VOICEOVER (VO): The nation's favorite antiques experts, one big challenge - who will make the biggest profit buying and selling antiques as they drive around the UK?
Oh, you're such a temptress.
How much can you sell it to me for?
Is that your very best you can 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.
This week's experts are James Lewis and David Harper.
They struggle to see eye to eye.
DAVID (DH): Do you agree on date - late 19th century?
JAMES (JL): No.
Now, this isn't fair!
Honest opinion, go on.
I don't like it.
I don't like it.
VO: David is an antique dealer from County Durham, who loves classic cars and quirky furniture.
That color comes from 200 years of use.
Oh!
I could lick it!
James is an auctioneer from Derbyshire, who has also been known to dribble when he sees yummy antiques.
Oh, my God!
I've got tingles going all over my body.
I just absolutely love it.
Each expert started the week with £200.
James won the first two legs and is now on a massive £500.88.
But David's determined to beat him.
His starting budget of £200 is now up to £383.47.
So, leg three for our zoot-suited road trippers, and there's everything to play for.
They started off at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and are heading all the way over to Market Harborough in Leicestershire.
They've left Kendal, and in today's program, they're taking a very scenic shopping loop through Yorkshire, before going to auction in Liverpool.
On their way to Gargrave, they stop to check the route next to the magnificent Ribblehead Viaduct.
This stunning feat of Victorian design and engineering across the Ribble Valley has 24 arches and took four years to build.
Suddenly, the local farmer is zooming towards them on his quad bike.
He wants to know what these two oddballs are doing, but there's a twist.
You're an antique dealer?!
David Harper.
Nice to meet you.
I'm Leonard Handley.
Leonard, great to meet you.
So where are your antiques?
They're in the York Antiques Centre.
What kind of things are you dealing in?
Small wooden boxes, treen, 19th century, 18th, 19 century items, and porcelain as well.
VO: With a promise to pop in and maybe do some business when they get to York, our plucky experts move on.
They pull into Gargrave, where there's a choice of antique shops in the high street.
DH: How about a bit of a hunt around?
JL: Lovely old sweet shop there.
JL: Fantastic.
DH: I can see this boot being filled with sweets in about 30 minutes.
I'll go that way, you go that way.
Meet back here for lunch.
Half an hour?
OK. VO: Simon Myers wants to share something special with fellow dealer David.
How are you on Japanese furniture?
I'm probably better on Japanese ceramics, but I'll have a look.
What have you got?
As is often the case, the most interesting bit's in the kitchen.
Oh right.
VO: He has taken him through to the back of the shop to see an exquisite new piece he is very excited about.
It's an elaborate version of a table that would have been used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies.
So how do you see it... late 19th century?
No, about 1800.
DH: You see it earlier?
SIMON: Yes.
DH: Do you?
SIMON: Yeah.
Actually, I've got to say it is so precise, like something out of an old Rolls Royce.
It is incredible.
And all this is thick gold foil.
All carved with stamen, and then mother-of-pearl.
Mother-of-pearl.
Look at the way the drawer fits... it almost looks like... ..it's a make-believe drawer because it's so precise.
Absolutely.
It just blends in.
I love the leg.
SIMON: Yeah.
I thought it was based on an elephant's trunk.
You're right.
That's what they've drawn it from, isn't it?
But it's such a pleasing... DH: Beautiful.
SIMON: ..harmonious thing.
Dare I ask what sort of money?
Erm... (CLEARS THROAT) Yeah, go on, clear your throat!
No, I'm not clearing my throat because of that, because I don't really quite know.
I think it's probably about £3,500.
Yeah.
Which I don't think is out of the way.
I don't.
I've got 350 quid.
SIMON: Yeah.
DH: Erm... Maybe you could pay it off in installments, David.
Try something more affordable, eh?
(PLATE PINGS) I've just rung the bell, Simon.
That rings well.
(THEY CHUCKLE) What's trade on this?
What is it, late 19th century?
Yes.
And the style, what style would you describe that as?
Well, it's famille verte.
It is a copy of a K'ang-hsi sort of plate, isn't it?
VO: K'ang-hsi famille verte began being produced in the late 17th century and takes its name from the distinctive shades of green the Chinese artisans used.
19th century copies like this one are more common.
It's decorative, it's got three hairline cracks in it.
And, erm... Because I am a believer in leaving a profit SIMON: for the next man... DH: There you go.
SIMON: 50 quid.
DH: 50 quid.
Erm... Mmm.
It's got nice weight, hasn't it?
Yeah.
SIMON: It looks good.
DH: Could it be 25, Simon?
Take the shop!
Give me 30 quid, go on.
DH: 30 quid?
SIMON: Yes, go on.
DH: Happy?
SIMON: No.
(THEY LAUGH) DH: Good.
I'm happy if you're happy.
I'm happy if you're happy.
Exactly, making each other happy.
That's what antique dealers do best.
VO: Yeah, right, David.
Just pass me the sick bag.
James is down on bended knee though, praying for a bargain, I suspect.
I'll go to my comfort zone and ask about the snuffboxes.
VO: When he says comfort zone, he's not joking.
James has a personal collection of over 1,000 snuffboxes.
How about this little one?
The little papier mache one.
I'll just look at the condition of that one.
A little bit of damage there.
JL: Yeah.
DEALER: Erm... DEALER: £25.
JL: 1820s, isn't it?
Yes.
Just that little problem, yes.
JL: 25, OK. DEALER: Yup.
How about the little box?
I'm not entirely sure about the box.
I don't know if it's Indian or... Quite nicely engraved, a bit primitive, but... JL: How much is that one?
DEALER: £65.
OK.
There's nothing I can find to make a profit so far.
Er... What about the little Staffordshire enamel?
Unfortunately damaged, but incredibly cheap... DEALER: £30.
JL: OK. 18th century.
VO: And from snuffboxes to patch boxes.
A couple of hundred years ago, people use to carry around a spare stash of fake beauty spots, or patches, in boxes like this.
The mirror inside was crucial to help you place it correctly because where you put your beauty spot had a meaning.
For instance, at the corner of the eye might signify passion.
JL: How about the other one?
DEALER: Similarly damaged.
Again, an 18th century Bilston enamel.
VO: The largest and most famous production of decorative enamel boxes was in Bilston, Staffordshire, which started in the early 1700s.
JL: 30 quid?
DEALER: Yup.
What could you do those for?
DEALER: 50 for the two.
JL: No.
40... and you've got a deal.
45.
I don't think I'll make a profit.
DEALER: You'll pull it out.
JL: I won't.
I won't, not after commission.
JL: I won't.
DEALER: OK. Go on.
JL: 40 quid?
DEALER: Yes.
JL: Deal.
DEALER: Thank you very much.
Thank you.
VO: They are pretty, but it's a shame they're not perfect.
So, the massive total of £20.
Ha-ha!
Keep rolling, keep rolling.
Thank you very much, James.
Thank you.
VO: On to Harrogate, an antiques hot spot, where our very own David often comes to wheel and deal.
Right, well, two centers I think, James, first.
Bearing in mind this is my part of the world.
It is, I bet you know all these dealers.
You're going to get real bargains, aren't you?
I only know one or two, that's all.
There's one up there.
James disappears off to one of the largest antiques centers in the north of England.
Just when he's thinking it might all be out of his price range, he spots a lonely old ceramic frog that, like James, comes from Derbyshire.
This is interesting.
It's ugly, it's not that early - it's probably 1930s - and it's a frog.
It hasn't got any great qualities in the molding, but it's interesting because it's called Lawley on the ticket, but it is not Lawley.
It is Lovatt's Langley Ware, and that was made about 10 miles from where I live.
VO: The interesting and unusual frog was made by a pottery better known for producing useful household items, like tableware and ink bottles.
Now, you'll probably shout at me for this, but that's made in Derbyshire, close to me, and as a memory of home, what would your best deal be?
I've been learning from David Harper, you see.
He's a dealer, and he always knocks the prices really low.
Ooh!
Well...
I'll do what he does.
How about £5?
It's ridiculous, I know.
Now, you see, that was to soften the blow.
DEALER: Ah, OK. JL: How about 18?
I think we can do that for 18.
JL: Really?
DEALER: Yes, absolutely.
It works!
No wonder Harper gets such bargains!
Goodness me!
JL: Really?
DEALER: Yes, absolutely.
DEALER: Let's do it.
JL: Fantastic.
I'll have that.
VO: Let's hope it turns into a handsome prince - I mean profit - at the auction.
JL: Fantastic.
Thank you very much.
DEALER: Thank you, James.
JL: You've been great.
VO: David's gone to see a dealer he knows, Paul Wetherall.
Mr Wetherall.
Tell me, what have you got that stands here handy?
What are you looking for, furniture?
Furniture would be fine.
That's a nice Georgian table, how much is that?
PAUL: 2,500.
DH: Yeah.
I've got £350 or thereabouts.
PAUL: Right, goodbye.
DH: (LAUGHS) There's a little bowl there, a Crown Derby bowl.
VO: David is looking interested.
Royal Crown Derby is highly prized and collected the world over.
DH: Is that the Imari pattern?
PAUL: Yes.
DH: What have you got on that?
PAUL: £150 we're asking.
DH: 150.
Any damage?
PAUL: No, no, it's immaculate.
It's actually funny, because that's the Imari pattern based on the Japanese original Imari, but that is actually a better quality than the original Japanese Imari.
It is a bit bonkers, isn't it?
It is.
VO: In the early 17th century, Imari was from a particular part of Japan and got its name from the port it was exported from.
Nowadays, Imari is a term used to describe a palette and decorative form or style.
What date have we got on this?
Royal Crown Derby.
It would be 20th century.
(BOWL PINGS) Ooh!
I say, that sounds good, doesn't it?
It does.
It might be too dear, Paul, for me.
What is the absolute death, trade on that?
What do you want to give me for it?
Do you really want to know that?
Not really.
Cuz I'll tell you what I really want to give for it.
I'd love to give 50 quid for it, but it's not going to happen.
It's not going to happen.
I'd like to pay 80 quid for it.
Make me a sensible offer.
DH: 85.
PAUL: 120.
Haven't you said 120 already?
PAUL: No, 150 I said.
DH: Did you?
PAUL: Yeah.
DH: Oh, I thought you said 120.
PAUL: That's the ticket price.
DH: 90 quid?
£100 and you've got a deal.
100 quid.
What's that going to do in sale?
It should be a profit.
There should be a good profit in that.
Go on, then, 100 quid.
PAUL: It's yours.
DH: Good man.
VO: David seems to have got himself a great deal there.
The boys are rounding off their day with a cuppa in Bettys Tea Rooms.
In this Harrogate institution, with its distinctive wrought iron canopy, they've been serving the nation's favorite brew since 1919.
With two purchases each under their belts, David and James are on the road again.
James has been unusually frugal so far, having parted with £18 for the Langley Ware frog, and £40 for a pair of Georgian patch boxes.
That leaves him with a hefty £442.88 in his wallet.
David has gone potty on porcelain with the Chinese plate, which only cost him £30, and the Royal Crown Derby bowl, for which he paid £100.
That means he has £253.47 left to spend.
James and David are leaving Harrogate and heading for York.
York is one of our most ancient and beautiful cities, important to the Romans, the Anglo Saxons, the Vikings and now the Antiques Road Trippers.
They are immersing themselves in culture, taking a stroll down the historic Shambles.
DH: Look at the way the houses are almost touching.
There can't be any more than three or four feet between each house.
There's not much privacy there, is there?
No.
Could be very interesting.
Looking into each other's bedrooms!
If you had a good-looking neighbor!
But look at that depth of the street, James.
You see where the carts used to go.
Oh, yes.
Do you know why it's so deep?
It's the butcher's alley, isn't it?
Yes, 26 butchers down here one time.
Twice a week they would slop out, chuck all the waste... all the blood, guts and gore onto the street and then wash it down the lane.
Imagine the stench.
And then up here people would open the windows and chuck out their toilet waste, so you would have to dive under, let it land, and then continue again.
It would be good fun aiming it at the people you didn't like!
Yeah, exactly!
VO: They're splitting up again to shop.
DH: That's got to be yours.
LEONARD: That is my cabinet.
David's catching up with Leonard, the farmer from the Ribblehead Viaduct.
He is looking a bit more like an antique dealer now, though.
You'll have to help me out here.
What do you have got that stands you really handy that's quality, quirky, could make a profit?
LEONARD: Quality, quirky and could make a profit.
DH: What have you got?
I mean, what about the little mouse vesta.
LEONARD: Yes... DH: It's funny, isn't it?
It puts a smile on your face.
Yes.
Yeah.
Late 19th century vesta case.
The head opens up.
DH: Then you bung your matches in there.
The matches go in there.
Just turn it over so we can see the bottom.
The match strikes on the base there.
Isn't it good?
He's really sweet.
What would be the absolute death trade on him?
You could have that for £50.
While David mulls it over, James has made another shopping decision.
We'll see what he bought later.
A quirky nutcracker has caught David's eye.
He is nice, isn't he?
How does he work, then?
You think that's about 1850, 1870?
LEONARD: 1850, 1870.
You put the nut in there.
This screws up and cracks the nut.
DH: Oh, I see, it comes... LEONARD: And it screws... Got you.
Is it fruit wood?
That's walnut.
Is that supposed to screw in there?
Yes.
It is a little...
It needs a bit of oil on it.
It needs a little bit of wax on it.
Yes, that's a nice thing, that, isn't it?
Crikey.
Trade on him?
17... 150.
(FEIGNS CHOKING) LEONARD: They're quite rare.
I'm worried it doesn't work.
Can we blag a bit of wax?
I'll get some wax, see if we can get it working.
DH: OK. LEONARD: Excuse me one moment.
DH: Alright.
This is the one I want.
Bung a bit more on, for goodness' sake!
Don't... Don't skimp it.
Are you sure you've got enough?
Yeah.
There you go.
You know where I am.
It's got to be 80.
Yeah.
Shall we try 90?
Are we getting close at 90?
80 would be better.
Did I bid 80?
I can't remember, Leonard, you're confusing me.
I tell you what, why don't we split the difference between 80 and 90?
DH: What's that, 82?
LEONARD: 85.
You'd go at 85?
I'll go at 85.
Yeah?
Happy with that?
OK. DH: Thank you very much.
LEONARD: Thank you.
VO: The experts have agreed that they don't want to spend any more money, so they are ready to divulge their purchases to each other.
And what a spot they have picked.
Next to the iconic York Minster, one of the great cathedrals of the world.
James is kicking off with his patch boxes.
Oh.
JL: There we go.
DH: A patch box.
JL: Yup, two of them.
DH: Oh, it's got the mirror.
Yes, both of them have got the mirrors, which I love.
They have both got bits of damage but almost all of the ones I see in the auction rooms have either got some damage or they've been restored at some stage anyway.
DH: They always are, and that's a lovely pink Georgian enamel, isn't it?
What did you pay for them?
What do you think they're worth?
50, 60 quid the pair.
Right, well, I paid 40 for them.
Very nice.
We can have one on each of those James.
Right, here's mine.
You might like this or you might not.
DH: Quite heavy.
JL: That is fantastic.
DH: Do you like it?
JL: I love it.
Famille verte.
Good weight to it.
A nice ring.
DH: Oh, hang on.
JL: What if I do that for you?
(BOWL RINGS) DH: Oh!
(CLOCK CHIMES) Perfect!
That's me, that.
JL: That is outstanding.
DH: Do you like it, really?
I love it, I absolutely love it.
Do you agree on date - late 19th century?
No.
Do you think it's a little earlier?
JL: Yes.
DH: Good, I thought it might be.
I'm just erring on the safety side.
1830, 1850 I'd have thought.
Even better.
JL: What did you pay for it?
DH: Not very much.
JL: Go on.
DH: Do you want to guess?
No, tell me.
30 quid.
DH: Trade price.
JL: 30 quid?!
VO: Judging by James's reaction, David should do very well with his charger.
This next one... You'll either love it or hate it.
DH: I've got to say I hate it.
JL: Yeah, I don't blame you.
DH: But I don't care because if there's money in it, it doesn't matter.
Erm...
It's not me.
Langley, yeah.
It's not me at all.
Erm, but they're collected, aren't they?
They are.
Could be 1920s, 1930s.
They were designed to go outside, so a lot of them are damaged.
That one's got a crack on the side, but I've sold them for £100 damaged and I've sold them for £150 perfect, so... Well, well, well, I say.
He's growing on me.
DH: I think he's quite cute.
JL: He was 18 quid.
Oh!
Well, he's a bargain!
Yeah, yeah.
Right, you may wonder what's in my pocket.
I was wondering just that!
You are going to love it.
You are going to absolutely adore that.
That... You've got to love it.
JL: I don't like it.
DH: I know you love it.
JL: I don't like it.
DH: You don't like it?
JL: I don't like it.
DH: You adore it.
You're dreaming about it already.
JL: No, I don't like it.
DH: You're lusting after it.
JL: I love it.
(THEY LAUGH) I think that's fantastic.
DH: Isn't it gorgeous?
JL: £80 to £120.
I paid 85.
That's auction estimate £80, £120.
I wouldn't be surprised if you made £150.
That's what I'm really hoping for, £150.
VO: Next it's the speedy purchase James made earlier in York.
A decorative Victorian silver tray.
Oh!
You weren't expecting that, were you?
I wasn't expecting that.
Neither was I when I first saw it.
I thought it was silver plate.
The hallmark, which is larger than usual, proves it's solid silver.
London maker.
But it doesn't feel silver to me.
What is it about it?
It's...
I just think it's really unusual.
Because it's got the deep sides, it's not a salver, it's a tray, so that makes it more salable.
And it's solid silver.
I gave it a quick balance on the scales and it is 18 ounces.
What are they paying an ounce these days?
£6.67.
DH: What's that, then?
JL: That's scrap.
DH: 100 quid-ish?
JL: That's £120 scrap value.
OK, well it'll make... it's got to be 150, 180, has it not?
Or even more.
I think so.
DH: What did you pay for it?
JL: 85 quid.
It's a bargain, it's an absolute bargain.
I think so.
That's my best buy, I think.
VO: Next up is David's bowl.
It's no surprise that James, the man from Derby, is a world class expert on Royal Crown Derby, and he's just dropped a bombshell.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) He thinks this bowl is a fake, a very clever copy that was probably produced in the Far East.
The things that make me feel uneasy - it's meant to be 1128 pattern with the filled gold.
The mark is pale.
The mark of this period of Royal Crown Derby is a little bit more vibrant, a little bit darker.
The body is very white and quite shiny.
DH: What, on this one?
JL: On this one.
It's almost glassy.
And I don't feel this is the right body for Royal Crown Derby.
I don't think it is the right porcelain.
The gilding is hand done around here.
On Royal Crown Derby, that part of the gilding on these bowls isn't hand done.
I was under the impression that now they are all transferware, but in those days and even in the '80s, they were finishing it by hand.
Yeah, I mean, in some individually made pieces they were, but in these, I don't think it's right.
DH: So... JL: Er...
I feel the gilding is too garish and too bright, a little bit too shiny.
It's all about opinions and I just...
I'm not happy with it, but you might find... You might find somebody that is.
It takes someone with James's experience and expertise to spot fakes as good as this.
However, David wants to send it back to the manufacturers to get their opinion.
I think I need to take it to a couple of specialist dealers and speak to Royal Crown Derby.
If you're right, James, then I've learnt and I've learnt a big lesson and I'll take it back to the dealer and he'll happily give me my money back, and I'll just have two items into sale.
If it's right, £400.
DH: Well I paid £100 for it.
JL: Well... VO: If it turns out to be a fake, cor, it'll be a real blow to David, missing out on what might have been a big profit.
It's auction day.
This leg of the trip, which started in Kendal, is finishing in Liverpool, where the experts will sell their items.
Liverpool, famous for the Liver Building, football and, oh, some '60s boy band.
David sent his bowl to Royal Crown Derby.
They've confirmed it's a fake and did tests to prove it.
He accepts their verdict and is phoning the dealer to give him the bad news.
Look, mate, I sent it off to Royal Crown Derby.
I've just had a conversation with them,.
It's devastating, but they've actually impounded it.
And they're quite certain it's a f... No.
No, I realize that.
I know.
No, I know, Paul, but what can I do?
They've... Well I'm sure you're entitled... Yeah.
No, well, that's very honorable of you.
VO: The dealer is very upset to hear it's a fake, but has agreed to give David his £100 back.
Cor!
That's jammy!
It's time they got to the auction now.
John Crane launched Cato Crane 25 years ago, and holds weekly collectors' auctions.
As if David's bowl wasn't disaster enough, their day is about to get much worse.
Both experts are in for a terrible shock.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC) David's plate and James's frog have been broken in transit.
DH: I can't believe this.
JOHN: It came like this.
DH: That's my star lot.
VO: Oops, that's our fault.
The boys didn't pack them, we did, so we're going to have to pay them out at the auctioneer's valuation.
A fair valuation because it could have made more, John, that's the thing.
It might have made less.
I think £300 would be a fair valuation.
That'll teach us to pack things properly next time!
The auctioneer also recognized the potential of James's frog and valued it at £120.
So our poor packing calamity has worked out rather well for these two.
David spent £215 and James spent £143.
But as things have turned out, they've only got three items remaining between them to sell.
First up, it's David's only lot... the nutcracker.
A lovely, lovely thing.
Nicely carved, really, really good.
So there we go, where do we start?
£20 for it?
50 if you like, I don't mind.
I've got a bid here at £50.
I'll take 60 on the phone.
60, 70, 80, 90, 100.
Yeah, and 20, and 40... Ooh!
(THEY WHISPER) 140 is bid.
I have got 150 here.
Would you like 160?
160.
I've got 170, would you like 180?
JOHN: 180 is bid.
DH: 180.
190 at the back.
200.
£200.
And five?
And I can go to £210.
I'm now out on commission.
210 with you.
It's your bid.
210 is bid.
Any further bid in the room now?
210 on the telephone, £210 now, selling.
Come on.
One more'd be nice, one more.
JL: Well done.
Well earned.
DH: Thank you.
Amazing profit.
Just shows what can happen when two people really want something.
Next it's James's rather damaged little enamel boxes.
What do we say on these?
What do you make of them?
20 is bid.
I'll take 25 if you like now.
25?
20 is bid.
Are we going to sell for £20?
25, I've got 30.
And five.
£35 now.
£40.
45?
One more, sir.
Come on, one more.
45.
Can we sell at £45?
Are we all done at 45?
It's going, last time, yes.
£45.
That's really disappointing.
VO: After commission, that's a loss.
Finally, James's silver tray, which he's hoping will do a lot better than those patch boxes.
Several bids on this, ladies and gentlemen.
Several bids on the book.
What do we say, £50?
JL: What?!
JOHN: £50 is bid.
£50 is bid.
50.
I'll take 60, 70, 80, 90.
100, and 10... 110, sir.
I've got 120 and it is a bid, sir.
JOHN: 120, 130, 140, 150?
DH: He's bidding.
150.
140 with me.
I've got 150 now.
£150.
I'm selling at £150.
155, £155.
All done this time?
All done at £155.
DH: Well done, matey.
JL: Thank you.
DH: Well done.
Well done indeed.
JL: I think it was worth that.
It was.
Bang on.
Yeah.
Made exactly what it was worth.
VO: Thanks to the auctioneer's liberal valuations on their broken items, these two have done surprisingly well.
James started this leg of the road trip with £500.88.
With a generous valuation on his broken frog and having paid auction costs on his other two lots, he has made £127.54 profit, so his fund has swollen to £628.42.
But David has overtaken him.
He started this leg on £383.47.
Having got his £100 back for the fake bowl, his very high valuation for the plate, and having paid commission on the nutcracker, he's got an astonishing £731.60.
Well, every cloud has a silver lining.
David's in the lead for the first time.
In the next episode, avoiding mishaps, the Rocky Horror road trip takes them towards Nantwich in Cheshire.
David tries a new look.
JL: Suits you.
DH: I'm keeping it on.
VO: And James meets an old friend.
Hello.
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