VOICEOVER (VO): The nation's favorite antiques experts.

£200 each, and one big challenge.

Cuz I'm here to declare war.

Why?

VO: Who can make the most money, buying and selling antiques as they scour the UK?

There's nothing in here.

VO: The aim is to trade up and hope each antique turns a profit.

AUCTIONEER: Disappointing.

(GAVEL) VO: But it's not as easy as you might think - and things don't always go to plan.

CHARLIE: (SHOUTS) Push!

VO: So will they race off with a huge profit or come to a grinding halt?

Terribly nervous now, James.

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

VO: All of this week, we're out on the road with seasoned auctioneers James Braxton and Jonathan Pratt.

VO: James is an old-fashioned gent, that knows his stuff.

A life study.

They're nice, aren't they?

Not a rudie nudie, OK?

VO: James' younger counterpart is Jonathan Pratt.

Looks like he may have found his calling.

Perhaps this is a new turning point in my career.

VO: At yesterday's auction, James suffered a huge loss on that kilim rug, but despite this, he's still the one with the most money in the pot.

That's good.

JONATHAN (JON): Yeah.

JAMES: Happy with that.

VO: Jonathan had a few profits, but the expensive doggy page- turner left him out in the cold, and the loser once again.

That was inevitable, wasn't it?

I think that was inevitable.

VO: From his original £200, Jonathan now has £178.22 rattling about in his purse.

VO: Old-fashioned bargaining has enabled James to take the lead with a wonderful £269.54.

VO: The chaps are not making the money of champions, but as they move onto the penultimate leg, they have James' pride and joy, the surprisingly smooth 1952 MG, to ferry them around.

VO: This week, James and Jonathan are traveling over 300 miles from Altringham in Greater Manchester all the way south to sunny Lostwithiel in Cornwall, and on today's show, they're heading for their next auction in Crewkerne.

First stop is the medieval city of Wells.

VO: Wells is the smallest city in the UK, and the only city in Somerset.

Nestling on the southern side of the Mendip Hills, the history of Wells stretches all the way back to Roman times.

The cathedral is probably the finest example of early English architecture built between the 12th and 14th centuries.

Beautiful.

VO: The chaps roll into town ready to start afresh, determined and full of excitement to gain fast on the poor results thus far.

JON: Wow.

JAMES: Lovely jubbly.

JON: I do love all this medieval architecture, you know.

Very good, very good condition as well.

JAMES: Well driven.

(GROANS) JON: Thank you very much.

So what are you looking for then?

Well, I hear we're going to Lawrence's, and it's a general sale, so I'm going to stick with all the things that I've made money out of so far and ignore all the stuff that I've lost money on.

Yeah, so anything over £30... JON: Forget it.

(LAUGHS) Yes.

JAMES: Forget it.

So think small.

JAMES: You did well on the picture last time, I'm definitely going to try and buy a picture.

Brilliant, anyway, good luck.

JON: Yes, thank you James, and you.

VO: So the battle plans are in place.

James is in jovial mood as he strides with purpose to his first shop of the day.

Hello, nice to meet you.

James.

DEALER: Craig.

Hello Craig.

I've had a spy in your window.

All looks very good, and over how many floors?

CRAIG: Over two floors.

JAMES: OK, brilliant.

VO: Now, don't be fooled by James.

Underneath that bumbling exterior lies an expert haggler.

We're just having a jolly good old look everywhere.

What have we got here?

So we've got a nice horn.

It's been steamed and bent over.

You can see the crease there.

We've got a nice silver ferrel that is obviously quite thick, the marks have rubbed but it's still survived.

A malacca cane here.

VO: Early in the 20th century malacca was referred to as the king of canes.

Made from rattan found on the coast of Sumatra, they are the perfect material for walking sticks.

JAMES: That's an elegant piece.

It's rather nice, isn't it?

So that's a nice little silver fellow.

That's just come in yesterday.

JAMES: It's a sort of meat skewer.

Nice clear marks.

VO: Sterling silver skewers were rather popular during Victorian times.

JAMES: And how much have you got on that one then?

CRAIG: Hmm, about 45.

JAMES: About 45.

JAMES: You've got a nice sort of decorative art sort of feely, haven't you?

These have been thrown in anger at some errant husband, haven't they?

CRAIG: Beautiful with the silver and the bronze inlay.

JAMES: Lovely inlay, isn't it?

CRAIG: They've both got a small dent in.

JAMES: They've got dings, haven't they?

But you know, they're a pair.

CRAIG: They're decorative I think, and the dings are at the back.

JAMES: The dings are at the back, who's gonna know?

I normally leave all damaged goods to my partner, Jonathan Pratt, who seems to love them, but you never know, I might be tempted.

VO: He knows a good pair when he sees them.

I'm foolhardy.

I am foolhardy, I've noted three things I'd quite like to walk away with here, but... Craig, let's talk turkey, shall we?

CRAIG: OK. JAMES: Get down and dirty.

JAMES: I know, I know it's fresh in.

£30 for that.

OK?

OK. And then I'm going to go over here.

Quite like your thing.

Rub marks, I'm going to look over those.

(SIGHS) I'd love that for 25.

VO: Going in for the deal.

JAMES: And I'd like these - VO: Going to tell us the ticket price, James?

JAMES: For - I'm not even gonna look at the label.

VO: Oh, thanks.

JAMES: Fifty quid.

So that's three items.

How are we doing?

Am I barking mad?

No, you've got a deal.

JAMES: Thank you Craig.

VO: Phew, Braxton's a fast worker.

JAMES: Really pleased with the purchases, and I think I strike a... CRAIG: Very debonair!

..rather elegant figure around Wells now, aren't I!

JAMES: Anyway - oh, dear.

The old lumbago.

Thank you Craig.

VO: Worthy of an Oscar that, James.

Anyway, let's move onto Jonathan.

Up to now, Jonathan has, well, he's been pretty rubbish, but this morning, he's full of fire and focus, and ready to buy, buy, buy!

Good morning.

Hello, Jonathan Pratt, nice to meet you.

Very nice indeed.

Pleased to meet you.

JON: Right, what have we got here then?

Nice big shop, full of all sorts of stuff.

MAN: Yes, we've got 20 dealers, come from all over the county, selling masses of variety of things.

JON: OK, good!

Well, where shall I start then?

May as well start just here.

JON: This brooch in the corner, 19 sort of 40s.

WOMAN: Yes.

JON: How much is that?

Em, 24.

OK.

It is quite unusual.

JON: I like that, because it's that real sort of... WOMAN: It's got that look, hasn't it?

Brassy.

JON: Yes, and it's evocative of the art deco.

Yes, but it's later.

But it's later.

Because they went to a point where during the war, if you wore diamonds it was far too ostentatious, so polished metal was much more preferred.

JON: Would you...

If you're saying £24, would you accept something like 10 or 12 or something?

Yeah, 15.

15, OK.

This is hard work, but I've got to focus.

Absolutely focus.

VO: Jonathan's in a bit of a world of his own.

VO: After all that investigating, what's he got his eye on?

JON: This little chap here, because my game, what I'm trying to think is, to sell at auction you need novelty.

Novelty sells.

VO: If you say so.

JON: And this little chap here is an inkwell.

I know that because (WHISTLES) inside there's a little glass reserve.

Actually it's not glass, it's plastic.

Bakelite then probably, I suppose.

Cuz it looks, it fits rather snugly, and if that's the case then that suggests this was made early 20th century.

OK, little tree stump, sitting on top of it a goblin, and around it you've got mushrooms, little toadstools.

It says £85, I'm going to go and see what I can get this for.

JON: Right.

You found something.

Yeah, I like this little chappy here.

Sweet.

It is.

I've never seen this - well, I'm sure there's millions of different types of these.

Inkwells, yes.

JON: But novelty inkwells are always popular.

What would be the best price for that?

WOMAN: I'll look him up for you, I've got a code number.

VO: He's all excited.

WOMAN: £45.

JON: £45... VO: Oh no - he's all confused.

Again.

(SOFTLY) It is such a nice thing.

Yeah.

Is it a gamble, is it a gamble...

I really like it.

James I know will really like it, but will he say "oh Jonathan, that was a bit strong"?

Anyway, I am going to be committed.

JON: I am gonna take that, because I think that's a nice object for £12, and I'm going to take that for £45.

WOMAN: That's 15 by the way.

JON: Oh it's 15!

So I can't have it for 12, it's got to be... VO: Huh - nice try, Jonathan.

JON: OK, so £60.

That's right, thank you.

VO: Ah well, as long as she's happy.

He's only a young 'un, he'll learn.

That's lovely, thank you very much indeed.

That's great, thank you.

If I could have a receipt?

WOMAN: You can, with pleasure.

Wonderful, thank you.

Great.

VO: Whilst Jonathan's been in fairy land, big bad James Braxton has got the old foot on the gas, making his way to the ancient town of Bruton in south Somerset, 13 miles away.

VO: Situated in the Bru Valley, the town is steeped in history spanning five centuries.

There is even suggestion that King Arthur may have visited the town at some point in the 5th or 6th century.

James is going for a good old nosey in Quillon Antiques.

Hello!

DEALER: Hello!

Made it at last!

JAMES: I have.

(LAUGHS) Very good.

JAMES: My magic carpet's just brought me here!

VO: What are you talking about?

It's an MG. Peter has crammed the shop full of unusual treasures.

After buying three items, just remember your budget James.

JAMES: What sort of price are they?

PETER: Well we're looking about 800 for the pair.

JAMES: Price of a nice box?

PETER: 5,000.

A piece in perfect order would be around 1,200.

JAMES: Nice, isn't it?

PETER: See, you've got great taste, but with great taste comes money!

JAMES: Could that be very cheap then?

PETER: I'm afraid not James, (LAUGHS) no!

VO: OK, we get the message - it's all too pricey, but it's unusual for James to leave empty-handed.

Has he lost his mojo?

VO: So back to Jonathan.

He's still in Wells, and en route to the exquisite Bishop's Palace.

This splendid medieval palace has been the home of the bishops of Bath and Wells since the 13th century.

Wells gets its name from a series of springs found in the gardens here.

The palace welcomes visitors all year round.

Jonathan is meeting up with interpretation consultant Kate Rambridge.

Don't they call them guides any more?

Hi there.

KATE: Hello.

JON: You must be Kate.

KATE: I'm Kate.

JON: Nice to meet you.

And you're...?

Jonathan, Jonathan Pratt.

Nice to meet you.

Wow, this is wonderful, isn't it?

KATE: It is a really lovely space, isn't it?

JON: What can you tell me about it?

KATE: This is a 13th-century chapel.

It is one of the oldest parts of the palace to survive.

It was built as a private chapel for the Bishop of Bath and Wells, so this is where his own staff of clerics and chaplains would have performed services, probably daily.

JON: Lovely.

KATE: The size of the windows gives you a clue that this is a very, very prestigious chapel.

VO: Bishops of Bath and Wells have lived here ever since 1206, so with so little time and so many things to look at, let's press on.

KATE: Come with me.

Wow, this is a nice room.

This is the long gallery.

KATE: It's a Victorian space, as you can tell, and the collection of portraits was put together by one of the Victorian bishops, and they're all still hung in exactly the same order as he placed them.

JON: How wonderful.

VO: Out of many of the bishops who have lived here, Bishop Peter Mewes was particularly fascinating.

He would regularly take part in battles, and suffered over 30 wounds, one of which was a blow to the face, hence the black silk patch on his cheek.

Before we leave, there's one final item we simply cannot ignore.

JON: This is the, this is what a bishop holds, this is his ceremonial staff.

KATE: This is the bishop's crozier, which is his staff of office.

JON: OK. KATE: So this is used in ceremonies at which the bishop is officiating.

This particular crozier is still used from time to time, but it's actually well over 100 years old, and it really is, I think, the most magnificent piece of Episcopal bling that you could hope to find.

JON: (CHUCKLES) Absolutely.

KATE: It's very, very top heavy, as you can imagine.

JON: Can I have a go?

Or am I allowed to touch it?

KATE: Yes, by all means.

JON: Oh am I?

I have to put gloves on, do I?

KATE: I think so.

I only handle it with gloves.

JON: What a responsibility.

KATE: And I think the... it can be a little bit loose in the sockets, so... JON: Oh crikey, yes.

That's all I need, is to break it.

VO: Steady...

This spectacular and opulent artwork was made by silversmith John Dando Sedding.

The intricate figures standing shoulder to shoulder are the elite spiritual figures of the time.

I feel very grand holding this.

Perhaps this is a new turning point in my career!

VO: Bless you my child.

Maybe.

Well, perhaps it's for the best if this week's auction results are anything to go by.

All good things though must come to an end.

Night is fast approaching and it's time to leave the peaceful palace.

Another busy day awaits tomorrow.

VO: It's early morning, and a new day of shopping beckons.

So far, Jonathan has totted up a bill of £60 on two lots: the gold-plated bow brooch and that goblin inkwell.

He has a total of £118.22 for his second day of shopping.

James has spent £105 on three lots: the malacca cane, the pair of bronze vases and the silver skewer, leaving a healthy £164.54 for the day ahead.

VO: The chaps have traveled just under 40 miles to the idyllic town of Shaftesbury.

VO: By 'eck, feels like you're on the top o't'world 'ere!

This is Gold Hill, the steep cobbled hill made famous by Ridley Scott's 1973 Hovis ad, and as you'll notice, it's nowhere near Yorkshire.

Shaftesbury is one of the oldest towns in England.

VO: James is starting the day with a good old nosey in the antiques shop called Leanings.

Owners David and Rebecca Leanings first opened for business a couple of years ago.

Hello, I'm James.

Hello!

Hi James, Rebecca.

Hello, nice to meet you.

Hi James, David, David Leanings.

Pleased to meet you.

Hello.

Very nice, very nice.

I'm intrigued by your portrait behind there.

Thank you.

JAMES: You two?

Yes!

It was a wedding gift.

JAMES: Fabulous.

Well, if I may have a look around?

Of course.

Please do help yourself.

JAMES: Thank you, thank you.

VO: There's certainly plenty to choose from - it's absolutely bursting at the seams.

JAMES: What I want to do is find a picture, they sell 50 or 60 lots of pictures.

You know, quite nice to be in each category, just in case something's hot at that time.

So much stuff.

VO: Pictures have always been a failsafe for the boys, and it looks like that's the route for James.

JAMES: (WHISPERS) Look at this.

VO: What have you got there then?

Painting.

Sounds romantic, looks romantic.

JAMES: A life study.

They're nice, aren't they?

Not a rudie nudie, OK?

VO: Might not be nude to you, but looks nude to me.

VO: I think he likes it.

What's going on now?

Oh, I know.

JAMES: It's got merit.

It's good.

I'll make an offer for this.

(SIGHS) VO: That's a big sigh.

(WHISPERS) I think that's it then.

VO: Better get the glasses on, just to make sure.

VO: Been away from home a bit?

Quite a few days, I'd say.

VO: Right.

JAMES: Good, I've pored all over your lovely shop.

DAVID: Oh good, thank you.

JAMES: I've never seen so many items.

How long has it taken you to gather all these items?

We've been open just over two years.

JAMES: Two years?!

Two years.

JAMES: You've got a problem, you two.

Anyway, I've spotted a picture here I quite like the look of.

It's a rather nice lady.

It's not terribly old, 1992.

And what I'll do - you can say "James, get out of this shop immediately" - but I'd like to offer you £15 for that.

Well, we wouldn't take 15.

JAMES: You won't take 15?

REBECCA: No.

What would you take on this?

REBECCA: I would take 25 on that.

25.

REBECCA: Mm-hm.

Would you meet me halfway, at 20?

OK. VO: Nudie lady in the bag, all the charm and mojo seem to be back in force.

JAMES: Good, that's very kind, thank you.

VO: Jonathan, meanwhile, is making his way to that famous hill.

He's going for a spot of shopping in Gold Hill Gallery.

Hello!

(LAUGHS) DEALER: Good morning.

Nice to meet you.

Jonathan Pratt.

DEALER: Hi Jonathan.

JON: What a location you've got!

Wonderful, I'm very lucky.

JON: You've got a mixture of things.

DEALER: A very eclectic mixture, you have to sort of seek things out.

JON: It's a very pretty shop, actually.

DEALER: It's a girlie shop!

JON: It's a girlie shop, I can see.

VO: Maggie is the proprietor, and it's looking likely that our very chipper Jonathan is in the mood to buy.

Quite a useful little stool.

Upholstered in a Persian rug, which makes quite a nice little fashionable object.

It's got some age, actually.

You can look at the underside of it, and it's a 19th-century frame, and then upholstered with a late 19th-century rug.

Quite useful, quite decorative.

Quite a reasonable price.

VO: The ticket says £40.

Can Jonathan get it for less?

JON: I rather like that, actually.

Would you take £20 for it?

MAGGIE: I don't think so, no.

JON: No!

(LAUGHS) MAGGIE: Eh, possibly 35.

JON: I did tell myself I wasn't going to buy anything over £30, you see, which is rather mean, but I haven't got a lot of money.

VO: Crikey, straight in with a price and a sob story to boot!

Hmm, I don't know whether it's working with Maggie.

Even the dogs aren't interested.

Have another think, Jonathan.

Plenty to see here.

Actually, where is he?

Jonathan?

Coo-ee?

Oh, there you are.

That's the ticket, Jonathan, get stuck in old boy.

JON: Crikey.

Been quite well polished, hasn't it?

I think it was originally Sheffield Plate.

JON: Yeah, (LAUGHS) I think it might have been.

MAGGIE: But the plate's worn off.

JON: Would you take an offer?

MAGGIE: Try me, yeah.

JON: £10?

MAGGIE: (LAUGHS) I knew you were gonna say that.

20.

JON: In the middle?

MAGGIE: In the middle.

JON: £15.

OK, £15.

Great, I've bought my first object today!

JON: I do like that stool as well.

MAGGIE: That's a nice little untouched object, hasn't been messed about with.

30 would be the best on it.

30 would be your best.

MAGGIE: Yeah.

JON: I really like it.

And it is on my budget now, isn't it?

£30 is on - I told myself not to spend more than £30.

JON: I think I am going to... buy it.

Thank you very much Jonathan.

Thank you very much.

Hope you do well in the auction.

Thank you.

VO: Well done Jonathan - that's another two items in the bag.

VO: Let's catch up with James now.

He's all spruced up for a prior engagement 20 miles down the road at Longleat, Wiltshire.

What a view.

Incredible house.

VO: Longleat House is widely regarded as one of the best examples of Elizabethan architecture in Britain.

Sir John Thin, an experienced builder, purchased Longleat in the 16th century when it was a rundown priory.

The house has remained within the Thin family ever since.

VO: Ruth Charles, visitor manager, is on hand to give James a personal tour.

RUTH: How nice to meet you, come and have a look at Longleat House.

Thank you, thank you.

RUTH: Come into the great hall, which is pretty magnificent, isn't it?

Isn't it?

The biggest room in the house.

JAMES: And was this part of the original plan?

RUTH: Yes, this was part of the original house which was completed in 1580.

A lot of what we're going to see hereafter has been added to and changed by various generations of ownership.

Yeah.

So, the riches and the status continued through many centuries then?

Yes, yes, but if John Thin, the chap that built the house, were here today, he wouldn't recognize the house at all.

Really?

Yeah.

All that maybe he would recognize are features in the great hall such as the Elizabethan fireplace.

JAMES: And what have you got there?

You've got two gauges.

You've got presumably a clock, and the other?

RUTH: And a wind dial, yes, showing the way that the wind direction is blowing so that when you were out huntin', shootin' and fishin' you knew which way was the wind.

Very important for the hunting, wasn't it?

Yeah, absolutely.

JAMES: And we're surrounded by stags' heads, and venison was the meat of choice for the aristocracy, wasn't it?

RUTH: Yes, yes, yes.

JAMES: Well, any interesting bits in here?

Oh, lots, lots.

I think one of my favorites must be the Charles I costume.

RUTH: Wonderful piece of history.

Very macabre.

The costume, the doublet, that Charles I wore at his execution in 1649.

Complete with blood stains.

Several of the buttons are missing, because people took them as souvenirs at the execution.

JAMES: Really?

RUTH: Yeah.

They were actually dipping handkerchiefs in the blood, in his blood, and taking it back with them, because it was such a momentous occasion, people would grab what they could.

RUTH: The story goes that it was a cold January day, and he didn't want the crowd to think he was shivering out of fear when he was shivering because he was cold, and so he wore several garments to stop him shivering in the freezing January day.

VO: What a grisly but fascinating tale.

Let's move on.

A visual feast for the eyes awaits our Mr Braxton.

Not only a popular visitor attraction, it is also the family home of Lord Bath, the seventh and current Marquis of Bath.

The ornate ceilings were created by the firm John Dibblee Crace in the mid-1800s.

They were fifth- generation designers and known as the royal decorators.

The fourth Marquis of Bath worked closely with Crace to produce the exquisite and ornate ceilings and interiors that we see today.

OK, so...

So what room is this, Ruth?

This is the red library.

The red library.

One of seven libraries in the house.

RUTH: This is quite a big one JAMES: Goodness.

RUTH: Mm.

About 5,000 books in here.

JAMES: 5,000 books, and how many books in all in Longleat?

RUTH: 44,000, give or take a few.

One of the biggest private collections in Europe.

JAMES: Goodness me.

And this room is remodeled by your famous Crace, isn't it?

Indeed, indeed, yes.

RUTH: Along with the direction of the fourth Marquis, who was very much hands on in the design of the house.

He had been ambassador to Venice, and so had been surrounded by the beauty of Italian art and architecture, and then when he returned home, he employed Dibblee Crace to work under his direction, and between them they made these fabulous ceilings.

VO: Alas, dear James, the clock is ticking, and you must tear yourself away from the wonders of Longleat.

Back to Shaftesbury for you.

There's still shopping to do.

VO: The boys are swapping shops, and it's now Jonathan's turn to visit Leanings, owned by lovebirds David and Rebecca.

Here we are, look at all this.

Good morning.

Jonathan, pleased to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

You're David, is that right?

DAVID: I am, yes.

JON: And..?

REBECCA: Rebecca.

JON: David and Rebecca.

JON: This is eclectic!

I'm free to roam, can I?

DAVID: Please do.

JON: Thank you very much.

VO: Jonathan really needs to pick up the pace.

He's had too many losses, and not enough profits.

JON: I thought it was silver to start with, but it's actually porcelain.

Silvered porcelain.

VO: This was an interesting method of firing silver or gold onto porcelain.

It's a thrifty way of filling the parlor with rather more valuable- looking items.

A really strong art deco shape.

I mean, if you had the teapot and the milk jug to go with it, it would be a great little tea service, very fashionable.

JON: It's probably worth it for a couple of pounds.

There's no price on it, so... What do you think of that?

Little art deco, silvered pottery sugar bowl and cover.

There's no price on it.

REBECCA: Six.

JON: Fiver?

REBECCA: OK. VO: Ooh, a whole pound off, Jonathan.

Steady.

JON: I love the color.

I think it's very tranquil color.

It's probably only about 40 years old, but the base, crikey.

It's a phenomenal amount of wear, but to me it's a lovely shape, lovely color, and the other appealing thing was it said £25 on it.

Would you take £15?

VO: Wow, we've upped the ante.

But will they accept a tenner off?

REBECCA: How about 17?

JON: £17.

Do I like it for £17?

REBECCA: Well you love it at 25, so you have to like it at 17!

If you don't buy it, somebody else will.

And it will go quickly.

(CUCKOO CLOCK) JON: Is that an omen?!

You're cuckoo unless you do!

DAVID: Jonathan!

Subliminal message!

Buy!

I'm going to have it.

Oh, thank you Jonathan.

Thank you very much.

VO: And there we have it - the cuckoo clock has called time on Jonathan's last shop of the day.

VO: Meanwhile, James has made it back to Shaftesbury, and is visiting Gold Hill Gallery.

Hello.

James.

Afternoon.

JAMES: Hello.

MAGGIE: Hello James.

JAMES: Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

And sorry, your name is?

Maggie.

Maggie!

Very nice.

What a fabulous street, isn't it?

It's wonderful, I feel privileged to be here.

JAMES: May I have a look round?

MAGGIE: Yes, please do!

VO: He's not under a great deal of pressure to buy, but knowing James, he'll probably sniff something out.

JAMES: Bottle cases or slides or stands.

This is very much a sort of 18th-century thing, sort of a Georgian lifestyle, and you'd stand a decanter in it.

JAMES: Look at all the service they've done, and they're still intact.

You know, quality of craftsmanship, isn't it?

JAMES: That's nice.

Porcelain.

Chinese.

Not a great deal of age to it.

People loved them in conservatories.

Everybody has a conservatory these days.

Why not fill it with nice things?

And it's a very practical seat.

VO: Don't sit there too long James - it looks rather dainty, and, well, you're quite a big fellow.

JAMES: I think they're two quite nice items.

Maggie, I have not a huge amount of money.

Would £40 buy either the pair of coasters or the garden seat?

I'm not really bothered what I buy.

(SIGHS) I could do the coasters for 45.

JAMES: For 45.

And what could you do the garden seat for?

I always make a policy never to sell anything for less than I've paid for it, that's my rule of thumb.

JAMES: (LAUGHS) Well that's quite a good rule!

So I would say 60 for the garden seat.

I'm going to make my money squeeze a little further.

Maggie, I'm going to buy those, if that's alright.

I think they're a good buy.

JAMES: Yeah.

Thank you.

MAGGIE: Thank you!

JAMES: Thank you very much indeed.

Thank you James.

JAMES: Thank you.

One, two, three, four, five.

45.

Thank you very much indeed.

Thank you.

Hope you do well with them.

VO: And there we have it.

Shopping is now over, and it's time for the boys to discover what the other has bought.

First object?

Keen to see it?

Yeah, yeah, absolutely, go on, fire away.

OK, here we are, first one.

Okey dokey.

JAMES: Run your hands over that one.

JON: This is a malacca cane with a horn handle, silver mount.

JAMES: Yep.

VO: Say what you see, Jonathan.

JON: Marks are a bit worn, but probably about 1915 or something like that.

Yeah, fine, yeah.

I'd say for that you're gonna have paid £20-30.

JAMES: Yeah, £25 I paid for that.

JON: Yeah, good, well done.

JAMES: What about you?

JON: I'm gonna go for my largest object.

Fire away.

OK. Ooh, look at that!

JAMES: God, this is combining a lot of disciplines, isn't it?

Haha, yes!

So we've got a Turkish carpet on top, and some nice bum feet.

Yeah, bit of rosewood I think, actually.

Bit of rosewood?

Let's feel the weight.

Ooh, yeah, good weight, isn't it?

VO: But will it make a weighty profit at auction?

JAMES: I'd say it's worth around £50.

JON: I paid 30.

OK, over to you James.

JAMES: Hefty.

Right.

My next item is probably a nice little cabinet bit.

JON: Oh!

So another lump of silver.

There's about an ounce there.

Good.

JON: Sheffield mark.

WR.

It will, I'm sure, perform.

So again, you've paid... £25 for it.

JAMES: No, I paid 30.

Paid 30.

Go on, reveal all.

This is the most, the highest investment I've made in the lot.

JAMES: Oh.

Nice little goblin!

VO: Gives me the willies.

JON: I thought it was a really fun novelty inkwell.

Good weight.

And I think it dates from the early part of the 20th century.

How much did you pay for that?

JON: £45.

JAMES: Nice item.

I like it.

Anyway, take it away.

JON: Thank you.

JAMES: Next item, here we are.

JON: Ooh... JAMES: What do you think of that?

VO: Feeling jealous?

Nice piece of late 19th-century Japanese bronze.

With a bit of silver work on it.

JAMES: Bit of silver work.

Do you think it's gold as well, or not?

Probably is, yeah.

Of course.

It's a tiny little bit worn, but it's a good shape too.

JON: Nice condition James, isn't it?

JAMES: Yeah, not bad condition.

JAMES: Apart from the dent.

JON: (CHUCKLES) JAMES: And they do benefit from signatures as well, one of them's signed.

JON: They are nice quality, but the things are worn out a little bit, so I'd say you've paid for the pair £40.

JAMES: 50.

JON: Well, that does get me a little bit on the edge.

JAMES: Does it?

JON: Yeah, I think there's a game on, really.

JON: My third.

JAMES: That's rather fun, isn't it?

Originally plated, nice drinks tea tray.

I reckon you paid, without being plated, anywhere between £10-20.

JON: £15.

I also bought that.

JAMES: Nice Deco shape.

Good.

Oh!

Goodness, I thought it was going to be plate, and it's ceramic.

JON: It's ceramic, yes!

Absolute toot.

JON: (LAUGHS) Thank you.

Pleasure.

Yeah.

But I paid an extra fiver for that.

You did?

Yeah.

Is there a profit in it James?

JAMES: I doubt it.

JON: Oh, rubbish!

Rubbish!

JAMES: (LAUGHS) JAMES: Number four is my nudie, rudie, nudie lady.

Oh, you like a nude lady, don't you?

JON: Excellent.

JAMES: She's called Judy.

Nicely painted.

It's no great age, painted in 1992 by a Sue McDougall, but it's just a nice scene.

JAMES: Of course, I didn't look at the lady, I looked at the Victorian balloon-backed chair.

VO: Oh yeah, James.

There's a ticket on the back that says 40 James, and I hope to God you didn't pay £40 for it.

JAMES: I paid £20.

You managed to get them to half prices?!

Crikey.

They were never that generous with me.

JAMES: Really?

I don't look at prices, I just make offers.

JAMES: Go on.

Ooh, look at that.

That looks very smart.

And it, what is this, 50s, 60s?

JON: 40s.

JAMES: And material?

JON: It's gold-plated.

And how much did you pay for that?

JON: I paid £15.

That seems a very good buy to me.

JON: So this is the pair of Sheffield- plated bottle coasters.

They're quite fashionable, aren't they?

I mean, they're good for the dining table.

JAMES: Yeah, they're fun, aren't they?

In a good market, good sale, you'd get probably £30-50 for them.

I'm hoping I can get more.

Do you?

JAMES: Yeah.

I paid £45 for them.

Oh!

JON: Saw that.

Big green glass vase!

VO: You can tell he's an antiques expert, can't you?

I like the step body, nice sort of deco-y feel to it, isn't there?

£17.

That looks like a good buy to me.

VO: Having seen each other's purchases, what do our experts really think?

Jonathan, where are the bashed bits?

You had no broken bits this time!

I think they're all nice, sound items, and I think that helps at auction.

I'm actually quite reassured that I've bought well, and I think it's a good game now, actually.

VO: Without further ado, it's time to get back on the road and head to auction.

VO: It's been a competitive fourth leg.

The boys started off in Wells via Bruton, Longleat and Shaftesbury, to the final destination of Crewkerne in Somerset.

VO: Crewkerne is a busy market town that retains much charm from the bustle of previous centuries, and has some very attractive Georgian architecture.

It's auction day as our experts roll into town.

Who will be the victor this time round?

Lawrences of Crewkerne have been conducting auction sales since the late 1950s, and Richard Kay is our auctioneer for the day.

He has a few thoughts to share about our featured lots.

I think the item that I'm expecting the best result for will be the little pair of Japanese vases.

They're the sort of things that we have buyers for here, so quietly optimistic about the prospects for those I think.

It's awful to single something out as being difficult to sell, but I think perhaps the copper tray might not be an easy seller at the moment.

I'm not terribly optimistic about its prospects.

VO: Jonathan Pratt started today with £178.22 and spent £127 on five auction lots, leaving him with £51.22 in his back pocket.

James Braxton began with £269.54, and has spent £170 on five lots, leaving him with £99.54 in his hand.

VO: Right, settle down.

The auction is due to commence.

VO: First up we have every dandy's favorite accessory, the malacca cane.

Bids start me here at £20.

£20 I have.

25, 30.

35 now, and I'm out at £35 in front of me.

At £35, and I'm selling at £35.. (GAVEL) I take it back.

It's marginally nicer than I thought.

VO: A tenner profit isn't that great, but it's certainly better than nothing.

Next up, it's Jonathan's gold-plated bow brooch.

£20 for it?

15 is bid, £15 is bid, spoken bid at 15.

RICHARD: I'll sell at 15, maiden bid at £15.

Are we done?

It's £15 and I'm selling, at £15... (GAVEL) Oh dear.

Washed its face.

That was pretty uneventful.

VO: It's his first lot of the day and well, let's be honest, it's not a great start.

A break even is still a loss, because the auction house must take their hard- earned commission.

It's James' second item, the one that he started off calling a silver skewer and is now creatively titled a letter-opener.

The silver letter-opener.

Sheffield 1935, £20 for it?

RICHARD: £20 for it?

£20 is bid, can I say five anywhere?

At £20 then.

I'm selling at 20.

Last time at 20, all done at £20... (GAVEL) Just happens so quickly, doesn't it?

A notional profit is soon expunged.

VO: Just goes to show, it doesn't matter how you dress it up - skewer, letter-opener - it still made a tenner loss.

Hopefully Jonathan's funny little goblin can enchant the bidders of Crewkerne.

This is a cast brass inkwell, modeled as a hobgoblin.

Bids start me here at £25.

25, 30, 35, now.

35, 40, five.

RICHARD: £45, in the room at £45, the gentleman's bid is at 45.

I'm selling at £45, are we done at £45..?

(GAVEL) Disaster strikes.

45.

Washing your face again.

(SIGHS) Oh dear.

Oh Jonathan, don't worry.

VO: Oh dear indeed.

It's another break even, which again means yet another loss.

Well, it's not a great start so far, but perhaps James' eye for a good pair will turn up the profit margin.

Interest here starts me at 90, 100 I'm bid.

Oh!

RICHARD: £100 I have, 110, 120.

130, 140.

150 I'm out, it's £150 in the room, and I'm selling at £150 now.

At 150, for the last time at 150... (GAVEL) I'm not smiling.

VO: Now that's more like it, £100 profit is wondrous news for James.

Now this is an interesting little item - Jonathan sorely needs some profit.

It's a Victorian square footstool, upholstered with a Persian rug.

And I'm bid £32 on this, £32 is bid.

RICHARD: £32 is bid.

Come on, someone else stick their hand up!

RICHARD: At 32, it's on commission, I'll sell at £32 if you're all done in the room.

For the last time at £32... (GAVEL) Small profit.

VO: A very small profit, but it's a loss after commission.

It's the nude oil next.

Will James streak ahead with yet more profit?

Oil on board, nude study, by Sue McDougall.

RICHARD: £20 for that.

£20 for it?

At £20 for it, £15, 15 is bid, at £15 I have, at £15 and I'm selling at £15... (GAVEL) (SIGHS) No rudie nudies here.

VO: Yet another loss.

Sadly, Lady Luck seems to have left your side.

I wonder if this interesting lot can beef up your coffers, Jonathan.

This is oval gallery tray, and a silvered porcelain sugar bowl, both in the same lot.

£20 for them?

£20 for these?

Come on.

Slight ring of optimism in his voice.

RICHARD: £15 if you will?

£10 then?

At £10.

At £10.

Five then?

Five is bid, are you bidding now?

Eight, 10.

£10 on my left, it's at 10.

Selling at £10, at £10 only... (GAVEL) JON: No!

That was lucky, that was almost unsold.

That would have been a blessing, James!

VO: Profits are sadly lacking, Jonathan.

We're nearly at the end.

It's Braxton's final lot - the silver decanter stands.

A pair of Sheffield- plated decanter stands.

£20 for these?

20 is bid.

25, 30, five, 40, five, 50.

£50, standing to my left, I'm selling at 50 on this one, at £50.

Are we done?

It's £50 and I'm selling at (GAVEL) 50 now.

So it washed its face.

VO: Another small success for James.

OK, it's only a fiver, but it's better than Jonathan's run of luck.

Jonathan's last hope lies with the green glass vase It's a Whitefriars ribbed green glass vase, tapered design, £15 I'm bid.

18, 20, five now, at £25 I'm out, it's in the room at 25.

Selling at £25... No, no, no, no.

RICHARD: That's £25... (GAVEL) Doesn't look like James has much sympathy.

VO: Well Jonathan, £8 profit isn't exactly the lofty heights of success, but it's been your highest profit so far.

The runaway success of the pair of bronze vases means James is today's winner.

VO: Jonathan started today's show with £178.22, and after paying auction costs, made a loss of £22.86.

The loser yet again, he has a paltry £155.36 to carry forward to the final leg of the competition.

VO: James, meanwhile, started with £269.54, and after costs made a small profit of £51.40, but it's enough to make James victorious once again.

He has a lovely £320.94 to take forward.

Oh well.

There's always...

There's always another leg.

I'll get you Braxton!

If it's the last thing I do.

JAMES: (LAUGHS) It may be!

(LAUGHS) VO: Ha ha ha ha.

VO: Next time on the Antiques Road Trip, it's the final showdown in sunny Cornwall - the pressure's on for Jonathan.

(SOFTLY) I'm quite nervous now.

VO: James is weak with excitement!

Oh, I don't know if - ooh, have I got the strength?

I didn't have the full English this morning.

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