Perry Cash in the Attic

Hello and welcome to Cash In The Attic,

the show that hunts out hidden treasures and helps you sell them at auction.

Today, I'm in all the hubbub of east London and I'm on my way to a house that I think is full of promise.

I'm told there are all sorts of collectables in there, including this, an ostrich egg!

What do you reckon it's worth? Well, I couldn't possibly tell you,

but I know a man who can and all will be revealed before the final hammer falls.

Coming up on Cash In The Attic, one of our items is music to Jonty's ears.

-I really do like that sound.

-That is beautiful.

-It's the ring of confidence.

-Yes, definitely!

-There's excitement at a rare and valuable find.

I knew that that was a loved piece, but now my heart's racing!

And at the auction, is satisfaction ever guaranteed?

-She says it's not enough.

-It's not enough. Come on, more!

Find out when the final hammer falls.

I'm in Bethnal Green and I'm on my way to meet the daughters

of a truly remarkable woman who is sadly no longer with us.

But she's left behind a rich legacy from a lifetime of collecting.

The question, though, is are there any real riches there?

The Cash In The Attic team have been called in to find out.

Until just a few weeks ago, this house in London's Bethnal Green was home to Doreen Perry.

She was a remarkable woman whose achievements in life included the creation of a highly successful

record label and saving a school from certain closure.

Her passion for collecting has left this three-bedroomed home full of antiques

and their destiny now lies in the hands of her two daughters,

Louise, a website designer, and Nicki, who has her own restaurant in New York.

Jonty Hearnden is our expert today and he's looking forward to finding

an array of antique furniture and, hopefully, some quality collectables.

-Hello, ladies.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Hello.

-Who's who here, then?

-Nicki.

-Hi, Nicki.

-Louise.

-Thank you so much for inviting us here

-because I know that your mother passed away very recently, didn't she?

-Yeah.

-What kind of woman was she?

-Unbelievably enthusiastic about the things that she loved.

Very black and white person.

-So how much money do you want to raise today?

-We think £1,000.

-As much as possible.

-Yes, as much...

-Yes, as much as possible.

-And what's it going to go towards?

She was the chair of governors at the Sir John Cass Foundation Redcoat School here in Bethnal Green,

-which is why she moved here.

-It's for the school that your mother helped so much?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant. All right, so £1,000 for the school.

-We'd better get rummaging.

-Yes.

Doreen's antiques took pride of place in her home.

The display is remarkable and, with any luck,

we should be able to find enough items to raise that £1,000 at the auction.

Jonty, of course, has spent his life immersed in the world of antiques

and he's always the first to get started on our rummaging.

Today, it looks as if he's going to have

some excellent support from Nicki and Louise,

who've already found something to show him.

We've got three maps of old London.

Wonderful. These are originals.

-Really?

-We should have a date here at the bottom.

It says 1755?

That's very old, isn't it?

-That's amazing.

-Yeah, that is amazing.

And they really are a snapshot in time.

This is obviously what the north of the old city of London looked like.

So this is of Cripplegate.

Cripplegate was a gate in the old wall in the City of London

-and it's the Barbican now.

-My mother lived in the Barbican.

-Oh, that's where she had this.

-That's why she's got that, yeah.

That's why maps are interesting, how the world changed.

Often you see little maps of London and then, voom, it's a whole metropolis.

-So, can we sell these?

-Yes, absolutely. What do you think we'd get for those?

We're looking at, what?

For three, £100 to £150.

That's a good valuation to kick off our day here in Bethnal Green,

and we have our first contribution towards that target of £1,000.

As we split up to cover all corners,

it's becoming clear just how keen a collector Doreen was.

There's more than enough here to keep Jonty busy.

-Well, it's a holder to put your plant pot into.

-Right.

But it really is very good quality.

I don't think this is 19th century, I think it's 20th century.

-OK.

-But the decoration is really top quality, it's very, very beautiful,

and all of that is hand-decorated with this lovely gilded decoration round the outside.

The mark is Copeland. Now, that's a good sign because Copeland started life in Staffordshire in the 1770s,

And I think this jardiniere is so attractive, so decorative,

that it's got to be worth around about £100.

-That's great.

-Happy?

-Very happy.

Oh, I'm happy. I really do like that sound.

-That is beautiful.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-It's the ring of confidence.

-Yes, definitely!

What a great price for a modern piece with no antique value,

but will Jonty be as confident about the next item?

I can't imagine he's come across too many giant ornamental eggs in his time!

Of course, they're ostrich eggs,

but we have a pair here, but we've also got

this lovely decorated ostrich egg here, covered in butterflies.

But ostrich eggs, you can see just how decorative they are.

Well, let's take a look at the pair in more detail.

If I pick this one up here, we can see that we have a crack in the top.

This is where the innards have been taken out, but to cover that crack up

they have placed this decorative finial on the top,

but the stands themselves are extraordinary.

They are gilded bronze, very heavy, and I believe these to be stands

for oriental vases, so the vases have been taken away

and the stands have been almost like recycled to place the pair of eggs on the top,

but they make just a great pair. I suspect that we're looking at

between £80 and £120 there.

What do you think of that valuation?

-That's fabulous.

-OK?

-Absolutely.

I just hope those eggs get to auction in one piece!

While Jonty, Nicki and Louise are still hunting around the house,

I'm reminded that Doreen's passion for collecting encompassed both old and new.

In her old bedroom, there's more evidence of her love of the contemporary.

These two blown glass bowls are really rather stylish

and Jonty packs them off to auction with a £50 to £70 price tag.

On the landing, he spots a pair of pictures of Doreen's favourite subject matter, the butterfly.

They're Oriental silk and date from the 19th century.

Jonty thinks they should fetch £40 to £60 at auction.

The butterfly motif appears in almost every room of Doreen's house.

She was clearly quite a character and I want to learn more about her.

So this is your mother, Doreen.

My goodness me!

What a stylish, incredible lady. Are these quite recent, these pictures?

-They are recent. I think they're within the last six months.

-Yeah, they are.

And even when she was very, very ill, she still had the full face of make-up, the shoes, the outfit

-when she could barely walk.

-She was clearly a most extraordinary woman, but what was her upbringing like?

We didn't know who her real parents were. She wouldn't discuss it.

In actual fact, when she was 18 months old,

her parents separated and they dumped her in a children's home.

-How extraordinary.

-Which is why I think

-she's always been for the underdog.

-She was very tough.

Passionate about the opera and classical music.

We were not allowed to play pop music in the house.

She loved it. It was her passion.

And I don't know that she knew as much as my dad, but she absolutely loved it.

And the two of them started Hyperion Records,

which is the most prestigious small classical record label in the world

and has won all sorts of awards, and they started that company together.

-I tell you, you two have got something to live up to, haven't you?

-We have!

I don't think we'll ever make it! Not even combined!

What a lady!

And that's not to mention the school she saved from closure.

But we're here to raise £1,000 so we need to get back to work.

Jonty's still hard at it, and has unearthed an Edwardian oval tray.

With a musical design in the centre and a fluted edge,

it wings its way to auction with an estimate of £30-£50.

As we continue to search every inch of this property, Nicki concentrates

her efforts in the garden room, home to her mum's favourite pieces of china.

She picks out this porcelain cow, which is, in fact, a novelty creamer.

It's based on a design that originated in Holland

and was later produced in the UK from the mid-18th century.

It's in great condition and heads off to auction

with a very respectable £80 to £120 estimate.

And in the dining room,

something rather special has caught Jonty's eye.

Take a look at this.

-Gosh, that's beautiful.

-This fan is stunning.

This whole scene here is hand-painted,

so this is a paper fan suspended on mother-of-pearl.

That's what gives it the lovely glistening effect.

Yes, can you imagine in subdued light,

under candlelight or under oil light, the shimmer of mother-of-pearl?

-Is it old, then?

-Very old. Date-wise, we're looking between 210,

maybe 240 years old and it's not English, it's French.

Oh, my word, that's incredible!

Yeah. It's very interesting, that, because the closer you look,

the more restoration you see, which makes sense because this is paper, just how fragile it would be.

-It's been restored?

-Have a look here. Can you see...

-Oh, OK.

-..that there is extra layers of paper that have been laid upon...?

-Wow!

And therefore hand-painted in to restore it.

-It all makes sense.

-So it's been loved, then.

Absolutely. And it's been worth one's while restoring this

because you're looking not at just a fan, you're looking at a work of art.

I was going to say that. It is a work of art.

-It really is.

-It's very beautiful.

-Hence the reason why it's framed.

And why people collect these - they're so beautiful.

But with a fan like this,

there's something else to be looked at, so let me show you.

Now, can you notice that this has no back to it at all?

-OK.

-That was an optical illusion. I thought there was a backing.

So let me take this off. What can we see?

-Oh, my goodness!

-Wow!

-What do I see?

-It's painted on the back.

So it's totally different. It's unique.

I don't want to put an exact figure on it because of the restoration,

but we're looking at between £200 and £400.

-Whoa!

-Wow, that's incredible.

-Yes? Happy?

-That's fantastic.

That really is an amazing object and so delicate.

Will that count on sale day?

At £65. I'm bid 70. 75. 80.

Find out later whether this gilt-framed work of art reaches its top estimate at auction.

The fan has spurred us all on to keep looking and Nicki has spotted a pair of framed prints of London.

Jonty thinks the prints could appeal to history-lovers

and values the pair at £80 to £120.

Louise is upstairs, searching through her mum's old cupboards and discovers an impressive collection

of hats, some of them by milliner, Stephen Jones.

I've heard how particular Doreen was about her appearance and Jonty thinks

this rather splendid collection could fetch upwards of £80.

On a roll, she sends this elegant chair off to auction.

Its ornate tapestry covering is in superb condition,

but it's a modern reproduction of a French-style chair

so Jonty values it accordingly at £60 to £80.

We're making good progress towards our target of £1,000 that the sisters will donate to the school.

And, lurking amongst the mass of china,

Jonty discovers an item that could be the find we're all hoping for.

-Guys, you HAVE to stop what you're doing here because I have found a really rare item.

-Oh, really?

Look at this beautiful bowl. This is quite...

-You know, I'm gobsmacked, I really am! I really am gobsmacked.

-Did you know this was special?

-I knew that that was a loved piece, but now my heart's racing!

-Well, it is very exciting.

This is a bowl that was made in Worcester,

but made a long time ago in the Worcester factory. About 1770.

-Wow!

-Really?

-And we have the mark on the underside here.

-This under-glaze blue mark was used by the factory all the way up until 1785.

-OK.

But it's distinctively Worcester.

If you see the blue, particularly, that is in the style of fish scales.

They were copying factories like Sevres and Chelsea,

but at the time, at the time when this bowl was made,

they were producing the finest porcelain the country was producing

and that's why so many people collect Worcester of this period.

But there's a little bit of a problem that we have on the other side.

It looks perfect,

but there's a slightly different colour.

There's a bit of a shadow there.

-Now, I think that that's restoration.

-Really?

-Yes.

-If you turn it on the other side too, can you see a slightly different colour...

-Oh, yes, yes.

..to the inside there? Now, if this was in good condition, and I don't

believe that it is in perfect condition, at auction, this should sell for in excess of £1,000.

But with restoration, I believe this to be more like the £500 mark.

-That's not too bad, is it?

-No, it's fantastic.

-Yeah? You'd better tell Louise about it.

-Louise!

-Go and tell her that we've made a very interesting find.

Hi! I think you can stop rummaging now, my dear.

-Ah, the bowl.

-Yeah.

-Yes. Beautiful.

I got very, very excited, but I think I've spotted a bit of restoration,

-so we are still, hopefully, looking around £500 at the moment.

-Wow, that's fantastic.

It's a very positive way to end the day, actually, and what a day it's been!

-At the start of the day, we were saying that you wanted to raise £1,000...

-Yeah.

..to help the school that your mother did so much for and that meant so much to her.

Well, even with the damaged bowl, we reckon that you will, in fact,

at the auction make £1,380.

Fantastic.

-Brilliant.

-The school will be thrilled with that.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

We've had a fascinating day in Bethnal Green hearing all about a quite remarkable woman.

And didn't she have an eye for collectables!

Heading off to auction, we have the highly unusual collection

of decorative ostrich eggs.

Who knows what someone might pay for this quirky lot,

but we're hoping it'll be at least £80.

The beautiful hand-painted fan that survived intact

for over two centuries.

It's a work of art and deserves to reach its £200 estimate.

And, of course, the incredible 18th-century Worcester plate.

Jonty was rendered almost speechless by its rarity

and there's every chance

his estimate could be blown clean out of the water.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic, there's division in the ranks.

I'm going to feel positive. I'm going to send out positive vibes.

I don't know, I'm feeling sort of either way on this one.

It's a rollercoaster ride, but all is not lost.

-Result! Hurrah!

-And does Doreen's spirit live on?

-She is here.

-She's definitely here.

And she's cross!

Find out when the final hammer falls.

It's a couple of weeks since we were with Nicki and Louise at their mother's home

in Bethnal Green, and I have to say it was one of the most fascinating days of rummaging I've ever had.

Now, remember they want to raise £1,000 for the school

that meant so much to their mother,

so let's hope the bidders here at Chiswick Auction Rooms

in west London really are going to do her memory proud when her items go under the hammer.

Now, Jonty always has an eye

for the out-of-the-ordinary and he's headed straight for our star item.

Since the rummage, he's had time to do a bit more research about it.

Good morning.

-Oh, there you are.

-Oh!

-Still admiring my lovely bowl.

-Oh, the bowl. Oh.

This bowl is exquisite.

-We were worried about the damage.

-I know.

-Did you get a second opinion?

Well, I've had a second opinion, yes, and I've talked to the guys here and they think

that my initial gut reaction of £500 might even be too high, so we're looking at more like £300 to £500.

-Oh, well, hopefully, somebody does!

-Well, I do, too.

-Yes.

-Because we've got other items.

-Let's go and see if the girls have arrived.

-OK.

It's disappointing that the Worcester bowl

hasn't turned out to be worth more,

so let's hope Nicki and Louise aren't too deflated before we even start the day.

-Good morning.

-Hello.

-Hi! How are you?

-How you're you doing?

-Nice to see you again.

-And you.

-We had such fun!

-It was fun.

-Yeah, a really good day.

And you've got the lovely egg.

-We have.

-The auctioneer's split up the ostrich collection.

Now, that lovely one you've got in your hand will be sold separately

and all the others will be in a different lot.

They'll get more money that way, so that's good news for us.

Shall we get a place? The auction's about to start.

-Yes.

-Put it down carefully!

-Yes, don't break the egg!

-No!

-OK.

Go and get a spot.

If, like Nicki and Louise, you're thinking of heading to auction, remember that commission

and other charges may be added to your bill, so do check the details with your auction house.

The sale is about to start and we all get into position for the opening lot of the day.

This is my favourite of your ostrich eggs, actually.

This lovely painted one. I think it's gorgeous, I really do.

-So, we want 80 to 120.

-£80 to £120.

-Come on!

-I've got to start this no less than £60. £60, start me.

Bid me £60. No bids of 60, I'll move on.

-Oh, no!

-No interest at £60.

-Oh.

-Unsold.

-That's bad news.

-That's not a good start.

-No.

Well, there just wasn't a market for our decorated egg.

The other eggs will be coming up later.

Maybe the engravings of these London landmarks

that Jonty valued at £80 to £120 will ignite some interest.

No bids of £60. I'm forced to pass it. No interest at £60.

-This is not on, is it?

-Not sold.

-She's in the room.

-She's here.

-She's in the room.

-She's here, she's mad!

-Really?

-She's cross with you! Oh, girls, you look really shocked!

I am! I'm a bit freaked out.

-She IS here.

-She's definitely here.

And she's cross!

With such a slow start to the day, it's no surprise that the sisters

are wondering whether they should be selling

their mother's belongings at all,

but Nicki and Louise are sure that it's all for a cause their mother was passionate about,

so let's hope the Staffordshire cow creamer stirs up some interest.

£40? I don't know if I can sell it. £40, I'm bid. 45, there. 50. Five.

60. Five. 70.

You know you want it.

£70, I'm bid, to my left. At £70. That's more like it.

I'll take five elsewhere.

Is that the money, then? At £70 and selling.

We got that away. Sold.

Sold. We've started!

Thank goodness, a sale at last! But just under Jonty's lowest estimate.

It seems the bidders here only have eyes for our quirkier items.

Next up is the exquisite hand-painted fan.

It's in absolutely perfect condition and might just be the piece to get hearts racing.

I've got a good feeling about this and Jonty thinks we can get £200

to £400 for it, but has he got the measure of the crowd here today?

At £65. I'm bid 70. 75. 80.

85. 90.

-95. 100. 110. 120? At £110.

-Come on.

Need 120, now. At £110. Commission bidder at £110 and selling.

Are we all done?

-Disappointing.

-Yes.

-Oh, I was hoping for so much more than that, but it's sold.

-It's sold.

It's a sale, but well below Jonty's lowest estimate.

We really need to drum up some interest to get

anywhere near our target of £1,000 and help Doreen's school.

Luck's just not on our side, as the hand-painted jardiniere

fails to attract any bids at all!

No interest at £60.

It's beginning to look

as if Nicki and Louise will be taking more of their mum's collectables home

than they'd thought.

And next is the contemporary glass bowls

that Jonty priced at £50 to £70.

£30, to start me. £30, I'm bid. Take two.

-At £30.

-Thank God for that.

At 32. 35. 38. At £35, then.

At £35. I'll take 38 now. All done at £35 and selling?

-We got a sale.

-We have.

Well, it's a result, but well under Jonty's lowest estimate.

At the halfway stage of the sale, we've made £215 towards our £1,000 target.

We've a long way to go.

Let's hope the 18th century maps of London come up trumps!

Jonty valued them at £100 to £150.

I've got two bids on this. I'll start it with me at £130.

-I'll take 140 in the room. 140 there.

-Yeah!

-150. 160.

As £150 with me, then. I'll take 160 now.

-Come on.

-At £150 on commissions.

Are we all done? Last chance of selling at £150, then.

-Yes.

-Result! Hurrah!

Fantastic, and it seems we're on a roll, as the reproduction

tapestry chair flies out of the room.

At £65. 70. 75. 80.

Are we all done? And selling them, 173, £85.

-Yes! Well done. Yes!

-Yeah!

-How does that feel?

-Feels good!

£5 over Jonty's top estimate.

At last, things seem to be picking up in the saleroom.

And next under the hammer is the item we're all counting on.

With any luck, the distinctive 18th-century Worcester bowl

will turn everybody's heads.

Jonty's certain that somebody will be happy

to part with £300 to £500 for it.

I'm feeling nervous because we really need this to sell.

-It's your star item. It's the bowl, the Worcester bowl.

-How are the vibes, girls?

I'm going to feel positive. I'm going to send out positive vibes.

I don't know, I'm feeling sort of either way on this one.

OK. Let's see if we can sell it. Fingers crossed.

Start me at £300, please. No interest at 300.

No bids at £300, then.

So, we won't be giving the school £1,000, then.

-No.

-Silence has fallen over the room.

-Yes, there is a silence.

-It's all gone deadly quiet. Unsold.

Well, there are stunned faces all round.

That really is a huge disappointment for us all.

We're going to need a dramatic turn in Nicki and Louise's fortunes

if they're to donate £1,000 to the school now.

Can those ostrich eggs possibly do it for them?

£30 to start me. £30 I'm bid.

Take two. At £30. A maiden bid at £30, then.

I'm selling at £30. All done.

£30, sold.

-Egg-cellent.

-Well, not...

-Egg-cellent!

You don't have egg on your face.

Not bad, but it hasn't done enough to rescue us.

We have to make more sales, and quick!

We still have the Edwardian inlaid tray is up next, and Jonty thinks we can get £30 to £50 for it.

At £40, then. In front of me at £40. All done, then, at £40.

A great result, bang in the middle of Jonty's estimate,

but we need some even better sales if we're to get anywhere near

supporting their mother's cherished cause.

Maybe the silk butterfly pictures will get a bidding war going.

£50 to start me for the butterflies. £40. £40 I'm bid.

Take five now. 45. 50.

-Five. 60. Five. At £60.

-That's good, that's fine.

-I'll take five now.

Is that enough at £60? Are we all done?

Selling at £60, then. 589.

-She says it's not enough.

-It's not enough, come on, more!

We have just one more lot to sell in the quest to help Doreen's school.

Let's hope that this amazing collection of designer hats

leave the saleroom in style.

It's a splendid collection. We're hoping for how much?

-£80 to £120.

-Hard to value, really.

They are, but they've got great designer names

-and very good quality, so...

-OK.

-Let's see what happens.

-Here we go.

And for the ladies, dress hats. I've got four commission bids.

-Listen to this!

-Four commission bids.

And at for 549 here, starting with at £125. I'll take 130 in the room.

-Whoa!

-That's great.

-I'm bid 130. 135. 140.

145. 150. 155. 160.

£155 with me, then. I'll take 160 now. 160 there.

It beats commissions. I'll take 170. £160 in the room. It beats commissions by a fiver.

£160. All done...

170 there. 180. £170. The backroom bidder at 170, in time.

All done and selling. 180 back in.

-190.

-They are amazing hats.

Says no at £200. At £190, then.

-Are we all done and selling at 190 and done?

-Yes!

-Yes!

-That was important to you, wasn't it?

-It was.

-Yes.

A well-deserved outcome, way over Jonty's top estimate.

It was a tough start and an emotional day for everyone,

but what a great end to the auction.

The hats really were the main attraction, but how far off our target are we?

OK, we were hoping for £1,000 for your school.

-You won't be surprised to know we haven't quite made £1,000 but you have made £770.

-Oh, wow!

-That's pretty good!

-Not bad at all!

-That's amazing.

-That is amazing, actually. It's a lot more than I thought.

-All right?

-That's great.

-Fantastic. Thank you so much.

Not at all.

It's just a few weeks after the auction.

Today, Louise has come to the Sir John Cass Red Coat School in Stepney, east London.

Their mother devoted so much of her time and energy to ensuring its future.

The headmaster, Haydn Evans, is very happy with the donation

and a Doreen Perry prize for literacy is being set up.

It will help secure Doreen's memory at the school and should inspire many pupils for years to come.

Both me and my sister were just thrilled that my mum's stuff

made some money and that we can give it to the school. That's what she would have wanted.

Now, if you'd like to raise money for something special

and you think you might have some bits and pieces, then why not come on the show?

You can find the form on our website.

Good luck, and maybe see you next time on Cash In The Attic.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd