Payne Cash in the Attic

Hello. Welcome to Cash In The Attic,

the show that finds hidden treasures in your home, then helps to sell them at auction.

Today, we are in Bottesford in Leicestershire

and I've come to see this beautiful Church of St Mary's,

which has been at the centre of life here for 800 years.

The Church of St Mary the Virgin lies within the Vale of Belvoir.

Its elegant spire is visible for miles around.

It's such a landmark, in fact,

that it's earned itself the nickname The Lady Of The Vale.

The church dates back to the 13th Century and it houses

a remarkable collection of tombs of the past Lords of Belvoir.

It's time, now, to move on to our next location.

I'm not sure we're going to find anything quite as old or unique as the Belvoir Angel here.

Can you make out the face and the wings here?

This dates back to 1719.

Nevertheless, we are going to try,

as we look for hidden treasures to take to auction.

Coming up on today's Cash in the Attic...

Our expert, Paul, draws closer to achieving his greatest ambition...

You know, I've always wanted to find a long-lost John Constable.

I've still got to wait a bit longer.

..I'm reminded why it's Paul who does the valuations...

-Guess how much.

-50p.

-£1,400,000.

-SHE GASPS

..and we experience some early success in the saleroom.

-Brilliant.

-Shall we go home?

But will our luck hold out?

Find out when the final hammer falls.

314, 95.

Now, we've left Bottesford

and we've come to the next-door village of Eastthorpe.

We're going to meet a couple who called the Cash In The Attic team

because they want to make

their vision of the future a reality.

Margaret and Roger Payne are what I would consider doers.

Never afraid to get their hands dirty, they love a challenge.

Their biggest to date was buying a farm without electricity, gas or even water -

and they had no previous experience of farming.

Having sold the farm, they now like to concentrate on their many hobbies.

But today, they're about to add another to the list -

rummaging for antiques.

-Hello, mate. Nice to see you.

-Hello, Chris. Are you well?

I'm very well. Just having a look around this place - it's steeped in history.

-It's amazing.

-Did you know it's called the Vale of "Beaver"?

-No, but it's actually spelt Belvoir, which is French for "good view".

-Ah! That's rather interesting,

because it's exactly what one of the people inside the house wants in the future.

-Are you confused?

-Very confused.

-You won't be when we go and meet them.

-Come on.

-Come on, then.

Ah. There you are, gang!

I've been looking for you in the house. Out in the garden!

-Hi.

-You must be Margaret. That makes you Roger.

-It does, yes.

-Excellent. So who called the Cash In The Attic team?

-I did.

Oh, yes? Why did you call us?

We moved house and downsized

and there's just lots of clutter and I want to get rid.

You want to get rid.

Have we got a special cause we want to raise some money for?

I'd dearly like to have laser treatment,

cos I'm long-sighted, so I take my glasses off, put them down - lost.

So it's costing you a fortune in buying new glasses, is it?

-Yes. Certainly.

-Yes, I'm forever sitting on them.

OK. It sounds as if you need some desperate help rather quickly.

-We do, yes.

-How much money do you want to raise?

-About £600, Chris.

My goodness. £600 - that's quite a bit.

-Do you think we've got enough in your house?

-Fingers crossed.

-We're not sure.

There's a lot of bits and pieces.

-There's only one way of finding out. That's to go and help Paul. Come on.

-Great stuff.

Downsizing from a spacious farmhouse means there's bound to be

loads of items tucked away in Margaret and Roger's bungalow.

Everywhere looks neat and tidy but if there are antiques and collectibles to be sniffed out,

our expert, Paul Hayes, is just the man.

His nose has already led him to some impressive items in the garage.

-Hello, Paul.

-Now, then. Here we are.

-I hear lots of knocking and tapping.

Always good to tap the old chest of drawers.

These are great, but one's had a bit of damage. What's happened here?

It was in a friend's hallway and the central heating system went to pot,

and he was abroad, and there was water everywhere. It's water damage.

Is it worth anything?

These are good quality late 19th Century chests.

They're perfect for the bedroom. They're known in the trade as a two over three.

It's got two short drawers over three larger drawers.

The nice thing is that they're graduated. They start small and get bigger as you get to the bottom.

That takes a lot of doing to get that to fit properly.

They're expensive chests when they've been made, but they're made from a cheap wood.

This one is possibly an oak.

-This one's pine, then it's veneered in this mahogany finish.

-Oh!

-Then what happens...

-Disappointing, isn't it?

What happens is that the veneer starts to lift. Can you see that?

-Yes, I can.

-Of course, underneath here, you've got cheaper material.

It's very expensive to make in the solid.

But they are nice. These have bun handles. These are the drawer type.

