0:00:06 > 0:00:09With over a decade of "Flog It!" valuation days and auctions
0:00:09 > 0:00:11all over the British Isles,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15we've built up a wealth of knowledge valuing your unwanted antiques.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18- And now, we want to share some of that with you.- Hello.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21What have you got lurking in there?
0:00:21 > 0:00:24It's like a voyage of discovery in your sack, isn't it?
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Our experts are raring to go with inside information,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29so if there's something you need to know,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31you'll probably find it right here.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Welcome to Trade Secrets.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03In today's show, we're investigating how holidays and travel
0:01:03 > 0:01:05can affect our collecting habits.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Whether it's antiques, souvenirs or items of grand luggage,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11there's a ready market
0:01:11 > 0:01:14for any item associated with our desire to see the world.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20Coming up, the valuations we put on your items surprise and delight you.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25We'll put it into auction for £1,000-£1,500.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32- £400? Right.- Is that good? Is that good news?- That's amazing.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33There's joy all around
0:01:33 > 0:01:37when our estimates are blown out of the water at auction.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41- Sold.- Yes!- Brilliant! How about that?
0:01:41 > 0:01:44- £900.- I can't believe that.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46£900!
0:01:46 > 0:01:52And I investigate the great British holiday institution - the beach hut.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57Sun shining down on us outside your own beach hut. What could be better?
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- Well, apart from a chocolate biscuit.- There we go.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08We British are great travellers.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10We invented the steam engine,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14which led to the evolution of the railways and steamships,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17which ultimately revolutionised travel.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Now, today, getting from A to B
0:02:19 > 0:02:22is all about doing it as quickly as possible.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25But in days gone by, it was a much more stately affair.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30Suitcases, beautiful early suitcases, and trunks,
0:02:30 > 0:02:35complete with labels of glamorous far-off places and shipping lines
0:02:35 > 0:02:37sell very, very well.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Railway posters that you used to see in carriages
0:02:41 > 0:02:45advertising the pleasures of the seaside.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Gosh, don't they make some money?
0:02:47 > 0:02:53Particularly the 1930s Art-Deco ski posters. But condition.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55You've really got to check condition.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59If the margins have been cut, if there are slight tears, rips,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02or if any damp has crept in, it will kill them.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06So, condition, period, Deco ski posters. You won't go far wrong.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Over the years, we've seen some marvellous
0:03:09 > 0:03:12travel-related collectables on the programme.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Kath delighted two of our "Flog It!" experts when she brought in
0:03:16 > 0:03:20a wonderful map from one of Europe's most sophisticated cities.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24David Barby had the pleasure of valuing the map
0:03:24 > 0:03:27whilst Adam Partridge worked his magic on the rostrum.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28Maps are very popular.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Lots of people like maps,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32from the sort of enthusiast
0:03:32 > 0:03:35that likes an Ordnance Survey map of the area they live in
0:03:35 > 0:03:37to the real passionate collectors
0:03:37 > 0:03:39that want the rare and the wonderful maps.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42So, there's an awful lot to go at in maps.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46It's a map of Paris, dated 1780.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Nine years before the French Revolution.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52I can imagine English tourists having this and going to Paris,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55looking out the sort of fashionable watering places,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57going to the shops, seeing the sights.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59At the same time, the Scarlet Pimpernel
0:03:59 > 0:04:01would have needed one of these, wouldn't he?
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- Yes, he would!- During the French Revolution. This is extraordinary.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Where did it come from?
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Well, my father left it to me with one or two books.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12- Did you have an interest in maps? - Yes.- Oh, right.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Well, this is a beautiful map.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17It's a steel engraving and then all this is hand-tinted.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20And, obviously, it was never taken out during the rain,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23because it hasn't got any runs or stains on it.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26It's always quite a surprise when maps survive well
0:04:26 > 0:04:28because, of course, you can imagine them being opened up
0:04:28 > 0:04:32and folded out and studied and maybe got wet and folded away,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36and so, clearly, this one was one that wasn't used a great deal.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39What I do find absolutely extraordinary
0:04:39 > 0:04:43is this wonderful plate here, which is so decorative,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45explains the routes of Paris,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49and then you've got these two emblematic figures either side,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51and the royal coat of arms here.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Lovely, lovely piece.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Kath had also brought to the valuation day
0:04:55 > 0:04:58a quarter of a Bradshaw map of canals,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and David put it together into one lot with the map of Paris,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04an estimate of £80-£120 for the pair.
0:05:04 > 0:05:10- We've got some interest here, and I can start at £200 bid.- Oh, lovely.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14210. 220. 230. 240. 250.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16260. 270. 280. 290. 300. 320.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21This was a lovely lot brought to us by the King of "Flog It!",
0:05:21 > 0:05:24David Barby, who is such a wonderful man and a great valuer.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Very talented, very knowledgeable.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28But it was a very rare occasion here
0:05:28 > 0:05:31of him really underestimating something.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35380 bid. Any more now? 400. 420. 440.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36- This is very good.- 420, then.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39£420. Are you all done, then, at 420?
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Finished at 420.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- Oh, that's good. - Gosh, I never expected that.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- Nor was I. I don't think you were either.- I said double.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50- I said double.- You did. - You did.- You did.- Yes.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- Gosh, that's wonderful. - Little bit of commission to pay.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56But what will you spend all that money on?
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Well, we've got our first grandchild on the way at the end of August.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02- Have you?- It's going to be Grandma's indulgence.- Rather.- It is, isn't it?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04David was surprised at the sale result,
0:06:04 > 0:06:09but the lesson here is not to underestimate an antique map,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11as there is a huge market for them,
0:06:11 > 0:06:16particularly for one like Kath's, in such exquisite condition.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19But what else would a well-heeled traveller of yesteryear
0:06:19 > 0:06:21have needed to take on holiday?
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Well, a travel guide, of course,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27and Mark Stacey had the privilege of valuing a wonderful set.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Well, they have just gone from loft to loft.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33You've inherited them from a relative or something like that?
0:06:33 > 0:06:34Yes. Yes, my great-grandfather.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- So, they've been in the family quite a while?- Oh, yes. Yes.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Whenever you come across items like this that have been hidden away,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43I want to go to every house in the country
0:06:43 > 0:06:46and start rummaging through people's draws and cupboards and attics,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50because there's a wealth of stuff out there that we don't know about,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54and we prove this on every "Flog It!" valuation day.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56You've got about 27 volumes here,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59and if we just take one of my favourite ones,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03which is Spain and Portugal, and each one is similar, in a way.
0:07:03 > 0:07:10- When we open it up, we find a little map of the country in question.- Yes.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13And then we have the title of the book.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16The Modern Traveller. Popular Description.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18And the various countries of the globe.
0:07:18 > 0:07:24- Each one is dated either 1824, 1825 or 1826.- Yes.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26And, in some cases, you know, when you look at the others,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30we've got four volumes of India, we've got Russia,
0:07:30 > 0:07:31we've got all of the Far East,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34as well as a lot of countries in Europe.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37And then it gives you a whole history of the countries
0:07:37 > 0:07:39that you are actually researching.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42So, this is almost an early 19th-century equivalent
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- of the internet, isn't it, for travellers?- It is!
0:07:45 > 0:07:48This would undoubtedly have been for the middle classes.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50To buy a set of books like this,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52you would have had to have been quite a wealthy person.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54They were beautifully leather-bound.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59There were illustrated maps there. Those were not a cheap item to buy.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01I would say, if we were putting these in for auction,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05we ought to be looking at something like...
0:08:05 > 0:08:06£400.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08£400?
0:08:10 > 0:08:15- £400?! Right.- Is that good? Is that good news?- That's amazing!
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Course you love it.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19I mean, when somebody brings something in that, you know,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21they've been queueing up many hours to have looked at
0:08:21 > 0:08:24and you can say to them it's worth X amount
0:08:24 > 0:08:26and there's a lightning, you know,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29it's almost like that sort of chocolate box moment
0:08:29 > 0:08:32when the face lights up, it's wonderful.
0:08:32 > 0:08:33But was Mark's faith
0:08:33 > 0:08:37in the strength of the travel collectables market well placed?
0:08:37 > 0:08:40What did Will Axon, who wielded the gavel, think?
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Anything to do with travel and typography is always well received.
0:08:44 > 0:08:45There are a lot of collectors,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48because I think it is just an interesting subject.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52You know, this is the world we live on, so why not learn about it?
0:08:52 > 0:08:55They've got the look. The decorators will love these.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Well, I've got a couple of hopeful bids here that I'll bypass those,
0:08:59 > 0:09:05and we start already at 260, 280, 300, I'm bid on commission.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09- Sold them.- Yes. - 320. 340. 360. 380. 400.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13420. 440. 460. 480.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18500. 520. 540. 560. You're in now by 10.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23At £560, in the room now. 560. At 560. My bid is out.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26All done, then, are you sure, at £560?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Sold.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32- Brilliant! How about that?- Thank you.- Well done.- That's brilliant.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36- Thank you.- See your little face!
0:09:36 > 0:09:38I think the estimate was spot-on
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and I think the selling price was spot-on.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Yeah, I think everyone should be happy all round, really.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Fine auctioneer, wasn't he?!
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Will was never one to undersell himself,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51but the quality of Pauline's collection of travel guides
0:09:51 > 0:09:53was clear for all to see.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Not all travel-related items which make it to our valuation days
0:09:56 > 0:09:59immediately scream quality.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03It's always worth looking in a battered old suitcase,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06because you do not know what you will find.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Now, on first appearances,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12it looks like you've brought along a rather tatty case.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- Shall we have a little look inside? - Yes.- By all means.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18There we are.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20We have a beautiful selection
0:10:20 > 0:10:25of tortoiseshell and silver dressing accessories.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26When I think of this,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29I think of Orient Express or something like this.
0:10:29 > 0:10:30I mean, this is really beautiful.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33This is not the average ladies' handbag, is it?
0:10:33 > 0:10:36It's not something that we find. But it actually belonged to you...
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- My great-aunt.- Your great-aunt. - My Great-aunt Ida.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- And do you think she ever used it? Did she ever travel?- Oh, yes.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45She was married to a captain in the Army.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47When he retired, they did a lot of travelling.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50She was a multi-linguist and travelled all over the world.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- Oh, right. So, she was a pretty special lady.- Oh, she was.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- And she would have taken this around with her?- Yes, we believe so.- Yes.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59I mean, it's a wonderful set.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03We've got mirrors, we've got brushes, we've got a shoehorn.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Now, each one, I can see, looks like it's hallmarked.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10- Yes, we believe they are. - And hallmarked silver.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Birmingham mark, and the letter Y,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and that would date it to around the 1920s.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20The sort of people that would probably go for an item like this,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23they could either be silver dealers who'd be looking for
0:11:23 > 0:11:26good quality pieces of silver with tortoiseshell on,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29or they could be interior designers.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Now, these interior designers and, indeed, dealers,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36would be looking for a good name sometimes on the suitcase,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39so it's always worth, when you get a suitcase,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41having a good old look around the rim
0:11:41 > 0:11:44to see if they've got some nice retailers' names on.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Perhaps Mappin & Webb, something like that.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51It is genuine tortoiseshell, but it's pre-1947,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54so it's something that we are allowed to sell.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57It's a smart thing and I would be happy to put an estimate on
0:11:57 > 0:12:01of 100-150, with a £70 reserve.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- How does that sound to you?- It's fine, thank you.- Happy to see it go?
0:12:04 > 0:12:08- Yes.- He's VERY positive!- He is.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Catherine was clearly taken with Mike and Anne's case,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13but did the bidders fall in love?
0:12:13 > 0:12:20I'm bid £180 for it. At 180. 190. 200. 210. 220.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23230. 240. 250.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25At £250.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27At 250 here.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Finished, then, at £250. Quite sure at 250?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- It's a good price.- Yeah! - It found its level.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- Yeah. That was nice.- That's good.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40A great result for Mike and Anne.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Travelling boxes and cases are a popular collecting field
0:12:44 > 0:12:47and we see lots of them on the show, and they often do well,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49but how do you spot one of quality?
0:12:49 > 0:12:51James Lewis is the man in the know.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53If the outside is good,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57then you open the lid and all the jars are there as well,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59then that's really nice to see.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Look at that. Fantastic! We now know what this was used for.
0:13:03 > 0:13:09It's a travelling box. Probably made 1840 to 1860.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11It's likely that it would have been owned
0:13:11 > 0:13:14by somebody of some social standing,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17because to actually afford to travel at all,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19you'd have had to have had a fair bit of income.
0:13:19 > 0:13:26Here we've got boxes, and if you hold the box lid up to the light...
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- you see it's got holes through it? - Oh, yes.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32And that's so that whatever was inside didn't go mouldy.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35So, with holes, we know it was something that would have been wet.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39- Oh, yes.- So, that's likely to be for the toothbrush.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43At £360 sitting here. At 360. At 360, are you done?
0:13:43 > 0:13:44GAVEL BANGS
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- £360.- Wonderful.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51And it isn't just James who can spot a winner.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54I came across a glorious travelling case
0:13:54 > 0:13:57which perfectly captured its period.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01This kind of thing would have been around in the 1920s.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03- The age of the motor car. The golden age.- Yes.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- Cars were first introduced in the early 1900s.- Yes.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10- Out went the canvas baskets, out went the wicker baskets.- Yes.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- Because everything was horse-drawn then.- Yes.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14In came the leather travel ware.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- You had to be quite wealthy to have something like this.- I'm sure.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22I was over the moon to discover the case had a hidden secret.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- Ah, look at that. This is where... - If you go in here...
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- ..the diamond necklace goes.- Well... - Oh, come on. Is there one?
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- I wish there was! - Oh, look at it. It's exquisite.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Absolutely exquisite.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38When it came to the auction, did Anthea's 1920s travelling case
0:14:38 > 0:14:41struggle without the addition of a diamond necklace?
0:14:41 > 0:14:45600 right there. 620. 650? 650. 680.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48700. 720. 750. 780. 800.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- (800!)- 820. 850. 880. 900.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55At £900 in the middle there. 920?
0:14:55 > 0:14:56At £900 I'm bid.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59At £900. Going 20? No. At £900.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- GAVEL BANGS - £900!
0:15:01 > 0:15:03- I can't believe that.- Yes!
0:15:05 > 0:15:08The next time you see what appears to be a battered old case,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11remember, it's worth having a closer look.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Now, not all travel-related items we see on "Flog It!"
0:15:15 > 0:15:17have been used for holidays.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Some have travelled far and wide for different reasons.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22It's an Attaboy, isn't it?
0:15:22 > 0:15:27An Attaboy is a trade name, it's a hat company, or a range of hats
0:15:27 > 0:15:30made by the Denton Hat Company of Stockport, Manchester.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Of course, Stockport the home of hat making.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35They even have a hat museum there. Did you know that?
0:15:35 > 0:15:38So, let's have a look at it. Let's get that lid off there.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41- This is the sort of salesman sample, I think, really.- I see.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43And salesmen would have taken it out,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47because it's small enough to carry around, and say, "Believe it or not,
0:15:47 > 0:15:51"this miniature Attaboy is half the size of an ordinary Attaboy hat."
0:15:51 > 0:15:54- So, you've got an idea of what it'll make.- What it would be.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Isn't that cute?
0:15:56 > 0:15:59I suppose you could have had any amount of small hats like that
0:15:59 > 0:16:01in your salesman's kit - it would have made it a lot easier
0:16:01 > 0:16:05hawking them round the streets, through the rain and the wind,
0:16:05 > 0:16:06on public transport,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09trams and horses and carriages and things like that.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13So, I can imagine there was a real need for salesmen's samples,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16and they were made to exactly the same specification and quality
0:16:16 > 0:16:19so that you could show your potential buyer,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21look at the detail, look at the quality,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23and what you're going to get is a full-size version.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25I think that's dead cute.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27And it serves a purpose for me because, of course,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31- now I'm getting on a bit, I've got one of these bald spot.- Oh!
0:16:31 > 0:16:33That will cover it just nicely.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38Unfortunately, it's got a bit bigger since then, so...
0:16:39 > 0:16:42..I think I might need the full-sized hat now!
0:16:44 > 0:16:47So, why are you selling it? I suppose cos it's in the loft.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Yes. We're trying to get rid of quite a lot of things.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Well, that will free up a load of room, won't it(?)
0:16:52 > 0:16:53I know, this is it!
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- Um, it's not worth a lot.- I know. - We know.- We know that, but...
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- Great fun, though.- I know. - It's not all about the value.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- It's a novelty thing, isn't it? - It's a curiosity.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08It's about what you've got and the story you can tell.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12- So, I think it will make £20-£40. - Yeah? Quite surprised.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13- Fingers crossed.- Yeah!
0:17:13 > 0:17:15INDISTINCT SPEECH
0:17:15 > 0:17:19It wasn't just Adam who was taken with the Attaboy.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21The auctioneer was rather fond of it too.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23I know that my opinion counts for nothing,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26but I think this is one of the most delightful lots in today's sale.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29It really is. It's a real little gem.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33It's always nice when an auctioneer is fond of your item,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35as it's always depressing when they don't like it.
0:17:35 > 0:17:36It's happened both ways.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39But he was really a great fan of this hat
0:17:39 > 0:17:41and he did his real very best in talking it up,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43and I think the fact that he liked it so much
0:17:43 > 0:17:46undoubtedly rubbed off on the bidders.
0:17:46 > 0:17:5040 bid. 40. A real little beaut. At 40.
0:17:50 > 0:17:5340 I'm bid. 50. £50.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- 60.- 60.- 60 bid. £60.
0:17:56 > 0:17:5870 with me. £70.
0:17:58 > 0:18:025 again now. At £70. A delightful little lot.
0:18:02 > 0:18:0575. 80. 80 bid.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07- Go on.- £80.- That's good.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10- Final call.- Great. - On the book at £80.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12I didn't think we'd get that.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13I thought we was going home with it.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17- 80.- £80. The hammer's gone down.- Great.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Even though it was £20-£40 and made, I think, £80,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23which is an awful lot of money for it, really,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26when you look at other comparable examples,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28it's right up my street, that sort of thing.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31It's right up my street too, Adam,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33and I wasn't surprised it sold so well.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38The Attaboy had rarity and an enthusiastic auctioneer on its side.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39A winning combination.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Other things to think about when buying travel-related collectables.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Check that all-important condition.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Well-kept pieces fetch good prices.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- Oh, that's good. - Gosh, I never expected that.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55And if you're buying a case that comes with extras,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57make sure they're all there.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00It will seriously affect the price if any components are missing.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Now, "Flog It!" regulars are always on the lookout
0:19:08 > 0:19:11for intriguing items to add to their own collections,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and Michael Baggott boasts a fine piece
0:19:14 > 0:19:16that had sailed the seven seas.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19I mean, I'm not a great maritime collector.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22I've got no associations with the sea.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24But a couple of years ago, I went to an auction,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26ostensibly to buy some silver,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30and I found this beastie in the saleroom,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and it's a bit of naive art.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35And it's something that tells a story,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38because the carving that's been done on it
0:19:38 > 0:19:40has been done at sea by a sailor,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43probably in the middle of the 18th century.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47He's found coconut and ivory and mother of pearl -
0:19:47 > 0:19:51very exotic things - to inlay the face on the head of the cane.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55And then he's gone and basically engraved the ship he's on.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58His initials - to say it's his cane.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02But then he's passed onto another seaman, who's added a mermaid
0:20:02 > 0:20:03and a whale.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07And then he's probably had it for 20, 30 years,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and passed it on to another sailor. Who has then added his ship.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14And further down, you've got all the different animals and beasts
0:20:14 > 0:20:18the sailor would have seen at the various ships
0:20:18 > 0:20:21and ports that he landed.
0:20:21 > 0:20:27This cane's probably going to date anywhere from about 1740 up to 1780,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31when it was originally carved and the figure inlaid in.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Some of the engraving might be as late as 1800-1820.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38And I don't think you could get anything more personal
0:20:38 > 0:20:42and more related to the sea, and the personal experience of a sailor
0:20:42 > 0:20:46on board an 18th and 19th century sailing ship.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50It's a little mini-social history of early maritime life
0:20:50 > 0:20:52during the Georgian era.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Wonderful thing. And a rare survival.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Sooner or later,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04all British travellers make their way to the coast.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09And when they do, there's only one place to hang out - the beach hut.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Having a swim in the sea is one of the great pleasures
0:21:12 > 0:21:13of coming to the seaside.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16And it all took off really in the early 18th century
0:21:16 > 0:21:19when doctors encouraged their patients to have a
0:21:19 > 0:21:23dip in the saltwater to improve their general health and well-being.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Early bathers were encouraged to bathe naked.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29But that wasn't as straightforward as it sounds.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37It wasn't appropriate to have people walking naked along the beach.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39So a more discreet solution was needed.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Bathing machines, which were basically beach huts on wheels,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46were invented to provide the occupant with the modesty,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49and as a way of getting from the top of the beach down to the water.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53But fashioned changed, and by the turn of the 20th century,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57it became acceptable to wear a bathing costume and be seen in it.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05But people still needed a place to change in.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07And the answer was static beach huts.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12These soon became a sought-after accessory to any seaside holiday.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Nowadays, these brightly-painted beach huts are an iconic symbol
0:22:17 > 0:22:20of the Great British seaside resort.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22We tend to take their presence for granted.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25So I'm here to find out a little bit more.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32And the person to tell me is Dr Catherine Ferry -
0:22:32 > 0:22:35a seaside historian who is an expert on beach huts.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Do you have a beach hut yourself?
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Oh, I wish I did. I don't. I feel a bit of a fraud admitting that.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44But there's something that appeals to me
0:22:44 > 0:22:49about these tiny buildings on the margin between the land and the sea.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51They could get blown away but they're bright and cheerful.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- You know, I love that. - They do put a smile on your face.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56- What a backdrop we've got.- They do.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- With the golden sunshine.- Exactly. - It keeps you snug.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02On some of our summer's days, you know, you want to be in there
0:23:02 > 0:23:03- if the sun doesn't come out.- You do.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I think that's why the British love them so much.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Because when the rain comes down,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10it doesn't matter cos you just go inside and make yourself cosy.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13And you can look out at all the other poor people
0:23:13 > 0:23:14walking on the prom in the rain.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17- But you're snug inside your hut. - You spent months on the road
0:23:17 > 0:23:21going on virtually a tour of the coast of England.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25That's right. And I did actually count the beach huts as I went.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28OK, come on. Let's hear it.
0:23:28 > 0:23:34I counted just over 19,000. But I think I missed a few.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Actually, that's quite a surprisingly low number,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40because there's so much interest in beach huts these days
0:23:40 > 0:23:43that you imagine that there's going to be hundreds of thousands of them.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45- I like the brightly painted ones. - So do I.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- They remind me you of a stick of rock.- They do.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- They put a big smile on your face. - They're so, so summery, aren't they?
0:23:51 > 0:23:53- Yes.- Even in the winter, they look summery.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- Yeah, I think that's what it's all about, don't you?- Yep.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Beach huts aren't just places to relax in,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02they're also highly sought-after pieces of real estate.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Prices have rocketed in recent years,
0:24:04 > 0:24:09with some in popular locations now selling for well over £100,000.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13So I'm keen to have a look inside a hut and meet some of the owners.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Christine and Iain, this is the life, isn't it?
0:24:18 > 0:24:23- Just the business.- Sun shining down on us outside your own beach hut.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26What could be better? Well, apart from a chocolate biscuit.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28- There we go.- Do you mind?
0:24:28 > 0:24:29THEY LAUGH
0:24:29 > 0:24:31So, how long have you had this one?
0:24:31 > 0:24:35We've had it six months. We moved to Brighton last October.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38We decided we'd like to retire by the sea.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41And you thought, yep, can't get any closer to the sea than this.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42- That was us.- It's just there.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I come down when the weather's nice, like this.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47If it's windy then I just sit in the hut.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Just inside, out of the wind. Otherwise, out here.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54- Sandwiches, food, wine, Champagne...- Oh, lovely.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58- You know, just have a lovely time. - It's no wonder you look so happy.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01- It's a good life. - I've got to try some of this.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03- I've got to try some of this. - You have to.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05So, where's that Champagne then?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07- Coming up. - It's chilling down right now.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Well, I've got to say, this definitely is the life.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I've just had a fascinating insight into what life is like
0:25:22 > 0:25:24owning a beach hut.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27And I can honestly say, if I lived anywhere near the coast,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30I would definitely invest in one of these.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33And my dogs, they would absolutely love it.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Still to come, Charlie Ross stumbles across the weird and wonderful
0:25:44 > 0:25:46on a visit to Blackpool.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52It's quite extraordinary to me that thousands of people will
0:25:52 > 0:25:54queue and pay money to see a vicar in a barrel.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58And a collection oozing Hollywood glamour crosses
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Catherine Southon's path.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- Clark Gable.- Is that Clark Gable? Wonderful.- That's right.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06And here we have Cary Grant on Santa Monica Boulevard.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13It's often the case that an object travels a long way
0:26:13 > 0:26:16before finally finding a home.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19And that's certainly true of an item that's of great
0:26:19 > 0:26:21sentimental value to expert David Fletcher.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25A friend of mine, who is a book dealer in Bedford,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28telephoned me about six or seven months ago
0:26:28 > 0:26:32and said, was I related to a chap called Fred Fletcher?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Might he be an ancestor of mine? I thought, funnily enough,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37my grandfather was called Fred Fletcher.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41And he said, "Well, I think I've got his diary."
0:26:41 > 0:26:44So I popped down to his shop in a state of some excitement,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46as you might imagine, really.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49When I got back, I was fascinated when I sat and read it.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54It describes a journey he makes between December 1916
0:26:54 > 0:26:57and April 1917.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00We did know that he was in the Royal Army Medical Corp
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and that he travelled to Mesopotamia.
0:27:03 > 0:27:10And on the way, he called in at Cape Town, Durban and Bombay.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15And he describes his experiences in some detail.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18He says he has one hell of a time in Cape Town.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21He obviously thoroughly enjoyed himself there.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25And he arrives in due course in Basra.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30And he says at that stage, on Friday 6th April...
0:27:30 > 0:27:33"Today, for the first time since I have been in the army,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36"I have done some work that counts.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40"All day, from 6.00am to 8.00pm, 100 of us have been loading
0:27:40 > 0:27:43"and unloading wounded on and off hospital ships."
0:27:43 > 0:27:48So he's a medic and he feels what he went there for has suddenly
0:27:48 > 0:27:51happened, really.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56But there's a very, very poignant ending to this diary.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00And this occurs in the last entry, which is
0:28:00 > 0:28:03written on Friday 20th April.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07And he says, "At last I can say I am settled."
0:28:07 > 0:28:12And he goes on to say, "All I want now is a letter."
0:28:12 > 0:28:14And at the same page in that diary,
0:28:14 > 0:28:18there's the front of an envelope, that's all that remains,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21addressed to him. It's originally sent to India,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24but it's been forwarded to him in Mesopotamia.
0:28:24 > 0:28:30I have no proof of this, but I'm certain refers to the fact that
0:28:30 > 0:28:35his brother had been killed a few days earlier on the Western Front,
0:28:35 > 0:28:38in France.
0:28:38 > 0:28:44I know that Tom, his brother, died on St George's Day, April 23rd.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48And the letter has a Bedford postmark of April 27th.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50And the diary finishes there.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Not another word's written.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56You can just imagine the feelings that this young man had,
0:28:56 > 0:29:00on the other side of the world, learning all those miles away
0:29:00 > 0:29:02that his brother has been killed.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07So, this was a remarkable buy for me.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09And obviously one I treasure very much.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20In 1846, when the railways arrived in Blackpool,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23people started flocking there for their holidays.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Aside from the Pleasure Beach, the Illuminations and the Tower,
0:29:26 > 0:29:30there was a whole host of theatrical entertainments to be enjoyed.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Flog It! regular Charlie Ross has a notion that theatrical ephemera,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37as a collecting field, is on the way up.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45I've had a love of the theatre from a very early age.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48I can remember being taken the West End aged eight,
0:29:48 > 0:29:52seeing My Fair Lady and being completely thrilled
0:29:52 > 0:29:54by the whole experience.
0:29:54 > 0:29:59And from that, I started doing am-dram myself.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11Through that I've become interested in the ephemera side of it as well.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15Great thing about theatrical ephemera, it touches everybody.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18We've all got a favourite film or favourite show.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23I don't think there's anybody that isn't excited by a certain
0:30:23 > 0:30:24sphere of this.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35I've come to Blackpool to see the most extraordinary collection
0:30:35 > 0:30:39of theatrical ephemera put together by the late Cyril Critchlow.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Cyril Critchlow was a remarkable man.
0:30:43 > 0:30:48He was a magician, an impresario, he put together wonderful shows.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50He ended up with his own museum.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54And sadly passed away in 2008.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57After his death, his daughter Pat
0:30:57 > 0:31:00and librarian, Tony Sharkey, went through all
0:31:00 > 0:31:05this ephemera, which was kept in, I think, five or six garages.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09All these items are now put together in Blackpool Central Library.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11And that's where I'm going.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21We were amazed by how much he had. We knew he was an avid collector.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23When we put Cyril's collection together,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- we made 179 volumes, just of archival material.- How many?!
0:31:26 > 0:31:28179?
0:31:28 > 0:31:31I'd love to see just one or two things from the collection.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33Take a look at this.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37This is Blackpool's first summer season programme.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40There's something unusual about that programme.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43It's...well, there it says "souvenir cotton programme."
0:31:43 > 0:31:47So that links the cotton industry with Blackpool.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Blackpool's visitor heartland is the Lancashire cotton industry.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52It's right on Blackpool's doorstep.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55And when they came to Blackpool, as the wakes week started
0:31:55 > 0:31:58and they were able to start spending a full week in Blackpool,
0:31:58 > 0:32:00- they knew how to spend their money. - Yeah.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03And they wanted to be entertained while they were here.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05The good thing, from our point of view,
0:32:05 > 0:32:06it's still in perfect condition.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09If you have a paper one and somebody folds it,
0:32:09 > 0:32:11it falls to bits fairly quickly, doesn't it?
0:32:11 > 0:32:14- It's a talking point. - So, you know, that is...yes.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16And how proud you'd be to go home and say,
0:32:16 > 0:32:18"I've got a cotton programme."
0:32:18 > 0:32:20How wonderful. That's splendid.
0:32:23 > 0:32:24How many people would come here?
0:32:24 > 0:32:28I mean, not just presumably the Opera House, other theatres as well?
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Blackpool would have a full-range of entertainments.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34In the '30s, Blackpool was claiming 7 million visitors a year.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37- 7 million! - And all of those people, of course,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39would want to be entertained in the evening.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43- That's a huge number of people. - It's a huge number of seats to fill.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Providing a massive amount of income.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49- The income that came into the town was considerable.- Yeah.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53- But the expenditure on glamorous shows was also considerable.- Yeah.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57Of course, there's many aspects to Blackpool's entertainment culture.
0:32:57 > 0:33:02Once side... Maybe not totally acceptable today,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05but it was Blackpool's sideshow culture.
0:33:05 > 0:33:06Which was vast.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09- Which was very considerable.- Yeah.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14- Who have we got here? - Here we've got Harold Davidson.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19- A vicar!- He's a vicar. He's a discredited vicar.- Oh, dear.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22- He's the former rector of a parish in Norfolk.- Yeah.
0:33:22 > 0:33:27He ended up exhibiting himself in a barrel on the promenade in Blackpool.
0:33:27 > 0:33:28HE LAUGHS
0:33:28 > 0:33:31Crikey! Look at the number of people!
0:33:32 > 0:33:37It's quite extraordinary to me that thousands of people will queue
0:33:37 > 0:33:40and pay money to see a vicar in a barrel.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43- This was the reality of Blackpool's sideshow culture.- Bizarre.
0:33:43 > 0:33:44Very bizarre.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48I think from a collection point of view, what is one looking for?
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Fame, one's looking for rarity.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54And this is obviously as rare as a show could get.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58Where else will you see a picture like that? Nowhere else.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02- We've looked at Blackpool's sideshows.- Yes.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06But Blackpool in the '40s and '50s attracted major Hollywood stars.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10- Yeah.- And sometimes they went nowhere else.- Judy Garland.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13"The only concerts in the British Isles..."
0:34:13 > 0:34:15- So she didn't go to London. - She came to the Opera House.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17She didn't go to the West End.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20- Crikey.- She didn't go anywhere else. She came to Blackpool.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22And that's where the people were.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26Once some major stars started to come, others
0:34:26 > 0:34:28followed in their footsteps.
0:34:28 > 0:34:34That's Mae West. The thing that really took my eye here
0:34:34 > 0:34:37is that it's signed. That makes all the difference.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Something like that is worth hundreds of pounds now.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41People collect these things.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44And the thought that somebody stood in a queue, got the signature,
0:34:44 > 0:34:45met the person...
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Blackpool does do, and did do, glamour.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55- At the very, very top level. - At the very top level.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57As well as your Northern seaside humour,
0:34:57 > 0:35:00as well as your Blackpool sideshows...
0:35:00 > 0:35:03- A huge mixture, isn't it? - It's a huge mixture.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07Cyril's left us a legacy that shouts Blackpool,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09- that we feel really proud of.- Yes.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Having seen the collection, now what I want to do is find out
0:35:15 > 0:35:18more about the man behind the collection - Cyril Critchlow.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23Who better to tell me about him than his daughter Pat?
0:35:23 > 0:35:26And where better to meet her than right on the seafront itself?
0:35:28 > 0:35:30He started when he was very young,
0:35:30 > 0:35:32doing magic tricks when he was about nine.
0:35:32 > 0:35:38He came to Blackpool with my grandparents, his mother and father.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41And he took great interest in magic at that point.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46So, yeah, anything that was around, he'd travel and buy it.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Anybody who knew him would go and see all this stuff in his garage.
0:35:50 > 0:35:51Including my grandchildren.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- Really?- And there was always something mega in there.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Or something really interesting.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59It must have been a huge, huge loss for Blackpool when he died.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01- He must have been very well known. - I think so.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Yeah, he was very well-known.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06If you ever went out to the shops or anything, he'd be a good two hours
0:36:06 > 0:36:09coming back, because he used to talk to everybody and anybody.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11And now, thanks to you and Tony,
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- his memory lives on through that amazing collection.- It does, yeah.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16That is fantastic, really.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19- He would have been so proud of that. - Thank you very much indeed.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21- Shall we go for a swim?- I think so.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23THEY LAUGH
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Who doesn't like to be beside the seaside
0:36:33 > 0:36:36or explore great open spaces,
0:36:36 > 0:36:40wander the streets of cities and towns - home and abroad?
0:36:40 > 0:36:43And let's face it, we all like to bring back souvenirs.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48But how do you distinguish the tourist tat from the hidden gems?
0:36:48 > 0:36:50Well, here are a few tips.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54Most souvenirs are what my mother would have called frippery.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59Penny dreadfuls. And don't have quality.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02If you can buy something from a region that's just got
0:37:02 > 0:37:04a little bit of quality...
0:37:04 > 0:37:08It'll cost you more, but it will be well worth collecting.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Don't just buy something because it's got Ramsgate on it.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13That's not going to help.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Goss is certainly the big name in crested china.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21That's the one you'd go for. Obviously, other lesser makers
0:37:21 > 0:37:24copied what Goss was doing and achieving.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27But really, you go by the rarity of the object.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Or possibly the rarity of the crest.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Buy something that's hand-painted. Classic example.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35Go down to the West Country, some wonderful potteries down there.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38Buy an original piece of pottery with a signature on it.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43We had Troika. And these were made as souvenirs
0:37:43 > 0:37:45to be bought in Cornwall.
0:37:45 > 0:37:50So I don't think that we should scoff at holiday souvenirs,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52we should always have a second look at them
0:37:52 > 0:37:55because very often they can be of quality.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57And they can be desirable.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01When I think of souvenirs - paperweights, crested china
0:38:01 > 0:38:03and stuffed donkeys cross my mind.
0:38:03 > 0:38:08But something altogether more exotic found its way to Michael's table.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12Obviously when you see something that you haven't seen in the normal
0:38:12 > 0:38:15course of events at a Flog It! valuation day
0:38:15 > 0:38:16you get very excited.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19When you find it's by a very big and important maker,
0:38:19 > 0:38:23doubly so, so I was thrilled to see it.
0:38:23 > 0:38:28Where on earth did this, dare I say it, grotesque little fellow come from?
0:38:28 > 0:38:32Just out of a box at a charity sale that I went to,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34with some other little bits and pieces.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38It was unusual, it was cheap, so I thought, "I'll have that."
0:38:38 > 0:38:42- When you say it was cheap, hopefully not more than a fiver, was it, or... - No.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Something in my brain is saying a couple of pounds with some
0:38:46 > 0:38:47other little bits, that's all.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51Couple of pounds, well, I think a couple of pounds is all right for it.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55It is a gourd, a hardened bean pod,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59I mean, variously you get gourd shaped pods in India and China,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01the whole of Southseast Asia, really.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Somebody's grown this
0:39:03 > 0:39:08and then I think somebody has had a go at making it a bazaar object.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Possibly sold to a tourist.
0:39:11 > 0:39:17But the tourist that bought this would probably have been shopping in about 1880.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19There's always the Victorian taste,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23remember we're at a time before film, before television,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26bringing back objects that were extraordinary,
0:39:26 > 0:39:32that they could remember from their trip but also describe the exotic locations they'd been.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34And they've come back to England
0:39:34 > 0:39:36and they've got this thing and they've thought,
0:39:36 > 0:39:40"What the devil can I do with this?"
0:39:40 > 0:39:44And they have taken it into a silversmith's who have been
0:39:44 > 0:39:49really ingenious and they have fitted this silver foot
0:39:49 > 0:39:55in the form of a leaf, but we have the hallmarks there are for London, 1878.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58And they have followed the naturalistic design
0:39:58 > 0:40:02and they have a vine leaf going up the side and a scroll
0:40:02 > 0:40:05and they have put a pepper pot top on it.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09The most interesting thing, though, is the maker's mark.
0:40:09 > 0:40:14It's a very important London firm of jewellers called Giuliano.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18This is done by Carlo Giuliano. He's incredibly sought after.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21And quite an important Victorian maker.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24He was an Italian trained under Castellani in London,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28and he did some work for the leading Victorian jeweller,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32Robert Phillips, before setting up on his own and certainly
0:40:32 > 0:40:37while his silver is very niche is jewellery now is extremely popular.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41It's considered to be amongst the finest of the 19th century work in this country.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44It's a question of price.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47What do you think is a fair return on your couple of pounds?
0:40:47 > 0:40:48What do you think it is worth?
0:40:48 > 0:40:54I am hoping it is worth a couple of hundred or something like that.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59A couple of hundred? I don't want to disappoint you, Julie, so I wont.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04We'll put it into auction for 1,000 or £1,500.
0:41:05 > 0:41:11- We'll put a reserve of £1,000 on it. - £1,000?- £1,000.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16Carlo Giuliano's work in jewellery is incredibly
0:41:16 > 0:41:20sought after and rare, his work in silver is even rarer.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23In terms of putting an estimate on it
0:41:23 > 0:41:27I did know of slightly similar but smaller objects by Giuliano
0:41:27 > 0:41:33that had sold at auction and they have sold at 700, 800, £900.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35This being a larger example I thought
0:41:35 > 0:41:38we would have no difficulty whatsoever it in 1,000 or
0:41:38 > 0:41:42£1,500 for it and secretly I was hoping it might do over 2,000.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46So, was Michael's confidence well placed?
0:41:46 > 0:41:49- At 860 on the book. At 860.- That's a good start.
0:41:49 > 0:41:54880, at 880 now. At 860. At £860. 880 anywhere now?
0:41:54 > 0:41:57At £860? You sure now then?
0:41:57 > 0:42:01At £860? You all sure at 860...
0:42:03 > 0:42:07I said just then it was a great start but it was also the end.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10It was the end. Why?
0:42:10 > 0:42:15All along I thought, because it is so it is a specialist type thing, isn't it?
0:42:15 > 0:42:17It's not something everyone could live with.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22Put it into a specialist silver sale because I promise you that is worth £1,000.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24All day long.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27It was obviously very disappointing when it did not sell.
0:42:27 > 0:42:32Sometimes you need the right person to understand an object.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35A lot of collectors of silver would look at that
0:42:35 > 0:42:38and think 1,000 or 1,500 was a lot of money,
0:42:38 > 0:42:45if you collect Giuliano jewellery you think it is an absolute bargain.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Michael was disappointed the gourd did not find a new owner,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51but he was right that the name Guiliano can make big money.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55In 2011 a stunning gold enamel engraved pearl necklace
0:42:55 > 0:43:00by Giuliano sold at auction for around £55,000.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03If Julie still has her wacky souvenir I think
0:43:03 > 0:43:06she should try her luck again at a specialist sale.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10If you do, remember to put a reserve on it.
0:43:10 > 0:43:16Now, a souvenir from a little closer to home caught David Fletcher's attention.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20You have got which you a.. gizmo, really.
0:43:20 > 0:43:21Yes.
0:43:21 > 0:43:29If I can unscrew it there... we have...a pen.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32Not a fountain pen but a dipper.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37At the other end, of course, a paper knife.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42One other thing which I suspect is going to be the case is that
0:43:42 > 0:43:46if I look through this little hole at the end I am going to see
0:43:46 > 0:43:48a black and white photograph.
0:43:49 > 0:43:54Items like this were bought as souvenirs, they were affordable.
0:43:54 > 0:43:59If you went away on a charabang in the 1920s or you have gone
0:43:59 > 0:44:05away on a train in the 1890s to the seaside and you had a Mum at home
0:44:05 > 0:44:08and you wanted to buy a souvenir, something to take back to her, you
0:44:08 > 0:44:11could go out and buy one of these and it would not break the bank.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15I am sure that when you saw this you thought, "I've got to go to Hastings!"
0:44:15 > 0:44:17We went last year!
0:44:17 > 0:44:22This type of magnifying device is known as a Stanhope.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25Because it was invented by the third Earl of Stanhope.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29- Who, quite honestly hadn't got much to do with his time.- No.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33He was probably very thrilled with it and I must say it is miraculous.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36It didn't really have any purpose, they were just novelties,
0:44:36 > 0:44:38just bits of fun.
0:44:38 > 0:44:43And they related to a particular resort
0:44:43 > 0:44:47and there was a scene in that resort and if you have been there
0:44:47 > 0:44:50you took it home, it was a logical thing to do.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53This isn't going to make the earth, but it is good fun
0:44:53 > 0:44:57- and I would like to suggest an estimate of 30 or £50.- That is OK.
0:44:57 > 0:45:04- Go ahead.- We will go ahead and I will see you both at the auction. - Lovely. Thank you.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08The question is, will this lot about your love this?
0:45:08 > 0:45:11Let's find out. It's going under the hammer right now.
0:45:14 > 0:45:19What did he say? 22? 24, 26 standing now.
0:45:19 > 0:45:2528, 30, 32, 34, 36, £36. Are we all done at 36?
0:45:25 > 0:45:3136, do I see 38? Selling at £36.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33It's gone! £36.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39Collectors of Stanhopes today, it must be said,
0:45:39 > 0:45:42are fairly or relatively few and far between.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45They're by no means the most syllable of all collectable
0:45:45 > 0:45:49items but they are collected by people who are buying on a budget.
0:45:49 > 0:45:54I don't think it will prove to be good investments, necessarily,
0:45:54 > 0:45:55but they might be.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59It may just be worth punting a pound or two if you see one.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02I agree, Stanhope should not be overlooked as a collecting field,
0:46:02 > 0:46:06They're an affordable an. interesting entry-level item for those
0:46:06 > 0:46:08who want to start collecting.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11Stanhopes were added to all kinds of useful objects,
0:46:11 > 0:46:14like walking canes and cigarette holders as well as being
0:46:14 > 0:46:17made into purely decorative pieces.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20Personally I think they are fascinating and the images
0:46:20 > 0:46:25they contain remainders of long lost landscapes and city scenes.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30Kathryn also spotted a collection that whisked back to another
0:46:30 > 0:46:31place and time.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Now I love to see a good selection of ephemera
0:46:35 > 0:46:39and that is what we have here. The lovely bit of social history.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Where has it all come from? Tell me the story.
0:46:41 > 0:46:45My grandfather went to America in 1954 to visit his cousin.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49He was a 73 and had never been abroad, never been out of the country.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53I do not think he had ever been out of Lancashire or Yorkshire at that time.
0:46:53 > 0:46:59And he went out on the ship called the SS Flanderer. He went to New York
0:46:59 > 0:47:04and flew from New York to LA, he had never flown before in his life.
0:47:04 > 0:47:09- To travel at his age, you said he was 70...?- He would have been 73.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12That is a big thing, at that time, if you think whisking back
0:47:12 > 0:47:15to the '50s, this was like a movie star thing.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19- He was so excited, I was a small boy.- It was a big adventure.- It was a huge adventure.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21Absolutely.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25It wasn't really common as it is now in the 1950s for people to
0:47:25 > 0:47:29travel and travel really across to America,
0:47:29 > 0:47:34it was really only the rich, the very wealthy who were
0:47:34 > 0:47:37making their way over to America and travelling extensively.
0:47:37 > 0:47:42And he went out on the Flanderer and these are the menus.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44They look very grand don't they?
0:47:44 > 0:47:47That was second-class, what was first class like?
0:47:47 > 0:47:50He came back on a ship in December 1954,
0:47:50 > 0:47:55called the Saxonia and that ship was brand-new in 1954 and launched by
0:47:55 > 0:47:58Lady Churchill, there is a booklet there telling you all about it,
0:47:58 > 0:48:00which he brought back with him as well.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04It was interesting to look at the brochures that were
0:48:04 > 0:48:07produced at the time, looking at the fashion, the furniture,
0:48:07 > 0:48:11the way that the actual ship was dressed.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14But also what I loved was the postcards that he had,
0:48:14 > 0:48:16he had an amazing collection of postcards
0:48:16 > 0:48:19which his grandfather bought when he was over in America.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22It was interesting to see how Hollywood looked then
0:48:22 > 0:48:25and how it looks now.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29- They're so colourful.- There are a lot of pictures of film stars houses.
0:48:29 > 0:48:34Here we have Will Rogers, and the Nelsons.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36- Clark.- Clark Gable.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40And here we have Cary Grant on Santa Monica Boulevard.
0:48:40 > 0:48:45The value was in the fact that it was a great collection,
0:48:45 > 0:48:50it was not only the postcards from the '50s it was
0:48:50 > 0:48:56also about the travel in the '50s so it was really an entire story
0:48:56 > 0:49:01and I think the fact that it was all really beautifully documented
0:49:01 > 0:49:03and it was in superb condition.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05That was wonderful.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08Now, I think we should put it in auction with an estimate of
0:49:08 > 0:49:122 or £300, and a fixed reserve of £200.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15Which means we won't sell it below that.
0:49:15 > 0:49:16A fascinating collection,
0:49:16 > 0:49:19certainly deserving the top end of its estimate.
0:49:19 > 0:49:26- What did the bidders think? - £100 to start me. 100 to go.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30- 110, 120, 130, 140.- He's keen!
0:49:30 > 0:49:33He hasn't put his bidding card down.
0:49:33 > 0:49:38170, 180, 190, 200, £200 there.
0:49:38 > 0:49:42In the middle of the room at £200. Anyone else want to come in?
0:49:42 > 0:49:46I can sell it then at £200. I am selling it for 200.
0:49:46 > 0:49:51It's got £200 and that chap over there was very, very keen.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53He did not put his bidding paddle down.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56I wanted, I am going home with it.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59- I just wish there was someone else in the room doing the same!- I know.
0:49:59 > 0:50:04Yes, John, unfortunately it always takes two bidders to get top dollar.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08I think the gent that won that what got himself a bargain.
0:50:08 > 0:50:09That's auctions for you.
0:50:09 > 0:50:14Not all modern souvenirs from sunny climbs will fit snugly
0:50:14 > 0:50:17into your hand luggage as Adam Partridge discovered.
0:50:17 > 0:50:21You have brought this handsome Murano sculpture in today,
0:50:21 > 0:50:23can you tell me much about it?
0:50:23 > 0:50:26About 25 years ago I was in Italy on business
0:50:26 > 0:50:33and a colleague and I went on a boat to Murano and had a look at it and bought one each.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36They're lovely. We've never regretted buying it.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40Murano is an island off Venice which has been famous for glass
0:50:40 > 0:50:42making for probably 1,000 years.
0:50:42 > 0:50:44Since the 10th century.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47And in the last hundred years in particular it's been a great
0:50:47 > 0:50:49area for tourists, holiday,
0:50:49 > 0:50:53souvenir hunters etc to bring back colourful paperweights,
0:50:53 > 0:50:56vases, they had a whole range of glass produced by Murano.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59- This is heavy, how did you get it home?- It was shipped home, thankfully.
0:50:59 > 0:51:05- I know you carried it in today in a holdall.- £93 excess baggage if we brought it by plane.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08Was it really? Do you mind me asking how much it was?
0:51:08 > 0:51:12- Just about £800.- £800. So a couple of million Lira?
0:51:12 > 0:51:16Indeed. I spent a couple of million. First and only time I've ever spent 2 million!
0:51:16 > 0:51:18I see a lot of Murano glass coming through the salerooms
0:51:18 > 0:51:22but it is always smaller pieces, vases and things like that.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25I've never seen anything as impressive as this from Murano
0:51:25 > 0:51:29- so it is really a great object to see.- It is lovely.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32What was unusual about this, it was all clear for a start at it
0:51:32 > 0:51:37was a very distinctive and unusual piece of modern glass, not really my
0:51:37 > 0:51:41cup of tea but I was quite excited to see an unusual piece of Murano.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45- Presumably you want your money back and a bit more?- I would hope so.
0:51:45 > 0:51:51I would hope so as well. I think £800 is probably the top end of what it is worth in an auction.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55When I saw it I thought six or £800 but it is lovely.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59- Does it have a name? - It is called Adam. After yourself.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02That is very kind. It's a handsome chap.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05It's very nice to have the Murano seal on here, the stamp
0:52:05 > 0:52:08and signature on the front there, which is
0:52:08 > 0:52:12Rosine and his first name was Loredano Rosine.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16The pieces that are signed and designed, those are the ones
0:52:16 > 0:52:19that have the best chance of appreciating in value.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22We don't want you to lose money so you will want a reserve on this.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25I think I would want the reserve to be what I paid for it before,
0:52:25 > 0:52:29- there is no point in selling it if I will make a loss.- I quite agree. I wouldn't do that either.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32We'll put a deserve of 800 which I think is the top end
0:52:32 > 0:52:34but fingers crossed, we will see what happens.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37Bob and I didn't exactly see completely eye to eye,
0:52:37 > 0:52:42I would have estimated that at five or £6-£800 rather than £800-£1,000.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45But Bob was insistent on wanting the £800.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49I actually thought this probably isn't going to sell.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51We'll see you at the auction, Adam.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53Who was proved right, Bob or Adam?
0:52:53 > 0:52:56When the Murano souvenir went under the hammer.
0:52:56 > 0:53:01An important piece of modern glass, very seldom on the market.
0:53:01 > 0:53:08I have interest. I can start this at £650. 650, 650,...
0:53:08 > 0:53:13- It's above your valuation already. - Stop it, Bob!
0:53:13 > 0:53:16800 with you, sir. 800.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20- 800.- It's sold.- Yeah.- 800.
0:53:20 > 0:53:26- But I can sell, are you quite sure? All done at £800?- Done.
0:53:26 > 0:53:27You've got your money back.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31Bob was extra victorious. When it made the 800,
0:53:31 > 0:53:33he said, "I could do your job much easier than you!"
0:53:33 > 0:53:37So congratulations, Bob, on making me look like an idiot.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41I think it was a fair price, a very strong price.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44Perhaps in time to come that might prove to be an investment
0:53:44 > 0:53:46but I think it will take a few years.
0:53:46 > 0:53:47You can't win them all
0:53:47 > 0:53:51but luckily for Bob there was one very determined bidder in the room.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58What should you consider when shopping for mementos on holiday?
0:53:58 > 0:54:02The best things in life are free. Well, fairly inexpensive.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Travel brochures and postcards from your trip may cost you a few
0:54:06 > 0:54:11pounds today but could prove very valuable in the future.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14Always keep an eye out for the weird and wacky,
0:54:14 > 0:54:16but if you are selling at auction sniff out a specialist
0:54:16 > 0:54:21sale and always protect your prized possession with a reserve.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24And if you are thinking of starting a holiday themed collection
0:54:24 > 0:54:27you can't go far wrong with a Stanhope.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30These are charming, inexpensive souvenirs that make a perfect
0:54:30 > 0:54:34starting point for those who are new to antiques.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44I hope we have shown you that not all holiday mementos are cheap
0:54:44 > 0:54:49tourist tat, some in fact are serious collectors pieces.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53There's one high-end souvenir which is a particular favourite of Maine.
0:54:53 > 0:54:54Tunbridge ware.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57Over the years we have valued a fair bit of it on the programme
0:54:57 > 0:55:04- and it often fetches memorable prices.- All done at £400.- 400 quid!
0:55:04 > 0:55:07The hammer's gone down, 400 quid, good estimate.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10Tunbridge ware is deserving of the prices it
0:55:10 > 0:55:14achieves as it is a quality antique, handmade by master craftsmen.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19The wooden wares were originally produced as a sideline
0:55:19 > 0:55:22by woodworkers, working in the vicinity of Tunbridge Wells
0:55:22 > 0:55:25to sell to the spa town visitors.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29Some believe the earliest examples were brought in from London.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32The Tunbridge ware items were a popular souvenir,
0:55:32 > 0:55:35you must think of Tunbridge Wells, the wonderful spa town
0:55:35 > 0:55:40in the 18th and 19th century, the fine folk would go there to take
0:55:40 > 0:55:44the waters, and when you go on holiday you want to bring a souvenir back.
0:55:44 > 0:55:50So they would buy these boxes, caddies,
0:55:50 > 0:55:54and I think there is reference to these things in the books
0:55:54 > 0:55:57and letters of that time,
0:55:57 > 0:56:01talking about the beautiful little boxes, the wondrous boxes.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06The popularity of Tunbridge ware with the tourists who
0:56:06 > 0:56:10flock to the town meant that by the mid-18th-century specialist
0:56:10 > 0:56:13manufacturers had sprung up in the area.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16Over the centuries different techniques were employed
0:56:16 > 0:56:17in the decorating of the wares.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21Early examples were often painted or print decorated.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25But later, the more well-known techniques of marquetry,
0:56:25 > 0:56:29parquetry and mosaic work were adopted with up to 150 different
0:56:29 > 0:56:35varieties of native and exotic woods being used to create glorious pieces of Tunbridge ware.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38Little bit of wood, tulipwood satinwood, Boxwood, ebony,
0:56:38 > 0:56:42the most wonderful stringing details in this geometric pattern
0:56:42 > 0:56:44which has been coloured beautifully.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47The craftsmanship and patience to apply this pattern,
0:56:47 > 0:56:51this geometric pattern to both sides of this little calling card box.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55Bearing in mind the level of skill
0:56:55 > 0:56:58and the quality of materials that went into the wares, it is
0:56:58 > 0:57:03not surprising that today they are highly sought after collectables.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07So what should you be aware of if you're looking to acquire a piece.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11My advice is to do your research and look out for good makers names,
0:57:11 > 0:57:13for example, Robert Russell.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17Our experts have a few words of wisdom, too.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21The most sought after are the wonderful pictorial scenes.
0:57:21 > 0:57:26Make sure it is perfectly intact and there is no bits of veneer missing,
0:57:26 > 0:57:30look for good quality perfect pieces and you won't go wrong.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33Caroline is bang on. When it comes to condition,
0:57:33 > 0:57:37Tunbridge Ware is notoriously difficult and costly to restore.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40It's wise to look for pieces that don't need it.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43- It's so cute, look at that!- I know!
0:57:43 > 0:57:46There are other things to consider, too.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49Learn the difference between Tunbridge ware
0:57:49 > 0:57:53from Tunbridge Wells and the Italian copies being made in Sorrento.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56Because they are very similar
0:57:56 > 0:57:58and to the untrained eye they are almost identical.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01But the difference in value is hundreds of pounds per object.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04Work out what your budget is, you might say,
0:58:04 > 0:58:09"I will not collect across the field I might just buy Tunbridge ware stamp boxes."
0:58:09 > 0:58:13You might buy Tunbridge ware dressing table items. The choice is fabulous.
0:58:13 > 0:58:17It depends on how much you have to spend.
0:58:17 > 0:58:22Always keep your eyes open for unusual shapes and designs.
0:58:22 > 0:58:24As they will always hold their value.
0:58:31 > 0:58:34That is it for today's show. I hope you have enjoyed it.
0:58:34 > 0:58:37Join us again soon for more trade secrets!