Far Flung Flog It! Flog It: Trade Secrets

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

and valuable antiques from all across the world.

From Oriental ceramics to German woodcraft and Aboriginal art.

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

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

on a whole world of fine art and antiques

and we'd love to share it with you.

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

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

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

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

You get little palpitations in your stomach.

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

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

the difference between a genuine Oriental article and a fake.

Heat up a pin and stick it in!

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

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

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

the English Channel to Europe and the Orient.

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

For years we featured some wonderful well-travelled pieces

that have hailed from all across the globe.

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

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

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

I would be aware not to follow trends.

Five years ago Russian antiques were very popular,

now it's Chinese antiques.

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

The best thing to do is just buy items,

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

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

A tip at the moment would be,

after the Chinese market has strengthened and levelled off,

I think the Indian market,

Indian subcontinent market will prove to be very strong.

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

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

British people have always enjoyed travelling

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

on what was termed, The Grand Tour,

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

And right up to the current day,

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

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

I remember my very first ever Flog It -

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

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

Hard to believe, isn't it?

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

The set there came from my grandparents.

This tea set is different from most ordinary silver tea sets

because it's by one of the most important silversmiths

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

-Is that so?

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

These are really wonderful examples of his work.

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

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

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

If we look underneath, all this writing here,

you can actually see Georg Jensen's mark there.

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

I said to the lady, Yorkshire lady,

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

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

She didn't believe me.

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

-Mm...

-Which is a tidy sum.

Very encouraging.

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

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

THEY GASP

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

£2,000. 2,100...

2,800, 2,900. £3,000?

3,200. 3,200 now say.

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

That's unbelievable.

4,400, 4,800. £5,000. 5,200.

5,200, anywhere?

All finished then at £5,000.

All done and finished.

Goose pimples.

Good gracious me!

-Oh, I've gone all hot.

-So have I.

£5,000.

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

So look out for the name, Georg Jensen

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

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

it's an eye for the classical nude.

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

Ask Michelangelo himself.

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

than a bad nude.

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

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

What better form is there than the female nude.

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

but it is a perfect format

and it's a beautifully, beautifully carved.

Where did she come from?

-She came from a castle in France.

-Really?

-Fontainebleau.

-Fontainebleau?

-Not far from Paris, yeah.

I've been to Fontainebleau.

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

There is one somewhere, but...

Crikey!

-That's it.

-Ah, here we are.

Caradossi.

Caradossi has a certain significance in certain areas.

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

Good grief, that's heavy.

Who was born in 1861.

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

-Mm-hm.

-I think this figure is worth £1,000.

-Right.

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

Nudes do sell well, male nudes and female nudes.

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

nudes per square inch than anywhere else in the world.

Charlie seemed confident about his valuation

but was his hunch about nudes right?

I think this is the best thing in the saleroom.

-Yes, it is.

-And I would, wouldn't I?

-It's the star of the show.

We have a telephone bid.

-Telephone bid!

-We've got commission bids as well

-and we're starting at 800.

-Oh!

-825.

-It's gone.

850? 850. 875? 875.

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

At £900. 925.

925, 950? 950 on the telephone.

975. 1,000?

-That's fab!

-Christine will be happy.

£1,000 I've got.

£100 bids now.

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

1,200? £1,200, I've got.

1,300? 1,400? £1,400.

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

1,500. 1,600 on the telephone.

-She'll be going to Las Vegas now.

-Won't she?

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

-Goodie!

-Yes! Well done, Charlie.

-I'm pleased with that.

-Really pleased.

-What a result!

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

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

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

The signature is hugely important.

This statue and the silver service before sold well

because of the name and the fine workmanship,

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

If you want to invest in European objects,

you may need to think out of the box.

And Mark Stacey likes to do exactly that.

Now, as soon as I saw you holding this,

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

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

That Austrian pottery figure, this high.

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

Where on earth did you get it from?

I inherited this from my grandfather,

and it's resting itself in my house now.

It appealed to me because it was sheer Victorian fun

but, on a serious note, it was quality.

You've got this wonderful plumed hat.

There's a lovely, delicate expression on her face

and she is holding this wonderful, oversized fan.

I think it's a fantastically outrageous item.

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

or since, I have to tell you.

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

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

Very, very expensive to make and produce

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

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

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

300 with Ian. £300, 320, 340,

360, 380.

-Yeah.

-We're there.

480, 500.

520... 760.

That's unbelievable!

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

1,300. 1,400.

-What have we missed, Mark?

-I don't know.

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

Mark, that's incredible.

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

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

you can't beat it.

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

for ceramics, shipped all over the world

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

We would have loved that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

appealed to our British taste for concealment.

And one caught the eye of our expert.

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

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

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

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

It's a very pretty, little lamp.

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

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

there's a little inscription that says Nam Greb.

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

And, it's Bergman, backwards.

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

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

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

-Really?

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

Shall we share its little secret?

One, two, three.

Oh, dear!

Often when you get an overtly erotic scene,

rather than just a classical female nude,

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

It's a rare, early novelty.

-Shall we cover her modesty?

-Yeah, why not. SHE LAUGHS

Everyone at home's had enough of a shock.

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

-£250 to £350.

-Really?

So were our buyers as naughty a nation

as their Edwardian counterparts?

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

Yes!

I can't believe it.

550, 570, 600 and 20,

650, 670, commission bids out.

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

is there any more?

Yes! £700.

-Marvellous!

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

Absolutely.

There's nothing like a great name like Bergman.

Add that to the quality and the pretty lady

and you have a hat-trick.

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

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

and particularly Europe.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Flog It experts all love collecting

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

looking for that much sought-after piece.

Thomas Plant is a connoisseur of glass.

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

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

I just love glass. There's something which,

ever since I was in the business,

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

especially Scandinavian post-war glass.

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

one of my very first pieces,

which my grandmother helped me get, actually.

And it's a piece of Kosta Boda.

Kosta, which is a Swedish glass manufacturer,

and this one was designed by somebody called Vicke Lindstrand,

and it was made in 1955.

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

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

and it's a shoal of fish.

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

Any Fish In The Net, this is called.

And it's just a fantastic piece of glassware.

Now, these are relatively cheap...

For a piece of hand-blown,

designer-made glassware,

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

and their glass is every bit is signed.

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

you can find out who made it,

and you can complete your whole collection

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

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

because it's relatively cheap,

but it's also got such quality to it.

Something I've learned over the years,

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

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

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

Visit the specialist dealers.

They've spent a lifetime learning their craft.

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

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

There are some wonderful works of art out there.

Great names and superb antiques.

And we want to give you some more information

on what makes them special.

Here on Flog It we have broad tastes

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

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

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

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

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

-Cellars.

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

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

it was put in an open cellar like this.

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

these detach quite easily.

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

They're lovely, aren't they?

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

and that is the mark for Royal Worcester.

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

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

-Willow pattern?

-Willow pattern, exactly.

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

-Yes.

I think they're quite sweet.

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

-50 to £80 on them.

-Mm-hm.

-Is that OK?

-That's fine.

That might not be the highest of valuations,

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

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

when an interest in all things Oriental really hotted up.

Traders returning from the Far East brought back exotic lacquerware

and silks adorned with pagodas,

strange animals and fanciful dragons.

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

Soon the great and the good descended on their own designers

to create wallpapers, furniture and ceramics

which all hearkened to the mysteries of the East.

One phrase captured this new European vogue

for taking Chinese designs and embellishing them...

Nothing epitomises it better than the willow pattern

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

A princess decided to ignore her father's demands

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

Life was blissfully happy for them,

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

They lived eternally together afterwards as doves.

A symbol of everlasting love.

A charming story, but entirely fabricated.

Some say it was probably British potter, Josiah Spode,

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

to sell more plates and it worked.

Remember, when you're looking for the willow,

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

by more than 400 potters in Great Britain alone.

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

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

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

It could be old, or a cheap reproduction,

so you need to be prepared to do some more research

to learn how to tell the treasure from the trash.

So, how did the Royal Worcester piece

valued at £50 to £80 do at auction?

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

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

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

Five. 100. 110. 120. 130.

-140.

-Wow, they like them.

-At 140. 150 with me.

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

-That was so good.

-Wasn't that good?

Fantastic result.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Fantastic.

-Oh, thank you.

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

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

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

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

was valued at £2.6 million,

so keep your eyes peeled.

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

If you do want to get your feet wet

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

A few years ago,

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

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

you need to have a PhD In the subject.

Dr Tim Foster not only deals in Chinese ceramics,

he's also a leading expert in this field.

How did your passion for Chinese ceramics start?

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

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

And it was when I realised that you could buy

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

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

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

-It is, it is.

Can you explain what the dynasties are?

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

because they span hundreds of years.

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

-Yes.

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

And the most recent is the Ching dynasty.

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

well, the beginning of this century.

Is it really as complicated as it seems?

Are we walking into a minefield trying to buy this?

It is a fairly complex field,

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

-is rely on the marks.

-Mmm.

This piece shows one of the complexities of the field,

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

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

and the marks that you find on Chinese porcelain

are nine times out of ten incorrect.

-They just don't correspond to the item?

-That's correct.

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

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

And the other factor of course is that the Chinese have

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

styles and patterns over literally hundreds of years.

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

-Mm-hm.

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

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

-Well, I think so.

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

-When they're next to each other.

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

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

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

-You have to go on the object itself.

-The texture.

-That's right.

Know your field really.

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

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

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

-very, very hard, very, very smooth.

-OK.

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

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

-Right.

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

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

-It's not marked.

-Price?

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

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

Um...

-Several thousand?! Really?

-Yes.

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

-Wow.

CLASSICAL CHINESE MUSIC PLAYS

So, how would you go about starting a collection?

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

I think the beauty of Chinese ceramics

is that it literally does fit any pocket.

You can buy a hand-painted 18th century plate

-for between £10 and £20.

-If it's damaged.

-With a hairline crack in.

Damage on a piece of Chinese porcelain

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

But you can learn from them.

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

and then you take that home with confidence,

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

-Mm-hm.

-..and you live with it.

-But don't buy from auctions.

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

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

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

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

-And starting up a collection.

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

'Because it's a very complicated market,

'this can work in your favour.

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

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

'So, go for it.'

'Coming up, our experts reveal

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

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

It could only be the best quality.

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

I bought this in a flea market in Paris,

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

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

holed up in the most wonderful Art Deco hotel

on the Left Bank overlooking Notre Dame

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

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

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

stumbled across this painting and just had to have it.

I like art anyway, I love the painting,

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

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

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

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

He wanted to show us the old method of transfer printing

on ceramics, which achieves that lovely effect.

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

to show us how it's done.

We always think hand-painted pottery is the most valuable

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

At the Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent,

they've been mass manufacturing pottery for 200 years.

Mark met Jemma Baskeyfield,

the company historian to find out more about it.

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

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

So, in Japan and in South Korea

they really appreciate what is a very British pottery.

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

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

We were producing Chinoiserie designs, weren't we?

-It's almost come full circle.

-Yes.

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

in the Victorian period,

you got these much more English patterns.

Very romantic, and this is now appreciated

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

So, these buyers are looking for those traditional patterns,

-the floral, decorative pieces?

-Exactly.

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

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

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

It is, very much so.

And the best way for you to understand,

is probably to go to our transferring shop

and actually see the ladies and have a go yourself.

-I was hoping you'd say that.

-Well, come on then.

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

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

'In the mid-18th century,

'potters developed a transference technique of printing,

'which meant it could be more mass-produced

'and reach a wider market.

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

How are you?

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

-Hello, Jackie.

-Hello.

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

-Are you going to be gentle with me Jackie?

-Very gentle.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

-You're making it look very easy.

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

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

-Thank you.

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

-It took me about six or seven years.

-Wow.

-I was a slow learner.

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

I do believe in miracles!

SHE LAUGHS

What's the first part of the process?

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

-via the rollers.

-Oh, right.

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

Great, thanks.

'These delicate designs will end up on ceramics,

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

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

'The design is printed onto paper,

'which is then later transferred onto the ceramic.'

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

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

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

Oh, so if it's dry...

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

So timing is really quite crucial in this room.

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

-Wow.

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

-Yeah.

-A lot of people have produced it.

-Yes, over 60 factories.

-Yeah.

And we're the last one.

'The last one standing.

'It's ironic, what started as mass production

'has become a rare skill.'

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

The prints.

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

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

you're lifting it.

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

-Yeah.

-Do like doing it?

-I love it.

Then you get a piece of flannel...

and you rub it down.

And you take your sides...

..put it about the middle.

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

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

..the prints are sticky already.

It's still wet, see, the printing.

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

-OK.

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

More or less. Every one's different.

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

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

-Burleigh Ware.

So, would you like a go?

-I'd love a go.

-Swap seats.

-Shall I swap seats?

Right, plonk yourself down.

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

-Yes.

So, I just pick this up.

-Yeah. You can feel it's sticky.

-Oh, I can. Yes.

So, the middle bit goes under there.

You push it into it.

Very good.

-Have I got it twisted?

-No, pull it further up.

Oh, I've ripped it.

HE LAUGHS

WOMAN LAUGHS

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

-It is, yeah.

Keep your thumb on when you lift it up again.

LAUGHTER

And the same again, the other side.

I'm getting used to this, now.

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

how will I know it's mine?

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

LAUGHTER

-Oooh!

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

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

-Aww.

-Just for you.

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

-Look, girls.

WOMEN CLAP AND CHEER

Special. >

-I'm quite pleased with it.

-I am, yeah.

-Thank you, Jackie.

-It's all right.

-That's really made my day.

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

-That stage is finished.

-You've got to rub it down.

-That stage?

You've got another stage to do, now.

-You didn't tell me this, Jackie.

-No, I know.

So, what do I have to do now?

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

-A pinny?

And some rubber gloves.

-Do you like it?

-Yeah, I do.

-They're lovely, aren't they?

-What is this stuff? Glue?

-It's liquid soap.

-Oh, it's horrible.

-It's nice.

Rub it. That's it.

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

-Not bad.

-It's good.

'..by me.'

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

That's just the pattern, yeah.

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

Now, what we do,

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

That's it.

That's the most we can do in here.

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

then dipping in glaze, then a final firing.

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

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

I hope so. Cos you never know,

that could be a valuable antique in the future.

We'll be lucky.

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

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

'But, is it worth collecting?'

The great thing with transfer printed ware

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

Botanical, animal-related subject,

country houses.

Of course, the Oriental patterns.

So, wherever you are in the collecting sphere,

there's something for you.

This is a really good tip for you.

If you really fancy collecting transfer printed ware,

I can't think of a better time than now

to start collecting transfer printed wares.

The market has really dropped.

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

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

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

-Thank you, ladies!

-WOMEN: Goodbye!

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

WOMEN: Bye!

Goodbye, Mary, Ellen!

-Bye!

-Bye.

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

still have a voracious appetite for original antiques from Asia.

Even though our experts find them hard to value,

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

So, here are their tips on how you can understand

the mysteries of the East.

Terry and Jackie, you have brought along

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

a fan in such wonderful condition.

'Quality speaks for itself. You really only'

have to look at an Oriental item of quality

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

Just the detail on the figures,

the flowers, all the decoration

and the little latticework

is just so intricate.

It could only be the best quality.

This is Cantonese, 1890, 1900,

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

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

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

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

If you follow one figure, for example,

you take a figure here,

half of his body's on that panel,

half of his body's on that panel,

and same with the trees.

Tells a story all the way through.

It is quite remarkable quality.

I'm sure it's ivory.

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

That may seem silly, but, you know,

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

But this is undoubtedly ivory.

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

heat up a pin and stick it in.

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

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

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

Ivory's become more and more emotive

with the butchering of elephants and...

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

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

butchered in our lifetime, certainly within my memory,

'is taboo.'

-What do you think it's worth?

-A hundred?

-More.

-200.

-I think more.

-Really?

-I really do.

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

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

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

-Crikey.

-Crumbs!

'With the expectation mounting in the room and overseas,

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

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

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

The Cantonese ivory fan.

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

150, 160, 170, 180, 190.

At £190, now. Done, then.

At 190, 200, 220.

220, 240.

260. 280. 300. 320.

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

-I know.

380, 400.

400, 420, 440,

460, 480. 500.

550.

-600.

-600. At 600, now.

650, 700, 750.

-I'm lost for words.

-So am I.

-850, 900.

-I must brush up on

my Cantonese valuations.

At 950. 1,000.

'It's very important that you'

look at the sale and think,

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

1,600. The phone at 1,600.

-And 50.

-1,650.

JACKIE: That's amazing.

-That is incredible.

-Wow.

Jackie, there's tears.

1,800. Phone at 1,800.

£1,800. Anybody else?

-And 50.

-1,850.

1,900?

At 1,850. I sell with the internet.

At £1,850.

-Jackie.

-I know. I daren't look.

THEY LAUGH

Down here at 1,850.

-Oh, my goodness me.

-Wow, wow.

-It's wonderful.

Tears in the eyes.

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

I'm going to become a decorator.

What an amazing price.

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

where the saleroom can help you

build up a worldwide fan base

and hopefully get you the best bid.

But, it's also about timing.

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

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

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

in formal gardens with these building structures

and very stylised trees.

This is an object just to be looked at

and enjoyed for its artistic merit,

rather than anything to be used.

Would you be happy at £100 to £150.

-Yeah.

-Would you?

-Yeah.

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

I think it's worth a bit more.

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

-Brilliant, yeah.

I think you'll do really well.

That is a great thing.

'Now that we have live bidding,'

there is no excuse for not getting

the right result, really, on an object.

Lot 430,

Chinese carved ivory plaque.

'The Chinese market'

is voracious. There is so much money out there.

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

800 online.

840, 860. I'll come back.

900, 920,

940, £1,000.

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

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

'Four years ago, maybe 200 or 300.'

-£2,000.

-Oh, my God!

'Just kept flying.

'The bids absolutely shooting in

'from the online bidding platform that we have.'

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

the bids and I was having to jump bids

'to keep up with it.'

We're not there yet. 24, 25.

It's fantastic!

At the time we sold it,

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

£3,000.

3-1. 3,100.

We're not there yet.

The Internet has enabled us

here to market everything

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

I can't believe it.

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

Its £3,300 online.

Direct from Shanghai at £3,300.

He said coming from Shanghai.

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

It's £3,300 online.

Sold.

£3,300.

APPLAUSE It's so fantastic!

Oh, my God!

Really, that was just sold at the perfect time.

If that was to come on the market now,

it would make less than half that.

It's changed that quickly.

So, it's all about timings.

And, if you're not greedy

and you don't try to hold on too long

and you time it well, fantastic.

And that's exactly what happened on the day.

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

'but buying Chinese can still be a great investment.

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

'but hang on until the market looks right.'

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

'cannot go wrong, including a type of ceramic

'called Famille Rose.'

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

You've brought a nice collection of Oriental ceramics

in to show us today.

Can you give us the history of them?

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

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

I love Famille Rose.

It's so delicate. The colouring.

Lots of 20th century examples.

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

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

pinky greens and blues in the pattern.

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

'A pair of vases, shaped dessert dishes.'

They're very typically decorated with these Oriental scenes.

Little people in different courtyards,

buildings in the background.

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

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

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

the big ceramic-producing areas in China.

-Have you ever thought about the value?

-No.

-This is why you brought them here today?

-Yeah.

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

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

I put such a ridiculous estimate on it.

I suggest we put it in as a little group,

and if we did put them in with a sale,

I think we'd be looking at an estimate

of maybe £200-300 for the group.

-Oh, right.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah, that's...

Oh, hindsight is a wonderful thing, Mark!

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

800, 820...

-We could be here all night.

-850, 880, 900...

..and 20. 950. 1,000.

-And 50.

-D'you need a seat?

-1,100. And 50.

1,200. And 50.

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

-1,300.

-1,300!

-And 50.

1,400. And 50. 1,500.

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

Against all at £1,500, selling.

Yes! On the phone, £1,500.

APPLAUSE

-That's great.

-I don't believe it!

-That is just great.

I just don't believe it.

If you're thinking of collecting Chinese porcelain,

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

Go to local auctions, see what people are buying.

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

you know, because they are looking for potential buyers,

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

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

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

and get reading.

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

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

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

-My husband has worn it at a fancy dress.

-Has he?

-He looked good.

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

we can see this wonderful imperial dragon here.

Look at those eyes, a wee bitty scary.

And this symbol here denotes a pearl.

I had the immediate impact of the colours

and the quality of the embroidery.

That dragon with the scary eyes!

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

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

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

What was life in court like?

I think that it could have been a military kimono

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

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

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

we might have a chance at that.

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

it is an estimate.

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

until the hammer falls.

Any advance now at 520 for the kimono?

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

-Yes!

-620, 650...

-Someone really wants it.

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

To be sold for £700.

Yes, the hammer's gone down. £700!

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

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

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

-Absolutely.

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

is this a good time to hold onto your items

or is it a good time to sell them?

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

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

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

It's amazing how much they know.

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

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

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

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

'Be wary of online auctions which claim something is

'authentically Ming.

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

'And most of all, do your homework.

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

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

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

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

where do you begin?

Well, this tale of one man's obsession with

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

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

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

But of course, there is one major problem.

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

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

that antiques dealer and collector Denys Eyre Bower decided to do

something radical about housing his own personal collections.

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

And this is it. Chiddingstone Castle.

'He had antiques from his four areas of interest

'on display to the public.

'Buddhism...

'..Egyptian art...

'..Stuart and Jacobean artefacts...

'..and the exquisite Japanese collection.'

'His acumen for antique collecting being much better

'than his grasp of property management,

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

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

Not long after taking over the castle,

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

He was so in love with her,

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

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

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

dramatically threatening to kill himself if she called it off.

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

he managed to shoot her.

'Denys was sentenced to life imprisonment,

'and spent a number of years in Wormwood Scrubs,

'before finally being freed in 1962, when he returned

'to live at Chiddingstone Castle among his collections.

'I have arranged to meet Julia Hutt,

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

'and also a trustee of Chiddingstone Castle,

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

There's a wonderful collection of Japanese artefacts here.

We're surrounded by them.

This is what I would normally associate

Japanese lacquer-ware with.

Things like the sake bowls there with the typical reds,

-and of course, the little writing box there.

-Yes.

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

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

the sap oozes out...

-They can draw it off.

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

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

Now that's some discipline to achieve that.

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

to work with these minute pieces and place them individually.

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

-Yes.

Do you respect Denys as a collector, a connoisseur?

-Did he have a good eye?

-Absolutely.

-Yeah, I agree with you.

I think he was an English eccentric

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

He was buying on modest means

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

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

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

He had a fabulous eye for detail.

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

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

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

And his legacy is here today

for us all to enjoy at Chiddingstone Castle.

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

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

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

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

'Gaynor had squirreled away for 20 years.'

We took to Flog It

a beautiful Arts and Crafts mirror,

a nice brass Arts and Crafts mirror.

What we have is this hexagonal brass frame

with these Celtic knots round the rim.

Now, this motif was particularly popular

during the Arts and Crafts movement.

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

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

nice condition, obviously well looked after.

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

-Would you be happy to sell it at that?

-Yes, I would.

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

-Tell me about that.

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

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

That's wonderful, Gaynor.

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

-So, £80.

-Right.

-To Malawi.

-Brilliant.

I've never been to an auction before,

so I didn't really know what to expect.

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

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

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

-brass framed octagonal wall mirror.

-Good luck.

Very excited at the prospect

of a big deal with somebody

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

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

At £110. 120, 120 in the room.

120, all done at 120?

Anyone else now, at £120, we sell.

Not bad, double the estimate.

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

-That's not bad at all.

-Can do a lot in Africa with that.

-Hi, just a little donation.

-Oh, my goodness gracious!

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

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

'which they put towards their charity.'

Hey, look at this!

'We've recently built a girls school'

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

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

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

'go in Malawi?'

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

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

they can't afford them.

And also, mothers who have newborn babies

are not allowed to take babies out of the hospital

unless they have an item of clothing,

so it would have gone for clothing as well.

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

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

Mairi, what about this for Flog It? Eh?

Or Strictly?

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

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

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

We're so privileged on the show to pick up

information on antiques from all across the world,

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

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

but until then it's goodbye.

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