Cutting Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic, where we hunt for valuables

in your home and sells them with you at auction.

Today, I'm at Outwood in Surrey and behind me is the magnificent Outwood Mill.

It was built in 1665 by a local miller called Tom Budgen

and it's the oldest working windmill in Britain.

It's written that Thomas Budgen, back in the 17th century,

had to borrow money to build the windmill from his brothers-in-law.

He repaid them within two years, a business plan that even Lord Sugar would approve of today.

The mill is also known as a post mill because the body of the building is balanced on one

huge central oak post on which the whole structure can be turned towards the wind.

Well, we may not find anything as old as this windmill

at our next location but, hopefully, we will find a few antiques and collectibles

that we'll be able to take to auction and raise quite a bit of cash for today's contributors.

Coming up on Cash In The Attic:

is our guest today bemused, confused and seeing double?

Yes. They are identical, yes. That always puzzled me.

It hardly looks like there'll be a profit if we follow one person's advice.

What do you think our North American turkey farmer's worth?

I'd pay to give it away.

And are there are tears of sadness or joy, come auction day?

-Look at this.

-Stupid.

Completely and utterly stupid.

Find out when the final hammer falls.

Well, I've now come just a few miles down the road to Redhill to visit

a couple and their granddaughter

who want to raise cash to help celebrate a very special birthday.

This three-bedroomed bungalow and a sprawling garden in Surrey

has been home to Dorita and Shaun Cutting for 46 years.

Having led very busy lives bringing up two daughters here, Shaun and Dorita are retired.

And, now that they've got plenty of time on their hands,

they like nothing better than to travel and cultivate their blooming garden.

They also take every opportunity to be with their family.

And today, one of their four grandchildren, Alexandra, is joining them on Cash In The Attic.

-Morning, Jonty.

-How are you, Angela?

I'm very well. Hey, I've been experiencing a bit of history today.

I've been to an old windmill which is, what, 400 years old nearly?

-Really?

-Yes.

-Was it quite fun?

It was enormous fun. And we're about to meet two really lovely people.

We've got Shaun and Dorita.

-Do you know, they've been married for almost 50 years now.

-Really?

They've got a golden wedding anniversary coming up and a very special birthday.

-And that's what we'll be raising money for.

-So, celebrations all round.

-It will be, especially when you find some fab things for us to take to auction.

-So, no pressure?

None at all. Shall we go meet them?

Shaun, Dorita. My gosh, you are amazing gardeners.

-These azaleas are fantastic! And they've roped you in as well, Alexandra.

-They have.

You're the reason that we're here today, aren't you?

So, why did you call in Cash In The Attic?

They wanted to sell a few bits from their loft and they love

this programme, so I thought it would be a great way to get rid of it all.

-What are you going to be raising the money for this year, Dorita?

-Well, I'll be 70 in July

and next year we have our golden wedding anniversary,

so there's two celebrations.

-And how are you going to celebrate, Shaun?

-Well, we usually go to Florida for five weeks every year.

We've got lots of friends over there and if there's any chance

of anything we raise going towards the air fare, that would help.

So, how much do you reckon this is all going to cost?

The air fare's about £1,100.

So, £1,000 or thereabouts.

-Do you reckon there's £1,000 worth of stuff to find in the attic?

-Yes, definitely.

Let's see what Jonty makes of them.

Well, if we want to raise that £1,000 for Dorita and Shaun to celebrate in style in Florida,

we'd better start hunting for things to sell.

There's no stopping Shaun. He's already headed straight to the attic.

Meanwhile, something has already caught Jonty's eye.

He knows his antiques as he's been in the business for nearly 30 years.

Jonty, it's a bit early to be setting the table for dinner, isn't it?

I've got a set of six blue-and-white plates here.

-We did these come from, then?

-My grandmother passed on to my mother.

My mother had them in the loft.

She wanted to get rid and Shaun, being a hoarder, said, "I'll have them."

-So they went from her loft to your loft?

-Our loft.

-So, have you ever used them?

-No.

They're from Jamestown, aren't they? Which is in America.

-So, how do you think your grandmother got hold of them?

-I've no idea.

What we're looking at, we've got a set of six here.

But, as Angela says, right in the middle here, this is the bird's eye view of the Jamestown's Exposition.

And this exposition was in 1907.

So this set of six plates are, in fact, a tad over 100 years old.

You've already had these valued at one time, haven't you?

-What did they value them at?

-£60 per plate.

£60 a plate? Well, you're not going to like me, I have to say.

I think this set here is going to be worth around £100 for the set of six.

So, what we're looking at, I suppose, £60 - £120, that sort of ball park, for the whole collection.

-How do you feel about that?

-Fine.

And, as this lady likes to throw everything out, to have

-£60 or £100 coming back in is not a bad deal really, is it?

-Pretty good.

-So, we can take them to auction?

-Please.

Really? So you'll carry on speaking to me for the rest of the day?

-Most certainly.

-Phew!

-Well, you've made a good start, Jonty.

As to whether Shaun will...

Shall we go and find out? See what else we can find.

£60 for the kitty. We're off to a good start.

Shaun's come up trumps.

Amongst all the clutter, he's found these salt shakers.

-Jonty.

-Hello.

-I've found these in the attic.

Would these be of any value?

Let's have a look at those. Now, what are we looking at here?

-We are obviously looking at a condiment set here.

-Yes.

And with a bit of writing up here. What's all that about?

Well, they came from my uncle.

After my uncle had died, my aunt gave them to me.

They were a present to my uncle on his 43rd birthday

in 1943 by his employer, which is JT there.

-OK.

-He was a concert pianist.

-Really?

-And my uncle was mainly his gardener, but he also

did a bit of chauffeuring and odd jobs and things like that.

I don't think they were new when he gave them to him.

The hallmarks are very clear here. They are made in Birmingham.

We've got these fabulous hallmarks, so they are solid silver.

And they are made really, turn-of-the-century, so they would have been second hand when given.

But still a very nice gift to be given.

-And it certainly helps having these items like this, in their original presentation box.

-Yes.

Because a lot of people trade with these and people who end up buying them, they buy them as gifts.

-But, interestingly, they are identical.

-Yes, they are identical.

That always puzzled me.

I think there's a fabulous flaw design there.

-Yes.

-You might get a bit of a problem if you want a bit more pepper, rather than salt.

But it's definitely worth putting into the auction sale.

And we should still shake them up with a £40 to £60 estimate.

-Yes. That's very good.

-Is that all right?

-Yes.

-We'll leave those there and see what else we can find.

-Right.

What a fascinating history. But it doesn't solve the mystery of why they are identical.

Hopefully, though, the pair will shake up of the bidders at auction.

Dorita's discovered this elegant Art Nouveau silver necklace

which her uncle found on the local common many years ago.

He gave it to her mother who, in turn, passed it on to Dorita

when she was just eight years old.

As she's only worn it a few times,

she's decided that it should go towards the Florida fund.

And Jonty values it at around £30 to £40.

Alexandra's rooting around in the summer house, hoping to find more things to take to auction.

She's one of Shaun and Dorita's four grandchildren

and she often spends time at her grandparents' house.

What a lovely picture of your grandchildren.

Isn't that absolutely lovely? That the product of, what, nearly 50 years of marriage, the two of you?

-Almost.

-But I gather, Shaun, that your first date was almost a disaster.

You two almost never got together, did you?

-Yes, that's right.

-What happened?

-Well, it didn't really happen.

We arranged to meet at the local youth club.

I was running to catch the bus, ran across the road, got hit by a car and ended up in hospital.

But they released me just before the youth club closed, so I

made my way back to the youth club just in time to see Rita leaving.

Well, that was determination for you, Rita.

Did you believe him when he said,

"I'm sorry I'm late, I've been knocked down?"

Yes, I did because he was hobbling.

It's obviously stood the test of time.

So, if your first date was rather adventurous, how was the wedding day?

The wedding day was brilliant.

It was cold because it was March, but it was a good day.

But the evening before, we were in the car.

We'd gone to a rehearsal at the church

and, as all couples do, we quarrelled.

And I said, "Well, if you think I'm marrying you tomorrow, you've got another think coming."

But we made it up that very same evening and, obviously, we're still here to tell the tale.

So you don't regret having gone through with it?

Not at all. Whether he does...

When you actually come to your home, one of the first things you notice is your wonderful garden.

And you both have a real love of gardening, don't you?

Yes. We like to grow our own plants from seedlings

and we pot them on and plant them out ourselves.

And, at the end of the day, it's relaxing.

We grow our own vegetables. We have runner beans, we have cucumbers, peppers, aubergines.

Well, you do a brilliant job because they look absolutely fabulous.

-But the other thing that you both enjoy it is to go travelling.

-Yes.

We've been all over Europe, really.

Then we've been to Egypt and Tunisia and Moscow.

But, in more recent years, we've been going to the USA.

And that's where you're going for the special celebration this year.

I'll talk to you about that later on.

But we want you to celebrate not just the birthday,

but your golden wedding anniversary

because it will be very special.

Let's put the grandchildren back and get back to work

and see how much more money we can put in that £1,000 pot. Come on.

Well, for a lady who said that she didn't want to marry her fiance

on her wedding night, it's all gone amazingly well for 49 years.

Shaun discovers this old family Bible.

Because Victorian Bibles were so popular around the 19th century, they're not rare items.

But Jonty still thinks it will fetch £40 to £60 at auction.

Meanwhile, in the study, Alexandra's found something that she'd certainly like to take to auction.

So, Jonty, what do you think about this one?

I'm sure my grandma wants to give it away.

Wow! So, what we are looking at here - with his blue dungarees

he has to be a North American farmer with his turkey. Where's this from?

Well, my great-grandma gave it to my grandma because she collected a lot of figurines.

She had the same one, so she gave it to my grandma.

Interestingly, of course, this is Royal Doulton.

You've got the Royal Doulton mark.

But all Royal Doulton figurines are numbered,

and the number here is the HN 2446.

-So, this was made by H Nicoll between 1972 and 1976.

-Oh, I see.

And that's a bisque figure,

-so if you run your finger across...

-Yeah, why is it matt, not shiny?

Well, ceramic figures are...

If they're glazed and have that shiny appearance,

that's because it's been fired twice,

-whereas this has been glazed and fired only the once.

-I see.

So that's the reason why you have that rough surface to it.

But that's great, because there are ceramic figures

that are made by Royal Doulton -

some are worth huge sums of money.

Often, those ones that are pre-the Second World War,

they're worth quite a bit of money.

-But because it's slightly rare, it's worth a little bit more than the norm.

-Really?

What do you think our turkey farmer's worth?

I'd pay to give it away.

Would you? Well, how about £80 to £120?

Wow! That's good.

-So, one for the auction sale?

-Definitely.

-Got any more like this?

-Possibly.

-Good. Let's go and find.

Well, Alexandra looks very pleased.

I hope Gran and Grandpa don't mind it being added to the auction collection.

In his never-ending search,

Jonty finds a collection of spoons, a cake slice and a cheese knife.

They're not old, probably only bought in the mid-1970s -

but grouped together, they could be worth £30 to £50.

We've raised nearly a third of our target of £1,000,

so we're doing well.

And Dorita is even scouring the bathroom to see if anything valuable

could be hidden away in this trinket box.

-Hello.

-What have you got there, Dorita?

It's a sovereign. Queen Victoria.

And as far as I'm aware,

printed there is 1900.

Jonty, some people put sovereigns like this into a setting,

so that they can wear it as a pendant, which is what that is.

Does it detract from the value of the sovereign if you do that?

It all's a question of what the actual frame is made of.

This looks like it was probably a nine-carat gold mount.

So in effect we've got yet more gold,

so it ADDS to the value,

because we have a gold sovereign here on the inside,

and I don't know if you've noticed, but it's Queen Victoria in a veil.

And sovereigns were issued every year during Queen Victoria's reign,

and this is the third head of Queen Victoria. So there were two others.

And this is her in her veiled state, in her mourning state.

And that was first issued in 1893.

But sovereigns have been around for generations.

They were first introduced in the reign of Henry VII,

when a sovereign was worth £1, or 20 shillings at the time.

So did people actually use the gold coins as coin of the realm, to buy things with?

During the 19th century and the first part of the 20th,

yes, you COULD use sovereigns as coinage.

But towards the end of the 20th century, that had changed.

But these have gone up in value in recent times, so this is very, very good news.

At the moment, they are WORTH their weight in gold.

So this little sovereign and its mount, at auction, is going to be worth -

-wait for this - between £140 and £180, just for this.

-Hallelujah!

-Fantastic!

-Brilliant.

I'm sure even Queen Victoria would be "amused" by that valuation.

Gold sovereigns are still being manufactured today, and ARE classified as legal tender.

But if you bought a pint of milk with one, you'd get some strange looks.

These candlesticks were made by the prestigious company Mappin & Webb,

silversmiths to Her Majesty the Queen.

This particular pair date back to the early 20th century,

and could fetch between £30 to £40.

We're doing well so far.

We've raised £400,

and I'm sure there's still more to find in this house,

which is full of treasures everywhere you look.

So, while Jonty continues the search, I get to find out more about the family.

Florida obviously looms large in your lives. Shaun, how did you start going to Florida?

What's so special about it for you all?

Well, we've got our golden wedding coming up next March,

but before that, Rita will be 70,

and we're meeting up with a lot of our friends on the beach, of a similar age.

In fact, I think there's five or six of us who have all been 70 within this last year.

But I mean, you're going to have a party in Florida - what about everybody back here joining in?

Oh, we always do meet up here on Rita's birthday,

but then we'll be flying off soon after that.

And what is it that makes Florida such a wonderful place for you to go to?

You can literally fall out of bed,

have a shower, put on your swimsuit and you're on the beach.

And it's sandy, and it's sunny...

If he's playing golf, then I have a friend,

and we'll sit there with our noses in a book, and it's great.

Alexandra, you work quite close by at Gatwick Airport

and spend quite a lot of time with your grandparents.

You come round quite regularly.

Well, I often finish at around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, so

after that I come round, see them, have a bite to eat.

-So, how supportive have they been?

-Very. I mean, my grandad's helped me

all throughout school. He was a teacher,

so he's perfect for helping me with my exams and everything. And he also taught me how to drive.

My grandma taught me how to cook and things.

-So they're obviously very special grandparents.

-Yeah, very.

Well, we obviously want to get you both to Florida to have that very special celebration.

We haven't quite reached that £1,000 mark yet, so

I think perhaps we'd better get back to work.

Well, they obviously love the lifestyle over there,

so come on, Jonty, see if you can raise the bar for us.

Dorita, have a look at what I've got here.

They are Lladro, and one's Nao. So where did they come from?

We bought them on our travels throughout Spain, Majorca.

I think it was possibly...1963?

So that's really very early indeed,

because Lladro only started - by three brothers incidentally -

in 1953, near Valencia in Spain.

So you must have been one of the first to bring back a Lladro figurine.

You sure you weren't trendsetters? Everybody followed you guys?

I doubt it.

But there are so many figurines that have come and they've gone, but the clever part about Lladro

is the fact that they brought in figures really quickly and also took them away.

So collectors want to get hold of those rare ones.

Nao tends to be moulded from one, just a one-piece mould.

Whereas the Lladro figurines have extra add-ons,

so if you look at the rose petal there,

that little petal would have been applied later, after a mould.

So there's a lot more care and attention gone into a Lladro figurine

rather than the Nao, but made by the same company.

You can tell that by the same colours,

those subtle pastel colours they used.

And the same romantic theme - we've got here one girl

nonchalantly plucking a petal from her rose.

And here we have a young girl

playing with her three bunny rabbits.

So value-wise, we're looking at 200, 250 -

that's my sort of estimate.

-Is that good?

-Wonderful.

-Excellent.

Let's find some more stuff.

That's a brilliant addition to the fund,

but we're still not at the £1,000 target! Got to keep going.

Alexandra's rooting around in the kitchen,

and has found this silver ladle.

The hallmark dates it to the mid-1800s.

It belonged to Shaun's side of the family,

but they really don't use it any more,

so - time to sell.

At £50,

it's certainly better than sitting unused in the kitchen drawer.

We're still a way off our target for that celebration holiday, and we've pretty much

cleared the house of things that Shaun and Dorita are happy to take to auction.

So, will Shaun's final find stump up that much needed extra money?

Jonty, Angela.

-What have you got?

-I've found these.

Dorita, come and have a look at these.

One is mine and one is Dorita's.

-And are they gold?

-They are, yes.

They're both nine-carat gold, nine-carat gold straps as well.

And they both have the name Omega on the fascia, which is wonderful news.

The history goes back 150 years.

It was Louis Brandt who started this.

He started assembling pocket watches from various makers

and he sold them from Switzerland all the way through to Scandinavia,

but England, incidentally, was his most favoured market, even then - 150 years ago.

It's also associated with the landings of the Moon.

Buzz Aldrin had an Omega watch, James Bond,

and the official timekeepers to the 2008 Olympics.

How much do remember paying for this watch?

£100.

-How about you, Shaun?

-I paid £89.

-It's interesting you should say that,

because these are worth more than you paid for them all those years ago,

even though we're looking at a very

old-fashioned, for want of a better word, wristwatch for the market.

So together, at auction, they're worth between £300 and £400.

That's very good.

That was clearly a really good investment,

and at £300-£400, what a terrific addition to our holiday pot for your trip to Florida.

But before I tell you how much I think we might make at auction,

let's call Alexandra in. Alexandra...?

Alexandra, Jonty's just valued them at between £300-£400 for the two, if they go to auction.

And if we add them to everything else that we've looked at today

and we take Jonty's lowest estimate,

then the figure that we hope to make at auction - on the dot -

-£1,000.

-Really?

Well, that's terrific.

It all depends, of course, what happens when we get to auction,

but I think you're about to have quite a rave for your 70th birthday.

We've had a great day with the Cutting family at their home,

which is jam-packed with mementoes and antiques

that they've been collecting for almost half a century.

Some of the items they've decided to say a tender farewell to

include the splendid gold sovereign,

which could be worth its weight in gold and valued at £140-£180.

The Lladro figures that Shaun and Dorita collected on their holidays

in Spain back in the early '60s are now worth between £200-£250.

And those 100-year-old beautiful blue plates

which Dorita inherited from her grandmother -

they could fetch anything from £60-£100.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic, at the auction,

what really makes Shaun's mouth water?

So did the sauces taste any better being served in a silver ladle?

It was nice to use the ladle, but they couldn't make my wife's sauces taste any better.

Oh!

If they can't dish up a sale, do they have another recipe for success up their sleeves?

-We'll take them to America with us...

-Yes!

-..and see if we can flog them there.

-You should do!

Will they have the cherry on the cake by the end?

Find out, when the final hammer falls.

Well, it's been a week or two now since we were with Shaun and Dorita

at their home in Surrey where we found all sorts of things.

Everything from jewellery to figurines that we could bring to sell here today

at Chiswick Auctions in West London.

Their aim is £1,000,

so they can give Dorita a very special 70th birthday party in Florida.

So let's hope that the bidders here today are prepared to make

that party go with a swing when their items come under the hammer.

'As ever, come auction day in Chiswick, the bidders

'are out early in anticipation of buying unique collectibles.

'Let's hope they've come prepared to part with the cash

'that is going to send Shaun and Dorita off to their celebration in Florida.

'Jonty's here, taking another look at one of his favourite items from the rummage.'

Jonty! The gold standard!

Gold is a pretty good investment at the moment, isn't it?

Yes, there are so many things in the market that are going down, but gold is steady,

and over the last five years, it's been rising. So it's a very good time to sell.

What are we expecting on this little gold sovereign? It's a pendant now, isn't it?

Right. You have got the two parts to this.

You've got the gold sovereign - collectors will obviously collect sovereigns -

and also you've got the gold surround as well.

So I've put £140-£180, that sort of ballpark, for this pendant.

We should do well with that. We've also got a collection of sort of Royal Doulton and Lladro figures.

-Always collectible, aren't they?

-The Lladro figures are very good.

They are very saleable, and there is enough of them to make a big chunk towards that holiday target.

-There is. And, of course, Shaun and Dorita have those his-and-hers watches.

-Yes, yes.

Very sweet. But they're going!

Yes, the end of an era for them, but hopefully that reinvestment is all towards the holiday fund.

Shall we see how plans are going for the party?

'We really do have a great selection of quality antiques and collectibles from Shaun and Dorita's home.

'It's extremely hot, both outside and inside the auction room today,

'but it hasn't deterred the buyers from turning up, so fingers crossed for a good sale.'

How are you all? Good to see you again, Alexandra, Dorita, Shaun.

Now, is this your first time at an auction?

-Yes, it is.

-So what are you looking forward to today?

I'm looking forward to seeing how the auction works, and seeing how our items will sell.

Of course, because you've got some really great things.

-How about the preparations for the party, Dorita? How are they going?

-Well, I think,

hopefully, the whole family will be there.

About...30 or 40 of us.

You're not going to Florida, are you, sadly?

No, unfortunately not - I am going to go to the family one soon.

That will make up for it. We've got some nice things, haven't we, Jonty?

Yes. I particularly like your Omega watches. Are you going to be sad to see those go?

In a way, although we don't use them.

We haven't used them for years.

-Jonty, I can't see the dial.

-ALL LAUGH

They've got to go, then.

Somebody here will obviously buy them and the other things you have brought.

As you can see, the place is beginning to fill up, we are minutes away from the auction starting.

Shall we go and take our place over there in the corner? Come on.

'The auctioneer is preparing for the off, and it's time for our first lot to go under the hammer.'

£80-£120, Jonty.

Yes, a slightly rarer figure, this one, and also,

it might appeal to the American market as well, the Thanksgiving theme.

So that's why I put it on a slightly higher figure than ordinary Doulton figures.

40 I'm bid, a maiden bid of £40. 45.

Are you bidding, sir?

Do you want 50? £50. 55. 60.

65. 70.

-With the gentleman at £70.

-Blimey!

75, fresh bidding.

-80. Holding, in the white shirt. 85.

-£80, we've got it.

-Well done.

90. 95. 100. 110.

Oh, my word!

In the white shirt, 120.

Standing in the white shirt, £120.

120, then. At 120 it goes.

-Ding-dong.

-Terrific.

JONTY LAUGHS

Top of the estimate.

What a terrific start. We've still got a long way to go yet

to meet that £1,000 target, but £120 is a big step towards it,

and hopefully, it bodes well for the rest of the day.

It's the Georgian hallmarked silver sauce ladle next.

It is a fine-looking piece, so let's hope someone takes a shine to it.

You're such a great cook, Dorita.

Did you ever use this for ladling out home-made soups?

Not soups, but sauces, if I were to make a sauce.

So did the sauces taste any better being served in a silver ladle?

It was nice to use the ladle, but they couldn't make my wife's sauces taste any better.

Oh! There speaks a husband who appreciates his wife's cooking.

-Let's see if somebody appreciates the silver sauce ladle.

-Yes.

28. 30. 32.

34. 36...

36? No? £36. Here at 36. Anybody else?

For £36? It's still cheap at 36.

But at 36, I can sell it for 36, then.

Don't sell it.

-Oh!

-It'll save me cleaning it.

So £36 is worth it not to have to get out the silver polish, is it?

36 is a little under the estimate -

I think whoever bought that got a good deal,

but will it help them brush up their cooking skills?

Next up, it's a Victorian bible

which Dorita inherited from her grandmother.

It was the done thing to have an impressive bible

in the Victorian era, but because there are still a lot of them about,

they don't always reach

a high price at auction.

There we go, the family bible. Is it worth £10? 10 to go.

10 I'm bid. A maiden bid. 12. 14.

16. 18. 20. 22.

-£22 there. At 22.

-22.

24, fresh bid. 26. 28.

30. 32. 34. 36. 38.

£38 there.

-Come on, just another two to make it 40.

-One more.

£38, then. All done at 38? 38.

-Oh!

-£2 under the lowest estimate.

£38, so not a bad price

for something that doesn't always sell well.

Up next, it's those confusing

identical salt and pepper pots

dating back to the early 19th century.

You'd have to be careful at the dinner table with these two.

-Remind us again where this came from.

-It belongs to my uncle, it was a gift on his 43rd birthday.

-And he was the gardener, is that right?

-That's right.

Are you going to be sad to see this one go?

Not at all - we've never used it.

I think that's a very good reason to sell it.

Are they worth £20 to start me?

£30 I'm bid in the middle of the room.

Straight in with £30.

32. 34. 36. 38.

38 in the middle of the room. Anybody else? 40.

45.

-50. 55.

-Ding-dong.

No, £60 in the blue.

-Surprising, isn't it?

-At £60, standing at £60. At £60, then. 60. 159.

-How about that?

-Terrific.

-I'm pleased by that.

-£60.

£60, top of the estimate.

Shaun's uncle received them as a present from his employer.

I think he'd be pretty impressed by that price.

It's more silver next - the candlesticks.

These were a retirement gift to Shaun,

but they're a bit formal for a family dining table,

so they're off to another home.

We've had people buying the silver stuff today, so this could do quite well.

16. £18 there. At £18. At £18, you, sir.

£18, anybody else? At 18... Just in time, 20.

22. £22, then. Nearest me at 22.

509.

There was a lot of bidding, but it stopped at 22.

A little disappointing, but we're doing well so far,

and everything is selling pretty close to the estimated price.

Still, as we know, auctions are unpredictable, so let's hope that someone recognises

the quality and value of the Omega watches coming up next.

A bit of clock-watching now, because we've got those two lovely watches

that you gave to each other, didn't you?

But that was a long time ago, wasn't it, Shaun?

It was, yes. Rita's 21st, I think, was when I gave her hers.

-Hers was a gift to me on my 30th.

-And now they're going towards paying for your 70th,

so I suppose it's highly appropriate, really, isn't it? Have you tried to wear these, Alexandra?

Grandma's is tiny, I don't think I'd get it on my wrist.

So it's probably a good job they're putting them to auction.

-And I've got interest in this lot already.

-Good.

-I'm bid £240.

-Wonderful start, 240.

260. 280. 300 in the room, at £300.

320. 340. 360. 380.

400? And 20.

£420 to the lady there, at 420.

Anybody else? For 420. 440.

-Another bidder coming in.

-460. 480.

500. 550. 600. 650.

-I am...

-700. 750.

-DORITA MURMURS

800. £800 for the lady at £800.

It's yours, madam, at £800.

Selling for 800.

Thank you, 800. 210.

You really didn't expect that, did you?

Look at this.

Stupid.

Completely and utterly stupid.

-But those are tears of happiness, aren't they?

-Oh!

-Yes.

-Too right.

Amazing! £800 - over double the highest estimate.

Well, team, we're halfway through and we're doing pretty well,

I can tell you.

I can see the barbecue on the beach already with the champagne piling up,

-because you wanted to raise, what, £1,000?

-£1,000, yes.

Well, you've made more than that already and it's only halfway.

You've made £1,076.

-That's incredible.

-That's wonderful.

And we've still got some great things to come

because we have that Art Nouveau pendant, the sovereign, which is also a pendant.

I think the second half will be a lot of fun,

so why don't we take a bit of a break and then we'll come back for the second half of the action?

Come on.

The Cuttings take a well-earned rest to recover from all that emotion.

Meanwhile, Jonty, who's a bit like a child in a sweetshop when it comes to auctions,

has found something that's really to his taste.

-Angela, I know you love your Art Nouveau.

-Oh, yes.

This lovely little tray here is so perfectly Art Nouveau.

A little hors d'oeuvre dish. Very simply done,

because this would have been made in a mould,

mass-produced by a very famous company who were producing tablewares like this.

Just in the corner it says WMF.

This is a German company that was producing tablewares like this around the turn of the century.

They started in the 1880s, but by the turn of the century,

they had 3,500 people working in the factories, so they were a very, very prolific maker.

So you have these stylised branches.

I suppose... Is it trees? Is it flowers? It doesn't really matter.

The whole point of it was that it was all organic

and flowed very, very simply, just like this dish.

It is a bit worn, isn't it? So what would that have been made of?

This is silver-plated, so there is a bit of wear here,

but this can be restored.

This can be burnished. This will really come up a beautiful colour.

So I don't mind seeing plates like this, dishes like this in this condition in an auction room.

-So how much is that likely to go for?

-This particular hors d'oeuvre dish is estimated at under £100

and it's also being sold with three other items as well, so you can pick them up relatively cheaply.

-A very pretty little dish. Let's see what it does go for.

-Yeah, it will be very interesting.

-When it does go under the hammer...

-120 there. 120 Anybody else?

120 is the bid.

..it sold spot on estimate at £120.

If you're inspired by the programme and thinking of heading to auction,

please do remember that commission and other charges may apply,

so always check the details with the auction house.

It's time for us to take our places back in the room,

and we'll be hard pushed to beat that amazing sale of £800 for the gold watches.

Let's hope that good luck stays with us.

We come back to earth with a set of knives and teaspoons.

They're up next at £30 to £50.

Alexandra, would you like to be able to serve cake and cheese with these silver-handled things?

Plain old knives will do for me, I think.

The cake slice at £10. Anybody want this?

A maiden bid of £10. 12. 14.

16. 18. 20.

22. £22 nearest me. At 22.

24, there. 26. 28.

30. 32.

-34. £34 nearest to me at £34.

-£34.

-We're over the lowest estimate.

-34.

£34 for a lovely collection of silver.

You must have no silver left!

That's a good sale - £4 over the lowest estimate -

someone uses a cake slice and not a knife to cut their teatime treat.

A bit of American history coming up now.

That set of six blue and white plates that were made for the Jamestown Exposition.

They are very much for the American market,

and we couldn't work out how they came from here to America and back again, could we?

-No, that's right.

-They are well-travelled plates!

-A bit of a mystery.

-Up to my attic and down.

So they've been all over the place.

And we have £60 to £100 on them.

What are they worth? Start me for £30 for the plates. £30?

And 5 I'll take. At £30. 30. £35.

All I am bid for those plates at £35.

40 I need. At £35.

Not quite enough. At £35, then. 35.

-35?

-They're unsold.

-Unsold?

-He muttered under his breath, "Unsold."

What he actually did was offer them in the room at 30, even £35,

but actually, there was no bid.

We'll take them to America with us.

Yes! That's what you should do.

-You're absolutely right!

-Why not?

The first unsold lot of the day,

but Shaun and Dorita seem so positive about everything,

I think they really might take them back to America when they go!

Now, we have great hopes for this...

wonderful full-sovereign gold pendant.

Did you ever actually wear it?

A couple of times, no more.

You'd rather have the party than the pendant?

-Why not?

-Yes! This is proper money in the bank.

-Let's see how much we can raise.

-That's what we need.

These always sell. Start me £100 for the lot.

£100 I'm bid. 100, 110, 120. In the room at £120.

120 for the sovereign.

£120. You all done, £120?

I'm selling it, then. 120 is the bid. Lot 452.

-£120.

-£120.

I was hoping for a little bit more, but just for one tiny coin, that's absolutely fine.

£120 and another sale under our belt.

Gold sovereigns are still produced every year and can make good christening presents.

They cost rather more than their original value of 20 shillings or £1.

Now you'd be looking to spend around £180.

I think, Alexandria, this Art Nouveau necklace

which your granny is going to sell

would look lovely on the dress you're wearing now.

-Second thoughts about selling it?

-No, definitely not.

Good job, because it's just about to go under the hammer.

£20 the maiden bid. 22. 24.

26. 28. £28 in the blue, then. At £28.

-Almost up to the lowest estimate.

-30, fresh bidder.

-New bidder.

32, 34, 36, 38, 40.

£40 standing, then, at 40.

At £40 it goes. 570.

Top of Jonty's estimate - £40.

After a cool reception,

the price of the necklace climbed to Jonty's top estimate.

A cracking sale, considering it was found over 60 years ago by Dorita's uncle on Redhill Common.

Shaun, we've got this collection of Lladro figures coming up now.

-Is it something you've collected between you?

-It is, yes.

We collected them on holidays, things like that.

Jonty's put £200 to £250 on them.

Very nice little collection here.

There's always dealers / collectors for Lladro figures.

-Let's hope they're here today.

-Exactly.

Start me for the Lladro - must be worth £150. 150 for that.

-For the Lladro...

-It's all ready...

160, 170, 180, 190,

200, 210, 220, 230...

This is what happens when two people want it.

-270, 280, 290, 300.

-This is amazing.

320 in the doorway.

Anybody else? £340, fresh bidding.

Still going.

380, 400, 420.

At £420, we're all done.

£420 that's bid, 420. Thank you.

£420!

You're allowed to applaud when you're pleased, you know!

-And I take it you are delighted with that, aren't you?

-I'd say so.

No-one saw that coming. £420 for the collection of six pieces of Lladro.

That's an amazing amount.

We've certainly had a few surprises at today's auction.

Shaun, Dorita and Alexandra,

we know you're going to have a great party in Florida,

because at the halfway point we made £1,000, which is what you wanted to raise in the first place.

We've got a bit extra to add to it.

I think this is going to be the barbie to beat all barbies for your 70th,

because in the second half of the auction, you added quite a bit of money to it.

You're going to be able to take away with you, towards your party...

£1,690.

ALL: Oh! I can't believe this!

-That's amazing.

-Oh, my word. And this isn't acting.

This is wonderful. Oh, my word.

Are you going to have a good party?

-It seems like it.

-Too right.

-I think you're going to light up the whole of Florida.

Can we say in advance, Dorita, happy 70th?

-Thank you very much, dear.

-Enjoy.

-I most certainly will.

Back home in Redhill, Surrey,

Shaun and Dorita can't resist having a look at the photos of their previous trips to Florida,

in anticipation of their return visit.

We're planning to put the money towards our flights, which we've now already booked.

In fact, we're leaving in six days to go to Florida.

All that's left now is to have their family get-together.

It seems the grandchildren have gone to town

to make sure that Dorita's 70th birthday is a special one

with plenty of presents.

There's even a cake.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

LAUGHTER

There's nothing better than the sound of laughter,

and Dorita is obviously loving every minute of her 70th birthday party.

I'm really enjoying having all my family around today

and I'm certainly looking forward to five weeks of partying on the beach.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd