VOICEOVER (VO): The nation's favorite antiques experts. One big challenge - who will make the most profits buying and selling antiques as they drive around the UK? DEALER: £6. PHIL: £5. Done. Is that your very best you could do? VO: By the end of their trip, they should have made some big money. But it's not as easy as it sounds. And only one will be crowned champion at the final auction in London. This is the Antiques Road Trip. VO: This week's experts are Philip Serrell and Charles Hanson. Philip's 35 years in the auction business started with clearing out the muck in the sheep pens at livestock auctions. Not quite sure how much has changed then. His pet subjects are sport and antiques trivia. PHILIP (PS): Bet you can't guess what that is. No idea? Well, it's terracotta. It's probably Edwardian. It's a rhubarb forcer. So that would sit in your garden and it forced your rhubarb to grow. VO: Charles has had an interest in old things since he was a little boy. Probably why he gets on so well with Philip. Ha. He used to collect coins as a child, but has since moved on to porcelain and silver. CHARLES (CH): It's a lovely object from what? 1785-ish? 1785 is exactly the date it has on the label. CH: Oh good. I never saw that. DEALER: We're in agreement. £68 is your asking price. What's the very best, Peter? VO: Each expert started the road trip with £200. Charles has played a colorful game, making massive profits then massive losses. He now has £179.81. It's all good fun but importantly, I am here to obviously show my market worth with antiques. VO: Philip's been making small, steady profits turning his £200 into £285.18. Where you score in this business is you've got to try and think who the buyer is going to be with the thing that you're going to buy. VO: Philip and Charles on the fourth leg of their road trip. They started in north Wales and are making their way down to Exeter in Devon. On this leg, they're leaving Bristol and heading for their next auction in Dorchester on the south coast. First stop is Bath. Famous for its Roman baths. Our experts make a beeline for a costumed gent who seems stuck in a time warp. This is Bath. Is bath called Bath because of the baths? Yes, indeed. So what is the pump room then? Does the pump room pump the water to the bath? That's the idea. Yes, 250 years ago, they actually pumped the water by hand for people to take. Before then people would drink in the street here. VO: Bath often enjoyed a growth spurt in Georgian times. The fabulous local stone and clean architectural lines of that period have left us with a unique city, still intact after more than 200 years of wear and tear. Intent on keeping a close eye on what the other one's up to, the boys started from the same shop and already Philip is trying to cramp Charles's style. What are you doing? Nice, isn't it? PS: How much is that? CH: I might buy it. Nice quality. It's been cut. CH: Has it? PS: Yeah. PS: There, there, and there. CH: Oh yeah. I like it. I'm going to ask how much it is. CH: Can you hold that for me? PS: No, no. CH: Please. PS: I don't do holding. Charlie. Phil? Yes, Charlie. I've spoken to him. Oh excellent, Charlie. I'm so pleased to hear that. Have a guess how much he wants. Charlie, I don't really want to guess. £95, best price 80. But it's too expensive, isn't it? Yeah, fine. Put it away Charlie. God. VO: In the next shop, their antics continue. PS: Charlie, what are you doing? CH: Get off my leg. (BLEEP) VO: It's like watching Laurel and Hardy. Philip has spotted a pair of garden pots he wants to nab before Charles. PS: How much are your concrete planters? To you they can be 60 quid. Well, they've got a nice... PS: A nice look. DEALER: ..classical look. Can you do better than that? Better than what? PS: 60 quid. DEALER: Better than 60 quid? I know, I know, I know. You've got to make a profit but I've got a... I've got to make a small profit. What age are they would you say that? They're 30, 40 years old, aren't they? DEALER: 50 years old I should think. CH: They're nice Phil. How much did we say - 60 quid? Yeah. Can you help me any more? 55 then. There you are. 50 quid, you've got a deal. Alright. Good man. Thank you. VO: That was quick. PS: Careful, Charlie. VO: Philip has left Charles to shift his heavy planters - typical - while he takes the weight off his feet to pay dealer Tim Snell £50. Your pocket thinks your hands have gone mad. Look at that, look at the anticipation. Look, look at it. Go on then. Just savor that. Go on. Thank you very much. You're a gentleman, mate. VO: Leaving the pots to collect later, Philip and Charles strut off to the next shop. Here we go. VO: It's an antique center with the wares of 15 dealers to peruse. So there's enough room to shop separately. I can sort of remember this type of furniture. And I suppose this is 19... late 1950s, early 1960s. And you've got the old plastic canisters, the original Formica top table. And now they're kitsch. VO: Hawkeye Hanson is in with owner Alex Schlesinger, examining a rather large teapot. I have a great passion for Chinese export. And when you consider this came over on an old East Indies vessel, probably in the late 18th century. In the Ch'ien-lung dynasty, out of Canton. And you think, if it could talk what would it tell us? Tell us about a very long and probably very rough voyage. VO: Ch'ien-lung was emperor of China from 1735 to 1796. He was a fan of the arts, and some of China's finest porcelain was produced for his collections. I like it. I think it was about 1780, 1770. I think it's a fair date. The problem as I said is the handle's been restored. Yes. Also the spout here, that's been restored. Yeah. That's a big lump, isn't it? We were aware of the restorations but we haven't seen another one like it. What would be your best price on it? Can I go and just check for a minute? CH: Course you can, yeah, fine. DEALER: Just hang on a minute. Really good pot. Really, really good pot. Very, very rare. Rather than being a tea pot, it's a punch or wine pot from the late 18th century. In good condition, it's worth £1,000, £1,500. The problem is restoration. Obviously my budget is limited, but it's a really, really rare pot. DEALER: How about 220? I don't think I've got 220 to spend. VO: No, Charles you haven't. You've got £179.81 actually. Would you do it for £150? 150? You're helping me. I'll be gambling my entire budget on you, Alex. How about 175? You know what? I'll buy it for 160. And you'll be really helping me. (THEY LAUGH) 160. CH: 160. MAN: OK. CH: Are you sure? DEALER: Deal. Going once. Going twice. Going. Going. I should have brought my little gavel down. I've got one. Three times. There you are. I'll take it. Thank you. VO: That's a massive gamble Charles. Blowing virtually all your money on one damaged object. I'll probably buy one more item, I think. But obviously, with £19 left over, it's not a great deal. But I've got no regrets. I think I bought really well. I'm hoping. VO: Philip's seen a sign. This guy I know back home called Roddy Hallett. And I think if I buy that, phone up and tell him it's coming up for auction, he's got an ego big enough that he might just have to buy it. VO: Any auctioneer or dealer worth his salt tips off contacts who might be interested in a particular item. So that's clever. How much is it? £65. That would be so funny. Alex? ALEX: Hello. If I just prop that on there a minute... I think that's really cool, that. It's good, isn't it? Are Hallett and Co still in existence? No, they're not. So the chances of finding somebody by the name of Hallett is really remote, isn't it? Because that would make it worthwhile then, wouldn't it? Well, it's fairly common West Country surname. PS: Is it? ALEX: Mm. How many Halletts do you know? I was at school with somebody called Hallett. Haven't got his phone number, have you? ALEX: No. (CHUCKLES) PS: Well I... I normally see those making, like £30 to £40, you know, and I've got to make a profit. So if I could buy it for... I mean, I know it's a huge discount. But will it sort of come at £25, £30? No, how about 35? That's beans on toast for a week now. Is that the very best? ALEX: Yeah it is. PS: Dead finished? Yeah, go on. Wrap it up. OK, thank you so much. Thank you. And I'll think of you when I'm having my beans on toast tonight. You've got to think of Mr Hallett, not me. VO: It's been a successful one-stop shop, with the boys finding more than enough to keep them entertained in Bath. VO: Before Philip and Charles move on, Charles dashes into one more shop and manages to spend another £14. He'll reveal what he's bought