Whitehead Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash in the Attic, the show that helps you turn those unwanted antiques

and collectables into something a lot more useful.

Today, I'm meeting a lady who wants to clear one space and fill another.

Coming up on Cash in the Attic.

I dream up a scenario we'd all like to see.

What about if there were two vicars in the auction, outbidding one another.

Absolutely desperate for that on Foot In The Wall.

I rescue the lady of the house from our expert Paul

and his rotten old jokes.

Well, it's not all plain sailing at auction, as you know.

Come on, I'm taking you away from this man. Come on, let's go.

Lest we ever forget I was once a choirboy.

So next up is a self-portrait of me in the old days.

I'm saying it before you guys do.

Get in quick before the final hammer falls.

We're near Reading, with someone who's hoping that her collecting

will help her with a fresh start.

Eileen Whitehead grew up in Suffolk, and managed restaurants and hotels

before joining the care industry.

Where she met her good friend Barbara, or Babs.

Eileen is a mother and grandmother.

For seven years she's been married to Mike, who has two children of his own,

making for some big family get-togethers.

Eileen loves to collect, especially wooden objects,

and I've heard that her new home will be a log cabin,

so there's quite a theme going on here.

Before she moves, she want us to help her declutter

and raise cash for some hi-tech gadgets.

For guidance, we'll all look to our expert Paul Hayes,

who has almost 30 years experience in antiques.

Aha! Look at you two.

The perfect ladies, flower-arranging.

Is this what you do in your spare time then?

-Are you Eileen?

-I am.

-Nice to meet you.

-You too.

-You must be Babs.

-I'm Babs.

Good to see you.

So how come you two know each other?

Mainly through our jobs, when we started, about 19, 20 years ago.

We used to meet each other, then after work go for a drink. You know, sort of seal our friendship.

That often seals a friendship. It can ruin some as well,

but there we go. Let's not get into that.

Why have you called us in here?

My husband's asked me to declutter a little bit,

because I collect quite a few things, and also, in a couple of years,

we're going to move into a log cabin which we've had built,

and a lot of the stuff we just can't take with us.

So this money's going towards the log cabin.

Well, for the log cabin there's a 3D TV that I'd would like.

Wow! She's a bit modern, isn't she.

-Isn't she just!

-Gosh!

How much are you hoping to raise?

About £1,000.

Has she got a load of stuff then?

Oh, definitely.

-You didn't have think about that. Straight in there.

-No, I didn't.

She's always had the odd bits, collectables, haven't you.

Oh, yes.

Oh, yes, got loads of stuff.

We're very lucky because we've got expert Paul Hayes here.

He's arrived with me, he's already having a good look around.

-So you concentrate downstairs.

-OK.

And you follow me. Come on, Eileen.

-You've heard that before, haven't you.

-I have.

Well, it seems only fair to start as we mean to go on.

We've got our work cut out today, so what's our first pick of the pops?

There's our resident expert.

-Hello, how are you?

-Very well thank you.

-Nice to see you.

-And you.

What have you found?

Well, I must admit I'm all at sea here, actually.

-See what I did there?

-He's only been in the house a quarter of an hour.

I found a really nice watercolour. A nice marine subject.

Do you know where this came from?

I actually found it in an attic of an old hotel.

I asked everybody if they wanted it, they said "no", so I said "thanks".

Right. It's amazing what you find in attics.

Do we know where that is?

I always thought it was Cornwall or somewhere.

-Is it a respected painter?

-This looks like an Earp.

Can you see that? E-A-R-P.

Now Henry Earp was a prolific painter, but they were a family of painters,

and they painted down the Devon and Cornwall coast.

-It's recognisable by this mountain that juts out into the sea.

-Well done.

But they also have that in Kent as well. I've seen that in Broadstairs.

And the family painted the North East as well.

But very much a prolific painter.

The idea was if you visited these seaside towns,

or you were interested in boats, like yourself,

you could buy these wonderful marine watercolours.

And the only reason I knew it was an Earp,

it's very recognisable by the light blue skyline.

Is it original?

This is an original watercolour.

They're very enjoyable items to have. This for me sums up the mid-19th century.

You have a marinescape here which are always popular,

but we have a transitional ship here.

Can you see that?

That's half-steam, half-sail, so that dates it maybe 1850,

just at the time when they were transferring over to steam engines.

So, go on then, how much is it worth?

His work can range from £100-£300, that sort of price range,

so I think for an auction estimate,

if I said £100-£150, to give it a chance.

I'm sure if someone picks up on the artist,

there's a good chance of getting a good price for it.

Good.

But it's not all plain sailing at auction, as you know.

Come on, I'm taking you away from this man. Come on, let's go.

£100-£150 is a chunky start, so we'll forgive Paul - for now.

Babs is upstairs in the master bedroom,

where she selected this locket on a chain.

The locket is set with moss agate and poppy jasper plaques,

but the belcher chain is Victorian gold.

Paul values the item at £100-£150,

before picking up an Italian lady he's been admiring in the lounge.

Eileen. Where have these figures come from?

These came from a shop we nicknamed the House of Horrors.

Right.

It was outside a restaurant of mine.

They sold awful things, like blue ducks with gold beaks.

The girl came in one day and said "I don't have a job any more, he's going to close it."

I said "Oh dear, what's he going to do with everything?"

She said I'm going to get what I can for it."

I said "OK, I'll give you a pound for that" and she said "Fine."

I said "This one, I'll give you 99p" and I got it for 1.99.

-So that was a complete bargain. 1.99 for the pair.

-1.99 for the pair.

You know, you hit the nail on the head there when you said restaurant.

This is exactly the sort of thing you'd find in a restaurant or a hotel.

Anywhere that has a large area.

And the idea was really they'd just fill a space.

But they're Italian, and they're copied from the original Meissen, which is German porcelain.

These figures would have been identical to ones made 1750s, 1800s, that sort of time.

But you can tell by the casting these are very modern.

On the originals you see every eyelash, every fingernail, that sort of thing.

These are very norm, as they call them in the trade.

So I'd say maybe 1950s or even later. Capodimonte Italian pottery.

I noticed this one has been a little bit damaged.

She's been broken twice actually. I think she broke an arm or something,

-but I had her restored and she got nudged again.

-OK.

Well, these are only ever really bought for decorative value,

and I can see a nice pair of vases,

somebody that just wants them to fill a wall, really, or fill a gap.

I think you could be approaching £30 to £50.

-So I made a profit.

-You made a massive profit.

If you did that every day you'd be laughing.

-Good profit!

-See they don't get damaged any more -

-leave them somewhere safe, and let's keep looking.

-OK.

The Capodimonte-style figurines could make a very nice profit for Eileen.

But we'll need something more substantial

if we're to make the £1,000 target.

While Paul cracks on with the search,

I want to hear more about these two friends, and their work together.

Well, we both belonged to an agency, and we were taught care

and you have quite a lot of training to do in it, and things.

Babs primarily stayed in the office environment, and I went

out into the field, to deal with clients and staff out in the field.

-Is it a fulfilling job?

-Oh, yes, it is very fulfilling.

You sometimes see people right through to the end of their lives,

and you try and give them some sort of comfort.

Other people, you see them get better and sort of progress. So yes, it is.

-How about you, Babs? Do you like your job?

-I do.

It's just the sense of achievement that you've done what is necessary.

We work with Social Services as well, so it's quite intense.

Well, it's obvious that you enjoy working together -

I presume you play together as well?

Oh, Babs and I like to play!

Some serious playing, then. What sort of things do you get up to?

We have a little drink now and then, and we like to go out.

And we've been on a couple of holidays together, little tiny ones.

So where have you been on holiday so far?

We went to Bruges with my mother, step-daughter and myself

and then we went to Sweden when my husband was over there, didn't we?

-That was good.

-We have, we go here and there.

We have a get-together with four of us.

-Sit here, have a laugh and a drink.

-A couple of others join us.

I couldn't cope with four of you!

Two of you is bad enough! All this is going to change when you move.

Only to a degree because where we're going to, it's not that far away.

It's only about an hour and-a-half to two hours.

There's plenty of room for Babs and Ken, her husband, to come and stay

and then we'll come down here anyway so it's just a road, isn't it?

How about you, Babs? Are you willing to drive an hour and-a-half?

-Don't worry, I'll be going.

-Are you going to miss her?

Yes, I will miss her. Yes.

But we'll see each other quite a lot and it will be quality time.

She can come and stay with me and I can come up here.

Did you not consider putting the log cabin here?

LAUGHTER

Well, listen, you want £1,000 to put towards that log cabin

and hopefully a 3D TV.

So I think we should get on with it.

Also, Paul's probably wondering where we are so come on. Let's go.

Eileen inherited her father's passion for boats and looking around

her collectables, there's often a maritime theme.

Paul's just found a good example of that.

20th-century wooden sailing ships, trawlers and accompanying figures.

He prices the assortment at £100-£200

before joining Babs up in the spare room.

I tell you something, there's lots of dolls, teddy bears and things.

-She likes her dolls.

-She does.

-What do you think of this?

Let's have a closer look.

Is that something she made, or had made for her?

It was a friend of hers had a large one and had a miniature made for her because she liked it so much.

It's a miniature chaise longue, that translates as a long chair.

Has it been bought for a window display or something about?

