0:00:10 > 0:00:13We've got over 10 years of "Flog It!" behind us,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17that's hundreds of programs and many thousands of your antiques
0:00:17 > 0:00:20and collectables valued and sold, so you've come to the right place
0:00:20 > 0:00:23if you want to hear our Trade Secrets.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Today's show is dedicated to oddities.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58If our valuation days are anything to go by, there's a whole world
0:00:58 > 0:01:02of weird and wonderful out there in the homes of Great Britain.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05We've seen most things turn up at our valuation days
0:01:05 > 0:01:08but there's always room for more to get our experts excited.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12And they really love the odd end of the oddities spectrum.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17'On today's show, one of our owners gets a big surprise
0:01:17 > 0:01:21'when she finds out what she's brought for valuation.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:23I can't believe it!
0:01:23 > 0:01:28'We tell you how to make money on cold painted bronzes.'
0:01:28 > 0:01:31- And how much did you pay for this in your yard sale?- £1.- £1!- Yeah.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34£1, you see - it is all out there.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36'And I visit the Victoria & Albert Museum
0:01:36 > 0:01:40'to see some unusual exhibits on a large scale.'
0:01:40 > 0:01:43It's something that you wouldn't expect to see
0:01:43 > 0:01:45but just look at the grand scale of this.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55My tip for the weird and wonderful is get out there and try
0:01:55 > 0:01:58and find something, buy something you've got no idea what it is
0:01:58 > 0:02:01because that's the sort of thing that might catch the eye
0:02:01 > 0:02:03of someone else in the auction room!
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Keep your eyes peeled
0:02:07 > 0:02:11because they'll turn up in the most extraordinary places at times.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Weird items can be a real strange part of the market.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21It actually is where you can find a real high-value gem
0:02:21 > 0:02:23for not a lot of money.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32Mark can always be relied upon to spot the weird and wonderful that you bring in.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36And actually, it's hard for anyone else to get a look in.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40I love it, it's so, so wacky, isn't it?
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Now, I've seen some things on "Flog It!" in my time,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49but I haven't come across an old piece of rope like this.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51I've often asked myself, you know,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54why on earth do I end up with the weird and wonderful?
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Oh, and then you guide it, do you? Oh!
0:02:57 > 0:03:01I think it's because I like eccentric items,
0:03:01 > 0:03:06and a lot of people don't, so it ends up on my table and, am I bothered?
0:03:06 > 0:03:07No, bring it on!
0:03:07 > 0:03:10This is a fascinating item you've brought in to show us,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12really charming, actually.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16I think it's a charming, quirky object.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18It's really bitten me.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22There we go. Touchdown.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26- Veronica, Natalie...- Yes, Mark.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28- ..how nice to see you here in sunny Folkestone.- Yes.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Now, you've brought this wonderful lemon juicer in.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32Where did it come from?
0:03:32 > 0:03:36It was my grandmother's and it had gone through the family
0:03:36 > 0:03:39to my aunt who died just after Christmas and she left it to me.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42- And have you squeezed anything in it? - No, no.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- No, I haven't been that daring. - Adventurous.- No!
0:03:45 > 0:03:49It's from the sort of aesthetic period in Victorian design
0:03:49 > 0:03:53where they were really trying new ways of producing
0:03:53 > 0:03:57household objects really and we've got this really wacky design.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00You can see here two little glasses would have gone in here
0:04:00 > 0:04:06and then the really wonderful part is when you open the lid up here
0:04:06 > 0:04:08and you lift this out,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11you put the lemon or the orange in there
0:04:11 > 0:04:13and then when you close it
0:04:13 > 0:04:16and close that bit and then push that down
0:04:16 > 0:04:18you really squeeze all of the juice
0:04:18 > 0:04:20and then underneath there are some little holes there
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and you put the glass in the middle and juice comes into there.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25- Will it work, do you think? - Oh, I think it would work, yes.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29- I mean, I'm not sure how hygienic it would be.- I'm sure!
0:04:29 > 0:04:32When we look underneath we've got a lovely set of marks, we've got
0:04:32 > 0:04:36- H&H there, do you know what that stands for?- No.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- That stands for a firm called Hukin & Heath.- Ah!
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Now, Hukin & Heath are a very interesting factory
0:04:42 > 0:04:45because they produced a lot of silver-plated wares
0:04:45 > 0:04:49and they had one designer who worked for them for a while who's
0:04:49 > 0:04:53very important in Victorian design and that's Christopher Dresser.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Hukin & Heath are very well known, largely through their design
0:04:56 > 0:05:00influences by Christopher Dresser, but they are a very good
0:05:00 > 0:05:05manufacturing company so, yes, they are a good name to look out for.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08And, again, you can find them very inexpensively
0:05:08 > 0:05:11because not everybody knows what H&H stands for.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Well, I think we should put this in for auction
0:05:14 > 0:05:16with an estimate of £200-£300.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20- Really? Good grief! - Didn't think it was that much.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22- Neither did I!- Really? That surprised you?
0:05:22 > 0:05:26- No... I would've thought... - We were sort of saying sort of 80 to 120.- £80 maybe.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Well, that's a typical auctioneers estimate,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31I wish I'd known that - I would have said 80 to 120.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I could have got away with it a bit cheaper, there!
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Christopher Dresser designed across the board - ceramics, silver,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41silver plate, furniture, fabrics, textiles.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43So if you want to collect Christopher Dresser, it can be
0:05:43 > 0:05:46quite difficult because not everything's signed.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49However there are good reference books out there
0:05:49 > 0:05:53and if you want to start collecting his work you can pick up tiles
0:05:53 > 0:05:56and smaller ceramics pieces for tens of pounds.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05248 is the plated barman's friend,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08£100? Unusual item there.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09100 someone?
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Anybody want it?
0:06:12 > 0:06:13Deathly hush out there.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16No-one want this? Can't persuade anyone to bid?
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- £75 then? - I can't believe it.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22- Pass it then, no sale. - Can't squeeze a bid out of anybody.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27I have no idea why there wasn't a bid on that juicer at the sale.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30I think they must have all gone to sleep, because it was wonderful.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33We may have been unlucky that day,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36but it's always worth investigating a specialist sale
0:06:36 > 0:06:39for kitchenalia if you want to sell something similar.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45It just goes to show quirky objects aren't to everyone's taste
0:06:45 > 0:06:47but that's the appeal of the unusual,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and experienced auctioneers, like Adam, know that something
0:06:50 > 0:06:54out of the ordinary is usually a winner with the bidders.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58You've brought along something that I've never seen before.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- Where did you get this bowling ball decanter from?- Singapore.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05- Right, and when did you get it? - 1968.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Right, so would you like to demonstrate what it does?
0:07:08 > 0:07:13Take the top off and you've got a drinks set,
0:07:13 > 0:07:15then you take the decanter out.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17- And then it plays. - And it plays.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19What's the song that it is playing?
0:07:19 > 0:07:21MUSIC BOX TINKLES
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Oh, it's Oh, What A Beautiful Morning, isn't it?
0:07:26 > 0:07:29OK, let's put that back in and that stops it playing.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31This isn't the sort of piece that I'd want to buy to own,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35but I did appreciate it because it's fun, isn't it?
0:07:35 > 0:07:37You see that and you probably think, "How kitsch?
0:07:37 > 0:07:40"It reminds me of the '60s," or something like that
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and I think that's where the appeal was with that.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- Do you play bowls? - I used to, in Singapore.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51- Right, did you live in Singapore? - My husband was in the RAF.- Right!
0:07:51 > 0:07:52OK.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- I bet it brings back some memories, doesn't it?- It does,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59it's the place where I adopted my son, in Singapore.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01- He's here today, isn't he? - He's here today.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04He's a nice boy, isn't he? I met him, as well.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- So you're having a clear out? - I'm having a clear out.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Well, it's a quirky object and there's more
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and more people interested in 20th century novelty stuff.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14I don't know it's going to make a lot, really.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18- I'm not bothered about that, Adam. - But we'll put it in the auction.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22- I'm just happy to meet you lot! - Ah! Excellent.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25We'll put an estimate of £20-£40, shall we?
0:08:25 > 0:08:27'This piece, the bowling ball,'
0:08:27 > 0:08:30well, it's not exactly part of the family heritage, so the lady,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33she's getting older and we see this quite often,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36a lot of people want to see things sold in their own lifetime.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39I don't want to leave it to my children,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41it'll all end up in a skip is something that we hear quite often,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45so I can see why they want to sell things and actually have the fun
0:08:45 > 0:08:48out of seeing it sold and maybe get to spend the money themselves, too!
0:08:56 > 0:08:58780, the Japanese bowler's decanter,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01rather unusual with the musical movement.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03I've had bids on this and I start at 12 bid.
0:09:03 > 0:09:0412 bid, 12 bid, 12 bid.
0:09:04 > 0:09:0812 bid. 15, 18, 20.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13Two, five, eight, 30. Two, five, eight,
0:09:13 > 0:09:1540. Two... 42.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17This is good!
0:09:17 > 0:09:1842, 45.
0:09:18 > 0:09:2145, 45. Anyone else want in?
0:09:21 > 0:09:25At 45, at £45.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28- Yes!- Very good. - All the skittles down, there!
0:09:28 > 0:09:32- Adam said it would be about that. - He did, didn't he?
0:09:32 > 0:09:35He knows his onions, Adam does!
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I think there are an increasing number of buyers
0:09:38 > 0:09:39of this kind of thing.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42The sort of thing that we would have dismissed 10 or 20 years ago
0:09:42 > 0:09:47as pretty cheap, tatty sort of things, but now it's retro,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49isn't it, it's vintage, it's pretty cool
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and I think there's a resurgence in this sort of thing.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Those kitsch plastic items from the '50s and '60s
0:09:56 > 0:09:59you've got hiding in the loft could be worth money,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03so dust them off and look for a mid-century sale to put them in.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09There are many shops, fairs and auctions that
0:10:09 > 0:10:14cater for vintage or mid-century items and you can find them online.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Focus on one area that interests you and read up on the subject
0:10:18 > 0:10:21if you want to get ahead of the game.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Now and again someone innocently turns up at a valuation day
0:10:30 > 0:10:33without realising that they've brought along something
0:10:33 > 0:10:37extraordinary and that's when the experts can really have some fun.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41James had his turn in Bolton back in 2006.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44What a fantastic collection of walking sticks.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46We've got all types here.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Now, are these things that you've collected over the years
0:10:48 > 0:10:50or are they family things?
0:10:50 > 0:10:52No, my husband died last year and they were his father's.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57They're all shapes and sizes and different sort of qualities,
0:10:57 > 0:10:58as well. This is fantastic.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Made from a hardwood, probably made in India, and each piece of that
0:11:03 > 0:11:07decoration is an individual silver nail head, about 100 years old.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Now, that one.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11That's the most interesting one.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Owned by your father-in-law, I'm going to have a guess here,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19- a dairy farmer or a farmer? - Just a farmer.- A farmer.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- Did he ever have beasts at all? - Yes, some.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26- Yes, because do you have any idea what that's made from?- No, I don't.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29It's a walking stick made from a bull's penis.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- What, the whole stick?- Yes.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36And you'd think, wow, wouldn't you?!
0:11:36 > 0:11:38That's exactly what it is.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41It is the most amazing object you'd ever think.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45She was genuinely shocked. And I'm not surprised.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48I think anyone in their right mind would be shocked to hear
0:11:48 > 0:11:49what people would do to a bull.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Well, there was a tradition, especially around the dairy farming community
0:11:54 > 0:11:59of doing that. Between 1860 and 1900 there was this strange fashion.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- Mind you, waste not, want not. - So what's the handle made of?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Same thing!
0:12:06 > 0:12:09It's got an iron rod down the centre to make it even worse.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- Oh, right!- But some of them, you know, are a bit bendy.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15I can't believe it!
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Now we've got to try and put a value on it.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Now, I can tell you one thing, one thing is sure.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23It was worth a lot more to the bull than it was to anybody else.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28So if we said £60-£100 as a little group, put them all together,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- it's certainly a talking point, isn't?- Yes.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36'And there was more fun to be had at the saleroom
0:12:36 > 0:12:40'when we took the collection to be sold by Adam Partridge.'
0:12:41 > 0:12:43There's a few exotic ones here,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45depending on which way you look at them.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47There's a mahogany one, some ebony ones
0:12:47 > 0:12:50and there's rather an unusual one which James picked out.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- Did he pick that one out? - Yes.- Well...
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- You know what it is, don't you?- Yes, I do! I've had great fun with it,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59because when it arrived I went round passing it round all the ladies
0:12:59 > 0:13:03in the office and asking them what they thought it was made of.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05None of them knew and then when I told them
0:13:05 > 0:13:09it was made from a bull's penis they were quite shocked
0:13:09 > 0:13:11and they were running down to the bathroom to wash their hands.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14I wasn't the most popular person that day.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17We've catalogued it as a bull's pizzle, which is I believe...
0:13:17 > 0:13:19- That's the correct term. - ..the correct terminology.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22But it is one of those sort of Victorian/Edwardian
0:13:22 > 0:13:24quirky things which people love.
0:13:26 > 0:13:3189, there we are, it's the bull's pizzle walking stick
0:13:31 > 0:13:33and various others.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34A good collection of walking sticks,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37one of those is made from a bull's penis, did you know that?
0:13:37 > 0:13:39LAUGHTER
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Is that why you're smiling?
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Lot 89, there we are.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Seven of these in the lot, £100.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48£100 for a bull's pizzle. 50?
0:13:48 > 0:13:5050 bid. At 50 bid. Five now, anywhere?
0:13:50 > 0:13:54At £50 I have, at £50 a lot of fanning, five, 60.
0:13:54 > 0:13:5665 here, 70, five,
0:13:56 > 0:14:0080, five? 80 in the room still, £80.
0:14:00 > 0:14:0190, Sir?
0:14:01 > 0:14:0490 in the room still. At £90. At £90.
0:14:04 > 0:14:0695, 100.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08£100 in the room still, at 100.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Take 10. 110, 120...
0:14:10 > 0:14:14- It's a good, decorative collection. - It is.- 160,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17170? 170, 180.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19210, 220,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21230 now, 220 in the room.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23220 in the room, all finished now?
0:14:23 > 0:14:25At 220 - we sell, then.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28230, 240.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31At £240.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Yes, that's a sold sound. £240.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35June, I hope you're watching
0:14:35 > 0:14:38and I hope you've got a big smile on your face!
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Well, it really appealed to my puerile, infantile sense of humour.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I've seen a couple in the past but this was a lovely example.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Of course, you do know that it was stretched to make it.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00The market for oddities seems to be recession proof,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03so if you happen across something weird and wonderful
0:15:03 > 0:15:06and it suits your budget, snap it up there and then.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10It could prove to be one of the best investments you've ever made.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Now, take a look at how this beautiful antique was created.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18I think it's fair to say that man's been fascinated
0:15:18 > 0:15:21with his own image as far back as the humble caveman
0:15:21 > 0:15:24looking at his own reflection in a pool of water.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28But it was the Chinese really, some 500 years AD,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32that came up with the idea of polishing a piece of precious metal,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35like a little bit of silver, that could be handheld
0:15:35 > 0:15:39to use as a looking glass to see your own reflection.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43But it wasn't until the 1600s, the early part of the 17th century,
0:15:43 > 0:15:48that the looking glass as we know it, the mirror, really took off.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51The Venetians were the best in the world at blowing glass
0:15:51 > 0:15:56and that's exactly what a mirror is, a piece of hand-blown glass.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00It would then be ground down to something perfectly flat.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04This process would take hours on a massive, great big marble slab,
0:16:04 > 0:16:09to a thickness of about two or three millimetres.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12It was hard, dirty work.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15And then, a section of this glass would be cut to size.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Then it would be dipped into a tray of mercury and tin.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25It would be backed. Now, this created the mirror.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28You could see your reflection in it
0:16:28 > 0:16:31purely because of this concoction of mercury and tin.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35By the 1850s, the use of mercury was dropped
0:16:35 > 0:16:38and it was replaced with silver which was a much safer technique,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41but there is a big difference between a mirror that's been
0:16:41 > 0:16:44silver backed and a mirror that has been mercury backed,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47so I've brought along one of my mirrors as an example.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Now this mirror dates to around 1720, George I
0:16:50 > 0:16:53and it does have its original mercury glass back to it
0:16:53 > 0:16:55and that's why I bought it.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59If this mirror had been replaced with a bit of silvered glass
0:16:59 > 0:17:03or new glass, I think the value of the mirror would be 40% less
0:17:03 > 0:17:06so that's something to look out for.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Please, when you buy an early mirror like this, try not to buy one
0:17:10 > 0:17:13with a piece of glass that's been replaced because really it's
0:17:13 > 0:17:16the glass that you're buying, all the skill has gone into that.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21Now, a thing to look for is take a pencil, put it on the glass.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25The point of the pencil meets the point of the pencil
0:17:25 > 0:17:28in its reflection, directly underneath.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30If this was a new mirror,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34let's say from 1850 onwards, the point of the pencil would be
0:17:34 > 0:17:40a millimetre or so away from the point so they just wouldn't meet up.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43So, the next time you come across a mirror that looks a little bit like
0:17:43 > 0:17:47this, that looks old and useless, don't disregard it - snap it up.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50You could be buying a piece of history.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55The "Flog It!" experts are also collectors of
0:17:55 > 0:17:59all sorts of unusual items that they pick up on their travels.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03And Mark Stacey's best friend is the perfect example.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Now, this little weird and wonderful chappie
0:18:06 > 0:18:09is really significant to me because it's made out
0:18:09 > 0:18:14of the most ridiculous, disposable item, old fag packets.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19It was created by a miner as a present for one of their children.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21He must've spent hours.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24These people had very little money at the turn of the century.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26It's connected to me why?
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Because my father was a miner and so were lots of his family,
0:18:29 > 0:18:34in fact he lost at least one brother in a nasty mine accident
0:18:34 > 0:18:37and I just found this languishing in an antiques centre
0:18:37 > 0:18:43with a label which is still on there, "Dog made from cigarette pieces."
0:18:43 > 0:18:44But I knew what it was
0:18:44 > 0:18:48because I was fortunate enough to visit Beamish mining museum and I saw
0:18:48 > 0:18:51a number of these and I just thought for something that was made
0:18:51 > 0:18:55with such love, for it to have survived 100 years or more
0:18:55 > 0:18:58is really touching and it lives on my bookcase
0:18:58 > 0:19:01and I know you've guessed this already, his name's Lucky!
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Yes, he's lucky to have survived all these years,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08like so many fragile antiques.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Those miners used a simple and clever technique
0:19:11 > 0:19:14to create a toy, and it's the inventiveness
0:19:14 > 0:19:17of the craftsman that never ceases to amaze me.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27When I'm looking for extraordinary treasures, my favourite place
0:19:27 > 0:19:30has to be the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33There's a very impressive 145 galleries here,
0:19:33 > 0:19:38showcasing items from ancient art right through to 20th-century design.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42So, with a wealth of art and design history at my feet,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45I thought I'd show you some of the V&A's more unusual treasures,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48some items you wouldn't expect to see and some of them
0:19:48 > 0:19:51are on a rather large proportion.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Take this room for instance - if I step inside here,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59come with me, this is one complete exhibit.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It's taken from a house in Bromley by Bow in east London.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Now, the house was built in 1606,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09but just before it was going to be demolished in 1894
0:20:09 > 0:20:14it was transplanted here to the museum, in all of its glory,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17from the ceiling with that deep plaster relief up there,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19very fashionable in its day,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23to the most wonderful fielded oak panels on the wall.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Right down to the carving all around the mantle of this fireplace.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32Now, it's all thanks to a campaign led by the Arts & Crafts designer CR Ashbee
0:20:32 > 0:20:36that architectural detail like this has been saved for the nation,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40and thank goodness as well, and this was one of the first.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45And I must say I have been instantly transported back to the early part
0:20:45 > 0:20:50of the 17th century, right down to the creaky oak floorboards.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54But incidentally, that's the only thing that's replica in here.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Now, if you like showstoppers, take a look at this staircase.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03It's absolutely spectacular
0:21:03 > 0:21:06and I think it has to be one of my favourite things here in the museum.
0:21:06 > 0:21:07What a thing to exhibit!
0:21:07 > 0:21:09It's something that you wouldn't expect to see
0:21:09 > 0:21:12but just look at the grand scale of this.
0:21:12 > 0:21:13This was taken from a house in Brittany,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16you can imagine the size of the house it came from,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20and obviously the owner would have been of an incredibly high status.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Just look at the detail and the condition,
0:21:22 > 0:21:28considering all of this dates back to the 1520s.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31I am amazed, I'm amazed it's here all in one piece
0:21:31 > 0:21:34and it really does now look like a work of art,
0:21:34 > 0:21:39it's a most beautiful silhouette in this new extension, the new wing.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Well, that was just the tip of the iceberg of the huge collection
0:21:50 > 0:21:54that's on display here at the Victoria & Albert Museum,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57not just for me to enjoy, but for the whole nation.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Really it is not just about individual pieces,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03in the context of the bigger collection, everything that's here,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05it helps us understand the bygone eras in different periods
0:22:05 > 0:22:09of our history and also appreciate the endeavours
0:22:09 > 0:22:13of craftsmen and craftswomen and their artistic legacies.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21There's always a buzz of excitement at our valuation days
0:22:21 > 0:22:25when a cold painted bronze turns up at one of our tables.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30What I really like are the devils. I find them really fascinating.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Will it be a Franz Bergman and worth thousands of pounds?
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Well, they do vary in subject and condition,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39so watch carefully if you want to learn more.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44It's worth looking out for these at auctions and car boot sales,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48where animal examples can be found relatively cheaply.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- How much did you pay for this in your yard sale?- £1.- £1?- Yeah.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54£1, you see - it is all out there.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57In the late 19th and early 20th century, there were dozens
0:22:57 > 0:23:00of factories in Vienna producing cold painted bronzes
0:23:00 > 0:23:02of all kinds of subjects.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06After being cast, the bronzes were decorated with layers
0:23:06 > 0:23:09of polychrome paint which was not fired
0:23:09 > 0:23:12to fix it to the metal, giving rise to the name.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15The technique meant the paint was easily damaged
0:23:15 > 0:23:19and often flaked away so it's important that you pay attention
0:23:19 > 0:23:22to condition when buying these bronzes.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26The most famous of the artists working in Vienna was Franz Bergman
0:23:26 > 0:23:29whose vibrantly coloured bronzes with
0:23:29 > 0:23:34their incredibly detailed decoration stood out above all others.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Cold painted bronzes on "Flog It!" often fetch hundreds of pounds
0:23:37 > 0:23:41and this stag made £1,100 at auction.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45But a rare example could set you back up to £20,000.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Selling at £1,100, the bid is with Chris. 1,100.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Keep your eyes open for Bergman's distinctive signature marks,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59especially "Nam Greb", which is Bergman spelt backwards,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02which he often used to sign the more erotic pieces,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06where naked women were hidden beneath innocent exteriors.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12And James Lewis found a very quirky example.
0:24:14 > 0:24:21- I absolutely love it. It's mad, isn't it?- It is, it is fun, yeah.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25- We've got a Victorian desk weight and paperclip, desk clip.- Yes.
0:24:25 > 0:24:31Cast in bronze as a monkey jockey riding what looks to be like a...
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- I think it is a greyhound, isn't it? - I think it's a greyhound, yes.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39Isn't it crazy. Only the Victorians would do such a thing.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42It is one of the things that is humorous
0:24:42 > 0:24:47but the sad thing is you can actually imagine the Victorians doing it,
0:24:47 > 0:24:52dressing the monkey, tying him to a greyhound and saying, "Ride,"
0:24:52 > 0:24:54that's the frightening thing.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58You know, we're talking about a period where Rothschild
0:24:58 > 0:25:00decided to pull his chariot, not with a horse,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02but with four zebra.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05The sort of man that would ride a giant tortoise with a stick,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08asking for money and donations for his animal collection,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12this is the type of Victorian madness that was about then.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15How did you come to have such a fantastic thing?
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Well, I inherited it from my mother
0:25:17 > 0:25:19and she in turn inherited it from her parents.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22The centre for this type of work was Austria.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26There's one factory that always calls out this
0:25:26 > 0:25:28sort of quality and that's Bergman.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32- Right.- It's cold painted bronze.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36Cold painted bronze is very expensive to produce and they come
0:25:36 > 0:25:40in massive variety of shape and sizes, some as small as that,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43some as large as that,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47and the very large ones can be 10 or £20,000, really rare.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Wonderful, though.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52The fact that it's got its original paintwork means a lot
0:25:52 > 0:25:55because these things, because they were fun,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58because they were often novelty animals, kids got their hands on them
0:25:58 > 0:26:01and played with them, but really it's in not bad condition.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Well, considering it is probably what, 100 years old.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07- Yeah, well, it was made probably 1870, 1880...- As long ago as that?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Yes, somewhere like that.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Whenever you paint metal, it flakes off quite easily
0:26:12 > 0:26:14so the important thing is condition.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16You sometimes see a cold painted bronze that's only got 10%
0:26:16 > 0:26:18of the paint left, which isn't much fun.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21It's useful, its practical,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25it's in good condition, and it's novelty.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Those three things are all in its favour.
0:26:28 > 0:26:34It was just a massive combination of good saleable parts
0:26:34 > 0:26:36that made it do so well.
0:26:40 > 0:26:47Lot 523, is this superb cold painted bronze letter holder
0:26:47 > 0:26:51depicting a monkey sat upon a greyhound.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Start me at 200. 200.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54- Right, we're in.- 200 bid.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Any advance on 200? 220,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59240, 260.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02280, 300,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05320, 340,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07360, 380.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10400, 420,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13440, 460,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16480. 500.
0:27:16 > 0:27:17It's down to two people in the room.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19540,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21560.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23580,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25600.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26620, 640,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28660.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30This is good, it's so rare.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34680. £680.
0:27:34 > 0:27:35Good gracious.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38All done at 680. 680.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Yes! Slowly, slowly catch the monkey!
0:27:41 > 0:27:43- Anita worked that one up.- She did.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Did I expect the little cold painted bronze
0:27:47 > 0:27:49to do better than the estimate?
0:27:49 > 0:27:50Yes, I did.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56In terms of today's market, massive collectors field for it
0:27:56 > 0:27:58and really, really popular.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02I'm just glad that today we wouldn't actually do it for real.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Cold painted bronze where we have colour
0:28:05 > 0:28:09seems to give life to the bronze.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13These items are never cheap in the sale rooms and the best of them
0:28:13 > 0:28:19can make a huge amount of money, but it's always good to collect these.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24And the more unusual the better. But watch out for condition.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26That's great advice, Anita.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29The weirder the item, the more money it will make.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Remember, just because it's not your cup of tea,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36it doesn't mean it won't go down a storm at auction.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Good luck with all the buying and the selling.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Do join us again soon for more Trade Secrets.