0:00:02 > 0:00:06Over the years on Flog It, we've helped you sell many thousands
0:00:06 > 0:00:08of your antiques and collectibles.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12And as some of you know, it's not easy to put a value on them all.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15But there are some things we know will always find a ready market,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18and here's where you can find out more.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20This is Trade Secrets.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55On today's show, we're sneaking a peek at
0:00:55 > 0:00:58some of life's little luxuries, whether it be a Rolex watch...
0:00:58 > 0:01:02- I'd love to own that. - ..or an Art Deco Dunhill lighter.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07- This is a stylish thing.- These are the things we talk about when we're talking about quality and value.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Gosh, look at the quality of that enamel!
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Each week you bring us a whole host of wonderful items
0:01:14 > 0:01:17which remind us of altogether more stylish times,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21so today we're going to be unpicking the secrets of the luxuries
0:01:21 > 0:01:22of times gone by.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Coming up, we've got little novelties with big pulling power.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32It's got "win, win, win, win", listed all the way down there.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34And intriguing words of wisdom.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Get out there, buy hunting things, buy smoking things
0:01:37 > 0:01:39and buy all the other things that have been banned
0:01:39 > 0:01:41because they've got to come back in value.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Finding a little bit of luxury on valuation days
0:01:49 > 0:01:51is always a thrill, as James Lewis discovered
0:01:51 > 0:01:54with a pair of stylish cigarette cases.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57This certainly looks interesting.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Wow. That's lovely.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Absolutely super quality.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10Gosh, look at the quality of that enamel. 'Whenever you see enamel,'
0:02:10 > 0:02:12it always does very, very well.
0:02:12 > 0:02:19Originally, it belonged to my grandmother. First known to be in the family about 1944.
0:02:19 > 0:02:25- It appears on a house inventory that my grandfather kept for insurance purposes.- That's what we have here.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29And the item appears here.
0:02:29 > 0:02:35"Silver enamelled cigarette case and match box." Two pounds fifteen.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Two pounds fifteen shillings, yes.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41- 1944.- That's right. - How super.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46Having a silver case to start with, you have to have money,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50but then the enamelling on it times the value by 20 or 30 times.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54The enamel is the key, not the silver.
0:02:54 > 0:03:00The three wheat sheaves in the centre for Chester and the date is Chester 1900.
0:03:00 > 0:03:06So that's good and clear. Now let's have a look at this one. That's lovely, too, isn't it?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09If anything, that's slightly better.
0:03:09 > 0:03:15Nice and clean. Ah, that's interesting. Now that's different hallmarks.
0:03:15 > 0:03:21We've got the leopard's head there for London and the T, which is the mark for 1894.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25They were made six years apart in different towns, different makers
0:03:25 > 0:03:32and somebody, probably in the 1920s or 1930s, has decided to put them together as a smoking set.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36'Yes, OK, it's hunting, so it's not quite such a popular subject,'
0:03:36 > 0:03:41but still there are hundreds and thousands of people out there who love that.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Then you've got the quality as well and you've got it boxed.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50It's got win, win, win, win listed all the way down there.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Now then, value. Any thoughts?
0:03:53 > 0:03:56I haven't got a clue.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00- More than £2, 15 shillings. - I would have thought so by now!
0:04:00 > 0:04:05- I think if we put these into auction, they'll make £300-£500. - Really?
0:04:05 > 0:04:11- That much.- Yeah.- I had no idea. - I think they're going to do really well.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15I love this match box, I love the vesta and the cigarette case,
0:04:15 > 0:04:21but the vesta to me is worth 300 quid alone. The auctioneer thinks it might struggle at the bottom end.
0:04:22 > 0:04:28Well, I agree with you. The vesta case is worth that on its own. Hunting's not that popular,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- but it's worth it.- It's right now.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Put together as a set, Lot 565. Can I say £300 to start?
0:04:35 > 0:04:37£200 away?
0:04:37 > 0:04:41It's a strange atmosphere when the person that's in control
0:04:41 > 0:04:45doesn't have as much faith in the object as you do.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48At 200. I'll take 20 to get on. At £200.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Come on! This is worth it! Put your back into it, man!
0:04:52 > 0:04:54220. 240. 260.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57280. 300. 320. 340.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02360. At 360. The bid is at the back. At £360.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06"No, it's worth far more than that!" And then the bids start.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09380. 400. 420. 440. 460.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12480. 500.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15520. 550. 580. 600.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19And the telephones come in...
0:05:19 > 0:05:21620. 650. 680.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24700. 720. 750.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26780. 800. 820.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30820, still at the back. At 820.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33At £820.
0:05:33 > 0:05:39And then to turn to the people who own it and see their expression. Super.
0:05:40 > 0:05:46- How cool was that?- Yeah! - How cool was that?- Oh, my God. - Top, top money.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51Enamelled cigarette cases were an item of real luxury at the turn of the century
0:05:51 > 0:05:57and were still being carried as a fashionable accessory 50 years later. Very few people use them now,
0:05:57 > 0:06:03but there's a smoking hot collectors market for them as Kate Bliss realised.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07- Where did it come from? - It was my grandmother's.
0:06:07 > 0:06:13- She must have bought it in the 1920s but I don't know the history. - And did she use it?- Yes, she did.
0:06:13 > 0:06:19- She used to smoke Black Russian and she kept them in there. - They'd fit very well in there.
0:06:19 > 0:06:25Modern cigarettes are too big and too fat. They don't fit any more, which makes it useless.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28I think 1920s is pretty much bang on for the date.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32The style of decoration is very much 1920s,
0:06:32 > 0:06:39but I think in fact that this is reminiscent of a Georgian style of design.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43And the Georgians loved silhouettes. If you look at her hairstyle,
0:06:43 > 0:06:50it's very much like a Georgian-style portrait, the sort of thing you'd have on a Georgian cameo.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54And she's wearing a rather diaphanous dress, isn't she?
0:06:54 > 0:06:57In this lovely green, very 1920s green.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02And, of course, with a bare chest, which is a little bit exotic,
0:07:02 > 0:07:07a little bit risque. And, of course, risque items like this, enamelled items,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10are very commercial today.
0:07:10 > 0:07:16Now value, I think, because it's got this little bit of erotic, risqueness about the design,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20I would think it'll make towards £100 at auction, possibly £150.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24- Are you happy to sell it at that? - Yes, I would.- That's great.
0:07:24 > 0:07:31I like this. It's continental. We're looking for £100-£150. Let's hope we get it.
0:07:31 > 0:07:37- It's very unusual.- From the inside it looks like a very ordinary continental silver cigarette case,
0:07:37 > 0:07:43which would be £20 at the most, but the enamelling makes the difference. And it's quite an unusual subject.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48- The pressure is on. You have already spent the money. - I have.- What did you buy?
0:07:48 > 0:07:51A history of Scarborough for £95.
0:07:51 > 0:07:58- Right. So we've got to get the 100 quid mark.- I hope so!- We're going to find out right now. This is it.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02435A. A silver and enamel cigarette case. £100?
0:08:02 > 0:08:0450 bid. 60? £50 the bidding.
0:08:04 > 0:08:0755. All right. 60. 5. 70.
0:08:07 > 0:08:1075. 80. 85.
0:08:10 > 0:08:1290 next door. 95. 100.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14110. 120.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17130. 140. 150. 160.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19170. 180?
0:08:19 > 0:08:22170, it's yours. 180. 190.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24200. 210.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26£200!
0:08:26 > 0:08:30£200. Anyone else? It's going at £200.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Yes! We thought it would struggle. Well done, Kate.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- I am pleased!- £200.- Fantastic.
0:08:36 > 0:08:43- You can spend a bit more money now. - I work in a home for people with dementia, so we'll have a party.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45- Oh, superb.- Yes.
0:08:45 > 0:08:53Luxury cigarette cases sell very well at auction, but not all smoking paraphernalia has the same appeal,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55no matter how flamboyant it looks.
0:08:55 > 0:09:01One of the things I love about this business is things are done in style.
0:09:02 > 0:09:08- I know exactly where this has come from.- Where?- Your house.- Yes!
0:09:09 > 0:09:13And James from Lancaster brought in a cigar dispenser.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Would we have one today? No.
0:09:16 > 0:09:22This is typical of Black Forest or Bavarian carved wooden items
0:09:22 > 0:09:27that were produced in the 19th century and typified by this here.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31- Right.- This is wonderfully well carved.- What's it made of?
0:09:31 > 0:09:34It might be oak. A lot of them are oak.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37- It lifts up like that.- Yes.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42- I reckon in today's society that is a particularly useless item. - It probably is.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47It wasn't actually a humidor which keeps your cigars at the right humidity.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Practically, it hadn't much use.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54So your cigars would sit in these channels
0:09:54 > 0:09:59and after your dinner party the brandy would come out and you'd offer your guests a cigar.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04'I can see that on the desk of an Edwardian gentleman'
0:10:04 > 0:10:10with a very luxurious 'tache and perhaps calling for the footman to bring his table lighter over.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Gently puffing away with his large brandy.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Today he'd be outside in the bus shelter smoking it.
0:10:17 > 0:10:24- It's quite a fun thing. Where did it come from? - Just down from my father originally.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29I assume he bought it second-hand or had it given or something.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33- And you just want rid? - I don't smoke so...
0:10:33 > 0:10:39I think we can put an auction estimate on this of £100-£200 and a fixed reserve of £80.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41- How does that grab you?- Yes.
0:10:43 > 0:10:49Next up, something that really caught my eye and Philip's. It belongs to James, but not for long.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53It's that Black Forest carving, catalogued as a cigar holder.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57- Why are you selling this? It's a nice object to look at.- It is.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- But somebody may as well use it if they can.- OK.
0:11:00 > 0:11:07We'll find out if that somebody is right here, right now. It's going under the hammer. This is it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12Lot number 74, the Black Forest-style cigar box. It's a very, very nice piece.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17Can I ask a couple of hundred? Start me at 100, surely.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19100? Where will I start, then?
0:11:19 > 0:11:21£70. £70 bid.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23- Come on.- 70 bid.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28- 80 away now? £70 on the bid. I'll take 80.- We're in trouble.
0:11:28 > 0:11:3170 bid. 70 bid.
0:11:31 > 0:11:3380 now. £80 seated. 80 bid.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37That's little money. £80 only. At 80.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42It sold. That is really surprising for a bit of Black Forest carving.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49Smoking is a real big no no, but people collect smoking memorabilia.
0:11:49 > 0:11:57But with James I probably got it a little bit wrong. I said £100-£200 and there wasn't that demand.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02- Well, it's gone, anyway, James. Somebody got rather lucky.- It's OK.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06It fetches what it fetches. Thank you very much.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09If you're going through your cupboards looking for things
0:12:09 > 0:12:12to part with, remember this tip -
0:12:12 > 0:12:15the more usable an item is, the more value it's likely to have.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Next, Catherine found a piece of theatrical history
0:12:21 > 0:12:23that only the very elite would have enjoyed.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Cyril, as soon as I saw this lovely little cylindrical fish-skin case,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32I knew we'd have something interesting. Shall we take a look?
0:12:33 > 0:12:38There we are. This lovely little monocular.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42It was really neat and it fitted into this really smart case.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44'It really was a beauty.'
0:12:44 > 0:12:50Because of the decoration, it's something maybe a lady would use, or a gentleman at the opera.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55Now this monocular is by a very important scientific instrument maker.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00On the bottom, the name's G Adams. Does that mean anything to you?
0:13:00 > 0:13:05- I believe he also used to make sextants for the navy. - G Adams is George Adams.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10There was a George Adams Senior and son. So a father and son team.
0:13:10 > 0:13:18They worked in Fleet Street in London. I would say this one probably dates from around 1800.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24George Adams was a very significant instrument maker, in the 18th and 19th century.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29As soon as I saw the monocular and the name, I got very excited.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33There's a band of tortoiseshell and then this mother of pearl inlay,
0:13:33 > 0:13:38these little spots going round and then strips of mother of pearl.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43I think it's a charming little piece. Are you happy to let it go?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Yes, I am really, yeah.
0:13:45 > 0:13:51I've been a bit of a collector and a hoarder and now it's time to get rid of some of the things.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56It was all there. Often you find the monoculars without the case.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02It was nice to see it was all there, complete and in the case and by a good maker.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04It had everything going for it.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09Value-wise, I hope that people will recognise the importance of this
0:14:09 > 0:14:14and I would probably put an estimate on of £100-£150.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18- I would like to see it making about £200.- I'm happy with that.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Thank you very much.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26Lot 206, a 19th-century monocular single-draw opera glass. £100?
0:14:26 > 0:14:30In the original case. I'll start at £100.
0:14:30 > 0:14:3210 I'd like. At £100. 110 I see.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37- 120.- Come on... It's a nice thing.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39At 130, thank you. 140.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43150. 160. 170.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45This is great. They love it now.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48190. 200. And 10 again?
0:14:48 > 0:14:51210. 210.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53At £210.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Yes! What a great result!
0:14:55 > 0:15:00- That's another great one. - £210.- Beautiful.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01Quality.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Well, that little monocular was certainly a winner
0:15:09 > 0:15:13and that's largely because it was of high quality.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16If you're hunting around for small, quality items
0:15:16 > 0:15:19keep in mind that those made from precious metals
0:15:19 > 0:15:22are most likely to retain their value.
0:15:22 > 0:15:23But it's also important to remember
0:15:23 > 0:15:26that the market for gold and silver fluctuates
0:15:26 > 0:15:30so it can be hard to know what your trinkets or ornaments are worth.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Fortunately for us, there isn't much
0:15:33 > 0:15:36that Flog It! expert Michael Baggott doesn't know
0:15:36 > 0:15:39about silver dating from the last few centuries.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Today, though, there is a group of talented silversmiths working away,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44the next generation.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Are they crafting the antiques of the future?
0:15:50 > 0:15:54I grew up in a little council estate on the outskirts of Birmingham.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Really, there wasn't any exposure to antiques there,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59apart from a burning Cortina.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06When I was young, I had no idea that Birmingham was this very important centre
0:16:06 > 0:16:09for silversmithing and it had its own assay office.
0:16:09 > 0:16:15That was all something that I came to subsequently when I started to have an enthusiasm for silver.
0:16:17 > 0:16:23Metalworkers and craftsmen have been turning out all kinds of treasures in the Jewellery Quarter
0:16:23 > 0:16:30from shoe buckles to trinket boxes, as well as jewellery, since the 17th century and beyond.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35What was surprising to me to find out within my own family,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39my father told me years after I'd had an interest in silver
0:16:39 > 0:16:45that his father had, for a long time, run a silver polishing workshop in the Jewellery Quarter.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Michael is taking the opportunity to visit the factory
0:16:51 > 0:16:54of Smith and Pepper, the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57with silversmith Owen Condon.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Later, Owen is going to teach Michael a thing or two
0:17:01 > 0:17:05about fashioning silver at the Birmingham School of Jewellery.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- Owen, lovely to meet you. - Michael, nice to meet you.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11What an auspicious place to be meeting in!
0:17:11 > 0:17:14My grandfather was a silver polisher in Birmingham
0:17:14 > 0:17:18and he'd be quite at home in this wonderful workshop.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22As a contemporary silversmith, I'm quite at home within this workshop.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27I could sit down here and work away quite nicely with all the machines here.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32Even though they're 200 or 300 years old, they can do the job I need them to do today.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36I've brought a few things because later on, you're going to try,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40I emphasise "try", and get me to make a spoon.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- These are all Birmingham made. - Right.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47That one's by Edward Sawyer who was working in Great Charles Street.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50That was in the early days of Birmingham.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54That's hand-forged. That's the type of work you do, isn't it?
0:17:54 > 0:17:58It is. We do hand-forge a lot of spoons still, cold-forge.
0:17:58 > 0:18:04But we have obviously moved on slightly and we have little tricks and new ways of raising the spoons up
0:18:04 > 0:18:06which I'll show you today.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10- Hopefully, in 240 years, you've made some leaps forward.- Yeah.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14- You are the future.- Yes. - So what's your perspective on it?
0:18:14 > 0:18:20I like to mix traditional skills and keep the core traditional skills, but mix them with new technologies,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23such as laser technologies and computer design.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Even in the couple of years that I've been here in Birmingham,
0:18:27 > 0:18:31the technology has moved on and on and is getting better every year.
0:18:31 > 0:18:37- So they're always pushing... - More innovation again.- ..forward all the time?- Most definitely.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40- Their forebears would be proud of them.- I think so.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43- Now you can try and get me to make a spoon.- Yes.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45- Follow me.- Let's go.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48If someone wants to start collecting silver now,
0:18:48 > 0:18:53the first thing to do is go out and spend your money on some very good reference books
0:18:53 > 0:18:56because they'll stand you in good stead for ever.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Spoons are by far the most accessible.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03I know people make fun of me because I promote spoon collecting,
0:19:03 > 0:19:08but the reason is you can buy a beautiful piece of 18th century silver for £80 or £100.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13£80 is a lot of money, but for something that was handmade and is 250 years old
0:19:13 > 0:19:17and has an intrinsic value of maybe £50 or £60,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19it's not a lot of money to pay
0:19:19 > 0:19:24and I think in years to come these things will go up in value quite dramatically.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33So we're here in the workshop, which is fantastic,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- and we've got some of your silver here.- Yes.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Talk me through what you've made here because these look fantastic.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42We've already seen the traditional spoons
0:19:42 > 0:19:45and these are made in the traditional way,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47hand-forging, cold-forging.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52I love this. That's the most beautiful design. You've got a moonstone in the end of that?
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Yeah, a little moonstone set in an 18-carat bezel.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58You deliberately leave all the planishing marks?
0:19:58 > 0:20:04Yes, we use that as the finish. It looks like a glitter ball and the light sparkles around the silver.
0:20:04 > 0:20:10- It's bizarre to think that 250 years ago, they were at pains to get rid of that.- Yes.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14- Because that's the idea... - To add it as a texture technique.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19- Where would we start? - We've marked a circle on a 1mm sheet of sterling silver,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21which we pierce out with a piercing saw.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Gently turn the piece.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30- This could be a little more awkward for you.- You're left-handed?- Yes.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32That's why it's not going to work.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39It's going every... It's going everywhere.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43- I must finish without breaking the blade.- Brilliant.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48- Still outside the line. - As long as we're outside the line, we can fix it.
0:20:48 > 0:20:54- There was a bit of danger there, but I veered away.- We can file it now into a true circle.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58- How do we turn that into the bowl? - OK, so we drop it into the centre.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02So we're pretty good.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Now it's at this point, we can let it go a bit more aggressively.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- Go for it again?- Yeah.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17So we're really getting close to our end line now.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22- Done.- There we go.- Yeah.
0:21:22 > 0:21:28Now we're going to planish-finish, so we will basically put small, flat facets on to this using the hammer.
0:21:28 > 0:21:34- Light?- Yeah. And you can see the facets start to appear.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45I think it's as good as I'll ever get it, so what do we do now?
0:21:45 > 0:21:49- Now we will move on to the handle. - Let's do the handle.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54So we've got this handle ready-made, but it's not finished enough to go on the bowl.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59What we need to do now is basically curve the end to solder to the bowl,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03- so we want to match it in the same radius.- Right, how do we do that?
0:22:07 > 0:22:09We've started to ease it into place.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13- We're getting there. We need to do a bit more.- Just a bit more.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Now try it a little bit further.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18It needs to be over there.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24- Pretty good.- Shall we solder that on? - Yeah, I think we're ready to solder.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39I think we're pretty good at that. What we do now is we'll quench it
0:22:39 > 0:22:45- in some water, then we put it into a weak acid solution, just to take that blackness back off it.- Right.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Now, Michael, we've taken it from the pickle and it's basically white,
0:22:51 > 0:22:56- which is a layer of fine silver that's come to the surface. - But it's matte.- Exactly.
0:23:01 > 0:23:08We just give it a little rub of the cloth and we're ready to present you with your finished spoon.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Oh, that's amazing. I can't believe
0:23:13 > 0:23:18that not that long ago that was a disc of metal and a bar of silver.
0:23:18 > 0:23:24It's transformed it. Thank you so much indeed for helping me make this lovely condiment spoon.
0:23:24 > 0:23:30- I'll treasure it forever. - You're more than welcome.- I'll be back tomorrow! Thanks very much.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34'Didn't Michael do well?
0:23:34 > 0:23:38'And here are some of his Flog It colleagues with tips on buying silver.'
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Look for an area you find interesting.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45It could be nutmeg graters. It could be vesta cases.
0:23:45 > 0:23:52But don't be narrow-minded and look for a year. Look at that whole section of nutmeg graters
0:23:52 > 0:23:54or vesta cases.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59If you're serious about it, you're looking for really good makers.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Different with historical pieces,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04but I'd suggest with modern pieces
0:24:04 > 0:24:09that you concentrate on the designer. Someone on the way up.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Over the years, we've visited hundreds of stately homes,
0:24:17 > 0:24:23but one of my favourites is Longleat in Wiltshire. The sumptuous home of the 7th Marquess of Bath,
0:24:23 > 0:24:30it's filled with a luxurious 500-year-old collection of clothing, furniture and paintings,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34but preserving it for the future can take work.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39What better person to provide some tips on preserving your precious luxury pieces
0:24:39 > 0:24:41than Head Guide Ruth Charles?
0:24:41 > 0:24:45We're over the Great Hall now and this is the Minstrels Gallery.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50On the plinth here, we've got this rather fabulous piece of fabric
0:24:50 > 0:24:56which is made up from a wedding dress dated 1733 when Louisa Carteret got married.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01It would have been fantastic colours all those years ago, with silk and silver.
0:25:01 > 0:25:08All of this would have been silver and gold thread, but over the years it's been oxidised
0:25:08 > 0:25:13to become quite a flat grey. But in its time it would have been spectacular.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18Look how much silver there is on it. It would have glistened beautifully.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22This is not for your average person in the street. This is high society.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26But at Longleat, it's also paintings that need preserving.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32This is one of the most important paintings in Longleat
0:25:32 > 0:25:35and so it has pride of place.
0:25:35 > 0:25:41The problem with that is it's opposite the door visitors come through so, with our weather,
0:25:41 > 0:25:46especially the damp weather, the humidity rises and that's not good for paintings.
0:25:46 > 0:25:53You get mould growing. If it's too dry and it's on panel, it will shrink it and crack it.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57So if you have a painting such as this, you might have it glazed.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02We had this glazed last year and that protects it from that fluctuating atmosphere.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05So what are Ruth's other top tips?
0:26:05 > 0:26:11If you have a special painting at home, just be aware of where you're placing it.
0:26:11 > 0:26:17Don't put it over a radiator. Don't put it in front of a door. You've got air fluctuation.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Don't put it near the fireplace as you'll get smoke on it.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24They have a stunning collection of costumes here,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28so what does Ruth advise you to do about keeping old fabrics fresh?
0:26:28 > 0:26:34This is a lovely dress. It would have been a vivid pink in its heyday. You see in the crease
0:26:34 > 0:26:40just a remnant of how vivid the colour was. We do have a sash that goes with this dress
0:26:40 > 0:26:46which still retains its colour. But to do that we have to keep it in a darkened box,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50wrapped in acid-free paper never to see the light of day.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54But from a history point of view, at least we see the original colour.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59But what do you do? Keep them in a cupboard and nobody sees them
0:26:59 > 0:27:06or do you get them out and we can have a glimpse of what the fabrics and styles were like?
0:27:06 > 0:27:13Luckily, they decided to take these sumptuous costumes out of wraps for us to enjoy.
0:27:13 > 0:27:21Top tips for looking after your collection. Fabric - make sure it's away from light and heat.
0:27:21 > 0:27:28And make sure if it's got natural fibres such as horsehair, for instance, in sofas,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32that there's nothing alive in it. That can be most uncomfortable.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35You can have things fumigated.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40Sounds nasty! As Ruth says, even if a fabric fades a little or a painting picks up dust,
0:27:40 > 0:27:45get it out and, most of all, enjoy it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:55Fashions change and antiques go in and out of favour, but luxury goods that are well-made
0:27:55 > 0:28:00will also have a value and don't have to be hundreds of years old.
0:28:00 > 0:28:06- Family heirlooms from the recent past could make you a small fortune. - Let's put £800-£1,200 on it.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Wow.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14Today's extravagant buys may well be electrical goods rather than silverware,
0:28:14 > 0:28:19but there's still a massive collectors' market for small luxury items.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24I hope today's show has given you a little trip down memory lane and an insight into what to look for.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29Join me again soon for more for more top tips from Flog It's Trade Secrets.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd