Cardiff Flog It!

Welcome to Flog It! We're hopeful as people sell antiques at auction.

If you've got antiques at home that you're thinking of throwing out,

"Flog It!" may be the answer.

What you class as junk, somebody else may pay vast sums of money for.

Our experts give you the chance to go to auction and "Flog It!"

After estimating what it might be worth, we'll put it up for sale.

Our experts' necks will be on the line.

You could go home with a fat wallet, or they may get egg on their faces.

Here are some auction veterans we'll meet later on.

-Fantastic.

-That WAS a buy!

-It was in tremendous condition.

-I'm happy.

-It was short and sweet!

At 32? £32? Are we all done?

When it started to go up, I thought, "Oh, dear!" I'm very, very pleased.

Are we all done at £10?

At the end of the day, it's honest.

People from all over Wales joined us in Cardiff for our valuation day.

'They brought in some weird and wonderful stuff.'

-How long have you had it?

-A few years.

-What's this down the end - "England for ever"?!

-What's that doing in Wales?

-Well, there we are. It was in a skip, so...

-That's why!

-It was free so I had it!

Our experts will be on hand to help people make that crucial decision -

whether or not to risk selling their treasures at auction.

Risking their reputations today are Philip Serrell and Kate Alcock.

Kate's getting to grips with the local culture.

Well, I'm interested in selling it. It's just your advice on which ones you think are saleable.

-Can you tell me any history, maybe?

-We've got Llanelli pottery here.

-You can probably say it better than me.

-Yes - H-lanethli.

-H-lanethli!

A little tea bowl, I would say.

It's copying Wemyss pottery decoration,

-with this cabbage rose.

-Right.

-That crack will bring the value down...

-Can it be repaired?

-Is it worth it?

-A good restorer could do it, but I think if you want to auction it, leave it just as it is.

-Have you any idea of the value?

-I don't know, actually. It was given to us for my mother to keep pins in.

It was given by a neighbour 50 years ago, so I've got no idea of the value of that at all.

Llanelli pottery is actually very collectable, as is Wemyss ware.

But with the hair crack here, I would put that at £40 to £60.

-Mm-hm. OK.

-With the damage.

-Yeah.

Will Ray sell? He's clearly thinking about it.

Later, we'll see what else he brought in for valuation.

-You came from Bridgend today?

-That's it, yeah.

-Where are these two from?

-In our wardrobe!

-What else have you got in there?

-Not a lot.

-Not a lot?

-Not a lot.

-This is interesting. What do you know about this?

-Well, all I know,

it was Elaine's great-grandmother's,

and when her mother died,

-we had it, and we put it in the wardrobe then.

-Oh, right.

Well, I suppose wardrobes are for storing things in, but not clocks!

If we look here, we've got,

"Central Furnishers, Aberkenfig."

-That's where they live.

-Those are the retailers. If we open this case,

and carefully remove these bits, we can see here,

"Superior 8-Day Anglo-American clock, fitted with the standard American movement."

There was a trend at the end of the 19th century to import watch movements over into this country,

and we used to put them into our cases.

It's quite collectable, in walnut.

I think that will make around £200-£300 at auction.

And I think if we put a reserve on it of around the £180 mark,

that should do quite well.

Philip and John will be back in a few moments. Ray is showing Kate another piece of pottery.

-This is really different. Was this your mother's too?

-I bought that.

-I bought it in a car boot sale for £1.

-Did you really?

-Yes.

-Good grief!

-Was it a good buy?

-I think it was excellent!

-It's like the World Cup,

with the three handles, and I thought it looked rather nice.

-It's Ewenny pottery.

-That's right.

-It's still open, I know, but I don't know how old that is.

-It's difficult to pinpoint the age - maybe 1920s,

-1930s, perhaps a little bit earlier.

-Oh?

-Yes.

-What have we got here?

-I don't know.

-It's Welsh, and forgive me, I don't know what it is.

-I hoped you'd enlighten me.

-Probably "Good luck!"

It's what we call a tyg - a three-handled vase.

-Would these be for candles, do you think?

-I think it was a vase.

-A vase for flowers?

-That's right.

We have got a little nick on the rim.

Again, that will affect the value a bit.

But I see that as £30 to £40. Would you be happy to let us flog them for you?

Well, I think so, yeah.

Kate had second thoughts and increased her valuation on the vase. I think it's a lovely piece.

-Are you happy with the valuation?

-I'm happy with the valuation, but I'm a bit attached to this one.

Look at the glaze and colour on it.

I love this trefoil shape. It's used in carving. What value did she say?

-She put £80 to £120 on it.

-Yeah, that's bang on, actually.

-But I wanted a holding charge of £100...

-Fair comment.

-..cos I'm attached to it.

I wouldn't like it to go cheap.

I agree. Now, John's wardrobe had another secret as well as his clock.

This is lovely. This is a music box.

If we open it up, it's a Swiss 8-airs box.

The immediate thing to do, as soon as you get one of these -

like a watch, everybody winds them -

with this, everybody starts cranking this. And you can overcrank these.

If we open this here, we can see this cylinder.

The way this works

is that as this goes round, these little pegs in here

play these keys.

You can see here that three are broken. These are interchangeable.

You can put ones in that play different tunes.

If we shut it back up again, you can see that this top is rosewood.

When this was first made,

this was a vivid, bright green,

so these leaves actually looked like leaves.

If we just tip this front over here, you can see that all of this is, in fact, painted.

So it's simulated rosewood,

or another word we use is faux rosewood - F-A-U-X. In other words, it's made to look like rosewood.

In terms of value, I think this will be worth £300 to £500,

and you could put a reserve on it of around £250. Are you happy to put them in the sale?

-Yeah.

-Well, I think we'd like to put them in. I hope they'll do well for you.

-Thank you very much.

-Good man!

-Thank you.

-I hope you're still doing that at the end!

This is quite an early piece. Do you know what it was used for?

No, we don't really know.

It's been beside my nan's fireplace since I've been born. It was from my nan's nan. That's all we know.

-It's a rush light.

-Mm-hm.

-It stands well.

It looks like a pair of pliers, but don't be put off by that!

This would have had an iron ball on the end.

The ball would have counterbalanced that to keep this pinched shut.

The term rush light comes from bulrushes - they'd cut a bulrush, dip it in tallow and put it in here.

and set light to it. Once candles had a wick put into them,

resourceful people took these to their blacksmith,

and the ball was beaten out and turned into a candle-holder.

-We're looking at George III - 1760, 1780, round that region?

-Bang on.

-Any idea about the value?

-We haven't thought about it.

It's just something that's been there, so it'll be nice to know.

You might be surprised that I say it ought to make between £200 and £300.

-Yes.

-You agree? So would you like us to flog it for you?

-You'd have to phone your nan.

-Yes, to find out.

-What's the verdict?

-No.

She won't sell it. Too much sentimental value.

I quite understand. It's lovely.

She'll be happy to know what it's for and how much it's worth.

We've had a good start to the day, with lots of family heirlooms.

Ray is attached to his Ewenny jug, but has decided to let it go. The trefoil design is distinctive.

After some thought, Kate adjusted her valuation.

Ray is also selling his Llanelli tea bowl.

It's got a crack, but Kate thinks it'll do all right.

Ray, whose tea bowl it was,

didn't realise how popular Llanelli pottery is at the moment. I hope it'll do well at auction.

John is selling two things as well. He's kept them both in his wardrobe.

The clock is not of great quality, but a buyer could spruce it up.

The music box has lost a few teeth,

btu they can be repaired and could soon be playing sweet music again.

They often sound better with the lid shut,

but the tunes are captivating, like listening to a fairground hurdy-gurdy.

We've come to a saleroom in Penarth, outside Cardiff, for our auction.

Along with buyers, our owners are gathering to look at what's for sale. Ryan Beech is our auctioneer.

He has his own views about our lots, and he doesn't always agree with the experts.

-Ray brought in two items - the Llanelli bowl...

-Well said!

-My Welsh is not bad, is it?

-Not too bad at all!

Llanelli were only going for a very short period of time, so anything from the factory's very desirable.

-Floral painting...

-Hand-painted.

-It is.

-Kate said £40-£60. I think that's cheap.

-It is.

-I can see that making above the upper estimate.

-There's a crack.

There's also a bit of fritting, but it's a rare item.

OK. Ray has also brought this jug along.

This is Ewenny, a local pottery.

-Gorgeous hue to the glaze.

-The two tones set each other off well.

-I'll test YOUR Welsh now! What does that say?

-It's "While there's a sea, there will be a Welshman."

-I love the way he's made a mistake there...

-Corrected his spelling!

-A decorative three-handled vase.

-Beautiful.

-I love the trefoil shape.

-Yes.

-Used a lot in oak carving.

-Yes, regional furniture.

-It'll look nice on oak.

I've been to hundreds of auctions,

and I still get goosebumps when I hear the auctioneer's hammer.

-I'd be even more excited if

-I

-had a piece up for sale. I wonder how John is feeling.

-Have you been biting your nails all night?

-We've been thinking about it.

-It's something we've never done before...

-Bite your nails?!

-No, I've done that!

First to go under the hammer is Ray's Ewenny vase.

-Ray, how are you feeling?

-A little nervous, but very hopeful.

-We're up.

Lot 440, Ewenny pottery vase. Numerous commissions start me at...

-£90.

-Yes. We had a reserve of £80 on that.

..And 10. Takes me out at 110. Am I right at 110?

£110? We're standing at 110. 110. Am I right? Are we all done at £110?

118. Thank you.

Excellent, excellent. 110.

What a great result! Ray paid a quid for that vase at a car boot sale.

I wonder if his Llanelli bowl will do as well when it comes up later.

John, you've had this clock in the wardrobe for a long time. Why did you never bother to get it fixed?

I thought it was an antique - just keep it.

-Antiques should be used and enjoyed! That's the beauty of them.

-Yeah. You can see that now, when...

-Yeah.

-It is worth its money. If it was fixed, there's money left in it.

-Absolutely. It's not the best...

-American drop-dial, walnut. It's nice.

-It's decorative.

-It's inlaid.

At £12. Are we all done, then, at £12? ..103.

-John, we're up. This is your lot number.

-Right.

Lot number 55 is the walnut-cased Anglo-American drop-dial wall clock.

Lot 55.

Numerous commission bids here start me straight in at...£230.

Wow! It's sold, Philip! At least it's not going home in the car.

£240, is there anywhere?

At £230? Are we all done at 230?

Well done, John. It was short and sweet. Painless - at least it sold.

-It's gone. That's the main thing.

-It's bang on what you said, Philip, between 200 and 300.

-I'm delighted.

-Well done, John.

-Well done.

-You can plan a holiday now.

-If anyone asks me about the money... I'll put it with the rest!

-Exactly!

Can you lend ME some?

There was a bid left with the auctioneer, but no interest in the room. But £230 was OK.

Can Ray's Llanelli bowl do as well as his vase?

OK, next one. I love this piece.

With the rose here, lot 441. Again, commission bids start me in at £60.

-65...70.

-Good.

75...80. At £80, the bid's back with me at 80. Are we all done at £80?

-Excellent.

-I'm delighted about that.

-Yeah? Happy?

-Absolutely. Absolutely.

-I should have brought some more!

-Have you got more?

-I might have some.

Go and root around more drawers.

I might use a bit of this money to go round and see if I can get another one for £1, like that Ewenny.

-That was fantastic.

-That WAS a buy!

-Tremendous condition.

-A good return.

-It was, and I'm very grateful to you for spotting it.

-It's a pleasure.

Ray's going straight back to the car boot sale to look for more bargains!

Now, John's music box. Even though it doesn't work, he's hopeful.

Your second lot's coming up, John - a couple of lots away. Why did you never get the music box fixed?

A few teeth missing, it's going to be undervalued.

Yeah, but you think, "Keep it, keep it, and the value will improve." We just waited.

Lot number 90 is the 19th century cylinder music box, rosewood lid.

£200 I have to start. £200. And 10, is there anywhere? At £200.

And 10. 220. 230. 240.

-And 250...

-It's reached our reserve.

Seated in front at 250. 260. 270. 280.

290. 300. And 20. At 320. Seated in front at 320.

At £320. Are we all done, then, at 320?

Well done, mate! Well done, Philip.

If Philip...sorry, John, had got the music box fixed,

-how much would it have cost to repair?

-I don't know.

As you know, Paul, people like to restore things. I'm a great believer in leaving things as they are.

-As soon as people see things that have been tampered with...

-They look for other things.

-Yeah.

-And it isn't the best example in the world, but it's honest.

-It's honest.

We've had a great morning so far, with contented customers.

Soon we'll return to the valuation room to see what else we can find.

Cardiff is the capital, but in Wales you're never far from the country.

Welcome to the Gower Peninsula, south-west Wales.

This farmhouse, built in 1610, was painted red to repel evil spirits.

This cottage was built around 150 years later, of mud and clay, and we're in Carmarthenshire.

Just a few steps further on, and I'm 100 miles away in Gwynedd.

I'm outside a farm worker's cottage. This cottage was built circa 1760.

The only place you can see such a diverse variety of Welsh houses and other buildings

is here at the Museum of Welsh Life on the outskirts of Cardiff.

Properties from all over Wales have been moved here stone by stone.

Just look at this fantastic shop behind me.

It was built around the 1920s in Bridgend, to immaculate standards.

This museum shows us just how the people of Wales have lived

for the last 500 years,

from the hill farms of the north to the industrial valleys of the south.

The museum also has a collection of everyday objects

relating to Welsh life and folk art.

I'm here to meet Emma, who's brought in some spoons from the museum.

-These love spoons are gorgeous.

-Yes, we have about 200 in the collection.

-That's a big collection.

-Love spoon tradition goes back centuries.

The object would be the local carver would hope to acquire the affections of a young lady.

-This at least got her attention.

-Aw! Whittle away for their loved ones.

-They're made of fruitwood and sycamore?

-Different woods were used.

Sycamore, lime, apple, pear - woods which withstood elaborate carving.

-They're carved from one piece of wood.

-Yes.

The two on the end have larger, wider handles,

which gives the carver more of a chance to show off his skills.

You can see the traditional symbols on these - the comma shape, the sign of the soul, and hearts.

This is gorgeous, with a little ball inside. What's the theory there?

Perhaps the carver thought that this would indicate how many children the pair would have.

-Are there any dated?

-We've got the oldest known dated spoon, and that's from 1667.

A 17th-century spoon. Is it popular today? Are people still carving?

There was a love-spoon revival in the last decades of the 20th century.

A lot of them come into the museum to the display of spoons, and people buy them for wedding presents.

I'd love to have a go at one. I'd love to have the time, but it wouldn't look like that!

Back in the valuation room, Kate and Philip have been working hard,

trying to find things for the sale.

-William Allen - who's he?

-My father.

-This was his Sunday school writing box?

-Er...

-something like that, yes.

-It's lovely. If we turn it over, it has the lovely, original colour.

-Yes. Unfortunately, the original... you're right.

-Absolutely lovely.

-But...

-The bottles are missing.

-They are. But what's happened here?

-In my foolish youth...

-We've all had one!

-I've had two or three of them!

It started flaking away and getting worn with the sun being on it,

so I thought, "I know what I'll do! I'll skim it down and bring the colour back."

Bring the walnut back. But of course, in a sense, it proved the reverse.

Absolutely right. It looks like it's been completely cleaned off.

-It's really taken the value off it.

-Yeah.

-That now is worth £20 or £40.

With its rich, toffee-coloured walnut we can see on the inside...

-It doesn't look like walnut.

-No. ..It might have been £100.

-We know better now, don't we?

-Yes. I've ceased being irresponsible.

-Lock the sandpaper away! Thank you.

-Thank you.

This is an interesting thing.

It reminds me of one I've seen recently in a saleroom.

It's what we call penwork decoration,

on a collector's cabinet. Can you tell me about it?

I'm 50 now and I had it when I was a child. My brother had it before me.

He used to keep birds' eggs in it. I kept my Dinky toys in it. My father had it before.

-It's been in the family quite a long time?

-Yes.

-Right.

Do you know where it's come from?

My father belonged to a removal firm in Axminster in Devon.

We wonder whether it came from a house clearance, say, 100 years ago.

We don't know. That's what we wanted to find out - how old it was, really.

-I would put it at late Georgian in date.

-Late Georgian?

-The latter half of the 18th century.

-Oh!

And if we look at its construction,

we've got dovetails here on the top and bottom. If we open it up,

and look at the interior drawers and pigeon holes, we've got quite a crude construction here.

The pine backs are wedged onto each other. It simulates ivory and ebony.

But it is actually just painted. This red paint inside is original, and it simulates Japanese lacquer.

-Right.

-Or cinnabar, if you like.

-It's just a sort of cheaper version.

-Right.

-It's a lovely thing.

-My wife hates it!

-Do you?

-I've never liked it.

-It just doesn't appeal to me, but that's my opinion.

-Is it the decoration?

-Just in general.

It doesn't appeal, no.

I do notice we've got a little repair to the front leg.

I think the back has been replaced. Did you know that had been restored?

-Yeah, we had that restored by Brecon Museum.

-Right.

They do all the restoration work for Brecon Museum.

They did this for me, not so long back - maybe a year ago.

-Have you ever had it valued?

-Yes, many years ago, about four years ago.

-Some guy came to the Castle Hotel in Brecon, one of those one-day things.

-Right.

-He wasn't sure where it was made, but he valued it about £400.

-I see.

£400 to £600 would be a realistic auction estimate.

And who knows - if two collectors fall in love with it, it could make a bit more.

Are you happy to let us flog it?

-Yes, why not?

-What would you do with the money if it sold well?

You'd probably go on holiday. He would, yeah.

-Sounds good to me.

-Off to America, maybe.

-Great.

-This is lovely. Where did you get it from?

-My father bought it,

-a few years ago. I don't really know anything else.

-How much did he pay?

I haven't got a clue. Unfortunately he's passed away now.

I'll be careful with this leather. I won't open that side.

-But here, we can see a maker's stamp just there...

-Yes.

-..which is Edwards of London.

I'm not sure, but there was a really good quality firm of cabinet makers called Edwards and Roberts,

and Edwards may have been part of the Edwards of Edwards and Roberts.

They were top quality.

Edwards and Roberts you associate with furniture that was made, perhaps, 1880-1890.

This is a lot earlier than that. It might be a pre-runner of that firm.

We've got some wonderful little bottles here, hallmarked silver.

The date looks as though it's mid-1830s, so an inkwell there.

Here, we've got another little bottle. It's all fully hallmarked,

which is lovely. We'll leave that there for a moment.

What's interesting is if we pull that there,

in here, if I can find it...

There we are. ..Is a secret drawer.

So we can lie that there.

And we've got these wonderful little drawers.

-Beautifully made, aren't they?

-Yes.

-Look at these dovetails here.

And just the way it's all made.

-And that wonderful little ebony knob on there.

-Yes.

-Isn't it beautiful?

Let's put it all back together again.

Now, when we shut this up...

I'm hoping that we've got this lovely original rosewood colour.

And that will just make it into a lovely, lovely box. Over we go.

Lo and behold, there we are - a lovely rosewood writing box,

about 1835-ish.

Brass inlay here, brass corners.

And if you look here,

just look at the way those carrying handles are just let in.

-Smooth.

-Isn't that just wonderful quality?

I think that will make between £200 and £300,

and we can put it into an auction for you with a reserve of £200,

-and I think that will do well. It's lovely. It really is.

-We'll find it a nice home.

-Yes.

-This is quite nice, the scratch-mark detail.

-Yes, lovely.

-The quality is just so...

-Superb, isn't it?

It would be nice to see these put into an auction.

Whether or not this is the right auction is another thing.

I haven't looked at the stick stand properly.

This is such a stylish suite of furniture,

we need to spend a little more time than usual examining it. Three heads are better than one!

I've been chatting to my colleagues about your pieces. It's a super set.

A pair of chairs and a matching stick stand, all marked with the registration mark for 1883,

typical of the Aesthetic movement from 1880 to 1900.

It's solid oak, with lovely quality brass mounts.

It would be interesting to do more research to attribute it to a maker.

It came from a house clearance. What did you pay?

Well, someone was selling off a load of gear, and I went down to advise on a couple of things, as we collect,

-and I was sold it for £600.

-The lot?

-For the set, yeah.

-I think you've done extremely well.

At auction you would be looking at £1,500 to £2,000, possibly more.

But I would say to you that it needs to be marketed across the country.

A lot of London buyers would be interested. So I'd say it's not right to put it in a general sale.

It needs marketing at the right level.

And that's good advice.

In addition to the rosewood writing slope, Louise brought another item.

This is a chrystoleum, and it's basically a printing process

and we've got that convex piece of glass in there.

And they are becoming more and more collectable.

A lot were made in pairs, but you often see singles - as it's glass, they get broken. Is that...?

Exactly what happened! Yes, when we were sorting things in the garage, one was broken, unfortunately.

I don't know why they get broken. You see a lot of watercolours with flat glass that doesn't get broken,

-but these tend to.

-Yes.

-Particularly in the corners, here.

I think other pictures had gone against it and it had not been packed well, not well stored.

-A good tip - pack things properly.

-Plenty of newspaper.

As I said, they're becoming collectable, but I think that, at auction, will make £30 to £50.

I think you're likely to put a reserve on it, between £25 and £30.

-And I think, again, that will sell in a sale. Would you like to put both of these in?

-Yes.

-Where did it all come from?

-From my grandmother. We've sort of inherited a lot of things.

-She had a good eye.

-We're a big family of hoarders.

-Hoarders?

-Hoarders, yes.

We have an attic full of all sorts of things like this.

-It's a good pension fund!

-I suppose!

-..Do YOU enjoy this?

-Yeah.

-Which do you like better out of these two?

-That one.

Why do you like that one?

-Cos it has secret drawers.

-Cos it has secret drawers? You like secrets? Sounds good enough to me.

As well as his furniture, Roger has something else he's showing Kate.

-Now, this book - did this come from the same house?

-No, from a friend.

He collects too, and he showed it me,

and I said I'd like to buy it if ever he parted with it. Years later, he sold it.

-What did you pay?

-I think it was in the region of £50.

-Right.

Again, I think you did very well.

Look at the tooled gilt lettering...

"David Williams, coach builder and wheelwright, West Place, Pontypool."

So we're fairly local. And if we look inside,

we've got a large number of plates, monochrome printed, with coach and wagon designs.

All the plates, really, are quite clean...

and seem to be intact. The pages are numbered, none seem to be missing.

I think this would appeal to a number of collectors -

specialist book collectors, people interested in early transport,

and in local history. It has a lot going for it.

I can see it making between £150 and £200 at auction,

and if you're happy to let us try and flog it for you,

-we can give it an estimate in that region.

-Fine.

-In a local auction.

-How did you come by this?

-It was a car boot sale, about 8-10 years ago.

-What did you pay?

-About £50-odd.

-Will you take 60?

-No!

-A good judge.

It's an Admiral Fitzroy's barometer, and you don't need to be a genius to work that out - it says it!

It's a good clue!

And Admiral Fitzroy barometers are typified by this long, glass case,

this printed paper behind, giving us all the details of how this works,

and this is rather a nice, stylish oak case.

I would think about 1890.

This one's unusual, because it has a clock in the architectural frieze.

You must always keep a barometer upright, because if you tip it over, you have problems with the mercury.

When I was at school, we spilt mercury in the chemistry labs.

Now, we realise mercury is a highly dangerous, poisonous substance,

so if you do ever break a barometer

you've got to be really careful.

But it's a nice thing, this, isn't it?

On the back here, we've got instructions for use.

I think you go to some very good car boot sales.

I think this will make between £200 and £300 at auction.

I think we ought to put a reserve on it of £150-£200.

I'm confident that will sell well.

-Would you like to put it in a sale?

-Yes. I hope it goes to a good home.

Now, we've nearly finished for the day.

Kate spent a lot of time looking at Roger's things, but hasn't finished.

I know you'd packed everything and were just leaving,

and I spotted you with the teapot. Thank you very much for coming back

-to show it to us.

-It's OK.

It's a lovely first period Worcester porcelain teapot in good condition.

We've got Imari-style painted decoration all over.

It has a lovely flower finial, and this is the only damage I can see -

it has been chipped badly, but the finials are vulnerable.

It's got a fretted square mark on the base,

which tells us it dates from about 1770 to 1780.

Where did you come by it?

A friend notified me about someone who had just moved and taken everything they needed,

and had some stuff they didn't wish to take, and would I like to buy it?

-And this was one of the items.

-Dare I ask how much you paid for it?

It was in a job lot, actually. I had quite a few carfuls for about £125.

Right. Well, I think you've done very well, because I would think, at auction,

this ought to make between £300 and £400.

-Would you be happy to let us flog it for you?

-Certainly.

-Great.

It's supposed to be a beautiful pourer, apparently. The spout doesn't drip or anything.

-Not that it's been used!

-I'm glad to hear it!

-Yeah.

I'm very passionate and obsessive about 18th-century Welsh oak, and go to great lengths to find it.

I'm here to meet somebody whose passion goes even deeper!

-Christian!

-Hi.

-It's Paul. How do you do?

-Not bad.

-Do you mind me asking what you're digging for?

-Old Victorian bottles.

-Basically, this was an old rubbish dump, a Victorian rubbish dump.

-An infill site?

-Yeah.

And they'd go round the streets with a horse and cart, put the rubbish on,

and it would be dumped here - there was no houses then.

-So this is not your house?

-No.

-So you've had to ask permission?

-Yeah.

I asked permission to do this one and a couple of the others in the street.

-How long have you been doing this?

-21 years.

-It keeps you fit!

-Very!

-So what have you found here?

-That's an old ginger beer bottle.

-Lovely.

-Lovely glaze on that.

-Yeah. That's a Penarth one.

-How long has this taken?

-Three or four days' hard graft.

-How many bottles do you expect to find?

-About 100 or 200, but only about 10 or 12 good ones.

-Quality ones like this?

-Yeah, and lids and stuff.

-It's labour-intensive, isn't it?

-It's very hard work.

-What value would that ginger beer bottle be?

-£15-£20.

-What about breakages?

-I've been doing it so long now, I'm careful with the fork.

-So I don't break many. I have broken one or two...

-Valuable ones, I bet!

-One WAS very valuable!

20 years of digging and collecting means Christian has a wonderful array of ginger beer bottles.

And every single one is perfect!

-Christian, I can't believe it. Your house is full of hundreds of ginger beer bottles.

-Yes.

-All Welsh!

-Yes!

What's the rarest one up here?

-They're all rare, really, but the valuable ones are the blue tops.

-You have one unopened?

Yes, there's one here. I'll grab that now - it's that one.

Full contents.

-That's a Paul Bristol - that's the potter - and it's a Barry Mineral Water Works & Co.

-That's amazing.

It's still full of ginger!

-That's quite a rare one. I got it from a pub in Barry. I think they had it from a cellar...

-Right.

They were in a crate, so they weren't opened, which is unusual.

-The condition is amazing. They've all been dug up by you.

-Yes.

I soak them in acid to get the rust, cos there's a lot of rust on them.

-Acid...

-Outside in the garden?

-Yeah.

Then I put them in bicarbonate of soda to neutralise the acid.

-So many ginger beer bottles in Wales! Do you like ginger beer?

-Not bad. A bit peppery.

-I can't stand it!

-It's not my tipple.

-That's right.

-Is this the complete set?

-No. At the moment I've got about 440...

-Different bottles?

All different.

And there's about 1,200 to get.

-So there's plenty of digging yet!

-Yeah, a lot!

Christian's limited his collecting to just Welsh ginger beer bottles,

but many others are collectable.

There's more information on our website -

Well, the valuation day is over.

The people of Cardiff have heard all about their antiques and chosen objects for auction.

Kate likes David's penwork chest.

She's valued it at £400 to £600. I'm not convinced.

I think it's the sort of thing that a private collector would go for.

It's a nice, period, Regency piece.

And penwork is very decorative, and with the Japanese influence

I think it had an awful lot going for it.

Louise and her family want to sell her father's rosewood writing slope.

It might exceed Philip's estimate. It was his favourite object today.

It was really put together well.

The brass inlay looked good, the silver mounted bottles, the secret drawer. I think that will do well.

The chrystoleum picture is half of a pair. One got broken.

Louise wants to sell this one now.

It's not worth a fortune. Philip thinks they're becoming popular.

They're quite fashionable and quite twee in the scenes they depict.

I don't think it'll pose a problem.

Roger's taking Kate's advice and is holding on to the hall furniture.

But he IS going to sell the book of coach designs from a different age.

Paul bought his barometer at a car boot sale nearly ten years ago.

-He's keen to sell.

-I paid about £50.

-£50?

-Mm.

-Will you take £60?

-No.

-No? Ah!

He's keen, not desperate, Philip! Because it's got Admiral Fitzroy's name on it, it should do well.

With the oak case, it'll do well.

And Roger's investment in boxes full of stuff from a friend has paid off. Kate valued his Imari-style teapot

at £300-£400, and at that price,

he's decided to flog it.

In a few minutes, auctioneer Ryan Beech's gavel will be coming down on our owners' lots.

What does he think of Kate and Philip's estimates?

David's lovely decorated chest. Kate's valued this at £400 to £600.

-I can't see that getting more than £180.

-I have to agree.

-It's tatty.

-The decoration on the front is attractive, but it's too bright inside.

-It's not early at all.

-It's a sort of mid-19th-century thing.

-Absolutely.

A lot of wear to the top, the lovely cornucopia.

A decorative object, but optimistic at £400 to £600.

David, I don't think it's going to make it. I hope it does, but I can't see it.

But Philip had his eye on this.

-He ran over and caressed this! It is fantastic quality.

-Gorgeous.

Solid rosewood, brass stringing, brass corners,

and these lovely silver inkwells.

-This one's for sand.

-Yes, for blotting and cleaning nibs.

Maker's label here and there's another one on the other side.

-Quality piece.

-I don't know why Louise doesn't want to hand it down. Philip has put £200 to £400 on this.

-I can see it making that and a bit more.

-I hope it does.

Good quality lock - all little signs of quality.

-A lovely piece.

-Louise also brought this. It has convex glass on it.

It's a chrystoleum, a reverse-painted print.

They'd lay the print on the back of the glass, then highlight it with blocks of colour.

-Decorative print.

-Philip said £30 to £40.

-It should do that and more.

-I agree.

It's got all the right mediums - child there, good subject matter.

-Good decorative piece.

-Louise will be happy.

The auction is in full swing now,

and soon our lots will come under the spotlight.

This part is nerve-wracking if you're here to sell.

Louise, who have you brought along?

-My son, Lloyd.

-Get him interested.

-Yes. He likes collecting things.

-How are you feeling today?

-Um... apprehensive.

-A bit nervous?

-Yes. But also excited.

Are Philip and Kate still confident about those predictions?

OK, experts. I think you'll both be on winners today. Any apprehension?

-What's gonna fly, what's gonna die? Kate?

-The penwork box should do well. It's a lovely, original thing.

Beautiful decoration, and just what a collector might go for.

I'm a bit concerned about the coach designs book. Lovely lithographs, but not many books here today.

-I'm hoping that people have sourced that on the internet.

-Illustration experts might love it. Philip?

I really like the rosewood writing slope. It's a quality item, and quality should always add.

And 10...

I'm not as sure as Kate about the penwork chest. We'll soon find out.

But David, the owner, is missing.

Kate, we're only a couple away now.

-I think David's lost in traffic. He said he would be here.

-I know.

-He hasn't shown yet.

-It's a shame.

-Of all the items here...

-This could be the sleeper?

-It has the best chance of flying.

-You're confident!

-You're grinning!

-It's a conservative estimate. It could do better.

Lot 175 is the 19th-century tabletop chest of drawers, the penwork one.

Commission bids start me at £400.

400 I have. And 420. On my right at 420.

-The decoration is...

-It's very pretty, isn't it? Very ornate.

And 20. 540.

560.

Yes? 580. 600...

-Yeah, look - it's flying away!

-That's good.

-It's great. Well done.

I wish David was here to see this.

At £700. Am I right at £700? 720. With the hammer at 720. 740? 740.

At 740. On my right at 740? Are we all done, then, at 740?

-£740!

-It's great.

-It's unbelievable.

I hoped it would exceed the estimate. I think it's a good price.

-I wish David had been here to see it.

-He'll get the cheque, though!

-David, we've been talking about you in your absence.

-Yeah?

You were over there and saw it all!

-How do you feel?

-Quite delighted. When it started to go up, I thought, "Oh, dear!" I'm very, very pleased.

Can't fault it, you know? What can I say?

-Kate was spot on, wasn't she?

-She was. She's very good.

She was a bit low, I think!

That encourages them!

..Are we all done at 22? 60? 60. Fresh bidding. At 38...

-Paul, you brought in this Admiral Fitzroy barometer.

-Yeah.

-You bought it in a car boot sale?

-Yeah, about ten years ago, for £50.

-Something like that. Those days!

-Yeah. Has it been on the wall?

-Yeah, in three different properties over the years now.

-That's nice.

-So it's just time to go?

-It's had its time. I have to pay my speeding fines!

-I was gonna ask what you were gonna do with the money!

-Speeding fines!

-Paul, what have you been driving to get these speeding fines?

-It was a joke! Don't take it too seriously!

-I thought you had a Ferrari at home or something!

-Fireball XL5!

The police are looking for me now! Calm down! We're looking at property in Italy, so this'll go on flights.

-Nice one.

-That IS the truth.

Lot number 219 is the Admiral Fitzroy's barometer with oak case.

Crossing bids start me straight in at £220.

220 I have to start. At 230. On my right at 230. At 240.

That's good. It's climbing.

270. At 270. On my right at 280.

Fresh bidding. 290. 300. 310.

-That's got you to Italy!

-I've got some spare cash. I'll buy you a pint.

-You can take me with you!

-Calm down!

Are we all done at 350? Thank you.

-350. That's excellent.

-Very good, yes.

-Are you happy with that?

-No, I'm very sad. I wanted at least £1,000(!)

-That's very good indeed.

-Thanks very much.

-No, thank YOU!

-Thanks.

-Send me a postcard!

-Right!

£40...

-Roger, this lovely little teapot you bought from somebody that was moving house.

-Yes.

-How much did you pay for it?

-Well, it came in a job lot. It was not sold separately.

-Why do you want to sell it?

-I've come to a turning point in my life, and I decided...

-To drink more coffee(?)

-Yeah! I AM a coffee drinker!

I think they might have a few bids left on this, Kate.

-Lot 391 is an 18th-century Worcester teapot.

-Here we go, Roger.

Commission bids start me in at £250.

-Well...

-Sold.

-It's sold.

On my right at 260. The gentleman standing on my right at £260.

At £260. Are we all done, then, at 260?

That's cheap. Someone got a very good deal.

-Mind you, it sold, Roger, so it's OK.

-It's fine.

-You're not disappointed?

-No. Just one of many.

-It's one out of a collection.

-Maybe the damage put people off.

-Possibly.

-Oh, well, it's not all bad news.

-No, that's fine.

Disappointing, but Roger's still got the book of coach designs to come.

Can we do better for Louise with her writing slope?

This is cheap. The reserve on this, £200, is a joke.

-It IS cheap.

-I hope it goes to a good home, where it's appreciated.

-Yeah.

-Trouble is, they're not commercial...

-This is it.

Lot number 115

is the Victorian rosewood-cased and brass-bound laptop desk...

-Good luck.

-Here we go.

Numerous commission bids here start me straight in at £320.

-Brilliant! Brilliant!

-What?

-It starts at £320. So it can only get more.

-Why?

-Cos somebody's left a bid of £320.

-Oh, I see! Right.

£320. 340. 360.

380? 380.

400. 420. 440.

-460. 480.

-This is excellent.

-Yes? 500...

-It's a telephone bid.

Someone's bidding against a bid left with the auctioneer.

At 550. On the telephone at 550. At £550.

Are we all done, then, at 550?

Ooh, brilliant! That's great! That was marvellous.

-You did well...

-When you see them for five minutes on the valuation day,

-you never really get the time to research them.

-You're on the spot.

-You hope the auction house do their business.

-Yeah.

-I'm pleased.

-And that the right person's there to buy it.

-Like today.

-On the telephone! They DID like it.

-Very much so.

-Roger, the teapot wasn't bad.

-No, it was OK.

-The book might do better.

-We'll see.

-The technical illustration is superb.

-You don't find that today. It's all computerised. Wonderful graphics.

-Yes. Quite early, is it?

-Yeah. Kate?

I would say so. We've got at least 40 to 50 plates in there, a whole variety of carts.

It's a lovely historical piece.

As you say, the place in Pontypool is now demolished, where the wheelwright was.

-So it's a lovely piece of history.

-Yes. There are nice sepia ones, too, some red and green.

-Right.

-You're looking very smart.

-Thanks.

-What do you do for a living?

-Till last week, I sold furniture, retail.

-What are you this week?

-Unemployed.

-Oh, dear! So this money will come in handy.

-Yes.

Lot 592. David Williams, a design print book, depicting carriages.

Lot 592. A multitude of commissions, once again. Lot 592.

Takes me straight in at...£200. £200 I have to start.

£200. At £200. And 10, is there anywhere? At £200.

210. 220. 230 on the telephone. Takes me out at 230. At £230,

on the telephone. 240. 250.

260. 270. 280.

290. 300...

290. This is unbelievable.

310. On the telephone at £310.

At £310. On the telephone at 310. Are we all out in the room, at 310?

-Fantastic!

-Fabulous.

-That's great. That's exactly what I'd hoped for.

Somebody's picked it up, probably on the internet, and they're bidding.

Shows the power of the internet when buying antiques now. You can look at the web, buy over the phone.

-Are you pleased?

-Very pleased, yeah.

That's better. Let's see if we can do as well for Louise.

-Now, your chrystoleum picture. We hope to get you more money.

-Yeah.

-One of a pair, wasn't it?

-It was. One got smashed.

-Was it you?

-No, no.

It was the people that moved all the furniture and boxes for my mother.

-Has it been on the wall?

-No, not as far as I know.

-Just in drawers?

-Just in boxes.

-Did you actually like it?

-Not particularly.

-Not so nervous on this one, are you?

-No...

-Second time round.

-Yes!

-A bit of an old pro!

Lot number 242 is the chrystoleum of a young boy playing the piano.

Numerous commission bids here, again, start me straight in at...

..£85.

-What?!

-Away it races!

95. Back with me at £95.

I might like it now!

-No, you can't have it back!

-How much? £95?

-Well done.

-That's a cracking price.

-That's a surprise.

-A big surprise.

But I went to an antiques fair about three weeks ago, and I saw a dealer who only dealt in chrystoleums,

all in the low three-figure bracket, and they become more collectable.

What a nice surprise, and everything has sold. So our owners are happy.

The auctioneer and I were both fooled by the penwork chest.

It topped Kate's estimate at £740.

Quite delighted! When it started to go up, I thought, "Oh, dear!"

I'm very pleased. Can't fault it.

The Llanelli bowl got Ray £80, and the Ewenny vase, which he bought for just a quid, sold for £110.

Oh, very good, very good. £110, when I paid a pound for it.

Tremendous return. Very grateful.

Louise's writing slope was popular.

Bidders had to compete with others on the phone as they pushed the price up to £550.

The picture nearly doubled Philip's top estimate, at £95.

The chrystoleum - that's really stunned me.

I didn't expect that would get anywhere near £20, let alone £95!

The whole thing's winding down now.

Our owners, bar one, have had a brilliant day. I liked the miniature penwork chest - £740.

See you again soon.

Quite delighted! When it started to go up, I thought, "Oh, dear!"

-I'm delighted about that.

-You're delighted?

-Absolutely.

I'd have to phone my nan first...

If you've got things to sell, look out for future valuation days.

Write to us, or find details on our website -