0:00:02 > 0:00:05I want to share some of the knowledge that we've picked up
0:00:05 > 0:00:08over the last 11 years of filming "Flog It!"
0:00:08 > 0:00:11That's hundreds of programmes under our belt and many
0:00:11 > 0:00:14thousands of your antiques and collectables sold under the hammer.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19- 150.- Oh!- Good Lord!
0:00:19 > 0:00:22There is a whole world of trade secrets out there for you to know.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Over the years on "Flog It!", we've come to realise that sometimes,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57the most fascinating antiques can emerge from the most
0:00:57 > 0:01:01inauspicious looking containers, so today, we're looking at boxes.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04That is quite special, isn't it?
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Wow!
0:01:05 > 0:01:07And lifting the lid on some items to which
0:01:07 > 0:01:09there is more than meets the eye.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15On today's programme, we'll be unwrapping some useful lessons.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Firstly, always take a good look inside the box.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20"First pair of boots.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22"Too small for her little feet."
0:01:22 > 0:01:25That's dated 1873.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28He hadn't even looked in the boots!
0:01:28 > 0:01:33And secondly, never be surprised by what you might find there.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35This is kind of a mechanical version of a leech, I guess.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42On "Flog It!", we've had over 900 valuation days,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45and during that time, we've seen all kinds of antiques and collectables.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48But there's one thing that still gets me very excited when I see it.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50And that's boxes!
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Yes, you bring them in, boxes of all shapes and sizes.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Boxes made of wood, boxes made of antique ivory and leather.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00And there's something quite satisfying about opening up a box
0:02:00 > 0:02:03and peering in and seeing the treasures that lie there.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07So if you've got an old box gathering dust in your house,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10it may be worth getting its contents valued.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Here are a few of the surprises we've found
0:02:12 > 0:02:14when lifting the lid.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18You often find that a very tatty exterior
0:02:18 > 0:02:22can be protecting a jewel of an interior.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24When I first saw this in the box,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27I thought we'd have half an hour while you set it up.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32- But you've put it together like an expert. You've done that a few times!- Two or three!
0:02:32 > 0:02:34It was towards the end of the valuation day
0:02:34 > 0:02:38and he almost didn't bother bringing it along.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Whenever we're looking at optical instruments,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43and in particular, microscopes or telescopes,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47there's one name that really does ring out above all the others.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49And that's Dollond of London.
0:02:49 > 0:02:55Dollond of London are one of the most important optical instrument makers
0:02:55 > 0:02:58of all time in Britain.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01They're now Dollond & Aitchison, spectacle makers.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03If we look at this box that this microscope came in,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07we see these wonderful flush brass handles on the sides.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11And that indicates that it was made to be packed away for travelling.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Look at that box. Wonderfully fitted.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16'The more you looked at this microscope,'
0:03:16 > 0:03:20the eye pieces were there, the slides were there...
0:03:20 > 0:03:23You often find the most gruesome things. What's that?
0:03:23 > 0:03:25A leg of something, by the looks of it!
0:03:25 > 0:03:28But they're contemporary with the microscope.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32So it's what we call a monocular microscope, for obvious reasons.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35It has one lens. Binocular or monocular.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38And this alters a rack and pinion. There we go.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- But we've got a couple of bits missing.- Yeah.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- Yes.- Tell me how you came to have it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48- It came out of a skip.- Who on earth would put this in a skip?
0:03:48 > 0:03:49My son!
0:03:49 > 0:03:51- Your son put it in a skip? - When they cleared the house.
0:03:51 > 0:03:57- No!- And then he took it back out and looked in it and said, "My dad would like that."
0:03:57 > 0:03:59So he said, "Here's part of your Christmas present."
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Really, it is the most fantastic quality thing.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05You've saved it, and I'm so pleased.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08But it is the best of makers. In its original box.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11OK, we've got a few bits missing.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13But you've got a lot left, too.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18So I think we ought to put an estimate of 400 to 600.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22I've seen them sell before, complete, at £1,000 to £1,500.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Thanks very much for bringing it in.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Been nice being here. I love it.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30But that was a classic example of putting a low estimate
0:04:30 > 0:04:32to try and get the best end result.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I don't ever like to get people's hopes up.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38But come on, just stick your neck out!
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- Well...- You're with friends!
0:04:41 > 0:04:44I think it should make 1,200-1,500.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48- Right.- Really? - Dave, are you shaking?- Yeah!
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Early 19th-century monocular compound brass microscope.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Lots of interest here.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56I have to start at £380.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58380. 400 now. 420.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59440.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Telephone bids on it, internet bidding, absentee bidding.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04600.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05And 50.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07700.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- And 50.- Yeah, keep going!
0:05:10 > 0:05:13- 800.- It's making a good, steady climb.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16900. And 50.
0:05:16 > 0:05:181,000.
0:05:18 > 0:05:201,100. 1,200.
0:05:20 > 0:05:231,300. 1,300 in the room.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26At £1,300. We have £1,300.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Yes! £1,300!
0:05:30 > 0:05:32That's auctions for you!
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Fantastic! And to find it in a skip!
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Why don't I ever find those in skips?
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Not every box is full of delights,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44as Elizabeth was to discover with this macabre medical instrument.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48This is a very unusual item, Lynne. What can you tell me about it?
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Well, as far as I'm aware, it's a cupping set.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55And it's for blood-letting.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00It actually belonged to my great-grandmother,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02who used to assist with births.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- So this was hers, was it? - Definitely, yes.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08So it will have seen a certain degree of hard work in its time.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12- You've never seen it actually used? - No, no. No.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17It had served a cause and had a few stories to tell probably.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20I'm sure whoever saw this being put together would have been daunted!
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Victorians loved the concept of blood-letting.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Letting out badness from the body by cutting and drawing off blood.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30They used leeches a lot.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33This is a mechanical version of a leech, I guess.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37We draw back the little knives by this lever here
0:06:37 > 0:06:41which primes it, a bit like priming a flintlock pistol.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44You hold it onto the skin, and by releasing the button,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47the little knives shoot through
0:06:47 > 0:06:48and score the skin.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51At which point you rush up with this
0:06:51 > 0:06:57and put it onto the skin and draw back to pull out the blood you require.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00In some cases, they would take dangerous amounts of blood out.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05They were so carried away with forever attaching leeches or sucking out the blood
0:07:05 > 0:07:08that actually it was making the patient too weak.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Not for the faint-hearted, is it?
0:07:10 > 0:07:12So you've inherited it, have you?
0:07:12 > 0:07:16No, it still belongs to my mother, but she's happy to sell it.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17She wants to sell it. OK.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20- Has it been pride of place... - No, not at all.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23It was, unfortunately, until very recently,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26it was down the chicken shed!
0:07:27 > 0:07:29It had been carefully passed down the generations
0:07:29 > 0:07:32until the recent ten years when it was in the chicken shed!
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Well, you've obviously got a very clean and dry chicken shed,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37because it's in surprisingly good order.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42Value, I think, will be limited to around about...
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I'd think on a bad day £40.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46On a good day, it might make £80.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48OK.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52I based my estimate on not enough knowledge, as it turned out!
0:07:57 > 0:07:59You can play the game properly at home now.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Doctors and nurses!
0:08:01 > 0:08:0340 quid? 20 I'm bid. 20.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Five. 30. 35. 40.
0:08:05 > 0:08:0845. 50. 55. 60.
0:08:08 > 0:08:1165. 70. 75. 80.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13- At 80 now.- 80.
0:08:13 > 0:08:1585. 90.
0:08:15 > 0:08:1795. 100.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19- 100!- 110. 120.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21130. 140.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23150. 160.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25170.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28180. 190. 200.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31210. This side at 210.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32The auctioneer did very well.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35He kept encouraging people to bid that little bit more
0:08:35 > 0:08:37and that's the sign of a good auctioneer.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39290.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40300.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Going to burst a blood vessel in a minute!
0:08:43 > 0:08:44330.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47340. At 340 now.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- 350.- It wasn't even named.- 360.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51370.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53I did think that to find a name
0:08:53 > 0:08:58would have given it quite a significant uplift in value. I couldn't find a name.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02So kept the estimate very modest at £40 to £80.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04410.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05- 410!- It's a lucky charm.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08£420. Finished and done at 420.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10If one's going to be caught out,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14it's better to be too pessimistic than over optimistic,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17and have a positive result rather than a terrible flop.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Your last chance at 420. Who have I missed?
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Oh, and it's all down to Great-Gran there.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27She brought you luck today.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28Absolutely. Mum will be over the moon.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30There you go. Live and learn!
0:09:31 > 0:09:35But sometimes there are clues to what might lie within.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37As Catherine found out in Plymouth.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40I remember this gentleman coming up to me
0:09:40 > 0:09:44with this rather rugged tin box.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47And he plunked it on the table.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49It was a little bit rusty.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54But it had the name painted on the top, of a naval officer.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58So I thought, "Hmm. This is going to be something quite exciting."
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Chris, what's inside this rusty box of tricks?
0:10:01 > 0:10:06It's a naval bicorn hat, or a cocked hat.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Oh, this is quite special, isn't it?
0:10:08 > 0:10:09Wow!
0:10:09 > 0:10:13It really got me going. Very exciting!
0:10:13 > 0:10:17And I just remember the epaulettes, a sort of golden colour.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20And they were really shining through.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22So when you opened this box,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26it was just like you were looking at treasure!
0:10:26 > 0:10:27A-ha!
0:10:27 > 0:10:30There are two of these epaulettes.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Just in the most fabulous condition.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36- This pops out like that. - That's beautiful.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41- What a great colour, as well. - Beautiful.- Wonderful amber colour.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45The braid coming down here and the lovely buttons with the anchor on.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49And as you say, the epaulettes, which were obviously worn on the shoulder.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52How did you come about this? Was it passed down through your family?
0:10:52 > 0:10:55No. I was doing a house clearance with a friend of mine,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and this was part of what was being thrown out.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02I think we should give it a conservative estimate of probably 150 to 250.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Let's hope that it attracts a lot more interest and really surges up.
0:11:06 > 0:11:12'And Chris has unearthed some useful information about the name on the box.'
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Did you do any research to find where he was, where he was stationed?
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Yes. He served on lots of ships during his time.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21- One of them was the Hood.- The Hood!
0:11:21 > 0:11:26HMS Hood, which was an important ship during the Second World War
0:11:26 > 0:11:28which had been sunk by the Bismarck.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30This is it. This is your lot now.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34I'm bid £160. Against you all at 160.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Five if you like. 165. 170.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Five. 180. Five. At 185.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41190. 200.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Wow! This is exciting!
0:11:44 > 0:11:47And ten. 220. 230. 240.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50250. 260. 270.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51280. 290.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53At £290 there.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55- Yes.- At 290, then.
0:11:55 > 0:11:56All done at 290?
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- Brilliant.- Excellent.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- Bang on top. 290 quid.- Good. - Fantastic.- Very good.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05That's what was nice about this box.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08It had the name of the naval officer on.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11So you could research it. I think that's what people really picked up on.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16There are boxes for tea, boxes for snuff and boxes to carry clothes.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19But it's not always about what's inside.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Sometimes, the beauty is the box.
0:12:22 > 0:12:28You've been standing in the queue holding this very heavy box for rather a long time.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31It's always thrilling to see a box. You automatically think there must
0:12:31 > 0:12:33be something rather special in there.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- It used to belong to my grandmother. - Right.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40And it was handed to my mother when she died in about 1970-ish.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43- My mother handed it on to my daughter.- Yes.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- So it's the fourth generation in the family.- Right.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49- Your daughter's instructed you to bring it along?- Yes.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51- To sell it?- She's getting married next year
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and it would be useful towards the honeymoon.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58- Does it come with any story? - All I know is it must be something like 110 years old.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02That's pretty accurate. It's late 19th century.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04- But where does it come from? - I don't know.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- Put your hand over it. It's Indian. - Oh. Right.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09- Do you know what it's made of?- No.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12It's very black. I thought initially it was probably ebony.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15But I can see a bit of flecking in there.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I think it's a wood called coromandel.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Coromandel has this wonderful flecking of brown through it
0:13:21 > 0:13:22which gives it a particular charm.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26It's not easy to carve because it is so hard.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28But if you can do it well,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30it then has this wonderful patination.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32It's exotic to look at.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Wow!
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Look at that fantastic workmanship.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40It's got the most wonderful ivory inlay.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45When I say wonderful, it's not Japanese quality.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48And then it has different woods laid into it.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53There's some probably tiger wood in there.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55There's some rosewood, I think.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57'And it was complete.'
0:13:57 > 0:14:00I think every lid to every compartment was still there.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Which is a rare thing in itself.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04There should be a compartment in the bottom.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Oh, my gosh. It's full, isn't it?
0:14:08 > 0:14:13- Um...- I don't know anything about them.- You don't know anything about them?- No.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Well, lo and behold, inside one of the bootees
0:14:15 > 0:14:18was a name.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21"Dear Rosa". Does that ring a bell?
0:14:21 > 0:14:25- There was an Aunt Rosa, yes. - Aunt Rosa?- My mother's Aunt Rosa.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29"First pair of boots. Two small for her little feet."
0:14:29 > 0:14:31And that's dated 1873.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37He hadn't even looked in the boots to see that piece of paper himself.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39I find that quite extraordinary.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42No wonder he wanted to sell it. He had no interest in it at all.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Well, coming back to the box,
0:14:44 > 0:14:49did your daughter say, "If it's worth more than ten quid, sell it"?
0:14:49 > 0:14:53- Or 500 quid or...- She just said, "Take it and sell it. I have no use for it."
0:14:53 > 0:14:56- Right.- I suggested it might be worth in excess of 100.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59- Well, I think it's worth about £100. - Really?
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- How does that sound?- Reasonable.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Reasonable? Were you hoping for more?
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Well, always!
0:15:08 > 0:15:13Let's hope the bidders are excited about the box and its contents.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Next up, the embroidery box with a value of £100 to £150.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19It belongs to Michael. He's brought his daughter Heidi along.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23- Hello.- Hiya.- I love the hair! What does Dad think?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26I had a shock when I saw it!
0:15:26 > 0:15:28It's going under the hammer now.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Numerous commission bids here. Start me straight in at...
0:15:33 > 0:15:34Come on.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37..£160. 160 I have to start.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39I think when I got to the saleroom
0:15:39 > 0:15:41I really had thought to myself,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44"Charlie, you've undervalued this lot."
0:15:44 > 0:15:46170. 180.
0:15:46 > 0:15:47190. 200.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50210. 220. 230. 240.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- Heidi, it's because you're here! - 270. 280.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57290. 300. 310 takes me out.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Because it's a rare wood, it's particularly collectable.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02340.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- 350.- Oh, they like this.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06360. 370.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09380. 390.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13- 400. 410.- Charlie, what did we miss?
0:16:13 > 0:16:15I know nothing!
0:16:15 > 0:16:18£410. Back of the room at £410.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21At £410. Are we all done, then?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23At £410.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25How exciting was that?
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- Oh, my word.- That'll go a long way towards your honeymoon.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29Yeah. I can eat, now!
0:16:31 > 0:16:34So when it comes to boxes, what are the key points to look out for?
0:16:34 > 0:16:37The box, although it was a beautiful object in its own right,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39it was actually made to protect what's inside.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42People often say, "Oh, dear, the box isn't in very good condition."
0:16:42 > 0:16:44That doesn't matter. If it's done its job,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47what's inside has survived really well.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Just because it's tatty doesn't mean it's worthless.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54We often call it "country house condition" if it's a bit shabby.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59I like to have a really good look at it and think about the material that it's made from.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03So if you've got something that's made from quite a rich material,
0:17:03 > 0:17:08I think that's going to tell you you've got something special inside.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Always look inside your boxes - no matter how fabulous,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20there could be even more valuable treasure hidden within.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- I don't know anything about them. - You don't?- No.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Whatever your item, look for a name.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27A known maker will always attract the collectors.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32It just goes to show, there's a market for almost everything.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35So think before you bin!
0:17:35 > 0:17:37As you know, provenance is key in antiques.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41So if your trunk or suitcase has a name or monogram,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43as they often do, check it out.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46The previous owner could be very significant.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50But sometimes it's just the box itself which is of interest.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55Something I learned more about in 2008 when I visited an old snuff factory.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58I've come here to Wilsons & Co,
0:17:58 > 0:18:03one of the last remaining independent snuff manufacturers left in the country.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07The family-run business, here at Sharrow Mills in Sheffield,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10has been producing snuff from a secret recipe
0:18:10 > 0:18:14which dates back as far as 1737.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20The original machinery used to grind the tobacco to make snuff still survives.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24It's left as a testament to a bygone age.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Although snuff-taking isn't as popular as it used to be,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33one aspect of it still is very popular and extremely collectable.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35And that's snuff boxes.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36And to tell us a bit more about it
0:18:36 > 0:18:40is a familiar "Flog It!" face and good friend of mine, James Lewis.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44James, thanks very much for bringing a small part of your collection.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46- I know it's massive.- It is.
0:18:46 > 0:18:52I think I've got about 300-500, 400-600 altogether. Something like that.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56- I'm not sure exactly.- When did you start to collect snuff boxes?
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Well, when I was younger, I had a passion for wood, just like you.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05And the problem is, when you're a schoolboy or just about to go to university,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07you've got nowhere to put furniture.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10If you're going to collect wood, or treen, or anything like that,
0:19:10 > 0:19:11you have to collect things that are small.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14I thought, "What better than snuff boxes?"
0:19:14 > 0:19:17So I had an interest back as a teenager.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21But the passion for snuff boxes
0:19:21 > 0:19:24really came from one of my first ever visits I made as an auctioneer.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27I went to see a lady in a little tiny cottage
0:19:27 > 0:19:29and halfway through the valuation, I heard this...
0:19:29 > 0:19:31SNORTS
0:19:34 > 0:19:36I turned round to see this lady
0:19:36 > 0:19:39with snuff dribbling down the nostrils!
0:19:39 > 0:19:41All over herself.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43And she went, "Want some, lad?"
0:19:43 > 0:19:46- And did you?- No, I didn't.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48I didn't. Today I probably would have done.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51But back then, I was too shy and I said, "No, thank you."
0:19:51 > 0:19:54And I left her to it.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57But it started a strange sort of fascination.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Gosh. Let's talk about some of the varieties.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02- Maybe pick on half a dozen.- OK.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05There are two types, really. You get the pocket snuff.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08It always has a very tight fitting cover, for obvious reasons.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10And then you have the table snuff.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Table snuff is normally bigger and sometimes has a loose cover.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18These three at the front are all table snuff boxes.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22They're by one of the most important snuff box makers
0:20:22 > 0:20:24of the early 18th century,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26a chap called Jean Obrisset.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29He was the son of a Huguenot silversmith
0:20:29 > 0:20:33and he specialised in working in horn and tortoiseshell.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36He was snuff box maker to Queen Anne.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Really? So that's a name to look out for.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Queen Anne herself was a snuff-taker.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Can we have a look at one of those?
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Wonderful detail.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50- That's nice, isn't it? Hold it up to the light.- Yeah.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53You can see right through it. Look at the detail.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54Great quality.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58Just as we find today that smoking is a really controversial subject,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02snuff-taking itself was controversial throughout the ages.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05And although Queen Anne was a snuff-taker,
0:21:05 > 0:21:10100 years earlier, King James, he despised it with a passion.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13So if you were caught taking snuff in the presence of King James,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- you'd end up in the Tower.- Really?
0:21:16 > 0:21:17Oh, he loathed it.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21In its heyday during the 18th century,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25snuff-taking developed into an important social grace.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27It remained popular well into the 20th century.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31It was said you could tell a lot about a man's social status
0:21:31 > 0:21:33by the way he took his snuff.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42Open the lid and take a pinch between the finger and thumb.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43Hold it there for a moment
0:21:43 > 0:21:47so the warmth of the finger brings out the bouquet of the snuff.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51So you get the benefit of the flavour. And inhale it.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54Close the snuff box.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58And then, if you like, just a little flourish with your handkerchief.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02I'm not a snuff box snob.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I know a lot of these people say, "It's a silver gilt",
0:22:05 > 0:22:06"It's solid gold", it's this, it's that.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08"It's encrusted with rubies."
0:22:08 > 0:22:12To be honest, that actually leaves me quite cold.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15- You like the tactile items.- I do. - The working man's snuff box. - Absolutely.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18I've seen a few of those. That's the poor man's pinch, isn't it?
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Yeah. You generally call these Scottish snuffs.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23I'm pleased YOU said that!
0:22:23 > 0:22:27I can get away with it because I'm 100% Scot!
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- I can get away with it.- A mean pinch.- That's what they're called.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34A mean pinch. They were made in brass and horn and treen.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36The idea was that you would close the gap in the centre
0:22:36 > 0:22:39so that when you take the pinch of snuff, you can't take too much.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Very eye-catching. I love the rams' horns.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44They're brilliant.
0:22:44 > 0:22:50A classic Scottish ram's horn snuff mulls, they were called.
0:22:50 > 0:22:51With a lovely silver mount.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53That's quality, isn't it, all the way through.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56I think I've got about 30 of those, altogether!
0:22:56 > 0:22:59They come in different shapes and sizes.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Interesting - somebody has attached a silver watch chain to that.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05So they can carry it and put it over their arm.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Because that one doubles as a snuff box on the top there,
0:23:09 > 0:23:12but also the end screws off and you can fill it with whisky!
0:23:12 > 0:23:14That's a good idea, isn't it?
0:23:14 > 0:23:18A lot of these are English and continental. Where else in the world were they made?
0:23:18 > 0:23:20They were made almost everywhere.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23The interesting thing is that in China they don't have snuff boxes,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25they have snuff bottles.
0:23:25 > 0:23:31Simply because a sign of status in China was to have wonderful, long, decorative fingernails.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35If you have massively long fingernails, you can't take snuff from a snuff box.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39- You can't pick the box up. - No. You have a little shovel and straight up!
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Now you're talking about that,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45we're in the best location possible
0:23:45 > 0:23:47to show this sort of thing.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51This is obviously ground down tobacco. Should we try some?
0:23:51 > 0:23:55- I didn't know you were a nosologist! - Is that what it's known as?
0:23:55 > 0:23:58A snuff-taker in the 18th century was known as a nosologist.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01- I don't fancy trying any of this stuff.- Go on.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05No, no, no. I think we should try some fresh stuff when we get outside.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09- Otherwise we'll sneeze our heads off.- We're antiques people. We should try the old stuff!
0:24:09 > 0:24:10- Gosh.- Go on.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18I don't rate that at all!
0:24:19 > 0:24:22No. Whatever you do,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24don't try that at home!
0:24:28 > 0:24:30The great thing about boxes, like other small items,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34is they're a perfect starting point for a budding collector.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36And it doesn't have to be expensive
0:24:36 > 0:24:38if you know what you're looking for.
0:24:38 > 0:24:44If that's inspired you, here are some tips on collecting the small and the beautifully formed.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Look for an area you find interesting.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48It could be nutmeg graters.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51It could be Vesta cases.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53But don't be narrow-minded
0:24:53 > 0:24:55and look for a year.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Look at that whole section of nutmeg graters or Vesta cases.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01The key word when collecting treen
0:25:01 > 0:25:04is the patina, the colour of a piece.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06That's really what buyers of this kind of thing are looking for.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Serious collectors are a special breed.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17We tracked down a few to get their take on the art of collecting.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Douglas came to our Stroud valuation day in 2009
0:25:21 > 0:25:24with a beautiful print and an extraordinary story.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Doug, I'm a big fan of Paul Nash.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Tell me how you came by this Shell poster.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Many years ago, in the late 1970s,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36we were on holiday with some ruralists, Graham Ovenden and so on.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38And he brought a friend along.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43And this friend went into the sea. A bit daft, cos it's a very dangerous coastline.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48And my wife looked out and said, "This guy is in trouble. He's drowning!"
0:25:48 > 0:25:51So we clambered over the rocks, the tide was coming in.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55I held on to his legs, and he grabbed this guy by the hair
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- and we both pulled him out.- Wow.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02This poster came from him as a thank you present for having
0:26:02 > 0:26:04rescued him from drowning.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07And to me, it was a great joy.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11What can I say? Paul Nash was a war artist in the First World War.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13He worked for the Air Ministry in the Second World War.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16He was a great advocate of British Modernism.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21He really pioneered the surrealist thing in the 1920s. Pushed it to the forefront.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23- Yep.- It's rather a large furnishing picture.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25I could see this in a big studio.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Right. That's why we're going to sell it, cos our sitting room wall is too small for it.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34- If we put this into auction, I'd like to put it in at £1,000 to £1,500.- Right.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Lot 312 is the Paul Nash.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40900. 920 there.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45940. At 940. 960, if you like. 960.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46- Getting there.- 980.
0:26:46 > 0:26:491,000 and 50 now. Sure now.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51At 1,000.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55He sold it at 1,000. We got it just at the bottom end.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- That's all right.- We're happy. - Absolutely fine. Absolutely fine.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02It was a success for me. It was a telephone bid. Obviously a collector
0:27:02 > 0:27:05who'd seen it on the internet and wanted it.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10So with the cash, Douglas was on the hunt for smaller Paul Nash works.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14I keep a lookout all the time for stuff to do with Paul Nash.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17But it's hard to come by these days.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21What I've focused on is getting graphic work of his.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Limited edition books, limited edition pamphlets and so on
0:27:24 > 0:27:27which contain his work, contain his writing.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32The money we earned from "Flog It!" went partly towards getting this.
0:27:32 > 0:27:38In its time, this must have been absolutely extraordinary,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40because it was before abstract art,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44it was before people painted canvases black and white.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46It's really unlike most of his work,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48which is surrealist in places
0:27:48 > 0:27:50but also representational.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55So he obviously just took out the feeling of Genesis,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58the feeling of what he read
0:27:58 > 0:28:02and then translated it into very, very simple, powerful images.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06It's one of the most extraordinary books ever published, I think, by an artist.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Certainly in that era.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Now, that's a truly passionate collector for you,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15trading in one piece to expand the overall collection.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21That's it for today's show. I hope we've given you some food for thought.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Join me again soon for more inside information and surprising sales.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27But until then, it's goodbye.