Episode 28 Flog It: Trade Secrets


Episode 28

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For many years now,

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you've been coming along to our valuation days, laden with

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antiques and collectibles, putting our experts through their paces.

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You can sell this in your pyjamas on a Sunday.

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I don't know anything, do I?

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And during that time,

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we've all learned a great deal about the items we've valued and sold.

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Now we want to share some of that information with you,

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so if you want to know more, you've definitely come to the right place.

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This is Trade Secrets.

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The British have a great tradition of industry and craftsmanship,

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but just across the water, the Continent has been producing

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equally exquisite items to inspire and fascinate us Brits

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for many centuries.

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The Flog It! team

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regularly get presented with items that have made their home

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here in Britain, so today's show is all about how to spot the very best.

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A whirlwind trip to the cold outer reaches of Europe

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takes in a camera that would delight any spy...

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It was a real kind of 007 "for the lady" thing, wasn't it?

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..an intriguing royal Russian saga...

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It's got tantalising clues.

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It would be lovely to think that it is part of that Romanov dynasty.

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..and we send Christina and Caroline on French leave.

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And no, it's not a booze cruise!

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-Oh, my goodness! Are you serious?

-Yes. Happy French hunting!

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-Do you like that?

-Aw!

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There are many European items we expect to see at our valuation days,

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but more often than not

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you bring in something that takes us all by surprise.

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Now, we may think we know a lot about the best Europe has to offer,

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but think again. There's always a lot more to learn.

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If you were going to formulate a collection of European items

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you'd sort of think, well, Venice is great for Italy and the Dresden area

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for porcelain, and I would just say to you, try

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and make your collection as broad as possible.

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You should always go to antiques shops when you're on holiday.

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Oh, wow. I always do busman's holidays myself, you know.

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I think it's great.

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If you're interested in European collectibles, as Philip says,

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it doesn't have to be all about the classics.

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There are more unusual pieces that are worth a shot.

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Adam found a snappy little number that wouldn't have been

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out of place in 007's kitbag.

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Anne's little vanity camera.

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It was a real kind of 007 "for the lady" thing, wasn't it?

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-If we press that button there, we've got a compact.

-That's right.

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And in here, this one comes out for your lipstick.

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'I mean, how many times have you had a picture taken and thought,'

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"Let's just have a quick zhuzh-up before we have the picture done."

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I think it was a great, ingenious thing.

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-That pops out and there is the camera.

-That's it.

-Isn't that cute?

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Really lovely. So it was made in the mid-1950s. German-made.

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And I believe the firm also made lighters in the same way.

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Lighter-cameras and musical cameras as well.

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A really good and rare novelty item. I was very excited to see that.

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I don't think I've seen one in the flesh before.

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-Any idea what it's worth?

-200?

-I think that's a pretty good guess.

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I would prefer to put it slightly less,

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-if you're agreeable, to put 150 to 250 as the estimate.

-Yeah.

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-And a reserve of 150, so it doesn't go for less.

-Yeah, that's fine.

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-Thanks for bringing it in. It's a lovely little item.

-Thank you.

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Would Anne's compact Petie camera realise a petite price?

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One of my favourite lots today.

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German Petie vanity camera.

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Will you start me at £100?

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110. 120. 130. 140. 150.

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150. Any advance on £150?

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-All done at 150? 150...

-SHE BANGS GAVEL

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Hammer's gone down. That's sold.

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I think someone had a real bargain there.

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I thought it might have made a bit more than that.

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Never mind, Adam.

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Some lucky buyer got a two-for-one deal at a compact price too.

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Definitely Germany's a great source of vintage cameras.

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Fantastic engineering in everything they produced, I think,

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and of course, the most famous name in cameras, the Leica cameras,

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were also of German manufacture.

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While Germany can boast first-class modern optics, James Lewis found

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a French gem from three centuries earlier that was just as ingenious.

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John Butterfield, when he was working in Paris in the late

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17th century, around 1680, 1690, invented the Butterfield dial.

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And that is what we have here.

