Sturdy Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic. This is the show that searches from the loft to the cellar

to find collectables that we can sell at auction.

Well, today I am going to be helping two ladies raise the money they want

to take themselves far, far away.

Coming up today on Cash In The Attic,

our expert, Paul, is quite taken with this 1920s diamante necklace.

I've got a nice little cocktail dress to go with that.

-Have you?!

-Yeah(!)

This 1940s exchange is almost as old as some of Paul's jokes.

There is one thing for certain,

we'll definitely have some telephone bidders! Wahey!

And what would Paul know about charm bracelets snagging on tights?

They always used to jangle a lot

and get caught on all your clothes, didn't they?

They used to snag your tights, maybe you don't know about that? Anyway...

I remember snagging some tights, but that wasn't how I did it!

Stay tuned for more revelations.

Today I'm in Middlesbrough to help two ladies plan their great escape.

This house and its busy little garden is just one of the two homes enjoyed by our host today.

The other is her pride and joy, a motor caravan

in which Shirley and her good friend, Sheila,

explore the beautiful British countryside.

Shirley loved driving it across Europe with her husband John,

until he sadly passed away in 2007.

Sheila's been a great comfort ever since.

These ladies share a love of fancy dress parties, too.

I'm told they're very popular with motorhome clubbers.

There's a big trip planned,

so we've been called in to help with the declutter and raising funds.

We'll all be looking to our expert, Paul Hayes, for his advice.

-Hello.

-Welcome to the north.

-Thank you very much.

Born from a lifetime's experience in antiques, he soon gets to work.

-Morning, ladies.

-Hello!

-How are you? All right?

-Fine, yes.

-So who called Cash In The Attic in, and why?

-I did.

-Ah! Hello.

-Hello.

What made you decide to do that?

Just so I could take Sheila away for a little holiday,

because when my husband died,

Sheila lived with me for six or seven months,

just to get me over the grieving.

She's like a daughter to me, so I'm just repaying her back a little bit.

-That's nice, isn't it?

-It's lovely.

-OK.

-So how much money are you looking to raise, then?

-As much as possible!

About £500. That would do.

-What sort of holiday have you got in mind?

-Motorhome.

-To Ireland, Sheila has never been to Ireland.

-OK.

-So who's going to do the driving?

-Not me!

-Me.

Good for you! Because they're quite big things to drive, aren't they?

They are, yes.

-But I guess you're used to it, are you?

-Yes, after 33 years. Yes.

In terms of the items we're going to be seeing, where are they from?

From everywhere, car-boot sales. Skips. John was a skip man.

And he used to come in with things,

I didn't know what he was bringing in.

I don't know where he got them from.

-By the way, why have you got bear suits on?

-Just for a bit of fun.

-Oh, OK! All right, fair enough. Come on, then.

-Anything for a laugh!

Searching for antiques with people in giant bear suits

could be overwhelming for all of us.

But by the time we catch up with Paul,

Shirley has put hers to one side.

-Ah, hello! How are you? All right?

-I'm fine, I'm Shirley.

-Nice to meet you, Shirley.

-Thank you.

-I'm Paul, and I found some dogs.

Well, some fire irons.

-These are quite nice, aren't they?

-They are, yes.

They were my grandma's.

I remember them by the fire, either side, the black range on the fire,

and they were next to the fire.

These were very useful items,

probably why they are in the shape of the dog, you know,

the dog's very much loyal to the family.

If you think about it,

the fireplace was the focal point in any Victorian house.

Nowadays it tends to be the television.

But the Victorians loved their fireplace.

The dogs were often featured around the fire.

The common one is actually the Comforter dogs

which go inside the mantelpiece, but these would go in the hearth.

-What about the sheep, then?

-Well, the sheep would go there as well.

But he is just following the rest of them.

These had a multitude of uses.

Always found around a fireplace, and if you get two together

sometimes they are used as a type of fire iron,

where you put your shovel or tongs across the back of them.

They would also help your fire go, if you put a log on its back,

it allows air to get through, of course, the fire goes that way.

But one of the main reasons was actually to use as a doorstop.

-You need a draught, if you think about it.

-Of course, yeah.

To get your fire to grow, you'd have the door open

and you'd wedge the door open with the bottom of one of these items.

A multifunctional item. And they're nice.

You're never too old to learn, are you?

You're not, teaching an old dog new tricks!

But not new jokes. What sort of price are you going to put on these?

And are they going to be sold together?

Yeah, I think they are a collection, as a lot. They've stayed together.

Do you remember your grandma blackleading them?

-That's what people used to do.

-I've done it myself.

-Really?

-Yes, yes.

For my grandma.

-I'm not that old, really!

-That was the thing.

-You used to have brass items and blackleaded items.

-Yes.

Those three are nice examples, I could see at least £30-£50.

-Oh, good.

-That's not bad, is it?

-Does that sound all right to you?

-Yes.

-OK. All right. Shall we leave them here? By the fireplace.

-Yep.

-Best place for them. Let's see what else we can find.

-Down, Shep.

Joking aside, the fire dogs and sheep make a fine start.

Downstairs, Sheila has also been busy.

Once upon a time,

this silver-topped brolly cost Shirley £1.50 from a car-boot sale.

It is marked "London, 1963" and carries the name of J Waller.

Paul values it at 20-£40.

Now, where's he got to when you need him?

-Oh, there you are.

-Hello. Found the necklace, have you?

-Well, where did you get this from?

-I got it at a boot sale.

-Did you really?

-Yeah, yeah. Near Croft.

That sounds like a very nice find. How much did you pay for it?

-A pound.

-A pound? And it was in this case, was it?

It was, but it wasn't as battered as it is now.

It was about six years ago.

So, quite recent, then. What do you think, Paul?

It always amazes me what you can still find on these car-boot sales.

-It is, yeah.

-It's fantastic! How can it be just a pound?

As a decorative bit of costume jewellery,

it's worth far more than that, isn't it?

This looks like good quality costume jewellery.

There are different levels, the worst being plastics and so on.

The best being silver,

and sometimes even nine-carat gold with semiprecious stones.

This one is diamante,

diamante's one of the biggest things to come out of the 1920s and '30s.

-Yes.

-Obviously real diamonds are extremely expensive,

so they used to make these from white zircons

-or sometimes white sapphires, but mostly glass.

-Right.

Then you've got a nice pearl drop there.

The way to tell the quality is to have a little look at the clasp.

There we are. It has the wording, "Silver." Can you see?

Oh, good. Yes.

So it's a silver item. That means the stones in here are semiprecious.

They only ever put good quality stones in a high-carat gold,

you're looking at 18-carat or platinum. That sort of thing.

But that is beautiful, what a pound!

I know. What a great buy.

-Have you ever worn it?

-Yes, I did.

But I had to put an extension in the back.

Country and Western, a local dress-up.

-I don't dance, obviously.

-Sounds exciting, though, doesn't it?

But these are very popular items. This one is early '20s, I would say.

1920s, perhaps a little bit earlier.

The box is doing it no favours whatsoever.

This is a very modern box.

This is far better quality than the box itself.

If I said £30-£50 as an estimate, does that sound all right to you?

-Oh, yes, it sounds great.

-OK.

I've got a nice little cocktail dress to go with that.

-Have you?

-Yes(!)

Sounds very fetching, Paul.

This striking black vase is Shirley's next discovery,

it's decorated with a floral pattern and made by Shelley,

whose potteries have been turning out lovely collectables since 1929.

We think this one could add another £10-£15 to our total.

While Paul keeps rummaging,

I am keen to find out more about our lady's passion for motorhomes.

So what is it about having the caravan that you like so much?

Caravan?! It's a motorhome, don't say caravan, please!

-So what's the difference, then?

-They haven't got an engine, we have.

-Apart from that, are you like two completely separate clubs?

-Yes, yes.

There is the Motorcaravan Club and the Caravan Club.

So what made you opt for a motor caravan, then?

Well, it was my husband, actually.

He had a stroke, and was looking in the magazines.

Seeing the motorhome when he was going for rehabilitation,

there was a man there selling just a small one, a van,

and John converted it. It was the first motorhome we had. 1978.

-So you've upgraded a bit since?

-Yes.

This is the third larger one we've had made.

What would you say you enjoy so much about it?

Just the friendliness, going to different places

and meeting different people.

Got friends all over the country. Ireland, Scotland, everywhere you go.

You know? They're just so friendly, it's unbelievable.

-It is just a way of life.

-So do you get away together very much?

Not too often because Sheila's got grandchildren,

and she looks after the grandchildren.

-I've other commitments.

-She has other commitments, so...

I would love to go, I'd love to go every weekend.

So where is it you'd like to go?

Well, I'm hoping that we're going to be able to go to Ireland.

I have a few friends that go quite a lot, and everything.

And I love the Irish people.

I went to Scotland with Shirley,

had a lovely holiday waking up next to the lochs.

Just take the curtain back and look out, fabulous.

So tell me a little bit about the connection

and how long you've known each other.

There is a family connection somewhere, isn't there?

Well, my mum met Robbie, who was Shirley's brother.

-They ended up getting married, how many years ago was that?

-28?

-30 years?

-28, 30 years ago. And we just clicked.

But we've got closer over the years, and when John died,

I stayed around with her for a while.

Seven months. Seven months she lived with me, she's like a daughter.

Right, ladies. If we're going to get the money you need

so that you can take this wonderful thing on the road, to Ireland,

I think we'd better get back inside, into the house, and find Mr Hayes.

-I think so.

-Come on.

Wherever they end up on holiday,

Shirley and Sheila are bound to have a laugh.

Paul's been busy, and in the hall cupboard,

finds three brass elephant heads.

They're brackets for a hand rail,

but Shirley's late husband, John, never got round to fitting them.

At auction, grouped with some other brass items,

they could make us a further £40-£60.

Apparently, they aren't the only oddities

that John picked up over the years.

What is this?

Oh, that's an old telephone exchange from a mine in Durham.

Who was in the mining industry, then?

A friend of Shirley and John's, probably a motorhome friend,

-and the man gave it to John.

-Right.

He knew he used to like to tinker, you know?

Do you know what mine it would have been down?

No, just that they worked in a mine in Durham.

In Durham, that was it. Let's just have a look. What does it say?

There's a little inscription on there.

It says "Cordless Magneto Mining Switchboard, Type 555." There we go.

And it's the Ministry of Fuel and Power certificate, 11th May 1949.

There you go. Look at that. Amazing.

And it's an Ericsson, who,

obviously, have gone on to make mobile phones and things like that.

What a fantastic find. I've never seen anything like that.

Do you know what? That should create quite a lot of interest.

I've had early Ericsson telephones before.

They were one of the very first pioneers of the home phone system.

And they can command quite a lot of money.

Early technology is extremely collectable.

People love to find the first innovations with things.

Thomas Edison did these wonderful original sound systems.

People go mad for those. So, telephones, very collectable.

I actually had quite an early example of an Ericsson telephone

and that did very well indeed,

so I think this could potentially be quite a good item, actually.

-Brilliant.

-How do you think Shirley would feel about getting rid?

I think she'd be fine about it, because, you know,

it was John's baby.

Right, he never got it working?

He intended to, he did intend to, yes.

Right. I think it's probably too old a system to use

in our current network of phones.

We're all onto broadband and things now.

But I'm sure someone technically-minded

could rewire it or keep it as an ornament, a bit of fun.

If I said around the £50 mark, £50-£100, how does that sound?

Wonderful.

And there's one thing for certain.

We'll definitely have some telephone bidders! Hey-hey!

Sorry. Let's get some fresh jokes! Come on.

Yes, please, Paul, that would be great. What a great find.

Ideal for telephone collectors.

Let's hope that switchboard will CONNECT us

to some cash on auction day!

35 anywhere? The bid is with me at 32. Do I see 35?

At £32, at 32, 35, 38, 40.

Hmmm, looks like it's going to be a tough call!

OK, I may be back in the bar,

but I'm still working just as hard as everyone else here today.

We're halfway through our rummage and our total so far stands at £170.

That's not bad,

but it's still short of the £500 we need for the road trip.

I'm intrigued by a pair of early 20th-century framed prints.

Shirley says they hung in the parlour

of her friend's grandmother's house.

These two elegant Edwardian ladies could prove an attractive lot

with a £20-£40 price tag.

In Shirley's sewing room, Paul's curious about the crockery.

Sheila?

Who's collecting all this blue and white, do you know?

Erm, more or less me, I'm afraid.

Really? Right.

OK, so, did you buy them from individual places, or...?

All different places, anywhere that we saw them.

I just wanted my room to go with the blue and white

and I have a Delft rack round the room,

and I put them all, strategically placed.

Right, OK, but is it a fashion that you're not really going for any more?

No, I changed the colour scene and all the decorations.

Well, I must admit, I went through that stage myself, actually.

Pine and blue and white pottery seem to go together very well.

That was very popular in the 1990s, that sort of time,

but it's very out of fashion now,

but the legacy that's left behind means

there's an endless supply of blue and white pottery.

It goes back a couple of hundred years in this country, anyway.

What we're left with is a massive, eclectic mix

of all different factories.

This one was made by Spode. A British design called Spode's Tower.

It's very much a European design

rather than the Chinese-inspired pieces that we have here as well.

We've also got the willow pattern. Numerous factories made that.

That's one of the major patterns that we find here in the UK.

And then we've got some things from Holland, the Delft ware.

That's like a very thick pottery, to imitate the Chinese porcelain.

So, there's something for everybody here, really.

Are there any full sets, or are they all sort of oddments?

No, they are just mainly oddments. I have a few favourites.

-That's one of them.

-This is nice quality, actually. Do you know what it is?

Erm, I used it for a plant pot!

THEY LAUGH

Well, it's actually for your bowl.

It's a bowl chiller for your wine, so your wine glass would go in there

and the actual bowl would be chilled.

They made all sorts of, well, everything for anything, really.

How do you feel about parting with these?

Well, I don't use them any more.

They would be in the loft, and I need to get rid of them, really.

Well, if I said around the £40 mark, sort of 40-60? How does that sound?

That would be fine. That would be lovely.

OK. Well, let's leave those for now.

-And let's keep looking. But we'll put that on the list.

-OK.

Blue and white transfer-printed crockery

is a common sight in general sales, but, hopefully, Paul's strategy

of combining these items into one lot will pay dividends.

Shirley's home is full of surprises,

but the most interesting one is the discovery

that her husband, John, built it.

Electrician, joiner, painter and upholsterer.

He was clearly a man of many talents.

So, how long were you and John together?

We were married 50 years.

-Long time.

-Very long, yes.

I've known John since I was 16.

And he was cremated on our golden wedding anniversary,

but he had a really good send-off,

because the cowboys came dressed up,

all the friends were there, and it was fantastic.

Left about four o'clock in the morning, some of them. It was good.

That must have been quite hard to go through, though.

It was, very hard. But Sheila helped me. Sheila did help me a lot.

So, how did you two meet?

We met at a dance. I was 16.

Ah! And was it love at first sight?

No. He had ginger hair!

Me mam said, "Never marry a man with ginger hair!"

So, what happened?

-Well, I did.

-SHE LAUGHS

They just, they just grow on you, don't they?

Well, some people do. Some don't. But he did. We were happy.

So, you obviously shared a real enjoyment of dance,

because that continued through your marriage, didn't it?

Well, we used to go to the dances every week, you know,

and that just carried on, and when we started motor caravanning,

we have dances at the rallies,

we call them rallies, the meetings, and we'd just do fancy dress

and things like that, and then we started country and western,

and we got dressed up for that, and it was great.

During the time that you were together, not only did you have

these hobbies, but at one time, you ran a shop, didn't you?

Yes, we did have a shop, a fruit and veg and general shop

and John worked as well.

I looked after the shop.

And he bought a mobile X-ray unit from work

and converted it into a mobile shop,

self-service, the biggest in the north of England at the time.

It's probably quite hard for any youngsters watching this

to comprehend, really, because they have 24-hour supermarkets,

but, at one time,

the shops were open for a very short amount of time, weren't they?

Yes, they were.

And on the new estates, where the younger people were,

there was a lot of spending on the shops,

because there was no supermarkets.

So, what made you decide to sell it in the end?

Well, John went for a ride one day and seen the land here for sale.

So, we sold the shop and lived in a caravan on the land

while he built the house, you know.

One final question I must ask. What is it with these teddy bear suits?

When we joined the motor caravanning club,

we used to sell the American awnings

and we met the organiser, and became friends,

and we get complimentary tickets, and to pay Bob Griffiths back,

who was the organiser, we went round Shepton Mallet show,

giving the children lollipops.

Do you think they'll ever get another outing, after this?

I don't know. It all depends if anybody wants us!

SHE LAUGHS

I'm sure your fundraising teddy bears

will always be welcome, Shirley.

Sheila's found some silver bits and pieces,

including a hallmarked locket and one of Shirley's charm bracelets.

Silver's selling very well at auction these days,

so this mixed lot should easily make £30-£50.

Ah, there you are. You found the clock, then?

Yeah, it's a nice one, actually. It's a family heirloom, then?

No, I bought it from a lady who used to live next door.

Oh, right. And does it actually work?

It does, yes, she said it did, we've never had it working.

It just looks nice up there, so...

Right. Things go in and out of fashion, but these stay in fashion.

They date back to the 1600s, and it's called a Dutch clock.

And often they had this brass fretwork, all done by hand.

They were weight-driven. They use the power of weights.

You haven't got the weights, by any chance?

Yes, we've got the weights as well, yes.

That's actually quite a good quality movement.

The force of gravity is the actual main power,

rather than being a spring, which other clocks tend to have.

But they were very much reproduced in the 1950s here in England,

and, if you look, it says "Made in England, Dutch Clockworks Company,"

so somebody has reproduced the original design.

But the inscription on the top here, it's on most of these,

and it says "Nu elck syn sin," which is "every man to his taste."

All right? But the word "clock" is actually French for "bell."

-Did you know that?

-No, I didn't.

Where it says it's a clock on the wall, it actually refers to the bell.

How do you feel about letting it go?

Yes, that would be fine. More to the good.

-Are you sure?

-Yes, the more diesel, the further we go.

Well, it's good quality, and it's a brass movement.

These are solid brass. It's got an oak case,

and if you had the weights with them as well,

I'd say sort of £40-£70, you could quite easily get that sort of price.

That's fine, yeah. That's good, yes.

Right, so off this one goes, then, and let's keep looking.

And we'll get that trip for you, before the day's gone.

Well, that's what we're here for.

While we're beavering away, Paul makes another find in the garage.

No-one seems to know where these carved oak panels came from

or how old they might be, but Paul thinks

they're decorative enough to catch a bidder's eye at £50.

We're almost out of time today, but maybe our final discovery

will prove that all that glitters really IS gold.

Paul? I found these in the bedroom.

What have you found?

I found this bracelet.

-Ah, so whose was this?

-Mine.

Beautiful little bracelet, little charm bracelet.

And I've got these rings.

So, how old would you be when you got your first charm?

I was about 27.

Right, and, since then? We've just added onto that.

That must be quite sentimental, then, to you.

It is, really, yes, but we'd like the holiday.

I'd like to take Sheila a nice holiday if I can.

Do you remember much about each individual one?

Me mam bought me most of them.

Right. So, it wasn't bought as a whole charm bracelet?

No, just the chain.

The ship is the one that, when I retired from work...

This ship, that's that one, yeah? The galleon ship.

The car opens.

Oh, yeah, you can, yeah.

-Such detail.

-It is, isn't it?

-And do you still wear it now?

Not now, no.

The charms themselves go back quite a long way.

People used to wear them to protect them from evil spirits.

They were like a talisman, if you like.

But there was a massive fashion for this type of charm bracelet

in the 1950s and '60s. And when people started to travel around the world,

-they would bring back one from parts of the world and add up this huge collection.

-Very good.

There's quite a lot, it's all gold. You can see the hallmarks.

They all say 9ct, or 9375, which is another way of putting it,

so they are all gold items and the bracelet's gold there as well.

I did have it valued, actually. Two years ago.

And they said then it was about £150.

Right, well, it will have increased tremendously in value since then.

People are looking to invest in raw materials now,

things like silver, gold, copper, lead.

It's very much a commercial commodity at the moment.

So, I think, £150, two years ago,

you would have at least doubled that by now.

I'd imagine now, with those little bits and pieces in there,

if I said at least the 300 mark, maybe up to 500.

-That would be better still, yeah.

-Excellent.

Let's tell the rest of them.

I found a lovely charm bracelet here with other bits and pieces.

And what sort of value has that got nowadays?

You could say at least 300 here.

Oh, that's good news. So, how do you feel it's gone, so far, today?

That's wonderful, yes, had a great day. Really good, yeah.

And, have any of the valuations surprised you?

Yes, that silver necklace.

Yeah? That was a good buy, a pound from a car-boot sale, wasn't it?

Right, now, this morning when I spoke to you, by the way,

what happened to the bear suits?

They've gone back to the zoo.

-Have they?

-Having a picnic!

You've got to bring them to the auction.

You said you wanted at least £500, didn't you?

And obviously, hopefully, the more money, the further you could go.

Well, the value of everything going to auction comes to £640!

We could go to Scotland as well!

That's great!

Well, that wraps up our day here in Middlesbrough,

with plenty of goodies destined for the auction.

I can't wait to see whether that 1920s silver and diamante necklace

makes Paul's confident £30-£50 estimate.

And what about Sheila's collection of blue and white pottery?

With names like Spode and Royal Worcester in the mix,

it should have a broad appeal at £40-£60.

Finally, with a price tag of £30-£50,

the Victorian cast iron fire dogs might warm things up a bit.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic,

it's important to make a note of the details.

Type number 555, code M566A1, Ministry of Fuel and Power!

Sounds like something out of Harry Potter!

But is Paul paying attention?

It's an Ericsson. What did you say it was...?

Don't make me say it all again!

Be there when the final hammer falls.

Now, it's been a few weeks

since we met Sheila and Shirley's bear alter egos,

but we had a great time around their home and found plenty of items

to bring here to Thompson Auctioneers near Harrogate.

Let's just hope that today all the bidders are feeling very hungry.

Paul's already settling into the busy saleroom along with our ladies.

I hope Shirley isn't regretting selling that lovely gold charm bracelet.

You're not tempted to keep it?

No.

That was a very long pregnant pause, that, wasn't it?

Now, what did we put on the gold?

Between 300-500 on that one, nice little charm bracelet,

it's worth it, isn't it?

Now, how do you value the weight of these things?

These are very easy to work out, because they have their bullion value

but also, there's a value there as a charm bracelet.

People tend to forget that - that's a nice example.

Is there anything you're a bit hesitant about selling?

-Anything you've put reserves on?

-Yes.

-What's that?

Right, what reserves have you put on?

The charm bracelet, the silver necklace and the mining exchange.

What happens with reserves? Can you put reserves on, on the day?

You can put reserves on anything,

as long as you're prepared to have the thing back if it doesn't fetch that reserve.

What about the bear suits? Are they coming as well?

We didn't, not this time.

-Well, shall we go and sell our stuff, then?

-Come on, then.

Thank you.

Shirley has put reserves on four lots.

Her silver charm bracelet needs to go for £50.

She's also put low-end reserves on her diamante necklace,

gold jewellery and the 1949

Ericsson telephone exchange.

Let's hope Lady Luck is with us as our first lot goes under the hammer.

It's the black and floral patterned vase by the popular maker, Shelley.

The estimate is a low £10-£15 but, hopefully,

that will encourage the bidders.

Nice vase there, start me at £15, then, 18 anywhere?

The bid is with me at 15, do I see 18?

15, here we go.

Any advance on 15? Any advance on 15? 18, at £18. Any advance on £18?

Sold, at 18.

18. Very good, isn't it? You happy with that?

-Yes, very happy with that.

-Good.

A delightful vase, and a good first result.

£3 over our highest estimate.

Our next lot is the silver hallmarked diamante necklace

with pearl drop from around the 1920s.

It's a very pretty piece.

Do you think we might get more interest in that?

This is a really attractive item.

It's something for the height of glamour.

Somebody going out this evening might like this.

Diamante's very popular. Lovely pearl drop as well.

I know this is something that you really like.

So, we've looked after this with a reserve.

It's going to go for a minimum of £30.

Let's hope that somebody wants to go out this evening

and fancies a nice necklace.

With a black dress.

With a black dress!

Start the bidding here with me at £25. 28 anywhere?

We've got 25 anyway.

Do I see 28?

At 25, 28, 30, 32.

Any advance on £30?

Any advance on £30? Are we all done at £30?

You bought that necklace for a pound,

and it sold for £30, and you're still not happy?

Only joking!

THEY LAUGH

I think that's a right result, Shirley,

but all power to you for spotting the bargain in the first place.

Next up is another of Shirley's bargain buys from a car-boot sale,

the silver-topped brolly, hallmarked 1963.

Very Mary Poppins.

The estimate is £20-£40.

-Just £20. That's not a lot of money, is it, really?

-No, not a lot, no.

-So, is this from one of the family members?

-No, boot sale.

-I doubt you paid £20.

-No, £1.50.

-£1.50.

And she's so upset, "Oh, no, no, no!"

I think the thing about this actually is it's quite late, 1960s

is like yesterday in the antiques world, but £1.50, what a bargain.

We're looking for about £20.

-Start the bidding at £15, 18, anywhere?

-Come on.

-18, do I see 18?

-18, we're in.

Any advance on 18?

Cheap umbrella, at £18.

At 18, any advance? All done, selling at £18.

Not a bad return, that. Very, very good.

You can say that again. The last two lots have made £48.

And that's not bad for an original outlay of £2.50.

Next up, the cast-iron Victorian fire dogs.

£30-£50, Paul?

Yes, they're nice items, actually,

designed to go around the fireplace

and to hold the door open for draughts.

They're useful antiques. Antiques have to be useful.

And look good.

And look good. We try.

Start the bidding here at £12, 15 anywhere?

15, 18 and 20, in the room at £20.

20, he'll let them go, I think.

At £20, if you're all done, all done, selling at £20.

-Oh, that's disappointing, isn't it?

-Yes.

I was a bit disappointed.

I thought we would have got more for those. But never mind.

It all adds to the pot.

And what a pot we're growing.

But will our next lot swell the coffers any further?

Or next lot are those two oak panels.

Obviously off a piece of furniture. How come you've got them?

John brought them in.

And where do you think he got them from?

Maybe from a skip.

Even if they were from a skip, it doesn't really matter

because we could still get £30-£50 per them.

Do you know what? I really like these, actually.

If you're into your joinery and able to do something with them,

you could incorporate them into another piece

for a really authentic looking item.

Well, I can start the bidding straight in at £65.

We've made 65 for them!

At 65, do I see 70? At £65, are we finishing at 65?

Very good!

Selling, then, at £65.

Well, that's good.

Just think, somebody out there has got a cupboard with no doors!

THEY LAUGH

That was amazing, that. Where we got them from, I don't know.

John brought them in. I didn't think they'd get 20,

but there you go, you don't know, do you?

It depends who's there on the day.

Our next lot takes us to the halfway stage in our auction.

We're after £40-£60 for this combined lot of brass items

including some rather strange wall brackets.

These are unusual, these elephants' heads.

They've obviously been off something.

-Off a bar.

-Off the bar? Ah, is that what it's from?

I think he intended to put them on their bar in the living room, but didn't get round to it.

You can put them on a coffee table or do something with them,

and you've got the fire irons, which are always popular brass items.

So, yes, let's see how we get on.

I can start the bidding, with me at £40.

Isn't that brilliant? We're in at 40.

40, do we see 42?

At £40, at 40.

Are we all done at £40? Selling, then, at 40.

Right on our lowest estimate of £40,

our brass items didn't disappoint, so how are we doing so far?

Now, do you remember you wanted £500? So far, we've made £191.

Brilliant.

Still got quite a few lots to go.

Now, I know that you would like a cup of tea. So would we.

-Follow me and we'll get you a cup of tea.

-Come on, then.

As we search for refreshments, Paul takes an opportunity

to check out some of the good deals on offer in the saleroom today.

So, what's his top tip?

I thought I would show you this little beauty here.

It's a Victorian umbrella stand.

Now, I must say, I do like these but I can never tell

which are antique and which are reproduction.

Basically, it's in the weight This is a very heavy item.

It takes quite a lot to lift it.

The modern ones tend to be cast from a cheaper material.

Remember the fire dogs that we had at Sheila and Shirley's place?

-This is a very similar era, looking at 1870-1900.

-Right.

So, they would have been used as doorstops, at the fireplace.

This would be used next to the front door

for your umbrellas or walking sticks.

And, with that, of course, then you can pour the water away.

Exactly. Water from the umbrella would catch in this dish

-then you could chuck it all away. So a very useful item to have.

-OK.

What sort of price do you think it might make?

This is very affordable. It's in the auction for between £30-£50.

It's a bargain for somebody. It's an original item, not a recast.

Some of them can get as tall as me, very elaborate ones.

Look out for a firm called Coalbrookdale,

who did all these wonderful things.

You can get them blasted, can't you?

You can, you can bring them back to life.

Sometimes, with coats of paint, you can lose some of the crispness of the decoration.

But, this is fine, just leave it as it is, really.

Just a good, honest Victorian item.

The stand later sells for £38. A cast-iron result.

If you've been inspired to buy or sell at auction,

remember, various fees are involved, such as commission.

Your local saleroom will advise you on any extra costs.

Plenty still to come, and already under the hammer

is this reproduction Dutch wall clock with brass decorations.

The estimate is £40-£70.

And I can start the bidding here with me at £28.

28, we're in.

The bid is with me at 28. Do I see 30?

30, 32, 35, I have to go 38 and 40.

38 with me, one more, you might be lucky.

At £38, at 38, any advance on 38? At 38, are we all done at 38?

Selling, then, at £38.

"To each his own", it says below the crest.

We're happy the clock was to someone's taste at £38.

Just below our lower estimate.

Time now for the silver jewellery which Sheila found,

including two watch chains, a ring and a locket.

We're starting to get to some precious metals here.

This is the collection of silver, including a charm bracelet. £30-£50.

-Have you worn these items?

-Yes. I don't now, but I used to.

Some of those charm bracelets, they used to jangle a lot

and get caught in all your clothes, didn't they?

Used to snag your tights. Maybe you don't know about that, but anyway!

-I remember snagging some tights, but that wasn't how I did it!

-Lordy!

We can start the bidding here with me at £32.

32, we're in.

-The bid is with me at 32. Do I see 35, 38? 38, 40, 42, 45.

-That's good.

50. In the room at £50. At 50.

In the room now, all done, selling now, at £50.

Lordy! That was good, wasn't it?

Very good. Pleased with that.

Good, I'm glad.

No more snagging tights with the silver charm bracelet.

And it's great to see that it went for Paul's higher estimate.

Now then, here's a tongue twister you don't hear every day.

Right, the Ericsson Cordless Magneto Mining Switchboard,

type no. 555, code M566A1, Ministry of Fuel and Power.

Sounds like something out of Harry Potter!

From a nostalgic point of view,

anyone that's interested in technology, that's a great item.

I really like it. It's an Ericsson, what did you say it was, a type 555?

Don't make me say it all again!

Whatever it is, it's £50. Let's see how we get on.

Something a bit different there.

Start the bidding with me at £32. 35, anywhere?

The bid is with me at 32, do I see 35? £32, at 32.

35, 38, 40, 42, with me.

At £42, with me at 42.

Any advance at £42? All done at 42.

There definitely wasn't anyone interested in here today,

so we don't want to let it go for less than we wanted,

so that's fine.

I was happy the mining exchange didn't sell because it was worth

a lot more than that, so I'll sell it somewhere else.

We've not quite made £300 yet,

so that no-sale could harm our chances of reaching the target.

Let's see whether some Edwardian elegance will attract our buyers.

Now, you put just £20-£40 on our ladies.

I quite like them, but Edwardian, they're a bit old-fashioned.

I know it's a long time ago, but they were common items at the time

and they're not particularly rare nowadays

and the fashion's moved on, I'm afraid.

-Start the bidding here with me at £18. 20 anyone?

-£18.

-do I see 20?

-At £18, 18.

-No, they're selling for that.

-Are we all done?

Nice pair of prints there at £18,

20 has it, well done, at £20, at 20.

Well done at £20. Selling at 20.

-£20.

-That's what we were looking for.

You disappointed with that?

A little bit. Yeah, not too bad.

Shirley's not impressed.

But the framed prints matched our lowest estimate.

Now, Sheila collected the blue and white crockery.

Let's see if it can do any better.

Names like Willow, Delft and Meissen

should attract the attention of the dealers.

Do you know what? This is exactly where we want to be.

Anyone that's got a Welsh dresser or a country kitchen.

Blue and white's really popular.

You've got some Booths, you've got some Spode,

quite a lot of different examples, most of them in good condition,

so, hopefully, let's see if someone agrees.

Start the bidding here with me at £12.

Straight in at £12.

-20, in the room at £20. Any advance on £20?

-Let it go.

-Yeah.

Any advance on 20? 22, new bidder, thank you.

25, 28, 30, no, 28, with you, sir, at £28, at 28. Any advance on 28?

-All done, selling at 28.

-There you go.

£28. That's a bit of a disappointment.

It is, isn't it?

-You're constantly, if you want rid of them, it's £28.

-OK, good.

It'll get a gallon of diesel.

A gallon of diesel, it is!

We're further on the way.

Whatever the price of diesel,

the crockery has played its part in the planned road trip.

That just leaves one last item to sell,

and it could make all the difference.

Shirley's nine carat gold charm bracelet,

plus the locket and various rings, were valued together at £300-£500.

There's a reserve on the bracelet alone of £300.

Now, I think they've had a bit of interest in this, Paul.

I think anything that says "gold" gets people's interest.

This will be no problem at all. And we have a reserve of 300.

But, do you not wear this any more?

I have, for a few years, but not a lot. On the odd occasion.

Do you have a favourite charm?

Yes, I think the galleon and the car, the one that opens.

All right, let's hope there's an auctioneer's gavel on there as well.

Good lot of gold there.

Start the bidding with me at 150,

160 anywhere?

160, 170, 180, 190, 200.

220, 240, 260, 280, have to go 290 and 300.

300. That's what we wanted.

310, 320, 330? At 320, are we all done?

Selling, then, at £320.

-Oh, good.

-It made estimate.

It had a bit sentimental value, the gold, me mam bought me the bracelet

and some of the charms, but it was good, it was a good result.

£320 is just above the reserve and below our estimate.

A great way to end our sale, so it's time for the final score,

and I wonder how close we've come to Shirley and Sheila's target.

Now, bearing in mind you wanted £500 for your trip, didn't you,

at least, how do you think it's gone today?

I think we've made that.

If you've made more, what will you do with the money?

-Go further.

-Ha! Excellent.

Well, in that case, this afternoon,

you can work out how far you can go with...

..£647!

Oh, that's great, isn't it? We can go to the Isle of Skye now!

That's brilliant! The Isle of Skye!

After making their target, the ladies are preparing

for their big trip with a trial run to Scarborough.

You've got to make sure the water tanks are filled,

the diesel tank's filled, food's on board. That's what you need.

As long as you've got your food and your diesel, you're fine.

And, like we said, every pound we made,

took us a little bit further, you know,

so, we went quite a bit, didn't we?

We did, yes. We done all right.

Scotland is next, with Ireland still very much on the cards.

With a motor caravan, the world's your oyster.

I've been to quite a few places...

And everybody's so friendly.

Just waking up next to the lochs.

Nice campsites in Scotland.

I've not been to Ireland.

And I think the Irish people are lovely, as well.

Well, I've been 12 times, at least 12 times,

the South and the North, and it's absolutely fantastic.

-We won't get lost.

-No, we won't get lost!

THEY LAUGH