0:00:07 > 0:00:11Over the years on Flog It!, we've helped you sell many thousands
0:00:11 > 0:00:14of your antiques and collectables,
0:00:14 > 0:00:17and the variety of items that turn up at our valuation days
0:00:17 > 0:00:20have been absolutely astonishing. And as some of you know,
0:00:20 > 0:00:22it's not easy to put a value on them all.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26But there are some things we know will always find a ready market,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29and here's where you can find out more.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30This is Trade Secrets.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34In this series, we're pooling all of our knowledge together
0:00:34 > 0:00:36to help you get in the know.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Welcome to Trade Secrets.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Today, we're exploring militaria. It's a huge area,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06but one which, more often than not, it's the weight behind the story
0:01:06 > 0:01:10and the personal sentiment that puts the value on the object.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Coming up: medals given for outstanding bravery.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16That's a true hero.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21We learn how smoking can, sometimes, be a life-saver.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25The bullet stopped and saved his life.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Our experts offer some useful tips.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30If you're gonna be looking at old shells, guns and whatever...
0:01:30 > 0:01:32do make sure they're deactivated.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35And we see how collectable militaria can be.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38At £4,100, then... GAVEL BANGS
0:01:38 > 0:01:41- Bash! The hammer has gone down. - I can't believe it!
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Recent anniversaries of the D-Day landings and the Dam Busters raid
0:01:48 > 0:01:51remind us of the terrifying war that engulfed the world
0:01:51 > 0:01:53and changed it for ever.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56The Second World War's a rich territory for Flog It!,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59and our experts love to hear the stories related to the items
0:01:59 > 0:02:01you bring along to our valuation days.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05But we should also remember the brave lives lost in other wars,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and cherish those memories, those stories
0:02:08 > 0:02:10and those items that are left behind.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Very shortly we're going to be coming up to the 100th anniversary of the First World War
0:02:16 > 0:02:19and in my eyes, that's going to push up the value
0:02:19 > 0:02:21of First World War related items.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Look at your history books and think, "Hang on.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28"What is there going to be an anniversary of in ten years' time?"
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Certainly in my experience, the most valuable military items are medals.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37I think Falkland medals can now fetch several thousand pounds, certainly.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41In 1990, a Victoria Cross was making in the region of 100,000
0:02:41 > 0:02:46and I believe that one has just sold for half a million pounds.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48'40s MUSIC PLAYS
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Not only is the VC the highest military honour,
0:02:53 > 0:02:58but with fewer than 1,500 ever awarded, it's rare
0:02:58 > 0:02:59and therefore valuable.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06As with much militaria, the value of the medal is in the story it tells.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10At Duxford air base, James Lewis heard a tale
0:03:10 > 0:03:12that was straight out of a Boy's Own adventure.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Patrick, whenever I see anything like this,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17it reminds me of tales of childhood,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20a little boy reading Biggles, Douglas Bader,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23learning about the Dam Busters and the bouncing bomb.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27And of course, all those sort of guys were awarded this, the...
0:03:27 > 0:03:30- Distinguished Flying Medal. - Distinguished Flying Medal.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32What an amazing thing.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- And what a fantastic place to discover it.- Yeah.- Here.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40Tell me about the medal and tell me about who it was awarded to.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43It was my stepfather, Roland Allen. He was a wonderful guy.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45He was an air gunner in the Royal Air Force,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49but previous to the war, he'd been in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52which meant he learned how to fly a plane, although he wasn't a pilot.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57They attacked the Philips factory in Eindhoven in Holland,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01where they made radar and radios for German aircraft
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and the German war industry.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06The plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire
0:04:06 > 0:04:09and the pilot was injured.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11He wanted the guys to bail out.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Roland said, "No, I can fly," so they pulled the pilot out the seat
0:04:15 > 0:04:19and he then flew the plane back, bringing back a valuable plane
0:04:19 > 0:04:21and a valuable crew, as well.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25- Gosh.- And there's the pilot, who he saved.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28The story itself of being in a plane
0:04:28 > 0:04:31when nobody else knew you could fly it
0:04:31 > 0:04:33and when the time came,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36the captain of the plane has been injured,
0:04:36 > 0:04:41everybody thinks, "That's curtains, chaps. We're going down."
0:04:41 > 0:04:44And the voice pipes up, "Oh, by the way, I can fly."
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Sits in the pilot's seat and rescues the plane and the entire crew.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52It's something out of Disney. Wonderful story.
0:04:52 > 0:04:53All those men died of old age
0:04:53 > 0:04:57but the reason they died of old age is because Pop brought the plane back.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- That's a true hero.- He was indeed.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02- And there's the letter from the King.- Yeah.- King George.
0:05:02 > 0:05:08So what we have here, we have the three very straightforward Second World War medals.
0:05:08 > 0:05:14We've got the France and Germany Star, the 1939-45 Star,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Victory Medal and, of course, the Distinguished Flying Medal.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22I mean, one of the questions I'm sure so many people are thinking -
0:05:22 > 0:05:25why do you want to sell them?
0:05:25 > 0:05:30You obviously... You're very proud of him, as family history.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33He would have wanted them to go to my daughter, who's 29 now.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36She's got two grandchildren but they never knew him.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39She obviously knew him as her grandad
0:05:39 > 0:05:44but I think it's quite possible they could just disappear into a drawer somewhere
0:05:44 > 0:05:45and be discarded.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49So maybe if we can pass them on with all the memorabilia
0:05:49 > 0:05:52to somebody who would do something good with them, we'll flog them.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Would I sell the medal, if it was my family?
0:05:56 > 0:05:58I'd sell my house first,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02but the most important thing with this type of object
0:06:02 > 0:06:04isn't that the family keeps them,
0:06:04 > 0:06:09it's that somebody keeps them who will allow the story to live on.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I was thinking in terms of an estimate of £1,000-£1,500.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I would recommend a reserve of £1,000.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17If it doesn't make that, have it home.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22But, you know, I've got no doubts whatsoever - it's going to sell.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Lot number 11 is the WWII DFM group of five.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29There we are. And I've got interest here starting me where?
0:06:29 > 0:06:32£800. 850, 900, 1,000.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- They've gone.- They've gone.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38- 1,450?- Wow.- 1,400 here. 50 where?
0:06:38 > 0:06:42At 1,400. And 50? 1,500. My bidder.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45At 1,500. I'll come to you all. 1,600. Bid me now.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Left handed at 1,900.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Round it up at 1,900. Two bid.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52- At 2,000 bid now.- Wow.- At 2,000.
0:06:52 > 0:06:562,200? At 2,200 bid. At 2,200 bid. At two-two.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Two-four. At 2,400.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Two-four, two-six.
0:07:00 > 0:07:01At 2,600 bid.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04At two-six. Two-eight. At two-eight now. Round it up.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07At 2,800 bid. Three?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09At two-eight. Coming to you all now.
0:07:09 > 0:07:15- At £2,800 on the telephone. - £2,800, Patrick.- Wow.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- I'm tingling. You've got to be shaking.- I am, I am, yeah.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20I just can't believe it. Absolutely unbelievable.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Such big interest in militaria at the moment
0:07:23 > 0:07:26because what you're investing in is pieces of history,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28not just medals but real history.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- James, that flew. - That was a great result.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32- A good price for that.- Very good.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37You can't put a price on a story like that.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Most military items we see on the programme
0:07:41 > 0:07:44date from the First and Second World Wars.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48But objects from other conflicts do turn up,
0:07:48 > 0:07:52like this unusual item from the Boer War, which caught Mark Stacey's eye.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55You've brought in one of the nicest things I've seen.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Well, I rather like it.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02This is a souvenir of the Boer War, 1899-1900.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06We've got an exact copy of a gun here, which is...?
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- Lee Metford.- Lee Metford.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Right down to the bayonet going in the spoon, here.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- And all these little details of how the gun worked.- Amazing, isn't it?
0:08:14 > 0:08:18This is a sharp shooter. You'd have gone like that to fire it quickly.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21The first thing that attracted me to the spoon was the shape.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24It was quirky, it was a bit weird, a bit wonderful.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26But of course, when you read the inscription on that
0:08:26 > 0:08:29and the quality and the fact that it was solid silver,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31all those in my mind were adding up to something
0:08:31 > 0:08:34which is going to appeal to the collectors.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37We've got a full set of hallmarks and the maker's mark
0:08:37 > 0:08:39and a little registration number, as well.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44I just think it's a lovely, quirky bit of commemorative silver.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49Well, anybody who collects spoons or militaria, I thought, would be interested.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- You don't need me at all, you know. - You've just stolen my lines.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Of course, there are people who collect things to do specifically with the Boer War.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- Do they? Yes?- As well.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01The spoon, of course, was very rare.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03I've never seen another one like it
0:09:03 > 0:09:08and I think because it connected with a particular war, the Boer War,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10which lasted a relatively short time,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14I think that would have really brought that type of collector to the fore.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Now, tell me the history of it in your family.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Well, I only know that my mother had it.
0:09:19 > 0:09:25- She would have been about 14 at the end of Boer War.- Yes.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28And that's all I know. It came to me.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33- You would have bought this as an act of patriotism.- I expect so.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36So your mother or a member of your family would have gone out
0:09:36 > 0:09:39and would have been proud to have that on display at home,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43showing you were fully behind Britain and her empire.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46So for a little object, it's got an awful lot of history, hasn't it?
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Yes, yes.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50I think I'm going to be cautious with it
0:09:50 > 0:09:55- and say maybe £60-£80.- Oh! That's a lot for a spoon, isn't it?
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It is a lot but it wouldn't surprise me on the day
0:09:58 > 0:10:01if it went over £100.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02- Really?- Absolutely.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06It's just such a lovely, honest, collectable item.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10At £60 on my left. I'll take five. Different place. 70.
0:10:10 > 0:10:1380, 90, 95.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14- This is very good.- 110.
0:10:14 > 0:10:20120, anywhere? All done, then, at 110? Thank you very much.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22I thought £110 was extremely reasonable,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25both for the vendor and for the buyer.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26Hilda was a lovely character
0:10:26 > 0:10:29and I'm really glad the spoon made so much for her.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36All war memorabilia has a story attached
0:10:36 > 0:10:40and sometimes the best stories can be linked to the most unassuming objects,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43as expert Christina Trevanion discovered.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46- What's in here?- It doesn't look very much, does it?
0:10:46 > 0:10:48It's very unassuming, isn't it?
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Let's take it out. So it's a Curta calculator.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54So here it is.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Where has it come from?
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Well, Audrey and I were having a sort through the garage
0:10:59 > 0:11:02because Audrey's been very kind to me since my husband died
0:11:02 > 0:11:04and we were having a look through some of his things
0:11:04 > 0:11:06and she said to me, "What's this?"
0:11:06 > 0:11:08So I said, "I haven't a clue."
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Well, it's an incredibly early version of a calculator,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13- a modern-day calculator.- Yes.- Yes.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18And I believe, in theory, we're supposed to be able to adjust these little slides on here
0:11:18 > 0:11:21to the relevant numbers, turn something...
0:11:21 > 0:11:23And something tells us the answer.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25The answer is supposed to come up on the top here.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28I never found out how it worked. I really should have done.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30I did try but, no, I'm ashamed to say,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32I never found out how it worked.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34They say that calculators are a life-saver.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39This little machine was actually a life-saver for its maker,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41whose name was Curt Herzstark.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45He was an Austrian Jew in the 1930s and '40s,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49which was not a very good time, sadly, for the Austrian Jews.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54And he was put in a concentration camp for the duration of the war.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58And the Nazis spotted his rather fantastic ability
0:11:58 > 0:12:00with mechanical implements
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and this machine saved his life
0:12:03 > 0:12:08- because the Nazis wanted him to make one as a gift for Hitler. - Oh, really?
0:12:08 > 0:12:12He built one very, very slowly. LAUGHTER
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Well, he's a genius, he's an absolute genius.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16"Oh, no, it won't work this week.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18"Just give me a few more weeks and I'll get it sorted out."
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Genius. Love it.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24And he survived the war because of this machine.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Post-war, it obviously went into production.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33They were produced in Liechtenstein and they put them into production
0:12:33 > 0:12:36and they were very, very popular.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38It's a brilliant boy's toy, isn't it?
0:12:38 > 0:12:42And of huge interest to anyone in early maths and early calculators.
0:12:42 > 0:12:48I think that at auction, we'll be looking at somewhere in the region, hopefully,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50of about £300-£500.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53That sounds good. Let's hope we get two real enthusiasts...
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- Who can put us out of our misery. - And show us how to work it!
0:12:56 > 0:12:58And show us how to use it!
0:12:59 > 0:13:04The interesting Curta Type 1 Mechanical Calculator.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08There we are. You need a degree in how to work it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10I'm sure the buyers will know what to do with it.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15Where do you start me? Interest here with me at 250, 280, 300, 320.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- Oh, here we go. - 380, I'm bid and 400 with me.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22420, 450, 480, 500.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25- 500 here now in the aisle. - In the room. Fantastic.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28You're out at the front, yes? At 500 bid.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31With you, sir, at £500. Are you joining in?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- At £500. All done at £500.- Bang on!
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- Excellent.- If you've got something like that on your garage shelves,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38now you know what it's worth.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42- That was a very good tin of paint, wasn't it? - It was a great tin of paint.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I think Lesley was quite surprised
0:13:46 > 0:13:49because she and her friend had just been sorting out the garage
0:13:49 > 0:13:51and she thought that it was a pot of paint,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54so to then get this really quite valuable gadget
0:13:54 > 0:13:57was quite a shock for her, I believe.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00So why not have a good look in your garage
0:14:00 > 0:14:05and see what treasures you can uncover lurking at the back of your shelves?
0:14:05 > 0:14:08And, of course, if you find anything of interest,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11you know where to come.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Claire Rawle spotted something that saved a soldier's life
0:14:14 > 0:14:17in a more direct way than the calculator
0:14:17 > 0:14:22and that proves some bad habits can turn out to have an upside.
0:14:22 > 0:14:23Lovely collection here.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Now, this relates mainly to your grandfather
0:14:26 > 0:14:27in the First World War.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30This has obviously stayed in the family.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34- This is him. Is this your grandfather?- It is.- Right, OK.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36This story was fantastic.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38I mean, if you saw it on a film
0:14:38 > 0:14:41you'd think, "That's a great bit of fiction," but it did happen!
0:14:41 > 0:14:43There it was and it was there in front of me.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47This is his little Bible, New Testament.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50He's been shot. The bullet's gone right through.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52There's the little...
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- The Jesus in the middle there, yes. - Yeah.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57It went through.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02And then, obviously, his cigarette case, that's gone with the bullet
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and stopped, obviously, and saved his life
0:15:05 > 0:15:08and, obviously, that's why I'm here.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Well, yes, yes, because if that hadn't stopped, I wouldn't be speaking to you now.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- That's correct, yes.- Smoking isn't always bad for you, is it?
0:15:15 > 0:15:17LAUGHTER
0:15:17 > 0:15:19The bullet had gone through the Bible
0:15:19 > 0:15:21and was stopped by the cigarette box in the pocket,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23which was carried in the breast pocket,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25which if it had gone on through - dead soldier.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30To a collector, that's brilliant. It's such a piece of history.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32And it adds a lot of value.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35And, of course, you've got the discharge papers
0:15:35 > 0:15:37and, obviously, his papers, when he came back from France,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40having been wounded but, amazingly, not killed.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- And you hear about these things on films, don't you?- Yes.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45And here's the proof.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49It's quite difficult to value because there isn't a huge value on it
0:15:49 > 0:15:52but if somebody's caught up by the story,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54of his surviving the war and all the papers,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56I could see it selling quite well.
0:15:56 > 0:16:04So I think, sensibly, put it in at about sort of £150, maybe £200.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06- OK.- It's a lovely lot and I think it'll do really well.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- Oh, lovely. Thank you. - I look forward to the sale. Great.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11The most amazing story I've heard for years.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Absolutely love this story. Now, what have you been doing?
0:16:14 > 0:16:16You've been in the wars as well, haven't you?
0:16:16 > 0:16:19I have. I just hit my head on a cupboard door,
0:16:19 > 0:16:24- broke the blood vessel, and that is the result of that.- Ohhh!
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- Ooh, I bet that hurt! - It did a bit, yeah.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29OK, let's put it to the test. Here it goes.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32And where do you start me on these? The hands telling me.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35£170 takes the other bidders out. At £170.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Do I see 180 anywhere else in the room?
0:16:38 > 0:16:42At £170. Maiden bid on a commission. Do I see 180 anywhere else?
0:16:42 > 0:16:44At £170. It'll be first and last.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47- All the other bidders out at 170. - GAVEL BANGS
0:16:47 > 0:16:49It doesn't seem very high, does it?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51But at least it's going to a collector
0:16:51 > 0:16:53and it's living on, in a way.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57So whatever the price, you're reliving that person's history
0:16:57 > 0:16:59through their items.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02There are all sorts of reasons why people choose to sell items
0:17:02 > 0:17:04documenting their social history.
0:17:04 > 0:17:10But, please, if you are sitting on something related to a relative's war stories,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12think twice about selling it.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17Why not give it to a local museum or to the regiment it's associated with?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Because, at least, if you do want to see it again,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22you know where it is.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25If you sell it in an auction room, it's gone for ever.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30If you're interested in military antiques,
0:17:30 > 0:17:35remember that a good story attached could increase an item's value.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39If you have something to sell, wait for a significant anniversary.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43The renewed interest may well push up the price.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48Whether you're buying or selling, there's always a good market for medals
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and through them, you'll help keep tales of heroism alive.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59I'm a firm believer that if you own antiques,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02they should be display on display so you can enjoy them.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06That's why I'm not keen on guns and swords and spears around the house,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08because I've got young children.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11But I do have one item of militaria, and it's this.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It's the most exquisite little powder flask,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18which I picked up in auction a few years ago for £300.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21And actually, I just gravitated towards the craftsmanship,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24so it's not just a sort of practical object,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27but it's a worked piece of art.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29We see quite a few powder horns on the show,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31and they're generally made out of a horn, basically,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35which has been plugged - hence the name "powder horn".
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Well, this one's made out of a coconut shell. It's French,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41and I'd say it's circa 1800 to 1815,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44and it was used during the Napoleonic Wars.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48But as you can see, it's carved with a beautiful little face on it,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52and its nose is actually the stopper for holding the powder.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56But if you look closely, there are flags and armorials.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58There's all sorts of things going on.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02It's beautifully carved. Now, the great thing about modern technology
0:19:02 > 0:19:05is, you can actually subscribe to certain companies
0:19:05 > 0:19:07that will set up search engines for you.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09If you describe what you're looking for.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12they will give you an auction alert.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13Two or three days before the sale,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16they will tell you what it's going for and where it's going at,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19so you have a chance to bid on it. They do all the legwork for you,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22so you stand a chance of putting a decent collection together,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25as long as you let them know what you're looking for.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28And I think something like that is a great starting point
0:19:28 > 0:19:30for a piece of militaria.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41There's one object that epitomises war more than any other.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43The firearm.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Some of the most memorable to have crossed the Flog It! tables
0:19:46 > 0:19:48are 19th century guns.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51From standard military issue holster pistols...
0:19:51 > 0:19:54It's a working serviceman's pistol.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56..to Smith & Wesson revolvers...
0:19:56 > 0:19:58That's a really good collectable firearm.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02..to pocket pistols used by men and women for personal protection.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Now, this would have been carried by a lady
0:20:05 > 0:20:07while travelling on a stagecoach.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Good makers' names always draw in the bidders.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Ulrich. A Franz Ulrich.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18- He was the best gunmaker in Switzerland of the 19th century.- OK.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22But the one that sticks in my mind is an immaculate French revolver
0:20:22 > 0:20:25found by the much-missed David Barby.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30It's a percussion gun with a revolving barrel,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and the blued state of the barrel is such,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35I don't think it's ever, ever been used.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37At £4,100, then,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40you've finished at 4,100.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41GAVEL BANGS
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Bash! That hammer has gone down.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45What a fantastic result.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49The highest price a gun has ever made on Flog It!
0:20:51 > 0:20:56Although the earliest recorded firearms date back to 14th century China,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59it wasn't until the 19th century
0:20:59 > 0:21:01that different designs took off worldwide
0:21:01 > 0:21:03in vast numbers.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08This era saw the arrival of the Colt,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10the iconic handgun of the Wild West.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16It produced the Gatling gun, the first real machine gun,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20used by the British in South Africa and Sudan.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Later that century, the Maxim gun appeared,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26the first fully automatic machine gun,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30used in the Great War, right up until the 1960s.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Given the vast scale of this collecting area,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37I suggest you specialise in one particular field.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41That's just what gun collector Geoff Walker has done.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45I met up with Geoff in 2008.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49He specialised in guns designed for a very specific purpose -
0:21:49 > 0:21:53the infamous 19th century duel.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56What got you interested in collecting duelling pistols?
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Well, I've always been fascinated by guns
0:21:58 > 0:22:02and duelling pistols in particular show the sort of cutting edge
0:22:02 > 0:22:04- of the gunmaker's craft.- Yes.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09- These are, you know, the work of gunmakers at their zenith.- Yes.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12And there are some famous names represented here.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Are we looking at English guns in particular?
0:22:14 > 0:22:18These are all English guns. I only collect English guns.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- Because they are the best? - They are the best.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25Certainly, by the time the duelling pistol was in this sort of form,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28English makers were the best in the world.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31What should I look for when I go to buy a duelling pistol?
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- Look for the name of the maker. - Right. A good English maker.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36You cannot get better than that name there.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- Manton.- There were two Manton brothers, John and Joseph.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41There's a debate about who was better.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I prefer John, but a lot of people prefer Joseph.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48- At least they didn't settle it in a duel.- That's right!
0:22:48 > 0:22:53- They were amongst the best. - There was lots of honour at stake. - Yes, there was.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58I mean, really entry level for a half-decent cased pair of duelling pistols -
0:22:58 > 0:23:02could you get a pair for, let's say, £6,000-£7,000?
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- Yes, certainly. That's about where you'd start.- That's entry level.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09But if you want the top names and the top quality,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11you've got to go further than that.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14So, I mean, anything from £5,000
0:23:14 > 0:23:18up to £100,000 for something very rare and very special.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Duels were fought over everything and anything,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27from revenge for a violent crime to defending a lady's honour
0:23:27 > 0:23:31and in the 18th century it was the honour that was more valuable than life itself.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34The motivation was not to kill the other person
0:23:34 > 0:23:39but to gain satisfaction by proving you were willing to risk your life.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Talk me through what happens. Because in the movies, in the period dramas,
0:23:47 > 0:23:49I absolutely love these guns.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51They're so tactile and extremely beautiful to look at.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56Even though they're quite lethal weapons, they are real, true antiques, aren't they?
0:23:56 > 0:23:59They're lovely things just to own and to enjoy the workmanship.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Geoff, thank you so much for showing these.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03- I think you're a very lucky man. - Thank you.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05- I've learnt a lot. - They're wonderful things.
0:24:07 > 0:24:08If you're thinking of collecting guns,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11remember - buy from a reputable dealer
0:24:11 > 0:24:14and make sure you have the paperwork to go with it.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17Antique guns don't need a licence
0:24:17 > 0:24:22but if you can still buy ammunition for it, it's not an antique.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25And Philip has one last tip.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28If you're looking at old shells, guns and whatever,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31do make sure they're deactivated before you blow your neighbours up.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40All of our experts love to see militaria on the show,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43so James Lewis was rather excited when he met Phil
0:24:43 > 0:24:46at a Winchester valuation day in 2011.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53I actually was looking on the internet
0:24:53 > 0:24:56to see when the next Antiques Roadshow was going to be in the area
0:24:56 > 0:25:01and the results on the search engine came up with Flog It! being in Winchester.
0:25:01 > 0:25:02That's why I went.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Now, Phil, I hope you didn't carry these to the Guildhall.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- You did carry these to the Guildhall. - I did.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14In the boot of your car or just open on the streets?
0:25:14 > 0:25:15Initially in the boot of my car
0:25:15 > 0:25:19- and then, fortunately, wrapped up. - Wrapped up. Good.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21You're allowed to move them if they're wrapped up
0:25:21 > 0:25:22but not if they're not.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24So, good move.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28I'll be careful. Just feel that.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30- It feels very rough.- Yes.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32And that's shagreen or shark's skin.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34And the reason why they used that,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36imagine you're going into battle
0:25:36 > 0:25:39and you're faced with the enemy looking mean as hell.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41- You'd get a bit sweaty, wouldn't you? - Absolutely.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44I mean, I'd turn tail and run.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47The shagreen stops your hand slipping on the grip.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51These are three parts of amazing military history.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53How did you come to have them?
0:25:53 > 0:25:57- They were owned by my father-in-law, who had quite a substantial sword collection.- Did he?
0:25:57 > 0:26:01So you've inherited them, they've probably been stuck under the bed for the last few years.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05- Well, not under the bed. They've been in the garage since we moved house.- Have they?
0:26:05 > 0:26:08James put a valuation of between £900 and £1,400
0:26:08 > 0:26:10on the two swords and the pistol.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15I'd not been to an auction before,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17so this was a first experience as well.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22At £200. 210, 220, 230, 240.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26250. 260? 250, then. At 250...
0:26:27 > 0:26:30The three items that I brought along all went consecutively,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32which was nice. All at the same time.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34A Scottish infantry officer's sword.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39Now, I've got a few bids here. I've got to start you at 320.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41- 340 can I say now? - Good. Straight in.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44At 320 with me. 340, is it?
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Anybody else? At 340...
0:26:47 > 0:26:50The French infantry officer's sword.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52£300 on the net. 400. 500.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56600, 750, then, on the net. At 750.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58870?
0:26:59 > 0:27:01No? At £850.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06- 850.- At £850. Any more? At 850. Are we done?
0:27:06 > 0:27:08The final value was just over £1,400,
0:27:08 > 0:27:13just a little bit more than it had been valued by James on the initial day,
0:27:13 > 0:27:14which was nice to see,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and very pleased, very happy with the way it went.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20What a great result for something otherwise hidden in a garage.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23But the reason I remember this sale has
0:27:23 > 0:27:26as much to do with what was bought with the proceeds
0:27:26 > 0:27:28as with the items themselves.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33The plan was that we would put that into an account for my son.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36However, we did decide to spend some of it on a drum kit...
0:27:39 > 0:27:42..which he's playing on for a couple of months now and taking lessons.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Like Jack, I started playing drums as a child.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56It's a hobby that turned into a lifelong passion.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Who knows? Maybe Jack could be the future Charlie Watts.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03He seems to be enjoying it
0:28:03 > 0:28:05and he seems to be able to make an awful lot of noise with it.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Well, a man after my own heart, there.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16It's great to see young talent getting the chance to shine through
0:28:16 > 0:28:21and all because Phil had the good sense to visit a Flog It! valuation day.
0:28:21 > 0:28:22Well, that's it for today.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25If you're thinking of going out and doing some buying and selling,
0:28:25 > 0:28:29good luck, but until then, it's goodbye from Trade Secrets.