Gamp Cash in the Attic

Hello and welcome to Cash in the Attic.

We're on the trail of those hidden treasures around your home

that we can help you sell at auction

and today we've come to Pinner on the outskirts of London.

You'd never know you were so close, because it is a delightful little town

and it harks all the way back to medieval times.

As well as having one of the shortest high streets in the country,

Pinner can also lay claim to being the birthplace of many famous people

including the cartoonist and illustrator Heath Robinson,

the astronomer Patrick Moore and international superstar Elton John.

It was also the fictional home of Victor Meldrew in the comedy series One Foot In The Grave.

We're hoping that it's also going to be home to some wonderful antiques

that we can dust off and sell when they go under the hammer at auction.

I'm on my way to meet a couple who are dreaming of some new wheels,

so they've called us in to help.

Coming up on today's Cash In The Attic,

I get some tips on mind control.

Can you hypnotise yourself?

-Actually, you can.

-Can you? Oh.

And try the power of positive thinking on today's couple.

-That's a wheel anyway, isn't it?

-Yeah.

A wheel on a car. A small car.

And we all have a rollercoaster of emotions at auction.

-Great.

-Hooray, hooray.

Hysteria.

Let's hope we'll still be cheering when the final hammer falls.

This cosy bungalow in Middlesex is home to hypnotherapist Harry Gamp and his wife Frances.

They were married in 1950

and have shared a lifelong love of antiques and art.

During their 58-year marriage, they've accumulated a wealth of beautiful possessions,

but need to convert some of those collectables into cash for a new car.

So with help from granddaughter Lucy, it's time to tackle the treasures.

-Oh, hello, good morning.

-Hey, Paul.

Are you feeling confident?

-Of course I am.

-I've put lipstick on you.

-Really?

-Yes.

-It's all a rumour.

Now I tell you, someone in there,

I'm not sure if it's the gentleman or the lady, they're a hypnotherapist.

Really? I thought I'd been here before.

Oh! Let's go and see what we can find.

I know exactly what we're going to find. Some vases...

-No, you don't.

-Some bits of furniture. I do.

-I didn't say clairvoyant.

-And a kettle.

Good morning.

Already doing some research, that's excellent.

-OK. All right, so you're obviously Harry, you're Frances...

-I'm Lucy.

-So how do you fit in?

-I'm their granddaughter.

Well, you're very beautiful, I must say.

Isn't she lovely? Fantastic.

-I've had a look around Pinner, that's pretty lovely too.

-Great history to Pinner.

It's a historic old old place and lots of very interesting monuments actually.

You're very lucky to live here.

We feel very fortunate, yes.

Right now, I want to know why I'm here, really. Who called me in?

-I did.

-Uh-huh, all right. So, why?

We want a new car and I worked out that if we trade in the one we have,

we'd be a bit short.

-OK. Have you got enough possessions then, Frances?

-Definitely.

Yeah? Are you a bit of a collector?

I'm the culprit, yes, to a certain extent.

-And you're prepared to part with some?

-I'll have to be.

So how much money do you reckon we need to raise?

Well, from the possessions, something like £1,500.

Shall we go for 1,500, Lucy?

I think we should go for 1,600.

Well, I'm going to set it at 1,500, I don't want to count our chickens.

-Are you good at rummaging?

-I'm quite good at it, yes.

I'm going to hold you to that. OK, let's get cracking.

-Shall we have a look around?

-Yeah.

I'm always cautious but this family does seem quietly confident

about today's rummage, so we should be on track for that new car in no time.

It looks as if we'll have plenty of items to go through,

so I'm glad we've got our antiques expert Paul Hayes on hand

to guide us in the right direction.

-Aha.

-Hello.

Paul at work. That's what I like to see.

-Hi.

-This is Harry, Frances and Lucy.

So what have you found already?

I've found this beautiful figurine.

-That's from China.

-Ah, no, it's not.

-Oh, I'm so bad at this.

-Spanish this one, it's Lladro.

-It's Lladro.

-There is a designer name on the bottom here, Norman Rockwell.

Yes, very famous illustrator,

American illustrator, depicting middle America.

Lladro tended to use all the great artists of the day,

and commission them to make figurines,

so they would take the original cartoon and make them into porcelain.

But without knowing the Rockwell connection, you can tell it's Lladro.

Lladro was a very famous and very collectable Spanish manufacturer

and they have one or two trademarks

and the first one really is the height of the character.

They always do the gentlemen and ladies about nine-foot tall, if you looked in real terms.

He's sat down here but his legs go on for ever,

so if he stood up he would be enormous.

And the detail, the quality of these figures are wonderful.

I think if we get two collectors for this,

it could be a very good piece indeed,

but when it comes to general auction,

I'd like to see it with a conservative estimate.

-A ballpark figure...

-Yeah?

-You're looking around £100-150, that sort of price band.

-If you're willing, we could put it in with a reserve on it and see how it goes.

-Yeah.

-That sound all right?

-Absolutely.

But you're saying 100-150.

A minimum of 100, to give it a chance.

The auctioneer will shout at me if I don't do that.

That's a wheel on a car. Well, a small car!

£100 for the Lladro jester is a good price,

but our £1,500 target is no laughing matter,

so we need to pull out all the stops in our search today.

Paul isn't resting on his laurels and gets straight to work,

finding this jade-seated Buddha and two temple lions.

Harry was given them as a gift on a trip to Hong Kong 30 years ago

and Paul hopes they could raise £30 to £50 at auction.

In the office, Lucy finds this Tibetan painting.

This style of artwork is known as Thangka and is usually painted onto cotton or silk.

They're traditionally given as hospitality presents

and this one was given to Harry by one of his patients.

It gets packed off to auction with a price tag of £20 to £40.

Our search as got off to a strong start, and in the dining room,

something sparkly has caught Harry's eye.

-I've got something here.

-Oh, cup of tea, is it?

Well, not at the moment, it's empty.

Oh, right. Look at this.

I was just looking at the mark...

Well, these are definitely solid silver.

-Yes.

-Wow, were these an heirloom?

Yes, they've been passed through with...

I had to think for a moment, because we've had them for so many years.

Yes, we didn't buy them, they came through...

Well, they're very 1930s. You can tell the sort of period straight off.

The Art Deco period is very geometric,

cut corners, everything is triangular.

-If you look at the handle, it's almost a complete triangle.

-Yeah.

That says to me Art Deco, so you're looking some time around 1920s, 1930s.

But it is solid silver and do you know how to read the hallmarks there?

I'm not very good at that but I think you look for a lion?

The lion, exactly, that's all that really matters.

Every piece of British silver has to have that lion on it.

That means it's solid silver.

So they'll send it to an assay office, and they will test it,

make sure it comes up to the purity level and then it's them

that actually places these hallmarks on here.

But it gives us instant recognition that this is a solid silver item

and in this case it's been Birmingham and the reason I know that

is because there's an anchor there.

So it's solid silver, Birmingham.

The next one here works like a car registration number

and they change every year so you're looking some time 1920, 1930.

But value-wise, these are super, you've got a teapot,

you've got a hot water jug,

you've got a milk jug and you've also got a sugar basin.

So a nice four-piece silver tea service, 1920s.

300, maybe up to £500, that sound all right?

-Sounds good.

-Excellent.

-Is that your cup of tea?

-Yes.

Wow, £300 for the silver tea set is worth a gold medal. Good for Harry.

While Paul continues his search for more medal winners,

I want to find out more about Harry's hypnotherapy.

Can you hypnotise yourself, Harry?

-Actually, you can.

-Oh, can you?

-Oh, gosh.

-I teach people self-hypnosis, yes.

-Do you?

-Absolutely.

-With this little thing here?

Not necessarily with that.

I mean, that's used sometimes.

Some people like to... We like to focus the eye

on some object, it helps to concentrate the thought pattern.

I do think hypnotism is quite mysterious, isn't it, and it fascinates everyone.

How did you get involved in it?

Well, I was always interested in psychology

and when I was a young man it was a toss-up between architecture

and, um, psychiatry.

I was always terribly interested in it, it fascinated me,

and then I read a lot of Sigmund Freud's work

and became very interested in hypnosis as well,

and all these things together,

to treat people for all manners of conditions,

from stress...

..addictions, smoking, alcohol, depression.

You've never actually hypnotised your wife,

but I'm surprised because she was a little bit reluctant,

she doesn't really want to get rid of her possessions.

Up until Friday, she didn't want to do this at all.

Well, she's doing very well and we're finding an awful lot,

but if we're going to get that car we'd better get rummaging again.

OK.

Hypnotherapy aside, we need to keep our minds focused on the task ahead

if we're going to get the £1,500

that Harry and Frances need for their new car.

Out in the hallway, Lucy's found something that's not quite to her taste.

Paul.

Yeah, hello.

How much do you think this is worth?

Ah. This is quite a nice one, actually. Is this your cup of tea?

No, I don't really much care for her.

-I think she's quite sweet.

-I don't think she's very attractive.

Right, OK. Well, I don't think she's supposed to be attractive in a sense.

Lots of these characters were based on Dickens characters,

and you get the wonderful old Victorian lady selling balloons.

Sometimes you get them with ribbons and silks and things like that.

-But it's made by Royal Doulton, have you heard of Royal Doulton?

-I have.

They're a major manufacturer and they really put some effort into these.

They make these by the thousands,

but there are several firing processes to actually make one of these.

But all of these are actually made individually, so for every one they make perfect

they have to throw away several that have slipped,

or the colours haven't been right.

What's nice about all Doulton is that they're clearly labelled on the bottom.

-Yeah.

-And what I will check for, actually,

if I just rub my nail across there, what you'll find is

the ones that are imperfect, they sell through the factory very cheaply

and they put a hole in the middle of that mark there,

-and this one's fine, this is a proper item.

-This is genuine.

Genuine item, it's not a reject, if you like.

-Well, I think value-wise, you're looking sort of £70 to £100.

-Yeah?

-That sound all right?

-Sounds great.

Excellent. OK, well that's a hub cap.

-Let's keep looking.

-A hub cap!

It might not be Lucy's favourite, but £70 for the Doulton figure

is a good addition to our total, so I'm certainly not complaining.

Meanwhile in the study, Harry unearths this unusual looking heater.

He had it in his office when he worked in the City during the '60s.

It's flying saucer-like shape is said to reflect the public interest in space travel at the time.

It should fetch between £30 and £50.

This unusual leather bottle gets packed off to auction too.

Frances bought it in a charity shop a year ago

as it reminded her of a visit to Florence,

and Paul thinks it could add another £20 to £30 to our coffers.

We've had a successful day so far but we need to keep on hunting

if we're going to get the £1,500 to put towards our couple's new car.

In the living room I've spotted something that even to my untrained eye looks pretty special.

-Paul?

-Yeah.

Frances? Harry?

-Yes.

-Hi.

Hello. Look.

I like this a lot, but the trouble is you might like it too

so I don't know if it can go to the auction, but do you think it's any good?

I do actually, yeah. Well, it looks like an old Dutch master, but the colours seem very bright.

-Has it been cleaned recently

-Well, not recently. About 18 years ago.

Yes, soon after we moved here we decided to have it cleaned

because it's been with us most of our married life.

But has it always been in this frame?

-Yes.

-Well, this is definitely a 19th century frame

and the way it's done, this is a carved wooden frame with gesso finish,

which is like a plaster with a gilded effect.

And the way they do that, to get the gold to actually adhere to the plaster they use a brick dust

and when the gold wears away, you end up with a red sort of finish to it which is actually dust.

This one is red paint so that tells us it's a 19th century copy.

But there is one quick way to tell actually, if I just take it off the wall, is to spin it around.

We know the frame is fairly recent, but you can tell instantly that this has been out of the frame,

but that obviously is when it's been cleaned, see this new tape here,

but what I would expect to find there for a real old master would be a very old canvas.

Bearing in mind this would be possibly 300 years old, that canvas would be charcoal black.

It would be covered with dust, dirt, the whole thing would be black.

-So that tells you it's a late 19th/ early 20th century canvas.

-Oh.

So what we've got here is a very decorative picture, beautifully painted,

-value-wise at least 300 upwards.

-Oh.

-So that sort of price. £3-500.

-That's rather good.

-That sound all right with you?

-That's very nice.

-Can it go to the auction?

-I'm not selling.

-Oh, well.

-Hang on. You don't want this to go?

I find it's been part of our living area for so many years,

I've just got so accustomed to have the space. Um... I'm reluctant to see it go.

Well, the painting is clearly tugging at Harry's heart strings, even with the useful £300 estimate,

so we'll have to wait until the auction to see whether he can bear to part with it.

While the others get on with the search,

I've decided to have a little sit down with our self-confessed hoarder, Frances.

Well, this is going very well so far,

we're identifying some wonderful bits and pieces. Clearly you have a love of beautiful furniture.

-Yes, yes, evidently.

-Where did you get this from?

-Well, I think from my mother.

-Uh-huh.

Because I used to trawl around with her to antique shops and museums

so we've always loved beautiful things.

So you were pretty well brought up surrounded by beautiful objects, were you?

Yes. Yes. I was used to it.

My home always looked beautiful - furniture, pictures...

We're raising money for a new car today. Were you the driving force behind this idea?

I think our car is showing it's age, shall we say,

and getting to the stage where it's going to cost a lot of money

so we don't drive very much, but we do need a new car.

Will you and Harry be taking to the big wide open roads?

We like to go for drives, weekends, somewhere into the country.

Maybe he'll take you somewhere very special, who knows?

Indeed, yes.

If we're going to get this money we need to find some more fine things, so let's go.

Well, she may be a bit reticent about our rummage,

but it's her eye for fine antiques that will help bring in the money for a new car.

As the work goes on, Paul's nose for antiques has led him to another interesting discovery.

Harry. Lucy.

-Now, then. Are these yours, Lucy?

-No.

-So these must be yours, Harry.

Yes. Mine and Frances, yes. Joint ownership.

Yes. But they're beautiful, aren't they, scent bottles?

-Have you ever used them for scent?

-No, they're purely decorative.

-That does tend to be the way that people sort of use these now, but these are Maltese.

-Yes.

A firm called Modena. They went through a stage in the 1960s and '70s

where they were popular, then they went totally out of fashion

and now all this retro design has come back in fashion so they're very desirable things at the moment.

But we think of perfume now being already in bottles, but it didn't used to be that way.

In Victorian times and before, what you would be to actually to take your bottle into the chemist

and he would decant the perfume into the bottle and that would sit on your dressing table.

It was only really a guy called Rene Lalique who introduced the first manufactured bottle.

-What I would like to do, there are four here that I've picked out.

-Yes.

They're all in nice condition. If I said sort of £40 to £60 as an auction estimate, does that sound OK?

-Yes, it does.

-Great.

-Yes.

£40 to £60 for the scent bottles is another good find, but with our day of rummaging drawing to a close

and a massive £1,500 target, we need to hunt out a few more collectables before we can put our feet up.

In the hallway, I've found a silver cigarette case which Frances inherited from her uncle.

He bought it in Austria 40 years ago

and Paul thinks it could bring in £40 to £60 at auction.

Lucy's been busy as well. She's found a crystal vase in Harry's office.

It's over 70 years old and used to belong to his parents.

We hope it will attract the bidders with a price tag of £30 to £50.

It's nearly the end of our day's rummage,

but before I tot up the final total, Paul has one last ace up his sleeve.

-Ah, Harry.

-Yeah?

-Jenny, look at this.

-What a fantastic card table.

-Oh, that is beautiful.

-Yeah, I'm very proud of that.

The style is typically French and it's after Louis XVI,

he came up with this wonderful elegant style and the trademarks really are a serpentine front.

-Can you see that, like a snake's back?

-Mmm.

Cabriole legs which bend. They're based on goats hind legs, by the way, these cabriole legs.

And then leading to a small point.

Very elegant and that was the particular style actually.

It would be a beautiful, but very useful piece of furniture

and one of the first things you'd see when you went to visit somebody would be the card table.

So they've used a small piece of rosewood, turned it upside down so we get the contrasting colour,

then turned it this way and that way.

It's the same piece of wood cut four different ways

and that gives that wonderful diamond shape in the middle.

-And then inlaid into the top we have this fabulous marquetry inlay.

-Yes.

All this is satinwood which gives a great contrasting colour

and that's technical, very difficult to do and very much of the period.

So how much is it worth?

Quite a lot of money actually.

I would like to see that going with an estimate of at least £600.

-Ooh.

-Up to

-£1,000. Oh, my goodness.

Well, that's very interesting.

Wow. Is that round about what you were thinking?

No, it's far more.

It's much in excess of what I was thinking.

I had a much more sort of... Well, I didn't know, but in my mind I thought about £300.

-That's great news.

-It certainly is. We'd better tell the girls.

Frances. Lucy. I wonder if they thought it was worth this much.

Hello, we've got some really rather nice news.

Well, at the end of our days' work, I have to tell you, you want £1,500 towards your car, don't you?

You have to decide whether you're going to take the painting or not,

so without the painting, Paul reckons, if he gets his sums right,

you will make £1,280,

and if you take the picture, £1,580, so over your target.

-How's that?

-Excellent, excellent.

-Good.

-Yes.

Our hard work searching Harry and Frances's home has really paid off

and we've got an impressive array of items to take to the auction.

We've got the limited edition Lladro jester valued at £100 to £150,

the solid silver Art Deco tea set with a £300 to £500 estimate,

and the beautiful card table valued at a massive £600 to £1,000.

Time will tell if Harry and Frances decide to bring the oil painting.

With an estimate of £300 to £500, will they be able to part with it?

Still to come on Cash In The Attic, a run of bad luck has our couple looking worried.

-We're taking everything home.

-No, you won't.

So Paul resorts to some unusual auction strategies.

Maybe we should have rubbed his belly.

But it's not all bad news.

We made the bottom estimate.

So how will we have done when the final hammer falls?

It's been a few weeks since we helped Harry and Frances search their home for antiques

and today we've brought them to Chiswick auction rooms in west London.

Remember, they're hoping to raise £1,500 towards a new car

so let's hope the bidders here do them proud when their items go under the hammer.

It may be early, but there are already some serious looking bidders having a scout around the saleroom.

I hope Paul isn't planning on clowning around as he checks out how our lots are looking.

-Hi, Paul.

-Ah, hello.

-Oh, I remember this little fellow.

He looks like me first thing in the morning actually.

-Really mis.

-Before and after.

-Oh, gosh. This could be quite valuable though.

Yeah, well, I had a chat to Harry and he's found this exact figure on the internet in a shop for £1,800.

-And what did you value it at?

-£100, but that's a retail price, I don't think you'd get that money for it.

-OK.

-So we've agreed on an estimate now of between 300 and 500.

-Right.

I've put a reserve of £300 and it will be interesting to see whether his research really pays off.

-What's your gut instinct?

-I think he'll be going back with it.

-Really?

I do honestly because the retail prices are vastly exaggerated.

-But he won't mind.

-No, I think he'll be very happy.

-That's win-win.

-Exactly, yeah.

What about the other items? Games table? That was really nice.

The games table is a cracker.

Needs a bit of restoration, but we're looking at at least £600 upwards on that so let's see how it goes.

And they had that lovely oil painting, but I don't know if they brought it or not.

I haven't seen it. We thought it might be a lost Dutch master but it's certainly lost because it's not here.

-Oh, they haven't brought it.

-Oh, dear.

-Oh, well.

-We better put him down and see if Harry's arrived, and Frances.

-Yeah.

I hope they're here because the bidders are already settling in.

Fingers crossed they're feeling generous with the cash,

especially when it comes to our couple's offerings.

-Good morning.

-Ah, hello.

-Frances, Harry, how are you?

Hello. Nice to see you again.

-It's beautiful.

-When you see your items at the auction, it does something to you.

-You feel you want them back.

-I know, I know. Where's Lucy?

-I'm afraid she had to work today?

-Oh, did she?

-Yes.

-Oh, that's a shame. We'll have to manage without her.

-Couldn't take the day off.

-And there's another thing missing.

One thing I haven't been able to see is that old Dutch master picture.

Did you decide to bring that in the end?

Ah, reluctantly.

-Oh, you did! Yippee!

-OK.

-Reluctantly we brought it.

So you brought it, but did you put a reserve on it?

-Yes, I did actually, um...

-How much?

-300.

-Is that OK?

That's fine, yes. That's the bottom of the estimate so that's fine.

-Either you get your money or you take it home, you'll be happy.

-Yes.

We've upped the value of the jester.

Yes, because that is... I consider that's quite rare and I'm very fond of it.

-We've put a reserve of 300 on that one.

-On that one as well.

-But as you say...

-Ooh, quite a lot of reserves to deal with Frances.

Oh, dear. Never mind, we'll see how it goes and it is about to begin.

Shall we get a spot over here? Follow us, we'll find a nice spot.

Harry and Frances have the right to protect their items with reserves,

but will it affect our chances of getting them that new car?

We'll have to wait to see how things go.

With the bidders assembled and ready and the auctioneer on the rostrum,

we find a spot with a good view of the action in time for our first lot.

-OK now, this is a Tibetan Thangka, is that right?

-It's a Thangka, yes.

Finely decorated narrative scenes. It's like an Indian painting.

That's it. It's a painting. It looks like embroidery, but it's painted.

That's right.

-It was a present.

-Oh, was it?

-Yes, it was a gift.

-Oh, I see.

-Don't you like the person any more?

-No.

Excellent. So let's see if they can give us £20 for it.

-Let's see how we get on.

-Couple of bids on this, I'm bid £25.

-£25.

-That's great, yes.

28, 30, 32, £32, £35 now.

£35. At £35.

At 35 then. £35.

-Hey.

-That's a good result. Good result, yeah.

-That's great.

-Thangka.

-Thangka.

£35 for the painting gets us off to a flying start.

Will our next unusual lot entice the bidders in the same way?

It's the leather covered bottle which Paul estimated at £20 to £30.

OK, it's your leather decanter coming up.

Now you got this at a charity shop, didn't you, Frances?

-That's right.

-What caught your eye about it?

-It just reminded me of Florence, our holiday.

Ah! Oh, dear, well, your memory's disappearing now.

-Turning into cash, yeah?

-Yes, but we've got other Florentine things.

OK. £20 we want for it, yeah?

Yes. Bit of a tourism item, but a nice memory for yourself.

-OK, here we go.

-Anybody want this for £10.

£10 for it. The decanter and stopper for £10.

Can't sell it for less than ten.

Passing it for £10.

-Oh. Oh, well.

-There you go.

It's a disappointing result, but, hey, it's still early days.

Maybe a little Eastern promise will be what the bidders are after.

There we go, 36a.

Start me for £10.

10, 12, 14, 16. £16 for it. At £16. 18 if you like anywhere?

For £16. Anybody want to come in?

£16.

-Unsold.

-Not sold.

-There you go.

Maybe we should have rubbed his belly.

Another item Harry and Frances will be taking home.

Paul's joking, and our couple are putting on a brave face

but I do hope things pick up soon as that £1,500 target is looking a long way off.

Maybe our next lot will turn our luck around.

It's time for the crystal vase which used to belong to Harry's parents.

We're hoping it will fetch between £30 and £50.

It's your crystal vase going up now which I think is a splendid piece.

-Yes.

-I think it's in the cabinet and it's worth £30 we hope.

Yes, a nice decorative item, a nice bit of cut glass

and it's in good condition, which is the main thing.

14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 24 upstairs, at £24.

At 24, 26 down below, 28,

30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 5, 50.

£50 upstairs.

At £50, it's going then for £50.

At £50 it is then.

-Wow. That's great, isn't it?

-First good result.

That's better. Top estimate that.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-We just need some flowers to put in it now, Harry.

-What did you think about that Frances?

-Yes. Good.

Phew. £50 is a great result for the vase.

At last, our couple have something to smile about.

Now remember, if you're planning on heading to your local auction house be aware that commission

and possible other charges will be added to your bill so always check the details with the saleroom first.

We're all in need of a cuppa to boost morale,

but before we get to half time there's an important lot for us.

It's time for the jester. OK, it's under revised estimate now of £300.

Lot 24a is the Norman Rockwell group, Lladro group.

This has got an estimate correction,

the estimate is now 3-400.

24a, start me for 200, £200.

200, 210, 220, 230, 240.

£240 for the Lladro, for £240.

At 240. For £240. 240.

Oh, there you are, so it wasn't sold.

-Well, I had...anticipated that.

-Yeah.

-So how do you feel about taking it home?

-Happy.

-What about you, Frances?

-Yes. I'd have him back.

Well, it may not have found a buyer,

but Harry and Frances didn't seem surprised or downhearted.

I think they never wanted to part with the Lladro in the first place.

After a difficult morning, I tot up what we've made so far.

Well, at this point, we're looking for £1,500,

it's not looking too realistic because at this point we've made £85.

-Oh.

-Well, that's because you've got pretty high reserves on things.

-Yes.

-And some things haven't sold, but look on the bright side,

we've got the tea set to go, that's great, isn't it?

-Yes.

-The card table.

-Yep.

-That should do well. Hopefully.

-And the painting.

-And the painting.

That's it. The glass is half full.

-Yes, that's the way to look at it.

-The other half is very empty.

-Let's go and have a cup of tea.

-Come on.

While our couple take a break to muster energy for the second half,

Paul pulls me aside to show me a lot that he thinks could be a hot tip.

-Ah, this is what I wanted to show you, Jenny.

-Oh, yeah?

This isn't quite antique. It's all memorabilia to do with Concorde.

-Ooh.

-Did you ever go on Concorde?

-I knew you were going to ask that. Well, of course I...didn't.

-Really?

What a shame. We're going backwards now.

This was the fastest aeroplane, passenger plane.

We can't go at this speed any more now so it's a bygone thing.

When they decommissioned the Concorde, all these items were sold off

and what we have is a flight certificate from the last captain, Captain Bannister,

and we've got some free pens and things they gave out to passengers, a little notepad and a diary.

It's not going to break auction records, maybe £20, £30 for the lot.

But these are fast-growing collectibles.

I know a gentleman who bought two of the original chairs from Concorde, fantastic items,

they were £800 for the pair, they're already worth about £3,000, so it's not to be sniffed at this.

So this lot's in at 20 quid, it could be supersonic, who knows?

-Let's see how it goes.

-I think that sounds very cheap.

After a turbulent morning, we get back into position, ready for the second half of the sale.

With only £85 made so far and a whopping £1,500 target to reach,

I'm keeping everything crossed as our next lot comes up for sale.

-It's time for your balloon seller that you were saying farewell to.

-Yes.

It is a very pretty piece, isn't it?

-Royal Doulton. What do you reckon we might get for it?

-£70 to £100.

It's unbelievable how much work goes into making these items,

but the balloon seller is one of the most common ones you can find.

-So that's not good?

-It's good in a way because it's very popular,

but the rarer ones in a rare colour and rare design will fetch more.

-But it should go.

-It should go 70 to 100, yes.

Ah, what's it worth then? 60 for this. 60 start me.

60, 5, 70, 5.

£75. At £75 and 80 I'll take.

For £75. At 75 then. For £75.

-There you go. That's great.

-Yeah.

-Happy?

-£75 - that's bang on.

-Oh, come on, Frances, smile.

At last. £75 is a good price for the Doulton figure

and although Frances seems to be dwelling on the unsold lots,

I'm beginning to hope that things are on the up.

Let's see whether our next lot has warmed the hearts of the cautious bidders

as Harry's unusual 1960s heater comes under the hammer.

We're hoping it could make us £30 to £50.

A stylish offer for the period, £50.

£50 for it. No bids at £50? No bids for £50.

Must be out of fashion. At £50 then. No bidders at £50.

No-one likes it again. Not having a good day so far, are we?

Oh, dear.

-No?

-That means no bids. That should have gone for that.

-Dear me.

-We'll be taking everything home.

-No, you won't, don't worry.

Unsold. Even Paul seemed at a loss to explain that.

It's an all too familiar result

and I really hope we're not in for a repeat performance.

Our most highly valued lot is next under the hammer.

Surely the bidders will be up for this.

If this doesn't sell, I think we just ought to go home.

We do want a lot of money for it, your card table.

-Paul, you think it's worth between 600...

-£600 to 1,000, yes.

-What's your feeling in the room?

Well, quality always shines through.

It's a fantastic table. It does need a bit of restoration, which is the only thing I can say about it.

-Let's see how we get on.

-What do you reckon, Frances, is it going to go?

-We've a 600 reserve.

-I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

-Everything crossed I think. £600 reserve, so we've got to get £600.

Continental card table. Start me at £500 for it.

£400 for it. Start me £400 or I'll pass the lot on. Bid at £400, I'll take 20, taking 20 now.

That's the only bid I've got so far at £400.

No further interest. Is it...? No, you're just waving. At £400.

Bid at £400 then. All done at £400. Come and see me after.

Oh, no, he's not let that go.

He's had a bid of 400. There was one gentleman who wanted it, but nobody bid against him.

Yeah.

Oh, dear.

What do you think?

-What do you think's going wrong?

-I don't know.

I don't know what's going wrong. It's that nobody wants it.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, you can leave things for another day, you get different people in.

That's right. Put it back in. Yes, you don't have to take it home.

-No. Put it into another auction.

-Yeah, I think that might be...

How do you feel about a tandem as opposed to a car?

Bicycle.

Scooter.

Two wheels are looking more likely than four at the moment.

The card table going unsold was a massive blow to our target

and the scent bottles suffer a similar fate.

Our £1,500 target is looking increasingly unreachable,

but I do want to get some money for Harry and Frances so we need our last three lots to do well for us.

It's the turn of that little silver cigarette case now which has the initials on.

We're looking for about £40 for this, OK?

Number 219a, start me at £20.

£20 for the lot. I'm bid at £20, 22, 25, 28, 30, 32, 35.

35, 38, still no money. 38, 40, 42?

40 bid, at £40. 42? Are you out already? At £40.

There you go. How was that? £40.

£40.

Oh, we made the bottom estimate!

-That's some relief anyway.

-Yes.

-Well done, well done.

£40 is bang on Paul's estimate and we're all pretty relieved.

I'm glad the silver buyers were on our side with that lot

and I hope they stick around for our silver tea set too.

It's due up in a few minutes.

The oil painting is next under the hammer.

It's our only artwork lot today so how will it fare?

We've got to get our hopes up for this one.

It's the oil painting you weren't sure you were going to bring it.

You have brought it, but there is a reserve on it, quite a hefty one I think.

-Yeah, a few hundred pounds.

-All right. Was it 300?

-300, yeah.

-£300. But it's valued, you think, between three and five.

That's the minimum I would be expecting it to reach actually.

-I think it's a cracking painting.

-Do you think we might have people who'll bid for it?

Oh, definitely. I mean, if it's the right artist, you get fabulous money for stuff.

You just have to see. £300 sounds about right.

OK. Luck hasn't run with us yet, but let's hope it does this time.

Number 278, a fine detail painting.

Start me at £200 for it, see how it goes. £200 for it.

No-one to start me? No bidders? I'm bid at £200. You want 210?

210, 220, 230, 240.

-Thank you. 250, 260.

-Come on, come on.

250 I'm bid. Bid's there. 260 back in. 270, 280.

Looking down, at £270.

At 270 and going then. I'm selling at £270. All done then?

Yes. He's let that go. Is that all right?

-Yes.

-270.

-Is that all right?

-Is that OK with you?

-270.

-Yes, that's...

The auctioneer used his discretion with a £300 reserve

and the painting sold for £270.

It may have been just under estimate, but Harry seems pleased

and it's a much needed addition to our somewhat empty coffers.

It's almost the end of the auction, but we've one last lot to take to the stage.

It's the solid silver Art Deco tea set that Paul valued at £300 to £500

and it's a really important lot for us.

Now, your lovely silver tea set.

I've seen tea sets here sell terrifically well.

You've got a reserve of £350 I think.

What's the sentimental attachment to this tea set?

Well, I've polished it for a long time.

-Does that make you feel sentimental towards it? That would make me hate it.

-Yes.

I hope I have polished it for the last time.

I hope so too, yes. You think it might make it?

I'm keeping an open mind.

Well, we'd like £300 to £500.

That's right, and we've got a reserve of 350 on this one.

OK, here we go.

200 for it? Shall we go 200?

I'm bid for at £200. 210, 220, 230, 240 - I see you're bidding -

250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 290 over there,

300, and 20? 320 if you like. At £300. You want ten at 300?

Is the bidding going to stop at £300? I'll take ten at £300 then.

Give me 310. 310. 320?

330, 340, 350,

360, 370, 380, 390,

400, and 20. The bid's here at £400. I'll take 20. You're saying no now?

At £400. I'm selling at £400.

-At £400 your last chance. All done then.

-That's great.

-Hooray, hooray! Hysteria!

-That's great. Great relief.

That's excellent, isn't it?

-Oh, I'm feeling quite overcome.

-Dear me.

Wow. £400 for the teapot is fantastic.

What a last-minute result.

It's been a real rollercoaster of an auction

and our couple have been put through the mill so it's time to reveal how we've done overall.

Well, that's it. How are you feeling?

Well, I felt much better at the end.

Well, I'm emotionally drained, I think. What about you, Frances?

Me too, yeah. Have you done the adding up?

I have done the adding up, yes.

I don't know whether I want to know.

Well, it's been a bit like pulling teeth.

-You did put big reserves on.

-Yes.

-And that was your prerogative,

but that has hit the target obviously.

-Yes.

-You're going to take things home or leave them here if you want.

I'm flannelling, aren't I? The reason is I don't want to tell you.

It's actually not that bad. You were looking for £1,500.

Well, you've made more than half of that. You've made £870.

-I see. That's not a lot.

-It's a lot more than we had a little while ago.

Yeah, absolutely right.

No, that's really useful.

Yeah, you've got other money to put towards the car?

We won't have a Rolls-Royce.

It's been a couple of weeks since Harry and Frances raised £870 at auction

and it's time to give the old car a final polish before they head to the showroom.

Despite making less than their target, Harry's feeling positive.

The result was on the surface disappointing,

but we have... we are putting other items back in.

In fact, the most valuable item, the table, is going back in anyway,

so I'm not that disappointed because we were hoping to raise

a certain amount of money towards the deposit on a car.

We've got a little less,

but that's the way it goes, that's the way the cookie crumbles.

I'm quite happy.

Having picked out their new set of wheels, the couple take to the road for a test drive.

We turn left here, don't we?

It doesn't take Harry too long to get the hang of the controls

and after a spin around the local streets, they decide it's definitely the car for them.

The money we made out of the programme has gone towards buying this car

and there's still some more money to come so it's given me a lot of pleasure,

I enjoyed doing the show immensely and whenever I get in the car, I'll remember Cash In The Attic.