VOICEOVER (VO): The nation's favorite antiques experts, one big challenge - who will make the most profit buying and selling antiques as they drive around the UK?

DEALER: £6.

PHIL: £5.

Done.

Is that your very best you can do?

VO: By the end of their trip, they should've made some big money.

Yes!

VO: But it's not as easy as it sounds.

And only one will be crowned champion at the final auction in London.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

This week we're on the road with antiques experts Anita Manning and David Barby.

Anita Manning is an auctioneer who loves that tingly feeling from finding something rare.

And she knows where to look.

ANITA (AM): What have you got under the counter, Margaret?

What?

VO: David Barby was an antiques child prodigy.

And his early career took him from Rugby to London and eventually to Leamington Spa.

He's a man who says it like it is.

DAVID (DB): My name's David Barby.

Pleased to meet you.

Hello.

And I've come to buy something from you.

VO: Anita and David began their journey with £200 each and have both been heading in different directions with their tactics.

Anita's been fighting back from near bankruptcy on the first show and strictly buying cheap.

That's a lovely bit.

£85.

On yesterday's show it all finally paid off and she's way up on her original £200 with a marvelous £333.81 to start today's show.

Dashing, daring David has been throwing his money around on big risky items.

And guess what?

(BLEEP) David had a shockingly bad auction and lost all of his previous profits.

From his original £200 he has just £169.15 to start today's show.

I've learned my lesson.

You do not put fine art pieces into a household sale.

The market's not there.

VO: This week's road trip travels from Aberdeen in northeast Scotland to Leyburn in North Yorkshire.

Today, they're leaving Ayr and heading across the Scottish borders en route to their first English auction in Carlisle.

AM: Browse around.

See if there's anything.

Go canny!

I will do!

I've learnt my lesson.

VO: Because he's so far behind, David gets to have first dibs in the first shop of the day.

This is a possibility.

Little Moorcroft and it's a table lamp.

It's stamped Moorcroft.

It's a fairly late one so we're looking at Walter Moorcroft, not William Moorcroft.

He was the son who took over the business after the war in 1945.

The connoisseur will go for early Moorcroft, late 19th, early 20th century.

Bearing in mind I lost heavily on the last table lamp that I bought, this has got to be at a very reasonable price.

I noticed the Moorcroft table lamp.

That's a fairly late one.

What sort of price is that?

DEALER: That one's £225.

DB: Oh!

VO: Well, there goes that idea!

Now it's Anita's turn.

Don't be too long - I'm absolutely starving!

AM: Five minutes, promise.

DB: Are you sure?

AM: 100%.

DB: OK.

I'll give you a starter for 10.

Come on!

One... (LAUGHS) Well, best of luck.

DB: I'll count you out now.

AM: I won't be long.

One, two, three... VO: Four, five, six... Actually, just take your time, Anita.

David can wait!

AM: These are Mauchline boxes.

DEALER: They are.

Yeah.

I love Mauchlineware and I love these lovely hand-painted boxes.

VO: Mauchline is a pretty town in Ayrshire.

Two local men, William and Andrew Smith, set up a snuff-box-making factory in around 1825.

They made a considerable name for themselves with boxes, both plain and decorated.

DEALER: We had a very pleasant surprise when we opened that box ourselves.

His mother... DEALER: Helen Burns.

AM: Right.

DEALER: Sister of Jean Armour Burns.

AM: "Bonnie Jean."

DEALER: Bonnie Jean, wife of the poet.

So this box was painted by Robert Burns's nephew.

The letter appears to be written to the author's uncle, the world famous Scots poet, Robert Burns.

AM: I suppose this will be quite expensive.

We were about to put a price tag on it.

It's a very good example of the period and that type of box.

AM: Aha.

DEALER: The note adds another DEALER: special dimension.

AM: That's right.

VO: So potentially the box is worth a small fortune.

Better put it back and not keep David waiting unnecessarily.

He's got no patience, that boy!

Anita moves on to a larger Victorian stationery box but someone's done a rather interesting patchwork job on it.

AM: This is not original here.

Someone has put this on at a later date.

And...

I think that's curtain tape!

(LAUGHS) They've put a bit of a billiard table or card table there as well!

It's not a fine item.

AM: It's never been a fine item!

DEALER: No, definitely not.

Would you sell this to me for £10?

25.

AM: It's still a wee bit steep.

DEALER: Is it too steep?

Can you improve on your £10, really, at the end of the day?

Er, £12.

I recko... DEALER: Dearie me!

AM: Aha.

I know.

On a good day, if it reaches 15 it will be very happy.

And so will I!

(CHUCKLES) DEALER: Well we'll do a deal.

AM: We do it for 12?

One less thing.

We'll do it for 12.

AM: Thank you very much.

DEALER: You're welcome.

That's wonderful.

£12 and thank you so much.

Thanks very much.

The new super-confident Anita is staying on course and making the wee canny deals she needs.

DB: Now, be careful, you've got valuable cargo on board!

(CRUNCHING) I think it needs to go into reverse.

VO: Oh!

DB: (LAUGHS) VO: It's back on the road.

What a nightmare!

Continuing across the Borders, the Road Trip heads for Innerleithen in pretty Peeblesshire.

DB: OK?

AM: OK. AM: I'm looking forward to this.

DB: Oh, my.

Best of luck!

VO: As David races off to find something that'll revive his fortunes, Anita is taking a trip to a doll's house disguised as an antique shop!

Ha!

AM: These dolls are absolutely wonderful.

DEALER: This is Jean.

AM: Aw!

Is that the original dress?

Actually it's not but it's a dress I swapped when I was a child with another little friend.

What date is she, Margaret?

Could be, what, 1953.

So that started your passion for dolls?

Yes, it did.

Anita and Margaret are happily drifting back into their childhoods!

Whilst David takes a mature peek at some grown-up antiques.

This is a little model of an immortal.

And it has a phallic head which was always a symbol for good luck.

There's something that'll sell at auction, make a profit.

The belt.

DB: What's that?

DEALER: A school belt.

Remember these?

DB: Oh!

DEALER: Sore, eh?

Christopher Columbus!

Whilst David's punishing search continues, Anita's enjoying some more innocent pastimes.

(THEY LAUGH) AM: This is great fun!

Oh, great!

Is he able to be bought for 20?

DEALER: Erm...

I think he would have to be 30.

AM: I mean, I absolutely adore him.

I absolutely adore him.

The only thing that worries me about him is that there's no maker's name.

No.

What if we split it half way?

25.

It's a deal.

Thank you so much, Margaret.

DEALER: OK. AM: I absolutely love him.

He's such a cheery little chap.

Talking of cheery little chaps...

This is a, erm, 19th-century blotter.

It's very ornate.

These little desk requisites are quite collectable.

What's the very best you can do on that, sir?

DEALER: What do we have on it?

DB: Your very best.

20 quid.

Do you 15.

15.

Would you take 10 for it, please?

Yes, seeing as it's a special day.

Yes.

Right.

Can I put that DB: on one side with you?

DEALER: Sure.

And I'd like to have a look round.

Thank you.

The all-new David Barby is being very cautious with his money and got a good deal for that.

Back down the road, something sparkly has caught Anita's eye.

It's a decanter and tray and it's silver overlaid.

In 1883, John H Scharling from New Jersey patented a technique for overlaying silver on glass without the underside tarnishing and going dark.

Companies on the American east coast produced popular ranges with silver foliage and fruit patterns.

AM: Got these lovely big strawberries.

DEALER: And cherries.

And I think there's plums on there as well on there.

Anita's already agreed a purchase on the cheery wind-up rabbit.

AM: We're on 25 at that.

DEALER: Right.

Alright.

What about £50 for the two of them?

DEALER: OK. We'll go for that.

AM: Shall we go for that?

AM: That's a double deal.

DEALER: It's a double deal.

It deserves another shake!

AM: Thank you so much.

DEALER: A twice deal.

VO: Anita's brimming with confidence and certainly leading the charge on this leg of the road trip.

Can David find a killer item to tip the balance in his favor?

Here we have a set of rather interesting early 20th-century scales, possibly used for weighing tobacco.

So they weigh a dram of baccy, or something?

Would it be a dram of snuff?

DEALER: I think possibly it's snuff.

I think snuff, too.

DEALER: I'll do it for 30.

DB: For 30.

DEALER: Yep.

DB: £30 it is.

We'll have that.

I think this is quirky enough for people to use in a kitchen as a decorative item.

30.

And 40 for the blotter.

Thank you very much.

DB: Bye!

DEALER: Bye!

Thank you.

VO: So that's it for this day's antique hunting.

The shops are closing and the sky is darkening.

Rise and shine!

It's back on the road and back on the hunt for killer antiques.

David and Anita's first English auction awaits them further down the road in Carlisle.

David has so far spent just £40 on the silver ink blotter and the snuff scales, with £129.15 left to focus on something profitable.

Anita has confidently spent £62 on three items - the leather stationery box, the wind-up rabbit and the glass decanter set - with £271.81 left to spend.

However, Anita's been on such a roll that she's decided not to buy anything more before auction day.

So she gets dropped off in pretty Peeblesshire for a little bit of "me time" instead.

Well, Anita, we're here.

Have a marvelous time.

I know you will.

I'm very envious, you know.

I'm really looking forward to going in here and having a look at everything.

AM: Bye-bye, darling.

Have fun.

DB: Bye-bye.

VO: Our lady of leisure is visiting Traquair House for a look into the life of her favorite historical figure, Mary, Queen of Scots.

Anita meets Catherine, the 21st laird of Traquair.

It's her family home, which also opens to the public.

They take you over, these houses!

They're a bit all-consuming!

Aha.

So you went away for 10 years.

Yes, then I came back in the early '90s, because my father died in 1990 and I'm the only child, so... AM: Oh right.

CATHERINE: I came back.

Traquair House has been a royal hunting lodge for over 900 years.

Mary, Queen of Scots visited many times with her young son, James, who became both James VI of Scotland and James I of England.

Is this Mary, Queen of Scots' bed?

It is, yes.

This is where she stayed when she slept here in 1566.

She was on a hunting expedition.

She came with her husband, Darnley.

AM: And this little crib...?

CATHERINE: This was where James was rocked when he came.

She'd just recently had him.

He'd have been a few months old when they visited Traquair.

AM: I mean, her life must have been dreadful.

But you still have this wonderful romantic feeling about Mary, Queen of Scots.

VO: Mary lived in dangerous times as Britain was going through the reformation and religious persecution was rife.

Even a century later, the Traquair family were cautiously practicing their faith.

They had to worship in secret so they had a priest, or family chaplain.

AM: So he would live here?

CATHERINE: Yeah.

And, of course, for a lot of that period he was living in fear of a raid or search so he needed to have a quick route of escape.

They built in these bookshelves here... ..and then behind the bookshelves, you open the door.

AM: I see!

And he was able to escape.

He was able to escape through there.

This joins on to the original staircase of the tower.

Originally the River Tweed flowed at the back of the house so you were onto a boat and off down the river.

Anita certainly enjoyed her own escape from today's antique shopping.

Meanwhile on the road, desperate David heads eastwards through the Borders to Coldstream in Berwickshire.

DB: Anita's just wallowing in sheer pleasure.

She's having a whale of a time.

I'm struggling!

VO: Coldstream is right on the border of the Borders and the site of the famous bridge into England.

In 1787, the bridge became the inaugural crossing point for the first visit to England by universally-adored Scots poet, Robert Burns.

Whereas, the universally-adored David Barby still has massive losses to claw back from yesterday's show and really needs to find a knee-wobbling bargain today.

DB: Well, I'm full of great expectations.

So nice.

So expensive!

This is a nice little beaker.

Engraved.

And that's its protective cover.

That's £35.

But that's what it would sell for at auction.

That's £180.

Isn't that lovely?

VO: It's all too expensive, David.

What next?

Is there anything on your premises that you can sell me that I can guarantee to make a profit?

DB: They're menu... stands.

DEALER: Menu stands.

£60.

Is that the very best you can do on that?

Afraid so.

Is that REALLY the very best you can do?

58, and that's it.

50.

No!

No, 58.

58.

DB: Not 50?

DEALER: No.

Sorry.

The famous Barby pleading stare just hasn't worked in Coldstream.

Time for a new town.

Or maybe a new country!

The Road Trip races towards Wooler, in Northumberland.

Across the Scottish/English border, David is still desperate for a bargain to save his fortunes.

DB: I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'm gonna find something here.

But I haven't come across an antique shop yet.

So that's a little bit disconcerting!

Now, that's what I call taking it easy!

But there's still a bargain antique that needs to be caught.

Right, David?

Excuse me sir.

Can you tell me where there's an antique shop here?

Well that's good.

I've found an antique shop.

I'm limited with money.

I've got to buy something which is going up for auction.

I've got to guarantee to make a profit.

Have a look round.

Have a look at the back of the shop.

You may find something.

Lead on, Macduff!

Gosh!

There's treasures everywhere!

An old church lectern.

Yes.

I like this shaped carving here.

Sort of Gothic tracery.

DEALER: Gothic, yeah.

DB: Yeah.

So it's pitch pine.

I think that's quite startling.

DEALER: Mm.

DB: What date do you put on it?

About 1880?

1890?

DEALER: Late 19th, yeah.

DB: Yeah, yeah.

VO: Double-sided church lecterns were thought to have been originally used for displaying the Old and New Testaments simultaneously.

The reason I look at that is because I've been into posh restaurants.

Yes, and they use them...

They use it as a sort of menu holder.

DEALER: I've seen that.

DB: Or bookings, something like that.

What's the very best you can do on that?

Because of the damage, I could probably do that for 75.

Could you do it much less than 75?

DEALER: How much...?

DB: Could you do it at 40?

DEALER: Oh, that's... DB: £40.

DEALER: (LAUGHS) DEALER: 40 quid.

DB: 40 quid.

OK, done!

DB: It's done.

Ah!

God, I've never bought anything so quickly!

VO: David knows a great antique when he sees one.

This could turn the big profit he desperately needs.

Ha!

Thoroughly relaxed and refreshed, Anita has arrived early for that special time on the Road Trip.

Now our two experts finally get to reveal their secrets to one another.

Mmm!

Ah, what a day I've had!

AM: Oh, David!

First item.

I love writing boxes, David.

And, er, I thought this one was quite sweet.

There is a little restoration work done on it.

DB: I think that's restoration isn't it?

AM: But the inside's been tidied up.

DB: Oh that's lovely.

AM: Aha.

DB: How much?

AM: £12.

Oh, Anita!

That is so cheap.

This is a little blotter.

It's continental.

All this revived Rococo work.

What do you think?

I think that's absolutely lovely.

DB: I paid a lot of money for that.

AM: How much?

DB: £10!

AM: (LAUGHS) Have you learned a wee trick AM: or two from me?

DB: I have, I have!

DB: Oh, isn't that sweet?

Do you wind it up?

Yes, aha, it's clockwork.

Oh that is brilliant.

What did you pay for that?

AM: 25.

DB: 25!

Hurry up, David!

Hurry up!

This is a snuff scale.

AM: It's in remarkably good condition.

DB: Isn't it just?

AM: How much, David?

DB: Well, he was asking £70.

And he didn't give you anything off?

£30, I got it for.

Och, that's great!

You're teasing me!

(LAUGHS) AM: It's a little tray and decanter.

It's overlaid silver and it's marked sterling.

DB: So this is American?

AM: Aha.

DB: How much was it?

AM: £25.

You've done so unbelievably well!

I want to give up and go home!

AM: No!

DB: Yes, I do!

Show me your third item.

OK.

It's outside, actually.

I ought to say, "Close your eyes."

DB: Have you got your eyes closed?

Yep.

Not yet.

Not yet.

Open your eyes.

Ooh, that's lovely!

DB: It's Gothic revival.

It's in pine and mixed wood.

I love this.

I love it.

DB: Really?

AM: Aha.

I can see it in a restaurant, a hotel... That's a most unusual item.

I think so.

Well you told me to go and buy something kooky!

I would estimate it somewhere between 150 and £200.

What did you pay for it?

40!

(CHUCKLES) Well done!

Well done!

VO: Alright, that's enough!

Now, tell us what you really think!

Ha!

I think the lectern for £40!

That was absolutely fabulous!

I thought the writing box she bought, I saw at Sunnyside.

I rejected it, because it was so over-restored.

But she got it for £12!

He's given himself a wee shake, price-wise.

And I think he'll do very well.

VO: Finally, it's auction day.

Our two experts complete this leg of the trip from Ayr.

They've whizzed around the Scottish Borders before crossing into England and on to Carlisle.

Carlisle is an historic town, alright.

Originally a staging post for the Roman army to defend Hadrian's Wall, it has been variously part of England and Scotland throughout its existence.

Who it belongs to now depends on who you ask, but technically, it's in the north of England.

Good auction house.

Good auctioneer.

I'm full of expectancy.

VO: Auctioneer Paul Laidlaw has his own thoughts to add to the proceedings.

The lectern's worrying me, I don't mind telling you.

The lectern's a difficult one to call.

If you love it, where would you see another?

So buy it.

Pay what you have to pay.

But how many people are looking for a Gothic lectern at the moment?

I don't know.

If the lectern crashes and burns, I think Anita's stolen it.

VO: Starting this leg with £333.81, Anita has wisely spent a mere £62.

David started with £169.15, and with a complete reversal of his former tactic, spent just £80.

Ah!

I caught some fish in...

I know you did.

You keep telling me.

Christopher Columbus!

VO: Sh!

Conversations are hurriedly cut short, mobile phones switched to silent, and if anyone's not been to the little room, then - ha-ha!

- it's too late now!

The auction is about to begin.

You never know what's going to happen until the hammer falls.

Well that's perfectly true.

That's what draws people to the auction.

VO: First up, Anita's leather stationery box.

It's been heavily restored, possibly a little too much.

The buyers will decide.

£10 for a start.

At £10 bid.

£10 I'm bid.

£10.

Nice little lot, this.

15.

20.

Five.

25.

This is good value, let me assure you.

Quite sure you're done?

It's below my expectations.

Selling now at £25.

AM: Yes!

DB: That is very good.

DB: Congratulations.

AM: That will do me.

AM: That will do me.

VO: An excellent start.

Clearly, someone likes the ingenious restoration work.

Now for David's first item.

A blotter for a tenner.

Let's hope it makes a bit more than that.

David has a lot of ground to make up at this auction.

PAUL: Lovely little... DB: It is indeed.

PAUL: ..rococo-style silver-topped desk blotter.

He's so astute.

£10 for a start, the silver blotter.

£10 I'm bid.

£10 I'm bid.

£10 I'm bid.

12.

15.

18.

20.

PAUL: 22.

Good value here.

DB: It is.

The Rococo silver desk blotter.

25.

PAUL: 25.

Help me.

28.

AM: Yes!

DB: Oh can we knock 30?

PAUL: 30.

He's teetering.

Quite sure you're all done?

Another?

32.

Paul?

He was out once.

Come on, one more go.

All done now at £32.

(GAVEL) PAUL: 552.

AM: Excellent!

DB: How much was that?

Well done, well done!

VO: Excellent.

David's new cautious approach to buying is working... so far!

Next up, Anita's rather lovely decanter and tray set.

She got a good deal.

Now, can she make a good profit?

£10 bid.

£10.

12.

15.

18.

20.

22.

Lovely little decanter.

25.

Selling now at 25.

28.

30.

Selling.

Last chance at £30.

PAUL: Thank you, madam.

DB: You haven't lost anything.

DB: That's the main thing.

AM: It might have gone further.

VO: Not bad.

Not great, but not bad.

Now then, David's fate hangs in the balance.

Will the scales do him justice?

A scarce set of scales, ladies and gentlemen.

DB: They're superb!

These are tobacconists'.

£10 then.

15.

20.

Five.

30.

I'll take two, remember.

35, please.

32.

35.

It's worth more.

At £35.

Oof!

VO: Oh, dear.

After commission, all chance of a profit has been snuffed out.

# Pa-rum-pah-pah-pum!

# Can this little bunny drum up a bit of auction glory for Anita?

PAUL: Lot 550A.

Yes, come on, my little darling!

PAUL: 12.

15.

18.

18.

Are we all done?

20.

22.

25.

25 here.

It goes now at £25.

I loved that wee thing, as well.

(THEY CHUCKLE) I think I was carried away with it!

VO: Oh, dear.

The drumming's stopped and after commission, that'll be a loss on the bunny.

Now, it's all down to the lectern.

David's hoping that his killer item will propel him back into the lead.

How is that lectern going to do?

Don't get me excited.

DB: Don't get me excited.

AM: Are you nervous?

Yeah, feeling nervous!

Well, what think you of this, ladies and gentlemen?

DB: Lovely.

PAUL: What a handsome specimen.

At £20 to start.

£20 the lectern.

25.

30.

Five.

40.

Five.

PAUL: 50.

DB: Come on!

52.

55.

Sounds cheap to me.

55.

DB: It is cheap.

PAUL: 55.

55.

55.

Last chance and selling at £55.

(SIGHS DEEPLY) You made a profit.

£15!

Well... VO: Don't cry!

A minor profit there, but not the silver bullet that David needed.

I don't think we should be too unhappy about that.

At least we did not make a loss!

Yeah.

VO: That's it, folks, for this auction at least.

Despite his new tactics and very best efforts, Anita has kept her solid lead over poor old David.

But there's one more program to go for this pair yet.

Anita started today's show with £333.81.

And made a hilarious profit after commission of £4.20!

She now has £338 and a wee penny to take forward.

David began with £169.15 and made a minor profit, after commission, of £20.96.

Dave fights on then with £190.10.

Will you stand over there and back me round?

Don't move quickly.

Aha.

I don't like going backwards.

Hard!

AM: OK!

DB: No, come on!

VO: On tomorrow's Antiques Road Trip, it's Anita and David's last journey together.

Anita gets down to business.

If I can maybe make you a wee offer... VO: David gets down the market.

You're a hard man!

Oh, don't say that!

My wife says that.

And they both get on down the road to Yorkshire.

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