later. Meanwhile, Philip wants to find out more about the famous stone that makes the city glow. The curator of the Bath At Work Museum is Stuart Barrows. The reason why practically everything in the city looks the same is because it's built of stone from the same part of the hills, Combe Down to the south. Yeah. The Romans used it. It's been used ever since. And in the 18th century, they can't dig it out of the ground fast enough, which is how come all those Georgian buildings look the same. PS: So the blocks these guys cut out, would they have been that size? STUART: That is a standard size of block. So they've they're removed by cuts left, right and at the top. And then they're wedged out. I mean, this large iron bar here wedges this block of stone off its bed because it's a sedimentary rock, it's been laid down in layers. And then it's pulled out from the working face by a crane like this. A hand driven crane, I mean, as I say everything is by hand. PS: Over here, you've got various tools that are what the guys underground would use. Yep. This looks like a... I mean is that like a tree saw? It looks like one except it's single, a singlehanded person. PS: So one man would use that? STUART: One person. There's only one handle, you see, at this end. PS: Yeah. STUART: Laid out for cutting these great slabs of stone. I mean the ones that you saw in those, that working there. I mean, they're cutting the great slabs. And all these all these tools have special name? Well, this one, these large ones are called frig bobs and these smaller ones are called razzers. PS: Razzers? STUART: Yeah. You go out on those right. STUART: Out on the razzer. PS: Yeah. VO: Extracting Bath stone was once described as the world's toughest job. This beautiful city was therefore built on hard labor. And from one tough job to another, getting out of Bath is also a challenge. PS: This is like the Magic Roundabout. We've been round this thing six time now. Just turn left, go down there. VO: Their journey is taking them to Salisbury next, with a glimpse of Stonehenge on the way. Lucky them, driving past what's probably Britain's most important prehistoric monument. Shame about the rain. More shopping opportunities lie ahead. Philip's got £190.18 to spend, and after buying that other sneaky item just before leaving Bath, Charles is left with a miniscule £5.81 for Salisbury. He's not going to get very far with that. Salisbury is known as the city in the countryside. Its medieval roots are epitomized by a splendid cathedral, which boasts the tallest spa in Britain. Undeterred by his shortage of funds, Charles is scouring the bargain bin. This is more like it. Just a nice pair of ornamental follies and figures of two goddesses and really for £2. I wonder if that's £2 for the pair or £1 apiece. I'll inquire. A nice early corkscrew as well, which has some age. I'm really clutching at straws here because £5 is so difficult to even consider. But this is worth a thought. Come in. What have you found? Well I've just delved into your £2 box. DEALER: They're beautiful. Are you sure they're in the £2 box? 100%. Oh fine. They're just quite sweet, aren't they? So you'd want the two for five I suppose? Well, I was hoping two plus two is four. And then maybe, you can throw in the corkscrew as well. And then maybe you might say, Charles Hanson, you are a devil, but I will give you that lot for... £5. Would you do the three for £4? DEALER: Oh OK, go on then. CH: £4. Do I add to my little bundle of joy? I'd go for the pot. CH: Which pot? DEALER: Silver-topped pot. OK. I'll take your advice for £5. Well I think you've done jolly well there, Charles. Don't you? VO: Charles really is taking a huge gamble, almost spending the lot. He's left himself with an unbelievable 81p. Philip's browsing elsewhere though. Can I just take a look at that one over there? But don't tell anybody what it is. These are lovely because you get these and people think, are they a shot glass? Are they a firing glass? Is it for a little liqueur? It's called a penny lick. In the 19th century, you went to your ice cream parlor, and you scooped that into your ice cream. And you gave him a penny. And you had a lick. And then he got the glass back, and they're called a penny lick. And this one is £12. But there's a chip there. And then make £20, £30. But with that chip, it's just not for me. Thank you for that. OK. What about that print, sir, is that you? That's my print, sir, yeah. I think you should buy it. Why? Why do you think I should buy that? Because you're selling it? DEALER: Yeah. I need the money. PS: You need the money? DEALER: Yeah. PS: You poor devil, you. PS: How much is it? DEALER: 15 quid for you, sir. 15 quid's too much. I'll tell you why I think it's too much. Go on. Because you're mean. Yeah, I am mean. VO: Looks like Phil's met his match here. I think that's probably done in '60s or '70s. Exactly. So worth even more then. PS: But I'm talking 1970s not 1870s. DEALER: Oh I see. And as such, I think it's worth like a fiver. Do you want to sit down now? I do. In fact, I think I'd like a cup... A cup of sweet tea for the both of us. Very strong. Yeah, Yorkshire Tea I think. Fiver. Can't do it. Can't do it, sir. I'll meet you halfway and make you my best offer and then I'm away. DEALER: What? PS: 10. DEALER: 15 quid. PS: No, 10 quid. I'm not sure about your maths and how it works down here but if I'm bidding you five... DEALER: It works my way, OK? PS: No, it definitely... It works my way. Take it for a tenner then. Oh, you're a gentleman. I know. Never mind gentleman. That'll be 25. You did say a fiver, didn't you? No I didn't. Get your tenner out, please. Come on. A tenner? You're a gentlemen. There you are. Don't have to throw you out because you're too big. Thank you very much. VO: As Charles has squeezed almost every last penny, and all that banter has given Philip an appetite, their pre-dinner treat is to show each other what they're taking to auction in Dorchester. Of course, Charles was with Philip when he bought the stone planters. They are good. And if they go into the right section, they're worth £100. What was your first lot? Well... Is it a box? Yeah, but... it's quite fragile. It's brittle. It's old. Don't tell me anything about it. Let me have a look. Wow! That's lovely. That's your stuff as well, isn't it? I'll move these drinks out the way, Phil, for safekeeping. And it has a lid. PS: It's Chinese. Yeah? CH: Yeah. 18th century? 1735, 95. Would it be used for tea? No, I think Phil, it's a punch pot. Right? It's 235 years old. I tell you what, Charlie. I think it's a lovely, lovely thing. I really do. Right? But it's got three buts for me. CH: OK. PS: There's one there. CH: Yeah. PS: There's one there. CH: Yeah. PS: And there's one there. That one is almost acceptable. CH: Yeah. PS: That one... CH: Needs to be re-stuck. PS: ..is acceptable. Yeah. That has been restored. I think what appeals to me is despite having this restoration, it is market fresh, i.e. any half decent ceramic collector would have that handle restuck. If this was perfect, what do you think that's worth? £600. PS: £600. CH: Yeah, I do. If it's Lung, Phil, it's such a big thing. Right. And I reckon if you've got something that's restored, or damaged, and this restoration is quite extensive, I reckon it's worth 25%... OK. ..of the price. So a quarter. PS: That's 150 quid, isn't it? CH: Yeah. What'd you pay for it? Yeah. £160. Right. Well, you put that somewhere... Put it on the sideboard. This is my second lot, Charlie. Tell me what you think to this. It's just... an enamel sign. OK, for I would imagine a firm of estate agents called Hallett and Co. Yeah. I've got a mate called Rod Hallett. Oh right. And my plan is to get him to buy for his wife and get his wife to buy it for him. Let's have a look at yours next, Charlie. CH: That's nice Phil. PS: Do you like that? I do, yeah. VO: Charles is regretting his secret last-minute purchase in Bath. This, Phil, I'll be honest with you, I'm going to tell you now. What is it? I've made a mistake. OK, I've made a mistake. VO: What HAS he bought? It gets better Phil. Be really careful. CH: It's quite fragile, this. PS: What? But have you ever had real turtle soup? VO: Turtle soup remains popular in places like China and the USA. But many turtle species are now endangered and some are protected. The dealer reckons this soup was made in the 1920s. You bought a can of soup? CH: I didn't mean to but... What do you mean, you didn't mean to? Well, I got carried away Phil. Guess what they cost me? £2. Times by seven. Oh I'm... 14. You paid 14 quid for an old tin of soup and some mustard with a hole in the bottom? Yeah. VO: Now for Philip's sporty picture. Well this is a bit of rugby, Charlie. An engraving. Nearly there. PS: Signed by... CH: Terence F... PS: Gilbert. CH: Gilbert. CH: How much did it cost you? PS: 10 quid. I mean, that's nothing is it? Look at the glazed frame. I would say in all honesty that picture ought to make between £30 and £40. Excellent Charlie. That's my thought. We've still got mustard on the table. What's your next? I bought bits. An eclectic, interesting mix, which included a lovely pair of carved wood... ..or machine made little figures. Decorative, souvenir market, ornamental, looks good on the mantelpiece. Any home, any day. You won't know what age they are. They look the part. OK. You know what Charlie? Yeah. I think your soup's older than these. Together with... CH: Are you ready? PS: Go on. Together with... a nice corkscrew. See, I think that's where this business is daft because, you know, that's quite nice. If you want to buy half decent corkscrew and enjoy your wine... Yeah. That's got to be worth £5 or £10. Exactly. OK. And that... Nice little dressing-table jar, plated, faceted, decorative, molded, ornamental, four parts, cost me £5 all in. Charlie, I'm not going to be really mean. I don't reckon those two much at all. But I think that's actually just, you know, I mean, it's a serviceable thing, isn't it? But an interesting mix-match. Someone pay £15. CH: OK? PS: Yeah. VO: So, what are their predictions for the auction? I think the two premiership items of A class nature are the teapot, Hanson's, and also the Cotswold stone urns, Serrell's. So really, it will be very much a case of out of those two which ones perform the best, I think will dictate how the actual losses and wins go for either party. Charlie. Well... he's the only expert I know who could blow the thick end of 200 quid on a busted teapot, some kindling wood and some out of date food. Knowing him, he'll come out of it smelling like roses, probably make 100 quid profit, but I really think he's set himself a task this time. VO: It's auction day. The journey from Bristol is behind them. And our two experts finally arrive in Dorchester, the county town of Dorset. There was a settlement here even before the Romans, who founded the Dorchester we know in the year 70AD. Duke's auctioneers have been established for over 180 years, holding sales every three weeks for antique furniture and collectables. I thought a waistcoat was designed to come sort of down to the trousers. It's a bit short. I know. But I'm quite tall. If ever this doesn't work out, you could always take up wine waiting. VO: Turns out auctioneer Matthew Denny lectured Charles when he was at Southampton University. It must be Matthew, 10 years ago. I think it probably is 10 years since I last saw you. But it's nice to see you again. VO: Charles is twitchy about his big buy. And isn't that a great size? Well, that's why I bought it. I thought, size matters. Of course, we all know that. Chinese Ch'ien-lung. MATTHEW: Yeah. CH: It's not a teapot. MATTHEW: It's for punch. CH: It's a punch pot. And the whole social sentiment. I think it's quite a rarity, although it's been restored. It has been heavily restored. And that will of course put the serious buyers off. But perfect, that would have been a very, very valuable item. But it's still a sort of rare thing and I think you'll do well with that because you're going a long way with a piece as good as that. I paid £160 for it. I'm pretty certain we can show you a profit on that today. It's a... It's a rare thing. Somebody will be pleased to buy that. You see my budget was almost up. I bought that as my big object. So everything is on the object. MATTHEW: All down to that. CH: If it makes money, I'm OK. If not, I could be in trouble for the whole entire show. Fortune favors the bold. Exactly. VO: Well, let's hope so. Charles's fate hinges on his Chinese pot. His other two lots are not going to save his bacon. He spent £174 with only a few pence left over. Philip's ahead in the game and hasn't taken any big risks. He's only spent £95 on this leg and he's banking £190.18. Whose strategy will win the day? And the punch pot is up first. It's a nail biting moment for Charles. CH: Here we go. I've got opening bids to start you at £140. I'll take 150. We've got 140 with me. 150 at the back. 160. 170. 180. 190. 200. 220. MATTHEW: 240. 260. PS: Well done Charlie. MATTHEW: 280. 300. PS: Well done Charlie. MATTHEW: 280, with commission... CH: Yes! Yes! PS: Well done Charlie. At £280. Commission bid. 290 if it helps you. One more, go on. MATTHEW: No, at £280. CH: Yes! PS: Well done Charlie. CH: Very pleased. CH: Yes! PS: That's a good job. Well done. Are you pleased with that? CH: Delighted. VO: Well done Charles. It seems fortune does favor the bold. I have to say, I didn't think it'd do anything like that. Oh my heart! VO: But hang on. It's his dodgy tins of turtle soup and mustard next. PS: I want to see the look on his face. PS: Is he laughing? MATTHEW: ..unusual lot. It is unusual. Thank you Matthew. It is. We are all being encouraged to ignore sell by dates, but... CH: Correct. ..I wouldn't recommend you try either of those. What shall we say for these? £10. CH: Come on please. Please. MATTHEW: 10. MATTHEW: Five? CH: Please. Must be five, or do you all have some of this at home on a shelf already? MATTHEW: £5 anywhere for this? CH: Please! MATTHEW: Yes or no? BIDDER: Yes. MATTHEW: Thank you sir. CH: Yes. Thank you. I'll take eight, at £5 only. I'll take eight. I should get the hammer down if I were you. All done at five? (GAVEL) MATTHEW: Thank you sir. CH: Thank you sir. He's as mad as you are Charlie. VO: Yep. One of Charles's more eccentric purchases. Next up Philip's planters. Concentrate Charlie, we're off now. £80 it's gonna make. Nice decorative garden ornaments, who'd like these? MATTHEW: £30 for them? PS: Oh help. 30 I'm bid, I'll take five. £30 only. I'll take five. £30? Five. Thank you sir. 40. Five. 50. 60. 70. 80. CH: Great. MATTHEW: At £70. I'll take 80. At £70 only. 80 anywhere? All done? Gentleman's bid at 70. VO: Respectable profit, but Philip's never going to bring in the big bucks on his purchases today. Now it's Charles's mixed lot that cost him a fiver. How much for these? £5 for them. MATTHEW: £5. CH: Yes! MATTHEW: £5 bid, I'll take 10. £5. Is that a relative of yours over there, Charlie? £5 only. I'll take eight. At £5 near me. MATTHEW: All done at eight? CH: Yes, eight, eight. MATTHEW: 10? At £8, all done at eight? Quite sure at eight? Thank you. CH: £3 - all helps. Oh, she's got her head in her hands. VO: Good grief, a profit of a whole £3. Philip's sign is next. Nice little lot there. I've got overlapping bids. To start you at £50. And I'll take £60. At £50 with me. I'll take 60 for this one. At £50 with me. 60. 70. 80. At £70 with me. I'll take 80. You're out there. At £70 here, 80 anywhere for the sign? CH: That's very good. MATTHEW: All done at 70. Commission bid. VO: Ah, so Philip did call his friend with the same name. And he left a commission bid. Well, that's what this business is all about. Crafty, eh? Finally, it's Philip's rugby picture. How much for it? £10? Nice decorative print. Five say. £5. Good print. £5. Who'd like it? Yes or no? £5 or no? Five. Thank you, madam, I'll take eight. £5 only, I'll take eight. At £5 only, eight anyone? All done, then, for the opening and final bid of five. Thank you. VO: Oh dear. He only lost a fiver but Philip is peeved. CH: Phil's not best pleased. The picture was disappointing. £5 was really nothing. We really expected it was going to make £30, £40. So actually, very disappointing. Phil's off now, quite rightly, a bit... disconsolate. VO: Well, you've got to roll with the punches in this game. Philip started this leg of the road trip with £285.18. After paying commission, his profit is £22.81. That brings his new total to £307.99. Charles started this leg on £179.81. After commission his profit is £59.06. So now he's got £238.87 to spend in tomorrow's show. So Charles won this leg. But Philip is still in the lead. With only one more auction on their road trip, Charles will have to strike some great deals to catch Philip up and overtake him. Still, you never know. Offer you £70 for the set. That wouldn't do you any good. You won't take £95? DEALER: No I won't. CH: No. And if you walk away mind the steps on the way out. So you won't take £200 for it? PS: You're absolutely spot on. CH: At a real push, Phil, 220. subtitling@stv.tv