0:00:05 > 0:00:07In over a decade on Flog It! we've valued
0:00:07 > 0:00:11thousands of your antiques and collectibles,
0:00:11 > 0:00:12and we've helped you sell them
0:00:12 > 0:00:15in auction rooms all over the British Isles.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18And during that time, we've learnt a great deal about the items
0:00:18 > 0:00:20that are passed through our hands.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23- A great thing to have on Flog It!- Thank you so much.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26In this series, I want to share some of that knowledge with you,
0:00:26 > 0:00:31so sit back and enjoy, as our experts divulge their trade secrets.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05On "Flog It!", we never tire of old favourites
0:01:05 > 0:01:08like Moorcroft and Clarice Cliff.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12And we are always fascinated by the enormous array of silver items
0:01:12 > 0:01:14that land on our valuation tables.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18But then there are the more unusual things you bring in.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Rarities that sometimes defy valuation.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26And they certainly create a buzz amongst the Flog It! Team.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31So today we've got those extraordinary oddities firmly in our sights.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34I've not seen this particular set before.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Christina opens our cabinet of curiosities with
0:01:39 > 0:01:41a unique set of bunnies.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Rare as hen's teeth.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47And I'm blown away by some astonishing sales.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Oh! I'm not joking, listen!
0:01:49 > 0:01:512,300 anywhere else?
0:01:52 > 0:01:55But before all of that, one of our Flog It! favourites
0:01:55 > 0:01:57has a rather exceptional tale to tell.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Since he joined the Flog It! Team back in 2003,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Adam Partridge has grown in stature from the rather overconfident
0:02:06 > 0:02:07young chap of those early days...
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Everything I touch turns to sold.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Yes, I remember that. The Midas touch thing.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16..to the mature auctioneer of today.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And I can start the bidding at £100,000.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22We've come to know and love Adam as a man of many parts, and
0:02:22 > 0:02:26one of his myriad of interests is religious paraphernalia, so you can
0:02:26 > 0:02:29imagine his delight when something extraordinary fell into his lap.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38I have a great interest in Judaica.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I think this boils down to, perhaps, right back to my childhood.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45I'm half Polish, so I think there's a slight connection there,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47and I grew up in a very musical background,
0:02:47 > 0:02:48so I met lots of Jewish violinists
0:02:48 > 0:02:53and I was in Jewish houses, and I felt part of the whole culture,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56and it all evolved that we started doing a Judaica sale.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00So we've got a very big auction tomorrow with a very
0:03:00 > 0:03:03good representation of Judaica in it.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Judaica refers to the ceremonial art that Jewish people use
0:03:06 > 0:03:11in their rituals in synagogue or in the home, and Adam's brought
0:03:11 > 0:03:15in for sale a wide variety of pieces relating to various festivals.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19One of the most important of these is Passover, where Jews
0:03:19 > 0:03:22retell the story of Moses from the book called Haggadah.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Apart from all these wonderfully-interesting things here,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29we've got extra special. Something that was found in really, really,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32unusual circumstances and is going to be extremely
0:03:32 > 0:03:33valuable and important.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40I don't take much time off work.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I'm a real workaholic. I'll do all hours.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48I get home late at night and I took a week holiday. One week!
0:03:48 > 0:03:51And these clients of ours phoned up and Bill went out.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55- Normally, it would have been me. - He was sunning himself
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and I found myself up in north Manchester.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I was being toured around the house.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05The lady just kicked along this box,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09along the floor, and said, "Well, there's a box of Jewish books there.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12"Is there anything in there?" And this was the box, itself.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15A chicken soup box. Rummaging around in it,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19perhaps the most modest-looking is this little manuscript.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24But on leafing through it, I opened it up, and it is quite apparent
0:04:24 > 0:04:28that someone with a very skilled hand has created this.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32When Adam returned from his holiday, the first question he asked was...
0:04:32 > 0:04:36"Anything good come in while I was away?" He presented me with this.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41And my jaw dropped. Neither of us knew exactly what it was.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I'm not pretending that we would be experts straight away, but we both
0:04:45 > 0:04:49had the instinct, I suppose, the gut feeling, to know that it was
0:04:49 > 0:04:52something very important and worth investigating further.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Bill and Adam's hunch was right. This wasn't any old manuscript,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03but a rare Passover Haggadah, by Aaron Wolf, the chief Jewish scribe
0:05:03 > 0:05:08of the Imperial Library, working in Vienna in the early 18th century.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10It was an incredible find.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13At that point,
0:05:13 > 0:05:19I took it out to certain Jewish colleagues of mine,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21mainly in north Manchester and that is how I came up also
0:05:21 > 0:05:24seeking Dr Wise's advice about it.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Dr Yaakov Wise, an historian at the Centre for Jewish Studies
0:05:31 > 0:05:34at the University of Manchester, examined the book.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41This is a very rare survivor. It's a hand-illuminated
0:05:41 > 0:05:47and illustrated Haggadah from the middle of the 18th century.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51It was written in Pressburg, which is now called Bratislava,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55and it is an example of the finest-quality Haggadah that has been
0:05:55 > 0:05:58made in the last two or three hundred years.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Jewish families value their simple Haggadahs,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05much like people might have a family Bible.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08But most have no financial value, which makes this hand-written
0:06:08 > 0:06:15and hand-painted work, created in 1727, quite extraordinary.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Could you tell me a bit more about Aaron Wolf,
0:06:17 > 0:06:22- the scribe and calligrapher here? - He was one of the top scribes
0:06:22 > 0:06:25in 18th-Century Europe.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28He was employed by the best families, the most wealthy families,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32- such as the Oppenheimers, for whom this Haggadah was written.- Right.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36The Oppenheimers married into the Rothschild family,
0:06:36 > 0:06:37because, as we say in Yiddish,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41- money goes to money.- And in a very famous name, of course.- Yes.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45And I suspect that it moved across Europe with the Rothschilds.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Having survived the Napoleonic Wars, the upheavals in Germany
0:06:49 > 0:06:52in the 19th century, the First World War,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56apparently, it arrived in Belgium just before the outbreak of
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- the Second World War.- It's amazing to think what events this has survived,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- what its seen over almost 300 years of its existence.- Yes.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05So, Belgium at the beginning of the Second World War?
0:07:05 > 0:07:10And it, apparently, came to England in 1940.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Over 100,000 Jews fled Germany
0:07:13 > 0:07:17and Austria in the two years before the outbreak of World War II,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20heading for safety across Europe, America and the former Palestine
0:07:20 > 0:07:24- and taking only their most treasured possessions.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Dr Wise thinks the owners of this precious Haggadah
0:07:28 > 0:07:31may have kept it concealed on the way to Britain.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Once here, it remained with a distant relative,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37who apparently had no idea of its significance.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43People have lived their whole lifetimes and never come across
0:07:43 > 0:07:49a Haggadah of this quality and this age and this significance.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51In terms of value, we've put
0:07:51 > 0:07:54an estimate on it of £100,000-£150,000 -
0:07:54 > 0:07:57an awful lot of money. What really makes it so valuable
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and how many people do you think would be actually interested in it
0:08:00 > 0:08:02at that, sort of, level of price?
0:08:02 > 0:08:08Well, it's extremely rare, it's probably one of the five or six
0:08:08 > 0:08:12- oldest Haggadot in Europe.- Gosh.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17- I would like to see it go to a museum.- I agree with you.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20I think it would be lovely for it to end up in a museum.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22I'd quite like to go and visit it again one day.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27We have, encouragingly, had some interest from the Jewish Museum
0:08:27 > 0:08:30in Vienna, which I think would be particularly appropriate.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Exactly. That is where first used, in Vienna. That is a very good idea.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43There is a lot riding on it and a lot of pressure on us all, as well.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45But with a sale like this,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48we have to trust our research and, ultimately, trust in the object.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52It is a wonderful, wonderful, thing to be offering for auction.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55I'm quite sure it will achieve a superb price.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Just what price exactly? We'll find out a little later.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Time and time again we find that rarity can add a premium to the
0:09:09 > 0:09:11value of an object.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Poor condition and damage can be trumped by something that is
0:09:14 > 0:09:16rarely seen, so how do we know
0:09:16 > 0:09:19when we've got something that's extremely unusual?
0:09:19 > 0:09:21And where is the best place to start looking?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25If I'm looking round an antiques fair
0:09:25 > 0:09:28and I see something I don't know, I love buying them.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Because it's where you learn about things,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33sometimes it turns out to be quite an interesting thing.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38More often than not, of course, it turns out to be nothing at all.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42But if you get that wee sort of buzz from it,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44that feeling that it might be something,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48then it is occasionally worth having a go at it.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50You can always do your research afterwards.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55It's always worth taking a punt on something,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57because if you don't know what it is, perhaps the person who's
0:09:57 > 0:09:59selling doesn't know what it is,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02and it might well be that little secret find.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06But identifying that secret find
0:10:06 > 0:10:10- something that's unusual or even rare - isn't always easy.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12That's where our experts come in.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Experts like Charlie Ross, who discovered that a big surprise
0:10:16 > 0:10:18awaited him in a small package.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20I'm expecting to find a carriage clock in here,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23there's a little button that releases the top.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25What you can do is leave it in here
0:10:25 > 0:10:28and still have the benefit of the clock itself,
0:10:28 > 0:10:33as it is, just by pulling that panel up there, isn't that neat?
0:10:33 > 0:10:34Very nice.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37'The size was exciting,'
0:10:37 > 0:10:41because most carriage clocks are...let's say,
0:10:41 > 0:10:45that size, and this was a miniature one, half size.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47And also, what I didn't know of course,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50until I took it out the box,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53was those wonderful pietra dura panels on it.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Pietra dura - "hard stone",
0:10:55 > 0:10:58literally translated from the Italian,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02they are panels from Italy, and I think it's absolutely sweet.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06'Pietra dura are pieces of rock put together rather like a jigsaw
0:11:06 > 0:11:11'and glued together, so you don't see the joints, the glue,'
0:11:11 > 0:11:14so the skill is in the cutting - rather like a jigsaw puzzle -
0:11:14 > 0:11:19to make sure that one bit fits exactly into the next.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24I can see that there is a little bit of damage on the back panel here.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26That's an expensive job to do.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Somebody doing this will need to repair that, otherwise, bit by bit,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33the pieces of stone will fall out and you'll be left with nothing.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36But the side panel is absolutely perfect. I think it's worth...
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Well, it would be worth 3-500 all day long in perfect condition,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43I really think 2-300 is the right estimate,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47and the auctioneer should work hard on this because it'll certainly be,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49even if he's got six carriage clocks in his sale,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52the best carriage clock in his auction.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Charlie was obviously charmed by such an unusual piece,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57but would rarity outweigh damage?
0:11:57 > 0:12:02- £2-300 put on this by our expert Charles here.- Spot on.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03It's going under the hammer now.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Pretty little late 19th century carriage clock,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10- and significant interest... - Ooh, good.- Great!
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- The lowest commission bid is £500. - What?!
0:12:13 > 0:12:17I was quite bowled over when the auctioneer opened the bidding
0:12:17 > 0:12:20and said, "I have commission bids here" and whatever he said,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23"600 - 50, 700 - 50."
0:12:23 > 0:12:26And there wasn't a bid in the room!
0:12:26 > 0:12:29£750 is what I have with me, may I say £800?
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Is there 800 in the room?
0:12:32 > 0:12:37With me and to be sold then, all happy, at £750...
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Straight in and straight out, blink and you'll miss it. £750, Richard!
0:12:41 > 0:12:46I was astonished by the price. I think the rarity was the thing.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49In hindsight, how many miniature carriage clocks have
0:12:49 > 0:12:51I seen with pietra dura panels?
0:12:51 > 0:12:53The answer is very few,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and therefore there's an extra premium, over and above
0:12:56 > 0:13:00the extra cost of making the object is the rarity value.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Go for something unusual!
0:13:03 > 0:13:08It seems a rare design or size can sometimes matter more than damage.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Christina came across some objects she wished she'd had
0:13:12 > 0:13:15the pocket for. A rare collection that marked the very early
0:13:15 > 0:13:18beginnings of a very well-known maker.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22You've absolutely made my day bringing these in.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I have seen these in books before, but never in real life,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28- do you know how rare they are? - No.- Rare as hen's teeth.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32- Oh!- Or should we say, as rare as a rabbit teapot.- Great, absolutely.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37The designs were developed by a nun called Barbara Vernon.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Now, she was the daughter of a man called Cuthbert Bailey,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44who was one of the managers at Royal Doulton.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Her father, in 1934, decided that he wanted
0:13:46 > 0:13:49to produce a line of nurseryware for Royal Doulton,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53and his first idea for a designer was to go to his daughter,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55because her drawings were so endearing,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57she used to make her animals into caricatures.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- This is the end result.- How lovely.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- These are also the precursors to the Bunnykins.- Yes.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05So it all links together,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08and these are just a Bunnykins collector's dream.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12They really are the first Bunnykins figures, if you like,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16but in a utilitarian teapot, creamer and sugar bowl.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18The Bunnykins range are very collectable,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20they're still being made now,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22and they have crossed the 20th century,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24cos you get very early Bunnykins,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27which were taken from the original sketches of animals,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30and now you get Bunnykins which are wearing helmets and space hats,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33so they really have grown with the generations.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36So let's have a little look to confirm my suspicions,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39we'll take the cover off there, look at the bottom.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40Yes, lovely mark there,
0:14:40 > 0:14:45Royal Doulton mark with the Bunnykins either side,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48great that we've got that, collectors are going to love that.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52When the war came, 1939, production stopped,
0:14:52 > 0:14:58- and it never started again, so these are incredibly rare.- Good grief!
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- We do have a problem with this, don't we?- Yes.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02The sugar bowl, we've got
0:15:02 > 0:15:06a crack that runs from the rim right down through the body.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08That is going affect the value,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12collectors want them in absolutely mint condition.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15I think perhaps at auction, I still think it will fetch
0:15:15 > 0:15:17- something in the region of £5-700. - Right.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Damage worries me, but...
0:15:22 > 0:15:25We're going to find out, because this is our lot, here we go.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Bunnykins three-piece tea set, somebody bid me £800 for it.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31- Oh, gosh.- Wonderful!
0:15:31 > 0:15:34- 850, 880, 900...- They are rare.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37..980, 1,000 - and 50, any more?
0:15:37 > 0:15:38At 1,050 - 1,100.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44There's the bid at 1,100 - 1,150,
0:15:44 > 0:15:461,200, 1,250, 1,300.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51- 1,350, 1,400...- £1,400.
0:15:51 > 0:15:57At 1,400 then, there's the bid, and I sell at £1,400, done, thank you.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Well, £1,400, the hammer's gone down.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04- I'm shaking, I've learnt something. - Bunnykins.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Bunnykins, that's where the future is.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10The sugar bowl had a crack,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12which I was incredibly worried about at the time, but I think
0:16:12 > 0:16:15because it was such an early set,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18and because Bunnykins collectors do want those early pieces
0:16:18 > 0:16:22and there are so few around, in that instance it really did not
0:16:22 > 0:16:24matter hugely that there was a little bit of damage.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Once again, the bidders decided to overlook
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Let's not pretend it's easy to find something very rare.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38After all, there's not much of it around!
0:16:38 > 0:16:42But there are things you can do to improve your chances.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Find a traditional collection with a more unusual theme,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49like this most enchanting set I came across by Britains,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52one of the leading manufacturers of lead toys since the 19th century.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58I've not seen this particular set before. The gardening set.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00- Really?- It's fantastic.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04The condition, I've got to say, is 100% perfect.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07It's absolutely fantastic.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12And what I love is you've even got the little glycerine bags,
0:17:12 > 0:17:18look, and it says "Geranium" on there. "15 Plants".
0:17:18 > 0:17:20And that's two pence, that little packet,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23which you could buy separately. I'm going to tip that out.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28Look at all those little geraniums in there! Isn't that brilliant?
0:17:28 > 0:17:30You can pick one up and they pop...
0:17:32 > 0:17:33..into the soil.
0:17:33 > 0:17:41I'm going to put it into auction with an estimate of £180 to £250,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43but in no way let them go any cheaper than that,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46because these are quite rare.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48It was not only delightful but rare,
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and, in a triple whammy, was in great condition.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54So I knew this would have buyer-appeal,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56and so did auctioneer Will Axon.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Most of the time at the auction house,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01when toys are brought in, certainly lead toys, it is
0:18:01 > 0:18:06usually soldiers, cars, or vehicles, or figures, that sort of thing.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10It's not as usual to see a gardening set come through the door.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14And I've got interest here, where? At 130, 140. I'm bid 150.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19At 150, I'm bid, on commission. 150. 160. 170. 180. You're in now.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23- 180 in the room. At 180. 190. Fresh blood.- Come on.- 200.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27- 220. 240...- We've sold it. - ..280. 300.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32320. 340. I shall sell them at 340.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34All done at 340?
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Hammer's gone down, Eric. Well done.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Some Britains sets are very collectable.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43I mean, the standard sets that you get coming through the sale, maybe
0:18:43 > 0:18:47six figures in these long boxes, can make £200, £300 regularly.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Then if you start getting into rare figures,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54you've got a Flying Corps box set, which includes a little
0:18:54 > 0:18:58zeppelin and so on, I think one of those sold for £3,000.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02And Salvation soldiers, again, is a very rare set,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06and I think another set at auction did sell for £8,000.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Quite astounding, isn't it? What someone will pay to buy back
0:19:10 > 0:19:12that childhood that perhaps they never had?
0:19:12 > 0:19:16This is a great example of how a classic collection
0:19:16 > 0:19:19with a twist on a theme can be hugely desirable.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22But this was nothing compared to the extraordinary collection
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Kate Bliss found in 2009.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- Which is your favourite here? Which one do you like best?- Gosh.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Um, I've got to say this one, I think.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35There's just something about him. He's a proper little character.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39He is, isn't he? That's what strikes me about all of these.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41They've all got their personalities,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43their quirkiness, if you like.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Let's look at these two quirky figures first because, if you look
0:19:47 > 0:19:51- closely, as you can see, on their hats, there's a little mark.- Right.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53An F and an M.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57And they stand, those two initials, stand for Fernand Martin.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00They're never in very good condition, his characters,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04because they were made from scrap metal that was
0:20:04 > 0:20:08scavenged from the streets of Paris, literally. So those are interesting.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12These three are by one of the best-known German manufacturers
0:20:12 > 0:20:16of toys at that moment, a company called Ernst Lehmann.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19And one of the characteristics of the toys produced by the firm
0:20:19 > 0:20:23were the bright colours they used, and the lithographed designs.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25We can see that, I think, beautifully,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28on the wheels of this cart here.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30So what about value? This lovely collection?
0:20:30 > 0:20:34- All in all, you've got several hundred pounds here.- Right.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36And I think with the right collectors at the auction,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40- they could significantly surpass my estimates.- Lovely.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Bashed about a bit, but would that bother the collectors?
0:20:45 > 0:20:48I love these tin-plate toys. I know the condition's poor
0:20:48 > 0:20:51on some of them, but who cares, because they're early ones.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Let's find out what this lot in the room think, shall we? Here we go.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Lot 734. We have to open the bidding at 500...
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Oh, late bids for this.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06£680.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10- £680.- Straight in at 680!
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Be still, my beating heart.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17'Be still, our beating hearts. These tin characters flew out the door.'
0:21:17 > 0:21:18420.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22'We could hardly believe what was happening, as the bids went up
0:21:22 > 0:21:25'and up.'
0:21:25 > 0:21:26I'm not joking. Listen.
0:21:26 > 0:21:292,300 anywhere else? Finished?
0:21:30 > 0:21:342,200... Do you know something?
0:21:34 > 0:21:37That's taken us to a total of £4,990.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Just under five grand.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Give us a hug! Come on!
0:21:42 > 0:21:45I'm totally gobsmacked. Absolutely gobsmacked.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Nearly five grand for those clockwork tin-plate toys.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Didn't matter about the condition. The collectors loved them.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53They were so rare.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57'We realised these were special, but not quite how special.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01'Luckily for Stephanie, the collectors knew.'
0:22:01 > 0:22:04So what else can you do to have a better chance of finding rare
0:22:04 > 0:22:06and unusual items?
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Get to know the field you're interested in
0:22:08 > 0:22:11and then you'll know what's ubiquitous and what's rare.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Collectors will pay a premium for their favourite
0:22:14 > 0:22:16collectable in a rare size or colour.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21It can be challenging and very exciting to look for prototypes
0:22:21 > 0:22:25and experimental pieces by a well-known designer.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28These can be very sought-after by the aficionados.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34So look out for marks or documentation to prove its pedigree.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37And remember that while damage can be a turn-off it may be
0:22:37 > 0:22:41overlooked if a piece is of such exceptional rarity,
0:22:41 > 0:22:46quality or historical value that a collector just has got to have it.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48So when you see something truly individual,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51keep something in mind that the wear and tear can be
0:22:51 > 0:22:55part of its charm, and might well add to its value.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Rare finds don't get much more exciting than the wonderful Haggadah
0:23:07 > 0:23:12that Adam and his colleague Bill found in an old box in Manchester.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16I don't feel very well, actually.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19I'm full of cold, congested, but nothing is done to stop me
0:23:19 > 0:23:22getting up there in a minute and selling this manuscript.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24It's really encouraging, a room full of people.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27I haven't seen an auction this busy for quite a long time.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29I'm ready excited. You're going to have to stop me talking
0:23:29 > 0:23:31because I'm going to just go on and on and on.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33I can't wait to get up there.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Adam was as excited as a schoolboy!
0:23:35 > 0:23:38But finally it was the moment of truth.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42He'd estimated the book at £100,000 to £150,000,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45but could it match his expectations?
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Lot 100. The 18th-century Passover Haggadah.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53And I can start the building at £100,000.
0:23:53 > 0:23:58I'll ask for 105,000 next, please. It's £100,000 to start.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00105 on the phone. 110.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03115. 120. 125.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08£125,000 on this phone now.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10130. 135.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13135. 140.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18135 with James. 10,000, Bill?
0:24:18 > 0:24:20140,000. 145.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23150.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26155.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29160. 165.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32At 160,000...
0:24:32 > 0:24:33170,000.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37170. I'll take 5 if you want. 170,000 here.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39This was exceeding Adam's wildest dreams!
0:24:39 > 0:24:42175. 180.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44I'll take 180. 180 to this phone.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47A new bidder joined the fray and it looked like there was
0:24:47 > 0:24:51fierce competition to win this incredibly rare prize.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Quite appropriate. 185,000.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58190. At 190,000 now.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02I've got all day, I don't mind. 190,000. 195 now.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04195 on this phone. Round it up, then.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11Are there any decisions on the other phone? At 195,000...
0:25:11 > 0:25:12At 195,000...
0:25:15 > 0:25:18For the first time, then, at 195,000. Are we bidding?
0:25:18 > 0:25:19We're bidding 200.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- 200,000. - AUDIENCE GASPS
0:25:22 > 0:25:24at 200,000. Oohs and aaahs all round!
0:25:24 > 0:25:25210.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28210 on Bill's phone now.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Whatever you want to bid me. I'll take 215 if you want.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34- Or 220 would be better. At 210.- 220?
0:25:34 > 0:25:37210,000 is on the phone here.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40The hammer is up, then, for the first time. At 210,000.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Second time at 210,000. Have you finished bidding?
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- He's asking his client on the phone. - Right.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53- No, sir.- At £210,000, it's the final call.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55No extra than 210?
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- No, sir.- They are completely done. We are selling, then.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Final chance, then. At £210,000,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02if you're all sure and done...
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Thank you very much.
0:26:05 > 0:26:06APPLAUSE
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Well done, Bill.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21That's very good. It's gone to where I wanted it to go as well.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25It's going back to Vienna, ladies and gentlemen, which is where it originated.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Which is a very romantic story. Thank you very much.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31APPLAUSE
0:26:33 > 0:26:37A result which - for once - threatened to leave Adam speechless!
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Gosh!
0:26:39 > 0:26:41I feel very emotional, actually.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44And I'm really, really, really pleased that it's made such a strong price.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49210,000 is basically really what I thought it was worth.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Delighted. Delighted.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55It made a wonderful price, a very strong price,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58and nice to do a good job on a wonderful thing.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00I will miss it very much.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07It's now going back to where it belongs, to Vienna.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10And... Yeah, I'm just extremely emotional.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12I've never felt like this before.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Oh, dear. Thank you very much.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20What an emotional journey for Adam, and that incredible Haggadah.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27There are, of course, items of religious interest to look
0:27:27 > 0:27:30out for across many faiths but what should you keep in mind?
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Religion, as a general rule, doesn't sell very well.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37The amount of times we have a valuation day
0:27:37 > 0:27:42and people bring in family Bibles or portraits and things like that.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46But there are certain areas that are still collectable.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48For an example, church furniture.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Gothic church furniture is quite popular
0:27:50 > 0:27:53and perhaps things like rosary beads you'll see.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56So there are other collectables in religious terms,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59but I would be careful and would advise you against thinking
0:27:59 > 0:28:02that everything religious is therefore collectable or valuable,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05because that is quite far from the case.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Finding the rare and the unusual takes single-minded determination,
0:28:09 > 0:28:15a keen eye, and, most importantly, a large slice of good luck.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18£4,990!
0:28:19 > 0:28:23But don't let that put you off, because those idiosyncratic items
0:28:23 > 0:28:27are out there and, as we've seen, they can sometimes show up
0:28:27 > 0:28:29in the most peculiar places.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Well, that brings us to the end of today's show.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38I hope you've enjoyed it.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Do join us again soon for some more inside information on Trade Secrets.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06Subtitles by Ericsson