0:00:02 > 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 > 0:00:11bringing all manner of items to put our experts through their paces.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15- Ah!- Hey presto! It's on a spring.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20And we've helped you sell around £1 million worth of antiques and collectables.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- GAVEL BANGS - Yes! 700 quid.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26In this series, I want to share some of the things we've learnt
0:00:26 > 0:00:28from handling all of those items over the years.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32So stand by to hear our Flog It! trade secrets.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Literature has always played a large part in British life,
0:01:03 > 0:01:07from the old English classic Beowulf through to William Shakespeare,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09the narrative poems of the Romantic period,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11the classic novels of the 19th century,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15in fact, right up to the present day, we've all enjoyed a good read.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17So today's show is dedicated to
0:01:17 > 0:01:20all things connected with writers and writing.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26We've got an epic episode in store for you...
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Well, I think it's a children's book collector's dream.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32..with more suspense than Agatha Christie...
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Hopefully Sheila and Rowland will turn up? If not, it's going ahead.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39- You can't stop an auction. - No, you can't.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41..more drama than Jackie Collins...
0:01:41 > 0:01:45- GAVEL BANGS - £1,025! Marion, fantastic.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49..and more make-believe than JK Rowling.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51I still believe in fairies, don't you?
0:01:55 > 0:02:00Items once owned or associated with literary giants are highly sought after.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05Universities are keen to own manuscripts so scholars can study their work.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08And enthusiasts want to get their hands on something that was
0:02:08 > 0:02:13once touched by the hand that penned something quite amazing.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16So here are our experts' tips for all you budding bibliophiles.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22My tip would be, if you look for illustrated books by well-known
0:02:22 > 0:02:26illustrators that worked hand-in-hand with authors they liked.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30If you can find an original watercolour by Arthur Rackham,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33you're looking at £10,000 or more.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37The more famous the person it's associated with is,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39obviously the more valuable the piece is going to be.
0:02:39 > 0:02:47Probably the most popular are by er...Shakespeare, Dickens, Scott.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Our literary odyssey begins in 2012 with Christina,
0:02:54 > 0:02:59and a piece of pottery inspired by one of our most famous writers.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Sheila and Rowland, but you prefer to be called Bubbles, don't you?
0:03:02 > 0:03:06OK, so we'll call you Bubbles for today. All right?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09You've brought in this rather wonderful Royal Doulton jug.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10Where did you get it from?
0:03:10 > 0:03:13- We inherited it.- OK.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17It's a Royal Doulton commemorative jug,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Dickens commemorative jug,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23and it's what they call the Dickens Master of Smiles and Tears jug.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26And it's wonderful because it's relief moulded with all these
0:03:26 > 0:03:29figures from Dickens literature.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31And around the top as well, we've got
0:03:31 > 0:03:34these London scenes from where the stories took place.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37There do seem to be an awful lot of items made to commemorate Dickens.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41He was the most popular author of his time and also the most prolific,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43if you think about the number of books that he actually wrote.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48- It's signed Noke.- Noke?- Noke. N-O-K-E.
0:03:48 > 0:03:54Now, Charles Noke was a modeller and designer for Royal Doulton in the early part of the 20th century.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Now, when you originally had it, did it come with a certificate?
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Somewhere or other it got mislaid.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Because it did originally come with a certificate.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Collectors do like to have the certificate and the piece
0:04:06 > 0:04:09for their collection obviously, it's nice to have the two together.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12But I think the certificate is often a repeat of what's
0:04:12 > 0:04:15on the bottom of the piece, and there was such a lovely mark.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18It actually tells us all about itself.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Which says, "The Dickens Jug,"
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and then the title, "Master of Smiles and Tears,
0:04:23 > 0:04:29"with the magic of his created personality. This is Jug No 64."
0:04:29 > 0:04:32So it is No 64 from an edition of 1,000.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36So it's great that it's actually quite early in the production run.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Collectors like earlier pieces or earlier runs from that production,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43because if you think about it - it's the same with anything -
0:04:43 > 0:04:48in the moulds they're produced in, over time, when they're producing such a huge run,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50the moulds don't get quite as sharp
0:04:50 > 0:04:52or they're just not quite right
0:04:52 > 0:04:55as they were with the first pieces they produced.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I've had a good look over it, and it doesn't look as
0:04:57 > 0:05:01if there is any kind of chips or cracks or any kind of damage.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Which, bearing in mind it's pre-war, is really quite impressive.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09They make anywhere in the region of maybe £250 to £350.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16'So would the Dickens jug measure up to Christina's "Great Expectations"?
0:05:16 > 0:05:21'Well, it turned out there was more than one "Twist" to this particular tale.'
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Hopefully Sheila and Rowland will turn up as we're speaking.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29- If not, it's going ahead. You can't stop an auction.- No, you can't.
0:05:30 > 0:05:36Lot 360 is the Royal Doulton Charles Dickens jug. £200?
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- He's bidding, he's bidding. - Yeah.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40220, 230, 240.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43It soon became crystal clear that the auctioneer wasn't going
0:05:43 > 0:05:47to have a hard time selling this particular literary lot.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49410 telephone bid. 420.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51We're on the phone now.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53£420.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Brilliant.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Now selling then, last chance. At 420... 430 back in.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- He's back.- 440.- He's keen.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03One more? 450?
0:06:03 > 0:06:05- No, he's out now.- 60?
0:06:05 > 0:06:09At £460 ahead then, selling at £460.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11- What a fabulous result.- Yeah.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14I just wish they were here, I really do.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18It was a real shame, I think they would have loved to have seen it.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21They literally arrived just after it sold.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- How much?- How much do you think?
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- I don't know.- Come on, come on, top end, or lower end?
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- Top end.- Lower end.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33A split decision there. Well, we actually made £460.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Oh, my word!
0:06:35 > 0:06:37- Is that all right?- Yes!
0:06:37 > 0:06:40So it hasn't been too disappointing missing it?
0:06:40 > 0:06:41Disappointed?
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Oh, you've knocked 20, 50 years off me.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50Royal Doulton produced a huge series of character jugs of Dickens characters
0:06:50 > 0:06:52which were just their faces.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56So I think this jug was an amalgamation of so many of those different characters
0:06:56 > 0:07:00and of such a great size as well, and I think that's why it was so appealing.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Two very satisfied customers there.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Now, Dickens was born in February 1812.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12And the anniversary of his birth in 2012 saw
0:07:12 > 0:07:16a spike in the demand for memorabilia related to him.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20So if you have any item associated with an author, research the key dates,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25and if you can, sell it when interest is at its peak.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31In 2011, literary characters of a different kind caught Elizabeth's eye.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36They're a very good example of what is a very accessible and well-recognised collectable.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41What a collection! There must be a story behind these?
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Yeah, I think Peter Rabbit
0:07:44 > 0:07:48- and Jemima Puddle-Duck were either my mum's or my nan's.- Right.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52And I really liked them so my mum said I could have it.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56And my nan decided she would buy me them for my birthday and Christmas.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59- Right, so you added to the family... - Added to the collection.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Do you have a favourite amongst them?
0:08:01 > 0:08:05I like Hunca Munca just because I like the story of Hunca Munca.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07- You're a Beatrix Potter fan?- Yeah.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11We all have our own favourite childhood associations with
0:08:11 > 0:08:15one or other of her characters, and I think we all have very secret
0:08:15 > 0:08:20reasons why they are appealing and mean something to us.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23- In 1933, the factory Beswick was established in Longton.- Yes.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And by 1948 they had started to produce these little figures,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29illustrating famous characters by Beatrix Potter.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32And by 1950, within two years of having started the manufacture,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36they had become an instant, collectable hit, and I don't think
0:08:36 > 0:08:39they've ever not been collectable, sought after or very, very popular.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42'Beatrix Potter's a very clever writer, she expresses some
0:08:42 > 0:08:44'very fundamental human feelings'
0:08:44 > 0:08:48or stories through these characters.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52And therefore because those feelings and activities are applicable
0:08:52 > 0:08:55to all generations, it's not gone out of fashion.
0:08:55 > 0:09:01I think the most expensive figure ever to be sold at auction was one called Duchess.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- I think she individually made £2,000 at auction.- Wow!
0:09:05 > 0:09:08But obviously, being more realistic,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- can't promise you that sort of figure, I'm afraid.- No, no.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Realistically at auction one should be looking at an average of about £10 each.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17But to keep them as a collection, and offer them
0:09:17 > 0:09:20with an estimate of £150 to £200, would you be happy with that?
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Yeah, that would be lovely.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Peter Rabbit and friends made it safely to the auction -
0:09:25 > 0:09:28but unfortunately without owner Julia.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- It's gone totally silent. - Yes, tension is rising.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37You can hear a pin drop.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41I have interest here on the book, it starts with me at 75, 80.
0:09:41 > 0:09:4690, thank you. And five? 100, and 10, 20, 30...
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Reassuring sign.
0:09:48 > 0:09:5250, 280. £280 in the centre.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56- At 280, if you're done? 300 on the telephone.- Telephone.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59£300, it's on the telephone against you in the room, if you're all done?
0:09:59 > 0:10:05- £300 on the telephone. Sold! - I'm pleased with that.- I bet you are.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09I was reflecting what I had witnessed over the previous few months
0:10:09 > 0:10:13in terms of what the market was doing for Beatrix Potter figures,
0:10:13 > 0:10:15and I have to say the market had been dropping.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Well, Julia's collection certainly scampered through the top estimate
0:10:19 > 0:10:22without a backward glance.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27But the figurines are by no means in the bestseller's list of Beatrix Potter collectables.
0:10:27 > 0:10:33An original copy of Peter Rabbit sold in 2013 for £20,000.
0:10:33 > 0:10:40And in 2008, a Potter drawing sold for almost £300,000,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43making it the most expensive book illustration ever sold.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Now, Philip is not a man prone to flights of fantasy,
0:10:49 > 0:10:54but a pair of Shakespearean characters did manage to cast a spell on him.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58This is a very, very rare figure, but it is a piece of Worcester from my home town
0:10:58 > 0:11:02- and I think this is one of a set of four from the Midsummer Night's Dream.- Yeah.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04And they're really, really nice.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07The fact that Shakespeare's our greatest author
0:11:07 > 0:11:10means that we're going to use him
0:11:10 > 0:11:14as an influence to produce paintings, to produce pots, to produce models.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19My wife and I went to a sale, this one was there
0:11:19 > 0:11:21and it was called Puck and Bottom and she said, "It's never Puck..."
0:11:21 > 0:11:25- Snout.- That's right, it's Snout.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28This is produced by Kerr & Binns.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32We can see on the bottom just here we've got this Kerr & Binns shield.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34If you see a piece with Kerr & Binns on the bottom,
0:11:34 > 0:11:40just have a real good look at it because it should smell quality to you.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43And they were in action really, I suppose, in about the 20 years
0:11:43 > 0:11:47before Royal Worcester became into being, which was 1862.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Everybody thinks Royal Worcester has been Royal Worcester since day one. It wasn't.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55The porcelain factory was set up in 1751 and lots of little factories evolved.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58And it wasn't until 1862 that the whole lot was drawn together to form
0:11:58 > 0:12:00the Royal Worcester porcelain factory.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02It's kept well, then.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- I wouldn't mind being as good as that, Arthur, if I was that old. - Me too.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07I'm getting that way, but...
0:12:07 > 0:12:11It could do well. I can't see it making much more than 600,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13but a 300 to 500 estimate's fair.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17What a gorgeous piece of porcelain.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20But would the Shakespearean figurines inspire the bidders?
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Someone certainly hoped so.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26If this doesn't sell, I'll be like Bottom with a donkey's head.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30As per catalogue, fair interest, here. Start us here at 500.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32And 20. 540.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- Straight in. - Good. Well done, Arthur.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- 600, at £600?- Superb.
0:12:39 > 0:12:40All done with it at 600, then?
0:12:40 > 0:12:45Excellent, that was short and sweet, straight in. No messing around.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Well, that was a fairy-tale ending for Arthur.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51There's absolutely no doubt the characters' pristine condition
0:12:51 > 0:12:55helped whisk them high above the top estimate.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Once you've damaged them,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03I would say almost 60-70% of the value has just gone out of the window.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08And so condition is everything. And these were in top order.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13When Michael went to Blackburn in 2010,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16he was pleasantly surprised to be transported to Neverland.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Marion, you've, I think, made my day today
0:13:21 > 0:13:24by bringing in this wonderful children's book
0:13:24 > 0:13:25which we can see is Peter Pan.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29- Have you had this since a child? - I've had it from childhood.
0:13:29 > 0:13:35It was given to me by two very great and gracious ladies that lived across the way from us.
0:13:35 > 0:13:41And, during the war, they turned their cellar into bunk beds
0:13:41 > 0:13:47for a few of the local children in the area, so we could stay all night in safety.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49They gave me a birthday party,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52and that was the present they gave me at the party.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- What a fantastic present.- Yes. - I've... I've never had a...
0:13:55 > 0:14:00I don't want to do my parents down, I never had a present like this!
0:14:00 > 0:14:03There's a large market for children's books.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Either people buy them for their children
0:14:05 > 0:14:07to put them away as a form of investment,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10or they're just charmed by the literature, the medium.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12It's rather accessible to everybody.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15We've got this lovely full vellum binding.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17So the most expensive way to do it.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Often you'll just have the spine done, and the corners.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25It was that expensive. But they've tooled, in gilt,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28"Peter Pan", and there he is on the back of a...
0:14:28 > 0:14:31of a fairly ferocious looking goat!
0:14:31 > 0:14:34But that's the name we look for, "Illustrated by Arthur Rackham."
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Arthur Rackham was one of the leading
0:14:36 > 0:14:40late-Victorian, early-Edwardian illustrators.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43He did these most detailed and complicated illustrations
0:14:43 > 0:14:46with fairies and pixies and grotesques.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48And they're rather charming.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50I've not met anyone yet
0:14:50 > 0:14:54who doesn't find a Rackham drawing ravishing, I think is the word.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57And we've got Arthur Rackham's signature there.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59I think people are beginning to
0:14:59 > 0:15:03regard his work less as children's illustrations and more as...
0:15:03 > 0:15:07It was good skilful draughtsmanship. It's exquisite.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11- Carried away by the winds. - Is that with the balloons? Yes.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15- With the balloon. The balloon seller being taken away.- Yes, that's it.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19No-one would be buying it to break out the illustrations from it.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23It's the complete package that is appealing to a collector.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28And that's wonderful. "This edition is limited to 500 copies,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31"numbered and signed by the artist, of which this is No 111."
0:15:31 > 0:15:36So it's even quite a low number.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40There's an element of the stamp collector in all of us,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and I'm afraid, if two collectors were to have a copy of the same book,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46if you had an earlier number,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48you would consider yours possibly a better edition.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Well, I think it's a children's book collector's dream...
0:15:52 > 0:15:56- I would think so.- Really. I mean, it is the luxury edition.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58There are a few faults,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02there's a little bit of wear to the gilt edging and the covers
0:16:02 > 0:16:04have started to bow slightly.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08I think we would be sensible to put it into auction
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- with an attractive estimate of say, £400 to £600.- Yes.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Who knows? We might be touching the four figures, but...
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- That would be nice.- That would be if Peter was flying overhead...
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- Yes, yes, yes.- ..wishing us luck.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25A beautiful copy of the ultimate children's classic.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Surely someone would be hooked?
0:16:29 > 0:16:33The Peter Pan In Kensington Gardens with drawings by Arthur Rackham.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37- It's a signed limited edition. - It's wonderful.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42- Absolutely brilliant.- £200. £200. 225. 250. 250. 275. I've 300 here.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45325. 350. 350.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- 375...- He's got a commission bid on the book, he's looking down.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52425. 450. 475. 500.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54And 25. 550. 575.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59At 575. And 600, madam. £600. 625.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- They've travelled up specially, haven't they, today?- 675. 700.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06And 25. 750. 75.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09800. And 25.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11- Oh, dear, oh, dear!- Oh, dear!- 850.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13875. 900.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17And 25. 950. 975. 1,000.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19And 25. 1,025.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21This is exciting!
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Are you all done at 1,025 for Peter Pan?
0:17:23 > 0:17:25GAVEL BANGS
0:17:25 > 0:17:26Marion, fantastic.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- What a lot of money! - That was exciting!- Well done.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- It was worth every penny. - Oh, it was very nice, wasn't it?
0:17:32 > 0:17:33There's a tear in your eye now.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40Marion's copy of that wonderful children's classic certainly flew away in the auction room.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43That's because it had everything going for it.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Now, if you come across a book of such quality,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49take my advice, snap it up immediately.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52But what else should eager bookworms consider
0:17:52 > 0:17:55when starting a writing-themed collection?
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Well, first off, when you buy antique books,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01keep in mind that earlier copies in a print run are more valuable.
0:18:02 > 0:18:08This rule of thumb also applies to memorabilia related to writers and writing.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10The lower the production number, the better.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18These days, spin-offs for many popular books are de rigueur.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22But that's not to say merchandising wasn't around in the past.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26Beatrix Potter, for example, actively encouraged merchandising.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31So keep your eyes peeled for vintage memorabilia.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33If a collectable is part of a set,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36it's obvious that having the entire set is going to be more profitable.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41But if you have a collection of individual items,
0:18:41 > 0:18:45you may actually make more money by splitting them up in the auction.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52Try and resist the temptation to leaf through your treasured tomes.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55If you want to make a packet at the auction room,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58they have simply got to be in tiptop condition.
0:19:02 > 0:19:09We saw earlier how Arthur's beautiful 19th-century porcelain figurines flew away at auction.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14Inspired, as they were, by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18they give a clue to a particular quirk of Victorian society.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22The Victorians were absolutely obsessed with fairies.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26All those elements the Victorians liked. A bit of nature, cheekiness.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29If you're a Victorian, it was Bob's your uncle.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Both Tennyson and Walter Scott wrote poems about fairies.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38And even Dickens couldn't resist a wry description
0:19:38 > 0:19:41of smoking chimney stacks as "fairy palaces".
0:19:43 > 0:19:49But the Victorian fascination with fairies was by no means confined to the written word.
0:19:49 > 0:19:56The period from 1840 to 1870 was the golden age of Victorian fairy painting.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00It was a way that Victorian artists could get away
0:20:00 > 0:20:03with portraying the nude female form.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06If they put wings on it, and called it either a fairy or a cherub,
0:20:06 > 0:20:07it became art.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke by Richard Dadd
0:20:12 > 0:20:15is one of the most famous works in the genre.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18In the painting, King Oberon and Queen Titania
0:20:18 > 0:20:21from A Midsummer Night's Dream take centre stage,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25making its Shakespearean influences clear for all to see.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Dadd was brilliant, but unstable.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37He ended his days in Broadmoor, having murdered his father.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43By 1917, interest in fairies had waned
0:20:43 > 0:20:46when two girls from Cottingley, Bradford,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48claimed to have taken five photographs of fairies.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52The story captured the public imagination
0:20:52 > 0:20:54and found an unlikely champion
0:20:54 > 0:20:58in the novelist and committed spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle -
0:20:58 > 0:21:02himself the son of a Victorian fairy painter.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06There were, of course, no fairies in Bradford,
0:21:06 > 0:21:10but they HAD begun to appear in Staffordshire around that time.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13The most wonderful fairies
0:21:13 > 0:21:18are those depicted in Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Very, very collectable.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25I mean, a decent-sized Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre bowl,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28a good sized punchbowl, is going to be into the thousands.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30£3,000, £4,000, £5,000 for a good one.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33A top tip, though, if you are buying Fairyland Lustre,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36be wary of wear to the gilt
0:21:36 > 0:21:38and the decoration on the enamel.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41If you're going to buy a piece, invest in a perfect one.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Flog It! favourite Mabel Lucie Attwell
0:21:46 > 0:21:49also produced fairy illustrations around that time,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52including her famous Boo Boo Elf.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58And at JM Barrie's request, she also illustrated editions
0:21:58 > 0:22:03of Peter Pan, which were reissued many times.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07It's clear that today, little folk of the right vintage
0:22:07 > 0:22:10can still work their magic in the auction room.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- That's a sold sound! £2,300! - Oh, goodness!
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Even if many of us have stopped believing in them!
0:22:18 > 0:22:21I still believe in fairies, don't you?
0:22:27 > 0:22:29For those of us who admire the great themes in history,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33the Romantic novels of the 19th century are a good place to start.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37And some of the best books penned were written in the early 1800s
0:22:37 > 0:22:41by Sir Walter Scott, a man who's come to epitomise the Romantic novel -
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and a man whose legacy Anita Manning greatly admires.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Abbotsford. One of the most famous houses in the world.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59It was designed and built by Sir Walter Scott in his beloved Borders.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Scott was one of the most important literary figures in the 19th century,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09and the first English-language author
0:23:09 > 0:23:12to have a truly international career.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18But he is perhaps best known as the inventor of the historical novel.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23After suffering polio as a child,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26he was sent to stay with relatives in the Borders
0:23:26 > 0:23:30and it was here that he fell in love with that region, its history,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32its tales and its folklore.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40At Abbotsford, Scott played host to the great and the good of the day.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45He called it "the Delilah" of his imagination.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50And it's still a place of pilgrimage to his many thousands of admirers.
0:23:50 > 0:23:57Today, I'm here on a pilgrimage to uncover the treasures of that fantastic house.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09It's filled with his own collection of antiquities
0:24:09 > 0:24:12thought to inspire his writings.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15It shows the preoccupations, the passions
0:24:15 > 0:24:19and the life of the man himself.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22This is Scott's library,
0:24:22 > 0:24:27and for me, it's the jewel in the crown at Abbotsford.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31This collection consists of over 7,000 volumes
0:24:31 > 0:24:34on every conceivable subject
0:24:34 > 0:24:37and in 17 different languages.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40These were Scott's working tools,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44and many of these books have been annotated by him.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47The scope of the library is immense
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and many of these printed works are unique.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54But what is fascinating about this collection
0:24:54 > 0:24:59is that it is EXACTLY as it was in Scott's day.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03And this is rare, because often a collection is broken up
0:25:03 > 0:25:06or added to after the owner dies.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12First editions are usually what collectors look for.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13But in Scott's day,
0:25:13 > 0:25:18when books were printed in editions of tens or hundreds,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Scott's editions were coming out in runs of thousands -
0:25:22 > 0:25:27and in some cases, 25,000. So his first editions are not rare,
0:25:27 > 0:25:32but what the collector should be looking for are those books
0:25:32 > 0:25:35which are signed by the author,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39and those lovely early calf-bound volumes.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44But books weren't the only thing that Scott collected.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53This is the armoury. Scott used this as his sitting room.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56He called it his "little boudoir".
0:25:56 > 0:26:01And there are some weapons on this wall which belonged to a character
0:26:01 > 0:26:05from one of my favourite Scott books, Rob Roy.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Rob Roy was a real person.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10He was a Highland chieftain, a Scottish folk hero
0:26:10 > 0:26:13and outlaw of the 18th century.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Here, we see his sporran, his broadsword,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20his dirk and his gun.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25And Scott would often use objects to inspire him in his writings.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28It was as if handling these objects
0:26:28 > 0:26:33seemed to breathe life into the character on the page.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41And finally, this is Scott's study.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43The very soul of Abbotsford.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45His later novels,
0:26:45 > 0:26:50including the magisterial nine volumes of Napoleon's biography
0:26:50 > 0:26:54and the delightful Tales Of A Grandfather,
0:26:54 > 0:26:55were written at this desk.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00We see his paper knife, his spectacles, his quill,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04and, rather sadly, a chequebook.
0:27:04 > 0:27:10And this tells us the story of the latter part of Scott's life.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14In 1826, the publishing company that he was a partner in
0:27:14 > 0:27:22crashed during the recession. and led him into debt of £126,000.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Rather than going bankrupt,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28he determined to write himself out of debt.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31And here we have this little chequebook
0:27:31 > 0:27:33and we can imagine him here,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36scoring off his debts one by one.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41But the legacy that Scott left behind is amazing.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Not only do we have his astonishing body of work,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47but we have Abbotsford,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50which provides inspiration for the thousands of enthusiasts
0:27:50 > 0:27:55who make a literary pilgrimage here every year.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08The world of literary antiques and collectables is fascinating.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11There's something for every budding bibliophile,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14from fanciful figures to signed first editions.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19If you want more inside information on antiques and collectables,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22then join us next time for more trade secrets.