0:00:04 > 0:00:06Over the last 11 years on Flog It!,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10we've helped you sell thousands of antiques and collectables
0:00:10 > 0:00:14and over the years, we've seen a variety of astonishing things.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Please tell me where you got it.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- What do you think it's worth?- 200. - I think more.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21- WOMAN CHEERS - Go on!
0:00:21 > 0:00:24But as you know, it's not easy to put a value on all of them,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27but there are some things that are always guaranteed to find a market.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Welcome to Flog It! Trade Secrets.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Flog It! valuation days play host to all manner
0:01:04 > 0:01:07of pretty porcelain objects and dainty silverware.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10And of course, there's a ready-made market for all of this stuff.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12But there are a lot of you out there
0:01:12 > 0:01:15that want to get your hands on something a little bit more playful and fun.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20So today, we're giving you the inside track on the grown-up things that bring out the big kid in us
0:01:20 > 0:01:23and why this stuff is so valuable.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Coming up in this programme,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32we'll be finding out why boys' toys sell so well...
0:01:32 > 0:01:36People collect what reminds them of their childhood.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39..and taking a look at some even more playful pieces.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42The very rude ones are often -
0:01:42 > 0:01:44how do I put this? -
0:01:44 > 0:01:45action shots.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47And I'll be having heaps of fun
0:01:47 > 0:01:51with a fab collection of vintage cars.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Rodgers and Hammerstein put it very succinctly
0:01:56 > 0:01:59in their 1949 musical 'South Pacific'
0:01:59 > 0:02:02when they wrote "There's nothing like a dame".
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Now, one thing I've learned over the years on Flog It! is,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08a woman in a state of undress, in any antique form,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11generally sells, and sells well.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Whether it's an Art Deco lamp base, an oil painting or a Parian-ware figure,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18the collectors go mad for scantily-clad women.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23But why is that? Here's our experts with their reasons.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25RAUNCHY MUSIC
0:02:29 > 0:02:33I enjoy the naked female form!
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Did that sound creepy?!
0:02:37 > 0:02:40I think if a nude is done tastefully, it has huge value.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42If it's poorly done,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45and I think the human form is more difficult to replicate
0:02:45 > 0:02:47probably than anything else...
0:02:47 > 0:02:50So quality, quality-based
0:02:50 > 0:02:52is the way forward if you're looking at nudes.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56As regard to risque things, don't get too risque.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58You find the market narrowing
0:02:58 > 0:03:00if you get a little bit over the top.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Don't ever go and try and buy anything naked.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Unless you're stunningly beautiful, the price won't come down.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10I think nudes proliferate in art
0:03:10 > 0:03:14and it's not uncommon to see a nude on, say, a bit of WMF pewter,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16and that will make it more valuable.
0:03:16 > 0:03:22If you move into erotica, which is more suggestive and of a sexual nature,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26that, ultimately, can limit the market for that object.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31It tends toward the seedier side of collecting.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34So unless you are that sort of person, I'd stay away from it.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39I've got a little collection of nudes and erotica myself, actually.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44So here are some of our very best finds
0:03:44 > 0:03:46and what you can learn from them.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50I see quite a few risque things in the auction business.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52But the difficulty with Flog It!
0:03:52 > 0:03:55is getting the directors to agree to put it on the show!
0:03:57 > 0:04:02These are wonderful. Are these things that have been in your family for a long time?
0:04:02 > 0:04:07Yes, it was my grandfather's. I think he must've sold postcards.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10It was perhaps his, erm, his sample.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- Ahh!- It was in the early 1900s.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Very saucy, your grandfather!
0:04:17 > 0:04:19You've got lots of gaps. What happened to the gaps?
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Well, there were some that were a wee bit naughtier than others.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26There were some rather dodgy postcards amongst those!
0:04:26 > 0:04:28But I remember, the lady said she was looking through them
0:04:28 > 0:04:32and she said, "My children came down the stairs
0:04:32 > 0:04:34"so I took them away and threw them in the waste bin."
0:04:34 > 0:04:37But she went to retrieve them and the binmen had been!
0:04:37 > 0:04:41And there we have scenes of semi-dressed ladies,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43typical of the period.
0:04:43 > 0:04:48Every society is a rebellion of the society that went before it.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53So, you know, there are times in the court of William III,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56the women were topless in the court!
0:04:56 > 0:04:58They would walk around with their breasts out.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Why? Because it was a rebellion against the puritans that went before them.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07So when we're looking at an Edwardian 1920s period of these risque postcards,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11again, that's a rebellion against Queen Victoria, all trussed up in her black.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14These are known as fantasy heads.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Each head is made up of bodies of naked girls.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19We've got here Napoleon.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Another Napoleon there. Bismarck.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Now, these cards... And a donkey. How odd!
0:05:26 > 0:05:31You couldn't imagine a less likely couple to own risque postcards.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35It could've been the Blackpool Tower and her face would've been no different.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39I looked at him and he was beginning to go a little bit pinker and pinker.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41I think they should just be got rid of.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45- You're blushing!- They just... - You're blushing!
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Well, that's my age!
0:05:47 > 0:05:53Because, of course, their generation was a rebellion against the period that they were looking at.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57It was their parents' generation that enjoyed the postcards. Very funny!
0:05:59 > 0:06:01But were those postcards not quite saucy enough
0:06:01 > 0:06:04for the risque-postcard collectors?
0:06:04 > 0:06:08It's a lovely saucy postcard. A wonderful collector's item.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Start me at £100.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13100 bid. 110. 120.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17They're super. 130. 140. 150. 160.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21160. 170. 180...
0:06:21 > 0:06:24This is good. Great timing.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28..220. 230. 240. £240.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31All done at 240. 240?
0:06:31 > 0:06:33She sold them. 240.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Just used a little bit of discretion there, I think!
0:06:37 > 0:06:40The naughtiest ones had been taken out
0:06:40 > 0:06:42because they didn't want the children to see them!
0:06:42 > 0:06:45In actual fact, the naughtiest ones
0:06:45 > 0:06:49are the ones of the biggest market value.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53The very rude ones are often the rarest.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57And if... And, also, the very rude ones are often -
0:06:57 > 0:06:59how do I put this? -
0:06:59 > 0:07:02action shots! Erm...
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Erm, I'll leave it at that!
0:07:04 > 0:07:07And, of course, when you get action shots -
0:07:07 > 0:07:10it's common as anything today online -
0:07:10 > 0:07:13but in the 1920s, 100 hundred years ago,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17my word - just seeing somebody's leg or ankle or knee -
0:07:17 > 0:07:20that was pretty much hardcore.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22When you went beyond that, my goodness,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26an action shot between two people was just unheard of.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30So very rare and, of course, now very collected.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Back in 2005, Philip came across something fun
0:07:34 > 0:07:37which called for great discretion.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- You've brought along this lovely little snuffbox.- I have.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42It's about 1820. How did you come by it?
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I found it in a shed in the back yard.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49They're interesting little things. A lot of these are continental, possibly French or Russian.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52This one looks like it's got a Scottish scene on there.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54It's inscribed, which says
0:07:54 > 0:07:56"The cudgel in my nieve did shake
0:07:56 > 0:07:58"Each bristled hair stood like a stake".
0:07:58 > 0:08:01That's quite nice. Let's just turn over and have a look.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05It wasn't till you opened it up that you got the shock of your life. Goodness, gracious me!
0:08:05 > 0:08:08And I have to tell you, they are terrible things to try and film,
0:08:08 > 0:08:13because you've got to put your thumb in some discreet places so you don't offend viewers.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18I think I can show people at home, but I've got to strategically hold it like that.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22I couldn't possibly tell you what was under my thumb. It was awfully rude.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27- You can understand why it was in the shed.- I can.- Yes.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30It's a secret thing. It's almost like "What the butler saw".
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Because you look at this papier-mache snuffbox
0:08:33 > 0:08:38and the cover is some chap walking her across a moor with his trusty staff,
0:08:38 > 0:08:43and then you open it up and, lo and behold, his staff isn't what it seemed to be.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45I think that the history of these things,
0:08:45 > 0:08:50it's getting away from Victorian puritanical views. It's there to shock you.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52If we look at the top,
0:08:52 > 0:08:53that's all painted.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57And if you turn this one over, you can just see a cut mark there.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00I think this has been a cut-out,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03possibly of a print or something, and been placed in there.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- I think we can put an estimate on it of £100-200.- Goodness gracious!
0:09:06 > 0:09:08I think if the inside had been right,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10if this had all been original in here,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14- I think it would've made perhaps £200-400.- Oh!
0:09:14 > 0:09:16There are serious collectors of erotica.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Quite how they display it in their homes, I do not know!
0:09:22 > 0:09:25But were the erotica collectors at the auction?
0:09:25 > 0:09:27100. And ten?
0:09:27 > 0:09:29120?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32130. 140?
0:09:32 > 0:09:35150? 160.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39I think they're a talking point and I think they're the sort of thing that, you know,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42people still like to shock, don't they?
0:09:42 > 0:09:47People still like to, "Look at this. Isn't it lovely?" Bang! "You weren't expecting that."
0:09:47 > 0:09:50People who collect these things, there's still that shock factor involved.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54230. 240. 250. 260.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56270. 280.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59290. 300. And ten.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02320. 330.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- No more.- Amazing!- 320.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07320.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Bang. £320!
0:10:10 > 0:10:13You better get back down the shed!
0:10:15 > 0:10:17And here's another trade secret...
0:10:17 > 0:10:20If you find a decorated box aimed at a gentleman,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23make sure you look inside.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26There could be some additional racy artwork,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29and with that, additional value.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34Some wonderful French Art Deco lampshades came in,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36which had been thrown out.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39John, I can really have no complaint today
0:10:39 > 0:10:43because you've brought me four scantily-clad ladies.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45I was working on a house, due for refurbishment,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and they were in boxes that were going in the skip.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53I delved into it and found one, delved a bit further and found the four glass things,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- looked a bit further and found these and I thought... - "Those must go with those."
0:10:56 > 0:11:00I didn't, no. I brought them home and tried to fit them together
0:11:00 > 0:11:02- and...- Bingo!- Yes.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Well, I think it's scandalous that, at any time,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07these were heading for a skip.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11It was immediately obvious that they were rare and valuable things,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13but they were also very good-looking things.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16So unless it was a very prudish household,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18I can't quite understand why they made it to the skip.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22They are signed here. "Muller Freres Luneville".
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Did you look that up or do any work on that?
0:11:25 > 0:11:30Well, when I got them, I took them to a local antiques dealer to find out what they were.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33He told me that "Muller Freres" was "Muller Brothers",
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- "Luneville" was "Light City"... - Absolutely.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39..and that they were Art Nouveau, probably 1930s-ish.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Near enough. I can fill it out a little bit more.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47You've got the fantastic glassworks, run by Emile Galle.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49And Muller Brothers,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52before they set up on their own, worked for Galle.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55They left him in about 1905
0:11:55 > 0:11:57and were working through the '20s and '30s,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59and I think they closed in 1937.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03The Muller Brothers, I think, began in the Galle workshop
0:12:03 > 0:12:05although, I would say with those lampshades,
0:12:05 > 0:12:10they were much more influenced by Rene Lalique
0:12:10 > 0:12:12and his style of moulded glass.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15We've got press-moulded glass
0:12:15 > 0:12:18which is given this contrast by this acid etching.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21We've got the acid-etched signatures on each one.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24How lovely that we've got the original mounts, as well.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28By the time these were produced, which I imagine is about 1925,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Lalique is the most fashionable glassmaker in France
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and he's the one that they're imitating
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and possibly, in some respects, surpassing.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41But what did the skip-finds make at auction?
0:12:41 > 0:12:44What am I bid for this lot here, ladies and gentlemen?
0:12:44 > 0:12:48I'm going to start this at £200.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51- And 225. And £250.- Well, we're in.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55At £275. I have 300 here.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59At £320. At £340 on commission.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02360 in the room. £360.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05At 360. Are there any further bids?
0:13:05 > 0:13:10- At £360...- Come on, a bit more.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11..all done.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- Gone. 360.- Got him away. - Well done, Michael.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Naked ladies and antiques go well together.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21In art, on postcards, cigarette boxes and lampshades,
0:13:21 > 0:13:26the female form appears time and time again.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Almost all of the things that you find,
0:13:29 > 0:13:35in terms of nude bronze sculptures, nude enamelwork or nude paintings,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37they're almost always copied.
0:13:37 > 0:13:43So I would say that if you're going to buy nudes, make sure it's not a fake.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48I would warn against reproductions or something that has been...
0:13:48 > 0:13:51..I was going to say touched up but that's the wrong phrase!
0:13:51 > 0:13:56When it comes to nudes or risque pieces for gentlemen, shall we say,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58the key word is,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02make sure it's a pretty, young lady that's nude or risque
0:14:02 > 0:14:04because - I'm going to make a generalisation here -
0:14:04 > 0:14:08but I would suggest that pretty, young ladies sell better
0:14:08 > 0:14:11than, shall we say, ladies of the older generation
0:14:11 > 0:14:15who may be, er, exposing themselves.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17The same is true of, you know, men.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22If you've got an ugly old codger in a powdered wig as a portrait,
0:14:22 > 0:14:27he's not gonna sell as well as, say, a strapping young man who's nude.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Just look at the paintings of Henry Scott Tuke -
0:14:29 > 0:14:33there's a big market for naked young men, just as there is for naked young ladies.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38Thomas Plant fondly remembers one male figure he valued.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40I recall Eve
0:14:40 > 0:14:45and her muscular man, breaking his rods.
0:14:45 > 0:14:4750 years ago, I was newly married
0:14:47 > 0:14:51and I married a very young, handsome bodybuilder.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54My mother bought this because she thought it was the image him.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58The marriage lasted two years, but this figure had been with her for 50.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02- You liked your men big?- I still do, even as an old age pensioner!
0:15:02 > 0:15:05I'm still a bit that way!
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Beautiful sculpted in bronze.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Quite big, as well, but his head was down.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Most people like their bronzes up and you can see the whole body.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Upright, head up, or, you know, them posing, doing something.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21I did suggest you lay him on his back!
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- Well, then you'd miss his buttocks! - Oh, right!
0:15:24 > 0:15:27And that seems to have impressed all of you chaps.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31- All the ladies round here have been looking at his bum.- OK!
0:15:31 > 0:15:32I'm going to be quite harsh on the value.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34I think £200-300.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39- Did George rise to the occasion? - Went to auction, it was a long time ago,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and she'd upped the estimate. I don't think that mattered at all.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46The bronze figure of the standing woodcutter,
0:15:46 > 0:15:52starting us here at £400. And 20. 460. 480.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- Brilliant.- 500 already. 520. 540.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56560. 580?
0:15:56 > 0:15:59600. And 20.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01It just went up and up and up.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03840.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05860.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08880. 900.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11And 20. 940, sir?
0:16:11 > 0:16:141,000. And 50. 1,100.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15And 50.
0:16:15 > 0:16:181,200. And 50.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20- Wow! 1,250!- It's amazing!- 1,300.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23And 50.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- 1,400 seated?- No.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28At 1,350, then...
0:16:28 > 0:16:32- Oh!- That was fabulous, wasn't it? - Super!
0:16:32 > 0:16:34- That was a super surprise! - I'm so pleased.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40And what was lovely was that Eve was going to see her family in Australia
0:16:40 > 0:16:43and she needed money for the ticket.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45This is the great thing about Flog It! -
0:16:45 > 0:16:50sometimes this money makes their journey slightly more comfortable in life,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54and I think Eve went club class at £1,350.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Here's what we've learnt so far...
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Naughty sells well.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Don't be a prude when it comes to selling your antiques.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Things are not always what they seem.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Look inside, there could be a surprise.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Naked ladies and good maker's names are a winning combination.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21And there's a growing, affluent market for male nudes.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Now could be the time to sell.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27George the sculpture paid for Eve's trip to Australia.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31£1,350 was far more than anyone expected.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34If, like me, you're a big fan of form and shape,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37here's something that will set your heart racing...
0:17:40 > 0:17:43MUSIC: "Sunny Afternoon" by The Kinks
0:17:48 > 0:17:55The TD21, built from 1958 to 1963 in Coventry...
0:17:55 > 0:18:01With 120 horsepower and 2,993CC engine capacity,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03this is just one of thousands of cars
0:18:03 > 0:18:07that put the city on the road map of motoring.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11From Daimler to Hillman and Rover to Triumph,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14from the very first £100 car,
0:18:14 > 0:18:20and this beautifully hand-crafted Alvis TD21 Drophead Coupe,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Coventry built them all.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Germany had successfully produced the first motorcar
0:18:25 > 0:18:28and ripples of its success were coming across the Channel.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Coventry was ideally situated. It had the workforce, the machinery
0:18:32 > 0:18:35and it had the skill to produce motorcars.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39So where others feared to tread, Coventry hit the road.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42MUSIC: "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Some engineers were sceptical of the future of the motor trade,
0:18:48 > 0:18:54but when the first Coventry Daimler emerged from the Motor Mills factory in 1886
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Britain's motoring industry was born.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01And what an industry it was, producing some of the first cars of the day,
0:19:01 > 0:19:06but at the cost of ten times that of a house, and not yet by country.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10The early cars were made by master craftsmen, unique in their skills,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12pushing boundaries of design.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15One such company made my favourite car,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19and you maybe surprised to know they are still making them today.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23This car's incredible, it really is.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26I love the fact that it's got a sprung steering wheel.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28It's got power steering now, of course.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31The seats have been padded out for a little more comfort there,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34arm rests where there weren't any in the first place,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37and I tell you what, freedom of the road in this...
0:19:37 > 0:19:41I'd like to sell all my antiques to buy this! I couldn't afford this one!
0:19:41 > 0:19:44But one like it, get it restored over time
0:19:44 > 0:19:46and it will become a great investment.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50You can't lose money with practical classics like this.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53It drives like a dream. And on that bombshell,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57I'm going to put my foot down, as Jeremy Clarkson would say!
0:20:05 > 0:20:08And to tell me more about these beautiful vehicles,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11owner of Alvis, Alan Stote.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17How long would it have taken to make a car like this?
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Well, a few thousand hours, because everything was handmade.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Alvis had to make patterns to make the castings,
0:20:23 > 0:20:29they had to design everything, they had to hand-fettle everything, everything was put together by hand.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32- The whole thing was crafted by hand. - I can see an ash work frame.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Well, that's the skeleton of the body skin.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38All of that would've had to have been made by the coach builder.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42We've got records showing that you could have exactly what you wanted on the car.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44It was absolutely hand-crafted.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48- What made you fall in love with the Alvis car? - I think it's the individuality.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52They were made to order. Customers could have exactly what they wanted on the car.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56The records we have, 22,000 of them, show what each car was,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and I think that there are no two the same.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Alvis cars were made by highly skilled craftsmen.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07But as the middle classes took to motoring, demand grew
0:21:07 > 0:21:11and mass-scale production was the only option.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Productions lines started to replace the craft-based skilled workforce
0:21:15 > 0:21:21and Coventry's motoring industry sped into a new age of mass production.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Throughout the '40s, '50s and '60s,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Coventry's factories provided 23 percent of the UK output.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33People came from all over the world to work here
0:21:33 > 0:21:37and the city benefitted, with a thriving economy.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43And like most booms, a bust was soon to follow.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48Companies like Alvis and Triumph were taken over by giants British Leyland,
0:21:48 > 0:21:53and the 1970s saw relationships between trade unions and management breaking down.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56There were many strikes and productions lines came to a halt.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Now, add that to the pressure of cheaper cars being imported from abroad
0:22:00 > 0:22:03and you can see why time was running out
0:22:03 > 0:22:06for the British car industry.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10From the 1970s onwards,
0:22:10 > 0:22:15the term "British car manufacturing" became a complicated combination of words.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20Rolls-Royce was sold to BMW, Mini was made by British Leyland,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24and when Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata in 2008,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28it seemed mass production of British cars had bitten the dust.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32But what remains of the Halcyon days of car manufacturing
0:22:32 > 0:22:35should not be resigned to the scrapheap.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39You could buy a new sports car or a mass-produced car today,
0:22:39 > 0:22:44and three years later it's depreciated by - let's say - 50 percent of its value.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Hopefully, in three or four years, these will go up a great deal.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51As an example, that TD21 Drophead over there...
0:22:51 > 0:22:55- The black one? - ..that sold in 1994 for £22,500.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00In 2007, we sold it for 40,000,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04and it's now for sale, five years later, at 80,000.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07It's doubled its money! Wow.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11And the car I took out on the road earlier, the TD21 Drophead,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14that is my favourite car, do you know that?
0:23:14 > 0:23:18I'm ever so pleased I had the honour of driving one.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21# Life in the fast lane... #
0:23:23 > 0:23:26The British car is far from dead.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Classic cars are still being collected and restored today, more so than ever.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35Of course, they only go up in value. They represent the perfect investment.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40British cars are still being made, albeit in a much smaller quantity.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Morgan, the only true full British sports car,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46is still making around 600 vehicles a year.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49You can buy classic names still, like Aston Martin and Triumph,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53or you can order yourself a bespoke Alvis original, like this one,
0:23:53 > 0:23:57made from the 1938 blueprint.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03The British motorcar was born in Coventry,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05it grew up in Coventry
0:24:05 > 0:24:08and it lives on in Coventry.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Vintage cars have a keen following among collectors
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and can sell for massive amounts of money.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24But if you don't have the funds to buy a car,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26what about buying part of one?
0:24:26 > 0:24:28A Rolls-Royce "Spirit of Ecstasy" figure
0:24:28 > 0:24:31can be bought for about £150
0:24:31 > 0:24:33and could be a good investment,
0:24:33 > 0:24:38as there are plenty of collectors of car memorabilia out there.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41And it's not just car memorabilia which is collectable.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Here's Catherine Southon's tip on what to buy today
0:24:44 > 0:24:47which could make you money in the future.
0:24:47 > 0:24:52One of the questions that I always get asked is,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56"What's really going to make money in the future?"
0:24:56 > 0:24:59It's actually a really hard question to answer
0:24:59 > 0:25:02because we don't really know, we can't predict.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05But my feeling is that people should go out
0:25:05 > 0:25:08and start collecting Concorde memorabilia.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Because a bit like Titanic,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14it's something that could, in years to come,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17really be worth something.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I have got a few little bits and pieces at home.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Perhaps those little souvenirs,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26those little salt-and-peppers that you used to have, perhaps on board,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29I don't know, a ticket, something like that,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33keep hold of them, keep them safe and you never know.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36But the most important thing is when you go out to buy something,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38buy something because you love it,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41not because you think it will be worth something in the future.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Buy it because you love it, and if it makes money in the future
0:25:45 > 0:25:46that's a bonus.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Still to come... More antique money-makers
0:25:55 > 0:25:57for boys who like to play around...
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Boys' toys, you know? Grown-up men playing with trains...
0:26:00 > 0:26:04- £800.- ..and more great sales. Yes!
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Philip Serrell explains why he's never grown up...
0:26:07 > 0:26:11On Christmas morning, 1961 or '62,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13this appeared in my Father Christmas sack.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15..and Charlie Ross relives his youth
0:26:15 > 0:26:20among some of the most talented young furniture-makers around today.
0:26:20 > 0:26:2345 years ago was the last time I tried a dovetail!
0:26:28 > 0:26:31There's something else which always gets the Flog It! crowd going.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36We always get excited when people bring in die-cast toys to the valuation days.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Not only do they give everyone a warm glow of nostalgia,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43but they also make excellent money, as Charlie Ross found out.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47What a blaze of colour!
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Seldom have I seen so many toys that haven't been played with!
0:26:51 > 0:26:52It's a real treat.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55You've got a boxful.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57And although these are the better ones,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01- we've got some others that we couldn't get on camera.- Yes, we have.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04This fantastic collection of Dinky Toys was valued by Charlie
0:27:04 > 0:27:07at £400 to £600.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11It's one of the best Flog It! collections I've seen of Dinky Toys,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14- particularly the condition. Marvellous!- Thank you.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23A very large and a very good collection of Dinkies, some boxed.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26There is loads of interest.
0:27:26 > 0:27:31- £850...- But it sold at auction for a staggering sum.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36- Yes!- The hammer's gone down, Daniel! £1,350.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38How fantastic is that?
0:27:38 > 0:27:41That was wonderful, wasn't it, Daniel?
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Die-cast toys get their name
0:27:45 > 0:27:48from the process of injecting molten metal
0:27:48 > 0:27:51into reusable steel moulds called dies.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56They started to be made in the early 20th century by companies like Meccano,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59producers of Dinky Cars in the UK.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00The first models were basic -
0:28:00 > 0:28:05small cars or van bodies with no interior.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Matchbox toys were introduced in 1947,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11with each vehicle packed into a small box
0:28:11 > 0:28:15designed to look like those used for matches.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16These toys became so popular
0:28:16 > 0:28:21that Matchbox was widely used as a generic term for any die-cast toy,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25regardless of who the actual manufacturer was.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27The popularity of die-cast toys increased
0:28:27 > 0:28:31and more companies entered the field, including the Corgi brand,
0:28:31 > 0:28:36which appeared in the 1950s and pioneered the use of interiors.
0:28:36 > 0:28:41It soon became apparent that many die-cast vehicles were being bought by adults as collectables,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44not as toys for children.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51But in the 1980s, Dinky, Matchbox and Corgi all struggled,
0:28:51 > 0:28:56and production was either broken up or shifted overseas.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Today, a pre-war Dinky Toy bearing an advertising sign
0:28:59 > 0:29:02can make £2,000 to £3,000.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06If it has its original box, its value can double.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Flog It! regular and everybody's favourite joker Charlie Ross
0:29:14 > 0:29:16is not only a celebrity auctioneer,
0:29:16 > 0:29:20jetting off to glamorous locations around the world, gavel in hand...
0:29:20 > 0:29:2614.9 million dollars! Sold! CHEERING
0:29:26 > 0:29:30Ladies and gentlemen, you witnessed a new world record for a motorcar at auction,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32right here, right now.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36..he's also one of our most enthusiastic valuers.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40Sometimes we get people who almost hit me when I tell them what things are worth!
0:29:40 > 0:29:44And the thing that really gets him going is furniture.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47That's what gets him up in the morning, that's where he started out.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51He can recognise his Chippendale from his Thomas Mouseman,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54but can he spot an antique of the future?
0:30:04 > 0:30:06It all started by chance, really. I joined a firm
0:30:06 > 0:30:10and the first auction I conducted was chickens in - a market!
0:30:10 > 0:30:13But the company I was working for had a saleroom in Buckingham,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15and I remember walking in there
0:30:15 > 0:30:18and seeing these wonderful pieces of brown furniture
0:30:18 > 0:30:21and getting really quite excited by them!
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Why do I like furniture,
0:30:23 > 0:30:27as opposed to china or silver or glass?
0:30:27 > 0:30:30They're objects that you tend to tuck into a cabinet.
0:30:30 > 0:30:35With furniture, you use it. You sit in the chair, you eat at the dining table,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38you get your drinks from the cabinet, the clock tells you the time.
0:30:38 > 0:30:43And the more you use these things, the more patination they get from polishing them,
0:30:43 > 0:30:48the more wear they get, the more quirky they get and possibly even they get damaged.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51But actually, I quite like to see something with the leg slightly wonky
0:30:51 > 0:30:53or the handle falling off.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58It just means it's old and it's been loved and used.
0:31:00 > 0:31:05This piece of furniture is my favourite piece of furniture in the whole world,
0:31:05 > 0:31:09largely because it comes with history or possibly baggage even.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13It was given to my parents as a wedding present by my Uncle Mack,
0:31:13 > 0:31:19who was a wealthier member than most members of my family have been through the years!
0:31:19 > 0:31:22He obviously went into an antique shop and bought this,
0:31:22 > 0:31:24what we know as the drinks cupboard.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29And I've loved it ever since I saw it as a child.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33I was always led to believe that this was a valuable piece of furniture,
0:31:33 > 0:31:36and this was the bit that will be handed down.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40Sadly, the drinks cupboard flatters to deceive
0:31:40 > 0:31:45and it is not the 17th-century chest on stand that it should've been.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48In fact, the whole thing is a complete mish-mash.
0:31:48 > 0:31:53I was talking to a friend about this and he said, "You know the doors aren't right, don't you?"
0:31:53 > 0:31:56I thought, "How come they're not right?"
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Well, he opened up the doors and he said, "They're far too thin."
0:32:00 > 0:32:03And actually, with a piece of period furniture,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06they would've been far more substantial.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10And looking at the panels, there is no real sign of age,
0:32:10 > 0:32:11and the real true thing here
0:32:11 > 0:32:15are the dowels holding together the door.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19They're mean and probably 1930s.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Now, most of the timber here is 17th century.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27A lot of early pieces of oak fell to bits because they were on flagstone floors.
0:32:27 > 0:32:33They got damp, they got woodworm and so the bases rotted away. People would save what they could.
0:32:33 > 0:32:39Here, they've saved two drawers from a chest on stand.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42But the drawer bottom is new,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46the handles, although they are old handles, have come off something else.
0:32:46 > 0:32:51The more you look at it, the worse it is, from a purist's point of view.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54When you look at something in a saleroom, look at it properly.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58If you don't know yourself, ask advice of somebody.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Close the door and have a look at the base...
0:33:02 > 0:33:04It's in two parts,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07which, of course, a real... GLASSES CLATTER
0:33:07 > 0:33:09..chest on stand should be.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12But if we look carefully at the stand,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14it's actually Victorian.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17It's just rather sad to think that this piece of furniture,
0:33:17 > 0:33:21instead of being perhaps worth five to 8,000 pounds,
0:33:21 > 0:33:23is probably worth 300 or 400.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28That shouldn't really matter, erm, because I will never let it go
0:33:28 > 0:33:31and it will always be the drinks cupboard.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34It's still just as lovely for me as a piece of furniture.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43We're only 14 or 15 miles from Oxford here
0:33:43 > 0:33:45and there are a lot of really talented people
0:33:45 > 0:33:49making very special new furniture in Oxford today.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51I'm going to go and have a look at some of it.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06Wow!
0:34:06 > 0:34:09A cross between a Rubik's cube
0:34:09 > 0:34:14and a 1950s Eagle Annual space rocket!
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Isn't it wonderful? With an Art Deco influence,
0:34:17 > 0:34:23you can see a 1920s look to what is, I suppose, a writing table.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27I like that. Perhaps I'm not supposed to like things that aren't 18th and 19th century,
0:34:27 > 0:34:33but I think that's a really stylish and obviously beautiful-made piece of furniture.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36And I like the crisp lines.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46You'd think it was Ercol, looking at it!
0:34:46 > 0:34:48But there's a difference.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52The quality of manufacture is absolutely wonderful.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57And I imagine it's a dressing table or a wash stand, should I say?
0:34:57 > 0:35:02And beautifully made. It reminds me of quite a lot of 1950s furniture
0:35:02 > 0:35:05of similar sort of design, but the quality was horrible.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09This is real craftsmanship. Beautifully constructed.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20- Is this your handiwork? - It is indeed, yes.- Wonderful.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24I'm probably being a bit ignorant, but is it a workstation?
0:35:24 > 0:35:26Erm, kind of.
0:35:26 > 0:35:31- Have you ever heard of the idea of hot-desking?- Hot-desking? No.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Right, it's basically a desk that has multiple uses.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37- Right. - So you can stick it in an office,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41- you can have someone that's just coming in for the day to work on it. - Yes.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46Or you can use it for break-times, meetings. That was the idea.
0:35:46 > 0:35:52- It has a little compartment there. Would that be for a computer? - A laptop, or even just a folder.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54I'm showing my ignorance - looking at old pieces of furniture,
0:35:54 > 0:35:58I spend my life looking at mahogany and oak.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01I'm looking at some of these woods and wondering about what they are.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- What is that?- That's ash veneer.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07- It's ash. And it's veneered, is it? - Yes. It's aeroply laminate.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11It's the only way you can get that really tight curve.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13This is eight or nine layers of aeroply
0:36:13 > 0:36:16that's been glued together in a vacuum press.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19- What have we got here? - That's banana veneer.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21- Banana veneer!- Yes.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24I absolutely love the colour and the effect it gives,
0:36:24 > 0:36:26so I thought I had to use it in the piece.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31How much do you lean on old designs or other people's designs,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34and how much is entirely your own design?
0:36:34 > 0:36:36- I get a lot of my inspiration from nature.- Do you?
0:36:36 > 0:36:38- So a lot of this is my own.- Yes.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42The original idea for this came from coastal barriers,
0:36:42 > 0:36:45- and then you have a wave that just rolls along...- Yes, yes.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47- I could be on the seaside, couldn't I?- Yes.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49How the heck do you price it?
0:36:49 > 0:36:53- It's very difficult, as a prototype. - Yes!- You kind of have to think realistically,
0:36:53 > 0:36:58- "If I were to make it again, knowing how to make it now, how long would it take?"- Yes.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02You have to work out your hours, work out what you want to get paid.
0:37:02 > 0:37:07- But then you end up with a hugely expensive piece of furniture.- You do.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09There's no reason why it shouldn't be.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13You can buy the most horrendous things for quite a lot of money, not a work of art.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15This one is,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19I've worked it out to roughly be between 1,700 and 2,000.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22Right. I'll go and get my cheque book!
0:37:29 > 0:37:33I'm totally in admiration of your handiwork.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- I'd love to have a little go myself, if I may.- Of course, yes.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40We can get you making a very basic dovetail box.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Now, I can remember doing a dovetail at school.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46- 45 years ago was the last time I tried a dovetail.- OK!
0:37:46 > 0:37:49- I've forgotten everything. - I can teach you the basics.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53You've got to mark out the dovetail, the bit that's V-shaped.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55And it's self-explanatory.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59- It's called a dovetail because it looks like a dovetail. - Because it's the same shape, yes.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03- Just scribe across.- Come down there? That's more or less all right.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06- We've got two saws here.- Yes. - Any particular reason?
0:38:06 > 0:38:08It's just personal preference, really.
0:38:12 > 0:38:13Ooh!
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Slightly out!
0:38:16 > 0:38:20Mr Gillow is never going to employ me, is he?
0:38:20 > 0:38:23- Oh!- And there we go.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30- That's the first bit done.- Yes. - The next thing is to make the housing for it.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Oh, my goodness me. So we need the other piece of wood.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Right... JOLLY MUSIC
0:38:39 > 0:38:43The dovetail joint is particularly strong.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46It's been used for hundreds of years in the simplest of furniture
0:38:46 > 0:38:49and also the most complex.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Marvellous!
0:38:52 > 0:38:57- Right.- There we are. Now the moment of truth...
0:38:57 > 0:39:00- There we go. - And there's the other component.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Do we say The Lord's Prayer as we do this?!
0:39:05 > 0:39:08What do I get out of ten for my first effort?
0:39:08 > 0:39:10Let's have a look.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15I'd say it's at least a good 7.5 out of ten, maybe eight.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19- Is that a pass mark?- Of course. - Thank you very much for showing me!
0:39:19 > 0:39:21- You're very welcome.- Brilliant!
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Some of these pieces made by the young makers
0:39:27 > 0:39:30could be worth a good deal of money in the future.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34Here's a tip - visit colleges which run craft courses.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37You can pick up some unique pieces at the end-of-term shows
0:39:37 > 0:39:40at very affordable prices.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Toy cars, train sets, Airfix models...
0:39:43 > 0:39:46I can speak for the rest of the chaps on Flog It!
0:39:46 > 0:39:51and say we're always delighted to see items like this being unwrapped at a valuation day.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56Something to do with bringing out the child in us, they certainly put a smile on our faces.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00But when do they stop being fun and start to be worth serious money?
0:40:01 > 0:40:04Here are some top tips from our experts...
0:40:04 > 0:40:06When we often talk about toys we say,
0:40:06 > 0:40:11"It's nice that it's in mint, boxed condition."
0:40:11 > 0:40:15And that is a good thing when you talk about things like Dinkys and Corgis,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18but I also like to see toys,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21personally, that have been played with.
0:40:21 > 0:40:26I think it's important that they have a little bit of wear, a little bit of bad condition,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29but not to be broken - that's the essential thing.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33Pre-war Dinkys are really what you want to have an eye out for.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35The way they were constructed and the materials they used,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37it was a mix between magnesium and zinc,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40and it's very brittle and it corrodes
0:40:40 > 0:40:42and you get fatigue in the early cars,
0:40:42 > 0:40:46so that's why the early Dinky Toys in such good condition are so rare.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50My top tip for toys and games would be to phone Sean.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54He's only about 21, but he's head of my toy department and he's brilliant!
0:40:54 > 0:40:57I know nothing about toys and games at all,
0:40:57 > 0:40:59but he's great!
0:41:01 > 0:41:05Over the years, we've seen some fantastic boys' toys on Flog It!
0:41:05 > 0:41:09and Philip has a theory about why they do so well.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14I'm a great believer that men collect toys from their boyhood.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18And I think that people, it's a little bit now like...
0:41:18 > 0:41:22..perhaps men of 70 or 80 might collect Hornby train sets,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26perhaps people who are 30 or 40 might collect Star Wars figures.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30And I really do believe that people collect
0:41:30 > 0:41:33what reminds them of their childhood.
0:41:33 > 0:41:39Wow! Look at that! Isn't that absolutely stunning?
0:41:39 > 0:41:41It's a Hornby train set.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44It's quite simple, really. Hornby is Rolls-Royce.
0:41:44 > 0:41:45Princess Elizabeth...
0:41:45 > 0:41:49- When did she come to the throne? About 1951, wasn't it? - Something like that.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53So I think this is possibly late '40s, early '50s.
0:41:53 > 0:41:54It belonged to my father-in-law.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57It is the iconic model.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00It would've been massively expensive in its day.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05I seem to remember, around the time of the auction of the one that we sold,
0:42:05 > 0:42:07the original was being restored.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09So all of those things add to the value.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11How much are we going to get for it, do you think?
0:42:11 > 0:42:15- I was thinking about 100, 150 maybe. - Yes. Right.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18- Well, I'm thinking more like £300 to £500.- Bloody hell!
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Easy! This is a family programme, John.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24You can't use that sort of language!
0:42:26 > 0:42:29Let's watch it go loco!
0:42:29 > 0:42:33The Hornby Train - Princess Elizabeth.
0:42:33 > 0:42:34400. 420.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36450. 480.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39500. 520. 550.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42580. 600. 620.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44650. 680.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47700. 720. 740 on the phone.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49760. 800.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52840. 860.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54880. 900.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56920. 940.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00940 bid. 960. 960 bid. 960.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03- 980. 980.- Flipping hell! - Stopped short of the four figures.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06On the phone at 980.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09- GAVEL BANGS - Yes! £980!
0:43:09 > 0:43:13- Delighted.- Oh, gosh!- Well done!
0:43:13 > 0:43:17£980 - not bad for an old toy!
0:43:17 > 0:43:21The value was clearly boosted by nostalgia.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23The whole thing about toys, certainly Dinky Toys and so on,
0:43:23 > 0:43:26it's this connection with your childhood.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Collectors of these things, it's usually people
0:43:29 > 0:43:32who missed out on having such a thing when they were children,
0:43:32 > 0:43:36or, you know, on the way to school were walking past a model shop
0:43:36 > 0:43:41and saw these Dinky Toys in the windows and were thinking, "I'd love to have those."
0:43:41 > 0:43:46Now that they're older and have good jobs and perhaps have a bit more disposal income,
0:43:46 > 0:43:48they decide to maybe revisit their youth
0:43:48 > 0:43:52and make right what was wrong then and buy the whole lot!
0:43:52 > 0:43:55So you get these almost obsessive collectors of toys.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59And I'm pretty sure it is that connection with their childhood. Boys' toys, you know?
0:43:59 > 0:44:02Grown-up men playing with trains...
0:44:02 > 0:44:05What have you brought in for us today to have a look at?
0:44:05 > 0:44:08- I've got two Battle of Britain Dinky Toys...- Yes.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10..and two Schuco motorcars.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13Michael's mum had sent him in.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16As is the case with a lot of these old vintage toys,
0:44:16 > 0:44:18they end up in Mum or Dad's loft.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21And then, of course, they've got to downsize,
0:44:21 > 0:44:23they come across this box and they tell the kids -
0:44:23 > 0:44:26and this is kids who are probably 40-50 years old -
0:44:26 > 0:44:29"What am I doing with your old toys in my loft?"
0:44:29 > 0:44:34My mother's had them for ages and she more or less ordered me to sell them!
0:44:34 > 0:44:37We've got two Dinky aeroplanes here,
0:44:37 > 0:44:40obviously - by the box - Battle of Britain.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42These were produced in 1969,
0:44:42 > 0:44:46er, shortly before Dinky were taken over by Airfix
0:44:46 > 0:44:48and the quality somewhat slumped.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50So these are still nice quality.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54You've got some nice crisp moulding and some good colours.
0:44:54 > 0:44:59And we've got the English Spitfire, obviously for the Battle of Britain,
0:44:59 > 0:45:02the most important plane that we had involved.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04And then we've got the German aeroplane,
0:45:04 > 0:45:07which I think a nice little touch is the addition...
0:45:07 > 0:45:10..of the dropping bomb, which I think is a nice touch.
0:45:10 > 0:45:15I think the main draw was the German aeroplane, which still had its bomb. Now, that's important.
0:45:15 > 0:45:20Any of these toys which have detachable pieces or accessories,
0:45:20 > 0:45:24as soon as they get lost it's incomplete, so the value drops considerably.
0:45:24 > 0:45:25And then at the front here,
0:45:25 > 0:45:29we've got the die-cast Schuco Micro racer,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32probably dating from the 1960s when Schuco were producing.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35And then we've got the late '50s Schuco car
0:45:35 > 0:45:37with a rather nice touch, I think, with the...
0:45:37 > 0:45:40HORN BEEPS ..little horn!
0:45:40 > 0:45:42There are certain little details
0:45:42 > 0:45:46that can make one Dinky Toy worth ten times what another one is worth.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48And it can be down to the colour of the windscreen,
0:45:48 > 0:45:52the colour of the hubcaps, the colour of the tyres.
0:45:52 > 0:45:58Similar to porcelain, where you have things made in different colours, people want to collect them all.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02In the present market, if you were going to sell them as a combined lot,
0:46:02 > 0:46:06you should be putting a figure of £60 to £80 on them at auction.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09Obviously, with collectable toys,
0:46:09 > 0:46:11condition is of primary importance.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15These are in reasonable condition, but I wouldn't say they were mint.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19At the end of the day, these were produced to be toys for children.
0:46:19 > 0:46:24The best advice I can give to people is - if you want to collect toys, buy two.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26Buy one to keep in the box and tuck away,
0:46:26 > 0:46:29and play with the other one.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32Did the damage put the bidders off?
0:46:32 > 0:46:35They've been played with. The boxes are a little bit worn.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38Mint and boxed, this is about £150, £200.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40But, you know, we're talking 60 to 80.
0:46:40 > 0:46:44- It's a bit sad you have them and not play with them.- Exactly.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48463 now, the Dinky Battle of Britain Spitfire
0:46:48 > 0:46:49and various other toys.
0:46:49 > 0:46:5150 I have down there now.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53Straight in. He's a bidding man. He wants them.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56- £60 I have down here.- 60 bid.
0:46:56 > 0:46:5765. 70.
0:46:57 > 0:46:5975. 80.
0:46:59 > 0:47:0385. 90. 95.
0:47:03 > 0:47:04At £95, I'm bid.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08- All done at 95.- That's good. - I'm pleased.- 100.- Oh!- 110.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10120. 130.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14130. In front of me now at 130. Are you all done?
0:47:14 > 0:47:17£130. That was a surprise.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21- And how confident were you they were going to sell?- Not very!- No!
0:47:21 > 0:47:26The fact that the bomb had not been lost, I think, added to the value
0:47:26 > 0:47:29and I think that's why they sold better than I thought.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34But it's not just big-name model cars which can make big money.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37All I can tell you is that this is a super piece,
0:47:37 > 0:47:40something I would certainly love to own.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43A lovely tinplate model of an Alfa Romeo.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45I think it's a stunning piece.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49I remember this toy car particularly well
0:47:49 > 0:47:51and I remember the owner really well.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55It was my father's and I suspect he got it new.
0:47:55 > 0:48:00- He was born in 1913 and this is a 1924-'25 car.- Right.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04So I suspect as a young teenager or 11, 12 year old,
0:48:04 > 0:48:06- he was given it by my grandfather. - Right.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10And then I remember it as a child, being in the house.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14The owner had so many tales to tell about this toy car.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18He played with it extensively when he was a child
0:48:18 > 0:48:21and that's really why it was in such a bad condition.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25It is in a very poor state, that's quite clear,
0:48:25 > 0:48:26but I actually quite like that.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31It shows that somebody's loved this and really had a great time with it.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34What I really like, as well, is some of this detail.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37- I love this simulated leather seat with...- A crinkle effect.
0:48:37 > 0:48:41Exactly. That lovely crinkled, crackled finish.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43In perfect condition with its original box,
0:48:43 > 0:48:47- we'd probably be looking at a couple of thousand pounds.- Mm.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51Collectors always want these to be in perfect order.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53But if we move away from toy collectors
0:48:53 > 0:48:58and think about people who might be interested in it as a charming piece, as indeed I would be,
0:48:58 > 0:49:03- I think we're probably looking at about £300 to £500.- OK.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06Catherine played down the car because of the condition. Was she right?
0:49:06 > 0:49:10All of a sudden, when the item came up for sale,
0:49:10 > 0:49:15all these men in their 40s suddenly came towards the rostrum
0:49:15 > 0:49:19and you could see, "Yep! This is a real boys' toy
0:49:19 > 0:49:21"and it's really getting the guys going."
0:49:21 > 0:49:24There wasn't a lady in sight, that's for sure!
0:49:24 > 0:49:27Lot 660.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31I'll start the commission bids at £800.
0:49:31 > 0:49:32Is there 50 in the room?
0:49:32 > 0:49:36It's one of those moments where your jaw just drops
0:49:36 > 0:49:38and you think, "Ohh..."
0:49:38 > 0:49:41And I remember this one was also on the front of a catalogue,
0:49:41 > 0:49:45so when an item's on the front of a catalogue you always think,
0:49:45 > 0:49:49"OK, I've got the valuation a little bit wrong here,
0:49:49 > 0:49:51"but it's going to do extremely well."
0:49:51 > 0:49:53At £1,100...
0:49:53 > 0:49:54And 50. Commission bidder's out.
0:49:54 > 0:49:571,200.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59And 50.
0:49:59 > 0:50:011,300. And 50.
0:50:01 > 0:50:051,400. And 50. 1,500.
0:50:05 > 0:50:09And 16. 1,600. And 50. 1,700.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12And 50. 1,800.
0:50:12 > 0:50:16And 50. 1,900. And 50.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19- Yes!- 2,000.- Duncan!- 2,100.
0:50:19 > 0:50:24- 2-2. 2-3.- Wow!
0:50:24 > 0:50:252-4.
0:50:25 > 0:50:282-5.
0:50:28 > 0:50:302-6.
0:50:30 > 0:50:35- £2,500. To the telephone at £2,500...- Wow!
0:50:35 > 0:50:38- Sold.- Wow!- £2,500! That a sold!
0:50:38 > 0:50:42- I'm pleased for you.- Thank you for bringing an item like that in.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47It shows the condition doesn't count for everything in something like this.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50That car did brilliantly because of its rarity and age
0:50:50 > 0:50:54and because it was made to celebrate the launch of the Alfa Romeo P2,
0:50:54 > 0:50:56a supercar.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02There's so much to think about when buying boys' toys.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04Here are my top tips...
0:51:04 > 0:51:09Collectors of old toy transport are still willing to pay good prices for the right pieces.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12This could be a great time to sell.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15If you don't want something, someone else might.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18Have your old toys valued at your local auction house
0:51:18 > 0:51:20or at a Flog It! valuation day.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24Poor condition doesn't have to mean a low price at auction,
0:51:24 > 0:51:26as we've seen.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29And if you have the original box, even better.
0:51:34 > 0:51:39We know lots of you Flog It! viewers are youngsters at heart,
0:51:39 > 0:51:44like Philip Serrell, who is no doubt about one of his most prized possessions.
0:51:44 > 0:51:48Without going into all the gory details about when I was born,
0:51:48 > 0:51:53in the early 1960s Corgi Toys produced this,
0:51:53 > 0:51:56which was an Ecurie Ecosse Car Transporter.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00The Ecurie Ecosse was a Scottish motor racing team that raced at Le Mans.
0:52:00 > 0:52:06This is a coach-built racing car transporter.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09It was used for transporting racing cars around the world
0:52:09 > 0:52:11and you used to drive the cars up there.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14This was something I absolutely coveted as a kid
0:52:14 > 0:52:17and, lo and behold, on Christmas morning,
0:52:17 > 0:52:21and I can't remember when, but I guess it would've been 1961 or '62,
0:52:21 > 0:52:24this appeared in my Father Christmas sack.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27I was so pleased with it and I loved it and I played with it.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29It's something that I've always kept.
0:52:29 > 0:52:35And the thing that makes it a little bit special for me, and this is down to doing TV,
0:52:35 > 0:52:41if you look very closely at this,
0:52:41 > 0:52:45you can just see there the motor racing transporter,
0:52:45 > 0:52:50and through doing television, I got to go and sit in and see the real thing
0:52:50 > 0:52:52about three years ago.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56I mean, this is really, really sad but it was a real magic moment for me
0:52:56 > 0:53:00because it was like so many boyhood, childhood memories,
0:53:00 > 0:53:02because I really wanted to be a racing driver.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05Jimmy Clarke, Phil Hill and Stirling Moss,
0:53:05 > 0:53:09all these great names of that period, that was what I wanted to do.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11And to be able to go and see this,
0:53:11 > 0:53:13it was really special.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16And it all started with that.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28At most auctions, there's often one sale which takes everybody's breath away.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30Like you, I want to find out more
0:53:30 > 0:53:34about how one object can change life for its owner.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37Here's one that really stands out for me.
0:53:37 > 0:53:42Sometimes, people who turn up on Flog It! have rather unexpected passions.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46- Hi.- Hello! - Now, what can I say?- Well...
0:53:46 > 0:53:50Take Kenneth, for example... What would you expect him to collect?
0:53:50 > 0:53:52I'd have thought maybe motorbikes.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54# God save the queen #
0:53:54 > 0:53:57I've got a bit of a mix -
0:53:57 > 0:54:00the Sex Pistols,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Dennis the Menace
0:54:02 > 0:54:04and Poole Pottery -
0:54:04 > 0:54:06but I like it.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11Poole Pottery? It's a bit, well, unblokey!
0:54:12 > 0:54:14We first met him in 2006,
0:54:14 > 0:54:18when he brought a really weird item into a valuation day.
0:54:18 > 0:54:22My father won it in a cribbage game many moons ago.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25- I inherited it when he died some years ago.- Right.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28It's a lobster claw, as you can see,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31and it's been made into a brandy flask.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33And I think it's a charming, quirky object.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36That's what I was thinking. I thought you'd like it.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38It's really bitten me, excuse the pun!
0:54:38 > 0:54:40But it's just great fun.
0:54:40 > 0:54:45- Somebody's taken what was obviously a massive lobster... - It must've been huge.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48- Much wider than the table. - Oh, yes, much bigger.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50It would've made a lovely meal!
0:54:50 > 0:54:54It would've done, although I'm not a great lover of seafood.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57But I think there will be people who would find it
0:54:57 > 0:54:59a unique object, which it is.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03My dad told me years ago that it was worth a lot of money,
0:55:03 > 0:55:06but what's a lot of money? You don't know.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10I thought maybe £100, somebody would give me that.
0:55:10 > 0:55:11I don't think it's a huge value.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15- No.- I would've put maybe 70 to 100 on it.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18- That's not bad!- Not bad, is it?
0:55:18 > 0:55:23Maybe we'll keep the reserve a little bit lower than that
0:55:23 > 0:55:24to give it a fighting chance.
0:55:24 > 0:55:2650 or 60?
0:55:26 > 0:55:29- Yes, 50 quid. That's a deal. - All right, then.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33- We'll put a reserve of 50 and let's see what happens.- Right.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36So, what did happen?
0:55:36 > 0:55:37- I love it.- I do, as well. - A bit of folk art.
0:55:37 > 0:55:42- I mean, it was a huge lobster, wasn't it?- Massive lobster!
0:55:42 > 0:55:45- I hope it claws in the money!- Ahh!
0:55:45 > 0:55:47Boom-boom! This is it. Good luck, Kenneth.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50Lot 37, which is an amusing lot.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54One of the highlights of the sale, this lobster-claw brandy flask.
0:55:54 > 0:55:5630. Five.
0:55:56 > 0:55:5840. Five.
0:55:58 > 0:56:0250. Five. 60. Five.
0:56:02 > 0:56:0470. No?
0:56:04 > 0:56:08Add 65, but thank you. 70. Five...
0:56:08 > 0:56:12- It's still going.- Fresh legs. Or should we say claws?!- Claws!
0:56:12 > 0:56:14..100. And ten?
0:56:14 > 0:56:17120. 130. 140. 150.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19160. 170.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21170, sir? 180.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23190. 190?
0:56:23 > 0:56:27200. And 20.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29220. 240. 260.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31260. 280? 280.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35300? 300. And 20. Fresh bidder.
0:56:35 > 0:56:36320. 340.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38340, sir?
0:56:38 > 0:56:41At £320 on the back row, going...
0:56:41 > 0:56:46- The hammer's gone down.- £320!- £320.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49Pfft! Who'd have thought it, eh?
0:56:49 > 0:56:55- Kenneth, what are you going to put that towards?- I might get a Poole Pot or something.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59Sometimes it's not how much an item makes, but how you reinvest.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03Pretty much every spare penny Kenneth has, he puts into Poole.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06I have quite an addiction to collecting Poole.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09I probably need help!
0:57:09 > 0:57:12Help packing it up...!
0:57:12 > 0:57:16The record at auction for one piece is £13,000,
0:57:16 > 0:57:19and for a collection, 250,000.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23I think there's about 300 pieces downstairs in this room,
0:57:23 > 0:57:27there's a further 50 or 60 pieces in the bedroom
0:57:27 > 0:57:32and in the attic, the last count was 50 boxes full,
0:57:32 > 0:57:34and each box has got...
0:57:34 > 0:57:37..at least nine or ten items in it.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40Erm... One day, maybe the attic will fall down.
0:57:42 > 0:57:47The Poole Pottery Factory was established in 1873
0:57:47 > 0:57:50and is still open and making ceramic-wares today.
0:57:50 > 0:57:55Over the decades, it's become known for its bright colours and bold designs.
0:57:55 > 0:58:00They did a lot of tableware and cups, saucers, eggcups, blah, blah, blah...
0:58:00 > 0:58:02How many teapots, I don't know.
0:58:02 > 0:58:06I must have at least 12 teapots and I don't even drink tea!
0:58:09 > 0:58:12I thought I'd get a logo tattooed on my leg.
0:58:12 > 0:58:16I had to get that done, really.
0:58:16 > 0:58:21That goes to show, you shouldn't always judge the collector by his cover.
0:58:25 > 0:58:30So go on, search your home. You could be sitting on a treasure and now even know it.
0:58:30 > 0:58:34Well, that's it for today's show. I hope you've been inspired.
0:58:34 > 0:58:36And remember, never underestimate the frivolous,
0:58:36 > 0:58:38the naughty and the childish.
0:58:38 > 0:58:42If it makes you smile, it's a fair bet somebody else will want it.
0:58:42 > 0:58:46See you next time for more trade secrets.
0:58:46 > 0:58:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd