Armstrong Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic.

I'm in the northeast of England

and I'm heading for a house that I'm told is absolutely full of things from all over the world,

so who knows what we might find.

I can't wait to get started.

Coming up on today's Cash In The Attic,

a well-travelled family with some exotic collectables.

-So this has travelled with you?

-Everywhere we've lived.

-It's nearly as well travelled as we are.

-That's a big suitcase.

A silver purse makes Paul feel sorry for himself.

Hopefully someone will enjoy it,

someone who's young enough to go to dances.

-Well, you never know. Some of us never get asked.

-Ah!

So will our trip to auction cheer him up? Find out when the hammer falls.

The couple that I'm about to meet have lived just about everywhere

but eight years ago, they decided to settle here in County Durham

and now they want to move into a smaller house

but they have to get rid of an awful lot things

that they've spent a lifetime collecting

and they've called in Cash In The Attic to help.

Ann and John Armstrong met in Wheatley Hill, County Durham,

on Christmas Eve, 1956.

15 months later, they were married.

John had been in the navy but left to begin a career as a mining engineer,

a job that would take both of them all over the world,

from Beirut to South America and most countries in between.

Following decades of travel,

the couple returned to the UK and County Durham.

But after eight years in their current home

and with John now retired,

they've decided that it's time for one final move

and that's where we come in.

Ann, John. Ah, reminiscing on some of your travels.

The pair of you are like a walking atlas.

-You've been everywhere, haven't you?

-We've had a lot of travels.

-Yes.

We spent 35 years working overseas, travelling overseas.

Have you an idea of how many countries you've lived in?

I would say I've probably been in 80% of the countries in the world.

And your house reflects that,

so I think we're going to find out more about those travels a bit later on

but in the meantime, why have you called in Cash In The Attic?

Well, we love our house but we need to downsize,

so we're going to try and sell some of our items

and move on, move somewhere smaller.

And how much are you hoping to raise?

I think £500-£600 would be lovely.

-And what are you going to spend the money on?

-A holiday.

We're going to go to Scotland.

We're meeting our daughter and her husband

to celebrate their wedding anniversary

and then we're going to go to Loch Lomond golf club.

It's a beautiful place. John can play golf and I can take photographs.

Because you are a golf fanatic, John, aren't you?

I like to play golf. I wish I could play a lot better.

I'm looking forward to playing a game with my son-in-law.

Well, I've brought Paul Hayes with me

and he is already having a field day in this house.

He can't believe how many wonderful things there are in it.

Shall we find him and see what he thinks we might be able to take to auction?

It looks John and Ann haven't lost their passion for travel,

though I expect the trip to Scotland will be just a walk in the park

for these globe-trotters.

Someone else who's always on the move

is our expert, Paul Hayes.

He's travelled the length and breadth of the UK

during his 20 years in the antiques business

but it looks like something has stopped him in his tracks today.

-Ah, hello.

-There you go.

-How are you?

-Paul, Ann and John,

who have been telling me about their amazing travels.

-What have you got there?

-Well, they didn't travel very far for these.

These are made in Newcastle.

They're a fantastic pair of tea caddies from Ringtons tea.

-Have you heard of Ringtons tea?

-They still drive round delivering.

It's not something you picked up on your travels, so how did you come by them?

These came from John's grandmother, so they're quite old.

I'd reckon round about 100 years.

Have you used them as a tea caddy?

No, the children were young and I was worried they'd break them.

We're state of the art, now - we use tea bags.

-So you won't miss your daily cuppa.

-LAUGHTER

Well, these are a fantastic item

and you were able to buy these door-to-door.

They had their own blends of tea and coffee

and along with that, they started doing promotional products

and these are two of the most-known products that they made.

It's transfer printed, it's blue and white, which is popular,

and these have cathedrals of the north of England.

We've got Selby Abbey, Newcastle Cathedral,

and on the top we've got Durham Cathedral, which is not a million miles away.

-So they're very collectable, then, Paul?

-Extremely collectable.

Maling, the firm that makes this, is very collectable.

They did all sorts of dishes and ranges of pottery and porcelain.

The Ringtons tea connection adds to it.

What you've got to look for, though, is damage

and they both have hairline cracks. Can you see that?

It doesn't detract from the overall appearance

but it is reflected when people want to invest in a piece.

Well, popular, collectable - how much?

If I said a nice pair of Rington tea caddies,

at least £40-£60 - how does that sound?

It's great. They're just in a cupboard. Let someone use them.

-They're somebody's cup of tea.

-Yes, I hope so!

Let's go and see what else we can take.

With £40 in the kitty, we're up and running.

Next door, John has been busy searching the living room

and digs out an old solitaire set.

This one-player game of concentration and skill

is believed to have originated in either Germany or Scandinavia.

Its name derives from the Latin word "solus", meaning alone.

Ann and John picked it up during their time in Indonesia.

Sadly, it's more of a tourist piece than a genuine antique

but Paul still thinks it should fetch £20-£30 at auction.

Ah, what do you think about this purse, Paul?

Ah, look at that! That's lovely.

Except it hasn't been cleaned for a long time.

You've done the right thing.

Every time you clean a piece of silver, you take a tiny piece off,

so after a while, round the corners or any embossed work,

it starts to get holes in and it goes very thin.

So there's an initial J. Who did that belong to?

-This is John's grandmother's.

-Right. And what was her name?

-Jane.

-That's the J on the front, there, you see?

-Yes.

OK, well, purses can be very, very popular, actually.

They're good collecting items.

-It would have come on a chain.

-Yes, we never had the chain.

I did try to fit a chain but it didn't look right.

The silver looked wrong and I couldn't get it through the loops.

It's easy enough to find something like that, I think.

But these are quite a decorative item.

They were often used by ladies in 1910, 1920s, that sort of time

and it's interesting how the purse actually evolved.

When you go back to the Victorian times,

they had lots of layers, lots of garments,

and the purse itself would be kept underneath your garments.

-Difficult to get at.

-They'd be plain little bags for coins.

But when the flapper dresses came out in the jazz era, the 1920s era,

they couldn't do that any more

because the dresses were very thin and very slight,

so they made these decorative purses which went outside the clothing.

It's a luxury item,

-so it would be used at the dances and special occasions.

-Yes.

It's not an everyday purse. It is decorative, being solid silver.

And judging by the style,

I'd say maybe 1910, 1920, that sort of period.

I think that's round about the time she got married.

Could have been a wedding present.

Hopefully someone will enjoy it,

someone who's young enough to go to dances.

-Well, you never know. Some of us never get asked.

-Ah!

But if I said sort of £50-£80, how does that sound?

-Oh, it sounds absolutely great.

-Great.

Well, it won't go to the dance but it will go to the auction.

But will the silver purse bring in the coins on auction day?

30, sir, yes? 30.

-Yes.

-Gentleman seated here, at 30.

This could be an exciting sale.

We may be only in the early stages of our rummage

here in County Durham

but we're already past the £100 mark.

As the search continues, John proves there's nothing wrong with his eyesight.

-I've come across these. They're my grandmother's spectacles.

-OK.

She says they were gold. They're quite old.

Wow, they will be, yeah. They're Victorian, aren't they?

-And that's the case, is it?

-Yeah.

Well, that's beautiful. That's papier mache.

The black papier mache does tend to be from the Victorian period,

so that ties in nicely, actually.

-It's got damaged there.

-Yes.

-But it's nice to find it together.

-You said they were gold.

-Yes.

-So was she quite an affluent lady?

No, not really, not really.

She had lots of friends because she worked in the theatre.

-She knew quite a lot of affluent people, if you wish.

-Yeah?

Possibly she got them from someone.

Right, well they are definitely gold.

These are nine carat. Can you see the hallmark, there?

That's what we understand to be gold, here in the British Isles.

It's not pure gold or it would be too soft

but it's nine carat - it comes up to the standard.

Well, these really went out of fashion

when Bakelite glasses started to appear.

They could make more elaborate frames

but it was John Lennon who brought the fashion back in.

He used to wear these sort of things, didn't he?

So you've got a pair of solid gold spectacles.

I don't know whether anybody would want to wear these.

-I think they're more of a curiosity.

-Yes, yes.

But if I said sort of £30-£50, does that sound all right to you?

Yeah, it's OK.

-I don't think they'll create a spectacle at the auction.

-LAUGHTER

But you never know.

-All right, well, let's keep looking.

-All right.

I'm not too sure about the jokes, Paul,

but I am happy to hear that we've got another contribution

towards that £600 target.

In the kitchen, Ann has pulled out two tapestries

that she bought in Indonesia.

The oldest known tapestries date to the 3rd century BC

but this pair are a little more recent,

mostly likely 1980AD.

Paul values them at £50-£80.

We're making good progress and if we keep up this pace,

we're going to reach our target in no time.

John and Ann, we've established that the pair of you are inveterate globe-trotters

but, John, how did all of this travelling come about?

-It was to do with your job, wasn't it?

-When I finished college,

it was the days of national service

and I got called up and I spent two years in the navy

and then when I came out of the navy I went back to school

and I got an offer of a job

with an American mining equipment manufacturer

and that really was the start of it.

From that, they sent me to Beirut

and then from Beirut, I travelled most of the East

and, of course, the Arab countries.

So how did you feel, travelling around the world,

as a young wife and with two children?

Because you have a son and a daughter.

I think I thought it was an adventure.

I thought it would be wonderful to fly - I'd never flown before -

to see other countries

and we never considered the fact that we had two children -

they just came with me wherever I went.

I'm going to find out a bit more about your travels a bit later on

but we've left Paul to his own devices for quite a while.

He thinks he's in an Aladdin's cave.

Shall we go and join him and see what else he's found?

Paul's been hard at it in the kitchen

and found a four-piece Tibetan tea set.

Tea was first introduced to Tibet from China in the 9th century

and it became so popular that it was actually used as a currency.

Ann bought this set at a fair in Singapore.

It hasn't got any great age but it is rather attractive

and Paul thinks it should fetch as much as £60-£100 at auction.

-Paul?

-Uh-huh?

-Have you got Ann with you?

-I have.

-Come and take a look at this.

-Let's have a look.

Ann, this screen is just magnificent.

-What do you make of this, Paul?

-These are fantastic items.

What a showpiece. That is beautifully done.

-Where did this come from?

-John bought it in Hong Kong.

It was for our 25th wedding anniversary

and he sent it from there to Sydney. We were living in Sydney.

-Did you know he was going to send it?

-No, it was a complete surprise.

If you had it when you were in Australia,

you've since been halfway round the world.

-Has this always travelled with you?

-We've moved it everywhere.

-It's nearly as well-travelled as we are.

-That's a big suitcase.

-Yes.

-Is this something that would sell at auction, Paul?

-Definitely, yes.

Anybody that wants to have that Chinese or Japanese look,

it's the sort of thing to go for.

It has instant appeal.

But these originally were from Japan and they were a room divider.

If you had a large area and you wanted to make an intimate corner,

whether it be in a restaurant or a workplace, you would have these screens.

Some are taller - I've seen them eight foot high.

It's made from lacquer and lacquer work is very difficult to produce.

It takes the sap from the lacquer tree and they have to layer it

time and time again,

allowing each layer to dry before they build up the colour.

And then it's been decorated with Shibayama,

and Shibayama is a type of inlay and overlay.

-It gives it a three-dimensional effect.

-Absolutely stunning.

Are you sure you want to get rid of this?

Well, it's not a matter of getting rid of it.

We're downsizing, aren't we? I love it but we have to be sensible.

We're going to a smaller place and someone else can have the pleasure.

-I've loved it for 27 years.

-All right.

That's a wonderful attitude to have, isn't it, Paul?

But if this was to go to auction, who would buy it

-and what sort of price would we get?

-That's the thing.

You need a large room and a large area to put it.

It's not going to appeal to everybody

but it's in great condition.

What you have to watch with Shibayama screens

is that parts of the shell become missing

and it's difficult to have them recarved and replaced.

But if I was being very realistic,

I think you're looking at least £200, maybe £300.

If you get two people who take a shine to it, it could do more

but that's being realistic - it's not an antique.

Well, it's about to make one more journey

to the auction house

and let's hope we make that money.

Shall we go and see what else we can take with us?

Everywhere you look in this house there are beautiful items

that the Armstrongs have collected from all over the globe.

This mahogany card table is another of Ann souvenir's from Indonesia.

It is a reproduction, which will affect its value

but as it's in perfect condition,

Paul thinks it could still raise upwards of £100.

Ah, now, then, Ann, I've been dying to ask you -

where is this trunk from? It's fantastic.

This one came from the Philippines.

My husband worked in a copper mine there

and one weekend we went shopping and we saw this in the shop window.

Funny little shops, they were, very dark.

You'd step down and it was like a cave inside.

The gentleman who owned the shop was explaining it had just come back from Manila.

He had designed it

but he said because they didn't have lots of money,

-the wood is only ordinary - I don't know what kind.

-Right.

He spent all his money on the mother-of-pearl.

-It won the exhibition in Manila that year.

-Fantastic.

The quality of the workmanship is super. Is a type of marquetry inlay.

The artist would carve out these individual shapes, all precisely,

and put in mother-of-pearl.

It's a very difficult job and very time-consuming.

-But this represents the garden of paradise.

-Really?

Flowers and gardens are very important in most cultures.

But these were very useful items.

You've got to imagine the humidity in these exotic countries

and of course it would be kept, your linens and any material,

it would remain nice and cool, away from creepy crawlies,

so very necessary items.

But sometimes they were used as dowry boxes.

They would be full of items for a wedding or a special occasion.

-Well, it's not antique, it's 1980s...

-Yes.

-..but I can respect the workmanship in this.

-Oh, yes.

-It is a shame they didn't use a better wood to start with.

-Yes.

But if that was going to auction,

I'd love to see it with an estimate of £100, maybe £150.

-How does that sound?

-Oh, I think that's probably reasonable.

-Not for the gentleman's hard work...

-No.

-..but for a value, yes.

Great. Well, that's part of our dowry sorted out.

Let's keep looking.

The weather outside may be typically British

but the finds inside continue to be anything but.

Paul is taking a closer look at a pair of stained-glass windows

that Ann brought back from Indonesia.

Amazingly, they survived in one piece

and he thinks they'll fetch £50-£80.

Having seen such a wealth of treasures brought back from foreign countries,

I'm keen to hear more about John and Ann's extensive travels.

So of all of these countries that you've been in,

which would you say is your favourite?

Beirut. I think definitely Beirut.

It was a wonderful spot to live and the people were fabulous.

You'd take the children out and they were made so welcome, which after England is a big thing.

We just had a great time. As John always says, we were young.

It was a fantastic place. The hotels were terrific.

The restaurants, the food, the wine,

and it was just a fantastic place to live.

-Well, your passion, John, is golf.

-I love a game of golf, I do.

Hence this trip that you're going to be making up to Scotland.

We love Scotland.

And you're going up there for this very special family party,

the wedding anniversary of your daughter.

-14th wedding anniversary?

-Yes, it is.

So that is going to be very special.

It's lovely just to be able to get together

because they both work so hard and Honor travels a lot

and so they're making time to have their anniversary

and they've invited us to share it.

Obviously, this trip is really important to you,

so let's hope we can make as much money as possible at auction.

Shall see what else Paul has found that we might be able to take?

I can see just how much this trip to Scotland means to John and Ann,

so we make one last push.

In the back recesses of the bedroom cupboard,

I find this decorative ceramic platter.

It was made by the company SylvaC,

who specialised in producing 20th century earthenware

in the Victorian style.

It was another of Ann's purchases from Indonesia

and it's in mint condition but it's not a rare piece,

so Paul values it at a very affordable £10-£20.

Ah, there you are.

Now, I wanted to ask you about this fella here.

So he's not from Japan or China. Where's he from?

He's from India, from Delhi.

We bought him in a shop called the British Embassy Shop.

-Right! And what's he called?

-Ganesh.

-Ganesh.

Yes, a Hindu god.

I was really mad to have one and when we went to India, we spent quite a bit of time looking for one.

-When I saw him, I knew he was the one I wanted.

-Right.

Well, let's get the other two in. John? Angela?

This way a second.

We've found something that isn't Chinese or Japanese - something Indian.

He's a very impressive god, isn't he?

-He's the first thing you see when you come in.

-He's fantastic.

He's the god of new beginnings

and for Indian people, I think you're supposed to rub the heel

but you can't get at his heel, so as you can see, I rub his tummy.

LAUGHTER

Right, well, he's always depicted with an elephant's head

and the elephant was highly prized in Indian culture.

But he is a very positive symbol - a new beginning, I suppose,

or education, wealth - he's a wonderful thing to have

and every house would have one.

-So he's a multi-talented god, then?

-That's why he has four arms,

so he could handle anything, more than one thing at once.

So how much might he make at auction, Paul?

I think he's fantastic, actually.

It's brass that's been made to look like bronze.

But it is very heavy, very decorative.

If I said at least £100-£150.

Well, he is going to have to have one more move at least,

along with the screen, the tea caddies and all of the other things that we've looked at.

And if we take the lowest price that Paul has put on all of those

and add that £100 for our multi-tasking god, here,

we should be able to make your £600 for the trip quite easily, I think.

In fact, with a bit of luck, we could make as much at £810.

-Ooh.

-Wow! Fabulous. That would be wonderful.

And the next time I see you guys, will be at the auction.

We've had a tremendous time in County Durham

with the globe-trotters Ann and John Armstrong.

And what an exotic collection we've got for auction.

From the Philippines, there's the highly decorative trunk,

with its intricate marquetry.

A lot of work for your money at just £100.

From India, our Hindu god of new beginnings.

It's brought John and Ann lots of good fortune

and we're not even asking a small fortune for it -

£100, to be precise.

And from Hong Kong, the magnificent screen.

It's travelled the globe with our couple

but now it's time for its last journey to a new owner

and hopefully one who will pay a lot more than its £200 estimate.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic,

our expert demonstrates his firm grasp of geography.

-Now, where's this from?

-Jakarta.

-Jakarta. There we go.

-Is that near Bolton?

-No, a bit further away.

And we learn a little more about the bidders at auction.

That's gone to a family that clearly has a big joint every Sunday.

Selling now at £45.

GAVEL BANGS

Well, it's been a week now since we joined John and Ann at their home,

looking through some of the things they've collected

on their international travels.

And we've brought some of them here today to sell

at Thompson's auction room in Harrogate.

Their target is £600 for a holiday

in the rather less exotic but still just as beautiful Scotland.

So let's hope that we get some really active bidding

when their items go under the hammer.

Auctions at this popular North Yorkshire sale room

take place every Friday

and today there are over 800 lots on offer,

so a good crowd is expected.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what they make of

our fascinating mix of items.

-Ah!

-I wonder what tea tastes like

made from the rather extraordinary Tibetan tea service?

Very strange, isn't it?

I think it's more decorative, I don't think you'd use it

but you'd have fun trying.

One of the beautiful things that they bought is that Japanese screen.

Isn't it nice to see that in the auction room,

they've put the screen with a lot of other items of very similar design?

That's done them a real favour.

The more of any one particular type of item creates the interest

and the more interest you get, the more dealers you get,

the more money you get - that's the idea.

I see John and Ann have arrived

and they've put reserves on some of the items,

-so we ought to go and check that out.

-Of course.

Well, one item that I know doesn't carry a reserve

is Ann and John's treasured statue.

It doesn't take long for them to find it in pride of place.

So you're going to rub that for the last time, are you?

I think it's good luck and good luck to the next family.

Just remind me of what he stands for again.

For new beginnings and education, I think.

Paul knows more about it than I do.

He's about good fortune, peace and harmony,

he's a multi-tasker, he's a good all-rounder.

You've brought some beautiful things today

but you've put reserves on some of them - remind me of those.

The screen has a reserve on because it's gorgeous

and John bought it for me, so it is special.

Also the pearl-inlaid chest.

I have to tell you, John, that a lot of people

have been looking at that chest with the mother-of-pearl inlay.

Yes, I bought it in the Philippines.

It comes from an island called Mindanao.

I bought it for Ann, so, yeah, we like it.

-We think that's going to do well.

-That chest is fantastic.

It'll be no problem selling that.

My only concern is that the reserve on the solitaire set

-is more than my estimate.

-It was, Paul.

-It's £50, your reserve on that.

-It is, Paul.

-As long as you expect that if it doesn't sell for that, you'll take it back home.

-I will.

-You're quite happy about that?

-I am.

-Well, that's fine.

Well, you never know, you might be taking it home with you.

You may not because as you can see the room is filling up

with a lot of very eager bidders,

-so why don't we go and take our place and see what happens?

-Indeed.

I quite understand John and Ann's decision to put reserves on their items

but with such a busy sale room,

hopefully all the reserves will be reached and may even be exceeded.

We don't have to wait long to find out

because it's time for our first lot to go under the hammer.

OK, now, one of my favourite items, those unusual gold spectacles.

-Who did these belong to again?

-My grandmother.

-Right.

So very much a lady of the day.

-And the case was a little bit damaged, wasn't it?

-It was, yes.

-I think I need some spectacles to see the auctioneer.

-Yes!

I can start the bidding at 25. Do I see 28?

With me here at 25. 28, 30?

32. 32 at the back.

-35 anywhere else?

-They're doing well.

At the back of the room at 32. Gentleman's bid at 32...

-There you go.

-Well done. That's over Paul's lowest estimate.

-That's great.

-Would Granny be pleased with that, do you think?

-Absolutely.

And that's just how we like to start an auction, over estimate

and our first contribution to Ann and John's trip to Scotland.

Our next item is one of Ann's many purchases from Indonesia.

It's the ceramic platter that I found in the bedroom cupboard.

Did you ever use this one in the house at all, Ann?

Oh, yes, I did. At Christmas, I'd put the turkey on it.

It really worked well.

-With all the vegetables around it as well?

-Yes, it made a picture.

22 bid. 25 now.

With me here at 22. Do I see 25?

With me now on commission at 22.

-I love this one.

-Selling now at £22.

-GAVEL BANGS

-There you go.

-Oh, well.

-That's amazing, isn't it?

That's gone to a family that clearly has a big joint every Sunday.

And they will enjoy those beautiful colours.

Well, it's looking like Ann really does have an eye for collectables

and I for one am delighted

that there's still a demand for traditional meat platters.

Just how a roast should be served!

And it's more items from a bygone era up next,

this time in the form of the Ringtons tea caddies.

People don't keep their tea in tea caddies any more, do they?

No but these are decorative items. Blue and white is popular

and having those cathedrals on there, they're very nice.

-They are a collector's item.

-Definitely.

30 bid. 32 now?

With me here at 30. 32, 35. Still with me on commission at 35.

-38, 40.

-Oh, good.

-40.

In the room now at 42. Do I see 45?

-In the room now at 42 and selling now at 42.

-GAVEL BANGS

-There you go.

-Terrific.

-How's that?

-Very good.

-That was good.

-There we go.

-Gone to a new home.

-Yes.

Aren't Ann and John doing well?

That's their third sale in a row to see over estimate

but how long is their luck going to hold out?

The next lot is the first of their items to carry a reserve

and what's more, it's somewhat higher than Paul's estimate.

Now, you've put a reserve on this next item,

which is the jasper solitaire set.

So do you have mixed feelings as we go into the bidding now?

I have a little. It is special and I love the jasper balls

and the colour of them and the feel of them. They're gorgeous.

Let's start the bidding here at 30. Do I see 35?

-With me here at £30. 35, 40.

-That's close to the estimate of 35.

45, 50. One more, sir?

With me here at £50. Do I see 55?

With me here at £50. Are we finished now? Selling at £50.

Hey-hey! Well done, you. There we go - £50.

-You made your reserve.

-Oh, that's... I'm so thrilled.

-That's really good.

-Congratulations, that's great.

-Thank you.

-Wonderful. Well done.

-I'm delighted.

How about that? Selling for bang on Ann's £50 reserve,

which was £20 above Paul's original top estimate.

No wonder it's smiles all round.

Now it's that lovely silver purse up next,

which Paul thinks dates about 1912

and with a bit of luck, it'll bring in £50-£80.

Well, I think this is perfect for somebody with the initial J

and the purse is all intact.

-You didn't find any gold coins in there?

-I took them out.

Start me at £30. 30 we have.

35 anywhere? On my right here at 30.

-35? No, seated bid here at 35.

-Oh, yes.

-At 40. 40 standing.

45 anywhere? 45.

No, the lady's bid here at 45. Do I see 50?

In the room now at 45. Are we finished? Selling now at £45.

-GAVEL BANGS

-There we go.

-It was only ever in a cabinet. We never used it.

That's our first item which has failed to reach its estimate

but it was only by £5

and Ann and John don't seem to be disappointed at all.

It's a rather unusual lot next,

the two stained glass windows that Ann brought back from Indonesia,

I'm guessing not in her hand luggage, though.

So, Paul, who's going to buy something like this?

Will they be used as a decorative panel or actually as windows?

Well, it could be both.

They could use them for architectural use in a wall

or they could actually put them as a screen in a restaurant or that sort of thing.

Start me at £30. £20. 20 we have.

Do I see 25?

Gentleman's bid here at 20. Five. 30, sir?

-Yes? 30.

-Yes.

-Gentleman seated here at 30.

35. 40 anywhere else?

-40, new bidder. 45. No? Still with you, sir, at 45.

-Come on.

50 now. In the room at 45. Selling now at £45...

-There you go.

-It's a bit less than we thought.

Yes but they're fragile and it'll be nice to see them go home safely

to somewhere nice.

-What a nice attitude to have.

-Yes. It is. Very nice.

You know, I'm getting the feeling

that Ann is more concerned that her items find good new homes

rather than actually making money

but hopefully, we'll be able to achieve both.

After a great start to the auction, our progress has slowed a little,

so time to find out how we're doing at the half-time stage.

Now, £600 is your total

and we've still got some lovely things to come, actually,

but at the halfway stage, we're not quite halfway to our total.

We've made £236.

-Very good. At least, I think so.

-LAUGHTER

He's getting ready to tee off on the first tee.

-But we've got the screen to come still.

-Of course.

You've got quite a high reserve.

That lovely mother-of-pearl box, the blanket box.

-And Ganesh.

-Ganesh, of course.

So why don't we go and just have a bit of a break?

Paul, you wanted to have a look around.

-There's something that's a first for me. I'll show you.

-OK, let's go.

So, lots to look forward to in the second part of the sale

but where's Paul darted off to?

I really do need to keep that boy on a tight leash.

-What's taken your fancy there?

-I've never seen one of these up close.

It's a dog collar from the late Victorian period

but it's a very regal one.

Some of these were made in Georgian times in solid silver.

It's got an interesting inscription.

"Prince, Eastern Command, NCOs School of Instruction, Hertford."

That was probably the collar, then, for the mascot of the regiment.

Exactly. It could have been a gun dog or a sporting dog

or maybe they were dog handlers and trainers.

The NCO is non-commissioned officer, so that's of military interest.

In the late 19th century, this would have been on a dog

in the officers' mess and it would have been a fantastic thing to have.

-So who'd buy something like that?

-Well, we're a nation of dog lovers,

so that's the first connection,

but also the military connection, as well,

and it's just a rare item.

And what sort of price will it get?

It's in the auction at £80-£120. That is a bargain.

If somebody had that resilvered or if you traced who Prince was,

then what a fantastic thing.

Well, let the dogs loose and let's see what they do in the bidding.

-There's a song about that.

-Who Let The Dogs Out?

-Exactly.

And we don't have to wait long before the collar has its turn

in front of the room and sells...

Selling at 210.

..for £90 over its top estimate,

a great price for a truly unique piece.

Now, if like John and Ann you are planning on raising some money

and you're considering an auction,

do remember that fees like commission and VAT

may be added to your bill,

so do check the details with your local auction house first

to avoid any unwelcome surprises.

As the auction here in Harrogate continues,

we retake our positions in time for our next lot.

It's the beautiful mother-of-pearl blanket box

that Ann and John bought in the Philippines.

When I came in here this morning to the auction room,

one of the first things I noticed was a crowd around your box,

all looking at it

and smelling that camphor smell when they opened up the lid.

Oh, it's a beautiful chest and I love it

and I loved it at home

and when it used to stand there with the sunshine on the pearl.

Yes, beautiful piece.

I can start the bidding here at £90. Do I see 100?

100, 110, 120, 130, 140.

Lady's bid here at 140. Do I see 150?

-150, new bidder.

-160, 170.

-It's still going up!

-Yes.

-180.

190, 200, 210.

220, 230.

-Oh, that's great.

-250.

-260, 270.

-Fantastic.

-Isn't it great? That's super.

-Very good.

It's better than a hole in one, isn't it?

Do I see 270? On my left now at 260.

Selling at £260.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Wow! There we go.

-That's lovely.

-260.

That was really good.

Like the man said - better than a hole in one.

-£260. You didn't expect that, did you?

-No, not at all.

-No.

Well, I'm thrilled for John and Ann

that their stunning chest went for such a great price.

What a way to kick off the second half of our sale.

And it's another well-travelled item up next,

the unusual Tibetan tea set that's come all the way from Singapore.

Hopefully, somebody here today will think that it's very decorative

and that it's worth the £60-£100 price tag you put on it.

It's a wonderful thing.

The actual circle shape symbolises heaven

in Chinese mythology

and the decoration is the dragon chasing the pearl,

-the flaming pearl, which is Chinese mythology.

-Fantastic.

But I think it's for pouring doughnuts, actually.

Start me at £20.

-£10.

-Ooh!

-10 we have.

12, now? On the back wall here at 10. Do I see 12?

On the back wall now at £10. Are we finished?

Selling now at £10... 12, 15, 18...

-At the last moment.

-That's better.

-Anywhere else?

At the front now at £18. Selling now at £18...

-GAVEL BANGS

-Oh! Disappointment?

It's a shame because it's beautiful

-but somebody's will love it.

-Somebody will enjoy it.

Well, that wasn't the result we were expecting,

selling way under estimate.

But Ann is being philosophical,

so let's hope it's just a glitch in the proceedings.

We'll soon find out though,

as it's time for more of Ann's purchases from Indonesia.

Two very unusual wall hangings, here.

These look Far Eastern. Do you know where they came from originally?

They both came from Jakarta, from Indonesia,

-but from one of the islands, not the island we lived on.

-Right.

-Are they symbolic?

-No, they're just wall hangings.

I just bought them because I liked them.

Well, they're such an unusual item.

I don't if they're designed to block an entrance or just to hang up

but we're looking for £50 for these two, all right?

Start me at £20. £10?

10 we have. 12, now? On the back here at 10.

12, 15, 18, 20.

Still on the back at 20. Do I see 22?

At the back here at £20. Are we finished now?

Selling at £20...

-Oh, never mind.

-No?

-They were always in a drawer.

-I think they're such unusual things. What do you do with them?

-No, no.

Once again, Ann is looking on the bright side

but with two sales in a row failing to reach their estimates

by quite some margin,

I'm beginning to worry that the items might be too specialised for today's crowd.

It's going to be fascinating to see what they make of our next lot,

the Hindu god, Ganesh.

-£100-£150, Paul.

-Exactly.

-That's about what it's worth?

It's one of those lovely decorative items. It's in great condition.

It's very symbolic. It means a lot to yourself.

Let's hope there are two bidders that really take a shine to him.

-And 40 bid. 45, now.

-40 we're in. Here we go.

45, 50, 55 in the room.

60 anywhere else? 60, five.

-70, five.

-Oh, somebody likes it.

..five, 90, five.

-100.

-Oh, yes.

-Great.

-Yes!

-130. Seated bid here at 130. 140, now.

-Yes.

-Brilliant.

It is. I'm so pleased about it.

-Gentleman's bid at £130.

-GAVEL BANGS

That's lovely. Yes, really happy about it.

Did you notice the man with muscles who was buying it?

-Yes, because he's got to carry it home.

-He's got a trolley.

-I bet he has.

And so after travelling the globe with John and Ann,

our god of new beginnings looks set for... a new beginning

and for a terrific price, bang in the middle of Paul's estimate.

Now, this is an item that will be much more familiar to today's bidders,

the mahogany card table that Paul valued at £100 to £150.

-Now where was this from?

-Jakarta.

-Jakarta. There we go.

-Is that near Bolton?

-No, a little bit further away.

Well, wherever it's from, it's a wonderful example.

We're looking for around £100 for this.

-Start me at £50.

-£50, come on.

£50. 50 we have.

55 now. 55.

-60, five.

-Oh! That's lovely.

70. Five.

-80.

-That's better than I expected.

Five. Still here at 85. Do I see 90?

On my right here at 85.

Gentleman's bid. Are we finished? Selling now at £85.

-GAVEL BANGS

-It didn't quite make the 100.

That was a good price. I vaguely think I paid 65, so that was good.

-You've made a profit.

-Yes.

-Yes.

And that certainly makes up for it narrowly missing its estimate.

It's time now for our last item of the day and what an item it is.

John bought this magnificent Oriental screen for Ann

in Hong Kong

and its travelled with them ever since.

The quality is nothing less than superb.

It does look really good in the room because as you said, Paul,

it's among friends, isn't it?

Yeah, I think this is superb quality

and it's the best example of this type of thing here today.

There are others similar but this is the best.

There's none of the Shibayama is missing.

-The 200 reserve at least we need, OK?

-So here we go.

-Here we go.

Start the bidding here at 100. Do I see 110?

110, 120, 130, 140.

Still with me here at 140. Do I see 150? 150.

-160...

-It's going.

-180!

-Yes. 190.

-In the room here at 190. Do I see 200?

In the room now at 190. Gentleman's bid.

Selling now at £190.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Yes!

-Ah!

-£10 under your reserve...

-Yes.

-..but certainly, at £190,

are you happy with that?

I am. I'll always be sorry to let it go but yes.

I don't think it mattered what price the screen fetched,

it would always be a tug for Ann to let it go

after cherishing it for so long.

But at least Ann and John can put the proceeds towards

a trip that I know they're both looking forward to.

You came here hoping to raise £600.

What you are actually going to take home with you

is £939.

-Oh, that's fantastic.

-That's a lot of golf and a lot whisky.

I think Ann had in mind it might be a bit of champagne, as well.

-Without a doubt.

-She can have a couple of bottles.

It's a few weeks since their triumphant day at auction

and John and Ann have headed to their local golf club

to brush up on their game before that trip to Scotland.

We just came down to sharpen our short game

and talk to the pro about what I'm doing wrong - everything!

-Hi, Alex.

-Hello.

John looks like he's having fun but what's happened to Ann?

Has she forgotten her gloves?

I'm not playing today. It's wet and rainy.

But I'll watch John. I'll be his caddy.

And I don't blame you, Ann. It looks pretty miserable out there.

But after a day on the course,

who does she think is going to be the victor in Scotland,

John or their son-in-law Keith?

Oh, well, I have to say probably Keith

but I'm going to be rooting for John.

Thank you very much.

My son-in-law has been practising but he's going to get a big shock.

It's going to be competitive.

I'm going to burn Loch Lomond up, let's put it that way.

We're looking forward to a fun day.

As John said, that result was better than a hole in one

and certainly Ann is looking forward to celebrating with a glass of champagne.

If there's something you'd like to raise money for

and you have things you could take to auction,

why not get in touch with us?

You can find all of our details on our website:

And we look forward to seeing you here on Cash In The Attic.

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