0:00:05 > 0:00:08Over the years on "Flog It!" we've helped you sell thousands
0:00:08 > 0:00:12of your antiques and collectibles, to raise some much-needed cash.
0:00:17 > 0:00:18That's absolutely divine,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21it's one of the nicest things I've seen on "Flog It!"
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Every valuation day throws up something new,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29and some old favourites just to keep our experts on their toes.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30All done then at 1,200.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34And here's where they share what they know,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37as they let you in to their trade secrets.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08We British are an island race, in fact,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12our nation is made up of 6,000 separate islands.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13Our relationship with the sea
0:01:13 > 0:01:16and all things maritime is undisputed,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20and that's been very much evident at all the valuation days
0:01:20 > 0:01:22we've held near coastal locations.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25So, if there's a tang of salt in the air,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29that's because today's programme is dedicated to maritime antiques.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38It's a huge and valuable area of collecting, covering everything
0:01:38 > 0:01:43from ships, instruments, to nautical paintings - and I love it.
0:01:43 > 0:01:44Coming up today,
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Phil has some high hopes for a piece of sunken treasure...
0:01:48 > 0:01:51It wouldn't surprise me if this really did take off.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56- Yes!- £1,200. Where's Margaret gone?
0:01:56 > 0:02:02..I get excited when we turn Trevor's £2.50 into a huge profit...
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Yes, it's all smiles over here!
0:02:06 > 0:02:09..and our experts share their trade secrets
0:02:09 > 0:02:12on how to boost your chances of making money.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15What we're finding at the moment is particularly strong
0:02:15 > 0:02:16is the naive art.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20When it comes to collecting anything scientific
0:02:20 > 0:02:24the name and the location of the manufacturer is very important.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Lovely thing at £200...
0:02:31 > 0:02:34The coastline of our nation boasts dramatic geography -
0:02:34 > 0:02:38captivating fishing harbours, beautiful beaches and pounding surf.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40So it's hardly surprising, really,
0:02:40 > 0:02:44that items related to the sea are amongst the most popular
0:02:44 > 0:02:46in the fields of collecting in the UK.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49I love to see maritime memorabilia
0:02:49 > 0:02:52when it turns up at our valuation days,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and I'm generally the first person to pounce on it,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57before our experts have a chance to spot it.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59So I was delighted to meet up with Trevor
0:02:59 > 0:03:02back in 2007 on the Isle of Wight,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05whose item combined two of my favourite things -
0:03:05 > 0:03:07woodwork and the love of the sea.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11- I bought it at a boot sale about 25 years ago.- On the island?
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- On the island. - And how much did you pay for it?
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- £2.50 I paid for it. - Is that all?!- That's all.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19I used to be a roofer, so I bought this,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21I thought I could use it up on the roof.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23It's a little too precise, isn't it?
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I couldn't use it, so... I put it up in the loft.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31I think you've picked up a bargain, I really do.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32It is for a carpenter,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36but it's for a cabinet maker that would have worked on board ship.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40When he comes to fit the furniture, awkward-sized cabins,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43different ribs, different stations and bulkheads.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46To find the angles, he would use this.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50He would then set his level to find the horizontal,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52once he's got that gauge he could turn this around,
0:03:52 > 0:03:57and then he knows - working off that same station line he's found,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59let's say a 45-degree angle -
0:03:59 > 0:04:01he knows where the horizontal is.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05That's very interesting, cos I didn't know none of that.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09That is such a precise gauge and tool, it really is.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13I've not seen one like this and I'm quite excited about this,
0:04:13 > 0:04:14because there are a lot of people
0:04:14 > 0:04:17that collect levels, spirit levels and gauges.
0:04:17 > 0:04:24- Why do you want to sell this?- I lost me teeth last new year...- Oh, yes!
0:04:24 > 0:04:27..and I've...got to get some new ones.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29So you're going to pay for the teeth?
0:04:29 > 0:04:30It's going to go towards it, yes.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34I'd like to put this into auction with a valuation of £100-150.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- That'd be very nice. - Hopefully gets the top end.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49So, it cost £2.50, how much will the bidders be prepared to pay?
0:04:49 > 0:04:5375, eighty...five, ninety...five.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57100, 110, 150, 160.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02170, 180 - yes. 190, he's back in, 200.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07210, one more, 220. 210 then, it's in the corner.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10At £210 we're selling at, 210, all done.
0:05:10 > 0:05:16- Yes, it's all smiles over here! £210!- Great.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Less commission, obviously, but that's fantastic, isn't it?
0:05:19 > 0:05:20You reckon I'll get my teeth then?
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Oh, well, it's a good start, isn't it?
0:05:24 > 0:05:28It was a real treat for me to see that maritime level,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30because I find shipbuilding a fascinating area
0:05:30 > 0:05:32of maritime collecting,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34and our experts have plenty of advice
0:05:34 > 0:05:38on how to navigate your way through the sea of collectibles out there.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46The collecting of maritime-related objects is such a huge subject,
0:05:46 > 0:05:51if you're going to go into it for the first time, narrow it down.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Look for instruments...
0:05:53 > 0:05:55A good tip for maritime is to choose, possibly,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58the history of a particular ship...
0:05:58 > 0:06:01..or paintings, or medals.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05..or a particular element of the navy, or a particular port.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Get into a smaller field
0:06:07 > 0:06:11and you'll find it easier to become a specialist.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Choose something which you can expand within,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16but gives backbone to your collection,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19and I think that will give you a direction to follow
0:06:19 > 0:06:21which is very positive.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26There's a huge range of maritime objects to discover,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30and sometimes it's just about keeping your eyes peeled.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- Margaret, how you doing? - I'm very well, thank you.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- That is not a local accent, is it? - I'm from Glasgow.- Glasgow?
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- Originally, moved down here when I got married.- Got married.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44- To Alec, he self-taught himself to dive.- Really?
0:06:44 > 0:06:46This presumably is from one of his expeditions?
0:06:46 > 0:06:51It's unbelievable, a glint of the sun through the water,
0:06:51 > 0:06:55and a corner, just a corner of that, was on the sea bed.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58And he scooped it away,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00and there it was.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04He brought it up, and 30-odd years we've had it now.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Where did he find it then, was he diving off the coast here?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Off the coast of Torbay, way out.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12So we've got a brass plaque, "Palmers..."
0:07:12 > 0:07:16"Palmers Ship Building and Iron Co."
0:07:16 > 0:07:17I really liked that ship's plaque,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and I think it was the fact that Margaret's husband
0:07:20 > 0:07:25had been out diving and, you know, the sunlight glistening...
0:07:25 > 0:07:26It's quite romantic, isn't it?
0:07:26 > 0:07:30The sunlight glistening through the water, glinted on this thing
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and it caught her husband's eye, and he took it up.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35And all of that added to the story.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Presumably this is your research?
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Yes, I wrote to Palmers.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41Yep, who don't exist.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46Well, I didn't know that, and then months after I got this letter,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50saying they'd passed the Palmers letter to Vickers Shipbuilding.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53- So if we just look at this here.- Yes!
0:07:53 > 0:07:57He says, "Palmers started building ships in 1852,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01"and had built some 350 by 1877."
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Having looked at that,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05- we've got 1877 here.- Yeah.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09I wonder if that 355, perhaps that's the 355th ship they built?
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Might be, I've no idea.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12And Margaret, bless her,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16she'd researched this ship, this company, everything,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and she'd done a lot of the auctioneers' work for us,
0:08:19 > 0:08:20cos it was all there.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It's something we can all do, I'd urge you to go and do it,
0:08:23 > 0:08:24I really, really would.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29I think at auction, with this information allied to it,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31- I think it'd be good to give that with it.- Yeah, you can.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36- I think we can put a cautious estimate of £80-120.- Right.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39We'll put a reserve on it of £60.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42I have sold a name plaque from a ship for the thick end of £1,000.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47So it wouldn't surprise me if this really did take off.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49If someone brings you in a ship's plaque
0:08:49 > 0:08:54that's been salvaged from I don't know how many fathoms below the sea,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58and you have no idea what it's worth, then you have to do...
0:08:58 > 0:09:01that. And it's sort of slightly guesswork, really.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02Why'd you want to sell it?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05- I don't want it. - You just don't want it?
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- What would you do with 100 quid if it makes 100 quid?- Don't know.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12- Spend it!- Spend it! On that note, let's put it to auction, shall we?
0:09:12 > 0:09:15- Well done, you.- What the heck!
0:09:21 > 0:09:24'But will she get it? What did the auctioneer have to say?'
0:09:24 > 0:09:27There's a lovely story we've uncovered here, Anthony.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29It belongs to Margaret, this brass plaque,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32and we've got a value of £80-120.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36- 80-120, yes. - Bit of a "come and buy me."
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Doesn't sound a lot, does it, for a piece of maritime history?
0:09:39 > 0:09:41The added interest to this,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44not only do we know which vessel it came from,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47the company itself has a lot of history.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51It was sold in 1933 and then closed down subsequently,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54and the closing of this company
0:09:54 > 0:09:56was credited as part of the reason for the Jarrow March,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00because so many people were made redundant at the time.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04The closing of Palmers was disastrous for the area.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07200 workers marched from Jarrow to London
0:10:07 > 0:10:10to lobby Parliament about the terrible poverty,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14poor housing, and malnutrition their families were enduring.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18To me, the plaque was a tribute to their determination.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Surely we've got to do a lot more than 80-120.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Has there been much interest?
0:10:23 > 0:10:25We've had a bit of interest in it, certainly,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29and my initial reaction when I saw it was probably 200-300,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32something like that. But I think it'll do even better than that.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Oh, thanks, Anthony. Well, this is certainly the one to watch.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43It's the brass name plate for Palmers Ship Building and Iron Co.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48Several bid for it, I'm bid £180 to start it. At £180...
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Against the room. 190, 200, and ten, 220,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54250, 260,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58270, 280, 290, 300, and 20,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- 340, 360...- Now we're flying...
0:11:00 > 0:11:05500, and 20, 540, 560, 580...
0:11:05 > 0:11:10- 600.- I was going to throw that out. - Oh!- 700.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14- 750 if you like.- 750?- 780.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16800 now, and 20. 850,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18900...and 50.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- £1,100.- 1,100?! - Yeah.- Oh, I feel sick.
0:11:24 > 0:11:291,200. At £1,200 then, last chance.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33All done then? At £1,200.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37- Yes!- £1,200. Where's Margaret gone?
0:11:39 > 0:11:41- Can't believe it! - Get back here, Margaret.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42Gosh, what an exciting moment,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45that's what auctions are all about, that's what we were saying earlier.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49- I was going to throw it in the bin! - Come back here, Margaret!
0:11:49 > 0:11:51I don't know whether it was luck or what it was,
0:11:51 > 0:11:55but we're in Plymouth and I just think on the day
0:11:55 > 0:12:00we found one or more people who just wanted to buy that particular item,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02who knew what it was, who knew what it was worth,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and that just meant that it reached its market level.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08And that's the joy of an auction, really, that's what it does for you.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15An auctioneer will do their best to achieve a good price
0:12:15 > 0:12:17for any item you're selling.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20So the more research you do, the better.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22My advice to you
0:12:22 > 0:12:25if you're thinking of investing in nautical memorabilia,
0:12:25 > 0:12:30is to only buy something if you know what ship it came from.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33All of these ships were registered, so you know where they were built,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37what they did throughout their service, and when they sank.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39It's that bigger picture that creates the value.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Britain's wonderful coastline
0:12:47 > 0:12:50has always been an inspiration for artists,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53and we see lot of nautical paintings on "Flog It!"
0:12:53 > 0:12:55But where do you start if you want to collect?
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Well, our experts have their own ideas
0:12:58 > 0:13:01about what might prove a canny investment.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07People like marine scenes, but you need lots going on, in my opinion.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12I've seen enough paintings of seashores with nothing else there.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16I think you need ships, and you need people. If they're well done,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18then you're in the money.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27- Eddie, nice to see you.- Hello.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29You've brought three little paintings along,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32what can you tell me about them?
0:13:32 > 0:13:35I bought them about 20 years ago, paid very little for them.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38About £5-6, I suppose.
0:13:38 > 0:13:44- I liked the frames originally, more than...- Pretty, aren't they?
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- Do you know who might have painted them, or...?- I don't, no.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50There's no signature on the front,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54but perhaps if you signed the front there wouldn't be any paint left!
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- There's not much of them! - They're very, very tiny.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Well, there is a signature on the back,
0:13:59 > 0:14:03and they are painted by Gustave de Breanski.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05British artist.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07The most famous member of the de Breanski family,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Alfred de Breanski - his pictures are generally much larger,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13they sell for a lot of money.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18And I've recently sold a Highland landscape of his for £30,000.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Huge amounts.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23This man was not as good.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25'I loved these paintings,'
0:14:25 > 0:14:28but they were just too small, weren't they?
0:14:28 > 0:14:32They were almost all frame and no painting! But they were charming.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35They were quite primitive,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38and a member of a very famous artist's family,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41but not by the right artist.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I should think these date from 1880, 1890.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46They are oil paintings,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50and they're painted on card as opposed to canvas.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53But because they are by a known artist,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55despite the fact they are small,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59and because they are reasonably well presented in their gilt frames,
0:14:59 > 0:15:04I would say that they've got a certain value.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06They must be worth £20 or £30 each,
0:15:06 > 0:15:12and I think we can put them into auction, estimate £80-120.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Might not seem a lot of money for a listed artist,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18but who's going to buy a picture of that size?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Three in the lot here, numerous commission bids,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29- start me straight in at £95.- Yes.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34And £100 I'll take. At £95, 100, and ten.
0:15:34 > 0:15:40At 110, we all done then? 120, 130, 140, 150.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Now at £150, we all done at £150?
0:15:44 > 0:15:48- Yes!- Yes!- That's 50 quid each, you happy with that?- Very good.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Most expensive fridge magnets in the world!
0:15:51 > 0:15:57Had it been Alfred de Breanski instead of Gustave, uh...
0:15:57 > 0:15:59For a start the paintings would have been much bigger,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03but they would have been better and they would have been thousands,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06rather than 100 or so pounds.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Maritime art is very popular
0:16:16 > 0:16:19and has continued, throughout fluctuations in the market,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21to maintain a good following.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24But what we're finding at the moment is particularly strong
0:16:24 > 0:16:28is the naive art, for example the East Anglian school of painters
0:16:28 > 0:16:32who were working in the 19th century recording the fishing trawlers.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35They're not particularly well painted,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39but they're an element of folk art, which is very strong at the moment.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Maritime art can be phenomenally expensive -
0:16:47 > 0:16:50overblown, ships under full sail,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53painted by artists like Montague Dawson,
0:16:53 > 0:16:54ruinously expensive.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Forget about those.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Just take a trip down to your local seaside resort
0:16:59 > 0:17:02next time you're in Cornwall or Devon or Norfolk,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04and have a rummage around in the junk shops
0:17:04 > 0:17:06and see if you can find something
0:17:06 > 0:17:08that might have been painted
0:17:08 > 0:17:11by someone who was on holiday there in the 1920s,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13and depicted the harbour as it was in those days.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17That's great advice for pointing you in the right direction
0:17:17 > 0:17:20if you want to buy maritime art.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23And Mark's got something to help you find your way if you're all at sea.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Now, before we open this, I want to ask you, where did you get it from?
0:17:29 > 0:17:31From an old friend in the fire brigade
0:17:31 > 0:17:35- at British Leyland, I used to do a lot of sailing.- Oh, right.
0:17:35 > 0:17:36But I've never used it.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Well, it's too nice to use, thus giving a clue of what it is.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45It's a little travelling compass, it's a circular little wooden box,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49but it's been covered with this ...almost like skin, isn't it?
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Well, it is in actual fact, skin, it's shark skin.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Otherwise known as shagreen,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58and originally this would have been very, very bright.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00It's a little bit fragile, it's coming off there,
0:18:00 > 0:18:05but it's fundamentally there, and when we take it out we've got...
0:18:05 > 0:18:07little maker's mark on the back as well.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10"J & W Watkins, Charing Cross."
0:18:10 > 0:18:13And this may well be silver, I can't find a hallmark
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and I don't think we should try and open the back
0:18:16 > 0:18:17because that may affect
0:18:17 > 0:18:20the sensitive nature of the instruments inside.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23When it comes to collecting anything scientific
0:18:23 > 0:18:27the name and the location of the manufacturer is very important.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30So if it's a big metropolitan city like Bristol or London
0:18:30 > 0:18:32it's good to add a premium to the price.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Now, you've done some research yourself,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36what have you found out about it?
0:18:36 > 0:18:41We found that J & W stood for Jeremiah
0:18:41 > 0:18:45and may have been William or Walter.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Yeah, so what age do you think it is?
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Well, the only date we could find
0:18:50 > 0:18:54where they mentioned an actual pocket compass, was 1803.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Well, I think it's a bit earlier than that.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01And actually, it dates to the last quarter of the 18th century.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04- So we're looking at 1780, 1790.- Gosh.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05These are great collectors' items,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09and this is a really nice original piece to have.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13- I think we put an estimate of £200-300 on it.- Fantastic.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17With a reserve of £150 just to protect it on the day,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19and, hopefully, we'll get a good collector
0:19:19 > 0:19:21and a good dealer bidding on this.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24- Are you happy with that?- Fantastic, I didn't even know he had it
0:19:24 > 0:19:28and we've been married for 23 years, I only seen it the other day.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32You know boys and their toys, hidden away in a drawer, you see!
0:19:38 > 0:19:42150, 160, 170, 180, 190.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44190, 200.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48At £200, we all done? Lovely thing. At £200...
0:19:50 > 0:19:54- 200, that's gone. Happy? - Yes, that's good.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56That was a nice find, and well done for looking after it.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01- Get searching all his cupboards and the garage and the shed!- Yeah.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04The collectability of it on the day, it just scraped the estimate.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06I don't know, maybe it was a bad sale,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08but I loved it and somebody else liked it.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10I'm just glad it sold.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Small objects like the compass are a great way to start collecting
0:20:14 > 0:20:16maritime memorabilia.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Narrowing down your search to focus on particular instruments
0:20:19 > 0:20:23or collectables from a specific ship or navy is a good tip
0:20:23 > 0:20:27and it will help you to become more knowledgeable in your chosen area.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33All of our "Flog It!" experts
0:20:33 > 0:20:36have a keen eye for antiques and collectibles,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38and many of them have some surprising antiques
0:20:38 > 0:20:40stashed away at home.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Like me, I know that Will Axon has a passion for horses,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46but I didn't know he had a taste for antique oddities.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Well, I don't know what it is, whether it was a childhood visit
0:20:51 > 0:20:53to the Natural History Museum,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56I remember those huge, great dinosaurs in the foyer,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59but I've always been very keen on natural history
0:20:59 > 0:21:06and specimens of animals, be they stuffed, dried, or part of them.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09I've brought along my sawfish rostrum,
0:21:09 > 0:21:14which I think is rather splendid and spectacular.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17I know it's not everyone's cup of tea
0:21:17 > 0:21:20that I'm holding part of an animal in my hand,
0:21:20 > 0:21:25but this one was actually given to me as a gift by my godfather,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27and it's signed and inscribed.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31This was caught in Aden, early 1960s,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34so it's well before the CITES ban
0:21:34 > 0:21:37on trade on sawfish rostrums.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40I know my children have taken it into school,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42and the kids are fascinated by it,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45they cannot believe that this comes from a fish.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49So, can you imagine a sailor back in the 18th century
0:21:49 > 0:21:53seeing a sawfish, which is a kind of ray, it's not a fish at all.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57You can see how the legends of sea beasts
0:21:57 > 0:22:02arose from sailors' tales out in exotic waters.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I like my sawfish rostrum and I hope you do too,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09but, yeah, mind your fingers, these things are very sharp.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17We've seen some wonderful items turn up at our valuation days
0:22:17 > 0:22:20that the experts describe as "fresh to the market",
0:22:20 > 0:22:23meaning they've never been sold in auction before.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Now expert Caroline Hawley has uncovered some treasures
0:22:26 > 0:22:28in her hometown of Hull
0:22:28 > 0:22:32which brings the city's maritime history vividly back to life.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43In the 1840s this would have been a really bustling port -
0:22:43 > 0:22:45whaling ships coming and going,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48leaving here to the freezing conditions
0:22:48 > 0:22:52of Greenland, the Arctic, the Davis Straits.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56More than 40% of Britain's whalers left from the Port of Hull,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58that's how busy it was.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Whale oil was a very, very important ingredient
0:23:01 > 0:23:03to the running of the economy.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07We needed it for lamp oil, for candles,
0:23:07 > 0:23:11staybusts for ladies' corsets, which were fashionable at the time,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14no end of usage, where nowadays, we would use plastics.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19But sadly, at the height whales were hunted almost to extinction,
0:23:19 > 0:23:20some of the species,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23which is very, very sad, and, quite rightly now, it's banned.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Caroline's meeting master mariner John Simpson
0:23:28 > 0:23:30at Hull's Trinity House.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34- Hello, John.- Hello, Caroline.- Lovely to see you.- Lovely to see you.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39For hundreds of years there's been a guild here supporting mariners,
0:23:39 > 0:23:43as well as a school that once trained boys for life at sea.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46But few people have seen the fascinating collection
0:23:46 > 0:23:50that's been brought back from all four corners of the world.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55There are pieces from the South Pacific, from New Zealand.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00It's a history of British shipping through the centuries.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05But what drew Caroline to Trinity House
0:24:05 > 0:24:08was John's passion for scrimshaw.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Sailors used the long hours between whale hunts
0:24:11 > 0:24:14to carve pictures on the teeth or bones of whales,
0:24:14 > 0:24:19often as love tokens for womenfolk left at home.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24And John has taken up this ancient art, carving old teeth as a hobby.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27So, John, what are you working on now?
0:24:27 > 0:24:34Well, this is a very old tooth, but it's work that I've started,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37and these are the coat of arms of Hull Trinity House.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41It's wonderful work, and you're using exactly the same tools.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46I use a sailmaker's needle, which is the same method they would have used.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48And how do you get such a wonderfully smooth surface,
0:24:48 > 0:24:53from the raw tooth to this very smooth surface on which to work?
0:24:53 > 0:24:59This one is a tooth in its natural condition,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02with these very deep ridges.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04And how do you smooth it?
0:25:04 > 0:25:07With lots of sandpaper and lots of patience,
0:25:07 > 0:25:13it's just to remove the surface until we get the tooth looking like this.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Once the scratching has been completed,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20it's as simple as getting some ink or soot,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23and then rubbed over the surface.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Hey presto.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29# This dirty town has been my home
0:25:29 > 0:25:32# Since last time I was sailing
0:25:33 > 0:25:37# But I'll not stay another day
0:25:37 > 0:25:39# I'd sooner be a-whaling... #
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Scrimshaw collectors pay many thousands of pounds
0:25:44 > 0:25:48for quality antique examples, especially ones with provenance.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51And with her connections as an auctioneer,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Caroline's brought some to show John.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58I've borrowed a wonderful collection of antique scrimshaw.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03It's wonderful to see the pieces that the sailors did so many years ago,
0:26:03 > 0:26:08from a practical thing like a fid that's been made out of whalebone.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And this one here, the detail on that!
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Because of the work and the size,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17it's probably the most valuable one on the table,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21several thousands of pounds we're looking at here.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26This swordstick here, with a whalebone handle,
0:26:26 > 0:26:32is actually from the ship Cyrus, with William Beadling the captain,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35can you see the depiction of the ship, the Cyrus?
0:26:35 > 0:26:36With the whale here.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41From the same shape, the same master, is this wonderful snuffbox
0:26:41 > 0:26:45with the Cyrus here, but it's got a secret, do you want to see?
0:26:45 > 0:26:46I would love to.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Right, so we'll open the top,
0:26:48 > 0:26:54- and inside is the rather saucy mermaid or something.- Mm.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Erotic engravings are very rare,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00because most of these were made to take home to your loved ones,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and I can imagine most wives and sweethearts
0:27:03 > 0:27:07wouldn't be awfully keen on seeing some half-naked mermaid.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10So something like this little box,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12with the known link to Hull
0:27:12 > 0:27:15and to a named captain, a named ship,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19and the added interest of the erotica inside,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22adds hugely to the value.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25The sky's the limit, but it could be as much as £15,000,
0:27:25 > 0:27:26£20,000 for the two.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28But for those of us, myself included,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31who don't have that sort of money,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34we can actually start by buying something
0:27:34 > 0:27:38like these very small teeth, those are eminently affordable.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43A - because they're so small, and these are only £45, £50.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47There will always be the chance find
0:27:47 > 0:27:52at a car-boot sale or an antique fair, and who knows?
0:27:54 > 0:27:59# To cut the throats of them there blokes
0:27:59 > 0:28:04# What sells bad beer to sailors. #
0:28:12 > 0:28:13There you have it!
0:28:13 > 0:28:17All you need to know to ensure your items sail away at auction.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20If you've got something you'd like to sell,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24then we look forward to seeing you at one of our valuation days.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28And I hope you can put some of these tips to good use.
0:28:28 > 0:28:33But, until then, please join me again soon for more Trade Secrets.