Graham Cash in the Attic

Hello and welcome to Cash In The Attic.

We just love rummaging through your homes,

finding those things that have been gathering dust for years

and then turning them into cash for you.

Today, we're helping a lady who's turning out her parents' old home

and, who knows, maybe we'll find a few hidden treasures.

Coming up on Cash In The Attic - are we about to break the law?

Look, on the back it says, "buying or selling this bottle is illegal."

It's happy hour for our expert.

Paul?

Sun's over the yardarm - do you fancy a cocktail?

Do you know, I thought you'd never ask.

And at auction,

some of Dad's collectibles spark off some surprising bids.

Your dad would have never guessed that, would he?

He would not have, he would not have.

He would have been absolutely tickled pink.

Find out more when the hammer falls.

Today, I'm in Mid-Glamorgan on my way to meet a woman

who's a member of a very close-knit family.

She's hoping to raise money for a charity that is very special to all of them.

Julie Graham and her husband Barry were married on her 21st birthday.

Julie was always close to her parents, Gordon and Yvonne,

but sadly since 2009, both of them have passed away.

Julie has gradually started clearing their home of 40 years here in Wales.

There's not enough room in Julie's house for her parents' belongings

but she doesn't want to just throw them out.

So, as both her parents were fans of Cash In The Attic,

she thought it would be a good idea to call us in.

With family being so important to her,

who better to have as her partner in today's rummage than her cousin, Lynn,

who Julie says is the closest person she has to a sister.

'I'm joined by my rummage partner, Paul Hayes,

'whose expertise will prove invaluable in our hunt for treasure.'

I think we are going to get a real welcome in this house.

Come on then, after you. Sounds great.

-Hi, you two.

-Hello.

-Hey, having a trip down memory lane.

This is all the family at whose wedding?

-It's my auntie June which is Lynn's mum and dad.

-So you're cousins?

-Yes.

-Julie and Lynn.

-That's right.

-Paul, hello, how are you?

-Pleased to meet you.

-Nice to meet you two as well.

-Now, this is not your house, is it?

No, this is my parents' property which we need to try and empty.

Mum and dad passed away in the last year, both of them,

so it's on the market for sale now.

-Everything has to go.

-Absolutely.

So it sounds as if you've got an entire house to play with today, Paul.

It sounds promising. Do you mind if I make a start, is that all right?

-Feel free.

-While he's getting on with that, cousins, both of you.

Why have you called in Cash In The Attic?

There is such a lot of stuff in here, we just don't know where to start.

Maybe somebody enjoying what's in here is much as mum and dad did.

How much do you think you might like to raise from today then?

We'd like to get about £300. That would be a nice figure.

What are you going to spend it on, Julie?

I'd like to give a percentage to the British Heart Foundation,

obviously, because it was heart disease that eventually took

both mum and dad and it's quite bad in the family,

so I'd just like to give something back there, maybe.

Anything left over,

obviously the upkeep of this place with the gas and the electrics.

I think that's something the parents would surely be very proud that you're doing, actually.

Now, how about Lynn, you going off and seeing what you can find

and Julie, why don't you and I go and see what Paul is up to?

OK, sounds good to me.

And as we get started on our rummage,

it looks like it hasn't taken Paul long to find the empties.

Blimey, Paul, must have been some party you had last night.

A bit of a sore head this morning, I think.

Where have all of these come from?

From all the local tips, Angela,

because this is the sort of job my father did with haulage.

-He was a lorry driver, wasn't he?

-He was.

He used to get fed up sitting and waiting to be loaded

so off he'd go and he'd have a bit of a dig in anything that was around.

Unfortunately for my mum and myself, this was the result.

They just kept growing and growing and growing.

We've got Williams & Son of Leicester here and look,

on the back it says, "buying or selling this bottle is illegal."

Yes, that's because the liquid, you're actually buying the liquid,

you're not buying the bottle, so the bottle was returnable

and they'd give you a penny.

What they're saying is, this is our bottle, no one else can have it.

We want it back so we can reuse it.

How many of them do you think there are here?

We got up to about 240 here and we just gave up after that, me and my cousin.

-Is there a market for them, Paul?

-There is.

It does tend to be on the manufacturers.

People go for regions, brewers.

We've got some great ones here actually. These little jars are from Cornwall.

These would have had clotted cream in.

Actually, this one does say, "from the breezy pastures

of the West Countree, rich thick cream."

One of the ones that do tend to be quite collectible is these

codswallop bottles where they had a little ball in

and the idea was that the pressure of the lemonade would actually seal your bottle.

You just pop your marble and the rest of the liquid you can drink.

What do you reckon we might get for a load of old bottles?

If I was being realistic, we put these in at between £50 and £80

and if someone takes a chance, how does that sound?

-Fine.

-I have to say, I'm amazed.

-£50 for a load of old bottles out of a dump site.

-I know!

It's the history and it's always the history and the collectability of them.

-Your dad was on to a good thing there then.

-He was.

I'm glad that Julie's got a rough idea how many bottles there are here.

Well over 200? We'd be here all morning if we had to count them.

But if beer and lemonade bottles aren't our bidders' cup of tea,

perhaps this Royal Albert tea set is.

These pieces were collected by Julie's mum and dad.

Friends and family kept buying them more and more as presents,

until Dad put his foot down and said, "No more!"

Still, this collection would add another £40 - £60 to our total.

Our experts like nothing better than to seek out cash in the attic.

Paul, what about these, there's quite a lot of books in the boxes here.

-Oh, right. Let's have a look.

-From my childhood.

-So these are all yours, are they?

-Oh, yes.

Gosh, that brings back my childhood. Look at these.

-Enid Blyton, the Famous Five.

-Yes.

-And where did they come from, bookshops, or...?

Well, there used to be a shop in Mountain Ash called The Leather Shop.

And you'd walk in and all the Enid Blyton books would be in the back of the shop.

So the first port of call, straight for the books!

So most of the pocket money went, it's probably in the box here!

So and then, you know, any table top sales, in the church, my mother used to have a fit.

"How many more books have you come back with?!"

And I'm like, "Well, I need them!"

Well, Enid Blyton, I mean, she's amazing.

One of Britain's best-known children's authors.

She sold something like 600 million books. That's a lot of books.

-You're telling me!

-And they're just so nice.

I mean, the stories are all based round boarding schools,

or round just life in the 1950s, wasn't it?

Wonderful stuff.

Look at this! There we are, top pop stars of the day!

-Who's is that?

-Oh, that's mine!

You always want to be one of the singers, don't you?!

You know, model yourself on them.

If you're a teenager in the 1960s, these would have been your idols.

But you look at them now, it is very nostalgic.

-You've got Mick Jagger, Lulu there.

-I know.

Well, do you know what, there is quite a big following for these sort of things now,

for that nostalgia market.

A good collection of books like that, I mean,

if I said around the £30 mark,

sort of £20-£40 as an auction estimate, how does that sound?

That's fine. I wouldn't have thought they'd have been anywhere near that.

Really? Oh, right. OK.

Well, the Famous Five, let's all go to auction, eh?

-Exactly.

-Lashings of ginger beer!

-Yeah! And we need the dog as well!

OK, that's definitely going, then.

So let's have a look over here, see what else we can find.

As our search continues around Julie's parents' home,

she comes across some more nostalgia in the form of this collection of boxed Yesteryear cars.

They were originally collected by Julie's dad

and others were bought as presents.

Paul reckons they'll help us motor on to another £20-£30

towards our target.

There's no time for that, Paul! As we rummage around this house,

I can't help noticing there are lots of empty spaces.

Julie, up here on the landing,

you really get the feeling of being in an empty house, don't you?

I know, it's a bit strange.

The more empty it's becoming, the harder it is to come, to be honest.

I'm used to seeing it full with lots of stuff, you know.

Particularly upstairs.

I can understand why, when you say there are so many memories.

-Too many ghosts in this house for you to stay here?

-There is.

I come in and I can still see them, you know,

my mum sat in the chair, my dad sort of playing the electric organ.

To come in, I couldn't sit here in the night, Angela.

I would be thinking too much, you know?

-But your parents loved to dance, didn't they?

-Definitely, yeah.

They loved to dance. Big part of, you know, their courtship.

And a big part of our life as a family.

My dad was paramount to teaching me to dance.

He always used to say to me, "My girl, if you can dance,

"you'll never be lonely."

And it was the radiogram downstairs in the corner,

it was probably the first piece of furniture that they had saved up for for a number of years.

The only time they ever went out was sort of on a Saturday night.

Him and his brothers and their wives would all go out

down to one of the local dance halls and off they'd go, you know,

and I'd be left there with my nan and pop.

It used to be great, because I'd have a little picnic with them then, you know!

And I'd get away with murder!

He was obviously a very special man.

-And your mum must have been a very special lady.

-They were.

My dad was my rock. And Mam was my best friend.

And it's been a bit of a... a couple of years, it's not been easy.

I think both of them will be incredibly proud

knowing what you're going to do for the British Heart Foundation.

So, let's go and join Lynn and Paul and see how much closer we are to that target.

Absolutely.

I'm sure that many of the items we're discovering here today

bring back fond memories for Julie of her parents.

Lynn finds this brass traction engine that was a present from Julie's mum to her dad,

who always had an interest in steam engines.

Paul estimates that this particular piece could be worth £30-£40.

Full steam ahead!

This is an absolute child's dream, this house!

Look at all the toys. The Bristol Castle!

-What a fantastic locomotive that is.

-Oh, yes.

Uncle Gordon loved steam trains. Anything mechanical, just loved it.

-So it doesn't surprise me at all.

-So, what have you got there?

-Well, this is at steam car.

-A steam car?!

-Lots of bits and pieces.

-I think that one actually works.

-And another one here.

A steam locomotive. Oh gosh, these are fantastic.

I know Paul likes playing with toys, but these are rather special.

Paul! Do you want to come and join us?

I've got something special for you to look at here.

-Ah, now than! Look at this!

-Do you know Mamod?

-I do know Mamod, yes.

Mamod steam engine, traction engine, and a steam car.

-These are wonderful.

-He loved steam, did he?

Yes, just loved anything mechanical, steam engines, trains,

all sorts of things.

Well, do you know what, there is a fascination,

especially the old boys love steam engines, steam trains, that sort of thing.

But these really were one of the first ones, all hands on toys, really.

-And we've got the box!

-That makes a massive difference.

I've never seen one with a box before, that's great.

And this tells you the age there.

Look at that, we've got Award Winner, 1975.

So we know it's at least after that date.

I think you still actually can buy this model.

-I'm not sure about the actual car any more.

-So, that's a steam car?!

-That a steam car, which is really good fun.

-Isn't it great?!

But they always create an interest, and there's lots of old boys now that love to get these going

and reintroduce it to another generation.

-And young boys, too.

-Gosh, yes.

-How much, do we think?

Well, these things do really well,

especially in this sort of condition.

I mean, if I said at least sort of £30-£50 each.

So you're looking probably £60-£100, that sort of price.

-Does that sound OK to you?

-Surprising!

-I think they're lovely.

-Yeah, there are.

But will these classic toys peak a bidding interest when we get to auction?

-50, 60. 70, £80.

-Wow!

We'll find out soon enough!

So far, our rummage here in MidGlamorgan has thrown up all sorts of nostalgic pieces.

And it looks like Paul has come across something

that's associated with the history of these parts.

-Julie?

-Yeah?

-Now, where did these miners' lamps come from?

These are great, aren't they?

I would have thought it would have been my dad's dad, more than my mum's,

because my grandad was the blacksmith down in Penrhiwceibre colliery.

Penrhiwceibr colliery. Try and say that!

Oh yeah, try and say that after you've had a few a few pints! You've had your chips!

Well, I can see that one hasn't been used at all.

That looks more like, not a tourist thing,

but more like a reproduction item, it's had no use whatsoever.

-That's come from the local lamp works in Aberdare.

-What I like is the this.

This one tells a story of itself, really,

that's had a lot of use at some point.

So it's Thomas and Williams Ltd.

Approved under Schedule B, Cambrian type.

And then the number there, number 35.

I think that actually would be your grandfather's issue number.

Well, these were very necessary items.

They're known as a Davy lamp, after a guy called Sir Humphrey Davy.

And he developed a method of making a naked flame that could be used in the mine, but it was safe.

-And it's not actually a lamp, it's a safety light.

-Right.

People often think that these are the sort of things you bring to actually see with. It isn't.

-Yeah.

-What you do, you place it on the base of the mine,

and it detects any unwanted gases.

And it would actually change colour, so if it went like a blue colour,

you knew there was too much methane in the room, you had to get out.

If it went out, there wasn't enough oxygen, and it wasn't safe to work.

So it's a safety lamp, and it saved countless lives, this lamp.

It's a fantastic thing.

Well, you've got this one here,

which doesn't have much of a value, to be fair.

I mean, the history is what people tend to go for, the nostalgia value.

I mean, if I said around the £50 mark, sort of £40-£60,

as an estimate, and I think if you get two people

who really take a shine to these,

-You could do all right.

-OK.

-Does that sound all right to you?

-It sounds great, thanks.

Well, let's leave that one there and let's check out for any firedamp, or methane gas!

OK!

We're over halfway through our rummage, and by Paul's estimate,

so far we've got £260 worth of stock to take to auction.

With many of the shelves and cupboards bare,

except in the old play room, we turn our attention

to some of the larger pieces

and Lynn suggests this chest of drawers.

It was bought by Julie's dad, Gordon, possibly from Abergavenny market.

He'd apparently often come home with odd bits of furniture,

but never say where they came from!

But with an estimate of £30-£50, Julie knows where it is going!

Family history is very much at the centre of our search today,

with so many of our finds belonging to Julie's dad and Lynn's uncle.

I'd like to find out more about this close-knit family.

Julie, how many boxes of photographs have you got?!

-You must have hundreds of them!

-I have no idea.

We are just finding them everywhere.

They're in cupboards, they're in boxes in the attic, they're in drawers!

You are a very close family, but Julie,

you're here in Wales, Lynn, you're in east London.

How on earth do you manage to keep in touch?

Well, Julie's grandfather and my grandmother are brother and sister,

and they were very, very close.

And my grandmother went down to London to go into service when she was 15.

And they just always kept close, kept in touch.

And so when they had children, they did the same.

So, Julie, it was pretty obvious that one of your best friends was going to be Lynn?

Yeah, it was always going to be, because of the family connection.

I mean, when you've got no brothers and sisters,

she is the closest thing I've got to a sister, really.

Lynn, weren't you telling me that your uncle - Julie, your father - used to play the organ?

Yes, he did. Self-taught.

We used to have an organ along the back wall there, a really big thing.

And you'd come in and he'd be there, plonking away

with his headphones on while my mother was sat watching the telly!

But he would sing with the headphones on his head!

So it was pointless him having the headphones on,

because my mother couldn't hear the telly anyway!

They'd have a battle. My mother'd be turning the telly up,

and my father would be singing louder and louder and playing!

-But I don't see the organ in the house anywhere now.

-Where is it?

We donated it to the local church.

Which is what we felt that Dad would have liked to do.

So it must have been a sad day when you had to say goodbye to the organ?

It was very, very sad. For me, that was probably the hardest bit so far,

was seeing the organ being taken out.

Yeah.

But, when we came back and sort of talked about it,

and I told Julie that we had to look on the bright side,

-because she'd just become an organ donor!

-Yeah.

Well, if he sang so much,

I'm sure that whoever buys this house will find an echo of him

somewhere up in the attic, or in one of the rooms somewhere!

I think that's one of the biggest memories of my dad,

is always singing, always dancing.

Um...

He was just always there. He was a dad in a million.

So let's hope we can do Gordon and Yvonne's memory proud

and raise a good sum in aid of that worthy cause.

How about this lovely looking polished cabinet?

Julie's parents bought it from a local furniture store around 10 years ago.

They got it to display all the crystal that they used to collect

and thanks to its condition,

Paul estimates that it could net us a further £50-£80 at auction.

Now then, Lynn, oh, look at this!

-Oh, that's a nice set, actually, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Now then, whose is this?

Well, it's a tea service that I think was Julie's nan and grandad's.

And I think Julie's parents bought it for them

for some anniversary or another.

Right, we're looking at the 1930s. Do you know who made this?

I know it says Shelley on the bottom,

but I don't know much more about it than that.

That's right. This is Shelley. It's one of Britain's best-known manufacturers,

from the Art Deco period.

And very white porcelain. The value really, though, is in the shape.

The more geometric, the more Art Deco these pieces are, the better.

But beautiful quality.

And what you tend to find nowadays, you have a cup, a saucer,

and a side plate.

And that is classed as a trio. Can you see that?

And it would go in a cabinet, just to look pretty.

But this one is the Primrose pattern.

And that is how people tend to collect them now.

Unless you get a full set of six. What have we got here?

We've got one, two, three, four, five, oh, what has happened here?

-What a shame. We've got five and a half!

-Yes.

-Do you know what happened there?

-I don't know what happened to it,

but I can see that Gordon tried to repair it.

-Do you ever remember her using this set?

-Not really, no.

No, it was mugs.

-Things like that only got used when the doctor came round!

-Right!

They were usually just kept in the cabinet, just to look pretty.

And you've got your bread and butter plate and your sugar and cream. OK.

Well, what you've got is a 1930s part tea service

by one of the best manufacturers.

I mean, if you said £10 a cup and saucer, looking around the £50 mark.

If I said sort of £30-£50 as an estimate, how does that sound?

-That's fine.

-All right. It will be somebody's cup of tea!

-Oh! Only someone with a very sweet tooth!

-Exactly, yeah!

All right, come on, let's keep looking. I do the jokes!

I'd say the jury's out on that last statement, Paul!

We're nearing the end of our search, so it's time to give the house

one last look to see if we've missed anything.

Paul, the sun's over the yardarm - do you fancy a cocktail?!

Do you know, I thought you'd never ask!

That's fantastic, isn't it? I love these cocktail cabinets,

there's something really sort of Art Deco about them.

Where has this come from? Is it something that you've bought?

Right, this has been around since long before me.

Did they used to have cocktail parties and things like that?

No, it was opened at Christmas. They weren't drinkers at all.

And I think that's one of my biggest memories with this,

was at Christmas I was allowed to have a sherry!

Which I thought was so grown-up. But it was, you know,

sherry with a pile of lemonade stuck in the top of it!

Do you know what, I've seen lots and lots of these cabinets around.

They don't fit in with the modern generation.

I don't think we're a nation of cocktail drinkers these days.

But I think they're wonderful things.

I love the action where the whole thing closes up and comes out. Very hydraulic.

You've got a lemon squeezer here, the fluorescent lights.

It's very Art Deco with its cloud shape. Can you see that?

The contrasting colours you've got there.

A very dark wood on the outside,

but you have a bird's eye maple on the inside, a very light wood.

That's a nice combination. But this is done in a veneer.

The only thing I wish they would have done is just made them better.

They're really affordable, cheapish wood, really, they made these from.

For me, it's spoilt it. If this was a good quality made piece,

I think it would be more popular. But they have turned up at auction quite recently.

I see these sort of things,

and you can be looking sort of £20-£40.

How does that sound?

Yeah, well it's all towards a good cause, isn't it? So it'll all help.

-OK, so it's cocktails all round at the auction then, eh?!

-Absolutely!

-CABINET GRATES

-Oh, dear me! It's a bit of fun, that, isn't it?

I quite like the look of it. Angela, Lynn! Now then.

-What have you got there, then?

-We found a lovely cocktail cabinet.

Sort of 1930s, maybe even later, 1950s.

Hopefully it should sell quite well, maybe £20-£40.

So put that on to the target, if you would.

Now, is that with or without the contents?

-We'll have to empty it first, I think!

-That won't be a problem!

THEY LAUGH

So £20, a nice round figure for me to do my maths at the end of the day.

If I just add that to the figure that I've already got in my head,

it means that while we're hoping to raise £300 at auction,

and on his lowest estimate, if I add that £20 to the figure

I've already got in my head, it comes out at £390.

-Hey!

-Wow! Yeah!

That's good! Good result!

And at auction, of course, we could do even better than that!

But we'll have to wait and see. Who knows?

I mean, they may see the cocktail cabinet

and darling, it'll be a party all round!

THEY LAUGH

Won't it be great if we do reach our target?

Amongst our finds here today, that large collection of bottles,

many of which have come from the local valleys.

They should bring us £50£80 when we call time at auction.

Other items of local interest are those Davy safety lamps

that were used by Julie's grandad during his days as a miner.

Paul suggests £40-£60.

And there's also that collection of nostalgic novels,

including many Enid Blyton treasured classics.

With books like these still very much in demand,

Paul reckons we'll get £20-£40 for the lot.

Coming up, Julie unveils a novel sales pitch at auction...

The firebox fell off and set fire to the stage! Oops!

Perhaps I shouldn't be saying that!

..And one sale gets us very shaken and stirred...

I'm really overwhelmed!

I don't believe that!

That is amazing!

Be there when the hammer falls.

We had such a lovely day with Julie

and how very generous of her to decide to give the proceeds

of today's auction to her favourite charity.

But of course, it's not going to go anywhere

until she actually raises the money.

So we've brought all of her things here to Carmarthen,

to the Peter Francis auction house.

And I'm rather hoping that her items are really going to catch the eye of the bidders.

Julie's already here,

but it looks like her cousin Lynn has been given the day off.

-Julie!

-Hello.

-Hi, how are you doing?

-And who's this?

-This is my best friend, Christine.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Otherwise known as Chris.

Unfortunately, my cousin's on jury service,

so she can't make it this week.

But I tend to take her out and dust her off and she comes in handy!

We've got some nice things coming up. You put a reserve on a couple of them, haven't you?

Yeah, the auction house have put a reserve

on quite a lot of the stuff and I sort of questioned it,

but they've reserved the Shelley and the Mamod steam trains.

That's not a problem at all. They're some of your best items.

The Mamods, great collectors' items. I think they've got no problem.

And Shelley is one of the best names for that type of china.

But look, as you can see, there are lots of people in the auction room

and it's already in progress.

I think your lots are about to come up,

-so we really should go and take our places, shall we?

-Sounds good.

Julie's first lot up for auction is the brass traction engine

that belonged to her dad, Gordon, the keen steam train enthusiast.

We saw a lot of steam engines, baby ones, when we were at your house.

And one of them is about to come up now.

This was never really a toy, was it, this steam engine?

They shouldn't be, however, my dad being as soft as he is with the kids,

my son and my grandson were allowed to play with it.

So it's been well used!

But these are really collectors' items, Paul?

They are. And so much passion goes into these items.

People do love steam.

I mean, anyone that can remember the steam trains, obviously,

they're very attractive things.

But the kids nowadays have never seen anything like it before,

there's a whole new fascination out there for these things.

So we're looking around the £50 mark.

I said sort of £30-£40, we'll expect it to go, hopefully,

around that sort of price.

Starting me away at 20. Five. £30 with me.

Commission bid is at £30, straight in. Two if you will now.

£30 with me. 32.

And five. 38,sir?

35 still with me. Lost you in the room at 35.

-38, fresh bidder. 40, do I see?

-Oh!

-There we go!

40, I'll take. 40, back in.

Two. 45, sir? 45 is bid. And eight. 48.

Fill it up, 50. £48, second row bid. Finished and done at 48.

-There you go, dead right.

-Terrific!

That's what happens when you get a couple of steam engine enthusiasts and they both want it.

I can't believe that! Yeah!

A great start for Julie,

and one that's put us on the right track for today's target of £300.

Moving on to our next item, we've got another steam engine.

This one is made by Mamod, and there's also a Mamod steam car.

So those have actually been raced in the YMCA opts at my mum and dad's house.

Which, the firebox fell off and set fire to the stage! Oops!

Perhaps I shouldn't be saying that! I'll give the secrets away! Yeah!

It's an interesting story,

but it's not the sort of provenance you want, really!

But these are lovely items. Great fun.

Lots of people can remember them, good nostalgic bits and pieces.

Again, lots of commission bidders here today. Two in this case.

Starting me away a at 50. 60. 70. £80.

-Wow!

-£80 I am at. 90. 100.

Oh!

110. 120. 120 here.

Commission bid at 130, if you like now. At 120 with me. 130, do I see?

I can't believe it!

140.

140 still with me. Finished and done, £140.

Any advance?

-There you go.

-How's that?

-Your dad would have never guessed that, would he?

-He would not have.

He would not have. He would have been absolutely thrilled. He would.

Well, the bidders don't seem to be running out of steam,

as our car and traction engine

have made over twice Paul's bottom estimate.

Let's hope our two miners' safety lamps bring us further success.

One real, one reproduction.

-But the real one is from the family, isn't it?

-It is, yeah. Yeah.

It was from my grandad. So, it's...

You sound a bit sad now, giving it away.

I know, but I think it needs to go.

Because I haven't got anywhere to put it.

It would just be stuck up in the attic,

so I think, let it go to somebody that will enjoy it.

I've got my memories of it, so that's the main thing.

You've got two in the lot there. What shall we say for it?

Nice original one. £60 to start me away for the miners' lamps.

50, then. 30 to get on then, surely. 30 is bid.

Gentleman's bid standing at 30.

Five do I see now, for the miners' lamps? 35. 40.

-That's it, they're waking up now.

-Yes.

Finished and done. No advance on 40.

-There you go.

-Never mind. It was on estimate.

That's right, yeah. It was.

There was two people wanted it, but it stuck to that.

-So that must be the going rate for the Aberdare, Thomas and Williams Ltd lamps.

-Exactly.

Bang on estimate, Paul.

Our next lot may be empty of their contents,

but this collection of bottles

was acquired by Julie's dad over many years.

I think the auction house have given up and said, "Over 200 bottles!"

Not 10 green bottles, but over 200!

The interest isn't massive for these.

-We're looking between £50-£8. All right?

-Yes.

But they've displayed them nicely, they're hanging on the wall over there, which is lovely.

I wouldn't want to start singing that song, then! We'd be here for ever!

-HE SINGS:

-200 green bottles, hanging on the wall!

We'll join you later, Paul, we'll join you later!

Let's just see what they go for!

Over 200, I'm told, in here.

Good mixed lot of jars and bottles there.

£80 to start me for them, for the five boxes there.

50 to get on, then. 30 then. Here to be sold. Surely £30.

£30 is paid. Gentleman's bid at 30. Five do I see now?

£30 for all these bottles seems cheap. Five, do I see?

Finished and done. Maiden bid of 30. Five. Just in time. 40.

Lost you behind now. At £40 I have. Five do I see? Finished at £40.

45.

Oh!

50 now. At 45, just behind. Just in time.

Finished and done at 45.

-Hey!

-Yes!

-That's not bad, is it?

-Phew!

I think it's better than packing them up and taking them back home!

I certainly wouldn't have anywhere to put them in the attic,

that's for sure!

I'd need to reinforce it!

And I'd say that £45 is a pretty decent amount

for a collection of empties!

And we've got yet another collection coming up next.

This set of Yesteryear cars, all boxed,

they're in excellent condition.

And these were made quite recently, so it must have been somebody who collected these.

-My dad!

-Oh, really?

There's another load of those in our attic that my husband was collecting as well.

These are in their original boxes. But they're a future collectable,

they're not something that's really in demand at the moment.

The old Corgis and Dinkies from 50, 60 years earlier than these are very good.

There's quite a lot in this lot. Do you know how many there were?

-I haven't got a clue.

-I never counted.

All right, well we're looking between £20 - £30, Angela,

for a good collection of modern toys.

Start me at £20 for the mixed lot there. Die-cast. 10 then, to go.

-10 is bid. Right-hand side. 15 in the centre.

-Come on!

20. Five.

At £25, seated. 30 do I see now? I'll take eight if it helps.

£25, are you finished and done?

-There you go.

-OK.

-That was more than we thought.

-That's right in the middle of the estimate. 20-30.

-Yes.

-Nice call, Paul.

-Well, there we are.

I imagine our bidder will probably hold on to this

collection for a while.

And who knows, in 20 years' time, they may be worth a lot more.

Not in quite as good condition, the books belonged to Julie as a child.

Many of them feature the always popular

and magical world of Enid Blyton.

These old Enid Blyton stories, of course,

-are still popular today, aren't they?

-Yes.

So we should get people wanting to buy these for today's children, Paul?

Yes, these are fantastic things to have for children to rediscover, really.

There's a whole generation that haven't heard the Famous Five and all the Enid Blyton stories.

Interest again with me, starting me away at 10. 20. Five with me.

-25!

-25 already!

£25 with me. Who says 28? Any interest here?

Commission bidder at 25. We'll take it, otherwise...

-There you go.

-Oh, brilliant! Fantastic.

You see, someone obviously saw that in the catalogue and said,

"Got to have them!"

-Yeah.

-Do you remember the figure you wanted to raise? 300?

-About £300.

You'll be delighted to know you've made a very nice sort of attractive-looking figure of £323!

-Yay!

-Excellent! Great.

-And there's lots more to come!

-Yes!

Now, the thing is,

you two have never been to an auction before, have you?

-No.

-There's lots of lovely things to look at.

So why don't you take an opportunity now to go and have a look at what else there is,

-and then we'll come back for the second half?

-OK. Brilliant.

Lead on, Paul!

If you've never been to an auction,

but would like to have a go at selling,

do remember that auction houses do charge fees such as commission.

So it is best to check them in advance.

Paul is always happy roaming around an auction room,

and he's found something very surreal.

Paul, have you found a Welsh Salvador Dali here?!

-It's a very strange world that we're living in!

-It is, isn't it?

I really like it. If this was a genuine Salvador Dali,

you'd be talking millions of pounds. But what I like about it,

the artist has really captured the spirit of Dali.

You've got these dismembered bodies, this futuristic world,

this very strange world that only Dali lived in.

So what do we know about the artist, Carey, whoever he or she is?

Well really, it's just what it is, it's a decorative picture.

If you like it, then buy it.

It's not for future investment, or investing in the artist himself,

it's just really because you like the look of the painting.

And I think this guy's done a really good job, whether it's a Mr or Mrs Carey, I'm not sure.

The auctioneer doesn't know.

And I think it's a great buy for somebody today.

-You could be looking at less than £100 for this.

-Really?

Yeah, an absolute bargain I think, for someone.

Well, as one of our esteemed colleagues once said to me,

"You get a lot of paint for your money!"

There you go!

THEY LAUGH

That's right!

Well, you were right, Paul.

This homage to Salvador Dali didn't make millions.

In fact, it ended up fetching £25.

It's time to resume our places at the auction

as Julie's next lots go under the hammer.

First, this 12-piece Royal Albert tea set.

Is this something that you bought, or inherited?

It was something that Mum and Dad started collecting and then,

you know, they'd got so much of it

and everyone was buying a little bit for Christmas and stuff.

And then it got to the point, you know, it was, "Stop, no more!"

Nice lot there.

A good amount of pieces. Start me at £50 for it.

£50 do I see? 30 then to get on then, surely.

For the Old Country Roses. 20 to start me then. £10, surely.

10 is bid. 15 I've got. 20. Five. 30. Five.

Come on! They need a bit of encouragement, you see.

£45, front row. 50 I'll take now. Are you finished and done?

No advance on 45.

Hopefully there are some more tea drinkers here,

as there's also this 1930s Shelley set.

Is this a tea service you've used?

It was the best tea service,

and it was bought initially of for my nan and my pop,

Mam's mum and dad, for their 25th wedding anniversary.

-Have you ever drunk out of this particular tea service?

-Oh, no!

I would be too afraid to, I'm too clumsy!

THEY LAUGH She is!

It's a very pretty set, isn't it, Paul? Collectable?

Yes, very collectable. I agree with the auctioneer here, actually.

It's one of the best names. Shelley is very much in demand.

-Right.

-The only thing that you can find these days,

-people don't really use tea services.

-No.

So for that reason, they've put a reserve on it,

because it's worth at least £30. So I agree.

So we're looking between £30 £50.

All right, let's have a look.

And as always with the Shelley, some interest with me,

putting me in at 40.

50. £60 with me for the Shelley tea ware.

£60. 70 is bid. 80.

90. 100.

No!

120. £120 still with me. 130, fresh bidder.

135. 140 in the room now on my right-hand side. 140.

-Go on!

-Gosh!

Are you all done and finished at 140? Thank you.

-Yes!

-Good Lord!

-That's fantastic.

-Well done, that's amazing!

I tell you what, the auctioneer got it right

when he said put a reserve of 30 quid on it!

-Wow!

-Well, it's the name, you see. Shelley is the name.

Tea services aren't that collectable, but Shelley is the very best.

And it just goes to prove that buyers do pay for the good names.

Now for the chest of drawers that Lynn found under the stairs.

Another of her uncle Gordon's finds from the shops

and markets of Glamorgan.

£30 to start me away. 22 to get on then, surely. 20 is bid.

Front of the room now. Five do I see now? For the mahogany chest.

Here at 20. Five is bid. 30 now, 30. Five.

-Yes!

-Yes!

50. Five. 60 now. I've lost you.

55 front of the room. 60 now do I see?

All done. 60, just in time. Five do I see for you? At £60, takes it.

-There we go.

-Well done!

-It's a really nice little chest of drawers, that.

-Yes. Great!

Actually, I would never have thought £60 for that little chest of drawers.

So well done, Dad!

Well, Julie, it just goes to show,

you never can tell what bidders are looking for.

Now, the sitting-room in your parents house was dominated

-on the back wall by that huge glazed cabinet.

-I know.

Very modern sort of Oriental in style. Yes.

Yeah. That, at one point, was filled with crystal.

Anyone that's got a collector's corner, someone that's got a big collection,

it's a great cabinet to have.

£50 to start me away for it.

50 straight in, thank you, sir. 50 we're bid. 60 do I see now, surely?

£50, maiden bid. Should be 60 at least.

Come on.

£50. 60.

Yes!

80. We're in now at 90. 100.

-Yes!

-110.

120 now? At 110 at the back wall.

110. Any advance? Are you finished and done?

Yes!

THEY LAUGH

It's brilliant!

-Does that deserve another "Well done, Dad?!"

-Oh, I think so!

Great stuff, Dad! Keep going!

Our final lot is this retro cocktail cabinet

that Julie's mum and dad bought when they got married in 1955.

I seem to remember, Paul,

you were very taken with the cocktail cabinet.

It was kind of your era.

You wanted it filled with martinis and things like that!

-But apparently, you've got a rival for it!

-You like it as well?

-There's two of us out there that likes this!

-I fell in love with it!

-Really?

-Well, first time I was up there, I opened it up and it was like, Oh! Wow!

I've gone back to my childhood when I was a little girl

and was allowed to have a Babycham from my parents' cocktail cabinet!

Of course, it wasn't as posh as this one,

but it was, oh, you know, I want this!

-Nearly didn't get here!

-So it nearly came off the back of her lorry?!

Yes, down to my house!

Well, I'm glad it has, because actually,

they only want about £20-£40 for it, Paul.

I know, I think after everyone said how hideous it was!

I think it's a lovely piece of furniture.

It's never going to be anything great, it's not a well-built item.

But for fun, and for nostalgia, it's great.

I'd love an eggnog, a Snowball. It would be lovely, wouldn't it?!

A Snowball, yeah!

What shall we say for it? £30 to start me away.

30 is bid, straight in. At £30. 40. I'll take five if it helps. 45. 50.

-Oooh!

-55.

-Somebody likes it!

60. Five.

70. Five. 80. Five. 90.

Wow!

-Five. 100.

-Wow! That is a surprise.

110. 120. 130.

140. 150. 160. 170.

-Oooh! Great heavens!

-190. Shakes the head. You sure?

180 I have. Lady's bid at the front of the room.

Done at £180. Number 364.

After all the praise we've heaped on your head today, Paul, for getting it right,

you said £20-£40! It sold for 180!

Do know what, that's the price they normally go for, those things.

I only thought it was me that loved it.

-I've met somebody else here today.

-We knew!

-The room is full of them!

-I know!

-I'll take them all to Wales in future!

-Yes!

Well, we saved the best till last! That was a spectacular result.

Let's find out just how much Julie's made in total.

I think we're going to have to tie you down

and I think your dad is going to be so proud,

because you have actually made £858.

Oh! Wow! THEY GIGGLE

I'm just really overwhelmed.

I don't believe that!

That is amazing! Thank you!

-Have a cwtch!

-Have a cwtch!

Julie and her cousin Lynn, who is now back from jury service,

are over the moon that Gordon and Yvonne's items were such a success.

So, Julie's decided to give her original target of £300

to a charity that has a strong personal connection.

I think to be able to make money

and donate it to The Heart Foundation, it's just been great.

It's been good fun, we've had a laugh.

And, you know, it's been sad saying goodbye to some of the stuff,

but it was a good goodbye, you know?

I felt really happy that at the auction,

things had gone way past estimate.

Because that means we're actually able to give a nice amount of money.

And with plenty of cash left over,

the girls are going to be able to celebrate in style!

We have come out to raise a glass to my mum and dad, you know.

And say cheers.

Because they were such larger-than-life characters,

and such a big part of family life for us, weren't it?

My dad would be looking down now and he would be having a giggle

and he'd probably be up there with his rum and black and lemonade,

going, "You go, girls!"

-Job well done!

-Cheers.

I am so pleased that Julie had such a successful day at the auction

and was able to do something very special for her charity.

You know, if there is something that you would like to raise money for,

and you have things that you'd be very happy to take to auction,

then why not get in touch with the programme?

Come and join us here on Cash in the Attic.

You'll find all of our details on our web page:

It'll be good to see you.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media