麻豆约拍

Nigel Havers welcomes sellers of collectibles and curiosities to the Bidding Room's home in Edinburgh, where they ply their wares to five dealers.

The first seller is Cath, with a 1950s miniature sewing machine that has been in storage for over 33 years. Gifted to her by a neighbour, Cath has always assumed it was a child鈥檚 machine, but the miniature sewing apparatus was manufactured in the 40s and 50s for table-top finishing tasks. Will former fashion designer Jon, or any of the dealers, be able to sew up a good deal on the machine?

Next in is Louis, hoping to dazzle the dealers with a box of treasure he uncovered at an antiques shop in Yorkshire. The canteen of cutlery amounts to over two kilos of solid silver, and former butler Simon is impressed by the quality of the early 19th-century set. Louis wants to get a good price for the cutlery, so will the dealers be serving up some big bids today?

Third in to Edinburgh HQ, and hoping to rewrite history, are Nathaniel and his partner Yasmin. Nathaniel鈥檚 dad has tried, and failed, to sell in the room before, and Nathaniel reckons they can do better this time with a wartime accordion. In front of the dealers, they鈥檙e ready to gather in some high banknotes.

John is next, with a collection that鈥檚 followed him from the Netherlands. The gingerbread moulds have been decorating John鈥檚 home for 50 years, but the time has come to move them on. Will John鈥檚 wife鈥檚 secret gingerbread recipe help to sweeten the deal?

Finally, it鈥檚 a familiar face, retired accountant Cathy. She鈥檚 sold in the room before on behalf of a friend, but today she鈥檚 trading for herself, with a pair of impressive ledgers. She鈥檚 also selling historic etchings of Edinburgh to make up a job lot that depicts both Victorian and wartime Scotland, and she鈥檚 hoping the dealers will balance the books with some healthy bids.

The dealers today are Ian, Jon, Viki, Jacqui, Melissa and JB.