

Now, look, what do you think about Caroline's bonus buy?

-I really like it. Go for it.

-Yeah.

-Go for it.

-Go for it? OK.

You're feeling flush.

-She doesn't let us down, does she?

-She hasn't, you're absolutely right.

OK, Caroline paid £20 for this bonus buy.

The auctioneer has put a valuation of £30 to £40.

So he predicts a profit for you.

Here we go.

287, cased silver spoon and pusher christening set.

Sheffield, 1924.

In original box, all there to go.

What do you make of it? £30 should start me. £30.

Where do you place it? Well, we start at 20 only and work up.

At £20 and away and we'll be sold. A christening set -

would have thought a lot more here. At 20 only. Is there 2? 22, 25.

At £25. Is there 8 for you now online?

28, 30. At £30, keep going.

Is there two for you now online? Lost you online for the moment.

Quiet in the room. Bid's here with me in front, then.

At £30...

-Fantastic! £30, Caroline.

-Great stuff.

That gives you a £10 profit on that, which means you are up £23!

-That's not bad at all.

-That's great.

-That's fantastic! Well done, team.

Brilliant. Now, look, don't say a word to the Reds.

-I might cry.

-Promise?

-Yeah, promise. We won't.

-Unhappy faces.

-Yeah. Oh, yeah, we'll go out...

Serious.

So, teams, I'm very proud. Everybody has gone away with profits today.

So, very, very, very well done.

But the team who have made the least profit and who, therefore,

are runners-up for today...

-are the Red team.

-No!

# Champione! #

Reds, I mean, it was a sterling, sterling effort.

You did fantastically.

Your teddy was really your only thing that made a profit and you

-both loved him.

-Yay!

-So I've got a £5 note and a pound.

-So who wants what?

-I'll have the fiver.

-Fair deal.

-£5 and a pound. Thank you so much, girls.

-Thank you.

-You've been a great team, so very well done.

Now, over to our Blues, our victorious Blues!

Our winners for the day. I have to say, it was seriously impressive.

You made a profit on your first one, a profit on your second one and,

for me, that wonderful Wemyss tankard

that didn't you buy for your granny?

-I bought it for my granny.

-Yeah, you bought it for your granny.

Nobody predicted a profit on it, but you stuck with it.

-Didn't you, Tommy?

-I did, I did.

-You stuck with it, so very well done, you.

And then, of course, Caroline's bonus buy made you even more profit.

So you've got £23.

-Who wants the 20?

-I'll have the 20.

-You'll have the 20, he can have the three.

Right, that sounds fair. There we go, darling. £23 there.

Huge congratulations to you, winners for the day.

You've been such a great team.

You've all been great teams, so thank you so much for being with us today.

Don't forget, if you have enjoyed today's show,

you can check out the details on our website

and follow us on Twitter.

And don't forget to join us next time for some more Bargain Hunting.

-Yes? ALL:

-Yes!