Izzie Balmer’s auction margins decide a razor-close Antiques Road Trip win
Why this episode matters: izzie balmer and her partner finished an east-coast leg where a handful of small gains and losses — not blockbuster sales — determined who came out ahead. The tally highlights how marginal returns on everyday curios can reshape a collector face-off, and it underlines which categories felt the pinch first: mid-century crockery and fountain-pen–adjacent items. The practical takeaway is immediate for bidders and amateur dealers watching the show.
Izzie Balmer’s returns — small numbers, big effect
The episode’s leaderboard was decided by low-value swings rather than headline lots. Here’s the part that matters: a single mid-sized win and a tiny novelty sale moved the needle more than any disappointing high hopes. This episode put a premium on picking consistently recoverable items rather than chasing rare glamour pieces.
Auction results and item-by-item rundown
The experts spent the second leg of their journey along the east coast, scouring Lincolnshire and visiting spots described as an Aladdin’s cave and a former pub as part of their buying route. They also took time to ride on a former troop transport that had helped bring potatoes to market in the region. The pair then took their purchases to auction; below are the distinct purchase and sale outcomes from that session.
| Expert | Item | Paid | Sold for | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Izzie Balmer | First lot (unnamed) | unclear in the provided context | unclear in the provided context | £1 profit |
| Mark Hill | Mid-century crockery set | £18 | £10 | £8 loss |
| Mark Hill | Art Deco photo frame | £20 | £40 | £20 profit |
| Mark Hill | Golden parrot-shaped ink pot | £50 | £55 | £5 profit |
| Izzie Balmer | Clown figurine | unclear in the provided context | unclear in the provided context | £2 loss |
| Mark Hill | Victorian bottle | £85 | £110 | £25 profit |
| Izzie Balmer | Green vase (final lot) | unclear in the provided context | unclear in the provided context | £24 profit |
| Mark Hill | Miniature toothpick (final piece) | unclear in the provided context | unclear in the provided context | £28 profit |
Notes: some purchase prices and sale prices for certain lots are unclear in the provided context; the listed profit/loss figures are the distinct outcomes given. Observers on the day commented that fountain pens and related items did not attract strong interest.
Tension at the hammer and a trenchant reaction
At auction, Izzie described her opening lot dismissively as something of low value after it only produced a £1 gain. Mark endured a poor showing for his crockery set and reacted sharply to the lacklustre bidding, offering a cutting remark aimed at the crowd and then immediately softening that remark. After a series of mixed results he nevertheless celebrated several better outcomes later in the session.
Final totals and the narrow victory
Both experts started the episode with a £200 bank. After auction fees were applied, izzie balmer finished with a modest loss of £9. 10p. Mark ended with a slightly smaller loss of £4 and was declared the episode winner. He later quipped that the miniature toothpick played an outsized role in the result, underlining how small-ticket items proved decisive.
Mark joined the show in 2022, and on this outing he showed both frustration and resilience as bids fell short and recovered across the afternoon.
Impacted groups and forward signals: viewers who follow buying strategies, amateur dealers, and weekend bidders will find the episode’s pattern instructive — consistent small-margin wins can outpace sporadic disappointment. If subsequent episodes again hinge on modest gains for ordinary objects, that will confirm this episode was part of a wider pattern rather than an isolated close-call.
It's easy to overlook, but the arithmetic of small profits and fees often dictates outcomes more reliably than single standout sales; that was the recurring motif in this Lincolnshire leg.
Episodes of the series are available to stream online through a major streaming platform mentioned during coverage of the programme.
