Carmarthen 4 Bargain Hunt

Welcome to Bargain Hunt. Today we are in Carmarthenshire,

a place of myth and magic.

And legend has it that Merlin was born in a cave

just outside Carmarthen.

He cast spells and mixed magic potions made from herbs.

Did it work?

Well, we'll find out later, because now,

I have to head over to an antiques fair,

where our teams are going to work their magic.

So...

let's go Bargain Hunting!

The National Botanic Garden of Wales sits just outside Carmarthen,

and among the plants today are over 100 antique stalls ready to host our

two bargain-hunting teams.

You know the rules - our teams have got £300 and just one hour in which

to buy three items to take off to auction, and with any luck,

make a profit. Let's have a look at what's coming up.

The Reds get a lesson in ceramics.

It's part and parcel of that whole vintage and retro movement

I'm sure you've seen around the place.

-No.

-Have you not?

-No.

The Blues struggle to agree.

-I... I think we should go with the large.

-Which bit of...

-It's my turn.

-Oh, yeah, sorry.

And at the auction, there's plenty of surprises for the Reds.

There you are.

I never doubted him.

And excitement for the Blues.

A profit!

But that's all for later. Now, let's meet today's teams.

And in the Red team, we have best of friends Christopher and Iestyn.

And for the Blues, we have sisters Karen and Janet.

Hello, everyone. ALL: Hello.

Oh, my word! That was resounding.

Now, Christopher, how did you two meet?

We met back in church in 2003, I think it was.

We found out we were both teachers of physics, cos of stuff, so...

-And we just hit it off, didn't we?

-We've been good friends ever since.

Oh, good. You both taught physics?

We did, yeah. But he's a doctor of physics.

Oh, he's the bright one, is he?

-He's the bright one.

-If I may say so!

Now, you've done all sorts of things, though, haven't you?

Yeah, I left school at 15, joined the Army.

Then I left there and went and worked out in Oman,

military contracts. Then I came back, worked as a schoolteacher.

Discovered that kids didn't behave like soldiers do.

So I gave that up.

And so, I became a self-employed handyman.

And now, I fit kitchens and bathrooms.

Marvellous. Now, Iestyn, you're still teaching?

Well, not quite, but I'm still involved.

-Are you?

-Yes. I run an educational software company.

We create online games, simulations,

puzzles and quizzes for use in the classroom.

Brilliant. And what about spare time, if you get any?

I work on my house in my spare time.

Does he help you?

-No.

-I have in the past.

When required.

You enjoy a bit of fun, don't you?

A bit of amateur dramatics, specifically.

Yes, yes. Back at university,

I joined the Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

And it was where I met my wife.

And I remember the first time that she saw me,

I was resplendent in a sequinned bin bag and green tights.

And she was sporting a rather impressive beard.

What about tactics? Let's move away from bearded women,

onto some antiques.

We don't know much about antiques, except for watching Bargain Hunt.

So I think we'll be just going for what interests us,

and whether it makes money or not is a different question.

Do you have the same sort of tastes?

Yeah, we sort of like old things, tools, mechanical things.

Things that you use?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Good luck with the shop, Reds.

Now, Blues - sisters Janet and Karen.

You've been brought up together, haven't you, abroad?

That's right. My father was in the army, so I was born in Singapore,

and we travelled the world, went to various countries - Cyprus, Germany,

England and Wales.

You still travel?

Well, I have a motorhome, so I travel the UK in my motorhome.

-Yeah.

-And we also like cruising.

Got the bug when I was 50, had a bit of a treat for my 50th,

and we've cruised the Med and the Norwegian fjords.

Oh, wonderful. What do you do for a living?

I work at Cardiff University in the School of Biosciences.

I'm the finance office manager.

Oh, a finance office manager. That could come in handy today.

-Yes, totally.

-You'll be able to manage your £300.

-Definitely.

-With any luck. Now, Karen, what about for a living?

-What do you do?

-I work for Cardiff Council, obviously the capital city,

diverse community,

so I work in recruitment within their temporary internal resource,

so it's about helping youngsters into the workplace.

Oh, that's rewarding, isn't it?

And also supplying teachers, getting them into local schools.

-Yeah.

-So it's really rewarding and interesting,

because I like helping and also I like meeting people.

What about relaxing?

Oh, I go to the gym a lot.

-Do you?

-A bit of a gym freak.

What sort of things, running?

Spin. And I do body combat and...

Body combat? Yeah, kick boxing type thing.

-Kick boxing?

-Yeah.

What, that sort of thing?

Yeah. Sounds quite terrifying.

And lots of punching, but not...

-You don't punch anybody.

-Blimey!

A fitness fanatic.

Now, when it comes to shopping, you two,

will you be looking at the same things?

Have you got the same interests?

I think we do have similar interests.

Karen likes a lot of sparkly things,

whereas I am more tactile and I'd like to see a bit of quality.

-Yes.

-I suspect I'll get the Janet look if I'm looking at something

she doesn't approve of.

Particularly the price.

-Yes.

-Yes, good. So what do you need for your shop?

-£300, sir.

-Correct, £300 for the girls.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Leave that with the finance officer.

£300 for you chaps.

-Thank you.

-Off you go, have a great shop.

Well, there we have it, physics versus finance,

but who will have the formula for success?

Helping our teams find the answer today are two fine experts.

Drumming up for the Reds is Nick Hall.

And at the helm for the Blues is Gary Pe.

Well, gents, here we are in glorious, sunny Carmarthen.

Now what's on the shopping list today?

Well, I thought something nautical or mariner-like.

I'm looking for something oriental or sparkly.

Well, you've got it here.

I'm interested in anything to do with industrial heritage.

Ah, nice bit of industrial interior, bang on trend as well.

Well, I like a mixture of things, I started off collecting Moorcroft and bronze,

but, really, I'll know when I see it.

OK. Right, teams, your time starts now.

-Let's go and find these items.

-Wahey!

The stalls are all open.

-Let's go and see if we can find some.

-OK.

So, no shortage on today's shopping list,

and straightaway the Reds have found something to their taste.

These sort of things sell better if they are whisky, hmm...

-Right.

-Lemonade, I've not seen a lemonade one before.

But people do collect them, they do buy them.

You put coloured liquids in them and they make quite a nice

-decorative feature.

-I love the tap at the bottom.

-Yeah.

-It's got a filter on it.

It looks like it's a sort of cider thing, innit,

so it settles in the bottom and that filters it all out.

Yeah. It does say lemonade on it.

Yeah. I'd go more with lemonade than cider.

I'm not sure what's telling me that, but...

It must be that clue on the glass, Nick.

Now, have the Blues spotted something mystifying?

-I like the green horse, is it?

-That's right, yes.

Can you get closer and see what it's like, Karen?

I think it's quite modern, though.

Yeah, it looks European, probably from Eastern Europe.

So it's not oriental.

No, it's not, no, it's not.

But a lovely thing.

Shall we move onto the next stall?

Yes, OK.

Good idea. Now, let's see what the Reds are stirring up outside.

-That's quite nice.

-Cor, that's a piece of metal, isn't it?

Wow! Normally,

I tell people to avoid Victorian and Edwardian copper and brass,

because it's just out of fashion, nobody wants to polish it,

-but that's a real statement piece, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

What was it originally used for, do you reckon?

It would have been a cooking pan.

The price of copper on its own at the moment's going through the roof.

So you think, even the scrap value, we could be quids in?

Scrap value's about 40 quid.

It's not that weight, you know, it's not particularly heavy.

-Yeah.

-So what do you think something like this could fetch at auction?

I would hope they'd be paying 40, 50, 60 quid,

-something like that for it.

-OK, so we want to err on the side of

-round about...

-Yeah, you need to get it somewhere near the 40 mark.

So, whilst Nick is off to chat to the dealer,

Gary is getting excited over some pottery.

Royal Crown Derby, English porcelain of the highest quality.

-Right.

-There are two things in here that stick out,

the teddy bear and that lizard.

-Lizard thing, yes.

-In the back.

-They are unusual, aren't they?

-They are, certainly.

-They're quite a lot of money.

-99.

I haven't got any Royal Crown Derby at home, but I've always admired it.

-See, it looks even nicer up close, doesn't it?

-Oh, yes!

Well, there you go.

-Beautiful.

-Mark of authenticity.

-Yes.

-But again, a modern piece.

So how much do you think we need to bring it down to make it...?

Well, we need to bring it down to something like 60, really.

-Right, OK.

-Well, we could come back.

-Yeah?

-This way?

-I do like it.

So no firm decision yet from the Blues,

but are the Reds cooking up a deal on the copper pan?

The price started off at 75.

I've got him down for you guys,

I'm working hard for you, 45 quid. I think that's a good offer.

I think that's a good deal.

-Well, let's do it then.

-You sure?

-Yeah.

-He's decisive, I like it.

-You're happy with this, the pair of you?

-Yes.

-45 quid.

-So, if I go and pay for it...

-OK.

You take it, we'll go and find items two and three.

Your first one is done. Well done. 45 quid.

Crumbs! Those boys mean business.

With barely ten minutes gone, they've bagged their first item.

Time for a decision, Blues.

You mentioned oriental and shiny.

-What about that piece of Japanese work?

-Ooh!

-Oh, wow! That's lovely.

-Let's have a closer look.

It's a piece of shell.

It's reminiscent of Japanese Shibayama work.

But I don't think this is Shibayama.

Shibayama would be a technique where they overlaid pieces of metal

or shell with pieces of metal.

This obviously is made to look like pieces of gold but this, I think,

is sort of enamel paint.

Now, this could be either from Japan or China.

It comes on this wonderful ebonised stand.

And that, to me, would indicate that in fact this piece is more Chinese.

-OK.

-It's a lovely piece.

It's got a few condition issues.

It's just the enamelling.

-Right.

-If you look at the...

underside,

that is the way it would have originally looked like.

-It's beautiful.

-Isn't it?

If you take this...

..I'll take the stand.

Now, I see a price,

which is a good starting price of £95.

It's oriental. It's shiny.

-Sparkly.

-Sparkly, yes.

-You like it.

-I do.

I like it. I love...

I like it too. Shall we at least try to find a price?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

Great. Everyone is agreed. Time for that all-important haggle.

You hollered, my friend.

We did. I've found an old tool.

Are you on the level?

Are you on the... Oh!

-You're killing me!

-It's old, isn't it?

-Yeah, I mean...

-Ia Rangoon Teakholz.

-OK, so we've got a maker's name.

-And it's accurate still.

You know how you do that?

-Presumably, you put it on a flat surface, do you?

-Yeah.

Well, what you do is you put it on something like that...

-Yeah.

-And see the bubble.

And then you turn it round.

In the same place. Is the bubble in the same place?

-Then you know it works.

-Fantastic. Top tip.

-Handy man.

A handy man with a handy tip.

Got 35 quid on that.

At an auction, tenner?

Yeah. The early ones, those Georgian Victorian ones,

much, much earlier than this, and they will make tens of pounds.

-Right.

-This one, early 20th century,

it's not going to make that sort of money.

-Fine.

-£5 to £10 realistically.

So, the hunt for that DIY tool goes on.

Any news on the shell, Karen?

-Oh, right OK.

-Hi, team.

-Hello.

-Hello. How did you do?

I managed to knock the lovely lady down.

-Right.

-It was priced at 95.

-Yes.

-And she suggested her best price was 75.

-75.

-And I managed to persuade her for 70.

That's very generous of her, actually.

My estimate of this would be 60-90.

So, are you happy with £70?

-I am.

-Are we going to buy it?

I think so, yes, definitely.

-I think so.

-Shall we tell the lady the happy news?

-Let's go.

-Good for me.

Great stuff.

Both teams now have one item each at the 20-minute mark.

And Nick has spotted another potential purchase.

-Found something interesting?

-Yeah, it might not be your sort of thing

at all, I don't know whether you like it or not,

but it is saleable.

-Do you know what it is?

-No, I haven't got a clue.

Any idea where it was made?

-No idea.

-OK.

This is mid-20th century British art pottery, specifically 1950s.

By Rye, the pottery in East Sussex.

And this '50s look is so on trend at the minute.

I picked it up because I like the look of it.

And I recognised where it was made.

But also the label, look.

£15.

-Right.

-15 quid!

Do you not think that's cheap?

In the land of the blind, the man with two eyes is more than king.

Can I just take your opinion on this?

I like that! Yeah. Well, what do you think, guys?

Are you into this '50s vibe?

-Is it your thing or not?

-Well,

the thing that attracts me about that is its £15 tag.

You are blinded by the price, not the object.

Yeah. I'm looking at this and listening to the expert.

You know, it's not something I would buy myself.

-No, no.

-It doesn't look...

-Not your style, not your taste.

-It's not attractive to me.

But if you're saying that...

What do you reckon that would make at auction?

You reckon we would make a profit on that?

-I would hope it would double that. I would hope so.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-I'm willing to trust you on this one.

Well, it's part and parcel of that whole vintage and retro movement

I'm sure you've seen around the place.

-No.

-Have you not?

-No.

-Not in your world. Not in Chris' world.

So, whilst Chris gets to grips with the '50s, let's get a price.

Right, we have the man that can.

-What have we got?

-What's the best you can do on that for us?

This one, best I can do, £12.

Can you do it for ten?

What can I say? Go on, then, £10.

Got a deal? Are you happy to buy that?

-Yeah.

-Are you going to go with this whole '50s thing?

-On what the expert says, I will do that.

We are going to make you a retro vintage guy before you know it.

It's an absolute breeze, this shop.

We're two items down and spent hardly any time, hardly any money,

one more to do. Let's go and do it. Come on.

And with 35 minutes left,

the Reds lead the Blues two items to one.

Whilst both teams continue shopping amidst the flora and fauna,

I'm off to find out about the healing powers

of some of these plants.

I've come here, just a stone's throw from the gardens,

to meet botanist Bruce Langridge.

-Hello, Bruce.

-Hello, Charlie.

Nice to see you.

Welcome to the Apothecary Hall.

This is absolutely fascinating.

So, what can you tell me about some of these potions and indeed,

some of the exhibits that are here?

A lot of these objects in here might be familiar to you,

although they date back over 100 years

to back to Victorian and Edwardian times.

Because that's when most of our medicines came from plants,

directly from plants.

So, some of these histories go right back to medieval times, don't they?

Well, Wales has a really strong tradition of medicinal plants.

-Right.

-You go back, way back, to the Druids.

You think then, they didn't have chemists then, did they?

They had to find their own cures from the land.

That kind of links us a little bit to Merlin, the legend of Merlin.

He would have still been from the Druidic tradition.

Yes. And was born near here?

So it's said. In a cave, not far from Carmarthen.

-Just up the road here.

-Yeah. Yeah.

So he would... If he was alive and he was a Druid,

he would have known about his medicinal plants.

Merlin may have been the most

legendary wizard of British folklore,

but he wasn't the only famous local herbalist of his time.

Only 20 miles away from here is a village called Myddfai and there's

a tradition of people, sons,

from about the 11th century to about the 17th century,

called the physicians of Myddfai.

And these are people who had great knowledge of medicinal plants.

They became the first of a family

of country doctors living in the parish.

During the 14th century,

they recorded nearly 500 herbal remedies in the Red Book of Hergest,

one of the earliest and most important Welsh language texts.

Do we have any records of these recipes actually working?

They did have some very eccentric things.

If you were deaf, for instance, to cure your deafness,

what you wanted to do, mix the bile of an eel,

the urine of a lamb, and the juice of an ash tree,

and put it around your ear.

Don't know if that worked.

I'm not prepared to give it a try, to be perfectly honest.

There's another beautiful plant, a plant called meadowsweet.

It's been found in the burial sites of ancient Druids in Wales,

and it's been used all the way through history,

so much so that the aspirin was first manufactured in the 1880s,

I think it was, from a meadowsweet.

And as herbal medicine evolved, so did the way it was recorded.

We've actually got a prescription book here

-which was used by an actual apothecary...

-Yeah.

This dates back to 1915.

And what's really fascinating on this one here

is you can see that someone has been given a prescription of henbane...

Yes.

A woman called Olive,

who is obviously not very well, unfortunately.

She has had to have morphine and henbane,

so she is obviously suffering a little bit.

And this has given her a little bit of relief.

There is no reference here as to whether she got better or not.

They never do. But, actually, Charlie,

sometimes you see repeat names.

And then the repeat names stop.

Oh, dear.

Bruce, thank you so much.

It's been fascinating. What a history lesson.

Back at the fair, we are just over halfway through the shop

and it's still 2-1 to the Reds.

So, can the Blues equalise?

Maybe these colourful ceramics are just the ticket.

You like your Moorcroft.

-I do.

-But it's not...

Not Moorcroft, no.

These are contemporary pieces.

It's by Jonathan Cox.

Now, the thing about his pieces is he has been able to recreate a very

difficult glaze, especially...

See this red lustre?

That is very difficult to achieve.

Well, I'm wondering, should we buy anything that mimics Moorcroft

because Moorcroft is Moorcroft, it should be left alone maybe?

Well, it's not really mimicking, in some ways.

It depends how you feel about it.

I've seen his pieces go on sale in galleries.

-Really?

-He is a good name.

I think he's a good artist.

I mean, look at this fish. This is lustreware.

It's beautiful, yeah.

-It's beautiful.

-It's lovely. That's 45.

-£45?

-This has got a lovely iridescent...

Iridescent effect, exactly.

But I'm not sure about if that's the piece.

If there's another piece that's prettier, maybe.

It's not pretty enough for me, maybe.

Looks like Karen might need a little bit of convincing.

It's not too heavy, it's nice.

I like the lustre... It's like an orange.

-Yeah.

-It's beautiful, I think.

It's the only one of its like, mind, on here.

I'm just wondering has someone bought all the rest of it?

So... OK, as a gamble, I think...

-Are you happy?

-Only if you can get it at the right price, of course.

OK. And... Ah! You are Jonathan Cox?

-I'm Jonathan, yes.

-Amazing.

-You made this beautiful piece of...

-Thank you very much.

-..pottery.

-OK. Well, we're quite interested in this.

-Right.

-And we'd like to know...

-Is there any movement?

-Is there any movement in the price?

I can give you a little bit.

-40?

-You couldn't do 35?

Go on. 35.

-Do you reckon that's brilliant?

-Thank you ever so much.

That was unexpected.

Well done, Blues. That's your second item.

Let's go and find a third.

So that means both teams have just one more item to find.

Now, is that more copper I see before me, Reds?

VR, that's Victoria.

Absolutely, yeah. Yeah.

And that's got a price tag on it of 65 quid.

Yeah. Now, you think of the size of the bit we bought earlier

and the price we paid for it.

-45.

-That doesn't sound so cheap to me.

No.

Neither was the 75 on the other one.

-Yeah.

-We got it down to 45.

Copper is £4 per kilo at the moment.

There's ten kilos there, we're quids in, no matter what,

-we can melt it down.

-Would he go down to 35?

Do you want another bit of copper?

I'm looking for Iestyn's tool, to be...

Oh, right. OK. You want a tool?

It's only fair, mate.

It certainly is!

Meanwhile, at an outside stall,

the Blues have spotted some decorative garden plaques.

What do you think about these then, Gary?

Oh, I can tell you right off the bat,

they are obviously reproductions.

You'd have to have a huge garden wall to be able to...

To be able to do that.

So, modern times is about small houses and things like that.

In Carmarthenshire, big houses...

Yes, I understand that.

However, personally, I think they are a little large.

-Which bit of... It's my turn.

-Oh, yeah, sorry.

Steady on, ladies. Let's not come to blows.

Can we have a little ask?

It wouldn't hurt, would it? Of how much they cost?

-Ah, sir.

-You've seen that they're about four and a half grand, aren't they, to go and buy them?

-But not these ones.

-Not these ones. They're £800.

-Ah!

Ah, indeed!

Meanwhile, things are looking up for the Reds.

Hi, guys. I see you found some tools. Well done.

-Yeah, yeah. Like a magnet.

-It never rains but it pours and like buses,

these tools come along one after the other.

Now, I've found that.

-Do you like that?

-I do like that.

-I like it.

-Now, this is a late Victorian/Edwardian peat shovel.

I just found this one inside the marquee on a dealer's stand.

Tucked at the back. As I said, it's probably about 100 years old,

got the original metal applications to the

what I think is mahogany base to it.

You can see it's had worm at some point, which they have treated.

It shows it's been around a long time.

You can see signs of wear and age and patination.

OK. It all comes down to, do you know what the price of this is?

I do. Now, that's the one downside.

It's 55 quid.

55? Yeah.

I know it's the sort of thing you're interested in, so I thought, hey,

-we'll give it a go.

-55 quid.

That one's got a look of class, quality and as you say the patina is there, it looks like it's been used.

-Everything we are...

-It's a quality tool!

Exactly, Nick. But with a no-go on the price,

let's catch up with the Blues.

What about that coopered jardiniere

there on a stand?

I can see that. I'm just thinking, where's the bottle of wine that will go with it?

-Or is it not an ice bucket?

-I suppose... It could be used,

-but I think it's more of a planter than anything else.

-OK. All right, then.

Aha!

It's a planter more than anything else.

-OK.

-One thing I like about it, look.

-A maker's mark.

-It's got a maker's mark.

RA Lister and Co, makers, Dursley.

-Quite famous...

-Are they?

-..furniture makers.

Exactly. English.

-Right.

-About 1890 or so.

-Really?

-It feels lovely.

-Yes, absolutely.

-It's amazing quality.

-And condition.

-This is very much of the Arts and Crafts style.

-OK.

-Beautiful coopering.

And what do you think about the £65 price tag?

Well, it's a good starting point.

What do you think we should be asking?

If we could get this down to about 45,

I would estimate this to go for between 50 to 75.

I think it's beautiful.

-Shall I call the dealer?

-I think definitely, definitely.

Stunning.

Aw! Looks like the sisters have made up.

And have the Reds found tool heaven yet?

This is more like it, Nick.

-Ah, yes.

-Look at you two in tool paradise.

It's the Stanley three blade.

It's got a fence. Is that for cutting rebates, is it?

Quite a modern one though, isn't it?

-Yes.

-The cardboard box is a bit of a giveaway, isn't it?

I mean, ideally, if you're trying to tap into that tool market,

it's those antique pieces, you've got to think Victorian,

even earlier,

possibly Edwardian but certainly nothing later, really.

Nick's right. Remember, the aim is to make a profit.

And with that in mind, any news on the wine cooler, Blues?

-Oh, hello.

-Hello, there. How you doing?

-You all right? Yeah.

Good, good.

-We love it.

-It's nice, it's got the maker's mark.

Maker's mark, Lister.

-And also...

-Wine company.

-You know, I can come down a bit on it.

-All right. Yes.

Ah, that's what we like.

Not massively. Because it's signed as well underneath as well.

-Oh!

-Lister.

-Oh, wow.

There you go. So, you can make me an offer?

My first offer would be, would you take 40, please?

-40. Please?

-Um, no, I can't quite do 40.

Um, I'll do 50.

-Yeah.

-45?

-45?

-Split the difference.

45 is a fair offer and I'll take it.

-Would you?

-Yes!

-Would you? Can I kind of slap your hands?

-No problem. Yeah.

-Oh, thank you.

Thank you very much. Yay!

This is fab.

-Brilliant.

-If I had a bottle of champagne, I'd put it down there,

open it up and we'd celebrate.

-Yeah!

-Well done.

-Absolutely brilliant.

That's it, Blues. Three items done and dusted.

Now, what's this, Nick?

It's certainly not a tool.

Iestyn, come and look at this.

I just found this on this stall. It's an interesting little thing.

This is all little pieces of straw, were hand cut,

coloured and glued on individually to form this pattern.

Time-consuming and beautiful.

-Who would've made this?

-I think it's European.

-Can I feel the weight?

-Yeah, yeah.

-You think it's European?

Well, there's a great tradition of straw work that was made

back in the early 19th century with prisoners of war.

I think it's an offshoot of that, it's a bit of folk art,

cottage industry.

I know it's not the tool you were looking for,

but it was made with tools.

-Yeah, yeah.

-The question is upon us.

What sort of figure do you reckon that would make?

Well, it's the sort of thing I would buy at antique fair to take home to

clean up to display.

I'd pay 30, 40 quid for it, I think, at auction.

-Right.

-So, if you can get a little bit off there,

then that just takes the gamble out of it for you.

OK. Can we ask?

Please do. Madam?

As if by magic, the lady appears.

That's it. Now, let me have a look.

£28.

Is there anything we can do on the price?

-You want to win, don't you? I can tell.

-We need this.

-Oh, yes.

-How about £20?

I think it's a bit of a risk, we're going for the gavel

and we were trying to come in with a safe margin.

-Right.

-We're wondering how low you can go before you start feeling

really ripped off by us.

How...

-16?

-Would I pay 16 for it? Yes, I would.

-You would?

-Yes, just do it up.

-If you would pay £16 for it, I'm sure anyone else would pay more.

Yeah.

CHARLIE: Let's hope so, Nick.

And I think, madam, you have the perfect deal.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much indeed.

Well done, Reds.

Both teams have finished well ahead of the clock, so I'm calling time.

Let's have a look at what the Red team have bought.

Chris spotted this huge Victorian copper pot, price paid, £45.

Then, they bought this pretty 1950s vase, costing them only £10.

And finally, they went for this Arts and Crafts straw candelabra,

£16 paid.

Chris and Iestyn, no tools.

No, not today, no, we didn't find...

We found the tools but they were a bit expensive.

-Oh, were they?

-They were.

-Did you have a good time?

-Excellent.

Excellent, but I've got to admit, shopping is a bit stressful for us.

Is it?

THEY ALL LAUGH

So, Iestyn, what's your favourite lot?

I think I like the giant cauldron.

And what will make the biggest profit?

-I'm going to go with our expert's choice...

-Are you?

-..which is the vase.

-Yeah.

Chris, what's your favourite lot?

I think I like the candelabra.

Good. Will that make the biggest profit, do you think?

I don't think so. I'll go along with the vase as well.

Well, you were quite frugal, weren't you? You spent £71.

-Yeah.

-Which means somebody must have 229 left over.

-I have indeed.

-What can he do with that?

I don't know yet.

I'm going to try and find something

maybe with a bit of rustic charm about it.

Right. So while Nick goes off looking for rustic charm,

let's check out what the Blue team have bought.

First, they were captivated by this gold decorated mother-of-pearl shell

costing £70.

They finally agreed on this Carmarthenshire lustre vase.

And they both opted for this Arts and Crafts jardiniere,

setting them back £45.

-Well, girls, you got something oriental, didn't you?

-Definitely.

Oh. Is Gary taking, uh, taking the plaudits there?

They wanted to buy me, but I was too expensive.

How was the shopping? Did you enjoy yourselves?

-Oh, fabulous.

-Was it?

-Really good. Wonderful time.

-What's your favourite lot?

-My favourite is the first lot,

which is the Chinese shell.

-Yep, the shell.

-Oh, it's beautiful.

And the biggest profit, though?

I reckon the biggest profit will be the jardiniere.

Your favourite lot?

-Er, the jardiniere.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. I can just picture a bottle of wine.

Yeah, with that nice Lister label on it.

-So, that's your favourite lot?

-Definitely.

-And the biggest profit?

-I think so, yes.

-Marvellous.

Now, you split the money down the middle here, didn't you?

-150 spent.

-Yeah.

-So, you've got 150 to give back to me.

Right, Gary, what are you going to do with that?

-Ah.

-With these two wonderful sisters in mind, I have three words for you,

-Roscoe.

-Yep?

Quality,

quality,

quality.

Goodness me.

So while Gary goes off for the triple quality,

I'm off to the auction.

I've arrived in Cardiff, at Rodgers Jones auctioneers.

And here I am with the auctioneer himself, Ben.

-Hello.

-Hello, there, how are you?

Well, I'm very well, much better for being here, thank you.

Christopher and Iestyn for the Red team started off by buying this pan.

-It's large, isn't it?

-It is big, isn't it?

Is it a bit too large to be commercial,

or is it big enough to be a log basket?

It's got a bit of a primitive look, hasn't it?

I mean, if you are going to go for a jam pan, why not go for big?

Corner of a room or in a pub or something,

it would like quite the thing.

What about value?

We've put £30 to £40 on this one.

They bid £45, it's understandable,

but you might have to just press your accelerator a little bit there.

-I'll do my best.

-Now, what about the cylindrical vase?

Doesn't do a lot for me.

I don't know much about this potter.

It's got a kind of '60s, '70s look to me.

There has been a bit of interest in this.

In fact, from overseas, would you believe?

-Good grief!

-So we'll see.

£10 to £15 on this one.

They only paid 10, so all should be pretty happy there, I think.

Now, the candleholder.

Yeah, I don't know, it's a little bit depressing for me.

What are you going to do with it? Are you going to put candles in it?

I don't know that you would. Would it be a fire hazard?

It's made out of wood.

And it's a bit of straw working as well,

which might just ignite the whole thing.

-Yeah.

-Not particularly impressive for me.

-No. What about value?

-Ten to 15?

-Well, it's about right, isn't it?

They paid £16, so...

-There's a chance there.

-Yeah.

But of course they might need their bonus buy.

And let's have a look at what Nick has bought for the Red team.

Christopher and Iestyn, you didn't spend much of your £300, did you?

-Well, I thought we did!

-I've never spent that much in my life.

You left him with £229.

-What do you think he's done?

-Well, let's have a look.

There we go, very gently... Here it comes, look at that.

-Oh, yes!

-How charming an object is that?

That is an impressive contraption.

Are you just saying that for my feelings, or do you like it?

I actually do like it.

Good. Well, it's 19th-century, good old Victorian piece.

Nice mahogany base as well as the polished brass top.

Importantly, it's got the nice set of weights with it as well.

-Fantastic.

-What's this for?

-You press that down to get the weights.

-Well, that does a lot as well, doesn't it?

-That will keep me entertained for hours!

-Yeah.

Easily pleased, some people.

How much did you pay for it?

The princely sum...

-of £50.

-Wow.

Not bad, I didn't think.

-That's impressive.

-I think we'll do well on that.

It's a lot of object for the money.

What do you reckon it's going to make, then?

Well, I would hope the auctioneer would put maybe 60 to 80 on it,

-something like that.

-Yeah.

-Well, you have done well.

You don't have to make a decision now, guys.

You can make a decision at the auction as to whether you go with the scales or not. Meanwhile,

let's see what the auctioneer thinks of Nick's scales.

Well, Nick went off and bought what he would no doubt consider to be

a shrewd investment, the Avery scales.

What do you think?

Not too bad.

Quite nice, with a nice mechanism here.

-Yeah.

-And the draw, obviously got a bit of vintage pedigree.

And you've got the weights as well, so not a bad looker at all.

-Value?

-30 to 40.

Well, they paid £50.

Haven't paid WEIGH too much...

No... Oh!

Marvellous. Well, on that humorous note,

shall we move to the Blue team? Karen and Janet,

who kick off with this object.

I've got a feeling you may have seen it before.

Well, we sold this about two or three months ago,

I knew I'd seen it somewhere before,

and I looked on our website and there it was.

So, welcome back.

Can you remember what you estimated it first time?

The same as we are estimating it this time.

-Which is?

-£50 to £60.

Well, they paid 70.

So, assuming that the person that bought it here sold it to them,

they took no more than a working profit out of it.

-No, that's right.

-What about the vase?

The lustre fish vase.

Well, I like this, you know.

It's nicely decorated, copper lustre.

But no factory marking.

-No.

-It's a shame, isn't it?

-Value?

-30 to 40?

They paid £35, so...

-OK.

-That's OK, isn't it?

Now, what about the planter?

I do notice it's got a Lister mark in it.

It's always nice to see a label of manufacture.

Clean as a whistle, and very, very useful.

-I think that will do OK.

-Yeah. It's got a bit of a deco look, hasn't it?

-It has.

-Or even an Art Nouveau look, it's halfway between the two.

Yeah, between the two.

And what about value?

-30 to 40.

-Yeah. They paid 45, I don't think that's too bad.

-Not too bad.

-Well, after that, they may,

they may not need their bonus buy.

Let's have a look and see what Gary bought the Blue team.

Well, Karen and Janet, you spent exactly half your money.

£150.

Leaving Gary with, of course, £150.

Quality,

quality,

quality!

-Oh!

-Oh, wow!

-Oh, my gosh, you're sparkly.

-Oh, my gosh!

A Georgian...

-That's beautiful.

-..buckle. Maybe I should say half quality,

because it's obviously one of a pair.

But for late 18th century, very early 19th century,

I thought I had to have this.

-Are they diamonds?

-They're not, they're paste.

Steady, girls!

But of course, it can be used as a belt buckle.

-Yes, it could.

-Yes.

Or as a buckle for an armband.

Or a brooch. You could get it made into a brooch.

-Well, yes, of course.

-Can we ask how much you paid for it?

I was able to get this for 45.

OK, Gary. So how much do you think this would make at auction?

I would like to see this make £60.

-Right, OK.

-Not much of a profit, but still a profit.

Well, you cogitate on this, girls.

You don't have to make up your mind now. Leave it until the sale.

-Yes.

-Meanwhile, let's see what the auctioneer thinks of Gary's buckle.

Well, Gary bought the buckle.

There we go. I assume it's a shoe buckle.

Yeah, that's what I think.

From a man about town.

-Yeah.

-Rather nice.

It's not diamonds, unfortunately.

No. It's very much a statement of 19th-century England, isn't it?

Yes. Bit of Georgian history there.

Yeah. But what about value?

35, 45?

Yeah. Gary paid £45.

So not untoward in your eyes?

In with a chance.

Yeah. Well, it's up to you now, I suppose.

-You will be on the rostrum?

-It's all down to me, is it?

It is. Looking forward to it.

Thanks very much indeed.

At 60. Is there 70? At 60 now, everybody, at 60...

We're all done... £60.

Right, Christopher and Iestyn, are you regulars in the saleroom?

-No.

-No.

-No?

-Is this your first time?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

What a debut!

Right. Here comes your copper pan.

Chris, this is your moment of glory.

-It cost £45, and here it comes.

-Look at that.

-Smart.

-AUCTIONEER:

-152, a good antique copper pan here.

With the stand.

£30? 20 to start?

20, thank you. Five anywhere?

At 20 now, it's in the room...

At 25, seated.

Is there 30 standing?

30 standing. Is there five?

£30. Is there five?

Come on! It's worth more than this.

32, OK. Is there five?

32, 35...? 38, if you like?

Everybody done at 35...?

Well, you've lost a cool tenner to start with.

-Yeah, but, yes, we sold.

-But never mind!

Here comes Nick's vase.

Cost £10.

Lot number 153, a Rye Cinque Ports cylindrical vase.

£20... 20 I have.

Five anywhere?

There you are.

At £20 now. At 20 now.

One and only, at 20...

All done now at £20...

That's phenomenal! That's wiped out your loss.

You are now breaking even.

-Right.

-You haven't made a penny, you haven't lost a penny.

Here comes your candleholder.

Lot 154, unusual straw work and wood candleholder.

£20. Start me at 15?

You all chose this, you can't blame anybody for this.

Panic buy.

For four candles...

-Four candles!

-Who bid then...? That's it.

-Well done, madam.

-At £10.

A one and only at ten...

Oh, dear. Oh, dear.

At 10, hammer's up...

-You've lost £6 on that.

-He got a bargain.

Well, I'll tell you - after all that shopping,

-you've lost six quid. That's not bad, is it?

-Not bad at all.

-I've known worse!

-Could have been a lot worse.

-Oh, yes, it could be.

And you've of course got the possibility of the bonus buy.

-We have indeed.

-Have you made a decision?

-We have.

-Well, the only thing we made money on there

was Nick's choice,

so it would be churlish and foolish to lose faith in him now.

-We're going to go with him.

-No pressure there. Are you sure?

Absolutely.

Right, here we go. We're on.

160, lovely set of pillar scales.

£30? Bid me 30.

20 to start, surely now, where's 20...?

-Give me ten.

-They are worth more than that.

-This is ridiculous.

15 online. 20 online.

£20...

Nice set of scales, with the drawer and the weights.

You used to like Nick, didn't you?

When you first met him.

25 now. 25 online...

Hammer's up at 25.

Everybody done. 25 and the hammer's up...

-Well, chaps...

-We were robbed.

You were. Not a word to the Blues.

But who knows who's won?

It's anybody's game.

Now, the mother of pearl table screen.

Would you like to know something fascinating about this?

-Definitely.

-Apart from the fact that it cost £70.

The auctioneer looked at it, and do you know what he said?

"Funny, that. We sold this month ago."

-No!

-No!

These things do have a habit of sometimes going round in circles.

Here we are. First item.

I think I've seen this before.

176, I have to start at £25.

30 if you like.

At 25. 30 anywhere?

Come on. £25. 30.

£30 online. At £30.

£30, is there five?

£30...? Five, anybody?

At 30 now, hammer's up at 30.

-£30.

-Oh, dear.

-Minus 40.

-I would have had that.

You would have had that, but you can't.

Now, the lustre fish vase, cost 35.

177, news just in...

This pottery vase is by Jonathan Cox, a local potter.

Lovely lustre,

very coppery feel about it.

£40... 40.

Nice piece, £40.

Bid me 30.

-20, to start...?

-Oh, dear, girls.

£20. At 20. Five anywhere?

-You've got 20.

-Five anywhere?

At 20. Five now.

Is there 30? 30 bid.

Five if you like. £30 now outright...

£30. Five, anybody?

£30 now, all done...

Oh, minus a fiver.

You are minus 45 now.

But here comes your planter.

178.

Good planter stand, with the little label there for RA Lister and Co.

£30. Bid me 30.

20 to start...? 20 online.

Five if you like, sir. 25 in the room.

30, lady's bid. Is there five, sir? £30, is there five...?

Come on! It's a steal.

Come back to me online. 35, thank you.

Is there 40 now?

£40, against you online.

Five if you like. 45 now.

Is there 50 bid? £50 now...

Profit! Mr Pe.

In the room, lady's bid at 50...

-You made a fiver.

-Redemption.

Redemption, Gary.

-45.

-Yeah, but you are only down £40.

-That's not bad, is it?

-No.

-No. I mean,

if you only lost 40 quid every time you went shopping, you'd be quite happy, wouldn't you, ladies?

What about Gary's buckle?

The bonus buy.

-Do you want to go with it?

-I think so.

-You do.

-We do love it.

Here we go!

On we go, 184.

19th-century rounded rectangular buckle.

£40, I bet this could tell a story or two.

-£40...

-Come on. Yes.

-£30...?

20 to start, surely now, £20.

Anybody want this one?

-20?

-Oh, dear.

-Crazy!

£20, at 20.

Five anywhere? At 20.

At 20? Have we all done?

At 20 now, hammer's up...

I think you were hard done by, girls.

But you've only lost £65.

That could well be a winning score.

-I hope so.

-So don't discuss it with the Red team.

-Definitely not.

-And we'll find out later.

Christopher and Iestyn,

Karen and Janet.

May I...say...

that one of you was twice as good as the other!

THEY ALL LAUGH

But before you all start giggling,

you both made huge losses!

But of course, we don't have losers on this programme,

we have runners-up.

So the runners-up today are the Blue team.

THEY CHEER

Yes. You did make one profit, but everything else was not very good.

£65, you lost.

£65. But that's not bad, is it?

-No, could be worse!

-You've had a good time.

-Yeah!

And you enjoyed buying what you bought.

-Oh, yeah, loved it.

-And you had real faith in what you bought?

-Definitely.

-It's just that the people out there didn't.

-They're idiots, aren't they?

-I think you are absolutely right.

Now, you two. You did make one profit...

But you only lost £31.

So that was a bit of a triumph, wasn't it?

No, we lost six...

THEY ALL LAUGH

Oh, very good!

-Very good.

-Team spirit!

-Team spirit.

-Not that we like to point the finger.

I'll just go now.

Goodbye, Nick!

Have you had a good time?

-Brilliant.

-Brilliant time.

-You can't always make money.

And indeed today, you didn't.

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

and indeed to follow us on Twitter.

In the meantime, do join us for more Bargain Hunting. Yes? ALL: Yes!