0:00:04 > 0:00:06Over the last 11 years on Flog It!
0:00:06 > 0:00:10we've helped you sell thousands of antiques and collectables
0:00:10 > 0:00:14and, over the years, we've seen a variety of astonishing things.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17It is the most amazing object.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19You have made my day.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Are we all done?
0:00:21 > 0:00:22Yes!
0:00:22 > 0:00:25But, as you know, it's not easy to put a value on all of them,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29but there are some things that are always guaranteed to find a market.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Welcome to Flog It! Trade Secrets.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Toy cars, train sets, Airfix models.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12I can speak for the rest of the chaps on Flog It!
0:01:12 > 0:01:16and say we're always delighted to see items like this being unwrapped
0:01:16 > 0:01:19at a valuation day, something to do with bringing out the child in us.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22They certainly put a smile on our faces.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26But when do they stop being fun and start to be worth serious money?
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Coming up in this programme,
0:01:30 > 0:01:34we'll be finding out why boys' toys sell so well...
0:01:34 > 0:01:38People collect what reminds them of their childhood.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Boys' toys, you know, grown-up men play with trains.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44£800!
0:01:44 > 0:01:45Yes!
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Philip Serrell explains why he's never grown up.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51On Christmas morning, 1961 or '62,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55this appeared in my Father Christmas sack.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57And I'll be having heaps of fun
0:01:57 > 0:01:59with a fab collection of vintage cars.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15We always get excited when people bring in die-cast toys to the valuation days.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Not only do they give everyone a warm glow of nostalgia,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21but they also make excellent money, as Charlie Ross found out.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25What a blaze of colour!
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Seldom have I seen so many toys that haven't been played with!
0:02:29 > 0:02:31It's a real treat.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33You've got a boxful.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35And although these are the better ones,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39- we've got some others that we couldn't get on camera.- Yes, we have.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42This fantastic collection of Dinky Toys was valued by Charlie
0:02:42 > 0:02:45at £400 to £600.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49It's one of the best Flog It! collections I've seen of Dinky Toys,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52- particularly the condition. Marvellous!- Thank you.
0:02:56 > 0:03:02A very large and a very good collection of Dinkies, some boxed.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04There is loads of interest.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09- £850...- But it sold at auction for a staggering sum.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14- Yes!- The hammer's gone down, Daniel! £1,350.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16How fantastic is that?
0:03:16 > 0:03:19That was wonderful, wasn't it, Daniel?
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Die-cast toys get their name
0:03:23 > 0:03:26from the process of injecting molten metal
0:03:26 > 0:03:30into reusable steel moulds called dies.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35They started to be made in the early 20th century by companies like Meccano,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37producers of Dinky Cars in the UK.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39The first models were basic -
0:03:39 > 0:03:43small cars or van bodies with no interior.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Matchbox toys were introduced in 1947,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50with each vehicle packed into a small box
0:03:50 > 0:03:53designed to look like those used for matches.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55These toys became so popular
0:03:55 > 0:04:00that Matchbox was widely used as a generic term for any die-cast toy,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03regardless of who the actual manufacturer was.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05The popularity of die-cast toys increased
0:04:05 > 0:04:09and more companies entered the field, including the Corgi brand,
0:04:09 > 0:04:14which appeared in the 1950s and pioneered the use of interiors.
0:04:14 > 0:04:20It soon became apparent that many die-cast vehicles were being bought by adults as collectables,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22not as toys for children.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29But in the 1980s, Dinky, Matchbox and Corgi all struggled,
0:04:29 > 0:04:34and production was either broken up or shifted overseas.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Today, a pre-war Dinky Toy bearing an advertising sign
0:04:38 > 0:04:40can make £2,000 to £3,000.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43If it has its original box, its value can double.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52If, like me, you're a big fan of form and shape,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55here's something that will set your heart racing...
0:04:58 > 0:05:01MUSIC: "Sunny Afternoon" by The Kinks
0:05:06 > 0:05:11The TD21, built from 1958 to 1963 in Coventry...
0:05:11 > 0:05:15With 120 horsepower and 2,993CC engine capacity,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18this is just one of thousands of cars
0:05:18 > 0:05:22that put the city on the road map of motoring.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25From Daimler to Hillman and Rover to Triumph,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29from the very first £100 car,
0:05:29 > 0:05:35and this beautifully hand-crafted Alvis TD21 Drophead Coupe,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Coventry built them all.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40MUSIC: "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Some engineers were sceptical of the future of the motor trade,
0:05:46 > 0:05:52but when the first Coventry Daimler emerged from the Motor Mills factory in 1886
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Britain's motoring industry was born.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59And what an industry it was, producing some of the first cars of the day.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Driven by a king, but at the cost of ten times that of a house,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04not yet by country.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08The early cars were made by master craftsmen, unique in their skills,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10pushing boundaries of design.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13One such company made my favourite car,
0:06:13 > 0:06:18and you may be surprised to know they are still making them today.
0:06:19 > 0:06:20This car's incredible,
0:06:20 > 0:06:25I'd like to sell all my antiques to buy this! I really would!
0:06:29 > 0:06:32And to tell me more about these beautiful vehicles,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36owner of Alvis, Alan Stote.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41How long would it have taken to make a car like this?
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Well, a few thousand hours, because everything was handmade.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Alvis had to make patterns to make the castings,
0:06:47 > 0:06:53they had to design everything, they had to hand-fettle everything, everything was put together by hand.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- The whole thing was crafted by hand. - I can see an ash work frame.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Well, that's the skeleton of the body skin.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02All of that would've had to have been made by the coach builder.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06We've got records showing that you could have exactly what you wanted on the car.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08It was absolutely hand-crafted.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12- What made you fall in love with the Alvis car? - I think it's the individuality.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16They were made to order. Customers could have exactly what they wanted on the car.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20The records we have, 22,000 of them, show what each car was,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23and I think that there are no two the same.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Alvis cars were made by highly skilled craftsmen.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31But as the middle classes took to motoring, demand grew
0:07:31 > 0:07:35and mass-scale production was the only option.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Production lines started to replace the craft-based skilled workforce
0:07:39 > 0:07:46and Coventry's motoring industry sped into a new age of mass production.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Throughout the '40s, '50s and '60s,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Coventry's factories provided 23% of the UK output.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57People came from all over the world to work here
0:07:57 > 0:08:01and the city benefitted, with a thriving economy.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07And like most booms, a bust was soon to follow.
0:08:07 > 0:08:12Companies like Alvis and Triumph were taken over by giants British Leyland,
0:08:12 > 0:08:17and the 1970s saw relationships between trade unions and management breaking down.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20There were many strikes and productions lines came to a halt.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Now, add that to the pressure of cheaper cars being imported from abroad
0:08:24 > 0:08:27and you can see why time was running out
0:08:27 > 0:08:30for the British car industry.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34From the 1970s onwards,
0:08:34 > 0:08:39the term "British car manufacturing" became a complicated combination of words.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44Rolls-Royce was sold to BMW, Mini was made by British Leyland,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48and when Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata in 2008,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52it seemed mass production of British cars had bitten the dust.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56But what remains of the Halcyon days of car manufacturing
0:08:56 > 0:08:59should not be resigned to the scrapheap.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03You could buy a new sports car or a mass-produced car today,
0:09:03 > 0:09:08and three years later it's depreciated by - let's say - 50% of its value.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Hopefully, in three or four years, these will go up a great deal.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15As an example, that TD21 Drophead over there...
0:09:15 > 0:09:19- The black one? - ..that sold in 1994 for £22,500.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24In 2007, we sold it for 40,000,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28and it's now for sale, five years later, at 80,000.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31It's doubled its money! Wow.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34And the car I took out on the road earlier,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36that is my favourite car, do you know that?
0:09:36 > 0:09:41I'm ever so pleased I had the honour of driving one.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44# Life in the fast lane... #
0:09:48 > 0:09:50The British motorcar was born in Coventry,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52it grew up in Coventry
0:09:52 > 0:09:55and it lives on in Coventry.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Vintage cars have a keen following among collectors
0:10:06 > 0:10:08and can sell for massive amounts of money.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11But if you don't have the funds to buy a car,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14what about buying part of one?
0:10:14 > 0:10:16A Rolls-Royce "Spirit of Ecstasy" figure
0:10:16 > 0:10:19can be bought for about £150
0:10:19 > 0:10:21and could be a good investment,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25as there are plenty of collectors of car memorabilia out there.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28And it's not just car memorabilia which is collectable.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32Here's Catherine Southon's tip on what to buy today
0:10:32 > 0:10:35which could make you money in the future.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39One of the questions that I always get asked is,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43"What's really going to make money in the future?"
0:10:43 > 0:10:46It's actually a really hard question to answer
0:10:46 > 0:10:49because we don't really know, we can't predict.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53But my feeling is that people should go out
0:10:53 > 0:10:56and start collecting Concorde memorabilia.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Because a bit like Titanic,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02it's something that could, in years to come,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04really be worth something.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08But the most important thing is when you go out to buy something,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10buy something because you love it,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13not because you think it will be worth something in the future.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Buy it because you love it, and if it makes money in the future
0:11:16 > 0:11:18that's a bonus.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Over the years, we've seen some fantastic boys' toys on Flog It!
0:11:26 > 0:11:31and Philip has a theory about why they do so well.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36I'm a great believer that men collect toys from their boyhood.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39And I think that people, it's a little bit now like...
0:11:39 > 0:11:44..perhaps men of 70 or 80 might collect Hornby train sets,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47perhaps people who are 30 or 40 might collect Star Wars figures.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52And I really do believe that people collect
0:11:52 > 0:11:55what reminds them of their childhood.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00Wow! Look at that! Isn't that absolutely stunning?
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It's a Hornby train set.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06It's quite simple, really. Hornby is Rolls-Royce.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07Princess Elizabeth...
0:12:07 > 0:12:11- When did she come to the throne? About 1951, wasn't it? - Something like that.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14So I think this is possibly late '40s, early '50s.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16It belonged to my father-in-law.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18It is the iconic model.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21It would've been massively expensive in its day.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26I seem to remember, around the time of the auction of the one that we sold,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28the original was being restored.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30So all of those things add to the value.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33How much are we going to get for it, do you think?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- I was thinking about 100, 150 maybe. - Yes. Right.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40- Well, I'm thinking more like £300 to £500.- Bloody hell!
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Easy! This is a family programme, John.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45You can't use that sort of language!
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Let's watch it go loco!
0:12:50 > 0:12:54The Hornby Train - Princess Elizabeth.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56400. 420.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58450. 480.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00500. 520. 550.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03580. 600. 620.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05650. 680.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09700. 720. 740 on the phone.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10760. 800.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13840. 860.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15880. 900.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17920. 940.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21940 bid. 960. 960 bid. 960.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25- 980. 980.- Flipping hell! - Stopped short of the four figures.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27On the phone at 980.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- GAVEL BANGS - Yes! £980!
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- Delighted.- Oh, gosh!- Well done!
0:13:34 > 0:13:39£980 - not bad for an old toy!
0:13:39 > 0:13:42The value was clearly boosted by nostalgia.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45You get these almost obsessive collectors of toys.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48And I'm pretty sure it is that connection with their childhood.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Boys' toys, you know? Grown-up men playing with trains.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54What have you brought in for us today to have a look at?
0:13:54 > 0:13:58- I've got two Battle of Britain Dinky Toys...- Yes.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00..and two Schuco motorcars.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Michael's mum had sent him in.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05As is the case with a lot of these old vintage toys,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08they end up in Mum or Dad's loft.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10And then, of course, they've got to downsize,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13they come across this box and they tell the kids -
0:14:13 > 0:14:16and this is kids who are probably 40-50 years old -
0:14:16 > 0:14:18"What am I doing with your old toys in my loft?"
0:14:18 > 0:14:24My mother's had them for ages and she more or less ordered me to sell them!
0:14:24 > 0:14:27We've got two Dinky aeroplanes here,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29obviously - by the box - Battle of Britain.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32These were produced in 1969,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36erm, shortly before Dinky were taken over by Airfix
0:14:36 > 0:14:38and the quality somewhat slumped.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40So these are still nice quality.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44You've got some nice crisp moulding and some good colours.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49And we've got the English Spitfire, obviously for the Battle of Britain,
0:14:49 > 0:14:51the most important plane that we had involved.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53And then we've got the German aeroplane,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57which I think a nice little touch is the addition...
0:14:57 > 0:15:00of the dropping bomb, which I think is a nice touch.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05I think the main draw was the German aeroplane, which still had its bomb. Now, that's important.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Any of these toys which have detachable pieces or accessories,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13as soon as they get lost it's incomplete, so the value drops considerably.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15And then at the front here,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18we've got the die-cast Schuco Micro racer,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22probably dating from the 1960s when Schuco were producing.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25And then we've got the late '50s Schuco car
0:15:25 > 0:15:27with a rather nice touch, I think, with the...
0:15:27 > 0:15:30HORN BEEPS ..little horn!
0:15:30 > 0:15:32There are certain little details
0:15:32 > 0:15:35that can make one Dinky Toy worth ten times what another one is worth.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38And it can be down to the colour of the windscreen,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42the colour of the hubcaps, the colour of the tyres.
0:15:42 > 0:15:47Similar to porcelain, where you have things made in different colours, people want to collect them all.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52In the present market, if you were going to sell them as a combined lot,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56you should be putting a figure of £60 to £80 on them at auction.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Obviously, with collectable toys,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01condition is of primary importance.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05These are in reasonable condition, but I wouldn't say they were mint.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09At the end of the day, these were produced to be toys for children.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12The best advice I can give to people is if you want to collect toys,
0:16:12 > 0:16:16buy two. Buy one to keep in the box and tuck away,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18and play with the other one.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Did the damage put the bidders off?
0:16:21 > 0:16:24They've been played with. The boxes are a little bit worn.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Mint and boxed, this is about £150, £200.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30But, you know, we're talking 60 to 80.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- It's a bit sad you have them and not play with them.- Exactly.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37463 now, the Dinky Battle of Britain Spitfire
0:16:37 > 0:16:39and various other toys.
0:16:39 > 0:16:4050, I have down there now.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Straight in. He's a bidding man. He wants them.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- £60 I have down here.- 60 bid.
0:16:45 > 0:16:4765. 70.
0:16:47 > 0:16:4975. 80.
0:16:49 > 0:16:5285. 90. 95.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54At £95, I'm bid.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58- All done at 95.- That's good. - I'm pleased.- 100.- Oh!- 110.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00120. 130.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04130. In front of me now at 130. Are you all done?
0:17:04 > 0:17:07£130. That was a surprise.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11- And how confident were you they were going to sell?- Not very!- No!
0:17:11 > 0:17:15The fact that the bomb had not been lost, I think, added to the value
0:17:15 > 0:17:19and I think that's why they sold better than I thought.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24But it's not just big-name model cars which can make big money.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27All I can tell you is that this is a super piece,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29something I would certainly love to own.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33A lovely tin plate model of an Alfa Romeo.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35I think it's a stunning piece.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39I remember this toy car particularly well
0:17:39 > 0:17:41and I remember the owner really well.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45It was my father's and I suspect he got it new.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50- He was born in 1913 and this is a 1924-25 car.- Right.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53So I suspect as a young teenager or 11, 12 year old,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- he was given it by my grandfather. - Right.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59And then I remember it as a child, being in the house.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04The owner had so many tales to tell about this toy car.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07He played with it extensively when he was a child
0:18:07 > 0:18:11and that's really why it was in such a bad condition.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It is in a very poor state, that's quite clear,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16but I actually quite like that.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21It shows that somebody's loved this and really had a great time with it.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24What I really like, as well, is some of this detail.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27- I love this simulated leather seat with...- A crinkle effect.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Exactly. That lovely crinkled, crackled finish.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33In perfect condition with its original box,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37- we'd probably be looking at a couple of thousand pounds.- Mm.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Collectors always want these to be in perfect order.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43But if we move away from toy collectors
0:18:43 > 0:18:48and think about people who might be interested in it as a charming piece, as indeed I would be,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- I think we're probably looking at about £300 to £500.- OK.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Catherine played down the car because of the condition. Was she right?
0:18:56 > 0:18:59All of a sudden, when the item came up for sale,
0:18:59 > 0:19:04all these men in their 40s suddenly came towards the rostrum
0:19:04 > 0:19:08and you could see, "Yep! This is a real boys' toy
0:19:08 > 0:19:11"and it's really getting the guys going."
0:19:11 > 0:19:14There wasn't a lady in sight, that's for sure!
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Lot 660.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20I'll start the commission bids at £800.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Is there 50 in the room?
0:19:22 > 0:19:26It's one of those moments where your jaw just drops
0:19:26 > 0:19:28and you think, "Oh..."
0:19:28 > 0:19:31And I remember this one was also on the front of a catalogue,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34so when an item's on the front of a catalogue you always think,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38"OK, I've got the valuation a little bit wrong here,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41"but it's going to do extremely well."
0:19:41 > 0:19:42At £1,100...
0:19:42 > 0:19:44And 50. Commission bidder's out.
0:19:44 > 0:19:471,200.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49And 50.
0:19:49 > 0:19:511,300. And 50.
0:19:51 > 0:19:551,400. And 50. 1,500.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59And 60. 1,600. And 50. 1,700.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01And 50. 1,800.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05And 50. 1,900. And 50.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09- Yes!- 2,000.- Duncan!- 2,100.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13- 2-2. 2-3.- Wow!
0:20:13 > 0:20:152-4.
0:20:15 > 0:20:172-5.
0:20:17 > 0:20:192-6.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24- £2,500. To the telephone at £2,500...- Wow!
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- Sold.- Wow!- £2,500!
0:20:28 > 0:20:32- I'm pleased for you.- Thank you for bringing an item like that in.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37It shows the condition doesn't count for everything in something like this.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40That car did brilliantly because of its rarity and age
0:20:40 > 0:20:44and because it was made to celebrate the launch of the Alfa Romeo P2,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46a supercar.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52There's so much to think about when buying boys' toys.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Here are my top tips...
0:20:54 > 0:20:59Collectors of old toy transport are still willing to pay good prices for the right pieces.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02This could be a great time to sell.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05If you don't want something, someone else might.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Have your old toys valued at your local auction house
0:21:08 > 0:21:10or at a Flog It! valuation day.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Poor condition doesn't have to mean a low price at auction,
0:21:14 > 0:21:15as we've seen.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19And if you have the original box, even better.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28We know lots of you Flog It! viewers are youngsters at heart,
0:21:28 > 0:21:33like Philip Serrell, who is no doubt about one of his most prized possessions.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38Without going into all the gory details about when I was born,
0:21:38 > 0:21:43in the early 1960s Corgi Toys produced this,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46which was an Ecurie Ecosse Car Transporter.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50The Ecurie Ecosse was a Scottish motor racing team that raced at Le Mans.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55This is a coach-built racing car transporter.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59It was used for transporting racing cars around the world
0:21:59 > 0:22:01and you used to drive the cars up there.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04This was something I absolutely coveted as a kid
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and, lo and behold, on Christmas morning,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11and I can't remember when, but I guess it would've been 1961 or '62,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14this appeared in my Father Christmas sack.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17I was so pleased with it and I loved it and I played with it.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19It's something that I've always kept.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25And the thing that makes it a little bit special for me, and this is down to doing TV,
0:22:25 > 0:22:31if you look very closely at this,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35you can just see there the motor racing transporter,
0:22:35 > 0:22:40and through doing television, I got to go and sit in and see the real thing
0:22:40 > 0:22:42about three years ago.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46I mean, this is really, really sad but it was a real magic moment for me
0:22:46 > 0:22:49because it was like so many boyhood, childhood memories,
0:22:49 > 0:22:51because I really wanted to be a racing driver.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Jimmy Clarke, Phil Hill and Stirling Moss,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58all these great names of that period, that was what I wanted to do.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01And to be able to go and see this,
0:23:01 > 0:23:02it was really special.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06And it all started with that.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18At most auctions, there's often one sale which takes everybody's breath away.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20Like you, I want to find out more
0:23:20 > 0:23:24about how one object can change life for its owner.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Here's one that really stands out for me.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32Sometimes, people who turn up on Flog It! have rather unexpected passions.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- Hi.- Hello! - Now, what can I say?- Well...
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Take Kenneth, for example, what would you expect him to collect?
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I'd have thought maybe motorbikes.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44# God save the queen... #
0:23:44 > 0:23:46I've got a bit of a mix -
0:23:46 > 0:23:50the Sex Pistols,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Dennis the Menace
0:23:52 > 0:23:53and Poole Pottery -
0:23:53 > 0:23:55but I like it.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Poole Pottery? It's a bit, well, unblokey!
0:24:02 > 0:24:04We first met him in 2006,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08when he brought a really weird item into a valuation day.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11My father won it in a cribbage game many moons ago.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- I inherited it when he died some years ago.- Right.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17It's a lobster claw, as you can see,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20and it's been made into a brandy flask.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23And I think it's a charming, quirky object.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26That's what I was thinking. I thought you'd like it.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28It's really bitten me, excuse the pun!
0:24:28 > 0:24:30But it's just great fun.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35- Somebody's taken what was obviously a massive lobster... - It must've been huge.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- Much wider than the table. - Oh, yes, much bigger.
0:24:38 > 0:24:39It would've made a lovely meal!
0:24:39 > 0:24:43It would've done, although I'm not a great lover of seafood.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47But I think there will be people who would find it
0:24:47 > 0:24:49a unique object, which it is.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53My dad told me years ago that it was worth a lot of money,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56but what's a lot of money? You don't know.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59I thought maybe £100, somebody would give me that.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01I don't think it's a huge value.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05- No.- I would've put maybe 70 to 100 on it.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07- That's not bad!- Not bad, is it?
0:25:07 > 0:25:12Maybe we'll keep the reserve a little bit lower than that
0:25:12 > 0:25:14to give it a fighting chance.
0:25:14 > 0:25:1650 or 60?
0:25:16 > 0:25:18- Yes, 50 quid. That's a deal. - All right, then.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23- We'll put a reserve of 50 and let's see what happens.- Right.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25So, what did happen?
0:25:25 > 0:25:27- I love it.- I do, as well. - A bit of folk art.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32- I mean, it was a huge lobster, wasn't it?- Massive lobster!
0:25:32 > 0:25:34- I hope it claws in the money!- Ahh!
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Boom-boom! This is it. Good luck, Kenneth.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Lot 37, which is an amusing lot.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44One of the highlights of the sale, this lobster-claw brandy flask.
0:25:44 > 0:25:4630. Five.
0:25:46 > 0:25:4840. Five.
0:25:48 > 0:25:5150. Five. 60. Five.
0:25:51 > 0:25:5470. No?
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Add 65, but thank you. 70. Five...
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- It's still going.- Fresh legs. Or should we say claws?!- Claws!
0:26:01 > 0:26:04..100. And ten?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06120. 130. 140. 150.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09160. 170.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11170, sir? 180.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13190. 190?
0:26:13 > 0:26:16200. And 20.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19220. 240. 260.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21260. 280? 280.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24300? 300. And 20. Fresh bidder.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26320. 340.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27340, sir?
0:26:27 > 0:26:31At £320 on the back row, going...
0:26:31 > 0:26:35- The hammer's gone down.- £320!- £320!
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Pfft! Who'd have thought it, eh?
0:26:39 > 0:26:44- Kenneth, what are you going to put that towards?- I might get a Poole pot or something.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49Sometimes it's not how much an item makes, but how you reinvest.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Pretty much every spare penny Kenneth has, he puts into Poole.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56I have quite an addiction to collecting Poole.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59I probably need help!
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Help packing it up!
0:27:01 > 0:27:05The record at auction for one piece is £13,000,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09and for a collection, 250,000.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13I think there's about 300 pieces downstairs in this room,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17there's a further 50 or 60 pieces in the bedroom
0:27:17 > 0:27:21and in the attic, the last count was 50 boxes full,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24and each box has got...
0:27:24 > 0:27:27..at least nine or ten items in it.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Erm... One day, maybe the attic will fall down.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36The Poole Pottery Factory was established in 1873
0:27:36 > 0:27:39and is still open and making ceramic-wares today.
0:27:39 > 0:27:45Over the decades, it's become known for its bright colours and bold designs.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50They did a lot of tableware and cups, saucers, eggcups, blah, blah, blah...
0:27:50 > 0:27:52How many teapots, I don't know.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56I must have at least 12 teapots and I don't even drink tea!
0:27:58 > 0:28:02I thought I'd get a logo tattooed on my leg.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06I had to get that done, really.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11That goes to show, you shouldn't always judge the collector by his cover.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19So, go on, search your home. You could be sitting on a treasure and now even know it.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23Well, that's it for today's show. I hope you've been inspired.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26And remember, never underestimate the frivolous,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28the naughty and the childish.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32If it makes you smile, it's a fair bet somebody else will want it.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36See you next time for more trade secrets.