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 > 0:00:16Things that have been looked after, unrestored and look good for their age, tend to be more valuable.
0:00:16 > 0:00:22It's also fair to assume that items of beauty are more likely to find a willing buyer.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25But, 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 > 0:01:12I think so.
0:01:12 > 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 > 0:01:26And our experts give us their best tips for antiques with a chequered past.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30It can add to it in a way, especially if it's been repaired 100 years ago.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32It doesn't matter. If you love it, buy it.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37Now picture the scene. A busy Flog It! valuation day
0:01:37 > 0:01:41and a visitor at the head of the queue begins to unwrap their item.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46Our experts' hearts beat faster and faster as the protective layers
0:01:46 > 0:01:51reveal what looks like a work of art in perfect condition.
0:01:53 > 0:01:59But, after closer inspection, it's cracked, damaged or, even worse, a complete fake.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04It's something that happens a great deal of the time, as our experts on the ground can testify.
0:02:04 > 0:02:10You've got a chip out of the glaze there. And a five-line star crack coming from the centre.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13One, of course, is completely smashed to pieces.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16One has a massive chunk out of it and it's been re-glued.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19So you have been warned on these.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21There are two main times when one can
0:02:21 > 0:02:24ignore damage with a clear conscience.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28One of them is if it's such a rare opportunity to buy something
0:02:28 > 0:02:32and it's very unlikely you would find a more perfect example anywhere else.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Of course, the other time is when your pocket is not deep enough
0:02:36 > 0:02:39to be able to afford one that isn't damaged.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Collectors often start by buying cheaply things which are damaged
0:02:43 > 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 > 0:02:57If it's damaged, you can forgive that. Post, ignore.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Gosh, that's tricky. I'm an 18th-century teapot collector.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04I ignore damage all the time. I can't afford teapots that have lids.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07So I've got about 20 or 30 teapots and about two lids between them.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11So that's when I ignore damage personally. When you can't live without it.
0:03:11 > 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 > 0:03:23'I remember the very early days, years ago on the Isle of Wight,'
0:03:23 > 0:03:29the most fantastic watch or part of the most fantastic watch came in.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31A superb enamelled case.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36And it was something that I was more used to seeing from my previous life at Sotheby's.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40It's a familiar thing to me at the top end of the market
0:03:40 > 0:03:43but it's not something you expect to see on a Flog It! valuation day.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I was quite taken aback.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50If you look at the outer case, the shagrine case, and this gilt metal outer case,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54they're from about 1760-1765, they're English.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59So that's absolutely right with your idea of date.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02But the treat is when we turn it over, the back of the case,
0:04:02 > 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 > 0:04:13And that flourished from 1660 up until about 1680.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Gosh! So it's really old. It's really old. It's 300 years old.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21To see an English movement in a French case is uncommon.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26But it's this whole thing of something being of superb quality,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29a fragment being reused.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Often, these watch cases were reused.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Sometimes, they were put onto walking cane heads.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Sometimes, they were turned into snuff boxes.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39In this case, what's happened
0:04:39 > 0:04:42is this has got into the hands of a London watchmaker,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45probably in the 1750s, and it's such a wonderful case
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- that he's made a movement that fits into it.- Oh, wow!
0:04:48 > 0:04:53If we open it up, we can see that it's signed Samuel North, London.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56I don't know his dates but, from the style of the watch
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and the fact that it's a verge escapement,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02it can be dated to about 1740-1750.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07The major problem is that the case has had a few chunks taken out of it
0:05:07 > 0:05:10when, I suppose, someone was wearing it in the 18th century.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12It's incredibly fragile.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16The damage to the watch case was basically at the bottom of the case.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21It's obvious to me that it fell on the floor and just got damaged.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24And the enamel flakes off and there's nothing you can do.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27But it's a testament to the rarity of the thing in the first place
0:05:27 > 0:05:30that when that did happen it was still treasured and kept.
0:05:30 > 0:05:36It's a bit of a mismatch in terms of style and of how it's put together.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39That makes it interesting from my point of view.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42The fact that the movement was later and it was a fragment
0:05:42 > 0:05:45made an enormous difference to the valuation.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49It was mentioned about £400 about two years ago.
0:05:49 > 0:05:56- I think you could pop it into auction at £400 to £600, if that meets with your approval.- Yeah.
0:05:56 > 0:06:02If that had had its original movement in it and its perfect case and its perfect enamel cover as well,
0:06:02 > 0:06:08I didn't tell the vendor on the day, but it would have been in the region of £30-50,000.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09Good luck, everybody. This is it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:121,000. Yes. 1100.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- Yes.- 1200. 1300.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19- No idea.- 1300 we're selling to the white phone.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22At £1300. All done in the room at 1300.
0:06:22 > 0:06:28- Yes, it's gone. That's more like it. £1300.- Thank you very much. Gosh!
0:06:28 > 0:06:31I would never advise anyone to worry about damage.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36I think, if you're a true collector, if something's rare enough and beautiful enough,
0:06:36 > 0:06:41the only thing you have to worry is are you paying too much because it's damaged?
0:06:41 > 0:06:45But there's a whole movement now that perfection is what's sought after.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Once it's lovely to have a perfect object, it always is,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52you shouldn't dismiss something because it's damaged.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Quite the reverse. It's more affordable.
0:06:55 > 0:07:01I think the damaged market is neglected except by the poor and the academic.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05And being both I give it my full concentration.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09So the watch's rarity and beauty outshone its imperfections.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12But it can be harder to disguise broken ceramics.
0:07:12 > 0:07:18Phil was excited when he spotted a special piece of Worcester porcelain back in 2005.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20But there were problems.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22It's marvellous. I'm from Worcester.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26- Yes.- And so is this. There are Worcester porcelain artists
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and there are Worcester porcelain artists.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34And one of the top three, in my view,
0:07:34 > 0:07:40is a man called CHC Baldwin. Charles Henry Clifford Baldwin.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44He specialised in painting swans on this powder-blue background.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48And this single swallow, a Charlie Baldwin trademark, on the back.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51There are lots of painters in the 20th century,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55English porcelain painters, who produced a scene.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59But no one painted swans like Charlie Baldwin.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04I do admire it now. I can see the beauty, the exquisite workmanship.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07But I think it deserves an appreciative home.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10You see that little lug just there?
0:08:10 > 0:08:14It's missing on this side. That's our first bit of damage.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19The second bit of damage is we've got this lovely protrusion just here.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23- On this side, it's come off. - A tiny little bit.- It's tiny.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Condition is everything for porcelain.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30One of the things we almost got away with that Charlie Baldwin vase
0:08:30 > 0:08:35is that the little nibbles on it could be restored in almost an acceptable way.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38It's not as though there was a great big crack right across the swans.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41So, I think, it was damaged.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46It wouldn't be overly expensive to put it right. Perhaps 3 or £400.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49But Charlie Baldwin, I think he was just the best.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54At £3,900 in the room. At £3,900.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00£3,900. That is a classic Flog It! moment.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02No one painted swans like Charlie Baldwin.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04He was the best.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Remember that name. Luckily, this artist is so much in demand
0:09:08 > 0:09:11that the damage didn't detract from the vase's value.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15But there's nothing subtle about the damage to this lovely charger.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20- Nice to see you coming along with this great big plate in several pieces.- I know.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25In Cheltenham, I took in a great big maiolica charger that was very badly damaged.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28I took it in because I thought it could show people that,
0:09:28 > 0:09:33just because things were damaged, it didn't necessarily mean they were worthless.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- You're spoiling us here. - I am.- Where did you get it from?
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Actually, it was given to my husband.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43There was a pub opposite that was being demolished. This was going to go in the skip.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48Damage is never acceptable. Damage is acceptable on certain wares
0:09:48 > 0:09:51that are know to be quite brittle and subject to damage anyway.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56Such as this maiolica and majolica, they're tin-glazed or lead-glazed earthenwares.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00They're brittle, they easily break, and chips come off them.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04That's another reason why I still took this charger in because
0:10:04 > 0:10:09you expect to see majolica and maiolica with an element of damage on it.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13If it's perfect, it arouses suspicion because you think,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17"How could it have survived 100 years, 200 years with no damage at all?
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- It is in a bit of a state, isn't it? - I know, yes.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- Was it like that when your husband got it?- It was.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27- Which is why, I guess, he was heading for the skip with it.- I think so.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30There's some confusion about the terms maiolica and majolica.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Sometimes, we get them a bit mixed up.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Basically, maiolica refers to a tin-glazed earthenware.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41And majolica is a lead-glazed ware.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45They're quite obvious when you put them next to each other. Honest.
0:10:45 > 0:10:51It looks to us 19th-century Italian. A type of maiolica, tin-glazed earthenware.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Some know it as Delftware.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55We've got a signature, M Rodriguez.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00And we've got this sort of Baroque-style earlier period.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Today's restoration techniques are amazing.
0:11:03 > 0:11:09Cutting-edge technology. They can mend anything and make it look like it's never been damaged before.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13So the right restorer could have made that charger look wonderful.
0:11:13 > 0:11:19Only trouble is, it would've cost hundreds of pounds, which is more than the final value of the item.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23There we go. Bid me for that lot. Start me off. Bid me £100 to start.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Bid me 100. Bid me 50.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28'I thought it was a lovely thing.'
0:11:28 > 0:11:30I thought it was quite decorative.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33But there's a difference between damage and wrecked.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37And this was properly wrecked. It really had been through the mill.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42And there comes a point when acceptable restoration...
0:11:42 > 0:11:46There's a massive difference between that and complete renewal.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51I put an estimate of £100 to £200 on that charger because it was a great big decorative object.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55And a lot of Italian maiolica can make hundreds even thousands of pounds.
0:11:55 > 0:12:02I was giving a nice wide estimate indicating, "Well, we're not really sure, could be 100, could be 200."
0:12:02 > 0:12:06I think, at the end of it, it didn't quite make that, did it?
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Any more? The maiden bid will take it.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13At £50. And it's done and sold at £50 and away.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- No reserve. - No reserve, that's fine.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19We had one bid and it was £50 and that was it.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22I was surprised. I thought it might do better than that.
0:12:22 > 0:12:28But there's no doubt its condition really was the all-prevailing factor.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33No kidding. Sometimes, the cost of restoration is just too much.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36But even if an item is badly damaged, don't throw it away
0:12:36 > 0:12:39without getting an expert's opinion.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Judith, you've brought this monstrosity in to show us.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Before we have a proper look at it,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47can you give us any information about it yourself?
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Yes, I bought it in Tamlyns Auction House
0:12:51 > 0:12:55in Bridgwater about five years ago.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58I paid about £25 or £28, I'm not sure.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Do you know, I look back very fondly at Weston-super-Mare
0:13:02 > 0:13:06when that lady brought in that rather sort of deformed
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Clanger-looking lamp by Guy Sydenham.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- 'Terrible condition.' - I bought it because it's quirky.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14It's certainly quirky, isn't it?
0:13:14 > 0:13:17But did they know exactly what it was?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20I don't think so. I honestly don't know.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23It was tucked in the corner and nobody looked at it.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27It was tucked right away. It was only me and a lad that was bidding for it.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30I can understand why somebody would overlook it.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33It's not exactly an attractive-looking object.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36I know you and I share a love for the Clangers.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39- Oh, I love the Clangers. - As soon as I saw it, I thought,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41"It looks like a deformed Clanger."
0:13:41 > 0:13:45- It looks like the Soup Dragon, one of his houses.- That's right.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Fortunately, I knew exactly what it was
0:13:48 > 0:13:53because I worked for a large London auction house a few years before
0:13:53 > 0:13:57and we'd sold one exactly the same with a bright colour.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59And I knew they were worth a lot of money.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03And, of course, it's Poole Pottery designed by Guy Sydenham.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06We've got this lovely little brochure of him making one of these.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09I believe he only made a handful, is that right?
0:14:09 > 0:14:12As far as I know, he only made four.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17So it's quite a rare object as well as being quite a funky shape.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19We have got some problems with it, haven't we?
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Oh, yes. It was broken when I bought it.
0:14:22 > 0:14:29'Absolutely shocking. It was cracked through the middle. There were several bits of restoration.'
0:14:29 > 0:14:32'There was some glaze flaking and losses.'
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Some of the little nodules had come off.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39But you have to remember he made a handful of these.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43You know. So, of their type, they are very rare.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48I contacted Guy Sydenham, the actual potter. He offered to restore it for me.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52But, because of family problems, I couldn't get over to see him.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- And it's been in the cupboard ever since.- Ever since.- Yeah.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Guy Sydenham was a very interesting designer.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01He worked for Poole Pottery in the '60s and '70s.
0:15:01 > 0:15:07And produced these wonderfully bizarre creations.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11I'm not sure about it. I think Mark's right with his price.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14A price difficult to determine because of the extensive damage.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18It is an unknown quantity. Yes, we've asked on the condition of this
0:15:18 > 0:15:23to have the reserve reduced to have a sensible price which we believe this will be sold.
0:15:23 > 0:15:29The auctioneer called you and said, "I don't think it's going to do it. Let's make it £100 to £200."
0:15:29 > 0:15:31That must have disappointed you.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36- It did a bit. But, on the other hand, I don't feel too bad.- OK.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41I was also surprised when Paul mentioned to the vendor that the auctioneer had been in touch.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45They'd tried to reduce the estimate to 100 to 200
0:15:45 > 0:15:48but they'd settled on a happy medium of 2 to 3.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53Not surprising, I suppose, when it was bought at the same salesroom a few years before for 28.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57I had every confidence it was going to make my estimate and more.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59We'll go slowly. 120.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01120. All done with then? 200.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04300. 400. 500.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- Keep going.- 600.- Yep. - 700 bid on the phone.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12- 800 I'm bid.- Yes.- Yes, a late bidder.- Fresh bidder. 900.
0:16:12 > 0:16:141,000 now, sir. 1100. Phone's out?
0:16:14 > 0:16:17At £1200.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21£1200. Hasn't gone down. How about that?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Wonderful.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27I wasn't at least surprised when it rocketed past
0:16:27 > 0:16:32even my modest estimate of 3 to 500 to sell for what it did.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Because there's a handful of these known.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36And if you're a collector and you want one,
0:16:36 > 0:16:41you either have one damaged or you don't have one at all.
0:16:42 > 0:16:48While the condition is of paramount importance, most of our experts agree that, if you love something,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51it's OK to buy an antique that's less than perfect.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53But not all of them.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58"One man's rubbish is another man's treasure," still very much the case.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Yes, people are more informed nowadays because of programmes like Flog It!
0:17:02 > 0:17:06But it's still possible to find things
0:17:06 > 0:17:11that have been discarded by some and are hugely sought after.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13You never ever want to buy really damaged items.
0:17:13 > 0:17:19The only exception to that is when rarity dictates that the only way you're ever going to own something
0:17:19 > 0:17:23is by buying something that might have a bit of damage to it, then it's acceptable.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Never ignore damage.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29I know there are people who collect in very academic fields who say,
0:17:29 > 0:17:34"I don't care if this Worcester teapot's got a chip in the spout because it is so rare."
0:17:34 > 0:17:39But, unless you're collecting in those fields, never never ignore damage.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44It can wreck the value of an item just as much as it wrecks the item itself.
0:17:44 > 0:17:50I found in a house clearing in Worcestershire the most beautiful Delftware 17th-century cat.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52He was wonderful but he was missing an ear.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56It didn't seem to matter because he went on to sell for 52,000.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59He was rather lovely.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02The main thing is, if you're going to buy something that's broken,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04do it with your eyes open.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Here's a tip and please, please do remember this.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12Don't be frightened to look at things you want to buy. Turn them upside down, pull the drawers out.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Look at the construction. Look at things with a magnifying glass.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19And, also, if it's dark, shine a torch on them.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Always ask about damage or restoration as sellers
0:18:22 > 0:18:26may not volunteer details they'd rather you didn't spot.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30If there is damage and you still love it, try and strike a bargain.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Earlier on, we saw that beaten-up Poole lamp base
0:18:34 > 0:18:38sell for an incredible £1200 because of its rarity.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Poole Pottery is still being produced today.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44So let's take a look at what makes it so popular
0:18:44 > 0:18:46and how it's doing in today's market.
0:18:46 > 0:18:52A typical Poole charger, typical colours, designed by Truda Carter.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55The same firm. Do you know which one is worth more?
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I imagine that one there will be worth more.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03Generally, when you're in this sort of business, the older the better.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Unless you're talking about specific 20th-century designers and signed pieces.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10In the centre and selling at 150.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- Top end. £150. - Very satisfied with that.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- Got to be, haven't you? - Yes.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17I don't know how much you know about Poole factory.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21The original factory was inherited in 1873 and, by 1921,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Carter, Stabler and Adams
0:19:24 > 0:19:28set up a firm making very versatile usable products.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32By the time they got to the 1960s and 1970s,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34they produced what they called "psychedelic ware".
0:19:34 > 0:19:40They used the bright, almost pop colours and Pop Art of that time
0:19:40 > 0:19:42along with interesting shapes.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47And they really produced this ware between about 1966 and about 1980.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51But this one is by a lady called Carol Cutler.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55She monograms it "CC" and she's one of the most famous
0:19:55 > 0:19:58designers and decorators that they employed.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02This one has suffered damage with a chip on the underside of the rim.
0:20:02 > 0:20:07From that point of view, it's slightly hampered by that in terms of its value.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10My bid 45, if you're all done.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13- Yes. Margaret will be pleased. - She will.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18The Poole Pottery company's fortunes have fluctuated in recent years.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22They were forced to stop production in the town in 2006,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24before they moved to Staffordshire.
0:20:24 > 0:20:31I got a chance to meet the collector Ian Felton who talked me through some of his prized possessions.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Where does it start? What's the early date?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36This is the earliest piece I brought along here.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39This is a candlestick from the early 1920s.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44As you can see, at that time, the patterns were very simple geometric-based.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49This was the start of Truda Adams who became Truda Carter.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Truda Carter was the designer.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54There were a number of ladies there decorating.
0:20:54 > 0:20:59But it was Truda that was responsible for the actual production of the patterns.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04- This is what we see a great deal of. - The start of the '60s was really when
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Poole studio was reinstated.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11And what the public really recognise as being Poole Pottery,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14the Delphis range, that came in about 1963.
0:21:14 > 0:21:21So Delphis, that's the Latin name for dolphin, which is the Poole symbol.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23The range carried on right up until 1980.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27But it's the earlier pieces that are much more sought after.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Mid-20th-century Poole is a great choice for want-to-be collectors
0:21:31 > 0:21:34because it's inexpensive, well marked
0:21:34 > 0:21:38and fits in well with today's love of retro.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Look for monogrammed pieces.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Because Poole is plentiful, avoid anything that's damaged.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Poole Pottery just keeps on going.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Today's designs are still inspired by the everyday,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51the elements, nature and the world around us.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Very stylish items.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02And now you get a sense of how you arrive at this very sophisticated end form.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07Poole Pottery, definitely a family heirloom of the future and a Flog It! item for tomorrow.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20The most musical of Flog It! regulars is, without doubt, Adam Partridge.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25If an instrument comes in to one of our valuation days, it usually has his name on it.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Adam admires the beauty of the music and the aesthetic design
0:22:29 > 0:22:32of the instruments themselves.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35And it breaks his heart to see them abandoned, broken and unloved.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Today, we're taking him to see a man after his own heart.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48- Hello, Adam.- How do you do? Thanks for inviting me.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52I'm glad I got directions. It's a great spot, isn't it?
0:22:52 > 0:22:56The first thing I noticed was the smell. Takes me back to being 10 years old.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Possibly this. Possibly the animal glue.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Oh!
0:23:01 > 0:23:03LAUGHS
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Michael, this is where all the magic happens. How long have you been doing this?
0:23:07 > 0:23:12Well, I started taking instruments apart when I was aged about 11.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17I used to enjoy taking it apart, cleaning it and putting it back together more than playing it.
0:23:17 > 0:23:23I was the opposite. I was better at playing it. When it came to anything practical, I was useless.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26If I took one apart, it would never get back together.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30My grandad was an amateur restorer of violins.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34It's in my family. Both parents were professional violinists.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Are you using traditional methods?
0:23:36 > 0:23:40I use the methods of Antonio Stradivari, which means no electricity.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44How did you learn? You're not self-taught. You must have had formal training.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48I was self-taught to a degree. Then, at the back end of the '90s,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- I decided to get some formal training.- Yeah.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55- So now I'm qualified to work on Stradivari violins.- OK.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00- While we're standing here talking, we could be doing a bit of work. Shall we crack on?- If you think so.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05I need serious direction. My wife won't even let me hold a paintbrush in the house.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Let alone hand tools and stuff like that.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12If you make mistakes, it's because of the quality of the teaching.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- OK. That's very kind of you to say so.- OK, so...
0:24:15 > 0:24:18All we're doing, these holes are too big on the instrument.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23Peg goes in, gets turned and slowly the hole gets bigger.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27What we have to do is close the hole and then re-drill.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30This is a tricky one for you because it's your business
0:24:30 > 0:24:33but would you advocate restoration prior to sale?
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Always. Yeah. I always give an example, it's like a car.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40if it isn't fully MOT'd and it hasn't got four good tyres,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43somebody's going to knock you down on price.
0:24:43 > 0:24:49OK. But what if the cost of getting the car roadworthy outweighs the final value of the car?
0:24:49 > 0:24:53- You've got to weigh that up.- If they came in with a £100 German violin
0:24:53 > 0:24:56and it needed 300 quid's worth of work on it?
0:24:56 > 0:25:00- There's no point.- Unless it was sentimental. Not for resale.- Yeah.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- There you go. - Your turn.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Well, that looks simple.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Let me show you how it's done.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11LAUGHS
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Then you're going to turn it clockwise. But don't force it.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19- When you turn it, feel it resisting.- Oh, yeah. - That's because it's not round.
0:25:19 > 0:25:25- Keep going?- Yeah, keep going. You're not forcing it.- There's less resistance.- Yeah. Perfect.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Push it in as it goes.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35What from a restorer's view...? How can you tell looking at a violin what's quality and what isn't?
0:25:35 > 0:25:38What I will say is, don't believe the label.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42I'd say probably 90% of all violin labels are spurious, aren't they?
0:25:42 > 0:25:46- Yeah, if not more. - Most of them say Stradivarius, don't they?- That's right, yeah.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48I need some soap.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54- Wow! That soap makes a lot of difference.- Bit more.- Bit more?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Push it right the way through. Give it a little turn. Brilliant.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- an you feel it biting? - I can.- OK.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01- That'll be good for 300 years. - Will it?
0:26:01 > 0:26:08The next step will be to trim them back and then pare it back with a chisel, then re-drill the hole.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Obviously, this time we'll drill it smaller.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14- Then we'll cut it down.- That will be cut down to go through there.
0:26:14 > 0:26:20We trim that end, polish it and dome it. That's a sign of a quality job.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Look at the other end of the peg and see if it's polished.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- That is a little tip for people. - Yeah, yeah.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- These are ebony, right? - They're ebony.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31So, eventually, they will turn
0:26:31 > 0:26:35and you turn it to adjust the pitch of the strings to get it in tune.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39- They will turn without slipping and it'll be easy. - It'll be a nice thin peg.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43So you'll get a big turn for a small change in pitch.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45And you won't need the metal on the tailpiece.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- OK.- So your tailpiece will vibrate nicely.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51I hope I've done a decent job and you won't call me back to do it again.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53I'll leave this with you.
0:26:53 > 0:27:00What I'd like to do is see you in action making a real Michael Phoenix violin.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03OK. If we set off now and go to Bluecoats in Liverpool,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06we'll have a look at how to make a violin.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08- Great stuff. - OK, let's go then.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Make yourself at home.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Wow!
0:27:19 > 0:27:21This is one you're making at the moment?
0:27:21 > 0:27:23This one is for my eldest son.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27- OK.- So, don't worry if there's any mistakes made.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30- It's not like it's important.- If it was a customer, we couldn't do it.
0:27:30 > 0:27:35- If it was a customer, I'd have to make it because it has to be my own hands.- Right.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38- Is this inlaid by you?- Yeah. - By hand?- Yeah.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42- Some people cheat and stencil it on, don't they?- Yeah, it can be drawn on.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47But that doesn't help its function because it's not just for decoration.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- What's it for?- In case the instrument gets hit on the edge.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53A crack would run up through the grain.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56- It's a protective border. - It's a barrier.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58- I never even thought of that. - Yeah.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02- When I'm making an instrument, I'm going for perfection.- Yeah.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04- And so it's slow when you're making it.- How slow?
0:28:04 > 0:28:08250 hours, then another 250 hours
0:28:08 > 0:28:13for varnish but over a period of six to nine months because there's drying time.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16If I was interested in purchasing one, how much would I be looking at?
0:28:16 > 0:28:22Don't do me a favour. How much would the public be looking at to buy a violin? What's the range?
0:28:22 > 0:28:26You'd be looking at around about £8,000.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Do people come and order bespoke and say, "I want one like this"?
0:28:29 > 0:28:31- It's all by commission, yeah. - OK.- Yeah.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35- Tell me a bit more about varnishing. - I make the varnish from scratch.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38- All natural materials. - Do you?
0:28:38 > 0:28:40That looks like animal poo.
0:28:40 > 0:28:45What it is, is the lac beetle, lands on a twig, eats the sap,
0:28:45 > 0:28:50and lays eggs, covers the eggs over with this sticky secretion.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53And then, twice a year, this is harvested off the tree.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56- So there's a twig running through there.- Yeah.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Very interesting.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Michael's so passionate about using the same method as Stradivarius
0:29:02 > 0:29:05that he even crafts his violins by candlelight.
0:29:06 > 0:29:11So, do you find there are benefits of using candlelight?
0:29:11 > 0:29:15Or is it just your aspirations to be as close to Stradivarius as possible?
0:29:15 > 0:29:17There's practical reasons for it.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21When you use natural daylight, the light seems to spread all over the instrument.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Makes the instrument look very flat.
0:29:23 > 0:29:28- When you use a candle, it's just one single source of light.- Oh, gosh.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33- And it picks up every bump. - Yeah, things I hadn't noticed at all.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Sandpaper tears the fibres of the wood. What we use is,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40- we use a scraper and that works like a plane.- Yeah.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44- It actually cuts the wood. If I do on this side.- Yeah.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47It looks like dust but it's actually very fine shavings.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51- I see. It's coming good. - It's got to be blended out now.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55It's slow work but what you're doing
0:29:55 > 0:29:58is making it absolutely perfect.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03- Right. I think that's looking OK now.- Yeah.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05Do you want to have a go at this side?
0:30:05 > 0:30:09There's plenty of blemishes for you to have ago at. There you go.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12- Thank you. Make sure you supervise me.- I will do.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15- This is your son's instrument. - It is my son's instrument.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19- No pressure.- No pressure. I'm not taking my eyes off you.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Oh! What are you doing? No, go on, carry on.
0:30:22 > 0:30:23BOTH LAUGH
0:30:23 > 0:30:27- Looking good there, Adam. - Yeah?- Yeah.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29How are we looking?
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Probably just a little bit on this side.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34- On that edge? - Yeah.- OK, boss.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38Adam's done well so far. But Michael feels safer with the lights on
0:30:38 > 0:30:41as they get started on the inside of the violin.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46What we're going to do is pretend this is a field and you're just going to plough it.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49We start on this inside line, which is six millimetres.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58For a man of your calibre, no problem, Adam.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59LAUGHS
0:30:59 > 0:31:01- Want have a go? - Yeah, go on then.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Just take it easy. Get the angle right.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08That's it. Go on. Bit deeper.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12That's it. That's better. Now you're getting it.
0:31:12 > 0:31:17- Use that one.- You're having a laugh. - No. Go on. That'll be better.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20- Yeah. - This is your son's violin?
0:31:20 > 0:31:23- No, it's OK. Just don't go deep. - Give it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25As long as you've got the angle right, you're OK.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27That's it. Go on.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29Oh! That's all right.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33I'm actually really enjoying myself.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36- It's as you get nearer to the front. - When the skill comes.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Then you'll have to use the small planes.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Here's the smallest plane that we use.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47- Have a go with that. It's a little baby plane.- Ah! A little baby plane.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Perhaps I'd have been a better maker than a player after all.
0:31:51 > 0:31:56- I hope your son is pleased with the final result of the violin. - I'm sure he will be.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Just to remind him that you were involved in the making of this instrument.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04- You've not done a special label? Oh, my goodness. - I've done a special label.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08OK. My top tips for old violins.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12Don't be put off if there's no strings on it and it looks in a general state of disrepair.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16You could bring it somewhere like this and get it sorted out.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Whatever you do, please don't try and mend it yourself.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24I've seen so many people have a go and ruin perfectly decent instruments
0:32:24 > 0:32:27by using basic products from hardware shops.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30They need to be seen by a specialist.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32VIOLIN PLAYS
0:32:38 > 0:32:42- I'm not in form.- Ah, very, very good. - Need to practise more.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45I always suspected Adam had hidden talent.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49It's not only violins that need special attention if they're damaged.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51It's always worth getting an expert's opinion
0:32:51 > 0:32:54if you have a musical instrument that's been neglected.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Coming up, we find out that looks certainly aren't everything
0:33:03 > 0:33:06when it comes to an item's value.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10Hazel, what a curious teapot. I was drawn to this in the queue outside.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15We catch up with the woman who exchanged an antique for a power tool.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19- The money is going towards what? - A chainsaw. A new chainsaw.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23And I meet a team tackling a massive restoration project.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28We've all got something at home, that one special item we're particularly attached to.
0:33:28 > 0:33:34But I want to know, what's the one thing our experts would rescue from a burning building?
0:33:34 > 0:33:37And, today, it's Anita Manning's turn.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40I have many pictures and I love all of them.
0:33:40 > 0:33:46If there was a fire in my house, I would find it very difficult to choose one over the other.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49But I've brought this little oil along today.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53It's by Peter Howson. Peter Howson was one of what are called
0:33:53 > 0:33:55the new Glasgow Boys.
0:33:55 > 0:34:01These were a group of artists who emerged from Glasgow School of Art in the 1980s.
0:34:01 > 0:34:07In the '80s, Howson was doing a series of pictures on,
0:34:07 > 0:34:11I suppose, the underclass of urban life.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14And this is one such picture.
0:34:14 > 0:34:19He painted the street fighters, the dossers,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22the poor and the unemployed.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26I find this picture very moving. When I look at it
0:34:26 > 0:34:32and I see this well-muscled back hunched in despair.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34He's looking down, he's desolate.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38His face is wrinkled beyond his years.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43But the expression in his eyes is intelligent and sensitive.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47And I think that Howson has combined this body
0:34:47 > 0:34:52with this expression so beautifully and so movingly.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54And I just love this picture.
0:34:57 > 0:35:02Over the years, you have brought to our valuation days things which are just plain ugly.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05You hate them and you can't wait to get rid of them.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07That's where our experts come in rather helpful.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12During that time, quite frankly, we've seen things that only a mother would love.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15But they tend to sell. So who's buying them?
0:35:15 > 0:35:19- That's a dog, isn't it?- Oh, is it? - That's a dog.- Oh, right.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24I remember in Dulwich, a lady brought along a teapot, which she described as a monkey teapot.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29It was that grotesque. But when you looked at it, it was a pug dog in a hat.
0:35:29 > 0:35:34Hazel, what a curious little teapot. I was drawn to this in the queue outside when you showed it to me.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39- You said it was...- A monkey.- Monkey? I would say it's a little pug.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44- Which is really good news because dogs are very collectable.- Yes. Yeah.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48Anthropomorphism was popular at the end of the 19th century.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51You're basically posing animals in human roles.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54It's putting a hat on a dog.
0:35:54 > 0:35:59Or dressing up figures so that they're doing activities.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02It's like the painting of the dogs playing snooker.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06It's all that hideous, sort of cultural vandalism
0:36:06 > 0:36:11that went on from the end of the 19th century into the beginning of the 20th.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13We've got the factory mark there.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17And the depose mark, which is the French patent mark.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21- Right.- Sadly, I can't tell you which French factory it is.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25- Right.- There are hundreds if not thousands of small factories
0:36:25 > 0:36:29working in and around Paris and in and around the Limoges area.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33- It's good to know it's French. - We can't pin it down.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36What I can tell you is the date. These little amusing
0:36:36 > 0:36:39anthropomorphic pieces that you get
0:36:39 > 0:36:44tend to be about 1890 up to around 1900, 1910.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49I don't know which designer had conceived a teapot in the form of a pug dog in a hat.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52But I hope they didn't make many more teapots after that.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57- The novelty factor always enhances the value of antiques.- Yes.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02- So I think, if we're sensible and say 20 to £40.- Right.
0:37:02 > 0:37:08We just hope there are two people that really love pugs there and decide they can't live without it.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13The fact it's a pug dog means that it's of interest to dog collectors
0:37:13 > 0:37:16and it will have a value because of that.
0:37:16 > 0:37:21It's quirky, sometimes it's obscene, but it's always popular.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24So, 45. 48. 50. And 5.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26- This is very good. - 60.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29At £60 on the pug teapot.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32- Over the top.- £60. Pug's away. How about that?- Yes, very good.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36- Got to be happy.- Yes.- First experience, a happy experience.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38I thought the thing was absolutely hideous.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42Frightful. I wouldn't have taken it away if you'd given me money.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46At least two people in the saleroom thought differently.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49And you should never underestimate the popularity of dogs.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Even really ugly ones.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55As the old saying goes, "One man's meat is another man's poison."
0:37:55 > 0:37:59Taste in all things is highly personal. It's so subjective.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04And two of our experts couldn't have disagreed more over this plate.
0:38:04 > 0:38:09- Hello, Chris.- Hello.- You've brought this lovely plate in to show us. - Mmm.- You don't like it?
0:38:09 > 0:38:11- No.- Why not? - I think it's horrible.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15- Really? Where did you get it from? - It was given to me four years ago.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19I adore majolica ware. I love the designs.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21I love the bright use of colours.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24And I thought the combination of that cobalt blue
0:38:24 > 0:38:29and that wonderful cheeky French poodle on the front with his little bow
0:38:29 > 0:38:31was absolutely adorable.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33You're quite right, it is majolica.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35But it's not British majolica.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40It is indeed stamped inside there majolica, but it's by Sarreguemines,
0:38:40 > 0:38:42which was a French factory.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Which is sort of like our Minton and George Jones.
0:38:46 > 0:38:51They were producing at the mid to end of the 19th century unusual pieces,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54as you quite rightly say, in majolica.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57This very high glaze type of pottery.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00Here we've got this wonderful vibrant cobalt blue.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04Then, when we turn it over, we have an equally vibrant turquoise blue.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09Look at you laughing your head off. I love it. I like dogs.
0:39:09 > 0:39:14But I personally wouldn't have a dog like this on a piece of majolica.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17- Yeah. Be tactful. - You have to be very tactful.
0:39:17 > 0:39:22There's lots of people watching who will adore this and there's always a buyer for something.
0:39:22 > 0:39:29So, hopefully, it's going to sell. 100 to £150, Mark Stacey put the estimate on this.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32- I do think it's a lot. - So do I.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34I'm smiling just thinking about it.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37The plate. My goodness.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41Majolica is lovely, I do actually like majolica.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45But the plate itself took me a bit aback because the poodle...
0:39:45 > 0:39:48It actually comes across photogenically quite well on camera
0:39:48 > 0:39:51but to see the plate in reality was rather a shock.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55It was sort of a blob on a blue ground, it didn't suggest anything.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58It didn't inspire me to sort of enthuse at all.
0:39:58 > 0:40:05Um... So it was a bit embarrassing that it took so much hilarity on the day of me selling it.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09But I had to eat my words, didn't I? Because it did quite well.
0:40:09 > 0:40:10LAUGHS
0:40:10 > 0:40:14Well, of course, hideous is in the eye of the beholder.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17I thought it was lovely. She didn't.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20I was about to talk about it and Elizabeth burst out laughing.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23I said, "Mark knows his ceramics."
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Well, I think it's all about opinion.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29If you've got a serious majolica collector.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31I've never seen one like that before.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36It's not as good as Minton or George Jones but Sarreguemines are well known in the majolica field.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39I don't know. It just touched a funny bone when I saw it.
0:40:39 > 0:40:45My professionalism slipped. I have to apologise to Mark about that.
0:40:45 > 0:40:495. 70. 5. 80. 5. 90.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54- That's sold.- 95 is the gentleman. 95. Where's the 100? Round it up.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- Oh, come on. - At 95 and selling.
0:40:56 > 0:41:02- 95.- Sold, just. Somebody did love it.- We had a discretionary reserve.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06- Correct valuation.- I'm disappointed. It should have gone higher.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11I started low and I kept working at it even though I wanted to smile while I was selling.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14How popular are French poodles in Norwich? I'm not sure.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17But there are a lot of majolica collectors around.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19I would have bought it.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23Yuck! I'm a dog lover and I wouldn't give that house room.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25But dogs, owls and pigs are always popular.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29So they make good collecting fields. And, honestly, Elizabeth,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32I can't believe you think this is more appealing.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37I don't know why I'm drawn to this chap but I'd like to know all you can tell me about him.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39This is the reason I've come to see you
0:41:39 > 0:41:43because I didn't know what it was or what it was used for.
0:41:43 > 0:41:48The devil's head stood out of the room like a sore thumb.
0:41:48 > 0:41:53But it was just so obviously different to everything else that was in the queue.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56And I've never seen anything like that before.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Wouldn't one be drawn to something like that?
0:41:59 > 0:42:03- How did you come by him?- Well, in the early '80s, I was at a little sale.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06It was in a box of odds and bits.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10It was the other stuff I was more interested in. It happened to be there.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14- But I never had it on display. - It would frighten the neighbours too much.- That's true.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16I've never seen anything like him.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20I certainly think he scores ten out of ten for novelty value.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24- So he's been locked away. - 25 years in the loft.- In the loft.
0:42:24 > 0:42:29What we have here is a piece of porcelain, which I believe is German.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33The mark underneath is a blue capital M printed beneath a crown.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37Several factories used that. It could be one of the Nymphenburg factories.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40It's a very white glassy body of porcelain.
0:42:40 > 0:42:45At the back, we have these two holes and I would suggest they were
0:42:45 > 0:42:48intended to take an electric flex.
0:42:48 > 0:42:54There's a chamber inside his head, which would take some sort of scented oils or something.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58- From the heat of the lamp, aromatherapy was issuing from it. - Ah, yes.
0:42:58 > 0:43:03The lights inside would shine through this semi-translucent porcelain,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06- and then, of course, through the eyes a little bit.- Lovely.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08You'd never sleep, would you?
0:43:08 > 0:43:13- It would be nice if something smoked.- Yes, it would. It would be eerie.
0:43:13 > 0:43:18I don't think one has to be into devils per se, as it were,
0:43:18 > 0:43:23to find that it would add a facet to a collection.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Have you any guesstimate to what you think it might fetch?
0:43:26 > 0:43:28- It's got to be worth 20 or 25 quid surely.- Yeah.
0:43:28 > 0:43:33I would think 25 to £35, that sort of region.
0:43:33 > 0:43:34A few pints down the golf club.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37A very niche market.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39'Or you could just enjoy Halloween.'
0:43:39 > 0:43:44Another creative thing to put on the side when people come trick or treating.
0:43:44 > 0:43:49One of the more attractive pieces of porcelain in the sale today.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53You shove a bulb in it and his eyes shine.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56That is so spooky. I don't like it.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00- 22. 25.- It's gone. It's not going home, Ken.- Good.
0:44:00 > 0:44:0438. 40. Are you bidding? All done at £90.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08I didn't notice that there was a 666 bidding card.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12That's very appropriate with connotations of devil worship.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15No, I didn't. I was so wrapped up with the action of the moment.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17No, I didn't notice. Did they get it?
0:44:17 > 0:44:20SCARY LAUGHTER
0:44:22 > 0:44:24# Oh, you pretty things #
0:44:24 > 0:44:28There's nothing supernatural about something odd fetching a high price.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32It's happened again and again on this show.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34But this next one is just plain weird.
0:44:35 > 0:44:37Look at this. One word springs to mind.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41- Why? - I'm fascinated by it.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44OK. Fine. Yes.
0:44:44 > 0:44:46Especially the frogs.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48- I love frogs. - Do you?
0:44:48 > 0:44:54I was interested in the development of the frog from the egg to the frog itself.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56So that's why I have them.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00This really lovely girl, who looked incredibly normal, appeared.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04And she produced this box and another box and another box
0:45:04 > 0:45:07of sort of anatomical dissected frogs
0:45:07 > 0:45:11and bits of innards and outards and other things.
0:45:12 > 0:45:17She looked incredibly normal. She loved these things. I thought, "Oh, strange lady."
0:45:17 > 0:45:19How old are they? I'm going to guess. '50s?
0:45:19 > 0:45:22- I'd imagine so. - 1950s.- Yeah.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24They're made out of plaster.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27I believe most of them are plaster of Paris.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29Right. How did you come by them?
0:45:29 > 0:45:31I work in a school,
0:45:31 > 0:45:36and a few years ago, we were clearing a few things out
0:45:36 > 0:45:39and these were for the skip really.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43- I decided I would keep them. - Right.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46Strangely, I think there is a market for them.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51This would be great for a museum or someone who collects medical things.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54I'm really guessing here.
0:45:54 > 0:45:59- I think we've got to estimate them at 80 to £120.- OK.- That sort of region.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03It's a question of one man's meat is another man's poison, I suppose.
0:46:03 > 0:46:09But there are people who collect these post-mortem sets.
0:46:09 > 0:46:13They collect trepanning sets. Field surgeon sets.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16And all that type of thing. I think she was one of those.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19Obsessed by the morbid.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23I've got nowhere to put them. I'm fascinated by them but I've got nowhere to put them.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25- Which is your favourite? - I love the frogs.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29These are good too. I like the insides.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31Ugh!
0:46:32 > 0:46:38Initially, they would have been purely educational toys for either pupils at school...
0:46:38 > 0:46:43Educational toys. They would have been educational models
0:46:43 > 0:46:46for pupils at schools and for medical students.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49Quite what you'd ever do with them, though, I do not know.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52Well, what do you say about these things?
0:46:52 > 0:46:54Good gracious me.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58I think we've got the life cycle of the tadpole to the frog.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01We've certainly got two that look very much like ET.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03LAUGHTER
0:47:03 > 0:47:05Come on, Martin. 210.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08210.
0:47:08 > 0:47:09230.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12240. No, that'll do.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15Anybody else want to put them on the mantelpiece?
0:47:15 > 0:47:18All done at 240 then.
0:47:18 > 0:47:23- 240 quid.- Thank you. - That's good, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25Good diagnosis from Dr Lot here.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29It's one of those areas that there is a demand for them.
0:47:29 > 0:47:35As a dealer, you could buy those and sell them tomorrow, if the right chap walked through the door.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39Or you might keep them in your shop for a year. You've really got to want to own those.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43And here's our experts' final word on the subject.
0:47:43 > 0:47:47Sometimes, the most ugliest things can make the most money.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53Some of the things we sell, I look at it and I go, "I couldn't live with that."
0:47:53 > 0:47:57But then, someone else loves it. So it's all a matter of taste, isn't it?
0:47:57 > 0:48:02Somebody came to one of my valuation days with this walking stick,
0:48:02 > 0:48:04which had an automaton movement.
0:48:04 > 0:48:10When you pressed the head, its eyes changed colour from brown to blue.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14And its tongue came out. A lot of people went, "Ooh! That's really horrible."
0:48:14 > 0:48:20But it made a huge amount of money at auction. It made way over £2,000.
0:48:20 > 0:48:24Very odd, very ugly, but very rare.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27Don't dismiss ugly, it's not a bad thing.
0:48:31 > 0:48:36Earlier, Adam saw just how much work goes into restoring one violin.
0:48:36 > 0:48:41But take a look at what happens if you've got a much bigger project on your hands.
0:48:43 > 0:48:47I visited Temple Newsam in 2011.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50It was home to the Ingram family for more than 300 years.
0:48:50 > 0:48:56The mansion was sold in 1922 and is now managed by Leeds City Council.
0:48:56 > 0:49:02And there's just one small dedicated team responsible for restoring and conserving it.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05With over 100 rooms, three floors,
0:49:05 > 0:49:09and some 20,000 antiques, they have quite a task.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13Hello, Polly.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16- Hello. Lovely to meet you. - Meeting you in the butler's pantry.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18I didn't realise the place was so vast.
0:49:18 > 0:49:23You've got a big project on your hands. What are the main problems with restoration?
0:49:23 > 0:49:25Just as you said, its size, isn't it?
0:49:25 > 0:49:28There are something like 20,000 objects here.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32Just trying to keep track of them is one of the things.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35- What motivates your work?- Sometimes, when you go around a gallery space,
0:49:35 > 0:49:40and you just see a little child smiling and a family smiling,
0:49:40 > 0:49:42that's what motivates me.
0:49:42 > 0:49:46Those two minutes when they're looking at something beautiful and great.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51Having an in-house team is becoming rarer and rarer.
0:49:51 > 0:49:56But for Temple Newsam it's essential. And a never-ending mission.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02In the 1940s, the historic interiors were ripped out.
0:50:02 > 0:50:07But in the 1980s, Leeds City Council took the groundbreaking decision
0:50:07 > 0:50:10to restore the house to its former glory.
0:50:10 > 0:50:16Over the last 30 years, that's exactly what's happened room by room.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20Another objective was to collect as many of the house's original treasures.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23Treasures that had been sold off in the 1920s.
0:50:23 > 0:50:29Probably the most significant was the return of the paintings that hung in this spectacular room.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31The picture gallery.
0:50:31 > 0:50:36Lord Halifax, an Ingram descendant, returned 85 heirloom paintings.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38The majority of those were family portraits.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42So, once again, the house was coming back to life.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46Unsurprisingly, the picture gallery was high on the list to restore.
0:50:46 > 0:50:52In 1986, to mark the room's 250th anniversary, that's just what happened.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56They found a scrap of the original green flock wallpaper
0:50:56 > 0:51:00from when the room was created in 1746 and replicated it.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03It was the first facsimile wallpaper in the country.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05Traditional methods were used.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09The design was hand printed using a specially carved block.
0:51:09 > 0:51:15And the wool used to create the flock was painstakingly chopped and sprinkled on by hand.
0:51:17 > 0:51:23More often than not, when you start a restoration project, one thing leads to another.
0:51:23 > 0:51:28Nobody knew this was one huge display cabinet full of china.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32This, at some stage in its history, was split up into separate units
0:51:32 > 0:51:35and distributed all over the house in different bedrooms.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39Now, there was carpet on this flagstone floor.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43During the restoration project, when the carpet was lifted up, it left
0:51:43 > 0:51:47a footprint running along this wall where something had been there.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50A few measurements later, and a bit of detective work,
0:51:50 > 0:51:55all these cupboards were reassembled back into this room.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59It's a small but very significant part of the history of this house.
0:51:59 > 0:52:03Something has been restored, how it would have been, back to its former glory.
0:52:05 > 0:52:10Old houses are like a jigsaw puzzle, a mosaic of styles and fashions.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14They pose many questions, especially when it comes to restoration.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16And the current challenge is a bed.
0:52:18 > 0:52:23Polly, you've got a big project on, this Queen Anne State bed. Why did you buy it?
0:52:23 > 0:52:29Temple Newsam has the most marvellous furniture collection and no furniture collection
0:52:29 > 0:52:31is complete without a grand state bed.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35We can date it precisely to 1711.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38Right at the end of Queen Anne's reign. Do you think she slept in it?
0:52:38 > 0:52:43It's a funny story. John, 1st Earl Poulett was desperate to find favour with her.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47So he remodelled his whole house, creating the Queen Anne suite of rooms.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50He even named his third son Anne
0:52:50 > 0:52:55and invited her to the christening in the hope that she would perhaps sleep in this bed.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57- And she never did. - And she never did.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01There's later elements. I can see lots of new oak, green oak, going into this.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05Yeah, there's a lot. But we've saved the main elements.
0:53:05 > 0:53:10So, the headboard, the inner canopy, the valances.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13Was it always in this configuration or did it actually hang?
0:53:13 > 0:53:18In about the early 19th century, there were actually four bedposts.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21And now the canopy suspends from the ceiling.
0:53:21 > 0:53:27And actually restoring it back to suspension is helping save the bed a little bit more because
0:53:27 > 0:53:32the canopy would collapse in the middle if pressure comes in from the wrong place.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36- What an exciting project.- Yeah. - And it looks fabulous in this room.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39I think it's going to look even better when it's finished.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41A real treat, I think, for people.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44And a wonderful bit of work to have done.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50More than 30 people over 18 months have worked on this bed.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54It's a fabulous example of how many various crafts and skills have collaborated,
0:53:54 > 0:53:59each one key to the overall success of the whole project.
0:54:02 > 0:54:07Well, I must say it's been a real privilege to get an insight into the work and the dedication
0:54:07 > 0:54:12it takes to conserve and restore a magnificent historic house like this.
0:54:12 > 0:54:18It gives us a glimpse into the past. So when people like you and me come to visit, we can step back in time.
0:54:23 > 0:54:29Like you, I want to know more about how an object can change the life of its owner and their family.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33So we caught up with some past successful Flog It! owners.
0:54:33 > 0:54:39Sandra, I really became quite excited when I saw these two wonderful tiles.
0:54:39 > 0:54:45I always say to people to look for items in good condition.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49But there are occasions when items which are not perfect
0:54:49 > 0:54:52will make high prices in the saleroom.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56And one such item was a pair of De Morgan tiles.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58These tiles are quite rare.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01Tell me, where did you get them?
0:55:01 > 0:55:06As a young child, I lived in Dunoon where there was a large villa
0:55:06 > 0:55:13behind my house and, in those days, children were allowed to run free.
0:55:13 > 0:55:18I found them in the late '60s up in Scotland where I used to live.
0:55:18 > 0:55:23My sister and I... There used to be a lot of burned-down Victorian villas.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27And we just found them lying on the ground.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31They were so beautiful that I had to bring them home.
0:55:31 > 0:55:35De Morgan was one of the most prestigious designers in the Arts and Crafts movement,
0:55:35 > 0:55:41who specialised in stained glass and the manufacture of these wonderful, wonderful tiles.
0:55:41 > 0:55:46Now when you think of the function of tiles, they are to decorate a wall.
0:55:46 > 0:55:52To get them out, by necessity, you have to wrench them out.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56So it's difficult to get these things in perfect condition.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59The condition isn't wonderful.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03We have some damage here and here.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07Someone has tried to do a wee bit of restoration. Was that yourself?
0:56:07 > 0:56:10- It might have been my mother. - It might have been your mum.
0:56:10 > 0:56:15- And we have some damage here and this is quite a big chip.- Yes.
0:56:15 > 0:56:21I would date these tiles from about 1890 to late 1900s.
0:56:21 > 0:56:27If we look on the back, we can see the back stamp, which is an embossed back stamp.
0:56:27 > 0:56:34And we have W De Morgan and Sands End Pottery.
0:56:34 > 0:56:39I would estimate these tiles, to be sold as a pair,
0:56:39 > 0:56:42- between 2 and £300. - Oh, good grief.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44Why do you want to sell them now?
0:56:44 > 0:56:47Unfortunately, I need a new chainsaw.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50- You need a new chainsaw? - Yeah, for the garden.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54Well, I desperately needed a chainsaw because, as you can see,
0:56:54 > 0:56:56I've got lots of trees around here.
0:56:56 > 0:57:01Whilst I can get a man to cut them down, he won't take them away.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04So, as I have a coal fire, I put the wood on that.
0:57:04 > 0:57:08So I chop the wood up myself.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11That really amused me. It was fabulous, you know.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14If you're going to get a chunk of money,
0:57:14 > 0:57:17why not use it for something that be very useful to you?
0:57:17 > 0:57:20And 330 now. 330 again showing.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23The De Morgan ties there for you.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27- 460. 480. - Wow.- They love it.- 500.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29And 50. At 550 I'm bid.
0:57:29 > 0:57:33No, thank you for your help. At 550, original bidder still.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35At £550.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39- This is actually the fun part. - 'Yes.'
0:57:39 > 0:57:43- That is wonderful. - £550.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50- Oh!- Not only can you get the chainsaw,
0:57:50 > 0:57:54you can get the safety goggles, the helmet, the boots, everything.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56A new garden possibly.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00They were the Rolls-Royce of tiles.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03They fetched 550, which I wasn't expecting.
0:58:03 > 0:58:07She was astonished when the tiles made 550.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10And because I loved my tiles so much,
0:58:10 > 0:58:15when I was at the William De Morgan Centre, I bought these replicas.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18They aren't replicas of the ones I sold
0:58:18 > 0:58:21but they're still that beautiful blue colour.
0:58:21 > 0:58:27What a great reminder for action woman Sandra when she's sitting beside her blazing fire.
0:58:27 > 0:58:31Maybe you've got a few ideas yourself from today's programme.
0:58:31 > 0:58:36Do join me again next time for more memorable moments and top tips from the team.
0:58:36 > 0:58:38But, until then, it's goodbye.
0:58:40 > 0:58:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd