0:00:03 > 0:00:04For well over ten years now,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07you've arrived in your thousands at our Flog It! valuation days,
0:00:07 > 0:00:12bringing all manner of items to put our experts through their paces.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15- 20 quid?- Oh, no...- I'm joking! I'm joking.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18And we have helped you sell around a million pounds' worth
0:00:18 > 0:00:20of antiques and collectables.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23£540! The hammer's gone down.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Now in this series, I want to share some of the things
0:00:26 > 0:00:28we've learnt from handling all of those items.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32So stand by to hear our Flog It! Trade Secrets.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04We are a nation of bookworms, with a history of great writing
0:01:04 > 0:01:06which spans centuries.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11Some of our most revered historic figures are literary giants.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14So, what, might you be thinking, has this got to do
0:01:14 > 0:01:17with antiques and collectables?
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Well, I can tell you, because today's show is dedicated to
0:01:19 > 0:01:22everything connected with writers and writing.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Our story today features eye-popping surprises...
0:01:29 > 0:01:34The little police helmet really caught me with my trousers down.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35..jaw-dropping auctions...
0:01:35 > 0:01:37- You got it for nothing.- Yeah.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40- Had it for a day, made £1,000. - £1,000, yeah.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43..and an awe-inspiring book collector.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45If you've got millions of pounds to spend, disposable cash,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47you spend it on your passion.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Sandy's passion is women's literature.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59These days, many of us do much of our writing on a keyboard
0:01:59 > 0:02:01and the computer or the smartphone is our page.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03But it wasn't always that way.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08The paraphernalia of writing is of enduring interest to the collector,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12whether it be blotting pads, pen trays, inkwells, even desks,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15we see the lot at our valuation days.
0:02:15 > 0:02:16So do you want to find out more?
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Well, go and grab a pen and paper, because this is what you need to know.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Collect fountain pens!
0:02:25 > 0:02:26Namiki cases,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29which are Japanese lacquer, done for Dunhill.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32I think they are amongst the most expensive pens in the world.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35So if you see one of those, certainly go for it.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Always try and stand back from the crowd.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Don't buy what everybody else has got, try and buy something rare.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Things like very ornate, grand blotters.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Now if you think of the 19th century French ormolu mounted blotters
0:02:48 > 0:02:52and desk sets, very decorative, very collectable,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54and probably a little bit underpriced at the moment.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56So have a look at those.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Good advice from our experts.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05On the ground, they come across all manner of weird and wonderful things.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Including one little thriller that Philip found in Stockport.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13The little police helmet really caught me with my trousers down.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- How old do you think it is? - I've no idea.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20I know it came from my grandfather.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24I think that that dates... Back end of the 19th century.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28And I love it, because it is pure novelty.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32You just press that there, and lo and behold, there is our little inkwell.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- Yeah, right. - And it's just such a cool thing.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40Writing was an art form and they would produce this little stand
0:03:40 > 0:03:43with brushes on it that you wiped your nib on. Nib wipes.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47And sometimes they would be in the form of a helmet or a dog or whatever.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51So the whole thing they took to an art form.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And these were designed almost to be travelling inkwells,
0:03:55 > 0:04:00because once you press that down, like that, it becomes self-sealing.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03- Yeah.- So, there are people who collect inkwells.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06They come in all sorts of different forms.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10They come in little bags, they can come in the shapes of rugby balls,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13they can come in the shape of footballs, cricket balls,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16they can come as little dog's heads, they come in 101 different things.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20And I guess the bottom line is, the rarer they are,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22the more money they make.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I saw a little Gladstone Bag inkwell about that big,
0:04:26 > 0:04:32just the same period as this, in an antique shop, priced at £150.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Now, that was mint condition. This has seen a life, hasn't it?
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- It certainly has. - But it's just a fun thing.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41And I think it's quite honest for what it is.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46I think at auction, I would put a 30-50 estimate on it.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49If you have the joy of the internet, someone's just got
0:04:49 > 0:04:53to sit at home and click that mouse
0:04:53 > 0:04:57and £60 can very quickly become £130.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59But think 30-50.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04The bobby's hat was auctioned by Flog It's Adam Partridge.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07And he was most definitely intrigued.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10A few years ago, I had a collection to handle,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12a house contents, where he collected inkwells,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16and he had well over a thousand different types of inkwell.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18I don't recall there being one like this.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23- Start in the room. £30. - 30.- 30 online,
0:05:23 > 0:05:275, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 90.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28How quick is that?
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- At 90...- He's on fire!- At 90, in one place... Where is five?
0:05:31 > 0:05:36Five, 100, 110, 110 I'm bid. 140, 150, I am bid.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Keep going online. 160, 170, I'm bid.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- It's lovely, isn't it?- Fantastic!
0:05:40 > 0:05:43You see, this is the beauty of an auction.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45If two people want something, the sky's the limit.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- SHE GASPS - At 230.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50230, still going. Last chance.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Selling on my books here at 230, you're out online.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Absolutely lovely.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- BOTH: Yes!- 230.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Hats off to you two!
0:06:00 > 0:06:03A fantastic return for mum and daughter.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05The success of the inkwell shows that novelty items
0:06:05 > 0:06:09can certainly prove lucrative.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11If the collectors have never seen a policeman's helmet
0:06:11 > 0:06:14like that before, it's going to make whatever the collectors
0:06:14 > 0:06:17are prepared to pay for it.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19And I guess that's what happened on that day.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21MUSIC: The Laughing Policeman
0:06:21 > 0:06:25It's safe to say that James had never seen anything quite like
0:06:25 > 0:06:28the quirky little page-turner brought by Joy
0:06:28 > 0:06:32to our valuation day at Coventry Transport Museum.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34I have always been a book lover.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Not normal books, but this type of book.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39What a fantastic object.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43I can just imagine somebody sitting back in their study, in late
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Victorian or Edwardian England, pretending to work, the wife is
0:06:47 > 0:06:51saying, "Now then, George, you're not out on the whisky again, are you?"
0:06:51 > 0:06:54And he'd say, "No, no, no! I don't have any whisky in here!"
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- Apart from...in there. - SHE LAUGHS
0:06:56 > 0:07:01What a wonderful way of hiding a bit of tipple in your study.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I absolutely love it.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05It has the novelty factor, the fun factor,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09- it's useful and it's an antique that looks the part as well.- Yes.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13They are just such fun, because they appeal to that naughty element
0:07:13 > 0:07:17of, "Hee-hee, I've got something here that I'm hiding!"
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Is it something that you've drunk from in your years?
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- LAUGHING:- I don't think I'd fancy drinking out of it!
0:07:23 > 0:07:26- Wouldn't you? Why not? - It smells a bit musty.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Wouldn't smell musty by the time you'd had a good old malt in there!
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Well, let's have a look at it.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33The whole thing is bound in what would originally have been
0:07:33 > 0:07:35a royal blue Morocco leather.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39And it's detailed and stamped in gold here,
0:07:39 > 0:07:43and the thing that I love about it is the author is James Dixon.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47And James Dixon was a silversmith working in Sheffield
0:07:47 > 0:07:49throughout the 19th century.
0:07:49 > 0:07:55James Dixon was one of these makers who was just prolific,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58a great businessman and this was something he was clearly
0:07:58 > 0:08:01very proud of making, because he put his name on the spine.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03If we turn there, that gives it away.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06We've got James Dixon and Sons of Sheffield,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10and I should think that would have been made in England
0:08:10 > 0:08:12about 1910, something like that.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15The fact that it says "made in England" would indicate it slightly later.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18But the overall look is very much an Edwardian look.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23The Victorians were really the people who loved the novelty item.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27And the Edwardians followed on from that.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30So, anyway, it's a great object.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33I love it, and it's the sort of thing you would like to see
0:08:33 > 0:08:36in a gentleman's library, say, or something like that.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Value - £100-£150, something like that.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- Is that all right for you? - Yeah, that's fine.- Good.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47# Excuse me, baby but I'm drunk... #
0:08:47 > 0:08:48James liked it,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52but would the little book of booze leave anyone else intoxicated?
0:08:54 > 0:08:55Why are you selling it?
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Well, I decided I wanted to come to Flog It!, cos I've been
0:08:58 > 0:09:01once before and thoroughly enjoyed myself and enjoyed myself this time.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- It belonged to my dad, you see. He would have so enjoyed being here. - Oh, Bless.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09- Here we go.- The James Dixon and Sons EPNS spirit flask,
0:09:09 > 0:09:10tall, in the form of a book,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12and it has got "A Pleasant Surprise" on it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15There we are. The registration marks etc.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18And I have got an opening bid on the book, commission bid of £85.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20At 85, at 90 do I hear?
0:09:20 > 0:09:22At 90, 90, 100?
0:09:22 > 0:09:24100, 100. 110.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Good, we're getting the top end.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29140. 135. 140.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31145. 150. 150. 155.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34150, in the front row at 150. Do you want 160 up there?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37That's a good, good thing.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40£150, gentleman's bid, are we done?
0:09:40 > 0:09:41GAVEL FALLS
0:09:41 > 0:09:44There you go. Well done, you. Well done, James.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48So, the book turned out to be A Pleasant Surprise by name
0:09:48 > 0:09:51and a pleasant surprise by nature.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54It would appeal to a librarian,
0:09:54 > 0:09:59somebody with a good 18th century library of books.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Somebody who might just belong to a rugby club and take it along with
0:10:03 > 0:10:07the lads as a bit of fun to try to and sneak into the match here and there.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15The fundamental tool of the writing trade is, of course, the pen.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19And in 2007 Michael was lucky enough to have a rare example
0:10:19 > 0:10:22land on his valuation table.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24The ivory pen was one of the most beautiful things
0:10:24 > 0:10:26I have ever seen on a Flog It!
0:10:26 > 0:10:30It belonged to a dear friend of mine who died back in the last century.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34- Oh, right, right.- Which wasn't as long ago as it sounds.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36And I believe it would have belonged to her father.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40- Right. She was an elderly lady? - She was an elderly lady, yes.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Well, the box is always a good place to start.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45If we have a look in the cover, it says "to His Majesty the King."
0:10:45 > 0:10:48So we know it is after Victoria's death.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50But more importantly we've got the name Plant.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54And he was the retailer of extremely fine Japanese
0:10:54 > 0:10:59and Japanese-inspired works of art at the turn of the 20th century.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03And this pen, far from being a fountain pen,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07- is really a little miniature work of art.- It is, isn't it?
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I mean, the sleeves, the top and the base
0:11:10 > 0:11:14are all carved out of ivory extremely finely.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18It required a huge amount of skill to carve that case
0:11:18 > 0:11:20because it was very thin ivory,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22you haven't got a lot of depth to it.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25It was just skill. Beautiful Japanese art at its best.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28I'm pretty sure that this black infill
0:11:28 > 0:11:30is layers of Japanese lacquer.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32It took an age to do this.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36The only trouble, of course, because it is ivory, is you've got a split
0:11:36 > 0:11:41coming in it there, and there is also a split in the cover.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43The cracks made a huge difference to the value
0:11:43 > 0:11:46because there's very little you can do with them.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49You can reglue them, but the actual material has shrunk
0:11:49 > 0:11:52and moved, and maybe you'd have to fill them and file and down,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54and it would never be perfect.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59As far as the maker goes, the giveaway is actually on the nib.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03It says Kokusai, who must have been the maker.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07- It's not an English pen?- It's not an English pen, it's an American pen.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08American?
0:12:08 > 0:12:12It's an American pen with a Japanese case, sold by an Englishman.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15A pen like this, you would expect
0:12:15 > 0:12:18to have been made for a very wealthy Westerner.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22It's very much a Western object made for export.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28The value of it is going to be, let's say, between £200 and £300.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Let's put a fixed reserve of £200 on it.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33If you're happy to put it into auction,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36we'll go ahead and do that for you, and hope it makes a fortune.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Wow!
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Pauline's pen was undoubtedly beautiful,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45but would its condition make it a write-off?
0:12:46 > 0:12:50And our very own Nick Hall was the auctioneer in question.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53The fine quality early 20th century
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Kokusai black lacquer and chased ivory pen.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Wonderful thing, a rare thing, but the quality,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01it was like I've never seen before in a pen.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03May I say 150 to start me?
0:13:03 > 0:13:05150 I am bid, thank you. At the desk at 150.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Looking for five now. 155 coming in.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11160. 5. 170 I am bid.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13New bid at 175. 180. 5.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15- 190.- They like it.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19190 I am bid. 195, thank you. 200.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21£200. And five. 210.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22£210 on the desk. Any new bidders?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24All done? At 210 with you, sir.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26215. You're out at the desk.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28New bidder at 215.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32- Any further bid? All done at 215. - GAVEL FALLS
0:13:32 > 0:13:33£215, just.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38Japanese works of art, they are the pickiest collectors in the world.
0:13:38 > 0:13:44It's perfectly legal to buy or sell ivory dated before 1947.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48And the pen clearly fell into that category.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51But it's the case that great age increases the possibility
0:13:51 > 0:13:55of damage to anything, especially something as delicate as ivory.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59The crack that was in it, the split,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01it just kills it for a collector,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04which I think was reflected heavily in the price we achieved.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Now, we don't often get large items into our valuation days,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13but Richard from Great Yarmouth bucked the trend
0:14:13 > 0:14:17when he brought along a blockbusting piece of furniture.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22- Have you got a big car?- No, I've got a Fiesta.- A small Fiesta!
0:14:22 > 0:14:24- We actually used a trailer.- Right.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Which my wife's sister's husband drove us here.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- How long have you had it? - Approximately 24 hours.- 24 hours?
0:14:32 > 0:14:37Yeah, 24 hours. We tried it in our house and it doesn't seem to fit.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41- No.- Not our sort of style, really. - Not your style.- No.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46- It is very ornate and flamboyant, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48What we had here was a very ornate French desk
0:14:48 > 0:14:51in the Directoire period, so late 19th century French.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55But it is modelled on an earlier example,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- a Louis XIV style desk.- Oh!
0:14:58 > 0:15:04Tortoiseshell and brass inlay, which we call Boulle work.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07You've got this cut brass inlaid there
0:15:07 > 0:15:12against a tortoiseshell ground, or a turtleshell, here.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Now, it is in very poor condition, because it hasn't been cleaned,
0:15:16 > 0:15:21- but I like that.- Yes.- And you've got these great ormolu mounts on here.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26Ormolu mounts are the highest form of gilding.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30They're bronze mounts, cast,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33and then gilded in a gold leaf.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Sort of tapered square legs.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Can you see the way they taper down and they have still got inlay
0:15:38 > 0:15:42and ormolu mounts? So sharp and so untouched.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Throughout the valuation I was sort of fiddling on, opening things,
0:15:45 > 0:15:49I had the key in my hand opening the desk, and you do find labels.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53And you can be a bit of a detective, an antique detective.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56- HE READS:- "A Boulle and tortoiseshell writing table in the style
0:15:56 > 0:16:01"of Louis XIV, inlaid on solid ebony and mounted in fine ormolu."
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Oh, lovely.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05It would have been bought by an industrialist.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Somebody who had made a lot of money would've bought this desk to show off their wealth.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11- We can see the cracks on the top. - Yes.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15And the inlay here has gone.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20Ten years ago I could quite happily put 3,000 to 4,000 on it.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Ten years ago. The market has dropped.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27In this condition, you could only put 1,000 to 1,500 on it.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- That's what it's worth at auction. - Oh, wow.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33That's quite a lot of money for something...
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- For a knackered old desk!- Yeah.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40So, despite the damage, a hefty estimate from Thomas.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44The auction was destined to be a cliffhanger.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49Number 155 is this wonderful desk here, the tortoiseshell Boulle desk.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52£1,000 start.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53800, if you like.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56There wasn't a sea of hands to begin with when he opened up.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59600. 620, 650.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- 680, 700.- (He's getting stuck in.)
0:17:02 > 0:17:05720, 750.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08It's black, not red.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10If it was red tortoiseshell, it would
0:17:10 > 0:17:13have been selling really, really well.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Downstairs, the fresh bid is 820, 850.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21The auctioneer seemed determined to push the bids to four figures.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25It's £1,000 gallery bid, now. £50 wouldn't hurt.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29At £1,000 now, it sells on 1,000.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31- I'm happy with that, you must be thrilled.- Yeah, definitely.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35- Got it for nothing, had it for a day. Made £1,000.- £1,000, yeah.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Well, you really can't complain about a result like that.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43It just goes to show that auctions don't always go by the book.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Sometimes, despite the vagaries of fashion
0:17:45 > 0:17:49and the ravages of time, quality will win out.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51£1,000 is still a very good price
0:17:51 > 0:17:54cos there was a bit of work to be done.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01As we've seen, items related to the written word can come in all
0:18:01 > 0:18:05shapes and sizes, but there are some rules of thumb that apply to
0:18:05 > 0:18:09collectables, no matter what their size.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13When it comes to writing paraphernalia, quirkiness sells.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17The more unusual a collectable is, the more valuable it is likely to be.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Novelty items also have the added benefit of appealing to
0:18:21 > 0:18:27collectors beyond those who are solely interested in items of a literary nature.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31If you've got something at home that was connected with a writer or
0:18:31 > 0:18:35a great world event, you could be sitting on a gold mine.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38And your item needn't be directly related to writing.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40The collar worn by Charles Dickens' dog
0:18:40 > 0:18:45sold in 2010 for over £7,000.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49And look out for the maker's mark or certificate.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53If you've got one, you're more likely to make good money at auction.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01In the world of antiques and collectables,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03personal stories always add extra appeal.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07And for Claire Rawle, reading a family memoir is like
0:19:07 > 0:19:09hearing a voice from the past.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14What I have here is some copy of type notes
0:19:14 > 0:19:17that my grandfather, my mother's father,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20typed up about his experiences on the first day
0:19:20 > 0:19:22of the Battle of the Somme.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26He was a great letter writer because he was basically an Edwardian,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28and of course in those days they wrote.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31He kept diaries, and I love that,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35because by reading something you're in touch with that person.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38It's a voice from that person.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40So I just got I'd read a bit here.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44July 1st 1916, there was this massive push.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47The officers were the chaps that sort of got all the fellows
0:19:47 > 0:19:51out of the trenches and stood like a decoy, really,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53just waiting to be killed, and an awful lot of them were.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57And he says here, "I was standing on the parapet of Bund trench
0:19:57 > 0:20:01"spacing the waves out as we move to assault Pommiers trench
0:20:01 > 0:20:04"when Meaker ran across to me rather breathless.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08"'For gods sake, Sir', he gasped, 'don't expose yourself so much.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13"'Don't you realise that I have got to carry on if you are potted?'
0:20:13 > 0:20:16"It struck me as being a funny way of putting it, especially
0:20:16 > 0:20:19"as by standing there he was exposing himself to the same risk."
0:20:19 > 0:20:22And it's just the thought that there are these chaps standing
0:20:22 > 0:20:24having this sort of altercation,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27both of them in direct, you know, enemy fire.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29And then it just goes on, and it's an account of how
0:20:29 > 0:20:34he pushed through and cleared the trenches and ended up
0:20:34 > 0:20:40him and literally a couple of others because everybody else had been wiped out.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42And he just sounds so brave.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47I think the written word by the ordinary person will give you
0:20:47 > 0:20:51a greater grasp on what was really happening in history.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58There is quite a high value on original documents,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01so whilst obviously these to me are more than money, I mean,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04this is very, very precious, there are things that
0:21:04 > 0:21:07come on the market and they do make an awful lot of money.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14OK, here's a question for you:
0:21:14 > 0:21:16what connects one of Britain's most famous authors,
0:21:16 > 0:21:21Jane Austen, from about 200 years ago, to the modern-day, the present
0:21:21 > 0:21:24phenomena of the internet, e-mails, computers, laptops?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Well, I can tell you.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30It is this place, Chawton House, once her brother's home.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Now owned by a Silicon Valley millionairess.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38You probably haven't heard of her, but American computer expert
0:21:38 > 0:21:43and entrepreneur Sandy Lerner bought Chawton House in Hampshire in 1992.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Although she has never lived here,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48she's spent eight years and £10 million
0:21:48 > 0:21:50turning this rundown shell...
0:21:52 > 0:21:55..into this restored architectural delight.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Looking at the house today it is a labour of love,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02and love is how it started.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06The legend is that Sandy Lerner made her money by inventing a new
0:22:06 > 0:22:10computer system so she could send her boyfriend romantic messages.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Now, that story was just clever PR, really,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19but the work was a huge leap forward in computer development,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22and it made Sandy Lerner a multimillionaire.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24So, what's that got to do with Jane Austen?
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Well, if you've got millions of pounds to spend in disposable cash,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29you spend it on your passion.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Sandy's passion is women's literature.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Just look at this incredible collection.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Many of them are first editions or early ones,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43and the condition is incredible. Such a sense of history in this room.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Sandy Lerner donated her personal collection
0:22:49 > 0:22:53and built an international study centre for women's literature
0:22:53 > 0:22:55from the 1600s to the 19th-century.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59And now it numbers 9,000 books.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Jane Austen lived nearby in a cottage in the village,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07but she often visited Chawton House because this was her brother
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Edward's home, and while she was living in the village
0:23:10 > 0:23:13she finished Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15and started Emma.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20And here is a wonderful edition, printed in Philadelphia in 1833.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23It just goes to show the worldwide appeal of her work,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and what an accolade for an author, even by today's standards,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29to have your work published overseas around the globe,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31but back then in 1833...
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Emma has descriptions which reflect Chawton House,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45and the landscape here is said to have inspired some of the passages.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Some of the characters may even have been
0:23:47 > 0:23:49based on the owners of the house.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Now, we've all heard of Jane Austen,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57but even before her there were many women making their mark
0:23:57 > 0:23:59in a male-dominated world through their writing.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02This beautiful portrait is of Mary Robinson.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06She was actress who became the mistress to the Prince Regent in 1779.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09He later went on to become George IV,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13and Mary Robinson later went on to champion the cause of women's rights.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14Beautiful woman.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20She led somewhat of a scandalous life, yet wrote romantic poetry,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and here in the collection there's a wonderful first edition,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27first printed in 1791, of her works.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30Now, even earlier than that,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Aphra Behn was one of the first professional female writers,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37and this one is titled Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40It was an incestuous story, a love story
0:24:40 > 0:24:41between a brother and a sister,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44so it was incredibly scandalous in its day.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Aphra Behn was born in 1640,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and like most women of her day she had no formal education.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53She travelled the globe. Basically she enjoyed life to the full.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55She did what she wanted to do.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Sandy Lerner still comes here regularly.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03She is a chairman of the trustees. And it's thanks to her dedication
0:25:03 > 0:25:07and her passion that members of the general public can come here,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09look at the collection, read the books
0:25:09 > 0:25:13and learn more about early women's literature.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16And if I had loads of money, this would be something I would love to do as well.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19It's well worth a visit, so please do check it out.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26We're always pleased to see collectors on the show,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30so Thomas was delighted to meet up with Sue who brought along something
0:25:30 > 0:25:34rather special to a valuation day in a very appropriate setting.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36# Mamma's taking us To the zoo tomorrow
0:25:36 > 0:25:38# Zoo tomorrow zoo tomorrow
0:25:38 > 0:25:40# Mamma's taking us To the zoo tomorrow
0:25:40 > 0:25:43# We can stay all day We're going to the zoo. #
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Sue, you've brought along a bear.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48You didn't think there were enough animals in London zoo.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- No, not really.- So you have brought your own with you.- Yes.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Tell me about your bear, how did you come by him?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Well, I bought him in a charity shop about 20 years ago.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00I have got another bear, a much smaller one,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02which is how I knew what sort of bear it was.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04It was a Royal Copenhagen bear.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09Everything produced by Copenhagen in my opinion is wonderful.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10- Let's see what he makes.- Yes.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Where shall we start this? £50 to go?
0:26:12 > 0:26:15£50 to start me. 50 I am bid.
0:26:15 > 0:26:1860. 65.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20£65 I am bid.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23£70 in the corner. £70 it is, then.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25- GAVEL FALLS - There we go.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27- It sold.- And you are happy, are you? - Yes, I'm happy.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31I quite miss the bear, but it took up a lot of space on the shelf.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35And shelf space is a precious commodity for Sue, because
0:26:35 > 0:26:38she's an avid collector of books.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42My main area is really second-hand children's books,
0:26:42 > 0:26:47old children's books from about the 1920s to the 1960s and '70s.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51They're mostly the ones I remembered reading as a child,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54but they weren't my copies, they were library copies.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56But when I discovered you could buy second-hand books,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00which are a lot cheaper than new books, I haven't stopped,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and I'm always adding better copies to my collection.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09This one's one of my favourite books - Mystery at Witchend.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12And I only paid 10p for it. It's quite amazing.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15It's a first edition and quite hard to find,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and especially with its dust wrapper.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22The easiest way to start collecting books is to sort of look around
0:27:22 > 0:27:28where you are, look at charity shops, jumble sales, car-boot sales.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31There's more people looking for fewer books now.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35And it's always the ones that they didn't print so many copies of,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37they're the ones that everybody wants.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Certainly the Harry Potter ones,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43the first edition of the first title, there was
0:27:43 > 0:27:45quite a small print run for the first title
0:27:45 > 0:27:48because the publishers weren't sure that it was going to be popular.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52And a friend of mine had a first edition, but she'd read it,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56and it wasn't in very good condition. I think she even read it in the bath.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00And she sold it for a few thousand pounds, and then bought a paperback.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06The only thing with children's books is that children read them,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08so they are not always in good condition.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10And if you're collecting first editions,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13you want it in good condition with the dust wrapper.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17And that's often the first bit that gets worn and gets discarded.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22It's best to collect books that you like rather than just buy them
0:28:22 > 0:28:25because you think it might be worth something.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Well, there you are, some great advice from Sue there,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33somebody who definitely knows her books.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Now, if you want some more inside information on antiques
0:28:36 > 0:28:40and collectables, then join us next time for more Trade Secrets.