Pardoe Cash in the Attic

Hello. Welcome to Cash In The Attic,

the show that helps you raise money for a special treat.

Now today, we're going to be meeting a husband and wife

who are ready to put some of their unwanted possessions to better use,

to help them see someone very dear to them.

Coming up on Cash In The Attic...

What can I do to keep warm while we're rummaging?

-Fantastic. Excellent.

-Your hands are cold!

-I've always got cold hands. Sorry!

'Destined for auction.

'A conquistador who's much loved by his owners.'

I fell in love with him. Even Marian liked him.

Even Marian likes him. Is that the acid test?

No-one interested? 120.

And at the auction, will both our contributors embrace the worst of all outcomes?

-What are you going to do if it doesn't sell?

-Take it home.

-Oh, no!

Be there when the hammer falls.

We're here near Exeter in Devon, and we're going to meet a couple

whose stash of antiques and collectables will hopefully

raise enough cash to get them halfway round the world.

John and Marian's spacious home

and well-tended garden are the ideal setting for them to indulge their interests,

which include looking after rescue dogs like Barney.

John was stationed all over the world during his time in the forces,

and he's had a variety of jobs since.

For a while, he ran a business trading in brass,

while Marian has been a secretary and a carer.

At one time, three generations lived together in this rambling house,

but now Marian and John are thinking of moving somewhere smaller.

They've called us in to help raise funds for a long-distance trip.

It's huge!

'We're all depending on the wisdom of our expert, John Cameron,

'who's had more than 20 years' experience in antiques.

'He's off to begin searching, while I go to meet our hosts.'

-Good morning.

-Hi.

-Hello. John.

-Lovely to see you.

-Marian.

-That's Barney.

-Hello, Barney. Hello.

He's lovely.

He's a beautiful dog.

I tell you what, this is a fantastic house.

It's huge, and I love big houses because it means there's lots of places to rummage.

-How many rooms are there?

-Six bedrooms, lots of rooms and lots of things to look at.

Which of you two is the collector, or the hoarder, should I say?

Definitely me.

I see something I like and I've got the money, I generally buy it.

-And it's all full, is it, every room full?

-Pretty well.

-Excellent.

-I think you're going to be teaching us a thing or two. You're obviously an expert at this.

-I'm not!

-I buy things because I like them.

-How much do you think we might raise?

Hopefully just over £1,000.

OK, so we'll set the target at 1,000.

-Yes.

-And what's the money for?

-Me and Marian are hoping to go to New Zealand to visit my son.

-Oh, how lovely.

-What's he doing out there, naughty boy?

-At the moment he's working.

His girlfriend and Andrew are over there for a year

so it would be nice to go over and see them.

Well, we've got a big day ahead of us.

John's already started, so why don't we go up and join him?

-Do you want to start downstairs, rummaging?

-Right. OK.

-OK. Here we go.

-Come on then.

In a house this size, and with an avid collector like John,

we'll hopefully be spoilt for choice.

If our John is on his usual good form,

he'll already be onto something worthwhile to begin our list.

John boy, what you found? He's started!

Well, I have discovered this rather showy reproduction brass clock garniture

in the early-19th-century French style.

-Garniture, what does that mean?

-You have the clock in the centre.

When you have ensuite pieces that go with them, they're referred to as garniture.

-You probably knew this, that you had a garniture.

-No, I didn't.

-We've taught you something already!

-I only bought them because I liked them.

At a glimpse, it does look like an early-19th-century French ormolu garniture.

Ormolu is a term that's given to gilt bronze.

But on closer inspection, I can see it's actually gilt brass,

and it is one of the modern reproductions.

Had it been original again, the porcelain panels,

pilasters and these urns would have been Sevres porcelain or Paris porcelain,

and painted and gilded by the leading painters of the day.

These have been transfer printed.

The case is plainly cast.

What was it about these pieces that really attracted you to them?

I liked the way they were decorated and the brass effect. In the '80s I was well into brass.

Well, things like this were made in huge quantities in the 1980s

to satisfy demand for Victorian and gilt antiquey-looking things.

Demand has shifted a bit today, so prices have come down considerably.

If I had it in auction today,

I'd probably estimate it at about £100, £150.

Something like that.

I would be pleased with that. I've had 20 years of admiring them.

Now they can go to another home that might admire them even more than me.

What a lovely man you are! Excellent.

-Your hands are cold!

-I've always got cold hands, I know. Sorry about that.

You'll have to warm me up.

No, Marian's always cold.

-And I'm always roasting.

-You are, you're nice and warm.

I think we need to go rummaging, that will warm her up.

Well, you know what they say, cold hands, warm heart!

Marian has also struck lucky downstairs,

with this workbox in which she keeps sewing materials.

It's made of teak, grown in the Far East,

and is an ideal wood for this brass inlay work, as it doesn't rot.

Our expert values it at £50-£80,

and so Marian will have to find a new home for her needlework.

It's not the only quality piece tucked away around here, I'm sure.

Look at what the other John wants us to check out, guarding the staircase.

John, I've just got my little knight to show you.

Little?

Let's have a look, John. Pop him on here.

There's some fantastic detail.

Right. Well, he does look impressive.

Where did he come from?

I saw this chap and I really fell in love with him.

-When I brought him home, even Marian liked him.

-Even Marian likes him!

Is that the acid test?

That is definitely the acid test!

So has he always taken pride of place at the bottom of the stairs there?

-Definitely, yeah.

-OK.

Judging by the way you put him down with relative ease,

I would say he was spelter, isn't he, which is an alloy containing zinc and lead and copper.

It's relatively soft and cheaper to cast than bronze.

So it was used for clock cases and figures and things like that,

and architectural items, and it was used well into the 20th century.

In the Art Nouveau period, it was used heavily,

and through the Art Deco period of the '20s and '30s,

you'd see a lot of clock mountings and figures in patinated spelter imitating bronze.

So looking at him,

he looks like he should be somewhere in the late 1400s, doesn't he?

He's almost like a conquistador. With his poleaxe there

and his sword out of its scabbard,

you've got to think he would probably slightly predate the common use of gunpowder.

He is a bit Spanish-y, especially with the hat.

Yeah. He is in nice condition, he is a decorative piece with a bit of impact,

so if I were putting him in auction today,

I think I'd be hoping for something like 150-200.

-I'd be very pleased with that.

-OK?

-Yeah.

Well, he may well turn out to be our knight in shining armour,

-we'll have to wait and see!

-Thanks very much.

-After you!

From the 15th century on,

the conquistadors brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain,

gathering up in the process all that Aztec and Inca gold.

So let's hope he brings us plenty of riches.

I wanted to have a little break, a little sit down,

because I wanted to learn more about you two as a couple.

A long-standing couple, I gather!

How old were you, Marian, when you met him?

17.

You were a child! How did you meet?

We met in Honiton when I was in the Army.

We went to a local dance.

We won first prize in the draw as well. We've been together ever since!

You mentioned you were in the Army. I suppose that meant long periods of separation.

-Less than a year later, I went off to Hong Kong for over two years.

-So that meant leaving you behind?

Yes. We corresponded by letter.

Most days, we wrote letters to one another.

Where did he propose?

Well, I went out to Hong Kong, and he proposed to me

-on the Peak in Hong Kong.

-It overlooks the Bay of Hong Kong.

-Was it a one-knee job?

-Oh, yes!

-Oh! Very romantic!

After the Army, you went into the brass business, didn't you?

I used to sell brass and copperware.

We've got a little foundry, a distant cousin, sort of thing,

and he makes sundials and door knockers, and we built a small business up from that.

-Is that where you learnt about antiques and collectables, and wheeling and dealing?

-Yes.

-You know a lot about it, don't you?

-I'm no expert in any field, but I enjoy buying and selling.

Tell me, Marian, did he ever come home with some real shocking buys?

Oh, yes! Definitely!

Do you suspect he ever has had a secret hoard of things he's brought home?

He could well have had a secret hoard somewhere!

-We've got plenty of buildings for him to store them somewhere.

-It's time for the truth!

I used to come home with little bits, little trinkets,

and I used to put them in cupboards.

And eventually, Marian used to say, "Where did that one come from?!"

Why don't we go and look through some more drawers and cupboards,

and see if we can find some long-forgotten trinkets, eh?

Come on!

Our expert has just found this oak side table,

bought by John as part of a £250 job lot from a house clearance.

It's an early-20th-century reproduction,

with carvings made in the late-17th-century style.

It can be difficult to realise the original sale price

of things like this, as it's not an antique.

Accordingly, it's valued at £100-£200.

Marian is up in her daughter Julie's old bedroom,

and she's found another very intriguing family heirloom.

-So what's the story behind it, Marian?

-It was my grandfather's, and it was handed down to my father,

and then eventually it's come down to me.

As far as I know, it's my grandfather's initials on the outside,

and the coin inside I've always known as a half sovereign.

-That's a lovely story and a nice unbroken provenance.

-Right!

-That's what we like.

-So it was left to you as a half sovereign.

-Yes.

What you've got here is a half pond,

which is a South African gold coin issued in...

This one says 1895. They only started issuing these in 1892.

-Right.

-But it's the equivalent in terms of its finest.

It's 22 carat fine gold.

It weighs about four grams, which is the same as our half sovereign.

-Right.

-So it would fit snugly and perfectly in that little case there.

So we've had a look at that. Let's pop that back in there.

The case will be nine-carat gold.

That is attached to this part watch chain, which very typically,

in the 19th century, people wore about their person.

The watch on one end, the little hook there

and a T-bar to fix it around one's person.

And they had all manner of things suspended from these watch chains,

but quite commonly, a little case for emergency gold coins,

which, no matter where you were in the world,

would always get you out of trouble!

But what I find is often when somebody dies

and leaves things to people, they often get split up,

if they've only got one item.

So this probably had a gold watch at some point.

So somewhere down the line, your father ended up with this part,

but somebody else got the watch.

I'd put this into auction, and I'd expect this to make £200-£300.

-Will that be OK?

-Yes, smashing!

We won't have to wait long to see what the bidders think of it.

210. 220. 230.

240. 250. 260.

But will it raise enough money to help John and Marian make their trip to New Zealand?

So as we carry on trawling around this grand old house in Devon,

by my reckoning, we've found enough artefacts so far

to make around £600 at auction.

And that bodes well for our final total.

John.

-I want to ask you about this rather impressive roll-top bureau.

-Yeah.

What can you tell me about it? Where did it come from?

I bought it in the '80s, and it was my first piece that I bought with a brass inlay,

this beautiful brass inlay, but I've now got four or five other pieces of the same quality.

That's interesting. I remember when this stuff was being sold,

because as you know, it's imported.

-Yep.

-It comes from Malaysia.

I see a lot of this furniture. Brass inlay tends to be the giveaway.

It's a popular type of decorative technique.

This will be teak, a very popular and indigenous timber out there,

in plentiful supply.

Very expensive wood to work with, but they produce huge quantities

of household and garden furniture from those areas.

The quality does vary in this type of furniture. However, I've had a look at it.

The roll-top works perfectly.

They can get jammed because people try to force them.

I think it's a piece of furniture that will appeal largely to a private buyer,

somebody that will see it and see a place in their home for it.

The trade would be tempted if it's priced correctly,

so I want to put an estimate of 200-300 on it.

-Yeah, fine.

-Are you OK with that?

-Yeah.

-Jolly good. You say it's full up?

-Yeah.

Well, before you and I have to lift this,

-I think somebody has to empty that. Maybe we'll get Marian in on that little job!

-I think so!

OK, let's see what else we can find.

Let's hope that's not too optimistic,

because I'm told that bureaux can be tough to sell at auction.

We'll have to hope there's a dealer in the room come the big day.

John's found some gleaming brass weights which belonged to Marian's dad, who was a butcher.

Marked up with pounds and ounces,

they were used to weigh the meat

before seeing later service as doorstops.

Our John values them at a hefty £50-£80.

In the second lounge, he's found some large character jugs

from Royal Doulton's great composers collection.

Tchaikovsky and Beethoven here were just two of the eight issued between 1996 and 2001.

Together with this Aynsley porcelain garniture, our new buzzword,

as a joint lot, we could realise between £80 and £120 at auction.

Well, this is a little bonus, to be able to get outside, a breath of fresh air.

-I get exhausted rummaging, don't you?

-Yes!

I bet it's more tiring than you expected!

Yes, it is. It's a big house to do it in.

It certainly is. But you also have a rather large and lovely garden.

-Who does all the work out here?

-That's John.

What are you going to make of the flora and fauna in New Zealand when you get there?

Probably very similar to what we've got here, but probably a bit diverse.

So, John, when was it you saw Andrew last?

More than a year ago.

So we're looking forward to seeing him some time in the new year hopefully now.

-You've got a daughter as well, haven't you?

-Yes, she's Julie, and she's very happy living in London.

We see her three or four times a year

when she manages to come down here.

I gather Julie also had a bit of a travel bug some time ago,

and you kind of took advantage of it?

Yes, she went off to China to teach for a year.

It was our 30th anniversary, so we went off to China to meet her,

and then back to Hong Kong where we were engaged in 1970.

What a nostalgic trip!

What did you think of China, Marian?

Fascinating. Diverse.

She was out in the rural country teaching, and it was an eye-opener.

It really was. To see how the other half lives, really.

I bet it was. So you had your 30th wedding anniversary in China,

and with any luck, you might have something approaching your 40th in New Zealand?

-Yes!

-Let's get back to work and see if we can make it real.

Here we go.

Well, while we've been chatting,

John seems to have got a little distracted.

But in the main lounge, in this little chest of drawers,

I find some gold jewellery passed down to Marian.

This lovely nine-carat rose gold bracelet was a 21st birthday present

from her grandfather.

There are also several of her grandmother's gold rings,

which should mean the lot will probably go for around £140-180.

Since flights to New Zealand aren't cheap,

Marian's willing to say goodbye to these precious heirlooms.

RINGS LIKE A BELL

Hey, what a lovely sound!

What a lovely find.

-They are nice. It's a lovely pair of brass candlesticks.

-Where are they from?

I bought them from a collection of brass and copperware in Tiverton many years ago.

Oh, right.

The lady suffered arthritis.

She told me they came from a bombed church in Plymouth,

and they'd been handed down through the family ever since.

That's interesting because they have an ecclesiastical look about them.

They look like they wouldn't look out of place in any church,

especially with this wonderful crenulated, cut-card, galleried drip pan at the top there,

and these stems down to the spreading foot.

When you turn them upside-down, you can see they've been machine made.

This has been spun on a lathe. But also, if you have a look on the bottom here, there's a little mark.

-Can you make that out?

-Yes, I can barely see it.

Well, it actually says C Farris, that's Charles Farris, of London.

And that's a firm that have been around for over 150 years,

specialising in metalware for churches.

I'm going to say £40-60 for them,

-which I think is a very tempting estimate.

-Really?

Well, I think that's a bit mean, actually. Don't you?

Hopefully they'll go a little bit higher.

-John's still shocked there's a name on there he hadn't seen.

-I hadn't seen!

It's a pity it wasn't a bullion mark.

Oh, come on!

-That would be nice.

-That's a good find.

I think they'll fetch more, but we need more so come on.

Several churches in Plymouth were badly damaged by bombs

during the Second World War.

The manufacturers of these, Charles Farris, are still going strong.

A similar pair today could set you back well over £1,000.

Marian's upstairs in the spare bedroom.

Her father collected these coins in the 1970s

and here we have over a dozen sets, from various Commonwealth countries,

including Ceylon and Zambia.

John gives them an estimate of £40-£60.

We've almost finished here today in Devon,

but not before John has one last question for John.

John, what about the actual piece of furniture here, as something to go to auction?

-Is it something you'd consider selling?

-We have, because it's too big for a normal house.

When I first bought it, it actually fits this corner, up to the windowsill, perfectly.

It was obviously made to go there!

But I think it's about 7'2" high, and I think offhand it's 7'2" long.

It's not going to fit in an average-sized house,

so it's got to go, I'm afraid.

I can certainly see why you fell in love with it.

It is a big, impressive piece of furniture

and having looked inside and out of this piece,

it is a good-quality piece of reproduction, and that's what it is,

a reproduction breakfront bookcase in the classic mid-Georgian style.

We're talking around about 1760s, here.

Known as a breakfront because going along that top line, the centre section breaks forward.

-Yep.

-And it has all the classical elements that were favoured in that Georgian period.

You've got these astragal glazed doors, and these are quality.

These are individual panels and individual glazing bars.

So each piece has been cut and glazed in,

as opposed to a cheaper alternative, which is a single pane of glass

with a network of frames laid over the top.

That's cheaper. So that's a good sign of quality.

Right down, you've got a double bank of drawers and those lovely OG bracket feet.

Really, a nice and sympathetic reproduction, I do like it.

So did you pay a lot of money for it?

I paid about £1,100. I saw it, fell in love with it.

You're sure this is something you'd consider taking to auction?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

-It's just too big to go in a normal house.

We are rummaged out! Do I hear you've found something else to take to the auction?

Well, I'm hoping we're going to take this rather large,

impressive breakfront mahogany bookcase, here.

This whole thing?! I was kind of looking in there, but...no!

-It's the whole shooting match! It's a monster!

-Well, they want to downsize.

-Do you want it to go?

-Yes, I do. It's too big

and there's an awful lot of things in it that need to be got rid of.

Is it worth taking to the auction?

It's a big piece of furniture, and I know it's worth something

if you had to have this commissioned now.

I would suggest at auction 400-600 as an estimate.

How would that sound, John?

Yes, I'd be happy to go to auction, but I think with a lower estimate.

-So a reserve of £400?

-Yep.

Well, I certainly wouldn't quibble at that. I think it's got to be worth £400, or keep it.

I think we will call it a day there. I don't know if I've been through your house. It's so vast!

But I've certainly rummaged a great deal. You all have, haven't you?

All right. I'm going to tell you what we might make.

So that's 400-600, OK...

We started out saying you wanted £1,000,

to try and get you over there to New Zealand to visit Andrew.

We reckon, and we always take the lowest estimates that John's given,

you should make...

£1,550.

Goodness!

-You may not be going business class that way, but you'll be there.

-Yes.

We'll see you on sale day then?

-Yes!

-And good luck with getting this to the auction, ha!

Let's hope that bookcase is worth the effort.

Joining it at auction, the Spanish conquistador.

Will he raise his lance - and the bids - to around £150-£200?

What about the South African gold pound coin,

with its holder and chain, at £200-£300?

And the brass butcher's weights.

Could they deliver £50-£80 for us in the sale?

Let's hope so!

Still to come, will John have to make good his promise about that bookcase?

If it doesn't sell, I'll give you a hand downstairs with it.

Will I get over my obsession with this new terminology?

Garniture? I'm getting used to this word, garniture. What's garniture again?

Be there when the final hammer falls!

Well, it's been just over a month now

since we rummaged around John and Marian's enormous house in Devon,

and some of the pieces we found should set pulses racing

here at Lyme Bay Auctions.

So let's hope the bidders have brought along their wallets and a great big van!

Here on the Devon coast, auctions are held every month.

It's a dull old day, but here's something to cheer us up.

John and Marian have managed to get that huge bookcase to the sale.

That must have been a job and a half!

Hello, John, Marian.

-Hello!

-Hello, nice to see you again.

You got it here! Hey!

-So who did the lifting?

-Me.

-Ah, John, you poor thing!

So how did you get it here?

We came over in the van,

but the poor auction house had to carry it up the stairs!

Gosh! Well, what do you think now you've seen it here?

It looks magnificent, doesn't it?

You like this, don't you?

-Yeah, I do.

-Yes, yes.

-I've always liked it.

-Have you put a reserve on?

-Yes, we have.

-What's the reserve?

-400.

-400.

Based on my bottom estimate.

You know, I look at the piece now, good quality. It's a reproduction, but I think it's a nice piece.

-What are you going to do if it doesn't sell?

-Take it home.

-Oh, no!

You're going to have a domestic, I think!

And how are you feeling about selling all your other items?

Some of the things have got to go, and it's for a good cause.

It is, isn't it? All right then, well, I think the auction's about to start

-so shall we go and find a good spot?

-Right!

The punters have gathered and the auctioneer is already hard at work.

As we take our places, we see the first of our lots going under the hammer.

It's the pair of brass candlesticks which were once in a church in Plymouth.

Now, these are quite common at auctions,

so will they struggle to attract a flicker of interest today?

I'm intrigued by what they'll do. They might fly out of the room!

Especially, John, as you discovered the name, didn't you?

Yes. Charles Farris, a firm with a long history of ecclesiastical brass and metalware.

-And they were from a bombed-out church.

-From a church not far from here.

So how are you feeling about them?

They might light up!

Oh, my gosh!

He's on form today!

I can't bear someone else who does puns as well!

Oh, dear.

-Let's see how we go. £40-60, I think they're worth more.

-Definitely.

I have several bids on this one, I'm going to start straight in at £105.

-Ooh!

-£105 I have on the book, £105 I've got.

110... 115...

It's still on the book at £115.

120... 125...

130, 135, it's off the book now.

£130 I've got. 135 anywhere?

140... 145... 150.

155... 160...

£155 I've got.

Sold for £155.

-£155!

-Goodness me.

-Wow, that's wonderful!

-Amazing!

That's an encouraging start to our day,

with a sale price massively exceeding our expectations.

Now for our second lot, the collection of coins

assembled by Marian's father more than three decades ago.

Very popular collecting area in the '70s. Not so much these days.

A lot of them come on the market. I haven't put a huge sum on them - £40-60 for seven sets.

-What's the story behind them?

-My father used to collect them in the 1970s.

And he decided that he would probably give them to us.

So he did eventually leave them to my husband John.

-Quite right too. Yes. And all we want is £40.

-£40-£60.

We just need a few numismatists in the rooms now.

Ooh! Let's see if we can get £40 at least.

What shall we say for that - £40-£50?

£30 then. No-one interested?

£30?

25? No.

Put that down as not sold, OK. Thank you.

Well, not a single bid, so obviously no collectors in the rooms there.

But just a reflection of how that market has changed.

-People couldn't get enough of these in the '70s.

-What a shame.

Well, we don't want too many like that today.

Next, it's time for our 19th-century French clock,

with the urns which go either side. Now what are they called again?

John bought these many years ago from a dealer in the Midlands for about £400.

-How do you feel about selling them?

-We have a lot of clocks, so...

-Yes.

-..this one's got to go.

-What do you think of them, John?

Gilt brass and porcelain garniture, I said 100-150.

It's a question of whether they're fashionable or not.

They're still popular with certain sections of the community.

Hopefully we've got some buyers here.

-Well, they certainly looked good on our mantelpiece, didn't they?

-They looked nice.

-They'll sell.

-They will.

What shall we say for that, a couple of hundred pounds?

150? 100 then?

£100? £100 I've got, and 10 I've got.

120 I've got. 130 anywhere?

130 anywhere? No.

It's got to make a little bit more than this. Not sold.

-Anyway, you're taking them home, I'm afraid.

-Oh, well. That's good in a way.

The auctioneer used his discretion not to sell them

at a price below their real worth. That's very decent of him.

But with two no-sales, I'm getting worried about our final total.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that the next lot can deliver.

It's those butcher's brass weights, which also got pressed into service wedging open doors.

They came from my father's butcher's shop.

When he died, we bought them from his estate.

And they've been in the family for a long time.

I bet you had some good meat then in your childhood? You ate well.

Yes, we did. But we also had to eat what we called the orts.

Oh, I can imagine what you're talking about, yes!

Let's change the subject quickly.

I said £50-£80, but they could do well here today.

They're a good piece of kitchenalia.

This auction house is famed for its sale of kitchen equipment,

so it might be a nice decorative effect for someone.

Start straight in at £110. £110 I've got.

120. 130. 140. 150.

-Oh, dear.

-160. 170.

180. 190.

Still on the book at £190.

200 anywhere? 200.

210.

-Goodness me!

-230. 240?

Now off the book at £240.

250 anywhere? I shall sell for £240.

-Brilliant!

-Well done!

-Excellent.

And they've just been sat in the kitchen. My goodness!

-I suppose it's a little bit special because they were your dad's.

-Yes, yeah.

It's good they made such a price. And they're going to our holiday, which is great.

That's more like it. At nearly five times our lower estimate,

they proved a real hit with the bidders,

more than making up for the previous couple of non-sales.

Marian's needlework box is next under the hammer.

It was part of a set bought by John from an oriental importer.

Got your teak work box coming up now.

Where's that from?

I've had it since about 1980, actually.

-I bought it out of a warehouse.

-Did you?

Yeah, I liked it.

Actually, I bought quite a lot of inlay brass furniture, and that's one of the nicer pieces.

How is the market for it now?

A little bit hit and miss.

As John said, it is modern, it's a reproduction, so you're looking for private buyers for these things.

The condition of this is exceptional,

so £50 as a bottom estimate isn't unreasonable.

£30, 35,

40, 45.

It's gone.

£45 in front of me here.

-50 anywhere?

-Sold for £45.

£45?

OK, well, we said 50-80.

-£45, are you OK with that?

-Yeah. That's good.

A little bit lower than the bottom estimate,

but a welcome £45 towards that trip to New Zealand.

Talking of trips, this four-feet-tall spelter figure is of a Spaniard,

a very well-travelled soldier.

-Miss this already?

-I've got the other knight to put in his place.

Oh, you've put one in already. Do you have a lot of these in the shed?

I'd like it myself, I must say. £150-£200.

Yes, nice thing, excellent condition, good patination on it.

I hope...I think it's worth £150.

Are you going to miss it? Actually, has he got a name?

-George.

-George?

-George, yes.

-That's a good name.

-Even though he might be Spanish, he's still George.

-OK. Let's hear it for George.

Let's say for that one there £200?

150, then?

No-one interested? 120.

100?

No-one interested? No.

We'll put that down as not sold. Sorry.

Well, that's disappointing. Absolutely no bids whatsoever.

I thought he was worth the money. I know you did too, John.

We're not too worried because I'd rather take him home.

He'll fight another battle another day.

George the conquistador will have to head back home

and resume his rightful place on the stairs.

Now, with six items gone, I wonder how close we are to the £1,000 goal.

We're halfway through, it's been quite heart-stopping at times, hasn't it?

-Bit up-and-down, hasn't it?

-It has been.

We've had a couple of unsold items, which has obviously hit our ambitions.

You want £1,000 to help you to New Zealand.

Not quite halfway there, I must say.

-You've got £440.

-That's all right.

I think we've got you to the airport.

Good, at least we might find the plane, then!

-Let's have a cup of tea in the meantime, shall we?

-We need it.

The half-time break is a good opportunity

to examine what other people have brought to the auction today.

And John has clearly been moved by this impressive

collection of medals and memorabilia.

Oh, aren't they wonderful, John? They really are.

-Sadly, not mine.

-They make me feel, I don't know,

full of admiration, bit of sadness, nostalgia.

That's why collectors find them fascinating - they have stories to go with them.

And here we've got a father and son group.

One's First World War, and then the group of Second World War.

This one at the bottom, that's a Distinguished Conduct Medal.

First World War, issued on 4th June 1916.

Second only to a Victoria Cross.

-Really?

-Interesting, isn't it?

It's possible to trace the citation to see what the medal was awarded for.

The second lot here, Second World War medal,

five in a group and the miniatures, that's the son.

Now, not as valuable as First World War medals and they weren't issued names,

so on this one here you'll have his regiment and everything. On this one,

if there's no documentation, you wouldn't have a clue who it belonged to,

but we've got everything here, his discharge papers, his diaries,

photographs of him, so that does enhance the value.

-Is it worth investing in these?

-Certainly the Second World War medal groups are increasing in value,

but it is important to have that documentation. Don't separate them.

So what do you reckon these might fetch today?

Well, this one alone I would expect to make around £500.

The Second World War group, not so valuable.

On their own, you could probably pick them up for under £100.

However, with all that documentation, it really does enhance them.

Together as a group, difficult thing to predict,

but I wouldn't be surprised if it makes up to £1,000.

Fantastic. Well, we'll see how they go.

It turns out that John's estimate was close. £950.

Very respectable.

So a good tip if you're selling service medals

is to throw in as much provenance as you can about the original owner.

And please bear in mind that auction houses charge various fees, such as commission.

Your local saleroom will advise you on these.

We still have plenty to come.

For instance, this carved oak side table.

It's 17th-century-style.

I'm quite sure it should be worth £100-£200, don't you think?

Yes, that should definitely make the money.

-We'd be surprised to take that one home.

-OK, here we go.

£70 I've got. 75 anywhere?

-75 I've got. 80.

-Someone on the phone...

90. 95 is offered.

100.

105, 110.

115, 120, 125, 130,

135, 140, 145,

150, 155, 160,

170, 180, 190,

200, 210, 220,

230, 240.

Fantastic!

£240 I've got, sold for £240.

That's not bad at all, because it's actually 17th-century-style,

it's a 19th-century piece, so it's 200 years later.

So that's not bad at all.

£240, very happy with that.

And so were the Pardoes.

That table has brought them another £240 closer

to visiting their son in New Zealand.

Now, gold like this will fetch at least scrap value at auction.

But I'm still surprised Marian's thinking of selling such precious heirlooms.

Any story with these, Marian?

The bracelet was given to me by my grandfather on my 21st birthday.

And the rings were given to me when my father died.

And they were passed down to me

and I wear some of them some of the time, but not all the time.

So, why did you let us take it to auction?

-Well, gold should do well.

-Well, I've put 140-180 on it,

we should get somewhere within our estimate, if not a bit over.

£100 I've got. £100 I've got.

110, 120,

130, 140,

150, 160...

£150, 160,

170, 180, 190,

200, 210, 220,

230, 240, 250,

26... £240 I've got in front of me.

250, 260?

£250 I've got.

260 anywhere? I'm going to sell it for £250.

-How do you feel about that, then?

-Good.

Great. Yes.

-Did better.

-Yeah.

Well, whatever is gold seems to do well now.

£250 is another staggeringly good result

which helps redress those few disappointments earlier.

Our expert has always had a penchant for well-made pieces of furniture

like this teak roll-top desk, which he valued at £200-£300.

But is the auctioneer having some trouble?

What shall we say for that? £200 or £300?

250 then?

-This is nervous.

-200?

No?

Start me 150?

Oh, come on!

No?

No. 140?

OK, 140 I've got.

150 anywhere? No.

Can't sell this one. Sorry.

THEY SIGH

That's such a shame.

I really thought these pieces were good and would sell.

It's a functional piece of furniture

and for £200, you couldn't even buy the teak hardwood for it,

but there we are.

The auctioneer felt uncomfortable

letting the desk go at that low price

so he refused to sell.

That's disappointing and a blow to our target.

We need another gilt-edged cert to bring us back on course.

How about the next lot?

Next up is our gold South African half pond,

which is the equivalent of a half sovereign in this country.

It's about four grams and 22-carat gold.

People kept sovereigns for that rainy day.

The sun's shining outside, but there's been some rain towards our target

so let's hope it comes out and gives us some sunshine.

£200 at least?

-200-300 is our estimate.

-Okey dokey.

£210 I've got.

210. 220?

230. 240.

250.

260. 270.

280.

Absolutely brilliant.

290 anywhere?

I'm going to sell it for £280.

£280.

-Yay!

-Very good!

It's creeping up!

It's astonishing how well gold has been selling recently.

And we're thankful for it because it may make all the difference.

Next we have three pieces of decorative pottery

along with a pair of classical composers -

Tchaikovsky and Beethoven,

rendered as Royal Doulton character jugs.

They don't look very happy, do they?

Garniture. I'm getting used to this word - garniture.

What's garniture again?

We've got the two character jugs.

The garniture - three pieces of pottery,

two vases and another piece,

all painted in the Royal Worcester style,

with the still lives of fruit all over them.

So three vases together all matching - we call that a garniture.

OK. We reckon £80-£120.

-Confident?

-No!

I have several bids on this one. I've got to start in at £90.

Oh, brilliant! There we are!

95 anywhere? 95 anywhere?

Then I shall sell it to the book bid for £90.

-£90. Happy with that.

-Great!

I was worried that our composers would leave a flat note

in the auction room, but they've done it.

Fantastic!

Nicely within our estimate at £90, the Dalton jugs with garniture,

the last time we mention that word today, are off to a new home.

Now for our largest item, which was such a struggle to bring here.

At between £400 and £600, the fate of that huge mahogany bookcase

hangs in the balance.

You've got a reserve of £400.

You couldn't buy the mahogany for that money.

If it doesn't sell, I'll give you a hand downstairs with it.

-It'll take more than me and you!

-Oh, will it?!

That very big bookcase down the end.

What shall we say for that one there?

£500 or £600?

500 then?

400? No-one interested?

No? 350?

Anyone interested at £350?

No. OK.

Not sold. OK.

Not even a bid in the room, which is disappointing.

What are you going to do?

Will you leave it here for another day?

-No.

-It's coming home!

We'll have to rearrange the furniture again!

Rather them than me.

We've had some real ups and downs today here at Seaton in Devon

so it's very hard to tell quite how well we've done.

We want to get you to New Zealand

because that's your destination, that's what this is about,

and I have to tell you that at the end of the day,

your target was 1,000 and you've made...

1,300.

LAUGHTER

Oh, it's not half as bad as I expected!

-It's great.

-That's nice.

So when might you set off for New Zealand?

Hopefully some time very soon when we get things organised.

Wonderful! Will you send us a postcard?

We will, yes.

The auction house is going to try to sell that huge bookcase again another day

and the £1,300 that John and Marian raised has been invested in those travel plans.

Our trip to New Zealand will be coming up in the new year

thanks to Cash In The Attic.

It's been really, really good.

We're looking forward to a bit of warmer weather

and actually going to see Andrew.

We're going to tour the North and South Islands before we actually see Andrew.

We like to go out and visit different places.

We're not sit-on-the-beach people.

It's a long way to go just to go and say hello

so while we're over that way, we're going to have a good trip.

We've got an organised tour.

I'm sure Andrew's really looking forward to seeing his parents, too.