VO: It's the nation's favorite antiques experts...

Perfect.

Sold!

VO: ..behind the wheel of a classic car.

Lovely day for it.

VO: And a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

Every home should have one of these.

VO: The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

Yes!

VO: There'll be worthy winners... 950.

You're going to make £1,000!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

Nooooooo!

VO: Will it be the high road to glory?

Make me a big profit.

VO: Or the slow road to disaster?

Are we stuck?

IRITA & RAJ: Yay!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

Today we're back on the road for part two of our jolly round Wales.

This is lovely, isn't it?

VO: It certainly is.

The sun's out, and it's baking!

IZZIE: It's beautiful.

Be lovely if we both had, like, fewer layers on.

What do they say?

There's no such thing as bad weather, just poor clothing.

VO: You said it, not me!

Our slightly hot driver is Izzie Balmer.

And by her side, the slightly sticky James Braxton.

Luckily, they've got the roof down on their nifty 1977 Morgan.

IZZIE: Come on then, James, what's your verdict on my driving?

JAMES: Very good, Izzie.

IZZIE: Oh, thank you.

You're a very competent driver, and it's quite a beasty car to drive, isn't it?

It is, but I do enjoy it.

JAMES: Yeah.

IZZIE: It's good fun.

VO: Last time out, James tried a new look... Who am I?

Snoop Dogg.

VO: Whereas Izzie accessorized with the cute and the cuddly.

IZZIE: Look, he's just saying, "Give me a home.

Buy me, buy me."

VO: But at their first auction, it was James's eye for the exotic that gave him the win.

Well done you!

Drinks are on me!

You had an absolute belter of an auction.

I know.

You're not doing things by halves on this road trip, are you?

No!

VO: He's doing great!

Leaving Izzie to catch up.

She started with £200 and has so far increased her piggy by £29.60.

Come on, Izzo!

Whilst James, who started with the same sum, has earned himself quite the lead.

He has £426.40.

Back on the road, I mean, roadside... JAMES: I've got a nice little picnic for us.

This can be your little rug.

This looks rather jolly.

JAMES: There is your bread.

IZZIE: Oh, it looks delicious.

So what have we got in here, then, James?

Well, it's tomato and wild garlic.

Ooh!

Ooh, that smells good.

VO: Anything to bring to the car bonnet, Izzie?

JAMES: What delight do we have?

IZZIE: Well, I went for the sweet option.

Tiffin.

I tell you what, if we were short on energy, this is going to give it to us.

VO: This sweet-toothed pair will start in South Wales, but we do slip across the border to Shropshire before heading north and following the curve of the west coast, with a final showdown in Pembrokeshire.

I think we probably, after all this food, better go and do some shopping.

VO: Yeah, I suppose you should.

On this leg they'll shop till they drop to Wrexham, but we'll kick off in Trecastle.

Named after a 12th century castle that stood here long ago, this historic village sits on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, and it's where our pair will find their first shop, Trecastle Antiques Centre.

Hey, James, we've brought you back to school!

It's an old building.

JAMES: It is.

IZZIE: I feel like you were probably an absolute nightmare as a kid.

JAMES: Yeah.

IZZIE: Naughty little boy.

Low attention span.

VO: Look lively, James!

The early bird takes the worm!

VO: An antique Tardis, this place is spread over two floors, with 11 dealers displaying their wares.

This is the sticky door, isn't it?

Do you really want me to get out, oh dear, in this suit?

VO: Yeah, that's the idea, mate.

I've bought all the best things already, James!

Ah, there we are!

There we are.

How on earth did I get into that car?

Anyway, after you.

VO: There's Rhona.

She's in charge today.

Bamboo and basketware.

That's what I like.

IZZIE: James?

JAMES: Yeah.

What do you think this giant colander is used for?

That would be a lot of peas in there, wouldn't it?

I tell you what it's used for, turn it the other way.

Yeah.

And it's called a Welsh umbrella because it keeps the hard rain out, and just keeps a little light drizzle on.

I'm going to wear it as a hat!

IZZIE: Ooh!

You've got a sieve for a brain, by the way!

I do have a sieve for a brain!

VO: Right, children, we're not in the playground.

Get shopping!

(METAL CLANKS) VO: Oh, look out!

Look out!

Nothing to see here!

Ooh, it's heavy.

Look at that.

That's chipped.

Such a shame when these things are chipped.

So that's Victorian.

It's a great shape, isn't it?

It's that sort of melon shaped, very nice decoration.

Again, this oriental, this trellis pattern here.

Precious objects, sort of maybe bronzes, and then stylized flowers, a sort of maple there.

And then there's roses here.

It's made of Ironstone, a sort of patented ceramic, so tougher than earthenware, not as tough as porcelain.

What price have they got on it?

45 quid.

It's too damaged, though, isn't it?

With regret, I leave it.

VO: Where's Izzie got to?

Oh, I do like a good mirror.

This one's a little bit different.

At first glance, it's your typical Victorian brass oval mirror that you'd hang on the wall.

You've got this very cool lion mask here, and you've got these grapes, and then you've sort of got this slightly oriental-inspired plaque either side.

Ooh.

Actually, I've just noticed, there's a couple of scratches there.

Oh, there's a couple of dents.

Do you know what, the longer I look at this the more I think I don't think it's for me.

The more I'm looking at it, the more I'm sort of seeing dents here.

Let's just check the price.

You never know.

It says it's not for me.

It says it's £110.

So I'm going to leave that one there.

Don't really want to blow half my budget right just yet.

VO: Very sensible.

Moving on... (ANTIQUES CLATTER) VO: Oh, well, there's James.

Ha ha!

What's he found?

JAMES: (TAPS CERAMIC PLATE) You see, I've always liked that.

So, like that big pot over here, exactly a similar sort of date.

This is probably 1850, 1860.

It's a big meat platter.

This is something that you might have a roast on.

So, a big bird or maybe, you know, a leg of lamb, or something like that.

And it's got this idealized Chinese scene here.

We got some real stylized motifs here.

We've got the trellis fencing here.

We've got a bonsai, look, a miniature thing.

And then we got this sort of rather nice, sort of prunus blossom here.

I like this luster.

I like the luster look.

And when I saw it on the shelf there, and it said £25, it's a big fellow.

And I thought, again, it's ironstone, which is this sort of improved pottery.

It's a nice plate, that, isn't it?

£25.

VO: Lovely.

Right, time to talk money with Rhona.

JAMES: Now, Rhona.

RHONA: Hello.

JAMES: I found a plate.

RHONA: Lovely.

JAMES: The nice thing is, it's totally undamaged.

I'm feeling generous.

The sun is shining.

There we are, £25.

RHONA: Oh, thank you very much.

JAMES: As per the label.

RHONA: Thank you.

VO: And we're off.

First item bought for £25.

Thanks a lot.

Bye!

VO: James makes his exit, with £401.40 still in his pocket.

Now, where is Izzie off to?

Oh, "more this way".

VO: Ah, the garden stash!

She can't get enough of the sunshine, this girl.

What have we got here?

A pair of miniature wheelbarrows.

And these are cool because they're made of this wrought... Well, probably a wrought iron.

I mean, they're very, very rusty.

Age is always really difficult with these things because there's so much rust on them.

These could have just... Well, not could have, have clearly sat outside for years and years.

And the weather has got to them.

This one's in better nick than this one, actually.

But I think, I mean, especially now, people are really getting back into gardening.

And I love flowers, I love growing vegetables, anything like that.

You could have trailing flowers coming out of them.

You could have daffodils and tulips springing forth.

I think you could do a lot with these.

Admittedly, you need to find yourself a basket to be able to do that.

But someone creative could do something.

VO: Ticket price, £20 each.

Hopefully there can be like a, I don't know, two for the price of one.

That'd be good, wouldn't it?

VO: BOGOF!

Rhona?

So I've had a good look around the shop, and what I spotted were a pair of sort of little wrought iron wheelbarrows.

Now, they're priced at £20 for each of them, but because they're a pair, can we come to some agreement on the price?

Yeah, we could say, say 28?

Could se say 25?

RHONA: Erm... Yeah.

IZZIE: Yes?

RHONA: Yes.

VO: She's off the mark with a "wheely" good purchase!

Those barrows are now Izzie's.

It's been an absolute pleasure.

Thank you so much.

RHONA: Lovely to meet you.

IZZIE: You too.

IZZIE: Bye bye.

RHONA: Bye bye.

VO: Now, on to pastures new.

James is on his way to the spa town of Llandrindod Wells.

He's come to hear about an illegal sport that thrived on the streets of Wales and propelled a local boy to the world stage.

Hello, Allan.

Hello, James.

VO: James has come here to meet museum guide Allan Simcock to find out more.

Did Wales have a cycling star?

A man called Arthur Linton.

ALLAN: He came from Somerset, but he settled in Wales.

VO: Born in 1868, Arthur Linton's family moved to Aberdare in Glamorganshire when he was three years old.

Like many working class boys at the time, by the age of 12, he had a job in the local coal fields.

He took an interest in cycling.

He spent his savings on a bike, and his free time entering races.

Was there money in cycling?

Oh, yes, there was.

You could make a good living at it.

I suppose you could liken it to boxing.

JAMES: Right.

If you were working down a mine, and you wanted some extra money, if you were good enough, you'd take up boxing.

Likewise, they'd take up cycle racing.

VO: In the late 1800s, cycling was often viewed by young working class men as a means to escape the poverty and earn more money, with cash prizes attracting competitors to take part in amateur competitions.

JAMES: Was there a lot of racing in Wales?

Well, it was illegal, but yes.

Cycle racing in the UK was frowned upon and eventually banned.

You would be alright if you were on a circuit.

JAMES: OK. ALLAN: But not on the open roads.

VO: When the ban took hold in the UK in early 1890, 22 year old Arthur had already competed and won a number of races in South Wales, and was emerging as the first cycling star on the Welsh scene.

His next stop, Europe.

How did Arthur Linton come to fame?

The most grueling cycling race in France was known as the Derby of the Road, which was the Bordeaux to Paris, which was about 590km.

JAMES: Wow, a long way.

ALLAN: Yeah.

And he won it.

So, that certainly made his name.

VO: Linton's strength and speed made him a strong track cyclist.

And in 1893, he competed in Paris in front of crowds of more than 20,000 people.

There, he won multiple races and set time records, earning his reputation as an elite athlete and world champion.

Tragically, his success was short lived as Arthur Linton died of typhoid fever at the age of just 28.

While his career was cut short, he paved the way for future generations of cyclists.

Hs Wales produced some Tour de France stars?

JAMES: Some modern road race stars?

Oh yes, certainly.

Geraint Thomas, he won the Tour de France, and he's still racing.

A lady called Nicole Cooke, in the Beijing Olympics, which was I think 2008, she won the Ladies' Road race.

A few weeks later, the World Champion Road Race.

Being amongst all these bicycles, I feel inspired.

Can I have a go on a bicycle?

Definitely!

We'll find a bike for you.

VO: On your bike, Brackers!

Here we go.

VO: While few people know his story, Arthur Linton's talent, passion, and dedication to the sport of cycling propelled him from the coal fields to the world stage.

His achievements placed Wales at the heart of competitive cycling, where it's remained to this day.

While James looks in no rush, Izzie's got her foot on the gas, and shopping on her mind.

In my next shop, I really don't know what I hope to find, but something that's going to make me a big profit.

I think that's key to catching up James.

It's not making little profits here and there.

I need at least one stonking profit.

VO: You can do it!

She's off to the market town of Brecon, nestled between the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains.

It's famed for its Georgian architecture, and it's where Izzie will find Brecon Vintage and Vinyl, her last shop today.

It's small, just the one room, but there's lots to look at.

Izzie has just over £200.

She's bound to find something!

IZZIE: I do like a cabinet.

This caught my eye, it's a candlestick.

I think it's probably bronze, because it is pretty cold.

It's not as heavy as I was expecting, and it would have been one of two.

I think these would have been a pair of garnitures, and then you'd have had your clock in the middle, as well, on your fireplace, on your mantelpiece.

It's Oriental in its style.

What's the label saying?

It's saying Chinese candle holder.

I don't know that you could say categorically that they're Chinese.

I think they're certainly Oriental in their style.

How much?

£55.

It's quite a lot of money, isn't it, for one, when there should be two.

VO: That's a no to the candlestick, then.

What else?

I always like to have a little look at a sampler.

You've got the alphabet, you've got the numbers.

You've got here a religious passage.

And then we have one of the most important parts on a sampler, the girl's name, and the year she made it in, which is I think 1832, but the moths have been at that bit.

When it comes to samplers, there's a couple of things to look for.

The age of the person who did it.

So the younger, the better.

The age of the sampler itself.

So, really, we want this to have a 17.

Not a 19th century sampler, but an 18th century sampler.

And then, thirdly, you look for the skill, how ornate it is.

So this one is, as far as samplers go, it's fairly ordinary.

It's the bread and butter of samplers.

In the ones that command good money at auction, they'll have...it will be bigger than this, to start with.

But you'll have houses, you'll have birds, animals, you'll have, you know, peacocks, elephants.

They'd probably never seen an elephant, but there'll be an elephant on there, there'll be all sorts of interesting things on there.

This one, we have got a few flowers and leaves here.

We've got a few flowers here.

But I have to say, and an important factor, condition.

The condition is not here at all.

The moths have had an absolute feast at it.

Now, it isn't priced, which doesn't put it immediately out of contention because at the right price there probably would still be a market for this, but it would need to be very cheap.

I think I'll have a little look around, scout out what else there might be for me.

VO: One to come back to, then.

IZZIE: This is a blanket box, or you might call it a coffer.

And what's nice about this one is you've got carving to the lid, and you've got carving to the front panels here.

Now, if we open the lid, we have in here, unfortunately, a terrible repair on those hinges.

It's modern hinges.

Shocking job there.

It's hard to date.

My feeling is that it probably is late 18th century, maybe early 19th, as opposed to a later Victorian copy.

That's no ticket price on this, that I can see.

I think it's definitely worth asking the question.

VO: The man to ask is Jonathan.

I'm sorry to interrupt, Jonathan.

I've seen two items, but neither of them have ticket prices on them.

One of them is your sampler that's in some need of repair, and the other is your blanket box.

How much are they both, please?

110.

And I could do the sampler for 20.

That seems great.

I'm very grateful.

Yes, please.

JONATHAN: OK. IZZIE: There we go.

130.

Thank you very much for having me.

JOANTHAN: Thank you.

Bye.

IZZIE: Bye bye.

VO: No space for the coffer in the car, so Izzie will have that sent to auction.

Now, time to regroup.

What a lovely day we've had, Izzie.

It has been glorious, James.

I feel very spoilt.

Have you?

I must say, I loved your tiffin.

And I loved your bread.

VO: And now, it's time to retire to your respective bed chambers.

Ha ha!

Nighty night.

VO: Morning, all!

Another day has dawned, and our two are up bright and early.

What is your morning routine?

Well, I don't really have any.

My alarm goes off, and I struggle to get out of bed.

JAMES: Are you a snooze buttoner?

IZZIE: I've discovered I could just let the alarm ring out, and it turns itself off.

Ah!

So now I've stopped getting out of bed entirely!

VO: Well, aren't we lucky to have her with us?

Yesterday, it was James who struggled to compose himself.

(CERAMICS CLATTER) VO: And he ended up with just one item, a 19th century ironstone platter.

This is something that you might have a roast on.

VO: And he still has just over £400 left.

Izzie spent much more.

£155 in total, on a pair of wheelbarrow planters, a sampler... At the right price, there would be a market for this.

VO: ..and her blanket box.

I have bought very much outside of my comfort zone.

I've bought a piece of furniture.

Danger!

I'm hearing danger.

Half my budget on a coffer, on a blanket box.

I spent £110 on it!

You absolute nutter!

VO: (CHUCKLES) Steady on!

Today's antics begin in Shrewsbury, one of England's finest medieval market towns, and the birthplace of Charles Darwin.

And having commandeered the car, James has the place to himself.

Memory Lane Antiques and Vintage.

They sell everything from rare antiques to retro clothing, all overseen by Ian.

Hi, Ian.

Now, this is something I rather like.

First of all, Braxton weight tests, they're lovely and heavy.

They're just tiles, but they're not just tiles, of course, they're Victorian tiles.

I'd love to buy these, but generally, they don't make a great deal at auction.

VO: That's a no, then.

Moving on.

We've got a nice pair of shells here, and they're very often called butter shells.

VO: As the name suggests, they're used to serve butter or preserves, whatever you fancy.

I can see the hallmarks here, Sheffield, and they're made by James Dixon and Sons.

They've got a price tag of 75.

I like these.

They're pretty undamaged.

And I think maybe, hopefully, Ian can improve on that price.

VO: One would hope.

And here we are.

We're looking around here.

And always what tends to grab my attention is something of quality.

And we got this sort of bottle coaster.

These used to be called bottle coasters, or sliders, and they were... you'd put your bottle or decanter in it and they could slide on polished surfaces, and so they could be passed around.

You can see here this raised cushion shaped base here, and this would have been once rather luxurious felt, but the felt has worn away, leaving a rather threadbare piece of cloth, but still original piece of cloth, showing the warp and the weft.

And then the main body, of course.

In fact, sometimes they're made of silver.

In this particular instance, it's silver plate.

And the great place for silver plate was Sheffield.

Probably 1860, maybe even 1850.

VO: Ticket price, £45.

Time to turn up the charm.

JAMES: Hello, Ian.

IAN: Hello.

I've had great fun here, and I've found another item.

They've both got price tags.

Can you improve on these, Ian?

£75 on the butter dishes, which can be 65.

OK. £45 on the champagne holder.

That can be £30.

That can be 30?

OK.

It sort of balances out, doesn't it?

Yeah, it does.

VO: I think that's a deal.

IAN: Thank you very much.

JAMES: I'll put that there and I'll take these away.

VO: 95 down, just over £306 left.

James, your work here is done!

Meanwhile, Izzie has journeyed through the beautiful Shropshire countryside to the town of Oswestry.

She's come to meet the founder of the town's museum, Mark Hignett... IZZIE: Hello, Mark.

MARK: Hi, Izzy.

VO: ..to find out how he discovered once lost secret letters between two lovers who broke the law to be together.

Separated by World War II, the couple's intimate correspondence expressed a forbidden affection.

Wow!

Look at all this stuff, Mark.

IZZIE: Where have all these artefacts come from?

MARK: We bought some of them online.

I keep a close watch for anything related to Oswestry, which is how we found the fascinating collection of letters that we've purchased.

VO: Keen to expand the museum's collection, in 2012 Mark purchased three letters from an online auction site written to a soldier called Gilbert Bradley, who was training for World War II at a camp in Oswestry.

There was one letter each from Gilbert's mother and father, and the third was signed, "Your ever loving G." Intrigued, Mark went on to amass almost 1,000 of Gilbert's letters, 300 of which were love letters from the mysterious G. MARK: When we first purchased it, we didn't realize what it was.

We thought it was a fantastic social history story, and it was only as we were transcribing them in 2015 that we realized that "your ever loving G" was in actual fact Gordon, and he was another soldier.

Wow.

MARK: So he actually names himself in one of the letters.

And then as we went through the letters, we found another couple of letters where Gordon actually signs his name.

VO: Gordon and Gilbert were taking a huge risk, as homosexuality was illegal in the UK at the time, and as soldiers in the armed forces they could be punished with hard labor, 10 years imprisonment, or even death.

Although they met in 1938, it was only after the war broke out the following year that they began exchanging letters, after being separated.

We've got one here.

This is from March the 27th, 1941.

Gordon wrote to Gilbert, and he describes what it was like before they got together.

"Your coming was the coming of summer, I awakened, "and that summer has remained with me ever since.

"And with every hour the sun shines more brightly "and the sky becomes more blue.

"I pray that the winter will never come again, darling."

VO: After three years and almost 300 letters, the communication stopped at the end of 1942, and it's presumed that's when their relationship ended.

Gordon later relocated to California to become a well known horse trainer, while Gilbert moved to Brighton, where the letters were discovered after his death in 2008.

How do you think the letters survived?

Well, they almost didn't survive on a number of occasions, because at one time Gordon wrote to Gilbert and said, "Do one thing for me, in all seriousness, destroy all my letters."

Because if Gilbert had been caught with them, they could have been used as evidence against him.

VO: Mark's discovery of the letters has shone a spotlight on LGBTQ relationships during World War II, and serves as a reminder that there's no place for hate or prejudice in modern society.

In 1941, Gordon wrote to Gilbert, "The letters should be published one day "when the world becomes wiser "and then everyone will know how in love we are."

More than 70 years later, his wish finally came true.

Now, time to catch up with James.

What I realize now is every purchase counts.

I want each lot to shine.

With that shine, I'm hoping for profit.

I did well in the first auction.

Let's hope I can repeat that success.

VO: With his eyes on the prize, James is heading to Wrexham.

About to become a city, just five miles from the English border, it's also where he'll find his second shop of the day.

Bryn-Y-Grog Antiques Emporium is the place.

40 dealers here, and a resident cat.

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!

We've got a bit of French sculpture here.

It looks like bronze, doesn't it?

The only problem is I can lift it easily with one hand.

It isn't bronze.

There's no weight there.

And what it is, it's ceramic.

It's like a plaster of Paris, and it's just coated in a bronze-like glaze.

A sort of paint, really.

VO: She's typical of the plaster busts that came to prominence in the late 19th century after Italian sculptors began producing this cheaper imitation of the bronze statue, which were all the rage in upper class homes at the time.

But it's an elegant lady, Belle Epoque.

Look, the long neck, the Gibson girl neck.

But a very beautiful girl.

And it's got a price tag of £80 on it.

If I could get it £50 or £60, there may be a profit in it.

VO: Sounds promising!

Molly, now I need your endorsement.

Do you like what I'm about to buy?

VO: Let's just leave it at that, shall we?

JAMES: I've got Molly's verdict!

(CHUCKLES) VO: Now, let's catch up with our other expert.

Izzie's also in Wrexham, but just up the road, where she'll be shopping at Acorn Antiques and Collectables.

Izzie has the run of the place, but has a lot of ground to cover.

With two floors and 40 dealers, there's thousands of hidden gems to discover.

Like, er... this dog.

Part of me is screaming at myself and telling myself, "Put it down, put it down!"

And the other part of myself is drawn to this.

VO: Ah, sweet!

It would have been one of two, and you'd have had them on your mantelpiece, hence the flat back.

So why bother decorating the back of something that you're not going to see?

I'm just going to pop that down for a moment.

The collectable ones of these are the much smaller ones.

So, dogs are really good.

They're smaller, and they're less of a flat back.

If you see a Staffordshire Dalmatian dog that's an early one, perhaps an 18th century one, those can be really, really popular.

This one is not.

But I don't know, there's just something about it I quite like.

It's quite naive.

They often are.

Now, what is the ticket price?

£28.

Well, it's a potential.

Could maybe, hopefully get a bit of wiggle room off that one.

It might pay off.

VO: Ha-ha.

He could be a winner!

Back down at the south end of town, what has James found?

We have a stand of wood here, don't we?

Sometimes furniture is priced slightly more for its size, and small is beautiful in the furniture world.

And we've got a really small Pembroke table here.

VO: Named after the Countess of Pembroke, who first commissioned this style of table in the 18th century, it's recognized by its small size and drop leaves on either side.

This one is priced at £68.

JAMES: And I'm going to turn it up.

What you want to do when you look at furniture, look at its underneath, see how it's constructed, check all the wheels.

Everything seems to be sound.

VO: It's over 100 years old, but it's in tiptop condition, and could last you another century.

JAMES: Let's have a look.

See what it looks like when it's all opened out.

It's got little flips.

Sometimes on... Ow!

Ow!

It just pinched me there!

VO: He'll be fine.

If it pinches me, it shows it's still quite sharp, isn't it?

Everything is quite sharp.

Brown furniture has suffered over the years.

This is still a very pretty table.

It's very practical.

The drawer is nice quality because it's... (TAPS DRAW) ..mahogany lined.

Anyway.

And how does it fit in?

Yeah, it slides really well.

A bit of dry soap.

So, get a bar of soap and rub it on the runners, and it'll run really nicely.

It's a really nice table.

VO: I think he quite likes it!

We need Jackie, pronto.

She keeps the place running smoothly.

JAMES: Hello, Jackie.

JACKIE: Hello, James.

Now, what are you... Gainfully employed there?

Well, just tidying up, basically, we have to do it all the time.

So I found this rather nice, sort of elegant lady.

She's very nice, isn't she?

JAMES: Isn't she pretty?

Price tag of 80, Jackie.

Right.

What could you do on that?

65?

JAMES: 65, you say.

JACKIE: Yes.

60, or not?

Can't manage 60, I'm sorry.

JAMES: 65.

OK.

I saw a rather nice little Edwardian mahogany Pembroke table.

JACKIE: Yes.

JAMES: Priced at 68.

JACKIE: Yes.

Could we get nearer the 40 on that, or not?

I can do 50.

That would be about the best.

50.

I think that's very fair.

So 50, plus 65.

Yes.

I just got my O-level maths!

VO: Me too.

I think you'll find that's £115.

JAMES: I'll take my lovely lady there.

Very kind.

Thanks a lot.

Bye.

Lovely, thank you.

Thank you, James.

Bye.

VO: That haul still leaves him with just over £190 as he heads into auction.

Tally-ho!

Let's catch up with Izzie.

She's already eyed up a Staffordshire dog.

Anything else?

She's clocked something!

It's a bit wibbly wobbly on its stand, but I think that might be an art deco dressing table clock, or a mantel clock.

You've got this silvered dial, and you've got this sort of engine-turned FET to the center, the Arabic numerals, and then your poker hands.

It's an eight day clock, so theoretically, you should only need to wind it at the back every eight days.

And then it's on this marble stand.

I really like its simplicity.

VO: Ticket price, £58.

Thoughts?

Certainly worth enquiring as to the best price, I would have thought.

VO: That's polite speak for "let's get haggling!"

Dennis is the man for the job.

Nice titfer!

IZZIE: Hello, Dennis.

DENNIS: Hi, Izzie.

You OK?

Well, I think so.

I've had a good look around.

I've got lost multiple times, but I have found two items.

A 1930s dressing table clock, mantel clock.

And I found a Staffordshire figure of a dog.

DENNIS: Right.

The clock is ticketed at £58, the dog at £28.

DENNIS: Right.

First question.

Is there movement on those prices?

How about 68?

That's a good price.

Well, it is.

But I was sort of hoping, maybe, could you possibly go any lower?

Can we say 60 for the two of them?

At a push, yes.

IZZIE: At a push?

DENNIS: At a push!

IZZIE: Excellent.

VO: We have a deal!

IZZIE: Thank you so much.

DENNIS: Splendid.

Thanks a lot.

IZZIE: Thank you.

Bye bye.

DENNIS: OK. Bye bye.

VO: So, that's 20 for the hunting dog, and 40 for the table timepiece.

She leaves with just £14 to spare.

Time to find old moneybags, James, and hit the road.

So have you bought a winner today?

I'm not convinced I have, James, have you?

I don't know.

I don't know.

VO: Not long will we find out.

Auction next.

Time for some shut-eye.

VO Morning, all!

Auction day is upon us.

JAMES: What a place, Izzie, isn't it?

IZZIE: It is stunning.

Well, I've got to say, it's got a very impressive drive up to this castle!

JAMES: It's got a fabulous drive, hasn't it?

We come in here.

Wow!

VO: Izzie and James have one last stop to make on this leg, the 19th century Gwrych castle.

This glorious Gothic folly was built in 1812.

It's a very smart castle.

IZZIE: It is a very smart castle.

I've lost...

The good news...

It's a "castle", James!

It's not a "caaastle"!

It's a castle.

Their goodies have been delivered to Tring, home of Tring Market Auctions, where Stephen Hearn will be conducting affairs.

STEPHEN: I sold it.

VO: Izzie spent her £215 on her five lots.

Stephen?

The early 19th century sampler is typical of a child's work.

There's doesn't appear to be any tears in it.

It will attract a little bit of interest.

VO: James's five lots cost him £235.

Stephen, any favorites?

The silver scallop shell dishes.

Nice to have a pair of them.

These haven't been damaged.

They will sell quite nicely.

VO: This should be interesting.

The auction is open to bids online, on the phone, and in the room.

Izzie and James will be watching the action unfold via the wonders of technology, with this magnificent backdrop.

First up are Izzie's wrought iron wheelbarrow planters.

I thought they'd look pretty with some flowers in.

They have a sort of Spanish villa feel about them.

What about £50 for them?

£50 for them.

50 is there.

IZZIE: What did he say?

JAMES: £50.

Did he say 50?

Five, is it, if there's no further, they're going at £50, then.

Away we go.

Thank you.

Well done!

(LAUGHS) VO: Strong start for Izzie.

I'm quite chuffed with that, that's good.

JAMES: It's alright, isn't it?

IZZIE: Yeah.

VO: Now, what will James's Ironstone meat platter serve up?

I bought this for £25, so I doubt mine is going to make 50.

£20 for it.

£10 for it.

Tenner.

Struggling at 10.

At £10, then.

STEPHEN: At 12, anyone?

Oh, a struggle, we've got 12.

JAMES: 12.

STEPHEN: Going down for 12.

(STRIKES GAVEL) Thank you.

VO: Oh, dear.

A bit undercooked, that one.

So you doubled your money, I halved my money!

Halved it.

VO: Next, it's Izzie's oak coffer.

It was a very big spend.

I spent £110 on this.

STEPHEN: £100 for it?

IZZIE: Oh, no.

STEPHEN: £100 for the oak coffer.

50, I'm bid for it, am I?

IZZIE: Oh!

STEPHEN: Surely, it's £50?

IZZIE: Oh!

James!

STEPHEN: Surely.

Anyone there?

At 60, I'm bid, and five now.

At 60 I'm bid... 65.

70, I'm bid here, and five now.

Another fiver, 75 and 80 now.

At 75, 80 I'm bid.

And five now, and we're going to sell for the £80.

(GAVEL) Thank you.

It's not the end of the world.

It's just an oak coffer.

VO: But it's a loss of £30.

It was a bit of a gamble, that one.

I am, however, not going to listen to you when you tell me to spend all my money next time!

JAMES: No!

VO: So will James get a lot of love for his Bronze lookalike bust?

He was quite taken.

Not the best, but not the worst.

What about £50 for it?

£30 bid.

STEPHEN: 35 bid.

40 bid.

IZZIE: Oh!

Ooh!

STEPHEN: Five now.

40 now, are you coming back?

Come on!

At the £40.

(STIKES GAVEL) Thank you.

Dear, oh, dear!

VO: Heart breaking.

Hemorrhaging money, we both are!

VO: Time for a profit now, we hope.

Izzie's timepiece.

I just thought it was a nice little eight day clock.

30 I'm bid.

Two, five, eight.

At £40 now.

40 I'm bid for it.

And two, and five, and eight now.

At £45, and eight anywhere?

At 45 for the little old clock.

I'm selling this clock then for £45.

Thank you.

A wee little profit.

Well done.

VO: A fiver.

Not to be sniffed at.

45, that's good.

A little profit.

I think that's a really nice clock.

VO: Now for James's Pembroke table, he has high hopes for this one.

Over 100 years old.

Looks as though it was brand-new, and bought it for £50.

£40 for the Pembroke, £40.

£30, £20.

20 I'm bid.

JAMES: Long old slog.

IZZIE: He's started.

STEPHEN: Oh dear, oh dear.

It's going to have to be sold.

22, and five.

Oh, I've got 25, 28 now.

28.

And I'm selling it now for £28.

Thank you.

JAMES: Oh, dear.

IZZIE: Oh, dear!

So the cruel... the cruel face of the auction market.

VO: There's no mercy for James today.

That's his third loss.

JAMES: £28.

IZZIE: Yes.

It's nothing, is it?

For a piece of fine quality furniture.

I know, it is, isn't it?

VO: Next up, Izzie's Staffordshire hunting dog.

I think this might be another Izzie Balmer profit.

We'll see.

I do like the Izzie Balmer profits, I'm not going to lie.

I like them more than the James Braxton profits!

£20 for it?

£10 for it?

Is there a tenner out there for this dog?

IZZIE: Oh, no!

No bid at all.

Tenner I've got, then.

10.

STEPHEN: At £10, you're very kind, sir.

I don't think I've ever had an unsold before.

At £10 then I shall sell it, it goes to a very kind gentleman.

£10!

VO: Doggy didn't do it.

Someone's got a bargain.

VO: James's coaster coasts into contention next.

James, are you onto a winner with this one?

Don't know.

£30 for it?

20 I'm bid.

STEPHEN: 20 I'm bid, at two now.

Five, and eight, and 30 now.

At 28 and 31.

Come on, go on!

Let's have a profit.

At 28, 30 I'm bid.

And two now?

At £30.

Are you coming back?

Are you?

No, OK, then.

I'm selling at the £30.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

£30.

Well, a step in the right direction.

IZZIE: Yes!

VO: At least it's not a loss!

A step in the right direction.

VO: Izzie's last lot now, her 19th century sampler.

We know the moths love it!

I know it is a bit plain, but it was also only £20.

I think that's a good buy.

You've got some color, you've got that band of stylized flower heads there.

IZZIE: Mm.

STEPHEN: £30 bid, 35, 38.

IZZIE: Ah, OK. STEPHEN: 40 I'm bid.

IZZIE: That's a profit.

JAMES: Well done.

IZZIE: Yeah.

And two now.

Five.

And eight now.

At 48, is it?

At £45, 48.

IZZIE: Ooh.

STEPHEN: Are we there?

Five I have.

60, and five now.

At £60.

Are you coming back, Sir?

Yes, you are.

At five, and 70.

And five now.

Are we there?

I think we are this time.

It's going then for the £70.

Thank you.

JAMES: Well done, well done.

IZZIE: Thank you.

VO: A nice profit.

Good work.

I don't look very pleased, but I am very pleased.

Yeah, you're back in the game.

VO: Now for the silver shell butter dishes, James's last lot.

I do like soft butter.

Nothing worse than going to the fridge and having hard butter, is there?

IZZIE: That's true.

JAMES: Don't you think so?

No, no, I agree, you try and make your sandwich, and you destroy your sandwich with your hard butter.

You tear the bread.

30 I'm bid.

30 for the pair.

32 I'm bid.

IZZIE: That's a good start.

STEPHEN: 35, and eight, and 40.

And two, and five, and eight now.

At 45... JAMES: Go on, 50.

And £50 now.

They're going down.

I shall sell the pair for 55.

No, we won't, because we've got 60.

IZZIE: Yay!

At 65, then.

Away we go at £65.

Thank you.

I'm going to celebrate for you anyway.

Yay!

VO: At least they're still spreading joy!

It could have been worse, and it wasn't.

It could have been worse.

VO: That's the spirit.

James has taken a hit to the piggy.

He began with just over £426.

And after auction costs he's made a loss of £91.50, leaving him with £334.90.

But Izzie started this leg with £229.60.

After saleroom fees, Izzie has made a small loss of £5.90, finishing with £223.70.

Onwards and upwards, James.

Onwards and upwards.

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