Original subtitles

NARRATOR: On Salvage Hunters,

temptations that can't be resisted...

VIKI: There's loads of stuff in here.

You can just leave me in here. You can go away.

...a seller who won't be moved...

DREW: How much can it be?

You're not gonna like this. I'm not budging.

...and a line that shouldn't be crossed.

Look at that old bag.

Don't you dare call me that on camera!

You cheeky thing.

Drew Pritchard is one of Britain's leading antique and decorative salvage dealers.

It's a great-looking thing, isn't it? Fab thing.

Joined on the road by queen of the haggle and quick flip Viki Knott...

£275 the lot? Yeah, I'll take them.

...and lover of all things weathered and wonderful Alister Dryburgh...

Needs a load of cleaning. ALISTER: You clean it, I'll sell it.

Can we do it the other way around?

...Drew is sharing the knowledge...

What are those over there? They're great. Little mill-carts.

...and expertise...

Three-step anglepoise. Rare as hell.

God, it's an education already.

...he's gained over the past three decades.

It'd have to be a "buy me now" price. I don't think it will.

550, Drew.(ALL LAUGH)

So, today we are going to meet Caroline and Steve -

Steve, who I've met before, and Caroline, who I've not met before -

who have joined forces

to create a business called Vintage Forever.

In the antiques world, new ventures can mean rich pickings,

and one where two experienced dealers have got together

could be even more promising,

so today Drew and Viki are taking a 165-mile trip southeast

into Worcestershire.

Steve ran a business called Black Rook,

over in Lincolnshire, I think he was,

and he's moved to Worcestershire,

and, yeah, he's joined forces with a lady

and, er, I think...

I think in business and romance.

Ooh!Ooh!

Right, okay. Well, this is fun. It is.

In 1642, with tension building towards an English civil war,

Powick Bridge over the River Teme gave its name

to an early skirmish between royalists and parliamentarians,

but today the Worcestershire village of Powick is home

to a much more collaborative meeting.

Vintage Forever is the joint creative venture of two dealers

brought together by a shared love of decorative antiques:

Caroline McKain and Steve Couzens.

I started off with furniture and painting furniture,

and then eventually, when I opened up the shop here,

I had the outdoor space to do garden furniture,

and I love it, I love it,

because I bring back my van from my buying, little expeditions,

and it just goes straight into the garden, doesn't clutter up anywhere.

STEVE: Been in business eight years now,

and recently moved to Caroline's.

Yeah, it's working very well, isn't it?

Yes, 'cause Steve has the "man-tiques",

and I have the pretty, French-y look,

so, yeah, we complement each other really well.

And I think amalgamating the knowledge we've got, as well, together,

we definitely bring in different customers, don't we? Yeah, it's great fun.

Hello.Hello! Hello, mate. How you doing?

Drew.Hi. Nice to meet you. Caroline.

Hello, chap. You all right? Good.Good.

Viki.Hi, Viki.Hi, Caroline. Hi, Viki. You all right?Hi, Steve.

God, this is a bit of a change. It is, yeah.

So, you've concentrated more on the garden stuff, then?

Yeah, Caroline, mostly, garden stuff.Yeah.

I've just got my little room in there for now...

Okay....until we expand. We have expansion plans.

Yeah. (CHUCKLES)All right.

Looks lovely.

What they're doing here, it's busy. There's an awful lot to get through.

So, we've got everything for every pocket -

garden enthusiasts, antiques, interiors.

They're having fun with it, and it's cool. It's stuff you want.

What about that? As we pulled up, there was another similar one out the front.Yes.

There is some damage to that. It's obviously priced accordingly.

They always get damaged on the rim, there.Yeah.

Is the other one on a base?Yes.

It's a different one, as well, slightly different, I think.

This was the other one, so when we pulled up,

I saw the top of that. I see where it's damaged now.

That's a pain, isn't it?

But they are Andrew Handyside, aren't they?

They could be, yes. They're one of two.Yes.

One made them, and the other one copied them.

Oh, right.And that's something that Coalbrookdale and Handyside did

all the time, to each other.Yes.

As we pull in, I go, "Oh, I recognise that.

"That's that lotus-pattern cast-iron urn from the 19th century, from one of the big foundries."

Then I spot another one.

Now, the two foundries that produced this one in great volume

were Andrew Handyside and the Coalbrookdale foundry.

And then they, sort of, both started doing it.

The main thing is I can put a pair together...

...and a pair is just so much easier to sell than one

and has a much greater value.

What are you asking for that one?

That one, £495.Okay.

Erm... And the other one?

It's got £450... £450 on that, yeah.

There's room on that one to... Negotiation.

That's a lot. I think in mint condition they're worth 1,200 quid.

Yeah.Mmm.What are you thinking?

More, sort of, £750, really, for the pair.

Could do £800.

Okay.Thank you. There you go.

That was easy.Painless, wasn't it? Okay.Good.

It's not a bargain,

but no matter what time of year it is

it's sunny somewhere on the planet, and somebody will want them.

When I come to places like this

I have to stop myself buying things for my garden.

You do love your garden, though. I love it.

Find something really relaxing about it.

That's fun.

It's great when you've got views like this,

'cause you can change the direction...

Yeah....of which way you want to sit.

There's a small two-seater garden bench with a swing back,

so you can sit in it one way, the sun moves,

flip it around, face the other way, whatever.

Good timber. The varnish is coming off and the timber is silvering through.

What are you asking?

£325. What do you want for that? What can you take for that?

Do £300?

Yep.

Thank you very much. Thank you.There you go.

It's nice, huh?I like it. It's nice, isn't it?

I really like it. I'd have that at home.

I wouldn't think twice about it. Yeah, I would, too.

But my garden... As you'd say, it's wee.(CHUCKLES)

It's wee.Toty. Toty wee, yeah.

Could you use that inside?

Absolutely, yes, you could use that inside. It's the right size.

But also small city gardens.

There's a myriad of things that could be done with that bench, and it's ready to go.

Anyway, so, inside now?Yeah.

Oh, this is a cool wee shed. Look at this.Isn't it?

We come into here,

which literally feels like the smallest antique shop in the UK,

but do you know what?

It's absolutely jam-packed

with loads of interesting little pieces

which are perfect for me.

These are quite sweet. Oh, they're nice.

STEVE: There's actually a third one behind...Oh, so there is.

What sort of money would be in them? 90 quid for the three.

70 quid any good for you?

I'll meet you in the middle. £80.

Yeah, I'll take them.Thank you.

Brilliant. Thank you.

Now, I think they're Japanese,

probably, looking at them, 1890-1900.

Maybe 1910.

I think they're woodblock cut prints,

but this is a really specialised area,

and it's something that I'm actually actively trying to educate myself on

because these prints are just gorgeous.

Quite like that wee mirror as well.

Have a look. Is it velvet?Yeah.

Oh, yeah. Well, I'm a sucker for that, you know.

Yeah, that's right as rain.I know.

I will make no apologies for this.

I'm an absolute sucker for anything that's got velvet on it.

It's just the most delicious texture,

and when you get it on a mirror,

you get it in that lovely green colour,

you know, oh... I just thought, "Yeah, gonna have that."

Depends how much it is.

£75.Mmm...

Viki works in a way of "it's in", "it's a little bit," and "it's out the door",

but, like, en masse, you know, just...

For me, that's £50. STEVE: If you could do £60...

Do you know what? £60.

Go on, then. Yeah. Thank you. Done. Thank you.

Steve, his stuff's great, but we're working at prices

where he's making 20 quid and I'm making 20 quid

and it's just... You know, we're dealing the same way.

So it was quite tricky at points,

but the little mirror cost me £60.

You know, it'll go in the shop, it'll probably be, like, £80-£85,

but I don't care. I absolutely love it.

I like him. Look at that.

Look at my massive laugh-y head. That's brilliant. Look.

It suits you. It does suit you, actually.

It's remarkably, er... It's to scale.

No, it's actually smiling, and it's got hair,

so it's nothing like you. (ALL LAUGH)

Thank you.

Love that.

Where did you get it from, Steve? I got that from a seller, and it was an old cinema.

It's painted on hardboard.

I think it's made in the late 1960s

to the mid-'70s, somewhere around that area.

I think it's shop advertising of some sort,

and it's just a bit...

It's a bit intimidating and it's a little bit fun at the same time.

I rate that. I think it's good.

What can you do?

What's on it?£225.

Do £150?No, I couldn't.

NARRATOR: In Worcestershire, Drew and Viki are exploring

a newly established joint venture by two experienced dealers...

