Leach Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic. Today's show has got quite a political leaning,

so we're hoping any items we find will get the casting vote

when we go to auction.

Coming up on Cash In The Attic, a Victorian telescope reminds us of an old adage.

Just because something's old doesn't mean it has a value, strangely.

Indeed. You're looking at one.

We scrutinise a settee from the reign of William IV.

It is actually very comfortable.

I'm begin to wonder whether I want to get rid of it.

And we experience the wisdom of hindsight when we get to auction.

-It hurts a bit, doesn't it?

-It does, yes.

You should've put the reserve up.

THEY LAUGH

But is it too little too late? Find out when the final hammer falls.

Today I'm in Hampshire to meet a family

who've decided to call in the Cash In The Attic team

to help them raise some funds for an artistic installation.

Meet Sally Leach, an animal lover who has no less than six cats.

She's travelled the globe pursuing her love of wildlife

and bird-watching, but she's also passionate about politics.

Following her career as a social worker

and as a mother of two daughters, Sally is now a borough councillor.

She's inherited a wealth of collectables over the years,

so she's looking to send some of them to auction.

Her daughter Kate, soon to be a mother herself,

is joining our team today to lend a helping hand.

'One man who can always count on my support

'when it comes to antique hunts is Jonty Hearnden.

'He has a lifetime of experience in the world of collectables,

'so, while he gets started, I'll meet the ladies.'

-Oh, good morning!

-Good morning!

-You must be Sally.

-Yes, I am.

-And your daughter Kate.

-Yep, that's right.

I'm interested to see you feeding the birds.

-Haven't you got six cats?

-I've got six cats, yes.

-Is this not a form of entrapment?

-Well...

That's one way of looking at it.

Fortunately the cats on the whole prefer catching mice.

-Do they leave you little presents?

-They do. I dread coming down

-in the morning sometimes.

-Really? You've called in Cash In The Attic,

-so what do you want us to do?

-I've got this window space

in the living room, which I've for a long time wondered what I can do

to make that look more attractive. Then I had this bright idea

of having a stained-glass panel there.

And what sort of money will that cost?

The estimate at the moment is round about £800.

Kate, tell me about the items we're going to be looking at.

-Where have they come from?

-We've got various bits and pieces

left by my grandma, and they're gathering dust really,

sitting around in drawers, so I think time to move them on.

Jonty's already having a good look round,

-so shall we see if he's found anything we can sell?

-Good idea.

It sounds as if there'll be plenty of family heirlooms

for us to dig out, and a quick glance around Sally's home

suggests we'll be looking high and low,

because there are things everywhere. That could be just what we need, hey, Jonty?

-Hello! Look what I've found!

-You've found my telescope.

-I have indeed. That's yours, is it?

-It is, actually, yes. Yes.

It has been since my childhood, when I discovered it.

-I used to play with it quite a lot.

-Hence the dents down at the bottom.

I don't think I'd do that. THEY LAUGH

So, does it have a bit of a family history as well?

-It does a bit. Some of it is in the realms of myth...

-What do you mean?

..rather than reality.

I was told it belonged to a great-grandfather

or a great-great-grandfather who was a sea captain,

-but since most of my mother's family were farmers...

-Right. OK.

..I find that hard to believe.

I can understand clearly why most people want to associate

a lovely brass telescope like this, belonging to a sea captain,

but more often than not, it probably belonged to somebody

-on the land.

-Oh, really?

-What would they use it for?

For hunting, for surveying, for recreational purposes.

Presumably, back in the good old days, you could see the stars too,

whereas in the south now, with the light pollution, it's hard to.

So, Jonty, what sort of value are we talking about?

With telescopes, it helps if you've got a good maker's name,

so if you've got a name like George Adams on a telescope like this,

it would be worth a lot of money. But I've had a jolly good look,

and there's no maker's name here at all,

so it'll be sold simply as a lovely decorative object.

-We're looking in the region of £40 to £60.

-Oh, right.

-Are you a bit disappointed in that?

-I am a bit disappointed, yes.

When Jonty said it was a nice-looking item,

I thought it might be worth a bit more.

One thing you learn very quickly in this business is,

just because something's old doesn't mean it has a value, strangely.

-Indeed. You're looking at one.

-You're priceless, Jonty, priceless.

Come on. Let's find something else.

Possibly not the valuation Sally was expecting,

but she shouldn't be too disappointed.

Anything can, and often does, happen at auction.

Most importantly, we have our first contribution

towards the stained-glass panel.

'As we split up and start a thorough search

'of this charming house, Sally heads to the lounge.'

The back of a bureau offers up a collection of bronze powder flasks

and a hip flask. Powder flasks were popular

in the mid-to-late 1800s, when they were used by huntsmen

to store and carry their gunpowder.

Sally's not sure if these and the telescope

make up part of her ancestor's hunting kit,

but one thing's for sure - they're highly collectable,

and Jonty packs them off to auction with a £50 to £75 estimate.

Now, do you know what this is called?

We've always known it as a pole screen,

but I don't know if that's the correct term.

You're right. It is a pole screen.

A lot of people call it a fire screen,

but understandably so, because more often than not,

these were designed to sit beside a fireplace,

often in pairs, but here we have a single pole screen.

It adjusts like so. We've got a little button on the back here.

-You unscrew that... Go up or down.

-Oh, right. Yeah.

And really the whole idea is, screens like this were designed

to, I suppose, make, first of all, your fireplace look

a little bit more impressive, but it also had a practical use.

It was important for the middle classes and upper classes

to have a very pure, porcelain-white complexion.

They needed to differentiate between those people

that had to work and live outside, so the peasant, the working classes.

So these screens were placed in strategic parts of a room

so that it could reflect the heat from the fire.

That's the reason why it adjusts up and down.

So, what kind of age would you say this one was?

Well, this is very late 19th century,

and if you look at the base there, that's the giveaway.

The intricate work here is 1860, 1880.

So is this an object that's now going to the auction sale?

Yeah, I think so. It just kind of sits in the lounge.

It doesn't really add anything new. It's time for a change, really,

-so, yeah.

-OK. Well, it's certainly worth selling,

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

-Right. OK.

-Great.

-Sounds good.

-Excellent. I shall leave that there,

-and shall I follow you?

-OK, yeah.

A promising valuation, but will the sparks fly

when the pole screen goes under the hammer at auction?

80 if you like. I don't mind. There's 80 at the back of the room.

Find out if the bidders have plenty of money to burn later.

Five...

'Our search is going well, and I soon find a collection

'of three meat platters by famous porcelain manufacturer

'Copeland Spode. They're all from the company's Peplow range,

'designed in the early 1900s

'exclusively for the world-famous London store, Harrods.'

They're in excellent condition, and Jonty thinks they could bring in

£40 to £60 at auction.

-Jonty, could you take a look at this barometer here in the hall?

-OK.

Yeah. That's rather handsome, isn't it?

-So, where is this from?

-Again, it's...

I think my mother actually bought that in her lifetime.

I don't think it is a family heirloom as such,

-but I could be wrong.

-OK. This is a banjo barometer.

-You're aware of that?

-No, I didn't know what it was called.

-I can see your point there.

-You can see why they're called that.

And this shape and form became very popular

in the mid-18th century, but before that,

mahogany-cased barometers like this were in vertical boxes, effectively,

known as stick barometers. But they all house a tube

of vacuum-packed mercury,

which in turn controls this dial here.

But this is of classic proportion. If you look at the top there,

we've got that swan pediment. We have a dial here

which says "dry" or "damp", but there we have a convex mirror,

and that is probably decoration apart from anything else.

-Ah, yes.

-Doesn't really have very much function

other than that. But prior to weather forecasts,

this was the only way of telling what was going to happen outside,

so very important for the English gent,

in the 18th and 19th century, to have one of these.

Date-wise, this particular barometer is not 18th century

but more 19th century, so it's probably 1820, 1830 in date,

and we're looking at, on a fair day,

£100 to £150.

-Right.

-How do you feel about that?

I think that's reasonable, yes. I might want... I'm quite fond of it,

-so I might want to put a reserve on it...

-OK.

-..maybe of £100, something like that.

-That's absolutely fine.

We can do that. Not a problem.

I can quite understand Sally not wanting the barometer to sell

for anything less than £100.

There's clearly also a sentimental attachment to it.

The same cannot be said about the family's copper coal scuttle.

This was handed down through the generations,

but Kate can't remember when her mum last used it, if ever.

There is a still a collecting market for these once-essential items,

especially if they're complete with their original coal scoops, like this one.

As a result, Jonty thinks we could get £30 to £50 for it.

We're making good progress toward our £800 target

for that stained-glass panel. It's a good opportunity, I think,

to learn more about Sally's extensive global exploits.

Now, I saw this earlier, Sally.

Oh, yes. That's my map of the world.

-Are the stars where you've been?

-Yes, they are.

How fantastic! And I see you've got a silver star here on Antarctica.

-You've really been there?

-I really have been,

and set foot on the mainland of Antarctica.

-Is it as good as they say it is?

-Brilliant.

I went to South Georgia, as well, in the Falklands.

I think South Georgia was probably the most stunning part we went to.

So, tell me, Katy, have you always had adventurous holidays

-when you were young?

-Growing up, it was more France

and more local holidays, so nothing too adventurous.

I wasn't very keen on travelling as a child,

so I think Mum waited until we'd all left home

and got out the way before she could indulge her travelling bug.

What do you think of the things your mum gets up to?

-We're not talking about a trip to the Costas.

-A bit scary sometimes,

all these far-flung places, but yeah,

good on her for getting out there and doing it.

Is there anywhere left you want to go to?

The next holiday I've got planned is going to the Amazon

to try and see jaguars in the Pantanal.

I think I've got enough money for that,

but obviously any extra would be welcome.

Talking of wildlife, we're getting a bit more... This is England.

Yes. That's the stained-glass panel that I'm having made.

Did you come up with this design, or did someone come up with it for you?

I came up with the idea of green woodpeckers,

yes, as being what I'd like to see depicted,

because we get woodpeckers here,

and I thought they would show off to quite good effect

-on stained glass.

-If we're going to make the £800

you need for this glass, and fill the hole in the wall,

we'd better find Jonty, see if he's got anything else to sell. Come on.

No sign of the green woodpecker in the garden at the moment,

but upstairs there's the ever-pleasing sight

of an antiques expert hard at work.

He's got his hands on a pair of Victorian prints

which belonged to Sally's grandmother.

Jonty's rather taken with them. They show 19th-century-style caricatures,

not the work of anyone well known, but still lots of fun.

The estimate is £40 to £60 towards our ever-growing total.

I wondered, Jonty and Lorne, if you'd like to look at this sofa.

Wow! That's not just any old sofa, is it?

Where's this from? Is this the family piece?

This again, my mother's side of the family, but this has been in the family...

I can remember it while I was growing up.

Is this the original upholstery?

No. My mother reupholstered it for me back in the 1970s.

So, is it something you're thinking of selling?

I think so, yes, if Jonty thinks it's worth something.

How old do you think it is?

I've always assumed it's Victorian, sort of mid-Victorian.

-It's actually older than that.

-Oh, really?

It's actually made in the reign of Queen Victoria's uncle,

William IV, and he was on the throne between 1830 and 1837.

Isn't William IV furniture quite sought-after?

There's not much of it because he wasn't on the throne very long.

Well, it's not because it's rare.

It's simply because they made robust and very stylish furniture,

just like this. If we look at the detailing, look at the back there,

that scrollwork, and have a look at this fan decoration

on the front here, that's very typical.

-Now, is it comfortable?

-I find it quite comfortable.

-Shall I sit down?

-You can demonstrate.

Yes. It is actually very comfortable.

I'm beginning to wonder whether I want to get rid of it.

-THEY LAUGH

-Well, the estimate in the catalogue

for this would be between £200 and £400.

-What do you think of that? Is that better than you were thinking?

-Yes.

That was more in the region I thought it was going to be valued at.

Well, don't get too comfortable. Hopefully we will be selling this.

Shall we see if we can find anything else? Come on. Off you go.

Ooh! Yes, you're right, it's very comfortable! Keep looking!

I have a feeling the settee is going to be pretty popular

with the bidders, who are always looking for something to sit on comfortably during the auction.

No rest for us, though. We still have plenty of searching ahead.

Kate's still working away. In the study,

she pulls out a pair of framed maps.

They're copies of originals by Robert Morden,

a famous British cartographer. They show the British Isles

and Cumberland. They're collectable, but, being reproductions,

they're not hugely valuable, so their auction price tag

is £20 to £30. Now, watch out, Jonty -

it looks like Sally means business.

Agh! OK.

What have we got? Flintlock pistol! Has this been hidden under the bed?

No. I found it in the study, actually, tucked away in a drawer.

-An heirloom from my mother's side of the family.

-Do you want to sell it?

Yes, certainly. Yes, I think so. I'm not really into guns.

Well, a lot of people are when it comes to guns like this,

cos this is a lovely Flintlock pistol.

Flintlock pistols first came into being

around 1610, so really the beginning of the 17th century,

and it was the firearm of choice from that time

till the end of the 18th century.

Do you know how it actually operates?

Not really. I think you have to fill them with gunpowder or something.

That's right, and then the lead shot is loaded,

and here is your ramrod, which you then compact.

Then you pull the hammer all the way back.

The trigger is squeezed. Boom, hey presto, you've fired your gun.

So it's quite a long-winded process, as you can imagine.

At auction, we're still looking at, what - £100 to £150?

-Right. That's pretty good.

-Yeah.

-Shall we hunt out more antiques?

-I think that's a good idea. Great.

'I wonder what family heirlooms we'll unearth next

'from the depths of Sally's pristine home?

'Do bear in mind there are guidelines in place

'concerning the buying and selling of firearms at auction,

'for obvious reasons. Old Flintlock pistols like Sally's

'are deemed safe and legal to sell, so, fingers crossed,

'we'll find that there are some militaria collectors

'at our auction.'

While the others carry on the search,

I wanted to ask you about your family history,

because I understand there's strong political connections. Tell me about that.

The political involvement that I know about

goes back to the beginning of the 1900s,

when my great-great-grandfather was a Liberal MP

in the Five Towns, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent,

the pottery towns. He actually started his career off as a miner.

That wasn't a particularly pleasant place to work, Stoke-on-Trent.

-They were working out of the bottle kilns and what have you.

-Yes.

-A lot of them died young, didn't they?

-Yes, indeed. Yes.

-How did it work out from there?

-It developed from there

in that his son, my grandfather, became a Liberal agent,

then it missed a generation a bit

because my father, although interested in politics,

and a Liberal sympathiser throughout his life,

actually worked in local government, so was not allowed to have any overt political allegiances.

My mother was a Conservative, so whenever there was a general election

or even a local election, my father would put his Liberal posters up

in the living-room window, and as soon as my mother had seen

that he was safely off to work, she would whip them down again

-and put up the Tory ones.

-Oh, how funny!

Tell me about the items we've been seeing here today.

-What side of the family are they from?

-Most from my mother's side,

because my mother was the person in our family

who was most interested in antiques,

liked to think she'd got a bit of an eye for them.

Will you regret selling any of them?

I don't feel you need to sort of warehouse antiques

and things that belonged to others. I've got memories of my parents

and further back, so I'm quite happy to let most of those go,

and celebrate some of my own memories, if you like.

I think memories are far more important.

But if we're going to make memories for you, we better crack the whip

and go and find Jonty. Come on.

It's been fascinating to hear about Sally's family history,

but with time almost up on our day in Hampshire,

we still need a few more finds if we're going to reach that £800 target.

Jonty has taken rather a shine to Sally's mahogany desk.

It is a reproduction, but even so,

its popular style makes it a very saleable piece.

The great news is that Sally is happy for it to go,

as it's been relegated to the spare room for quite some time.

It joins our list of items heading to auction

for a very pleasing £200 to £300 estimate.

And you know what? The desk isn't the last of the family heirlooms.

Sally has plenty more that she's keen to part with.

Hello, guys. Do you think this might be worth anything?

-What have you got there?

-This piece is from my father's side of the family.

I think it must have been bought or acquired by my grandfather,

who was Liberal agent in the Northeast of England,

round about the Lloyd George time, I suppose,

or the 1920s, something like that.

I've got the British prime minister Lloyd George staring at me.

-Can I have a look at him?

-Course you can, yeah.

-Wow!

This is interesting. All the information's on the underside.

This is from the Ashtead Pottery in Surrey,

and it was set up to help ex-servicemen to find employment,

those ones that were particularly wounded during the Great War.

There were many of those that survived the Great War.

So it was a pottery purely for them, but it closed in 1935,

and they did many different kinds of wares.

They were very prolific, lots of table wares,

and commemorative wares just like this. Can we put him to the sale?

-Oh, definitely, yes.

-You don't want to get your hands on it?

I don't know. It's a bit more interesting

now I know the background about it, but I think it can probably go.

It's definitely worth putting into the auction sale.

-We're looking at £30 to £40.

-Yes, OK. That's good.

Now, you wanted £800 to plug the gap up there, didn't you?

Yes. Well, the value of everything going to auction

actually comes to £950.

Oh, excellent! That's really good.

So there's £150 more there than you need for the glass window,

-so that can go towards your holiday.

-It could indeed, yes.

Now, that's what I call a good day's work.

And we've unearthed a real mix of items to take with us to auction.

Among the lots that will fund the stained-glass panel are...

the late-19th-century pole screen.

We're hoping the detailed carvings will spark plenty of interest

in the saleroom, and help her to achieve every penny

of the £100 to £150 estimate.

The stunning William IV settee, a fine piece of furniture,

and so comfortable! I wonder if the bidders will keep off it long enough

for any potential buyers to see it!

If so, it should breeze through its £200 to £400 price tag.

And who could forget Sally's Flintlock pistol?

We hope it will stand out in the saleroom and deliver us a profit.

Asking price, £100 to £150.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic, Jonty thinks he knows which bidders

may have an appetite for our collectables.

-The other map is of Cumberland, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

Let's hope lots of people in the room like sausages.

But are we fighting a losing battle?

Your bangers have put the mockers on that, I think.

Find out when the final hammer falls.

It's been a few weeks since we met cat-lover Sally

and her daughter Kate. We had a good look through Sally's home

and we found lots of interesting and varied items

which we've brought to Martin Pole auction house here in Wokingham in Berkshire.

Remember, Sally wanted to raise £800 so she that could commission

a special stained-glass panel for her living room.

So let's just hope, when the items go under the hammer today,

that the buyers are ready to smash Jonty's estimates.

This busy saleroom holds an antiques auction once a month.

There's a mixture of private buyers and dealers.

Jonty's arrived early, keen to see what our family's lots are up against.

Also here are Sally and Kate. It doesn't take them long

to spot one of their favourite collectables on display.

There he is, Mr George, all ready and waiting to be sold.

Without wishing to wanting to cause offence, you're looking bigger

-than when we saw you last. How is the baby?

-One too many cakes.

No, it's growing nicely, thank you.

-And how's the panel coming on?

-That's pretty well advanced,

so I look forward to taking possession of that.

If it's pretty well advanced, there's going to be a bill to pay,

so shall we go make some money towards it?

-Come on, then.

-Go for it.

I wonder which will come first - the bill for the window

or Kate's baby. Either way there's no time to waste,

as the auctioneer's in position and ready to kick off.

The first of our lots to go under the hammer

is the rather splendid mahogany desk.

Well, it used to be my father's,

and I was remembering that he wrote the definitive text book

-on the 1959 Mental Health Act...

-Good grief!

-..at that desk.

And you don't feel like inheriting it, Kate?

No, I don't think so. It did spend a bit of time at our house,

but with a modern house it's just a bit too big.

-What do we want in terms of money?

-I've put £200 to £300 on it,

and it's worth every penny, so let's hope we can get there and some.

£120 is bid against you. £120. 30.

-40. 50. 60. 70.

-It's passed the reserve.

80. 190.

-Come on, more!

-Back of the room, then, and selling,

-if you're all done. 200.

-Oh, excellent.

220. 220. Still on my left at 220.

HE BANGS HAMMER Excellent!

Are you happy? I was hoping for more than that,

because it's such a lovely desk, but we got there.

I hoped we wouldn't have to hump the great big thing home again.

So, mixed feelings about the price for the desk,

despite it achieving its lower estimate.

It does prove that there are some furniture buyers in the saleroom,

which is good news, as it's another substantial piece up next.

It's the William IV settee, which Sally has decided to protect

with a £150 reserve.

-After Jonty described it...

-What, in such flowery terms?

-Yes.

-You fell back in love with it?

-It's all my fault.

It is your fault, yes. I grew fonder of it,

and I certainly wouldn't want to see it go for a very cheap price.

Good-looking piece. Where may I start here? £150, may I say?

-150 is bid. Thank you. At 150.

-It's sold.

-Oh, that's good.

-Maiden bid. Is there any further? At £150.

-Come on. Bit more.

Surely... 160. Thank you.

170. 180.

190. £190. My original bidder at 190.

He's squeezing it up, you see.

190, then...

-Thank you.

-HE GROANS

How do you feel about that?

Well, I'd like it to have fetched more than that, really,

-but there you go.

-It did fetch more than the reserve,

so in that respect he's done his job.

It's £10 less than the lower estimate.

£10 to my lowest estimate, and I put 200 to 400,

so it hurts a bit, doesn't it? It does.

-You should've put the reserve up.

-I should have.

THEY LAUGH

Thanks for those words of wisdom, Kate,

although perhaps a little too late. This is our second sale

to fall short of our expectations. Will the performance of our next lot

put the smiles back on our faces?

It's the family's 19th-century pole screen.

It's got a £100 reserve. The auction house think it's worthy of a photo.

There it is. So that's nice to see, isn't it?

-We won't need that, though.

-Exactly.

Pretty little Victorian pole screen.

Where may I start, please?

-100 for it? 80 if you like.

-Oh, no!

There's 80 at the back of the room. Thank you. £80 bid. And five.

-Thank you.

-90. And five. 100.

There's ten.

20. 30. 140.

140 at the back. 140.

£140, then, the back of the room. If you're all done at 140...

-Perfect.

-140.

-Good!

-You happy with that?

-It's getting better.

-It's going in the right direction.

-They are.

That's more like it! Just £10 shy of Jonty's top estimate.

A few more results like that would be most welcome.

Kate found our next lot in the study.

It's the pair of maps. They're early prints of originals

by the famous British cartographer Robert Morden.

So, where did you get those maps from?

I think we bought those when I was with my parents,

when we went on holiday somewhere, possibly a holiday to Scotland.

Was that so you could find your way home again?

Probably.

I've always felt I've not really displayed it very much,

because you have to display it with Great Britain on its side,

-and I find that rather disorientating.

-Yes.

It's funny, maps like that on their side. It completely throws you.

Quite extraordinary. And the other map is of Cumberland.

-Yes.

-Let's hope there's lots of people in the room

-that like sausages.

-THEY LAUGH

Now, framed and glazed early map,

British Isles, after Robert Morden,

another of the county of Cumberland.

He didn't mention sausages.

Two of the lots on 165. May I say £20, please?

-£20?

-Outrageous!

-Oh, come on!

15, if you like.

£10. I don't mind. Nobody wants it?

There's ten. Ten is bid. Thank you. Any further?

At £10 only. I think I shall sell at ten.

I'll have them back.

Thank you. 528.

Your bangers have put the mockers on that, I think!

Oh, dear, that really is disappointing.

With so little interest, the maps only just found their way

out of the saleroom. Will our pair of Victorian prints

fare any better? Jonty's a fan.

Let's hope he's not alone in his admiration.

-You like these, don't you?

-They're really unusual.

-Very unusual.

-You think so?

-I think they're a lot of fun.

-Where were they from?

-I think they were my mother's mother's,

as in my grandmother, and I think I can remember seeing them

-on the walls in her house.

-They're almost like caricatures,

halfway between a cartoon and real life. Not quite sure.

You might have liked them, but you've only put £40 to £60 on them.

Well, they're fun, but not definitely high value.

That's the great thing about being in this business.

Certain items aren't necessarily expensive,

to get a lot of enjoyment out of them.

Interest on the books. Starts with me at £20.

20 is bid. 22, thank you. And five.

25. 28.

-30.

-Come on!

-It's here at 30 against you all.

I shall sell at 30 if there's no further.

-Little bit more?

-At £30, then, if we're done.

-Oh, dear.

-£30. You're quite happy with that,

because you don't particularly like them.

-That was within estimate.

-No. I put £40 to £60.

-Oh, did you really?

-It was just under.

Oh, I'm disappointed now, then.

There were a few bidders who shared Jonty's enthusiasm

for the prints, unfortunately not enough to reach his lower estimate.

Still, Sally's not going to miss them,

and it's another much-needed addition

to our slowly growing fund.

Let's see if we can finish off the first half of the sale

on a real high. It's the shiny copper coal scuttle,

with its all-important matching scoop.

OK, we've got £30 to £50 on it. Are you happy with that,

-or have you put a reserve on this?

-No.

It would be nice to get a bit more after all those hours I spent

-polishing it to make it look nice.

-Yes. OK.

That is a bit of a problem with a lot like this.

People don't like polishing any more.

You don't have to clean it ever again if we sell it.

-Let's see if we can get it.

-Er, £30 to start, please.

-Come on.

-Bit more.

20 if you like. I don't mind. All over the place. There's 20.

Two with the lady. Five now. 28. 30.

-32.

-Bit more.

-With the lady on the aisle at 32.

If you're all done, I'll sell it at 32.

-Yes.

-513.

-32.

-£32. Right.

We've still got quite a lot of items to sell,

but quite a break before we do that. You don't look very confident

-about how much we've made so far.

-Oh, well, some and some.

-Bit of a mixed bag, isn't it?

-Well, your target's £800.

We're at the halfway stage, and you've made £622!

Oh, that's good, isn't it? Yes, that's not too bad at all.

Jonty, there's something you wanted to have a look at.

-I think we'll go and have a sit down, and baby too.

-Yep.

Well, that news has cheered us all up.

Not only is our target very much in sight,

but, with some interesting lots still to sell,

it's looking very achievable. If, like Sally,

you're thinking of heading to auction,

do remember that fees such as commission and other charges will be added to your bill.

Please check the details with the auction house first to avoid any unwelcome surprises.

Now, what's the item of interest that's got Jonty's attention

in today's sale?

I sometimes like a little gamble, a little flutter in an auction room,

and I often have a look at items like this

and think, "Shall I, shan't I? Not quite sure."

This little fella here is known as a slot machine.

It's also known as a fruit machine and a one-arm bandit,

and it was first invented in America in 1895

by a car mechanic in San Francisco known as Charles Fey,

and his first machine was called the Liberty Bell.

Fey was very clever, insofar that he did a 50-50 split

with all the profits with all the gambling halls,

the pubs and clubs that he lent his machines to,

and as a consequence, people wanted to copy him,

and in 1907, a Herbert Mills invented his machine,

which was a copy of the Liberty Bell known as the Original Bell,

and Mills still produce machines like this today.

This is a relatively contemporary machine.

I suppose it's copying those 1930s, 1950s,

very iconic machines, but I suspect that this is a lot later than that,

maybe 1970s, 1980s, that sort of date.

Now, are these popular in auction rooms?

Are they collectable? Are they saleable? Of course they are.

People are always looking for novelty items

to have in their homes. So what's it worth?

Here on the ticket, it's got the estimate of £200 to £300.

It's going to be a gamble, seeing if it's going to make that price.

When the slot machine takes its turn in front of the room,

-it sells...

-180. Here we are, on the right.

Selling if you're done.

..just short of its estimate. Still, it proves the popularity

of Charles Fey's iconic invention lives on.

We have very high hopes of achieving every one of our estimates

in the second half of the sale. The next family heirloom

under the hammer is the telescope, which, as the catalogue states,

is now missing its eyepiece cover. It was sadly lost in transit.

Is that going to make any difference as far as you're concerned, Jonty?

It might do. It's still a very decorative object.

This is a very good place to sell, this part of the world, so I hope it'll get there.

Now, early-19th-century three-drawer brass telescope.

Eyepiece slide cover is missing, so the lot is as viewed.

I can start the bidding here at £25 against you.

Is there any advance? At £25.

25. 28. Thank you. 30 here.

-32. 35.

-Come on, come on.

-38.

Takes me out. £38. It's on the aisle.

38.

-£38.

-Oh!

-Happy with that?

-£2 below estimate.

THEY LAUGH

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

-No, not too bad.

Considering the missing part, I think that's a respectable result,

and we were so close to achieving Jonty's lower estimate.

Nothing missing with our next lot. It's the banjo barometer,

which comes complete with a £100 reserve.

Now, I remember from all the different barometers we've seen

over the years, these ones with the small convex mirrors

are quite popular, because you don't see those mirrors on all of them.

It's just a nice little decorative touch to them,

and when people are looking at barometers,

often you will have a choice, so if you're a dealer

and you're trying to sell, you're just looking for something

with a touch of the unusual, and this might make the difference.

-OK, here we go.

-May I say £80 to start, please?

80 for it.

60 if you will. I don't mind. On the right I'm bid 60. Five in the front.

-70. Five.

-Five.

-80. Five.

90. Five.

100. And ten. 120.

130. 140.

140, to the right.

Selling at 140, then, if you're done.

-140.

-Oh, that's not bad.

It's £10 under the high estimate, so it's pretty good, I think.

That's much more like it.

We've yet to exceed any of Jonty's top estimates today,

but we're edging ever closer to doing so.

Maybe our next lot could be the one.

It's the once-exclusive Copeland Spode meat platters.

Did you ever bring them out to serve Christmas lunch?

Yes. We used them for turkey, Christmas turkey, a few times.

-Yes, we did.

-You might be using them again, of course,

if they don't sell. Let's see what happens.

I have to say, in pristine condition.

They look, er... Scarcely been out of the box.

Interest here. I will start the bidding at £40.

-Straight in at 40.

-Any further? A maiden bid of £40.

-My mum thought they were worth about 500 quid.

-Bless her! Did she?

-Are we all done? £40.

-Oh, come on!

-They went for 40?

-£40, I'm afraid.

Oh, it's a bit sad. Never mind.

-At least I had some use out of them.

-You did!

Well, thank goodness for the commission bid!

In spite of the auctioneer's best efforts,

the meat platters failed to gain any further interest.

Today's sale is proving to be very unpredictable.

It's anyone's guess how a character jug

of the UK's first Welsh prime minister will fare

here in Berkshire. We're looking for £30 to £40 for it.

-Are you going to be sad to see this one go?

-Not really, no.

David Lloyd George is probably not my favourite politician.

Well, there are a few to choose from now, aren't there?

There are indeed, yes.

Interesting lot, this. Start the bidding here with me at £50 against you.

-Is there any further? At 50 now. Against you all.

-That's good.

At five. Thank you. 60 here. 60 I have.

-Are you all done at 60?

-It's slow, isn't it? Come on.

£60. I think I'll have to sell it at 60.

All done? Thank you.

Well, Sally, the jug might have created a bit more interest

in the room, but it did at least exceed Jonty's top estimate.

'I think that's a terrific result for such a specialist piece.'

More neat collectables now, with Sally's assortment

of antique hunting essentials.

These include a gunpowder flask and a hip flask.

-Where were these from?

-Great-great grandfather,

-something like that.

-So definitely antique.

-With a pistol.

-Ever used?

-No.

-But it could be, Jonty.

-Always a first time for everything.

-Unless you get your estimate right.

Nice little lot. £30 is bid against you.

-Come on!

-At 30.

32. Thank you. 35. 38. 40.

-42.

-It's going up.

-It is, yes.

45, new place. 48.

50. £50. Front row here.

Are you all done at 50?

Oh, £50. That's all right.

The estimate was 50 to 75. We got in there at 50.

So everyone's a winner. But will the new owner of the powder flasks

need an antique pistol to go with their purchase?

If so, this could be their lucky day.

It's one of our star items now. It's the Flintlock pistol.

I'm hoping that we're going to get a good sale out of this one.

I've put £100 to £150, but I'm quietly confident

we should be able to go above that, but it's all a question of who's in the room.

A lot of interest here on the book. I can start the bidding, £240.

260, thank you. 280 here. 280.

-280!

-Any further? 300 in the front.

-Oh, lovely.

-320 with me. 340.

Takes me out. It's £340.

-360, new place.

-Wow!

-380.

-That's great.

-380 here.

-Hey!

-380!

-380!

We did have the right buyers in the room.

That's fantastic, isn't it?

That's well over double Jonty's top estimate.

It's the perfect way to finish off what's been quite a day at auction.

So, just how much have we raised overall?

So, bearing in mind that we wanted to raise £800,

-do you think we've done that?

-Er... Fingers crossed!

-What about you, Kate?

-Yeah. I hope so.

OK. Would you be really pleased, then,

-if I told you that we'd made £1,330?

-Yes, definitely!

-Great, then, because that's exactly how much you have made.

-Oh!

-Did you enjoy it as well, Kate?

-Yeah, it was good fun.

-Would you go to auction again?

-I think so, yeah.

-Quite addictive.

-THEY LAUGH

After what turned out to be such a terrific result,

Sally has wasted no time in settling payment

for the now-finished stained-glass panel.

The day has come for the hole in the wall

to become a feature at last.

Sally designed the window herself, being a passionate birdwatcher.

It's perhaps no surprise that she would choose

her favourite visitor to the garden, the green woodpecker.

Well, it went much more smoothly than I expected, really.

He'd obviously done a good, professional job

with the measurements. The only time I was a little bit nervous

was when he was hammering.

I think it looks absolutely stunning. I'm really delighted with it.

I love the vibrant colours and the way the light shines through them.

I think there's going to be a lot of gazing gormlessly

with a great smile on my face.

Well, that stained-glass panel looks fantastic,

and how nice to see an original piece of art like that!

If you've got some antiques and collectables to sell at auction

to raise the money for a special project you've got in mind,

why not apply to come on Cash In The Attic?

You'll find more details 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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