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Welcome to the show that helps you hunt for antiques and collectables around your home | 0:00:01 | 0:00:05 | |
and then sells them at auction. | 0:00:05 | 0:00:07 | |
I'm sure a lot of people have collected things over the years | 0:00:07 | 0:00:11 | |
which have increased in value. | 0:00:11 | 0:00:13 | |
One day you think, "I could do something useful with that money." | 0:00:13 | 0:00:17 | |
That's the case in point for the lady I'm about to meet | 0:00:17 | 0:00:20 | |
who really does hope we can find some cash in the attic! | 0:00:20 | 0:00:24 | |
Coming up. Our expert is challenged by a faded maker's mark. | 0:00:43 | 0:00:48 | |
I can see a nice crisp hallmark on this one. | 0:00:48 | 0:00:52 | |
But on this one it's a bit faint. | 0:00:52 | 0:00:53 | |
And our host's keen eye for art leads to a possible pay day. | 0:00:53 | 0:00:58 | |
I recognise that! | 0:00:58 | 0:00:59 | |
D-A-L-I. | 0:00:59 | 0:01:01 | |
-Find out what happens when the hammer falls. -Thank you! | 0:01:01 | 0:01:04 | |
Today I'm in south-west London | 0:01:04 | 0:01:07 | |
and I'm about to meet a lady who's led an absolutely fascinating life. | 0:01:07 | 0:01:11 | |
She's called on the help of an old friend | 0:01:11 | 0:01:14 | |
to search out those items that will produce that much-needed money. | 0:01:14 | 0:01:18 | |
Born in Germany, Bea Francis-Brough | 0:01:19 | 0:01:21 | |
has always been up for adventure. | 0:01:21 | 0:01:23 | |
An avid traveller, | 0:01:23 | 0:01:25 | |
she moved to England in 1958 where she eventually married and brought up two children. | 0:01:25 | 0:01:30 | |
Some years later, she divorced and met her second husband, Michael. | 0:01:30 | 0:01:34 | |
Sadly, he passed away two years ago | 0:01:34 | 0:01:36 | |
so she's decided to have a clear-out | 0:01:36 | 0:01:39 | |
and put the money she earns to good use. | 0:01:39 | 0:01:41 | |
I'm joined by our expert Jonty Hearnden | 0:01:41 | 0:01:44 | |
to help search for items that will raise money for her special project. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:48 | |
She'd like to redesign her bathroom | 0:01:48 | 0:01:50 | |
and then take her good friend Magda out for a special day. | 0:01:50 | 0:01:54 | |
As Jonty starts work, I find the girls are also eager to get started. | 0:01:54 | 0:01:58 | |
Hi, Bea! | 0:01:58 | 0:02:00 | |
-And Magda! -Hello! | 0:02:00 | 0:02:02 | |
-It's like the Old Curiosity Shop in here! -Don't tell me! | 0:02:02 | 0:02:07 | |
-This is the overspill, is it, where you store stuff? -I gather and it grows! | 0:02:07 | 0:02:13 | |
You two have known each other how long? | 0:02:13 | 0:02:15 | |
-We reckon about 15 years or so on and off. -Probably more. | 0:02:15 | 0:02:19 | |
Why have you called in Cash in the Attic, Bea? | 0:02:19 | 0:02:21 | |
I need to raise some money for a new shower room in my guest suite. | 0:02:21 | 0:02:26 | |
And I was hoping to have a bit of fun with Magda. | 0:02:26 | 0:02:29 | |
Isn't that nice? I didn't know about this. | 0:02:29 | 0:02:31 | |
I've just learned it. It's wonderful. | 0:02:31 | 0:02:34 | |
What would a bit of fun entail, Magda? | 0:02:34 | 0:02:36 | |
I think we would probably do something wild like go to the opera! | 0:02:36 | 0:02:41 | |
How much money do you think we can raise? | 0:02:41 | 0:02:43 | |
Ideally 2,500, or more, depends on what these things fetch. | 0:02:43 | 0:02:48 | |
It's a big sum of money. We need a big man to help us. | 0:02:48 | 0:02:51 | |
Jonty Hearnden is a good six foot two, | 0:02:51 | 0:02:54 | |
-so I think he'll fit the bill. -Yeah. | 0:02:54 | 0:02:56 | |
-Let's go and see what he's up to. -Brilliant. -Come on. | 0:02:56 | 0:02:59 | |
Finding enough items to make up £2,500 is a big task. | 0:03:01 | 0:03:06 | |
Thankfully, there are four of us to share the rummaging duties. | 0:03:06 | 0:03:09 | |
I can see from the packed walls of her home | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
that Bea is a serious art collector. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:15 | |
Jonty has taken a special interest in a particular pencil drawing. | 0:03:15 | 0:03:19 | |
-Hi, Jonty. -Hello! | 0:03:19 | 0:03:21 | |
-This is Bea and Magda. -Hi. Nice to see you. | 0:03:21 | 0:03:23 | |
I see you've found one of the wonderful pictures that are everywhere in this house. | 0:03:23 | 0:03:29 | |
I bought that in South Kensington | 0:03:29 | 0:03:31 | |
when my oldest, who's now 49, was six months old. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:37 | |
-So you know exactly how old it is. -It's a long time. | 0:03:37 | 0:03:40 | |
I bought it in a gallery when the exhibition had just finished. | 0:03:40 | 0:03:44 | |
-Who was the artist? -Ruskin Spear. -What made you think you had to have it? | 0:03:44 | 0:03:49 | |
I just felt it was so calm and pleasing and lovely. | 0:03:49 | 0:03:52 | |
There was nothing I didn't like about it. I had to have it. | 0:03:52 | 0:03:55 | |
How much did you pay for it? | 0:03:55 | 0:03:57 | |
They wanted £90. When you compare that to the rent I was paying | 0:03:57 | 0:04:01 | |
for a nice flat in South Kensington, | 0:04:01 | 0:04:04 | |
which was five pounds a week, | 0:04:04 | 0:04:06 | |
you can see how expensive that was. | 0:04:06 | 0:04:08 | |
Presumably, Jonty, this picture will have increased in value | 0:04:08 | 0:04:12 | |
and the artist is very well known. | 0:04:12 | 0:04:14 | |
Very well known indeed. It might be some time since you spotted this, Bea, | 0:04:14 | 0:04:19 | |
but on the reverse the artist has signed it. | 0:04:19 | 0:04:22 | |
Here we have "Ruskin Spear". | 0:04:22 | 0:04:24 | |
Ruskin Spear was born in Hammersmith | 0:04:24 | 0:04:26 | |
and spent most of his time there. So a lot of his work, like this picture here, | 0:04:26 | 0:04:31 | |
-is all of West London, Hammersmith and the surrounding area. -It cost £90 | 0:04:31 | 0:04:36 | |
almost 50 years ago. | 0:04:36 | 0:04:37 | |
-If we took it to auction now, what do you think we'd get for it? -Well, | 0:04:37 | 0:04:41 | |
he makes a lot of money at auction. There's a great return for your investment. | 0:04:41 | 0:04:46 | |
So if I can pip it just below the £1,000 mark at auction, | 0:04:46 | 0:04:50 | |
if we put 700 to £900, I'm sure | 0:04:50 | 0:04:54 | |
there'll be a lot of interest at auction if we do that. | 0:04:54 | 0:04:57 | |
-OK. -That's not a bad return on £90, is it? -It's not! | 0:04:57 | 0:05:00 | |
If there are more items like this we'll reach our target in no time. | 0:05:00 | 0:05:05 | |
There are nooks and crannies aplenty to scour. | 0:05:05 | 0:05:08 | |
Meanwhile, Bea shows Jonty a bowl that's travelled a very long way from home. | 0:05:08 | 0:05:13 | |
Jonty, I wondered if you'd like to have a look at this. | 0:05:13 | 0:05:16 | |
That's a pretty little bowl. | 0:05:16 | 0:05:18 | |
-My brother gave it to me years ago. -Really? | 0:05:18 | 0:05:20 | |
-He was a captain and he travelled the world, so he bought that in Japan. -Really? | 0:05:20 | 0:05:25 | |
Let's look at the bowl in more detail. Inside we have a pheasant. | 0:05:25 | 0:05:29 | |
He's resting either on a log or a rock, | 0:05:29 | 0:05:33 | |
surrounded by flowers | 0:05:33 | 0:05:35 | |
and above him is a maple tree. | 0:05:35 | 0:05:37 | |
This is known as Satsuma ware. | 0:05:37 | 0:05:40 | |
-Right. -Because you have this very distinctive crackle glaze. | 0:05:40 | 0:05:46 | |
Satsuma in Britain was very popular in the late 19th century | 0:05:46 | 0:05:50 | |
and early 20th century | 0:05:50 | 0:05:52 | |
so we do see a lot of Satsuma ware from that period in this country today. | 0:05:52 | 0:05:57 | |
Everyone wants a decorative bowl like this. It's always worth selling, | 0:05:57 | 0:06:01 | |
always worth considering putting something like this into auction. | 0:06:01 | 0:06:05 | |
It's not worth a vast fortune. We're looking at 30 to £40. | 0:06:05 | 0:06:09 | |
I'm very hopeful that Bea's home is going to yield many more items | 0:06:11 | 0:06:15 | |
which could bring in some useful takings at auction. | 0:06:15 | 0:06:18 | |
Bea has uncovered an iconic 20th-century serving platter | 0:06:18 | 0:06:22 | |
which she inherited from Michael's mother. | 0:06:22 | 0:06:24 | |
I bet that's seen its fair share of Sunday roasts! | 0:06:24 | 0:06:27 | |
Made by Spode, it's a good example of the blue and white pattern | 0:06:27 | 0:06:32 | |
and the so-called underglazing technique for which the company is famous. | 0:06:32 | 0:06:36 | |
Jonty thinks it's going to raise 40 to £60. | 0:06:36 | 0:06:40 | |
Meanwhile, I've picked out yet another painting among Bea's collection. | 0:06:43 | 0:06:47 | |
It's a beautiful watercolour by Edward Wesson, | 0:06:47 | 0:06:50 | |
considered one of Britain's leading watercolourists of the 20th century. | 0:06:50 | 0:06:55 | |
His style could be described as simple yet bold. | 0:06:55 | 0:06:59 | |
Bea bought it 34 years ago | 0:06:59 | 0:07:01 | |
and now it's worth a whopping 400 to £600! | 0:07:01 | 0:07:04 | |
An exciting find! I'm keen to see if Magda's found something just as good. | 0:07:04 | 0:07:09 | |
Have you found anything there for me, Magda? | 0:07:11 | 0:07:14 | |
There's this. | 0:07:14 | 0:07:15 | |
-OK. -I'm not quite sure what they are. | 0:07:15 | 0:07:19 | |
This looks like a vinaigrette set. | 0:07:19 | 0:07:21 | |
-We've got a bottle here for vinegar and possibly oil. -And a nice tray. | 0:07:21 | 0:07:25 | |
From the decoration, it looks like Dutch Delft. | 0:07:25 | 0:07:28 | |
It goes back to the 16th, 17th century. | 0:07:28 | 0:07:31 | |
And it's always done in this kind of way. | 0:07:31 | 0:07:35 | |
All hand decorated. | 0:07:35 | 0:07:36 | |
But if you look closely at the two bottles, look at the shape. | 0:07:36 | 0:07:40 | |
They're very contemporary so they're only 20 or 30 years old, possibly. | 0:07:40 | 0:07:44 | |
As a consequence, we are looking at, when it comes to value, | 0:07:44 | 0:07:48 | |
-only 20 to £30. -Well, if it's not needed, why not? | 0:07:48 | 0:07:52 | |
They certainly are three beautiful pieces, | 0:07:53 | 0:07:56 | |
but it'll be much more fun for Bea to put the money towards a day out with Magda. | 0:07:56 | 0:08:00 | |
Jonty's been busy and he's found three cup-and-saucer sets. | 0:08:00 | 0:08:04 | |
All are 20th century | 0:08:04 | 0:08:06 | |
and each made by a different European pottery. | 0:08:06 | 0:08:08 | |
Royal Copenhagen is a distinctive blue and white Danish pottery. | 0:08:08 | 0:08:12 | |
Meissen and Dresden are both German designs. | 0:08:12 | 0:08:15 | |
No doubt a nod to Bea's ancestry. | 0:08:15 | 0:08:18 | |
Put together as one lot, this collection should raise 40 to £60. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:23 | |
I was wondering what it must have been like for Bea to adjust to life in 1950s' Britain. | 0:08:24 | 0:08:29 | |
Bea, you'd never guess it, listening to you speak, | 0:08:29 | 0:08:32 | |
-but you were born in Germany. -I was. -You don't have a trace of a German accent. | 0:08:32 | 0:08:36 | |
I'm a good parrot. I think I might have made a good spy! | 0:08:36 | 0:08:40 | |
That means you were growing up in Germany | 0:08:40 | 0:08:43 | |
during and immediately after the Second World War. | 0:08:43 | 0:08:46 | |
That must have been tough. | 0:08:46 | 0:08:47 | |
When I was very small, during the bombing, I lived in Hamburg. | 0:08:47 | 0:08:51 | |
But everybody went through it. | 0:08:51 | 0:08:53 | |
Clearly you had a love of languages and of English | 0:08:53 | 0:08:57 | |
as you became absolutely fluent in the language. | 0:08:57 | 0:09:00 | |
I like languages and I found English easy. People used to say to me English is difficult. | 0:09:00 | 0:09:05 | |
There's only one article, so it wasn't difficult to learn. | 0:09:05 | 0:09:08 | |
And I had a wonderful teacher. | 0:09:08 | 0:09:10 | |
-How did you come to England? -In those days our money wasn't legal tender abroad | 0:09:10 | 0:09:15 | |
because we were an occupied country. | 0:09:15 | 0:09:17 | |
And we didn't have passports. | 0:09:17 | 0:09:19 | |
So we had to be requested and most of the requests were for a number of years. | 0:09:19 | 0:09:24 | |
There was one that turned up which interested me immediately which was for four months, | 0:09:24 | 0:09:29 | |
doing seasonal work in the Isle of Wight ironing shirts. | 0:09:29 | 0:09:33 | |
I'm brilliant at ironing shirts! | 0:09:33 | 0:09:35 | |
But the languages must have been really useful in your first major job as an air hostess. | 0:09:35 | 0:09:42 | |
Yes, you did need two languages apart from your own in those days. | 0:09:42 | 0:09:45 | |
-And now you're retired. -I am! | 0:09:45 | 0:09:48 | |
-What's your passion now you have so much time on your hands? -Travel. | 0:09:48 | 0:09:52 | |
And my grandchildren. I have nine grandchildren. | 0:09:52 | 0:09:55 | |
They are a joy. | 0:09:55 | 0:09:57 | |
When I'm not with them, I plan my new travel. | 0:09:57 | 0:10:01 | |
I'm going to India at the moment and to America. | 0:10:01 | 0:10:03 | |
But there's lots more to come for the rest of the year. | 0:10:03 | 0:10:07 | |
So if we're going to raise that £2,500 for the new shower and the night out with Magda, | 0:10:07 | 0:10:11 | |
-we ought to go and see what she and Jonty have been up to. -Great. -See what else we can take to auction. | 0:10:11 | 0:10:17 | |
Well, Magda certainly has been busy. | 0:10:18 | 0:10:21 | |
She's found a box of handsome silver cutlery | 0:10:21 | 0:10:24 | |
which Bea bought at an antique shop in Tunbridge Wells along with three similar cases. | 0:10:24 | 0:10:28 | |
Three sets are solid silver and one silver plate. | 0:10:28 | 0:10:33 | |
Altogether, | 0:10:33 | 0:10:35 | |
the four-piece lot will hopefully earn 100 to £200. | 0:10:35 | 0:10:38 | |
There seem to be all sorts of silver treasures | 0:10:39 | 0:10:43 | |
hidden throughout this house. | 0:10:43 | 0:10:44 | |
I've stumbled upon two items that look very promising. | 0:10:44 | 0:10:48 | |
Bea, these are very pretty little silver vases here. Where did you get these? | 0:10:48 | 0:10:53 | |
They were given to me by my boss. | 0:10:53 | 0:10:55 | |
I know they're silver because I can see a nice crisp hallmark on this one. | 0:10:55 | 0:10:59 | |
But on this one it's a bit faint. Have you been polishing? | 0:10:59 | 0:11:02 | |
-I'm afraid I have! -I'm sure Jonty will... | 0:11:02 | 0:11:05 | |
I can't read this one, either. | 0:11:05 | 0:11:07 | |
Just about. But I know Jonty will be able to tell us what it says. | 0:11:07 | 0:11:11 | |
These pretty little silver vases, and you've got more there. | 0:11:11 | 0:11:14 | |
I found this lovely hip flask hidden on top of a wardrobe! | 0:11:14 | 0:11:18 | |
-Oh, my God! -Is it a while since you've had a nip out of that? | 0:11:18 | 0:11:21 | |
-It is a while. -This is beautiful. | 0:11:21 | 0:11:23 | |
If you look at those from a design point of view, they're between the wars. 1920s. | 0:11:23 | 0:11:29 | |
Designed to go on a mantel shelf or dressing table. | 0:11:29 | 0:11:31 | |
Can I give those back to you, because I'm completely in love with this. | 0:11:31 | 0:11:36 | |
Beautiful hallmarks, it's late Victorian. | 0:11:36 | 0:11:39 | |
It's exceptionally good quality. The glass is in very good order. | 0:11:39 | 0:11:43 | |
But the silver casing around the outside is again very good quality. | 0:11:43 | 0:11:48 | |
Here there's a little space for a personalised monogram. | 0:11:48 | 0:11:52 | |
But for us that's very good news | 0:11:52 | 0:11:54 | |
because it hasn't been signed at all which means it's much more commercial. | 0:11:54 | 0:11:59 | |
-And it's all in perfect condition. -Yes. | 0:11:59 | 0:12:01 | |
If we take it to auction, how much might it make? | 0:12:01 | 0:12:04 | |
The pair of vases we're talking 20 to £30. | 0:12:04 | 0:12:06 | |
But add those with the hip flask, | 0:12:06 | 0:12:10 | |
all of a sudden we're talking 80 to £100. | 0:12:10 | 0:12:13 | |
-A nice little bumper bundle of silver for somebody. -Very nice indeed. -Yes. | 0:12:13 | 0:12:17 | |
So far, Bea's keen eye for art has potentially given us £1,410. | 0:12:17 | 0:12:23 | |
So a few more high-value items | 0:12:23 | 0:12:26 | |
will take us very close to our target. | 0:12:26 | 0:12:28 | |
In the garage, I come across a very interesting piece of china. | 0:12:28 | 0:12:32 | |
It turns out to be part of a commemorative set | 0:12:32 | 0:12:34 | |
made in the late 1980s. | 0:12:34 | 0:12:36 | |
This set of ten plates celebrates the golden age of clipper ships | 0:12:37 | 0:12:41 | |
and the entire collection is valued at 40 to £60. | 0:12:41 | 0:12:44 | |
As we near the end of our rummage day, | 0:12:44 | 0:12:46 | |
it's satisfying to think back over our impressive finds, | 0:12:46 | 0:12:50 | |
especially from Bea's art collection. | 0:12:50 | 0:12:52 | |
She's keen to show me another of her favourites and I'm gobsmacked when I see the signature! | 0:12:52 | 0:12:57 | |
I recognise that. D-A-L-I. Dali! | 0:12:57 | 0:13:01 | |
-A Salvador Dali! -Absolutely. | 0:13:01 | 0:13:03 | |
-Well, if you're thinking of putting this in the auction... Mind if I take it down? -No. | 0:13:03 | 0:13:08 | |
We should let Jonty take a look at this! | 0:13:08 | 0:13:10 | |
Jonty, sorry to interrupt you both, but would you like to take a look at this? | 0:13:10 | 0:13:15 | |
-Salvador Dali! -Now, that's a fabulous interruption! | 0:13:16 | 0:13:19 | |
-It's only a lithograph. -While Jonty's taking a look so he can give you an appraisal on it, | 0:13:19 | 0:13:26 | |
-where did it come from? -East Molesey Gallery. | 0:13:26 | 0:13:29 | |
-Michael immediately noticed it. -That was your late husband? | 0:13:29 | 0:13:32 | |
Yes, he had an eye for things. | 0:13:32 | 0:13:34 | |
He said, "We ought to have the Dali. Have you had a look?" I said, "What Dali?" | 0:13:34 | 0:13:38 | |
So he showed it to me and it was ours. | 0:13:38 | 0:13:41 | |
-Just like that! -Why not? | 0:13:41 | 0:13:44 | |
-What was it about it that appealed to you? -I thought it was funny! | 0:13:44 | 0:13:48 | |
Once you look closely. Normally, with artwork, I go further away to look at it. | 0:13:48 | 0:13:53 | |
But this you have to look closely or it's just a blur of blue. | 0:13:53 | 0:13:56 | |
It cheers me up every time I look at it! | 0:13:56 | 0:13:58 | |
-Have you decided it might go to auction? -Well, yes, because I've had it long enough. | 0:13:58 | 0:14:03 | |
It's Salvador Dali, known as one of the most famous surrealist artists of the 20th century. | 0:14:03 | 0:14:10 | |
A lithograph is an image that originally was put onto a stone or copper plate. | 0:14:10 | 0:14:15 | |
And the paper placed on top to reproduce the image that way. | 0:14:15 | 0:14:20 | |
As a consequence, there's only a finite amount | 0:14:20 | 0:14:23 | |
of reproducing that can take place. | 0:14:23 | 0:14:25 | |
Therefore lithographs have an originality to them. | 0:14:25 | 0:14:28 | |
But we have Salvador Dali's signature in pencil down at the bottom. | 0:14:28 | 0:14:32 | |
-That's no ordinary signature either, is it? -No, it's not. | 0:14:32 | 0:14:36 | |
-He was quite an extraordinary man. -He was. | 0:14:36 | 0:14:39 | |
-This has to be worth between 1,000 and £1,500 at auction. -Wow! | 0:14:39 | 0:14:45 | |
-Useful! -Bit more than you paid for it? -Yes! | 0:14:45 | 0:14:47 | |
Absolutely! | 0:14:47 | 0:14:49 | |
Even if we take the lowest estimate that Jonty's given you there, which is £1,000, | 0:14:49 | 0:14:55 | |
and add it to all the other things we've seen today, | 0:14:55 | 0:14:58 | |
I know you want £2,500 for the shower | 0:14:58 | 0:15:00 | |
and your girls' night out. | 0:15:00 | 0:15:02 | |
We don't quite make 2,500, but almost. | 0:15:02 | 0:15:06 | |
We make £2,450... | 0:15:06 | 0:15:11 | |
-Just from the paintings. -That's at the lowest. -Yes, this is true. | 0:15:11 | 0:15:15 | |
Cross your fingers for me. | 0:15:15 | 0:15:17 | |
If we make more on some of the items, you'll really have a knees-up on your night out! | 0:15:17 | 0:15:22 | |
You can drive us, if you like! | 0:15:22 | 0:15:24 | |
Or she might have two showers! | 0:15:24 | 0:15:26 | |
It really would be marvellous if one of Spain's most enduring artists | 0:15:28 | 0:15:32 | |
puts Bea in touching distance of a new bathroom. | 0:15:32 | 0:15:35 | |
But there's also the Ruskin Spear pencil drawing | 0:15:35 | 0:15:38 | |
which is beautiful and rare, valued at 700 to £900. | 0:15:38 | 0:15:41 | |
Let's hope it takes us far on auction day. | 0:15:41 | 0:15:44 | |
The pretty Japanese Satsuma bowl, priced at 30 to £40, | 0:15:44 | 0:15:47 | |
should catch a dealer's eye. | 0:15:47 | 0:15:49 | |
And our silver lot, the flask and two vases, | 0:15:49 | 0:15:53 | |
in pristine condition, surely they'll attract bids of around 80 to £120. | 0:15:53 | 0:15:57 | |
Together with Bea's other items, they should all do us proud on sale day. | 0:15:58 | 0:16:02 | |
Still to come: the auctioneer keeps the sale room in check. | 0:16:04 | 0:16:08 | |
You're out then. Yes, you are! Sorry. | 0:16:08 | 0:16:11 | |
And one item gives us an unexpected surprise. | 0:16:12 | 0:16:15 | |
-Isn't that terrific? That's more than double what we put on it as a reserve! -Wonderful! | 0:16:15 | 0:16:20 | |
Be there for the gavel's final fall! | 0:16:21 | 0:16:23 | |
Just a week ago, Jonty and I were there with Bea and Magda | 0:16:27 | 0:16:31 | |
searching through that lovely London townhouse of hers | 0:16:31 | 0:16:34 | |
for things that we could sell here today at the Tring Market Auctions. | 0:16:34 | 0:16:38 | |
Remember, her target is £2,500. | 0:16:38 | 0:16:42 | |
She wants to update her shower room | 0:16:42 | 0:16:45 | |
and then have a night out on the town with her friend Magda. | 0:16:45 | 0:16:48 | |
Let's hope everyone is generous today | 0:16:48 | 0:16:51 | |
when her items go under the hammer. | 0:16:51 | 0:16:53 | |
Not far from the picture-postcard Hertfordshire community, | 0:16:53 | 0:16:57 | |
the auction house holds a general sale every Saturday. | 0:16:57 | 0:17:01 | |
They've packed in almost 2,000 lots today, | 0:17:01 | 0:17:03 | |
three times what you'd find in most sale rooms, | 0:17:03 | 0:17:06 | |
so I expect the pace to be fast and furious. | 0:17:06 | 0:17:09 | |
Jonty's here, looking over Bea's star item. | 0:17:09 | 0:17:12 | |
-Hi, Jonty. -Hi! -I think Bea's pictures look at home here. | 0:17:12 | 0:17:16 | |
-There are almost as many in this auction room as there are in her house! -Right! | 0:17:16 | 0:17:21 | |
I'm holding a very beautiful lithograph here. | 0:17:21 | 0:17:24 | |
My only concern about coming to a general sale like this | 0:17:24 | 0:17:27 | |
is do we have the right buyers here today? | 0:17:27 | 0:17:29 | |
But that's the luck of the draw. | 0:17:29 | 0:17:31 | |
We've got a £1,000 reserve on this Salvador Dali. | 0:17:31 | 0:17:35 | |
-Do you think we'll make that? -I believe that's a fair price. | 0:17:35 | 0:17:40 | |
I hope that we jolly well get it because if we can sell this | 0:17:40 | 0:17:44 | |
-and all the other lovely pictures we have... -The Spear and the Wesson. | 0:17:44 | 0:17:48 | |
It'll make all the difference. We're hanging on those three. | 0:17:48 | 0:17:51 | |
I know that Bea and Magda have arrived. | 0:17:51 | 0:17:54 | |
They're looking forward to the wild night out rather than doing up the bathroom! | 0:17:54 | 0:17:59 | |
Let's go and see them. | 0:17:59 | 0:18:00 | |
Bea is saying goodbye to an item that frankly she'd be happy to give away! | 0:18:02 | 0:18:07 | |
-You can have them all. -Sure? -Would you like them? | 0:18:07 | 0:18:10 | |
You're looking at the plates I found in the garage. | 0:18:10 | 0:18:13 | |
-They're wonderful! -Giving them away? -You like them, Magda? | 0:18:13 | 0:18:17 | |
-Of course! -We have got some lovely things coming up. | 0:18:17 | 0:18:20 | |
-All of your pictures. And you've put reserves on all of them? -Pictures only. | 0:18:20 | 0:18:24 | |
-Do you have a bit of discretion? -I told the auctioneer to use his discretion. | 0:18:24 | 0:18:29 | |
Having got them off the wall, I don't want to put them back on again! | 0:18:29 | 0:18:33 | |
They've already been replaced. Isn't that unkind? | 0:18:33 | 0:18:37 | |
You had so many pictures. Let's put these back | 0:18:37 | 0:18:40 | |
and go and take our places because the auction is about to start. | 0:18:40 | 0:18:44 | |
-Let's hope we make those reserves and some! -Come on. -Fingers crossed. | 0:18:44 | 0:18:48 | |
I'm quietly confident about Bea's chances today. | 0:18:50 | 0:18:53 | |
She has some precious and intriguing items. | 0:18:53 | 0:18:56 | |
The first under the hammer is her large Spode serving platter. | 0:18:56 | 0:18:59 | |
-It is absolutely enormous. You could feed of a family of 50 out of that! -It's huge. | 0:19:02 | 0:19:09 | |
There you are. I think it ought to be £100 for this one. £100. | 0:19:09 | 0:19:13 | |
He wants £100 for it, he says. | 0:19:13 | 0:19:16 | |
£100? 50? | 0:19:16 | 0:19:17 | |
Yes, I have, thank you. | 0:19:17 | 0:19:19 | |
50 we're bid for that one, then. | 0:19:19 | 0:19:21 | |
Five. 60, sir? | 0:19:21 | 0:19:23 | |
Five. 70? | 0:19:23 | 0:19:24 | |
Five. 80. | 0:19:24 | 0:19:26 | |
Madam? 85. 90. | 0:19:26 | 0:19:28 | |
Five. Going to be 100. 100. | 0:19:28 | 0:19:30 | |
£100. | 0:19:30 | 0:19:32 | |
Don't lose it for a fiver! Yes? | 0:19:32 | 0:19:34 | |
105, then. | 0:19:34 | 0:19:35 | |
At £105, and I shall sell. Thank you. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:38 | |
For £105. | 0:19:38 | 0:19:41 | |
Yes, it is yours. Thank you. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:43 | |
-Excellent result! -Isn't that terrific? | 0:19:43 | 0:19:45 | |
That's more than double what we put on it. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:49 | |
What an amazing start to the day! If we can double our money on every sale, | 0:19:50 | 0:19:54 | |
then the girls will definitely celebrate in style. Next up, | 0:19:54 | 0:19:57 | |
the four cases of silver cutlery, at 100 to £200. | 0:19:57 | 0:20:02 | |
Shall we say £100? A useful lot. £50. | 0:20:02 | 0:20:05 | |
Yes. 60. 70. | 0:20:05 | 0:20:07 | |
80. 90. | 0:20:07 | 0:20:09 | |
100 down here. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:11 | |
£100. And ten. 110. | 0:20:11 | 0:20:12 | |
And 20? | 0:20:12 | 0:20:14 | |
£110 has it, then. | 0:20:14 | 0:20:16 | |
At 110. I shall sell the collection for £110. | 0:20:16 | 0:20:21 | |
Thank you. | 0:20:21 | 0:20:22 | |
-110. -We got there. | 0:20:22 | 0:20:23 | |
Another sale over its estimate, | 0:20:24 | 0:20:27 | |
which is great news for Bea's bathroom makeover plans. | 0:20:27 | 0:20:30 | |
Now we move on to her impressive art collection. Up first, | 0:20:30 | 0:20:34 | |
the Ruskin Spear pencil drawing. | 0:20:34 | 0:20:37 | |
We've got a £900 reserve on this, Jonty. | 0:20:37 | 0:20:39 | |
-Is that a fair price? -It is, but are the buyers here? | 0:20:39 | 0:20:43 | |
Where would you like to start, madam? £500? £400, thank you. | 0:20:43 | 0:20:47 | |
£400 is starting it, then. | 0:20:47 | 0:20:49 | |
At 400 and 20, sir? | 0:20:49 | 0:20:52 | |
And 50. Are you waiting? What about the £500? | 0:20:52 | 0:20:55 | |
520? | 0:20:55 | 0:20:56 | |
Are you hesitating? 520. 550. | 0:20:56 | 0:21:00 | |
580. | 0:21:00 | 0:21:02 | |
Are you 580? I'm bid there. 580. | 0:21:02 | 0:21:05 | |
600, is it? | 0:21:06 | 0:21:07 | |
580. £600. | 0:21:07 | 0:21:09 | |
And 20 now. 620. | 0:21:09 | 0:21:10 | |
And 50? | 0:21:10 | 0:21:12 | |
Are you going again? | 0:21:13 | 0:21:14 | |
At £620, then. At 620. | 0:21:14 | 0:21:17 | |
700. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:19 | |
Oh, dear. 750. | 0:21:19 | 0:21:21 | |
800, is it? 750. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:23 | |
One more? | 0:21:23 | 0:21:24 | |
At 750. 780 for you, sir. | 0:21:24 | 0:21:27 | |
No? You're out, then? | 0:21:27 | 0:21:29 | |
Yes, you are. Sorry. | 0:21:29 | 0:21:32 | |
It's hard to believe the bidders wouldn't meet the reserve for this drawing. | 0:21:33 | 0:21:37 | |
It shows something like this needs the right people in the room. | 0:21:37 | 0:21:42 | |
Sadly, the next painting suffers the same fate. | 0:21:42 | 0:21:45 | |
Valued at 400 to £600, | 0:21:45 | 0:21:48 | |
the fantastic 19th-century Wesson watercolour | 0:21:48 | 0:21:50 | |
also falls shy of its reserve. | 0:21:50 | 0:21:52 | |
So now to the stand-out item, | 0:21:52 | 0:21:55 | |
a splendid original Salvador Dali lithograph. | 0:21:55 | 0:21:59 | |
Valued at 1,000 to £1,500, | 0:21:59 | 0:22:03 | |
Bea won't let this go for less than £1,000. | 0:22:03 | 0:22:05 | |
A wise choice, considering its provenance. | 0:22:05 | 0:22:08 | |
The paintings haven't gone very well | 0:22:09 | 0:22:12 | |
so I'm wondering whether the right people are here. We'll see. | 0:22:12 | 0:22:16 | |
What about that one? Where do we go on that? | 0:22:16 | 0:22:18 | |
Salvador Dali. Can we get 1,000 for it? | 0:22:18 | 0:22:21 | |
1,000? 500, then, to start, sir. | 0:22:21 | 0:22:23 | |
Shall we say 500? We've got 300 bid for it. | 0:22:23 | 0:22:26 | |
At £300. Are you 20, sir? | 0:22:26 | 0:22:29 | |
At 350. Are you 80? | 0:22:29 | 0:22:30 | |
400. And 20. | 0:22:30 | 0:22:32 | |
Madam. 420. | 0:22:33 | 0:22:35 | |
450. Are you 80 now? | 0:22:35 | 0:22:37 | |
500. And 20. | 0:22:37 | 0:22:39 | |
-500. We're half-way there. -Are you finished at £520? | 0:22:39 | 0:22:44 | |
Are you all finished at £500... | 0:22:44 | 0:22:46 | |
and 20? | 0:22:46 | 0:22:48 | |
No, I'm sorry. | 0:22:48 | 0:22:49 | |
-Oh! -Not selling. | 0:22:49 | 0:22:51 | |
We haven't done very well at all. | 0:22:51 | 0:22:53 | |
Such bad luck! | 0:22:53 | 0:22:54 | |
And such a remarkable work of art. | 0:22:54 | 0:22:57 | |
I hope these other items don't suffer the same fate. | 0:22:57 | 0:23:00 | |
Sailing by next, the commemorative clipper plates at 40 to £60. | 0:23:00 | 0:23:04 | |
They were never on her list of favourites | 0:23:04 | 0:23:07 | |
so I'm sure Bea is more than ready to bid them adieu. | 0:23:07 | 0:23:10 | |
-Bea, watch them sail out of the auction room! -What a laugh! | 0:23:10 | 0:23:14 | |
What about them? Shall we say £50 for those? | 0:23:15 | 0:23:18 | |
£30 for them? | 0:23:18 | 0:23:20 | |
Rather nice ones. 20 we have. We have £20 for them. | 0:23:20 | 0:23:23 | |
Five. All the clipper ships. | 0:23:23 | 0:23:25 | |
25. £30. | 0:23:25 | 0:23:27 | |
He's working hard for you. | 0:23:27 | 0:23:28 | |
And five. No more? OK, then. | 0:23:28 | 0:23:31 | |
At £40. Thank you. | 0:23:31 | 0:23:33 | |
-He's a very polite auctioneer! -Very! | 0:23:33 | 0:23:36 | |
It's wonderful that they've sold for Jonty's estimate, | 0:23:36 | 0:23:39 | |
but Bea is happy to see them go at any price! | 0:23:39 | 0:23:42 | |
Hopefully, we'll have similar success with our next lot, | 0:23:42 | 0:23:46 | |
the collection of Delft pottery valued at 20 to £30. | 0:23:46 | 0:23:49 | |
It's not a lot of money we need, | 0:23:49 | 0:23:52 | |
-but we need every penny. -Somebody will love it. | 0:23:52 | 0:23:55 | |
-Are you convinced? -Totally. -We'll soon see. | 0:23:55 | 0:23:57 | |
-Where are we going to start? -Come on! -Tenner I'm bid. | 0:23:57 | 0:24:01 | |
12. 15. 18. | 0:24:01 | 0:24:02 | |
20 I'm bid. Two I'm bid. Five? | 0:24:02 | 0:24:05 | |
No? At £22, then. At 22 they're going to be sold to you. | 0:24:05 | 0:24:08 | |
-£22. -I'm very happy about that. -It's gone. | 0:24:08 | 0:24:11 | |
-Look! -Yes, I was right, of course! | 0:24:11 | 0:24:14 | |
Another item to exceed the lower estimate. | 0:24:14 | 0:24:17 | |
Perhaps our luck is picking up. | 0:24:17 | 0:24:19 | |
The next two lots also beat the lower end of Jonty's valuations. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:23 | |
At 40 to £60, the trio of cup-and-saucer sets | 0:24:23 | 0:24:27 | |
must have appealed to a wide range of collectors. | 0:24:27 | 0:24:30 | |
Made by three of the best European porcelain designers, | 0:24:30 | 0:24:34 | |
Meissen, Dresden and Royal Copenhagen, they sold for £55. | 0:24:34 | 0:24:39 | |
And the delicate 20th-century Satsuma bowl from Japan made £38. | 0:24:39 | 0:24:44 | |
Now to our last lot of the day, | 0:24:46 | 0:24:48 | |
the silver vases and flask. | 0:24:48 | 0:24:51 | |
So 80 to 120 is what we're looking for on this. | 0:24:51 | 0:24:53 | |
I'm hoping this will do very well indeed. | 0:24:53 | 0:24:56 | |
What about 150 for them? £100 for them? 80 I'm bid for them. | 0:24:56 | 0:25:00 | |
Yes, I am. 90. I have it. | 0:25:00 | 0:25:02 | |
-Wow. -Straight in. Good. | 0:25:02 | 0:25:04 | |
110. And 20. 130. | 0:25:04 | 0:25:07 | |
And 40. And 50. | 0:25:07 | 0:25:09 | |
160, sir? Madam? | 0:25:09 | 0:25:11 | |
170, yes? | 0:25:11 | 0:25:12 | |
At 160 for sir, then. I shall sell at the very back. | 0:25:12 | 0:25:15 | |
They obviously like that flask! | 0:25:15 | 0:25:17 | |
-At £160. It is yours, sir. Thank you very much. -Brilliant. | 0:25:17 | 0:25:22 | |
-£160. -Wonderful. -It's worth it. -That's great. | 0:25:22 | 0:25:25 | |
It looks as though Jonty's going to be tippling elsewhere tonight | 0:25:25 | 0:25:29 | |
because this set is off to a new home. | 0:25:29 | 0:25:32 | |
If you'd like to raise money at auction, remember sale rooms usually charge commission. | 0:25:33 | 0:25:38 | |
These vary from sale room to sale room, so it's best to enquire in advance. | 0:25:38 | 0:25:42 | |
Well, as you know, you wanted to raise £2,500. | 0:25:44 | 0:25:47 | |
I don't think it's any secret that we haven't made anything like that | 0:25:47 | 0:25:52 | |
because we didn't sell any of those wonderful pictures you bought. | 0:25:52 | 0:25:56 | |
But what you have still made on the rest of the items | 0:25:56 | 0:26:00 | |
-is a total of £530. -Not too bad. | 0:26:00 | 0:26:03 | |
With the walls and floor safely removed, Bea's bath and shower room is now a hollow shell, | 0:26:07 | 0:26:13 | |
ready for the builders to transform. | 0:26:13 | 0:26:16 | |
They've ripped out everything, including the tiles. | 0:26:16 | 0:26:20 | |
I shall have a beautiful new lovely shower when it's finished, hopefully! | 0:26:20 | 0:26:24 | |
And Bea couldn't be more thrilled as she finds herself the proud owner | 0:26:24 | 0:26:28 | |
of a swanky wet room. | 0:26:28 | 0:26:29 | |
I've been without it now for three weeks and now I can get clean again! | 0:26:29 | 0:26:33 | |
It's delightful to have it finally finished. | 0:26:33 | 0:26:36 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:27:02 | 0:27:04 |