0:00:02 > 0:00:03It's been well over ten years
0:00:03 > 0:00:07since you first started coming to our Flog It valuation days
0:00:07 > 0:00:10and during that time we've travelled the length and breadth of the British Isles,
0:00:10 > 0:00:14valuing and selling your unwanted antiques and collectables.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17- I don't believe that!- That'll do me, that'll do me lovely.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Really, as much as that? Wow!
0:00:21 > 0:00:24And we've all learnt a great deal about the items that have passed through our hands.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28And now I want to share some of that information with you.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30So, standby to hear our experts' trade secrets.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01We love hearing about your bargain hunting skills on Flog It,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05and judging by your stories of miraculous car boot finds
0:01:05 > 0:01:07and fantastic jumble sale discoveries,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09'some of you have a real knack for it!'
0:01:09 > 0:01:14- My husband picked it up at a car boot.- You're joking. £4.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18On today's show, we're looking at the small-fry buys
0:01:18 > 0:01:20that turn a hefty profit.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24So, coming up, are there tricks of trade
0:01:24 > 0:01:27to hunting out a bargain or is it simply down to luck?
0:01:27 > 0:01:30I picked them up at auction because there were some frames I wanted,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32I didn't want those.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35I knew that they would do very, very well.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39We discover bagging a bargain can literally be a lottery.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42We won it at a raffle, took it home and hung it on the wall
0:01:42 > 0:01:44and didn't really think a great deal more about it.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47- Didn't realise how important it was? - No.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Nick Hall reveals the secrets of spotting a bargain in
0:01:50 > 0:01:51the contemporary art world.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56What you really need to do is to go to the places where the young,
0:01:56 > 0:01:58the fresh, the new art is emerging from.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00I know just the perfect place to go
0:02:00 > 0:02:02and find exactly what we're looking for.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13You bring along so many great finds to our valuation days,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16the team can only look on in envy when you reveal
0:02:16 > 0:02:21how and when you picked them up and exactly how much you paid for them.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24But you really don't have to be an expert to
0:02:24 > 0:02:26pick up a great deal.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28You might just spot something out of your eye.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Go with your gut feeling and just go, there's something about that,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33I'm just going to buy it.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Because there's nothing worse than, after the event, going, "I wish I'd
0:02:36 > 0:02:38"bought it when I saw it."
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Buy what you like, buy something distinctive.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44If it doesn't turn out to be a bargain, and is only worth more or
0:02:44 > 0:02:47less what you paid for it, it doesn't really matter cos you still like it.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52A bargain is something that you really, really want
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and you can buy it for less money than you're prepared to pay for it.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00A lot of people don't realise they've bought a bargain.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03It's only when they turn up at our valuation days that they
0:03:03 > 0:03:06learn just how valuable their items might be.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Lynn knew nothing about this painting - except that she liked it.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12So she bought it - for just £2!
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Well, Lynn, it's a matter of fact that
0:03:15 > 0:03:19when it comes down to art at auction it's all about the artist's name.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21And you've got a piece here that you've
0:03:21 > 0:03:24brought in by James Humbert Craig.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Tell me, how have you come by this, and do you know the artist?
0:03:27 > 0:03:30I don't know it at all, I got it at a jumble sale, about seven years
0:03:30 > 0:03:33ago, and my daughter looked it up on the internet for me.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37- She said he's an Irish landscape artist.- You're right, yes.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Born in the 1870s, died in 1944.
0:03:40 > 0:03:41Born in Belfast,
0:03:41 > 0:03:46an Irishman who was very passionate about his sort of Irish roots,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50shall we say, and really wanted to bring out the beauty
0:03:50 > 0:03:53and nature of the Irish landscape.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56In the history of Irish art he has quite an important role to play,
0:03:56 > 0:04:01which is always going to help as far as price goes because the more
0:04:01 > 0:04:05relevant someone is to the history, the more important their work is.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07I don't think this is one of his finished pieces.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11It's on what we call an artist's board rather than on a finished,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14stretched canvas. But he's signed it there for us, and dated it, 1912.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18I see it's got a little bit of damage here. Was that there when you bought it?
0:04:18 > 0:04:20That was like that when I bought it, yes.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22OK, cos I suspect if you've bought it for £2,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24the person who sold it to you probably didn't realise what
0:04:24 > 0:04:27it was and it probably wasn't looked after terribly well
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and maybe that's when it got this scuff.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Sometimes, dealers who buy this sort of work,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34they like to find it in original condition,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36so if there is a bit of damage,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38it almost tells them that it hasn't been through the trade,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41it hasn't been touched up, it hasn't been over-cleaned.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43What do you like about it, is it just the colours, the scene?
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Just the scene, it just caught me eye, and I thought, that is really nice.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49It's as though I was actually looking at that area.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Well, his work does sell for thousands of pounds.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55He's a well-known artist, his finished canvases
0:04:55 > 0:04:57and his big pieces sell for many thousands.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00But I think I'm going to come in quite conservative.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04I'm suggesting putting it in at an estimate of £100-£200.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- Really?- Yeah, how do you feel about that?- That's wonderful!
0:05:07 > 0:05:09It is, it's all right, isn't it?
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Find one of those a day and you're laughing, you can give up the day job!
0:05:12 > 0:05:14I said to Lynn that I was putting it in conservatively
0:05:14 > 0:05:16because she only paid £2 for it.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18So she was going to make whatever happens.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26James Humbert Craig has certainly got the phone lines booked
0:05:26 > 0:05:29here today, that's for sure. Lynn, it's caused quite a stir.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34We have a lot of interest in this, one, two, three commission bids.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Two...
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- Three, we've got. - Three.- Three phone bids.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46So, I'm going to start with the highest cleared bid of £380.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49- SHE GASPS - Is there £400 in the room?
0:05:49 > 0:05:55At £380, commission bid, is there 400? Is there four?
0:05:55 > 0:05:58400 to the telephone. Commission bids are all out now.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02At £400 on the telephone. Is there 20?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04420. 450.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Someone in the room now.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09450.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11'And the bids just kept coming.'
0:06:11 > 0:06:16470, 500, 520, 550.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18520 on the net, is there a 550?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21550, 570...
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- That's what you said, didn't you?- Yeah.- 600?
0:06:26 > 0:06:32At £570, then, on the internet, at £570 and selling.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- Lynn, you're in the money. - £570 for the very last time...
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- Yes!- Thank you very much!
0:06:38 > 0:06:42Do you know, it was worth selling, actually, wasn't it, for £570?
0:06:42 > 0:06:44- Not bad for a £2 investment.- No.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46'She was chuffed,'
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and especially as I think the rest of her family had taken the mick
0:06:49 > 0:06:52out of her, "What have you bought that old bit of rubbish for?"
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Well, the last laugh was with you, Lynn.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59If you pick up something you like,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03don't be disheartened if it's not valuable right now.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Times, tastes and markets all change,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10so it could be well worth holding on to, as John and Sam discovered.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12We don't need any introduction here, do we?
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- No, no. - This is good old Clarice Cliff.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18It wouldn't be a Flog It without Clarice Cliff. But, tell me...
0:07:19 > 0:07:21..family pieces?
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Well, we picked these up in a bazaar, a jumble sale, in a church hall.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- No?- Yes, many years ago. - And what did you pay for them?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- Nothing.- Nothing?- Nothing at all.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- Do you remember this, Sam? - Yeah, I remember it really well.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35I was seven at the time.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39I was with my mum on the day, I was sat on the stage,
0:07:39 > 0:07:40waiting for my mum,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and then my mum finished, and she spotted it.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47I picked it up and showed her the big plate, I remember,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49and then my mum liked it, she spoke to the woman
0:07:49 > 0:07:51and the woman said, "Take it."
0:07:51 > 0:07:55I packed it up in a bag, she gave me it, and that was it, job done.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I wasn't surprised at all that they got these from a jumble sale
0:07:58 > 0:08:01for nothing, because, at the time, they simply weren't in vogue
0:08:01 > 0:08:03and nobody wanted them.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07These are very typical of her range in the 1930s.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10We've got a very common pattern here, the crocus pattern,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12but on quite a nice shaped dish.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16We've then got the wind chime pattern, I think, isn't it?
0:08:16 > 0:08:17Something like that.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20And then we've got these two really bizarre patterned ones,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24which I love, these bright oranges and bright geometric designs.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27The market for Clarice Cliff is always unpredictable.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32It's still very buoyant for rare and unusual items, shapes, patterns.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35I don't think any of them are particularly rare patterns.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40- No.- If we estimated them, say, at £150-£250
0:08:40 > 0:08:42to give the auctioneer that oomph, as it were...
0:08:42 > 0:08:45- Yeah.- That's marvellous. - Would you be happy with that?
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- That's wonderful.- Fantastic. - I'm very happy with that.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Numerous commission bids here, I'm going to start straight in at £260.
0:08:51 > 0:08:57270, takes me out at 270. £270, 280, 290.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00300, 310.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04320, 330.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06340, 350.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10360. At 360 on the one telephone, at 360.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14- Telephone bid has just come in. - 370, 380 back in.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17- Wow.- 380 back in on the phones. 390, Julian?
0:09:17 > 0:09:20390. 400?
0:09:20 > 0:09:25- At £390 on the telephone, at £390. Are you sure, this time?- £390!
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Wow.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29- I love that wallop!- I don't know what they see in it!- Unbelievable.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31£390!
0:09:31 > 0:09:34- And you got it all for nothing! - I never thought I'd get that far.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38If you want to make a tidy profit like Sam,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41then Mark has a few pointers about the Clarice Cliff patterns
0:09:41 > 0:09:44and designs to look out for.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47The tennis pattern, the carpet pattern,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50the Gibraltar pattern, these are unusual patterns
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and you often find them on unusual shapes,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56the very Art Deco shapes, and the sort of conical shaped pieces.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00That's the thing to look out for. Shapes are really key.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08The best of bargains can come from the most unlikely places.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10And chance can play a part,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14as the item that belonged to Carol and Ian goes to prove.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18It's a very rare item. Tell me a bit about it.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23Well, we won it almost 15 years ago now at a raffle,
0:10:23 > 0:10:24took it home and hung it on the wall
0:10:24 > 0:10:28and didn't really think a great deal more about it until probably...
0:10:28 > 0:10:32four years ago or so, and we did a bit of research on it.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Right, OK, so you didn't know who it was by at the time you won it?
0:10:36 > 0:10:39We knew it was Eduardo Paolozzi...
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- Right.- ..but didn't really realise the significance of it.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44- Didn't realise how important it was?- No.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48'Paolozzi, I think, is a very important modern artist
0:10:48 > 0:10:51'and sculptor, so I was astonished to hear they'd won it in a raffle.'
0:10:51 > 0:10:54You don't normally win things like that in raffles.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58TV sets, boxes of chocolates, bunches of flowers,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01but a Paolozzi bronze?! Wow, lucky people!
0:11:01 > 0:11:04So I was amazed to hear that, and I was thrilled for them, too.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09This is a representation of the famous piece of sculpture
0:11:09 > 0:11:13that stands in the forecourt of the British Library.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17You knew at the time it was by Paolozzi, but how did you know that?
0:11:17 > 0:11:21It came with this letter of authenticity with it.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24OK, I'll just quickly read this.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29This, obviously, is on his own notepaper with a printed heading.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32"This is to authorise that the bronze plaque Newton After Blake
0:11:32 > 0:11:36"can be raffled for the Brenchley & Matfield Tennis Club."
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- Where's that?- In Kent.- Kent.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40"This was executed by me,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44"and a copy cast by Livingstone Art Founders in 1995."
0:11:44 > 0:11:48He then goes on to say that the original version of the sculpture
0:11:48 > 0:11:51is being installed in front of the new British Library.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55And it's signed by Paolozzi himself, which is fantastic.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00'Provenance on an item like this is vitally important.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02'These things are very rare,'
0:12:02 > 0:12:06and, it must be said, they're relatively easily faked.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09So this was a copper-bottom provenance,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12and that was very exciting, too.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16My view is that this is worth somewhere between £2,000 and £3,000.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Can I ask how much the raffle ticket cost?
0:12:20 > 0:12:21£1. £1? Gosh!
0:12:24 > 0:12:28£1 each. But you were very generous, you bought more than one ticket!
0:12:28 > 0:12:30- We bought five!- Five!
0:12:30 > 0:12:32So it actually cost you a fiver, not just a pound!
0:12:33 > 0:12:37I've got bids, got interest, and I've got to start at £1,500.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39At £1,500, the bid's on the books.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43At £1,500, £1,500, the bid's with me.
0:12:43 > 0:12:471,600, 1,700, 1,800, 1,900, 2,000.
0:12:47 > 0:12:512,1... At £2,100, the bid's with me.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55At £2,100.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57At £2,100... 2,2 or not?
0:12:57 > 0:13:00At £2,100, done?
0:13:00 > 0:13:04At £2,100.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Number 814.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Yes! He's sold it for £2,100!
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Got to be happy with that?
0:13:11 > 0:13:13It fell within estimate, so, in all honesty,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15I was quite chuffed, really.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19That's one raffle I'd wished I'd bought a ticket for!
0:13:19 > 0:13:21But even when you're buying at auction,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24a bargain can still land in your lap.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Flog It regular Claire Rawle proved that point
0:13:26 > 0:13:30when she inadvertently bought a real treasure.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33This little Japanese carved wooden tiger,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36I never actually set out to buy.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Many, many years ago, when I first started in this business,
0:13:39 > 0:13:41I bought a box of mixed items.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I bought the box, it probably had a toy in it or something that I wanted,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47and when I got home and I rummaged about, there it was,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50lurking in the bottom of the box. Cost me a fiver.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53And, I was very early days of my career then,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55so I didn't know an awful lot about it,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58except it's incredibly tactile, it's the most gorgeous thing.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00It looks quite fierce, cos it's snarling,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04but it's got rather a round-y nose, which is very typical Japanese.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06He dates from the late 19th-century.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Always thought he might have been intended as a netsuke,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12but there are no holes in him,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16so I'm guessing he's just a little carved wooden ornament.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20And if you turn him upside down, like so many Oriental works of art,
0:14:20 > 0:14:21he's got the most beautiful detail.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24All his little pads, his little claws, and he is actually signed,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28he's got character marks, which I really ought to get looked at.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Probably says something like "Made in Hong Kong,"
0:14:31 > 0:14:34but with any luck it might say that it's carved by one of the exceptionally gifted
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Japanese carvers. That would be nice.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38And one day I'll get it checked out.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40But, in a way, I just like him as he is.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43I don't know that I want to know too much more about him. I think he's gorgeous,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47and I think today we're probably looking at an auction price
0:14:47 > 0:14:51of 100 to 150, so it wasn't bad for a fiver, really.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54A nice little bonus for Claire!
0:14:54 > 0:14:58But nothing compared to the windfall that awaited Stephen,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01who picked up two paintings as part of a job lot.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03They're vibrant, they're impressionistic,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and they're very much of the moment, I think.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09- So, how did you come by them? - I picked them up at auction.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11- How long ago was that then? - About eight years.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Cos there were some frames - some Art Deco frames - I wanted.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18- I didn't want those.- You didn't like them.- No. They went in the garage.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Have they been in the garage for the last eight years?
0:15:20 > 0:15:23One's been on the wall in the house cos the wife likes it.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25The other's been on top of the wardrobe.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27I do like them. I particularly like this one.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30The more I look at that, the more it does grow on me.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Here's the artist's name. Look, Danila Vassilief.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35This one's dated 1934.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39- And that one's dated... - '33.- ..1933.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43He was a Russian artist.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46He moved to Australia after the Russian revolution,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49became an Australian citizen, but he toured around the world.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53He went to the Caribbean, he came to England for a little
0:15:53 > 0:15:57while during the 1930s and he painted here.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00I've looked at recent sales...
0:16:00 > 0:16:01of oils like this,
0:16:01 > 0:16:09and they have sold for anything from £200-£300 right up to £11,236.
0:16:09 > 0:16:10That's a fair price.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Yeah. The question is, how much did you pay for these in auction?
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Er..£4, plus the...so £4.60.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Is that all?
0:16:21 > 0:16:24My advice is let the auctioneer decide - Philip Serrell -
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- it's his sale. He knows his market. - Yes, I'm quite happy with that.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29So what did Philip think?
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Well, he valued the larger of the two at £200-£300
0:16:32 > 0:16:36and the smaller at £100-£150.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39He knew they were something special.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42There are areas of collectability that are strong,
0:16:42 > 0:16:48and the strong areas at the moment are New Zealand, Australia.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53And this man had a big Australian following
0:16:53 > 0:16:55because his work came from there.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00But they were set to exceed everyone's expectations.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03A little birdie told me your wife is quite happy to get rid of these.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06She'd like me to clear out a little bit, yes.
0:17:06 > 0:17:11I have got a rather excessive amount of pictures...probably 300.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15- If they didn't sell... 300? You're a bit of a magpie.- Yes.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18My rainy day money, my retirement fund.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Here we go. This is it. Good luck, Stephen.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22This painting that I am offering you, it is
0:17:22 > 0:17:24the larger one of the two.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28It is the landscape with the figures. With me at 320.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- That's a big profit. - 350, 360, 370...
0:17:31 > 0:17:34But it hasn't stopped yet.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39'For a £4.60 investment, Stephen was going to get a serious return.'
0:17:39 > 0:17:42- Internet bidding. Can you see that? - Yeah.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45550, 580, 600...
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Bid's with me. 520, 650, 680, 700...
0:17:49 > 0:17:52720. £720.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56£720 for the first, for the larger one.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58£720.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01'And Stephen's wife Anne can't believe it.'
0:18:01 > 0:18:03At 800, 820...
0:18:03 > 0:18:06850... 850.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10850, 880...
0:18:10 > 0:18:12At £880, here's the bid.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13At £880.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15The bid's with me on the machine.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Australian art is big business.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Twice... 900.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23LAUGHTER
0:18:23 > 0:18:28You are a little rascal, aren't you? At £900. 950...
0:18:28 > 0:18:31980, 1,000...
0:18:31 > 0:18:34And 1,100.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36James, don't stop now.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38£1,050, £1,100...
0:18:38 > 0:18:40At £1,050...
0:18:40 > 0:18:43- This is very, very good. - At £1,050 on the machine.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Is there any more?
0:18:45 > 0:18:46Just that one more.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Everybody's starting to fidget. They can feel the tension.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54- At £1,050...- £1,050...
0:18:54 > 0:18:56that hammer is going down.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Done. Thank you.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01£1,050, that is a very good start for the large one.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02Right, here's the second.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04I've got a 500 bid on the book.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08520. 550, 580, is it?
0:19:08 > 0:19:11At £550, 580, 600...
0:19:11 > 0:19:13At £600.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14Bid is with me at £600.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16At £600 only.
0:19:16 > 0:19:1820 on the net, is it?
0:19:18 > 0:19:20650 in the room.
0:19:20 > 0:19:21At 650.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23680, 700...
0:19:25 > 0:19:27720, 780...
0:19:27 > 0:19:29One more.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Is there £800 anywhere?
0:19:32 > 0:19:34At £780.
0:19:34 > 0:19:35There is the bid.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Once...
0:19:37 > 0:19:41twice... Done at 780.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Yes! The hammer's gone down. £780 for the smaller one.
0:19:45 > 0:19:52That is, for you, a grand total of £1,830. What a wonderful moment.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56And we've just been joined by the wife, so what do you think?
0:19:56 > 0:20:00I... I'm stumped. I just can't believe it.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02I knew that they would do very, very well
0:20:02 > 0:20:05because of that Australia connection. Because of the internet,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09you just know that they're going to make the money that they should.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14But from a personal point of view, would they hang in my house? No...
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Well, I absolutely love it
0:20:17 > 0:20:21when we can help you turn a healthy profit, and what a profit it was.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24It just goes to show, there are bargains to be had out there,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28even in the auction rooms where Stephen picked those paintings up
0:20:28 > 0:20:30for just a few pounds.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34If you think lady luck is on your side
0:20:34 > 0:20:36and you'd like to bag yourself a bargain,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38what should you bear in mind?
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Don't always look in the obvious places
0:20:41 > 0:20:42to find that special something.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Expect the unexpected and keep an open mind.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47Hang on to things.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Some things may not seem like a bargain now,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54but things can quickly change when it comes to the antiques market.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55And buy what appeals.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58If you like it, the chances are someone else will too.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08Regular Flog It auctioneer Nick Hall likes all kinds of antiques and
0:21:08 > 0:21:11collectables, but he's especially passionate about paintings.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15His sale room is a veritable gallery of pictures for sale,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17and he wants no more than to share his passion with us,
0:21:17 > 0:21:21and some tips on how to spot a good investment.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Now I've been involved in antiques for over 20 years now,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30but art, paintings, has always been my first love.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Some of the contemporary stuff really does switch me on.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Now this is by an artist called Theodor Major.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43Theodor Major is a very important part of 20th century northern art.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45This, when it comes up for auction,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48I've put an estimate of around about £25,000 on it.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55The artist on this one is Harold Riley.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Now Harold Riley is still a very active artist.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00In fact, he is well-known internationally.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Now we've been quite cautious on this.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06We've put a pre-sale estimate of £4,000-£6,000 on it,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09but it's going to blow that away.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11If you're lucky, you might find something
0:22:11 > 0:22:13that's slipped through a general auction
0:22:13 > 0:22:16for a fraction of its value - highly unlikely.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21What you really need to do is go to the places where the young,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23the fresh, the new art is emerging from.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Being from glorious Cheshire,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29we're just a stone's throw away from the vibrant city of Manchester,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32and I know just the place to go and find exactly what we're looking for.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Manchester School of Art is one of the oldest, highly regarded,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40pioneering art schools in the country.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45During its 175 year history, the school has had many exceptional and
0:22:45 > 0:22:50inspirational graduates, including the world renowned LS Lowry.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53So what better place to find out more about contemporary art,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57how to spot a bargain, and discover the next big thing in the art world?
0:22:57 > 0:22:59- Hi there.- Great to meet you. - Likewise.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01What a wonderful space you've got here.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05I'm here to meet head of painting Ian Hartshorne.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08So someone looking to start collecting up and coming art,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11where should they look and what should they be looking for?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14One of the best opportunities to find what you're looking for,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17what collectors might be looking for, is in our annual degree show,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21which takes place at the beginning of June each year.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25The graduates culminate their studies after three years,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27have an exhibition, which is open to the public.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32Last year, we had over 3,000 people visit the studios...
0:23:32 > 0:23:36and students did really well in terms of selling their work.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41And also, buying work at a degree exhibition is really interesting
0:23:41 > 0:23:45because it's actually the cheapest the work is ever going to be.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48An exhibition in the sense that a gallery would put on a sale
0:23:48 > 0:23:51with items for produced especially for sale in the gallery.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55That's just a sideline to showing the students' work, I guess.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Yeah. If the students sell anything, it's an unexpected bonus, I suppose.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00But you do teach them
0:24:00 > 0:24:03a little bit about the commercial aspect of being out there
0:24:03 > 0:24:05in the cold, hard world post course.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Yeah. It's... It's a reality that we have to face.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10It's a difficult...life.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12It's difficult for students to develop that
0:24:12 > 0:24:14kind of life for themselves, but it is possible.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17A number of students do do it and do it successfully.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS
0:24:24 > 0:24:28So, Ian, with the auction buyer of art, they're established art
0:24:28 > 0:24:29and they've got a confidence
0:24:29 > 0:24:32because they know the track record of the artist's work.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35They know the prices are consistent and are high.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39What confidence would a buyer have coming to, say, an exhibition here
0:24:39 > 0:24:42with the artist whose work we're looking at?
0:24:42 > 0:24:44What could give buyers, or collectors,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48confidence is if those students have taken part in any extra exhibitions,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52if they have been included in prizes or awards or competitions, residences.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Those kinds of thing.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56So it's showing a track record of their success and intent,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58if you like?
0:24:58 > 0:25:02It's an indication of how committed they are to their professional
0:25:02 > 0:25:03development.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10There's some fascinating work going on behind us here.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- Can we meet some of the students? - Sure.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Naomi is making some really great work.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Exotic in flavour. Fairly large scale.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24She's painting these images of palm houses and glass houses.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28- Can we interrupt you for a second? - Of course.- Hi, Naomi.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Loving the work you're working on currently now.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34I'd really like to get your slant on what it is you're trying to
0:25:34 > 0:25:36portray and produce.
0:25:36 > 0:25:41They are images taken from exotic landscapes and hot houses
0:25:41 > 0:25:45and palm houses. It's not a still life.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50It's meant to evoke an atmosphere of heat and the sounds of the tropics.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02So much to see, isn't there? Gosh, this is interesting.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07- I really like this.- This is Camilla. Can we say hi to Nick for a second?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Hi, Camilla. Nice to meet you.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Sorry to disturb you but just interested to know what it is that
0:26:12 > 0:26:16drives you, what's your inspiration for these wonderful works?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Inspiration-wise, I started off looking at a lot
0:26:19 > 0:26:22of the old masters so I started from there.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26I was also looking at old photos from Victorian times
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and sort of recreating them.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Ian, what in your opinion makes a good painting good?
0:26:37 > 0:26:41A good painting is good throughout different points in history.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Some of the paintings that were initially thought to be
0:26:44 > 0:26:45good are not referred to any more.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- Or talked about very much. - So tastes change.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Tastes change. Fashion changes.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54And the market changes which also partly determines what a good
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- painting is.- What would you look for in a painting?
0:26:57 > 0:27:00If I can keep returning to look at it,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03it's like an itch that I want to scratch.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06If it does that to me I know it is a good piece of work.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08What are your thoughts on people buying just
0:27:08 > 0:27:10because, commercially, it will bring a return?
0:27:11 > 0:27:15I suppose if you're a buyer you want to buy the cheapest
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and sell at the highest. That's a commercial decision.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20I would like to think if anybody bought something from me
0:27:20 > 0:27:24or one of my students they were buying it because they loved it
0:27:24 > 0:27:27but I think there are two different things at work here.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30One is the art world which is about art
0:27:30 > 0:27:33and one is the art market which is about money.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36And the students that I work with
0:27:36 > 0:27:39and art schools like this are really about the art world.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42There is a fine line between the two worlds
0:27:42 > 0:27:45and the two ideals of buying, heart or purse strings, isn't it?
0:27:45 > 0:27:47I would always go with the heart.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50As an auctioneer, I've got to say purse strings.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01I hope today's show has inspired you to
0:28:01 > 0:28:04try your hand at a spot of bargain hunting.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07You never know, you might just turn up a real gem.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Go out there and have some fun, start buying antiques, and we'll
0:28:11 > 0:28:14be back with more Trade Secrets.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd