Taylor Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic, the programme that enjoys helping you to rummage around your house,

finding those antiques and collectables

you've been storing and then taking them to auction.

We've got great hopes for today's search,

because the family have lived in their house for more than 70 years.

Coming up on Cash In The Attic, astonishing revelations about

the detail on this family heirloom.

-He's saying something. I'm not sure what.

-He's saying, "Come and get me, girls."

LAUGHTER

'Our expert Paul does his best with the local lingo.'

Llangollen where your taid lives.

There you are, I'm speaking Welsh!

'Although his comparison of Hollywood icons may be called into question.'

It's as much a movie star as Cary Grant or any of the greats.

Felix is up there with them.

Felix and Cary Grant. That's pushing it!

'Get it all in perspective when the hammer falls.'

You join me in North Wales, near the town of Wrexham,

where I'm about to meet Jill Taylor.

She's called us in because she would like us to sort through

a host of family heirlooms to help her mum with an imminent house move.

'Avid Liverpool supporter Jill is a

'PA to the directors of a healthcare firm.

'She grew up in the family home in Wrexham,

'where her mum Peggy has always lived.

'So this place is full of mementos.

'Her best friend Heather is joining our search

as we attempt to declutter for Peggy's benefit.

We'll need solid advice from a man with a lifetime

in the antiques business - Paul Hayes,

and he's raring to go.

Morning, Jill, Heather.

-This is Paul.

-How are you?

-Our man of the moment.

What are you looking at?

-Some old books.

-Look at these!

-They're great.

Look at that. 1948. Isn't that fantastic?

I think you are going to have a treasure hunt.

I certainly think so. Do you mind if I make a start?

Is that all right? I'll see you in a second.

These are terrific. I have to say this is a wonderful old house.

You've lived here a long time?

My mum's been here 74 years. She's lived here all her life.

She came when she was one. It's the only home she's ever known.

She's been on her own here for eight years.

-Why did you call in Cash In The Attic?

-Mum's moving. She's selling the house.

She's moving to a smaller place. Hopefully, a bungalow.

The furniture she has is big

and she'll never finish into a tiny bungalow.

So she decided she'll have a clear-out.

How much do we want to raise?

We would love to raise £500. That would be great.

That would help her buy a lot of furniture for her new place, won't it?

That would be terrific.

-Where is your mum?

-She's dog sitting today.

She's decided to leave us to it.

-She trusts you to do it?

-We hope so.

-We'll find out!

-You two have been friends for a long time.

-Yes.

We've been friends for 22 years.

We lived together in the same village.

You can tell me all about that over a couple tea later.

In the meantime, if Paul has started work, I think we should, as well.

Why don't you and I find him.

Heather, you make a start in the rest of the house. See you later.

See you later.

'We're all keen to do well by Peggy as we scour her rambling home.'

I must say, it looks like a handful for one retired person.

Speaking of someone who's knocking on a bit, here's Paul.

He's already laid eyes on something to kick us off.

-Heh-heh!

-What have you found us?

-I've made a start.

-You couldn't miss him. He's great.

-He's fantastic.

-Where did this come from?

-This came from my Auntie Nan -

she travelled a lot with my Uncle Arthur - and she was in Austria.

-What made her want to buy it?

-They saw the guy carving it

outside his shop.

There was a full-sized bear made out of wood outside the shop.

He was carving this.

She said, "Is it for sale?" He said,

"Yes, come back in half an hour and you can buy it."

That's what she did.

I've never met anyone who actually saw one being carved.

I've seen them bigger than me.

-I've seen them as hat stands, umbrella stands.

-Chairs, even.

I've seen one that's a chair where you sit between the paws.

-A bit spooky.

-You do have to admire them.

This is from one piece of wood. It's not a sectional piece.

If you get it wrong, you've had it.

I think there is a real talent.

Often the idea behind them

was passed from generation to generation.

-The carving on it is amazing.

-The facial expression is wonderful.

You've got lots of detail. You've got the teeth.

You've got little glass eyes. It's perfect. It's a wonderful example.

-Is that something that would have a value?

-Definitely.

Funnily enough, even though these originated

from the Black Forest region,

they're highly collected in places like Canada,

where they have the grizzly bear.

For the American and Canadian market, they are collectable.

Not that he's actually very cuddly.

He's a bit firm. He's got a benign face.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-I think he's wonderful.

There's no chips or damage.

What do you think we might make at auction?

If I said £50-£80, does that sound right to you?

Not too grisly!

OK, great.

Put Teddy back down there.

Let's see what else you've got in this house.

'A good start. That carved bear has great potential.

'Upstairs, I'm intrigued by this oak blanket box.

'It was handed down from Jill's great-grandma.

'She'd had it since 1895, when she married.

'It came from a local shop and cost four shillings and four pence.

'Now, we hope it will make £30-£50.

'And it's not the only family heirloom tucked away.

'Heather's discovered some attractive pieces in Peggy's room.'

Paul, what can you tell us about this?

Do you know what, these are some of my favourite items.

Peggy does use these. They're still in their room.

But it's such a pretty set.

-Do you know where this has come from?

-It was given to her by her Auntie Nan,

who lived next door. She used to travel around Europe, apparently,

quite often, and she used to bring back trinkets

and this was given to her by her Auntie Nan.

This is English.

She might have bought things abroad, but this came from London.

I can tell that by the hallmark here.

-OK.

-It is solid silver.

-Wow!

-It is called guilloche enamel.

The guy who made it famous was Faberge. Carl Faberge.

He used to do decorative eggs with this decoration.

I've seen this design before.

I'm sure I've got something similar at home in a blue colour.

-Did he do different colours?

-He certainly did.

It's a major product of the 1920s, 1930s, the Art Deco period.

The idea was that the surface of the silver was engraved with the design,

in this case the sunburst, the watered-silk effect.

Then the enamel is placed on top, which gives it colour.

You have an Art Deco dressing table set. These are hairbrushes.

You have a mirror, and two clothes brushes.

This is a good standard set. If I said at least the £50 mark.

You are looking at 50 to 100.

-She'd be really pleased with that.

-You think so?

-Yes.

-Could brush up well.

-Yes.

-LAUGHTER

With silver prices at a high recently,

the brush-and-hand-mirror set

is bound to bring in a substantial result.

I reckon that's earned us a break, so, while Paul presses on,

I'd like to ask our hosts about their love of music.

I haven't seen this much vinyl around

since I was last at a car-boot sale.

-Are we taking this to auction?

-No, no. We have vinyl parties.

-So how do the parties work?

-We take along our singles and albums

and we have an evening of playing our old vinyl.

It's great fun.

So you sing and dance along?

Sing along, dance. We all remember every song.

It went on to 5 o'clock in the morning,

everyone was dancing, having a good time.

Of course, it brought back so many memories, it was really good fun.

What's your favourite out of these?

-Oh, well.

-"Ain't No Sunshine".

-The Bill Withers version, I hope?

-Yes, it is...

No, this is Michael Jackson. I like Bill Withers.

-And, oh...

-Saturday Night Fever!

Spandau Ballet. They're fantastic.

How did you two actually meet?

In the village where we lived,

we used to go to the village pub, the Red Lion,

we all used to meet there and that's how we met -

through friends we were introduced just over 20 years ago.

We do dinner parties. Heather and her husband are fantastic cooks.

We hold murder-mystery parties.

What do you do at these murder-mystery dinners?

We dress up. It's not the same if you don't.

And between Jill and myself,

we choose who's going to be best in character.

So none of us know who the murderer is, except for when we get our cards.

We turn up in character,

so it is not sit down at the table and start

it's when we actually arrive in the house.

We had better put these away before Mr Hayes finds them,

because this is his era and any excuse, he'll start singing.

So let's see what else we can take to auction.

'With all these fancy-dress parties,

'it sounds as if Wrexham rocks! Paul is still upstairs

'and it's not long before he finds

'this 19th-century spindle-back chair.'

'Made of yew, it is also known as a smoker's bow chair.

'In the family for four generations,

'it was a favourite of Jill's great-grandfather.

'The estimate - £50-£100.

Then, in another of the bedrooms,

Paul notices that time seems to have stopped.

Well, at least it's having a bit of a lie down.

Jill!

-Here we are, I've found a sleeper!

-Yes. That's where it lives.

What's this clock doing on your bed?

We've just acquired it. My taid passed away last year.

-Sorry, your tides? By boat?

-My grandad in English.

So he had this in his house as long as I could remember.

He passed away, sadly, last year, and it should have come to my dad.

Sadly, he's not with us any longer, so it's been left to my mum.

It sounds like he treasured it. Did he wind it up every week?

He used to wind it up regularly. Yeah, he loved it.

This is a type of Vienna wall clock.

Originally, these would be called a regulator

and used to keep the rest of the clocks in your house regular.

That was the idea. You'd set the time.

It's maybe 1880, 1900.

What is unusual - these were pride of place on the wall -

but in the First World War and the Second World War,

the eagles were often removed

because it was a symbol of the enemy. These haven't survived in large numbers. It's good to find.

This one is mahogany veneered. It's not solid mahogany.

I can tell that because you've got woodworm.

That, or somebody has used it as a dart board!

Mahogany doesn't attract woodworm.

It's impervious to woodworm, so it's not solid mahogany.

It's Austrian, but what I like about it is it has a maker.

-Can you translate it?

-I don't know if it's the maker.

It's a retailer, actually, but somebody's written on a Welsh name.

That says "Hughes & Son, Llangollen".

It is just down the road from here, where my taid lived.

Llangollen, where your taid lived.

There we are, I'm speaking Welsh!

It's actually made by a German maker called Gustav Becker.

That is what "GB" stands for. People often think it's "Great Britain". It's Gustav Becker.

You've got a German movement in an Austrian case being sold in a Welsh shop.

-LAUGHTER There we go.

-It's international!

-It needs restoration.

-Just a bit.

If I said at least 100 to 150 to give it a chance, how does that sound?

Yes, that's fine.

More to the point, what will the bidders think of it?

We'll know soon enough.

At 75 bid. At 75. Are we 80?

80. 5.

90. 5.

How much higher will it go?

-110 on the wall clock.

-110 we've got.

We're still busy in Wrexham

and think we have at least £300 of items so far.

Peggy's home is a real delight to explore.

Look. Heather's just found a second wall clock in the dining room.

Crafted in the 1930s, no-one is quite sure who made it,

but it once belonged to Jill's grandparents.

Paul thinks it could raise £20-£40

at the auction, where he promises to have some more facts for us.

I'm still nosing around

and I think I've just found something a bit special.

Jill. Come and tell me about this teapot.

It's got some writing on the bottom. Where did it come from?

My mum had that as an engagement present for her Auntie Sally,

who lived in Hale, in Cheshire.

-Look at that.

-"To Peggy, April 1957 from..." Can't read that.

Aunt Sally.

That's the name of the house she lived in in Hale, in Cheshire,

with the Cussons family.

Cussons. That's the family that makes soap.

And she was with them a long time?

She was their cook.

She was with them from 1916 to 1963.

-Crikey, that was a long time.

-They were her family, really,

in the end. That's what they were to her, so she stayed with them.

What can you tell us about the teapot?

This is one of my favourite, favourite things I love.

Chinese porcelain, for me, is wonderful.

But tea was extremely expensive.

When you go back to the late 18th century, early 19th-century,

-where this teapot dates from...

-Crikey! Did you realise that?

LAUGHTER

-Where did Auntie Sally get it?

-I don't know.

The reason I know that is it's a globular style teapot,

shaped like a cannonball, if you like.

Because tea was so expensive,

you kept it locked away in a tea caddy with a key,

with the butler and so on.

One of the favourite symbols in Chinese culture is the fan.

The way somebody would hold a fan, it was a courtship ritual.

If you held it in one direction, you were available.

By your side, you were unavailable. If you look here.

This gentleman here has his fan

and these are two suitors coming to visit him. He is giving a symbol.

-He's saying, "Come and get me, girls."

-Come and get me, girls!

He's saying something with his fan, I'm not sure what.

It may be interesting. Who knows? What a fantastic thing.

-What do you think it will make at auction?

-These are very desirable.

This pattern in particular is sought-after.

I would expect it to fetch 80 to 120 as an estimate. No problem at all.

-That's good.

-Do you think your mum will be pleased that?

-Yes.

Just think how much furniture that's going to buy. Shall we put it back?

It's a bit delicate. I'll put it back ever so carefully.

Let's go and see what else we've got in the house, Jill.

'It may be slightly out of fashion,

'but Paul thinks this 1930s Welsh dresser might do well.

'Jill's grandmother paid five pounds for it 100 years ago.

'Today's estimate, £30-£50. Not bad.

Jill's family home has seen plenty of fun and games over the years.

Sadly, those days are coming to an end.

Jill, in these days when people buy and sell houses and move on,

it is extraordinary that your family's been here for 74 years.

Yes. That's right.

It's hard to imagine someone could stay in one place for so long.

-But Mum has.

-And how did they come to be here the first place?

My grandad's sister lived next door

and this was part of next door, originally.

This was the servants' quarters.

They lived in this one, my auntie lived next door.

-And you've had three generations living in this house.

-Yes.

My mum and her sister, then I came along as well.

We were all here with my grandparents.

It means you had your gran and grandad, your mum and dad, you and your sister.

There were six of you here. It must've been so cosy.

What we did, because the stairs were in the hallway,

we had one side of the house, my grandparents lived

in the other side of the house.

My sister and I used to spend a lot of time with my grandparents.

Because they let us stop up and watch TV programmes that our parents wouldn't,

so we spent a lot of time with them in the house.

-How does your mum feel about leaving?

-She's happy now.

She's made the decision she finds it too big and she wants to go now.

It'll be very traumatic.

-Will she have a different style in the house?

-Yes.

It'll be completely different. Far more modern.

She's getting quite trendy in her old age!

She really likes modern stuff now

and she's going to have a nice, cosy place.

-And easier for her to look after.

-Much easier.

We want to make sure she's got £500 of great furniture

and maybe something towards a conservatory, as well.

She'd love a conservatory.

Maybe we should see what Paul and Heather have been up to

-and what else they've found that we might be able to take.

-Right.

'I reckon mum Peggy deserves the best. So what next?

'Up in the third bedroom,

'Heather checks out this drop-leaf gate-leg table.

'Inherited from Jill's great-grandparents, it's probably from the 1920s

'and has a barley-twist design on the legs.

'These tables are quite common so the estimate is £30-£50.

'The clocks, vases and books we've seen so far are all very well,

'but I'd like to find something a little bit different.

'How about this for left of field?

'Paul may have answered my prayers.'

HE CHUCKLES

Heather! Who's the Liverpool fan?

That's Jill, definitely. I don't know anything about this at all.

-You'll have to ask her.

-Are you interested in football?

No. I do say I'm a Liverpool fan,

-but that's only to annoy my husband, who's an Evertonian.

-OK.

That's enough said about that. Jill!

-Hiya. Now then, is this yours?

-Yes, it is.

How long have you been a Liverpool fan?

Oh, a long time. I've got a season ticket, so I go to every game I can.

-How have you come across this?

-I bought it at an exhibition in London.

I hadn't meant to, it was there. I was tempted

and I thought about it and came home with it.

It is one of the best teams in the North West,

it has to be said, if not in the world!

LAUGHTER

This proves it's one of the best in Europe,

because this was the year they won the Champions League, 2005.

But this, obviously, is a signed shirt. It comes with a certificate

and its signed by Rafa Benitez, who was the manager.

Rafa, as we call him.

It was a good memento of the occasion.

We won it for the fifth time.

We were allowed to keep the trophy. It was such a huge game.

We never thought we'd win it, with us losing 3-0 by half-time!

So it was something I thought would be nice to keep.

-How do you feel about parting with it?

-Well...I'm not sure.

If I could sell it and get a decent price for it, I'd probably let it go.

Right. If I said at least 100 to 150,

-how does that fit in?

-Yeah. That would be OK.

It sounds like it's tugging at the heart strings.

-Do you want to think about it?

-Yes, I will have a think.

'That was an excellent find, Paul. Back of the net, as they say.'

I'm hoping Jill will sell the shirt.

She's certainly got plenty of that sort of stuff at her house.

'Jill has just remembered this

'Victorian tea service in the dining room.

'The set has six cups, saucers, side plates and a creamer jug.

'They're highly decorated, with gold-rimmed, fluted edges.

'Another inheritance. Paul rates the collection at between 10 and £30.

'Elsewhere, Heather is rooting around and finds this toy,

'which really has seen better days.'

It's been part of a wash set...

Paul! I've just come across this in a cabinet.

What do you think of him?

I recognise this fella. Do you know who this is?

I believe it's Felix the Cat.

I don't remember Felix the Cat, but I'm told that's who it is.

Felix the Cat. Whose was this?

My dad. It was his toy when he was a child.

Was he a big fan of Felix the Cat?

I don't know, really,

I suppose in those days that was the most popular cartoon on the TV.

He really was a massive cinema star.

This is a period before television as we know it

and he's one of the first animated characters.

It was Paramount Studios, about 1919, 1920.

For about five years,

there was a different short film every couple of weeks.

There are literally hundreds of these around.

He became a massive star in the 1920s,

the golden era of the silent movie.

It would have been my grandad's, then, because Dad wasn't born until 1935.

It's great. Do you like him?

-He's got great character. Well worn.

-He certainly has.

What I love is lots of toys from this period were scratch built.

People used what they could get hold of. This one looks like it's been made out of pipe cleaners.

They look like pipe cleaners on his arms, as well.

The characteristics are very much Felix the Cat from the time.

-All right, is he sentimental to you?

-Not really.

It was Dad's toy. It's been sitting in the cabinet for years. We never played with him.

Right. Has he had his nine lives?

He must have done by now, I think! It looks as if he has.

All right. He's got one life left and that's to go to auction,

if that's all right with you. Let's see Angela's here. Angela!

Do you recognise this fella?

Ah, Felix!

He's got a bit of age to him.

He's great. One of my favourite characters.

-Black-and-white cartoons.

-Exactly.

-Yeah.

So what price have you put on him?

He's a wonderful character in good condition.

I'd like to see around the £50 mark.

If we said £30-£60 is an estimate, how does that sound?

-That's good.

-That's a great way to end the day,

because it gives me a chance to do a tot up now.

I gather you've got a Liverpool shirt,

which you are not sure whether you want to sell.

If we take the Liverpool shirt,

bearing in mind you want to raise £500 for your mum,

we'd be able to make, with Felix, £580.

That's good.

If you leave the Liverpool shirt behind, it's only £480.

-Keep us guessing till we get to the auction.

-LAUGHTER

And we'll see you there and let's hope we can make

that money for you mum's furniture.

-Lovely. Yes.

-Thank you.

'That's a wonderful end to a our day in Wrexham.

'How will we do when we take these collectables to auction?

'This carved, wooden grizzly bear was brought back

'from Austria by Jill's aunt. A beautiful piece of workmanship,

'it could roar out the saleroom for around £50-£80.

''This 1930s art-deco dressing-table set is silver with fine enamelled

'engravings and, £50-100, it makes a very stylish contribution.

'Finally, you'll never walk alone.

'You won't if you're tempted by this Liverpool shirt.

'It was signed by former manager Rafa Benitez in 2005.

'Our estimate is £100-£150.

Still to come,

can we expect that much from Auntie Nan's holiday souvenir?

Very nice lot. One, two, three, four, five commissioned bids

-starting me at £150.

-ANGELA LAUGHS

'Does our expert have a shocking revelation of his own?'

It has barley-twist legs. a bit like myself.

LAUGHTER

That's why he wears trousers all the time. Never seen him in shorts.

'All will be revealed at the final crack of the gavel.'

Didn't we find some lovely things in Jill's family home in Wrexham?

Now we've brought them here

to Cuttlestones auction rooms in Staffordshire.

It's Jill's goal to raise £500 so that she can help her mum Peggy

move into a smaller house with new furniture.

So it's time to see whether or not

the bidders will help them come up with the goods.

The town of Penkridge is famed for its livestock

and antiques auctions, with a general sale every other Wednesday.

Jill and her friend Heather still

are still agonising over the signed football shirt.

-There you go.

-You wouldn't still be a strong Liverpool fan?

-Absolutely, yes.

-They've been having problems, haven't they?

Just a bit. They'll be fine.

-And are you sure you want to part with this shirt?

-No.

-No, you don't?

-No.

-You'd rather have Rafa at home?

-I would, really, yes.

-But we're raising money for something very important and special to you?

-Yes.

Its for my mum. She's downsizing, moving to a bungalow,

so she needs money for new furniture. The furnishing she has is too big.

We hope to raise enough money for that for her.

Hopefully, she'll get some great stuff.

We've got terrific things coming up.

We've got a wonderful enamelled dressing-table set.

I really like that. One of the auctioneer's favourite lots is the grizzly bear.

And, of course, we've got Rafael with us. Here we are.

Well, lots of wonderful lots.

Why don't we go to take our places

and keep fingers crossed mum gets great new furniture.

-I hope so.

-Come on.

We're hoping we'll do Peggy proud. The item is a tea service

from one of the 19th-century Staffordshire potteries.

The value we've put on it £10-£30.

It was from my nan, my father's mother.

She used to collect tea services.

-Did she ever drink tea out of them?

-No.

-She should have invited Paul round, shouldn't she?

-Yes.

It's all a vicious rumour. I keep telling you.

He'd have loved to have use them.

This is purely decorative set.

It's the Derby colours - wonderful, rich blues and reds.

Let's have a look.

We'll start at £10 only.

Tempt you all day long at £10 for the service.

12, thank you.

At 12. 14. 16. 18.

20. 22. No, 22.

Standing bid at 22.

At 22. Selling at 22.

-£22. Fine.

-That's a good start.

-Better than it sitting in the cupboard.

-Yes.

-Yes. Great.

'Right in the middle of our estimate.'

'Next, it's Peggy's silver art-deco dressing-table set.

'It was made in London by Collett & Anderson in 1933.

'We're hoping it'll make at least £50.'

In the 1930s, I think ladies' dressing tables

must have been chock-a-block.

No room for anything, what with the perfume bottles,

the silver-topped little bottles and boxes, the photo frames,

and the lovely silver dressing-table sets,

like the one we're about to sell.

Has this been in a box, or did you see it being used?

My mum used it. It was always on her dressing table

Should brush up nicely!

£50 to start. 5. 60.

5. 70.

5. 80.

£80 with me. At £80.

Are we all done? I shall sell. At £80.

Again, the auctioneer liked it.

I loved him saying, "Save my voice start at 50."

No mucking about. Just straight in.

To be honest, the auctioneer's job is easy if items are nice.

-It sells itself.

-ALL: Yes.

'£80 is upper-end estimate and sends this smart set to a new home.

'I wonder what Peggy will use to brush her hair tomorrow?

'Now, a bygone star of the silver screen.

'Felix the Cat.

'He's valued at £30-£60.

'Not bad for a toy made of pipe cleaners.'

I do think that probably the state of Felix

-shows that he probably was actually much-loved.

-He was.

And much enjoyed, because, otherwise, if he'd just been

ignored, he would've been in pristine condition.

It's a real piece of cinema history to me.

It's as much a movie star as Cary Grant or any of the great ones.

I think Felix is up there with them.

Felix and Cary Grant! That's pushing it a bit far, isn't it?

LAUGHTER

I'm only bid £20 to start.

Tempt you all day long at £20 for Felix.

At £20. 22.

24. 26. 28.

30. £30. 2, quickly.

-That's a disappointment.

-Yes.

-I thought from the amount of interest,

it would've made a lot more.

But at least we got the lowest end of the estimate.

'So Felix is at the end of his nine lives with Jill's family.

'But let's hope he's well loved by his new owner.

'Now, time for the football shirt Jill bought on a trip to London.

'It may not make back her initial investment of £400,

'but we can hope.'

-Signed... What is his name, Paul?

-Rafael Benitez.

LAUGHTER

-What do you call him?

-Rafa.

-Everybody calls him Rafa.

That's his full title.

We said originally between 100 and £150.

I know it is tugging at your heart strings.

-You've put on a reserve on it?

-I have.

-300.

-You've put a £300 reserve on it?

-Yes.

-Maybe Rafa's going home with you.

-He may be.

Well, the next 30 seconds will tell us.

Liverpool football shirt from the Champions League, 2005.

I think they won it that year. It will be a rare thing.

I don't think they're going to win it again! Apologies in the corner.

We will start at £150. Any bid at 150?

Are we 160? I think they're Wolverhampton Wanderers fans here.

-LAUGHTER

-150. Sorry at 150.

-So Rafa comes home with you.

-He does.

Yes.

'Jill has mixed feelings, I'm sure, as any money would be useful,

'but she seems quite happy to be taking that shirt home again.

'Time is pressing, so here's the 19th-century wall clock

'which once belonged to Jill's grandfather.'

A fantastic Victorian clock.

By one of the best makers, Gustav Becker,

with the eagle on the top it's still there?

-But you've no interest in this?

-No.

-Not your style?

-No. No.

It's a good piece of Victoriana. Looking for around 100 to 150.

At 75. 75 bid. Are we 80?

80. 5. 90. 5.

100. 110.

-110 is with me. At 110 on the wall clock.

-110 we've got.

120. 130. Are we all done at £130?

Sold at 130.

-Is that all right?

-Spot on.

-Did you actually ever use that clock?

-Yes.

-You did?

-Well, my taid did.

-Right.

-He always used it. It worked for ever.

'A German movement, an Austrian case and Welsh markings.

'The Gustav Becker clock made £130.

'Now Austrian wood carvings are rightly famous on clocks

or curios like this. Auntie Nan

'saw an artist carve this bear during a holiday in the late 1940s.

'We want £50-£80 for him.'

-I can tell you the auctioneer has had a lot of interest in it.

-Really?

-Which is really nice to know, isn't it?

-It's such a quality item.

It's quirky. It's the auctioneer's favourite out of your lots.

I think it will do well. But auctions are funny places.

-They can be a bit grisly!

-We will soon find out because here it goes.

Very nice lot. One, two, three, four, five

commissioned bids starting at £150.

-LAUGHTER

-He's starting out 150.

170. 180. 190. 200. 210. 220.

I'm out at 220.

At 220. 230, fresh money.

240. 240 I'm bid at 240.

Are we all done?

At 240.

That's amazing. Congratulations.

That is fantastic.

-What a wonderful thing.

-We had 50 to 80 on it.

As you say, auctions are extraordinary.

You could never tell what's going to happen.

If two people take a shine to something, it will take off.

-There were five bids on that before we came.

-Wow.

-Fantastic.

-That's made my day.

'So the bear dances off with a new owner

'and that's brought us to the midpoint of our sale.'

-The figure you are aiming at is £500.

-Yes.

-Remind us what you want to spend the money on.

-It's for mum when she moves house.

She's downsizing and wants to buy new furniture for a bungalow when she moves.

I think she is going to be able to afford quite a bit

of nice furniture, because we've still got six items to go

-and already we've got £502.

-Really?

LAUGHTER

I think mother can have some rather nice bedroom furniture.

-She'll be delighted.

-And more besides.

-Do you want to take the weight off your feet?

-I think so.

I think Paul wants to see what takes his eye.

-We'll come back in a second.

-OK.

'As we take a much-needed break,

'Paul is on the lookout for good deals.

'This parade of timepieces has attracted his attention.

'And since we still have another clock to sell,

'his thoughts on these vintage items would be most welcome.'

-Keeping an eye on the time.

-What a great collection of clocks.

I love that.

Very, very 1930s, 1940s. Very Art Deco.

Whoever put these in... Most items must come from the same family.

It's a time when people are getting rid of items like this and have gone minimalist.

-But if you're looking for long-term investment, these are the ones to go for.

-Really?

Because they're clockwork, no batteries needed. They are real clocks.

They make a lovely sound. I wanted to show you one almost identical to the one we put in.

-Of course.

-Dead 1930s, 1940s. If I had a top tip today,

it's to buy these clocks and put them away for 20 years

and see what return you get after that.

Wait for old Father Time?

-Exactly.

-What are they likely to go for?

-Really affordable.

These wall clocks, now, are between £20 and £50.

Absolute bargains. These about the same.

If you're looking for a long-term investment

that you want a little mess around with, and you like the visual appeal, these are something to buy.

They're more attractive than digital clocks, too.

-They will never have any value. These will have a value.

-Right.

-Let's call time and go and watch them.

-OK.

'The mantle clocks do well later, selling for around £14 apiece

'and £65 for the other wall clock.

'If you are thinking of buying or selling in this way,

'bear in mind auction houses charge fees, such as commission.

'Your local saleroom will advise you on the extra cost.

'Plenty still to come, like this blanket box,

'which has been in the family since 1895.'

OK. Back for the second half.

We know we've got £502 in the kitty already.

So another six items to go.

There's a piece of furniture coming up next. We've got 30 to 50 on this.

So here it goes now.

At £15 for the blanket box. Where's he gone? At 15, at 15.

18, quickly. 18, thank you. At 18 in the centre.

20. 22.

£22.

In the centre. We're going to sell at £22.

-There you go.

-That is a bargain.

-They are useful pieces of furniture.

-They're great.

'Jill's great-grandparents bought this 115 years ago

'for four shillings and four pence, so it's quite a return.

'The drop-flap gate-leg table is next.

'It's been in the family for four generations.

'Priced at £30-£50, will it do any better?'

Here's a space-saving device you can fold them away,

put them against the wall.

It has barley-twist legs. A bit like myself.

LAUGHTER

-Sorry.

-It's why he wears trousers all the time.

-Never seen him in shorts.

-Never seen the barley-twist legs.

I couldn't resist. Tell me where this came from.

It was another relative who passed it on to my mum.

She seemed to collect everybody's furniture!

Quite old-fashioned now, this dark furniture.

People are painting them and bringing them back to life. Looking for £30-£50.

At 22. 24. He's gone behind the post.

26. 28.

30.

Come on.

At £30. Bid's in front of me. At 32, if you like?

No. At £30, we're selling and no mistake.

At 30.

-There you go. All right. That's dead on.

-Yes. Spot on.

'£30. Bang on the lower estimate and very satisfactory.

'Jill wanted to help decluttering Peggy's home

'and the next lot is the biggest of all our items today.'

This is quite a nice Welsh dresser.

This one was surplus to requirements?

Yes, it's far too big to go to a bungalow, so it's a shame,

it's a lovely piece of furniture, but she can't use it now.

What's interesting about the furniture, because if it's not

going to cost very much money, which brown furniture doesn't,

people then don't mind taking a paintbrush to it.

Giving it a new lease of life, making it look entirely different,

to something that would fit into a modern home.

-We've got on it 30 to 50?

-That's it.

You would be quite happy, perhaps, to do something to it.

We will start at £30 on the dresser.

At 32.

35. 38.

40. £40.

At £40, at £40. Two, if you like.

42, fresh money.

-It's gone.

-All done at £42?

'£42. Not a lot for such a lovely old dresser,

'but it is one less piece of furniture to take to Peggy's new bungalow.

'That Chinese teapot is up next and it's valued at around £80-120.'

I came across this rather pretty, little Chinese porcelain,

famille rose teapot in one of your display cabinets.

Would this have originally come with matching

teacups and saucers and plates?

Not necessarily. The tea set as we know it today is a modern invention.

At this time, you would have had the teapot on its own,

sometimes a big kettle and teapot. It's a lovely shape.

What you've got is something exported here over 200 years ago

so it's been made in China, brought over,

maybe taken a year to land here. I can't enthuse about it enough.

Hopefully, people will see it's a nice thing.

At 25 we have. 8.

30. £30 we have.

At £30. Are we two, now?

At £30. At £30.

Two, quickly?

No?

At £30. No interest, I'm afraid, at £30.

-So you can take it home with you?

-Yes.

-It is tiny.

-Hm. It's fine.

-And it's beautiful.

-Yes.

-I'm happy with that.

You're dead right. A real shame to sell it for that price.

'And Peggy will surely still treasure that lovely

'porcelain teapot at her new bungalow.

'I wonder if anyone sees the potential in our 1930s wall clock.'

-This has been hanging in the family home for years.

-It has.

Always 20 minutes fast. 20 minutes. Why was it 20 minutes fast?

Something my grandad did.

He set of the 20 minutes fast and we all lived to that time.

We knew it was 20 minutes fast.

So you'd go home quicker!

-We've got £20-£40 on it.

-This one is a 1930s Art Deco.

-If you no longer need it...

-Here it goes.

I'm only bid £15 for the wall clock.

15, already.

18. 20. 22.

I'm bid the wall clock at £22. 24.

26.

28. 30. And two.

Hey, that is more like it.

32.

34. 36.

No, he says. 36, we have, on my right.

Are we all done? And we're selling, at £36.

You had 20 to 40. So you were absolutely on the nose with that.

Yes. In the middle.

'Can a clock like this appreciate over the next few decades,

'as Paul predicted?

'Time now for our final item

'and it's the Victorian smoker's bow chair valued at £50 and £100.'

-This has been in the family a long time.

-It was my great-taid's.

Your grandfathers? Your great-grandfather?

-My great-grandfather.

-Yes.

-He was a miner.

It was the only chair he could find that was comfortable,

because he had to have his legs amputated.

-Oh. He'd been in an accident in the mine?

-Yes.

That was the only chair he could sit in.

He loved it. Absolutely loved it.

I can understand why he sat in that, because it supported him all around.

It's a smoker's bow. The bow gets the name from the shape of the back.

The idea was that you would sit there next to the fire,

with your dog and your pipe. And you'd enjoy yourself.

At £50 to start. 5.

60. 5.

-70.

-Oh, good.

-5. Fresh money. My commission is out at 75.

-80.

85.

The lady's bid we have.

And we sell at £85.

-Hey! There you go.

-Well done.

That's great.

I bet great-grandfather didn't pay that for it, did he?

I doubt it very much!

'Whatever he paid,

'I'm sure Jill's great-grandfather had years of use from it.

'Hopefully, it's gone to an appreciative new home.

'Our auction is all done, with two no sales.

'So how close have we come to the original target of £500?'

I know you haven't brought your mum with you.

Which is a shame, because I know it's a terrific thing

you're doing, raising money at auction to buy her new furniture.

I would like to have seen her face, along with yours,

when I tell you that what you've made is...

£717.

Oh!

That's fantastic!

-I can't wait to tell her.

-She will be thrilled.

It will be the bedroom furniture

and maybe a few other things will appear in the house, as well?

-Definitely.

-I'm sure they will.

-We might help her.

-I'm sure we'll help her.

Jill's very good at spending money.

-You get to take Rafael back with you.

-I'm happy about that.

-Yes. Don't mind at all.

-Well done.

-Congratulations.

'At last, we get to meet the lady herself as

'Jill takes mum Peggy shopping for new furniture.'

We couldn't believe how much we raised in the end,

so we were thrilled. We did really well.

Oh, yes, I'm very pleased.

We've seen nice things, haven't we?

-Bedroom furniture, you wanted.

-Bedroom furniture, really.

We have had some great fun.

It's been really enjoyable and we've raised a nice amount of money,

-so, hopefully, now, Mum's going to spend it.

-Yes. Quite.