0:00:08 > 0:00:12In over 10 years on "Flog It!", we've valued thousands of your items
0:00:12 > 0:00:13and we've stood by you
0:00:13 > 0:00:16in the sale room as they've gone under the hammer.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Yes!
0:00:17 > 0:00:21In this series, I want to share with you some of that knowledge.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25So sit back and enjoy as our experts let you in on THEIR trade secrets.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57Most of us define antiques as more than 100 years old
0:00:57 > 0:01:00and the 20th century doesn't spring to mind.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08But increasingly we are falling in love with items from the modern era
0:01:08 > 0:01:10and you bring in lots of them to show us
0:01:10 > 0:01:12at our "Flog It!" valuation days.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15So today we're going to be exploring
0:01:15 > 0:01:18what makes a 20th-century design classic
0:01:18 > 0:01:21and what names and styles you should be looking out for.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Coming up, Philip finds a piece of glass that takes his fancy.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30I just absolutely love it. It just gives you the tingles.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32It really gives you the tingles.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35We see some rare pieces by a "Flog It!" favourite.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40The Shark's Teeth pattern is as rare as hens' teeth.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43I try out some innovative ideas.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46You really do have to trust it, don't you?
0:01:46 > 0:01:51And we find out how a 1930s watch sparked a whole new interest.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53I'm trying and I'll get there in the end.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00There are some makers' names that crop up on our show
0:02:00 > 0:02:01again and again and again,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04like Clarice Cliff, Moorcroft, Royal Doulton,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06and time after time you bring us
0:02:06 > 0:02:08wonderful examples of their craftsmanship.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11But there are some names that demand
0:02:11 > 0:02:13more attention and more money than others.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18So here are our experts to give you the lowdown on what to look out for
0:02:18 > 0:02:20and what makes them so popular.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24My top tip for 20th century classics is condition.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And condition and condition.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31A scratched piece of plastic, a scratched piece of tin-plate ware,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34try and avoid if you can.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37It's the same in terms of furniture, glass, ceramics, silver,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41whatever it might be, if it's 20th century, it's got to be mint.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Have you got the message yet?
0:02:44 > 0:02:47If you are interested in 20th-century design,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51you heard it here, go for a piece in top condition.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54We see plenty of pieces well looked after.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58But sometimes it's amazing they have survived at all.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Fred, Binky, you've brought in a "Flog It!" favourite of course.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03A piece of Troika ware
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Troika, Troika, Troika.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08I mean, it is very 1970s.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12It fits into that small band of 10 years,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15and what went before it and what came after it
0:03:15 > 0:03:16are completely different.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19So it is a modern design classic.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Tell me the history of it.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Well, we were holidaying in Cornwall,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26we called into a shop there in St Ives.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30We went in and were looking around and I saw this piece.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35My wife didn't like it very much,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37but I insisted on coming away with something.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41So when she saw the price, she said,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44"We haven't got enough money to eat to get home."
0:03:44 > 0:03:49We'd got enough money for petrol, but not enough to have any food.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52So I said, "Well, we'll have to go hungry all the way."
0:03:52 > 0:03:56He went without food to buy that Troika vase. Would I?
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Yes, for the right thing, I probably would.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01It wouldn't do me any harm, actually, anyway.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05It's been down in his garage, at the bottom of the garden,
0:04:05 > 0:04:10on his tool chest, not wrapped up, for about 20-odd years.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- Good Lord.- 20 years, yes.- And when I was watching "Flog It!" one day,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18I said, "Here, we've got a bit of that stuff down in the garage."
0:04:18 > 0:04:22It's a lovely story, it really sums up what Troika is all about
0:04:22 > 0:04:26because they were based in St Ives. It started in the 1960s.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30And of course this is a very impressive looking piece, isn't it?
0:04:30 > 0:04:34- Yes.- Normally, we see smaller vases, but there's a lot going on here.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37The top, the middle bit and then the shaped base as well.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42It was so top-heavy, you can imagine if your little moggy,
0:04:42 > 0:04:46sorry, pussycat, was rummaging around the living room,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49easily knock that over because of the weight.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51And I suspect that very few of them have survived.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53I've never seen another one since.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Can you remember what you paid for it in the 1970s?
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- I think it was round about probably £16.- £16.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04- Something like that, wasn't it?- We've got interesting marks underneath.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06We've got obviously the Troika mark, England,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10and then a little designer signature or artist's signature here.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Now, if we were putting this... and it is it big piece, isn't it?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- Yes, I've never seen one as big as that.- I bet you haven't.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20But, looking at an auction estimate,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24I'd like to put a conservative estimate on it
0:05:24 > 0:05:26to bring in a lot of people.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30I think we should put something like £400 on it.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Oh, right.- Something like that. Maybe £400 or £500.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- Would you be happy with that?- Yes.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38It proved to be an outstanding investment.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42The 1970s Troika pillar sculpture or vase. 300.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47300 I have down there now. At 300. 340. 380. 420 another place.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Thank you. 460?
0:05:49 > 0:05:55500. 520 on the telephone. 540. 560. At 580.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- 600. 620.- Good.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Well, he had an eye, didn't he, Fred? He chose the right thing.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03£16 was a lot of money in the 1970s.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07- 800. 820. 840.- Still going on.- 860.
0:06:07 > 0:06:15- At 960, 990. 1,100. 1,150. - 1,150.- 1,150.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20- 1,300.- It's still going. - At 1,300. 1,500.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- When is it going to stop, Binky? - I don't know.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28- I'm getting goose pimples on my face. - I'm shaking.
0:06:28 > 0:06:331,750 over here now. At 1,750. Are you all done?
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- £1,750.- Oh, lovely.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Yes!
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Oh, they were lovely, weren't they? The reaction was wonderful.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50And do you know what - estimates are just estimates.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- That is beyond all expectations.- How exciting was that?- £16. It was £16.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- 16 quid, yes, I know. - And I went mad at him.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01- God bless you. God bless you for buying it.- How much was it?
0:07:01 > 0:07:05- I can't hear it.- Thanks, Mark. - Mark, you are an angel.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06Thank you very much.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11All I can say is, job done.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I won't be going on any lecture tours, however,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16on the values of Troika.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20It just goes to show that even recent designs can get
0:07:20 > 0:07:22the buyers in a frenzy.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23It's all about the name.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30From 1970s Troika to some classic Art Deco from the 1920s.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- I think that's absolutely fantastic. - Thank you.- You know what it is.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- I know what it is.- Go on, tell everybody.- It's a Lalique.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40- Rene Lalique.- Rene Lalique.- Yeah.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Rene Lalique was a French glass-maker
0:07:43 > 0:07:45who was born in 1860, died in 1945.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48His factory is still in existence.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52And he specialised in Art Nouveau glassware.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57And I don't know why, but that particular clock with the two
0:07:57 > 0:07:59budgerigars, it just stood out.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02You held it and it made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03Did you buy it, or...?
0:08:03 > 0:08:07No, my mother inherited it from her sister, my aunt.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11And we've had it 20 years and it's just sat on the shelf.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Oh, it just gives you the tingles, it really gives you the tingles.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- That's nice to know. - So these are budgerigars.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22And this pattern is called The Inseparables.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25And I guess it's because they are inseparable.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29- Can you just see there we've got Rene Lalique's signature?- Yes.- OK.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33The thing about this is that condition is all-important.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35You can look at these things for ever and a day.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37But the way to tell condition
0:08:37 > 0:08:39is just to rub your finger around the edge.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42If you can't see damage, you can feel it with your fingertips
0:08:42 > 0:08:43because they are incredibly sensitive.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46And that's how I found that little nick in it.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50- When you get to that corner, right, can you feel it?- It's a nick.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Yes, there's a little nick there and your eyes won't pick that up,
0:08:53 > 0:08:54but it's a good tip.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57So I don't think it's going to hugely affect its value.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00And you're happy with a fixed reserve of £200?
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- Sort of happy.- Sort of happy.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05What about if we stuck another nought on the end?
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Because you see, I think we could put perhaps £1,000-£2,000 on this.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15- Even with the nick? - Even with the nick.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17And the clock's not working.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19I don't think we'll worry about that too much.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21It doesn't always go hand-in-hand that
0:09:21 > 0:09:25if you've got a very good brand name you've got a very good product.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26But with Lalique, you have.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- Good luck.- Thank you.- Good luck.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29Here we go, this is it.
0:09:29 > 0:09:35Lot 435 is the Rene Lalique Inseparables glass desk clock.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37At 600 now.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40At £600, 620, 650.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43680. Is that it? 680. 700. 720. 750.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45780. 800. 820.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47It's frightening when David Palmer says is that it?
0:09:47 > 0:09:49You think it's just going to stop.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52But we're now on 900 and it's going up. It's sold already.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55At 1,050. At 1,200 now. 1,300.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59I've got 1,400. 1,500. Down here at 1,006. 1,700.
0:09:59 > 0:10:061,750. At 1,750. All done at 1,750, no-one else?
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- It gone, £1,750.- That's brilliant. - That is fantastic.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Iconic 20th-century designers like Lalique
0:10:15 > 0:10:17will always be a good investment.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Even if they are not in perfect condition.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26There is one name in Art Deco that all "Flog It!" fans know -
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Clarice Cliff.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Her work is a regular at our valuation days,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32but the James Lewis was lucky enough
0:10:32 > 0:10:35to find a piece he'd never seen before.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42This is the most wonderful design. It epitomises the Art Deco movement.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43It has angular lines,
0:10:43 > 0:10:49bright colours and she's totally sacrificed practicality for design.
0:10:49 > 0:10:50I should think it's probably
0:10:50 > 0:10:52a cookie jar and cover, something like that.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57Clarice was one of the few great female ceramic artists of her time.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59And she was one of the first.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03We've just had the First World War.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06A lot of the men had passed away, women were in the workforce
0:11:06 > 0:11:09in a different role for the first time ever.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13And we had the female flair, the female use of colour,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16the female use of design and shape,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20all combined in the wonderful Art Deco jazz age.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23And this was a design done by Clarice Cliff in 1930.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26It's a design called Shark's Teeth
0:11:26 > 0:11:30and it was inspired by an original design by Edouard Benedictus.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34But this one, with all its wonderfully bright colours,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37its wonderful angular design,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41just is going to appeal so much to the Clarice Cliff collector.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44They wanted away from the austerity of the past
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and they wanted colour in their lives.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49And Clarice Cliff gave them that.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53We see lots of Clarice Cliff, the Crocus pattern and Gay Day
0:11:53 > 0:11:57and all that sort of thing that we see time and time again.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59But this really is something quite special.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Isn't that wonderful the way Clarice Cliff has left a little
0:12:03 > 0:12:07rectangle there for her to sign her name, while doing the decoration?
0:12:07 > 0:12:08Really wonderful.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Is it something that's been in your family since it was new?
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I think it was my granny's and then my mother got it.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18- We've had it for 30 years. - 30 years, we've had it.- Yes.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20When her mother died, it passed on to her.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22What are you planning on spending the money on?
0:12:22 > 0:12:24- How much do we have to raise? - I don't know.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29- We might go a holiday. - OK.- Yeah?- I think it's worth...
0:12:30 > 0:12:33- ..£600-£900.- Eh?
0:12:33 > 0:12:37- Well... - Is that all right?- That's great.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39I think it's worth that.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41It's worth a go. If it's worth it to me,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43it's going to be worth it to somebody else.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45'It's not just the object and it's not'
0:12:45 > 0:12:47just the pattern.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52It's the combination of a rare pattern on a rare object.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54It can make a massive difference.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Start the bidding at £800.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Right, we are in.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03- It's sold.- 900. 950. 1,000.
0:13:03 > 0:13:081,050. 1,100. 1,200. 1,300.
0:13:10 > 0:13:141,400. 1,500. 1,600. 1,700.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19- Oh, there's a bid left on the book, isn't there?- 1,800. 1,900.
0:13:19 > 0:13:212,000.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24- Oh, this is just a choice moment. - 2,100 with me.
0:13:26 > 0:13:302,200. 2,300. I'm out.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Any advance on £2,300?
0:13:32 > 0:13:37- 2,300.- The hammer has gone down. Don't you just love auctions?
0:13:37 > 0:13:40The pattern was Shark's Teeth.
0:13:40 > 0:13:47And the Shark's Teeth pattern is as rare as hen's teeth.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51From Art Deco to Art Nouveau.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54We see less Minton than Clarice Cliff
0:13:54 > 0:13:56but Catherine Southon loves it.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01I am so excited about this Minton jardiniere.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05- Where did you get it from? - It was my great-grandmother's.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07I am so excited
0:14:07 > 0:14:11because I do actually collect Minton Viennese Secessionist ware.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14And this is just so beautiful.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16At the time, I was collecting Secessionist ware.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19So I was instantly drawn towards it.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23And this was a lovely example, beautiful bright colours.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26I mean, I pounced on you in the queue.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Because I saw it and I just thought those colours are absolutely
0:14:29 > 0:14:32fabulous, they are so vibrant.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35And it's got this wonderful tube lining.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37When you are buying Minton Secessionist ware,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41it's good to go for items which have really good colour,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44good vibrant colour, that's what people collect.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47The nice bright reds and oranges and purples.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51So you can see lots of sort of influences from nature.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55And we see these quite stylised flowers and plants.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59It's quite a simple design, but it's so very beautiful.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Minton had been very successful in the 19th century
0:15:02 > 0:15:03and they wanted to carry that on,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06so they brought out this design which was very short-lived,
0:15:06 > 0:15:11but slightly ahead of its time, and now is hugely desirable.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Have you had this in your home for some time?
0:15:14 > 0:15:16I've had it about six months in my home.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Before that, my mum had it in her home.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21My grandmother had a Christmas tree in it.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23My mother has had newspapers and sweet wrappers.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28I think she had an aspidistra in it at one time.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32- That's dreadful!- Yes, then she gave it to me about six months ago.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36- Used it as a rubbish bin, and I think I've been sick on it.- Oh!
0:15:36 > 0:15:40I don't know if I want to touch it. In it? Oh, God!
0:15:40 > 0:15:44But the condition overall was pretty good, it had had a hard life.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47This is really, I think, quite special.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Do you have any idea of how much it's worth at auction?
0:15:52 > 0:15:57Well, I only thought around 50 or 80 quid.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00I'll give you 50 quid.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03I'll take it from you straightaway.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07- I think that it's worth around £300-£500.- Wow!
0:16:07 > 0:16:11I think people should be very careful not just to disregard
0:16:11 > 0:16:15everything, not just to throw it on the tip. Think about things.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17And if you're not sure, take it along
0:16:17 > 0:16:20to one of our valuation days and get it checked out.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Who'll start me at £200? Thank you. 200 I'm bid. 210. 220.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29- 230. 240.- It's a bit slow. - Is sticking, isn't it?- 260.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34- 270.- Yes.- Yes, we've sold it. - 280. 290.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38300. 320. 340. 360.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44- 380. 400. 420.- That's good.- 440.
0:16:44 > 0:16:50It's at £440 on the telephone now. At £440, if we are all done...
0:16:50 > 0:16:52This particular item was something that I collect.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I think it would have been nicer to make a bit more, really.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Catherine might have hoped for a higher price,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02but it's certainly more than the £50 Lorraine thought it was worth.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13If you're interested in modern classics,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15remember, a rare Clarice Cliff shape
0:17:15 > 0:17:19combined with a rare pattern will fetch the highest price.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Go for the earliest pieces of Lalique you can find.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28An R in the signature denotes it was made
0:17:28 > 0:17:31before Rene Lalique died in 1945.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35And don't forget, with late-20th-century designs,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38condition is everything.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41We rightly celebrate the great designers
0:17:41 > 0:17:43and makers throughout our history.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45But there are many more out there, obscure and unsung,
0:17:45 > 0:17:50whose work deserves more attention, as David Fletcher knows.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55If I was to pick one object which to me
0:17:55 > 0:17:57sums up the best in 20th-century design,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00it's this christening mug.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03What I like about it is that it's traditional,
0:18:03 > 0:18:07but it's interpreted in a very modern way.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09The decoration is very simple,
0:18:09 > 0:18:13it actually depicts characters from nursery rhymes.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15But the figures are beautifully engraved,
0:18:15 > 0:18:20so there's an extraordinary simplicity of line, I love that too.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24It's not over-decorated, but you know what the decoration is,
0:18:24 > 0:18:25you know what the scene is.
0:18:25 > 0:18:31This is made of silver and it was assayed in 1950.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36It was made by a woman called Edith Barralet,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39who was a student at the time
0:18:39 > 0:18:42at the Central School of Arts and Crafts,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44founded in the late 19th century,
0:18:44 > 0:18:51and instituted, really, to encourage good design in the arts.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Although it is easily identifiable as a christening mug,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57it is so different from the sort of christening mug
0:18:57 > 0:19:00that the Victorians would have produced 70 or 80 years earlier.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05I love it. It's quite simply one of the nicest things I own.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Like David, I also think the 1950s are an overlooked period
0:19:08 > 0:19:12when it comes to modern collectables. And it's true,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16some furniture designers from that time are considered design classics.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19But Eames, Robin Day and Arne Jacobsen are beyond
0:19:19 > 0:19:22most people's budgets, so start with something smaller.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Like 1950s pottery.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28Rye, Poole and Midwinter are very good starting points
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and they are relatively inexpensive.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33But also remember, distinctive
0:19:33 > 0:19:37and currently unfashionable items will have their day.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39So far in this programme,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42we've looked back at 20th-century classics,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45but of course new ideas are emerging all the time.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47And one of the best places to see them
0:19:47 > 0:19:52is at London's Design Museum, as I discovered when I visited in 2011.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01The Design Museum was founded by Sir Terence Conran back in 1982.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06It was originally housed in the basement of the V & A Museum,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09but by 1989, the exhibition had outgrown its space
0:20:09 > 0:20:13and moved to its new home, here on the Southbank.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17There are many exhibitions here every year,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20featuring contemporary design from all around the world -
0:20:20 > 0:20:24from graphics, to architecture, fashion and product design.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31What's great about the exhibits is
0:20:31 > 0:20:33they're not just the weird and wonderful.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35There are everyday objects, too,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38making us question the design of things
0:20:38 > 0:20:40we really do take for granted.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49'Josephine Chanter, from the museum, has promised to show me around.'
0:20:49 > 0:20:51- Welcome to the museum. - Can I have a go on that?- Do.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55- That looks a lot of fun. It's very sculptural-looking.- Yes.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57When it stands up, you wouldn't even know it's a chair.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59- And that's what it is? - It is a chair.- What's it called?
0:20:59 > 0:21:02It's called Spun Chair.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05You really do have to trust it, don't you?
0:21:05 > 0:21:10It's quite therapeutic, in a way! Bags and bags of fun.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- Yes!- It's made of plastic. Is that an injection mould?
0:21:13 > 0:21:18Yes, the little bits of plastic are put into the machine and then spun,
0:21:18 > 0:21:23to make this shell of a form. This is made by Heatherwick Studios.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28It works as a sculptural form, but then, in fact, it's a chair, as well.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32At first glance, people don't necessarily know what it is,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- which is part of its charm.- Can we look at a few others? You choose,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38because everything in here is vying for my attention
0:21:38 > 0:21:41and I'm getting rather confused! So, you lead the way.
0:21:49 > 0:21:55So, I gather these light bulbs won this year's design award?
0:21:55 > 0:21:58That's right. Out of all the exhibits, all the entries,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01it was the humble light bulb that won the day.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04What is so special about them? At the end of the day,
0:22:04 > 0:22:05they are just light bulbs.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Well, we've all had to convert to low-energy light bulbs
0:22:09 > 0:22:13and they're really, really ugly. And we put them in our lamps
0:22:13 > 0:22:15and you do see them, they're really unattractive.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18What's lovely about these is, not only are they attractive,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- in and of themselves... - You don't need a lampshade.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22You don't even need a lampshade.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24..and they put a lot of time and effort
0:22:24 > 0:22:26into getting a really lovely quality of light.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Yeah. It's a whiter light, isn't it?
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Yeah, they work to give a really good luminescence,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33so they beautifully light a room.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36And they're something really gorgeous to look at.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38It turns a light bulb from being an everyday commodity
0:22:38 > 0:22:39into a real design object.
0:22:51 > 0:22:57- So, Paul, this is the YikeBike. - Gosh! Why is it called a YikeBike?
0:22:57 > 0:23:00I think, probably, because it's going to make you go "Yikes!"
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Do you know, I've seen a design like this before.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- It's the penny-farthing.- It is.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08It's an electric penny-farthing.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13It's the lightest and smallest electric bike on the market.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- Have you been on this? - I haven't been on it,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19but apparently, where it was invented, in New Zealand,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- they're quite popular.- Yikes!
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Well, one thing that really strikes me about my visit here today
0:23:30 > 0:23:33at the Design Museum is how the old has influenced the new
0:23:33 > 0:23:36and how looking backwards is just as important as looking forward.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43We are for ever saying "quality always sells"
0:23:43 > 0:23:46and, believe me, it does. All of the "Flog It!" experts
0:23:46 > 0:23:50are regularly on the lookout for those standout pieces,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53so Christina was delighted to meet Lesley, a rather racy lady,
0:23:53 > 0:23:57who brought along a stunning piece of 20th-century design quality
0:23:57 > 0:24:00to our valuation day in Duxford, in 2012.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- This is my late husband's watch. - Right.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13It's amazing it survived, because my Fred was a motorcycle racer
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and he did grass track, he did speedway
0:24:16 > 0:24:18and, then, we did road-racing together.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24- We've done 17 Isle of Man TT races. He was the driver...- No!
0:24:24 > 0:24:28..and I was the sidecar passenger. And we've been off the bike,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32- slid down the roads, crashed into barriers...- Oh, my goodness!
0:24:32 > 0:24:35- And he was wearing this watch?- He's been wearing the watch all the time.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38I had lots of people say to me, "Oh, I saw you on "Flog It!""
0:24:38 > 0:24:40"Oh, I saw you on TV."
0:24:40 > 0:24:44But what was really lovely is, some of our old motorcycling friends
0:24:44 > 0:24:45got in touch with me.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50That was us in the Isle of Man. That's me hanging out the side.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55- Oh, my God!- Complete idiots! You can't see him wearing the watch,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- but he always had his watch on.- Look at you in the skin-tight leathers!
0:24:58 > 0:25:03- Young and fit and stupid, yes! - What year was this?- About 1970, '71,
0:25:03 > 0:25:04something like that.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06'It isn't a watch that I would want to wear
0:25:06 > 0:25:09'and I don't have any relatives that would wear that kind of watch.'
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I could almost hear my husband saying,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15"Oh, flog it. Do something else with it."
0:25:15 > 0:25:18So, we took it and Christina really liked it.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Longines is synonymous with quality.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24This particular model was introduced in the 1930s.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28I think this is probably slightly later than that.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32I think it's probably end of the '30s, early '40s. It is wonderful.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I love the fact that it's got the gold dial,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38it's got what looks to be the original bevelled glass and it's got
0:25:38 > 0:25:41an 18-carat gold case to it.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46We know all that because it's stamped with its original serial number
0:25:46 > 0:25:49on the back and it's just heaven to a Longines collector.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53They were quite interested, because it was a listed one
0:25:53 > 0:25:57with a number on and it was quite exciting, really,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59to find out about it.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Value-wise,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03at auction, we would be looking somewhere in the region
0:26:03 > 0:26:08- of £300 to £500.- I wouldn't like it to go for less than £400.- Right, OK.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10I don't want you to regret selling it,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13because it's had so many wonderful memories attached to it,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16so I think, for that very reason, and in Fred's memory...
0:26:16 > 0:26:21- Yes!- ..let's say £400 to £600.- The wheeler-dealer part comes in, yes!
0:26:21 > 0:26:26And let's hope he's watching us on the auction day!
0:26:26 > 0:26:27Here we go...
0:26:27 > 0:26:33The 18-carat gold-cased Longines gentleman's automatic wristwatch.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Always popular these. Where do you start me?
0:26:36 > 0:26:40I'm bid 320, 350. I'm bid 380, with me. 400, in the gods.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43I shall sell it. In the gods, at £400.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47- We've got £400, straightaway! - 20 bid here. At 420. Sure?
0:26:47 > 0:26:49It's 420, on the phone. No? Shakes the head.
0:26:49 > 0:26:56At 420, are you all done, then? At 420, all done, then, at 420...
0:26:56 > 0:26:59£420, just over the reserve. That's good, isn't it?
0:26:59 > 0:27:02It was all over in a flash and we got what we wanted.
0:27:02 > 0:27:09Well, having decided that £420
0:27:09 > 0:27:13is not life-changing, but I thought I'd see something for it.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17My husband, obviously, passed away some years ago,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20three years ago, and so I put some in Premium Bonds and said,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23"Come on, just nudge ERNIE for me, while you're there.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25"It's your watch, now do the business."
0:27:25 > 0:27:30He hasn't been listening yet. The rest, I bought some piano lessons.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36It's great fun doing the piano.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39There are some wonderful small children,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42at about the same stage as me, and they're getting on a lot quicker,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46but they don't have arthritis, the way I've got it in my hands!
0:27:46 > 0:27:49So they're great to listen to. They're very talented.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I'm thoroughly enjoying it and I shall continue.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00And that's big apologies to all those kids
0:28:00 > 0:28:02who play an awful lot better than I do,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04but I'm trying and I'll get there in the end!
0:28:04 > 0:28:07What a great way to spend the money!
0:28:07 > 0:28:09I hope that's given you some inspiration
0:28:09 > 0:28:10to have a rummage in your attics.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14You never know, you could be sitting on a small fortune.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Well, that's it for today's Trade Secrets,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19so goodbye and good luck.