Hemswell 27 Bargain Hunt

Today, Bargain Hunt

is in Lincolnshire and I'm in Gainsborough.

Did you know that this was

once the capital of England?

In 1013, the wonderfully-named Sweyn Forkbeard,

King of Denmark, invaded with his army and was crowned

first Viking King of England,

right here, in what is now Gainsborough Old Hall.

But who will be crowned today's winners?

Let's go Bargain Hunting!

Today, the Reds and Blues will battle it out

at the Hemswell Antique Centre.

Housed in an old RAF base,

it's Europe's largest indoor antiques centre,

with around 400 dealers selling their goodies,

so there's plenty on offer.

Our teams have £300 and one hour to uncover some bargains,

which will, hopefully, make a profit at auction.

Let's take a wee peek at what's coming up.

-The Reds know their own mind.

-I think this is, basically, grot,

from my point of view.

The Blues have their hands on success.

Is this how you're going to get ahead in this competition?

And I find out about the Sheffield buffer girls.

They were such colourful and inspiring characters

and I think they deserve to be remembered.

But that's all for later.

So, let's meet today's teams and, today, it's very much

a family affair. For the Reds,

we have dad and daughter, Bob and Cara.

And for the Blues, we have mum and daughter, Sharon and Izzy.

-Hello everyone. ALL:

-Hello!

It's lovely to have you here. Reds, first of all.

Now, Bob, you're a builder. How long have you done that?

-About 40 years, Anita.

-You're no ordinary builder.

I believe you have a claim to fame?

Back in the 1990s, I think it was,

I was working for a lady called Diane in Cambridge.

Her bedroom ceiling had fallen onto their double bed.

And we stood in the doorway, my lieutenant Philip and myself,

and Diane said, "Can you fix it?"

And I looked at Phil and said, "Yes, we can!"

That is Bob the Builder's famous catchphrase!

Seems that the character of Bob the Builder was partly inspired by me

working for the lady who created the character.

Every woman wants a Bob the Builder!

Now, Cara,

you work for a pharmaceutical company, but I believe you're a girl

who likes of bit of danger. Tell me about that.

Well, I find myself in danger.

So, I went... Well, we both went and climbed Mount Etna,

so we saw it on TV and it was erupting

and we went in a jeep up the side of the mountain.

It was all erupting and everything, so that was really exciting.

-Were you scared?

-Erm, it was quite exciting.

It was quite... We were a bit nervous that it could go off

-at any moment.

-So what about your knowledge of antiques?

My dad sometimes works in Frinton and they've got lots of antique

shops and we always wander around there, if we go there.

-Do you collect anything?

-I collect hares.

-Hares?!

Hares. Postcards, paintings, little mini-statuettes.

Hares are just so special, aren't they?

Are they?!

Well, they are to me!

What about your tactics, folks?

So we're probably going to try and blow the lot.

-Yeah.

-Well, good luck to you guys. And now, it's over to the Blues.

Mum and daughter, Sharon and Izzy. Now, Sharon, I believe

that you have a job which is crucial to the British climate?

I have. I work for a fashion accessories company,

putting ranges of umbrellas together for various retailers in the UK.

-Do you always carry a brolly?

-Yes, I do.

-And do you have millions of brollies?

-Yes!

-Do you have very fancy brollies?

-I have every type of brolly going.

Great! You also love renovating properties.

What kind of properties?

I started off with a cottage, a little one-bedroom cottage,

and then moved onto larger Victorian houses.

And sort of developed and bought things for them along the way.

You organise the exterior building works first...

-Yes.

-..and then you decorate the house?

Yes.

Maybe you two should get together.

LAUGHTER

Over to Izzy. Now, you are studying film and television

but you are no stranger to danger,

another dangerous girl here!

Yes, I've been skydiving, paragliding, mountain tobogganing.

I've got a bucket list of about 300 things. And I went to Vietnam for a month,

where I was bitten by a monkey

-and had to have five rabies' injections.

-Wow.

So, that was fun.

What is it about you young girls that love danger?

But you also love collecting?

Yes, I have 50 gramophone needle tins.

Which makes me very poor, as a student!

I don't know why.

So you've got that collecting bug?

-I think I'm just a hoarder who also has OCD.

-Oh, right!

THEY LAUGH

Can you spot a bargain?

Well... We will have to find out.

I think we are going to aim for low to mid-price products

because they seem to make the most profit,

as the big ones are a bit risky.

Terrific. Well, I'd better give you guys some money.

£300 for the Blues, £300 for the Reds,

your experts await, so off you go!

Hopefully, it will be happy families all day

and there will be no family rifts.

Our competitive teams need a couple of very talented experts.

Jumping on board with the Reds, it's...

And making a noise for the Blues, it's...

What are we looking for today?

I'm looking for something that catches my eye, something unusual,

hopefully decorative.

-Pretty silver pieces.

-OK.

Or some military bits and pieces - I quite fancy.

-What are you looking for?

-Small and pretty.

I'm more like a vegetable shopper, pick what looks nice.

Vegetable shopping? Well, that's a first.

But it sounds like these teams know what they like.

Swing into action, teams, your time starts now.

Let's go get shopping, come on.

Let's go and find some veg.

There is lots to choose from here, so come on, teams,

let the battle commence.

Look, time is ticking, isn't it?

And it looks like the Reds have found something small and beautiful

already, but what is it?

-Oh, look.

-Oh, my gosh!

-Where's Bob, Bob?

-I'm looking.

Didn't I read that you like rabbits or something?

-Hares.

-Hares?

-Hares. I hope it's a hare.

Hares, hares, rabbits, rabbits.

I think that's a rabbit, but he's irresistible.

Only a hare will do for Bob, so time to move on.

Meanwhile, the Blues want something that grabs them.

-Is there anything that stands out here?

-Lots of it.

I think what we've got here is a cabinet full of a dealer

that specialises in this period glass, so,

he's going to be charging full-retail.

Soak in what we're looking at,

try and find that sort of thing but with a bit of smaller price tag on.

Nick is right, they need to spot a bargain,

so it's no to the lovely glassware.

Have the Reds found anything on their wish list?

I do like these copper kettles.

They are really pretty but

it's not on our list, really, of things we wanted to get.

Copper is really very in vogue at the moment.

I'm not entirely sure it's got any collectable merit to it hugely,

-so, shall we move on?

-Yes.

-All right.

-Move on.

-Let's go.

The Reds are rejecting copper

but it looks like the Blues have found something shiny.

I like the look of these, do you?

Late-Victorian, Edwardian wine coolers.

They've got a really glamorous and stylish look to them.

I wonder what sort of price they are.

Oh, they have split them up - they are actually £21 each.

What do you do with that? Maybe buy two of them, make a pair.

-Yeah.

-Pairs always sell well.

-I like those, they're quite...

-I think they're really cool, do you?

-Yeah.

-You like them?

-Lovely.

-Are these silver-plated?

-Yeah.

They're not solid silver, silver-plated.

But feel the weight, they are a good, heavy gauge. Good quality.

Mappin & Webb as well, always a cracking name.

-Top-quality silversmiths.

-What do you think of the price?

So, they're asking £21 each, so...

If we're going to get a bit of a discount,

and if we're going to buy two of them and hopefully

get a better discount than just buying one...

which are the better two? That one's quite clean.

-I think those two are the cleanest.

-It's not bad inside.

So which one are you rejecting?

-This one, I think.

-Yeah.

OK. You hang on to that one.

I'll put that one back.

I'll go and have a chat with the seller and see what can be done.

Wonderful, thank you.

So while Nick goes off to investigate the price,

the Reds have an interesting offer.

Do you want a vintage garden gnome?

-Um...

-She's already got one, actually!

So that's a no to the gnome,

but what's the update on the Blues' wine coolers?

The very best the dealer would do is 35 for the pair.

Now... Decision time, I don't know what you think.

Do you think there's much profit to be made?

Well, it's going to be close. But it's whether if you like them

enough to have a punt at 35 and see what happens?

I do like them.

-I do really like them.

-So is that a deal?

Are we going to have our first purchase?

-Yes.

-You sure?

-Let's go for it!

-Buy number one done?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Fantastic.

So, £35. That's only eight minutes in.

Great, come on, let's go and pay for them.

Great, well done.

The Blues are off to a great start

and it looks like the Reds are also onto some silver.

Christina, there's two...

It says silver candlesticks here, two for 38 quid.

They'd be plated, surely? For that price?

Let's have a look.

-Very tempting.

-There you go, Bob.

Have one of those. Ah, OK.

Normally, what you would find on the bottom is a green baize base.

-Yes, of course.

-Underneath that would have been filled probably with

plaster or some sort of resin

or something or possibly wax

to weight them.

So that they didn't fall over when a candle was on them.

So not a great start, but...

Oh, hey. Happy days, look.

We have got a hallmark on this one.

-Have you got a hallmark on yours?

-Sure, on there.

We've got a nice Birmingham hallmark, which is that anchor.

They've had a bit of a hard life

but I still think they are a good-looking piece and for £38...

Seems like a gift, doesn't it?

Silver is running at about, what, £15 an ounce?

CHRISTINE LAUGHS

-Just in metal value.

-Is it? Well done!

THEY LAUGH

It's got to be more than two ounces there.

-I would agree.

-What is it going to make at auction, do you think?

I would hope that for a nice pair of solid-silver candlesticks

that all they need doing is just putting a base on them,

I would hope they would be 50 to £70.

-Perfect. Well, you wanted silver.

-Yeah, exactly.

Let's have the candlesticks. Yeah?

See what the best price they've got... £38 on them.

See if you can get a little bit off. But I think they're brilliant.

-Thank you.

-Let's go and ask Margaret.

-It's a start.

-It is a start.

Just wondered if you might be able

to shave something off that price for us.

Right, the best that I can do is 34.

£34, guys, are we going to go for it?

I'm all for it. I think it's a great deal.

-Yeah?

-I think so, yeah.

-Yeah.

-£34, Margaret, you're a star.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-Brilliant.

Can we leave those with you whilst we keep wandering?

-Of course you can.

-Marvellous. Right, let's keep going, team.

Brilliant, I love this. So decisive, it's wonderful.

Decisive indeed. And with just 12 minutes on the clock,

they also have their first item.

But what on earth have the Blues got their hands on?

That's not pretty.

It's weird!

This sort of medical memorabilia is collectable.

It's gruesome but it's so collectable,

particularly with wealthy doctors that buy these things to put on

their desks and in their little libraries and offices.

They are quite cool.

Have you seen the glass eyes?

-I don't want to.

-Oh, look at those. They're quite cool.

Early-20th-century glass eyes.

-What would you do with them?

-People just collect them.

They just put them in display cases like this, you know.

I mean, they are unusual but you can imagine...

We're going to a general auction and there's going to be bucketfuls

of vases and tea sets and dining tables.

I bet you if we took those,

they'd be the only pair of glass eyes in the sale.

It's going to stand out from the crowd, isn't it?

-It's different.

-Are they too gruesome for you to even consider

-buying, though?

-I just don't know who would buy them.

Medical collectors.

Are they going to be there at the auction?

Well, hopefully the sale will be online, so with online marketing,

-search engines...

-Yes.

..that sort of thing, hopefully they'll pick them up.

Also, specialist dealers that have cabinets like this in other parts of

-the country.

-Do you have any idea about profit though?

-It's a bit of an unusual...

-They are so unusual.

It's difficult for me to know what they're going to fetch.

They're asking £65 for the pair.

I'd have a punt at saying they're probably worth maybe 50 quid,

I don't know. I just don't know.

If nothing else turns up,

it might be a bit of a fun Plan B to fall back on.

-A bit different.

-We'll keep an eye on them.

-Come on.

-Great.

Keep an eye on them...

Nick, what are you like?

Well, I have my eye on the clock.

We are halfway through and both teams have two items to find.

And it looks like Cara has fallen in love.

I've seen something really lovely.

I love that so much.

-Look at that.

-This?

-Yes.

Are you a mummy by any chance?

Yes. My little girl, Iris, she would scream if she saw that.

She'd really love that.

-Shall we have a little look at it?

-It's gorgeous. Look at it.

Open these up.

I think it's been wired for electricity

at some point. Yeah, because look,

we've got little light switches and wires...

-Yeah.

-..which is slightly worrying for a child's doll's house.

I love that. It's not just a doll's house,

it's the drawers as well,

it's like a toy chest.

-Where is the price?

-I'd pay hundreds.

-Would you?

How many hundreds?

Doll's house and a chest for toys, so it's got £68 on it, guys.

I think that's a bargain.

Somebody has spent hours and hours and hours

lovingly making this for their...

-Maybe a father for a daughter.

-Maybe a father for a daughter.

Would you have spent hours making this for Cara?

-I would have spent even longer.

-He did, he used to make things for us.

He made a climbing frame once.

-I did.

-And when we climbed it,

we got splinters...

THEY LAUGH

It was to teach them about the reality of it.

Yes. Nothing comes without some pain.

As far as doll's houses go for collectors,

it doesn't have that va-va-voom that they would want.

It's not early enough and it's not by any particularly recognised maker

that would be collectable but it does, and I agree with you,

it does pull at the heartstrings.

But it's not going to be commanding high, high prices.

The trade will buy it if it's cheap enough,

and hopefully we'll find a loving grandpa in the auction room...

There's loads of them about.

Yeah.

-You want it?

-Yes.

-That's it?

-Yeah.

Are you sure you don't want to keep having a little look round?

-Yeah, I'm sure.

-Let's go and agree a price on this, potentially.

-Let's go and find Margaret.

-Lovely.

-See what she can do for us.

Cara has her heart set on the doll's house

but how does the land lie with the price?

What's the best price you could do for us on the doll's house, please?

I can take you £3 off, which would be 65.

Mmm.

Is there any more you could do for us?

I could do 60 for you, if that helps.

-60, that sounds a bit better?

-Yeah?

-It sounds better.

-Yeah. Shall we go for that?

-You're enthused.

-I don't think we've got much choice with this, really.

-No.

The deal is done and with 35 minutes on the clock,

they have their second item.

The Blues need to catch up

and it looks like they've finally found something.

What about a hatstand?

If you want to get ahead, get a hat. Do you like that?

I do quite like that.

It's got that shabby chic look to it.

It does. It's on for quite a lot.

Yeah, I mean that's done on purpose, that crackle wear,

to give it that sort of old country house look to it.

Look, it says circa 1940 on there, which would make it vintage,

but I'm not convinced.

The colour, the patination, it's not old.

It's not circa 1940.

I think it's much more modern than that, I'll be honest with you.

I think it's been artificially aged.

But however, it's got the look, it's got a great look.

A nice bit of interior design and I still think it's worth buying.

-Yes.

-Yeah, it's a nice texture. I like the look of it.

-Yes.

-Shall we ask someone about a price?

-Well, the ticket says 75.

What would you pay for it if you were shopping, retail?

-You know...

-I wouldn't pay more than 100.

No, so hopefully if someone else likes it and they want to pay that

sort of ballpark for it, there's a bit of profit in there.

I mean, it jumped out at me when we walked in...

-Yes.

-..this little unit here.

That's what you want, things that jump out.

Yes, and in the auction you want that as well,

to stand out from the crowd.

And also, you can see these in bedrooms

-with, sort of, vintage fashion just hanging on them.

-Yes.

Not that I have them in my bedroom.

I think they have many uses -

bedroom, hall, hang lots of things off it.

We need to find out the best deal on it.

-Sharon, are you up for the task?

-Yes, I am.

Can you go and negotiate a really good deal?

-I'm going to.

-Go on. We are in your hands.

Good luck.

Sharon, what's the news?

The news is the best price they can do is £65.

£65, well, ultimately, the decision is down to you two, really.

-What do you think, Izzy?

-I think we only have 17 minutes left,

-we probably need to...

-Yes.

-Is that all the time we've got?

-Yes.

-17 minutes, gosh, it is...

-I think we'll go for this item.

-Are you sure? You want to buy it?

-Yes.

-Yes, I think so.

-Definitely. Yes.

-You've got the vision?

-Yes.

You've also got the money. Let's go and get it paid for.

-OK.

-We've got 17 minutes to find that third and final thing.

-OK.

-Let's go.

-Come on, then, two down, one to go.

Well done, come on, keep going, keep going.

The Blues have caught up, but it's time for some team talk.

Two things bought, but there is only 17 minutes left.

We've got those glass eyes.

So I say, let's give it ten minutes of a rummage...

-Yes.

-..if nothing else comes up, the eyes have it?

-The eyes have it.

-Well, come on. Let's go looking. Use your eyes.

Keep looking, peeping, searching, come on.

That sounds like a plan. But how are the Reds getting on?

They wanted something military-related and have they found it?

There's a little pocket watch here. Army, black-face pocket watch.

-Lovely.

-"Services - Army," it says.

-Can I have a little look?

-Yes.

-Would you mind?

-There we are.

-OK, so it's working.

You've got, obviously, your normal watch face,

a pocket watch face there.

And then you've actually got the second hand here,

which is a stopwatch as well.

Black face with these luminescent numbers and dial,

-so you can see it, potentially, in the dark.

-Yeah.

So, anything relating to the Forces and pocket watches are really

-quite sought-after at the moment.

-Yeah.

-They are very collectable.

This has got a price tag of £55.

It's not in silver...

-Right.

-It's in chrome.

That's not going to give it an intrinsic precious metal value.

-No.

-But nonetheless, I think it's an interesting thing...

So what do you think it would fetch?

I would suggest an auction estimate maybe of 30 to £50,

but watches are very much an emerging market

that is going up year on year on year...

-Yeah.

-I don't think it's ever going to be big, big bucks

because it was probably a standard-issue pocket watch,

early 20th century.

My thoughts are, it ticks the military box, that's great.

-Ticks!

-Oh, yes, sorry.

Probably not going to turn a profit, is it?

We've got two different fields of collectors,

watch collectors and militaria collectors,

potentially, who would be interested.

-What else is in that cabinet? Let's have a look.

-OK.

See that little photo frame...

Wow! It's made out of a gun stock.

That's amazing.

See, that is quite interesting.

I've seen clocks, I've seen pocket watch holders,

I've seen picture frames made out of propellers of aeroplanes as well.

-Wow!

-It's almost trench art, effectively.

This is made from a gun stock,

whittled it into this very sweet little photograph frame.

So, it's £35.

I think you've got two potentially quite interesting items there.

But we've only got one...

-Which way are we going to go?

-I like the pocket watch best.

Pocket watch, OK, Bob?

Yeah, I think this is basically grot, from my point of view.

I mean, fair enough if you're a collector.

I wouldn't have that on my mantel shelf.

-I agree with Cara there.

-Yeah?

-Absolutely.

-You think the pocket watch is the one potentially for

-us.

-It's smashing.

-Smashing?

-Smashing.

Is there anything that you could do on the price for that pocket watch?

-I'll have a look at the ticket.

-I'll pop this back in the cupboard.

Yeah, I can take five off that, so it brings it down to £50.

-OK, is that a deal?

-It's a deal.

Brilliant, Elaine, thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

-£50.

-Thank you.

-That's it.

-You're welcome, thank you.

Well done, put it there. Well done.

The Reds have bought their final item with time to spare.

So the pressure is on the Blues.

It looks like they're heading back for those weird and wonderful eyes.

-They're still there?

-Oh, they're still there.

-Thank goodness for that.

-Oh, good.

-OK, so, next, we just need to find

-out what the best price is, don't we?

-Yes.

Izzy, you're in the driving seat for this.

-Yes, I'll try.

-Right, OK, get a good negotiation.

-I will.

-Good luck.

The price is £65.

So, what can Izzy achieve?

-Izzy...

-I spoke to the woman, she won't go a pound under 55.

-£55. That's the absolute death, was it?

-Yes.

-Not a penny under?

-I asked.

-Decision time.

I mean, we haven't got much time to do anything else.

-So, what's it going to be?

-We've got to go for it.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

-That's it. All three things bought.

Yes. Finished. Are you happy? Done.

Gosh, what a to-do that was!

The eyes have it and the Blues have bagged all three items.

Case closed. Your time is up.

Great, well done. We got there.

Let's remind ourselves what the Reds bought.

They wanted silver, so they bought

this pair of early-20th-century candlesticks for £34.

Cara just had to have the home-made doll's house.

It cost £60.

And Bob had his heart set on militaria.

And bought the Army pocket watch for £50.

Well, guys, did you have a lovely time?

-Fantastic.

-We did. Really did.

You two were the dream team.

Everything went like clockwork.

-It was good, it was great.

-What was your favourite item?

My favourite item is definitely the doll's house.

-Yeah.

-Surprise, surprise.

It's lovely. I can't wait to see how it does.

Is it going to make the most profit, though?

No. I don't think it is.

What was your favourite item?

The silver candlesticks were easily the nicest items, I thought.

Well, you've spent £144, which is fairly respectable,

and you will have to give me 156.

Christina, £156 there.

-That's good, isn't it?

-Yes.

That's a lot of dosh, Christina.

Are you going to spend it all, are you going to be frivolous?

I certainly will try. We've got to love a bit of frivolity, haven't we?

Well, while Christina hares off,

we're going to have a look at what the Blues bought.

They bought the pair of Mappin & Webb silver wine coolers for £35.

The retro hatstand set them back £65.

And everyone is looking at this quirky pair

of 20th-century prosthetic glass eyes at £55.

Well, girls, did you have a lovely time?

-Fantastic.

-Well,

you made a cracking start and then it all went down the hill a bit.

And...you wanted to buy pretty, girlie things

and you bought bizarre things.

What's your favourite item?

Mine is the hatstand.

-Right.

-I would use that myself.

Is it going to make the best profit?

No, I don't think so. I think the wine coolers, the first buy,

-will make the most profit.

-Yeah.

And what about you, what's your favourite?

I think I have to like the weirdest item, which is the glass eyes.

The glass eyes...

THEY LAUGH

But I think the thing that is going to make the most profit

is going to be the wine coolers.

Now, you spent £155.

-Can I have 145?

-Yes.

-Thank you.

Which I'll pass over to Nick.

Are you going to buy pretty and girlie

or are you going to buy weird and bizarre?

Did you have to ask?

On this weird and bizarre journey these two have taken me on,

I've got to keep in with that, haven't I?

While Nick goes off on his search,

I want to tell you the story of a group of extraordinary women.

And here's a clue.

We've nipped over the border to Sheffield in South Yorkshire.

During the Industrial Revolution,

it was known as the City of Steel,

but for centuries

it had earned world fame for its cutlery manufacture.

Since the 14th century,

thousands of workers were employed in the making of cutlery

but one group of women in particular

made their presence felt in this male-dominated industry.

They were called the buffer girls.

From the 1880s,

the buffer girls polished the silver and stainless steel cutlery

on buffing wheels and earned themselves a formidable reputation.

I've come Kelham Island Museum to meet Margaret Dickinson,

author of a novel about the buffer girls.

What did the buffer girls do?

They prepared the cutlery for sale.

I have a spoon and a fork here.

And they buffed them on these wheels.

They would spin at quite a rapid speed.

And then they would hold the cutlery near them.

And we've got different sorts of wheels for the different processes.

There was roughing,

which was getting the dents and the marks off the spoons and forks.

Then there was insiding,

which was polishing the inside of the bowl of the spoon.

There was edging, which was buffing the edges of the spoons and forks.

Heeling and pipping, which was the handles.

That job was usually given to a beginner.

All right. Was that the easy job?

I think so, yes.

They used a mix of oil and sand to polish the items of cutlery,

which made the work extremely dirty,

and the girls became known for

the distinctive clothes they wore.

They would wear an old dress or skirt and blouse,

over which they would wear what they called buff brats.

And they were like an operating gown that opened at the back,

so that if the clothes got caught in the machine

they could be whipped off quickly.

On top of that,

they wore an old apron and they also wore a scarf around their necks.

Then again, it was to keep the dirt from going down into their clothing.

And then a headscarf, which was also used to tie back their hair,

because of the danger of their hair falling into the machines.

I couldn't help noticing the brown paper and string.

They used that to wrap round their legs,

to protect them from the oily sand.

And they got the nickname, which I think's a lovely phrase,

diamonds in brown paper.

Their uniform protected the girls from the dirt

but it wasn't just their clothes that made them stand out.

They were very independent women for the time.

They were boisterous and loud, they were not demure,

as women of the time were probably supposed to be.

-Did they have a bit of a reputation?

-They did. They were a bit bawdy.

They could use the fruity language, if they wished.

There's a little tale that tells about...

If a man wandered into their domain,

he was in danger of having his clothes torn off

and covered in the oily sand.

So, they had to be a bit careful.

The girls were relatively well-paid, compared to other jobs available to

women at the time. But with so many moving parts in factories,

the work could be dangerous.

They could get what they called collared.

That's if they got a piece of clothing or hair caught in the

spindle and it would trap them and pull them onto it.

Accidents did happen.

After the Second World War, the use of stainless steel in cutlery making

meant the silver trade declined. And over the next few decades,

hundreds of buffer girls left the industry and found other jobs.

I'd never heard of the buffer girls.

Would you say that they were unsung heroes?

I would. Yes. I think people away from Sheffield probably don't know

who they are, don't know much about them.

But around this area, they are very well-known

and they were such colourful and inspiring characters

that worked so hard. And I think they deserve to be remembered.

Margaret, they sound like an amazing bunch of women,

thank you so much for telling me about them.

But now, it's time to head off to the auction.

Let's hope we can buff up some profits there.

Today, we are at Sheffield Auction Galleries

with auctioneer Robert Lee.

Robert, it's lovely to be here.

-Yes. Welcome, Anita. Pleased to see you.

-Terrific.

Now, let's have a look at our Reds, Cara and Bob, first of all.

Their first item was this elegant pair of silver candlesticks.

What do you think of them?

Lovely shape. They've got a lot going for them.

Excellent. What's your estimate?

Well, I'd have thought they must be £40 to £60-worth there.

Well, they've only paid 34, so you're giving me good news, Robert.

Now, the next item is this 1950s doll's house.

I think it's a bit of a home-made effort.

Because you've got the two lower drawers there.

I think they've probably been off a chest of drawers, once upon a time.

What's your estimate?

20-40.

Well, they've been very, very soppy about this

-and they've paid £60 for this one.

-Ohh...

Next item.

Services Army pocket watch. Will your buyers like it?

Military things always seem to go fairly well.

Could be...£10, £15, something like that.

Well, it will need to do a lot more. Because they've paid £50.

They've paid top end on that, really.

It looks like the bonus buy might be needed.

So, we're going to go and have a look at it.

Cara, Bob, you left Christina £156.

Christina, let's see what you bought.

Well, you remember how big Hemswell was, don't you, Anita?

I scoured every single one of those rooms for anything even vaguely

hare-related for you. And there is nothing.

So, instead, I got you a bit of a boys' toy.

I like that!

-Really cool!

-And it's fun.

-Exactly.

So, here we have a little Spitfire, World War II desk ornament.

It's a bit of a boys' toy. It's a bit of a paperweight.

Wonderful novelty thing that really stirs that great sentimentality

that we have in this country for these wonderful fighter planes.

I'm really hoping that, if not in the room,

there might be some people on the internet who see it

and want a Spitfire on their desk.

So, there we go, my love.

That is for you. We got your doll's house.

-We did.

-Yeah. I really deserve this.

-It is smashing.

-And it's the military theme, which we wanted.

-Exactly.

-How much did you pay for it?

I paid £34 for it.

And what's it going to fetch?

Well, at auction, I would hope it would fetch 30-£50.

40-£60, you never know.

Hope so because I think we're

going to need more help than that, Christina.

You don't need to make up your mind at the moment.

Wait until your first three items have been sold but, in the meantime,

let's find out what the auctioneer thinks of Christina's Spitfire.

Now, who can resist that iconic image?

The image of the Spitfire.

I like it. Nice piece.

What's your estimate on that, Robert?

I think I've gone in a bit low with this. 15-£25.

I think it should be a lot more.

Well, Christina paid £34 but you're feeling optimistic about this item?

-Definitely.

-Well, that's good news.

Now, to our Blues. Sharon and Izzy.

Their first item is this pair of wine coolers.

Mappin & Webb. Do you like them?

Well, it's a quality maker to start with, isn't it?

Very nice pair, very good order, I do like them.

I don't think we're out of the way if we say 30-£50.

Well, they only paid £35, so we are in with a shout.

Good news on the wine coolers.

What about their second lot? The coatstand.

They called it shabby and chic.

I like it. It's for a big family.

Look at all the pegs on it.

THEY LAUGH

What's your estimate?

20-30.

Well, they paid £65 for it, which is quite a lot of money.

So, going from something which could be relatively modern

to a 19th-century lot.

We have two glass eyes.

Are they winking at you, Robert?

Scary, aren't they, those two?

You've got to ask the question, who would want them?

Would anybody collect them?

I'm not too sure.

But we have got the internet,

so you've got a worldwide audience for it.

Tell me, what estimate have you put on them?

I'm struggling. I've gone for 20-£30 for the pair.

Or a tenner an eye, if you wish.

They paid £55. They may have a couple of wee problems here.

It's a mixed bag.

They may need their bonus buy.

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

Sharon, Izzy, you left Nick £145.

Nick, what did you buy?

Bearing in mind this weird and wacky trip of things we've bought,

those eyes and some amazing things,

-I've kept on that weird and wacky vein.

-OK.

-Freaky.

-Scary Mary, aren't they?

-What are they?

-Well, I think these are quite rare

modesty medical dolls.

Now, hundreds of years old... When it was inappropriate for your

local doctor or GP to lay his hands on the body of a female patient, so,

she would point at the area where the ailment was.

To save her modesty.

They are sometimes confused with fertility dolls.

Izzy, you've gone quiet. What do you think?

-Do you think I've gone mad?

-They are very strange.

I've never seen anything quite like it.

Well, that's a good thing. It means they are rare.

How much did you pay for them?

I spent a measly £20 for the two of them.

-God! So, quite cheap, considering they are so old.

-Yes. £20 a pair.

What do I think they are going to fetch?

I've no idea, but I'm convinced they're worth a lot more than £20.

You don't need to make up your mind just now.

You wait until after your first three items have been sold but,

in the meantime, let's find out what the auctioneer thinks

of Nick's little dolls.

Robert, what do you think of these medicine dolls?

I don't know what to make of them.

Are they medicine dolls?

-There's some age to them.

-Yes. Yes.

I'm not even sure what they are made of.

It looks like someone sort of leather.

What estimate did you put on them?

-Well, I've gone low. 15-25.

-Well, Nick's only paid £20.

I think that's rather a good punt.

For £20.

Yeah, I think he's bought fairly well there.

Well, that's good news.

Are you taking the sale?

Yes, I am. And I'm looking forward to selling these dolls and all the

other goodies that we've got.

Excellent. Well, I'm looking forward to it.

Bob, Cara, have you been to an auction before?

-I have. I've been to a few.

-This is my first time.

-Your first time.

-Very excited.

-Are you?

-Yes.

-Is your heart beating fast?

Yes. This is the moment of truth, isn't it?

Your first item's about to be sold.

It's that lovely pair of candlesticks.

You've paid £34 for them.

So, good luck.

We'll start the bidding at £28.

30, please.

£30, it must be. 30 there with the lady.

35, we are after.

Must be 35 to move on.

Any more activity? 35, sir.

40. Hammer's dropping at £40 only.

Have we finished?

£40. That's excellent. Makes a profit of £6.

Not to be sniffed at.

Your doll's house is coming up.

You paid £60 for it. Coming up now.

Must start the bidding at, wait for it, £20.

22, we're after.

Must be 22 to continue.

Make some young girl happy with this.

22. 20 bid so far.

Internet's at 22. It's going.

Oh, no!

£22.

That's -38 on that.

Which makes your overall -32 on two items.

-That's still good.

-That's not too bad.

And you've still got that Army pocket watch to sell.

You paid £50 for that.

Let's see how it does.

Pocket watch. Black dial with Arabic numerals.

18, please. 18, 20, and 2.

22 in the room, 25 we're after.

Anybody else coming in? Running piece.

28. £30.

28 bid with the gentleman on the settee.

Must be 30 now.

Fair warning, hammer's going to drop at £28.

Going, going...

-He's dropped.

-Oh, hard luck.

That's -£22, which makes your overall -£54.

You'll have to make up your mind whether you want to take that little

Spitfire - Christina's bonus buy.

She paid £34 for it.

Do you want to take the bonus buy or not?

-Yes. 100%.

-Definitely, yeah.

-I think it's going to make £100 profit.

-Oh, sweetheart.

Brass desk model of the Spitfire.

15, please. 15, 18, 20.

22. 25. 28.

35 bid on the internet.

40, madam? No!

35 bid on the internet.

Who's on 40? 45 bid on the internet.

50, I need. Hammer's going to drop at 45.

Bid now or lose it.

45, well done.

That's a profit of £11.

Excellent.

Which brings your overall score to -43.

But that could be a winning score.

But you have to promise that you won't say a word to the Blues.

No. Won't say a word to the losers... The Blues...

-How are you feeling?

-I'm actually quite nervous.

It's really busy in here.

I'm quite excited.

Well, your first item,

the pair of Mappin & Webb ice buckets is coming up.

Very good luck.

£30 for them. Must be.

30 bid. 35, we're after.

So, at 40. 45, I need.

45 bid. 50, I'm after.

50, top left. 55, I need.

With the lady in the room at 50. Top left.

Must the 55 for them.

55. 60, madam?

No. 55 bid on the internet.

Selling them at 55 going, going...

BANGS GAVEL

£55!

What a magnificent start, girls.

That is plus £20.

Now, your next item, the coat and hatstand

which you paid £65 for.

Modern hat and coatstand, finished in cream. Crackle effect.

Must start the bidding at £22.

25, we're after.

25 bid. 28 bid, 30.

35 bid.

40, please. 50 bid.

55, we're after.

50 bid so far, on the internet.

5 to carry on.

-50 bid so far.

-You need one of these. Come on.

Got to be 55.

Got to go. All the way now at 50. Going, going...

£50 just.

Hard luck. We were nearly there.

We were nearly there. £50, which means that's -£15,

which takes you, after your first two items, still in profit of £5.

Your next item, the glass eyes.

You paid £55 for those.

Let's hope you can make a profit on this.

£20 is your opening bid.

25 with me. 30 with me on commission.

35 bid. 40 you need.

Must be 40. Hammer's going to drop at £35.

Going, going...

Oh, what a shame. What a shame.

That was a loss of £20.

After your first three items,

you're at -£15.

Are you going to take the bonus buy?

I think we're going to go for it.

You're going to go for the bonus buy?

-I love the bonus buy.

-Positive?

-Yes.

-Yes.

Nick, they're going to go for the bonus buy,

the pair of antique dolls.

You paid £20 for them. Let's hope they make a profit

because they're coming under the hammer right now.

Pair of these ancient wooden, carved medicine dolls.

10 there. 12, 15. 18. 20.

22. 25. 28.

Gentleman, front centre.

New bid 30. 35, sir?

40? No. 35 on the front?

Must be 40. Anybody else for £40?

Bid now or lose them, they're going to sell.

In black at 35. Are we done?

£35.

That's excellent.

Well done, Nick.

That's a profit of £15.

Which eliminates your loss of £15.

-We're back where we started.

-You're back where we started.

Well done, girls. That could be a winning score.

So, don't say a word to the Reds.

Well, teams, the results are in and, sadly, today,

no-one is going home with any money.

But we still have winners and we still have runners-up.

And sadly, today, the runners-up are the Reds.

THEY GROAN

Unfortunately, Christina's Spitfire couldn't really take you into profit

and, in the end, you had -43.

But you were wonderful.

And you were great sports.

And you kept smiling.

LAUGHTER

So, that makes today's winners - the Blues.

CHEERS

Well done, Blues. You made a great start.

And in the end, you ended up with zero.

CHEERING

And today,

zero is a winning score.

So, congratulations.

But you were all wonderful and you were all great sports.

If you would like to find out more about Bargain Hunt,

visit our website or follow us on Twitter but, best of all,

join us soon for more Bargain Hunting! Yes?

-ALL:

-Yes!