0:00:04 > 0:00:08Over the years on Flog It!, we've seen thousands of items.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11And we're always going on about condition. It's so important.
0:00:11 > 0:00:17Things that have been looked after, unrestored and look good for their age, tend to be more valuable.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22It's also fair to assume that items of beauty are more likely to find a willing buyer.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26But, in both cases, it's not necessarily so.
0:00:52 > 0:00:59Today, we're lifting the lid on what difference the appearance of an object can make to its value.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Coming up, we find out where chips and cracks matter.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05- It is in a bit of a state, isn't it? - I know.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08- Was it like that when your husband got it?- It was.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Which is why he was heading for the skip with it.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13I think so.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17And when buyers will still stump up the cash even when something is badly damaged.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22- 800 I'm bid, please.- Yes.- 820. - Come on. We want more.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27And our experts give us their best tips for antiques with a chequered past.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30There's a difference between "damage" and "wrecked".
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Now, picture the scene. A busy Flog It! valuation day
0:01:38 > 0:01:43and a visitor at the head of the queue begins to unwrap their item.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48Our experts' hearts beat faster and faster as the protective layers
0:01:48 > 0:01:51reveal what looks like a work of art in perfect condition.
0:01:55 > 0:02:01But, after closer inspection, it's cracked, damaged or, even worse, a complete fake.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06It's something that happens a great deal of the time, as our experts on the ground can testify.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11You've got a chip out of the glaze there. And a five-line star crack coming from the centre.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14One, of course, is completely smashed to pieces.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17One has a massive chunk out of it and it's been re-glued.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19So you have been warned on these.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22There are two main times when one can
0:02:22 > 0:02:24ignore damage with a clear conscience.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29One of them is if it's such a rare opportunity to buy something
0:02:29 > 0:02:33and it's very unlikely you would find a more perfect example anywhere else.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Of course, the other time is when your pocket is not deep enough
0:02:37 > 0:02:40to be able to afford one that isn't damaged.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Collectors often start by buying cheaply things which are damaged
0:02:44 > 0:02:46just to have an example in their collections.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Personally, my way of looking at it is,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53anything pre-18th century, it's fine.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58If it's damaged, you can forgive that. Post, ignore.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Gosh, that's tricky. I'm an 18th-century teapot collector.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04I ignore damage all the time. I can't afford teapots that have lids.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08So I've got about 20 or 30 teapots and about two lids between them.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12So that's when I ignore damage personally. When you can't live without it.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Where did you get this pocket watch?
0:03:14 > 0:03:17It's been in the family a very long time.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Great-great-great-great-grandad, that's all I know.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24'I remember the very early days, years ago on the Isle of Wight,'
0:03:24 > 0:03:29the most fantastic watch or part of the most fantastic watch came in.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32A superb enamelled case.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37And it was something that I was more used to seeing from my previous life at Sotheby's.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40It's a familiar thing to me at the top end of the market
0:03:40 > 0:03:44but it's not something you expect to see on a Flog It! valuation day.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46I was quite taken aback.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51If you look at the outer case, the shagrine case, and this gilt metal outer case,
0:03:51 > 0:03:55they're from about 1760-1765, they're English.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59So, that's absolutely right with your idea of date.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03But the treat is when we turn it over, the back of the case,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05these wonderful rich coloured enamels.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- And this is actually French enamel. - Is it?- It's the Blois school.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14And that flourished from 1660 up until about 1680.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18Gosh! So it's really old. It's really old. It's 300 years old.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22To see an English movement in a French case is uncommon.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27But it's this whole thing of something being of superb quality,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29a fragment being reused.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32This has got into the hands of a London watchmaker,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36probably in the 1750s, and it's such a wonderful case
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- that he's made a movement that fits into it.- Oh, wow!
0:04:39 > 0:04:44If we open it up, we can see that it's signed Samuel North, London.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I don't know his dates but, from the style of the watch
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and the fact that it's a verge escapement,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52it can be dated to about 1740-1750.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57The major problem is that the case has had a few chunks taken out of it
0:04:57 > 0:05:01when, I suppose, someone was wearing it in the 18th century.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03It's incredibly fragile.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07The damage to the watch case was basically at the bottom of the case.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11It's obvious to me that it fell on the floor and just got damaged.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14And the enamel flakes off and there's nothing you can do.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18But it's a testament to the rarity of the thing in the first place
0:05:18 > 0:05:21that when that did happen it was still treasured and kept.
0:05:21 > 0:05:27It's a bit of a mismatch in terms of style and of how it's put together.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29That makes it interesting from my point of view.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33The fact that the movement was later and it was a fragment
0:05:33 > 0:05:36made an enormous difference to the valuation.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40It was mentioned about £400 about two years ago.
0:05:40 > 0:05:46- I think you could pop it into auction at £400 to £600, if that meets with your approval.- Yeah.
0:05:46 > 0:05:52If that had had its original movement in it and its perfect case and its perfect enamel cover as well,
0:05:52 > 0:05:58I didn't tell the vendor on the day, but it would have been in the region of £30-50,000.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Good luck, everybody. This is it.
0:06:00 > 0:06:031,000. Yes. 1,100.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- Yes.- 1,200. 1,300.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- No idea.- 1,300 we're selling to the white phone.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12At £1,300. All done in the room at 1,300.
0:06:12 > 0:06:19- Yes, it's gone. That's more like it. £1,300.- Thank you very much. Gosh!
0:06:19 > 0:06:23There's a whole movement now that perfection is what's sought after.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Once it's lovely to have a perfect object, it always is,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30you shouldn't dismiss something because it's damaged.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Quite the reverse. It's more affordable.
0:06:32 > 0:06:39I think the damaged market is neglected except by the poor and the academic.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42And being both I give it my full concentration.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46So the watch's rarity and beauty outshone its imperfections.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50But it can be harder to disguise broken ceramics.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55Phil was excited when he spotted a special piece of Worcester porcelain back in 2005.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57But there were problems.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00It's marvellous. I'm from Worcester.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- Yes.- And so is this. There are Worcester porcelain artists
0:07:03 > 0:07:06and there are Worcester porcelain artists.
0:07:06 > 0:07:12And one of the top three, in my view,
0:07:12 > 0:07:17is a man called CHC Baldwin. Charles Henry Clifford Baldwin.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21He specialised in painting swans on this powder-blue background.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25And this single swallow, a Charlie Baldwin trademark, on the back.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28There are lots of painters in the 20th century,
0:07:28 > 0:07:32English porcelain painters, who produced a scene.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36But no-one painted swans like Charlie Baldwin.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41I do admire it now. I can see the beauty, the exquisite workmanship.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45But I think it deserves an appreciative home.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47You see that little lug just there?
0:07:47 > 0:07:51It's missing on this side. That's our first bit of damage.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56The second bit of damage is we've got this lovely protrusion just here.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00- On this side, it's come off. - A tiny little bit.- It's tiny.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Condition is everything for porcelain.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07One of the things we almost got away with that Charlie Baldwin vase
0:08:07 > 0:08:12is that the little nibbles on it could be restored in almost an acceptable way.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16It's not as though there was a great big crack right across the swans.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18So, I think, it was damaged.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23It wouldn't be overly expensive to put it right. Perhaps 3 or £400.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27But Charlie Baldwin, I think he was just the best.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32At £3,900 in the room. At £3,900.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37£3,900. That is a classic Flog It! moment.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39No one painted swans like Charlie Baldwin.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41He was the best.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Remember that name. Luckily, this artist is so much in demand
0:08:45 > 0:08:48that the damage didn't detract from the vase's value.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52But there's nothing subtle about the damage to this lovely charger.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57- Nice to see you coming along with this great big plate in several pieces.- I know.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02In Cheltenham, I took in a great big maiolica charger that was very badly damaged.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05I took it in because I thought it could show people that,
0:09:05 > 0:09:10just because things were damaged, it didn't necessarily mean they were worthless.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13- You're spoiling us here. - I am.- Where did you get it from?
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Actually, it was given to my husband.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20There was a pub opposite that was being demolished. This was going to go in the skip.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25Damage is never acceptable. Damage is acceptable on certain wares
0:09:25 > 0:09:28that are know to be quite brittle and subject to damage anyway.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33Such as this maiolica and majolica, they're tin-glazed or lead-glazed earthenwares.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37They're brittle, they easily break, and chips come off them.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41That's another reason why I still took this charger in because
0:09:41 > 0:09:46you expect to see majolica and maiolica with an element of damage on it.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50If it's perfect, it arouses suspicion because you think,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54"How could it have survived 100 years, 200 years with no damage at all?
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- It is in a bit of a state, isn't it? - I know, yes.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- Was it like that when your husband got it?- It was.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- Which is why, I guess, he was heading for the skip with it.- I think so.
0:10:04 > 0:10:10It looks to us 19th-century Italian. A type of maiolica, tin-glazed earthenware.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Some know it as Delftware.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14We've got a signature, M Rodriguez.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19And we've got this sort of Baroque-style earlier period.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Today's restoration techniques are amazing.
0:10:22 > 0:10:28Cutting-edge technology. They can mend anything and make it look like it's never been damaged before.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32So the right restorer could have made that charger look wonderful.
0:10:32 > 0:10:38Only trouble is, it would've cost hundreds of pounds, which is more than the final value of the item.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42There we go. Bid me for that lot. Start me off. Bid me £100 to start.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Bid me 100. Bid me 50.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46'I thought it was a lovely thing.'
0:10:46 > 0:10:48I thought it was quite decorative.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52But there's a difference between "damage" and "wrecked".
0:10:52 > 0:10:56And this was properly wrecked. It really had been through the mill.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01And there comes a point when acceptable restoration...
0:11:01 > 0:11:05There's a massive difference between that and complete renewal.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Any more? The maiden bid will take it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12At £50. And it's done and sold at £50 and away.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- No reserve. - No reserve, that's fine.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17We had one bid and it was £50 and that was it.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21I was surprised. I thought it might do better than that.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26But there's no doubt its condition really was the all-prevailing factor.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31No kidding. Sometimes, the cost of restoration is just too much.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35But even if an item is badly damaged, don't throw it away
0:11:35 > 0:11:38without getting an expert's opinion.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Judith, you've brought this monstrosity in to show us.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Before we have a proper look at it,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45can you give us any information about it yourself?
0:11:45 > 0:11:50Yes, I bought it in Tamlyns Auction House
0:11:50 > 0:11:54in Bridgwater about five years ago.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56I paid about £25 or £28, I'm not sure.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Do you know, I look back very fondly at Weston-super-Mare
0:12:00 > 0:12:04when that lady brought in that rather sort of deformed
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Clanger-looking lamp by Guy Sydenham.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10- 'Terrible condition.' - I bought it because it's quirky.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13It's certainly quirky, isn't it?
0:12:13 > 0:12:16But did they know exactly what it was?
0:12:16 > 0:12:19I don't think so. I honestly don't know.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21It was tucked in the corner and nobody looked at it.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25It was tucked right away. It was only me and a lad that was bidding for it.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Fortunately, I knew exactly what it was
0:12:28 > 0:12:33because I worked for a large London auction house a few years before
0:12:33 > 0:12:37and we'd sold one exactly the same with a bright colour.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40And I knew they were worth a lot of money.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43And, of course, it's Poole Pottery designed by Guy Sydenham.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47We've got this lovely little brochure of him making one of these.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50I believe he only made a handful, is that right?
0:12:50 > 0:12:53As far as I know, he only made four.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57So it's quite a rare object as well as being quite a funky shape.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00We have got some problems with it, haven't we?
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Oh, yes. It was broken when I bought it.
0:13:03 > 0:13:09'Absolutely shocking. It was cracked through the middle. There were several bits of restoration.'
0:13:09 > 0:13:12'There was some glaze flaking and losses.'
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Some of the little nodules had come off.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19But you have to remember he made a handful of these.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24You know. So, of their type, they are very rare.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28I contacted Guy Sydenham, the actual potter. He offered to restore it for me.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32But, because of family problems, I couldn't get over to see him.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- And it's been in the cupboard ever since.- Ever since.- Yeah.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Guy Sydenham was a very interesting designer.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42He worked for Poole Pottery in the '60s and '70s.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47And produced these wonderfully bizarre creations.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51I'm not sure about it. I think Mark's right with his price.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54A price difficult to determine because of the extensive damage.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59It is an unknown quantity. Yes, we've asked on the condition of this
0:13:59 > 0:14:04to have the reserve reduced to have a sensible price which we believe this will be sold.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09The auctioneer called you and said, "I don't think it's going to do it. Let's make it £100 to £200."
0:14:09 > 0:14:11That must have disappointed you.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16- It did a bit. But, on the other hand, I don't feel too bad.- OK.
0:14:16 > 0:14:22I was also surprised when Paul mentioned to the vendor that the auctioneer had been in touch.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25They'd tried to reduce the estimate to 100 to 200
0:14:25 > 0:14:28but they'd settled on a happy medium of 2 to 3.
0:14:28 > 0:14:33Not surprising, I suppose, when it was bought at the same salesroom a few years before for 28.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38I had every confidence it was going to make my estimate and more.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39We'll go slowly. 120.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42120. All done with then? 200.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45300. 400. 500.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- Keep going.- 600.- Yep. - 700 bid on the phone.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52- 800 I'm bid.- Yes.- Yes, a late bidder.- Fresh bidder. 900.
0:14:52 > 0:14:551,000 now, sir. 1,100. Phone's out?
0:14:55 > 0:14:58At £1,200.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01£1,200. Hasn't gone down. How about that?
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Wonderful.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07I wasn't at least surprised when it rocketed past
0:15:07 > 0:15:12even my modest estimate of 3 to 500 to sell for what it did.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Because there's a handful of these known.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17And if you're a collector and you want one,
0:15:17 > 0:15:22you either have one damaged or you don't have one at all.
0:15:22 > 0:15:28While the condition is of paramount importance, most of our experts agree that, if you love something,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32it's OK to buy an antique that's less than perfect.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37I found in a house clearing in Worcestershire the most beautiful Delftware 17th-century cat.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40He was wonderful but he was missing an ear.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44It didn't seem to matter because he went on to sell for 52,000.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46He was rather lovely.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50The main thing is, if you're going to buy something that's broken,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52do it with your eyes open.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Here's a tip and please, please, do remember this.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00Don't be frightened to look at things you want to buy. Turn them upside down, pull the drawers out.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Look at the construction. Look at things with a magnifying glass.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06And, also, if it's dark, shine a torch on them.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Always ask about damage or restoration as sellers
0:16:10 > 0:16:13may not volunteer details they'd rather you didn't spot.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18If there is damage and you still love it, try and strike a bargain.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28The most musical of Flog It! regulars is, without doubt, Adam Partridge.
0:16:28 > 0:16:34If an instrument comes in to one of our valuation days, it usually has his name on it.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Adam admires the beauty of the music and the aesthetic design
0:16:37 > 0:16:40of the instruments themselves.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43And it breaks his heart to see them abandoned, broken and unloved.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Today, we're taking him to see a man after his own heart.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56- Hello, Adam.- How do you do? Thanks for inviting me.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00I'm glad I got directions. It's a great spot, isn't it?
0:17:00 > 0:17:04The first thing I noticed was the smell. Takes me back to being 10 years old.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Michael, this is where all the magic happens. How long have you been doing this?
0:17:08 > 0:17:13Well, I started taking instruments apart when I was aged about 11.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18I used to enjoy taking it apart, cleaning it and putting it back together more than playing it.
0:17:18 > 0:17:24I was the opposite. I was better at playing it. When it came to anything practical, I was useless.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27If I took one apart, it would never get back together.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31My grandad was an amateur restorer of violins.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35It's in my family. Both parents were professional violinists.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Are you using traditional methods?
0:17:37 > 0:17:41I use the methods of Antonio Stradivari, which means no electricity.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45How did you learn? You're not self-taught. You must have had formal training.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49I was self-taught to a degree. Then, at the back end of the '90s,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- I decided to get some formal training.- Yeah.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56- So now I'm qualified to work on Stradivari violins.- OK.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01- While we're standing here talking, we could be doing a bit of work. Shall we crack on?- If you think so.
0:18:01 > 0:18:07I need serious direction. My wife won't even let me hold a paintbrush in the house.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Let alone hand tools and stuff like that.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13If you make mistakes, it's because of the quality of the teaching.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- OK. That's very kind of you to say so.- OK, so...
0:18:16 > 0:18:19All we're doing, these holes are too big on the instrument.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24Peg goes in, gets turned and slowly the hole gets bigger.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28What we have to do is close the hole and then re-drill.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31This is a tricky one for you because it's your business
0:18:31 > 0:18:34but would you advocate restoration prior to sale?
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Always. Yeah. I always give an example, it's like a car.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41if it isn't fully MOT'd and it hasn't got four good tyres,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44somebody's going to knock you down on price.
0:18:44 > 0:18:50OK. But what if the cost of getting the car roadworthy outweighs the final value of the car?
0:18:50 > 0:18:55- You've got to weigh that up.- If they came in with a £100 German violin
0:18:55 > 0:18:57and it needed 300 quid's worth of work on it?
0:18:57 > 0:19:02- There's no point.- Unless it was sentimental. Not for resale.- Yeah.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05- There you go. - Your turn.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Well, that looks simple.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Let me show you how it's done.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13BOTH LAUGH
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Then you're going to turn it clockwise. But don't force it.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21- When you turn it, feel it resisting.- Oh, yeah. - That's because it's not round.
0:19:21 > 0:19:27- Keep going?- Yeah, keep going. You're not forcing it.- There's less resistance.- Yeah. Perfect.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- Bit more.- Bit more?
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Push it right the way through. Give it a little turn. Brilliant.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- can you feel it biting? - I can.- OK.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37- That'll be good for 300 years. - Will it?
0:19:37 > 0:19:44The next step will be to trim them back and then pare it back with a chisel, then re-drill the hole.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Obviously, this time we'll drill it smaller.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- Then we'll cut it down.- That will be cut down to go through there.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55We trim that end, polish it and dome it. That's a sign of a quality job.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Look at the other end of the peg and see if it's polished.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02I hope I've done a decent job and you won't call me back to do it again.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04I'll leave this with you.
0:20:04 > 0:20:10What I'd like to do is see you in action making a real Michael Phoenix violin.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14OK. If we set off now and go to Bluecoats in Liverpool,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16we'll have a look at how to make a violin.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18- Great stuff. - OK, let's go then.
0:20:18 > 0:20:25MUSIC: "The Lark Ascending" by Ralph Vaughan Williams
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Make yourself at home.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29Wow!
0:20:29 > 0:20:31This is one you're making at the moment?
0:20:31 > 0:20:33This one is for my eldest son.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37- OK.- So, don't worry if there's any mistakes made.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41- It's not like it's important.- If it was a customer, we couldn't do it.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45- When I'm making an instrument, I'm going for perfection.- Yeah.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48- And so it's slow when you're making it.- How slow?
0:20:48 > 0:20:51250 hours, then another 250 hours
0:20:51 > 0:20:56for varnish but over a period of six to nine months because there's drying time.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00If I was interested in purchasing one, how much would I be looking at?
0:21:00 > 0:21:05Don't do me a favour. How much would the public be looking at to buy a violin? What's the range?
0:21:05 > 0:21:09You'd be looking at around about £8,000.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Do people come and order bespoke and say, "I want one like this"?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- It's all by commission, yeah. - OK.- Yeah.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Michael's so passionate about using the same method as Stradivarius
0:21:19 > 0:21:23that he even crafts his violins by candlelight.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28So, do you find there are benefits of using candlelight?
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Or is it just your aspirations to be as close to Stradivarius as possible?
0:21:32 > 0:21:34There's practical reasons for it.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39When you use natural daylight, the light seems to spread all over the instrument.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Makes the instrument look very flat.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45- When you use a candle, it's just one single source of light.- Oh, gosh.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50- And it picks up every bump. - Yeah, things I hadn't noticed at all.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Sandpaper tears the fibres of the wood. What we use is,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- we use a scraper and that works like a plane.- Yeah.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01- It actually cuts the wood. If I do on this side.- Yeah.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04It looks like dust but it's actually very fine shavings.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08- I see. It's coming good. - It's got to be blended out now.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10No pressure. I'm not taking my eyes off you.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13- Oh! What are you doing? No, go on, carry on.- How are we looking?
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Probably just a little bit on this side.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17- On that edge? - Yeah.- OK, boss.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Adam's done well so far. But Michael feels safer with the lights on
0:22:21 > 0:22:24as they get started on the inside of the violin.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29What we're going to do is pretend this is a field and you're just going to plough it.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32We start on this inside line, which is six millimetres.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41For a man of your calibre, no problem, Adam.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42ADAM LAUGHS
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- Want have a go? - Yeah, go on then.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Just take it easy. Get the angle right.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52That's it. Go on. Bit deeper.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56That's it. That's better. Now you're getting it.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00- Use that one.- You're having a laugh. - No. Go on. That'll be better.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03- Yeah. - This is your son's violin?
0:23:03 > 0:23:06- No, it's OK. Just don't go deep. - Give it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09As long as you've got the angle right, you're OK.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11That's it. Go on.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Oh! That's all right.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16I'm actually really enjoying myself.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- It's as you get nearer to the front. - When the skill comes.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Then you'll have to use the small planes.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Here's the smallest plane that we use.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31- Have a go with that. It's a little baby plane.- Ah! A little baby plane.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Perhaps I'd have been a better maker than a player after all.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39- I hope your son is pleased with the final result of the violin. - I'm sure he will be.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Just to remind him that you were involved in the making of this instrument.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- You've not done a special label? Oh, my goodness. - I've done a special label.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51OK. My top tips for old violins.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56Don't be put off if there's no strings on it and it looks in a general state of disrepair.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59You could bring it somewhere like this and get it sorted out.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Whatever you do, please don't try and mend it yourself.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08I've seen so many people have a go and ruin perfectly decent instruments
0:24:08 > 0:24:10by using basic products from hardware shops.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13They need to be seen by a specialist.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15VIOLIN PLAYS
0:24:21 > 0:24:25- I'm not in form.- Ah, very, very good. - Need to practise more.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28I always suspected Adam had hidden talent.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32It's not only violins that need special attention if they're damaged.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34It's always worth getting an expert's opinion
0:24:34 > 0:24:38if you have a musical instrument that's been neglected.
0:24:41 > 0:24:47Like you, I want to know more about how an object can change the life of its owner and their family.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51So we caught up with some past successful Flog It! owners.
0:24:51 > 0:24:57Sandra, I really became quite excited when I saw these two wonderful tiles.
0:24:57 > 0:25:03I always say to people to look for items in good condition.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07But there are occasions when items which are not perfect
0:25:07 > 0:25:10will make high prices in the saleroom.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14And one such item was a pair of De Morgan tiles.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19I found them in the late '60s up in Scotland where I used to live.
0:25:19 > 0:25:25My sister and I... There used to be a lot of burned-down Victorian villas.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28And we just found them lying on the ground.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32They were so beautiful that I had to bring them home.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37De Morgan was one of the most prestigious designers in the Arts and Crafts movement,
0:25:37 > 0:25:43who specialised in stained glass and the manufacture of these wonderful, wonderful tiles.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48Now when you think of the function of tiles, they are to decorate a wall.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53To get them out, by necessity, you have to wrench them out.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57So it's difficult to get these things in perfect condition.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01The condition isn't wonderful.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05We have some damage here and here.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Someone has tried to do a wee bit of restoration. Was that yourself?
0:26:09 > 0:26:12- It might have been my mother. - It might have been your mum.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17- And we have some damage here and this is quite a big chip.- Yes.
0:26:17 > 0:26:23I would date these tiles from about 1890 to late 1900s.
0:26:23 > 0:26:29If we look on the back, we can see the back stamp, which is an embossed back stamp.
0:26:29 > 0:26:35And we have W De Morgan and Sands End Pottery.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40I would estimate these tiles, to be sold as a pair,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44- between 2 and £300. - Oh, good grief.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Why do you want to sell them now?
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Unfortunately, I need a new chainsaw.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52- You need a new chainsaw? - Yeah, for the garden.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Well, I desperately needed a chainsaw because, as you can see,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58I've got lots of trees around here.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Whilst I can get a man to cut them down, he won't take them away.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06So, as I have a coal fire, I put the wood on that.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10So I chop the wood up myself.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12And 330 now. 330 again showing.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15The De Morgan ties there for you.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19- 460. 480. - Wow.- They love it.- 500.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21And 50. At 550 I'm bid.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25No, thank you for your help. At 550, original bidder still.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28At £550.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- This is actually the fun part. - 'Yes.'
0:27:31 > 0:27:35- That is wonderful. - £550.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42- Oh!- Not only can you get the chainsaw,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46you can get the safety goggles, the helmet, the boots, everything.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48A new garden possibly.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52They were the Rolls-Royce of tiles.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55They fetched 550, which I wasn't expecting.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59She was astonished when the tiles made 550.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02And because I loved my tiles so much,
0:28:02 > 0:28:07when I was at the William De Morgan Centre, I bought these replicas.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10They aren't replicas of the ones I sold
0:28:10 > 0:28:14but they're still that beautiful blue colour.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19What a great reminder for action woman Sandra when she's sitting beside her blazing fire.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23Maybe you've got a few ideas yourself from today's programme.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28Do join me again next time for more memorable moments and top tips from the team.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30But, until then, it's goodbye.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd