0:00:05 > 0:00:09After more than a decade of valuation days and auction rooms,
0:00:09 > 0:00:15we have a wealth of experience valuing and selling your antiques and collectables on Flog It.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Fascinating. It's a really interesting object.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Are we all done at 1,900?
0:00:20 > 0:00:23That is fantastic, isn't it?
0:00:23 > 0:00:28And our experts are raring to go with some more inside information,
0:00:28 > 0:00:33so if there's something you need to know, you're more than likely to find it right here.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Welcome to Trade Secrets.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Ever since an Englishman's home has been his castle,
0:01:06 > 0:01:11we've looked at ways of being comfortable and happy within our own four walls,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15whether it's something to sit on, eat from or for passing the time.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19The things we buy for our homes have a special resonance.
0:01:19 > 0:01:25Today, it's all about the antiques we've got in our homes, the items we use every day.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30We've got great tips on everything from good, affordable furniture
0:01:30 > 0:01:32to cool, retro technology.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38'Coming up, I'm amazed by a fantastic result at auction.'
0:01:38 > 0:01:42- Bang, the hammer's gone down. What a result!- Amazing!- I'm so pleased.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47'Will shocks a visitor with his estimate on an old telly.'
0:01:47 > 0:01:52- Really?- Yes. Is that more than you thought it would be worth? - Much more.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56'And our experts will be revealing the best collectables.'
0:01:56 > 0:02:01My tip, if you're looking for more accessible things, is probably old radios.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08In the days before catch-up TV and the internet,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11people found other ways to while away the hours at home.
0:02:11 > 0:02:17What we now consider antique or old-fashioned was once state-of-the-art gadgets.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Now, at our Flog It valuation days, we see many objects that were once designed
0:02:22 > 0:02:25to provide home entertainment,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28so what do our experts think we should be looking out for?
0:02:28 > 0:02:31There's an interest in old techno items,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34be it televisions, radios, gramophones.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Mechanical music is interesting,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39music boxes and disc players and Polyphons, things like that.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44Early pieces of technology can be very desirable,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47particularly items such as magic lanterns
0:02:47 > 0:02:51and particularly magic lanterns if they don't just have one lens.
0:02:51 > 0:02:57If they've got three lenses, for example, they're very collectable, so really early entertainment.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Our idea of family recreation is very different today,
0:03:01 > 0:03:07but the Victorians and Edwardians found plenty of things to amuse themselves with
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and you keep us entertained by bringing them to Flog It.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14We may not think of these simple, popular items as collectables,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17but Anita knows how much they appeal to the bidders.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20This is an interesting thing here.
0:03:20 > 0:03:26This is what I would call a Victorian home entertainment centre.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30It's a stereoscope. Every home would have something like this
0:03:30 > 0:03:36and they would buy cards which showed you perhaps the Great Exhibitions
0:03:36 > 0:03:40or scenes in Japan, scenes of India,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44so that people were able to see foreign lands at that time.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46If you can imagine the time then,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49there were no televisions, there were no radios,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51there was no internet,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53there were no internet games,
0:03:53 > 0:03:59so people had to find ways of amusing themselves and the stereoscope was one of them.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Now, on the front here we have two eyepieces.
0:04:03 > 0:04:10Now, these would be used when we were viewing the cards which were specially manufactured for this
0:04:10 > 0:04:16and this big lens here would be used as a magnifying glass for our photographs.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Tell me where you got it.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22I bought a house. These two old people lived in it and they died.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26When we saw this, I had no interest in it, but my husband kept it.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30- Did he know what it was?- He thought it was something for a doctor.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Jeanette's husband thought it was a medical device.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38I wonder what sort of medical device he thought it was?
0:04:38 > 0:04:42- Unfortunately, we don't have any of the slides, the cards. - No, we didn't.
0:04:42 > 0:04:48Well, if you had, he would have probably worked out that it wasn't a medical instrument
0:04:48 > 0:04:51and it was a piece of home entertainment.
0:04:51 > 0:04:57- Price-wise, I would estimate it in the region of, say, £20, £30.- Mm-hm.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00We could put it into auction with that estimate.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04It might go a wee bit further because it's an interesting thing,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06but it's not a fine thing.
0:05:06 > 0:05:13Anita is hopeful the bidders will know good, old-fashioned entertainment when they see it.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Victorian stereoscope with slides.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19There we have it. £20? £10, please? 10 bid. 15.
0:05:19 > 0:05:2220. At 25.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25At 30. 5. At 40.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27At 5. At 50.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30- This is good.- At 5. At 60.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33At 5. At 70. At 5.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37- At £75...- Brilliant.- The bid's at the back of the room at 75.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41At £75 and I'm selling now at £75...
0:05:41 > 0:05:45- The hammer's gone down. That was a good result, Anita.- Excellent.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- I'm happy for you. - Thank you very much.- That's OK.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51A great result.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Many families had these amusements at home,
0:05:54 > 0:05:59so it's worth checking out your attics to see what you can find.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02The fact that it will no longer be used today
0:06:02 > 0:06:08and the fact that it isn't a functional item really doesn't make any difference at all.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13It's still a desirable item and still worth every penny of £75.
0:06:13 > 0:06:20Another example of home entertainment we see a lot on Flog It are magic lanterns.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24I've had it working once. There was smoke coming out of the top of it.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28We got gassed with the fumes, so we stopped using it.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34These are fabulous. They're magic lantern slides.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39Wind the handle and it gives the most wonderful patterns.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Magic lantern shows became popular in the 19th century
0:06:44 > 0:06:51when people found the idea of seeing images projected on a screen spooky and fascinating
0:06:51 > 0:06:58and the Victorians soon seized on them to amuse and entertain family and friends at home.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I can imagine hours of endless fun
0:07:01 > 0:07:05looking at these slides through a magic lantern.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09And it seems Anita is really drawn to these early projectors too.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Now, your magic lantern has seen better days.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Has it ever!
0:07:16 > 0:07:21This has very, very little value. It wasn't the best of quality.
0:07:21 > 0:07:28I've seen some beautiful ones which are brass-bound with beautiful oak trimmings and so on.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33What was of interest there were the packets of slides.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40And these were giving the buyers an idea
0:07:40 > 0:07:44of what was of interest to Victorians.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Now, we have about 12, 15 boxes of slides
0:07:48 > 0:07:54from Victorian times up until the '30s and some classics.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59I mean, we have the Disney ones here as well, so this will make it interesting.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Now, these three here
0:08:02 > 0:08:06are of particular interest and these are older ones as well.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09And if we can pick one up,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12the slide would be put in...
0:08:13 > 0:08:17And what you've got is a crazy, bearded Scotsman,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20brandishing weapons.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26And if you pull the slide back, there he is,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29shooting someone with a pistol.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33These little moving slides were very, very interesting
0:08:33 > 0:08:39and they, in actual fact, were the precursor of movies and television.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Robert, I would like to put a value
0:08:43 > 0:08:46of £100 to £150.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Yes.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Would you be happy to sell them at that?
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Yes, I would hope they would do better.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59I would hope they would do better as well. I tend to estimate conservatively.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08The magic lantern with a collection of boxed and other slides.
0:09:08 > 0:09:1080. 5. 90.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13100. 110. 20.
0:09:13 > 0:09:1540. 60. 180.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20200. I'll take 20 quickly. I'm selling at 200...
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- What will you put £200 towards? - I'm sure my grandson will benefit.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I'd estimated much lower than that,
0:09:27 > 0:09:32but it just showed the desirability of these slides
0:09:32 > 0:09:37and quite probably the prize in the slides were the moving ones.
0:09:37 > 0:09:44The need for domestic entertainment has led to all sorts of technological advances down the ages
0:09:44 > 0:09:46and to some iconic looks.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49There were some pretty funky designs going on
0:09:49 > 0:09:52in the '30s and '40s, into the '50s and '60s
0:09:52 > 0:09:55which are probably more relevant today than they were then.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00They were rejected then as being too racy, whereas nowadays we love that retro look.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06There's a huge market in collectors' items,
0:10:06 > 0:10:0820th century collectors' items,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12things that I have been brought up with as a child -
0:10:12 > 0:10:15televisions, radios, record players.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20My tip, if you're looking for more accessible things, is probably old radios.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23I don't know an awful lot about them myself,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27but there are a few radios that can be extremely rare and valuable,
0:10:27 > 0:10:32so mostly they seem to cost 10 or 20 quid, mostly they seem to make 10 or 20 quid,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35but you do get the odd valuable one.
0:10:36 > 0:10:42I couldn't agree more, Adam. I was delighted to find this odd-looking box in 2006.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48- When we open this up, there's a big surprise in here.- There is.- Ta-da!
0:10:48 > 0:10:50It's an early radio.
0:10:50 > 0:10:57It belonged to my partner's grandfather and it's been in their house since he was a small child.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01It's a crystal radio and I think it's absolutely superb.
0:11:01 > 0:11:07We've got another little surprise in here because that's a little drawer and there's a set of headphones.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11These, I bet, are in working order because they look pretty good to me.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15We've never actually tried to have it working, but....
0:11:15 > 0:11:20I wouldn't like to either. You've got to attach the headphones to these two terminals.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23This is the tuner and it says here,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26"Type approved by the Postmaster General for the BBC."
0:11:26 > 0:11:31How about that for a seal of approval? You can't get any better.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34- Isn't it lovely? The crystal would go in here.- Yes.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39A tiny box went in there with some replacement crystal like a little ball.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Value? Crikey...
0:11:41 > 0:11:45With the headphones, we'll put a value of £50 to £90.
0:11:45 > 0:11:51- OK.- Are you happy with that? - Yes, I'm happy with that, Paul. - Shall we flog it?- Flog it, please.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55'It might not sound like much of a valuation,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59'but I was hoping other people would be on my wavelength at auction.'
0:11:59 > 0:12:01This is your lot. Good luck.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Interest starts me here already at 95. 100. And 10, you're in, sir.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08At 110. Both my bidders are out. At 110. And 20. 30.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11140. 50. 160.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14170. 180. 190.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- 200. 220... - They absolutely love it, don't they?
0:12:17 > 0:12:20I can't believe it!
0:12:20 > 0:12:22In front at £220...
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- Bang, the hammer's gone down. What a result!- Amazing!- I'm so pleased.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- I would never have thought... - No, I wouldn't.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34It did even better than I had hoped.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36I love this early technology,
0:12:36 > 0:12:42so search your sheds and attics and see what your grandparents may have bought
0:12:42 > 0:12:45that could make you some money at auction.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53And even what you and your parents bought shouldn't be ignored.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Will couldn't wait to get his hands on this fabulous retro item.
0:12:56 > 0:13:03When I saw it, I thought perhaps you'd come on your motorbike and had left your Day-Glo helmet in the bag,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05or perhaps a part-time astronaut.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10- This is a great piece of post-war design. How did you come by it? - It's my sister's.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15She and her husband got married in 1968, so I assume they bought it shortly after that.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- I think it probably dates from more towards the early '70s.- Yeah.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Right up my street, lovely thing.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Classic '70s design, bright colours, bold,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29and I thought, "We don't see enough of that on Flog It."
0:13:29 > 0:13:33We've got the name of the maker on it, JVC, a Japanese firm
0:13:33 > 0:13:37who in the sort of '70s, early '70s,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41they were taking their design influence from the space race,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45which is where this TV gets its nickname, shall we say?
0:13:45 > 0:13:51- It's known as the Sputnik.- Is it? - Yeah. After the Russian satellites that were blasted into orbit.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55TVs nowadays want to get thinner and thinner and thinner,
0:13:55 > 0:14:00but someone at JVC thought it would be a great idea to have a TV in a ball.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Great, out-of-the-box thinking.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07- You see these two chains popping out of the top?- Yeah. - They would have been a chain loop
0:14:07 > 0:14:12because the alternative for this is you could have it on the stand as you have here,
0:14:12 > 0:14:17which is again a multi-swivel stand, or you could hang it from a ceiling.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19As a piece of sculpture, it works beautifully.
0:14:19 > 0:14:25Whether it works as a telly, I'm not entirely sure, hanging in the corner of the room there by a chain.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27But who cares? It looked beautiful.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31And I see you've still got it wired up, so it does still work.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34- Yes, I tried it the other week. - You get all the channels?
0:14:34 > 0:14:39- All five terrestrial channels. - That's better than my modern telly at home!
0:14:39 > 0:14:43- I would suggest a sensible estimate of £200 to £300.- Really?- Yes.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47- Is that more than you thought it would be worth?- Much more.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52- I thought about £50.- Really? That would be a good buy at £50.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- OK.- If we say 200 to 300,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57put a reserve on it at £200, bit of discretion?
0:14:57 > 0:15:04- My sister said she didn't worry about the reserve.- No reserve. Excellent. £200 to £300, no reserve.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Hopefully, we'll do very well for you on the day.
0:15:09 > 0:15:15Having no reserve is a great way to tempt the bidders, but do take advice from the auctioneer.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19You must be prepared for your item to sell for a low price.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22I can open the bidding at 100 here. On the book at £100.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- Gone.- £100 on the book. 120?
0:15:25 > 0:15:27120. 140?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29120 at the back. I'm out at 120.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32At £120, are you done?
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Are you sure?
0:15:34 > 0:15:36The hammer's gone down at £120.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39- Not bad. - No retro collectors here today.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42- It got the lower end. - It's worth 200 quid.
0:15:42 > 0:15:48I put the estimate for the TV at £200 to £300 because I believed that's what it was worth
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and I still believe that's what it was worth.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54In the right sale, in the right trendy shop downtown,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58it would certainly be 200-plus all day long.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04I agree. The market for retro items is particularly strong just now,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07so someone bagged a bargain there.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10And you could too if you keep an eye on auction websites
0:16:10 > 0:16:14and place a commission bid if you can't get there in person.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19If you're looking out for techno bargains,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22we're seeing a new interest in old computers
0:16:22 > 0:16:26from the time when I was a child in the late '70s, early 1980s.
0:16:26 > 0:16:33Those old computers, people are buying them. If you've got them boxed, new and in good condition,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36then perhaps those are a good thing to hang on to.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40I suspect that if you're looking at today's gadgets,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43something like a mobile phone,
0:16:43 > 0:16:50a rare, valuable mobile phone could well become even more valuable in the future
0:16:50 > 0:16:54because this technology is changing daily.
0:16:54 > 0:17:00Apple were perhaps the forerunners in the design of smartphones and sort of being user-friendly,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03then they might be something to collect.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06We're all on number 5s now, aren't we?
0:17:06 > 0:17:09I wonder if a few people have got the old number 3 at home?
0:17:09 > 0:17:12It might become a design classic of the future.
0:17:12 > 0:17:18Not all of today's modern gadgets will stand the test of time to become collectables of the future.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22If you are thinking of buying something for the home,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25consider something with a designer appeal, a limited edition.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29That definitely will become the antique of the future.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36So, from the cutting-edge designs for the future,
0:17:36 > 0:17:42there are still some very collectable items for the home with the classic appeal of the past
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and one of our experts is a little obsessed.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Philip Serrell is not really a man to show his feelings.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53He's a rugby-loving, cigar-smoking, sports car-driving man's man,
0:17:53 > 0:17:58but even he gets a tear in his eye when he comes across a piece of Royal Worcester porcelain
0:17:58 > 0:18:00at a Flog It valuation day.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- Do you know where I'm from? - Worcester.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07- Why is that relevant? - Because it's a Worcester teapot.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11What really does it for me about antiques is the social history,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13so for Worcester porcelain,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16it's important for me because I'm a Worcester boy,
0:18:16 > 0:18:22I was educated in Worcester, I used to go to the Worcester Porcelain Museum as a 13, 14, 15-year-old.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Not much I can tell you about that.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29- You're the expert.- What? Don't you come round here using that language!
0:18:29 > 0:18:33As I got into it, I began to appreciate the effect
0:18:33 > 0:18:39that the porcelain factory had on the city of Worcester in social terms, people who worked there,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43and the whole thing that it brought to the city and the county,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45and that's what does it for me now.
0:18:45 > 0:18:52In my eyes, I might be slightly biased, I think Worcester is the best English factory there was.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59Phil's auction house is in the heart of the Worcestershire countryside in a converted chapel
0:18:59 > 0:19:05and his business is a family affair with his wife Briony and his daughter both working with him.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Clem's my daughter. She's with me today in the saleroom.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14She first came into these hallowed portals... She's 29 now. I was an incredibly young father(!)
0:19:14 > 0:19:17But she first came in here probably 28½ years ago.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22I've been coming to salerooms since I was probably knee-high to a grasshopper.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26There's black-and-white photos of my mum and I at farm sales
0:19:26 > 0:19:30when my dad did livestock auctions before the antique stuff took off,
0:19:30 > 0:19:35then from there, he's moved on to selling painted fruit to selling paintings.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41I'd like to think I've been there every step of the way. Five years ago, I came into the business fully,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44so now I'm here all the time.
0:19:46 > 0:19:52Phil is hopeful that Clem will grow to love Royal Worcester as much as he does.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56He's got a regular sale coming up featuring the local porcelain
0:19:56 > 0:19:59and there are over 100 lots ready to be viewed.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04This is all of the Worcester in next week's sale. There are interesting things here.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- Here's a bit of a quiz now, see how much you've learned.- OK.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12Who are the best Worcester porcelain artists and what do they paint?
0:20:12 > 0:20:16- OK, Harry Davis - sheep.- Which is that little vase down there.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19- Yeah.- Which will make £1,000-plus. - I'd say.
0:20:19 > 0:20:25- Charley Baldwyn - plates. - These plates here which are worth, hopefully, about £1,000 each.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30Then these powder-blue vases are Charley Baldwyn and they're 3,000 to 5,000.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33- The plates are a bit more interesting.- Beautifully painted.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- And cattle - Stinton. - The Stinton family.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40These aren't the Stintons. These are later copies of Stintons.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Those are Stinton. He did Highland cattle, massively sought after.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Sometimes when Worcester comes into the saleroom, I look at it and think,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52"Some people give £3,000, £5,000 for this sort of thing. Why?"
0:20:52 > 0:20:58I can appreciate it and when you look at what they've painted on these items,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02a lot of the time, if it's a vase or a pot, it's curved.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07To paint some of these things on a curve and on a piece of ceramic is quite hard,
0:21:07 > 0:21:12but in terms of whether I'd actually want to own it, it's slightly different.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17- Then we have all this painted fruit. It's massively valuable because... - Travellers.
0:21:17 > 0:21:23Travellers' caravans are full of really good painted fruit Worcester and this is painted fruit Worcester.
0:21:23 > 0:21:29- Hit me with some painted fruit artists.- Freeman and Ayrton were the two best for painted fruit.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Yeah, though one of the earlier ones you rarely see was Richard Sebright.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- Yeah.- He was absolutely stunning.
0:21:35 > 0:21:42Worcester items like part dinner services decorated with half a peach and a bit of leaf and half an apple,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45they remind me of going round to your aunt's house for dinner
0:21:45 > 0:21:50and they've got the roast potatoes in one, carrots in the other.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53It does still have its market, but it's not my taste.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56I don't know anybody my age who would collect it, really.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01If you're giving someone a tip who's buying painted fruit, what would it be?
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Out of these two, which would you tell them to buy?
0:22:04 > 0:22:09- From the front, I like that one, but when you turn them over, you'll go for that one.- Why?
0:22:09 > 0:22:15- It's got a pink backstamp.- What does that mean?- It's more valuable than the black backstamp. Always go pink.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20There you are. Go pink. This is interesting because this is a Locke and Co Worcester vase.
0:22:20 > 0:22:26- But it's got a peacock on it. What do we know about peacock feathers? - Unlucky.- Why?- Devil's eye.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29You'd never have a peacock's feather in the house.
0:22:29 > 0:22:35So, a Worcester vase with a pheasant on it is worth a lot more than one with a peacock on it because...?
0:22:35 > 0:22:37- It's unlucky.- You got it.