If I said around the 100 mark...

80 to 120, to give them a chance - how does that sound?

Yeah. I'll be glad to be rid, to be honest.

-THEY CHUCKLE

-A tenner each!

-It doesn't seem a lot, though, £120.

-Well, it doesn't seem...

No, it doesn't seem a lot,

but when they're bunging everywhere up and of no use...

It's fair, and you want to get rid, so you don't care.

No. Roger might think different, but...

OK. We won't tell Roger.

We'll go and see what he's up to.

When Paul priced the two chests of drawers,

I was quite pleasantly surprised

because I thought they were in really bad condition and needed a lot of doing up.

I think that's a pretty good start to our day.

Let's hope it's a sign of things to come.

We split up and begin a thorough search of the Paynes' home for more auction treasure.

You need to be up early, though, to beat our Paul. Something else has just caught his eye.

Roger.

D'you know what? I've always wanted to find a long-lost John Constable.

-But I've still got to wait a bit longer yet. Where's this come from?

-From a small art shop in Nottingham.

-Do you know the artist, by any chance?

-No. All I was told at the art shop...

It was one of the better artists this lady used,

-but I can't remember the name, to be honest.

-This is a very pleasing farming scene.

Constable's very famous for this sort of scene. The Hay Wain is probably his most famous painting.

He was based around this sort of area. Lincolnshire and into Grantham - that sort of region.

This one is very modern and I can tell straight away by the palate - it's very bright.

The sky is very bright blue.

The original 18th Century painting would be quite dark

and almost like an oiled effect on the front of them.

But it is quite nicely done, actually. The detail is superb.

You've got somebody playing in the background in the field,

you've got the hay bales. It's beautifully done.

It's actually quite a competent artist.

The only snag I will say with it -

it's been made for that antique look.

What would be better

was if the artist had done a more modern picture, a more modern scene.

-Yes.

-That would have been of the period,

so if you're looking at a 1980s painting,

-it would be better to have a 1980s view rather than a 1780s view.

-I understand, yes.

Value-wise, I'd like to see that going to auction with an estimate

of 50 to £100. If two people really fancy it,

I think it will do quite well.

That would be fine. As I say, we bought it because we liked it.

Wasn't an investment or anything like that.

It's just surplus to requirements.

-Let's keep looking. Let's put it safe somewhere.

-OK, Paul.

Well, it may not have been a long-lost Constable

but it's still another £50 towards our £600 target.

Margaret may feels she's in need of laser eye surgery

but she has no trouble spotting this decorative solid silver basket.

Paul thinks it should fetch £35-45 at auction.

This is my favourite part of the day.

I don't have to do any work - I just catch up with you two.

Tell me, how long have you two been together?

-26 years.

-26 years!

By the looks of some of the photographs,

you're not frightened of a challenge, are you, Roger, in your life?

No, we're not, no. We've had quite a few challenges on the way.

You bought a farm. Tell me how that came about.

A friend saw it, told us we would like it.

We went to visit it on New Year's Day -

a lovely sunny day. Fell in love.

Six weeks later, we were in.

-But you weren't farmers, were you?

-We weren't.

-What were you doing at the time?

-I was a joiner, Chris.

A joiner at the time and you thought, "I tell you what - I'll turn my hand to farming."

-It's not easy, Roger, is it?

-It's not, no. It's 24/7.

It's a total new way of life.

Holidays, everything's out the window. It's just hard graft.

Hard graft. Was it arable or did you have some animals there?

-What sort of farm was it?

-It was only a fairly small farm. It was more of a smallholding.

We had Maggie, Milly and Ermintrude - three cows - and their calves.

Right.

-Harry the ram and his girlfriends.

-Oh, right.

We had a few chickens and cockerels, as well.

I understand it wasn't exactly a modern farm -

you had a few primitive, I suppose, facilities there?

It was absolutely derelict when we moved in.

Had no electricity, no gas.

We didn't even have any water for the first week.

Two years before we could get electricity.

You take electricity for granted but when you haven't got it, it's a nightmare.

What made you decide to sell up the farm?

It was just getting too much for us.

You know, we weren't getting any younger,

and on the farming side, it's a young man's job.

So we gave it up and we thought we'd move into a modern bungalow.

So what next, then, for you guys?

Next challenges for you?

I think Roger's is a golf championship.

Yeah, getting on top of my golf.

-OK, so, win the Open golf championship for you.

-I've got to get off a 28 handicap.

Right. We've got our work cut out. I'm going to find out a bit more about you later on.

Talking of challenges, we've left Paul for the biggest challenge of all, on his own.

-Shall we go and help him?

-Definitely.

-Yes.

Two years in a farmhouse without electricity?

It doesn't sound like The Good Life to me.

Fortunately, their new bungalow is equipped with every mod con.

But fixtures and fittings from their old home are never far away.

This vintage rug is of a style most likely to have been

made in Pakistan, and once covered their dining room floor.

Paul thinks it should fetch at least £65 at auction.

Margaret and Roger have certainly collected

all manner of items during their time together.

Out in the garage, there's more evidence of his interest in motoring memorabilia.

These old lights, Paul.

-I don't know whether you... What you think of those.

-What are these off?

Off old cars, mainly. Ones we used to do up, or...

we'd go round the scrap yard taking them off.

I used to restore cars a little bit so it was always useful

to have one or two to put back on again.

This is a parabolic reflector.

The basic idea that the circle shape helps with the reflection,

so it can point a long way.

Nowadays, we have more elongated designs.

The early lamps were always circular.

These look like they've been off a Mini, like the old Italian Job,

or perhaps one of the earlier cars. They're all made by Lucas.

Lucas were a massive bulb maker, British-made.

-Of course, the golden age of the motor car, isn't it?

-Yes.

-You're looking 1950s, '60s - that sort of time?

-Yeah.

I think anybody that has a vintage garage

or sometimes, you get people that collect classic cars

or just for a bit of fun - you could make a lamp out of them, put them on the wall.

They're just a bit of nostalgia really, aren't they?

What you've got to look for is condition.

Make sure the glass and the Perspex is in good condition, there's no chips or cracks.

So visually, they look great, don't they? How many have you got?

-About 50.

-Never!

-Yeah.

We used to get them from scrap yards and off old cars

-but they never got used up.

-OK.

Well, if you said...

I don't know - £2 or £5 each. If we said £100 to £150?

-Yeah, that's fantastic.

-That sound all right to you?

-Brilliant, yeah.

We just want to get rid. Taking room up.

-There's light at the end of the tunnel.

-There is, yes.

-And it's this way.

What a collection!

With a £100 valuation,

that's potentially a great return from Roger's efforts at the scrap yard.

Back indoors, Margaret decides to part with

a Whitefriars blue glass bowl.

The design is commonly known as molar,

because it looks so much like a tooth.

Paul values it at...

Sadly, there's no time for distractions in the games room, but tucked out of sight,

I discover a clue to yet another of Margaret's interests.

This looks like a scene maybe from your old farm.

It is. Yes, that's Harry.

-I painted that one.

-Did you?

-Yes.

-That's really good.

-It's a little bit of fun.

-You've obviously got talent. How much do you do?

-Couple of days a week now we're retired. I love it.

I go to a group and we have professionals come and show us how to paint and things,

but basically, we just do our own thing and have fun.

Now, tell me, with your glasses... Where are your glasses?

Goodness knows!

Yeah, OK. I'm getting a sense this is what you do all the time.

-All the time.

-You must need, obviously, your glasses.

That's why you probably need this operation, so you can develop your painting.

-Is it essential to you?

-I'm fine close-up.

That's why I'm always losing them.

It's seeing in the distance that I need...

That's where my problem is. That's why I'm always taking them off.

-You take them off cos you need them for driving and things.

-I need them to drive,

but I don't need them to paint, so they're on, off, on, off... Lost.

Right. So what difference would it make your life, do you think?

It would be wonderful just to...

look out the garden and see the birds

or get in the car and think,

"Oh, no! I've forgotten my glasses again,"

and have to go back in the house to fetch my glasses.

Or get driving along quite nicely, thinking, "What's that number plate?"

Yes, exactly.

So for your own safety as well.

-That would be good as well.

-Would be good.

By the sounds of it, you're doing the grown-up things like art.

The other half looks as if he's a big boy.

Playing with little toys here. What is he doing in here?

Oh, he has great fun!

It's a cross-over track so... Yes, he has great fun.

-I hope he's not getting into trouble with Paul. Shall we see what they're up to?

-Better find out, quickly!

I'm impressed by Margaret's artistic talents

and I spot several more examples of her work around the house.

Sadly, none of these are quite suited to an auction.

In the utility room, Roger finds something that CAN be sold -

a collection of badges with a motoring theme.

Paul values them at...

This bungalow is certainly home to some unusual collectibles,

and the treasure just keeps on coming.

Now, then, you two. You all right?

Just thinking about these.

-Look at that - a ready-made office.

-Yeah.

Oh, it's a swivel chair, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Fantastic. Just pop it down here for a second.

We do use them together, so, er...

This is good shipping furniture.

The sort that people send abroad.

There are lots of demand for this type of furniture.

What you've got here is a nice old 1920s' bureau. Drop-down front.

It's got this cloud top. It's got accents of the Jacobean period.

If you have a look at the legs here,

-these are modelled on the old roofs from the old Jacobean sleeves.

-Oh, yes!

If we said 40 to 60 for that, how does that sound?

-Is that about what you paid for it?

-I paid 35, so I'm quite happy.

How long ago was that?

Ooh... 30 years ago.

Well, You know what? You've had it all this time and, of course,

-30 years ago, that would have been a bit more modern.

-Yes.

-The chair - where's this been?

That one, I had given me, Paul.

I was fitting a kitchen for a customer.

They knew we'd got a smallholding and asked me if it'd be in keeping for one of the rooms,

so we did have to do some renovation work on it but, er...

The pair went... Well, it made a pair up.

It's a form of captain's chair.

These were developed for the old naval boats.

The captain would sit in one and they can swivel around.

If I said... About the same price, really - 40 to £60 -

you've 80 to 120, just in those two bits.

-That's fine.

-Sounds good to me.

-They were given us, so...

Fantastic. Right, let's crack on.

-Good idea.

-What's through here?

A ready-made office for just £80? It sounds like a bargain to me.

But will it start a bidding war come auction day?

Ooh! That's good.

Stay tuned to find out how the bureau fares at auction

and whether we raise enough cash to help Margaret see clearly

for the first time in years.

£95 then.

As our rummage continues, Roger finds this large mirror in a heavy gold frame.

Possibly a little ornate for today's tastes,

Paul still thinks it could fetch...

Next door in the study, Margaret and I make another first-class find.

-Better get Paul in. Paul?

-A-ha?

Come and look at these.

I've found your stamp album.

-Look at this.

-Brilliant stuff.

You know, stamps are one of my favourite things. They're fascinating, aren't they?

You can get them from all over the world, all different sizes and all different prices.

It's called philately, the collection of stamps.

There are two different types of stamp collectors.

One is a schoolboy collection,

whereas you used to be able to steam off the stamp

from the envelope.

The other type is the more serious collector,

and they tend to come in lovely red bound books. You have tweezers to handle each one.

Some have actual history - who owned them, where they come from... They tend to be expensive.

Come on, then. What have we got - a schoolboy or an expert?

-A schoolboy.

-I'm afraid it's a schoolboy.

-Aww!

Fair enough. What I always look for is Sweden.

-Do you know why Sweden's rare?

-No.

Sweden holds the world record for the most expensive stamp ever sold.

The three skilling stamp was green,

but for some reason, out of the stamp factory, they issued at least one yellow one.

We don't know exactly how many there were, but there was one yellow one that got out.

A schoolboy in the 1880s bought this stamp,

thought it was unusual, traded it on and traded it on.

It was sold in 1996 - guess how much for.

50p.

-£1,400,000.

-SHE GASPS

-Wow!

-Is there a yellow one?

-There's an orange one.

-I'm just checking!

-Turn the page!

-There's three yellow ones there.

There's three yellow ones but, of course, 1880 -

it'd be quite rare to find that age of stamp anywhere.

We've got some early ones here. 1911 - that's quite early in the postal system.

Chances are... This is quite a good album. It's full, isn't it?

-A good one.

-So, big question, how much do you think this is worth?

A rough estimate - £150 plus on that.

How do you feel about that?

I think I'd like to keep an open mind on that -

possibly bring it along. I'm not really sure with the stamps.

Nevertheless, that's a maybe, not a definite, so that means

-we're going to have to find a few more definites. That way, Paul.

-OK, come on.

So, Roger needs a little thinking time. I hope he chooses wisely,

because that album could fetch a tidy sum at auction.

One thing he is sure of

is that his collection of old car horns CAN go for sale.

HORN HONKS

Perfect for a motoring enthusiast or vintage car restorer,

Paul thinks they could fetch...

Oh, that's a nice table, isn't it?

-Look at that. Is that something you bought for this house?

-We found it.

-Really?

-We actually bought a terraced house about 30 years ago.

-It was in the attic.

-Wow! Well, this is an occasional table.

The sort of thing you bring out to have tea.

A lot of them were candle stands to light the room. You put a nice oil lamp on it.

Occasionally, that would be put against the wall when not in use, and it should have...

a magical device. Yeah, look at that.

So what you would do, you would put that against the wall when you weren't using it.

When you wanted to use it, you bring it out and it makes a table again. Isn't that fantastic?

This is rosewood. Can you see the top here? It has been restored

-but you can see this dark, ink-like grain. Can you see that all the way through?

-Yes.

That's how you tell a rosewood table or a rosewood finish. But can it go?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

We've no room for it now so it doesn't fit in with the bungalow.

-If we said 100, maybe 150 - how does that sound?

-That would be fine.

-Good profit.

-Sound all right to you?

-Yeah, good profit.

Good profit, lots of cash? I like the sound of that!

-Sounds good.

-That is our rummaging over.

Do you want to know how much money we reckon

-we could get at auction?

-Yes, please.

OK. Conservatively - cos he likes to keep our feet on the ground -

we reckon we could make £725.

-Wow! That's excellent.

-Fantastic.

But it gets better...

It could be £875

if you bring your stamps. Does that make a difference?

Well... It could do.

I've still got to think about the stamps.

Well, onwards and upwards. Off to the auction, fingers crossed.

What a day we've had with Margaret and Roger at their delightful home in Nottinghamshire.

We've all worked very hard and the results of our efforts speak for themselves.

Heading off to auction, we have...

the ready made office, comprising of the 1920s' drop-top bureau

and swivelling captain's chair, valued at £80 - £120.

The Constable-style reproduction painting from the 1980s.

It no longer has a place in Margaret and Roger's new bungalow,

and could fetch upwards of £50 at auction.

And will Roger decide to part with his stamp collection?

It doesn't seem to contain any rarities,

but it's an impressive collection nonetheless.

The £150 valuation could make all the difference on sale day.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic,

there's a room full of bidders eyeing up our lot...

What's going on? What's going on?

..but we're dismayed when some don't get a second look.

Oh, no!

Let's hope Margaret's blurry vision will be sorted for good.

All will become clear when the final hammer falls.

It's been a couple of weeks since we helped Roger and Margaret search their Nottinghamshire bungalow

for collectibles and antiques. We've brought them to Chiswick Auctions in west London.

If you remember, they were downsizing

but they wanted to raise £600 to give Margaret laser surgery,

Why? Because she kept losing her glasses.

Let's hope the punters around here can spot a bargain

and get their eyes on our antiques when they go under the hammer.

The saleroom doors are open and it looks like the bidders are eager to make a start.

Let's hope they waste no time

checking out our family's fine set of items dotted throughout the room.

Of course, when it comes to spotting quality antiques at over 50 paces,

we can rely on the 20/20 vision of our expert, Paul Hayes.

-Hi, Paul, nice to see you.

-Hey!

-You're with the furniture.

Large pieces of furniture at auction always make me nervous.

And there's a bit of damage.

I agree there, but these are so affordable.

Just look at that action - like butter. Isn't that fantastic?

And what I like is the auctioneer's split them up,

-so, 80 to 120 each, I think these will sell all day actually.

-Has anything else tickled your fancy?

Those car headlamps are amazing. I think they could do really well.

Anyone interested in vintage cars, they're fantastic things to have, so they could do quite well.

And the "will they, won't they?" opportunity, the stamp collection. I love that.

A real bit of history. Do you think they brought it?

I think the family were quite attached to those.

-I don't think they'll be here, but who knows?

-Shall we find out?

-Of course.

-Let's see where they are.

Knowing how keen Margaret is to book that eye surgery,

I wouldn't be surprised if she's twisted Roger's arm into bringing the stamps.

I see they're bidding a fond farewell to one of their favourite items, so let's ask them.

-Hello, you two.

-Hi, Chris. Hi, Paul.

Nice smiley faces, but you looked a little bit sad earlier.

-It seems strange seeing it here and not at home.

-This painting?

Are you having second thoughts, then?

-No.

-The auction room have done you proud, actually.

The two chests of drawers are displayed beautifully and they've got a whole cabinet

full of your headlamps, and they look great, so fingers crossed.

Our big debating point was, of course, the stamps.

Did you or did you not bring them?

No, Chris, we didn't. We decided to keep them for sentimental value.

-OK, let's get to our positions.

-That sounds good.

Hmm. Losing the stamps means we're £150 down on our potential takings,

so the pressure is on to make the £600 target.

Now remember, if you're planning on buying or selling at auction,

charges such as commission will be added to your bill.

You should always check the details with your local auction house.

20 I'll take. Are we done?

We head to our position in good time for the first lot -

that collection of car badges,

which should appeal to the motoring enthusiasts in the room.

Did these come off cars you owned

or were they things you bought?

Some has been on my own cars, some have been off friends' cars and collected over the years.

Right. Well, there's six of them in the set. I'm looking for about £55.

Start £50 the lot.

-Where are the hands? £50, £30?

-Come on.

I'm bid £30. £30. Give me 32. At £30. Take 32. At 32. 35?

38, 40. I see you bidding.

42, 45, 48.

50, 55, 60.

Selling for £55. All out at £55, then? All finished at 55.

-You going to come in? No, at £55. 360, £55.

-That's bizarre!

-Spot on.

-Not often I get it right.

-Well done, you.

-You do get it right.

-Now and again. Now and again.

You tell us the jokes, mate.

Well done, Paul - selling bang on estimate.

We start as we mean to go on and bag our first contribution

towards Margaret's spectacle-free future.

Let's hope we have similar success with our next item -

the ready-made office, consisting of the 1920s' bureau

and captain's chair.

We're looking for £80.

£50, please. £50 the lot. £50? Thank you. Bid at £50.

THEY MURMUR IN APPROVAL

60, 5, 70.

5, 80, 5, 90.

Ooh, that's good!

At £85, are we done? For £85. All out for 85. Sold at £85.

-That's good.

-That's all right, isn't it?

-Another good result.

-Ever so pleased!

I didn't think a smile could get as wide as that.

The office set may have only crept above our estimate but considering

how particular the market is when it comes to antique furniture,

we're all agreed that £85 is a real result.

With two items sold, we've already raised £140 towards our £600 target.

The bidders really seem to be appreciating our items today.

However, the jury is still out on our next item,

the 1980s oil on canvas, painted in the style of John Constable.

The Paynes love it, but Paul isn't convinced.

I wonder what the bidders will make of it.

-You're quite attached to this one, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-£50, Chris. Let's see how we go.

-Bargain!

-Sounds good.

-£50 for it? £30 for it?

-Come on.

-Start me a bid at £30.

-£30 for the lot? No bid at £30?

-You might end up back with it.

No bids at £30, then? No bids. No offer.

-You're going to end up back with it.

-Now...

-Are you happy or sad?

-I didn't want to get rid of it anyway.

Well, sadly, the saleroom sided with Paul

and the bidding failed to get anywhere near the lowest estimate.

It's always such a disappointment when items don't sell.

Still, I doubt Margaret and Roger are too disappointed about having to take it home.

I hope this isn't the beginning of a downturn in our fortunes, though.

The room is still full.

Hopefully, these bidders are saving themselves for our next item.

It's the first of two Victorian chests

found languishing in the garage.

Paul originally valued the pair at £80 to £120.

Now that they've been spruced up for sale,

the auction house thinks they'd do better if they sold individually.

The estimates have been revised to £80 each.

£200, start me for it?

£50, start me for it, then. £50, £50, £50, 55.

55. 60?

60? 5, 70, 75?

80? 5?

-90, 5, 100, 110?

-This is good!

120? 130?

-140?

-That's brill!

£130, 130. Take 140.

140? With you now. £130, 130. I'll take 140.

130 and gone, then. All out. Thank you - 130.

That's fantastic.

-Over Paul's top estimate.

-That's it.

Wow. What a terrific result. It's well over what Paul thought

we'd get for the pair. Roger's polishing efforts have paid off.

Let's hope the second chest performs just as well later on.

It looks like our earlier no sale with the painting may have been just a minor hiccup.

The cracking result for the chest has certainly put the smiles back on all of our faces.

Let's hope they stay put with the sale of our next lot.

It's the unusual collection of vintage car horns,

with more evidence of Roger's polishing.

The lot includes a shiny Klaxon and an antique Honky.

It's not often I can say that I've heard the next item.

A few people have been trying them out here, haven't they?

-They have, haven't they?

-The electric horn and the old antique Honky horn. Is that right?

It's like a Klaxon, I think.

Start me cheap at £40.

I've got 42, 45, 48.

50, 55, 60, 5.

That's fantastic!

Take 65. Like a Mexican wave now!

Where are we? 70, 75? 80?

SHE GASPS

90, 5.

100? 110?

Ten!

Want to come and play? 110, 120, 130, 140.

Dear me!

160, 170, 180, 190.

200, 210, 220?

At £210. A bid in front of me at £210 if no-one else wants them. At £210, are we done?

Thanks for the bid at £200. Thanks to the other bidders. £210, gone.

-Fantastic.

-When I came in this morning, they looked totally different. They look amazing.

-They're all complete, all working. Just goes to show.

-It makes the difference.

-Well done.

My word! Roger's polishing has done us proud yet again.

The sale works out at four times the original estimate.

It's great to feel so gobsmacked once in a while.

The electric car horns, they really took off.

We were thinking 55, perhaps £60.

There was no way I thought it was worth that sort of money.

It was fantastic.

Fantastic is the word I'd use too, Roger.

I think it's fair to say we're well on track to reach our £600 target.

It just goes to show that you never quite know what the bidders will take a shine to.

Let's hope they're just as keen on our next lot.

It's the vintage rug from Roger and Margaret's old farmhouse.

We're looking for £65.

-£100 for it? Thank you. Bid £100.

-On the brain. There we go.

120, 130, 140, 150,

160, 170, 180,

190, 200?

190 bid. Have I got 200? 200 there. 210?

210 there. 220?

-220. Do you want 230?

-Amazing!

-Bid at £220. Do you want 230?

Are you out? At £220. I'm going to sell at 220.

-230.

-Come on, darling!

-240, 250.

260?

270? 260 bid in front of me. All done at 260? All done?

For 260 and out, 260. Buyer number four, 260. Thank you.

Fantastic. That's great!

I can't believe it.

I was hearing correctly - £260?

-Brilliant.

-Shall we go home? That was brilliant.

What a result!

£260 is four times the original estimate

and once again, we are all left in total shock.

We've had some truly stunning sales in the first half of the auction.

The room has been full of bidders desperate to take our items home.

It's been a great first half but I wonder just how great.

-So at the half-way stage... You wanted to raise £600?

-Yes.

-Yes.

Well, I've got some - not just good news - some brilliant news.

We have raised...

£740.

-£740?

-Have we? Ooh, excellent.

-Yes.

-Wow!

-That's fantastic.

-How do you feel about that?

-Really pleased.

You've both earned a break, especially you. You're going to show me something quite interesting?

-Very interesting.

-OK.

-Meet you back here in a minute?

That sounds good.

I think Margaret and Roger may need a sit-down after hearing the half-time figure.

I'm not sure where, though, as the auction room continues to be a hive of activity.

I've rarely seen it so busy.

With such a fine array of lots on offer, our Paul can't resist having a look around.

He soon finds something very similar to an item the Paynes couldn't bear to part with.

This is an album very similar to what the family had.

Also, these are first day covers. Do you know what a first day cover is?

-I've heard it, but I've no idea what it means.

-These are a modern collector's item.

You would buy your stamp from the Post Office,

then you would post it to yourself so the Post Office would put their franking mark on it,

like a proof of issue if you like. What we're left with here is the stamp on an envelope,

with your address on it and the date. Now, if your birthday

happened to be on 13th August 1969, what a fantastic present you could give somebody.

-It's a good idea, isn't it?

-Yeah.

First day covers - these are maybe £1, 50p each, but it adds up.

Probably maybe 100, 150 quid - just as good as the album that Roger and Margaret haven't brought with them.

I wanted to find the £1million stamp at Roger and Margaret's.

It's very rare you'd find them in here. Stamp collectors - boom - straight in, aren't they?

Yeah, people do know what they're looking for. I've seen real experts look at an album like this,

flick through it and know straight off whether there's any good ones or not.

It is an art, like anything really.

There's a nice little collection here. These are 100, £150.

-Do you want to catalogue them?

-No, I don't want to catalogue them.

I'm getting a bit depressed cos I know nothing's worth £1million in here.

-We're going to have to carry on working.

-A bit longer, yeah.

-Drat and double drat!

The £1million stamp may be eluding us but the bidders have turned out in great numbers today.

Let's hope we can build on the success we enjoyed in the first half.

There are nearly 800 lots in today's auction

and our confidence is high

as we watch that album of first day stamps try its luck under the hammer.

£30 for it?

Start me a bid at £30.

Paul thought these would have no trouble reaching their £100 estimate.

No bids. No offers.

But they failed to gain any interest in the room whatsoever.

We hope this isn't a sign of things to come

as we take up our positions again.

We're just in time for our next lot,

a silver basket that Paul values at £35.

Is this something that you collected?

No, it's something I've inherited.

It's the one and only piece of silver. It looks so lost on its own.

-Right. It's among friends here, isn't it.

-It needs a friend.

Is that worth £30? Start me for it.

£20 for it?

Thank you. A bid at £20. 22, 25.

25, 28, 30.

32, 35? At £32. Over here at £32.

£32, that's it.

It's going to go at £32, then. All done at 32.

-There you go.

-That's fine.

-Pretty much what we wanted, isn't it?

It's in the middle, that.

I, for one, secretly hoped for a little more

for that hallmarked basket.

Still, it's another sale and more money in our already substantial kitty.

Next up, the grand gilded mantle mirror.

It would have suited Roger and Margaret's farmhouse very well,

but it's just too much for their bungalow.

Done at £65? Selling for £65. Are we done at £65?

You've got a bargain. £65 and gone. 65.

£65 is some way below Paul's estimate

and it's the second item in a row to fall short of expectations.

We're still smiling, though, with plenty of great items still to sell.

I can't help thinking it's looking a little quieter in the saleroom than it was earlier.

Fingers crossed some commission bids are on the books for our next item,

the Whitefriars molar bowl.

Next, the glass bowl, I don't really remember this. Do you, Margaret?

It sat on the windowsill. It's a big blob of blue glass. Shines beautifully.

It's just a blob of glass.

Do we get much for blobs around these parts?

Joking apart, this contemporary look - abstract 1960s memorabilia...

I think it's by Whitefriars. I'm not 100% convinced, but it's been attributed to Whitefriars.

£50 for it?

£20 for it?

The Whitefriars. £10 for it?

£10 for it? Thank you, a bid at 10. A bargain hunter's in at 10.

It's a good buy. It's a very good name, is Whitefriars.

15, 18?

-At £15...

-He'll probably let it go.

£15. Are we done? That's a bid at £15. All done at £15 and going.

£15.

There you go. Is that all right?

-That's fine.

-£15 for blobs.

Wasn't Mr Blobby who bought it.

Well, the glass blob proves that it's not to everyone's taste,

selling for less than half of its estimate.

Roger and Margaret don't seem too distressed, while its new owner is made up.

Absolute pleasure. A bit of Whitefriars.

I do sell White Friars and I have the customers for it.

At £15, I think an absolute bargain.

I'm well happy with that one.

Let's hope it's not the only bargain we let the bidders get away with today.

We're hoping our fortunes improve with the sale of our next item,

the rosewood occasional table.

Roger and Margaret found it in attic of a house they bought 30 years ago.

80, 5. 90?

90 bid. At £90. Are we done?

£90 all out. At £90. £90.

-That all right with you?

-Yeah.

At £90 and going. Are we done? £90 and gone.

Aww! Yet another item to sell below estimate,

although not by much. Roger and Margaret, though,

are happy for it to be sold as they have no room for it in the bungalow.

Plus, of course, the £90 is a welcome addition to their total.

Our penultimate lot - the impressive collection of old car lamps.

We're looking for around £100.

This is one of the items you were excited about. We talked about it before you arrived - the fog lamps.

That's right. I think these are real collectible items.

-100 to 150 - let's see how we go.

-£100, please.

£50 for the lot?

No bids at £50?

£50? £50? Can't be done at £50? Can't talk you into them? £50?

£40? MURMURING

£40? No bids at £40?

Thank you, I'm bid at £40. At £40. I'll take 42.

At £40.

I'll sell 'em. It's a maiden bid at £40. They're going to go at £40.

You've done it again, Mr Matthews. At £40.

-I do think they're a bargain, but you made the decision. Are you happy?

-No, let them go.

Mm. It's a lot less than we were hoping for,

but I think Roger and Margaret are happy to be rid of items

that took up valuable space in their new home.

The second half of today's auction has been a distinct contrast from the first,

where almost everything sold above estimate.

Have our bidders run out of cash?

We'll soon find out when the second of the two chests

goes under the hammer.

So this is the same price,

80 to 120. Let's see how it goes.

-Not quite as nice as this one.

-No, I don't think so.

You don't think so either. We agree on something.

£50 for it? Thank you. A bidder in front of me at £50.

£55? At £50, 55?

60, 5, 70.

-Yes!

-It's an opening.

A £70 bid. I'll take 75. At £70, 75?

75. £75 selling. All done?

At £75. The bid's at 75. 80. 85?

85, 90?

-5, 100.

-It's going up again! It's going up!

At £95. All out at 95. Going at £95, then.

Well done.

-Fantastic!

-It did really well.

Now, that's more like it - and not before time.

It may not have achieved as much as the first chest,

but £95 is still a great result and we're all delighted.

A total of £225 from the two chests.

Remarkable!

There's no point in saying, "Do you think you've reached your target?"

You reached it and beyond at the halfway stage.

-Do you want to know what you got today?

-Yes, please.

You wanted £600, didn't you, yes?

For laser surgery.

-We have raised £1,077.

-Wow!

-Wow!

-1,077.

Do you want me to say it again?

£1,077.

-Thank you very much. That's great.

-Thank you.

No more glasses!

Just a few weeks have gone by since Roger and Margaret made that impressive sum.

They've wasted no time in setting up a first appointment

with the eye specialist, Michael Spencer.

However, he has a bombshell for Margaret.

Your unaided vision is so good at the moment,

and your dependence upon glasses is so little,

that I think you'd be making a really big mistake by being treated.

I think we would be making a mistake by treating you.

That's fair enough.

Despite that setback,

the good news is Roger and Margaret now have a tidy sum

they can put towards an exciting new hobby, or perhaps a much-needed holiday.

The whole experience of Cash In The Attic has been such good fun.

It's brought Roger and I closer together.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd