0:00:31 > 0:00:37This week we're near Snowdonia - a land of mountains and myths,
0:00:37 > 0:00:43romance and railways, shimmering lakes and wild, wild water.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49The National White Water Centre is a major attraction,
0:00:49 > 0:00:55not far from the town of Bala, whose name means "outflow of a river from a lake" -
0:00:55 > 0:00:59in this case Wales's largest natural lake, Llyn Tegid.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06Strangely enough, Bala was founded by the English in the 14th century
0:01:06 > 0:01:09to keep the unruly Welsh in order -
0:01:09 > 0:01:14not a total success. And it's now known as "Calon Gynnes Cymru",
0:01:14 > 0:01:17which means "a warm heart of Wales".
0:01:17 > 0:01:19THEY SPEAK WELSH
0:01:21 > 0:01:25The Welsh language is melodic, but to outsiders impenetrable,
0:01:25 > 0:01:30and in this area it's spoken by 90% of the population.
0:01:30 > 0:01:36Heave a brick from Bala High Street, and you'll find what looks like a prehistoric stone circle.
0:01:36 > 0:01:43But it's less than 40 years old, and marks the proclamation spot of the 1967 National Eisteddfod.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48The idea was inspired by a mystical moment from a festival in Carmarthen
0:01:48 > 0:01:54when a Welsh poet whipped 12 pebbles from his pocket and placed them in a circle on the ground.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Wales was at the forefront of the Nonconformist movement.
0:02:00 > 0:02:06Mighty chapels sprang up everywhere, and Bibles were brought in by the truckload.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Methodist leader Thomas Charles preached to thousands in Bala,
0:02:10 > 0:02:16and was a pioneer of both the Sunday School movement and the Bible Society.
0:02:16 > 0:02:22Given the Methodists' insistence on temperance, it's surprising that the area had its own distillery
0:02:22 > 0:02:25making Welsh whisky, and here's the proof -
0:02:25 > 0:02:28well, 70% proof, anyway!
0:02:30 > 0:02:37RJ Lloyd Price, who built the distillery, also instigated the first ever sheepdog trial.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42In 2002, Bala hosted the first World Sheepdog Championships,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46and it was a Welsh Shepherd who emerged as top dog.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51We're holding today's Roadshow at the Penllyn Leisure Centre, across the lake,
0:02:51 > 0:02:56but, whatever comes our way, I don't think our experts will see anything as rare as THIS.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58It's a gwyniad,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02and it's found only in Llyn Tegid, and it's a protected species.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Whether it's nice with chips - we'll never know!
0:03:06 > 0:03:09So, the time has come to dive in.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12- Have you some other pieces?- Yes.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16- Where do you keep him? - Well, I keep it in the best room.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19- In the best room?- Yes. - How long have you had him?
0:03:19 > 0:03:22- Um, a few years.- A few years.- Yes.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27- I think it's French. - The name is Delphin Massier.- Yeah.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30He was a potter working at Golfe-Juan in France,
0:03:30 > 0:03:35and, in fact, that's where Picasso went, and did HIS ceramics,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38but rather later than this.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42This dates back to the turn of the 19th-20th century -
0:03:42 > 0:03:45about 1895-1900.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49And, in fact, this is right at the end of the Aesthetic movement
0:03:49 > 0:03:53when we were so influenced throughout Europe by Japan,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and, indeed, all Oriental things.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00You know, we've got a section of bamboo here,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03probably made to take, um, either peacock feathers...
0:04:03 > 0:04:08- or, possibly, you put reeds...- Yes. - ..bulrushes, grasses...
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- Yes.- ..something like that in this hollow in the back.- Yes.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17It's made of a material called faience.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21Now, faience is a tin-glazed earthenware.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23It started in Italy as majolica,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26then spread up to Germany and France as faience,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30and we know it in this country, and in Holland, as Delftware.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35It's an earthenware body with a tin glaze - a tin-oxide glaze -
0:04:35 > 0:04:40- on which you can put these brilliant coloured glazes.- Yes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- And this is lead glaze...- Oh.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46..which are banned now because the lead's poisonous,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49but in these days you could use it,
0:04:49 > 0:04:54- and it enables you to get this wonderful coloration...- Yes.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59..which you can't do today. They're not as bright or as violent
0:04:59 > 0:05:03- as it is in the case of his comb there.- Yes.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06I think it's a splendid thing -
0:05:06 > 0:05:10very decorative - exactly the sort of thing which is in fashion.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Massier's got a good name.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17I could see this easily making £2,000 to £3,000 at auction.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Really very nice.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23I've no Welsh, but I am learning Spanish
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- because I've got a...- Oh? - ..a Mexican son-in-law.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31- Yeah.- My wife spent a year in South America. So, looking at this,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35it says the centenary of a colony - a Welsh colony in Chubut...
0:05:35 > 0:05:41- Yes.- ..which is Patagonia, isn't it?- Chubut is a small place in Patagonia.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- A small place in Patagonia?- Yeah.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49- What is the connection - 1865-1965? - Because the people went over.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54- Michael D Jones and the...- Was the person who appears on the...
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- On the teapot and the kettle.- Yes.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59First, Lewis Jones went over and see the places,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03- and said it's a nice place to take Welsh people over.- Yes.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07And, er, they make friends with the Indians -
0:06:07 > 0:06:12Tehuelche. Tehuelches are very good Indians.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17They show the Welsh people how to catch the animals and things like that.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20And he then funded it from Bala?
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- Yes.- Yes?- He used to live in Bala.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28- And you clearly lived out there, and you now live here?- I born there.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Michael Jones - these are commemorative plates.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36I see that impressed into the clay there...
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- Yeah.- ..is a date, 1904.- Yeah.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43- This may be close to the time of his death.- Yes...- He was born in 1822.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47- After the death, they make this one.- Yes.- Yeah.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51- And you've got two types of tea here.- Yes.- The mate tea which is...
0:06:51 > 0:06:56Yeah, that is a green tea. It's a mate used in South America,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00but it's bitter. When you try it for the first time it's bitter.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03And is that the preferred tea out in Patagonia
0:07:03 > 0:07:07- of the Welsh community? - No, this one, they use.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11- So, they would have served two types of tea?- Yes.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15These are local commemorative items for Michael Jones...
0:07:15 > 0:07:21- Yes.- ..people who know who he is would be very keen to have such things.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26Yeah, because you can't get this one now, and not a lot of people got it.
0:07:26 > 0:07:32- They are, I think, very rare. - Very rare.- Because outside Bala and the local area,
0:07:32 > 0:07:36- I can't imagine there'd be that much demand.- No.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41- I suspect you're looking at about £100 for the teapot...- I don't know.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46- ..and probably just under that for the plate.- Yeah, for the plate.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49The mate teapot - about the same.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54- Yes.- Not big values, but thank you for bringing these.- You're welcome.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59I can tell from the quality of the binding they are something special.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02That is a wonderful green Morocco binding.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06They've probably got a binder's name in it somewhere.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- That's the binder's name.- Oh. - "R Ingalton Drake, Binder."
0:08:09 > 0:08:14- Now, more than that - we've got a Victoria signature here.- We have.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- And this one, as well? - That one, as well.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21- Right. - They were two books given to...
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- my children's great-great-grandfather...- I see.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29..on her visit in 1889 to North Wales when she stayed at Pale Hall,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31which was the family home then.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35They are "Leaves From The Journal Of Our Life In The Highlands"
0:08:35 > 0:08:37written by Queen Victoria,
0:08:37 > 0:08:42and this is "More Leaves From The Journal". So, a sequel, as it were.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46- A sequel!- Now, what we've got there is a facsimile autograph.- Yes.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50- And what we have over here is the real autograph.- Yes.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Now, that's a very fine inscription.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57It looks to me as if it's all been done by Queen Victoria.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59That in itself is uncommon.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04More often than not, the inscription would've been done by a secretary.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Then it would have simply been signed by the Queen.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11But the slope of the hand and the colour of the ink
0:09:11 > 0:09:17tells me that she's done that all herself. She valued Mr Robertson,
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and was very pleased to have visited him.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25- I love this, as well.- That was the house - Pale - where she stayed.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30It was built in the 1870s by this Henry Bryher Robertson's father,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33and he died just before her visit.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37So he was the host to her, and that was dinner, which is rather good.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39- It does look rather good.- Very good.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43"Her Majesty's Dinner, August 24th 1889."
0:09:43 > 0:09:47All in French, but, if I'm correct, she ended up with creme brulee.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50- Delicious.- That's very nice.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54Well, these are unique. They are in remarkably good condition.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58What value can I put on them? We've got all the right points.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01We've got a quality binding.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06We've got both volumes - the complete set - both autographed,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10which is absolutely splendid. On the open market...
0:10:11 > 0:10:17- ..£500, £600, perhaps £700 - that sort of level...- Really? - ..on the open market.- Lovely.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- I've got to do this.- Oh, I say!
0:10:20 > 0:10:24I can just imagine this being worn in the '20s. Have you ever worn it?
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- You're not old enough.- I haven't.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29How did you come to have it?
0:10:29 > 0:10:33I bought it at a local auction about two or three years ago -
0:10:33 > 0:10:37in the auction in Dolgellau, and I just liked it.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- It's such an unusual colour. - It certainly is.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45What is so lovely about this era is that the 1920s was,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- if you like, modernisation of woman. - Yes.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53- Emancipation - they threw away their corsets. They were free.- Free.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- I love the stylised... - It's glorious.- ..bows.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00- They're like bows.- They are. - They're not flowers, are they?
0:11:00 > 0:11:04It could have been made in England. I don't think it's French.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07It's difficult because there's no label.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10- No.- So, it has a lining,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14but the outside is muslin. It's very fragile,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17and very heavy - with all the beads.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- It just lends itself to the dance.- It certainly does.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23At the bottom - I had to look twice
0:11:23 > 0:11:27because I thought, "Hang on - it isn't quite the right length."
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- Now, the '20s were the short length. - Yes.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Then, suddenly, by the time we got to the 1930s, it was much longer.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40- I see.- And so someone has put that on so they can go on wearing it.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44- How do you keep it at home? - Um, I lay it...
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I've got it on a layer of acid-free tissue,
0:11:47 > 0:11:54and I keep it flat because to hang it would be... The weight of the beads would drag it.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- I think you're right.- But I'm hoping you can give me advice on that.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Well, the advice is I think you're doing absolutely the right thing.
0:12:02 > 0:12:08- You want to protect it from moths. - Yes.- Acid-free paper is the right thing. What did you pay for it?
0:12:08 > 0:12:10£50.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12You HAVE done well!
0:12:12 > 0:12:16That's fantastic! Well, you've obviously got a good eye.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19In the right sale, probably, in London,
0:12:19 > 0:12:25- we are talking about somewhere between £500 and £800.- Wow!
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- I didn't expect that much.- That's a pretty good return...
0:12:28 > 0:12:30- It is.- ..compared to stocks and shares.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33I had a draught in my sitting room.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36I was in an auction in Machynlleth. I saw this,
0:12:36 > 0:12:42and I thought, "That's pretty. OK, £5." I got it, and that's it.
0:12:42 > 0:12:48- You bought it as a draught excluder? - That's what I bought it as, originally.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51- 22 years ago, I think. - About 22 years ago.
0:12:51 > 0:12:57- Yeah.- I mean, 22 years ago, it wasn't an awful lot of money. - No, it was dirt cheap.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Have you any idea about the origin?
0:12:59 > 0:13:07- No idea. I've done nothing. That's why I've come to see you.- That makes me feel wanted, actually.- Oh!
0:13:07 > 0:13:12- The giveaway is the ladies because they're from the Far East.- Yes.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16I think you've got to go as far as Japan. The faces are done in ivory.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20- Yeah.- Date-wise, this is probably around about 1900 -
0:13:20 > 0:13:27I reckon that your £5... has probably turned itself
0:13:27 > 0:13:30into somewhere around about maybe £100,
0:13:30 > 0:13:35- or possibly...- Well...- ..£150.- My lucky day.- It WAS your lucky day.
0:13:35 > 0:13:41It's all very well having a chipped jug, but this goes beyond the pale.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43- Do you know what it is?- I don't.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46It's a traveller's sample from the 1880s.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50This is Wedgwood, and they would come with a bowl,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54a vase, toothbrush box and cover, sponge box and cover, soap dish...
0:13:54 > 0:14:00It's such a wacky survivor from that period. Value - what do you reckon?
0:14:01 > 0:14:05I just find it interesting. I don't know the value.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08For the conversation alone
0:14:08 > 0:14:13it's got to be worth between £70 and £100 - just to have one. I'd love it.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Judging by the condition and the copper showing,
0:14:16 > 0:14:20it looks like you've been in battle with it. Where did it come from?
0:14:20 > 0:14:24I acquired it when my mother died. I inherited it.
0:14:24 > 0:14:30Well, it's actually made by a very interesting process called electroforming,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34which is basically building up from a mould, layer upon layer,
0:14:34 > 0:14:39and you get this perfect reproduction of an original.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44It's made by Elkington's - a firm who were the great pioneers of this.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48It was designed by this chap here, Morel Ladeuil,
0:14:48 > 0:14:49who worked for Elkington's.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54It's actually signed and dated 1878.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56I think this is what they called The Milton Shield.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Originally, it was all completely covered in electroplate.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02My mother cleaned it religiously.
0:15:02 > 0:15:08- I think... She was obviously a very zealous cleaner(!)- Yes, indeed.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13In this sort of condition, I think, if you put a figure
0:15:13 > 0:15:17- of about £2,000 for insurance. - Really?- Yeah.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20That's lovely. Thank you very much.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25The clock in the middle here has a name, which I think is a local name.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29- Ruthin.- So, this is quite a local piece, one would imagine?- Yes.
0:15:29 > 0:15:36- I think this is really rather an unusual feature. You don't see clocks...- No.- ..in many dressers.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39It's got lots of lovely features
0:15:39 > 0:15:43that really are, in some senses, characteristic of this area.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47It has these reeded architectural pilasters at the sides,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51but not very sophisticated - they're just little mouldings,
0:15:51 > 0:15:56but they have matched the quarter columns of the clock,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00- and I'm told that there's a secret...- The secret drawer.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05- So, it comes out sideways. Oh, that really is quite secret.- Yes.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09- Have you ever seen anything in it? - Nothing much worth having.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13- There never is!- Unfortunately. - There never is, it seems to me.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16And then you've got this, the board,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20which is the sideboard - so silky, so smooth. Even though it's oak,
0:16:20 > 0:16:25which is a wide-grained timber, this is lovely to feel.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Then you come down to the panelled doors with these fielded panels,
0:16:29 > 0:16:34which is very much a characteristic of pieces of this area, too.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38So, it's a fascinating piece because it's a traditional dresser form,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41but with a clock incorporated.
0:16:41 > 0:16:47- There do exist dressers WITH clocks, but very, very rarely. I think.- Yes.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Er...in the current market, it's actually quite difficult
0:16:51 > 0:16:55to put a precise sale value on something like this.
0:16:55 > 0:17:03My gut feeling is in the region of £4,000 to £6,000, but, as I say,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07if you get more people in a local area who want it,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11it's likely to go much higher than that.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14That's a portrait of myself 50-odd years ago.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19- I see. Now, the uniform is of...? - Is of Christ's Hospital School.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Orange or yellow socks?
0:17:21 > 0:17:23- Er, orange.- Orange. Yes.- Yes.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28- It's painted by Charles Spencelayh, as you obviously know.- Yes.
0:17:28 > 0:17:34- It's extraordinary because he was almost 90 at this time.- Mm-hm.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Tell me about when you were painted by him.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Well, the worst problem was having to cycle to where he lived -
0:17:41 > 0:17:44to Bozeat in Northamptonshire.
0:17:44 > 0:17:50I had to cycle about seven or eight miles, and then get changed into the uniform.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54I sat around most of the day and then cycled home.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58You say it almost as if it was a chore. Why was it commissioned?
0:17:58 > 0:18:03I take it you didn't want it to be done, but it was your parents.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08Well, I went to Christ's Hospital, thanks to a governess,
0:18:08 > 0:18:14- and, as far as I understand, she would have settled the bill. - Really? How fascinating.- Yes.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19Yeah. Well, I think, looking at the picture and some of the detail,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21I am taken by the stamp album.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25I don't think I've ever seen pages of such brightly coloured stamps -
0:18:25 > 0:18:30perhaps they weren't really, but it added some detail in the picture.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33- Were you a county lawn tennis player?- No.
0:18:33 > 0:18:39- So, the paraphernalia there - it's a lot of artistic licence?- Yes.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Was the landscape a view from the window?
0:18:42 > 0:18:46- Oh, no!- It's a complete invention? - Yes.- Wonderful.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Even the crack in the pane of glass...
0:18:49 > 0:18:55- Well, he's obviously using all his skills in his inventions, and so on. - That's right.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00But we must consider the value. I would think that, for insurance,
0:19:00 > 0:19:05- £10,000 or £12,000 would be a proper figure to put on it.- Yes. Yes.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Last week I did over 1,000 miles in five days,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12and I stopped at every antique shop you can imagine
0:19:12 > 0:19:15between Suffolk and here, and I bought this.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Now, what is it and what's it worth?
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Well, as YOU bought it, it must be worth something.
0:19:22 > 0:19:28It's a little tiny vase, and it looks as if it's from the Far East,
0:19:28 > 0:19:34and, um, I should think it's probably worth...£150?
0:19:34 > 0:19:35Pretty good.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40- Well, actually, I paid £18. Right?- Yeah.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45That's what it was worth to the person that sold it,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49who probably paid £10 for it, who've got to make their profit on it.
0:19:49 > 0:19:55This question of values is one which confuses people the whole time.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00I can give you at least four valuations for any one object -
0:20:00 > 0:20:02all of which are correct.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Which is the first one you go for?
0:20:04 > 0:20:09Probate is the lowest value you put on something.
0:20:09 > 0:20:16Next, you put auction price. That is a guesstimate based on experience,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20and that is the price that we USUALLY give on the Roadshow.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24If we're quoting £1,000 to £1,500 on something -
0:20:24 > 0:20:26that is an auction price.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- Next?- Next one up is retail.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32That is the auction price,
0:20:32 > 0:20:39plus what the dealer is going to have to put on to cover his costs and his profit,
0:20:39 > 0:20:44and it's probably double upper estimate.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Now, he may come down a bit if you were to buy it in a shop,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50but we're looking at roughly double.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54And then above THAT you've got insurance, and that's the highest,
0:20:54 > 0:20:59and that is to cover you against loss if it's stolen or broken.
0:20:59 > 0:21:05- What about jewellery? I know that's not your line, but the mark-up is colossal.- Huge. Huge.
0:21:05 > 0:21:11I remember sitting in a... board meeting at the auction house I used to work for,
0:21:11 > 0:21:18and we were discussing insurance values, and we were saying we would double up on the upper sale room -
0:21:18 > 0:21:23effectively, a retail price - perhaps a little more for insurance.
0:21:23 > 0:21:29And the jewellery guy popped up, and he said, "I would put five to seven times sale room",
0:21:29 > 0:21:34because the jewellery dealer has to hold a HUGE
0:21:34 > 0:21:36and expensive stock,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39so his overheads are much greater.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Therefore, his profit has to be larger,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45he has to charge more, and the insurance figure is much more.
0:21:45 > 0:21:51But my little pot... I paid £18 for it.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54You were pretty good. I think, probably,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56in a smart shop in London - retail -
0:21:56 > 0:21:58we'd be talking about £300.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03- Uh?- And it proves there are still good things to be found
0:22:03 > 0:22:06in this country if you look hard enough.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Do you wear a disguise when you go shopping?
0:22:10 > 0:22:15You can find all that information about valuations on our website.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20It comes from my mother's side of the family -
0:22:20 > 0:22:24- most of it must be from my great-grandmother.- Right.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26This is the most modern piece.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31- It's probably my grandmother's. - That was probably made about 1920.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- Is that following?- Yes. - It's separate calibre rubies
0:22:35 > 0:22:41and pave-set diamonds. It's a really nice Art Deco piece, actually -
0:22:41 > 0:22:47- it's a very pretty ring. - It's a favourite piece of mine. - It would be of mine, too.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53Value-wise, one's looking to insure that for round about £2,500, so...
0:22:53 > 0:22:57- Really?- I'm not surprised it's a favourite.- Lovely.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02Looking at the other pieces, this is typically Edwardian.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05It's a nice twist pattern gold necklet.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10It's set with half pearls and a full pearl in the centre.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13The reason for that is,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17- if you put all full ones in this setting, you'd knock them off.- OK.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22- It also doubles up on the price you'd pay for it.- Yes.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26- This, of course, fits on the bottom. - Yeah.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29I'd say a combination like that,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32if you went to buy one today, would cost you at least £2,000,
0:23:32 > 0:23:38and this one - alone - you're looking at probably £800 or more
0:23:38 > 0:23:42- if you went to buy it.- My goodness! - Tell me about this.
0:23:42 > 0:23:48Well, that name is my great-grandmother's maiden name.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53- Right. - Um, but I know so little about it.
0:23:53 > 0:23:59I've asked my mother - she doesn't know anything about them, either.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04- There are obviously three children. This is a mourning brooch.- Yes.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09- Three children died - 10, 5 and 3. You know nothing about that?- No.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13It's not in very good condition on the front.
0:24:13 > 0:24:19Normally, somebody left money in the will for people to remember them by,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22- but it's unusual to get four members of the family.- Yes.
0:24:22 > 0:24:30- I mean, as a mourning brooch, the thing itself is quite badly damaged on the enamelling.- Yes.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Even so, the interest in that would push the price up,
0:24:34 > 0:24:40- so you'd be looking in the region of, what, £400 to £600 for that. - Gracious me!
0:24:40 > 0:24:46- You've some insurance to pay, I'm afraid.- Thank you very much.- OK.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51- It was my grandparents, who were Belgian...- Ah, right.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56- ..through my mother, who was also Belgian...- Right.- ..down to me.- OK.
0:24:56 > 0:25:02- You know full well this is a Belgian piece of glass.- Yes, indeed it is.
0:25:02 > 0:25:08- We don't often get Belgian glass. - No.- When you think of Belgian glass, you think of one factory.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12- Yes.- And that is... - Val St Lambert.- Val St Lambert.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17They made some great things. It's very misunderstood as a factory.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21- This is one of their better cameo vases.- Yes.
0:25:21 > 0:25:28Very much in the tradition that was pioneered by Emile Galle and Daum, for that matter, in Nancy,
0:25:28 > 0:25:35- but what about a signature? - There is a signature on it.- OK, let's keep moving.- Keep turning!
0:25:35 > 0:25:40- Keep turning! Found it.- That's it? - Yeah.- Do you know what that is?
0:25:40 > 0:25:45- No, I don't know the name. - You don't?- No.- Well, you do really,
0:25:45 > 0:25:50because if you look at that, that is a V, S and L.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55- It's a monogram used by the St Lambert factory.- I hadn't twigged.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58That makes me feel very useful.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Um, so, you know, the more I'm holding onto this,
0:26:02 > 0:26:09- the less chance you have of getting it back. It's lovely. I'm assuming you both like it?- It's beautiful.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12It is a beautiful piece of glass.
0:26:12 > 0:26:20If it was mine, quite honestly, I wouldn't part with anything less than £1,500 or £1,800 for it.
0:26:20 > 0:26:27- Good.- You'd better take it off me, because I'm loathe to pass it back. - All right.- It is a little treasure.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32- These are what I need for my future grandchildren.- Yes.
0:26:32 > 0:26:38- Drinking his milk, probably.- That's unusual. Maybe it's honey.- Could be!
0:26:39 > 0:26:43- Even his tail goes round, too. He's very busy.- Yes.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47Then you've got this jack-in-the-box.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51- Yes.- Let's see if he works. - Very frightening. Oh, there we are.
0:26:51 > 0:26:58- Quite frightening, if you're young. - Yes, it is - my children didn't like it very much at all.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03- It is frightening, but this is Chinese.- Yes.- It has a rubber head,
0:27:03 > 0:27:07but the star is... Shall we see what he does?
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Yes.
0:27:12 > 0:27:18- Ooh! That's fantastic! Even those... - Very energetic!- Absolutely!
0:27:18 > 0:27:25- Now, this is actually a German make. - Yes.- It's by Arnold, which started in Nuremberg in 1906,
0:27:25 > 0:27:31but they started after the war making these sort of toys, so this is probably around 1950.
0:27:31 > 0:27:37Starting from him, he's probably worth about £40 to £60 at auction.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42- Not a great deal.- No. - This one a bit less.- Right.
0:27:42 > 0:27:49You want two people in an auction wanting him - I would say we are talking of about £150.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Oh, right, yes. That's a lot, yes.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54I wouldn't sell him!
0:27:54 > 0:27:55Way! Whoop!
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Very entertaining!
0:27:59 > 0:28:01But in the 1920s,
0:28:01 > 0:28:06my mother-in-law sent this to a jumble sale here in Bala.
0:28:06 > 0:28:13My husband, who was a teenager, was so upset about his beloved cats being sent to the jumble sale,
0:28:13 > 0:28:20- couldn't persuade his mother to withdraw them, so he bought them for sixpence.- Sixpence?- Sixpence.
0:28:20 > 0:28:26- My goodness!- Which was more money in those days, of course.- It's still not enough money I'd suggest.
0:28:26 > 0:28:33- They've stayed here ever since. - They're Austrian or German terracotta.- Are they?
0:28:33 > 0:28:37Made, I would've thought, in the 1880-1890 period,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40and they are...
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Well, they'd make at auction, they'd be very popular at auction.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- Nowadays? Would they? - Even now.- Would they?
0:28:46 > 0:28:50- I suspect they'd make between £300 and £400.- Oh, really?
0:28:50 > 0:28:56- Yes.- Better than sixpence!- Very much. Thank you.- Lovely. Thank you.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00- Two tickets - one is from Llanuwchllyn to Bala.- Yes.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03The other's from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Bala.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05- Is that the date?- Yes.
0:29:05 > 0:29:11- That's June 5th 1895.- 1895. - I've got a pair, actually, of those - 107 and 108.
0:29:11 > 0:29:17- They're GWR items?- They are.- And this says, "One dog."- "One dog."
0:29:17 > 0:29:24The fare from Llanuwchllyn to Bala was three pence, which I think was very expensive in them days.
0:29:24 > 0:29:30- Three pence?- Yes.- Still expensive. They're both tickets for dogs? - Both tickets for dogs, yes.
0:29:30 > 0:29:38- You collect this sort of material? - Yes.- Are these very rare?- Yes. I wish I'd brought the whole lot!
0:29:40 > 0:29:45- I just love everything about it. - So where'd it come from?
0:29:45 > 0:29:51It came from an old... well, a sort of second-hand shop in, um, Llangollen
0:29:51 > 0:29:56when we first came here about 15 years ago.
0:29:56 > 0:30:01- We saw it in the shop and I fell in love with the colour of it.- It's wonderful.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Yes. It just called to me.
0:30:04 > 0:30:10- The thing itself, a chest on a low stand, obviously goes back to the 17th century.- Yes.
0:30:10 > 0:30:16- But the style of this suggests a bit later.- Right.- I think you're putting it into the 18th century,
0:30:16 > 0:30:22but being a country piece of furniture, it's in oak, rather than a walnut veneer,
0:30:22 > 0:30:29which is what grand furniture would've been, but it's lifted out of being just oak furniture
0:30:29 > 0:30:34- by this very broad crossband... - Yes.- ..that you've got in it,
0:30:34 > 0:30:39which is a feature that you get in the north of England, certainly,
0:30:39 > 0:30:46- possibly across into North Wales, as well.- Yes.- Has this veneer lifted fractionally?
0:30:46 > 0:30:49It's not actually a veneer.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54You've got solid panels of oak making the drawer fronts
0:30:54 > 0:31:01- and this is actually inlaid into the solid panel, so this is walnut which is inlaid.- Oh, right.
0:31:01 > 0:31:06You can see how thick the inlay is because there's a bit missing there.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11It really is thicker than you would find with a veneer,
0:31:11 > 0:31:17but this is what's so great about this piece - you've got the solid quite open grain of the oak,
0:31:17 > 0:31:22then the cross grain of the walnut, which has been applied in sections.
0:31:22 > 0:31:29- Because they've lifted slightly, you've this flickering movement... - Ribbon.- ..which is like ribbon.
0:31:29 > 0:31:36- Exactly! It really brings the thing alive.- Yes, that's the thing that attracted me.
0:31:36 > 0:31:44- Obviously its feet were bigger. - Tell me about the feet - they look very quirky.- We never cut them off!
0:31:44 > 0:31:51- It wasn't you?- No, it was like that. - No, but we know they should have been more of a cabriole leg.
0:31:51 > 0:31:58- They must've rotted.- Stood about that high, probably.- Yes.- Probably rotted away on concrete floors.
0:31:58 > 0:32:04That cabriole leg would date it in the 18th century, rather than the 17th century.
0:32:04 > 0:32:11- Would you say the handles were original?- Um, no. In fact, I think you can see in certain places
0:32:11 > 0:32:15- evidence of other handles. - They've been replaced.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20To me, they're a little too fancy, too open, but beautiful colour.
0:32:20 > 0:32:26Um, I think in the right sale, you're looking at £3,000 to £4,000.
0:32:26 > 0:32:31- Very nice.- That sort of region. - We didn't pay that much for it.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34A fellow tie pin collector!
0:32:34 > 0:32:40- How did you start collecting?- My great grandfather collected them.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43He probably had a lot of them made up.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46I mean, there's one here, for instance -
0:32:46 > 0:32:50the first tooth his only child, my grandfather, lost.
0:32:50 > 0:32:57- A nice idea to have it made into a tin pin.- It's lovely. It's mounted up in diamonds, too.- It is pretty.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00This one here catches my eye.
0:33:00 > 0:33:06- It's signed by William Essex... - Right.- ..who was quite famous for this type of pin.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09What about this one?
0:33:09 > 0:33:14- That's interesting.- Yes.- Do you know the significance of it?- Not at all.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17- The King of Clubs.- King or Jack.
0:33:17 > 0:33:23- Jack of Clubs.- Yes. And what about the FUL at the top? Any ideas?- No.
0:33:23 > 0:33:30No? Obviously, with tie pins, lots of them are made up FOR people - the novelty ones particularly are.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33He was quite a gambling man -
0:33:33 > 0:33:37there's one, looks like a horse's bridle, is it?
0:33:37 > 0:33:41- Indeed it is.- It says "2 to 1" in the middle.- That's it, yeah.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43"2 to 1", yes.
0:33:43 > 0:33:48- This one's a real gambler's one, as well.- Indeed, indeed.- Yeah.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52- That's very pretty, all enamelled. - They're beautifully made.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55I don't know what the significance is,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58the cupid's bow and the "up".
0:33:58 > 0:34:02- There's obviously significance. - I couldn't tell you.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05- There's also a significance here. - That's rude.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07It is rude.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11- The screw and the U, yes. - The screw and the U.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15The one thing I envy you is, I've always wanted a skull.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20They're macabre, but I haven't got one - I do envy you.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22- They're wonderful.- Yes, they are.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27- They're great fun.- There's, what, about 30 of them?- About 30, yes.
0:34:27 > 0:34:32- That's a nice one.- Lovely.- That's a reverse crystal intaglio.- Yeah.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35It's actually incised at the back.
0:34:35 > 0:34:41- It's a cabochon crystal, and into the back they've cut the anchor, then hand-painted it.- Yeah.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45Always very saleable. It's a wonderful collection.
0:34:45 > 0:34:51- It's got to be £5,000 or £6,000 worth, I'd think.- Is that right?
0:34:51 > 0:34:56- A very nice collection.- Thank you. - Thanks for bringing them.- Thanks.
0:34:56 > 0:35:04- It belonged to my auntie, and she worked for Lord and Lady Fitzgerald in County Wexford, Ireland.- Yeah.
0:35:04 > 0:35:11- When she married, this was given to her as a wedding present.- By the Fitzgeralds?- Yes.- A lovely present!
0:35:11 > 0:35:18- It's like a chocolate boxy thing. - Slightly, except I think it dates from about the 1850s...
0:35:18 > 0:35:24- Oh.- ..so it's previous to that kind of chocolate boxy type of painting.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28- Nonetheless, it's the chocolate box of its time.- Right.
0:35:28 > 0:35:35- I think this picture is about time. I mean, she's dangling a watch. - A pocket watch.- Exactly.
0:35:35 > 0:35:42You can see that it's early evening and there's a bit of a sunset going on behind her, as well.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Yes, yes. I can see that now.
0:35:44 > 0:35:52I think she's kind of playing with that watch, isn't she? I think it's reminding us about time.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57She's playing with this watch as if playing with time.
0:35:57 > 0:36:03It's a layer of meaning you may not have bothered to think about it, but it's lovely!
0:36:03 > 0:36:09- That's another way of looking at it.- Yes. Its great success lies in its colours -
0:36:09 > 0:36:16- the sash is such a beautiful lilac, and going round to the band over her hair...- They all match in.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Perfectly. And her eyes with that lovely blue...
0:36:20 > 0:36:23It's charming - she's looking directly at you.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28I think it's English - I don't think it's necessarily by an Irish artist.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30In a way, that's bad, because...
0:36:30 > 0:36:37- It'd be nice if it was.- Yes, and it makes pictures valuable if they're by Irish artists.- Really?- Yes.
0:36:37 > 0:36:44The other thing is, it's set in this oval. It's very concentrated - not much is going on around her.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46Totally. It's just her, isn't it?
0:36:46 > 0:36:54- It's like a very large miniature painting.- Like when you have...? - Like a cameo or a miniature.- Yes.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59So, I set to thinking, maybe it's by Sir William Charles Ross.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03Now, he was a society painter, but in miniatures.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07He painted all the grand heads of Europe, including Prince Albert.
0:37:07 > 0:37:13As photography got going, he found miniatures were not so successful
0:37:13 > 0:37:18and he had to look at a different way of painting to support himself.
0:37:18 > 0:37:25He started painting on a larger scale, producing this sort of thing. I was wondering if it was him.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29- Mmm.- It must remain speculation. - Only speculation. Totally.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34Any idea what it may be worth? It's been in your family for ever, but...
0:37:34 > 0:37:41We've discussed it occasionally - probably something in the region of £500...at least, I would hope.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46Yes, yes. Well, um, such a pretty picture, isn't it?
0:37:46 > 0:37:51Well, add a nought and you're closer - and a bit.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56- It's probably about £5,000, £6,000. - Really? That much?- Oh, absolutely.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Right, OK!
0:37:59 > 0:38:06When I saw this I began to drool, to salivate, as any watchmaker... any watch collector would,
0:38:06 > 0:38:10as this has everything they're looking for.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14At the bottom are some little feet, which we'll open...
0:38:15 > 0:38:19..and we can lift it up and put the handle up,
0:38:19 > 0:38:26- and it becomes a table clock, but it's built like a chronometer... - Yes.- ..but isn't.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31No, it puzzles me, so can you tell me anything about it at all?
0:38:31 > 0:38:35I'm sorry. My husband would be able to tell you more.
0:38:35 > 0:38:42I know that when his family got it or inherited it, it caused a lot of fuss and excitement.
0:38:42 > 0:38:47- Why is that?- I'm so sorry, I don't know, but it's made by Frod...?
0:38:47 > 0:38:53- Frodsham.- Yes.- That's part of the excitement. Charles Frodsham & Co - the company still exists in London -
0:38:53 > 0:38:57they lasted throughout the 19th century and 20th century.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01- This particular one was made probably around 1895.- Right.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05But it is based very much on a chronometer.
0:39:05 > 0:39:11To get into it, you have to unscrew the front, like a chronometer, to set the hands.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15In this example, you set the hands from the back.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18There's very inelegant movements.
0:39:18 > 0:39:25When we turn the whole thing upside down, hopefully the movement will come out - there we come -
0:39:25 > 0:39:27just like a chronometer.
0:39:27 > 0:39:35There we have the most beautiful balance wheel I've ever seen on a clock. That is a work of art.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39It is a compensated balance made of brass and steel.
0:39:39 > 0:39:45It has a mixture of gold and platinum screws around the outer edge for perfect timing.
0:39:45 > 0:39:52Whoever timed this clock would've spent days, if not weeks, getting it absolutely perfect,
0:39:52 > 0:39:57as perfect as he could, so it really is the most magnificent clock.
0:39:57 > 0:40:02There we have - turn it round the other way - what's called the fusee.
0:40:02 > 0:40:10The barrel under here, the fusee for ironing out any uneven strengths of the spring of the clock.
0:40:10 > 0:40:17This would keep time within a few seconds a week. It's a week going clock. It should run for a week.
0:40:17 > 0:40:24- Yes, about four, five, six days. - You say it runs five, six days - well, it's nearly fully wound now
0:40:24 > 0:40:31and it's having difficulty going, so actually it needs a bit of a clean, there's no doubt about that.
0:40:31 > 0:40:38- So if this was coming to auction, I think you're looking at some £3,500, £4,000 price.- Really?
0:40:38 > 0:40:45- As much as that?- You can imagine a bit more - quite a bit more - if you saw it for sale in a shop.
0:40:45 > 0:40:51- Could be £5,000, £6,000.- Wow.- It really is the most beautiful clock.
0:40:51 > 0:40:56My husband and I, we went to London for a weekend 30 years ago,
0:40:56 > 0:41:00and then we saw a sign "auction" in Sotheby's,
0:41:00 > 0:41:07so we walked inside and watched the auction. So I said to my husband, "Ooh, I wouldn't mind that."
0:41:07 > 0:41:14"Ooh, it'll be too expensive." So we keep on bidding and bidding, so we got it at £70,
0:41:14 > 0:41:18- which was a lot of money then. - Yes, of course.- Yes.
0:41:18 > 0:41:26This is one of the great pieces of porcelain. It's absolutely... From the Mackintosh of Mackintosh service
0:41:26 > 0:41:31made by, of course, Nantgarw in Wales, but decorated in London.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35- Mm-hm.- Probably by Robins and Randall.
0:41:35 > 0:41:41The decoration is superb - these birds with this gorgeous gilding round there
0:41:41 > 0:41:46and the little flowers running under the handle, which are superb -
0:41:46 > 0:41:51probably the work of Randall - and continued with more birds.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54The gilding is in first class condition.
0:41:54 > 0:42:02London gilding was the paramount quality of gilding at that time and the whole thing is gorgeous.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06The birds are just scrumptiously lovely, aren't they?
0:42:06 > 0:42:11- Which do you like best?- I like this one myself.- This one?- Yeah.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16I'm not sure what birds they are - do you know what bird that is?
0:42:16 > 0:42:20Sometimes it's... There's a mallard this side.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21We've got this one on Bala Lake!
0:42:21 > 0:42:23LAUGHTER
0:42:23 > 0:42:27- On Bala Lake!- He's a local bird...
0:42:28 > 0:42:30But absolutely gorgeous.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34- Lord knows what it would fetch at auction.- Yes.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38But I'd suggest that perhaps for insurance purposes
0:42:38 > 0:42:43- and probably near what you would get if you sold it...- Yes.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46- £10,000.- I should think so.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- £10,000.- Yes, yes.- Happy?- Yes.
0:42:49 > 0:42:50LAUGHTER
0:42:50 > 0:42:55- It's a beautiful piece.- Thank you. Thank you for your kind words.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59So what caught your eye today?
0:42:59 > 0:43:03The Majolica cockerel or the tie pins?
0:43:03 > 0:43:07You can be sure of seeing them again on our website.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11That's all from Bala on the shores of Llyn Tegid.
0:43:11 > 0:43:17Before we go home we've got time for a trip round the lake and a spot of white water rafting!
0:43:17 > 0:43:25On the other hand, perhaps a cup of tea and a nice cake. Until the next time, from North Wales, goodbye.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd