0:00:02 > 0:00:05Flog It has been on your screens for over ten years now
0:00:05 > 0:00:09and during that time we've helped you sell your unwanted antiques and collectables.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13- APPLAUSE - Sue!- £600.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16- Yes!- Yeah!
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And hopefully, you've taken home a lot of information, too.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21This series is all about giving you more.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Welcome to Flog It Trade Secrets.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55On today's show, we'll be meeting a few famous names in British antique history.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Some real Flog It favourites.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00And however much we think we know about these items,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03as I've discovered from working on the show over the years,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06there's always something new we can learn.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12'And who better to learn from than Flog It's dedicated team of experts
0:01:12 > 0:01:14'whose passion is the world of antiques and collectables?
0:01:16 > 0:01:20'In today's show, we look at some of the items that turn up all the time
0:01:20 > 0:01:22'at our Flog It valuation tables.'
0:01:22 > 0:01:26These sort of things are very collectable.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28'And see what alternatives you should be looking for.'
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Charlotte Rhead I think is undervalued.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35'What insider tips can our experts offer the budding collector or dealer?'
0:01:35 > 0:01:41When I started, they were about £1,500. I wish I'd bought one then.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Everybody always equates best to the most valuable
0:01:43 > 0:01:45and that isn't necessarily the case.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47You pick an object up
0:01:47 > 0:01:50and the hairs on the back of your neck go up
0:01:50 > 0:01:52and you get excited.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56I think that's when you know you've got something good.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02I've learned over the years that British ceramics
0:02:02 > 0:02:06play a very important part of our antique history.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Many of those creations were groundbreaking in their day,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11as were the people who created them.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15And I'm always saying Flog It wouldn't be Flog It without Clarice Cliff on the show.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19But who were the other women making a splash in the Potteries?
0:02:19 > 0:02:23'On Flog It, we're very familiar with the Potteries' most famous daughter.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26'But her work is not to everyone's taste.'
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Bleurgh! I hated it when I saw it, I hated it when I sold it,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34and in truth, I still don't like it too much now. But it was Clarice Cliff.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36I can't stand Clarice Cliff.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38- Do you like it?- Not a lot, no. - Dreadful, isn't it?
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Why do people buy this?
0:02:40 > 0:02:43My husband bought it because he thought it was a good investment.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48- He bought it for his pension fund. - How much did he pay for it?- £8.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51A lot of people tend to collect what they thing they should collect,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54what the newspapers, what the magazines,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58dare I say it, what the television programmes tell them they should collect.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01I'm of the school that I think you should go and buy and collect
0:03:01 > 0:03:05what you have a real passion for, what really turns you on, what does it for you.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Clarice Cliff worked at the Newport Pottery, a factory set up in 1928.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13And I would think this dates to around about 1930.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- There are some inherent problems with it.- Yes.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Apart from the fact that it's horrible, you've got a chip there.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24- This coffee pot is really quite badly crazed.- Mm.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27When I saw it at the valuation day, it was the condition,
0:03:27 > 0:03:33it was really in poor order, but I was mindful of the fact that if it was a rare thing,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35it could've made its money.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Now, you'd normally see this in reds and greens.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43And I wonder whether this is perhaps an early blue design that they failed with.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47It's a rich era, really, I think, the '30s, for ladies
0:03:47 > 0:03:51in that the First World War had come and gone,
0:03:51 > 0:03:55we were building up to the Second World War.
0:03:55 > 0:04:01I also think that ladies, in a way, might be a little bit more creative than chaps.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04But I guess the one real reason might be
0:04:04 > 0:04:10that they probably charge less, or their pay rate was less than a man's.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- I think we've got to put £200 to £300 as an estimate on it.- Yeah.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17We'll put a fixed reserve on it of £150.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21The one thing I would say to you is I've never seen this in this blue colour before.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- Really?- Yeah. If that is that rare
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and the Clarice collectors really leap into it,
0:04:27 > 0:04:32you know, they could... the damage might become an irrelevance
0:04:32 > 0:04:36- simply because of its rarity. - I see, yeah.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42We've got the Clarice Cliff blue firs pattern coffee set.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46The minute you hear the auctioneer go, "I've got commission bids and three phone lines,"
0:04:46 > 0:04:48you sort of know you're on a winner.
0:04:48 > 0:04:511,300, my bid. 1,350.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54On the phone, 1,350
0:04:54 > 0:04:57'But the opening bid took us all by surprise.'
0:04:57 > 0:04:59- 2,300.- Gosh, this is rare!
0:04:59 > 0:05:01They know something we don't know, Philip.
0:05:01 > 0:05:062,600. Are we all done at £2,700, then?
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Hammer's gone down. What a wonderful moment.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11- £2,700!- Oh, dear.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13How do I explain Clarice Cliff's appeal?
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Well, I'm not sure I can. You're talking to the wrong bloke.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19'So far, so Clarice Cliff.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22'But who were the other women whose designs have stood the test of time?'
0:05:22 > 0:05:24The Charlotte Rhead bowl in Edinburgh,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27a real good piece of Art Deco pottery
0:05:27 > 0:05:32with those stylised trees, very typical of the 1930s style of decoration.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35It dates from the 1930s
0:05:35 > 0:05:40and it's a piece by one of the most well-known ceramic designers of the 20th century called Charlotte Rhead,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43who worked in the Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent
0:05:43 > 0:05:46at a similar time to Clarice Cliff, who everybody's heard of.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Poor Charlotte Rhead has lived in Clarice Cliff's shadow
0:05:49 > 0:05:52probably ever since the 1930s.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Clarice Cliff with her bold and jazzy, colourful designs.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Charlotte Rhead was rather more muted, I suppose, in style.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02And most of her things were vases and bowls
0:06:02 > 0:06:07and big trays and chargers with various designs.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12But this is quite an unusual design for her, cos they're mainly stylised flowers and foliage
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- and here you've got more trees really, haven't you?- Yeah.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Charlotte Rhead is an unsung hero of the Potteries.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24Her technique was rather than hand-painting, she was a tube-liner,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27so she piped out these tube-line designs,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31similar to the Moorcroft pottery of the period.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34The most desirable are the ones that are signed on the bottom.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39- Mm-hm.- And luckily, yours is one of those that's signed on the bottom. - Oh, I see.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42I suppose it's all about fashion and name.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Everyone's heard of Clarice Cliff, most people have heard of Susie Cooper.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Charlotte Rhead, perhaps not so much.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53When you see sometimes huge prices paid for Clarice Cliff and the likes,
0:06:53 > 0:06:58- and this is probably going to make £40, something like that. - That's fine. That's fine.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- We could put an estimate of £30 to £50.- OK.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Charlotte Rhead, I think, is undervalued.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07She was a great exponent of pottery of the period.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Start at £30. 30 bid. 30 bid.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14'Did Adam's valuation reflect Charlotte Rhead's limited appeal?'
0:07:14 > 0:07:17- 5. 70. £70 on commission. - What did we say?
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Any advance on 70?
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- At £70.- Spot on. - THEY LAUGH
0:07:23 > 0:07:28'Not a bad price. But what did Isla plan to do with the money?'
0:07:28 > 0:07:31When I did a search on Charlotte Rhead,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35I discovered that she had breast cancer
0:07:35 > 0:07:37and subsequently died from it,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40and because I'm in remission from breast cancer,
0:07:40 > 0:07:45if there's any money, that's where it's going, to cancer care.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49- What more appropriate way of spending the proceeds?- 'Here, here!
0:07:50 > 0:07:55'And now to another Potteries contemporary of Charlotte Rhead and Clarice Cliff.'
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- It's by Susie Cooper, as I'm sure you know.- Yes.
0:07:58 > 0:08:03- How long have you owned it? - Er, 54 years. It was a wedding present.- Really?- Yes.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Susie Cooper was born in 1902, the youngest of seven daughters,
0:08:07 > 0:08:12and she started working for Gray's, a very influential potter in the Potteries,
0:08:12 > 0:08:17at the age of 20, so she got going very early.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Susie Cooper was an important designer
0:08:20 > 0:08:25and quite rare, because there weren't many lady designers working in industry.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30And she became governor of her own firm. The company became known as Susie Cooper.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34She specialised in tablewares.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37You don't get so much decorative pottery by her.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42This shape is known as the falcon shape, for obvious reasons.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46If you look at the spout, it in profile look rather like a falcon
0:08:46 > 0:08:51- with its bill taking the form of the spout.- Yes.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55I think women came to the forefront, in terms of design
0:08:55 > 0:08:59and in terms of decorating for a number of reasons, really.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02It was a relatively liberated time.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07Society was more responsive, I think, to young women than it had been before.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09There were fewer men about. Let's not forget that.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13There were a great number of men in their teens and early 20s
0:09:13 > 0:09:17who were killed in the First World War. They might have gone on to be decorators.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20It's in perfect condition. A slight crackle.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23A sort of crazing, which you do get.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26I suspect it's just age which has caused the glaze to shrink, really.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Susie Cooper is definitely, and in my view quite rightly,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32overshadowed by Clarice Cliff.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Clarice Cliff was avant garde.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40She introduced bold shapes, bold designs. But she had a sort of freedom.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43She was given her own studio and allowed to get on with it.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- It was bought in 1955...- Yes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50..which I think tells us that the pattern, the decoration, is actually a bit later.
0:09:50 > 0:09:56So we have a 1930s shape decorated in the mid-1950s.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I think things should speak of their period.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Something that was made in the 1930s
0:10:01 > 0:10:03should look as if it was made in the 1930s.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07'That's why Clarice Cliff is so collectable.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09'She absolutely reflects that time.'
0:10:09 > 0:10:16- I think this is going to make somewhere between £40 and £60.- Right.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18- How about a reserve of £30? - That sounds reasonable.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23It's a nice little set, this.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27At £55. At 55. Is there 60? At 55. I'm not going to dwell on it.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29- At 55.- He's going to sell.- At 55.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- All done?- Yes!
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Susie Cooper is not as highly regarded
0:10:34 > 0:10:39and I think the owner was indeed disappointed in my valuation.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42But that's just the way the market is, really.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45'Very true. The market is a fickle beast,
0:10:45 > 0:10:50'and you never know, Susie Cooper may yet rise in value.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52'So if you've got some of her work, keep hold of it.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57'Around the time that Brenda's mother acquired her Susie Cooper tea service,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00'another woman was making a splash in the world of ceramics.'
0:11:00 > 0:11:04I was delighted to see this Midwinter service, or part of it,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06they only brought part to the valuation day
0:11:06 > 0:11:09with a promise that they had a service for six at home.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14It's made by the Midwinter factory and they were in operation between 1910,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17when it was established by William Midwinter,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20and it operated right through to about 1987.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22The amazing thing was, it came out looking as fresh
0:11:22 > 0:11:25and as wonderful
0:11:25 > 0:11:28as probably the first day they were presented as a wedding present.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33During the mid part of the 20th century, Jessie Tait was commissioned by William Midwinter
0:11:33 > 0:11:36to create this rounded square shape.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Jessie Tait was an amazing lady. She's actually, since the programme was filmed,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43she has actually died. She died in the early part of 2010.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47She was a very influential lady throughout the 20th century,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50and from the 1940s to the 1980s,
0:11:50 > 0:11:55carried forward the female role, as it were,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58in terms of cutting-edge design within the Potteries.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02I think you and I agree that it's very much of the period
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- but actually it looks very much now, as well.- Yes, both.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10She was very clever in terms of fusing
0:12:10 > 0:12:14the modern taste and modern capabilities of production
0:12:14 > 0:12:17with obviously what she's learnt from tradition
0:12:17 > 0:12:20and taking the two things forward together.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23I mean, to see one or two pieces now and then is something we might expect,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26but to see so much is really quite exciting.
0:12:26 > 0:12:32I think realistically anywhere between £350 and £550
0:12:32 > 0:12:36- would be a fair bracket of value. - Yes.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38She's probably one of the leading lights, or is the leading light,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42in terms of her chosen career, definitely.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Lot 56, the Midwinter dinner, tea and coffee service.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Selling at £380. Bid's at the back of the room.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52- All done at £380? - We're going to take that, aren't we?
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Dinnerwares, tablewares,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56tea services are not selling particularly well
0:12:56 > 0:12:59because people have too busy a life,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01they perhaps don't sit down to a full laden table
0:13:01 > 0:13:03with all the matching crockery.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07If they do, it then needs to be really dishwasher proof
0:13:07 > 0:13:10if they're going to enjoy it to its full and relax about using it.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14So such a service is really bucking current trends
0:13:14 > 0:13:18for lots of reasons. And it was just wonderful, yes.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22'Often you can snap up a set for less than the individual pieces.
0:13:22 > 0:13:27'And Jessie Tait's work may prove a canny investment in the future.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31'There's one more established Flog It favourite
0:13:31 > 0:13:34'which is the magical work of another of Stoke's visionary women.'
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Doncaster valuation day, I remember it well.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40It was a dream valuation day
0:13:40 > 0:13:43and I remember this lady pulling out this Fairyland Lustre bowl.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46I saw her from the other side of the room. I was straight there.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- What a wonderful piece you've got here.- It is beautiful.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- As soon as I saw it, I ran over, didn't I?- Yes.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54It's beautiful. It's by Wedgwood
0:13:54 > 0:13:56and we've got the Wedgwood mark on the bottom there.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01And it's Fairyland Lustre. That's what it's known as.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06And it was designed by a very interesting lady called Daisy Makeig-Jones,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08who was at Wedgwood for many years.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Daisy Makeig-Jones was a genius designer, really.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16I believe she had a dispute with Wedgwood and left under a cloud
0:14:16 > 0:14:22and smashed loads of pots, which all helps add to the mystique and the rarity of Fairyland Lustre.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24And the castle often features
0:14:24 > 0:14:28and the fairies always feature.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30And you can see the exquisite decoration all round.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34If you have a look at that, the decoration is absolutely magnificent.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37No offence to Charlotte Rhead and Clarice Cliff
0:14:37 > 0:14:41with their simple painted and tube-lined designs,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43but this is an absolute masterpiece of pottery.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48It's smothered in decoration, in gilding, there's a huge amount of effort and man hours
0:14:48 > 0:14:51that goes into the creation of Fairyland Lustre.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55- I think we could put a reserve of 800.- Do you really?
0:14:55 > 0:14:57So it doesn't go for any less.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59- Fine.- No leeway at all. I shall tell him myself.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05The Daisy Makeig-Jones Fairyland Lustre bowl,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09discovered by Adam Partridge, and I remember her saying,
0:15:09 > 0:15:15"Ooh, I don't really want to sell it, but if it makes 800 or 900, I'm prepared to let it go."
0:15:15 > 0:15:18We have five telephones.
0:15:18 > 0:15:24- Yes.- I'll start it on the commission bid of £800.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27But whenever you get something good, you have that feeling
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and you know something's going to happen.
0:15:30 > 0:15:321,500. 1,500.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34And 50. 1,550.
0:15:34 > 0:15:361,600.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40You know, if Adam had put 2,000 to 2,500 on that bowl,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42I don't think we'd have sold it.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45I don't think there would've been very much interest at all,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48because the majority of people would've gone, "Oh, it's too much."
0:15:48 > 0:15:53But put a low estimate and it builds and it builds.
0:15:53 > 0:15:582,200. 2,300. All sure at 2,300?
0:15:58 > 0:16:02- HAMMER BANGS - Yes! That's a sell. £2,300.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06The name Daisy Makeig-Jones to some people was like,
0:16:06 > 0:16:11"Who's that, then?" until you say Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and she's the person that has made that famous.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19'Another name to add to the list of innovative women in ceramics.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22'Her work is highly sought-after and commands high prices.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25'So look for smaller pieces of Fairyland Lustre
0:16:25 > 0:16:27'or the less ornate examples.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31'Since her death, Jessie Tait is definitely one to watch.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35'And remember, there may be more value for money in buying a service
0:16:35 > 0:16:37'than in individual pieces.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41'Many feel that Charlotte Rhead and Susie Cooper are underrated,
0:16:41 > 0:16:46'but as such, they could represent a sensible investment.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49'When it comes to Clarice Cliff, the market is very complex
0:16:49 > 0:16:54'with different ranges and colourways attracting vastly different prices.
0:16:55 > 0:17:01'Pieces from the long-running crocus range can be picked up for £30 to £50,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03'but rare combinations of shape and pattern
0:17:03 > 0:17:06'command exceptionally high prices.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10'The world record, set at the height of the market in 2004,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13'was £39,500
0:17:13 > 0:17:17'for an 18-inch charger in the May Avenue pattern.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26'Clarice Cliff's work has gone from being thought avant garde
0:17:26 > 0:17:29'to being regarded as iconic of its time.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34'The same is true of many great names in the world of antiques and collectables
0:17:34 > 0:17:39'and a clever collector will look ahead and buy when things are new or unfashionable.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43'That was certainly true of two Welsh women
0:17:43 > 0:17:45'whose eye for a bargain resulted in a collection
0:17:45 > 0:17:48'that's now considered priceless.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52'In the early 20th century, two spinster sisters,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56'Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, began collecting art.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01'Today their collection is seen as one of the largest and most important
0:18:01 > 0:18:05'of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works in the world.'
0:18:06 > 0:18:12The 260 works of art were bequeathed to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff
0:18:12 > 0:18:16and I've come here to talk to Dr Ann Sumner, head of fine art,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19to take a look at this incredible collection
0:18:19 > 0:18:22but also find out a little bit more about these remarkable women
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and the role they played in Welsh history.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31'And the star of their collection is undoubtedly La Parisienne by Renoir,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35'one of the most famous Impressionist paintings in the UK.'
0:18:37 > 0:18:40This is absolutely stunning. Look at this French ultramarine blue.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45That sort of shouts out at you and it's quite bold, the brushstroke. Tell me about it.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Well, this painting was one of the most famous pictures
0:18:47 > 0:18:51at the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874
0:18:51 > 0:18:54and it really made Renoir's name.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58And Gwendoline Davies purchased this in 1913
0:18:58 > 0:19:01and they didn't start collecting Impressionist paintings until 1912,
0:19:01 > 0:19:05so this is only the second year of collecting Impressionist paintings.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09- Tell me about the ladies. They must've been so remarkable. - They were.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12The Davies sisters were the granddaughters of David Davies of Llandinam,
0:19:12 > 0:19:18- who was a self-made industrialist. - In coal.- In coal, in railways,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and actually developing Barry docks, as well.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23So they were to inherit an enormous amount of money
0:19:23 > 0:19:26when they both became 25.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28They both drew.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Margaret painted throughout her life.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35And, in fact, they had this extraordinary exposure
0:19:35 > 0:19:38to the Salon in Paris, to the Royal Academy in London,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41because that's what really interested Jane Blaker, their governess.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43And when they went to London, she would turn up
0:19:43 > 0:19:47and take them off to the Royal Academy to see the latest British paintings.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50And then when they went to France, which was primarily for shopping
0:19:50 > 0:19:53and to see the theatre and to go to the opera,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57she also made sure they went to the Salon and they saw the best exhibitions.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Why were the sisters exceptional as collectors?
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Well, first of all, they were women,
0:20:02 > 0:20:07but also, they were really, really unusual in that they were buying Impressionist paintings
0:20:07 > 0:20:09and that was exceptional at that time.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13- Cos it was considered avant garde. It wasn't the thing to invest in. - No.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16I mean, let's be honest, they were buying these paintings cheaply.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Relatively cheaply. They weren't fashionable.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23That's the idea with antiques and collectables, isn't it? Get in before they're fashionable.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29They were certainly getting bargains, to a certain extent, with some of the pictures they were buying.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Did they collect mainly impressionistic works?
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Well, as you can see from the gallery that we have here,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43they started off collecting in a slightly different vein.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47They bought works by Corot, works by Millet, by Daumier.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51So they bought French paintings, but not initially French Impressionist paintings.
0:20:51 > 0:20:57- And then, of course, Turner. Turner is the artist who they were really interested in.- I've spotted some.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00And they started off buying some of these wonderful works here.
0:21:00 > 0:21:06And you can see, in a way, they were drawn to this impressionistic style of painting by Turner.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08And it's not such a huge leap
0:21:08 > 0:21:11- to then be appreciating Impressionist painting.- I was going to say that,
0:21:11 > 0:21:16- because there's a correlation. You can see how it's evolved. It's not random, is it?- No, not at all.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Every single wall vies for your attention at once, doesn't it?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26- Every work of art... - There's just so much.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31This is a lovely Manet, painted during the Franco-Prussian war, actually,
0:21:31 > 0:21:36when Manet was serving in the guard. He was actually a soldier this time.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40- And this was a wasteland. - It is a barren landscape.- Yes.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43It's covered in snow, you get that heavy feeling...
0:21:43 > 0:21:47- Of not wanting to be there. - Yes, absolutely. And it was painted in about an hour and a half,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51so we know it's one of Manet's first Impressionist paintings.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53So it's a remarkable work.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58Now, this was purchased for just over £200 in 1912,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00so it's a real bargain.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05'But I think the sisters' most favourite artist had to be Monet.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08'They purchased nine of his works,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11'three of which are paintings of his beloved Venice.'
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Here we are, look. So typically Monet. Lovely pastel colours.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19These are wonderful Monets. The San Giorgio Maggiore By Twilight
0:22:19 > 0:22:22is probably one of the most famous paintings in our collections.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Monet himself came late to Venice
0:22:25 > 0:22:27and he wished that he'd gone earlier.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31He was incredibly inspired by the buildings and by the light.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- He actually painted in a gondola.- You sound very passionate about Monet.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40I love Monet. He's my favourite artist in this collection by far.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43And the Davies sisters bought so well.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Oh, wow. Look at that.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Paul Cezanne.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55One of his best-known works, actually, L'Estaque.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58There must be so many interesting stories
0:22:58 > 0:23:00with every single piece of art in here.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Well, I think what was interesting for the sisters was,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07this wonderful lifestyle they had before the First World War
0:23:07 > 0:23:12where they were holidaying all over Europe and also went to Egypt, this completely changed.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15They volunteered for the Red Cross canteens,
0:23:15 > 0:23:20and despite being in France and being so much involved in the war effort, they were still buying paintings.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Talk about confidence of brushstroke. Just take a look at this.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28- Wonderful Provence landscape. - Ohh!- Actually painted on Cezanne's own family estate.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32But it is an interesting situation, because they were very concerned about these paintings.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Paris was under considerable bombardment from the Germans
0:23:36 > 0:23:40and so as quickly as possible, they got these pictures out of France, over to Britain.
0:23:40 > 0:23:46And this was cutting-edge collecting, because these pictures were not appreciated in Britain at the time.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51When they tried to lend them to the Tate Gallery a few years later, they were initially turned down.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55And then, after a rumpus in the paper, lots of letters to The Times, they were put on loan.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00- You see, the girls had an incredible foresight.- They absolutely did.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05'This is truly an incredible exhibition.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09'Thanks to two remarkable women, works by Turner, Monet and Cezanne
0:24:09 > 0:24:12'have found a home here in Wales.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15'This is collecting at its best. And what a legacy to leave
0:24:15 > 0:24:17'for us all to enjoy.'
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Lots of you have told me at our valuation days
0:24:26 > 0:24:31that Flog It has inspired you to go out and explore the world of art and antiques.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35But what was it that first inspired our experts?
0:24:35 > 0:24:40Because we have Scottish ancestry, we went on a holiday in 1978
0:24:40 > 0:24:42as a family to visit relatives.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45And on one hot day,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48we were in the back of the car
0:24:48 > 0:24:51but stopped, much to my delight,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54in the little village of Kirriemuir, red sandstone village, a weaver's village.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57I was told we'd arrived at the birthplace of JM Barrie.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02And as a 12-year-old girl, the little cottage,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05which was owned by the National Trust for Scotland,
0:25:05 > 0:25:10and the little outhouse, which was Barrie's first theatre, captured my imagination
0:25:10 > 0:25:14and I found that on returning from the holiday,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18much to my delight, a book which I had grown up with,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21that had been my mother's when she was young,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25was indeed a book that Barrie had written.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27And this one is Peter Pan And Wendy
0:25:27 > 0:25:32and this is a second edition, which was printed in 1950,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34illustrated by Mabel Lucie Attwell,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37who in herself is a very famous illustrator.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40And I knew this story very well but hadn't put the two and two together.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45Quickly following this was my desire to collect other things Barrie-related,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48and so I started to collect thimbles,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52because Peter Pan expected of Wendy a kiss
0:25:52 > 0:25:58and Wendy gave Peter a thimble from her sewing kit.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00But that hasn't stopped there.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02My collection has grown.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04And by enjoying Barrie,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07I have gathered together
0:26:07 > 0:26:10lots and lots of artefacts from the Edwardian period.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Barrie wrote Peter Pan and it was first published in 1904,
0:26:13 > 0:26:18so from that period onwards, items which belonged to him
0:26:18 > 0:26:20or his plays,
0:26:20 > 0:26:25illustrating of Peter Pan, objects such of toasting forks and spoons,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27magic lantern slides,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30theatre programmes, posters.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35Trawling antique bookshops for early editions of his plays and books.
0:26:35 > 0:26:41And so the whole thing snowballed from that very simple beginning.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44'Simple beginnings are often the start of much bigger things.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47'And in the world of collecting, this couldn't be more true.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50'Experts advise you to buy what you love
0:26:50 > 0:26:54'and it's clear that Elizabeth does just that.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57'Once you find your real passion, go with it.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00'Sticking to a theme or the works of one individual
0:27:00 > 0:27:03'will help give your collection a focus to start with.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11'Still to come, advice on what to do with outdated heirlooms.'
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Although these aren't popular as things to wear,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17they are collectable.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21'And we'll look at the seemingly baffling world of hallmarks
0:27:21 > 0:27:24'and help you decode these historic symbols.'
0:27:24 > 0:27:27The date letter is for 1781.
0:27:27 > 0:27:33'But first, let's see what sparked Catherine Southon's passion for a career in antiques.'
0:27:33 > 0:27:40I wouldn't really say that I had an interest in antiques as such as a young child,
0:27:40 > 0:27:46but I was really interested in what you would probably term as collectables,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49especially little novelty bits and bobs.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53A lovely tin-plate model of an Alfa Romeo.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55I think it's a stunning piece.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59The item that I would love to own
0:27:59 > 0:28:01more than anything is a pocket globe.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05I love globes, but what I love more than anything are pockets globes,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08these small globes, Georgian globes,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11that are about 1750 in date.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15I love the colours, all these different colours
0:28:15 > 0:28:18that are outlined around the continents. I love the geography.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21I love the fact that on some of the maps,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Australia hasn't really been discovered,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27California is only an island. I love it.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31Once upon a time, when I started, they were about £1,500,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33and I wish I'd bought one then
0:28:33 > 0:28:36because now they're about £5,000.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39However, I have bought something
0:28:39 > 0:28:42which is not quite a pocket globe,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45but it's the same kind of idea.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48It's not in a fish-skin case, but I saw this at an antiques fair
0:28:48 > 0:28:51and my eyes lit up when I saw it.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54But it is, in fact, a little inkwell.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57So you put your ink in here,
0:28:57 > 0:28:59you dab your pen on there
0:28:59 > 0:29:02and then you roll it with a blotter.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06I bought it for a couple of hundred pounds and it's a bit of fun.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10Not quite the real McCoy, but one day perhaps I'll get it.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20'On our travels with Flog It,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23'I'm especially privileged to go behind the scenes
0:29:23 > 0:29:26'of some of the most beautiful heritage sites in the country,
0:29:26 > 0:29:30'and I want to give you a sneak peek at one of our filming days.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33'Today we're at Guildford's stunning Cathedral.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37'The day starts early at 8am for the crew.'
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Lots to do. We're filming two inserts today,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42so there's lots to get done, lots of pieces to camera,
0:29:42 > 0:29:47lots of people to interview and talk to, so it's going to be busy. Excited to get going on it.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50I'm the director, which basically means...
0:29:50 > 0:29:53It sounds far more grand than it is.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56It's my job to make sure Paul knows what he's doing, and everybody else,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59and get it done as quick as possible.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01'They're ready for action,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03'but where is the presenter?'
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Sorry about that. Traffic problems.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13- THEY LAUGH - Hello. Are you all right?
0:30:13 > 0:30:19The good news is, I've learnt all my lines, being stuck in traffic with nothing else to do.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23- Do you want to do the first piece to camera?- Shall we do some out here while we've got the weather?
0:30:23 > 0:30:26- Hi, Chris. Good to see you.- And you. - So, a cathedral built 20th century.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28So it's the history church script.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32- We'll do it out here. You turn around at the end and go back in. - OK.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36And we're set. And... action.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39A cathedral built in the 20th century is perhaps impressive enough,
0:30:39 > 0:30:43but the story that lies behind this magnificent building
0:30:43 > 0:30:46makes this feat of modern architecture truly unique.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48- Right, good.- And cut.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50That's good. Let's go in and do our bell-ringers.
0:30:52 > 0:30:57'On this show, I've made almost 1,000 film inserts
0:30:57 > 0:31:00'and have been to countless amazing and inspiring places,
0:31:00 > 0:31:02'and there's always something new to learn.'
0:31:02 > 0:31:07There's a lot to get done in a very short amount of time, so the pressure is on.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09And it should be fine.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12It will be fine. It always is.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14So we've got the bell-ringers here today.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18They're showing us a little bit about what they do and Paul's just going to have a go.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21We'll pick it up on you and then if you just have a quick chat.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25- Ready?- Yeah.- That was excellent! How do you do that? Is it just feel?
0:31:25 > 0:31:28It's definitely a sense of rhythm.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31The gap between each bell is as important as the sound of your own bell,
0:31:31 > 0:31:35to have it evenly spaced. So, yes.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Would it be yourself showing Paul how to do it?
0:31:37 > 0:31:40I think the best thing about working on Flog It
0:31:40 > 0:31:44is the fact that you get to learn so much about so many different things.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47So, for example, today we're filming this insert,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50it's not just about learning about the venue and the history of it
0:31:50 > 0:31:53but it's also about learning about bell-ringing and the people involved in that.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58And actually, you become a mini expert overnight about so many different things
0:31:58 > 0:32:02that perhaps you wouldn't have ever spent the time investigating or looking into.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06So it's all that knowledge that maybe you probably wouldn't have ever picked up.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10'I agree, Jess. In between takes,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12'I love to wander about and get a real feel for the place.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18'I always find I come across wonderful people, and at the cathedral,
0:32:18 > 0:32:23'I bumped into Dennis who's carved some of the most beautiful wood figures here.'
0:32:24 > 0:32:28I'm impressed with your work, the big sections of lime wood that you've carved.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33- How long did each figure take to carve? - I would think two to three months.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36- That's a lot of work, isn't it? - Yes.- You were a young man.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39- How long ago was that?- 56 years ago.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41So that was quite an important commission for you back then?
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Oh, yes. I was only just out of college.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46I'd just qualified,
0:32:46 > 0:32:49and like most people who'd just qualified, I thought I owned the earth.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53I wrote Sir Edward a letter telling him he needed me.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56THEY LAUGH And he said, "Well, as it happens,
0:32:56 > 0:33:01"the lady who's doing two in the chapel here can't finish four of them
0:33:01 > 0:33:04"and so would you like to do the other two?"
0:33:04 > 0:33:08I love the swags in the fabric, you know, those lovely undercuts creating shadow.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13- Yes.- The whole thing's got movement. Is that modelled on anybody?
0:33:13 > 0:33:16It wasn't intentionally meant to be, but it was so like my wife,
0:33:16 > 0:33:18- it looks very like her.- Yeah.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22Well, this whole building is a celebration of great craftsmanship
0:33:22 > 0:33:25and I've been fortunate enough today to bump into one of them.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29- So, Dennis, thank you very much. - Thank you.- A chance meeting!
0:33:29 > 0:33:31- Great work.- Thank you very much.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36'What an unexpected treat. That made my day.'
0:33:38 > 0:33:42It's a real privilege to come behind the scenes and learn this kind of thing.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45I mean, that's what keeps me going in this job for the last 12 years.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48I've learnt so much and I'll never stop learning
0:33:48 > 0:33:51and I'll always remember these moments, the special moments.
0:33:51 > 0:33:57'And that experience just goes to show, if you visit somewhere fascinating, go a little off-piste.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01'Strike up a conversation and you never know what you'll discover.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04'And that's the spirit of Flog It.
0:34:11 > 0:34:17'On Flog It, there are certain types of item that crop up again and again.'
0:34:17 > 0:34:22You brought in a variation of exotic woods here. Some table treen.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26'One of my Flog It favourites is treen, small items of turned wood.
0:34:26 > 0:34:31'It speaks to me of great craftsmanship and simple pleasures.'
0:34:31 > 0:34:33These sort of things are very collectable.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37What I do like about it is all the lovely little studs here
0:34:37 > 0:34:40and the beautiful patterns that we can see all over.
0:34:40 > 0:34:45Lot 375 is the 19th century treen snuff box in the form of a boot.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50In the room now at £60. And 5 anyone else? Selling on the 60.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53- Hammer's gone down.- Excellent. - Right on the bottom end.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56'These little items don't command huge prices,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59'but they're a lovely thing to own.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06'Produced in Cornwall between 1963 and 1983,
0:35:06 > 0:35:10'Troika is a very familiar sight to our valuation days.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12'It's one of those things that you either love or you hate.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14'And I'm not alone in loving it.
0:35:14 > 0:35:21'In 2004, a piece like this one sold for £2,700.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24'Another regular on the show is Beswick pottery.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27'One of Stoke-on-Trent's many potteries, it was founded in 1892
0:35:27 > 0:35:32'and it's known to this day for having produced high-quality figurines,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34'particularly farm animals.'
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Beswick is certainly up there
0:35:37 > 0:35:39as the choice item to collect.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44'A figure like this rare pit pony, dating from 1931,
0:35:44 > 0:35:49'sold in 2005 for £8,500.'
0:35:51 > 0:35:53We've got the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56Trooping The Colour, 1957, by Beswick England.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01- Well, I think we'll put them in the sale as three separate lots. - Right, OK.
0:36:01 > 0:36:06- But I think on these two, we'll put an estimate of £300 to £500 each. - Really?- Yeah.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11Now the Beswick. Hammer's up. And sold away at £640.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- What do you think?- Oh, my goodness! I can't believe it!
0:36:14 > 0:36:18'Beswick ceased production altogether in 2003,
0:36:18 > 0:36:23'so even the late figures may one day prove a wise investment.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30'It just goes to show that because we see a lot of something, it doesn't mean it's not valuable.
0:36:35 > 0:36:41'Something that we see a great deal of at the valuation days is jewellery, often family pieces.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46'One particular category of jewellery that was especially popular in the Victorian period
0:36:46 > 0:36:50'can today divide opinion.'
0:36:50 > 0:36:54Things have certainly changed since the days of Queen Victoria,
0:36:54 > 0:36:56particularly in the process of mourning.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59People nowadays conduct themselves totally differently.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04But it's been fascinating to learn more about what we call memento mori
0:37:04 > 0:37:08through the items that you bring to us at our valuation days.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Jill, welcome to Flog It.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18Many pieces of jewellery come through the saleroom
0:37:18 > 0:37:22which I suppose I would call memento mori.
0:37:22 > 0:37:28Now, these are mementos of the dead, loved ones who have passed away.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33We see a lot of Victorian items like this.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Let's just have a closer look at it.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41The case is not marked for gold.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Very often, when a piece was made
0:37:44 > 0:37:48specially for someone by a jeweller,
0:37:48 > 0:37:50if it had been commissioned
0:37:50 > 0:37:53then they would not have hallmarked it.
0:37:53 > 0:37:57But the touch of it, the colour of it, the weight of it,
0:37:57 > 0:38:01all these things indicate to me that it is gold.
0:38:01 > 0:38:06Jewellery has always been influenced by the fashion of the day,
0:38:06 > 0:38:10what was happening. When Prince Albert died
0:38:10 > 0:38:12and Queen Victoria went into mourning,
0:38:12 > 0:38:16and she was in mourning for a long, long time,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18she wore black
0:38:18 > 0:38:20and that became fashionable.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22The front of it
0:38:22 > 0:38:29has this beautiful banded agate oval on it.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34And we have a gold and enamel starburst here
0:38:34 > 0:38:36and a beautiful pearl.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40So it's a lovely thing. It's a quality item.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43I like it very, very much.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48When we opened the locket, there was a little portrait of a whiskered gentleman,
0:38:48 > 0:38:51quite a young chap.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56Not my taste, but I suppose some Victorian lady thought he was good-looking.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58And on the other side there were locks of hair,
0:38:58 > 0:39:02so this locket was obviously worn by a Victorian lady.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05- Do you know who this is? - I'm afraid I don't, no.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07- He's quite a sombre-looking chap. - Yes, he is.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11Could he have been a boyfriend or a fiance?
0:39:11 > 0:39:14- I just don't know. - You don't know?- No.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18And we have the hair horror here,
0:39:18 > 0:39:22which is typical of mourning jewellery.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25People like to collect jewellery,
0:39:25 > 0:39:30and folk have different periods that they're interested in.
0:39:30 > 0:39:35And someone who collected Victorian jewellery or Victorian objects
0:39:35 > 0:39:37would buy this type of thing
0:39:37 > 0:39:42because it told us part of the history of that time.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46Although these aren't popular as things to wear,
0:39:46 > 0:39:48they are collectable.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52Price-wise, I would put an estimate
0:39:52 > 0:39:55of 120 to 180 on this locket.
0:39:55 > 0:40:00- Would you be happy with that estimate?- Yes. - Well, let's put it to sale, Jill.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05'The locket went for sale under the watchful eye of Flog It favourite Charlie Ross.'
0:40:05 > 0:40:09Gold, pearl and enamel pendant, circa 1880,
0:40:09 > 0:40:14late Victorian pendant. And I can start that at 85.
0:40:14 > 0:40:1890. 5. 100. And 10. 120. 130.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Although this belonged to the Victorian age,
0:40:21 > 0:40:26I think that it was quite a fashionable item in today's tastes.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29380. You're out on the stairs.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31380, middle of the room now.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34At £380, are we all done?
0:40:34 > 0:40:38- Selling at £380.- Yes!
0:40:38 > 0:40:42Memento Mori is a practice which has died out, really,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45in today's modern world.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49But people still want to look back and see how people lived,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52and see the customs, the traditions and fashions and so on, of the past.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55And nowhere can this be more clear
0:40:55 > 0:41:01than when we look at the memento mori jewellery of the Victorian age.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05I thought that it might be to today's tastes.
0:41:05 > 0:41:11- And also a come and buy me, come and buy me valuation.- Yes.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15- I can be a bit like that, you know. - That's excellent.- A canny lass.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19Would I wear a picture of a dead person round my neck?
0:41:21 > 0:41:24- I'm not sure. - SHE LAUGHS
0:41:25 > 0:41:31'It might be beautiful, but the Victorian way of death isn't everyone's cup of tea.'
0:41:31 > 0:41:37The whole concept of having a lock of a deceased person's hair confuses me.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41It's a watch chain, or more strictly a watch rope, really,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44because obviously it's not a chain as such.
0:41:44 > 0:41:50What makes this interesting is the fact that it is almost certainly,
0:41:50 > 0:41:54and again, I can't prove this, made out of human hair.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59The Victorians did have a thing about death, there's no doubt about it.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03They dignified it in some ways. They romanticised it.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07I suppose they were more religious than we are today.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10They probably were confident that you were going somewhere else, to a better place.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14We feel a little bit unhappy about these things today,
0:42:14 > 0:42:19and perhaps we don't confront it like the Victorians did. Perhaps they had it right.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22A person would, at some stage in their life,
0:42:22 > 0:42:24probably have just cut a piece of hair off
0:42:24 > 0:42:28which they might have given to a friend or a husband or a wife,
0:42:28 > 0:42:32and when that person died, those lockets of hair
0:42:32 > 0:42:36were mounted into what became known as mourning brooches
0:42:36 > 0:42:41and presented after the funeral of the deceased to members of the family.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Death is less commonplace than it was.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46You know, your children died young,
0:42:46 > 0:42:49your wife was likely to die in childbirth,
0:42:49 > 0:42:51your husband might die young,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54for heaven's sake, he might die in battle somewhere,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57he was as likely to do that as die of natural causes.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00And it was part of their life.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05- Did you have a particular sum of money in mind? - No, I didn't have anything.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07I was just hoping perhaps there might be enough
0:43:07 > 0:43:09to plant something in the garden.
0:43:09 > 0:43:14- Right.- I mean, if there was enough, perhaps it could be a small tree.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17- Dear Nancy was such a lovely, lovely lady.- Right.
0:43:17 > 0:43:22- And I have fond thoughts of her and I thought it would be a nice thing to remember her by.- That's lovely.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25- And Nancy was the lady who left you...- Yes.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27I think that's a great idea.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30If my death was to be commemorated,
0:43:30 > 0:43:33I would rather someone planted a tree.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36That would be something lasting, wouldn't it?
0:43:36 > 0:43:42So I think this is going to make, as a group, between £30 and £50.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49The plaited hair watch chain.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51At £50 and I sell to the back of the room,
0:43:51 > 0:43:56- and done then at 50. Thank you. - It's gone.
0:43:56 > 0:44:01So whilst we wouldn't necessarily want to own a watch chain made out of human hair,
0:44:01 > 0:44:05I don't think we should condemn the Victorians for wanting to do so.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09'Mourning jewellery is often passed down through generations,
0:44:09 > 0:44:12'among other precious heirlooms.'
0:44:12 > 0:44:16It was recently at Glasgow when we filmed at the Kelvingrove Museum
0:44:16 > 0:44:19that a lady brought in a rather unassuming box.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24Well, you've got a real mix in here. Let's get a few pieces out.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28Let me see, what have we got here? We've got a little gold framed cameo brooch.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34And we've got this rather interesting gold and enamel naturalistic frame,
0:44:34 > 0:44:39- which I think must have had something in the centre at some stage.- At some point, probably.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41We opened it up, and sure enough,
0:44:41 > 0:44:45inside there was a vast range of memento mori jewellery,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48mourning jewellery, Victorian mainly.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51And it's one of those odd areas of collecting
0:44:51 > 0:44:53that some people find it slightly morbid,
0:44:53 > 0:44:57but there is a market for it, certainly the earlier pieces.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59We've got a right Aladdin's trove here.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03Well, there's a little selection of brooches in there, some portrait brooches,
0:45:03 > 0:45:08I can see here we've got another mourning brooch. Typical one there with the plaited hair.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12You had people who were skilled in plaiting and making these patterns
0:45:12 > 0:45:14out of human hair.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18And they would often adorn the back of a brooch or a pendant, or even a portrait miniature.
0:45:18 > 0:45:23There seems to be a theme running through the jewellery you've got here, doesn't there?
0:45:23 > 0:45:26- Brooches...- Yeah. - ..and mourning jewellery.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30Such as with the plaited hair and again here with the black enamelling
0:45:30 > 0:45:32and the seed pearls there,
0:45:32 > 0:45:35a classic combination of mourning jewellery.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38That's what interests me, I think,
0:45:38 > 0:45:41is the iconography of mourning jewellery,
0:45:41 > 0:45:43and some of the inscriptions, as well,
0:45:43 > 0:45:46because it gives you an insight into some of the social history of the time.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51These are people's names and dates and so it evokes an interest
0:45:51 > 0:45:54in what this person did and who they were.
0:45:54 > 0:45:59We'll let Anita go through it and catalogue it in detail for her sale.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01Erm, and we'll give her a guide price
0:46:01 > 0:46:04- of 100 to 150.- OK. Excellent. Yes.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07'Was Will's estimate right?'
0:46:07 > 0:46:11It's a superb lot of Victorian jewellery.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14A lovely lot. Will you start me at £100?
0:46:14 > 0:46:17I often find that if you have that group,
0:46:17 > 0:46:21it promotes a lot of bidding,
0:46:21 > 0:46:24a lot of interest, because they've got lots of bits.
0:46:24 > 0:46:29£310. That's the hammer going down. Yes!
0:46:29 > 0:46:35'In some families, those Victorian mourning traditions have survived to this day.'
0:46:35 > 0:46:40I'm enthralled by this lovely little piece that you've brought in today. Do tell me about it.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43Well, it's a brooch that's been in the family for many, many years,
0:46:43 > 0:46:48and mostly brought out, well, always brought out for funerals occasions,
0:46:48 > 0:46:53because it was looked upon in our family as a mourning brooch.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56The brooch had a charming family provenance
0:46:56 > 0:47:00and was so beautifully and positively
0:47:00 > 0:47:04described and explained by the owner,
0:47:04 > 0:47:08it was just lovely to hear, erm,
0:47:08 > 0:47:10the context of funerals
0:47:10 > 0:47:14represented in such a positive and quite joyous way.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16My aunt who gave it to me,
0:47:16 > 0:47:19she had a wonderful sense of humour.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23- And so funerals weren't terribly sad things.- Good.
0:47:23 > 0:47:28And so it was a case of out with the jewellery box, out with the brooch,
0:47:28 > 0:47:30stick it on whatever you were wearing.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33The brooch itself, I personally wouldn't have taken that up
0:47:33 > 0:47:35and said, "This is a piece of mourning jewellery."
0:47:35 > 0:47:39But the interpretation of it was perfect, and with the two little doves on it,
0:47:39 > 0:47:43actually does tie in with Victorian symbolism
0:47:43 > 0:47:46for memory, remembrance and the passing of a life.
0:47:46 > 0:47:51Stylistically, it retains a lot of the Victorian sentiment
0:47:51 > 0:47:54and expression of feeling through imagery,
0:47:54 > 0:47:56in this case with the birds.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58The Victorians used the symbols of doves
0:47:58 > 0:48:02for lots of aspects of both memorial
0:48:02 > 0:48:06and, sort of, passion, I suppose.
0:48:06 > 0:48:11Two sides of the same coin, I suppose. Passion and death are linked inextricably.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14And the Victorians were very good at expressing that.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17I would think, as the market stands currently,
0:48:17 > 0:48:21which is very enthusiastic for good quality jewellery,
0:48:21 > 0:48:25that it should fetch between £100 and £150 at auction.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28- Oh, gosh! How lovely! - Are you pleased with that?- Yes!
0:48:28 > 0:48:32It was all summed up in this beautiful piece of jewellery.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36I found it quite moving, quite emotional, really,
0:48:36 > 0:48:39but in a very positive way.
0:48:39 > 0:48:44You depart from things, whether it's a place or a piece of furniture
0:48:44 > 0:48:48or an article, but no-one can take your memories away.
0:48:48 > 0:48:52- This is very true.- And so I have those happy memories.- Good.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55So maybe it will bring joy to somebody else.
0:48:59 > 0:49:04Lot number 80 is the micro-mosaic brooch, this time with doves.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07550 in the room. 550. 580 may I say?
0:49:07 > 0:49:10No? I have 580 on the net, then.
0:49:10 > 0:49:15At 550. 580 anywhere else in the room? At 550 bid.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Last call, then. We're selling on the internet at £550.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20That is a sold sound.
0:49:20 > 0:49:22Mourning jewellery, I would say, at the moment,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24good value.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28'Well, Anita couldn't be clearer. What other tips have we?'
0:49:28 > 0:49:31If you're talking 17th, early 18th century,
0:49:31 > 0:49:38when mostly it was iconographic, say, skulls, picks, spades,
0:49:38 > 0:49:41crosses, an hour glass, for obvious reasons,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44the more morbid, in a way, the more collectable.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49'If mourning jewellery interests you, here are some pointers.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53'Many memento mori encapsulates a slice of cultural history.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56'And their value lies in that context.
0:49:56 > 0:50:01'Lost art forms like hair-work or miniature paintings are worth looking out for.
0:50:01 > 0:50:06'With a plethora of pieces to be found, aim for quality and style.
0:50:06 > 0:50:11'Craftsmanship and design will transcend any association with sadness.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14'Go for earlier pieces if you can find them.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17'Victorian items became mass-produced
0:50:17 > 0:50:20'after the widowed Queen made mourning fashionable.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24'Pieces may have been commissioned so the metal might be unmarked.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27'Weigh it up in your hand if you think it might be gold.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31'The only way to tell for certain, though, is have it tested by a jeweller.
0:50:36 > 0:50:41'Precious metal cannot officially be called silver or gold or platinum
0:50:41 > 0:50:44'unless it has been hallmarked.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48'The first thing our experts look out for when presented with an item of jewellery
0:50:48 > 0:50:53'or precious metal at the valuation day is a hallmark.'
0:50:53 > 0:50:55So, there we are, we've got the hallmarks.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59- What else does it tell us?- How old it is.- How old it is.- Yeah.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01We're seeing a little bit of Birmingham silver with the anchor.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05If we look along here, we've got a full set of hallmarks.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08And it's for London 1781.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10And the maker is John Schofield.
0:51:10 > 0:51:15'These symbols are official marks struck on items made from precious metals,
0:51:15 > 0:51:17'gold, silver and platinum.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20'The hallmark guarantees the purity of the metal,
0:51:20 > 0:51:25'which has been determined by formal testing at an assay office.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28'The original assay office was in London,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30'but others opened up shortly afterwards,
0:51:30 > 0:51:34'including one in Birmingham, Sheffield and Chester, during the 18th century.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37'Each office has its own identifying symbol,
0:51:37 > 0:51:40'a leopard's head for London, an anchor for Birmingham,
0:51:40 > 0:51:43'a crown or rose for Sheffield,
0:51:43 > 0:51:45'and a castle for Edinburgh.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49'Items will generally bear other marks, such as the metal type,
0:51:49 > 0:51:55'a lion for silver, makers' marks and the year the item was assayed.'
0:51:55 > 0:51:57That's interesting. There's the hallmark there
0:51:57 > 0:52:00and that's got the leopard's head for London.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04'You've brought us many fine examples of the work of great silversmiths
0:52:04 > 0:52:07'such as Marius Hammer,
0:52:07 > 0:52:10'Omar Ramsden
0:52:10 > 0:52:12'and Mappin and Webb.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15'One of the best names in the business from the 18th century
0:52:15 > 0:52:17'was Hester Bateman.'
0:52:17 > 0:52:21- The date letter is for 1781. - Oh, right!
0:52:21 > 0:52:25- Little mark in the centre. HB. - Right.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27HB is the mark for Hester Bateman.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30And Hester Bateman is probably the most famous
0:52:30 > 0:52:34of all the silversmiths in London in this period.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36- A woman?- Because she's a woman. - Oh, right!
0:52:36 > 0:52:40Exactly. Now, her husband was a maker of gold chains.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42- Yes.- And they had a business in London,
0:52:42 > 0:52:47but he died shortly after the business started. I think it was 1760.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50And, of course, Hester Bateman took over the business. She never made a bit of silver.
0:52:50 > 0:52:56- How brave. - Exactly. It really is a woman in a man's world in those days.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00The fact that she was a woman in the 18th century as a silversmith,
0:53:00 > 0:53:02- that is why she's sought after. - Yes.- What's it worth?
0:53:02 > 0:53:05- You tell me.- Go on, have a go.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09Er, 200, 250, something like that?
0:53:09 > 0:53:13- You've been watching too many Flog Its, haven't you? - I've watched a lot of Flog Its.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16- Spot on.- Is it really? - It really is spot on. - Oh, right. OK.- £200 to £300.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21I mean, you can't even get a tablespoon by Hester Bateman for less than £100 these days.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24'Was Susan really spot on?'
0:53:24 > 0:53:27It's the Hester Bateman silver half-pint mug.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30London, 1781, 200 grams.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33Been a lot of interest in this. 290, he says. 290.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35290. 300?
0:53:35 > 0:53:39At 290. All done at £290. Are you all sure?
0:53:40 > 0:53:44'Larger pieces by Hester Bateman can set you back a great deal of money.
0:53:44 > 0:53:50'A silver soup tureen recently sold at auction for £52,000.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55'You'll find it hard to get by in the world of antique precious metals
0:53:55 > 0:53:57'without a hallmark bible.
0:53:57 > 0:54:02'There are many books on the market which list over 14,000 hallmarks.
0:54:02 > 0:54:08'Check for rubbed marks. Not being able to identify a hallmark can reduce the value of an item.
0:54:08 > 0:54:12'And be on the lookout for the Chester mark, the wheat sheaf and the shield.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15'The Chester office closed in 1961
0:54:15 > 0:54:19'and the items assayed here are now highly collectable.'
0:54:21 > 0:54:24I've often wondered what some of our successful owners
0:54:24 > 0:54:27have done with the money in the past. You probably have, as well.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30So we've caught up with a few of them.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34'At one valuation day in Wiltshire in 2009,
0:54:34 > 0:54:38'Thomas Plant's knowledge of those all-important hallmarks
0:54:38 > 0:54:42'stood him in good stead with one visitor.'
0:54:42 > 0:54:44It was given to me as a gift
0:54:44 > 0:54:48from somebody who knows that I like small silver.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52- But for me, it's a bit too big. - It's not really small silver, is it?
0:54:52 > 0:54:55- No, it's not as small as I usually collect.- What do you usually collect?
0:54:55 > 0:54:58Well, I like spoons, all sorts of different spoons.
0:54:58 > 0:55:03- And I like little salts...- Oh, yeah. - ..and little mustard pots.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06'Linda is an avid collector of spoons
0:55:06 > 0:55:10'and wanted to make room for the smaller items she collects.'
0:55:11 > 0:55:14I just love collecting.
0:55:14 > 0:55:18I love objects, I love the history of objects,
0:55:18 > 0:55:21I love the form of them, the function of them.
0:55:21 > 0:55:27I really can't help myself. So it's a curse or a passion.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29'With such a diverse collection,
0:55:29 > 0:55:34'Linda has to make some tough decisions on what to keep and what to sell.'
0:55:34 > 0:55:37You've got these quite good marks on the base here.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40- Yes, they're quite big, aren't they? - Quite big and quite fine,
0:55:40 > 0:55:44and as you know from collecting silver, they look quite fresh, so that's brilliant.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48Because it's by Emick Romer and it's 1771,
0:55:48 > 0:55:51you've got to think, the value is going to be higher
0:55:51 > 0:55:54than a usual chalice from this date.
0:55:54 > 0:55:58- Right.- So I would put this in at auction between £300 and £500.
0:55:58 > 0:56:03- I'd fix the reserve at 300. - Mm-hm.- How does that grab you?
0:56:03 > 0:56:06- That was a nice friend, wasn't it? - It was a nice friend.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10Lot number 285 we're onto now,
0:56:10 > 0:56:13which is the George III silver goblet by Emick Romer.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16420. 440 anywhere?
0:56:16 > 0:56:19- At 420. - HAMMER BANGS
0:56:19 > 0:56:21Yes! Good man, Philip!
0:56:21 > 0:56:24'Linda made the money she wanted at auction,
0:56:24 > 0:56:28'and was able to spend it on adding to her collection of Georgian spoons.'
0:56:29 > 0:56:32I've been building up a collection of Georgian silver
0:56:32 > 0:56:35for about five or six years.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39I hadn't collected silver to that extent before.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43But it just started with one spoon
0:56:43 > 0:56:48and it was a very old spoon.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51And I just realised what a very personal object that was.
0:56:51 > 0:56:56I'm very pleased to have found this one,
0:56:56 > 0:56:59which is a trefid spoon,
0:56:59 > 0:57:01the top is a trefid shape.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05And this one is dated
0:57:05 > 0:57:08circa 1680 to 1685.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12So it's in the reign of Charles II.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14It's an absolutely beautiful spoon.
0:57:16 > 0:57:21'Linda also has some more unusual items in her collection.'
0:57:21 > 0:57:23As well as the spoons,
0:57:23 > 0:57:26I've got a small collection of larger silver.
0:57:27 > 0:57:33Again, personal items. I have pap boats. A couple of these.
0:57:33 > 0:57:37Little things that cradle in your hand.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39And they were used for feeding infants.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42So simple and so beautiful to hold.
0:57:42 > 0:57:47'It's clear that Linda has a passion for these beautifully-designed and crafted objects.
0:57:47 > 0:57:52'But what tips has she got for anyone thinking of starting their own collection?'
0:57:52 > 0:57:57One of my tips for people who wanted to start collecting anything, really,
0:57:57 > 0:58:02is to focus on something you really like that you can afford.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04You may not be able to afford it at the end,
0:58:04 > 0:58:08because the thing about colleting is that
0:58:08 > 0:58:12when you get the ordinary, you then want the extraordinary.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14And that always costs a lot of money.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21Hopefully today's show has given you some food for thought
0:58:21 > 0:58:25and helped you rediscover some of those lost and overlooked items in your house.
0:58:25 > 0:58:30I hope you've enjoyed the show. See you next time for more trade secrets.
0:58:32 > 0:58:36Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:36 > 0:58:36.