0:00:05 > 0:00:08It's been well over a decade since we first opened our doors to
0:00:08 > 0:00:11a Flog It! valuation day, and during that time,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14we've travelled the length and the breadth of the British Isles,
0:00:14 > 0:00:17valuing and selling your unwanted antiques and collectibles.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19No scrapping over the antiques!
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Look...at...that!
0:00:22 > 0:00:26And we've all learned a great deal about the items that have
0:00:26 > 0:00:28passed through our hands and now,
0:00:28 > 0:00:30I want to share some of that information with you.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32So stand by to hear our experts' trade secrets.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03For a small country,
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Britain has historically punched well above its weight
0:01:07 > 0:01:11and for centuries, our history and culture has influenced nations
0:01:11 > 0:01:13and people all across the globe.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15So on today's show, we'll be giving you a tour
0:01:15 > 0:01:18of some of our nation's finest antiques.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21A slice of history makes a king's ransom.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Yes! £1,500!
0:01:25 > 0:01:30I explore an important chapter in the story of the cuppa.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32I've got to say, this is fabulous.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36And our experts prove that British eccentricity is alive and kicking.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39I think I better sell my house than sell that cupboard.
0:01:43 > 0:01:49There's one that people who are not from the UK think they know about, and that is the British character.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Fair play, the stiff upper lip, a sense of irony
0:01:53 > 0:01:55and of course, the love of queueing.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03But what is the British character? And how is that encapsulated
0:02:03 > 0:02:08in the antiques and collectibles that we Brits so love?
0:02:08 > 0:02:13Well, here are our experts musing on which collectibles sum up our national character
0:02:13 > 0:02:16and pull in a profit at auction.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18The British love their gardening, don't they?
0:02:18 > 0:02:22So anything to do with gardening, gardening antiques, benches,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24planters, that sort of thing, they always sell well.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Flags, medals, commemorative.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29Nostalgia.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31We're good on nostalgia in this country.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33We like things that remind us of where we come from
0:02:33 > 0:02:35and our childhood.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37And of course, anything to do with our royal family.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40We've always been very inclusive, I like to think,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and very welcoming, and because of that,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45I think we've got a richer society for it.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49And a richer society, I think, produces richer results.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57We Brits all love a good yarn
0:02:57 > 0:03:01and in 2005 Charlie found an item with a fascinating story
0:03:01 > 0:03:03about what was quite literally behind it.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09I think of all the things I've done on Flog It! over the years,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11this is my favourite.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13It's got everything.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- Do you know who this is? - No, I don't.- Well, I didn't.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17I hadn't got a clue who he was.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22I thought the artist looked familiar, the style of it.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26It's very well painted and it's got some really fascinating
0:03:26 > 0:03:31writing on the back. What have you deemed from it?
0:03:31 > 0:03:35I just got the names of the artist, who I thought it was,
0:03:35 > 0:03:36which was George Morland.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38George Morland.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Who was a famous alcoholic, but a very, very good painter.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47I thought I could tell this was by Morland when I saw the picture.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49I was rather praying it was by him.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53But the great thing was, when you turned it over there was this
0:03:53 > 0:03:57wonderful writing on the back which told you everything about it.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01How often can you find that with a picture? It's very rare.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02It starts here.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06"This is the portrait of the late Mr Thomas Moore,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10"who established the booking office and tavern about the year
0:04:10 > 0:04:16"of 1760 called the Green Man and Still, Oxford Street, London."
0:04:16 > 0:04:20- Isn't that fantastic?- It is. - And it goes on to say...
0:04:20 > 0:04:22that George Morland stayed there,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26and when it came for the time to leave, the landlord said,
0:04:26 > 0:04:31"If you can't pay, paint a picture of me and the Mrs and we'll let you go."
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Pub memorabilia is quite collectable nowadays,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37but no way could this be called pub memorabilia.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41This was, is, a work of art.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46It's a painting by a great artist done through force of circumstances.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Now, this artist has made pictures, you know, 10,000, 20,000 -
0:04:49 > 0:04:51a serious artist.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53- But this is more of a sketch, really.- Yes.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57- It's got some damage.- Yes.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59But as much of the value is attributable to
0:04:59 > 0:05:02the history of it as the painting itself.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05We'll estimate it at 300 to 500, but it's the sort of thing,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08given the history, that might be a bit of a flyer.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10You never know.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11Charlie loved it,
0:05:11 > 0:05:16but would the painting's incredible back story really help it take off?
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Watch this, here we go.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21The attributed to George Morland study.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24300 quid. 300 I'm bid. 300. 320.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26350. 380. 400.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29420. 450. 480. 500.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31The painting got off to a flying start,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35but no-one was quite prepared for what happened next.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37950.
0:05:37 > 0:05:391,000 here.
0:05:40 > 0:05:431,050. At 1,050. 1,100.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46- At 1,100.- We're getting there, aren't we?
0:05:46 > 0:05:481,150 down here.
0:05:48 > 0:05:501,200. 1,300.
0:05:50 > 0:05:511,400.
0:05:51 > 0:05:541,500.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59At £1,500. I sell here at £1,500...
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Yes! 1,500.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- Wow!- That's three times the top estimate.- That's good.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08They DID like it!
0:06:08 > 0:06:10What an amazing painting!
0:06:10 > 0:06:14It's fair to say that the British love of drink has rarely
0:06:14 > 0:06:18produced such a tragic yet fascinating story.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22There's no doubt that the information that came with
0:06:22 > 0:06:26the picture helped hugely with the sale of it.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Now it's an emotive topic, but fox hunting has been
0:06:30 > 0:06:34part of British life for centuries, and whatever you may think of it,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38over the years it has generated its fair share of collectables.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43You've brought along a real political hot potato today.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- That's right.- Is that why you want to get rid of them?
0:06:45 > 0:06:51No. That isn't the main reason, although I'm not keen on fox hunting.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Are these yours or did you inherit them?
0:06:54 > 0:06:56I inherited them from my mum.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- And did your mum buy them new?- Yeah. Yeah, she did.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03- Was she a hunting fan?- No, I think she was just a Beswick fan.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08If Beswick produced one horse, they must have produced hundreds.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11And the thing that makes one horse different from another,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14is the different colourways.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17So you can have a variation on a theme.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20I'm sure they didn't do one, but if they did a pink horse,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22I'm sure that'd be worth a fortune.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24- I can immediately see a few problems.- Yeah.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28This little girl on a pony has clearly lost her head,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31and it's been glued back on at some time.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34And our foxy friend here has been too close to the hounds cos
0:07:34 > 0:07:36he's lost his tail.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38And that's been glued back on at one point in time.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- And also his leg as well. - That's right.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42So we've got bits of damage.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I think we can put an auction estimate on of £500-£800.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50- Right, OK.- And we'll reserve them at probably £400/£450.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52- 450 with some discretion on it. - Right.
0:07:52 > 0:07:58There are ardent Beswick collectors out there, and if they haven't got
0:07:58 > 0:08:02something that they need to complete their collection and it comes
0:08:02 > 0:08:06up at auction, they just stand there and they bid and they bid.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07And then they bid again.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08Isn't that great?
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Move onto lot 398, is 11 Beswick hunting figures.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13A lot of interest in this lot.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Bids allow us to start right away at £600.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22That's good. We'll take that.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24620. 640. 660.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27680. 700. 750. 800.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30800 there. 850. 900.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31950. 975.
0:08:31 > 0:08:341,050.
0:08:34 > 0:08:351,100. 1,150.
0:08:35 > 0:08:371,200. 1,250.
0:08:37 > 0:08:391,300. 1,350.
0:08:39 > 0:08:421,400. 1,450.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43At £1,400.
0:08:43 > 0:08:451,450 willing?
0:08:45 > 0:08:47£1,400 - we're selling if you're all through...
0:08:49 > 0:08:51- We'll take that - £1,400. - Brilliant.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53You've got to be so pleased with that.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Yeah, I am. That's brilliant.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58That is the definition of a runaway success.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02But would an auction room be swept away in the same way today?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05In this business, any price that goes like that,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08will sure as hell go like that.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11What you want is a nice steady increase in prices.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12You don't want things going like that.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17The Beswick market, perhaps, when we filmed this piece,
0:09:17 > 0:09:18it was through the roof.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21I don't think that little hunting group would make as much
0:09:21 > 0:09:23today as it did then.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Our valuation day at London Zoo in 2012,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31saw all manner of interesting lots come trotting our way,
0:09:31 > 0:09:35including a foxy piece of British silver for Will.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Tell me, do you know what it is?
0:09:37 > 0:09:40When they used to go out hunting for foxes,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42they used to stop and have their drinks.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Yeah, you're dead right. They call them stirrup cups.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46People who hunted,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48certainly those in the red blazers on the horses,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52would often have accessories - flasks, sandwich boxes,
0:09:52 > 0:09:57even their boots, everything would be made to a very high standard.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- Look at that - it's great, isn't it? - Yeah.- Nice piece of design.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05So the two ears and the nose form a tripod base.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Cheers! And down it goes. Down the sherry and off they go.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09I've had a look at it - while these were
0:10:09 > 0:10:14made from sort of 1770 onwards, this is a more modern example.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16This is from the 1970s.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18200-300 is a spot-on estimate for this.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22- What do you think, Chloe?- Yeah. - It's a lot of money, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25The stirrup cup with the fox's head.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26Looks like a commission bidder.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30250. 260. 270.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33280. 290.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37300. 320. 340.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39360.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- 360 there.- Show me the fox! - 360. Anybody else?
0:10:43 > 0:10:44360...
0:10:44 > 0:10:46I'm happy with that.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49That's a very good result, isn't it?
0:10:49 > 0:10:51So neither its hunting connections
0:10:51 > 0:10:54nor its age held our little fox back.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55It's an antique of the future.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00It may have been made in the '70s, but the quality was still there.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04In 2012, the unflappable Thomas stumbled across what many of us
0:11:04 > 0:11:07would consider a national treasure.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Let's show the people...
0:11:12 > 0:11:14This is a big flag, isn't it?
0:11:14 > 0:11:15- It is.- What's the story behind this?
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Well, it belonged to my father.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21When he died, we found it all in his belongings.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- And your father, was he in the Scouts? Was he in the military?- No.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27He helped in the fire brigade in the war, in the Second World War.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30I think that this may have come from his granny that
0:11:30 > 0:11:33- lived in the local village.- People sometimes call it the Union Jack,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- but the right name is the Union Flag, isn't it?- That's right, yes.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38- And we are holding it the right way, aren't we?- We are, yeah.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42Because of the thick white band at the top, where you've got your toggle.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44He's a little bit moth-eaten here,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46but I think somebody can forgive that.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48I think it's probably almost like a coronation flag,
0:11:48 > 0:11:53for maybe a village, village church or even a scout group.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57And, of course, we've recently seen a lot of these around the country.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02The Union Flag has now become part of our psyche again.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07I thoroughly believe with Cool Britannia, with the Olympics,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10all the celebrations with the Golden and Diamond Jubilees,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14that Britain has regained the flag.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16So, why did you bring it along?
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Well, it's been tucked in a box in that attic,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21and I thought it wasn't very good being up there,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24so I thought the world needs to see it, don't they?
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Well, they do need to see it. Have you got any idea of value?
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- No idea whatsoever. - And do you mind about the value,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31or do you just want it to go to a good home?
0:12:31 > 0:12:34I'd like it to be displayed somehow - I don't know how,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36rather than in the attic.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40I think I'd put around £50-£80 on it.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Not a huge mount of money,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45but I think we'd reserve it round about 30.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- How does that grab you? - Can we not reserve it at 40?
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Well, we can do it at 40.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Listen to you! £40, we'll do that at 40.
0:12:54 > 0:12:55The only reason, I was just going on try
0:12:55 > 0:12:57and give it the best chance possible.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59But that's fine - we'll do it at £40.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- It's got a good chance cos it is quite a big flag.- Yeah, it is.
0:13:02 > 0:13:03And the colours are so strong.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08So Thomas needed a room full of patriotic bidders,
0:13:08 > 0:13:13or the flag would be left fluttering at half-mast.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14There you are - the Union Jack.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Fine flag, that one.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20150 or 60 or 70? I've got it - 80 I'm bid now.
0:13:20 > 0:13:2290. Are you going to be the £100, sir?
0:13:22 > 0:13:25£100 we're bid for it. Thank you very much.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26That's good.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27120.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Oh, my lord.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31130 I'm bid now.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Madam, keep going? No?
0:13:33 > 0:13:36OK then. I sell at £130.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39£130 - sold.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- Good result. - That's brilliant.- Amazing.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Yes, we did put the great back in Britain!
0:13:46 > 0:13:50What a triumph and an example of how collectors will snap up items
0:13:50 > 0:13:52that are emblematic of Britain.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58I was surprised - it raced away at £130.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00And Isobel pushed me on reserve as well.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04No, she didn't want 30, she wanted a £40 reserve - it didn't matter.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10There's a fine tradition of cabinet making in this country,
0:14:10 > 0:14:11so we're always pleased
0:14:11 > 0:14:14when a piece of quality British furniture comes our way.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Ian and Joanna, I've got to tell you, I think it's absolutely lovely.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23This has got everything going for it, in my eyes.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28It's a lovely piece of 18th century, oak, rustic, country furniture.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31The cabinet's made of oak, oak's indigenous to our shores,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33so that's why it sells well,
0:14:33 > 0:14:38cos it's going to sit beautifully in someone's little cottage.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Now this is dentil moulding along here.
0:14:41 > 0:14:42It's got a lovely colour here -
0:14:42 > 0:14:45we can see these lovely medullary rays here of the oak.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Brass escutcheon there.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Open it up and let's see what we can find in here.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Look at those lovely old shelves. Really quite primitive.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56And if you think about it, someone's taken some trouble to do that.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Because you're not going to see these shelves,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02so the easiest thing to do is make them straight-fronted.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04But someone's just take the trouble to give them that shape.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08I think it's lovely. I really do think it's lovely.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12The most important thing about any piece of furniture is the colour.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15And the colour is patina.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17It looks like a bit of chewed toffee,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20it's the lines on its hands, it's the wrinkles on its face.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24All patination is, is 100 years of muck and grime that's been polished.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27And this has just been a functional cupboard.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29And you rub your hands over it, and the grease off your hands
0:15:29 > 0:15:32goes into the timber and gives it that lovely glow.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34It's just absolutely glorious.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36There are a few faults with it.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39If we just...
0:15:39 > 0:15:41have a look just here.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Can you see there? We're missing a bit of the moulding.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49And if we look along just here, this moulding is also replaced.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I think, in auction, you could put an estimate on it of £300-£500.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54And I'm sure it'll sell.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59I mean, there are oak collectors who would really want to own this.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Owner Joanna couldn't make it to the auction,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05but her husband Ian joined me and Philip,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09who was still smitten by the wonderful patination.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12You were saying you're selling it cos you can't get it in the house.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14I'd rather sell my house than that cupboard.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16- It's just lovely.- Here we go.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Wonderful colour to that.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22I have several bids on this -
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I have got started at £380.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28380 is with me.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31400, sir. I'm out. 420.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34450. 480. 500.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37520. £520.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41At 520 and selling at 520.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43- Brilliant.- Yeah, very good.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48- It's was good, wasn't it? - Yeah. Yes, so you were right.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49Well, it's my business.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56The oak cabinet really did conjure up images of the British
0:16:56 > 0:16:58country cottage.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03And its great selling price is proof of the pulling power of patination.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07You can't replicate 200 years of patina.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09You can't make it tomorrow.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12It's something that's occurred over the whole of its lifetime.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16It's its passport, and you can't forge that.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19I hope our trip through the best of British has evoked
0:17:19 > 0:17:22a little of the national character for you.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26If you'd like to continue on our voyage of discovery
0:17:26 > 0:17:29through the world of antiques, here are some pointers on how to
0:17:29 > 0:17:33appeal to some of British of individuals - the avid collector.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Items of quality that are only 30 or 40 years old,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41can still make money at auction.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Always be aware that markets fluctuate,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48so be prepared for prices to go down as well as up.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54This is especially true of items made from precious metal,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56because their value is affected
0:17:56 > 0:17:59by the ever-changing price of gold and silver.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04A portrait's profitability or obviously
0:18:04 > 0:18:08dependant on the artist who painted it,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10but the sitter can also push the price up.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12So if you come across a work you like,
0:18:12 > 0:18:16do your research on both painter and subject.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22And remember that antique furniture should wear its age with pride.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Patina is of primary importance to collectors,
0:18:26 > 0:18:31so don't ever be tempted to sand or varnish a piece of history away.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Sports and sporting memorabilia will always have a special
0:18:39 > 0:18:42place in the British heart.
0:18:42 > 0:18:43Adam, for one, is a fan.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46This is one of my pieces here - it's
0:18:46 > 0:18:50a signed boxing glove from one of my favourites from childhood,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Nigel Benn, known as the Dark Destroyer.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57We come across a lot of these things in charity auctions,
0:18:57 > 0:18:58sporting auctions, things like that.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Quite a lot of them are signed.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02They're relatively limited in value -
0:19:02 > 0:19:04I think I paid about £50 for this.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08I don't suppose it's worth a great deal more.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11But if you're going to be collecting sports memorabilia,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15make sure you pick those major names of their period,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18and Nigel Benn was the fighter of his decade.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20So that's why it's a good thing to own.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23I've got a few others- Frank Bruno, Naseem Hamed, etc cetera.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25I've got about eight or ten.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27I also go boxing myself,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30and I train down at a gym in Stoke-On-Trent,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33with all the big boys, who generally give me a good beating.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36What better way to get over a stressful day than to have a
0:19:36 > 0:19:37scrap at the end of the day?
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Great, for me.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46It is truly inspiring to see the work of
0:19:46 > 0:19:51so many great British designers and craftsmen on the show today.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55I was on the trail of another great British innovator
0:19:55 > 0:20:00when I visited Moseley Old Hall in Staffordshire in 2010.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03The hall itself is famous as the hiding place of Charles II
0:20:03 > 0:20:08after the Battle Of Worcester in 1651.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12In the 20th century, it was bought by a man called William Wiggin.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14The Wiggin family later sold the property
0:20:14 > 0:20:16to the National Trust for just £1.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22However, Moseley Old Hall isn't the only legacy William has left us.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24His family were the first to introduce
0:20:24 > 0:20:27and make stainless steel items in the world.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34I'm here with Nigel Wiggin, the grandson of William,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37and I've got to say, your grandfather was quite a chap.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Yes, he did his contribution.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41But he was basically an industrialist,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44developing stainless steel tableware.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48William's father and his eldest son, both called James,
0:20:48 > 0:20:53started J&J Wiggin, a blacksmith business in 1853.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54They made mostly belt buckles
0:20:54 > 0:20:57and stirrups for the horse-drawn community,
0:20:57 > 0:20:58but after the First World War,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01William decided to diversify and move the company forward.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05He'd heard about Staybrite Steel.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09It was a complete new material that didn't rust.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12He bought some Staybrite from Sheffield,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15and we started making bathroom fittings.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18It got us a very good hold in the marketplace.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22The real start of tableware...
0:21:22 > 0:21:24- Teapots, I guess!- Teapots.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Everyone wants a cup of tea, don't they?
0:21:26 > 0:21:31Yes. And the person who realised that was my grandmother.
0:21:31 > 0:21:371928 was their silver wedding - this is William and Nelly,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40and they were given a lot of silverware.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45And my grandmother suggested to my grandfather that he
0:21:45 > 0:21:49might like to give her a hand with the cleaning.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53And the response to that was, "No."
0:21:53 > 0:21:58And as a result of that, my grandmother came up with
0:21:58 > 0:22:00the amazing idea,
0:22:00 > 0:22:06"Why don't you make some silverware out of Staybrite?"
0:22:06 > 0:22:10And that started the world's stainless steel tableware industry.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Nobody else had thought of it.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14The toast rack was the very first item that we did make.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16And you've got that here, haven't you?
0:22:16 > 0:22:19- We've got it here. - Which one is it?
0:22:19 > 0:22:21It's this one here,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24which is, as far as we are aware,
0:22:24 > 0:22:29the world's very first item of stainless steel tableware.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31She said, "You must make a teapot."
0:22:31 > 0:22:33And it's this one here.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35That is 1930.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40The aspect about that was that we couldn't make a teapot.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42It's such a difficult metal to work with,
0:22:42 > 0:22:47and my grandmother came up with an idea,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50which is based on this shape here.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55And the answer is, you bend it round like that and there's your spout.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00It needs a disc in the bottom, needs a handle on, but that is how...
0:23:00 > 0:23:01A single piece of metal.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04A single piece of metal and that is how...
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Do you know what they say which is totally right?
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Behind every good man, there's a good woman.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11- She was obviously the brains. - She was on the ball.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16The company grew from strength to strength
0:23:16 > 0:23:18until the Second World War started,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22when the factory was turned over to ammunition production.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24But then, when the war was over, in the 1950s,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26the Old Hall brand took off again.
0:23:27 > 0:23:331955, we took on board a student from the Royal College Of Art,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35called Robert Welsh.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Now he was studying to be a silversmith.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42But his thesis, in fact, was for designing stainless steel.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44And he contacted us for some help.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46When he got his degree, we asked him
0:23:46 > 0:23:49if he'd like to be our consultant designer.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- And he started designing for you. - And he started designing...
0:23:52 > 0:23:53Is this his work?
0:23:53 > 0:23:58This is so recognisable as different to the Wiggin designs.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00It's so obvious!
0:24:00 > 0:24:01This is '64.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03I've got to say, this is fabulous.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Well, it is the most collectable item of all.
0:24:07 > 0:24:13I think, when we closed down in 1984, we' made about 1,500 of these,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15- so there aren't many around. - That's a collectable then?
0:24:15 > 0:24:17That is, undoubtedly, collectable.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Old Hall was the wedding present of the '60s.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24I think that's an accolade - the wedding present of the '60s.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27It meant every couple had one.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31You can't go wrong there. What was the demise? What happened?
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Cheap imported stainless steel tableware.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Nothing like Old Hall in terms of quality,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41but about a third of the price.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44We started having to shrink and shrink,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47so we had to close the works in 1984.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Which is a sad day for you.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52The worst day of my life, Paul, there's no doubt.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54You still out buying this stuff?
0:24:54 > 0:24:57It's popping up at car boots, it's popping up at charity shops.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00If that popped up at a collectors fair, what would you pay for that?
0:25:02 > 0:25:06They pop up so infrequently - £250.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Nigel, thank you so much for sharing your life story with me
0:25:11 > 0:25:14and a great family you belong to as well.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15Pleasure, Paul.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20British craftsmanship's world-renowned,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23and it finds its way to the four corners of the globe,
0:25:23 > 0:25:27as Will Axon discovered when he met up with Martina at a valuation
0:25:27 > 0:25:30day in Portsmouth back in 2012.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Martina, I can tell from your accent that you're not from these
0:25:38 > 0:25:39parts originally, are you?
0:25:39 > 0:25:42You're right, Will, I'm originally from Germany,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44but have lived in the UK since 1984.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46What are you going to do with the money?
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Are you going to visit the family?
0:25:48 > 0:25:52No. We've actually just bought a 1988 Chevrolet Camaro.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54It does need some work doing...
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- A bit of TLC.- A lot of TLC. - So the money's going towards that?
0:25:57 > 0:25:59It's going to help.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01And this, of course, is English - we can tell by the hallmarks.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03We've got Sheffield, 1910.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Where's this come from?
0:26:05 > 0:26:09- I actually inherited this from my godparents.- OK.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10Who lived in Duisburg in Germany
0:26:10 > 0:26:15and were avid collectors of anything British.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21English silver is far superior to the continental.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24It was always something that I admired.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28I see inside some old paint splashes. Where have they come from?
0:26:28 > 0:26:32I'm guilty there - it's actually been used to store brushes.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34- Paint brushes?- Paint brushes.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39I'm a bit embarrassed to say I did use it as a paint cleaning holder.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Listen, I think, at auction,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44you should be looking at around the £200 mark.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47So Martina sped off to auction,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50hopeful that selling the British-made family silver
0:26:50 > 0:26:55would put a little extra va-va-voom into her car restoration project.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Lot 460 is a two-handed silver loving cup.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Sheffield.
0:27:02 > 0:27:03Start me at 150.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06160. 170.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08180. 190. 200.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10190 in the middle here.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11Is there 200?
0:27:11 > 0:27:13At £190 we are selling.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16At £190, and if you're all done...
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Very last time...
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Just £190 - it's gone.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32After the auction, motor-mad Martina threw out her restoration plans
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and bought a new car instead!
0:27:35 > 0:27:37And this one even has a name.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43The first time we saw the Dragon Wagon was on eBay,
0:27:43 > 0:27:49so we made a ridiculous offer and the lady called us half an hour
0:27:49 > 0:27:54later to say, "If you come with the cash, you could have it."
0:27:54 > 0:27:56It is a head-turner.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58It catches your eye
0:27:58 > 0:28:01and it's quite amazing how many comments you actually get
0:28:01 > 0:28:04when you park it up on the drive.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08It does boost your ego, obviously, as well.
0:28:08 > 0:28:13But the main thing is, we have met so many nice people, such a
0:28:13 > 0:28:18variety of people, who are interested in the same things that we are.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19It's not just a car.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26It's always a pleasure to learn that
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Flog It! has helped somebody indulge their passion.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Well, that's it for today's show, but do remember
0:28:32 > 0:28:36if you have any antiques you want to sell, you know where to find us.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Join me again soon for more trade secrets.