0:00:13 > 0:00:16Over the 12 series of Flog It! you've brought us
0:00:16 > 0:00:19thousands of items, and we've valued and helped you sell
0:00:19 > 0:00:21nearly £1 million worth of antiques.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32In this series, I want to share with you some of the things
0:00:32 > 0:00:35we've learnt about the fascinating objects
0:00:35 > 0:00:38that have been passed over our valuation tables.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Welcome to Trade Secrets.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12People, places and events can often add an extra layer of value
0:01:12 > 0:01:14to an otherwise unremarkable item.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17So in today's show, our team of Flog It! experts
0:01:17 > 0:01:19are going to give you the low-down on items
0:01:19 > 0:01:22that have been sprinkled with stardust.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Something associated with someone - or something - famous.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30Coming up, autographs from some of the biggest names in the world
0:01:30 > 0:01:32land on our blue tablecloths.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35There are some pretty famous people in this book.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38I just turned the page, and there's Sean.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41- Do you know, you've made my day. - Really? Are you a Stones fan?
0:01:41 > 0:01:43I'm a huge Stones fan.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45- How lucky are you?- I know.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47The Fab Four, all on one piece of paper.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51'We find out that famous signatures can be worth their weight in gold.'
0:01:51 > 0:01:52Oh!
0:01:52 > 0:01:54- GAVEL BANGS - Yes!
0:01:54 > 0:01:57That definitely is the back of the net.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00'And our experts share some of their greatest treasures with us.'
0:02:00 > 0:02:05A personal letter from a hugely important historical person.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08And it now belongs to me.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Now, I can't help but admire those dedicated people who wait
0:02:15 > 0:02:20for hours by a backstage door or by a players' entrance,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23all hoping to beg an autograph from their idol.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26As we now on this show, there is a ready market for autographs
0:02:26 > 0:02:30or possessions once owned by the great and the good.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33So, whose signature or former possession is ten-a-penny?
0:02:33 > 0:02:36And whose could be worth a small fortune?
0:02:36 > 0:02:38The rarity of a signature.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42So if you think of somebody who was just so cutting edge,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46so superb, but wasn't around for much. A real game-changer.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Somebody like Hendrix - his signatures are worth a fortune.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55The general rule is that an autograph is worth more
0:02:55 > 0:02:57if the person is dead.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Thinking of selling an autograph?
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Check it's right.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05If you saw the person sign it, there's no better proof.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Because, you know, there are some unscrupulous people out there
0:03:08 > 0:03:11and signatures aren't that hard to fake.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15When it comes to autographs, provenance is very, very important.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Over the years on Flog It!, we've seen many autographed items,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22and I want to share with you some of the most fascinating.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Provenance was key when Anita valued an item
0:03:26 > 0:03:29signed by Belfast's biggest heart-throb.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35- Maureen, wasn't George Best a great-looking guy?- Oh, yes!
0:03:35 > 0:03:37THEY LAUGH
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Tell me where you got this signature.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43He lives just across the street from my mother's house.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I knew his parents, knew his sisters, his brothers.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51Now, Maureen lived in the same street as George Best.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53She grew up with George Best.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58She watched him playing football with the boys in the street.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01She watched him kicking a ball over the buildings
0:04:01 > 0:04:02when she was a wee girl.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06Now, did he play football with the kids in the street and so on?
0:04:06 > 0:04:10- Yes, yes. He taught all the kids in the street.- He taught all the kids?
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- Was he a nice guy? - Oh, yes, very down-to-earth.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16George Best was a sort of wild guy
0:04:16 > 0:04:18and he must have done plenty of dancing
0:04:18 > 0:04:22with bonny girls in his time, so it was sort of fitting
0:04:22 > 0:04:25'that it should be on this fitness record.'
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- He's very good-looking. - Very good-looking. Blue-eyed beauty.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- Yeah, yeah. Did he have a lot of... - Oh, yes.- ..girls running after him?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35A lot, a lot. Especially models!
0:04:35 > 0:04:38So what we have here is a very simple thing.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41It's a Shape Up & Dance record.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45And this sort of stuff was very popular in the '70s,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49with our darling George Best there and a glamorous girl by the side.
0:04:49 > 0:04:55Quite possibly, the autograph would have been of more value
0:04:55 > 0:05:01if it had been related to the sport that George Best played.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06If it had been on a football jersey or a football or something.
0:05:06 > 0:05:13So people like something allied to the person whose autograph it is.
0:05:13 > 0:05:19Very difficult to estimate accurately an item like this.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Because it's a record rather than
0:05:21 > 0:05:25a football shirt or a piece of football memorabilia,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29I'm going to put £40-£60.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Would you be happy, Maureen, with selling it at that price?
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- At the highest, at the highest... - At the highest price?- Yeah.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Well, Maureen, we're looking for the highest price!
0:05:40 > 0:05:46What we're doing by estimating it low is to encourage the bidding.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- If we put it too high, it can put people off.- Yeah.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Now, since the valuation, Maureen has had a word with the auctioneer.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00You've upped the reserve to £80.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03It's now fixed at 80. Why did you do that?
0:06:03 > 0:06:07- I think it's worth more than that. - Fingers crossed it is.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10He was one of the world's greatest footballers,
0:06:10 > 0:06:11possibly the world's worst singer.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14George Best signed sleeve.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17At £80... New bidder at 90.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19110, 120.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22130. 140.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26150, 160, 170.
0:06:26 > 0:06:32There were two private bidders in the room who were determined
0:06:32 > 0:06:34to buy this for themselves.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37230, 240.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38250.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41All out at £260...
0:06:41 > 0:06:45- Yes!- That definitely is the back of the net.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52So, important that we should know where the autograph comes from.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Very, very important.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57And it's not just provenance that counts.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01It's also location, location, location.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Where an autographed item is sold can make the difference
0:07:05 > 0:07:08between a hit or a flop, and Anita struck gold,
0:07:08 > 0:07:13selling George Best's scrawl in his hometown of Belfast.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15'But is location always key?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18'Well, it depends on whose autograph it is.'
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Film stars, I don't think it really matters, actually.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25I don't think that Hollywood-cum-rest-of-the-world
0:07:25 > 0:07:28battle has divided that much.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31I think it is a big melting pot now with the internet.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- Ruth...- Hello there.- ..thanks for coming to Flog It!.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- Oh, you're welcome.- You have brought a fantastic album of photographs.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41'Ruth was tremendous.'
0:07:41 > 0:07:43She obviously was very unassuming.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46So charming when they are not the big I am and they come over
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and present something to you and they sit down at the table.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52And you start looking at it and you look up and you think,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54"Where did these come from?"
0:07:54 > 0:07:56And she says, "I was an extra in a film."
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Well, I used to be a film extra in the '70s and '80s
0:07:58 > 0:08:01and I used to collect the signatures for my son.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- I've got some very interesting names in there.- You have, haven't you? - I have, yes.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07I mean, I've got it open at a page which is rather lovely.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- It's Christopher Reeve.- Yes.- And he's done a little Superman there.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12He definitely has, yeah.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14And you go through the album
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and there are some pretty famous people in this book.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22And then I just turned the page, and there's Sean. What was he like?
0:08:22 > 0:08:25- He was lovely.- Yeah? - Yes, he was a really nice man.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27- A bit flirty, but he was very lovely.- Was he?- Yes!
0:08:27 > 0:08:30'I bet she was stunning when she was younger.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32'So I can quite imagine'
0:08:32 > 0:08:35all the men falling over her.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39And for me, especially, I've just put my eyeglass chain here
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- so I can turn it over and talk about this one here.- Yes.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44"Follow the Force! Mark Hamill."
0:08:44 > 0:08:46I think that's a very rare signature.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48- Right, OK.- Where did you meet him?
0:08:48 > 0:08:50I worked on a film called Return Of The Jedi,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52which was one of the Star Wars in...
0:08:52 > 0:08:54I think it was 1985, or something like that.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- And he was also very, very friendly.- Was he?
0:08:57 > 0:09:00He was lovely to work with and I just went up,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02"Can I have your autograph?" and he obliged.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Mark Hamill played the lead role of Luke Skywalker
0:09:05 > 0:09:10in the Star Wars trilogy from 1977-1983.
0:09:12 > 0:09:18For me, a child of the '70s, growing up in the 1980s,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21who went to the cinema to see Return Of The Jedi
0:09:21 > 0:09:25with his grandmother, it was just so lovely.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30And it's a wave of nostalgia which just flooded back to me,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32which was just brilliant.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33I think somebody like Mark Hamill
0:09:33 > 0:09:36would probably be worth £30-£40 on its own.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Sean Connery, 20-30, Christopher Reeve, 40-60.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41We're already at £80.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46All the others on there, I think we've got some quite good signatures here.
0:09:46 > 0:09:47Good.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55There's lots of memories. They're in the book, but they're up here too.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56OK, so which is your favourite?
0:09:56 > 0:09:58I think probably Sean Connery.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- 150, 160...- That's very good.- Yes!
0:10:01 > 0:10:04£170. Against you on the phone at 170.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Are we all done, then?
0:10:06 > 0:10:10At £170, last time, hammer up and down at £170.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- GAVEL BANGS - Well done, auctioneer. Yes, 170!
0:10:14 > 0:10:15Good valuation, Thomas.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20These albums are normally bought by autograph dealers,
0:10:20 > 0:10:25and I can quite imagine the album would not stay as an album.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30There's certainly a huge market in gaining a photograph
0:10:30 > 0:10:34of the particular star and putting their signature below it.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Ruth's autograph album appealed to the collectors
0:10:38 > 0:10:41due to the huge variety of signatures in her book
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and the elusive one from actor Mark Hamill.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Rare autographs sell.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48There is none rarer than William Shakespeare's, which is
0:10:48 > 0:10:52believed to be the most expensive autograph in the world.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56There are only six authentic examples of the Bard's signature
0:10:56 > 0:10:59in existence, which are all held in institutions.
0:10:59 > 0:11:04But if they were sold, they would cost around £2 million each.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06There are exceptions to the rarity rule, though.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11There may be thousands of autographs in existence by a person or group,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13but if their star shines extra bright,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17the signature is bound to cause a sensation.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20There is no doubt that the best group in the world is the Rolling Stones.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- Do you know, you've made my day. - Really? Are you a Stones fan?
0:11:24 > 0:11:28- I'm a huge Stones fan.- They were the best music to dance to when I was...
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- Did you used to dance like Mick Jagger?- Er...
0:11:31 > 0:11:35- I'm not go to ask you to do it! - I'm sure I tried to.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39- So have you got this signed? - It is signed, yes.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Ah, look at that. It's brilliant.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45'Provenance is important, and with photographs,'
0:11:45 > 0:11:47the buyer wants some comfort that,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50if he's buying the signature of the Rolling Stones,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52that it is actually
0:11:52 > 0:11:54'the signature of the Rolling Stones.'
0:11:54 > 0:11:59The Beatles, for example, were well-known for their roadie to sign
0:11:59 > 0:12:03their signatures and also for them to sign one another's signatures.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06And I think the Stones actually signed one another's signatures.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10So the first issue is, are they all genuine?
0:12:10 > 0:12:14And the second issue is, have you got five different
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Rolling Stones on there and not Mick Jagger doing three of them?
0:12:17 > 0:12:20How did you come by them?
0:12:20 > 0:12:22I used to work with Charlie Watts' mother.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- Charlie Watts' mum?- Yes. 1964.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- Yeah.- Before they were famous.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31And that's when she gave the pictures to me.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35And the fact that this lady knew that they had come from Charlie
0:12:35 > 0:12:40Watts' mum and that she worked with her, and that provenance, that gives
0:12:40 > 0:12:44comfort to the person who is buying or the people who want to bid on it.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47And it's going to make it make more money, basically.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52What we will ask the auctioneers to do is to say in the catalogue
0:12:52 > 0:12:56that it's a signed photograph of the Rolling Stones,
0:12:56 > 0:13:02and that the photograph was given to you by Charlie Watts' mother.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04And I think it is important, really important,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06that we put that in the catalogue.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10'I think any auction house worth its salt, if someone brings you'
0:13:10 > 0:13:13the signatures of the Beatles or Rolling Stones or whoever to sell,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15I think you need to check out where they've come from,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17who got them, who was there at the time,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21did you actually see the Rolling Stones sign these?
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Or did you know Charlie Watts' mum? Or whatever.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28And all of those details, that goes to providing this sort of
0:13:28 > 0:13:32package that makes the whole thing more attractive to a buyer.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36I'm going to suggest that you put a £200-£400 estimate on it.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39I think, if you strike lucky...
0:13:41 > 0:13:44..it wouldn't surprise me if they made...
0:13:44 > 0:13:46- three to five times that.- Mm-hm.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48There's no doubt the Rolling Stones
0:13:48 > 0:13:51are one of the biggest bands the world has ever seen,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and clearly Philip is a huge fan,
0:13:53 > 0:13:58but was he right in pricing the band's signed photograph so highly?
0:13:58 > 0:14:03340, 360, 380, 400.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07420, 440, 460, 480.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10- Yeah? 500, 520... - It's going up, anyway.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Selling on the balcony at £520.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16£520! It was a smash hit.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20If you are selling an autographed item at auction,
0:14:20 > 0:14:25always make sure the provenance is included in the catalogue.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27There's no doubt the fantastic provenance of the signed
0:14:27 > 0:14:31Rolling Stones card helped it fly away, as well as the fact
0:14:31 > 0:14:35that the band is one of the most successful the world has ever seen.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Ever since the 1960s,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40there's been a huge rivalry between the Rolling Stones
0:14:40 > 0:14:45and their fans, and the other iconic stellar British band, the Beatles.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49And the argument about who is best still rages today.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52But in a world of superstar music group autographs,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55which is worth more - the Rolling Stones or the Beatles?
0:14:55 > 0:14:57# Love, love, love... #
0:14:57 > 0:14:59- How lucky are you?- I know.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04- The Fab Four, all on one piece of paper, all signed by the band.- Yes.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09Now, it says, "To Carol, from the Beatles." Then it says,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- "George Harrison". So, obviously, George wrote that.- Yes, he did.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Did you get these autographs?
0:15:15 > 0:15:17No, a friend of mine who I used to work with,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20she was a friend of the Beatles. Her and her husband.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23- And I think they spent quite a lot of time with them.- OK.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26They were spending a weekend with them at the Grand Hotel in...
0:15:26 > 0:15:28- In Llandudno?- Yes.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33What does devalue yours is the fact that it's signed "To Carol".
0:15:33 > 0:15:36- I know, personalised, yeah.- But you never know!- There could be...
0:15:36 > 0:15:39A Carol might like to buy them, but it's got to be Carol without an "E".
0:15:39 > 0:15:41I am very adamant about my "E".
0:15:41 > 0:15:43- You're a Carole with an "E", aren't you?- Yeah.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- George got that wrong, didn't he? - He did, unfortunately.- Oh, bless him!
0:15:46 > 0:15:49I think we put a fixed reserve on this.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51- This is not going to be given away. - No.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56- A fixed reserve of £2,000. A value of 2,000-3,000.- Lovely.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- Let's see what happens. - Lovely, thank you very much, yes.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02I hope this is going to be pick of the pops and a smash hit later on.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Carole's Beatles signatures were auctioned
0:16:04 > 0:16:08just 23 miles from their home town of Liverpool.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- Hopefully, all the collectors are here.- Hope so.- Good luck, Carole.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13- Here we go.- Thank you.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Two-two. Two-two. Two-two.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Two-three. Two-four, two-four.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25- 2,400...- Are you shaking? - Yeah.- 2,400. 2,450.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28What about your client? 2,500.
0:16:28 > 0:16:322,500. All done at 2,500, then?
0:16:33 > 0:16:37- Oh!- Yes! Carole, fantastic. You were right, weren't you?
0:16:37 > 0:16:40£2,500 for the Beatles autographs.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- Thank goodness you save it and kept it safe though.- Yes.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- That's what it's all about really. - Yes.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50You can argue till the cows come home about who, musically,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54is the best band - the Beatles or the Rolling Stones.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58But in the world of the auction house, the Beatles won hands down.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00What a winning combination -
0:17:00 > 0:17:03the Fab Four's autographs all signed the same way up
0:17:03 > 0:17:07on the same piece of paper and auctioned near their hometown.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Like the Beatles themselves,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Carole's autographs were top of the pops with the bidders.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Everything touched by the band turned to gold.
0:17:16 > 0:17:22In 2013, a signed copy of the Beatles' album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
0:17:22 > 0:17:27sold in the US at auction for a staggering £191,000.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31So when it comes to collectables associated with famous people
0:17:31 > 0:17:35and autographed items, what things guarantee a big hit?
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Look out for rare signatures.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41If the star was only alive for a short while or ended up shunning
0:17:41 > 0:17:46the spotlight, the chances are they will have signed fewer autographs.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50The more elusive a signature, the higher price it can command.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Buyer beware - we bang on about it time and time again on Flog It!,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58but provenance is all-important, especially when it comes
0:17:58 > 0:18:01to autographs, which can easily be forged.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Make sure you know where an autograph came from
0:18:05 > 0:18:07before parting with your cash.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Consider location when selling.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Superstars, such as Marilyn Monroe, Bob Dylan
0:18:12 > 0:18:16and James Dean will find their market price anywhere,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20but celebrities who only found fame in their own country
0:18:20 > 0:18:23may sell for more if auctioned closer to home.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26And, finally, on Flog It! people often bring us items
0:18:26 > 0:18:30that have been hiding in their attics or treasures they've found
0:18:30 > 0:18:32rummaging through car-boot sales.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36But if there's one thing you can get for free, it's an autograph.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39With just a pen, a piece of paper and a lot of persistence,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42you could bag yourself a signature which, in a few years,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44could be worth thousands.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50At our valuation day in Herne Bay,
0:18:50 > 0:18:55Mark Stacey discovered yet more hand-written treasures with a famous connection.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00You've brought a charming little handwritten postcard, really,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04from Enid Blyton. And it's to your husband, I believe.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- Yes, he wrote to her when he was nine.- How wonderful.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11He was thrilled to get it at the time. He was a great Enid Blyton fan.
0:19:11 > 0:19:12- I bet.- He still is.- We all are.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16- Noddy and Big Ears and, of course, the Famous Five.- That's right.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19It's a shame she didn't send lashings of ginger beer
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- at the same time.- Yes, isn't it?
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Does your husband know you've brought this along?
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Yes, he does. He was quite happy for me to bring it.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30- Why hasn't he come today himself? - He was working this morning.- OK.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34But hopefully we'll get him to the auction.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Now, this is all about you, really, isn't it?
0:19:39 > 0:19:43You got this postcard from Enid Blyton. What a piece of history.
0:19:43 > 0:19:4640, I'm bid. Who's in at 50. 50 for someone?
0:19:46 > 0:19:4850, I have. 60, 70.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Who's in at 70? The bid is standing at £60 now.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Any further offer?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Any further bid? If not, I will sell at £60.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58If we're all done at 60...
0:19:58 > 0:19:59Yes, the hammer's gone down!
0:19:59 > 0:20:03In all honesty, I think the value of the postcard
0:20:03 > 0:20:05lay in its whimsical nature,
0:20:05 > 0:20:06rather than a huge financial one.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11The Enid Blyton postcard was special as it had double appeal.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15It attracted both the autograph and the postcard collectors.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18We see a huge amount of postcards on Flog It!, and their interest
0:20:18 > 0:20:23lies in the fact that they depict a wide variety of subject matters.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27We have some humorous, we have some local,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31we have some quite serious, and we have some very collectable.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34These are a complete sort of cavalcade of history
0:20:34 > 0:20:36at the beginning of the 20th century.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40These sort of saucy seaside postcards have had a long history.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46These cards are called fantasy head cards.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51They are very, very poignant.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54I mean, a lot of them are of ruins, First World War ruins,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56obviously, in France.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Postcard collecting is big business today.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05There are around 200 major postcard fairs every year in Britain
0:21:05 > 0:21:08and around 10,000 serious collectors.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10It's a hobby which suits every pocket
0:21:10 > 0:21:15as a postcard can range from a few pennies to a few thousand pounds.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18But where did it all begin? Well, across Europe,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22picture postcards began to be sent in earnest in the 1870s,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24but it wasn't until 1894
0:21:24 > 0:21:27that they were in general use in Great Britain.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The turn of the 20th century up until the First World War
0:21:32 > 0:21:34was the golden age of postcards.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Today, specialist collections of postcards
0:21:37 > 0:21:41of a single subject matter can be extremely collectable.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48My word! It's a complete volume of postcards
0:21:48 > 0:21:51and they're all P&O cruise liners.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53800. 820 with me.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57840. Selling for ever at £840.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03- £840.- Very nice.- Congratulations. It's all down to you.- Thank you.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07You put it together. You should be proud of yourself.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10It's definitely worth keeping an eye out for collections
0:22:10 > 0:22:13of P&O-themed postcards, as they can be worth
0:22:13 > 0:22:15a significant amount of money.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20In 2010, a new record was set for the sale of a single postcard.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25The card in question was sent by a Titanic survivor
0:22:25 > 0:22:28called Rosa Abbott to a Mrs Lessman in remembrance of the ship.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32The postcard featured a photograph of Rosa herself
0:22:32 > 0:22:36and it was sold for an astonishing £35,000.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39So, what should you look out for?
0:22:39 > 0:22:44Postcards which show places that no longer exist are very collectable.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Anything that depicts well-known events or people
0:22:47 > 0:22:48will be of more value.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Consider what has been written on the card, as well.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54If it's of historical interest, such as a censored card
0:22:54 > 0:22:58sent from the trenches, this could add to the value.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02And, finally, Philip has some advice.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Go through the cards, make sure there's no rare stamps on the back
0:23:06 > 0:23:09or there's nothing that's, I don't know, addressed to
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Mr Eisenhower from Winston Churchill or something like that.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Famous people throughout history
0:23:21 > 0:23:24have influenced fashion and politics.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28The notoriety have had their clothing and their haircuts copied.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30But it may surprise you to know that sometimes
0:23:30 > 0:23:34even their furniture was worth replicating.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Samuel Pepys is known today as a great diarist of the 17th century,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42and in his lifetime he was a well-regarded civil servant,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44MP and bibliophile.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Pepys amassed a huge collection of books during his lifetime
0:23:48 > 0:23:52and, by the time of his death in 1703, he had over 3,000 of them.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Now, he is the first person on record in this country
0:23:55 > 0:23:59to have a bookcase especially commissioned for his needs
0:23:59 > 0:24:02during his tenure as the Secretary of Admiralty.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07Now, this bookcase is an exact replica built by the same craftsman.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10It's freestanding and it's got glazed doors.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13This was built by Thomas Simpson,
0:24:13 > 0:24:17a master cabinet maker at the Woolwich yard circa 1670,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21a couple of years after Pepys's bookcase.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24That one is at the V&A Museum - that's how important it is.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27You have to bear in mind, this was so unusual in the day
0:24:27 > 0:24:30to have something freestanding, something movable,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34because all other bookcases were actually built into the walls,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37fixed permanently. And, of course, glass was so expensive
0:24:37 > 0:24:42nobody had ever thought about putting it on the doors of a bookcase.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44It's quite mesmerising to look at
0:24:44 > 0:24:48and it's a remarkable survivor from the reign of King Charles II,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50late 17th century.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53And, also, it's a great example of how famous people
0:24:53 > 0:24:56have influenced design throughout history.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01It's great to think that following celebrity trends didn't start
0:25:01 > 0:25:05with the Beckhams or the Beatles, but in fact it began centuries ago.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Charlie Ross loves antiques of all shapes and sizes,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15but he has a particular fondness for items that capture
0:25:15 > 0:25:17a slice of our social history.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Now, here he explains why there was one auction lot
0:25:19 > 0:25:22that he couldn't resist bidding on.
0:25:22 > 0:25:28How exciting is this? A bundle of random correspondence.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32You may think it's random, but who wrote the letters?
0:25:32 > 0:25:37None other than Ramsay MacDonald, Prime Minister of this country.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42And there's a particular letter here that was written in 1931,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45shortly after his party, the Labour Party as it turned out,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47had lost the election.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49It's a letter written to a friend of his -
0:25:49 > 0:25:53and I'm sure it's not for the consumption of anybody else -
0:25:53 > 0:25:56really being rude about his own party.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Subsequently, he carried on being Prime Minister
0:25:59 > 0:26:01of a coalition government shortly after that,
0:26:01 > 0:26:07and he allowed some Conservatives into his coalition parliament,
0:26:07 > 0:26:11his governing body, and because of that, the Labour Party said,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15"We're not having them," and booted him out of the Labour Party.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18So he was Prime Minister of a coalition government
0:26:18 > 0:26:21having been kicked out by his party. It's just fascinating.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24To be able to find something like this in a saleroom
0:26:24 > 0:26:26is just extraordinary.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31Obviously, put in for sale by the recipient of these letters
0:26:31 > 0:26:34who is one Griff Jones of Swansea -
0:26:34 > 0:26:36no doubt a stalwart member of the Labour Party.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39If you're going through boxes in salerooms,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42look for correspondence and, like I did,
0:26:42 > 0:26:47you might find the most fascinating things relating to history.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50And I will read you the one letter.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Private and confidential.
0:26:55 > 0:27:02Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street, Whitehall. 31st October 1931.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04"My dear Griff,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07"none of the many letters I received during the contest
0:27:07 > 0:27:10"gave me more pleasure than yours.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13"The deplorable way in which the opposition Labour Party
0:27:13 > 0:27:18"was led and advised is the most heartbreaking thing
0:27:18 > 0:27:20"I have known in public life.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23"It was a combination of nearly all the vices
0:27:23 > 0:27:25"and the blunders of politics."
0:27:25 > 0:27:28It goes on and on and on, and then it says,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30"Under the control of the TUC
0:27:30 > 0:27:34"the Daily Herald has become a mere gutter rag,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37"untruthful and dishonest.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41"The smash of the Party, owing to its own action,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45"is even more astounding than the very embarrassing result
0:27:45 > 0:27:47"of the election itself.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50"With kindest regards to your wife and yourself,
0:27:50 > 0:27:57"I am, yours always sincerely, Ramsay MacDonald."
0:27:57 > 0:27:59The Prime Minister!
0:27:59 > 0:28:04I mean, a personal letter from a hugely important historical person.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08And it now belongs to me.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17So we've passed on some wisdom of how to get
0:28:17 > 0:28:20the best from your penned treasures.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Now, if you've got any antiques and collectables you want to sell,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27bring them along to one of our valuation days
0:28:27 > 0:28:29and we'll see what we can do for you.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32That's it for today. Join me again soon for many more trade secrets.