
Steven Moore and Natasha Raskin Sharp, Day 2
Season 22 Episode 17 | 43m 39sVideo has Closed Captions
Natasha goes on safari in Northumberland while Steven cuddles a 1930s toy elephant.
Northumberland sees Natasha on safari tracking ancient creatures while Steven finds an old elephant. Both experts go Georgian with their treasures going under the gavel in Dundee.
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Steven Moore and Natasha Raskin Sharp, Day 2
Season 22 Episode 17 | 43m 39sVideo has Closed Captions
Northumberland sees Natasha on safari tracking ancient creatures while Steven finds an old elephant. Both experts go Georgian with their treasures going under the gavel in Dundee.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipantiques 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!
Oh yes!
Welcome to terrific Tyne and Wear.
NATASHA (NS): What do we have to look forward to in the northeast?
Clearly the weather's turned, but... STEVEN (SM): Splurging money on antiques?
VO: That's the idea.
We're back on the road with fizzy duo auctioneer Natasha Raskin Sharp, and dealer Steven Moore.
And this magnificent Rolls Royce.
And I heard a rumor she weighs two and a half tons.
I mean, one should never talk about a lady's weight.
Not in her presence.
VO: Or her age, but this old girl's from the 1960s, a time before seat belts were mandatory.
I love the idea of that being a rumor, people behind her back saying... Two and a half tons!
VO: With a starter stash of £200 the sartorial Steven had a slow start at the last auction, and has £209.96 for today.
VO: While Natasha was auction champ, and is bathing in riches with a cascade of cash.
She has £252.10.
We both made money at the auction.
We're winners, baby.
Oh yeah.
VO: Groovy-licious!
Our cheery duo began in Thorton-le-Dale, and they will journey forth with a meander north, taking in a tour of Scotland before concluding in Perth.
Would you rather be Beyonce or the Queen?
Beyonce.
No question.
What about you?
The Queen.
Think of all the jewelry.
I think Beyonce has a fair bit of bling as well.
VO: Exactly.
Back to business.
For this jolly jaunt we will be selling at a saleroom in bonny Dundee.
After dropping Steven off, Natasha is Jesmond bound.
It's really nice to think that at this early stage, I've managed to nudge ahead.
It would be absolutely daft of me to think that this is mine to win, it's absolutely mine to lose at this point.
VO: Come on, think like a winner Natasha!
Wow, what a building.
VO: That's the door shut, then.
Full of the joys, Natasha's going for a nose in here, Fern Avenue Antique Centre.
There's 16 dealers all selling their goodies under one roof.
, VO: Easy tiger.
Giuseppe is the man running the show here.
Lovely place.
Natasha has a little over £250 to play with.
What will tickle her fancy?
Hold on.
Here we go.
How does it work?
Do you have to wind it, and then...
So here you have a tortoise-cum-hotel reception desk bell.
See, listen.
You put it down... VO: Are you sure that's what it's for?
(RINGING) Oh, there we go!
It's not particularly old.
It's turn of the 19th into 20th century, but it's just such a gorgeous piece of brass, and then a little bit of cast iron as well... Oh, maybe you touch his head!
(RINGING) NS: Oh, you touch his head!
It's not his shell.
Look, his wee tail moves.
That is quite simply the coolest thing I've ever seen.
But it's £185.
VO: While Natasha marvels with excitement in Jesmond... ..Steven has made his way a little further east to the seaside town of Whitley Bay.
VO: Despite the raindrops, there's still a flavor of Edwardian seaside glamour here, with the renaissance-style Spanish City, once a magnificent entertainment venue.
Talking of glamour, take a look at Steven's magnificent scarf.
He's going in here, Whitley Jewellery & Antiques.
Dear Philip is the man in command.
SM: Good morning.
DEALER: Good morning.
Let's see what we can find.
Certainly.
Well, you're very welcome.
Who does all the dusting?
DEALER: Oh, Linda does that.
(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: Well, Linda deserves a bonus.
This place is rammed.
Steven has nearly £210 stuffed in his wallet.
Now... What do you think that's for?
It's for salt.
So if you had a really posh salt, it would be lined and silver gilt.
But the normal way is to have blue glass liner.
Your salt stays inside, and doesn't get rid of the silver.
So it's a salt.
You know now.
It's £65.
I'm not going to buy it, I'm afraid.
VO: We'll leave you to browse.
Meanwhile, over in Jesmond... NS: Oh, look!