0:22:41 > 0:22:47Today, Philip and Clem have got a decision to make about some very personal family items.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52Part of this job is I clear houses for people when members of the family have died.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56My mother has recently died, so I'm now doing my own job for me.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59You approach it from a completely different angle.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03She collected Worcester porcelain for 30 or 40 years
0:23:03 > 0:23:06and now I must decide whether I keep this stuff or sell it.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Most of the figures that my mother's got are by Freda Doughty
0:23:10 > 0:23:16and Freda Doughty did little figures of countries of the world, days of the week, months of the year.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19They are very much collectors' pieces
0:23:19 > 0:23:26and in a way, I much prefer the earlier Worcester porcelain dating from the 18th century.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30The thing is, we've got nothing like this at home, have we?
0:23:30 > 0:23:36- No, it's just the sort of thing that gathers dust.- Do you like these things?- Not particularly. Do you?
0:23:36 > 0:23:39No. In fact, not at all.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Are any of these worth anything?
0:23:42 > 0:23:47You've got the auctioneer's friend with this lot over here which is 80 to 120, but some of these here,
0:23:47 > 0:23:53- the countries of the world should make anywhere between £150 and £300 a go.- OK.
0:23:53 > 0:23:59I can remember my mother being so excited that she bought that one. 20 years ago, that cost 150, 200 quid.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03- I don't think I'd be giving £200 for that.- It's worth a lot more now.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06So, what would you spend the money on?
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Other than shoes and handbags, maybe a nice painting, a seascape.
0:24:10 > 0:24:17That's November and you were born in November, so we'll put that one by. I'd like to keep that one.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21And that's Tuesday's child and you were born on a Tuesday,
0:24:21 > 0:24:26- so those two are your sort of birth date.- Yeah. - I'd like to hang on to those two.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30The rest of them, what will we do? Keep, sell, yes, no?
0:24:30 > 0:24:36- I'm going to say "sell".- Really? - Yeah. Obviously, it's down to you, but not really my kind of thing.- OK.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39- "Sell" it is then.- Yeah. - OK, good enough.
0:24:41 > 0:24:47For anyone who inherits something, there's a huge emotional tie as to whether you should sell or keep.
0:24:47 > 0:24:52And I really do believe that if you don't like something, sell it.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57Don't keep it just because it was your father's or your grandfather's or whatever.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06In these days of equality, the whole family helps to make a house a home,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10but in previous centuries, it was very much the woman's realm
0:25:10 > 0:25:14and their domestic accomplishments are very much celebrated today.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19This sampler isn't particularly early and it isn't particularly special.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24It's 1890 which is quite late as samplers go,
0:25:24 > 0:25:29but to me, it absolutely epitomises the vagaries of the auction trade.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34This came up for auction 25 years ago in a saleroom close to me.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39Because it says here "South Cave Girls' School", that was the school I went to,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42so I desperately wanted to buy this.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45It was worth probably £30, £40 at the time,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49but I got a bit of auction fever and I went up and up and up.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53I dropped out at about 200. Two other people continued the fight
0:25:53 > 0:25:56and the hammer went down for £300 which was ridiculous.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I was miffed I hadn't bought it, but I got over it.
0:25:59 > 0:26:0320 years later, I went to another saleroom in a nearby village.
0:26:03 > 0:26:09I saw the sampler that I should have had for sale and I thought, "This time, I'm going to get it."
0:26:09 > 0:26:15I left a bid, I can't remember what bid I left, but the next day I went in to see if I'd got it.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Yes, I'd got it for £30 this time and I love it and it's staying with me.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24Don't ever get auction fever. Something might not be worth what it gets at auction.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28It could be that just two people desperately want the item.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32Wait. 20 years later, who knows, you might get it for a song.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38It's easy to let your emotions run away with you in the excitement of the saleroom,
0:26:38 > 0:26:44but should we be more sensible and restrained? What do our experts think?
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Buy with your head or buy with your heart.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49It all depends on what you're buying for.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53If you're buying to make a profit on something, buy with your head.
0:26:53 > 0:26:59If you are buying something because you want to put it in your home, buy with your heart.
0:26:59 > 0:27:013,000. Three-five. 4,000.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- Yes!- At 4,000 now...
0:27:04 > 0:27:06As an auctioneer, I love to see somebody
0:27:06 > 0:27:09who's carried away because their heart tells them
0:27:09 > 0:27:15they want something and they can't live without it, but bring your head along to the auction as well.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19850. 900. 950...
0:27:19 > 0:27:23I'm a passionate sort of fellow, so I would say, "Buy with your heart."
0:27:23 > 0:27:28If you really like it, get it bought. If it's a bit more than your budget, who cares?
0:27:28 > 0:27:33There's nothing worse than getting home and thinking, "I wish I'd bought that item."
0:27:39 > 0:27:45'Still to come on today's show, we test the market for brown furniture and find some fantastic bargains.'
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- £35.- That's good value for money.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- For £70, that was a bargain. - It wasn't expensive.
0:27:53 > 0:27:59'Two phone bidders refuse to let go of a table they are both desperate to own.'
0:27:59 > 0:28:01550. 560.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04570. 580.
0:28:05 > 0:28:11'And we find out what happened when one owner's horse romped home at auction.'
0:28:11 > 0:28:17It just kept going up and up and when it got to 1,000, I was sort of laid out because I couldn't take it in.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24'But first, back in 2011, I visited a house in Nottingham
0:28:24 > 0:28:29'which not only has tales to tell spanning hundreds of years of history,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32'it is still a family home.'
0:28:36 > 0:28:41This magnificent Jacobean house is Thrumpton Hall and it dates back to the early 1600s.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46Even though it's in this secluded setting, it's certainly had its brushes with history
0:28:46 > 0:28:49and seen some turbulent times.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52So much has happened here in the last four centuries,
0:28:52 > 0:28:57I've picked a few of the more intriguing and colourful stories to tell you.
0:28:57 > 0:29:03The house is built around the remains of an earlier Tudor house belonging to the Powdrell family,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06but as Roman Catholics in the reign of Elizabeth I,
0:29:06 > 0:29:12their involvement in the notorious Babington Plot to overthrow the Queen cut short their tenancy.
0:29:12 > 0:29:18The Powdrells were evicted when it was discovered they were hiding a priest in this very room.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22I can show you, behind all this oak panelling is a little secret door
0:29:22 > 0:29:24which leads to a priest hole. Follow me.
0:29:24 > 0:29:30Look at this. This is a remarkable survivor from the original building.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Like any secret hiding place, it's full of intrigue, excitement.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39There's an atmosphere about this because we're talking high stakes.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42It was a matter of life and death.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46And they weren't hiding any old priest. It was Father Henry Garnet,
0:29:46 > 0:29:51one of the leading conspirators to plot against Queen Elizabeth.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54I wouldn't like to be down there for too long.
0:29:56 > 0:30:02Soon after, the new owners, the Pigots, rebuilt the house, as we see it today.
