0:00:04 > 0:00:08Welcome to the programme that aims to help you get in the know
0:00:08 > 0:00:11when it comes to buying and selling antiques and collectibles.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Now, with over ten years of "Flog It!" behind us,
0:00:15 > 0:00:20that's hundreds of programmes and thousands of items valued and sold.
0:00:20 > 0:00:26So, if there's something you need to know, you'll more than likely find it right here on Trade Secrets.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Today we're going to be looking at the family album.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59A lot of you that turn up at our "Flog It!" valuation days
0:00:59 > 0:01:03bring along something that's been passed down through the generations
0:01:03 > 0:01:07and many of those heirlooms are of particular interest to your family.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11The question is, when does something so personal to you
0:01:11 > 0:01:14become of interest to others?
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Christina tries her hand at Who Do You Think You Are?
0:01:18 > 0:01:22We need to try and establish a link between your husband's father
0:01:22 > 0:01:24and a hospital in Kansas.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Thomas investigates the strange story behind Martinware.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30There was a disastrous fire.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Adam plays the Generation Game.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Why should you check with your grandchildren?
0:01:35 > 0:01:38- You sell it and spend the money as you wish.- Naughty Granny!
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Time and again, you bring us items you've inherited
0:01:51 > 0:01:56but that don't suit your taste or you no longer have room for.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Needs must, but part of me always finds it sad when families
0:02:00 > 0:02:03and their treasures have to go their separate ways.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06I know it's often a tough decision to sell
0:02:06 > 0:02:10so what advice do our experts have on making that choice?
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It must be very hard to sell a family heirloom and people have
0:02:13 > 0:02:16to make a serious decision to get rid of it or not
0:02:16 > 0:02:18because once it's gone, it's gone for ever.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Keep it, keep it, keep it. You have to keep heirlooms!
0:02:21 > 0:02:24There can only be two reasons for selling an heirloom.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28One is you need the space, two, you need the money.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32If the sale price would especially enhance
0:02:32 > 0:02:36the life of the present generation, then sell.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39For me, it's not just about the objects you bring
0:02:39 > 0:02:42into the valuation days that fire up my imagination.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44It's often the stories behind them -
0:02:44 > 0:02:46whether it's a heroic wartime tale
0:02:46 > 0:02:48or an anecdote of life in service,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52the experiences of our ancestors are endlessly fascinating.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Of course, the point of "Flog It!"
0:02:54 > 0:02:57is you want to know if that item you've had stashed away
0:02:57 > 0:03:01in your attic for years has any financial value.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04That's where our experts come in.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09And where better to start our saga than with some family jewels?
0:03:12 > 0:03:16If you have an item and you have a photo of it from a long time ago, for example,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20a Victorian brooch that's featured on a portrait of Great-Grandma,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23wearing that very brooch, that helps a great deal
0:03:23 > 0:03:26because it places it into context and it's further proof of the age
0:03:26 > 0:03:28and authenticity of the item.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37Now, you've brought in this lovely necklace and bar brooch and this photograph.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Can you tell me who is this person in the photograph?
0:03:40 > 0:03:42- She's my grandmother.- Good grief.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45There she is and she's wearing this little brooch, isn't she?
0:03:45 > 0:03:48- The brooch.- Were these items you inherited from her?
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- They were indeed.- Fantastic. Do these ever get worn?
0:03:51 > 0:03:55- The little brooch has occasionally. - Right.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58I notice, in the photograph - my eyesight is pretty keen -
0:03:58 > 0:04:00that it's perfect there.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03If we have a look at it here, one of the bars is broken
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- and it's missing a pearl. - I noticed that.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- So I can tell you've worn that one. - That's right.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09The rigours of youth.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Damage with jewellery always matters.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Sometimes when you look at jewellery simply for its intrinsic value,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19its gold weight, you could go over it with a steam roller
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and it won't matter but when you're looking at something
0:04:22 > 0:04:28like Joan's necklace and brooch, they're more about the workmanship.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30This much more delicate necklace
0:04:30 > 0:04:35and a much finer piece of jewellery, really, you'd only wear it
0:04:35 > 0:04:38on high days and holidays, cos it is so fragile.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- Do you know how old these are? - I believe they could be Edwardian.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Nearly spot-on. Late Victorian, Edwardian.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49- And it's a time where you either had lots of diamonds or you went completely the other way.- I see.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52And fine pearls and semi-precious stones.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And it's a really delicate, charming piece.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Actually, there's one thing that perplexes me -
0:04:58 > 0:05:00in the photograph, your grandmother's wearing
0:05:00 > 0:05:04the horseshoe what I would consider to be the wrong way up.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08- That's always amazed me, why that is so.- I was told the luck pours out.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09I think they're charming.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12As I say, they're not intrinsically valuable
0:05:12 > 0:05:16but they should be £200-£300 for the pair.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18I hope Granny would be pleased with the result,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20looking down on the saleroom.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Late Victorian sea pearl and aquamarine necklace.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Nice ensemble, isn't it? Quality always outs, doesn't it? 290. 300...
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Oh, excellent.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35310. 320. 330.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37340.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39350. 360.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Will you round it off at 400?
0:05:41 > 0:05:44£400. Everybody done at £400?
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Hammer's gone down, £400.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50- We got that bit more than what we wanted.- Excellent.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Someone clearly appreciated this bit of Victorian sparkle.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58If you've inherited a piece of jewellery that doesn't have a hallmark
0:05:58 > 0:06:02and you aren't lucky enough to have any accompanying photographs
0:06:02 > 0:06:05or provenance, the best way to try and date it
0:06:05 > 0:06:09is to look at the style, setting and kind of metal used.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12If you're selling an unwanted jewel
0:06:12 > 0:06:14and it's surplus to requirements
0:06:14 > 0:06:17and you don't need the money for anything desperately,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19it's a lovely thing to take that and go out and buy something
0:06:19 > 0:06:22that you will either wear or use, a work of art,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26something to remember the person who left it to you.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I think that's rather touching and quite an apt thing to do.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32From one type of pearls to another,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and while Joan's snapshot of her grandmother is a lovely
0:06:35 > 0:06:40family keepsake, sometimes photos can be key to explaining
0:06:40 > 0:06:43an item's place in social history.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48Can you explain to me how these all connect and where they've come from?
0:06:48 > 0:06:52- This is my husband's grandfather.- OK.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55His name was John Bennett. That's him.
0:06:55 > 0:07:02- You've got this procession, here. - This procession was in Romford Market in 1922.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06The gentleman on the end is my husband's father.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09They were just magical, weren't they? The photos Val produced.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11They were the wonderful processions
0:07:11 > 0:07:14of Pearly Kings and Queens and Pearly Princes,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18doing what they do best, which is raising money for charitable causes.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21So do you know whether your husband's father was a Pearly King?
0:07:21 > 0:07:23He was a Pearly Prince, he told us.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28A Pearly Prince? That's wonderful, isn't it? So evocative.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29He was a young man, then.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32We've got all these wonderful badges on here
0:07:32 > 0:07:36and trying to piece everything together is quite complex
0:07:36 > 0:07:41but some of the badges have these wonderful initials on them,
0:07:41 > 0:07:47which stands for the Overland Park Kansas Hospital Society,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- which is in America.- Unbelievable!
0:07:49 > 0:07:52The very, very basic point about research,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54if it's a family piece, the best thing...
0:07:54 > 0:07:57You can do so much research online, everything is available to us
0:07:57 > 0:08:00online now but let's just go back to basics.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Ask family members because as soon as those family members have gone,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05all that history is gone with them.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10- I think at auction, we may be looking at somewhere in the region of £250-£300.- Goodness!
0:08:10 > 0:08:16- How do you feel about that? - Very happy.- Really?
0:08:16 > 0:08:19What we need to try and establish somehow
0:08:19 > 0:08:25is the link between your husband's father and a hospital in Kansas.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29I got that completely wrong! It was the Pearly Kings and Queens.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34Luckily, auctioneer Will Axon was on hand to put us on the right track.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35We've done a bit of research
0:08:35 > 0:08:39and they are definitely Pearly King and Queen medals.
0:08:39 > 0:08:45The OPKHS is the Original Pearly Kings Hospital Society
0:08:45 > 0:08:47and they are 1920s London
0:08:47 > 0:08:51and I don't think there's any American connection.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Even the costumes you can see in the photographs,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57- I think, are purely for novelty factor.- For parades.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00To raise money, this guy here, "give what you can".
0:09:00 > 0:09:04This is what the pearlies were all about, raising money for charity.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07I spoke to a lady last night and she was fascinated with the medals.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11I sent them copies of the pictures, they thought they were amazing and loved them.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14What's going through your mind? How much?
0:09:14 > 0:09:17To be honest, do you know the motto of the Pearly Kings and Queens?
0:09:17 > 0:09:21- No, I don't. You're going to tell me.- I am. It's "one never knows".
0:09:24 > 0:09:29The quantity of silver gilt medals, etc. At 220. Are you bidding? 240.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34You bidding? 260. 280. It's in the gods, now, at £280.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Now bid at 280 with you, sir. Are you all done?
0:09:37 > 0:09:41All it's going to be, ladies and gentlemen. At £280. All done?
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Hammer's up at 280.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45- We're happy with that. - That's all right, yeah.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48- You didn't think you were going to sell so that's brilliant.- I'm happy.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52So, beware the pitfalls of internet research and try to double-check
0:09:52 > 0:09:56your facts, because a little bit of history can go a long way.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59If you'd had those badges individually, they'd have been lovely.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02They're nice badges to have but they wouldn't have reached nearly
0:10:02 > 0:10:05as much if they hadn't had that supporting provenance with them.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08We're always talking about provenance on this show.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Put simply, it's the documented history of that item.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16That can help to prove authenticity and if you're thinking of selling,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19maximise the sale price in the auction room.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22So look after any photographs,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25letters or any other evidence related to that item
0:10:25 > 0:10:29in a safe place because it can make all the difference.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35It can only help because it adds confidence to the buyer.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40If he can see some sort of backup as to what an item is or where
0:10:40 > 0:10:43it's come from, it will make him feel much happier about buying it.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44So do your research
0:10:44 > 0:10:49and remember, buyers may not be interested in personal family hearsay
0:10:49 > 0:10:52but they will want to know everything that can help them
0:10:52 > 0:10:55date an item or put it into context.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58And sometimes a good story can help sell an item
0:10:58 > 0:11:01so it's better to have it than miss it.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04That was the case with a painting Claire Rawle
0:11:04 > 0:11:08came across at one of our valuation days at Shropshire.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Sue. A hunting painting.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Tell me a bit about it.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Well, family has always been connected with hunting
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- and I think it's my great-great grandfather.- Oh, right.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24This is actually your great-great grandfather. Oh, wow! OK.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27It hung on my bedroom wall when I was younger.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29That's my first memories of it, really.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32It's part of the family because it was a relative of hers
0:11:32 > 0:11:36that was on the horse in the main picture. There was a bit of damage.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38This does affect the value of a picture,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42even if it's by an expensive artist because restoration is very expensive.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47I mean, it's very much of its type, a late 19th century oil on canvas.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Conveniently, the artist has signed his name at the bottom.
0:11:50 > 0:11:55He's a listed artist. Herbert St John Jones.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57'If you want to look up an artist,'
0:11:57 > 0:11:59these days it's quite straightforward
0:11:59 > 0:12:01and you go to the internet.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04You usually have to subscribe to sites
0:12:04 > 0:12:09but once you are in there, you examples of their work, history of prices realised.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Best place to go.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13And if we look at the back of the picture,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16we have all the details here.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20There we are. It is the North Cheshire Hunt, 1899.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- It's a mare called Luxury.- Yeah.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27And there we are. So this is your great-grandfather. Fred Gosden.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32Also, it mentions that the hound is the noted Cheshire Trimbush.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36So, presumably, that's the hound, there.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39'This particular picture had the most wonderful'
0:12:39 > 0:12:42notes on the back of it, explaining who the characters were,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45even down to the hound that was in the picture.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48It makes a huge difference because with anything like that,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50especially with a hound, it would be registered
0:12:50 > 0:12:54so you will be able to trace it back and know exactly when it was painted.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58So any information on the back of a picture is really worth looking at and trying to read.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02He is an artist that can make a lot of money but I think
0:13:02 > 0:13:06because of the damage, we are probably looking at about 150-250.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- Is that OK for you? - Yes, that's fine.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Total provenance. A unique piece of art.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Let's put it to the test. Here we go.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18£270, takes all the other bidders at £270.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Two in at 270.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Or is this going to be a maiden bid on commission?
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- At 270. 280, anywhere else? - Straight in at 270.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31For the oil, we are going to finish at 270.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- Wow! Straight in on commission at £270.- I'm very pleased with that.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40- That was short and sweet. - That went a bit quickly, didn't it?
0:13:40 > 0:13:44With this particular picture, I think it was languishing under a bed or something
0:13:44 > 0:13:49and had been rather forgotten about and so check out, you know,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52your little hidey holes where you keep things, maybe the attic.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54You never know what you might find up there
0:13:54 > 0:13:56and far better to turn it into if it's not thousands,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59hundreds, rather then leave it lying, decaying.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03If you have inherited an old painting
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and you want to sell it on, the more you find out about it the better.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Whatever state your painting is in, please never try
0:14:10 > 0:14:14to clean it or paint over the damaged parts yourself.
0:14:14 > 0:14:15You could destroy any value it has.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20At our valuation days,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22you often tell us it's been a tough decision to sell
0:14:22 > 0:14:25something that's been in your family for generations
0:14:25 > 0:14:29and it might surprise you to learn that despite being
0:14:29 > 0:14:33in the business of selling, our experts often feel the same way.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37I'm quite a sentimental type of chap so I would hang on to everything.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I find it hard to part with anything but I do understand
0:14:40 > 0:14:43when people do feel the need to sell something,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47either because of space, their situation, needing the money, etc.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Do you have a name for this?
0:14:49 > 0:14:51We call her Ruth, because she was my mother's
0:14:51 > 0:14:53and my mother was called Ruth.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58She's a lady gleaning in the field so we called her Ruth after Ruth and Naomi.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00So this was your mother's.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Do you know how your mother came to it?
0:15:02 > 0:15:03My grandmother bought it for her,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06possibly in the late '30s, early '40s.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09How has she ended up to be on a table here in Richmond?
0:15:09 > 0:15:11- She's a big girl.- She is a big girl.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16She is a heavy girl and, really, I have nowhere to display her, now, to her advantage.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- Have you moved house or something? - Yes.- I've gone to somewhere smaller.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23That is often the problem, isn't it? She takes up a lot of space.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25'I think in terms of bronze figures,'
0:15:25 > 0:15:30the larger the better in some cases because they are very impressive.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32I can see why our contributor wanted to sell it
0:15:32 > 0:15:37because in some areas, it's too large to cope with in a small apartment.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40But imagine in a big house, it's a very impressive,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44swanky-looking thing and with something like that that isn't the highest quality,
0:15:44 > 0:15:49size has got to help it because it just adds the wow factor.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51She's got the mark, here, of Fournier.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54That's the French sculptor Paul Fournier
0:15:54 > 0:15:58and that will date it to the end of the 19th century, late 19th or turn of the century.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00'There were many, many French bronze sculptors'
0:16:00 > 0:16:04in the mid to late 19th century and Paul Fournier was one of those.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08He's not one of your big names but I suppose more of a jobbing
0:16:08 > 0:16:11sculptor that would have produced commercial bronzes like this.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14We can't sell it for any price.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18- I would suggest that she would make £300-£500 at auction.- Right.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21And you should put a reserve of £300 on that.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Otherwise she is she is probably not worth selling...
0:16:24 > 0:16:27I'd rather keep her than give her away for nothing.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32Of course, there is sometimes one problem with selling family heirlooms.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35It is good to see you. Who have you brought along?
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- My granddaughter, Emma.- Hello. Nice to meet you.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40- You are tall, aren't you? - I remember.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44I remember the granddaughter telling off Grandma a little bit,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47she said, "You should have checked with me. I would have had her."
0:16:47 > 0:16:52But it was too late because the auction had come and there was quite a bit of interest.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56- She had her eyes on it. - This is the inheritance!
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- Granny's selling all the inheritance today.- Naughty Granny!
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Open the bidding at £200.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04220. 250.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06280. 300.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08- 320.- Gone.- 350.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09380. 400.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11At £400, being sold now.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14At £400. Are we all finished?
0:17:14 > 0:17:17That was short and sweet. You were bang on.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- £400.- Goodbye, Ruth.- Oh, dear.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23- I feel like I am in trouble. - I don't know what to say, yes.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Let's just hope we haven't started a family feud.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31My opinion is split on this.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Firstly, perhaps you should check with members of the family
0:17:34 > 0:17:36whether you should sell something or not, in case they want it.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40The other thing is, what's wrong with a bit of SKIing - Spend Kids' Inheritance?
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Why can't you do what you like with it?
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Why should you check with your grandchildren?
0:17:45 > 0:17:47You sell it and spend the money as you wish.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Many families know little or nothing about their heirlooms
0:17:54 > 0:17:56and Christina Trevanion is convinced finding out
0:17:56 > 0:18:00more about an object can put it in a completely different light.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06I brought in a piece today that I never knew I had until last week.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10We had been clearing out my granny's house recently.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14She is 103 and just gone into a home so we've been clearing out
0:18:14 > 0:18:15her house at the moment
0:18:15 > 0:18:18and this was at the bottom of her laundry basket.
0:18:18 > 0:18:24And we found it and my antiques eye went, "Oh, that's quite nice.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26"A Chinese silver-backed hairbrush."
0:18:26 > 0:18:29And, to my great surprise, it is engraved, "Sybil."
0:18:29 > 0:18:34And Sybil has always been a little bit of an enigma in our family.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39She was my great-grandmother and she married my great-grandfather,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Charles Cecil, at the age of 18. She was very young.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47And by the time she was 22, she followed him out to Sri Lanka
0:18:47 > 0:18:50and she was pregnant with her first child.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55And, at 22, sadly, she had my grandfather and,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57two weeks later, she very sadly passed away.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00So, my grandfather was shipped back to England as a newborn baby
0:19:00 > 0:19:04in a laundry basket, according to family lore.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07And my grandfather was then brought up by his grandparents,
0:19:07 > 0:19:09who were very Victorian in their outlook,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11even though this was the turn of the 20th century.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16And, as far as I knew, he was very unsentimental and quite gruff.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21But then to find this, his mother's hairbrush,
0:19:21 > 0:19:25that he'd obviously kept all this time, was very poignant for me.
0:19:25 > 0:19:26Very, very poignant.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30And it really shows that even we, as experts,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33don't know what we've got lurking at the back of cupboards.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Family stories really are at the heart of 90%
0:19:44 > 0:19:48of the objects you bring to our tables on "Flog It!"
0:19:48 > 0:19:50And I don't just mean items that have been passed down through
0:19:50 > 0:19:54the generations - sometimes it's the objects themselves
0:19:54 > 0:19:57that come from family businesses.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Some examples we often see at our tables
0:20:00 > 0:20:02are makers Wedgwood and Beswick.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05When families work well together,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09the results can be astonishing, but it doesn't always work out.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15This is certainly true of an eccentric band of brothers
0:20:15 > 0:20:18working in London in the late 19th century.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21The Martin brothers were pioneers in studio pottery
0:20:21 > 0:20:26and they produced a very distinctive style of stoneware that's become world-renowned.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31They are particularly famous for their face jugs and weird Wally birds.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36But as Thomas Plant discovered, the family story is almost as unconventional as the pottery.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Martinware is so sought-after,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43but it's extremely rare, so on "Flog It!"
0:20:43 > 0:20:45we don't get to see it very often.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47When we do, it is very special.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49And Nigel Smith had one of those moments.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53We can see it says Martin Bros, London, Southall.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58That would date it towards the end of the 1870s, maybe 1880s.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02They made some really strange things, Martin Brothers.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- There is a bit of a chip, there, did you do it?- No.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07That was done when I actually bought it.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- Do you have any idea what it might be worth?- No idea whatsoever.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13What did you pay for it all those years ago? Can you remember?
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- I paid three pounds.- Three pounds?
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Nigel's face said it all. This man had got himself a bargain.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24But Martinware is an acquired taste, so how much did this piece sell for?
0:21:24 > 0:21:261,000. 1,050.
0:21:27 > 0:21:291,100. 1,150.
0:21:29 > 0:21:321,200, anywhere?
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Yes! £1,150!
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- What do you think about that? - That is fabulous.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41What a great investment! How much did you pay for it again?
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- Three pounds. - Three pounds.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Martinware is one of those subjects which divides people completely.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50You either love it or you hate it.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55I personally love it and I think I'm going to find somebody else who absolutely adores it.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59George Twyman isn't just any old collector of Martinware,
0:21:59 > 0:22:05he's made it his lifelong passion and he has also written a book about the Martin brothers themselves.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09A fellow fan, Thomas is keen to learn more about their story.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13George, these are photographs you have of the brothers.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Here's Robert. He was the eldest.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19- He was the eldest.- He looks a bit like a bird himself, like an owl.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23- He was the bird man.- So he was the man who designed these birds.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27- He was, indeed.- Is that why we call them Wally birds? Robert Wallace?
0:22:27 > 0:22:31That's right. There was no-one else at the time doing that type of work.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35And this one is Walter Fraser Martin.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39He learnt, basically, his art at Doulton.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43And his main role in the business was?
0:22:43 > 0:22:47He was the main thrower of the pots but he was also the chemist.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49He was one of these people who wouldn't write
0:22:49 > 0:22:51anything down in case someone stole it.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Edwin also worked there and this is him.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57This is him with his grotesque fish.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59He was the youngest.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01And who is this fine-looking fellow, here?
0:23:01 > 0:23:05- He looks quite, sort of, relaxed. - This is Charles Douglas.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10He was a real funny brother, really. He ran a shop.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15When they sent it up to the Holborn Street shop to have it sold,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19if he liked it, he would secrete it in the back room somewhere.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22And he wouldn't sell it.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25He thought if other parties saw exactly what was being done
0:23:25 > 0:23:29by his brothers, they would copy it.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33The magical thing about Martin Brothers, the family,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36the pieces they were making at the time were cutting edge.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39If you were going in and buying Martin Brothers,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42at the time it was being produced, you were modern.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43You were ahead of the game.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Thomas will use any excuse he can to get his hands on some Martinware
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and George has some fantastic pieces.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54It's also a good opportunity for Thomas to clear up some confusion
0:23:54 > 0:23:58about the Martin Brothers famous grotesque vases.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00See, for example, we have this jug here.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02I would call this a grotesque on here.
0:24:02 > 0:24:08The decoration is certainly grotesque. That is for sure.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11So we are not looking at hideous because we think of gargoyles
0:24:11 > 0:24:13and ugly things but it's not,
0:24:13 > 0:24:19it is from the influence of the grottoes from excavations in Pompeii,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23excavations in Italy and that is why we call them grotesque.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28You can see the fineness of potting, the thinness of the stoneware is remarkable.
0:24:28 > 0:24:35It was, for the time that they were doing it, it really was brilliant.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38My tip for Martinware buyers and collectors is pick up the vase.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42If it is lighter than you expect, well-potted, it might well be.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44There are fakes out there so be wary.
0:24:44 > 0:24:50Make sure it is signed London, Southall, and the date as well.
0:24:51 > 0:24:57Out of the items we've got here, which one do you really like?
0:24:57 > 0:25:01- I like the watch stand.- That is so unusual, isn't it?- It is.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04What's interesting about the watch stand is the colours.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07The glazes are fantastic.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Look at that fabulous inscription in the base.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13R W Martin London March 1875.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18And if you think about 1875,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20and you think what else was around at the time,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23what we see as traditional Victorian antiques,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26this is about as far removed as us looking at
0:25:26 > 0:25:31a piece of installation sculpture and having it at our home, isn't it?
0:25:31 > 0:25:35Something by Ron Arad or somebody like that.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36It's so forward-thinking.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45When you see what they produced over the years,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48the extent that they worked and the amount they produced
0:25:48 > 0:25:50that was saleable,
0:25:50 > 0:25:55but that was only a third of what they produced was saleable.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00The other two-thirds he, Charles Douglas, said was rubbish.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05And half of it ended up in the canal at the end of their garden.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07It's extraordinary, isn't it?
0:26:07 > 0:26:10They might be the forefathers of the studio pottery movement.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14What I will take away is they were certainly not businessmen.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17What he didn't realise was that they were very,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21very poor and money was very, very tight.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Just think what they could have been if they had sold it all.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29But then again, I don't think we would have the story.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36- Did they gel as a team?- They did gel as a team, basically, yes.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Until I think it was about 1906, when there was a disastrous fire
0:26:40 > 0:26:43and people got killed who were in the flats above the shop.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Really? God!
0:26:46 > 0:26:52The only thing we know is the whole stock was valued at £3,600
0:26:52 > 0:26:56and when the insurance paid them out, they only paid out half the figure.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59That made the situation between the brothers even worse
0:26:59 > 0:27:05and they still worked after the fire but the work was not as good.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It's such a sad end, really, isn't it?
0:27:08 > 0:27:11To such a fabulous family of artists.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13What a family saga.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Unfortunately, they did die very close to each other,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20within 13 years, of TB, cancer.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24So really pretty unfair and most of them were buried in pauper's graves.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29George, with his campaigning and passion for the brothers,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33campaigned to have the grades marked with headstones
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and had a ceremony to mark the places of their burial
0:27:36 > 0:27:40so other lovers like me can go and pay their respects.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Today, one of those wonderful grotesque face jugs
0:27:48 > 0:27:49will sell for around £2,000
0:27:49 > 0:27:54and a Martin Brothers bird jar upwards of £40,000.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57So, if like George, you see something you love,
0:27:57 > 0:27:59snap it up straightaway.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02You never know, you could not only be sitting on a wonderful collection
0:28:02 > 0:28:04but a collection with a superb history.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11We've been hearing the lovely stories attached to
0:28:11 > 0:28:13objects from family-run businesses
0:28:13 > 0:28:16and your own hand-me-downs
0:28:18 > 0:28:22So why don't you rifle through YOUR attic. You never know,
0:28:22 > 0:28:26you could come across something really special and valuable as well.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30We have come to the end of today's show
0:28:30 > 0:28:34but I hope you can join us again soon for more trade secrets.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd