Beddow Cash in the Attic

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

in your home and then helps you to sell them at auction.

Today we're in Fulham in West London and we're here at the Fulham Palace

which at one time was the main residence for the Bishop of London.

The Palace itself was built in the 11th century and was once enclosed

by the largest moat in England, but there's a dark side, too.

The medieval hall is supposedly where Protestant heretics

were persecuted and the ghosts of whom are said to haunt

the corridors to this day.

Well, it's still owned by the Church of England and the Palace's

stately rooms house a museum with a wealth of ancient artefacts.

With so much history in the area for today's show

I hope we're in for a treat.

Coming up on Cash In The Attic,

we really are in the presence of political greatness.

-So it was given as a wedding present by Lloyd George!

-Yes.

Well, how interesting!

John finds something that could make us a tidy little sum.

It's not a good investment is it, 10, 15 pence?

Not bad! I'll give you a small profit on that, Anne!

After waiting 40 years, think of the interest on it!

When auction day arrives an early sale gets us off to a flying start.

-They sailed away!

-They did!

-Oh, very good.

But will it all be plain sailing?

-Anybody else for £40? No?

-Oh, no!

-Oh, now that is disappointing.

-It is sad.

I'm just down the road now and we're off to meet a woman called

Anne Beddow who's called the Cash In The Attic team

because she wants to raise some money for a special treat

for her granddaughter.

Anne has lived in this cosy but elegant flat for the past 40 years.

She spent her working life as a buyer for a large department store

where she was in charge of ordering all the latest designer goods

from around Britain, so she's certainly got an eye for quality.

Now retired, Anne enjoys playing the piano, travelling and lunching with friends.

She's very close to her 17-year-old granddaughter, Olivia,

who lives just around the corner,

and it's for her that Anne has called the Cash In The Attic team.

I can't wait to find out more.

-Hi, John, nice to see you.

-Hello, Chris.

Big smile because we're in west London?

Some of my favourite antique shops and galleries are around here

and what better to be doing on a day like this

-than browsing antique shops, eh?

-I've got better news for you

-because Anne's a real collector. Mouth fully watered?

-Yes.

Do you mean we've got to go out of the sunshine?

Sadly, but we're going to get rummaging. Come on.

-Hello, Anne. How are you?

-Hello, Chris! I'm well.

-Nice to see you.

-Nice to see you.

What an amazing place. It's a collector's paradise.

It is a bit, yes, and rather too much at the moment.

Rather too much. So, obviously, you do a lot of polishing?

Unfortunately, yes.

Is that why you've called the Cash In The Attic team?

Yes. I was polishing at the time when I was watching the programme

and I thought, ah, a way to get rid of things,

-so I called the programme.

-Now, have you got a good cause?

Yes, my beloved granddaughter, who will be 18 in November,

so I want to take her out on a girls' day out and have fun

and have a wonderful lunch at somewhere divine and gorgeous.

So, she deserves a good day out. How much money do you need?

Well, I'd like to raise 1,000.

My goodness, that's a super lunch!

Ah, yes, but she is a very expensive girl to keep.

-Just like her grandmother, right?

-Just like her grandmother.

-OK, well...

-I brought her up well!

-We've got a lot of work to be done, then.

-Right.

-Are you prepared to get your hands dirty?

-Absolutely.

-I already have.

-You already have!

-Come on, then, let's start rummaging around.

-Fine.

-Follow me.

Anne's flat is a real Aladdin's Cave of antiques and collectables,

most of which she inherited from various family members over the years.

There are reminders of a long career which brought her into contact with the cream of British designers.

More of that later. For now, though,

it looks like we'll have no trouble finding a real variety of items to take to auction.

Now one person who knows all about the finer things

in life is our antiques and collectables expert John Cameron,

and as our rummage gets underway, I think he might have already spotted a rather dramatic work of art.

There he is, the man himself! John, nice to see you. What have we got?

Well, we've got an interesting picture.

I'm hoping Anne can shed some light on it for us.

Well, only that it was given to me about 30 or so years ago

by a current boyfriend of the time, and he used to buy from Raymond Klee for the American market.

And the boyfriend was short and plump,

and when he commissioned this one,

he got the artist to paint himself in, but as tall and slim,

hoping I'd stay in love with him and the picture for the rest of my life,

-but I'm afraid it didn't happen.

-Is this a painting you admire?

-I hate it.

-Do you really?!

-Yes, I call it expensive wallpaper.

-I always disliked it.

-Do you know anything about the artist?

I know nothing about the artist. I wouldn't even believe his name is Raymond Klee.

-Well, it is Raymond Klee, not to be confused with Paul Klee.

-Yeah.

He favours the very expansive, often barren landscape, very surreal,

and this very dramatic use of colour which we can see here in this sky.

Any figures or details such as the yacht here and the tender, again,

typically painted in silhouette.

-Good heavens.

-And he's a very, very prolific artist and could turn these out by the dozen, literally.

-Oh, I'm sure.

-But often artists get trapped by the success or the demand for their work,

and it's often they have to pay the bills, and so if that's what's selling, that's what they turn out.

I can see what you mean, the sky does look very apocalyptic, doesn't it?

And I don't think you'd want to set off sailing if the sky looked like that!

Well, John, she doesn't like the scene, ex-boyfriend's in there, it's definitely going to go!

-How much can we get for it?

-His prices range from about £50 up to about £250, £300.

I'm going to say £80 to £120.

I'm very surprised. I should have said 10 to 20 and throw in a free ice cream at the same time!

-Well, it's not a bad start, is it, towards our huge total...

-No, that's great.

-Of £1,000?

But it's only a start, so it's back to a bit more rummaging. Come on.

Right.

The painting I've always hated, so, yes, that can go, and I'm very pleased with the valuation.

So, a good start, but if we're going to work our way through the sheer number of items here,

we'll have to get a move on.

Sure enough, it's not long before I unearth this attractive brooch.

It's a modern piece made by the famous Tiffany company and John values it at £40 to £50.

These colourful prints are another reminder

of Anne's very successful career in the world of design, but she's keen to hold on to these for now.

I've got my eye on this charming chair, whilst Anne's search has taken her to the kitchen.

John, would you like to come and have a look at this?

-What have you rummaged there, Anne?

-Well, it's been around a long time.

-Well, haven't we all?

-Some of us longer than others!

Well, that's nice to see. Turning it upside down to look at the mark,

and we can see one of the better names in English pottery and porcelain, Royal Doulton.

So, what's the story behind this? Where did it come from?

Well, it was a wedding present which was given to my grandparents by Lloyd George,

so it's been around a long time.

-Given as a wedding present by Lloyd George?

-Yes.

-Well, how interesting!

Whenever I go into houses to do valuations, we come across a lot of tea sets

that were given as wedding presents, they were treasured.

As a consequence they survive in great numbers, but on the plus side,

well, you've got a couple of good things here.

We've got Royal Doulton who's a good maker, and it looks like you've got quite a comprehensive set.

I think there are 40 altogether.

Well, that's pretty good. Also, the design. It's underglazed blue and white,

a combination that's been popular for centuries and centuries,

ever since the first pieces of Chinese blue and white porcelain hit European shores

it's always endured popularity.

In this instance it's been transfer printed on, not hand-painted.

The piece has then been fired and then glazed,

so that blue decoration is fixed under the glaze.

So that's why it lasts so well?

-Indeed.

-Ah!

Value wise, well, I would put this at about £60 to £100 today, something like that.

I'd hope to get up towards £100, but that's where I'd pitch my lower estimate.

-I would hope for more of a 100 than the 60.

-Well, let's hope so, anyway.

An interesting item, and I don't want to act

like the cat that got the cream just yet, so let's see what else we can find.

How amazing! Not everyone can say they've received a present from a Prime Minister.

Our hunt for antiques and collectables is really gathering pace now,

and John's rummaging leads him to this brass jardiniere given to Anne by her grandmother over 40 years ago.

They're generally used to put plants in,

with some examples being intricately decorated, and our John

thinks this one could fetch, what? £30 to £50?

Jardiniere, by the way, is the French word for gardener.

Not a lot of people know that! Well, I've managed to turn up this Wedgwood-style blue teapot.

Meanwhile, another collectable catches John's eye.

Hello, chaps. I think I've found another interesting couple of items to send to auction.

Some very small boats.

Gondolas, my dear boy, gondolas! You can tell that he's from below the salt, can't you?

-Do you know where that saying comes from?

-No.

Back in medieval times salt was so expensive,

if you were lucky enough to eat at Court and you sat above the salt trencher,

it meant you were of high social standing.

So, if you sat below, away from the salt, you were, you know, down there, mate.

That would have definitely been me!

So, a couple of interesting salt cellars formed as gondolas. Where did you get them from, Anne?

Well, they're from my grandmother and I actually have four of them,

there are two little ones I don't mind cleaning, it takes two minutes.

-They take considerably longer, so I'm happy to see them sail away.

-So, can we send these to auction?

-Absolutely.

-Do you know what? They're actually late Victorian.

-Really?

They're over 100 years old. If you have a look at the date letter here,

on the side, on the hallmark, 1898, assayed in London,

so these are Victorian, late Victorian, gondola salt cellars,

and they still retain a lot of the gilding on the inside.

-Yes.

-They would have originally had little blue glass liners which...

In there to protect this gilding from, you know, the very corrosive properties of salt.

The other interesting thing I wonder is, as gondolas, would they have had the gondolas' oar or paddle,

I'm not quite sure of the correct term, to come with them as salt spoons?

Oh, that's a tragedy because they would have been beautiful with those. No, I've never known them.

-I still think these will have some collectable appeal at the auction.

-Is it because of the unusual shape?

-They are an unusual form, and it's nice to have a pair in such good condition.

-Oh, good.

-You've done well.

-Value wise?

I've done well with those. They would have been worth polishing all these years!

-Exactly. But, come on.

-Well, I'm going to say £50 to £80 for those.

Well, I'd like closer to 80 than to 50, obviously.

I hope you're right and I'm wrong, but 50 as a lower estimate should also get the bidding started

with a bit of a flurry, so that's what I'm going to say.

-I'll take your word for it.

-Just take everything he says with a pinch of salt.

See what I they did there! Let's get going, come on.

I love the gondola salts, but I can't stand the cleaning any more,

so, again, I'm happy to see them go

and I think he gave a very fair valuation on those.

I don't know about you, Anne, I need this break. It's so warm today, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Rummaging around. Would you say you were an antiques expert?

I wouldn't say more than the average person who likes nice things.

So, if you like nice things, of course you read about them and see them. I mean, the V&A,

when I really started to get interested,

is the most amazing place to go to learn about furniture, so I went there a lot.

Well, looking around you obviously have an eye for detail,

an eye for design, what works in a room.

-Tell me about your career.

-My job was to go all over this country

and to find the best. Not in fashion, I was not interested in fashion, but for the home.

So the most wonderful glassmakers, the most wonderful potters.

I would then go to America or the buyers would come over here

and by the time they did I could say to them, right, I've seen 300 glassmakers, for example.

These are the three best that I've found and, of course, they'd put them into the stores.

Did you have any strange requests?

One year I was asked to research his and hers mummies, and that was the time I...

-Egyptian mummies?

-Egyptian mummies.

So I had to go to the British Museum, find out about them, find out if, indeed,

if and where and how one could buy them - and indeed one could -

so when you get that kind of job in, you think, my God, yes, I'm paid for this?

So, what do you do now?

I work in an estate agent on a Saturday morning.

-I'm just the Saturday girl.

-The Saturday girl.

-Yes.

But the only reason that they asked me

was because they knew that I'd get up on a Saturday morning and go into work.

Because I said, you want somebody young and pretty, you know, and fun,

and the guy that engaged me said, no, we want an old bat like you

that doesn't go out on the tank on a Friday night

and so doesn't turn up for work on the Saturday.

-I bet he doesn't know you're out on Friday nights as well!

-How did you guess?

-I know you... I'm getting to know you.

-Yes.

I'm getting to know that poor old John out there is getting restless. He's working on his own.

-Shall we go and help them?

-Oh, yes, poor man. I'd forgot about him!

Everybody does.

I could sit chatting to this elegant lady all day,

but there's still work to be done if we're to reach our £1,000 target

for Anne's very special day out with granddaughter Olivia.

Now Anne's flat is crammed with collectables hidden just about everywhere.

John's nose for an item even leads him under the bed.

And I'm drawn to an impressive collection of books.

Book collecting, of course, is extremely popular, and whilst generally inexpensive,

prices depend on demand for a particular title,

the number of copies available and, importantly, their condition.

Amongst this lot are early works by the writers Daphne du Maurier and Len Deighton,

and let's hope John's estimate of £30 to £40 gets them interested in the salesroom.

Our sparkling hostess meanwhile might just have a very special item for us.

John, would you like to see this?

Well, they say diamonds are a girl's best friend, Anne, and for a minute I thought, is it a leap year?

Are you proposing to me?

-Is it something you want to sell?

-Yes, why not?

OK, well, let's have a look at it with regards to potential value.

Now, we can see it's a solitaire diamond.

It's claw set in platinum.

-I would probably date this to about the 19...late '30s, '40s. Would that tie in, do you think?

-Yes.

When we value diamonds we value them based on the four Cs, that's the Cut,

the Colour, the Clarity and the Carat, or the weight.

If we consider that we've about half at carat there set in platinum.

It's round cut, a popular cut.

Clarity, pretty good, as is the colour.

All those things considered, I'd be looking for it to make about £300 to £400 at auction.

Really? That would be very nice.

-Would you be happy with that?

-I'd be happy with that

and get rid of a memory that I would be quite pleased to get rid of.

-Well, they do say diamonds are forever, but not in this case!

-Not in this case.

That's a good contribution towards our target, but not quite there yet.

-Shall we see what Hollins is up to?

-Let's go.

Well, once again, Anne's shown that she's not going to be too sentimental about her items,

which is great news for us and we hope good news for granddaughter Olivia.

We're over halfway through the rummage and I think we're in

pretty good shape. Time for a break, perhaps?

Well, not that I need an excuse to be whisked off to one of Anne's favourite haunts.

Now, Anne, this has got to be the best part of the day for me,

getting out of the house, having a glass of water.

Is this a regular part of your routine, this place?

Yes. This place is very, very good.

I'm the only person probably in London, maybe in England, that had a specially built kitchen

without an oven, which was not exactly by design, it was by accident,

discovered too late after the kitchen had been finished,

and I thought, oh, goody, I need never cook again, so I don't.

-So this really is my canteen.

-You obviously like going out to eat

and we're raising money today so you can take Olivia, your granddaughter,

out for something to eat. Tell me more about her, what's she like?

She says she takes after me because she's bubbly,

she's a huge socialite, she loves going out. She loves eating out.

Like me, she loves a good restaurant

as much for the ambience as for the food.

You're more like friends than grandparent and granddaughter.

You go travelling together. Where have you been?

We've been to Madeira, my favourite place, and she loved it,

and we've just come back from the South of France, where they have a house down there,

and we had a lovely time together.

We lunch together, we giggle together.

Yes, it's... I think one should skip motherhood in order to really enjoy being a grandmother.

Now, we can't stretch and obviously raise money today to send you both off to Madeira.

-Right.

-We can just stretch to dinner and a bit of retail therapy

for both of you, so what are you going to be doing exactly?

Well, we are going to have a really delicious lunch

at one of our favourite restaurants in the West End

and then, yes, retail therapy.

Well, it sounds like a recipe for success to me.

-Here's to your dinner and good luck for the rest of the rummage.

-Thank you so much.

I feel guilty because while we've been watching the world go by

John's really been on the case and he's turned up

this pair of 19th-century silver-coloured crystal vases.

Now, they were a wedding present to Anne's great-aunt when she got married in the 1870s.

We think a collector would be happy to pay

£60 to £80 for this attractive lot.

John, what do you think?

Let's have a look.

Lady's compact, good ship's portrait, the RMS Queen Elizabeth on there.

-Yes.

-Do we have a maker inside, if we can get it open?

-Oh, yes, Stratton.

-Stratton.

Just the name you want to see on there. Where did it come from, Anne?

I don't know. I found it among my mother's possessions after she died, but I never saw her use it,

but I do know that she went on the Queen Elizabeth back in the '30s,

so I imagine she bought it as a souvenir and never used it.

Let's look on the inside and pop this little hinged cover open there

and that's where the powder's kept. You can see the gauze is still there

with a bit of perishing here to the sponge.

Now, they don't come much more recognisable than the RMS Queen Elizabeth,

one of the Cunard or White Star Line passenger liners, as she was.

This is a nice piece and for two reasons.

One, you've got one of the better makers' names on there, Stratton,

very commercially collectable in the world of compact collecting.

And, two, you've got that association to the Queen Elizabeth,

so we've got a crossover appeal with compact collectors and collectors of ocean liner memorabilia.

So, I'm not saying huge sums, but, nevertheless, I'd still expect it to make £20 or £30 at auction,

maybe a bit more with that double appeal.

That's fine. Yes, that's absolutely fine.

-It's not quite enough yet towards our target, so shall we see what else we can get?

-Let's go.

We're on the final stretch of our rummage now and we'll need to

pull out all the stops if we're to reach that £1,000 target.

Anne's come up with the goods again with this pair of hoop earrings.

They're nine carat gold and although Anne only bought them five years ago

she's still happy to let them go to auction.

With a valuation of £40 to £60,

I think they'll prove a good prospect on the day.

And Anne's really on a roll now because this early Victorian sampler

is about to join the items bound for auction.

Anne inherited this example, dated 1846, from her grandmother

who was a keen collector,

and John values it at a very reasonable £40 to £60.

And just when we needed a star find, here's John again.

He's made an exciting discovery.

-Anne, Chris.

-Oh!

-Yes.

-Now, this chair is very interesting

and I'm hoping it might be something we can consider

for auction, but first, Anne, do you know anything about this chair and where did it come from?

When I bought it I knew nothing about it.

I can't remember if it was 10 pence or 15 pence.

Then, because I was so intrigued by it, years later I did some research and found out

that it was Ernest Gimson, and that was confirmed to me

by one of the big London auction houses that I went to.

It's interesting you should say that another auction house confirmed it

as being Ernest Gimson because that was my first impression when I looked at it.

Cotswold School, Barnsley, Gimson, somebody like that.

The little things that suggest to me it's Gimson are things like

this little raised peg here.

There's been no attempt to cut that off and sand it down.

That's exposed deliberately.

John, you're normally quite smiley, but you're getting quite serious. This is quite exciting, isn't it?

Well, you know my first job was a joiner, so I am a big fan of joinery

and English furniture, so, yes, I'm quite excited about this piece.

Now, estimate wise, well, I'd be looking 300 to 500, 400 to 600, something like that.

-How does that sound?

-£400 to £600 sounds better.

-You like that sound?

-Yes, I like that.

Well, we'll go with the £400 to £600, then.

And how much did you buy it for again?

I can't remember if it was 10 pence or 15 pence.

That's not a good investment is it, 10 to 15 pence?

That's not bad! I'll give you a small profit on that, Anne!

Well, I've waited 40 years!

Well, let's say £400 to £600, then, but I think I would urge the auction house to catalogue it

as "after Ernest Gimson" because many pieces were unmarked,

but they were made to his designs by his craftsman, so you can't be 100% certain it was made in his workshop.

What a way to finish! I'm quite excited about that.

It's a shame it's all come to an end as far as rummaging is concerned.

Now, we know we wanted to raise £1,000 for a special day out for you and your granddaughter.

-Yes.

-Well, after all our rummaging we reckon, conservatively,

and John likes to use that word "conservatively",

we reckon we could raise £1,150. How do you feel about that?

-I'd look forward to that and to spending it!

-Yes.

You're off for a slap-up meal, we'd better settle for the bacon sandwich, John.

-Get to the auction rooms, hey?

-Well, I'm sorry...

-I mean, about the bacon sandwich!

-Bacon sandwich!

Well, bacon sandwich it may be, but what a way to finish our day off with Anne!

We've certainly found some absolute treasures.

It hasn't been too difficult when there's been so much to choose from.

That striking painting by the prolific artist

Raymond Klee was commissioned by an old boyfriend of Anne's.

At £80 to £120, I wonder if it will catch the eye

of a romantically minded bidder on the day?

There's no place for sentiment

when there's a slap-up meal to pay for.

We hope Anne's diamond ring will sparkle in the sales room

with an upper estimate of £400.

And at a whopping £400 to £600, that lovely Gimson rocking chair.

That really got John's pulses racing.

Fingers crossed it does the same for someone in the saleroom.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic.

It's a rocky ride at auction with plenty of highs.

-Wow!

-John!

-We're really sailing now!

But Anne has her fair share of lows.

Anybody else for £40? No?

-Oh, no. Oh, now that is disappointing.

-It is sad.

But will she hit that £1,000 target?

It's been a couple of weeks since we visited Anne Beddow in her house in London

and, my goodness, did we find some wonderful collectables and antiques

and we've brought them to the Chiswick Auction Rooms in West London.

Now, Anne wants to raise £1,000 to treat her granddaughter Olivia

to a special day out because she's been taking exams.

I hope she's passed with flying colours.

All we need now are some eager bidders as those items go under the hammer.

Auction day in Chiswick and you can feel the buzz of people wanting to bag a bargain.

There's always something for everyone and no prizes for

which item John wishes he could take home today.

John, you either look as if you're going to fall asleep or tell me a story.

Once upon a time there was an auctioneer...

You can tell me a great tale about this chair. You love it, don't you?

I do, and the auctioneers have supported my attribution

and they've called it a Gimson chair, so that's promising.

-We did find great stuff at Anne's house.

-She had a few good bits.

She had her diamond ring and that pair of silver salts modelled as gondolas.

That's right. We had high hopes for almost everything.

Let's hope, with that story you've been telling me, we have a happy ending. Let's go and find her.

Well, I'm sure today's story will be a thriller, and our leading lady is waiting patiently to play her part.

Hello, Anne.

-How lovely to see you.

-Lovely to see you.

We've noticed you're on your own. Where's the granddaughter?

Ah, well, where would you rather be?

Would you rather be in an auction room or would you rather be at a music festival?

I'm not going to answer that, John. So, let me do this get this right, she doesn't do the rummaging,

-she doesn't do the auction, but she get's a great day out.

-Mm-hm.

-I'm in the wrong business, John.

-Sounds like a smart girl.

Anne, have you ever been to an auction before?

-Yes, I have.

-Are you excited today?

Yes, because it's the first time I've put something into auction.

-So the first time as a vender.

-First time as a vender.

Any items you'll be sad to see go today?

Maybe the rocking chair.

I do love that.

Well, we need to raise some cash and I think the auction is about to get underway, so let's get going.

-Let's go.

-Come on.

Now, if you want to raise some extra cash, like Anne by going to auction,

please remember that commission and other charges may apply,

so always check the details with your auction house.

As today's auctioneer gets underway...

we're just about ready for our first lot.

It's the silver gondola salts which John thinks are worth £50 to £80.

Now, John, I really like these, the gondolas that held the salt.

Very nice. Nice condition, a nice form to them.

-£50 to £80, what do you think?

-I would hope for a little more.

-So would I.

-Good.

We'll keep our fingers crossed.

£50 I'm bid. Next to me at 50. And five.

Do you want 60? 60.

Five. 70.

Five. 80. £80. Nearer to me at 80.

-£80.

-Come on, more.

-Our top end.

-£90 now?

-£90 here then. At 90.

-95 against.

-New bidder.

100. 110. 120.

-Wow!

-John!

-We're really sailing now!

160. 160 next to me. At 160.

Anybody else? 160 it is. 160.

-Oh, my gosh!

-Well, they didn't leave us up the creek without a paddle, did they?

-No they didn't, they sailed away.

-Fantastic!

Whoo! What an amazing start to the day!

I hadn't really expected to make £100 and yet they made £160, so that was a lovely surprise.

Well, that lot seems to have got the bidders hot under the collar.

Let's hope their temperatures keep rising.

Next up is the modern Tiffany brooch that John valued at £40 to £50.

It's very rare, a women willing to give away jewellery,

but you want to get rid of this Tiffany brooch.

-I've never worn it. I don't think I like particularly the man that gave it to me.

-Right!

So, another story behind this, John.

Purely neutrally, how do you feel about this piece?

It's quite stylish and has the Tiffany name on it,

-so hopefully it will make our lower £40 estimate.

-Well, I would hope so.

-You tell him, Anne. Let's see how it goes.

-What's it worth?

Start me at £20 surely for it?

20 I'm bid. 22. 24. 26.

£26 is all I'm bid. 28.

30. 32. 34. 36. 38.

-40 in the room.

-Right.

We're at £40, we're at the lower estimate there.

45 I'll take, or 42 if it helps. £40 then.

-A bit more now.

-At £40 for the brooch. At £40. Anybody else? £40 then it sells.

-On our lower estimate.

-That's all right.

-It's gone.

-You OK?

-Yes.

Well, Anne seems pleased with that.

The brooch sells bang on our lower estimate and that keeps the cash coming in.

Some more jewellery is next to go under the hammer.

Next up are our pair of nine carat gold hoop earrings,

which weigh about four grams, so not a terribly heavy pair.

-I put £40 to £60 on those.

-Right.

At that price we've got to have a private buyer who wants them, so let's see how we do.

There's a few ladies in the room.

Thank you. Are they worth £30?

They must be. 30 I'm bid. 32. 34. £34 for the gold.

At £34. I can't believe it. 34.

At £34. This gold at 34.

£36 now. 36 is all I'm bid.

At £36 for the gold. For £36. At 36.

I'm going to sell for £36. 36, then.

Well, £36, they won't be getting melted down at that price, so are you OK with that?

Yes, fine, as long as somebody wears them.

Well, I'm sure they will, Anne.

£4 under John's lower estimate isn't too bad and keeps us ticking over.

Here's hoping it's all plain sailing with our next lot,

that's the Queen Elizabeth powder compact by Stratton.

Here it comes. £20 to £30 we're looking. We've got £10.

-12 I'll take from somebody else. It's a £10 note.

-It's got to be worth more than that.

-At £10 it goes.

-I don't believe that.

-£10.

-We've sold it for £10, Anne.

-Oh, no!

-Oh, now that is disappointing.

-It is sad.

It certainly is. Sold, but £10 under John's lower estimate.

Things are certainly slowing down and the early flourish of sales has dried up.

Perhaps the selection of books will get Anne closer

to that day out with her granddaughter.

We've got four books in total.

The Daphne du Maurier first edition, three others, one signed.

Yes, that's signed by Vera Brittain.

OK, we want £30 to £40. £10 a book.

Where shall we start this? £20 to start me for the books?

For the four books at £20, surely. Nobody want the lot for 20?

I can't sell it for less than £20. No? No bids. No.

-Well, that's a surprise.

-It is a bit of a surprise.

-Yes.

-No bibliophiles here today, so they go home with you.

That's fine, I'll stick them under my arm

and I'll put them in a specialised book sale later in the year.

That's a real shame. We're halfway through the auction

and things aren't looking in great shape now. Time for a team talk.

Well, we started off well.

-We did.

-It tailed a little bit.

-We've had a mixed bag of results, haven't we?

-Yes, but we've got good lots coming up.

We've got the diamond ring and, not least of all, your Gimson rocking chair, so a lot riding on that.

-Oh, very good.

-So, hopefully, we'll make it up.

-Yes, we will.

-Right, a cup of tea.

-I have every faith.

-Halftime break, come on.

Come on, let's come back later.

Well, it's certainly busy here today and as Anne heads off to enjoy that well earned cuppa

there's another item in the auction that John is interested in

and he's taking a sly look at it.

Ah, there you are! What have you got here?

Mr Hollins, I'm looking at a little Royal Doulton figure of a fox, but it's no ordinary figure.

Have a look on the bottom there, you can see a little special mark, Flambe.

-Right.

-Now that refers to a range of glazes that Doulton reintroduced in the late 19th century.

The process, which involves using copper when they're firing the glaze, which is very difficult to control,

it dates back, that process, to the Sung Dynasty in China, over 1,000 years old.

But Doulton made a successful revival of that in the late 19th century

and produced a whole range of animals and vases and so on.

This is slightly plain, if I'm being a little bit critical.

You do see some nice deep purpley flecks in it from time to time, but the reason I'm looking at it

is, well, only about five years ago I sold a Doulton Flambe model of a turtle for £800.

They're quite scarce items.

They have dropped in demand in recent years and the estimate on this is £50 to £80, which I think is quite cheap.

There's a profit in the making there!

If somebody was to start looking for collecting for an investment

they're great things to collect, you can have great fun searching them down in auction houses

and, at £50 to £80 the price can really only go up,

so I'd say this is something to look out for.

Now, I've got to say, it's an unusual colour, a colour that I don't particularly like.

It'd stand out in any modern house, wouldn't it?

I think if you had a collection, providing they're set against the right colour scheme,

-they could be quite aesthetic, Chris.

-Good investment?

-Good investment. Not impressing you, though.

The £800 would!

Come on.

Well, I think we'll agree to disagree on that one, John.

With the second part of the auction about to start, we're still a long way off hitting that £1,000 target.

We really need the bidders to get behind our items now, and I wonder what they'll make of our next lot.

-Now then, it's the Raymond Klee oil painting...

-Oh, yes.

With the fantastic story behind it.

-Yes.

-What do you reckon, John?

Well, I said £80 to £120. Anne, you said something slightly lower.

-What did you say?

-I would say that it would be lucky to get to 10.

I hope I'm right and you're wrong

for your sake, but hopefully we'll have a few Klee buyers in the room.

£40 for the picture, please?

£40 for it. 40 I'm bid. 45. 50.

-55. £55 is all I'm bid. At £55.

-£55.

Not quite enough. £55. 60 I need.

£55, then. At 55 then. At 55.

-No.

-Ouch!

Another unsold item and we really need some luck to come our way.

Perhaps it'll be in the form of our next item, that's the brass jardiniere valued at £30 to £50.

The 19th century brass jardiniere. Did you like this?

I did. Very nice. Good mythological beasts as a support, but one of them

a bit wonky, so that was my only concern with this piece.

-A wonky leg, Anne?

-A slightly wonky leg, but we try not to look at that.

Hopefully we'll make our £30 to £40.

-I hope so.

-I'm bid 20 there.

22. 24. 26. 28. 30.

-Yes! £30.

-32. 34.

36. 38. 40.

-45. 50.

-£50 now.

£55 in the middle of the room. At 55.

The wonky leg didn't deter anyone.

-Good.

-£60.

70. 75.

80. 85.

-£85.

-Wow!

Standing at 85. Anybody else? £85.

At 85. It goes then at 85. 85.

Hey? What do you think of £85?

I think that's very nice. It keeps me happy.

Yeah, it kept me happy there, John.

Well, as I say, the wonky leg didn't deter anybody.

£85, very happy with that!

That's better. In fact, brilliant news just when we needed a result.

£85 is £35 above John's highest estimate.

I hadn't expected a great deal of money for that and to get £85 was a really nice surprise.

We're starting to pick up again.

Here's hoping there's interest in this 40-piece Royal Doulton tea set

that was a gift from the Prime Minister David Lloyd George.

John values it at £60 to £100, but I'm not too sure about this one.

Whenever I say Royal Doulton I'm always a bit worried. It's not very fashionable, John.

Well, it's the tea sets that aren't terribly fashionable, but Doulton's a good name, blue and white transfer,

-universally respected and loved and if I remember rightly it's in very good condition, Anne.

-Yes, it is.

We've got hopes, we've got hope.

£40 on the lot. That's not quite enough.

45 I'll take. For £40.

-This lot at £40. And five somebody for the Doulton.

-Come on!

At £40. Anybody else? For £40.

-I don't want to take it home.

-At £40 then.

£40 is the bid.

The auctioneer had a bid of 40. He didn't feel that that was enough, but you don't want to take it home.

No, I'm quite happy to let that go.

Well, then we'll tell the auctioneer we'll accept the bid and that's another £40 towards our target.

-Oh, that's good.

-I'm writing it down now.

Nice one, John! Another £40 for tea set keeps us moving towards that £1,000 target.

People seem to be warming to our items now and I've got

really high hopes for this little sparkler valued at £300 to £400.

-Is this going to work out a good one for you next?

-I hope so.

This is a beautiful piece and we've got a reserve on this.

-We have a reserve of 250.

-We should get that, shouldn't we?

-We should.

Just under a carat, platinum mount, 250 reserve, 300 to 400 estimate,

we should get them sold at that.

Start me at 150 then. To start me. 150 I'm bid.

160. 170. 180. 190.

200. And 10.

220. 230. 240.

250. There at £250. Anybody else?

At 250 for the ring. At £250 then.

It can be sold for 250.

At £250. All done on 250.

-Well, it hit your reserve, so perhaps good job you put that on there.

-Yes.

I was hoping we'd at least reach my bottom estimate.

So was I, yes.

Well, it's still £250 towards the day out.

Absolutely. Yes, that could pay for a little caviar, couldn't it?

Yes, and then some, Anne! £250 means we're striding towards that £1,000 target, but we're not there yet.

We need £379 from our last two items. What's next, John?

OK, next up are a little Edwardian pair of cut glass spill vases.

Little silver mounts on them. Quite elegant things.

-Cut glass not terribly fashionable these days, but we want £60 to £80 for them.

-Yes, I hope so.

I'm very fond of them. I'm sorry to see them then go.

-OK. Let's see how they do.

-There we go. What are they worth then?

Start me for £30 for the vases with the silver collars. At 30.

Surely 30 to start me. I'm bid £30.

35. £35 now is all I'm bid.

At £35. Still not quite enough.

For £35. 40 I need. £35. At 35.

No? £35, then. Not sold, sorry.

You didn't have any bidders there.

We didn't even get past £35, so you'll be taking those home.

I'll be happy to take those home.

-You will?

-Yeah, you don't sound that disappointed, do you?

-No, I'm not.

Well, Anne may be happy to take them home, but we still need that £379 to hit our target.

Time for our last item and it's the one that John's been waiting for.

OK, the final item - your favourite, the rocking chair.

It is the Gimson rocking chair.

You've got a reserve on this.

-I've got a reserve of 350.

-350.

I saw somebody having more than a cursory glance at it earlier.

Hopefully we've got somebody in the room and one of the auction staff there is dialling the telephone,

so hopefully that's someone bidding on the phone for our chair.

Interest in the lot.

-I'm already bid £280 for it. At 280. 290. 300.

-290 straight away.

At £300 for that rocking chair.

We've got a telephone bidder. He's on the phone.

330. 340.

350. On the telephone at £350 for the rocking chair. At 350.

Anybody else? At 350.

At 350 I can sell it. £350.

It goes then for 350 is the bid.

-350.

-£350, on your reserve, not quite at my lower estimate, but what did you pay for it again?

I can't remember if it was 15 pence or 25 pence.

I know I offered you a small profit on that in the house, didn't I? I bet you're glad you never took it!

I am. You knew what you were doing!

Well, John's favourite item sells for £50 under his lowest estimate at £350.

It's still a good sale for us to finish on,

but has it got us to our £1,000 target?

Time to tot up our total.

Well, that is just about it for today. How are you feeling?

Exhausted, waiting for the money to go up!

Waiting for the money coming in. Now, you wanted to raise £1,000 to look after your granddaughter

after her exams, take her out for a slap up meal, do a bit of shopping.

Well, the grand total of everything you sold today is £971.

How do you feel about that?

Well, just slightly less caviar than I had planned.

Only two bottles of champagne, not the three this time.

Quite. And only 50 grams of the caviar instead of 150.

We're economising.

Well, it's a few weeks later and, no, this isn't Anne's granddaughter Olivia. It's her good friend June.

Olivia didn't make the rummage, she didn't make the auction and now she's too busy to be spoilt

by her gran today, but with the cash burning a hole in her pocket, Anne can't help having a warm up session.

It's not long before Anne's eyed up a couple of potential purchases.

More you're size than mine, darling, but it's a lovely colour, but...

Ooh! Well, after a busy start to the day, it's time to relax a little with an invigorating massage.

How does that feel?

Oh, died and gone to heaven.

But a lady's work is never done.

And what better way to round off a hard day like this than with some ice chilled bubbly.

-Cheers.

-How are your feet? Because mine are worn out.

And so is my pocket, but it was worth it.

Well, here's hoping there's a few pounds left over so Anne can really

treat her granddaughter Olivia very soon.

Now, if you want to be on the programme then why don't you apply

to be on the show by going online...

Good luck and we'll see you next time on Cash In The Attic.

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