J Evans Cash in the Attic

Welcome to the show that looks around your house,

finds the hidden treasures, gets them valued

then sells them for you at auction.

You know what it's like if you've lived a in a big property

and it's time to downsize. Leaving the property is one thing,

but what on earth do you take with you, and what do you sell?

That's the dilemma facing the lady we'll be meeting later

on Cash In The Attic.

On today's Cash In The Attic, we meet a very knowledgeable lady.

-I think they call that a binnacle.

-There we go.

A binnacle! You know some interesting words, don't we?

And this lady's not for turning, in spite of Paul's best efforts.

-Are you sure it won't go into the bungalow when you move?

-It won't.

-You don't want it at all?

-No.

-It wasn't a family heirloom?

-No.

-No sentiment there at all?

-Nothing.

When it comes to sale day, the auctioneer is certainly on our side.

Best thing in the room. The best lot of the sale. Fantastic thing.

Find out just what is so fantastic when the hammer falls.

Selling!

Today I've come to Cleethorpes,

where I'm going to be meeting Janet Evans and her sister.

They've decided to have a clear-out to raise some money

so they can have a day trip to the capital city, London.

She owns and runs this attractive ladies' boutique in Cleethorpes.

Her younger sister Julie works here part-time too.

The sisters have always lived in this area of Humberside,

which is close to Grimsby, and both their husbands work in the fishing industry.

Janet has lived in this Edwardian semi-detached house

with her husband Ray for the past 23 years,

but they're downsizing to a bungalow,

and have asked for our help with some decluttering.

-Look at this place!

-Now, this is what I call a hall.

-Wow!

-Shoes off.

-Right. OK, fair enough.

Sweeping staircase, and lots of really nice antiques as well.

-You'll be at home, won't you?

-I'll be really at home here.

-If you want to go off that way, I'll go and meet the ladies.

-OK.

Good morning, ladies!

-Hello. So, it must be your house, Janet.

-Yes, it is.

It's absolutely stunning. I love the entrance hall.

Very impressive! But it wasn't you who called in Cash In The Attic.

-That was you, wasn't it, Julie?

-It is, yes.

-I'm to blame for that.

-So, what made you think that we should come?

She's moving. She's supposed to be downsizing.

-Right.

-I said, "You're going to have to get rid of some of this rubbish."

If we do manage to sell some of the things you want to get rid of,

and make some money, what would you like to do with it?

I would like to take my family and Julie's family to London

to see a show for the weekend.

How many people in total do you want to take to London?

-Eight.

-Eight people. Right. OK.

Eight people going to London for a show. That's quite a lot of money.

-What sort of figure have you got in mind?

-£1,000, if poss.

I'm pretty sure Paul will have found something by now

-if this room is anything to go by, so shall we go and meet him?

-Yeah!

He's our man from Morecambe, you know.

I can see why she needs our help. In the two rooms I've seen so far,

this place is filled to the brim with ornaments and collectables,

and there are ten more rooms to explore.

Paul Hayes's love of antiques started when he was just a teenager,

and it became his career from a young age.

The nautical theme in this house is very obvious,

but the first thing to excite his interest is this painting.

-Ah, hello!

-There you are, Paul. You've found a few things, then?

-Look at this! It's amazing.

-I must say, it's a fantastic house.

You have lots of paintings of ships and marine life.

Is that something you've been interested in?

My husband used to go to sea. He used to be a trawler skipper,

and he used to fish in Iceland and Norway and places like that.

Were these something he's bought, these paintings?

No. I bought these years ago, when I worked in a pub,

and this young artist, John Trickett, used to come in

and bring his paintings in on a lunchtime.

He'd probably done one in a morning, and brought one in on a lunchtime,

and said, "Who wants to buy this? 20 quid."

You've heard of John Trickett? He's quite a well known artist nowadays.

-I know he is now.

-Right. Great. This isn't the Cod Wars, the North Sea.

This represents Trafalgar, the battle between France and England.

It's very well captured. It's a very popular subject.

But he's more famous now. He's moved on from marine scenes.

-Does he not do animals?

-Animals.

-Labradors.

He's the finest Labrador painter in British...

-Is that what he's known for?

-Yes.

-So these are his early works.

-Exactly. This is his Blue Period.

-THEY LAUGH

And you've got another one. This is more a modern scene.

That's more like the Norfolk Broads, or maybe a coastal scene.

But this one here is the main one. It's an oil painting.

It's very recent, contemporary, but very pleasing.

In fact, if I said sort of 80 to 120 to give them a chance,

-how does that sound?

-Yeah. Good.

It's not a bad return for 20 quid, is it, really?

-THEY LAUGH

-It's fantastic, eh?

How exciting! It's nice to actually do a picture for once

-where you can really identify the artist, isn't it?

-Exactly, yeah.

-What a great story to tell, as well.

-Well, we'd better get on,

-because there are loads of rooms to go through.

-OK.

-Follow me!

That's not a bad start to our rummage here today,

and I'm itching to begin my search.

Julie's had time to have a good look around Janet's kitchen,

and wonders if the brass ship's clock

might be worth putting up for auction.

Janet has always liked brass and copper,

and her attraction to nautical items must reflect her husband's trawling career.

This clock is quite modern, though, and is battery operated,

but Paul still hopes it might fetch £50 to £60 at auction.

In the bedroom, Janet makes a practical decision

about some attractive Edwardian items.

Paul, I brought these from upstairs. I've had them about 40 years.

-OK.

-But I don't want to be spending the rest of my life cleaning silver.

Oh, wow! These are beautiful. Have these come down the family?

-My husband bought me them from a jeweller's in Cleethorpes.

-Right.

These are beautiful. Solid silver, and dead on the turn of the century.

This is my favourite style. It's called Art Nouveau.

You've got these wonderful organic forms,

stylised plants and tendrils, and the muse there in the middle.

She's playing a harp, or an instrument of some sort,

and it's a wonderful style. Developed on the continent,

but became very popular here. But I can see already, this one,

little bit of over-polishing. You see a little hole there?

But absolutely fantastic. So, you've got a mirror,

a hairbrush, and you've got two clothes brushes,

so this would have been a lady's dressing-table set.

-Have you noticed the hallmark?

-Er, yes, I have.

That's the lion passant. That tells me it's solid silver.

The anchor means it was assayed in the Birmingham area.

You've got a date letter here,

and this one is an F, 1905. That's exactly when these were made.

-So, can you bear to part with them?

-Yes, absolutely.

-You don't use them any more?

-No.

-So you've got two collectors

who will go for these - anybody interested in Art Nouveau, or anybody interested in silver.

So if I said £80 to £120...

-Brilliant.

-That sounds all right to you?

-Lovely.

-So they can definitely go?

-Yes.

Fantastic. So, let's put those down there.

-Let's keep looking.

-Fine.

Janet is definitely being very no-nonsense in her approach today,

and seems happy to be getting rid of stuff. This is a large house

she's downsizing from, and there really is too much

to fit into a bungalow.

'I wonder if she would be happy to part with more paintings.

'I spot two watercolours by an HS Yeung,

'which Janet bought after seeing them in the window

'of her local Chinese restaurant. The owner of the restaurant

'was the artist himself.

'Paul gives the two paintings a £50 to £80 estimate.'

Julie knows how important it is for her sister

to clear some stuff, and she wastes no time

in taking some Victoriana from Janet's bedroom

for evaluation.

Ah! Now, then... Ooh, look at these!

Whoa, these are great! So, where have these been hiding, then?

I've just spotted them upstairs.

These are wonderful. I can tell instantly who made these.

It's a firm called Royal Doulton, more famous for the figurines

or for character jugs and Toby jugs. But the way they're made,

this is stoneware, and this is almost like icing the cake.

It's used as a slip, and the slip gives the decoration, all in relief.

The artist would paint around the edges,

so each one is individual. Then the rose in the centre.

It's quite Oriental, almost a pomegranate.

-Yeah. Love them.

-You can get the name of the potter.

You've got Royal Doulton mark there, and we got the initials LB,

which will be an artist. There's the Barlow family, the Butler family,

sometime around about 1880. But very stylish single-flower vases.

What you've got to look for is the damage.

-Can you see there?

-I can.

Do you think Janet's done that, or has she bought them that way?

She might have done. Or she might've hit her husband over the head with it.

-THEY LAUGH

-Well, there we are.

Stranger things have happened. Usually if they fall off the shelf,

they're in trouble, aren't they? They're a pair of Victorian vases,

Doulton Lambeth, good design. Even in that condition,

if I said 100, maybe 150...

-Sounds great.

-I think perfect, you'd be looking at 300 on those.

-Pity.

-You think she's all right with that?

She'll be pleased with that, I'm sure.

A fine estimate, but will those cracks make or break Janet's chances

at auction?

And we have got five bids on commission.

I start at £65.

Find out how much they make a little later.

All that excitement is still to come.

But as our search of Janet's house continues,

Paul has turned his attention to her extensive collection

of Wedgwood calendar plates. She started collecting these

when they were commissioned in 1971,

and she hasn't missed a single year.

But she's happy to call it a day now,

and Paul gives them an estimate of £100 to £150 for the lot.

Well, so far we've potentially raised £460

towards Janet's goal of £1,000

to treat all the Evanses to a special London trip.

You seem a very close-knit family, and you two sisters particularly.

Yes. Well, we work together, and when I first got married -

Julie would be ten, I would be 20 -

and Julie had to come and live with me,

because I daren't sleep on my own.

-That must have been quite an adventure for a ten year old!

-Yeah,

but I daren't be late in, because she was a bully

and she used to hit me on the head. And her wedding rings were heavy,

-and it used to hurt!

-THEY LAUGH

-That were right as rain.

-We worked well together.

Makes it more fun, though, don't it?

Tell me a little bit about Cleethorpes.

It's got such a strong fishing connection,

and your family has always been involved in it.

-Is that right?

-Yes, it has,

Ray's family more than mine. My father went to sea

and sailed with Ray, but Ray's dad and Ray's granddads

and uncles and brother, they've all gone to sea,

up until fishing finished. He come from a real big fishing family, Ray.

And what about your husband?

Well, not as much as my sister's,

but my husband is what you call a fish merchant.

He sells fish from Grimsby docks.

-Now, originally your grandmother wasn't from Cleethorpes.

-No.

-Tell me a bit about her.

-She was from County Durham,

a place called Houghton-le-Spring,

and she came from a real big family,

and the girls were all dancers. And they came here,

and my grandmother was expecting my mother,

and danced right up till the day before she had her,

and had my mother. Three days later she left my mother

-and went to Mexico for three years.

-That was such radical thing to do at the time!

People think going to Mexico is nothing new now, don't they,

-but that was a big trip.

-Oh, yes.

-Three years!

85 years ago that would have been a big thing.

It was all sort of done not legally, really, in them days.

It would've taken them weeks to get to Mexico.

So a lot of history and memories in this house...

-Oh, yes.

-..that need to be sorted out.

Shall we go and see if Paul's found anything we can have a look at?

-Yes.

-Come on, then.

'Janet's certainly got her work cut out

'sorting through 44 years of collecting,

'but our presence here seems to have motivated her,

'and she's determined to do it. In her computer room,

'she comes across some Navy plaques that were given to her father-in-law

'during the Cod Wars. This series of disputes between Britain and Iceland

'over fishing rights in the North Atlantic in the 1950s and 1970s

'caused tensions to run high, and Ray's dad acted as a liaison

'for the British. He was awarded a plaque

'for each of the ships he worked on.

'Paul gives them a value of £20 to £40,

'and we're not quite done with the nautical theme yet.'

We've got another picture here. It's lovely.

Is there any family connection with that?

-The one in the front was Ray's dad's.

-So they had their own trawlers?

-They didn't own them. They were skippers of them.

-Right!

And there's something else I saw, which is this.

I don't know much about that. We've had that in the family years,

and it's been in the cupboard. Wherever we've lived,

-we've dumped it in a cupboard.

-I think it's lovely.

We should get Paul to have a look at this. Paul?

-It says rain is expected.

-Thank you very much.

-There we are.

Ah, this is amazing, isn't it? A bit of nautical history here.

This is a marine barometer. The basic idea

is that you have a mercury tube, which is in a vacuum

in this tube here, and any slight changes in atmospheric pressure

registers on the mercury quite well. And using this little wheel here,

you would set it. You see it going up and down?

So if it was raining you'd set it to there,

and then you can tell which direction the weather's going in.

These are wonderful items. What I love about them

is that they would be screwed into the side of the ship.

Any bad weather... Look at that.

-Oh, yeah!

-It stays level. Isn't that fantastic?

-I think they call that a binnacle.

-There we go.

-A binnacle?

-Oh, you know some interesting words!

-Well, naval history there.

Nautical stuff here. Fantastic.

-Janet's quite happy for it to be sold.

-Yes.

Right. Well, these do tend to really be in demand.

You've got the nautical history, the history of barometers.

This one's from Lisbon, it says, so it's obviously from Portugal,

that sort of region. But what a fantastic thing to have.

Very rare indeed, these. This needs a bit of a polish.

Does it, though? Should it be polished before going to auction,

or should it go in like that, where it's clearly fresh to auction?

Well, it's entirely up to you,

and people do like to see things as they are, untouched,

-so you're probably right.

-So, what sort of value, then?

In this present state, you're looking at something that was made

1900, 1920, that sort of time... Value-wise, very much in demand.

And if I said at least £150, £200, how does that sound?

-Good.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yes. Yes, I am.

We've got nowhere to put it.

Well, that says "stormy" on there, but we're doing all right so far.

Let's see what else we can find.

That barometer has added a great amount to our total,

but I think we're a fair way off from our target yet,

so the search of Janet's house continues.

In the lounge, Julie spots this electroplated spirit kettle

that belonged to Ray's grandmother.

A spirit kettle sits on a stand with a burner underneath,

using alcohol as fuel. Being small enough to be placed anywhere,

they became a popular Victorian and Edwardian accessory,

as a servant's help was not required to refresh the hot water.

Paul reckons it should fetch £25 to £40 at auction.

Janet certainly has some fascinating items in her home,

and each one seems to have a story.

I'd like you to have a look at this clock

-and see if you think it would be worth going to auction.

-Ah!

My husband Ray and I bought this clock at auction about 30 years ago.

Right. Well, we call these a grandfather clock -

that's any clock that's over five foot -

but the correct term is a longcase clock.

-Do you remember how much you paid for it?

-About £100.

What did you find attractive about it?

-I think the painting on it.

-Right. These sort of scenes here.

Right. These are called spandrels,

and sometimes with these you'll get the four seasons,

or different sorts of country views.

This one's quite nice. It's Neoclassical.

-Do you know how to tell a good grandfather clock from a cheaper one?

-No.

It's the running time. If I open the door here,

this should tell... Ah, this is a good one.

You've got two weights there. That's what drives the movement.

If you have one weight, that means it only runs for 30 hours.

You have to wind it every day. When you have two weights,

that will run for eight days, so you only have to wind it once a week,

which is far more saleable. Are you sure it's not something

-that will go into the bungalow when you move?

-No.

-You don't want it at all?

-No.

-It wasn't a family heirloom?

-No.

-No sentiment there at all?

-Nothing.

So what you've got really is a mid-19th-century mahogany

longcase clock. It runs for eight days,

which is very good. It's got a lovely painted dial.

There's no cracks or chips on that,

and the case looks pretty much original,

so it's got everything going for it.

-I think we could be approaching the £1,000 mark here.

-Oh!

And if I said sort of £600 to £800 to give it a chance,

-that sounds all right to you?

-It does.

-Is it the right time to sell it?

-Yep.

-THEY LAUGH It is.

-Clock that.

Let's keep looking.

What a fantastic valuation, and nearly our target figure in one hit!

But you never know what will happen at auction,

so we need to find a few more items just in case.

Janet's house keeps on giving.

There's a constant supply of fascinating things.

The next one to head off to the sale is this silver tea service and tray.

They belonged to Janet's mother-in-law,

who used to go to lots of junk fairs.

This is hardly junk, though, as Paul values the lot

at between £200 to £300. Incredible!

We're almost done here today,

but just as we are taking a last sweep of the lounge,

Janet shows me something else she's been collecting for many years.

That one's got a little baby on its head.

-How many of these have you got?

-I haven't counted.

When did you start collecting them?

I started collecting them about...um, er...35 years ago.

So on average, what would you say that you paid per figurine?

Probably £15, £20.

-So, this is all going, then?

-Yes.

-OK. Paul?

-Uh-huh?

-Look. We've found an amazing collection on the fireplace.

I've heard many things about these figures.

They're called fairings, where the myth is

that they came from the Victorian fairs,

and also that they were done to go on the top of pianos.

Well, there's two things, yeah. You get a piano baby.

If you had a grand piano or a baby grand, they would sit on top,

but the commoner word is the fairing. You're right.

The word comes from all these wonderful porcelain factories

in Germany and in France, and what would happen,

you would have people that would make these in their lunch hour

and sell them at the fairs, so it was a bit of extra money for them.

But we're left with a legacy, so this one says,

-"Let us do business together"...

-HE LAUGHS

..which is quite sweet, but really they're a remnant

of the doll-making industry. All the firms made these porcelain dolls

which were extremely popular in 1880, 1900.

-Can you give a rough valuation?

-Yeah. Did I hear £10 or £15?

I think that is about the going rate.

Some of the bigger ones, maybe £30, £40.

I mean, if I said 250 upwards, really, for this little lot,

-how does that sound?

-Good.

-That's not bad, is it?

That would add in nicely to our total,

because you wanted £1,000 so the eight of you could go to London,

which is a lot to spend when you get there, I must say.

It's good that the value of everything that is going to auction

comes to £1,705!

-Good.

-So, are you pleased with that?

-Brilliant.

Good, Jan, that, isn't it? Great.

The next time you'll see them, they'll be at the auction house,

-and we'll see you there.

-Yes.

-Smashing. Lovely!

I reckon with that result, we're in for a fabulous day

at the auction. We've uncovered a wonderful variety of pieces

from Janet's house, including...

the early 20th-century marine barometer,

which has been in the family for years.

That should raise £150 to £200 at auction.

Then there's the Wedgwood calendar plates Janet has been collecting

since 1971,

which received an estimate of between £100 to £150.

And the Victorian mahogany longcase clock,

which stands a good chance of making the target in one hit

if it beats Paul's upper estimate of £800.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic,

Janet gets some good advice from sister Julie

after a disappointing sale.

Just think how much you'll save on silver polish. Think positive, Jan.

And there's intrigue

after the grandfather clock goes before the bidders.

They've had a telephone bid. I wonder who that was?

It's not your husband wanting it back, is it?

Can we solve the mystery? Find out later.

It's been a few weeks since we visited Janet and Julie

at their house in Cleethorpes, and we found some very nice items,

including that ship's barometer and the John Trickett paintings.

Everything's been packed off to Bamford's auctioneers in Matlock,

and we're hoping to raise the £1,000 that Janet's looking for.

I can't actually make the auction today,

but Paul Hayes is there, so let's see what happens

when the final hammer falls.

Bamford's has auction houses in Derby and Matlock,

and are popular with both dealers and individuals

looking for a bargain. The auctioneer today is Steven Iredale,

and Paul is keen to know his opinion on some of Janet's things.

Now, Steven, I see you've found the barometer.

-Yeah. I like it.

-I haven't seen one for ages.

-How rare are these?

-They're not common.

We've had a few of them over the years.

It's quite a well known make, Desterro of Lisbon,

good Portuguese maker. Lots of these things made in Portugal, actually.

They've got a long nautical history. Mid 19th-century lacquered brass.

There's something gone on with the dial somehow.

It's bubbling up. Whether somebody's tried to re-silver it

or whether it's decomposing a bit, I'm not sure.

I think if we get the right person with the enthusiasm for it,

-I think it'll do quite well.

-So you can forecast great things.

-THEY LAUGH

-I know you're a very busy man.

-I've got to go and meet the family.

-Aye-aye!

THEY LAUGH

Janet's antiques have been on display here

for a few days, so that potential bidders can view them.

There must be a bit of a gap in your house,

because we took quite a lot of stuff.

-There's nothing left in the hall.

-It's all decluttered?

-Yes, absolutely.

-I think you've got some fantastic items,

but they're going to start any minute now,

-so we need to take our places. I'll follow you.

-Thank you.

Janet seems fairly relaxed about the auction,

but Paul, on the other hand, is looking a little nervous today.

No doubt he's hoping his estimates will prove correct,

or, better still, be beaten. Let's seen what happens

with the first one, which has just come up -

the collection of naval plaques.

These have the names Tartar and Juno. Were they boats of yours?

They belonged to my father-in-law

when he was the liaison officer in the Cod War,

and he was on the frigates, and every frigate he was on, they made him one of them.

And £30, please. £30.

A few of them. £30. 20, then, let's start them.

-£20.

-Oh, come on!

-15, then. Let's get on. 15.

Three places. 15. 18.

20. Two.

At £20 bid, second row. Two do I see?

At £20, and two now.

At £20, and two do I see? At £20, then. All done.

And selling, second row, at £20.

-All right with you? That was what we wanted.

-Absolutely.

Paul breathes a sigh of relief as those plaques reach his low estimate

and we're off to a good start.

Let's hope the bidders like Janet's next nautical lot,

the two signed John Trickett oil paintings.

I start at £60, and five do I see?

At £60, and five now. At £60, and five do I see?

At £60 and five now. Five. 70.

Five. Go on, it's worth it!

At £70 and five now. At £70, and five do I see?

That is so cheap. At £70 and five now.

At 70... Five. New place.

80. Five. At £80 here and five now.

At £80, and five do I see?

At £80. All done, then.

Quite sure? And selling at £80.

There you go. That's bang on, isn't it?

-Good.

-How much were these when you bought them?

-Probably about 20 each.

-There you are. After all this time...

Fantastic.

The auctioneer really helped that sale reach the peak

with his enthusiastic auctioneering.

The next lot belonged to the grandmother of Janet's husband Ray.

It's the electroplated spirit kettle.

This is what they used to keep hot water in.

If you're having afternoon tea, keep hot water in there.

-All right. That's £25 to £40.

-Mm!

Starts me at £18, and 20 do I see? At £18. 20.

Two. Five. Eight. 30... No, at £28.

30 now. At £28, and 30 do I see?

At £28. 30, now, someone.

At £28. And 30 now?

All done, then? You quite sure? At 28.

£28.

Just over Paul's lower estimate. They're doing pretty well so far.

Now we're back to a marine item yet again.

It's the battery-operated brass ship's clock,

in the catalogue for £50 to £60.

£50? 40, then.

42. 45.

43, if it helps you.

43. 44.

He's trying, isn't he?

Don't stop. At 45 bid. Six do I see?

At £45. And six now.

At £45. Six do I see?

You sure? All done, then.

At £45 and selling.

Just £5 under Paul's lower estimate.

The bidders seem to like Janet's collection so far.

What will they make of the silver dressing set

that Ray bought for Janet many years ago?

It's up for £80 to £120.

-When's the last time you used this?

-I've never used it.

-Never at all?

Just cleaned it. HE LAUGHS

Well, it's very well polished. Do you use something like this?

-Never.

-Never?

-Never.

I don't think I've got anything silver.

-So you won't miss it at all?

-No, no.

I have got nine bids, and they're all almost identical.

-And £50 is bid.

-£50. We're in.

At £50, and five now. At £50, and five do I see?

At £50, then, on commission.

Oh, he's going to let 'em go.

All done, then? Five has them.

At 55 against commission, and I think we're selling.

At £55. 60 now. At £55.

60 do I see?

All done at 55? Number three.

A flurry of interest shown in the silver dressing-table set,

but none of the bidders wanted to pay more than £55.

Maybe Janet had over-polished them a bit.

The next lot is the two watercolours that Janet bought

from her local Chinese restaurateur.

He's very popular, you know, in our area.

-He's done paintings for the Queen.

-Has he really?

-He has.

So, does he have a gallery or something?

Yes. He has a restaurant,

and he used to have his paintings in the window of the restaurant.

-Did you buy those paintings from there?

-Yes.

Well, we're looking sort of £50 to £80, OK?

£60 for them. 60. £50, then.

£50? 40, then.

£40. 40.

-Ooh, dear.

-30, then, let's start them.

£30 bid. At £30, and five now.

At £30, and five do I see?

At £30, and five. 40.

And five. At £40 to the left, and five now.

At £40, and five. Two if it helps you.

All done, then. At £40.

There you go. Is that all right with you?

Can you remember how much you paid for them?

-More than £40.

-Were they?

-THEY LAUGH

-But it was a good meal out.

-THEY LAUGH

Oh, £10 under the lower estimate.

But Janet doesn't seem too disappointed.

We've reached our halfway point now. Remind me how much we want to raise.

-I'd like to raise £1,000.

-About £1,000.

-Yeah.

Halfway through, and all the items that we've sold up to now,

we've actually made £268.

-Well, that's me and you.

-We can go.

-THEY LAUGH

-Before you get carried away,

don't forget that you have your grandfather clock,

lovely barometer and other bits to come, right?

But let's have a little break before we come back for the second half.

If you'd like to try your hand at auction,

bear in mind that there are charges to be paid, including commission.

The fees may vary from one saleroom to another,

so it's always worth enquiring in advance.

Well, we know that Janet's star item is coming up later -

that wonderful Victorian mahogany longcase clock.

Paul has spotted several other clocks in the sale,

and wants to share his experience on what to look for when buying one.

I wanted to show you some great examples of the type of clock

you can buy when you come to auction.

Auction houses seem to be full of these sort of items.

They're a bit out of fashion, but I think they're fantastic.

These work on a spring mechanism, so you wind the spring.

The spring releases the power by the pendulum,

and that's what gives it its time. This one was made in Austria

round about 1880, 1900. It's solid mahogany.

It's very regal. It has these fantastic, imposing columns

and these finials on the top. These are often eagles

or sometimes horses, and they get lost,

so it's nice to find this all complete. So, value-wise,

maybe £50 to £80. This one is a much better clock, in my opinion.

This one is American. It's solid walnut.

It's been beautifully inlaid. Can you see all this inlay

with satinwood, with a swan and floral decoration?

It has been restored. This has a replacement dial.

It looks very fresh, fully working order. Value-wise,

£100 to £150, and to be honest, both absolute bargains.

Well, the more expensive American wall clock was a snip at £100.

The Viennese one, though, reached its upper estimate of £80.

Janet has six lots left, all with three-figure values -

the silver tea service and tray, the porcelain figures,

and the marine barometer. But next up on the podium

is the pair of damaged Victorian Doulton vases.

-Were these a family heirloom, Janet?

-No. I bought them years ago.

-You just liked them?

-I just liked them.

-OK.

I did notice that they were slightly damaged.

-What happened?

-They were damaged when I bought them.

Exactly like that? OK. So, looking £100, maybe £150.

Circa 1905, a really grand pair of vases there,

on display on the sideboard.

And we have got five bids on commission.

I start at £65. 70 do I see in the room?

At £65. And 70 now. 70.

Five. 80. At £75. 80 now.

At £75. 80 do I see?

At 75. 80. 80. Five. 90.

-Oh, it's going up a bit.

-Five. 100.

-Ooh!

Five. 110. At £105. 110 do I see?

At £105. 110 now.

At £105. All done?

At £105...

-How's that?

-Yeah!

-That's great, isn't it?

They were very decorative, but one was damaged.

-They was very heavy.

-THEY LAUGH

That's great, 105. That's £5 over what we least expected.

-So, right. Happy with that?

-Yeah.

Something else that doesn't have to go back.

Janet is a woman of few words, but she looks really delighted

with that sale. Her next lot is a real modern collectable.

It's the series of Wedgwood calendar plates.

One was issued every year, and Janet was in from the start.

-When was the first year you started collecting these?

-1971.

-And every year since?

-Till now.

Right. That's quite a big part of your life.

-Are they quite sentimental to you?

-Where I'm going,

I won't have the walls to put them on, and nobody else wants them.

-Have you missed them?

-I have. I've got about 15 nails stuck out.

THEY LAUGH

What are we bid for those? £120?

There is a massive heap of them. 120. £100, then.

These things cost a fortune new. £100 for them.

Oh, no!

-Oh, no!

-£80, then.

It's not a lot each, it really isn't. £80.

£80. Absolute heap, isn't there? £70.

-£60. Let's start, then. £60.

-Oh!

No? Little bit too much, I think, then. Sorry.

No. He's withdrawn them, and I think he's done you a favour.

-Just for all those years.

-They can go back on the nails.

We'll have Sunday dinner on 'em next time.

We're about that many for dinner.

It's a good job you didn't put those nails back in the wall. You can hang them back up again.

Despite the auctioneer's best efforts,

no-one wanted Janet's plates, so they'll be packed up again

and moved into the bungalow. We've been lucky with our nautical items,

so let's bring out our next example.

It comes complete with its own binnacle,

the original bracket that kept it level in all weathers.

I think it's one of my favourite items today.

It's been such a long time since I've seen one of these.

It's that marine barometer. Do you know which boat it came off?

No. We've had it years, but in the cupboard underneath the stairs.

Well, it was made in Lisbon by RN Desterro.

It's not a gentleman I've heard of, but the auctioneer's researched him

and found he's very well known, so we're looking for 150 plus.

And we have got seven bids on commission.

-It starts with me at £160.

-£160, straight in!

-THEY LAUGH

-£160,

a rare thing. At £160. 170 do I see?

At £160. 170 now?

Good at they come. At £160. 170 do I see?

170. 180.

190. At £180.

190 now. At £180, then. All done?

Quite sure? At £180.

There you go! Is that all right with you?

That's fantastic, isn't it? There was lots of interest.

He had six commission bids all around the same sort of price.

Have they found those commission bids, or...

Somebody's came to view that yesterday,

and left a bid on it. So six people wanted that,

and £180 bought it. It's great, isn't it?

Fantastic! I wonder if the winning bidder will put it on a boat?

Anything would be better than keeping it in a cupboard,

as Janet had done. Next to come up is the silver tea service and tray

that Janet's mother-in-law bought at a junk fair.

Its value here is £200 to £300.

You're looking about 1920s. Does that fit in?

-Yeah. Beautiful. Is it your job to polish it?

-Yes.

-THEY LAUGH

-All right. You got a teapot,

the sugar and cream, and you've got the tray that matches.

-Would you use it?

-If it had been at my house, it would've been brown.

-HE LAUGHS

-I'd have thought it was brass.

And it starts with me at £150. 160 do I see?

At £150 on commission. 160 now.

At £150. A really pretty set.

At £150, then. All done? 160 takes it.

At 160. 170 do I see?

-At £160. 170 now.

-Ooh!

All done, then? Against commissions and selling.

All done at 160?

There you go. That's not so bad, is it?

A little bit less than we were thinking. Is that all right?

Think how much you'll save on silver polish. Think positive, Jan.

Janet and Julie are very easy to please.

£40 below Paul's lower estimate doesn't seem to bother them.

Those Mama and Papa figurines are up next.

They're also known as fairings, because people used to buy them

or win them at funfairs. The estimate of £250 to £300

reflects just how many there are - over 20 in total.

-Your mantelpiece must look empty without all those.

-It does.

-Can you dust around it easy now?

-Easy.

-OK.

These are great, actually. Very collectable items,

but one or two of them are slightly damaged. What happened there?

Been in the wars. Kids and stuff like that.

-Kids and footballs?

-Yeah.

There we are. A sample being shown, but there are heaps of them.

All the popular figures. And £250, please.

250. 200, then.

-Come on.

-200.

£200.

£180, let's start them. £180.

-180.

-No!

These might be going back.

We're below estimate with 180. Who'll bid me way below estimate?

-Didn't make enough.

-Oh, what a shame!

-Has he withdrawn them?

-Yes!

-THEY LAUGH

-That is a shame, isn't it?

-It's a shame.

-They couldn't get an interest.

Rather than let them go for a lot less than what we expected...

That's the first time today Janet's looked upset,

but I'm not sure whether it's because she hasn't made the money

or because she'll have to dust them all again.

It looks like they've saved the best till last.

It's time for that Victorian mahogany longcase clock

that Janet bought at auction 40 years ago.

It's up for £600 to £800, with a reserve of £500.

OK. Now, it's the moment of truth now.

It's that fantastic grandfather clock.

You don't really want to take this one back, do you?

-No.

-You're not going to get it on the roof rack.

It ain't coming in the back seat with me.

Best thing in the room, the best lot of the sale.

Fantastic thing. 19th-century oak-and-mahogany longcase clock

by C King of Leicester. About 1840. A very handsome clock.

We'll start it where it starts on commission with me,

at £420, and I'll take bids in the room first.

At 420. 450 do I see in the room?

At 450. 480. 500.

-And 20. 550.

-Ooh, hey!

-550.

-THEY LAUGH

-Whoo-hoo!

-600.

600. 620.

At £600 against the telephone. 20 do I see?

At £600. And 20, 620, new place.

-620.

-Ooh!

620 now. At 620. 30 I'll take.

And selling, centre of the room. All done?

Quite sure? At 620...

Oh, that's good.

That's fantastic, don't you think?

Well, you were right to put your reserve on,

but we didn't need it in the end. And a telephone bidder!

I wonder who that was. It's not your husband wanting it back, is it?

-It's not Ray in the car, is it?

-THEY LAUGH

I've no doubt that excellent final sale

has made all the difference to Janet's target.

Over to Paul to tell them the good news.

OK. Well, it's been a bit of a roller coaster,

or choppy sea, I think we can say today.

How have you found this? Have you enjoyed it?

-Good. I've enjoyed it.

-You wanted £1,000

for this theatre trip for both of you.

Well, we actually made here today

£1,333!

-Ooh!

-That's good, Jan!

-How great is that?

Brilliant. And you've got all your bisque figures back.

-That's good, yeah.

-That's fantastic, isn't it?

-Are you pleased with that?

-Yeah, lovely.

In the end, only half of Janet's party could make the trip to London,

but that means there's more cash to splash on her two children

Samantha and Simon, and, of course, sister Julie.

If you'd like to follow me to your private dining area...

Ladies, gentlemen, welcome to the Royal Room of the Adelphi Theatre.

-Thank you.

-Come and have some champagne.

Ooh!

Thank you.

-Cheers!

-Bottoms up.

-Here's to a good evening.

They're being treated to a special package,

which includes a three-course meal before a West End show.

Oh, that looks beautiful!

So, has the treat lived up to their expectations?

It was brilliant. We've had a wonderful night from start to finish.

We've had lovely food, lovely hospitality,

beautiful dining room, lovely show...

Money can't buy it! Brilliant!

Fabulous!

SHE LAUGHS

Thanks to the auction, Janet had a fantastic night out in London.

If you've got an idea in mind that you need to raise a bit of cash for

by selling your antiques and collectables at auction,

why not apply to come on the show? You'll find more details

and an application form at our website, which is...

And I'll see you again next time.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]

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