Oh, this is a cool wee shed.

...and Drew's trying not to lose his head

over a striking piece of mid-20th-century advertising art.

DREW: £225. Do £150? STEVE: No, I couldn't.

I'd have to just... To me, that'd be £200.

Can you hold it for a second?Yeah.

Do you want it there, or...? Oh, that's better.(ALL LAUGH)

Yeah, go on. It's great fun.

Don't see how you can go wrong with it.Marvellous.

The thing I love to buy more than anything is art.

Art impacts a room like nothing else.

So that, for a couple of hundred quid,

on a wall in a downstairs loo, kitchen, or kids' bedroom will look great.

This...STEVE: Yes.

Where on earth did you get that?

It's matchsticks, isn't it? Yes. Well...

I got a phone call, farmer, quite a while ago now,

and he said, "This has been in my attic,"

and apparently the chap came out of prison

and he gave him work on the farm

and he said he did that in prison and he gave it to the farmer.

There's one thing immediately which catches my eye,

and I'm having a hard time ignoring it,

and it's a matchstick model of a church.

And I love this sort of thing.

Anything which is untrained artists, folk art of any age -

it could be made last week and be folk art.

There's a naivete and a charm

in the, sort of, primitive nature of these things that I love.

Is that a clock mechanism in there? STEVE: It's music.Music?

(MUSIC-BOX CHIMING INSIDE MODEL)

STEVE: And the roof comes off as well.

VIKI: Oh, wait, there's a light as well.

Oh, my God, it's actually fitted out. Look at that.

Apparently it was about 80,000-odd matches.

Eighty thousand?Yeah.

What sort of stretch was he in for?

A long one. That's what I was going to say.

The guy who made that, he's done a remarkable job.

The signboard outside, little bits of glass for the windows...

It's also got a little wind-up music box in there playing Silent Night.

And this is an incredible example of this weird art.

"Prison art made in 1971 by an inmate.

"English Church. £385."

How much can it be?

STEVE: You're not gonna like this.

What are you asking? £385? That's the price, yeah.

£385?Yeah, I'm not budging. Yeah.

Thanks very much. Thank you.Wonderful.

Steve says there's no discount.

I'll shake the man's hand. It's... Yeah.

We've done really well. It's just a wonderful thing.

It's everything about this business I love.

It makes no sense at all.

It's got its own wonderment and beauty about it.

Did I buy one of these off you before?I think you did, actually.

Let's see.Dental teaching aid.

"T. Gerrard and Company.

"Biologist, naturalist models, chemicals, apparatus."

48 quid.48, 45, yeah.

Thanks, mate. Thank you. Marvellous.

NARRATOR: The work of a 20th-century maker

of biological and anatomical models,

this super-size human jaw is made from plaster,

and would have been used to train dentistry students.

Now a macabre decorative relic,

Drew thinks it could be worth around £100.

Right, I'm done. Shall we go and do some paperwork?

And then we do need to do a bit of lifting.No problem at all. Right, let's do it.

So, today at Vintage Forever, what a brilliant day.

We kicked off with that great pair of 19th-century urns,

then I bought that church. That's what I love.

Love that sort of thing. It's a bit of lunacy, in some respects,

and for under 400 quid, I was very, very happy to own it.

I was very, very pleased with what I bought. Very pleased.

Actually, I did well, too. You did.Yeah.

They're very buyable, you know? Yeah.It's very, very buyable.

There's one particularly good buy, I think.

What was that? My matchstick church.

I love that, I love it, and Steve knew I'd like that.

He knew straight away and he said, "No discount."

I don't blame him. He knew I was going to buy that. It's right up my street.

Absolutely bang-on.

With some extraordinary buys at the week's first location,

next stop is 125 miles northeast

in south Yorkshire,

where another old contact of Drew's

is attempting something new with his business.

So, today we are off to Sheffield to Chimo Holdings

to meet a guy called Chris, who I met seven or eight years ago

when he had his original factory based in Sheffield.

They're still doing the same thing, so it's very bespoke.

Cutlery, tableware - it's all handmade,

and Chris and his crew, particularly Chris,

have got a very wonderful attitude towards keeping this trade going.

So, if you've already been in, why are we going back?

He's moved. Oh, he's moved. Right, okay.

He's moved to a different location. Much bigger factory.

So he said, "When you're in the area, come back,"

so I thought we'll have a... Have a look....a look about.

