0:00:04 > 0:00:05For over a decade now,
0:00:05 > 0:00:10you've been bringing the Flog It! team your unwanted antiques and collectables,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and we've helped you sell around £1 million worth to date.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17- 1,275.- I don't believe it! - I'm going to sell.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Yes! I like that sound, that is the "sold" sound.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Don't you just love auctions?
0:00:22 > 0:00:26During that time we've all learnt a great deal about the items that
0:00:26 > 0:00:28have passed through our hands.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31In this series I want to share some of that knowledge with you,
0:00:31 > 0:00:35so stand by to hear our experts' Trade Secrets.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04The world of antiques is full of wonderful
0:01:04 > 0:01:08and valuable objects of all kinds, but some pieces stand out
0:01:08 > 0:01:12more than others as being the work of mavericks and pioneers.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14So in today's show we are celebrating the men and women
0:01:14 > 0:01:19whose innovation and genius have left a lasting legacy.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Coming up first, your collectables delight our experts.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27It's probably one of the best pieces of Moorcroft I've seen on Flog It!
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Then they go to make waves at auction.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33At £1,500...
0:01:33 > 0:01:36- Sold!- Not bad, eh?
0:01:36 > 0:01:40And we explore the work of a 19th-century trailblazer.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43People must have thought he was completely mad.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50There are some names we quite often hear on the show
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and instantly you think of William Moorcroft, George Jones,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Geoffrey Baxter of Whitefriars Glass fame.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00You've probably got a few yourself. The list is a long one.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03But there is something all these people have in common
0:02:03 > 0:02:06with each other - they are all pioneers of their field.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10But what makes them worthy of the collectors' interest?
0:02:10 > 0:02:15Pioneers are probably one of the most important types of people
0:02:15 > 0:02:18because they bring about the changes
0:02:18 > 0:02:22that we need to develop as a society.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27My definition of pioneer is someone that goes somewhere
0:02:27 > 0:02:29that nobody has been before.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31It might be discovering a continent,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34but perhaps it's working in a new material.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Somebody like Charles Horner, who worked out of Halifax
0:02:38 > 0:02:42and was fabulous with Art Nouveau jewellery.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47William Morris was a pioneer. Mackintosh was a pioneer.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Anything by them would be incredibly expensive.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Why not think in terms of Georg Jensen jewellery?
0:02:54 > 0:02:59You can buy a Georg Jensen silver ring for less than £100.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Great names all of them.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03We've had the privilege of encountering many works
0:03:03 > 0:03:05by those pioneering craftsmen of the past.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10And we've stumbled on more modern ones too.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12At a valuation day in 2009,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Thomas Plant got his hands on an item
0:03:15 > 0:03:18from one of the giants of 20th-century fashion.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Tell me about it and how it came into your possession.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Well, my grandmother gave it to me
0:03:23 > 0:03:26when I was about ten and I've had it ever since.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29I don't know much more about it other than it's Christian Dior, I believe.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32It is Christian Dior. We can see it from here.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34The mark there is Christian Dior.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Of course that conjures up all these wonderful fashion items
0:03:38 > 0:03:40and high-end jewellery.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43But this is Christian Dior the costume jeweller
0:03:43 > 0:03:44we are looking at here.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Christian Dior - after the Second World War
0:03:47 > 0:03:51he sort of established his business
0:03:51 > 0:03:55as the first global fashion house.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01You have the aspirational haute couture which the Hollywood stars
0:04:01 > 0:04:04would wear, by Christian Dior.
0:04:04 > 0:04:10And I think in the '50s and '60s his costume jewellery was aspirational.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14You could actually buy a piece of Christian Dior. He'd realised
0:04:14 > 0:04:19that there was going to be demand for his product, his design.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24And hence, that's why his costume jewellery is so good
0:04:24 > 0:04:25and desirable.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Now, it is costume jewellery, we should explain that.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31You've got the mauve stones and the pink and this is glass
0:04:31 > 0:04:35or diamante or paste, as we call it, on a base metal.
0:04:35 > 0:04:41"Vintage" is a new word for antiques. Vintage is very cool.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45So if you're going out to a party
0:04:45 > 0:04:47and you're putting on vintage Dior, they'll all ask,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49"Where is that from?" "Actually, it's vintage."
0:04:49 > 0:04:51It's Dior, isn't it?"
0:04:51 > 0:04:54It would probably make over £50,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57but I should have the estimate sort of £70-£100.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00If it had been...
0:05:00 > 0:05:03an unknown piece of costume jewellery, which you get
0:05:03 > 0:05:06quite a lot, I'd probably have said it wasn't worth selling.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08£20-£30, £5-£10.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12It's quite a difficult subject to sell in a traditional saleroom
0:05:12 > 0:05:15- like this, but we're going to give it a go.- OK. Here we go.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Fingers crossed. You never know what's going to
0:05:18 > 0:05:20happen at an auction. let's check this one out.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24And as it happened, quite a few bidders also wanted to check it out.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29110. 120. 130. 140. 150. 160.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33- At 160.- Gosh! - Lady's bid now. 160. 170 now.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37160. At 160. 170 on the phone. 180.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39190 if you like. 190.
0:05:39 > 0:05:45- 200. At 200.- They absolutely love this!- They do know it's paste?
0:05:45 > 0:05:46220.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48230. 240.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51I was flabbergasted. I think I said it three times.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- 340.- I am flabbergasted.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55Did you miss something, Thomas?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59400. 420.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01SHE GASPS
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- Do they know something we don't know?- I don't know!
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- What's going through your mind right now?- Oh, I can't believe it!- Money!
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Good old Nana!
0:06:09 > 0:06:12At £440. It's on the phone at 440...
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- Incredible! £440. Angela, that's wonderful!- Thank you so much.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21- That's great.- Good old Nana, eh? - Yeah, good old Nana!
0:06:21 > 0:06:23I can get something really nice with that.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25I am flabbergasted.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26Auctions are a real education
0:06:26 > 0:06:30and whenever I see a piece of Christian Dior
0:06:30 > 0:06:34costume jewellery now, I give it a lot more attention than I used to.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Me, too, Thomas!
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Since that auction I won't pass a piece of paste jewellery
0:06:40 > 0:06:42without checking it out to see
0:06:42 > 0:06:45if it bears one of the big fashion house names.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Without doubt it was the mark of the pioneering designer Dior
0:06:48 > 0:06:51which made Angie's bracelet fly.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Now, Elizabeth Talbot knew she was on to a winner when she came across
0:06:55 > 0:07:01a piece of pottery by a designer who is a firm favourite on this show.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I did like Beryl's vase.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04Her Moorcroft vase was a delight.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08It's probably one of the best pieces of Moorcroft I've seen on Flog It!
0:07:08 > 0:07:10What can you tell me about it?
0:07:10 > 0:07:14My parents had it as a wedding present in 1929,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16so it's been around all my life.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18'William Moorcroft was a pioneer to the extent'
0:07:18 > 0:07:22that his methods of production were very individual,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25from the handcrafting of the pot on the wheel through to the
0:07:25 > 0:07:27tube lining, a bit like decorating a cake.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Throughout the 20th century his designs
0:07:29 > 0:07:33and his factory's successive designs have remained very much
0:07:33 > 0:07:36accessible and relevant to the generations that have followed on.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40It's a very distinctive and quite a rare pattern by Moorcroft.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42I have to hold my hands up at this point
0:07:42 > 0:07:45and say I can't remember the name of the pattern.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48But it is one of the rarer patterns.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52The whole methodology of production was very pioneering
0:07:52 > 0:07:55and it hasn't been bettered or really improved on in terms of that
0:07:55 > 0:07:57type of pottery since the late 19th century.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00His factory is renowned for the double firing.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04So the pot with the colour was fired
0:08:04 > 0:08:07and then the clear glaze was put on top and then it was fired again.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11And that's what's really lifts those marvellous colours out
0:08:11 > 0:08:13and makes it so vibrant and distinctive.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17What do you think it might be worth, offered to the market?
0:08:17 > 0:08:22Well, I would have thought it has to be at least £150-£200,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25but I think it might be more than that.
0:08:25 > 0:08:26Well, it might be, yeah.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28It's rather charming
0:08:28 > 0:08:31when people underestimate the value of their items,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and it makes my job so much easier and far more enjoyable
0:08:34 > 0:08:37when I can break good news rather than having to beat them
0:08:37 > 0:08:40down from high expectations which are not achievable.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44I would like to see this sell for between £700 and £1,000.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- Does that please you?- Yes!
0:08:49 > 0:08:53And the man whose job it was to make good on Elizabeth's estimate
0:08:53 > 0:08:58was Flog It! regular Will Axon. So what did he make of the vase?
0:08:58 > 0:09:00This was a nice early piece.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04A William Moorcroft piece, signed on the base, an impressed Moorcroft.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06The shape was quite interesting,
0:09:06 > 0:09:11that sort of subtle baluster vase, which is very desirable.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15You can value them to a certain degree on the more general patterns, by size and shape.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- OK.- But I suspect if she had known the name of the pattern,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21which incidentally is Moonlit Blue,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23I mean, at £700-£1,000
0:09:23 > 0:09:26they'd be queuing up with the chequebooks at that sort of estimate.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- I would.- Yeah.
0:09:28 > 0:09:34I've got interest. At 500. 550. 600. 650. 700.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37At 700. And it's in the market. 750. 800.
0:09:37 > 0:09:45850. 900. 950. 1,000. 1,100. 1,200. 1,300.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47- They absolutely love it.- 1,400.
0:09:47 > 0:09:511,450. It all helps. 1,500.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55And another 50. At 1,500 I'm bid here. Try me again, sir.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58At £1,500 I'm bid here. At 1,500.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Who else is in now? At £1,500. Are you sure?
0:10:00 > 0:10:06I shall sell it. The hammer is up. On commission then, at £1,500...
0:10:06 > 0:10:11- Sold!- Not bad, eh? What are you going to put all that money towards?
0:10:11 > 0:10:16- Go on a train journey to Austria. - Oh, are you?- Oh, how romantic!
0:10:16 > 0:10:20This particular vase sold very well indeed, partly because of the
0:10:20 > 0:10:25pattern, which is relatively rare, so a very choice collector's piece.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29It was a nice size and the pattern suited the shape
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and the condition was great.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Yes, Beryl's vase certainly had a lot going for it,
0:10:33 > 0:10:38especially the name Moorcroft, whose items always do the business.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42There are of course other pioneering potters. Take Clarice Cliff,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46she was a leading businesswoman whose Jazz Age designs
0:10:46 > 0:10:47bucked the trend.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Today there's a huge market for her work
0:10:49 > 0:10:52and we see many pieces on the show.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- The magic name of Clarice Cliff. - Absolutely.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Which is so desirable and so collectable.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Clarice Cliff is an old Flog It! favourite.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03If you're eager to become a Clarice Cliff collector,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07get to know your subject. When buying always check condition.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10This is key. But it's also worth researching the pattern.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15I've never seen this in this blue colour before.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19You'd normally see this colour in reds and greens.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Clarice Cliff always does well at auction,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24but some of her rarer designs can fly.
0:11:24 > 0:11:262,200.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Gosh, this is rare! They know something we don't know, Philip.
0:11:29 > 0:11:312,600. 2,700.
0:11:31 > 0:11:342,800.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37Are we all done at £2,700?
0:11:37 > 0:11:43Hammer's gone down. What a wonderful moment. £2,700!
0:11:44 > 0:11:45What a result!
0:11:45 > 0:11:48But it isn't just the great designers like Clarice Cliff
0:11:48 > 0:11:50who demonstrated a pioneering spirit.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54It was also the merchants who sold their wares.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58In 1875 a new London emporium opened its doors.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02It quickly became known for its eclectic and cutting-edge stock.
0:12:03 > 0:12:09Arthur Lasenby set up Liberty's, which was a quite new
0:12:09 > 0:12:14and innovative type of department store at that time.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20And his association with the finest craftsmen
0:12:20 > 0:12:25and artists of the day certainly showed in the goods that he sold.
0:12:27 > 0:12:33He didn't want to just to sell utilitarian or ordinary
0:12:33 > 0:12:37or boring-looking things. He wanted to sell things which were...
0:12:38 > 0:12:43..innovative. The most exciting goods, the best quality goods.
0:12:43 > 0:12:49They are made of pewter and the pewter is hand-hammered.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52They have these asymmetric squares on them
0:12:52 > 0:12:57and we have the little enamelled medallions in the middle.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00So they are aesthetically pleasing.
0:13:00 > 0:13:07If we look on the back, we can see that these are called Tudric.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Tudric was the name for the Arts And Crafts pewter
0:13:11 > 0:13:16that was made for Liberty & Company.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18We had all sorts of boxes.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22We had we had frames of clocks, Arts And Crafts, Art Nouveau -
0:13:22 > 0:13:27these were the themes, the feeling that these items had.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- Where did you get them? - Well, they belong to my son, really.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34- I'm just bringing them in on his behalf.- Where did he get them?
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- I believe he got them at a boot sale.- A car boot story, I love them!
0:13:37 > 0:13:40How much did you pay for them?
0:13:40 > 0:13:41Not a lot, knowing my son.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Probably under a tenner, I'd think.
0:13:44 > 0:13:50I would put an auction estimate on these of £60-£80.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52They may do more than that.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57We do have a pair and they do have the Tudric name on them.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Anita was confident that the car boot napkins were going to
0:14:00 > 0:14:03make a good return on their money.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05What did auctioneer Claire Rawle think?
0:14:05 > 0:14:09I love it if something has Liberty on it because you know it is
0:14:09 > 0:14:13going to appeal across the board and is going to make good money.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16That name is just so popular.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18If you want an example, I had a couple of really,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21really dull-looking picture frames in recently.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25They came in on a valuation morning and I thought, "OK, firewood."
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Turned them round, Liberty's label on the back. Fantastic.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32They are Arts And Crafts. They sold for hundreds of pounds.
0:14:32 > 0:14:38Nice pair of napkin rings. And this one I have to start at £100.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42- At 100.- Wow.- At 100. Do I see 110 in the room?
0:14:42 > 0:14:45At £100.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50110. 120. 130. The bid is in the room now. £130.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56At £130. Are you all done? Selling then at 130...
0:14:56 > 0:14:59- 130.- The hammer's gone down.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Do you know, I wish it was as easy to turn
0:15:01 > 0:15:04£4 into £130 just like that every day of the week.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08It was a good price for the napkin rings.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13I felt they made good money and it was down to the Liberty's name.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17When you see the name Liberty and Tudric on an item, you know
0:15:17 > 0:15:20that it's going to soar.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25So the next time you're trawling a car boot, jumble sale or a
0:15:25 > 0:15:29charity shop, it's definitely worth keeping an eye out for this stamp.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34But what other innovative names are worth considering?
0:15:34 > 0:15:38Well, Rene Lalique was a great pioneer in 20th-century glass-making.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42And he was widely copied as a result afterwards by other glass-makers.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46But they never managed to achieve the sort of design quality
0:15:46 > 0:15:50and the production quality that Lalique used to achieve.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54There was quite a range of glass that was produced - bowls
0:15:54 > 0:15:57and vases and, of course, car mascots.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Sue, very nice to see you here in Hereford Cathedral.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Has this come off one of your cars?
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Unfortunately not, because I think he would have gone on a Rolls-Royce.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10- HE LAUGHS - Right! He's a Lalique mascot.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12He's a falcon, known as the Faucon.
0:16:12 > 0:16:18- Yes, yes.- Designed in 1925, I believe.- Oh, really?
0:16:18 > 0:16:21And we've got the moulded Lalique mark just there.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23What you did in those days, of course,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25you didn't just have your Rolls-Royce with your
0:16:25 > 0:16:27silver lady or whatever on the front,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30you'd get your own mascot that you fancied for your car.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34So you'd go and you say you wanted want a falcon or an eagle or a fox,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36and then you'd have that done.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38So they weren't made for specific cars,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42they were made for the people who then bought them for their cars.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Condition, the chip to the beak,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47which obviously drastically compromises the value.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49There were often damaged, of course.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52A glass mascot on front of a car isn't going to last long,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55and I would have thought a few of them probably got pinched.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58I think in good condition, this is £500's worth.
0:17:00 > 0:17:06- I would have thought about 400-ish. - £400-£500 in good condition.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09- But because of the chip, I'd halve it, probably.- As much as that?
0:17:09 > 0:17:13- So 200 to 300, I'd think, is sensible.- Really?
0:17:13 > 0:17:17- That's interesting.- I think so. - I would have thought less.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- You'd have thought less?- Yes. - Less than 200?
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Well, that's what I'd just guessed.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Well, I figure 200 to 300 is a sensible guide on it.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28- Does that sound...?- That sounds fantastic, actually. Sounds good.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31There's a huge demand for all sorts of Lalique,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35especially the early Lalique, and especially car mascots, actually.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39But I'm acutely aware of the fact that any damage -
0:17:39 > 0:17:41particularly on a piece of glass, that can't be restored,
0:17:41 > 0:17:46be made good, it's always going to have that chip on its beak -
0:17:46 > 0:17:49I thought that would drastically reduce the price.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Was Adam right? Time to find out.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Bids on the line, bids on the book
0:17:56 > 0:17:59and bids on the net. So who's got, I don't know, £300 to start?
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Nobody wants it?
0:18:04 > 0:18:05OK.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07500? Thank you.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11- I'm bid £500.- That's a good start.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12At £500 only.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14At 520.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- Twice the price already!- £520 only.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19520.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21550 on the telephone. 580.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23On the net, 580.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27- That's the beauty of auctions, isn't it?- Two people or more...- Exactly.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29600 on the telephone.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33620 on the net. 650. 680.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34700.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37£700 only, on the telephone.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39720.
0:18:41 > 0:18:42At £720...
0:18:42 > 0:18:44On the net at 720.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Is there any more?
0:18:46 > 0:18:48£720 and done...
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- Thank you. - It's made its money. 720.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54It was damaged. Um...
0:18:54 > 0:18:56But I'm not surprised it made what it did
0:18:56 > 0:18:59just because of the strong areas of collecting.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03- That's fabulous, Sue.- I'd have got 700-800 if it was perfect. - That's fabulous.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06I never thought it would make anything like that.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Indeed, I had undercooked the estimate.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Partridge values falcon too low.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16We are quite familiar with the work of Rene Lalique on Flog It!
0:19:16 > 0:19:19And often we see high prices realised at auction.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23But Sue's car mascot, that took us all completely by surprise.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25It had double the appeal.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28The Lalique collectors were fighting it out
0:19:28 > 0:19:30with the car mascot enthusiasts.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34And there really is a huge market out there for the rarer designs.
0:19:35 > 0:19:42In 2011 a Rene Lalique mascot of a fox sold for around £125,000.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46And if you're interested in pioneering makers like Lalique,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48what should you be aware of?
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Never underestimate the value of a good name.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54It can increase the worth of a collectable exponentially.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55Incredible! £440.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59- Angela, that's wonderful! - Thank you so much, that's great.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03If you're investing in pieces from one of the leading potteries,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06consider shape, colour and rarity of pattern
0:20:06 > 0:20:08to find a winner.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10And always think out of the box.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14It's not only the designers' names you should keep an eye out for.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18The association with an innovative retailer like Liberty
0:20:18 > 0:20:19can help a collectible soar.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Liberty never revealed the names of its designers,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32but between 1899 and 1912,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36there was one prolific artist on its books whose work was so distinctive,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40his name just couldn't be kept secret.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43It's made by Liberty and the famous designer Archibald Knox
0:20:43 > 0:20:46and when you put those two names together,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- of course it's a very, very collectible field.- Yeah.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52The nice thing with Knox's work is it's very different.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56You can see in his designs almost immediately
0:20:56 > 0:21:00if it's an Archibald Knox piece, the way it's organic,
0:21:00 > 0:21:01the enamelling is wonderful,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04you get a very rich texture in the enamelling,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07which is very appealing and which, of course,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10adds a lot of value to the pieces.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12And when Knox collectibles come up for sale,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15they achieve great prices.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20All done at £430? Any advance on 430? 430.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22They've done it, £430. That'll do you, won't it?
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Oh, yeah, champion, there.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Archibald Knox was born on the Isle of Man in 1864.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35At a young age, he joined the newly-opened Douglas School of Art,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38where he developed a lifelong interest in Celtic design.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41His creative talent blossomed
0:21:41 > 0:21:45and he designed a huge range of both ornamental
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and utilitarian objects - clocks, jewellery,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51tea sets, boxes, garden ornaments,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54ink wells, carpets, fabrics and even gravestones.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58His work at Liberty made him a household name.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01He was one of their leading designers,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04creating items for its Pewter Tudric range
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and the Cymric range, made from precious metals.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Knox's sense of his Celtic ancestry can be seen in the stylised knots
0:22:11 > 0:22:13decorating many of his wares.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17These were often intertwined with flowering Art Nouveau motifs.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19What I particularly like about it
0:22:19 > 0:22:23are these little sort of Art Nouveau, heart-shaped roundels here,
0:22:23 > 0:22:24which are rather nice.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28So what do you need to know if you're interested
0:22:28 > 0:22:31in collecting items by Archibald Knox?
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Get to know your subject.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Although Knox's Liberty pieces weren't signed,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39his designs often shout his name, but if in doubt,
0:22:39 > 0:22:40look at a pattern number,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44which can be related to a known book of Knox designs.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50When considering one of Knox's silver items from the Cymric range,
0:22:50 > 0:22:51check for a clear hallmark
0:22:51 > 0:22:56and make sure the item hasn't been altered or isn't a cast copy.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Pewter is far softer than silver,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01so with Knox's items from the Tudric range,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06consider the clarity of the design and the original patination.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08You should also take into account
0:23:08 > 0:23:11any wear to the pattern from over-polishing.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14If you're only going to invest in one Knox collectible,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17then his clock cases in either silver or pewter
0:23:17 > 0:23:19are a timeless favourite,
0:23:19 > 0:23:24especially those which incorporate enamels into the decorative scheme.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Although she's a relative newcomer to "Flog It!",
0:23:30 > 0:23:33auctioneer Claire Rawle has had years of experience
0:23:33 > 0:23:35in the antiques world...
0:23:35 > 0:23:38At £260, then, if you're all done. Selling here at 260.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42..and during that time she's developed a passion
0:23:42 > 0:23:45for the work of one of Britain's foremost designers
0:23:45 > 0:23:47of the 19th century, a true pioneer.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Christopher Dresser was a prolific designer
0:23:53 > 0:23:55who created a variety of objects
0:23:55 > 0:23:57throughout his long, industrious career.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03I think my love for Dresser came from his simple designs.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06I love the way he designs things and they're very functional,
0:24:06 > 0:24:07you can use them,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11and they were made very much for the ordinary person, for the masses.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14He was the first independent designer,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16he was probably the leading ceramic designer,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19not only just of his age, but of any age.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24I'm here in Middlesbrough at the Dorman Museum,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26where I'm going to meet curator Gill Moore,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28who I know is going to tell me a whole lot more
0:24:28 > 0:24:29about Christopher Dresser.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Well, Dresser was actually born in Glasgow in 1834,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42but his family actually came from Yorkshire.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44There was a Yorkshire connection
0:24:44 > 0:24:48and Dresser showed exceptional talent as an artist when he was quite young
0:24:48 > 0:24:50and he was enrolled in the Government School of Design
0:24:50 > 0:24:51in London.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56The family at this point had actually moved down to London, so 1840s,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59and he was actually accepted at the School of Design
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- two years earlier than normal. He was only 13.- Oh, really?
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- So he was obviously quite a child prodigy, then.- He certainly was.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07He did exceptionally well while he was at the School of Design,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11won several medals and he set up his own studio quite early on,
0:25:11 > 0:25:15so he would have employed maybe half a dozen apprentices.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18He was probably one of the first independent designers, really?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Yes, he was. He was a pioneer in that way.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Dresser was fundamental in the development
0:25:24 > 0:25:27of the colourful work of Linthorpe pottery.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30In 1875, John Harrison invited Dresser to visit
0:25:30 > 0:25:34his struggling brickworks in Linthorpe, near Middlesbrough.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Dresser was quite impressed by the quality of the clay,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41the red clay, so he suggested it might be more profitable
0:25:41 > 0:25:45to actually turn to production of art pottery rather than bricks,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47so that was how Linthorpe pottery was born.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Because that was really his big tie with Middlesbrough, wasn't it?
0:25:51 > 0:25:52The pottery?
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Dresser was the art advisor for all Linthorpe pottery
0:25:54 > 0:25:57and he had quite a lot of control over it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02And then, 1876, his sort of lifetime's ambition came true,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04that he went to visit Japan.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09He'd long had an admiration for Japan,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12so this was his dream come true, really.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- Yeah.- Because it was so soon after he returned from Japan,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19so within about two years of his return,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22there's a lot of Oriental influence. And if you actually look
0:26:22 > 0:26:26at the background there, you can see the Oriental silks.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30We believe the silks actually came from decorating rooms at the pottery.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Really, so they were actually in there?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34They were actually in the pottery, yes.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Dresser was quite concerned about
0:26:36 > 0:26:39the environment that the decorators, the artists should be working in.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42He wanted them to be inspired by looking at works like this.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Linthorpe was an overnight success.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52I think the actual response to it was far greater than they expected.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55So people really, really embraced his designs,
0:26:55 > 0:26:56it really appealed to people, did it?
0:26:56 > 0:26:59It was so unusual. People hadn't seen anything like it.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Linthorpe was the first pottery to use a gas-fired kiln,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05so they could actually control the temperature,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07so we have some really amazing glazes.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08Yeah.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10So to be sure of getting a Dresser piece,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12it has the facsimile signature on the bottom,
0:27:12 > 0:27:13obviously the factory name.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Yes, because he would have produced quite a lot of designs
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and a lot of them were produced after his association had finished,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22but, also, you want the Linthorpe mark on it, of course.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25- It would always have the Linthorpe mark?- Yes, yes.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29We've actually acquired a collection of Dresser items quite recently
0:27:29 > 0:27:31and we have examples of everything.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35We have furniture, we have metalware, we have wallpaper.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Oh, that sounds fantastic.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Is there any chance I can have a sneak preview?
0:27:39 > 0:27:41I'm sure you can, come with me. Thank you!
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Christopher Dresser, he was such a pioneer,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48because he embraced modern technology,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51he used it to manufacture his goods so that they were available
0:27:51 > 0:27:52to a wide range of people
0:27:52 > 0:27:55and he just designed so many different things.
0:27:55 > 0:27:56He was an amazing man.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02They chairs we have were from the 1880s and they were designed
0:28:02 > 0:28:05for the Art Furnishers' Alliance, one of Dresser's retail ventures.
0:28:05 > 0:28:10He actually brought together wallpaper design, textiles,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12ceramics, glass and furniture.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16This is one of the iconic pieces that you associate with Dresser,
0:28:16 > 0:28:17the crow's foot decanter.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20It's also very functional and beautiful
0:28:20 > 0:28:23and the little feet here, they actually raise the glass
0:28:23 > 0:28:25above the ground, so you could actually see the colour of the wine.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Oh, right, yes.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29And the shoulder on it as well also has a purpose,
0:28:29 > 0:28:31so when you actually poured your wine,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33any sediment would actually be caught in it,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35so you get a nice, clear glass.
0:28:35 > 0:28:40- Isn't that clever?- It's very clever, so well thought of, so Dresser.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42- This is a Dresser design? - That is a Dresser design, yeah.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45- But it's not marked, I don't think, is it?- No.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47So if anyone's doing a bit of research into his design,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50get an eye for it, it's the sort of thing you could find
0:28:50 > 0:28:53at a boot sale or somewhere, bunged in a box with other stuff.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55And just pass it by, yes.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Cos everyone says, "Oh, I hate polishing brass and copper."
0:28:58 > 0:29:01You've got this lovely brass and copper teapot, kettle, whatever,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03and very typical, the little, stumpy legs.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05That's very Dresser, isn't it?
0:29:05 > 0:29:08So that's the sort of thing that any budding collectors of his work,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11if they get an eye for his design, they could stumble across
0:29:11 > 0:29:13and probably pick it up for not very much.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16Exactly, yes, and new items are coming up all the time
0:29:16 > 0:29:17and now being attributed to Dresser.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Yeah, I think there's a good opportunity
0:29:19 > 0:29:22- for collectors out there, isn't there?- Oh, I think so.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25At the end of the day, you end up with something really stylish
0:29:25 > 0:29:27and really attractive, so get out there and start looking.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Exactly, yes.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42It's easy to admire Christopher Dresser's work in the abstract.
0:29:42 > 0:29:47The wonderful forms and colours of his designs speak for themselves,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50but to get a real sense of how revolutionary he was,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52it's necessary to see his pieces
0:29:52 > 0:29:55alongside those of his contemporaries.
0:29:55 > 0:29:56This piece, believe it or not,
0:29:56 > 0:30:01is a Christopher Dresser teapot that came in to me
0:30:01 > 0:30:05at the bottom of a very large box of silver-plated wares
0:30:05 > 0:30:09that was brought in by a member of staff at a charity shop
0:30:09 > 0:30:11and she wasn't quite sure what she had.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13She just said, "We've had this donated to us.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15"Let us know what you think",
0:30:15 > 0:30:17and I was filtering through all this silver plate,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19going through, trying to find bits and bobs
0:30:19 > 0:30:22and this completely stood out from the crowd to me,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25amongst this load of other silver plate which was, frankly, junk.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29This is just the piece de resistance.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31If you think at the time that Christopher Dresser
0:30:31 > 0:30:35was making these teapots, this was about 1880, Victorian England,
0:30:35 > 0:30:37high Victorian, prolific decoration everywhere,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40this was the sort of thing that was being used at the time.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42Look at all this decoration.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44It's just so Victorian, screams Victorian,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47but Christopher Dresser was making this and it's so simple
0:30:47 > 0:30:50and it's so stylish and it wouldn't look out of place in today's home.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52He took a lot of influence from Japan,
0:30:52 > 0:30:54especially this wonderful ebonised handle here.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56It's such a Japanese influence,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58and to me, just the fact that he was making this
0:30:58 > 0:31:00and other people were making this,
0:31:00 > 0:31:02people must have thought he was completely mad.
0:31:02 > 0:31:03What a pioneer.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08I have put a value on it of £800-1,200.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10The last one of these that sold I think sold...
0:31:10 > 0:31:12I think it was about £3,000.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15Ours has got a few dents cos it's been used.
0:31:15 > 0:31:16That's what it was made for.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19But, no, that was my Flog It! moment in real life.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Still to come, I'm delighted to find
0:31:28 > 0:31:31a photograph taken by a true pioneer...
0:31:31 > 0:31:34The greatest female photographer possibly in history,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36- definitely in 19th century.- Yeah.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39..and Flog It! regulars share their first memories
0:31:39 > 0:31:40of being on the programme.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42I was full of anticipation,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45thinking about the wonderful things that I might see.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50My look then was very much, what shall we call it,
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Spanish cavalier, perhaps?
0:31:59 > 0:32:03Pioneers work across all areas of society, not just in design.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07In mid-19th century Rochdale,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11the Industrial Revolution brought benefits but also misery,
0:32:11 > 0:32:15with long working hours, low pay, grinding poverty and hunger.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19But those desperate living conditions
0:32:19 > 0:32:20proved to be a force for good.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Back in 2007, I went to find out more.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28A radical group of young men who, appalled at what they saw,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30decided to offer the people of Rochdale an alternative,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34a different way to feed their families and a chance
0:32:34 > 0:32:36to escape the appalling poverty
0:32:36 > 0:32:39and the conditions that most of them faced.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42These young men were called the Rochdale Pioneers
0:32:42 > 0:32:45and it was here 160 years ago
0:32:45 > 0:32:49that their story began, right here in Toad Lane.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51In fact, this building,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54number 31, is regarded as the home of the Co-op.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58This is where the Co-op began.
0:32:58 > 0:32:59Let's go in.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07So who were the men who started the Co-op, the Rochdale Pioneers?
0:33:07 > 0:33:08Well, I've come to find out
0:33:08 > 0:33:12and I'm here to meet the Co-op's historian, Dorothy Greaves.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15- Hello, Dorothy.- Hello.- Thank you so much for talking to me today.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Where did it all start and why?
0:33:17 > 0:33:21Well, it started because of the absolute poverty in this area.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25People were starving because wages had gone right down from, say,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29up to £2 a week to five shillings, six and ninepence.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32When you had eight children, six and ninepence didn't go very far.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35Of course, shop keepers used to adulterate their food
0:33:35 > 0:33:36to make more profit.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38What, give the wrong weights and the wrong measures?
0:33:38 > 0:33:40They put sand in the oatmeal,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42plaster of Paris and chalk in the flour,
0:33:42 > 0:33:47- brown earth in the cocoa.- Really?! - Leaves from the trees in the tea.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51And, of course, they put the blobs of lead on the back of the scales.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Now, everybody knew the lead was there, of course they did,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56but everybody was in debt to the shopkeepers.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Angered by the poverty the people of Rochdale faced,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05the Pioneers decided to save a small amount of their wages each week
0:34:05 > 0:34:08so they could start their own co-operative shop.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13They got £28 together and started looking for an empty shop
0:34:13 > 0:34:16and then they came across this building.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19So then it was a question of, "Right, lads, what's next?"
0:34:19 > 0:34:21"Ee, well, we better do summat wit' t'walls."
0:34:21 > 0:34:23"What about a counter?"
0:34:24 > 0:34:26"I think a few planks and two barrels will do it."
0:34:26 > 0:34:29- Incredible, isn't it? - And then they bought some scales.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32No lead on these scales. This was an honest co-operative, of course.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36So tell me about the very first opening day.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39- What happened? - That was a red-letter night.
0:34:39 > 0:34:40- Oh, a night?- Oh, indeed.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Yes, don't forget these men had to do their own jobs during the day.
0:34:43 > 0:34:44They couldn't give their jobs up,
0:34:44 > 0:34:47so they were supposed to open at seven o'clock,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50but there was such a big crowd waiting outside making such a noise,
0:34:50 > 0:34:52all the cheeky doffers from the mill shouting,
0:34:52 > 0:34:53"Come on, when are you going to open?"
0:34:53 > 0:34:55"Hurry up, what are you selling?"
0:34:55 > 0:34:57"Come on, it's dark, it's cold! Come on!"
0:34:57 > 0:34:58All that noise made these men nervous.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03The three anxious Pioneers in the shop that night were
0:35:03 > 0:35:07James Smithies, Billy Cooper and Sam Ashworth.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11Seven o'clock came and went, got to ten to eight, still haven't opened.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15James said, "Come on, you lads, who's going to open the door?"
0:35:15 > 0:35:17"Oh, no," they go.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20So he went round and he opened the door wide.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24There was such a rush forward from outside to see what was happening.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26They heard so many stories, but what do they see?
0:35:26 > 0:35:28This tiny dark room.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Just a few flickering candles.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Nine sacks on the floor.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35And a bit of butter on the end of the counter.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38One or two ladies walked in, then they walked out.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43Then an old lady walked in and she asked for sugar.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45And that was the very first sale here.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50They went on to have a lovely evening and actually took five shillings,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53- I mean, how great can you get? - Yeah, history was made.- It did.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56It said, they hopped and skipped down Toad Lane just after midnight,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00thrilled to bits that they had opened their honest co-operative shop.
0:36:00 > 0:36:05What happened when the group realised this was a roaring success?
0:36:05 > 0:36:08One of the big things they did was to decide that
0:36:08 > 0:36:122.5% of their profits would to go education.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15- They realised knowledge is power. - It is.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18They actually had a school upstairs and the Pioneers did the teaching.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Reading, writing, arithmetic, mathematics,
0:36:21 > 0:36:25geometry and political economy.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26They did so many things.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29They started the drapery in here in 1847,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32they started the butchers in 1845.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Clogs and shoes, up on the next floor.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Tailoring department for gentlemen.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39And eventually they decided, well, James decided, he was very
0:36:39 > 0:36:43forward thinking, "Right, lads, let's have a nice big department store."
0:36:43 > 0:36:48So by 1867, they bought a piece of land higher up Toad Lane
0:36:48 > 0:36:51and they built a magnificent department store.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56What an inspirational story.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59The Rochdale Pioneers proved what can be achieved
0:36:59 > 0:37:02when people come together and work for a common cause.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12Anita Manning is one of Flog It's most colourful characters.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17# Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. #
0:37:18 > 0:37:21It's fitting that one of her heroines is a fellow Scot
0:37:21 > 0:37:24whose colourful work has left a lasting legacy.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31Jessie M King was one of that wonderful group of women artists
0:37:31 > 0:37:35and designers who are working in the late 19th,
0:37:35 > 0:37:39early 20th century in and around Glasgow.
0:37:39 > 0:37:46But she was also a pioneer in that she earned her living by her art.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50Although her main thing was book illustrations,
0:37:50 > 0:37:55she also designed ceramics and jewellery and silver.
0:37:55 > 0:38:00And many of her pieces were sold in Liberty's at that time.
0:38:01 > 0:38:06Jessie's illustrations were in the main fantastical.
0:38:07 > 0:38:14I've brought along two books, or two editions,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18which are a wee bit unusual.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21They were unlike what she had done before,
0:38:21 > 0:38:23they were not full of fantastical characters.
0:38:23 > 0:38:29We have The City Of The West, which is Glasgow,
0:38:29 > 0:38:34and we have The Grey City Of The North, which is Edinburgh.
0:38:34 > 0:38:39What the illustrations in these little books show us are...
0:38:40 > 0:38:44..the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh...
0:38:45 > 0:38:47..as they were...
0:38:47 > 0:38:51in the 18th century, warts and all.
0:38:51 > 0:38:57There is no romance in it, there is no apparent beauty there,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59there is just these...
0:39:00 > 0:39:05..streets and closes of tumbling down houses.
0:39:05 > 0:39:10But the beauty and the accuracy of these drawings,
0:39:10 > 0:39:16and the mystery which she seems to imbue in the drawings, and
0:39:16 > 0:39:22the fact that these are two cities in Scotland very close to my heart.
0:39:22 > 0:39:28I feel very fond of these books and occasionally flick through them
0:39:28 > 0:39:33and enjoy the work of that most talented of women.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Flog It! has been on your TV screens since 2002,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47and a lot has changed since then,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50but what hasn't changed is at the heart is a team that's
0:39:50 > 0:39:55dedicated to helping you sell your unwanted antiques and collectibles.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57So, where did it all start?
0:39:57 > 0:40:00I remember my first Flog It! very well indeed.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03I was a very excited young lad going off to do this filming
0:40:03 > 0:40:07for this great television programme and I remember
0:40:07 > 0:40:13so vividly seeing a really lovely silver tea service by Georg Jensen.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15I was really excited,
0:40:15 > 0:40:17my first Flog It! and this wonderful item came in
0:40:17 > 0:40:21and I said to the lady, "I think this is worth £2,000 or £3,000."
0:40:21 > 0:40:25And she said to me off camera, "Are you sure, dear?
0:40:25 > 0:40:26"You look very young."
0:40:26 > 0:40:28So I said, "Well, if you don't believe me,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32"we'll put 8 to £1,200 and watch it go and make a bit more."
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Don't blame me if it doesn't sell.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39And guess what? It made 5,000 quid.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41How I wished I'd have stuck to my 2-3,000,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44it wouldn't look quite so embarrassing.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47I was hoping she was going to say, "Oh, you did say beforehand,"
0:40:47 > 0:40:49but no, do you know what she said?
0:40:50 > 0:40:52"Bless him, he's only learning."
0:40:52 > 0:40:54Slightly overawed by it all,
0:40:54 > 0:40:56because there were a lot of people there.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01And I wasn't sure if I'd find the right things, say the right things,
0:41:01 > 0:41:05and once I got going it was great cos there's a great team
0:41:05 > 0:41:07behind you giving you lots of support,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10and lovely people as well, great contributors.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13I think the thing which makes Flog It! so special is actually
0:41:13 > 0:41:17the connection between you and the contributor, the vendor.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Getting their story, where it's been, so I was more
0:41:20 > 0:41:26worried about making that connection about getting valuations wrong.
0:41:26 > 0:41:31My very first Flog It! I remember was in Ipswich Corn Exchange.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36And of course it was with my lovely friend David Barby.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40It was a bit funny because it was a bit like a tennis match
0:41:40 > 0:41:43because for some reason people think we're very alike.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46I really can't see it myself.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49But people kept looking like a tennis match
0:41:49 > 0:41:53and I think both of us, if we had a pound for somebody saying,
0:41:53 > 0:41:56"Is that your father?"
0:41:56 > 0:41:58Of course he's my grandfather... we would have been rich.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Anita Manning was one of the first female experts to join the show,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07so she's a bit of pioneer herself.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10What does she remember from her first valuation day
0:42:10 > 0:42:12more than a decade ago?
0:42:12 > 0:42:15I was very excited.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18I don't think I was nervous - I'm not the nervous type.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21But I was full of anticipation, thinking about all
0:42:21 > 0:42:23the wonderful things that I might see
0:42:23 > 0:42:26and having a chat to the people who own these things.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29Richard, do you come from Newcastle?
0:42:29 > 0:42:33- Not at all, I come from Lancashire. - Oh, you're a Lancashire lad.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36The reason I'm asking this question is
0:42:36 > 0:42:41- because, as you probably know, Maling is from Newcastle.- Yes.
0:42:41 > 0:42:42How did you get it?
0:42:42 > 0:42:46It was my grandmother's and she used them everyday.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52What he brought with him was very ordinary Maling,
0:42:52 > 0:42:54but I liked Richard so much,
0:42:54 > 0:42:59and very often for me it's the person and their story,
0:42:59 > 0:43:01and the story of their forefathers,
0:43:01 > 0:43:05and their history, the family history, which is interesting.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07- Can you remember your granny? - Oh, very well.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Tell me about her, what was she like?
0:43:10 > 0:43:14She was a great character. She was midwife and a very big woman.
0:43:14 > 0:43:15And she had 18 children.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19- 18 children and a full-time job? - Yes, indeed.
0:43:19 > 0:43:25She rode about the countryside on a 17 hand high cob...
0:43:25 > 0:43:27delivering children
0:43:27 > 0:43:32as well as looking after all her 18 brood.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36And I found that absolutely fascinating.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40That painted pictures of Lancashire that I will never ever forget.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45I think if we put it as one lot and maybe...
0:43:47 > 0:43:49..between 40 and £60.
0:43:49 > 0:43:54- Mm-hm.- 40 and £60.- Yes.- Would you like to flog them?- We'll flog them.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57So, was Anita's first Flog It! auction as an expert
0:43:57 > 0:43:59a memorable affair?
0:43:59 > 0:44:02Richard is a man of some style and he likes his clothes
0:44:02 > 0:44:04and he got dressed up for the auction,
0:44:04 > 0:44:07he had this wonderful bowtie on, his dinner jacket.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09Richard, you look so smart.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12You look really together here.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15Well, maybe I should have been a bit more glamorous in that one,
0:44:15 > 0:44:20but I thought my gold lame catsuit might not just be the thing
0:44:20 > 0:44:22to wear that day.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24I'm hoping to get nearer 80.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27- Would you be happy with that? - Oh, not half!
0:44:27 > 0:44:33The valuation day is one thing, but when you're on the auction day
0:44:33 > 0:44:37and you're hoping that all your items sell, you're hoping
0:44:37 > 0:44:41that you've given the right valuation, it's quite nerve-racking
0:44:41 > 0:44:43£60. 60 bid.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46£60. 60 bid.
0:44:46 > 0:44:47New interest. 70.
0:44:47 > 0:44:4980.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51It's a lot of Maling for your money.
0:44:51 > 0:44:5390. Well done.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55100.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59100. 100. And selling then, are we, at £100.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03That was brilliant. 100 quid. I knew that should have done 100 quid.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06- Unbelievable.- Three pieces of Maling, it had to do it.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10And Anita has remained a firm favourite with the Flog It!
0:45:10 > 0:45:12contributors and you ever since.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18Charlie Ross joined the programme about the same time as Anita.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22But unlike her, he wasn't brimming with confidence on his first day.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25Hello, Ron, out of your box you have pulled...
0:45:27 > 0:45:30..a couple of vases here with various other pieces.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33I have to say, I was extremely nervous on my first valuation day
0:45:33 > 0:45:36because I wasn't expecting it to be a valuation day.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39I was expecting it to be screen test.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43And suddenly confronted with all these lovely people and all their
0:45:43 > 0:45:47charming objects, I really felt I was being thrown in the deep end.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51But kicked like mad and carried on swimming
0:45:51 > 0:45:53and got to the end of the day.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55- They're Chinese.- Right.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58- They are 18th century... - Right.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01So, probably 1760, 1770.
0:46:01 > 0:46:07There is a chunk off the bottom here, but frankly, given the age...
0:46:07 > 0:46:10- Yeah.- ..that's not surprising.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13- And it certainly isn't, in terms of value, terminal.- Mm.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15This still will have a value.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18We've got the lid here...
0:46:18 > 0:46:23and the little dog-au-feu, firedog...
0:46:23 > 0:46:26there we are, which sits on there.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29If we move on to the next pair, as you can see,
0:46:29 > 0:46:32different hexagonal shape...
0:46:33 > 0:46:38No damage to this vase, but there's some rubbing, you can see.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42All this would have been highlighted in gilt decoration
0:46:42 > 0:46:46between each panel here, here...
0:46:46 > 0:46:49Well, I think, given the condition,
0:46:49 > 0:46:53- you can really put £150-200 on each pair.- OK.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57- We wouldn't want to give them away. - Indeed.- No!
0:46:57 > 0:46:59I was well exhausted by the end of the day,
0:46:59 > 0:47:04and of course my brain was swimming around, thinking, "What have I said?
0:47:04 > 0:47:07"What valuations have I put on these things?"
0:47:07 > 0:47:09You know? "Oh, dear!"
0:47:09 > 0:47:11It was quite concerning.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14And wielding the gavel over Ron's Chinese vases
0:47:14 > 0:47:17was auctioneer Will Axon.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19Will has since become another of our favourite experts,
0:47:19 > 0:47:24but back then this was his first ever appearance on the show.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28My look then was very much - what shall we call it?
0:47:28 > 0:47:34Spanish cavalier, perhaps, with my long hair and goatee?
0:47:34 > 0:47:37But no, you know, I mean, I had longer hair than that before,
0:47:37 > 0:47:40believe me. I had a raver's ponytail, me.
0:47:40 > 0:47:41You know, I grew up in the '90s.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43He's had his hair cut.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46Other than that, I don't think he's changed at all.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49Charlie was uncharacteristically low key
0:47:49 > 0:47:51during his first Flog It! filming.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55But did Will manage to raise a smile, by getting the vases away?
0:47:55 > 0:47:58380, 390, 400.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01And 20? Or I'll take 10. 400 it is, in the doorway at 400.
0:48:01 > 0:48:0410, sir, if you like. At 400, be quick if you do...
0:48:04 > 0:48:08400, my bidders are well out, at 400, now, all done.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11Well, that is a result, given the damage.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14So, did the second pair of vases do as well?
0:48:14 > 0:48:18At 380 now, you're all done elsewhere? At 380, I shall sell...
0:48:18 > 0:48:19GAVEL BANGS
0:48:19 > 0:48:21- I'm so pleased!- Ron... - That's fantastic.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23- ..one more shake of the hand. - Thank you very much.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25Charlie's an old hand at this game,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28he knew they were going to sell at that sort of money,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31and actually they ended up selling really well, didn't they?
0:48:31 > 0:48:34And that was probably before that big Chinese boom.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38Today, these objects would be making...plus a nought probably,
0:48:38 > 0:48:40despite their damage.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43Charlie's first Flog It! valuation was a great success,
0:48:43 > 0:48:46and it marked the start of a long friendship with the show.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49But does he feel he's changed over the years?
0:48:49 > 0:48:52I'm older. Lost a bit of hair.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54I'd like to think I'm more relaxed.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56I think the first time you do a programme,
0:48:56 > 0:48:58first time you do anything in your life,
0:48:58 > 0:49:02and it's unusual, you're a little bit nervous,
0:49:02 > 0:49:05and perhaps you don't let the real you come out.
0:49:05 > 0:49:10Now, I think, when I'm meeting people on camera,
0:49:10 > 0:49:15valuing things, I'd like to think what you get is pure Charlie Ross.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Charlie's onscreen confidence has certainly grown
0:49:18 > 0:49:20during his time on "Flog It!"
0:49:20 > 0:49:21Ugh!
0:49:21 > 0:49:24Back to the drawing board, matron.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29But how much has he and the other experts changed down the years?
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Oh, gosh. That's tricky, isn't it?
0:49:32 > 0:49:34Ooh, controversial.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39Oh, dear. Get myself into a lot of trouble here.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41I can't think.... I wish I'd have prepared this one.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43Well, I had longer sideboards!
0:49:45 > 0:49:49And I looked like I was still in short trousers.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51I think most of the Flog It!s I've filmed so far
0:49:51 > 0:49:52I've been quite pregnant.
0:49:52 > 0:49:53I've gone from this, to this,
0:49:53 > 0:49:56to this, to this!
0:49:56 > 0:49:58Gone from blonde to brown.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01Some people have become wider. And I include myself in that.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03And some people have become greyer.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05Philip Serrell hasn't got as much hair.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Anita's hair looks great!
0:50:09 > 0:50:12The first thing I think of when I look back
0:50:12 > 0:50:16on my first appearances on the show is...
0:50:16 > 0:50:19time hasn't been very nice to me, really.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21Mark has probably changed the most.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24Not so much in personality, in the way he is,
0:50:24 > 0:50:25but I saw an early episode
0:50:25 > 0:50:29and he did look a lot younger back then, didn't he?
0:50:29 > 0:50:31I certainly think, after 11 years or so,
0:50:31 > 0:50:34I've probably had too much red wine, so...
0:50:34 > 0:50:35Um...
0:50:36 > 0:50:38Too much rich food.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40It's all that easy living, Mark!
0:50:40 > 0:50:44And too much of vino chateau collapso, I reckon.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48But I have kept my hair, which is unlike some of us -
0:50:48 > 0:50:50like Adam Partridge.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55He's got a little bit thinner on top. You're welcome, Adam.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58I suppose me, then, because I've gone bald.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Is that what you wanted to hear?!
0:51:00 > 0:51:03Well, it's been lovely working with you all.
0:51:05 > 0:51:06The general consensus, then?
0:51:06 > 0:51:10The boys have changed more than the girls.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12Now, to a new member of the Flog It! team,
0:51:12 > 0:51:14who hasn't yet had time to change.
0:51:14 > 0:51:19Caroline Hawley hit the screen as an expert in 2012.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22On my first ever valuation day,
0:51:22 > 0:51:24I was SO nervous.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26The night before, I could hardly sleep.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28I was really, really nervous.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32And then as soon as I got there, and I got in front of the items,
0:51:32 > 0:51:36in front of the contributors, the whole thing was just fantastic.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39The adrenaline kicks in, and it was just brilliant.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42I've loved it, absolutely loved it.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45And we love you too, Caroline.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48How does a man like you end up with five pairs
0:51:48 > 0:51:51of fabulous ladies' shoes?
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Well, my girlfriend Heather's at work today,
0:51:53 > 0:51:55so she told me to bring them in
0:51:55 > 0:51:58and see if they were worth anything, so...
0:51:58 > 0:51:59Well, I'm so glad you have.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01They're absolutely beautiful,
0:52:01 > 0:52:05and they've caused such a stir with all the ladies around today.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09I remember the dance shoes - they were one of the first items I valued
0:52:09 > 0:52:11and they really stick in my memory,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13because they just made you want to dance and smile.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16They were just so, so beautiful.
0:52:16 > 0:52:22They actually come from New York, from a fabulous department store,
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Bergdorf Goodman.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28They're beautifully made, with leather, satin,
0:52:28 > 0:52:32little rhinestone buckles. They really are fabulous quality.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34And this - excuse the pun,
0:52:34 > 0:52:39but it would have to be a very well-heeled lady that bought these.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42They're not for your average lady at all.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44They're really beautiful.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47And they date from the 1920s, 1930s.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51They were such good quality, they were in such good condition -
0:52:51 > 0:52:53they'd hardly been used.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55One of the main things I was thinking,
0:52:55 > 0:52:57"Well, what sort of value could you put on these?"
0:52:57 > 0:53:01Cos, to me, they're absolutely fantastic, but I know, commercially,
0:53:01 > 0:53:05that they're not ever going to really hit the heights.
0:53:05 > 0:53:10Pricewise, I would think, to sell them -
0:53:10 > 0:53:14again, it's better to keep them as a collection -
0:53:14 > 0:53:19and I would put an estimate of between 150 and 250
0:53:19 > 0:53:25for the collection, and if we put a fixed reserve of £150,
0:53:25 > 0:53:28- would you be happy with that? - Yes, I think that'd be OK. Yes.- Yeah?
0:53:28 > 0:53:29So, fingers crossed,
0:53:29 > 0:53:33and I am so delighted you brought them, I love them.
0:53:33 > 0:53:38So, had Caroline's nerves abated by the time she got to the auction?
0:53:38 > 0:53:39I'm an auctioneer by trade,
0:53:39 > 0:53:42and I am used to standing on the rostrum and selling things,
0:53:42 > 0:53:45but being put to the test the other side
0:53:45 > 0:53:48and standing next to the lovely couple that had put them in,
0:53:48 > 0:53:50it's a different experience altogether.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53Everything kicks in, you're just, "Ooh..." It's quite nerve-racking.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56At £120, 30 if you want them.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58At 120.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01130, 140.
0:54:01 > 0:54:02At 140.
0:54:02 > 0:54:07150, now. At £150. Against the room at 150.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09At £150, then.
0:54:09 > 0:54:13Quite sure, everybody? At £150.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16Sold to somebody on the phone.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18- They've gone.- Bang on the reserve.
0:54:18 > 0:54:19Bang on the reserve.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22The pressure of the auction has eased the more I do
0:54:22 > 0:54:25but I still always am quite competitive,
0:54:25 > 0:54:28and I do want to - I want to get a result for them,
0:54:28 > 0:54:30and I want to get a good result.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36Since Flog It! has been on air,
0:54:36 > 0:54:40our experts have worked hard to make you gasp, make you laugh
0:54:40 > 0:54:44and put those all-important values on your antiques and collectibles.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47So, here's to all of our much-loved experts
0:54:47 > 0:54:49who've appeared on the show over the years,
0:54:49 > 0:54:51and to those we've yet to meet.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02Trailblazers in all fields are an exciting prospect
0:55:02 > 0:55:04for antique enthusiasts,
0:55:04 > 0:55:07so you can imagine my delight when not one but two turned up
0:55:07 > 0:55:11in a single package at a valuation day in Henley-on-Thames
0:55:11 > 0:55:12back in 2011.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17My name's Angela Bess, I was chair of governors at -
0:55:17 > 0:55:19it was Slough Grammar School at the time,
0:55:19 > 0:55:20it's now Upton Court Grammar School.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23We had a picture, we knew it had some value,
0:55:23 > 0:55:27and we'd take it to Flog It! to see how much money we could raise.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30- OK, this is the scientist Herschel. - Yep.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32Who - there is some local connection, isn't there?
0:55:32 > 0:55:34- Yeah, he was born and brought up in Slough.- In Slough,
0:55:34 > 0:55:37- which is just down the river, when you think about it.- Yeah.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Herschel used to work at the Eton observatory, I believe.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43Eton is about five minutes up the road from here.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45That's the connection.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48- Credited for pioneering and developing the telescope.- Yeah.
0:55:48 > 0:55:49And optical lenses
0:55:49 > 0:55:51But it's not the subject matter,
0:55:51 > 0:55:55it's not the sitter I'm interested in, it's the photographer!
0:55:55 > 0:55:58Because I've been to Julia Margaret Cameron's studios
0:55:58 > 0:56:01- on the Isle of Wight, and this is an original by her.- Yeah.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04The greatest female photographer possibly in history,
0:56:04 > 0:56:06definitely in the 19th century.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10It was hung in the head's office for many, many years,
0:56:10 > 0:56:12and we'd have meetings, finance meetings,
0:56:12 > 0:56:16and we'd laugh and say, "If we ever needed money, we'll sell the picture.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20I think we take this to a major sale room in London, see what they think,
0:56:20 > 0:56:24and we get it put into a specialist sale, a photograph and print sale.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26- Are you happy with that? - Yeah, that's really good.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32Angela was accompanied to the auction by Mercedes,
0:56:32 > 0:56:34the school's headmistress.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37- It's been catalogued at £4,000-6,000.- Yeah.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39We had a chat to the auctioneer yesterday,
0:56:39 > 0:56:40it's due to a lot of damage.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43- Whatever it brings, the students will be delighted.- Yep.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47At 6,000.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51At 6,500. 7,000, now. At 7,000.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55At 7,000. Any more at 7? We're at 7,000.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58I have 7,500 ahead of you, will you go 8,000?
0:56:58 > 0:57:00At 8,000 on the telephone, now.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03My bid is out. Last chance in the room.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07We're at £8,000, and selling, then at 8,000.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09It's yours.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13- £8,000 on the hammer.- Really good. - Yes.- Well done, both of you.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18What we definitely needed to do, and wanted to do,
0:57:18 > 0:57:21was upgrade the IT equipment for sixth-formers.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26The old computer facilities for the sixth form was a small,
0:57:26 > 0:57:27cramped room with a few computers,
0:57:27 > 0:57:30but now we have a big area with lots more computers,
0:57:30 > 0:57:32and there's always some space to sit down,
0:57:32 > 0:57:33there's always a free computer.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35It's amazing, it's a transformation,
0:57:35 > 0:57:37that the students are coming in here now,
0:57:37 > 0:57:39getting their heads down, working hard.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42They're able to do homework, they're able to do coursework.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44It's really useful to have the IT,
0:57:44 > 0:57:47because as well as the books that we have in the library,
0:57:47 > 0:57:50it's really useful to have up-to-date information
0:57:50 > 0:57:52and interpretations of old texts.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55- £8,000!- We're very pleased, yeah.
0:57:55 > 0:57:56It was a positive experience.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00It was really good to see what happens behind the scenes, as well.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02I'd do it again.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04And if we can find anything else in school we can sell,
0:58:04 > 0:58:05we would do it again.
0:58:13 > 0:58:14Well, how about that?
0:58:14 > 0:58:18Two pioneers for the price of one - Herschel, the celebrated astronomer,
0:58:18 > 0:58:21photographed by Julia Margaret Cameron,
0:58:21 > 0:58:25a devoted and dedicated pioneer to the art of photography.
0:58:25 > 0:58:26So, it just goes to show,
0:58:26 > 0:58:30always make sure you have a good look at your old photographs
0:58:30 > 0:58:31you've got knocking around.
0:58:31 > 0:58:34Well, that's it for today's show. I hope you enjoyed it.
0:58:34 > 0:58:36So, go out there, buy some antiques, have some fun
0:58:36 > 0:58:39and put some of this knowledge to good use.
0:58:39 > 0:58:41And see you next time for more Trade Secrets.