DEAL OF DELIGHTS

POSSIBLY the highest-stakes antiques and collectables show on telly – it certainly knocks the likes of Dickinson’s Real Deal into a cocked hat – returns for a new run, with property developer and presenter Sarah Beeny returning to the presenting role.

Among this week’s items at the unusual silent auction are art, antiques and vintage duds, and the dealers hoping to snatch them up are Celia Sawyer, Raj Bisram, Alex Proud and David Sonnenthal.

For the uninitiated, the format is a relatively simple one: a seller shows off his or her most prized item. The four potential buyers then retreat to the rooms of the title, where they will be visited one at a time by the seller.

Each makes a cash offer, from their own personal fortune, but the decision taken in that room is final – if the seller turns down a generous offer in the first room, they can’t return if subsequent bids fail to meet their expectations.

It’s tense, and that’s what appeals most about the show. These are big-money deals, and the visitors have to be shrewd if they are to make the most of their treasures. In what order should they see the dealers, should they haggle, and for how long should they hold out?

While the daytime shows of a similar ilk might see items going for hundreds of pounds, it’s not unusual to find the goods on offer here fetching hundreds of thousands. In an early episode, one pair of sellers even turned down a quarter of a million for a two-tonne wall (granted it did feature a Banksy mural) despite that representing a more than healthy £210,000 profit for the duo.

The other reason that the show is so compelling is the curios themselves. In the past everything from Kate Middleton’s old car to Hitler’s old khazi have passed through the dealers. This week’s items include a few unexpected gems, too – including a book in which artist Damien Hirst has doodled, an enormous antique Chinese cabinet and some rare vintage Versace clothing.

Another lot up for grabs – at the right price, of course – which has the quartet particularly excited tonight is a fine collection of Andy Warhol pop art.

However, proving that sometimes it’s the stories behind the pieces which is truly important, there’s a set of wartime jewellery for sale with a fascinating history – a tale which has the four experts captivated.

This all goes to demonstrate it’s not always all about the money. As auction house owner Raj says: “To me it doesn’t matter if you make £1 or £10,000 on a deal, I still get the same excitement. I love doing the deal”.

Art dealer Alex, meanwhile, is sanguine about his prospects: “Knowledge is power in Four Rooms. I need to know those dealers better than they know themselves. Just like in a game of poker, I will beat them”.