0:00:02 > 0:00:03In over ten years on Flog It!
0:00:03 > 0:00:06we have valued thousands of your items
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and stood by you in the saleroom as they've gone under the hammer.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13During that time, we've all learnt a great deal about antiques and collectables,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16and as a nation, we certainly can't get enough of them.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23It's like a voyage of discovery in your stack, isn't it?!
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Now I want to share some of that knowledge with you,
0:00:26 > 0:00:28so sit back and enjoy
0:00:28 > 0:00:31as our experts let you in on their trade secrets.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02The world of antiques isn't just about the refined and beautiful objects
0:01:02 > 0:01:04that adorn the walls of the upper echelons,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07although we do see a great deal of those on the show.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10It can also be about the kind of good, honest tools
0:01:10 > 0:01:13that had their use in a more domestic setting.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16These capture a piece of our social history
0:01:16 > 0:01:19as well as having a real value too.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20Unbelievable!
0:01:20 > 0:01:25Coming up, our experts delight in all things domestic.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28That looks remarkably like an ear cleaner.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33He had done a couple of wee repairs on it with Sellotape.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36And Elizabeth Talbot explores a personal passion
0:01:36 > 0:01:41for the work of some craftsmen of yesteryear.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45This town has an amazing historical industrial history.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Not all vintage tools spend their working lives in the gnarled hands of craftsmen,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57grafting away in dusty workshops.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02Many of the items that turn up at our valuation days hail from the domestic sphere,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06generally designed for women as labour-saving devices in the home.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Now, some of these items can look a little bit Heath Robinson,
0:02:09 > 0:02:13but others can have real collectors' appeal.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15I love this. Do you?
0:02:15 > 0:02:19- I'm not particularly bothered. - No?- No!
0:02:19 > 0:02:20Oh, it's fantastic!
0:02:20 > 0:02:25That was a really interesting object.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27A chatelaine generally
0:02:27 > 0:02:31was used from the late 18th century and to the early 20th century
0:02:31 > 0:02:34and it was something that the lady of the house,
0:02:34 > 0:02:38or the housekeeper, would have suspended from her waist.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Each one of these is a little separate tool.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46It could be a baby's feeding spoon, a little separate fork...
0:02:46 > 0:02:49It's too jaggy for a baby, that fork.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Oh, yes, the fork wouldn't be for a baby.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53But that...
0:02:53 > 0:02:58..that looks remarkably like an ear cleaner.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01On the end of each chain, you have a different object.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04It could be a pair of scissors, a thimble,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06an aide-memoire or notepad,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10a pin cushion, loads of different...
0:03:10 > 0:03:12A tape measure. ..different things like that,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15but all things that you can imagine
0:03:15 > 0:03:19a seamstress or a housekeeper or a lady to use.
0:03:19 > 0:03:25I think that was made in China, in Shanghai or possibly Hong Kong,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27around 1890 to 1910.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30The silver used in that chatelaine
0:03:30 > 0:03:34had so many Oriental influences -
0:03:34 > 0:03:36it was very thin,
0:03:36 > 0:03:41the engraving was in European style
0:03:41 > 0:03:44but didn't quite get it,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48and you see a lot of that in the Chinese stuff that was made for export.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51But this, I don't think,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54started life with the scent bottle.
0:03:54 > 0:04:00That's a typical piece of Scottish hardstone and silverwork,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02only ever made in Scotland,
0:04:02 > 0:04:07but taking all of its influence from a Roman or possibly,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10- no, in fact a Greek amphora.- Yes.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Exactly the same as little scent phial,
0:04:14 > 0:04:19dug out of the excavations of Herculaneum or Pompeii.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21You can imagine that sort of thing being discovered
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and they've taken it back to Scotland and said, "Look what we've found!"
0:04:24 > 0:04:29and a silversmith's gone, "Ooh, that would make a great scent bottle."
0:04:29 > 0:04:31I think Anita may well split them up into two lots,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33but I'm going to leave them together,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36put an auction estimate of £100 to £150
0:04:36 > 0:04:40and I think they'll do that and do that easily.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47131 is the Scottish silver scent bottle
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and it has, and it's a separate item,
0:04:49 > 0:04:55a silver chatelaine with a lovely little butterfly detail,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59so you have two lots there really, or two items in that lot.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01Will you start me at 100?
0:05:01 > 0:05:03100 bid.
0:05:03 > 0:05:04100. 110.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06120. 130.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10140. 150.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12- 160.- Come on!
0:05:12 > 0:05:17- 170. 180.- This is good, isn't it? - 190.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21All done at 190? 190...
0:05:21 > 0:05:25- Yes.- That's it. - Quality always sells.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27- We got top money for that. - Fantastic.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30As an auctioneer, my job...
0:05:30 > 0:05:35..is to get the best price possible for the vendor.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38If a little lot is put together,
0:05:38 > 0:05:44it can be that that is more appealing to the buyer.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48He thinks he's getting more for his money
0:05:48 > 0:05:53so it gets him a little bit more excited about the item.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55It's the psychology of selling.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58It's the psychology of the auctioneer.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Chatelaines in general are one of those things
0:06:01 > 0:06:04that you would never see made today.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09Can you imagine a young lady in her 20s saying,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13"I know what I'd like for Christmas. I'd like a thing to hang from my waist
0:06:13 > 0:06:18"with a needle case, an aide-memoire and a thimble."
0:06:18 > 0:06:22I mean, really! It's a classic example of its time.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26- # Working 9 to 5 #- You say that, but fashion is a funny thing!
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Who'd have predicted knitting becoming so popular again?
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Maybe Anita's next tool can cash in on that trend.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38Jim, my granny used to knit Aran jumpers.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40When I was a wee girl,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44she used to have me standing with the wool like that
0:06:44 > 0:06:49while she wound it for hours and hours and hours!
0:06:49 > 0:06:50This is what she should've had.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56This wool winder would've been used, I think, in a domestic situation.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Women often weaved at home
0:07:00 > 0:07:04and this would've been something to speed up the process.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09- Tell me about it.- Well, the daughter, she brought this home
0:07:09 > 0:07:11- and it was all in pieces.- Oh, right!
0:07:11 > 0:07:13And she threw it in the bin, you know,
0:07:13 > 0:07:18and I thought, "It's a shame to see something like that thrown out"
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and, erm, I rescued it.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23A rescued wool winder.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26It's Victorian, just the turn of the century.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29It's made of stained beech.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31It was a tool from the past
0:07:31 > 0:07:34and I thought it would be interesting for us to look at it.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36And when we see it out,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39I felt that it had sculptural qualities.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43It was a little bit of sculpture and it amused me!
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Can I see a bit of your restoration work here?!
0:07:47 > 0:07:50It's a bit creative, these little brass stumps,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53but you have done well!
0:07:53 > 0:07:55He'd done a couple of wee repairs on it
0:07:55 > 0:07:59with Sellotape and little tacks!
0:07:59 > 0:08:04It just amused me! It amused me.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08And we had great fun taking it out to its full length.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13And it was great to be able to see how these things work.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16All right? And this fits...
0:08:16 > 0:08:21..this little wood knob here fits on and...
0:08:21 > 0:08:25- The wool would then go around there, wouldn't it?- Yes. Uh-huh.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27And then spin in that fashion.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30An item like this would not be a museum piece,
0:08:30 > 0:08:35but what it does, it's of social interest.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37We're able to look at that
0:08:37 > 0:08:42and it gives us an insight into the lives of our forebears.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44It is a piece of social history.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49It has a value and there will be people who collect that type of thing.
0:08:49 > 0:08:56When it's bought, it will eventually become restored and go to the collectors.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59You've really done as well as you possibly can.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03It's time to hand it on to the professionals.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07It's not going to make an enormous amount of money.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11I think probably between £30 and £50.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- That's fine.- Would you be happy to sell it at that?- Yes.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Well, let's go to the auction, let's flog it
0:09:18 > 0:09:22- and hope that it does well.- Good!
0:09:22 > 0:09:25The wool winder, showing underneath the balcony...
0:09:25 > 0:09:30Interesting piece, the Victorian stained beech wool winder.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32£10 to start off. £10 I'm bid.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34- £10 bid.- Come on.- 20 bid.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38At £20 for the wool winder. At £20. Selling, then.
0:09:38 > 0:09:4030. 40.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44- Yes!- At £40. Selling, then, at £40. We'll finish at £40.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Here to sell at £40 for the lot.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Brilliant! Fantastic!
0:09:49 > 0:09:53- It was your restoration that did it! - I said it was good!
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Not exactly a fortune,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59but not at all bad for something rescued from the bin!
0:10:06 > 0:10:09We see a great deal of clocks and watches on Flog It!
0:10:09 > 0:10:13- A rather charming clock here. - It's a lovely clock.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15This is a lovely example.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17One particularly stands out in my memory.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22Rare, oversized stainless steel navigator's watch.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24At £2,800.
0:10:24 > 0:10:272-9. At 2-9. Come on, round it up. £3,000.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32Last and final call at £3,000 online. Sold.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34£3,000!
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- APPLAUSE - Gosh!
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Of course, we think of timepieces as domestic items,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44but like this German World War II watch,
0:10:44 > 0:10:49they're also essential work tools with a long history.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51It was all the way back in Ancient Egypt
0:10:51 > 0:10:56that they started dividing the day up into two familiar lots of 12 hours
0:10:56 > 0:10:58and using sundials.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05Over the centuries, the various instruments for measuring time
0:11:05 > 0:11:07stayed pretty inaccurate.
0:11:07 > 0:11:13It was only in the 16th century that someone came up with the idea of a minute hand.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15This was followed with the invention of the pendulum,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18which helped with accuracy on land.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22But in an era of exploration and trade by sea,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26no clock could withstand the rocking motion of a ship.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29And not being able to accurately tell the time at sea
0:11:29 > 0:11:32affected sailors' ability to work out their position,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36which caused countless maritime disasters.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39In 1714, the British Longitude Board
0:11:39 > 0:11:43offered a reward of £20,000 for the solution.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46John Harrison came up with this timepiece,
0:11:46 > 0:11:51a tool which revolutionised long-distance sea travel.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Early marine chronometers are rare,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59but for any of you interested in starting a watch or clock collection,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03it's a good idea to try and focus your attention.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08One of the best ways is to pick a particular clockmaker.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13When you find a timepiece you like, look at the state of the dial.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17An important thing with pocketwatches is that the dial is clean and undamaged.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22If it is chipped or heavily cracked, this will affect its value.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28Always try to check the movement and look out for rare and unusual examples.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Even if they're not by one of the leading makers,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34they could clock up a lot of cash.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39We've got, if we do that, a standard marble mantel clock,
0:12:39 > 0:12:41until we move down to this dial here
0:12:41 > 0:12:46and we've got a full calendar dial with a moon phase.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49I haven't seen another clock like this.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Mantel clocks traditionally are very hard sellers.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56I think this has got enough things going for it
0:12:56 > 0:13:01- for us to put it into auction at three to 500...- OK.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05..and hope that the clock and watch specialists are there
0:13:05 > 0:13:09and are as enthralled by this calendar dial as I am.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Three to 500 pounds. Can we push that higher?
0:13:12 > 0:13:14500. 600.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- 700. 800.- What?!
0:13:16 > 0:13:18900. 1,000.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22£1,150.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Unbelievable! Yes!
0:13:25 > 0:13:30- £1,150!- Unbelievable. Fantastic. - That's just amazing!
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Anita Manning is a successful auctioneer
0:13:36 > 0:13:38and a longstanding Flog It! favourite.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43She's tried her hand at many things in life and she's been good at most of them,
0:13:43 > 0:13:47but nobody can be an expert in everything.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Isn't this piece of Poole Pottery a lot of fun?
0:13:50 > 0:13:53I love this. One of the things I like about Poole
0:13:53 > 0:13:57is that they responded to their times.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01I just love this to bits. It's from the late '60s, early '70s,
0:14:01 > 0:14:06and it reminds you of flower power, psychedelia, pop, fashion,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10all the wonderful things that were happening at that time.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15But one of the things that I love about Poole Pottery
0:14:15 > 0:14:20is that I actually made a piece at one point.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23I visited the Poole Museum in Dorset
0:14:23 > 0:14:29and went on to visit the pottery, the studio pottery along the road.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34I was shown round by Alan White, who was the Master Potter,
0:14:34 > 0:14:39and I looked at the pottery being made and being decorated
0:14:39 > 0:14:43and he asked, "Do you want a turn? Would you like to make a pot?"
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Well, looking at these other people, it looked easy.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50I thought, "Easy-peasy, I can do it!"
0:14:50 > 0:14:53He put an apron on me, he sat me at the wheel,
0:14:53 > 0:14:59he gave me a big lump of clay, which I slapped on the wheel.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05I started the wheel turning. I thought, "This is easy."
0:15:05 > 0:15:08I grasped my hands onto the clay
0:15:08 > 0:15:10and as the wheel turned,
0:15:10 > 0:15:15the clay became like a creature with a life of its own
0:15:15 > 0:15:17and wobbled and wibbled all over the place!
0:15:17 > 0:15:20At that point, Alan White,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23a bear of a man, he was standing behind me,
0:15:23 > 0:15:28he put his big, solid arms round me, clasped my hands,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and together, we made a little pot.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36Not perfect, but still a little piece of Poole Pottery!
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Here in Britain we have a long history of making beautiful hand-made objects
0:15:44 > 0:15:47with tremendous skill.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Some of my absolute favourites are the copper pieces that were fashioned by the Newlyn fishermen
0:15:52 > 0:15:55back in the late 19th century.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59But less well-known is that there was a similar enterprise set up
0:15:59 > 0:16:02around the same time at the other end of the country,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04and its story resonates with Elizabeth Talbot,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07just as Newlyn Copper does with me.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19We are standing in the churchyard of Crosthwaite Church,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22right on the edge of the town of Keswick in the Lake District.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I used to come here when I was in my teenage years for family holidays,
0:16:26 > 0:16:27which are full of happy memories.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30But in those days, we used to enjoy the scenery,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33go for walks and all the touristy things one would expect.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37It's only subsequently throughout my career that I have discovered
0:16:37 > 0:16:41that this town has an amazing historical industrial history
0:16:41 > 0:16:45from which emanated a very important artistic school.
0:16:45 > 0:16:51Keswick School of Industrial Art was established in 1884 by the local vicar,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, and his wife Edith.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59It was set up to educate and train local working men
0:16:59 > 0:17:02in the art of metalwork and design.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Esme, you are an expert in the Arts & Craft period
0:17:06 > 0:17:08and the movement here.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13- We have something rather exciting to look at.- Yes, we do, certainly.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16It's stunning, isn't it? This is an altar panel.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18It was a special commission for the church.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22It's quite an early piece. It's from the early 1890s.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27So, would a piece of this quality presumably be by somebody who was helping to establish the school?
0:17:27 > 0:17:31In terms of the design, it's actually by Edith Rawnsley.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35She was working together with some of the craftsmen of the school.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39It's stamped with the initials "JB", which stands for John Birkett,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41a local Keswick jeweller
0:17:41 > 0:17:46who they employed to teach the pupils how to craft metalworks.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48So, how did this school establish itself?
0:17:48 > 0:17:52The idea of the school was that it would provide a form of employment
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and also something to do in the long winter evenings.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Local joiners, shepherds,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01they could be employed in the local pencil factory,
0:18:01 > 0:18:06so there was a whole range of people coming to the school in the evening to study these crafts.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10The school specialised in producing wares in copper,
0:18:10 > 0:18:15brass, pewter, silver and later stainless steel.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Today, their pieces are highly prized
0:18:17 > 0:18:22and Elizabeth has been a keen collector for over 20 years.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25This is Rawnsley's own Bible, I believe.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Yes, it is.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30By touching this, I feel very close to the man. This is stunning.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33- And all Keswick work on the front, too.- Yes.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36They started off with really simple products,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40- so, for instance, if we look at the copper dish...- Yes.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42..the decoration is all about the surface pattern.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44I have brought something from my own collection.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49- How wonderful.- I wondered if you could help me identify, erm,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51- who that might be.- Ohh!
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Oh, that's really interesting.
0:18:55 > 0:19:01So rather than having the usual "KSIA" mark in the circle, which is their normal mark,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03we just have the word "Keswick".
0:19:03 > 0:19:06It's interesting that there's the name WH Mawson,
0:19:06 > 0:19:11- so we know that that was one of the craft workers at the school. - He was, was he?- Yes.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And so that's quite...
0:19:14 > 0:19:16In some pieces, they would have their name on it,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19for instance, on the altar panels we saw there was that "JB" for John Birkett,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22so sometimes they did mark it with their own names.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24So that's really interesting that that's on there.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28The first thing to look out for if you want to search out Keswick is the mark.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Look very carefully within the patterns because it's hidden in the detail,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36but look out for "KSIA" and then you'll know what it is.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Secondly, remember that not all pieces are marked,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43so get your eye in for the designs and motifs that they specialised in.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47The other tip is more for the care of your Keswick - don't polish it!
0:19:47 > 0:19:52That's a very handy thing because collectors prefer pieces in their natural patina
0:19:52 > 0:19:54than looking bright and shiny.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56So the pieces that they were producing
0:19:56 > 0:20:01with the intent of selling to tourists or collectors, they would've stamped -
0:20:01 > 0:20:05that's why the markings and stamps are predominantly used presumably -
0:20:05 > 0:20:07but if they were local chaps
0:20:07 > 0:20:10doing a bit of homework for their project
0:20:10 > 0:20:14- and it wasn't intended to be sold, it wouldn't necessarily be marked. - It wouldn't necessarily.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17It had to meet the standards of the school.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Edith Rawnsley was quite strict about which ones got stamped.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22It was about enjoying the process, as well,
0:20:22 > 0:20:26it wasn't just the commercial gain, and that's important to remember.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30It was giving them something to do in these long winter evenings
0:20:30 > 0:20:35and so often they would be producing it for their sweetheart or their mother or their friend,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38and so they became part of the decorations
0:20:38 > 0:20:41of the local cottages and farmhouses.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46The amazing thing about being at the church here at Crosthwaite
0:20:46 > 0:20:49is that it encapsulates the whole story.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51We have the connection with the founders,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54we have the exhibits and the artefacts
0:20:54 > 0:20:57which were established in the church and commissioned for the church,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00and, of course, within the churchyard we have the graves
0:21:00 > 0:21:03of some of the most important people who took part in that story.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09It's fitting that Canon Rawnsley and his wife are buried in this churchyard,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12alongside so many of the local people
0:21:12 > 0:21:15that they managed to help.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26You may know Philip Serrell, a regular Flog It! expert and an auctioneer,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28but believe it or not, he once had the notion
0:21:28 > 0:21:32he was cut out for a completely different career.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Cast your mind back many, many years ago,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37in fact, decades ago, 1970-something.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41I was wet behind the ears, just about 21 or 22,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45and I qualified as a teacher, the worst in the world.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48I walked out after eight weeks, had to get a job
0:21:48 > 0:21:51and I started working for a firm of local auctioneers,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Bentley, Hobbs and Mytton, established in 1791,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and I got a job in Bromyard Market.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58I had two roles -
0:21:58 > 0:22:03one was to clean out the sheep and cattle pens after the animals had been in there,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06but the most important job was, they gave me a bell
0:22:06 > 0:22:09and I had to ring the bell before the market started at ten-to-ten
0:22:09 > 0:22:11to let everybody know...
0:22:12 > 0:22:17..that the market was going to start at ten o'clock. And that was my job! Very important role!
0:22:17 > 0:22:20I used to hate every minute of it.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25You look back on it now and they were fond days, but at the time it wasn't.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29And then about ten years ago, someone came into the saleroom and said,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31"I've got this bell,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34"Bentley, Hobbs and Mytton, Bromyard Market"
0:22:34 > 0:22:38and this was the bell that I used to clang all those years ago!
0:22:38 > 0:22:41I bought it off them, and it's just like...
0:22:41 > 0:22:44It's a huge bit of me, really.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54We've seen a whole range of tools on today's show,
0:22:54 > 0:22:55but in the world of domestic utensils,
0:22:55 > 0:23:00there's one item in particular that's extremely collectable.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04People love collecting pin cushions.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08I think it's because people made pin cushions
0:23:08 > 0:23:10in allsorts of shapes and sizes.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Once a domestic necessity,
0:23:12 > 0:23:17nowadays pin cushions are collected for their decorative qualities.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Animals are among the most popular shapes
0:23:19 > 0:23:24and we've seen a variety on Flog It!, many selling for three figures.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29..At £280.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Yes!
0:23:31 > 0:23:34- Not bad at all!- I can't believe it! - Top end of the estimate.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- Yes!- £165! Small is beautiful!- Yes!
0:23:37 > 0:23:42Janet, I've been rummaging around in that old cardboard box you brought along.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45I've sifted a few things through
0:23:45 > 0:23:49and I've come up with, I think, three really nice objects here.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51We've discarded the rest
0:23:51 > 0:23:55because I think they'd been cleaned with a Brillo Pad or something!
0:23:55 > 0:23:57But I love these. What can you tell me about them?
0:23:57 > 0:23:59They were found...
0:23:59 > 0:24:02When my father died, they were found in the garden shed.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- Dad was quite a collector and quite a hoarder.- Yes.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Mum was debating whether to throw them away or not
0:24:09 > 0:24:11and I rescued them.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16- Literally throw them away?- Yes. - I think that's extraordinary.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20- You know, presumably, what they're made of?- Silver. - They are indeed silver.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22We'll start with a pin cushion.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27The reason I picked out this pin cushion is the style, the model.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28It's a pig.
0:24:28 > 0:24:34Pin cushions, they're small, invariably good quality, quite often silver-framed.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Silver are the luxury ones,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I don't think I've ever seen a pin cushion of gold,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43but that would be the ultimate really.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45They're very, very collectable
0:24:45 > 0:24:49because there's something you can put in a glass cabinet and show off.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52It's even got, I think, its original cushion in there.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- I think it is. - It's a bit hard and crinkly, but I don't think that matters.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Now, the great thing about silver is, we can date it.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00- Have you tried dating it?- No.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- Do you know where it was made? - I think it was made in Birmingham.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06- How do you know that? - There's an anchor on it.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09That's right, the Assay Office is Birmingham.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11There is an anchor here.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14There is no monarch's head on here.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19They took the monarch's head off, not literally, in 1891,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22so we know it's post that date.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Looking at that is -
0:25:24 > 0:25:28just about through my glasses - I think 1904.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32The pin cushion was just post-Victorian
0:25:32 > 0:25:36and I think, had it been a few years earlier and been Victorian,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38it would've been even more collectable.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43- It tempers the value a little bit. We can't call it Victorian. It's Edwardian.- Right.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45But it's a nice object.
0:25:45 > 0:25:51We'll have a look at the smaller of the two vinaigrettes next, shall we?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Lovely engraved decoration,
0:25:54 > 0:25:58the pierced grill in gilt metal
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- and it's still got the little sponge inside!- Yes.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Isn't that wonderful?
0:26:03 > 0:26:08- What I'm hoping, if we take that out, we'll find a hallmark in here.- Right.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11You may well have done your own homework,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15- because what I was hoping to find is a maker's name, and there is.- Mm.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19- You probably know, do you? - I think it's Nathaniel Mills. - Nathaniel Mills.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22The seller of these items knew exactly what she'd got,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25not only in the pin cushion but the vinaigrettes.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27She was able to tell me
0:26:27 > 0:26:30that the vinaigrette was made by Nathaniel Mills.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Most people wouldn't know what a vinaigrette was, let alone who made it!
0:26:34 > 0:26:36So she had done her homework,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40which was a little bit disconcerting if you're the expert!
0:26:40 > 0:26:44Finally, open up, and I rather hope we're going to find the same thing.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Similar quality.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Open up again,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50- and still the sponge!- Yes.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52The vinaigrettes I wouldn't clean,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55the pig could probably do with a little bit of a clean,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58but not with a Brillo Pad! HE LAUGHS
0:26:58 > 0:27:01I am 100 percent convinced that these will sell well.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03- Right.- Are you happy to trust me on this one?
0:27:03 > 0:27:08- I am. You're the expert.- We'll go without a reserve. Two to 300.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Charlie was pretty confident, but when it came to the auction,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Janet decided to play it safe
0:27:13 > 0:27:17and put a reserve of £175 on her little pieces of silver.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21So, did that put the bidders off?
0:27:21 > 0:27:26Three items in that lot in total. I have 100 to start. 100.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Any interest at 110? 110 is bid. 120.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34130. 140. 150. 160.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37170. 180. 190.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41- 200.- It went through that reserve, no trouble at all.- 240. 260.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44280. 300. And 20.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46340. 360.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49- 380.- Blasting through!- I say!
0:27:50 > 0:27:53£400 at the back, then, at £400.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Any advance, then, on £400?
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- Double the bottom end! £400. - Very good.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04- That is a sold sound!- I told you you didn't need a reserve.- True!
0:28:04 > 0:28:06What a fantastic result.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09And to think that Janet's mum was going to throw them away.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14It just goes to show, you never know what treasures are lurking
0:28:14 > 0:28:18in your attic or garden shed.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20If you've got anything at home you would like to sell,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24we would love to see you at one of our valuation days.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27But until then, get out there and get buying and good luck.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Join us again soon for more trade secrets.