0:00:03 > 0:00:06For many years, you've trusted the "Flog It!" team to value
0:00:06 > 0:00:10and sell your unwanted antiques and collectibles.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13I'm sure we're going to find a new home for it.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16And to date, we've sold £1 million worth.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20And during that time we've learned a great deal about the objects
0:00:20 > 0:00:22that have passed through our hands.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25In this series, I want to share some of that knowledge with you
0:00:25 > 0:00:28so stand-by to hear some of our trade secrets.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00In the latter part of the 16th century,
0:01:00 > 0:01:02William Shakespeare wrote, in the Merchant of Venice,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05"Everything that glitters is not gold."
0:01:05 > 0:01:09His meaning - everything that looks valuable isn't necessarily so
0:01:09 > 0:01:11- gold or not.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15The brilliant thing about antiques is everything has a good value
0:01:15 > 0:01:18because of the wonderful stories they tell.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Having said all of that,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23today's show is dedicated to everything that glitters -
0:01:23 > 0:01:27all the shiny objects that have crossed our tables at valuation day.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Coming up on the show, Mark uncovers a hidden gem...
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Wow!
0:01:33 > 0:01:37..Anita reveals the secrets of a very special stone...
0:01:37 > 0:01:42This little baby here is worth its weight in gold.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46- ..Charlie needs to do some more homework...- Shoot the valuer!
0:01:46 > 0:01:49..and "Flog It!"'s youngest visitor is also the canniest!
0:01:49 > 0:01:52- Yes!- The hammer's gone down.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55- Jack, do you know where all the money's going?- To my bank!
0:01:55 > 0:01:58- THEY LAUGH - The Jack bank!
0:02:01 > 0:02:05We humans are always looking for ways to adorn ourselves.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09These days the wedding ring is about as bejewelled as a man would get
0:02:09 > 0:02:15but history tells us the richest and most fabulous people
0:02:15 > 0:02:18advertised their status by adorning themselves
0:02:18 > 0:02:20in precious metals and jewels.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23So what do our experts think you should take with you
0:02:23 > 0:02:26when looking for a quality piece of jewellery?
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Make sure you look at it objectively.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Don't just fall in love with it cos it's sparkly and glistney
0:02:31 > 0:02:33because all that glistens might not be gold.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38I would always advise you to take a magnifying glass, take a little
0:02:38 > 0:02:43look so you can examine the hallmarks and the stones for any flaws.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Look for inclusions in the stones
0:02:45 > 0:02:48because they do have a detrimental effect on the value.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50The flecks of carbon in diamond, for example,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52they can be a big problem.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Always take your loop because you can be very disappointed when
0:02:56 > 0:02:59you get home and you haven't taken it, you find out why it was cheap.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Now, diamonds might be a girl's best friend,
0:03:02 > 0:03:07but there's nothing to say we fellas can't enjoy some bling.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Anita came across something for the chaps that put a twinkle in her eye.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15I bought them for my husband for a special anniversary,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17probably in the '80s sometime.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20- Were you madly in love with him at the time?- I think so.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25- Are you still madly in love with him?- Yes!
0:03:25 > 0:03:27These are gorgeous.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Now, they are 18 carat gold, so they are high carat.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33You bought him the best.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36We have this lovely central panel of lapis lazuli.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38'Isn't that a beautiful word?'
0:03:38 > 0:03:44Lapis lazuli is so easily identified by its colour.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Isn't it beautiful?
0:03:48 > 0:03:50It's that mouthwatering singing blue,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52mined from the bowels of the earth
0:03:52 > 0:03:56and brought into the light to gladden our eyes
0:03:56 > 0:03:58with this vibrant colour.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02So what we've got is high carat gold, a beautiful stone
0:04:02 > 0:04:03and lovely diamonds.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08I like these very, very, very, very much and if I had some lovely chap
0:04:08 > 0:04:13that wore cuff links I would buy them as a present as well.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15But I haven't so I won't bother.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19'Sometimes the older pieces, especially if it's carved,'
0:04:19 > 0:04:24will be more sought after than modern examples
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and our cuff links were fairly modern.
0:04:27 > 0:04:34- Now, I would put a value on these of £250 to £350.- Yes. Lovely.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Thank you again for bringing them along
0:04:36 > 0:04:38- and I'll see you at the auction.- Thank you, Anita.
0:04:38 > 0:04:44620 is a pair of 18 carat gold lapis lazuli and diamond cuff links.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Start with 250 on the cuff links. 250. Bid 260.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50270. 280. 290. 300.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52320. 340.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- Oh, my goodness!- No, it's 340. In the corner. 360.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00380. 400. 420. 440.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Online at 440.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07- Are you done at £440? - Yes! The hammer's gone down!
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- Good result!- Isn't that wonderful!
0:05:12 > 0:05:14It's a fashion thing.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Fashion changes all the time and we follow the fashion
0:05:18 > 0:05:20and we pluck from the past items
0:05:20 > 0:05:23which will suit the fashion of today.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27And this is why these cuff links, as well as being very good quality,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31were fashionable and desirable in today's market.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36Lapis lazuli, spiked with gold, can be found on all sorts of pieces,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39and the older ones can be very valuable.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41The Egyptians used it on their scarabs and,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45since medieval times, artists have taken the ground down pigment
0:05:45 > 0:05:50of lapis, called ultramarine, to use in their paintings.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52So look out for that tell-tale vibrant blue
0:05:52 > 0:05:54and you could be as rich as a King.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58From Anita's modern minimalist cuff links,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02to an altogether more ornate piece from a fascinating era.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- Wow! Where did you get that from? - It belonged to my grandma.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- Do you know anything about it at all?- Not really.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- Just that it belonged to her. - Well, it's fantastic, isn't it?
0:06:12 > 0:06:14It's actually a little brooch, of course,
0:06:14 > 0:06:19and these are diamonds in here. And it's mounted, I think, in platinum.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23- Right.- It's what we call Belle Epoch jewellery.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26'The Belle Epoch era really typifies, for me,'
0:06:26 > 0:06:31the late 19th and very early 20th century.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36So we're going from that quite heavy, chunky Victorian jewellery
0:06:36 > 0:06:39to a very fine, more European French style.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42It's very light, the stones are very good quality.
0:06:42 > 0:06:48It was probably made sometime between 1900 and 1915.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52From 1900 onwards, platinum became much more widely used.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55When you're mounting a stone like diamonds,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59they're much better to be mounted in a white metal.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04'They reflect the inner beauty of the diamonds and just the quality,
0:07:04 > 0:07:08'even though it wasn't marked, meant it was platinum, not silver.'
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- Have you ever worn it?- Never? - Not once?- Not once.- That's a shame!
0:07:11 > 0:07:15What do you think of it, Alex?
0:07:15 > 0:07:19I like the shape of it, the way it looks a bit like a flower.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Yes, it does, doesn't it? The petals on the outside.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25It's super quality and it's actually quite valuable.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27I think if we were putting it in for auction
0:07:27 > 0:07:30we should put somewhere in the region of £400 to £600 on it.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- Wow!- That's wonderful, isn't it?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37The Belle Epoch was a time of freedom and hope
0:07:37 > 0:07:39at the dawn of a new century.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Were the bidders just as optimistic?
0:07:42 > 0:07:46450 on the floor. Any advance on 450?
0:07:46 > 0:07:49460 on the phone. 460.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- On the telephone.- 470. 480.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55- 490.- Brilliant.- 490. 500 on the phone.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58520. 540. £540.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05All done at 540? All done at 540? 540.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08And it's gone down. We'll take that, won't we, 540?
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- Yes!- Happy?- Happy, happy.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13What a great example of how a piece of jewellery
0:08:13 > 0:08:15can convey a mood and a time!
0:08:15 > 0:08:19You can learn to "read" the design to help identify the age of an item.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24The cameo as a motif was highly prized by the Georgians.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Elaborate jet pieces found favour with the Victorians
0:08:26 > 0:08:29after the death of Prince Albert.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31And, as we've seen, flowers and natural images
0:08:31 > 0:08:36were the touchstones of jewellers at the turn of the 20th century.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Sometimes the story behind a piece of adornment can be
0:08:39 > 0:08:41just as valuable as the item itself.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Our expert with the Midas touch, Michael Baggott, struck gold
0:08:45 > 0:08:48when he came across a very special watch.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52The watch comes from my grandfather, who was called Eli Pope.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- This is his picture, there. - Oh, right.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58He built this five wheel bicycle
0:08:58 > 0:09:03and he raced with it on road and on the old Crystal Palace track
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and he won...he got this medal for winning a race.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10- So rather than a cup he got a watch. - Gold watch, yeah.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13We've got an inscription, which is nice.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18It says, "1 mile bicycle handicap won by E. Pope."
0:09:18 > 0:09:20When you've got a piece that someone will bring to "Flog It!"
0:09:20 > 0:09:23and say, "This belonged to my grandfather and he did this."
0:09:23 > 0:09:26If it hasn't got that inscription,
0:09:26 > 0:09:31you're taking that story on trust and however sincere and truthful
0:09:31 > 0:09:35that is, in the antiques business you have to be able to prove things.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I think he possibly used to carry it around when he was racing
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- because it's got a fair few dents in it.- Yes.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44But it's appropriate to a cyclist and someone that is timed
0:09:44 > 0:09:46because it's got a special feature to it.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50- Do you know what that special feature is?- I know it's a stopwatch.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53It is. Any idea of what the watch is made of?
0:09:53 > 0:09:57- I think it's gold plate or something. - Gold plate.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00The back plate is plated for strength
0:10:00 > 0:10:05but actually, the case and the bezel are 18 carat gold.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07So it was a worthy thing to win
0:10:07 > 0:10:09and it's marvellous to have the history with it.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13It's very difficult to value this because it's got a little chip
0:10:13 > 0:10:17to it which knocks the value of the watch per se.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Condition is always very important so the condition of this watch,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24without its story, would have impacted greatly on its value.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27The story actually equalised that and did it a little bit better
0:10:27 > 0:10:30but you should always be aware of condition.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Especially when buying time pieces.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36We should be in the region of about £150 to £250 on it. Would that be...
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- Yes, yes. Thank you. - A great pleasure to see you.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47I have got to start the bidding here at £300.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49- Fantastic!- £300.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51320 on the phone. 340.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54360. 380. 400.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59- 420. 440. 460.- Can't believe it!
0:10:59 > 0:11:01480. 550 now. 580.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05580 on the phone. 600, can I say?
0:11:05 > 0:11:08At 580, then, if you're done?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- Oh, pedal power! £580!- Wowee!
0:11:12 > 0:11:15The fact that this watch was a presentation
0:11:15 > 0:11:19for a very unusual sporting event is always going to add interest.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22It's not just for a watch collector, it's not just for someone who
0:11:22 > 0:11:25values the gold, it's for someone who values the story.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Watches are a potential gold mine for collectors
0:11:28 > 0:11:30and our experts are brimming with tips.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Go for the flashy ones and the rare ones
0:11:34 > 0:11:36and the movements that do all sorts of things.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40And there are some major makers to go for, of course
0:11:40 > 0:11:44- Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, Longines -
0:11:44 > 0:11:47good Swiss makes that we see regularly.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Just because it says Rolex doesn't mean to say it is a Rolex.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54With high quality watches the finish is absolutely superb.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56If you've got any doubts about it at all,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59if it doesn't feel right, walk away from it.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Pocket watches are incredibly undervalued,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03particularly 18th century ones.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05So if you wanted to start a collection,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07start a collection of those.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Phillip Serrell also found a shiny trinket which had a story to tell
0:12:11 > 0:12:15- though not one you'd expect.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Everybody at home is watching this and thinking that's a bangle.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- Is that what they're thinking? - Probably.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23We know different. Dog collar.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25'If you want a bit of bling for your dog,'
0:12:25 > 0:12:29I mean, today you might put him in the latest designer coat
0:12:29 > 0:12:31or cover but 100 years ago,
0:12:31 > 0:12:36you'd have bought him a really ritzy collar, wouldn't you? And they did.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40You can just see there how the clasp operates and it's almost...
0:12:40 > 0:12:44It's silver plated. You've got some marks here which are plate marks.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47And then we've got in script around the border.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- Lady Constance Trentham, which is very Gosford Park, isn't it?- Yes!
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I think it's a very, very rough rule of thumb
0:12:54 > 0:12:57- anything that's inscribed or decorated
0:12:57 > 0:13:00is going to be worth more than a plain Jane.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Not always but most of the time.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06And I think that little bit of inscription around the collar,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08for me, that just added to it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11And people collect dog collars.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14There is a big demand for these. You can have them in silver.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18You can get some really early 18th century ones that are in brass
0:13:18 > 0:13:22- with sort of really Walt Disney spikes coming out.- Poor dogs!
0:13:22 > 0:13:25But they're good, they're attractive things
0:13:25 > 0:13:27when they've got a lovely patina.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31If you want to age something, you know, it's not divine inspiration.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34It's a question of holding it and looking at it
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and quietly working out and working out the method of manufacture,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40working out the style of script on there,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42looking at the age of it, the wear of it.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45It may have been Edwardian, it may have been a bit earlier than that.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48But I think that's such a fun thing. It really was a cool thing.
0:13:48 > 0:13:54I reckon that this will make between £60 and £90 at auction.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59And I think if you get two people who are really avid,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01then it could go and make well over £100.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07I love this. It's really, really cute.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12- We're looking at £60 to £90 for it. Great valuation.- It will sell.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I like dog collars. Strange little thing I don't tell many people!
0:14:15 > 0:14:19679 is the electroplated dog collar. What a charming little thing there,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22engraved for Lady Constance Trentham.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24And she must have had a tiny little dog.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Start with 50 bid. 55. 60. 65.
0:14:26 > 0:14:2970. 75. 80. 80 bid. Any more, now, at £80?
0:14:29 > 0:14:34At 80. 85. 90. 90 still here. At £90. Any more?
0:14:34 > 0:14:36At 95. 100. 100 still with me.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41Will take a ten. At 100. All done now at £100?
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Yes! Hammer's gone down! That's sold. £100.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48And bizarrely, I think that's one of those things
0:14:48 > 0:14:50that would be worth a good bit more today.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Big area of collectability because it's different. It's different.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56People want different things.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59How many of your friends have you been to and they go,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01"Look at my silver plated dog collar."
0:15:01 > 0:15:04It doesn't happen, it's different.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Charlie Ross's eye was caught by a bit of sparkle
0:15:08 > 0:15:12that could so easily have been overlooked as old costume jewellery.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- You don't like it, do you? - No. I don't.- I can tell.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17It's been sitting in a box somewhere, presumably.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20- Yes, actually. In the teapot. Yeah. - Right.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23It's first half of the 20th century.
0:15:23 > 0:15:271920s, 1930s, I think. Do you know where it comes from?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29No. I know nothing at all about it.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Looking at all of those stones, I think
0:15:31 > 0:15:35probably what is now Sri Lanka, what was Ceylon.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40Because those stones were indigenous to Ceylon or Sri Lanka,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44as it is now, and I'm lucky enough to have been there.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49That it was likely that piece of jewellery was made there
0:15:49 > 0:15:52because all those stones, or the majority of those stones,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55'would have been natural to Sri Lanka.'
0:15:55 > 0:15:58We have got a citrine and a garnet, then a smokey quartz,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01really rather a splendid sapphire.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Then we've got a cabochon amethyst.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09By cabochon it's rounded. It's in the form, really, of a bead.
0:16:09 > 0:16:10Amethyst.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Then we've got the zircon and then,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16although it's a slightly different colour,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18- we've got another garnet at the end. - Right.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Garnets come in different shades of orangey red.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25So how did Charlie know he was looking at the real thing,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28and not a worthless glass imitation?
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Have I got a bit of glass in my hand?
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Have I got a semi precious stone in my hand? What do I do?
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Pick up a piece of glass, put it into my hand,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41semi precious stone in that hand, close your eyes
0:16:41 > 0:16:47and ipso facto you will find the glass warming up
0:16:47 > 0:16:51and the semi precious stone will remain cold.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- Have you had it insured?- No.- No.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56No, I didn't think it was worth anything.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- Did you think it was a bit of costume jewellery?- Yes.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03So you thought it was worth £10, I suppose?
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Didn't think it was worth anything at all.
0:17:05 > 0:17:06- Anything at all?- No.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09So, it will come as a pleasant surprise to be
0:17:09 > 0:17:13- told that it's worth £100-£150. - Lovely, yes. Thank you.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Charlie knew a semiprecious bracelet when he saw one,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20but it quickly proved to be more precious than even he expected.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23220. 230, 240,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26250, 260,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28270, 280.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- Oh, they love it.- 290, 300.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34310, 320.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36330, 340.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37Oh, crumbs.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40350, 360, 370, 380.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42And we're still going.
0:17:42 > 0:17:43390, 400.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46At £400. With the lady at 400, now. At £400.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48- Are we all done?- Oh, gosh.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50At £400.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Bang, that hammer's gone down.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54£400!
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Shoot the valuer!
0:17:56 > 0:17:59If you're going to sell a bit of jewellery, for goodness' sake,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01make sure you know what it is.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Yes, and any good auction house, of course, will give you a valuation
0:18:05 > 0:18:10prior to sale and will tell you whether something is genuine or not.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13So, how can you tell a diamond from the rough?
0:18:13 > 0:18:16As well as Charlie's warmth test, try the breath test.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19If you breathe on glass, it will fog up,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22but a diamond will remain clear as day.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28What else should you bear in mind?
0:18:28 > 0:18:29Remember to take your loupe,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32which will help you to identify the four Cs...
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Colour and clarity define the quality of a gem
0:18:42 > 0:18:46and how many faults or inclusions it has.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Have a go at studying the gem through your loupe,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51but, it is a specialist field,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53so ask an expert if you are in doubt.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56With a little research, you can
0:18:56 > 0:18:59learn to identify one of the hundreds of cuts out there,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02from the traditional rose, to the curved cabochon.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04You can learn about the carat,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06which is the weight of your gemstone,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09by using a simple and inexpensive card to measure it.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13And by examining the four Cs, along with the quality of the design,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15you could be going for gold.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Nothing fires the imagination of the "Flog It!" experts more than
0:19:22 > 0:19:27a military medal and the stories associated with them.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30But why is one medal more desirable than another?
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Expert and auctioneer Will Axon has seen a fair few in his time,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37and he jumped at the chance to visit the place that's been
0:19:37 > 0:19:40responsible for striking them for more than 200 years.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Well, they've let me in.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Here I am. The Royal Mint.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49Everyone thinks coins, don't they,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51when they think of the Royal Mint, but I am here to
0:19:51 > 0:19:55look at something that interests me more than coins - medals.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58But, before Will got to handle the medals
0:19:58 > 0:20:00awarded for service in the Armed Forces,
0:20:00 > 0:20:04he met one of the foremost experts in the field of mint medals,
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Kevin Clancy, curator of the Royal Mint Museum.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12It really began about 200 years ago with the Waterloo Medal.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15And you have an original Waterloo Medal here?
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Cos I know, from my auctioneering background, that they
0:20:18 > 0:20:20- are highly collectable, aren't they?- We do.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23- The Royal Mint made all the Waterloo Medals.- Well, come on.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Let's get down to it. Let's have a look at them in the flesh.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30All sorts of medals flashing there in front of me.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Wow, look at this. There, of course,
0:20:33 > 0:20:34is the Waterloo Medal.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36And you've got various
0:20:36 > 0:20:38versions, is that right?
0:20:38 > 0:20:40That's right. The nature of our collection is about how
0:20:40 > 0:20:42a coin or medal has been produced.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44But to think, how would you commemorate Waterloo?
0:20:44 > 0:20:46What device would you use?
0:20:46 > 0:20:48That's a creative problem that someone's got to solve.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51And, in this instance, it's the winged figure of Victory.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Which we can see here.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56With the word Waterloo underneath and the date.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59And it's become an extraordinarily
0:20:59 > 0:21:02potent symbol of campaign medals.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05This is the start, this is where it all began.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07I see you just going in and grabbing one,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09I think I'm going to follow suit,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11because I thought I might have to have the odd white gloves on.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15And, the other interesting point here is, of course,
0:21:15 > 0:21:16is it hasn't been awarded.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18So they're not actually named, which must make them
0:21:18 > 0:21:22a bit of an anomaly, as far as medal collecting must go?
0:21:22 > 0:21:25That's right. For people who collect military medals, they're often
0:21:25 > 0:21:26interested in that story,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29the action that the person was involved with.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Because I'm amazed by what we've got here.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35I mean, again, this is quite mind-boggling for me.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38This is a medal roll for the Waterloo Medal
0:21:38 > 0:21:41and it lists every single person it was awarded to,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44from the highest ranked officer, right down to the privates.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48That's right. And the reason that the Royal Mint Museum would have such
0:21:48 > 0:21:52a document is that all these medals were named at the Royal Mint.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55So, we needed to know the names, we needed to know that
0:21:55 > 0:21:58information about the people who were receiving the medals.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02You know, just names on a page to us now,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05but you can see, almost,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09the wish to find out more, delve deeper.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Now, if we're talking medals for bravery of gallantry,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15there is one that tops the list, isn't there? The VC.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Now, tell me you've got one of those here.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21We have an example of the Victoria Cross in the collection.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22Wow, look at that!
0:22:22 > 0:22:25From our point of view, it's one of the only official medals
0:22:25 > 0:22:27that the Royal Mint hasn't made.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29It was made by Hancocks, is that right?
0:22:29 > 0:22:31It was made by Hancocks. It was from the word go, 150 years ago,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34and still is. This is as high as it gets,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36as far as the gallantry awards are concerned.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Let me see. What do you reckon?
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Do you think they'd notice if I sneaked out with that?
0:22:42 > 0:22:46The rumour is that the metal that they're actually made from
0:22:46 > 0:22:49is not that good a quality. Am I right?
0:22:49 > 0:22:53- The story is that the metal is from cannons...- Gun metal, isn't it?
0:22:53 > 0:22:57..captured in the Crimean War. It's a base metal.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59It's a fairly simple design, but it means so much.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01It's the highest award that you can get,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04but it's made from the most basic of metals.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08It's the heroism behind the medal that attracts the collector.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12No medal shows that better than the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest
0:23:12 > 0:23:17and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21This one was awarded to Private Sidney Godley in 1914
0:23:21 > 0:23:26and it sold in auction in 2012 for over a quarter of a million pounds.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Now, Kevin, I'm no medals expert,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32but you've seen and handled so many,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36you must have some top tips that you are able to pass on to our viewers.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Condition is hugely important in anything you're buying,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42of course, particularly medals, I would say, and coins.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45The way in which you look after it subsequently
0:23:45 > 0:23:47is again very, very important.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Beyond that, it is in some ways where your heart and, let's face it,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52where your pocket might lead you.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Your interests could go in all sorts of directions
0:23:55 > 0:23:56in relation to medals.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59The stories are fascinating.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01It's something that can illuminate the past
0:24:01 > 0:24:03in a way that few other objects can.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Here at the mint, they produce medals for present-day conflicts.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11But perhaps surprisingly,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14they're currently also making Second World War medals.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16One of these is the Arctic Star.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24From 1914 to 1945, Allied convoys sailed across the Arctic,
0:24:24 > 0:24:29to deliver four million tonnes of vital supplies to the Russians.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Conditions were amongst the worst faced by any Allied sailor,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35with extreme cold and ferocious pack ice.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39The loss rate for ships was higher than any other
0:24:39 > 0:24:44Allied convoy route, with 3,000 sailors losing their lives.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46After a successful campaign,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49the veterans have finally been recognised for their heroism.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52It's estimated that 120,000 of them
0:24:52 > 0:24:57or their next of kin are eligible to receive the Arctic Star.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Will had an unprecedented sneak look at the process
0:25:01 > 0:25:04of making this most deserved of all medals.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08When you think that these people have waited 68 years to be appreciated.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10- Exactly.- That's a long time to wait.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13So there must be a sense of honour amongst anyone working here.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14Yes, there's real pride here.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17People are really proud of what we make in the Royal Mint,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19especially the medals.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I tell you what, is there any part of this process that
0:25:22 > 0:25:23I might be able to have a go at?
0:25:23 > 0:25:25You can have a go, if you think you're up to it.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28If you're going to trust me with a 360 ton press?
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Yes, yes, you'll be fine.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34- This is it here, is it? - Yeah, don't forget your glasses.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38No, I've got my safety goggles. Right.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41- So I've got a nice stack here. - Nice, shiny blank.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43OK, you put it in the press.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45- Locate it in the die.- Yeah.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- Locate the star now. - Locate the star...
0:25:48 > 0:25:50- That's fine.- I think that's about right.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- Where's my hammer? Oh, no... - The green.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54- Just press once?- Yeah.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Right, now press it again.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01- Oh!- There we are. Take it out, Will.- Is it safe?
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Yeah, yeah, it's fine, yeah.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06That's fine. No holes, no scratches.
0:26:06 > 0:26:07That's great, Will.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09So now it needs to go to the clipping?
0:26:09 > 0:26:11It needs to go to the clipping, yeah.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Now I need to clip this excess.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16I'm assuming this has got to be pretty accurate, otherwise...
0:26:16 > 0:26:17Yes, it has.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Make sure you locate properly, Will.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- You happy?- You better check it.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25It's fine, now, Will.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27What you mean "fine now"? It wasn't before?
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- So down comes my safety?- Yeah.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Press the foot pedal.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36- OK?- Slightly nervous, isn't it?
0:26:36 > 0:26:38I suppose you're pretty used to it.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40- My medal, in theory. - Your medal's coming out.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Let's have a look. Front...
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- Yeah, yeah.- That's OK, Will. - Is that OK?- Yes, that's OK.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47It's got to be cleaned later. No, no.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- We've got a misclip, Will. - That's a misclip.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51- We've got a misclip. - How did that happen? Not my fault!
0:26:51 > 0:26:53I probably didn't locate it...
0:26:53 > 0:26:55- Oh, I'm so glad I got you to check it!- This is a reject.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- We'll make another one.- Really? - We'll make another one, yeah.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Just a few more to go, Will.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Once Will's got that right,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09the medal is pierced and polished.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Rhiannon, you're on the final process.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21- Yes, I am.- The ribbon.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Well, I've got a medal here.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27- Any chance I could swap that for one with a ribbon on?- Course you can.
0:27:27 > 0:27:28That's very kind of you.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I'm glad you are doing that fiddly work and not me.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- And that's in the box it will be presented to, yeah?- Yes, it is.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Wow, look at that.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Stunning, isn't it? The finished product.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43To think that I've had a small part to play, even if it is
0:27:43 > 0:27:46just helping to strike a medal, that...
0:27:46 > 0:27:49You know, it's in some way respectful
0:27:49 > 0:27:52to what they gave for their country
0:27:52 > 0:27:5670 years ago, but still relevant, really
0:27:56 > 0:27:58and worth commemorating, certainly.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03With medal collecting, valour is the crucial element.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06If you're going to start your own collection, here's a tip.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Hone in on a battle or the era that intrigues you most
0:28:09 > 0:28:12and enjoy getting to know the stories of gallantry
0:28:12 > 0:28:14behind that scrap of metal.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Anita Manning is probably the most
0:28:22 > 0:28:24stylish member of the "Flog It!" team.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29She loves colour and is also rather partial to a bit of adornment.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33MUSIC: "Theme from Jurassic Park" by John Williams
0:28:33 > 0:28:35I love jewellery.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39It doesn't need to be gold and it doesn't need to be diamonds.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41I love ambers.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44And for me, they're very, very, very special.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Now, amber is a precious substance
0:28:47 > 0:28:52and it is made of the fossilised resin
0:28:52 > 0:28:56of giant and ancient pine trees
0:28:56 > 0:29:0040 to 60 million years old.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03And it's the type of thing which reaches
0:29:03 > 0:29:06very high prices in the auction.
0:29:06 > 0:29:11But, when something is very precious like that, we often find that
0:29:11 > 0:29:15things are copied and that there are imitations
0:29:15 > 0:29:18and we find these in the sale rooms and we also find them
0:29:18 > 0:29:21in my little collection of amber, as well.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23And I don't mind them too much.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25I mean, it's very handy
0:29:25 > 0:29:30to be able to identify the true amber.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32And, in this one here,
0:29:32 > 0:29:34it looks in the spectrum of ambers,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37but, in actual fact, it is a Bakelite.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40How do we tell the difference?
0:29:40 > 0:29:42There's first the hot pin test.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45If you heat a little pin
0:29:45 > 0:29:49and put it into the amber in a place where you can't see it,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52maybe near the string hole, if it's amber,
0:29:52 > 0:29:57it will emit this wonderful pine perfume,
0:29:57 > 0:30:01whereas, if it's plastic or Bakelite,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04the smell will be really horrid.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08True amber has a magnetic quality and,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11if you cut up lots of different little bits of paper
0:30:11 > 0:30:14and rub the amber on some wool,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17it will magnetise and draw the paper.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20So these are handy wee things to know, if you're not sure
0:30:20 > 0:30:22if it's amber.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27People worshipped amber, because it was a sun...
0:30:27 > 0:30:31They called it a sun-reflecting stone.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33And, if we look at something like that,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36which has depth and colour
0:30:36 > 0:30:40and substance and great beauty,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43this is the real amber.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45And this little baby here
0:30:45 > 0:30:48is worth its weight in gold.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Anita's precious amber spent millions of years
0:31:01 > 0:31:03buried in the soil.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05But, a few years ago,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08I went hunting for treasure unearthed in more recent times.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20It's everybody's dream to find buried treasure,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23and one freezing January afternoon in 1943,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26in the middle of the dark days of World War II,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Gordon Butcher was hard at work
0:31:28 > 0:31:32ploughing a field in the middle of Mildenhall in Suffolk.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Suddenly, the plough hit something in the field
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and Gordon ran round to see what it was.
0:31:39 > 0:31:44He started digging and he unearthed a huge black metal rim
0:31:44 > 0:31:48of a large plate, some two foot in diameter.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Gordon quickly fetched his boss,
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Sydney Ford, and together,
0:31:52 > 0:31:56they dug down into the soil and found many more objects,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58including dishes, goblets and spoons,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01an astonishing 34 items in all.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05Thinking the finds were just pewter or lead, Sydney Ford gathered them
0:32:05 > 0:32:08all up and stuffed them into a crude old sack and took them home.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10There, he started to clean them up,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14and he even straightened out all the dented items quite crudely.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Once they were cleaned up,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19he put them on display on the mantelpiece and the sideboard.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25In those days, any large, valuable collection found underground
0:32:25 > 0:32:27came under the law of treasure trove.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30If it was deemed to be lost, it belonged to the finder,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33but if it was thought to have been buried intentionally,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35it belonged to the Crown
0:32:35 > 0:32:39and the finder received a reward related to the value of the hoard.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41The find should have been declared immediately,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44but it was another three years before it was brought to
0:32:44 > 0:32:46the attention of the local authorities
0:32:46 > 0:32:49and that came about because a local doctor went round to visit
0:32:49 > 0:32:51Ford in his house after the war
0:32:51 > 0:32:53and saw the collection on display.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56And it was only then that the Mildenhall Treasures were
0:32:56 > 0:32:59revealed as the most important collection of Roman silver
0:32:59 > 0:33:01ever to be found in Britain.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04I've come to the Mildenhall Museum to find out a little bit more
0:33:04 > 0:33:07and talk to trustee Peter Merrick.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09Peter, thank you very much for joining us.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Now, this is the largest item. Tell me about it.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Yes, it is an extraordinary large thing.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18It weighs 18lb, or 8.25 kilograms.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21What does it depict? What's going on there?
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Well, in the middle, there's Oceanus,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27or Neptune, he's been called in Greek times.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30And dancing maidens and men all around,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33beautiful dresses, with other animals.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35It is exquisite.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37Let's take a look at some of the other finds
0:33:37 > 0:33:38you've got on the table.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40It really is a treasure trove.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42Yes, we think it's absolutely wonderful.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45I've noticed there's a few dents on some of them.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49Is that because they've been knocked by a plough over the years?
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Well, as far as anyone knows,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54the only damage that ever occurred was when they were found.
0:33:54 > 0:33:55Oh, really?
0:33:55 > 0:34:00By the plough. But the whole story is shrouded in mystery.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02So what was his reward for finding this?
0:34:02 > 0:34:04He got £1,000.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07That's nothing, is it, really? Absolutely nothing.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09If he'd have reported this straightaway as a find,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12he would have got the whole reward, wouldn't he?
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Its value, its true value?
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Allegedly, he would have got £50,000 for it,
0:34:17 > 0:34:22but because he left it for so long, then all he finished up with...
0:34:22 > 0:34:26The ploughman, Gordon Butcher, got 1,000 and so did Sid Ford.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28It's not a lot, is it?
0:34:28 > 0:34:30This is a fantastic collection of treasure.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Who knows? There might be even more out there.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36We've got metal detectors going around like lunatics
0:34:36 > 0:34:37looking for them.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Still to come, the kids are in town...
0:34:44 > 0:34:47When little Katie put them on the table, I thought,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50"I've never seen these before!"
0:34:50 > 0:34:53..and they have treasures to impress the experts...
0:34:53 > 0:34:55This is the highlight of my day.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57..as well as the bidders.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Wow!
0:34:59 > 0:35:01- What do you think about that? - Amazing.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12An area of collecting that has huge appeal is coins.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14You shower us with them on "Flog it!".
0:35:14 > 0:35:16From commemorative coins, to gold sovereigns,
0:35:16 > 0:35:20whole collections and coins made into jewellery.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24We're a nation, I think, of collectors.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27I coined the term collectaholics. They're absolutely addicted.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32So I can relate to it. Although I've never been particularly bitten by
0:35:32 > 0:35:36the coin bug myself, I can certainly understand why you'd want to.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40But it's easy to feel overwhelmed by over 2,000 years' worth of coins
0:35:40 > 0:35:44to choose from. So, where to begin?
0:35:44 > 0:35:47There are a few key things that collectors bear in mind,
0:35:47 > 0:35:52and Michael Baggott came across a coin that encapsulated all of them.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56This is a fantastic condition gold coin.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00We've got the head of King James I.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04He reigned from 1603 to 1625.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07The denomination of this is actually a laurel.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11We've got the denomination actually struck here, which is XX,
0:36:11 > 0:36:14and that's the number of shillings it represents.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16So, it's a 20 shilling piece.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19We have to think about a whole series of things
0:36:19 > 0:36:22when we value coins. These, which are hammered coin...
0:36:22 > 0:36:26And a hammered coin is anything that is struck by hand
0:36:26 > 0:36:27and does not have a milled edge.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30The first thing is, how even is the flan?
0:36:30 > 0:36:33The flan being the surface of the coin.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36We've got a little bit of trimming here, but that's fine.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40But really, it is in absolutely wonderful condition.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43And at the auction, it was clear the collectors agreed.
0:36:43 > 0:36:471,150, for the gentleman behind you. At 1,150...
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Condition, condition, condition.
0:36:49 > 0:36:511,150, then...
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Good price, £1,150.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57That coin perfectly sums up the things to check for
0:36:57 > 0:36:59if you're thinking of collecting.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Most important is condition.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05You can get something that's incredibly early,
0:37:05 > 0:37:09or even a Roman coin, and it can be worth a very small amount
0:37:09 > 0:37:12unless the condition is very crisp and fine.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14Really, you've got to look for condition.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Still on really early coins, you can get some that were
0:37:17 > 0:37:18in uncirculated condition.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20You can still see just the very finest
0:37:20 > 0:37:24wisps of hair on the monarch's head and they are beautiful.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27And whatever you do, don't be tempted to polish your coin.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29That all important patina of age
0:37:29 > 0:37:32shows that something is the genuine article.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35And that's what the collectors want to see.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37If a coin is not supposed to have a hole in it,
0:37:37 > 0:37:39and it has a hole in it,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42it's not worth anything as a coin, so remember that.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44A lot of coins have been turned into jewellery
0:37:44 > 0:37:48and they've been drilled or they have jewellery mounts still on them.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50If you see any blemishes like that,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53a coin collector would no longer be interested in it,
0:37:53 > 0:37:55and it's worth then it's scrap value.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Inevitably, very rare coins are highly sought after
0:38:00 > 0:38:02and can fetch staggering sums.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08This Queen Anne, period Vigo, five guinea coin from 1703
0:38:08 > 0:38:13sold for £240,000 in 2012.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17As with any collecting, it always pays to do your research.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19If you're collecting coins, go immediately
0:38:19 > 0:38:23and get yourself very good guides to coins. You're lost without it.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25Then you know what you're looking at.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Then get familiar with condition.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31You're only going to know that if you go to specialists
0:38:31 > 0:38:35and handle coins in that condition and become familiar with it.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39Once you've done that, there are enough price guides and general
0:38:39 > 0:38:42reference works for you to work out a framework and collect from there.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Coins are collectable for many reasons.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48They're a window into history,
0:38:48 > 0:38:53they have intrinsic gold value, and they're terribly rare.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56But you might be surprised to hear that one of the most collectable
0:38:56 > 0:38:58coins on the market seems at first glance
0:38:58 > 0:39:00to be one of the most ordinary...
0:39:00 > 0:39:02the humble penny.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06In 1933, the Royal Mint only struck a tiny number of pennies,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09as there were already enough in circulation.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Exactly how many were produced has become
0:39:12 > 0:39:15a subject of speculation amongst collectors.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20One man who should know is Kevin Clancy, Royal Mint curator.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22The truth of it is we don't know how many were made.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25People might tell you they do know, but the truth is there isn't
0:39:25 > 0:39:29a record that says six, seven, eight or however many were made.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Almost certainly less than ten,
0:39:32 > 0:39:37and they've sold for in excess of £25,000 in recent times.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41It's the story behind this that people are attracted by.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45Don't be fooled, there were plenty of forgeries, but you never know.
0:39:47 > 0:39:48If you're doing some renovation
0:39:48 > 0:39:50and see something shiny in the rubble,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53you might just have turned up your own lucky penny.
0:39:58 > 0:39:59Now, it doesn't always follow that
0:39:59 > 0:40:03if an item has been made of precious metal or adorned with gems
0:40:03 > 0:40:07that it's going to increase in value, but in most cases, it does.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Take this exquisite example of Huguenot craftsmanship,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13made in 1710.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18Reputedly, it's the world's largest solid silver wine cooler
0:40:18 > 0:40:22and it weighs a staggering 3,000 ounces.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25If this same wine cooler had been made
0:40:25 > 0:40:30using the finest Cuban mahogany of the day, richly carved and adorned
0:40:30 > 0:40:35like this has been, it would set you back around £20,000 to £30,000.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39This one? Well, you can definitely add another couple of noughts.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42So, when does that extra sparkle make all the difference?
0:40:47 > 0:40:49When buying precious metal object in silver or gold,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53name and craftsmanship are absolutely crucial alongside
0:40:53 > 0:40:56condition and markings etc.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01I would always advise people to be guided by the individual quality
0:41:01 > 0:41:05of an object, and if you just buy on names, you could come a cropper.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10The name can be the value, really, but not all pieces are named.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14So, if it's an unnamed piece, go for quality of craftsmanship.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18A good finish, good materials, and you can't really go wrong.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Anything fashioned from gold and silver has that extra little
0:41:21 > 0:41:24je ne sais quoi that our experts love,
0:41:24 > 0:41:28and Adam Partridge knew exactly what he had in front of him.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30They were really smart.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Enamelled with birds, in lovely condition, by a great maker.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34They ticked all the commercial boxes.
0:41:36 > 0:41:37Aren't they wonderful?
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Silver and enamel menu holders,
0:41:39 > 0:41:44obviously for the dinning table, in sets of eight and upwards.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47These were produced by a company called Sampson Mordan & Co,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49which is quite a famous company,
0:41:49 > 0:41:55particularly well known for inventing the propelling pencil.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58Sampson Mordan is one of the major names in small silver, I would say.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02They were prolific manufactures, but always very high quality
0:42:02 > 0:42:07and small items. Desktop items, ink wells, the list is endless.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11They assayed items in London, Birmingham, and these ones,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13more of interest to me, as I'm in the north-west,
0:42:13 > 0:42:14were assayed in Chester...
0:42:14 > 0:42:17which is slightly rarer, slightly more interesting,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20than the ones that were in Birmingham or London.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24We can put an estimate of £100 to £150, but I wouldn't be surprised
0:42:24 > 0:42:29if they made more like £200 to £250 once the bidding had happened.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34Two silver menu holders, with a value of £100-150.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39Adam, I like these. Assay marked in Chester, very good quality.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42- Sampson Mordan. Good name. - I like them a lot.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45It gets exciting now. Here we go.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47'Where they going to fly at auction?'
0:42:47 > 0:42:50We've got 520 here. 550, 580...
0:42:50 > 0:42:53- 600, 620...- I can't believe this.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57- 650, 680...- Still going.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59700, 720?
0:42:59 > 0:43:03£700. There's the bid on that telephone at £700.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06At £700 and done, thank you.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08- Bosh!- Excellent, thank you.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10What do you think? A big smile there.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14Small silver is extremely desirable,
0:43:14 > 0:43:18so I was a bit conservative with my estimate on those ones.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Oh, well, Adam, at least you were right
0:43:20 > 0:43:22about the collectability of Sampson Mordan.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26Their charm and quality always attract the buyers.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Why not see if you can find any of their propelling pencils,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32enamelled vesta cases or pin cushions?
0:43:32 > 0:43:35Small items with glittering prices.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38We often come across this question on "Flog it!" -
0:43:38 > 0:43:41to scrap or not to scrap our precious objects
0:43:41 > 0:43:44made of gold or silver?
0:43:44 > 0:43:46And the team is divided on the matter.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Scrapping is a real bugbear of mine
0:43:50 > 0:43:52and it's not a big question for me at all.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56I can't stand it that things get scrapped.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59If something is horrible, it's thin and tinny,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02and has no artistic merit whatsoever,
0:44:02 > 0:44:04but it's worth £300 if you melt it down,
0:44:04 > 0:44:07melt it down and hopefully an artisan silversmith
0:44:07 > 0:44:10will get hold of that and make something beautiful.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13If you've got a lovely piece, though, beautifully made,
0:44:13 > 0:44:15don't scrap it, because it'll probably be a one-off
0:44:15 > 0:44:17and there won't be another one around,
0:44:17 > 0:44:20so think carefully before you put everything in a melting pot.
0:44:20 > 0:44:21When we scrap gold or silver,
0:44:21 > 0:44:24we're aiming to maximise price by weight,
0:44:24 > 0:44:27but when Michael Baggott came across a silver teapot,
0:44:27 > 0:44:31it wasn't so much the weight that appealed, as what it told him.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33It's a super thing,
0:44:33 > 0:44:36and anybody that knows anything about silver will be looking at that
0:44:36 > 0:44:41and saying, "Oh, that's a beautiful London teapot of about 1830." But...
0:44:41 > 0:44:44Oh! The first hint that something's up
0:44:44 > 0:44:46is the fact that I'm having difficult lifting it.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48Lifting it, yes.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Weight, when you're looking at silver, is a very good indicator,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54not in itself, but taken as a whole, as to quality.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58Obviously, the heavier something is, the more expensive it is to make,
0:44:58 > 0:45:00so obviously there might be more
0:45:00 > 0:45:02skill required in the manufacture of it.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06- Actually, the second thing is this handle.- Oh, really?
0:45:06 > 0:45:09- Because it's horn.- Oh, right.
0:45:09 > 0:45:14English handles are silver with ivory insulators or they're wood,
0:45:14 > 0:45:16so we're not in England anymore.
0:45:16 > 0:45:21Turn it over, and, great, that's what we want to see.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25We've got H&C in a rectangular punch,
0:45:25 > 0:45:30then we've got an elephant, which is signs of things not English,
0:45:30 > 0:45:32and a little A.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36These are the marks that were used by Hamilton and Company,
0:45:36 > 0:45:39who were probably the leading silversmiths in Calcutta,
0:45:39 > 0:45:42and things were worked to a very heavy gauge.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45So whenever you see something which is very elaborate like this
0:45:45 > 0:45:49and it weighs a tonne, those are the warning bells that it's going
0:45:49 > 0:45:52to be a piece of colonial silver.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55It's still not, frustratingly, as valuable as if it were English,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58despite the fact it's much rarer.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00Rarity doesn't always mean value,
0:46:00 > 0:46:04because it can mean that there are less collectors,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07and if there are less collectors for something, it won't make as high a price at auction.
0:46:07 > 0:46:14At auction, it's going to be in the region of about £350 to £550.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17- OK.- That's the sort of bracket and see how it goes.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21A piece like this is about so much more than its weight.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24It evokes an important part of British history.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26But would the bidders agree?
0:46:26 > 0:46:30I'm going to start the bidding at 600. Is there 20 in the room?
0:46:30 > 0:46:35- At £600, it's selling.- Good grief. - Is there 20? At £600. Any more?
0:46:35 > 0:46:42At £600. Commission bid. Are you all done? That's £600, last time.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45Yes, the hammer's gone down. £600.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49Strangely, at the time we sold it, it was less valuable
0:46:49 > 0:46:51than an English teapot,
0:46:51 > 0:46:54because Indian colonial silver was in a slump.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58That's now not the case and colonial silver is sought after,
0:46:58 > 0:47:00so were it to be offered again today,
0:47:00 > 0:47:02it would probably make slightly more.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04But that's just how the markets go.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Sophia's solid silver teapot may have conjured up
0:47:07 > 0:47:12the days of the Raj, but Anita found two starry items which oozed
0:47:12 > 0:47:16the style of another bygone era, and were truly out of this world.
0:47:17 > 0:47:22These wonderful compacts from the 1950s were absolutely marvellous.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25When little Katie put them on the table, I thought,
0:47:25 > 0:47:28"I've never seen these before!"
0:47:28 > 0:47:30- Do they belong to you? - Yeah, they do.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33- Do you play with them?- No.- No?
0:47:33 > 0:47:36Compacts you usually keep in your handbag to powder your nose
0:47:36 > 0:47:41when you're out. These are like dressing table examples of them.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43If we open it up, it's very interesting.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46It's called The Flying Saucer.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49It is a lot of fun. I like it.
0:47:49 > 0:47:55This other one, again a dressing table example,
0:47:55 > 0:47:59and this one is called Pygmalion, Made in England.
0:47:59 > 0:48:04The inventiveness and the reflection of what was happening at the time
0:48:04 > 0:48:07was shown in these little compacts
0:48:07 > 0:48:10and I think they were really just the best fun in the world
0:48:10 > 0:48:14and a perfect example of 1950s bags of style.
0:48:14 > 0:48:15I think we'll estimate them
0:48:15 > 0:48:20at maybe £50-60 with a reserve of maybe 45
0:48:20 > 0:48:23but hope that we've got those hip kids
0:48:23 > 0:48:26that are out for that type of item.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30I can start the bidding straightaway at £120.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32- SHE GASPS - Wow!
0:48:32 > 0:48:35180. 180 on commission.
0:48:35 > 0:48:36200.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38On the phone at 200. 220.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41THEY GASP
0:48:41 > 0:48:45No? At £240, these very rare compacts.
0:48:45 > 0:48:46Selling now.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50- Wow!- What did you think about that?- Amazing!
0:48:50 > 0:48:53What mattered was the style
0:48:53 > 0:48:58and the period. That's what made these items interesting,
0:48:58 > 0:49:00not the components
0:49:00 > 0:49:02that made the item.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07The sparkly nature of those compacts was only part of their appeal.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09Their space-age kitsch was a real bonus.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13Appealing to people's nostalgia can prove profitable.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19Sometimes, though, all that glisters is indeed gold,
0:49:19 > 0:49:22or in this case, a very special piece of silver.
0:49:23 > 0:49:28There is absolutely no doubt that this is the highlight of my day.
0:49:28 > 0:49:30- Do you know what you've got here? - No, not really.
0:49:30 > 0:49:34- I had a quick look last night on the internet.- What name did you find?
0:49:34 > 0:49:36- Omar Ramsden.- Yeah. - Never heard of him.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38You'd never heard of him? What's it made of?
0:49:38 > 0:49:40- Silver.- It is indeed.
0:49:40 > 0:49:41Very, very typical piece.
0:49:41 > 0:49:46You could see this was Omar Ramsden from the other end of Ely Cathedral.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49Omar Ramsden was born in 1873, died in 1939,
0:49:49 > 0:49:55and was one of the great 20th-century silversmiths
0:49:55 > 0:49:56in this country.
0:49:56 > 0:50:02Quality, quality, quality, but also he did his own enamelling.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06A lot of silversmiths would send their work off to an enameller
0:50:06 > 0:50:07to have that work done.
0:50:07 > 0:50:12He did his own enamelling so that he did the whole object.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14And it's hugely collectible.
0:50:14 > 0:50:18I'm going to turn it over, just so we get all the info here.
0:50:18 > 0:50:24The monarch, there we are, George V, and the date letter, 1935,
0:50:24 > 0:50:28and it's even got Omar Ramsden and the OR mark on it.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32Frankly, it couldn't be better. What's it worth, Jack?
0:50:32 > 0:50:35- I don't know, 500, maybe? - £500, you think?
0:50:35 > 0:50:37Jack was a very bright boy, IS a bright boy,
0:50:37 > 0:50:40but I can't believe he looked at a bit of Omar Ramsden and said,
0:50:40 > 0:50:42"I think this is worth £500," not at his age.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47Well, he's got a huge future ahead of him if it was his own valuation.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50This is worth over £1,000.
0:50:50 > 0:50:51What?!
0:50:51 > 0:50:53Oh, that was a funny noise, Jack!
0:50:53 > 0:50:57This is worth, in my opinion, certainly £1,000-1,500.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59Wow.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03Wow, indeed, and at auction the shocks kept coming.
0:51:03 > 0:51:051,100, 1,200, 1,300,
0:51:05 > 0:51:071,400, 1,500,
0:51:07 > 0:51:101,600, 1,700,
0:51:10 > 0:51:11at 1,700,
0:51:11 > 0:51:13at 1,700,
0:51:13 > 0:51:151,800, 1,900.
0:51:16 > 0:51:20- We've done it.- 2,000, 2,100,
0:51:20 > 0:51:222,200, 2,300, you're both out down here.
0:51:22 > 0:51:242,300. 2,400?
0:51:24 > 0:51:27- 2,400 this side. - This is great, Jane.
0:51:27 > 0:51:282,500.
0:51:30 > 0:51:332,600. At 2,600, look at the action pose.
0:51:33 > 0:51:342,600. 2,700.
0:51:34 > 0:51:372,600 there. Where are the other two phones now?
0:51:37 > 0:51:40I sell on the phone with the bid.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42At £2,600, are you sure you're done?
0:51:43 > 0:51:45- Yes!- The hammer's gone down.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48£2,600!
0:51:48 > 0:51:51OK, Jack, do you know where all the money's going?
0:51:51 > 0:51:54- Er... - Has Mum and Dad decided?- To my bank.
0:51:55 > 0:51:56The Jack Bank!
0:51:58 > 0:52:00A good, full price,
0:52:00 > 0:52:02but it was the quality.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05Everybody knows that if you buy the best
0:52:05 > 0:52:07and you buy a bit of Omar Ramsden,
0:52:07 > 0:52:10the fact that it's 2,600 on that day -
0:52:10 > 0:52:14it comes up in another five years' time, it'll be 3,600.
0:52:14 > 0:52:15It's not going to go down.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17There's no more of it being made
0:52:17 > 0:52:20and that was a perfect hallmark,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23no chipping to the enamelling. The whole thing was perfect.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28If you can't stretch to gold or silver, take my advice -
0:52:28 > 0:52:30go out and buy some pewter.
0:52:30 > 0:52:31That would be my number one choice.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33Start off with the small plates,
0:52:33 > 0:52:3618th-century ones, with a stamp on it, the maker's initial,
0:52:36 > 0:52:37known as a touch mark.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40They start at around £30-60 in auction.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43Work your way up to the larger plates, the chargers.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46Hopefully, get one with a broad rim, late 17th-century,
0:52:46 > 0:52:48again, with a bit of punch detail,
0:52:48 > 0:52:52a stamp mark on it and a little bit of wriggle work, as it's known,
0:52:52 > 0:52:56decoration in the style of William and Mary or King Charles II.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59Now, they're affordable as well.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02They start at around £100-200 in pretty average condition,
0:53:02 > 0:53:04so there you are, get out there and get buying.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06It's great way to get into precious metal.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11If you're interested in something shiny
0:53:11 > 0:53:14that's a cut above the rest, there's a lot to think about.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16Bear in mind changing fashions.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18Objects go in and out of vogue,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21so think about whether it shines out above the crowd now
0:53:21 > 0:53:25or whether it makes sense to hang onto it for the future.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28On trend right now are British colonial objects
0:53:28 > 0:53:31and seek out home-grown, retro, quirky items
0:53:31 > 0:53:33which have a new-found appeal.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36A good name can help increase the value.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39But named or not, remember the mantra -
0:53:39 > 0:53:42quality and craftsmanship
0:53:42 > 0:53:45and if you can tick those boxes, you'll have a piece
0:53:45 > 0:53:49that should endure the changing fluctuations in fashion.
0:53:49 > 0:53:53And there's a simple trick to test whether all that glisters is gold...
0:53:54 > 0:53:56..use a magnet.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58Iron or nickel will jump to a magnet,
0:53:58 > 0:54:01while gold and silver won't be drawn towards it at all.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06And finally, take a leaf out of Katie and Jack's book.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09Encourage children's early interest in collecting
0:54:09 > 0:54:10and you never know -
0:54:10 > 0:54:14you could be looking at the antique collectors of the future.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16- Yes!- The hammer's gone down.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23"Flog It!" expert Anita Manning has eyes like a magpie
0:54:23 > 0:54:25when it comes to spotting sparkly, shiny things
0:54:25 > 0:54:29and it was just like her to zoom in on something rather special
0:54:29 > 0:54:33Marion brought along to a valuation day in Cheshire back in 2012.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42These are divine. Tell me about them.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46I got these about ten years ago on the internet, £50,
0:54:46 > 0:54:48including postage and packing.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50When they arrived, they were a bit black,
0:54:50 > 0:54:51but when I took a closer look at them,
0:54:51 > 0:54:55I realised that they were absolutely exquisite.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58I loved my day at "Flog It!" Tatton Park.
0:54:58 > 0:55:05Anita Manning was lovely to me, very friendly, she loved my hat pins,
0:55:05 > 0:55:08and she's very interested in jewellery
0:55:08 > 0:55:11and items like that anyway, so it was just great.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15Let's look at the actual items.
0:55:15 > 0:55:20We have a little diamond set in silver or a white metal.
0:55:20 > 0:55:25I'm not sure yet whether it's a white gold or a silver.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27Dating, I would say, the late 1800s
0:55:27 > 0:55:32and it would be one of these wonderful, big Belle Epoque hats
0:55:32 > 0:55:34that you would wear.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37Now, value - you've paid £50 for them.
0:55:37 > 0:55:43- Well, somebody a while back offered me £650.- In your hand?
0:55:43 > 0:55:45In my hand, yes, cash.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47But I actually declined it.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50If you're wanting your 650 in your hand,
0:55:50 > 0:55:53you're probably having to consider going with
0:55:53 > 0:55:57a reserve of near enough £750.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01- Well, I'd be happy for that. - Shall we give it a go?- Let's...
0:56:01 > 0:56:03Let's give it a go!
0:56:06 > 0:56:08And she wasn't disappointed.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10740. In the room at 740.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13At 740, selling them. At £740.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18£740!
0:56:18 > 0:56:19Which was brilliant,
0:56:19 > 0:56:23cos that money went towards my 50th birthday party,
0:56:23 > 0:56:25which was coming up later that year
0:56:25 > 0:56:27and I had a great time.
0:56:27 > 0:56:32I had friends and family, great food, a dance and we all had a great time.
0:56:33 > 0:56:37Apart from enjoying a party, Marion is a real second-hand rose.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40Those hat pins were part of a covetable collection
0:56:40 > 0:56:43of vintage clothing and jewellery she's put together
0:56:43 > 0:56:45over several decades.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48I've been very lucky over the years of collecting
0:56:48 > 0:56:51to acquire some very special pieces
0:56:51 > 0:56:55that give a glimpse into our social history, really.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59A 94-year-old lady sold these to me on the internet.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01The beautiful embroidery on here,
0:57:01 > 0:57:04it's so delicate you'd hardly think it was done by hand,
0:57:04 > 0:57:08she did as the bombs were falling overhead in Portsmouth.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12And she was willing to share her tips on collecting with us.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18I'd recommend for anybody, if they were interested
0:57:18 > 0:57:22in getting into acquiring items of vintage clothing,
0:57:22 > 0:57:25to go along, if they can, to a vintage clothing store -
0:57:25 > 0:57:28they're up and down the country - or vintage fairs,
0:57:28 > 0:57:32where they actually get the chance to try things on,
0:57:32 > 0:57:35see how they fit, see what suits them,
0:57:35 > 0:57:40and then you can progress to looking at things online,
0:57:40 > 0:57:43but be very careful about measurements,
0:57:43 > 0:57:47because vintage clothing can be very different to modern sizing,
0:57:47 > 0:57:50so if the measurements aren't given on the description, ask.
0:57:52 > 0:57:56So if you're interested in starting out collecting vintage,
0:57:56 > 0:58:00the place to start is to really think about your shape, your style,
0:58:00 > 0:58:01what do you think would suit you,
0:58:01 > 0:58:05because there's different shapes to different eras.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08Also, you might be interested in a particular era
0:58:08 > 0:58:11because of the music or the dance of that era.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21Now, I hope we've inspired you today to go out there, get buying,
0:58:21 > 0:58:23start a collection and, remember,
0:58:23 > 0:58:26always trade upwards and look for quality
0:58:26 > 0:58:29and enjoy yourself. Join us next time for more trade secrets.