0:00:06 > 0:00:09You've been coming to our Flog It! valuation days
0:00:09 > 0:00:12for well over a decade now, and you haven't disappointed.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15And with around 950 shows under our belt
0:00:15 > 0:00:19and thousands of your antiques and collectibles valued,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22you've certainly put our experts through their paces.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23What's in there, then?
0:00:23 > 0:00:26I brought it along for someone to tell ME what it was.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29I have seen these in books before, but never in real life.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31- Commission bid is £500.- What?!
0:00:31 > 0:00:32HE GASPS
0:00:32 > 0:00:35And now, we want to share some of the knowledge we've
0:00:35 > 0:00:37learned from the items you've shown us.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Welcome to Trade Secrets.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09There are all sorts of ways in which the novice antique
0:01:09 > 0:01:12buyer can be tripped up. Knowing when to spot something
0:01:12 > 0:01:15that's been restored or when it's a fake is a vital tool.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18So in today's show, we're going to be looking at
0:01:18 > 0:01:22when restoration is a good idea and how not to be taken in by the fakes.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27We'll be looking at collectibles that cause controversy.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Fake or real? That's the question for Anita.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36I just got a feeling that it wasn't right.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41You could turn a £60 replica into a £600 antique.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45We find out how to avoid being taken in.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49If you spend £120 on something like this, you've lost your money.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52And we see when reproductions can still be the real deal.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56£550.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57Thanks, Mum!
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- Aw!- You didn't think it was worth that, did you?
0:02:04 > 0:02:07They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and that's certainly the case of makers of all fine things.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12They attract copycats.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14But when is a copy a fake, made to deceive,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17and when is it an homage to a master of their art?
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Very often, you can use the word reproduction,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28or you can use the word fake. The fake is an intention to deceive
0:02:28 > 0:02:31someone into thinking that it IS original.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36If something is particularly rare, it could well be a fake.
0:02:36 > 0:02:42If something is in wonderful condition, it could be a fake.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Caution, I think, is important. Don't act with your heart
0:02:45 > 0:02:48if you're going to regret it with your head later, particularly
0:02:48 > 0:02:51if it's involving laying out quite a lot of money initially.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56It's exciting when a reproduction or fake crosses our tables.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59It adds intrigue, sparks debate and, let's face it -
0:02:59 > 0:03:02our experts love a bit of detective work.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06And these skills can be very useful
0:03:06 > 0:03:09when it comes to antique wood furniture.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14You can often find recent pieces purporting to be much older.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18I've seen many and Philip Serrell came across a perfect
0:03:18 > 0:03:20example in 2005.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25In my eyes, the joint stool was a reproduction
0:03:25 > 0:03:29because it was intended to be a copy of the original.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- Where did this come from?- It came from my mother-in-law's house.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35We were quite surprised to find there because she wasn't
0:03:35 > 0:03:38the kind of lady who liked anything that looked old.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40How old do you think this is?
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Well, that's what I was dubious about because it looks...
0:03:43 > 0:03:47- How old do you think it should be? - I think it should be 1600-something.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- So this is a 17th-century stool, yeah?- Yeah.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53What type of stool do we call it?
0:03:53 > 0:03:57- A joint stool?- A joint stool. And what's it made of?- Oak?- Oak.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Do you want to stand here and have my job?
0:04:01 > 0:04:04If this has been around for the thick end of 300 years,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07wouldn't there be some wear here? More wear?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10'You can't fake age.'
0:04:10 > 0:04:13You don't get to look like this if you're only 20.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18And if you look at a stool that's perhaps only 100 years old,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22you can see that it's not 200 or 300 years old
0:04:22 > 0:04:24because it hasn't been around for long enough.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27People would've sat on this and perhaps put feet on here.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30There'd be more wear here.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35Can you just see that this dark pattern here,
0:04:35 > 0:04:39it almost suddenly stops there, like it's been painted on.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43- Yeah.- So this is oak, it's almost a joint stool,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47- but I think it's 19th-century, rather than 17th-century.- Right.
0:04:47 > 0:04:53In terms of value, if this was 17th century, I think it would
0:04:53 > 0:04:55have been £600-900.
0:04:55 > 0:05:01- So I'm afraid we're going to have to take a nought off.- Oh, well.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05I think we need to put £60-90 and we'll reserve it for you at £50.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07That will ensure that it will sell.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11- And I actually think that represents cracking value for money.- Yeah.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- So let's keep our fingers crossed. - OK.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17So, Philip confirmed Helen's suspicions,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21but did the bidders agree with our expert's estimate?
0:05:22 > 0:05:2540, I have. 45 with me. And 50, sir.
0:05:25 > 0:05:2750. I'll go five and 60 is with you.
0:05:27 > 0:05:3160 and it's there. At £60. Five anywhere else?
0:05:31 > 0:05:33We all done at £60?
0:05:33 > 0:05:37- BANGS GAVEL - Yeah, hammer's gone down. 60 quid. Spot-on.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42Ooh! That was touch and go for a second, starting at 30 quid.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Philip was right on the mark.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48If you're going to go and buy from a dealer or an auction room
0:05:48 > 0:05:49a piece of 17th-century furniture,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52first thing you should do is make sure that the receipt
0:05:52 > 0:05:54that you get says 17th century,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58not 17th-century style, or 17th-century manner,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00but it says 17th century.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04And if your catalogue description or the label in the shop doesn't
0:06:04 > 0:06:08say "this is 17th century", circa 16-whatever, take a step back.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11And don't be afraid to ask.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Because if you don't, you could come unstuck.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19A report that was published in September 2013 alleges that
0:06:19 > 0:06:23a significant amount of antiques that are bought in the UK are fakes.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28Whether that's true or not, it does pay to be on your guard.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31If you're thinking of splashing out some cash on some antiques,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34make sure what you're buying is authentic.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38If the price is too good to be true, it usually is.
0:06:39 > 0:06:45A fascinating period in history is the settling of the American West.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50And inextricably linked with that is the Colt 45 revolver.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55The primary US military sign-on until 1892.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59It's known as the gun that won the West.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03At a valuation day in Glasgow, James Lewis was sure
0:07:03 > 0:07:06he was looking at two famous pieces of Americana.
0:07:09 > 0:07:15The Colt revolver is the archetypal symbol of the American West.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19What are they doing here in the centre of Glasgow?
0:07:19 > 0:07:24Well, I used to collect them many years ago, about 20 years ago,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28but I just decided I've got too many now and want to get rid of some.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32I love the Wild West and I love Wild Bill Hickok and Wyatt Earp
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and all that, so for me, there was an interesting history there.
0:07:35 > 0:07:41This one is the Colt Army pattern, this one, the Colt Navy pattern.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Both of them 1850s, 1870s or so in date.
0:07:45 > 0:07:51Classic six-shot cylinder and both of them have ivory slab-sided grips.
0:07:51 > 0:07:57And here, the wonderful verse - "Be not afraid of any man,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59"No matter what his size,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01"Call on me in your need
0:08:01 > 0:08:04"And I will equalise."
0:08:04 > 0:08:09The verse that was on that handle is one that is very, very famous.
0:08:09 > 0:08:16The Equaliser for the Colt was the one that made them almost iconic.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19The wonderful early colour on this one
0:08:19 > 0:08:23indicates it's never been changed. On this one...
0:08:24 > 0:08:26..I don't know.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28'When it came to those two pieces,'
0:08:28 > 0:08:33the ivory isn't actually the biggest telltale sign because, especially
0:08:33 > 0:08:38with a weapon, you can damage the grips and they can be replaced.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43So the fact that they were paler colour
0:08:43 > 0:08:46just indicated that they could have been replaced.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49But, again, they could quite simply have been put away.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Values? Do you have anything in mind?
0:08:51 > 0:08:53- Obviously, you know a lot about them.- Um...
0:08:53 > 0:08:57- I know what they cost me. - That's a good starting place.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- What did they cost?- So, well...
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- I think this one was about 600-something.- OK.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- This one, I think, was about 400-something.- Yeah.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08- Are you happy to put a 600 and a 400 reserve on them?- Yes.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12And put 4-5 on that. And 6-8 on that. Gives us a fighting chance.
0:09:12 > 0:09:13Right.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18But an Anita Manning's saleroom, research suggested
0:09:18 > 0:09:22there might be more to one of the guns than first appeared.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25When these two guns came in to auction,
0:09:25 > 0:09:32we look at them very carefully. The first one, everything seemed fine.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34When I looked at the second one...
0:09:36 > 0:09:39..I just got a feeling that it wasn't right.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41The handle was too fresh.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45The surface of the barrel just wasn't consistent with it
0:09:45 > 0:09:51being 150 years old. Guns can be a difficult area.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56You have firearms laws which you must comply with.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01So, we looked at that gun more carefully.
0:10:01 > 0:10:07- In the 1960s, they started making replicas in Italy.- Right, OK.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Now, these weren't made to be fakes.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12They were meant to be replicas of the item.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17But the marks, the Italian serial marks could quite easily
0:10:17 > 0:10:22- be taken off...- And then re-stamped. - ..and fake marks put on.
0:10:22 > 0:10:28So you could turn a £60 replica into a £600 antique.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30'So, to be on the safe side,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33'the second gun was withdrawn from the sale.'
0:10:33 > 0:10:39I'm still not 100% sure that it was as wrong as it was said.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43But with guns, you have to be so careful.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48And I agree 100% with what Anita did by withdrawing it
0:10:48 > 0:10:53because if you have an element of doubt, then you must withdraw it.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58We have one in the sale. We're looking at £400-500.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- Are you happy with that? - Yes, reasonably happy.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- Hopefully, we'll get the top end. - Good.- That's what we want.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Here we go.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- Start at...£300.- Oh, I thought it was going to be more.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11300 with me. 320.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13350.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15380.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17400.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21420. 450.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22480.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24500.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30The bid's with me. The bid's on the books at £500.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34520, fresh bidder. 550 on the books.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38580. I'm out.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43It's on the floor. At £580.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Could've belonged to Wild Bill Hickok!
0:11:46 > 0:11:50LAUGHTER
0:11:50 > 0:11:51Or Jesse James!
0:11:51 > 0:11:55580. Any advance on 580?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58All done at 580. 580.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02- Sold. £580. We're happy. You're happy, aren't you?- Yes, of course.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03Smiles all round.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09Do you know, I sell about 2,000 lots a week.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Between us, we try and get most things right.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18But have we ever been fooled by a fake? Yeah, of course.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22It happens to the best of us, James!
0:12:23 > 0:12:26High-value items are often copied.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31Most copies aren't done to deceive but to fill a legitimate market.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36And these turn up at our valuation days in all shapes and sizes,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38as Mark Stacey discovered.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42It was my first Flog It! I had no idea what to expect.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47But I wasn't expecting such a large clock coming in, with its pedestal.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51It was a reproduction, but it had high visual appeal.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55This is a very decorative clock and pedestal you've brought in with you.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00- How did you come by this?- We bought it from a shop.- When was that?
0:13:00 > 0:13:05- About 42-3 years ago.- You know, of course, it's a reproduction.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10It's modelled in the style of Louis XVI, French, 18th century.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13But probably made around the time you bought it.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17'Probably one of the biggest reproduced areas is'
0:13:17 > 0:13:23Louis XV, XVI, even XIV, because they're very, very opulent pieces.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27And the originals cost many hundreds of thousands.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31So the style has been reproduced through generations.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Even though it's a reproduction, we still have to look at the fact
0:13:34 > 0:13:39that the item is very decadent and should sell quite well at auction.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- Oh, good.- And do you like French-type furniture?- Oh, yes!
0:13:42 > 0:13:45- You like the rather flouncy nature of it?- That's right, yes.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48- Cos it is rather flouncy, this, isn't it?- Yes.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53The original style of this, we refer to now as rococo. Typically French.
0:13:53 > 0:13:59Over the top. There's shells, there's scrolls, leaf scrollage,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01and probably would've been in tortoise shell.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06- Why are you thinking of selling it now?- We've moved to a smaller place.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10We had it in the hall and it tends to keep you awake,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- so we switched the chimes off. - We shouldn't really do this,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16but wind it on a bit till two and we can have a quick listen.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19CLOCK CHIMES
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Well, a very pretty chime there.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24I've got a clock at home that keeps chiming
0:14:24 > 0:14:27and I turn the wretched thing off cos it wakes me up at night as well.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30But it's still a very decorative-looking clock.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33We'd be looking at an estimate of something like £400-600.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- Yes.- Is that something you'd be interested in doing?
0:14:36 > 0:14:40- Yes, I would, yes.- And hope it makes a striking success at the sale!
0:14:40 > 0:14:42If you're a modest collector
0:14:42 > 0:14:47and you can't afford £200,000 for a Louis XVI clock,
0:14:47 > 0:14:52to pick one up for £300-400, £500-600, is in your budget.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55And it was a very visual clock, very decorative.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57What shall we say to start me, ladies and gentlemen?
0:14:57 > 0:15:00I have two commissions. I start the bidding at £300.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03- What does that mean?- The bid's left. - Straight in.- Oh!
0:15:03 > 0:15:05At 350. Do you have 360?
0:15:05 > 0:15:07At £350 with me.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10That was so short and sweet, but it was over with very quickly.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Yeah, but it's good.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- It's gone.- It's sold. I'm quite pleased with that, actually.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18It's a difficult thing to sell, a reproduction. It's not
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- everybody's cup of tea.- No, no. - And we got it over the reserve,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25- which was nice as well. - That's right. I'm pleased.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29When we talk about something like the Louis XVI period,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32you are talking about manufacturers that were
0:15:32 > 0:15:37producing for the King of France, so the quality is outstanding.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40The reproductions obviously are not going to be like that.
0:15:40 > 0:15:41You can get good reproductions.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44But they will never be like the originals
0:15:44 > 0:15:47and you cannot fake 200 years of age.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Now, we've all heard of the violin maker Antonio Stradivari
0:15:53 > 0:15:56whose incredible craftsmanship in Cremona, Italy,
0:15:56 > 0:16:01in the 17th and 18th centuries, brought him wealth and fame.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Since then, hundreds of violin makers have striven to
0:16:05 > 0:16:07emulate his work.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Some more successfully than others.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Fortunately, Flog It!'s musical expert, Adam Partridge,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15knows the difference.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18- Well, it belonged to my mother. - Right.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22It was bought for her when she was about 11, 12 years old.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24OK. Did she play, then?
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- I'm not sure. I've never heard her play it.- Really?
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- So you've never heard this violin played?- No.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Now, I think this is...
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Well, we've got a label inside it, first of all,
0:16:35 > 0:16:41and the label reads Carlo Storioni, registered Cremonensis Faciet, about
0:16:41 > 0:16:461912, which basically means Carlo Storioni made this in Cremona,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49which is in Italy, of course, in 1912.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53And I'm not sure that's exactly the truth.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55I'm automatically suspicious any time
0:16:55 > 0:16:57I come across any violin with a label
0:16:57 > 0:17:00until I've had a good look at it and assessed whether I think it's
0:17:00 > 0:17:04actually by the label or not, cos there's so much jiggery-pokery
0:17:04 > 0:17:07going on in the violin trade over the centuries.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Storioni was a family of violin makers dating
0:17:10 > 0:17:14back from the 18th century and they were Cremonese violin makers
0:17:14 > 0:17:17and it's generally accepted that the Cremonese or Cremona-based
0:17:17 > 0:17:20violin makers... It's the home of violin making.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22And they were the best violins.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25So lots of violins pretend to be from Cremona.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29We've sold a few of these Storioni violins that have in fact
0:17:29 > 0:17:30been German.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34There was an eminent maker by the name of Lorenzo Storioni,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36who died in 1799.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39So I think what they're trying to imply with this
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Carlo Storioni that we had here was that perhaps
0:17:42 > 0:17:45he was some connection with the great master, one of the great
0:17:45 > 0:17:49makers of the 18th century, where in fact, there's no connection at all.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53They're almost good enough to be taken as Italian and sometimes
0:17:53 > 0:17:56people think they are Italian and they make quite a good price.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59But I think this is a German example.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03'If my name's Thomas Muller, something typically German,'
0:18:03 > 0:18:08it doesn't sound that glamorous, but if it says Carlo Storioni, you think
0:18:08 > 0:18:12your violin's made by one of the Italian masters, whereas in reality,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15it's just a really decent-quality German workshop violin.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19We've got the table here, the front, which is made from pine.
0:18:19 > 0:18:20Very good condition.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24No cracks, which of course is vital, cos that affects the sound quality.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29And on the back, we have a two-piece back, down the middle there,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31which is made from maple.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34The date we know because that's correct,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36the date of the label, there's nothing wrong with that.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Have you got any idea what an instrument like this might be worth?
0:18:40 > 0:18:46- None whatsoever.- None whatsoever? Not even a guess?- Not even a guess.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Normally, we'd expect this sort of violin to realise £200-400
0:18:50 > 0:18:51at auction.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55And a reserve of £200. So it doesn't go for less than that.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59I'm convinced it's worth that. And it'll find its value in the sale.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03- What do you think of that? - Well, it's beyond my expectations.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07- Is it beyond...? I thought you were disappointed for a minute.- No! No!
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Georgina was a lovely lady and she was visibly moved, I think,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15by the valuation and the hammer price, and that's a real joy.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18That's what makes the job worthwhile.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21120. 140. 160.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24180. 200.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27220.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28240.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31260.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34260. 280.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37300. 320.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Yeah, this is good.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41340. 360.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45380. 400.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49420. 450.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52480. 500.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54550.
0:19:54 > 0:20:00At 550, are we all done? On Tom's phone at £550.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Bang - yes! 550 quid.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07- Thanks, Mum!- Thanks, Mum!- You didn't think it was worth that, did you?
0:20:07 > 0:20:09No, I didn't think we'd get anywhere near that.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12A wonderful result for Georgina.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15So here are a few things to bear in mind.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18If the Wild West appeals,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21my first suggestion wouldn't be firearms.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Not only are there strict licensing laws,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28but the fakes on the market can be difficult to spot.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29And, as we've seen in the past,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33there are plenty other fascinating pieces of Americana to collect.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Reproductions are worth considering -
0:20:37 > 0:20:39they're a good way of owning something in the style
0:20:39 > 0:20:42of a piece that would normally be out of your price bracket.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46And if it's a well-made quality reproduction,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49it can still make a pretty penny at auction,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51as Georgina discovered.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58A clever forger or faker will always manage to convince someone
0:20:58 > 0:21:00that he's looking at the real McCoy.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05So we asked the "Flog It!" team for some sage words of advice
0:21:05 > 0:21:07on how to avoid being taken in.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13These two items are both Staffordshire flatback figures.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16They look fairly similar at first glance.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19One is real and one is a fake.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22But can you tell the which one?
0:21:23 > 0:21:25This one is the fake.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29It has actually been deliberately made to look old.
0:21:29 > 0:21:34If you look closely at this, you'll see it's crazed all over
0:21:34 > 0:21:38and that's done to make it look old,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41so it's got far more crazing than the original piece.
0:21:41 > 0:21:47This original one can be top hundreds, I would say,
0:21:47 > 0:21:54whereas this can be bought in the UK now for £10 or less.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Is this really a milk jug
0:21:57 > 0:22:00or might it have been something else?
0:22:00 > 0:22:05It is, in fact, a christening mug that has been converted.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10And it's been converted by the addition of this spout.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15What's particularly worrying is that the spout is not hallmarked,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18which means it's an illegal conversion
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and as an illegal conversion, we can't sell it.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25It's as simple as that. So it's valueless.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28If you spent £120 on something like this,
0:22:28 > 0:22:29you've lost your money.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32I think this is a lovely painting, actually,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35and it's signed LS Lowry, the signature looks good,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37the subject looks quite good, too.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41It's very much in his style, with thick layers of paint, etc.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46But I'm not convinced it's a genuine one, I'm afraid.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47One of the things with Lowry
0:22:47 > 0:22:50is you'll never really, fully know 100%,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52whether it's absolutely genuine
0:22:52 > 0:22:54unless you've got a cast-iron provenance
0:22:54 > 0:22:57linking it to Lowry himself.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02So, at the moment, it's "Style of LS Lowry", £500-£700,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05but if it was the real thing, and we could prove it,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08I'd have thought it would be £30,000-£50,000.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13This is, ostensibly, a little Georgian dessertspoon
0:23:13 > 0:23:15that dates to London 1790
0:23:15 > 0:23:17by the partnership of George Smith.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19And I bought it at an auction because I felt
0:23:19 > 0:23:23there was something just slightly...awry with the hallmark.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25When it came, I was delighted to find out
0:23:25 > 0:23:29that it's not actually a genuine Georgian spoon, but it's a fake.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31But it's not a modern fake.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35It was made by famous forgers at the late Victorian period
0:23:35 > 0:23:36Lyon and Twinam.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Consequently, this,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42as a Victorian forgery of a Georgian spoon,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45is actually rarer than the Georgian spoon itself.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48I wouldn't legally be able to sell this.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50I can own it, that's fine.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52But if I wanted to sell it,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54I'd have to submit it to the Goldsmith's Hall,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56to the Antique Plate Committee.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57They'd consider it,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02they'd come to the conclusion that it's an 1890s forgery
0:24:02 > 0:24:03and they'd erase the marks here
0:24:03 > 0:24:07and either offer me the value of the silver on the day
0:24:07 > 0:24:09or return it to me, hallmarked, with modern marks.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13The sad thing is then, of course, you've lost the history of it.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19100 years ago, Kilburn in North Yorkshire
0:24:19 > 0:24:23was home to a man whose work regular Flog It! viewers will recognise.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Thank you so much for coming in. You have made my day.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32It's a Robert "Mouseman" Thompson, little joint stool.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Original pieces by Robert Thompson, the Mouseman,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37can command huge prices in the saleroom.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41But perhaps less well-known is the work of his apprentices,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44the so-called Yorkshire Critters.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Flog It! expert Caroline Hawley
0:24:51 > 0:24:55had the pleasure of returning to her home county to find out more.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00The Yorkshire Critters are a bunch of craftsmen
0:25:00 > 0:25:03who make solid oak pieces of furniture
0:25:03 > 0:25:05all with their own individual critters on them.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09There's the Lizardman, the Rabbitman,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12the Gnomeman, the Wrenman, to name but a few.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15But they all hark back to the originator,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17which was Robert "Mouseman" Thompson,
0:25:17 > 0:25:18based in Kilburn.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21And I'm here today to see some of his furniture.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25I'm so thrilled to see it, as a Yorkshire lass, born and bred -
0:25:25 > 0:25:27there isn't a Yorkshireman worth his salt
0:25:27 > 0:25:29that hasn't heard of Mouseman.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Robert "Mouseman" Thompson was born in 1876
0:25:35 > 0:25:40and dedicated his life to the art of making English oak furniture.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Using traditional tools,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47he made furniture in the style of the 17th century.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50And it's his great-grandson, Ian Thompson-Cartwright,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54who's showing Caroline around today.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56This is where it all starts, with the raw material.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57Yes, it is.
0:25:57 > 0:26:03Those are our oak logs that have been purchased in the British Isles and...
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- You call that a log? - That is a log, yes.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08That particular one is about 300 years old.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12I'm going to take you to the workshop so we can see what happens next
0:26:12 > 0:26:15after we get our hands on the tree.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17- Thank you.- Come on.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29What we see here, Caroline,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32it's one of our Thompson traits, or Mouseman traits -
0:26:32 > 0:26:35it's the adzed surface on the tops of the tables.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39We create this with one of the oldest carpenters' tools in existence.
0:26:39 > 0:26:40It's called the adze.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43It's like an axe blade, but the blade is the other way on.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45What you get is a lot of undulations -
0:26:45 > 0:26:49it's almost like beaten copper or a honeycomb effect.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54After he's adzed it by hand, he'll then have to scrape it by hand
0:26:54 > 0:26:56and then, of course, it has to be sanded by hand.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58So very, very labour-intensive.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02How long would it take Dave to do a table this size?
0:27:02 > 0:27:05There would be about four hours in total, half a day,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07to adze and sand and scrape the top.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15So, Ian, how do you spot a genuine piece of Mouseman?
0:27:15 > 0:27:17- Are there signs that I can look for? - Yes, there are.
0:27:17 > 0:27:23We've been using certain designs for over 100 years.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25One of them is the octagonal leg -
0:27:25 > 0:27:29that shape has been used for literally over 100 years here.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32It was one of Great-Grandfather's early designs.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37It's timeless, really, isn't it? The methods you use and...
0:27:37 > 0:27:38It's very arts and craft.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59The most obvious way to tell any of our pieces of furniture
0:27:59 > 0:28:01is by the mouse trademark.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Great-Grandfather was working on a piece of furniture
0:28:03 > 0:28:05with a fellow craftsmen
0:28:05 > 0:28:09and the fellow craftsman happened to mention he thought they were both as poor as church mice.
0:28:09 > 0:28:10He thought how alike he was -
0:28:10 > 0:28:13the church mouse is working away with its chisel-like teeth
0:28:13 > 0:28:15and no-one knows what it's up to.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18And here was he, working away on the edge of the Hambleton hills,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21and really not making a song and dance about it.
0:28:21 > 0:28:22So, consequently,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25the mouse has appeared on every piece of furniture ever since then.
0:28:25 > 0:28:31Adam is actually creating a mouse on the inside of a fruit bowl, here,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34and he's busy carving the ear at the moment.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36I thought Caroline would maybe like to put
0:28:36 > 0:28:41the indentation into the earlobe, there.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45Really?! Once it's been taken out, you can't put it back in!
0:28:45 > 0:28:49Oh, gosh - something's coming off! Oh, no!
0:28:51 > 0:28:54- This one's going to have big ears! - Yes, very big ears!
0:28:55 > 0:28:58- We have an ear. - Oh, wow - thank you!- No problem.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01- Adam will show you how we put the tail in as well.- Sure.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04One of the beauties of Mouseman things, to me,
0:29:04 > 0:29:06is that every mouse is unique.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11It's the same as asking 25 people to sign a signature -
0:29:11 > 0:29:13everybody's is going to be slightly different.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15The same with a mouse -
0:29:15 > 0:29:18it's their own interpretation of a mouse.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22So we can tell who's carved what by the style and shape of the mouse.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Can you recognise your own mice, Adam, after you've done them?
0:29:25 > 0:29:27- Yeah, very easily.- Can you?
0:29:40 > 0:29:43As you can see, we've got a rather nice fireplace,
0:29:43 > 0:29:44which was Great-Grandfather's,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48but this particular mantelpiece he carved himself.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Interesting to note the mice on here,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54which have got front legs with raised heads - very early mice.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57These are from the early '20s, because they were streamlined -
0:29:57 > 0:29:59we lost the legs in the later '20s.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02So it's a good way of dating early pieces of furniture.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06And the patternation on this oak is just gorgeous.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Everybody that wants to come in wants to rub it.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11I've been thinking about the Yorkshire Critters,
0:30:11 > 0:30:15who actually imitate your great-grandfather's work -
0:30:15 > 0:30:18do you ever have people that deliberately, out-and-out,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21try and fake or imitate, copy?
0:30:21 > 0:30:22We have in the past.
0:30:22 > 0:30:28We had a case not too long ago where we had 250 cow stools
0:30:28 > 0:30:32that were made in China, brought back into the UK
0:30:32 > 0:30:34and then were distributed quite quickly
0:30:34 > 0:30:39and ended up being offered for sale on the internet
0:30:39 > 0:30:43- and through auction houses the length and breadth of the UK.- Gosh.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45We've got an example here that I'd like to show you -
0:30:45 > 0:30:47this is the genuine item.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51- Yeah.- This is a milking stool, our cow stool, with three legs.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54We never make a milking stool with a jointed top.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56- It's out of one solid piece.- Yes.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59- And obviously, the mouse is carved out of the sold as well.- Hm.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01But the ones that were coming in from China
0:31:01 > 0:31:04were made out of three and four pieces
0:31:04 > 0:31:06and the mice weren't carved by hand.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09They were actually carved on a CNC router.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12So without knowing what the original is like,
0:31:12 > 0:31:15seeing and handling the original,
0:31:15 > 0:31:19I'd presume the machine-made copy, at first glance,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22to an untrained eye, would have looked roughly all right.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Well, I mean, we're in a fortunate position,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26because we can verify our own work.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30People can always send images in to us here at Kilburn
0:31:30 > 0:31:34and we'll verify the authenticity of the piece.
0:31:34 > 0:31:40Ian, thank you so much for today. I have enjoyed myself enormously
0:31:40 > 0:31:44and I really have learned an awful lot about Mouseman.
0:31:44 > 0:31:45I could stop here all night.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51The prices are really fascinating -
0:31:51 > 0:31:54it's just dependant on what type of critter
0:31:54 > 0:31:56is on your piece of furniture.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00There was a Mouseman dresser that made 3,500,
0:32:00 > 0:32:05but a dresser in the very same style, almost identical,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08but with a rabbit on, made £1,400.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10That's a huge difference in price,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13but it all harks back to the originator,
0:32:13 > 0:32:15Robert "Mousey" Thompson -
0:32:15 > 0:32:16that is the one to look for
0:32:16 > 0:32:19if you want the best and the most expensive.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23But they're all fascinating - wonderful field to collect.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34Still to come, we see what happens when an antique has been restored.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37I've got a bit of bad news for you.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41And we find out how to become restoration savvy.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44The best way of learning the lesson
0:32:44 > 0:32:46is to buy a piece that you think is perfect
0:32:46 > 0:32:48and you subsequently discover it's restored,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50cos you'll never forget that one.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54And discover what the bidders make of a recently restored heirloom.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56You're on the phone, you're out...
0:32:56 > 0:32:57The hammer's gone down - yes!
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Your husband had a good eye, didn't he?
0:33:04 > 0:33:05At our valuation days,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08the restoration we see is usually so good,
0:33:08 > 0:33:09you can barely spot it.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15Back in 2010, I took a trip to the foothills of Snowdonia
0:33:15 > 0:33:20to find out about a monumental restoration job everybody can see
0:33:20 > 0:33:22at Gwydir Castle -
0:33:22 > 0:33:24one of the finest Tudor houses in Wales.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31A house like this just echoes of the past.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33The walls permeate history.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36You can't help yourself - you want to touch them and soak it all up.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38It was once a fortified house.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42The castle was the ancestral home of the powerful Wynn baronets,
0:33:42 > 0:33:44a significant family in North Wales
0:33:44 > 0:33:47throughout the Tudor and Stewart period.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Today, as you can see, the house has evolved over the centuries,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53but inside, it's full of character and charm and atmosphere -
0:33:53 > 0:33:56all the perfect ingredients for a fairy tale.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01This modern-day fairy tale started in 1994,
0:34:01 > 0:34:05when a young couple - Judy Corbett and Peter Welford -
0:34:05 > 0:34:06followed their dreams.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Throwing caution to the wind, they bought Gwydir
0:34:08 > 0:34:10with the money they raised
0:34:10 > 0:34:13from the sale of an inherited cottage and a bank loan.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15It was totally dilapidated at the time -
0:34:15 > 0:34:18a crumbling ruin with a wild, overgrown garden.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22With the help of the Welsh Historic Monuments Agency,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26they started what will probably end up being their lifetime's work -
0:34:26 > 0:34:28its restoration.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33I'm going inside to catch up with Judy to find out all about it.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37What was it like when you first came here?
0:34:37 > 0:34:41Um...it was pretty derelict, yeah - roofless in parts,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43horses and chickens living in here.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45- Really? In this particular room? - Yes.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Yes, it was really quite bad.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Obviously, no plumbing or wiring to speak of.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53I had a walk around the grounds before I came in
0:34:53 > 0:34:55and they're beautifully landscaped now.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Lots of formal plantings, lots of clipped yew and box -
0:34:58 > 0:34:59gradually, it's all coming back together.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05There's one particular tale I know you haven't mentioned yet
0:35:05 > 0:35:08and that's how you managed to do a bit of detective work
0:35:08 > 0:35:10on your dining room.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Yes. A neighbour turned up with a sale catalogue...
0:35:13 > 0:35:19- Of the contents of this castle. - The contents of the castle from 1921.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Basically, to cut a very long story short,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24it transpired that William Randolph Hearst,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27whom you'll know as Citizen Kane, in the famous film,
0:35:27 > 0:35:31had bought two rooms of the sale here in 1921.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34The rooms had been destined for San Simeon in California,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36the castle he was building for himself here.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39We started doing some detective work and, gradually,
0:35:39 > 0:35:43traced the room to the Metropolitan Museum in New York
0:35:43 > 0:35:45and that is where we found it.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47Was it on display, or was it just in storage?
0:35:47 > 0:35:51It was actually still in its packing crates from 1921.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- They'd never done anything with it? - Never done anything with it.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Were they pleased to sell it back to you?
0:35:56 > 0:35:59Well, it took us two years to negotiate with them.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01We went over to New York to see the room, in fact,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04and went to this extraordinary house in the Bronx.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06- This whole new world was opening up for you.- Yes.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09There, in the middle of it, was our panelled room,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12and they literally gave us a hammer and chisel, and said,
0:36:12 > 0:36:14"Go ahead and open the crates."
0:36:14 > 0:36:15And the most astonishing thing was,
0:36:15 > 0:36:19when we started opening the crates and saw this amazing room,
0:36:19 > 0:36:23it still smells of Gwydir, after all those years, 75 years.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Only you know what that smell is, really.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28It moved us enormously, just to have that piece of..
0:36:28 > 0:36:30- Did you have a tear in your eye? - I did, I'm afraid.
0:36:30 > 0:36:31Can I have a look, do you mind?
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Yes. Here is...
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Of course, all the furniture, all the contents were sold.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39- All the contents went. - Why was there a big house sale?
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Hard to say - 1921, just after the war.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45Money was tight, no heir -
0:36:45 > 0:36:47same old story, it was happening all over Britain.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50- Was that the start, really, of the decline?- Yes.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53I mean, in Sir John Wynn's day, the estate was huge -
0:36:53 > 0:36:56the deer park alone was 36,000 acres.
0:36:56 > 0:36:57It was a massive estate.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04So this is lot 88, the remarkably fine 17th-century panelling.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06How much did it sell for back then?
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Ah, well, quite a lot of money, actually.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Something like 1,000 guineas, which is a lot of money.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13But it attracted a lot of attention.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Was it a puzzle, putting it back together?
0:37:15 > 0:37:17Or was it all carefully marked, joint-to-joint?
0:37:17 > 0:37:18Unfortunately not -
0:37:18 > 0:37:21that's why it made our job that much more difficult.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25It was very hard because they came in great big sheets of panelling and...
0:37:25 > 0:37:27There are very loose markings on the back,
0:37:27 > 0:37:30but we were really working from just the sale catalogue,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32these sepia photographs.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35Whilst we were working on the room, we hardly left the place for two years.
0:37:35 > 0:37:36It was that intense, really,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39just making sure everything went back together again.
0:37:39 > 0:37:40You really live and breathe this.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44Yes! We're very passionate about it and love it very much.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Gosh, here we are.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11Wow. I love the carvings, I love the trailing ivy with the grapes.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15Yeah, they're very intricate and very elaborate.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17When was that carved? When was this made?
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Well, the panelling was made for this space
0:38:19 > 0:38:21in about 1640 for Sir Richard Wynn
0:38:21 > 0:38:25and then it's been embellished and played with a bit over the centuries,
0:38:25 > 0:38:26but really, yeah, 1640.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Was the leather panelling part of the package out the crate as well?
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Yes, everything came back except the moveable furniture,
0:38:33 > 0:38:36so even the window shutters came back.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40And this leather frieze up here is actually quite important.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42When it came back from America, it was completely black.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44We took advice from the V&A
0:38:44 > 0:38:47and they said the best thing to clean it with is spit.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49So we spent six months, I'm afraid...
0:38:49 > 0:38:53And a lot of spit later, it now shines.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55But we both ended up with very bad sore throats at the end.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57What a wonderful tale.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59It's a great detective story, isn't it?
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Another little piece is that,
0:39:01 > 0:39:03if William Randolph Hearst hadn't bought this room,
0:39:03 > 0:39:05it would have burned in a fire the following year,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08so we're very grateful to him, also.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14To restore or not to restore?
0:39:14 > 0:39:16That's the quandary that presents itself
0:39:16 > 0:39:19to lovers of all antiques and collectables.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Damage can detract from an item's appeal,
0:39:22 > 0:39:26yet it's true to say collectors prefer authenticity.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Now, clearly, there are arguments for and against,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33so if you haven't quite yet made your mind up, maybe we can help.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41If you have a teapot, and the spout's broken,
0:39:41 > 0:39:44I wouldn't necessarily have the spout restored,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46just so you can sell the teapot,
0:39:46 > 0:39:48because you might find there is an imbalance
0:39:48 > 0:39:50between outlay and suitable income.
0:39:50 > 0:39:55Restoration is always acceptable.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57But, you have to mention
0:39:57 > 0:39:59that it's been done.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03The best way of learning the lesson is to buy a piece
0:40:03 > 0:40:07that you think is perfect and subsequently discover is restored.
0:40:07 > 0:40:08Cos you'll never forget that one.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13We see all types of restored items on Flog It!.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17For some, the restoration comes as an unwelcome surprise.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18In other cases,
0:40:18 > 0:40:22the objects have been lovingly restored by the people we meet.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25Claire Rawle had the pleasure of the latter at a valuation
0:40:25 > 0:40:28day in Hertfordshire.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31My husband bought it, we reckon, about 20 years ago, not quite sure,
0:40:31 > 0:40:36for scrap at an antique fair for £15.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40And then he took it to a local watchmaker man and he said,
0:40:40 > 0:40:41"It's worth repairing,"
0:40:41 > 0:40:46so we spent about £350, which seemed a lot of money then.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49So we'd be interested in knowing a bit more about it.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Right. It's a lovely thing.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54This watch had been very, very sympathetically done.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58Basically, the restorer had restored the movement and made it work,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00which is what you expect them to do,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02but hadn't gone in for polishing and cleaning
0:41:02 > 0:41:07and tidying up of the dial and the hands, which spoils it completely.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10If you open it up, nice set of hallmarks inside,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13which gave you the date - 1838.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16The thing I really love is when you get into the back and you
0:41:16 > 0:41:21open this last cover, and there we have just the back of the movement.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Beautifully made, quite understated, but you've got
0:41:24 > 0:41:29this nice engraved cog here, which covers the escapement inside.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33Most people that buy watches, don't expect them to be working.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36They'll either do it themselves or they get it done professionally.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39There are very few people that will ask, "Does it work?"
0:41:39 > 0:41:42The one thing they will ask is whether it ticks,
0:41:42 > 0:41:44because that means that the mainspring is still working.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48So, as long as that still goes, it's got more value.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50I think anybody who knows anything about chronometers would
0:41:50 > 0:41:53look at that and think, "That's really nice."
0:41:53 > 0:41:55£500-£600.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58- Oh, really?- Yeah, I think so.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02The more I look at it, the more I think it'll do very well.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06I think if you put a £500 reserve on it, fix it...
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- Right. Right.- Is that OK? - Yes, that's fine.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14Estimate £500-£600, and, yeah, I think it should go well.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17It was lovely that it was in working order.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20I think it probably put a little bit on but not a tremendous amount.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21It was a good watch anyway.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24This is where it gets interesting.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26This is the beauty of an auction - anything can happen!
0:42:26 > 0:42:28- Could have a big surprise. - Hopefully.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30There we are - lot 216.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32We ought to be close to 500 for this one.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34300 bid. Thank you, sir.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37300 I'm bid. 400, he says. 400 I am bid.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39500 we're bid for it.
0:42:39 > 0:42:40At 500.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42You're going well. Are you going to finish?
0:42:42 > 0:42:45At 500, then, I'm going to have to sell it.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47£500...
0:42:47 > 0:42:50- Thank you very much. - I'm happy with that £500.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Yes, it's wonderful. From £15 it's not bad.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Yes. And you got the money back from the repairs,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58and you've had all these years of enjoyment and use.
0:42:58 > 0:42:59Absolutely.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01I think you need to be very careful
0:43:01 > 0:43:03if you're thinking of restoring a pocket watch.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07An awful lot of them, actually, are not worth restoring because
0:43:07 > 0:43:11the cost of restoring is totally going to outweigh its value.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Where you've got a nice one, then, yes,
0:43:13 > 0:43:15you want to think about having it restored.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19Less called-on for pocket watches,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22an area where restoration is more commonly seen,
0:43:22 > 0:43:27is with Royal Worcester china, which was established in 1751.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Because of the pottery's vast output,
0:43:30 > 0:43:33and the popularity with collectors of this fragile porcelain,
0:43:33 > 0:43:35restored pieces often crop up.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39Some even have replacement parts.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41The trick is,
0:43:41 > 0:43:45as our own Worcester-born boy Philip Serrell knows, is spotting it.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48I just wanted to know if it was genuine, actually.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Why do you want to know if it's genuine?
0:43:50 > 0:43:53We bought it from a national exhibition centre,
0:43:53 > 0:43:57and I liked it because of the roses - I'm a roses person,
0:43:57 > 0:44:00a pink person, and really fell in love with it.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03And after I'd bought it I just wondered if it was genuine.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07This is shape number 1286, and it's called a crown top potpourri.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11And it's got this dot system that started in 1891,
0:44:11 > 0:44:13and there are 16 dots there.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16So we can date this quite precisely to 1907.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19It just strikes me as being a little bit odd.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22Can you see this is like an ivory
0:44:22 > 0:44:25and what we call shot silk decoration in those intervals there?
0:44:25 > 0:44:28- Yes.- And yet there it's totally different.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30I have thought that myself...
0:44:30 > 0:44:34And I just wonder whether it may have been that this
0:44:34 > 0:44:38cover has been a replacement at some point in time.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42- Yes.- I think Pat was spot-on, really,
0:44:42 > 0:44:44and it goes back to this thing about trusting your eyes.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48If you look at that, you can see that the rim around the bottom
0:44:48 > 0:44:52of the top didn't quite match the rim around the base.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55That should tell you that, perhaps, something doesn't quite marry up.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57So I think she was spot-on with her instincts that top
0:44:57 > 0:44:59and bottom didn't quite match.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01How much did you pay for it?
0:45:01 > 0:45:03We think about 180.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05I think it will show you a profit on that,
0:45:05 > 0:45:09providing there's no restoration and everything's A-OK on that.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11My estimate for it would probably be £200-£400.
0:45:11 > 0:45:16I'd put a reserve on it of £200, on the basis that it's not restored.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18It looks very crisp around here - it looks OK,
0:45:18 > 0:45:20but it's difficult in these lights.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23If you're buying a perfect piece for a perfect price, that's fine.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27If you're buying a restored piece for a restored price, that's fine.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30What you don't want to be doing is buying a restored piece
0:45:30 > 0:45:31for a perfect price.
0:45:31 > 0:45:36And restoration can be that good that a dealer or an auctioneer
0:45:36 > 0:45:38just might not spot it.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40As you can imagine,
0:45:40 > 0:45:44we were all intrigued to see what the sale room made of Pat's vase.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48I've been all over this, top to toe, it's absolutely sound.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50There is not a problem at all.
0:45:50 > 0:45:51Is the cover right for the pot?
0:45:51 > 0:45:53That's where we fall down.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56It is, what we've termed in the catalogue, an associated cover.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00It has a marginal effect on the price, but not phenomenal,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03because, at the end of the day, these things are rare.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06These are very expensive and also, for anyone out there,
0:46:06 > 0:46:08if you've got a smashed pot and got the cover,
0:46:08 > 0:46:11don't sling it out, because people are desperate to buy the covers -
0:46:11 > 0:46:14these are often the first thing that gets broken.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16- We're going to sell, no problem. - Going to sell it?
0:46:16 > 0:46:19Oh, yeah. It's just that cover that's just going to hold it back.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22But did the Royal Worcester collectors agree?
0:46:22 > 0:46:25- I open at £450.- Yes!
0:46:25 > 0:46:28£450 on a maiden bid clears everybody else.
0:46:28 > 0:46:29I've got 450 on my right.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31Do I hear 460 in the room?
0:46:32 > 0:46:36It's on a commission bid then - opening and closing at £450.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38All sure? All done?
0:46:39 > 0:46:42Hammer's gone down. Short and sweet - £450.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46Great result - top end of Philip's estimate.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Although the lid wasn't a perfect match,
0:46:50 > 0:46:54the fragile nature of Royal Worcester means associated covers
0:46:54 > 0:46:56are more accepted by collectors.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59However, if you want to avoid a restored piece,
0:46:59 > 0:47:01Philip has a top tip.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05If you go to an antique fair or you go to an auction room
0:47:05 > 0:47:10and you see people picking up pieces of porcelain and biting it,
0:47:10 > 0:47:11they're checking for restoration.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14Now, if a pot has been restored and you bite into it,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16it's just like biting into soap
0:47:16 > 0:47:20and you almost feel like it's going to come away in your mouth.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23If you bite onto a piece that's not been restored,
0:47:23 > 0:47:25it's like biting on a piece of glass, it's really quite hard.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28That's a way of looking for restoration.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31But of course, in the world of ceramics, other big
0:47:31 > 0:47:36names like Moorcroft also have a low threshold for bumps and scrapes.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40The joy of Moorcroft is it's fairly easy to restore,
0:47:40 > 0:47:44because a lot of the ground colours are very plain.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47So you can get a big chunk out and it's just blue.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51So to restore a lot of Moorcroft is very easy.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55And the financial benefits are really good.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57Easily-disguised restoration,
0:47:57 > 0:48:00though, can come as a bit of a shock,
0:48:00 > 0:48:05as Jim and Betty found out in 2010, with their Moorcroft trinket dish.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08Thank you so much for bringing this little trinket dish along.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12Now, you must know a little bit about it if you watch Flog It!.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15I think it might be 1930s.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18Absolutely spot-on. And do you know the name of the pattern?
0:48:20 > 0:48:24- Not really. Is it Mushroom...? - Nearly! No, Mushroom is Claremont.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26This is Hazeldene.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28It's very similar.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31If we turn it over, there we've got the "made in England",
0:48:31 > 0:48:34which tells you it's made after 1925.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36"Potter to HM The Queen."
0:48:36 > 0:48:39So that would have been Queen Mary.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42And the W Moorcroft facsimile signature there.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46So, a little dish that is very sought-after at auction.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48I love this Hazeldene pattern,
0:48:48 > 0:48:50especially with the sunset-red ground to it.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58I've got a bit of bad news for you.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02It's been restored at some stage.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it has been done.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10It looks like a 15 or 20-year-old restoration -
0:49:10 > 0:49:12it's starting to show through.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14When restoration's done when it's brand-new,
0:49:14 > 0:49:16it's very difficult to tell.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19The restoration fades and it doesn't last,
0:49:19 > 0:49:21so you might think you've restored something
0:49:21 > 0:49:26and spent £100 restoring it for ever, it's not the case.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30The restoration will come back and it will change in time,
0:49:30 > 0:49:32so you'll have to do it again.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35- Is it a family piece?- No. - Where'd you find that?
0:49:35 > 0:49:39- Well, where did we pick that up, Jim? - At a boot sale.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42- How much did you pay for it?- £2.
0:49:42 > 0:49:47Well, for £2, you know, it's still a great buy at £2.
0:49:47 > 0:49:54If it had been perfect, I think your £2 would have transformed into £200.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59With the restoration, you've still made a really good investment,
0:49:59 > 0:50:02cos I still think it's going to make 60-100.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05- Brilliant, eh? - That's still all right, isn't it?
0:50:05 > 0:50:07- That's more than I thought initially, you know.- Great.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09Just thought it was just a wee dish.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13Well, it is a wee dish, but it's a great wee dish.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15If you've got a rare piece of Moorcroft,
0:50:15 > 0:50:19and you can't afford 5,000 for the perfect one, you can
0:50:19 > 0:50:22sell it for 2,000 and get one that's damaged.
0:50:22 > 0:50:27But because Moorcroft is so easy to restore, it will look fabulous.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31And the potential to make restored Moorcroft look as good as new
0:50:31 > 0:50:34might explain what unfolded in the sale room.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40The very nice Moorcroft flambe-designed pin tray.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42And I've two very close bids...
0:50:43 > 0:50:45I'm going to start it at £210.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48210. 210. 210.
0:50:48 > 0:50:49210.
0:50:49 > 0:50:50220.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54240.
0:50:54 > 0:50:55260.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57280.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59300. 320.
0:51:00 > 0:51:0120 against you.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08340.
0:51:09 > 0:51:10360.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12- 360!- 380.
0:51:14 > 0:51:15400.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19420.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21440.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26440.
0:51:26 > 0:51:27Anyone else want in...?
0:51:27 > 0:51:29£440!
0:51:30 > 0:51:33At £440!
0:51:33 > 0:51:35Who'd have believed that!
0:51:35 > 0:51:37£440!
0:51:37 > 0:51:40We keep saying it's a rollercoaster ride of emotions
0:51:40 > 0:51:44here in the auction room - you just don't know what's going to happen.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46We keep saying it's not an exact science.
0:51:46 > 0:51:47Damaged - yes, it was it.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52But did the bidders on the phone care? Clearly not!
0:51:52 > 0:51:54When two people really want something,
0:51:54 > 0:51:58you can't predict the result.
0:51:58 > 0:52:03Now, in 2012, an elderly woman in Spain took the art world by storm,
0:52:03 > 0:52:05when she popped into her local church
0:52:05 > 0:52:08and tried to restore a century-old fresco.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12That was an obvious case of what not to do!
0:52:12 > 0:52:13But botch job aside,
0:52:13 > 0:52:17even professional restoration of artwork can be controversial.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21In Brian and Maria's case, the jury's still out.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27- It was passed to my father from his uncle.- Right.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29So it's been in the family quite a few years.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31Father passed away in October.
0:52:31 > 0:52:36Before that, it was always his wish to take the family abroad.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40So it's passing the legacy down to try and use this as our leverage to,
0:52:40 > 0:52:43- hopefully, get abroad. - Oh, that's a lovely thing to do.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46I'm sure he'd have approved of that.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49- Yeah.- Up until recently, you couldn't see much of the picture,
0:52:49 > 0:52:53and we had it restored round Christmas time,
0:52:53 > 0:52:55so you can actually see the detail.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58I mean, you can virtually see the people at the front of the boat.
0:52:58 > 0:52:59My first thought was,
0:52:59 > 0:53:03"If they have so recently spent good money having it restored,
0:53:03 > 0:53:07"is there a hope they can reclaim that,
0:53:07 > 0:53:09"over and above the value of the picture?"
0:53:09 > 0:53:14And sometimes, people are caught out by believing that every time they
0:53:14 > 0:53:17spend on restoration or conservation, it will automatically
0:53:17 > 0:53:22add value to the hammer price in the case of the auction.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24That isn't always the case.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27I would say, as a general rule, I would advise against that.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30If you're going to sell something, what people like to see is
0:53:30 > 0:53:34something that looks like it's been hanging on a fireplace for 20 years.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38- OK.- I'll start off on a negative but that would be the general advice.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40Having said that, it does, as you say,
0:53:40 > 0:53:44reveal what a strong image that is, and walking towards it,
0:53:44 > 0:53:48it really stands out as being a lovely composition.
0:53:48 > 0:53:53It was a good image, lots of interest,
0:53:53 > 0:54:00well placed on the canvas, so it was a lovely painting in its own right.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02The signature is not an easy one to read.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04You don't know anything about the artist?
0:54:04 > 0:54:06- Nothing at all. - No. Nothing.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09I think it's by one of the Grebe family,
0:54:09 > 0:54:12and certainly, stylistically, it looks very much
0:54:12 > 0:54:15late 19th-century Dutch school - it is very much of that ilk.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19Standing where I'm standing now, I can see the restoration.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23I can see the patch here and I'm not meaning to be too negative,
0:54:23 > 0:54:25but just realistic.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28It was quite a textured finish to the artwork,
0:54:28 > 0:54:32but the restoration interrupted that - it looked thicker
0:54:32 > 0:54:35and it looked wrong and it had a sort of sheen to it,
0:54:35 > 0:54:37which was different to the rest of the painting.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39I think we have to be realistic.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43I think we've got to look at it as being 200-400, 300-500.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46It may well be that I'm being too pessimistic about it,
0:54:46 > 0:54:50but if you're happy to bracket it in that region, and I think then you've
0:54:50 > 0:54:55got your holiday almost booked and everything else is a bonus.
0:54:55 > 0:54:56- Yeah, sure.- Does that make sense?
0:54:56 > 0:54:58- Yes.- Yes. Yes.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02Having already spent £300 on restoration,
0:55:02 > 0:55:06they needed the painting to make at least the top of that estimate.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09So did Brian and Maria get the holiday they wanted?
0:55:09 > 0:55:11320 on the net.
0:55:11 > 0:55:12340.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14360? I've got 340 on the net.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16340 in the UK. At 340.
0:55:16 > 0:55:17360 in Holland.
0:55:17 > 0:55:18380.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20At 380...
0:55:20 > 0:55:21Could be going back to Holland.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23£400 bid.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26At 400. 420 now.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28Net has it at £400.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29We'll go to the telephones next, then.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32420. 440. 460.
0:55:32 > 0:55:34460 anyone? 460.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36480. 500.
0:55:36 > 0:55:41£500 anyone? 500 on the telephone. 550 on the net.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43Incredible - there's a battle between
0:55:43 > 0:55:45the telephone and the internet.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47Six on the telephones. 600 bid.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49600. 650 now.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51650. 700 now, may I say?
0:55:51 > 0:55:53£700 surely? 700 on the phone.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55Hear that?! £700!
0:55:55 > 0:55:57800 now do I see?
0:55:57 > 0:55:58Who's coming in first at 800?
0:55:58 > 0:56:01I have 750 - commission bid has it.
0:56:01 > 0:56:02800 on the telephones.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04At 800 bid. 850 now?
0:56:04 > 0:56:07- Telephone bid coming in...?- Wow!
0:56:07 > 0:56:08No! At 850 on the net.
0:56:08 > 0:56:101,000 now do I see?
0:56:10 > 0:56:12950 bid.
0:56:12 > 0:56:13He's working this very well.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15Yes, it's brilliant.
0:56:15 > 0:56:181,000 on the telephone. Any more bids now? 1,100.
0:56:18 > 0:56:2012?
0:56:20 > 0:56:22Do I see 1,200? I do. 1,300 now?
0:56:22 > 0:56:24It's not unlucky, you know.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26- Someone's going home with a lot of money!- Yes.
0:56:26 > 0:56:27Don't bid.
0:56:27 > 0:56:291,300 bid. Thank you.
0:56:29 > 0:56:311,400 now?
0:56:31 > 0:56:34Do I see 1,400? 15 now surely? 15?
0:56:34 > 0:56:361,500 may I say now?
0:56:36 > 0:56:37You know you need it.
0:56:39 > 0:56:40At 1,400 then.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42At £1,400, we're on the phone.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44You're out on the net, out in the room.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47- Last call then. - £1,400!- Selling at £1,400...
0:56:47 > 0:56:49The hammer's gone down.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51Your husband had a good eye, didn't he?!
0:56:51 > 0:56:53He liked that. He saw the value in that.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55He did like it, yeah.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58That is marvellous - your first auction, £1,400.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02I was so excited when there was so much interest about that
0:57:02 > 0:57:04painting, because I did like that painting -
0:57:04 > 0:57:06it was a very strong, dynamic picture.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10I was delighted. It obviously went
0:57:10 > 0:57:12to a good home and I'm really pleased.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15Well, that result was due, in no small part,
0:57:15 > 0:57:18to some excellent marketing by the auction room.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20The painting by the Grebe even attracted bidders
0:57:20 > 0:57:23from its homeland, the Netherlands.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26The question is, would Brian and Maria's painting have fetched
0:57:26 > 0:57:30even more money if it hadn't been restored?
0:57:30 > 0:57:33Well, we'll never know.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35Now, here are a few things to consider
0:57:35 > 0:57:38if you are thinking about restoration.
0:57:40 > 0:57:44The decision on whether to restore, often comes down to taste.
0:57:44 > 0:57:45If you're keeping a piece,
0:57:45 > 0:57:48it needs to be aesthetically pleasing to you.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51And sometimes, that means conservation is necessary.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55But bear in mind, restoration is not a cheap job.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58It's an investment in its own right.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02And if you're planning to sell, think carefully,
0:58:02 > 0:58:06cos that outlay may not necessarily be returned at the auction.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11Fortunately, the Grebe painting hit the market at the right time,
0:58:11 > 0:58:13and attracted international interest.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18Which meant Brian and Maria got that long-planned holiday.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23They took the whole family to Ibiza, and had a fantastic time.
0:58:23 > 0:58:26And that's what I call a result.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29Well, that's it for today's show.
0:58:29 > 0:58:31I hope you've enjoyed it, so get out there,
0:58:31 > 0:58:34get buying and have some fun with antiques.
0:58:34 > 0:58:37Join us again soon for more trade secrets.