No. I think she just liked it and wanted one.

This has a multitude of uses. I've seen these in jeweller's windows,

covered in velvet with some nice gold items.

It's a very visual prop

but of course you can use it for your teddy bear or doll as well.

So this was made for her. Was it deliberately for that teddy bear? Or just for display?

I think it was for display, she just keeps the teddy bear on there now.

-How long ago was that, do you think?

-Quite a few years ago.

I can't remember exactly but she's had it a very long time.

-So it's 20th century?

-At least.

But it would be part of a salon suite. You'd have a chaise longue,

a stool, two side chairs, a settee,

and this would all be in your parlour, your best room in a Victorian house.

If I said around £50 mark, 40-60, how does that sound?

-It sounds good.

-I think it's the only chaise longue

I've managed to carry on my own.

We'll soon discover if the only chaise longue you can carry

single-handed will tempt these bidders at the auction.

Being modelled there by Amy on our right. Lot 44.

At 55, 60, 70.

Shame to unseat the teddy, but it could do very well.

It looks as if Eileen's Berkshire home

has many more collectibles still to show up.

We're only a third of the way to our target

so perhaps we need to get more aggressive with our hunt.

Scary, aren't I?

The next item is closer to home,

an oil on-board portrait of a sweet little chorister.

I know what you're thinking, but this was painted in the 1950s

and I'm not sweet. Paul reckons it may be worth between 60 and £80.

Heading out to the Conservatory he goes on to find more evidence

of Eileen's collecting streak.

Or should I say competitive streak?

-Hi, Paul, I see you found my games then.

-These are great.

-Who collected all these?

-Me.

-You've got quite a collection of lovely toys. Are you a chess fan?

-No.

-You don't play at all?

-I don't play, my father used to play.

I just got little figurines and the little men.

Where would you have got these from?

Car boot sales, charity shops, sometimes antique places.

-So these you bought for ornamentation?

-Yes.

These are a nice set, you've got four similar sets of chess pieces.

These represent ivory, ebony, sandalwood and boxwood.

These are like a plastic resin. You can see the seam up the side.

They're decorative value only, not like a precious material.

Chess is one of the oldest games, it goes back to ancient India.

They used to represent their armies using elephants and so on.

-Have any of these got the boards with them?

-I have some of them.

That's important when you come to sell. We also have some skittles here. They are great.

-Do you ever play with these?

-I have.

These ones I used to play with the children when they were young.

They are great fun.

They are the only games you can play that don't involve batteries

and computers these days.

It is nice to see that. You have quite a collection here.

I love the skittles, these chess sets.

If we say £20 a set for those. It's quite a lot of money.

-I could easily see 100-250 on this shelf.

-That doesn't sound too bad.

-I think we could do quite well actually.

-Oh, good.

Great! Let's hope those pack a whopper. Let's keep looking.

The skittles and chess pieces could play out very nicely in the auction.

100 to £150 would be a real boost.

Eileen has what you might call "eclectic" tastes

and here's another example of just that.

An antique glass perfume bottle.

It has a silver collar which is a plus but there is slight damage which affects the price.

Paul values it at 20 to £30.

-So I you a hoarder, or collector?

-Definitely a collector.

Since when have you been collecting?

-About 30 years. Really?

-Did you start with one particular object?

No, I just like unusual bits and pieces.

I put them in the loft, in the shed, everywhere.

But, I change them around a bit. I don't like getting to bored.

Lots of books and ships.

Because my father liked the sea, the river, he was always sailing,

always had a boat of some sort.

I grew up with them and just came to like them.

-It seems family is very important to you.

-They are.

-What about this new property? A log cabin. It sounds unusual.

-It is.

My husband lived in one for a year and liked it so much

that he convinced me that I would like to, which I do.

It has a little country club next door to it so we belong to that.

So, I agreed to go up there.

The problem came when I have all these things in this house that I've got to get rid of.

-Are you nervous, or excited?

-Excited, not nervous at all.

Have you explored the new area?

I know the area quite well because I come from Suffolk.

I used to work in Cambridge and I know the Fens, Norfolk,

my husband got to know it and he likes it.

-It's very flat.

-It's very flat. They grow a lot of vegetables.

What about this TV? Where did that come from? 3D, as well!

The television we have, to me, is quite an old television.

And I see all these flat-screen ones, and my husband says, "No, that TV works perfectly fine."

So when we move,

we've got to have a flat-screen one. I want this 3D one.

You'll have to put 3D glasses on, aren't you?

-I don't mind.

-It will ruin your hair.

-I don't care.

-I love watching films!

-What sort of films?

-Crime films and documentaries, things like that.

If you need that flat-screen TV we need to raise at least £1,000.

We also need the money so you can get a few more collectibles to put in to your log cabin!

Let's go. Wonder where Babs is?

Babs is actually is at the foot of the stairs where she's found some continental porcelain figures.

The bust of a little lady has no identifying markings,

but there's an anchor symbol from the Chelsea Porcelain Factory on the figurines.

There is damage to the boy, so taking that into account

the estimate is a surprisingly optimistic 80 to £120.

Now for some holy icons but with a real sentimental value.

This is quite unusual. What have we got here?

These are two Stations Of The Cross, there are 14 Stations Of The Cross.

They are in my family, members of mine who were a count and countess.

When the count died, his wife commissioned 14 of these to go in his chapel in Ireland

and the chapel was burnt and these are the two remaining ones which are from my father's bedroom.

-Amazing detail.

-It is quite fascinating.

So this is Christ on the cross and this...coming down off the cross?

Going down, or going up, I'm not sure which way they go round.

I know a man who will. Paul? Come and have a look at this.

-They are nice. Look at that.

-Amazing, isn't it?

-How many have you got?

-Two.

-They are very ecclesiastical.

They have obviously been in a church at some point.

-I take it, these are the Stations Of The Cross?

-It is, yes.

There should be 14 in the series.

They start with Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane,

then they finish with him being entombed.

-Most of these tend to be French, or Italian?

-They are Italian.

-OK. They are either one of the two.

What would happen, is that the original would be perhaps made from bronze in this case,

very high in detail,

and they would take a cast from that bronze

and artist then would hand-finish them

-which is why every one is signed there. Can you see that?

-Oh, yeah.

-I didn't notice that, did you?

-No.

-"J Rosillen".

-What you reckon it's worth?

Without knowing the artist, I would say at least 100 to 150.

If the artist turned out be good, they could be worth quite a lot of money.

Are you willing to sell it?

No, they belong to my father and I'm quite fond of them.

What if there were two vicars in the auction outbidding one another?

-I am desperate for that on my wall!

-They'd probably put them in.

-We haven't got a wing or a prayer for you to sell them?

-No, No.

-Fair enough, they're staying.

Interesting though. Very nice. Let's carry on, let me put that down. We'll carry on with the rubbish.

Go on then, follow the man.

I did toy with selling them but I really like them.

They came from my father and they are very sentimental to me,

so I'll probably hang on to them for a lot of years.

Since those plaques aren't going into the auction

we really do need to get a move on.

More on the maritime theme now

as Paul finds these reproduction brass instruments.

Made in the Far East, they remain quite popular.

Paul values this collection at 100 to £200.

We are rapidly approaching the end of our rummage here today.

We are leaving no stone unturned for that juicy final object to put in the auction.

And typical - I think Paul's just found it.

Now then, Eileen. Look at that. That's the beauty, isn't it?

You can tell straight away that that's a gold item.

Is that something you've bought for yourself, or had given to you?

-A friend bought it for me, actually.

-Special occasion?

-It was Christmas.

It's lovely quality. Would it be fair to say maybe 20-years-old?

Yes. It was about the '80s, yes.

Is it something you still wear today?

-No, I don't, actually. I very rarely wear it.

-Right.

-I forgot it was in there.

-Do you know if...

I'm assuming it's all legal, I can see a little hallmark here.

Let's have a look.

Yeah, 375. This is 9-carat.

But they can't make this from pure gold.

If this was 24-carat gold, it would collapse and bend in your fingers,

so they have to mix it with other metals,

and that gives us our 9-carat, our 14-carat, our 18-carat.

-In this country we tend to use 9-carat.

-Oh, good.

Gold's recently done tremendously well. Because of the banking crisis

and the world economic climate,

people are looking to put their money into something tangible

and gold has always been a great investment,

it's always had a resale value of at least what you paid for it.

But at the moment, it's at an all-time high, so an item like this

-that's very heavy automatically has a bullion value.

-Really?

-Ah, guys.

-Look at you. You look like the cat that got the cream.

I think I found a showstopper.

I think this will make a massive difference to our target. At auction, if I said...

Between £700 and £1,000 for that, how does that sound?

Very good, thank you.

-Whoa! That's amazing.

-There you are, TV.

-That's your TV.

-And a few more collectables?

-Yes, that's true.

And where was that, in a drawer?

Uh, yes it was, actually.

That's amazing. You wanted £1,000

so you've probably guessed, we're looking at a bit more than £1,000.

Taking Paul's lowest estimate,

We're looking at something in the region of...

£1,530.

-That's brilliant, isn't it?

-Oh, my God.

-That'd be good, wouldn't it?

-What can I spend the other 530 on?

-Me.

Get in line, Babs.

-It's been great seeing you guys.

-And you.

-Nice spending time with you.

-See you in the auction.

-OK.

Now, that figure included the Stations Of The Cross

and of course, Eileen doesn't want to sell them,

so our day of searching brings us a total that's much closer to £1,430.

Still good. Among the fascinating items headed for the sale room

are her 19th-century watercolour of a steamship on the coast

painted by Henry Earp.

It could make around £100-£150.

There's a delightful mini chaise longue

which used to be the home of Eileen's teddy bears,

a neat little piece of furniture. It could go for between £40 and £60.

And there's the collection of wooden games.

The fabulous estimate for these - £100-£150.

I think some of them may sell,

some of them might not reach the price that we want them to,

but they're only worth what somebody's going to pay for them.

That's my attitude towards things,

so I'm quite relaxed about it.

Still to come on Cash in the Attic,

we must play down the facts when we've got a bargain to sell.

Porcelain figures up next. Remind us about these.

Oh, these are the ones I bought for £1.99 out of a funny shop.

Keep your voice down!

She didn't really.

We try to remain philosophical when things don't go our way.

-That's a bit disappointing.

-Oh, well. There we go.

I'm liking your attitude. "Ah, there we go. Who cares?"

And we care, obviously.

Find out just how much when the final hammer falls.

Well, it's just been over a week

since we rummaged our way around Eileen's house

and uncovered some wonderful items that we've brought here

to Sworders auctions in Stansted.

She's hoping to raise something like £1,000

for a snazzy new television set to put in her brand-new log cabin.

Wouldn't it be nice if she hit her target?

Don't all shout at once.

I always think it must be odd

for people to see their belongings spread about the sale room.

Eileen and Babs are taking a final look as the sale gets under way.

-Hey, morning, ladies.

-All right?

-Hiya.

Saying a final goodbye to your toys?

Are you going to be sad to see this go?

Some of it, yes. This one, someone actually made that for me.

A patient I was looking after, he carved it all out and made it.

-So, yeah.

-You've got a lot of stuff here today.

-Yeah, I know.

-A lot of collectables.

-I can't take it back.

Well, that's what you're hoping.

-Have you got high hopes for this?

-We've three really good collections.

You've got toys and games, got all your nautical instruments,

your compasses and so on, then all those boats and trawlers and things,

so yeah, it's a real collectors' day today.

Have you got a reserve on anything?

-No.

-It's all got to go?

-It's all got to go.

-OK, I think it's filling up here,

-so we should get into a good position.

-OK.

-Good luck. Follow me.

Itching to get started, we take our places for Eileen's first lot.

It's the mini chaise longue,

made when she was 25 by her furniture dealer friend.

We're hoping for £40-£60.

-You two found this?

-That's right, me and Babs found it upstairs.

-We did.

Make a fantastic jeweller's display

or perhaps a haberdasher. What did you use it for?

Sitting my teddies on, actually.

What do the teddies sit on now, then?

Being modelled there by Amy on our right, Lot 44.

50, I'm bid.

50 already!

A miniature chaise, at 50.

Can I say five anywhere?

At 55. 60-5, 70-5. 80.

Selling, at £80,...

-That's great.

-Brilliant.

-Look at that.

-That's amazing.

A good first result,

and at £80, I'm happy to tell the teddies

to...go sit elsewhere. Steady.

Onwards now, and the locket with semi-precious stones is next.

Although I suspect the gold belcher chain

will be the real attraction for the bidders.

-Tell us about this.

-That was left to me by somebody.

It's something I've had for a long time and I don't wear any more

because it's not in fashion any more, so I'm happy to let it go.

A belcher chain, Aled, is a long Victorian chain.

That's where the word comes from.

The locket has some Cairngorm stones, which is very Victorian,

so quite a nice item.

I put this in at £100-£150.

Let's see how we get on.

-I tell you what, it would look lovely on Babs.

-There you go!

20, I'm bid.

At £20, 25,

30-5, 40-5,

50. Selling then, at £50...

55, fresh bid, altogether.

Selling at £55...

Oh. 60.

60, new bidder, there we go.

At 60, don't be put off by him. At £60, 65?

-No, he's going to sulk instead.

-(MOUTHS)

-Come on!

At £60...

-There we go, that's gone.

-60 quid.

-Bargain.

-Yeah, someone did get a bargain.

-They did get a bargain there.

-We had a few bidders. You can't help it.

-They start slowly!

-They do, don't they?

Certainly do, came in at the last minute.

Better late than never, I say.

But £60 is rather below our estimate.

Let's hope we do better with our third lot.

We've got three porcelain items now, three small traditional figurines.

Two have a gold anchor mark, which is a Chelsea mark,

they're actually copies of that particular factory.

The one I liked is the little bust of the lady.

-Did they come in together?

-I can't remember where I got them.

I just know I've had them for a while

and as you say, I like the little bust too.

I thought that was real top quality,

-but I noticed a bit of damage...

-On one, the little boy, yeah.

So I put these in at £80-£100.

Some nice traditional antique items.

At £50, can I say five now?

55, 60-5.

One more, sir?

At £65.

70 anywhere?

It's with me at £65...

No sale.

-Why didn't that sell?

-The auctioneer is trying to get near to our £80.

He hasn't quite got there, so he decided to pull them.

I think he thinks they're worth more than to sell them today.

But there's nothing to stop you selling them at a later date.

Not at all. You can leave these for a couple of weeks,

-give them another airing, and they should sell fine then.

-Right.

Eileen seems a bit underwhelmed.

She must have been hoping to get shot of them.

Oh well. Next we have that glass perfume bottle with a silver collar.

The hallmarks date it to 1911,

and we're hoping for around £20-£30.

So, what we're after here is the sweet smell of success, aren't we?

It's the scent bottle.

-Is this yours?

-Yes, it is.

-Something you haven't collected?

-No.

-Wow.

Is there a lot of interest in this sort of thing?

The combination of glass and silver is always good.

They make nice presents for people, something for the dressing table,

a very attractive looking item. This one's a bit damaged,

but for £20, £30,

it's a bargain, really, I think.

I start the bidding at £10 only.

-Take 12 anywhere?

-We want about 20 for this.

-Yeah.

Scent bottle with a silver collar.

12, 15, 18,

20. £20. 22 anywhere?

22 in the room.

25 now? Gentleman's bid at 22.

At 22...

-That's gone. 22, that was all right, that was on estimate.

-Not bad.

Still stinks a bit.

Although that could be Paul's new aftershave.

We hoped for a more, but it's a further addition

to fund Eileen's dream TV set.

Now, our fifth item really has great potential to alter our fortunes.

Your link chain, remind us about this.

My friend gave it to me many years ago.

and it's something I don't wear any more,

I forgot I had it until it came out, so I don't mind that going.

And if the friend's watching the programme?

-Probably thinking, "I paid more than that!"

-Gold's doing really well

at the moment. It's a difficult item to value and weigh.

The auctioneers weighed it, and he's put it in at £500-600.

I estimated it between £700-£1000, but that's the going rate of it.

-Yes.

-That's no problem.

-Let's hope we get there.

And I start the bidding at £200.

At 200, 220.

240 anywhere?

At £220.

240.

260. 280.

300. 320.

340. 360.

380. 400.

420. 440.

460. 480.

500. I'll take 20 anywhere?

-Come on.

-Or I will sell at £500.

At 500.

-500 quid.

-Is that all right?

Not quite as much as I wanted.

-Not quite.

-It's gone.

We were looking from between 700 and 1,000 so it is a bit less

than what we were expecting but...

£700 was our expert's opinion

but considering the unpredictable nature of general sales,

you have to forgive the occasional blip. That's Paul.

But at the midpoint of our sale, I've got a good feeling we're in good shape, team.

It's been up and down a little bit.

It certainly has.

My heart is going hell for leather. I can tell you - all's not lost.

You wanted £1,000 for that flash television.

662 you've got so far.

-Not bad.

-Not bad.

That's not bad at all actually.

It might not get you 3D, it might get you 2D. Start collecting again.

I think we should go for a cup of tea and cake and come back.

Follow me.

A spot of refreshments,

then it's time to see what other items of interest Paul has noticed

around the saleroom but all I can see is Eileen's model boat collection

arranged on that old desk.

-Paul.

-Hey!

-You look all at sea. What's the matter?

I told you, I do the jokes!

I try so hard, I really do!

These are Eileen's but that's not why I brought you here.

This desk is what I wanted to show you.

It looks at first glance to be an ordinary knee-hole desk

from the late 19th-century, blonde oak,

but this is almost identical on the other side as well.

Really?

If you go round, there's two cupboards and a drawer in the middle. Can you see?

-That's amazing.

-Most desks are designed to go against the wall.

This goes in the middle of an office and it's called a partners desk

so you'd sit here on one side of the desk,

somebody else would sit on the other side of the desk.

-Brilliant.

-Ingenuity.

Recycling at an early age.

It's a big item. How much?

It's in the catalogue at between £300 and £500.

It needs a bit of restoration

but this is big enough for all your paraphernalia,

you could run a business from this desk.

-I think it'll do well today.

-Great tip.

-Shall we carry on?

-Yes.

I tell you what, Paul knows a good thing when he sees one,

as that partners desk later sells for £300.

If we've inspired you to think about selling some of your own items

it's worth bearing in mind that auction houses charge various fees,

such as commission.

Your local saleroom will advise you on these extra costs.

There's plenty still to come in Eileen's sale

and it's our old friends, the Capodimonte porcelain figures, up next.

Remind us about these.

These are the ones I bought for £1.99 at a funny shop.

Keep your voice down! She didn't really!

She bought them for a lot of money!

They look fantastic, they did a good job of displaying them.

But one of them is damaged.

30 to 50, I think.

Let's see how we get on.

£50. 20.

-20 I'm bid.

-20, we're in. Here we go.

At £20.

No sale. I blame you, Amy.

So nobody liked those at all.

I liked them.

They're going home with you.

Back on the shelf!

You don't look too sad about it.

I expect they'll brighten up her log cabin no end.

Eileen can barely disguise her delight

at those cheerful figurines coming back home.

Next we have a framed picture from landscape artist Henry Earp,

born in Westminster in 1831 to a great family of painters.

I must admit, out of all your items, this is probably my favourite lot.

It's that lovely 19th-century watercolour,

with the paddle steamer and the beautiful blue landscape,

by Henry Earp, a great artist.

I am looking for around the £100 mark.

Remind me where this came from?

I found it when I was clearing out the hotel.

-And you've had good use of it?

-Yes, I have. I like it.

She likes it so much she's giving it away. Hopefully not giving it.

It's full steam ahead for this one.

At £40. Five anywhere?

At 40.

Five? 50. Good watercolour. Five.

60. Five anywhere?

At £60. I will say five.

At £60 only?

-No.

-No sale.

He hasn't let it go, so that's good. He hasn't sold that.

-Is that good?

-Yeah.

Yeah, because we didn't get near the £100 we wanted for it, he's withdrawn it.

What a shame. I thought that was one of your better lots.

-40 quid under your lowest estimate.

-Exactly, yeah.

That's sometimes what happens.

If the auctioneer can't get near what our estimate is.

Sorry about that.

That's a bit disappointing.

Oh, well. There we go.

I'm liking your attitude.

I think those crashing waves sum up the atmosphere

better than Eileen's easy come easy go attitude

as yet another of our items disappoints.

For a more positive outcome perhaps we need some divine intervention!

Next up is a self-portrait of me in the old days.

I'm saying it before you do.

What's the story behind the little chorister?

Somebody gave it to me and I quite liked it so I put it on the wall.

My stepson hates it.

So you're getting rid? OK!

It's quite unusual in a way.

But it's a very pleasing subject.

Children are always good in paintings

and I think for that reason, it's very pleasing

someone would like to put it on the wall.

It's not an antique painting as such.

It is probably 1950s but a nice oil painting, an original work of art.

Seeing as he has been singing hymns all his life,

let's hope the big fella gives us some help.

20 I'm bid. At £20. Two anywhere?

22. 25.

28. Selling at £28.

He's going to let it go.

Gone.

You've been overpaid then.

Just to remind you, I'm not a chorister any more!

LAUGHTER

But we are singing from the same song sheet.

Of course we are. We always do.

It's a cheap one at the moment unfortunately(!)

That's it. The painting's gone and I'm done with all the chorister jokes - promise.

Time for some heavy metal, I think.

Nautical themed collections abound in Eileen's home

and here we have just a sample.

It's a collection of brass instruments - compasses, sextons, telescopes.

They're quite modern. Where did they come from?

They're just things I collected over time.

One I had made for me, the compass, my husband had made

cos he was at a factory in Thailand, I think.

-Wow.

-So that's a nice one.

If in doubt, she says, "It's just something I collected."

LAUGHTER

-I like collecting!

-Why not?

There are more people like you, Eileen, don't listen to him.

Don't listen to me - ever!

What do you think of these items, Babs?

I leave it all to Eileen.

We're looking for about £100 for a whole DIY sailing kit.

There's nothing left in the county, she's collected everything!

50, I'm bid. At £50.

Five anywhere? At 55.

60. Five. 70. Five.

80 anywhere? At 75.

No sale.

That's a disaster for our total, and a very tough crowd to please.

All those brass instruments can go back in their boxes for the time being.

Maybe the ships, trawlers and other wooden maritime models will prove a better catch.

Hey, I'm trying to be positive!

They're something I like to collect but I also collect

the boxes as well because I like the sea and the boats and things.

-It comes together.

-Exactly.

This is the sort of thing that people look for.

A collection of themed items, this is a nautical theme,

and it's the first thing you see as you come into the auction house.

Will you be sad to see these go?

I will in a way but I cannot take them where I'm going,

so I won't have room for them.

100 to 200 quid. A lot of money.

It is. It works out maybe a tenner a lot,

so I think it's quite reasonable actually. Let's see how we get on.

-Where shall I start the bidding, Amy?

-£50.

-£50, the lady says.

She did wonders with the chaise longue.

-We'll start the bidding at £50 for all those items. Add £50.

-Come on.

55. 60. Five. 70.

It's with me at £70,

five to bid at 70.

No sale.

I don't understand. There was somebody in the room willing to pay £70 and it didn't sell.

What he's done is used his discretion

and because the estimate was £100-£200,

£70 he didn't accept as an offer, but he'll withdraw it.

He may have made a note of the gentleman

who actually offered the £70 and you may be able

to discuss it afterwards if you want to get rid of it.

Do you want to get rid of them for 70?

Yes, I don't mind, actually. No, I don't mind at all.

OK, but, yeah, he's just trying to look after you.

Yeah, that's good of him.

Eileen would rather the auctioneer had let them go,

but hopefully she'll fix up a private deal later.

But I fear our total has definitely suffered,

and, sadly, we only have one more item to go.

It's the assortment of modern games

we saw on display in Eileen's conservatory.

They're valued at £100-£150.

The boats didn't go for what we hoped.

What do you reckon about the modern games and toys,

the skittles and everything? I loved them.

Yeah, these are very traditional items and they're good quality.

Toys and games are always popular. You've got chess,

you've got the skittle sets, you know, you got a lot of variety,

a complete shelf in your house, if I remember rightly.

So, we're looking for around the 100 mark for these.

-Where do these come from?

-All over the place.

I've kept them for a long time.

I started with the big ones, I've gone down to the small ones

which I've collected all over the world, actually.

These skittles, are they something you've collected

-all through your life?

-Yes.

-Interesting that. Amazing.

All right, well, let's hope for around the £100 mark

for this lot, all right?

50 I'm bid. Out £50. Five anywhere?

55. 60. Five. 70. Five. 80, now.

At £75...

No sale.

-No sale.

-No sale again? What's that...?

Have you put reserves on all of these?

-No, I haven't done anything.

-OK.

-I haven't done anything.

-OK.

Oh, dear. The auctioneer has once again used his discretion

to reject the low bids, rather too readily, I fear.

Looks like Eileen's grand total is going to be, uh...

Not quite that grand.

Well, that was hard work, wasn't it?

The second half of that sale, I must say, but all is not lost,

because I can tell you that...

You know the watercolour we thought we hadn't sold?

-Well, somebody's willing to pay £80 for it.

-Oh, that's OK.

-You're happy to sell?

-That's OK, yes.

OK. Your grand total, then, is...

Are you ready for this? You're going to be so excited!

-It's £770.

-Ooh.

Well, it's getting there, isn't it?

-It is getting there.

-It's getting there.

It's been a strange day, actually. It's very quiet.

But don't lose heart. Those items that haven't sold,

you can have a word with the auctioneer,

he'll leave them for another day and I'm sure they'll sell fine.

770 quid is, well, more than you had before you walked into the room.

That's true, that is very true. Halfway towards my television.

Exactly, and it's been lovely meeting you

and I hope you're going to be happy in your log cabin.

-I will be.

-All the best to you.

Well, it wasn't quite the final result she wanted

but today has had a lasting effect on Eileen and she's making plans.

I haven't raised quite enough money for the TV I wanted,

which was a 3D plasma screen, to go in my new log cabin.

But I shall just keep plodding on and I've got some other things

that will go up for auction, now I've got the auction bug

and I shall put them up and raise the rest of it.

Eileen and Babs are soon out sampling

the latest 3D technology destined for the new log cabin.

Because the auction went well, when we got quite a bit of money,

and I've also got some to put with it

we went having a look for a 3D television. And we found one.

And it was really, really good. So I was very pleased about that.

So I've got my eye on exactly what I want.

And when I get the TV, I'm actually going to put it in the lounge

and then I will probably have a smaller one in the kitchen as well.

there's quite a lot of work to be done on the cabin in Cambridgeshire.

They've just put the footings down on the first floor.

My husband's not very good at DIY, so it's called PSE, Pay Somebody Else.

When Eileen does go, I'm going to find it very hard.

We see each other every week without fail for a glass of wine,

you know, a good laugh. But we'll also enjoy it when we go and stay.

When she does come, at least we'll get good quality time

and we'll be able to go and explore new places together,

which I'm looking forward to.

I'm very glad I raised some cash towards the TV

and my husband's even more pleased

that I got rid of some stuff out the house as well.

Now, if you want to raise money for something nice

and you've got the antiques and collectables

scattered around your home, then why not apply to be on our show?

All the details you need are at...

Good luck! We'll see you next time on Cash In The Attic.

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