Hove Flog It!

Welcome to Flog It! Today we're in Sussex.

If you're looking for a few thrills, an auction house is a great place.

Especially if it's YOUR antiques that are going under the hammer.

We're inviting people to bring along forgotten treasures for valuation by our experts.

A few will be chosen to go to auction and hopefully make money for their owners.

But can our experts pick a winner?

Yet again, he's putting his head on the line.

?35...?40... I am so shocked!

?26...?28...

There you go. Champagne and sea bass tonight. I'm quite impressed.

?50...?60...?70 anyone?

It was going to be given to the Scouts. ?65 at the back of the room.

There's a lot of money riding on this, isn't there?

Today, we're in Hove - renowned for its Regency buildings.

It was once the playground of the Prince Regent, George IV.

The sun doesn't always shine.

This hasn't stopped hundreds of people turning up with their antiques.

Before our experts take a look, I'm going to have a rummage.

Peg Woffington. That's the old tearooms.

The big ones are based on a gang of ladies that used to meet for a gossip in Moscow tea houses.

A good chinwag. The 1900s or something.

That's lovely, isn't it? A lovely little silhouette.

This is the provenance, is it?

He was given things from the various residences. One was at Brighton.

Staking his reputation today is David Barby, who has a passion for pottery.

This is an exciting venue. I should have gone to the sea this morning to blow the cobwebs away.

Also sticking his neck out - James Braxton. I hope to find something to do with Brighton Pavilion.

The Prince Regent - famous resident of Brighton. Some turned woodware.

It's our experts' reputations at stake.

First up, it's Mrs Thomsett. With something to keep David in line.

Can you tell me where you got these from? Are they family heirlooms?

They're pieces from my mother's house. She died a few years ago.

I didn't get an awful lot

but I got these. How did your mother acquire them?

She probably bought them at auction. She was a dealer. She had a very good eye. Yes.

So where does the truncheon come from? She bought two.

I'd imagine they came in a job lot at an auction room or at a boot fair.

You didn't have an ancestor in the Metropolitan Police? No, no.

This is the Metropolitan, I'd assume, because of the portcullis.

This is early 19th century. Good painted decoration.

It's worn at the handle and the top. It's been used.

It's a good collector's piece. What do you do with it now?

I attached this to it and hang it by my front door. That's not original. No.

You hang it by your front door for ornament? No, protection. It fulfils its original use.

It's a very nice piece.

If I came into your house, this picture would take my attention immediately.

Is this a family portrait? No, it's not. Does it remind you of anybody?

Is that why you got it? Yes. It looks very like my eldest daughter.

But...when she was a bit younger.

I have a picture by Stephen Ward,

who was caught up in the Profumo scandal, and he used to paint in a very similar manner.

But we've checked this artist - Dorothy King - and the prices vary from ?70 to as much as ?700.

At the top end of the scale, the ?700 was for a nude.

Always very popular. The lower end of the scale was just a watercolour.

This is mixed media - we have watercolour and crayon. It's most striking. Yes.

The difficulty in selling these portraits, is that we don't know who it is.

You look at it just as an attractive girl.

So which of Mrs Thomsett's items will David recommend she sells?

I think you've chosen the truncheon. Have you? Yes.

Why do you say that? I don't know. You said you like it and it's in good condition.

It's the most interesting and the most saleable.

The price I would estimate, to attract attention, is ?80-?90. Really?

Although I think it could do considerably more. And I hope so.

But you have to put a level that will appeal to people at the auction.

They'll say, "We'll go for it." Right. Thanks.

A lovely oil on board. How did you get it?

It was in my father's family. It came down from previous generations.

But it's hung in my father's lounge for as long as I can recall. It dates from mid-19th century.

Probably Romney Marshes. In the foreground,

we've got some ducks and chickens as incidental interest.

The main subject matter is the sheep.

A famous artist of this time was Thomas Sidney Cooper.

Regrettably, it's unsigned. Do you have any idea of its value? None.

Is it given a place of importance in your home? Unfortunately not.

It had pride of place in my parents' home, but we've put it aside.

Where does it languish? In a cupboard. Very much out of sight!

It's a shame.

The varnish is discoloured. It's gone yellow.

There's a lovely blue below there and a nice pink tinge to the clouds.

We're off to Rye with this. It's the perfect place to sell it. Still has a livestock market there.

I think we should estimate ?400-500 on it. Really? ..Excellent.

Let's hope somebody thinks it's a Thomas Sidney Cooper.

Would the sheep have more interest now, because of Foot And Mouth?

Maybe some of our purchasers are a little low in the pocket.

But there'll be lots of other people there. Good.

How long you had this? I bought it at the Brighton Festival last year.

When you have a place like the Pavilion on your doorstep,

it's unbelievable. I never tire of the place. There's always something different to see.

Well, it hasn't taken David long to get onto his favourite subject.

Sue and Chris's ceramic is a Troika vase. This is definitive '60s, '70s pottery.

Where did you get this? A boot fair.

How much did you pay for it? ?2.

?2! Did you pick it out? We both did. It was a small boot fair. We liked the colour.

The colour is important, but the shape and the structure is so good.

If I tear this bit of felt off the bottom...very carefully.

There we are. Troika, Cornwall, England.

In fact, St Ives. Yes. Now, this piece is not old.

It was made late '60s, early '70s.

The factory was established by Benny Sirota and also Lesley Ilsley.

They were modellers.

Bought a factory that had been in St Ives making door plates and names for sticking on nursery doors.

They took over that and they started designing.

Their design was influenced by established artists at that time,

in particular, Ben Nicholson.

Ben Nicholson created images using rectangulars and squares interlaced.

What I do like about it, is the surface texture.

It reminds me of the rocks of Cornwall. Think of those jagged rocks at Land's End.

Over here, we have this archway, which resembles the doorway to one of those tin mines.

At ?2, that's ridiculous!

Because I reckon at auction that's going to go for ?120-?150. That's good, isn't it?

At Leamington Spa, a few months ago, we sold a larger one for ?180.

It might even reach that. This is the pottery to start collecting now. Definitive late-20th century.

We've looked up the mark. Flaxman Ware by Wade Heath. It says 1936 onwards.

Lovely. I think that goes nicely with the item.

The lovely thing about it is the strong, Art Deco shape.

It caught my eye. This was the age of speed - the motor car,

the ocean liner. It's just a lovely shape.

Where did you buy it from?

I actually got it at a jumble sale. For ?1.

Not a whole pound! Yes. That's very good.

But the more I look... Yeah. The chip.

We've got a little chip, here. We've got some crazing.

The water's been in the jug for a long time. Is it due to age, or...?

The pottery body contracting, the glaze has split and discoloured.

Do you still want to sell it? I think so. My mum had her eye on it.

Tell her to come along to the auction. She liked the look of it.

But, yeah, I'll go for it. Good.

I think we shall put an auction estimate on it of ?40-?50.

So there should be a goodly profit in it for you. A good buy, then.

We've seen some interesting valuations. Let's see what's going to auction.

The Troika vase made its way into Chris Sykes' possession for just ?2.

Troika is all the rage, so it should make a lot of money.

Graham Gregory's unsigned oil on board was collecting dust.

Maybe he'll collect a fat auction cheque.

Since we acquired it, it's been put aside.

Mrs Thomsett's truncheon got the ball rolling. Would she use it?

..For protection. I live on my own. How sensible.

Ali Gidding's Art Deco jug cost just ?1.

She can't lose - unless her mum gets her hands on it.

Yeah. Good buy, then.

We are at the Rye Auction Galleries,

where our owners are hoping their lots will make the estimates.

The local trade are in early, giving our items the once over.

Auctioneer Andrew Payne will be in charge.

He'll tell us what he thinks of David and James's valuations.

Graham has brought this oil on board in. James has valued this at ?400-?500.

Yes. It's possibly a... Continental artist.

Although it's not signed and not dated,

the subject's good, although the detail's not perfect.

Could do with a clean. I think there's a lot of interest.

And I think ?300-?500 is a fair estimate for it. OK.

Mrs Thomsett obviously has no need for her truncheon any more.

David's valued this at ?100.

Yes... Difficult, isn't it? It is. Unless you've sold one,

you can't give a good estimate for it.

It's one of those items which sometimes surprise you. ?80-?100 it may well do.

?30-?50 I would have put on it myself. Yeah. But let's hope it goes well.

The auction is about to start. Let's see how some of our owners are feeling.

Hi, Mrs Thomsett. You got here early. Yes.

You got the best chair. Yes. How are you feeling? Fine.

Happy? Excited? Yes.

You'd like to see the truncheon go? It keeps moving around here.

Somebody just said, "It's on patrol."

Have you ever hit anyone with it? No. No. Very nearly, once!

Ali, are you excited? Yes, very much so.

Excited to be getting rid of your jug. You don't like it, do you? No.

It doesn't do much for me, either. No. Is there much Art Deco in your house? No.

I knew it was Art Deco when I saw it. I thought it might be worth something.

Have you had it long? No, I got it at a jumble sale.

I thought I'd see if it was worth anything, so I brought it here today.

Well, you never know. No. It was valued at... ?40-?50.

Yeah. It's got a chip on it, so it might not do very well.

Still, good investment. What will you put the money towards? Dunno.

A few drinks, go out for a meal. If I'm honest! Good luck.

Auctions aren't just about buying and selling.

They're about the sights, smells, sounds...the whole atmosphere.

If you haven't been before, why not check out our beginner's guide?

Hello, Graham and Hilary. Hi. Why are you selling the oil on board?

It's been handed down in the family and we've just had it in a cupboard for two or three years.

Not on the wall? We've got nowhere to put it, and decided we'd get rid of it.

It's been varnished and varnished and needs restoration.

It's a good job that it's an oil on board because it's a lot more hardy than canvas.

If it's been neglected, it might get more damaged. Yes.

James has put ?500-?700 on it, which is quite an ambiguous amount.

Sure. But we have had a lot of interest.

What will you spend the money on? We need an occasional table.

I was hoping there might be one in the sale today. There isn't. There's a lovely work table.

I've got my eye on it. I've not seen that. I'll show you later.

After I've bought it!

Good luck. OK.

The auction's about to begin. Will Mrs Thomsett's truncheon be a hit?

Feeling nervous?

Yes, very.

What do you think? We should get the figure there? Yes.

It's a good collector's item. I've been in some homes with as many as 20 on the wall.

If you've got a few, they look better than just the one.

It's hard to nail a value. He hasn't done us a big favour - it's in the catalogue as Victorian.

Yes, and it's got "GR" on the truncheon.

Victorian decorated wooden truncheon.

I can think of a few things that could be used for.

Especially with the staff.

Get the staff moving - that's what I meant.

379...

There we are. Who's going to bid ?80 for it?

Interesting truncheon. At ?40 we start. ?40...

?45...?50...?55...?60 anybody?

At ?55...?60...?65...

?70...?75... At ?75...?85? No?

?80? At ?80. Push, push - yes.

?85...?90? ?90...?95? No?

Anyone want to fill it up to ?100? That's good. Yes. Sold at ?95.

Brilliant. Excellent. That's more than you thought? Yes.

More than we thought?

You thought ?80-?100. So we're bang on. Well done! I'm pleased for you. Thank you.

David's valuation was spot on. Will James be as accurate with Ali's jug?

Do you know what Ali's going to do with the money if it sells? What?

She's going for a booze-up. A meal! A good booze-up. Maybe a few drinks. Good.

And if it doesn't sell, she's still going for a few drinks. Why not?

I'll be buying! Have you come here yourself? No, but my boyfriend's hiding. Is he camera-shy? Yes.

I hope he's not putting any bids in. If you go out for a drink, he can drive you back. Yes.

Are you excited? I feel a bit nervous, actually!

It feels a bit daunting. It could be really embarrassing.

It will be for James, if it doesn't sell! Leave the embarrassment to me.

Now then, the Flaxman Ware Wade Heath pottery water jug - 335.

There we are. Typical Art Deco style.

We thought it was a strong shape. They'll either like it or not. Yes.

?20 we start, ?20 I've got. Someone's in.

?35...?40. Can't keep up with you. ?40 on my left.

?45? ?45... Well done.

?50 anybody? ..No more? Sold at ?45.

There you go, Ali. Champagne and sea bass tonight. I'm impressed.

David's valued the Troika vase at ?120-?150. Happy with that? I am.

I'm guided by David. He's a good man. We should know later.

A hardy perennial. Bag of knowledge.

I'm excited. What will you spend the money on?

I know to a man like you, it's a bit of petty cash.

What will you put the money towards? I think we'll go out looking for some more bargains.

If this proves to be a bargain, continue to look for specials. In ceramics?

In most things. But this has now made me want to look further.

It's this new collecting field that I find fascinating.

Sort of post-war era. That is reminiscent of Ben Nicholson's pictures. The St Ives period?

Yes. It's quite exciting.

302, the Cornish mid-1960's Troika ceramic vase.

There we are.

?100 for that?

?50? ?50 I've got. ?50 at the back.

?60...?70...?80... At ?80.

?90...?100... Yeah. ?110...?120?

No? ?120 at the back. No?

?120. It's done it's reserve. It's sold. ..?140.

?150...?160...?170...

I can't believe this. Excellent. ..?180.

Proving very collectable, David. ?190? Sold at ?180. That's good.

Congratulations. Thank you. Well done. ?180.

That's excellent, isn't it? I am so shocked!

A ?2 buy! Just shows how astute you are. Thank you so much.

Not at all. Let's have lunch. We can eat!

Graham, you're looking ice-cool. James is dead scared. I'm nervous.

We don't know how this is going to go. It's going to go well off or stay down there. Oh, well.

It's unsigned and undated, but it's a lovely country scene. The subject matter is so desirable.

Sheep, chicken, ducks, you know. It's whether it's English or Dutch.

There's a famous artist called Albertus Verhoesen it could be.

Right. We originally said it was in the style of Thomas Sidney Cooper. But it looks Dutch. It does.

Why fix the ?400? Do you want to keep it?

It's been in the family. It's an heirloom of sorts.

Yes. That's sensible. So I wouldn't like to just go for a cheap sale.

And, in a way,

it's quite normal auction practice to put a reserve on the lower of the estimate. Yes.

It is uncharted territory on something like this.

Indeed. So you're quite excited as well?

I am indeed!

I've never been to an auction before. Never? No.

I hope you come back and buy things. Yes.

Now, this rather nice Victorian oil painting on board.

We've tried to do a bit of research on it. It's not signed,

but we believe it to be possibly a Continental artist.

We've got bids here and a telephone bid as well, I think.

I'm going to start it at ?380. (?300...!) ?400...

?420...?440...?460...?480...?500...

Quite amazing! Isn't it?

?520...?540 on the phone? It's moving!

?540...?560...?580...?

James, you were so right! ?580 anyone?

At ?560... Sold at ?560.

That's excellent. Excellent. You were spot on the button. He was.

Phew! He's feeling like that as well!

Well done, chaps. You're happy with that? Very.

What will you do with the money? We'll go to some auctions to find an occasional table.

Come and see me in Tunbridge Wells. Yeah. Get down to Brackets!

Back in the valuation room,

there's still time for David and James to find a gem.

Peggy Lawrence is hoping that someone will fall for her plate.

If only we'd had this piece just before Christmas.

This marvellous game platter, or turkey platter, would have sold well.

Not that it won't sell well now,

but that's the time to offer these larger platters.

This is often referred to as dresser china,

because that is where blue and white china ends up on display.

It was made probably in the middle of the 19th century.

This design is the most common design - Willow Pattern.

Next to that was the design called Asiatic Pheasant.

If you dig in the garden, you'll turn up shards of Willow Pattern.

It complies with all the design requirements -

the two lovers turned into birds and the three men chasing them.

Where did you get this from? It was my grandmother's.

She gave it to me to put in a fete for them to throw balls at and break the china. Really?

But I put it up in the loft instead. Even with my eyesight, I could hit that. But would it have broken?

Let's look at the mark.

Warren Heath, Staffordshire. James Meer And Sons.

They have the Greengates Pottery up at Stoke-on-Trent.

Established 1837 and it closed down 1897. This was produced mid-term.

Have you used it? No.

It's doing nothing. I wouldn't get a joint big enough. If we got ?60-?80 for it,

what would you do with the money? I'll buy a premium bond.

I'll put money towards it, then keep my fingers crossed! Will you buy more antiques? No.

It's time for me to get rid of my antiques. I've got other pieces.

My children don't want them. Right. I want rid of everything, now. This is the first step. Yes.

?60-?80 is not a lot of money - we could do more. I think it's interesting.

It's blue transfer - typical product of the Stoke-on-Trent factories.

I like it immensely. I hope other people do at auction! Yes. Thanks.

I hoped to find something to do with the Prince Regent,

and we have. Can you tell me about these silhouettes?

They've come from three royal residences,

one of which was the Royal Pavilion.

They were given to...a relation of ours who was in royal service -

housekeeper to George IV and his family. I see. And I see George IV here.

And Duke of York, Duke of Kent.

The nice thing is that the process was invented by a Monsieur Silhouette,

who was a finance minister to,

I think, Louis XV.

And you've got some lovely items that bind all these together.

You've got an employment contract. You said, "?5 in 1815."

Must have been worth a bit, I should think. A lot of money!

She was obviously a valued member of staff.

You've got a selection of medals.

And this seal... Would that just be a household seal?

I would have thought so. 1815.

So, that would be the Prince Regent. Because his father, George III, was still on the throne.

And a list of all the subjects of the miniatures.

Starting with George IV, Queen Charlotte, Duke of York and so on.

It's a lovely lot.

I notice a difference between the two.

These are done on paper with the rather nice gilded highlights.

These are painted on glass.

This is known as verre eglomise - where you paint on the glass.

It's done in reverse.

They're very pretty. Why have you decided to sell them? We don't want to insure them,

is one of the reasons. We've sold a lot of odd bits that were in the family.

It's such a responsibility. And I'm not fond of silhouettes myself.

I have kept a miniature. Good.

Quite. They lack the colour, don't they? A monochrome medium.

But it's a lovely collection and I'm glad you've brought them.

Have you had them valued before? About three years ago, an antique shop mentioned about ?1,000.

But... Hopefully, I'm going to delight you. We're going to move that estimate up.

I think ?1,500-?2,000. Lovely.

MUSIC BOX PLAYS

That is so cute. It really is.

If you wind fast, it speeds the tempo up.

MUSIC BOX PLAYS FASTER

I was hoping that we'd end up with some furniture that I could relate to the Royal Pavilion.

You've brought two chairs that fit into that slot. Have you been to the Pavilion? Absolutely.

What I liked about it was all the rosewood furniture.

The rosewood with the brass inlay.

Here we have two very simple chairs,

with brass inlay, rosewood construction and original bergere cane seats.

Where did they come from? An antiques shop in Croydon, 40 years ago. Why did you like them?

We bought a table that matched them. Are you selling the table? No.

I shouldn't have asked! But these show extremely good taste.

Did you buy other pieces similar?

Not so much inlaid stuff. We always bought old furniture.

Second-hand. It was cheaper to buy antique furniture than the modern equivalent. Yes.

They are lovely quality. I love the brass inlay on the cresting and the rail.

I like this brass stringing... all the way down this leg extension

and actually onto the seat rail as well.

And these little roundels at each end and even on these rolls at the top of the legs.

All brass inlay. Very nice indeed. The thing I like best is the sabre leg.

I associate the sabre leg with the Napoleonic war,

because it takes on a military aspect and that was fashionable.

If they go up for auction,

I'm going to project a price in the region of ?180-?200.

You might think that's low, but I have reservations.

There's a little bit of restoration, which you did point out to us.

This might affect the value,

because that will have to be done again.

But they are very stylish chairs.

I can see them in a hall, either side of a chest or a matching table.

Would you sell them at that sort of price range? Yes. Thank you.

I'm really fond of old furniture. It looks like David's on to a winner.

What have you found? And who's this? Zeta. Hi, Zeta.

How are you? Are you excited about being on TV? No.

You'll be OK. Paul, what do you think of these?

I like the sabre leg on it. That's a nice little inlay. That's brass.

One's missing here. Mind you, this one's badly damaged.

Just on the top. Is the cane work all right? It's original,

but I have reservation about this sort of repair. I put ?180-?200. I think that's about right.

That's fine. It ties in with your Regency theme. Yes.

Here, you have these lovely trencher salts in pewter.

Tell me a bit about these. They came from the same lady as these.

I've never known much about them. I don't even know how to clean them!

I feel they should be cleaned, but I'm worried about overdoing it.

I think they should be cleaned. The nice thing about them is,

sometimes with pewter, you can get spotting - known as pewter pox.

You got pewter pox from sulphur coming off from oil and gas lamps.

These are unaffected. I think they would benefit from a clean up and take on a silvery lustre.

They're lovely. What do you clean them with?

I... I'm going to get into trouble!

I normally clean them with a metal cleaner because the acid takes off the oxide.

Then I think you rub them with lemon and warm water. We need a helping start.

Aren't they best left alone, till somebody who's...?

They always say that the purchaser will always want to do his own work on them.

But I love your crested ciphers here of George IV. I think they're a lovely lot.

They probably came from Brighton Pavilion.

She seemed to spend most of the time at Brighton. Yes. Being pewter,

I think the staff quarters. I'm sure the Prince Regent would have had something in gold!

It's lovely. Any idea about the value? Did you have them valued?

No, I don't know anything about pewter.

I think, because of the royal connection, they'll fetch between ?250-?350.

That's the auction estimate.

They've been standing on a dusty shelf in my father's house for years!

Unbelievable. They're going to be liberated in Rye! ..It's a lovely lot. Good.

Where did you get this charming object? It belonged to my grandfather.

It was given to my brother.

We thought it was of some value and I thought I'd bring it along.

This is a choice piece.

It's choice because it's survived that shipwreck of time.

These little objects made from wood do not survive in great quantities,

unless they're tucked away and forgotten about.

If I take this lid off,

inside it tells me what the object is.

It's a portable sundial.

It's Porter's magnetic portable sundial.

Manufacturers to the King. That would have been George IV who was resident at the Pavilion.

And that is balanced on an agate pin. This is a beautiful little thing.

That is only cardboard that's been varnished.

The fact that it's survived is remarkable. The lid needs a little bit of repair.

But I've taken my glass out to look at the inscription on it,

and it gives me a date.

It says..."Porter's,

"February 16th...

"1824." Oh, God!

So, that was actually in use when George IV was at the Pavilion.

This is a lovely example of treen.

A mobile sundial, almost in pristine condition, except the lid which needs a little restoration.

Now, when I price this,

I've got to bear in mind that it's rare, but requires restoration.

If I said between ?60-?80, would you be interested in selling it?

Yes. If it went to a collector, I'd be pleased.

It will give them a lot of pleasure. Yes.

In the valuation room we were hoping for George IV items, and we weren't disappointed.

Peggy's meat platter would have done well before Christmas.

So let's hope it's not a "turkey".

It's time to get rid of my antiques.

Zeta's chairs would grace any Regency house in Brighton.

They were cheap when she bought them. Not now.

I'll put it away for a rainy day, I think.

Hilary Kay brought in amazing silhouettes

and pewter trenchers from the Royal Pavilion.

They've been standing on my father's dusty shelf for years!

And Sharon Hollingdale's sundial is another Regency piece.

A collector will look after it.

Not long to go before our experts' opinions are put to the test.

Let's see how auctioneer Andrew Payne assesses our lots.

We could have a high flyer.

Hilary's silhouettes have been valued at ?1,500-?2,000. Big money.

Yes, but when do you see silhouettes like this? You may see one, but not a set.

They could do quite well. I'd rather say ?1,000-?1,500 myself.

He's ?500 out? Possibly.

Hopefully, for the customer, we'll do very well and get more.

I love these pewter salt trenchers. But James, I think, is well off the mark on this.

James has said that Hilary should get ?250-?300.

I would like to see her get that.

Myself, ?120-?180 as a guide. If we get more than that, we've done well.

Hilary's happy. Yes. They do have a little armorial on. They're stamped, they're English.

They've got provenance, which will help them sell.

Sharon's brought in a portable pocket sundial.

If you own this and not a watch, you can't be late if the sun's shining!

David's valued that at ?40-?60. I always make excuses when I'm late.

It's a very interesting object.

There's a little damage to the lid. Nice little buy. Yes.

OK, Andrew. We have a pair of Regency rosewood chairs here which Zeta has brought in.

We have a valuation of ?180 for the two by David.

A very good pair of Regency chairs. Probably country chairs.

They're not that fine. No.

I'm a furniture man myself and I do like this sort of thing.

Nice sabre leg to them. Mmm. Bits of damage on... Yes, you do get that on them.

Especially on the seats. Yeah, but they are original.

I think the lady will be very surprised. There's a twinkle in your eye! You've got inside news.

They're very good Regency chairs and I think the owner will be surprised. Good.

Just before the rest of our owners' lots go under the hammer,

I wonder how Hilary Kaye is feeling about the sale of her silhouettes.

You look happy. Yes. I don't know about optimistic. How many auctions have you been to? Only one.

That was years ago at Castle Howard. It was dubbed the biggest car boot in history.

But the prices there were astounding.

Actually, you've got the quality lots here today, I think. Oh.

I think you'll do well. I hope so. Will you be sad to see them go?

Not really. They don't suit my house and they're a responsibility, aren't they? Insurance and stuff.

Have you had them on the wall or in a box? I had two of them on a wall. You only liked two? Yes.

'Peggy's smashing old plate is first up.' Do you do many auctions?

It's the first time. You're kidding! No. It's lovely. You're doubly scared, then? I am.

The meat dish - have you had many a meal cooked on it? No, it was my grandmother's.

Has it been on a dresser? The loft.

It was going to be given to the Scouts to be broken up. Yes.

Throw a ball and break the plate. You're joking! That's right. A coconut shy.

Large Victorian blue and white Willow Pattern oval meat platter.

No problem putting your turkey on that at Christmas!

Who's got ?70? Good condition too, nice blue and white plate. ?30?

?35...?40...?45...?50...?55... It's sold.

?60? At ?60 on my left. ?65 anybody?

At ?60. ?65 anyone? At ?60 on my left, then. Gone at ?60.

We've done it. That's lovely. There you go, ?60. That's very good.

I'll be very happy with the money. I'll put ?40 to it and get my premium bond!

Thank you. That's all right.

Lovely salt trenchers. Interesting. Did you use them? No. Not even decoratively? My father did.

We used to laugh at them, to be honest. I wouldn't have thought they were hygienic - pewter, these days.

Would it? Well...

James? Salt and pewter? Do they go together?

I thought the salt might have damaged it. Maybe they cleared them out. Washed them regularly.

Pair of 19th-century salt trenchers. We are on. Here we go, Hilary.

A nice coat of arms on it.

There is a lovely armorial stamp on the side.

Have we got a phone bid as well? Yes. A telephone bid. Oh, great.

?100 for a quick start. ?120...?140...?160...

?180...?200...?220 on the phone?

?220...?240...?260 on the phone. It's sold.

?280...? ..No? ?260 on the phone.

?280...?300 on the telephone?

?300...?320...?340...? No?

At ?320 in the room, then. ?340 anyone?

Sold at ?320. And the number is... That's good.

You're relieved! Yet again he's putting his head on the line!

You were very good, James. Well done.

Thank you. They were nice. They deserved to do well. Anything in a pair generally does.

Hilary will be back to see if her silhouettes do even better. We're taking care of things for Zeta.

Zeta couldn't make it today. That's sad. I think this is going to be an exciting lot. Yes.

It's coming to the end, there's still a lot of people here.

There's a lot of furniture dealers. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Here they are. One showing to you.

Lovely pair of chairs, too.

How about ?400? ?200 I've got.

?220...?240 with me. ?260...

?280...?300... I forget they're a pair. ?340...

?360...

?380 anybody? At ?360, then.

Sold at ?360.

It's what Zeta expected. We put the price low to attract the bidders.

I'm pleased for her. I'm pleased for you.

Portable sundial inside. Dinky little one it is, too.

Slight crack on the top.

How about ?60 for it? We're up.

?30 then, for a quick start.

?30...? ?20 I've got.

?22...?24 anybody? At ?24.

?26...?28...?30 anyone?

At ?30...?32...?34...?36...

?38...?40...?42...

?44...?46... It's got a ?60 reserve.

?50...?52...?54...?56...

?58...?60...

?60 at the back. At ?60.

?62 anyone? At ?60 at the back of the room. Sold at ?60.

Oh! There you go. Bang on the nail.

Yes. I'm pleased. Good judgment.

And come back to auctions? I think I will. I've got the bug.

Have to see what else I can find. Go foraging. That's right.

Sharon's got the auction bug. It's time for our last lot -

Hilary's silhouettes. We hope she'll double her money.

This is pretty tense. Yes.

This is the big one. There's a lot of money riding on this, James.

We've got a ?1,500 reserve. Yes.

I've spoken to a couple of buyers and hopefully some of them will turn up today.

I spoke to one chap who asked if it was painted on glass.

He said it was very much in the style of an artist called Hamlet.

As soon as they painted a royal sitter, they had the right to do many copies.

So, they continued doing copies for people who wanted to buy them.

So...it's not a unique item. But the collection is. The collection is.

But, it presumably came from the Palace, so it may be the original.

Quite. Here we go. A nice bit of history.

Lot 440, this superb collection of silhouettes.

What a nice collection. We need ?1,500. We'd like to get ?2,000.

?1,000...? ?500, then - quick start.

?500 I've got. Make me work! At ?500.

?550...?600...?650... It's jumping up.

?700...?750...?800...?850...?900

?950...?1,000...?1,050...

?1,100...?1,150...?1,200... ?1,250...?1,300...

?1,350...?1,400... Only a couple of bidders. ..?1,500... We've done it.

?1,550...?1,600? ?1,650...

?1,700? ?1,700...?1,750... No?

At ?1,750 in front of me. ?1,800 anyone? At ?1,750, then.

All done at ?1,750?

Well done, James. Thank you. Congratulations! Thank you.

You're going home with a bit of money! Very well done.

That's ?2,070, less commission, for Hilary.

She seems dazed. From the queue in Hove, to the sale in Rye.

You're on cloud nine, aren't you? I'm feeling... Dizzy? Yes.

And a little euphoric. I dunno. Strange.

I don't know how it all came about. I can't believe we're here and it's done... Amazing.

James's ?500 valuation of Graham's oil on board looked like a gamble.

But it came in strong at ?560.

Very pleased. Very satisfactory result, I think.

Thankfully, Mrs Thomsett's truncheon made its money at ?95.

I'm thrilled! I can see your lovely smile. Take that home. Thank you.

It was a very exciting day, actually. It was.

I ended up, at Hove, taking in the small objet d'art.

But they did exceptionally well. The Troika pot did well.

For late-20th century collectors... People have got to look to late-20th century for ceramics.

Something to look out for. Yeah.

Ali's mum didn't get her hands on the Art Deco jug. After commission,

Ali pocketed about ?40 and had great fun in the process.

I'm really glad that I sold it.

I can go away with some money. Really good. Well done, Ali. Thank you.

?32, then. Sold at ?36.

We've had a fantastic time here in Rye. We'll see you again soon.

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