Millen Cash in the Attic

This show searches through your home, finds your hidden treasures

and helps you sell them at auction.

I'm meeting a family who've come home to roost

after spending most of their life travelling around the world.

I wonder what they've picked up on their travels.

'Coming up on Cash In The Attic - The value of a Victorian Davenport

'is just not what it used to be.'

It would be a very cheap desk.

It would be. I might buy it for that.

THEY LAUGH

'And our expert David demonstrates what you do with a stirrup cup.'

One for the road, I suppose.

A quick shot, off I'd go on my horsey over the Highlands.

'When it comes to the auction,

'we anticipate lots of interest for some silver.'

That's a come-and-get-me estimate.

-Is it really?

-Oh, yes.

-All right.

'Be there for a fun auction when the hammer falls.'

Well, today I'm in Berkshire to help one family

hunt out their collectables as they settle into their new home.

They don't have room for everything,

so quite a lot of it has got to go, making some money in the process.

'Fred Millen grew up in Ohio

'and joined the US Air Force when he left school.

'In 1976, he was stationed in the UK, where he met Maureen.

'His work for the military took him and Maureen all over the world.

'But for the last decade, they've spent most of it in Hawaii.

'This well-travelled couple, however, want to settle down

'and need a little help working out what might be worth selling

'from all the paraphernalia they've collected

'from the four corners of the globe.

'The garden of their new home here in Berkshire

'is going to take over as their main interest,

'so Fred's itchy feet could soon be replaced by his green fingers.

'Niece Nicole is on hand to help her uncle with the rummage

'and I'm joined by David Harper, who's been interested in antiques since he was a young lad.

'He's keen to search for anything that might do well at auction

'while I go and meet our hosts.'

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-So you must be Nicole.

-I am, yes.

-And you must be Uncle Fred.

-That's me.

-Not my uncle, obviously, your uncle.

-That's right, yes.

So, how did you get involved in Cash In The Attic?

When my uncle and auntie moved back from Hawaii,

they had lots and lots of antiques

that they've collected over the years.

And it doesn't fit or suit their new house.

-So I applied for them to go on there.

-It's all her fault.

-Ah! OK. How long have you been here?

-Earlier this year, we moved back.

I just retired from working and we made our way back here from Hawaii.

-So, what made you move from Hawaii?

-This is where all our family live.

Everybody lives within about two miles from here.

If we have a rummage and find plenty of stuff to take to auction,

have you anything in mind that you'd like to spend the money on?

Yes. We wanted to landscape the garden, if we can.

We've lived in so many houses, a lot of them rented,

we have done gardens, planted things,

but now we're settled, we want to do it the way we want to do it.

What sort of money would you like to kick-start that?

£800, we're looking at.

If we get something in that region, it will make a big difference.

We've had a few estimates and it's not cheap to do.

It is expensive, isn't it?

-Let's hope you've got some nice items. Have they?

-Yeah. Lots.

They have? Right, OK. You can go upstairs, start hunting.

-Let's go and meet David.

-OK.

'Fred's wife Maureen used to work for Wedgwood

'and developed a keen eye for collectibles.

'I'm sure that will not have gone unnoticed by our expert.'

-Ah, there you are, David.

-Ah, yes.

I'm absolutely revelling in these things.

All by the same manufacturer, Wedgwood Lustreware.

-Where did these come from, then?

-These came from all over.

The one David has, I bought in an auction in Clare, over in Suffolk.

-They have good auctions there.

-The other ones have come from various places,

but some of them, just various auctions everywhere we've been.

There's some really pretty pieces in all this stuff here.

I absolutely adore these things. How long did it take to put this collection together?

This has been probably over 20 years.

So made by Wedgwood.

And of course, Wedgwood known very much for Lustreware.

That iridescence, that metallic, that almost mother-of-pearl finish,

which is absolutely just gorgeous.

Lustreware itself has been around for much longer than Wedgwood.

It goes way back to the Romans and even the Egyptians.

-They were using it on glass.

-I didn't know that.

The invention's not 200-years-old, it's probably 2,000-years-old.

All got nice backstamps. Some say England, so that's after 1891.

And then we've got Made in England, which is after about WWI.

So very late-19th, early-20th century.

OK. That's what I thought, somewhere in that region, they would be.

Now, valuation - I think it would be good to put them together as a lot.

You might attract collectors or particularly dealers.

I don't know what you think, Lorne,

but I think a sensible £100-200 for the six.

They might make more. I don't know how that makes you feel.

I think we might have to think about that.

I know Maureen's attached to some of those

and I know, obviously, antiques have gone up and down.

They were not inexpensive to buy at the time

so we're going to have to think about that.

I think we need to find something we definitely can sell so follow me.

I'm taking this one with me.

Nicole is taking a close look at some of her Aunt Maureen's knick-knacks,

but Fred spots something that we have all walked straight past.

A three-tiered, circular dumb waiter.

It's made of mahogany and is in a Georgian style.

Fred remembers that he and Maureen bought it in Suffolk about 10 years ago.

It gets an estimate of £75-100.

Nicole is taking her job very seriously,

making sure no ornament is overlooked.

Let's have a look. Let's have a sit down.

These are quite interesting, aren't they?

Good things for a dressing table.

Good for putting pins and stuff in, aren't they?

But they didn't start life like that.

They actually started life downstairs.

What they should have had was a little glass liner

and they'd be used for salt, because you wouldn't put salt

directly into silver because it literally eats away at the silver.

Need to be so careful! How old do you think they are?

-I've got no idea. Maybe about 50-years-old?

-Double and more.

-Right, OK.

-Let's just double-check here.

We've got, that's quite unusual, an Exeter hallmark there.

Exeter is actually...

that's really quite rare because they stopped assaying in 1883

so we know they are at least 1883 or earlier, so we just move on.

The letter C so that is 1879.

-Four years before Exeter stopped marking silver.

-OK.

As little silver salts go, they're actually quite rare

and to have a pair is really nice too.

-Have a look at the decoration. It's really Victorian, isn't it?

-Mm-hmm.

Really bonny things - where did they come from?

I think my aunt and uncle bought a lot of their collectibles

and antiques when they were living in the States.

-Possibly in South Carolina.

-South Carolina?

-Yeah.

-So Exeter salts in South Carolina.

-Yeah.

It's amazing how they've now come back. Come back home.

Do you think they'd be worth more if they had the glass inserts still?

Yes, but it's not the end of the world because you can buy them

online, second-hand or new.

What do you think they're worth, David?

I knew that one was coming.

-I would have thought for the pair 40-60.

-All right, OK.

-Think we'll be allowed to put them in?

-Yeah.

-Are you going to make that decision?

-Yes.

You're not going to get into trouble or anything? Are you sure?

OK, let's put them in the bag and move on. Come on. I'll follow you.

They really do have some quality pieces around the house,

and in the garage too it seems.

David's found five pieces of green Wedgwood known as Jasperware.

It's famous for its pastel colours and cameo detail.

This porcelain came about as a result of experiments by Josiah Wedgwood

when he was looking for a different type of ceramic material.

Maureen bought them new in the '70s

and today their estimate is £30-50.

When those lovely pieces go up for sale,

will the bidders like what's on offer?

I'm bid all over the place. 20, 22, £22 there.

I can't believe it, 25, 28, 30, 2.

I wonder how much they'll make.

As the search here in Berkshire continues,

going by David's lowest estimates so far,

we stand to make £245 when we take the things we found to the saleroom.

We have every room in Fred's house covered, trying to find

something that he and Maureen are happy to part with.

Fred thinks his wife isn't too attached to these wooden wine bottle coasters.

They're also known as treen coasters, being made of wood.

Their value is greater if they're sold as a pair.

Rosewood and mahogany are the most sought after.

These two are mahogany and are from the 1980s.

They get an estimate of £15-20.

While the others are busy trying to find something else to sell,

I just had to ask you.

I'm not convinced, why did you move back here from Hawaii?

It must be paradise out there.

Well, it is. It certainly was. I had a great job,

I used to go to work on the beach every day as well.

After all the years of travelling around and Maureen following me

everywhere I went with the Air Force and the Civil Service,

finally she said, "No, that's enough. We're done, we are coming back here."

How did you meet Maureen?

I was actually on active duty with the Air Force here

and I was stationed at RAF Greenham Common.

I'm sure a lot of people have heard of Greenham Common but this

was before they'd heard of Greenham Common. It was a quiet place

and we met in a hairdresser's just round the corner.

Very often, it is quite hard when you've had a life

moving around the world and so many changes, to actually put down roots.

Are you finding that at all?

It can. The test will come in a couple of years

because the longest we were ever stationed anywhere

was six years, but that was unusual.

Right.

Most of the time it was two years or 18 months or three years,

like that, so the test will come in a couple of years

when we get itchy feet, perhaps. We'll see what happens then.

It seems to me that you both share this enjoyment of buying antiques.

Was that a specific hobby that you took up or that you just

both like similar things?

Maureen worked for Wedgwood, in a Wedgwood Room, they called

it at the time, so that's where she got her passion for Wedgwood.

You'll find most of the stuff we did collect was Wedgwood.

We went to antique fairs everywhere we were,

antique malls if they were there, shops or anything. Any place we went.

Do you think the garden will now replace the antiques as a hobby for you both?

Yes, probably.

Maureen always liked gardening and she knows more about it than I do.

I just get out there and do what I'm told to do,

when she says dig here or plant this and that.

Let's go and see whether they found anything else, shall we?

It's a shame Maureen's feeling camera-shy today.

I'd love to have found out more about her experiences

working for Wedgwood, but our search must go on.

Nicole likes the look of these Royal Worcester candle snuffers,

which Maureen bought from an antiques fair in the States.

Royal Worcester first began manufacturing candle snuffers

in the 1850s, but these four are from the 1970s.

They include Mrs Caudle, a character from Punch magazine, and an owl.

We expected them to fetch £50-100 on the day.

David, can you come and have a look at this?

I do like a bit of upholstery, Fred. You tell me all about it.

Well, this we bought as a Victorian nursing chair

some years ago in Downham Market.

That's what I think it is and that's what we were told it was when we did buy it.

You're doing my job for me. Now I need to leave!

-You carry on, that's all I know about it.

-Now what about the wood?

What kind of wood you think it is?

I think mahogany but I thought it also could be walnut.

It is mahogany but you're absolutely right.

It could well have been walnut

because the Victorians loved using walnut too.

Date-wise, Victorian - absolutely bang on.

Later on in the Victorian period - 1880, 1890.

But, you know, when Victoria died, the Victorian style didn't just end.

It continued but that's the period she was on the throne.

Nice carved, spoon-shaped back. Let's have a look.

Nice and tight on the joints because the joints are expensive to repair.

If one joint is gone, you think it might be quite easy to fix

but very often you've got to open all of the others.

-I can imagine then.

-It's like opening a can of worms when you try and fix these things.

The coil springs are wonderful.

Introduced into upholstery in about 1830,

individually hand-tied into hessian and stuffed with straw, horsehair.

I saw the horsehair when we had the seat cover off.

It was in the webbing in there too.

It was quite interesting to see that

so I knew it had to be reasonably old.

What I would like you to do if you send it to auction,

is invest a little money in some gimp or braid.

-Just hide those staples.

-OK.

-I think valuation today

with the gimp, 40-60.

-OK. All right.

-Happy?

-Happy with that.

-Let's move on.

-OK.

It can be a good idea to do an easy repair for auction

but it's best not to spend too much money on costly restorations

as you are unlikely to get your money back.

Anything fiddly, leave it to the buyer

and accept it will be sold as a restorer's lot.

Oh, Fred. What is this doing in the garage? That is ridiculous.

That is a lovely thing!

-We just haven't found room for it yet in the house.

-Let's drag it out.

Let's have a look.

-Now, Fred, do you know what it's called?

-It's a cushion top Davenport.

Well done. This guy is an expert, he really is!

-Do you know why it's called a Davenport?

-I don't, no.

OK, because in the later 18th century,

there was a company called Gillows of Lancaster,

very well known cabinet-makers. They designed the desk

and the first person to order it was a Captain Davenport.

When the order was going through the workshop,

it was always referred to as the Davenport order. Then the next person comes along,

has a look at this new-fangled design

and they just would simply refer to it as Captain Davenport's desk.

The name just stuck, simply then referred to as a Davenport desk.

Interesting story.

The Davenport, for me, is an amazing piece of kit.

There's so much going on here.

We've got this little lift up cushion top, as you said.

We've got an area there, Nicole, for letters and inkwells and maybe cards.

If you just push your finger there, lift that out.

A secret compartment for love-letters.

She's almost getting interested.

It was just such a functional piece of kit.

It did everything you needed to do.

On top of that, it's the kind of thing that can be transported around

because it's small enough and it can sit in the middle of the room

because it's finished at the back as pretty as it is at the front. For me,

it's one of the nicest pieces of furniture you can buy.

-As for value, I'm not going to ask you what you paid for it.

-I wouldn't.

All I can tell you is what it's worth today.

Bearing in mind, really selling at the bottom of the trough,

because they've never been as cheap as they are today ever,

I think £200-400.

-It is certainly less than we paid, obviously.

-It will be.

What I would do, I'd fix it, absolutely rock-solid at £200,

no auctioneer's discretion.

If that doesn't sell for £200, the world is mad

and you should take it home.

-I have got to tell you, it would be a very cheap desk.

-It would be.

I might buy it for that much!

Well, that would be defeating the object

but I can understand Fred's hesitation there.

Mind you, he is trying to make £800 to landscape his garden

and we're only about two-thirds of the way there.

We have more work to do if we're to help him

make those dreams a reality.

David can't fail to notice this large glazed porcelain jardiniere.

He recognises its Chinese origins

and the magnolia flowers which symbolise feminine beauty.

This 20th-century piece comes complete with a stand

and could bring in £50-75 for us.

It seems to me, through the day, you two have got such a good rapport.

Why do you think that is, Nicole?

My mum is close to my auntie, obviously, it's her sister.

We've always visited and spent holidays together, in Germany,

different places in the States and, obviously,

Hawaii, which was my favourite.

My aunt likes shopping so we do what so that together.

That must be fun then.

Fun for them but it's fun for me as well

because there is always a bar there so we say,

"However long you will be is how drunk we'll be when you get back."

So, how did you feel

when they said they were actually coming over here then?

We were all happy that they're obviously here

and we get to see them a lot more.

We'll miss all our holidays to exotic places.

But I don't know if they'll definitely stay here.

I think my auntie might get fed up with the English weather.

-Do you think?

-I don't know. I think the longer Maureen stays,

the more she will settle but we've always

talked about going off in the winter time.

We spent this winter in Florida, was its coldest winter ever.

Couldn't even swim in the pool, it was so cold.

-Of course, Nicole was there.

-Did you go over there?

-Yeah.

-That was a bit of a disappointment weather-wise, then.

-It was.

They were wearing scarves and hats, it was freezing.

So are you going to be helping out with the transformation of the garden?

I might come and watch them do it.

I think she'll just be here in a supervisory role.

I don't think she'll pick a shovel up.

I don't have green fingers, no.

So, you still happy that you called Cash in the Attic in?

-It's been really good. It's been a fun day.

-It has been good.

-I'm glad we've been able to help

and you had something else to do together.

I know that David was hoping to find a few more bits

-so shall we go and see whether he has?

-Let's do that.

Fred and Maureen's globe-trotting lifestyle

and their interest in antiques means they've picked up

all sorts of unusual things from every place they visited.

-Fred, this is a quirky collection of stirrup cups here.

-It is.

They come from everywhere.

Those ones there are similar but this is the odd one out here.

I think this is the odd one out but this is the best one for me.

I suppose a fox's head for a stirrup cup is the kind of thing that

you'd expect to see in a stirrup cup.

-Not so much a bear's head.

-That's right. I thought it was unusual

when we saw it but that's one of the reasons we did buy it.

Very unusual. Do you know where the term comes from?

I always thought it was fox-hunting or horses or something to do with that.

It's basically having a drink in the stirrup on your horse. Let's say we lived

in the Highlands and I came to your house

and as I was leaving,

I'd jump on my horse, feet in the stirrups, and you'd say,

"Before you go, have a quick dram just to help you on the road."

One for the road, I suppose.

-A quick shot, off I'd go on my horsey over the Highlands.

-Right.

Similarly for fox-hunting. I suppose a bit of Dutch courage as well.

Of course, these weren't made to be used, I don't think.

They're made for ornaments, aren't they?

-He is lovely, isn't he?

-Yes, he is.

-A good Staffordshire thing.

This is the only one with a factory mark

and that's just silver-plated but still, it's a good quality thing.

-Value, £80-100.

-Really?

-For the lot.

-For the lot.

-That sounds good.

-I would have thought so.

-That would be great.

-Happy with that?

-Yes, I am.

-I'll put him on the windowsill for now.

-OK.

Careful, David. Don't chip it!

I love this Art Nouveau vesta case which would have been used

for carrying matches from the 1860s right up to the 1940s.

Obviously, before lighters took over.

There's also an Edwardian silver card case which is hallmarked in Chester.

Together they get an estimate of 20 to £40.

-David, what you think of these here?

-My gosh!

-Fred, you are a bit of a Lladro lover, are you not?

-That's Maureen.

This is Maureen's here. She's the one that collected all of these.

I've got to say, you couldn't fail to like her, could you?

She is absolutely just gorgeous.

Lladro, it's not very old but it is highly collected

and a real success story, isn't it?

-It is, yes.

-What do you know about the company?

I do know they're a Spanish company. We bought some

of these when we were on holiday over there at various times.

That's really all I know about it.

Not necessarily a very old company. Formed in about 1953.

It was 1956 that they started making these lovely figurines

and they've been making them ever since

-and incredibly successfully too.

-Obviously!

-Yes.

Well, you were the man that's bought the whole lot!

-I don't think so.

-If these were

the late '50s, early '60s, we'd be talking a different ball game,

but you did buy them new.

I doubt very much, in fact I guarantee,

-you're not going to get your money back.

-Probably not.

I would understand that, just a matter of timing.

Raise some money and make some room. OK.

-Shall we call the others in?

-Sure, yeah.

-Nicole, Lorne.

Where have you two been?

Funny you should say that, I saw this collection earlier

but it looked like it was much prized and much cherished.

-Is that going up for sale?

-I think most of them are.

I know Maureen's got some favourites in there

but she's going to send some for the auction. All right.

-Have we got a valuation?

-I'm thinking there's 15 in there.

They're very expensive to buy new, very good quality.

I think if we said a broad range, for the lot,

-300 to 500.

-That doesn't sound too bad.

-It's a lot of money, isn't it?

-It is, yes.

-What do you think of that?

Sounds good to me.

Earlier this morning you said you wanted around £800,

didn't you? Do you think we've come near that figure?

Sounds like it. Might get close with just these.

-It will be interesting to see.

-Well, the total value

of the items going to auction comes to £1,000.

-Oh, really, OK.

-Excellent.

The next time we'll see you and all the lovely things, of course,

-will be at the auction house.

-OK, see you there.

We certainly have lots of good quality items

including the Victorian Davenport writing desk

which was bought almost 20 years ago.

It has an estimate of £200-£400.

And there's the two silver salt pots with the unusual Exeter hallmark dated 1879.

We're hoping they'll bring in £40 to £60.

And will Fred and Maureen agree

to let their six Wedgwood Lustreware bowls they collected over the years

go for £100-£200?

Still to come on Cash in the Attic -

these bidders are clearly getting on our expert's nerves.

There's no excuses. If you're going to bid, just stick your hand in the air!

And what's this? I hope all the items have made it safely.

It says "AF" - "As found". What happened to it?

-My fault. I dropped one of them.

-Oh, no!

The auction promises to be a smasher!

It's been a few weeks since we met

Fred and Nicole at Fred's new house in Berkshire.

You'll remember that we were looking to raise £800

so they can turn their garden into a little oasis.

They brought their items here to Chiswick Auction House

in West London, so let's just hope that the bidders are going

to make sure that the grass is greener on our side of the fence.

David and I have a quick look around first to eye up the competition.

I can't help noticing there's no sign

of the much-loved Wedgwood Lustreware.

I wonder if Fred and Maureen have decided not to sell it.

-Good morning, how are you?

-How are you?

-Hello, you two.

-You've brought the Lustreware.

-We only brought three though.

-You couldn't bear to part with them.

-Not all of them, no.

Like I said, we brought the round ones.

How do you think that will do, just the round ones?

I think the octagonal ones are probably more unusual, the bigger ones.

You probably kept the best ones at home

but I can understand you not really wanting to part with them.

I'm hoping this is a little unusual

because of the decoration inside, not the standard dragon.

Because it's a bit different, I thought that might help.

They're going into the pot so we've got quite a lot to sell today.

-That's right.

-How do you feel about the auction?

We've been to auctions before so we know what it's about anyway.

We'll be interested to see the money they fetch.

How do you feel about the auction today, Nicole?

I'm excited to see what things are going to sell for.

-Well, shall we go and see?

-OK.

-Come on then.

-Let's go.

The first of Fred's collection to come up is the pair of 1980s

wooden wine bottle coasters which have an estimate of £15-20.

-It says "AF" - "As Found". What happened to it?

-My fault.

-I dropped one of them.

-Oh no!

-It hit the floor and it shattered.

-Was it lost for good?

-We put it back together and we'll see how it goes.

OK, We've got 15 to £20 on that, David.

-Should be cheap enough.

-Let's see what it makes.

Start me £10 for the two.

Surely for £10 for the bottle coasters.

I'm bid £10 to my far right, anybody else? At £10, all done? £12.

14, 16, 18. £18 then to my far right. 18, anybody else? £18.

-18.

-It's bang in the middle.

-Absolutely.

-Well done, mate.

Good stuff.

Especially considering the condition of the one Fred dropped.

The Victorian mahogany nursing chair is coming up now.

Did Fred manage to hide those staples?

We didn't get to put a gimp round it. We had to bring it up the next day.

They're so cheap these Victorian chairs right now.

They will increase in value so it's still a bargain at £40-60.

-Start me for 20. I'm bid. 22. 25.

-Come on.

£25, all I'm bid. 25. 28.

30. £30.

Not quite enough at £30. 32, I'll take.

32. Thank you. 35. 38.

-£38, here.

-Come on.

£38. Anybody else? £38. 38.

-209.

-£38.

Calm down, David. That's not a bad result,

considering it still needs a little more work doing to it.

How will the Jasperware do, that green Wedgwood Fred's wife, Maureen, collected?

-Bit of a mixed collection, this one.

-This is a dealer lot.

There's lots of dealers here. They'd buy that and then split it and sell it individually.

So there's stacks of them in here. Let's hope they scrap over it.

What's it worth? Start me £20 the lot. We know it's worth £20.

-I'm bid all over the place.

-Thank goodness.

-20. 22. £22, there.

I can't believe it. 25. 28. 30.

32. 35. 38.

40. 45. 50.

-55.

-This is more like it.

-£55, there. 60, fresh bidding. 65.

70. 75. 80. 85.

£85, further away. Still at 85 with my original bidder.

-This is more like it.

-And it goes? 85.

Yes! Isn't that fantastic?

She was too late, she bidded right at the last moment, that old granny.

Well, you've got to act very quickly. That's it.

No excuses, if you're going to bid, stick your hand in the air.

-That's still a very good result. I'm delighted.

-Not a bad result.

Not a bad result? It was nearly three times David's lower estimate.

What are we going to have to do to impress Fred, I wonder?

Now it's time for all those late 20th-century stirrup cups,

which Maureen collected over the years.

One's in the shape of a bear's head

and the other four are modelled as foxes.

I have to say, hunting memorabilia remains very popular,

regardless of the arguments for or against the actual sport,

it's part of social history, whether we like it or not.

-What's the estimate on this, David?

-80-100.

They're certainly worth £30. Start me at 20, though. 20 I'm bid. Thank you, Chris. 22. 25.

28. 30.

£30 and the end of that table. So cheap I can't believe it.

£30. Nobody else? At £30. Thank you, 32.

35. 38.

I'm almost having a heart attack, here!

-I love it when it rolls on.

-Anybody else? At £40.

-Are you all done at £40?

-No, no, no, no!

-£40.

That's not good.

They only made £40. How do you feel about that?

I think that's another disappointing lot.

They were certainly worth more than that.

-Because we actually had five.

-That's right.

-Less than a tenner each.

-I know!

Oh, dear.

I don't think Fred is impressed by how things are going so far.

Will the sale of his next lot, the silver vesta case

and the silver card case, help to cheer him up?

One in particular, very Art Nouveau. It's a lovely piece.

-A really bold, bold design.

-You're so right.

You've got the silver content but that is absolutely screaming Art Nouveau

and Art Nouveau has always been popular and I think always will be.

It is gorgeous.

Let's hope it's going to be very popular today.

Absolutely. We do want at least £20-£40, apparently.

-Oh, I think it'll make that.

-Good.

-And more.

-It's a "come and get me" estimate, that one.

-Is it really?

-Oh, yes.

Right. Let's see who comes and gets, then.

And I've got a bit of interest in these. I'm already bid £20 for them.

22. Everywhere. 25. 28.

-30. 32.

-Here we are.

-That's it.

-35. 38.

-40. 45.

-Music to my ears.

-50. 55.

£55, there. CHIMING

-Talk of music!

-60, there.

-60, then, in the stands. 65 upstairs.

-Lovely.

70. £70. Down below, at 70. Selling, then, at £70.

This is lovely, isn't it?

-£70. That's a result, isn't it?

-That's good. That's a result.

-Are you pleased with that?

-Yes, I am pleased with that.

-What do you think of that?

-Very good. Double.

-Double what you wanted, wasn't it?

At last, Fred is happy with a sale.

And who wouldn't be, at nearly double the top estimate?

Some more silver quickly follows with a pair of Exeter salts.

-1879. Quite a lot of age, there. £40-£60.

-I think so.

-Bear in mind also that if I remember, they were an Exeter hallmark.

-Yes.

But no mention of it in the catalogue because of course,

Exeter a very rare hallmark.

They stopped hallmarking soon after these were made.

We do know at this auction there are a lot of silver dealers that come,

the first thing they are looking for is unusual hallmarks,

apart from the weight of the silver.

So I'm pretty sure that if it's not in the catalogue,

the ones that are interested will spot that.

-Let's hope it works that way.

-Let's see.

The little salts. £20 to start me.

I'm bid 20. 22. 25.

-Come on.

-28. 30.

-Come on.

-32.

£32 for the salts. 32. Not quite enough at the £32.

-35, I need.

-We put a reserve on these.

35, thank you, Chris.

At £35 at the end of that table. 35. Anybody else?

-They're a bargain.

-Come on.

-Do you want a 38? 38.

With the lady at 38. Anybody else at £38?

-Come on!

-They are going, then, £38.

Thank you.

Almost there. We wanted 40-60 and you just scraped 38.

-How do you feel about that?

-That's another disappointing lot.

I hate to keep using that word but it certainly is, really,

because that is a nice weight of silver.

I think we are not far-off scrap value, quite honestly.

That's the reality of selling at a general auction, I suppose,

and it brings us to the halfway point.

OK, now. We have a break before the other lots come up,

including the Davenport and the Lustreware.

-How do you think we've done so far?

-Not very well.

OK, you're right. We've only made £289.

So I think we will have to sow a few more seeds

-before we we'll be reaping any rewards, don't you?

-Yes, we do.

But I have a lot of optimism for this afternoon because we have got, you know,

our stronger, more highly valued items this afternoon.

I'm sure we'll make the money but you've seen something you want to look at?

-I've always seen something I want to look at.

-Come on, then.

If you're interested in buying or selling at auction,

do bear in mind that charges such as commission and VAT will be added to your bill.

So it's always worth checking with the sale room first.

An auction's not only good for getting rid of stuff like Fred's doing,

it's also a great place to buy things on the cheap

and David reckons he's found something special

that would be ideal for anyone on a tight budget.

I know these aren't exactly your cup of tea, are they?

-Well, I mean, I like the originals.

-This is going to be my point.

These sometimes have the unfortunate tag

of being called mug's eyefuls.

If you're a mug, you think they're early 19th-century

Venetian mirrors worth an absolute fortune

and you've just about yourself a bargain in an auction

because if you went into a really good shop and found a proper period, Venetian mirror,

you are talking thousands of pounds.

Get the look without spending the money.

Exactly. They've got the look. They're an interior designer's dream.

They look the business from a few feet away

but as you get closer, it all seems to get a bit wrong.

The quality is not so good. But they're now on a painted brick wall.

Put that in an apartment or a house and it would light up the room.

A bit of elbow grease, clean up the bevelled glass and it would look great.

A Venetian inspired mirror with an estimate of 80-180.

I think that's a bargain.

A bargain indeed.

Let's hope the remainder of Fred's items aren't bargains

and sell for top money.

We want them to make the best possible price to help him achieve his garden dreams.

We meet up in time just to see Fred's Wedgwood Lustreware bowls go under the hammer.

He's only brought three of the six along

as he and Maureen are quite attached to them.

-So what is the estimate for these?

-60-80, for the bunch.

Again, I think it's another dealer lot,

I would imagine, probably not a private collector peace.

Dealers will be looking to buy these items.

£60-80, I wouldn't mind being able to buy one of those for £20.

Let's see what they're going for, then.

A bit of interest in that. I'm bid £50, straight off. 55. 60.

Still with me at £60. 65.

70. 75. In the room, against the commissions.

-80, there. 85. 90.

-Still going. Going up.

-95. 100. 110.

-Here we go.

-Yes, yes, yes.

-120.

-120 it is, there.

-I love auctions when they do this.

-Anybody else? 120.

-You can do better than that.

-120 is bid. 120.

-£120!

-Much better.

-That's a good result, isn't it?

-It is.

When you were handling those, did you imagine they'd go for that money?

-No, I didn't.

-A much better result than we've been doing so far.

-Especially because you've kept the ones you like.

-Yes, that's true, too.

I'm so pleased they've sold well.

I think Fred would've been massively disappointed had they gone for any less.

And he wants at least £75 for the mahogany three-tier dumb waiter.

Otherwise it'll be going back with him, as he's put a reserve on it.

A little bit of interest in it. I'm straight in at £70.

-OK, £5 under what you want.

-Come on.

-75. 80. 85.

-Right, that's it.

90. 95. 100.

-110. £110, there.

-Oh, yes.

-At 110 in the room at £110.

-The dumb waiter with you, madam, at £110. Anybody else? 110.

-Come on!

Fantastic and it's a sign furniture is doing well here today.

So what will that mean for the Victorian mahogany Davenport,

which Fred is rather reluctant to let go.

I've put a fixed reserve on this one of 200

because of what you said at the house, I thought, "It's got to be worth every penny of that."

I absolutely agree. If it doesn't make £200,

it doesn't deserve to be sold.

You might be carrying it home. Come on. Let's see what it gets.

Again, I've got a bit of interest. I'm straight in at £100.

-That's not a very good start.

-120. 130. 140. 150.

-Here we go.

160. 170. 180.

-£180.

-Oh, it's stuck at 180.

190, I'm bid now. 200.

210. 210.

-Come on.

-220, here.

230.

Do you want 240? 240. 250.

Please!

260.

250. To my left, then, at 250. Are you done?

250. There at 250.

-It goes for 250, then.

-£250.

£250.

Well, it's over your fixed reserve, but are you happy with that figure?

Compared for this market, yes. I know what I paid for it so I know...

-Don't think about what you've paid for it.

-We've all been there.

Fred's last three lots have done really well,

all clearing the £100 mark.

He only needs just over £30 to reach his target,

but I'm keeping that to myself for now.

The four 1970s Royal Worcester candle-snuffers soon follow.

Will this high-quality name attract bids at around £50 to £100?

-I'm bid straight off £40.

-Excellent. There you go.

£40. 45. 50.

£50. I can't believe it's still a cheap lot at £50...

55, standing, thank you. 60...

..5. 70. £70, there, at 70, anybody else?

-That's £70 for the gentleman.

-Yes!

-At 70, 75? Thank you. 80?

75 with the lady, there, at 75. At £75 in the blue, then, at £75. 75.

-Bang on the middle.

-£75. Are you happy with that?

Yes, it's OK. It's OK, yeah, not too bad.

I should imagine again

it's less than you probably paid for them at the time, but...

-It's less than I paid for everything.

-But you've enjoyed them.

-Yes.

-That's right, we certainly have.

We've had them for a while, collected them everywhere,

-so, yes, we've had a good time.

-So not so bad?

-No, not so bad.

Right in the middle of the estimate and Fred is clearly starting

to think differently about his sales now.

Will the large 20th-century Chinese jardiniere on a stand

do as well, with an estimate of £50 to £75.

It's always resided in the corner with a glass top on it

because of the decoration side, so that you could see,

but we've run out of corners so it's time for it to go.

Estimated at £50 to £75, but it's a great thing, it covers all spectrums,

it'll fit in a modern, contemporary home for you

and a traditional home for someone else.

For an interior decorator, it would be a great buy.

All right, OK.

Thank you, I'm bid 20.

I'm going to take 22. 25. 28. 30 in the room.

-Was that a commission bid?

-It does have a commission bid, yeah.

I'm going to sell it at £30.

But commission is out, no, no, no, don't sell it at £30.

At £30 it's going to go. At £30.

-Ooh.

-Not so good, not so good.

-Not so good on that one.

-I take it you didn't put a reserve on that one either?

-No, I didn't.

-That's fine.

-Yeah?

-It was ready to go, so I guess that's fine.

Well, I'm very pleased that Fred's being realistic about that sale,

although it was slightly disappointing.

OK, well let's hope we can do better with our last lot, which is...

the collection of Lladros.

-Some very nice pieces here.

-This is the big one, isn't it?

It's got £300 to £500 on these.

This could make all the difference to our target figures, so...

-Yes it can, yeah.

-Any reserve on this one?

Yes, I put a fixed £300 reserve.

-They should make it, Lorne, they really should.

-Yeah, I agree totally.

They're in good condition cos they've been in your cabinet

and they're in their original boxes. You can't get better than that,

so let's see what happens. Fingers crossed.

Lot 120A are the Lladro figures.

-Ooh, now you must be nervous, now.

-Yes. Yes.

Jolly good lot, this, 120A.

Must be worth... Start me... £200 to start me,

I'm straight in at £200 there. 210. 220. 230.

240. 250. 260. 270.

-280. 280 there.

-Ooh...

At 280 there, it still seems cheap, 280. 290.

-300.

-That's the reserve.

-320. 340. 360. 380.

-Good.

-380 to the lady there.

-Don't forget, you've got eight figurines there.

£380 is the bid, 380. 217.

Ooh...

£380, now that's not bad for eight Lladro figurines.

Yeah, somebody got a good bargain, there.

They did, but you've got £380 which is about bang on middle,

-so I think that's OK. It's a result, isn't it?

-Yes.

Oh, come on, David, give us a smile.

You know, I think I might have some good news, now.

Well, that's our lots done. So, how did you find the auction?

It was quite fun. It was good when people started bidding.

Fred, what about you? I know, you know,

we had a couple of disappointments.

We did, although I think it went well. I'm pleased with the results.

Well, overall, we've actually made £1,254.

-Well done.

-Wonderful.

So, there's a bit of extra money in there, for some shrubs or something.

-For me.

-Yes, absolutely, I should think so!

-We're really, really pleased for you, so good luck.

-Brilliant.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

With that fantastic auction result, Fred and Maureen waste no time

and within days their garden make-over is in full swing.

so, is Fred happy with the result?

Well, the patio is now completed

so we're very happy that the patio is finished

and we're able to sit out here and enjoy it.

There's a lot more room out here now, it looks really good,

so, everybody's commented on how much they really like the patio

and the appearance of it.

Maureen may be camera-shy but I dare say she's no slacker

when it comes to planning the next stage of the landscaping project.

There's more works planned.

This was, kind of, the first phase, to finish up the patio

and the fencing around it

and there's certainly more work in mind, I know. So...

But that is going to be for me to do, this stuff.