0:00:02 > 0:00:07For well over ten years now, you've arrived in your thousands at our Flog It! valuation days
0:00:07 > 0:00:11bringing all manner of items to put our experts through their paces.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15- Ah!- Hey presto! It's on a spring.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20And we've helped you sell around £1 million worth of antiques and collectables.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- GAVEL BANGS - Yes! 700 quid.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26In this series, I want to share some of the things we've learnt
0:00:26 > 0:00:28from handling all of those items over the years.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32So stand by to hear our Flog It! trade secrets.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Literature has always played a large part in British life,
0:01:03 > 0:01:07from the old English classic Beowulf through to William Shakespeare,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09the narrative poems of the Romantic period,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11the classic novels of the 19th century - in fact,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15right up to the present day, we've all enjoyed a good read.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20So what, might you be thinking, has this got to do with antiques and collectables?
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Well, I can tell you, because today's show is dedicated to
0:01:23 > 0:01:26everything connected with writers and writing.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31We've got an epic episode in store for you.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Well, I think it's a children's book collector's dream.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38With more suspense than Agatha Christie.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Hopefully Sheila and Rowland will turn up? If not, it's going ahead.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44- You can't stop an auction. - No, you can't.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46More drama than Jackie Collins.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50- GAVEL BANGS - £1,025! Marion, fantastic.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54And more make-believe than JK Rowling.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56I still believe in fairies, don't you?
0:02:01 > 0:02:06Items once owned or associated with literary giants are highly sought after.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Universities are keen to own manuscripts so scholars can study their work.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13And enthusiasts want to get their hands on something that was
0:02:13 > 0:02:18once touched by the hand that penned something quite amazing.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22So here are our experts' tips for all you budding bibliophiles.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27My tip would be, if you look for illustrated books by well-known
0:02:27 > 0:02:32illustrators that worked hand-in-hand with authors they liked.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36If you can find an original watercolour by Arthur Rackham,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39you're looking at £10,000 or more.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42The more famous the person it's associated with is,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44obviously the more valuable the piece is going to be.
0:02:44 > 0:02:52Probably the most popular are by er...Shakespeare, Dickens, Scott.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Our literary odyssey begins in 2012 with Christina,
0:02:59 > 0:03:04and a piece of pottery inspired by one of our most famous writers.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Sheila and Rowland, but you prefer to be called Bubbles, don't you?
0:03:08 > 0:03:11OK, so we'll call you Bubbles for today. All right?
0:03:11 > 0:03:14You've brought in this rather wonderful Royal Doulton jug.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Where did you get it from?
0:03:16 > 0:03:18- We inherited it.- OK.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22It's a Royal Doulton commemorative jug,
0:03:22 > 0:03:29Dickens commemorative jug, and it's what they call the Dickens Master of Smiles and Tears jug.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32And it's wonderful because it's relief moulded with all these
0:03:32 > 0:03:34figures from Dickens literature.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36And around the top as well, we've got
0:03:36 > 0:03:40these London scenes from where the stories took place.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43There do seem to be an awful lot of items made to commemorate Dickens.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46He was the most popular author of his time and also the most prolific,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49if you think about the number of books that he actually wrote.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53- It's signed Noke.- Noke?- Noke. N-O-K-E.
0:03:53 > 0:04:00Now, Charles Noke was a modeller and designer for Royal Doulton in the early part of the 20th century.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Now, when you originally had it, did it come with a certificate?
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Somewhere or other it got mislaid.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Because it did originally come with a certificate.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Collectors do like to have the certificate and the piece
0:04:12 > 0:04:15for their collection obviously, it's nice to have the two together.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18But I think the certificate is often a repeat of what's
0:04:18 > 0:04:21on the bottom of the piece, and there was such a lovely mark.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23It actually tells us all about itself.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Which says, "The Dickens Jug",
0:04:26 > 0:04:29and then the title "Master of Smiles and Tears,
0:04:29 > 0:04:34"with the magic of his created personality. This is Jug No.64."
0:04:34 > 0:04:38So it is No.64 from an edition of 1,000.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42So it's great that it's actually quite early in the production run.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Collectors like earlier pieces or earlier runs from that production,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49because if you think about it - it's the same with anything -
0:04:49 > 0:04:53in the moulds they're produced in, over time, when they're producing such a huge run,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55the moulds don't get quite as sharp
0:04:55 > 0:04:57or they're just not quite right
0:04:57 > 0:04:59as they were with the first pieces they produced.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I've had a good look over it, and it doesn't look as
0:05:03 > 0:05:06if there is any kind of chips or cracks or any kind of damage.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Which bearing in mind it's pre-war, is really quite impressive.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14They make anywhere in the region of maybe £250 to £350.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21'So would the Dickens jug measure up to Christina's "Great Expectations"?
0:05:21 > 0:05:26'Well, it turned out there was more than one "Twist" to this particular tale.'
0:05:26 > 0:05:30Hopefully Sheila and Rowland will turn up as we're speaking.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34- If not, it's going ahead. You can't stop an auction.- No, you can't.
0:05:35 > 0:05:41Lot 360 is the Royal Doulton Charles Dickens jug. £200?
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- He's bidding, he's bidding. - Yeah.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45220, 230, 240.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49It soon became crystal clear that the auctioneer wasn't going
0:05:49 > 0:05:52to have a hard time selling this particular literary lot.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54410 telephone bid. 420.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56We're on the phone now.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59£420.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00Brilliant.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04Now selling then, last chance. At 420... 430 back in.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- He's back.- 440.- He's keen.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09One more? 450?
0:06:09 > 0:06:10- No, he's out now.- 60?
0:06:10 > 0:06:14At £460 ahead then, selling at £460.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- What a fabulous result.- Yeah.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20I just wish they were here, I really do.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23It was a real shame, I think they would have loved to have seen it.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27They literally arrived just after it sold.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- How much?- How much do you think?
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- I don't know.- Come on, come on, top end, or lower end?
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- Top end.- Lower end.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39A split decision there. Well, we actually made £460.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Oh, my word!
0:06:41 > 0:06:42- Is that all right?- Yes!
0:06:42 > 0:06:45So it hasn't been too disappointing missing it?
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Disappointed?
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Oh, you've knocked 20, 50 years off me.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56Royal Doulton produced a huge series of character jugs of Dickens characters
0:06:56 > 0:06:58which were just their faces.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So I think this jug was an amalgamation of so many of those different characters
0:07:01 > 0:07:05and of such a great size as well, and I think that's why it was so appealing.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Two very satisfied customers there.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Now, Dickens was born in February 1812.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17And the anniversary of his birth in 2012 saw
0:07:17 > 0:07:21a spike in the demand for memorabilia related to him.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26So if you have any item associated with an author, research the key dates,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30and if you can, sell it when interest is at its peak.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37In 2011, literary characters of a different kind caught Elizabeth's eye.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42They're a very good example of what is a very accessible and well-recognised collectable.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47What a collection! There must be a story behind these?
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Yeah, I think Peter Rabbit
0:07:49 > 0:07:54- and Jemima Puddle-Duck were either my mum's or my nan's.- Right.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58And I really liked them so my mum said I could have it.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01And my nan decided she would buy me them for my birthday and Christmas.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- Right, so you added to the family... - Added to the collection.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Do you have a favourite amongst them?
0:08:07 > 0:08:11I like Hunca Munca just because I like the story of Hunca Munca.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12- You're a Beatrix Potter fan?- Yeah.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16We all have our own favourite childhood associations with
0:08:16 > 0:08:21one or other of her characters, and I think we all have very secret
0:08:21 > 0:08:25reasons why they are appealing and mean something to us.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28- In 1933, the factory Beswick was established in Longton.- Yes.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32And by 1948 they had started to produce these little figures,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35illustrating famous characters by Beatrix Potter.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38And by 1950, within two years of having started the manufacture,
0:08:38 > 0:08:41they had become an instant, collectable hit, and I don't think
0:08:41 > 0:08:45they've ever not been collectable, sought after or very, very popular.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48'Beatrix Potter's a very clever writer, she expresses some
0:08:48 > 0:08:49'very fundamental human feelings'
0:08:49 > 0:08:53or stories through these characters.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58And therefore because those feelings and activities are applicable
0:08:58 > 0:09:01to all generations, it's not gone out of fashion.
0:09:01 > 0:09:07I think the most expensive figure ever to be sold at auction was one called Duchess.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- I think she individually made £2,000 at auction.- Wow!
0:09:10 > 0:09:13But obviously, being more realistic,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- can't promise you that sort of figure, I'm afraid.- No, no.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Realistically at auction one should be looking at an average of about £10 each.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23But to keep them as a collection, and offer them
0:09:23 > 0:09:26with an estimate of £150 to £200, would you be happy with that?
0:09:26 > 0:09:27Yeah, that would be lovely.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Peter Rabbit and friends made it safely to the auction -
0:09:31 > 0:09:33but unfortunately without owner Julia.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- It's gone totally silent. - Yes, tension is rising.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42You can hear a pin drop.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47I have interest here on the book, it starts with me at 75, 80.
0:09:47 > 0:09:5190, thank you. And five? 100, and 10, 20, 30...
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Reassuring sign.
0:09:54 > 0:09:5750, 280. £280 in the centre.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01- At 280, if you're done? 300 on the telephone.- Telephone.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05£300, it's on the telephone against you in the room, if you're all done?
0:10:05 > 0:10:10- £300 on the telephone. Sold! - I'm pleased with that.- I bet you are.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14I was reflecting what I had witnessed over the previous few
0:10:14 > 0:10:18months in terms of what the market was doing for Beatrix Potter figures,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and I have to say the market had been dropping.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Well, Julia's collection certainly scampered through the top estimate
0:10:24 > 0:10:27without a backward glance.
0:10:27 > 0:10:33But the figurines are by no means in the bestseller's list of Beatrix Potter collectables.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38An original copy of Peter Rabbit sold in 2013 for £20,000.
0:10:38 > 0:10:45And in 2008, a Potter drawing sold for almost £300,000,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48making it the most expensive book illustration ever sold.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Now, Philip is not a man prone to flights of fantasy,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59but a pair of Shakespearean characters did manage to cast a spell on him.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03This is a very, very rare figure, but it is a piece of Worcester from my home town
0:11:03 > 0:11:07- and I think this is one of a set of four from the Midsummer Night's Dream.- Yeah.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09And they're really, really nice.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14The fact Shakespeare's our greatest author means that we're going
0:11:14 > 0:11:18to use him as an influence to produce paintings, to produce pots,
0:11:18 > 0:11:19to produce models.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24My wife and I went to a sale, this one was there
0:11:24 > 0:11:27and it was called Puck and Bottom and she said, "It's never Puck..."
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- Snout.- That's right, it's Snout.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34This is produced by Kerr & Binns.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37We can see on the bottom just here we've got this Kerr & Binns shield.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40If you see a piece with Kerr & Binns on the bottom,
0:11:40 > 0:11:45just have a real good look at it because it should smell quality to you.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48And they were in action really, I suppose, in about the 20 years
0:11:48 > 0:11:52before Royal Worcester became into being, which was 1862.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57Everybody thinks Royal Worcester has been Royal Worcester since day one. It wasn't.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01The porcelain factory was set up in 1751 and lots of little factories evolved.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04And it wasn't until 1862 that the whole lot was drawn together to form
0:12:04 > 0:12:06the Royal Worcester porcelain factory.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08It's kept well, then.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11- I wouldn't mind being as good as that, Arthur, if I was that old. - Me too.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13I'm getting that way, but...
0:12:13 > 0:12:17It could do well. I can't see it making much more than 600,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19but a 300 to 500 estimate's fair.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22What a gorgeous piece of porcelain.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26But would the Shakespearean figurines inspire the bidders?
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Someone certainly hoped so.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31If this doesn't sell, I'll be like Bottom with a donkey's head.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35As per catalogue, fair interest, here. Starts us here at 500.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37And 20. 540.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- Straight in. - Good. Well done, Arthur.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- 600, at £600?- Superb.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46All done with it at 600, then?
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Excellent, that was short and sweet, straight in. No messing around.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Well, that was a fairy-tale ending for Arthur.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57There's absolutely no doubt the characters' pristine condition
0:12:57 > 0:13:00helped whisk them high above the top estimate.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Once you've damaged them,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08I would say almost 60-70% of the value has just gone out of the window.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13And so condition is everything. And these were in top order.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18When Michael went to Blackburn in 2010,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22he was pleasantly surprised to be transported to Neverland.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Marion, you've, I think made my day today
0:13:26 > 0:13:29by bringing in this wonderful children's book
0:13:29 > 0:13:35- which we can see, is Peter Pan. Have you had this since a child? - I've had it from childhood.
0:13:35 > 0:13:41It was given to me by two very great and gracious ladies that lived across the way from us.
0:13:41 > 0:13:47And, during the war, they turned their cellar into bunk beds
0:13:47 > 0:13:52for a few of the local children in the area, so we could stay all night in safety.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54They gave me a birthday party,
0:13:54 > 0:13:58and that was the present they gave me at the party.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- What a fantastic present.- Yes. - I've... I've never had a...
0:14:01 > 0:14:05I don't want to do my parents down, I never had a present like this!
0:14:05 > 0:14:08There's a large market for children's books.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Either people buy them for their children
0:14:10 > 0:14:13to put them away as a form of investment,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15or they're just charmed by the literature, the medium.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17It's rather accessible to everybody.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20We've got this lovely full vellum binding.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23So the most expensive way to do it.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Often you'll just have the spine done, and the corners.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30It was that expensive. But they've tooled, in gilt,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34"Peter Pan", and there he is on the back of a...
0:14:34 > 0:14:36of a fairly ferocious looking goat!
0:14:36 > 0:14:39But that's the name we look for, "illustrated by Arthur Rackham".
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Arthur Rackham was one of the leading
0:14:42 > 0:14:45late-Victorian, early-Edwardian illustrators.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49He did these most detailed and complicated illustrations
0:14:49 > 0:14:51with fairies and pixies and grotesques.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53And they're rather charming.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55I've not met anyone yet
0:14:55 > 0:15:00who doesn't find a Rackham drawing ravishing, I think is the word.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03And we've got Arthur Rackham's signature there.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04I think people are beginning to
0:15:04 > 0:15:09regard his work less as children's illustrations and more as...
0:15:09 > 0:15:13It was good skilful draughtsmanship. It's exquisite.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16- Carried away by the winds. - Is that with the balloons? Yes.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20- With the balloon. The balloon seller being taken away.- Yes, that's it.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24No-one would be buying it to break out the illustrations from it.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29It's the complete package that is appealing to a collector.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33And that's wonderful. "This edition is limited to 500 copies,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37"numbered and signed by the artist, of which this is No.111."
0:15:37 > 0:15:41So it's even quite an low number.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45There's an element of a stamp collector in all of us,
0:15:45 > 0:15:49and I'm afraid, if two collectors were to have a copy of the same book,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51if you had an earlier number
0:15:51 > 0:15:54you would consider yours possibly a better edition.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Well, I think it's a children's book collector's dream...
0:15:58 > 0:16:02- I would think so.- Really. I mean, it is the luxury edition.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04There are a few faults,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07there's a little bit of wear to the gilt edging and the covers
0:16:07 > 0:16:09have started to bow slightly.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13I think we would be sensible to put it into auction
0:16:13 > 0:16:18- with an attractive estimate of say, £400 to £600.- Yes.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Who knows? We might be touching the four figures, but...
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- That would be nice.- That would be if Peter was flying overhead...
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- Yes, yes, yes.- ..wishing us luck.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31A beautiful copy of the ultimate children's classic.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Surely someone would be hooked?
0:16:35 > 0:16:39The Peter Pan In Kensington Gardens with drawings by Arthur Rackham.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- It's a signed limited edition. - It's wonderful.
0:16:42 > 0:16:48- Absolutely brilliant.- £200. £200. 225. 250. 250. 275. I've 300 here.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50325. 350. 350.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54- 375...- He's got a commission bid on the book, he's looking down.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57425. 450. 475. 500.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00And 25. 550. 575.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04At 575. And 600, madam. £600. 625.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09- They've travelled up specially, haven't they, today?- 675. 700.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12And 25. 750. 75.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14800. And 25.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- Oh, dear, oh, dear!- Oh, dear!- 850.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19875. 900.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23And 25. 950. 975. 1,000.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25And 25. 1,025.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26This is exciting!
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Are you all done at 1,025 for Peter Pan?
0:17:29 > 0:17:30GAVEL BANGS
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Marion, fantastic.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- What a lot of money! - That was exciting!- Well done.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- It was worth every penny. - Oh, it was very nice, wasn't it?
0:17:37 > 0:17:39There's a tear in your eye now.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Marion's copy of that wonderful children's classic certainly flew away in the auction room.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49That's because it had everything going for it.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Now, if you come across a book of such quality,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54take my advice, snap it up immediately.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58But what else should eager bookworms consider
0:17:58 > 0:18:00when starting a writing-themed collection?
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Well, first off, when you buy antique books,
0:18:03 > 0:18:07keep in mind that earlier copies in a print run are more valuable.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13This rule of thumb also applies to memorabilia related to writers and writing.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16The lower the production number, the better.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24These days, spin-offs for many popular books are de rigueur.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28But that's not to say merchandising wasn't around in the past.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Beatrix Potter, for example, actively encouraged merchandising.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36So keep your eyes peeled for vintage memorabilia.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39If a collectable is part of a set, it's obvious
0:18:39 > 0:18:42that having the entire set is going to be more profitable.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47But if you have a collection of individual items,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50you may actually make more money by splitting them up in the auction.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58Try and resist the temptation to leaf through your treasured tomes.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01If you want to make a packet at the auction room,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03they have simply got to be in tiptop condition.
0:19:08 > 0:19:15We saw earlier how Arthur's beautiful 19th-century porcelain figurines flew away at auction.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Inspired, as they were, by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream,
0:19:19 > 0:19:24they give a clue to a particular quirk of Victorian society.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27The Victorians were absolutely obsessed with fairies.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32All those elements the Victorians liked. A bit of nature, cheekiness.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35If you're a Victorian, it was Bob's your uncle.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Both Tennyson and Walter Scott wrote poems about fairies.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43And even Dickens couldn't resist a wry description
0:19:43 > 0:19:46of smoking chimney stacks as "fairy palaces".
0:19:49 > 0:19:54But the Victorian fascination with fairies was by no means confined to the written word.
0:19:54 > 0:20:02The period from 1840 to 1870 was the golden age of Victorian fairy painting.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05It was a way that Victorian artists could get away
0:20:05 > 0:20:08with portraying the nude female form.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12If they put wings on it, and called it either a fairy or a cherub,
0:20:12 > 0:20:13it became art.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke by Richard Dadd
0:20:18 > 0:20:20is one of the most famous works in the genre.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24In the painting, King Oberon and Queen Titania
0:20:24 > 0:20:27from A Midsummer Night's Dream take centre stage,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30making its Shakespearean influences clear for all to see.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Dadd was brilliant, but unstable.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42He ended his days in Broadmoor, having murdered his father.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48By 1917, interest in fairies had waned
0:20:48 > 0:20:51when two girls from Cottingley, Bradford,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54claimed to have taken five photographs of fairies.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58The story captured the public imagination
0:20:58 > 0:21:00and found an unlikely champion
0:21:00 > 0:21:04in the novelist and committed spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle -
0:21:04 > 0:21:07himself the son of a Victorian fairy painter.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12There were, of course, no fairies in Bradford,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15but they HAD begun to appear in Staffordshire around that time.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18The most wonderful fairies
0:21:18 > 0:21:23are those depicted in Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Very, very collectable.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31I mean, a decent-sized Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre bowl,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34a good sized punchbowl, is going to be into the thousands.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36£3,000, £4,000, £5,000 for a good one.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39A top tip, though, if you are buying Fairyland Lustre,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42be wary of wear to the gilt
0:21:42 > 0:21:43and the decoration on the enamel.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46If you're going to buy a piece, invest in a perfect one.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Flog It! favourite Mabel Lucie Attwell
0:21:51 > 0:21:55also produced fairy illustrations around that time,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57including her famous Boo Boo Elf.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04And at JM Barrie's request, she also illustrated editions
0:22:04 > 0:22:08of Peter Pan, which were reissued many times.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12It's clear that today, little folk of the right vintage
0:22:12 > 0:22:15can still work their magic in the auction room.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19- That's a sold sound! £2,300! - Oh, goodness!
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Even if many of us have stopped believing in them!
0:22:24 > 0:22:26I still believe in fairies, don't you?
0:22:32 > 0:22:35For those of us who admire the great themes in history,
0:22:35 > 0:22:39the Romantic novels of the 19th century are a good place to start.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42And some of the best books penned were written in the early 1800s
0:22:42 > 0:22:46by Sir Walter Scott, a man who's come to epitomise the Romantic novel -
0:22:46 > 0:22:50and a man whose legacy Anita Manning greatly admires.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Abbotsford. One of the most famous houses in the world.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05It was designed and built by Sir Walter Scott in his beloved Borders.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Scott was one of the most important literary figures in the 19th century,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14and the first English-language author
0:23:14 > 0:23:17to have a truly international career.
0:23:18 > 0:23:24But he is perhaps best known as the inventor of the historical novel.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29After suffering polio as a child,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31he was sent to stay with relatives in the Borders
0:23:31 > 0:23:35and it was here that he fell in love with that region, its history,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37its tales and its folklore.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45At Abbotsford, Scott played host to the great and the good of the day.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50He called it "the Delilah" of his imagination.
0:23:50 > 0:23:56And it's still a place of pilgrimage to his many thousands of admirers.
0:23:56 > 0:24:02Today, I'm here on a pilgrimage to uncover the treasures of that fantastic house.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14It's filled with his own collection of antiquities
0:24:14 > 0:24:17thought to inspire his writings.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21It shows the preoccupations, the passions
0:24:21 > 0:24:24and the life of the man himself.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28This is Scott's library,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32and for me, it's the jewel in the crown at Abbotsford.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37This collection consists of over 7,000 volumes
0:24:37 > 0:24:40on every conceivable subject
0:24:40 > 0:24:43and in 17 different languages.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46These were Scott's working tools,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and many of these books have been annotated by him.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52The scope of the library is immense
0:24:52 > 0:24:56and many of these printed works are unique.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59But what is fascinating about this collection
0:24:59 > 0:25:04is that it is EXACTLY as it was in Scott's day.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09And this is rare, because often a collection is broken up
0:25:09 > 0:25:11or added to after the owner dies.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17First editions are usually what collectors look for.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19But in Scott's day,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23when books were printed in editions of tens or hundreds,
0:25:23 > 0:25:28Scott's editions were coming out in runs of thousands -
0:25:28 > 0:25:33and in some cases, 25,000. So his first additions are not rare,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37but what the collector should be looking for are those books
0:25:37 > 0:25:40which are signed by the author,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44and those lovely early calf-bound volumes.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49But books weren't the only thing that Scott collected.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59This is the armoury. Scott used this as his sitting room.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02He called it his "little boudoir".
0:26:02 > 0:26:06And there are some weapons on this wall which belonged to a character
0:26:06 > 0:26:10from one of my favourite Scott books, Rob Roy.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Rob Roy was a real person.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16He was a Highland chieftain, a Scottish folk hero
0:26:16 > 0:26:19and outlaw of the 18th century.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Here, we see his sporran, his broadsword,
0:26:22 > 0:26:26his dirk and his gun.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31And Scott would often use objects to inspire him in his writings.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34It was as if handling these objects
0:26:34 > 0:26:38seemed to breathe life into the character on the page.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46And finally, this is Scott's study.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49The very soul of Abbotsford.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51His later novels including
0:26:51 > 0:26:56the magisterial nine volumes of Napoleon's biography
0:26:56 > 0:27:01and the delightful Tales Of A Grandfather were written at this desk.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06We see his paper knife, his spectacles, his quill,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09and, rather sadly, a chequebook.
0:27:09 > 0:27:15And this tells us the story of the latter part of Scott's life.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20In 1826, the publishing company that he was a partner in
0:27:20 > 0:27:27crashed during the recession. and led him into debt of £126,000.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Rather than going bankrupt,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34he determined to write himself out of debt.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36And here we have this little chequebook
0:27:36 > 0:27:39and we can imagine him here,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41scoring off his debts one by one.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47But the legacy that Scott left behind is amazing.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Not only do we have his astonishing body of work,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52but we have Abbotsford,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56which provides inspiration for the thousands of enthusiasts
0:27:56 > 0:28:01who make a literary pilgrimage here every year.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10By now, you know Charlie Ross is a man
0:28:10 > 0:28:12of endless enthusiasm and passion.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15He needs no prompting talking about his favourite subject.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Cricket! I've never been a very good cricketer myself,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28but I love going to cricket matches. I love reading about cricket.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32I've got a book entitled "Cricket" by WG Grace,
0:28:32 > 0:28:34the father of English cricket.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38This enormous, enormous man with a huge beard.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Quite a portly gentlemen,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43regarded, really, as the father of English cricket.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47People used to travel the length and breadth of the country
0:28:47 > 0:28:49to watch the great man bat.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51And he wrote this book.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55It's simply called "Cricket".
0:28:55 > 0:28:58What is particularly exciting about this, and I bought this at auction,
0:28:58 > 0:29:01is that here we have...
0:29:02 > 0:29:06..WG Grace's original signature.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10It's a little faded, but that makes it really pretty rare.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14This is a man that died very nearly 100 years ago.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17We weren't in an era, then,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20where, as he came out, having batted,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23there would be lots of children looking for signatures,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25which there would be today, with the great players of today.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28There wouldn't have been so many signatures,
0:29:28 > 0:29:30so this makes it even more rare.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32It's a great tome,
0:29:32 > 0:29:36we have illustrations of these splendid people.
0:29:36 > 0:29:42You think nowadays of sportsmen of being lithe, lissom, ultra-fit.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44There's Alfred Mynn here.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49A picture of Alfred Mynn, what an extraordinary gentlemen he is!
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Can you imagine him running up and down the wicket?
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Surely he must've had to hit sixes and fours
0:29:55 > 0:29:59because after a couple of singles, he'd have been completely knackered!
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Great, great illustrations.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05Lovely tome. Had to pay for it.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08It cost about £650, I think.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Which some people would think I'm bonkers
0:30:11 > 0:30:17spending that sort of money on a tome like this, but I will keep it.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21I'm sure it will turn out to be a good investment, my son is as keen on cricket as I am.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23He, no doubt, will keep it
0:30:23 > 0:30:28and it will be admired by the family for years to come, I hope!
0:30:28 > 0:30:30I've never seen one of these on Flog It!
0:30:30 > 0:30:33I'd love to see one on Flog It!
0:30:33 > 0:30:35And I'd love to see how much it made.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45'The next chapter of our story features eye-popping surprises...'
0:30:45 > 0:30:50The little police helmet really caught me with my trousers down.
0:30:50 > 0:30:51'..jaw-dropping auctions...'
0:30:51 > 0:30:56Got it for nothing, had it for a day, and it made a thousand pounds!
0:30:56 > 0:30:59'..and an awe-inspiring book collector.'
0:30:59 > 0:31:02If you've got millions of pounds to spend of disposable cash,
0:31:02 > 0:31:04you spend it on your passion.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06Sandy's passion is women's literature.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15These days, many of us do much of our writing on a keyboard
0:31:15 > 0:31:18and a computer or a smartphone is our page.
0:31:18 > 0:31:19But it wasn't always that way.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21The paraphernalia of writing
0:31:21 > 0:31:24is of enduring interest to the collector
0:31:24 > 0:31:27whether it be blotting pads, pen trays, inkwells,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31even desks, we see the lot at our valuation days.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34Do you want to find out more? Well, go and grab and pen and paper
0:31:34 > 0:31:36because this is what you need to know.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41Collect fountain pens!
0:31:41 > 0:31:45Namiki cases, which are Japanese lacquer done for Dunhill.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48I think they are amongst the most expensive pens in the world.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51So, if you see one of those, certainly go for it.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Always try and stand back from the crowd.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57Don't buy what everybody else has got. Try and buy something rare.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01Things like very ornate, grand blotters.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05If you think of the 19th century French ormolu-mounted blotters
0:32:05 > 0:32:08and desk sets - very decorative, very collectable.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12And probably a bit underpriced at the moment, so have a look at those.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Good advice from our experts.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19On the ground, they come across
0:32:19 > 0:32:21all manner of weird and wonderful things,
0:32:21 > 0:32:26including one little thriller that Philip found in Stockport.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29The little police helmet really caught me with my trousers down.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33- How old do you think it is? - I've no idea.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36I know it came from my grandfather.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41I think that that dates back end of the 19th century.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44And I love it cos it's pure novelty.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48You just press that there, and lo and behold, there's our little inkwell.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51- That's right. - And it's just such a cool thing.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56Writing was an art form, and they would produce this little stand
0:32:56 > 0:32:59that big, with brushes on it that you wiped your nib on,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02nib wipes, and sometimes, they would be in the form of a helmet
0:33:02 > 0:33:04or a dog or whatever, or a whatever.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06So, the whole thing,
0:33:06 > 0:33:08they took to an art form.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11And these were designed almost to be travelling inkwells,
0:33:11 > 0:33:16because, once you press that down like that, it becomes self-sealing.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19So, there are people who collect inkwells.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22They come in all sorts of different forms.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24They can come in little bags,
0:33:24 > 0:33:26they can come in the shapes of rugby balls,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29they can come in the shape of footballs, cricket balls,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32little dog's heads. They can come in 101 different things,
0:33:32 > 0:33:34and I guess the bottom line is,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37the rarer they are, the more money they make.
0:33:37 > 0:33:43I saw a little Gladstone bag inkwell, about that about that big,
0:33:43 > 0:33:48just the same period as this in an antique shop, priced at £150.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Now, that was mint condition.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53This has seen the life, hasn't it?
0:33:53 > 0:33:56- It certainly has. - But it's just a fun thing.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58And I think it's quite honest for what it is.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02I think, in auction, I would put a 30 to 50 estimate on it.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05If you have the joy of the internet,
0:34:05 > 0:34:10- someone's just got to sit at home and click that mouse...- Yeah...
0:34:10 > 0:34:13..and £60 could very quickly become £130.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16But think 30 to 50.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20The bobby's hat was auctioned by Flog It!'s Adam Partridge.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23And he was most definitely intrigued.
0:34:24 > 0:34:25A few years ago,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27I had a collection to handle, a house contents,
0:34:27 > 0:34:28where he collected inkwells,
0:34:28 > 0:34:32and he had well over 1,000 different types of inkwell.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35I don't recall there being one like this.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Start me in the room - £30?
0:34:37 > 0:34:4030 online. Five. 40. Five. 50. Five.
0:34:40 > 0:34:4360. Five. 70. Five. 80. Five. 90.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46How quick is that? It's on fire!
0:34:46 > 0:34:47Where's five?
0:34:47 > 0:34:50Five. 100. 110. 110, I'm bid.
0:34:50 > 0:34:51140, 150, I'm bid.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Keep going, online.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56- 160, 170, I'm bid. - Lovely, isn't it?- Fantastic.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59This is the beauty of an auction.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01If two people want something, the sky's the limit.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03At 210. At 210.
0:35:03 > 0:35:04Is it time for the sleeper bell?
0:35:04 > 0:35:08- BELL RINGS - 220 bid. 230, I have. At 230.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10230. Still going.
0:35:10 > 0:35:11Last chance,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13selling on my books here at 230.
0:35:13 > 0:35:14You're out, online.
0:35:14 > 0:35:15Absolutely lovely - yes!
0:35:17 > 0:35:18THEY CHAT EXCITEDLY
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Hats off to you two!
0:35:20 > 0:35:24A fantastic return for mum and daughter.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27The success of the inkwell shows that novelty items
0:35:27 > 0:35:30can certainly prove lucrative.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34If the collectors have never seen a policeman's helmet before,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36it's going to make whatever the collectors
0:35:36 > 0:35:38are prepared to pay for it.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40And I guess that's what happened on that day.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46It's safe to say that James had never seen anything
0:35:46 > 0:35:49quite like the quirky little page-turner brought by Joy
0:35:49 > 0:35:53to our valuation day at Coventry Transport Museum.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56I have always been a book lover -
0:35:56 > 0:35:59not normal books, but this type of book.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01What a fantastic object.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04I can just imagine somebody sitting back in their study
0:36:04 > 0:36:07in late Victorian or Edwardian England, pretending to work.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09The wife is saying,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12"Now then, George, you're not having my whisky again, are you?"
0:36:12 > 0:36:15And he says, "No, no, no. I don't have any whisky in here,
0:36:15 > 0:36:17"apart from...in there."
0:36:17 > 0:36:22What a wonderful way of hiding a bit of tipple in your study.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24I absolutely love it.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26It has the novelty factor, the fun factor,
0:36:26 > 0:36:30- it's useful and it's an antique that looks the part as well.- Yes.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32They're just such fun,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35because they appeal to that naughty element
0:36:35 > 0:36:37of "Hee-hee! I've got something here
0:36:37 > 0:36:39"that I'm hiding."
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Is it something that you've drunk from in your...?
0:36:42 > 0:36:45- I don't think I'd fancy drinking out of it!- Why not?
0:36:45 > 0:36:46Smells a bit musty.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Wouldn't smell musty by the time you've got a good old malt in there
0:36:49 > 0:36:50or something like that.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Let's have a look at it.
0:36:52 > 0:36:53The whole thing is bound
0:36:53 > 0:36:56in what would originally have been a royal blue Morocco leather,
0:36:56 > 0:37:00and then it's detailed and stamped in gold.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04And the thing that I love about it is the author is James Dixon.
0:37:04 > 0:37:09And James Dixon was a silversmith working in Sheffield
0:37:09 > 0:37:10throughout the 19th century.
0:37:10 > 0:37:16James Dixon was one of these makers who was just prolific,
0:37:16 > 0:37:18a great businessman,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20and this was something he was clearly very proud of making,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23because he put his name on the spine.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25And if we turn there, that gives it away.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28We've got James Dixon & Sons of Sheffield,
0:37:28 > 0:37:32and I should think that would've been made in England about 1910,
0:37:32 > 0:37:33something like that?
0:37:33 > 0:37:37The fact that it says Made In England would indicate it's slightly later.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39But the overall look is very much Edwardian.
0:37:39 > 0:37:45The Victorians were really the people that loved the novelty item
0:37:45 > 0:37:47and the Edwardians followed on from that.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51So, anyway, it's a great object. I love it,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54and it's the sort of thing that you would like to see
0:37:54 > 0:37:58in a gentleman's library sale, something like that.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02- Value - £100 to £150? Something like that?- Yeah, yeah.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04- Is that all right by you? - Yes, that's fine.- Good.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06# 'Scuse me, baby, but I'm drunk... #
0:38:09 > 0:38:12James liked it, but would the Little Book of Booze
0:38:12 > 0:38:14leave anyone else intoxicated?
0:38:16 > 0:38:17Why are you selling it?
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Well, I decided I wanted to come to Flog It!
0:38:19 > 0:38:21I've been once before and thoroughly enjoyed myself
0:38:21 > 0:38:23and enjoyed myself this time.
0:38:23 > 0:38:24It belonged to my dad, you see.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27- He would have so enjoyed being here. - Oh, bless.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31- Here we go.- The James Dixon & Sons EPNS spirit flask.
0:38:31 > 0:38:32It's all in the form of a book
0:38:32 > 0:38:35and it's got "A Pleasant Surprise" on it.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37There we are, the registration marks, etc.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40I've got an opening bid on the book, commission bid, of £85.
0:38:40 > 0:38:41At 85. 90, do I hear?
0:38:41 > 0:38:4490, 90, 90 - 100.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46100, 100. 110, 110...
0:38:46 > 0:38:47Good to be getting the top end...
0:38:47 > 0:38:48140.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52135. 140. 145. 150.
0:38:52 > 0:38:5350, 155?
0:38:53 > 0:38:55150 in the front row, at 150.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Do you want 160, up there?
0:38:57 > 0:38:59That's a good, good thing.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02- £150, gentleman's bid - are we done? - GAVEL BANGS
0:39:02 > 0:39:05There you go - well done, you. Well done, James.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10So the book turned out to be a pleasant surprise by name
0:39:10 > 0:39:13and a pleasant surprise by nature.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16It will appeal to a librarian,
0:39:16 > 0:39:21somebody with a good 18th-century library of books,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24somebody who might just belong to a rugby club
0:39:24 > 0:39:26and take it along with the lads as a bit of fun
0:39:26 > 0:39:28to try and sneak into a match here and there.
0:39:32 > 0:39:37The fundamental tool of the writing trade is, of course, the pen
0:39:37 > 0:39:39and in 2007, Michael was lucky enough
0:39:39 > 0:39:43to have a rare example land on his valuation table.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45The ivory pen was one of the most beautiful things
0:39:45 > 0:39:47I've ever seen on a Flog It!
0:39:47 > 0:39:52It belonged to a dear friend of mine who died back in the last century.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55- Oh, right.- Which wasn't as long ago as it sounds
0:39:55 > 0:39:58and I believe it would have belonged to her father.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02- Right - she was an elderly lady. - She was an elderly lady, yeah.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Well, the box is always a good place to start.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07If we have a look in the cover, it says "To His Majesty The King."
0:40:07 > 0:40:09So we know it's after Victoria's death.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11But more importantly, we've got the name Plante,
0:40:11 > 0:40:15and he was the retailer of extremely fine Japanese
0:40:15 > 0:40:20and Japanese-inspired works of art at the turn of the 20th century
0:40:20 > 0:40:25and this pen, far from being a fountain pen,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27is really a little miniature work of art.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29It is, isn't it?
0:40:29 > 0:40:32I mean, the sleeves, top and base
0:40:32 > 0:40:36are all carved out of ivory, extremely finely.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39'It required a huge amount of skill to carve that case
0:40:39 > 0:40:41'because it was very thin ivory -'
0:40:41 > 0:40:43you've not got a lot of depth to it
0:40:43 > 0:40:47and it was just skilled, beautiful Japanese art at its best.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50I'm pretty sure that this black infill
0:40:50 > 0:40:52is layers of Japanese lacquer.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55It took an age to do this - the only trouble, of course,
0:40:55 > 0:40:56because it's ivory,
0:40:56 > 0:40:59is we've got a split coming in it there
0:40:59 > 0:41:02and there's also a split in the cover.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05'The cracks made a huge difference to the value'
0:41:05 > 0:41:07because there's very little you can do with them.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11You can re-glue them, but the actual material has shrunk and moved
0:41:11 > 0:41:14and maybe you'd have to fill them and file them down
0:41:14 > 0:41:15and it would never be perfect.
0:41:15 > 0:41:20As far as the maker goes, the giveaway is actually on the nib.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22It says "Kokusai",
0:41:22 > 0:41:24who must have been the maker.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26It's not an English pen?
0:41:26 > 0:41:28It's not an English pen. It's American.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32- American?- It's an American pen with a Japanese case
0:41:32 > 0:41:34sold by an Englishman.
0:41:34 > 0:41:35'A pen like this,'
0:41:35 > 0:41:40you would expect to have been made for a very wealthy Westerner.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43It's very much a Western object, made for export.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48The value of it is going to be...let's say,
0:41:48 > 0:41:50between £200 and £300.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Let's put a fixed reserve of £200 on it.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54If you're happy to put it into auction,
0:41:54 > 0:41:58we'll go ahead and do that for you and hope it makes a fortune.
0:41:58 > 0:41:59Wow!
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Pauline's pen was undoubtedly beautiful,
0:42:04 > 0:42:06but would its condition make it a write-off?
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Had a chat with the auctioneer earlier.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14He said if it didn't have that little crack in it, the damage,
0:42:14 > 0:42:17it'd be worth £1,000 to £2,000.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21And our very own Nick Hall was the auctioneer in question.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24The fine quality, early 20th century Kokusai black lacquered
0:42:24 > 0:42:27and chased ivory pen...
0:42:27 > 0:42:28Wonderful, a rare thing -
0:42:28 > 0:42:31but the quality...it was the like I've never seen before in a pen.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33May I say...150, start me.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36150, I'm bid, thank you, at the desk at 150.
0:42:36 > 0:42:37I'm looking for five, now.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40155, coming in. 160. Five. 170.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42170, I'm bid. New bidder, 175.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46- 180. Five. 190... - They like it.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49190, I'm bid. 195, thank you. 200.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51£200. And five. 210.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53£210 at the desk, any new bidders?
0:42:53 > 0:42:55All done at 210 with you, sir...
0:42:55 > 0:42:57215. You're out at the desk.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00New bidder at 215. Any further bid? All done?
0:43:00 > 0:43:02215, now...
0:43:02 > 0:43:04Phew! £215.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08Japanese works of art. They are the pickiest collectors in the world.
0:43:09 > 0:43:15It's perfectly legal to buy or sell ivory dated before 1947,
0:43:15 > 0:43:17and the pen clearly fell into that category.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20But it's the case that great age
0:43:20 > 0:43:23increases the possibility of damage to anything,
0:43:23 > 0:43:26especially something as delicate as ivory.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31The crack that was in it, the split, it just kills it for a collector,
0:43:31 > 0:43:35which I think was reflected heavily in the price we achieved.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41Now, we don't often get large items into our valuation days
0:43:41 > 0:43:44but Richard from Great Yarmouth bucked the trend
0:43:44 > 0:43:47when he brought along a blockbusting piece of furniture.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51- Have you got a big car? - No, I've got a Fiesta.
0:43:51 > 0:43:52- A Ford Fiesta.- Yeah.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54We actually used a trailer -
0:43:54 > 0:43:58my wife's sister's husband drove us here.
0:43:58 > 0:43:59How long have you had it?
0:43:59 > 0:44:04- Approximately 24 hours.- 24 hours? - Yeah, 24 hours.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07- We've tried it in our house and it doesn't seem to fit.- No.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11- Not our sort of style, really. - Not your style.- No.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15- No, it's very ornate and flamboyant, isn't it?- Yeah...
0:44:15 > 0:44:18What we had here was a very ornate French desk
0:44:18 > 0:44:21in the Directoire period, so late 19th-century French.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25But it's modelled on an earlier example -
0:44:25 > 0:44:29a Louis XIV-style desk.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32Tortoiseshell and brass inlay,
0:44:32 > 0:44:35which we call Boulle work.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38You've got this cut brass inlaid there
0:44:38 > 0:44:41against a tortoiseshell ground or a turtle shell.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44Here - now, it's in very poor condition,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47because it hasn't been cleaned, but I like that.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51You've got these great ormolu mounts on here.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53'Ormolu mounts are'
0:44:53 > 0:44:57the highest form of gilding -
0:44:57 > 0:45:00they're bronze mounts cast
0:45:00 > 0:45:03and then gilded in a gold leaf.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07Tapered, square legs - can you see the way they taper down?
0:45:07 > 0:45:10And they've still got inlay and ormolu mounts -
0:45:10 > 0:45:12so sharp and so untouched.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16Throughout the valuation, I was sort of fiddling on, opening things -
0:45:16 > 0:45:18I had the key in my hand, opening...
0:45:18 > 0:45:23And you do find labels, and you can be a bit of a detective - an antique detective.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26"A Boulle and tortoiseshell writing table
0:45:26 > 0:45:30"in the style of Louis XIV, inlaid on solid ebony
0:45:30 > 0:45:33- "and mounted in fine ormolu." - Oh, lovely.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35'It would have been bought by an industrialist -
0:45:35 > 0:45:37'someone who'd made a lot of money'
0:45:37 > 0:45:39would've bought this desk to show off their wealth.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41- We can see the cracks on the top. - Yes.
0:45:44 > 0:45:45And the inlay here has gone.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51Ten years ago, I could quite happily put 3,000 to 4,000 on it.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52Ten years ago.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54The market has dropped.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57In this condition, you can only put 1,000 to 1,500 on it.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01- That's what it's worth at auction. - Oh. Wow.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04That's quite a lot of money for...
0:46:04 > 0:46:05- For a knackered old desk!- Yeah.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11So, despite the damage, a hefty estimate from Thomas.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13The auction was destined to be a cliffhanger.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Number 155 is this wonderful desk here,
0:46:18 > 0:46:20the tortoiseshell Boulle desk here.
0:46:20 > 0:46:21£1,000 to start.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24£800, if you like.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27It wasn't a sea of hands to begin with, when he opened up.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30600. 620. 650.
0:46:31 > 0:46:32680, 700.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Getting stuck in.
0:46:34 > 0:46:35720, 750.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37'It's black,'
0:46:37 > 0:46:40not red - if it was red tortoiseshell,
0:46:40 > 0:46:43it would have been selling really, really well.
0:46:44 > 0:46:46Downstairs, the fresh bid is 820.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48850.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53'The auctioneer seemed determined to push the bids to four figures.'
0:46:53 > 0:46:56It's £1,000, gallery bid, now. £50 wouldn't hurt.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59At £1,000, now, it sells on the 1,000...
0:46:59 > 0:47:01- I'm happy with that. - You must be thrilled.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05- Yeah, definitely, yeah.- Got it for nothing, had it for a day,
0:47:05 > 0:47:06and made £1,000!
0:47:07 > 0:47:10You really can't complain about a result like that!
0:47:10 > 0:47:14It just goes to show that auctions don't always go by the book.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17Sometimes, despite the vagaries of fashion and the ravages of time,
0:47:17 > 0:47:20quality will win out.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22£1,000 is still a very good price,
0:47:22 > 0:47:24because there was a bit of work to be done.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31As we've seen, items related to the written word
0:47:31 > 0:47:33can come in all shapes and sizes.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36But there are some rules of thumb that apply to collectables,
0:47:36 > 0:47:38no matter what their size.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42When it comes to writing paraphernalia,
0:47:42 > 0:47:43quirkiness sells -
0:47:43 > 0:47:45the more unusual a collectable is,
0:47:45 > 0:47:48the more valuable it's likely to be.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51Novelty items also have the added benefit
0:47:51 > 0:47:55of appealing to collectors beyond those who are solely interested
0:47:55 > 0:47:57in items of a literary nature.
0:47:57 > 0:48:01If you've got something at home that was connected to a writer
0:48:01 > 0:48:03or a great world event,
0:48:03 > 0:48:05you could be sitting on a gold mine.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09And your item needn't be directly connected to writing.
0:48:09 > 0:48:15The collar worn by Charles Dickens' dog sold in 2010 for over £7,000.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20And look out for the maker's mark or certificate -
0:48:20 > 0:48:22if you've got one, you're more likely
0:48:22 > 0:48:23to make good money at auction.
0:48:30 > 0:48:31In the world of antiques and collectables,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34personal stories always add extra appeal
0:48:34 > 0:48:37and for Claire Rawle, reading a family memoir
0:48:37 > 0:48:40is like hearing a voice from the past.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44What I have here is some copy of typed notes
0:48:44 > 0:48:47that my grandfather, my mother's father, typed up
0:48:47 > 0:48:52about his experiences on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54He was a great letter writer,
0:48:54 > 0:48:56because he was basically an Edwardian,
0:48:56 > 0:48:59and in those days, they wrote.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01He kept diaries, and I love that,
0:49:01 > 0:49:06because by reading something, you're in touch with that person.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09It's a voice from that person.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11So I just thought I'd read a bit here.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15July 1st, 1916, there was this massive push.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17The officers were the chaps that, sort of,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19got all the fellows out of the trenches
0:49:19 > 0:49:22and stood...like a decoy, really, just waiting to be killed.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24And an awful lot of them were...scythed down.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28He says here, "I was standing on the parapet of Bund trench,
0:49:28 > 0:49:31"spacing the waves out as we moved to assault Pommiers trench,
0:49:31 > 0:49:33"when Meaker ran across to me,
0:49:33 > 0:49:34"rather breathless.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37"'For God's sake, sir'", he gasped,
0:49:37 > 0:49:39"'don't expose yourself so much.
0:49:39 > 0:49:43"'Don't you realise that I have got to carry on if you are potted?!'
0:49:43 > 0:49:46"It struck me as being a funny way of putting it,
0:49:46 > 0:49:48"especially as, by standing there,
0:49:48 > 0:49:50"he was exposing himself to the same risk."
0:49:50 > 0:49:52And it's just the thought that there are these chaps,
0:49:52 > 0:49:57standing having this altercation, both of them in direct enemy fire -
0:49:57 > 0:49:58and then it just goes on,
0:49:58 > 0:50:02and it's an account of how he pushed through
0:50:02 > 0:50:05and cleared the trenches and ended up,
0:50:05 > 0:50:07him and...literally, a couple of others,
0:50:07 > 0:50:10cos nearly everybody else had been wiped out.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13And he just sounds so brave.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17I think the written word by the ordinary person
0:50:17 > 0:50:22will give you a greater grasp on what was really happening in history.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28There is quite a high value on original documents,
0:50:28 > 0:50:32so whilst, obviously, these to me are more than money -
0:50:32 > 0:50:34this is very, very precious -
0:50:34 > 0:50:35there are things that come on the market
0:50:35 > 0:50:37and they do make a lot of money.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45OK, here's a question for you -
0:50:45 > 0:50:48what connects one of Britain's most famous authors, Jane Austen,
0:50:48 > 0:50:52from about 200 years ago, to the modern-day present phenomena
0:50:52 > 0:50:55of the internet, e-mails, computers, laptops...?
0:50:55 > 0:50:56Well, I can tell you.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00It's this place, Chawton House, once her brother's home,
0:51:00 > 0:51:04now owned by a Silicon Valley millionairess.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07You probably haven't heard of her,
0:51:07 > 0:51:11but American computer expert and entrepreneur Sandy Lerner
0:51:11 > 0:51:14bought Chawton House in Hampshire in 1992.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17Although she's never lived here, she spent eight years
0:51:17 > 0:51:20and £10 million turning this run-down shell...
0:51:22 > 0:51:26..into this restored architectural delight.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30Looking at the house today, it's a labour of love
0:51:30 > 0:51:32and love is how it started.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35The legend is that Sandy Lerner made her money
0:51:35 > 0:51:37by inventing a new computer system
0:51:37 > 0:51:41so she could send her boyfriend romantic messages.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46Now, that story was just clever PR, really.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50But the work was a huge leap forward in computer development
0:51:50 > 0:51:52and it made Sandy Lerner a multimillionaire.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55So what's that got to do with Jane Austen?
0:51:55 > 0:51:57Well, if you've got millions of pounds to spend,
0:51:57 > 0:52:00disposable cash, you spend it on your passion.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03Sandy's passion is women's literature -
0:52:03 > 0:52:07just look at this incredible collection.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09Many of them are first editions or early ones,
0:52:09 > 0:52:11and the condition is incredible.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14Such a sense of history in this room.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19Sandy Lerner donated her personal collection
0:52:19 > 0:52:22and built an international study centre
0:52:22 > 0:52:26for women's literature from the 1600s to the 19th century.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30And now, it numbers 9,000 books.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35Jane Austen lived nearby in a cottage in the village,
0:52:35 > 0:52:37but she often visited Chawton House
0:52:37 > 0:52:39because this was her brother Edward's home.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43While she was living in the village, she finished Sense And Sensibility and Pride And Prejudice
0:52:43 > 0:52:45and started Emma.
0:52:46 > 0:52:51And here is a wonderful edition, printed in Philadelphia in 1833.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53It just goes to show the worldwide appeal of her work,
0:52:53 > 0:52:56and what an accolade for an author, even by today's standards,
0:52:56 > 0:53:00to have your work published all around the globe
0:53:00 > 0:53:02but back then, in 1833...
0:53:08 > 0:53:11Emma has descriptions which reflect Chawton House,
0:53:11 > 0:53:16and the landscape here is said to have inspired some of the passages.
0:53:16 > 0:53:18Some of the characters may even have been based
0:53:18 > 0:53:21on the owners of the house.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25We've all heard of Jane Austen, but even before her,
0:53:25 > 0:53:27there were many women making their mark
0:53:27 > 0:53:30in a male-dominated world through their writing.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32This beautiful portrait is of Mary Robinson.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36She was an actress who became the mistress to the Prince Regent
0:53:36 > 0:53:40in 1779 - he later went on to become George IV.
0:53:40 > 0:53:41And Mary Robinson later went on
0:53:41 > 0:53:44to champion the cause of women's rights.
0:53:44 > 0:53:45Beautiful woman.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49She led somewhat of a scandalous life,
0:53:49 > 0:53:51yet wrote romantic poetry.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54Here in the collection, there's a wonderful first edition,
0:53:54 > 0:53:56first printed in 1791, of her works.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01Now, even earlier than that,
0:54:01 > 0:54:05Aphra Behn was one of the first professional female writers.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08This one's titled "Love-Letters Between A Nobleman And His Sister."
0:54:08 > 0:54:10It was an incestuous story,
0:54:10 > 0:54:12a love story between a brother and a sister.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15So it was incredibly scandalous in its day.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18Aphra Behn was born in 1640 and, like most women of her day,
0:54:18 > 0:54:20she had no formal education.
0:54:20 > 0:54:21She travelled the globe -
0:54:21 > 0:54:23basically, she enjoyed life to the full.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26She did what she wanted to do.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Sandy Lerner still comes here regularly.
0:54:32 > 0:54:33She's a chairman of the trustees.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36She's still passionate and dedicated about the place -
0:54:36 > 0:54:38she's hands-on, very enthusiastic.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41And it's thanks to her dedication and passion
0:54:41 > 0:54:44that members of the public can come here,
0:54:44 > 0:54:45look at the general collection,
0:54:45 > 0:54:49read the books and learn more about early women's literature,
0:54:49 > 0:54:51and...well, if I had loads of money,
0:54:51 > 0:54:53this would be something I would love to do as well.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57It's well worth a visit, so please do check it out.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03We're always pleased to see collectors on the show
0:55:03 > 0:55:05so Thomas was delighted to meet up with Sue,
0:55:05 > 0:55:09who brought along something rather special to a valuation day
0:55:09 > 0:55:10in a very appropriate setting.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13# Mama's taking us to the zoo tomorrow
0:55:13 > 0:55:15# Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow
0:55:15 > 0:55:17# Mama's taking us to the zoo tomorrow
0:55:17 > 0:55:18# We can stay all day
0:55:18 > 0:55:20# We're going to the zoo. #
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Sue - you've brought along a bear.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27- You didn't think there were enough animals in London Zoo?- Not really.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29- So you brought your own with you. - Yes.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31Tell me about your bear. How did you come by him?
0:55:31 > 0:55:34I bought him in a charity shop, about 20 years ago.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36I have got another bear, a much smaller one,
0:55:36 > 0:55:39which is how I knew what sort of bear it was.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41It was a Royal Copenhagen bear.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45Everything produced by Copenhagen, in my opinion, is wonderful,
0:55:45 > 0:55:49But I would date him from about, um...
0:55:49 > 0:55:52- the '50s, I think?- Really?- The '60s?
0:55:52 > 0:55:55- £70 reserve.- Yes, that's fine.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58- £100 to £150 would be the estimate. - Yes.
0:55:58 > 0:55:59Let's see what he makes.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02Where shall we start this? £50 to go.
0:56:02 > 0:56:03£50 to start me. 50, I'm bid.
0:56:03 > 0:56:0760. 65...
0:56:07 > 0:56:08Come on.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11£65, I'm bid. £70 in the corner.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15£70 - anybody else want to come in? £70 it is, then.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17- There we go.- It sold.- It's gone.
0:56:17 > 0:56:18- And you're happy.- Yes, I am.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20I quite miss the bear,
0:56:20 > 0:56:23but he took up a lot of space on the shelf.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27And shelf space is a precious commodity for Sue,
0:56:27 > 0:56:30because she's an avid collector of books.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34My main area is really second-hand children's books,
0:56:34 > 0:56:40old children's books, from about the 1920s to the 1960s and '70s.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43They're mostly the ones I remembered reading as a child
0:56:43 > 0:56:46but they weren't my copies - they were library copies.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48But when I discovered you could buy second-hand books,
0:56:48 > 0:56:51which were a lot cheaper than new books,
0:56:51 > 0:56:52and you could buy them anywhere -
0:56:52 > 0:56:57markets, jumble sales, bazaars, charity shops...
0:56:57 > 0:57:00once I discovered that, I haven't stopped
0:57:00 > 0:57:03and I'm always adding better copies to my collection.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09This one's one of my favourite books - Mystery At Witchend.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13And I only paid 10 pence for it, it's quite amazing.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16It's the first edition and quite hard to find,
0:57:16 > 0:57:18especially with its dust wrapper.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21The easiest way to start collecting books
0:57:21 > 0:57:23is to look around where you are -
0:57:23 > 0:57:28look at charity shops, jumble sales, car boot sales.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31There's more people looking for fewer books, now,
0:57:31 > 0:57:33and it's always the ones
0:57:33 > 0:57:35that they didn't print so many copies of,
0:57:35 > 0:57:37they're the ones everybody wants.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39Certainly, the Harry Potter ones,
0:57:39 > 0:57:42the first edition of the first title,
0:57:42 > 0:57:45there was quite a small print run for the first title,
0:57:45 > 0:57:48because the publishers weren't sure it was going to be popular.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51And a friend of mine had a first edition,
0:57:51 > 0:57:54but she'd read it and it wasn't in very good condition.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56I think she even read it in the bath.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00And she sold it for a few thousand pounds and then bought a paperback.
0:58:02 > 0:58:06The only thing with children's books is that children read them,
0:58:06 > 0:58:08so they're not always in good condition.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10And if you're collecting first editions,
0:58:10 > 0:58:13you want it in good condition, with a dust wrapper,
0:58:13 > 0:58:17and that's often the first bit that gets worn and gets discarded.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22It's best to collect books that you like, rather than just buy them
0:58:22 > 0:58:24because you think they might be worth something.
0:58:27 > 0:58:30Well, there you are - some great advice from Sue there,
0:58:30 > 0:58:33someone who definitely knows her books.
0:58:33 > 0:58:35If you want some more inside information
0:58:35 > 0:58:37on antiques and collectables,
0:58:37 > 0:58:40then join us next time for more trade secrets.