Like Rome,

the city of Sheffield is said to have been built on seven hills.

It was water flowing downhill in no less than five local rivers

which provided power to operate blast furnaces,

which in the 19th century helped create

the stainless-steel capital of the world.

Today the city's world-class cutlery-making continues

at Chimo Holdings,

run by second-generation cutlery-maker Chris Hudson.

We make very traditional Sheffield products

like cutlery, gallery trays, giftware.

Sheffield became the cutlery centre, really, for the world.

Unfortunately it's not that any more,

but some of us are still here

keeping the traditional high quality.

So, we're looking forward to seeing Drew,

and I think Viki's coming with him.

When he came before, he discovered some things,

and, of course, we've moved since then,

so when you move from an old factory

all sorts of things come to light that you didn't realise you had there,

and so we've got some other interesting things to show him

that have come to light since we moved.

Hello...Hello. ...again. How are you?Yes.

Hi.I'm very well. Nice to see you again.And you.

Welcome to Chimo again. Thank you.

That...Yes. That's something...

That was on your staircase. It was.

I tried to buy that last time. Great thing, isn't it?It is.

There's a history of Sheffield in that cupboard.

So, is it still not for sale?No. And it shouldn't be, really.

It belongs here, doesn't it? Yeah.Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Sheffield is the heart of the British steel industry.

We've been here numerous times.

They have this wonderful, wonderful history,

and the main thing is they make something here

which is the best in the world.

Knives, cutlery, forks, steel - all of the things that come out of here, it's the best.

So, there's an interesting stool here

in the fact that it is a cutler's stool,

but it has four legs where traditionally they would only have...

Three....three legs. It is unusual, having four legs and that ring turn.

The ring-turn ones are Sheffield.

Chamfer-cut ones are the jewellery quarter of Birmingham.

So, these stools are... They're interesting,

and they're part of this English industrial furniture that I've always championed.

They're in a taste from the 18th century, more, their look.

Made in the 19th century or even the early 20th, to be honest,

in this style. If it ain't broke, why would you fix it?

Now, stylistically,

that purity makes them very attractive.

From at least as far back as the late 18th century,

cutlery-makers, or "cutlers",

would make themselves sturdy but portable workshop seats,

sometimes using an offcut of timber from their own work-bench.

Although there are some regional traditions,

two stools were rarely identical,

so every surviving example has a unique character.

Drew thinks this one made from ash and elm

could be worth around £200.

Can I bid you on the stool? Yep.£100.

Okay. You got a deal.

Thank you very much. I really like it.

So, sold loads of these stools. I really like them.

All the different variations,

all the ones from the different regions, styles, conditions, colours...

And they're not lots and lots of money, you know,

but also there's not lots of them out there for sale.

Right, so... So, Chris, what are these?

These are all the dies and tools that we...

How we make cutlery.

This machine is probably one of the most valuable parts,

'cause this is how you make a spoon, is you have to cross-roll it.

That's the thickness of the shank,

and that's the thickness of the bowl.

Some of the machinery is, like, 100 years old,

and they still use it.

Some of the knives, apparently, go through 23 different processes

to come out with a finished product,

and honestly, the fact that they're still doing it like this...

I could spend all day here on every piece of equipment,

getting them to show me how it works.

Phil is making them now.

Right, these are the slips that we start with.

The width is determined by the pattern that's going on it.

So, to cross-roll, I go on here,

which is then going to be the bowl area.

It's quite quick, particularly on this, because it's only copper.

If it were stainless, it'd take longer.

There we go.That's very quick.

And it does have a bit of warmth.

Yeah, is it hot? Wow.

So, that, now, that'll go into these presses here?

Yes, you'll use the appropriate clipping tool

to clip out the shape...

Like that.Like that.Yeah.

...and then after that, if it's having a pattern on,

it'll have the pattern put on and then it'll be bowled

and then file, polish......spoon.

Still handmade. Just love it that they're still handmade. Yeah.That's great.

So, what's next?

Right, well, we've got a shed outside

full of things to show you,

so that's more Phil's domain, so come on, Phil.

Yep.You open up for us, and we'll go and have a look.

Chris says, "Look, we've got some storage on-site here,"

and this is like a dumping ground for all sorts.

Some scaffolding and roof bars and all sorts of stuff.

That's quite a fun thing.

There's quite a few of these old chairs here.

Yep.Sort of smoker's bows, this type of stuff.

They're the most comfortable chair...That's mine.

...that you can possibly buy. I love them. Think they're great.

Do me a favour. Can we just put them back to back?

Right. They look all right, actually.

There you go. Pair.

NARRATOR: A sturdier and more homely version of a Windsor chair,

the smoker's bow is said to be named

because the curved bow of the arm-rest,

fashioned by steaming the timber, is the perfect height

to rest the elbow when smoking a pipe.

Possibly from the 19th century,

this pair, made from oak and elm, are in good condition.

Viki thinks they could be worth around £350.

Personally, I'm happy at £150 for the pair.

NARRATOR: Drew and Viki are inside a Sheffield factory

where things are done the old way.

Still handmade. I just love that they're handmade.Yeah.

And in a storage shed, Viki's discovered not one

but a pair of late 19th-century smoker's bow chairs.

Personally, I'm happy at £150 for the pair.

Okay, then we'll do a deal on them.

Deal?Deal.

That's a very strong bid. I'd take the money.Thank you.

We put them back to back. They were right.

They've not been cut down. They were in good condition. There's no repairs.

I'm actually really happy.

I've not had a pair of those in a long time.

There's a table base there... The glass top's there.I like that.

So, it's a Danish rosewood veneer,

very stylish, glass top.

Flip it over, it's got a Danish maker underneath it.

We're in. It's great.

This is exactly what we want. It just comes down to price.

£100?Yeah.Deal.

I think he did well with that coffee table.

It's got a ticket on it. It's a Scandinavian designer.

It's in good condition.

It's got a good look about it. I think he's gonna do really well, actually.

I quite like this little cactus-looking affair.

Yeah, that's got a good look.

Would you be willing to let that go?Yeah.

The problem is I'm not gonna be able to offer you that much for it,

'cause realistically it's not got much age about it,

and it's... Yeah...

What do you call "not much"? £40.

Done.Perfect. How much?40 quid.

When we first walked in,

there was something that caught my eye right away,

which was this sort of cactus-shaped mid-century coat-stand.

And I had a better look at it and, yeah, do you know what?

It's the type of thing I can sell.

Quite style-y, actually. I quite like it.

What do you think, Drew? I like them. Great fun.

Here.They'd match your silk pyjamas.

Would you sell them?Yeah.

Again, not much value to them. Do you want a tenner for the bag?

She's overpaid for the chairs, so everything now is a bonus.

That's 50 with the stand.

Yeah, I'll take them. Thank you.

Oh, you got loads. There's just five of them,

but you know what? They're really sweet.

Is that five for £10? You just sold them.You sold them.

You went too quick. I thought it was only two.

And do you know what? Look at the bag.

Look at that old bag.

Don't you dare call me that on camera.

(ALL LAUGHING)

You cheeky thing.

There is such a fine line

between a vintage lampshade

that should stay in Granny's house

and then, if it tips this way,

it's got a little something about it,

and those ones actually do.

They will come in, be photographed, and going out in half an hour.

Another day at Chimo Holdings with Chris,

and you couldn't make it up, could you? A cutler's stool

and a mid-century - well, 1970s - coffee table.

They both have an appeal.

They're both very saleable. I haven't spent a lot of money.

I think Viki's going to make more money than me.

She bought well.

You know, I've had periods in the time when I've been dealing

that I used to sell a lot of old cutlery,

and I thought, "I'll come here and that's what I'll go away with."

But, no, I got chairs,

and I got a coat-stand and some lampshades,

and it looks like today the cutlery's staying here

and chairs are coming home with me.

So, Chimo Holdings. Chris.

Good day.

Fun.Oh, my God, that place was amazing.

I could... I could go back there just to have a mooch about

and see how every single machine is used. I love it.

Isn't that amazing? You can go to a company that say,

"We make the best one of these in the world."Yeah.

That's... That's always quite something.

But did you notice there was a lot of young lads there?

Apprenticeships.No, but you did.

NARRATOR: From Sheffield it's 140 miles northwest

to the next stop, another new venture

with the potential for more great buying.

Well, today we are off to see Helen and Steve...Yeah.

at Smith & James Interiors.

Okay.Got a bit going on on socials.

Got barns by their house,

so I thought, "Do you know what? I may as well pop in and see them." Happy days.

Look, look, look. Castle Greystoke.

Tarzan's house.Really?

Tarzan's house. There's not many trees around it.

Always with the negative waves. (GIGGLES)

The Cumbrian village of Greystoke is dwarfed by its local castle.

Sitting in 6,000-acre grounds,

it was immortalised by author Edgar Rice Burroughs

as the ancestral home of Tarzan,

whose parents Lord and Lady Greystoke died in equatorial Africa,

leaving him to be adopted by apes.

Today the village is the starting point

for another tale of daring adventure -

a new decorative-antiques business

set up by novice dealers Helen Smith and Steve Turner.

We were building, weren't we, in the building trade,

and enjoyed the interior design side of it,

so we wanted to do something different,

and it kind of works, doesn't it?

STEVE: Well, I suppose, as well,

we build, sort of, high-end, very specific houses,

so we were doing a Georgian house or an Arts and Crafts.

We'd go rooting and buy...Yeah. ...you know, like, fire surrounds...

(INDISTINCT)...banisters or things to incorporate to make it seem really authentic.

So we sort of started that and then haven't stopped.

We've not met Drew or Viki, have we?

No, but very much looking forward to it,

particularly the chance to meet Drew.

I'll be really trying my best to pick his brains and learn something,

'cause having done it just two years and a bit,

we're wet behind the ears still.

Hello.Hi.How you doing?

Hello, doggie.How you doing?

Drew.Nice to meet you. Helen. Hiya, Helen.

Nice to meet you. Hi, hello. I'm Viki.

This is Rory. Hello, buddy. Hello.Hiya.

Right, well, thanks for having us.

Can we get started, have a look around?

Yeah, you get in there. Oh, thank you.

There's lots of stuff for you, Vik.

God, there's loads of stuff in here.

You can just leave me in here. Just close the door. You can go away.

So, are you open to the public?

Only by appointment. By appointment.Yeah.

It's always good to have new blood in the trade, always,

and they've set themselves up with all these...

They look like little cottages,

and they've got them set up as individual showrooms,

and it works, works a treat.

Everything is in ready-to-go condition,

clean, ready to sell.

This sort of set-up, in the middle of beautiful countryside,

outdoor barns, beautiful house,

it's a perfect dealer set-up, to be honest,

and I don't like to use the word "envy",

but let's just say I'd love this.

That's a nice wee thing. Why do I like that?

That's a Gillows. That's really pretty, isn't it?

STEVE: Stamped as well. Oh, is it?Yeah.

Where is it stamped? The drawer?

The first drawer down, I think, on the right.

There.Pretty, isn't it?

It's got nice panels on the end. I like that sort of detail.

Well, Gillows, it's one of the better makers, to be perfectly honest with you.

Nice work, you know, some of it exceptionally good.Yeah.

They really... They really did a nice job.

We get a lot of it here, 'cause, obviously, from Lancaster. Lancaster, yeah.

There was one little ebonised cabinet

at the left-hand side that I just...

I just fell for it right away.

I was trying to weigh it up in my head.

"Do I like it because I think it'd be good for the shop,

"or do I like it just because I like it?",

and it was definitely a mixture of both with that little cabinet,

but in all honesty...

...I just loved it off the bat.

NARRATOR: In the early 18th century

when English cabinet-makers began to benefit from cheap mahogany

harvested by enslaved people in the West Indies,

a joiner from Lancaster called Robert Gillow

bought a share in a ship called the Bridget,

which he used to import mahogany directly for his workshop.

The Gillows company's reputation for quality grew,

and this compact 19th-century decorative cabinet

is typical of their craftsmanship.

Sold in Viki's shop, it could fetch around £650.

How much you asking for that?

I was hoping to get near 500 quid for it,

but I don't know if I'm dreaming or not.Would £400 buy it?

Could you get a bit more?

£425? I'd get a little bit of a drink out of it then.Yeah.

Course I can.Is that all right?

Nice one.Thank you.It's nice.

So, right off the bat, good buy.

Quality item. Money left in it.

I thought, "Yeah." You know when you've got your first buy under your belt,

and you're happy with it, you're on for a good day.

Ooh, that's nice.

STEVE: Look at its bent legs. That's what we liked.

Yeah, well, somebody's sanded it.

(SIGHS) You can literally see the sander marks on the leg.

Oh, yeah.

(SIGHS) Oh, well, that's that ruined.

I spotted that, as well, with the "Glasgow" on it.Yeah.

What's "S.C.W.S."? Do you know that, in Glasgow?No.

STEVE: They must have carried silver in it, 'cause it's padded inside.

This is a box that you would have shipped, I think,

like, a big shield in or a big tray.

It hasn't got a locking facility on it, but it's got a soft interior,

for moving something so you don't scratch it.

We're never gonna really know,

but 19th century - very late, but 19th century -

and it does have that Glasgow address on the front of it.

Viki's in Edinburgh, not a million miles away.

Let's not be daft. Get that bought pronto.

NARRATOR: The "S.C.W.S." on this packing case

stands for the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society,

which was set up in 1868 to act as wholesalers,

supplying everything from fish to shoes to metalwork

to the many co-operative societies across Scotland at the time.

Though its original purpose is unclear,

Viki thinks the social history and nostalgic value of the S.C.W.S.

could mean this case is worth around £300.

It'll probably be down to money, I think.

How much is it?One and a half.

NARRATOR: At a stunning new antiques venture in Cumbria,

Viki's spotted a case full of Scottish provenance

that could be ideal for her new shop.

DREW: How much is it? STEVE: One and a half.

Oh, I quite like it. I think you'd turn a profit on it.

With the Glasgow thing, I think it's great.

Yeah, I know, I know, I know. It's fab.

Do you know what?

I'm not even gonna chip you. I'll buy it. £150.

I was gonna chip you, but that's mean.

Now, I was on the fence a little bit about it,

just because I like to have stock in the shop

that is useful and decorative,

and it has to, sort of, cover quite a few bases,

and I was looking at it and it's a bit tall for a side table.

You can't put it at the end of the bed, or use it for a coffee table.

What could you actually do at it?

But it just kept whispering to me, kept going...

..."Glasgow, Glasgow," and I thought, "I've got to buy it."

That's actually a handy bookcase up there, as well.

They reckon it's by that quite famous joiner from Kendal,

mid-century guy. Drew might know his name.

Is it Simpson's?Simpson's? Yeah.Yeah.

Really?That's what we bought it as, but there's no name.Could be, yeah.

I need bookcases, like, every single week.

I pay my rent with bookcases,

simple oak or pine bookcases,

and that's right up my street.

It looks, sort of, early 20th century,

you know, 1910, something like that.

Borderline Art Deco kind of look.

How much is the bookcase?

Is it worth a one-er to you? 100 quid?

Yeah, it is, actually. I'll take that.Good.Thank you.

People are becoming a little bit more interested in oak

and furniture from, I would say, the early 20th century,

because it's good-quality furniture,

and I think the mid-century stuff which was really hot for a while,

some of the quality of the mid-century stuff

is average at very best, in all honesty.

This is a 100-year-old handmade piece of furniture.

It blows my mind.

Can we have a look at the stuff in the house?Come on.

Oh, thank you.Come in.

Oh, God, this is lovely. Oh, what a fab place.

Did you build this? BOTH: Yes.Did you?

Wonderful.

We drove up and I went, "Oh, wow. This is great."

Then I get into the house and I go, "Oh, my God, this is really great,"

because you can totally tell that they've been builders in the past.

It's just, yeah, really cool.

God, this is another cool room.

Wow. I love that.

Love that little bench there. Yeah, that's a sweet thing.

Tell me about this.

Yeah, well, we bought that privately from a local house.

I mean, she said it was a luggage bench,

so you'd put your suitcase on it.

Yeah, I don't think so. Oh, I've just spotted a label.

Ooh.Not seen that before.

That paper label there was an inventory number...

Oh, okay....for either storage or a larger house,

so it's come from a nice, big old house.That's great.

There's a very small, low oak bench, very late 19th century,

good-looking thing, really faded,

worn original finish to it.

Bang-on, absolutely fab. I want to own that.

So, what do you want for that? Well, I had it on at £165...Okay.

...but, I mean, I could do it for less.

Erm, let's see. £140?

Yeah, that'd be fine. Is that all right? Thank you.

I'll take that.Good. It's nice. The colour's lovely.

A beautiful, inexpensive piece that would just work anywhere.

Whatever age of house you put that into, it's gonna work.

We need to start loading all your gear on the van.

Yeah, all your gear, Viki.

(ALL LAUGH)That's easy. Thank you very much.Yeah.Pleasure.

We'll go and sort some money out. Brilliant. Thank you. Great.

I've loved it today with Helen and Steve.

Everything that I've bought today,

good bread-and-butter stock for the shop, but without a doubt

my favourite buy of the day

is the little ebonised cabinet.

First thing I spotted, first thing I asked about,

first thing I bought, and it's my favourite.

I think for us, we're pleased that they found some items.

I think the things they found, too...

Certainly what we do is decorative interiors.

We wouldn't dare call ourselves genuine antique-dealers.

They found nice, decorative pieces, so...Mmm.

I think the Gillows piece, that's been a while.

That's a proper antique. Yeah, it is a proper antique.

Had it for a bit...Yeah. ...so glad to get shot.

No, not "get shot of it". It's nice. It's gone to a new home.

I thought today was great.

Cracking day. Lovely people.

You did well there, very well.

Gillows cabinet for under 500 quid? Yeah, I thought that.

Thank you very much.

NARRATOR: The van may be bursting with pieces

ready to add the finishing touches

to Viki's own new venture back in Edinburgh,

but the dilapidated former butchery still has a long way to go

before it's ready for those finishing touches.

I've just had three Luton-van-fuls of stock dropped off,

and... yeah, it's chaos, to be quite honest,

but this is how I want it,

because what we've been doing is we've been looking at every bit of stock,

and taking photographs for the website,

and just feeling our way with the space and with the shop.

When I first got the keys,

the look of the shop and how it was

was how I wanted it to remain,

but we couldn't use it as a shop

because it had no electrics, the plumbing wasn't in...

We've had painters in, we've had a lot of work done,

we've had the floor cleaned. Let's be honest here, you know?

I'm moving to a big shop - this is 2,200 square feet -

in Edinburgh.

I'm not messing about here. This is a big deal.

This is all gonna be cleared out

so that we can get a really good display going on here,

'cause these ceramic bricks are just amazing.

They've been cleaned from top to bottom

and I am absolutely delighted.

And then we're through to the main room,

which is a work in progress.

I've got this back wall lit

just because I think it just is a feature,

right from the front of the shop just looking right down.

So, this is going to be an amazing space

to be able to, like, highlight really cool bits.

So, this, on first inspection,

just looks like a corner of the shop,

but this is the money-maker, if I'm being honest.

This area photographs so beautifully.

We've got the natural light coming in.

I've got these amazing old doors

that have got, sort of, old blue paint on the outside.

We can have them open and we can use it as a backdrop.

So, yeah, this is a great area,

and the lighting is just perfect.

NARRATOR: Hundreds of items now have to find their place

in the new space,

including some that are fresh off the van.

I'm sort of feeling that this corner,

it might work well with the lighting.

There we go.

I think that's quite sweet there.

In all honesty, I don't think it'll be here very long,

so I won't have to carry it all the way out

from the back of the shop.

It'll just be from here into a car

and on to its new owner.

Yeah, this area is not allowed any stock that's gonna be here

for any longer than two weeks.

Right, this old "jewellery department" box.

Everybody's gonna want to know about it,

so what I'm doing is I really think it needs to be highlighted,

so I'm hoping if I put it on the back wall here,

it's gonna draw people over to it to have a look at it,

and then it'll sell itself from there.

You know, what's absolutely ridiculous is I'm standing here

cleaning and polishing our mid-century coat-stand.

I've literally got an entire 2,200-square-foot shop to set up,

and what am I doing? I'm standing cleaning this.

I am absolutely not putting it off whatsoever.

Opening day is now only two weeks away,

and it's unlikely to be a low-key affair.

This is my fourth shop,

and I've never had a grand opening to any of them.

I've just filled them with stock, opened the doors,

and invited people to come in.

This time I want a grand opening, and I'm organising it,

and this will be going to the wire.

I'll be hoovering at 4:00 in the morning

before the opening party.

I know Drew's coming up for the opening.

He's gonna say, "Oh, you could move this, you could do that,"

and he's going to get involved.

I know that's what he's gonna do, but that's fine.

Why wouldn't I take his advice on having a shop?

His shop was the best shop,

best retail environment that's out there,

so why wouldn't I take his advice?

And then when he's not here, I'll just change it back.

(GIGGLES) I don't want to hurt his feelings.

subtitles by Deluxe