Wartime Tales - Part 2 Flog It: Trade Secrets


Wartime Tales - Part 2

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Over the years on Flog It!, we've helped you sell many thousands

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of your antiques and collectables,

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and the variety of items that turn up at our valuation days

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have been absolutely astonishing. And as some of you know,

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it's not easy to put a value on them all.

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But there are some things we know will always find a ready market,

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and here's where you can find out more.

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This is Trade Secrets.

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In this series, we're pooling all of our knowledge together

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to help you get in the know.

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Welcome to Trade Secrets.

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Today, we're exploring militaria. It's a huge area,

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but one which, more often than not, it's the weight behind the story

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and the personal sentiment that puts the value on the object.

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Coming up: medals given for outstanding bravery.

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That's a true hero.

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We learn how smoking can, sometimes, be a life-saver.

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The bullet stopped and saved his life.

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Our experts offer some useful tips.

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If you're gonna be looking at old shells, guns and whatever...

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do make sure they're deactivated.

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And we see how collectable militaria can be.

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At £4,100, then... GAVEL BANGS

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-Bash! The hammer has gone down.

-I can't believe it!

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Recent anniversaries of the D-Day landings and the Dam Busters raid

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remind us of the terrifying war that engulfed the world

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and changed it for ever.

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The Second World War's a rich territory for Flog It!,

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and our experts love to hear the stories related to the items

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you bring along to our valuation days.

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But we should also remember the brave lives lost in other wars,

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and cherish those memories, those stories

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and those items that are left behind.

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Very shortly we're going to be coming up to the 100th anniversary of the First World War

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and in my eyes, that's going to push up the value

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of First World War related items.

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Look at your history books and think, "Hang on.

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"What is there going to be an anniversary of in ten years' time?"

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Certainly in my experience, the most valuable military items are medals.

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I think Falkland medals can now fetch several thousand pounds, certainly.

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In 1990, a Victoria Cross was making in the region of 100,000

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and I believe that one has just sold for half a million pounds.

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'40s MUSIC PLAYS

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Not only is the VC the highest military honour,

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but with fewer than 1,500 ever awarded, it's rare

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and therefore valuable.

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As with much militaria, the value of the medal is in the story it tells.

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At Duxford air base, James Lewis heard a tale

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that was straight out of a Boy's Own adventure.

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Patrick, whenever I see anything like this,

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it reminds me of tales of childhood,

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a little boy reading Biggles, Douglas Bader,

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learning about the Dam Busters and the bouncing bomb.

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And of course, all those sort of guys were awarded this, the...

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-Distinguished Flying Medal.

-Distinguished Flying Medal.

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What an amazing thing.

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-And what a fantastic place to discover it.

-Yeah.

-Here.

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Tell me about the medal and tell me about who it was awarded to.

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It was my stepfather, Roland Allen. He was a wonderful guy.

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He was an air gunner in the Royal Air Force,

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but previous to the war, he'd been in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve,

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which meant he learned how to fly a plane, although he wasn't a pilot.

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They attacked the Philips factory in Eindhoven in Holland,

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where they made radar and radios for German aircraft

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and the German war industry.

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The plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire

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and the pilot was injured.

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He wanted the guys to bail out.

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Roland said, "No, I can fly," so they pulled the pilot out the seat

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and he then flew the plane back, bringing back a valuable plane

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and a valuable crew, as well.

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-Gosh.

-And there's the pilot, who he saved.

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The story itself of being in a plane

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when nobody else knew you could fly it

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and when the time came,

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the captain of the plane has been injured,

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everybody thinks, "That's curtains, chaps. We're going down."

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And the voice pipes up, "Oh, by the way, I can fly."

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Sits in the pilot's seat and rescues the plane and the entire crew.

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It's something out of Disney. Wonderful story.

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All those men died of old age

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but the reason they died of old age is because Pop brought the plane back.

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-That's a true hero.

-He was indeed.

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-And there's the letter from the King.

-Yeah.

-King George.

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So what we have here, we have the three very straightforward Second World War medals.

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We've got the France and Germany Star, the 1939-45 Star,

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Victory Medal and, of course, the Distinguished Flying Medal.

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I mean, one of the questions I'm sure so many people are thinking -

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why do you want to sell them?

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You obviously... You're very proud of him, as family history.

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He would have wanted them to go to my daughter, who's 29 now.

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She's got two grandchildren but they never knew him.

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She obviously knew him as her grandad

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but I think it's quite possible they could just disappear into a drawer somewhere

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and be discarded.

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So maybe if we can pass them on with all the memorabilia

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to somebody who would do something good with them, we'll flog them.

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Would I sell the medal, if it was my family?

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I'd sell my house first,

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but the most important thing with this type of object

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isn't that the family keeps them,

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it's that somebody keeps them who will allow the story to live on.

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I was thinking in terms of an estimate of £1,000-£1,500.

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I would recommend a reserve of £1,000.

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If it doesn't make that, have it home.

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But, you know, I've got no doubts whatsoever - it's going to sell.

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Lot number 11 is the WWII DFM group of five.

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There we are. And I've got interest here starting me where?

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£800. 850, 900, 1,000.

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-They've gone.

-They've gone.

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-1,450?

-Wow.

-1,400 here. 50 where?

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At 1,400. And 50? 1,500. My bidder.

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At 1,500. I'll come to you all. 1,600. Bid me now.

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Left handed at 1,900.

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Round it up at 1,900. Two bid.

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-At 2,000 bid now.

-Wow.

-At 2,000.

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2,200? At 2,200 bid. At 2,200 bid. At two-two.

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Two-four. At 2,400.

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Two-four, two-six.

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At 2,600 bid.

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At two-six. Two-eight. At two-eight now. Round it up.

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At 2,800 bid. Three?

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At two-eight. Coming to you all now.

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-At £2,800 on the telephone.

-£2,800, Patrick.

-Wow.

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-I'm tingling. You've got to be shaking.

-I am, I am, yeah.

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I just can't believe it. Absolutely unbelievable.

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Such big interest in militaria at the moment

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because what you're investing in is pieces of history,

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not just medals but real history.

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-James, that flew.

-That was a great result.

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-A good price for that.

-Very good.

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You can't put a price on a story like that.

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Most military items we see on the programme

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date from the First and Second World Wars.

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But objects from other conflicts do turn up,

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like this unusual item from the Boer War, which caught Mark Stacey's eye.

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You've brought in one of the nicest things I've seen.

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Well, I rather like it.

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This is a souvenir of the Boer War, 1899-1900.

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We've got an exact copy of a gun here, which is...?

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-Lee Metford.

-Lee Metford.

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Right down to the bayonet going in the spoon, here.

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-And all these little details of how the gun worked.

-Amazing, isn't it?

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This is a sharp shooter. You'd have gone like that to fire it quickly.

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The first thing that attracted me to the spoon was the shape.

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It was quirky, it was a bit weird, a bit wonderful.

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But of course, when you read the inscription on that

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and the quality and the fact that it was solid silver,

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all those in my mind were adding up to something

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which is going to appeal to the collectors.

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We've got a full set of hallmarks and the maker's mark

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and a little registration number, as well.

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I just think it's a lovely, quirky bit of commemorative silver.

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Well, anybody who collects spoons or militaria, I thought, would be interested.

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-You don't need me at all, you know.

-You've just stolen my lines.

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Of course, there are people who collect things to do specifically with the Boer War.

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-Do they? Yes?

-As well.

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The spoon, of course, was very rare.

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I've never seen another one like it

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and I think because it connected with a particular war, the Boer War,

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which lasted a relatively short time,

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I think that would have really brought that type of collector to the fore.

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Now, tell me the history of it in your family.

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Well, I only know that my mother had it.

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-She would have been about 14 at the end of Boer War.

-Yes.

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And that's all I know. It came to me.

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-You would have bought this as an act of patriotism.

-I expect so.

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So your mother or a member of your family would have gone out

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and would have been proud to have that on display at home,

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showing you were fully behind Britain and her empire.

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So for a little object, it's got an awful lot of history, hasn't it?

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Yes, yes.

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I think I'm going to be cautious with it

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-and say maybe £60-£80.

-Oh! That's a lot for a spoon, isn't it?

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It is a lot but it wouldn't surprise me on the day

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if it went over £100.

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-Really?

-Absolutely.

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It's just such a lovely, honest, collectable item.

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At £60 on my left. I'll take five. Different place. 70.

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80, 90, 95.

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-This is very good.

-110.

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120, anywhere? All done, then, at 110? Thank you very much.

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I thought £110 was extremely reasonable,

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both for the vendor and for the buyer.

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Hilda was a lovely character

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and I'm really glad the spoon made so much for her.

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All war memorabilia has a story attached

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and sometimes the best stories can be linked to the most unassuming objects,

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as expert Christina Trevanion discovered.

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-What's in here?

-It doesn't look very much, does it?

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It's very unassuming, isn't it?

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Let's take it out. So it's a Curta calculator.

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So here it is.

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Where has it come from?

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Well, Audrey and I were having a sort through the garage

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because Audrey's been very kind to me since my husband died

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and we were having a look through some of his things

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and she said to me, "What's this?"

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So I said, "I haven't a clue."

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Well, it's an incredibly early version of a calculator,

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-a modern-day calculator.

-Yes.

-Yes.

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And I believe, in theory, we're supposed to be able to adjust these little slides on here

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to the relevant numbers, turn something...

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And something tells us the answer.

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The answer is supposed to come up on the top here.

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I never found out how it worked. I really should have done.

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I did try but, no, I'm ashamed to say,

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I never found out how it worked.

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They say that calculators are a life-saver.

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This little machine was actually a life-saver for its maker,

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whose name was Curt Herzstark.

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He was an Austrian Jew in the 1930s and '40s,

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which was not a very good time, sadly, for the Austrian Jews.

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And he was put in a concentration camp for the duration of the war.

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And the Nazis spotted his rather fantastic ability

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with mechanical implements

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and this machine saved his life

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-because the Nazis wanted him to make one as a gift for Hitler.

-Oh, really?

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He built one very, very slowly. LAUGHTER

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Well, he's a genius, he's an absolute genius.

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"Oh, no, it won't work this week.

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"Just give me a few more weeks and I'll get it sorted out."

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Genius. Love it.

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And he survived the war because of this machine.

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Post-war, it obviously went into production.

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They were produced in Liechtenstein and they put them into production

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and they were very, very popular.

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It's a brilliant boy's toy, isn't it?

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And of huge interest to anyone in early maths and early calculators.

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I think that at auction, we'll be looking at somewhere in the region, hopefully,

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of about £300-£500.

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That sounds good. Let's hope we get two real enthusiasts...

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-Who can put us out of our misery.

-And show us how to work it!

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And show us how to use it!

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The interesting Curta Type 1 Mechanical Calculator.

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There we are. You need a degree in how to work it.

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I'm sure the buyers will know what to do with it.

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Where do you start me? Interest here with me at 250, 280, 300, 320.

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-Oh, here we go.

-380, I'm bid and 400 with me.

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420, 450, 480, 500.

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-500 here now in the aisle.

-In the room. Fantastic.

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You're out at the front, yes? At 500 bid.

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With you, sir, at £500. Are you joining in?

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-At £500. All done at £500.

-Bang on!

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-Excellent.

-If you've got something like that on your garage shelves,

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now you know what it's worth.

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-That was a very good tin of paint, wasn't it?

-It was a great tin of paint.

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I think Lesley was quite surprised

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because she and her friend had just been sorting out the garage

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and she thought that it was a pot of paint,

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so to then get this really quite valuable gadget

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was quite a shock for her, I believe.

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So why not have a good look in your garage

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and see what treasures you can uncover lurking at the back of your shelves?

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And, of course, if you find anything of interest,

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you know where to come.

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Claire Rawle spotted something that saved a soldier's life

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in a more direct way than the calculator

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and that proves some bad habits can turn out to have an upside.

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Lovely collection here.

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Now, this relates mainly to your grandfather

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in the First World War.

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This has obviously stayed in the family.

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-This is him. Is this your grandfather?

-It is.

-Right, OK.

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This story was fantastic.

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I mean, if you saw it on a film

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you'd think, "That's a great bit of fiction," but it did happen!

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There it was and it was there in front of me.

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This is his little Bible, New Testament.

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He's been shot. The bullet's gone right through.

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There's the little...

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-The Jesus in the middle there, yes.

-Yeah.

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It went through.

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And then, obviously, his cigarette case, that's gone with the bullet

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and stopped, obviously, and saved his life

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and, obviously, that's why I'm here.

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Well, yes, yes, because if that hadn't stopped, I wouldn't be speaking to you now.

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-That's correct, yes.

-Smoking isn't always bad for you, is it?

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LAUGHTER

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The bullet had gone through the Bible

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and was stopped by the cigarette box in the pocket,

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which was carried in the breast pocket,

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which if it had gone on through - dead soldier.

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To a collector, that's brilliant. It's such a piece of history.

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And it adds a lot of value.

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And, of course, you've got the discharge papers

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and, obviously, his papers, when he came back from France,

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having been wounded but, amazingly, not killed.

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-And you hear about these things on films, don't you?

-Yes.

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And here's the proof.

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It's quite difficult to value because there isn't a huge value on it

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but if somebody's caught up by the story,

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of his surviving the war and all the papers,

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I could see it selling quite well.

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So I think, sensibly, put it in at about sort of £150, maybe £200.

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-OK.

-It's a lovely lot and I think it'll do really well.

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-Oh, lovely. Thank you.

-I look forward to the sale. Great.

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The most amazing story I've heard for years.

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Absolutely love this story. Now, what have you been doing?

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You've been in the wars as well, haven't you?

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I have. I just hit my head on a cupboard door,

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-broke the blood vessel, and that is the result of that.

-Ohhh!

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-Ooh, I bet that hurt!

-It did a bit, yeah.

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OK, let's put it to the test. Here it goes.

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And where do you start me on these? The hands telling me.

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£170 takes the other bidders out. At £170.

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Do I see 180 anywhere else in the room?

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At £170. Maiden bid on a commission. Do I see 180 anywhere else?

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At £170. It'll be first and last.

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-All the other bidders out at 170.

-GAVEL BANGS

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It doesn't seem very high, does it?

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But at least it's going to a collector

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and it's living on, in a way.

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So whatever the price, you're reliving that person's history

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through their items.

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There are all sorts of reasons why people choose to sell items

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documenting their social history.

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But, please, if you are sitting on something related to a relative's war stories,

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think twice about selling it.

0:17:100:17:12

Why not give it to a local museum or to the regiment it's associated with?

0:17:120:17:17

Because, at least, if you do want to see it again,

0:17:170:17:20

you know where it is.

0:17:200:17:22

If you sell it in an auction room, it's gone for ever.

0:17:220:17:25

If you're interested in military antiques,

0:17:280:17:30

remember that a good story attached could increase an item's value.

0:17:300:17:35

If you have something to sell, wait for a significant anniversary.

0:17:350:17:39

The renewed interest may well push up the price.

0:17:390:17:43

Whether you're buying or selling, there's always a good market for medals

0:17:430:17:48

and through them, you'll help keep tales of heroism alive.

0:17:480:17:52

I'm a firm believer that if you own antiques,

0:17:570:17:59

they should be display on display so you can enjoy them.

0:17:590:18:02

That's why I'm not keen on guns and swords and spears around the house,

0:18:020:18:06

because I've got young children.

0:18:060:18:08

But I do have one item of militaria, and it's this.

0:18:080:18:11

It's the most exquisite little powder flask,

0:18:110:18:14

which I picked up in auction a few years ago for £300.

0:18:140:18:18

And actually, I just gravitated towards the craftsmanship,

0:18:180:18:21

so it's not just a sort of practical object,

0:18:210:18:24

but it's a worked piece of art.

0:18:240:18:27

We see quite a few powder horns on the show,

0:18:270:18:29

and they're generally made out of a horn, basically,

0:18:290:18:31

which has been plugged - hence the name "powder horn".

0:18:310:18:35

Well, this one's made out of a coconut shell. It's French,

0:18:350:18:38

and I'd say it's circa 1800 to 1815,

0:18:380:18:41

and it was used during the Napoleonic Wars.

0:18:410:18:44

But as you can see, it's carved with a beautiful little face on it,

0:18:440:18:48

and its nose is actually the stopper for holding the powder.

0:18:480:18:52

But if you look closely, there are flags and armorials.

0:18:520:18:56

There's all sorts of things going on.

0:18:560:18:58

It's beautifully carved. Now, the great thing about modern technology

0:18:580:19:02

is, you can actually subscribe to certain companies

0:19:020:19:05

that will set up search engines for you.

0:19:050:19:07

If you describe what you're looking for.

0:19:070:19:09

they will give you an auction alert.

0:19:090:19:12

Two or three days before the sale,

0:19:120:19:13

they will tell you what it's going for and where it's going at,

0:19:130:19:16

so you have a chance to bid on it. They do all the legwork for you,

0:19:160:19:19

so you stand a chance of putting a decent collection together,

0:19:190:19:22

as long as you let them know what you're looking for.

0:19:220:19:25

And I think something like that is a great starting point

0:19:250:19:28

for a piece of militaria.

0:19:280:19:30

There's one object that epitomises war more than any other.

0:19:370:19:41

The firearm.

0:19:410:19:43

Some of the most memorable to have crossed the Flog It! tables

0:19:430:19:46

are 19th century guns.

0:19:460:19:48

From standard military issue holster pistols...

0:19:480:19:51

It's a working serviceman's pistol.

0:19:510:19:54

..to Smith & Wesson revolvers...

0:19:540:19:56

That's a really good collectable firearm.

0:19:560:19:58

..to pocket pistols used by men and women for personal protection.

0:19:580:20:02

Now, this would have been carried by a lady

0:20:020:20:05

while travelling on a stagecoach.

0:20:050:20:07

Good makers' names always draw in the bidders.

0:20:070:20:10

Ulrich. A Franz Ulrich.

0:20:100:20:13

-He was the best gunmaker in Switzerland of the 19th century.

-OK.

0:20:130:20:18

But the one that sticks in my mind is an immaculate French revolver

0:20:180:20:22

found by the much-missed David Barby.

0:20:220:20:25

It's a percussion gun with a revolving barrel,

0:20:250:20:30

and the blued state of the barrel is such,

0:20:300:20:33

I don't think it's ever, ever been used.

0:20:330:20:35

At £4,100, then,

0:20:350:20:37

you've finished at 4,100.

0:20:370:20:40

GAVEL BANGS

0:20:400:20:41

Bash! That hammer has gone down.

0:20:410:20:43

What a fantastic result.

0:20:430:20:45

The highest price a gun has ever made on Flog It!

0:20:450:20:49

Although the earliest recorded firearms date back to 14th century China,

0:20:510:20:56

it wasn't until the 19th century

0:20:560:20:59

that different designs took off worldwide

0:20:590:21:01

in vast numbers.

0:21:010:21:03

This era saw the arrival of the Colt,

0:21:050:21:08

the iconic handgun of the Wild West.

0:21:080:21:10

It produced the Gatling gun, the first real machine gun,

0:21:120:21:16

used by the British in South Africa and Sudan.

0:21:160:21:20

Later that century, the Maxim gun appeared,

0:21:200:21:23

the first fully automatic machine gun,

0:21:230:21:26

used in the Great War, right up until the 1960s.

0:21:260:21:30

Given the vast scale of this collecting area,

0:21:300:21:34

I suggest you specialise in one particular field.

0:21:340:21:37

That's just what gun collector Geoff Walker has done.

0:21:370:21:41

I met up with Geoff in 2008.

0:21:410:21:45

He specialised in guns designed for a very specific purpose -

0:21:450:21:49

the infamous 19th century duel.

0:21:490:21:53

What got you interested in collecting duelling pistols?

0:21:530:21:56

Well, I've always been fascinated by guns

0:21:560:21:58

and duelling pistols in particular show the sort of cutting edge

0:21:580:22:02

-of the gunmaker's craft.

-Yes.

0:22:020:22:04

-These are, you know, the work of gunmakers at their zenith.

-Yes.

0:22:040:22:09

And there are some famous names represented here.

0:22:090:22:12

Are we looking at English guns in particular?

0:22:120:22:14

These are all English guns. I only collect English guns.

0:22:140:22:18

-Because they are the best?

-They are the best.

0:22:180:22:20

Certainly, by the time the duelling pistol was in this sort of form,

0:22:200:22:25

English makers were the best in the world.

0:22:250:22:28

What should I look for when I go to buy a duelling pistol?

0:22:280:22:31

-Look for the name of the maker.

-Right. A good English maker.

0:22:310:22:34

You cannot get better than that name there.

0:22:340:22:36

-Manton.

-There were two Manton brothers, John and Joseph.

0:22:360:22:39

There's a debate about who was better.

0:22:390:22:41

I prefer John, but a lot of people prefer Joseph.

0:22:410:22:44

-At least they didn't settle it in a duel.

-That's right!

0:22:440:22:48

-They were amongst the best.

-There was lots of honour at stake.

-Yes, there was.

0:22:480:22:53

I mean, really entry level for a half-decent cased pair of duelling pistols -

0:22:530:22:58

could you get a pair for, let's say, £6,000-£7,000?

0:22:580:23:02

-Yes, certainly. That's about where you'd start.

-That's entry level.

0:23:020:23:05

But if you want the top names and the top quality,

0:23:050:23:09

you've got to go further than that.

0:23:090:23:11

So, I mean, anything from £5,000

0:23:110:23:14

up to £100,000 for something very rare and very special.

0:23:140:23:18

Duels were fought over everything and anything,

0:23:200:23:24

from revenge for a violent crime to defending a lady's honour

0:23:240:23:27

and in the 18th century it was the honour that was more valuable than life itself.

0:23:270:23:31

The motivation was not to kill the other person

0:23:310:23:34

but to gain satisfaction by proving you were willing to risk your life.

0:23:340:23:39

Talk me through what happens. Because in the movies, in the period dramas,

0:23:410:23:44

I absolutely love these guns.

0:23:470:23:49

They're so tactile and extremely beautiful to look at.

0:23:490:23:51

Even though they're quite lethal weapons, they are real, true antiques, aren't they?

0:23:510:23:56

They're lovely things just to own and to enjoy the workmanship.

0:23:560:23:59

Geoff, thank you so much for showing these.

0:23:590:24:01

-I think you're a very lucky man.

-Thank you.

0:24:010:24:03

-I've learnt a lot.

-They're wonderful things.

0:24:030:24:05

If you're thinking of collecting guns,

0:24:070:24:08

remember - buy from a reputable dealer

0:24:080:24:11

and make sure you have the paperwork to go with it.

0:24:110:24:14

Antique guns don't need a licence

0:24:160:24:17

but if you can still buy ammunition for it, it's not an antique.

0:24:170:24:22

And Philip has one last tip.

0:24:230:24:25

If you're looking at old shells, guns and whatever,

0:24:250:24:28

do make sure they're deactivated before you blow your neighbours up.

0:24:280:24:31

All of our experts love to see militaria on the show,

0:24:370:24:40

so James Lewis was rather excited when he met Phil

0:24:400:24:43

at a Winchester valuation day in 2011.

0:24:430:24:46

I actually was looking on the internet

0:24:510:24:53

to see when the next Antiques Roadshow was going to be in the area

0:24:530:24:56

and the results on the search engine came up with Flog It! being in Winchester.

0:24:560:25:01

That's why I went.

0:25:010:25:02

Now, Phil, I hope you didn't carry these to the Guildhall.

0:25:050:25:08

-You did carry these to the Guildhall.

-I did.

0:25:080:25:11

In the boot of your car or just open on the streets?

0:25:110:25:14

Initially in the boot of my car

0:25:140:25:15

-and then, fortunately, wrapped up.

-Wrapped up. Good.

0:25:150:25:19

You're allowed to move them if they're wrapped up

0:25:190:25:21

but not if they're not.

0:25:210:25:22

So, good move.

0:25:220:25:24

I'll be careful. Just feel that.

0:25:260:25:28

-It feels very rough.

-Yes.

0:25:290:25:30

And that's shagreen or shark's skin.

0:25:300:25:32

And the reason why they used that,

0:25:320:25:34

imagine you're going into battle

0:25:340:25:36

and you're faced with the enemy looking mean as hell.

0:25:360:25:39

-You'd get a bit sweaty, wouldn't you?

-Absolutely.

0:25:390:25:41

I mean, I'd turn tail and run.

0:25:410:25:44

The shagreen stops your hand slipping on the grip.

0:25:440:25:47

These are three parts of amazing military history.

0:25:470:25:51

How did you come to have them?

0:25:510:25:53

-They were owned by my father-in-law, who had quite a substantial sword collection.

-Did he?

0:25:530:25:57

So you've inherited them, they've probably been stuck under the bed for the last few years.

0:25:570:26:01

-Well, not under the bed. They've been in the garage since we moved house.

-Have they?

0:26:010:26:05

James put a valuation of between £900 and £1,400

0:26:050:26:08

on the two swords and the pistol.

0:26:080:26:10

I'd not been to an auction before,

0:26:130:26:15

so this was a first experience as well.

0:26:150:26:17

At £200. 210, 220, 230, 240.

0:26:180:26:22

250. 260? 250, then. At 250...

0:26:220:26:26

The three items that I brought along all went consecutively,

0:26:270:26:30

which was nice. All at the same time.

0:26:300:26:32

A Scottish infantry officer's sword.

0:26:320:26:34

Now, I've got a few bids here. I've got to start you at 320.

0:26:340:26:39

-340 can I say now?

-Good. Straight in.

0:26:390:26:41

At 320 with me. 340, is it?

0:26:410:26:44

Anybody else? At 340...

0:26:440:26:46

The French infantry officer's sword.

0:26:470:26:50

£300 on the net. 400. 500.

0:26:500:26:52

600, 750, then, on the net. At 750.

0:26:520:26:56

870?

0:26:560:26:58

No? At £850.

0:26:590:27:01

-850.

-At £850. Any more? At 850. Are we done?

0:27:010:27:06

The final value was just over £1,400,

0:27:060:27:08

just a little bit more than it had been valued by James on the initial day,

0:27:080:27:13

which was nice to see,

0:27:130:27:14

and very pleased, very happy with the way it went.

0:27:140:27:17

What a great result for something otherwise hidden in a garage.

0:27:170:27:20

But the reason I remember this sale has

0:27:200:27:23

as much to do with what was bought with the proceeds

0:27:230:27:26

as with the items themselves.

0:27:260:27:28

The plan was that we would put that into an account for my son.

0:27:300:27:33

However, we did decide to spend some of it on a drum kit...

0:27:330:27:36

..which he's playing on for a couple of months now and taking lessons.

0:27:390:27:42

Like Jack, I started playing drums as a child.

0:27:470:27:50

It's a hobby that turned into a lifelong passion.

0:27:530:27:56

Who knows? Maybe Jack could be the future Charlie Watts.

0:27:580:28:01

He seems to be enjoying it

0:28:010:28:03

and he seems to be able to make an awful lot of noise with it.

0:28:030:28:05

Well, a man after my own heart, there.

0:28:100:28:12

It's great to see young talent getting the chance to shine through

0:28:120:28:16

and all because Phil had the good sense to visit a Flog It! valuation day.

0:28:160:28:21

Well, that's it for today.

0:28:210:28:22

If you're thinking of going out and doing some buying and selling,

0:28:220:28:25

good luck, but until then, it's goodbye from Trade Secrets.

0:28:250:28:29

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