VO: It's the nation's favorite antiques experts, with £200 each, a classic car and a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

That hurts.

What do you think?

VO: The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

What have I done?!

VO: So, will it be the high road to glory or the slow road to disaster?

JAMES: Put your back into it!

THOMAS: Shut up, James.

JAMES: Come on!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Yeah!

It's a brand new week and we're hitting the road with a pair of thoroughly dashing gents and antiques experts - Thomas Plant and James Lewis.

JAMES (JL): If anyone wasn't sure that I was country bumpkin and a bit slow before... THOMAS (TP): James, I don't think you're slow at all.

I think you're quite sharp.

JL: Oh dear.

VO: Thomas Plant is an auctioneer with a passion for all things shiny - jewelry, watches and silver.

I'm like a pig in the proverbial when it comes to things like that.

VO: James Lewis is also an auctioneer, who began his antiques career at the age of six, by bidding on a birdcage for his budgie!

Now, however, he's more fond of ducks.

(IMITATES DAFFY DUCK) VO: Yes... Our affable duo begin their adventure with £200 each, and are traveling in this gorgeous little 1953 Morris Minor.

TP: Fresh, James!

JL: Clear... We have the mustiness of the Morris Minor... JL: It's the Morris Minor?

I thought it was you!

I thought it was the suit.

Really?

Oh, oh, oh, oh, James, that's so uncalled for!

VO: Thomas and James will be traveling over 800 miles, looping their way from Largs on the Scottish west coast, up to the Highlands, down to the Lowlands and back again, eventually finishing in the country's capital city of Edinburgh.

Today, we're starting off our mammoth journey in Largs, crossing over the east coast, before heading back to the auction showdown in Glasgow.

VO: With such a distance to travel, it's reassuring to know our chaps know exactly where they are.

TP: James here we are - foothills of the Highlands.

Or are we actually in the Highlands?

Not yet, oh no.

We're in the foothills, aren't we?

Yeah.

The Lowlands, I guess.

The Lowlands?

Absolutely.

VO: Oh dear!

I hope they've got a map!

Our first stop of the day is Largs, Ayrshire.

It's a seaside town, famous for invasions: firstly by the Vikings, who brought war and pillage, and then by the Italians, who brought ice cream and antique dealers.

TP: Do you see it?

JL: That's it.

Blue sign.

Brilliant.

This is where... battle commences.

VO: Narducci's is a huge family-run emporium, stacked with fabulous furniture and all manner of collectables.

So, there's plenty here for our boys to feast their eyes on, although not everything's for sale.

VO: Luckily, owner Franco is on hand to help, and Thomas has a watertight strategy.

I've no idea what I'm going to be doing when it comes to today's buying experience.

Just concentrate, think, but don't be too cautious.

VO: Yes!

Be bold!

Be brave!

James, meanwhile, is drawn immediately to something familiar.

Any resemblance to me is merely coincidental.

I just have a little bit of catching up to do on the hair... twins!

VO: You said it, James.

Now, what's this Thomas has spotted, with a ticket price of £65?

James sounds likes he's well ensconced, getting things in and out of the cabinet.

I'm just going to take my time.

I might ask about that.

VO: Don't leave it, Thomas.

Ooh, too late!

James has spotted it too.

That's quite interesting.

The market in Chinese things is booming at the moment.

Under Chairman Mao, people in China were not allowed to retain anything from their imperial past, so things were destroyed, things were buried in gardens... Now China's opened up to the west, at the head of every successful Chinese business is a very wealthy Chinese businessman, and he's wanting to buy back his own heritage.

So this sort of thing, although it's not great quality, is very fashionable.

All depends on price.

He'll know all that anyway!

Franco?

I can't believe it.

Not quick enough.

VO: Yup!

You have to be decisive in this game, Thomas, if you recall.

I like this.

Do you mind if I offer you a cheeky one?

Be cheeky.

I was thinking about 45/50 quid.

DEALER: That's very cheeky.

JL: I know.

That's very cheeky.

JL: I know, I know.

DEALER: Mm-hm.

And... you'd be totally justified in saying no!

Try me again.

I was thinking... if...

It could easily make sort of 70 or 80 at the auction... then less commission... 55?

£60 - there you are.

I think 60's very fair... but I think it'll still show me a loss.

The very best I could do... is 55.

JL: OK. DEALER: Does that help you...?

Yeah.

OK. We'll take that.

Thank you, thank you.

VO: So, with one purchase already snatched from his grasp, Thomas's only option is to get his act together.

VO: Oops!

Not sure Franco approves.

Oh, dear, Thomas.

This is only day one!

I could listen to James droning on and just drift off to sleep.

Has he finished yet?

VO: No, he hasn't.

And whilst you're snoozing, James has sniffed down a couple of perfume bottles.

JL: How much are they?

DEALER: £60 the pair.

Oh, are they?

£60 for the two - they're not a pair.

Yeah.

That's unusual, isn't it, the...?

It's a pretty one, isn't it?

Could do that one for 35.

What would be your best on these two?

DEALER: How do you see them?

I see that at 25.

Mm-hm?

And I think that would make 20 at auction.

So I think they'd make 45.

So 30.

Can't really do them for 30.

Really?

£35, how's that?

32?

33?

Oh, go on!

It was painful enough saying 32, because I knew you were being fair anyway!

VO: No pressure, Thomas, but James has already bought three items.

Time for a light-bulb moment.

That's a good peace of deco.

It's an original lamp.

The hoop dancer.

Just needs a clean, really.

OK, the really good ones would've been in bronze.

And this is in spelter.

And the chroming is slightly damaged, but come on, look - it's definitely 1920s.

Lovely sort of, you know, nubile young thing dancing between a hoop.

That's rather good.

But obviously, cuz it's not a great quality one, the definition isn't there, in the face, and I expect that to be reflected, really, in the price.

VO: Let's see if Franco agrees.

That's a bit fun.

How much is that?

£65.

65?

What would you do if I was really interested in it?

55?

I was at round about 30, but... Couldn't, honestly, we're miles away.

You're halving it.

Yeah.

No.

I was about...

I was thinking before, you know, you said 65, I was thinking, "Oh, I'd be happy to pay about £30," but... Can't do it for £30.

What can you do?

To you, 40.

40?

And that's a cheap wee lamp.

It's quite fun.

I quite like...

I quite like it.

TP: (WHISPERS) 35?

DEALER: I can't, honestly?

You can't?

I can't, hon...

I've came from 65, down to...

I know you have, I know you have.

You need to come up a wee bit to meet me.

Hmm...

There's profit left in that.

The thing is, I was thinking, cuz Glasgow's quite a cool city... ..and it's full of, you know, cosmopolitan people, and, you know, that is a lovely object.

Go on.

Thank you.

VO: Phew!

Thank goodness for that!

Something's in the bag at last!

He may be three purchases up but James is clearly not done yet, and now he's found something else to tickle his fancy.

These are probably made in India, turn of the century, almost certainly for the western market.

There was a great fashion actually in Glasgow for copying this style, at the turn of the century, around 1870 to 1910.

How much are they?

£15.

Will you take a tenner for them?

Take 12?

Go on then.

That's...

I'm not going to haggle you any more than that.

VO: No flies on our James today!

So, just to recap, he's hoovered up two perfume bottles, a carved wooden Chinese figure and the little silver colored jug and bowl - all for £100.

Nice work, James.

JL: 100.

DEALER: Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

DEALER: Thanks for your business.

VO: Thomas is not going to be outdone.

He's on the hunt for something else - something Chinese.

Looks like a bronze pot.

Could be brass.

It's Chinese.

It's the myth of two dragons, here, fighting over this flaming pearl, the eternal pearl.

But it's Chinese and it's very nice quality.

It's a good thing that.

I quite like it.

Franco?

Aha?

£28 if it's any good.

TP: 28?

DEALER: 28.

Can we do a deal at £20?

25?

Two?

22?

On you go - £22.

Go for that.

Thank you.

A good deal.

Thank you.

And I've just noticed these here.

Have these... are these sold?

They're just in as well... TP: They're just in as well?

DEALER: Aha.

They're bamboo, they're decorative, they're big.

I'd say they're... TP: 1900s, wouldn't you?

DEALER: Mm-hm.

Wouldn't say they're from... you know, they're ancient.

No.

What've those got to be?

£40 the pair.

They are the flavor, aren't they?

TP: They're very decorative.

DEALER: Mm-hm.

You've not had these long, or...?

Just in, honestly, yesterday.

I got them in yesterday.

They smell like they've just come in, don't they?

Mm-hm, mm-hm.

TP: They smell... DEALER: Fusty.

Musty, yeah.

"Foostee?"

"Fusty."

"Foostee" - that's what my, er... "Foostee", that's what my, um, my in-laws say, cuz they're from Scotland.

Would you do those... if I gave you 50 for the lot?

No, no.

60.

I'll do £60.

Wee package for you.

So bought that for 22, quite happy.

35?

DEALER: Go on.

TP: Is that alright?

DEALER: That's OK.

Course it is.

VO: Excellent work.

So Thomas has bought a Chinese bronze bowl, a pair of Oriental bamboo vases and an art-deco lamp - all for £97.

There you are.

I shall get you your change before you leave.

DEALER: Thank you very much.

TP: Thank you.

VO: Our boys are all shopped-out in Largs and are now back in the old Minor, heading for their next destination, Kilbirnie.

JL: That is stunning.

TP: I've never actually seen a loch, so I'm really looking forward... JL: No!

No, I haven't seen one, so I'm very excited.

VO: And you still haven't seen one, Thomas - that's the sea!

They're off to Kilbirnie, where James is stopping off for a bit of shopping...

Here's your next destination, James.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Have great fun.

Don't forget to pick me up.

No, I won't.

VO: ..while Thomas is heading 19 miles east, to Bridge of Weir, in Renfrewshire, and a rather unusual village.

I'm getting a vibe of church, "Faith Avenue".

Here we are.

VO: Quarrier's Village was built in the late 19th century and was made up of 43 houses, a fire station, a hospital and church, amongst other facilities.

But this was no ordinary village - it was built entirely for orphaned children and was the brainchild of one man, William Quarrier.

Hello.

Welcome to Quarrier's Village.

VO: Showing Thomas round is Josie Bell, who works for the charity that still exists today.

William Quarrier and his family recognized the need to look after destitute children in Glasgow, principally, although we got children from all over Britain.

VO: The village was designed to be a self-contained community, with up to 30 orphans a time living in each house, many having lost their parents from common illnesses like TB, or accidents at Glasgow's shipyards.

William Quarrier and other wealthy industrialists financed the whole project.

TP: Did he come from a very rich family or did he make all his own money?

JOSIE: He made all his own money.

His father died when William was three, and when William was six, he went out to work.

Six?!

Six.

And he earned a shilling a week.

VO: William was a fully-fledged shoemaker by the age of 12 and went on to make a fortune in this trade.

But he never forgot his humble roots, and swore never to walk past a hungry child.

Right, if you'd like to come in, this is the drapery.

And the children would come in here at least once a year, to be fully outfitted.

Wonderful quality boot, isn't it?

Having that made to fit me would cost a small fortune.

You don't get shoes like that on your high street.

No.

It's such an amazing thing that he gave so much energy, time to all these poor people... ..and to make them all individuals as well.

VO: At its height, the village was home to 1,500 orphans - from infants through to 12-year-olds.

Children were taken off the streets and came to live in the houses within a family structure.

They were clothed, shoed, educated and taught a trade.

But a sixth of all Quarrier's children also became migrants.

They sent nearly 8,000 children to Canada.

Because there were too many?

Well, Quarrier said you couldn't have a front door to bring children in if you didn't have a back door for children to leave.

So there'd be roughly 200 children would leave the village every year, to go to Canada, as child migrants.

VO: In the 130 years since William Quarrier set up the institution, society's attitudes to child welfare have changed considerably.

The relatively harsh treatment of some children in the early days and, more recently, the emergence of serious welfare issues with some individuals, have meant Quarriers has radically changed the way it currently looks after children, adults and families.

You think, "God," you know, "what would happen if both my wife and I were... "not on this earthly planet...?"

Mm-hm?

And it's a sobering thought, that there was a man, many years ago, who did the right thing.

Mm-hm.

VO: What a moving visit for Thomas, but now, it's time for him to head off.

Back in Kilbirnie, James is having a good nose about The Stirrup Cup.

It's full of antiques, curios and vintage goods - but is there anything here to attract our James?

It's a very pretty shop, with lots of nice things but it's very much aimed at the sort of... the tourist market, so it's not easy to find something and then buy it to put in auction.

I'm struggling somewhat.

VO: Now, the Road Trip has visited this shop before, and owner Greta is determined that James doesn't leave empty-handed.

So she's nipped next door to her house, to fetch something rather unusual.

Now, I always think these look very pornographic, as you can probably imagine.

VO: Funnily enough, this curious object is actually a coco-de-mer, the largest seed in the entire plant kingdom.

This could be the deal of a lifetime for James, as the polished ones are the rarest, some fetching several thousand pounds.

The coco-de-mer - how much could that be?

30?

VO: 30?

£30.

Will they appreciate it at auction?

£30.

Depends how much the Glasgow people know, doesn't it?

Yeah, that's it, isn't it?

Because they're highly, highly collectable now.

The Seychelles island they're from, there is only one Seychelles island that they're from now.

The trees are extinct in the other... Not allowed to export them, either.

..you know, so though... No, they're not allowed to export them, that's right.

So it's got to be an old one, hasn't it?

There are sanctions on them.

I like it but it's just whether or not it's the right sale forum.

A this is a giant nut, and I'm a giant nut...

..I think I should have it.

GRETA: It's so strange.

JL: If the price is right.

Yeah, yeah.

Would you take 20 for it?

25.

Oh!

22 and you got a deal.

Oh, 25!

Go on, then.

I hate haggling!

Go on, 25.

Thank you very much.

You're fine, thanks.

VO: James, how could you haggle her down?

Now, is there anything else while you're here?

Like the painting perhaps?

That picture's not bad... ..but it could just be a talented animateur.

It's an oil on board, painted turn of the century.

It's quite nicely done, with cottages and figures in there.

You know, it might be worth a punt at 25.

VO: James phones his auction house for a bit of background information.

It's J... it could be Gilmuir.

Yeah, that's the right period.

15 by 12, exactly the same size.

OK, thank you very much.

A friend of mine's looked it up on Art Sales.

There are Gilmours, James Gilmour, listed as a marine artist, painting little rocky coves - that's what he's best known for.

It's...

I should buy it, really.

£25.

I'm not going to haggle.

I'm not going to knock you down.

£25.

Got a deal.

Thank you.

VO: So James now has a coco-de-mer and a painting, all for £50.

What a deal!

JL: Thank you.

GRETA: Thank you.

Thank you very much.

VO: And it looks like the painting might be a bargain too.

We're seeing James Gilmour oils and watercolors of this size making 150, 170, 140, 190.

So yeah, great - pleased with that.

VO: James has high hopes for his purchases - I bet he does!

- but right now, it's feet up time for our experts.

Night-night!

Day two in bonnie Scotland, and James is behind the steering wheel.

My feet are too big for the pedals.

Your feet are too big for the pedals?

My everything is too big for everything in this car!

VO: So far, Thomas has spent £97 on three items - an art-deco lamp, a pair of Oriental bamboo sleeve vases and a Chinese bronze bowl, leaving him with a chunky £103 still to spend.

Go on.

Thank you.

VO: James, meanwhile, has spent £150 on five items - a large coco-de-mer, an oil painting, a milk jug with basin, a pair of glass perfume bottles and a large Chinese carving.

That leaves him with £50 to play with.

Looks a lot better, doesn't it?

VO: Thomas and James have left the west coast behind and are heading for the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh.

With over £100 burning a hole in his pocket, Thomas heads straight for the shops.

TP: I'm Thomas.

TERRI: I'm Terri.

Terri, nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too.

VO: Cabaret Antiques is brimming with all kinds of curios and collectables - but most of all, it's stacked to the rafters with what Thomas loves more than anything.

I absolutely adore jewelry.

That's my most favorite thing.

I'm like a pig in the proverbial when it comes to things like that.

VO: But is there anything here to fall in love with?

This is something I got yesterday, which I think you'll like.

Oh.

That's a... amethyst, on silver.

So it's marked "800".

800, so... German...

So it's going to be German, yeah, absolutely.

VO: That's not £800 but the continental silver mark, and shows that it was made in Germany.

It's in the art-nouveau style, which, in Germany, was called Jugendstil, meaning "young style".

120 to you.

Oh.

I don't have enough money to spend on that.

That's a pity.

But it is lovely, cuz it is that sort of gorgeous art nouveau design.

Beautiful little stones, and then this lovely little drop coming down here.

But at 120... That's your final is it?

I spent a lot on it.

That's... 100, that's it.

That's it.

TP: It is lovely.

TERRI: It is, it is.

It's a huge risk.

No, it's not!

Oh!

What do you mean, "No, it's not"?

No, it's not!

It's quality!

Quality!

It is... it is super.

Yeah, fabulous.

Leave it there and it will sort of glint at me...

Right, that's right.

..and shine, you know... That's for you, that's for you.

Well, you know... Oh, God!

It is good.

VO: Yes, it's good - but at that price?

Best to focus on something else - like a pair of binoculars, for instance.

TP: They're rather fun, aren't they?

They're field glasses.

TERRI: With the... TP: With the compass on!

TERRI: ..compass on... yeah.

There we are - I've got "bakery", "fresh fruit & veg", "fresh meat & fish", "beer & wine".

There we are.

The supermarket over the road.

30 quid to you.

TP: If I buy that brooch... TERRI: Yes?

..and...?

Right, if you buy the brooch at 100, you get those for 20.

So that's 120.

TP: I can't afford those at 20.

TERRI: Oh?

Well... Prr, forget it then.

Let's not fall out yet!

OK. Cuz there's no need, please.

TERRI: Right, you can have that, and as I can't remember what I paid for this, you can have that as your lucky penny, right?

And that's it.

100, for the two.

TP: Is that it?

100, is that it?

TERRI: Yeah.

TP: You couldn't do two figures?

TERRI: No.

No.

TP: You sure?

TERRI: Yes.

TP: Promise?

TERRI: Absolutely.

TP: Please.

TERRI: Shake.

TP: Please.

TERRI: No.

Come on.

Come on, I've been very good to you.

You have been really good, you have been.

Yes.

God, this... this is such a high risk game!

Oh no, come on!

That's how you win.

This is everything I've got.

That's how you win - you take risks!

I know, I know, but that's also how you lose!

You sure you can't do any more?

TP: No.

TERRI: Really?

Yes.

Come on.

Would you take a little bit...?

Would you take a fiver off?

No.

Go on.

TERRI: No.

TP: Go on.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

No, come on, come on.

I...

Please, please... No, no, no, I don't care.

No, no.

Come on.

Fair's fair.

I've been sucked in by you, Terri.

Thank you very much.

OK. That's very kind.

VO: So, Thomas has decided to spend £100 on the Amethyst brooch, and gets the pair of field glasses for free.

Oh, it's painful - is it painful?

Thank you!

What've I done?!

I've spent all my money!

VO: Now, now - you've still got £3 left!

We've done the deal now and it's too late!

VO: Nice work, Terri.

While Thomas heads off to his next shop with his remaining pennies, James is just up the road, bracing himself for a rather uncomfortable appointment.

CHRIS: Hello.

JL: Hello, James.

JL: Good to see you.

CHRIS: I'm Chris Henry.

I'm the director of heritage here at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

VO: The Surgeons' Hall was developed as a teaching museum for medical students and was initially set up back in 1505, after the Pope decided to permit the human body to be dissected.

Oh, my goodness.

You've got some rather strange bits and pieces in here!

VO: Many of the exhibits have been donated, and Chris is taking James to see one man's particular obsession.

Now, if anyone out there is a bit squeamish about the dentist's, I suggest you go right now and make a cup of tea!

OK, well, here we are.

This is the dental collection.

We've all things dental.

CHRIS: I'm sure you're cringing already!

(THEY CHUCKLE) Yes... Nervously sort of start feeling my mouth!

VO: Fifty years ago, Menzies Campbell - not the MP, but a dental historian - donated his unique collection of teeth and dental instruments to the museum.

And it's got to be one of the most comprehensive dental collections, I would say, in the UK, if not the world.

Not a cheap thing to be doing... Not at all.

JL: ..in the 20th century.

CHRIS: No.

Dentists' equipment, surgeons' equipment's always been quite sought after.

Yeah.

VO: Campbell's collection includes examples of some of the earliest dental work, including a replica of some ancient dentures.

Oh, gosh - look at those!

And what you can see is the two extra teeth have been wired together at the base, along with the teeth that still remain within the jaw.

So that would be... er... 600...?

Yeah, 700BC, something like that.

JL: 700BC?

CHRIS: Yeah.

VO: Dentists had to rely on natural materials to make dentures.

Elephant ivory was used but gave people very bad breath.

Then hippopotamus ivory.

It was more resilient and didn't yellow quite as badly.

Later, dentures took an even more macabre twist.

The more shocking thing, in a way, is the fact that human teeth were also used for dentures, and we've got an example here, which has got the front set is actually human teeth.

And there's a concept, certainly in the 19th century, which were known as Waterloo teeth, and they're...

The teeth were taken from casualties at the Battle of Waterloo.

I have to say, I don't really fancy it.

No, I can't say I would.

I think I'd prefer mine to be hippo teeth, I think.

VO: The development of dental instruments was equally innovative.

Most dental drills were pretty poor, because they were hand-driven.

So you couldn't get enough speed up.

But the great breakthrough came in 1864, when Harrington invented the clockwork drill, which is this item here.

It was a wind-up drill, effectively.

You had a key, you stuck it in the end there, wound it up... Yeah.

And then you could get two minutes of drilling.

JL: I mean, that's quite a weight.

Yeah.

But it was a huge improvement on what had gone before.

This is an amazing collection but, I have to say, one that's slightly... uneasy.

But thank you very much.

You're most welcome.

JL: Really enjoyed it.

Thank you.

VO: Ouch!

Well, while James recovers from a fascinating - albeit unsettling - museum, Thomas is determined to spend his last £3.

Hello.

VO: Perhaps husband and wife team Robert and Valerie can help.

How little do you have?

Literally, I've got pounds - you know, under £5.

Oh, my goodness, you are...

So I'm looking for...

I'm looking for a deal beyond all deals.

VO: Luckily, Thomas does have a plan.

I have just bought some field glasses.

Oh right, aha.

Yeah?

But I was thinking, you know, that maybe it would be nice to sort of slip a hipflask in there.

VO: This pair are very accommodating, and happen to have rather a nice hipflask to show Thomas.

You'd have to be good at haggling.

VO: That shouldn't be a problem.

TP: Lovely.

VALERIE: Yeah.

It's got the cup with it, the pewter cup, which you just pull off, and then you unscrew this.

So you fill it with your whisky, in it goes and then... down it.

You said I've got to be good at negotiating.

Mm-hm.

If I put down what I have left, and it's very menial...

Right, go on.

That's all I've got.

Ugh!

Three British pounds.

VALERIE: Are you sure?

TP: That's it.

No I promise you.

Don't have to turn you upside-down do we?

No.

You can turn me upside-down.

Would you do me a favor?

Do you promise never to come back?

No, I promise to come back loads.

VALERIE: With money!

TP: With proper money.

OK, you've got a deal.

Thank you.

VALERIE: Thomas... Aw!

TP: That's very kind of you.

VO: Thomas, I think you are the luckiest man I know.

Spent up!

Yes!

VO: Ha-ha!

Well, with every penny dispatched with, it's time to meet up with James and leave Edinburgh behind.

Are you ready for some shopping?

JL: Definitely.

(ENGINE CHUGS) Have you killed the car?!

Get out and push, Thomas.

I can't believe it.

Right, come on.

Go on, then.

(GRUNTS) JL: Put your back into it!

TP: Shut up, James!

JL: Come on!

TP: Harder.

JL: What do you mean "harder"?!

Have you turned it all the way round?

Yes.

We want to go down the hill.

Oh, are we?

Oh, I see.

Well, I'm not going to push up the hill, am I?!

Why is it always me?

What do you mean always you?

It's the first time!

Car in gear?

Yup.

Clutch in?

Yup.

OK?

Ready?

Yup.

TP: Come back!

JL: Bye!

I don't believe he's done that!

VO: James has decided to pick Thomas up after all.

They're heading 20 miles towards the East Lothian coast and the settlement of Fenton Barns.

TP: Here we are, look - "Scottish Antique Centre".

Oh, no, sorry - "Archery".

God, I really do need glasses, don't I?

VO: Thomas is all spent up but James still has £50 to splash about - so perhaps this small emporium might have something tasty on offer.

I'm James.

Hi, James.

Nice... Hiya.

Nice to see you.

Hi.

VO: It looks promising.

There are plenty of small collectables here.

It's just about finding the right one.

This is a little Victorian... um, locket.

On one side we've got a hinged compartment that we open up, and there it is.

It's got a glazed compartment in the center there, which was probably for a lock of hair.

I don't think it's gold.

Erm... it's probably gold plate or it could, at a push, be pinchbeck, which was invented by a Dr Pinchbeck.

It's a metal that looks like gold, feels like gold but just isn't gold.

VO: Owner Helen has priced the locket at £35, but James won't pay that.

Well, look - what about 30?

How about that, for an absolute, knock-down, giveaway price?

JL: It's sweet.

But just unfashionable.

Would you take 25 for it then?

HELEN: (GASPS) 28.

I'm not going to knock you down.

HELEN: Thank you.

OK. JL: Thank you.

VO: Well, that's both experts shopped out.

Thanks very much.

Thank you.

Bye-bye.

VO: So now it's time for them to reveal all to one another.

Let's have a look.

I can't wait.

Here we go.

Here we go.

Whoa, don't knock anything over!

The first thing I want to pick up is... is... is this.

It's fab, isn't it?

Oh!

I haven't sold one for years.

This is a really nice one.

Yeah.

What did you pay for this?

£25.

You didn't pay £25.

JL: I did.

TP: For a coco-de-mer?

JL: Yeah.

TP: £25?

Yeah.

I'm a little bit jealous.

What do you think it's worth?

Two to three hundred pounds.

Do you?

They are... they're so valuable.

Oh, OK. You've done very well there.

VO: Don't play coy, James - you know it's a good 'un.

So does Thomas think his oil painting is another winner?

Good colors, nice and strong there.

Erm... bit of nicotine staining, so clean up, it would look rather good, wouldn't it?

JL: 25 quid.

That's brilliant.

That's awesome, actually.

JL: I was pleased with that.

TP: I bet you are.

VO: Now here's something Thomas recognizes.

Oh, did you pick that...?

Is that...?

TP: I picked that up.

JL: Oh...

Picked it up and then thought, "I'll ask about that later on."

JL: OK. TP: Then by the time I came back, you'd bought it.

JL: Oh, sorry.

£55.

TP: It's alright, you know...

I've learnt a lesson.

When I pick something up... ..buy it.

Buy it.

VO: Too late now, Thomas.

You've made your bed.

So now, what will James think of Thomas's offerings?

JL: Ooh... TP: There we are.

It doesn't look very decorative, compared to yours.

OK. Yeah.

I saw those from a distance.

They're lovely big ones, aren't they?

Good size, aren't they?

Yeah, great size.

Bam...

Naturally carved bam... Lovely.

How much were they?

TP: £35.

JL: Oh!

But...

There is a definite profit in those.

VO: Very charitable, James!

So what about Thomas's lamp?

JL: Little art deco lamp.

TP: She's lovely.

JL: Sweet.

She's lovely, and I love these things.

She would polish up nicely, wouldn't she?

Oh, she would - she'd polish...

I'm going to leave her.

I'm not going to touch her.

I'm going leave it as... Let somebody else have the excitement.

JL: Yeah, how much was that?

TP: Hoop dancer, £40.

Oh, that's cheap.

That's really stylish for £40, isn't it?

Tell me about this.

So what you've got here is, um... Is it amethyst?

Yeah, an amethyst here.

Marked "800", it's continental, marked on the clasp... TP: It's just dead right.

JL: Yeah.

TP: It's a brilliant thing.

JL: Stylish.

It's a stylish object, this.

I love them.

I think you've done really well.

And it's been fun.

VO: Far too cordial for my liking.

So go on then, what did they really think?

I don't think he's got anything that is going to storm through and make huge profits.

The brooch, I don't know, I'm not a massive costume jewelry person.

I know it's amethyst, but I don't know, it doesn't do anything for me.

But he knows his jewelry, so fingers crossed that'll do well for him.

That coco-de-mer is just - aargh!

- it's so nice!

I've, you know, always wanted one, and I think they're amazing things.

So, um... 25 quid - how does he do it?!

VO: It's been a fruitful first leg, beginning on the west coast, in Largs, traveling all the way to the east coast via Edinburgh and now back again, to our auction venue for today, Glasgow.

Nervous?

Pressure's on!

(CHUCKLES) Come on.

VO: Today's theater of dreams is McTear's and there's plenty here to attract the Glaswegian buyers - well, maybe not everything.

So what does auctioneer Hamish Wilson make of our experts' choices?

Well, I've been quite impressed by what they've actually brought along today.

The most unusual thing is really the binoculars with the compass on top.

A lot of militaria interest through in the general sale, lots of people, and I think that'll do well.

The coco-de-mer is intriguing.

In Glasgow, we call them "the bum nut" and they can make up to £200.

So potentially there's money to be made in the coco-de-mer nut.

VO: Our experts began this journey with £200 each, and Thomas has spent every single penny, on a total of five auction lots.

We've done the deal now and it's too late!

VO: James has spent a little less - a total of £178 - also on five auction lots.

25!

Go on, then.

I hate haggling!

VO: Hold tight, chaps - we're off!

How are you feeling?

Jittery.

Me too.

TP: Jittery.

JL: Yeah.

VO: First up is James's Chinese figure, the one Thomas missed out on.

At £30 here.

£30.

Do I see five?

40.

45?

At 45.

Any advance on 45?

50 is bid there.

At £50.

Any advance on 50?

At £50... Five is now bid.

At 55.

£60.

£60 is bid.

Good pace... Do you want to bid five, sir?

65.

70 is bid now.

At £70.

Well done.

Making money.

£70, last call on 70.

70.

You know, you would've earned a little bit, wouldn't you?

About two quid.

TP: About £2?

JL: Yeah.

(SNIGGERS) VO: Not quite the stoking profit James was hoping for but a profit nevertheless.

There we go.

It's... better than a loss, isn't it?

VO: Continuing the Chinese theme, it's Thomas's bronze bowl.

I'll start it low, at 30.

Do I see five?

At £30.

Five is bid there.

Straight... straight in.

40.

45, sir?

45.

50.

Coo!

At 55.

60.

65.

Any further bids?

At 65.

70, new bidder.

At 75 now.

Yeah.

At £75, are we all done?

80, new bidder.

JL: Coo!

HAMISH: £80.

Fresh.

Are we all done?

At £80.

£80... Well done, well done, well done!

VO: That did well.

A good start for Thomas.

Pat myself on the back.

Well done.

Not feeling so twitchy...

Lean forward.

Thank you, James.

Thank you.

VO: Can James make up some ground with his gold-colored pendant?

At £18.

Do I see 20?

20 is bid there.

And five with me.

At 25.

Do I see 30?

At 25.

Do I see 30?

£30 is bid now.

At 30.

Five against you now.

And 40 is bid now.

At £40.

Do I see five?

At £40.

The lady...

I thought I was... God, I'm dead on.

TP: Dead on, aren't I?

HAMISH: Are we all done then?

At £40.

Well, I'm pleased with that.

Well, I bet you are.

VO: Yes, a solid profit - even after the auction house takes its well-earned commission.

You'll be walking out of there buoyed...

Buoyed with my so far eight quid!

VO: Thomas's bamboo sleeve vases are up next.

£10 only... Oh, don't start them at £10!

At £10.

Do I see 12 now?

At £10.

12.

15.

18.

20.

And five.

At 25.

Did someone else want to come in?

JL: Come on.

HAMISH: At £25.

Go on, they're worth that.

At £25.

Are we all done?

At £25.

Selling then on £25.

I kept thinking I was going to get told off by the auctioneer.

That's, I think, very cheap.

VO: Oh dear - yeah, that's a loss for Thomas.

Moving swiftly on - James's painting by Gilmour.

He has high hopes for this one.

And this time I'm bid £30.

£30... Well, it's straight in.

Five is bid.

40 with me, sir.

TP: It'll be fine.

HAMISH: 45 is your bid, at 45.

Look, it's just creeping up slowly.

50 now.

55?

£50 is bid then.

At 55, new bidder.

Hammer's not fallen.

£55!

£55.

No!

God, that's dreadful!

VO: It's James's turn to be disappointed - although he has made a profit.

The sweet smell of profits, all the way through.

Yeah, I suppose so.

But that was worth 100 quid more, but there we are.

VO: It's still anyone's game, and Thomas's art deco lamp is next.

At £35.

35.

Oh wait, it's going to go, it's going to go.

HAMISH: 40... JL: Go on.

At £40.

Five now.

50.

At 50.

55.

55.

Do I see 60?

60 is bid now.

HAMISH: 65, new bidder.

JL: Oh!

65.

70.

75.

£75.

Are we all done then?

On £75.

JL: Go on.

HAMISH: 80, new bidder.

TP: Ooh.

Ooh.

JL: Go on.

On the telephone then at 80.

Are we all sure now?

£80 is bid.

Last call then on £80.

TP: Oh!

JL: Brilliant, brilliant!

That's good.

That makes up a bit, doesn't it?

Ah!

Happier now!

VO: An excellent profit for Thomas.

He's back in the lead.

Brilliant.

Brilliant.

VO: Up next is a job lot for James - he's combined his silver metalware with two perfume bottles.

I'm bid 40 here.

At £40.

He's straight in.

At £40.

Five now.

At 45.

And 50 against you.

55.

And 60 against you.

65.

65.

And 70 against you.

It's gonna reach more than I thought.

75.

80 against you.

85.

At £85.

TP: Well done.

HAMISH: There is the bid at 85.

Any advance on £85?

Yep, yep, yep.

Sitting down.

At £85.

90 now.

95.

100?

100 is bid.

110?

Calm... down!

Any advance on 110?

At £110.

Are we all done and finished?

At £110.

It did well!

Yes!

And by how much?

JL: Hundred and... TP: I missed that TP: with your bear hug.

JL: ..10.

VO: The bear has done well.

James has moved ahead.

I'm pleased with that.

That's a good result.

VO: Thomas has also combined lots - he's put his freebie binoculars together with the hipflask.

I'm bid £20.

At 20 only.

That's straight... profit.

25.

Do I see 30?

£30.

35.

And 40.

Five, sir?

Go on.

TP: Go on.

JL: Go on.

At 45.

Do I see 50?

Thank you.

At 50.

Any advance on 50?

One more, sir?

At £50.

Does anyone else want to come in?

It's the hipflask.

It's the hipflask which did it, wasn't it?

VO: An excellent profit there - Thomas is edging his way back.

JL: Well done.

Well done.

TP: That's good, actually.

Yeah, no, I'm pleased about that.

I'm really pleased.

TP: Really pleased!

JL: 240.

VO: James's last lot of the day - his coco-de-mer or, as they say in Glasgow, bum nut.

And this time, interest here, I've got to start the bidding here at £85.

90 is bid.

100.

110.

120.

130, new bidder.

I'm out.

140.

VO: He paid £25 for this.

Told you.

170.

180.

Told you.

190.

£200 is bid.

220 now.

240.

260.

HAMISH: Any further bids?

TP: Go on.

HAMISH: At 260.

TP: Go on.

HAMISH: 280.

VO: Can you believe this?

HAMISH: 300.

At £300.

TP: Told you.

Well done, James.

Cor!

In the corner then, at 300.

Are we all done then?

£300.

Last call on 300.

VO: Good Lord!

TP: ..in the water.

JL: Yes!

TP: Well done.

Well done.

VO: What about that?

A stonking profit of £275 for James... for a seed!

Fantastico!

Brilliant!

VO: It all hangs on Thomas's amethyst brooch now, bought for £100.

HAMISH: At £15.

At 15.

JL: Wh...?

Fif.. Do I see 18?

At £15.

Do I see 18?

18 is bid there.

20 with me, sir.

VO: Uh-oh!

..five?

Oh, my God!

VO: Not looking good.

25.

At 25.

Do I see 30 now?

Come on.

There, there, there, there, there, there.

30, thank you.

At 30.

Any advance on 30?

Oh, my God... You're not stomping and pointing when it's your thing, are you?!

HAMISH: Selling then at... JL: Oh, no.

..£30, are we all done?

VO: Ouch!

Big hole.

Big hole.

VO: Yup.

Disaster for Thomas.

I've learnt my lesson there.

Learnt my little lesson.

VO: Both our experts started this leg with £200.

After paying auction costs, Thomas has actually made a small profit of £17.30.

That leaves him with a respectable £217.30 to carry forwards.

But James is today's super trooper.

His coco-de-mer shot his profit up to £293.50, which means he takes forward a delectable £493.50 to spend next time.

Well done, James.

Thank you.

You must be feeling cock-a-hoop.

Oh, it's all luck.

Come on, let's go.

Are you excited?

Yes.

VO: Next time on the Antiques Road Trip: Thomas falls in love.

Thank you.

Brilliant.

No, it's fine, it's fine.

VO: And James decides to dress up.

Wargh!

VO: Scary!

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