Higgs Cash in the Attic

Hello, and welcome to the show that searches for hidden treasures to sell at auction.

You know what it's like, you go on holiday, you get carried away and bring back those typical souvenirs.

Well, the couple we're meeting today have been doing that for 40 years.

What they really want to know is, is there any cash in their attic?

Coming up on Cash In The Attic, a pair of Staffordshire pugs that prove pedigree costs.

-£40, 40 years ago?

-Yes.

-Wow.

-It was a lot of money.

-LAUGHTER

I think she was mugged.

And some amateur craftsmanship dazzles our expert.

-This is actually made by Len?

-Yeah.

And it's solid silver? I can actually see a hallmark there, too.

At auction, we hit the jackpot with some antique dice.

I reckon you've thrown three sixes there.

That's amazing.

Find out what happens later, on Cash In The Attic.

Well, today I've come to the picturesque Findon in West Sussex

to meet a really adventurous couple

who've called in the Cash In The Attic team

to help them sell souvenirs of both their travels and their hobbies

so they can finance a rather nice stay-at-home treat.

Josie loves her pet pug, and husband Len loves his hobbies.

Together, they have three daughters,

seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Josie and Len were childhood sweethearts,

and met when they were both working at WH Smith's in the 1950s.

Len later went to work for the Daily Mirror

in London's famous Fleet Street.

When he retired in 1989, they moved to their holiday home in Spain,

and they lived there for six years before deciding to move back

to be with their family, who they missed very much.

With a hoard of souvenirs and collectibles purchased over the years,

they now want to clear out the clutter and raise enough money

to buy something the whole family can gather around and enjoy.

Jonty Hearnden is with me today,

and with this lifelong experience of antiques,

he knows just what to look for.

-I can hear a noise that sounds like... Pug dog!

-Hello, how are you?

Hello, lovely! I recognise that noise

because I've got a pug dog and they always sound like they're snoring.

You're lovely! Great to meet her, but I guess that's not why you've called us in!

So, why did you call us?

Er, we'd like to get some money to buy a plasma - I believe it's plasma - television.

And I've got a few odd bits, and I'm hoping Jonty and yourself

will look at them and be able to get me to the target - £300.

-That's a very cheap plasma TV.

-Oh no, we've got some money to add to it.

-Right.

-Just to top it up, and get what we want, we need about £300.

OK, and the items that we'll be looking at, you say you've got quite a lot.

-Is that stuff you've collected or inherited?

-Collected, mainly.

-Um, yeah, over the years...

-I've collected something over the years, as well, called Jonty Hearnden!

-I'm hoping he'll have found something to help us reach that £300 target. Shall we?

-Yes, certainly.

Sniff him out! Where is he?

Well, they certainly have a house filled with all sorts of bits and bobs,

and I'm already feeling confident about raising that £300 towards the new plasma television.

It looks like Jonty's made the first discovery.

-Ah, Jonty!

-Ah!

-Look what I've found.

-Have you found something already?

Something amazing. I've got this treasure chest.

Inside, all that glistens IS gold!

It's wonderful. We've got this lovely, chunky 9-carat gold necklace here.

-9-carat?

-Yes.

-Oh, good.

And we've got one, two other, smaller necklaces,

and a lovely pair of fish earrings.

-Those are 9-carat gold as well...

-Good.

-A lovely, little collection of gold. Can we sell this?

-Definitely.

Is this stuff that you've bought yourself, over the years?

No, my father, he used to work at Covent Garden.

And when he finished work, he used to go to Hatton Garden

and buy little bits of gold, and he got quite friendly with a jeweller,

and he used to sell bits for him.

And anything really nice, he used to show Len and Len used to buy them

and he'd say it would do good in a rainy day.

-And how long ago was that?

-Ooh, 40 years.

He was ahead of his time, then, because there's lots of people

buying and selling gold at the moment, aren't there?

It's so exciting at the moment,

because everyone's trading with gold, and as a consequence,

the market, the price, is just going up and up and up.

-Ooh, good.

-Right now, if you're thinking of selling gold...

-Yes.

..you're hitting it just at the right moment.

When it comes to valuing these items,

we have to be unemotional about them - detached -

because they are sold for their scrap value only.

But just this small amount here, we're now looking at...

-Really?!

-Just for this.

-Good God!

-It's a small amount.

I'd have melted it down a long time ago!

LAUGHTER

-Really?!

-That's a great find.

It is, isn't it?

This collection has certainly been a great investment for them,

and I'm hoping that I have the Midas touch,

spotting this large, oval-frame mirror in the bedroom.

It's not quite as valuable as Jonty's earlier find...

When Len was made redundant from his Fleet Street job,

they bought a plot of land in a town called Miami Playa in Spain, and built a villa.

The next item is a piece of furniture

they bought for the property, but brought back to England.

Did you buy it at a market out there?

No. I bought it in a little shop in where we lived - the town -

and he was the builder.

He decided to go into antiques.

They weren't antiques, they were just second-hand furniture.

How old do you think it is?

19th century, sort of the old-fashioned...

You know, I imagined it sitting up in an old house,

up in the hills in Spain somewhere,

and some old man sat on it, in his room, with candles, and what have you.

Don't say that about Jonty, he gets most upset.

Well, I can see why you might think it's 19th century,

but if you look at those turned legs on the front,

and the serpentine front of that seat,

and if you look at the shape,

it's sort of the shape of a 19th century nursing chair.

-Oh!

-I can see where everyone's coming from.

But certainly, this shape here, of the back,

was never a British design at all.

So of course, it has to be Spanish.

This is Spanish, it's not British.

But the turn on the leg does look 19th century, I grant you.

But it's not. If you look closely at those legs,

looking at the detail there,

that is much more of an interpretation of a 19th century leg

rather than the real McCoy.

But don't worry about that, because some people will buy this chair

because everyone needs a small chair in a bedroom.

-How much did you pay for it?

-£5.

-Fiver, perfect.

-£30 to £50 at auction.

-Wow!

-Good.

-And worth an awful lot more once it's done up,

but let someone else worry about that.

Let somebody else make the profit,

-but for you, that's a great return.

-It is, definitely.

So, will Josie be happy to say adios to that distinctive chair

when it goes before the bidders?

What do we say for this one? £50, do we say?

30 then?

20? 10 for it. What's that, five? Good heavens!

Oh, dear, does it climb back up?

Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten..

Well, it does, but by how much? Find out later.

As our search of Len and Josie's house continues,

Jonty has a good look at the sideboard in the lounge,

and decides to check out this collection of plates.

They were all bought by Josie when they lived in Spain,

and the images are transfer printed rather than hand-painted,

so Jonty values them at:

So, the plates go off to auction,

but how has it been for Len and Josie, moving back from Spain?

I know Jonty's busy and hard at work, but I thought we deserved a bit of a break,

and I wanted to find out, because I know you've been together 50 years, is that right?

-Yes...

-That's marriage.

I think it was probably about six years we were sort of courting.

On and off. We had our moments - yes, no, yes, no.

And that went on for about four, five years, and we've been together ever since.

So, tell me a little bit about the jobs that you've done, Len.

I had a job in Fleet Street as a casual labourer to start with,

but moved into the Daily Mirror

as a night warehouseman for some 10-15 years.

And Jo said to me, "Can't you get onto a day job?"

And I moved onto the day, chauffeuring...which involved...

Not always - sometimes I used to get called to drive Mr Maxwell to a place

when his driver wasn't available.

He would pick on any driver that picked that telephone up...

-Anne Robinson.

-..and answered it. Anne Robinson.

The editor, Stott, at the time. Sometimes Parky - Parkinson.

-And Mother Teresa.

-Mother Teresa.

-Blimey!

-Yeah, and she blessed him.

-She blessed me, yeah.

-Maybe that's why we've...

-I've been good ever since.

Maybe that's why we've got to this old age together.

Let's hope Josie and Len's luck continues

as we currently stand to raise £180 going by the estimates so far.

And it looks like Jonty has seen the light,

spotting this 1960s reproduction Edwardian glass ceiling light in the bedroom.

He values it at £30 to £70.

Josie has a keen interest in the kings and queens of England,

and read that the aristocracy would keep two or three pugs in their bed to keep their feet warm.

So, she got herself a pug.

Now, I know pugs, and believe me, they do snore - all the time -

so goodness knows what three of them in your bed at night would sound like!

Excuse me, Jonty, I've just seen these two pugs...

-A pair of pugs we have!

-Yes.

-OK.

So, let's have a look at these. These are Staffordshire.

-Really?

-Generically called Staffordshire

because that's where they came from, that's where they were made.

When you look so surprised, what were you told about them?

Erm, nothing. I just thought they were just a little ornament.

When you say Staffordshire, it rings bells, it's a good quality.

Well, Staffordshire, it's not necessarily a fine quality.

In fact, often the reverse.

Certainly, in the 19th century, there were many factories in the Stoke-on-Trent area,

that produced ceramics not necessarily for the rich,

but for the masses.

-Right.

-That's the reason why a lot of what they produced was, I suppose, very, very simple,

and that's the reason why people started collecting Staffordshire,

because they loved the simplicity.

If you look at the simplicity of our pair of dogs here,

they don't have great detail,

but they somehow have character.

-How much did you pay for these?

-£40.

-£40, 40 years ago?!

-Yes.

JONTY LAUGHS

I think she was mugged.

LAUGHTER

-Were you there at the time?

-Yes.

-Yes.

Really? And how many months did that take to pay?

I think we were earning about £4 a week.

That's an extraordinarily large amount of money.

-I know, but then that was the...

-It didn't feel like it.

Well, they're obviously very loved, and they've been loved all that time.

And we're getting older and the girls don't want them.

Are you sure you're happy to sell them? I'm going to shock you.

-Are you?

-They're worth...

I don't think that they're worth the £40.

I would put £30 to £50 for them at auction.

How do you feel about that?

-All right!

-They're going!

Josie and Len seem more than happy to let them go

even though they're worth less now than when they bought them.

Buying antiques and collectibles as an investment is a skill,

but the key is knowing when to sell,

and having a bit of luck on your side.

Josie's next find is an interesting one. It's a carved nut,

and inside, there's three dice,

so it's worth a gamble, as it's odds on winning £10 to £30 at auction.

Jonty...

What about this?

-Another fish!

-Yep.

-Wow, that's a much bigger... It's not really an earring, is it?

-No!

So, tell me about this one.

Len made that. We used to go to silver classes,

and I have a small...

-So this is actually made by Len?

-Yeah.

-And it's solid silver?

-Yep.

-I can actually see a hallmark there, too.

So he had it hallmarked, which is wonderful.

The school we went to,

they had the...Queen's jubilee for one year, the stamp.

So whatever we made that year,

it was all stamped with the jubilee stamp.

Right, yes. That was quite a fashion at the time,

-stamping those ingots, wasn't it?

-Yep.

What else have we got...? Oh, talking of which!

We've got loads of ingots. How many there?

-One, two, three...

-Four.

-Four, yes.

And...what have we got here?

Oh, a charm bracelet Len bought me when I was 21.

-Right.

-And then he's been adding to it each year.

-Adding ever since.

-Yeah, and most of them were bought in Spain,

-because they're a little bit different with the Spanish lady...

-The flamenco dancer.

..and the policeman with the old type hat.

When was the last time you wore this?

I can't even remember. Years ago. It's just been stuck in a drawer.

Which is a shame.

-So not very practical when it comes to washing up?

-No, not at all.

Excellent. Well, all our little items in there

we will sell, probably, as one lot.

-Oh, right.

-Again, we need to assess

the sort of weight that we've got here.

-Right.

-And a bit like the gold - we had less gold.

-We have more silver here, but the same value at auction.

-Oh, great.

-Great. I'm happy with that.

-Yeah?

-Mmm. Definitely.

-Excellent.

A great find, and well done to Len and Josie

for making all that jewellery.

They clearly have the ability to craft out their own careers

wherever they are.

You must have been amongst the first of the Brits to sort of buy into Spain at that time?

We bought a bit of land in Spain many years ago, and just sat on it.

We always knew we were going to end up there.

The disaster for us was I couldn't get to my retirement age

to get the government pension

to support what was deteriorating in that field of money at the time.

So, we decided to come back. We missed the family.

So, when you moved back to the UK, was it Findon that you chose?

No. We went to Epsom and we bought a derelict bungalow,

and we put it in good order,

-and then from there, we used to come down here about three times a week, didn't we?

-For years.

For about...six years, I suppose.

And we used to come through the village sometimes, and she said, "I'd like to live here."

And then she came round this cul-de-sac and we saw this for sale,

and we put an offer in and sold at that end,

and moved down here, and that's how we got down here.

-So how many children have you got?

-Three. Three girls.

And what are their ages?

Er, Tracey, she's 46.

-Yeah, I think so, about that.

-And Zena's 44...

-and Liz will be about 41.

-42.

-So you've been surrounded by girls, then.

-Yes. Dominated by girls!

I grumble a bit, they say,

but I think that's only natural.

-When you get older, you don't want to be pushed and, "Get this," and...

-They say that about Jonty!

LAUGHTER

Yeah, leave him alone, like, you know!

I hope he's not grumbling too much in there, because we need to find some stuff to sell, don't we?

Len is a keen fisherman and goes carp fishing three times a week.

His parents were also enthusiasts,

and gave him his own fishing rod and reel.

Unfortunately, though, there's no manufacturer's mark,

and that makes it difficult to date and value.

Let's hope we reel in the bidders at...

It seems Len's a man with many hidden talents.

So, Len, here we are in your dusty garage,

but we're surrounded by movie making equipment.

-Yep.

-Is this you?

This was, years ago, me,

but as movie equipment advanced

and the family grew up, I lost interest.

We've got a lot of equipment here - two projectors.

One projector here is by Bell & Howell,

which is a great American name.

This is a Super 8. Does that do 16mm as well?

-That does both.

-And we've got this lovely little cine camera here.

That's wonderful.

Well, it was at the time, but when you look at it now,

you think it's a bit cheap, you know what I mean?

Not really, because Bell & Howell again - the same as the projector.

Now it's the camera itself that has the value,

because there are people - certain enthusiasts who want to make their own movies in the old-fashioned way.

They'll use an old camera like this,

but quite possibly use everything else in the new, digital format,

so editing might happen more digitally, rather than using your - let's say old-fashioned - equipment.

I don't think you'll get a vast amount for it at auction,

but I think you're looking at, possibly £50 to £100 for it.

-Fine, fine.

-You happy about that?

Oh, yeah, definitely, because that is a reasonable sum.

-Yes. I mean, it makes...

-For something that's hanging about.

It makes the difference between, "What do I do with it? Do I literally get rid of it?"

-Or, "Can I make some money out of it?"

-Or pass it on.

-You certainly can do that as far as auction is concerned.

-That's great.

-Shall we put the whole lot in?

-Yeah, do it.

-Excellent.

Now, the girls are busy in the house.

I've brought the ice creams.

Let's roll this cine film and see what happens.

PROJECTOR WHIRRS Is that you?

That's me - it was. That's back in England.

As the boys reminisce, we're coming to the end of our rummage,

searching for items that will help them replace this old technology

with something more up-to-date.

I find this Beswick owl.

This was a gift from Josie's father, and dates back to the 1980s.

It's still collectable today. It's valued at £20-£30.

And collecting is one of Josie's big hobbies.

She didn't stop, even when they moved to Spain.

Now, of course you know, but a lot of people might be looking at this

and thinking, "They're all Ladrow figures."

-Yes.

-But they're not, are they?

-No.

Because if you look on the underside, here,

-you have a Tengra stamp.

-That's right.

Now, Ladrow, and many other factories,

were based in the region of Valencia.

They have about 70% of the market share...

-Really?

-..of this style of figurine work.

But there are smaller factories that are in the style of,

and Tengra is one of them.

If they had been Ladrow,

we would have been talking about an appreciably larger sum of money.

They have to be, at least, worth...

It's only that sort of ballpark that I think we are playing with,

-which of course, is not necessarily even getting your money back.

-No.

So, how do you feel about that?

Um...I think we can take a chance and see,

or I might keep one or two pieces back. Depends.

I have got a couple of pieces that are favourite,

and I might keep a few bits back.

-OK.

-I might not.

-We'll watch this space.

Yes, yes.

Right, well. I have to say, these might have not returned a huge investment for you,

which as you say, wasn't the point, but lots of other things have.

You wanted £300, didn't you?

-Yes.

-So that you can remove all of these and put the television up here.

-Yes.

Right, well the value of everything that's going to auction comes to £540!

-Oh, that's great news!

-Lovely. Yeah, brilliant.

-Yeah, I'm well pleased with that.

-Well pleased.

That's fantastic. We smashed through the £300 target today,

and I can see Cash In The Attic in widescreen up on their wall already.

And, to get us to that target,

are some great finds, including...

the collection of gold jewellery they bought as an investment

on the advice of Josie's father 40 years ago.

That should set the bidders' eyes alight.

And there's silver jewellery, too.

Many of the pieces were made by Len and Josie.

And there's the two Staffordshire ceramic pugs,

which Josie bought for £40, 40 years ago.

Let's hope they break through the estimate

when they go under the hammer.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic...

A mirror given as payment for a DIY job attracts a lot of attention.

Len, your job was worth £40!

-Crikey!

-I hope that lady's watching.

And Jonty thinks Josie's plates still have a place at auction.

I eat off a plate every day!

But will we get our just desserts?

Now it's been a few weeks since we met Len, Josie and the pug dog Sol.

We had a great day at their home.

We found plenty of antiques and collectibles to bring here,

to Denham's auction house in Sussex.

Now remember, they want to raise £300 towards that new plasma TV.

Let's just hope the bidders are tuned in to our items when they go under the hammer today.

These fortnightly auctions take place in rural Sussex,

and they sell everything from antiques and fine quality furniture

to curios, costume jewellery and house clearance goods.

Ah, good morning, Jonty.

-Oh, hi, Lorne.

-Oh, look. Little pugs.

Now I know you're a fan of pugs as well.

I wouldn't go that far. I do happen to have a pug dog.

But he's so uncontrollable, I wouldn't say I'm a fan!

And of course, we've got that lovely, handmade jewellery.

People are looking for something different now, aren't they?

Absolutely, and that's what we have today.

Looking around already, there is a vast selection of items,

from real modern pieces through to the antiques,

so hopefully that will reflect in the sort of buyers that come here.

-We're in just the right place.

-We've got those Spanish figures as well.

-Lots to sell.

-Come on then, let's get going.

Len and Josie brought their collection here a few days ago.

So, did everything arrive?

-That one's got the label on it...

-Good morning!

Hello, very nice to see you.

There's two here, and I've seen a few others.

I've only spotted six.

-Yes.

-What happened with the other three?

-I couldn't bring them all!

-Couldn't part with them.

Once I took them all down from the wall,

it just looked so bare.

And I had a chap come round

to see about putting the telly up - when we buy it - on the wall,

and he said it wasn't a safe wall.

So it was an excuse to keep three of them to put back on the wall

-and get a stand when we get the television.

-Oh, right.

Everything else is here, I take it?

-Yes.

-Have you put any reserves on any of the items?

-Yes, I did.

Erm, I was a little bit worried about the silver.

When I actually boxed it up, I thought,

"It's such a sentimental value, and Len made me that large silver fish,"

I thought I'd put a reserve on it.

Erm, I did want to sell it,

but I'm a little bit not quite sure, so I put the reserve.

If it sells for £150, I'll be happy.

Well, it's a wise thing to do,

because if there is sentimental value,

or you're having second thoughts...

The money will outweigh it.

The reserve protects it from going for too little.

There's nothing worse, if you do have sentimentality about an item,

-seeing it go for less...

-Then you feel more unhappy.

-That's the point of reserves.

-Absolutely.

The auctioneer today is Simon Langton,

who's been with this auction house for 18 years.

And our first lot of Len and Josie's to come up

is the ornate, carved wooden nut,

shaped like an egg, and containing three bone dice.

Where did these come from?

One of my neighbours, when I lived in Spain,

she had to go back through ill health,

and I used to always pick it up and play with it when I went over there for tea,

and when she moved, she asked me if I'd like that

and a couple of other little things that I liked.

What do we say for it? £30 for it? 20, then. I'm bid 20.

And two. 24, 26, 28, 30.

And two. 34, 36, 38...

We're not at £38, then.

40, then, and two.

With me, now, at 42, then.

Are we done, now?

At 42, and selling at £42, you're all done at 42, are you?

-£42! That's really good, isn't it?

-It's ridiculous!

I think you've thrown three sixes there! That's amazing.

Well, that's a great start to our day here,

and Josie's delighted.

Next up is another acquisition from Spain, the white chair.

It's in the catalogue for:

What do we say for this one? £50 for it, do we say?

30 then? Come on now.

20? 10 for it. I'm bid five... What's that, five?! Good heavens.

Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,

12, 14... At £14. Can't sell this at £14.

Do I see any more than 14? Can't sell it at 14 then.

-It's unsold.

-It doesn't matter.

-£14!

-I'm glad.

-Are you?

What happened there, the auctioneer put it up to a sensible figure,

then offered it in the room, and there was no bidding going on at all.

-No, but that's OK.

-I think £14, actually, given the fact you paid £5 for it, wasn't too bad, was it?

-Are you going to put it back in its place?

-No, I've put another chair there!

-Have you? Oh dear!

-A rocking chair.

-I'm sure you'll find a space for it.

-I will do.

Well, Josie's obviously not too disappointed with that non-sale,

but we are here to try and make them some money.

The next lot is the one that I spotted -

a bevelled wall mirror in a decorative gilt frame.

And it's a bargain:

So, tell me the story about this one.

Well, it's really Len's little story.

He did a decorating job for this old lady.

What happened, Len?

Well, I was doing this decorating job with my son-in-law,

and in actual fact, she wanted the garage door painted.

And it was only for a couple of hours,

so really, for the amount of money we were getting for the job,

I thought I'd do it for nothing, and she...

When I opened the garage door, there were these two items standing there, and she said,

"I must pay you something." So I said, "Well, I'll have the mirror and the lamp."

And that's what happened. I was so pleased that I got the mirror.

I thought it was a lovely looking mirror.

Well your paint job now looks worth £20-£30,

according to the auction estimate.

Well, that is more than she would have paid me, probably.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Well I like the way you're working there.

There's obviously a big future in swapping trades and items.

What do we say for it? £20, do we say?

10, then? Come on. I'm bid 10.

12, 14, 16, 18, 20.

And two. 24. 26?

24 with you. Yours at... Ah, 26.

28 now. 30. And two. 34, 36.

38, 40. And two?

Gentleman's bid at £40 then.

Are we all done at 40, are we? Away we go at 40.

Len! Your job was worth £40!

Crikey!

I hope that lady's watching.

That's brilliant - double Jonty's estimate. Well done, Len.

Their next lot is the 19th century fishing reel and rod.

Will the bidders bite?

Now these fishing reels can make big money, depending on the name.

Anything to do with angling is a big market.

-Hopefully we can do quite well.

-Right.

What do we say? £30 for it?

Come on now. 20. I'm bid 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20.

And two. 24, 26. With me at £26 then.

Are we done and selling now? At 26.

Are you all done at 26 now? Sure about this then?

-£26, that's OK.

-It's to your mate.

-Is it?

It's a nice present to get. £26, here you go.

So, Len and Josie are happy with that result.

Let's hope we can feather our nest a bit more with our next lot -

the Beswick owl.

This, Beswick - animals and things - do very well, don't they, even though they're relatively modern?

Simply because the factory's closed. There were a lot produced, but the ones that are rare colour ways,

the ones that weren't produced in many numbers, can fetch huge sums of money.

What do we say for a seated owl? Do we say £10 for him?

Rare breed. I'm bid 10 straight in. 12, 14, 16...

Yes? 18, 20. 18 with you, do I see 20? At 18, standing.

I'm going to sell now.

Are we all done at £18 then?

-Oh.

-What did we have?

-I had £20 to £30.

-That's OK.

-18...

-That's OK.

-£2 under.

-No problem.

Len and Josie are happy with that result, so they're letting Jonty off the hook

with his slightly higher estimate.

Let's see how his valuation on the Staffordshire pugs does

as these little furry friends are up next.

-We want £30 to £50, Jonty.

-Absolutely. I'm sure somebody will love them.

-Yes.

-I was admiring them earlier.

Lorne likes pugs, so a lot of people in the room, I'm sure, will be interested.

We've both been sensible enough not to bring the pugs.

-The real versions.

-Otherwise a few things would be broken!

A pair of Staffordshire style figures of pugs.

Handsome little dogs.

My grandmother was a champion breeder of these beasts.

What do we say for them?

What do we say for them? £30 for them?

20 then. They don't eat much. 12, 14, 16.

Come along. With me at £16. That's bought one of them.

With me at 16. 18. At £18, then.

Are we all done and selling? Can't sell this at 18.

At £18 then. Everyone wants to see me afterwards.

How do you feel? Disappointed?

-Well, yeah, it did seem a little bit...

-Yes.

Maybe it's not everybody's dog, though, a pug.

No, that's very true. We have to consider that, but that's a pair like that.

You know, I still think that would have been very, very cheap, had it sold at that price.

Yeah, the auctioneer was wise. He took them up to that figure,

-but they weren't biting any further, so he brought them in.

-Yes.

-So, unsold.

That's fine, I'm quite happy with that.

The ceramic pugs are unsold,

but Josie's not bothered, as she has the real thing at home.

What we need to know now is, "Are we reaching our £300 target?"

The auction's continuing,

but we've sold our morning section of lots, anyway,

which we've done really well with, apart from the pugs.

It's OK. I'm quite happy with that.

OK, all right. Everything else got away,

and given that a lot of the items were things that you'd made,

or been given, or done jobs for,

I'm pleased to tell you that so far, you've banked £126.

-That's good.

-That's good.

-Are you pleased with that?

-Yes.

We've still got lots to come this afternoon,

so we've got time for a quick break.

-Jonty's spotted a few bits and pieces.

-I have.

-Follow me.

-OK.

If you have a special project in mind

that you'd like to try and raise money for at auction,

do bear in mind that there are charges to be paid, such as commission.

These vary from one sale room to another,

so it's always worth enquiring in advance.

Now, Len may have been paid by a mirror in the past,

but Jonty's keen to reflect on an even better example he's come across

in the sale room here today.

This is a really beautiful French toilet mirror.

Now, it has the appearance

of being a mirror that should be early 19th century,

but I believe this to be a lot later than that.

This little toilet mirror is probably about 100 years old,

but the quality is quite superb.

What's so different about this mirror

is that we have this little bronze figure sitting,

and the way she's sitting

is she's not looking out randomly. She's sitting there for a purpose.

She's actually admiring herself in this moving mirror here.

She can see her own reflection

in the toilet mirror. It really is lovely.

So, we don't expect it

to go for a couple of hundred?

Well, it's estimated in the catalogue at £200-£300,

but I think that this should be more like £400-£500.

OK, well that rules me out. What about you?

-Yes, rules me out too!

-Come on then!

But as it turns out,

I bet Jonty wishes he COULD have been paid by mirror...

Selling...

..as it sold for £540.

We're all back in position again, ready for Len and Josie's next lot.

It's that collection of Spanish porcelain plates.

-OK, now, for the plates, we want £30-£50.

-Yes.

I bet they cost you a lot more.

They did, but it's fashion, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Probably just not everybody is into plates now.

The fashion changes.

-Well, let's see what we can get for them.

-OK.

What do we say for those? Classical plates there.

£30 for them, do we say?

20 then. 10 to get us going. Come on now.

I'm bid £5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10...

At £10, then. Are we done? 12, 14,

16, 18, 20

and two, 24, 26, 28. 28 at the back.

Going to sell now at £28.

-Good.

-£28, are you happy with that?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Good, OK. More money in the bank.

I was a little bit concerned when you said plates are out of fashion. I eat off a plate every day.

Yes, Jonty. Don't pack in your day job.

Your estimate was almost spot-on there.

Next up is the Bell & Howell super 8 movie projector,

edit machine and photographic equipment.

All for:

Well, they're very collectable, but actually quite rare, super 8s.

A lot has just been thrown away.

There are collectors for this sort of thing, but I just hope they're here, because you can't guarantee it.

What do we say for it? £50 for it?

30, then?

20, have we then?

I'm bid £10. 12, 14,

16, 18. At £18, do I see 20 anywhere?

At £18 - a cheap lot at £18 then. Are we done at £18 then?

-No.

-Not sold.

-No.

Oh, what a shame. But still, Len's going to hold onto it

and may yet put it to use.

The next lot is the two glass light fittings.

They're a relatively cheap buy, really, £30-£70.

That's quite a broad-ranging estimate.

-Well, they're a nice pair, or they're very similar.

-Yes, that's right.

-Not exactly identical.

-They were two bedroom ones.

But again, not quite sure where that market is.

That's the reason why I've put quite a big estimate differential.

But let's hope that we get... If we can get slap bang in the middle,

-we should all be happy.

-Super.

£20 for them, do we say? I'm bid 20 straight in.

And two. 24.

With me now at 24 then.

Do I see 26? 25 then.

With me now at 25, then. Do I see 26? 26 standing.

At 26, do I see 28?

At 26 with you, sir. Looking for 28. At 26, are we all done at 26?

Going to sell at 26 then.

-There's your answer. Just underneath the bottom end estimate.

-Doesn't matter.

-£26, are you OK with that?

-Yeah.

-Fine.

-All right.

So, £26, and Len and Josie are happy with that.

Their next lot is the silver jewellery that they both made.

Given the sentimentality attached to this lot,

Josie has put on a £150 reserve.

What do say for that collection? Do we say £100 for it then?

75. I'm bid 50.

And five, 60,

and five, 70, and five, 80,

and five, 90,

and five, 100.

-And 10, 120, 130, 140...

-Go on!

-150 now?

-150 with you then...

-Yes!

-Yes!

Selling now, at £150 then.

-How about that?

-Yes, well pleased.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yes.

-You cracked it.

-Well, not personally.

Anyway, I think that's great. Your own craftsmanship as well. Handmade pieces, a lot of those.

-Yes. And they were solid.

-There was only one bidder in the room,

and because you had that reserve, it went all the way up to £150.

-Ah!

-So that's thanks to you.

Sold for Josie's reserve, they're obviously delighted

that the winning bidder appreciated their talents

for making beautiful silver objects.

The next lot is the Tengra figures.

Josie couldn't bear to part with some of them,

so not all of them are here.

Right, we've got six figures, not the nine in the catalogue,

-so will the auctioneer be pointing that out, Jonty?

-Yes, he'll make that very clear.

Of course, the estimate in the catalogue still reads £100-£150.

If we get slightly less, please don't be too disappointed.

No, I won't be. We'd already thought of that. Yes.

We're with you. We watch you too much.

-It'll be me that gets it in the neck, you realise?

-No!

Only six, and not nine.

Very easy to be an auctioneer. You have to have many talents.

One of them is being able not to count,

so there are only six and not nine as we've stated in the catalogue.

So, what do we say for those?

Six instead of nine, do we say £100 for them?

Do we say 50 for them?

-Oh!

-Decorative figures. 30 then?

20. Thank you, I'm bid £20, and two.

24, 26, 28, 30, and two, 34, 36, 38.

At £38 then.

Are we done, then, at £38 then? Can't sell them at then. At £38...

-Back on the wall.

-Oh, no they're not.

What are you going to do with them?

Um...

-Wrap them up and put them away.

-Put them in the loft with the camera.

Oh no! Josie and Len are going to be taking

a fair bit of stuff back with them today,

but I don't think Josie really minds.

Now, it's the final lot, the gold jewellery.

This time not made by Len or Josie,

but bought as an investment

on the advice of Josie's father 40 years ago.

Now our next lot is a collection of gold,

although I notice in the catalogue it's described as "gilt metal".

Gilt metal, yeah. I had a word with the auctioneer,

and he said because they're not hallmarked,

they had to put them down as gilt.

So that's fine, I'm quite happy with that.

Gilt metal necklace. Other items of gilt metal etc, etc, etc.

As you see them, there.

Quite a collection. What do we say for them? £100 for them? I'm bid 100 straight in.

Do I see the 10? At £100,

and 10, 120, 130,

140, 150, 160, 170,

180,

190, 200, and 20.

240, 260? 240 with you.

-I told you you were valuable.

-Are we done, now, at 240, and selling?

-240 quid!

-Are you pleased with that?

It's crazy!

Crazy, isn't it?

Well, we've certainly ended on a high.

Len and Josie made almost their target figure

with just that last lot.

Josie's dad certainly knew what he was doing all those years ago.

OK, well, you're taking a few bits home, but nothing too substantial.

You wanted £300 for the plasma television.

Do you think we've made that?

Not sure, maybe a little bit near it.

-Yes?

-We've done better than that. You've made £570.

-You're joking?!

I can't believe it!

You've paid for the telly!

Well, not personally. I have to say, I think most of that is down to your dad,

his very shrewd gold investment, to be honest.

-That really boosted our prices.

-Yes.

-Great.

-Are you pleased?

-Oh, yes.

-Wonderful.

So what are you going to do with the extra money?

Erm...I might take him to lunch!

Len and Josie are very keen to spend their auction earnings

and head straight to their local electrical store

to try out the latest in plasma television technology.

And guess what's on?

Oh, look. Cash In The Attic.

Oh, no!

The television's packing up, it's a very bad picture.

-I'm hoping to get something much larger, much clearer.

-We're going to try and go the whole hog this time,

and hope that it sees us - perhaps I shouldn't say this - for the next ten years.

Before we have to buy again!

It should last longer than ten years.

-Well, I don't know.

-You'll have to ask the chap how long they last.

Their high-tech purchase doesn't fill the whole wall,

but fits in very nicely with Josie's Tengra ladies.

Are you happy now?

Definitely.

-I think you'll spend many hours watching that thing.

-I think so.

-You will go to bed now and again, won't you?

-Definitely, yes.

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