0:00:04 > 0:00:08We've all got bits and pieces tucked away in garages and attics
0:00:08 > 0:00:11that haven't been looked at for many years.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13150...
0:00:13 > 0:00:16- WOMAN EXCLAIMS - Good Lord!
0:00:16 > 0:00:20It may be you that's got something of real historical interest and value,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23or something that a collector is looking out for.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29It's a bottle of gin now, never mind a glass of gin!
0:00:29 > 0:00:34For over ten years now on Flog It, you've shared with us your stories and items,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38and today I want to share some inside knowledge with you.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Welcome to Flog It! Trade Secrets.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Among the thousands of things that you bring along to show us at our valuation days,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13there's always something relating to our love of the countryside,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16whether it's walking sticks or fishing rods.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18And more often than not Flog It!
0:01:18 > 0:01:22valuation days feature a few pieces of sporting memorabilia.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Of course, they're all gold.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33So, stick around because today we're playing to win.
0:01:33 > 0:01:39- £580.- Yes! The hammer has gone down.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Charlie Ross has an unusual game plan.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46I'm working this out as I go along.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50And David Fletcher is in for a few sporting surprises.
0:01:50 > 0:01:57In all my years as an auctioneer I've never encountered one of those.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59But let's get the ball rolling with some tips
0:01:59 > 0:02:02from our match-fit experts.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Really go for the most prominent sportsperson that you can
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and the most sought-after sport.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13I see endless boxes and boxes of football programmes,
0:02:13 > 0:02:18but it's really the pre-war ones that people are collecting.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Don't spend a lot of money on sporting memorabilia
0:02:22 > 0:02:25unless you know its provenance.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31The national excitement over the 2012 Olympics
0:02:31 > 0:02:35is just the latest example of our nation's passion for sport.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38It's a passion that's reflected at our valuation days.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42We see all manner of sports memorabilia turning up.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47- From the rare... - It's a Sunday stick.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51- ..to the iconic... - We've got David Beckham's boots!
0:02:51 > 0:02:52..to the quite frankly bizarre.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55I love the adult bats.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Collectors of sporting memorabilia are some of the most fanatical you are going to come across.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02How many have you got in your collection?
0:03:02 > 0:03:04I would think about 15 to 20,000.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07This is what collecting is all about - a fanatic!
0:03:07 > 0:03:11So, if you want to know the secrets and the inside track
0:03:11 > 0:03:13on what's hot in the world of sport,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16then get ready, we're under starter's orders.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25Here are some of the most interesting items we've seen over the years.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29If you have a sporting hero or a team you support,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33you want sort of relics, objects,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36that relate you to them.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41And sometimes the memorabilia is literally related to its owner.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46The nice thing about this group of medals is, they come from the vendor's father.
0:03:46 > 0:03:52He'd gone and seen his father play, he had the whole history with it and he had all the records, as well.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54So, this is your father here.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Yes. Ernie Pattison.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00It was as complete an archive of that footballer's life
0:04:00 > 0:04:02as I think it's almost possible to get.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05We've got some of his original contracts, as well.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- Yes. That one, I think, is the Scunthorpe contract. - This is the local interest one.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12But what's more important is, we've got the medals.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16- And, of course, they're all gold football medals.- Yes, they are.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19There was a nice history. He'd started off as an amateur,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22he was a miner, and it had got him out of the mines.
0:04:22 > 0:04:28He came from a mining village called Barlborough, near Derbyshire.
0:04:28 > 0:04:34He left there when he was 16 and he went to play for Frickley Colliery.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37And then Notts Forrest came and they signed him on,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and then he was transferred to West Bromwich Albion.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43You had all of it, the whole story,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46encompassed by a tableful of objects, which is lovely.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Any idea of value?
0:04:49 > 0:04:53- I had them appraised locally for gold...- Right.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56..just the gold itself, and it's somewhere between
0:04:56 > 0:05:00£360 and £400, with the gold value.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Thankfully, the interest in football
0:05:03 > 0:05:06takes them above and beyond that, you'll be glad to know.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I think we should put them in auction
0:05:09 > 0:05:12at a reserve figure of, say, £700
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and we'll put the estimate at eight to 1,200.
0:05:16 > 0:05:22A sporting connection will often increase the value of an item beyond its weight in gold.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25But auctioneer Colin Young thought Michael overshot the estimate
0:05:25 > 0:05:29and revised it to £500 to £700.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32But let's see how much it went for.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Lot number 275. Who's going to start me at £500?
0:05:36 > 0:05:41Four to go, then, surely? £400. 400? Three? £300, anyone?
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- That's far too low.- Mm.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47320. 340. And 360 on the book. At 360.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50380 now? 380. 400.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- 420.- You can't buy gold football medals for 400 quid.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56460 do I see? 460 bid now?
0:05:56 > 0:06:01460 bid. At 460. 480. At 480 bid. Any more bids now?
0:06:01 > 0:06:04At 480. 500 bid. At 500.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06- It's going up.- Just teased it.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10At 500. 520 now. At £500, are we all done? Going this time.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- It's one interested bidder, isn't it? - Yes.- Any more bids from the net?
0:06:14 > 0:06:15No. Any more from the room?
0:06:15 > 0:06:18All done and finished, then.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20They are sold at £500.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Well done, Colin. He teased that last bit out.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Colin knew his market and was right to bring the estimate down.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29It was a bit disappointing,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32but the most important thing is that the vendor's happy.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Thankfully, the medals sold for more than their scrap value.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42If they belonged to a famous footballer, they would've sold for even more.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Here's our expert Michael, with the inside track.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50If you're investing, really go for the most prominent sportsperson that you can
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and the most sought-after sport.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56So it's going to be football, it's going to be cricket.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58I don't suspect you could buy Andy Murray's tennis racket
0:06:58 > 0:07:01that he won the Olympic Gold Medal for,
0:07:01 > 0:07:06but if you could, that's the sort of thing that will be an icon in 100 years to come.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Merchandise relating to big names in sport
0:07:11 > 0:07:13is certainly worth looking out for.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17But more obscure items can have value, too.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21You never know, you might have something lurking in your garage
0:07:21 > 0:07:23that's a treasured collector's piece,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27but it's disguised as something else.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30In all my years as an auctioneer, I've never encountered one of those.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33I've never seen one of these.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36I suppose it's possible I might've done and not known what it was,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40but I was very surprised and pleased to see that.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43- Have you hurt your leg?- No. This is not really a walking stick.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- Is it not?- No. It's a Sunday stick, as it was called.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51You could go walking on a Sunday, when golf wasn't able to be played,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and you could use this to hit the occasional golf ball.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57People would think you were out for a walk with your walking stick.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01It evoked a time when people didn't take leisure on a Sunday.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06Sunday was a day of rest. You didn't work and you didn't play.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10- You weren't allowed to play golf on a Sunday.- In certain places, no.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Like, St Andrews is closed on a Sunday.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15So if you're out a walk, you would take this with you
0:08:15 > 0:08:18and when no-one was looking, hit a few golf balls.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21So, you'd be in trouble if you saw the minister coming along
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- on the opposite side of the road? - Possibly, yes!
0:08:24 > 0:08:27That's when you spun it round and reverted to it as a walking stick.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29And what a lovely story.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Doesn't it seem curmudgeonly to prevent people from playing golf on a Sunday?
0:08:33 > 0:08:36You work jolly hard all week, you want a bit of fresh air,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and your local minister says "No, no, no!"
0:08:39 > 0:08:41I think I'd rather be playing golf.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46Now, this is going to appeal to collectors both of walking sticks
0:08:46 > 0:08:49and, of course, people like yourself who are golfers.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- How did you come by it? - It belonged to my mother. She had it for many years.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58Although she wasn't a golfer, she was interested in golf and anything Scottish.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01It's difficult to value something which you haven't encountered before.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05It's very useful to get a bit of input from the owner,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09and Richard, frankly, knew more about that golf stick than I did.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13We're always very grateful for a piece of input like that.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16It helps us to come up with a valuation.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18I suppose, otherwise,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20your valuation probably is instinctive.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23I knew it wasn't going to make £400 or £500,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25but I knew it was of some value.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Now, I would be inclined to estimate this
0:09:28 > 0:09:30- in the region of £30 to £50.- Yes.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33If it made 50 or 60,
0:09:33 > 0:09:35- I wouldn't be surprised.- Yes.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37But I can't see it making much more than that.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42Collectors of golfiana, as it's called, what a horrible word,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46tend to be reasonably well off and they'll spend money on their hobby,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and that'll end up in a collection somewhere.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54I don't think the owner will take it out for a walk when he exercises the dog,
0:09:54 > 0:09:55but I might be wrong!
0:09:55 > 0:09:58I think this will go in Scotland.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03There's a lot of golf memorabilia in Scotland.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05- Good luck.- Thank you.- Here we go.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09We have the Sunday stick in the form of a golf club.
0:10:09 > 0:10:15- I'm bid 40 to start. At £40. 45. 50. - That was good.- Five. 60.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20At £60. Anybody else left? 65. 70.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- Five.- Someone on the phone here.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24£80. Are you all done?
0:10:24 > 0:10:27£80 and we're away at 80.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31- £85.- 85. Just in time on the net.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34At £85. All done, ladies and gents?
0:10:34 > 0:10:39On the internet - the room's out - at £85.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- That's more like it, isn't it? - That's good.- That's a good price.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48- Someone was serious about that. That's going in a collection. - I hope so.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53When it comes to sport and leisure you can collect anything from bats to books,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57but how do you know what will reap you rewards in the future?
0:10:57 > 0:11:00It's back to David Fletcher with some advice...
0:11:02 > 0:11:06If I was collecting sporting items,
0:11:06 > 0:11:12I would collect in the field which I either played or watched.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17Clearly, if you're not a golfer you're going to get as much enjoyment out of a golf stick.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20If you like football, collect football programmes.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23If you like rugby, collect signed rugby shirts.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27See if you can find something autographed by..
0:11:27 > 0:11:29an All Black team from the 1930s.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35That is where the potential lies, something which has got a bit of age and character.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38That's a good tip from David.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41To get a sporting chance of success in the saleroom,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45look out for items that you have special interest in.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49You're likely to know more about the subject and enjoy your buy,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51regardless of its value.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55But now to our most modest expert,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59with a very personal connection to cricket.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03I'm going to be in the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
0:12:03 > 0:12:06because I played cricket for Poland.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10There you go. A surprised look from the director there!
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Poland does have a cricket team and I'm half-Polish, my mother's full Polish,
0:12:14 > 0:12:19and I qualified and played in a Euro cricket tournament for Poland a couple of years ago.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Did quite well, especially against Croatia!
0:12:21 > 0:12:24So when I saw the autograph album, I thought,
0:12:24 > 0:12:29"This is a good way of me giving some of my knowledge on cricketers
0:12:29 > 0:12:32"and the famous names of olden-day cricket."
0:12:32 > 0:12:38So your father got this book and managed to fill it with lots of autographs of famous cricketers.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40All in the 19...
0:12:40 > 0:12:42- ..about 1924, I think.- 1924, 1925.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44So we'll look through...
0:12:44 > 0:12:49This one was a particularly good one because it had some real old-time legends of cricket in there,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52names like Jack Hobbs and Hammond and Sutcliffe
0:12:52 > 0:12:54and all the big names.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59When you get something really good like that, the price is hard to predict.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02There's going to be a few famous Yorkshiremen there, I'm sure.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06- Herbert Sutcliffe.- Absolutely. - That's great, isn't it?- Yes.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11It's a super album. There's a lot of interest to cricket collectors there.
0:13:11 > 0:13:16I think it'll probably make between £100 and £200 for the collection.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- That could be good.- Yes.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22When we got to the auction room, I always thought it would do a bit better,
0:13:22 > 0:13:27and there was a sort of palpable sense of excitement about the album,
0:13:27 > 0:13:32but you don't know for sure until it comes under the hammer.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34He absolutely loved it.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37And he's got a buyer on the phone from Spain.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- Has he?- Yes!- Goodness me! - It's going under the hammer now.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45When the album came up for sale, Paul may have given me a slight indication
0:13:45 > 0:13:46that this was going to go well.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48As it came up...
0:13:48 > 0:13:51150. 160. 170. 180. 190.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55- ..it went really quickly. - This is more like it.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00It was one of the more exciting auction moments that you can find.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02540. 580.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06580, our number-two telephone. All finished in the room?
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Sold and away at £580.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13- Yes!- Brilliant! - The hammer's gone down. £580.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17I thought it might make two or 300, perhaps a little more.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20As it happens, I think it made almost 500,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22which was a bit more.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25It's a new game - "Higher" she says "Higher!"
0:14:25 > 0:14:27I can't believe it!
0:14:27 > 0:14:30- Janet, what's the name of your grandson?- BOTH: Lewis.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- Well, what do you think of that? - It's amazing.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Part of the reason that the autograph album sold so well, I'm sure,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39is because the autographs were not overlapping each other
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and they were all done on a single sheet
0:14:42 > 0:14:45so that later on, if you decide to sell it
0:14:45 > 0:14:49or your descendants decide to sell it,
0:14:49 > 0:14:51they will be able to maximise the profit out of it
0:14:51 > 0:14:56by having the potential to split it up, if necessary.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58So if you're a keen autograph collector,
0:14:58 > 0:15:00get each signature on a different page
0:15:00 > 0:15:04and don't write their name underneath.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Like most collections, they'll get split up in the future
0:15:07 > 0:15:12so make sure there's room for the scissors to cut around them.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17The Flog It experts have decades of experience and an encyclopaedic knowledge of antiques.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22But sometimes, even the very best are left baffled.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25I love to find something about which I know nothing.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27And I think, unlike some people,
0:15:27 > 0:15:32I'm very, very capable of putting my hands up and saying,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35"I know nothing!"
0:15:35 > 0:15:39I need you to tell me what it is. Let's just talk it through on the outside.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42It's a bamboo...
0:15:42 > 0:15:46basically a bamboo walking stick with a bit of carved bone on the top.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49- It's not ivory, it's carved bone. - Yes.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53The age looks to me to be...
0:15:53 > 0:15:56almost Victorian, probably Edwardian.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00What an exciting thing to find. I thought it was just a walking cane.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Hello.
0:16:02 > 0:16:03When I pulled the top out,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07I thought it was going to be a sword stick!
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Does that give you a clue?
0:16:10 > 0:16:15Was it a sword stick? No! It was a horse-measuring cane.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19It's got the hands... Can we stand it upright? There we go.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24- That shows the measurement there or opposite here? - It would have to be there.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29- It would show on there, yes. - It couldn't be there because that would always be the same.- Yes.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31You're quite right!
0:16:31 > 0:16:34I'm working this out as I go along!
0:16:34 > 0:16:37And it was really beautifully made,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40it had some restoration, but an unusual thing.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45Difficult thing to value. I think I put about £50 on it.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Lot 237! Nice old horse-measuring stick!
0:16:48 > 0:16:51These used to make an awful lot of money round Newmarket,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- and still do.- Oh! - All the traders used to have them.
0:16:54 > 0:16:5950. 55. 60. 65. 70.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- 75. The undertaker's in on this one. - LAUGHTER
0:17:03 > 0:17:0585 with the lady. 85.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09You see, it's equine memorabilia. Big money.
0:17:09 > 0:17:15That lady there, at £85. Anybody else? Who's going to bid?
0:17:15 > 0:17:18It goes with the lady, then, at 85.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- Yes! £85.- Brilliant.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23It's remarkable, something like that,
0:17:23 > 0:17:28that was used purely for the purpose for which it was intended -
0:17:28 > 0:17:31measuring horses - has become a collector's item.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35I don't suppose it'll ever be used to measure a horse again.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40It's a fantastic piece of memorabilia.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Sporting memorabilia can certainly win gold in the saleroom
0:17:44 > 0:17:49and there are a few things you can do to secure yourself a medal.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Look out for famous sporting names. If they're famous now,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56there's a good chance they'll be sought-after in the future.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00- He played for Glasgow Rangers. - He's going to be well sought-after. Very collectable.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05Collect a sport you're interested in.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08If you're asking a player to sign their life away in an autograph book,
0:18:08 > 0:18:13make sure the names could be split in the future.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Or you could take your sporting memorabilia to a specialist sports auction
0:18:17 > 0:18:21where you might get a better price.
0:18:21 > 0:18:22Very good!
0:18:22 > 0:18:25And one tip that applies not just to sport
0:18:25 > 0:18:28but to all sorts of antiques...
0:18:28 > 0:18:33Always buy something that makes you feel good inside, that puts a smile on your face
0:18:33 > 0:18:37because it's always going to be a good investment, even if it doesn't go up in value.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44If you could have any beautiful antique you liked,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46what would it be?
0:18:46 > 0:18:48I put that question to Charlie Ross.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51If I wanted to own one thing in the world,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55it would be a complete set of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59What is Wisden? Wisden is the cricketer's Bible.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04First published, I think, in, er, 1864 and still being published today.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07They are just a history of cricket,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and you can look up anybody.
0:19:10 > 0:19:16I love using them today. You meet someone and they say, "My dad played for so and so"
0:19:16 > 0:19:20and then when they've gone home you can look in Wisdens and check them out,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23see if their dad did really play for so and so.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28Because people tend to spin yarns about these things, dare I say it!
0:19:28 > 0:19:30But for me, it's a complete fascination.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34I'm a member of the Lord's Taverners, of the MCC.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38I still, dare I say it, turn out and play the odd game of cricket.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41There are about 150 volumes of Wisden,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44of which I have 120, 125,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48so I've got more to buy. But they're the expensive ones, of course.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51The relevance of this particular Wisden, 1938,
0:19:51 > 0:19:57it's got the scores from the 1936-37 tour of Australia,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59England playing Australia Down Under.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Now, the bat has got signatures
0:20:03 > 0:20:06of all the players that played in the test matches.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11Some of the names are a little illegible now.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Signed in old fountain pen, it's hardly surprising they're illegible.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20But if you look up the Wisden, you can check all the names so you've got the full teams.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22That, for me, is real history.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26This bat belonged to Len Hutton who was playing for the England team.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31And at the top of the Australian list is the signature of Donald Bradman,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34the greatest cricketer that ever lived - by miles.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37I don't think anybody would argue with that.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39If you're a good batsman,
0:20:39 > 0:20:44you average 40 or 50 runs per innings.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49Quite simply. Donald Bradman's average when he finished playing
0:20:49 > 0:20:52was 99.9.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57Had he scored four runs in his last ever test innings, he would've averaged 100,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01twice as much as anybody's ever averaged, or nearly twice as much.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Sadly, he was out for nought.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08But they say that possibly a tear in his eye got in the way of the ball.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13I think Charlie might shed a tear when he sees which Flog It! expert
0:21:13 > 0:21:16appears in this year's almanac.
0:21:20 > 0:21:26Cricket is just one sport we Brits are proud to have invented.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32But not all lawn games that evoke an image of Englishness were born on our shores,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35as I found out in Devon.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37There's something quintessentially English
0:21:37 > 0:21:40about playing croquet on a lovely summers day like this,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43on a very smooth velvety lawn.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46This particular croquet court is at Castle Drogo,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49in the heart of Devon.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56But far from being the embodiment of Englishness,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00the game is thought to possibly have been French,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03developed around the time of William the Conqueror in 1066.
0:22:03 > 0:22:09The game was recreated to construct the battle scenes where William the Conqueror's army
0:22:09 > 0:22:13were marching through the ranks of Harold's defenders.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Over the next few hundred years the game grew in popularity,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23and when James I descended to the throne of England in 1604
0:22:23 > 0:22:26he brought his croquet equipment down from Scotland,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29and along with it... his golf clubs!
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Well done! Roger, it's a pleasure to meet you.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41You're chairman of the Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club,
0:22:41 > 0:22:46so you must know all there is to know about this wonderful game.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49I think the game really is lost in the midst of time.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52There are many, many old references to the game.
0:22:52 > 0:22:58But the modern game can be traced to 1851, to the Great Exhibition no less,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00when it was a demonstration game,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03and it came in from Ireland with the kind of rules that we play these days.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Has the game developed much over the years?
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Oh, yes. It's developed considerably.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Like most games, it's developed mostly because people get so good at it.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Therefore, the rules get modified to make it more difficult.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23So you and I will play a game, we'll have one ball each.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28- I'll be yellow. What are you going to be? - I shall be blue.- OK, come on, then.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- We've got to what? - Get in front of the first hoop.
0:23:33 > 0:23:39- You always know the first hoop because it's got a blue top. - Blue top. First hoop, blue top.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Find my line...
0:23:41 > 0:23:43That's not bad at all. That's very good, Paul.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Let's see if I can do as well as that.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50That's a good effort.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- That's the way it could go. - Now that is a good shot.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00That's a very good shot. He's a cunning old fox, isn't he?
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Yes. Yes!
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Ohh!
0:24:05 > 0:24:09- It was so close, wasn't it? - It just turned at the last minute!
0:24:09 > 0:24:12- Look at the grin on his face! - ROGER LAUGHS
0:24:14 > 0:24:17- Oh!- That was good!
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Ohh! Oh...
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Run that and you've won. That's a lovely shot.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Well, I think you let me win that, Roger.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29But we've gone through all the hoops,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32that's the end of the game, what's this peg for in the middle?
0:24:32 > 0:24:36There's another version of the game. It's not usually played by people just starting,
0:24:36 > 0:24:41because croquet's all about fun and they like to be able to play and socialise.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- And have a few drinks while you're doing it!- Exactly.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- What's this game called? - Association Croquet.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48Association Croquet.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53- Shall we peg out, so they say? Shall we have a go at hitting that? - Yes.- Let's do it.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57- Ready? Who's going first? - You go first.- All right.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00- Nicely done.- Just!
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- Well done. Thank you.- Thank you. - I think it's time for Pimm's.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08I've often wondered what some of our successful owners
0:25:08 > 0:25:11have done with the money in the past.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15You probably have, as well. We've caught up with a few of them.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Today, we hear how the sale of a silver plate
0:25:19 > 0:25:23helped Berenice Williams realise her artistic dream.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28I think I've always been artistic and always wanted to paint,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31but with a very busy life, with three children,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35I never really had the opportunity.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38I had a very nice silver tray
0:25:38 > 0:25:42and I wasn't quite sure what it was used for.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Where does it live in your house?
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Well, it sits on the coffee table in the sitting room
0:25:47 > 0:25:50and it gets knocked around by the grandchildren,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54so I just thought, "What a pity. I'll bring it to you and see if you liked it."
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Unless you're living in a bungalow, you've got it on the wrong floor.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- Oh, right. - This belongs in the bedroom.- Oh!
0:26:01 > 0:26:05- Oh, really? - This is a dressing table tray.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09It's very commercial at the moment. It never really falls out of fashion.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- Let's put it into auction with £100 to £150 on it.- Really?
0:26:13 > 0:26:17- Oh, gosh!- Let's put a reserve of £90 on it, fixed,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19- and let's see how it goes.- Amazing!
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- Good luck.- Thank you.- Here we go. It's going under the hammer.
0:26:23 > 0:26:2880. 80 a bid there only. At £80. Five anywhere now?
0:26:28 > 0:26:30At £80. Five. 90. Five.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- Brilliant. - Silver's selling well here today.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37- I hope Uncle John's watching from up there.- I bet he is.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- 140. 150 now.- Good heavens.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45At £140. All out in front of me, then? At 140...
0:26:45 > 0:26:49- Well done!- Top end! - He knows his onions, doesn't he?
0:26:49 > 0:26:53- That'll pay for my art now. - What sort of art? Art classes?
0:26:53 > 0:26:58I'm just going on some art courses and the next one is £140.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02- It was meant to be!- Exactly!
0:27:02 > 0:27:04So it all seemed very fortuitous
0:27:04 > 0:27:08that my silver tray sold for £140.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I'm a very fast painter.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17And I like using acrylics
0:27:17 > 0:27:20because you can actually be quick,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23and then if you make a mistake, you can get rid of it
0:27:23 > 0:27:26and paint over it and they dry quickly.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31There is a large exhibition in Reading
0:27:31 > 0:27:34with over 400 exhibits,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37and I sold quite a few paintings there,
0:27:37 > 0:27:42which was absolutely amazing to see those red dots.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44And I got highly commended, as well.
0:27:44 > 0:27:50So obviously, like everybody, I've got a long, long way to go,
0:27:50 > 0:27:54but I just feel that I've made a lot of progress,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56and probably it all started
0:27:56 > 0:28:00with my £140 from my silver tray at Flog It.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05'It just goes to show, selling unwanted antiques
0:28:05 > 0:28:08'can lead to more than just cash in your pocket.
0:28:13 > 0:28:14'We hope you've been inspired
0:28:14 > 0:28:17'by our snapshot of the intriguing items
0:28:17 > 0:28:20'that reflect our love of sport.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23'If you've got an object an home that you're tired of looking at...'
0:28:23 > 0:28:27Dust it down. You never know, a collector may want it.
0:28:27 > 0:28:32I hope you've enjoyed today's show. See you next time for more Flog It! Trade Secrets.