Walters Cash in the Attic

Welcome to the show that searches every nook and cranny of your home for antiques to take to auction.

Today, we'll meet someone whose house is crammed to the rafters with clutter,

so she needs a helping hand from Cash In The Attic.

'Coming up on Cash In The Attic - oh, those memories of life in the Australian jungle!'

-Do you like it?

-Very fetching, Jennie. Very fetching.

'And is it our host or her friend who is the biggest collector?'

-Sara.

-Well, you see, I'd say Anne.

'Plus, on auction day, the lady of the house has a startling admission.'

-Because I'm mad.

-Because you're barking mad.

-Barking!

-She wants to scare the neighbours.

'Will we all be feeling the same way when the hammer falls?'

We're on the coast of Devon to meet a lady who's called in a friend

to help her find her way to "la dolce vita".

'Anne Walters is a born-and-bred Londoner, but in 2001,

'she moved to the English Riviera and she hasn't looked back.

'She's happy here and her two sons Jerry and Nick both live nearby.

'Anne is a compulsive buyer of second-hand goods and I've already been warned

'that her house is filled with all sorts of paraphernalia.

'Helping the search today is her friend Sara

'and our expert John Cameron is on hand too.

'He's been doing valuations for 15 years and still works as an auctioneer.

'He gets to work straight away while I go to meet the ladies.'

-Good morning.

-Hello.

-You've made a start. That's lovely. You must be Anne.

-I am.

-And you're...?

-I'm Sara.

-Hello, Sara. Do you like rummaging?

-I love rummaging.

-That's why you've chosen her.

-Yes, exactly.

Someone told me that you had an awful lot of possessions

and from a quick look round, I can see that's true.

-Where has it all come from?

-Various places, mainly charity shops.

Or a charity shop, just one particular one.

-All of this?

-Yes, it was ridiculous. I did live there for 38 years, so over the time I collected it...

-They must love you.

-They did. They used to wait for me to come in.

She's a bit of a hoarder, is she?

I can't say that because I'm...

-She's worse than me.

-I'm not worse.

-You are. She's worse than me.

I am not a hoarder. I am a collector.

I can't let things go.

We're going to have fun today. How much money do you think you might be able to raise?

-About £500.

-What's the money going to go towards?

-Towards a cruise.

-Having never been on a cruise, I'd like to go on a Mediterranean cruise.

-Sounds fantastic.

-£500 for a cruise round the Med. Shall we start rummaging?

-Right.

-Let's go and see what John's found.

'Anne might have loads of stuff, but she certainly keeps it all very neat and tidy,

'so that should make it easier for us to sort out what might be worth taking to the auction.'

Well, here he is and he's found something rather beautiful.

-Yes, the blue glass.

-I've got three pieces - two blue and one amethyst. Who's the collector?

-Me.

-Yeah?

-Me.

-You're going to learn about this lady.

-She buys everything she can, don't you?

-Yes, but this wasn't from a charity shop.

Where did you get this from?

-From a gift shop where I used to live.

-You went to the gift shop too?

It was the gift shop to the left or charity shop to the right.

They're interesting. They're from the famous factory of Whitefriars which was James Powell and Sons,

one of the longest-running glass manufacturers in British glass-making history.

These are very distinctive pieces that were introduced in the '60s,

a whole range of textured pieces.

These were mould-blown into wooden moulds. Different range of colours and shapes. This is kingfisher blue.

We've got an amethyst coffin vase.

-What did you like about them particularly?

-Probably the colour. Blue is my favourite colour.

-So it probably was that.

-Have you used them?

-I put flowers in them occasionally.

OK. So was it a good investment?

The market has seen a rise in recent years, but we have seen the peak of that rise.

Collectors have acquired the things they're after and are now looking for scarcer pieces,

but these are still saleable.

I'd put the three of them together at £50 to £70.

That's fine. Yes, definitely.

-That sounds good to me.

-Definitely.

-It must be more than you paid for them.

-I'd say so.

-You've bought so much, you've no idea?

-I haven't a clue what I paid!

'So with a bit of luck, we might discover a real gem here.

'Sara has started her search upstairs

'amid the mass of soft toys that Anne has accumulated over the years.

'She bought this Steiff camel when she was on holiday in Germany 30 years ago.

'The Mickey Mouse, dachshund and Steiff bear all came from the same charity shop in London.

'You can easily identify a Steiff by a metal pin in the ear bearing the company name.

'Some of their vintage or limited edition toys can fetch thousands of pounds.

'These aren't in that league and together should fetch £50 to £70.'

-Hi, John.

-Hi, Sara.

-What do you think of this?

First of all, what do YOU think of it?

-I don't like it.

-You don't like it?

-It's not my style.

-Do you not admire the craftsmanship in it?

-Well, no, because I think I could do just as well.

I'm boasting, aren't I? But I did go to night school to do copper work and pewter work.

We ought to have a chat afterwards. We could do honest reproductions.

-I see a little mark on there. Can you see that?

-I can. Can you see what it says?

-No.

-If my eyes don't deceive me, that says Newlyn.

-There was a Newlyn School of artists,

so something to do with that?

Yes, the Newlyn School of Arts which started down in Newlyn near Penzance in the late 19th century.

The Newlyn School - Stanhope Forbes, Harold Harvey and the like were focusing very much

on the fishing traditions of Newlyn and its surrounding farming as well.

-I see.

-It's echoed in here.

But this is a piece of Newlyn copper ware which is quite collectable these days.

It's all worked by hand and I think there's a great attention to detail on here.

-Where would this have come from?

-Knowing Anne, I would think in a charity shop.

-You think so?

-Yes.

-So she wouldn't have paid much for it?

-No. Probably about 50 pence.

-Would it surprise you if I put an estimate on that of £30 to £50?

-All right.

If it wasn't so vigorously polished, I might put a bit more on that.

But this little fishy on this little dishy will hopefully do us a good turn at auction.

'It may have lost some of its finer details, but let's hope it still attracts some bids.'

-Several bids on this one. Straight in at £40.

-We're on the bottom estimate, got a bid.

'I wonder how much it will finally sell for?

'As the search here in Paignton continues, we decide to split up

'to make sure we don't miss anything that could help our cause.

'We've got our work cut out. There are hundreds of things to look over.

'John has found more of Anne's glass collection.

'He particularly likes this small scent bottle with a hallmarked silver rim.

'There are also mid-20th century Italian Murano pieces.

'Once again, they come from the charity shop in London.

'John recommends putting them together in one lot with an estimate of £40 to £60.'

It's lovely to have a bit of a sit-down. We'll leave John to it.

I wanted to ask you more about how this happened. I mean, look at it.

We are surrounded by your possessions. So when did it start?

Well, about 50 years ago when I got my first house.

I happened to like things, so I'd just go and get them or buy them, then I'd get a collection of them.

When I moved out of Ealing, I took a lot of it back to the charity shop, so this is only a fraction of it.

Good Lord!

You mentioned Ealing.

-You lived in Ealing for some years before you moved down here to Devon?

-Yes, definitely.

I was born there. My father was born there as well.

The family just came from Ealing.

So what brought you down here?

Because things had changed so much and I wasn't terribly happy being in London any more.

-One of the prime reasons you moved down was that you got cancer?

-Yes, that's right.

It was just after that that I thought... In fact, the Macmillan nurse said she was a bit concerned

about me coming on my own anyway.

She said, "Really you should have somebody caring for you."

So my son and daughter-in-law came as my carers because he'd already been down here about seven years.

-So how are you now?

-Much better.

You can never say you're cured, according to the consultant. You just say you're in remission.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm in remission and I have been for some time.

-So you feel good?

-Yes, I feel fine.

-Fit to go on a cruise?

-Definitely.

That's going to put the icing on the cake.

Why do you want to go to Italy so much?

Well, basically, my grandmother was Italian and that was the first place I went to.

And I just love Italy. I think all the holidays I've had in the last five years or so have been in Italy.

-We'll get you back out there to Italy if we can on a lovely luxury cruise.

-That would be lovely.

-Yeah.

-But we need some money, so we'd better go and see what John's up to.

-Yes.

-Come on.

'In the study, Sara has come across this dinner service.

'It's made by Denby. In 1806, a seam of clay was exposed at Denby in Derbyshire

'during the construction of a road.

'The clay's exceptional quality was recognised by a local entrepreneur who set up a company.

'By the end of the century, richly coloured glazes in kitchenware became Denby's trademark.

'Anne started to collect this Gypsy design set in 1960

'and has added to it over the years from various charity shops.

'It should make £20 to £30 at auction.'

-Anne, this is an interesting painting.

-Yes.

-What's the story behind it?

I bought it from a charity shop in Ealing because it reminds me of Florence.

An artist fellow came to look at it recently

and explained that it was probably painted for the grand tour

by a Florentine artist.

-That's about all you know?

-Yes.

-It certainly does look like Florence, doesn't it?

-Yes.

-These look like medieval Florentine buildings.

-They do.

-Well, the grand tour was a kind of finishing school for gentlemen in the 18th century.

-Right.

Many very wealthy young men would go off, sometimes for four or five years,

studying and touring around Europe's great cities.

And on their travels, they would often collect antiquarian books, paintings, bronzes, all sorts,

so you would get young, contemporary artists being commissioned by these wealthy young men

to paint them pictures of the places they'd visited. I do like the painting.

It has a great luminosity. I love the use of light and shade.

I think that's on board. Have you ever had it out of the frame?

No, but he did suggest it was on board, not canvas.

It doesn't look like canvas. What I would like to do at some point is perhaps remove it from the frame.

I'd have to take out all the pins and get it out, just to have a closer look,

-but also it would be nice if there was an artist's signature tucked behind the frame here.

-Definitely.

That would help possibly increase its value. As a painting, the more I look at it, the more I like it.

-Even a tourist piece like that, I'd be looking at £50 to £70. Would you be happy with that?

-That's fine.

-We've got ourselves another lot.

-Jolly good.

-Come on then.

'Going by John's lowest estimates so far, we stand to make £240 towards Anne's Mediterranean cruise,

'so we're almost halfway there already.'

There you are! Here am I rummaging around your house and you're sitting... What are you looking at?

-Just photos of some of my cars.

-SOME of your cars?

-These are the classic ones.

-Then we have modern ones for everyday use.

-How many cars have you got?

-Seven at the moment.

I knew you were a collector, but I didn't know you collected cars.

-It's an investment really.

-Oh, I see.

You get great fun from them, from the clubs, from the rallies,

going on gymkhanas with them and that sort of thing.

-What, over jumps?

-No, no, no, you have to negotiate things.

How interesting! They are beautiful, I must say.

-Anne, have you ever been in one?

-Yes, I've been in the Jag. Beautiful car.

-It's very smooth and very elegant.

-How did you two actually meet?

-At the University of the Third Age. Or the U3A as it's called.

-I have heard of it, but tell me more.

It's for people sort of over-55, semi-retired or retired.

And there are various things going on that you can sort of join in,

so it's good to get people out of the house that wouldn't normally do so.

-It's a good social life.

-Yes, it is definitely.

You don't have to go to everything. You choose what you want to go to.

-What groups do you both belong to?

-We both go to Local History.

And I go to Music.

And I go to Rummikub and I'm trying to learn to play whist.

It's great that you two met at the University of the Third Age.

You have a common interest in local history, but you've got another big interest

which is collecting everything from large cars to small ornaments.

-Yeah.

-You've got quite a lot in common, have you?

-I think so.

-We must have, yes.

-We're as bonkers as each other.

-Yeah.

-Who's the biggest collector?

-Sara.

-Well, you see, I'd say Anne.

LAUGHTER

Next time, it's going to be your house we come to,

but right now, we'd better finish with this house, so come on.

'It seems Anne's new interest in learning for pleasure is her main hobby now instead of collecting.

'Upstairs, John has noticed a couple of bugles in the bedroom which Anne bought at a local market.

'One of them still has the tassels which look in good condition.

'The bugle evolved from German hunting horns, but the word comes from the Latin

'for a young bull, "buculus", as the earliest were made of animal horns.

'These two are made of copper and brass and get an estimate

'of £30 to £50.'

-These are extraordinary. I've so many hats here. Where have they all come from?

-The charity shop.

-No?

-Needless to say. Yes.

-I like this one. This reminds me...

-Just mind you don't get a cork in your eye.

-It's wonderful. It takes me right back to the jungle.

I don't suppose you want to part with any of them?

-Oh, definitely, yes.

-Where's our man? John?

I want you to... I think I want you to do the full monty.

Really? There's an offer a boy can't refuse.

There's a lot of laughing going on out here and not a lot of rummaging.

-Do you think it suits me?

-Very fetching, Jennie. Very fetching.

Somebody could be mad enough to buy them all as one lot. I don't know what they'd do with them.

-You've collected them over how many years?

-About 20, I suppose.

My favourite has to be the great English bowler, quintessentially English.

These were originally made... They were commissioned for gamekeepers.

The brief to the guy that made the very first one was that they had to be very, very hard

to withstand a clobbering from a cornered poacher.

-Oh, my goodness!

-The chap that made the first one's name was Bowler.

-That's how it got the name.

-Are they worth anything?

-It would have to be a bit of a guestimate. How many are there?

-I reckon there's 13.

-Well, I'd put them in

-at £50 to £100 and just suck it and see.

-OK.

Brilliant. Off we go then.

-Come on.

-Permission to go ashore?

-Indeed, indeed.

'13, eh? Let's hope that's a lucky number for Anne come auction day.

'In the dining room, she wonders if this collection of silver-plate and pewter tankards, jugs and goblets

'might be worth much at auction.

'Two are commemorative pieces for the Queen's Silver Jubilee,

'but the others are early to mid-20th century.

'Anne bought them for next to nothing at a charity shop,

'so would make a nice return if they sell for an estimate of £20 to £30.'

-John, you've found my bears.

-They were hard to miss, Anne.

I turned around and there were hundreds of eyes staring at me.

I've seen some collections of Ty Beanie Babies in my time, but not a collection quite this big.

Where did it all start?

A friend in America had ordered one in a shop in Ealing and she asked me to go and pick it up for her.

They said, would I like one of these bears as well? I thought, "Why not?"

It took off from there. Every time they got any in, they'd let me know, so I'd rush in and buy them.

-When was that?

-Gosh, it must have been about 1997, I'd say.

Right, OK. Well, the Beanie Babies started around 1993.

That's when they introduced the first range.

-It did become a collecting phenomenon.

-Definitely.

-But they still are produced and still are loved the world over.

-Yes.

-You'd be happy to sell the collection?

-Yes, definitely.

-You've had enough?

-Yes.

-You don't want to think about it?

-No.

-You sound like you've made your mind up.

-Yes, definitely.

-How many do you think you've got?

-I think there's about a hundred.

If I were putting them into auction, I would suggest an estimate of around £100.

-I would say 80 to 120.

-Right.

-Are you OK with that?

-That's fine.

-You probably have a few rare ones.

-I love these four - Shamrock, Daffodil, Rose and Thistle.

-Yes, United Kingdom.

-Those are my favourites. A few scarcer ones in there might bump that price up.

-Yes.

'Sara has found some more of Anne's soft toys.

'And it looks as if John has too, but I think we've got enough of those going to the saleroom for now.

'Around the fireplace, Anne displays another of her collections.

'This time, it's pieces of copperware that are from around the turn of the 20th century.

'Some of it she bought at a market down here in Devon, but the rest is from her charity shop trawls.

'Unfortunately, they're not so fashionable these days,

'so the estimate for this little lot is just £40 to £60.'

It's certainly an interesting collection of folky musical instruments you've got, Anne,

but where do they all come from?

-A charity shop underneath me in Ealing.

-These came from...?

-All of them.

-It's a good charity shop.

-It's a very good charity shop.

-Is it still there?

-Yes.

-You know where I'm going when I leave your house!

-And the accordion?

-No, this came from Totnes Market.

-So more local?

-Yes.

-What do you know about that?

I was just looking at it to see where it was made.

We've got it plastered all over the piece. It's Empress with their swan trademark,

-made in Saxony, so Germany.

-Gosh!

-This piece would date to the 19th century. The ebonised body suggests that as well.

-My goodness!

A lot of people call them one-man bands. You play the melody and accompaniment on opposing sides.

-You don't need anyone else with you. You've never played it?

-No.

-SHE PLAYS A FEW NOTES

-You've got two mandolins there.

There's not a huge amount of age to those, but this piece interests me.

It's got up there the maker's name.

It's an eight-string banjo and it's John Grey and Sons of London.

I believe these were made by Francis Beddard

and they quickly gained a reputation for quality.

-A bit of damage to it, but a good maker's name certainly.

-Oh, right.

-Do you think we could sell all these as a collection?

-Yes, I hope so.

-They all look like they require some form of restoration.

-Definitely.

They'll be a project for someone who buys them, but they're interesting.

Well, if I was selling then, I'd expect them to make collectively about £150 upwards.

An auction house might want to separate them into three lots, but it's what I'd hope they'd realise.

What do I hear, what do I hear? £150?

These five pieces, we're going to put them into auction and I think they should make about £150 upwards.

-I think that's mean.

-Thank you(!)

-Aren't they nice?

-They're lovely.

Sara, do you think she's going to get to the auction with all her bits and pieces? She loves them so much.

-I shall be carrying them to the auction.

-Good girl.

-Take them away.

You said you wanted £500 at the start of the day, so you can get on that cruise to the Mediterranean.

Based on John's lowest valuations throughout the day, you should make £610.

That's very good, yes. Smashing. Yes, definitely.

-Do you think we can get you one of those outside cabins with a balcony?

-Dangle me over the side?

-No!

So you have a balcony and a view and you can sip your wine there, yeah?

I'm sure this lot will sell and it'll be bon voyage!

-We're relying on you to make sure she gets to the auction with all these bits.

-They'll go.

'I think we've helped Anne sort out what could do well at auction

'and sent her happily on her way around the Med.

'Among the items we've chosen,

'we have that huge collection of Beanie Babies.

'She reckons there's about a hundred in total.

'And there are the 13 hats she's collected from charity shops for the past 20 years.

'We'll be doffing ours to anyone who offers over the estimate of £50 to £100.

'And what about that 19th century German accordion

'she bought at a local market?

'With the banjo and other musical instruments from charity shops,

'this lot should sell for at least £150.

'Still to come, Anne's feeling very confident about her small copper tray.'

-Why a fixed reserve?

-I know it's worth more than 40, so I thought 40's fine.

-She knows.

-Positive thinking.

'And how close does she get to her Mediterranean cruise?'

-At the moment, you're on the lower decks. We need to bring you up that ship.

-As long as I'm not rowing!

'Find out if she gets there when the hammer finally falls.'

It's been just over a month now since we waded through a huge range of collectables at Anne's home.

Today, we've brought them to Lyme Bay Auctions on the southwest coast.

We're hoping that Anne's not the only one with a hoarding instinct

because we want to get her on that cruise.

'The auction house is in the small Devon resort of Seaton

'on the 95-mile-long Jurassic coastline of Lyme Bay.

'They don't sell fossils here though, just antiques every five to six weeks.'

-Hiya. Good morning.

-Hello.

-Oh, who have we got here?

-I'm Jerry.

-Hello, Jerry.

-Anne's son.

-Ah!

-What's happened to Sara?

-She couldn't make it today.

-So you're a stand-in?

-Yes.

-Have you been to an auction before?

-I haven't. I've been really looking forward to coming.

-Good.

-I love these hats. How do you feel about parting with them?

-It looks a bit odd in my hall at the moment.

-They were all up the stairs.

-Yeah.

-Will the Beanie Babies sell?

I have noticed another couple of Beanie Baby lots in the auction today.

-That's sometimes a good thing.

-Hopefully, it may have brought some collectors down for them,

-but we've flooded the market.

-Yes.

-Let's show you how an auction works. It's about to start, so we'll go and get a place.

-Excellent.

-Here we go.

'Let's hope Anne's collectables go down well and help us boost her holiday funds.

'We're almost in the right county for her first lot.

It's the Cornish Newlyn copper pin tray, embossed with a fish.'

-I said £30 to £50, a collectable item. You've put a fixed reserve on this, Anne - £40?

-Yes.

Hopefully, it'll get there. It's a nice thing and they're getting scarcer.

-Why a fixed reserve?

-I know it's worth more than 40, so I thought 40's fine.

-She knows.

-Yeah, I know.

-Positive thinking.

-Several bids on this one. Straight in at £40.

-Wow! £40, we've got a bid.

-Good.

£40 I've got. 45. 50.

-£55? 55 I've got. 55. 60 anywhere?

-Go on.

I'm going to sell it for £55.

-It was very exciting for a minute.

-We got all excited!

Never mind, 55, that's all right. It's over the estimate, isn't it?

-£5 over estimate, we're happy with that.

-That's good.

'It's started the day off well, which is a good thing,

'but far too early to start celebrating.'

-We'll try and sell your pewter tankards now. Do you use these, Jerry?

-No, I don't actually.

-Just as well. She's selling them!

-He won't be able to have a drink!

-So £20 would be OK?

-Yeah, fine.

-Let's see if we can do it.

-Let's see what happens.

What shall we say for those? £20, £30?

£15 then?

-Come on.

-£15? It's got to be worth £15, hasn't it? No-one interested?

A tenner then? £10? No-one interested at £10?

-No? We'll have to pass those by. Not sold.

-Oh, dear.

-Well, Jerry, you will be drinking from those tankards now.

-I will from now on. I think I need to!

'That's a shame, but Anne doesn't look at all disappointed.

'It's only a £20 loss which we can hopefully make up elsewhere.'

Next up are our copper bugles. Two of them and they work. I did get a bit of a note out of both of them.

-We're looking for £30 to £50.

-Why did you buy copper bugles?

-Because I'm mad.

-Cos you're barking mad.

-Barking!

-She wants to scare the neighbours.

-Did you used to get the children up with these?

-Yes... No, the neighbours, not the children!

-We hope we can get £30 for them.

-Yes. Your neighbours will be hoping so as well.

-Yes, I should think so.

£40?

£30 then?

-25, thank you. £25...

-25.

-Yes, but down from 40.

-He started at 40.

-I see.

And I shall sell them for £25...

-30?

-£25.

-25, 25.

-We were talking all the way through that, so we didn't notice.

-Pay attention, girls.

'He's being a bit dogmatic, but I suppose we'd better concentrate.'

I wonder if we'll find a buyer now for your oil on board? It's lovely.

-It's a painting of Florence.

-Yes.

-Fond of it?

-Very. I've just come back from there.

-Have you?

-Yes, a fortnight ago.

-Where did you get it from?

-The charity shop.

-Does your mother ever come out of charity shops?

-No, she's always there.

-I like it. 50 to 70, I think, is a real speculative estimate on this.

-OK, let's see.

£50, £60? Rather rare.

£40 then...? £40?

£40 I've got. £40 I've got.

£40 I've got. £40 I've got. 45 anywhere?

-Come on.

-Come on.

-45 I've got. 50 I've got.

55 anywhere?

I shall sell for £50... BANGS GAVEL

-It was a very good item, that one.

-What do you think?

-OK, that's fine.

-You're happy, aren't you, about that?

-I'm so happy, yes.

'Anne's really enjoying this chance

'to turn her possessions into cash for something special.

'We've already passed the £100 mark.'

Next up is our extensive Denby pottery dinner set.

I've got £20 to £30 on it.

It seems a really small figure, but I often take these to auction

and they don't get any bids at all.

-So are you happy for this to sell?

-Yes.

-You want to get rid of it?

-Yes.

-OK, here we go.

£40, £50?

£30 then?

£30 I've got. £30 I've got.

32 I've got. 35 I've got. £35 I've got.

38 anywhere? 38 anywhere?

Then I shall sell it for £35...

£35.

-Oh, well...

-OK with that?

-Yes, I didn't want to take it home again.

-You were hoping for more?

-Yes, definitely.

-Never mind.

-Yes, more space.

-Exactly. I would have filled it anyway.

-It all goes towards your cruise.

-That's very true. Yes, definitely.

'She had been collecting that set since the '60s,

'so I can understand her disappointment.'

It's time to put your hat on.

'There are 13 of them in total, all from charity shops.

'We're hoping they'll sell for £50 to £100.'

I've got my one. Get your hat on. Come on, quickly, Anne!

-I'm looking for one.

-Somebody should have put the bowler on.

It's a collection of various hats.

-There we are.

-We're showing them here.

Very interesting collection. What shall we say for that?

Other hats here.

What shall we say for that? £40?

-£30?

-There's a lot there.

-£20?

-Oh, for goodness sake, look at them all!

22. 25. 28. 30?

£30 I've got. £30 I've got.

32 anywhere? 32 anywhere?

Then I'm going to sell it for £30... GAVEL BANGS

Oh, no!

-We even modelled them.

-Oh, well, there we are.

-Perhaps we put them off.

'And she could be right.

'Perhaps our sales technique was a bit over the top, but at least the hats have gone.'

-We're halfway through.

-Good Lord!

-It's not bad.

-It wasn't, was it?

-It's flown by, hasn't it?

-It's your first auction, Jerry. Are you enjoying it?

-Thoroughly. I'd love to come again fairly soon.

Well, it's been a bit up and down. We've got a few things unsold. But you've got some big items to come.

We've got your Beanie Bears to come, your musical instruments.

I'm saying this to soften you up because you should be at 250 now, your target's 500,

but in fact you've made £195.

-Right, fine, that's good.

-That's good.

-All right?

-We'll catch up in the second half.

-I think there's every prospect of that.

But we need to do better. At the moment, you're on the lower decks.

-We need you to bring you up that ship.

-As long as I'm not rowing!

'If you'd like to sell at auction yourself,

'do bear in mind that fees such as commission are added to your bill.

'This charge varies from one saleroom to another, so it's always worth enquiring in advance.

'A general auction like this is a great place to spot unusual things and buy them for a bargain price,

'but you have to train your eye to look out for those potential gems.'

-What have you found to play with?

-Aren't these great?

-I remember them.

-End of the pier job, eh?

-It takes you back a bit.

-It does. I used to love them.

This was one of the easier games. I won a penny or two on this.

This is called the Elevenses because of the 11 cups here. It's called a catching game.

This is one of their most famous machines, but it looks easier than it is

because these bars here rotated, so when the balls hit them, it often threw them off.

-You were just rubbish at it!

-It's by the firm of Bryans,

William Bryan, a very interesting Leicestershire man,

who started the firm in about 1926 after a Distinguished Flying Cross awarded during the First World War.

This one is about 1955 in date.

These things, when they turn up at auction, generate a lot of interest.

What will it fetch, do you reckon?

-In good condition, it should make £400 or £500.

-Really?

-I haven't got any old pennies to try it out.

-But if someone gets it for 200 quid, they've had a real bargain.

-Really?

I thought it would be 50 quid.

-If we can get this for £50, we'll split the profit, shall we?

-OK. Come on. Let's go back to our auction.

'That old arcade machine sold for £600 in the end, not the bargain we thought it might be.

'As the sale of Anne's lots resumes, her small collection of glass is the next to go before the bidders.

'It includes some Italian Murano, plus a silver-topped scent bottle.

'They're all charity shop acquisitions again.'

What shall we say for that? £40, £50?

-£30 then?

-Come on.

£30 I've got. Thank you.

£30 I've got. £30 I've got. 32 anywhere? 32 anywhere?

No, it's got to make a little bit more money, this one.

-Unsold.

-Oh, gosh!

-That's not been sold. £30 was the lowest bid. It looks like you're taking it home.

-Fine.

-It's a shame. I thought the silver-mounted jar was worth that.

-Definitely.

-You would think so.

'At least it's not a huge collection that she'll be taking home,

'but it has taken another chunk out of our potential earnings today.'

I wonder what we're going to get for a bear, a camel, a mouse and a dog?

They are a Steiff bear and camel and Mickey Mouse and a dachshund.

-But where have these come from?

-The camel came from Germany. But the others came from the charity shop.

A couple of them are quite classy - the Steiff bear and camel.

They are modern Steiff bears, but they're quite expensive new,

so that's why I've put £50 to £70 on them.

-They're not your boyhood toys?

-No, certainly not, I'm pleased to say.

-They're newer than that.

Oh! I wouldn't dare say such a thing. All right, well, let's see if we can get 50 quid.

It's unusual. What shall we say for that? £50, £60?

£40 then?

£40 I've got. Thank you. £40 I've got. £40 I've got.

£40 I've got. £40 I've got. 42 anywhere?

-Come on!

-42 anywhere? I'm going to sell it for £40...

71.

-There we are.

-I don't think that's bad.

-Not really.

-That's good.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yeah, definitely. See the back of them.

'I wonder if they'll be joining a bigger family of soft toys?

'I'm sure they'll be much loved by their new owner.'

Next up are our three pieces of Whitefriars - the coffin vase and the two other vases.

-They were from the collectors' shop.

-Yes.

-All I've heard is "charity shop" all day.

-No, this wasn't a charity shop.

-Why is it called a coffin vase?

-It's the shape of it.

-It's very off-putting.

-That's what the collectors refer to them as - the coffin vase.

-How much money?

We've got three in the lot

-and £50 to £70, which I think is fairly reasonable.

-Fine.

-Are you feeling confident, Jerry?

-I am, ever confident.

-Yes, OK.

-Several bids on this. Straight in at £45.

-Several bids!

-£45 I've got. £45 I've got.

£45 I've got. 50. 55.

60? 60.

65. 70... 75.

80. We're off the book at £80. £80 I've got.

£80 in the room here. 85 anywhere? I'm going to sell for £80...

-I'm surprised about that.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-That's over the top estimate. That's very good.

-Are you surprised in a good way?

-In a good way, yeah.

-Good.

-I'm relieved.

-Yes, definitely.

-OK.

-It's funny how these auctions go.

I can see you now with a glass of bubbly on that deck, overlooking Italy. Are you taking him as well?

-Yes, and his partner.

-Oh, I see.

'I reckon they're all in for a fun-filled time

'if my experience with Anne is anything to go by.'

Well, this is such a mystery to me.

Will your Beanie Bears sell or are you taking them all home?

-More than 100, aren't there?

-150.

-150 Beanie Bears!

-I do hope not.

-John, you reckon we might get £80 for them.

I said 80 to 120, but that was before I knew

there were three other Beanie Baby lots in this auction.

-You're not sounding confident.

-Not now, no. I hope they sell, just for Anne's sake.

Otherwise you know what you're getting for Christmas!

What shall we say for those? £100?

90? 80...? 50 then?

No-one interested?

-Come on!

-Can't go less than 50. No-one interested?

No? OK. Put that down as "not sold". Sorry about that.

-Oh, no!

-That's a shame.

That was £80 we were hoping for towards the target, most importantly, but also...

-I've got to take them home again.

-Oh, no!

'She could always leave them here

'to sell again, but what does Roger Woolland the auctioneer think?'

It tends to be a bit of a fad. One year, they're in, the next year, you can't give them away.

It's just one of those things with Beanie Bears.

'It seems this is the year they're not so hot.

'That "no sale" of the Beanie Bears has left a huge dent in our efforts to reach Anne's target of £500.'

Next up is our collection of copperware.

£40 to £60 we've got for it.

'We're about to find out if it's worth it.'

I have a bid on this one straight in at £30. £30 I've got.

-Got 30.

-£30 I've got.

32 anywhere? 32. 35.

£35 I've got. £35 I've got.

-It looks nice.

-Yeah, that's right.

I'll sell it for £35...

That's not bad - 35.

-That's not bad.

-You're nearly there.

-Nearly.

'But another one under the lower estimate means

'if Anne wants to make enough money for that cruise, her last lot,

'which is just coming up, has to do well.'

-This is a really important item, all your musical instruments. Where did they all come from?

-A charity shop.

-It's just like a broken record.

-It is, isn't it? Hopeless.

-Did you play any of these instruments, Jerry?

-No, I'm afraid I didn't.

-You didn't have a little tinker?

-Probably.

-They're nice, aren't they?

We've got four instruments there, including the nice John Grey banjo.

150 sounds a lot of money, but it isn't

-when you've got five items.

-Absolutely. Worth every penny. Come on!

I have a bid on this one straight in at £120.

-120.

-125. 130.

135. 140.

145...? It's now off the book at £145.

-Go on.

-What about the accordion?

£145...

Oh, £145. We just, just almost got to our bottom estimate there.

-Are you happy with that?

-It's OK.

-You're a bit disappointed?

-A little bit, yes.

-Did you think they'd fly out the room?

-I was sure they would.

-Never mind.

-They can do a little slow dance out of the room.

-Yes, exactly.

'Considering nearly all of Anne's pieces were from charity shops,

'she must have made a good profit. Time to find out.'

That, ladies and gentlemen, is it.

-Have you enjoyed it?

-I did. My first auction, yes, I did enjoy it.

-Good.

-Jerry, it's been your first auction too.

-It has. I've really enjoyed it as well.

Some of it didn't go quite to plan, did it?

Sales like this can be quite emotional. You get highs and lows and we've had a few downers here.

However, we wanted £500, so you could go on that lovely cruise.

-It's going to take you mostly to Italy.

-Yes, hopefully.

OK, £500 you didn't get.

-But you did get 495.

-Well, that's not bad, is it?

-Excellent.

-I tell you what - I'll give you the fiver!

I might hold you to that!

And you've got lots of items to either leave here for a re-sale or take home.

-Yes.

-Thank you for coming, Jerry, and standing in at the last moment. And we wish you bon voyage!

Anne and Jerry are looking forward to their cruise around the Italian coast.

In the meantime, they've come to the picturesque port of Dartmouth, not far from her Paignton home,

so they can have a taste of a life on the ocean wave.

I've been coming here for years, but it's the first time I've been on a cruise like that.

I love coming to Dartmouth. It's one of the nicest parts of Devon.

It's just so calm and luckily, the sea was calm. I really enjoyed it on the boat.

Very nice. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

So has their boat trip along the River Dart whetted their appetite for their big voyage around the Med?

I've always wanted to go on a cruise, so the thought of going to Italy really sounds good to me.

-I'm looking forward to that.

-I'm glad I've raised the cash towards the trip. It'll be great.

I haven't been on a cruise before and I've thoroughly enjoyed Cash In The Attic.

She's just £5 short of her target, but JC said he's going to give you the £5.

-You did well, didn't you, in the end?

-Definitely.

-Thoroughly enjoyed it.

-Yes.

I couldn't be more delighted that Anne is now one step closer

to that fabulous cruise around her beloved Italy.

If you'd like to raise money for a holiday or something else

and you have collectables hidden around your home, why not apply to come on the show?

You can find the form on our website at:

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

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2011

Email [email protected]