0:00:06 > 0:00:09With over a decade of "Flog It!" valuation days and auctions
0:00:09 > 0:00:11all over the British Isles,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15we've built up a wealth of knowledge valuing your unwanted antiques.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18- And now, we want to share some of that with you.- Hello.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21What have you got lurking in there?
0:00:21 > 0:00:24It's like a voyage of discovery in your sack, isn't it?
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Our experts are raring to go with inside information,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29so if there's something you need to know,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31you'll probably find it right here.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Welcome to Trade Secrets.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05They are planned for months, anticipated for weeks
0:01:05 > 0:01:09and collectors seek out the antique paraphernalia related to them.
0:01:11 > 0:01:17I am talking, of course, about holidays, and whether it's classic luggage or vintage travel books.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19There is a ready market for any item
0:01:19 > 0:01:23associated with our desire to see the world.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26In today's show, there's a surprise around every corner.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31- Ah, look at that. This is where... - If you go in here...- ..the diamond necklace goes!
0:01:31 > 0:01:35- £400! Right.- Is that good?
0:01:35 > 0:01:38- Is that good news?- That's amazing.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42- Our estimates are blown out of the water.- Sold!
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Brilliant! How about that?
0:01:45 > 0:01:49- £900!- I can't believe that!
0:01:49 > 0:01:50£900!
0:01:50 > 0:01:54And Charlie seeks out the weird and wonderful in Blackpool.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59It's quite extraordinary to me that thousands of people
0:01:59 > 0:02:02will queue and pay money to see a vicar in a barrel!
0:02:08 > 0:02:10We British are great travellers.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12We invented the steam engine,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15which led to the evolution of the railways and steamships,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18which ultimately revolutionised travel.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Now, today, getting from A to B
0:02:20 > 0:02:23is all about doing it as quickly as possible.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27But in days gone by, it was a much more stately affair.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Suitcases, beautiful early suitcases, and trunks,
0:02:31 > 0:02:37complete with labels of glamorous far-off places and shipping lines
0:02:37 > 0:02:38sell very, very well.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Railway posters that you used to see in carriages
0:02:42 > 0:02:47advertising the pleasures of the seaside.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Gosh, don't they make some money?
0:02:49 > 0:02:54Particularly the 1930s Art-Deco ski posters. But condition.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56You've really got to check condition.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00If the margins have been cut, if there are slight tears, rips,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03or if any damp has crept in, it will kill them.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07So, condition, period, Deco ski posters. You won't go far wrong.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Over the years, we've seen some marvellous
0:03:11 > 0:03:14travel-related collectables on the programme.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Kath delighted two of our "Flog It!" experts when she brought in
0:03:18 > 0:03:22a wonderful map from one of Europe's most sophisticated cities.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25David Barby had the pleasure of valuing the map
0:03:25 > 0:03:29whilst Adam Partridge worked his magic on the rostrum.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30Maps are very popular.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31Lots of people like maps,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33from the sort of enthusiast
0:03:33 > 0:03:36that likes an Ordnance Survey map of the area they live in
0:03:36 > 0:03:38to the real passionate collectors
0:03:38 > 0:03:40that want the rare and the wonderful maps.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43So, there's an awful lot to go at in maps.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47It's a map of Paris, dated 1780.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Nine years before the French Revolution.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53I can imagine English tourists having this and going to Paris,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56looking out the sort of fashionable watering places,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59going to the shops, seeing the sights.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00At the same time, the Scarlet Pimpernel
0:04:00 > 0:04:02would have needed one of these, wouldn't he?
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- Yes, he would!- During the French Revolution. This is extraordinary.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07Where did it come from?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Well, my father left it to me with one or two books.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- Did you have an interest in maps? - Yes.- Oh, right.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Well, this is a beautiful map.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19It's a steel engraving and then all this is hand-tinted.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22And, obviously, it was never taken out during the rain,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24because it hasn't got any runs or stains on it.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27It's always quite a surprise when maps survive well
0:04:27 > 0:04:30because, of course, you can imagine them being opened up
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and folded out and studied and maybe got wet and folded away,
0:04:33 > 0:04:38and so, clearly, this one was one that wasn't used a great deal.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40What I do find absolutely extraordinary
0:04:40 > 0:04:45is this wonderful plate here, which is so decorative,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47explains the routes of Paris,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50and then you've got these two emblematic figures either side,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53and the royal coat of arms here.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54Lovely, lovely piece.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Kath had also brought to the valuation day
0:04:57 > 0:04:59a quarter of a Bradshaw map of canals,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and David put it together into one lot with the map of Paris,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06an estimate of £80-£120 for the pair.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12- We've got some interest here, and I can start at £200 bid.- Oh, lovely.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15210. 220. 230. 240. 250.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18260. 270. 280. 290. 300. 320.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22This was a lovely lot brought to us by the King of "Flog It!",
0:05:22 > 0:05:26David Barby, who is such a wonderful man and a great valuer.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Very talented, very knowledgeable.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30But it was a very rare occasion here
0:05:30 > 0:05:32of him really underestimating something.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36380 bid. Any more now? 400. 420. 440.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- This is very good.- 420, then.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41£420. Are you all done, then, at 420?
0:05:41 > 0:05:42Finished at 420.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- Oh, that's good. - Gosh, I never expected that.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- Nor was I. I don't think you were either.- I said double.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- I said double.- You did. - You did.- You did.- Yes.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54- Gosh, that's wonderful. - Little bit of commission to pay.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57But what will you spend all that money on?
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Well, we've got our first grandchild on the way at the end of August.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- Have you?- It's going to be Grandma's indulgence.- Rather.- It is, isn't it?
0:06:04 > 0:06:06David was surprised at the sale result,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10but the lesson here is not to underestimate an antique map,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13as there is a huge market for them,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17particularly for one like Kath's, in such exquisite condition.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21But what else would a well-heeled traveller of yesteryear
0:06:21 > 0:06:22have needed to take on holiday?
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Well, a travel guide, of course,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28and Mark Stacey had the privilege of valuing a wonderful set.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Well, they have just gone from loft to loft.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34You've inherited them from a relative or something like that?
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Yes. Yes, my great-grandfather.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- So, they've been in the family quite a while?- Oh, yes. Yes.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Whenever you come across items like this that have been hidden away,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44I want to go to every house in the country
0:06:44 > 0:06:48and start rummaging through people's draws and cupboards and attics,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52because there's a wealth of stuff out there that we don't know about,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55and we prove this on every "Flog It!" valuation day.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58You've got about 27 volumes here,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00and if we just take one of my favourite ones,
0:07:00 > 0:07:05which is Spain and Portugal, and each one is similar, in a way.
0:07:05 > 0:07:11- When we open it up, we find a little map of the country in question.- Yes.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14And then we have the title of the book.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17The Modern Traveller. Popular Description.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20And the various countries of the globe.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25- Each one is dated either 1824, 1825 or 1826.- Yes.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28And, in some cases, you know, when you look at the others,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31we've got four volumes of India, we've got Russia,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33we've got all of the Far East,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36This would undoubtedly have been for the middle classes.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38To buy a set of books like this,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40you would have had to have been quite a wealthy person.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42They were beautifully leather-bound.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47There were illustrated maps there. Those were not a cheap item to buy.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49I would say, if we were putting these in for auction,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53we ought to be looking at something like...
0:07:53 > 0:07:54£400.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56£400?
0:07:58 > 0:08:03- £400?! Right.- Is that good? Is that good news?- That's amazing!
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Course you love it.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07I mean, when somebody brings something in that, you know,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09they've been queueing up many hours to have looked at
0:08:09 > 0:08:11and you can say to them it's worth X amount
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and there's a lightning, you know,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17it's almost like that sort of chocolate box moment
0:08:17 > 0:08:20when the face lights up, it's wonderful.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21But was Mark's faith
0:08:21 > 0:08:25in the strength of the travel collectables market well placed?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28What did Will Axon, who wielded the gavel, think?
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Anything to do with travel and typography is always well received.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33There are a lot of collectors,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36because I think it is just an interesting subject.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40You know, this is the world we live on, so why not learn about it?
0:08:40 > 0:08:43They've got the look. The decorators will love these.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Well, I've got a couple of hopeful bids here that I'll bypass those,
0:08:47 > 0:08:52and we start already at 260, 280, 300, I'm bid on commission.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57- Sold them.- Yes. - 320. 340. 360. 380. 400.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01420. 440. 460. 480.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05500. 520. 540. 560. You're in now by 10.
0:09:05 > 0:09:11At £560, in the room now. 560. At 560. My bid is out.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14All done, then, are you sure, at £560?
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Sold.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20- Brilliant! How about that?- Thank you.- Well done.- That's brilliant.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- Thank you.- See your little face!
0:09:24 > 0:09:25I think the estimate was spot-on
0:09:25 > 0:09:28and I think the selling price was spot-on.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Yeah, I think everyone should be happy all round, really.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Fine auctioneer, wasn't he?!
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Will was never one to undersell himself,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39but the quality of Pauline's collection of travel guides
0:09:39 > 0:09:41was clear for all to see.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Not all travel-related items which make it to our valuation days
0:09:44 > 0:09:46immediately scream quality.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51It's always worth looking in a battered old suitcase,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54because you do not know what you will find.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Now, on first appearances,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00it looks like you've brought along a rather tatty case.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03- Shall we have a little look inside? - Yes.- By all means.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06There we are.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08We have a beautiful selection
0:10:08 > 0:10:13of tortoiseshell and silver dressing accessories.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14When I think of this,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17I think of Orient Express or something like this.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18I mean, this is really beautiful.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20This is not the average ladies' handbag, is it?
0:10:20 > 0:10:24It's not something that we find. But it actually belonged to you...
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- My great-aunt.- Your great-aunt. - My Great-aunt Ida.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31- And do you think she ever used it? Did she ever travel?- Oh, yes.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33She was married to a captain in the Army.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35When he retired, they did a lot of travelling.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38She was a multi-linguist and travelled all over the world.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- Oh, right. So, she was a pretty special lady.- Oh, she was.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- And she would have taken this around with her?- Yes, we believe so.- Yes.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47I mean, it's a wonderful set.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51We've got mirrors, we've got brushes, we've got a shoehorn.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Now, each one, I can see, looks like it's hallmarked.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- Yes, we believe they are. - And hallmarked silver.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Birmingham mark, and the letter Y,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03and that would date it to around the 1920s.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08The sort of people that would probably go for an item like this,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11they could either be silver dealers who'd be looking for
0:11:11 > 0:11:14good quality pieces of silver with tortoiseshell on,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17or they could be interior designers.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Now, these interior designers and, indeed, dealers,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24would be looking for a good name sometimes on the suitcase,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27so it's always worth, when you get a suitcase,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29having a good old look around the rim
0:11:29 > 0:11:31to see if they've got some nice retailers' names on.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Perhaps Mappin & Webb, something like that.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39It is genuine tortoiseshell, but it's pre-1947,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42so it's something that we are allowed to sell.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45It's a smart thing and I would be happy to put an estimate on
0:11:45 > 0:11:48of 100-150, with a £70 reserve.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52- How does that sound to you?- It's fine, thank you.- Happy to see it go?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55- Yes.- He's VERY positive!- He is.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Catherine was clearly taken with Mike and Anne's case,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01but did the bidders fall in love?
0:12:01 > 0:12:07I'm bid £180 for it. At 180. 190. 200. 210. 220.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11230. 240. 250.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13At £250.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15At 250 here.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Finished, then, at £250. Quite sure at 250?
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- It's a good price.- Yeah! - It found its level.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25- Yeah. That was nice.- That's good.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28A great result for Mike and Anne.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Travelling boxes and cases are a popular collecting field
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and we see lots of them on the show, and they often do well,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37but how do you spot one of quality?
0:12:37 > 0:12:39James Lewis is the man in the know.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41If the outside is good,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45then you open the lid and all the jars are there as well,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47then that's really nice to see.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Look at that. Fantastic! We now know what this was used for.
0:12:51 > 0:12:57It's a travelling box. Probably made 1840 to 1860.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59It's likely that it would have been owned
0:12:59 > 0:13:02by somebody of some social standing,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05because to actually afford to travel at all,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07you'd have had to have had a fair bit of income.
0:13:07 > 0:13:13Here we've got boxes, and if you hold the box lid up to the light...
0:13:13 > 0:13:16- you see it's got holes through it? - Oh, yes.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20And that's so that whatever was inside didn't go mouldy.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23So, with holes, we know it was something that would have been wet.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27- Oh, yes.- So, that's likely to be for the toothbrush.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31At £360 sitting here. At 360. At 360, are you done?
0:13:31 > 0:13:32GAVEL BANGS
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- £360.- Wonderful.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39And it isn't just James who can spot a winner.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I came across a glorious travelling case
0:13:42 > 0:13:44which perfectly captured its period.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48This kind of thing would have been around in the 1920s.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- The age of the motor car. The golden age.- Yes.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- Cars were first introduced in the early 1900s.- Yes.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58- Out went the canvas baskets, out went the wicker baskets.- Yes.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00- Because everything was horse-drawn then.- Yes.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02In came the leather travel ware.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- You had to be quite wealthy to have something like this.- I'm sure.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10I was over the moon to discover the case had a hidden secret.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- Ah, look at that. This is where... - If you go in here...
0:14:13 > 0:14:16- ..the diamond necklace goes.- Well... - Oh, come on. Is there one?
0:14:16 > 0:14:20- I wish there was! - Oh, look at it. It's exquisite.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Absolutely exquisite.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26When it came to the auction, did Anthea's 1920s travelling case
0:14:26 > 0:14:29struggle without the addition of a diamond necklace?
0:14:29 > 0:14:32600 right there. 620. 650? 650. 680.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36700. 720. 750. 780. 800.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- (800!)- 820. 850. 880. 900.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43At £900 in the middle there. 920?
0:14:43 > 0:14:44At £900 I'm bid.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47At £900. Going 20? No. At £900.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49- GAVEL BANGS - £900!
0:14:49 > 0:14:51- I can't believe that.- Yes!
0:14:53 > 0:14:56The next time you see what appears to be a battered old case,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59remember, it's worth having a closer look.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Now, not all travel-related items we see on "Flog It!"
0:15:03 > 0:15:05have been used for holidays.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Some have travelled far and wide for different reasons.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10It's an Attaboy, isn't it?
0:15:10 > 0:15:14An Attaboy is a trade name, it's a hat company, or a range of hats
0:15:14 > 0:15:18made by the Denton Hat Company of Stockport, Manchester.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Of course, Stockport the home of hat making.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23They even have a hat museum there. Did you know that?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26So, let's have a look at it. Let's get that lid off there.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29- This is the sort of salesman sample, I think, really.- I see.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31And salesmen would have taken it out,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35because it's small enough to carry around, and say, "Believe it or not,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39"this miniature Attaboy is half the size of an ordinary Attaboy hat."
0:15:39 > 0:15:42- So, you've got an idea of what it'll make.- What it would be.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43Isn't that cute?
0:15:43 > 0:15:47I suppose you could have had any amount of small hats like that
0:15:47 > 0:15:49in your salesman's kit - it would have made it a lot easier
0:15:49 > 0:15:52hawking them round the streets, through the rain and the wind,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54on public transport,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56trams and horses and carriages and things like that.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00So, I can imagine there was a real need for salesmen's samples,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04and they were made to exactly the same specification and quality
0:16:04 > 0:16:07so that you could show your potential buyer,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09look at the detail, look at the quality,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11and what you're going to get is a full-size version.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13I think that's dead cute.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15And it serves a purpose for me because, of course,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19- now I'm getting on a bit, I've got one of these bald spot.- Oh!
0:16:19 > 0:16:21That will cover it just nicely.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Unfortunately, it's got a bit bigger since then, so...
0:16:27 > 0:16:30..I think I might need the full-sized hat now!
0:16:31 > 0:16:35So, why are you selling it? I suppose cos it's in the loft.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Yes. We're trying to get rid of quite a lot of things.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Well, that will free up a load of room, won't it(?)
0:16:39 > 0:16:41I know, this is it!
0:16:43 > 0:16:47- Um, it's not worth a lot.- I know. - We know.- We know that, but...
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- Great fun, though.- I know. - It's not all about the value.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53- It's a novelty thing, isn't it? - It's a curiosity.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56It's about what you've got and the story you can tell.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00- So, I think it will make £20-£40. - Yeah? Quite surprised.
0:17:00 > 0:17:01- Fingers crossed.- Yeah!
0:17:01 > 0:17:03INDISTINCT SPEECH
0:17:03 > 0:17:06It wasn't just Adam who was taken with the Attaboy.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09The auctioneer was rather fond of it too.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I know that my opinion counts for nothing,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14but I think this is one of the most delightful lots in today's sale.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17It really is. It's a real little gem.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20It's always nice when an auctioneer is fond of your item,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23as it's always depressing when they don't like it.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24It's happened both ways.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26But he was really a great fan of this hat
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and he did his real very best in talking it up,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31and I think the fact that he liked it so much
0:17:31 > 0:17:34undoubtedly rubbed off on the bidders.
0:17:34 > 0:17:3840 bid. 40. A real little beaut. At 40.
0:17:38 > 0:17:4140 I'm bid. 50. £50.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- 60.- 60.- 60 bid. £60.
0:17:44 > 0:17:4670 with me. £70.
0:17:46 > 0:17:495 again now. At £70. A delightful little lot.
0:17:49 > 0:17:5375. 80. 80 bid.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54- Go on.- £80.- That's good.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- Final call.- Great. - On the book at £80.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59I didn't think we'd get that.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01I thought we was going home with it.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- 80.- £80. The hammer's gone down.- Great.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Even though it was £20-£40 and made, I think, £80,
0:18:09 > 0:18:11which is an awful lot of money for it, really,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14when you look at other comparable examples,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16it's right up my street, that sort of thing.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19It's right up my street too, Adam,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21and I wasn't surprised it sold so well.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25The Attaboy had rarity and an enthusiastic auctioneer on its side.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27A winning combination.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Other things to think about when buying travel-related collectables.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Check that all-important condition.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Well-kept pieces fetch good prices.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40- Oh, that's good. - Gosh, I never expected that.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43And if you're buying a case that comes with extras,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45make sure they're all there.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48It will seriously affect the price if any components are missing.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56It's often the case that an object travels a long way
0:18:56 > 0:18:59before finally finding a home.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02And that's certainly true of an item that's of great
0:19:02 > 0:19:04sentimental value to expert, David Fletcher.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08A friend of mine, who is a book dealer in Bedford,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11telephoned me about six or seven months ago
0:19:11 > 0:19:15and said, was I related to a chap called Fred Fletcher?
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Might he be an ancestor of mine? I thought, funnily enough,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20my grandfather was called Fred Fletcher.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24And he said, "Well, I think I've got his diary."
0:19:24 > 0:19:27So I popped down to his shop in a state of some excitement,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29as you might imagine, really.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32When I got back, I was fascinated when I sat and read it.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37It describes a journey he makes between December 1916
0:19:37 > 0:19:40and April 1917.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43We did know that he was in the Royal Army Medical Corps
0:19:43 > 0:19:45and that he travelled to Mesopotamia.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50And on the way, he called in at Cape Town,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Durban and Bombay.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58And he describes his experiences in some detail.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01He says he has one hell of a time in Cape Town.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04He obviously thoroughly enjoyed himself there.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07And he arrives in due course in Basra.
0:20:07 > 0:20:13And he says, at that stage on Friday 6th April,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16"Today, for the first time since I have been in the army,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18"I have done some work that counts.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22"All day, from 6.00am to 8.00pm, 100 of us have been loading
0:20:22 > 0:20:26"and unloading wounded on and off hospital ships."
0:20:26 > 0:20:30So he's a medic and he feels what he went there for
0:20:30 > 0:20:33has suddenly happened, really.
0:20:33 > 0:20:39But there's a very, very poignant ending to this diary.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42And this occurs in the last entry, which is
0:20:42 > 0:20:45written on Friday 20th April.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50And he says, "At last I can say I am settled."
0:20:50 > 0:20:54And he goes on to say, "All I want now is a letter."
0:20:54 > 0:20:57And at the same page in that diary,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01there's the front of an envelope, that's all that remains,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04addressed to him. It's originally sent to India,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07but it's been forwarded to him in Mesopotamia.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10I have no proof of this, but I'm certain the letter it contained
0:21:10 > 0:21:13refers to the fact that his brother had been killed
0:21:13 > 0:21:18a few days earlier on the Western Front,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20in France.
0:21:20 > 0:21:26I know that Tom, his brother, died on St George's Day, April 23rd.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31And the letter has a Bedford postmark of April 27th.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33And the diary finishes there.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Not another word's written.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38You can just imagine the feelings that this young man had,
0:21:38 > 0:21:43on the other side of the world, learning from all those miles away
0:21:43 > 0:21:45that his brother has been killed.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50So, this was a remarkable buy for me.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52And obviously one I treasure very much.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03In 1846, when the railways arrived in Blackpool,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06people started flocking there for their holidays.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Aside from the Pleasure Beach, the Illuminations and the Tower,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13there was a whole host of theatrical entertainment to be enjoyed.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Flog It! regular Charlie Ross has a notion that theatrical ephemera,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19as a collecting field, is on the way up.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28I've had a love of the theatre from a very early age.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31I can remember being taken to the West End aged eight,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35seeing My Fair Lady and being completely thrilled
0:22:35 > 0:22:37by the whole experience.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42And from that, I started doing am-dram myself.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Through that I've become interested in the ephemera side of it as well.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58The great thing about theatrical ephemera, it touches everybody.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01We've all got a favourite film or favourite show.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05I don't think there's anybody that isn't excited by a certain
0:23:05 > 0:23:07sphere of this.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17I've come to Blackpool to see the most extraordinary collection
0:23:17 > 0:23:22of theatrical ephemera put together by the late Cyril Critchlow.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Cyril Critchlow was a remarkable man.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31He was a magician, an impresario, he put together wonderful shows.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33He ended up with his own museum.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37And sadly passed away in 2008.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40After his death, his daughter Pat
0:23:40 > 0:23:43and librarian, Tony Sharkey, went through all
0:23:43 > 0:23:48this ephemera, which was kept in, I think, five or six garages.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52All these items are now put together in Blackpool Central Library.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54And that's where I'm going.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03We were amazed by how much he had. We knew he was an avid collector.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06When we put Cyril's collection together,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- we made 179 volumes, just of archival material.- How many?!
0:24:09 > 0:24:11179?
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I'd love to see just one or two things from the collection.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Take a look at this.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20This is Blackpool's first summer season programme.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23There's something unusual about that programme.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26It's... Well, there it says "Souvenir Cotton Programme."
0:24:26 > 0:24:30So that links the cotton industry with Blackpool.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Blackpool's visitor heartland is the Lancashire cotton industry.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34It's right on Blackpool's doorstep.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38And when they came to Blackpool, as the wakes week started
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and they were able to start spending a full week in Blackpool,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43- they knew how to spend their money. - Yeah.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45And they wanted to be entertained while they were here.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47The good thing, from our point of view,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49it's still in perfect condition.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51If you have a paper one and somebody folds it,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54it falls to bits fairly quickly, doesn't it?
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- It's a talking point. - So, you know, that is...yes.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59And how proud you'd be to go home and say,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01"I've got a cotton programme."
0:25:01 > 0:25:03How wonderful. That's splendid.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07How many people would come here?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10I mean, not just presumably the Opera House, other theatres as well?
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Blackpool would have a full-range of entertainments.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16In the '30s, Blackpool was claiming seven million visitors a year.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19- Seven million! - And all of those people, of course,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22would want to be entertained in the evening.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25- That's a huge number of people. - It's a huge number of seats to fill.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Providing a massive amount of income.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- The income that came into the town was considerable.- Yeah.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36- But the expenditure on glamorous shows was also considerable.- Yeah.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Of course, there's many aspects to Blackpool's entertainment culture.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45Once side... Maybe not totally acceptable today,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47but it was Blackpool's sideshow culture.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Which was vast.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52- Which was very considerable.- Yeah.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56- Who have we got here? - Here we've got Harold Davidson.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01- A vicar!- He's a vicar. He's a discredited vicar.- Oh, dear.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05- He's the former rector of a parish in Norfolk.- Yeah.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09He ended up exhibiting himself in a barrel on the promenade in Blackpool.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10HE LAUGHS
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Crikey! Look at the number of people!
0:26:15 > 0:26:19It's quite extraordinary to me that thousands of people will queue
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and pay money to see a vicar in a barrel.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26- This was the reality of Blackpool's sideshow culture.- Bizarre.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27Very bizarre.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30I think from a collection point of view, what is one looking for?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Fame, one's looking for rarity.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37And this is obviously as rare as a show could get.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Where else will you see a picture like that? Nowhere else.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- We've looked at Blackpool's sideshows.- Yes.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49But Blackpool in the '40s and '50s attracted major Hollywood stars.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53- Yeah.- And sometimes they went nowhere else.- Judy Garland.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55"The only concerts in the British Isles..."
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- So she didn't go to London. - She came to the Opera House.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00She didn't go to the West End.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03- Crikey.- She didn't go anywhere else. She came to Blackpool.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05And that's where the people were.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09Once some major stars started to come, others
0:27:09 > 0:27:11followed in their footsteps.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14That's Mae West.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17The thing that really took my eye here
0:27:17 > 0:27:20is that it's signed. That makes all the difference.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Something like that is worth hundreds of pounds now.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23People collect these things.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26And the thought that somebody stood in a queue and got the signature,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28met the person...
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Blackpool does do, and did do, glamour.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- At the very, very top level. - At the very top level.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40As well as your Northern seaside humour,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43as well as your Blackpool sideshows...
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- A huge mixture, isn't it? - It's a huge mixture.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Cyril's left us a legacy which shouts Blackpool,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- we feel really proud of.- Yes.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Nothing quite beats the excitement of travel
0:28:02 > 0:28:05and collectibles that evoke that spirit of adventure
0:28:05 > 0:28:08will always have a dedicated following.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Gosh, I never expected that!
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Eye-catching luggage with a dash of vintage glamour
0:28:15 > 0:28:17is a first-class investment.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21But don't forget to also look out for pristine maps,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24travel guides and posters.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26That's it for today's show.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30I hope you've enjoyed it and join us again soon for more Trade Secrets.