0:30:02 > 0:30:08At the end of the Civil War, having come through another, Gervase Pigot the younger embarked
0:30:08 > 0:30:11on more improvements to the house.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16He celebrated the restoration of Charles II to the throne
0:30:16 > 0:30:20by commissioning this rather understated staircase. I'm joking.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25There's nothing understated about it. It's grandly over the top,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29in keeping with the spirit of the time.
0:30:29 > 0:30:36The improvements didn't stop here. The staircase leads to the saloon, remarkably unchanged,
0:30:36 > 0:30:40yet still very much in use by the current owners.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44Gervase's extravagance was the ruin of him. Unable to pay his mortgage,
0:30:44 > 0:30:50he forfeited the house to his lawyer Mr John Emerton and his descendants have lived here ever since,
0:30:50 > 0:30:54right down to its current owner, Miranda Seymour. Hello, Miranda.
0:30:54 > 0:30:59- Thank you for letting us film here today.- It's lovely you're here.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02You grew up here in this house.
0:31:02 > 0:31:07I was terrified here when I was a little girl. My parents were beginning to get
0:31:07 > 0:31:12a derelict house back after the war, getting it back into shape again.
0:31:12 > 0:31:18There were dust sheets on all the busts, cobwebs on all the windows and the staircase was black.
0:31:18 > 0:31:24- Gosh.- And I was living on the top floor. I was scared out of my wits. - Were you?- I was.
0:31:24 > 0:31:30- Now I know you're a writer. Does the whole atmosphere of this house inspire you?- I love writing here,
0:31:30 > 0:31:36particularly in this room. It's a very calm space to be in.
0:31:36 > 0:31:41- I gather there's a connection to Lord Byron.- There is indeed.
0:31:41 > 0:31:46I always feel very excited by that as a writer. What a person to be connected to!
0:31:46 > 0:31:54But Byron's cousin inherited the title and it was through him it came down to my father's uncle.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57So we've got all these wonderful Byron relics here.
0:31:57 > 0:32:02- You've got a few items to show me. - I have.- What have you got?
0:32:02 > 0:32:09I've got three things. This, as a writer, is the most exciting one to me. Byron's very own signet ring.
0:32:09 > 0:32:15The first he ever had. And it fits just perfectly on my signet finger.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18- It's meant to be.- So I hope!
0:32:18 > 0:32:25- Now this is a rather wonderful relic. I don't know if you can see here. - What's in there?
0:32:25 > 0:32:32It's B on the front for Byron. And in the back it's got a tiny little strand of his hair.
0:32:32 > 0:32:38- Oh, I can see that.- Which was given to his half-sister, Augusta Leigh, the one he was so in love with.
0:32:38 > 0:32:44She passed it on to Byron's first cousin and so that's real, authentic Byron hair in there.
0:32:44 > 0:32:50- Wonderful provenance. It doesn't get any better.- I think it has to be the genuine thing.
0:32:50 > 0:32:57This is more funny. This is a little bit clipped from Byron's bed hangings
0:32:57 > 0:33:00at Halnaby on his honeymoon night.
0:33:00 > 0:33:05And he had an absolutely disastrous marriage. Poor Annabella.
0:33:05 > 0:33:11He woke up in the middle of the night and screamed out, "I'm in hell!"
0:33:11 > 0:33:17Can you imagine, on his honeymoon night? It's quite clear that what had happened was you've got
0:33:17 > 0:33:21this very deep red damask and in those days in a bedroom
0:33:21 > 0:33:28- you'd have the fire blazing in the corner.- He's looked at the fire and thought it's Dante's Inferno!
0:33:28 > 0:33:33- Wonderful artefacts. Thank you for showing me. - Lovely you could come. Thank you.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36What an amazing inheritance
0:33:36 > 0:33:40and home to generations of one family.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49If you're looking to buy a piece of furniture, please try antique shops or auction rooms.
0:33:49 > 0:33:54There's some quality pieces out there which you could pick up for a bargain if you look.
0:33:56 > 0:34:02It's quite extraordinary how people just don't go to auctions because they think antique is expensive.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07And it isn't. Let me tell you, it isn't. Go to your local saleroom,
0:34:07 > 0:34:13see something you like and you will be hugely surprised about how affordable it is.
0:34:13 > 0:34:18So go and buy some nice pieces of furniture, small pieces of furniture,
0:34:18 > 0:34:22chuck out your chipboard and buy a bit of Georgian mahogany.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27It is currently a marvellous time to buy at auction
0:34:27 > 0:34:31if you wish to furnish a home. Prices are still very reasonable,
0:34:31 > 0:34:37generally, and therefore everything is good value for money. Go out and buy!
0:34:37 > 0:34:41Brown furniture is a derogatory term. It doesn't sound so glamorous.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46It's not a nice way of describing this wonderful furniture that we see.
0:34:46 > 0:34:52I think there's a resurgence on its way. Now is the time to buy it. Prices are creeping up.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56'Well, they would say that, wouldn't they? They're all auctioneers.
0:34:56 > 0:35:02'But you really can find some fantastic bargains because some people can't wait
0:35:02 > 0:35:10'to get rid of their old furniture as I found out when two sisters came along to Flog It in 2004.'
0:35:10 > 0:35:16We've got four mid-Victorian, good quality, mahogany chairs belonging to Sandra and Amanda.
0:35:16 > 0:35:22- How did you inherit these? - Well, they came from our Great Aunt Alice, but they were given to her
0:35:22 > 0:35:28by her great-grandparents. She had them for years, then gave them to Mum, but they were too big,
0:35:28 > 0:35:35so she put them in the loft and they've been there for 30 years until she moved recently
0:35:35 > 0:35:41- and gave us two each. And I put them in the shed!- They've been in the garage for a while.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46I can see that! This one has got the bottom rotted out of it.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Furniture like this is just not selling right now. Brown furniture.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54The trade for it is on its knees.
0:35:54 > 0:36:01We could put a valuation of £80-£100 and then somebody else can put some work on them
0:36:01 > 0:36:05and hopefully increase the value. This will be quite interesting.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10There's hundreds of people with chairs like this in their sheds and garages
0:36:10 > 0:36:16and they want to skip them. But it's worth putting them into auction and let's find out what they do.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19Find out what the market thinks.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27170. A set of four mahogany chairs. £100 for them?
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Oh, dear. Oh, dear.
0:36:31 > 0:36:3550, thank you very much. £50. 50.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37£60. 70.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39£70. 80.
0:36:39 > 0:36:4390. 100. 110.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48All done at £110, then? Are we quite sure?
0:36:48 > 0:36:53Yes! £110! That's brilliant. That is so good, isn't it?
0:36:53 > 0:36:57- I'm so pleased.- I'm made up. - Thank you so much.
0:36:57 > 0:37:04They were delighted to get £110 for four chairs they hadn't used for decades.
0:37:04 > 0:37:11With a bit of repair, they'll be a quality addition to any dining room.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15So can you get a cheap table to go with the upcycled chairs?
0:37:15 > 0:37:19Oh! It's a table!
0:37:19 > 0:37:26Oh, my goodness. That's lovely. You've struggled out of the house with this, tucked under your arm?
0:37:26 > 0:37:33- Not exactly, but brought it in. My husband had to take it out of the car from here.- Very good.
0:37:33 > 0:37:39What I liked about the small oak dining table was the fact that somebody struggled in, queued,
0:37:39 > 0:37:45and had it valued, and I actually felt that it deserved some attention.
0:37:45 > 0:37:52This table is knocking on the door of being an antique, but it's not quite there yet.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56It will date from anywhere between the 1920s and probably the late 1930s.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01It's made of oak. And it's a drop-leaf small dining table,
0:38:01 > 0:38:07which copies very much the traditional style of English oak furniture and drop-leaf tables
0:38:07 > 0:38:09of an earlier period.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14This one, however, is machine-cut. It's very smooth and precisely-made.
0:38:14 > 0:38:20This was in an era when they weren't handcrafting them. It was machine-made for mass production.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25Although it's a table that's got many decades behind it and it's good, solid oak,
0:38:25 > 0:38:32- the value is going to be modest.- OK. - So if you're happy to sell it, I'd advise you put it into auction
0:38:32 > 0:38:34for a £60-£80 estimate.
0:38:34 > 0:38:39It was interesting to see how the market reacted on the day.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42The gate-leg. Lot 500.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45At £35. On commission at 35.
0:38:45 > 0:38:5035. It will be sold. Do I see eight anywhere quickly?
0:38:50 > 0:38:55£35. All done? Quite sure? And finished away at £35.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58Good value for money, £35!
0:39:00 > 0:39:04Luckily, Chitra wasn't too disappointed with the result.
0:39:04 > 0:39:10The buyer got a solid oak table at a great price. Good news if you're on a tight furnishing budget.
0:39:10 > 0:39:16It's a choice that people have, whether you spend on something brand-new or that's lived a little.
0:39:16 > 0:39:22Not everybody likes old things. I had to learn that, even though I think they're amazing.
0:39:22 > 0:39:28And so some people give up the opportunity to buy good quality relatively cheaply
0:39:28 > 0:39:35in preference for buying something brand-new and of the current style from the high street.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39If you gave that table a lick of cream paint and distressed it
0:39:39 > 0:39:44you'd have an up-to-the-minute shabby chic item for next to nothing.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48Instead of going all out clean lines and minimalist, mix it up a bit.
0:39:48 > 0:39:54Maybe have shabby chic old pine drawers in a modern bedroom setting.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57You know, the contrast works.
0:39:57 > 0:40:04If your taste is for more traditional furniture, there are plenty of quality items to find.
0:40:04 > 0:40:09Adam is convinced there's a market for it.
0:40:09 > 0:40:16You've brought along this very pretty Edwardian occasional table. Why have you brought it today?
0:40:16 > 0:40:22- It's been in my loft for 10 years. - Wrapped up in a plastic bag? - A plastic bag over it.
0:40:22 > 0:40:28- Why has it been in the loft? - Because it doesn't go with my house or my decor or my grandchildren.
0:40:28 > 0:40:36It's Edwardian, so it dates from the early 20th century, about 1905 or so, 1910. Around about there.
0:40:36 > 0:40:44A lot of the items then were inlaid in this Sheraton revival style. With satinwood and boxwood banding.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48Ron's table was quite a nice example. He kept it in the loft.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52It was nicely inlaid, so a very pretty table.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56I find Edwardian inlaid furniture sells extremely strongly.
0:40:56 > 0:41:02That one had had a crude repair, but it didn't detract from the aesthetics of it.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06- These tripod legs, very pretty, but not very...- Strong.
0:41:06 > 0:41:12Not very strong or practical. I can see a couple have been off in the past. That's standard.
0:41:12 > 0:41:19- They've been broken and repaired. Is this your handiwork here? - No, that's exactly how I got it
0:41:19 > 0:41:23- about 10 years ago. - I'd suggest an estimate of £60-£100.
0:41:23 > 0:41:30- I think we'd just about get three figures. How does that sound? - It sounds right.- Good.
0:41:30 > 0:41:35'So was it worth Ron getting the table out of the attic?'
0:41:35 > 0:41:42- Will we get that £100 top mark? - We should do. I reckon we'll get £120-£150 when it's all finished.
0:41:42 > 0:41:49- Don't want to get your hopes up. It's pretty.- Nice table.- It sells well, despite the negative stuff
0:41:49 > 0:41:53- people spout about brown furniture! - It's a good time to buy.
0:41:53 > 0:41:58Start me at £50, please, for this. 50 I'm bid. 55. 60.
0:41:58 > 0:42:0265. 70. £70 now. Yours at 70.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Are we all done at £70 now?
0:42:05 > 0:42:10- For £70, that's a bargain. - It wasn't expensive.- It's gone, Ron. - It's gone now.
0:42:12 > 0:42:17I was a bit disappointed, but I suppose that's auctions.
0:42:17 > 0:42:23It's all down to two people on the day. Thank goodness we had a reserve on it.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25It'd be a great shame to make less.
0:42:25 > 0:42:30You can't squash Adam's enthusiasm for long and Ron got money
0:42:30 > 0:42:34instead of having an unused table in the attic.
0:42:34 > 0:42:41It just goes to show that if you want to buy quality furniture, you can still get bargains at auction.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46Take a look at what Catherine found.
0:42:46 > 0:42:53We've brought this outside to show it in its full glory so we can open it fully.
0:42:53 > 0:42:59You probably know what it dates from about the late 19th century, but where did you get this from?
0:42:59 > 0:43:05My parents got it from a sale at a house near Midhurst around 1945.
0:43:05 > 0:43:10Right. And did they buy it because they collect Arts and Craft or...?
0:43:10 > 0:43:15No, I think they just bought it to be a useful piece of furniture.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18- They were setting up house.- Ah, OK.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22- They didn't buy it as a collectable piece.- I don't think so.- To use.
0:43:22 > 0:43:27- William Morris and Ruskin would be proud. That was one of their principles.- Yes.
0:43:27 > 0:43:33To buy things to use. The furniture was all to be utilised, wasn't it?
0:43:33 > 0:43:40I was attracted to the Arts and Crafts screen because it really epitomises the whole ethos
0:43:40 > 0:43:46of Arts and Crafts, which is to have something in your home which is practical,
0:43:46 > 0:43:52but also to have something that has a little bit of design on, but is not too fussy.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56You get these wonderful panels, these wonderful colours.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00They have got the flower heads as well. A popular motif.
0:44:00 > 0:44:06And also these lovely, twisting stems, which are almost bordering on Art Nouveau, aren't they?
0:44:06 > 0:44:12But it is definitely a piece of Arts and Crafts furniture. The colours are really lovely.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16Dark greens and reds and I just love this.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18It really is a smashing piece.
0:44:18 > 0:44:25Arts and Crafts can still fit in with today, but you have to be clever mixing old and new.
0:44:25 > 0:44:30It has to be done cleverly and really think about the design.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34There is a bit of damage on this, Tim... You're nodding your head.
0:44:34 > 0:44:38- You know. You've seen the damage. You haven't done it, have you?- No.
0:44:38 > 0:44:45There is quite a bit, mainly on the panels, which is a shame. That's obviously the decorative part.
0:44:45 > 0:44:52That's the bit you're drawn towards. I think we should probably say £100-£150, with a reserve of £80.
0:44:53 > 0:44:59I loved this unusual screen, but did the bidders recognise its quality?
0:44:59 > 0:45:02This is it. Good luck, Tim.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06A couple of hundred for it? 100 away? 50, then?
0:45:06 > 0:45:10Nice thing. Thank you, sir. Over the back at 50.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13Five. 60. Five. 70.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16Five. 80.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20At £80, then. Far back of the room. All done? 80.
0:45:20 > 0:45:27- Yes! He's done it, but only just. That was close. That was right on the reserve.- Yes.- £80.
0:45:27 > 0:45:32It was a shame that it only just clipped the reserve.
0:45:32 > 0:45:38I think the reason was really the condition. There was a couple of splits in it.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40That was really the key part.
0:45:42 > 0:45:49If you're buying at auction, always check for damage or get a condition report from the auctioneer.
0:45:49 > 0:45:54If you don't mind a bit of wear and tear, you can get a real bargain.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58£55. On the net and done. Thank you.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02There's lots of beautifully-crafted pieces in your local saleroom
0:46:02 > 0:46:06which are much cheaper than most mass-produced items.
0:46:06 > 0:46:12You can easily keep up-to-date by getting to know the staff and checking upcoming sales online.
0:46:16 > 0:46:22But it's not only cheap and cheerful in the saleroom. You can get fantastic antique furniture, too.
0:46:22 > 0:46:28- Colin, where did you get it from? - My late father-in-law bought it for my wife.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31He bought it in Birmingham in the late '40s, we think.
0:46:31 > 0:46:38- It's been in our house ever since. - It's lovely. Why would you want to sell a delight like this?
0:46:38 > 0:46:44- Well, it doesn't quite match the modern furniture.- So you've gone a bit modern?- A bit more, yes.- OK.
0:46:44 > 0:46:51- Any idea what age it is? - We don't know what period it was from or anything.- Well, it's Edwardian.
0:46:51 > 0:46:57Made of mahogany. It's called a Pembroke table - a wide top and small flaps.
0:46:57 > 0:47:03Colin's Pembroke table was quite a good example - it was neat, it was small, it was oval.
0:47:03 > 0:47:09A lot of them are square. It had a drawer. It ticked all the commercial boxes.
0:47:09 > 0:47:15A lot of antique furniture isn't selling so well, but pretty stuff like this sells extremely well.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19This is all boxwood, ebony and satinwood.
0:47:19 > 0:47:25When one comes to a valuation, it's all down to your experience and selling similar items in the past.
0:47:25 > 0:47:30I could grade this - it's better than some, not as good as others.
0:47:30 > 0:47:38- Its auction value in today's market is maybe £300-£500.- Yeah.- You've got to put it at a realistic level.
0:47:38 > 0:47:43- Yeah, yeah.- I think we'll put a reserve of £300 so it doesn't make any less.- No.
0:47:43 > 0:47:49I'm confident it'll make more. All these small, pretty things sell very well.
0:47:51 > 0:47:56I was on holiday when this table went to the saleroom. Kate Bliss did the honours.
0:47:56 > 0:48:01- This is your lot, Colin. - Edwardian mahogany Pembroke table.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05- Lots of bids on the book. Two telephone bids.- Sounds good!
0:48:05 > 0:48:10- 500.- Top of our estimate. - 510. 520.- Still going.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14- 530 here? 530. - Telephones are coming in.- 540.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17550. 560.
0:48:17 > 0:48:22- 570. 580. Can I say 600? - Yeah.- 600.
0:48:22 > 0:48:27- 620.- 620!- 650. - It's still going!
0:48:27 > 0:48:33Once you start bidding at auction, you might think, "I'm only going to pay £300,"
0:48:33 > 0:48:40and you're still in bidding at £800, £900. There's something addictive about it. It drags you in.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43And 20. 1,050. 1,080.
0:48:43 > 0:48:47- 1,100. 1,120. - 1,100!
0:48:47 > 0:48:53- No.- At £1,120. Any more? Then I sell at £1,120. Done!
0:48:54 > 0:48:58- £1,120!- What's all that about?! - What do we know?
0:48:59 > 0:49:05To make £1,120, I think it made, under the hammer was an exceptional price.
0:49:05 > 0:49:12It can only be two private buyers locking horns and neither of them wanting to give up on this table.
0:49:12 > 0:49:17There's no doubting that that was a top quality item.
0:49:17 > 0:49:22Perhaps the key to it was as well as being top quality, it was quite small.
0:49:22 > 0:49:27It's small, can fit in any home. It makes it more marketable.
0:49:27 > 0:49:33We all love our homes. We're terribly house-proud. Buying an antique is a great way
0:49:33 > 0:49:39of creating a special, unique style for any kind of interior. It doesn't matter if your house is modern.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41Don't be afraid to mix it up.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49It's no secret that I love antique wood.
0:49:49 > 0:49:54You bring all sorts of wooden items, known as treen, to our tables.
0:49:54 > 0:49:59From spoons and boxes to tools and kitchen gadgets.
0:49:59 > 0:50:04- It's a piece of what we call treen. - A nice piece of treen. - Made from the tree.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08- It can be quite hard to date. - I'd have thought, yes.
0:50:08 > 0:50:14Treen is a term used to describe all small, wooden, functional household or agricultural items.
0:50:14 > 0:50:21It's a great field for collectors, especially if you limit it to one type of object, like snuff boxes.
0:50:21 > 0:50:27You can see the top of it slides off here and this is where all the snuff would have been stored.
0:50:27 > 0:50:33Before cheap metal and plastic came into use, wood was the most easily accessible and cheapest
0:50:33 > 0:50:38raw material available for making everyday objects.
0:50:39 > 0:50:45Close-grained hardwoods like box, beech and sycamore were popular for making treen.
0:50:45 > 0:50:51And the best objects are the ones that have developed a deep colour and a patination through the years
0:50:51 > 0:50:56of handling and use. That's what collectors look for.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02Now and again we see a really special treen item.
0:51:02 > 0:51:08It might be made of an unusual wood or have lots of intricate decoration.
0:51:08 > 0:51:14That's when it gets really exciting. Even something that looks a bit rough and ready can charm bidders.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17At £700 we sell.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20- 700 quid!- Very nice, too.
0:51:20 > 0:51:26Here's another little gem that caused a real stir with its beautiful turning and carving.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29If we open it up, very carefully,
0:51:29 > 0:51:35- we can see that it is actually a little nutmeg grater. - That's right. Yeah.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39740. Are we done? At £740.
0:51:39 > 0:51:40740!
0:51:40 > 0:51:44Thank you! Thank you, darling.
0:51:44 > 0:51:50I may be biased, but treen is a great choice for new collectors.
0:51:50 > 0:51:57There's plenty of variety and you can spend as much or as little as you like. Happy hunting!
0:52:01 > 0:52:06There's something very fundamental about the desire to adorn our homes.
0:52:06 > 0:52:11If you're looking for something special for yours, Anita Manning has a suggestion.
0:52:11 > 0:52:18I have a special affection for Monart glass. Monart glass was made in Perthshire.
0:52:18 > 0:52:23It was made at the Moncrieff's factory in Perth by the Ysart family.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27They were a family of glass blowers from Barcelona.
0:52:27 > 0:52:32They came to Scotland after the First World War
0:52:32 > 0:52:37to make laboratory glass in the Perthshire factory.
0:52:37 > 0:52:44In their spare time, they started making these little pieces of beautiful decorative glass.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48Now Mrs Moncrieff, the owner's wife,
0:52:48 > 0:52:54saw these beautiful vases they were making and saw a business opportunity.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58She encouraged the Spanish glass blowers
0:52:58 > 0:53:05to make these fabulous pieces and they were sold in prestigious outlets
0:53:05 > 0:53:12like Liberty's, Tiffany's and so on and they were beloved in the Art Deco period.
0:53:12 > 0:53:17They brought colour into a post-war world.
0:53:17 > 0:53:24I like this one in particular because in these lovely oranges at the base
0:53:24 > 0:53:27we see the fire of Spain.
0:53:27 > 0:53:33But as we travel upwards we see the beautiful green of Scotland.
0:53:33 > 0:53:39And I think of it as a lovely collaboration of Spain and Scotland.
0:53:43 > 0:53:48If there's one thing I'd love to see more of on the show, it's paintings.
0:53:48 > 0:53:54When one does come in to a valuation day with a fascinating history, I fight the experts for it.
0:53:54 > 0:53:59In Watford, back in 2006, Mark Stacey beat me to it.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Christine turned up with a great example.
0:54:02 > 0:54:09I really like this picture, but there's a little history to it. Can you fill us in on that story?
0:54:09 > 0:54:14The story that I know about it is it's Watford's only Derby winner
0:54:14 > 0:54:21and I think it was in the 1800s and it was bred in Watford at a local farm.
0:54:21 > 0:54:26I couldn't believe from the programme people said, "You speak posh!"
0:54:26 > 0:54:28I can't believe that was me.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32- And you inherited this? - I inherited it, yes.
0:54:32 > 0:54:38- When was that?- About 10 weeks ago. My fiance died very suddenly. - Oh, I'm sorry.- Thank you.
0:54:38 > 0:54:45- Well, it's a great subject. - It's very good local interest. - Very good local interest.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49It would be nice to prove that. If we look at the painting,
0:54:49 > 0:54:54- we've obviously got the owner standing there in his best Sunday outfit.- Yes.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58We've got the trainer next to him and the jockey on horseback.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02Then the local training field in the background.
0:55:02 > 0:55:10- From the costumes, we're certainly looking at the 1800s.- That's right. - Probably 1860, 1870.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13Around about that era, I would say, from the costumes.
0:55:13 > 0:55:21My late fiance had taken the picture to one of the big auction houses in London,
0:55:21 > 0:55:26but he was rather disappointed. They offered him about £200.
0:55:26 > 0:55:32So he just came back home and put it in a black bin liner up in his bedroom.
0:55:32 > 0:55:37Bearing in mind the slight damage and the fact we haven't got a full provenance,
0:55:37 > 0:55:45I'd like to be a little bit cautious. I would suggest maybe around £150-£250.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49- Yes, smashing.- You like the sound of that?- Yes, I do.
0:55:49 > 0:55:54But when she went home, Chris had second thoughts about her valuation.
0:55:54 > 0:56:00- Christine's raised the ante. - I have.- Tell us.- I've raised it to £300.- Fixed reserve.
0:56:00 > 0:56:06- A slap on the wrist for that. I don't think we have any worries. - I think we're backing a winner.
0:56:07 > 0:56:12How about this for something local and interesting? What shall we say?
0:56:12 > 0:56:15600. 620. 650. And 80.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17700 we're bid now. And 720.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20It just kept going up and up and up.
0:56:20 > 0:56:27When it got to the thousand, I just sort of blanked out. I just couldn't take it in.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29At 1,000. And 20. And 50.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32Romping home, isn't it?
0:56:32 > 0:56:37I had no idea it would be worth anything because it wasn't signed.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40I'm sure my John was looking down at me to say, "That's my girl."
0:56:40 > 0:56:45It's a good valuation. Are you getting Mark round to do some more?
0:56:45 > 0:56:493,000 we're bid for it. 3,100? No?
0:56:49 > 0:56:51At £3,100 we're selling.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55- At £3,100. - Here we go, here we go.
0:56:55 > 0:57:00- That is a sold sound! - Oh, lovely!- Well done, well done.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03Thank you very much.
0:57:03 > 0:57:10I had a lovely little hug from Paul at the end. Yes, it was a great thrill, great excitement.
0:57:11 > 0:57:16So after the excitement died down, what did Chris spend it on?
0:57:16 > 0:57:23I spent the money on a cruise because my late fiance, before I knew him,
0:57:23 > 0:57:28spent 11 years in the Merchant Navy working on the big liners.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31I desperately wanted to do that.
0:57:31 > 0:57:36I went for 11 days round the Caribbean, 10 different islands.
0:57:36 > 0:57:38It was a marvellous experience.
0:57:42 > 0:57:48That wasn't the only new experience because Flog It is broadcast worldwide.
0:57:48 > 0:57:53- There was another surprise in store. - It wasn't until six years later,
0:57:53 > 0:58:00somebody had written from Australia contacting the Watford Observer nostalgic page
0:58:00 > 0:58:06saying he was tracing his family tree and said that the owner of the horse, he believes,
0:58:06 > 0:58:11was his great-great-grandmother's brother.
0:58:11 > 0:58:18Chris made contact and plans to meet the horse owner's descendants on a forthcoming trip to Australia.
0:58:19 > 0:58:23It seems Flog It's reach has truly gone international.
0:58:23 > 0:58:27Chris's appearance on the show led to a beautiful new relationship,
0:58:27 > 0:58:31so if you've got something you want to sell, you know where to come.
0:58:31 > 0:58:37I hope you can put some of our tips to good use. Please join us again soon for more trade secrets.
0:58:57 > 0:59:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd