Hillary Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic.

Today I'm in Hampshire on the hunt for antiques and collectables to take to auction

and I'm starting my day at the very top of the famous Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.

And up here, I'm 170 metres above sea level.

That's taller than Nelson's Column, Blackpool Tower and even Big Ben.

Opened in 2005 at a total building cost of over £35 million,

this ambitious viewing tower boasts the largest glass floor in Europe

and attracts over 600,000 visitors a year.

It offers 360-degree views of Portsmouth Harbour and, shaped like a billowing sail,

the tower reflects the city's naval history.

The view from the observation gallery at the very top of the tower is absolutely spectacular.

Even on a rainy day like this you get to see the layout of this historic port

and you get a bird's-eye view of Gosport, just over the water, which is where I'm heading now.

Coming up on today's Cash In The Attic,

some of our experts' valuations go down rather well.

-Does that smell good enough to you?

-It smells very good.

Others don't quite get the same reaction.

-So I don't think I've charmed you there, have I?

-No.

And come auction day, it seems he underestimated one lot.

£200?!

Jonty, you were out a bit there, weren't you?

I was a wee bit. I was a wee bit.

So will we have reached our target when the final hammer falls?

I'm about to meet a couple who've called in the Cash In The Attic team

to help them clear the decks and at the same time fill up the coffers.

This modern house in Hampshire is home to retired businessman David Hillary and his wife, Sue.

The couple have been married for nearly 25 years and their tidy home

hides a wealth of antiques and curios inherited from both their families.

But with the collectables simply gathering dust, they've decided to trade in some of them to raise funds

for a special gift for one of their granddaughters.

-Oh, yuck!

-Oh, look at that.

-It looks terrible out there.

-It's a filthy day!

But we are in a very seafaring part of the world, Jonty.

-That's true.

-Are you anything of a sailor?

I don't really have the sea legs, but I do have a nose for antiques.

-But that's all you need today. Shall we get to work?

-Come on.

-Sue, David, good morning!

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

You have such a modern, pristine home here,

how can you possibly have things lurking that need Cash In The Attic?

We were just having a little bit of a clear-out

and so we thought we'd give you a ring, yeah.

We're very good at clearing out people's houses, I can tell you.

So, I mean, what are we raising money for today, Sue?

Our granddaughter, she was 11 in May.

She just started senior school in September, so we'd like to be able

to produce a computer for her which she can use for her schoolwork, so...

-When you say "produce", does she not know you're going to get it for her?

-No.

We love surprises on this programme.

How much do we think this is going to cost, then?

Well, we're thinking within £300 to £500, so if we can get

something around £500, it would be brilliant.

Well, let's set Jonty a £500 target and go and see how well he can do.

Let's go find him.

We've certainly got a very educationally minded target today

and with all these family heirlooms,

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we're in for some A-grade results.

Heading up the search is Jonty Hearnden.

He's been in the antiques trade for most of his life,

but I hope he isn't thinking about leaving just yet.

You're not packing up and leaving us already, Jonty?

I'm unpacking! I'm unpacking!

Where did this fabulous suitcase come from?

My Uncle Murray. When he passed away

we had to go and clear his house and this was lying in the spare bedroom.

Really? There's so much in here.

There's a lifetime's worth of letters, postcards, but what I have found

is a collection of medals from the Second World War.

Do you know what regiment he was in?

He was in the Hampshire Rifle Regiment, I believe.

If you look closely at what we've got here, we've got three different stars.

This one here is the Africa Star, this one is the Italian Star,

which, of course, once North Africa was repatriated

they went up through the boot of Italy,

and this other star was issued because one essentially served during the Second World War.

So by just looking at these medals, we can tell that your...

-your uncle would have been a real, genuine hero.

-That's good.

He was a nice man.

Do these things have any value at all, Jonty?

Most definitely. This little group, because they're in such good condition and the fact...

I love the fact that they're in their original box

where they were sent through the post, and this is the original wrapping.

That's worth putting into the auction sale, that little group.

But there's something else that's from the Great War, so from the first war. Have a look at this.

This is a rather sad piece of memorabilia from the Great War

simply because this plaque here was issued to the families of the soldiers

that lost their lives during the First World War, the Great War as it was known at the time.

And this one was issued to the family or to the wife of Arthur John Fletcher.

Now, who is Arthur John?

This is my uncle's uncle.

They lived next door to each other. They had two cottages in Gosport.

-But this collection is definitely worth selling.

-Right.

Put all the medals together and you're looking at £40 to £60.

£40 to £60? So are you going to take them to auction, David?

-Yes, I think so, yes.

-We are.

-Yes.

Well, there are a lot of people who collect World War I and World War II memorabilia.

We just hope they're there on the day. Let's see what else we've got.

That's not a bad start to our day.

David's family heirlooms are doing us proud already.

Sue's been tackling one of the bedrooms

and adds another few pounds into the laptop fund

when she decides to send this pretty 1920s bag to auction.

It used to belong to her grandmother and Jonty gives it a very affordable £10 to £15 price tag.

And I've spotted another military related collection.

Two tins of badges and buttons, which is another lot that David inherited from his uncle.

We're hoping they could top up our kitty by another £20 to £30.

Meanwhile, downstairs the chaps are still hard at work.

How are we getting on here, David? Found anything interesting?

-Three bits of silver here.

-Yeah.

-I think...

-I think it's silver.

-That's tiny. Can I've a look?

That looks like a very, very tiny sandwich box to me.

Isn't that wonderful? Look at that.

That is so charming.

It's a tiny vinaigrette

and a vinaigrette like this would have smelling salts inside.

-Oh, yes.

-Because in the 18th and 19th century, sanitation was non-existent

in a lot of built-up areas, so it mattered that you held one of these

near your nose so that when you were travelling through

you could use it to help you literally get through.

And they are always gilded on the inside so it stopped the silver tarnishing.

-Oh, right.

-And we have this little vinaigrette hallmarked.

Nowadays, of course, these items are just collector's items.

A-ha! Now, this is silver-cased, travelling perfume bottle,

and that is beautiful.

-Do you know where this came from?

-It might have come from Uncle Murray again from the things he left.

Right, OK. And that's hallmarked, too, so that's solid silver.

It's a little bit damaged around the outside. And we've got a cigarette case.

That was your uncle's, was it?

Yes. That came out of the suitcase which we spoke about earlier.

OK. So is that solid silver?

We've got the hallmarks on the inside.

So there's not one item here that merits putting

into the sale individually, but this is a dealer's lot I see.

So the cigarette case, the perfume bottle and the vinaigrette,

put it in one small little lot in the auction room.

I would estimate that little collection between £50 and £70.

-Is that good?

-Lovely.

-Does that smell good enough to you?

It smells very good! Let's go over here.

I'm not sure about the humour, but it is another good find, so I'll let you get away with it for now, Jonty.

We're rummaging at top speed today in Gosport, so I'm going to leave our expert at the helm

and take a few minutes to catch up with our couple.

David, you're a real local lad. Born and bred and in business here.

And, in fact, you started your own business when you were just 20?

-How did that happen and what was it?

-It was in flooring. And all types of flooring.

We were in Portsmouth Hospital at the time

and the people we were working for went bankrupt

and I was asked if we could take it on and finish the contract, which we did.

And the firm started from there.

Then met Sue and carried on the firm together.

Well, you were in business together for a very long time.

How does it work when you're 24/7?

I mean, you're together at home, you're together at work.

How do you make that work, because some people say that's difficult, Sue?

I think these... The fact was that we didn't bring work home, did we?

No. And she done what I told her to and...

So was he good to work with and for, Sue?

Occasionally!

No, it was fine, it was fine.

You're about to celebrate your 25th wedding anniversary.

-Who proposed to whom?

-Well, I invited Dave to marry me.

How did that happen?

I went to the registry office and booked the date

and then put it in an envelope and took it to him in the office and said, "Here you are!"

-And what did you say, Dave?

-She handed it to me and I said,

"Oh, it's a wedding invitation. Oh, it's mine!"

And she dragged you kicking and screaming to the altar?

-Yes! Not quite.

-I don't think!

So what are you going to do, then, a big surprise for your 25th, your silver wedding anniversary?

-What are you going to do?

-I want to go on a cruise.

There's lots of places Dave's not been in Europe.

-So she might surprise you?

-She might, yes.

-Yes.

-She's very good...

-But we've still got your surprise for your granddaughter

-and I think we ought to go and have a look and see what else we can find.

-Yes.

With such frightful weather, we're definitely better inside than out,

so it's back to work for that £500 target.

Jonty has got his mind firmly focused on the goal,

and in the study, he's unearthed a collection of stamps.

