0:00:03 > 0:00:05Today we're in Peterborough,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08in search of unwanted treasures to liberate and resell.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Hopefully, somebody in this queue standing outside the cathedral
0:00:12 > 0:00:14will go home with a lot of money.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18Judging by what I've already seen in all the bags and boxes,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21we're going to have no problem at all!
0:00:21 > 0:00:25So come on, everybody, are you ready? Let's "Flog It!"!
0:00:46 > 0:00:50The locals have turned out in their droves.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55Here to sift out the prized antiques are Philip Serrell and Charlie Ross.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59As they both spent their early days trading in the livestock markets,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03I'm hoping they each manage to find something to cluck about today.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Coming up on the show, Charlie gets all hot and bothered
0:01:09 > 0:01:11when he comes across an old fan.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15That's absolutely... Pfff! I think that's staggering.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17How have you managed to look after it so well?
0:01:17 > 0:01:20The bottom falls out of Philip's world
0:01:20 > 0:01:23when he values a beautifully preserved Georgian chair.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25It's not really something you want to sit on!
0:01:25 > 0:01:27No! Not for too long, anyway!
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And I head off to the countryside to explore the fascinating life
0:01:30 > 0:01:33of Britain's first green activist
0:01:33 > 0:01:35and acclaimed 18th century peasant poet.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42It's over to Charlie for a spot of tea.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Absolutely wonderful, Pauline.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48- Presumably you know what you've got here, do you?- To a degree.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51- To a degree. You know it's a tea service.- Yes.
0:01:51 > 0:01:52CHARLIE LAUGHS
0:01:52 > 0:01:56- And you know what it's made of? - Silver.- Do you know how old it is?
0:01:56 > 0:01:58- No.- Do you know who made it?- No.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Ooh, well, I'm very excited by this.
0:02:01 > 0:02:07- This is made by Robert Hennell IV, 1874 in date.- Right.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Robert Hennell is one of the great, great names in English silversmiths.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16We have this rather swirly gadrooning decoration on here,
0:02:16 > 0:02:20- the bobbin decoration. Very ornate, isn't it?- It is.
0:02:20 > 0:02:26Very Victorian but I have to say the oval Queen Anne style teapot
0:02:26 > 0:02:29rather flies in the face of the decoration.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33This spout here you might well expect to be
0:02:33 > 0:02:35on an early-19th century teapot...
0:02:35 > 0:02:39- Mm-hm.- ..and not a late-19th century teapot.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Substantial size, plenty of cups available out of that,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46bags of room for sugar and for milk.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48I like the shape of the handles.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Here you can see a little buffer between the two bits of silver.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55- You know why that's there, don't you?- Stop your hands getting hot.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58It's a very good conductor of heat - silver.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59And if you didn't have the ivory in there,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02- you wouldn't be able to pick up the tea.- Oh, it's ivory.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03It's ivory, that's right.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Now I'm going to turn one of these pieces upside down.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Now the hallmark is spread over a distance here and
0:03:09 > 0:03:13what we have are all the elements that we would expect to find.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17We have the lion passant - that simply tells you it's silver.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20The leopard's head, that tells you it was made in...
0:03:20 > 0:03:23- I was going to say London. - London is correct, absolutely right.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28We have Queen Victoria's head here, just as a small aside.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33From 1891 until the end of her reign ten years later,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35they didn't have her head on there.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37So it's possible to have a piece of Victorian silver
0:03:37 > 0:03:38without Victoria's head on,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41but that's an aside - we can see her head there.
0:03:41 > 0:03:47And we've got a T letter date which I have checked to 1874.
0:03:47 > 0:03:52- Right.- And here we've got the magic initials RH, Robert Hennell.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57And in addition to that we've got a little mark next to it,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00that mark he put on to pieces
0:04:00 > 0:04:04- that were specifically made to order for someone.- Right.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07So this was made for somebody pretty special.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10- Was it made for your family? - Oh, no.- Oh, no!
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- No such luck. - Be nice to think that it was.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Now the other thing that's going to tell you here,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18if you look at this decoration,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22this engraving must've been put in at the same time as it was made.
0:04:22 > 0:04:28- Do you see?- Mm-hm.- There's a gap in the floral engraving here
0:04:28 > 0:04:30to make way for the lettering.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34- Yes, I understand that. - Fantastic quality.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35Going to have a quick look inside.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Do you know, I don't think anyone's ever made
0:04:40 > 0:04:44a cup of tea in their lives in there.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49Superb. Value? Come on. Have a stab.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54I was thinking perhaps somewhere between 400, maybe £500.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57I think we've got a pleasant surprise for you here.
0:04:57 > 0:05:03I've weighed these and the weight is 36/37 ounces
0:05:03 > 0:05:07but if you were to melt that down, it would come to £500 plus.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11But I think we can forget about the scrap price for Robert Hennell,
0:05:11 > 0:05:16but I'm going to be sensible and say 500-800,
0:05:16 > 0:05:21but I think we'll probably end up at 800.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23And possibly a bit more
0:05:23 > 0:05:25because it's not every day you can go to a saleroom
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and come back with a bit of Robert Hennell so I think it's sensational.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- Thank you so much for bringing it along.- You're very welcome.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I feel very privileged to see a piece of Hennell today.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40Philip is already in full swing, chatting up his first customer.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41Lynn, how are you?
0:05:41 > 0:05:43What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?!
0:05:43 > 0:05:47- It's a fabulous building.- It is.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- The ceiling's magnificent. - It's lovely.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52What's a girl like you doing with a gent's pocket watch?
0:05:52 > 0:05:55I came with my mum and my husband said,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59"Well, if you're going, see how much Granddad's watch is worth."
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- This is Granddad's watch?- Yes.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Does your husband know that you're flogging Granddad's watch?
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- Yes!- You asked him?- I have!
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- This isn't going to be the cause of a marital rift, is it?- Not at all.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- So FW Philpott, Faversham. Where's Faversham?- Kent.- Kent.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- I think that's the retailer. - I don't know.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20If we open the back, it's got three wheat sheaves,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- that's a Chester hallmark.- OK.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25- It's got .375, so it's nine-carat gold.- Nine carat.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- You know that, don't you?- I do.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- This isn't working at the moment. So, what's the value?- Can it be...?
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- Yes, it could be repaired.- It can?
0:06:33 > 0:06:38And I really hope that if this goes to auction and someone buys it,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42- that they get it repaired.- Cos it's a nice watch.- It's a lovely watch.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46- But the value of this today is in... - In the gold, I suppose.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48..is in that gold case.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51And I really, really hope that this goes to auction
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and that someone buys it
0:06:54 > 0:06:58and actually gets it fixed and gets it running.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I'd like somebody to buy it who appreciates it more than what we do.
0:07:01 > 0:07:07- It sits in a drawer. It's a shame. - People don't wear them any more.- No.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- In terms of value, it's not going to have massive value.- OK.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14I think you're going to be looking at around £100 to £150.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16- Really?- Yes.- OK.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18- And that's for the gold value. - The gold.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21And this is worth now four times what it was
0:07:21 > 0:07:23probably four, five years ago.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26So if I'd come five years ago...
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- You'd have slapped me!- Really?
0:07:29 > 0:07:33But the thing that you have to bear in mind is, when we say
0:07:33 > 0:07:36gold and silver is X per ounce or X per gram,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39- that doesn't imply that everything gets melted.- No.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- It's a base price.- It's a baseline.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46It's a starting price. You can work up from there in increments.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49We'll put a reserve on it of £100, but it would really help, I think,
0:07:49 > 0:07:54if you could give those auctioneers 10% discretion if they need it.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58- Are you happy with that? - Yes. I would've liked more, but...!
0:07:58 > 0:08:02- She'd like more!- I would! - Yeah, yeah!
0:08:02 > 0:08:05What's he going to think when he gets back from, where is he?
0:08:05 > 0:08:07The Peak District.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11- When he finds out you're flogging the family jewels...- He'll be fine!
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I've heard of selling the family silver, not the family gold!
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- He'll be fine.- Will he? What will you spend the money on?
0:08:17 > 0:08:21We're going on holiday to Malta. I'd like to swim with dolphins.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- Really? - Or maybe just a dining room carpet!
0:08:24 > 0:08:27- I think I know what I prefer. - I think I prefer dolphins, too!
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Let's get it sold and hope it does well. You might be able to do both!
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Hopefully, hopefully both.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37We'll be back to find out if Lynn's gold pocket watch
0:08:37 > 0:08:41adds some extra silver to her family's coffers in just a minute.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45First, it's Charlie's turn to transform trash into treasure
0:08:45 > 0:08:50with an unwanted item that Mark found in a junk box.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Have you been off to a boot fair?
0:08:52 > 0:08:54No, it was in the house when I moved in,
0:08:54 > 0:08:56- in a box of junk in the garage.- No!
0:08:56 > 0:08:58- So it came free with the house? - It did, yes.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01How amazing. How long did it take you to find?
0:09:01 > 0:09:04The garage was full of rubbish, and halfway through, I found that,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06so it made it quite nice.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- How extraordinary. How long ago was that?- Four years now.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- Do you know what it is? - It's a snuffbox.- It is.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14It's made of papier-mache.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I would say that it's about 1820, 1830.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- OK. - The first part of the 19th century.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24And we've got a beautiful image on the top here after Van Dyck,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26the great artist.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30And we've got here the name Van Dyck, and underneath it...
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Incidentally, before I mention the next bit,
0:09:33 > 0:09:34I'd say that I think this is German
0:09:34 > 0:09:38- because it's got German writing on the bottom here.- Good clue.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43But Van Dyck, underneath "L'apres la memes".
0:09:43 > 0:09:47- Now, that's French!- Oh. - Why have we got French writing here?
0:09:47 > 0:09:51"L'apres la memes" - "after the same".
0:09:51 > 0:09:55- In other words, this is a copy of a Van Dyck portrait.- Right, OK.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59- Shame it's not the original, isn't it?- It is, yes!
0:09:59 > 0:10:00So papier-mache snuffbox.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03We've got some German writing here, which I can't decipher,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06other than this word, which is "made by".
0:10:06 > 0:10:09It's got the names of the people that made it.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14But certainly, the writing on the inside of the cover is original,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18- which is really nice. Beautiful handwriting.- Yes.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- The problem, we have got some damage here.- Yes.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24And it's not an easy thing to repair.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28- OK.- Personally, I don't think that anybody collecting a box like this
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- would really want to repair it.- No.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33It's just charming as it is.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37I'd like to see a come-and-get-me saleroom estimate of 40 to 60.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39- Reserve at 40.- Yes.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- With any luck, the bidding will take it beyond there.- OK.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- Is that all right?- Fine. - Lovely.- Thank you.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Will Charlie's come-and-get-me valuation
0:10:47 > 0:10:51make Mark some money for nothing? Stay tuned.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54We're seeing some marvellous things come through the doors today,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and Philip Serrell has spotted a gorgeous Georgian chair.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Let's take a closer look at what he's got to say.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- Elizabeth, how are you?- Fine. - Have you come far?- Cleethorpes.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- You got this in the car all right? - With a bit of help!
0:11:06 > 0:11:08I think this is fantastic!
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- And everybody at home will think that you brought a chair along.- Yes.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15- But there's a few telltale signs that we know it's not a chair.- Yes.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19The first clue is, this has got a really deep frieze along the front.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22The frieze is that little bit there.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25And it's deep because its job is to hide something, isn't it?
0:11:25 > 0:11:26It certainly is!
0:11:26 > 0:11:28What it's hiding is a gazunder.
0:11:28 > 0:11:33There would've been a pot in there, and this is actually a commode.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- Yes.- All right? But I think it's just fabulous.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39So tell me, has this been in your family a long, long time?
0:11:39 > 0:11:42I remember my grandma having it in her house,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46and I inherited it from my Auntie Joyce.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47- Your Auntie Joyce.- Yes.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50- So it's come down the line the last 100 or so years.- Yes.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52What I love about this... Let's start at the top.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56I love these wonderful carved ears at the back,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58and that top cresting rail.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03And then as we work down, we've got that marvellous central splat there.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08For me, one of the best bits of this chair, look at that arm.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11- Very touchable, aren't they? - Yes, it starts there,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14and it comes round in that wonderful sweep.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18- And then you've got this great turning at the end. OK?- Right!
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- Do you know what timber it's made of?- I wasn't sure if it was oak.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22- It's oak?- I wondered.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- No, it's mahogany!- Right! Fair enough!- It's mahogany!
0:12:25 > 0:12:27How old do you think it is?
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Well, I know my grandma used it, but it predates her.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33So, your grandma would be... What, that would be about 1920?
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- No, earlier than that.- 1900?
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Yes, just prior to 1900.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- So, this could be 1860?- Right.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42- But it's not.- Right.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47Thomas Chippendale wrote his directory in, I think it was 1755,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50and that was basically his design book for furniture.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54And I think this chair, it's not by Thomas Chippendale,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56but it's to one of his designs,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00and I would think that this was made in England, out of mahogany,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03between 1760 and 1770.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07- Wow!- And I just think it's a fabulous, fabulous thing.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08And I'd love to own it.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10- Its one big drawback...- Yes.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14- ..it's a commode!- Yes. - And whichever way you look at it,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17you don't really want a commode in your front room, do you?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20- That's where it sits!- Does it?
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- What's it worth? - I thought about £50.- £50.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Anybody got £50 I can give this good lady for it?
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Well, let's play a game. Forget it's a commode.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- If this was a chair, what would it be worth?- I've no idea.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Well, the market's dipped a bit in brown furniture,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40but I think, at its height, a chair like this would've been £300-500.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43- Wow.- But, and this is a massive but...- The commode.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46..the fact that it's a commode, it really does bring it down.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50And I think we need to estimate it at £100 to £150.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53I think we'll put a fixed reserve of £80.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56And if you have a really good day, it could fly through that.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59I'd love to own it. It's a really good-looking thing.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01- Happy to put this in auction?- Yes.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04It's not something you want to sit on and think about, is it?
0:14:04 > 0:14:06No! Not for too long, anyway!
0:14:06 > 0:14:09It may be a commode, but it has excellent provenance.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14If you've got any unwanted antiques or collectables you want to sell,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17we would love to see you bring them along to one of our valuation days
0:14:17 > 0:14:20and you could end up going home with a lot of money at auction.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22To check out up-and-coming dates and venues,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26just log on to our BBC website at bbc.co.uk/flogit.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Follow the links and all the information will be there,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31plus a lot more about what goes on behind the scenes.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47That's our first selection of items found
0:14:47 > 0:14:51and here's a quick reminder of what we're taking off to auction.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Of course you can never tell what's going to happen at the auction
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and even the best valuations are in the fate of the bidders on the day.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01We're at Batemans Saleroom in Stamford this week,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05where auctioneer David Palmer is wielding the gavel.
0:15:08 > 0:15:09All salerooms charge commission.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13At this auction house, they charge 15% plus VAT.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18And it looks as though the auction is about to start,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21so let's head straight into the saleroom.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24It's Elizabeth's commode. Philip put the valuation on it.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27- Who've you brought?- My nephew, Christian.- Hi. Pleased to meet you.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30You gave up your Saturday to come to an auction!
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Why are you selling the commode chair?
0:15:32 > 0:15:35It doesn't fit properly anywhere, does it?
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- Where do you put a commode? - I don't know!
0:15:37 > 0:15:41I've got to say, put a cushion on it, stick it in the hallway
0:15:41 > 0:15:42and you've got a great antique!
0:15:42 > 0:15:46- It's worth £100 for the arms. - Yes! And the back!- Wonderful.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Here it is, look on the screen up there.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Old Georgian commode. 50 quid!
0:15:51 > 0:15:5450 quid for the commode! 50? 50 here.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56- He's really selling it. - That's a good selling point.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00All done at £50? Is that it? Are you done with it at 50?
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Take five anywhere. Nothing on the net? 50 only?
0:16:03 > 0:16:0855. 60. 65. 70. 75.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10The cameras are rolling. Go again.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13At 75. Try the 80.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16It's worth it, madam.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18We've got an £80 reserve on this.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21This is why the auctioneer is trying very hard for 80.
0:16:21 > 0:16:22We are just one bid away.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25It's worth 80. Are you sure?
0:16:25 > 0:16:27This is a tense moment, isn't it?
0:16:27 > 0:16:30You're finished and done? It's against the lady there.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33I'm afraid it's not being sold. If you went 80, you'd buy it.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Yes! 80!
0:16:36 > 0:16:40With the lady now at £80. I sell at 80,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44unless someone else is going to bid!
0:16:44 > 0:16:48The lady there at 80. All done at 80.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- It's gone. - I'm sort of speechless, really.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54I am a bit. I was rather hoping that wouldn't sell then.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57You kind of live by the sword, don't you?
0:16:57 > 0:17:01- At least we haven't got to carry it back.- That's a plus factor.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Hopefully, that chair is going to go to somebody that's going to use it
0:17:04 > 0:17:06and love it and that's the main thing, isn't it?
0:17:06 > 0:17:10It's got another 200 years of life at least left in it.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- It has, hasn't it?- Mm, yes.
0:17:13 > 0:17:14Thanks to auctioneer David Palmer,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17that commode managed to meet its reserve.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Let's see if Mark's snuffbox can create a bigger stink.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Our next lot sums up exactly what the antiques trade is all about.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26It couldn't be any greener
0:17:26 > 0:17:30because things keep getting recycled over and over again.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34And this next item, this snuffbox, belonging to Mark,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- was found in an old garage in the house you bought?- It was.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Instead of it being thrown away,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42- it's back on the market and it gets recycled.- Exactly.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44- That's what it's all about, isn't it?- It is!
0:17:44 > 0:17:48- And by Van Dyck after all! - THEY LAUGH
0:17:48 > 0:17:51- Hopefully pay the mortgage off, won't it?- Yes!
0:17:51 > 0:17:55Let's hope it reaches the £40 or £50 mark. That'd be great, wouldn't it?
0:17:55 > 0:17:57It would be nice.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00We're going to find out. It's going under the hammer now.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02The papier-mache snuffbox
0:18:02 > 0:18:06with the portrait of Van Dyck in profile.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Probably a self-portrait.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12This could be an important, undiscovered work!
0:18:12 > 0:18:16- That'd be nice! - He's bigging this up, old David!
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Have a gamble. 20. Take two now. 22. 25. 28.
0:18:19 > 0:18:2130. £30. 32. 35.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25- Getting to the top end really quickly.- At £40 now.
0:18:25 > 0:18:2745. 48. 48. 50.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31At 50. Goes at £50. On the net at 50.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Van Dyck was an important artist. He was a court painter.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40- And a secret supplier of snuff! - LAUGHTER
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Here then at 50. Sold on the net at 50?
0:18:42 > 0:18:43Who's in the room? Nobody?
0:18:43 > 0:18:47On the net, then, at £50. Sell at 50.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50It's gone down. We're happy with that. £50.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- Because that was going to get thrown.- It was.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56It really is amazing what people leave when they move.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59It's extraordinary! A Mini and a Van Dyck!
0:19:01 > 0:19:05A decent mid-estimate result for Charlie and a few riches for Mark.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Lynn's unwanted heirloom is up next,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11so let's see if it ticks any of the bidders' boxes.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And going under the hammer right now, we have a watch.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17But not mine because my wife bought me this and I'd never sell it.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19It was my engagement present.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21It's not technically Lynn's watch, either.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26- It's been in the family a long time. - It was my husband's granddad's.- OK.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- So it's been passed through the family.- Yep.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Don't you want to let the next generation look after it?
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- I don't think my boys would like it. - They probably don't now.
0:19:34 > 0:19:35They might do when they're older.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38But it's too late then. You can't buy back your heritage.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40- Look, it's your decision, OK.- Yes.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Hopefully, we'll get top end, around 100, 150.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46If you're going to sell precious metals, now's the time, isn't it?
0:19:46 > 0:19:51Yes. Good luck. Here we go, this is it. Find out what the bidders think.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56It's a nine-carat, gold-cased watch by W Philpott of Faversham.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00That's nice! The sort of thing you should have if you have a waistcoat.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02- Yes!- Ooh.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04£50 for it. 50 I'm bid. 50.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Five. 60. Five. 70. Five. 80.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Five. 90.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Standing at 90 now. Goes, then, at 90.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- Is that it? - We're selling, aren't we?- Yes.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18- 95. 100.- It's gone.- 110.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20120. 130. 140.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Now we're getting the top end.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26- In the room at 140. Goes, then, at £140.- Come on, push them!
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Right at the back at 140. Nobody else? Finished at 140.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Net, you are out. Room at 140.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- That's good.- That was very good. Well done, David Palmer.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- Much better than I thought it would go.- Very good.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46And I've got high hopes for our next item.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53This could be a rollercoaster ride, especially for Pauline here.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55We're just about to sell that Victorian tea service
0:20:55 > 0:20:56and there is a lot of silver there.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58I mean, this is gorgeous, this is the best thing -
0:20:58 > 0:21:03not just in our sale today, but I think in the whole auction.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05- Yeah, I agree with you. - And it's yours.- It is!
0:21:05 > 0:21:07There's no better maker.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13The Victorian three-piece silver tea service there.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Robert Hennell, nice little lot. We go straight in, £400.
0:21:16 > 0:21:17400. Take 20 now.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19400. 420. At 420.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20440. 460. 480.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23500. 520. 540. 560.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25580. 600.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27At £600 now. Is that it? At 600.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30620. 640.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32650. 660. At 660.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34You in? 680. 680. 700.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36At £700 now.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39720. 720. At 720.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Sell then at £720 now. Nobody else?
0:21:42 > 0:21:44- It's going in the room at 720.- 720.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49The room at 720. All done. At £720. Nobody else?
0:21:49 > 0:21:52- Well done. - Thank you very much.- £720.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56It's gone to the London silver trade in the back of the room.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59- I recognise them. - Happy?- Very. Very happy.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07I've left the hustle and bustle of the saleroom
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and headed to this exquisite landscape,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13which, for me, encapsulates a thoroughly romantic picture
0:22:13 > 0:22:16of the English countryside.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19When it comes to English Romantic poets,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Keats, Byron and Wordsworth are probably on the tip of your tongues
0:22:23 > 0:22:24as the three most memorable.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28If I mention the name John Clare, I bet it doesn't ring many bells,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30and to tell you the truth, it didn't with me.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34But towards the end of the 18th and the early part of the 19th century,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37he was celebrated as one of our greatest poets,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39even outselling Keats.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42So, how come not many of us have heard of him?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45I've come to the picturesque village of Helpston,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49nestling between Peterborough and Stamford, to find out.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52This picture-postcard village is where John Clare lived
0:22:52 > 0:22:55for the first 40 years of his life,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58between 1793 and 1832.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04He grew up in an impoverished and illiterate family,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and from a very early age he worked the land around here
0:23:07 > 0:23:09as an agricultural labourer.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14"So moping flat And low our valleys lie
0:23:14 > 0:23:17"So dull and muggy Is our winter sky
0:23:17 > 0:23:20"Drizzling from day to day Dull threats of rain
0:23:20 > 0:23:23"And when that falls Still threatening on again
0:23:23 > 0:23:27"From one wet week So great an ocean flows
0:23:27 > 0:23:30"That every village to an island grows."
0:23:32 > 0:23:35And you can see why it inspired him, can't you?
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Even on a dull, wet morning like this,
0:23:37 > 0:23:41with no leaves on the trees, it's still hauntingly beautiful.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Clare's genius lay in his ability to observe and record
0:23:44 > 0:23:48every aspect of nature and English rural life.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51He had a unique voice, perhaps provocative,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54because he was writing at a time when this landscape was under threat
0:23:54 > 0:23:57by the Industrial Revolution engulfing everything
0:23:57 > 0:24:00and the subsequent Enclosures legislation.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04You could say he was perhaps Britain's first green activist.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Unlike his affluent and educated contemporaries,
0:24:07 > 0:24:08John Clare was self-taught.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11So the fact that he became a poet at all
0:24:11 > 0:24:13is nothing short of a miracle.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18"And yet I am!
0:24:18 > 0:24:20"And live with shadows tost
0:24:20 > 0:24:26"Into the nothingness of scorn and noise,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30"Into the living sea of waking dreams,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34"Where there is neither sense of life nor joys,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37"But the vast shipwreck of my life's esteems."
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Life for the Clare family was tough,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44and young John had to take on the responsibility
0:24:44 > 0:24:47of supporting all of them at just 12 years old
0:24:47 > 0:24:49when his father became ill.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53His first job was as a potboy here at The Bluebell pub,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55right next door to their small tenement.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Several families lived here in this house at any one time,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08and I can tell you, the footprint of the building isn't that big.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12They lived here cheek by jowl, trying to make ends meet.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16John and his family would've lived in this one room,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20plus the room upstairs, which would've been their bedroom.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21An incredibly small space.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25And John's family was rather large. Nine children, two died in infancy,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27but at any one time,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30there were always six kids living here with him.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Of course, he had his extended family, as well.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34He had his sister, he had his parents
0:25:34 > 0:25:38and his grandmother living in the next rooms.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42I guess he would've worked at the table in front of the fire.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45But that is the one saving grace, I think, of the whole space,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49this vast inglenook fireplace engulfing this tiny room.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52It would've kept them very warm and snug.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Despite all the hardship,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Clare developed his creative voice,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and in 1820 his first volume was published.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08What set him apart from other poets
0:26:08 > 0:26:11was the fact that he chose to draw on his local dialect,
0:26:11 > 0:26:16using words such as "pooty" for snail, and "crizzle" to crisp.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18It won him huge admiration
0:26:18 > 0:26:23and he was affectionately known as Northamptonshire's Peasant Poet.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28But sadly, the success was short-lived.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Just as Clare was finding his literary voice,
0:26:30 > 0:26:35tastes started to turn to a new style of writing, the novel,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38and a fickle public chose to ignore him.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42His subsequent works fell out of favour.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Clare didn't help himself.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48He began womanising and drinking and soon sank into depression,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51which rapidly developed into a serious mental illness.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55In 1837, he was admitted to an asylum in Epping.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59He began suffering delusions that he was Byron and Shakespeare
0:26:59 > 0:27:03and that he also had two wives.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Clare spent his last days in an asylum in Northampton.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09The notes in his medical file say he was suffering
0:27:09 > 0:27:14from years addicted to "poetical prosings".
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Clare died in 1864, aged 70,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20his celebrity all but forgotten.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27So few of us know who John Clare was. But his work is being revived,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30thanks to The John Clare Society in North America
0:27:30 > 0:27:32and The John Clare Trust.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35In 2005, they purchased his cottage
0:27:35 > 0:27:38and set about faithfully restoring it.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42The good news is, the cottage is now open to the public,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45so it is open to a whole new audience.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49You can come and visit the place, learn about John Clare's life,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51read his works,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54take in the garden and landscape - the things that inspired him -
0:27:54 > 0:27:56and also build on his legacy,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00write some poetry of your own and post it here in the dovecote.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09We're back at our valuation day, where a pair of Delft plates
0:28:09 > 0:28:13brought in by Marion have turned Charlie's head.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18It was the colouring of these plates that really took my eye.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Of course, the closer I got to them,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23the more I became aware of the rather sad condition of them.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27- How long have you had them? - I've had them about four years.
0:28:27 > 0:28:32They were inherited by my mother over 20 years ago, about 1989.
0:28:32 > 0:28:33Did they come with a history?
0:28:33 > 0:28:37I think the elderly cousin that my mother inherited them from,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40I think she had them on the wall, because they had hangers round them.
0:28:40 > 0:28:45Classic thing that people did. These are tin-glazed.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49You see the thick glazing with a certain amount of tin in it,
0:28:49 > 0:28:51and they chip very easily.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53A little chip, nobody minds,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56but a huge great bite is a different matter.
0:28:56 > 0:29:01- What do you think they are?- Well, I was understood they were Delft,
0:29:01 > 0:29:02possibly English Delft.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05- Yes.- But not really sure. - We've had a real discussion here,
0:29:05 > 0:29:10because my original thought was possibly Liverpool Delft,
0:29:10 > 0:29:11Bristol Delft,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14but it's really quite possible that they are Dutch Delft.
0:29:14 > 0:29:19The vibrant yellow seems to me something of a Dutch influence.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24- How old are they? - I thought late 1700 and something.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Earlier than that. But you're in the right century.
0:29:26 > 0:29:32They're 18th century. I would put them at 1740, 1750.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36- So they've done remarkably well really, haven't they?- They have.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38And the one thing about Delft
0:29:38 > 0:29:41is that the damage isn't terminal with them.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45A certain amount of wear is acceptable with something like this,
0:29:45 > 0:29:47almost part of the charm.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50I'm going to just turn this over here.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54This is a problem, the crack. But it's still in one piece.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56I can see it's been taped up at some stage.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59We haven't done that, but I think it was at one time.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01I don't think it's been in pieces.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05It's just possible they glued it and then taped it.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08There are still people that will buy,
0:30:08 > 0:30:10even in this condition,
0:30:10 > 0:30:13because of the academic interest of them,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15and also, because actually,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18- even with the chips, they would look lovely on a dresser.- Yes.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21- Have you had them on display? - No. They've always been packed up.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24We only rediscovered them a few weeks ago.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27- Why don't we let someone else enjoy them?- We could.
0:30:27 > 0:30:28- Is that reasonable?- Yes.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30Have you ever had them valued?
0:30:30 > 0:30:33My husband took them up to a well-known auction house.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38- Yes.- And they said they thought they might be worth about £100.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41I think they might struggle to make £100.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44But I'm going to put these at 80 to 120.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47You see a lot of things at 80 to 120. Perhaps people will say,
0:30:47 > 0:30:50"He doesn't know what they're worth."
0:30:50 > 0:30:52That is what I think they are worth.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54I would suggest we put them at 80 to 120,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57with a discretionary reserve at £80.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- What do you think?- Do we need it is as high as that, the reserve?
0:31:00 > 0:31:04We don't need to, madam! We can go as low as you like!
0:31:04 > 0:31:08- We thought about 30 or 40 and we'd let them go.- 30 or 40.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11I don't think that's a true reflection of the value,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14so I'm prepared to do a compromise.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17I would like to keep the valuation at 80 to 120,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20- but I'll settle with a reserve of 40.- All right, then.
0:31:20 > 0:31:26If they don't make £40, put 'em back in a box! I know you don't want to.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Give them to me for Christmas!
0:31:28 > 0:31:31- I don't think you're allowed to do that!- No! All right!
0:31:31 > 0:31:35I agree. It would be a shame to see those plates go for peanuts.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39Here's hoping someone will come to their rescue.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42On the other table, Gillian is keeping Philip highly entertained
0:31:42 > 0:31:45with a few showbiz stories.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Are you a Shakespearean girl?
0:31:47 > 0:31:51Not really, no. We went to see this at Stratford.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53- You went to this?- Yes.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57As you see, it was 60 years ago. I can't believe it.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00- And you went and you saw Robert Hardy...- Yes.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04..Michael Redgrave and Richard Burton, later to become Mr Taylor.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08- Indeed!- Those were the days.- Twice! - Twice Mr Taylor.
0:32:08 > 0:32:13- Who's this famous lady at the top? - That's me.- Oh, right, OK.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18I got these two when we sent the programmes to the theatre
0:32:18 > 0:32:21- asking if they could get the signatures.- Yes.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25- They came back with Michael Redgrave and Richard Burton.- Yes.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29Then later on, about 20 years later,
0:32:29 > 0:32:33- I went to a carol concert where Robert Hardy read a lesson.- Yes.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36- And so I thought, "Right..." - You nobbled him.
0:32:36 > 0:32:37I nobbled him and said,
0:32:37 > 0:32:42"Please would you sign this programme that I got?
0:32:42 > 0:32:46"And you were in it." And so he said yes and signed it.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50- What do you think they're worth? - I'd like to get £50.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53I looked earlier, and I can tell you,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56two of Richard Burton's autographs sold in the last five years,
0:32:56 > 0:32:58- that I can trace.- Yes.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01And one, I think, made £50 and one made £160.
0:33:01 > 0:33:07- The 160 one was on a photograph postcard, so that's worth more.- Yes.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10- But we've got Redgrave and Hardy. - Yes.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14- I think we should put an estimate on them of perhaps £40 to £60?- Yes.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19- Shall we perhaps put a reserve on them of £35?- OK. That's great.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22- It'll be a bit disappointing if they only made 35.- OK.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26But with a bit of luck, you might get your 50 or 60.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28- We might.- Are you happy with that? - Yes, indeed.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30This is your "Flog It!" day out.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33This is my "Flog It!" day out indeed!
0:33:33 > 0:33:38And I've really enjoyed it. It's been fantastic. Yeah.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Let's hope that programme razzles and dazzles the bidders
0:33:42 > 0:33:44when it goes under the gavel.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48Meanwhile, temperatures are soaring over on Charlie's side of the room.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Now, Terry and Jackie, you have brought along a fan,
0:33:51 > 0:33:56and I don't think I've seen a fan in such wonderful condition.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58How have you managed to look after it so well?
0:33:58 > 0:34:02It's just been tucked away in a drawer for about 15 years.
0:34:02 > 0:34:03- 15 years?- Yes.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08- Did you inherit it?- No, we bought it in a box of odds and ends.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10- You bought it in a box of odds and ends?- We did.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13- I suppose you could do that in those days.- You could.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15But this was one you didn't like.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17We thought it was something special,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20but we didn't want to use it and didn't know what to do with it,
0:34:20 > 0:34:25- so we just put it away, as you do. - Well, you do, I don't!
0:34:25 > 0:34:29I wouldn't have tucked it away! I'd have come running to "Flog It!"!
0:34:29 > 0:34:33- What else was in the box? - I can't remember. Bits and pieces.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36I reckon you brought the best bit along today.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40- This is Cantonese. Do you know how old it is?- No.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- Have a guess. - Turn of the century, last century?
0:34:43 > 0:34:47You're rather good at this! This is about 1890, 1900.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50And this is the sort of thing that, frankly, in terms of value,
0:34:50 > 0:34:54has gone through the roof in the last five years or so.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58And what I particularly like about it is the way that,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00if you look from strand to strand,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03it tells a story all the way through.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07If you follow one figure, for example, you take a figure here,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10half of his body's on that panel, half of his body's on THAT panel.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14And same with the trees. It tells a story all the way through.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16It is quite remarkable quality.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20I'm sure it's ivory. I needed to check that it wasn't plastic.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23- Well, may seem silly... - We were unsure.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27Plastic dates from a lot earlier than a lot of people think.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29But this is undoubtedly ivory.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33You can see it's been closed up all its life
0:35:33 > 0:35:38because it's slightly discoloured on the outside parts of the fan.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40But I'm delighted with it.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42How much did you pay for this box of stuff?
0:35:42 > 0:35:45- A pound.- What?!- BOTH: A pound!
0:35:45 > 0:35:49- Did that include the box? - We got the box included, yes!
0:35:49 > 0:35:52That's absolutely... Pfff! I think that's staggering!
0:35:52 > 0:35:55- What it's worth?- 100?
0:35:55 > 0:35:56More.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58- 200?- I think more.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00- Really?- I really do.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03- I think this could be worth 300-400.- Crikey!
0:36:03 > 0:36:06- Crumbs!- Yes!- That's amazing.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08I'll be sensible with the estimate.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11I'll put 200 to 300 on it. I don't want to go over the top.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14We need to have an estimate that will entice people
0:36:14 > 0:36:17to get on the net from the Far East
0:36:17 > 0:36:19and pop their bids in.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22- So I think £200-300, if you're happy with that?- Yes!
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Sounds as if you might be!
0:36:24 > 0:36:25We'll put a reserve of 200.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28My advice to you, if it doesn't make 200,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31it will somewhere at some other time,
0:36:31 > 0:36:33so don't sell it for less than 200.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36I know 50 sounds a lot against £1,
0:36:36 > 0:36:40but it's worth 200-300, minimum.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43I can't believe Terry and Jackie only paid a pound
0:36:43 > 0:36:45for that exquisite ivory fan.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Remember, there are strict rules on selling ivory
0:36:47 > 0:36:53but that fan is fine because it dates well before 1947.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56Let's go over to Philip as he tries to put a price on the unusual
0:36:56 > 0:36:58pepper shakers that Evelyn has brought in.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03- Are you on your own today?- Yes. - And are these yours or...?
0:37:03 > 0:37:06- No, they belong to my husband.- Does he know you've brought them?- Yes.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09- But he'll be able to make the auction?- Yes.- That'll be good.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13- How long has he had these?- Not too long, about four years.- Four years?
0:37:13 > 0:37:14- Yeah.- Did he inherit them or buy them?
0:37:14 > 0:37:16They belong to a friend of mine
0:37:16 > 0:37:21and my husband helped her move house and he wouldn't take money from her
0:37:21 > 0:37:23and she knew that he liked the antiques so she gave him
0:37:23 > 0:37:25a whole load of antiques.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Can I ask you a question - a whole load of antiques?
0:37:27 > 0:37:31- Yes, a whole cabinet full.- What's his daily rate?- What, to move house?
0:37:31 > 0:37:35- Yes!- I don't know. - So he got well paid.- Yes, he did.
0:37:35 > 0:37:36Well, I think these are lovely.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39We've got the hare and this should be a tortoise really, shouldn't it?
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Yes, it should.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45But we've got a very wise owl and they're a base metal
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and these heads unscrew because you know what they are, don't you?
0:37:48 > 0:37:51- I think they're both peppers. - They're peppers, aren't they?- Yes.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56And this one you can just see there the heads screw in,
0:37:56 > 0:37:57we've got glass eyes.
0:37:57 > 0:38:04I would think that they would date around about 1890-1910,
0:38:04 > 0:38:05- something like that. - Ooh, as old as that?
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Yeah, but they're collectable and lots of people can't afford
0:38:09 > 0:38:13silver ones and so these, in a way, they're almost like a substitute.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18- I think you should estimate these at £50-80.- Right.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21- We'll put a fixed reserve on them at £40.- Yes.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24And then I think they'll do well. Will he be pleased at that?
0:38:24 > 0:38:27- Oh, yes.- Won't shout at me if I get it wrong at the auction, will he?
0:38:27 > 0:38:28No, not at all.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Evelyn, you're a star.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32- Thank you so much for bringing them in.- You're welcome.
0:38:32 > 0:38:33Thank you very much.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Will the bidders go wild for those animal pepper shakers?
0:38:36 > 0:38:38All will be revealed soon.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45We've got our four items, now we're taking them off to the sale.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Let's hope the bidders will want to snap them up.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56It's Evelyn up next and she's brought husband Dave along with her.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59- Happy with the valuation? - Yeah, it's fine, yeah.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Well, hopefully we'll get that top end. Why have you decided to sell?
0:39:02 > 0:39:04Well, got several things in a cabinet
0:39:04 > 0:39:06- and they just really need offloaded. - Too much stuff.- OK.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Nice little items, Philip.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10Yeah, I'm glad you're pleased with the valuation,
0:39:10 > 0:39:12I hope you're pleased with the price.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14- I think they'll do all right, actually.- I do, too.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17- And I think we should get the top end plus a bit more.- I hope so.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20Yeah, we're going to find out right now. This is it.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Two animal pepper shakers.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Oh, the hare. It's a hare, isn't it?
0:39:24 > 0:39:25And an owl. That's neat.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27I like that hare and the owl.
0:39:27 > 0:39:2920 quid. For nothing!
0:39:29 > 0:39:31£20. 28.
0:39:31 > 0:39:3430. 32. 35. 38 I've got.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36At 38. Net, go 40. 40.
0:39:36 > 0:39:3942. 45. At 45.
0:39:39 > 0:39:40You in on this, on the phone?
0:39:40 > 0:39:4348 with the net. At 48. Oh, come on.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45This hare is seriously cool.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49At 48 I sell with the net. At £48. Nobody else?
0:39:49 > 0:39:52Done then at £48. You're all done at 48.
0:39:52 > 0:39:5450. 55.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57- I think the hare is lovely actually. - It's all on the internet, you see.
0:39:57 > 0:40:02- At 55.- This is where the collectors are.- The faceless bidder at £55.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Nobody else? Done at 55.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08£55, the hammer's gone down.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10- That was a good estimate. - That's OK, spot-on, Philip.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12Do you know, it must be really hard being an owner
0:40:12 > 0:40:15because you get here and you see how wonderful the item looks.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18I bet most of our owners go, "I wish I wasn't selling this."
0:40:18 > 0:40:21When they looked that good, I nearly bought them myself.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23I have to say they flatter to deceive a bit.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28They looked good and they managed to make a pretty good price, too.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Things are flying out the door
0:40:31 > 0:40:33and I hope you've enjoyed watching the show so far!
0:40:33 > 0:40:34Well, don't go away,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38because right now it's a classic case of buy-one-get-one-free.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40I've just been joined by Marion and Charlie.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44Going under the hammer, two Delft plates, one with a whopping crack.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48- Why are you selling them?- They've been in a cupboard for 20-odd years
0:40:48 > 0:40:50since my mother inherited them.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52She always wanted to sell them.
0:40:52 > 0:40:57Marion didn't like my reserve of 80! Do you know what she did? Halved it!
0:40:57 > 0:41:01Let's find out what the bidders think of these wonderful plates.
0:41:01 > 0:41:02The oldest thing in the sale today
0:41:02 > 0:41:05and it's possibly the oldest thing in the room so far.
0:41:05 > 0:41:06Here we go. This is it.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11Two mid-18th century Delft plates. These are rather nice.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14£20 for those. 20. Two. 25. 28.
0:41:14 > 0:41:1730. At 30 now. Done, then, at £30.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22Surely... We're not done. We're far from done.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24£40.
0:41:24 > 0:41:2842. At 42. On the net at £42.
0:41:28 > 0:41:3145. New money at 45.
0:41:31 > 0:41:3548. 50 off you, madam. 55. You're too slow anyway.
0:41:35 > 0:41:3855. Here at 55. 60.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42- We're getting there slowly to a respectable figure.- 70.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45In the room at 70. 75.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48At 75. 80. With the lady at 80.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52- I feel justified now! - I sell in the room at 80.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55You've lit the screen up. I don't know if that's a bid or not.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59In the room at 80. With you, madam, at 80. Nobody else?
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Sold on the second row at 80. They are that big in real life.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Goes then at £80.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Crack! Yes! That's more like it, isn't it?
0:42:07 > 0:42:11- Didn't it struggle to start with? - Yes.- Phew, dear!
0:42:11 > 0:42:13At least I'm not going to have to collect them back again!
0:42:13 > 0:42:14No. Thank you.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17- Thank you very much indeed. - Thank you.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19They may not have been in the best of condition,
0:42:19 > 0:42:23but Marion's plates certainly did some damage in the saleroom.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27On stage now, Michael Redgrave, Richard Burton and Robert Hardy.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Well, in the Shakespeare programme, that is.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33They belong to Gill. Unfortunately, she cannot make it today.
0:42:33 > 0:42:38But the curtain's rising for our lead star, it's Mr Philip Serrell!
0:42:38 > 0:42:40She was lovely! What's happened to Gill?
0:42:40 > 0:42:42She's not very well today, sadly.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- Oh!- Get well soon, anyway. - You get well.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Now, Richard Burton, one of my favourite actors. What a voice.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52- Surely Richard Burton's worth £60 alone, isn't he?- You'd think so.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56We're going to find out if there are any "actor"
0:42:56 > 0:42:58kind of luvvie-types that would want to buy this!
0:42:58 > 0:43:01- They're going under the hammer now! - There's one here!
0:43:03 > 0:43:05The signed theatre programme.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Who's it signed by? Michael Redgrave. Various interest in this.
0:43:09 > 0:43:1325, 28. At 28 now. 32. 35.
0:43:13 > 0:43:18At 35. Is that it? A little bit of theatrical memorabilia.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22All done at £35. Done at 35.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25- It's gone. - It's gone. It's had its time.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29The thing is, the internet makes everybody aware that it's available,
0:43:29 > 0:43:31so it's made its money.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35- Let's just hope that Gill gets better.- Yes.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38It hit Philip's reserve bang on.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42Let's hope that £35 brought some colour back to Gillian's cheeks.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Now for the last of today's lots
0:43:45 > 0:43:49and I'm really hoping we hit the jackpot with this one.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51- Great to see you again. - BOTH: Thanks.- Excited?
0:43:51 > 0:43:53- Yes.- Nervous, yes.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56- Which one of you found it?- Me.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59We've got a value of £200-300. I had a chat to the senior valuer here,
0:43:59 > 0:44:03Kate Bateman, she said totally agree with the valuation.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07We've got an awful lot of Chinese and Eastern artefacts in the sale.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11It's bringing in overseas buyers. Hopefully, they'll pick up on this.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Looking round, there's one or two people
0:44:14 > 0:44:18- who I think might well be having a bid for this.- Yes.- Good.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21So we could have a big surprise on our hands.
0:44:21 > 0:44:22Now, steady!
0:44:25 > 0:44:27The Cantonese ivory fan.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30As you open it up, all the figures follow through.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32They make a little story.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34Let's start at £150. 150 I'm bid.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36150. 160. 170. 180.
0:44:36 > 0:44:41190. At £190 now. Done, then, at 190. 200. 220.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44220. 240. 260. 280.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48- 300.- We're there already.- 360. 380.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50400. 400. 420. 440.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54460. 480. 500. 5...50.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56- 600.- 600. At 600 now.
0:44:56 > 0:44:57- 620.- 650.- 700.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01- 750.- I'm lost for words. - At 750. 800. 850.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04- I must brush up on my Cantonese valuations!- 900. 950.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06At 950. 1,000.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09At 1,000 now. And 50.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12- 1,050.- 1,050!- I have 1,050.
0:45:12 > 0:45:161,100. 1,150. At 1,150.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18Phone, are you in? 1,200.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20- 1,250.- Wow, Charlie.
0:45:20 > 0:45:241,300. 1,350. Net at 1,350.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Yes, get in now. 1,400. At 1,400.
0:45:27 > 0:45:32- And 50.- 1,450.- 1,500? Yes.
0:45:32 > 0:45:351,500. 1,550.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37- 1,600. - LAUGHTER
0:45:37 > 0:45:40- The phone at 1,600.- And 50.- 1,650.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44- That's amazing. That is incredible. - 1,700.- Wow.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47- 1,750.- Jackie!- I know. - There's tears.
0:45:47 > 0:45:481,800.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51Phone at 1,800. £1,800. Anybody else?
0:45:51 > 0:45:54- And 50.- 1,850.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56- 1,900?- No.
0:45:56 > 0:46:01At 1,850. I sell with the internet at £1,850.
0:46:01 > 0:46:06- Jackie.- I daren't look. - At 1,850. Down here at 1,850.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09Any of you in the room?
0:46:09 > 0:46:12- Oh, my goodness me! - That's wonderful.- Wow!
0:46:12 > 0:46:15- That's amazing!- Tears in the eyes!
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Never mind, Charlie, you can be wrong as often as you like!
0:46:17 > 0:46:21I'm going to become a decorator!
0:46:21 > 0:46:24- Who would know?- That's fantastic.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26- That is absolutely amazing. - Extraordinary.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28That's where the big money is, the Far East.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30Buying back their heritage.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34It's a lot of money. There's commission. It's 15%, plus VAT.
0:46:34 > 0:46:35But enjoy it.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38- You probably hadn't thought about what you'd spend £200 on.- No!
0:46:38 > 0:46:40This is a lot of money.
0:46:40 > 0:46:46What a marvellous way to end such a brilliant day here in Stamford!
0:46:46 > 0:46:48Everyone has gone home so happy!
0:46:48 > 0:46:50If you've got something like that, we want to see it.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52Bring it to a valuation day. But for now,
0:46:52 > 0:46:56well, I think we're all going out to celebrate, don't you?
0:46:56 > 0:46:59It's cheerio. See you next time for more surprises.