Newmarket 19 Bargain Hunt

Hello, everyone! I'm heading to the front line

for today's Bargain Hunt battle!

Now, the Red and Blue teams will be fighting it out

in two antique centres

in the Hertfordshire town of Sawbridgeworth.

So let's gather up the troops

and head for the battlefield!

Let's go Bargain Hunting!

The people of Hertfordshire have seen their fair share of conflict

over the centuries.

The county played a key role in protecting London

during the Civil War.

And, more recently, the town of Sawbridgeworth

was the location of a Royal Air Force Station.

Today, it's home to a battle of a different kind.

One between our two Bargain Hunting teams

who have two antiques centres to choose from.

And remember, they have £300 and just one hour

in which to buy three items to take off to auction,

and hopefully make a profit.

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

The Reds have trouble with their expert.

Let's move on. I'm going to say no.

Looks like it's going to be of lowish value.

The Blues practise their bowling technique.

-Sharon plays bowls.

-Do you?

But which team will be in with a sporting chance at today's auction?

-The Reds?

-Is that the sound of profit?

-Yes, I'm afraid it is.

-Or The Blues?

Wonderful Bargain Hunters, you two!

And I'm back in my tank.

-Do I fire the gun?

-You do!

But that's all for later.

Now, let's meet today's teams.

And today, we have two married couples!

For the Red team, we have Alan and Janet!

And for the Blues, Sharon and Michael!

-Hello, everyone! ALL:

-Hello!

Gosh! That was a resounding sound of enthusiasm

of what's about to come up!

Now, how did you two meet? You met at school, didn't you?

We did. In the sixth form.

In the sixth form?

Yes, I was put in Mr Evans' history class and Mr Evans said,

"Come in, Jenkins, you better go and sit over there next to Janet."

-And that was it.

-Oh, wonderful!

And who was it that decided you wanted to come on the show?

-Him.

-Well, definitely him, was it?

-Yeah, definitely him!

-Me, yeah.

In fact, I wasn't told about it until the last minute.

-Until we got the call.

-Had you started worrying about that?

-Or were you thrilled?

-No, I was excited!

Do you watch it quite a lot, then?

Yeah! We slob out in front of the television.

-Slob out?!

-Yeah, absolutely!

Cos we're working so hard and we get home at lunch time,

you know, bang on Bargain Hunt

whilst munching through the sandwiches.

And usually think we could do better than anybody else, of course.

-And I'm sure you'll do better than anybody else!

-I doubt it.

THEY LAUGH

Now, talking about work, you are a Methodist minister?

I'm a Superintendent Methodist Minister.

Explain what that is.

Think bishop, but without the pointy hat and the stick.

So are you in charge of several churches?

Yeah. I'm in charge, actually, at the moment,

of the Colchester circuit of Methodist Churches.

-And you're the same, aren't you Janet?

-Yes!

-But I'm a deacon, which means I'm more of a community minister.

-Right.

So, although I'm based in church,

I also work with the homeless.

Oh, gosh! That keeps you busy.

-Yeah!

-And what about love of antiques?

Oh, I'm very fond of anything Scandinavian,

because my grandfather was Danish.

Right. So... And I think their style is particularly nice.

Well, I like treen. Anything...

-Do you?

-And, you know, stylish silver.

Stylish silver. Yes! And you're going to spend lots of money?

Or are you just going to miserably spend a tenner or something?

No, no, not a tenner.

But I want a good deal, that's the point.

She does the wheeling-dealing.

Oh, I see, you step aside, do you, at that moment?

I do. If I wanted something, and they said it was,

I don't know, 50 quid. I'd probably offer them 60.

Janet would say, "35, or we're walking away."

-Yeah, that sort of thing.

-Anyway, have a good shop.

And most of all, enjoy it!

Now Sharon and Michael, you also met

while one of you was still at school.

-Me.

-Yeah.

Well, I'd finished school,

but I used to collect Sharon from school in my MGB.

What?

You had a boyfriend with an MGB when you were at school?

-I know, I know. I was very lucky.

-It was an old one.

It doesn't matter how old it was, I mean...

Well, it saved me walking the mile and a half home.

Carrying my school books.

Your friends must've been so jealous.

Well, yeah. Because it was a two-seater,

they couldn't get a lift.

And who was it that wanted to go on the show?

-Me.

-Sharon.

-Really?

You do surprise me, Sharon.

She's very shy.

And, Michael, you're retired now, aren't you?

I am at the moment, yes.

Now, you spent your life in fashion, didn't you?

I did, yes.

-Men's? Ladies'?

-Both, at the end, but originally men's fashion.

Yeah. What was the most exciting time?

I would say when the mods were around was the most exciting, yeah,

it was fun.

Now, Sharon, you've been on TV before, haven't you?

I got a job as a milk lady on EastEnders.

-The milk lady on EastEnders...

-I drove a milk float!

That's fantastic!

Are they difficult to drive?

Not terribly hard, but you've got that pedal you've got to...

Do that again for me, please.

Lovely. I love your action.

So, are you a bit of a TV star, then?

In the family, they think I am.

But not to anyone else.

Now what about tactics. Spend big?

I don't want to spend big. I want to slash those prices.

I just want to get into those places and slash the prices

and come out with bargains and sell at a great profit.

You sound rather frightening to me.

But I think we should have a look,

we can't decide to go...

Yeah, it's all about talking and seeing...

Suck it and see. I'm going to give you some money.

Oh! They're my favourite words!

£300!

-Thank you.

-£300...

For you! Thank you. Have a great shop!

Well, there we have it. The ministers versus the milk lady!

An intriguing competition, but who will win?

So all our teams need now are, of course, their experts.

Hoping to be music to the Reds' ears, it's Colin Young.

And at the wheel with the Blues, it's Jonathan Pratt.

Janet, Alan, great to see you.

Anything in particular that we're looking for?

Something really stylish, maybe Danish.

So, Blues, do you know what you want to buy this morning?

We're pretty open-minded.

But some silver would be nice.

Alan, what's your forte?

Treen, I think, Colin.

I'm open-minded, but I'm definitely going to cut prices.

CLOCK CHIMES

Right, teams, your time starts now!

Let's see what there is.

Let's go and have a look, there's lots to see. Come on.

Today's teams have opted to start their shopping

in separate antiques centres.

Crammed, isn't it?

Yes, it's difficult to see anything, there's so much stuff round.

Well, peel your eyes, the hour soon flies!

There's lots of stuff in here.

I mean, you can just see already, it's interesting.

Some interesting bits.

Kitchen utensils.

There is a chess set. May I?

Looks like it's going to be a lowish value, from the box.

-OK, fair enough.

-Yeah.

Colin's quickly vetoed that idea!

But there's still all to play for.

The Reds have a taste for Danish, and the Blues want to slash prices.

What about that pepper pot?

Yes, it's a pepper pot. You want to buy something that people will use.

But there's going to be loads of other things here.

So, I mean, don't buy the first thing you see.

-No.

-But just, you know, have a wander around.

So, still no clear buying strategy from the Blues.

And it looks like Alan's found something else

to test Colin's expertise.

Is that a Vesta case here with the matchbox?

I wouldn't call it a true Vesta case.

That one's actually a matchbox sleeve.

-Yeah.

-So if you think of the old little matchboxes,

you would be able to just glide that in there.

You've got a recess on there,

so you'd be able to strike away on the side of the actual box.

But it makes it look very posh, rather than a piece of cardboard!

You're just not going to get any sort of money out of that.

-Not a lot in there, then.

-But well spotted.

Thank you.

Good try, Alan! Colin's a hard man to please.

Now, over in the Blue team, something's got Sharon very excited.

It's not expensive. It's a little bit blingy, and it's got a purpose.

-It's a magnifying glass.

-It's not going to go anywhere.

Can you see yourself sitting down doing the crossword...?

-I personally wouldn't wear it.

-Well, there we are, you see!

Yeah, but somebody might! If we could get it for four or five.

But you won't sell it for anything.

All right. Advice taken and taken it on board!

-Yeah.

-Let's keep looking.

Keep looking, all right.

I love your enthusiasm, Sharon!

But Michael's got a point.

Onwards, team! Now, Reds, does this count as treen?

That's quite an interesting spirit barrel.

It is actually coopered in oak

and it's got a silver-plated banding around it,

spout on the front.

It has a certain 1970s cachet to me, if you know what I mean.

That one's a little bit earlier.

Got that sort of more 1950s look.

You know, ultimately, it's a nice little thing.

If you're going for one cheap lot within everything,

that's probably worth a go.

-Yeah.

-You would have thought.

I'm happy with that.

But I wouldn't invest all your money yet,

just in case that one thing is there that we want.

We'll remember where it is, top floor.

Then you can run upstairs for it later!

Oh!

So, a potential buy, but Colin's still not keen for them to commit.

It's been a slow start for our teams.

Could that be about to change?

What's that plate at the back there?

Lucy Mabel Atwell.

Yeah, Mabel Lucy Atwell.

Mabel Lucy. I always get it the wrong way round.

It's £48, and it's a little boy.

-He's crying.

-Oh, that's sad, isn't it?

No, we don't want to buy the boy that's crying.

We're not going to buy anything that's crying, no.

No, we don't want tears!

But if we don't get a buy soon, we might just have some!

Reds, what's next?

More importantly, will Colin let you buy it?

There's this Chinese silk panel here, Colin.

What's your thoughts on that?

Well, it's a good decorative lot.

Lovely colours. Blue silk really does bring out those figures

in the pinks and the oranges and the browns.

-There's a lot going on.

-Early piece?

You really are looking at early 20th century.

-OK.

-You know, may even be as late as, I don't know, '30s,

-something like that.

-So made for the tourist market, really?

Very much for the tourist market.

But it works, caught our eye, didn't it?

Well, yeah, true.

So very much to European tastes, even though very, very Chinese.

Priced at £24.

-It doesn't seem too bad.

-Is there money in it?

If you can buy it for £10, £15, yeah,

there's always going to be a profit in it.

OK, banker item, then.

-But you've got to get it there.

-OK.

Not going for it, Reds?

Maybe something for the back burner.

So we're ten minutes in, and not a buy in sight.

Although Sharon's working jolly hard to find one!

I actually quite like these.

-Yeah, I can see.

-It says here Murano.

But I can't see it on the underneath.

Well, the thing is, Murano doesn't really mark,

there's normally this little label on,

little sort of shiny label for Murano.

I'm not going to... I wouldn't recommend them.

And that's another no.

Poor Sharon! Come on, Michael, get stuck in!

The Reds seem to be drawn to oriental items today.

Could this vase be their first buy?

Chinese pot.

-English.

-Really?

-Yeah, but done in an oriental style.

Obviously, you thought, "That's Chinese."

-Yeah.

-What's the first thing that you see on that, Janet?

The dark background, which I don't like.

OK. The first thing I see on it is all that restoration at the top.

-Yeah.

-There you go, look at that.

Really good restoration on it.

But lo and behold, the very first thing I look at is,

-"Oh, dear, there's a problem."

-Yeah.

-Let's move on.

-Yeah, OK.

It's a nice tip, Colin, but it's not the only problem.

No-one's bought a thing! Sharon's trying her very best, though.

It says bronze on there.

And it's only £2.

It's 1940s, just post-war.

The neck's been damaged, it's got a dent on the side.

Sharon, you're picking out the most unusual things.

-Yes.

-Maybe you should take over, Michael!

We should carry on walking.

-We should.

-But I'm going to point out things as we go along.

-All right.

-Might be wise, JP.

Now, I'm not sure what the Reds have found.

Is that a conductor's baton there, or some sort of...?

I have no idea what it is.

But what's it for, what's it made of?

-Could be the end of a pipe.

-A pipe?

Oh, yes! To have a cheroot or something in it.

-Could be.

-Not worth looking at, though?

I'm going to say no because if we haven't got a clue

what the heck it is,

then there's every chance nobody is going to at the auction.

That's why I thought perhaps move on.

Yes, move on.

Blues, has your luck improved?

There's a lot of writing on that bit of paper.

I can't actually read it.

It's £189 for starters. It's Birmingham hallmarked, 1904.

So it's an Edwardian silver and enamel dressing table set.

But they're not all the rage right now.

-They don't really sell well?

-And to go from £189 to get it to, I mean...

The realms of 50 quid, I think.

Yeah.

-Lower?

-Possibly, yeah!

That would involve some serious negotiating!

But so far, we haven't had a whiff of that.

Now, could Janet have found the Holy Grail?

What about this? It caught my eye.

What caught your eye about it?

-I think it's the colours.

-OK. Standard blue-and-white,

it's a design called the onion pattern.

And this is actually dating, I guess, from early 20th century.

But the one thing we notice is...

-A chip!

-Well done.

Always got to look on the back.

Not necessarily for the maker, but certainly for some damage.

-Yeah. Shame.

-So I think that's going to be a no-buy for us, I'm afraid.

Oh, dear! And just when my hopes were up!

At this rate, our teams won't be taking anything to auction.

It's time for a reality check.

-Michael.

-Yes.

-Sharon.

We have had already 20 minutes.

And we've not found anything.

I think, as we wander round, we'll find the objects and you never know,

you might find two in one go.

I thought I'd be better at this, I really did.

You're doing just fine. You're doing just fine.

Oh, chin up, Sharon!

Reds, maybe this plate will be in better condition.

That's a good old antique there,

Flight Barr & Barr, Worcester platter.

-Circa 1820.

-What are we looking at?

Well, there's a piece of Worcester at the bottom there.

A bit of porcelain. And nicely decorated.

Priced at £70.

Porcelain's not my thing, but if you think it's a good thing,

then it's worth looking at, isn't it?

-Well, we'll come back to it.

-OK.

-We'll come back to it.

You lead the way.

At this stage, Alan, it may be worth considering.

That clock is ticking, and you're all still empty-handed.

Could the upstairs deliver that prized first buy?

Antique warming pan.

They've got the price right, just about.

-14 quid.

-Yeah. And they're worth a tenner!

-Right!

-Well, you could work on the price, Blues!

Now, has Colin spotted something he'll finally let the Reds buy?

That's actually a miniature Gladstone bag.

-Yeah.

-That's priced at £45.

-Shall we have a look at it?

-Let's have a look at that, then.

Nick's on hand to open up the cabinet.

Who wants to go first?

It's quite attractive, isn't it?

It would be good for pills, wouldn't it?

-Of course!

-And being a Gladstone bag,

don't you think that might be what it's meant to be!

I think you've actually... I shall leave now!

-What's the best you can do, Nick?

-NICK:

-The dealer will do 40.

Could you go down to 35?

I'm sorry, but the very best we can do is the £40.

Well, we need to get something, don't we?

We need to get something in the bag, don't we?

-Yes, we do.

-Go on, then.

-So I think we will.

OK. 40, go for it.

-And we will polish it!

-Thank you very much.

Hurrah!

A team has finally bought something.

In just over 30 minutes, the Reds have item number one.

And has Janet got an idea for item number two?

I'd quite like to have another look at that porcelain.

It's playing on my mind.

-OK.

-I quite liked it.

You were vaguely drawn to it?

-I was!

-Over in the other antiques centre,

are the Blues having better luck?

It's a trophy of some sort.

It's a drinking vase...

It's basically a metalwork vase and glass.

It's copying sort of the Viennese style, the secessionist style,

late 19th century, which sort of WMF, you know,

they would have been making.

But it's not very old.

Goodbye, glass vase.

Deep breaths, Sharon. Need I ask how it's going, JP?

I know full well they will buy three items before the hour's out,

because I'll make sure they do it.

Quite whether we'll be happy with them

and stand any chance of making any money out of them

is another matter!

That's what we like to hear, eternal optimism!

Now, Reds, what about that Worcester porcelain plate?

What do you think to that, then?

Yeah, it's a proper antique, that, isn't it, Colin?

Well, you're probably looking anywhere between sort of 1810, 1820,

that sort of period, for this.

Impressed mark on there, FBB.

That's the Worcester factory from probably about, I suppose,

1815, 1820, that sort of period.

I saw the label on it, and it's marked at £70.

-Yeah.

-And I'll be honest with you,

I'd want to be buying it for 40 or 50.

-NICK:

-I can phone, I can ask.

-Yeah.

-We can go from there.

Fingers crossed, Nick comes back with the price they want.

I think it's an attractive piece.

-I like it for the age.

-What's the verdict, then?

He said he can go down as low as 50.

-Oh.

-Oh, not bad.

I think that's worth a punt.

-Do you want to go for it?

-I think we go for it for 50.

-Shake the man's hand.

-Excellent. Thank you very much.

I'll let you shake hands.

So a second item bagged in just under 40 minutes.

The Blues, though, are trailing badly.

They're still empty-handed.

So could these lawn bowls give them a sporting chance?

It's not a whole set, is it?

No, it's four altogether.

It's four bowls, one bag. What are they made of?

I don't think they're wood, are they?

They've got almost like a lacquered finish.

Yeah, but they're more modern,

because old ones would have been wood.

The old ones, you get these really dense woods, like, you know,

-ebony and lignum.

-Sharon plays bowls.

-Do you?

-She does.

I'm not going to bowl it, because I'd break something,

but that's how you do it.

And you let go, and then bring your arm up.

Nice technique, Sharon!

-They're £25.

-They are £25.

So you play bowls?

Yes. £50 each, you'd be paying.

-Are they?

-Yes.

-OK.

-What do you think?

Yeah, they're good.

Go for it.

-She's found something!

-Oh, I feel really positive!

Your perseverance has paid off, Sharon!

Go and find the lady downstairs - I think she's Jo -

and Michael and I can have a quick look.

We can just carry on.

-You've got rid of me, yay!

-Just carry on shopping.

Let's hope that we've got one under the belt, because...

-Hopefully.

-Frankly, we can't do with...

We've got 20 minutes or whatever, 25 minutes.

So we're going to have to buy this one.

Well, I think we're all relieved they finally found something.

So while Sharon goes off to negotiate on the £25 ticket price,

the Reds have found some art.

I don't remember that being on their shopping list!

I know it sounds weird, I recognise the bloke in that painting,

-I can't think why.

-Can you? Really?

Uncanny!

No, I'm not sure who it is.

-It's all vaguely familiar!

-Now, the bowls.

Well, this looks promising, Sharon has a beaming smile on her face!

-Found anything yet, boys?

-Oh! So what have you done?

I got them for 15 quid.

Excellent. That's one down, and there's about 25 minutes to go.

-Right.

-Let's pop that down...

-Yeah.

-..and carry on looking.

-OK.

-Brilliant.

-See you in a minute, guys!

Good for you, Sharon!

But no slacking, Blues.

You've got under 20 minutes now to find two more items.

The Reds still need a third purchase.

But still no sign of that treen or Danish collectable they were after.

-Colin?

-Yes?

-What do you think about Arts and Crafts?

Oh, I like my Arts and Crafts.

It's a cigarette box, it's very, very plain, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Just not stylised enough, I think, to excite everybody.

-OK.

-Let's have a look at the price.

£26, so it's priced for what it's worth.

OK. Yeah, no worries.

Right, moving on, then.

I've lost count of all the items you've looked at, Reds!

Now it looks like Michael has found something interesting.

But will Sharon give it the thumbs up?

Michael's spotted something.

There's a petrol can fitted as a light.

Oh, my God! Definitely.

-Do you like it?

-Yeah. Yeah. But it's got to be the right price.

If you can get that down to half price, you go for it, don't you?

I mean, it's kind of fun, isn't it?

Somebody's actually worked on this to make it a light.

-Yeah, they've made it into a lamp.

-But what do we want to pay for it?

Well, Michael says he'd like it for 40.

You work your magic and get as close as you can.

OK, I'll go and talk to the lady. Don't you worry.

We're not worried, Sharon, but Joe from the antiques centre

might be when you try to get a 50% reduction off this petrol can lamp.

-Ta-dah!

-This one here, the old petroleum can?

Yeah. It's got an £80 price ticket.

I think the best price I could do on that would be £60.

It's more than we wanted.

-It's definitely a lot more. 50?

-..but it's not bad.

-45?

-It depends.

Is there anything else that interests you?

-Because this is my stall.

-Have you seen anything while I was away?

We quite like this. It's seen better days, but...

-It's got a good bit of provenance, that.

-Ah, I love that word!

It came from Standen Hall in Clitheroe,

and it would have been a fountain at one point.

OK. Well, look, it's 65. I don't think we should pay much more

than 25 or 30.

Could you do the two for 80, which would make them 40 each?

For you, I'll do you 85.

It's a deal.

-Is that a deal?

-A deal?

-OK, then we're done.

-Should we shake?

-Yeah.

You've got a deal. Excellent. High five.

Very, very good.

I think we've pretty much stolen victory

from the jaws of defeat there.

In ten minutes, you worked magic.

-Well done.

-Lucky.

Well done you for turning this corner.

Exactly. Well done, you two. Excellent, let's go. Come on.

Wow, from nowhere, the Blues have finished with a garden statue

for £40 and a petrol can lamp for £45.

With just over ten minutes left, you still need one more item, Reds.

So, what's the plan?

Do you think we should go back and look at the silk?

-Why not?

-Shall we?

-Let's go and find it, if we can remember where it is.

We haven't really seen... I think it's the next floor down.

Silk hangings, here we come.

Now, the one with the blue ground you said was better than the one

with the green. Would you say?

I would. I mean, if you could buy them as a pair...

And we could get a good deal?

Yeah, if you can get plenty knocked off.

-That's worth having a go for.

-That's worth having a go for.

-They're both priced at £24.

-So if we can get the pair for 30...

-Call it 25. That's 50, 48.

-Yeah, or less.

-Or less.

-30 or less.

-We might.

-Try and put an offer in for...

-..say £25 for the pair.

-Right.

That's nearly a buy-one-get-one-free deal!

It could be a bit cheeky, Reds.

-The news is in.

-Go on, then.

-Go on.

-Do you want good news or bad news?

-Bad news.

-The bad news is that there isn't any good news.

-Oh.

-Oh, OK.

-They can knock 20% off.

So that means you're either going to go for the pair of them

or just stick with your blue one and know that you're going to get 20%

off 24. Do you want to go with it if we can get it in that ballpark?

-Yeah.

-You lead the way.

-We need your smile again.

-We're running out of time!

So, 20% off 24 is, by my reckoning, £4.80.

We're going to go for one of them.

-You did say there's wriggle room, around 20%.

-20% indeed.

So does £15 sound any good for a deal?

-Nice try, Colin, but that's closer to 40%.

-Go on, please!

-How much, 24?

-Yeah.

-You know you want to.

-He does, doesn't he?

-You can just tell. He does.

-Please!

-All right.

-£15 is done. Thank you very much.

You got there in the end, Reds.

-Well done, team.

-Thank you.

-The finish line is there.

-Don't I get a hug?

-OK.

I'm indiscriminate.

Right, teams. Your time is up.

Let's check out just what the Red team have bought.

It took them over half an hour

to buy this miniature silver

Gladstone bag for £40.

Just minutes later,

they agreed a deal on this Worcester

porcelain platter for £50.

And finally, with two minutes

to spare, they settled on this

Chinese silk for £15.

Alan and Janet, it went down to the wire, didn't it?

-Have you had a good time?

-Yeah!

-What's your favourite item?

The little silver Gladstone bag, Charlie.

Yes, it's pretty, isn't it? Your favourite?

I think it was the porcelain plate.

-And then it all got a bit panicky?

-Yes, it did a bit.

You ended up spending £15 on a Chinese wall hanging.

So, what's going to make the biggest profit?

Funnily enough, if it sells, probably that,

because we spent so little on it.

I don't know, because I think I got quite a good deal on the porcelain.

You spent 105, which must mean you've got £195 left over.

That is a deuce of a lot of money to give to a man like this.

What IS he going to do with it? Colin?

Well, I'm going to try and invest it well.

If I can spend a good chunk of it, that would be in the spirit

of the show and the spirit of the team.

So, while Colin goes off to demonstrate the spirit of the show

and the spirit of the team,

we will check out what the Blue team have brought.

Just when I started to give up

on them buying anything at all,

the Blues knocked out a £15 deal

on this set of bowls.

Then there was no stopping them.

Next, they paid £40

for this cherub fountain.

And, finally, this novelty lamp,

converted from a petrol can,

bought for £45.

Sharon and Michael, not a bad spend, was it?

-£100?

-I think we did really well, actually.

Sharon, what's your favourite item?

-The lamp.

-Mike?

-I agree with that.

So two for the lamp.

-The biggest profit?

-I think from the lamp.

-The lamp?

-I'm going to go with the garden ornament.

Well, you spent 100. So, somewhere, you must have £200 on you.

-Yes.

-Hand it over.

-It's not me.

-Really? Are you sure you didn't...?

Come on, you two! Honestly! Is it your influence that has done this?

-Not at all, no.

-There we go. What are you going to do with that?

Well, Sharon's handled at least 100 items today,

so I'm going to probably go back and have a look at one of those.

So while Jonathan goes off to spend money on 100 different objects,

I'm off to drive a tank.

Extraordinary!

I've come east to the Norfolk Tank Museum to find out why one man

has made tank-collecting a lifelong passion.

The history of the tank goes back to the First World War.

It was designed to break through barbed wire and end the stalemate of

trench warfare on the Western Front.

Initially, the caterpillar-wheeled armoured vehicles were crude

and unreliable, but by September 1916, the tank was deemed

mechanically fit for action, and it made its debut

in the first Battle of the Somme. The museum is a homage to the tank

and is the life's work of 50-year-old

collector and agricultural engineer Stephen McKay.

So, Stephen, what got you into collecting tanks?

My nanny found my grandfather's webbing belt and holster,

which he'd had from the Home Guard when he was in the Second World War,

and gave it to me when I was eight or nine years old.

I was fascinated by it.

I started collecting bits of memorabilia from car-boot sales,

and it just led from there.

It kicked off Stephen's passion for militaria and, by the age of 25,

he'd moved onto the big stuff - tanks.

This 1959 Saladin armoured scout car was his first collector's piece.

It took him 18 months to restore and get into working order.

How did you go about buying your first tank?

Well, the days before the internet

there was a magazine called Windowscreen,

where other collectors were advertising their vehicles.

-Yeah.

-And you could buy through there.

Really? You just phone up and say, "I hear you've got a tank for sale"?

Yes, as long as you have the money, you could buy them.

A six-wheeled armoured car that can go like 60

is one of Britain's latest military vehicles.

The Saladin tank was a British reconnaissance vehicle.

Its role was to scout out enemy movements and radio their

exact position back to the Allied forces.

But it meant working in incredibly cramped conditions.

There's not much room to move.

No, there isn't. You think three people working in this vehicle,

we're in the fighting compartment.

-And you're the commander?

-I am, yes. Driver down the front.

He's right below, isn't it?

-He is, yes.

-He's got to be incredibly skilful at his job,

because his sightlines are really pretty narrow, aren't they?

I think there's a two-foot-square hole as his main vision.

So, sitting here, what would I have had to do?

-Operating the gun.

-Do I fire the gun?

-You do, yes.

-There's a button here, is there?

There is, yeah. A big red button down there.

Oh, I can see it!

How long, at any one time, might somebody have been in here?

You could be in here for 12, 18, 24 hours,

depending on where you were deployed.

Stephen has built up a collection of 20 military vehicles,

all of which are on show inside this hangar.

This Centurion tank, the tank of the Royal Engineers,

entered service in the British Army in the 1960s,

and she's Stephen's favourite.

-Where did you get this from?

-I bought this direct off the MoD.

What condition was it in when you bought it?

It was a wreck. It was in real bad condition.

The dozer blade was missing.

Where the heck do you go about finding these things?

Hours on the phone, trying to find out who had bought it,

where it had gone to, who had rebought it

if somebody had sold it on.

And finally, tracked it down to Newcastle.

-You must have been thrilled when you found it.

-Yes, big part of the tank.

-How many of these did they make?

-About 40 of them, they made.

-Is that all?

-Yeah.

-And you've got one!

-I have, yes.

-You must be a very proud man.

-Oh, yes. Very proud.

And Stephen also has this armoured command post vehicle

that was vital during any ground offensive.

It was fitted with radios and maps of the battlefield,

and used to monitor and relay messages

between the front line forces and HQ.

-Five men in here.

-Right.

-Driver right at the front.

-Yeah.

-Commander in the middle here.

Radio operator in the corner, and then us two would be NCOs.

Non-commissioned officers. What are we doing?

We'd be running the battle.

We'd be taking information from the radio operator,

feeding it onto the map.

-Yeah.

-Making decisions. Talking back to HQ via the radio operator again.

And then relaying that information back to the front line.

So we really are the nub of action here.

-Yeah.

-Aren't we?

-Absolutely, yeah.

Well, thank you very much indeed, Stephen.

It's been truly fascinating, but I do need to get back to the saleroom.

Have you got a tank I can borrow?

-Yes.

-Marvellous.

OK, driver. Let's head to the auction battlefield!

Well, I've come 70 miles east to the Diss Auction Rooms,

and here I am with the auctioneer herself, Elizabeth Talbot.

-Charlie, hello.

-Hello.

-I hope every mile was worth it.

Worth every mile, I can assure you.

Now, Alan and Janet, our married couple,

kicked off their buying with this rather sweet little Gladstone bag.

It's very nice, but it's not as old as I'd like to see.

If it were a 19th-century example, I'd get quite excited.

But it just is what it is.

Yeah. Yeah, and what about a value for it?

-It is silver, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's stamped 935.

We put 50-100 on it, which is quite a wide berth.

They paid £40, so they might be safe.

-They might.

-Yeah, yeah.

Now, Colin really chose this for them, and it's a true antique.

He likes his Flight, Barr And Barr.

-Do you?

-Well, I do.

You took the words out of my mouth. I was going to say,

this is a traditional antique, as we would expect.

And it's unusual. It's a plate - meat or a serving platter -

rather than a cup and saucer or whatever from that time in the

factory's history, the Worcester factory.

But the paint is worn, there's a chip on the underside...

-Yes.

-..and pretty,

and old traditional ceramics don't sell particularly well.

No. I fear you're absolutely right there.

Janet thinks it's going to make them the most profit.

But we'll see. What are you estimating?

-The estimate is 35-50.

-Cost 50.

It is just unfortunately not of the current climate.

No. No. What about the pretty Chinese silk panel?

Well, that is busy and it's fun and it's colourful,

-and it's all ready to hang.

-Yeah.

But it's very much of the formula of sort of early 20th-century pieces,

really geared up to the tourist of the day.

-Yeah.

-You know? So it's not academic,

it's not collectable, it's a furnishing piece, really.

Yeah, Alan thinks it will make the biggest profit.

Well, it may do. We've put £25-£30 as an estimate on it.

-They only paid £15.

-Well, there you go.

-They should be all right.

-So could be a profit.

But of course, after all that, they might need their bonus buy.

Let's see what Colin bought.

Now Alan and Janet, you didn't spend a great deal of money, did you?

-Very abstemious.

-Very abstemious.

-£105, you spent.

-That's right.

Isn't that quite dangerous, leaving this man with £195 to spend?

Probably dangerous leaving him 195 pence!

Come on. Reveal all.

I just took £150, and just burnt the lot on a stove.

-Oh, wow!

-Good grief!

Well, it's actually a cast iron base that's been enamelled.

-It's French, it's called the chauffette, and date-wise...

-Nice.

Well, they were producing these really from the sort of 1890s

in this sort of style, but I'd guess this is just post-1900.

You'd be able to burn wood and stuff in it?

-You would. Absolutely. So it has got a use.

-It HAS got a use.

-That's good.

-It's not just ornamental.

Because they're really popular at the moment, aren't they,

-wood burners?

-Are you happy with it?

-Yeah!

You don't have to make up your mind now. Make up your mind later.

Let's see if the auctioneer thinks that this stove is great.

Colin went off with quite a lot of money and bought a stove.

-He did.

-What do you think of it?

-I like this a lot.

-Yes.

-And it's enamelled.

-Yeah.

-And the fact the enamel

is in such good condition I think is a bonus. So I think it's lovely.

-I actually like this very much.

-And what about value?

-We've put £100-£150 on that one.

-He did pay £150.

-I hope he'll get close. Yeah.

-Good. Well, that's the Reds.

Now, moving on to the Blues.

Sharon and Michael, our married couple,

bought really quite an unusual collection of objects,

-I'm sure you'll agree.

-Yes, very varied.

-Some bowling balls.

I should think there's a lot of bowls clubs around here,

-aren't there?

-There are, actually. It's a very popular hobby.

But it's a very standard set.

-I'd rather that were they more vintage than they are.

-Yeah.

If you are wanting to try it as a sport,

and you don't want to spend a lot of money on them,

because they can be quite expensive to buy, some bowls,

this is the time to buy and spend a little bit of money.

-They are what they are.

-Yeah. Value?

-15-20.

-They paid 15.

-OK.

-So there's not much downside, is there?

-No.

-What about this wonderful garden statue?

There's not much finesse about him.

Poor condition.

It's looking very sorry for itself.

-What about a value?

-We put £50-£100.

-Have you?

-Yes.

-Splendid!

-You're very kind.

-They paid 40.

-Oh!

-Marvellous!

And Michael thinks it will make the biggest profit.

Well, fingers crossed for them.

Now, what about the lamp?

I've seen some strange lamps in my time -

that is without doubt the strangest.

There is a big wave of people converting items - vintage items -

into lamps. They are selling. You might not like it,

but it fits comfortably with the way people are addressing antiques.

Well, Sharon is of your opinion, too.

She loves this, and thinks it will make the biggest profit.

-What about a value?

-We put £40 to £50 estimate on it.

Yep, yep, well, they paid £45.

So they're smack in the middle of your estimate.

-OK.

-They may, of course, need their bonus buy.

Now, let's have a look at it.

Sharon and Michael, you spent a very cool £100,

leaving JP with a very cool £200.

-Shall we have a look?

-Yeah.

-OK, here we go.

Prepare yourself.

-Ah!

-Do you know what it is?

-No.

-A candlestick holder.

-It is. A little chamber candlestick,

little finger in there like there, like that.

It's, erm, slip moulded,

glazed and decorated, and you've got this little basket sort of shape

in the middle here for the candle. Nicely decorated with flowers.

Look at that. Isn't that going to look beautiful on a nice little

-side table?

-Yeah.

So, Michael, what do you think of the chamber stick?

I think it's got potential.

-Do you want to ask me how much I paid for it, before...?

-Yeah.

How much do you think I paid for it?

-20 quid.

-I hope not.

-10!

-No. £4!

-That's my man!

-I knew you'd like it, there we are.

JP!

They gave you £200, and you have spent 2% of it!

But nevertheless, you don't have to make up your mind,

about JP's magnificent chamber stick.

Meanwhile, let's see if the auctioneer thinks that this

fabulous chamber stick is going to sail away above its £4 price.

Well, Jonathan went off with £200, and bought that!

A chamber stick. If you went shopping on a Saturday morning

with £200, would you come back with that?

-Anyway.

-Do you know, I'd feel very disappointed.

Oh, no, look, it's sweet, but it's not rare.

-No.

-Nor special.

-No.

-Nor collectable.

No. And your estimate, come on, make it bullish.

£5-£10! 5-10, that's fantastic, he paid 4!

Do you know what? I just hope we make a profit for him on that.

That's all I can say.

Well, I assume it's up to you, you'll be taking the sale.

All the very best with that!

-Thank you, I shall have failed if I don't.

-Absolutely!

32, 35. Any advance on £35?

-Are you excited?

-Yes.

-Yes, there's a certain tension in the atmosphere.

There's a certain tension, yes.

Are you a regular visitor of the saleroom?

-No, this is the first time.

-Really?!

What are your reactions?

-Excited.

-Janet, you LOOK quite excited.

Yeah, good, well, we're kicking off with the Gladstone bag,

which is charming, isn't it?

-It is.

-The auctioneer liked it. It's up now, and it cost £40.

Gladstone bag, it's stamped 925, and I start here at just £22.

£22, 25, 28, 30 to the gallery, I'm out.

32 below. 35 is the gallery, at 35 now.

-May I say eight?

-Come on!

It's upstairs at 30, a choice piece at 35.

Are you all done at £35?

-Ohh!

-That was a bitter pill, wasn't it?

Oh, dear, it was!

Fiver down. You can get that back

on a bit of Flight, Barr And Barr.

Here it comes now, cost £50.

Very pretty Flight, Barr And Barr, 19th-century plate there,

lovely platter, rose detail.

15 to start?

-15 or 50?

-15.

-Oh, 15!

-Yes.

15, gallery, thank you, 15 is the gallery, looking for 18 now.

On the lovely plate at 15, all done?

Was that 15? Oh, dear, that's minus 35.

That means you are now minus 40.

But here comes the Chinese silk!

And I start here at just £15.

18, 20, 22, 25...

-Listen!

-32, 35, 38, I have 40.

At £40 on the embroidery, and selling...

-Yes!

-A profit!

-That's a profit of £25!

Which, if you ease that into your £40 loss, you're only down £15.

-Not bad!

-Cor, that's fabulous!

I mean, what are you going to do?

-Oh, go on.

-Yeah, go on, we'll go for it.

-You're going for it?

-Yes.

-Absolutely certain, you're going for your bonus buy?

-Yeah.

-Well, here it is.

-French Brown enamel stove.

Start me at 100.

£100, surely, this is a lovely example.

Oh, it's a lovely example.

Oh, dear.

50, if you will?

30, if you will?

30, to the gentleman standing, at 30, thank you.

We have a £30 bid. Where's two?

32 is the back.

35? 38.

40 bid. 40, we have.

Go on, bid!

42, well done.

Where's five? It's still ahead of me at 42, and it will sell.

Oh!

-What a bargain.

-So, £108 lost on the stove,

£15 carried forward, loss,

gives you a loss of £123.

Don't mention a word to the Blues.

-No.

-You may well have won with a £123 loss.

I doubt it.

Mike, Sharon, this is the moment. Your bowls are the first item.

They're coming up, cost £15. Here they are.

Four bowls, two in a case.

I'll start at £6.

£6 is bid.

And 8, and 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, new bidder.

22, 25, 28, 30, 2,

at £32 on the sofa, at 32...

£32!

That's plus £17!

And you've still got a cherub statue to come!

The cherub garden statue. I start at £30.

£30 on the statue, at 30, I'll take the two.

32, gallery, 35, 38 and 40, 2, 45.

You are wonderful Bargain Hunters, you two.

60, I have. Where's five?

Go on, 65.

I have 70. 70, I have.

70!

70, I have. Any advance now? It will sell at £70...

Oh, plus 30. You are now up £47!

Oh, my God, please do the lamp. Oh, God!

The novelty lamp. 20 to start.

20 the lady, 20, well done.

20, I have, and it's a good vintage can, as well.

Oh!

At the 20, maiden bid.

You've lost £25.

Oh, dear. You've got the real quandary of this exceptional

-Japanese chamber stick.

-Go on, we'll go for it.

Here we have the 20th century Japanese ceramic chamber stick,

and I start here at just £3.

Four, gallery, five I have, six, eight, ten,

12.

Any advance on £12?

-Well done, JP.

-Bingo.

-£8.

-Good man.

-Unfortunately, the best.

Isn't that superb? You're going home with £30!

-Not a word to the Red team.

-No.

Well, in life, some people have a skill to make money,

some people have an equal skill to lose money!

And on Bargain Hunt, we see both these traits regularly.

Well, I can tell you that one of the teams today has lost a huge amount

of money, and without beating around the bush, it is the Red team.

-Yes!

-They have lost £123...

-Whoa!

-..which is marvellous.

As for you, Blue team, clever clogs.

You made money on your bowls,

you made money on that wonderful garden statue.

That was fantastic. And it was just that petrol can let you down.

So, with that wonderful £8 from JP, you've got £30, look at that.

-Whoa! Well done, thank you!

-There you are.

-Oh, thank you.

-£30, congratulations. Have you had a good time?

-Excellent.

-Good. Enjoyed yourselves?

-Yes.

-It's been great!

Well, it's been great having you all on.

Now, don't forget to have a look at our website,

and indeed to follow us on Twitter.

In the meantime, join us for more Bargain Hunting, yes?

-ALL:

-Yes!