Humby Cash in the Attic

Hello and welcome to Cash In The Attic on a glorious day.

How would you like a bit of sun and sea every day?

We're about to meet a family planning to do just that.

Get ready to get very jealous.

'Coming up on Cash In The Attic,

'a Victorian chaise longue proves too comfy for our expert to resist.'

Hey, Jonty, this is no time for resting.

You caught me!

And we find out who the creative member of the household is.

-She's the artistic person.

-You just paint the walls, right?

-I don't even do that!

-Oh, no! Terrible!

But will the bidders appreciate our eclectic finds?

-They have a bargain.

-Oh, dear. I have a hanky at the ready.

-Do you need it?

-Oh, I might.

Be there for the final crack of the gavel.

Today I'm in beautiful Berkshire to meet a husband and wife

who have a dream - a dream of basking in the sun all year round

on their very own boat. Can we make that dream come true?

I hope so!

Steve and Sue Humby first met on a blind date,

and Steve's decision to catch a screening of Ben Hur

clearly paid off, as they've now been married for 38 years.

Steve and Sue have both enjoyed successful careers in IT.

They've lived in this spacious family home for nearly 30 years,

and we're hoping it's packed with tasty valuables.

It was here that they brought up their two children,

David and Sarah Jane. Now they've flown the nest,

and with retirement on the horizon,

the couple are putting thought into the next phase of their lives.

High up on the agenda is their passion for sun and sea.

Well, captaining our voyage of discovery today is Jonty Hearnden.

'He's been a popular figure on the antiques circuit for nearly 30 years

'and we're hoping his valuations will be nothing less than scorching,

'so whilst he makes a start, I'll go meet our sun-worshippers.'

Hello. Nice to see you. Cup of tea?

-It's a bit early for a tea break.

-It is indeed.

-Sue and Steve, right?

-That's right, yeah.

-Who called Cash In The Attic?

-I did.

We're downsizing, so we need to sell all of our possessions.

Is it a big move? What are your plans?

We plan to move out to live in Cyprus next year.

Oh, it sounds lovely. I have had a quick look round.

There seem to be a lot of little collectables here.

-What are we going to find?

-Lots.

-Really?

-Lots of collectables.

-Really? Are you a bit of a hoarder?

-I am indeed.

-Can you vouch for that, Steve?

-I can. She definitely is a hoarder.

She collects anything and everything.

Well, that is good in a way, but are you able to let go of things?

-I have to let go of everything.

-Good!

This is my cup of tea. What do we want to raise money for today?

When we go to Cyprus, we're going to have a boat,

and we need to do some training. We need a training day.

-And how much do you need?

-I think it's going to cost £500 to £600.

£500 to £600! My goodness, you'd better have lots of collectables.

-Well, let's go and see.

-We'll go and find out.

-Jonty has already started. Shall we go and find him?

-Yes.

-Come on, then.

-OK.

'This all sounds very promising - a house full of goodies,

'and everything has to go. This will be music to Jonty's ears,

'and I'm pleased to see he's already hard at work.

'He never lets me down!'

Look what I've found!

-Yeah.

-Wowzers!

-Massive great big tapestry.

-Who's responsible for this, Sue?

-I made it myself.

-Did you?

-Yes. There's actually three - one over there,

-and there is another one up there.

-Another one on top there. OK.

-How long ago did you make this?

-Oh, goodness!

Over the last 20 years or so, I suppose,

with gaps in between.

So this is a bit of a passion of yours?

It has been in the past. I don't get the time to do it now,

but in the past I used to. When the children were younger

and I had to stay in in the evenings, then the tapestries came out.

Well, tapestry work like this is sold on the open market

in kit form, so designed to make it your own personal work of art,

and because people can fully appreciate

just how long tapestry work takes to make

doesn't necessarily translate that into good financial sense

-as far as your investment of time is concerned.

-Yeah.

So we're not going to get a vast fortune for our three pictures,

but they're beautifully framed, very cleverly framed.

-Did you choose this frame?

-Yes, I did. Yeah.

They really look quite spectacular, but don't hold your breath.

We're not going to get too much for them at all.

I suppose we're looking at - what, £50 to £80?

-I think that's fine.

-You sure about that?

-That's fine.

-Steve, did you know you had an artist in the house?

-She is actually very artistic.

-You just paint the walls, right?

-I don't even do that!

-Oh, no! Terrible!

-That's not a bad start, Jonty.

-Good.

-Let's see what else there is.

Well, what about that? I had no idea we were in the company

of such a talented lady. With our first confirmed lot for auction,

we split up to commence a thorough search of this fine property.

Steve heads for the lounge and pulls out three clocks,

which are worth trying their luck in the saleroom.

He bought these at an auction back in the 1980s.

There's a carved German striking mantel clock,

and two smaller walnut examples, all in working order.

Jonty thinks they could add another £50 to £80 to the kitty.

-Jonty, is this any good?

-What have we got there?

It's a 50-pence piece.

Wow, so it is! But it's, um... It looks rather odd.

-What's happened here?

-It's a strange 50-pence piece.

-It's been mis-struck, I think.

-Yes, it has.

We've got one and a half Queen's heads. Where is this from?

My father-in-law found it in his change a few years ago now,

-and gave it to Steve.

-I have to say,

I've never seen a 50-pence piece like this.

By definition, people at the Mint

make sure that when coins are struck,

that they go out in mint condition. That's where the phrase comes from.

But to have this in general circulation is very unusual.

They were first introduced... It was 1969.

-Do you remember what it replaced?

-Ten shillings.

Well done! I remember that, which is rather sad.

We mustn't confess that to anybody else.

Yes, and it came out two years prior to decimalisation,

so everyone could get used to it, because it was a unique shape.

Yes. And do you remember, people got confused with the ten-pence coin?

-Yes.

-They were roughly the same size.

Now, there are 21 different versions of the coin,

and it was issued first to replace that ten-shilling note,

but two years prior to decimalisation,

so everyone could get used to the new coin. So what's it worth?

Well, nobody really quite knows. It's a unique item.

Put it on the open market, but I can guarantee you

it's going to be worth more than 50 pence.

-We're probably looking at £15, £30, that sort of area.

-OK. That's fine.

A promising valuation indeed, but will Jonty's guarantee of inflation

-be realised at auction?

-We've gone quiet already.

Ten. 11. 11. 12? 13?

We'll soon discover the current market value for a mis-struck coin.

As our rummage continues, Sue heads up to the master bedroom.

Her bedside drawer reveals a silver snuffbox

that was once given to her by a close friend.

The hallmarks show it was made in 1836

by Joseph Willmore, a highly regarded silversmith

renowned for his fine snuffboxes.

Jonty thinks this is a pretty example,

and should have no problem in raising at least £30 to £50 at auction.

-Jonty, what do you think of this?

-Aha!

-Little locomotive we've got here.

-This is a train set.

This is a set my father bought me. I was 30 years old,

and I joked with him one day that I'd had a deprived childhood,

because he'd bought me lots of things, but never a train set.

And he actually bought me this for Christmas as a joke.

But it did come in useful, because a year later my son was born,

-so we did play with it together.

-Put it to good use after that.

-Yeah, it was quite good.

-What a lovely story!

-So, can we sell this now?

-Er, yes. We can sell it, I think.

I'd be prepared to sell it now.

Now, was the set new when you were given it?

It was new, yes. It was all boxed then.

Unfortunately we haven't got the box now.

Well, the value is usually in the engine itself, the locomotive,

and it looks in very good condition, which is good news.

And here we see that this is Mainline,

which is a Palitoy range that was launched in 1976,

-so it's post the 1976 period.

-OK.

Does that make sense? Does that tie in?

Yes. This would've been about 1980, 1981, when I got it,

so it would've been spot-on.

-So, what else have we got there?

-A few bits and pieces.

There's a little bit of track. There's some buildings here.

That's the tender which goes with the engine.

That's very nice too. It's not a bad Christmas gift,

because now, at auction, we're looking between £50 and £80.

Oh, really? That's pretty good. Yeah.

-Good.

-Pop that back in the box, and we'll go and find some more.

Oh, was that a tear I saw in Steve's eye

whilst Jonty was appraising his train set? Maybe it was just dust.

Either way, it's another good addition to our total,

as we've so far unearthed collectables

with a potential value of £195.

As Jonty continues to search this sprawling property,

I'd like to find out more about our couple's plans

for a new life in the sun.

This is nice! Bit of a break from all that rummaging.

I want to take you back. Tell me how you two met.

-How did he woo you?

-Well, it was a blind date, actually,

arranged by some good friends of ours

who happened to be together at that time,

and decided that they should introduce us,

and we never looked back.

-A blind date, Steve?

-A blind date.

-Very young. Still in short trousers.

-THEY LAUGH

-Love at first sight.

-That's amazing, isn't it?

It's not often that happens, love at first sight.

-And then came the children.

-Yes. David is 28.

Got his independent life now. He's off, left home.

And Sarah Jane is 24, and she's at university

-for the second time.

-How do they feel about your next step in life?

They're quite happy with it. They're at an independent stage,

so they're quite happy with us moving on as well.

Sarah Jane's more concerned about what's going to happen to her stuff.

-And David wants to know what stuff he can have of ours.

-Oh, really?

-Did you tell them we were coming in?

-Yes.

I bet they were marking a few things "not to be taken by Jonty".

Yes. THEY LAUGH

It's a big move, moving abroad. How are you feeling about it?

In one way it's sort of final about things,

and on the other hand it's really a fresh start,

and it's quite invigorating, really.

It's quite cleansing to get rid of your stuff and start again.

Your wife seems to be coping well with the move. How about you?

She is coping well. She's actually coping better than me,

-most of the time, actually.

-You've got a tear in your eye

-over some of your stuff, have you?

-Well, you know,

perhaps the train set or something. But no, I'm fine.

She's much more organised, much more ready to go, aren't you?

-Yeah. Yeah.

-You're obviously both ready for the move.

-Are you ready for more rummaging?

-That's a good idea.

Come on, then. Follow me.

'Well, while we've been enjoying the British sunshine,

'Jonty's been keeping up the sterling work inside,

'and has come across a first-class find -

'yes, a stamp album. This was Sue's, and is one of three

'that she collated whilst at school in the 1960s.

'Jonty thinks they could fetch upwards of £20 to £40 at auction.'

Aha! Look at this, Chris.

-Hard at work.

-Tell me about this collection, Sue.

It started off when an aunt gave me several pieces of crested china,

-including this little house here.

-Was he your first one?

That was one of the first ones, yes,

and I think I was quite young when she gave it to me.

And then started looking out for it in junk shops and antique fairs,

-and collecting.

-What's the highest price you've ever paid for a piece?

I guess some of the Gossware was more expensive

-than just the plain crested ware.

-We're confusing Chris here

-about Goss.

-OK.

-Yes, WH Goss. Have you heard of Goss?

No. I got the crested bit. But Goss, no. I haven't heard.

Well, WH Goss was the leader in producing wares like this,

and it was very, very popular as tourist items in the 19th century.

Is this the entire collection? It's difficult to tell with you, Sue.

-It is, yes.

-They're everywhere around here.

Are you sure... Obviously it took you a long time to get it together.

-Are you sure you want to let it go?

-Everything must go.

-You've heard it, Jonty.

-This is definitely worth putting to auction.

People do sell it by the collection, just like you,

and we're looking at sort of £40 to £60.

-That sounds quite good.

-And think how much time you'll save on dusting.

Indeed. Even better!

Come on. Let's see what else we can find.

'Well, that's another shelf cleared, as we help prepare Steve and Sue

'for their up-and-coming move to Cyprus.'

Not content with seeing the back of the ornaments,

Steve decides to add the family dinner service to the auction check-list.

It's an early example of Burleigh Ware pottery,

manufactured in the first half of the 20th century

by Burgess and Leigh, who are today best known

for their brightly coloured novelty jugs.

Steve and Sue inherited this service when they bought the house,

and Jonty thinks it could fetch as much as £80 to £120.

Hey, Jonty, this is no time for resting!

-HE LAUGHS

-You caught me!

-Yes.

-Very comfy.

This can go for sale.

-Yes?

-Quite happy to sell this.

-Shall we take a closer look?

-Yes, please do.

-OK. Now...

We are looking at... It is a chaise longue.

-Have you had it re-covered?

-Yes. I actually recovered it myself.

-Did you?

-Yes.

Upholstery work, it's very difficult to do it well.

Yes. I went to classes to learn how to do it.

I know a lot of people that have gone to classes,

but not necessarily end up with a finished product.

-Do you know how old it is?

-I think it's Victorian.

You're absolutely right. It is, but it's late 19th century,

and you can tell that by looking at the carving on the frame.

-Yes.

-The Victorians became more and more busy

with their design, so wherever you look,

there's carving, there's moulding, shaping going on

in the frame itself, so that means that it's late 19th century.

-OK.

-The castors are all original, which is very nice to see,

and it matters, when you've got a piece of furniture like this,

that the actual springing on the underside is in good order.

-At auction, we're looking at between £150 and £250.

-Really?

-That sort of level now. You happy about that?

-Yes.

-That's fine.

-And I can tell everyone in the auction it's very comfy.

-Good, yes.

-Shall we carry on?

Back to work, Jonty. No time for slouching yet!

'While our expert has been reclining upstairs,

'I've headed out to the garage, which appears to be an overflow

'for all of Steve and Sue's possessions.

'Amongst the boxes I find a travelling wind-up gramophone.

'Sue bought this at auction to play her parents' old 78 records,

'which are boxed up in here as well.

'Jonty assures me there's still a limited market for such items,

'so they can be taken to auction and try their luck

'with an estimate of £15 to £30.'

We're making great progress towards that £500-to-£600 target,

and I know Steve and Sue will make great use of it

to fund their future adventures on the high seas.

I just want to find out from both of you a bit more about Cyprus.

I know you like this warm weather,

but what's this boating malarkey that you're interested in?

-Has it always been a passion?

-Yes. It's always been a passion with me,

-and to a certain extent with Sue.

-THEY LAUGH

The idea that we can use a boat the whole year round

is what we want to do, out in the ocean.

-So, is it a sailing boat?

-No. We're talking about a powerboat.

We're talking about something around 34 feet,

-with twin engines on it.

-So it's a big, fast boat.

-Is that your cup of tea, Sue?

-I don't mind the speed,

but I like to pootle around a bit more than Steve does.

-THEY LAUGH

-You have been warned, haven't you?

I have.

And someone tells me you like jumping off the side

-and doing a bit of diving.

-Yeah, we both dive.

We're both currently advanced divers,

and we're going to take some more qualifications,

-and hopefully become Divemasters.

-You're going to be water babies.

-What do you like about diving?

-Oh, it's just wonderful.

All the wonderful colours of the fish,

and the life under the water's amazing.

So you're trying to raise money for boating lessons.

-What exactly will you learn?

-Well, I've never had a boat this big

with two engines before, and I need to learn how to use that,

and also we've got a lot of equipment on board,

and we need to learn how to use the radar and the navigation equipment.

So he's doing this course, navigating. Are you any good?

Well, I've actually got more qualifications than Steve has.

-But I'm better at it.

-Oh, I see! I see.

We'd better get on, before this turns into an argument.

-Let's get back to rummaging over there.

-OK.

-OK.

'Oh, dear! I think I may have touched a raw nerve there.'

Jonty has shown much less trouble finding his bearings today.

Whilst circumnavigating the house, he's taken rather a shine

to this fine piece of Victorian furniture.

Steve and Sue bought this mahogany Duchess dressing table

nearly 30 years ago, whilst holidaying on the Isle of Wight.

They brought it back in their caravan,

and Jonty thinks it could be of great appeal to bidders at auction,

and it heads off to the saleroom with an estimate of £80 to £120.

It's another great valuation,

but could Sue be holding back the best item until last?

Jonty, what about the clock? It's got to go. Can't come with us.

-That's not going with you? One for the auction sale?

-Could be.

Now, before you take a clock like this down,

-or move it at all, you've got to take the pendulum out.

-OK.

If you don't, there's a risk of damaging the mechanism.

So let's open up the hatch here...

There we go. And there's the pendulum just sitting there.

Here he is, unhooked. And there's your pendulum.

-OK, yes.

-Who usually winds the clock?

-Steve winds the clock.

-OK. Let me just take it down.

And here he is. Now, I have one in my kitchen as well,

and I wind him up every week, and it's my pride and joy,

-something I like to do.

-Yes, and Steve.

-Really?

-Yes.

-I know, it's quite strange. They become familiar friends.

-So, how long have you had him?

-We must have had it nearly 30 years,

because we bought it when we lived in London,

and it came here with us.

Clocks like this were very fashionable in the 19th century,

and you do see a lot of them around, because they work so well

in a kitchen like this. But a lot of them were made

for the commercial market, so they were clocks that were housed

in clerks' offices, in larger buildings,

so that people could always see the time,

because a lot of people couldn't afford their own timepiece.

-Oh, yes. OK.

-So you'll be sad to see this one go.

We will. I will miss the sound of the tick.

I must admit I will miss that. But it has to go,

-because it can't come to Cyprus.

-That's fair enough.

-We'll put this one into the auction.

-Hey, hey, hey, hey!

If we're talking money, Steve and I want to be involved here.

-You certainly can be.

-What a lovely clock!

-It's great.

-So, come on, then.

-At auction, we're looking at between £100 and £150.

-Oh, wow! That's good.

-Yes?

-Excuse me for this, but it's "time"...

-Oh!

..to tally up, cos that's it. We've finished our day of rummaging.

And I know you wanted to raise around £500 to £600

-for those lessons.

-Yes.

Which you'll need for that boat.

We reckon today, conservatively,

that we could raise £680.

-Wow!

-That'll be brilliant.

-That's not too bad.

And that is conservatively, isn't it, Jonty?

-Let's hope we make lots more than that.

-That's good.

Well, Steve and Sue did say that anything could go,

and we've had a great day selecting the cream of the crop.

Their upcoming powerboat lessons will be funded by the sale of...

that mis-struck 50-pence piece. It's anything but mint condition,

and, for precisely that reason, we hope it'll attract interest

above and beyond its £15 to £30 estimate.

Also we've got that delightful silver snuffbox.

It's made by a renowned 19th-century silversmith,

and if the collectors are out in force,

it could soar past its £30 to £50 estimate.

And there's Steve's Mainline train set.

He'd waited years to get one, but now he's selling it

to fund his latest hobby. Let's hope it steams through its estimate,

or else Steve and Sue's powerboat dreams could be left all at sea.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic,

some results surprise even our expert...

I forgot the "one" on the front of the estimate.

..while other sales prove harder to bear.

Huge disappointment. You can cry on my shoulder later.

So, will our couple raise enough for those boating lessons?

Find out when the hammer falls.

Several weeks later, Steve and Sue have brought all their items

to sell at Chiswick Auctions in West London.

They're looking to raise in the region of £500 to £600

for those powerboat lessons. Sadly I can't join them,

but Jonty's just the man to guide them through the sale.

-Hello, chaps. How are you doing?

-Hi, Jonty.

-Great to see you. You well?

-Very good.

I want to know what it's like to see all your stuff in an auction room,

because these items have been in your house for some time.

-Am I correct?

-Yes, and it's really been interesting.

We've been round all the rooms trying to find out where they are,

-and they've set them out really well. It's really good.

-Oh, good.

-How are you feeling, Sue?

-A bit apprehensive,

-but I'm sure it'll be fine.

-I'm sure it will be.

-Ready for the journey?

-Ready.

-OK. If you want to steer that way,

ready for the auction...

So, a few pre-auction nerves, which is quite understandable,

but I wonder how much that has to do with the bidders' likely reception

of our first lot. It's the three tapestries,

which were, of course, made by Sue.

Now, the estimate was £50 to £80, and I was thinking at the time

whether you might be disappointed by that,

because if you really break it down,

it might be half a "P" an hour that you had spent,

-if you had been paid to do this.

-THEY LAUGH

-Am I right?

-Slave labour!

It's a good job you did it as a leisure,

-rather than something you were paid for.

-It is indeed.

Anyway, here they come up for sale.

Start me, um, £50.

£30.

£30. £20. £20 for the lot. £20.

Oh, dear. I'm bid £20. £20, at £20.

I'm bid £20. £20.

That's it so far. £20.

-Maiden bid.

-At £20. Are you all done?

At £20 and going. £20 and gone.

Oh, dear. That's less than half a "P".

-A farthing an hour.

-A farthing an hour. Oh, dear!

-Not so good, that one.

-Well, what can I say, Sue?

The bidders failed to spot the craftsmanship

that went into making those tapestries. A steal at just £20.

It's certainly not the perfect start to our sale, but on the plus side,

we've kicked off the fund for the boating lessons.

I found the wind-up gramophone and records in Steve and Sue's garage.

They picked it up at an auction themselves,

and I'm hoping this result will be music to our hears.

-So, you ever played it when you got it home?

-I did play it, yes.

Not very often. It's the sort of thing you get out on occasion.

Now, it says "travelling record player".

-You're not thinking about taking that with you?

-I don't think so.

-THEY LAUGH

-No second thoughts?

-No.

-OK. £15 to £30.

-OK.

Cheaper estimate. £20 for it. £20 for it. £10 for it.

-Come on, come on!

-£10 for it. Must be a bid for £10 for it.

-£10.

-Give it away.

Is that it at £10? Must be worth more than this. £10.

For the records and record player, give me £12. At £10.

Keep working, Tom. Keep working.

-Nobody else wanting it? £10.

-That's a bargain.

-£10.

-Oh, dear. You said that through gritted teeth. I noticed that.

-I saw that.

-I didn't expect that to go well.

No, you didn't. No.

Ouch! That's our second lot in a row to sell some way short

of Jonty's lower estimate. With just £30 banked so far,

we might have to rethink the boating lessons.

At this rate, a day's hire of a rowing boat

might be more achievable. Well, it's early days.

Up next, an item that'll make the bidders sit up and take note.

It's the incredibly rare mis-struck coin.

So, it's money making money this time.

-Are you sad to see this go at all?

-Not really.

It's been in a box in a drawer for a long time now,

-so I don't think we'll miss it.

-I'm intrigued to see what this one makes.

What's it worth? Other than 50 pence.

-LAUGHTER 50p.

-50p.

Well, it's a start! £10?

I'm bid at ten. There we go. Ooh, gone quiet already.

Ten. 11. 12. 13.

14. 15. 16. 17.

18. 19. 20.

22. 24. At £22. Bid at £22.

24. 26. 26. 28?

30. 32. 35. 38.

-Wow, listen to this!

-40.

42? At 40. Bid at £40.

Check your change! Have a look in your pockets now.

At £40. Are we done? A 50-pence piece at £40. Very good. 171.

-Oh, that's good.

-Brilliant!

I'm just going to check my pockets. Just bear with me a sec.

I think you'll find mothballs in there, Jonty.

What a great result for that coin, though!

Over the top estimate, and 80 times its intended value.

Quite remarkable! That sale has made up for earlier disappointments.

Let's see if we can keep the momentum going

with the sale of our next lot. It's Sue's childhood stamp albums.

-So, when did you start?

-Probably the early '60s...

-OK.

-..until about '69, I suppose, so about ten years.

OK. So that was when you got interested in boys?

Probably, yeah. THEY LAUGH

-Stamps not so interesting.

-Not so interesting.

OK. Well, I put £20 to £40 on it. Here they go.

And start at £20, then. I'm bid £20. At 22?

£20. Take 22. 22.

22. 25.

28. 30. 32. 32.

-35.

-That's good!

-It is good.

42. 45. 48.

-At £45. The original bidder, at £45.

-Very good.

Going at 45, and gone. At £45, then...

-Well done!

-Wow, great!

-What do you reckon, Captain?

I think that was good. I like that.

How about that? All those hours of collecting have finally paid off,

and it's our second lot to exceed Jonty's top estimate.

But remember, it wasn't just stamps that Sue had amassed over the years.

It's your great collection of crested ware now,

put together over a long period of time.

Is there any tinge of sadness that this is going now?

No. I've had my enjoyment from it,

and it's time to pass it on to somebody else to enjoy now.

I really admire your pragmatic approach to all of this.

You really are approaching it the right way.

-I've come to terms with it.

-It's letting go now, isn't it?

-It certainly is.

-OK. Well, I've put £40 to £60 on it.

-OK.

-I'm possibly thinking that might be a bit hot

-on my estimate, but let's hope we can get up to that point.

-OK.

That's worth £40, that lot. The crested china. £30.

-Come on, come on.

-£10.

Ten. I'm bid at ten. Give me 12. At £10.

There's always a shark, a floating shark.

At £10. 12. 15.

13? 13. 14?

14. 15? Got there in the end. 15. 16.

16. 17. Thank you. At £16.

Oh, dear.

At 16 and going. All done, the crested china. £16.

-Never mind.

-Huge disappointment. You can cry on my shoulder later.

THEY LAUGH

I don't think the auctioneer could have tried any harder for us.

It was like getting blood out of a stone,

and I think he did exceptionally well to get the bidding up to £16.

Well, we've determined that there's a lack of crested-ware fans

in the room, but how many silver collectors are there out there?

Plenty, we hope, because next it's the snuffbox,

made by the renowned silversmith Joseph Willmore.

This could be interesting.

Now, this lot is actually a little favourite of mine.

-The date is actually in the 1830s.

-Yes.

-It's quite old.

-Yeah.

-Where is this from?

A friend gave it to me. Knew I was interested in collecting things,

-and didn't want it, so gifted it to me.

-How lovely!

-Well, I put £30 on it.

-OK.

I'm hoping we're going to be nearer the 50 than the 30.

-Let's hope so.

-Let's hope we're lucky this time.

What shall it be? £30 for it? I'm bid at 30. A Mexican wave!

-Look at them!

-Start me at £100 for it.

That's more like it. I'm bid £100. Anyone 110? 110.

120. 120, anyone? 130.

130, 140. 150. 160.

-Wow!

-I'm bid 150. At 160.

That's brilliant!

160 bid. At 170? At 160. At 160. All done?

Your last chance. At 160 and going...

-£160!

-Wow!

-That's good.

-I forgot the "one" on the front of the estimate.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Course you did, Jonty.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. But we'll let you off,

as that is a stunning result. The silver collectors saw the quality

of a very special snuffbox. Well, it's been a turbulent first half.

Some items fell well short of their estimate,

while others exceeded all expectations.

Jonty's bursting to tell Steve and Sue how much they've raised so far

towards those boating lessons.

Well, it's half time, folks. How we feeling?

-OK.

-Yeah.

-We've had some really good sales...

-And some not so good.

-We're staying optimistic.

-Some things have done well,

some things not so well. Remember, you needed £500 to £600.

You'd be happy with that sort of figure.

Well, we're halfway, and at the moment we're on £291.

-Oh! So halfway in the figure, too.

-So it's steady as she goes.

-That's not too bad, is it?

-That's good.

Let's have a little break, then we'll sell some more lots.

-OK.

-Thanks.

If, like Steve and Sue, you're keen to raise money

by buying or selling at auction, please keep in mind

that there are charges to pay, including commission.

These vary depending on the saleroom,

so it's always worth checking in advance to avoid any unexpected surprises.

One of our expert's great passions is antique furniture.

There are always plenty of examples on offer at any auction.

There's nothing Jonty likes more

than when a piece is influenced by the architecture of the period.

Now, there were many different styles going on in the 19th century.

One of the particular styles, one of the fashionable styles,

was a Gothic revival.

Now, have a look at this cabinet,

because if anybody wants to explain what Gothic revival is,

well, this is it. Just take a look at these doors, for instance.

Here we have almost like two Gothic arches,

and supported by these pillar supports on the side.

Now, have a look at this. This door looks like the inside of a church,

which is what Gothic revival is all about.

Great examples have to be the Houses of Parliament,

or Tower Bridge in London. But it's missing a few pieces.

It's missing a few feet. But more importantly, take a look at the top.

Here we would have probably had some massive, grand superstructure,

and you can tell that because we have relatively large holes

appearing on the back, and this is where the superstructure would sit,

so essentially we're looking at a very good quality part cabinet.

It's got a healthy estimate of £500 to £700,

but will the buyers buy this today?

It's going to be very interesting to see.

They say that Victorian furniture is no longer in fashion,

but Jonty is clearly a fan, and believes that this is a good time

to pick up top-quality examples at reasonable prices.

Well, this one makes £450, somewhat lower than the estimate,

which rather proves his point.

It's time now for the second half of our sale,

and Steve's turn to part with some of his collectables.

Chris and I lost count

about how many clocks you've got in your house.

It's a little collection of only three of them here.

-Where are they all from?

-All different sort of places.

When Sue drags me round these antiques fairs,

I go off and buy the occasional clock.

-You sneak off, do you?

-Sneak off to buy.

-He does.

-And does he sneak one in?

-Yeah.

All of a sudden, "Where's that from?"

-SHE LAUGHS

-OK. Right. Well, no more.

Time for selling, yes? £50 to £80 for these three.

-Here they come.

-Where shall we start? £50?

£40?

-Come on.

-Bid at £40. 42.

45. 48. 50.

55. 60.

Five. 70.

Five. 80. 75. 80.

At £75, £75. 80 there. 85.

90. Five. 100. And five.

I'm bid £100. Someone wanted five down there?

-It's good.

-The bid's standing at £100.

-All done for £100.

-Oh, that's good.

-Yeah, that was good.

-We can send him off

around another antiques market without worrying about him now.

Good job, Steve. Not just a pretty face, hey?

Over estimate, and another healthy contribution

towards that nautical training.

We've another of Steve's collectables up next,

but I have the feeling this one is going to tug at the old heartstrings.

It's the Mainline train set, part of the Palitoy range from 1976.

It was bought for Steve by his dad to mark a very special birthday.

Steve, I don't want you to get too emotional on me.

It's your train set that we're now selling.

-Yes. It's got to go, unfortunately.

-At the tender age of...

-30.

THEY LAUGH

-It's a great story.

-I know.

OK. £50 to £80. You ready to see this one go?

-I'm ready.

-£50. Start me for it.

£30 for it. Bid at £30. Give me 32. At 32. 35.

38. 40.

42, 45. 45, 48. 50.

-55. 60.

-Wow!

Bid at £60. £60.

All done for 60? Your last chance of getting it.

-That's fine. £60.

-That's good.

-In the middle-ish of the estimate.

-That's pretty good.

-That's good.

I agree, Jonty. Not bad at all, and that's good money

towards his next big toy, that powerboat.

Boys and their toys, hey? Well, from toys to china,

and I know Sue will be sad to see this lot sell.

It's the collection of early 20th-century Burleigh Ware

that came with their house. Estimate £80 to £120.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong,

-but I have a hunch that you quite covet this next lot.

-Yes, I do.

I love it. This is what really started me on my collecting binges...

-Yes.

-..over the years.

Was it 27 years you've been in the house?

That's right. It hasn't been used very much. Only at Christmas.

-So it's your poshest set going.

-It is, yeah.

All right. OK. I've put £80 to £120 on it.

-OK.

-Let's see what happens, yeah?

-£50.

-Oh, 50. Come on.

Where's all the hands? £40. Bid at £40. At £40. Take 42.

At £40. At £40. Give me 42. 42. 45.

Gosh, that's cheap, isn't it?

55. 60. Five. 70.

-It's going up. It's going up.

-Five. 90.

Bid at 85. You want 90? £85.

At £85. 85 and going.

-85.

-Yeah, that's not too bad.

The bidding took a while to warm up, but with several interested parties

in the room, it just crept over the lower estimate.

I think Sue would've been disappointed with anything less.

It's another very useful addition to our ever-growing fund.

Jonty was quite the fan of our next lot.

It's the oak wall clock, made in the late 19th century

by the renowned Sussex firm, Stephenson's.

So, it's time to sell your kitchen clock now.

-Is there a bit of a hole left on the wall?

-Indeed there is.

Very quiet in our kitchen now. THEY LAUGH

-Again, how long have you had that?

-We've had that nearly 30 years.

-Really?

-Is that from London?

-Yeah.

-Are you going to miss it?

-We are going to miss it, I think.

OK. Well, I put £100 to £150. I hope we do really well.

Let's hope so.

£100 for it.

£50 for it.

£50. I'm bid at £50. At £50. At 55.

Do you want 60? Five. 70. Five. 80.

At 75. £75. In front of me at £75.

75 to 80. At £75.

-Come on, come on.

-That's it, at £75, I'm afraid.

-It's gone. Oh, dear!

-Never mind.

Ouch! That wasn't the result we were expecting.

After the success we enjoyed with the mantel clocks,

I thought we'd reach the lower estimate at the very least.

I hope the bidders haven't run out of cash.

We still have two highly valued items left to sell,

starting with the chaise longue.

A lot of TLC's gone into this by you.

Yes. I did re-upholster it at one stage.

You never thought about doing that, Steve?

I don't think I've got the skill or the patience.

I've got £150 to £200 on it. OK. Let's see. Away we go.

Start with £100 for it.

-£80 for it.

-Room's gone silent.

Bid £80. £80. £85. £80.

-At £80. £80, 85.

-Come on!

-Who wants it?

-For a chaise, at £80.

-It's got to go.

-It's got to go.

-Want me to sell it or not?

-Yeah.

-They're going to Greece, you see.

£80. No choice. They're moving out of the country. £80.

They have a bargain. They have a bargain.

Oh, dear. I have a hanky at the ready. Do you need it?

-Oh, I might.

-Ahh!

Well, the chaise had to go before the couple's big move,

but what a disappointing result,

especially after all the hard work Sue put into the re-covering.

We've just got one lot left today, and, worryingly,

it's more antique furniture.

It's that beautiful Victorian Duchess dressing table.

-So, where was it from?

-I bought it on the Isle of Wight, actually.

We were on a caravanning holiday,

and it came back with us in the caravan.

-I believe Steve bought one of the clocks at the same time.

-Really?

Anyway, I put £80 to £120 on it,

and Victorian furniture is a little bit difficult to sell at the moment,

but because it's so complete, I hope we're going to get there.

£100 for it. £80 for it.

Bid £80. 85. Do you want 90? 95?

100. 110. 120.

-130. 140. 150.

-Come on.

-160.

-Come on. More.

160 for it. 150. Are we done? Going for 150.

For the Duchess at 150.

-Yes! That's good.

-Very good.

Well, how about that? Despite concerns over a lack of furniture buyers in the room,

the quality of the Victorian dresser shone through,

and it exceeds Jonty's top estimate. Well, it's been quite a sale,

but have we managed to raise that £500 to £600 target

for Steve and Sue's boating lessons? I think it's time for Jonty to reveal all.

-Remember, we wanted £500 to £600.

-Yeah.

-What do you think, Steve?

-I think we got there,

and I think, overall, fairly satisfied.

Well, I'm very happy to report you have made £841 here today!

-Wow! That's really good!

-That is good. Fantastic.

-How about that?

-That's really good.

-So that means

you can even buy a little can of petrol to go with your boat.

A rather choppy sail, but Steve and Sue have headed down

to the calm waters of their local marina in Kent,

the temporary mooring of their new pride and joy,

before the big move to the Med. It's the perfect location

for the couple of get to grips with their new toy,

and where they plan to have handling and navigation lessons.

I think, as far as navigating round Cyprus goes,

I'm hoping that by spending one season here,

we'll get very competent and confident.

We won't be nervous at all. At the moment, we certainly would be.

-We would, yeah.

-The crew especially.

THEY LAUGH

ENGINE ROARS

'The Mediterranean beckons, and we're really looking forward to that,

'and look forward to next summer.'

We wish Steve and Sue the very best of luck for their new life

in the sun. But, Steve, watch out for that ferry!

HORN BLARING

If you want to raise some money, and think you have hidden treasures

in your home, why don't you apply to be on the show?

All the details are online at...

Good luck, and I'll see you next time on Cash In The Attic.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]

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