0:00:04 > 0:00:08For many years now, you've been coming along to our valuation days
0:00:08 > 0:00:10laden with antiques and collectables,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12putting our experts through their paces.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15You can sell this in your pyjamas on a Sunday afternoon
0:00:15 > 0:00:17and it will make its money.
0:00:17 > 0:00:18And during that time,
0:00:18 > 0:00:22we've all learned a great deal about the items we've valued and sold.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Now we want to share some of that information with you,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29so if you want to know more, you've definitely come to the right place.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31This...is Trade Secrets.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03We British are a proud island race,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06out on a limb on the edge of the great continent of Europe.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09But for centuries we've looked to the continent for trade
0:01:09 > 0:01:11and travel, and inevitably,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15little pieces of Europe have found their way to our shores.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17The "Flog It!" team regularly get presented with items that
0:01:17 > 0:01:20have made their home here, in Britain,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24so today's show is all about how to spot the very best.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Coming up, European pieces to take your breath away.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Unbelievable, £7,500.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36We crack an Italian whodunnit.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Signed Carelli, but Carelli is a very popular Italian name.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43We discover the secret of the German elephant in the room.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46That adds so much more significance to the object, doesn't it?
0:01:46 > 0:01:49And send Christina and Caroline on French leave,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51and no, it's not a booze cruise!
0:01:51 > 0:01:55- Oh, my goodness, are you serious?! - Yes. Happy French hunting!
0:01:55 > 0:01:57Oh, you star.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03There are certain objects we quite often see on the show that
0:02:03 > 0:02:06you bring in that we associate with certain countries or areas,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10like Black Forest woodcarving, French bronzes, Danish glass.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It is quality because they specialise in that
0:02:13 > 0:02:17particular genre, and quality, as we know, always sells.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19So, what constitutes a European classic,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21and what should you be looking out for?
0:02:24 > 0:02:28We're an island race, and so we tend to look in at what we've
0:02:28 > 0:02:32produced in the past, but if you go abroad, go and have a look.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37If you go to Germany, look for KPM plaques, WMF, Meissen -
0:02:37 > 0:02:39look for their history, not ours.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43A good European collectable is one which is indicative
0:02:43 > 0:02:48of the quality of the works that each country is renowned for.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51So, for example, Russian enamelwork, French clocks
0:02:51 > 0:02:54and watch movements, and I think buy the
0:02:54 > 0:02:58best example you can from each particular country of source.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01The Europeans produce wonderful items across the board,
0:03:01 > 0:03:02just like the British.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05If you want to go, for example, ceramics,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09then Meissen is a good favourite, even the later 19th century Meissen
0:03:09 > 0:03:12figures are still sought-after, the quality is always very high.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17We're never short of items that hail from across the water,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and it's a joy to see European classics cross our tables.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25If Denmark and France are known for glass, Italy for painting
0:03:25 > 0:03:27and Switzerland for watches,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31you can't look at a porcelain doll without thinking Germany.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35I've seen plenty of them, in all shapes and sizes,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39though none quite as large as the one Anita Manning came across.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44- Catherine, this certainly isn't a baby doll.- No, she's quite big.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47One of the biggest dolls that I've seen for a wee while.
0:03:47 > 0:03:53'The doll collectors like aspects of dolls which are a wee bit unusual.'
0:03:53 > 0:03:55This doll was well-fancied
0:03:55 > 0:03:59and I think one of the reasons for that was the sheer size!
0:03:59 > 0:04:02She was a big girl!
0:04:02 > 0:04:03Tell me, where did you get her?
0:04:03 > 0:04:08I know that she was bought in 1930 for an aunt of mine,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10and I inherited her.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- You became her adoptive mother!- Yes.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17So, if we turn her round to the back...we can see
0:04:17 > 0:04:22the markings of Armand Marseille, we have "AM",
0:04:22 > 0:04:28and we also have the number 390, which is the head mould.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31'Armand Marseille was one of the leading doll manufacturers'
0:04:31 > 0:04:37in Europe from the middle of the 1800s to the 1900s,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40they were German manufacturers.
0:04:40 > 0:04:46They lasted such a long time because of the quality of the product.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51Not only did they make these wonderful doll faces
0:04:51 > 0:04:59and bodies, they made faces that were full of character.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03She has this wonderful colour blue in her eyes, which is good,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07and we have an open mouth with these dainty white teeth.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11I think it's the original hair, it's a bit sort of fly-away there,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15she looks like she's been dragged through a hedge backwards.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19I've got to take into consideration that a doll has been played with,
0:05:19 > 0:05:24it's been carried about by a child, dragged across the floor.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29All the articulated limbs were there, the fingers
0:05:29 > 0:05:34and toes were there, for its age it wasn't in bad condition at all.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Price, I would say between £2-300,
0:05:37 > 0:05:42- would you be happy to sell her at that price?- Yes, I would.- Yeah.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- Tell me, does she have a name? - No, she never had a name.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Maybe her next owner will give her a name after all these years.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51I hope so.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Well, I've always liked the name Anita myself,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56but what about the bidders?
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Did they like the look of this slightly dishevelled piece
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and the name of its classic German maker?
0:06:01 > 0:06:06The Armand Marseille German doll, I'm bid 100 to start it.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11- 120, 140, 160, 180...- We're there.
0:06:11 > 0:06:17..200, 220, 240, 260, 280, 300...
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- Yeah, very good. - At £300, anybody else left?
0:06:20 > 0:06:23At £300, and we're away at 300.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28- Bang on top estimate!- Oh, that is... - Big is beautiful.- Big is good.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31The doll collectors, I'm sure,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34think of their dolls as little people,
0:06:34 > 0:06:39and like people they have different faces, expressions
0:06:39 > 0:06:45and characters, so character in the face is a very important thing.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50An unnamed doll, but one with a big hitting name on the label.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Proof that collectors will pay a little more for something
0:06:53 > 0:06:58out of the ordinary, especially when it's from a quality maker.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Appearances can be deceptive.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Adam Partridge found an item that looked like it came from
0:07:07 > 0:07:11exotic shores, but it turned out to have origins much closer to home.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It came from the Isle of Wight,
0:07:15 > 0:07:20where my mother used to look after an old army captain.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24- OK.- Who died when he was about 92,93.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26And what do you know about the army captain
0:07:26 > 0:07:28and where he might have got it from?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Well, he was over in India, there was this rogue elephant
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and they were going to shoot it, and he said,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36"Well, no, I'll have a look at it first."
0:07:36 > 0:07:42So they chained it between two trees so it didn't stampede, and they
0:07:42 > 0:07:45lifted its hoof and found out there was a piece of wood in its foot.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46A splinter.
0:07:46 > 0:07:53So he dug it out and bandaged it all up and the elephant...
0:07:53 > 0:07:58- Remarkable story, isn't it?- ..recognised him from then on.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00That adds so much more significance to the object, doesn't it?
0:08:00 > 0:08:03We could have just launched straight into telling you what it was,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06what it's worth and off to the auction with it.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07A fantastic yarn,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11but what's an Indian elephant got to do with Europe?
0:08:11 > 0:08:14A German firm mainly made them, one called Junghans.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18This is almost certainly made in Germany circa 1900,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22you see great big ones four times the size in gilt bronze.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25This one is the one that was made for the domestic market,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27for people to have in their homes.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30It's not bronze, it's made from spelter,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33but they were made en masse, mass produced.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35'The difference between spelter and bronze
0:08:35 > 0:08:36'is quite easy to distinguish,'
0:08:36 > 0:08:39spelter has a sort of tinny quality -
0:08:39 > 0:08:41I do that because I sort of ting my ring on things,
0:08:41 > 0:08:47and you can tell from the sound, a more tinny sound to spelter.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49It's also more lightweight
0:08:49 > 0:08:53and it's a white metal rather than a yellow metal.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58So bronze, if you give it a little scratch in an unseen place,
0:08:58 > 0:08:59it'll come up yellow.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02If you scratch spelter, it'll come up white.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Shall we put 100 on it, discretion, 10%, or not?
0:09:05 > 0:09:10- No.- 100 fixed?- I know the auctioneer will do his best.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14- So we'll put 100-150?- Right, OK. - Can I move the pendulum round?
0:09:14 > 0:09:16I'm dying to see it swing. There we are.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18'Every firm do their run-of-the-mill things'
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and then they have their feature, their pride of place things,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23and these Mystery Clocks,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25these Elephant Swingers as they're known as, were one of those.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28They're quite a distinctive thing that Junghans made,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31which I think contributed to the strong result of this one.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Quite sought-after things, these. £100 for it, straight in.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37100, 100, 100
0:09:37 > 0:09:44- 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46In the room at 180.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50With the clock ticking, the buyers once again recognise
0:09:50 > 0:09:53German quality, and the price went up and up.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55370, 380...
0:09:57 > 0:10:00..390...400, is it?
0:10:00 > 0:10:08400, 410. £410, and I sell then at £410.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11£410 online, and the hammer's gone down.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14That's an awful lot of money for a spelter clock.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Clocks are made all around Europe,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19and there are major centres for these - the Black Forest, Bavaria
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and the wonderful carved cuckoo clocks,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24there were loads of German clock manufacturers.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29Also Austria, we see the Vienna clocks, also French clocks,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32which often came as garnitures, as a set of three with the clock
0:10:32 > 0:10:34and a pair of vases or candelabra that
0:10:34 > 0:10:37stood either side on the mantelpiece.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39So there's plenty to look out in terms of
0:10:39 > 0:10:41European clocks and clockmakers.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46The French have given us myriad other first-class designers,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49like Louis-Francois Cartier and Rene Lalique,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52whose works are well worth looking out for.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53And when it comes to sculpture,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56there's another name that stands out from the rest,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00as Will Axon explained at our valuation day on HMS Victory.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- PJ Mene.- Pierre-Jules Mene. - Exactly right.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07'Pierre-Jules Mene could be considered
0:11:07 > 0:11:12'the pioneer in a group of artists that were producing'
0:11:12 > 0:11:15animal bronzes in France, 19th century, specifically Paris,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19they were known as the Animaliere group of sculptors,
0:11:19 > 0:11:24because that's what they specialised in, animals - dogs, horses,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26domestic animals, anything where they could really
0:11:26 > 0:11:31show off their grasp of the animal's anatomy and form.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33This has been made from a mould.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36You make the bronze and the mould still exists, doesn't it?
0:11:36 > 0:11:39So when Mene died in 1877,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42the moulds of the bronzes were passed on to his son,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45and of course that meant that he could keep producing
0:11:45 > 0:11:50the bronzes, but you wouldn't say it was by Mene necessarily,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52because it wasn't in his lifetime.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55So you've got to be a bit careful, even though it is signed "Mene",
0:11:55 > 0:11:57that's signed in the actual mould itself.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59'One way to try and ascertain as to'
0:11:59 > 0:12:03whether a bronze is produced in the lifetime of an artist or not
0:12:03 > 0:12:06is really to look at the quality of the casting.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07Mene was well-known,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11he was involved in the process of making a bronze,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13so he would checking it along every stage just to
0:12:13 > 0:12:16make sure that the quality was kept high.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19On the later examples, this line here,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22the crispness of the base, you lose a bit of the definition.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25As soon as that starts going a bit wavy or it's not quite
0:12:25 > 0:12:27parallel or true,
0:12:27 > 0:12:28you've got to be a bit suspicious.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Again, handy hint for people at home buying bronzes,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35because they are easy to reproduce, that's the danger.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39'Say the facial features of the animal aren't quite right,'
0:12:39 > 0:12:42you would expect that it's been rushed through the process,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45which wouldn't have happened within his lifetime.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47So I think, in this case,
0:12:47 > 0:12:53the signature within the bronze itself was a little bit soft around
0:12:53 > 0:12:58the edges, shall we say, wasn't quite as crisp as you would like.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02If we were definite that this was within his lifetime and he'd handled
0:13:02 > 0:13:05it and so on, I would have said the value would have been
0:13:05 > 0:13:09high hundreds, but I think, because I'm erring on the side of caution,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13that it might be a later model. I'm happy to try it at 2-300.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Yes, because I wouldn't sell it at less than 150.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Listen, I don't think you're going to have any trouble...
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- I shouldn't think so.- Good subject, good name, nice quality.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24You've ticked all my boxes, Sandy, see you at the saleroom.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25- Thank you very much.- Not at all.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30- Lot 500, the bronze group, the greyhound and puppy.- Quality piece.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32- It is.- Yeah.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- I've got to start you at 140.- Ooh...
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Not over yet.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43- 140 here, 150, 160...- Good, come on, we've got some interest in the room.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45170 anywhere?
0:13:45 > 0:13:48The chap over there against the wall's bidding quite heavily.
0:13:48 > 0:13:54- At 180...- He's going to try...- Oh, good.- He's going to get it for 190.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58I think that's it, at £190, you done?
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Yes! It's gone.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04We were in the right ballpark figure certainly for price achieved.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07If you were talking one made within Mene's lifetime,
0:14:07 > 0:14:13a big group of, say, two horses, one sold recently for 17,500 upwards.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16It's that sort of money, that's the difference.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Make sure to check the definition of those edges to tell
0:14:19 > 0:14:22if it was made by the master himself.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25But even if it wasn't, all may not be lost
0:14:25 > 0:14:28if you can identify great craftsmanship.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Chances are it'll still be a fine piece that won't leave you
0:14:31 > 0:14:32out of pocket.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36As usual, Michael Baggott has some wise words on buying
0:14:36 > 0:14:38European classics.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41When one considers Europe as a whole for a source of antiques,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43it's marvellous,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47because you have all the excesses of baroque within Spain and Italy,
0:14:47 > 0:14:52and it cools off towards France, then you get the simplicity
0:14:52 > 0:14:56and beauty of Swedish and Finnish antiques.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00So whatever your tastes veer towards, you will find some thing
0:15:00 > 0:15:05or some style or some maker that you can cleave onto and collect.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Ever since the days of the 18th century's Grand Tour,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11when intrepid Britons fell under the spell of Europe and its vast
0:15:11 > 0:15:16array of artefacts and antiques, we've been going back for more.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18The challenge for today's travellers is how to separate
0:15:18 > 0:15:20the wheat from the chaff.
0:15:20 > 0:15:26In 2012, James Lewis was sure he'd found a pearl of the Mediterranean.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Giuseppe Corelli - a well known artist,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33well known for painting subjects exactly as these.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40Vesuvius erupting is probably the most common scene
0:15:40 > 0:15:42of any Italian picture in existence.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45- They are everywhere.- That figures.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49So they're not rare scenes, but they are well painted.
0:15:49 > 0:15:50Now, they're not framed,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54which would indicate that they're not on the wall. And there's a hole.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57- That hasn't been put in today, has it?- No, some time ago.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59'Damage is always going to be something
0:15:59 > 0:16:02that you have to take into consideration.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05With an oil painting, it's often easier to put right,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07especially if it's a simple, small hole in a canvas.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10When we looked at that pair, there was a small, little tear.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13'Very easy to patch it on the back, fill it in with a bit of oil.'
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- So, £500-800, I should think.- Oh.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20They might even make £1,000 or above.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Fingers crossed the right people are on the phones and on the internet.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25That would be rather nice.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28James was confident about the attribution of the painting.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31The trouble is, in Italy, the name Corelli is pretty common.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34There were several Corellis painting in the 19th century,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38and that was a cause for concern to auctioneer Anita Manning.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42I was a wee bit worried, Paul, when they came in at the beginning,
0:16:42 > 0:16:47because they looked like the typical 19th century tourist pictures
0:16:47 > 0:16:49that were sold on the harbour.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54Signed Corelli, but Corelli is a very popular Italian name.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56So, I looked at them...
0:16:56 > 0:17:00We had Giuseppe Corelli, Gino Corelli...
0:17:00 > 0:17:02- So, you're not sure?- I'm not sure.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05What I've done is I've sat on the fence a little bit on this
0:17:05 > 0:17:09- and catalogued it as G Corelli. - OK.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Would this turn out to be a European classic by Giuseppe Corelli
0:17:13 > 0:17:15or just a tourist piece?
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Let the bidders decide.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Look, James. Look how many phone lines...
0:17:20 > 0:17:21They're all lined up down the front.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Starting at £400. I have two bids.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27600, 650.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29700.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30750.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32I think that says it's Giuseppe, don't you?
0:17:32 > 0:17:33950.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37- 1,000.- There's 1,000.- Oh, dear.
0:17:37 > 0:17:391,050.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Go on, think about it. Come back to us.
0:17:43 > 0:17:451,200.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46There's the 12.
0:17:46 > 0:17:481,250.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50That's what I thought it was going to be.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52- 1,300.- Oh, it's made more.
0:17:53 > 0:17:551,300.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59It's with Clare. Clare's the last phone left. At £1,300.
0:17:59 > 0:18:041,300. All done at 1,300?
0:18:04 > 0:18:09Yes. Put it there, fabulous. Good call.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Good call, both of you.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15The bidders were convinced this was a sought after Giuseppe Corelli.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17As these paintings show,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19the "Flog It!" regulars don't always agree
0:18:19 > 0:18:23when it comes to the tricky business of attribution.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28If in doubt, consult the auction catalogue or get specialist advice.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31"Attributed to..." means there's some uncertainty
0:18:31 > 0:18:33about who painted it.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36"After..." means it's a copy of a known work or painter.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39And if they state the name of the artist,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41you should be on safe ground.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Here are a few things to think about if Classic European is your thing.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48If porcelain dolls appeal,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52keep in mind that damage to the head can reduce their value.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Shine a strong light inside to check for cracks.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Junghans mystery clocks are also desirable,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01and there are lots of fakes around.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05If you're not sure, consult a horologist - a clock expert,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07who will know exactly what to look out for.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10And if you follow these tips,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14you should be getting the Classic European antique you've paid for.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Throughout history, Britain's political relationship with Europe
0:19:22 > 0:19:24has always been a bit ambivalent,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28but we've always appreciated the very best of European culture.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31"Flog It!" expert Caroline Hawley is something of a Francophile,
0:19:31 > 0:19:32as she explains.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39When I was a child, I used to go to France with my parents on holiday,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43and I loved everything about France and all things French
0:19:43 > 0:19:45and that has stayed with me.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50Especially the Art Nouveau period, 1895-1905...
0:19:50 > 0:19:51Everything really.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53I don't know what I don't love about France.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59This lovely piece I've brought today is, not surprisingly, French.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03There were three main centres of paperweight making
0:20:03 > 0:20:04in France at this time.
0:20:04 > 0:20:10Baccarat and Saint Louis, both in the Alsace-Lorraine region,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12and Clichy in Paris.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16This one is a wonderful piece of Baccarat.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18It's what's called a millefiori paperweight,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21which, in Italian, is literally "a thousand flowers."
0:20:21 > 0:20:24I don't know if there's a 1,000, I haven't actually counted.
0:20:24 > 0:20:25There might be.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30It has certain characteristics which are specific to Baccarat.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32These lovely silhouette canes here.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34There's a cockerel, a dear,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37something that looks a bit like a dog, I'm not sure.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42And these canes are made up of many different glass rods
0:20:42 > 0:20:44fused together to form canes
0:20:44 > 0:20:48and then cut at a cross section to expose these beautiful patterns,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51covered over with a beautiful clear glass stone
0:20:51 > 0:20:53to cause the magnification
0:20:53 > 0:20:57which makes what is altogether the most beautiful paperweight.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01What is interesting about this one is that it's dated and signed.
0:21:01 > 0:21:07Things to look for with the Baccarat signatures and dates are rare dates.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11This one is a fairly common date - 1848.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15I have to look very carefully to find it and so will you, I'm sure.
0:21:15 > 0:21:21It's down here. There's a little B above 1848.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25This is a wonderful piece of quality Baccarat glass.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30Consequently, it has a value of towards £2,000.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39One field in which European makers have excelled for centuries
0:21:39 > 0:21:42is silverwork, but when it comes to the 20th century,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45there's one man who stands out from the crowd,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49a master of his craft who many have tried to emulate.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53The one name that everybody screams about is the name
0:21:53 > 0:21:57that's on the back of that broach. And there is is. Jensen.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58Georg Jensen.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00He was from Copenhagen
0:22:00 > 0:22:06and he originally graduated in 1892 as a sculptor.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11You can see from almost all of his designs over the period
0:22:11 > 0:22:15that he used his techniques and influences in sculpture
0:22:15 > 0:22:18to do his broaches.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Georg Jensen was a proponent of the Art Nouveau style,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25but no-one had seen anything like his silverwork before.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30By the 1920s, he was the talk, not just of his hometown Copenhagen,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33but of the world, with workshops producing everything
0:22:33 > 0:22:36from jewellery to cutlery, and even tea sets.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39During his long career, he was prolific,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41and there's a lot out there to choose from.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45But be warned, it comes at a price.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49The rarer early pieces are hugely sought after and may be recognised
0:22:49 > 0:22:54by their typical Art Nouveau decoration of pods and flowers.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57If you keep your eyes peeled, you could chance upon something
0:22:57 > 0:23:03like this early wine cooler, sold in 2008 for nearly £30,000.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Jensen encouraged free rein amongst his designers, and the work
0:23:08 > 0:23:12of Johan Rohde and Harold Nielsen is collectible in its own right.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16You can tell who made a piece by examining the back.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19The Georg Jensen stamp will date a piece
0:23:19 > 0:23:22and the number identifies the designer.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26Don't limit yourself to pieces made within his lifetime.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Jensen died in 1935, but his company is still going strong
0:23:30 > 0:23:34and remains true to his philosophy of artistry in design
0:23:34 > 0:23:36and excellence in craftsmanship.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Jensen's work may be at a premium, but his legacy is strong,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and his influence lasting.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Look out for the work of silversmiths
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Hans Hansen and Bent Knudsen
0:23:47 > 0:23:52for that minimalist Scandinavian style at a more affordable price.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Some of the finest antiques to come out of Europe
0:24:00 > 0:24:02are pieces of furniture.
0:24:02 > 0:24:03What I'm about to show you,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07I think is one of the greatest examples I have ever come across.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Quite frankly, it doesn't get any better than this.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13It's a kneehole desk.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15It's designed and made by a Frenchman -
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Andre Charles Boulle - who was born in 1642.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21He was a cabinet maker to Louis XIV,
0:24:21 > 0:24:26and royal cabinet maker to the Palace of Versailles circa 1700.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32In England, during this time, we had desks quite similar.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Kneehole desks, marquetry detail on the top,
0:24:35 > 0:24:40but our marquetry was all inlaid with pieces of wood.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44In France, Andre Boulle was using something completely different.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46He was using mixed media.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47He was using metal, brass,
0:24:47 > 0:24:53pewter and tortoiseshell to inlay the geometric floral detail.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55We'd never seen anything like this before,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59and it certainly had the wow factor.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Since then, this work has come to be known as Boullework
0:25:03 > 0:25:06in honour of the great master himself.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09This is the work of a genius.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18You're always telling us about the hidden treasures you manage
0:25:18 > 0:25:21to unearth at your local car boot sales and flea markets,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25but, to be fair, more and more people are getting wise to that,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29and the bargains are definitely thinner on the ground.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30So, what can be done?
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Caroline Hawley thinks the answer lies across the Channel.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Fellow expert Christina Trevanion
0:25:35 > 0:25:38wonders if there's anything there that'll float her boat.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46So, Caroline, you called me a couple of weeks ago.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48There was something about France, something about shopping,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- there was definitely something about pain au chocolat.- Yes!
0:25:51 > 0:25:53I'm intrigued. Tell me where we're off to.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- You've heard of the booze cruise, Christina.- Yes.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Well, this is more of an antique, collectible hunting cruise,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01and it's so doable.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Six hours from Portsmouth to Caen, and an hour from there
0:26:04 > 0:26:08is one of my favourite shopping experiences in France.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11A lovely antique fair in Lisieux.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- Brilliant.- And you will love it.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17- You're going to have to put a padlock on my wallet.- I know!
0:26:20 > 0:26:23I'm a bit worried about letting those two loose en France!
0:26:23 > 0:26:26After the ferry, they travel across Normandy by car
0:26:26 > 0:26:28to the town of Lisieux
0:26:28 > 0:26:30to visit one of the regular antique markets,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32or brocantes, as they're called.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36- What a feast for the eyes! This is amazing.- Do you like it?
0:26:36 > 0:26:38It's just so beautiful, isn't it?
0:26:38 > 0:26:42I just literally could look around all day. It's just gorgeous.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45And, as you were saying, there's all sorts of everything.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49The one thing I get every single year, before I do anything else,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53is buy this book, which gives me all the brocantes, vide-greniers -
0:26:53 > 0:26:55which are car boot sales - in this area.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- So, this is the Bible... - That's a really good starting point.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- ..for the French antiques hunter? - Yes.- Brilliant.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03So, I'd really like you to show me something that is
0:27:03 > 0:27:06quintessentially French, something that is absolutely from this area.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09- Have you seen anything?- Yeah, I have. I've seen something over here.
0:27:09 > 0:27:10Oh, cool. Brilliant.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13You can pick those guides up in any region of France
0:27:13 > 0:27:14or get a local paper.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18I would really look for something a little bit different, something out
0:27:18 > 0:27:22of the ordinary, something French, something quintessentially French.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25If nothing else, it's going to be a wonderful memento
0:27:25 > 0:27:27of a fabulous day out in France.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35THEY SPEAK FRENCH
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- Christina, it's an armoire of marriage.- What does an armoire...
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- It's a cabinet?- It's a wardrobe, yes.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49But it's from this region... Quelle region?
0:27:49 > 0:27:51HE SPEAKS FRENCH
0:27:51 > 0:27:54La Ferriere, 45 kilometres from here.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57- La Ferriere. And all carved by hand.- Wow.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01And it's the middle of the 19th century.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07The price would be 1,990 euros,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09which is about £1,700.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13- Just shy of £1,700.- Yeah, just shy. - That is quite a lot of money.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16It's a lot of money, Christina, but for the quality.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19I think it's beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20But, obviously, it's quite big.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23I was thinking more along the lines that we might buy a little
0:28:23 > 0:28:26bit of jewellery, something we can slip in our suitcase rather...
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Yes, but you wanted to see something from the region!
0:28:28 > 0:28:31We'll go and look for some smaller things.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Merci!
0:28:33 > 0:28:37I don't think you'll be getting that one home on the roof rack!
0:28:37 > 0:28:40It's great to see these locally made wardrobes,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43but we do get French furniture in the UK.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47The advantage of coming here is that you're likely to get terrific choice
0:28:47 > 0:28:51and tip-top condition with pieces historically made in the area.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Good quality items have high price tickets.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58It is worth trying to negotiate, though,
0:28:58 > 0:29:00because they're very amenable to negotiation.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03But the good things tend to command good prices.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06But there are lots of bargains to be had.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13Look at this damask. And the quality of it...
0:29:13 > 0:29:16The French spend such a lot of time at the table,
0:29:16 > 0:29:20and these napkins are just such beautiful quality.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22The initials on them...
0:29:22 > 0:29:24They would be embroided by a young girl
0:29:24 > 0:29:27before she got married, as part of her trousseau.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31So, she would have her initials before marriage, and then,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33when she got married, she would then put the initials
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- of her married name. - Her beloved.- Her beloved on.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39I do think these are beautiful. Would these be a really good buy?
0:29:39 > 0:29:42I have seen them in England, but not in such comprehensive sets.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44You don't always have them monogrammed
0:29:44 > 0:29:46so beautifully in England.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51Here, for instance, a set of 16... 68 euros for 16.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55That's phenomenal, isn't it? Could you pay more in a shop now for them?
0:29:55 > 0:29:57You would, yeah. They're beautiful quality damask.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01That translates as about £57.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03And even better if you're an "AL".
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Yeah, quite, yeah. I'll have to find a CT somewhere.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08I think they're really, really beautiful
0:30:08 > 0:30:11and I've been listening to everything you've told me
0:30:11 > 0:30:14and I think now - less looking, bit of shopping.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16- Yeah.- I'm going to try and impress you.- Good.- All right?
0:30:16 > 0:30:20- So, wish me luck.- Bonne chance, mon amie.- Ah, merci!- I'll see you later.
0:30:20 > 0:30:21See you later.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25As Caroline pointed out, fine dining is in the French blood,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29so a market is a great place to look out for anything
0:30:29 > 0:30:31that makes the eating experience a pleasure,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34from the affordable to the extravagant.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39For somebody to come over here, whether they're buying or not,
0:30:39 > 0:30:41just to soak up the atmosphere
0:30:41 > 0:30:43and the culture of the French,
0:30:43 > 0:30:48it really is a beautiful experience, and so doable.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54I think this is really quite wonderful.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56It's not to everyone's taste - it's really rather brash
0:30:56 > 0:30:58and really rather funky,
0:30:58 > 0:31:00but made by Baccarat, the glass firm.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03So, often we see these back in the UK with just the glasses,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06we don't see it with the glasses, the stand and bowl
0:31:06 > 0:31:08and then the decanter as well in here.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10Really nice. Very gaudy.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Like I say, not to everyone's taste, but great fun.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21Look at this. I love my suits,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24and this is fabulous.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27Wool, mohair, locally made.
0:31:29 > 0:31:30Merci, madame.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34The skirt - this is so nice, but 50 euros, I don't know.
0:31:34 > 0:31:35It's gorgeous.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38It isn't Chanel, but it has that sort of look about it.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Chanel used a lot of this sort of fabric,
0:31:40 > 0:31:42especially during that period.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Cinquante. Trente?
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Trente-cinq?
0:31:48 > 0:31:50- Gentille... - Oh, merci. Merci, madam!
0:31:52 > 0:31:56I've just bought the most fabulous suit, really lovely,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59for about £30, which is unbelievable.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04I mean, you cannot get a one-off suit anywhere for £30.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06And I will wear it a lot,
0:32:06 > 0:32:07I love it, it's gorgeous.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11The French are known for their style,
0:32:11 > 0:32:13so if you're interested in vintage clothing,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16you've got a good chance of finding something very special
0:32:16 > 0:32:17in the home of haute couture.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Je pense que c'est la periode de cinema...
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Oh, the Hollywood...
0:32:24 > 0:32:26- Yeah, Hollywood.- And Cleopatra.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30- And how much would that cost me? - Trente euros.- Trente euros.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32That's 30 euros, isn't it?
0:32:32 > 0:32:33- Oui.- 3-0?
0:32:33 > 0:32:35- Yes.- Yes. Nice hat.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38So what date would you say that...? That's rather lovely, isn't it?
0:32:38 > 0:32:43- Maybe '70s, this one.- '70s? - Yeah.- It's jolly comfy.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47- Jolly comfy, I like that. Have you got a mirror anywhere?- Oui.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Oh, that's quite nice, isn't it?
0:32:54 > 0:32:56Christina had the Franglais down pat.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59So, combien for the...deux?
0:32:59 > 0:33:02- Cinquante euros.- So, 50.
0:33:02 > 0:33:03I'd be happy with that,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06I think they're both really nice pieces, so thank you very much.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- Thank you. Merci.- Merci.
0:33:11 > 0:33:12I've come across these,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15which is more than just a carving set.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17There's actually this item here
0:33:17 > 0:33:18which you put the leg of lamb in
0:33:18 > 0:33:22so when it's hot it saves you from getting your hand burned.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Twist it up like this, which holds it firm,
0:33:24 > 0:33:28and then you can carve it with the knife.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31You've got the fork and I think they're very stylish -
0:33:31 > 0:33:33they've got this Art Deco look.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36They've got horn handles, which isn't to everybody's taste,
0:33:36 > 0:33:39but they were fabricated pre-1947,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41so I'm OK with that, that's fine.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44The gentleman said I can have them for 8 euros,
0:33:44 > 0:33:48which is fantastic - it's not £6. So it's £2 apiece.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51They've got to be bought, haven't they? Oui. Merci, monsieur.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54THEY SPEAK IN FRENCH
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Everything is just laid out so beautifully.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06The atmosphere is really relaxed, really chilled out.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Just really good fun, really good fun.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13I found these napkins, look.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16CT. How nice is that?
0:34:16 > 0:34:17Christina, she will love them!
0:34:19 > 0:34:22My tip would be absolutely bring a phrasebook,
0:34:22 > 0:34:23try and learn your numbers
0:34:23 > 0:34:24or at least have a pen and paper to hand
0:34:24 > 0:34:27so that you know exactly what you're talking about
0:34:27 > 0:34:29when it comes to negotiating and dealing.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34It's actually so easy to come here, it's so doable.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37You can either do it as part of your family summer holiday,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39if you happen to be in France,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42or you can actually come over for a day trip or a long weekend.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45It really is achievable.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48It looks like they've found plenty to make their trip worthwhile,
0:34:48 > 0:34:52but don't forget, there's a six-hour ferry ride home.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58- I've bought something especially for you, Christina.- Me?
0:34:58 > 0:34:59- Christina Trevanion.- Me?
0:34:59 > 0:35:03Oh, my goodness, are you serious?!
0:35:03 > 0:35:07- You found some! - Happy French hunting.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10- Oh, you star!- Wow, well done, you.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12And I said to you this morning...
0:35:12 > 0:35:15- I'm really touched, what a lovely memory of our trip.- Road trip.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Thank you so, so, so much.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22- Right, come on, we better go, we've got a ferry to catch. - We'd better go.- Let's run.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30Still to come - a whirlwind trip to the cold outer reaches of Europe
0:35:30 > 0:35:34takes in a camera that would delight any spy.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38It was a real kind of 007-for-the-lady thing, wasn't it?
0:35:38 > 0:35:40An intriguing royal Russian saga.
0:35:40 > 0:35:41It's got tantalising clues
0:35:41 > 0:35:45that would be lovely to think that it is part of that Romanov dynasty.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48And a mystery clockmaker that had our hearts aflutter.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51If the rules were that we can bid on these things...
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- I'd be bidding against you. - It would be us two fighting over it.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Wow!
0:35:56 > 0:36:00There are other ways to enjoy European artists
0:36:00 > 0:36:02without necessarily buying and selling.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Over the years, I've had the privilege
0:36:05 > 0:36:08of visiting numerous British museums and galleries
0:36:08 > 0:36:10to enjoy their wonderful exhibits.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14And one of my favourites, and most surprising, was at Kelvingrove.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25This striking painting of the crucifixion
0:36:25 > 0:36:27called Christ Of Saint John Of The Cross
0:36:27 > 0:36:31is by the Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Such is its beauty and power
0:36:34 > 0:36:35that in the last 50 years
0:36:35 > 0:36:38literally millions of people from all over the world
0:36:38 > 0:36:42have made a pilgrimage here to Kelvingrove to see it.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45Standing in front of it, you can really see why, can't you?
0:36:45 > 0:36:48For me, this is one of the most amazing images
0:36:48 > 0:36:50of Christ on the cross
0:36:50 > 0:36:52that's ever been painted.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Most people think it's a gimmick, but it wasn't.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59Dali was a devout Catholic and a very religious man
0:36:59 > 0:37:03and to attempt something like this I think is incredibly brave.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05It's just wonderful,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08these darkening skies over this sort of floating water below,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10which is his fishing village in Spain -
0:37:10 > 0:37:12it's almost like two pictures going on at once,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15but that's done in the Renaissance style.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17It's incredible.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19It's devoid of a crown of thorns, nails and blood,
0:37:19 > 0:37:23and, for me, I think this is my favourite picture
0:37:23 > 0:37:25of the crucifixion.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28I'd rather look at this than any other.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32The idea came to Dali in a cosmic dream in the 1950s
0:37:32 > 0:37:35and it's called the Christ Of Saint John
0:37:35 > 0:37:39because Dali had a lot of images from the 16th-century friar St John,
0:37:39 > 0:37:41which helped him put this composition together
0:37:41 > 0:37:45and in order to get that angle of Christ on the cross
0:37:45 > 0:37:47he hired a Hollywood stunt man
0:37:47 > 0:37:50to hang form gantries in his studio
0:37:50 > 0:37:52and he spent hours getting those angles right.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54I mean, that's not just a one-off,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57this is a well-trained artist doing what he does best -
0:37:57 > 0:37:59executing genius.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02And it is, the brushstrokes are remarkable.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05It's very, very moving, very evocative and incredibly powerful.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08It's almost as if that's Christ's viewpoint
0:38:08 > 0:38:11of what's going on in the world below him.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18As a member of the surrealist movement in the 1930s,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22Dali's early paintings depicted strange landscapes
0:38:22 > 0:38:23with fantastical animals,
0:38:23 > 0:38:27and littered with dismembered and distorted body parts,
0:38:27 > 0:38:29painted in exquisite technique.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34These unforgettable images, combined with his flamboyant behaviour,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36gained Dali the reputation
0:38:36 > 0:38:39of an eccentric, perhaps even mad personality.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44So the arrival of one of Dali's artworks to Glasgow
0:38:44 > 0:38:46in the relatively conservative early 1950s
0:38:46 > 0:38:48was bound to cause a stir
0:38:48 > 0:38:51and it was all down to the vision of one man,
0:38:51 > 0:38:55Tom Honeyman, Glasgow's Director of Museums at the time.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58Honeyman visited Dali at his home in Spain.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Dali had just finished Christ Of Saint John Of The Cross
0:39:01 > 0:39:03and, bowled over by what he saw,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Honeyman thought this would make the most amazing centrepiece
0:39:06 > 0:39:09for the art collection here at Kelvingrove.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11Now, was it a moment of madness or inspiration?
0:39:13 > 0:39:16To find out, I'm meeting Neil Ballantyne,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Kelvingrove's current director.
0:39:18 > 0:39:23Well, in 1952 a lot of people would have said it was madness, but...
0:39:23 > 0:39:26And a lot of criticism at the time, but I believe the last 60 years
0:39:26 > 0:39:28has more than proved the correctness of Honeyman's decision
0:39:28 > 0:39:30- to bring the painting to Glasgow.- Yeah.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32What was the reaction
0:39:32 > 0:39:34when it first arrived in the early part of the 1950s?
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Well, there were a number of protests outside Kelvingrove.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Some of the art students from the Glasgow School Of Art
0:39:40 > 0:39:43were quite shocked at the amount of expenditure.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46I think Dali has always aroused quite a lot of criticism.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47He saw the painting in London
0:39:47 > 0:39:49just before he decided to make the purchase
0:39:49 > 0:39:51and he saw the reaction of the public there
0:39:51 > 0:39:53and he was convinced that the people in Glasgow
0:39:53 > 0:39:55would feel the same way. And he was absolutely right,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58something like 50,000 people came to see the painting
0:39:58 > 0:40:00in the first three months of display in Glasgow.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06When you leave here, it really is that iconic image you take with you.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08- Absolutely.- Look, thank you very much.- Pleasure.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21There are many European items we expect to see at our valuation days,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23but more often than not
0:40:23 > 0:40:25you bring in something that takes us all by surprise.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29Now, we may think we know a lot about the best Europe has to offer,
0:40:29 > 0:40:33but think again. There's always a lot more to learn.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35If you were going to formulate a collection of European items,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38you'd sort of think, well, Venice is great for Italy
0:40:38 > 0:40:42and, you know, the Dresden area for porcelain...
0:40:42 > 0:40:45I would just say to you, try and make your collection as broad as possible.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48You should always go to antiques shops when you're on holiday.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50Oh, wow, I always do busman's holidays myself, you know,
0:40:50 > 0:40:52I think it's great.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55If you're interested in European collectables,
0:40:55 > 0:40:59as Philip says, it doesn't have to be all about the classics.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02There are more unusual pieces that are worth a shot.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Adam found a snappy little number
0:41:04 > 0:41:07that wouldn't have been out of place in 007's kit bag.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Anne's little vanity camera.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14It was a real kind of 007-for-the-lady thing, wasn't it?
0:41:14 > 0:41:18- If we press that button there, we've got a compact.- That's right.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22And, in here, this one comes out for your lipstick.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25'I mean, how many times have you had a picture taken and thought,'
0:41:25 > 0:41:29"Let's just have a quick zhush up before we have the picture done?"
0:41:29 > 0:41:31I think it's a great, ingenious thing.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36That pops out, and there is the camera, isn't that cute?
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Really lovely. So it was made in the mid-1950s, German-made.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45And I believe the firm also made lighters,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48in the same way, lighter cameras, and musical cameras as well.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50A really good and rare novelty item.
0:41:50 > 0:41:51I was very excited to see that,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54I don't think I've seen one in the flesh before.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57- Any idea what it's worth?- 200? - I think that's a pretty good guess.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59I would prefer to put it slightly less,
0:41:59 > 0:42:01if you're agreeable,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03- to put 150-250 as the estimate.- Yeah.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07- And a reserve of 150 so it doesn't go for less.- that's fine.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09- Thanks for bringing it in, it's a lovely little item.- Thank you.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14Would Anne's compact Petie camera realise a petit price?
0:42:15 > 0:42:17One of my favourite lots today,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20German Petie vanity camera.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22Will you start me at £100?
0:42:22 > 0:42:26110, 120, 130, 140.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28150. 150.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Any advance on £150?
0:42:31 > 0:42:33All done at 150.
0:42:33 > 0:42:34150...
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Hammer's gone down, that's sold.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39I think someone had a real bargain there.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41I thought it might have made a bit more than that.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45Never mind, Adam. Some lucky buyer got a two-for-one deal
0:42:45 > 0:42:46at a compact price too!
0:42:46 > 0:42:50Definitely Germany's a great source of vintage cameras.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53They have fantastic engineering in everything they produced, I think.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57And, of course, the most famous name in cameras, the Leica cameras,
0:42:57 > 0:42:59were also German manufacturing.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02While Germany can boast first-class modern optics,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04James Lewis found a French gem
0:43:04 > 0:43:08from three centuries earlier that was just as ingenious.
0:43:09 > 0:43:10John Butterfield,
0:43:10 > 0:43:13when he was working in Paris in the late 17th century,
0:43:13 > 0:43:15around 1680, 1690,
0:43:15 > 0:43:17invented the Butterfield dial,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20and that is what we have here.
0:43:20 > 0:43:25The idea is that we have this little section here called the gnomon,
0:43:25 > 0:43:27which works in the same way as a sundial.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29You lift that up,
0:43:29 > 0:43:33so that it points directly into the air at a right angle.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37And you use the compass
0:43:37 > 0:43:39to point it in the right direction
0:43:39 > 0:43:43and you will see that it casts a shadow over the time.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45But this isn't a piece of equipment
0:43:45 > 0:43:48that you could have travelled around with,
0:43:48 > 0:43:50because the angle of the gnomon here
0:43:50 > 0:43:53is particular to the angle of longitude
0:43:53 > 0:43:56of the town you are in.
0:43:56 > 0:44:01The lovely thing also is it's in its original fitted case.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03Have you never taken it out?
0:44:03 > 0:44:05- I've never taken it out. - Haven't you?!- No.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07If that had been in my home
0:44:07 > 0:44:09I think it would have been just about the first thing
0:44:09 > 0:44:11that I would have done is to open the case,
0:44:11 > 0:44:15take it out, look underneath, but I'm always fiddling with things.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19Simon Beauvais, maker.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22So some time...
0:44:22 > 0:44:27probably 300 years ago approximately,
0:44:27 > 0:44:32Simon Beauvais was sitting in his little workshop
0:44:32 > 0:44:35- making this.- Wow.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39I thought "Simon Beauvais?!" Never heard of him. Never heard of him.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42So I thought, "I'll look him up online." Couldn't find anything.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45Looked in the clocks and watches reference books,
0:44:45 > 0:44:47couldn't find anything,
0:44:47 > 0:44:50So he just can't have been a very prolific maker,
0:44:50 > 0:44:52he obviously just made the odd thing.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56If he made more, they're not recorded.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58It's worth 300-500.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Wow!
0:45:00 > 0:45:04- It's a good little thing. - It's a lovely little thing!
0:45:04 > 0:45:06James and I thought this was just so beautiful
0:45:06 > 0:45:10we didn't care if it wasn't by a renowned European watchmaker.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14We did care that neither of us could buy it.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16If the rules weren't that we can't bid on these things...
0:45:16 > 0:45:18I'd be bidding against you.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20..it would be us two fighting over it!
0:45:22 > 0:45:27- Here we go.- The little Butterfield brass pocket sundial.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29£600? 400.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31Will you start me at 300?
0:45:31 > 0:45:34200? 200 bid.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37220. 240.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39260. 300.
0:45:39 > 0:45:40- 320...- Sold.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42380.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44Any advance on 380?
0:45:44 > 0:45:46- 400, back in.- Yeah, come on.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51At £400. Any advance on 400?
0:45:51 > 0:45:53All done at 400? 400...
0:45:55 > 0:45:57£400, it's gone.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59The precision of the sundial was clear,
0:45:59 > 0:46:03but sometimes the attraction of the piece is less obvious.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05Philip came across a painting from Europe
0:46:05 > 0:46:07that wasn't quite what it seemed.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11- Lisa, this is just absolutely lovely. - I've always liked it.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15- So this is a painting? - I think so, yes.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17- It is and it isn't.- Right.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20Because, it's a porcelain plaque.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22So let's just move that over there.
0:46:22 > 0:46:27So, now, we have here this really wonderful, 19th-century
0:46:27 > 0:46:30painting on a porcelain panel,
0:46:30 > 0:46:32and it's of a young girl,
0:46:32 > 0:46:35looking quite wistful with this landscape beyond.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38'The thing about that plaque was, anyone can paint a face,'
0:46:38 > 0:46:41anyone can paint eyes, look at the hands and feet.
0:46:41 > 0:46:42I want you to have a look at that girl's
0:46:42 > 0:46:45fingers and her fingernails - that's painting.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50The mark we're looking for is KPM,
0:46:50 > 0:46:52and that's the sceptre mark you can just see
0:46:52 > 0:46:55- impressed into the porcelain.- OK.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57And that is the best.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00It's the King's Porcelain Manufactury - KPM.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03Actually, it isn't really that, that's the sort of English version,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06but I can't pronounce the real one.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09They just produced the finest quality porcelain plaques.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13If this were to make £100-£200 at auction that would be good?
0:47:13 > 0:47:15No, I wouldn't sell it for that.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19I'd rather keep it, because it's more sentimental value.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22What about the sort of 300-500? Is that getting close to the mark?
0:47:22 > 0:47:23No, no.
0:47:23 > 0:47:28You're absolutely right, cos I think at auction
0:47:28 > 0:47:32you could estimate it at probably £1,200-£1,800.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35What I want to know is, if this makes £2,000,
0:47:35 > 0:47:38Selena, what are you going to spend the money on?
0:47:38 > 0:47:40A horse.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42Is that a definite horse?
0:47:42 > 0:47:44- Or a maid...- Or a maid?
0:47:44 > 0:47:46..or a day out shopping in New York.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48A day out shopping in New York?
0:47:48 > 0:47:51- So you don't want much, really, do you?- No.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53'I'm with Selena'
0:47:53 > 0:47:54part of the way, you know.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56Horse - not really for me.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Trip to New York - sounds great!
0:47:58 > 0:48:00And a maid? Well, I'm not going to go there.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02Lot 566
0:48:02 > 0:48:06is the very beautiful 19th-century KPM porcelain plaque.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09What may I say for that to start? What do we say?
0:48:09 > 0:48:11About £1,500 to start me?
0:48:11 > 0:48:13£1,500 to put me in?
0:48:13 > 0:48:151,500 may I say? 1,500 with Mervyn.
0:48:15 > 0:48:171,600 at the back.
0:48:17 > 0:48:191,700 now?
0:48:19 > 0:48:221,700 with Mervyn. 1,800 in the room.
0:48:22 > 0:48:24£1,800.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27'It certainly seemed as if Selena would get one of her three wishes.'
0:48:27 > 0:48:302,800, still there at 2,800 in the room.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34This is great, they absolutely love it.
0:48:34 > 0:48:373,000 bid. 3,100?
0:48:37 > 0:48:40At £3,000 in the room.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43Last call against you selling at £3,000 then...
0:48:44 > 0:48:47Bang, that hammer's gone down! £3,000!
0:48:47 > 0:48:49Whenever you pick up a porcelain plaque
0:48:49 > 0:48:52and it smells quality at you, you're always hoping
0:48:52 > 0:48:54when you turn it over you've got that impressed KPM,
0:48:54 > 0:48:58because that just adds the Gold Seal, that's the standard,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01and they're quality things, they're a quality item,
0:49:01 > 0:49:03so you don't see them every day.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06But it does make your heart skip a beat when you do see one.
0:49:06 > 0:49:12KPM stands for Konigliche Porzellan-Manufaktur, by the way.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15And that painting was a very unusual example
0:49:15 > 0:49:18of European fine art at its best.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21When we talk of Europe we think about the countries
0:49:21 > 0:49:24we've seen so far, but what about the vast territory
0:49:24 > 0:49:26that straddles both Europe and Asia,
0:49:26 > 0:49:28and which is attracting growing attention
0:49:28 > 0:49:30from collectors and dealers alike?
0:49:30 > 0:49:33You've probably heard of Carl Faberge,
0:49:33 > 0:49:36who designed jewellery for the Russian royal family.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39Well, he had a lesser-known competitor whose works
0:49:39 > 0:49:42also made it to these shores more than a century ago.
0:49:42 > 0:49:46Works like this cutlery set, spotted by Charlie Ross.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49- We've got a name on here, haven't we? Marchak.- Yes.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52What can you tell me about that?
0:49:52 > 0:49:55I gather that he was known as the Cartier of Kiev.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58I love that expression! He was the Cartier of Kiev.
0:49:58 > 0:50:04And I'm told also that Marchak made cutlery for the Tsar.
0:50:04 > 0:50:06- Oh, right.- So he was the business, really.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Yes, so he was high-class.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10If you happen to be
0:50:10 > 0:50:14of a certain standing, social standing, economic standing,
0:50:14 > 0:50:18you want something made, you want it made by the best.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21And if not the best, certainly the second best.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23You don't want it just knocked out.
0:50:23 > 0:50:27You want to say to people round the dining table,
0:50:27 > 0:50:28"This was made by Marchak."
0:50:28 > 0:50:30And this one here?
0:50:30 > 0:50:33What a marvellous question. Caviar, you'd have to be...
0:50:33 > 0:50:35I think that one possibly for caviar.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39You'd have to be a multi-billionaire to use
0:50:39 > 0:50:42- that one for caviar. - I just wondered about that.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47I've had a chat with a colleague, and we think £800-£1200
0:50:47 > 0:50:48is a sensible estimate,
0:50:48 > 0:50:50but to be absolutely certain,
0:50:50 > 0:50:53I'm going to ring up Kate Bateman, and ask her to do
0:50:53 > 0:50:57a little bit more research so that we don't get it wrong.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59There is a chance that we've undervalued,
0:50:59 > 0:51:03- so at the moment it's 800-1200, reserve 800, with discretion.- OK.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07Thank you for bringing in such an interesting piece of history.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09Thank you very much indeed.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12What did Kate's detective work undercover?
0:51:12 > 0:51:15Marchak are still going, so we contacted Marchak
0:51:15 > 0:51:17and they got quite interested and said there's no record of this,
0:51:17 > 0:51:20but they fled the revolution themselves and moved to Paris,
0:51:20 > 0:51:22so they lost quite a lot of their records.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24Clearly, it's solid silver, it was made for somebody
0:51:24 > 0:51:26who had some money and was influential
0:51:26 > 0:51:28and liked to show off their wealth.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32Whether or not that was somebody connected to the Royal family
0:51:32 > 0:51:33is very hard to prove.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35The mystery continued.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37Many of today's Russians are keen to reclaim
0:51:37 > 0:51:39their pre-revolutionary heritage,
0:51:39 > 0:51:43so, when it came to auction, would they gamble on a royal connection?
0:51:45 > 0:51:48Let's start at £1,000.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50Straight in. 1,100 here.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53At 1,100, 1,200. 1,300.
0:51:53 > 0:51:561,400. 1,500.
0:51:56 > 0:51:5816.
0:51:58 > 0:51:59- 17.- Halfway.
0:51:59 > 0:52:0118. 19.
0:52:01 > 0:52:022,000? 2,000.
0:52:02 > 0:52:042,100.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06'It went right through the top estimate,
0:52:06 > 0:52:09'so clearly the bidders weren't playing Russian roulette.#
0:52:09 > 0:52:114,900, 5,000.
0:52:11 > 0:52:12(My valuation was wrong.)
0:52:12 > 0:52:145,100.
0:52:14 > 0:52:165,200.
0:52:16 > 0:52:175,300. 5,400.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21At £6,000.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23'The under-bidder, I knew, was Russian.'
0:52:23 > 0:52:26I had spoken to her before the sale.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28She had rather pooh-poohed it,
0:52:28 > 0:52:30whether she was trying to pull the wool over my eyes
0:52:30 > 0:52:31I don't know. She'd said,
0:52:31 > 0:52:34"This isn't the quality I was expecting, etc, etc,
0:52:34 > 0:52:36"I'm not really interested,"
0:52:36 > 0:52:39then proceeded to sit in the back of the room and bid her socks off!
0:52:39 > 0:52:41I was a bit surprised by that.
0:52:41 > 0:52:437,000.
0:52:44 > 0:52:457,100.
0:52:45 > 0:52:477,200.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49At 7,200, you sure you're finished?
0:52:49 > 0:52:52At 7,200, one last chance to think about it, madam.
0:52:52 > 0:52:57At £7,200 on the phone, done at 7,200...
0:52:57 > 0:52:59(Seven-five.)
0:52:59 > 0:53:00GASPS
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Unbelievable, 7,500!
0:53:03 > 0:53:05At 7 ,500. 7,600.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08Down here at 7,600.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10This is what auctions are all about, when it goes like this.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12- You just can't beat it.- At £7,600.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14Incredible tension.
0:53:14 > 0:53:167,700?
0:53:16 > 0:53:18Goes then at £7,600...
0:53:20 > 0:53:21Yes!
0:53:21 > 0:53:23APPLAUSE
0:53:23 > 0:53:27- Thank you very much.- Well done. - Thanks ever so much.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29But did it go back to Russia?
0:53:29 > 0:53:32It was a local person who was looking for things to buy
0:53:32 > 0:53:37as an investment, and just thought that that might be a good investment,
0:53:37 > 0:53:39and I think probably right.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43There's a finite amount of Faberge and Cartier,
0:53:43 > 0:53:46and when these things come on the market
0:53:46 > 0:53:50they tend to be only available to the deepest pockets.
0:53:50 > 0:53:51So, go for Marchak.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54A full set will be beyond most of us,
0:53:54 > 0:53:58but if you chance upon even a single piece by Joseph Marchak,
0:53:58 > 0:54:02the Cartier of Kiev, you'll have found some real Russian quality.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06So, what's in a name? We're familiar on Flog It
0:54:06 > 0:54:09with many of Europe's classic makers, and each country
0:54:09 > 0:54:12has its own unique artistic heritage,
0:54:12 > 0:54:13so delve a little deeper -
0:54:13 > 0:54:17there's a wealth of lesser-known treasure to be found.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Petty cameras are perfect entry-level cameras,
0:54:20 > 0:54:23but if you're into serious makers look for German engineering
0:54:23 > 0:54:27brilliance with names like Zeiss and Leica,
0:54:27 > 0:54:28and check your attic.
0:54:28 > 0:54:33This long overlooked Leica Lexus I sold in 2012
0:54:33 > 0:54:35for a massive £600,000.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39But if you simply fall in love with something particular to an area,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42you can overlook the name and enjoy it for what it is -
0:54:42 > 0:54:44fantastic European craftsmanship.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Now it's often the case that some of the visitors
0:54:50 > 0:54:53to our valuation day know more about their item than we do,
0:54:53 > 0:54:56and that's certainly the case for Christine,
0:54:56 > 0:54:59a regular to the valuation days up in the North of England.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02She had a lot to tell Kate Bliss this about a very interesting
0:55:02 > 0:55:06pair of French brooches back in 2006.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08What have we got here?
0:55:08 > 0:55:10We've got some plastic jewellery.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13I love plastic jewellery, plastic brooches.
0:55:13 > 0:55:18- But these are by a very special lady, Lea Stein .- That's right.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22- And what do you know about Lea Stein? - Only that she was from Paris.
0:55:22 > 0:55:27- That's right.- Her husband worked in plastics, and she experimented,
0:55:27 > 0:55:30I think magically, with the colours
0:55:30 > 0:55:32and the effects that only plastic can give you.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35In fact, when she was working from the '60s to the '80s
0:55:35 > 0:55:37she was very little known outside Paris
0:55:37 > 0:55:40and it's only recently that she's gained really
0:55:40 > 0:55:43international recognition as a jewellery designer.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46Lea Stein brooches I do collect, I collect other brooches, too,
0:55:46 > 0:55:48but they're not my real passion.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51And I would say these ought to be anywhere between
0:55:51 > 0:55:54- £20 and £40 each at auction.- Yes.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56So, if you're happy with that, we'll put them in
0:55:56 > 0:56:00with that estimate and hope that we've got a real collector
0:56:00 > 0:56:03there like yourself prepared to give a good price.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05Yes. I'd like that.
0:56:05 > 0:56:09I wanted to spend the money on my greatest passion,
0:56:09 > 0:56:11which is novelty salt and pepper pots, or cruets,
0:56:11 > 0:56:13as I prefer to call them.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15The Lea Stein Paris plastic
0:56:15 > 0:56:18brooches in the form of cats, rather pretty. What am I bid on these?
0:56:18 > 0:56:2220 to open? 20 I'm bid, and five.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24- 30.- Yes, there's interest here, Kate.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28And five. 40. And five. 50.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30At 50, and five.
0:56:30 > 0:56:32Oh!
0:56:32 > 0:56:34At £55. Are we all finished?
0:56:34 > 0:56:36At £55 then, first and last time...
0:56:37 > 0:56:40Yes, great result. There are cat lovers here.
0:56:43 > 0:56:50I have now got, as of this week, 3,005,
0:56:50 > 0:56:52and they're displayed all over the house.
0:56:52 > 0:56:57You've got sea life and seaside in the bathroom,
0:56:57 > 0:57:01the kitchen is mostly food-based.
0:57:01 > 0:57:07I've got storybook characters, I've got pixies and elves.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09I've got a farmyard on here.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12And, not on display, in here,
0:57:12 > 0:57:14are Christmas ones.
0:57:16 > 0:57:21I love them because of their immense variety.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25Their colours, the feel of them, their smallness,
0:57:25 > 0:57:29and it gives you something to look for when you're out and about.
0:57:30 > 0:57:34I can go to flea markets, zip round the room, really,
0:57:34 > 0:57:37cos I'm only looking for things with holes in their heads.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42Some of them seem to have distinct personalities.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45How about this one here?
0:57:45 > 0:57:47I brought him from over there, actually,
0:57:47 > 0:57:49because he's in a storybook.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52He's very realistic and he's absolutely beautiful,
0:57:52 > 0:57:56and it's so nice being surrounded by all these little people.
0:57:57 > 0:58:00The cruets aren't for sale
0:58:00 > 0:58:04because I just love collecting them, amassing them, really.
0:58:04 > 0:58:06I'm quite proud of the number I've got.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11And they're all listed in a book. I can't sell one.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14It would leave a gap in the list.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19Well, that's the best thing about collecting -
0:58:19 > 0:58:22it's a never-ending progress. You sell something, you buy something.
0:58:22 > 0:58:25But, remember, always trade upwards.
0:58:25 > 0:58:27And if you've got something you want to sell,
0:58:27 > 0:58:30bring it along to one of our valuation days.
0:58:30 > 0:58:35Well, that's it for today. Join us again soon for more Trade Secrets.