Upstairs Downstairs Flog It: Trade Secrets

'In the last 11 years, we've valued thousands of your items'

and helped you sell around £1 million of antiques and collectables.

-You've turned your £32 into at least £200 to £300.

-Yeah?

I'm very happy with that.

-That is amazing!

-Cracking result.

In this series, I want to pass on some of the knowledge we've learnt

from having those wonderful objects pass through our hands.

Welcome to Flog It! Trade Secrets.

History tends to reflect the life of the people who write it.

Great generals, proud monarchs and intrepid explorers,

and the houses and objects they leave behind,

are a source of wonder and inspiration.

It's not so much what this chair's worth, but whose bum sat on it.

But the thousands of objects you bring to show us

tell a different history, a history more ordinary and less grand.

So, today, we're looking at both - upstairs and downstairs.

'Coming up, it's upstairs - our experts share their thoughts

'about some of the poshest items we've seen on Flog It!'

Two really nice quality decanters. It's a very posh thing, this.

A really good example of how life used to be.

'And I visit an extraordinary stately home.'

There's a wow factor. Look at the size of it! It's gorgeous!

'And we show you the secrets of downstairs.'

-This would have been used below stairs.

-Yeah.

-In the kitchen.

This is something that I would desperately love to own.

'And here are some tips from our experts on why domestic items could be valuable.'

I love collectable domestic objects,

because they all tell a story, they're very accessible.

There will always be a stall in fairs and markets with kitchenalia.

Corkscrews can be quite collectable.

'So, stay tuned to see what can make real money.'

When you visit grand historic houses or castles

it's usually the splendour and the grandness of the state rooms that you gravitate towards

to admire the gorgeous tapestries and the priceless furniture.

Because, let's face it, that's not how most of us live.

'Over the years, objects from these places have been sold or gifted

'and many have turned up at our valuation days.'

Here's how the other half live.

'Get ready for a tantalising array of quality items.

'One of our experts who had an eye for the finer things in life

'was the formidable David Barby, a true gentleman.'

Of all the things that have been brought in today, Sheila,

this is one that I wish to take home with me.

-Is that right?

-Absolutely. It's in such lovely condition.

And beautifully polished, as though you only did it this morning.

-I bet you did, didn't you?

-LAUGHING: Yes!

-It was brown.

-Was it brown?

-Yes.

-Not stuck in an attic?

-Yes.

-Really?

-Yes, till last night.

-So you've never used it?

-I used to use it.

It used to be on a sideboard, but I'd got a big place then.

Since I've moved, it's been up the loft.

-Right. What do you use it for?

-Nothing, really. Just decoration.

-Just decoration.

-Yes.

-It did have a purpose when it was made in 1806.

It's solid silver and this would have come from a very affluent home.

Oh! If you read books by Mrs Gaskell...

-Yes.

-North And South, Cranford, this fits into that sort of society.

-Really?

-Yes. It really is quite an interesting piece.

The design, if you look at it, it has a classical appearance.

-It's a pedestal form.

-Yes. A nice shape.

Let's think in terms of a Regency dining table.

We'd have fresh-cut chunks of bread in there.

-Lovely.

-And passed round by the servant or the butler.

'A quality piece, the serving basket was valued £350 to £500

'and was sold at Adam Partridge's saleroom.'

It wouldn't have been something that most of us would have had.

You would have been a company owner or a politician or military man

or a semi-aristo type to have owned something like that.

You'd have never polished it yourself! You'd have someone to do that for you.

'Are silver items with little practical use still sought after,

'or are they bought for scrap?'

People buy silver for condition, for what it is, for the maker, the age,

various factors.

The only things I imagine go for scrap are the ones that are damaged

or the ones that no-one wants any more.

'That was more for the serious collector.'

I've got four bids. Shall we cut to the chase and say we've got 460?

Is there 480? 460 bid. Is there 480 now?

At 460. If you're all done. We'll sell it. Short and sweet at 460.

Blink and you'll miss that one! £460. Well done, David.

'And that wasn't the only fine item we've seen.'

I think this is just about the business. It really is lovely.

Tortoiseshell tea caddies are a red-letter day for an auctioneer.

You have to be mindful with tortoiseshell and ivory.

They have got to pre-date 1947, but that was a 19th-century caddy.

I don't know which half of the family it's come down from.

What often happened is you find that back at the latter end of the 19th century,

someone might have been in service.

When they retired, they were given a present from the house.

I think, on my father's side of the family, they were in service.

It's an area I've got to explore.

So this could have been a present from a house that he worked at.

'It's almost like a class thing.'

Tea was an expensive commodity,

so tea was locked up in this little box.

The more elaborate and expensive the box was,

the better the household that it came from.

And you locked it up so those nasty servants couldn't get at your expensive tea!

Regency tortoiseshell tea caddy.

Silver wire mounts in here.

Little silver escutcheon.

There's just a hint of damage.

-Can you see just there?

-Mm-hm.

-And on that corner, a little bit missing.

-Right.

A certain amount of minor blemishing I always think is acceptable.

Some people would prefer to restore it.

What happens then is you get...

You clearly can't use modern ivory or tortoiseshell.

So people will buy old items that are damaged

and they will use them to repair other items.

So, if you've got an old piano with ivory keys,

you might be able to buy the piano for nothing, take the ivory keys

and use that in restoration of something else.

What's it worth?

-You don't know.

-Not a clue. No.

-If it made over £100, you'd probably be quite pleased.

-Mm. I think so.

Well, I think we ought to estimate that at...

-£500 to £800.

-Really?

Yeah. And I think that it could easily top the £1,000 mark.

The thing about anything is that you're going to get different ends of the spectrum.

You can buy a tea caddy today for £5 or £10.

Tortoiseshell tea caddies are still massively collectable.

They're not quite worth the money they were but they're up there at the Rolls-Royce end.

Things go in vogue in this business.

At the minute, tortoiseshell tea caddies are the thing.

Do you like it or not really? That's why you want to sell it?

I don't dislike it, but I have...

-You'd like £1,000 more?

-Yes, probably! Yes!

PHILIP LAUGHS

'It's off to the saleroom, but will quality always out?'

You've done some research on this, haven't you?

Talking to Philip, he said it was the kind of thing that would come from somebody in service.

-Big grand house?

-Yes. I've started doing genealogy on my father's side of the family.

I've discovered that my great-grandfather was a butler.

The rumour within the family is that he worked for Sir Titus Salt junior,

-the salt mill with the David Hockney exhibition.

-Yes.

A great thing about Flog It! is that it sparks an interest.

Someone comes to the valuation day, we tell them something,

they take it home and, whether they sell it or not, they find out more about it.

What we discovered is it could well have belonged to Sir Titus Salt.

He would have come from that great age of Victorian invention and money.

Industrialists set up businesses and made huge sums of money.

What do you do with huge sums of money? You buy a very trendy, at the time, tortoiseshell tea caddy.

A single caddy in very good condition.

Very little to quarrel about with this.

I have to start on my sheets at £900.

Do we have £950 in the room? 950. 1,000. And 50.

1,100. And 50. 1,200. And 50.

1,300. And 50. 1,400. And 50.

1,500. And 50. 1,600 in the room?

1,600 on the phone?

1,600 is it anywhere, then?

We finish 1,550. All done and finished. All done.

Fantastic!

-I'll calm you down.

-I need a bottle of gin never mind a glass of gin!

There are certain things that just go, "Ker-ching!"

You get the three bells that light up across here.

Tortoiseshell tea caddies are one of those things, but...

When that was sold, and I can't remember exactly when,

but it wouldn't make as much now because there are peaks and troughs.

I think that we sold it at the peak and now it's probably a trough.

'The trick of this business is to do your research.

'If you can learn to pinpoint the peaks and the troughs,

'you could be onto a winner.

'Over the years, we've seen hundreds of decanters at our valuation days.

'But in 2010, Adam found a rather striking set.'

-Steve, welcome to Flog It!

-Thank you.

-How are you doing?

-Fine.

-You've got a nice thing here.

-Yeah, it is.

-Very precious.

-Is it?

-I hope so.

-Is it precious to you, sentimentally?

-In a way, yeah.

But it's been in the loft for 20-odd years, doing nothing.

-So might as well...

-If we could clear every loft in the land,

-I think we'd solve the economy!

-LAUGHS

This pair of decanters in their wonderful coromandel fitted case

are a really good example of how life used to be.

With the divide of the upstairs and the downstairs

in these country houses with their servants.

How did it come to be in your family's possession?

My grandfather and granny and me mother worked in a hall.

-So they were in service?

-Service, yeah.

Last of the upstairs and downstairs people.

Me granny was a cook and me grandfather was a butler and me mother was a maid.

-And where was that?

-That was in Thornby Hall.

People watching now will wonder, "What's all this 'in service'?"

It just doesn't happen any more. Very few people are butlers any more!

I can't remember ever having met a butler or a maid.

I've met a few cooks, but not private, really.

All you get nowadays is the odd nanny here and there.

-How do you think they got these?

-I think they were given to them.

-As a thank-you gift or retirement gift?

-Could have been.

Well, it's a very posh thing, this.

It's made out of a... Look at the thickness of the wood!

It's made out of coromandel, which is an exotic and expensive timber.

It was mainly used to make small things.

You don't see much furniture made out of it, it was all boxes

and small things like this.

Fitted with two really nice quality decanters.

-Is it English-made, do you think?

-Yes, it is. Definitely.

-Yeah.

Another sign of quality, you've also got the key, which is unusual.

Most have lost their keys by now.

And you've got this special type of lock, Bramah patent lock.

These locks are a special secure lock.

I remember you saying before we started, "Don't shut it because it's a terrible thing to open."

That's because of this lock.

It's wonderful quality, a Bramah's patent.

You only see it on fine things, so it's another sign of quality.

Decanters aren't the easiest things to sell any more.

Of course, there are collectors, but there are many on the market

which means, generally, prices are pretty low.

You have to have something pretty special, in decanter terms, for it to have a considerable value.

These were a nice decent pair in their fitted case.

If you took those pair of decanters out of that coromandel box,

they'd be worth £30.

The value was as a parcel, I think.

-What do you think it might be worth?

-What do YOU think it's worth?

I haven't a clue, to be honest.

Realistically, in that order - because the glass isn't perfect.

-There's a few minor grazes, aren't there?

-Yeah.

-I would have thought between £100 and £200 is your likely realised price.

-Oh, yeah.

Bids all over the book on this one.

453...

-Whoa! Straight in!

-That's the lot number.

The auctioneer read out the lot number, which I think was 450 or something.

"Right, 450!" And Paul went, "Oh, my goodness! It's amazing!"

I said, "Calm down, Paul. It's lot number 450."

You've got to keep alert at auctions!

70, if you like. 170. 170. 180. 180 bid.

Is there 90? At 180. 90. 190.

Phew! Better not fan. I might bid!

Level money at 190.

-That's a good result.

-Top of the estimate.

At £190...

-We'll sell it for that. That's drinks all round, £190.

-Yeah.

'Adam was right. It was the box that sold those decanters.

'A top tip is look for complete sets of things in original boxes.

'Bits missing will generally affect the value.'

And here's another trade secret.

'Look for fine, well-crafted items, no matter what it is.

'Quality should always hold its value.'

'In 2011, Flog It! visited the beautiful Bath Assembly Rooms.

'In the Georgian era, they would have seen the aristocracy at play.

'David Barby found a very appropriate object to value -

'a set of George IV gaming boxes.'

Janita, I was hoping when we were filming at Bath,

that something would come along that would evoke

the late Georgian Regency period.

And these boxes fall into that category.

-Where did these come from?

-My mother was a great collector

of Victorian treasures and she particularly loved mother-of-pearl.

Inside, we have a collection

of the most glorious mother-of-pearl counters.

When you had the Assembly Rooms like this in Bath,

you would have an element of gaming or assignations for gaming later.

These would have been the gaming pieces they'd have used.

They date from, let's say about 1800, 1820, that sort of period.

These are made for the upper classes.

-The Jane Austen crowd.

-LAUGHING: Good.

On the outside, they look as though they've suffered along the line.

Of course, they would do. These are Oriental boxes.

They're lacquer. Lacquer is not a stable material.

Clearly, you never want to see damage.

But I'm a great believer that if something's been around 150 years,

then the damage that it has, it's the lines on its hands, it's the wrinkles on its face.

It's patina, it's what we look for.

'It was valued as two lots, but would the damage to the lid

'put the bidders off as they went under the hammer?'

320, my bid. 320. 340. 360.

-Another bid in the room, look.

-400. 420.

440. 460. 480. 500...

'Clearly not.'

Auctions. Don't you just love them?

-..700. 750. 800...

-'And the bids kept coming.'

..1,800. 1,900.

-This is what auctions are all about.

-Wow!

2,000.

-2,100? 2,200?

-This is just the first lot.

2,300?

-2,400?

-LAUGHING:

-2,500!

2,500? 2,600?

And selling at £2,500, then.

The hammer's gone down! Such a tiny tap. It should have been...

£2,500. That's the first one. That is incredible.

'And the other one did even better.'

-2,700. 2,800.

-This one's even more desirable.

2,900. 3,000.

-Ooooh!

-£3,000!

3,200.

-3,400? 3,400.

-3,400. Late legs.

3,600?

3,800?

-Oh, gosh!

-No. £3,600, then.

-Where we were before.

-£3,600!

-Plus your other. £6,100!

-That is marvellous.

-That's beyond my expectations.

-You didn't see that coming, did you?

-No.

'If two people have their eye on an item there can be real money made.

'But if you're buying at auction, don't get carried away by the excitement.

'Set yourself a budget and stick to it.'

So here's what we've learned so far.

'Always look for quality because quality always sells.

'In some cases, damage will not deter a buyer.

'But that's not always the case, so get some advice.

'Provenance is important.

'If you can trace an object to a particular stately home or a family,

'it can seriously add to its value.'

'Over the years, I've been to some wonderful historic homes.

'From Arley in North Cheshire to Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire.

'One of the most interesting is a place I visited back in 2006.'

One great thing about antiques is it's not just about appreciating the detail and beauty and craftsmanship,

but it's also about the stories and history that lie behind them.

That's why I brought you here to Lanhydrock House

set in 900 acres of parkland on the River Foy,

just a few miles up the road from St Austell.

This country mansion house

isn't just a stunning example of 17th and 19th-century architecture.

With all the trappings and atmosphere,

its very fabric tells the story of the socially sexually divided life

for the Victorian family.

In 1881, the house, which had stood for almost 250 years,

was severely damaged by fire.

The then owners, the Agar-Robartes, had the house rebuilt

by architect Richard Coad and he used this book on this table,

a book by Robert Kerr called The Gentleman's House,

to design a new layout,

based on the strict morals and principles of Victorian living.

-With me is curator for Lanhydrock, Paul Holden. Hi, there.

-Hello.

What did this book actually tell the architect to do?

The book acted as a guide to show how a house could be designed

and how it could be segregated.

For example, we're in the drawing room now

and the farthest room from this room is the nursery.

Children and adults didn't mix, apart from when the family were ready for them.

It's not even a case of "be seen and not heard" it's "not even be seen"!

-CHILD SINGS

-# Oranges and lemons

# Say the bells of St Clement's

# You owe me five farthings

# Say the bells of St Martin's #

'This day room is one of several in the nursery quarters.

'Here, the children would play and eat their meals under the supervision of a nanny,

'only seeing their parents when they were sent for.'

That is a strict moral code. Surely, all houses weren't build like this.

I'm sure all houses weren't designed like that, but certain people picked up on Robert Kerr's ideals.

This family, being high Anglican, wanted to put those morals into this house.

I think it was very important for the high Victorian period

that they set those moral codes.

-We got gender separation in the house as well.

-Gender separation!

That is such a harsh word! Tell me what you mean by that.

Obviously, you're talking about the family.

It was very important for the high Victorians.

The drawing room was a very feminine space.

We have very masculine spaces,

particularly the dining room downstairs and the billiard room,

and smoking room in the male quarters.

I've come to the smoking room, which Paul was telling me about.

As soon as you walk in, you can tell it's a man's room.

You can imagine them sitting here, supping a glass of brandy

and reminiscing over a recent shoot or a bygone hunting party.

All the rooms we've seen so far would have been used by the Agar-Robartes family themselves.

What was life like for the servants?

Did the segregation of the sexes apply below stairs?

I'm in the kitchen to ask the question to Paul. What was life like for the servants?

Life was very good, in general, they had their own accommodation.

But compared to the opulence of the main house, it was very different.

Mind you, looking around this marvellous kitchen, there's a wow factor. Look at the size of it.

It's gorgeous. Surely, males and females worked together here.

It was an area where male and female mixed in the kitchen.

But the servants' hall was the only place they could relax together,

talk generally and have their annual servants' ball.

There were two separate staircases away from the servants' hall.

We had a wooden staircase leading up first to the females' accommodation on the top floor

and secondly the male servants' accommodation on the top floor.

Male and female servants' accommodation met at a right angle,

and the butler had the key for that door in between.

Quite a few mod cons. You've got hot and cold running water.

Very modern tiling for its day, and grouting, and a steam oven.

Mm. The tiling was for hygiene. It could just be wiped clean.

-But there is steam equipment in this kitchen.

-Look at that apparatus.

-What a fireplace! What an oven.

-It is an amazing spit.

It is, isn't it? Look at the size of it!

The pulley system involved, and all the linkage.

It's all generated by this smoke jack,

which is generated by the heat of the fire

and the smoke going up the chimney that would revolve the apparatus.

You would have had roasts on there, your rotisserie for your chickens.

You've got mechanical jacks, so the whole thing would turn by its own momentum.

Gosh. It's wonderfully preserved. It really does take you back in time.

-You can just imagine a spit roast going on now.

-Definitely.

This beautiful house perfectly evokes a bygone era of class divide,

and the wealth and the power of the upper crust.

If you could choose any beautiful antique, what would it be?

I put that question to our experts.

'And today, it's Philip Serrell.'

It's funny, you think about all the things you see in Flog It! One thing keeps homing back to me.

It was a country house stationery box or letter box.

It was in rosewood lattice, like a lattice box with open panels

or open gaps, so you'd post your letter into it.

I think it's absolutely lovely.

Answered postcards in this side. Unanswered in this side.

Just lift that flap up, there's a maker's name, Thompson.

I think that refers to the maker of this hidden brass handle,

rather than the whole lot.

I would think it's about 1840 and it's made out of rosewood...

'This is a box that would have sat'

on a table in the hall of a large country house.

When you were stopping there, you'd put your letters in it.

A footman would have opened it up and taken the contents to the post for you.

You've got a great bit of social history, almost like Downton Abbey.

It's all there for you.

This was just clean. It hadn't been touched or stripped clean.

It was just honest. It was just absolutely lovely.

I can remember it like it was yesterday.

Have you any idea what it might be worth?

Well, I thought, possibly, £50 or £60.

-Would you take a cheque?

-Oh, I see! LAUGHS

I think it's lovely. I think that will make £300 to £500.

-Gosh!

-That is a surprise.

-Put a reserve on it of 250.

I have to say that if you get two ardent collectors there,

I think it could way exceed that.

-I really like it.

-I'm glad I brought it.

This is one thing that I would really love to own. It is absolutely beautiful.

'It wasn't just Philip who loved it.'

At 560, 580, £600.

-Unbelievable!

-That's absolutely amazing.

£640. 660. 680. At 680.

-It's incredible.

-700. 720.

-740. On the telephone at £740.

-I can't believe it.

-No.

At £740. At 740.

-BANGS GAVEL

-What? 740!

That is fantastic. You were right.

I have to say, I'd really rather have the box.

'Must have been ten years ago.'

Out of all the things I've seen, it was just a lovely, honest lot.

'It just goes to show how much we still love objects

'from our country's aristocratic past.'

'Coming up - downstairs.'

If you unscrewed the sections, you could even smell the spices.

'Can any of these objects match the value and interest

'of the grand things we saw earlier?'

I love functional, well-crafted objects that look deceptively ordinary.

Everyday objects can be overlooked,

but they all have a fascinating story to tell.

They may need more research and be less well-documented than the items of the grand and the wealthy,

but they can tell us something about our past, and are becoming increasingly collectable.

Wendy, I really appreciate what you brought today.

What's the story behind it?

The story, as far as I know, is that ladies in large houses with cooks

couldn't get flour to make their game pies

-because of the Napoleonic Wars.

-Right.

So Wedgwood made these dishes that looked like a game pie.

These were brought to the table with the game already cooked inside it.

They're not very commonly found these days.

I suppose they were practical, functional pieces in the kitchen

and would have been used lots, so were damaged and thrown away.

But they're lovely items which are evocative of that 19th-century good living and well eating, yes.

How have you come by it and what brought you to bring it today?

Well, I used to work in a little lock-up shop

that was next to a little antiques shop.

I used to have coffee with the lady owner

and she used to show me anything interesting she had.

As soon as she told me the story of this, I just had to have it.

Well, it is what's generically known as a game pie dish.

There were several factories that produced these.

The most famous were Wedgwood and Majolica made from the Minton's factory.

This one is by Wedgwood.

This very characteristic creamware is called caneware.

Caneware is a type of stoneware which Josiah Wedgwood invented

with the intention that it would be appropriate for being oven-proof.

'The history of Wedgwood is long and fascinating.'

It was founded in the 18th century by Josiah Wedgwood, who was quite a clever man, not just a businessman.

He was quite an alchemist and interested in the chemistry behind potting.

So he and his team patented

quite a lot of new forms of body of ceramic and pot.

Certainly, a very early 19th-century, early Victorian piece.

It would originally have had a little caneware liner inside.

Then around the outside reflects the intricacy of pastry cooks

who could make wonderful shapes and patterns on pastry.

Then the glorious lid, which has the little rabbit handle

and these trophies of game - birds, ducks

and the hares and rabbits round the outside, which add to the flavour.

I notice by taking the lid off, this has had some historic restoration.

-You say you bought it...

-In the '70s.

I think, looking at this, it's had two little repairs to the rim.

These have been quite neatly done.

But I think, given the passage of so many decades,

what was neat restoration then is beginning to discolour slightly

and show up in a way it wouldn't have done several years ago.

Although it's a shame it's damaged,

the fact that people can see the genuineness of condition,

it's not restoration which makes it look as if it's perfect.

A collector can see that it's honest and that counts for a lot.

Restoration of any object is a thorn in the side of modern-day collectors.

Because if the restoration is so good that it's near perfect,

'it becomes a red herring for people

'who think they're buying something which is pristine.'

The modern-day concept is it's better to have something which has been damaged and preserved

so it doesn't deteriorate further, rather than having something

which is so good you lose trust in its authenticity as a whole.

-You paid how much for it?

-I paid £30 at £1 a week.

-How lovely! Have you got any idea what it might fetch now?

-No.

I'd have thought, given that it isn't complete

and there's a little restoration, that it would sell between £50 and £100 at auction at the moment.

-Would you like a reserve on that?

-Yes, whatever you think.

If we put £50, with auctioneer's discretion on it,

-you've got the peace of mind.

-Yes.

-Thank you for bringing it in.

'If you give the auctioneer discretion,

'he's able to sell just below the reserve,

'if he feels this is appropriate.'

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

The room is full of bidders. Let's hope they stick their hands up.

The Wedgwood game pie dish in terracotta,

with the little rabbit finial, rather a fun bid.

£20 to start. 20 straight in. 20 I'm bid. 22. 25. 28.

At 28 now. Take 30. Is that it? At £28. 30. Two.

At 32. 35. 38.

40. 42. 45.

-Going to sell it.

-On the stairs at 45 now.

Sell at 45. You're out down here.

-Just!

-With the lady there at £45.

I sell on the stairs. All done at 45.

Directly above the former owner at 45...

LAUGHTER

Well done!

'That pie dish had seen some use, but the buyer didn't object to a little bit of wear and tear.

'And she was getting a slice of domestic history

'for a very reasonable price.

'It's always worth checking out items of kitchenalia,

'as you never know what you'll find.

'It may not be the finest quality, but it's got stories to tell.'

In the context of upstairs, downstairs,

upstairs would generally be using, probably,

the best silver or the best china.

'Behind the green baize door, the servants would be working with altogether different items.'

-Judith, thanks for bringing in the pestle and mortar.

-My pleasure.

-What can you tell me about it?

-I can't tell you a lot.

We found it in my husband's parents' house when we were clearing up.

He can remember it since he was about the age of ten,

so it's about 55 years.

He thinks that it was to do with his grandparents.

Right. OK. It's certainly older than your husband remembers it.

I've been looking at it and it can be quite hard to date

this sort of treen or turned wood.

Treen tends to have more of a provincial feel about it.

More the farmhouse type kitchen table,

or perhaps even like downstairs with the servants and so on.

-I think we're probably into the 1700s.

-That's possible.

His grandmother was in service at a big house in Tiverton.

This would have probably been used below stairs in the kitchen

or even for medicinal purposes,

for preparing medicines and so on, for mixing up certain ingredients.

I'm fairly certain it's a lignum vitae,

which is a well-known wood for turning because it's so dense.

-You can feel the weight, can't you?

-It's very heavy.

Lignum vitae would have been an expensive wood.

'It was fairly exotic. It's a very dense, hard wood.

'A lot of treen was for downstairs.'

The wooden plates, the bread plates,

wooden spoons, horn beakers, that type of thing.

The pestle, I think, is probably associated, to be fair.

I don't think they started off life together.

If you put it inside, you can see the proportions are a little odd.

-I thought that, yes.

-It's certainly done the job, hasn't it?

-Yes.

-Have you given a thought of what it might be worth?

-Absolutely no idea!

I'm going to suggest that we put it in the sale

-around the couple of hundred pound mark.

-Wow!

-How do you feel about that?

-Very happy with that.

-Let's straddle that £200. Let's put it in at 150 to 250.

-Fair enough.

-That would be fine.

-Who knows? On the day it could make maybe £400.

That sounds wonderful. Thank you very much.

'The pestle and mortar was great quality,

'but were bidders put off by the fact they were mis-matched?'

The 18th-century lignum vitae mortar and a treen pestle.

£150 starts it. 160. 170.

-180. 190. 200.

-Bid on the book.

220. 240. 260. 280.

£280. Where's 300?

At £280. Straight ahead.

-Now selling at 280...

-Come on. A bit more.

-BANGS GAVEL

-It's gone. Top end, though, 280.

-We are happy, Judith?

-I'm very happy!

-That's very good!

'I love treen and I would have had that piece, given half the chance.

'Where should a novice treen collector start?'

The key word when collecting treen is the patina, the colour of a piece.

That's what buyers are looking for.

So, condition, colour and rarity, of course.

A nice pair of early Georgian salts, they're going to be worth more

than a mass-produced Welsh love spoon from the 19th century.

It's always lovely when you're working on Flog It!

to actually see something

that you want yourself, something that you've been looking for.

It is absolutely fantastic.

This is something that I would desperately love to own myself.

I have been looking for a lovely spice tower.

So when this lady came along with this spice tower

which was oozing charm,

I was very excited because it was in beautiful condition.

What you've got is a Victorian, 1860 in date, spice tower.

So we have these little sections,

which would have contained different types of spices.

At the top, we've got the paper label that's been applied for mace,

nutmeg and all-spice.

With something like this, condition is very important.

What was nice, the labels were intact

and, importantly, it wasn't split.

It's a fruit wood that could easily get split and chipped as well.

The little pieces on the top could easily be chipped.

'But it was in perfect, PERFECT condition.'

And if you unscrewed the sections, you could even smell the spices.

Wonderful!

It belonged to my mother. It was in the house for a while.

But she didn't get it from any further back.

-She got it in a jumble sale.

-Did she?

-The legendary jumble sale, yes!

What did she pay for it in her jumble sale, does she know?

-Yes. 10p.

-Ten pence?

-Yes.

Well, can I tell you that your mother had a very good eye?

This is a fantastic piece.

If you imagine in late Victorian, mid to late Victorian times,

in a big country mansion,

something like this, this lovely spice tower being downstairs in the kitchen.

It was almost too good to be in the kitchen!

That should have been upstairs with all the paintings and sculptures.

To me, it's a work of art in itself.

Now, estimate-wise, we could put an estimate of £100 to £150

and I think it will do that all day long.

I'd like to be a little bit tentative and put 80 to 120,

just to pull everyone in.

I think this is going to make nearer £200. It's fabulous!

'But was Catherine getting carried away?'

Let's put it to the test. Here we go.

Lot number 600 is the 19th-century fruit wood spice tower.

Mace, nutmeg and all-spice. Lot 600.

Numerous commission bids here. Start me straight in at £160.

£160 I have for starters. £160.

At £160. 170 is there now? At £160. Straight in at 160 now.

At £160. Are we all done, then, at £160...?

Straight in. Straight out.

-That is amazing!

-Cracking result.

But they are incredibly rare in good condition.

'Catherine would have snapped that spice tower up as a work of art.

'What other tips can our experts offer?'

Things that relate to how we used to live, things that are redundant.

Kitchenalia, those can be very interesting.

Buy the objects which aren't used any more,

that have become redundant in our kitchens

like the mincer.

If you're going to collect something you need a theme. What better theme than booze?

-Enjoy a drink?

-Oh, yeah.

-Oh, yeah?

-Oh, yeah.

-Port, sherry AND Claret?

-All in one glass. Yeah.

Drinks labels. I really enjoy those.

One thing that I love about this job,

it's not so much what this chair's worth, but whose bum sat on it.

The drink labels, they tell a social history.

They've either come from a really good 18th or 19th-century wine merchant's

or they've come from a big country house, from a fantastic cellar.

So my imagination builds up this fantastic picture

of who's owned them before and, for me, that's the joy of the job.

-Where did you get these from?

-Car boot sale.

-How much did you pay for them?

-£6.

-You're a man of generosity(!)

-Yeah. He wanted eight, actually.

-And you beat him down?

-Yes. Aye.

I think Barry was really cute.

Because those aren't obviously valuable things, are they?

He trawled round a car boot sale, saw them for six quid,

grabbed his opportunity.

For me, one of the joys is, for a short period of time, he's owned a really cool thing.

-Did you buy them cos you thought they were cheap or because they were nice?

-I liked them.

Plus, I knew they were a giveaway at £6.

-They were at eight as well!

-Aye. BOTH LAUGH

-Where do you think they were made?

-I imagine Staffordshire.

-I think so.

There's something on the back that could be Copeland.

-They're certainly English. And what date do you reckon?

-1850s?

-Spot on.

Picture the scene. You've got Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs.

And Hudson walks down to the cellar, or sends his footman to the cellar,

to bring out his lordship's finest claret.

I think that scene is fantastic. "Bring out the Mouton Rothschild!"

Up the stairs it comes, this fantastic port or wine.

But he's got to identify it, so the cellar bins have those labels on. What a great story.

You can just see the remains, and it is very faded.

It would have had who the shipper was, the year,

which vineyard it came from, and these were next to each barrel.

I think they're really collectable. I think that we will put...

£40 to £60 estimate on them, all day long.

-Yeah.

-I think we reserve them at £30.

-I think that's a real "come buy me" estimate.

-It should be.

It's a real "come buy me" estimate and if you have a bit of luck,

-they might just make £100.

-Yeah.

-Are you pleased with that?

-Definitely. Yeah.

-I've a wife and eight kids, so I need some money!

-Eight?

-Aye!

Won't ask what YOUR hobby is!

'Moving swiftly on...'

-I think they'll do 100.

-They've got to.

-It's a good crowd.

I'm hoping for 150. You know what Philip wants.

-I know what I want!

-Yeah, the more the better!

Three earthenware wine cellar labels with two numbered bin discs.

Some nice 19th-century pottery. A lot of people like them.

A lot of interest on commission. I'm forced to start them at 140.

-LAUGHTER

-£140.

I'll take 150 from somebody in the room. 150, is it?

-Come on.

-With me at 140.

150. I'm out. Looking for 160.

150 at the top. Still cheap.

Finally, at 150. Have we finished?

-Yes! Hammer's gone down at £150.

-You were right.

'When it comes to collecting things like that,'

it's sad-os like me who really get into this social history element,

because today, they don't have things like that, beautifully made things.

It'd be some little computer-generated bit of plastic

you just stick on with a drawing pin - who wants that?

'Philip's right. A piece of social history is beyond price.'

So here are my top tips.

'If you're starting a collection,

'it doesn't have to be an expensive item.

'Kitchenalia is a great entry point.

'You can even begin with downstairs and work your way upstairs.

'Good condition helps, but a bit of wear on domestic items is expected,

'so don't reject pieces on the basis of minor damage.

'These quality wooden items had double appeal -

'to collectors of kitchenalia and of treen.'

There are wonderful works of art out there, great names and superb antiques.

We want to give you more information on what makes them special.

'So far, we've seen items that highlight the class divisions

'of our nation's past.

'At the end of the 19th century, there was a movement

'which tried to break down barriers

'and marry the beauty and craftsmanship of the aristocratic

'with the practicality and usefulness of the domestic.

'I'm talking about Arts and Crafts,

'one of my absolute favourite periods of British design.

'I love good honest craftsmanship.

'Hand-made items display the skill and passion of the maker,

'so I'm always delighted to see Arts and Crafts pieces on show.'

Most things Victorian are very over-embellished and heavy.

This is more in the Arts and Crafts style,

with these lovely curved brass legs.

'Its very distinctive style can be applied to a variety of objects,

'from mirrors to jewellery...'

-Would you be happy to sell at £100, £150?

-That would be very nice.

Benson Arts and Crafts oil lamp, 190...

'..and extends to furniture and even houses.

'It incorporated simple forms and used mediaeval romantic patterns.

'This superb drinking cup brought in by Ken is a fantastic example

'of the hand-crafted simple style

'espoused by the Arts and Crafts movement.'

A little bit of green agate.

It hasn't been cut and shaped and stylised.

They were saying it was morally reprehensible to facet their stones

when you're talking about Arts and Crafts movement.

It's stamped - Guild of Handicrafts, CR Ashbee.

'CR Ashbee was one of the leading exponents

'of the Arts and Crafts movement pioneered by William Morris.

'The movement was a backlash against increasing industrialisation

'at the turn of the 20th century,

'and an attempt to move back to the honest work of the craftsman.

'Ashbee took men and women from the factories

'to work in his Guild and School of Handicraft,

'which opened in London's East End in 1888.

'In a way, it was a reinvention of cottage industry,

'holding the mass production of the machine age as a betrayal

'of the traditional methods and skills of craftsmen.

'In 1902, Ashbee moved his Guild to the Cotswolds,

'where a business still thrives.

'Craftsmen produce hand-made designs using his traditional methods.

'The influence of Arts and Crafts extended far and wide.

'It was embraced in Glasgow by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

'Architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott applied its principles

'to the design of a whole house in the Lakes.

'It was truly international, spreading across America and Europe

'before finally emerging as the Mingei movement in Japan.

'With such a wide reach, how do you spot an Arts and Crafts piece?

'Look for simple forms and plain decoration.

'Pieces will emphasise natural materials.

'Arts and Crafts patterns are inspired by native flora and fauna.

'The construction of the item is often visible.

'Put simply, you can see the joins and, most importantly,

'they will be functional pieces.

'The Arts and Craft ethos can be best summed-up

'by its leading light, William Morris, who urged,

'"Have nothing in your house that you do not believe to be beautiful

'"or know to be useful."'

'Will Axon is one of our regular experts.

'When he isn't busy valuing objects for Flog It!

'you can find him in Cambridgeshire, doing his day job as an auctioneer.'

£50 and selling this time... Thank you.

'But as he's keen to point out, there's a lot more to do

'than simply climbing on the rostrum and wielding a gavel.'

The public sees most auctioneers during the sale or the viewings,

so they're unaware of what goes on between sales.

That's the one.

We have a huge number of items go through the saleroom day to day.

We have general sales every month. They will consist of 500, 600 lots.

There's a huge quantity of items that come through our door,

so we have to be aware of who they belong to, what sale are they in, what's the estimate.

This is what I like about a general sale. You've got a nice French wall clock there.

You've got a royal wedding brick. I mean, that's an unusual lot.

When it comes to sale day, that's almost the release.

When someone's got something to sell, they may not know what it is, they give us a call.

I'll have a chat, get as much information as I can, make an appointment to see them.

Once they've decided they want to sell, it gets catalogued,

we photograph the item.

The next time we see it, I'm on the rostrum wielding my gavel.

Obviously, we try to get as much as we can for the vendor for it.

Part of my job is getting out and about on the road, really.

I'm off to see a couple of clients today.

Both of them I've visited before, so this is like a follow-up visit.

-So, mainly carriage clocks.

-Mainly carriage clocks.

One bracket clock and one grandfather, the one behind.

A nice Edinburgh, domestic regulator, wasn't it?

-That's what they call them, yes.

-Happy to sell that.

These are nice quality clocks. Some of them are by known makers.

They've got that decorative quality,

so I'm pretty confident we'll get most of these away.

Lord Hemingford, or Nick as I know him, he's actually down-sizing.

So he just needs a bit of advice on what's left.

He's dispersing some pieces between the family.

Just wants an idea of if we can help with what's left.

-Hello, Will. Morning. Nice to see you.

-How are you?

You've been doing a bit of sorting out!

Well, it's a bit of a jungle. CHUCKLES

We're down-sizing because we're getting on a bit.

And we really have no idea what it's worth.

So a bit of professional expertise was necessary.

-It that an Atmos clock?

-Yes, it is.

My father-in-law was presented with it when he retired.

Jaeger-LeCoultre, of course, a great name in clocks and watch-making.

I think that would do quite well in the sale.

'As a general valuer, people assume that you must know everything about everything, but it's not the case.'

If there is something that I don't know, I'm not afraid to ask a colleague

or even another valuer off Flog It!

-I suppose the most interesting logistical piece is this one.

-Ooh!

I see! The old armoire.

-Would something like that sell?

-It would sell.

If someone's looking for one and they've got the space to accommodate it,

they'll be prepared to pay high hundreds, maybe even four figures.

I think it's nice that it goes to somebody

who is prepared to pay for it and therefore wants it.

That's better, perhaps, than going on the junk heap.

All good genuine pieces of family furniture, fresh to market,

just the way the market likes them, so there's plenty there for us.

We're into the hour before the sale so things start picking up.

People are arriving, double-checking something they maybe viewed yesterday,

just to make sure that it's still something that they want.

Bids are coming in. The phones are ringing.

People are registering on reception.

We try to keep general sales a bit more spit and sawdust than our fine sales,

because people like a saleroom where it's stacked high,

they have a rummage, gives them a feeling that they'll find a bargain at the bottom of a box.

Usually can pick up a bargain here because it's not got lots of jewellery.

A couple of lots that I'm interested in today.

I have a figure in my head that I will go up to.

Hopefully, I'll get it below that,

but you tend to go one over if it's something you really want.

The only tip I would give you as far as bidding is concerned

is have your limit.

Say to yourself what you're prepared to pay for something.

OK, go maybe one bid more. You don't want to lose it for a single bid.

But generally, if you've got your limit, stick to it.

Right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our first general sale of the new year.

Welcome to you all, as always.

He's really quick, keeps the auction going and a buzz in the saleroom.

£40 I'm bid now. At 40. Front row at £45...

'You see a lot of different styles of bidding.

'Someone might come for one specific item.'

They will march to the front of the room with their paddle in the air.

It's pretty obvious that they want to buy this lot.

£50 it is, then.

'Other people skulk at the back, hide behind a wardrobe.'

As you're going to bring the hammer down, they'll bid.

That psychological edge on the under-bidder might make them think,

"There's no point me carrying on." And they steal it at the back.

And lot 110 is a nine-carat gold five-stone ring.

£50 will it be? Straight in. 50, surely? 30 I'll take, if I must.

I'm looking round for you. 20 I have.

Saved you a tenner. At £20 I'm bid. And five. 30.

Five. 40. Lady's bid at £40. Is that all it's going to be?

I shall sell it. £40!

Your number today is 61.

The important part of my job, personally,

is the interaction with clients and the public.

These people coming to our sales want to be entertained, to a degree, but at the same time,

you're trying to persuade them to part with money.

You've got to do it in a nice way.

I think most clients who had something for sale were pleased.

As with any sale, some things do better and some do not as well,

but in general, people seemed happy.

A lot of it's clearing and finding its place in a new home.

Yeah, good day, all round.

For me, I've got the best job in the word.

-Those are nice.

-The dogs? They didn't sell.

-They didn't?

-No.

-Where's Dad? Ask him for a tenner and they're yours for cash.

-BOY LAUGHS

If you could choose any beautiful antique, what would it be?

I put that question to our experts.

'And Michael Baggott has always had a taste for the grand.'

The thing I most want, and I'm assuming that I don't have to break into the museum and steal it,

is a cup I first saw illustrated when I was 14, 15 years of age.

It's the most fantastic piece of silver.

Normally, you see something when you're young and your tastes develop

and in 20 years' time you think, "That's old hat!"

This is still the best piece of silver in the world!

It's made by a silversmith called Adam van Vianen,

a Dutch silversmith.

This cup was made in 1614.

It is the most eccentric, sensational piece of silver.

It's as if an alien melted silver

and poured it into the most unusual shape you could possibly imagine.

It's very modern, but it's very traditional as well.

It's... It's exceptional.

When it sold in the 1970s,

it was the world record price for a piece of silver.

I think you could show that to a working silversmith and they wouldn't be able to make it.

Well, that's it for today's show and, as we've seen, everybody loves the grand,

but don't overlook the seemingly ordinary.

It could be worth a great deal more than you'd expect in today's market.

See you next time on Flog It! Trade Secrets.

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