antiques experts... RAJ: That's me.

PAUL: I like that.

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

TIM: Hold on!

IRITA: (SQUEALS) VO: And a goal, to scour Britain for antiques.

En garde!

VO: The aim, to make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

I don't believe it!

VO: There'll be worthy winners... PAUL: Yes!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

I was robbed.

VO: Will it be the high road to glory...

Right, come on, let's go.

VO: ..or the slow road to disaster?

DAVID: Oh, Roo!

Oh, Roo!

ROO: (SQUEALS) VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Not 'alf!

VO: Hold the front page, because somewhere down there is a very familiar TV face, setting out on his very first trip.

Paul, welcome to Antiques Road Trip.

Are you excited?

Very much so Raj, and I tell you what, it's going to be a baptism of fire with you.

VO: Yes, the man in the Merc is none other than Paul Martin.

Whilst his navigator and rival is seasoned tripper Raj Bisram.

An old chum.

PAUL: How long have I known you?

Probably 30 years now.

Gosh, and we haven't fallen out with each other?

RAJ: No.

VO: Crikey!

They probably haven't shared a classic car yet either.

That could put a strain on any friendship.

Although their 1980s Mercedes is behaving impeccably.

Thus far.

PAUL: It doesn't get any better than this, does it?

Driving through the Sussex countryside in an open topped sports car.

There's a lot of power under here.

VO: Some pretty high-octane talent on board as well.

Paul from Wiltshire is a dealer who really knows his stuff.

School's out.

VO: While Kent's own Raj, an auctioneer, knows what he likes.

Whee!

VO: And loves to make profits.

Which makes him the ideal mentor for our Road Trip rookie.

But you have to remember we only have £200 to start with.

It's not a lot of dosh is it?

No.

VO: Not having second thoughts, is he?

Raj, have you got any advice for me?

Paul, why don't you just buy one expensive piece of walnut?

Blow it all?

Blow it all!

VO: Ha-ha!

He probably would as well.

They're setting out from the south coast on a roundabout tour that'll take in quite a lot of the West Country, not to mention a sizable corner of the West Midlands, before ending up several hundred miles later, in the Cotswolds.

Tell me, what are you looking forward to the most on the road trip?

Just having fun with you really, Raj.

VO: Charmer!

Today our twosome will be seeing an awful lot of Sussex.

Starting out in the town of Hailsham.

Close to where the Romans, the Saxons and the Normans came ashore.

And now, having previously dropped his chum off, the Martin has landed... at Golden Cross Antiques.

Closes the door after himself too.

Not something you could say about Hailsham's earlier invaders.

So, what takes your fancy?

Oh, this is nice.

I love early packaging.

I love all that typeset.

Great color as well.

It's a little tiny iron, travel iron.

Complete with all of its fittings.

Isn't that nice?

Not for me though.

VO: Oh.

No dilly dallying with this one.

Anything else in the picture?

I love looking through old frames.

Because sometimes frames are worth more than the images.

My tip is always look for old frames, because, you know, you can't replicate sort of 1930s oak like this.

With this naturally aged patina, and color.

And it hasn't got an image, so maybe that's worth a fiver, but... that would cost you about £30 in a framer's shop.

You know, and it would be new oak, and it wouldn't look right.

VO: He's right of course.

Now, on with the rummage.

Oh!

Oh, that's nice.

I like that.

I like that a lot.

That's been in there a long time.

It's so naive.

This is sort of circa 1880 maybe.

At the very latest, 1900.

They look typically Dutch.

But this is like a piece of sack, that somebody has embroidered.

Fabric, offcuts.

Created this wonderful image, of husband and wife by the harborside.

I love this little red dinghy, look at that.

That's exactly how you would draw a little dingy if you were five years old.

VO: It's not signed, or dated.

And no price.

Oh, I love it.

I'm not leaving here without you!

I love you!

VO: Calm down.

Rhoda?

Rhoda?

Hello?

Oh, hi there.

I'm on my knees already.

That's what I like to see.

Rhoda, I was looking through these old frames you've got.

And there are no price tags on any of them.

OK.

But there's one image I found which is complete, and it's this.

What sort of price is it?

25?

25.

Would you do 20 on that?

RHODA: Yes, OK. PAUL: Yeah, £20?

RHODA: Yeah, that's fine.

PAUL: Is that OK?

RHODA: Yeah, that's fine.

Yes.

PAUL: I'll buy something else.

RHODA: That's good.

PAUL: I've got my eye PAUL: on something else.

RHODA: Good.

VO: Nice start.

Now let's catch up with Raj, also in Hailsham.

They seem to be employing a two-pronged charm offensive.

With Raj heading for Antiques and All Sorts.

Alexa's in charge in here.

I wonder what'll attract his gimlet eye?

Here we go.

Now, these are sovereign scales.

And sovereigns had to be weighed, because what happens is, unscrupulous people would shave a little bit off them.

So they always had to be tested, that they were exactly the right weight.

Because sovereigns were made of gold, and, you know, eventually they'd have a little bit of gold set aside.

VO: Brass.

19th century.

No price ticket though.

And what's so lovely about this set is that they've actually got a token with them, which is exactly the same weight that the sovereign should be.

This is actually a token for a half sovereign.

And it fits on the first hole.

And if you look, you can see the weight there.

And the big larger hole is for a full sovereign.

And these are really nice.

You don't often see them, so if this is the right price, this is one I'm going to buy.

VO: Well, let's ask Alexa then.

Ha!

Hi, Alexa.

Hi Raj.

I've just spotted these.

These sovereign scales, have you had these a long time?

We haven't had them that long, actually.

It's going to come down to price.

I mean, I do like them.

What have you got on them?

About 50, 55.

OK. Could you...

I mean, I was thinking more £25, £30.

Lowest I can go on those is 40.

£40, we've got a deal.

Fantastic.

VO: Nicely done.

One purchase each for our pair.

I've spotted something else.

You've got a copper pot down there.

Yep.

Is there any chance you could take out the items, cuz it's full of things, and I could have a closer look?

Yep, that's fine.

Fantastic.

VO: Thanks Alexa.

There's plenty in here.

ALEXA: There you go, Raj.

RAJ: I really like that.

This is a 19th century one, and it's got no holes in it.

You can imagine that on a range, can't you?

Full of stew in the old days, or pheasant.

VO: You sure, Raj?

You'd get several brace in there.

A lot of people buy them for decorative purposes and hang them up in their kitchens.

I really like this one.

ALEXA: I've just noticed, Raj.

It's dated 1914, it's got the broad arrow on it.

So I don't know if that makes it military.

VO: Good spot, Alexa.

Certainly explains the size.

Still an antique, of course.

How much can you do that for?

55.

I was hoping, to be honest, more 25, £30.

As it's you Raj, I'm going to let you have it for 30.

RAJ: 30?

ALEXA: Yeah.

RAJ: Really?

ALEXA: Mm-hm.

We have a deal.

Another deal.

Thank you very much indeed.

VO: Quick work.

£70 paid.

Have a good day.

Thank you very much, lovely shop.

VO: Now, while Raj heads off to see the sights, we'll get back to his buddy.

He's already gone Dutch with his wee collage for £20.

And it looks like he's almost tripped over something else.

Condition is key with these little prayer mats.

That's a practical piece.

It's very, very decorative.

The colors are not too bright.

There's no pinks.

It's not gaudy reds, they're muted.

It's got a rather nasty split, right along there.

It's been professionally restored.

A few years ago.

But that restoration is now starting to ride up as people stand on it.

I'll ask Rhoda what the price is, because if it's £50 to £60, it's worth taking the punt.

I see that about 200 to 300, in good nick.

But... hang on.

Actually look, it is for sale.

And there is a price ticket on it.

She's got 295 quid on it.

Oh dear, foiled.

I thought I found a sleeper.

VO: Never mind.

What about something that won't cost a pile?

Ha!

See, I like this.

Bit of kitchenalia, and everyone likes kitchenalia.

It just looks good in contemporary settings.

Price tag says £48.

That's a nice example.

It's typically early Victorian.

Over engineered, it's very masculine on the base.

Does it move, does it work?

Yes it does.

Look at that.

It's complete with weights as well which is really nice.

Somebody has made that up.

That little pan's been made up, with the rolled edge.

But it's nicely done.

It's tactile.

Got a wonderful look, wonderful patina.

But I won't make a profit at £48, so I need to get the price down a bit.

It's all in the balance.

VO: Very droll.

Oh, Rhoda?

I've spotted something in your window, it's a bit of kitchenalia.

Right.

Could you do 35?

No, I think that's too much off.

Could we split the difference between 35 and 40?

Alright.

38.

I think £38 is a good deal.

OK, that's great.

VO: That makes £58 in total, please.

I've got the exact money for you in cash.

So here's £58 for the two, I'll leave it here.

Right.

Bye!

VO: While he loads the merchandize into the Mercedes, he seems chuffed.

And heads off to his second ever shop on the Road Trip.

We'll switch to the nearby South Downs, to see Raj having a close encounter with a mysterious local celebrity.

Close to the little village of Wilmington... ..where the facts behind the figure have been investigated by archaeologist Martin Bell.

MARTIN: It's the long man of Wilmington, or the Wilmington Giant.

And there are all sorts of different theories about the age of the figure and its origins.

Some people think that it dates right back to the Neolithic, the period of the earliest farmers in Britain.

And they think that because there are two Neolithic burial mounds on the hill above it.

Others suggest a similarity to figures on Roman coins, figures that are holding two staffs.

Even more plausible I think, is a similarity to an Anglo Saxon brooch of the seventh century from Finglesham in Kent, because that shows a figure four with two staffs.

And that was the favored theory for quite a long time, until we found evidence which suggested that it was more likely to be 16th or 17th century.

VO: At 72 meters, he may be by far the tallest.

But the Wilmington long man is certainly not the only such hill or chalk figure in southern England.

Many have been lost, and although the survivors often appear ancient, only a very few actually are.

RAJ: Wow, it's pretty impressive from here, isn't it, Martin?

Yeah, it really is an amazing figure, actually.

Iconic.

I mean, how did you go about dating it?

Well, we did a trench at the bottom of the slope.

And we looked at the erosion processes on that slope.

And we dated each layer from the artifacts that we found.

And there was some Neolithic stuff and some Bronze Age stuff.

But we believe that related to an agricultural settlement.

Then there was a long gap when nothing happened here at all.

Until we got into the medieval and the post-medieval period when people started dropping stuff here.

And I think that really relates to people being drawn to the site by the presence of the figure.

VO: But if the giant does indeed date from between the 16th and 17th centuries, then who created him, and why?

Some have claimed he was the work of the monks at the priory in the valley below.

MARTIN: Certainly, I think there is a connection, because the spot from which it is really clearest is from the site of the priority.

But I'm inclined to think that that relates more to the house that followed the priory after the dissolution of the monasteries.

And one of my theories is that it might have been created by one of the occupiers of that house.

During that period, there was the development of a sort of secular origin myth for Britain, which involved giants, Gog and Magog.

And there are other hill figures that seem to have been made at about that time, which have now been completely lost.

But I think that might provide the context for the long man of Wilmington.

VO: Sounds plausible, doesn't it?

But you have to make a much closer inspection...

Pretty steep.

Yes.

VO: ..To see why Martin's team concluded that the giant isn't actually that old.

I've been up close to a few chalk figures over the years.

But this, this isn't chalk.

Yes, concrete blocks.

And indeed, most of the other hill figures are cut down to the chalk.

But here we've done several little excavations across the outline.

And actually, there isn't really any trench that goes right down to the chalk.

And that's the basis of my theory really, that it may have been marked out by bricks, right from the very beginnings.

VO: Good detective work.

But while Raj has been sizing up one of the larger local personalities, Paul's been cutting a bit of a bella figura himself, maneuvering the Merc.

I'm having the time of my life, actually.

So, it's like driving a big coach.

Look at the size of the steering wheel.

Because it's not just about antiques, it's about classic cars.

It's about, sort of the golden age of motoring as far as I'm concerned.

VO: Pip pip!

What's more, he already has a couple of buys tucked away in das boot, and will be hoping to pick up more at Eastbourne.

The delightful Sussex seaside resort, which was once the home of popular piano pounder Russ Conway.

Paul's got just over £140 left to spend in Little Chelsea.

PAUL: Oh, I love this.

This is an Edwardian pond yacht.

Early 1900s.

That's 1970s.

I mean, that's a serious model, but that one's built for speed.

This one's just built for Sunday afternoon by the pond.

Oh, it's lovely.

Oh, it's lovely.

I bet it's weighted as well.

Bet it's got a lot of lead in the keel.

Yes, it has.

Feel the weight of that.

That will sit comfortably in the water.

And it's the lead that gives it its stability.

Love the canvas.

I love the sails.

I love the fact that it's all a bit dirty, and a bit bruised.

VO: Probably too pricey for his budget though.

It's just missing a little tiller arm.

And it would lock into these ridges, and you could determine how you wanted the rudder to be positioned.

So attack with the wind or against it.

Price.

It's not bad, it's £295.

I think retail, that's a bargain.

VO: Not much use for this malarkey, though.

Never mind.

Heaps of time.

Hoo!

PAUL: I spotted this as soon as I walked in, because I love my wood.

I understand it.

This is 1920s.

It's vintage, but Pocock's date back to 1870.

And they won about nine awards for transporting eggs, because back in the day, eggs were transported all over the country by rail.

And that's what they were put in.

Safety boxes like this.

And if I open the lid and show you, that would hold a rack of eggs.

30 eggs in each rack, and it would be about five racks deep.

So the eggs wouldn't roll around.

It's got all this lovely metal reinforced sides of tin plate.

It's logoed on the back.

I love this.

I particularly love this little lock.

I think that's a little gem.

And somebody will have a bit of fun in scraping off this bit of old glue, and buffing up the pine with a clear beeswax.

And you've got a wonderful piece of kitchenalia.

It's got the look.

I've seen these retail at 80.

He's got 49 quid on the ticket.

So we've got to have a word with Steve.

VO: Yeah, elementary.

Summoning Steve.

PAUL: Steve?

STEVE: Yes?

There is one thing I'd like to buy, if I could get it for a better price, OK?

And it's the egg box on the floor.

We got £49 on that.

Mm.

What's the bottom line for you?

£40.

And I'm going to say yes, please.

It's yours.

Thank you very much.

VO: Right, let's shell out... (CHUCKLES) ..and grab the goods.

Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

VO: Because once he gets that box stowed away, he can renew his old acquaintance.

Paul, even though I've known you for such a long time, I don't know whether you've got any... foibles, shall we say, have you?

No, not really.

Do you know, I play the drums.

I like playing the drums.

There's a hidden talent.

VO: He used to be in a band, you know.

Now he's in a duo.

A bit like Chas and Dave.

Ha-ha!

Night-night.

Gertcha!

Next day, the honeymoon continues.

PAUL: I love this part of the world, don't you?

RAJ: I do.

PAUL: Oh, I'm in love with it.

I could move here.

It's supposed to be one of the sunniest parts of the UK.

Thank goodness, because we got the top down.

Yeah.

VO: Things were equally balmy in the buying department yesterday.

Paul acquired a set of kitchen scales, an egg box and a naive artwork.

I'm not leaving here without you.

I love you.

VO: Which means he has just over £100 to spend today.

While Raj plumped for a copper pot, and a sovereign scale.

We've got a deal.

VO: Leaving a balance - ha!

- of 130.

Now, back to our old china plates.

If you were to describe me as an antique, what would you choose?

Don't look at me like that.

Don't look at me like that again.

I would look at you and go, a piece of sculpture.

A piece of cutting edge sculpture by a renowned artist.

Monumental, innovative for its time, but almost 20th century modern as well.

VO: Well, he's certainly original.

And you'd describe me I guess as a bit of old wood, rough and ready.

Bit of walnut.

Soft around the edges, but...

I would say off the top of my head a suit of armor, Paul.

You'd be a knight in shining armor.

Oh, yeah.

I'll take that.

Thank you.

That's a good compliment.

VO: Lordy.

Enough mutual appreciation - things to do, places to be.

VO: Most of those places being antique shops, starting out in the hamlet of Runcton... ..where Raj has got the place all to himself.

Mangan Antiques, that is.

Very nice place it is too.

Has a distinctly Italian feel.

Tutto bene!

Here we've got a collection of Sorento ware.

And Sorento ware is basically carved and inlaid wooden items which were made as tourist items in Italy.

VO: With train travel vastly opening up the market.

Sorento ware, it's very similar to Tunbridge ware, and they were made in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

And because we've got an Italian owner here, he obviously has built up a collection here.

VO: Not tempted just yet then?

Wow, these are really colorful.

Not something I normally buy.

But these are really attractive tiles, and they obviously signify something.

Either family emblems, or clubs, or even towns.

They could be '30s, maybe even a little bit later than that.

But they are so decorative.

One of them is quite badly damaged, but there's no price on them.

I could be in the right ballpark, or I could be way off.

Let's find out.

VO: Time to talk to proprietor Rudi.

RAJ: Rudi.

RUDI: Hi, Raj.

I found the set of 10 tiles Rudi, tell me a little bit about them.

Well, they are from... Italian obviously, from Siena.

And they were the emblems of the noble families of the Siena Palio, the contrade.

They depict different emblems.

When they do the Palio, they show them on the flats.

VO: The Palio is a centuries old horse race around Siena's central piazza.

I mean, these tiles aren't that old, are they?

There are 1950s.

OK, that comes to the important question, Rudi.

(CHUCKLES) How much can they be?

Dealer's price?

Yeah.

I will do it for 70.

But I don't know what you can afford.

Let's say half, 35?

Do you know, at £35, I am not going to argue with that.

Rudi, we have a deal.

Fantastic.

Don't tell my wife.

I promise not to tell your wife.

VO: Fra noi!

Now, anything else?

Still got £95 left, remember?

Wow!

These are really early foils.

Fencing foils.

Can you imagine Paul and I at the next auction?

The duel.

But these are really nice.

They're definitely not English.

There's three of them.

They've got a lot of age to them as well.

I really like these.

I love sporting items anyway.

You can imagine a pair of these above a fireplace.

They'd look really, really good.

I think they're gorgeous.

VO: Ah, Rudi?

Rudi?

Yes, Raj?

I found these.

Fencing foils.

I really like these.

Tell me, do you know anything about them?

Southern Italian.

Yeah.

And I bought them in a town near Pompeii called Scafati.

I would think they're late 1800s.

RAJ: They're very decorative.

Tell me, what would be the best on them?

VO: Wait for it.

Or "aspetta" as they say in Italy.

Well, I'll tell you what I'll do.

Let's go for... 45.

What about... 30?

Tell you what.

35.

Yes, let's split the difference.

I love that term, split the difference.

Rudi, we have a deal.

VO: Yep.

35 for the foils, and 35 for the tiles makes £70.

Thank you, Rudi.

Take care, bye.

VO: Buena giornata.

We'll be seeing more of Raj later.

But let's find out where our other tripper has got to, taking a break from the shops, deep in the Sussex countryside, just outside the village of Rogate, to discover one of Britain's rarest dogs, the Sussex spaniel.

Aww.

Good morning, Louise.

Good morning, Paul.

Who have we got here?

We have Edward and Fern.

They are absolutely gorgeous.

Oh, hello.

I love the golden liver color.

Yes, typical trait of the breed.

Should we go for a walk, and I can get to know them, and find out more?

That would be lovely.

PAUL: Come on.

LOUISE: Out you get.

PAUL: Come on, Edward.

Oh, he's so bouncy.

LOUISE: (CHUCKLES) VO: Ha-ha!

Spaniels are one of our oldest breeds, namechecked by both Chaucer and Shakespeare.

It's thought that they may have arrived with the Romans.

But with the invention of the flintlock in the 17th century, they became gundogs.

LOUISE: There's literature with spaniels listed, but not specific spaniels.

It wasn't until estate owners started to breed the spaniels for the counties that they lived in, for the terrain.

Ah, so the terrain of the county dictated the shape of the spaniel?

Indeed, yes.

Wow!

Mr Augustus Fuller from the Rosehill estate in Sussex is believed to have started the Sussex spaniel breed, to be a dog that goes through tough terrain of hedgerows and ditches, and also a dog that could cope with the heavy clay soil of the Sussex County.

Really?

So that's where the line started.

LOUISE: Yes.

PAUL: Wow!

Come on, guys.

Let's go for a walk in this field.

VO: Sussex spaniels, with their liver colored coats, short legs and strong muscular physique, have been recognized by the Kennel Club since 1872.

PAUL: So what is their job?

Their job is to go through this kind of vegetation to flush birds.

Literally just to flush out.

Just to flush.

They're almost like bomb proof dogs, aren't they?

They're a very solid, powerful dog.

A determined, slow worker.

When they're flushing out, do they bark and alert people?

Yes, Sussex are the only gundog spaniel that is allowed to give tongue.

And that actually means when they're in the undergrowth, and they find a bird, they alert the sportsman that something's about to happen.

PAUL: Right, with a good old bark.

LOUISE: Yes.

And how popular are they?

What are the numbers like today?

They've never been a hugely numeric breed.

The high point, 130, 140 born in one year.

But the average over the years has been less than 100.

Really, is it declining?

We have good years and we have bad years.

There's possibly 2,000 worldwide, and about 1,000 Sussex in the United Kingdom.

VO: Louise is a member of the Sussex Spaniel Association, which since the early 20th century, has been dedicated to saving the Sussex.

And after the Second World War, Joy Freer kept the breed alive.

Was she a Sussex lady?

She was a Sussex lady.

And she actually kept the breed going during the war by sharing her rations with the dogs.

And at the end of the Second World War, she had eight remaining, and that's believed to be the last eight dogs.

Wow, that was a critically low point.

So really, without her intervention, there would be no breeds.

It was that close.

That close.

Obviously they will make fantastic pets.

Do you think the more people are aware of them, they might want one, and the numbers would go up?

Is it that easy?

No.

Because they are a smaller breed, we have to be very careful with a small gene pool.

We have to breed to keep the breed healthy.

VO: Long live the Sussex spaniel.

Now, wither Raj?

Enjoying the Mercedes, we trust, with its mighty steering wheel.

We know Paul was.

But how's he taken to the other stuff?

RAJ: Paul, he's loving it so far.

It's great after all these years to be doing a trip with him.

I know his taste.

He loves country furniture.

He loves naive art.

Whether he's going to be able to buy what he likes at the price he wants, that's another matter.

But we shall see.

VO: Mm.

He's obviously not heard about that bit of naive art his co-driver picked up so cheaply yesterday.

They'll be sharing the next shop though, in Portsmouth.

Close to the harbor, at the historic Sally Port Inn.

Yep.

It's that kind of shop.

Lots of appropriately nautical items in here to choose from.

He's got £60 left to spend.

Shipmate ahoy.

PAUL: Oh no, drat.

VO: Paul's still got just over 100 in his wallet.

Paul, I was just thinking of you.

Look what I found.

Actually, that one would fit me, wouldn't it?

RAJ: It would!

PAUL: About the right height.

And there's one over there for you.

Look, there's two knights.

A knight to remember.

And a knight out on the town.

Fantastic.

PAUL: I'm going that way.

RAJ: I'm going that way.

VO: Good idea, if that's the best you can come up with.

Ha!

Last shop, remember?

I'm a sucker for looking in boxes.

I love opening boxes.

And I do like magic lantern slides.

I love magic lanterns, to tell you the truth.

They're so affordable.

£200 to £300.

The trick is getting the right set of slides.

This is early TV.

Now this one... That is Sebastian Bach.

Look at that.

There's Bach.

There's a whole load of sheet music.

There's one of Schubert's.

He looks a dignified gentlemen.

VO: Nice to have a musical theme.

Well, there's no price, and I think I'm way out of my depth.

I've got just over £100 to spend, and I'd imagine these would be two to three, maybe.

Let's call Andrew up here and, um... see what he says.

VO: Yes, let's.

PAUL: Andrew?

ANDREW: Hello.

I kind of fancy this box of slides.

What's the price?

There's no ticket on it.

I don't actually know.

But I reckon about £100 is about right.

PAUL: (INHALES SHARPLY) Look, I'm really tempted.

What's your very best price?

Absolute best, 80.

Gosh.

Can you hold this for me?

Don't sell it to anybody else, OK?

ANDREW: Certainly.

PAUL: I'll come back to see you.

PAUL: Thank you very much.

ANDREW: Thanks, Paul.

Cheers.

VO: Promising.

Any progress elsewhere?

What a collection of helmets we've got here.

From military ones, from Second World War ones.

And here's an interesting one, because this is a policeman's.

And it's definitely pre 1953.

And the reason I know that is because the crown at the top is much smaller.

And after 1953, the gaps here were much larger.

VO: Coronation year, Your Honor.

And this is from the police force in Sunderland.

And it's in really, really good condition.

It's £40 on the ticket.

If I can get this for 25, £30.

I think it's a really interesting item.

I've tried to buy as many unusual, different items I can.

Well, I don't you can get much more unusual than that.

So I'm going to call Catherine.

Catherine?

VO: Ah, here she comes.

Hi Raj, you alright?

Yeah, I found something.

It's in lovely condition.

It almost looks like it's never been used.

But it has... Catherine, you've got £40 on it.

What would be your best price?

Best price, £30 Raj.

£30, you know, I'm not going to quibble at that.

I think that's absolutely fair.

Catherine, we've got a deal.

VO: Very PC.

RAJ: £30.

CATHERINE: Thank you very much.

VO: And while Constable Bisram heads off duty... ..Paul has decided to buy those slides for £80.

£22 left.

Attention!

Britains lead soldiers.

Look at these guards, and aren't they lovely?

Play worn, granted.

Rifles a little bit bent, couple of arms come off.

I do like them.

Britains go back a long way, to about 1890.

Sort of fell out of favor as soon as the plastic soldiers came.

There's something so terribly British about them.

VO: No pun intended.

There's five of them and they're £8 each.

I wonder if we can get a deal on this.

If we can't... SOS, dot-dot-dot, dash-dash-dash, dot-dot-dot.

This is a little Morse code trigger.

You can tap that, look.

1920s, 1930s.

Made of Bakelite.

I've not seen one of these for sale before.

And I think that's quite fun.

That will clean up beautifully.

You can polish that Bakelite.

It really is an early form of plastic.

And it's £25.

But also... ..it gives you everything you need to know with the Morse code.

So you can actually tap away in Morse code... ..and make up little messages.

VO: Namely, WYB - what's your best, Andrew?

There's a little Morse code tapping switch.

25 quid on the ticket.

What can I have that for?

I'll do that for 20.

Yeah, I can afford that.

Also, there are some Britains figures.

Could you do them for £22?

That's all I have left.

I... No, I'll pass if you don't mind.

You're gonna... OK.

So I'm going to take your Bakelite switch at £20.

Fantastic.

That's a done deal.

Thumbs up.

ANDREW: Brilliant, thank you.

PAUL: OK. That's £100 in cash.

VO: Nice round figure.

80 for the slides, and 20 for the switch.

And with the buying all done, they can take in the view.

Well, Raj, I said buy me an ice cream and you certainly delivered.

Well, I'm glad you're happy, Paul.

What a place to end up, you know, looking at the Isle of Wight on a sunny day.

I know, can't beat it, can you?

No, you can't!

And hopefully when our stuff goes into auction, we can make a lot of lolly.

Ah, like it.

I like it.

VO: (CHUCKLES) VO: But first, a bit of shuteye.

It's a showdown in the South Downs, as our pair watch the events in the saleroom from this country retreat.

Hello Paul, and welcome to our first auction.

This is nice, Raj.

Yeah, not bad is it?

VO: Should make our debutant feel right at home.

I am very nervous.

So am I. VO: We all are.

Ha!

After shopping around the Hampshire harborside, they've now headed back inland to Newton Valance, while their purchases have been shipped to nearby Itchen Stoke and Andrew Smith and Son.

Selling on the net, on the phone and in the room.

Raj parted with £170 for his five auction lots, while Paul spent a bit more, 198, for the same number of lots.

Let's hear what auctioneer Andrew Smith reckons might blaze a trail.

The egg box, these things always attract good interest.

They come into the sort of kitchenalia category.

It should do well.

My favorite item I think is the terracotta tiles.

They're attractive.

They're the sort of thing that people are looking for at the moment.

VO: Time to return to our tense twosome.

Let's get started.

OK, are we ready?

Yep, here we go.

VO: Bit early for an SOS.

But Paul's little Morse switch kicks us off.

I'd like to double my money.

Wouldn't we all.

£20.

£20.

£20.

Tenner?

No, wrong way!

£10?

£10?

Surely?

£10?

We don't normally do this, but I'll try a fiver.

£5 on the front, thank you madam.

We're in.

You're in.

At £5 and selling, if you're all done at £5.

They got that cheap.

They did, they got that cheap.

Oh no, that was a dreadful start.

VO: Never mind - least it didn't cost very much.

I don't know what to say.

I'm gonna keep quiet, OK?

VO: Good plan.

It's his turn now.

Fit the bill, or flat footed?

I don't think it's gonna make a lot.

I'll be happy if it makes me a fiver.

£30, Sean.

£30.

30 we have.

Straight in, thank you.

35?

At £30 we will sell.

At £30, selling on the net then.

35 in the room.

Is there 40?

At £35... One more, one more, come on.

At £35, very last time.

PAUL: It's a profit.

RAJ: (CHUCKLES) VO: He said he'd be happy with that.

What about now?

I think it was daylight robbery.

VO: (CHUCKLES) Time for Paul's biggest spend, his magic lantern slides.

I'd be happy with a fiver profit, because that's a profit.

Oh, that sounds like my language.

See, I'm learning, I'm learning, Raj.

Very quickly.

I'm absorbing it like a process of osmosis here.

I'm soaking it in like a sponge, and I learn quickly.

£50.

£50 I have, thank you, in the front.

Straightaway.

He's off.

Selling in the room at £50.

PAUL: No, come on.

ANDREW: Are we done?

PAUL: No.

Internet's flicking away.

PAUL: Come on, internet.

At £50, we're selling then.

PAUL: No!

ANDREW: At £50.

55 now on the net.

60.

And five.

It's £60 in the room.

PAUL: No.

ANDREW: Looking for five.

At £60 then, we're about to sell, last time.

There you go.

Just lost £20.

It's just the luck of the draw.

VO: Chin up old chap.

Come on Raj.

Offer a bit of consolation.

20 quid's nothing, you wait till you start losing hundreds.

(CHUCKLES) VO: Not quite what I expected.

Anyway, Raj's foils.

En garde!

Straight to the point.

Cutting edge.

Oh, love it, I love it.

40, straight on the net, and five if you will.

RAJ: Oh, look.

Maiden bid.

ANDREW: 45 now.

Oh, brilliant.

Oh, come on, bit more.

ANDREW: £45, any more?

RAJ: Little bit more?

At £45 then, last time.

Selling on the net at 45.

Oh.

Small profit.

It's not a fiver, it's a tenner.

VO: Hooray!

The best yet.

VO: Can Paul eggs-pect a profit as well this time?

To be honest, it's making me a bit eggs-hausted.

Cracking all the jokes, Raj.

Yeah, you're getting the hang of this!

We're going to start the bidding at £40, is there?

There you go, straight in.

At £40.

45 on the net, commission bids out.

£45 and selling, let's say 50.

At £45.

ANDREW: Last time at £45.

PAUL: Oh.

We're going to sell on the net.

But look, it's a profit, OK?

It's a profit.

It is a profit.

VO: The first of many, I'm sure.

Someone's got a good deal.

VO: Indeed.

What will the bidders make of Raj's sovereign scales?

I think they're a winner, and I think you did extremely well.

Your scales are better than my scales.

They were certainly a lot smaller than your scales.

Your scales are bigger than my scales.

Start with £30.

£30?

£30 I have in the room, £30.

At £30.

We're off.

And five.

35 on the net.

40.

And five.

40's in the room.

And five on the net.

ANDREW: 50.

RAJ: Oh, oh!

PAUL: Well done.

RAJ: Whoa, we're in profit.

That's always a good sign.

It's £50 in the room.

Looking for five.

RAJ: Keep going.

ANDREW: At £50, we're about to sell.

No, not yet.

It's all up.

£50.

55.

Oh, yes.

Look at that, late legs.

ANDREW: And five.

RAJ: Yes.

Oh, this is exciting.

At 65.

70.

At £65, selling on the net.

(THEY CHUCKLE) At £65, are we done?

Last time, at £65.

(GAVEL) RAJ: Oh, a little profit.

Yes, the hammer's gone down.

Fantastic.

VO: Things are definitely looking up.

Smile on my face.

It's a profit.

VO: Yeah, Paul's not at all confident about his scales, however.

It could weigh heavily on you, this.

It could.

Internet started off before I could even finish.

It's up to £25 now, thank you.

At £25.

30 in the room.

And five.

35 on the net.

PAUL: Goodness!

ANDREW: 40, and five.

Yes.

Come on, one more.

(CHUCKLES) 45.

50.

45, 50!

And five.

Please.

60.

60?

ANDREW: And five.

RAJ: Paul!

ANDREW: £60 is in the room.

PAUL: Yes!

We're about to sell, is there five?

At 65 now, 70.

PAUL: Oh, this is good.

RAJ: 70!

Feeling the heat of the engine now as well.

Come on!

£70 then.

Surely don't lose it, one more.

£70, very last time.

What a great result, there you go.

Just shows you, this was your least favorite lot.

This was the bogey item.

And it's more than doubled its money.

VO: Yeah, not quite doubled, but very good nevertheless.

That's put you in a good mood, hasn't it?

It has Raj, it has.

VO: Time for Raj's tiles.

Is Italy online for them?

I really like these.

They're nice and colorful.

Nice and decorative.

I'm hoping these will do well.

I know they will.

We have a commission bid, I'm going to start you at £55, is there 60 in the room?

At £55, 60.

And five.

70.

It's £65.

Last time then, £65.

Well done.

Doubled your money.

Doubled my money.

VO: He's quietly having a rather good day.

Oh, that's fantastic.

Whoever bought those got a bargain.

VO: Paul's little collage next.

He's got high hopes for his first Road Trip purchase.

There was no price ticket on it.

I found it on the floor amongst some old discarded frames.

It'd been there for about 10 years.

I'm going to start you at £40, is there five in the room?

Oh, doubled up already.

At £40 and selling.

Is there five?

45 on the net.

PAUL: Ha!

Come on!

ANDREW: 50.

And five.

RAJ: Here we go.

50 as a commission bid, is there five?

At 55 now.

Commission bid's out.

55 on the net and selling, is there 60?

Selling on the net, if we're all done, £55.

RAJ: Nice profit.

PAUL: Brilliant.

VO: That's put a smile on his face.

Yeah, it's a good profit.

I'm happy.

VO: Smiles all round then.

Finally, Raj's big copper pot.

I know Paul, that you don't like it, because it's a bit too shiny.

It was shiny, but I know that it had the impressed arrow mark.

RAJ: It did.

PAUL: So that tells me PAUL: it's military issue.

RAJ: Yep.

That will get it sold.

Starting at £80.

£80.

£80.

PAUL: There you go.

ANDREW: Straight in on the net.

Straight in at £80?

RAJ: £80?

ANDREW: 85 in the room.

ANDREW: 90.

RAJ: (GASPS) £85 in the room, is there 90?

At £85.

90 we have.

We're selling at £90.

£90.

£90!

ANDREW: Are we done?

PAUL: That's brilliant.

At £90, selling.

I love shiny!

RAJ: Yes!

Ha-ha-ha!

PAUL: You love shiny.

RAJ: Brilliant.

PAUL: Well done.

Absolutely brilliant.

PAUL: Faultless.

RAJ: I am happy with that.

Big smile.

VO: Ha-ha-ha.

I think Raj is rather chuffed with that.

Paul.

Your first auction.

I feel like I've leveled out.

I've had some highs and some lows.

And I think I'm back where I started.

Maybe a little lower.

VO: Good guess.

Paul began with £200 and after auction costs made a wee loss.

And so he now has £194.70.

While Raj, who also started out with 200, made, also after costs, a very respectable profit which means he wins today, and heads into the next leg with £276.

Well done, Raj.

I think that was fantastic.

I know what you're looking for.

And yeah, I'm learning from the master.

Well, all I can suggest is, at the next shop you go to, buy some more slides.

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