Douglas Cash in the Attic

Welcome to the show where we search out some of the antiques

and collectibles gathering dust in your loft and try

and turn them into money.

Today we're here to help a go-getter mum generate some funds

for a spot of home improvement in Cash In The Attic.

Coming up on Cash In The Attic,

one of our finds turns out to be rather contentious.

I like it. A lot of these are coming back into fashion now,

so, yeah, it's good.

Sounds as if we shouldn't be looking through these.

'That's not all that proves hard to part with.'

I see you looking at those. They can all go. Oh, except for that one.

Oh, really? Except this one.

'We're over the moon with a surprise result.'

-Wow!

-How was that?

'Will our other lots take off? Find out when the final hammer falls.'

Today we are here in a surprisingly leafy part of Birmingham

to help Debbie Douglas and her daughter, Jenny, uncover some

hidden valuables and raise money for a bit of extra storage space.

Mother of three, Debbie Douglas,

lives in this four bedroom house with her husband, Bob.

They've been married for 30 years and have three children,

including the very musical Jenny.

A trip to Sydney and Jenny's recent wedding

has left the family a little out of pocket

and, hopefully, that's where we come in.

-Well, what a lovely house.

-It's very large, isn't it?

It looks like a great big cottage.

Helping us out on our rummage is antiques expert Jonty Hearnden.

Let's hope his practiced eye

will spot a treasure or two around Debbie's home today.

-I don't know if that's worth anything.

-Ah-ha!

We have let ourselves in.

How are you doing?

-So you're Debbie?

-Yes.

-And Jenny?

-Yes.

-This is going to get confusing, Jennie and Jenny.

-I know.

-How much money do we need today?

-£500, hopefully.

-500 quid.

All being well.

-I'd better roll up my sleeves and get working.

-You have. Go on, crack on.

He likes to get straight in and start looking at all your bits.

-Have you got lots around the house?

-Quite a few bits and pieces, yes.

Is she a bit of a clutterer?

I think that might be an understatement.

She does like to collect things.

Ah, right! You don't throw stuff away?

Very rarely. Very rarely, no.

I've got to start decluttering, though.

-We're going to have to drag it out of you, are we?

-I think so.

-Probably, yeah.

-So, what are we going to be raising money for?

For some new wardrobes.

I need to get rid of the wardrobes in my bedroom

and create some more space for clothes.

Hang on. I can see what is going to happen here.

You'll fill the wardrobes up with more clutter. She wants more.

-More storage space.

-They'll just be hidden.

Well, it's a good ruse anyway, why not? OK.

Should we go and see if Jonty has found anything? He's bound to have.

Well, Debbie's place may show the odd signs of clutter,

but it's encouraging to see the sheer volume

of stuff she has managed to cram into the house.

And it doesn't take Jonty long to uncover something promising

stashed away in that dreaded old wardrobe.

-Ah.

-He has found himself a little frock.

-Yes.

-A frock coat.

I don't think it'll suit me.

This is a lady's overcoat we've got here, lovely woollen coat.

Yes, it was my Auntie Elsie's. I had quite a few of her vintage clothes.

-So, this is 1940s, am I correct?

-It would be, yes.

There's a number of 1940s items there.

Yeah, she'd got quite a few clothes there.

And look at that, it really has that sort of tailored look

at the back there, isn't that lovely?

-It is smart. What do you think, Jenny?

-I like it.

These are coming back into fashion now.

Hang on. Sounds as if we shouldn't be looking through these.

-Would you wear this?

-I would, yeah. Personally, yes. I think it's great.

-Definitely would.

-Have you got any more vintage clothes?

-Yeah.

I think that's fab.

-There's another thing here I want to have a good look at.

-OK.

-Oh, yeah.

-This is glorious, look at that.

-Yeah, that really is

quite stunning. That's taffeta.

Again, the back has a very similar style, where it has that waisted look as well.

Very flattering, aren't they? That sort of style is.

-It's absolutely gorgeous.

-Is it a one-of?

Is a wee bit difficult to tell, but, yes.

I can't see any labels in there at all.

-So I would assume that that might well be a one-of.

-Oh, OK.

I think that is absolutely lovely.

Do you think she might have done it herself? It looks very handmade.

I don't know. I think at the time, if it's '40s,

then maybe she got someone to make it for her.

-So you've got lots more vintage clothing, then?

-Yeah, quite a bit.

Really? You're thinking about putting it into the auction?

Yes. I don't think I'm going to wear them again.

Well, before I even have a look,

I'm sure you've got £40

to £60 of anybody's money.

Oh, that's good. That's good.

Good to know, yep.

I'd let the auctioneers put them into various groupings.

So, if you've got more jackets, more coats,

they can always go into a group.

If you got handbags, those sorts of things,

wonderful. They are all very, very sellable.

There's a growing niche market for this sort of thing.

-Well, good old Auntie Elsie.

-Yeah, wonderful, really wonderful.

Contributing to your new wardrobe. To replace these, is it?

That's right, yeah. These have had their day.

-So we'll replace these wardrobes.

-They look terribly full.

-I have to say they look terribly full.

-They are.

-Another reason to sell all your clothes.

-Yeah, exactly.

-Let's go find something else.

-OK.

-Are you going to wear that?

-No.

-OK.

'We're off to a stylish start.

'When Jonty finds some more of the outfits'

'Debbie has collected over the years, he revises his estimate upwards

'to between £50 and £75.

'Jenny reckons this Meakin tea service dating from the 1930s

'may well help the cause.

'It was given to Debbie by a neighbour many years ago

'and has hardly been used. However, this isn't a complete set,

'so I hope Jonty's cautious estimate will be realised at auction.

'Debbie's fondness for collecting is evident all around the house,

'but nowhere more so than in the conservatory.

'It's crammed to the rafters with interesting bits and bobs.'

I think these are so pretty, these jugs.

It's a lovely way of brightening up a room, isn't it?

They're different shapes, colours, aren't they?

-Yeah. Do you think they are quite old?

-Maybe between the wars.

-What about that one? That looks quite modern to me.

-Mr Toucan.

I see you looking at those. They can all go. Oh, except for that one.

-Really? Except this one? OK, Mr Toucan.

-Why?

Well, it is sentimental, really.

My family is from Ireland, my dad from Dublin,

so I picked it up on one of the trips.

No, it can't go. Sentimental value.

-Mr Toucan is staying put, then.

-He is staying, yes.

I'm surprised you said we can sell these.

I think they're lovely and it really brightens up this little area.

I know, they are quite effective, but I've got to the stage now

where I don't get time to dust them and they gather dust.

-I really wanted to declutter.

-She is serious, you know?

-Where did they all come from? Have you gathered them together?

-No.

Various sort of markets and second-hand shops.

Well, I think they are just extraordinary.

Particularly this one.

This is a nice one here. This is quite a large...

I suppose water jug, really. It's a bit too large to be a cream jug.

But look at the decoration where that has dripped over the top.

-It looks like it has been hand thrown on a wheel.

-I thought that.

You've got that sort of clay mark here.

But it has been designed that way because this has come from a mould.

You can tell that by turning it upside down.

Can you see here? This is an impressed mark here. Beswick.

-Oh, Beswick, that's good.

-That's where that came from.

But that's a very typical decoration from, I suppose,

the factories of Stoke-on-Trent between the wars.

-That sort of lovely dripped effect.

-Yeah, I like the effects.

The way the glaze sort of melts over the pot itself.

What sort of price did you pay for these?

Nothing too much.

Probably, typically, two or three pounds each jug.

I've just seen there are more on the table behind us,

so we've got roughly 15, 20 jugs here.

At auction, you are looking at £40 to £60.

For a couple of quid investment per pop, you've done very well.

OK. That's good.

'We are having a productive time,

'searching through Debbie's colourful home

'and it's made me curious to find out more about her family.'

Now, Debbie, you strike me as a really, really vibrant lady.

You are obviously a very close family.

But I know you've had big knocks in your life.

Perhaps the biggest was you had cancer, didn't you? When was that?

That was in 2003.

Yeah, actually, in 2001, my mother died of oesophageal cancer.

And in 2002, my dad died of lung cancer.

And then, in 2003, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

So, yeah, it all sort of happened one after the other.

So how did you cope?

Well, as you say, we're a close family

and the hardest part was, obviously, telling the children

after losing their grandparents, who they were very close to -

it was obviously breaking the news to them.

But, yeah, we coped, we coped.

We sort of pulled together, and, er...

..you know, the whole family really got me through.

I've got a brother and his family and extended family, so...

And good friends, so it got us through.

What was that like for you, Jenny? It must've been tough.

-You were quite young.

-It was devastating.

Especially after Nana and Grandad.

We just had to think positive and went through it one step

at a time and just tried to support Mum as best as we could.

I'm sure you did.

I know it's been a very special year for you,

though, young lady. You got married!

I did, yeah, a couple of months ago.

So, that was fantastic. Brilliant day.

-So, married life is treating you well, is it?

-It's great, yeah.

-It's good.

-That's wonderful.

-Yeah.

I believe you're both involved in raising money for cancer charities.

Yeah. I mean, we both do the fun run each year.

-That's always good. It's a good laugh.

-And I know that your mum...

-Debbie, you did something really different, didn't you?

-Yeah.

We climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge in March for Breast Friends.

Breast Friends is our local support group that I'm part of,

I'm on the committee for.

My husband, Bob, went as well.

So, there's a couple of ladies there with their partners

and some ladies from Breast Friends.

But it was a fantastic achievement.

I mean, it's seriously huge that bridge, isn't it?

What was it like to get up there?

You don't realise how big it is till you got there

and you look up and you think, "Gosh, I've got to do that now."

It was fantastic. I'm not afraid of heights, so that didn't bother me.

-I just enjoyed the view.

-What was the view like?

-Brilliant.

You could see all over the harbour, the Opera House.

You could see the other side out to some of the islands. Fantastic.

So, how much money have you raised so far?

Well, so far, the group that climbs have raised £15,000.

That's wonderful. What sort of help? That goes towards research?

That's actually for our local cancer support group called

Breast Friends Solihull.

That helps ladies who have been diagnosed with cancer

and we pay for practical things - money towards wigs,

cleaners, gardeners, whatever the lady needs.

Some of them have young children,

so we pay for child care whilst they're having chemotherapy.

-You had chemo, did you?

-I did. It was seven months of chemo.

Really good care. I was well looked after.

-Good.

-I came out and got looked after at home for a little while.

So, go on, Jenny, tell me. Your mum, I can see,

she is a pretty special lady.

Sum her up for me.

Well, I think she is really courageous. She is a real go-getter.

And she is my best friend, so we like to do things together.

Oh, that was lovely. What a lovely tribute.

But right now, you've got to rummage together

because we've got to get back to work.

Best start this.

Debbie's positive attitude to life is a real inspiration,

but we'll need to bring some equally positive action

to our rummage if we are going to make that £500 for those new wardrobes.

Luckily, Jonty is on the case.

He has taken a fancy to this batch of antique glass bottles,

probably dating from the early 20th century.

Debbie and her mum used to love

mooching round antique stores together and collected these

over the years. Jonty reckons

they should fetch somewhere between £20

and £30.

I'm hoping it will be out with the old and in with the new

when I spot this 1920s furniture combo.

It's a matching oak wardrobe and chest of drawers.

Unfortunately, too small to be of any use to Debbie.

Taking furniture like this to auction is often a bit of a gamble,

so Jonty gives it a conservative estimate

of £20 to £40.

-Jenny, look what I found for you.

-Oh.

I've got not one, but two train sets here.

-Those old things.

-Don't tell me they are yours.

Oh, no. These were my brother's originally.

My mum bought them for him,

but I think my dad had more of an interest in them.

He was going to build himself a whole model railway.

So it was Dad's big idea, was it?

It didn't happen, so...

The sets are very sellable simply because

they are in their original boxes, albeit in rather poor condition.

But nonetheless, original boxes. This one intrigues me here.

This one is really very nice indeed.

I think this is probably the more saleable one.

I just wanted to show you this first.

This is the Coronation Scot. There is the locomotive there.

This was a passenger train that went from Euston Station

all the way to Glasgow.

-OK.

-On the, as you can see here, the London, Midland and Scottish line.

Nice.

It was named the Coronation.

-The coronation was of King George VI, the Queen's father.

-Right.

So this is 1936, '37.

-So that is pre the Second World War.

-OK.

-Of course, the train set is a lot later than that.

-Yeah.

Let's have a look at this one here.

The Red Star Courier, which looks, probably,

-not as saleable as this at all.

-OK.

But it's still in its original box

and it really does look like it has never come out of the box as well.

-You're probably right.

-Do you think so?

So that is really very good news for us.

Because when it comes to selling items like this,

there is a very big market.

It's not only in this country, it is somehow global.

There are lots of people who want to get their hands on this.

These will sell at auction easily at £30 to £50.

And watch this space, it could do even more than that.

-Excellent.

-So, you happy about that?

-Definitely.

-I'm very happy.

-Leave those there. I'm going to carry on.

-OK, great.

That is quite a low estimate.

So will Jonty's caution be justified on the day?

It is a good lot that is going.

The model railway here, Hornby. Always popular in the sale room.

Yes!

'Only time will tell.'

We are halfway through our rummage and our total estimate

of the treasures we have found so far stands at £180.

Not bad, but still well short of what Debbie hopes to raise

for those new wardrobes.

Maybe Jonty's eye for quality will help swell the coffers

with his latest discovery.

-Debbie, are you there?

-Yes.

-I have just discovered...

-Oh, nice.

..this very pretty little brooch here.

-Does this have a story?

-Well, yes.

This was a brooch my grandad bought off somebody in a pub, I think.

My nan never wore it, but she gave it to me as a keepsake, I guess.

-But it didn't have any sentimental value attached to it.

-Right.

So, do you think you might be interested in selling this?

I think so. I mean, although I really like it,

-it's not something I particularly wear.

-OK.

-So, yeah.

-So, how do you think this might be?

I'm not sure how old the brooch is, but he's had it a while.

Because I remember seeing it and he asked me...

There is a signature on the back and he asked me

-if I knew what the signature was.

-OK.

I think that's why he thought it might be worth more than

-he probably paid for.

-Right.

Shall we have a look at that signature before we actually

look at the front?

Because that tells us where it actually came from.

It says Betourne. So the maker is Betourne.

And it comes from the region of Limoges,

which is sort of south-central France.

They're more renowned in Limoges for producing ceramics,

whereas this is glass.

What we're looking at here on the front is an oval form enamel

with these various coloured beads, glass beads, applied on the front.

Now the metal that it's mounted on, I'm convinced that the setting

is gold, but there are no hallmarks on there whatsoever.

-Date wise, I think this is post the Second World War.

-Really?

-So it is not particularly old brooch.

-OK.

But we're looking at a brooch that is probably made

in the late '50s, early '60s.

I thought it'd be older than that.

The indications that tell me that it is not earlier

is the fact that we've got the maker's name and Limoges.

And it's the way that it's applied onto the back.

So, let's be positive, let's put £40 to £60 on it right now.

And let's hope that we can get that and some at the auction sale.

-Fingers crossed.

-Yeah? Brilliant.

Thank you. Thank you for that.

The Limoges region in France has been associated

with quality enamel since medieval times.

Hallmarked or not, with a pedigree like that,

our little brooch might well prove a hit with the bidders.

Meanwhile, Jenny's decided that these contemporary oil paintings

could also appeal.

Our self-confessed clutterer picked them up

at a clearance sale at a local market.

They are by unknown artists.

So Jonty thinks that £40 to £60

for the three is a fair price

in the sale room.

We need to push on if we're going to find enough for those wardrobes.

But while everyone else is hard at work,

I have stumbled across a little

something in the garage that's proving a bit of a distraction.

Oh, Debbie! I have just been on that wonderful bike.

-Bob will be impressed.

-It's your husband's, is it?

-It is, yes.

-It's huge!

-It is. I think it's a 1450 engine.

-Do you ever go on?

Yes, lots of times. We've been on lots of trips.

So, I've been to the States twice and I've done Route 66.

-And the Rockies.

-How fantastic! What was that like?

Well, it was for Bob's 50th birthday

and it was coming up to our 25th wedding anniversary,

so he gave me an option of going on a cruise or on a motorbike tour.

And I chose the motorbike tour.

I thought, "Well, when I'm older, I can do the cruise,

"but I want to do Route 66," so I chose Route 66.

-How far is that, then?

-Over 2,000 miles.

I think it was 2,300 miles, from Chicago to Los Angeles.

It's probably about 1,800 miles of the actual, original Route 66.

What was the best bit about it?

Just the scenery, really, and the characters that we met there.

The actual sort of road king, our tour guide,

was a guy called RL Stuckard,

who was an ex-captain in the New Mexico Police and a Vietnam veteran.

And he was just so cool.

-It was like John Wayne taking you across America.

-Really?

We also did the Rockies, the Rocky Mountain tour,

with a group of people we met on Route 66.

-That was on the bikes, too, was it?

-On the bikes, yeah.

-Wow.

And we did, again, over 2,000 miles.

That was into Colorado through Wyoming, up about 13,000 feet.

That was the highest we went.

Right through to Jackson Hole and places like to Durango, Buffalo,

real cowboy towns.

How did you meet this young man of yours?

I met him really through a friend, a school friend.

She invited me out for a drink. She had a boyfriend.

I was only 19 at the time.

And her boyfriend probably wanted to go around with another couple,

so she kind of matchmade us.

She is a bit of a matchmaker. And we got together.

We used to go around as a foursome,

then we kind of ended up doing our own thing.

Well, it was clearly a very good match.

-Well, 30 years next month, so, yeah.

-Well, well done you.

I wish we could go out on the bike, but we can't,

we've got to go back and rummage.

'It's wonderful to hear about Debbie's adventures,

''but there's no chance of hitting the road just yet as we still

'have got our work cut out if we're going to make that target.

'Debbie roots out this rather ornate spice rack,

'which she picked up at a second-hand shop some years ago.

'She only paid £20 for it and could well turn a profit

'if Jonty's estimate of £30

'to £50 proves right.'

Every little will help

and in a house like this, there's always somewhere else to look.

Jonty thinks these two ceramic wall vases could do well

at a very affordable £10 to £20.

The day is drawing on and our wardrobe fund is desperately

in need of a boost.

Jenny hopes her latest find might give us

just the leg up we're looking for.

-So, what have we got here?

-This was my auntie's engagement ring.

Oh, OK.

So, why have you got your aunt's engagement ring here?

Well, it was from her first marriage,

so my mum bought it off her.

-So, all of a sudden it became redundant.

-Yeah.

So, Mum bought it.

-Yes.

-We have all of those diamonds on the top there.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend.

They are an auctioneer's best friend as well. They always sell.

The diamonds aren't particularly large and, of course,

the larger the diamond, the increments go up and up and up.

-And it looks like we've got one missing, as well.

-Yeah.

-Is that right?

-Yeah, I think it has always been missing.

-Right.

We can still certainly sell it, this particular ring.

-What else of the got there?

-Another ring.

-Was that an eternity ring?

-I believe so, yeah.

-So it's all part of the same set.

-Yeah.

-OK.

Well, those diamonds are even smaller.

But they are diamonds nonetheless. Can you see just how small they are?

If I just move it around like that, you can hardly see them

glistening there at all. But they are insert into the gold.

-So, we've got two gold bands, quite possibly 18 carat gold.

-OK.

Just looking at the colour.

But I certainly think they're worth selling.

In fact, look, the two together there like so, instantly,

will probably make something like, hopefully,

£150 to £200.

-Oh, great.

-Yeah?

-Mm-hm.

So, do you think Mum will be pleased with that?

-I think so, yeah.

-Great.

-Well, let's see if we can turn rings into wardrobes.

-OK.

-All right?

'We've uncovered a cornucopia of antiques

'and collectibles round this cheery house.

'And as our rummage draws to a close,

'I find myself sidetracked by Debbie's unusual decor.'

Debbie, I think your kitchen tiles are lovely.

Don't you, Jonty? They are so eye-catching.

Yes, I noticed them earlier.

I'm glad you mentioned these. They're fascinating, aren't they?

-They were actually here when we bought the house.

-Oh, OK.

So, the lady and gentlemen we bought the house off

showed us around the house and she asked me

what I thought of the tiles and I said, "I really like them."

"Would you take them off the wall?"

And I said, "No, I'd keep them."

She said she wouldn't sell the house to anyone who would rip

-the tiles off the wall.

-Really?

She actually said, "The moron that would take the tiles off."

-Oh, my goodness.

-So that was the correct answer.

That was the right answer. It was a bit of a...

They are wonderful.

What you're looking at here is very much 19th-century tiles.

They're all 19th century.

And tiles in the 19th century were very, very fashionable.

They actually tiled whole rooms.

And a lot of factories produced them as well.

The big factories made them like Minton's and Wedgwood.

But there is one particular tile-maker that, if you can find,

is worth an awful lot of money.

His name is William De Morgan, he was a tile designer.

And he was friends with William Morris.

If you ever find tiles with his stamp,

his make, his mark on the back, that could be worth...

-It's got his stamp on the back?

-Yes.

-On the back?

-On the back of the tile.

-Oh, dear.

So, we'll never know unless you do take all the tiles off.

Is there any one of these

-that you think stands a chance of being by him?

-No.

I don't think that we'd have a William De Morgan tile around here.

-But I would suspect possibly those might be from Minton factory.

-Right.

And Minton's produced really good quality tiles.

-Gosh.

-Now, a lot of these tiles also would be made

for insets inside slips of fireplaces,

because every fireplace had to be decorated.

And in the Victorian times, certainly the late Victorian times,

you would decorate it with tiles of this kind of design.

Are they a talking point amongst people who come to visit?

They are, actually, yes.

First thing when people come into the kitchen that they notice.

-Generally, people like them.

-Oh, well.

We shan't add those to our total, but I think we actually

could call it a day, as far as the rummage is concerned.

So, should we total it all up? Call in Jenny first. Jenny!

You can stop rummaging now, sweetheart. Come here.

At the beginning of the day,

we said £500 would be what you'd like for your wardrobe.

Well, actually, we haven't got quite to that target, I have to say.

But with any luck, if he's right, you should make at least £450.

-That's good.

-Good enough, isn't it?

-That's great.

That's all based on his lowest estimates.

-So they could all go higher.

-Great.

-Fingers crossed, then.

-Indeed.

All right, so we'll see you on the big day.

'Well, we have had a wonderful time with Debbie and Jenny

'and we're all keen to see how our finds do at auction.

'Those vintage dresses ought

'to impress with an enticing estimate of £50 to £75.'

I'm certainly hoping those Hornby trains streak

past Jonty's price tag on the day.

And at £150 to £200,

these pretty rings should certainly help us on our way.

'Still to come, at the auction, it's a case of swings and roundabouts.'

-Some you win, some you lose.

-Yeah, that's it.

'And there are plenty of surprises in store.'

-That's really good.

-Did he say £70?

-Yeah.

'Will we make an impact on this quiet crowd when the final hammer falls?'

Well, it's been quite a few weeks now since we hunted through

Debbie's lovely home in Birmingham and uncovered a clutch

of collectibles to bring here, to Banford's sale room, in Derby.

Now, we're hoping Debbie is going to manage to raise

that £500 towards her new wardrobes.

We want her items to cause the real stir when they go under the hammer.

'Due to a spell of bad weather, Debbie and Jenny

'have had to wait several weeks to get to auction, so I am sure

'they are as anxious as I am to see how their offerings will fare.'

Hi, girls, how are you?

-It's a bit cold today, isn't it?

-A little bit.

-Yeah.

-Different to when we saw you last.

-Yeah, it was much warmer, wasn't it?

And this room is full of furniture,

but I can't see your wardrobe anywhere, is that correct?

When we looked into transporting it and we looked at what was

estimated at auction, we decided not to bring it with us.

-Right. There's quite a bit of cost involved, isn't there?

-Yes.

-For transporting furniture.

-Yeah, we'd have to hire a van.

So we decided to leave it where it was.

-It looked quite nice in the spare room, so we left it there.

-OK.

It wasn't one of our major items, so that's all right.

What are you dreading parting with? Anything?

I'm kind of wishing I had kept some of the vintage clothing now.

We'll see how it does.

I think the auction is going to start in just a few minutes,

so let's find a good spot. Come on.

Looking around the sale room,

it seems the wintry weather has kept some bidders at bay.

Perhaps we will get a feel for the crowd with our first lot.

Now you have heard of ten green bottles? We've got more than 20.

And with a £20 to £30 price tag,

we're hoping they won't be left hanging around.

Tell me about these lovely glass bottles,

which often sell very well in my experience.

I used to work in an antique market with my mum.

We used to be behind the snack bar.

I used to wander off and look around at the stores.

I picked up those bottles as I was doing that,

on a weekly basis.

-Now you are decluttering and hoping to make £20 to £30.

-Yep.

12 is bid, 15 now. 15, 18.

20. £20 has them.

At £20, I'm bidding two now. At £20, selling at £20.

£20, it's yours at 20.

-£20.

-That's not too bad.

What do you reckon you paid for your glass bottles?

It's hard to say, it was a long time ago.

Probably, you know, 50p each.

-So you're showing a profit.

-I would think so, yeah.

It looks as though the crowd are going to take

a while to warm to the theme today.

But at least we reached our bottom estimate.

Onto our next lot,

those ceramic wall vases Debbie picked up for a song.

I think this lots, while it strikes me as quite unique,

is these rather bizarre wall brackets.

They're like vases on the wall. Where are they from?

I think I got one from a Scout sale and one from a market.

-So, it didn't cost me much.

-I'm tempted to ask why.

I actually liked them at the time.

I had some silk flowers that I wanted to display,

so I put them in those vases there.

So ten pounds and we're in.

-Yep.

-OK. Let's see how they go.

Ten pounds for them.

Ten pounds bid, 12 do I see?

At ten pounds, and 12 now?

At ten pounds and selling at ten.

Ten pounds.

-Well, there you go, ten pounds.

-That's not bad.

-Not bad.

You probably doubled your money.

Yeah, I probably did.

Another sale that only just reached our estimate.

It's a steady start,

but maybe our next lot will wake the bidders up.

It's Debbie's vintage clothing, courtesy of Auntie Elsie.

We thought some of the clothes looked handmade.

'40s and '50s fashion seems to be back in vogue,

so I wonder if young Jenny is having second thoughts.

Jenny you're a bit reluctant to see these go, I think.

I am a bit now, yeah.

I am starting to regret it, maybe. We'll see how they do.

-Maybe we can get £50 to £75. Fingers crossed.

-Very good.

We have got seven bids on commission.

They start with me at £100.

-Hey!

-Listen to that!

Great lot!

At 100 I'm bid. 110. 120. 130.

-140. 150. 160.

-I didn't expect that.

At £160 I'm bid.

170. 180. 190.

Five. 200 has it.

At 200.

200!

£200. 200.

-Wow!

-How was that?

-You're not reluctant any more, are you? I bet.

-Oh, that's really good.

-That's fantastic, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Good old Auntie Elsie, eh?

-Yeah, brilliant.

Well, there is a lovely surprise.

Four times Jonty's bottom estimate.

Next up

is the perfect accessory to our last lot -

Debbie's 1950s Limoges brooch.

Jonty reckons this little heirloom should make £40 to £60.

We should get there. It's interesting, the auctioneers

have not catalogued the gold as gold,

they've called it gold coloured.

-Because it's not hallmarked. But it is gold.

-It is gold, isn't it?

-Yes, definitely.

-All right.

£40? £40 for it.

-£30 for starting, then.

-Come on.

-£30?

£30 on bid. Two do I see? At £30 and two now.

At £30 and two do I see? At 32.

35. 35. 38? At 35, eight do I see?

At £35, and eight now. At £35, all done, then.

At £35, 784.

I thought that of all the things,

-I actually thought that would do better.

-Yep.

-Well, some you win, some you lose.

-Definitely, yeah. That's it.

I gained on the clothes, I guess.

And that result might not bode too well for our other jewellery

coming up later on.

Next to go under the gavel are Debbie's three oil paintings.

So, Debbie, where did all

of these pictures come from?

From a market, mostly. It was one of these general sort of sale things.

I liked them at the time and I bought them.

I used to have them on my living room wall, but as times have changed

and the decor has changed, I have decided to sell them now.

-£40 to £60 is what we are looking for.

-Yep.

-Here we go.

Fingers crossed.

There are three in the lot. And £40, please.

£40? £40 for them.

Well, £30, then.

-They don't like them.

-No.

20, then. £20.

20 I'm bid. Five do I see? At £20.

-20.

-At £25 and five now.

At 25. 30?

-At 25.

-25.

-Oh.

At £30. And five now?

All done at £30. 787.

£30. It was a little bit off.

Not too bad.

It is proving a little tricky to get into our stride today.

We're already halfway through our sale.

-We said £500, didn't we, at the start?

-Yep.

So you can have your new wardrobes.

So, we should have 250, logically.

In fact, you've got 295.

-That's really good. That's very good.

-Yeah, that's unexpected.

-Yeah.

-On course.

-I'm pleased with that. Yeah.

-On course.

-Good.

All right, then. Well, let's hope we can make the rest up in the second half.

Meanwhile, I think we deserve a cuppa. Yeah? Follow me.

'Our items have met with a bit of a mixed reception, so far.

'But there is still plenty more to come in front of this rather

'unpredictable crowd.

'Debbie's cheerful jug collection certainly should appeal,

'at £40 to £60.

'Those two Hornby train sets were bought second-hand,

'but have hardly been used.

'Jonty's cautious estimate should trigger some interest.

'Now, if you're considering selling at auction,

'do remember that charges including commission will apply.

'Your local auction house will give you the details.

'Our short break over, it's time to find out

'if we can smash that target of £500.'

-You ready?

-Yep.

-Here we go.

'First up is the Meakin tea set.'

Alfred Meakin's pottery is originated

in Tunstall in the late 19th century.

But this set is far more modern and probably dates from the 1950s.

However, this is one vintage item

Jenny won't have any trouble parting with.

-Do you like these, Jenny?

-No.

-That was very definite.

-Yes.

-Come off the fence, Jenny, please.

-Not your taste?

-Not my cup of tea.

Very good! Just the sort of line Jonty does normally.

-You took the words of my mouth.

-He loves it. He's very happy now.

Someone else doing the puns. £20 to £40 is all we want.

At £12. 15 do I see? 15. 18.

20? At £18, high bid. 20 do I see?

At £18, and 20 now?

All done, quite sure, at £18.

Well, that's OK. Two pounds off the low estimate.

It's interesting, tea services are increasing in price.

There was a time, maybe two or three years ago, where you could

find it very difficult to find a buyer for any tea service.

But now they are selling.

This was a part tea service, but still got away with it.

Time for our next lot now.

And I am glad to say, our trains have finally arrived.

My little nephew, great-nephew, loves his Hornby set.

-Lots of people do.

-There are a lot of grown man that like this as well.

-Exactly. And we only want, what, £30?

-Yes.

-And we should get that very easily, OK?

-OK.

This is a good lot that is going.

The model railway here, Hornby. Always popular in the sale room.

Yes!

-Good.

-Starts with me.

Above estimate, at £70.

He went straight in, that's great.

-That's really good.

-Did he say £70?

-Yeah.

At 75. 80. Five. 90.

Five.

95. 100. And 10?

At £100, absentee bid.

At £100, and five now I'll take.

Against you, sir. At £100 and selling, then.

Absentee bid at 100.

-There it is.

-£100! What did I say?

-Yay! That's fantastic!

-Just between friends, what did you pay for those?

-£40.

-£40. Brilliant.

£100 for two working Hornby train sets.

That's a sizable chunk towards Debbie's new wardrobes.

It just goes to show that when it comes to auctions,

a low turnout doesn't have to mean a low results.

Let's see if our next lot will keep things moving.

Why are you selling

this rather lovely spice rack?

It's getting in the way at the moment.

I don't use the spices, so I decided to sell it.

What do you use it for?

I use it to store bits and pieces, trinkets in there.

-Ah, right. The general drop everything in there.

-Yes.

OK, good idea.

-Well, it's quite a low estimate - 30 to 50.

-Yes.

-It's also continental, but it's not British.

-OK.

-Did you buy it in the UK?

-I bought it in a second-hand shop.

-OK.

-It has travelled a long way to get to you.

-Yeah.

£30 for it, please. £30.

£20, then. 20 bid, two do I see?

At £20 I'm bid. Two now.

22. 25.

28. 30. Two?

At £30, bid with the lady. And two now. At £30 I'm bid. Two do I see?

At £30, all done. £30. 582.

There you go, £30.

-I'm pleased with that.

-Is that OK?

-Yeah.

-Good.

-Very happy.

-Bottom estimate, but...

-We got there.

Next up is Debbie's jug collection.

With so many items in one lot, we'll probably need a dealer

to take an interest if we're to make the £40 to £60 estimate.

Debbie, how is your little corridor looking now

where all those jugs were hung?

Not too bad. I did keep a couple of sort of sentimental value.

I thought they were beautiful where they were,

but they will be even more beautiful now. Hopefully.

-And bring us £40.

-That would be good.

-Yeah.

£40 for them, please.

£40. £30, then.

£30? £30 for them.

You might be taking them home.

Any at £30?

I'm going to pass those by. They're not sold.

-Oh, unsold.

-Back to Birmingham.

-That's disappointing.

-Yeah.

I think that's really good. I think that's really good

because I think they look glorious where they were.

-They're going to go back on the wall.

-Yeah, yeah.

That was fate, don't worry about it.

They were lovely.

They're very cheerful.

I wonder if the girls will be sorry to see the back of our final lot.

Jonty has given these two gold and diamond rings

a confident estimate of £150 to £200.

This is a really important lot. It's our star lot really, isn't it?

It's your two beautiful rings,

which I think are gorgeous. £150.

How do you feel about parting with these?

No problem at all. No sentimental value. So, it's fine.

-And you don't like them, Jenny?

-No, no.

-No.

I've got my diamond, that's it.

-Yes, that's true. Well, at least 150 they're worth.

-Yes.

-£150 to £250. That's what we're looking for.

-OK.

OK? This is the big one.

Fingers crossed.

Jewellery. Nine carat gold and diamond cluster ring.

-A really pretty ring this one.

-Yeah, really pretty.

He's saying all the right things.

And the gold and diamond half eternity ring.

There are two in the lot. £100 starts with me.

Ten do I see? At £100 and ten now.

At £100 and ten do I see?

Two pretty rings like that at £100 and ten now. 110?

-Come on.

-It's not going.

£120 with me still.

At £120, 130 now?

At £120, all done.

At 120.

So, £120. That is below our hopes.

I was hoping for a little bit more because of the estimate,

but it is £120 I wouldn't have and they're just lying in a box,

so it's OK.

-What do you think, Jenny?

-It all adds towards the total,

-so, yeah, it's fine.

-You are very easy to please. Excellent.

Well, someone certainly seems to have got a bargain there.

Jewellery clearly wasn't on the top of the list

for the buyers here today.

That brings us to the end, ladies.

-Yeah.

-It has been fast and furious.

-Yeah, it has.

-What did you think of it, Jenny?

-Really excited.

It's been a really good day. I enjoyed it, yeah.

Are you going to get into buying and selling vintage clothes now?

-Yes.

-Well, didn't they do well?

-Yeah, wonderful.

-Excellent, yeah.

Fantastic.

You were hoping for £500 at the start of the day

because you want your new wardrobes.

You've made your target. You've made a bit more.

You made £563.

That's better than I thought.

Thanks ever so much. We've had fun.

-It's been great fun, thank you very much indeed.

-Well done!

-Thank you.

When we first met Debbie,

her tired old wardrobes were in need of replacement.

Now, thanks to a terrific result at auction, they've been transformed.

And she is already putting them to good use.

I got the wardrobes replaced.

Once I had the wardrobes fitted,

everything else looked a bit tired,

so I ended up replacing the bedding,

the carpet, new curtains,

lamps and then we had to decorate the room.

So, just to finish it all off. And I'm very pleased with the results.

Jenny said that I probably would be filling my wardrobes again.

I didn't look like the type of person who would get rid of all my clutter.

She was absolutely right.

Well, that's wonderful that Debbie can finally sort out

the storage in that lovely house of hers.

Now, if you'd like to raise money for something special

and you think you might have some antiques or collectibles

hidden around the house, then why don't you apply to come on the show?

You can find the form on our website, and that is...

Good luck, and may we see you next time on Cash In The Attic.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd