Play Time Flog It: Trade Secrets

Now, we've all got things tucked away in cupboards

or in the attic.

Treasures that have been forgotten about for many years.

But if you take a closer look, you might just find something

of real value.

Something a collector will be waiting for.

I have an automatic gold detector in my fingertips!

Over the last 11 years on the show,

you've literally brought in thousands of items

for our experts to wax lyrical over.

And now I want to share some of that knowledge with the rest of you

to help you get in the know.

On today's show, we're looking back at childhood memories.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Where did you get it from?

And lifting the lid on some items

to which there's more than meets the eye.

Wow!

Look at that fantastic workmanship.

We'll be looking at two kinds of everyday possessions -

boxes and toys.

What have you all brought in? Look!

We've all got them lying around the house

and we'll show you just how valuable they can be to collectors.

Boxes aren't always what they seem.

They can be full of surprises,

if you know the ins and outs.

Wow!

When it comes to toys, we'll tell you just what to look out for.

This is all her original dress, which is marvellous.

Wonderful glass eyes. Later, they were plastic.

If we knock them against our teeth, we can tell they're glass.

Elizabeth Talbot shares her top tips on the king of soft toys.

Gorgeous! He's waving, look.

And Philip Serrell really demonstrates his expertise.

-I think these were made in Germany.

-Right.

-Do you know how I know that?

-No.

I know that because it says here, "Made in Germany"!

I'm an all-seeing expert here, Norman!

One of my favourite toys from my childhood has to be my Dinky and Corgi cars.

Every time I see one at a Flog It valuation day,

it brings back memories of a happy childhood for me.

I think that's what the collectors are looking for.

Evocative of a time before computer games

when you had to use your own imagination to play with your toys.

But what separates a collectable classic

from something of just sentimental value?

Things that are original and retain their original packaging

and is in as good a condition as possible are more valuable.

So often, especially with Dinky toys,

a Dinky toy might be worth £50, but the box it came in might be worth 100.

I suppose that's condition, isn't it?

Toys and games have got to be in good condition. Sadly, not played with!

Sad to think of a toy or game that hasn't been used,

but the more mint-like the condition,

the more value it will have.

And boxed, if possible.

So the message is loud and clear.

Condition, condition, condition!

Now let's take a closer look at some of the most exciting

and pristine toys we've ever seen on the show.

-What a wonderful treasure you've brought in!

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Where did you get it from?

-It belonged to my father.

But the strange thing was, we none of us saw it when we were children.

We only, unfortunately, discovered it after he'd died.

-We were going through his things to sort through them.

-No!

-Never got it out at Christmas or anything?

-No.

-So the family could play along?

-No.

The other nice thing to see straight away is the inset brass plaque here,

engraved with the maker's name. Which is?

"Toulmin & Gale, from Cheapside in London."

There's nothing cheap about this box, is there?

Toulmin & Gale, actually, were a very long-established firm,

founded in the early part of the 18th century.

They went right through the 19th century,

even winning a gold medal in the 1862 International Exhibition.

We've laid it out here, just to touch on some pieces in the set.

-We've naturally got a whole set of chess.

-Yes.

-We've got a set of dominoes.

-Yes.

A full set of draughts.

Games, of course, are common, and have been common for thousands of years.

A compendium of this quality

and range of games

would not have been common.

It would have been for the upper classes.

Then we've got a Bezique game, which I never know how to play!

-No!

-But my favourite, I have to say, and I'm not a betting man,

-but I love this horse-racing game.

-It's lovely.

We've only put a few horses out, and a few of the jumps,

-but there's more fitted inside.

-Yes.

And even the beakers for shaking the dice, it's just absolutely superb.

There are so many fragile, breakable, and, of course, small pieces

that could have been lost.

So when you open a box like this,

and find it virtually intact,

and untouched,

well, it's a collector's dream.

So we've got to think of a price. We're quite excited about it

and have to think of a price.

But I would put it in with a "come and get me" estimate.

-To get their taste buds watering, if you like.

-Yes.

-So I would put something like 400 to £600 on it.

-OK. That's good.

'Mark might not be a gambling man,

'but he is hedging his bets.

'The name and the quality will surely raise the stakes?'

-It's a real collector's item.

-It is.

This is it.

£300. 250 to start. 260 bid.

280 now. 300.

320 bid. 340 against you in the room.

-Climbing.

-360.

If you want something like this, of the quality and complete nature,

you certainly need to have a decent few counters in your wallet.

Cos they don't come cheap.

600 on my right. Going 620?

-620 with you. Thank you.

-This is great.

-Good advice.

660 now. 680. 700.

Look out for unusual objects in there. You know,

little games pointers made of ivory or silver.

All those little things add value to pieces.

-900 seated. Lady's bid at £900.

-Brilliant.

-900.

-920.

-920 offered.

940, the lady. 940 I'm bid.

-Absolutely brilliant. 940... 960.

-Still going strong.

We might get to a thousand!

-£980. Lady's bid at 980.

-1,000.

-1,000.

-1,000!

Fantastic!

£1,000 against you. Lovely lot. Don't let it go.

1,050. Thank you.

1,050 I'm bid. I'm looking for 1,100.

If you're all done? At 1,050 I'm selling.

-Amazing!

-Crash! £1,050. Margaret, I'm tingling.

-Amazing.

One of the best games compendiums I've ever seen.

Not bad for something she didn't even know was in her father's house!

And there was another treat for the collectors

when Michael found a pre-war toy complete with its original accessories.

I remember seeing a Chad Valley doll at Llandudno.

If you want to get your end, and I'll get mine. We'll have a look.

Right. Oh, isn't that lovely!

So we've got the little girl in her bed. How did you come by this?

It was donated to St David's Hospice

and I asked if I could take a few things along today.

-They said, "Take our pretty doll."

-Right.

Everything we need to know about this little doll

is actually on the box here!

It's The Chad Valley, which is an English company

that specialised in making toys and especially dolls with this felt covering.

This is all her original dress, which is marvellous.

'Chad Valley is one of those companies'

that's immediately recognisable as a British toy manufacturer.

Being in a country where the toys were made

leads to an appeal within that market.

It's the "Bambina", which is not a doll I've come across before.

But what's super about this little doll,

is even though someone's had her out and played with her,

they've put her back in the box. It's all in card, all terribly fragile.

But it's all been kept in wonderful condition by this box.

The one thing you learn is, the more ephemeral the object,

the more valuable it is.

So the toy might be kept, but the box it comes in

is the first thing on the fire, in the bin, in the skip.

And even though this box is dreadfully tired,

-I cannot tell you how many times these get thrown away.

-Yeah.

Have you got any idea when it was made?

Not really, but we had a bit of paper with it

and that said 1934.

I wouldn't argue with your bit of paper!

-No.

-I wouldn't be that specific as your bit of paper.

To have all of this, to have the original label,

to have the box, which is almost, from a graphic design point of view,

I like the box more than the doll!

-I think we can put it into auction at 50 to £80.

-Yeah.

Put a £50 reserve on it, and see where it goes from there.

It's always important when you're selling something for a charity

that it does as well as it possibly can.

It adds a bit of pressure on to us.

-I've been joined by Heather. Who have you brought along?

-Marie.

Marie, hi. Love the blue T-shirts. St David's Hospice.

-It's a charity.

-Yes. We have to raise 1.3 million

to actually keep the hospice running.

So we do a lot of work to fundraise towards that.

It's going under the hammer now.

Lot 394, folks.

A 1930s Chad Valley soft-bodied cloth doll Bambina.

It starts, though, at £50.

Five. 60. Five. 70.

Five. Eighty. Five.

Toys are strong collectables now

because people are trying to recapture

some of the innocence of youth. Some of their childhood.

But it's also very much a collectors' market.

So once you feed into it, once you collect dolls,

which are all in different numbers

of heads and sizes and styles,

you want the rarer and rarer ones.

It's like collecting coins or stamps, in a way.

-150. 160.

-Fantastic.

-170.

180. 190. 200.

-Great feeling.

-For charity, isn't it?

As, of course, collectors start their collections and go on,

they're willing to spend more and more money.

A market that probably didn't exist 50 years ago for collectable toys

is now very strong with lots of specialist sales throughout the country.

280. 300.

At £300.

Anybody new? At £300.

Fantastic. That can't be bad, can it!

£300 for charity.

-I'm exhausted!

-Thank you so much.

-Don't set me off!

With toys, the maker is always important.

Even if they look well loved.

-Are these your toys?

-Those were my toys.

-Were yours. Do you remember playing with them as a child?

-I do.

-Were they in the family? They weren't bought new.

-They came down through the family.

And you want to sell them now?

-Yes.

-Your childhood memories, out through the window?

-That's it. Yes.

-Dear me!

-You can't do that!

-I'm the last of the Anderson line.

-I think these were made in Germany.

-Right.

And I think they were made in the '20s.

They work from clockwork, and our little pig here plays the drums.

And our little violinist, he's on the fiddle!

-Right.

-They're German. Do you know how I know that?

-No, no.

I know that cos it says here, "Made in Germany"!

-So I'm an all-seeing expert here, Norman.

-Yes.

They were made by a company called Schuco.

'They made little motor cars that you wound up.'

They made little pigs and teddy bears where the head came off

with scent bottles inside.

They made all manner of good quality little toys like that.

And their wares are sought after.

-Have you got the key to wind him up?

-I haven't.

-You haven't?

There are specialist toy hospitals,

and if you go to people who restore teddy bears and this type of thing,

if you go to a specialist,

finding a spare key shouldn't be too problematic.

What are they worth? I think they'll make 40 to £60 estimate.

-For the two?

-For the two, yes.

-Yes.

Put a reserve on of £30?

-Right.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yes.

Let's hope they drum up a bit of interest at the auction!

-It's going under the hammer.

-Lot 136

is a lot comprising two Schuco tin-plate toy clockwork pigs.

On the floor at 35. Fresh bidder.

-40. 45.

-Oh, come on.

-50.

Animals, in particular, are collectable,

because you get people that collect any type of animal.

-Come on!

-60, fresh bidder.

65.

And for some reason, don't ask me,

pigs are very collectable.

Good.

85.

90.

-Any advance on £90?

-Come on!

All done at 90... 95 back in.

£95. Any advance on 95?

95.

It trotted on, didn't it? 95.

I loved them to bits. Great fun. And to tell the truth,

I had a wee play with them myself!

So Schuco is definitely a name to look out for.

But when it comes to toys, there's one that touches all our hearts.

# For every bear there ever was

# Will gather there for certain cos

# Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic! #

Oh, teddy bear! Look at that teddy!

We've all got one at home. They come in to every valuation day

and they can be very valuable.

-Have you given your teddy bear a name?

-Yep. Albert.

-Albert. Ah. He's not for sale, is he?

-No!

No. You just want a valuation.

You've brought in today these wonderful bears.

The Farnell's bear, for me,

every time, was the most fascinating toy.

Just beautiful, and in such good condition.

Tell me where they're from.

-They've been passed down through my wife's side of the family.

-Right.

Was she allowed to play with them as a child?

She was allowed to play with them at the bottom of the stairs,

because Granny didn't like noisy children!

Should be seen and not heard!

-That's right.

-Were you allowed to play with them?

I wasn't. I was allowed to hold them at some point,

but we weren't allowed to play with them, cos of Granddad.

The fact you weren't allowed to play with them means they are in excellent condition.

The wonderful thing about this one is he's actually still got his growler.

-He has.

-Can you make him growl for me?

FAINT GROWL

LOUDER GROWL

Any kind of original features that antiques still have,

for example, the growler in the bear that was still working,

certainly add to the value.

That's what collectors want. It ticks so many boxes for collectors.

That's terrifying! You wouldn't want to meet him in the woods!

Oh, no!

But I've rather taken to him, I have to say.

I think he's absolutely wonderful. He's got this lovely label here

which tells us he's actually a Farnell bear.

Now, Farnell's was basically the English equivalent of Steiff.

In 1906, with the craze of teddy bears,

they were credited with producing the first English teddy bear,

which, I believe, went on to rival Steiff's bears in Germany as well.

But they are fundamentally important in the history of the teddy bear.

He's quite an early chap. We've got wonderful glass eyes.

Later, they were plastic. If we knock them against our teeth,

we can tell that they're glass.

Nice felt pad, there. Original stitching.

So I would date him to around the 1930s, 1940s.

-He's got the most wonderful expression on his face.

-Yes.

It must have been so tempting to play with him when you were younger, and not be allowed!

My grandma was always stood guard over Tony and me.

-Was she?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Then this little chappie, unfortunately, we can't attribute him to any particular factory.

-But he looks like he's around the same sort of date.

-Yes.

Unfortunately, with teddy bear collectors, the name is pretty much everything.

If you can attribute them to a particular factory, that's fantastic.

A nice, 1930s, 1940s bear.

We're looking somewhere probably in the region of 100 to £150.

Purely because unfortunately we can't attribute him to a particular factory.

The Farnell's Alpha Bear, I think he is gorgeous.

We're looking somewhere in the region of maybe 300 to £500.

-OK.

-But you never know.

As long as they go to someone who looks after them. That's what I'd like.

Exactly.

# Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic! #

'Despite that wonderful pedigree, my favourite was our second lot,

'the less distinguished cousin!'

I think he's been duffed up a bit and needs a lot of love!

He's the cheaper of the two,

but I think he looks more expensive, put it that way.

But it's just my opinion.

Let's see who's going to put their paws up. Here we go.

The Alpha Toys teddy bear, the Farnell's.

I've got 320 on the net.

390.

It was incredibly nerve-racking, cos the bidding was quite slow,

initially.

One, two, three, four telephone bids.

One, two, three, four.

This one's going to fly, isn't it?

530.

550, now.

Already it's eclipsed the top end.

-I'll take 580 in the room.

-Brilliant.

I've got 570 now on the net.

600, now.

I found other similar comparables of Farnell's bears

that were selling for that sort of region, the three, four, five, £600 region.

But I don't think I particularly appreciated

how good a condition that bear was in

and how much of a premium it would have added.

780.

800.

And 20.

850.

-880.

-I can see you willing this on!

Your head's nodding with the bidders!

"One more, one more!"

It was wonderful. I was thrilled to bits.

1,300.

Wow!

-1,350.

-Gosh!

It's a bit special!

At 1,300... 1,350 back in. 1,400?

1,400. 1,450?

No? At 1,400, then. On the steps at 1,400.

Selling, then, at 1,400.

-Fantastic!

-That's one down!

-Lovely.

One more to go. My favourite, next!

'How much difference did that lost label make?

I think we all loved the second bear

because he probably wasn't going to make as much and because he lost his label at some point.

-The mohair teddy bear.

-Here we go.

Someone's got good taste out there.

£100. Finished.

Well, I still prefer that one!

That was the right money, £100.

A grand total of £1,500.

Keeping them in good condition is incredibly important for their future value.

So it's very difficult. It is very sad about a bear that hasn't been cuddled.

That's what they were made for, at the end of the day!

When it comes to collecting toys,

here are some handy hints on how to play the market.

Fortunately, if you want to get into the games collecting market,

there's many price points to start with.

You can find something as simple as a 1970s Rubik's cube.

Make sure it hasn't been done, of course!

If you can find an original Monopoly, with the old shoe and the iron.

Nowadays, I don't know what they have - racing cars and things.

But if you can find an immaculate and complete old Monopoly set, you're into money.

And now here are some of my trade secrets.

With toys, quality is always important.

Watch out. Missing pieces in games and jigsaw puzzles will really put the collectors off.

And they don't come much more fussy than doll collectors!

So, does it have its original clothing and accessories?

That's the detail they're after.

But with enough charm, even mass-produced, damaged toys

can still find a new home.

With teddy bears, it's all in the name.

So make sure you check the labels.

Elizabeth Talbot will be sharing more teddy bear know-how shortly!

We've all got something at home, that one special item that we're particularly attached to.

But I want to know what's the one thing

our experts would rescue from a burning building!

Today, it's the turn of James Lewis.

If there was a fire at home,

I would probably save something that belongs to my daughter.

Assuming she was out of the house already!

It's a little stuffed rabbit that she calls Rabby.

My life would not be worth living

if anything happened to that!

It's just a little... Probably a collectable of the future,

worth absolutely nothing at the moment apart from for her.

I think that is probably the most precious, loved thing in the house.

A toy in good condition is a rarity indeed

because it's in their nature to be played with too hard,

to be bashed around a bit and enjoyed.

Teddy bears are especially prone to being cuddled into a state of disrepair!

But what makes a good teddy bear in the first place?

Flog It expert Elizabeth Talbot went down in the woods to find out.

I like teddy bears because they are very much individual personalities.

Little characters, very much like these ones!

Hello, chaps!

Traditionally, there are certain firms of teddy bear manufacturers

who make teddy bears out of alpaca hair.

Farnell was probably the most famous company that did that.

They had a special range.

But I do know one other company that still includes alpaca hair in some to their teddy bears.

It's not very far from here.

I'm hoping I might be able to take up an invitation I received from them

to go and have a look.

Merrythought has been making teddy bears

at its Victorian factory in Shropshire since 1930.

It's a family-run firm, and the last remaining British manufacturer

still producing bears by hand.

Elizabeth is meeting Sarah Holmes,

who runs the company with her sister, Hannah.

-Morning, Sarah.

-Hello.

-Lovely to meet you.

I'm so excited to be here.

I've rushed over from the alpaca farm.

I'm surrounded by the most amazing selection of bears.

This is a joy to me.

Here we have a sort of snapshot of what Merrythought manufactures here.

First thing I noticed is that, unlike being surrounded by shelves full of dolls, for example,

where it's a spooky feeling,

this feels like we're surrounded by lots of warm love and friends,

because they're all very welcoming and friendly faces and little characters.

Absolutely. That's always what Merrythought have been keen to achieve.

The expression of our teddy bears is what people really buy into.

How did it all start?

-You've been here since 1930?

-1930, yes.

My great-grandfather established the business in 1930.

And it's been in Ironbridge and part of Shropshire ever since.

The classic teddy bear that people are familiar with,

it's arguable in terms of who really established that.

Alpha Farnell and Steiff were two of the very earliest.

The Alpha Farnell teddy is what is commonly associated with as being the classic teddy bear

with the long limbs and the hump on the back.

They're the most expensive and sought-after English make.

-Yes.

-No disrespect to Merrythought, but they were the forerunner.

Exactly. Alpha Farnell was the first British teddy bear manufacturer.

They ceased production in the late '60s.

So hence their original designs from pre- that era are very sought after.

Then Merrythought took on the brand

in the mid-1990s.

Which was great, because it means we are able to bring Alpha Farnell back to life.

From my perspective, there are some serious collectors

who look for the Cheeky and the punky head and the different ones.

Where did they come from? Whose inspiration were those?

They are so different.

It was actually our original designer, Florence Attwood,

who was wonderfully talented in designing teddy bears.

So this would be the very first Merrythought teddy bear.

-This was designed by Florence?

-Yes.

-How wonderful.

And he is from about 1930 in age?

This particular bear is from 1931.

So he would have been one of the very first to be produced.

But Florence went on to design a huge array of different styles of teddy bears.

Rather famously, the cheeky bear

and the punky bear

in the late '40s

and early '50s.

Yes, the punky bear is a very unique teddy bear!

It still has a very strong collectors' following today

and they are quite sought after at auction.

Yes, I've seen some of those make quite amazing prices,

along with the cheeky bear.

I wanted to ask you, do you have any alpaca bears here?

-We certainly do.

-Do you?

-We use alpaca quite a lot, actually.

Obviously alongside mohair.

There's one little white teddy bear here, made from alpaca.

Oh, he's so fluffy. He's lovely.

It's a very fine fibre and creates a very soft finish.

They're quite distinctive. He's made from alpaca.

I can certainly show you a few more.

I'd love to see a few more, please!

Oh, my goodness, Sarah. This is amazing.

-Totally unexpected.

-It's quite a collection.

Reel after reel of fabrics and all the colours.

Absolutely. We carry quite a large range of different materials.

-But I must ask, do you have any alpaca that I can handle?

-We certainly do. Absolutely.

This is some of our alpaca fabric.

That is adorable. That is just so heavenly. It's lovely.

Just looking at it you can see the difference between that and mohair.

Absolutely. It's a very fine, soft fibre.

So I can show you how they're made.

This is a hive of concentrated activity. Amazing.

What's actually happening in this room?

This is where we make all our teddy bears.

Everything we produce is made from start to finish under this roof.

Just to give you an idea of the process,

we start by cutting out each of the shapes that make our pattern for our teddy bear.

Those shapes are then sewn together.

And then we move on to the next stage where the eyes are put in.

The bears are part stuffed.

Then the joints are put in. A fiddly process.

And then the bears are assembled. The arms, legs and head are all attached to the body.

And then the final stage is hand embroidering the nose

and the smile on the teddy bear.

-Very important part.

-Absolutely.

-It brings it to life.

-Yes, gives it its character.

-Ah, the all-important eyes.

-Absolutely.

They're put in by hand as well.

So that's why some bears have this wonderful expression where maybe their eyes are not quite level

or they're a bit close together.

But it actually adds to the bespoke nature of them.

-Though a Merrythought bear wouldn't pass quality control if his eyes weren't level.

-OK.

But I notice from a collector's point of view

they will often spend money where they feel there is a personality,

to purchase a bear with a bit of a quirk.

-It isn't always a bad thing.

-No. Absolutely.

But it's fascinating to see how that's achieved.

Teddy bears' eyes are magical

because they're the window on the teddy bear's soul, being very romantic!

But teddy bears' eyes are important in dating them.

The earlier ones, from the 1904 period of Steiff

and the early Farnells

were the little metal boot button eyes which were black painted.

But through the early 20th century, glass was used in different colours

to give the pupil and the surround in a nice coloured way.

Then as the 20th century developed

the synthetic man-made plastics were inserted and used

because they were cheaper and easier to mass-produce

but also increasingly it was a safety element, which was important.

We've now reached the stuffing part of the process, which intrigues me.

Sharon is stuffing each part of the teddy bear individually.

We put wood wool into the front of the head and nose

to give the definition and solidness.

The robustness of the face.

So the whiter cotton wool-type stuffing,

that's nice and soft and pliable and goes into the nooks and crannies

and makes it nice and cuddly. A cuddly bear.

Have you got a collection of bears at home?

-I've got a few!

-Have you?

That's the standard answer. "A few", with a nice knowing smile!

Obviously means "quite a lot"!

-This is the assembly.

-Yes. We call it fitting up.

Is this how a bear in 1931 would have been assembled?

-With the pins?

-Absolutely.

-Just the same.

This technique wouldn't have changed since teddy bears started.

Have you ever put a leg on back to front?

Yes!

That was a special edition, that one!

Penny's got a lot of responsibility,

because the expression and personality of the bear comes out first through the eyes

and then it's enhanced by the facial features, the nose and mouth.

And although they are working to a pattern,

you cannot but help have slight variations

because every stitch is unique. It is unique.

Therefore each bear has a very slight kind of individual nature which sets it apart.

Expression has always commanded quite an important consideration for collectors.

A bear that looks appealing, whether it looks sad or lonely,

or quite mischievous,

can tempt people to bid that bit more at auction and pay more.

It's like the cherry on the top of a cake.

Just kind of finishing it off.

Oh, look at him. He's gorgeous!

He's waving, look!

Happy bear.

Sarah, I have to say I've had such an amazing day.

I'll enjoy teddy bears even more after today.

That's nice to hear. You're very welcome.

I've had the most magical day here in Ironbridge.

I've learned such a lot. It's been a wonderful experience

which I'll remember for years to come.

But I've learned such a lot about parts of teddy bears I'd never even considered!

To see these craftswomen at work has brought the whole thing to life for me. It's been wonderful!

You've heard our experts' trade secrets on your old toys and games.

Coming up, we look at other family treasures

that may be knocking around your home.

"First pair of boots.

"Too small for her little feet."

That's dated 1873.

He hadn't even looked in the boots!

'Find out how James turned his passion for one type of box

'into an impressive collection.'

Do you think we should try some?

-I didn't know you were a nosologist!

-Is that what it's known as?

-Yep.

A snuff taker in the 18th century was known as a nosologist!

And we unearth some rather unusual family stories.

This is a mechanical version of a leech, I guess.

On Flog It, we've had over 900 valuation days,

and during that time, we've seen all kinds of antiques and collectables.

But there's one thing that still gets me very excited when I see it.

And that's boxes!

Yes, you bring them in, boxes of all shapes and sizes.

Boxes made of wood, boxes made of antique ivory and leather.

And there's something quite satisfying about opening up a box

and peering in and seeing the treasures that lie there.

So if you've got an old box in your attic or your chicken shed,

it may be worth getting its contents valued.

Here are a few of the surprises we've found

when lifting the lid.

You often find that a very tatty exterior

can be protecting a jewel of an interior.

When I first saw this in the box,

I thought we'd have half an hour while you set it up.

-But you've put it together like an expert. You've done that a few times!

-Two or three!

It was towards the end of the valuation day

and he almost didn't bother bringing it along.

Whenever we're looking at optical instruments,

and in particular, microscopes or telescopes,

there's one name that really does ring out above all the others.

And that's Dollond of London.

Dollond of London are one of the most important optical instrument makers

of all time in Britain.

They're now Dollond & Aitchison, spectacle makers.

If we look at this box that this microscope came in,

we see this wonderful flush brass handles on the sides.

And that indicates that it was made to be packed away for travelling.

Look at that box. Wonderfully fitted.

'The more you looked at this microscope,'

the eye pieces were there, the slides were there...

You often find the most gruesome things. What's that?

A leg of something, by the looks of it!

But they're contemporary with the microscope.

So it's what we call a monocular microscope, for obvious reasons.

It has one lens. Binocular or monocular.

And this alters a rack and pinion. There we go.

-But we've got a couple of bits missing.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Tell me how you came to have it.

-It came out of a skip.

-Who on earth would put this in a skip?

My son!

-Your son put it in a skip?

-When they cleared the house.

-No!

-And then he took it back out and looked in it and said, "My dad would like that".

So he said, "Here's part of your Christmas present."

Really, it is the most fantastic quality thing.

You've saved it, and I'm so pleased.

But it is the best of makers. In its original box.

OK, we've got a few bits missing.

But you've got a lot left, too.

So I think we ought to put an estimate of 400 to 600.

I've seen them sell before, complete, at 1,000 to £1,500.

Thanks very much for bringing it in.

Been nice being here. I love it.

But that was a classic example of putting a low estimate

to try and get the best end result.

I don't ever like to get people's hopes up.

But come on, just stick your neck out!

-Well...

-You're with friends!

I think it should make 12 to 1,500.

-Right.

-Really?

-Dave, are you shaking?

-Yeah!

Early 19th-century monocular compound brass microscope.

Lots of interest here.

I have to start at £380.

380. 400 now. 420.

440.

Telephone bids on it, internet bidding, absentee bidding.

600.

And 50.

700.

-And 50.

-Yeah, keep going!

-800.

-It's making a good steady climb.

900. And 50.

1,000.

1,100. 1,200.

1,300. 1,300 in the room.

At £1,300. We have £1,300.

Yes! £1,300!

That's auctions for you!

Fantastic! And to find it in a skip!

Why don't I ever find those in skips?

Not every box is full of delights,

as Elizabeth was to discover with this macabre medical instrument.

This is a very unusual item, Lynne. What can you tell me about it?

Well, as far as I'm aware, it's a cupping set.

And it's for blood-letting.

It actually belonged to my great-grandmother

who used to assist with births.

-So this was hers, was it?

-Definitely, yes.

So it will have seen a certain degree of hard work in its time.

-You've never seen it actually used?

-No, no. No.

It had served a cause and probably had a few stories to tell, probably.

I'm sure whoever saw this being put together would have been daunted!

Victorians loved the concept of blood-letting.

Letting out badness from the body by cutting and drawing off blood.

They used leeches a lot.

This is a mechanical version of a leech, I guess.

We draw back the little knives by this lever here

which primes it, a bit like priming a flintlock pistol.

You hold it onto the skin, and by releasing the button,

the little knives shoot through

and score the skin.

At which point you rush up with this

and put it onto the skin and draw back to pull out the blood you require.

In some cases, they would take dangerous amounts of blood out.

They were so carried away with forever attaching leeches or sucking out the blood

that actually it was making the patient too weak.

Not for the faint-hearted, is it?

So you've inherited it, have you?

No, it still belongs to my mother, but she's happy to sell it.

She wants to sell it. OK.

-Has it been pride of place...

-No, not at all.

It was, unfortunately, until very recently,

it was down the chicken shed!

It had been carefully passed down the generations

until the recent ten years when it was in the chicken shed!

Well, you've obviously got a very clean and dry chicken shed,

because it's in surprisingly good order.

Value, I think, will be limited to around about...

I'd think on a bad day £40.

On a good day, it might make £80.

OK.

I based my estimate on not enough knowledge, as it turned out!

You can play the game properly at home now.

Doctors and nurses!

40 quid? 20 I'm bid. 20.

Five. 30. 35. 40.

45. 50. 55. 60.

65. 70. 75. 80.

-At 80 now.

-80.

85. 90.

95. 100.

-100!

-110. 120.

130. 140.

150. 160.

170.

180. 190. 200.

210. This side at 210.

The auctioneer did very well.

He kept encouraging people to bid that little bit more

and that's the sign of a good auctioneer.

290.

300.

Going to burst a blood vessel in a minute!

330.

340. At 340 now.

-350.

-It wasn't even named.

-360.

370.

I did think that to find a name

would have given it quite a significant uplift in value. I couldn't find a name.

So kept the estimate very modest at 40 to £80.

-380. 390.

-Wow. Must be quite rare.

400.

At 400 now. Are you in on the phone?

-400?!

-At £400 over here.

Do you want to keep it? At 400.

Just another tenner.

410.

-410!

-It's a lucky charm.

£420. Finished and done at 420.

If one's going to be caught out,

it's better to be too pessimistic than over optimistic,

and have a positive result rather than a terrible flop.

Your last chance at 420. Who have I missed?

Oh, and it's all down to Great-Gran there.

-She brought you luck today.

-Absolutely. Mum will be over the moon.

There you go. Live and learn!

But sometimes there are clues to what might lie within.

As Catherine found out in Plymouth.

I remember this gentleman coming up to me

with this rather rugged tin box.

And he plumped it on the table.

It was a little bit rusty.

But it had the name painted on the top, of a naval officer.

So I thought, "Hmm. This is going to be something quite exciting."

Chris, what's inside this rusty box of tricks?

It's a naval bicorn hat, or a cocked hat.

Oh, this is quite special, isn't it?

Wow!

It really got me going. Very exciting!

And I just remember the epaulettes, a sort of golden colour.

And they were really shining through.

So when you opened this box,

it was just like you were looking at treasure!

A-ha!

There are two of these epaulettes.

Just in the most fabulous condition.

-This pops out like that.

-That's beautiful.

-What a great colour, as well.

-Beautiful.

-Wonderful amber colour.

The braid coming down here and the lovely buttons with the anchor on.

And as you say, the epaulettes, which were obviously worn on the shoulder.

How did you come about this? Was it passed down through your family?

No. I was doing a house clearance with a friend of mine,

and this was part of what was being thrown out.

I think we should give it a conservative estimate of probably 150 to 250.

Let's hope that it attracts a lot more interest and really surges up.

'And Chris has unearthed some useful information about the name on the box.'

Did you do any research to find where he was, where he was stationed?

Yes. He served on lots of ships during his time.

-One of them was The Hood.

-The Hood!

HMS Hood, which was an important ship during the Second World War

which had been sunk by The Bismarck.

This is it. This is your lot now

I'm bid £160. Against you all at 160.

Five if you like. 165. 170.

Five. 180. Five. At 185.

190. 200.

Wow! This is exciting!

And ten. 220. 230. 240.

250. 260. 270.

280. 290.

At £290 there.

-Yes.

-At 290, then.

All done at 290?

-Brilliant.

-Excellent.

-Bang on top. 290 quid.

-Good.

-Fantastic.

-Very good.

That's what was nice about this box.

It had the name of the naval officer on.

So you could research it. I think that's what people really picked up on.

There are boxes for tea, boxes for snuff and boxes to carry clothes.

But it's not always about what's inside.

Sometimes, the beauty is the box.

You've been standing in the queue holding this very heavy box for rather a long time.

It's always thrilling to see a box.

You automatically think there must be something rather special in there.

-It used to belong to my grandmother.

-Right.

And it was handed to my mother when she died in about 1970-ish.

-My mother handed it on to my daughter.

-Yes.

-So it's the fourth generation in the family.

-Right.

-Your daughter's instructed you to bring it along?

-Yes.

-To sell it?

-She's getting married next year

and it would be useful towards the honeymoon.

-Does it come with any story?

-All I know is it must be something like 110 years old.

That's pretty accurate. It's late 19th century.

-But where does it come from?

-I don't know.

-Put your hand over it. It's Indian.

-Oh. Right.

-Do you know what it's made of?

-No.

It's very black. I thought initially it was probably ebony.

But I can see a bit of flecking in there.

I think it's a wood called coromandel.

Coromandel has this wonderful flecking of brown through it

which gives it a particular charm.

It's not easy to carve because it is so hard.

But if you can do it well,

it then has this wonderful patination.

It's exotic to look at.

Wow!

Look at that fantastic workmanship.

It's got the most wonderful ivory inlay.

When I say wonderful, it's not Japanese quality.

And then it has different woods laid into it.

There's some probably tiger wood in there.

There's some rosewood, I think.

'And it was complete.'

I think every lid to every compartment was still there.

Which is a rare thing in itself.

There should be a compartment in the bottom.

Oh, my gosh. It's full, isn't it?

-Um...

-I don't know anything about them.

-You don't know anything about them?

-No.

Well, lo and behold, inside one of the bootees

was a name.

"Dear Rosa". Does that ring a bell?

-There was an Aunt Rosa, yes.

-Aunt Rosa?

-My mother's Aunt Rosa.

"First pair of boots. Two small for her little feet."

And that's dated 1873.

He hadn't even looked in the boots to see that piece of paper himself.

I find that quite extraordinary.

No wonder he wanted to sell it. He had no interest in it at all.

Well, coming back to the box,

did you daughter say, "If it's worth more than ten quid, sell it"?

-Or 500 quid or...

-She just said, "Take it and sell it. I have no use for it."

-Right.

-I suggested it might be worth in excess of 100.

-Well, I think it's worth about £100.

-Really?

-How does that sound?

-Reasonable.

Reasonable? Were you hoping for more?

Well, always!

Let's hope the bidders are excited about the box and its contents.

Next up, the embroidery box with a value of 100 to £150.

It belongs to Michael. He's brought his daughter Heidi along.

-Hello.

-Hiya.

-I love the hair! What does Dad think?

I had a shock when I saw it!

It's going under the hammer now.

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

Come on.

£160. 160 I have to start.

I think when I got to the sale room

I really had thought to myself, "Charlie, you've undervalued this lot."

170. 180.

190. 200.

210. 220. 230. 240.

-Heidi, it's because you're here!

-270. 280.

290. 300. 310 takes me out.

Because it's a rare wood, it's particularly collectable.

340.

-350.

-Oh, they like this.

360. 370.

380. 390.

-400. 410.

-Charlie, what did we miss?

I know nothing!

£410. Back of the room at £410.

At £410. Are we all done, then?

At £410.

How exciting was that?

-Oh, my word.

-That'll go a long way towards your honeymoon.

Yeah. I can eat, now!

So when it comes to boxes, what are the key points to look out for?

The box, although it was a beautiful object in its own right,

it was actually made to protect what's inside.

People often say, "Oh, dear, the box isn't in very good condition."

That doesn't matter. If it's done its job,

what's inside has survived really well.

Just because it's tatty doesn't mean it's worthless.

We often call it "country house condition" if it's a bit shabby.

I like to have a really good look at it and think about the material that it's made from.

So if you've got something that's made from quite a rich material,

I think that's going to tell you you've got something special inside.

Isn't it amazing how much they know?

You've heard their tips. And now here's some of mine.

Always look inside your boxes, no matter how fabulous.

There could be even more valuable treasure hidden within.

-I don't know anything about them.

-You don't?

-No.

Whatever your item, look for a name.

A known maker will always attract the collectors.

It just goes to show, there's a market for almost everything.

So think before you bin!

As you know, provenance is key in antiques.

So if your trunk or suitcase has a name or monogram,

as they often do, check it out.

The previous owner could be very significant.

But sometimes it's just the box itself which is of interest.

Something I learned more about in 2008 when I visited an old snuff factory.

I've come here to Wilsons & Co,

one of the last remaining independent snuff manufacturers left in the country.

The family-run business, here at Sharrow Mills in Sheffield

has been producing snuff from a secret recipe

which dates back as far as 1737.

The original machinery used to grind the tobacco to make snuff still survives.

It's left as a testament to a bygone age.

Although snuff-taking isn't as popular as it used to be,

one aspect of it still is very popular and extremely collectable.

And that's snuff boxes.

And to tell us a bit more about it

is a familiar Flog It face and good friend of mine, James Lewis.

James, thanks very much for bringing a small part of your collection.

-I know it's massive.

-It is.

I think I've got about three to 500, four to 600 altogether. Something like that.

-I'm not sure exactly.

-When did you start to collect snuff boxes?

Well, when I was younger, I had a passion for wood, just like you.

And the problem is, when you're a schoolboy or just about to go to university,

you've got nowhere to put furniture.

If you're going to collect wood, or treen, or anything like that,

you have to collect things that are small.

I thought, "What better than snuff boxes?"

So I had an interest back as a teenager.

But the passion for snuff boxes

really came from one of my first ever visits I made as an auctioneer.

I went to see a lady in a little tiny cottage

and halfway through the valuation, I heard this...

SNORTS

I turned round to see this lady

with snuff dribbling down the nostrils!

All over herself.

And she went, "Want some, lad?"

-And did you?

-No, I didn't.

I didn't. Today I probably would have done.

But back then, I was too shy and I said, "No, thank you."

And I left her to it.

But it started a strange sort of fascination.

Gosh. Let's talk about some of the varieties.

-Maybe pick on half a dozen.

-OK.

There are two types, really. You get the pocket snuff.

It always has a very tight fitting cover, for obvious reasons.

And then you have the table snuff.

Table snuff is normally bigger and sometimes has a loose cover.

These three at the front are all table snuff boxes.

They're by one of the most important snuff box makers

of the early 18th century,

a chap called Jean Obrisset.

He was the son of a Huguenot silversmith

and he specialised in working in horn and tortoiseshell.

He was snuff box maker to Queen Anne.

Really. So that's a name to look out for.

Queen Anne herself was a snuff taker.

Can we have a look at one of those?

Wonderful detail.

-That's nice, isn't it. Hold it up to the light.

-Yeah.

You can see right through it. Look at the detail.

Great quality.

Just as we find today that smoking is a really controversial subject,

snuff-taking itself was controversial throughout the ages.

And although Queen Anne was a snuff-taker,

100 years earlier, King James, he despised it with a passion.

So if you were caught taking snuff in the presence of King James,

-you'd end up in The Tower.

-Really?

Oh, he loathed it.

In its heyday during the 18th century,

snuff-taking developed into an important social grace.

It remained popular well into the 20th century.

It was said you could tell a lot about a man's social status

by the way he took his snuff.

Open the lid and take a pinch between the finger and thumb.

Hold it there for a moment

so the warmth of the finger brings out the bouquet of the snuff.

So you get the benefit of the flavour. And inhale it.

Close the snuff box.

And then, if you like, just a little flourish with your handkerchief.

I'm not a snuff box snob.

I know a lot of these people say, "It's a silver gilt",

"It's solid gold", it's this, it's that.

"It's encrusted with rubies."

To be honest, that actually leaves me quite cold.

-You like the tactile items.

-I do.

-The working man's snuff box.

-Absolutely.

I've seen a few of those. That's the poor man's pinch, isn't it?

Yeah. You generally call these Scottish snuffs.

I'm pleased YOU said that!

I can get away with it because I'm 100 per cent Scot!

-I can get away with it.

-A mean pinch.

-That's what they're called.

A mean pinch. They were made in brass and horn and treen.

The idea was that you would close the gap in the centre

so that when you take the pinch of snuff, you can't take too much.

Very eye-catching. I love the rams' horns.

They're brilliant.

A classic Scottish ram's horn snuff mulls they were called.

With a lovely silver mount.

That's quality, isn't it, all the way through.

I think I've got about 30 of those, altogether!

They come in different shapes and sizes.

Interesting. Somebody has attached a silver watch chain to that.

So they can carry it and put it over their arm.

Because that one doubles as a snuff box on the top there,

but also the end screws off and you can fill it with whisky!

That's a good idea, isn't it?

A lot of these are English and continental. Where else in the world were they made?

They were made almost everywhere.

The interesting thing is that in China they don't have snuff boxes,

they have snuff bottles.

Simply because a sign of status in China was to have wonderful, long, decorative fingernails.

If you have massively long fingernails, you can't take snuff from a snuff box.

-You can't pick the box up.

-No. You have a little shovel and straight up!

Now you're talking about that,

we're in the best location possible

to show this sort of thing.

This is obviously ground down tobacco. Should we try some?

-I didn't know you were a nosologist!

-Is that what it's known as?

A snuff-taker in the 18th century was known as a nosologist.

-I don't fancy trying any of this stuff.

-Go on.

No, no, no. I think we should try some fresh stuff when we get outside.

-Otherwise we'll sneeze our heads off.

-We're antiques people. We should try the old stuff!

-Gosh.

-Go on.

I don't rate that at all!

No. Whatever you do,

don't try that at home!

The great thing about boxes, like other small items,

is they're a perfect starting point for a budding collector.

And it doesn't have to be expensive

if you know what you're looking for.

If that's inspired you, here are some tips on collecting the small and the beautifully formed.

Look for an area you find interesting.

It could be nutmeg graters.

It could be Vesta cases.

But don't be narrow-minded

and look for a year.

Look at that whole section of nutmeg graters or Vesta cases.

The key word when collecting treen

is the patina, the colour of a piece.

That's really what buyers of this kind of thing are looking for.

Serious collectors are a special breed.

We tracked down a few to get their take on the art of collecting.

Douglas came to our Stroud valuation day in 2009

with a beautiful print and an extraordinary story.

Doug, I'm a big fan of Paul Nash.

Tell me how you came by this Shell poster.

Many years ago, in the late 1970s,

we were on holiday with some ruralists, Graham Ovenden and so on.

And he brought a friend along.

And this friend went into the sea. A bit daft, cos it's a very dangerous coastline.

And my wife looked out and said, "This guy is in trouble. He's drowning!"

So we clambered over the rocks, the tide was coming in.

I held onto his legs, and he grabbed this guy by the hair

-and we both pulled him out.

-Wow.

This poster came from him as a thank you present for having rescued him from drowning.

And to me, it was a great joy.

What can I say? Paul Nash was a war artist in the First World War.

He worked for the air ministry in the Second World War.

He was a great advocate of British modernism.

He really pioneered the surrealist thing in the 1920s. Pushed it to the forefront.

-Yep.

-It's rather a large furnishing picture.

I could see this in a big studio.

Right. That's why we're going to sell it, cos our sitting room wall is too small for it.

-If we put this into auction, I'd like to put it in at 1,000 to £1,500.

-Right.

Lot 312 is the Paul Nash.

900. 920 there.

940. At 940. 960, if you like. 960.

-Getting there.

-980.

1,000 and 50 now. Sure now.

At 1,000.

He sold it at 1,000. We got it just at the bottom end.

-That's all right.

-We're happy.

-Absolutely fine. Absolutely fine.

It was a success for me. It was a telephone bid. Obviously a collector

who'd seen it on the internet and wanted it.

So with the cash, Douglas was on the hunt for smaller Paul Nash works.

I keep a lookout all the time for stuff to do with Paul Nash.

But it's hard to come by these days.

What I've focused on is getting graphic work of his.

Limited edition books, limited edition pamphlets and so on

which contain his work, contain his writing.

The money we earned from Flog It went partly towards getting this.

In its time, this must have been absolutely extraordinary

because it was before abstract art,

it was before people painted canvases black and white.

It's really unlike most of his work

which is surrealist in places

but also representational.

So he obviously just took out the feeling of Genesis,

the feeling of what he read

and then translated it into very, very simple powerful images.

It's one of the most extraordinary books ever published, I think, by an artist.

Certainly in that era.

Now, that's a truly passionate collector for you,

trading in one piece to expand the overall collection.

That's it for today's show. I hope we've given you some food for thought.

Join me again soon for more inside information and surprising sales.

But until then, it's goodbye.

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