He hopes that this first-class find will make £20 to £30 when it goes under the hammer.

Sue and I are searching in the living room and it looks like we might have come up trumps.

-What have you got there, Sue?

-These are...

old newspapers of the Munich crash and Manchester United.

Oh, my gosh, yes.

February 6th, 1958.

-Oh, I know. It's a long time ago.

-Why did you keep all of these?

Just because I was a Manchester United supporter.

I went from when I was about nine years old.

And it was, what, 21 people on board, including half the team just died, didn't they?

So everyone was... It was heartbreaking.

Jonty, do you want to come and join us for a minute?

-Do you want to take a look at these newspapers that Sue has got?

-Wow.

So what are we looking on this particular paper, for instance?

This is the Evening Chronicle, dated Wednesday 23rd April, 1958.

So this is straight after the crash, but you can see how

this is celebrating the fact that Manchester United

-got to Wembley in the FA Cup final in 1958.

-Exactly, yeah.

But, of course, etched in everybody's mind right at the back there, can you see,

is the embers of the awful air crash earlier that year?

-So it was never far away from people's memory.

-I know.

So would that have any kind of value if you took it to auction?

I think that what we're looking at here is more social interest

and a lot of people do keep newspapers,

simply because they tuck them away thinking that one day it might be valuable,

but because there are still so many of them around,

they are literally just for social interest

and they are relatively poor condition, which make sense.

I mean, they're 50 years old.

When it comes to selling these,

what you could do is find a buyer, find a collector, possibly on the internet.

-So value, £5 to £10, no more than that.

-Yes.

So at £5 to £10, what you want to do? Are you going to keep them for yourself or take them to auction?

I think I'll have a think about that, because I can pass them on

to my son, I suppose, and let's hope then keep them in the family.

It doesn't seem like a huge amount for the newspapers

and I won't be surprised if Sue decides to hang on to them for now,

but we'll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, it's back to the search for the items that we CAN sell

and luckily, David has found a silver pocket watch which he decides to contribute to the auction haul.

It used to belong to his grandfather and Jonty hopes it could make £20 to £30.

I spotted another item that should sweet-talk the bidders at auction -

a pretty Carlton Ware honey jar and saucer,

which Mr Hearnden again values at a very tasty £20 to £30.

Meanwhile, Sue and Jonty have made a rather charming discovery.

So, Sue, anything in there?

Yes. I have a charm bracelet.

Oh, wow!

-That's extraordinary.

-And there's a silver bangle here as well.

-OK.

So where was this bangle from, first of all?

It was given to me by a friend of my mum's, Margaret.

It's chased with this stylised floral decoration around the outside

and it's very nice to see that it's solid silver, so that's good news.

But I'm assuming this is hollow, because there's a massive great big dent out of it, too. Is that...?

Wasn't me! Well, I don't remember. It could have been me.

-That is restorable, but it will affect its value at auction.

-Right.

So I want to have a closer look at this, because this is amazing,

-because we're looking at what looks like to be a solid silver charm bracelet.

-Yep.

But attached to it are literally what looks like hundreds of town coat of arms.

What's the story behind that?

I used to collect...

Whenever I went away on holiday, whether it was UK or abroad,

I used to root out and find a charm to bring home to put on the bracelet.

Well, it looks like you're extraordinarily well travelled, but I suppose to be frank,

still the value is in the simple solid silver bracelet itself

and because they're not silver mounted,

they're just white metal with these enamelled signs, they're not worth a vast fortune.

But we can put the two together.

We are talking £20, £30. Are you still going to be happy to sell?

Well, I think so. I don't wear it.

-I don't think I've charmed you there, have I?

-No!

They may not be worth a fortune, but that's still another few pounds

towards our target, and it is all adding up.

With Jonty on top rummaging form, I leave the search in his capable hands for just a few minutes.

Looking around your house, there are wonderful photographs and paintings that are from all over the world.

I get the feeling that you two are quite adventurous, aren't you, Sue?

We try to be, yes. You've got to fit all these things in, haven't you now?

When you get over the age of 50, you've got to make your list out.

And you recently went to New Zealand, didn't you?

Yes, well, in the last couple of years we did a trip.

My niece was getting married in New Zealand,

so we thought we would just do a round-the-world visit.

Silly just going all the way over there and not visiting places,

so we had a fantastic time.

Well, the New Zealanders are sort of adrenaline junkies, so did you get drawn into all of that?

-Oh, we did lots.

-What did you do?

Horse riding, white-water rafting. We actually went to the Barrier Reef.

Dave did some diving on the Barrier Reef as well.

And Dave went bike-riding.

Bike-riding? It doesn't sound as simple as that, I suspect.

Mountain bike. I was on a bike coming down the side of a mountain

and there was a 2,000 foot drop about 3 foot away.

And you're in a line of bikes so you can't just suddenly stop

because everyone would just run into the back of you.

-But when you got to the bottom, didn't you think, "Yes, that was fantastic"?

-Yes, it was.

It was unbelievable, cos you thought, "I'm never going to do it again, but I'm glad I've got here."

-He was safe.

-But you've also got rather more peaceful hobbies when you come home.

You've got the grandchildren and they're the great passion in your life, aren't they?

Oh, yes. We have one... Sophie is 11

and Anna is three,

so it is wonderful.

And Sophie's the one who's going to get the computer?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Well, as it's a surprise, how are you going to tell her?

We're just going to invite her round and present her with it.

That's the whole idea.

Everybody like surprises.

-I bet her face will be a picture. I bet you can't wait.

-No!

This pair are definitely doting grandparents

and with all that travelling, they certainly lead a busy life,

but we need to direct that energy towards finding the last few lots

as we're still quite a way from that £500.

Luckily, David seems to have an ace up his sleeve.

-Right, Jonty, what can you tell me all about this?

-The chest of drawers?

-The chest of drawers.

-How long have you had this?

About 20 years. We inherited it.

-OK, OK. Well, this chest of drawers is 200 years old.

-Right.

It's Georgian chest of drawers

and in the Georgian period, around the turn of the 18th to the 19th century,

the timber that they used predominantly

was this tropical hardwood from the other side of the world - mahogany.

And this is what we're looking at here. When it was originally polished,

this particular piece of furniture, it would have been a lot redder, a lot darker in colour.

But over time, this chest has faded to this lovely nutty brown colour.

When you're looking at proportions of a Georgian chest of drawers

what you've got is traditionally two short drawers at the top,

and I don't know if you've ever noticed this after 20 years,

but every drawer gets slightly bigger as you go down. Have you ever noticed that?

I didn't notice that!

And these are known as graduated drawers and it's a classic Georgian design.

And are these the original handles as well?

The way to find that out is to always pull the drawer open, OK?

And here we can see this is where the handle exists at the moment, but above that are two tiny holes

where the original handle would have been, so this chest of drawers would have had drop handles

just like this, but sometimes flat bun handles as well, so these are replacement handles, OK?

Now, today, due to fashions within interiors,

pieces of furniture like this have fallen in value.

-10 years ago, this chest of drawers, in a retail shop, would have sold at around £1,000, OK?

-Right.

So we have to be realistic when it comes to value in the auction sale.

-And in the catalogue, the estimate for this chest would be between £300 and £500.

-Right.

In that sort of ballpark.

-So are we going to put that into the auction sale?

-Yes.

We can put a reserve on it and we can talk on the day of the sale.

Yeah, that would be a good idea.

I have a feeling that David would like a little more for the chest of drawers,

but giving us over half our target in one item, it's been a much needed addition towards the laptop.

The sun may be setting on our day's rummage,

but we're not quite over yet, as I've spotted a pair

of miniature ceramic vases

and another pair of very pretty white glass vases.

Jonty hopes that the collection

could make a tidy £20 to £30 at auction.

And it looks like our expert has his eye on one final item.

Sue, can you tell me anything about this small occasional table?

Yes, it was given to us by Dave's mum

and it came from India.

Well, this is very much a small Indian folding table.

Just look at it, see how busy all the decorations on it.

And all of the white inlay work there,

which is all hand-done, incidentally,

is bone, and the black inlay is ebony, so you've got this amazing contrast.

And the timber that it sits in is rosewood.

I mean, look at all of that.

If you look at the decoration round the outside here

it almost offends the eye because it's so busy, doesn't it?

It sort of shouts back at you.

Well, let's have a look at the underside

because you always learn a lot from turning a piece of furniture upside down.

And this is interesting. We've got a furniture depositories here in Bournemouth - a J Compton Becks.

Does that name mean anything to you?

No. No, not at all.

Because this little storage label here really does have some age to it.

I have a hunch that this might be 1920s, so this table has genuine age.

Now, we've got a few pieces of bone that are missing here.

-Oh, yes.

-And if you look at the top, if you look at the rosewood,

can you see how bleached the actual colour of the timber is?

-Yes, yes.

-But, for my money, somehow it has an honesty about it.

-Now, we can't get too much money for it.

-No?

-I mean, it disappoints me to think that this table will be sold for probably less than £100.

-Oh, right.

-And a lot less than that if we are to put an estimate in the catalogue.

-Right.

Estimate in the catalogue will read £50 to £80 only for this table. Is it still something that we can sell?

That's fine, not a problem.

There we are, David.

She's selling off the family heirlooms here! How much do you think it's worth?

Well, estimate in the catalogue is going to be £50 to £80.

£50 to £80?

Do you mind the family heirloom going for £50 to £80, David?

-No, not at all.

-No, no.

It'll buy a few more letters on the keyboard, won't it?

It will, exactly. And it'll also add to our total and bring it up to a very nice, healthy sum

because if you want £500 for this surprise computer,

I think taking Jonty's lowest estimates on everything,

we should comfortably be able to make £570.

-Oh!

-Very good.

-Excellent!

-So, you can buy her the mouse as well!

Well, Sue and David's home really proved to have collectables in every corner,

and we've got a pretty varied haul to pack off to auction.

There's the silver cigarette case, vinaigrette and perfume bottle

which, together, Jonty hopes could make £50 to £70.

That wonderful collection of war medals and letters

that we're hoping to sell for at least £40 to £60.

And, of course, the Georgian chest of drawers,

which makes up a massive chunk of our target

with its £300 to £500 valuation.

But we'll have to wait until auction to see whether Sue and David

decide to trade in those historic newspapers.

With just a £5 to £10 valuation,

will they feel it's worth letting them go?

Still to come on Cash In The Attic, our expert is putting his reputation on the line.

If it doesn't make the £40 to £60 that I put on it then I'm doing the wrong thing.

But it seems that he's been overly cautious on some lots.

-I put a low value because it was small, but it was perfectly formed.

-It was.

So will we still be smiling when the final hammer falls?

Well, it's a couple of weeks now since we were with Sue and David on the south coast

and we found some real treasures in their home in Gosport

and we've brought them here today to sell at Chiswick Auctions in west London

in the hope of raising £500 so that they can surprise their granddaughter

with a brand-new laptop.

It looks like it's shaping up to be another busy day here at Chiswick,

and with some interesting lots on display, our couple's items are in good company.

Before things get going, I spot Jonty in the middle of the saleroom.

-Having a good look at this pretty little table again?

-It's lovely.

I love the fact that it's naturally faded.

I think it's a really pretty table. That's going to sell very well.

Sue and David had some very nice things in their house, that chest of drawers particularly.

That's a lovely piece of furniture.

What saddens me is that a piece of furniture like that

would be worth so much more ten years ago, but I've priced it to sell.

-I really hope that does well.

-Yes.

-I wonder whether or not she decided to leave that Manchester United memorabilia behind.

-Yeah.

Amazing to open it all up and it brought back all those memories for so many people, as well.

But I have to be honest with price and I've seen so many newspaper cuttings like that before.

Very interesting, but not a high price at auction at all.

No. Well, Sue and David have arrived and let's go and see if they've brought the cuttings with them.

We leave the bidders to browse

and catch up our couple saying goodbye to one of their smallest, but most historic lots.

-Hi, Sue and David.

-Hello.

-Hi, guys.

-Oh, taking a look at Uncle's medals.

-Yes.

Bringing back lots of memories for you?

-Yes.

-Any regrets about bringing them to auction today now?

Not really.

They're kept in a cupboard and gathering dust

and it's nice to pass them on to someone who has more interest.

There's an awful lot of history lying in front of us.

Talking of history, did you bring the Munich air disaster newspaper cuttings?

No, I decided against it this time.

The sentimental value I believe is more than the monetary value, so I'd rather keep them

and perhaps my son will have them and pass them on to his children.

Things from Grandma!

But you have brought that lovely chest of drawers as well.

-Did you put a reserve on that?

-We're going to decide that.

We will put a reserve on that one.

Because it is a rather beautiful piece of furniture, that, Jonty.

And we don't want that to be sold for nothing.

It's a very good quality chest of drawers,

so we'll see if we can put a sensible reserve on it before the sale.

We've got to keep in mind that you're raising money for that laptop

for the granddaughter, so let's see how much money we can make

because the saleroom is beginning to fill up.

Well, we might not have the newspapers to sell,

but there are plenty of other lots that I can't wait to see go under the hammer.

The saleroom is pretty busy, but we find a spot in the corner

and our couple's first lot comes up for sale.

We've got that beaded handbag coming up.

It was your granny's?

It was. It was my gran's, yes.

I bet she must have looked really elegant going out with it.

She must have done.

What have we got on this, Jonty?

A very sweet £10 to £15. Let the market decide on this one, OK?

Well, where shall we start? £10 for it? £10 for it?

At £10. The bid's there at £10.

Give me 12 for it. At £10.

The only bid so far at £10. Now at £10, then.

We're done at £10.

Short and sweet at 10. £10.

-£10.

-Excellent.

-I told you it would be short and sweet.

-Yes.

Our first sale and it's bang on estimate.

I hope the rest of Jonty's valuations

prove to be as accurate, as we're a long way off that £500.

It's another family heirloom up next, but will it get the saleroom any more excited?

David, we had a lot of military things that had come from your uncle, didn't we?

And this lot with the badges, the buttons,

the gentleman's gold ring. Quite a little sort of mixed bag here.

Quite a collection he made, I think, as he went through the war

and it's part of his life history.

So Uncle's life is about to go under the hammer.

It is.

For the military badges and buttons, start me at £20, please? £20.

I'm bid at £20. 22. 25. 28.

30. 32. 35. 38. 40. 42. 45. 48.

-50.

-Subtle, his nod, watch.

60. 65. 70. 75.

80. At £75. The bid's at £75. Who else wants to come in? At £75.

All done at 75 and gone. 75.

-There you go!

-Well done!

That's a fantastic result,

selling over double Jonty's highest estimate.

David's uncle really did us proud on that one.

And it looks like our next lot might prove popular with bidders as well.

It's the collection of vases, which Jonty valued at £20 to £30.

Start me at £20. £20? £10? Thank you, I'm bid at 10.

Who'll give me 12? Do you want 12? 15. 18. 20. 22.

It's a standing bid now at £20. I'll take 22. At £20.

I'm selling for £20. Only at £20.

They'll go at £20. They're gone. £20.

Right on estimate and another step towards our target.

Hopefully, our next lot will bank us even more pounds.

It's the collection of silver items, including that tiny vinaigrette.

We're hoping for £50 to £70 for these.

And start me at £50. It should make more. £50 for the lot. Thank you.

-I'm bid at £50.

-Oh, he started at 50!

-At £50. 55. 60. 65. 70.

75. 80.

85. 90. 95.

90 is bid now. At £90. I'll take 95. At £90. I'll take 5 or not.

At £90, all done? Your bid, Howard, at £90 and gone at £90.

-£90.

-How about that?

-That's good, yeah.

-Yes.

£20 over Jonty's top estimate and we're all pretty pleased.

We're making good progress towards the £500 for the laptop and long may it continue.

Will our next lot sweet-talk the bidders to dig deep?

So were breakfast times in the family around the Carlton Ware jam pot that's coming up next?

-Not really, no.

-Why not?

We didn't have a matching tea set to go with it.

What sort of price have we got on it, Jonty?

I've put around sort of £20, £30, that sort of ballpark on it.

It would be worth even more with a bit of honey in the middle, I think.

And for 80A, start me at £20? £10?

I'm bid at 10. Who'll give me 12? At £10.

12. 15. 15. 18. 20. 22.

20 is bid. I'll take 22. At £20. Are we done at £20?

Is it all done at £20? Your bid and going at £20.

I told you it would have made more if it had jam in that!

Not sure about that, Jonty.

It may have been the lower end of the estimate,

but with another a few pounds in the laptop fund, no-one's complaining.

The sale has flown by so far and we're nearly halfway through already.

But not before our second and final military lot goes into battle with the bidders.

Presumably, Jonty, there are lots of people who collect medals

-who would be interested in something like this?

-Yes, and it really is a horde.

We looked at it again this morning laid out on the table. This is a fine collection.

I put a very low estimate on it and if doesn't make the £40 to £60

that I put on it then I'm doing the wrong thing.

Start me... Start me at £40, see where they go.

£40. I'm bid at £40. 42. 45. 48.

50. 55. 60.

65. 70. 75. 80. 85. 90. 95.

-Hey, hey!

-100? At £95. I'm bid at £95. 100.

New bidder. 110. 120. 130.

-Wow!

-140. 150. 160.

170. 180. 190. 200. 210. 220.

Thanks for your bid. At £210. Do you want 220? A new bidder. 220. 230.

-This is great!

-It's still going.

260, new bidder again. 270?

280. 290. 300. 320. 340.

The original bidder at £320. At £320. Are we done for 320?

All done? Thanks for the bid. 320.

£320!

-Oh, David! No regrets now about putting in Uncle's medals, no?

-No.

Wow! That's a terrific result

and our couple can barely believe their luck.

After that victorious result, it's time to tot up out total so far.

We've only reached the halfway stage and I know what you want to raise

is £500 towards this computer.

Well, you can... I think you can breathe easily

for the rest of the day because we're only at the halfway point

and we've made £535 already!

-But Uncle's medals did the trick for you, didn't they?

-They did.

-That was fantastic.

-Wasn't that great?

Let's see what we're going to do in the second half.

While Sue and David come back to earth and take a chance

for a quick cuppa, Jonty's keen to show me something that he spotted earlier.

-Jonty.

-Hi.

That reminds me of holidays I've spent in Greece. What attracted you to it?

Well, it's certainly a very tranquil and Mediterranean scene

and it's even entitled on the back here Mediterranean Idyll,

with a price tag here - £31, 10 shillings.

Which is quite a lot of money.

And that's all because the artist Adrian Allinson was a very accomplished artist.

He was born in London in 1890.

He travelled extensively and he even did posters for the railways

in the '20s and '30s, so he's quite a prolific artist.

When it comes to oil paintings, the most important thing is that you like it, all right?

But, secondly, if you are interested in investment then take a look

and see what artists have been doing in the market in recent years.

I can tell you that Adrian Allinson's work in recent times has sold between,

certainly oil on canvases, have sold between £1,000 and £3,000,

so as a consequence, this picture should do very well indeed.

Talk about buying art for an investment.

If this one originally cost £31 and 10 shillings,

-which is, what, £31.50...

-Yeah.

..it's presumably going to make, what, rather more than 100% more

over its value, probably nearer 1,000% more, isn't it?

The estimate in the catalogue is £300 to £600, so it's going

to be very interesting to see where hammer falls on this one.

-It could fly, couldn't it?

-Absolutely.

-Well spotted, Jonty!

If you're planning or buying or selling at auction then remember

that charges such as commission will be added to your bill.

Your local saleroom will be able to give you all the details.

The sale is in full swing as we get back into our places

and soon it's time for another of our lots to take centre stage.

Jonty put an estimate of £20 to £30 on this pocket watch

and I, for one, think it's rather stylish.

Of course, Victorian gentlemen did look very handsome,

standing there with the chains hanging down across their tummies?

Never tempted to wear it yourself?

No. I've never had a waistcoat, actually!

Number 100A, for the pocket watch. Start me at £20?

£20 for it. £10 for it? I'm bid at 10 in about four places. 10. 12. 15?

15. 18. 20?

20. 22. 25.

28. 30. 32.

-That's good.

-No? At £30 bid. At £30.

-I'll take 32. At 32, new bid. At 35.

-Somebody at the top, a new bidder.

35? No. At £32. £32. I'll take 35. At £32.

Last chance. And going for £32, then.

-Happy with that?

-Yes.

What a good start to this half of the sale.

It looks that the bidders are still keen to splash the cash today.

Let's hope our luck continues as our next lot is offered to the room.

The silver bangle and charm bracelet, valued at £20 to £30.

Should make much more than this. £20?

£20? £10?

No bid at £10? I can't believe it. I'm bid at 10 in about four places.

20... 12. 15. 18. 20.

22. At £20. I'm bid at £20. I'll take 22. At £20.

I'll take 22. At £20. Are we done?

£20? It seems cheap at £20. You've got it. 291.

Jonty's valuations seem to be right on the mark in this half

of the sale, but will they continue to be first class with our next lot?

I'm bid at 10. Who'll give me 12? At £10. 12 there. 15. 18.

-He wants it!

-18. 20. 22.

-He definitely wants it.

-At £20.

A standing bid at £20. I'll take £22. At £20. Your bid, sir, at £20. All done?

That's two sales bang on estimate and adds to our ever-growing earnings for today.

We've only two lots left to sell and they're both furniture.

Let's keep everything crossed that the bidders take as much of a shine

to the Indian table as our expert did.

A lovely little table and it's faded on the top.

-But between you, me and the gatepost, I like that.

-Yes.

It's got an honesty about it. It's nice.

-Good.

-Let's hope somebody else likes it.

-Yes, yes.

-It should make good money. £50 for it? Here it goes. £50 for it?

I'm bid at £50 in about four places. 50. 55. 60. 65. 70. 75. 80.

85. 90. Woman in front of you.

90. I can't see you. At £85. At £85.

I'll take 90. At 90 there. 95.

100, 110. £100. Bid at £100. It'll take 110.

Who else is coming in? 110. 120. 130.

140. 150. 140 is bid. I'll take 150.

All done at 150? 160. 150 bid.

160 there. 170. 180. 170 you bid. All out? At 170 I'm saying... 180.

Thank you. 190? 190. 200 for the... You might as well. At £200. 210?

At £200. At £200. I'll take 10.

At £200, are we done? For £200, all out?

-£200, then. Thanks for the bid at £200.

-How about that?!

£200!

-Jonty, you were out a bit there, weren't you?

-I was a bit.

I was a wee bit, I was a wee bit.

-I put a low value because it was small, but it was perfectly formed!

-It was.

Well, we don't mind you getting it wrong

when it makes us that much money, Jonty!

The bidders are keen to dig deep today

and it seems as if they've taken a shine to that painting the Jonty showed me.

It ends up trebling the auction house's lower estimate, making a massive £1,100.

After the day we've had so far, our £500 target is a mere splash in our ever-growing pool of cash.

But as our couple's most highly valued item goes under the hammer

we're all hoping that our luck continues.

Jonty valued the chest of drawers at £300 to £500,

but will the saleroom agree?

Jonty, you and I have seen

so many of these beautiful pieces of furniture come to auction

and thought, "It should have gone for so much more than that!"

-But they don't, do they?

-I know.

It's still the fact that this more simple Georgian design

seems to be not the flavour of the month at the moment.

-But right now we have to be realistic and we've had a chat with the auctioneer.

-Yeah.

-£300 discretionary reserve on, so watch this space.

-Yeah.

-What's it worth?

Start me at £200 for it.

£200 for a good chest. £200? At £200. I'll take 10.

At £200. Give me 210. Thank you.

210. 220. 230. 240? 240. 250.

260. 270.

280. 290. 300.

And 10?

£300. That's a bid of £300. I'll take 10. At £300. Are we done?

£300, your last chance at £300. Are we done? £300, then. Sold. £300.

-There you go.

-135, £300.

-Relieved?

-Yes.

-It made the reserve. You were right to do it.

-Yes, yes.

Our couple seem lost for words, but their faces said it all.

What a wonderful day we've had and I can barely wait to add up our final total.

-Have you enjoyed today?

-Yes, it was fabulous.

You have smiled all the way through the day!

-Yes.

-And I think I'm about to make the grin, if that's possible,

even bigger, because you wanted to raise £500 and you know

that you've already made that by the halfway point, so there's that kind of knowing look on your face, Sue!

I haven't been counting. I haven't got enough fingers!

Well, I have been counting and you want £500 for a computer, a laptop.

-Yes.

-Well, you'll be able to buy her a couple and have some spare change

because you've made £1,107.

Brilliant.

Goodness me. That's twice the estimate, that, isn't it? Yeah.

Brilliant. That's fantastic.

Really good. Thanks. Thanks for doing all that.

-Thank you.

-Really good.

A couple of weeks after that fantastic result at auction,

Sue and David can finally indulge in a spot of computer shopping.

With plenty of money to spend, our grandparents are spoilt for choice,

so they enlist some expert help.

So for the homework, you know?

It has a built-in webcam for them to communicate with their friends.

That looks a better size, actually, than this one, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

-That's fine.

-OK.

With the decision made, it's time to head home and see what granddaughter Sophie makes of the gift.

-You know we did Cash In The Attic?

-Yes...

Well, this is our surprise that we bought for you.

There you go!

Wow!

-Shall we open it?

-Yes.

There we go.

From the smile on Sophie's face I think the present went down a treat.

The laptop is always what I wanted

and I'm really pleased with it.

To see Sophie's face when we gave her the computer was fantastic.

So, all in all, it's been a really good time.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd