Decorated

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0:00:03 > 0:00:05You've been coming to our Flog It! valuation days

0:00:05 > 0:00:08for well over ten years now,

0:00:08 > 0:00:11bringing in all manner of wonderful things

0:00:11 > 0:00:13to put our experts through their paces.

0:00:13 > 0:00:16- Oh, gosh, he's rather scary!- He is.

0:00:17 > 0:00:20During that time we've helped you sell around £1 million worth

0:00:20 > 0:00:22of antiques and collectables.

0:00:22 > 0:00:24Thank you.

0:00:24 > 0:00:25- Bosh!- Excellent!

0:00:25 > 0:00:28And along the way we've all learnt a great deal about the items

0:00:28 > 0:00:30that have passed through our hands.

0:00:30 > 0:00:33In this series I want to share some of that knowledge with you,

0:00:33 > 0:00:37so stand by to hear our trade secrets.

0:01:03 > 0:01:06More often than not, when we set up home,

0:01:06 > 0:01:08we set about decorating it, too.

0:01:08 > 0:01:11Not just with antiques, but with ornamentation - pictures,

0:01:11 > 0:01:14mirrors, chandeliers, carpets, curtains,

0:01:14 > 0:01:16the latest designs on our cutlery.

0:01:16 > 0:01:19We all love a splash of colour

0:01:19 > 0:01:21and we also like to leave our own stamp on a property.

0:01:21 > 0:01:25So on today's Trade Secrets we're looking at decorative items -

0:01:25 > 0:01:29which to leave alone and which are worthy of closer inspection.

0:01:33 > 0:01:37Coming up, James discovers a giant item with big problems.

0:01:37 > 0:01:39Just... Oh, no!

0:01:40 > 0:01:44Elizabeth gets to grips with the ancient art of enamelling.

0:01:44 > 0:01:48- If you put it straight down... - It's exciting, isn't it?- Yes!

0:01:50 > 0:01:53It's deja vu as Philip is put under pressure.

0:01:53 > 0:01:57Four weeks ago I was watching Flog It! Saw that make £200.

0:01:57 > 0:01:58Very similar.

0:01:58 > 0:02:01And Anita hits the jackpot.

0:02:02 > 0:02:04- Yes!- Wow! £1,200.

0:02:08 > 0:02:12Some of the decorative things we surround ourselves with at home

0:02:12 > 0:02:15have no practical use, like ornaments, for instance.

0:02:15 > 0:02:18They're there just to look good but, by their very nature,

0:02:18 > 0:02:21some of them are of very high quality.

0:02:21 > 0:02:24Time and time again they turn up at our valuation days,

0:02:24 > 0:02:27so here are some tips on what to look out for.

0:02:28 > 0:02:31What I like you might like, he might not like...

0:02:31 > 0:02:35We've got different taste as to what makes good decoration or not.

0:02:35 > 0:02:36Some people like very little,

0:02:36 > 0:02:39some people like very fussy, very elaborate.

0:02:39 > 0:02:42Does the shape and the decoration work together?

0:02:42 > 0:02:45Because, if they don't, it's going to be hard on the eye,

0:02:45 > 0:02:47if they do, it's going to look a treat.

0:02:47 > 0:02:48Wow!

0:02:48 > 0:02:50Don't just think, "That's quite nice,

0:02:50 > 0:02:53"I'll have another look at it," it's got to hit you.

0:02:53 > 0:02:56If you're trying to find the very best of decoration,

0:02:56 > 0:03:00then look no further than Wedgwood's Fairyland Lustreware.

0:03:04 > 0:03:07These works by artist Daisy Makeig-Jones

0:03:07 > 0:03:11are riots of stunning bold colours and fantastical shapes.

0:03:11 > 0:03:13That's hand-decorated.

0:03:13 > 0:03:16You can't imagine, can you?

0:03:18 > 0:03:21We don't often see Fairyland Lustre on our valuation days,

0:03:21 > 0:03:25but when we do it quickly works its magic.

0:03:25 > 0:03:27Yes! Brilliant. Well done.

0:03:29 > 0:03:32The legendary David Barby was a huge fan.

0:03:32 > 0:03:34Mary, I can't understand...

0:03:35 > 0:03:39if anybody owned a piece as beautiful as this,

0:03:39 > 0:03:41they would wish to sell it.

0:03:41 > 0:03:44Does it have unhappy memories for you or what?

0:03:44 > 0:03:48- I think I was frightened by the figures as a child.- Really?- Yeah.

0:03:48 > 0:03:51'One of the most distinctive things, I think,'

0:03:51 > 0:03:54in 20th century ceramics, you can tell a piece of Clarice Cliff,

0:03:54 > 0:03:57and you can certainly tell a piece of Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre.

0:03:57 > 0:04:00Beautifully decorated, very intricate.

0:04:00 > 0:04:02always got fairies on it, of course,

0:04:02 > 0:04:07and under this beautiful lustrous glaze.

0:04:07 > 0:04:10This design is called Paradise Garden.

0:04:10 > 0:04:11And if we look at the outside

0:04:11 > 0:04:14it's full of fairies in the most exotic settings.

0:04:14 > 0:04:17- This is the one you disliked, is it?- Yes, that's right.

0:04:17 > 0:04:20- The goblin on the rainbow. - Yes.- But isn't it beautiful?

0:04:20 > 0:04:22I love these rich lustre colours.

0:04:22 > 0:04:26They used metallic pigments - gold, silver copper, etc,

0:04:26 > 0:04:27suspended in oil -

0:04:27 > 0:04:30and then they'll paint it with this metallic pigment.

0:04:30 > 0:04:32And when it's fired,

0:04:32 > 0:04:35you're left with the shiny metallic glaze on top of it.

0:04:35 > 0:04:40What I find extraordinary is the use of giltwork inside.

0:04:40 > 0:04:44In the arcades, we have views of exotic buildings,

0:04:44 > 0:04:47like distant Constantinople and minarets and towers.

0:04:47 > 0:04:52But we also have those black fairies with green wings.

0:04:54 > 0:04:58David estimated £1,200-£1,600.

0:04:58 > 0:05:00Truth or fairy story?

0:05:00 > 0:05:02Time for the auction!

0:05:03 > 0:05:08Five phone lines booked. There's serious interest from the USA.

0:05:08 > 0:05:11And the website has been going crazy, the internet.

0:05:11 > 0:05:13All over the world for this one. Let's find out.

0:05:13 > 0:05:15This is the big one.

0:05:15 > 0:05:18This is the Wedgwood Fairyland bowl.

0:05:18 > 0:05:21I'm going to start the bidding at £1,300.

0:05:21 > 0:05:23Is there 1,400 in the room?

0:05:23 > 0:05:281,400. 1,500. 1,600. 1,700.

0:05:28 > 0:05:301,800.

0:05:30 > 0:05:331,900. 2,000.

0:05:33 > 0:05:342,100.

0:05:34 > 0:05:362,200.

0:05:36 > 0:05:382,300.

0:05:38 > 0:05:392,400.

0:05:39 > 0:05:412,500.

0:05:41 > 0:05:422,600.

0:05:44 > 0:05:45Now I'm tingling.

0:05:45 > 0:05:462,700.

0:05:51 > 0:05:52£2,700. £2,800.

0:05:57 > 0:05:59£2,800!

0:06:02 > 0:06:03As decorated pieces go,

0:06:03 > 0:06:07I do think that Fairyland Lustre is right up there with the very best.

0:06:08 > 0:06:12Daisy Makeig-Jones is a big name in ceramic decoration,

0:06:12 > 0:06:16and it pays to remember that big names often command high prices.

0:06:20 > 0:06:24John Piper was another big 20th-century designer.

0:06:24 > 0:06:28He is best known as an official war artist of World War II

0:06:28 > 0:06:30and for designing the glass

0:06:30 > 0:06:32during the renovation of Coventry Cathedral.

0:06:35 > 0:06:38His artwork can be expensive in the saleroom.

0:06:39 > 0:06:43But you can pick up a less pricey Piper for your sitting room.

0:06:45 > 0:06:48In the 1950s his work was used to decorate furniture.

0:06:48 > 0:06:51It's some sort of photographic reproduction

0:06:51 > 0:06:54that is laminated onto the top of that table.

0:06:55 > 0:06:57It's accessible fine art,

0:06:57 > 0:07:00but not everyone appreciates the appeal.

0:07:00 > 0:07:04- You gave it to him?- Yeah. - He was going to skip it!

0:07:04 > 0:07:07- I was going to skip it.- You know what this is!- I do now, yeah.

0:07:07 > 0:07:11Four weeks ago I was watching Flog It! Saw that and it made £200.

0:07:11 > 0:07:13- Very similar.- It was.

0:07:13 > 0:07:15Well, let me tell you, five or ten years ago,

0:07:15 > 0:07:17I wouldn't have known what this is.

0:07:17 > 0:07:20It's just a lovely view of London by John Piper.

0:07:20 > 0:07:22And it's a real cool thing.

0:07:22 > 0:07:25When I started, when dinosaurs walked the earth,

0:07:25 > 0:07:28people wouldn't want John Piper tables.

0:07:28 > 0:07:31They wanted traditional 18th-century oak tables.

0:07:31 > 0:07:33But that's how the business is changing.

0:07:34 > 0:07:39As Paul said, we'd seen the same model on Flog It! a year earlier.

0:07:39 > 0:07:41I think this is great.

0:07:41 > 0:07:44Furniture like this was bought, really,

0:07:44 > 0:07:47because it represented everything that was up to date.

0:07:47 > 0:07:50You know, pared down, modern materials -

0:07:50 > 0:07:52that's the most important thing of all, I think.

0:07:52 > 0:07:54It was sold at Philip's saleroom.

0:07:54 > 0:07:57The next item, £200 in the room.

0:07:57 > 0:08:00At £200 and I sell then...

0:08:00 > 0:08:03Hammer's gone down. £200 - top end of that estimate.

0:08:05 > 0:08:08- Why did you get rid of it? - I just needed some room in my flat.

0:08:08 > 0:08:12I mean, I didn't know anything about it.

0:08:12 > 0:08:15He needed a table so I said he could have it.

0:08:15 > 0:08:17- What did the one in my saleroom make, £200?- £200, yeah.

0:08:17 > 0:08:19A bit better condition than this one,

0:08:19 > 0:08:22but we can we can put £100-£200 as an estimate.

0:08:22 > 0:08:26- So that's all fine, isn't it? - Sound!- Right, that's sound!

0:08:26 > 0:08:31Sound indeed, but will it fetch more than its Flog It! predecessor?

0:08:31 > 0:08:361950s coffee table with the John Piper views of London.

0:08:36 > 0:08:37I bid £100. I'll take 10.

0:08:37 > 0:08:39Well done.

0:08:39 > 0:08:41£100.

0:08:41 > 0:08:44At £100. Any advance on £100?

0:08:44 > 0:08:46Anyone else? At 120.

0:08:48 > 0:08:51- It's gone down.- I'm pleased about that. 70-50, fair split, isn't it?

0:08:51 > 0:08:53ALL LAUGH

0:08:55 > 0:08:58Well, a little less than we'd hoped for,

0:08:58 > 0:09:01but the previous table was pristine, which proves

0:09:01 > 0:09:04the importance of condition when it comes to decorative items.

0:09:06 > 0:09:08Damage is always going to affect the sale of anything, really,

0:09:08 > 0:09:10some things more than others.

0:09:10 > 0:09:13And I think collectors would rather pay you

0:09:13 > 0:09:16maybe 50%-100% more for a perfect one

0:09:16 > 0:09:18than for one with a bit of damage on it.

0:09:19 > 0:09:23Now, on Flog It! we are forever making the point

0:09:23 > 0:09:25that quality sells, always.

0:09:25 > 0:09:28With decorative items, quality is often clear from the outset.

0:09:30 > 0:09:35Take this German super-sized wine rummer from the 19th century.

0:09:35 > 0:09:39Chris, imagine you are a 17th-century lord

0:09:39 > 0:09:43and you are hunting for the day and coming back to a roaring fire...

0:09:43 > 0:09:46- Yes.- ..and you want a great glass of wine to drink.

0:09:46 > 0:09:49This is the sort of thing that you would have had at your table.

0:09:49 > 0:09:52Probably not quite as large as this in the 17th century,

0:09:52 > 0:09:54but certainly this style.

0:09:54 > 0:09:57'This goblet was probably made for a ceremonial purpose.'

0:09:57 > 0:10:00Certainly not for everyday household use.

0:10:01 > 0:10:04It was made around 1870-1890,

0:10:04 > 0:10:08but the thing that makes me fall in love with it

0:10:08 > 0:10:11is the wonderful quality enamelling on the bowl.

0:10:11 > 0:10:15If you were looking at this on a canvas done in pure oil paint,

0:10:15 > 0:10:17you'd think it was good.

0:10:17 > 0:10:21But imagine doing it in enamel that had to be heated and fired.

0:10:21 > 0:10:23Brilliant. I really love it.

0:10:23 > 0:10:24It's a pity it's broken,

0:10:24 > 0:10:27- but it was broken when we got it.- I know.

0:10:27 > 0:10:29When it came out of the late mother-in-law's house,

0:10:29 > 0:10:30it was already broken.

0:10:30 > 0:10:33Just... Oh, no!

0:10:33 > 0:10:36But I'd already fallen in love with the top!

0:10:37 > 0:10:41So by the time the foot was exposed it was just too late.

0:10:41 > 0:10:43What's it worth?

0:10:43 > 0:10:47- If it had been perfect this would have been £400-£600.- Yes.

0:10:47 > 0:10:49Something like that. But it's not.

0:10:49 > 0:10:53- It's still got to be £60-£100, isn't it?- I would have thought so, yes.

0:10:53 > 0:10:56I think the enamel work is amazing.

0:10:57 > 0:10:59James and Chris were confident

0:10:59 > 0:11:02that the decorative quality of this unusual piece

0:11:02 > 0:11:04would trump the damage.

0:11:04 > 0:11:06But were they right?

0:11:06 > 0:11:08It has a great big chunk missing out of the base.

0:11:08 > 0:11:12I don't think it even stood quite straight with the chunk missing,

0:11:12 > 0:11:13so it's not the best start.

0:11:15 > 0:11:21What about £100? £50 for it? £50, the goblet.

0:11:21 > 0:11:24Not the sort of thing I'd recommend putting a reserve on.

0:11:24 > 0:11:29It's an impressive thing. £50. £50. Large green glass goblet.

0:11:29 > 0:11:33He's a good auctioneer, so he gave it his all.

0:11:33 > 0:11:35£50?

0:11:35 > 0:11:37- No.- No.

0:11:37 > 0:11:38Oh, well.

0:11:38 > 0:11:40Not an easy thing to mend, I suppose.

0:11:40 > 0:11:45Paintings, furniture, porcelain... silver...

0:11:45 > 0:11:50can all be repaired fairly easily, but glass?

0:11:50 > 0:11:52Probably the most difficult of all.

0:11:53 > 0:11:59It's a shame for Chris it didn't sell, but perhaps no surprise.

0:11:59 > 0:12:01Quite apart from the serious damage,

0:12:01 > 0:12:04where do you put a two-foot wine glass?

0:12:06 > 0:12:09When decorating your home, simplicity pays.

0:12:09 > 0:12:12And what could be more straightforward

0:12:12 > 0:12:13than putting up a picture?

0:12:13 > 0:12:17Art-lover Anita Manning was taken with a fine pair of maritime scenes

0:12:17 > 0:12:21brought along to a valuation day by Angela.

0:12:21 > 0:12:23Tell me, where did you get them?

0:12:23 > 0:12:27I found them in a loft. My husband was a third-generation butcher

0:12:27 > 0:12:31and we moved in to become the third-generation

0:12:31 > 0:12:33and they were in the loft when we moved in.

0:12:33 > 0:12:36They are by Adolphus Knell,

0:12:36 > 0:12:40a British artist active in the middle to late 1800s.

0:12:42 > 0:12:47Adolphus Knell came from a family of marine or maritime painters,

0:12:47 > 0:12:51so the painting of these subjects was in his blood

0:12:51 > 0:12:54and these were well-executed pictures.

0:12:54 > 0:12:58They had a... A luminous quality.

0:12:58 > 0:13:02When I looked at the sky and the reflection of the sun

0:13:02 > 0:13:07in the water, I could see wonderful quality there.

0:13:07 > 0:13:09I really enjoy them.

0:13:09 > 0:13:13I would probably estimate somewhere 250-350.

0:13:13 > 0:13:19- Are you happy to put them to auction at that price?- Yes. Quite happy.

0:13:19 > 0:13:21They were being sold in Bristol,

0:13:21 > 0:13:24and his family came from Bristol,

0:13:24 > 0:13:28so it was being sold in the right area.

0:13:28 > 0:13:30Fingers crossed. They are going under the hammer.

0:13:30 > 0:13:33A pair of oils on board, both signed

0:13:33 > 0:13:36Adolphus Knell. And interest here.

0:13:36 > 0:13:39250. 280. 300. 320. 350.

0:13:39 > 0:13:46380. 400. 420. 450. 480. £500 on the book. 550. 600.

0:13:46 > 0:13:47650.

0:13:47 > 0:13:49650.

0:13:49 > 0:13:51700. 750.

0:13:51 > 0:13:53It's still going on!

0:13:53 > 0:13:54720.

0:13:54 > 0:13:56750. 780.

0:13:56 > 0:13:58My estimate was a wee bit conservative.

0:13:58 > 0:14:03I can be like that sometimes. But it encourages the bidding.

0:14:03 > 0:14:04800.

0:14:04 > 0:14:06£1,000?

0:14:06 > 0:14:10Thank you. £1,000 in the room. 1,100 anyone else?

0:14:10 > 0:14:12- It's incredible.- 1,100.

0:14:12 > 0:14:141,200? 1,300?

0:14:14 > 0:14:17All done now at £1,200. Selling in the room at £1,200.

0:14:20 > 0:14:22- Yes!- £1,200!

0:14:22 > 0:14:24Brilliant!

0:14:26 > 0:14:30Those beautiful paintings would make fine additions to any home.

0:14:30 > 0:14:33Even if you can't stretch to £1,200,

0:14:33 > 0:14:37why not check out a painting sale at your local auction house?

0:14:37 > 0:14:40You might just snap up a bargain, and a lovely image to boot.

0:14:43 > 0:14:46Taste is paramount when collecting decorative pieces.

0:14:47 > 0:14:50It's so...ugly.

0:14:51 > 0:14:55You don't have to be an expert to know what you like.

0:14:57 > 0:15:00Be wary of damage to decorative items.

0:15:00 > 0:15:02Remember, they are made to be admired.

0:15:03 > 0:15:07So if they are chipped or cracked, like Chris's glass goblet,

0:15:07 > 0:15:08stay clear.

0:15:08 > 0:15:12It doesn't get more decorative than Wedgewood Fairyland Lustre

0:15:12 > 0:15:14but it's much sought-after

0:15:14 > 0:15:17by collectors with extremely deep pockets.

0:15:18 > 0:15:23This set sold in the UK in 2013 for almost £30,000.

0:15:23 > 0:15:28So, if a fairy grants you a wish, you know what to ask for!

0:15:35 > 0:15:37During the 16th and 17th century,

0:15:37 > 0:15:41bedrooms in grand country houses were of semi-public nature.

0:15:41 > 0:15:43So to get from one room to another

0:15:43 > 0:15:47you literally had to totter through somebody's bedroom

0:15:47 > 0:15:50by opening a huge great big door, creating a draught.

0:15:50 > 0:15:54So beds had to be extremely impressive, highly decorative.

0:15:54 > 0:15:58These were the most expensive pieces of domestic furniture

0:15:58 > 0:15:59in any grand house.

0:15:59 > 0:16:03This one dates back to the 1660s

0:16:03 > 0:16:05and it was the height of fashion back then.

0:16:05 > 0:16:07The bed itself is of simple construction -

0:16:07 > 0:16:12you have a headboard, a framework, four posts and a wonderful canopy.

0:16:12 > 0:16:15But the whole thing is beautifully disguised

0:16:15 > 0:16:19in yards and yards of the finest fabric imported from overseas,

0:16:19 > 0:16:20no expense spared.

0:16:20 > 0:16:24It's there to show off. And look at the detail in this canopy.

0:16:24 > 0:16:30Look at the brocading! That must have taken somebody months to do.

0:16:30 > 0:16:34The sprung bed - well, there was no such thing as a sprung bed.

0:16:34 > 0:16:37What you actually slept on were ropes.

0:16:37 > 0:16:40A series of holes would be drilled around this bed,

0:16:40 > 0:16:42around the framework, and ropes would be passed through

0:16:42 > 0:16:45and then tightened up into a knot and held there.

0:16:45 > 0:16:48And this is where we get the phrase "good night, sleep tight."

0:16:48 > 0:16:50To get a good night's sleep every now and then

0:16:50 > 0:16:53you had to tighten the rope up.

0:16:53 > 0:16:55The bed boards are known as the dossers,

0:16:55 > 0:16:58because people slept in a sort of semi-upright position.

0:16:58 > 0:17:02Again, look at the brocading. Highly decorative, gilded as well.

0:17:02 > 0:17:05Up to the hilt sometimes with coats of arms.

0:17:05 > 0:17:08It is a highly decorative piece and as a piece of furniture, well,

0:17:08 > 0:17:10it doesn't get any better, does it?

0:17:21 > 0:17:23As well as decorating their homes,

0:17:23 > 0:17:24men and women of all cultures

0:17:24 > 0:17:27have looked at ways of decorating themselves.

0:17:27 > 0:17:30One example, the fearsome warriors of ancient Britain

0:17:30 > 0:17:35terrified the invading Romans by painting themselves blue.

0:17:35 > 0:17:36Now, in Georgian Britain,

0:17:36 > 0:17:39one particular fashion of adornment grew up,

0:17:39 > 0:17:41as Caroline Hawley explains.

0:17:46 > 0:17:48These are both 18th-century patch boxes.

0:17:48 > 0:17:51They would contain patches, or beauty spots,

0:17:51 > 0:17:54which were actually very important

0:17:54 > 0:17:57in the late 18th and early 19th century.

0:17:57 > 0:17:59Not just for vanity,

0:17:59 > 0:18:02but smallpox was rife in those days

0:18:02 > 0:18:06and those that didn't die were left with fairly unsightly scars,

0:18:06 > 0:18:08and this was a method of covering up the scars.

0:18:08 > 0:18:12They would be made of velvet, very soft velvet,

0:18:12 > 0:18:15or sometimes poorer people would have made out of mouse skin,

0:18:15 > 0:18:20and they would be cut into the shapes of hearts, stars, diamonds,

0:18:20 > 0:18:24and they would be placed on the scars on your face.

0:18:24 > 0:18:26These were made in England.

0:18:26 > 0:18:31Originally, they were made in gold and beautifully enamelled,

0:18:31 > 0:18:33and terribly expensive.

0:18:33 > 0:18:36But that was really the reserve of the very, very rich.

0:18:36 > 0:18:39And other people wanted to copy the fashion,

0:18:39 > 0:18:44so consequently, these lovely little boxes were enamelled on copper.

0:18:44 > 0:18:48And you can see on this one, which is very badly damaged, sadly,

0:18:48 > 0:18:52the enamel coming away and the copper at the base.

0:18:52 > 0:18:56They were very often given as love tokens.

0:18:56 > 0:18:58Now, this one says on top says,

0:18:58 > 0:19:01"This trifle pleads my constant love."

0:19:01 > 0:19:03Sadly, I had to buy this for myself,

0:19:03 > 0:19:05it wasn't given to me as a love token.

0:19:05 > 0:19:09What distinguishes these from snuff boxes

0:19:09 > 0:19:11is the fact that there is a mirror inside.

0:19:11 > 0:19:15And you would use that to strategically place your patch.

0:19:16 > 0:19:21Something in this condition, which is fairly poor,

0:19:21 > 0:19:25I think you could still buy this for well under £50.

0:19:25 > 0:19:31Now, this one here is another patch box in much better condition.

0:19:31 > 0:19:34This, because it's in better condition,

0:19:34 > 0:19:36I think would have a value of £100-£200,

0:19:36 > 0:19:38but in perfect condition

0:19:38 > 0:19:43they would get something between £200-£400 at auction.

0:19:43 > 0:19:45But they are very fragile, easily knocked,

0:19:45 > 0:19:47and the enamel is easily broken.

0:19:47 > 0:19:53This one says on top, "Look without and think on me.

0:19:53 > 0:19:56"Look within my love you'll see."

0:19:56 > 0:19:58That is just so sweet.

0:20:00 > 0:20:02I think these are gorgeous.

0:20:02 > 0:20:04The word "enamel" derives

0:20:04 > 0:20:09from the old German word "smelzan", "to smelt".

0:20:09 > 0:20:12It's made by fusing powdered glass to a base material

0:20:12 > 0:20:13such as metal or glass.

0:20:13 > 0:20:17And then it's fired in a controlled environment.

0:20:18 > 0:20:20In the late 18th century,

0:20:20 > 0:20:24the proximity of Birmingham's metal producers

0:20:24 > 0:20:25and the glassworks of Stourbridge

0:20:25 > 0:20:28made one Black Country town a leader in this craft.

0:20:30 > 0:20:33Bilston, on the south-east tip of Wolverhampton,

0:20:33 > 0:20:36became world-famous for enamelling.

0:20:37 > 0:20:39And today it holds a special place

0:20:39 > 0:20:42in the heart of expert Elizabeth Talbot,

0:20:42 > 0:20:44as it's where her mother grew up.

0:20:47 > 0:20:48The origin of what I do

0:20:48 > 0:20:51really stems, magically, from the enamels of Bilston,

0:20:51 > 0:20:55because I grew up surrounded by people who collected and loved them.

0:20:57 > 0:21:01As I've got older, I suddenly realised I needed to know more

0:21:01 > 0:21:04about these beautiful things for my own benefit, too.

0:21:09 > 0:21:12I'm here today at Bilston Craft Gallery to meet with John Grayson,

0:21:12 > 0:21:14who is an enamel craftsmen.

0:21:14 > 0:21:16We've got a lovely selection here in front of us.

0:21:16 > 0:21:19- May we have a closer look at some of them?- Yeah.

0:21:19 > 0:21:21The candlestick is particularly interesting because,

0:21:21 > 0:21:25in its nature, it's got to be quite a large object.

0:21:25 > 0:21:27But the technology of the time

0:21:27 > 0:21:31only allowed them to fire relatively small objects.

0:21:31 > 0:21:33So that's a very good tip for collectors -

0:21:33 > 0:21:36the early pieces would be produced in smaller sections

0:21:36 > 0:21:40- because they hadn't got the capacity to make a bigger pieces.- Yeah.

0:21:40 > 0:21:43We've got some patch and snuff boxes at the front.

0:21:43 > 0:21:48That's a very good example of transfer printing.

0:21:48 > 0:21:51White-coated enamel transfer put on, fired on.

0:21:51 > 0:21:53My two favourites

0:21:53 > 0:21:55are the dog and the bird.

0:21:55 > 0:21:59- I really love the sculptural form of those and the painting.- Uh-huh?

0:21:59 > 0:22:04And with my own work I try to emulate those forms and shapes,

0:22:04 > 0:22:07just bring them into the contemporary age

0:22:07 > 0:22:10by putting kind of contemporary images

0:22:10 > 0:22:14intertwined with these traditional shapes and patterns.

0:22:22 > 0:22:25Enamelled goods are a huge area for collectors

0:22:25 > 0:22:30and beginners will find it easy to pick up boxes for about £70.

0:22:30 > 0:22:35Larger objects and more unusual pieces can reach four figures.

0:22:35 > 0:22:38If you're keen on contemporary examples,

0:22:38 > 0:22:41the simple transfer-printed works are more affordable

0:22:41 > 0:22:43than the labour-intensive hand-painted ones.

0:22:45 > 0:22:48John has offered to show Elizabeth how it's done.

0:22:49 > 0:22:55The first stage is putting some coats of enamel onto the metal surface.

0:22:55 > 0:22:57The metal is copper?

0:22:57 > 0:23:00Yep, and in Georgian times they would have used copper as well.

0:23:00 > 0:23:05The enamel, in simple terms, is coloured glass ground down in water.

0:23:05 > 0:23:08- Right.- And we're just going to give it a shake.

0:23:08 > 0:23:10SHE LAUGHS

0:23:10 > 0:23:11- Certain wrist action there!- Yes.

0:23:11 > 0:23:14And that's just to basically mix it up, OK?

0:23:16 > 0:23:17And I've got a container.

0:23:17 > 0:23:20As you can see it's quite thick,

0:23:20 > 0:23:24- like double cream.- It looks like custard from here. Delightful!

0:23:25 > 0:23:30I'm going to pick that up. Try and keep my fingers off it so it's clean

0:23:30 > 0:23:32and literally dip it in.

0:23:33 > 0:23:34Let it drain off.

0:23:39 > 0:23:42Just going to put it on top of the kiln to dry out.

0:23:42 > 0:23:45If you put it straight in the kiln

0:23:45 > 0:23:47at 800 degrees centigrade,

0:23:47 > 0:23:50it's going to make the water boil instantly

0:23:50 > 0:23:54and at best you'd have a textured surface.

0:23:56 > 0:23:59The heat from the kiln soon dries it out.

0:24:05 > 0:24:07Then it's going to go straight into the middle of the chamber.

0:24:07 > 0:24:09My goodness.

0:24:09 > 0:24:12- So that's 800 degrees in there.- Yep.

0:24:12 > 0:24:15- And you can see that the temperature is dropping on the kiln.- Oh, yes.

0:24:15 > 0:24:19So we're waiting for that to come back up to temperature again,

0:24:19 > 0:24:21which will take a couple of minutes.

0:24:21 > 0:24:23It depends on the size of the piece.

0:24:26 > 0:24:28Drum roll!

0:24:31 > 0:24:32Oh, my goodness!

0:24:32 > 0:24:37And there you can see that the colours have actually changed.

0:24:37 > 0:24:40It's changing in front of my eyes. How amazing.

0:24:40 > 0:24:42The colour is going to be quite muted anyway

0:24:42 > 0:24:45- because of the contamination from the copper.- Right.

0:24:45 > 0:24:48But if you look at the edges where the enamel is a bit thicker,

0:24:48 > 0:24:50you can see that that's what it will be like

0:24:50 > 0:24:52with the multiple coats all over.

0:24:52 > 0:24:56- How many coats would that take? - Probably about five.

0:24:58 > 0:25:01John has carefully coated one for the next stage.

0:25:02 > 0:25:04Applying a transfer.

0:25:04 > 0:25:09- The colour is still enamel, so it's glass.- On the transfer?- Yeah.- Really?

0:25:09 > 0:25:15But it's ground much more finely and it's put in oil rather than water.

0:25:16 > 0:25:20In the Georgian time they used to print onto tissue paper

0:25:20 > 0:25:23and then, when it's fired, the paper would burn away,

0:25:23 > 0:25:27leaving the enamel pigment on the surface.

0:25:27 > 0:25:29Yes.

0:25:29 > 0:25:31So you can see now it's loose...

0:25:31 > 0:25:33Oh, yes, on the slide, yes.

0:25:35 > 0:25:38You can see how thin that coat is.

0:25:38 > 0:25:41- It's a bit like putting on a contact lens.- Yes.

0:25:41 > 0:25:43And that's going to go onto the surface...

0:25:45 > 0:25:48- ..of the enamel.- Do you want to do that one or do I...?

0:25:48 > 0:25:52- You can have a go if you want. If you put it straight down...- Oh!

0:25:52 > 0:25:56OK. You can see, because the shape is irregular

0:25:56 > 0:26:00and the print is flat, at first it doesn't want to go down,

0:26:00 > 0:26:05but this is where the stretchiness of the transfer comes in.

0:26:05 > 0:26:07So you can actually start to stretch it to shape.

0:26:11 > 0:26:14- It's coming, isn't it?- Yep. - It's slowly getting there.

0:26:16 > 0:26:19Some Georgian enamel boxes,

0:26:19 > 0:26:21they just put a print on it,

0:26:21 > 0:26:25but the more elaborate ones would either be painted over the top...

0:26:25 > 0:26:30- And coloured in.- In effect, yeah, like a very, very posh drawing book!

0:26:32 > 0:26:36Or painted directly onto that first coat.

0:26:36 > 0:26:38So, having seen it completed to this level,

0:26:38 > 0:26:41do you have any that you've already painted and decorated in colours?

0:26:41 > 0:26:42Yes.

0:26:42 > 0:26:45Well, these two you might be interested in.

0:26:45 > 0:26:48That's one unpainted, just with the transfer.

0:26:48 > 0:26:51- So that's the same stage we've just reached.- Exactly, yeah.

0:26:51 > 0:26:54- But then just stopped at that point.- Right.- OK.

0:26:54 > 0:26:58And then this one shows a classic example of how

0:26:58 > 0:27:02I would then overpaint over the top. So this lady, again,

0:27:02 > 0:27:05was a transfer print, exactly the same.

0:27:05 > 0:27:09But you can see there's colour has been added to it, painted on.

0:27:09 > 0:27:13Like you would paint normally, but it's ground-down glass,

0:27:13 > 0:27:17- rather than normal paint. - So do you use very fine brushes?

0:27:17 > 0:27:21- Very, very, very fine, yeah. - It's exquisite work.

0:27:21 > 0:27:23It's wonderful to meet somebody who has brought this

0:27:23 > 0:27:27method of production and decoration into the 21st-century,

0:27:27 > 0:27:30but in very honest and traditional ways. So, thank you for your time.

0:27:30 > 0:27:32- Thank you very much.- It's lovely!

0:27:36 > 0:27:39I shall go away and re-look at the enamels again

0:27:39 > 0:27:41with far more satisfaction and understanding

0:27:41 > 0:27:43than I even had before today.

0:27:55 > 0:27:57Still to come on today's show,

0:27:57 > 0:28:00Philip slips up on some tiles.

0:28:00 > 0:28:03You know, they're not hugely valuable.

0:28:03 > 0:28:05On 40, on 50. Keep going.

0:28:05 > 0:28:07I meet a couple with a flair

0:28:07 > 0:28:10for decorating their Edwardian time-capsule home.

0:28:10 > 0:28:13- It's like a mini museum! - THEY LAUGH

0:28:13 > 0:28:17And some Victorian embellishment drives James potty.

0:28:17 > 0:28:20I mean, really, it's vandalism in the extreme.

0:28:27 > 0:28:31Now, figurines are usually purely decorative,

0:28:31 > 0:28:35but closer inspection may reveal some hidden secrets,

0:28:35 > 0:28:36as Mark explains.

0:28:37 > 0:28:40Well, this cheeky little chappie is quite important to me

0:28:40 > 0:28:43because I don't normally collect things

0:28:43 > 0:28:46that mention a town or a city or anything,

0:28:46 > 0:28:48but first of all I fell in love with the object.

0:28:48 > 0:28:51It's a little flask, a spirit flask.

0:28:51 > 0:28:53The hat comes off here

0:28:53 > 0:28:55and then you put your favourite tipple in there -

0:28:55 > 0:28:58a bit of gin, or a bit of rum, or whatever it is.

0:28:58 > 0:29:00And you've got this rather portly gentleman -

0:29:00 > 0:29:03so maybe it's for port, actually - sitting on a bar stool,

0:29:03 > 0:29:08looking jolly happy with himself in his bright-yellow tail coat.

0:29:08 > 0:29:13But then if you look at the bottom it says, "In the bar at Brighton".

0:29:13 > 0:29:17And as I live in Brighton and I'm rather partial to a drink -

0:29:17 > 0:29:19but I don't wear such outlandish clothes -

0:29:19 > 0:29:21I just think he's rather wonderful.

0:29:21 > 0:29:24Mass-produced, German, about 1910 or so.

0:29:24 > 0:29:26But I've never seen one,

0:29:26 > 0:29:29and a lot of people I know who like collecting Brighton memorabilia

0:29:29 > 0:29:30haven't seen one either.

0:29:30 > 0:29:33So he's quite a rarity as well as being an oddity.

0:29:33 > 0:29:35And I hope, when I'm his age,

0:29:35 > 0:29:40I'll be sitting on a bar stool with my glass, chin-chinning everybody.

0:29:46 > 0:29:48When we speak about the decorative arts,

0:29:48 > 0:29:50we're normally referring

0:29:50 > 0:29:53to the design and the manufacture of functional objects.

0:29:53 > 0:29:56Now, most of what we see at a Flog It! valuation day

0:29:56 > 0:30:00falls into this category - your unwanted household items.

0:30:00 > 0:30:04So, how can you spot good decorative design?

0:30:07 > 0:30:12In every case, it's always the quality that shines out.

0:30:12 > 0:30:14So, if you have a piece of marquetry furniture,

0:30:14 > 0:30:18where there's an exquisite design in the surface of the piece,

0:30:18 > 0:30:20then that's where the value lies.

0:30:20 > 0:30:22If you're looking at silver,

0:30:22 > 0:30:24an emerging area I would suggest

0:30:24 > 0:30:27is the wonderful 1970s designs of Stuart Devlin.

0:30:28 > 0:30:32Great designer, innovative, very much of the era, of the period.

0:30:32 > 0:30:36His work is always signed, because you get a set of hallmarks.

0:30:36 > 0:30:38So, you get that lovely mark stamped in there.

0:30:38 > 0:30:40They are rising in value rapidly.

0:30:42 > 0:30:44Don't be influenced by other people.

0:30:44 > 0:30:47Because somebody else thinks something is wonderful,

0:30:47 > 0:30:51don't feel that you need to think it's wonderful as well.

0:30:51 > 0:30:53Be individualistic with your tastes.

0:30:53 > 0:30:56Functional doesn't have to be dull.

0:30:56 > 0:30:58Some vases that Michael found

0:30:58 > 0:31:01at a valuation day in Portsmouth in 2012

0:31:01 > 0:31:03were certainly not dull.

0:31:03 > 0:31:05The vases were obviously Chinese,

0:31:05 > 0:31:08which is flavour of the month at the sale rooms.

0:31:08 > 0:31:13I spotted you in the queue with these marvellous vases.

0:31:13 > 0:31:16They have the signs that we look for in the trade

0:31:16 > 0:31:19of private ownership, continuous private ownership.

0:31:19 > 0:31:21- Do you know what that sing is?- No.

0:31:21 > 0:31:24- It's specks of white emulsion. - Ah.- All over them!

0:31:24 > 0:31:27Cos people never used to cover up,

0:31:27 > 0:31:30- they just used to do the painting, and you'd get splatters.- Yes.

0:31:30 > 0:31:33- They scream Chinese.- Right.

0:31:33 > 0:31:38But very, very early form of Chinese vessel.

0:31:38 > 0:31:44This shape would date back possibly 2,500 to 3,000 years.

0:31:44 > 0:31:46These are end of the 19th century.

0:31:46 > 0:31:49- Oh, right!- They're about 1870,

0:31:49 > 0:31:51- up to about 1900.- Really?

0:31:51 > 0:31:53I didn't think they'd be that old.

0:31:53 > 0:31:55We've got cloisonne decoration.

0:31:55 > 0:31:57'With cloisonne, you will have wires'

0:31:57 > 0:31:59that you apply to a body,

0:31:59 > 0:32:03although they can be cast in place when an object is more robust.

0:32:03 > 0:32:07In this case, these are quite moderate quality.

0:32:07 > 0:32:11You get little pop marks where the glass hasn't quite filled up,

0:32:11 > 0:32:14- but they've still smoothed it off.- I see.

0:32:14 > 0:32:18Let's be cautious and say £80-120,

0:32:18 > 0:32:22and let's put a fixed reserve of £70 on them.

0:32:22 > 0:32:24They won't go for any less than that.

0:32:28 > 0:32:31They're a good-looking pair of vases that could brighten up the home

0:32:31 > 0:32:33and come in handy.

0:32:34 > 0:32:37- What did your grandmother put in them?- Those huge...

0:32:37 > 0:32:40- Remember those huge feathers?- Yeah. - Sort, I suppose, '70s, late '70s?

0:32:40 > 0:32:44- I know the ones.- She used to have those.- Yeah, bright colours.

0:32:44 > 0:32:47- Which is a good look, really. - It is, for an interior designer.

0:32:47 > 0:32:50Here we go. Let's find out what the bidders think.

0:32:50 > 0:32:54Lot 540 - the Chinese copper vases.

0:32:54 > 0:32:56£50... £50, surely.

0:32:56 > 0:32:5850 I have. And 5.

0:32:58 > 0:33:0255. 65? 70? At £65...

0:33:02 > 0:33:04Oh, we need a bit more than that.

0:33:04 > 0:33:05We do, I'm afraid.

0:33:05 > 0:33:08- At £65...- Maybe they needed the feathers in them.

0:33:08 > 0:33:1065, then, all done.

0:33:11 > 0:33:14- Not sold, I'm afraid. - Sorry about that.- Never mind.

0:33:14 > 0:33:16Look on the bright side, it's not a chest of drawers -

0:33:16 > 0:33:18- you don't have to drag that home, do you?- No.

0:33:20 > 0:33:22I was surprised they didn't sell,

0:33:22 > 0:33:25because I think they might have even scrapped out as bronze

0:33:25 > 0:33:30for the low estimate, but they were the lowest quality of that type.

0:33:33 > 0:33:36Objects with a use generally find a buyer,

0:33:36 > 0:33:41but with highly decorated pieces, taste is a bigger consideration.

0:33:41 > 0:33:43Clearly, this pair didn't hit the spot on the day.

0:33:46 > 0:33:48Functional antique silverware

0:33:48 > 0:33:50is a firm favourite of the "Flog It!" tables.

0:33:50 > 0:33:54We see a huge quantity of cutlery, tea sets and plates,

0:33:54 > 0:33:58all with a variety of decorative features to delight the eye.

0:33:58 > 0:34:02Of all the things I was expecting to find in Worcester today,

0:34:02 > 0:34:05it wasn't a George I solid-silver coffee pot.

0:34:05 > 0:34:08Is this something you're using still today?

0:34:08 > 0:34:09No, I've never used it.

0:34:09 > 0:34:11I was a licensee for many years,

0:34:11 > 0:34:15and one day a customer came in and it was that colour all over.

0:34:15 > 0:34:16It was absolutely black.

0:34:16 > 0:34:18He said, "Jim, I'm short of cash."

0:34:18 > 0:34:22I said, "Oh, really. How much?" He said, "I want £100 for it."

0:34:22 > 0:34:25- £100, a lot of money. - It was a lot of money, I thought.

0:34:25 > 0:34:26But there you are.

0:34:26 > 0:34:31As soon as you find and you see a piece of 18th-century silver,

0:34:31 > 0:34:35you think, "Wow, fantastic, let's talk about this."

0:34:35 > 0:34:40It's that typical George I shape, tapered cylindrical,

0:34:40 > 0:34:43domed cover, spire finial.

0:34:43 > 0:34:44Look at that panelled spout.

0:34:44 > 0:34:47It goes right the way down to halfway down the coffee pot,

0:34:47 > 0:34:50and it's got what's called a skirted base.

0:34:50 > 0:34:52That's a classic Georgian style.

0:34:52 > 0:34:55But... Here's the but...

0:34:55 > 0:34:57This decoration...

0:34:57 > 0:34:59Imagine you're sitting in a Victorian house

0:34:59 > 0:35:00and all your friends

0:35:00 > 0:35:03are having these up-to-date rococo-style coffee pots.

0:35:03 > 0:35:05You don't want to buy a new one,

0:35:05 > 0:35:08so you emboss and decorate something you already have.

0:35:08 > 0:35:14That was made in 1720 but all of this was done in 1860, 1870.

0:35:15 > 0:35:19Banging it around to try and make it more fashionable...

0:35:19 > 0:35:23I mean, really, it's vandalism in the extreme.

0:35:23 > 0:35:28To try and put flowers and scrolls and emboss all these silly things

0:35:28 > 0:35:32onto something that was just beautiful when it was made...

0:35:32 > 0:35:33Urgh.

0:35:33 > 0:35:37If it had been plain, undecorated,

0:35:37 > 0:35:39you'd be looking at around £1,000.

0:35:39 > 0:35:43But it's not. Let's put a conservative estimate on it.

0:35:43 > 0:35:46If we put 300-500...

0:35:47 > 0:35:48All right?

0:35:48 > 0:35:51The difference between Georgian and Victorian taste

0:35:51 > 0:35:55was writ large in this poor, tampered-with coffee pot.

0:35:55 > 0:35:56Did the bidders mind?

0:35:57 > 0:36:01Lot 355 is the 18th-century coffee pot.

0:36:01 > 0:36:03200 bid for that.

0:36:03 > 0:36:06210, 220, 230, 240, 250...

0:36:06 > 0:36:08Gosh, it's climbing fast.

0:36:08 > 0:36:11270, 280, 290, 300 bid.

0:36:11 > 0:36:13At £300...

0:36:13 > 0:36:16Straight up to the lower estimate.

0:36:16 > 0:36:17Is there any more?

0:36:18 > 0:36:20At £300, and I sell.

0:36:20 > 0:36:22At £300 and done...

0:36:22 > 0:36:24Thank you.

0:36:24 > 0:36:26Yes, the hammer's gone down. It was a good deal, wasn't it?

0:36:26 > 0:36:28Very good. One of my better deals.

0:36:28 > 0:36:31- One of your better deals. - There was a profit.

0:36:31 > 0:36:36Why the Victorians couldn't just make their own things

0:36:36 > 0:36:40and start with a lump of silver and make something themselves...

0:36:40 > 0:36:42Why they had to continuously go back

0:36:42 > 0:36:46and mess up something that was perfectly good, I really don't know.

0:36:48 > 0:36:51Jim's coffee pot provides a lesson for us all.

0:36:51 > 0:36:54Ornamentation can be a blessing to a piece,

0:36:54 > 0:36:59but if it isn't authentic, it can also turn off purist collectors.

0:37:01 > 0:37:03Just as the Victorians disliked

0:37:03 > 0:37:06the Georgian taste for simple, classic lines,

0:37:06 > 0:37:09today's buyers don't always appreciate

0:37:09 > 0:37:11a piece of quality craftsmanship from the past.

0:37:12 > 0:37:16It's in remarkably good condition. 19th century.

0:37:16 > 0:37:19- 1850s, 1860s, something like that. - Oh, right.

0:37:19 > 0:37:21It's what we call Bohemian glass.

0:37:21 > 0:37:24Bohemian glass, because it comes from that part of the world.

0:37:24 > 0:37:27I think it would have held something in it, certainly.

0:37:27 > 0:37:31It's too big to be unused.

0:37:31 > 0:37:35I think it certainly would have had a water, a tonic, something in it.

0:37:35 > 0:37:37What happens is...

0:37:37 > 0:37:40the glass is blown,

0:37:40 > 0:37:42and it's a clear glass.

0:37:42 > 0:37:46Then this red ruby you can see around it

0:37:46 > 0:37:48is flashed over the glass.

0:37:48 > 0:37:50So, the clear glass is blown

0:37:50 > 0:37:52and then it's dipped in a ruby glass

0:37:52 > 0:37:54and taken out immediately.

0:37:54 > 0:37:57It's then shaped and left to cool.

0:37:57 > 0:37:59Then, how does the decoration get made?

0:37:59 > 0:38:03The wheel engraver comes off and takes away the ruby,

0:38:03 > 0:38:08to leave what we see now, and it creates an effect, a 3D effect.

0:38:08 > 0:38:12It is very difficult to achieve that 3D effect,

0:38:12 > 0:38:15years and years of knowing... Because once you do something,

0:38:15 > 0:38:17you can't rub it out.

0:38:17 > 0:38:20You're taking away rather than adding.

0:38:20 > 0:38:24Each side has an architectural building on it.

0:38:24 > 0:38:28Austro-Hungarian, something like that. So that Middle European.

0:38:29 > 0:38:30'Karlsbad in the Czech Republic'

0:38:30 > 0:38:35certainly has lots of these Bohemian glasses in there,

0:38:35 > 0:38:37which have these scenes on them.

0:38:37 > 0:38:40They are quite collectible, and I would feel disappointed

0:38:40 > 0:38:44if you didn't get between £120 and £180.

0:38:44 > 0:38:49Lot 272, Bohemian ruby flashed and engraved decanter.

0:38:49 > 0:38:5385, 90, 95, 100.

0:38:53 > 0:38:55£100 now, selling at 100.

0:38:55 > 0:38:57Got you at 100. Are we all done?

0:38:57 > 0:38:59At £100 now.

0:39:00 > 0:39:04- It was a struggle.- Sold on the reserve.- It sold on the reserve.

0:39:04 > 0:39:08We see so much Bezak, Troika and Whitefriars,

0:39:08 > 0:39:11and now something quality comes along, wonderfully made...

0:39:11 > 0:39:14And much cheaper than Bezak and Troika.

0:39:14 > 0:39:16Much cheaper and much rarer.

0:39:16 > 0:39:19- But, you know, maybe not so fashionable...- It's fashion.

0:39:19 > 0:39:21Yeah, we're in the fashion business.

0:39:21 > 0:39:23How collectible is it these days?

0:39:23 > 0:39:25You know, I think we'd be hard pushed to make £100 on it now,

0:39:25 > 0:39:27to be candid.

0:39:27 > 0:39:29I think this would go really well in a bathroom.

0:39:29 > 0:39:32Many decorative objects are more subject

0:39:32 > 0:39:36to the vagaries of fashion than purely functional ones,

0:39:36 > 0:39:39regardless of their quality and craftsmanship.

0:39:39 > 0:39:42That said, some pieces never go out of style.

0:39:42 > 0:39:45Catherine Southon spotted some timeless items

0:39:45 > 0:39:47at a valuation day in Hampshire.

0:39:47 > 0:39:51I was given them by my granddad in 1994.

0:39:51 > 0:39:54As far as I know, they were an engagement present

0:39:54 > 0:39:55for my nan and granddad.

0:39:55 > 0:40:00When I saw their quite simple shape and the vibrant colours,

0:40:00 > 0:40:04I thought that they were probably 1930s Art Deco.

0:40:05 > 0:40:06And when I found out

0:40:06 > 0:40:10that her relatives were engaged in the '20s, '30s period,

0:40:10 > 0:40:12then that did all make sense.

0:40:12 > 0:40:16What I like about them is that they are in lovely condition

0:40:16 > 0:40:18and they are glass.

0:40:18 > 0:40:20From a distance they may look ceramic,

0:40:20 > 0:40:23and indeed I thought they were ceramic first of all,

0:40:23 > 0:40:25but as you see them, they are actually made from glass.

0:40:25 > 0:40:28And they look to have been painted on the reverse of glass,

0:40:28 > 0:40:31so this is the glass on the outside, but underneath that,

0:40:31 > 0:40:34that's where they've been painted.

0:40:34 > 0:40:36Which was great because it means from the outside

0:40:36 > 0:40:39you couldn't really damage them, they couldn't be scratched.

0:40:39 > 0:40:41And the colours on them, these have all been hand-painted,

0:40:41 > 0:40:43they were absolutely beautiful.

0:40:43 > 0:40:47They're really lovely, soft blues for the butterflies

0:40:47 > 0:40:49and the vibrant red dragon.

0:40:49 > 0:40:54They're really well done and rather beautiful.

0:40:54 > 0:40:58And also, they've got a lovely clear stamp on the bottom

0:40:58 > 0:41:01that tells us that they were made in Stourbridge.

0:41:01 > 0:41:05Stourbridge glass is one of the...best in the world.

0:41:05 > 0:41:07I mean, it's amongst the best in the world.

0:41:07 > 0:41:09This goes back centuries,

0:41:09 > 0:41:13but the real Stourbridge glass which we associate with the name

0:41:13 > 0:41:15goes back to the 19th century

0:41:15 > 0:41:18when there's lots of different factories working in that period.

0:41:18 > 0:41:21The lids aren't in such good condition,

0:41:21 > 0:41:23these do look a little bit tarnished.

0:41:23 > 0:41:26But nonetheless, you seem to have looked after them.

0:41:26 > 0:41:27Oh, absolutely, yeah.

0:41:27 > 0:41:31They put £200 to £300 on these caddies.

0:41:34 > 0:41:39£100. And 10. 110. 120. 130. 140.

0:41:39 > 0:41:41Right up at the top - 150.

0:41:41 > 0:41:45They didn't really, in my opinion, reach their full potential.

0:41:45 > 0:41:48And I would have liked to have seen them make £300.

0:41:48 > 0:41:50I mean, they were a trio, which is unusual.

0:41:50 > 0:41:54At £150 for the very last time.

0:41:54 > 0:41:57- Right on the reserve. They've gone.- That's fine.

0:41:57 > 0:42:01The lids were quite tarnished, so maybe that put some people off,

0:42:01 > 0:42:04but generally speaking, I mean, they were fab.

0:42:04 > 0:42:07I agree, those caddies would add a glorious splash of colour

0:42:07 > 0:42:09to any kitchen shelf.

0:42:09 > 0:42:13I must say, I have never seen tea caddies like them before.

0:42:13 > 0:42:14For a piece of Art Deco design

0:42:14 > 0:42:17which usually sells for pretty high prices,

0:42:17 > 0:42:20they were most certainly bargains.

0:42:20 > 0:42:22Dawn, where do you reckon the expression,

0:42:22 > 0:42:25"A night on the tiles comes from"? Hey?

0:42:25 > 0:42:27A collectible that combines

0:42:27 > 0:42:30functional and decorative appeal like no other

0:42:30 > 0:42:33is the communal garden ceramic tile.

0:42:33 > 0:42:35How many of these have you got?

0:42:35 > 0:42:39- About 30.- And this is just a sample. Where are they from?

0:42:39 > 0:42:41- Have you been knocking somebody's fireplace apart?- No.

0:42:41 > 0:42:44They was in my nan's house, we moved them from a fireplace,

0:42:44 > 0:42:47and then when I got them home I didn't know what to do with them,

0:42:47 > 0:42:49so I put them in the loft.

0:42:49 > 0:42:53I think these date from around the Art Nouveau period.

0:42:53 > 0:42:57And that's typified... If you think of Charles Rennie Mackintosh,

0:42:57 > 0:43:01if you think of those stylised Art Nouveau flowers on vases,

0:43:01 > 0:43:04they look very much like that, don't they?

0:43:04 > 0:43:06See, I do like some tiles,

0:43:06 > 0:43:10and I like early Delft tiles that are blue and white

0:43:10 > 0:43:15and relate perhaps to, you know, I don't know, 1700, 1740,

0:43:15 > 0:43:18but for me, these were just a little bit Victorian,

0:43:18 > 0:43:20and I've got to admit,

0:43:20 > 0:43:24the Victorian era actually sort of doesn't do it for me too much.

0:43:24 > 0:43:27They're not hugely valuable.

0:43:27 > 0:43:31I think they're worth between 75 and perhaps a couple of quid apiece,

0:43:31 > 0:43:32which is £20 to £40.

0:43:32 > 0:43:35- I don't think we need to put a reserve on, do you?- No.

0:43:35 > 0:43:38They're not going to make a great deal, are they?

0:43:38 > 0:43:40What will you do if I make 20, 30 quid, is that...?

0:43:40 > 0:43:42I want to send me daughter to Australia.

0:43:42 > 0:43:44- To Australia?- Yep. To meet her uncle.

0:43:44 > 0:43:47I don't think she's going to get to the bus station on these.

0:43:47 > 0:43:49- Every little helps.- Absolutely.

0:43:50 > 0:43:53Did these prove to be famous last words?

0:43:55 > 0:43:5730 glazed ceramic tiles.

0:43:57 > 0:44:0130 quid, straight in. 30. 32. 35. 38.

0:44:01 > 0:44:03You in? 40. 45.

0:44:03 > 0:44:0450. 55. 60.

0:44:04 > 0:44:06At 60 now.

0:44:06 > 0:44:105 on the net. 70. 75. 80. At 80.

0:44:10 > 0:44:1285. 90.

0:44:12 > 0:44:14Keep going. 95. 100.

0:44:14 > 0:44:15This is exciting.

0:44:15 > 0:44:18110. 120. At 120.

0:44:18 > 0:44:21I can only assume someone spotted something we missed.

0:44:21 > 0:44:25150. 160. 170.

0:44:25 > 0:44:27Keep going.

0:44:27 > 0:44:29200 now. The net at 200. 220.

0:44:29 > 0:44:31240.

0:44:31 > 0:44:33At £240. Look at that picture again,

0:44:33 > 0:44:35internet bidders, and bid.

0:44:35 > 0:44:37260.

0:44:37 > 0:44:41At £260. Back on the net at 280.

0:44:41 > 0:44:46At £280 now. I sell at 280. Anybody else?

0:44:47 > 0:44:49Dawn, you've got to be over the moon with that?

0:44:49 > 0:44:50It's amazing.

0:44:50 > 0:44:52Cos we were all going to settle for 30 to 40 quid -

0:44:52 > 0:44:54no reserve, we didn't care.

0:44:54 > 0:44:56Perhaps not all the way to Australia,

0:44:56 > 0:44:59but a bit further than the bus stop, eh, Philip?

0:44:59 > 0:45:02The £1 apiece, that was clearly silly.

0:45:06 > 0:45:10Perhaps it's easy to overlook tiles

0:45:10 > 0:45:12as no more than something to be walked on.

0:45:12 > 0:45:17But there's clearly a market for the rarer and more collectible varieties

0:45:17 > 0:45:18of this most commonplace item.

0:45:18 > 0:45:23- Oh, that is wonderful.- £550.

0:45:24 > 0:45:26So what is their appeal?

0:45:26 > 0:45:28These were works of art as well.

0:45:28 > 0:45:31They were mass-produced like bricks for houses,

0:45:31 > 0:45:33but they were tube-lined, they were engraved, they're embossed,

0:45:33 > 0:45:39so many techniques of decoration in something just so functional.

0:45:39 > 0:45:45I used to collect tiles myself until my mean wife made me sell them all.

0:45:45 > 0:45:49If you're in the market for tiles, what should you be aware of?

0:45:49 > 0:45:51Look for good-condition ones

0:45:51 > 0:45:56and be prepared to pay quite healthily for proper tiles.

0:45:56 > 0:45:59You can pay several hundred pounds for an individual tile

0:45:59 > 0:46:02if the design is correct and the maker is important enough.

0:46:02 > 0:46:05If you've got a name on a tile, anything like that,

0:46:05 > 0:46:09if it's particularly decorative, arty, then it's going to sell well.

0:46:10 > 0:46:13Here's a name to look out for - Minton.

0:46:13 > 0:46:1711 Minton tiles are going under the hammer right now. Quality.

0:46:17 > 0:46:18Great ceramics.

0:46:18 > 0:46:21£280, that's 30 quid over top end.

0:46:22 > 0:46:24Minton pottery began producing ceramic tiles

0:46:24 > 0:46:27during the Industrial Revolution.

0:46:27 > 0:46:31Both for exterior use on roofs and for inside the home

0:46:31 > 0:46:33on floors, walls and furniture.

0:46:36 > 0:46:41During the Victorian period, the use of decorative tiles exploded.

0:46:43 > 0:46:44As all the big names in pottery

0:46:44 > 0:46:47wanted a piece of this lucrative action,

0:46:47 > 0:46:50ceramic tiles were produced in their millions

0:46:50 > 0:46:53throughout the 19th century.

0:46:53 > 0:46:56To this day, millions of homes across Britain

0:46:56 > 0:47:00boast tile porches, hallways and fireplaces.

0:47:00 > 0:47:01In the early 20th century,

0:47:01 > 0:47:05the use of tiles in architecture reached new heights.

0:47:05 > 0:47:07London's famous Michelin building,

0:47:07 > 0:47:10now a swanky Chelsea restaurant,

0:47:10 > 0:47:13astonished the world with its exuberance

0:47:13 > 0:47:15when it opened for business in 1911.

0:47:15 > 0:47:19At another London landmark, Harrods,

0:47:19 > 0:47:22visitors to the food hall can still see a sumptuous display

0:47:22 > 0:47:24of Royal Doulton tiles

0:47:24 > 0:47:27designed in 1902 by William Neatby.

0:47:31 > 0:47:35More recently, tiles have moved from being seen as functional items

0:47:35 > 0:47:37to wonderful works of art, in their own right.

0:47:39 > 0:47:42This probably dates back to the 1960s and 1970s

0:47:42 > 0:47:47when there was a revival in interest in Victoriana and Art Nouveau.

0:47:49 > 0:47:50At the turn of the century,

0:47:50 > 0:47:55the Arts And Crafts movement began to champion the production of tiles.

0:47:55 > 0:47:59Look for William De Morgan - he is without a shadow of a doubt

0:47:59 > 0:48:03the most interesting decorator of tiles that I know of.

0:48:03 > 0:48:05His work was produced in the late 19th century,

0:48:05 > 0:48:10the early 20th century, wonderful deep red, lustrous decorations

0:48:10 > 0:48:13of exotic birds, sea galleons,

0:48:13 > 0:48:15serpents, really wonderful things.

0:48:17 > 0:48:20Nick Hall is not the only fan of William De Morgan.

0:48:22 > 0:48:27He was a close associate of William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites,

0:48:27 > 0:48:32so he was at the very centre of the art world and the craft world

0:48:32 > 0:48:37at the end of the 19th, beginning of the 20th century.

0:48:37 > 0:48:41And he rediscovered the lost techniques

0:48:41 > 0:48:46of the making lusterware of the Middle East.

0:48:46 > 0:48:52Now, we can see this in this little tile of a galleon in full sail

0:48:52 > 0:48:56and this was one of his very common motifs.

0:48:56 > 0:49:00We see this red, a ruby lustre,

0:49:00 > 0:49:04and what this gives us is depth in the colour,

0:49:04 > 0:49:09an iridescent quality which is very, very beautiful.

0:49:09 > 0:49:14He also made huge murals composed of many different tiles

0:49:14 > 0:49:17of galleons in full sail.

0:49:17 > 0:49:21And these are just a wonder to be hold.

0:49:22 > 0:49:25If you're hoping to spot a William De Morgan tile,

0:49:25 > 0:49:28familiarise yourself with his designs.

0:49:28 > 0:49:31There's an array of different marks that you can look at,

0:49:31 > 0:49:34you can learn, so a little bit of knowledge,

0:49:34 > 0:49:36a little bit of research, you can get ahead of the game

0:49:36 > 0:49:39and buy one that's worth twice as much as some of the others.

0:49:39 > 0:49:43If you're unlucky you might unearth a gem.

0:49:43 > 0:49:47In the room, the bid at 2,600.

0:49:48 > 0:49:502,650.

0:49:50 > 0:49:55- All done. - That is incredible. £2,650.

0:49:55 > 0:49:58- Even I am sitting down now. - Absolutely amazing.

0:49:58 > 0:50:01Look for De Morgan, study him, find him,

0:50:01 > 0:50:03build a collection, and I think you'll earn money.

0:50:03 > 0:50:07One single De Morgan tile bearing this chameleon design

0:50:07 > 0:50:13was sold at auction in 2013 for nearly £9,000.

0:50:14 > 0:50:16If your pockets aren't deep,

0:50:16 > 0:50:20there are plenty of tiles by other makers to tempt you.

0:50:20 > 0:50:23Even if you can't afford enough to cover your bathroom wall,

0:50:23 > 0:50:25you'll still have a lovely array of artworks.

0:50:33 > 0:50:35When you think of decorating a house,

0:50:35 > 0:50:39heavy industry doesn't immediately spring to mind.

0:50:39 > 0:50:41I went to Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria

0:50:41 > 0:50:46to see how people decked out their homes in Edwardian times.

0:50:46 > 0:50:47This is Vickerstown,

0:50:47 > 0:50:51built especially to house the local shipyard workers.

0:50:52 > 0:50:56A house like this is typical of the type a foreman would have enjoyed

0:50:56 > 0:51:00and, thanks to its current owners, who have lovingly restored it,

0:51:00 > 0:51:02we can see what life was like

0:51:02 > 0:51:04back in the early 1900s in Vickerstown.

0:51:11 > 0:51:15- And here are the couple, Russ and Nicola.- Hello.- Pleased to meet you.

0:51:15 > 0:51:18- Pleased to meet you too.- What a talented couple as well.- Thank you.

0:51:18 > 0:51:20This is so impressive.

0:51:20 > 0:51:24Just by first impressions, it's like a mini museum.

0:51:24 > 0:51:27- It really is, but the whole house embraces you as well.- Yeah.- Yeah.

0:51:27 > 0:51:30- Attention to detail!- Yeah...

0:51:30 > 0:51:33- Or spots of it.- Who's it down to? - It's both of us.

0:51:33 > 0:51:35- We both have got a good eye for things.- Definitely.

0:51:35 > 0:51:38- We both know the same things. - We both like the same things.- OK.

0:51:38 > 0:51:41Well, obviously, this was very fashionable, this look,

0:51:41 > 0:51:42in the early 1900s.

0:51:42 > 0:51:46It reminds me of William Morris. You've got the whole theme going on.

0:51:46 > 0:51:49How did this come about? You obviously bought the house...

0:51:49 > 0:51:51- You're local anyway. You were born and bred here.- Yeah.

0:51:51 > 0:51:54It was very old and dilapidated when we got in.

0:51:54 > 0:51:57- Yeah, all the fencing had collapsed.- It was crying out...

0:51:57 > 0:52:00- ..to be loved, really.- Yes. - It was just in a desperate...

0:52:00 > 0:52:03So, obviously, you had to renovate it, but were the skirting boards

0:52:03 > 0:52:05and the architraves and the cornices here?

0:52:05 > 0:52:08- No, I put all them in myself. - You're a carpenter by trade.

0:52:08 > 0:52:11Yes, I served my time in the yard as a carpenter.

0:52:11 > 0:52:15That's really taking it back to sort of where, in the early 1900s,

0:52:15 > 0:52:19you would have been working in the shipyard, living here,

0:52:19 > 0:52:20maybe as a foreman carpenter,

0:52:20 > 0:52:22going to work, and here you are now.

0:52:22 > 0:52:25Yeah. Maybe we've lived here before, then.

0:52:25 > 0:52:27- Yeah, this could be our second life.- Ooh, spooky.

0:52:27 > 0:52:30How do you take this house, though, into the millennium?

0:52:30 > 0:52:34- What's the kitchen like? I mean... - Well, come and have a look.- OK.

0:52:37 > 0:52:39Oh, wow.

0:52:39 > 0:52:42- Nice.- Very nice! I like the AGA. Obviously you cook on it.

0:52:42 > 0:52:47Yeah, we do. Just about. We heat things on it.

0:52:47 > 0:52:49THEY LAUGH

0:52:49 > 0:52:52So how has this changed? What have you done in here?

0:52:52 > 0:52:55Originally, it used to be a small kitchen, half-and-half,

0:52:55 > 0:52:56and the bathroom, downstairs bathroom.

0:52:56 > 0:53:00- So there was a toilet, bath and sink.- You've moved that upstairs?

0:53:00 > 0:53:03- We've taken that upstairs now. - So, where are the white goods?

0:53:04 > 0:53:08- Well, if you look into that cupboard there.- Can I look in your cupboard?

0:53:08 > 0:53:11- You certainly can.- Oh, yeah. Look at that. A fridge-freezer.

0:53:11 > 0:53:13- Well hidden away.- Microwave...

0:53:13 > 0:53:16Microwave and toaster under there. And underneath...

0:53:16 > 0:53:20Everybody's got to do some washing, so there's the washer and dryer.

0:53:20 > 0:53:23- They're all the boring bits. - Great, though, isn't it?

0:53:23 > 0:53:27The most recent one we've done, though, is the bedroom.

0:53:27 > 0:53:29So that's probably the favourite one at the moment.

0:53:29 > 0:53:31We've probably done the best job of our bedroom.

0:53:40 > 0:53:44- So this is our favourite room at the moment.- Great colours again.

0:53:44 > 0:53:48- Nice, isn't it? Really rich and warm.- Yes. Is it all original?

0:53:48 > 0:53:53- Most of it is, yes.- Windows? - Windows are. Fireplace is original.

0:53:53 > 0:53:56- There's obviously one obvious thing that's not...- Look at that cornice!

0:53:56 > 0:53:59- I know.- We made a little mistake but we think we've got away with it.

0:53:59 > 0:54:02- THEY LAUGH - That is a bit OTT, isn't it?

0:54:02 > 0:54:04- Yeah, it is. - But, hey, it's a bedroom.

0:54:04 > 0:54:06- Yeah, it looks great. - It's nice and rich.

0:54:06 > 0:54:09- Thank you so much for showing me around.- You're welcome.

0:54:09 > 0:54:11It's great. It's a trip back in time.

0:54:11 > 0:54:14- Thank you very much.- It's been a pleasure having you, showing it off.

0:54:20 > 0:54:22This may not be to everyone's taste,

0:54:22 > 0:54:26but if you have a passion for a particular period of decoration,

0:54:26 > 0:54:28it's amazing what you can do.

0:54:36 > 0:54:40Decoration can apply as much to the person as to the house.

0:54:40 > 0:54:43Now, at a valuation day in Bath back in 2012,

0:54:43 > 0:54:46a flash of blue caught my eye.

0:54:48 > 0:54:51Oh, wow! Oh. Hey, look. Look.

0:54:52 > 0:54:55You'd have to give me a lot of money for them.

0:54:55 > 0:54:57This is totally out of my league.

0:54:57 > 0:54:59I wouldn't have a clue what I'm talking about here,

0:54:59 > 0:55:03but I can appreciate that they're beautiful. I love the enamelling.

0:55:03 > 0:55:07'I bought the cuff links in the belief that they were 1919,'

0:55:07 > 0:55:08that's when they were made.

0:55:08 > 0:55:11Actually, they were made in 1950. Big difference.

0:55:11 > 0:55:14If I go off and get it a quick...

0:55:14 > 0:55:17Shall I say, off-the-cuff, valuation...

0:55:17 > 0:55:19THEY LAUGH

0:55:19 > 0:55:22Working away off camera are lots of Flog It! valuers,

0:55:22 > 0:55:25and I've asked Sophie Hutton to take a look at Stephen's cuff links.

0:55:25 > 0:55:28OK, let's just say they haven't got a lot of age.

0:55:28 > 0:55:31- Let's say they're, what, 1950s, 1960s?- Yes.

0:55:31 > 0:55:35I would think, at auction, you'd be looking at...easily 400 to 600.

0:55:35 > 0:55:37Well, there was a fine quality to them.

0:55:37 > 0:55:39You know, 14 diamonds, blue enamel.

0:55:39 > 0:55:42They looked like Faberge, almost.

0:55:42 > 0:55:44They weren't, sadly.

0:55:44 > 0:55:46This will go on the phone or online. Here we go.

0:55:46 > 0:55:51A pair of Russian diamond-set blue enamel cuff links. 340, 360...

0:55:51 > 0:55:53There's a commission bid, look. He's looking down on the book.

0:55:53 > 0:55:56420, 440.

0:55:56 > 0:56:00£420. Fresh bidder in on 420. Anyone else?

0:56:00 > 0:56:02They're just selling, aren't they, over the reserve?

0:56:02 > 0:56:06- Good bargain.- £420.- Yes. I think it's a bargain.

0:56:06 > 0:56:11I will still look for a pair that were made and hallmarked in 1919.

0:56:14 > 0:56:16If anyone can find them, Stephen can,

0:56:16 > 0:56:19with 23 years of hunting under his belt,

0:56:19 > 0:56:22he's amassed an astonishing collection

0:56:22 > 0:56:24of over 2,000 pairs of cuff links.

0:56:25 > 0:56:27My journey with cuff links began

0:56:27 > 0:56:30when I'd just been appointed into a junior management role

0:56:30 > 0:56:32in the mining industry

0:56:32 > 0:56:35and I ended up with a French cuff

0:56:35 > 0:56:38and the need for a pair of cuff links.

0:56:38 > 0:56:41And then I found, "Ooh, I'm wearing a blue tie today,

0:56:41 > 0:56:45"and a blue pocket square," because I liked to be dapper in those days,

0:56:45 > 0:56:50many years ago, so I would go out and buy a blue pair of cuff links.

0:56:50 > 0:56:52Anyhow, it just took off.

0:56:54 > 0:56:57Cuff links go back to 1662 at least,

0:56:57 > 0:57:02when Charles II married Catherine of Braganza

0:57:02 > 0:57:05and some cuff links were made for that occasion.

0:57:05 > 0:57:08I'd love to come across a pair of those.

0:57:12 > 0:57:15I think it's real fun collecting cuff links,

0:57:15 > 0:57:18and wearing them, of course, because I want to wear my collection.

0:57:20 > 0:57:24I've got some cuff links that are absolutely solid gold, really heavy.

0:57:24 > 0:57:27I bought them from the auction

0:57:27 > 0:57:31when they cleared out the home of Agatha Christie, the author.

0:57:31 > 0:57:36Special ones like this are, I think, 1960s.

0:57:36 > 0:57:40They're gold and it's 14 sapphires with one diamond,

0:57:40 > 0:57:42and what's unique about these

0:57:42 > 0:57:45is they belonged to the man with short, fat, hairy legs -

0:57:45 > 0:57:49Ernest Wiseman, or Ernie Wise as we knew him, out of Morecambe & Wise.

0:57:49 > 0:57:51So they're quite special,

0:57:51 > 0:57:53because I've got short, fat, hairy legs as well.

0:57:56 > 0:57:59If you want to be finely dressed and look dapper,

0:57:59 > 0:58:03then cuff links are the finishing touch. They're easy to collect.

0:58:03 > 0:58:07Lots of antique fairs and shows, bric-a-brac shops,

0:58:07 > 0:58:09and there's a value to some of them as well,

0:58:09 > 0:58:11so it's a long-term investment.

0:58:13 > 0:58:17When I want to sell some, it'll be a trip to New York.

0:58:17 > 0:58:21They fetch a good price in New York, I've noticed.

0:58:21 > 0:58:24Go for it. Be smart. Get smart.

0:58:28 > 0:58:30It's always a joy to meet a collector,

0:58:30 > 0:58:33and Stephen's clearly passionate about his subject.

0:58:33 > 0:58:36Now, if you fancy trying your hand at a bit of buying and selling,

0:58:36 > 0:58:39then join us again soon for more Trade Secrets.