This is so cool.
On its own, a nice bit of treen.
But it's purpose built, as it were, for these gaming tokens.
Oh, I love it so much.
1797.
They are stamped "in memory of the good old days".
There's George III.
Now, I think that you can find gaming tokens in gold.
If you were a gentleman of 40,000 a year, you wouldn't be worried at all about, you know, throwing away at the card table, some real gold tokens.
These are not real gold - you can tell by the weight and the feel, the luster, they're gilt metal.
But they really look the part, and they would have been handled...
I'm handling right now, so nonchalantly, and these have been around the taverns.
Around the card houses of 18th century England.
How cool is that?
VO: Super cool.
But what's the price?
NS: The dealer has decided that this case plus those tokens is worth exactly £66.
VO: Anything else inside this cabinet?
NS: Again, I think these are Georgian.
What do you notice about these?
The fact that they are cups made out of coconut shells, that are protected and bound by brass.
Really nice design actually, as well.
You have the three feet at the bottom, so that little tripartite base.
These are a display of not just wealth, but worldliness.
I think at that point in history it is so important.
VO: They're priced at 75.
With another couple of potentials for Natasha, let's swoop in on Steven just over to the east in Whitley Bay.
There's nothing in here.
If I see an unlocked door, it's open game, I'm afraid, but, er... VO: Oh, crikey, really?
You know me, I always make a run for China.
And this is... Well, it's clearly a box.
But it's what we would call a sucriere, if you were being fancy.
Or you'd just call it a sugar box.
It's about 1810, 1820.
Well, sugar was very expensive.
And the reason old sugar boxes are large is because they were from a sugar loaf.
So you'd buy a sugar loaf, and you'd have sugar nips, which were like tongs.
You'd nip a bit off.
So they were large lumps, so you needed a large sugar box.
Whether you liked sugar or not, it was an expense.
It was saying you're rich.
Tea was expensive, sugar was expensive.
Porcelain was expensive.
Serving somebody a cup of tea was a way of showing you'd made it.
And this seems to be the only thing in the shop that's not priced, so fingers crossed it might be a price I can actually afford.
VO: Oh, Philip!
How much is that, Philip?
DEALER: It's £30, Steven.
£30.
Is that your very special for me price.
What about if we do it for 25 for you?
I know this is really cheeky, but could it be 20?
We can do it for 20 for you.
We shall buy it, in that case.
Great, thank you very much.
I'll have to give you some money now.
Watch out for the moths.
20 good Queen's pounds.
VO: A 200-year-old sugar box is first in to Steven's treasure trunk.
DEALER: Good to see you.
SM: Thank you very much.
SM: Take care.
Bye-bye.
DEALER: Thank you, now.
VO: And is his road trip buddy any close to ringing through some deals too?
Giuseppe.
I have a selection of items all from that same cabinet.
Do you feel comfortable haggling on the dealer's behalf?
Absolutely.
100%, we can try and do you a deal.
75 is the ticket on the coconut cups.
Yep.
66 on the gaming tokens.
Which, come on, I mean I just love, I love, I love.
And then the bell is the priciest, 185.
VO: Making a grand total of £326.
I can give you an absolute best price on the three bits... 250 quid.
(SIGHS) 250 for the three... it's so generous, because I know that it's over 300 for the three, I can't afford them.
So... you know who's got to go.
VO: With the tortoise out of the mix that leaves the coconut cups and the gaming tokens, making a total of £141.
105, rock bottom.
End of.
105, that's not as scary as I was expecting.
Yeah.
105, Thank you so much.
£105.
VO: I liked that tortoise.
Anyway, that deal breaks down to £50 for the Georgian gaming tokens, and 55 for the Georgian pair of coconut cups.
Thanks, Giuseppe.
VO: Meanwhile, Steven's headed north, to the Northumberland town of Alnwick.
VO: With the air and panache of an off duty Larry Olivier, Steven's headed here, to the White Swan Hotel, a 300-year-old coaching inn that is guardian to an astounding piece of British maritime history, that heralds a bygone age of grandeur.
Author and historian Mark Chirnside awaits to tell all to Steven.
Have I found the right place?
You're certainly in the right place, yes.
There's actually three features here at the White Swan at Alnwick.
So, the revolving doors that you've just come through are from the first class passenger accommodation of Titanic's sister ship, Olympic.
We can see here the ornate banister is from the grand staircase of the Olympic, and Olympic's grand staircase was virtually identical to the one on Titanic.
VO: During the gilded era of the Edwardian age, a luxurious trio of super liners were created by White Star Line.
Including the most famous ship in the world, the Titanic, and her sister, the lesser known Olympic.
Amazing that in a sort of slightly unassuming hotel you could drive past, you'd never know.
VO: Let's explore, and find the third jewel in the crown.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the North Atlantic route was a huge money spinner for ocean liners across the world.
Born out of fierce competition, the super liner was created.
Just before we go through... SM: Is this her?
MARK: Yes.
SM: What was so special about the Olympic and the Titanic?
The White Star Line designed to focus on comfort and luxury at sea.
They had all sorts of new features, a swimming bath, squash court, gymnasium.
And to that end, they mortgaged their entire fleet to pay for the construction of these three ships.
It was a very ambitious project... High stakes gamble.
High stakes, yes.
VO: And right here in the hotel lie the original fittings from Olympic's decadent interiors that would be frequented by high society.
SM: This is amazing.
MARK: It's an impressive sight, isn't it?
This is Olympic's first class lounge.
So can I swan around with a cigar and... Well, back in the day if you were a first class passenger, you could spend time here having tea, coffee, with your fellow passengers.
You could buy liqueurs, cigars.
It was very much the social hub of the ship.
If you were in first class.
If you're in first class, yes.
VO: First class passengers would find this plush lounge on the promenade deck.
The style was a hybrid of French and English.
The sconces and doorknobs were inspired by the palace at Versailles.
The ornate paneling is about as rich as it can get.
This room is basically as it was on the ship.
We're standing in history, aren't we?
Absolutely.
It's a hidden gem, really.
On the Olympic the room would have been even larger, it was more than 60 feet.
It's a very impressive apartment.
So somewhere there's some spare paneling?
Somewhere, yes.
Well I wonder where that is.
VO: Once a dealer, always a dealer.
Known as the film star liner, Olympic attracted the rich and famous.
And even had Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford celebrate their honeymoon on board.
A glittering jewel of the Edwardian era, Olympic, unlike her sister Titanic, would prove to be unsinkable.
What sort of career did the Olympic have?
Olympic had a very successful career.
She was in service for nearly a quarter of a century, in peace and war.
She was sort of tainted by what happened to her sister ship?
To a degree, yeah.
For a couple of months after the Titanic disaster, Olympic's passenger lists were quite a bit lower.
And it took some time for public confidence to be restored.
VO: With the onset of the First World War, the glitz and glam faded and Olympic adapted to a new role with the battle dress of dazzle painting, a technique that made it tricky to work out the speed and direction of a ship.
She even managed to sink a German U-boat.
Weeks before the end of the war, Olympic was torpedoed.
Fortunately, she had a stroke of good luck that her sisters never had.
VO: The third sister was HMHS Britannic, which during the war was used as a hospital ship, serving from 1915, but sank a year later, after she reportedly struck a German mine.
She was the largest ship lost during the First World War, but good fortune continued to shine on Olympic.
The torpedo hit her, but it didn't explode.
So she came through it unscathed.
VO: Which was fortunate.
Spanning a career of 24 years, the Olympic was a dazzling example of Edwardian elegance.
But by the time of the Great Depression, she was outdated, and was retired from service in 1935.
VO: But how did all this ocean liner opulence arrive here at this hotel in Alnwick?
The hotel's owner had been a regular passenger on Olympic.
She was broken up in this part of the world.
And when her fittings and fixtures came up for auction, he was very keen.
So he successfully bid for the first class lounge paneling.
And that's why we have it here today.
The more you tell me, the more I think how amazing... that a whole room has survived from it.
I mean there must be others as well.
I mean, is this the only room, or are there other rooms around the country?
There's certainly other fittings that have survived from Olympic, and they're scattered all over the UK and Ireland.
But not many you can have your breakfast in?
Certainly not, no.
I think this is very much the most impressive.
Well, thank you for letting me know all about this, this amazing survival.
Thank you.
Good health to you.
VO: While Steven revels in luxury, where's his best buddy?
I predict that I'll be heading to the Victorian era, in Lavinia Lavische, my time machine.
VO: How thrilling!
Natasha is a hop, skip and a jump away in the Northumberland village of Powburn.
Hedgeley Antique Center has over 30 dealers, selling a plethora of delights.
Hopefully, some Victoriana.
After a big spend this morning, Natasha has just under £150 left.
NS: It's just such a charming collection, isn't it, of all these scent bottles.
Everything from handbag size to dressing table.
Ah.
They're lovely, absolutely gorgeous.
I don't even really feel the inclination to buy any of them.
I'm just quite inclined to stand and stare at them.
VO: Let's hope she doesn't get too hypnotized.
This has caught my eye because...
It's that lovely oil and vinegar bottle.
I just love the way they're kind of leaning in for a kiss.
I love everything about that.
VO: How romantic!
Now that I have it in my hands, very Victorian.
High Victoriana.
We have the high level and swing bridges.
I don't know what they are.
I don't know if they're local?
VO: Hey, indeed they are.
This Victorian flask celebrates the engineering feat of the high-level bridge in Newcastle, which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1849, and the swing bridge, which was opened 30 years later.
Ticket price is £79.
What else?
It's hard for an auctioneer to walk past a gavel.
And there's this Masonic one, and as an auctioneer, it feels so good in my hand.
Imagine just going... "Pow - sold!"
It's really attractive, especially when you pick it up, because it's so weighty.
But when you look at it from above, you have this enameled symbol here, the symbol of the Masons.
VO: This would be used by the Grand Master of a Masonic Lodge, and would be an emblem of authority when he was presiding over meetings.
This Masonic brass gavel is £28.
Hardly a lot of money.
I think in the auction, surely 30 to 50, 20 to 40 on a bad day.
VO: Let's go and find dealer Steve.
£28 on this.
What's your very best?
That's what I'm here to ask.
Ah... 15?
15?
Oh, that's so generous.
That's a definite.
And I think I have to say... (GAVEL) NS: Sold.
Oh, brilliant.
That was genuinely satisfying.
VO: And the Victorian oil and vinegar flask?
79.50 was on the label.
So do you know what the dealer would do on that?
On that one... 65?
65.
I think it's a gamble.
I'm a wee bit scared.
Not too scared.
But yeah.
So that makes £80.
DEALER: It does.
NS: Oh, I love it.
NS: Thank you very much.
DEALER: Brilliant.
Steve, I'll leave it on the stool.
I'm offski.
Oh Steve, thank you so much.
DEALER: Thank you.
NS: Cheerio.
VO: Natasha knows how to spend, and her wish came true.
She really did find something Victorian.
After such a busy day, our roving antiquers are reunited.
Are you dressing for dinner?
I'm dressing for dinner.
One puts one's flower in there.
Look at that!
One's meant to fill it with water, and you put it in one's button like this, you see.
Oh, stop!
That's so beautiful.
Full on Captain Peacock.
VO: I'm sure he would approve.
Nighty-night.
Cock-a-doodle-do!
We love it so much, we're still in Northumberland.
It's lovely, people give way for this car.
NS: Yeah!
SM: We can kind of... (HORN TOOTS) SM: Like so.
Oh, I feel quite special.
It's like when a chimney sweep... SM: I know.
NS: ..blows you a kiss in Mary Poppins.
VO: Supercalifragilistic- expialidocious.
Ha-ha-ha!
Throwing caution to the wind, Natasha has splurged £185 on the Georgian gaming tokens, the Georgian coconut cups, the Victorian oil and vinegar flask, and the Masonic gavel... Pow!
Sold!
VO: ..leaving Natasha with just under £70 for the rest of today.
Meanwhile, Steven's got a weighty wodge of just under £190.
You know me, I always make a run for China.
VO: He only spent 20 smackers yesterday, on a sugar box that he has become very, very attached to.
How can one not love one's ceramic children?
Oh, your ceramic children!
I know, my china child.
Your... (CHUCKLES) I mean, that's not unusual at all.
No, it's not, exactly.
VO: Steven's headed for Eagleswood near the Scottish Borders.
Having dropped Natasha off, Steven's deep in the countryside.
He's stopping here, Borders Architectural Antiques.
Outside, there's lots of garden statues.
And there's plenty inside too.
It's time to find something to buy.
Crack on, soldier.
Ooh.
Tartan trews.
VO: Did you just sniff them?
Don't think they'd fit my schoolgirl figure, would they?
No.
Maybe not.
VO: That's a pity.
SM: So this isn't by the same factory as my sucriere.
But it's the same era, and it's the same generic pattern.
And do you know what it's for?
It's a bread and butter plate.
Every tea set would have one bread and butter plate, and you'd hand your guests bread and butter.
But bread and butter was quite fancy.
Butter was expensive.
So even though it matches my sucriere, it's cracked and damaged, and my sucriere isn't.
And I think this would actually detract.
Rather than adding to the party, it's going to detract.
So frankly, even if that was a pound, I'm leaving it behind.
VO: Sage advice, Steven.
This, with the pipe, older viewers will recognize immediately, as Harold Wilson, but Harold Wilson as Alice in Wonderland.
Wilson in Wonderland.
So this is a little bit of political caricature from the 1960s.
When people say to me, "What should I collect?
"What's the thing to..." I say, "Well, I haven't got a crystal ball, "but one thing which always stands the test of time "is something that speaks of its period."
VO: Top tip.
But it's not quite cutting the mustard.
Anything else?
Oh, I think it's my ceramic child.
My child's only £45.
But actually, you know what?
It's a good lump.
Good weight.
It is probably French.
Yeah, it's French terracotta.
Bit of a chip on the bottom.
And this is pure Victoriana, the Victorians loved sentimentality.
So she's crying, but who knows, at £45, to be honest, that's more attractive for me.
VO: Now... to find dealer Gordon.
So, do you remember her?
Yes.
Erm... how generous are you feeling?
Extremely.
Extre... Oh, well, in that case, um, er... 35?
I know this is really awful to ask you, but would £20... Is that horribly ridiculous?
Not at all.
SM: Seriously?
DEALER: Seriously.
God, I thought I was being outrageously cheeky there.
Well you are, but I expect nothing less.
(THEY CHUCKLE) Well I think that there's no question.
I will take her home with me.
Well, I think I'd better pay you, in case you change your mind.
So there's £20.
Put that there, take her, and run.
And have a look at the view before I go.
SM: Thank you so much.
DEALER: You're welcome.
VO: Steven has a new terracotta child, yet another £20 buy.
Thanks awfully, Gordon.
VO: Now, "mooving" on, where's his chum?
Chillingham, that's where.
And visiting the estate where an incredibly rare breed of animals roam free.
As does Professor Hall.
Stephen, I feel like I've walked into another world.
It's so quiet and calm around here.
But I did see a sign for "wild cattle".
I've never seen that.
So what do you have here?
Well, we have something that's unique in the world, Natasha.
Because we've got a herd of cattle who've probably been here for seven... well, maybe as long as 700 years.
VO: Making the Chillingham cattle one of the very last wild cattle herds in the world.
Sole survivors that once wandered the forests of Britain.
There were wild cattle in Britain.
And it was a great big thing called the aurochs.
And that's from German words.
And these were the ancestors of all our present day cattle.
But they died out in Britain during the Bronze Age, not long after the first farmers came.
But at Chillingham we have ones that haven't been through a massive selection and breed development stage.
So you can... You're...
This is as close as you can realistically get to seeing how the aurochs might have behaved.
VO: The romanticism of the 1700s claim the cattle as the last bastion of an ancient species.
Artists of the time, such as Thomas Bewick and Edwin Landseer, secured their legendary status.
The ancient bovines even attracted the attention of Charles Darwin, who after inspecting a Chillingham cow skull deduced it to be related to the aurochs.
If you have thrust upon you responsibility for a herd like this, then... then obviously you're going to do what you can to keep them going, because it also enriches people's life I think, to come in contact with something that's... To use an old phrase, it's quite thought provoking.
I'm absolutely itching to see these cattle, as well.
So I'm going to ask you to lead on, Stephen.
Excellent, follow me.
Lead the way.
I can't wait.
VO: Chillingham cattle are left to their own devices, meaning that they're smaller than modern day herds, who are selectively bred for their meat and milk production.
From here they look almost identical, some darker than others.
I'm guessing that's to do with the way in which they're bred?
Very definitely, they're very highly inbred.
Genetically, they're hugely similar, one to another.
In fact, you're not going far wrong if you say they're basically clones of each other.
VO: At present, the total herd is 130.
That's a scarily small number.
Yes, it was even scarier in 1947, when there was a couple of really bad winters.
It killed most of the herd.
They were left with 13.
13?
Yeah, eight cows and five bulls.
By 1970 they got back up to 40.
And we've also got a frozen herd.
We've got a small number of embryos in storage.
So we've done what we can, but the main thing is to keep the herd here, where it's always been.
VO: Wild cattle warden Ellie Waddington has an open top safari in store for Natasha.
Are you a good driver?
I've been told, yes.
Yeah.
OK, cool.
I trust you.
VO: It's a bit different to the Rolls.
Yeah, closing the gates, a sensible idea.
Yeah, yeah.
They are the last ones, so just let's keep a hold of them.
VO: And now, in all their glory, we should be able to get close to one of the last herds of wild cattle in the world.
Wow!
They're skinny.
Oh, is that posturing?
Is that posturing?
I think that's posturing.
This one doesn't mind.
(CHUCKLES) Hi!
You're very special.
VO: I don't think they speak human, Natasha.
When it comes to looking after cattle, as jobs go, is this an ordinary one?
An exciting one?
Was this a fiercely sought after position when you applied for the job?
I mean, as jobs working with cattle go, this is quite unique.
In that there is very little that I actually have to do with the cattle.
We don't handle them.
We don't give them any kind of veterinary care or medications, or anything like that.
A lot of my job is to do with monitoring them, just keeping an eye on numbers and their overall health, visually, but also managing their habitat for them.
So just making sure they've got a nice place to live.
Plenty of food available.
Plenty of shelter, and plenty of water.
VO: The devotion of both Ellie and Professor Hall mean that we can appreciate the medieval marvel of the glorious Chillingham wild cattle.
That was udderly wonderful.
He-he!
Meanwhile, over in Steven's realm...
So I've got a bit of a gap to close with Natasha.
Who knows?
I mean, I've still got a few things to buy yet.
Time will tell.
VO: Competition abounds.
Steven is nudging ever closer to the Scottish Borders.
He's just outside the village of Ford.
With roots in the 13th century, this storybook village was completely remodeled in the 1860s.
Steven's here.
VO: Someone's full of beans.
Steven's got a date in here, The Old Dairy.
With dozens of dealers ranging from Georgian to vintage, he should be tempted to open his stuffed wallet, containing just under £170.
And it looks like he's got company... Lavinia's here.
That means one thing.
I'm late.
VO: I wouldn't worry.
Do you think I could get away with that?
It's not too much?
VO: Oh, lordy!
Ha!
Working hard or hardly working?
Yeah, I mean, I like to push the boundaries of menswear sometimes.
It's lovely and warm, I have to say, and it's a very... Hardly worn.
I mean, just when I thought you were already fully accessorized.
One can never be fully accessorized.
No, it turns out.
And it is.
I mean look.
Right, are you ready for your close up?
OK. Are you ready?
Say cheese.
Oh, that's glam.
Oh, now that, it's your new profile pic.
Absolutely.
Right, what I'll do is I'll go try and find an antique, and I'll leave you in wardrobe?
Yeah, I suppose I should get back to, er... You're right, back to the day job.
VO: That boa actually rather suited him.
Now what can we buy?
Oh.
He's quite cute, isn't he?
Now you can feel he's actually full of straw, which is a good sign.
So it's got some age for a sort of modern one.
We all had a childhood toy.
I had a teddy bear, who I called Paddy Naddy.
And I've still got Paddy Naddy, he lives in my dressing room.
And I think there's something about a toy that's been abandoned by somebody.
I think toys...
I mean look at his little nose.
I think he's dead cute, and it's definitely early to mid 20th century.
And at £15...
I don't want to say it's a bargain, but I think that could come to auction.
He could be my lucky mascot.
Look, he's agreeing.
"Take me to the auction.
I'll make lots of money."
VO: Are you feeling alright, Steven?
But what a cute little baby elephant.
While Steven has a fountain of riches, Natasha has £67.
The pressure's off a little.
I have a good chunk to take to auction, I just need to see something that sparks an interest.
Not necessarily hunting for a profit, just something that... "Hmm, that's quite cool."
VO: Nice position to be in, Natasha.
We seem to be into nursery items today.
I like the palette.
I really like the bold green of the horse's pasture, it has a touch of the carnival about it, this thing.
It's kind of the colors of the merry-go-round.
OK, what does it say on the label?
It says £55.
'60s, '70s is what they're saying.
That's absolutely right to me.
The original design is still really cool, and popping.
So I think someone who's quite ecologically minded, and is having a baby might think, "Well, that's lovely, a recycled toy for my beautiful baby."
VO: Dealer Lynne is the lady to talk numbers with.
I come bearing a rocker.
I think that it's the kind of thing that's been made with love, for some lucky kid.
And I think it pops, and... DEALER: Yeah.
NS: If you're taking something to auction you want it to stand out, right?
You do.
You do.
So what are you thinking then, Lynne?
Um... What's on the ticket?
55.
55.
I was thinking 50.
Oh... Could it be below 50?
45.
NS: 45 is OK?
DEALER: 45?
Good.
So.
So, 45.
I mean, I might lose sleep over that.
But to be honest with you... Well, I wouldn't worry about it.
Ah, well what is life if we just sit and worry?
Precisely.
It's boring.
So thank you ever so much.
You're welcome.
I'll pop that down there.
Thank you.
VO: Yep, it's only money.
With Natasha done for the day, what about Steven?
We live in a world where we're more conscious of the environment.
And what you need, folks, is a towel rail.
I have one at home, it's my grandmother's and I put my towels on every day, and they dry overnight.
And every house should have a towel rail.
And this one is on sale at £10.
You couldn't even buy a towel for that.
I think this is going to the auction.
This is going to join the elephant.
VO: Prepare yourself, dealer Keith.
SM: Keith?
DEALER: Yeah.
SM: I found two things... DEALER: Mm-hm.
..and I'm not even going to quibble on the price, but I kind of need something else.
And I kind of... Actually, how much is that chair hanging up there on the wall?
Well, erm... it's hung up there for quite a few weeks, DEALER: if not months.
SM: OK.
I'm not sure of its condition.
DEALER: I think it's alright.
SM: OK.
I'm gonna say £10 for it.
I will take that as well.
That's a deal.
Fine.
VO: Bloomin' 'eck!
Let's tot up the sums.
SM: The elephant's 15.
The towel row's 10.
It's on sale.
And that's £10.
DEALER: Yeah.
SM: That is £35, is that right?
Mm.
35 it is.
A five, 25, 35.
Excellent.
Brilliant.
Thank you.
Well...
"Bye-bye!"
VO: It's OK, Keith.
He's leaving now.
Steven can't believe his luck.
This is a chair which is 200 years old.
These legs, we used to call them Trafalgar legs in the trade, because they are shaped like a curved sword.
I don't even care if it doesn't sell in the auction.
Because I've rescued it, and somebody is going to take that home and love it.
VO: That's the hope, anyway.
Now, together again in the Roller.
What is that smell?
Is it... What is that fragrance, that scent you're wearing?
Yeah, talk to my furry little friends.
Is it eau de coo?
NS: (CHUCKLES) Yeah.
SM: There is a...
Darling, there is a bit of a whiff somewhere.
Is it nature I can smell?
VO: Monkey that smelt it dealt it.
He-he!
Time for some shuteye.
VO: Good morning, bonny Scotland.
Look at that.
Breathtaking.
Our pair have traveled to South Queensferry, west of Edinburgh, for a spectacular spot of online viewing.
Hopetoun House is one of the finest examples of 18th century architecture in Britain.
NS: Here we are.
SM: I know.
I mean seriously, Steven, if we're going to stop anywhere and watch our auction, I think Hopetoun House is quite a... quite a suitable setting.
It's a modest pile, isn't it?
VO: While our lucky pair live it up at Hopetoun, they have sent their stuffed trunk of antiques to the city of Dundee.
Their lovely purchases will go under the hammer in here at the 150-year-old saleroom, Kerr and Dewar.
The man in command is auctioneer and fourth generation owner, Steven Dewar.
Tell us what you think of Steven's five lots, costing a bargain-licious £75.
STEVEN (SD): Nice early 19th century sucriere, a collectable item.
Good condition.
I think it's quite a nice decorative object.
There'll be interest shown on that.
VO: Natasha was the polar opposite.
She spent £230, just short of blowing the lot.
Thoughts, Steven?
The gaming tokens are very nice, collectable lot.
I'm keen on these.
I think they're gonna make a decent price today.
VO: Exciting stuff.
Back to the resplendent grandeur in South Queensferry.
Right OK, I mean, I think we could just talk about architecture and 18th century life for some time, but only to put off the inevitable.
Yep, crunch time.
NS: Shall we get down to it?
SM: I think so, don't you?
NS: Agh!
OK. SM: I know.
VO: First up, we have the 18th century coconut cups from Natasha.
Internet starts me off at £35 the pair.
45, my commission at 45... Come on.
Come on.
..45 on the commission.
At 45 and selling... Oh!
But they were Georgian!
VO: Ah, don't worry.
Plenty more to sell.
SM: Mm.
NS: OK, so that was a flop.
VO: Early days.
Steven's turn next, with the porcelain sucriere.
Internet starts me on my book, £40.
At 40 now, 50 my book... Salut!
..at 50.
Any advance now?
All done, folks?
50 commission buyer... 50 we are.
Come on!
That's a bit of good, isn't it?
VO: Certainly is.
Splendid start.
Oh, I'm delighted.
£50 for a £20... That's more than double.
VO: He can count.
The beloved Georgian gaming tokens now for Natasha, fingers crossed.
Interest shown on it, £35 starts.
SD: At £35 now.
NS: Come on!
Any advance at 35?
40.
Five.
50, Five.
NS: Oh!
SD: 55 commission.
Yay!
Are you all done now?
55 is my bidder.
OK, I'll take NS: a tiny, tiny profit.
SM: Darling, it's a profit.
VO: Pennies make up the pounds, as they say.
Your gamble paid off.
VO: Will yours?
The damaged Regency dining chair.
£10 is the start.
At £10, one lowly bid at £10, all done?
I'm not optimistic.
I will sell.
£10.
(LAUGHS) VO: Think positive - it wasn't a loss.
I'm sorry.
Damn, I should have been bidding on it myself.
You should have been.
Yep.
VO: Will Natasha's Victorian oil and vinegar flask appeal to the Dundee bidders?
I'm bid £40 for it.
40.
Five.
50 commission.
Oh, 50!
Sure?
£50?
Any advance?
Last chance.
£50.
50 we are.
Do you know what?
I'd do it again.
VO: That's a shame.
Pretty piece of Victoriana.
I loved that flask.
It was gorgeous.
It was a nice thing.
VO: The cheap and cheerful towel rail from Steven next.
15 bid.
20, Five.
Oh!
SD: 25 commission.
SM: Come on.
25.
SD: Thank you.
SM: You see?
He was a wee bit quick with his hammer there.
I think that could have made more.
I think he could have teased 45 out of that.
VO: Wishful thinking!
Steven's sensible supplies.
VO: You heard it here first!
Now, the weighty Masonic gavel from Natasha.
Internet starts me at £25.
The Masonic gavel at 25.
SD: Any advance?
£25.
NS: Keep going!
All done?
25.
You done?
25.
OK!
He was exasperated.
He thought that was worth more.
I hope he bought it for himself.
VO: At least you earned a smidge of a profit.
Bashed a £10 profit out of it, so... Oh, I really was hoping for more, I'll be honest.
Which in this sale's quite good for you.
VO: Don't get too cocky, Steven.
Here comes your baby elephant.
Who'll start me off at £20?
20, there's a hand straight up.
Straight up.
At £20 it is, going to a good home.
At £20, any advance?
20 is bid now, and selling...
But a £5 profit is a £5 profit, and I feel he's gone to a good home.
VO: You got a crystal ball?
A baby profit no less.
And he needs his insides rearranging.
VO: Not a laughing matter.
Another nursery essential, the mid 20th century rocker, from Natasha.
Straight in, first bid, £25.
30 anywhere?
Come on Grandma, Grandpa.
Where are you?
My first bidder in at 25.
Any advance now?
At 25 and selling...
I really thought there would just be grandmas, grandpas, aunties, uncles, hands, go go go.
You see, if only they'd put my baby elephant in it, it would have probably sold it.
VO: Now now, Steven.
That's a pity, Natasha.
That's a sad wee loss.
Why is the world not buying rockers?
VO: It's the final lot.
Steven's tearful terracotta child.
Opening bid of £25.
Profit.
35, 45, 50, £50.
Er, you're not crying, look at this.
70, five, 80, five.
85 bid.
At £85 now.
Any advance?
85.
Come on!
You're smoking.
VO: Actually, a positive inferno.
Ha!
Great result, Steven.
That was brilliant.
Think I should stick to china?
NS: I think... SM: Think that's a top tip?
..from now on, if you could but only ceramic items.
Avoid chairs, stick to china.
VO: After saleroom costs Natasha made a loss of £66, giving her £186.10.
Yodel-ay-eeh-ooh!
Steven's today's big champ.
After all auction costs he made a profit of £80.80, making his grand total £290.76.
Lovely.
Here we go.
And off to the next antique shop.
Right, eyes peeled for sucriere and crying French children.
I don't think it'll bite twice.
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