Stedman Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic.

This is the show that finds all those hidden collectables

and antiques around your home, and then we sell them at auction.

Today I'm going to be meeting a mother and daughter

who have called in Cash In The Attic

to help them clear up a little family mystery.

Coming up on Cash In The Attic, our expert, John,

discovers a novel use for the family silver.

-So she just got them out and teased you?

-Yes, and put them away.

And he's disappointed at the state of a Royal Worcester vase.

I was getting excited,

and then I looked at this one and I was crushed.

-We've got some damage here.

-Yes.

They very often get broken, don't they!

Let's hope that doesn't spoil the value too much.

And at auction, John upsets us by criticising a lidless tobacco jar.

-You couldn't put flowers in it if it had a cover on it!

-Yeah, exactly.

-Very true.

-Or use it to put pens in.

Find out what happens when the hammer falls.

Today I'm in Orpington, in Kent,

to help rescue some family treasures that have been struck by disaster.

More on that in a bit, meanwhile, here's Gemma Steadman,

who has two daughters.

16-year-old Cassie, who will help her mum today,

and 20-year-old Christiana, who's at university.

They're all keen riders, but that's not why we're here.

Gemma has been married to Mark for 28 years,

and they've inherited lots of stuff from both his parents and hers.

Including masses of old home movies.

Some of them are at risk of being lost forever,

so there's an urgent restoration project on the cards.

Helping me search through all these possessions is John Cameron,

who has been around antiques all his life.

-Hello!

-Hello!

-So you must be Gemma and Cassandra, is that right?

-Yes.

-I've brought John as your expert today.

-Hiya.

Is it OK if he has a look around? Are there any rooms out of bounds?

-No, they're all accessible.

-Well, you've been warned young lady!

-Do you want to start, then?

-I think I ought to.

Obviously you've called us in

and I understand it's something to do with all these tapes and things.

So, what's happened to these?

These were my father's Cine films,

they go back to the late '40s, early '50s.

-There's Stirling Moss at Brands Hatch.

-Wow!

An early footage of the family.

Until five weeks ago they were in perfect condition,

and then the roof on the garage leaked.

Oh, right.

Now, not only do I want them put onto DVD, but they need restoring as well.

Right, OK.

Have you any idea how much it's going to cost

-to have them restored and also transferred?

-Not really.

All right, well, what sort of contribution are you looking for?

About £500.

Right, so we need to raise £500 to get this job under way,

by the looks of it.

-So let's go and see what John's found them, shall we?

-OK, then.

Gemma's father died in 1990, and her mum in 2008.

As an only child,

there's no-one else for her to share her mementos with

and those reels of film are understandably very precious.

Wow, John. Looks like you've found something quite impressive there.

I have, a really nice pair of vases,

but I'm wondering, Gemma, if you can tell me anything about these?

They came from my aunt's house.

When she died, because she had no family,

her bits and pieces were split up between her three brothers.

These came to my father, and then came down to me.

Do you like them?

Not particularly,

and they're not the sort of vase you can use for very much.

Have you any idea how old these are?

I think they're about the middle of 18 something.

Your in the right century, certainly.

-Well, you know they're made by Royal Worcester.

-Yes.

We've got the very easy to identify mark on the bottom,

the puce mark of Royal Worcester.

A very good, famous factory

with history going right back to the middle of the 18th century.

These are somewhat later, and when I looked at them

they instantly reminded me of the Aesthetic Movement.

-Have you heard of that before?

-No.

Well, it was a movement that affected literature and the arts

in the last quarter of the 19th century.

They were heavily influenced by Japanism, the Orient.

So when you look at these, they kind of have a Japanese feel about them,

although they're not overtly Japanese. They mix it up a bit.

So you've got the very distinctive glazed body of Worcester,

in this basket weave.

Then you've got this Japanese, probably a peony tree,

with the rustic crabstock foot.

Bamboo handles and then a Greek key along the top.

Very, very nice. And have you seen a pair like these before?

Very often one will get broken over the years.

Well, actually, when I picked them up and had a look,

I was getting excited and then I look at this one and I was crushed.

-We've got some damage here.

-They very often get broken, don't they?

Uh-hu!

It's been glued back.

The good news is you've got all the pieces there,

and that could be done professionally.

-I think they're lovely.

-What sort of value might they have?

In that condition I would still put £150-£200 on them. Crikey!

Did you realise they could be that expensive?

I knew they were worth a little bit, but not quite that much.

Had they been perfect we'd have been looking more around £300-£400.

Well, I think they're beautiful. Really lovely pieces.

Fantastic to have inherited those.

-You're quite happy for them to be sold, though?

-Yes.

-Yes? Right.

Put it down very safely then, John.

Then let's see what else we can find, come on.

Well, a three figure sum is always a great way to start the day.

Kirsty is searching in the loft room,

and has found a small tobacco jar

which comes from her dad's side of the family.

Her grandmother was a keen collector,

there's also a small ewer in here too.

They're both examples of stoneware made by Royal Doulton.

Stoneware differs from porcelain because it's much thicker and heavier.

It's normally glazed and a grey or brown colour

because of the impurities contained in the clay.

These two get an estimate for the auction of £30-£50.

-Cassie.

-Yeah?

-This little chest, here.

Is this something you think we might be able to take to auction?

-Yeah, I think...

-Do you know anything about it?

It came from my papa's house,

and I think it was in the hallway on a desk or something.

-It wasn't ever used for much.

-Does it have a name?

-Is it referred to as a such and such cabinet?

-No!

It doesn't have any nicknames.

And how old do you think this little cabinet is?

Not got a clue, really.

-Would it surprise you if I said it's well over 100 years old?

-Yes it would.

Yeah, yeah. It's Victorian and often referred to as collectors' cabinets.

Or, a little tabletop jewellery cabinet.

They called them collectors' cabinets because they have,

if we open up this panelled door,

we've got three little drawers which would have been used

to keep little curios in, minerals, rocks, that sort of thing.

Coins even.

Equally useful as a little jewellery box, really.

Lovely use of figuring walnut there.

Walnut on the outside, when we open up,

we've got that real figured burr walnut,

which was a real favour material in the Victorian period.

Nice little flush brass handles,

which enable us to lock those doors, like that.

Let's have a look at the drawers.

Those are mahogany lined drawers.

No dovetails on there, but quite neat.

Amazing, isn't it? 100 years old, a jewellery box.

It doesn't look like Mum uses it, would she mind us selling it?

No, I don't think she would.

I reckon that could give others about £40-£60 towards our target.

Great.

Well, that collectors' cabinet is in extremely good condition,

so will the bidders be tempted?

There it is at 60.

65, fresh bidder.

70. 5.

80. 5...

Find out what it makes, later on.

As the search in Kent continues, Gemma has spotted

an Edwardian armchair that used to belong to her aunt.

She never married, so when she died, her three brothers,

including Gemma's father, inherited her possessions.

It's made of mahogany and was reupholstered in the early 1980s.

It should fetch £20-£40 at auction.

Now, these are just a few of the Cine roles you've got, isn't it?

-How many have you got in total, do you know?

-I don't know.

I think there's a couple of dozen at least.

Potentially, there's some really interesting stuff.

It goes back to the late-40s, early-50s,

when my parents were just married.

When they went abroad.

There's unusual things because they went abroad.

They were married in '47/'48. They were abroad.

Which was not... People didn't go on holiday abroad then.

Then it comes all the way through, me being a child, our holidays.

Family weddings, family parties.

The whole history of the family.

So, Casey, how important is it to you, and your sister,

to actually get this transferred, so you can see some of it?

Well, I'd like to be able to see my family in their normal life,

how it would have been for them when they were younger.

And so I can actually see some of my grandparents.

I haven't seen them in real life

because I was born a bit too late, as it were.

How long do you think it's going to take to go through it all?

A few hours, at least.

There's going to be hours of footage.

I think it's really important we get this done.

I'm really looking forward to seeing some of them myself.

As they date back to the '50s,

I think we'd better find Mr Cameron, don't you?

-Yes.

-He dates back to the '50s on his own.

Only joking, John!

I do love a bit of cheese.

This Stilton dish could certainly hold a big piece.

John's looking for any evidence of the manufacturer.

He can't find one, butt says it's in the style of Minton.

The cover has the design of a woven basket.

It comes from Gemma's husband's side of the family

and gets an estimate of £50-£80.

Wow! I think I've found the bar.

Look at that! It's amazing.

-Do you use it very much?

-Yes, quite a bit.

-Do you?

Well, that's very cleverly disguised there, I must say.

-This looks like a... Oh, yes... Is this your family?

-No, it's not.

This comes from my husband's side of the family.

His parents used to own the top half of a house

and a lady called Mrs Rawlings lived in the bottom half of the house.

When she died, my in-laws bought the bottom half of the house.

She had no family, so a lot of things

were left behind, and that's part of it.

-Oh, wow!

-That's where they came from. It's beautiful.

It's beautiful, isn't it? All that flower.

Apart from the photographs, which I haven't really come to yet.

Just that is so lovely. We've got to get John to have a look at this.

John, are you there?

-I thought I heard clinking glasses.

-We'll come to that later.

I'm actually leaning against a bar,

for not the first time in my life.

Making sure you can't open it. Look at that! Isn't it stunning?

You're absolutely right, Lorna. It is a super quality little thing.

Binding of this quality tended to be really reserved for

private press commission books,

where authors would produce a limited edition set of their books.

Wonderful use of this Elizabethan strap work here.

That's been embossed, probably by a machine.

We are now well into the machine age here,

as have those little gilt metal straps, here.

They would have been made by machine, cut out and finished.

As you said, that beautiful work around the edge,

that has all actually been worked by hand - all that tooling.

That would have been done with a series of little punches, to get out that design.

Even the flower heads have been enamelled,

and then gilded and burnished. Super quality, isn't it?

And, remarkably, in good condition for the age.

If we have a look inside, we can see it's a photograph album of sorts.

These were used in two ways.

If you're wealthy, you could commission

your own series of family portraiture,

but you could buy ready-mades to go in these.

There's also this box. Inside, it's got even more photographs and stuff.

-Should that be sold with it?

-I'd keep them together.

You may well find associated material in the box to go with this.

-So, what sort of value do think this might have?

-Not huge sums of money.

I'd still expect it to be £40 to £60, something like that.

OK, let's put it down safely then. Beautiful thing!

See if we can find anything else of quality.

What a shame Mrs Rawlings didn't have any relatives to pass that on to.

Then again, there could be a long lost third cousin once removed

at the auction, you never know.

Going by John's lowest estimate so far, we stand to make £330

towards the restoration and transfer of the Cine films.

Gemma will certainly have some exciting footage to look forward to,

as much of it features her as a young horse rider and scuba diver.

I understand you met your husband through the diving.

Yes, I used to do a lot of snorkelling when I was on holiday.

I came home and joined the local diving club.

He was just one of the guys in the diving club.

We'd known each other probably for about 18 months, two years.

We were on a low visibility dive,

which means you can't see people easily.

We'd taken down a surface marker buoy,

so that people on the surface know where you are.

We got a bit tangled up in that and ended up holding hands,

and then started going out together.

If it hadn't been low visibility,

I suppose it would have been love at first sight, wouldn't it?

So, tell me about the children then.

I know Cassandra rides, doesn't she?

-Yes.

-Is that something you've encouraged?

-They both ride.

I rode, which is probably not to be recommended,

with both children, up until about six weeks before they were born.

So, um, they've ridden, more or less,

since they were about three. Since they were old enough.

They're quite interested in seeing this footage.

You'll definitely have to view this before she sees it.

-Yes.

-Come on, let's go back in and see what John's got for us.

It'll be the first time her daughters

will be seeing moving footage of her when she was younger.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall on that day.

Our expert is in the office and has spotted an attractive wooden box.

It's walnut with ornate bronze plaques.

It's a Victorian sewing box, belonging to Gemma's mother-in-law.

She used it all the time,

and actually refitted the interior herself.

It's in very good condition and should attract some bids,

with an estimate of approximately £40 to £60.

-Hi, I found this.

-Let's have a look, Cassie. An interesting little box.

There we are. Some games in there. Where did all this come from?

Er, it came from my papa's house.

-It in a cupboard.

-Have you ever played any of the games?

-No.

-None of them?

-None of them, no.

Well, I can see some drafts.

-Have you ever played draughts?

-I have, but not with this, no.

Now, these are collectable - things like this.

But it's important that things are in sets.

That's the very important thing.

Looks like we've got at least 24 of the draughts counters there.

We've got some whist markers here.

These are for a game which I think is a bit like bridge

but don't ask me how it's played.

Have a look at that, some advertising on the back.

The Camden Tom Thumb Whist Marker - isn't that cute?

This would have been used for scoring the game.

We've got three of those. People still collect things like this.

You see them on auction sites all the time.

Now, we should have some playing cards in here, let's have a look.

Here we are. There's a set, look at those.

Queen Victoria's portrait on the back, beautifully decorated.

With things like this, it's important that they're in sets.

I'd need to have a count through to make sure we've got 52

plus our two jokers.

Condition-wise, they look pretty good. Another set there.

Look at the decoration on those - collectors are looking for something interesting.

Look at those, those are beautifully done, aren't they? Very colourful.

Well, nice little compendium set. Last but not least, what's in here?

-The Illustrated Proverbs. Played that?

-No.

Right, now's your chance if we're going to send it to auction.

That's quite nice. Nice packaging, it's all there.

Interesting thing, we can certainly send it to auction

and for all these games and counters in here,

I'd certainly expect them to make about £50-£80.

Wow, that's quite a lot for a little box.

'I head up to the loft room and notice a collection

'of British and American women's magazines from the 1950s and '60s.'

I just love the style from that era

and they're all in very good condition.

-The estimate for this lot is £20-£30.

-And those.

-What's this?

Those are sweet. So where did these silver bits come from?

They came from my mother's house.

They were always in the sideboard. She just kept them in there.

When I was young, if we were watching something like The Antiques Roadshow or Going For A Song,

and show them to me, but we never used them.

-She just got them out and teased you?

-Yes.

-And put them away!

-Now they're yours.

-Yes.

Let's have a look at them. There's a pair here.

Just check that the hallmarks correspond. They do.

They've got Chester hallmarks, we can see on here. That one there

and... they're exactly the same.

Both have the Chester Assay mark. The form - always loved the form -

they're called oval-bellied sauce boats.

They kind of came from the Georgian Period.

You would first see that sort of form around the 1740s, 1750s I seem to remember.

These have been made by hand. We've got three parts here.

We've got the feet, the actual vessel and the handles,

which have been cast in silver.

Little scroll handle there, open scroll. Cast and applied,

as have these little scroll pad feet.

They're quite sweet and nice to have their original boxes.

These will be a nice little item to send to auction.

They're silver, their hallmarks correspond, they're in nice condition.

At auction today for a nice set like that, I'd expect them to make -

-certainly put an estimate on them of £70-£90.

-OK.

That's very nice, yes.

-Hopefully they'll make over 100.

-That would be lovely.

We're finding lots of quality pieces here in Gemma's home.

Cassie has come across some more silver.

This time it's an inkwell in the shape of a capstan

with a hinged cover.

It originally belonged to a Mr Simpson,

a friend of her paternal grandfather.

They only became friends during their retirement,

but he obviously thought a lot of Cassie's granddad

as he left this to him when he died.

It's hallmarked in Birmingham in 1934

and should make £50-£80 at auction.

In a last push for collectables,

John and Gemma have stepped into the loft room.

-Gemma.

-Yes.

Can I talk to you about these?

-Take that. Seen that before?

-Yes, I have.

It looks like we've got a pair to it down here though.

This one is moving about a bit, I think it needs tightening up.

Now, tell me about these.

These again came from my aunt's house.

They used to sit on her mantelpiece

and they did have electric lights in the hands.

-Did you remove those?

-Yes.

-They were working, I'm taking it?

-No.

-They weren't, OK.

-No.

-What do you think of them?

They're a little too classic for me.

Little too still, no movement in them.

I think they're actually quite nice. They're heavy, aren't they?

-They are.

-That's because they're made of bronze.

They've been made in sections and then bolted together

but if you turn them upside down,

I was looking at the screw underneath that one.

It's had a couple of replacements here.

I think that these date from the first half of the 19th century

and I think they are known as French Empire Style.

That's a very distinct period in the decorative arts.

I think that originally, in these little holes here,

she would have been supporting a couple of little candle sconces.

Possibly a bracket up the back and I notice another hole in there

where there may have been something else, also linked to that.

Either that, or they had also cut glass prism lustres, hanging,

like a fringe all the way around the bottom of the sconces.

Quite a popular combination. But those are nice decorative items.

Have you ever had them looked at or valued before?

No, I haven't.

Interested to know?

Very interested.

Well, I think that even though they need some work,

they need the sconces put back on there and some fringes

and some cut glass prisms, I think it is a great decorative object.

I would think these would make about £400-£500.

Strewth!

What's making £500?

I said £400-£500...

I am interested in the 500. Go on!

A pair of bronze candelabras. They need some work doing to them.

-And what about you, Cassie, do you like them?

-No.

What, even at 400-£500?

No! I'd rather have the money.

Crikey. Well, they'll be a great lot in auction.

I think they'll stand out, don't you?

I absolutely love them. I think they're fantastic.

OK, well, you wanted £500, didn't you,

towards transferring all this old Cine stuff onto DVDs,

plus the extra disaster which came with the flood in the garage.

You will be delighted to know, then, that the value of everything

going to auction comes to £960.

-Wow!

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

-Yeah!

That'll more than cover it, I'd have thought.

-So, you pleased with that?

-Very pleased, yes.

OK, the next time I see these two lovely ladies, and the next time

John will see THESE two lovely ladies will be at the auction.

Can't wait.

I'm really pleased we helped Gemma and Cassie exceed their target

and I'm keen to see the bidders' reactions

to everything we found today,

including the pair of Royal Worcester vases.

One of them has some damage, but John thinks

they should still attract upwards of £150.

And then there's the Victorian walnut collectors Cabinet.

It's in excellent condition, so £40-£60 shouldn't be a problem.

And, what about the pair of bronze candelabras?

They're early 19th-century French Empire and belonged to Gemma's aunt.

If John's estimate is correct,

they could almost make the entire target in one go.

Still to come on Cash in the Attic

I let slip what I think of the fashion tips in the 1950s magazines.

"Glamour for the girl with a job."

I think I need to read them a bit more, actually.

And when we sell the Stilton cheese dish,

John's reminded of his latest diet.

I'm off the cheese, these days.

You can see what it's done to me over the years,

so, no more Stilton for me.

Find out if our banter helps the sales when the hammer falls.

Now, it's been a few weeks since we visited Gemma and Cassie

at their home in Orpington. We found a lot of Victoriana there.

We've brought it all to Chiswick auction rooms in West London,

where we're hoping that, today,

we make the £500 they are looking for

to restore all those vintage old films.

I love the buzz of a busy saleroom

and today is definitely one of those.

And if there's one thing here that seems to have got the bidders going,

it's that pair of bronze candelabras.

You had no idea that they might be worth

our target in one hit, did you?

-No.

-What do you think, seeing them here in the auction room?

Mm-hm.

-Have we?

-Yes...

So have you put reserves on anything?

I've put a reserve on those and the sauce boats.

The auction house said it was a good idea just to put something on them.

And what sort of reserve have you put on them?

Left it to the auctioneer's discretion.

Looking forward to the auction today? Yes?

-You just want it all gone, don't you?

-Yeah!

THEY LAUGH

And are you still looking forward to having the old Cine films restored?

Yes, I've listed them all now.

Oh, have you?

And there's in excess of 32 films, going back to 1953.

It'll be fascinating when you get them done.

Well, in that case, let's go and make your money. Come on.

Thanks to some lovely items Gemma has inherited,

we are offering a really eclectic range of items today.

And the first one up before the bidders is a very elegant

Victorian mahogany armchair, which belonged to Gemma's aunt.

It was reupholstered in the 1980s so it looks in very good condition.

-It's only got £20-£40 on it, John.

-I know.

It should be worth more than that.

I'm so used to furniture failing miserably in sales.

I'm ultra-cautious with my estimates, but it's a pretty chair.

It should make top estimate, I hope.

20, 22, 25, 28, £28 it is, then, in the red jacket, at £28.

Anybody else? For the little chair, then, £28, I'm going to sell it 28.

See? £28, not as much as I'd hoped.

Why do you think these things are so cheap?

I think it's a pretty chair.

Great decorative piece for the bedroom. I don't know.

People just don't seem to want it.

Oh, well, £28 is better than nothing

and it was almost bang in the middle of John's estimate.

There's another piece of excellent quality furniture next,

the Victorian walnut collector's cabinet

with two doors concealing three drawers made of burr walnut inside.

This came from my husband's parents' house.

My mother-in-law used to go round to old shops.

If she saw something she liked, she would bring it home.

Well, good for us, because we're hoping

it's going to make £40 at least for us today.

Start with this lot for £30. 30, I'm bid, in the doorway.

32, 35, 38, 40, five,

50, five, 60.

£60, there it is at 60. 65 for us, bidding.

70. Five, 80.

-Five, 90.

-Wow!

-100.

Is that a no or a yes? £100 there. Anybody else?

£100 it is, then. £100.

It's great to see something so well made

and so well looked after achieve a good sale price.

OK, the next lot is a stoneware ewer and the Doulton tobacco jar.

-Where are these from?

-This, again, is from my husband's parents' house.

Another of the items that my mother-in-law

would have picked up on her travels around.

-She did like to collect, didn't she?

-She did, yes.

And what do we want these, John?

We're looking for a little £30-£50 for them.

Doulton, good maker, but tobacco jars

not terribly collectable these days, I'm glad to say.

Well, I know, but you can use those tobacco jars

for plenty of other things, can't you?

£20 please? £20 for two lots. I'm bid 20. 22, there, 25.

£25 there for the lady here at 25. Anybody else?

For the two little bits of Doulton, 25, thank you.

The tobacco jar's lacking its cover, though, so...

You don't want much, do you?

You couldn't put flowers in it if it had a cover on it, could you?

Or use it to put pens in!

Well, the winning bidder wasn't put off by the missing lid either

and that's all that matters. Another £20 towards our target today.

Next, it's the leather-bound Victorian photo album

with brass mounts.

Plus, a rosewood and brass inlaid box containing old photographs.

They belong to a neighbour of Gemma's in-laws, a Mrs Rawlings.

If it was our family, it definitely wouldn't be going anywhere.

But it's beautifully made, isn't it?

And I must admit, years ago, I'm talking about 30 years ago,

you'd see this sort of thing coming up a lot at every general auction.

And of course, they're getting harder and harder to find.

But it hasn't made much difference to the price, has it, John?

Well, it hasn't, but the great thing about this is the condition.

This one is exceptional.

So, hopefully, it will make at least its top estimate.

So, I can start straight off at £60.

Who's with me at £60, for the start of the bidding?

65, 70, five, 80, five, in the doorway at 85. You want 90?

90. £90, then, standing nearest me, at 90.

Anybody else? 95 in the stripes. 95, anybody else?

£95. It goes, then, 95. Thank you. 95.

I'm so pleased it made good money like that.

Because it is such a nice example of what it is.

What a wonderful gift that would make

to someone interested in Victoriana. Next up, for £20-£30,

is that collection of British and American women's magazines.

"Glamour for the girl with a job".

I think I need to read them a bit more, actually. Now, 1950s-1960s.

I think they're fascinating because, apart from the adverts,

which are just so wonderful,

when you read them, it's all about making sure the husband

is happy when he gets home from his stressful day in the office.

So, is this from your mother-in-law again?

No, this is from my mother.

She loved fashion and she used to make a lot of her own clothes

and my clothes.

I don't think we'll have a problem shifting these sort of things.

Because there is always somebody out there

who just wants, even just reading them,

just in terms of the social history is interesting.

A collection of 1950s fashion magazines.

Very slightly politically incorrect,

but I've got one, two, three, left bids.

Um, and I'm glad to say we can start at less than £30.

That's good, isn't it?

32, 35, 38, 40. Still with me at £40?

42, 45, 48, 50, five, 60 is my last. Who's with me at £60?

At £60 for these, then. £60, it sells. £60.

£60!

Oh, well, there you go, sir.

People are still looking for tips on how to be glamorous.

Ladies, don't worry, I arrived early enough to write them

all down in my notebook, which we shall be publishing soon!

OK, next up are our little pair of George V silver,

oval-bellied sauce boats in their original box that we found.

You've got a reserve one these?

I've put a reserve on them

because sometimes silver does go very cheaply now

and they're just so beautifully made.

You do want to sell them?

Yes. But not for pittance.

I'm pretty confident they should make it, aren't you?

Well, they're nice, but they're not the thickest gauge of silver,

but they are complete, they are in their box.

I am a fuss pot. £70. That is what you reserve is?

You should get them away. Discretionary. OK, here we go.

What are they worth? Start me, £40 for the silver sauce boat,

I'm bid 40, thank you, 40, at 45, with me.

50, at the back of the room, £50.

The sauce boats, at £50, they're going to be sold for 50.

55? 55 it is, then. At 55, then.

Well, apparently, those sauce boats haven't been sold,

so that's even with the discretion.

He's used his discretion not to sell them.

-So you'll be taking those back home. Is that all right?

-That's fine, yes.

Well, so far, we've actually banked £308.

We've still got some nice items coming out this afternoon,

including those lovely Worcester vases.

I think we're quite comfortable at the moment.

-Are you pleased with how it's gone?

-Very.

You just pleased it's all gone. Apart from those silver sauce boats.

Come on, then, let's go for a bit of a break.

If Gemma's progress here has inspired you

to have a go at selling at auction, yourself, do bear in mind

that fees such as commission will be added to your bill.

The charge varies depending on the saleroom,

so it's worth enquiring in advance.

A general auction like this is a great place to find things

to add to an existing collection, and to get them for a bargain price.

If you collect figurines, listen up,

as John's spotted something a little out of the ordinary.

Now, is that Mister Pickwick or somebody?

It's actually John Bull,

the personification of Great Britain or England.

-Where's his bulldog?

-He should have a union Jack waistcoat as well.

Do you see the likeness? Just missing the hat, now.

Look at you, he's got about four chins, though, John.

Well, I'm getting there, I'm getting there.

But I quite like him, he's Worcester.

-And Gemma has those Worcester vases.

-Of course, yes.

So having a look at him, yes, he's John Bull.

I think he's modelled after James Hadley

who was quite an important modeller involved with Worcester.

They fell out.

Quite a souring relationship, but they continued to use his models.

Date-wise, remember we had the date on our other set there,

this one is about 1905 in date.

From what I've seen, the figures don't really sell as well

as maybe the pair of vases will.

They don't seem as popular as vases,

but you don't see many Worcester figures around.

Loads of Doulton and Coalport,

and it's in great condition, so I think it's quite nice.

Estimate, £80-£120. I think that's cheap.

Do you? What would you expect to see that for,

if you went to a very posh antique fair?

If you went to a fair, you wouldn't get much change

out of £250-£300 for him.

-Can you put him down, then?

-OK!

Well, the winning bidder got a bargain, then,

because it sold for £160.

That's over the top of the estimate, here,

which hopefully bodes well for our Royal Worcester,

when it comes up later on.

But, as the sale of Gemma's lots resumes,

it's the Victorian walnut sewing box

that's the next to go before the bidders.

In my opinion, I love the outside, beautiful veneer and the mount.

When you open it up, it's been totally restored.

Not badly, but it's not original.

What is it with you today? You've been so fussy!

I know. I love the little box, but it's a real Blue Peter job inside.

But it looks good. But it's obviously a restoration, a home job.

So what was the story? You were going to choke on that!

OK, it was my mother-in-law, and my husband said it was

one of her favourite pieces and she spent hours restoring it!

Well, I think she's done a good job in terms of how it should look,

but it's painted silver...

This setting's not so bad. It's this sticky backed plastic on the inside.

There we are. And I thought that stuff didn't actually exist.

Nice box this, lot 210a, start me at £30 for it?

I thought as much, 30 I'm bid in the doorway,

32 here, 35, 38, 40, five, 50, five,

60, five, 70, £70 in the doorway.

They don't mind your mum-in-law's restoration job!

90, five, 100, 110, £110 from there, to me, at 110. 110 it is, then, 110.

110, 213.

I take that back. I take that back.

The restoration job was fantastic inside.

Oh, yes, John, ye of little faith.

It's a good job you didn't put a bet on that

otherwise you'd be paying up now.

And, talking of bets, anyone fancy a quick game pontoon?

It's possible with our next lot,

the Edwardian oak games compendium which belonged to Gemma's in-laws.

-Have you ever use them at all?

-No.

Oh, you've missed out.

We are looking for £50-£80 for them.

We've got two complete sets of Victorian Jacques playing cards.

We've also got some whist markers, draughts,

it has been put together, it wasn't bought that way,

but I certainly think it is worth £50-£80.

Start me at £30 for the lot, please.

£30, 32, 35, 38, £38, that little lot at 38.

At £38, 40.

42, 45, 48, 50. £50 there in the doorway, at £50. Anybody else?

At £50, I'm going to sell it for 50.

Bottom estimate.

That's all right.

-We set a reserve on that at 50.

-Did you?

-Clever you.

-What was that?

-Put a reserve on it of 50, and she got it.

Well done.

Well, that was the one thing that,

if it didn't go, I was worried about.

It's funny Gemma never used it,

but she was obviously in two minds about letting it go.

At least it fetched a good price for her.

Next up, a little silver lot, the capstan inkwell.

I always like these because they remind me of what you see

on the quayside, down by the docks. But where did it come from?

This, again, is from my husband's parents' house.

It belonged to an elderly gentleman that my father-in-law

used to spend a lot of time with, and it was given to him.

Start me at £30 for it. For the inkwell, surely, for £30.

30 I'm bid, on the table, there, at 30?

Doesn't seem lot at 30.

32, I'll take. It is with you at £30. Anybody else? For £30, then.

32. Thank you, there.

35, do you want? 35.

38. 40.

£40, there, at 40, anybody else?

At £40, it's with you, then. At £40, I'm going to sell it.

It's a shame that attractive piece didn't fetch a bit more,

but we're not complaining.

The next lot of Gemma's to come up is the pair

of twin-handled Royal Worcester vases with heavy gilt decoration.

It's a bit damaged, but we've got £150 riding on these.

I wonder what they're going to do today.

-Are you missing them?

-No!

-You're not?

-No, I'm not missing those.

-No reserve on them?

-No reserve.

I think these are great, actually.

You've got to imagine them out of context.

If you think of them being in the right type of property

with a lovely big fireplace and just those, either end,

they'll look really different. Look at your face!

I've seen them up at my Nan's house,

which was an all right fireplace and everything.

Still don't like them!

So, there's no convincing you, then, is there? I don't know.

And I'm glad to say I've got a little bit of interest to start off.

I'm bid £130 for them.

LORNE MOUTHS

See?!

£150 on the book, at 150, anybody else?

£150 for a pair of vases, at 150 they go. 150.

-150.

-Still in the game.

-Are you pleased with that?

-Yes, yes.

-You can't believe it, can you?

-No!

Well, her grandmother's collecting hobby

may not have been passed down to Cassidy yet

but you never know that may change as she gets older.

Our next lot is quite a huge Stilton dish.

In fact we can just see it over there.

It's enough to have a whole hive of bees in.

-Have you ever used it?

-No.

If I could afford the Stilton that big to go in it,

then I might keep it.

It's an amazing piece, isn't it? John, what do you want for this?

Well, we want £50-£80.

I would traditionally give something like that house room

but I'm off the cheese these days.

Seeing what it's done to me over the years, so no more Stilton for me.

Nice thing. It's a great decorative piece to bring out at Christmas.

And for £50, I think that's cheap.

I've got a left bid of £40.

With me at £40 for the cheese dome.

42, there.

45, 48 in the room.

At £48, anybody else? At £48, it's yours, sir, 48. 283.

-Just under.

-That's all right, though, isn't it?

-Oh, yes.

I wonder whether he's got a piece of Stilton big enough for that.

I tell you what. Never mind the cheese.

You could host a whole Sunday lunch under that!

And it's brought us to our final lot of the day,

which is the pair of decorative bronze candelabras.

These are pretty special, with an estimate of £400-£500.

OK, now this is our piece de resistance.

We really want these to sell.

Firstly because you didn't realise the value they had

and secondly because you want to make the money.

They are really nice examples of the Empire candlesticks

even though they haven't got the sconces, John.

They are great pieces. I hope I haven't overdone the estimates.

I really think they're fine quality and,

complete, I would have estimated them at £800-£1200. Quite easily.

So, you've got a reserve on this with discretion.

-Hopefully we'll see them find a new home today.

-All right.

Very nice pair.

Interest, can you start me at £300 per the pair?

300 I'm bid straight off, and 20 I'll take.

He's been waiting here all day for those.

He hasn't bid on anything else.

360, 380, £380 to the gentleman in the red jumper.

At 380. Anybody else?

400 here.

420, 440, 460, 480.

-500.

-Yes!

-£500, there. At 500.

Anybody else? At £500. There they go. At £500, I'm going to sell them.

-500.

-£500!

Now, that gentleman's been waiting all day for those to come up.

Hasn't bid on anything else, just those. Amazing, isn't it?

-Are you pleased with that?

-Yes.

-Excellent.

Well, Gemma got exactly what she wanted for that final lot,

so I'm really excited to tot everything up

and see how she's done overall.

It's time to tell you how much money you've made.

Bearing in mind you wanted £500, didn't you?

To repair the Cine films that got damaged in the garage

and all the rest of it.

Well, you might be quite pleased to know then

that we've actually made £1206!

Wow! That's really good.

And that's taking home the sauce boats, don't forget.

So it's not bad going, is it?

-Are you surprised that you made that much?

-Yes.

So that's a bit more than you needed to restore the Cine.

So what will you do with the extra money?

Well, there's three balloon-backed shares in the loft

that I might have restored.

Right. OK. Well, that would be nice, wouldn't it? There we are.

Then the three of you can sit down and watch the films, can't you?

It's about a month since the auction

and the home movie footage has been fully restored and transferred.

-Look what I have...

-What's in the bag?

The DVDs.

We've ended up with two DVDs of family films

and three DVDs of holiday films,

so there was quite an enormous amount of footage.

This looks like Brands Hatch. Here we are.

I am absolutely over the moon that Dad Cine'd all the events

and that we can look back and, where a lot of it is before I was born,

then my cousin can point out who various aunts and uncles were.

That's Nana bathing me in the washing-up bowl!

I find it very funny

to watch my mum having a bath in the basin and just being a little kid.

It's really nice to see the old footage and see who people are.

That's Nana, and that's my grandmother. It's wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

And I'm sure, later, I'll get tears from looking at some of it.

I'm very pleased I did Cash In The Attic because it gave me

the incentive to get on and get it done.