Mower Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic. The couple I'm off to meet have lived in this house for 50 years,

so no doubt they've accumulated lots of interesting items.

But will they want to part with any of it?

'Coming up on Cash In The Attic: Jonty looks for hidden gems in our couple's record collection.'

-Got any Aled Jones in there?

-No!

-He wasn't even born then!

-You say all the right things.

'We discover the secret of staying together for over 60 years.'

Do what your wife tells you. You can't lose.

'And at auction, a blast from the past exceeds all expectations.'

-That's £110 more than Jonty said.

-Isn't that wonderful?

'Find out what happens when the hammer falls.'

Today I'm in Surrey to meet Jack and Francisca, a couple in their 80s

who hope to raise money for an important charity.

Jack and Francisca Mower have been happily married since 1947.

After she fled her home in Czechoslovakia, she met Jack and they've been together ever since.

Jack worked for BOAC - British Overseas Airways Corporation, for those of us who don't remember -

and over the years he and Francisca have become world travellers as well as keen animal lovers,

so Francisca is thinking of donating part of the earnings to an animal shelter.

Today I'm joined by expert Jonty Hearnden, with over 25 years in antiques and collectables.

He'll help us dig up the treasures that we need to take to auction.

Now I'll go and meet our hosts.

So this is where I find you! Lovely to see you. How are you?

-Fine, thank you.

-Who have we got here?

-This is Lacey.

-He is my best friend!

-Is he?

-This is Lacey and this is Laurel.

-They're my wife's favourite children.

-Aw, they're lovely.

-Lacey's nearly nine

-and this one's eight.

-And how old are you two? Can I ask?

-I'm 85.

Francisca is 84. And we've been married 63 years.

You've lived here for so many years. You must have so many treasures.

The place is cluttered with them.

We've been round the world.

I've been three times, she's been twice.

Everywhere we go, she buys stuff. And we are cluttered.

Everywhere you look! How much do you hope to raise?

We don't really have an aim set, but if we raise, say, £300,

Francie will probably give a lot of it to her favourite charities.

But she told me last night she wants to start horse riding again! At 84!

-You want to start horse riding?

-I used to do a lot as a youngster.

-Well, we're not alone. Jonty is here to help us, so shall we get on with the rummage?

-This way, darling.

-Ah, Jonty!

-Hello there.

-What have you found?

-Three cigarette cases.

One looks to be solid silver.

I'm looking for any markings on these other two, but I can't see anything to say they are silver,

-which makes a difference on price.

-Are these yours?

This was a present from mother-in-law to father-in-law. I never met him, of course, in 1929.

OK, let's look at this one first. This is the solid silver one.

If we look at the decoration,

we've got this lovely, interesting blue trim on the outside.

There's a mark on the inside here that says this is silver,

-but have a look here. It says, "Mili," with the date 12.9.29.

-Who's Mili?

The mother-in-law's name was Emily, but the family called her Mili.

There's another inscription here.

Take a look at this.

And here we have a date of 1914. And this is Thilde.

-Who is...?

-Thilde was, apparently, my father-in-law's first girlfriend.

-Ohhh!

-Ah!

And I don't know how it all happened, but that was 1914.

-There's probably another girlfriend in the next one!

-That'll be Jack's!

She must have been a cheapskate. No marks say this is silver.

So this one's much nicer.

Mama only ever had the best.

This is probably what they call in Europe white metal.

We all call it white metal. If they are silver, it's a huge difference.

To give you some sense of value, this, because it's silver, is worth probably more

-than these two other items.

-Would you put them all together?

-Yes.

-How much?

-We're looking at about £40-£60 at auction.

-Wow.

-You happy with that?

-They're only in the cupboard.

-Great. Put them in the sale.

-We're getting closer to her getting on that horse! Let's carry on.

-This way, guys.

'£40-£60 is a modest amount towards a trip to the stables, so we'd better keep our eyes peeled.

'Francisca's happy for me to nose around the bedroom,

where I find a 1970s rhinestone necklace

'with matching earrings and bracelet. Originally, rhinestones were crystals from the Rhine river.

'After coating the underside with metal, they became a perfect imitation for the diamond.

'Jonty thinks this set will spark some interest at £30-£50.

'Now it's a little early for cocktails, don't you think? Or is it another great find?'

I've noticed that not only do you have one cocktail shaker, but there's three others here.

-Why have you got four?

-I collected them.

I knew a lady in Kingston Market with a stall and she used to go and buy when big houses shut up.

Every time I asked her if she has a cocktail shaker to keep it for me. And she did.

I wanted to have a look at this one. I'll put this one down.

This one is Mappin and Webb, which was very nice indeed.

They were jewellers to the Royal Family. They're all silver-plated, which makes sense.

A very nice little stamp to have. And the label, the stamp is upside down here.

It says one and a quarter pints.

They're all roughly the same age because the age of cocktails was the 1920s and 1930s.

-What's your favourite cocktail? Or have you never used these?

-No, I don't like cocktails!

That's the reason why you bought them all!

-I collect all sorts of things. I'm a bit of a hoarder.

-Are you?

Well, can you now let these go?

-Somebody else can make use of it.

-Well, at auction for the four,

we're looking at £40-£60. You're not shaken or stirred?

No, not shaken or stirred.

'As we continue rummaging we haven't a moment to waste to reach their £300 target.

'It looks like Jonty's been sent to the dog house,

'but he still comes up trumps with this large Victorian meat platter.

'Francisca thinks it's time for someone else to enjoy this.

'Jonty hopes collectors will bite with a price of £30-£50.'

You're constantly smiling and very happy together. How did you meet?

Very briefly, we met through the RAF Club in Vienna.

Francie had been smuggled in to Vienna to her Austrian aunt.

I was with the RAF.

She came to the club on Valentine's Day, 14th February, 1946,

to see if there was any mail. I was waiting for a girlfriend who hadn't turned up.

-She chased me then till I caught her.

-I did chase him AND catch him!

-It was meant to be.

-Absolutely fate.

-You've had a very happy, busy life.

-Yeah, we have.

-What I like about you two is your get up and go. You still travel the world.

You've been three times round the world. And you like travelling by train?

We do two big trips every year.

-To the Far East.

-The year before last, we flew to Singapore,

then took the Orient Express to Bangkok. That is something everybody should do!

-That was really a highlight.

-Dare I ask, where next?

Well, at the moment we should be in Australia. From last Friday.

But because of Francie's hearing problem and my DVC we've cancelled it.

So we won't be going anywhere on our tickets this year.

But...but...he doesn't know it yet, we're going to Los Angeles before the end of the month

-because the ticket runs out on 31st March.

-Right! How do you feel about that, Jack?

People say, "You've been married 63 years. How do you achieve it?"

And I say do what your wife tells you. You can't lose.

'Yes, I do exactly the same thing. Jonty's making steady progress and Jack's found a furry friend,

'but somehow I don't think this guy responds to "Sit!".

'Made by Steiff, this stuffed toy poodle is a long way from Germany.

'In the early 1900s, Steiff was known not only for lovable dogs

'but close to a million teddy bears.

'Jonty thinks this old boy will find a new best friend for £20-£30.

'Now Francisca's vinyl collection.'

Guys, come and have a look at this.

-What a record collection you've got!

-Yes.

-Oh, look.

-Sgt Pepper.

-They look brand new.

-Absolutely.

-Never been on a turntable.

-How come?

I worked for EMI.

I worked for EMI from 1947 until 1963.

It's a real collection. You've got the Vienna Boys Choir, Elvis...

-Any Aled Jones in there?

-No.

-He wasn't even born then!

-You say all the right things.

-What are you trying to do to me?

-1950s and 1960s.

-I wasn't even thought of then.

-This looks like it really has never been played, as you said.

-None.

Because this is in such good condition, this album is probably worth more money

than the rest put together. It's such an iconic album.

When it comes to valuing it, first it has to be in good condition.

Let's look on the inside. If I take this out,

we've got a little art-designed sleeve here.

That's important to have.

It's also important to have the original sleeve.

-Brilliant condition!

-Perfect.

Let's talk money. How much for a collection like this?

I suggest we put it in as one lot.

Value? £40-£60 probably just for this album.

Are you sure there's no Aled Jones albums? That makes it worth more.

£40-£60, let's end it right there!

Not bad, but we need to carry on. Follow me.

'Yes, very funny, Jonty.

'No record of mine would be unused! Unlike this carving set that looks practically brand new.

'Jack received it 30 years ago from an appreciative boss.

'Jonty thinks someone else might like it for £20-£30.

'Francisca's also been busy drumming up a 1960s punch bowl with two matching vases.

'A friend gave this set to her when she was in Austria.

'Jonty thinks a fair price would be £20-£30.

'We know Jack worked in the airline industry, so it's no surprise to find airline memorabilia.'

Jack, tell me about this collection.

Well, I suppose having worked for BOAC for 34 years,

one collects these things.

When I was travelling a lot, I'd put these in my briefcase

as a sort of, let's say, bribe to make sure that people remembered I'd been there

and they'd promised me business.

And just left them those as a thank you.

-We're looking at a sea of bribes!

-Yeah!

-There's all sorts of things. Clocks, ladies powder compacts.

-That's extraordinary.

Can we look at a few of these? This is a BOAC compact!

-Can you imagine an airline giving this away?

-Not now.

-These were only on the aircraft for First Class passengers.

-That makes sense, doesn't it?

This is an object I find absolutely fascinating.

A Wedgwood blue Jasperware tray,

but on the inside here we've got the bluebird emblem of BOAC.

Where was that from?

I think, if I remember rightly,

they were specially made for first-class passengers

on what we called the Monarch Service,

which was from London to New York.

Well, it will certainly attract buyers who are interested in aviational history,

of which there are many, and if you've got yet more to add to the collection,

it is worth selling at auction,

but we're roughly looking at £40 to £60 here.

-It all goes into the pot.

-It all helps.

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

Get my wife back on her horse!

'We haven't much time left to find many more items,

'so we need to scour every nook and cranny if we want to make Francisca's wishes a reality.

'Luckily, Jonty's discovered a promising item that's been in front of us all along.'

Look what I've found you! A piano stool.

-Did you know it was a piano stool?

-Yeah.

What happened to the piano?

Where we were lodging when we first came home after the war,

the people next door were emigrating to Australia on the £10 deal.

-Would you be sad to see it go?

-You can't keep everything, can you?

-No.

It'll give you more room up here, darling. It's always so cluttered up here.

It's a mahogany duet stool, mahogany frame.

And it was made roughly about 100 years ago, so probably just before the First World War.

If you lift the seat up here like so,

you can see the original colour of the timber.

Everything else has faded naturally and that's what happens

when you expose an object like this into relatively strong sunlight.

Is this an item of furniture or is it for a music lover?

It's a piece of furniture that can go anywhere. It's quite versatile.

You can imagine it at the foot of a bed, as a telephone table,

so it's a useful bench/duet stool

which can be used for a piano,

and under there store all your sheet music.

-How much money would this raise at auction?

-As it needs a bit of work,

we're looking at £40 to £60 at the auction sale.

That's it. We've found all our items and if we take Jonty's lowest estimates and add them all together,

you're looking at around £320.

Oh, fantastic. I don't know what we'll do with it all!

-You'll give some to charity and let's hope you get back on a horse.

-Two weeks' shopping!

That's always a good idea as well! Thanks for all your energy and your fun. Really nice seeing you.

-Next time, we'll see you at the auction. Fingers crossed, we'll get that 320.

-That'd be good.

'It's been a long day of rummaging,

'but I think we've come up with some real treasures.

'Let's hope we get those bidding cards waving

'with Francisca's record collection featuring a pristine Beatles album.

'At £40 to £60, it's a must-have for any music fanatic.

'At £30 to £50, Francisca's costume jewellery should make a stylish impression on our bidders.

'And there's Jack's collection of BOAC memorabilia.

'Any aviation enthusiasts in the room should snatch that up for £40 to £60.

'Find out how much money these and the Mowers' other items will raise come auction day.

'Still to come on Cash In The Attic, Jack's not happy with some of the bidders' offers.'

-That was disgusting.

-At least they've gone!

'And some of the items bring out Francisca's colourful side.'

-I'm tickled pink!

-Tickled pink? Is that what you look like when you're tickled pink?

'Find out what happens when the hammer falls.'

It's just over a week since I met up with Jack and Francisca at their lovely home in Surrey.

Like most people their age, they've accumulated a ton of items,

some of which we've brought to Chiswick Auction Rooms.

We're hoping to raise £300 for Francisca's favourite charity.

Let's hope the bidders are in here when their items go under the hammer.

'The saleroom is always a popular haunt for dealers of antiques and collectables.

'Our expert Jonty is already here, casting an eye over Jack and Francisca's items.'

I knew I'd find you admiring your own reflection!

-Fancy a cocktail?

-Yeah. Why not? I didn't see these at their house.

In the house with Francisca, I found four, but we've got five now, which is very good news.

-They're lovely.

-I know. I put £40 to £60 on the four,

but that should be more than that because we've got five.

'There's me thinking Jonty couldn't count!

'If you'd like to raise money at auction, note that houses usually charge a commission fee that varies

'from saleroom to saleroom, so enquire in advance.

'We're almost ready to begin, but one item has not made it to the auction.'

-How are you, guys? Lovely to see you.

-Hello!

-Nice to see you.

-Good to see you.

What's all this about you not bringing the duet stool?

-It's too complicated.

-OK.

-Right now, there are only things which we can carry.

-The stool was a great big, clumsy thing.

-Too big to bring.

Not only that, she's now bought a piano, which is downstairs, and she's having lessons

and she thinks it will be better for the teacher to sit next to her.

Sit next to me.

I don't believe that. I think it's all to do with the fact that you've got nowhere to store those shoes!

That actually as well.

I'm turning into Imelda.

'You're never too old to learn to play the piano,

'but with the duet stool gone,

we're down on our original estimate by £40,

'so I hope that won't spoil their chances of making that £300 target.

'First up is the 1960s punch bowl with matching vases

'which Jonty valued at between £20 to £30.'

£10 to start me? £10 I'm bid.

Take 12 now? £10. 12 if you like? 10. 12. 14?

At £12 only I'm bid. Take 14? Are we all done? I'll sell it at £12.

Seems cheap, but £12 it is.

-I think somebody got a bargain there.

-They did.

'That's not a great start for Jack and Francisca.

'Let's hope the cocktail shakers bring better luck.

'And, as Jonty told us earlier, Francisca's found another one.'

I'm pleased you found that extra cocktail shaker.

I put £40 to £60 just on the four.

But on the five, it should be a lot more than that, so let's hope that we do better, yeah?

£20, start me? £20 I'm bid. Take 5? At 25. 30.

5. 40. 5? At £40 there. 5 there.

50. 5. 60? At £55 at the back of the room.

55. Take 60 now? At £55. All done and selling at 55... 60, new money.

70. 5?

At £70, still the original bidder. I'll sell it at 70. Last chance...

-£70.

-£70.

-£70 - makes up for the punch bowl.

-Absolutely.

'Sold for £70, this collection of cocktail shakers

'will make a lovely addition to someone's home bar.

'Next up is the carving set. It's in pristine condition and valued at £20 to £30.

'Surely a buyer will snap this up.'

The next lot is a carving set

that looks like it's never been used. Am I correct?

-It hasn't been used.

-It was a present.

That's good. Dealers can see that,

-so they should be interested.

-Let's hope so.

I'm already bid in two places. I'm starting at £20. £25.

I'll take 30 in the room? 30 there. 35. 40. Your £40 bid. Take 45 now?

At £40 in the middle of the room. I'll sell it at £40. Last chance...

-£40.

-£40.

'Another item that's exceeded Jonty's highest estimate.

'They might make up the money lost by not including that duet stool.

'The costume jewellery is up next

and Francisca has decided to throw in a string of pearls as well.'

All done, £65, good bid...

'Someone will be looking glamorous out on the town.

'Next up is the collection of LPs, including a mint copy

'of The Beatles' classic 1967 Sergeant Pepper's album.

'Surely this would be an asset for any record collector.'

At £10 for the LPs? No bids of £10. Shall I pass it?

No interest at £10? Not sold then.

No interest at £10? £10 bid. I'll sell it to you at £10...

-216...

-Oh, that's disappointing!

-£10, is that all?

-£10.

-For all the records?

-Yes.

-That was disgusting.

-At least they've gone.

'Jack's disappointed, but Francisca is delighted to clear some clutter,

'so someone else's bargain is to their gain.'

It's half-time. You wanted to raise £300 for charity and maybe so you can get back on that horse,

-although maybe you should just...

-I'm getting back on that horse.

-OK, fair enough. You wanted £300.

I can say at this halfway stage, you've raised £197.

So you're well over halfway.

-Very good, considering the records went for a song.

-Exactly.

They were very disappointing.

You should be a TV presenter saying that. "The records went for a song!"

'Despite the disappointing sale of the records, Jack and Francisca are on their way to that £300 target.

'Next up is the Steiff poodle.'

What shall we say on this one? £10, surely? Good home for £10?

£10 start me for the poodle? Can I go to 5? How cheeky can I be?

No bids at £5. I'll pass the lot.

-No bid at all.

-Coming home with you.

'Jack and Francisca will have to give this old fella his room back.

'The Wedgwood meat platter fails to serve up much interest either,

selling for just £20.'

Sold, £20.

'If this trend continues, they may be in danger of failing to make that £300 target.

'The cigarette cases were valued at £40 to £60.

'Only one of them is silver,

so will that affect what the bidders will pay?'

-I've got three bids.

-Three bids already.

-£40.

At £40. I'm bid 45 there. 50. 5? £50. I'll take 5 now? 55, new money.

I'll take 60? At £55 at the back of the room.

60, new place. And 5. 70. £70 there. And 5 if you like?

It's going up.

All done? £70 and selling...

-£70.

-I'm tickled pink!

-Is that what you look like when you're tickled pink? She's tickled pink!

'I am too! It shows that although smoking is no longer popular,

'smoking memorabilia still is.

'Our final item is Jack's collection of BOAC memorabilia

'from his years in the business.

'There can't be many collections like this.'

-This will be a bit bittersweet, seeing all this go?

-No, I've had it a long time.

-And you still fly around the world.

-We've got lots left.

-We've got loads left.

-Let's see how well it does.

I've got two identical bids of £40. I'll take 5 in the room?

-Straight in at 40.

-And 5. Your bid of £55. I'll take 60?

60 there. And 5. 70. 5. 80. 5. 90. 5.

-100.

-100!

-110. 120. 130. 140. 150. 160?

No. £150, your bid. I'll take 160?

160 there. 170. 180?

£170, back with my original bidder at £170. All done, I'll sell it...

-£170! How about that?

-That's £110 more than Jonty said.

-Isn't that wonderful?

-£170!

'What a terrific price to end the day on! That's more than double our highest estimate and just in time

'as it's time to find out if they've made that £300 target.'

When we met up this morning and you'd arrived without that duet stool,

Jonty and I were thinking,

"Oh, goodness, are we going to get to that £300 mark?"

-The auction's over and I can tell you that you've done remarkably well. You can smile.

-I am!

Do you know how much money you've raised?

You've raised £457.

-That is terrific.

-Well done.

-Considering how the records were...

-Exactly.

-..a failure.

That's very, very good.

It's been worth all the effort.

-You'll be able to get your bum on that horse after all.

-I will, I will.

'Having raised £457, Francisca will be able to give some of the money to her favourite charities,

'as well as allowing her to get back into the saddle.

'Until then, she seems happy to concentrate on her other animals.'

We're very happy. Francie's charities will benefit.

We'll have to work out who's going to get what

and if her riding school is happy, she will at least get one riding lesson in her old age.

The only question will be how to get on. I know how to get off!

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