Evans Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic -

the show that finds hidden treasures in your home and sells them at auction.

I'm just north of London and behind me is this beautiful abbey,

which gives the place its name.

Yes, I'm in Waltham Abbey, and although this building

may look slightly humble, it's got a very historic provenance.

A settlement existed here in Saxon times, but the earliest recorded history of the town

dates back to the reign of King Canute, when a member of the Royal Court,

Tovey The Proud, brought a stone crucifix from his estate in Somerset to Waltham.

From this is derived the old name for the district, Waltham Holy Cross.

In 1177, Henry II founded the church as an Augustine abbey

as part of his penance for the murder of Thomas Becket.

So, let's hope we find plenty of antiques and collectibles

that will excite the bidders when they go under the hammer at auction.

Coming up on today's Cash In The Attic, our expert Jonty gets to find out how the other half live.

Dinner is served, madam! Oh, wow!

While I might get to live it up a bit!

We will get Lorne dancing on the table.

She might scratch it! But, will we have something to party about when it comes to the auction?

Fantastic! Aw, great! That's brilliant.

Find out when the hammer falls.

I'm on my way to meet a lady and her niece who have called us in

not to their house, but to the home of a much loved member of the family.

This large Victorian house in Enfield, North London, used to be home

to 49 year old journalist Caroline, who grew up here with her family,

and it still belongs to her elderly mother.

Caroline's niece Lauren is also very attached to the house, having spent

a lot of her time here as a child visiting her grandparents.

Together, they've called in Cash In The Attic, so granny can enjoy

her new life somewhere a little bit more low maintenance.

Morning, Jonty! How it was the abbey?

Oh, absolutely beautiful, especially on a morning like this.

I know. This is an interesting property.

I know. I think it needs a bit of renovation

because today we're actually meeting the lady and her niece. OK.

The lady who owns this property has gone into a home. Right.

So, we've got a big clearance job here. Time to get my hands dirty. Yeah, and you're looking very smart.

And I've got white on!

Ah, hello, guys! Hi, Lorne!

So, you must be Caroline? Yeah. And you must be Lauren?

Yep. OK, so this is your mother's house, is that right?

This is my mother's house, and Lauren's grandmother's house, yes.

Right, OK. We've called in Cash In The Attic because my mother used to live here, for about 40 years,

and she's recently gone into a convalescent home, and we need to raise

as much money as we can to pay the home fees and to pay to make her room a little bit more comfortable.

And I understand you've just under A-levels, is that right?

Yeah, I've just done them now and then I'll be starting my A2 when I go back to school.

So, how did your exams go? OK, yeah. Yeah? I think so. Good, good.

OK, so the point of the rummage today is to clear out some stuff.

This sounds funny, because she used to go off to antiques sales and stuff like that and I don't remember it,

so we've come across a lot of stuff we actually didn't know she had.

We don't know what it's worth. We don't know what it's made of.

We don't know how old it is and that's why we've called in

the experts to give us some sort of advice.

So, tell me, Caroline, what sort of money are you looking to raise?

I really don't know! I mean, if we got, you know, ?500, ?600, ?700, ?800 I'd be very happy.

That would really help, so... OK, so, shall we start high and work our way down? Shall we say ?800?

Yes. Let's say ?800, which would be a contribution to the care home fees

and also to make her room a little bit more homely.

Well, shall we go and see what Jonty's found? Yep.

OK, come on, follow me!

Caroline's mum's house is full of fabulous antiques that she's

collected over the years, but now they're gathering dust, so it's time to turn them into hard cash.

With so much stuff to rummage through, our antique hunter, Jonty Hearnden, is in his element.

Already he's spotted something that has taken his fancy. Hi, Jonty!

Hello! Ah! You've found something beautiful, by the looks of it.

It's a fabulous lady's writing table. Oh, is it a lady's one?

These are known as Davenports. That's the technical name for these small, little desks.

So, what's the story here?

My grandfather was a butcher, and I can remember when I was very small

going into his butcher's shop with sawdust on the floor, a very old fashioned butcher's shop,

and in the back of the shop there was an office area and this desk was in the office area of the shop.

Now, I haven't found any sausages or anything in here,

but it's full of all sorts of goodies. Oh, look at those lovely drawers!

But look at this for an interior! Fabulous. This side drawer here

seems to go on and on and on. I know. It's supposed to be like a secret drawer, which I assume

is if it's in the shop this is where you put your cash. Absolutely.

That makes absolute sense that that is where it would go.

So, would it have been custom made, do you think? I think you're right. Because it looks as though, yeah...

Yeah, because how it would ordinarily have looked is that you

would have had another barley twist support on the front here.

Oh, right, OK. Without this side drawer. Oh, right!

But I've had a close look, and I do believe that it's all integral,

which is fascinating. The material they've used is walnut.

And date, we're looking at about 1840, so it wouldn't have been made for your grandfather.

Without this on, I think, quite frankly, it would be more attractive, but...

Although... Yes?

Although, given that now computers have come down so much in size

and laptops are the favoured sort of equipment, you could

work there with a laptop and you could have all your CDs in there.

And you can put your printer on the side. Yes!

So, they were forward thinking in the Victorian era.

I should be in sales, shouldn't I? As far as value, have you ever...

I bet you've never even thought about how much this is worth. No, I've absolutely no idea.

No? Well, I think in the market today we're looking at ?400 to ?600.

Fantastic! God, that just amazes me, I have to say! So, what do you think?

Is that something we can put in the auction?

I'm not sure about that, because it's got so much family history and because it's a lovely piece,

I'm tempted to keep it.

But on the other hand, ?400 to ?600 is quite a lot of money, so...

Why don't we work on the basis then that you just let us know on the day

of the auction, because we've got a few weeks to worry about that? Yeah.

Right, that would have been a substantial sum towards our target,

but we can't count on this, so plenty of other rooms to go through.

So, shall we go and see what we can sell?

Caroline's faced with a dilemma.

Holding on to a family heirloom or trading it in for an estimated ?400 to ?600 towards her mum's care fees?

But the search must go on and I've come up with this Victorian Staffordshire washstand set,

including basin and chamber pot.

In today's market, it's definitely more decorative than practical,

but should still be worth between ?60 to ?80 to a collector.

Dinner is served, madam!

Oh, wow! Look at that!

That is a real butcher's serving dish, isn't it?

Yes! You can imagine the joint of beef underneath that.

It would be enormous, wouldn't it? Wow! It'd feed a family of 10!

Do you remember it at all? Yes, I can remember this round my grandparents' place,

but I can't say I've really seen it since, and that was a long time ago!

This serving dish, or serving top, really came from another family

because what we've got here is what has to be a family crest.

So, I suspect that your grandfather wouldn't have had a family crest.

No, not as far as I know, no. And the other thing to note, really, is that it's not silver.

You can tell it's plated silver, and not by looking for hallmarks,

but by, can you see this bubbling that has taken place here?

Well, that's literally the plate, the plating moving away from the copper that's underneath.

Right. So, it's oxidising. and changing form.

And the only other thing to note is that the tray itself didn't start life with the lid.

Really? The decoration is slightly different. You've got beads running around the side here

and this embossed decoration round the tray.

And if you see, as I place it over the tray like so...

It doesn't quite fit, does it? It's not quite snug enough, is it?

Right! Gosh! But don't worry about that.

We can sell the two together and we're looking at ?40 to ?60.

Oh, wow! Yeah? That will be lovely.

All we need to do now is find a bidder at auction who likes dinner to be served the old fashioned way!

While Caroline is reluctant to sell the desk from her grandfather's butcher's shop,

this Edwardian mahogany roll top desk has less sentimental value,

and ?80 to ?120 is a useful addition to her mother's care home fund.

While Jonty carries on his journey through the house that time forgot,

I'm keen to find out a bit more about why Caroline's called us in.

So, Caroline, tell me a little bit about this house. Has it changed much since you were a child?

No! Not at all, actually. It's a beautiful old house,

but it's very dark and it's very big.

I used to love it as a child because there was plenty of rooms,

but a lot of them were out of bounds to children.

Like the dining room was out of bounds

and the study, because my father was working in there.

So, how do you feel about the fact that the property is not in use now?

Well, it's very sad, but you do feel that you need to make the most of what has been invested here, because,

you know, we're looking to the future, looking to my mum's future, and she needs the money now.

So, we need to capitalise on her investments.

So, what were the circumstances leading up to your mother going into the home?

Well, she lived here for about two years by herself after my father died

and then she had a fall and went into hospital.

And after she was in hospital, she wasn't able to look after herself,

so it was probably best to go into some sort of care home.

Don't you think though, situations like this bring families together?

Yes, I do. It's quite a big problem we've got here and we've got to pool all our resources to solve it.

But what happens, you know, my sister thinks one thing's worth something, and I think it's not and vice versa.

So, we disagree over the value of a lot of items.

So, Jonty is playing judge and jury almost in there then today?

Yes, exactly, yeah. Well, we're going to do it here! No, we're not!

So, shall we go and see if Jonty has made any progress inside? Lovely!

With so many vintage collectibles to rummage through, Jonty has got his work cut out,

but luckily he's got keen student Lauren to help sift through her granny's possessions.

Jonty!

There are some books here. I'm not sure if they're any good or not.

You mean you're still studying! Yes!

You can't keep your nose out of a good book, can you? Now, what have we got here?

We have Descriptive Album Of London.

OK, let's have a quick look.

Aha! Now, this is a photographical illustrated book here

and this would have been made around the turn of the century.

You can tell that just by looking at the images. Oh, right. So, was it for tourists, or...

They were, literally, for people to peruse.

So, not necessarily for tourists, but for people to show off

just on this particular book here, just how grand London was.

And round the turn of the century, London was the all happening, all singing, all dancing city.

I mean, look there's Buckingham Palace,

and you can see just how different it kind of looks, as well.

Very deserted! Yes, yeah.

But these are great to just to look through because it sums up the era, it sums up the time. Yeah.

So, what have we got here? This is The Atlas Of The British Isles. Yes.

Wow! Look at the size of that! And it's heavy, too!

OK, if you turn the first few pages of any book, the right information should pop up in front of you.

Oh, right. So, this is your title here, The New Large Scale Atlas Of The British Isles.

And we've got the date here of 1893, so that's when it would have been published.

So, all that information is here, but then we've got all these

fabulous plates of, of course, Great Britain.

Again, it's a snapshot in time, but done topographically, rather than photographically. Oh, right, yeah.

It has seen better days. Yeah.

And for all those reasons, we will sell these... Together?

Three books together. Yeah. All right? Value?

Not a huge amount, but ?40 to ?60.

Oh, right. That's great. I mean, it all adds up, so... So, geography not your thing?

Not really, but I find it all very interesting anyway.

Rummaging through this house is like having a history lesson.

There are so many antiques from a bygone age.

These 12 large 19th century willow pattern service plates

belong to an era of elegant suppers and formal dining,

but they're still worth between ?100 and ?150 in today's market.

The next item I've stumbled across is also evocative of times gone by.

Oh, this is a lovely clock. Look at this!

Gosh, it weighs a ton, doesn't it?

Right, OK. So, tell me the history about this, then?

Well, this was in my grandfather's butcher's shop. Right.

Bush Hill Parade, that's just down the road. OK.

Now, Dennis Slow, I don't know what that is.

I don't know if that might be the clockmaker? I have no idea.

Well, shall we find out? Let's see what Jonty says? Jonty!

What have we got? Wall clock! Wow!

We know that it's come from the family butcher's shop, but we're not sure about

the Dennis Slow connection, because that's not the family name.

Well, I think Dennis Slow would be another retailer on the High Street.

If you see here that the size of the lettering is exactly the same size just down here, as well.

So, would this be a standard clock that you'd phone up and say,

I want this name and this address on it, and it'd be done individually?

Yes, it's the sort of thing that you would customise a clock like this and the retailer, or whoever sold

you the clock, would be able to put the lettering of the name of who you were and where you were,

or whatever else you wanted to put on the clock facia, as well.

Now, we need to take a closer look at the workings at the back,

because that will give us some indication as to the quality of the clock itself.

So, let's have a look at this.

Let's have a look on the inside, there.

Now, that's great! Now, we've got this plate here which doesn't tell

us very much, but if I put my hand in on the inside here and...

That's really good. On the inside here we have a fuso movement,

which regulates the strength of the pendulum

so that you get much more accuracy in telling time.

And that was a British invention and it's another indicator

that shows you that the clock itself is a British made clock. I think it's fabulous!

So, what sort of price are we talking about? I think that clock is worth ?200 to ?300.

That's not bad, is it? That's not bad for a clock, is it?

So, are you happy to sell it? Yes, definitely.

Well, that's going to chip in to the total very nicely, isn't it? Isn't it? Definitely.

I think it's best to leave it there for safe keeping. Yeah.

So, shall we see where you've been? Pack this one up!

So, despite the family connection, Caroline is happy to let the clock go to auction.

This set of bleached walnut bedroom furniture,

including two wardrobes and dressing table,

should also bolster her mum's care home fund by ?180 to ?230.

Caroline's found some more crockery that she's happy to sell, if it's worth taking to auction.

Jonty, I was just about to call you. Yeah? What do you think of this? It says Royal Doulton,

but I don't know if that's genuine or not.

Absolutely spot on. It is Royal Doulton

and this back stamp absolutely correct. So, where was it from?

I assume it belonged to my grandmother.

That's my grandmother over there in the portrait, over there.

That's great. Now, let's have a look in closer detail at the pattern, here.

We've got this sort of stylised, I suppose, leaf decoration.

Yes, yes. Which is very simple in its form

and if you look at the mark on the back here, that's the pattern name, Lynn.

Oh, right, OK. OK? And this back stamp here is used, or was used,

by the Royal Doulton factory at the first part of the 20th century.

And they became Royal Doulton in 1901,

so this is obviously a 20th century serving, dinner serving set.

Very, very stylish. This cream ground with this very simple,

very light, sort of almost like spring green lawn colour, isn't it?

Yes. It is, yeah. And the angles. Look at this sauce boat here. Deco.

So, we're talking 1920s, 1930s. Oh, brilliant!

So, this dinner service would have been made really between the wars.

Right, right. OK? I noticed that there are a few chips and breaks.

Yes, I was going to ask you about those. Yeah. There's one there, I see. Yeah, exactly.

Ballpark figure, ?40 to ?60.

Oh, wow. That would be nice. That's because of the damage.

If it had been less damaged, more money. Right, yes.

But don't worry about that because it's all totting up quite nicely.

It is, isn't it? Yes. Good!

Let's go this way. OK.

Despite the damage, there should be plenty of takers for this

Royal Doulton art deco dinner service at ?40 to ?60.

Jonty has put the same valuation on this Victorian classic,

consisting of cups, jugs, cake stand and coffee pot.

We're edging towards our target of ?800, but we seem to have barely made a dent in granny's clutter!

Well, there's certainly a lot of stuff here. Yeah!

Was it always like this? Yeah, always. I don't think you could ever get into this room.

It's looking quite, you know...

There was always so much more stuff and we've filled two skips up of rubbish.

Crikey! So, yeah. My grandma never used to throw anything away, so...

Now, what do you think about the idea of selling some of these items?

I think it's a good idea. I mean, they're no good staying in this house at all.

And I think if it benefits my grandma and staying in the home, I think it's a great idea.

Now, I notice in this room there's what looks like the original servants' bell, is that right?

Yes, they were always really fun to play with when I was little!

Every room has a bell which, when you press it, it tells the servants

in the kitchen which room to come into, you know, back in the Victorian times.

So, it's always really fun to go and play with the bells and guess which will room you were in and stuff.

So, it was really great fun!

So, do you think you're going to miss this house eventually, when it goes?

I think I will, because it's always such a nice house, you know?

And you walk past the house with your friends, you always point out,

ah, that's my grandma's house, and they were always very astonished at the size of it.

Are you looking forward to the auction?

Yes, very much so. I've never been to an auction before, so it would be a really good experience, I think.

They're jolly exciting. But, we're not going to get to the auction

if we don't get rid of some of this stuff, are we?

So, shall we carry on and see what we can find?

OK, cool. Well, Caroline's has managed to dig out yet more china.

This time it's a set of five art nouveau period tureens

that should pot us another ?40 to ?80.

And, with time running out, she's also uncovered

one last piece of furniture that might be worth taking to auction. What about this?

Crikey!

That's a table that doesn't usually belong in a bedroom, I would say!

Yeah, yeah. Was it in the dining room once upon a time? Yes.

When my parents moved to sleep downstairs, we brought, obviously, the downstairs stuff upstairs.

So, do you remember using this for family dinners?

Yes. My mother used to be a fantastic cook and we used to have big family dinners in the dining room,

which is quite a big room, and it's a beautiful table.

Yeah, it served very well. So, how did you all get round here, then?

Well, actually, it becomes bigger. There's a leaf here somewhere.

We've got the winder there. Oh, right, OK. There's the leaf.

Fabulous. Let me show you how it works. You put this in here like so,

and it winds up, and that's the reason why the legs are on castors, so that the table moves.

It moves, yes. Can you see that? Yes.

So, here, that extends all the way out, so you place the leaf inside, like so,

so you have the option of being an eight seater or a six seater table.

Solid as a rock.

And have a look at those feet, those really chunky, solid feet there.

That's really good quality, and all of that shows us that this is a mid Victorian table.

Value wise, we're talking ?150 to ?250.

250 would be wonderful, wouldn't it? Do think we get 250 out of it?

And, if we do, we will get Lorne dancing on the table! Yeah, but she might scratch it!

OK, well never mind dancing on the table, which I'm not going to do,

we have run out of time for clearing out any more stuff, but we've done quite well.

So the value of everything going to auction comes to ?970. My goodness!

Well, that's more than the 800 we were hoping for, so it's great!

Now, if you take the Davenport desk, it does make quite a big difference,

because then the value of everything comes to ?1,370.

It's tempting, isn't it? No pressure! No! Well, it is quite significant difference, isn't it?

Just under ?1,000 to almost ?1,400.

So, I guess that will be open for discussion, will it?

Yes, we'll talk about this, yeah. Well, the next and we'll see this beautiful mahogany table

and everything else, will be in the auction house.

Oh, fantastic! Look forward to it!

So, our rummage around this treasure trove of fabulous antiques has thrown up some wonderful items.

Packed up and ready for auction are,

this silver plated serving dish, which hopefully will whet the bidders' appetites at ?40 to ?60.

A large bracket clock, which should sell for in excess of ?200.

This stylish Royal Doulton art deco dinner service, valued at ?40 to ?60.

And, finally, the Victorian Davenport, or writing table,

which could be worth almost ?400

if Caroline's head wins out over her heart

and she decides to put it into the auction.

Still to come in Cash In The Attic, I'm keen to get to know the bidders.

I want to find out who has bought that and go round there for Christmas dinner!

Caroline is desperate to get top dollar for her mum's possessions.

I just hope it goes for a reasonable amount of money because I don't want to take it home!

OK! But are her sale room tactics about to backfire?

We're doing really badly.

Find out when the hammer finally falls.

Now, it's been just over a week since we helped Caroline and her

niece Lauren to clear out the grandmother's home, and we

found lots of interesting items that we've brought here to Chiswick Auction Rooms in West London.

Now, remember, Caroline is hoping to help her mother out.

Her mother has gone into a residential home and they are hoping to raise

?800, so let's hope the bidders are feeling very generous when their items go under the hammer today.

The bidders are arriving and our expert, the timeless Jonty Hearnden knows his stuff,

so with a bit of luck, we'll soon be well on our way to a good result.

Ah, Jonty, now if I needed to know the time, I'd know where to go, except it doesn't work.

No, it really is Denis Slow. It's stopped! It is a lovely piece. These things are popular, aren't they?

A good quality clock, that.

It was a very interesting house. We did find some lovely items.

No, it really was a typical day for a general valuer when you go to a house like that.

It was very typical of what you do find, so it was an interesting one from that point of view.

There were some nice items, but we don't know whether they're all here.

Now, if they bring that beautiful quality Davenport,

then I think we will get our target very, very easily, but I'm not sure whether they have brought it or not.

We've the other table, the wind out table. Really good quality, that. Again, hidden under a cloth.

There was a lot that was hidden away.

You did a very good job of finding it, Jonty. We did, don't you think, yeah?

Let's just hope they haven't changed their mind about selling anything. Shall we go and meet them?

With the sale room filling up, Caroline and Lauren are taking one last look

at Granny's stuff before it goes under the hammer.

Really? Ah, good morning, ladies. Hi, how are you? Hi! All right?

You've spotted one of your items, haven't you?

I'm so pleased to see it. It's fantastic.

It does look very different in an auction house setting.

It really looks really quite beautiful, and laid out with the Chinese plates.

There's so much in the sale room that's yours.

I know! I keep looking around and spotting things and saying, oh, that looks familiar!

Something that will help us, is whether you've brought the desk. Is it here?

I just couldn't part with it.

There's so much history to do with the desk, and when you mentioned about being

a computer desk, I thought, that will make a perfect computer desk.

So have you put any reserves on anything? Well, I have.

I've put a reserve on the table. Right.

I think it was 150. Yeah. And also the wall clock.

Yes. The clock that was in my grandfather's shop.

Any others? I have got several reserves.

I can't actually remember them all. Well, let's go and see what they will make, shall we?

Come on then, let's get in position.

So, Caroline has decided she can't bear to part with her grandfather's desk, but that's going to make our

?800 target much harder to reach, particularly as she's put high reserves on many of the lots.

Remember, if you'd like to buy or sell at auction, you will have to

pay commission, plus possibly other charges, so do check with your local auction house for more details.

Let's hope the first lot, the huge collection of fine china,

makes its ?40 to ?60 estimate.

Now, we've got a dinner service, or part dinner service.

Lots of bits, that's for sure. There are lots of bits there, yes.

And you find some more since we've been to yours, haven't you?

We surprisingly found more sort of serving plates and stuff.

OK. Now, how do you feel about selling this?

I have no emotional attachment to it, but I think it's rather nice. It's rather attractive.

Is it with ?20? 20.

22. 24. 26. ?26 for the lot. At 26.

28 I'll take. At ?26. At 26, then.

Unsold.

Unsold. That's understandable.

I mean, looking across there, there must be, what, 60 pieces of the stuff. Well, ?26...

It's probably better we keep it.

I think so, don't you? Even though there was no reserve on the dinner

service, the auctioneer has used his discretion

and decided that ?26 is too low a price to sell at.

With a target of ?800 to reach, we're going to have to hope that this set of

five Art Nouveau tureens generates interest.

What do we want for these?

I've put ?40 for the collection. Were they your grandmother's? Yes.

So, she had a penchant for china?

Yes, she did, yes. Right, well, they're up for sale.

Start me for this for ?20. ?20. 22.

24. 26. 28.

?28 for this lot. At ?28.

30 I'll take. For ?28. Anybody?

For 28.

No good. Unsold.

It seems that the china collectors

haven't turned out for today's auction

With more crockery to come and another high reserve on the next lot,

suddenly our target is looking a long way off.

Now, our next lot I believe you have put the reserve on, it's the books.

Yes, cos I think they're rather lovely, and I'd be sad to see them go

for very little money, so it's worth keeping.

It's probably because you're a journalist.

Cos most journalists do collect books. Really? It's something about the written word, you know?

Maybe I rate books. Yes, yes.

Starting me at ?30. ?30. 30. Five.

40. Five. ?45 for that lot.

At ?45. Anybody want it for 50?

For ?45. At 45.

They're going home with you. No. There are going home.

But I don't think that's a bad thing, especially

if it's something you really like, cos there's nothing worse than seeing that go too cheaply. Yeah.

So, you happy about that, now?

Well, I suppose so, yeah. Now I'm thinking we shouldn't have put a reserve on it!

So, none of our three lots so far have found a buyer.

Jonty put a bottom estimate of ?40 on our next item,

but Caroline's chosen to put the reserve at the ?60 top estimate.

Even so, I've got a feeling that our luck may be about to change.

Now, our next lot I have to say is truly stunning.

It's art deco design and Royal Doulton, two great things, and people love the art deco.

It really is striking, don't you think? It looks striking here, yes.

A bit of interest in it already. I'm bid ?60. At 60. Five. 70.

Five. 80. Five. 85 in the room. Against commission, it's at ?85.

At 85. It looks like it's going for ?85.

Anybody else want to come in? ?85.

85. So, just in there, but you are pleased with that? Yeah, I'm really pleased with that.

Did you've any idea it might have that sort of value?

I was a bit concerned cos he said there's a bit of damage to

it, and I don't know how much that puts people off.

It would have done a lot more, if we didn't have that damage, but we still got there.

No, that's fantastic. It's good, isn't it?

Yeah. So, at last we're on our way.

Let's just hope we can clean up with our next lot.

165a.

A late Victorian five piece wash stand set. 165a.

These were all the rage in the '80s, weren't they, Jonty? Every bathroom you had a wash set.

Everybody bathroom had to be decorated with a

set like this, but not necessarily any more, and as a consequence the market hasn't really moved with the

times, or it has moved with the times and prices for these sets have fallen rather than risen.

Start me at 30. ?30. 32. 34. 36.

Over there at ?36. ?36.

Anybody want 38? For ?36.

We're not selling them for 36.

Oh!

Oh, I'm doing really badly.

Oh, dear.

So, it seems we're victim to fashion and yet another lot will be

going home with Caroline and Lauren.

Halfway through the auction and we've made only one sale.

So, how did you find that?

Oh, well, it was really nerve-racking and I'm

quite upset that we didn't get the prices we wanted for some things. Jonty, why do you think that is?

If you think about all of the ceramics that we've sold, if you think about the design,

a lot of it is early 20th century or Victorian, and the market at the

moment is it just so flat for those kinds of designs, that kind of look.

There was hardly any bidding in the room. But, on a positive note, we've got a lot to look forward to.

For the time being, so far this morning we've made ?85. Well, it's not a lot, is it?

So, everything is going to ride on this afternoon, so let's hope we can get the money in for you, OK? OK.

Caroline's decision to put high reserves on her items means that the ?800 target is

looking like a distant dream, so Jonty thinks it might be time to consider a different approach.

Well, oh, dear. So, as a valuer, where would you stand on reserves?

Reserves are an issue because you cannot fix a market.

In an auction room like this, it's the marketplace.

Let the market decide.

I understand that we've got a few more reserves later on, and if we put too high a reserve,

then we just stand a chance of things just not selling again.

You can understand people being in two minds. Even if they say they're not sentimental

items, they feel a responsibility to the people that owned them before.

Absolutely. I completely understand all of that.

So, I hope the market is feeling a bit more generous this afternoon!

After the disappointment of this morning's auction, Caroline's had time to rethink her tactics.

Now, the pressure is definitely on us this afternoon.

?85 in the bank is not really good enough, is it? So, what are we going to do about those reserves?

Well, I've decided to take all the reserve prices off

because I'm really worried that we're going to be taking as much home as we brought to the auction.

The auctioneer does use their discretion. Does he?

They won't let things just sell for ?10 just for the sake of it.

If something is worth ?100, it's not going to sell for 10.

They usually use their 10%, 20%, sometimes 30% discretion, but no more than that. Right. All right?

So, let the market decide.

We've had a change of auctioneer,

and the first thing that we're selling is the

Edwardian mahogany roll top desk. Yes, yeah.

Now, the estimate is ?80 to ?120 on this, Jonty? It's sweet.

It's a lovely little desk.

Was it your mother's? It was my mother's.

She was always chair of this and secretary of that and she had lots of

different papers and things. So it was her desk, yeah.

All right, OK. So, I've put around ?80 for this lot set.

?100 for it? It should make at least that. ?100 for it?

?80 for it? I'm bid at ?80. At 85?

At ?80. At ?80. I'll take five.

I've got a bid of ?80. 85.

Do you want 90?

90 there. 95? 100. 110. Good!

Come on. 110 I'm bid. At 110.

Take 120. ?110. The standing bid at 110. I'll take 120 for it?

I'm done at 110.

?110. Feel better? I feel a bit better now. I feel a bit better now.

At least we're over the ?100 mark!

That's got to be good!

With the afternoon off to a flying start,

maybe we've still got a chance of reaching our ?800 target

and the set of bleached walnut bedroom furniture

could attract some interest at ?180 to ?230.

Now, this is a whole bedroom suite.

Do you remember, was it ever in your room, or...

It was partly in my room and partly in my sister's room.

Because it was so big! And it came from my father's aunt, and so... I mean, it is lovely.

I even liked it as a child, so...

Lauren really likes it, don't you? Yeah, I had a similar one in my room, yeah.

How do you find seeing it all being sold? What's your emotion right now?

I just hope it goes for a reasonable amount of money, because I don't want to take it home! OK!

Start me at ?100 for it. It should make more. ?100 for the lot?

?50 for it all in? Oh, no! ?50. Take 55. 55. Thank you.

60. Five.

I can't say no already. 65. 70.

Come on. Five. 75. 80. Five. 80 is bid. Take five. At ?80. The bid's at ?80. Take five.

At ?80. Is that all at ?80?

I'm selling at ?80, then? It's going to go at ?80. A bargain goes at ?80 and gone. ?80.

?80. That's half of all you thought. Yeah, yeah. It just shows you where the market is.

I know, exactly. Difficult, difficult.

Because, again, that sort of furniture competes head on with modern design.

Yes, exactly, yes. So, it's got to be cheap enough to sell, all right?

The bedroom set might not have reached its estimate,

but not having a reserve

means that Caroline and Lauren don't have to lug it all home again.

Jonty has got high hopes that

our next lot will manage to cook up some interest.

This is one of my favourite items that you possess, this lovely serving dish and cover.

Dinner is served, remember? Yes, exactly. For a big side of beef. Yes. It's a fabulous item.

?100 for it? Should make more. ?100 for it. I can't believe it.

Come on! ?50 for it? I'm bid at ?50.

Take 55. ?50. Take five.

At ?50. Do you want 55 or not?

So far, I'm at 55.

Thank you. In time. 60. Five.

70. Five.

80. Five. It's still half price at ?80.

I'll take 85. At ?80. I'll take five. Are you out at ?80? I'm selling at ?80.

You got a bargain at ?80. ?80.

I want to find out who's bought that and go there for Christmas dinner!

That would be spectacular, wouldn't it, the turkey arriving in that?

Another ?80 towards our total and things are starting to look up.

And if quality sells, the next item should fly out of the saleroom.

So, this is one of my favourite items, the extending dining table.

Good quality table, this. Very good quality.

If you did invite everybody round for dinner, I've worked out you'd have

to start unwinding it at breakfast, wouldn't you?

?200 for it? ?100 for it? Oh, no! I'm bid at ?100.

I'll take 110. I'm at ?100. 110 you want?. 110. 120?

Hey, we're flying.

140. There you are, you see.

150. 160. 170. Now at 160. I'm bid at 160. All done then at 160.

I'm selling them for ?160. It goes.

?160. Is that all right? What do you think? That's fine, that's fine.

I put 150 low end estimate and we got it away at 160. I want a big smile on your face, please!

So, the dining table has done the business.

So far, Caroline mum's china hasn't exactly been a smash hit,

but we're hoping for better luck with our next lot.

Lot number 354a now.

14 19th century willow pattern plates, they are all pottery ones.

There are 14 of them. ?100?

?50?

I'm bid at ?50. At ?50.

I'll take 55. At ?50.

55 next to you. 60. Five. 70. Five.

80? At ?75. I'm bid at ?75.

I'll take 80. At ?75.

Seems cheap at ?75. Are we done with ?75? Last chance. It goes at 75.

Oh, not quite. ?75. I'm actually quite pleased.

These were the plates that were in my bedroom as a teenager.

Plates in your bedroom? Yeah, there were up on the rail designed

for plates. I always used to have big arguments with my mother cos I wanted to take them down!

It's not the sort of thing a teenager has in their bedroom!

No, that's very true. So, to get, what was it ?75, for it?

Yes. I'm quite pleased with it. You're happy. I'm quite happy with that.

So, once again, Caroline's delighted that she doesn't have to pack up her

mum's possessions and take them home.

Our next item might have stopped working, but let's hope the bidders

think it's a timeless piece for the right reasons.

Right, it's the big one! It's the clock!

Yes, Denis Slow's clock! Yes.

Exactly. I'm hopeful for this one, yes.

Now, you've put ?180 reserve on it this morning. Have you taken that off?

I have, yes, because I don't want...

I don't mind taking the clock home cos it's not too big and it's also quite a nice piece,

but, we have got a bit more stuff, so... OK.

Start me off at ?100. Here it goes. Start me at ?100 for it?

?100 for it? Come on. I'm bid at ?100. At ?100.

I'll take 110. The bid's at ?100. I'll take 110. 110. 120. 130. 140.

Come on! 150. See! You see!

160. 170. 180. 190. 200. And 10. Yes.

At ?200. Do you want 210? At ?200. I'll take 10. At ?200 are we done?

For ?200, then. Last... Do you want 210? 210 back in. 220.

220! You came back in and you got it.

At ?210. Are you out? At ?210.

Last chance. At ?210 it goes.

Fantastic! ?210.

That's brilliant. There we are!

Our last item was the most amount, wasn't it? Absolutely fantastic.

Whether the reserve was there or not, we made more than that. Exactly.

So, you had the confidence to take the reserve off, and look.

So, at ?210, it looks like we've saved the best to last.

It's time to find out if we've managed to get close

to the ?800 Caroline wanted to raise for her mother's care home fund.

Did you find it more stressful this morning when items weren't selling with reserves on them,

or this afternoon were you were waiting to see if they would get near what you wanted?

It was much better this afternoon. I think we got into a bit of a downward spiral

which was a bit of a worry.

But this afternoon I was more nervous about it

cos we didn't have the reserves on it, but it went a lot better. Now, this morning we made ?85.

Would you like to hear how much we got this afternoon? Yes, we would. Overall, you've made ?800.

Oh, great! ?800. ?800. That was our target, so that's fantastic.

That will go a long way to help mum, you know, in her convalescent home. Has it been a good day overall?

Yeah, it was very instructive, actually, and yes... It's been really interesting. Yes.

Has it helped you on your journey to start the process of sorting the house out?

Yes, and I'll be getting the auctioneers back in cos there's still more.

Probably you've taken the best bits but there are a few more bits that really can be sold.

You've got so much more work to do. Yes, we have! Well done for today!

With ?800 raised for her mum's care home fund, Caroline has brought

niece Lauren along to help her gran settle into her new surroundings.

We've got this picture that you painted of your dad. Yes.

So, that's your dad, yeah, and we'll put that all up there like that.

We'll get the man to put something in the wall.

We're really glad we managed to raise quite a lot of money at the auction,

because it's important that Mum is happy in her retirement.

She's been much more happier since she's come to Beaumont, so...

Before she was living in that cold, dark house by herself and it must have been a bit of a worry for her.

As a special treat for her grandmother, and the rest of the residents, talented musician Lauren

has decided to entertain them with her harp playing.

Mum, what to do think of Lauren's harp playing? It was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

And it always makes me cry! It's a beautiful instruments that makes you cry,

and it makes you cry even more cos it's Lauren, isn't it? Yes.

That's right. And she works very hard at her harp playing. Yes, she does.

It's such a nice feeling to know that my mum is happy and that we've helped her

find a place to live in for the rest of her life where she can be happy.

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