Evans, S. Cash in the Attic

Hello and welcome to the programme that helps make dreams come true.

We find hidden gems around people's homes, then we value them,

take them to auction and raise the money.

But I think we're all a bit guilty of hoarding far too much stuff.

So it's only when you come to do a little bit of a clear-out

that all those memories come flooding back.

And it's those stories that make looking for cash in the attic

a really enjoyable experience.

Today on Cash In The Attic,

it's confession time about a Victorian painting.

-It didn't match this one in particular?

-No, not at all.

-What happened to it?

-I broke it.

Shock, horror, Susan! Oh, my goodness!

On auction day, a last-minute addition causes a flurry of bidding.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, 11 bids.

-Wow!

-Find out what happens when the hammer falls.

Now, today, I'm in Irchester in Northamptonshire.

And we're going to be meeting a couple called Brian and Susan,

and they want to convert the money they make on Cash In The Attic

into preserving their family history for future generations.

And I'm told that they absolutely love being in their garden.

Susan and Brian Evans have been married for 36 years.

They have two sons and three grandchildren.

Brian's mother Dot lived with them for the last 25 years,

in a large four-bedroomed house but when she died last year,

they downsized into a smaller property, to this bungalow.

Even so, they have boxes of items belonging to Brian's mother

still lying around the place,

and they've asked us to help to sort through them.

Joining me with the search is Paul Hayes,

and while he gets the hunt under way, I go in search of our hosts.

Well, well, well, I find Susan and Brian hard at work in the garden.

-How are you doing?

-OK, not bad at all.

-Excellent.

We're really pleased to be here as a team, but why have you

called in Cash In The Attic?

We've got too much for a small bungalow, after having downsized

from a nice big four bedroomed terraced house.

How much money, in an ideal world, would you like to raise?

£500 would be a nice amount.

And how would you spend that money?

We haven't done an official portrait

-since my oldest son was three years old.

-And how old is he now?

33.

I think it's about time you did it.

-Yes!

-I'm going to take you inside to do a lot of work.

-Right!

-Shall we go in?

Sorting through the belongings of a recently departed relative

can be a really daunting task, but luckily we have an expert on hand.

Paul was born into the antique business

and it hasn't taken him long to spot something that could be a big hit.

-Hello.

-Meet Susan, the lady of the house.

-Hello, Susan.

What have you found already?

I've found one of my favourite items, a crystoleum, this is a nice example.

I have never heard that word, crystoleum.

Crystal being the glass, a glass picture. So if you're the artist,

you have to work from this side of the glass,

so what you see on the front is what you get.

It's really difficult, because if you're actually painting something

you have to get colours in the right order,

-you can't go back and re-alter it.

-So is this worth a bit of money?

It is, I think this has been part of a pair,

they call it the Serenade or the Proposal,

that was the idea with the Victorians, they're all for symmetry.

Was there another one?

There was another one, but the other picture was very different.

The other was a girl, a dancing girl, in a nice,

flounced, coloured skirt.

-It didn't match this one in particular?

-No, not at all.

-What happened to it?

-I broke it.

Shock, horror, Susan, oh, my goodness, you broke it!

-Yes, it got broken.

-How much you reckon, Paul?

It's a nice subject.

I mean, if I said around £50, £50 to £60, I mean, there are another couple

of pictures around that I've seen,

if we put them in as a lot for that sort of price and give them a chance

at the auction, how does that sound?

-What do you think, Susan?

-That's good, yes.

You could have had another 50 quid if you hadn't broken that.

I could have done!

Tut tut. Susan takes Paul's advice and finds

three other pictures to make up the lot -

two woodland scenes with stags,

and a painted panel of roses all were created by Brian's grandmother.

This collection of brass toasting forks

started when Brian found one of them in the garden of their last house.

He liked it so much that he started to collect them.

Each handle is very decorative,

and Paul reckons they could spark some interest at auction.

While Susan continues her search of the house,

the rest of us have headed

to the garage, where many of Brian's mum's possessions have been stored.

Hey, look at this.

-Ah-ha!

-Isn't that fabulous?

D'you know what, my granny used to have one of those.

It's got a lemon-squeezer, and these would have been what,

-cocktail sticks?

-Exactly, yes.

All intact. It's fantastic, and who did this belong to, Brian?

This actually belonged to my father. And we bought it in the '50s.

And do you remember it being all stocked with glasses and everything?

Oh, yes, loads of glasses in there, and all the booze underneath.

I doubt if there's any booze underneath now, but...

Under lock and key.

No, absolutely empty, but you've got the racking for the bottles.

-That's right.

-The 1930's tends to be the golden age of these items.

It's a time where people were dispensing with their maids

and their servants, more people were

having their own bars and serving themselves.

-And of course, the age of the cocktail.

-Assessment, Paul?

Yes, these really went out of fashion.

I saw these in the 1990's, nobody wanted them.

But this retro look is really in fashion.

It reminds me of the Austin Powers days, or Hercule Poirot,

the good times, really, and the nice entertaining times.

Quite saleable, if I said around the £50 mark...?

-That's good.

-Happy with that, Brian?

-Yes, very well.

-Bottoms up?

-Bottoms up.

Well, I hope there's a groovy 1960's type there at auction day,

someone who's keen on snowballs.

Back indoors, Paul's discovered two hallmarked

silver pocket watches that belonged to Brian's maternal grandfather.

One of them has an open face, the other is called a full hunter,

which has a cover to protect the face from damage.

They're both early 20th century,

and Paul puts an estimate of £60-£80 on them.

Going by Paul's lowest estimates so far,

we stand to raise £180 at auction.

But you know what? I'll keep that figure to myself for the moment.

Now, Susan, I have it on very good authority

that you are a very artistic lady.

Because you do stained glass stuff, don't you?

Yes, I do. I love doing it, but it's murder on your fingers and nails.

Did you do the window in the bathroom?

-Yes, I did.

-That is beautiful.

What's the process of doing it?

You have to mark all the glass out first, and then cut it.

Would you draw it on paper first of all, the design?

Yes, to the right size as well.

Beautiful, I love it.

How hard has it been for you having your mother-in-law?

No matter how nice a mother-in-law is, it's quite tough

having responsibility for all those years.

Yes, it was nice to have her here for her experience and her life.

She helped look after the boys when they were young,

so I worked.

You must have fed her the right food, though, because she lived

-to become what, 93?

-Yes.

-Fantastic.

-I hope somebody looks after me like that.

Drop a note to your sons.

Only thing is, you're slacking and enjoying that sit-down, haven't you?

-We've got to get back to work.

-Right, OK.

-Come with me.

-I think we'll go this way.

-Right.

Brian's discovered a 19th century portrait brooch.

It's painted on porcelain, with a gilt border, and it belonged

to his paternal grandmother.

Paul reckons it should attract £30-£50 at auction.

Brian's family certainly had a good eye, and I wonder what

little gem will turn up next.

-Paul, what about these?

-Let's have a look.

So what have we found here, then, some medals?

Oh, Masonic medals.

No, these aren't Masonic, these are

the Royal Antediluvian Order of the Buffaloes.

-So, who was in the Buffaloes?

-Brian's grandfather.

They are very similar to the Masonic Lodge.

They're a charitable organisation, they do

a lot of good in the community and they look after their fellow members.

So once you're in the Buffaloes, if anything happens to you,

they will rally round and help you out.

They were established in the late 19th century.

What you're looking for are silver examples.

That one's just a base metal, I can tell that straightaway.

But this one is solid silver.

-But this masonic one is Fattorini.

-Have you heard of Fattorinis? No.

They were an Italian family, they were massive retailers in the north

of England, and they sold barometers, medals, clocks, all of that sort

of thing. So that's a good box. Ah, it's a tie pin.

Here we go. At one point this would have had a Masonic medal in here.

-So this tie pin doesn't actually go with the box.

-Oh, right.

-So whose was this?

-Brian's father.

But that's solid gold, so that's a nice, desirable item, isn't it?

-They're not sentimental to Brian at all?

-No, not at all.

If I said sort of £40-£60, how does that sound?

That sounds good.

-And do I get a medal for being the best expert today?

-Definitely.

Oh, he loves it!

The Order of Buffaloes,

a bit like the Freemasons, has been going for about 200 years.

As the search of Susan and Brian's home continues,

I find something else that belonged to Brian's maternal grandmother.

It's a 1920s Silvertone melodeon accordion.

I wonder if she used to play it, unlike me?

At £20 to £30, let's hope this estimate appeals to the bidders.

Now, we're doing very well today, but hold your horses, Susan,

it's too soon to pop open the champagne, or even stop for a cuppa.

Ah, now, then, look at that lot. Wow!

These are all gold. Whose is all this?

That was my grandfather's on my father's side.

And he gave that to me when I was very young.

Is this his initials here?

Well, DR Evans, it's got on it.

I'm not sure what the R stands for, possibly Rhys, I should think.

This is an Albert chain, named after Prince Albert, Victoria's husband.

And the idea was, you'd wear your pocket watch on your waistcoat.

So you'd have this T-bar here which would go through your button hook,

you'd have your clasp at the end

where you would hang your watch on, and it would look very attractive.

And the everyday man would have a silver one.

For best, you'd have gold, like this one. You've a lady's bracelet too?

That was the grandmother's.

Now, I didn't actually know her, she died when my father was very young.

-So there's no sentiment here, happy to get rid of them?

-None whatsoever.

Well, this is going to really bump your target up, I can see easily £250

up to maybe £400, how does that sound?

That sounds very good.

Brian has certainly inherited some wonderful mementos from his family.

And here's another one -

an 1880's Japanese occasional table, carved with lotus flowers.

It belonged to Brian's grandmother, who was a seamstress.

She kept it in her shop, apparently,

as a place for clients to put down their elegant hats.

Paul values it at a very respectable £80-£120.

We're getting a really good sense of Brian's ancestors today,

and it's fascinating to hear the stories behind the pieces.

Paul, are you around?

-We are, yes.

-Look at these gorgeous plates.

-Ah, now, these are lovely.

Can I have a look?

-Yeah.

-They're not actually plates, they're chargers,

they go on the wall.

So they're not really designed to be eaten off.

But these are very good indeed.

They're a range called Crown Ducal. The name comes really from regal,

they try to make it sound very posh, Ducal.

Ducal!

But they employed some of the best artists.

-Do you know who this artist is?

-No.

I can tell straight away. Charlotte Rhead.

That's her signature and she was mega-famous working at that time.

She's on a par with Clarice Cliff

-and Susie Cooper.

-Oh, gosh, she's as famous as they are?

As famous as them, yes. But she perfected the use

of tube lining, which is a type of decoration, and the way it's done

is almost like icing a cake.

She'd come along, and she'd do a very thick outline of the

particular design, and then fill in the colours afterwards,

a bit like painting by numbers. If these went to auction, if I said,

around the 150 mark, how does that sound, sort of 120-150?

That's very good.

I'm gobsmacked myself!

-That is terrific, isn't it?

-Fabulous, they're works of art.

Well, that helps my total.

You wanted £500 so that you could have this wonderful portrait taken

and lots of good records of all the children and everything.

Well, you haven't got the £500.

No...

-But you have got 720!

-That's good!

Are you pleased with that?

-Very pleased.

-That's brilliant.

What a fantastic result - thanks to the treasures from Brian's family.

And here's a reminder of the most interesting ones.

His grandmother's 19th century porcelain brooch.

It should certainly draw some interest.

There's also her gold bracelet and her husband's gold watch chain.

This would help Brian and Susan reach their target in no time.

And the walnut veneer cocktail cabinet which his dad bought.

The style is certainly in vogue at the moment.

This could well be snapped up.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic -

those stag paintings inspire Paul's fine sense of humour.

They weren't "too dear" in the end, were they?

Dreadful! And which of the Evans' items causes this reaction?

Sorry, guys.

£10, anywhere?

Let's hope it's a happy ending.

Brian and Susan's items are being sold at Bamford's auctioneers

in Derby. Remember they're looking to raise £500 for a family portrait.

Sadly, I can't be there, but they're in the very capable

hands of our expert Paul,

who's making last-minute checks with the auctioneer.

What do make of our items, anything in particular that stands out?

I've got a feeling you don't know about this one, do you?

No, I didn't, actually, they found that in the house after, go on.

We had a nice conservative estimate

of 40-60, but with this I think we're looking at nearer £200 now.

Because all the others that you saw were silver.

-This one's a nine-carat, have a look.

-Oh, right, OK, got you.

Fantastic and that's made a difference, has it?

Gold is so buoyant at the moment, we just can't get enough of it.

So even this little tiny piece

here I think is going to be worth at least £150.

So, 200-220, something around there.

I think the family will be absolutely made up with that.

That bumps up our target. I know the auction will start again in a minute.

-Great to see you again, James.

-And you.

-Won't keep you any longer.

-Bye.

Since Brian and Susan are unaware of the value of the medal,

Paul is very keen to break the good news.

Now then, you two.

Lovely to see you.

-Thanks for coming, exciting, isn't it?

-Very exciting.

I've got some good news for you, actually.

-The Masonic medals, you know those Buffalo medals?

-Yes.

You found another medal after we left the house, is that right?

-Yes.

-Originally I said between £40 and £60.

The auctioneer has put that lot in at between £200 and £250.

-That's good.

-That's surprising.

-Is that all right?

-That is really good, yes.

Come on, let's take our places.

The new addition to their lots means that on Paul's lower estimate,

Susan and Brian could now make £880 -

just the ticket for setting up

those professional family photographs that they're so keen on.

The first of their lots is the Victorian crystoleum,

priced at £50-£60.

It goes with an alabaster picture and two other paintings.

Now, where did these all come from?

-Brian's grandmother.

-Yeah, from my grandmother, she painted them all.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-That's amazing, isn't it?

-Many years back.

So we're looking for about £50.

Two bids. At 35, 40,

do I see? 55, 60...

Against you, at 55...

That's good, isn't it?

At £55, and 60 now? At 55, all sure? That's great, isn't it?

-That's exactly what you wanted. Are you happy with that?

-Yeah.

They weren't "two dear" in the end.

I knew I shouldn't have left Paul in charge - always the joker.

But he was right with his estimate there.

The next lot is that collection of gold and silver Buffalo medals

and gold tie-pin.

We're hoping for between £200 and £220. So let's see how they do.

I've got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight,

-nine, ten, 11 bids.

-Wow!

-And I can start it at £170.

At 170... The lady has bid 180.

190. 200, 210, 220. 230...

230 in the cap, 240.

At 230, in the cap, right at the back.

At £230, any advance?

Wonderful.

That's fantastic, it just goes to show that one medal

made all that difference.

You haven't got any more in the cupboard, have you?!

That was a fantastic result.

I'm not sure if the medals that were collectible or the gold,

but it made just under half their target in one go.

Next up, is that fabulous walnut cocktail cabinet,

which belonged to Brian's father.

Originally I said between £40 and £60, and I'm standing by that.

Hopefully someone will agree with me,

but you're happy if it fetches less than that?

You don't want to take it home?

No!

Here we are, classic 1950's, and £40, do I see?

£40 somewhere?

Nice bit of '50s walnut, 30, then.

He's trying, he's really trying.

£10, who wants it?

£10, anywhere? Sorry, guys.

£10, anywhere?

Oh dear!

No, not sold, I'm afraid.

Oh, no!

Uh-oh. He may not want to take it home,

but Brian and Susan will probably be looking forward to a cocktail

by the time this is all over.

Now, I wonder how their next lot will fare.

It's the two Charlotte Rhead Crown Ducal chargers,

which have an estimate of £120 to £150.

-There's a reserve on this. How much for?

-£100.

-Was that for any particular reason?

-Just so that they

don't go too cheap.

I'd rather have them on the wall than go for nothing.

And I can start the bidding with one, two, three, four bids on it.

-Four bids already.

-Four very, very close. 95, 100 now?

At 95, 105, 110.

That's excellent.

120 where? At £110, down the centre.

130, 140, 150.

-Come on!

-170, 180, 190. One more?

185? At 180...

That sounds like a darts score.

Any advance?

At 180...

Hey, 180!

-How's that, is that amazing?

-It's good.

It's really good.

£30 over Paul's top estimate is a great result for those two chargers.

Now, will the bidders like Brian and Susan's next offering?

It's the 19th century porcelain brooch with a gilt border.

And it's up for £30 to £50.

Pretty little lot, this one.

And 1870, 1880 or so. And £25 bid.

At 25, 28 and 30.

It's against you at £30. 32 now.

At £30.

-32, sir, 35...

-35!

Are we all done at £35?

-38, sir.

-New bidder, here we go.

And 40 now. New place.

At £38, any advance?

There you go.

That's quite exciting,

-isn't it?

-Just about bang in the middle of the estimate.

Brian and Susan's lot seemed to be a big hit with the bidders.

If you'd like to try your hand at the auction game, do bear in mind

that there are charges to be paid, including commission.

These can vary from one sale room to another, so it's always worth

inquiring in advance.

It's the silver pocket watches now,

with a price in the catalogue of £60-£80.

And where shall we start it? £40, please.

40 bid, 45, 50. And five now?

-Come on.

-At £50, 55, do I see?

55? At 50. Five with me,

60, at 55, it remains with me at 55.

60 anywhere?

-Can I sell it at that?

-Yes, I think so, yes.

55, thank you. Absentee bid, at £55.

Below estimate but selling.

There you go, just below the estimate. That's the two watches, 55.

But that's the way auctions go,

you sometimes get a bit of a dip but you can make it back.

That's all right.

That's the kind of attitude I like to hear.

Brian and Susan are obviously not too disappointed

by that slightly under-par result.

Next up, are those 16 brass toasting forks which Brian collected.

Their price here is £30-£50, and they're snapped up for...

At 32...

£2 over the lower estimate.

And when Brian's grandmother's Silvertone accordion comes up

for £20-£30...

Any advance, at 22?

£22, how's that?

-Is that all right with you?

-Yes.

That's music to my ears.

It, too, hits the right note

with the bidders, going for £2 over the lower estimate.

Brian and Susan's next lot is that heavily-carved table

which Brian's grandmother kept in her dressmaker's shop.

This one had a specific use, didn't it?

Yes, it was a hat table for people to put their hats on when

they went into the shop, so that they could browse much more easily.

-What period are we looking at there?

-That would have been about 1900.

Wow! So it could be the gentlemen's top hats or the ladies'?

The ladies' hats, yep.

Well, it's certainly a nice example,

and to me it looks Japanese, that Oriental sort of feel to it.

And we're looking at between £80 to £120.

Do I see £80 for it?

70, then, and five now.

Five, do I see? 75, 80.

-With me at 80 now.

-Excellent.

80 anywhere? £75, any advance at 75?

He's done it. OK, there we go.

It's such an attractive table,

and I think £75 is a very reasonable price for it.

So it's time for the Evanses' final lot.

They could be going out with a bang,

because it's another lot of gold. All nine carat.

You've got the watch chain and fob,

the bar brooch with an aquamarine stone, and the bracelet.

Loads of bidding as usual on the gold.

17 bids, and I can start the bidding at £310.

Whoa!

There we go! That's over my estimate already.

320, do I see? 320 the lady has bid, 340, 360, 380, 400.

That's your 400, there you go.

420 has it in the yellow. 430 in the doorway.

440 here. 450, sir. 450, 460, 470.

Yes?

Can't see you. Hiding behind the door now at 460 here. 470, do I see?

-That's amazing.

-Any advance? At 460..

Wow!

-Now, what do you think of that?

-Brilliant.

Isn't it? It just goes to show how gold has rocketed through the roof.

It's exciting. Gold is attracting such high prices

at the moment, and that's been a real boon for Brian and Susan today.

I'm sure they're very keen to know how they've done.

So it's over to you, Paul.

I don't know about you, but I've had a fantastic day.

-Have you enjoyed yourself?

-Yeah.

-It's been a bit up and down.

We won't mention the cocktail cabinet ever again, all right?

That's now gone. But things have added up nicely, actually.

And I'm pleased to tell you that today you've made a total of £1,147.

That's lovely. That's brilliant. That's good.

I think that's fantastic, don't you?

Brilliant.

Susan and Brian are just delighted that their

auction outcome was high enough to pay for the Evans family portrait

that she's wanted for so long.

Son Barry is just as keen as his mum to pose for the camera.

I think it will be really good

to have a picture of all of us together.

And their three granddaughters

seem to be enjoying the entire experience.

I want to see some serious attitude.

Come on!

That's it, hands on hips, that's it.

Grit your teeth. We'll get you girls on the front of Heat magazine yet.

Isn't it wonderful to have all those photographs for the family album?

Better than the ones I had!

It went very well. Very entertaining.

Much better than I thought, yes, definitely.

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