0:00:02 > 0:00:04Over the years on Flog It, we've helped you sell thousands
0:00:04 > 0:00:08of your antiques and collectables to raise some much needed cash
0:00:08 > 0:00:11and every valuation day throws up something new
0:00:11 > 0:00:14and some old favourites, just to keep our experts on their toes.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And here's where they share what they know, as they let
0:00:23 > 0:00:25you in to their trade secrets.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55'On today's show,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59'we bring you everything from the outlandish to the ever popular.'
0:00:59 > 0:01:02And however much we think we know about these items,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05as I've discovered from working on the show over the years,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07there is always something new we can learn.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12'Coming up, a whistle-stop tour of some of the most popular items
0:01:12 > 0:01:15'seen at our valuation days.'
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Now, these sorts of things are very collectable.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22'And a voyage of discovery, as we explore one of the more
0:01:22 > 0:01:25'unusual legacies of the Victorian era.'
0:01:25 > 0:01:31Although these aren't popular as things to wear, they are collectable.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39'Something that we see a great deal of at the valuation days
0:01:39 > 0:01:42'is jewellery - often family pieces.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45'One particular category of jewellery that was especially
0:01:45 > 0:01:49'popular in the Victorian period can today divide opinion.'
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Things have certainly changed since the days of Queen Victoria,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57particularly in the process of mourning.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00People nowadays conduct themselves totally differently,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03but it's been fascinating to learn more about what we call
0:02:03 > 0:02:06memento mori through the items that you bring to us
0:02:06 > 0:02:08at our valuation days.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Jill, welcome to Flog It!
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Many pieces of jewellery come through the sale room,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24which I suppose I would call memento mori.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29These are mementos of the dead, loved ones who have passed away.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34We see a lot of Victorian items like this.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Let's just have a closer look at it.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42The case is not marked for gold.
0:02:42 > 0:02:49Very often when a piece was made specially for someone by a jeweller,
0:02:49 > 0:02:54if it had been commissioned, then they would not have hallmarked it.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58But the touch of it, the colour of it, the weight of it,
0:02:58 > 0:03:03all these things indicate to me that it is gold.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Jewellery has always been influenced by the fashion of the day,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08what was happening in the day.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13When Prince Albert died and Queen Victoria went into mourning,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17and she was in mourning for a long, long time,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20she wore black and that became fashionable.
0:03:20 > 0:03:26The front of it has this beautiful
0:03:26 > 0:03:30banded agate oval on it.
0:03:30 > 0:03:37We have a gold and enamel starburst here and a beautiful pearl.
0:03:37 > 0:03:43It's a lovely thing. It's a quality item. I like it very, very much.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45When we opened the locket,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49there was a little portrait of a whiskered gentleman,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51quite a young chap.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56Not my taste, but I suppose some Victorian lady thought he was good-looking.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59On the other side, there were locks of hair.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02So this locket was obviously worn by a Victorian lady.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05- Do you know who this is? - I'm afraid I don't, no.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- He's quite a sombre looking chap. - Yes, he is.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13- Could he have been a boyfriend or a fiance?- I just don't know.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- You don't know.- No.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18And we have the hair whorl here,
0:04:18 > 0:04:23which is sort of typical of mourning jewellery.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26People like to collect jewellery
0:04:26 > 0:04:31and folk have different periods that they're interested in.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36Someone who collected Victorian jewellery, or Victorian objects,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39would buy this type of thing
0:04:39 > 0:04:43because it told us part of the history of that time.
0:04:43 > 0:04:49Although these aren't popular as things to wear, they are collectable.
0:04:49 > 0:04:56Price-wise? I would put an estimate of 120-180 on this locket.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58- Would you be happy with that estimate?- Yes.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Well, let's put it to sale, Jill.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04'The locket went for sale under the watchful eye of Flog It
0:05:04 > 0:05:06favourite, Charlie Ross.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Gold, pearl, and enamel pendant.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Circa 1880. Late Victorian pendant.
0:05:13 > 0:05:19I can start that at 85. 90, 5, 110, 120, 130.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Although this belonged to the Victorian age,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25I think that it was quite a fashionable item
0:05:25 > 0:05:27in today's tastes.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29380, you're out on the stairs.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33380 in the middle of the room now. At £380.
0:05:33 > 0:05:39- Are we all done? Selling at £380. - Yes.- That is excellent.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43Memento mori is a practice which has died out, really,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45in today's modern world.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49But people still want to look back and see how people lived
0:05:49 > 0:05:54and see their customs, traditions, and fashions, and so on, of the past.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Nowhere can this be more clear than
0:05:56 > 0:06:02when we look at the memento mori jewellery of the Victorian age.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06I thought that it might be to today's tastes.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07A big, chunky piece like that.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10And also a 'come and buy me' valuation.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- Yes, I can be a bit like that, you know me.- It was excellent.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16You're a canny lass.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Would I wear a picture of a dead person round my neck?
0:06:21 > 0:06:24I'm not sure.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27'It might be beautiful,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31'but the Victorian way of death isn't everyone's cup of tea.'
0:06:32 > 0:06:34The whole concept of having a lock of
0:06:34 > 0:06:38a deceased person's hair confuses me.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42It's a watch chain, or, I think, more strictly a watch rope, really,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45because obviously it's not a chain as such.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50What makes this interesting is the fact that it is
0:06:50 > 0:06:55almost certainly, and again I can't prove this, made out of human hair.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58The Victorians did have a thing about death,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00there is no doubt about it.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04They dignified it in some ways, they romanticised it.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07I suppose they were more religious than we are today,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10they were probably confident that you were going somewhere else,
0:07:10 > 0:07:11to a better place.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15We feel a little bit unhappy about these things today
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and perhaps we don't confront it like the Victorians did.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Perhaps they had it right.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23A person would, at some stage in their life, probably have just
0:07:23 > 0:07:27cut a piece of hair off, which they might have given to a friend or
0:07:27 > 0:07:31a husband or a wife and when that person died,
0:07:31 > 0:07:36those lockets of hair were mounted into what became known as
0:07:36 > 0:07:40mourning brooches and presented after the funeral of the deceased
0:07:40 > 0:07:42to members of the family.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Death is less commonplace than it was.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47If your children died young,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50your wife was likely to die in childbirth, your husband
0:07:50 > 0:07:55might die young, for heaven's sake, he might die in battle somewhere.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59He was as likely to do that as die of natural causes.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01It was part of their life.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Did you have a particular sum of money in mind?
0:08:03 > 0:08:05No, I didn't have anything,
0:08:05 > 0:08:11- I was just hoping, perhaps, it might be enough to plant something in the garden.- Right.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15If there was enough, perhaps it could be a small tree.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Dear Nancy was such a lovely, lovely lady and I have fond thoughts
0:08:19 > 0:08:22of her and I just thought it would be a nice thing to remember her by.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26- That's lovely. Nancy was the lady who left you this?- Yes, yes.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28I think that is a great idea.
0:08:28 > 0:08:34If my death was to be commemorated, I would rather someone planted a tree.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37That would be something lasting, wouldn't it?
0:08:37 > 0:08:42So I think this is going to make, as a group, between £30-£50.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50The plaited hair watch chain at £50
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and I sell to the back of the room. Done, then, at 50.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55And done, thank you.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57It's gone.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01So whilst we wouldn't necessarily want to own a watch chain
0:09:01 > 0:09:02made out of human hair,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06I don't think we should condemn the Victorians for wanting to do so.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Mourning jewellery is often passed down through generations,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13among other precious heirlooms.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14It was recently at Glasgow,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16when we were filming at the Kelvingrove Museum,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20that a lady brought in a rather unassuming box.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Well, you've got a real mix in here, haven't you?
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Let's get a few pieces out. Let me see what we have here.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30We've got a little gold frame, a cameo brooch.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Then we've got this rather interesting gold
0:09:32 > 0:09:36and enamel naturalistic frame which I think must have had
0:09:36 > 0:09:38something in the centre there at some stage.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40At some point, probably.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43We opened it up and, sure enough, inside there was
0:09:43 > 0:09:47a vast range of memento mori jewellery, mourning jewellery -
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Victorian mainly.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52It is one of those odd areas of collecting that some people
0:09:52 > 0:09:56find it slightly morbid, but there is a market for it -
0:09:56 > 0:09:57certainly the earlier pieces.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00We've got a right Aladdin's trove here.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Well, there's a little selection of brooches in there,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07some portraits brooches, I can see we've got another mourning brooch,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09a typical one there with the plaited hair.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11You had people who were skilled in plaiting
0:10:11 > 0:10:15and making these patterns out of human hair and they would often
0:10:15 > 0:10:19adorn the back of a brooch or a pendant or even a portrait miniature.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22There seems to be a theme running through the jewellery
0:10:22 > 0:10:24you've got here, doesn't there?
0:10:24 > 0:10:29Brooches and mourning jewellery, such as with the plaited hair
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and again here with the black enamelling
0:10:31 > 0:10:36and the seed pearls there, a classic combination of mourning jewellery.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40That's what interests me, I think, is the iconography of
0:10:40 > 0:10:43mourning jewellery, as well as some of the inscriptions,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47because it gives you an insight into some of the social history of the time.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51These are people's names and dates, so it just evokes
0:10:51 > 0:10:55an interest in what this person did and who they were.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57We'll let Anita go through it and catalogue it
0:10:57 > 0:11:04in detail for her sale and we'll give her a guide price of 100-150.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08- OK, excellent. Yes. - Was Will's estimate right?
0:11:08 > 0:11:12It's a superb lot of Victorian jewellery, a lovely lot.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Will you start me at £100?
0:11:14 > 0:11:22I often find if you have that group, it promotes a lot of bidding,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25a lot of interest, because we've got lots of bits.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30£310 and the hammer goes down. Yes!
0:11:30 > 0:11:31'In some families,
0:11:31 > 0:11:36'those Victorian mourning traditions have survived to this day.'
0:11:36 > 0:11:39I'm enthralled by this lovely little piece that you've brought in today.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40Do tell me about it.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Well, it's a brooch that's been in the family for many, many years
0:11:44 > 0:11:49and mostly brought out, well, always brought out, for funeral occasions,
0:11:49 > 0:11:54because it was looked upon in our family as a mourning brooch.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57The brooch had a charming family providence
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and was so beautifully and positively
0:12:00 > 0:12:05described and explained by the owner.
0:12:05 > 0:12:12It was lovely to hear, the context of funerals represented in such
0:12:12 > 0:12:15a positive, and quite joyous, way.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20My aunt, who gave it to me, she had a wonderful sense of humour,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24so funerals weren't terribly sad things
0:12:24 > 0:12:27and so it was a case of out with the jewellery box,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30out with the brooch, and stick it on whatever you were wearing.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34The brooch itself, I personally wouldn't have taken that up and said
0:12:34 > 0:12:36this is a piece of mourning jewellery,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38but the interpretation of it was perfect
0:12:38 > 0:12:42and, with the two little doves on it, it actually does tie in with
0:12:42 > 0:12:47Victorian symbolism for memory, remembrance, and the passing of a life.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52Stylistically, it retains a lot of the Victorian sentiment
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and expression of feeling through imagery,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57ie, in this case, with the birds.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02The Victorians used the symbol of doves for lots of aspects of both
0:13:02 > 0:13:07memorial and passion, I suppose, two sides of the same coin,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11I suppose, passion and death are linked inextricably.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14The Victorians were very good at expressing that.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17I would think, as the market stands currently,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21which is very enthusiastic for good quality jewellery,
0:13:21 > 0:13:26that it should fetch between £100-£150 at auction.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27Oh gosh, how lovely.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29- Are you pleased with that?- Yes.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32It was all summed up in this beautiful piece of jewellery.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37I found it quite moving, quite emotional, really,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40but in a very positive way.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42You depart from things,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46whether it's a place or a piece of furniture, or an article,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48but no-one can take your memories away.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- This is very true. - So I have those happy memories.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56- Good.- So maybe it will bring joy to somebody else.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05Lot number 80 is the micro-mosiac brooch, this time, with doves.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09550 in the room, 550. 580, may I say? 580? Nope?
0:14:09 > 0:14:10I have 550 on the net then.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13At 550. 580 anywhere else in the room?
0:14:13 > 0:14:18At 550 bid, last call then we're selling on the internet at £550.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Yes, that is the sold sound!
0:14:20 > 0:14:25Mourning jewellery I would say at the moment is good value.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29'Well Anita couldn't be clearer. What other tips have we?'
0:14:29 > 0:14:33If you're talking 17th to early 18th century,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35when mostly it was iconographic -
0:14:35 > 0:14:41say skulls, picks, spades, crosses and hourglass for obvious reasons -
0:14:41 > 0:14:44the more morbid, in a way, the more collectable.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50'If mourning jewellery interests you, here are some pointers.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53'Many memento mori encapsulate a slice of culture history
0:14:53 > 0:14:57'and their value lies in that context.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00'Lost art forms, like hair work or miniature paintings,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02'are worth looking out for.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07'With a plethora of pieces to be found, aim for quality and style.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11'Craftsmanship and design will transcend any association
0:15:11 > 0:15:15'with sadness. Go for earlier pieces, if you can find them.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18'Victorian items became mass-produced
0:15:18 > 0:15:21'after the widowed Queen made mourning fashionable.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25'Pieces may have been commissioned, so the metal might be unmarked.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28'Weigh it up your hand if you think it might be gold.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32'The only way to tell for certain is to have it tested by a jeweller.'
0:15:38 > 0:15:40'Precious metal cannot officially be called silver,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43'gold, or platinum unless it has been hallmarked.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47'The first thing our experts look out for
0:15:47 > 0:15:51'when presented with an item of jewellery or precious metal
0:15:51 > 0:15:53'at the valuation day is a hallmark.'
0:15:55 > 0:15:58So there we are, we've got the hallmarks. What else does it tell us?
0:15:58 > 0:15:59- How old it is.- How old it is.- Yeah.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Seeing a little bit of Birmingham silver with the anchor.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05If we look along here, we've got a full set of hallmarks
0:16:05 > 0:16:11and it's for London, 1781 and the maker is John Scofield.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14'These symbols are official marks struck on items
0:16:14 > 0:16:18'made from precious metals - gold, silver and platinum.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22'The hallmark guarantees the purity of the metal,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26'which has been determined by formal testing at an assay office.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29'The original assay office was in London,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31'but others opened up shortly afterwards, including
0:16:31 > 0:16:35one in Birmingham, Sheffield, and Chester during the 18th century.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38'Each office has its own identifying symbol,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41'a leopard's head for London, an anchor for Birmingham,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45'a crown or rose for Sheffield, and a castle for Edinburgh.'
0:16:47 > 0:16:51'Items will generally bear other marks, such as the metal type -
0:16:51 > 0:16:56'a lion for silver - maker's marks, and the year the item was assayed.'
0:16:56 > 0:16:59That's interesting. Look, there's the hallmark there
0:16:59 > 0:17:01but that's got the leopard's head for London.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05'You brought us many fine examples of the work of great silversmiths,
0:17:05 > 0:17:11'such as Marius Hammer, Omar Ramsden,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13'and Mappin and Webb.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16'One of the best names in the business from the 18th century
0:17:16 > 0:17:18'was Hester Bateman.'
0:17:18 > 0:17:22- The date letter is for 1781. - Oh, right.
0:17:22 > 0:17:28A little mark in the centre - HB. HB is the mark for Hester Bateman
0:17:28 > 0:17:32and Hester Bateman is probably the most famous of all
0:17:32 > 0:17:36- the silversmiths in London in this period.- A woman?- She's a woman.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- Oh, right.- Exactly.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Her husband was a maker of gold chains and they had
0:17:42 > 0:17:45a business in London, but he died shortly after the business started.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48I think it was 1760.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50And, of course, Hester Bateman took over the business.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54- She had never made a bit of silver. - How brave!- Exactly.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57It really is a woman in a man's world in those days.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00The fact that she was a woman in the 18th century as a silversmith,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02that is why she is sought after.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04What's it worth?
0:18:04 > 0:18:10- You tell me.- Go on, have a go. - Erm, £200-£250. Something like that.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13You've been watching too many Flog Its, haven't you?
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- I've been watching lots of Flog It. - Spot on.- Is it really?
0:18:16 > 0:18:18- It really is spot on.- OK.- £200-£300.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20You can't even get a tablespoon by Hester Bateman for less
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- than £100 these days.- Right.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25'Was Susan really spot-on?'
0:18:25 > 0:18:28It's the Hester Bateman silver half-pint mug.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33London, 1781, 200 grams. There's been a lot of interest in this.
0:18:33 > 0:18:39290, who says? 290. 300? At 290. All done at £290. Are you all sure?
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Yes!
0:18:41 > 0:18:45'Larger pieces by Hester Bateman can set you back a great deal of money.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49'A silver soup tureen recently sold at auction for £52,000.'
0:18:52 > 0:18:54'You'll find it hard to get by in the world
0:18:54 > 0:18:58'of antique precious metals without a hallmark bible.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03'There are many books on the market, which list over 14,000 hallmarks.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05'Check for rubbed marks.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07'Not being able to identify a hallmark can reduce
0:19:07 > 0:19:09'the value of an item.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13'And be on the lookout for the Chester mark - the wheatsheaf and the shield.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17'The Chester office closed in 1961 and the items assayed here
0:19:17 > 0:19:20'are now highly collectable.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29'On Flog It, there are certain types of item that crop up
0:19:29 > 0:19:31'again and again.'
0:19:31 > 0:19:36You brought in a variation of exotic woods here, some table treen.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41'One of my Flog It favourites is treen, small items of turned wood.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45'It speaks to me of great craftsmanship and simple pleasures.'
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Now, these sorts of things are very collectable.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51What I do like about it is all the lovely little studs here
0:19:51 > 0:19:53and the beautiful patterns that we can see all over.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58Lot 375 is the 19th-century treen snuffbox in the form of a boot.
0:19:58 > 0:20:04In the room now at £60. And five anyone else? Selling on the 60.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07We just did it. Right on the bottom end.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'These little items don't command huge prices
0:20:10 > 0:20:12'but they're a lovely thing to own.'
0:20:16 > 0:20:20'Produced in Cornwall, between 1963 and 1983,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24'Troika is a very familiar sight to our valuation days.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27'It's one of those things that you either love or you hate
0:20:27 > 0:20:29'and I'm not alone in loving it.
0:20:29 > 0:20:35'In 2004, a piece like this one sold for £2,700.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37'Another regular on the show is Beswick pottery,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39'one of Stoke-on-Trent's many potteries.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43'It was founded in 1892 and is known to this day for having
0:20:43 > 0:20:48'produced high-quality figurines - particularly farm animals.'
0:20:48 > 0:20:53Beswick is certainly up there as the choice item to collect.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58'A figure like this rare pit pony, dating from 1931,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02sold, in 2005, for £8,500.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09We've got the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh Trooping the Colour, 1957,
0:21:09 > 0:21:10by Beswick England.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- I think we'll put them in the sale as three separate lots.- Right, OK.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18And I think on these two we'll put an estimate of £300-£500 each.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20- Really?- Yes.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25Now the Beswick. Hammer's up then. And sold away at £640.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26What do you think?
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Oh, my goodness, I can't believe it.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32'Beswick ceased production altogether in 2003,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36'so even the late figures may one day prove a wise investment.'
0:21:39 > 0:21:40'It just goes to show that
0:21:40 > 0:21:44'because we see a lot of something, it doesn't mean it's not valuable.'
0:21:50 > 0:21:54'All manner of weird and wonderful things land on our valuation tables,
0:21:54 > 0:21:59'but there is one thing which gets Catherine Southon's heart racing.'
0:21:59 > 0:22:05The item that I would love to own more than anything is a pocket globe.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09I love globes, but what I love more than anything are pocket globes -
0:22:09 > 0:22:14these small, Georgian globes that are about 1750 in date.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16I love the colours,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19all these different colours that are outlined around the continents.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24I love the geography, I love the fact that on some of the maps
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Australia hasn't really been discovered,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30California is only an island.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31I love it.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Once upon a time, when I started, they were about £1,500
0:22:34 > 0:22:40and I wish I had bought one then because now they're about £5,000.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45However, I have bought something which is not quite a pocket globe,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48but it is the same kind of idea.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51It's not in a fishskin case, but I saw this at an antiques fair
0:22:51 > 0:22:57and my eyes lit up when I saw it, but it is, in fact, a little inkwell.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01So you put your ink in here,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05you dab your pen on there, and then you roll it with a blotter.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09I bought it for a couple of hundred pounds and it's a bit of fun,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13not quite the real McCoy, but one day, perhaps, I'll get it.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23'On our travels with Flog It,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26'I'm especially privileged to go behind the scenes of some
0:23:26 > 0:23:29'of the most beautiful heritage sites in the country.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32'I want to give you a sneak peek at one of our filming days.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36'Today, we're at Guildford's stunning cathedral.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40'The day starts early at 8am for the crew.'
0:23:40 > 0:23:41There's lots to do.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44We're filming two inserts today, so there's lots to get done,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46lots of pieces to camera, lots of people to interview and talk to.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50So, yeah, it's going to be busy. Excited to get going on it, really.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54I'm the director, which basically means, erm...
0:23:54 > 0:23:56It sounds far more grand than it is.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58It's my job to make sure that Paul knows what he is doing,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00make sure everybody else knows what they're doing,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03and get it done as quickly as possible.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06'They're ready for action, but where is the presenter?'
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Hi, sorry about that. Traffic problems.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Hello.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The good news is I've learnt all my lines being stuck in traffic
0:24:20 > 0:24:22with nothing else to do.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Right, do you want to do the first piece to camera?
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- Shall we knock off some out here while we've got the weather?- Yeah.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29So the cathedral was built in the 20th century,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32so it's the history of the church script.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34We'll do it out here. You turn around at the end and go back in.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36- OK, yeah.- OK.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39And action.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42A cathedral built in the 20th century is perhaps impressive
0:24:42 > 0:24:45enough, but the story that lies behind this magnificent building
0:24:45 > 0:24:48makes this feat of modern architecture truly unique.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Cut. That's good. All right, let's go in and do our bell-ringers.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00'On this show, I've made almost 1,000 film inserts
0:25:00 > 0:25:03'and have been to countless amazing and inspiring places
0:25:03 > 0:25:05'and there is always something new to learn.'
0:25:05 > 0:25:09There's a lot to get done in a very short amount of time,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12so the pressure is on and it should be fine.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15It will be fine, it always is.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17So we've got the bell-ringers here today.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19They're showing us a little bit about what they do
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and Paul is just going to have a go.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25We'll pick up on you and then if you just have a quick chat. Ready?
0:25:25 > 0:25:29That was excellent. How do you do that? Is it just feel?
0:25:29 > 0:25:31It is definitely a sense of rhythm.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33The gap between each bell is as important as the sound
0:25:33 > 0:25:37of your own bell - to have them equally spaced. So, yes.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Will it be yourself showing Paul how to do it?
0:25:40 > 0:25:44I think the best thing about working on Flog It is that fact that
0:25:44 > 0:25:47you get to learn so much about so many different things.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50For example, today, we're filming this insert, it's not
0:25:50 > 0:25:53just about learning about the venue and the history of it, but it's also
0:25:53 > 0:25:57about learning about bell ringing and the people involved in that.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00So, you become a little mini expert overnight about
0:26:00 > 0:26:02so many different things that perhaps you wouldn't have ever
0:26:02 > 0:26:05spent the time investigating or looking into and
0:26:05 > 0:26:09actually it's all that knowledge that maybe you wouldn't have picked up.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12'I agree, Jess.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13'In-between takes, I love to wander about
0:26:13 > 0:26:15'and get a real feel for the place.'
0:26:17 > 0:26:20'I always find I come across wonderful people
0:26:20 > 0:26:23'and at the cathedral, I bumped into Dennis,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27'who has carved some of the most beautiful wooden figures here.'
0:26:27 > 0:26:29I'm impressed with your work.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Those big sections of lime wood that you've carved.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34How long did each figure take to carve?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I would think two to three months.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39That's a lot of work, isn't it? You were a young man, weren't you?
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- How long ago was that?- 56 years ago.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45So that was quite an important commission for you back then?
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Oh, yes, I was only just out of college.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51I had just qualified and, like most people who have just qualified,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53I thought I owned the earth.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57I wrote Sir Edward a letter telling him he needed me.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02He said, well, as it happens the lady who is doing two in the chapel here
0:27:02 > 0:27:07can't finish four of them and so would you like to do the other two?
0:27:07 > 0:27:09I love the swags in the fabric,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12those lovely undercuts creating shadow.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14The whole thing has got movement.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Is that modelled on anybody?
0:27:16 > 0:27:20It wasn't intentionally meant to be, but it was so like my wife.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21It looks really like her.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25This whole building is a celebration of great craftsmanship
0:27:25 > 0:27:28and I've been fortunate enough today to bump into one of them,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- so, Dennis, thank you very much. - Thank you.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34- It was a chance meeting, wasn't it? - Thank you.- And great work. - Thank you very much.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39'What an unexpected treat. That made my day.'
0:27:42 > 0:27:45It's a real privilege to come behind the scenes and learn this kind of thing.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49That's what keeps me going in this job for the last 12 years, you know.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51I've learnt so much and I'll never stop learning
0:27:51 > 0:27:55and I'll always remember these moments, the special moments.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57'And that experience just goes to show
0:27:57 > 0:28:00'if you visit somewhere fascinating go a little off piste,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04'strike up a conversation and you never know what you'll discover.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07'That's the spirit of Flog It!
0:28:15 > 0:28:17'Well, if today's show proves anything,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20'it's that there is a market out there for all kinds of extraordinary
0:28:20 > 0:28:24'collectables. So make sure you keep your eyes peeled
0:28:24 > 0:28:29'and who knows, you may stumble across an amazing find of your own.'
0:28:29 > 0:28:32See you next time for more trade secrets.