Far Flung Flog It! Flog It: Trade Secrets


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Over the years on Flog It you've brought us thousands of fascinating

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and valuable antiques from all across the world.

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From Oriental ceramics to German woodcraft and Aboriginal art.

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There isn't much that hasn't crossed our valuation tables

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and I think it's fair to say, we've got the inside track

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on a whole world of fine art and antiques

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and we'd love to share it with you.

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On today's show we'll take a whistle-stop tour around the world,

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taking a look at items that have travelled hundreds, even thousands of miles to reach our doors.

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We'll be seeing what gems of knowledge we can pick up en route.

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On this programme, our experts will be showing you their favourite international treasures.

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You get little palpitations in your stomach.

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"Oh, my goodness, how exciting, what a wonderful thing to see."

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And they'll give you their insider knowledge on how to spot

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the difference between a genuine Oriental article and a fake.

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Heat up a pin and stick it in!

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If you want to get some world-class, top tips,

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on the best of European and Oriental collectables, all will be revealed.

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For centuries we've plied our wares back and forth across

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the English Channel to Europe and the Orient.

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Traders hoping to capture something unique which cannot be found on our shores.

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For years we featured some wonderful well-travelled pieces

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that have hailed from all across the globe.

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I think the real key, if you're going to buy a foreign antique,

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it's a worldwide market now, so what might be inexpensive in one country,

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might be expensive in another place and the trick is to move A to B.

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I would be aware not to follow trends.

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Five years ago Russian antiques were very popular,

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now it's Chinese antiques.

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If you get swept along with that wave, you can come a cropper, I think.

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The best thing to do is just buy items,

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irrespective of where they're from, on their quality and their rarity

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and, most important, whether you like them or not.

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A tip at the moment would be,

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after the Chinese market has strengthened and levelled off,

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I think the Indian market,

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Indian subcontinent market will prove to be very strong.

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But first, let's take a look at some of the very best items that

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have appeared over the last 11 years on the show and what we can learn from them.

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British people have always enjoyed travelling

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and in the 19th century a lot of people went to travel Europe

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on what was termed, The Grand Tour,

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which gave us a real taste for continental works of art.

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And right up to the current day,

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we Brits have had a love affair with things foreign that seem

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a little bit different and, yet, delectable to us.

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I remember my very first ever Flog It -

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years ago when I had hair, and that was at Bradford

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and I was quite a nervous young chap, I think, then.

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Hard to believe, isn't it?

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Please tell me, how did you come to own these fantastic things?

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The set there came from my grandparents.

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This tea set is different from most ordinary silver tea sets

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because it's by one of the most important silversmiths

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and designers of the 20th century, by Georg Jensen.

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-Is that so?

-"Ge-org Yensen" as some people say.

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These are really wonderful examples of his work.

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It was 1931, very high design, ivory handles, one of those things

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when you see it you get little palpitations in your stomach.

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"Oh, my goodness, how exciting, what a wonderful thing!"

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If we look underneath, all this writing here,

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you can actually see Georg Jensen's mark there.

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They're sterling silver. That's a very nice object.

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I said to the lady, Yorkshire lady,

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"I think this is worth at least £2-3,000."

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She said to me, "Are you sure, dear, you look very young."

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She didn't believe me.

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I should have stuck to my guns but instead we put 800-1,200.

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-Mm...

-Which is a tidy sum.

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Very encouraging.

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So what happened to our callow youth's estimate when it came to auction?

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I'm going to have to start the bidding on my sheets at £1,800.

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THEY GASP

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We have 1,850 in the room. 1,900, 1950?

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£2,000. 2,100...

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2,800, 2,900. £3,000?

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3,200. 3,200 now say.

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3,400, 3,600, 3,800.

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That's unbelievable.

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4,400, 4,800. £5,000. 5,200.

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5,200, anywhere?

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All finished then at £5,000.

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All done and finished.

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Goose pimples.

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Good gracious me!

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-Oh, I've gone all hot.

-So have I.

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£5,000.

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It just shows, though, a good European designer name will make huge prices.

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So look out for the name, Georg Jensen

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and if you find a piece by him, don't hesitate to snap it up.

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If there's one thing the Europeans have given us antique lovers,

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it's an eye for the classical nude.

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The female nude, the male nude is not an easy thing to do.

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Ask Michelangelo himself.

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You know, you'd rather see a sculpture of a tractor

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than a bad nude.

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One that's beautifully done, and you can tell immediately across a room.

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I have fallen in love with this figure. I think it's delicious.

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What better form is there than the female nude.

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I mean, perhaps I'm just saying that and I'm slightly biased,

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but it is a perfect format

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and it's a beautifully, beautifully carved.

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Where did she come from?

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-She came from a castle in France.

-Really?

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-Fontainebleau.

-Fontainebleau?

-Not far from Paris, yeah.

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I've been to Fontainebleau.

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Have you found a signature on it, have you ever looked?

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There is one somewhere, but...

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Crikey!

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-That's it.

-Ah, here we are.

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Caradossi.

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Caradossi has a certain significance in certain areas.

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He wouldn't be, what could one say, not Premier division. Division One.

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Good grief, that's heavy.

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Who was born in 1861.

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-I think we're talking about this figure being 1890, 1900.

-Mm-hm.

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-I think this figure is worth £1,000.

-Right.

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I think she's lovely, delightful and I hope she does well.

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Nudes do sell well, male nudes and female nudes.

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You've only got to go to Rome or Florence, and there are more

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nudes per square inch than anywhere else in the world.

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Charlie seemed confident about his valuation

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but was his hunch about nudes right?

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I think this is the best thing in the saleroom.

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-Yes, it is.

-And I would, wouldn't I?

-It's the star of the show.

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We have a telephone bid.

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-Telephone bid!

-We've got commission bids as well

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-and we're starting at 800.

-Oh!

-825.

-It's gone.

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850? 850. 875? 875.

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I feel 1,000 coming on, don't you?

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At £900. 925.

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925, 950? 950 on the telephone.

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975. 1,000?

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-That's fab!

-Christine will be happy.

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£1,000 I've got.

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£100 bids now.

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1,100, sorry? 1,100, I've got.

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1,200? £1,200, I've got.

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1,300? 1,400? £1,400.

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I wish she was here. I just wish she was here.

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1,500. 1,600 on the telephone.

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-She'll be going to Las Vegas now.

-Won't she?

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At £1,500 in the room. Sold at £1,500.

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-Goodie!

-Yes! Well done, Charlie.

-I'm pleased with that.

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-Really pleased.

-What a result!

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The great thing about sculpture, and, indeed, paintings nowadays,

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you can look up immediately what the last work by a particular

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artist made and it'll give you a benchmark for the next piece.

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The signature is hugely important.

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This statue and the silver service before sold well

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because of the name and the fine workmanship,

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but it's not the only way you can measure value.

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If you want to invest in European objects,

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you may need to think out of the box.

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And Mark Stacey likes to do exactly that.

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Now, as soon as I saw you holding this,

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I thought I've got to film it if you are interested in selling it.

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Oh, Harlow, how can I forget Harlow with that wonderful figure.

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That Austrian pottery figure, this high.

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I mean, I described it as camp, what other word is there for it?

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Where on earth did you get it from?

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I inherited this from my grandfather,

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and it's resting itself in my house now.

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It appealed to me because it was sheer Victorian fun

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but, on a serious note, it was quality.

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You've got this wonderful plumed hat.

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There's a lovely, delicate expression on her face

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and she is holding this wonderful, oversized fan.

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I think it's a fantastically outrageous item.

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I must admit, I hadn't seen one quite as big as that before,

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or since, I have to tell you.

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I would be tempted to suggest something like £3-400.

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I think, on the day, it might prove to be a surprise. It might just fly away.

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Very, very expensive to make and produce

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and I just knew there would be collectors out there for it.

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So did the kitsch Victorian lady find someone to appreciate her at auction?

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I have two commissions with me and I start the bidding at £280 with me.

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300 with Ian. £300, 320, 340,

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360, 380.

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-Yeah.

-We're there.

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480, 500.

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520... 760.

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That's unbelievable!

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800... 920, 940, 960...

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1,300. 1,400.

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-What have we missed, Mark?

-I don't know.

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1,500. At £1,500 on my right now at £1,500.

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Mark, that's incredible.

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I thought 3-400 was a little on the conservative side

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but it is best to tease the bidders in - but 1,500,

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you can't beat it.

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Of course, there's always been a very, very exciting market in Europe

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for ceramics, shipped all over the world

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and a lot of it, inevitably, came over to the United Kingdom.

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We would have loved that.

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The Victorians loved covering every space of their drawing-room.

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When you find something like this, in good condition, it's a premium.

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Great advice from Mark Stacey as he says look out for Victorian

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ceramic knick-knacks, which haven't been chipped while dusting

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and, remember, for European art, the more unusual, the better.

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At the turn of the century the trend for items with a saucy secret

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appealed to our British taste for concealment.

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And one caught the eye of our expert.

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In Winchester, towards the end of the day, I had a real treat

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because a lady brought in an absolutely fabulous bronze lamp base.

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Originally, it was my nan's and then she gave it to my mum

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and then, when she died, I just took it and I don't use it.

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It's a very pretty, little lamp.

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It's on a marble base and it's cast bronze and we're helped out,

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immensely, by the fact that on the back of the chair,

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there's a little inscription that says Nam Greb.

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Nam Greb is the mark of the Austrian bronze founder, Bergman.

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And, it's Bergman, backwards.

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I think there was a very good reason that he used to sign them like this

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because he didn't want his name on things like this,

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-which people might think, "Oh, that's peculiar."

-Really?

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That's just a trade name, there's nothing offensive about that.

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Shall we share its little secret?

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One, two, three.

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Oh, dear!

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Often when you get an overtly erotic scene,

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rather than just a classical female nude,

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or a nude used in the form of decorative device that's acceptable, it would be concealed.

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It's a rare, early novelty.

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-Shall we cover her modesty?

-Yeah, why not. SHE LAUGHS

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Everyone at home's had enough of a shock.

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I think we can put this into auction and say...

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-£250 to £350.

-Really?

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So were our buyers as naughty a nation

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as their Edwardian counterparts?

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I'm going to start the bidding at £500.

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Yes!

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I can't believe it.

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550, 570, 600 and 20,

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650, 670, commission bids out.

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At £700 for the telephone and selling at £700,

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is there any more?

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Yes! £700.

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-Marvellous!

-Oh, you've got to be so happy with that, haven't you?

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Absolutely.

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There's nothing like a great name like Bergman.

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Add that to the quality and the pretty lady

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and you have a hat-trick.

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What the bronze typified was that some of the very best things

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that we see on Flog It actually do come from around the world

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and particularly Europe.

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

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A well-known name and good quality workmanship always adds to value,

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so do your research, so you know what to look for.

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Be on the lookout for nudes as long as they are beautifully executed.

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And seek out the naughty, or the novel, it might have the

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je ne sais quoi that will set the bidders' hearts aflutter.

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Now if you're a collector, you go looking for the rare and the unusual to add your collection.

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Our Flog It experts all love collecting

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and away from the valuation tables, you can find them searching auction rooms and antique fairs,

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looking for that much sought-after piece.

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Thomas Plant is a connoisseur of glass.

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He's the man you go and see when you're looking for tips.

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So what was it about glass that first put a gleam in his eye?

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I just love glass. There's something which,

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ever since I was in the business,

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and was at university learning about the business, glass caught me,

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especially Scandinavian post-war glass.

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So that's another thing and I have an example here of a very,

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one of my very first pieces,

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which my grandmother helped me get, actually.

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And it's a piece of Kosta Boda.

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Kosta, which is a Swedish glass manufacturer,

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and this one was designed by somebody called Vicke Lindstrand,

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and it was made in 1955.

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And if you can see, you've got a net inside here.

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And then you can see the cutting on the side of this vase

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and it's a shoal of fish.

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So it's the all fish swimming in and out of the net, or escaping the net.

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Any Fish In The Net, this is called.

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And it's just a fantastic piece of glassware.

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Now, these are relatively cheap...

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For a piece of hand-blown,

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designer-made glassware,

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from the '50s. And the other great thing about Scandinavians

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and their glass is every bit is signed.

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And it's given a number so you can date it, you can track it,

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you can find out who made it,

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and you can complete your whole collection

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with signed bits of glass and it's just wonderful.

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So that's something I would advise people to buy,

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because it's relatively cheap,

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but it's also got such quality to it.

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Something I've learned over the years,

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if you want to invest in antiques, obviously buy the best.

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But what is the best? How do you know what's the best?

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Don't go straight to a saleroom and spend your money.

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Visit the specialist dealers.

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They've spent a lifetime learning their craft.

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They love to talk, so don't be shy.

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And who knows? You might just strike up a deal.

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There are some wonderful works of art out there.

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Great names and superb antiques.

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And we want to give you some more information

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on what makes them special.

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Here on Flog It we have broad tastes

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and something you've brought in for us again and again

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has been the popular willow pattern with its tale of the Orient.

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But its origin isn't what it seems, as you're about to find out.

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And we'll discover just how valuable it is today.

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-Of course you know what they are? Open salt cellars?

-Cellars.

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Because in the 19th century, 18th century and right the way back

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until the Elizabethan period, salt wasn't put in a little shaker,

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it was put in an open cellar like this.

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And if we take one out and have a little look,

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these detach quite easily.

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They're like miniature bowls in their own right, aren't they?

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They're lovely, aren't they?

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Super. And turn them over, clear mark underneath there,

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and that is the mark for Royal Worcester.

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And that's the capital T, and that's the date letter for 1882.

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The pattern in the centre there, do you recognise it?

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-Willow pattern?

-Willow pattern, exactly.

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-It's the most well known pattern of all blue and white.

-Yes.

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I think they're quite sweet.

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So, I going to put an estimate of...

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-50 to £80 on them.

-Mm-hm.

-Is that OK?

-That's fine.

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That might not be the highest of valuations,

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but we'll come back to see how that did at auction.

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The enduring appeal of willow goes back to the 18th century,

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when an interest in all things Oriental really hotted up.

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Traders returning from the Far East brought back exotic lacquerware

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and silks adorned with pagodas,

0:18:130:18:15

strange animals and fanciful dragons.

0:18:150:18:18

We had never seen such outlandish designs before and we were hooked.

0:18:180:18:22

Soon the great and the good descended on their own designers

0:18:250:18:28

to create wallpapers, furniture and ceramics

0:18:280:18:31

which all hearkened to the mysteries of the East.

0:18:310:18:34

One phrase captured this new European vogue

0:18:360:18:39

for taking Chinese designs and embellishing them...

0:18:390:18:42

Nothing epitomises it better than the willow pattern

0:18:450:18:48

which appears in the 1790s and depicted a tragic romance.

0:18:480:18:53

A princess decided to ignore her father's demands

0:18:530:18:56

to marry a noble man of his choosing and eloped instead with a servant.

0:18:560:19:01

Life was blissfully happy for them,

0:19:010:19:03

until her disgruntled father hunted them down and had them killed.

0:19:030:19:07

They lived eternally together afterwards as doves.

0:19:070:19:11

A symbol of everlasting love.

0:19:110:19:13

A charming story, but entirely fabricated.

0:19:140:19:18

Some say it was probably British potter, Josiah Spode,

0:19:180:19:22

who came up with the willow pattern story as a marketing ploy

0:19:220:19:25

to sell more plates and it worked.

0:19:250:19:28

Remember, when you're looking for the willow,

0:19:280:19:30

there's a lot to choose from, as the willow pattern has been made

0:19:300:19:33

by more than 400 potters in Great Britain alone.

0:19:330:19:37

So, look out for good makers like Spode, Minton and Royal Worcester.

0:19:370:19:42

Look at the mark and you can find out who made it from reference books.

0:19:420:19:46

And keep in mind, if it isn't marked, you're on shaky ground.

0:19:460:19:50

It could be old, or a cheap reproduction,

0:19:500:19:53

so you need to be prepared to do some more research

0:19:530:19:57

to learn how to tell the treasure from the trash.

0:19:570:20:00

So, how did the Royal Worcester piece

0:20:000:20:02

valued at £50 to £80 do at auction?

0:20:020:20:06

I think there's a lot of value here for not a lot of money.

0:20:060:20:09

Nice little lot. What are you going to bid for this? Who'll start me?

0:20:090:20:12

70. Five. 80 then, new blood. Five. 90.

0:20:120:20:16

Five. 100. 110. 120. 130.

0:20:160:20:20

-140.

-Wow, they like them.

-At 140. 150 with me.

0:20:200:20:24

160 to me, 160 in the room and the book's out at 160.

0:20:240:20:29

-That was so good.

-Wasn't that good?

0:20:300:20:33

Fantastic result.

0:20:330:20:34

-SHE LAUGHS

-Fantastic.

-Oh, thank you.

0:20:340:20:36

It just goes to show, even after all these years,

0:20:360:20:40

our love affair with the affordable willow pattern is still going strong.

0:20:400:20:44

But if you want the real Chinese pieces, prices can be much higher.

0:20:440:20:49

To the owner's astonishment, this pot found in the attic

0:20:490:20:52

was valued at £2.6 million,

0:20:520:20:55

so keep your eyes peeled.

0:20:550:20:57

With luck like that, you could be as rich as an emperor.

0:20:570:21:01

If you do want to get your feet wet

0:21:060:21:08

buying original Chinese pieces, you're entering a complicated field.

0:21:080:21:13

A few years ago,

0:21:130:21:14

I was lucky enough to get some help on how to spot the real thing.

0:21:140:21:17

It seems that to be a dealer or collector of Chinese antiques,

0:21:190:21:22

you need to have a PhD In the subject.

0:21:220:21:25

Dr Tim Foster not only deals in Chinese ceramics,

0:21:250:21:28

he's also a leading expert in this field.

0:21:280:21:31

How did your passion for Chinese ceramics start?

0:21:350:21:37

Well, it grew out of a passion for history really.

0:21:370:21:40

Both sides of my family were in the business, so I grew up with it.

0:21:400:21:43

And it was when I realised that you could buy

0:21:430:21:47

a cracked 18th century tea bowl that was 250, 280 years old

0:21:470:21:51

for £5 or £10, I just thought, well, there's a piece of history.

0:21:510:21:56

-It's quite incredible, isn't it?

-It is, it is.

0:21:560:21:58

Can you explain what the dynasties are?

0:21:580:22:01

I mean, the focus on the dynasties is a bit misleading really,

0:22:010:22:05

because they span hundreds of years.

0:22:050:22:07

-So, the Ming dynasty actually lasts about 300 years...

-Yes.

0:22:070:22:10

..from the 14th century through to the middle of the 17th century.

0:22:100:22:13

And the most recent is the Ching dynasty.

0:22:130:22:15

That ran from the mid-17th century almost through to,

0:22:150:22:18

well, the beginning of this century.

0:22:180:22:19

Is it really as complicated as it seems?

0:22:190:22:21

Are we walking into a minefield trying to buy this?

0:22:210:22:24

It is a fairly complex field,

0:22:240:22:25

because the one thing you can't do with Chinese writers

0:22:250:22:28

-is rely on the marks.

-Mmm.

0:22:280:22:29

This piece shows one of the complexities of the field,

0:22:290:22:34

in as much as it is marked, but it's marked with a Ming mark.

0:22:340:22:37

So this says it was made 400 years before it was made

0:22:370:22:41

and the marks that you find on Chinese porcelain

0:22:410:22:43

are nine times out of ten incorrect.

0:22:430:22:45

-They just don't correspond to the item?

-That's correct.

0:22:450:22:48

'Because the Chinese have such a reverence for the past,

0:22:480:22:51

'it wasn't unusual for them to mark newer pieces with older dates.'

0:22:510:22:55

And the other factor of course is that the Chinese have

0:22:570:22:59

quite a consistent sort of aesthetic sense, so they reproduce shapes,

0:22:590:23:03

styles and patterns over literally hundreds of years.

0:23:030:23:06

This is a K'ang-Hsi prunus jar, symbolic of the coming of spring.

0:23:060:23:11

-Mm-hm.

-300 years old. This is a 100 year-old reproduction.

0:23:110:23:15

-You can see it's a copy, can't you?

-Well, I think so.

0:23:150:23:17

-When they're side-by-side...

-When they're next to each other.

0:23:170:23:20

And you do see them around so, you know, you could collect this.

0:23:200:23:23

It's 100 years old. It's hand-painted. And it is symbolic.

0:23:230:23:26

You can't go on the pattern or the decoration.

0:23:260:23:29

-You have to go on the object itself.

-The texture.

-That's right.

0:23:290:23:33

Know your field really.

0:23:330:23:35

What do you look for when you go and see a piece of blue and white?

0:23:350:23:38

Um... Well, the foot river's important on any piece of ceramic.

0:23:380:23:43

Now on a K'ang-Hsi foot rim, it will be absolutely dense,

0:23:430:23:47

-very, very hard, very, very smooth.

-OK.

0:23:470:23:49

There are an awful number of factors you're taking into consideration.

0:23:490:23:53

-The only way to learn about it is to handle it.

-Right.

0:23:530:23:55

And to know what you're handling when you're handling it.

0:23:550:23:57

Live with it, you know, enjoy it, feel it. That's how you learn.

0:23:570:24:01

-It's not marked.

-Price?

0:24:010:24:02

Well, this is a very good vase and I suppose...

0:24:020:24:05

it would depend on where you were buying it, but several thousand.

0:24:050:24:09

Um...

0:24:090:24:10

-Several thousand?! Really?

-Yes.

0:24:100:24:13

-Yes. It's 300 years old and it's a very good quality piece.

-Wow.

0:24:130:24:17

CLASSICAL CHINESE MUSIC PLAYS

0:24:170:24:19

So, how would you go about starting a collection?

0:24:260:24:29

What would you look for? What would your first piece be?

0:24:290:24:32

I think the beauty of Chinese ceramics

0:24:320:24:34

is that it literally does fit any pocket.

0:24:340:24:37

You can buy a hand-painted 18th century plate

0:24:370:24:39

-for between £10 and £20.

-If it's damaged.

-With a hairline crack in.

0:24:390:24:42

Damage on a piece of Chinese porcelain

0:24:420:24:44

will knock between 80 and 90% off the value of it.

0:24:440:24:47

But you can learn from them.

0:24:470:24:48

You have to find a dealer who knows what they're selling

0:24:480:24:53

and then you take that home with confidence,

0:24:530:24:55

with a written receipt saying that was made in 1720 or 1735...

0:24:550:24:59

-Mm-hm.

-..and you live with it.

-But don't buy from auctions.

0:24:590:25:03

You see a lot in auction that really isn't, um... very old.

0:25:030:25:07

And if you brought from a dealer, you could actually return it.

0:25:070:25:10

Definitely, and he'll tell you what it is.

0:25:100:25:12

There are two or three in each county, it's a case of asking around and seeing who there is.

0:25:120:25:18

-And starting up a collection.

-That's right. And you can do it for a fiver.

0:25:180:25:22

'Because it's a very complicated market,

0:25:230:25:25

'this can work in your favour.

0:25:250:25:27

'It means lots of sellers won't not know the value

0:25:270:25:29

'and you might have a better of picking up a bargain.

0:25:290:25:33

'So, go for it.'

0:25:330:25:35

'Coming up, our experts reveal

0:25:380:25:40

'what to look for in treasures from the East...'

0:25:400:25:43

I don't think I've seen a fan in such wonderful condition.

0:25:430:25:47

It could only be the best quality.

0:25:470:25:49

'..and tell you when it's fine to let your heart rule your head.'

0:25:490:25:53

That's what antiques can do to us. They fire our imagination.

0:25:530:25:59

We've all got something at home,

0:26:020:26:04

that one special item that we're particularly attached to.

0:26:040:26:07

But I want to know what's the one thing

0:26:070:26:09

our experts would rescue from a burning building?

0:26:090:26:13

Gosh, if there was a house fire, the one thing I would really save

0:26:130:26:16

would be this painting here, the Moulin Rouge in Paris.

0:26:160:26:20

Not of any great commercial value. It's not a rare French Impressionist

0:26:200:26:24

painting worth millions of pounds, but it's the sentimental value.

0:26:240:26:27

I bought this in a flea market in Paris,

0:26:270:26:30

the day after a most wonderful and sumptuous evening at the Moulin Rouge.

0:26:300:26:35

I was whisked away by my wife, a surprise birthday treat,

0:26:350:26:39

holed up in the most wonderful Art Deco hotel

0:26:390:26:41

on the Left Bank overlooking Notre Dame

0:26:410:26:43

and then picked up and taken to the Moulin Rouge that evening.

0:26:430:26:46

Most incredible night, I shall never, never forget it.

0:26:460:26:49

And the following day, just wandering along this fantastic flea market in Paris,

0:26:490:26:53

stumbled across this painting and just had to have it.

0:26:530:26:56

I like art anyway, I love the painting,

0:26:560:26:59

and the memory this evokes for me makes it my most valuable treasure.

0:26:590:27:03

All of our experts have so much knowledge, but also,

0:27:050:27:08

each one of them has something they are really passionate about.

0:27:080:27:13

One man who's been bitten by the blue and white collecting bug is our expert, Mark Stacey.

0:27:130:27:18

He wanted to show us the old method of transfer printing

0:27:180:27:20

on ceramics, which achieves that lovely effect.

0:27:200:27:23

So, he's heading off to pottery to get hands on

0:27:230:27:26

to show us how it's done.

0:27:260:27:28

We always think hand-painted pottery is the most valuable

0:27:290:27:32

kind of ceramics, but that's not always the case.

0:27:320:27:36

At the Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent,

0:27:360:27:38

they've been mass manufacturing pottery for 200 years.

0:27:380:27:42

Mark met Jemma Baskeyfield,

0:27:420:27:44

the company historian to find out more about it.

0:27:440:27:48

Where's this demand coming from? Who's buying it at the moment?

0:27:480:27:52

Our biggest area of growth as far as customers go are in the Far East.

0:27:520:27:56

So, in Japan and in South Korea

0:27:560:27:58

they really appreciate what is a very British pottery.

0:27:580:28:02

Oh, that's rather odd, isn't it? Because back in the first phase

0:28:020:28:06

of the popularity of blue and white of course, we were actually copying the Orientals.

0:28:060:28:10

We were producing Chinoiserie designs, weren't we?

0:28:100:28:12

-It's almost come full circle.

-Yes.

0:28:120:28:14

Then over time that developed and by the time our company came along,

0:28:140:28:18

in the Victorian period,

0:28:180:28:21

you got these much more English patterns.

0:28:210:28:24

Very romantic, and this is now appreciated

0:28:240:28:27

by those customers we were taking inspiration from in the first place.

0:28:270:28:32

So, these buyers are looking for those traditional patterns,

0:28:320:28:35

-the floral, decorative pieces?

-Exactly.

0:28:350:28:39

One of the things that annoyed me when I was collecting blue and white

0:28:390:28:42

is people said, "Oh yes, but it's not hand-painted."

0:28:420:28:44

But it's a very skilled process, transfer printing, isn't it?

0:28:440:28:47

It is, very much so.

0:28:470:28:49

And the best way for you to understand,

0:28:490:28:53

is probably to go to our transferring shop

0:28:530:28:55

and actually see the ladies and have a go yourself.

0:28:550:28:58

-I was hoping you'd say that.

-Well, come on then.

0:28:580:29:01

'Before transfer printing, all ceramics were hand-painted,

0:29:040:29:07

'which was time-consuming and could only be afforded by the rich.

0:29:070:29:11

'In the mid-18th century,

0:29:110:29:13

'potters developed a transference technique of printing,

0:29:130:29:16

'which meant it could be more mass-produced

0:29:160:29:18

'and reach a wider market.

0:29:180:29:20

'I've always wanted to see how this is done and now's my chance.'

0:29:220:29:26

How are you?

0:29:260:29:27

So, here's Jackie, one of our top transferers.

0:29:280:29:32

-Hello, Jackie.

-Hello.

0:29:320:29:33

She'll help you today to understand more about transferring.

0:29:330:29:37

-Are you going to be gentle with me Jackie?

-Very gentle.

-Are you sure?

0:29:370:29:40

-Yes.

-You're making it look very easy.

0:29:400:29:42

You don't want me to cut this out, do you? You'll get it ready for me.

0:29:420:29:46

-Yes, I've done most of that for you.

-Thank you.

0:29:460:29:49

So, how long does it take you to learn to do this properly?

0:29:490:29:53

-It took me about six or seven years.

-Wow.

-I was a slow learner.

0:29:530:29:57

Oh, no! Do you think I can learn it in ten minutes?

0:29:570:30:00

I do believe in miracles!

0:30:000:30:02

SHE LAUGHS

0:30:020:30:04

What's the first part of the process?

0:30:040:30:07

The first part is where the print is printed onto the tissue,

0:30:070:30:12

-via the rollers.

-Oh, right.

0:30:120:30:14

OK, I can take you up to our print area and show you how it's done.

0:30:140:30:17

Great, thanks.

0:30:170:30:18

'These delicate designs will end up on ceramics,

0:30:180:30:21

'but how do they get this fabulous print onto the paper?

0:30:210:30:24

'A metal drum is etched with the pattern and inked up.

0:30:260:30:29

'The design is printed onto paper,

0:30:290:30:31

'which is then later transferred onto the ceramic.'

0:30:310:30:34

And how long does it take to dry here? Just a few seconds?

0:30:360:30:39

This one, it'll last about an hour, this one will.

0:30:390:30:42

It needs to stay sticky for us to actually use it.

0:30:420:30:45

Oh, so if it's dry...

0:30:450:30:47

Yep, as soon as it dries, it's no use, we'd have to throw it away.

0:30:470:30:50

So timing is really quite crucial in this room.

0:30:500:30:53

-And this pattern, we've been decorating with since 1862.

-Wow.

0:30:530:30:57

-This has always been a popular design, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

0:30:570:31:01

-A lot of people have produced it.

-Yes, over 60 factories.

-Yeah.

0:31:010:31:04

And we're the last one.

0:31:040:31:06

'The last one standing.

0:31:060:31:09

'It's ironic, what started as mass production

0:31:090:31:12

'has become a rare skill.'

0:31:120:31:14

Well, Jackie, I'm going to watch how you do this. You've cut out the...

0:31:150:31:19

The prints.

0:31:190:31:21

And what we're doing now, we're applying the border.

0:31:210:31:25

You're pushing it down and, as you come round here,

0:31:260:31:29

you're lifting it.

0:31:290:31:31

-So you're sort of placing it, then pushing it down.

-Yeah.

0:31:310:31:34

-Do like doing it?

-I love it.

0:31:340:31:37

Then you get a piece of flannel...

0:31:370:31:38

and you rub it down.

0:31:380:31:40

And you take your sides...

0:31:420:31:43

..put it about the middle.

0:31:450:31:47

So, there's some glue on the back of these already?

0:31:480:31:50

No. The prints are sticky. If you feel...

0:31:500:31:53

..the prints are sticky already.

0:31:540:31:57

It's still wet, see, the printing.

0:31:570:31:59

-You have to put them on while they're still wet.

-OK.

0:31:590:32:03

But you can't possibly get them in the same place every single time, can you?

0:32:040:32:08

More or less. Every one's different.

0:32:080:32:10

There is a slight difference, which what makes it so nice.

0:32:100:32:14

-That's the back stamp you're putting on there.

-Burleigh Ware.

0:32:140:32:18

So, would you like a go?

0:32:180:32:20

-I'd love a go.

-Swap seats.

-Shall I swap seats?

0:32:200:32:23

Right, plonk yourself down.

0:32:260:32:27

-So, first of all, I've got to get my jug, haven't I?

-Yes.

0:32:270:32:30

So, I just pick this up.

0:32:300:32:32

-Yeah. You can feel it's sticky.

-Oh, I can. Yes.

0:32:320:32:36

So, the middle bit goes under there.

0:32:360:32:38

You push it into it.

0:32:380:32:40

Very good.

0:32:400:32:42

-Have I got it twisted?

-No, pull it further up.

0:32:420:32:45

Oh, I've ripped it.

0:32:450:32:46

HE LAUGHS

0:32:460:32:48

WOMAN LAUGHS

0:32:480:32:50

-I think this is going to be really rare Asiatic Pheasant.

-It is, yeah.

0:32:500:32:54

Keep your thumb on when you lift it up again.

0:32:550:32:58

LAUGHTER

0:32:580:32:59

And the same again, the other side.

0:32:590:33:01

I'm getting used to this, now.

0:33:010:33:03

If I'm firing this with thousands of other jugs,

0:33:050:33:09

how will I know it's mine?

0:33:090:33:10

I think you'll know that one's yours.

0:33:100:33:12

LAUGHTER

0:33:120:33:14

-Oooh!

-Pick up a stamp and just so we know it's yours,

0:33:140:33:17

we're going to put a special rose on the bottom.

0:33:170:33:20

-Aww.

-Just for you.

0:33:200:33:22

-Now, you can show all the girls your work.

-Look, girls.

0:33:230:33:26

WOMEN CLAP AND CHEER

0:33:260:33:28

Special. >

0:33:280:33:30

-I'm quite pleased with it.

-I am, yeah.

-Thank you, Jackie.

0:33:300:33:33

-It's all right.

-That's really made my day.

0:33:330:33:36

-That's it, Jackie. I've finished, now.

-That stage is finished.

0:33:370:33:40

-You've got to rub it down.

-That stage?

0:33:400:33:42

You've got another stage to do, now.

0:33:420:33:44

-You didn't tell me this, Jackie.

-No, I know.

0:33:440:33:46

So, what do I have to do now?

0:33:460:33:48

-You have to take your coat off and put on a pinny.

-A pinny?

0:33:480:33:53

And some rubber gloves.

0:33:530:33:54

-Do you like it?

-Yeah, I do.

-They're lovely, aren't they?

0:33:580:34:01

-What is this stuff? Glue?

-It's liquid soap.

0:34:010:34:04

-Oh, it's horrible.

-It's nice.

0:34:040:34:07

Rub it. That's it.

0:34:070:34:09

'The soap fixes the transfer and then it's off to be cleaned...'

0:34:090:34:13

-Not bad.

-It's good.

0:34:130:34:14

'..by me.'

0:34:170:34:19

Now, what's been left on there is actually the pattern?

0:34:190:34:22

That's just the pattern, yeah.

0:34:220:34:23

Just swill it in the water, take the rest of it off. That's it.

0:34:230:34:26

Now, what we do,

0:34:260:34:27

is we'll put it on this truck, here.

0:34:270:34:29

That's it.

0:34:310:34:32

That's the most we can do in here.

0:34:320:34:34

We'll hand it over to the rest of the factory, it'll have a firing,

0:34:340:34:38

then dipping in glaze, then a final firing.

0:34:380:34:41

And then, fingers crossed, we'll have a finished,

0:34:410:34:44

half decent piece of pottery at the end. And we'll send it on to you.

0:34:440:34:48

I hope so. Cos you never know,

0:34:480:34:49

that could be a valuable antique in the future.

0:34:490:34:52

We'll be lucky.

0:34:520:34:54

'So, you see, it isn't a simple process.

0:34:540:34:56

'There's a lot of hard work and skill that goes into this beautiful craft.

0:34:560:35:00

'But, is it worth collecting?'

0:35:010:35:03

The great thing with transfer printed ware

0:35:030:35:06

is that there's a huge variety in patterns that you can choose from.

0:35:060:35:10

Botanical, animal-related subject,

0:35:100:35:13

country houses.

0:35:130:35:15

Of course, the Oriental patterns.

0:35:150:35:17

So, wherever you are in the collecting sphere,

0:35:170:35:20

there's something for you.

0:35:200:35:23

This is a really good tip for you.

0:35:230:35:25

If you really fancy collecting transfer printed ware,

0:35:250:35:28

I can't think of a better time than now

0:35:280:35:31

to start collecting transfer printed wares.

0:35:310:35:34

The market has really dropped.

0:35:340:35:36

So, if you want to start collecting, go car-booting,

0:35:360:35:40

go to your local charity shops, if you want, because there's

0:35:400:35:43

really some good things to be found, for very little money.

0:35:430:35:47

-Thank you, ladies!

-WOMEN: Goodbye!

0:35:470:35:48

See you again! Thank you for your help! Bye-bye! Bye!

0:35:480:35:52

WOMEN: Bye!

0:35:520:35:53

Goodbye, Mary, Ellen!

0:35:530:35:55

-Bye!

-Bye.

0:35:550:35:58

People in the Far East may like our blue and white china, but we

0:36:040:36:07

still have a voracious appetite for original antiques from Asia.

0:36:070:36:12

Even though our experts find them hard to value,

0:36:120:36:14

it doesn't stop them from giving it a go.

0:36:140:36:17

So, here are their tips on how you can understand

0:36:170:36:19

the mysteries of the East.

0:36:190:36:21

Terry and Jackie, you have brought along

0:36:230:36:26

a fan and I don't think I've seen

0:36:260:36:28

a fan in such wonderful condition.

0:36:280:36:31

'Quality speaks for itself. You really only'

0:36:310:36:34

have to look at an Oriental item of quality

0:36:340:36:37

and you can almost see it from three, four yards away.

0:36:370:36:41

Just the detail on the figures,

0:36:410:36:43

the flowers, all the decoration

0:36:430:36:45

and the little latticework

0:36:450:36:48

is just so intricate.

0:36:480:36:50

It could only be the best quality.

0:36:500:36:52

This is Cantonese, 1890, 1900,

0:36:520:36:56

and this is the sort of thing that frankly, in terms of value,

0:36:560:36:59

has gone through the roof in the last five years or so.

0:36:590:37:03

And what I particularly like about it is the way that you look

0:37:030:37:07

from strand to strand, it tells a story all the way through.

0:37:070:37:12

If you follow one figure, for example,

0:37:120:37:14

you take a figure here,

0:37:140:37:16

half of his body's on that panel,

0:37:160:37:18

half of his body's on that panel,

0:37:180:37:19

and same with the trees.

0:37:190:37:21

Tells a story all the way through.

0:37:210:37:23

It is quite remarkable quality.

0:37:230:37:26

I'm sure it's ivory.

0:37:260:37:27

I needed to just check that it wasn't plastic.

0:37:270:37:30

That may seem silly, but, you know,

0:37:300:37:33

plastic dates from a lot earlier than a lot of people think.

0:37:330:37:37

But this is undoubtedly ivory.

0:37:370:37:39

'The simple way to check if it's not plastic,'

0:37:390:37:41

heat up a pin and stick it in.

0:37:410:37:44

If it's plastic, it'll melt a hole in it, but it won't matter,

0:37:440:37:47

because if it's plastic, it wouldn't be valuable.

0:37:470:37:49

If it's ivory, it won't go in.

0:37:490:37:51

Ivory's become more and more emotive

0:37:510:37:54

with the butchering of elephants and...

0:37:540:37:59

..we feel pretty happy, legally, to sell items pre-1947.

0:38:010:38:08

Anything that has been, for want of a better word,

0:38:080:38:12

butchered in our lifetime, certainly within my memory,

0:38:120:38:15

'is taboo.'

0:38:150:38:17

-What do you think it's worth?

-A hundred?

-More.

0:38:170:38:21

-200.

-I think more.

0:38:210:38:23

-Really?

-I really do.

0:38:230:38:25

I think a lot of the Chinese think, "We should be having these things back, now,"

0:38:250:38:29

and they are prepared to pay huge money to have the right things back.

0:38:290:38:34

-I think this could be worth £300 or £400.

-Crikey.

-Crumbs!

0:38:340:38:38

'With the expectation mounting in the room and overseas,

0:38:400:38:42

'was anyone prepared to have a flutter on the fan?'

0:38:420:38:46

We've got an awful lot of Chinese and Eastern artefacts in the sale.

0:38:460:38:51

It's bringing in all the overseas buyers and hopefully they'll pick up on this.

0:38:510:38:56

The Cantonese ivory fan.

0:38:560:38:57

Let's start at 150. 150, I'm bid.

0:38:570:39:00

150, 160, 170, 180, 190.

0:39:000:39:02

At £190, now. Done, then.

0:39:020:39:05

At 190, 200, 220.

0:39:050:39:06

220, 240.

0:39:060:39:08

260. 280. 300. 320.

0:39:080:39:10

-There you are. We're already...

-I know.

0:39:100:39:12

380, 400.

0:39:120:39:14

400, 420, 440,

0:39:140:39:16

460, 480. 500.

0:39:160:39:18

550.

0:39:180:39:20

-600.

-600. At 600, now.

0:39:200:39:22

650, 700, 750.

0:39:220:39:24

-I'm lost for words.

-So am I.

0:39:240:39:27

-850, 900.

-I must brush up on

0:39:270:39:29

my Cantonese valuations.

0:39:290:39:30

At 950. 1,000.

0:39:300:39:32

'It's very important that you'

0:39:320:39:34

look at the sale and think,

0:39:340:39:35

"That's right for my object." But a good auctioneer will do that for you.

0:39:350:39:38

1,600. The phone at 1,600.

0:39:380:39:41

-And 50.

-1,650.

0:39:410:39:42

JACKIE: That's amazing.

0:39:430:39:45

-That is incredible.

-Wow.

0:39:450:39:47

Jackie, there's tears.

0:39:470:39:49

1,800. Phone at 1,800.

0:39:490:39:52

£1,800. Anybody else?

0:39:520:39:54

-And 50.

-1,850.

0:39:540:39:55

1,900?

0:39:570:39:58

At 1,850. I sell with the internet.

0:39:590:40:01

At £1,850.

0:40:010:40:04

-Jackie.

-I know. I daren't look.

0:40:040:40:06

THEY LAUGH

0:40:060:40:07

Down here at 1,850.

0:40:070:40:09

-Oh, my goodness me.

-Wow, wow.

-It's wonderful.

0:40:090:40:12

Tears in the eyes.

0:40:120:40:15

Never mind, Charlie, you can be wrong as often as you like!

0:40:150:40:17

I'm going to become a decorator.

0:40:170:40:20

What an amazing price.

0:40:200:40:22

Do make sure you get your antique piece into a specialist auction,

0:40:220:40:27

where the saleroom can help you

0:40:270:40:28

build up a worldwide fan base

0:40:280:40:31

and hopefully get you the best bid.

0:40:310:40:34

But, it's also about timing.

0:40:340:40:37

If there was ever a time to sell something Chinese, it's now.

0:40:380:40:41

A prime example of the buoyancy was the plaque at Preston.

0:40:420:40:46

This is about 1880, 1890 and we see figures and attendants

0:40:460:40:53

in formal gardens with these building structures

0:40:530:40:57

and very stylised trees.

0:40:570:40:59

This is an object just to be looked at

0:40:590:41:01

and enjoyed for its artistic merit,

0:41:010:41:03

rather than anything to be used.

0:41:030:41:05

Would you be happy at £100 to £150.

0:41:050:41:07

-Yeah.

-Would you?

-Yeah.

0:41:080:41:10

I think you'd be very silly to be happy with that.

0:41:100:41:13

I think it's worth a bit more.

0:41:130:41:14

-I reckon 300 to 500 is more to the mark.

-Brilliant, yeah.

0:41:140:41:18

I think you'll do really well.

0:41:180:41:19

That is a great thing.

0:41:190:41:21

'Now that we have live bidding,'

0:41:210:41:22

there is no excuse for not getting

0:41:220:41:26

the right result, really, on an object.

0:41:260:41:28

Lot 430,

0:41:280:41:30

Chinese carved ivory plaque.

0:41:300:41:32

'The Chinese market'

0:41:320:41:33

is voracious. There is so much money out there.

0:41:330:41:36

£700. Straight in on one of the phones at £700.

0:41:360:41:42

800 online.

0:41:420:41:43

840, 860. I'll come back.

0:41:430:41:45

900, 920,

0:41:450:41:47

940, £1,000.

0:41:470:41:49

The bid's on the phone at 1,000.

0:41:490:41:51

10 years ago, would've been worth £100.

0:41:510:41:53

'Four years ago, maybe 200 or 300.'

0:41:530:41:57

-£2,000.

-Oh, my God!

0:41:570:41:58

'Just kept flying.

0:41:580:42:00

'The bids absolutely shooting in

0:42:000:42:02

'from the online bidding platform that we have.'

0:42:020:42:05

At some points, it was coming in quicker than I could actually take

0:42:050:42:08

the bids and I was having to jump bids

0:42:080:42:09

'to keep up with it.'

0:42:090:42:11

We're not there yet. 24, 25.

0:42:110:42:13

It's fantastic!

0:42:130:42:15

At the time we sold it,

0:42:150:42:16

I put three to five, expecting it to make a thousand.

0:42:160:42:20

£3,000.

0:42:200:42:22

3-1. 3,100.

0:42:220:42:24

We're not there yet.

0:42:240:42:26

The Internet has enabled us

0:42:260:42:28

here to market everything

0:42:280:42:31

all over the world. So it's made a massive difference.

0:42:310:42:33

I can't believe it.

0:42:330:42:35

Very excited people in the far corner here. Congratulations to you.

0:42:350:42:38

Its £3,300 online.

0:42:380:42:41

Direct from Shanghai at £3,300.

0:42:410:42:44

He said coming from Shanghai.

0:42:440:42:46

You're out in the room, the phones are all dead.

0:42:460:42:48

It's £3,300 online.

0:42:480:42:51

Sold.

0:42:510:42:52

£3,300.

0:42:520:42:54

APPLAUSE It's so fantastic!

0:42:540:42:57

Oh, my God!

0:42:570:43:00

Really, that was just sold at the perfect time.

0:43:000:43:05

If that was to come on the market now,

0:43:050:43:08

it would make less than half that.

0:43:080:43:10

It's changed that quickly.

0:43:100:43:12

So, it's all about timings.

0:43:120:43:15

And, if you're not greedy

0:43:150:43:17

and you don't try to hold on too long

0:43:170:43:20

and you time it well, fantastic.

0:43:200:43:23

And that's exactly what happened on the day.

0:43:230:43:25

'Things may have dampened down a bit since we sold that plaque,

0:43:250:43:28

'but buying Chinese can still be a great investment.

0:43:280:43:31

'The trade secret is not to rush out to sell,

0:43:310:43:35

'but hang on until the market looks right.'

0:43:350:43:37

'If you want to invest, there are some Chinese pieces where you

0:43:390:43:43

'cannot go wrong, including a type of ceramic

0:43:430:43:45

'called Famille Rose.'

0:43:450:43:47

Gosh, we are going back now, many, many years, to Andover.

0:43:480:43:53

You've brought a nice collection of Oriental ceramics

0:43:530:43:56

in to show us today.

0:43:560:43:58

Can you give us the history of them?

0:43:580:44:00

Well, they were my mum's and she died about 25 years ago.

0:44:000:44:03

When she died, we were clearing out her loft and we found it in there.

0:44:030:44:07

I love Famille Rose.

0:44:070:44:09

It's so delicate. The colouring.

0:44:090:44:12

Lots of 20th century examples.

0:44:120:44:15

This was really bang in the mid to late 19th century.

0:44:150:44:19

We get the Famille Rose from the sort of pinky colours,

0:44:190:44:23

pinky greens and blues in the pattern.

0:44:230:44:25

There was so much! There was some lovely tureen covers and stands.

0:44:250:44:30

'A pair of vases, shaped dessert dishes.'

0:44:300:44:33

They're very typically decorated with these Oriental scenes.

0:44:330:44:37

Little people in different courtyards,

0:44:370:44:39

buildings in the background.

0:44:390:44:40

'Cantonese Famille Rose ware gets its name from the Port of Canton.

0:44:400:44:44

'That's where it was exported to the rest'

0:44:440:44:46

of the world, although it was probably made in one of

0:44:460:44:49

the big ceramic-producing areas in China.

0:44:490:44:52

-Have you ever thought about the value?

-No.

0:44:520:44:54

-This is why you brought them here today?

-Yeah.

0:44:540:44:57

I think it's such a shame. It is just a waste, isn't it?

0:44:570:45:00

I was quite mean, you know, because I could get away with it then.

0:45:000:45:04

I put such a ridiculous estimate on it.

0:45:040:45:06

I suggest we put it in as a little group,

0:45:060:45:08

and if we did put them in with a sale,

0:45:080:45:11

I think we'd be looking at an estimate

0:45:110:45:13

of maybe £200-300 for the group.

0:45:130:45:16

-Oh, right.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah, that's...

0:45:160:45:20

Oh, hindsight is a wonderful thing, Mark!

0:45:200:45:22

So how did the buyers feel about the Famille Rose on the day?

0:45:220:45:26

800, 820...

0:45:280:45:30

-We could be here all night.

-850, 880, 900...

0:45:310:45:36

..and 20. 950. 1,000.

0:45:370:45:42

-And 50.

-D'you need a seat?

-1,100. And 50.

0:45:420:45:46

1,200. And 50.

0:45:460:45:49

£1,200 on the phone here against all in the room. 1,250 at the back.

0:45:510:45:55

-1,300.

-1,300!

-And 50.

0:45:550:45:59

1,400. And 50. 1,500.

0:45:590:46:04

And 50. 1,500 on the phone. All done at 1,500.

0:46:060:46:11

Against all at £1,500, selling.

0:46:110:46:14

Yes! On the phone, £1,500.

0:46:140:46:18

APPLAUSE

0:46:180:46:20

-That's great.

-I don't believe it!

-That is just great.

0:46:200:46:23

I just don't believe it.

0:46:230:46:25

If you're thinking of collecting Chinese porcelain,

0:46:250:46:29

what I would do is go and look in museums, go and study the porcelain.

0:46:290:46:35

Go to local auctions, see what people are buying.

0:46:350:46:38

Go find out the good Oriental dealers, go and talk to them,

0:46:380:46:43

you know, because they are looking for potential buyers,

0:46:430:46:46

so they're willing to help steer you through that.

0:46:460:46:49

If you want to find a bargain, remember, knowledge is everything.

0:46:490:46:53

You can never do too much research, so find a good reference book

0:46:530:46:57

and get reading.

0:46:570:46:59

It can get your heart racing, as Anita Manning knows.

0:46:590:47:02

I love dressing up, and this is the most wonderful kimono.

0:47:040:47:08

Do you dress up in this? Has this got any family...?

0:47:080:47:11

-My husband has worn it at a fancy dress.

-Has he?

-He looked good.

0:47:110:47:16

If we turn it round to the back first of all,

0:47:160:47:20

we can see this wonderful imperial dragon here.

0:47:200:47:25

Look at those eyes, a wee bitty scary.

0:47:250:47:28

And this symbol here denotes a pearl.

0:47:280:47:31

I had the immediate impact of the colours

0:47:310:47:35

and the quality of the embroidery.

0:47:350:47:37

That dragon with the scary eyes!

0:47:370:47:39

What did it mean? That wonderful pearl symbol! What did it mean?

0:47:390:47:45

But it also made me think of, who did it belong to?

0:47:450:47:49

What was their life like? What was their function in life?

0:47:490:47:53

What was life in court like?

0:47:530:47:55

I think that it could have been a military kimono

0:47:550:47:59

and may have been worn by an officer at ceremonial occasions.

0:47:590:48:05

So, that's what antiques can do to us, they fire our imagination.

0:48:050:48:10

Difficult to put a price on it, but if we put it in at 150-200,

0:48:100:48:16

we might have a chance at that.

0:48:160:48:18

When I give an estimate, either in Flog It or in my own auction,

0:48:180:48:23

it is an estimate.

0:48:230:48:25

We don't know exactly how much it's going to get

0:48:250:48:30

until the hammer falls.

0:48:300:48:32

Any advance now at 520 for the kimono?

0:48:320:48:35

-At 520, 550, 580, 600...

-Yes!

0:48:350:48:38

-620, 650...

-Someone really wants it.

0:48:380:48:42

At £700. Any advance now on £700 for the kimono?

0:48:420:48:46

To be sold for £700.

0:48:460:48:48

Yes, the hammer's gone down. £700!

0:48:480:48:53

What a turnaround! Worn for a fancy dress party and sold for £700.

0:48:530:48:59

I'm renowned for being a wee bit conservative, though.

0:49:010:49:05

-I'm tingling all over, are you tingling?

-Absolutely.

0:49:050:49:08

If you're a collector of Oriental items in the UK,

0:49:080:49:12

is this a good time to hold onto your items

0:49:120:49:15

or is it a good time to sell them?

0:49:150:49:18

I always say if you love a collection, keep it.

0:49:180:49:20

But if you've bought to sell, or if you've bought because it was

0:49:210:49:26

something that caught your eye, then this is the time to sell.

0:49:260:49:30

It's amazing how much they know.

0:49:310:49:33

You've heard their tips and now here are mine.

0:49:330:49:36

'In the tricky Oriental market, be cautious, as we found earlier.

0:49:370:49:41

'A mark doesn't necessarily mean it's really old

0:49:410:49:44

'because it's easy enough to copy old marks.

0:49:440:49:47

'Be wary of online auctions which claim something is

0:49:470:49:50

'authentically Ming.

0:49:500:49:51

'There's no substitute for touching and seeing an item.

0:49:510:49:54

'And most of all, do your homework.

0:49:540:49:57

'Don't forget, when it comes to the mysterious Oriental market,

0:49:580:50:02

'if you go with your heart and enjoy owning a piece,

0:50:020:50:05

'you might also get lucky enough to earn some serious cash.'

0:50:050:50:10

If you find a piece you like and you want to start a collection,

0:50:110:50:14

where do you begin?

0:50:140:50:16

Well, this tale of one man's obsession with

0:50:160:50:18

the lure of the Orient may give you some food for thought.

0:50:180:50:22

Collecting is a real bug and once you've got it,

0:50:240:50:26

there is no stopping it. Believe me, it's so addictive.

0:50:260:50:29

But of course, there is one major problem.

0:50:290:50:31

Sooner or later, you're going to run out of space to store it all,

0:50:310:50:35

and it's precisely at this point, back in 1955,

0:50:350:50:38

that antiques dealer and collector Denys Eyre Bower decided to do

0:50:380:50:43

something radical about housing his own personal collections.

0:50:430:50:47

So he borrowed £6,000 from the bank and bought himself a castle.

0:50:470:50:52

And this is it. Chiddingstone Castle.

0:50:520:50:55

'He had antiques from his four areas of interest

0:50:570:51:00

'on display to the public.

0:51:000:51:02

'Buddhism...

0:51:020:51:03

'..Egyptian art...

0:51:070:51:09

'..Stuart and Jacobean artefacts...

0:51:090:51:12

'..and the exquisite Japanese collection.'

0:51:150:51:19

'His acumen for antique collecting being much better

0:51:190:51:22

'than his grasp of property management,

0:51:220:51:24

'and it's true to say his obsession with collecting

0:51:240:51:27

'had a disastrous effect on every other area of his life.'

0:51:270:51:30

Not long after taking over the castle,

0:51:330:51:35

Denys met and fell in love with a beautiful young lady half his age.

0:51:350:51:39

He was so in love with her,

0:51:390:51:41

but one day, when she threatened to call off the romance,

0:51:410:51:44

well, he was so besotted he ran to see her,

0:51:440:51:47

picked up one of his antique guns, took it with him,

0:51:470:51:49

dramatically threatening to kill himself if she called it off.

0:51:490:51:53

Well, don't ask me how, but somehow, accidentally,

0:51:530:51:56

he managed to shoot her.

0:51:560:51:58

'Denys was sentenced to life imprisonment,

0:51:590:52:01

'and spent a number of years in Wormwood Scrubs,

0:52:010:52:04

'before finally being freed in 1962, when he returned

0:52:040:52:08

'to live at Chiddingstone Castle among his collections.

0:52:080:52:12

'I have arranged to meet Julia Hutt,

0:52:120:52:14

'curator of Japanese art at the Victoria and Albert Museum,

0:52:140:52:18

'and also a trustee of Chiddingstone Castle,

0:52:180:52:20

'to look at some of Denys' Japanese collection.'

0:52:200:52:23

There's a wonderful collection of Japanese artefacts here.

0:52:270:52:30

We're surrounded by them.

0:52:300:52:31

This is what I would normally associate

0:52:310:52:33

Japanese lacquer-ware with.

0:52:330:52:35

Things like the sake bowls there with the typical reds,

0:52:350:52:38

-and of course, the little writing box there.

-Yes.

0:52:380:52:41

Lacquer is basically the sap from a tree that grows in east

0:52:410:52:44

and southeast Asia, and by making incisions in the bark,

0:52:440:52:48

the sap oozes out...

0:52:480:52:50

-They can draw it off.

-Yes. It's collected and then it's processed.

0:52:500:52:55

And the vessels themselves, now, let's look at this little box.

0:52:550:52:58

Now that's some discipline to achieve that.

0:52:580:53:00

Yes, really testing of the lacquerer's skills to be able

0:53:000:53:03

to work with these minute pieces and place them individually.

0:53:030:53:07

-This is some of the best work I've ever seen in my life.

-Yes.

0:53:070:53:11

Do you respect Denys as a collector, a connoisseur?

0:53:200:53:23

-Did he have a good eye?

-Absolutely.

-Yeah, I agree with you.

0:53:230:53:26

I think he was an English eccentric

0:53:260:53:29

who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

0:53:290:53:33

He was buying on modest means

0:53:330:53:36

and with a very good eye he was able to buy some spectacular pieces.

0:53:360:53:41

Well, old Denys may have had a turbulent private life,

0:53:520:53:55

but I tell you what, boy, was he a good collector and dealer!

0:53:550:54:00

He had a fabulous eye for detail.

0:54:000:54:03

He followed his own instincts, he bought items when they weren't

0:54:030:54:07

fashionable so they were affordable, there's a lesson for us all there.

0:54:070:54:10

He bought only quality and items that weren't overly restored.

0:54:100:54:15

And his legacy is here today

0:54:150:54:16

for us all to enjoy at Chiddingstone Castle.

0:54:160:54:19

'So today we have seen some wonderful items that have come to

0:54:310:54:34

'the Flog It tables from foreign climes, but there is one more

0:54:340:54:37

'that shows Flog It has something to give back to the world.

0:54:370:54:41

'Last year, Gaynor Connor and Sister Yvonne brought in an item

0:54:440:54:48

'Gaynor had squirreled away for 20 years.'

0:54:480:54:51

We took to Flog It

0:54:510:54:53

a beautiful Arts and Crafts mirror,

0:54:530:54:55

a nice brass Arts and Crafts mirror.

0:54:550:54:57

What we have is this hexagonal brass frame

0:54:570:55:01

with these Celtic knots round the rim.

0:55:010:55:06

Now, this motif was particularly popular

0:55:060:55:11

during the Arts and Crafts movement.

0:55:110:55:14

I would say it's not the best of quality,

0:55:140:55:17

but it still has that very nice Celtic knot, good motif,

0:55:170:55:21

nice condition, obviously well looked after.

0:55:210:55:25

I would estimate it in the region of, say, £60-80.

0:55:250:55:33

-Would you be happy to sell it at that?

-Yes, I would.

0:55:330:55:36

-I mean, the money's going to a very good cause.

-Tell me about that.

0:55:360:55:40

I went to Malawi a few years ago and I saw the situation out there

0:55:400:55:45

and so it's going to a hospital in Malawi.

0:55:450:55:49

That's wonderful, Gaynor.

0:55:490:55:50

-£80 will do an awful lot out there, I'll tell you.

-So, £80.

-Right.

0:55:500:55:55

-To Malawi.

-Brilliant.

0:55:550:55:56

I've never been to an auction before,

0:55:590:56:02

so I didn't really know what to expect.

0:56:020:56:04

Ladies and gentlemen, this lot is being sold and the money's

0:56:040:56:08

going directly to St Joseph's, which is a bush hospital in Malawi.

0:56:080:56:12

Let's hope we get a good price for this Arts and Crafts

0:56:120:56:14

-brass framed octagonal wall mirror.

-Good luck.

0:56:140:56:18

Very excited at the prospect

0:56:180:56:21

of a big deal with somebody

0:56:210:56:23

to have a lot of money come in for this mirror.

0:56:230:56:26

I can start the bidding at £100 and 10 is bid. 110 I have, is there 120?

0:56:260:56:31

At £110. 120, 120 in the room.

0:56:310:56:34

120, all done at 120?

0:56:340:56:37

Anyone else now, at £120, we sell.

0:56:370:56:40

Not bad, double the estimate.

0:56:410:56:44

That's a true reflection of the price, wasn't it?

0:56:440:56:46

-That's not bad at all.

-Can do a lot in Africa with that.

0:56:460:56:49

-Hi, just a little donation.

-Oh, my goodness gracious!

0:56:510:56:56

'The Sisters of the St Augustinian Order have become quite expert

0:56:560:57:00

'at finding things that are worth a few quid in their shop,

0:57:000:57:03

'which they put towards their charity.'

0:57:030:57:06

Hey, look at this!

0:57:080:57:09

'We've recently built a girls school'

0:57:090:57:12

because we've found that the girls are not being educated.

0:57:120:57:15

They go out into the bush and supply medicines to people who need help.

0:57:150:57:20

'So how far could the £120 raised at our Flog It auction

0:57:220:57:25

'go in Malawi?'

0:57:250:57:27

The money that we raised from the sale of the mirror actually

0:57:270:57:31

went to buy medicines, erm, simple things like paracetamol,

0:57:310:57:36

they can't afford them.

0:57:360:57:37

And also, mothers who have newborn babies

0:57:370:57:40

are not allowed to take babies out of the hospital

0:57:400:57:43

unless they have an item of clothing,

0:57:430:57:44

so it would have gone for clothing as well.

0:57:440:57:47

Our Top Tip is, if you're going to have a clear out,

0:57:490:57:52

then do it with a friend, and it's amazing the fun you have.

0:57:520:57:56

Mairi, what about this for Flog It? Eh?

0:57:590:58:01

Or Strictly?

0:58:010:58:03

'Well, I'm not sure Len Goodman would like it,

0:58:040:58:07

'but as Gaynor and Sister Yvonne said, try a clean out with a friend

0:58:070:58:11

'and as we know on Flog It, you can never tell what you might discover.'

0:58:110:58:15

We're so privileged on the show to pick up

0:58:150:58:17

information on antiques from all across the world,

0:58:170:58:20

and I hope you've learned something today on your travels with us.

0:58:200:58:24

Join me again next time for more on Flog It Trade Secrets,

0:58:240:58:27

but until then it's goodbye.

0:58:270:58:29

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0:58:330:58:36

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