Linstead Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic, this is the show that finds the hidden

treasures in your home and then we sell them for you at auction.

Well, today I'm in Essex and I've just got time to pop in and see Queen Elizabeth's hunting lodge,

in Epping, which was built for King Henry VIII in 1543.

This unique timber-framed Tudor building was constructed as

a platform or grandstand that allowed guests to both view

the hunt from a good vantage point, and participate.

They could shoot their crossbows from the upper level.

This was once an ideal place for the King to show off his wealth and power.

Now it's a museum, laid out just as it would have been in Tudor times.

This wonderful building is a testament to the solid craftsmanship in times gone by.

Let's just hope that today we can find plenty of antiques and collectibles of the same quality.

Coming up on Cash In The Attic, John finds a unique use for one of the items.

This one I used to have flowers in.

I love the thought of that. That's what you call, bedding in plants, isn't it?

CHUCKLING Yes.

Will the man of the house be in trouble?

Came off with a cricket ball.

We won't go into that.

No, I was going to say, let's not go into that - Jack!

And will the bidders get more than they bargained for at auction?

The seat has got quite a lot of worm damage in it.

But I think that adds to the charm to some degree.

-I bet you didn't know that when you were sitting on it, did you?

-No.

Find out when the hammer falls.

Well, today I've come to Loughton in Essex to meet a full-time mum who's

hoping Cash In The Attic can help her raise the funds

she's looking for, so her son can take a skiing trip.

Single mum Karen Linstead lives with her 12-year-old son, Jack.

They're both very active.

Karen goes to the gym daily while Jack enjoys all sports.

Karen has enjoyed collecting for many years.

So I hope we'll find plenty of items to take to auction.

Good morning, John.

-You're looking very smart today.

-Thank you. Who are we seeing today?

Well, we've got a lovely family today.

But the point of us being here is to try and raise some money for the boy's skiing trip with the school.

Really? Hopefully she'll have lots of antiques for us to rummage and I'll try not to go off piste.

-Have you been skiing before?

-I have. Not quite off the nursery slopes yet.

Oh, really? Well, so long as you don't break a leg, come on.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-Hi, how are you?

-Very well, thank you.

-Very nice to meet you.

Jack, I understand we're here because of you, is that right?

Yeah, I'm going skiing.

So, have you ever been on a school trip like this before?

No, I haven't. But I've been skiing once before.

I went to the French Alps to a place called Alpe d'Huez.

Now school skiing trips are very expensive nowadays, aren't they?

-What sort of money are we talking about?

-Probably without spending money, about £700 or £800 maybe.

In that sort of ball park. They're going to Europe this year.

So, Karen, tell me a little bit about where these antiques have come from over the years?

We used to go to the south coast, Bournemouth, a friend and I.

And there was a beautiful little antique shop there.

And I think she got to know what I liked,

because when I went there there was always something I fell in love with.

All over really, just always having a little look to see if you can see something.

So, you said that the ski school trip is probably going to cost around £700,

how much are you looking to raise from selling these antiques?

Well, as near to that as I can really.

OK, well, if we say £500?

-Yeah, that would be lovely.

-Does that sound fair enough?

-Yeah.

All right, shall we go and see if we can find John?

And start valuing some items? Come on, then.

'Helping us off the nursery slopes today it's art expert John Cameron.

'He has a great love of antiques and has been dealing in the market for over 20 years.

'While Jack gets on with the task in hand Karen and I meet John

'in the lounge, he's nursing his first find of the day.'

A-ha, John, rocking the baby to sleep already?

Glad to say my sleepless nights are a long way behind me.

Now, these are lovely. Did you buy these at the time you were expecting Jack?

No, I bought them about 20 years ago.

And about a couple of years in between.

And this one I suppose I did envisage that hopefully one day

I'd have a baby, and he'd go in it, she'd go in it.

And this one I used to have flowers in.

I love the thought of that. That's what you call bedding in plants, isn't it?

LAUGHTER Yes.

We've got two very different cribs from two very different periods.

The first one is made of oak.

A frame and panel construction, very typical of the mini oak coffers you see around auction houses.

A typical lozenge carving to the panels there.

It's of a type, open cradle, you do see them with these canopies

but the canopy of this piece has been added later.

If you have a look on the back, you can see the contrast in textures and colours of the timbers.

But also this carving around the canopy, that comes from 19th century furniture.

-OK.

-But largely it is a late 17th century oak rocking cradle. But my favourite has to be this one.

-Jack slept in this one until he was about nine months old.

-Oh, right.

Because it's actually got a good rhythm, hasn't it?

It has got a wonderfully smooth rocking motion. It's fantastic.

Well over 100 years old and you'd still put a baby and that today, wouldn't you?

-Yeah.

-Now can you remember what sort of prices you paid?

I think I paid around £300 for this one and about half, just over half of that for the metal one.

So how does that compare today, John?

Because of the alterations it's going to put off a few of the real serious oak collectors.

So I'd be pitching an estimate of about £100 to £150 for that.

This one here, obviously a couple of hundred years later, my favourite,

-still the same sort of money. £100 to £150.

-OK.

How do you feel about those valuations? They're a little less than you paid.

They are, but I've had them over 20 years, I've really enjoyed them.

So, you know, now we're moving on to computers and that sort of thing.

-Skiing trips.

-Skiing trips, yes.

A very sweet start. I think Karen is being quite practical.

She may love the cribs but she's enjoyed them for many years.

And now it's time to bid them farewell.

Jack has found an encyclopaedia of practical cookery.

I've no doubt that the celebrity chefs who grace

our TV screens have improved their methods

greatly since this set was published in eight volumes.

Old cookery books can be very collectible

so John thinks they're worth £30 to £40.

Next up we've a collection that would have made any Edwardian home owner feel proud.

John, what do you think about this for the auction?

This is just like a washstand collection I've had for a while now.

It's lovely to see that you've got a nice long set here.

I don't recall ever seeing a pair of wash basins with the matching jugs, that's really unusual.

You do see long sets, and you've got your toothbrush holder here,

you've got your waste water pail and your soap receptacle with the cover on there. No little ring stand?

-No.

-No?

-That's all there's ever been.

It's very nice indeed. Have a look at this other piece here. Where did it come from?

It came from a little antique shop in Chadwell Heath.

I used to look at it every day for about two years because I worked near

there and one day the chap beckoned me in and said,

"I've seen you looking at it. I'm packing up."

I said, "Well, I didn't think it was for sale." He said, "Well, it is now."

-We agreed a price and I took it home.

-Do you remember what you paid for it?

I think I paid between £60 and £80.

Again it was a long time ago.

But I was very happy with that price,

because at that time this was very popular.

That wasn't a bad price, actually.

Date-wise Edwardian, turn of the last century.

Looking at the style, these delicate draping bellflower swags with these pendants and floral,

enamel decoration, typically Edwardian, very feminine in style.

The actual design is probably Crown Devon Fieldings, there isn't a mark on it but there's a registration,

possibly trace that in a reference book

to who registered that design. But they were copying Worcester.

Worcester brought out a very popular range which they termed blush ivory.

And this is all transfer printed and enamelled over the top.

So these were made in quite large numbers.

Even today, although we've seen a major drop in demand

for this sort of thing, I'd still like to think that a good long set,

a good matching set like this, should make £80 to £100 to £120 at auction.

-Wonderful. That's good.

-Jolly good, a great find.

But we're not quite there yet.

If we're going to get on those slopes, let's see what else we can rummage.

I'm very happy with his valuation because it's more than I paid for it,

so, and I've enjoyed it for 20 odd years.

So it can't be bad.

While we've been busy Jack's enthusiasm has shown no signs of dipping.

The school ski trip must be a great incentive for him.

He finds some Mary Gregory glass.

Mary Gregory worked for an American glass company in the late 1800s.

She may not have made every item of glass that bears her name

but Mary Gregory is the name

given to the style of glass

that features children and is decorated with white enamel.

There's a cranberry vase too.

Together, they should make £30 to £50.

As a single mum Karen has made a fine job of bringing up her son.

I'm keen to find out a little bit more about their relationship.

Now it seems to me that you've got a very close relationship, you both obviously get on very well.

Yeah, we do. We do.

-We chug along together.

-Is he good company?

He's very good company and I'm noticing now we have a lot of holidays, we love our holidays.

And whereas I used to be a bit nervous taking away a two-year-old, a three-year-old,

now he sort of takes over and he's got passports ready

and he's the man, really, which is great.

He's very good at sports, by the sounds of it as well.

What sort of sports is he into, then?

He likes his sports, loves his skiing.

And he's snowboarding now as well.

He likes cricket, football,

good little tennis player. We play a lot of tennis together.

And we swim a lot together.

We both love swimming and diving. Yeah.

Tell me a little bit about your career.

I worked at Barclays Bank, from school I went to Barclays Bank.

And then I went into advertising.

A lot of selling work, really.

So did you decide to give that up to have Jack?

Yes. Just before I was 40 I thought, "Oh my goodness, I haven't had a child yet."

And we decided that I should be a full-time mum.

At first that was difficult but now I'm really enjoying it.

I don't mind not being in business at all now.

I love it.

So what do you think of the advantages or disadvantages of being an older mum?

I think you're much more patient.

I think you're more established in your life.

And you've got more time to give to the children, I think.

Which is just as well cos there's so many more mums having

children later and time goes by so quickly and it just happens to you.

So, in terms of the future with Jack what d'you hope that he might accomplish?

Whatever makes him happy.

Doesn't have to be even a professional, I'd just like him to have a...

you know, not to work too hard, because that's not a good thing.

I hope John Cameron is working very hard professionally and finding plenty of items

to raise money for Jack's skiing trip.

-Shall we go and see how they're getting on?

-Love to.

Jack is a mature young man and a credit to his mum.

The apple of his mother's eye seems to have an eye for antiques himself.

He's searching out John for a few answers.

John, I've found these.

Let's have a look, Jack. Pop yourself down. Oh, dear.

-They look interesting, do you know what they are?

-No, I don't.

They're cocktail sticks, and they're used for either putting a cherry

on the end, as this little thingy on the top implies,

or perhaps an olive for your Martini.

They're nice but they're actually silver, and we can tell that by this

-little hallmark here, can you see that?

-Yeah.

Very difficult to see what the naked eye but we've got a set of marks on there,

one of which tells us it's silver.

The second one tells us where the silver was tested,

in this case it was Chester.

And we have a date letter, and the letter in this case is a little N,

and that relates to 1938.

So we're right in the middle of the cocktail period.

Just one year before the Second World War broke out.

Now, there's also a little maker's mark on there, a W and H.

That's Walker and Hall,

a very well-known firm of silversmiths.

They started in the 19th century.

They were eventually bought out by Maplin and Webb,

another very first-rate silversmiths.

These are lovely, a set of six of them, in their fitted box,

they're of the period. I like them. I think they're quite desirable at auction.

Any idea what you think they might be worth?

-About £30.

-You're not far off.

You might not be wrong, I might be tempted to say a little bit more.

I'd be looking, hoping, for about £40 to £60.

-Oh.

-Do you think Mum would be happy with that?

I think she'd be really happy with £40.

Jolly good, that's an excellent find.

But, we're not quite there yet, young man.

If we're to get you on those nursery slopes and up on the lifts we've got to find a few more things.

So, come on, take me somewhere else, see what else we can find.

While John and Jack have been discussing the glamorous era

of 1930s cocktails, Karen's made a slightly less exotic,

but equally important discovery.

It's an Imari pattern Royal Crown Derby vase.

This fine English bone china is identified by the gold band

which runs around the top of each vase.

It's worth around £30 to £50.

I found two beautifully bound Victorian albums.

They're known as carte de visite, patented in Paris in France.

Delicate pictures that have been mounted on card pages

for viewing and even trading among friends.

These albums were hugely popular,

a regular fixture in Victorian parlours.

Maybe they're the inspiration for modern photograph albums.

Unfortunately they're not rare because they were too heavily mass-produced in the 19th century.

But these two are very nostalgic and one even has a music box built

into the back, so they could fetch as much as £80 to £120.

Karen makes another vintage discovery,

this time from quite a different century.

John, I've found this upstairs.

And I'm sure I won't be using it again.

Well, not really my colour, Karen, I have to tell you.

-I just thought it would suit you.

-Do you think so?

A really nice thing, where did it come from?

It came from Portobello Road.

I'd seen them in other colours, black and tortoiseshell

and when I saw the white one I thought, "That's it, I'm having that."

-And have used this?

-Yeah.

-I've used it a lot.

-Really? Yeah. The only thing is

-everybody can see what you've got in your handbag.

-Ah.

So topic of conversation.

-Yes, good topic of conversation.

-Now this, to me, says two things.

American and 1950s.

Very typical of that style and very American, these hard Lucite

plastic bodies. That's what they call it, Lucite.

And also this pearl essence, again very typical of that period.

There is a big market for vintage accessories, vintage clothing and so on.

So much so that a lot of the contemporary designers are starting to copy

these designs and reintroduce them now to the younger generation.

And it's becoming harder and harder to find good quality period vintage pieces

in nice condition like this, because a lot of the plastics do deteriorate.

But this looks absolutely fine.

A tiny bit of discolouring around those metal hinges there, but other than that it's perfect.

-Do you remember what you paid for it?

-I think around £20.

-That's not bad because this ought to make around £40 to £60.

-OK.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Very happy.

-Jolly good, well, I'd better give this back to you, I have a reputation.

Have you got anything else like that?

-I'll have a look.

-Come on, show me.

Reputation, John? Surely not.

So, Jack, tell me a little bit about what it's like at school and the

schoolfriends you have and the activities you do.

I enjoy school a lot.

A week ago we had something called activities week where

we have activities, school-related, like we'd go to Fairlop Waters,

and do water-based sports.

But I also like cricket and skiing.

So this ski trip, is it your decision that it's something that you want him to experience?

-Or has the pressure come from Jack?

-Oh, no, he definitely has always wanted to ski.

And he's sort of taken it from there, really.

I just think it'll be so much more fun for him to go with the school group, with his friends,

rather than with the crowd that we went with because he went with all older people,

which was good but because he's an only child, the things

the school bring to him are really important.

And how did you get into antiques?

I was brought up with antiques, really.

The little part of Southsea, Hampshire, that I was brought up in

was an antique centre, lots of antiques shops, and I went to school there.

And we always had antiques in the home.

My grandmother was very fond of antiques.

It's just always been a part of my life.

Don't you think it's going to be quite hard, because a lot

of these pieces you've bought, you've got a very good eye,

you've been around antiques for a long time, and now suddenly they're

going to be gone, is that going to be really something you carry on?

Or are you still always going to have an eye out for a bargain?

I'll still look. But I'm going to try not to buy in future.

Because I'm more into travel now,

to be honest, and seeing the world rather than material things.

And you just have to, if you've been away on a trip, which we do a lot,

you just have to come home and dust it all.

And I'd like to travel when Jack's older, and if you

can't get it in the rucksack, it might as well go now.

So, young man, on a scale of one to ten, how important is this skiing trip?

11. It's really, honestly, I've been once before

and I enjoyed it so much, just to have such a vast mountain to go on.

It's truly, really amazing.

I think we need to give John Cameron that information so

he's under enough pressure to find some more items to sell, don't you?

Let's make sure we make the target, come on.

John's still on the hunt and has found another Victorian item,

this time a child's Windsor stickback armchair.

Carved from elm.

John thinks it should sell for around £20 to £30.

Our figures are certainly mounting up.

But we'll need more if we're going to get Jack on the slopes.

Hi, guys. What do you think of this mirror?

Gosh, that is absolutely stunning.

Is this one of your antique finds?

-It is.

-I really love that.

So how long have you had that in your collection?

Again about 25 years.

-And what made you buy it?

-Oh, at the time I loved it.

It's great.

Yeah, at the time everything was heavy and gold and highly decorative.

-And are you happy to part with that?

-I am.

-Because it's not... I'm minimalising now.

-Right.

It's too decorative for me now, really.

It's a very decorative piece, it's what you call a Victorian mirrored wall bracket.

At first I thought it might be late Georgian but if you look here,

you've got this horizontal deterioration,

two or three bands in the mirror,

the silver has started to deteriorate.

If we turn the mirror around

-we can see those panels. Where the panels join.

-Yeah.

That's where the air and moisture gets in and creates that damage.

So at least we know mirror and the frame are contemporary with each other. But dating it.

If you again look back at the panels.

If you have a look there you can see these radial marks, that has been created by a circular saw.

So that suggests to us it must be after the industrial revolution so

it would be the latter part of the 19th century, machine-made backs.

Certainly the boards have been cut by a machine.

But it is in, what I guess you'd call Rococo revival style,

which was very popular in the 19th century,

very French-looking, isn't it?

-I think so.

-Giltwood and gesso, this is plain gilt wood,

but if you add the gesso to the cornice at the top there,

which, because it's a mixture of plaster and glue

on top of wood, well, wood moves.

You get crackage and shrinkage there and that's where you start

-to lose parts. Any bits missing that have come off and you've still got?

-There's a piece that I've got, yes.

-You've still got the piece that's missing?

-Yes.

We'll put it a little bag and tie it to this piece.

-It's from the bottom.

-It won't get separated.

-That would be sensible.

-It came off with a cricket ball.

-We won't go into that.

-No, let's not go into that - Jack!

-But even like that I'd still be hoping for about £150 to £200 maybe at auction.

-OK.

I think that's absolutely brilliant.

Thankfully Jack's cricket ball didn't ruin a valuable mirror.

And there's no time for playing today, he's determined to get on that school ski trip.

He's found some fruit knives and forks still in their original box

which will hopefully auction for between £30 and £50.

It's been a busy day here with Karen and Jack, so much

to look through and so many pieces with family and sentimental value.

That rounds us up nicely, then, because we've run out of time.

We've found some lovely, lovely items to send to auction.

You wanted to raise £500 at least for this skiing holiday, didn't you, Jack?

Yeah.

How much did you think the skiing holiday might cost?

-It was a bit more than that, it was about £700.

-Yeah.

So how much do you think we may be making at the auction then, Jack?

About 650.

650, OK, Karen?

-Around the same, I suppose, maybe a little more.

-John?

-I've no idea, maths was never my forte, I'm a history man.

-OK!

I can tell you, and bearing in mind I've taken the lower end of the estimate,

not the higher end, the value of everything going to the auction house comes to

-£730. Spending money.

-Wow.

I think you'll probably make a bit more on the day because you've got some real quality items.

So, I think you may well, fingers crossed, be going on your skiing trip.

And we'll see you again when it's time for the auction, OK?

Well, I'm looking forward to this auction, there's a great variety

of collectibles and I really hope we do well.

Just some of the things going to the sale are...

the Victorian photograph album which has a little music box inside,

a real piece of social history from the 19th century.

John thinks it could go for as much as £80 to £120.

The stylish 1950s white handbag, with the see-through top.

It's a niche item but if the right buyer is in the room

on the day, it could go for £40 to £60.

And that stunning Rococo revival mirror from the Victorian period.

Worth as much as £150 to £200.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic...

a battle of the bidders in the auction room.

This is just what you want, two people wanting the same item.

Then things take a turn for the worse.

Oh, no, I'm so sorry.

-Not a single bid.

-You don't even get a bid at £50.

Will it be a successful result for Jack and Karen in the end?

Find out when the final hammer falls.

It's been a couple of weeks since we were in Loughton in Essex,

where we met Karen and her lovely son Jack.

We have some fantastic items from their house

which we brought here to Chiswick Auction House in West London.

Now remember, Karen's looking to raise around £500 as a contribution to son Jack's skiing holiday.

Let's just hope that today when the items go under the hammer

there's plenty of bidders ready to buy.

From experience we know you can never predict the outcome of an auction.

Lots are displayed an advertised several days before the sale.

So, there's plenty of opportunity for the bidder

to view the items and decide how much they're prepared to spend.

They're determined to keep that information secret, so no-one else gets wind of the items

that they're interested in, or how much they're prepared to pay.

No-one wants to be pipped at the post by a competing bidder.

One man who knows all the tricks of the trade is of course our veteran auctioneer and expert, John Cameron.

-Hi, John.

-Morning, Lorne.

The hand that rocks the cradle! Well, it's a lovely piece, isn't it?

I'd can see that this would still have a practical use in someone's home.

The wooden one, I'm not so sure about.

I think we'll stick with plants in the wooden one, and children in this one.

Also I love that lovely mirror.

The mirror's just over there. Look, it looks fantastic on the wall.

That's the classic decorator's piece, isn't it?

-Indeed it is. It should do well.

-Good.

In that case, because Jack has got a bit of a skiing trip he's hoping

to go on, shall we go and meet them? Come on.

John is optimistic and I really don't want to disappoint Jack.

He's so desperate to go on his school skiing trip.

Let's find out how they're feeling.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-How are you?

-Lovely, thank you.

You look absolutely lovely, Karen. So do you young man, very smart.

Now, we have some lovely items.

Including one in particular that you can't even remember using.

That's the crib, isn't it?

Does it feel a bit weird, seeing it here today?

Just knowing that it's going to be sold to someone else.

Any item you're really excited about selling?

I like the French mirror.

You're not wanting that in your bedroom, Jack, are you?

-No! That's the reason it's going.

-Any second thoughts on any of the items?

No. Every gap has been filled where they were.

It's amazing how quickly you can do that as well!

-Yes.

-So, I guess we have a school skiing trip to fund, have we?

-Yeah.

Let's hope we can make enough money to send you on your way.

The auction is going to start soon, shall we get in our positions?

If you're thinking of heading to auction,

please remember that commission and other charges may apply.

Always check the details with the auction house.

Today's auctioneer gets out first lot underway.

It's that striking white handbag with the see-through top.

Very representative of the 1950s.

So, if there's a costume buyer, or a collector

looking for something quirky today, this could do well.

We've got an estimate of £40 - £60. Have you a reserve on that?

-Around £30.

-That's fair enough, isn't it?

Should be. A few years ago, these would make a bit more.

Well, let's see what happens today.

Lady's handbag. Start me at £20 for it, £20 for it.

-£20 for it, I'm bid £20.

-£20.

Is that it, 22? 25, 25, 28, 30.

It's in front of me at £28. Any at 30? All out at £28, I'm selling at...?

30, thank you. 32?

A new bidder at £30 in the heights. At £30, 32?

At £30 it goes, all done. £30, 373.

-Happy with that?

-Very happy.

You've got no use for a lady's handbag, have you? Let's be honest.

Won't pass it on to you, Jack.

£30, not quite as much as we'd hoped for.

Still, it's only the first lot. We've got another 12 to come.

The next one is the Victorian three-tiered mirror.

A couple of the bits are missing, but I understand you've found those.

Does that make too much difference at auction?

I think anybody looking to buy, if they're going to have it restored, yes, they would

be glad to see those extra pieces. It just makes the restorer's job a little bit easier.

£100 for this one, £100 for it? Thank you, I'm bid £100.

Straight in at 100, there you go.

£100, I'll take 110 for it. I want 110, got 110, 120?

-130, 140. 130, I see your bid, 130?

-That's more like it.

That's the bid so far. At 130? Can I sell it for 130?

At 130, bid at 130. 130, and going.

All done. 130 and gone, then.

£130, a bit more like it.

-I'm really happy with that.

-Are you? Good.

£130 is a good result, and will certainly get Jack on one ski.

But of course, he needs two.

So, the next lot are those lovely cocktail sticks.

You've put a reserve on this, haven't you? What is it?

I think it's 30.

£30, OK. How does the reserve at auction work, John?

There's two different types.

A firm reserve, so the auctioneer can't sell it below that figure.

Then you have a discretion reserve, which gives him about ten

or 15% discretion under that reserve.

OK, let's see what they make.

-£50 to start me? £20 to go, £20?

-Come on.

I'm bid at £20, at 22?

22, 25, 28, 30.

At £28, at £28. Say 30?

At £28, all out at £28? All done.

At £28, I'm going to sell at £28, I'm afraid. At £28, thank you.

£28, gone. £28.

Just £2 under your £30 reserve, but presumably the auctioneer's discretion there, John?

I hoped they were worth a little bit more than that.

But there we are. On another day, perhaps.

-Are you happy with that?

-Absolutely.

OK, excellent. Not far off the estimate and not bad at all,

when you realise that the days in which most people sampled a cocktail

before dinner are long gone.

Now for the first of our two cribs.

These have been lovingly tended by Karen over 20 years.

First to sell is the adapted 17th-century oak cradle,

valued at around £100 to £150.

-We've put a reserve on this one of £100, is that right?

-Yes.

-John, what do you think?

-I don't think it's a lot of money.

At £100, it will make a very good planter for somebody.

Yeah, we should be OK there.

-OK, let's see how we do.

-Find me £50 for it, thank you.

£50, 55? Say five now, 55.

60, 5, 70, five, 80, five.

-Come on!

-85, back in. 90? 90, five.

-That's it, it's sold, then.

-90, say 95? Are we done?

All out at £90. You've got it at £90.

£90. So, the reserve was 100, but with auctioneer's discretion

giving 10% either side, £90.

-Are you happy with that?

-Very happy.

-Yeah? What about you my dear?

-Very happy.

-Good.

£90, and again a little under estimate.

Still, John originally valued the pair at 200 to £300,

and he thought the working white crib is more attractive.

So, fingers crossed, Jack may still make it to the slopes.

Our next lot is one

you're very familiar with, young man.

It's the crib you were rocked to sleep in when you were a little boy.

So, does it feel strange to know that it's going to go to a different home now?

It does, yes. Because, I've slept in it and it's bizarre but, I'm not a baby now so someone should get it.

It's all right, yes.

£100, start me for it.

£50 to go then, £50 for it?

£50, or I'll pass it.

-No-one wants it at £50, then?

-No!

Come and see me if you change your mind about it. Not sold, I'm afraid.

-Oh, no, I'm so sorry!

-Not a single bid.

They didn't even bid at £50.

Unsold, that's such a blow!

Especially as we'd pinned all our hopes on it selling well.

That has dropped our potential takings by £100.

It's the Edwardian wash set next.

It's unusual to have so many matching pieces,

so John has priced is accordingly.

Bidder at £65. 68? £65.

Are we all done? £65 and gone. At £65, sold.

£65. That's a lot of china for that amount of money.

Yes, and you could get yourself two dressing tables for that money as well these days.

£65, well, they're not as popular now as they used to be.

So, this price reflects their current standing.

I think we're getting nearer to Jack's skiing holiday all the time.

As the halfway point approaches, the only way to know for sure is to add up the numbers.

OK, now. We've got a little bit of a break before our next lots are on.

How much do you think we might have made?

-About 200 to £250?

-Karen?

A little bit more, 300 maybe?

We have actually made £343.

We have got some really good quality items coming up.

John, I understand you've seen something you've got your eye on?

Something I want to have a closer look at. So, you take a break and I'll see you in a bit.

Well, we're going to do a bit of apres ski. Come on, this way.

So, while I head off with mum and son to discuss skiing holidays,

John discovers there really is some truth behind the old saying,

if you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves.

These are a familiar sight in general auction houses.

They often come out of deceased estates and they mean nothing to your average auction goer.

However, they are a source of potential income.

Now, first of all, these coins are copper,

so they have a bullion weight.

If they can be picked up for £10 or £20, they weigh an absolute ton.

You'll probably double your money on the scrap value alone.

And, regarding silver coins,

before 1919 any silver coinage was actually 925 silver.

After that date, it becomes 50% silver.

Any coins from those dates can again be scrapped for their silver and metal content.

The second jar here, the coins tend to be in pretty much good condition.

They're mostly 20th-century pennies and half pennies.

But there are certain coins, especially around the First and Second World War,

when minting was interrupted, that can be worth hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds.

So, with a bit of specialist knowledge, you may be able to find that rose amongst the thorns.

And some shrewd investor did.

They went for £10. Maybe that's proof of the old saying,

that a little bit of old copper could actually turn out to be gold.

Time to raid our piggy banks, I think.

Right, our next lot coming up is

the Royal Crown Derby Imari patterned vase.

The Japan pattern, as it's called,

has been popular for about 400 years,

since Imari first came to this country.

-This is a 20th-century piece. The only problem is, it's had some restoration.

-Yes.

Just around the neck. But it's been done well.

We've got an estimate of £30 to £50. What would it be if it was perfect?

I think this is a £60 piece in good condition, if I take that into

-consideration, we shall see.

-£30 for it?

£20 for it?

£20 for it? I'm bid £20, 22, 25, 25?

28. 30. At £28, selling at £28, 30?

At £28, £28 all out?

£28, all done.

-£28.

-Just under our estimate.

At the moment, because generally speaking in auction rooms,

the minute everything has got some damage, especially something like Imari, the modern potteries,

they just ignore it. I think that's pretty good.

That's a fair result, considering it was valued at £30 to £50

before the crack was discovered.

Next up, the fruit knives and forks.

These were popular in the first half of the 20th century,

but there's a limited market for this type of cutlery nowadays.

On the plus side, they are in a presentation box,

so John thinks they should reach £30 to £50.

£20 for the lot? £10?

I'm bid 10, 12 there? 12, 15?

15 over there, 18, 20?

22, 25, 28, 30.

Bid at £28, I'll take 30? £28, at £28 all done? £28, all done.

At £28. At £28, all out.

-28.

-We're limping towards.

-28 seems to crop up a lot.

-It does, doesn't it?

That's another lot to make £28. Very strange!

But I'm not complaining, at least they're selling and every bid helps towards the skiing fund.

We've probably funded two skis and two days on the slopes are far.

We must get Jack to the top of that mountain.

Do you ever remember sitting on this child's chair?

Yes, I do. I do remember.

Are you going to miss this, do you think?

-No, not really.

-OK, so what's the estimate?

Only 20 to £30. The seat has got quite a lot of worm damage in it.

I think that adds to the charm to some degree.

-I bet you didn't know that when you were sitting on it!

-No.

Great for a little teddy bear to sit on there,

and at £20, that's very tempting.

Is it worth £30? You'll make more than £30 for it.

-£20 for it?

-Oh, come on!

-£10 for it.

I'm bid 10, 12, 15, 18, 20.

22, 25, 25? 25, 28? £25 then, £25.

At £25, are we all done?

£25, I'm going to let it go.

-£25.

-Good, I'm pleased with that.

They don't know either that they're getting some worms thrown in there for free!

£25, bang in the middle of John's estimate.

Our next lot was one that we found almost last minute,

which was the Victorian photograph albums.

They look very typical of their era except one has got that fantastic

music mechanism in the back, hasn't it?

I think that's absolutely charming.

Used to see a lot of these around, but not now.

Lovely to see that feature inside. Very unusual.

And all the teeth there are perfect, no damage to it.

So, that should get us our money. £80 to £120.

Start me at £50 for the two of them, £50?

I'm bid £50,

55, say five?

-At £50, five, 60? 5, 70, 5, 80, 5.

-That's more like it.

£80, and five? £80, I'm going to sell at £80.

Your last chance, £80 and gone. £80.

-£80.

-Yes, very good.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yeah.

-Good, good.

-Slow to get started, but it did gather momentum in the end.

We hit our bottom estimate, that's good.

Again, spot on John's estimate at £80.

He knows a thing or two, does John.

Next is the Mary Gregory and cranberry glass.

Both designs are popular and have a huge fan base.

Let's hope it's another lot which reaches its estimate.

£50? £30?

Come on.

£30, bid £30.

I'll take two, £30? Give me two? 32?

32? 35, for 494? 35, 38.

38, 40. 42, 45, 48.

50, 5, 50 bid. £50, standard bid at £50. I'll take five, all done.

At £50, all out? You've got it.

Bang on £50 there.

-That's OK.

-You happy with that?

-Absolutely.

Fantastic, right at the top end of John's estimate.

And so to our last lot of the day,

eight volumes of the Encylopaedia Of Practical Cookery.

Could they give us the lift we need?

I've seen growing interest... with all the cookery programmes.

A lot of people are looking back at old recipes. I think there's a good set there for £30.

£20, start me?

£20, I'm bid £20, at £20, 22?

22, 25, 28.

30, 32, 35, 38.

40, excuse me? 40, 42, £40, at £40.

42, 45, 48, 50, five, 60, 5. 70, 5.

This is just what you want, two people wanting the same item.

£70, all done? £70 and going. £70 and gone.

-75? 75. 80?

-Still going at 80!

New bidder at £75, and £75, sold at £75? All out, your bid, and gone.

-75.

-The proof certainly was in the pudding then.

You know what you're doing.

Two very bad cooks in the house that wanted those books.

Another excellent result, more than double the lowest estimate.

Very much the icing on our cake.

Now, after that excitement, we need to know are you or are you not going on a school skiing trip?

-What do you think?

-Hopefully.

What do you think, Karen?

-I think he's definitely going.

-Yeah?

-Definitely.

I think you've got a very, very nice mother, actually. Don't you?

I think you'll be going and maybe get a little bit of pocket money too,

because we made £629!

Brilliant!

-Are you pleased with that?

-Yes.

Well done. You take care of yourself on the slopes, young man.

And with that excellent result, Karen and Jack head off to Milton Keynes to try out the snow.

Today has really put him in the mood.

I think it's made him realise how much he misses his skiing.

I think when he goes away with the school, he'll have a lot of fun.

He's never really skied with a group of mates

and I just think it'll bring a fun aspect of it to skiing for him.

He's done quite heavy skiing, and I think there will be a lot more

mucking around on the school trip.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Are you having a good time?

-Yes, it's been really good.

-Enjoying it?

Yes. My eyes are watering.

Judging by Jack's performance on the slopes today, I think he's going to be pretty good on the real thing.

I enjoy skiing, because you're able to do your own thing.

You don't have someone there, telling you to do this and do that.

You're really your own person. I'm really pleased

I'm able to go on the school trip with my friends,

because it's a great experience for me.

Yeah!

Well done!

Do you know what? Jack is such a lovely boy,

he really does deserve that skiing trip.

But then Karen is a fantastic mum too.

Let's hope that they have enough money there to treat both of them.

Now, if you think you can also sell your antiques and collectibles

by sending them to auction, why not apply to come on Cash In The Attic?

You'll find more details at our website...

We'll see you again next time.

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