0:00:02 > 0:00:05The great thing for me about Flog It!
0:00:05 > 0:00:07is there is no limit to what I can learn,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09and I hope to what you can pick up, too.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Amongst the thousands of antiques and collectibles
0:00:12 > 0:00:15we have valued over the last 11 years,
0:00:15 > 0:00:16there's always something
0:00:16 > 0:00:20that pops up that is completely new to me or to our experts.
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Riiight!
0:00:21 > 0:00:24This is the strangest item I've ever had to value.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Thank you, thank you for bringing these in.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30So, today, we are going to be taking a closer look at the rare
0:00:30 > 0:00:31and different things,
0:00:31 > 0:00:35or sometimes the just plain baffling things.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04This programme is dedicated to all the weird
0:01:04 > 0:01:07and wonderful things you no longer want in your homes.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10We'll be giving you the inside track on what is worth buying
0:01:10 > 0:01:13and what is worth selling - although sometimes,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15quite frankly, we are stumped.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20Really, the unusual now
0:01:20 > 0:01:23is what everybody wants.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25People want things that no-one else has.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Our experts share their thoughts about some of the wackier
0:01:28 > 0:01:31collectibles we have seen on Flog It!.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33I mean, they have got to be worth £100,
0:01:33 > 0:01:35£200 just for the novelty value, haven't they?
0:01:35 > 0:01:38They have got to be worth that all day long, surely.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41And the experts get it wrong.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45It's when it starts to spiral
0:01:45 > 0:01:47out of control and it gets higher
0:01:47 > 0:01:49and higher and higher and you think,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52"Oh, no, what have I done?"
0:01:52 > 0:01:56So here are some tips from our experts about why you should think outside the box.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00The market for quirky things is probably better now than it's ever been.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02If you don't know what it is,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05it's likely they don't know what it is
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and you can spend that time researching it, and that's the fun.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Think creatively about the object.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Don't take it just at face value.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Think of its potential in another context.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18There's no doubt these are conversational pieces,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21so I have dried-out sea horses,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24stuffed tortoise, a warthog's head.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Buy it if you can.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33So here are some of our very best finds
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and what you can learn from them.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43In Edinburgh, in 2006, I was presented with something that,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46at first glance, looked like a kid's toy.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Can you guess what it is? It has got form, it has got sculptural form.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Take a closer look.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54You can just make out. It's an elephant, isn't it, Bill?
0:02:54 > 0:02:58- Yes.- That's exactly what it is. Are you a modernist?
0:02:58 > 0:03:02- No, I'm a bit old-fashioned. - You are a traditionalist.- Yes.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04- You like your proper antiques. - Yes, I do.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06- Do you know what this is? - Yes, it was a promotion
0:03:06 > 0:03:11by Liam Williamson of Faith, early '70s.
0:03:11 > 0:03:17'73, yeah. This was designed by the British artist Eduardo Paolozzi.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20In fact, he is a Sir, Eduardo Paolozzi.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22It's for the Nairn Flooring Company.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- That's right.- Cushioned floor and plastic flooring.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26And I'm a floorer, as well.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29And the reps would keep their paperwork in there.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33And it's made of the same material that was used in the flooring.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35But when you look at it, for me,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38that really does sum up that
0:03:38 > 0:03:40sort of cubic block work
0:03:40 > 0:03:43of the '60s, you know, the late '60s.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47It's sort of the brutal architecture of the South Bank.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48You can see a signature there.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Just at the bottom there.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53This is number 244
0:03:53 > 0:03:56out of a limited range of 3,000,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59which is striped into the base. I think it is fantastic, I really do.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03The fact that it's limited-edition will add to the value of it.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- Right.- Have you any idea of what this is worth?
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I said to my wife, "If it's a couple of hundred pounds,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10"well, it's always something."
0:04:10 > 0:04:12It's been sitting in the attic for 31 years.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- 31 years!- Yes.- Gosh.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17It is not going to be everybody's cup of tea.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- What does the wife think? - She doesn't like it at all.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22She never has.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25I think it is quite rare. I don't know how many have survived.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28I know the Victoria and Albert Museum have one.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29That's right.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33- Um... So, it's in good company, isn't it?- Oh, it is.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35I think it's great. I really do think...
0:04:35 > 0:04:38It's one of the quirkiest things I've seen on Flog It!.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41It's definitely good, contemporary, 20th-century modern.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Let's hope - big money spent on this little elephant, Bill.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45We'll just have to wait and see.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47And big money was spent.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51That elephant stomped through its estimate on the auction day.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54We are starting the bidding at £240.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56- Oh, good!- Straight in.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58260. 280. 300.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00And the bids kept coming,
0:05:00 > 0:05:05showing how hard it is to place a value on an unusual object.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- 850.- 900. 950.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Oh, are we going to get the 1,000?
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Bidding on the other side?
0:05:12 > 0:05:14950 beside me on the telephone.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17All done at 950. At 950...
0:05:17 > 0:05:21So, Bill, God, you must be so happy, surely.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Yes, that will be for the new washing machine.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Well, it just goes to show how it is the rare
0:05:27 > 0:05:30and the quirky that often attract a premium.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33So, go for the limited edition pieces, which have rarity
0:05:33 > 0:05:38built in, or even things that you can't quite identify.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Really, the unusual now is what everybody wants.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43People want things that no-one else has.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47- Liz, you have made my day today! - Oh, good!
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Thank you, thank you for bringing these in.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53I think in Winchester, I think it was 2007,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56something so unusual came in.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00These wonderful sulphur crystals had been grown
0:06:00 > 0:06:02with these Solomonic columns and VR
0:06:02 > 0:06:05for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08I've never seen anything like them before or since, to be honest.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Where on earth did you get these from?
0:06:10 > 0:06:14They were given to a great-great-uncle of my husband's...
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- Right.- ..who was a bespoke tailor.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21And a gentleman had a suit made and he wanted another pair
0:06:21 > 0:06:24of trousers, but didn't have any money to pay for them.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26So he gave him these instead.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- So they cost the price of a pair of bespoke trousers.- Yes.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32The fact that they were a payment for a pair of trousers
0:06:32 > 0:06:38might seem odd today, but in times gone by, often debts were settled
0:06:38 > 0:06:42with objects, usually objects of high-value, usually a pocket watch
0:06:42 > 0:06:47or a piece of silver. So, you know, sulphur crystals is odd.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50But that is probably why they were accepted in the first place.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52The poor chap didn't know what they were worth and just thought
0:06:52 > 0:06:54he'd have a punt.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59- We've got the VR, and they appear to be grown sulphur crystals.- Yes.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04And I have been asking my colleagues how on earth this is done.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07And we either think it's a plaster base that has been
0:07:07 > 0:07:12carved with the initials and the Solomonic columns at the front...
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- Right.- ..that's been dipped and dipped and dipped,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16or even a piece of string
0:07:16 > 0:07:19that's been corded into shape and then dipped and dipped and dipped.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20And they have been left to grow.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24- Oh, right. - But over a very long period of time.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28And I am sure that these were made for her Golden Jubilee.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32- Yes.- Being yellow as they are. Over 100 years old. Fantastically rare.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34When you value items like this,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36you really are taking a stab in the dark.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40And this is where the whole world of antiques takes off,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43because everyone that looks at them will have a different value.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47So, again, you put them in at a figure that is sensible.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49They are rare, you will never see them again.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52So, they have got to be worth £200. Are they worth 2,000?
0:07:52 > 0:07:55You put them to an auction and you wait and see what happens.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I think we should put these into auction
0:07:58 > 0:08:00at £200 to £300.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03I think, if they don't make £200, you should have them back,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05- because they are that unusual... - Really?
0:08:05 > 0:08:07- ..And that quirky.- Uh-huh.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11One-offs. That's what antiques is about, finding these one-off things.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17These things, they are so quirky,
0:08:17 > 0:08:18I don't really know what they are worth.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21It is just a shot in the dark. You either love them or hate them.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25This is unusual, Victorian sulphur crystals.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27At £300, are you sure?
0:08:27 > 0:08:29At £300 then.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- 320. 340. 360.- Oh!
0:08:32 > 0:08:34At £340.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36£340 for the last time.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41- Oh, Liz, wonderful! - Great! Wonderful!
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Its uniqueness, its rarity...
0:08:43 > 0:08:45So very much the more unusual, the better.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48A pair like this, probably the same ones,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52sold at auction in 2009 for over £1,600.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Now, that is a bit more than the price of a pair of trousers.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58If something is truly unusual,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01then an auction room may be the best place to sell it.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03There is nothing like putting something under the hammer
0:09:03 > 0:09:05to find out what it is worth.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Valuations are not a science, they're a bit of an art,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11so it's hard for us to get them right 100% of the time.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Argh(!) It's not that heavy, but they ARE heavy.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16The one I remember most is the...
0:09:16 > 0:09:18I think my favourite lot still to this day that
0:09:18 > 0:09:19I've come across on Flog It!,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22which was the giant pair of boots at Wells Cathedral.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26I would not like to meet the guy who's wearing these in a dark alley
0:09:26 > 0:09:28at night. Have you got the BFG at home or something?
0:09:28 > 0:09:33Anything like the giant boots, which is quirky, unusual...
0:09:33 > 0:09:37You know, you get dealers who are after the unusual.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38I mean, what size are these?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40I'm only a size seven, or eight when I'm lucky,
0:09:40 > 0:09:45- and I'm feeling bigger than I am. What size are these?- 42.- Size 42.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48From memory, I think we put them in at sort of £100 to £200,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51which, I think, sounds, you know, on reflection,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54maybe a little bit cheeky. I was coming in low.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I mean, they've got to be worth £100,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58£200, just for the novelty value, haven't they?
0:09:58 > 0:10:00- Yeah.- They have got to be worth that all day long, surely.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01Here we go,
0:10:01 > 0:10:07a pair of size 42 black leather Balmoral boots.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Wonderful items. And I start away at £75. At 75.
0:10:11 > 0:10:12Do I see 80 anywhere?
0:10:12 > 0:10:15The bidding actually started at £75 on the book,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18went up to about 200, I think, on commission.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22440. 460. 480. 500.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Then someone in the room came in at 500.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28They took it up to about £900, £1,000.
0:10:28 > 0:10:311,100. 1,150.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Took it up to say 2,000, I think,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and then a fresh bidder altogether came into the fray.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- What?- 2,900.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Now, even this beggars belief.
0:10:40 > 0:10:413,000.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43And took it up to 3,500.
0:10:43 > 0:10:443,600 it is then.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Are you sure? 36.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50It's exhilarating as a valuer.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Because you are involved in some way in getting
0:10:53 > 0:10:55this great result for the contributors.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58I think it's actually the only Flog It! lot
0:10:58 > 0:11:00that I've got a round of applause,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02though I'm not quite sure what I did to deserve that.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05It was more for the item and Liz and Conrad.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10All the regulars on the Flog It! team of experts are experienced in their field,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13either as auctioneers, dealers or collectors
0:11:13 > 0:11:18and for the best part, you can arrive at one of our valuation days with anything you want
0:11:18 > 0:11:22and one of them will be able o tell you everything you need to know about it.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24But we are only human and every now and then
0:11:24 > 0:11:27you will arrive with something that catches us out.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33I love French prisoner-of-war work,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and this is a beautiful model that you have brought along to us today.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40I saw this wonderful hull which was in lovely condition,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43lovely details to it, nice figurehead, nice case.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Where did you get hold of it?
0:11:45 > 0:11:47It has been in the family for quite some time.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51It belonged to my mother's family.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Her father, apparently, was a mariner,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57and whether he actually had it purchased and made, I don't know.
0:11:57 > 0:12:03During the Napoleonic War, from 1799-1815, prisoners,
0:12:03 > 0:12:07French prisoners, were kept in Britain in terrible conditions.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11And they tried to make whatever they could from items that they
0:12:11 > 0:12:13had around, perhaps bone, mutton bone,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15wood, whatever they could find,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17sometimes human hair,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20to make items that they could then sell on.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21The detail is incredible.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24If you look very closely at the hull, you can see all
0:12:24 > 0:12:28the individual planks and where they have been pinned together.
0:12:28 > 0:12:29It's amazing!
0:12:29 > 0:12:32The real problem that I saw was with the rigging.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35The rigging was in such a bad state.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38The rigging does deteriorate and, obviously,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42as these pieces are moved from one display cabinet to the next,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44they are going to get damaged.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48I looked at that model and I thought about that and that's why I thought,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51"Right, I'm going to put a low estimate on it,"
0:12:51 > 0:12:54because I was very concerned about getting that re-rigged.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57And I know that potential buyers would look at that
0:12:57 > 0:13:01and think about how much it would cost to re-rig it properly.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03I'll put it in at £600 to £800,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06protect it with a 600 reserve, and let's hope that it makes money.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07Yeah.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Well, we are always going on about the importance of condition,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13but did that matter in this case?
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Starting here, £500.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20- And 50. 600. 650.- Good.- 700.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22750 with me. £800 now.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26It was interesting, because as the price creeps up,
0:13:26 > 0:13:31it's OK all the time it's around your sort of high estimate.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34And as it sort of goes beyond the high estimate,
0:13:34 > 0:13:35it is still sort of OK.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39800. 850. 900.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40900.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42950. 1,000.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44But in this case, it just kept going up.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46And 50. 1,100.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47It's when it starts
0:13:47 > 0:13:52to spiral out of control and it gets higher and higher and higher
0:13:52 > 0:13:56and you think, "Oh, no, what have I done?"
0:13:56 > 0:13:582,000!
0:13:58 > 0:13:59- 2.2.- 2.2.
0:13:59 > 0:14:022.4. 2.5.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- 2.6.- 2,600!- 2.7.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07And then it changes from,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11"Oh, that's wonderful," to, "Oh, no, that's really embarrassing."
0:14:11 > 0:14:15I'm lost for words. I don't know.
0:14:15 > 0:14:164,500, anyone?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Selling at £4,400...
0:14:20 > 0:14:24£4,400!
0:14:24 > 0:14:26I mean, perhaps if I had put a high estimate on,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30if I'd have put £4,000 or £3,000, nobody would have looked at it.
0:14:30 > 0:14:31It is just one of those things,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35and that's one of the reasons why we all love the auction business,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38because it is so unpredictable.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41A low estimate doesn't necessarily mean a low sale price.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Catherine was a long way out,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47but it pays never to underestimate the determination
0:14:47 > 0:14:50of a collector. Speaking of which...
0:14:50 > 0:14:55This is the strangest item I have ever had to value on Flog It!.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Can you tell me a little about it?
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I can... I am slightly undecided what it is.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Well, we believe it is a two-headed kitten,
0:15:05 > 0:15:10and it belonged to my husband's grandfather's father.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15So it was his great grandfather. But they used to sew two heads together.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20But when he took it...the skin and all the stuffing out,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22he said, no, it was just the one head.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24One head. Rather interesting.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28It has this sort of slightly freak-show element that the
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Victorians absolutely loved.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33You know, they were permanently going around circuses and fairs
0:15:33 > 0:15:36seeing the tallest man, the shortest man, the fattest man and whatever.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40So, suddenly, to get a two-headed cat
0:15:40 > 0:15:44is almost the sort of stuff of Greek mythology, isn't it?
0:15:44 > 0:15:46I have no comparable whatsoever.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49So, £50 to £200, who knows,
0:15:49 > 0:15:54but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't go up over £200.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56That is the beauty of these peculiar items,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59you never know what someone might be willing to pay.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Come now to the Victorian preserved double-headed kitten. 900.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- 900.- This is good.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05950.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07We are going to do 1,000.
0:16:07 > 0:16:101,000. At £1,000, are we all done?
0:16:10 > 0:16:13I'm going to sell it at £1,000.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14Last time. Are we all done?
0:16:14 > 0:16:16- At £1,000.- Here it goes!
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Yes! That is Flog It! for you!
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Well, they say two heads are better than one,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26and when it comes to Victorian taxidermy,
0:16:26 > 0:16:27that couldn't be more true.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37Here on Flog It!,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40we've met enough examples of taxidermy to recreate
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Noah's Ark - everything from ducks to cows' hooves
0:16:44 > 0:16:46to bison horns.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Look at the size of these buffalo horns!
0:16:52 > 0:16:55The art of preserving animals can be traced back as far
0:16:55 > 0:16:57as the ancient Egyptians.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01But the golden age of taxidermy was during the Victorian era.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03The stuffed and mounted trophies of the great hunters
0:17:03 > 0:17:05and collectors of that period
0:17:05 > 0:17:09form the basis of the Natural History Museum in London.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Taxidermy became popular among the upper classes, who displayed
0:17:13 > 0:17:18their impressive collections to show off their thirst for knowledge
0:17:18 > 0:17:20and interest in the Empire.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23You know, I have to show you these elephant feet.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Now, I have seen these used before as plant pots,
0:17:26 > 0:17:31stick and umbrella stands, or even a litter bin in a gentleman's library.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34These antique elephant feet from the Victorian era
0:17:34 > 0:17:36are on display at Tatton Park.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39And I know some people find taxidermy quite macabre
0:17:39 > 0:17:40and unsettling,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43but I quite like it, and it's making a comeback.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49The work of the great 19th century taxidermists like Peter Spicer
0:17:49 > 0:17:52and Rowland Ward is highly prized by collectors,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and their birds of prey are especially sought after.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58I am told a rare golden eagle by Peter Spicer
0:17:58 > 0:18:01might command a price of up to £20,000.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Spicer often signed his pieces on a pebble in the tableau,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09so make sure you look closely.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12But beware of fakes.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Unscrupulous dealers may replace trade labels falsely,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18attributing the work to renowned taxidermists.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21If in doubt, get a second opinion.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28Taxidermy can be prone to damage and decay, especially the older pieces.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Look out for signs of infestation.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Drooping tail feathers suggest the presence of museum beetle or
0:18:34 > 0:18:37missing fur may indicate skin mite.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40And pieces that haven't been carefully displayed
0:18:40 > 0:18:43are likely to have faded.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46So with taxidermy back in fashion,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50it pays to keep your eyes peeled when rummaging in junk shops.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52But remember, condition is key.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Strictly speaking,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01butterfly collections aren't classified as taxidermy.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04But if you are embarking on a career in collecting,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06it could be a great start.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09And we have seen some great antique collections over the years
0:19:09 > 0:19:10on Flog It!.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12These came from Singapore.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15- Did he personally collect them? - Yes, he did.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- So, running around the jungle with a net?- Yes, yes, indeed.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- My word!- Yes. - Let's just have a quick look.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Nine trays altogether.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25I've never counted them accurately,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28but I suspect there are about 300 or so there.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Unusual lot.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31£380 then.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33In the balcony, they go for ever.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Wow, yeah!
0:19:35 > 0:19:38That wasn't a bad price for such a pretty
0:19:38 > 0:19:40and unusual collection.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48So, here is what we have learned so far.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50It is always wise to hunt out oddities.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Limited editions really can attract a premium.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58And unusual one-off pieces celebrating big historical events
0:19:58 > 0:20:00are always extremely popular.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Of course, some items may not be to your taste.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05But respected names
0:20:05 > 0:20:10and celebrated manufacturers can mean big bucks in the sale room.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13So, here are some of our experts' tips
0:20:13 > 0:20:15on seeking out the quirky.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Look out for pigs, owls and elephants.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22They are always very popular and can make a lot of money.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23Don't be put off by odd things.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26If you look at something and say, "I don't know what it is,"
0:20:26 > 0:20:28that shouldn't put you off buying it.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Sooner or later, given the right advertising,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32you will find the person that knows what it is
0:20:32 > 0:20:35and therefore wants to buy it.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38I suppose you've just got to have a good eye for what is quirky
0:20:38 > 0:20:40and what is unusual and go around the fairs and make sure you
0:20:40 > 0:20:43are not just buying things that have been churned out by the million.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50Lots of you have a keen eye for a bargain or you're a canny investor.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Well, come closer, here is a tip from someone who knows.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57What I would advise people to be collecting today,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00and it's very dangerous to give people advice, really,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03as I'm sure you will appreciate, but what I am thinking
0:21:03 > 0:21:05really about here is something I think might have potential
0:21:05 > 0:21:09to grow in value. But that is not what it is all about, really, is it?
0:21:09 > 0:21:12I think what it is about is trying to find something that you like
0:21:12 > 0:21:15and you can buy as cheaply as you possibly can.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19And I think English engravings from the late 19th century through
0:21:19 > 0:21:24to the 1930s are underrated and cheap.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29And I have with me an example of an etching by a man called
0:21:29 > 0:21:34Kenneth Steele, who was a poster designer, amongst other things.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38And as a poster designer, he's very well known.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42This is original in the sense that he cut or at least he etched
0:21:42 > 0:21:45the block from which this print was taken.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48And it's signed by the artist, signed in pencil.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52This particular print, which depicts Stirling Castle,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55probably could be bought for £70 or £80.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58I'm not going to say that it is going to necessary be worth
0:21:58 > 0:22:02twice that or three times that in five years' time
0:22:02 > 0:22:04or ten years' time, but I think they are good fun.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06I love their understatement, their coolness
0:22:06 > 0:22:09and I like the fact they're cheap.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18The quirky and the unusual are all around us,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20you may have to look hard to spot them.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23But when I travelled to Oxford, I came face to face with some
0:22:23 > 0:22:25quirky stone creations.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Oxford's long and distinguished past has resulted in such
0:22:30 > 0:22:33a stunning city, with a myriad of architectural styles.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36And you can find examples from almost every period
0:22:36 > 0:22:39throughout history, dating right back to the Saxons.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42But as you wander around, everywhere you look, you are being watched.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Dragons, demons and a whole array of other mystical creatures
0:22:51 > 0:22:54and quirky characters stare out from the buildings.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55For 1,000 years, gargoyles
0:22:55 > 0:22:58and grotesques have stood guard over Oxford.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02And you can't help but admire them.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04One of the finest collections of grotesques adorns
0:23:04 > 0:23:08the walls of the University's world-famous Bodleian Library.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11But being so high up, these fantastic creations
0:23:11 > 0:23:15are constantly under attack from the weather and pollution.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18And in 2007, while doing restoration work on the roof,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21the University discovered a row of grotesques
0:23:21 > 0:23:24had crumbled away beyond recognition.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26They wanted to replace them,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29but they had no historical records to work from,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32so a competition was launched among local schools,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36asking pupils to come up with new ideas.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39There were 500 entries, from which nine were selected
0:23:39 > 0:23:41to be immortalised in stone.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44The sensitive task of translating the original drawings
0:23:44 > 0:23:48into the finished stone carvings was given to local sculptors
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Fiona and Alec Peever,
0:23:51 > 0:23:52who began by making clay models.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56And I have come to their studio to find out more.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- This is fabulous, Fiona. - Oh, thank you.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01What sort of challenges did the children's designs give you?
0:24:01 > 0:24:02Uh...
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Transferring the two-dimensional drawings into something that
0:24:06 > 0:24:08will work three dimensionally,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12and also very high up, at an angle on the building.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13Have you got some examples?
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Can I have a look at what this originally looked like?
0:24:16 > 0:24:19- Yes. Well, here are the original children's drawings.- OK.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22This is the one for Narnia.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25This is good. I was just about to ask you, what does the N stand for?
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- Aslan the lion and it's Narnia.- OK.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Once you get the depth and the relief
0:24:30 > 0:24:31and you get those dark patches,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33that does look really good, doesn't it? It creates...
0:24:33 > 0:24:36That's what gives it impact when it is on the building.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40But, also, when you are carving, you have to make sure that you
0:24:40 > 0:24:44don't have any areas where the water will settle
0:24:44 > 0:24:48- and crack the stone.- Yes, because the frost would crack it.- Yeah.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56The new designs for the Bodleian aren't strictly speaking gargoyles.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Gargoyles have a spout to gargle water from the gutters
0:25:00 > 0:25:01clear of the walls.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07These are in fact grotesques, which are purely decorative,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09but with a character of horror or humour.
0:25:11 > 0:25:12I think that is beautiful.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15So, what else was there? Show me some of these.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17This is lovely. This is three men in a boat.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18HE LAUGHS
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I think it is a really great Oxford story.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- And you've got some photographs, haven't you?- I have, yes.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- These are the clay models. - Isn't that fabulous?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Here is the...
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- Oh, I see what you have done to it. - ..the final clay model.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34That's very clever. Look at the dog's leg,
0:25:34 > 0:25:35it's just about to jump out.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39- We have also got Gimli. - From Lord Of The Rings?
0:25:39 > 0:25:40That's right, yes.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- Which is that one.- Uh-huh. - Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46And there they are.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48There they are, yeah.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53And then we have also got Thomas Bodley.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54I gave him rather sort of baggy eyes.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- Why did you do that? - Because I imagined him...
0:25:57 > 0:26:01He'd sit up reading books all night for his library.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04They are beautiful. They are absolutely beautiful.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06What do you do with these now that you have finished with them?
0:26:06 > 0:26:10- Just leave them at home? - Put them away.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12You can't do that!
0:26:12 > 0:26:16No, because they are made in just ordinary clay,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- not with the intention of firing. - Right.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23We just made them so we could measure off for the stone.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28To find out more about the actual carving of these wonderful
0:26:28 > 0:26:31grotesques, I've cornered the other half of this talented partnership,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Alec Peever, working on something of his own.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36What are you working on?
0:26:36 > 0:26:39This is a head in Portland stone.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42I am just taking off a little bit at a time,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46without taking any measurements, just discovering whatever
0:26:46 > 0:26:50is inside it, as Michelangelo is famous for saying.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53When you choose the block of stone, do you look at it from all
0:26:53 > 0:26:56angles, see if there are any fault lines running through it?
0:26:56 > 0:27:01- Yes. The thing you always have to do is to tap it.- Right.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04And if it has a ring like that, it's fine.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07If it has a dead noise, like that,
0:27:07 > 0:27:08- there is a flaw in it.- OK.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11So you don't touch it.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15And the chisels you use are the same on the grotesques as you do on this?
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Very much. These tools have not changed in 5,000 years.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21They're exactly the same tools the ancient Egyptians used,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25the Greeks and so on throughout the centuries,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29so it is an absolutely basic process.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Must be a good feeling knowing you are following in the footsteps
0:27:32 > 0:27:35of some great craftsmen that lived around Oxford.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39It's not what I went into it for, but once you...
0:27:39 > 0:27:42once you've made something and you see it go up there,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45you think, "Well, gosh, that's going to be there for hundreds
0:27:45 > 0:27:48"of years." My little boy, who is nine,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50his grandchildren will be able to say,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53"Great-great-grandfather made that."
0:27:53 > 0:27:57It is tremendous to see such continuity between the past
0:27:57 > 0:27:59and the present. And for hundreds of years to come,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02those brand-new grotesques will sit neatly
0:28:02 > 0:28:06alongside their ancient cousins on the Bodleian Library for all
0:28:06 > 0:28:07to marvel at.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10And that is a testament to the skills of Alec and Fiona
0:28:10 > 0:28:14and the people whose footsteps they followed in.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19If today's programme tells us anything,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22it is that odd often equals rare.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25And if something is rare, it could be worth a small fortune.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27So why don't you have a look around your sitting room
0:28:27 > 0:28:30at that unidentified antique object
0:28:30 > 0:28:32and bring it into one of our valuation days.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36You never know, we might be able to tell you what it is.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd