0:00:03 > 0:00:07For well over ten years now, you've brought along thousands of objects
0:00:07 > 0:00:11to our valuation days, to put our experts through their paces.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14- I reckon 300-500.- Brilliant!
0:00:14 > 0:00:16In this series, I want to share with you
0:00:16 > 0:00:19some of the things we've learnt about those items.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Welcome to Trade Secrets.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52On today's show we'll take a whistle-stop tour around the world,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55taking a look at items that have travelled hundreds,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58even thousands of miles to reach our doors.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01We'll be seeing what gems of knowledge we can pick up en route.
0:01:03 > 0:01:09On this programme, our experts will be showing you their favourite international treasures.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11You get little palpitations in your stomach.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14"Oh, my goodness, how exciting, what a wonderful thing to see."
0:01:14 > 0:01:19And I seek out some advice on how to date Asian ceramics.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22You have to go on the object itself.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25If you want to get some world-class, top tips
0:01:25 > 0:01:29on the best of European and Oriental collectables, all will be revealed.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38For centuries we've plied our wares back and forth across
0:01:38 > 0:01:40the English Channel to Europe and the Orient.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45Traders hoping to capture something unique which cannot be found on our shores.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52For years, we've featured some wonderful well-travelled pieces
0:01:52 > 0:01:55that have hailed from all across the globe.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00I think the real key, if you're going to buy a foreign antique, is
0:02:00 > 0:02:04it's a worldwide market now, so what might be inexpensive in one country,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08might be expensive in another place and the trick is to move A to B.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13I would be aware not to follow trends.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Five years ago, Russian antiques were very popular,
0:02:16 > 0:02:17now it's Chinese antiques.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22If you get swept along with that wave, you can come a cropper, I think.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24The best thing to do is just buy items,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28irrespective of where they're from, on their quality and their rarity,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31and most importantly, whether you like them or not.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32A tip at the moment would be,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35after the Chinese market has strengthened and levelled off,
0:02:35 > 0:02:36I think the Indian market,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40the Indian subcontinent market will prove to be very strong.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43But first, let's take a look at some of the very best items that
0:02:43 > 0:02:48have appeared over the last 11 years on the show and what we can learn from them.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50British people have always enjoyed travelling
0:02:50 > 0:02:53and in the 19th century, a lot of people went to travel Europe
0:02:53 > 0:02:55on what was termed the Grand Tour,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59which gave us a real taste for Continental works of art.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01And right up to the current day,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04we Brits have had a love affair with things foreign that seem
0:03:04 > 0:03:08a little bit different and yet delectable to us.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12I remember my very first ever "Flog It!" -
0:03:12 > 0:03:15years ago, when I had hair - and that was at Bradford
0:03:15 > 0:03:19and I was quite a nervous young chap, I think, then.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Hard to believe, isn't it?
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Please, tell me, how did you come to own these fantastic things?
0:03:23 > 0:03:27The set there came from my grandparents.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32This tea set is different from most ordinary silver tea sets
0:03:32 > 0:03:36because it's by one of the most important silversmiths
0:03:36 > 0:03:39and designers of the 20th century, by Georg Jensen.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41- Is that so?- "Ge-org Yensen", as some people say.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45These are really wonderful examples of his work.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49It was 1931, very high design, ivory handles, one of those things
0:03:49 > 0:03:52when you see it you get little palpitations in your stomach.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55"Oh, my goodness, how exciting, what a wonderful thing!"
0:03:55 > 0:03:58If we look underneath, all this writing here,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01you can actually see Georg Jensen's mark there.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05They're sterling silver. That's a very nice object.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07I said to the lady, Yorkshire lady,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11"I think this is worth at least £2,000-3,000."
0:04:11 > 0:04:15She said to me, "Are you sure, dear? You look very young."
0:04:15 > 0:04:16She didn't believe me.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20I should have stuck to my guns but instead we put 800-1,200.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25- Mm...- Which is a tidy sum.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Very encouraging.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30So what happened to our callow youth's estimate when it came to auction?
0:04:32 > 0:04:36I'm going to have to start the bidding on my sheets at £1,800.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38THEY GASP
0:04:38 > 0:04:40We have 1,850 in the room. 1,900, 1,950?
0:04:40 > 0:04:43£2,000. 2,100...
0:04:43 > 0:04:462,800, 2,900. £3,000?
0:04:46 > 0:04:483,200. 3,200, may I say?
0:04:48 > 0:04:513,400, 3,600, 3,800.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53That's unbelievable.
0:04:53 > 0:04:574,400, 4,800. £5,000. 5,200.
0:04:57 > 0:04:595,200, anywhere?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02All finished then at £5,000.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- All done and finished. - Goose pimples.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Good gracious me!
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- Oh, I've gone all hot. - So have I.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12£5,000.
0:05:13 > 0:05:19It just shows, though, a good European designer name will make huge prices.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21So look out for the name, Georg Jensen
0:05:21 > 0:05:25and if you find a piece by him, don't hesitate to snap it up.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31If there's one thing the Europeans have given us antique lovers,
0:05:31 > 0:05:33it's an eye for the classical nude.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38The female nude, the male nude, is not an easy thing to do.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Ask Michelangelo himself.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43You know, you'd rather see a sculpture of a tractor
0:05:43 > 0:05:44than a bad nude.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49One that's beautifully done, and you can tell immediately across a room.
0:05:49 > 0:05:55I have fallen in love with this figure. I think it's delicious.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58What better form is there than the female nude?
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I mean, perhaps I'm just saying that and I'm slightly biased,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04but it is a perfect format
0:06:04 > 0:06:08and it's beautifully, beautifully carved.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09Where did she come from?
0:06:09 > 0:06:13- She came from a castle in France. - Really?
0:06:13 > 0:06:15- Fontainebleau.- Fontainebleau? - Not far from Paris, yeah.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17I've been to Fontainebleau.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Have you found a signature on it, have you ever looked?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22There is one somewhere, but...
0:06:24 > 0:06:25Crikey!
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- That's it.- Ah, here we are.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Caradossi.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Caradossi has a certain significance in certain areas.
0:06:33 > 0:06:39He wouldn't be... What could one say? ..not Premier Division. Division One.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Good grief, that's heavy.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Who was born in 1861.
0:06:44 > 0:06:50- I think we're talking about this figure being 1890, 1900.- Mm-hm.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- I think this figure is worth £1,000.- Right.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58I think she's lovely, delightful, and I hope she does well.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Nudes do sell well, male nudes and female nudes.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05You've only got to go to Rome or Florence, and there are more
0:07:05 > 0:07:08nudes per square inch than anywhere else in the world.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Charlie seemed confident about his valuation
0:07:10 > 0:07:13but was his hunch about nudes right?
0:07:13 > 0:07:15I think this is the best thing in the saleroom.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20- Yes, it is.- Then I would, wouldn't I?- It's the star of the show.
0:07:20 > 0:07:21We have a telephone bid.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- Telephone bid!- We've got commission bids as well
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- and we're starting at 800. - Oh!- 825.- It's gone.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32850? 850. 875? 875.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35I feel 1,000 coming on, don't you?
0:07:35 > 0:07:37At £900. 925.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41925, 950? 950 on the telephone.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43975. 1,000?
0:07:43 > 0:07:44- That's fab!- Christine will be happy.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46£1,000 I've got.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48£100 bids now.
0:07:48 > 0:07:511,100, sorry? 1,100, I've got.
0:07:51 > 0:07:531,200? £1,200, I've got.
0:07:53 > 0:07:551,300? 1,400? £1,400.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I wish she was here. I just wish she was here.
0:07:58 > 0:08:001,500. 1,600 on the telephone.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02- She'll be going to Las Vegas now. - Won't she?
0:08:02 > 0:08:06At £1,500 in the room. Sold at £1,500.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- Goodie!- Yes! Well done, Charlie. - I'm pleased with that.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- Really pleased.- What a result!
0:08:12 > 0:08:15The great thing about sculpture, and, indeed, paintings nowadays,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19you can look up immediately what the last work by a particular
0:08:19 > 0:08:23artist made and it'll give you a benchmark for the next piece.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25The signature is hugely important.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30This statue and the silver service before sold well
0:08:30 > 0:08:32because of the name and the fine workmanship,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35but it's not the only way you can measure value.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38If you want to invest in European objects,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40you may need to think out of the box.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44And Mark Stacey likes to do exactly that.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Now, as soon as I saw you holding this,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52I thought, "I've got to film it if you are interested in selling it."
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Oh, Harlow, how can I forget Harlow with that wonderful figure.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59That Austrian pottery figure, this high.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03I mean, I described it as "camp". What other word is there for it?
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Where on earth did you get it from?
0:09:05 > 0:09:08I inherited this from my grandfather,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10and it's resting itself in my house now.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15It appealed to me because it was sheer Victorian fun,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19but on a serious note, it was quality.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21You've got this wonderful plumed hat.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23There's a lovely, delicate expression on her face
0:09:23 > 0:09:27and she is holding this wonderful, oversized fan.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31I think it's a fantastically outrageous item.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35I must admit, I hadn't seen one quite as big as that before,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38or since, I have to tell you.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42I would be tempted to suggest something like £300-400.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45I think, on the day, it might prove to be a surprise. It might just fly away.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Very, very expensive to make and produce
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and I just knew there would be collectors out there for it.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57So did the kitsch Victorian lady find someone to appreciate her at auction?
0:09:58 > 0:10:02I have two commissions with me and I start the bidding at £280 with me.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06300 with Ian. £300, 320, 340,
0:10:06 > 0:10:08360, 380.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10- Yeah.- We're there.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12480, 500.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14520... 760.
0:10:14 > 0:10:15That's unbelievable!
0:10:15 > 0:10:18800... 920, 940, 960...
0:10:18 > 0:10:211,300. 1,400.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- What have we missed, Mark? - I don't know.
0:10:23 > 0:10:291,500. At £1,500, on my right now at £1,500.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Mark, that's incredible.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36I thought 300-400 was a little on the conservative side
0:10:36 > 0:10:40but it is best to tease the bidders in. But 1,500,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42you can't beat it.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47Of course, there's always been a very, very exciting market in Europe
0:10:47 > 0:10:50for ceramics, shipped all over the world,
0:10:50 > 0:10:55and a lot of it, inevitably, came over to the United Kingdom.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00We would have loved that. The Victorians loved covering every space of their drawing-room.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05When you find something like this, in good condition, it's a premium.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Great advice from Mark Stacey as he says look out for Victorian
0:11:10 > 0:11:13ceramic knick-knacks, which haven't been chipped while dusting
0:11:13 > 0:11:17and, remember, for European art, the more unusual, the better.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24At the turn of the century the trend for items with a saucy secret
0:11:24 > 0:11:27appealed to our British taste for concealment.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30And one caught the eye of our expert.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34In Winchester, towards the end of the day, I had a real treat
0:11:34 > 0:11:39because a lady brought in an absolutely fabulous bronze lamp base.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Originally, it was my nan's and then she gave it to my mum
0:11:43 > 0:11:47and then, when she died, I just took it and I don't use it.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50It's a very pretty little lamp.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54It's on a marble base and it's cast bronze, and we're helped out
0:11:54 > 0:11:58immensely by the fact that on the back of the chair,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02there's a little inscription that says "Nam Greb".
0:12:02 > 0:12:07Nam Greb is the mark of the Austrian bronze founder Bergman.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10And it's "Bergman" backwards.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14I think there was a very good reason that he used to sign them like this
0:12:14 > 0:12:17because he didn't want his name on things like this,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- which people might think, "Oh, that's peculiar."- Really?
0:12:21 > 0:12:25That's just a table lamp. There's nothing offensive about that.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Shall we share its little secret?
0:12:27 > 0:12:29One, two, three.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Oh, dear!
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Often when you get an overtly erotic scene,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38rather than just a classical female nude,
0:12:38 > 0:12:43or a nude used in a form of decorative device that's acceptable, it would be concealed.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46It's a rare, early novelty.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49- Shall we cover her modesty? - Yeah, why not.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52- SHE LAUGHS - Everyone at home's had enough of a shock.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56I think we can put this into auction and say...
0:12:56 > 0:12:59- £250 to £350.- Really?
0:13:00 > 0:13:03So were our buyers as naughty a nation
0:13:03 > 0:13:05as their Edwardian counterparts?
0:13:05 > 0:13:08I'm going to start the bidding at £500.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Yes!
0:13:10 > 0:13:12I can't believe it.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16550, 570, 600 and 20,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19650, 670. Commission bid's out.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22At £700 for the telephone and selling at £700,
0:13:22 > 0:13:23is there any more?
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Yes! £700.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- Marvellous!- Oh, you've got to be so happy with that, haven't you?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Absolutely.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36There's nothing like a great name like Bergman.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Add that to the quality and the pretty lady
0:13:38 > 0:13:40and you have a hat-trick.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45What the bronze typified was that some of the very best things
0:13:45 > 0:13:48that we see on "Flog It!" actually do come from around the world
0:13:48 > 0:13:49and particularly Europe.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56So here's what we've learnt so far.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00A well-known name and good quality workmanship always adds to value,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04so do your research, so you know what to look for.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Be on the lookout for nudes, as long as they are beautifully executed.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11And seek out the naughty or the novel. It might have the
0:14:11 > 0:14:16je ne sais quoi that will set the bidders' hearts aflutter.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20We've all got something at home,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23that one special item, that we're particularly attached to.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26But I want to know what's the one thing
0:14:26 > 0:14:29our experts would rescue from a burning building?
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Gosh, if there was a house fire, the one thing I would really save
0:14:33 > 0:14:36would be this painting here, the Moulin Rouge in Paris.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40Not of any great commercial value. It's not a rare French Impressionist
0:14:40 > 0:14:44painting worth millions of pounds, but it's the sentimental value.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47I bought this in a flea market in Paris,
0:14:47 > 0:14:52the day after a most wonderful and sumptuous evening at the Moulin Rouge.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55I was whisked away by my wife, a surprise birthday treat,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58holed up in the most wonderful Art Deco hotel
0:14:58 > 0:15:00on the Left Bank, overlooking Notre Dame,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and then picked up and taken to the Moulin Rouge that evening.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06The most incredible night. I shall never, never forget it.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10And the following day, just wandering along this fantastic flea market in Paris,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I stumbled across this painting and just had to have it.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16I like art anyway, I love the painting,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20and the memory this evokes for me makes it my most valuable treasure.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Here on "Flog It!" we have broad tastes,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32and we love it when you bring us items from as far away
0:15:32 > 0:15:35as the Far East. It's an area that's always been of interest
0:15:35 > 0:15:40to collectors. And something you've brought in for us again and again
0:15:40 > 0:15:44has been the popular Willow pattern with its tale of the Orient.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48But its origin isn't what it seems, as you're about to find out,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and we'll discover just how valuable it is today.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Of course, you know what they are.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Open salt cellars cos in the 19th century, 18th century,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01right the way back to the Elizabethan period,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03salt wasn't put in a little shaker.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05It was put in an open salt, like this.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10And if we take one out, and have a little look, these detach quite easily.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13They're like miniature bowls in their own right, aren't they?
0:16:13 > 0:16:15- They're lovely, aren't they?- Super.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Turn them over, a clear mark underneath there,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19and that is the mark for Royal Worcester.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23And that's the capital letter T, and that's the date letter for 1882.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27- The pattern in the centre, do you recognise it?- Willow pattern?
0:16:27 > 0:16:28Willow pattern, exactly.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31It's the most well-known pattern of all blue and white.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33I think they're quite sweet.
0:16:33 > 0:16:40So, I'm going to put an estimate of £50-£80 on them. Is that OK?
0:16:40 > 0:16:42That's fine.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45That might not be the highest of valuations,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47but we'll come back to see how that did at auction.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52The enduring appeal of Willow goes back to the 18th century
0:16:52 > 0:16:55when an interest in all things Oriental really hotted up.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Traders returning from the Far East brought back exotic lacquerware
0:17:00 > 0:17:04and silks adorned with pagodas, strange animals,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06and fanciful dragons.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10We'd never seen such outlandish designs before, and we were hooked.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Soon, the great and the good descended on their own designers
0:17:16 > 0:17:18to create wallpapers, furniture,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22and ceramics, which all hearkened to the mysteries of the East.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27One phrase captured this new European vogue for taking
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Chinese designs and embellishing them.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Nothing epitomises it better than the Willow pattern,
0:17:36 > 0:17:41which appears in the 1790s and depicted a tragic romance.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45A princess decided to ignore her father's demands to marry
0:17:45 > 0:17:49a nobleman of his choosing, and eloped instead with a servant.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Life was blissfully happy for them
0:17:51 > 0:17:55until her disgruntled father hunted them down and had them killed.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59They lived eternally together afterwards, as doves,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01a symbol of everlasting love.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06A charming story, but entirely fabricated.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10Some say it was probably British potter Josiah Spode
0:18:10 > 0:18:12who came up with the Willow pattern story
0:18:12 > 0:18:15as a marketing ploy to sell more plates. And it worked.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Remember, when you're looking for the Willow,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21there's a lot to choose from, as the Willow pattern has been
0:18:21 > 0:18:25made by more than 400 potters in Great Britain alone.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30So, look out for good makers, like Spode, Minton and Royal Worcester.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Look at the mark,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and you can find out who made it from reference books.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38And keep in mind, if it isn't marked, you're on shaky ground.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41It could be old or a cheap reproduction.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45So you need to be prepared to do some more research to learn
0:18:45 > 0:18:48how to tell the treasure from the trash.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54So, how did the Royal Worcester piece valued at £50-£80 do at auction?
0:18:54 > 0:18:57I think there's a lot of value here for not a lot of money.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59A nice little lot there. Who'll start me?
0:18:59 > 0:19:0270, 5. 80, then. New blood.
0:19:02 > 0:19:055, 90, 5, 100,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07110, 120,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09130, 140.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14- Wow, they love it.- 150 with me. 160, 160 in the room and the book's out.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16At 160...
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- That was so good! - Wasn't that good?- Fantastic result.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23- Fantastic.- Thank you.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29It just goes to show, even after all these years, our love affair
0:19:29 > 0:19:32with the affordable Willow pattern is still going strong.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37But if you want the real Chinese pieces, prices can be much higher.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39To the owner's astonishment,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43this pot found in the attic was valued at £2.6 million.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45So keep your eyes peeled.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49With luck like that, you could be as rich as an emperor.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58If you do want to get your feet wet buying original Chinese pieces,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00you're entering a complicated field.
0:20:00 > 0:20:07A few years ago, I was lucky enough to get some help on how to spot the real thing.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11It seems that to be a dealer or collector of Chinese antiques,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13you need to have a PhD in the subject.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Dr Tim Foster not only deals in Chinese ceramics,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19he's also a leading expert in this field.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25How did your passion for Chinese ceramics start?
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Well, it grew out of a passion for history, really.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Both sides of my family were in the business, so I grew up with it.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36And it was when I realised that you could buy a cracked 18th-century
0:20:36 > 0:20:41tea bowl that was 250-280 years old for five or £10
0:20:41 > 0:20:44and I thought, "There's a piece of history."
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- It's quite incredible, isn't it? - It is. It is.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Can you explain what the dynasties are?
0:20:49 > 0:20:52The focus on the dynasties is a bit misleading, really,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54because they span hundreds of years.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57So, the Ming Dynasty actually lasts about 300 years
0:20:57 > 0:21:01from the 14th century right through to the middle of the 17th century.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04And the most recent is the Qing Dynasty, and that ran from
0:21:04 > 0:21:07the mid 17th century, almost through to the beginning of this century.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Is it really as complicated as it seems?
0:21:10 > 0:21:11Are we walking into a minefield?
0:21:11 > 0:21:15It is a fairly complex field because the one thing
0:21:15 > 0:21:18you can't do with Chinese ceramics is rely on the marks.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21This piece shows one of the complexities of the field,
0:21:21 > 0:21:26in as much as it is marked, but it's marked with a Ming mark.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29So this says it was made 400 years before it was made.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30And the marks that you find
0:21:30 > 0:21:33on Chinese porcelain are nine times out of ten incorrect.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- They don't correspond to the item. - That's correct.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Because the Chinese have such a reverence for the past,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43it wasn't unusual for them to mark newer pieces with older dates.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48And the other factor, of course, is that the Chinese have quite
0:21:48 > 0:21:52a consistent sort of aesthetic sense, so they reproduce shapes,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54styles and patterns literally over hundreds of years.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58This is a Kangxi jar, symbolic of the coming of spring.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00300 years old.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02This is a 100-year-old reproduction.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- You can see it is a copy, can't you? - Well, I think so.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09- When they're side-by-side. - And you do see them around.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13So, you could collect this. It's 100 years old, it's hand-painted.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14And it is symbolic.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17So you can't go on the pattern or decoration,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21- you have to go on the object itself. - The texture.- That's right.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26Know your feel. What do you look for when you go and see a piece of blue and white?
0:22:26 > 0:22:31Well, the foot rim is important on any piece of ceramic.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34And on a Kangxi foot rim, it will be absolutely dense,
0:22:34 > 0:22:38very, very hard, very, very smooth. There are an awful number
0:22:38 > 0:22:40of factors that you take into consideration.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- The only way to learn about it is to handle it.- Right.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46And to know what it is that you're handling when you're handling it.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Live with it, you know, enjoy it, feel it, that's how you learn.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52- It's not marked.- Price? - Well, this is a very good vase.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55And, I suppose, again, it would depend on where you're buying it.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56But several thousand.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- Several thousand? Really?- Well, yes.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05It's 300 years old, and it's a very good quality piece.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18How would you go about starting a collection? What would you look for?
0:23:18 > 0:23:20What would your first piece be?
0:23:20 > 0:23:23I think the beauty of Chinese ceramics is that it literally
0:23:23 > 0:23:25does fit any pocket.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28You can buy a hand-painted 18th-century plate for between £10 and £20.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30- If it's damaged? - With a hairline crack in.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Damage on a piece of Chinese porcelain will knock
0:23:33 > 0:23:35between 80-90% off the value of it.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36But you can learn from them.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41You have to find a dealer who knows what they're selling.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44And then you take that home with confidence, with a written
0:23:44 > 0:23:49receipt saying that was made in 1720 or 1735, and you live with it.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Don't buy from auctions?
0:23:51 > 0:23:55You see a lot in auction that really isn't...very old.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And if you bought from a dealer, you could actually return it?
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Definitely, definitely. He'll tell you what it is.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03There are two or three in each county, so, you know,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07- it's a case of finding, asking around, and seeing who there is. - And starting up a collection.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09That's right! And you can do it for a fiver.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Because it's a very complicated market,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15this can work in your favour.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17It means lots of sellers won't know the value,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20and you might have a better chance of picking up a bargain.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22So go for it.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31So today we have seen some wonderful items that have come to
0:24:31 > 0:24:34the "Flog It!" tables from foreign climes, but there is one more
0:24:34 > 0:24:37that shows "Flog It!" has something to give back to the world.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Last year, Gaynor Connor and Sister Yvonne brought in an item
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Gaynor had squirreled away for 20 years.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50We took to "Flog It!"
0:24:50 > 0:24:52a beautiful Arts and Crafts mirror,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54a nice brass Arts and Crafts mirror.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58What we have is this hexagonal brass frame
0:24:58 > 0:25:03with these Celtic knots round the rim.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08Now this motif was particularly popular
0:25:08 > 0:25:11during the Arts and Crafts movement.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14I would say it's not the best of quality,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18but it still has that very nice Celtic knot, good motif,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22nice condition, obviously well looked after.
0:25:22 > 0:25:29I would estimate it in the region of, say, £60-80.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33- Would you be happy to sell it at that?- Yes, I would.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37- I mean, the money's going to a very good cause.- Tell me about that.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41I went to Malawi a few years ago and I saw the situation out there
0:25:41 > 0:25:45and so it's going to a hospital in Malawi.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47That's wonderful, Gaynor.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- £80 will do an awful lot out there, I'll tell you.- So, £80.- Right.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53- To Malawi.- Brilliant.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I've never been to an auction before,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01so I didn't really know what to expect.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Ladies and gentlemen, this lot is being sold and the money's
0:26:05 > 0:26:08going directly to St Joseph's, which is a bush hospital in Malawi.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Let's hope we get a good price for this Arts and Crafts
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- brass-framed octagonal wall mirror.- Good luck.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Very excited at the prospect
0:26:17 > 0:26:20of a big deal with somebody
0:26:20 > 0:26:23to have a lot of money come in for this mirror.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27I can start the bidding at £100 and 10 is bid. 110 I have, is there 120?
0:26:27 > 0:26:31At £110. 120, 120 in the room.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33120, all done at 120?
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Anyone else now, at £120...we sell.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Not bad, double the estimate.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43That's a true reflection of the price, wasn't it?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46- That's not bad at all. - We can do a lot in Africa with that.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53- Hi, just a little donation. - Oh, my goodness gracious!
0:26:53 > 0:26:56'The Sisters of the St Augustinian Order have become quite expert
0:26:56 > 0:27:00'at finding things that are worth a few quid in their shop,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02'which they put towards their charity.'
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Hey, look at this!
0:27:06 > 0:27:09'We've recently built a girls' school'
0:27:09 > 0:27:12because we've found that the girls are not being educated.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17They go out into the bush and supply medicines to people who need help.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22'So how far could the £120 raised at our "Flog It!" auction
0:27:22 > 0:27:24'go in Malawi?'
0:27:24 > 0:27:27The money that we raised from the sale of the mirror actually
0:27:27 > 0:27:33went to buy medicines, simple things like paracetamol.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34They can't afford them.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37And also, mothers who have newborn babies
0:27:37 > 0:27:39are not allowed to take babies out of the hospital
0:27:39 > 0:27:41unless they have an item of clothing,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44so it would have gone for clothing as well.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Our top tip is if you're going to have a clear out,
0:27:49 > 0:27:53then do it with a friend, and it's amazing the fun you have.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Mairi, what about this for "Flog It!", eh?
0:27:58 > 0:27:59Or Strictly?
0:28:01 > 0:28:04'Well, I'm not sure Len Goodman would like it,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07'but as Gaynor and Sister Yvonne said, try a clean out with a friend
0:28:07 > 0:28:12'and as we know on "Flog It!", you can never tell what you might discover.'
0:28:12 > 0:28:14We're so privileged on the show to pick up
0:28:14 > 0:28:17information on antiques from all across the world,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21and I hope you've learned something today on your travels with us.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Join me again next time for more on "Flog It! Trade Secrets",
0:28:24 > 0:28:26but until then it's goodbye.