Torquay Flog It!

Welcome to "Flog It!" - where you can turn antiques into cash!

You get a real thrill when you see your items up for auction

and selling for a profit. That's what happens next - we hope!

Our valuation experts value hundreds of items and pick a few to be put forward to be sold.

Our owners don't always get what they bargained for!

Later, we'll ride the peaks and troughs of the auction.

Feeling nervous? Yes, very now.

How are you feeling? A bit appr...

Scraping them through? Yes, they're not flying! Slightly disappointing.

I can never see who's bidding.

Here we go. Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed!

First, let's see what goodies the public brought along to our valuation room in Torquay.

Our experts can't wait to see what the owners want to sell.

Under the spotlight today, David Barby, whose love of antiques started when he was a wee lad of 12.

Well, Torquay's such a lovely area.

A lot of retirement homes, so, hopefully, some colonial furniture.

He'll be fighting over the pots today as fellow expert Thomas Plant is also keen on ceramics,

particularly from the 20th century.

Torquay has quite a good history of ceramics -

Torquayware, Lemon and Crute and many others.

One factory I'd like to see is Watcombe. I'm a great fan of one designer - Christopher Dresser.

If that comes in, I'll be happy!

No time to lose, and the experts are not alone in dying to see what people have brought along.

Lovely. How long have you had that? Years. Years?

I don't know how old it is. 1840, so it's middle of the 19th century.

David Barby will look it up.

This is what I would expect to find in Torquay.

There are four of these? Yes. These are affluent chairs, posh chairs.

Where do they come from? They came from Manchester.

They belonged to my husband's father and he inherited them

and saved them from an auction room many years ago...

and they've just been in our family ever since. That was very astute.

This chair dates from around about 1860-70,

and it's what we term classical Victorian furniture,

particularly with the ebony decoration on this gilt lining,

and then this very attractive Amboina wood inlay.

This is a veneer. It was expensive, so rarely do you find large pieces of furniture covered in Amboina.

If you do, they're very expensive.

I also like this little roundel at the top here which is the Wedgwood roundel.

They're pretty. Very, very pretty.

Will you regret selling these? Very much so. Why are you selling?

I'm going to have to move... You're downsizing? Downsizing, yes.

It's a nice term. You think so? Consolidating. Right...

I'm going to put a price of about £350-£500. We're looking at about £100-£120 a chair.

I think around about £400.

If you're happy with that price, we'll put them up and hope to get more.

I feel I've got to do something. It's worried me for a long time,

knowing that I'd have to downsize... We'll relieve you of that worry. OK.

Lesley, today, you've brought with you a Della Robbia bowl.

Yes. And there's an interesting story?

I found it about ten years ago at a boot sale, the usual thing,

and I'd seen a dealer I knew look at it and put it down again.

I went over and, for once in my life, I recognised a mark on the back.

I'd just been reading about it. What did you recognise? The Della Robbia mark, the sail and the boat.

What did you pay for it? 75p.

75p? When you bought it for 75p, did you haggle?

I did not haggle! I wanted it as soon as possible!

You snatched it away? Yes! Sometimes you think, "Should I haggle?" Obviously, you knew what it was.

I did. Ten years ago. I was overjoyed. When I was looking at it, I looked at the mark here.

The Della Robbia mark, the ship and the sail with DR and the LW across it.

I looked in Godden's and they didn't have the Della Robbia mark.

Here's the Della Robbia mark, DR, the ship, the sail.

Now in Godden's, my bible, there's no sail.

However, on the top, there's LW for Lisa Wilkins.

In this little book here by JP Cushion,

I have the Della Robbia mark with the sail, so I feel better about it.

It looks nicer with the sail.

So we're 100% sure what it is. Ten years ago, you looked in Miller's?

At the time I got it, I looked it up and something similar was £80-£100,

but I know it's damaged a little. Yeah.

Which will affect its value. I think at auction today

that would make £120-£150. Are you willing to sell it?

I am now. I've had it for a while, so... Brilliant!

Have you been waiting long? About quarter of an hour.

Is that heavy? No. What's in it? Aha! A surprise!

China. We can't ask you to open that. Yes, you can. Let's see one, then! Unwrap that one.

It's like Christmas.

Nearly dropped it!

Bit of Irish pottery.

Irish porcelain pottery. Lovely! The complete tea set.

You didn't bring it all? Yeah, it's all there.

Well, I never!

I love that crackle... It's nice, innit? It ages nice.

I took a fancy to it and bought it. Where did you get it?

In Ireland. How long ago?

Oh...about 12 years...

10 years ago. I was living over there.

I went to one of these sort of small-town markets... Yeah?

..Auction rooms, looking for something I wanted and found this.

It's a liqueur set that my mother gave to my husband just before she died last year.

We brought it along because we've seen this behind the Queen on one of her speeches on Christmas Day.

The same one? It seemed like it. Wow! It's fantastic!

Do you know what date it is? No, I don't. It's about 1920.

It's Art Deco style - you've heard of Art Deco.

When the lights hit it, you've got here, on the decanter,

it brings out this decoration of grape and vine.

It looks good against the citrine-coloured glass.

You usually see a narrow stopper, but this has a big one.

It's rather smart.

Very attractive.

It's really a sumptuous, well-made, quality item.

Do you like it? No, it's not something I would buy.

You wouldn't spend money on it? No. But my husband liked it!

Do you know what's it's worth? No.

Something like this, at auction, would make £400-£500.

Right. Did you expect that? Not really. Not really?

If you're happy to sell that, we'll put it in for you.

Yes, I think so, because then somebody that buys it will buy it because they want it. Exactly.

You either love or hate Poole. I love Poole, but I'm not sure of this design.

It looks a little like Art Nouveau, but not real Art Nouveau.

It's the next movement - Art Deco. I'm not sorted out properly!

It's very much in the tradition of what you would expect of Art Deco patterns.

There are these sort of jazz patterns - see those? Yes.

These Cubist-style birds... Is it like the Charleston? Exactly!

Busby Berkeley movies and all that jazz!

Who would think of putting ochre with purple?

Screams at you, doesn't it? This is not an early Poole work.

No. Carter, Stable or Adams would be the early marks. Right.

This is just marked Poole, England. That's the decorator's mark. JS?

That's the decorator's mark. Late 1930s, well in the Art Deco period.

The other major potter was Clarice Cliff and you get the same sort of Cubist designs there.

I like this. You've been using it. Afraid so. Flowers.

Oh, right. Often, these were designed purely as works of art,

to be observed, not used. It was an art pot.

If this comes up for sale,

I think we would estimate it around about £100-£120.

Right. More on a good day. Would you be happy to sell it? Yes, I would.

Where did it come from?

A step-aunt of my husband's, we thought she was a bit lonely, so we invited her to visit for the day,

and she came on the train and she brought the pot for us.

How lovely! And did you see the aunt again? Yes, we did, but only very occasionally.

Did you get any more pottery from her? Afraid not. Just this?

I think we shall treasure this, bearing in mind your memories.

Thanks for bringing it. Thank you.

Let's see what our owners have decided to sell.

Lesley snatched the Della Robbia bowl for 75p!

Betty's step-aunt didn't realise she was giving away a treasure!

If the Queen tipples from a set like this, someone will be interested.

Joan's downsizing, so out go her stunning salon chairs.

Surely too good for a buyer to miss!

The auction house is full of people looking at the antiques

and we're about to find out how our first four items will do.

But, first, our auctioneer Nick Saintey gives us his opinion.

Does he agree with the experts?

A set of four chairs brought in by Joan, salon chairs.

The more you look, the more detail you see.

Nice feminine chairs.

Lots of decorative detail, Wedgwood roundel...

My only reservation... What's a salon chair? Exactly!

I've no idea! They'd look just as nice in a bedroom or in a hall.

Hard not to look at them as dining chairs, but only four. If you had a salon...

Value for money? £100 a chair - it's not a lot of money, to be honest.

They should make that and maybe a bit more. Yeah.

Someone'll buy them for the bedroom and cover them with clothes. Yes!

What about this liqueur set? It's enough money that, I'm afraid. Too much? It's got £400 on it.

You can sell a good geometric bold piece -

this is a rather... Good design is going to sell it.

It shouts Deco. There's no design. You're not having it as a practical piece, so it's short.

That's between £200-£300. Crikey! We said £400-£500.

Oh, dear!

There's a real buzz at this saleroom at Bearne's in Exeter.

You can feel the tension rising.

Let's see what our owners think.

How are you feeling? Nervous. You look smart. Were you up early? Yes.

Excited? Yes.

Hopefully, we'll get £400-£500 for your decanter set. What would you do with the money?

Well, it's between my brother and his wife and my husband and I.

We're putting it towards a holiday in New England. That'll be nice. Have you been before? Lots of times.

It's something my mother wanted to do and never did, so we said we'd do it for her. And this was hers? Yes.

A nice payback. The money would go to that.

It's the moment of truth. Our first lot is about to go under the hammer,

Lesley's Della Robbia bowl, bought for 75p.

Have you bought any other bargains? Yes. What? I bought two Watcombe pottery figures, little gnomes.

I bought them for £20 and sold them for £450. Wow! Fantastic!

Let's hope we get a good result today. I like the Celtic design. I like it. Why are you selling it?

I like it, but, at the same time, I worry about breaking it - I'm a bit clumsy.

It'll go to a good home and I'll buy a nice book. You're into books? Yes.

So let's hope it makes its reserve of £100.

Interest here at £55.

£60.

£65.

£70. £75.

£80. £85. Excellent. £90.

On my left at £90.

We need that! On my left, make no mistake, at £90...

Done it! Well... Sold. Not as much as you thought. Not really...

Just below the reserve. It was.

It might have, it might not have. He's used his discretion - he said sold. He hammered it.

The auctioneer can use his discretion. He can waive some of his commission and bring it down.

Right. So it might have? Yes, he hammered it. Definitely sold. Right. OK...

Betty's vase also has a reserve of £100. Will we make it this time?

You're looking cheerful! Thank you.

Are you happy? Yes. Do you do many auction rooms? No.

What will you do with the £100, hopefully £150?

I'll buy another pot! You collect pots? Yes, but not that one.

Not Poole pottery? No. It's the epitome of that particular period.

I know it devalues it, but I like the crackle of the glaze. You often find that with Poole.

Do you? You often get it. It's not always smooth - you get the crackle. It wasn't the flowers, then?

No! Don't be silly! You left it in the window and it froze!

Fingers crossed! We need a reserve of £100.

There's interest here. With me at £50. £50...

£55. We're off. ..£70. £75.

He's got a bid left on the book which he's referring to. I see.

£100 - do I see? All done.

Selling at £95.

Great! Not the reserve, but he's dropped his commission.

Right. That's OK.

It's what we thought, but I'd have been happier with a bit more. That's twice now. Yes.

So, not all the bidders for Lesley and Betty's items were here today.

There's a bid left on the books. This means someone can't attend, but they've left a figure they'll pay.

We're one away. How are you feeling? A bit appr... A bit excited?

You were moving house, but you can't find anything you like, so if you go home with them, you're happy!

Very happy! A bargain - they're really good quality chairs.

Hopefully, if you sell, you'll be happy too. Yes...yes...

It's one of these things. We think you're going to sell. Here we go - this is ours.

Victorian ebonised Amboina and gilt chairs,

surmounted with Wedgwood-style circular plaques.

Here we go! It's with me at £270. Come on!

£280. £300. £320.

He's got a bid left on the book.

We've done it! £420.

Brilliant! £460. They're gone. £520. Fantastic!

Gentleman's bid at £520.

If you're all done then, we're selling at £520.

Well done! Well done!

Right... You can spend the money on another set! No regrets.

I've got mixed feelings on the whole thing, but, yes, OK...

Right. It was slightly more than you said. £520! It was! It was, yeah!

I don't always intentionally underprice, but a surprise is nice!

That's the idea of the show! I feel reprimanded!

The liqueur set is up next.

Nick thought it might struggle, but let's hope it makes its reserve.

How did your mother come across the decanter?

Well, we know it was my grandmother's and we know that my grandfather was in France

in the 1914-18 War,

and we know my grandmother always liked glass stuff,

so we wonder if he brought it back from France. Plausible.

Thomas thought it was French. I think it's continental - it's got that look of quality to it.

Pity we didn't find a stamp on it, pity it wasn't Lalique...

That would be an awful lot of money! It has that quality, though. You've never had a drink out of it? No!

You should've had one!

Number of commissioned bids.

We start this at £200.

£210.

A bit slow. Mmm... £230. £240.

Great - he's got a bid left on the book.

£290. £300.

£320. £340.

£360. The book is out. It's below at £360. £380, do I see?

We're there. £360 was the reserve. Selling...

It's made its reserve. £360.

Brilliant! Not brilliant brilliant, but it got its reserve.

That's great. It made its reserve - it's fantastic, actually.

He was getting worried! I was!

Well, some mixed results from our first visit to the auction.

With any luck, our next valuations will up the ante,

but it just goes to show there's money in glass.

Devon, home of Dartington Crystal, the makers of wonderful glass. I'm here to see how it's made.

Who better to show me than one of Dartington's top designers, Simon Moore?

Give me a brief history of Dartington Crystal. Dartington, this year, is 35.

It was established for work in the rural regions. It was set up by the Dartington Trust.

It was so successful, so profitable, that it had to become a real business as opposed to a charity.

How long does it take to train a glass-blower? Basic training is seven years. A long apprenticeship.

It always has been, but any specialist training like handle-, foot- or leg-making,

would take longer. So you tend to find glass-makers specialise in particular areas.

Can I have a go? I'll let you burn yourself.

I'm attempting to make a wineglass for Patsy Titcomb, our researcher - it's her last day on the shoot.

I just hope it's usable!

This, surely, has got to be easier than it looks!

Newspaper first, OK?

Where?

You didn't tell me that! Oh, I did!

Underneath it, straighten it up? Keep turning.

That's very good.

Bit lighter with this hand.

Sorry. Stand up and try blowing down the iron.

Keep turning. Bloody hell!

Keep turning! As I pick it up? Keep turning with both hands.

Lift your iron up.

HE BLOWS Stop.

You've got a feeling of how hard you need to blow?

Is that too much? A little bit! It's Patsy's wineglass!

Let's do another one.

Try the blowing bit now.

This is embarrassing! OK, third time lucky!

That shattered my dream of being a glass-maker! Luckily, Simon had one he'd made earlier!

Simon, I failed miserably on the glass-blowing.

Can I give that to Patsy? We'll let you. Thank you. Pleasure. Thank you.

Patsy?

I failed you miserably! I couldn't do it!

Ooh!

This is lovely.

Really, really lovely.

Mine and mine alone!

Nobody else is touching it!

I wonder what we'll uncover next to sell at auction later.

Plenty of people are willing to sell their antiques - there could be a gold mine in here.

These pieces are so modern and contemporary and, with all due respect,

you look like a person who'd go for more genteel floral pieces.

You mean I look like an antique? Not at all! Do you like these pieces? Not so much...

I don't like them at all! That's why I'm selling them!

I can appreciate them because they reflect a period -

this Delphis is so typical of the 1950s. Probably it's because I remember these from my infant days

in my aunts' homes.

You'd go into a room and immediately see these pieces on a wall or a sideboard.

It's quite decorative and reflects the sculptural ideas of the day

with Hepworth and the potters, Bernard Leach, art movements...

I got married in the '50s, so I'm quite '50s.

We both remember the '50s! This is more accommodating -

it's a very stylised design. I think it's boring! It is, really.

I think it's more accommodating.

If anybody asked me what I should collect in the future,

I would suggest Poole of this period, because they both reflect the period, the '1950s and '70s.

The company's still going, producing good quality pottery,

but maybe nothing as exciting as these.

In auction, I think we'd be looking at £70-£100.

Sounds fair enough. Happy? Yes, that's fair enough.

Earlier on today, we took on more conventional Poole pottery,

the sort of pottery I thought you might have collected! A cross section! Thank you.

You'll come to the auction? Yes. I'll be there. Good. We've got to make that! I'll keep you to it!

Thank you for coming in.

What we have here is a jardiniere - you said your mother had it?

It belonged to my mother and her mother before that. You don't like it? We had a fairly large house -

we moved to a two-bedroomed flat and we've got lots of things that don't fit in.

..Do you like it, Jan? No, I don't. I'm not very keen on the colours.

It's Slaters Patent, which is a Royal Doulton patent,

and this is the Slaters bit with this tube-lined decoration and filled glazes.

What's attractive about this jardiniere is the blue band

with the flowers - very pretty.

However, there has been a bit of restoration...

on the rims here. It's difficult to spot, but it's been slightly touched up there. Yeah.

It's the kind of item that would have a small value, but it certainly should sell -

£50-£70. Would you sell it at that? Yes, that's all right.

What's this? A pair of balances they called them, chemist's balances. How long have you had that?

A few years now, yeah. Bought them in a boot sale.

Do you do many boot sales? Every week. Is it a hobby? Yes.

Is it a business? It's a hobby with occasional profit!

You might be wheeling and dealing in the market soon.

Hopefully, yes. It's surprising what you find here - there are bargains. Good luck with that. Thank you.

I've got this book out because I want to check on one artist who's in your autograph book.

And it's Frank Algernon - wonderful name - Stewart, and here we have prices.

Here we have prices for his works - £1,500 to £2,250. That's for oil paintings!

I wanted to check when he died which was 1945.

This little sketch here, which would date from around 1941,

is only a few years before his death and I wasn't certain when he died -

to authenticate that drawing.

It's a lovely, lively, spirited drawing of a horse.

Included in this autograph album, you've got some of the greatest names. Laurel and Hardy...

I remember them in the '50s, Saturday morning pictures,

and the kids used to go mad.

We've also got probably the greatest jockey ever, Gordon Richards,

and the Australian team Don Bradman, the great cricketer,

so not an ordinary autograph album with one or two names -

it's quite a strong selling point. That good picture and then these famous names as well.

It's a nice autograph album.

This sort of thing, quite often, we throw away. It looks ragged, doesn't it? It nearly was!

What was the story? We were actually on holiday when Steve's mum died,

and when we came back there was just boxes. The place had been sorted. That always happens.

That nearly got thrown away. This is a desirable collector's item. Price? Have you any idea?

Not a clue. The Stewart would be worth about £150 on its own,

and then you've got the other well-known signatures,

so I think a conservative estimate of about £300. OK?

Yes. Fine. So we can flog it for you?

Thank you for coming. You're brought a couple of items for us to see,

possibly sell for you.

You've got Laurel and Hardy and who's this? Sairy Gamp. Sairy Gamp.

Quite popular in the collector's market. Probably from the 1930s

and mass-produced, but they still have a collectable appeal.

Where did you get them from? They were my mother's.

She left them to me. Do you guys like them?

Not really. I don't really like them - it's not my scene, no.

So you'd be quite willing to sell them?

Yes. I'd put the two together in a lot,

and I hear on the grapevine that Mr Barby

has got in for sale today an autograph of Laurel and Hardy.

Here we have Laurel and Hardy salt and pepper.

It would be lovely if we could sell these. The estimate I'd put on them,

the teapot and this, would be between £50 and £70. Lovely.

Why is it that always, at the end of the day,

the end of the inspection period, we have something marvellous?

The collection of prints is absolutely fascinating. Where did they come from?

We found them about five years ago when we were clearing my aunt and uncle's house...

We were more or less finished, everything sorted,

and my husband decided to do another quick check in the roof space.

He found them under the rafters near the water tank.

Were they art collectors? Did they have a lot of pictures?

I don't think they were collectors.

Mary's uncle wasn't a collector. He just went to auctions and bought job lots.

What you've got here is a nice collection of predominantly 19th-century prints,

and they're all lithographs,

the most common form of printing, the cheapest form.

There is one exception - this print of Mount Wise Fort, Plymouth,

and this was done in 1780, so it's quite an interesting print with local connotations.

We could easily put a price of £400-£500 on them, but I think you have to excite the trade.

I think we should put something in the region of £100-£150 to get them excited and, hopefully, get more.

What do you think? There seem an awful lot of prints here for £100-£150.

Some aren't very good. I know. That's including the Plymouth one?

Yes, that's the exciting one. Yes, I've got rather fond of it too!

That would be £30-£40 alone, unframed and unmounted.

But you've got so many others. Yes.

Can we sell these? Yes. Right. Super. Now, the next lot!

This lovely collection of watercolours.

These are in the same condition as your prints.

In other words, they're badly affected by foxing, which is what we call blemishes.

Here we have pictures well painted,

but with restoration work required.

This one here by Burchill On The Dogger Bank

is extremely well painted.

Earlier part of the 20th century

and it's Norfolk fishing.

It really is very good. Yes. At setting of sun. Nice.

The one I like, which has little sort of damage,

is this one in the manner of Charles Rowbotham.

You think of the Italian landscape, Lake Garda, Lake Como,

but there's no signature. Yes. But we sold one very, very similar...

a few months ago...and we achieved a handsome price on it.

But it was signed and had the inscription where it came from.

This is a beautiful picture, slightly out of focus,

and you've got these soft tones. The mussel gatherers...

I remember an exhibition in Manchester called Hard Times with scenes of children working.

That's a very attractive scene. This is the most interesting one.

The one I love is this one by Montagu

and it's this one here.

He's a 19th-century artist, a well-known artist,

but when you're wondering, "Is it Montagu?" there are things to look for.

The ability of the artist to paint perspective. It's very good here.

Then the figure work in the foreground and whether the shadows are believable.

And they are indeed.

The whole picture hangs together, but there's a problem.

First of all, it's faded...

and it's laid down on to card.

Now the card on the back...

has become faded...

and that's transferred on to the front of the picture itself.

So there's quite a bit of restoration work needed on this.

Now...

you want to sell these?

Yes. Have you got a price in mind?

I thought, individually, probably £200-£300.

You're talking £1,600-£2,000? Yes. Right.

Mary, what was your opinion? Well, I thought perhaps a bit higher,

sort of £2,000,

but, er...

I don't know if there are any real gems here...

so, £2,000, a bit higher perhaps...

I think they ought to go for a little bit higher.

I'd like to see them go close on £3,000, but we have to play the auction game

and pitch a price that'll excite people.

So I'm going to suggest a reserve of around £2,300,

and the guide be £2,400-£3,000.

Well, we'll see how we get on. Very good.

You'll be at the auction? Yes. Yes. I'll be beside you just in case!

Then we can blame you!

I hope we celebrate with a bottle of champagne!

I can't wait to see how they get on at auction.

First, a treat for you. A friend of mine's cottage in Devon. You won't have seen a make-over like this!

Thank you for inviting us in. It's OK. It's absolutely stunning.

As soon as you walk in, it hugs you and it's so sympathetically furnished with what we love!

Your antique shop's superb, but what a home!

How did all this start?

It started when I felt the feeling you just described - it felt absolutely right for me.

It had a good feeling. And it's 16th century? It is - 1580.

Did it look like this when you bought it? Not at all. It was very different to what it is now.

What did you do? When I walked in, that was not what you saw.

There was a staircase coming down to the cobbles.

The panels of the plank-and-muntin screen were all covered up in wallpaper.

The cobbles? They were not visible at all. They were under the stairs.

When we moved the stairs, we found them.

I had them restored.

This wasn't a quick DIY make-over? It was a massive project

and you have to love something like this to do it.

Like restoring one big antique sympathetically? Absolutely.

Fantastic job! I want to see the rest!

I can see what you mean - undulating ceiling!

A genuine cob ceiling, incredibly rare. What is cob?

It's a combination of cow dung and straw, prepared in a very special way by treading.

Very well put!

I tried to be polite.

Another amazing inglenook. Look at this!

This is the original clay hood. That's right.

Can't use the handle too much. No.

That was a find in this tomb, basically, which you uncovered? It was preserved.

You'd never find one to fit.

What else have you found?

The other thing of interest, or most interest,

was this fragment of plaster work, taken out of a religious building.

Was that a corbel or a centre mullion for an arch?

More likely a corbel for vaulting.

It was to do with Henry VIII and the dissolution of the monasteries.

They used the rubble to infill when they were building here.

Will you use that as a little corbel to put a candle on?

I'll turn it into a wall bracket and find something nice to put on it. A rush light or something? Yes.

David and Thomas have seen a myriad of treasures in Torquay and met some characters too,

but let's see what the rest of the owners are selling.

I loved the prints and watercolours.

Too many to talk about. Do they all have a similar value

or is there a gem hidden in there?

It's time Brian and Jan's Doulton vase found a new home.

Anne's Poole vase and dish aren't her cup of tea.

Let's hope someone warms to them!

Will the autograph book set the dealers alight

or will it be going back in the bin?

Terry and Phil won't be crying over spilt milk

if their teapot and Laurel and Hardy disappear!

Will all the items be cleaned up or will it be another fine mess?

Will our last few items really take off or crash to the ground?

What does Nick think this time?

We had some quality. Christopher and Mary brought in a portfolio.

A lot of quality and a lot of sort of rubbish.

David Barby valued it all together at £2,000-£3,000, but you've sifted through it, rang the owners

and said to sell them separately. It seemed like a wise thing to do.

There's a wide range of material.

Some are good quality watercolours in their own right.

I can see. I like this.

It's very Stanhope Forbes, slightly Newlyn School.

Whilst he's French, he certainly has painted in Newlyn in the past.

It's typical of him and, fingers crossed, if it goes well, we'd hope for £1,000 for that one.

Half their valuation? Yes.

What are we hoping for? I hope, if everything sells, we should exceed £2,500,

but if there's a casualty along the way, if the foxing affects somebody's judgment, you lose half.

It should make £2,500. If all these sell,

what about the rest of the portfolio? Do you give it away? No, there are some nice engravings.

But we're talking a few hundred, rather than these which are more than that each.

Correlation here. Laurel and Hardy salt-and-pepper pots

and an autograph book with Laurel and Hardy in it. We said £300.

It's got a chance - it's a difficult market to predict.

A lot of it's dented from a lot of facsimile signatures,

but this is in a personal autograph book, with a lot of fairly uninteresting friends and family,

so it's got a chance, but it's difficult. It is.

They're all 1930s. Don't know them.

There's a few wing commanders and a few nice ladies, so...

Might struggle? You don't know. I don't understand the collectors of these particular things.

Off again - and first to the chopping block is cat-mad Anne with her modern Poole vase and dish.

You don't like modern Poole? Not a lot. I'd rather have Victorian.

David says it's got more going for it than the '30s stuff. More character. It's only a short period.

1920, 1930 was much of a muchness. This is more studio based, individual artists' own patterns...

Here we go! Fingers crossed! Fingers crossed.

Starting at £30.

That's not very promising. No, that's a good start.

£32. £35. £38. £40.

£42. It'll be a slow climb! ..£48. £50. £55? No, with me at £50.

If you're all done... We haven't done it. We haven't, no.

I thought that was a bargain. No more nursery plates!

I don't know! Terrible!

I'll live! I'll speak to Nick, our producer!

Well, he liked it! He liked it, yes!

Some owners put a reserve on their items.

If it doesn't reach it, it doesn't go. This figure is determined prior to auction

with the auctioneer's consent. It doesn't cost anything.

I don't know where Terry and Phil are. Nor do I! Stuck in traffic?

Hopefully, they'll breeze in at the last minute!

Fingers crossed for them. Obviously, Beswickware,

it's a big collectable market, an acquired taste.

Definitely. That would look nice on my mother's shelf. Lots of people like her would go for it.

She'd buy it? Really? Because of Laurel and Hardy? Yes. Really? Yeah. Big Laurel and Hardy fan?

Yeah. There's a few of them about. Let's hope there's some here! Yes!

£28. That's a good start.

£30.

£35. £38. £40.

A few people interested. Yeah.

£50. Reserve. It's done it.

Yours at £50.

Selling on my left...

That's good. £50 reserve - sold. They'll be laughing!

That's what reserves are there for -

to be fixed, and it made it. No problem there.

Scraping them through? Yes, they're not flying! Slightly disappointing.

Well, there's no accounting for taste.

Thanks for coming in.

Are you nervous? Don't know really! Never been to anything like this! You've not been to an auction? No.

Come to them - they're not that nerve-racking.

You get some good bargains too! Have you checked out what's here?

Not really. Not enough time.

I hope whoever buys this autograph book doesn't split it up.

A dealer will. Yes, they will. They get the razor blade out and cut it up.

Mount the autographs and that lovely sketch... Here we are. OK.

Interest here and the commission bid is with me at £160.

Good start. It's here at £160. And £170?

If you're all done, it's with me. Oh, no!

The start was exceptional! £160.

I can't believe it! It hasn't sold? No. It doesn't matter.

Dear, oh, dear! I thought we were off to a promising start! "Oh, wow! We're in!

"Here we go! We're off!"

Well, we couldn't sign that one off. Let's hope we do better for Brian and Jan.

How do you feel? It's interesting. What about you, Jan?

First time I've been to anything like this. You've never taken her to an auction? I've only been to one!

Stopping her spending your money! Yeah! We think this'll sell. For sure.

Here we are. We're off. I've seen a few people looking at it.

Interest here. Bid with me at £50.

Book's out. Seated at £65. Standing £70. £75?

£80. This is good. £90.

£95? The distant bidder at £90. If you're all done...

In the doorway at £90.

Well? Brilliant! That's good!

And there's a bit of damage. There was.

The restoration was done very well.

That's why I put £50-£70 on it.

That was short and sweet - £90. Superb! Brilliant!

Lovely. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thanks. Thank you, Mr Cameraman.

"Thank you, Mr Cameraman"! Yeah!

I've been looking forward to this! It'll be at least ten minutes!

A session! Yeah!

First up, we've got the portfolio with the mezzotints and engravings, the leftovers of the quality,

which Nick sifted through. This is the start. The start, yes.

There was some quality left. Some very nice prints.

Mid to late-Victorian.

Lot 362.

A collection of mezzotints and engravings.

Shown. The commission bids are very close together here.

Starts to me at £160.

£160? We're there!

Crikey!

If you're all done,

£160. Excellent.

Well! We had a reserve of £120. Well done.

It's a good start.

A great start, but will the watercolours

live up to expectations? Commission bids with me...

£170, £180, £190, £200, £210. And £220, do I see?

£220. £230 anywhere?

What's the reserve? £200. If you're all done...

Selling on the back wall at £220. That's good.

'Not too impressed so far!' English school watercolour.

Lot 369, the English School 19th-century Italian lake.

I like this one. Bid here with me at £55.

£65. £70. £80.

Book's out. £85 do I see?

I'd check your loft, see if there's more!

Sold.

There's still more to go.

Lots 367, William Burchill - On The Dogger Bank.

The Dogger Bank.

Again there's interest. The commission bid's with me

at £100. £110?

This was my least favourite. Yeah. Yeah.

£110. £120. £130.

£140. Telephone bid. There's a bid on the book.

£160? If you're all done, the book's out.

We're out in the room and selling on Annabelle's phone at £150.

This is incredible! How are you feeling? Amazing!

I loved this! Yes, it's really nice. I'd have kept this.

Yes, it is a lovely... Did you think about doing that?

We don't have the room. No...

The commission bidding starts at £1,000.

Good start! £1,150.

£1,150. £1,200.

£1,200. £1,300.

With those marks! It's still climbing.

The book is out. £1,500. £1,550.

There's two bidding against each other. Am I allowed to look?

Check them out! Where are they?

Can't see them. They just flip a piece of paper...

£1,850. Someone on the phone.

£1,900.

£2,000.

Get a new car! We'll give the other ones away!

I want to see who's bidding. Who's on the phone?

It's wonderful on the phone. Yes.

£2,600. £2,700.

£2,800.

£2,900.

£3,000.

£3,100. Unbelievable! £3,100.

£3,100.

£3,200. £3,300.

You'll get a Mercedes now!

I just want something that goes from A to B! £3,700.

£3,700? Another one? £3,800.

£3,900?

It's against you on the phone, it's in the room at £3,800.

£3,900? Yes. £3,900.

£4,000?

On the phone at £3,900.

This was a sleeper in your attic!

£3,900 on Lynne's phone. If you're all done,

£3,900.

Well done! Well done!

Brilliant!

What a superb result for Mary and Christopher.

Their watercolours combined made double the valuation!

Brian and Jan were delighted with their sale.

Worth a day out! Yeah. Thanks very much to "Flog It!"

But Joan had mixed feelings when she said goodbye to her chairs.

I wouldn't have been unhappy to take them home, because I changed my plans.

I'm not selling now.

And, still lumbered with her Poole vase and dish...

At least I won't buy another plate! My husband'll be pleased!

But the sale of the day belongs to Mary and Christopher,

who never realised their paintings would earn £5,000.

You could have cut the atmosphere in the room with a knife!

It was great! Just shows - it doesn't matter if there's a frame or not, or even if they're mounted.

Another exciting auction! See you next time on "Flog It!"