0:00:06 > 0:00:10After more than a decade of valuation days and auction rooms,
0:00:10 > 0:00:16we have a wealth of experience valuing and selling your antiques and collectables on "Flog It!".
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Fascinating. It's a really interesting object.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Are we all done at 1,900?
0:00:21 > 0:00:24That is fantastic, isn't it?
0:00:24 > 0:00:29And our experts are raring to go with some more inside information,
0:00:29 > 0:00:34so if there's something you need to know, you're more than likely to find it right here.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Welcome to Trade Secrets.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Ever since an Englishman's home has been his castle,
0:01:07 > 0:01:12we've looked at ways of being comfortable and happy within our own four walls,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16whether it's something to sit on, eat from or for passing the time.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19The things we buy for our homes have a special resonance.
0:01:19 > 0:01:26Today, it's all about objects that once delighted us in our homes, and are now highly collectable.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31We've got great tips on everything from early Victorian home entertainment
0:01:31 > 0:01:33to cool, retro technology.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39'Coming up, I'm amazed by a fantastic result at auction.'
0:01:39 > 0:01:43- Bang, the hammer's gone down. What a result!- Amazing!- I'm so pleased.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47'Will shocks a visitor with his estimate on an old telly.'
0:01:47 > 0:01:50- Really?- Yes. Is that more than you thought it would be worth?
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Much more.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57'And our experts will be revealing the best collectables.'
0:01:57 > 0:02:02My tip, if you're looking for more accessible things, is probably old radios.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08In the days before catch-up TV and the internet,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12people found other ways to while away the hours at home.
0:02:12 > 0:02:18What we now consider antique or old-fashioned was once state-of-the-art gadgets.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Now, at our "Flog It!" valuation days,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23we see many objects that were once designed
0:02:23 > 0:02:25to provide home entertainment,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29so what do our experts think we should be looking out for?
0:02:29 > 0:02:31There's an interest in old techno items,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34be it televisions, radios, gramophones.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Mechanical music is interesting,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40music boxes and disc players and Polyphons, things like that.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Early pieces of technology can be very desirable,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48particularly items such as magic lanterns
0:02:48 > 0:02:52and particularly magic lanterns if they don't just have one lens.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57If they've got three lenses, for example, they're very collectable, so really early entertainment.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02Our idea of family recreation is very different today,
0:03:02 > 0:03:07but the Victorians and Edwardians found plenty of things to amuse themselves with
0:03:07 > 0:03:11and you keep us entertained by bringing them to "Flog It!".
0:03:11 > 0:03:14We may not think of these simple, popular items as collectables,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17but Anita knows how much they appeal to the bidders.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20This is an interesting thing here.
0:03:20 > 0:03:26This is what I would call a Victorian home entertainment centre.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31It's a stereoscope. Every home would have something like this
0:03:31 > 0:03:37and they would buy cards which showed you perhaps the Great Exhibitions
0:03:37 > 0:03:41or scenes in Japan, scenes of India,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45so that people were able to see foreign lands at that time.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47If you can imagine the time then,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50there were no televisions, there were no radios,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52there was no internet,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54there were no internet games,
0:03:54 > 0:03:59so people had to find ways of amusing themselves and the stereoscope was one of them.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Now, on the front here we have two eyepieces.
0:04:03 > 0:04:10Now, these would be used when we were viewing the cards which were specially manufactured for this
0:04:10 > 0:04:17and this big lens here would be used as a magnifying glass for our photographs.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18Tell me where you got it.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23I bought a house. These two old people lived in it and they died.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26When we saw this, I had no interest in it, but my husband kept it.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31- Did he know what it was?- He thought it was something for a doctor.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Jeanette's husband thought it was a medical device.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38I wonder what sort of medical device he thought it was?
0:04:38 > 0:04:43- Unfortunately, we don't have any of the slides, the cards. - No, we didn't.
0:04:43 > 0:04:49Well, if you had, he would have probably worked out that it wasn't a medical instrument
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and it was a piece of home entertainment.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57- Price-wise, I would estimate it in the region of, say, £20, £30.- Mm-hm.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Victorian stereoscope with slides.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03There we have it. £20? £10, please? 10 bid. 15.
0:05:03 > 0:05:0620. At 25.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09At 30. 5. At 40.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11At 5. At 50.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- This is good.- At 5. At 60.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17At 5. At 70. At 5.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19- At £75...- Brilliant.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21The bid's at the back of the room at 75.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25At £75 and I'm selling now at £75...
0:05:25 > 0:05:29- The hammer's gone down. That was a good result, Anita.- Excellent.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- I'm happy for you. - Thank you very much.- That's OK.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36A great result.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Many families had these amusements at home,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43so it's worth checking out your attics to see what you can find.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46The fact that it will no longer be used today
0:05:46 > 0:05:52and the fact that it isn't a functional item really doesn't make any difference at all.
0:05:52 > 0:05:58It's still a desirable item and still worth every penny of £75.
0:05:58 > 0:06:04Another example of home entertainment we see a lot on "Flog It!" are magic lanterns.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09I've had it working once. There was smoke coming out of the top of it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12We got gassed with the fumes, so we stopped using it.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18These are fabulous. They're magic lantern slides.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23Wind the handle and it gives the most wonderful patterns.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29Magic lantern shows became popular in the 19th century
0:06:29 > 0:06:36when people found the idea of seeing images projected on a screen spooky and fascinating
0:06:36 > 0:06:42and the Victorians soon seized on them to amuse and entertain family and friends at home.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45I can imagine hours of endless fun
0:06:45 > 0:06:49looking at these slides through a magic lantern.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53And it seems Anita is really drawn to these early projectors too.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Now, your magic lantern has seen better days.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Has it ever!
0:07:00 > 0:07:06This has very, very little value. It wasn't the best of quality.
0:07:06 > 0:07:12I've seen some beautiful ones which are brassbound with beautiful oak trimmings and so on.
0:07:12 > 0:07:18What was of interest there were the packets of slides.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Now, we have about 12, 15 boxes of slides
0:07:22 > 0:07:28from Victorian times up until the '30s and some classics.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33I mean, we have the Disney ones here as well, so this will make it interesting.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Now, these three here
0:07:36 > 0:07:40are of particular interest and these are older ones as well.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43And if we can pick one up,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46the slide would be put in...
0:07:47 > 0:07:51..and what you've got is a crazy, bearded Scotsman,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54brandishing weapons...
0:07:56 > 0:08:00And if you pull the slide back, there he is,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03shooting someone with a pistol.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07'These little moving slides were very, very interesting'
0:08:07 > 0:08:13and they, in actual fact, were the precursor of movies and television.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Robert, I would like to put a value
0:08:17 > 0:08:20of £100 to £150.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Yes.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Would you be happy to sell them at that?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Yes, I would hope they would do better.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33I would hope they would do better as well. I tend to estimate conservatively.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37The magic lantern with a collection of boxed and other slides.
0:08:37 > 0:08:3980. 5. 90.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42100. 110. 20.
0:08:42 > 0:08:4440. 60. 180.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49200. I'll take 20 quickly. I'm selling at 200...
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- What will you put £200 towards? - I'm sure my grandson will benefit.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56I'd estimated much lower than that,
0:08:56 > 0:09:01but it just showed the desirability of these slides
0:09:01 > 0:09:06and quite probably the prize in the slides were the moving ones.
0:09:06 > 0:09:13The need for domestic entertainment has led to all sorts of technological advances down the ages
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and to some iconic looks.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18There were some pretty funky designs going on
0:09:18 > 0:09:21in the '30s and '40s, into the '50s and '60s,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24which are probably more relevant today than they were then.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29They were rejected then as being too racy, whereas nowadays we love that retro look.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35There's a huge market in collectors' items,
0:09:35 > 0:09:3720th century collectors' items,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41things that I have been brought up with as a child -
0:09:41 > 0:09:44televisions, radios, record players.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45'You're not wrong, Charlie.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49'And I got a lesson in just how desirable these things are
0:09:49 > 0:09:51'back in 2006.'
0:09:51 > 0:09:56- When we open this up, there's a big surprise in here.- There is.- Ta-da!
0:09:56 > 0:09:59It's an early radio.
0:09:59 > 0:10:06It belonged to my partner's grandfather and it's been in their house since he was a small child.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09It's a crystal radio and I think it's absolutely superb.
0:10:09 > 0:10:15We've got another little surprise in here because that's a little drawer and there's a set of headphones.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20These, I bet, are in working order because they look pretty good to me.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24We've never actually tried to have it working, but...
0:10:24 > 0:10:29I wouldn't like to either. You've got to attach the headphones to these two terminals.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32This is the tuner and it says here,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36"Type approved by the Postmaster General for the BBC."
0:10:36 > 0:10:40- Isn't it lovely? The crystal would go in here.- Yes.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41Value? Crikey...
0:10:41 > 0:10:45With the headphones, we'll put a value of £50 to £90.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47- OK.- Are you happy with that?
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Yes, I'm happy with that, Paul.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54Interest starts me here already at 95. 100. And 10, you're in, sir.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57At 110. Both my bidders are out. At 110. And 20. 30.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00140. 50. 160.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02170. 180. 190.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07- 200. 220... - They absolutely love it, don't they?
0:11:07 > 0:11:08I can't believe it!
0:11:08 > 0:11:11In front at £220...
0:11:11 > 0:11:15- Bang, the hammer's gone down. What a result!- Amazing!- I'm so pleased.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18- I would never have thought... - No, I wouldn't.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23It did even better than I had hoped.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25I love this early technology,
0:11:25 > 0:11:30so search your sheds and attics and see what your grandparents may have bought
0:11:30 > 0:11:33that could make you some money at auction.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40And even what you and your parents bought shouldn't be ignored.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45Will couldn't wait to get his hands on this fabulous retro item.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50When I saw it, I thought perhaps you'd come on your motorbike and had left your Day-Glo helmet in the bag,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52or perhaps a part-time astronaut.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57- This is a great piece of post-war design. How did you come by it? - It's my sister's.
0:11:57 > 0:12:03She and her husband got married in 1968, so I assume they bought it shortly after that.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08- I think it probably dates from more towards the early '70s.- Yeah.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Right up my street, lovely thing.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15Classic '70s design, bright colours, bold,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18and I thought, "We don't see enough of that on "Flog It!" "
0:12:18 > 0:12:22We've got the name of the maker on it, JVC, a Japanese firm
0:12:22 > 0:12:26who in the sort of '70s, early '70s,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30they were taking their design influence from the space race,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34which is where this TV gets its nickname, shall we say?
0:12:34 > 0:12:35- It's known as the Sputnik.- Is it?
0:12:35 > 0:12:40Yeah. After the Russian satellites that were blasted into orbit.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44TVs nowadays want to get thinner and thinner and thinner,
0:12:44 > 0:12:49but someone at JVC thought it would be a great idea to have a TV in a ball.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Great, out-of-the-box thinking.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54- You see these two chains popping out of the top?- Yeah.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56They would have been a chain loop
0:12:56 > 0:13:01because the alternative for this is you could have it on the stand as you have here,
0:13:01 > 0:13:05which is again a multi-swivel stand, or you could hang it from a ceiling.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08As a piece of sculpture, it works beautifully.
0:13:08 > 0:13:14Whether it works as a telly, I'm not entirely sure, hanging in the corner of the room there by a chain.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16But who cares? It looked beautiful.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20And I see you've still got it wired up, so it does still work.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- Yes, I tried it the other week. - You get all the channels?
0:13:23 > 0:13:27- All five terrestrial channels. - That's better than my modern telly at home!
0:13:27 > 0:13:30I would suggest a sensible estimate of £200 to £300.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- Really?- Yes.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- Is that more than you thought it would be worth?- Much more.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38If we say 200 to 300,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41put a reserve on it at £200, bit of discretion?
0:13:41 > 0:13:47- My sister said she didn't worry about the reserve.- No reserve. Excellent. £200 to £300, no reserve.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Hopefully, we'll do very well for you on the day.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57Having no reserve is a great way to tempt the bidders, but do take advice from the auctioneer.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02You must be prepared for your item to sell for a low price.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06I can open the bidding at 100 here. On the book at £100.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- Gone.- £100 on the book. 120?
0:14:08 > 0:14:10120. 140?
0:14:10 > 0:14:13120 at the back. I'm out at 120.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15At £120, are you done?
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Are you sure?
0:14:17 > 0:14:20The hammer's gone down at £120.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- Not bad. - No retro collectors here today.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- It got the lower end. - It's worth 200 quid.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30I put the estimate for the TV at £200 to £300 because I believed that's what it was worth
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and I still believe that's what it was worth.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40I agree. The market for retro items is particularly strong just now,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42so someone bagged a bargain there.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46And you could too if you keep an eye on auction websites
0:14:46 > 0:14:49and place a commission bid if you can't get there in person.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54If you're looking out for techno bargains,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57we're seeing a new interest in old computers
0:14:57 > 0:15:02from the time when I was a child in the late '70s, early 1980s.
0:15:02 > 0:15:08Those old computers, people are buying them. If you've got them boxed, new and in good condition,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11then perhaps those are a good thing to hang on to.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15I suspect that if you're looking at today's gadgets,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19something like a mobile phone,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22a rare, valuable mobile phone
0:15:22 > 0:15:25could well become even more valuable in the future
0:15:25 > 0:15:29because this technology is changing daily.
0:15:29 > 0:15:35Apple were perhaps the forerunners in the design of smartphones and sort of being user-friendly,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38then they might be something to collect.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41We're all on number 5s now, aren't we?
0:15:41 > 0:15:44I wonder if a few people have got the old number 3 at home?
0:15:44 > 0:15:48It might become a design classic of the future.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57So, from the cutting-edge designs for the future,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01there are still some very collectable items for the home with the classic appeal of the past
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and one of our experts is a little obsessed.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Philip Serrell is not really a man to show his feelings.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12He's a rugby-loving, cigar-smoking, sports car-driving man's man,
0:16:12 > 0:16:17but even he gets a tear in his eye when he comes across a piece of Royal Worcester porcelain
0:16:17 > 0:16:19at a "Flog It!" valuation day.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- Do you know where I'm from? - Worcester.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25- Why is that relevant? - Because it's a Worcester teapot.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29What really does it for me about antiques is the social history,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32so for Worcester porcelain,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35it's important for me because I'm a Worcester boy,
0:16:35 > 0:16:41I was educated in Worcester, I used to go to the Worcester Porcelain Museum as a 13, 14, 15-year-old.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Not much I can tell you about that.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48- You're the expert.- What? Don't you come round here using that language!
0:16:48 > 0:16:51As I got into it, I began to appreciate the effect
0:16:51 > 0:16:57that the porcelain factory had on the city of Worcester in social terms, people who worked there,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01and the whole thing that it brought to the city and the county,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04and that's what does it for me now.
0:17:04 > 0:17:10In my eyes, I might be slightly biased, I think Worcester is the best English factory there was.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18Phil's auction house is in the heart of the Worcestershire countryside in a converted chapel
0:17:18 > 0:17:24and his business is a family affair with his wife Briony and his daughter both working with him.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Clem's my daughter. She's with me today in the saleroom.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33She first came into these hallowed portals... She's 29 now. I was an incredibly young father(!)
0:17:33 > 0:17:36But she first came in here probably 28½ years ago.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40I've been coming to salerooms since I was probably knee-high to a grasshopper.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44There's black-and-white photos of my mum and I at farm sales
0:17:44 > 0:17:49when my dad did livestock auctions before the antique stuff took off,
0:17:49 > 0:17:54then from there, he's moved on to selling painted fruit to selling paintings.
0:17:54 > 0:18:00I'd like to think I've been there every step of the way. Five years ago, I came into the business fully,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03so now I'm here all the time.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10Phil is hopeful that Clem will grow to love Royal Worcester as much as he does.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15He's got a regular sale coming up featuring the local porcelain
0:18:15 > 0:18:17and there are over 100 lots ready to be viewed.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22This is all of the Worcester in next week's sale. There are interesting things here.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26- Here's a bit of a quiz now, see how much you've learned.- OK.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Who are the best Worcester porcelain artists and what do they paint?
0:18:30 > 0:18:34- OK, Harry Davis - sheep.- Which is that little vase down there.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36- Yeah.- Which will make £1,000-plus.
0:18:36 > 0:18:37I'd say.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43- Charley Baldwyn - plates. - These plates here which are worth, hopefully, about £1,000 each.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48Then these powder-blue vases are Charley Baldwyn and they're 3,000 to 5,000.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- The plates are a bit more interesting.- Beautifully painted.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54- And cattle - Stinton. - The Stinton family.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58These aren't the Stintons. These are later copies of Stintons.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03Those are Stinton. He did Highland cattle, massively sought after.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Sometimes when Worcester comes into the saleroom, I look at it and think,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11"Some people give £3,000, £5,000 for this sort of thing. Why?"
0:19:11 > 0:19:17I can appreciate it and when you look at what they've painted on these items,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20a lot of the time, if it's a vase or a pot, it's curved.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25To paint some of these things on a curve and on a piece of ceramic is quite hard,
0:19:25 > 0:19:31but in terms of whether I'd actually want to own it, it's slightly different.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36- Then we have all this painted fruit. It's massively valuable because... - Travellers.
0:19:36 > 0:19:42Travellers' caravans are full of really good painted fruit Worcester and this is painted fruit Worcester.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47- Hit me with some painted fruit artists.- Freeman and Ayrton were the two best for painted fruit.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52Yeah, though one of the earlier ones you rarely see was Richard Sebright.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54- Yeah.- He was absolutely stunning.
0:19:54 > 0:20:00Worcester items like part dinner services decorated with half a peach and a bit of leaf and half an apple,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04they remind me of going round to your aunt's house for dinner
0:20:04 > 0:20:08and they've got the roast potatoes in one, carrots in the other.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12It does still have its market, but it's not my taste.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15I don't know anybody my age who would collect it, really.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20If you're giving someone a tip who's buying painted fruit, what would it be?
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Out of these two, which would you tell them to buy?
0:20:23 > 0:20:28- From the front, I like that one, but when you turn them over, you'll go for that one.- Why?
0:20:28 > 0:20:30- It's got a pink backstamp. - What does that mean?
0:20:30 > 0:20:34It's more valuable than the black backstamp. Always go pink.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39There you are. Go pink. This is interesting because this is a Locke and Co Worcester vase.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42- But it's got a peacock on it. What do we know about peacocks' feathers?- Unlucky.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44- Why?- Devil's eye.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47You'd never have a peacock's feather in the house.
0:20:47 > 0:20:54So, a Worcester vase with a pheasant on it is worth a lot more than one with a peacock on it because...?
0:20:54 > 0:20:56- It's unlucky.- You got it.
0:20:59 > 0:21:06Today, Philip and Clem have got a decision to make about some very personal family items.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11Part of this job is I clear houses for people when members of the family have died.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15My mother has recently died, so I'm now doing my own job for me.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18You approach it from a completely different angle.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21She collected Worcester porcelain for 30 or 40 years
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and now I must decide whether I keep this stuff or sell it.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Most of the figures that my mother's got are by Freda Doughty
0:21:29 > 0:21:35and Freda Doughty did little figures of countries of the world, days of the week, months of the year.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38They are very much collectors' pieces
0:21:38 > 0:21:44and in a way, I much prefer the earlier Worcester porcelain dating from the 18th century.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49The thing is, we've got nothing like this at home, have we?
0:21:49 > 0:21:51No, it's just the sort of thing that gathers dust.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55- Do you like these things? - Not particularly. Do you?
0:21:55 > 0:21:58No. In fact, not at all.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Are any of these worth anything?
0:22:00 > 0:22:06You've got the auctioneer's friend with this lot over here which is 80 to 120, but some of these here,
0:22:06 > 0:22:12- the countries of the world should make anywhere between £150 and £300 a go.- OK.
0:22:12 > 0:22:18I can remember my mother being so excited that she bought that one. 20 years ago, that cost 150, 200 quid.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22- I don't think I'd be giving £200 for that.- It's worth a lot more now.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25So, what would you spend the money on?
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Other than shoes and handbags, maybe a nice painting, a seascape.
0:22:29 > 0:22:36That's November and you were born in November, so we'll put that one by. I'd like to keep that one.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40And that's Tuesday's child and you were born on a Tuesday,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- so those two are your sort of birth date.- Yeah.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45I'd like to hang on to those two.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48The rest of them, what will we do? Keep, sell, yes, no?
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- I'm going to say "sell".- Really?
0:22:51 > 0:22:55- Yeah. Obviously, it's down to you, but not really my kind of thing.- OK.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56- "Sell" it is then.- Yeah.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58OK, good enough.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06For anyone who inherits something, there's a huge emotional tie as to whether you should sell or keep.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10And I really do believe that if you don't like something, sell it.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Don't keep it just because it was your father's or your grandfather's or whatever.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25It's no secret that I love antique wood.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29You bring all sorts of wooden items, known as treen, to our tables.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34From spoons and boxes to tools and kitchen gadgets.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36It's a piece of what we call treen.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37A nice piece of treen.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Made from the tree.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- It can be quite hard to date. - I'd have thought, yes.
0:23:43 > 0:23:50Treen is a term used to describe all small, wooden, functional household or agricultural items.
0:23:50 > 0:23:56It's a great field for collectors, especially if you limit it to one type of object, like snuff boxes.
0:23:56 > 0:24:03You can see the top of it slides off here and this is where all the snuff would have been stored.
0:24:03 > 0:24:09Before cheap metal and plastic came into use, wood was the most easily accessible and cheapest
0:24:09 > 0:24:13raw material available for making everyday objects.
0:24:14 > 0:24:20Close-grained hardwoods like box, beech and sycamore were popular for making treen.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26And the best objects are the ones that have developed a deep colour and a patination through the years
0:24:26 > 0:24:28of handling and use.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31That's what collectors look for.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Now and again we see a really special treen item.
0:24:38 > 0:24:44It might be made of an unusual wood or have lots of intricate decoration.
0:24:44 > 0:24:50That's when it gets really exciting. Even something that looks a bit rough and ready can charm bidders.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52At £700 we sell.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- 700 quid!- Very nice, too.
0:24:55 > 0:25:02Here's another little gem that caused a real stir with its beautiful turning and carving.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04If we open it up, very carefully,
0:25:04 > 0:25:10- we can see that it is actually a little nutmeg grater. - That's right. Yeah.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11740. Are we done?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14At £740.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16740!
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Thank you! Thank you, darling.
0:25:19 > 0:25:25I may be biased, but treen is a great choice for new collectors.
0:25:25 > 0:25:31There's plenty of variety and you can spend as much or as little as you like. Happy hunting!
0:25:36 > 0:25:41In these days of equality, the whole family helps to make a house a home,
0:25:41 > 0:25:45but in previous centuries, it was very much the woman's realm
0:25:45 > 0:25:49and their domestic accomplishments are very much celebrated today.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54This sampler isn't particularly early
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and it isn't particularly special.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59It's 1890, which is quite late as samplers go,
0:25:59 > 0:26:04but to me, it absolutely epitomises the vagaries of the auction trade.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09This came up for auction 25 years ago in a saleroom close to me.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14Because it says here "South Cave Girls' School", that was the school I went to,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17so I desperately wanted to buy this.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20It was worth probably £30, £40 at the time,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24but I got a bit of auction fever and I went up and up and up.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28I dropped out at about 200. Two other people continued the fight
0:26:28 > 0:26:32and the hammer went down for £300 which was ridiculous.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35I was miffed I hadn't bought it, but I got over it.
0:26:35 > 0:26:3920 years later, I went to another saleroom in a nearby village.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44I saw the sampler that I should have had for sale and I thought, "This time, I'm going to get it."
0:26:44 > 0:26:50I left a bid, I can't remember what bid I left, but the next day I went in to see if I'd got it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55Yes, I'd got it for £30 this time and I love it and it's staying with me.
0:26:55 > 0:26:56Don't ever get auction fever.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Something might not be worth what it gets at auction.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03It could be that just two people desperately want the item.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Wait. 20 years later, who knows, you might get it for a song.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13It's easy to let your emotions run away with you in the excitement of the saleroom,
0:27:13 > 0:27:19but should we be more sensible and restrained? What do our experts think?
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Buy with your head or buy with your heart.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24It all depends on what you're buying for.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28If you're buying to make a profit on something, buy with your head.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33If you are buying something because you want to put it in your home, buy with your heart.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36As an auctioneer, I love to see somebody
0:27:36 > 0:27:38who's carried away because their heart tells them
0:27:38 > 0:27:41they want something and they can't live without it,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44but bring your head along to the auction as well.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48I'm a passionate sort of fellow, so I would say, "Buy with your heart."
0:27:48 > 0:27:53If you really like it, get it bought. If it's a bit more than your budget, who cares?
0:27:53 > 0:27:58There's nothing worse than getting home and thinking, "I wish I'd bought that item."
0:28:04 > 0:28:08'Whether you buy on a whim or have carefully researched an item,
0:28:08 > 0:28:09'it's clear that some objects
0:28:09 > 0:28:11'designed for home entertainment
0:28:11 > 0:28:13'are classic collectables today
0:28:13 > 0:28:15'and you can reach high prices
0:28:15 > 0:28:17'at the right auction.'
0:28:17 > 0:28:20- Bang, hammer's gone down.- Wow! - What a result!
0:28:20 > 0:28:23So if you've got something you want to sell, you know where to come.
0:28:23 > 0:28:30I hope you can put some of our tips to good use. Please join us again soon for more Trade Secrets.