Browse content similar to Far Flung Flog It!. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
For well over ten years now, you've brought along thousands of objects | 0:00:03 | 0:00:07 | |
to our valuation days, to put our experts through their paces. | 0:00:07 | 0:00:11 | |
-I reckon 300-500. -Brilliant! | 0:00:11 | 0:00:14 | |
In this series, I want to share with you | 0:00:14 | 0:00:16 | |
some of the things we've learnt about those items. | 0:00:16 | 0:00:19 | |
Welcome to Trade Secrets. | 0:00:19 | 0:00:21 | |
On today's show we'll take a whistle-stop tour around the world, | 0:00:48 | 0:00:52 | |
taking a look at items that have travelled hundreds, | 0:00:52 | 0:00:55 | |
even thousands of miles to reach our doors. | 0:00:55 | 0:00:58 | |
We'll be seeing what gems of knowledge we can pick up en route. | 0:00:58 | 0:01:01 | |
On this programme, our experts will be showing you their favourite international treasures. | 0:01:03 | 0:01:09 | |
You get little palpitations in your stomach. | 0:01:09 | 0:01:11 | |
"Oh, my goodness, how exciting, what a wonderful thing to see." | 0:01:11 | 0:01:14 | |
And I seek out some advice on how to date Asian ceramics. | 0:01:14 | 0:01:19 | |
You have to go on the object itself. | 0:01:19 | 0:01:22 | |
If you want to get some world-class, top tips | 0:01:22 | 0:01:25 | |
on the best of European and Oriental collectables, all will be revealed. | 0:01:25 | 0:01:29 | |
For centuries we've plied our wares back and forth across | 0:01:35 | 0:01:38 | |
the English Channel to Europe and the Orient. | 0:01:38 | 0:01:40 | |
Traders hoping to capture something unique which cannot be found on our shores. | 0:01:40 | 0:01:45 | |
For years, we've featured some wonderful well-travelled pieces | 0:01:49 | 0:01:52 | |
that have hailed from all across the globe. | 0:01:52 | 0:01:55 | |
I think the real key, if you're going to buy a foreign antique, is | 0:01:57 | 0:02:00 | |
it's a worldwide market now, so what might be inexpensive in one country, | 0:02:00 | 0:02:04 | |
might be expensive in another place and the trick is to move A to B. | 0:02:04 | 0:02:08 | |
I would be aware not to follow trends. | 0:02:08 | 0:02:13 | |
Five years ago, Russian antiques were very popular, | 0:02:13 | 0:02:16 | |
now it's Chinese antiques. | 0:02:16 | 0:02:17 | |
If you get swept along with that wave, you can come a cropper, I think. | 0:02:17 | 0:02:22 | |
The best thing to do is just buy items, | 0:02:22 | 0:02:24 | |
irrespective of where they're from, on their quality and their rarity, | 0:02:24 | 0:02:28 | |
and most importantly, whether you like them or not. | 0:02:28 | 0:02:31 | |
A tip at the moment would be, | 0:02:31 | 0:02:32 | |
after the Chinese market has strengthened and levelled off, | 0:02:32 | 0:02:35 | |
I think the Indian market, | 0:02:35 | 0:02:36 | |
the Indian subcontinent market will prove to be very strong. | 0:02:36 | 0:02:40 | |
But first, let's take a look at some of the very best items that | 0:02:40 | 0:02:43 | |
have appeared over the last 11 years on the show and what we can learn from them. | 0:02:43 | 0:02:48 | |
British people have always enjoyed travelling | 0:02:48 | 0:02:50 | |
and in the 19th century, a lot of people went to travel Europe | 0:02:50 | 0:02:53 | |
on what was termed the Grand Tour, | 0:02:53 | 0:02:55 | |
which gave us a real taste for Continental works of art. | 0:02:55 | 0:02:59 | |
And right up to the current day, | 0:02:59 | 0:03:01 | |
we Brits have had a love affair with things foreign that seem | 0:03:01 | 0:03:04 | |
a little bit different and yet delectable to us. | 0:03:04 | 0:03:08 | |
I remember my very first ever "Flog It!" - | 0:03:08 | 0:03:12 | |
years ago, when I had hair - and that was at Bradford | 0:03:12 | 0:03:15 | |
and I was quite a nervous young chap, I think, then. | 0:03:15 | 0:03:19 | |
Hard to believe, isn't it? | 0:03:19 | 0:03:20 | |
Please, tell me, how did you come to own these fantastic things? | 0:03:20 | 0:03:23 | |
The set there came from my grandparents. | 0:03:23 | 0:03:27 | |
This tea set is different from most ordinary silver tea sets | 0:03:27 | 0:03:32 | |
because it's by one of the most important silversmiths | 0:03:32 | 0:03:36 | |
and designers of the 20th century, by Georg Jensen. | 0:03:36 | 0:03:39 | |
-Is that so? -"Ge-org Yensen", as some people say. | 0:03:39 | 0:03:41 | |
These are really wonderful examples of his work. | 0:03:41 | 0:03:45 | |
It was 1931, very high design, ivory handles, one of those things | 0:03:45 | 0:03:49 | |
when you see it you get little palpitations in your stomach. | 0:03:49 | 0:03:52 | |
"Oh, my goodness, how exciting, what a wonderful thing!" | 0:03:52 | 0:03:55 | |
If we look underneath, all this writing here, | 0:03:55 | 0:03:58 | |
you can actually see Georg Jensen's mark there. | 0:03:58 | 0:04:01 | |
They're sterling silver. That's a very nice object. | 0:04:01 | 0:04:05 | |
I said to the lady, Yorkshire lady, | 0:04:05 | 0:04:07 | |
"I think this is worth at least £2,000-3,000." | 0:04:07 | 0:04:11 | |
She said to me, "Are you sure, dear? You look very young." | 0:04:11 | 0:04:15 | |
She didn't believe me. | 0:04:15 | 0:04:16 | |
I should have stuck to my guns but instead we put 800-1,200. | 0:04:16 | 0:04:20 | |
-Mm... -Which is a tidy sum. | 0:04:20 | 0:04:25 | |
Very encouraging. | 0:04:25 | 0:04:27 | |
So what happened to our callow youth's estimate when it came to auction? | 0:04:27 | 0:04:30 | |
I'm going to have to start the bidding on my sheets at £1,800. | 0:04:32 | 0:04:36 | |
THEY GASP | 0:04:36 | 0:04:38 | |
We have 1,850 in the room. 1,900, 1,950? | 0:04:38 | 0:04:40 | |
£2,000. 2,100... | 0:04:40 | 0:04:43 | |
2,800, 2,900. £3,000? | 0:04:43 | 0:04:46 | |
3,200. 3,200, may I say? | 0:04:46 | 0:04:48 | |
3,400, 3,600, 3,800. | 0:04:48 | 0:04:51 | |
That's unbelievable. | 0:04:51 | 0:04:53 | |
4,400, 4,800. £5,000. 5,200. | 0:04:53 | 0:04:57 | |
5,200, anywhere? | 0:04:57 | 0:04:59 | |
All finished then at £5,000. | 0:04:59 | 0:05:02 | |
-All done and finished. -Goose pimples. | 0:05:02 | 0:05:04 | |
Good gracious me! | 0:05:04 | 0:05:07 | |
-Oh, I've gone all hot. -So have I. | 0:05:07 | 0:05:10 | |
£5,000. | 0:05:10 | 0:05:12 | |
It just shows, though, a good European designer name will make huge prices. | 0:05:13 | 0:05:19 | |
So look out for the name, Georg Jensen | 0:05:19 | 0:05:21 | |
and if you find a piece by him, don't hesitate to snap it up. | 0:05:21 | 0:05:25 | |
If there's one thing the Europeans have given us antique lovers, | 0:05:28 | 0:05:31 | |
it's an eye for the classical nude. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:33 | |
The female nude, the male nude, is not an easy thing to do. | 0:05:33 | 0:05:38 | |
Ask Michelangelo himself. | 0:05:38 | 0:05:40 | |
You know, you'd rather see a sculpture of a tractor | 0:05:40 | 0:05:43 | |
than a bad nude. | 0:05:43 | 0:05:44 | |
One that's beautifully done, and you can tell immediately across a room. | 0:05:44 | 0:05:49 | |
I have fallen in love with this figure. I think it's delicious. | 0:05:49 | 0:05:55 | |
What better form is there than the female nude? | 0:05:55 | 0:05:58 | |
I mean, perhaps I'm just saying that and I'm slightly biased, | 0:05:58 | 0:06:01 | |
but it is a perfect format | 0:06:01 | 0:06:04 | |
and it's beautifully, beautifully carved. | 0:06:04 | 0:06:08 | |
Where did she come from? | 0:06:08 | 0:06:09 | |
-She came from a castle in France. -Really? | 0:06:09 | 0:06:13 | |
-Fontainebleau. -Fontainebleau? -Not far from Paris, yeah. | 0:06:13 | 0:06:15 | |
I've been to Fontainebleau. | 0:06:15 | 0:06:17 | |
Have you found a signature on it, have you ever looked? | 0:06:17 | 0:06:20 | |
There is one somewhere, but... | 0:06:20 | 0:06:22 | |
Crikey! | 0:06:24 | 0:06:25 | |
-That's it. -Ah, here we are. | 0:06:25 | 0:06:28 | |
Caradossi. | 0:06:28 | 0:06:30 | |
Caradossi has a certain significance in certain areas. | 0:06:30 | 0:06:33 | |
He wouldn't be... What could one say? ..not Premier Division. Division One. | 0:06:33 | 0:06:39 | |
Good grief, that's heavy. | 0:06:39 | 0:06:41 | |
Who was born in 1861. | 0:06:41 | 0:06:44 | |
-I think we're talking about this figure being 1890, 1900. -Mm-hm. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:50 | |
-I think this figure is worth £1,000. -Right. | 0:06:50 | 0:06:54 | |
I think she's lovely, delightful, and I hope she does well. | 0:06:54 | 0:06:58 | |
Nudes do sell well, male nudes and female nudes. | 0:06:58 | 0:07:01 | |
You've only got to go to Rome or Florence, and there are more | 0:07:01 | 0:07:05 | |
nudes per square inch than anywhere else in the world. | 0:07:05 | 0:07:08 | |
Charlie seemed confident about his valuation | 0:07:08 | 0:07:10 | |
but was his hunch about nudes right? | 0:07:10 | 0:07:13 | |
I think this is the best thing in the saleroom. | 0:07:13 | 0:07:15 | |
-Yes, it is. -Then I would, wouldn't I? -It's the star of the show. | 0:07:15 | 0:07:20 | |
We have a telephone bid. | 0:07:20 | 0:07:21 | |
-Telephone bid! -We've got commission bids as well | 0:07:21 | 0:07:24 | |
-and we're starting at 800. -Oh! -825. -It's gone. | 0:07:24 | 0:07:27 | |
850? 850. 875? 875. | 0:07:27 | 0:07:32 | |
I feel 1,000 coming on, don't you? | 0:07:32 | 0:07:35 | |
At £900. 925. | 0:07:35 | 0:07:37 | |
925, 950? 950 on the telephone. | 0:07:37 | 0:07:41 | |
975. 1,000? | 0:07:41 | 0:07:43 | |
-That's fab! -Christine will be happy. | 0:07:43 | 0:07:44 | |
£1,000 I've got. | 0:07:44 | 0:07:46 | |
£100 bids now. | 0:07:46 | 0:07:48 | |
1,100, sorry? 1,100, I've got. | 0:07:48 | 0:07:51 | |
1,200? £1,200, I've got. | 0:07:51 | 0:07:53 | |
1,300? 1,400? £1,400. | 0:07:53 | 0:07:55 | |
I wish she was here. I just wish she was here. | 0:07:55 | 0:07:58 | |
1,500. 1,600 on the telephone. | 0:07:58 | 0:08:00 | |
-She'll be going to Las Vegas now. -Won't she? | 0:08:00 | 0:08:02 | |
At £1,500 in the room. Sold at £1,500. | 0:08:02 | 0:08:06 | |
-Goodie! -Yes! Well done, Charlie. -I'm pleased with that. | 0:08:06 | 0:08:09 | |
-Really pleased. -What a result! | 0:08:09 | 0:08:12 | |
The great thing about sculpture, and, indeed, paintings nowadays, | 0:08:12 | 0:08:15 | |
you can look up immediately what the last work by a particular | 0:08:15 | 0:08:19 | |
artist made and it'll give you a benchmark for the next piece. | 0:08:19 | 0:08:23 | |
The signature is hugely important. | 0:08:23 | 0:08:25 | |
This statue and the silver service before sold well | 0:08:27 | 0:08:30 | |
because of the name and the fine workmanship, | 0:08:30 | 0:08:32 | |
but it's not the only way you can measure value. | 0:08:32 | 0:08:35 | |
If you want to invest in European objects, | 0:08:35 | 0:08:38 | |
you may need to think out of the box. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:40 | |
And Mark Stacey likes to do exactly that. | 0:08:41 | 0:08:44 | |
Now, as soon as I saw you holding this, | 0:08:45 | 0:08:48 | |
I thought, "I've got to film it if you are interested in selling it." | 0:08:48 | 0:08:52 | |
Oh, Harlow, how can I forget Harlow with that wonderful figure. | 0:08:52 | 0:08:55 | |
That Austrian pottery figure, this high. | 0:08:55 | 0:08:59 | |
I mean, I described it as "camp". What other word is there for it? | 0:08:59 | 0:09:03 | |
Where on earth did you get it from? | 0:09:03 | 0:09:05 | |
I inherited this from my grandfather, | 0:09:05 | 0:09:08 | |
and it's resting itself in my house now. | 0:09:08 | 0:09:10 | |
It appealed to me because it was sheer Victorian fun, | 0:09:10 | 0:09:15 | |
but on a serious note, it was quality. | 0:09:15 | 0:09:19 | |
You've got this wonderful plumed hat. | 0:09:19 | 0:09:21 | |
There's a lovely, delicate expression on her face | 0:09:21 | 0:09:23 | |
and she is holding this wonderful, oversized fan. | 0:09:23 | 0:09:27 | |
I think it's a fantastically outrageous item. | 0:09:27 | 0:09:31 | |
I must admit, I hadn't seen one quite as big as that before, | 0:09:31 | 0:09:35 | |
or since, I have to tell you. | 0:09:35 | 0:09:38 | |
I would be tempted to suggest something like £300-400. | 0:09:38 | 0:09:42 | |
I think, on the day, it might prove to be a surprise. It might just fly away. | 0:09:42 | 0:09:45 | |
Very, very expensive to make and produce | 0:09:45 | 0:09:49 | |
and I just knew there would be collectors out there for it. | 0:09:49 | 0:09:52 | |
So did the kitsch Victorian lady find someone to appreciate her at auction? | 0:09:52 | 0:09:57 | |
I have two commissions with me and I start the bidding at £280 with me. | 0:09:58 | 0:10:02 | |
300 with Ian. £300, 320, 340, | 0:10:02 | 0:10:06 | |
360, 380. | 0:10:06 | 0:10:08 | |
-Yeah. -We're there. | 0:10:08 | 0:10:10 | |
480, 500. | 0:10:10 | 0:10:12 | |
520... 760. | 0:10:12 | 0:10:14 | |
That's unbelievable! | 0:10:14 | 0:10:15 | |
800... 920, 940, 960... | 0:10:15 | 0:10:18 | |
1,300. 1,400. | 0:10:18 | 0:10:21 | |
-What have we missed, Mark? -I don't know. | 0:10:21 | 0:10:23 | |
1,500. At £1,500, on my right now at £1,500. | 0:10:23 | 0:10:29 | |
Mark, that's incredible. | 0:10:29 | 0:10:33 | |
I thought 300-400 was a little on the conservative side | 0:10:33 | 0:10:36 | |
but it is best to tease the bidders in. But 1,500, | 0:10:36 | 0:10:40 | |
you can't beat it. | 0:10:40 | 0:10:42 | |
Of course, there's always been a very, very exciting market in Europe | 0:10:42 | 0:10:47 | |
for ceramics, shipped all over the world, | 0:10:47 | 0:10:50 | |
and a lot of it, inevitably, came over to the United Kingdom. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:55 | |
We would have loved that. The Victorians loved covering every space of their drawing-room. | 0:10:55 | 0:11:00 | |
When you find something like this, in good condition, it's a premium. | 0:11:00 | 0:11:05 | |
Great advice from Mark Stacey as he says look out for Victorian | 0:11:06 | 0:11:10 | |
ceramic knick-knacks, which haven't been chipped while dusting | 0:11:10 | 0:11:13 | |
and, remember, for European art, the more unusual, the better. | 0:11:13 | 0:11:17 | |
At the turn of the century the trend for items with a saucy secret | 0:11:20 | 0:11:24 | |
appealed to our British taste for concealment. | 0:11:24 | 0:11:27 | |
And one caught the eye of our expert. | 0:11:27 | 0:11:30 | |
In Winchester, towards the end of the day, I had a real treat | 0:11:31 | 0:11:34 | |
because a lady brought in an absolutely fabulous bronze lamp base. | 0:11:34 | 0:11:39 | |
Originally, it was my nan's and then she gave it to my mum | 0:11:39 | 0:11:43 | |
and then, when she died, I just took it and I don't use it. | 0:11:43 | 0:11:47 | |
It's a very pretty little lamp. | 0:11:47 | 0:11:50 | |
It's on a marble base and it's cast bronze, and we're helped out | 0:11:50 | 0:11:54 | |
immensely by the fact that on the back of the chair, | 0:11:54 | 0:11:58 | |
there's a little inscription that says "Nam Greb". | 0:11:58 | 0:12:02 | |
Nam Greb is the mark of the Austrian bronze founder Bergman. | 0:12:02 | 0:12:07 | |
And it's "Bergman" backwards. | 0:12:08 | 0:12:10 | |
I think there was a very good reason that he used to sign them like this | 0:12:10 | 0:12:14 | |
because he didn't want his name on things like this, | 0:12:14 | 0:12:17 | |
-which people might think, "Oh, that's peculiar." -Really? | 0:12:17 | 0:12:21 | |
That's just a table lamp. There's nothing offensive about that. | 0:12:21 | 0:12:25 | |
Shall we share its little secret? | 0:12:25 | 0:12:27 | |
One, two, three. | 0:12:27 | 0:12:29 | |
Oh, dear! | 0:12:29 | 0:12:31 | |
Often when you get an overtly erotic scene, | 0:12:31 | 0:12:35 | |
rather than just a classical female nude, | 0:12:35 | 0:12:38 | |
or a nude used in a form of decorative device that's acceptable, it would be concealed. | 0:12:38 | 0:12:43 | |
It's a rare, early novelty. | 0:12:43 | 0:12:46 | |
-Shall we cover her modesty? -Yeah, why not. | 0:12:47 | 0:12:49 | |
-SHE LAUGHS -Everyone at home's had enough of a shock. | 0:12:49 | 0:12:52 | |
I think we can put this into auction and say... | 0:12:52 | 0:12:56 | |
-£250 to £350. -Really? | 0:12:56 | 0:12:59 | |
So were our buyers as naughty a nation | 0:13:00 | 0:13:03 | |
as their Edwardian counterparts? | 0:13:03 | 0:13:05 | |
I'm going to start the bidding at £500. | 0:13:05 | 0:13:08 | |
Yes! | 0:13:08 | 0:13:10 | |
I can't believe it. | 0:13:10 | 0:13:12 | |
550, 570, 600 and 20, | 0:13:12 | 0:13:16 | |
650, 670. Commission bid's out. | 0:13:16 | 0:13:19 | |
At £700 for the telephone and selling at £700, | 0:13:19 | 0:13:22 | |
is there any more? | 0:13:22 | 0:13:23 | |
Yes! £700. | 0:13:23 | 0:13:27 | |
-Marvellous! -Oh, you've got to be so happy with that, haven't you? | 0:13:27 | 0:13:31 | |
Absolutely. | 0:13:31 | 0:13:33 | |
There's nothing like a great name like Bergman. | 0:13:33 | 0:13:36 | |
Add that to the quality and the pretty lady | 0:13:36 | 0:13:38 | |
and you have a hat-trick. | 0:13:38 | 0:13:40 | |
What the bronze typified was that some of the very best things | 0:13:40 | 0:13:45 | |
that we see on "Flog It!" actually do come from around the world | 0:13:45 | 0:13:48 | |
and particularly Europe. | 0:13:48 | 0:13:49 | |
So here's what we've learnt so far. | 0:13:53 | 0:13:56 | |
A well-known name and good quality workmanship always adds to value, | 0:13:56 | 0:14:00 | |
so do your research, so you know what to look for. | 0:14:00 | 0:14:04 | |
Be on the lookout for nudes, as long as they are beautifully executed. | 0:14:04 | 0:14:08 | |
And seek out the naughty or the novel. It might have the | 0:14:08 | 0:14:11 | |
je ne sais quoi that will set the bidders' hearts aflutter. | 0:14:11 | 0:14:16 | |
We've all got something at home, | 0:14:19 | 0:14:20 | |
that one special item, that we're particularly attached to. | 0:14:20 | 0:14:23 | |
But I want to know what's the one thing | 0:14:23 | 0:14:26 | |
our experts would rescue from a burning building? | 0:14:26 | 0:14:29 | |
Gosh, if there was a house fire, the one thing I would really save | 0:14:29 | 0:14:33 | |
would be this painting here, the Moulin Rouge in Paris. | 0:14:33 | 0:14:36 | |
Not of any great commercial value. It's not a rare French Impressionist | 0:14:36 | 0:14:40 | |
painting worth millions of pounds, but it's the sentimental value. | 0:14:40 | 0:14:44 | |
I bought this in a flea market in Paris, | 0:14:44 | 0:14:47 | |
the day after a most wonderful and sumptuous evening at the Moulin Rouge. | 0:14:47 | 0:14:52 | |
I was whisked away by my wife, a surprise birthday treat, | 0:14:52 | 0:14:55 | |
holed up in the most wonderful Art Deco hotel | 0:14:55 | 0:14:58 | |
on the Left Bank, overlooking Notre Dame, | 0:14:58 | 0:15:00 | |
and then picked up and taken to the Moulin Rouge that evening. | 0:15:00 | 0:15:03 | |
The most incredible night. I shall never, never forget it. | 0:15:03 | 0:15:06 | |
And the following day, just wandering along this fantastic flea market in Paris, | 0:15:06 | 0:15:10 | |
I stumbled across this painting and just had to have it. | 0:15:10 | 0:15:13 | |
I like art anyway, I love the painting, | 0:15:13 | 0:15:16 | |
and the memory this evokes for me makes it my most valuable treasure. | 0:15:16 | 0:15:20 | |
Here on "Flog It!" we have broad tastes, | 0:15:25 | 0:15:28 | |
and we love it when you bring us items from as far away | 0:15:28 | 0:15:32 | |
as the Far East. It's an area that's always been of interest | 0:15:32 | 0:15:35 | |
to collectors. And something you've brought in for us again and again | 0:15:35 | 0:15:40 | |
has been the popular Willow pattern with its tale of the Orient. | 0:15:40 | 0:15:44 | |
But its origin isn't what it seems, as you're about to find out, | 0:15:44 | 0:15:48 | |
and we'll discover just how valuable it is today. | 0:15:48 | 0:15:51 | |
Of course, you know what they are. | 0:15:52 | 0:15:54 | |
Open salt cellars cos in the 19th century, 18th century, | 0:15:54 | 0:15:58 | |
right the way back to the Elizabethan period, | 0:15:58 | 0:16:01 | |
salt wasn't put in a little shaker. | 0:16:01 | 0:16:03 | |
It was put in an open salt, like this. | 0:16:03 | 0:16:05 | |
And if we take one out, and have a little look, these detach quite easily. | 0:16:05 | 0:16:10 | |
They're like miniature bowls in their own right, aren't they? | 0:16:10 | 0:16:13 | |
-They're lovely, aren't they? -Super. | 0:16:13 | 0:16:15 | |
Turn them over, a clear mark underneath there, | 0:16:15 | 0:16:17 | |
and that is the mark for Royal Worcester. | 0:16:17 | 0:16:19 | |
And that's the capital letter T, and that's the date letter for 1882. | 0:16:19 | 0:16:23 | |
-The pattern in the centre, do you recognise it? -Willow pattern? | 0:16:23 | 0:16:27 | |
Willow pattern, exactly. | 0:16:27 | 0:16:28 | |
It's the most well-known pattern of all blue and white. | 0:16:28 | 0:16:31 | |
I think they're quite sweet. | 0:16:31 | 0:16:33 | |
So, I'm going to put an estimate of £50-£80 on them. Is that OK? | 0:16:33 | 0:16:40 | |
That's fine. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:42 | |
That might not be the highest of valuations, | 0:16:42 | 0:16:45 | |
but we'll come back to see how that did at auction. | 0:16:45 | 0:16:47 | |
The enduring appeal of Willow goes back to the 18th century | 0:16:49 | 0:16:52 | |
when an interest in all things Oriental really hotted up. | 0:16:52 | 0:16:55 | |
Traders returning from the Far East brought back exotic lacquerware | 0:16:57 | 0:17:00 | |
and silks adorned with pagodas, strange animals, | 0:17:00 | 0:17:04 | |
and fanciful dragons. | 0:17:04 | 0:17:06 | |
We'd never seen such outlandish designs before, and we were hooked. | 0:17:06 | 0:17:10 | |
Soon, the great and the good descended on their own designers | 0:17:12 | 0:17:16 | |
to create wallpapers, furniture, | 0:17:16 | 0:17:18 | |
and ceramics, which all hearkened to the mysteries of the East. | 0:17:18 | 0:17:22 | |
One phrase captured this new European vogue for taking | 0:17:24 | 0:17:27 | |
Chinese designs and embellishing them. | 0:17:27 | 0:17:30 | |
Nothing epitomises it better than the Willow pattern, | 0:17:33 | 0:17:36 | |
which appears in the 1790s and depicted a tragic romance. | 0:17:36 | 0:17:41 | |
A princess decided to ignore her father's demands to marry | 0:17:41 | 0:17:45 | |
a nobleman of his choosing, and eloped instead with a servant. | 0:17:45 | 0:17:49 | |
Life was blissfully happy for them | 0:17:49 | 0:17:51 | |
until her disgruntled father hunted them down and had them killed. | 0:17:51 | 0:17:55 | |
They lived eternally together afterwards, as doves, | 0:17:55 | 0:17:59 | |
a symbol of everlasting love. | 0:17:59 | 0:18:01 | |
A charming story, but entirely fabricated. | 0:18:02 | 0:18:06 | |
Some say it was probably British potter Josiah Spode | 0:18:06 | 0:18:10 | |
who came up with the Willow pattern story | 0:18:10 | 0:18:12 | |
as a marketing ploy to sell more plates. And it worked. | 0:18:12 | 0:18:15 | |
Remember, when you're looking for the Willow, | 0:18:15 | 0:18:18 | |
there's a lot to choose from, as the Willow pattern has been | 0:18:18 | 0:18:21 | |
made by more than 400 potters in Great Britain alone. | 0:18:21 | 0:18:25 | |
So, look out for good makers, like Spode, Minton and Royal Worcester. | 0:18:25 | 0:18:30 | |
Look at the mark, | 0:18:30 | 0:18:32 | |
and you can find out who made it from reference books. | 0:18:32 | 0:18:34 | |
And keep in mind, if it isn't marked, you're on shaky ground. | 0:18:34 | 0:18:38 | |
It could be old or a cheap reproduction. | 0:18:38 | 0:18:41 | |
So you need to be prepared to do some more research to learn | 0:18:41 | 0:18:45 | |
how to tell the treasure from the trash. | 0:18:45 | 0:18:48 | |
So, how did the Royal Worcester piece valued at £50-£80 do at auction? | 0:18:48 | 0:18:54 | |
I think there's a lot of value here for not a lot of money. | 0:18:54 | 0:18:57 | |
A nice little lot there. Who'll start me? | 0:18:57 | 0:18:59 | |
70, 5. 80, then. New blood. | 0:18:59 | 0:19:02 | |
5, 90, 5, 100, | 0:19:02 | 0:19:05 | |
110, 120, | 0:19:05 | 0:19:07 | |
130, 140. | 0:19:07 | 0:19:09 | |
-Wow, they love it. -150 with me. 160, 160 in the room and the book's out. | 0:19:09 | 0:19:14 | |
At 160... | 0:19:14 | 0:19:16 | |
-That was so good! -Wasn't that good? -Fantastic result. | 0:19:18 | 0:19:21 | |
-Fantastic. -Thank you. | 0:19:21 | 0:19:23 | |
It just goes to show, even after all these years, our love affair | 0:19:25 | 0:19:29 | |
with the affordable Willow pattern is still going strong. | 0:19:29 | 0:19:32 | |
But if you want the real Chinese pieces, prices can be much higher. | 0:19:32 | 0:19:37 | |
To the owner's astonishment, | 0:19:37 | 0:19:39 | |
this pot found in the attic was valued at £2.6 million. | 0:19:39 | 0:19:43 | |
So keep your eyes peeled. | 0:19:43 | 0:19:45 | |
With luck like that, you could be as rich as an emperor. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:49 | |
If you do want to get your feet wet buying original Chinese pieces, | 0:19:53 | 0:19:58 | |
you're entering a complicated field. | 0:19:58 | 0:20:00 | |
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to get some help on how to spot the real thing. | 0:20:00 | 0:20:07 | |
It seems that to be a dealer or collector of Chinese antiques, | 0:20:07 | 0:20:11 | |
you need to have a PhD in the subject. | 0:20:11 | 0:20:13 | |
Dr Tim Foster not only deals in Chinese ceramics, | 0:20:13 | 0:20:16 | |
he's also a leading expert in this field. | 0:20:16 | 0:20:19 | |
How did your passion for Chinese ceramics start? | 0:20:23 | 0:20:25 | |
Well, it grew out of a passion for history, really. | 0:20:25 | 0:20:28 | |
Both sides of my family were in the business, so I grew up with it. | 0:20:28 | 0:20:31 | |
And it was when I realised that you could buy a cracked 18th-century | 0:20:31 | 0:20:36 | |
tea bowl that was 250-280 years old for five or £10 | 0:20:36 | 0:20:41 | |
and I thought, "There's a piece of history." | 0:20:41 | 0:20:44 | |
-It's quite incredible, isn't it? -It is. It is. | 0:20:44 | 0:20:46 | |
Can you explain what the dynasties are? | 0:20:46 | 0:20:49 | |
The focus on the dynasties is a bit misleading, really, | 0:20:49 | 0:20:52 | |
because they span hundreds of years. | 0:20:52 | 0:20:54 | |
So, the Ming Dynasty actually lasts about 300 years | 0:20:54 | 0:20:57 | |
from the 14th century right through to the middle of the 17th century. | 0:20:57 | 0:21:01 | |
And the most recent is the Qing Dynasty, and that ran from | 0:21:01 | 0:21:04 | |
the mid 17th century, almost through to the beginning of this century. | 0:21:04 | 0:21:07 | |
Is it really as complicated as it seems? | 0:21:07 | 0:21:10 | |
Are we walking into a minefield? | 0:21:10 | 0:21:11 | |
It is a fairly complex field because the one thing | 0:21:11 | 0:21:15 | |
you can't do with Chinese ceramics is rely on the marks. | 0:21:15 | 0:21:18 | |
This piece shows one of the complexities of the field, | 0:21:18 | 0:21:21 | |
in as much as it is marked, but it's marked with a Ming mark. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:26 | |
So this says it was made 400 years before it was made. | 0:21:26 | 0:21:29 | |
And the marks that you find | 0:21:29 | 0:21:30 | |
on Chinese porcelain are nine times out of ten incorrect. | 0:21:30 | 0:21:33 | |
-They don't correspond to the item. -That's correct. | 0:21:33 | 0:21:35 | |
Because the Chinese have such a reverence for the past, | 0:21:37 | 0:21:40 | |
it wasn't unusual for them to mark newer pieces with older dates. | 0:21:40 | 0:21:43 | |
And the other factor, of course, is that the Chinese have quite | 0:21:45 | 0:21:48 | |
a consistent sort of aesthetic sense, so they reproduce shapes, | 0:21:48 | 0:21:52 | |
styles and patterns literally over hundreds of years. | 0:21:52 | 0:21:54 | |
This is a Kangxi jar, symbolic of the coming of spring. | 0:21:54 | 0:21:58 | |
300 years old. | 0:21:58 | 0:22:00 | |
This is a 100-year-old reproduction. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:02 | |
-You can see it is a copy, can't you? -Well, I think so. | 0:22:02 | 0:22:05 | |
-When they're side-by-side. -And you do see them around. | 0:22:05 | 0:22:09 | |
So, you could collect this. It's 100 years old, it's hand-painted. | 0:22:09 | 0:22:13 | |
And it is symbolic. | 0:22:13 | 0:22:14 | |
So you can't go on the pattern or decoration, | 0:22:14 | 0:22:17 | |
-you have to go on the object itself. -The texture. -That's right. | 0:22:17 | 0:22:21 | |
Know your feel. What do you look for when you go and see a piece of blue and white? | 0:22:21 | 0:22:26 | |
Well, the foot rim is important on any piece of ceramic. | 0:22:26 | 0:22:31 | |
And on a Kangxi foot rim, it will be absolutely dense, | 0:22:31 | 0:22:34 | |
very, very hard, very, very smooth. There are an awful number | 0:22:34 | 0:22:38 | |
of factors that you take into consideration. | 0:22:38 | 0:22:40 | |
-The only way to learn about it is to handle it. -Right. | 0:22:40 | 0:22:42 | |
And to know what it is that you're handling when you're handling it. | 0:22:42 | 0:22:46 | |
Live with it, you know, enjoy it, feel it, that's how you learn. | 0:22:46 | 0:22:48 | |
-It's not marked. -Price? -Well, this is a very good vase. | 0:22:48 | 0:22:52 | |
And, I suppose, again, it would depend on where you're buying it. | 0:22:52 | 0:22:55 | |
But several thousand. | 0:22:55 | 0:22:56 | |
-Several thousand? Really? -Well, yes. | 0:22:58 | 0:23:01 | |
It's 300 years old, and it's a very good quality piece. | 0:23:01 | 0:23:05 | |
How would you go about starting a collection? What would you look for? | 0:23:15 | 0:23:18 | |
What would your first piece be? | 0:23:18 | 0:23:20 | |
I think the beauty of Chinese ceramics is that it literally | 0:23:20 | 0:23:23 | |
does fit any pocket. | 0:23:23 | 0:23:25 | |
You can buy a hand-painted 18th-century plate for between £10 and £20. | 0:23:25 | 0:23:28 | |
-If it's damaged? -With a hairline crack in. | 0:23:28 | 0:23:30 | |
Damage on a piece of Chinese porcelain will knock | 0:23:30 | 0:23:33 | |
between 80-90% off the value of it. | 0:23:33 | 0:23:35 | |
But you can learn from them. | 0:23:35 | 0:23:36 | |
You have to find a dealer who knows what they're selling. | 0:23:36 | 0:23:41 | |
And then you take that home with confidence, with a written | 0:23:41 | 0:23:44 | |
receipt saying that was made in 1720 or 1735, and you live with it. | 0:23:44 | 0:23:49 | |
Don't buy from auctions? | 0:23:49 | 0:23:51 | |
You see a lot in auction that really isn't...very old. | 0:23:51 | 0:23:55 | |
And if you bought from a dealer, you could actually return it? | 0:23:55 | 0:23:58 | |
Definitely, definitely. He'll tell you what it is. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:00 | |
There are two or three in each county, so, you know, | 0:24:00 | 0:24:03 | |
-it's a case of finding, asking around, and seeing who there is. -And starting up a collection. | 0:24:03 | 0:24:07 | |
That's right! And you can do it for a fiver. | 0:24:07 | 0:24:09 | |
Because it's a very complicated market, | 0:24:11 | 0:24:13 | |
this can work in your favour. | 0:24:13 | 0:24:15 | |
It means lots of sellers won't know the value, | 0:24:15 | 0:24:17 | |
and you might have a better chance of picking up a bargain. | 0:24:17 | 0:24:20 | |
So go for it. | 0:24:20 | 0:24:22 | |
So today we have seen some wonderful items that have come to | 0:24:28 | 0:24:31 | |
the "Flog It!" tables from foreign climes, but there is one more | 0:24:31 | 0:24:34 | |
that shows "Flog It!" has something to give back to the world. | 0:24:34 | 0:24:37 | |
Last year, Gaynor Connor and Sister Yvonne brought in an item | 0:24:41 | 0:24:45 | |
Gaynor had squirreled away for 20 years. | 0:24:45 | 0:24:48 | |
We took to "Flog It!" | 0:24:48 | 0:24:50 | |
a beautiful Arts and Crafts mirror, | 0:24:50 | 0:24:52 | |
a nice brass Arts and Crafts mirror. | 0:24:52 | 0:24:54 | |
What we have is this hexagonal brass frame | 0:24:54 | 0:24:58 | |
with these Celtic knots round the rim. | 0:24:58 | 0:25:03 | |
Now this motif was particularly popular | 0:25:03 | 0:25:08 | |
during the Arts and Crafts movement. | 0:25:08 | 0:25:11 | |
I would say it's not the best of quality, | 0:25:11 | 0:25:14 | |
but it still has that very nice Celtic knot, good motif, | 0:25:14 | 0:25:18 | |
nice condition, obviously well looked after. | 0:25:18 | 0:25:22 | |
I would estimate it in the region of, say, £60-80. | 0:25:22 | 0:25:29 | |
-Would you be happy to sell it at that? -Yes, I would. | 0:25:29 | 0:25:33 | |
-I mean, the money's going to a very good cause. -Tell me about that. | 0:25:33 | 0:25:37 | |
I went to Malawi a few years ago and I saw the situation out there | 0:25:37 | 0:25:41 | |
and so it's going to a hospital in Malawi. | 0:25:41 | 0:25:45 | |
That's wonderful, Gaynor. | 0:25:45 | 0:25:47 | |
-£80 will do an awful lot out there, I'll tell you. -So, £80. -Right. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:51 | |
-To Malawi. -Brilliant. | 0:25:51 | 0:25:53 | |
I've never been to an auction before, | 0:25:56 | 0:25:58 | |
so I didn't really know what to expect. | 0:25:58 | 0:26:01 | |
Ladies and gentlemen, this lot is being sold and the money's | 0:26:01 | 0:26:05 | |
going directly to St Joseph's, which is a bush hospital in Malawi. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:08 | |
Let's hope we get a good price for this Arts and Crafts | 0:26:08 | 0:26:11 | |
-brass-framed octagonal wall mirror. -Good luck. | 0:26:11 | 0:26:14 | |
Very excited at the prospect | 0:26:14 | 0:26:17 | |
of a big deal with somebody | 0:26:17 | 0:26:20 | |
to have a lot of money come in for this mirror. | 0:26:20 | 0:26:23 | |
I can start the bidding at £100 and 10 is bid. 110 I have, is there 120? | 0:26:23 | 0:26:27 | |
At £110. 120, 120 in the room. | 0:26:27 | 0:26:31 | |
120, all done at 120? | 0:26:31 | 0:26:33 | |
Anyone else now, at £120...we sell. | 0:26:33 | 0:26:36 | |
Not bad, double the estimate. | 0:26:38 | 0:26:40 | |
That's a true reflection of the price, wasn't it? | 0:26:40 | 0:26:43 | |
-That's not bad at all. -We can do a lot in Africa with that. | 0:26:43 | 0:26:46 | |
-Hi, just a little donation. -Oh, my goodness gracious! | 0:26:48 | 0:26:53 | |
'The Sisters of the St Augustinian Order have become quite expert | 0:26:53 | 0:26:56 | |
'at finding things that are worth a few quid in their shop, | 0:26:56 | 0:27:00 | |
'which they put towards their charity.' | 0:27:00 | 0:27:02 | |
Hey, look at this! | 0:27:04 | 0:27:06 | |
'We've recently built a girls' school' | 0:27:06 | 0:27:09 | |
because we've found that the girls are not being educated. | 0:27:09 | 0:27:12 | |
They go out into the bush and supply medicines to people who need help. | 0:27:12 | 0:27:17 | |
'So how far could the £120 raised at our "Flog It!" auction | 0:27:18 | 0:27:22 | |
'go in Malawi?' | 0:27:22 | 0:27:24 | |
The money that we raised from the sale of the mirror actually | 0:27:24 | 0:27:27 | |
went to buy medicines, simple things like paracetamol. | 0:27:27 | 0:27:33 | |
They can't afford them. | 0:27:33 | 0:27:34 | |
And also, mothers who have newborn babies | 0:27:34 | 0:27:37 | |
are not allowed to take babies out of the hospital | 0:27:37 | 0:27:39 | |
unless they have an item of clothing, | 0:27:39 | 0:27:41 | |
so it would have gone for clothing as well. | 0:27:41 | 0:27:44 | |
Our top tip is if you're going to have a clear out, | 0:27:46 | 0:27:49 | |
then do it with a friend, and it's amazing the fun you have. | 0:27:49 | 0:27:53 | |
Mairi, what about this for "Flog It!", eh? | 0:27:55 | 0:27:58 | |
Or Strictly? | 0:27:58 | 0:27:59 | |
'Well, I'm not sure Len Goodman would like it, | 0:28:01 | 0:28:04 | |
'but as Gaynor and Sister Yvonne said, try a clean out with a friend | 0:28:04 | 0:28:07 | |
'and as we know on "Flog It!", you can never tell what you might discover.' | 0:28:07 | 0:28:12 | |
We're so privileged on the show to pick up | 0:28:12 | 0:28:14 | |
information on antiques from all across the world, | 0:28:14 | 0:28:17 | |
and I hope you've learned something today on your travels with us. | 0:28:17 | 0:28:21 | |
Join me again next time for more on "Flog It! Trade Secrets", | 0:28:21 | 0:28:24 | |
but until then it's goodbye. | 0:28:24 | 0:28:26 |