Phillips Cash in the Attic

Hello and welcome to the programme that relishes the idea

of exploring the homes of people who, for one reason or another,

have amassed all sorts of antiques and collectables.

Today, I'm about to meet a couple who are passionate about arts and crafts.

So who knows? Maybe we'll hit the big time

when we go looking for cash in the attic.

'Coming up on Cash In The Attic,

'it's time to take charge of all desirable objects...'

-I really feel like running away with it.

-No, you can't. It's going to stay with me.

'..and to trade in this old map of Warwickshire for a sat nav.'

-Mr Hogg was a rubbish mapmaker!

-Why?!

Where's the M1 and the M42?! And where's Birmingham?!

'Come auction day, I must confess to a certain passion.'

Me and Imelda Marcos, when it comes to shoes - like that.

'Fingers crossed for success when the hammer falls.'

Today, I'm in Cambridgeshire

and on my way to meet Phillippa and Stuart,

a couple who want to raise money

so they can produce an instructional DVD.

'Creativity is the buzz word around the Peterborough home of Stuart and Phillippa Phillips.

'Embroidery expert Phillippa is a part-time craft demonstrator

'with 16 years' experience in haberdashery at a leading department store and a degree in textile arts.

'This was her grandmother's house

'and Phillippa has lived here since she moved in to take care of her.

'Stuart was literally the boy next door

'and now, when he's not out driving mobile cranes, he's busy in his workshop down the garden,

'skilfully turning wood into beautiful handcrafted objects.

'We're depending on the expertise of valuer David Harper,

'who has more than 20 years' experience in antiques.

'While David begins our rummage through the nooks and crannies,

'I've a forage of my own to make in search of our two highly creative craftspeople.'

Hi, Phillippa and Stuart, your garden is an absolute riot of colour.

-Who's the gardener in the family?

-It's me, I love gardening. It's a real passion.

-And you like eating the produce, presumably?

-Yes.

But the pair of you are so heavily into arts and crafts.

I enjoy wood turning, in me workshop down there.

It's only a small workshop, but it's well equipped.

-And Phillippa?

-I do textiles and textile design. That's my bag.

So keeps us busy and we don't fall out very much. ALL LAUGH

Why have you called in Cash In The Attic?

I'm in the middle of making a DVD and it's about free machine embroidery.

I'm getting near to the end and I'd like the cash so that I can get it cut and promoted.

How much money is that going to take?

I'm looking for about £500 to get me started.

What things will we see that are likely to help you make that money?

A lot of the things are from my nan and my mum who I looked after, so I've inherited them.

And there are a few things of Stuart's as well.

I brought David Harper with me. He's having a rummage around. Shall we see what he's found?

And maybe Stuart can have those beans on toast later!

-PHILLIPPA LAUGHS

-Come on.

'I don't think we've ever met anyone who's raising money to finish making a DVD.

'Let's hope today's search for collectables is a success.

'David is upstairs. He's bound to have found something

'with which to push the start button on our auction menu.'

Hello, David, I see you found my plaque.

Sorry, I've been rooting in your drawers. I hope you don't mind.

It's not very often I get a man rooting around in me drawers!

I'll come round more often, then!

Why are these hidden in a drawer? They are lovely?

They are beautiful, aren't they?

I had somebody say they might be ivory and I'm dead against that.

Perhaps you can tell me whether they are.

That's a very good question. They're made out of rosewood.

We know it's rosewood because you've that lovely honey colour, but with a black, thick grain.

-And then marquetry inlay. So it's not painted.

-No.

If you rub your nail, it's been cut out and inlaid with other woods,

what looks, to the European eye, to be a satinwood,

an indigenous, Indian wood with probably ebony and some fruit wood.

And then this. Is it bone, cattle bone, or is it ivory?

I would say they are actually ivory.

But do you have a real problem with that?

I belong to the International Federation of Animal Welfare

and it's really a bit of a hypocrite to have things on the wall and look after animals.

I can understand, I really can. I feel exactly the same.

There are major problems still in the world today with the poaching of elephants.

It's a horrific problem.

But these will pre-date 1947. Legally, we can sell them.

These things were made in a time when the world was a different place.

They are works of art and they shouldn't be destroyed,

but then they shouldn't be hidden away, in my opinion.

Valuation. For the three, I would say

50 to 80. Would that be OK?

That would be fine.

I think they'll be an absolute bargain for someone at that.

-So out of the drawer and into auction.

-OK.

I'm going to follow you. Show me some more.

If you have worked ivory items made before 1947,

you needn't worry about selling them.

They're considered antiques and are not subject to the international treaties

brought in to protect endangered species.

Phillippa's plaques make a truly exotic start to our fund

and now Stuart, searching in the lounge, has found some extraordinary pottery on the mantelpiece.

It was given to Phillippa's mum, who was a nurse.

This ornamental ceramic footwear with a colourful chicken motif

was a startlingly unusual present from one of her patients.

At the auction, they could increase our total by £20-£30.

They're not the only family heirlooms to be found dotted around the house.

David and Stuart, I love old maps.

-HE GASPS

-I love old maps.

I've got a lovely one here of Warwickshire

drawn from the latest authorities, it says. What can you tell us about this?

It was my wife's parents'.

My father-in-law was born in Warwickshire.

They bought it an antique shop.

I tell you what, very often you can find out quite a lot about maps

from taking a look at the back.

Ah, there we are. Take a look at that. What does that tell us?

There we are. "PJR. This map is guaranteed to be over 150 years old."

It's older than that.

Alexander Hogg, made in 1784, different time altogether.

Alexander Hogg was a book seller, a publisher, and he's probably better known

for producing the Captain James Cook journals.

-Ah!

-What a...

-That was him?

-That was him.

He produced them, published them and sold them.

I think you've got a very good eye, Angela. Because that is an adorable little map.

I mean, we've got Coventry there.

Warwick, Stratford down there.

-I tell you what, Mr Hogg was a rubbish map maker!

-Why?!

Where's the M1 and the M42?! And where's Birmingham?!

-THEY LAUGH

-It's a rubbish map.

-We couldn't get anywhere with that!

-No!

It's lovely, isn't it? They're all tiny, tiny, little roads.

Before the Tarmac, before the motorways,

-before the motorcar.

-A different world altogether.

A snapshot into a world we'll never be able to understand.

With that kind of provenance, if we took this to auction, what might we make?

I think 30 to 50 would be sensible.

It's not a lot of money for such a lovely little piece of history.

You and I are selling it to each other because we adore it so much. We'd pay that.

-Would you pay that?

-I would, yes. I like that sort of thing.

Let's hope someone there's at the auction who's prepared to pay that for it.

'Indeed, we're hoping the buyer, whoever that is, will part with around £30-£50

'to relocate that historic map to its rightful place.

'Downstairs in the kitchen, David is scouring for further possibilities.

'He chances upon some engraved drinking glasses that once belonged to Phillippa's father,

'who loved wine making.

'They could add yet another £30-£50 towards our total.

'That's my excuse for a break and a chance to visit

'the craft room of this very artistic lady.

'I want to learn more about her expertise with needlework

'and that intriguing video project.'

So what are you doing there?

I'm doing machine embroidery. This is thread painting.

Autumn leaves.

I've got a theme and that shows how you can translate that theme

in many different ways.

I have to say, I am so impressed at your artistic creativity.

This whole house is absolutely full of your work.

It's on the walls, it's in the flowers that we've got here.

And now you're making the DVD.

Where did all this creativity come from?

I've always liked textiles. My mother was into textiles as well.

She used to do cross-stitch, so she taught me.

And I've grown. I've gone on to do a degree course in textile arts.

That has led to finishing with these quirky flowers that you see

around the house and they're part- recycled and part-traditional stitch.

So another little offshoot was to make this DVD.

There's lots of books on the subject, but not many DVDs.

What will happen to this DVD when you finish the editing process?

I'm hoping to sell it online. I'm at the final editing stage.

I'm hoping, with the £500 from Cash In The Attic, to get them cut and printed

and then advertised on the internet.

So that's how I'm going to sell them.

Lots of people will be making wonderful bits and pieces like this.

They're going to have to go some to match the extraordinary amount of creativity

that you've got in this house.

Shall we go and see what David thinks we might be able to take to auction?

Sadly, not the beautiful things you've made, but beautiful things you've inherited.

-Shall we find out?

-OK.

'Phillippa is certainly very talented with many creative strings to her bow.

'Looking around her craft room, I discovered this charm bracelet, which she's had since childhood.

'It's in silver and white metal and the various charms were added over the years

'by her parents and grandparents.

'To my surprise, Phillippa decides to add the bracelet to the auction

'where it may fetch a further £20-£30.

'Upstairs in the main bedroom, David has uncovered framed military colours,

'which may reveal an interesting slice of family history.'

What a wonderful piece of needlework you found, David.

-Is this your handiwork, Phillippa?

-This is a lot older than me! It's my great-grandfather's.

-He was in the Inniskilling Dragoons.

-Where did he come from?

There is a little bit of his obituary at the back of the work.

He died young at 42. It says clearly he passed through the Zulu War.

Ah, yes, it says he went through the Zulu War and although he was in several engagements,

he was fortunate enough to escape without wounds.

-How fascinating.

-It is.

-What does the embroidery show us?

It's the insignia of the Inniskilling Dragoons.

I tell you what, that is absolutely gorgeous quality.

Obviously done in silk.

That presumably is the battle colour of the Dragoons?

Yes. That would be the flag that's taken into battle and, of course,

it's protected by many men at the cost of their lives.

If you lose the colours, that is it, you've had it.

You can lose the battle.

But we've got great, great battles here.

Waterloo, Sebastopol, Balaclava.

All household names. All very well-known battles. And these guys were there.

The quality of it is amazing. It's not an amateur piece, I don't think.

Often you'd find these things made by wives or mothers while the men were away.

However, it's not just the domain of women. Men also used to embroider.

Big, butch, burly men would sit by the fire practising their needlework.

-And knitting.

-And knit, as well.

Men in the 19th century were well in tune with their feminine side.

I think they were just bored and didn't have anything else to do.

What about the colours? Have they been preserved?

They're a little bit faded. You can see fade damage. This would have been really bright red.

If we take it to auction, what do you think it might make?

We've got everything going for it - quality, all the insignias.

Valuation, I think we need a come-and-get-me valuation. 60-80.

OK. Do you reckon you could do something like that?

-Not that fine.

-No. That would be a challenge!

-But the first challenge is to get it sold at auction.

-Absolutely.

'I reckon Phillippa is being too modest. Surely that tapestry isn't beyond her abilities.

'Later at auction, this highly collectable military insignia commands attention.'

100 bid. At 110.

120, do I see?

'I'll salute that.

'The auction list is growing fast as we continue our day in Peterborough.

'Phillippa is looking through an old jewellery box for watches

'inherited from her mother and grandmother.

'There's a smart antique pocket watch and expert David has spotted a silver hallmark,

'so at auction, we won't be fobbed off with less than £20-£30.

'Down in the lounge, Stuart seems to be fired up about something.'

-Shells?

-Shells, yes. Shell cases.

I thought you were going to show me a nice delicate cameo.

And you show me a couple of blinking... What, First World War, do you think?

-Possibly they are.

-Where are they from?

The last time I saw them they were my father's and he just kept canes in them.

-Did your dad bring them back from the war?

-I wouldn't have thought so.

Maybe his father. I don't know.

OK, well, there's no markings on the base, they've been rubbed off.

Normally, these things are First World War.

I don't think I've seen very many from the Second World War.

And this is the pure form of recycling.

These things were made for death and destruction.

Then they're made into decorative items for the home.

Something sort of made nice out of a bad situation.

So we've got no etchings, but they are definitely shell cases.

-Yes.

-And they've been fired, I'm quite sure of that.

And they've been used as stick stands.

-Do you like them?

-No, I don't. I don't particularly like them.

-I like certain brasses, but not these.

-Come on, Stuart!

They're kind of contemporary. Clean lines.

-They're very modern, funky!

-No, I don't like them.

-You haven't got any walking sticks to go in there?

-I have, but they're just upstairs.

-Put them in here.

-There's too many.

-That's fine, let's try and get them away.

Valuation, I think 20-30 for the pair.

-You seemed delighted with that!

-I would have thought so, yes!

Souvenirs of war like these often appear at auction,

sometimes fashioned by ex-soldiers into all sorts of trench art.

Talking of art, I think it's time we found out precisely how

these two creative individuals first got together.

-So you married the boy next door.

-That's right.

-So how did that happen?

I came to live here and Grace and Eric, Stuart's parents,

were next door, and we became firm friends.

I danced with his father.

And one day, his mum said, "Wouldn't it be nice if you two got together?" That was his fate sealed, really!

-You didn't stand a chance, Stuart!

-Didn't seem like it!

Did you realise that there was this matchmaking

between your mum and your future wife?

Not really, but Mum has a lot to answer for.

She has. But, you look as if you're doing very well on it.

I've done very well!

-Where did the ballroom dancing come in, then?

-Well, his father was a keen dancer

and I had done some ballroom dancing, and so we got together and we danced for 15 years.

So I really enjoyed dancing with him. He was a fantastic dancer, he was.

Are you sure they didn't get you to marry Stuart so that his father would have a partner for life?

No, we were already partners before he married!

So how good a dancer was your dad?

He was a wonderful dancer.

Not that I could appreciate it, really, at that age,

but I've seen him on TV, dancing for the cameras.

Those must have been the days of the big puffball jobs out to here.

I don't know what they was made of. What were they made of?

Toile and net.

Sequins that apparently were all sewed on by hand, the men!

THEY LAUGH

And, you know, they were fully dressed, and Father was dressed by my mum.

Stuart, I've been in your workshop.

-It's a work of art in there, isn't it?

-You've tidied up, then!

How did you get into doing that wood-turning?

There's examples of it all round the house.

I've always enjoyed DIY, and a friend of mine, he was a lovely turner,

he said to me one day, "Why don't you get yourself a lathe?"

So the wife bought me one, and it is very addictive.

If you're down in the shed, and, Phillippa,

you're in your workroom, do you actually ever get together, you two?

-Yes, we do.

-How long have you been married now?

-23 years, and we don't fall out much!

-No, we don't see each other much!

THEY LAUGH

'Whilst we've been chatting, David has been working hard,

'and he's just sniffed out a potential pot or two of gold.'

Phillippa? They've got a funny whiff, haven't they?

They have. These were my nan's ginger jars.

And she bought them when she had a shop in Leicester when I was a young girl.

We talked about opening them to see whether the ginger was fresh, but they're still intact!

They smell wonderful, don't they?

-Do you think they are ginger jars?

-Yes, absolutely.

They weren't always used just for ginger. They were used for storage. These are Chinese.

You've got two. Let me have a look at that one.

You grab that. Let me have a look.

That one's a bit smaller?

Well, they might be, because they're individually pottered.

They're identical in a pattern and decoration, so they're decorated

in enamel paint, and they're really jolly things, aren't they?

Yes, yes.

So date-wise, I would've thought, late 19th, early 20th century,

-and they do well in auction, particularly as a pair.

-Good.

Pairs of anything are always worth substantially more than two single values.

So how much are they worth?

Well, I reckon, you know, they're nice, it's a pair,

-40-60.

-40-60? That surprises me. I thought these were just Nan's tat.

You should have more faith in old Nan's tat.

Take it from me,

Granny's old tat can often turn out to be something quite special.

The spare room is home to a collection of walking sticks

which belonged to Stuart's father.

This novelty one could be worth selling.

Partly made of glass, dating from the late 19th or early 20th century,

David prices it at around £30-£50.

Then, in the bedroom,

our expert finds a bracelet

of nine carat rose gold, which Phillippa had bought as a present

for Stuart nearly 17 years ago in an antiques shop.

Gold prices being high at the moment,

this could easily link up another £120-£140 for our grand total.

'Our day in Peterborough is drawing to a close,

'but not before Phillippa has a chance to show me a display cabinet.

'It's filled with ornaments, plus a delightful example

'of something that's always popular at auctions.'

Now, in amongst all that glass is this, which is most unusual.

Where does this come from?

This was my grandfather's snuffbox. I particularly like the stone.

I used to think it was a real diamond when I was little.

Well, I don't think it is a real diamond, but I tell you what,

there is a lot of other interesting stuff about this.

I tell you what, I think we ought to get David. David, Stuart?

Have you got a minute? Can you come and join us?

We're just having a bit of a gossip in the other room.

Well, I tell you what, stop the gossip.

Take a look at that. Isn't that lovely?

That is just gorgeous.

As you can see, the shape on it is absolutely beautiful.

-Any idea where that's from?

-Yeah, it's a ram's horn.

Yeah, and it's a Scottish piece and it is a snuff,

but it's not a snuff box, it's a snuff mull.

Big difference. And incredibly Scottish.

I mean, it's got Scotland written all over it, hasn't it?

In the fact that it's got the ram's horn

and the decoration, with thistles in there,

which is silver. But also, look at that.

You've got a shooting dog, a hunting dog.

Of course, snuff was relatively expensive, wasn't it?

Which is why most snuff boxes are quite tiny.

But because it's a table piece as well, it could be, you know,

used communally on a sideboard or a dining table, but also not too big

for this to go into the coat while you're out on the glen.

-But you've got to settle one thing.

-Yeah.

That's not a diamond on the top, is it?

-I think it's just a piece of glass, I'm afraid to say.

-Oh, dear.

I think the downsides, potentially, the horn has lost a bit of lustre.

It might have been damp.

I think that puts extra value on it

because it means that people have actually used it,

but what do I know? David, how much?

-THEY LAUGH

-OK, £100-£200.

-Oh, wow.

-Would that be OK?

-Yeah.

This, for me, is by far the nicest item I've seen today. By far.

And I really feel like just running away with it.

No, you can't. It's going to stay with me where it's going to be safe,

and what I will do now is tell you

that if we add that value to everything else -

we're going to take the lowest estimate

on everything that David has looked at -

we should be able to make at least

540 which means we make your target,

and hopefully on the day

we'll have quite a lot of people fighting over this,

not including David, so it could be even more.

-Oh, good.

-That'd be wonderful.

Excellent news, and fingers crossed Phillippa has all she needs

to complete her DVD project.

We've had a super day in Peterborough

and amassed some really interesting objects for the auction.

These three exotic decorative plaques

with inlaid Indian dancing girls are very unusual.

They may entice a bidder or two to part with some much-needed moolah.

David thought they should make £50-£80.

Both he and I really loved this framed map which shows

the county of Warwickshire in the late 18th century.

By his reckoning, it could find another £30-£50 for our cause.

And that framed and embroidered insignia

of the Inniskilling Fusiliers,

once owned by Phillippa's great-grandfather.

It promises to be worthy of great respect at £60-£80.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic,

David wonders if we'll find a buyer for the eye-catching plaques.

They'd buy the dancing girls, darling.

The auctioneer does his best for the bracelet but can't charm everyone.

20 and 5. 22, then, meet you halfway.

20... What do you mean, "No?!" Don't be mean.

We've all to play for, right to the final whack of the gavel.

Well, Phillippa's DVD project

is coming along really nicely since we last saw her.

All we need now is another £500 to help along those production costs.

Well, we've brought all of her items here today

to Bamfords in Derby to sell, so what we want now

is a bit of action from the bidders.

Alongside the other potential buyers,

David Harper has been checking out the sale room for bargains.

The various lots on display include those sent along by Phillippa and Stuart.

Our couple are here to bid a fond farewell

to that embroidered military insignia, which belonged to Phillippa's great-grandfather.

It's one of two items which now have fixed reserves,

the other being the ram's-horn snuff case.

Hi, Phillippa and Stuart. I have to say, your great-grandfather's piece of embroidery

looks wonderful on the wall here,

between these two rather imposing-looking gentlemen.

-Hey, but haven't we had some great news about this?

-Yeah, we have.

My estimate was £60-£80

but the auctioneers have now increased that to £150 to £250

with a fixed reserve of £150,

which means, of course, they have interest in it.

Someone's come and seen that and said, "Got to have that."

So up the estimate goes. How do you feel about that?

-Excellent. That's lovely. Wonderful.

-Terrific, isn't it?

So have you managed to have a look around so far, Stuart?

I think it's lovely. There was just something nice about that sort of stuff.

-About the furniture?

-Well, everything, really.

Just the way it was made and the quality of it.

Made to last for ever, wasn't it?

And what we're hoping will happen is that everybody will bid really well for your items.

-Would you like to say it, actually? Because you're the film-maker here. Action?

-Action.

The auction is already underway as we take our places.

Well, let's see whether the bidders like our first lot.

Can those two brass shell-casings make it to their estimate target?

Why did you have those in the house?

Oh, well, they came from my grandmother.

I believe they were my grandfather's.

He was in Coventry during the blitz, so...

-Hopefully they'll get us some money towards our DVD.

-Yeah.

-Nothing that appeals to you there, then, Stuart?

-Not really, no.

-It's not the sort of thing I'd collect.

-That's being honest.

Well, £20-£30. Is that a bit optimistic, David?

Possibly, but it is a pair, they're very stout,

they could be used as stick stands, but they're also very clean-lined,

so they could look very contemporary and a bit funky in a modern home.

So, interior designers, potentially.

£20 for them. 20. £20, somewhere.

-A pair of brass shell-cases.

-Come on, James!

Useful for artist's brushes or fireside implements.

15, then.

-Who wants them?

-Oh, come on.

-£10.

Oh, they're so difficult, these shell cases.

Sorry, not sold, guys.

-Out of fashion.

-Oh, dear.

-They turned them others down.

-Nobody went for them.

-I'll have to put the umbrellas back in it.

You will, won't you?

Oh, dear. A couple of damp squibs there.

Not an auspicious start to the proceedings,

but there's plenty more to come.

You never know, the follow lot might walk off with a better result.

Given to Phillippa's mother by one of her patients,

these bizarre pieces of china

are unlike anything I've ever seen before.

19th-century, transferware-printed, a bit quirky, aren't they?

I mean, well, do you like them, Phillippa?

They are quirky but not my taste, really.

£20-£30, who's going to buy them at that?

They're kind of things you'd find at an antique fair or even a car boot,

so maybe that's the kind of person who's probably going to buy them.

Tell you what, me and Imelda Marcos, when it comes to shoes, like that.

I wouldn't buy them, but I bet somebody here will.

-I have an absentee bid of 15 to start.

-Ooh, 15 to start.

18. I'll start them at the 15, and 18 where? 18? Thinking...

18 bid, 20 with me.

-Yes.

-£20 with me. 22, do I see?

At 20. Do you want a pair of shoes? At 20. All done at £20.

-20.

-Bottom end of your estimate, but happy with that?

-Pleased with that, yeah.

-Not too bad, is it?

You're happy. You don't want to take them home, do you?

No, I don't want to take anything home. Apart from my wife.

The china shoes waltz off with just £20, matching our lowest estimate.

David and I were far more fascinated

with this next piece under the hammer -

a framed map of Warwickshire, dating back, we think, to the 1780s.

No motorways in sight.

What I want to know is have you followed those routes?

Because you said you were going to get your boots on

-and you were going to tour those little side roads.

-Been a bit busy.

Let's hope that the busy is going on here

-because we want £30-£50 on them, don't we?

-We do.

To £20 bid. At £20 and two, do I see?

22, sir. 25. 28.

And 30, and 32 beats it.

32, thank you. 32, 35 now.

And 32 in the room and five anywhere? At 32, 35, do I see?

Any advance? 32 to 59.

-£32. Pleased with that?

-Yeah, great.

-Good.

-It's all right.

-Bottom end again. We like to get to the top end, don't we?

-We do, we do.

A couple of pounds above the lower estimate

means another £32 for Phillippa's DVD production fund.

Next up, a traditional piece of jewellery

which is increasingly in demand. Let's find out why.

Apparently charm bracelets are back in fashion

and you've got this nice silver one here.

Did you collect all the things on it?

Yes, as a girl, the family used to buy me charms to put on it,

but I'm a little bit clumsy with bracelets so I've decided to sell it.

In fact, my daughter's doing exactly the same thing now.

Her friends buy her things for her birthday,

she buys them charms for their birthday, so it just keeps on going. They are really fashionable,

so it could do really quite well.

Well, we want it to bring back at least £20-£30.

At 15, hazard an 18 now? 18 with the lady and 20. 20 and five.

22, then, meet you halfway, 20...

What do you mean, "No?!" Don't be mean!

At £21. 22 anywhere?

At £21, all sure at 21?

Yours, 329.

He's right, a bargain there. But it is still over our lowest estimate.

-Just in.

-So we're on track.

-Just in.

Just inside our estimate at £21.

The bidders have snapped up a really fashionable bargain there.

On we go to a lot of watches that were once the property

of Phillippa's mother and grandmother.

With at least one silver item among them,

this collected lot could hand us between £20 and £30.

So it's a trade piece.

The room looks like it's got plenty of dealers and traders so...

-£20-£30 should be about right.

-It should be about right, yeah.

-And £20 is bid.

-£20.

20 and two do I see? At £20 and two anywhere?

22. 25 against you.

At £25, 28 now. At 25. Anybody else?

At £25...

25.

Modest, but a good addition to the pot.

Absolutely. Bang in the middle.

David was spot on with his evaluation

and the watches have made another useful addition to our DVD fund.

Now, the auction house has had offers for the next historical item.

They recommended we up the original estimate

and add a fixed reserve of £100,

which should guarantee a great result.

Well, right behind us we've got that amazing piece of embroidery.

We thought £60 to £80, but as we've already told you,

the auction house have had a lot of interest in it,

so we know it's going to sell somewhere north of £100.

Mm, sounds a bit exciting, doesn't it?

It does. Are you surprised by that, Phillippa?

I am a little bit, yes, but I'll be really excited to see what's going to happen.

I've 65... Well, I've got 70, 80.

I've got 95 here.

95, all absentee bids.

100, do I see? 100 bid?

At 110, 120, do I see?

One more? 110. 110.

Well, it's a good job they came to us within seconds of it selling,

because that wouldn't have sold three minutes ago.

But we reduced it to 100,

we made a quick decision and it sold for 110.

Full military honours at £110, and Phillippa and Stuart are delighted.

Before we consider a short break,

I wonder how close we are to the £500 goal.

That is the halfway point of our auction so far.

Of the £500 you want to raise, we're not at the halfway stage yet.

We didn't sell the brass shells, Stuart,

and I'm sure you're disappointed about that.

-THEY LAUGH

-But we have sold everything else

and we've been slightly ahead of the game on everything that we've sold so far,

-which means that we've got £208 in the kitty.

-Ooh.

-Wow.

Yeah, and there's a lot more stuff to come

and then we'll see what happens in the second half.

The break will hopefully focus our minds on the target,

and also we find it helpful to look around.

The auctioneer, James Lewis,

sometimes has useful thoughts on sale-room bargains,

and the hidden qualities that can be found

in even the most mundane-looking objects.

You're having a good, old rummage in there, James. What have you found?

Boxes like this in a general sale

just go to show that condition's everything.

-It's this little chap, here. He looks a wise old owl, doesn't he?

-Yeah.

But I think it's going to take a wise old owl to buy it,

because this little chap is probably German, made around 1860, 1870,

but he would have started life as an oil lamp.

And this little screw top here is where you would have attached

the reservoir and the light fitting to the top.

I've seen these in my fine art sales

making hundreds and hundreds of pounds.

-How much?!

-The record for one that I've sold is £1,500.

Flippin' heck!

It's lost its attachment, that could be found, but the problem...

-is that.

-Oh.

-The base has been smashed away.

But with a bit of restoration,

that could be a handsome profit for someone.

And it's in box of, you know, miscellaneous old junk, really,

-which will probably go for about, what?

-£30, £40?

-So, really, what you're saying is,

you've got in an auction lots of boxes here,

but it is worthwhile having a good look,

-because you never know what you're going to find?

-Yeah.

Excuse me, there are some more boxes here. See you later.

Just goes to show, you never know whether something valuable may be nestling among the oddments.

If you're thinking of selling your own items in this way,

you should factor in the various fees

charged by auction rooms, such as commission.

Your local sale will be able to advise you.

We still have plenty to come, like that ram's-horn snuff mull,

which David reckons should do very well.

But first, we've some glassware which used to belong

to Phillippa's father, who enjoyed making his own wine.

Let's see if the bidders fancy a sip from these.

I must admit, I do love nice glass,

and you've got this very pretty little set

of early 20th century wine glasses.

I'm always amazed that things that are that old manage to survive without any chips.

How did you keep them in such good condition?

I do believe there was a set of six, but they were kept in a cabinet.

-And now there's only four.

-Yes.

-Well, we've got £30-£50.

-30-50.

-Which is actually quite a bit for four glasses, David.

But they are just such good-quality things and, you know,

I can say that. The downside is, of course,

that people now want glasses to go into dishwashers.

You wouldn't dream of putting those things

-into a dishwasher, so we might struggle.

-Here they go.

£30 for them. 30. £30 somewhere.

£25, then. 25?

-Oooh.

-Anybody want them? 20, then.

No wine drinkers in, James?

Sorry, guys, no interest.

So we're not selling them. Never mind, I'm sure you can fill them with something nice at home.

-Yeah, we'll celebrate later with them.

-Or commiserate, one of the two.

That's the spirit, Phillippa.

The glasses didn't sell, but our grand total

may yet bring us good cheer.

Next we have some Chinese pots,

which offer a Far Eastern promise of finance for Phillippa's film.

A couple of ginger jars now. Did you keep ginger in them, Phillippa?

They were my nan's and she particularly liked ginger

and every year we said we'd open them, but never did.

Well, they're oriental, we've got £40-£60 on them.

Hope there's a bit of spice in the bidding.

We can start the bidding at £22. 22. 24, do I see?

At 22, 24 now.

At £22. And 24, do I see?

At 22. Is that enough, guys?

-Is that enough? Will you sell it at 22?

-Yes.

You sure?

-Too late, David.

-£22.

-A bit lower than you estimated, David.

-£11 each for a pair of...

-That's a bargain. The ginger's worth that.

-I wouldn't mind that.

A shame it wasn't a little closer to David's original estimate

but the £22 is still a welcome addition to our target.

When I heard about the next item,

I was initially reminded of the saying,

"As useful as a chocolate teapot."

I mean, come on, who on earth designed

and ever thought of making a walking cane out of glass?

I've seen a few of them over the years.

You have, they're novelty, they're wacky Victorian inventions.

And really lovely quality. Twisted cane, hand-blown, £30-£50.

And it is undamaged too.

Hasn't been shaved, hasn't been chipped, it's ready to go.

-Nice thing. I really like it. Do you like it?

-Yes, I do, yeah.

Whoa! He likes something!

One, two, three bids on it, all almost identical.

I've got one bid of 30, one bid of 32 and one higher,

so £35. 38 anywhere?

At 35, 38, do I see?

Absentee bids at £35. 38, do I see?

£35 takes it.

-35.

-Well, it's all right, isn't it? It's all right.

Well, it is £5 above what you thought it might make.

I thought it might have done 50.

A fine novelty made for a Victorian gentleman.

The glass cane has strutted off to a new home

and our fund is £35 better off.

Now, bring on the dancing girls.

Those hardwood plaques with ivory inlaid decoration

were valued by David at £50-£80.

Of course, anything with ivory content

in these more enlightened times can be a cause for concern.

They are earlier than 1947,

so you shouldn't really feel any guilt at all.

They are little works of art and I really rate them.

Are there any buyers in here

that would buy Indian ivory-inlaid dancing girls?

-They'd buy the dancing girls, darling.

-I would.

Let's hope they're going to pay £50-£80 for the wooden version.

At £40, 45 anywhere?

-45. 50 and five.

-Yes!

At 50 with me and five anywhere?

At 50. Five. 55. 60?

At 55, 60 anywhere? Hiding. At £55 to the left.

At 55, do I see 60 anywhere?

At 55, any advance?

Yours at 55.

55! Well done.

That's fair, a fiver over our lowest estimate, and those girls

will become an exotic addition to someone else's home.

We're the ones who will be dancing with joy when the next item is sold.

Phillippa bought it almost 17 years ago, a bracelet in rose gold,

and gold of any kind is pricey at the moment.

Was this something you inherited?

It's something I bought for my hubby.

And you're getting rid of it?!

I never did use it. It's not really my cup of tea, to be honest with you.

-A bit too much of the bling?

-A bit too much, yeah.

120-140, that's presumably just based

on its value in weight, isn't it, David?

It's got value. That's it.

You may not like the bracelet, but I bet you'll like what it goes for.

-Yeah.

-Let's watch.

At £100 bid. 100. 110. 120. 130.

130 has it, 140 now.

At £130 in the room.

At 130, do I see 140 anywhere?

At 130, bang in the middle of the estimate.

130.

You see, it's making double what it might have made several years ago.

-It's triple what I paid for it.

-There you go. Perfect.

The bracelet has done just what we expected

and linked our running total to a further £130.

James the auctioneer knows why it did so well.

There's one thing you can guarantee in today's auction market -

that's that gold will sell and sell well.

We had so many bids on it and all really close together.

It's guaranteed to make the price.

We're on the closing stretch

of our auction now, and a truly beautiful item to finish with.

The Scottish ram's-horn snuff box

is the kind of thing for which collectors go crazy.

Our estimate is £100-£200.

We have now what could be

the piece de resistance of this sale,

cos it's that rather nice, late-Victorian ram's-horn snuff mull.

Now, David, there's a reason why it's called a mull

and not a snuff box, isn't there?

Yes, it's called a mull because, in actual fact,

it's called a mill, a snuff mill, because the snuff was milled

and the Scots called it a snuff mill,

but then the word was corrupted

as the English ear picked it up as mull. And the name stuck.

-You've put a reserve on it, haven't you?

-Yes, yeah.

-Which is?

-It's £100.

Well, I'm sure we're going to make that and some.

£150's bid.

-Oh-ho!

-At 150, 160 now.

At 150, 160 anywhere?

At 150, 160, do I see?

160 winking, 160, 170,

180 against you. At £170, 180 now.

At 170.

Absentee bid at £170.

-Anyone else?

-Come on, come on...

At £170... 170.

-You pleased with that?

-Yes.

-He worked hard for that, didn't he?

He loved it. And all those bids on the book is so exciting.

So exciting.

As expected, the snuff mull was a huge hit. So what's the total?

-You wanted to raise 500, didn't you?

-Yes.

I'm delighted to tell you that you've actually made £620.

-Oh, that's wonderful.

-Wow.

-Brilliant.

-Absolutely spot on.

-Brilliant.

-Yeah.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

-That's well done.

-Is that as good as an Oscar?

-Ho-ho! Perfect.

A few weeks later, and we're at the Alexandra Palace in North London.

Phillippa's taken a stand at a creative textile show.

So I've finally got my DVD kit. I've got the first 100 done

with the money from the Cash In The Attic team

and I've also been able to get a website up and running,

so I'm all ready for the off.

It's the biggest textile show for stitchers

and I've come here to promote my DVD.

It's about free-machine embroidery.

A lot of people have already taken the leaflets

and been really interested today.

Having a look at everybody else's work makes me want to go home and start stitching a new project.

Phillippa's always been able to express herself in textiles

and it's been a real pleasure helping her to share her knowledge.

It's been a fantastic experience on Cash In The Attic,

I really recommend it for anybody.

It's really given me the encouragement

for the last final stage of making this film, getting it finished.

I can't wait to see the end result of Phillippa's first film.

If there's something that you would like to raise money for

and you do have things that you wouldn't mind taking to auction,

then do by all means get in touch with our programme.

You'll find all of the details on our website at...

We really would love to see you on Cash In The Attic.

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