York and Wetherby 23 Bargain Hunt

Today, I'm in Wetherby in Yorkshire,

and this is Wetherby Bridge.

The bridge is iconic to the town.

Originally built in the 13th century,

it's the town's oldest monument.

Now, if you look carefully, you'll see that this is a marriage of

not one, not two,

but three bridges that have been rebuilt and modified over the centuries.

An historic bridge which has stood the test of time.

But will our two teams show the same staying power at the antique fair

down the road?

So, let's go Bargain Hunting!

Welcome to the great Wetherby Racecourse Antiques Fair.

Now, both our teams have £300 and one hour

in which to buy three items.

But which team is tipped to win?

Let's see what's coming up.

There's disarray on the Red team.

I know it doesn't suit you, but we're not buying it.

we're buying it to sell, aren't we?

Well, I wouldn't put it in my garden.

There's pandemonium on the Blue team.

-You don't want it?

-No, I don't want it.

-OK.

-I want to go somewhere else.

OK, let's go.

Oh!

But will it all come together at the auction for the Reds?

-£45.

-Oh! We're in profit.

Or the Blues?

200 I'm bid, I'll take 220.

But all that is coming up later.

So, let's meet today's teams.

And, for the Reds, we've got married couple Mark and Kirsty.

And, for the Blues, we've got father and daughter Simon and Sammy.

-Hello. ALL:

-Hello.

So, Mark, tell me how you two met?

We've met at our local operatic society.

Kirsty was a dancer, I joined as the chorus.

That was 34 years ago.

A few years later, we did have a date and nobody said it would last,

and two days ago we celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary, so...

Congratulations.

..we've lasted, yes.

So, you're obviously a theatrical couple because,

I know for a fact, Kirsty,

that you do a little bit of tap dancing amongst other things, yes?

Yes. I started dancing from the age of four.

I had the privilege to appear on Leeds Grand Theatre

doing the can-can.

We did it for a week and on the last night, unfortunately,

I fell leaving the stage and ended up in A&E with a fractured ankle.

So, I'm really looking forward to the high kick at the end of this show.

-Yeah, she's been practising!

-Oh!

-Yeah, yeah.

So, Kirsty, tell me, what to do for a living?

I'm a midwife at Barnsley Hospital.

Part of the hospital is called the BBC,

which is the Barnsley Birthing Centre, and it's very popular with

ladies in the area and outside the area.

So, it's a really fulfilling and wonderful job.

And you've been to New Zealand?

So, what did you get up to there?

We went because my son's living there at the moment.

He's been there for three years.

So we went to visit him and his new girlfriend and we just thought we'd

take advantage of the whole country and travel it as much as we could.

So, how do you two think you're going to get on today?

Well, we always agree on everything, Eric, but, the thing is, tactics,

we can't really give you all our tactics, because the Blue team are

just there and it is a competition.

So, let's just say that we're going to buy it cheap

and sell it expensive.

-So, you're keeping your cards close to your chest?

-We are, Eric.

-OK.

Well, turning to the Blues.

Sammy, tell me, what do you do for a living?

I currently work in a school in Leeds as a special educational needs

teacher, but I've done a degree in biology and a masters in

conservation and biodiversity, and what I really want to do is a PhD in

some kind of conservation research.

Right, OK.

Now, Sammy, I believe you've got an adventurous spirit,

insofar as you do like to travel?

Yeah. I've been to Africa and I've been to Malaysia,

where I lived for three months to do a project on how palm oil impacts

the biodiversity in south-east Asia.

That was really interesting.

You did meet a little bit of local wildlife, I believe,

when you were down there?

I met an alligator, just strolling along the path I wanted to go on.

I had to decide whether to follow him and risk being eaten,

or just turn around.

But I did follow him and he didn't eat me, so, that's OK.

Well, turning to Simon, I believe this sense of adventure is obviously

in your DNA, cos you like jumping out of aeroplanes, don't you?

Many years ago, when I first started work, I was talking to a friend of mine.

I said, "What I'd really like to do is go parachuting."

He said, "I tell you what we'll do, we'll do it for charity."

So, he arranged it and we went down to Bridlington,

and we did exactly that.

We jumped out of aeroplanes,

and we it twice because we enjoyed it so much.

So, I've actually flown in an aeroplane twice,

but never landed in one once.

So, what about the antiques side of it?

Who's going to be the guiding light today of you two?

Samantha's the boss, without a shadow of a doubt,

but I'm a little older, obviously,

so I have a little bit more experience.

So, it'll be, maybe, "Sammy, what to think of this?"

-"No, Daddy, don't be stupid."

-Yep, definitely.

And then it'll be, "Daddy, what do you think of this?"

-"Certainly, Sammy."

-Right. Excellent.

So, you're looking forward to doing some spending today, yes?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Well, before you can do any spending,

you've got to have some money, and that's true of you, Reds.

So, I have got for each of you, £300.

£300.

Spend it wisely.

But this is the time where you now go off to meet your experts.

Excellent!

So, catch you later.

In the meantime, I think that theatrics are in the air.

But the question is, will these teams deliver on the day?

All our teams need now are their experts.

Going great guns with the Reds, it's Nick Hall.

Hoping to keep the Blues buoyant, it's Jonathan Pratt.

So, teams, what's the plan?

Kathy, what's on your shopping list?

I'm looking for something silver today.

Something Art Deco, cos I like the shapes and the materials

involved in that era.

And what about you, Mark?

Something for the garden, like a stone ornament, something like that.

-Agricultural salvage?

-Yes.

-I love it.

Anything with social history I think's interesting,

just because I like that sort of thing.

What? What's that?

Teams, your time starts now.

FANFARE

Well, let's trot on, go and get it bought. Come on!

Let's go and find some stuff.

Good luck, teams.

It looks to me like the main stands and all the indoor stalls are in

there, so if we work our way up the hill - but keep your eyes peeled on the way.

Yes, there's plenty to look at.

Blues, at £120, does this tick a box?

That's definitely the social history thing, isn't it?

Yeah. I just think it's quite an interesting thing.

What do you think?

People like these features in their homes,

and if you're buying an Edwardian townhouse, you'll find one of these

up in the scullery up on the wall.

-A nice object and maybe something we should think about.

-OK, OK.

One to remember, Blues.

Inside, and Kirsty's tracked down some silver already.

-I like that.

-Nick?

-Looks like a nurse's belt buckle.

-You've found your bling early, haven't you?

-She did.

-Yeah.

-So you've git a little buckle there?

-Yeah.

-Silver?

Well, there's some kind of mark, there.

Ah! Yeah, it's a little hallmark in the corner.

-I love all the thistles on it.

-Yeah.

It's obviously a Scottish theme.

£95, though.

OK, we need to get price that down.

-It's a lot more than we would spend.

-What do you think it would fetch?

I think, an auction, 60, 80 quid, something like that.

-Yeah, if you're lucky.

-So, if you can get it around that sort of mark,

I think there's a margin in it.

What's the best you would do on that?

The very best on that would be 60.

-The very best.

-That's not bad.

We've spoken to Nick about the auction prices and it's sort of

£60-ish at the auction.

If we could get it for under 60,

even just a couple of pounds, it would help.

I mean, 57, something like that, just to give us a £3 profit.

Oh, he's a trier, isn't he?

-He is a trier, isn't he?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-You're a star.

-57? We'll shake your hand on that. Thank you very much.

-First one!

-Thank you very much, that's brilliant.

-Thank you.

And well done. Well spotted, well negotiated. You don't need me.

-Eight minutes in...

-Get in!

..and a great buy. We've got plenty of time.

-Let's have a nice, leisurely wander for item two.

-Your turn this time.

-Come on.

-Come on.

Speedy work, Reds. Blues, are you enjoying the fun of the fair?

I do quite like them, but I don't know how saleable...

Put them at the top or the back of a bed, something like that.

How many people would think of that?

Well, you'd have to tell them, wouldn't you?

-What do you think about them?

-These, I guess, would have been panels off of

a carousel or something like that, aren't they?

Well, do you know, it's all about what things cost, really.

-You've got to think about how it's going to be used.

-Yeah.

I mean, how many people are going to think about putting them over a bed?

-Yeah.

-How much are they?

180.

Oh.

They're a sort of architectural antique, as you find them,

these sort of novelty things,

They're great and people go to these sorts of fairs

to buy furnishing pieces.

They don't necessarily go to auction expecting to find something

-like this and buy it.

-No.

-You just won't get the right money for it.

15 minutes in, I think JP's advising you to move on, Blues.

What's Nick got his eye on?

That's quite pretty. I picked it up because I looked at the price ticket

and it said £17 on it.

Wow.

Now, my initial thought is, it must be damaged or restored in some way,

-but I can't see any.

-No.

What's the mark on the bottom?

Well, the mark is from Devon Crown Fieldings, and they were producing

these lustrewares in the 1930s.

It's got this sort of Oriental influence,

what we call a chinoiserie decoration.

Is that a signature there?

Yes, so you've also got the signature of the artist on there.

-Wow.

-You've got these wonderful butterflies in this gilt

on this really vibrant, lustrous red, that ruby-fire red.

We said we weren't going to buy a vase, but that's actually really cute.

Yeah.

I think what I need to do is go and have a conversation with the owner,

and see if there is any restoration on there that he is aware of

-that we don't know.

-Brilliant.

Hang on to that, I'll go and have a conversation

-and I'll come back to you.

-Brilliant, thanks.

-Lovely.

Go and find out what the best price could be, Nick.

Blues, could this be a roaring success?

We both quite like this tiger.

What is it you like about it?

I like kind of how he's a bit raggedy.

And he looks quite heavy.

-What about you, Simon?

-I might be wrong.

I like heavy, because I think heavy's quality,

but I might be totally wrong.

-I'm sad about his eye.

-It doesn't necessarily equate to quality.

It's got the eye missing.

I'm not sure about age or anything, really.

-No.

-I don't know. It's cast iron,

and there's a certain quality about it which, you know,

it's not like a bronze, but it has that...

You like it, and you picked it up, you want it,

and you like it for that reason. Other people will, as well.

It's all about the right price.

It says £90 on the label.

I mean, I would be wanting to go at £40, that's where I'd want to go on it,

you know, that's where I'm looking at.

I couldn't go down as low as that.

I could probably go to about 65?

It's entirely up to you, guys.

-I think we should leave it.

-Leave it and maybe come back?

I think we need to buy something

-but I think we just need to be a bit faster.

-All right, Sammy.

Move on, Blues, you really need to think about buying something.

I think the Reds might be about to seal the deal on their second item.

-Guys.

-He's here.

-OK, what do you think?

-Yeah.

-Yes, definitely.

-You like it?

-It's not what we've come for.

-What sort of price would you be comfortable with?

We're trying to get that down to a tenner, I think.

Do you know, we're all on the same page with this because I've just

negotiated that for £10, if you want it?

-Superstar.

-Absolutely.

-Shake the man's hand.

Are you going to have it? Are you going to buy it for £10?

-Definitely, yes.

-Yeah.

-Well done, Reds, two items in 25 minutes.

So, after Sammy's mini-meltdown,

the Blues have remained at the same stall,

and they've spotted a silver pencil holder for £22.

-What do you like about it?

-I like little things that you can put other

things inside. I'm a bit obsessed with boxes,

and this is kind of like a miniature box.

I quite like stationery as well.

This is like silver stationery.

-What do you think?

-I do like that.

I think that's a nice thing.

It's a nice little thing, and people collect nice little bits of silver.

And it's not a lot of money.

-No.

-So, as a first purchase,

bearing in mind the clock's running and we've probably gone past

-25 minutes already...

-OK, let's buy something, then.

..then, it's really about, something like this,

it's finding the price and seeing if we're going to agree on it.

-Right, OK.

-We all like it and we would like to walk away with it but

we would like to walk away with it at the right price.

So, what do you think your very nicest price on that could be?

The very nicest price would be 17.

15.

-OK.

-Yes, thank you.

OK. Start with one, that's it, go for it.

-Shake the man's hand.

-Thank you.

We've bought something!

So, with the Blues finally off the mark after 30 minutes,

let's leave the teams shopping.

Now, why don't you join me for a cuppa?

Well, in this part of the world,

they all say you can't beat a cup of Yorkshire tea.

But if I'd have been drinking tea way back in 1800,

I would have needed a teapot.

Not only that, I would have needed a fair amount of money because tea,

way back then, was incredibly expensive.

But the teapot I've brought along today, if it could speak to you,

would do so with a Yorkshire accent,

because this teapot must have been made about 15 miles away in a place

called Castleford, possibly by a man called

David Dunderdale. And it's quite typical of a teapot that dates from

roundabout 1790 to 1810.

So, what are the characteristics of a typical Castleford teapot?

It's typical insofar as it's always in this lovely white type of ceramic.

It's called feldspathic porcelain.

In other words, they've got feldspar which they've crushed into a

white powder, and they've mixed it with a china clay,

and it gives a very resilient surface.

As teapots go, this is elegance.

It's been based on a silver shape that dates from the same sort of period,

and it would have been made in sections, the handle, the spout,

and the body, and obviously the cover would have been made separately.

I think what makes this exciting is the fact that,

not only has it got the sort of typical sprigging,

also they have this tendency to use a royal blue trim for additional

decoration. This one is that little bit special because it's been

hand-decorated in colour enamels with a landscape.

A landscape at this side, which could be anywhere, I mean, let's think,

it's somewhere around the corner in Yorkshire.

But when I turn it around, it gets little bit more exciting because

it includes a figure.

And not just any old figure,

because that figure can be identified as a packman.

This is somebody who is travelling on foot between village and town,

and he's carrying whatever wares he wants to sell, on his back,

and it's suspended from a packman's stick.

And if you look very carefully there,

you'll see on his shoulder a curled stick.

Now, the minute I saw this teapot I just had to have it,

because I've never seen a Castleford teapot with a landscape that

incorporates a packman.

I think I ended up paying around about £80 by the time I'd paid my

premium. And I was delighted.

Well, the market for a Castleford tea wares in my part of the world is

a little bit soft at the moment, prices are down.

There was a time I might have had to pay as much as £200,

£250 for that teapot.

I think it's fair to say if you're going to pour tea for anybody,

you might as well do it in style.

This teapot was the state of the art,

and it said more about you than money ever could.

Back to it, we're 35 minutes in, it's 2-1 to the Reds,

who've decided to move outside to find their final item.

What's Kirsty spotted in the distance?

That way. Dog!

-Oh, yeah.

-There.

-Nick...

-It's there.

-There is a concrete dog down here,

I don't know if you want to have a...

-Concrete...?

-Just down, laid down there on the...

-You like that, do you?

-Well, you wanted something funky and quirky,

rustic and for the garden...

Kirsty's wandered off to look at the dog.

Seems the boys are looking at the sack lifter.

I have no idea what it is, but I kind of like it, I'm drawn to it.

It's a bale lifter or something like that?

Is it? A bale lifter!

You could put a tray of plants on it, to sort of cascade over...

-You could put...

-Hey, lads, I thought we were a team!

-I'm down there.

-Sorry.

-What's going on?

-We're looking at this thing here.

-What the heck is that?

-Oh, dear, Kirsty's not impressed.

Hello, sir. Could you tell me what that is, please?

We've got bale lifter as a guess...

No, it's a sack lifter. 18-stone bags.

-So it's a real...

-It's about 134 years old.

I see, so it's from the 19th century.

-Yeah.

-OK.

And it's a real bit of... What you call a rustic bygone, isn't it, really.

-Yeah.

-Agricultural salvage. Is it expensive?

-No.

-How much is it?

-80 quid.

-80 quid.

I thought you said it weren't expensive!

I'll go a bit less. I'll do it for a bit less.

OK. So it's negotiable.

We've got a lot of time left to look,

so what I think we're going to do is we're going to hold that as...

As a kind of a plan B and maybe come back after we've had a bit of a look

-round.

-I'll do a deal on it.

-OK, well, we'll come back and we'll do a deal when we come back,

if that's OK. We'll just have a quick look round.

That's very good of you, though, thank you very much.

- I'll do you a deal on it. - One for consideration -

but something tells me Kirsty's not convinced.

The Blues appear to be sticking to one stall.

Blues, what's item number two going to be?

Have you got any military wristwatches?

Somewhere about... I'm sure...

I've got... I bought these at an auction the other day and I

haven't had a chance to kind of assess them yet or sort them out.

That's a World War I trench watch...

-Yes.

-And a lot of these, you've got to remember, early watches, the money's in the face.

-Yeah.

-You've got to have the right dial and it's got to be in

-good condition.

-That's a Roamer, which is quite a...

Yes. It's quite a well-known brand.

-..a well-known name.

-It has a sort of antique value and a

military value and a watch collector's value as well.

-Yeah.

-It's a nice example.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. What would you be looking to sell it for?

This one here,

I'm going to have to ask for 90.

-What do you think?

-I think that would be one to go for.

-We are all in agreement.

-And that was...

90 would be the death on that, I couldn't go any less.

What about 87, because then if somebody bids 90 we've still made £3 profit.

-I'll go to 87, OK.

-Thank you very much again!

-OK.

-Yes! Two things.

-You're a good man, thanks very much.

-Cheers, thank you very much.

Two down, OK?

-And we haven't moved.

-One to go!

And 20 minutes left.

-We're doing so well!

-Right, I think we should definitely go indoors now, and warm up.

-Let's go inside, it's cold.

-Yes. Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-Well done.

-Thank you, bye.

-Cheers, take care. Bye-bye.

Yes, well done, Blues. Didn't take you quite as long to buy your second item. See if you

can find your third on a different stall.

Kirsty seems keen to show the boys the dog she spotted earlier.

-Is that the dog you saw?

-Yeah, that one.

Well, it looks nicely house-trained, doesn't it?

It's a handsome beast, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-I don't know what breed he is.

Oh, there's some weight to it.

-What's it made of?

-Now,

it's what we call reconstituted stone which is concrete, basically.

-Yeah.

-It's modern... It's the sort of thing you'd buy in a garden centre,

but it's just got that lovely look to it.

-Mm.

-Do you like that, Kirsty?

-Your sort of thing?

-Er, it's a lot better than that piece of

greasy, old machinery you were looking at.

-What?! Bit of garden rust.

-If we get that for the right money,

that's good value, is that.

Anyway... yours is the buckle, yours is the vase.

-The next one's mine.

-Look, he's getting all assertive now.

-Is he often like this?

-Well, we're outside, aren't we?

This is the garden stuff.

I would put that in my garden, but I wouldn't put that...whatever, sack lifter.

Well, the good news is we don't have to put either in YOUR garden...

-No, that's true.

-..we shall be putting it in Yorkshire.

-I think that would be more popular than the...

-They do

-sell up there, don't they?

-Mm.

-You might be winning the boys over, Kirsty.

How much is this, please?

-260.

-260?

-Ahh!

-That's a lot more than we are looking to spend, I'll be honest.

-We haven't got that much.

-I couldn't go below 240.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-I think...

-That's made our decision.

-There's your answer, then, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's a lovely thing, but what we're trying to do today, it's not going to be for us.

-No.

-No.

-Bad luck, Kirsty - the dog's over your budget.

Blues, how are you getting on inside?

I'm told, from a proper man in the know, Seiko,

early Seikos are something to watch.

-OK.

-They really are.

No more watches.

That's you two told!

Reds, how's the hunt for a garden ornament going?

I thought outside there would be an abundance of garden stuff.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yeah.

-I'm struggling to find what you're looking for, really. What are

-your thoughts?

-Er... Well, I'm just sorry that dog wasn't cheaper...

-Yeah, yeah. Well, we can't do anything about that.

-..cos I think he's probably going to go back

-to the sack lifter.

-Well, the sack lifter ticks all the boxes, doesn't it?

-Not for me, but...

-I know it doesn't suit you. We're not buying it -

-we're buying it to sell, aren't we?

-I know...

-I wouldn't put it in my garden, put it that way.

Well, it's not for our garden, it wouldn't suit our garden.

I think it's a gamble worth taking at that point.

-Right.

-But, look, let's walk towards it...

-Let's go and see him.

-Yeah.

-There might be something else on the way.

-OK.

-You might end up with that sack lifter after all, Kirsty.

Blues, any ideas for your final item?

One of the tricks is to look for something on a stall that they wouldn't

normally sell. So, you know, not a bad thing.

-Yeah.

-Why don't you ask them?

-Shall we ask about that?

You can if you want.

Did you get that?

-LAUGHTER

-Yeah.

-Over to the gentleman. Ask the man.

Well, the very best would be 180.

And that would be the very best.

But they are very useful.

People are using them now for logs.

Yeah, log baskets, log burning, yeah.

I think that's a bit steep for us, don't you?

It does sound a lot, really.

I do like it, I like copper.

But I think for our needs today, I think that's a little bit steep.

I'm not sure Sammy would have let you buy it anyway!

Reds, what's it going to be?

Here we are, guys, we are back here, are we going to do this?

I don't know, it's down to the money, really.

But if we don't buy it, what are we going to buy?

I don't know. I mean,

I know it's an adventure and we should be spending it and we should

be doing something with it but we still want to win the Golden Gavel.

I wouldn't worry too much about that.

Let's have a bit of fun, push the boat out,

have a bit of jeopardy in our lives.

What do you think?

-Let's have a word with him, then.

-Yeah.

Here he is. I found him, the star of the moment.

It's down to the price of it.

£60.

We won't be going 60, that's the problem.

-55.

-We are thinking nearer 30.

Oh, no.

-A bit more than that.

-Did you...?

What's the lowest you would go to?

-50.

-What about 45?

45.

-There's a deal.

-I tell you what, because they go up in fives,

can I do 44 with you?

-Go on, then.

-You are a star.

-Thank you.

-£44.

-We don't know, do we?

-That's it, we've bought the third and final thing.

-We're done.

-Thank you, sir.

-What a great thing to finish with.

Well, it's a big piece of kit, isn't it?

So, you can pay the man, someone has to wheel it home.

-Yeah.

-Kirsty...?

Well, the boys think it's a good item.

We'll see who's right at the auction.

Job done, though, Reds.

Blues, with time ticking, it's over to you.

How much do you think, time-wise, you've got?

-15 minutes.

-Nine minutes.

Eight minutes left.

Eight minutes left. Eight minutes left and we don't have an idea.

Bells, the bells. I want to get the bells.

Yeah, we know where they are.

They might not be there any more.

Otherwise, there's a trunk on the same stall which I liked.

Gosh. In eight minutes.

-In eight minutes.

-Walk this way.

-Go, go, go.

Chop, chop, quickly, Blues.

Now it looks like Kirsty is travelling in style.

It is a bit of a bumpy ride, lads.

I didn't think I'd end up having to deliver it myself.

-That's the trouble buying big, heavy things.

-You and your big ideas.

-I know I shouldn't have listened to you.

-I'm carrying the vase next time.

Yeah, you can carry your wife as well.

Put your back into it, boys and put your foot down, Blues.

Here, there. Look... Blue bells.

You'll recognise it when you see it.

Sammy saw this,

-the Victorian bell...

-System.

I think originally you said a price of £120.

-Yeah.

-Could it be 99?

That would really help us.

I'll be honest with you, I'm really struggling on it.

Struggling to sell it?

LAUGHTER

I do want 15.

We've got to make a decision because we're running out of time.

You've got two minutes. This has been scrubbed up considerably.

You can see that. That's the thing that got me, it's not the original...

It's got no patina whatsoever on the wood.

But the glass is original and fine and you've got the bits inside.

-OK.

-Is it 110?

100...

Did you say 110?

There is a minute left, guys.

What about 107?

-I can't do that.

-110, you can do?

115, it's got to be.

-100... No!

-115!

That was not a team decision!

Well done. Down to the wire.

Indecision was getting you all the

way through but you've got to be really pleased.

You've got back here. You got what you wanted, eventually, didn't you?

Yeah. It was the first thing I saw.

-It was, yeah.

-Very good.

Anyway, you should be very pleased.

I like it, I do like it.

KLAXON BLARES

Attention, teams. Your time's up.

Well done, thank you, let's go.

Let's go and lie down in a darkened room.

Let's remind ourselves what the Red team bought.

First up, Kirsty didn't waste any time in finding the silver she

wanted and paid £57 for this buckle.

Next up, they thought that this Devon Fieldings vase was a bargain

and paid £10 for it.

And finally, Mark paid £44 for this agricultural sack lifter.

Kirsty wasn't convinced.

We'll see who was right, at the auction.

Reds, I've got to tell you that you two have brought the term

speed shopping to Bargain Hunt in a different meaning altogether.

Nick, you almost had to rein them in.

I know we are at Wetherby, but they were like thoroughbreds, these two, the way they shot off.

You were very happy with your purchases, it's fair to say.

-Absolutely, yes.

-So much so, I've got to ask you, Kirsty,

what is your favourite piece?

My favourite is the piece that I chose which was the silver belt buckle.

Oh, yes, with the thistles.

-Yes, that's it.

-OK, what about you, Mark?

It was the agricultural sack lifter.

Oh, yes, the thing everybody should have in the corner of their

-drawing room!

-Nobody had a clue how much it was going to cost.

Or how much it was going to make.

But, yeah, that's my favourite.

OK. Well, on the subject of money, Kirsty, what do you think is the,

of the three, is the one item that's going to give you the biggest profit?

-I think it's the vase.

-Oh, the vase.

-I think that's going to be the best.

Right. And what about yourself, Mark?

Yeah, I think the vase is going to make the big money.

Right, OK.

So tell me how much you spent.

£111.

OK, that means you are going to give me £189, yes?

-That's correct, yeah.

-Excellent. Here it comes.

-There you go.

-OK. Thank you very much indeed. Mr Hall...

-Do I get all that?

-Yeah...

-That's a tidy...

-Like the winnings at the Tote, isn't it?

I think with that amount of money,

I'd like to find something with a bit of age and a bit of antiquity.

-That would be nice.

-Yeah, that would be good.

-That would be really good.

-Well,

while Nick goes off to find something with age and antiquity,

let's remind ourselves what the Blue team bought.

They took their time to buy the first item but they settled on this

silver pencil lead holder, £15 paid.

With their eyes on the time,

they paid £87 for this World War I military watch.

And finally, with seconds left,

they bought this Victorian bell box for £115.

Well, Blues, I think fair to say that you probably thought it was easy

just watching it on the telly but when you are in this competition,

it's not quite as easy as it looks, is it?

-Definitely not.

-I have to say, JP,

that my fist was in my mouth with your final buy. What was it,

59 minutes and 30 seconds?

I mean, by the seat of your pants, you two.

Tell me, what is your favourite buy, Simon?

My favourite buy is the last buy, which was the bells.

The servant bells.

I think they were absolutely great and in nice condition.

-Yes.

-I don't think they will definitely make the most money but I

-think they're great.

-OK, what about you, Sammy?

I think my favourite item was the little silver pencil holder.

On that subject,

what do you think is going to be the biggest profit maker of the three?

Possibly the watch.

I think if there's someone there for it, it'll make some good money.

OK. Excellent. What about you, Sammy?

I agree. I think the watch probably is more collectable out of the

-things we bought.

-So, what was the final spend?

£217.

Quite a healthy spend.

So, £83, please.

Thank you. There you go, Jonathan, £83.

Got your eye on anything?

-No.

-No? No! OK.

Haven't got a clue. I'd just like to make a profit and that's what I'll

try to do this time.

So, while Jonathan goes off to find a bonus buy without a clue,

we're going off to the auction.

Well, today, we are in Darlington, at the saleroom of Thomas Watson.

And I'm joined by auctioneer David Elstob.

-David, good to see you.

-Good to see you.

It is good to be here.

Right, starting with the Red team, this is married couple Mark and Kirsty.

First item is a silver belt buckle.

Nice quality. A fairly recent manufacturer, though.

-Is it?

-It is. But it's nice quality, it's very pretty.

It's nice to have the thistles.

-I think it'll do OK.

-What's the estimate?

-40 to 60.

-They paid top end.

They paid £57 for that so it's in with a chance.

-In with a shout.

-The second item is the Fieldings Crown Devon lustre vase.

Nice quality object, would you say?

It's a good factory.

They are up there with Carlton Ware, producing ceramics in the '20s and '30s.

Very nice quality.

The glaze is a little bit scratched on it but it is a very pretty design.

I'm intrigued to know what your valuation is?

I've put 30 to 40 on this.

They paid £10 for it.

That was a seriously good buy.

It was, wasn't it?

And the third item is this amazing contraption.

-Yes.

-How would you describe that?

-Large.

-LAUGHTER

It's a very rare rural bygone.

It's nice and rustic.

Probably not usable but very decorative.

Somebody might use it in their garden.

I think it would make a nice feature.

-You would?

-Yeah.

-So, your estimate?

60 to 90.

OK. They paid £44 for it so they could be on to a bit of an earner there.

There's lot for your money.

That's true. So, when it comes to the bonus buy,

they may or may not need it but let's take a look at it anyway.

So, Mark and Kirsty, you gave Nick £189.

Nick, you said you were going to go

out and seek something with antiquity.

I did, didn't I? Yeah.

I'm going to take you back 200 years to the times of the Napoleonic Wars.

Prisoner of war, straw-work box.

-It's amazing.

-Look at the detail, the workmanship.

This is all coloured straws,

painstakingly pieced together to make that

beautiful, beautiful little artefact.

And that's 200 years old?

-It is.

-It's in perfect condition as well.

It's not quite perfect.

If you look closer, there are minor flaws.

-But I don't mind that.

-No, it shows of age, doesn't it?

It's part of its history.

Its tale, if you like.

-How much did you pay for that, then?

-I gave £80 for it.

-Wow.

-But it's a proper collectable.

It's a proper antique.

-Antique, yeah.

-Yeah.

-What do you think that's going to do?

I've seen them make more. I've seen them make about that.

Remind us how much you paid, Nick.

I gave £80.

-I love it.

-Yeah, it's beautiful.

I mean, that is something so unusual.

We have seen similar things on the TV but I've never seen anything close-up

and that is just so intricate, it's just beautiful.

Remember, you don't have to make your decision now.

Once you've your three items, then it's make your mind up time.

But in the meantime,

let's find out what the auctioneer

had to say about Nick's Napoleonic straw-work box.

So, David, would you like to explain what we're looking at?

We're looking at a beautiful prisoner-of-war straw-work box from the early

19th-century, retaining some beautiful vivid colours here.

-It's fabulous.

-So, we're talking sort of Napoleonic period?

-That period, exactly.

-What is the market like these days for

-prisoner-of-war work?

-It's a while since I've sold a piece.

But it's in nice condition, so I think someone might come out of the woodwork for

-this one.

-OK. What sort of money are you looking at, then?

50 to 70.

They paid 80 for it.

We will have to wait and see if they go for it.

Meanwhile, let's take a look at the Blue team.

Sammy and her father Simon.

Their first item up is the pencil lead holder.

It's a lovely little thing, bears a Chester hallmark 1900.

It's a lovely little container, really,

where you'd keep your leads in for your pencils.

It's in nice condition.

-So, estimate?

-30 to 40.

-They paid £15 for that.

-I think they've done very well.

-You do?

-I do.

-OK.

Second item is the wristwatch.

Now, they both think this is going to give them the biggest profit.

What are your thoughts, David?

It's not great. Unfortunately,

it does have the second hand missing from the dial.

The case is a little bit bruised, as you'd expect.

It is collectable but I just wish it was in slightly better condition.

-What's your estimate?

-30 to 40.

Whoa.

They paid £87 for it.

Really? OK. Might have to take a little bit of pain on that one.

Yeah. And the final item, these wonderful kitchen bells.

Bell boxes, we tend to call them.

Bell box, right.

-OK.

-This one is largely intact.

Often they're in a sorry state. This one's good.

-People buy them, what, just purely decorative?

-Decoration.

They look the part in a Victorian house.

What sort of estimate are we looking at?

I've put 40 to 80 on it.

We've had a lot of presale interest.

-Have you?

-So I'm expecting it to do well.

They are going to need a lot of presale interest because they paid

-£115 for it.

-Well, fingers crossed.

Fingers crossed. So,

it strikes me that the Blues may well need their bonus buy.

Either way, let's find out what it is.

So, Sammy and Simon, how are we feeling?

-Positive.

-Yes, excited and nervous.

Positive excitement!

You gave JP, there, £83 to go and spend and you said you were going to

look for quality, Jonathan?

Yes. I did.

-Very good.

-Little piece of silver, very nice quality,

it's late 19th century.

It's very sort of classically inspired with these two winged...

playing musical instruments and what I love about it,

you've got a little frog dancing down there at the bottom.

-Do we like that?

-Yeah, I really like it.

-I like that. I think you've done very well.

Little fairies and things on it, it is quite, like, magical.

Yeah. It is that sort of, yes, a fantasy sort of thing.

-Yes.

-It's just nice quality and nice weight as well.

-How much was it?

-I paid £55 for it.

-Yeah, that's really good. It's a bargain.

-I think you've done very well.

-There are people who collect these sorts of things and they would pay

something more than I paid for it. I don't think it's going to run away massively but again,

I think there's a sure-fire profit in it.

Yeah. I really like that.

You don't have to make your minds up now.

You sell your first three items...

-For a profit!

-OK.

In the meantime, let's find out what the auctioneer had to say about JP's

silver bonbon dish.

So, there we go.

It's worth picking up because it's quite weighty.

It is a heavy gauge.

Usually, these are quite a thin gauge of silver but this one is

-really nice and thick.

-And quite a nice hallmark, what is that telling you?

A nice well struck mark for London, 1896.

So, definitely an antique?

So, what sort of an estimate?

50 to 70.

OK. Jonathan paid £55 for that so that was quite a canny buy.

Yes, I think he's in with a chance on that one.

So, who's going to be up at the rostrum today doing the auction?

-That will be me.

-Good news.

So, as they say, cometh the auction, let's hope, cometh the buyers.

First time at an auction?

No, we came to an auction just before we were married but we bought dross so...

-I hope that's not...

-OK.

Your first item is the silver buckle with the thistles.

You've paid £57 for it.

-Your favourite, Kirsty.

-Yes, it is.

Anyway, it's coming up now.

337, Scottish silver two-piece buckle with a thistle design.

It's quite a recent hallmark.

A pretty thing. I'll start you at £30.

30 I'm bid, the buckle.

30, I'm bid. I'll take 35.

-Come on.

-35. 40. 45 on the gallery.

45 on the gallery.

Gentleman's bid in the room at 45, to see 50, surely.

45 bid it is, then, at 45, are we all done and finished?

-It weighs a tonne!

-At £45, all done.

Oh.

£45.

OK. So, you paid 57 for it, it just sold for 45.

-Yeah.

-Minus 12.

I think it did deserve to do better.

We thought about £60.

Well, you did your best. Anyway, the next one coming up is your Fieldings lustre vase.

You think this is going to give you the biggest profit, don't you?

Listen, you only paid £10 for it.

Let's see how we go, it's coming up now.

Lot 340.

A nice piece of 1930s pottery, Crown Devon Fieldings vase.

I'll start you at £25.

25 bid.

25, to see 30.

30 bid. £30 bid in the room, with 30, do I see five?

That is more like it.

One bid in the room, I'm going to sell at £30.

Are we all done? At 30.

30 is all right.

-It's a good profit.

-OK,

so that's given you a £20 profit which takes you to plus £8.

OK. Your next item is your sack carrier.

OK? You paid £44 for it.

You get a lot for your money, don't you?

Come on, this is going to make money, this.

If you are into engineering, this is for you, isn't it, big-time?

Either way, it is coming up now.

Lot 343, an EJ Tong & Sons vintage sack barrow lifter.

Very interesting thing, this, nice piece of engineering.

I'll start you with interest at £45.

-Oh!

-Profit!

45, I'm bid, the sack barrow, 45, to see 50.

50 bid online.

55 bid with me.

At 55, do I see 60?

At £55, 60 online.

60 online, I'll take 65 next.

It's £60 on the internet, then, fair warning.

Are we all done at £60?

-Yes.

-£60.

That's given you a profit there of £16.

That's taken us nicely to a plus £24.

You've got now to make your decision about your bonus buy.

Remember, Nick paid £80 for it.

How are you going to play this?

-Will we risk your profit?

-No,

if we were higher profit

we could afford to lose a bit but...

But he did well on the vase.

Yes, he did, but it means he's done it once and will he do it again?

-The vase was cheap.

-Right.

-I'm not going to go with it.

-OK.

So, that's a joint decision, Kirsty?

Yeah. OK. All right.

So you are going to give it a miss.

-Yeah.

-It is coming up now.

349. One of the best lots of the sale really.

It's a POW straw-work box.

Lovely, vivid colours inside it. Early 19th-century.

I'll start you with interest at £35.

35, I'm bid.

35, I'll take 40.

At £35, £40, I'll take 35, 40.

Five. 45 bid.

50 bid.

50 bid it is. At 50 bid, I'll take five.

At £50 bid, are we all done and finished?

At £50, I'm going to sell.

At £50. All done.

Right. Well, that sold for 50.

It did deserve to do better.

-It really did.

-It was the right move for you to make.

You are going in there with a plus £24 profit.

All right. So you've got a lot to smile about but you are not allowed

to say a word to the Blues.

Not a word.

Do you come to lots of auctions?

-We've done a few, yeah.

-We've done a few.

OK. So you have an idea how it all works, then.

Anyway, your first item is coming up.

It's your Chester silver pencil lead holder.

You paid £15 for it.

Let's see if there is a profit to be had.

-Coming up now.

-365, pretty little piece of Chester silver,

it's a pencil lead holder.

Hallmarked for 1900.

I'll start you at £20.

£20, I'm bid.

-Oh!

-I'll take 25.

At £20, I'm bid, any interest at 25?

-25 in the room.

-25.

Gentleman's bid at 25.

I'll take 30 next.

At £25, 30 anywhere?

At 25, then, fair warning, I'm selling at 25.

25.

Well, you paid 15 for it.

Plus ten.

Always nice to start off with a plus.

Your next item is your watch and both think it is going to be the

biggest profit. You paid £87 for it.

And it's coming up now.

368.

World War I military silver watch.

I'll start you with interest at £25.

25, I'm bid.

30, I'll take next.

30. 35. 40. 45. 45 in the room.

45. 50, I'll take next.

50 online. I'll take five next.

-50.

-The room's clear.

-It's an online bid, then.

-£50, I'm selling.

At £50.

Oh! Sorry to say, that's a minus £37.

It leaves you with a rolling total of minus 27.

So the next item is your late-Victorian bell box system.

You like this one, Simon, it's your favourite?

-Yeah.

-You paid £115 for it and it's coming up now.

We are inundated with commission bids on this one.

There's been a lot of interest.

I'm going to have to start you at £200.

-ALL EXCLAIM

-200, I'm bid on commission.

200 I'm bid. I'll take 220.

200 bid, 220, 240.

At 240. 260. 300. 320. 340.

At 340 bid, my book's out, it's your bid, sir, at 340.

Are you all done and finished, then?

I'm selling at 340.

£340!

So, you just made £225 profit.

-Bonus buy.

-We love it.

-We love it.

-Whatever happens, we love it.

It's fine, we can't make a loss now, can we?

You can't, no, you're going to win, I'm sure.

-You are both agreed?

-Absolutely.

-OK, well, it's coming up now.

377 is a late-Victorian silver bonbon dish.

London hallmark - 1896.

It's a nice heavy gauge of silver.

I'll start you with interest at 40 bid.

45 and 50.

Five bid. Up on the gallery at 55.

I'll take 60 next.

At 55, then, lady's bid it is. I'm going to sell.

At £55. All done.

55. Well, it didn't make a jot of difference.

-No.

-Broke even at 55.

I thought it was going to do a bit better than that, JP.

I did think so, too.

So, you're going in with a rolling profit of £198.

-Not a word to the Reds.

-Absolutely not.

Well, the good news, teams, is that you are both in profit.

CHEERING

Which is good to know, isn't it?

So, let me get straight to the point.

The runners-up with a £24 profit - is the Red team.

CHEERING AND LAUGHTER

The Red team. You made a credible £24.

But the Blue team,

I'm never going to look at a bell box the same way

because you paid, what,

£115 for that thing?

And I'm thinking,

"That could have come a cropper."

But instead, it sold for how much?

£340.

ALL EXCLAIM

£340.

-Amazing.

-Well done, guys.

-Very good.

-So, a plus of £24.

-Yes. Thank you.

Which... Much less than that has been a winner before today on this programme,

-so take that as some consolation.

-Thank you.

If I can heave out £198.

-There we go.

-Thank you.

-That's amazing.

-I tell you, it's been a roller-coaster of a ride.

-Have we enjoyed ourselves?

-Yes, we have.

-Absolutely.

Brilliant, absolutely fantastic.

But that's it for now.

In the meantime, you can catch us on our website or there again,

you can follow us on Twitter.

But, better still, join us next time for more Bargain Hunting, yes?

ALL: Yes!