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The idea is that we have this little section here called the gnomon,

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which works in the same way as a sundial.

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You lift that up,

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so that it points directly into the air at a right angle

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and you use the compass to point it in the right direction

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and you will see that it casts a shadow over the time.

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But this isn't a piece of equipment

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that you could have travelled around with

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because the angle of the gnomon here

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is particular to the angle of longitude

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of the town that you are in.

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The lovely thing also...

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-is in its original fitted case.

-SHE GASPS

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-Have you never taken it out?

-I've never taken it out.

-Haven't you?

-No.

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'If that had been in my home,'

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I think it would be just

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about the first thing that I would have done, is to open the case,

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take it out, look underneath, but I'm always fiddling with things.

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Simon Beauvais. Maker.

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So some time, probably...

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300 years ago, approximately,

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Simon Beauvais was sitting in his little workshop, making this.

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Wow!

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I thought, Simon Beauvais? Never heard of him.

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Never heard of him. So I thought, I'll look him up online.

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Couldn't find anything.

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Looked in the clocks and watches reference books,

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couldn't find anything.

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So he just can't have been a very prolific maker.

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He obviously just made the odd thing.

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And if he made more, they're not recorded.

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It's worth 300 to 500.

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Wow!

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-It's a good little thing.

-It's a lovely little thing!

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James and I thought this was just so beautiful,

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we didn't care if it wasn't by a renowned European watchmaker.

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We did care that neither of us could buy it.

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If the rules were that we could bid on these things...

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-I'd be bidding against you.

-..it would be us two.

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Fighting over it!

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Here we go.

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A little Butterfield brass pocket sundial. £600?

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400? Will you start me at 300?

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200?

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200 bid.

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220. 240.

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260. 300.

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320.

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-It's sold.

-380.

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Any advance on 380?

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-400, back in.

-Come on!

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At £400. Any advance on 400? All done at 400.

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-400...

-SHE BANGS GAVEL

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£400. It's gone.

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The precision of the sundial was clear,

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but sometimes the attraction of a piece is less obvious.

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Philip came across a painting from Europe

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that wasn't quite what it seemed.

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-This is just absolutely lovely.

-I've always liked it.

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-So this is a painting?

-I think so, yes.

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-It is and it isn't.

-Right.

-Because it's a porcelain plaque.

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So let's just move that over.

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So now...we have here this really

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wonderful 19th-century painting on a porcelain panel.

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And it's of a sort of young girl, looking quite wistful,

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with this landscape beyond.

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'The thing about that plaque was, anyone can paint a face,'

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anyone can paint eyes. Look at the hands and the feet.

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Now, I want you now to have a look at that girl's fingers

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and her fingernails.

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That's painting.

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But the mark that we're looking for is KPM.

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And that's the sceptre mark which you can just see

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-impressed into the porcelain.

-Right.

-And that is the best.

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It's the King's Porcelain Manufactory. KPM.

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Actually it isn't really that,

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that's the sort of English version, but I can't pronounce the real one.

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They just produced the finest-quality porcelain plaques.

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So if this were to make £100 to £200 at auction, that would be good?

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-No, I wouldn't sell it for that.

-You wouldn't?

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I'd rather keep it because it's more sentimental value.

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What about sort of 300 to 500?

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-Is that sort of getting closer to the mark?

-No.

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You're absolutely right, cos I think at auction...that you could

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estimate it at probably £1,200 to £1,800.

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-OK.

-So what I want to know is, if this makes £2,000, Celina,

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what are you going to spend the money on?

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A horse.

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A horse. Is that a definite horse?

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Or a maid.

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-Or a maid.

-Or a day out shopping in New York.

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A day out shopping in New York.

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-So you don't want much, really, do you?

-No.

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I'm with Celina part of the way, you know? Horse? Not really for me.

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A trip to New York sounds great. And a maid?

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Well, I'm not going to go there.

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Lot 566 is the very beautiful 19th-century KPM porcelain plaque.

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What may I say for that to start me? What do we say?

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About £1,500 to start me? £1,500 to put me in?

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1,500, may I say? 1,500 with Mervin.

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1,600 at the back. 1,700 you want now?

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1,700 with Mervin. 1,800 in the room.

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£1,800 bid.

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It certainly seemed as if Celina would get one of her three wishes.

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2,800. Still there at 2,800 in the room. 2,800.

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This is great! This is great! They absolutely love it!

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3,000 bid. 3,100?

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At £3,000 in the room...

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Last call against you, selling at £3,000 then...

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HE BANGS GAVEL

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Bang! That hammer's gone down. £3,000!

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Whenever you pick up a porcelain plaque

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and it smells quality at you, you're always hoping that

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when you turn it over you've got that impress KPM,

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because that just adds the gold seal, that's the standard.

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And they're quality things.

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They're a quality item, so you don't see them every day,

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but it does make your heart skip a beat when you do see one.

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KPM stands for Konigliche Porzellan-Manufaktur, by the way.

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And that painting was a very unusual example of European fine art

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at its best.

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When we talk of Europe, we think about the countries we've seen

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so far, but what about the vast territory that straddles both Europe

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and Asia and which is attracting growing attention from collectors

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and dealers alike?

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You've probably heard of Carl Faberge,

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who designed jewellery for the Russian royal family.

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Well, he had a lesser-known competitor whose works also

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made it to these shores more than a century ago.

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Works like this cutlery set, spotted by Charlie Ross.

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-Well, we've got a name on here, haven't we? Joseph Marchak.

-Yes.

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And what can you tell me about that?

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I gather that he was known as the Cartier of Kiev.

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-I love that expression. He was the Cartier of Kiev.

-Yes.

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And I'm told also that Marchak made cutlery for the Tsar.

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-Oh, right.

-So, he was the business, really.

-Yes, so he was high-class.

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If you happen to be of a certain standing, social standing,

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economic standing, you want something made, you want it

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made by the best, and if not the best, certainly the second best.

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You don't want it just knocked out.

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You want to say to people round the dining table,

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"This was made by Marchak."

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-And this one here?

-What a marvellous question.

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Caviar. You'd have to be... I think that one possibly for caviar.

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You'd have to be a multi-billionaire to use that one for caviar.

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-I just wondered about that.

-I've had a chat with a colleague

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-and we think £800 to £1,200 is a sensible estimate.

-Mm-hm.

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But to be absolutely certain I'm going to ring up Kate Bateman

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and ask her to do a little bit more research,

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-so that we don't get it wrong.

-Right.

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There is a chance that we've undervalued,

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so at the moment it's 800 to 1,200, reserve 800 with discretion.

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OK.

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Thank you for bringing such an interesting piece of history along.

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Thank you very much indeed.

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What did Kate's detective work uncover?

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Marchak are still going, so we contacted Marchak

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and they got quite interested and said there's no record of this,

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but they fled the revolution themselves and moved to Paris,

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so they lost a lot of their records.

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Clearly, it's solid silver, it was made for somebody who had some money

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and was fairly influential and liked to show off their wealth.

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Whether or not that was somebody connected to the royal family

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is very hard to prove.

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The mystery continued.

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Many of today's Russians are keen to reclaim their pre-revolutionary

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heritage, so when it came to auction,

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would they gamble on a royal connection?

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Let's start at £1,000. Straight in.

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1,100 here. At 1,100. 1,200.

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1,300. 1,400.

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-Good.

-1,500.

-Come on.

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16.

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-17.

-Halfway.

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18. 19.

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2,000? 2,000.

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2,100.

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'It went right through the top estimate,

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'so clearly the bidders weren't playing Russian roulette.'

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4,900.

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-5,000.

-(My valuation was wrong.)

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5,200.

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5,300.

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5,400.

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At £6,000.

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The underbidder, I knew, was Russian.

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I had spoken to before the sale. She had rather pooh-poohed it.

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Whether she was trying to pull the wool over my eyes, I don't know.

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She'd said, "This isn't the quality I was expecting.

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"I'm not really interested." And then proceeded to

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sit in the back of the room and bid her socks off!

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I was a bit surprised by that.

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7,000.

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7,000. 7,100.

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7,200.

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-At 7,200. You're sure? You've finished?

-Yeah.

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Cracking result.

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One last chance to think about it, madam.

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At £7,200, on the phone. Done at 7,200.

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-7,500.

-GASPS

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Unbelievable!

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7,500.

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At 7,500.

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At 7,500.

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7,600.

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-Down here at 7,600.

-This is what auctions are all about,

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when it goes like this. You just can't beat it.

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Incredible tension.

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Here at 7,600. 7,700?

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Goes, then, at £7,600.

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HE BANGS GAVEL Yes! £7,600!

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-APPLAUSE

-Thank you.

-Well done!

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But did it go back to Russia?

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It was a local person who was looking for things to buy

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as an investment and just thought that that might be

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a good investment, and I think probably right.

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There is a finite amount of Faberge and Cartier,

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and when these things come on the market

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they tend to be only available to the deepest of pockets,

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so go for Marchak.

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A full set will be beyond most of us,

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but if you chance upon even a single piece by Joseph Marchak,

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the Cartier of Kiev, you'll have found some real Russian quality.

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So what's in a name? We're familiar on Flog It!

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with many of Europe's classic makers,

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but each country has its own unique artistic heritage, so delve

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a little deeper, there's a wealth of lesser-known treasures to be found.

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Petie cameras are perfect entry-level cameras,

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but if you're into serious makers look for German engineering

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brilliance, with names like Zeiss and Leica, and check your attic.

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This long-overlooked Leica Lexus I sold in 2012 for a massive £600,000.

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But if you simply fall in love with something particular to an area

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you can overlook the name and enjoy it for what it is -

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fantastic European craftsmanship.

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You're always telling us about the hidden treasures you manage to

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unearth at your local car-boot sales and flea markets.

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But to be fair, more and more people are getting wise to that, and

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the bargains are definitely thinner on the ground, so what can be done?

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Caroline Hawley thinks the answer lies across the Channel.

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Fellow expert Christina Trevanion wonders if there's anything there

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that will float her boat.

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Caroline, you called me a couple of weeks ago.

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There was something about France,

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there was something about shopping, there was definitely something about

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-pain au chocolat...

-Yes.

-I'm intrigued.

0:17:030:17:05

Tell me where we're off to.

0:17:050:17:07

-You've heard of the booze cruise, Christina?

-Yeah.

0:17:070:17:09

Well, this is more of an antique collectible hunting cruise

0:17:090:17:12

and it's so doable.

0:17:120:17:14

Six hours from Portsmouth to Caen, and an hour from there is

0:17:140:17:18

one of my favourite shopping experiences in France.

0:17:180:17:21

-A lovely antique fair in Lisieux.

-Brilliant.

0:17:210:17:25

And you will love it. You will love it.

0:17:250:17:27

-You are going to have to seriously put a padlock on my wallet.

-I know!

0:17:270:17:32

I'm a bit worried about letting those two loose in France.

0:17:320:17:36

After the ferry,

0:17:360:17:38

they travel across Normandy by car to the town of Lisieux to visit

0:17:380:17:42

one of the regular antique markets, or brocantes as they're called.

0:17:420:17:46

What a feast for the eyes. This is amazing.

0:17:460:17:49

-Do you like it?

-It's just so beautiful, isn't it?

0:17:490:17:52

First, Caroline wants to show Christina something

0:17:520:17:55

quintessentially French.

0:17:550:17:58

THEY SPEAK FRENCH

0:17:580:18:06

Christina, it's an armoire marriage.

0:18:060:18:08

What does an armoire... It's a cabinet, a wardrobe.

0:18:080:18:11

It's a sort of wardrobe, yes.

0:18:110:18:12

But it's from this region.

0:18:120:18:14

THEY SPEAK FRENCH

0:18:140:18:17

La Ferriere. 45km from here.

0:18:170:18:21

-And all carved by hand.

-Wow.

0:18:210:18:23

And it's the middle of the 19th century.

0:18:230:18:25

THEY SPEAK FRENCH

0:18:250:18:28

-The price... Le prix...

-How much would it cost?

0:18:280:18:31

-It's 1,990 euros, which is about £1,700.

-Just shy of £1,700?

-Yeah.

0:18:310:18:37

That is quite a lot of money.

0:18:370:18:39

-It's a lot of money, but for the quality.

-I think it's beautiful.

0:18:390:18:45

I was thinking more along the lines of we might buy a little bit of

0:18:450:18:48

jewellery or something slightly that...we can slip in our suitcase

0:18:480:18:51

rather than a rather large...

0:18:510:18:54

-We'll go look for some smaller things.

-OK.

0:18:540:18:57

Well, I don't think you'll be getting that one home on the roof rack.

0:18:590:19:04

Good-quality items have high price tickets.

0:19:040:19:08

It is worth trying to negotiate, though,

0:19:080:19:10

because they're very amenable to negotiation,

0:19:100:19:13

but the good things tend to command good prices.

0:19:130:19:16

But there are lots of bargains to be had.

0:19:160:19:19

Look at this damask and the quality of it.

0:19:210:19:25

The French spend such a lot of time at the table

0:19:250:19:29

and these napkins are just such beautiful quality.

0:19:290:19:32

And the initials on them,

0:19:320:19:34

they would be embroidered by a young girl before she got married.

0:19:340:19:40

So she would have her initials before marriage and then when

0:19:400:19:44

she got married she would then put the initials of her married name.

0:19:440:19:47

Her beloved on.

0:19:470:19:50

-A set of 16. 68 euros for 16.

-That's phenomenal.

0:19:500:19:54

-Would you pay more in a shop now for them?

-You would, yeah.

0:19:540:19:57

I mean, they're beautiful-quality damask.

0:19:570:20:00

And that's...translates as about £57.

0:20:000:20:02

-And even better if you're an "AL".

-Yeah, quite!

0:20:020:20:05

-Have to find a CT somewhere!

-Yeah.

0:20:050:20:08

I think they're really beautiful

0:20:080:20:10

and I've been listening to everything you've told me

0:20:100:20:12

and I think now, less looking, bit of shopping,

0:20:120:20:15

-I'm going to try and impress you.

-Good.

-Wish me luck.

0:20:150:20:18

THEY SPEAK FRENCH

0:20:180:20:21

-See you later.

-See you later.

0:20:210:20:23

I think this is really quite wonderful.

0:20:290:20:31

It's not to everyone's taste.

0:20:310:20:33

It's really rather brash and really rather funky,

0:20:330:20:36

but made by Baccarat, the glass firm.

0:20:360:20:38

So often we see these back in the UK with just the glasses,

0:20:380:20:41

we don't see it with the glasses, stand and bowl

0:20:410:20:44

and the decanter as well.

0:20:440:20:46

Really nice. Very gaudy.

0:20:460:20:48

Like I say, not to everyone's taste, but great fun.

0:20:480:20:51

Look at this.

0:20:550:20:57

I love my suits, and this is fabulous.

0:20:570:21:01

Wool, mohair, locally made.

0:21:010:21:05

The skirt. This is so nice. But 50 euros. I don't know.

0:21:080:21:12

It's gorgeous. It isn't Chanel, but it has that sort of look about it.

0:21:120:21:16

Chanel used a lot of this fabric, especially during that period.

0:21:160:21:20

SHE SPEAKS FRENCH

0:21:200:21:21

THEY SPEAK FRENCH

0:21:240:21:28

I've just bought the most fabulous suit, really lovely,

0:21:290:21:34

for about £30, which is unbelievable.

0:21:340:21:37

I mean, you cannot get a one-off suit anywhere for £30,

0:21:370:21:42

and I will wear it a lot. I love it. It's gorgeous.

0:21:420:21:46

The French are known for their style,

0:21:460:21:49

so if you're interested in vintage clothing you've got a good chance

0:21:490:21:52

of finding something very special in the home of haute couture.

0:21:520:21:56

SHE SPEAKS FRENCH

0:21:570:22:00

-Cinema.

-Hollywood.

-Yeah.

0:22:000:22:02

And Cleopatra. And how much would that cost me?

0:22:020:22:06

SHE SPEAKS FRENCH

0:22:060:22:08

-That's 30 euros. 3-0?

-Yes.

-Nice hat.

0:22:080:22:13

What date would you say that was?

0:22:130:22:16

-That's rather lovely, isn't it?

-Maybe '70s.

0:22:160:22:18

It's comfy. I like it.

0:22:200:22:23

Have you got a mirror anywhere?

0:22:230:22:25

Oh, that's quite nice, isn't it?

0:22:290:22:31

Christina had the Franglais down pat.

0:22:310:22:34

-So...

-SHE SPEAKS FRENCH

0:22:340:22:36

..for the deux?

0:22:360:22:37

SHE SPEAKS FRENCH

0:22:370:22:39

50.

0:22:390:22:41

I'd be happy with that. I think they're really nice pieces.

0:22:410:22:44

Thank you very much.

0:22:440:22:46

I've come across these, which is more than just a carving set.

0:22:490:22:53

There's actually this item here, which you put the leg of lamb in,

0:22:530:22:56

so when it's hot it saves you from getting your hand burned.

0:22:560:23:00

Twist it up like this, which holds it firm,

0:23:000:23:02

and then you can carve it with the knife, you've got the fork.

0:23:020:23:07

And I think they're very stylish. They've got this Art Deco look.

0:23:070:23:11

They've got horn handles, which isn't to everybody's taste,

0:23:110:23:14

but they were fabricated pre-1947, so I'm OK with that.

0:23:140:23:19

The gentleman said I can have them for eight euros,

0:23:190:23:23

which is fantastic, it's about £6, so it's £2 a piece.

0:23:230:23:26

They've got to be bought, haven't they?

0:23:260:23:28

SHE SPEAKS FRENCH

0:23:280:23:31

HE SPEAKS FRENCH

0:23:310:23:33

Everything is just laid out so beautifully.

0:23:370:23:39

The atmosphere is really relaxed and really chilled out.

0:23:410:23:44

Just really good fun, really good fun.

0:23:440:23:46

My tip would be - absolutely bring a phrase book,

0:23:500:23:52

try and learn your numbers, or at least have a pen

0:23:520:23:55

and paper to hand, so that you know exactly what you're

0:23:550:23:57

talking about when it comes to negotiating and dealing.

0:23:570:24:01

It's so easy to come here.

0:24:010:24:03

You can either do it as part of your family summer holiday,

0:24:030:24:07

if you happen to be in France, or you can actually come over

0:24:070:24:10

for a day trip or a long weekend, so it really is achievable.

0:24:100:24:14

It looks like they found plenty to make their trip worthwhile,

0:24:140:24:18

but don't forget, there's a six-hour ferry ride home.

0:24:180:24:23

I've bought something especially for you, Christina.

0:24:230:24:27

Me?

0:24:270:24:28

-Oh, my goodness! Are you serious?!

-Yes.

0:24:300:24:33

-You found some!

-Happy French hunting! Do you like it?

0:24:330:24:36

Wow! Well done, you!

0:24:360:24:39

I said to you this morning. Oh, I'm really touched.

0:24:390:24:42

What a lovely memory of our trip.

0:24:420:24:44

-Aw.

-Thank you so, so, so much.

0:24:440:24:48

-Right, come on. We've got a ferry to catch.

-We're going to miss it.

-Let's run.

0:24:480:24:52

Now, it's often the case that some of the visitors to our valuation day

0:24:550:24:59

know more about their item than we do.

0:24:590:25:01

And that's certainly the case of Christine,

0:25:010:25:03

a regular to the valuation days up in the North of England.

0:25:030:25:06

She had a lot to tell Kate Bliss about a very interesting

0:25:060:25:10

pair of French brooches back in 2006.

0:25:100:25:14

What have we got here?

0:25:140:25:15

We've got some plastic jewellery.

0:25:150:25:17

I love plastic jewellery, plastic brooches,

0:25:170:25:21

but these are by a very special lady.

0:25:210:25:24

-Lea Stein.

-That's right.

0:25:240:25:25

And what do you know about Lea Stein?

0:25:250:25:27

-Only that she was from Paris.

-That's right.

0:25:270:25:30

Her husband worked in plastics and she experimented, I think magically,

0:25:300:25:36

with the colours and the effects that only plastic can give you.

0:25:360:25:39

In fact, when she was working from the '60s to the '80s,

0:25:390:25:42

she was very little-known outside Paris, and it's only recently that

0:25:420:25:46

she's gained really international recognition as a jewellery designer.

0:25:460:25:50

'Lea Stein brooches, I do collect.'

0:25:500:25:51

I collect other brooches too, but they're not my real passion.

0:25:510:25:55

And I would say these ought to be anywhere between £20

0:25:550:25:58

-and £40 each at auction.

-Yes.

0:25:580:26:00

So if you're happy with that we'll put them in with that estimate

0:26:000:26:04

and hope that we've got a real collector there,

0:26:040:26:07

like yourself, be prepared to give a good price.

0:26:070:26:10

Yes. I'd like that.

0:26:100:26:13

I wanted to spend the money on my greatest passion, which is

0:26:130:26:17

novelty salt and pepper pots, or cruets as I prefer to call them.

0:26:170:26:20

The Lea Stein Paris plastic brooches in the form of cats. Rather pretty.

0:26:200:26:25

20 to open. £20. 20 I'm bid. And 5.

0:26:250:26:29

-30.

-Oh, yes. There's interest in it, Kate.

0:26:290:26:32

And 5. 40, sir. 40.

0:26:320:26:34

And 5. 50.

0:26:340:26:36

At 50. And 5.

0:26:360:26:38

-Ooh!

-At £55.

0:26:380:26:39

Are we all finished?

0:26:390:26:41

At £55. First and last time...

0:26:410:26:43

-Yes, great result.

-Gone to a lady.

0:26:450:26:47

I've now got, as of this week...

0:26:510:26:55

3,005,

0:26:550:26:57

and they're displayed all over the house.

0:26:570:27:00

You've got sea life and seaside in the bathroom.

0:27:000:27:05

The kitchen is mostly food-based.

0:27:050:27:09

I've got storybook characters.

0:27:090:27:12

I've got pixies and elves.

0:27:120:27:14

I've got a farmyard on here.

0:27:140:27:16

And not on display, in here...

0:27:160:27:20

are Christmas ones.

0:27:200:27:22

I love them because of their immense variety, their colours,

0:27:240:27:30

the feel of them, their smallness,

0:27:300:27:32

and it gives you something to look for when you're out and about.

0:27:320:27:36

I can go to flea markets, zip round the room, really,

0:27:370:27:41

cos I'm only looking for things with holes in their heads.

0:27:410:27:45

Some of them seem to have distinct personalities.

0:27:460:27:50

I've got this one here. I brought him from over there, actually.

0:27:510:27:56

He's very realistic and it's absolutely beautiful.

0:27:560:28:00

And it's so nice being surrounded by all these little people.

0:28:000:28:04

The cruets aren't for sale because I just love collecting them,

0:28:040:28:09

amassing them, really.

0:28:090:28:11

I'm quite proud of the number I've got.

0:28:110:28:13

And they're all listed in a book. I can't sell one.

0:28:150:28:19

It would leave a gap in the list.

0:28:190:28:22

Well, that's the best thing about collecting,

0:28:240:28:26

it's a never-ending process. You sell something, you buy something.

0:28:260:28:29

But remember, always trade upwards.

0:28:290:28:32

And if you've got something you want to sell,

0:28:320:28:34

bring it along to one of our valuation days.

0:28:340:28:37

Well, that's it for today. Join us again soon for more trade secrets.

0:28:370:28:42

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