0:00:03 > 0:00:07I'm in the Leicestershire countryside, a few miles from Melton Mowbray, the rural food capital,
0:00:07 > 0:00:10home to Stilton cheese and the humble pork pie.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14But there's no time to be thinking about eating today, because we're here to Flog It!
0:00:36 > 0:00:41And continuing our tasty theme, we're in a rather tasty location.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46Our setting today is the resplendent grounds of Stapleford Park.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48With a history dating back to King Arthur,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51and connections to William the Conqueror,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54it seems to be the perfect setting for our team of experts
0:00:54 > 0:00:57to get stuck in to all those antiques and collectables.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02MUSIC: I'm So Excited by The Pointer Sisters
0:01:02 > 0:01:05And it seems there's already quite a queue dishing out items
0:01:05 > 0:01:07for our experts to sample.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Forget the furniture. Think of the weather!
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Elizabeth Talbot and Mark Stacey are already watering at the mouth.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16I feel quite excited about it, actually.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21- I'm very excited. I'm trying to contain my excitement.- I'm sure.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Gosh, you've got a lot of interesting things, haven't you?
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Well, that looks rather nice.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31- That's lovely, isn't it?- I got that in Edinburgh.- It's like Christmas, isn't it?
0:01:31 > 0:01:34You never know what's going to come out of the bag or the box,
0:01:34 > 0:01:39and I'm really excited about it, I think we're going to have a wonderful day.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44And it looks like we're going to have a great day here in Leicestershire.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47And here's a taster of what's coming up on today's show,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50just to whet your appetite.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Our experts' valuations get a bit woolly.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56- How much does a sheep cost? - I don't know, I don't ask.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Cos I don't think you're going to get much sheep out of this.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02They ain't as dear as you think, you know.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05And we soak up all the excitement of the saleroom
0:02:05 > 0:02:08when we watch our favourite items being sold.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12No, that person hasn't got their bidding card.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16And I slow the pace right down and escape to the tranquillity
0:02:16 > 0:02:18of an architectural gem.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20When the sun moves round, later on in the day,
0:02:20 > 0:02:25that glass is going to sparkle like a jewel in the crown.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33The Grand Hall is filling up, and our experts are raring to go.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Being in fine foodie territory, it's rather fitting -
0:02:36 > 0:02:39our first valuation celebrates fine wine.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Here's Mark to tell us more.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44- Hello, Dennis.- Hello. - Hello, Dorothy.- Hello.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47You've brought a charming pair of bottle coasters in to show us today.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Can you tell us where you got them from?
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Yes, they were rescued from the dustbin.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54- From the dustbin?- From the dustbin, actually.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58But we've had them in the house since about something like about 1956,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00or something like that, as long as that.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05They actually belonged to a cousin of my father's.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10And he cleared out the house, and these were completely black.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13He didn't realise that they were silver-plated.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14Oh, right.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18- And we rescued them. - I'm glad you rescued them, because it would have been a shame
0:03:18 > 0:03:20- if they'd been thrown away, wouldn't it?- Yeah.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22I think they're very attractive,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25but we can't really leave them to the family,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28because you can't split them up.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32- It would spoil it, wouldn't it?- Oh, yes, it would. It would spoil it. - And who do you give them to?
0:03:32 > 0:03:36- Um, it's...- And would they want them these days, cos there's not...
0:03:36 > 0:03:40- That's another thing, you see, would they?- Well, I think they're charming.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43- I mean, they're silver plate, as you say.- Yes.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47They're, I would have thought, towards the end of the 19th century, late Victorian.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51But I love the little piecework decoration, and I love the shape,
0:03:51 > 0:03:55and this sort of cast decoration of the trailing vines.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00- Which leads you to imagine a nice decanter of claret.- Yes.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Or port, do you know what I mean?
0:04:02 > 0:04:05So it's actually... They're lovely from that point of view.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08They've got nice turned bases as well,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11with little silver-plated roundels in there,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15and in some cases the little roundels would have been used
0:04:15 > 0:04:20- to put a family motto or a crest, or armorial design, on there.- Yes.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23But these are perfectly plain, so somebody could replate that
0:04:23 > 0:04:26and put their own crest or initials on if they wanted to.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Now, have you thought of the value on these pieces?
0:04:31 > 0:04:35We hope that they're worth, sort of thing, at least £100.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37I think they're certainly worth that,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39- I mean,- I- think they're worth that.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41The market is always difficult.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43The good thing about them is they're a pair,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and people like wine-related items.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49And if you live in a nice big Georgian house,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52these would look lovely on a sideboard with your decanters,
0:04:52 > 0:04:53full of drink in there.
0:04:53 > 0:05:00I would think we're probably looking at something like £150-£200.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04- Yes.- And we would put the reserve at £150.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08- Yes.- Possibly with a 10% discretion for the auctioneer, if that's OK,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12so if he gets to, sort of, £140, he can still sell them,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15but hopefully, we'll get between the two figures.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17- I can't promise above £200.- No.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19But auctions are live events, you never know.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- Depends who's at the sale. - Absolutely.- Yes.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Well, it sounds like Dennis has the measure of auctions,
0:05:25 > 0:05:30and we'll find out if we'll be raising a glass to a great result
0:05:30 > 0:05:31later on in the show.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Now, Elizabeth's in the Orangery next door,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38where she's joined by an old favourite.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40MUSIC: "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Well, it's not unusual to find a piece of Clarice Cliff on Flog It!,
0:05:45 > 0:05:50but Barbara and Roger, you've brought quite an unusual bowl here.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52What's the story or history behind it?
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Well, um, I saw this in my mum's house,
0:05:56 > 0:06:01about 20 years ago, I think, now, and I thought it was a Clarice Cliff.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06It was quite, you know, unusual for Mum to have something valuable or with a name to it.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10And she just said, "Oh, I bought it in a coffee morning,"
0:06:10 > 0:06:14and I said, "Well, don't give it away, will you?" SHE LAUGHS
0:06:14 > 0:06:16"It's got some value, I think," and she said, "Oh,"
0:06:16 > 0:06:21- I pestered, and in the end, she said, "Oh, take it with you," on one of our visits.- OK.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23So, do you like it?
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Um, not really. I think I was just proud I had a bit of Clarice Cliff,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30in a way, and perhaps if I felt someone was coming,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- I might put it out to say, "I've got some Clarice Cliff!"- Yes.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- But not...- It's not your taste particularly.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40- It doesn't appeal, no, not really. - How about you, do you like it? - I don't like it at all, no!
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- THEY LAUGH - That's it, blunt and to the point, you don't like it at all.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46I mean, Clarice Cliff, as we all know, is very much, um...
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- You either love her or hate her work.- Yes.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51It's not to everybody's taste, by any means.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52But a bowl such as this,
0:06:52 > 0:06:59which dates from the early parts of her creative period, 1920s, 1930s,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02is from the era when the colours were bright,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- the patterns were modern and unusual.- Yes.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08They didn't conform to the traditional, staid way
0:07:08 > 0:07:11of presenting decoration on a bowl.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14So as you see here, the floral pattern,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17- which is bright and cheerful and asymmetrical...- Yes.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21..is on this strange, speckled, sort of cafe-au-lait, muddy brown band,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- which covers the majority of the surface.- Yes.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- So it's quite an odd piece.- Yes. - So it's a piece of Clarice Cliff,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31and it comes from the Bizarre Fantasque range,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34and if we look on the bottom, it's very well-documented there,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36you'll see that the marks are printed there,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and also the name of the pattern, Canterbury Bells,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41is very efficiently painted on the bottom,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44so there's no question about what it is there.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Now it's not a pattern I've seen sell very often,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49so there are two ways of looking at it.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- It's one of the rarer patterns.- Yes.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53- It's not the rarest, it's one of the rarer.- Yes.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56But sometimes that can actually be a bad sign,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59- because it could mean that it wasn't popular in the day.- Yes.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03She designed it, she decorated pieces, and it was limited production.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06The condition of it's good, though,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09structurally, physically, the bowl is in very good order.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12There's a teeny, tiny, pin-head sized chip on the foot ring,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16- but really hardly anything to worry about.- Yes.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20So have you any concept, then, knowing that it's Clarice Cliff, of which you were very proud.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23- SHE LAUGHS Yes, I was.- Do you have any concept of value at all?
0:08:23 > 0:08:28I'm not very good at selling things. I usually give them away, which must be a thing from my mum!
0:08:28 > 0:08:29SHE LAUGHS
0:08:29 > 0:08:33- I would say £50 at the most, I think. - About £50.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Any advance on £50?
0:08:35 > 0:08:40Well, I thought, as it's a rarer item, not being made, it would be more expensive.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45I would think that you need to double your £50,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and I won't be surprised if you didn't treble your £50
0:08:48 > 0:08:52as a bottom estimate, and I'd have thought that that would sell quite comfortably
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- for between £150-£250.- Oh, really?
0:08:55 > 0:09:00You sound... More in line with what the expert across the table was thinking, which I think is right.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03You know, it's a good, sound, big piece that's in good order,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07and for what you get, £150, £250 is, I think, very fair.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Well, unusual it may not be,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15but will it charm the bidders in the saleroom? Stay tuned to find out.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Back in the Hall, Mark has spotted a rather real love-it-or-hate-it item.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23- Good morning.- Good morning.- How are you?- Very well. And you?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Now you've brought a little Doulton figurine,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28but it's a very interesting story attached to this, isn't it?
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Well, it's my son's and he lives in Belgium,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32and he bought it at Waterloo Market.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36And he wants to get rid of it, cos he wants to buy himself some more sheep.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38- Some more sheep?- More sheep, yeah.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- He's a gamekeeper, you see, and he's got a little...- Oh, I see.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- How much does a sheep cost? - I don't know, I don't ask.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Cos I don't think you could get much sheep out of this.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51- They ain't as dear as you think they are.- Are they not?- No. - OK, well, let's hope they're not.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52HE CHUCKLES
0:09:52 > 0:09:56So why do you think he bought it? Was it because it's very British?
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Well, he liked it, and he'd seen one advertised on the internet
0:09:59 > 0:10:01on his phone. He seen what that went for so he thought
0:10:01 > 0:10:03he might make a bit of extra money.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- OK, OK.- Whether he can or not, I don't know.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Do you remember what he paid for this in Belgium?
0:10:08 > 0:10:10I think he paid 155 euros.
0:10:10 > 0:10:17Which is £135, something like that, which is quite a fair bit of money.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22I've not had one of these. It's very much a British thing.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- It symbolises the war effort. Doesn't it?- It does.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29You've got a soldier really with his bag there
0:10:29 > 0:10:33and his orders in here wearing his hat.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36But modelled as a great old British Bulldog.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38I mean, it is by the Royal Doulton factory of course
0:10:38 > 0:10:40and we've got the mark underneath here.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44- Yeah, I did see that.- Which is Royal Doulton with a crowned lion above
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and the registration number as well, which is rather nice.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49It's fully marked so we know who it's by.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52We know the date, it's going to be early 20th-century,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56the mark on there is between 1902 and 1932.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59So I think it's probably for the First World War.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01And it's just a lovely subject, isn't it?
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- I think it is, I think it's wonderful.- You really like it?
0:11:04 > 0:11:06If that was mine I wouldn't sell it.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Really? Does it stir up a great patriotism?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12When he first showed me I said, "Why do you want to sell it?"
0:11:12 > 0:11:14He said, "I'm short of money." I said, "I'll buy it."
0:11:14 > 0:11:18"No," he said, "you won't. It's going to an auction."
0:11:18 > 0:11:21- In my glass cabinet it would look lovely.- Oh!- With my other dogs.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23I'm sorry he's not selling it to you now.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- I know, he wouldn't. - He's a meanie, your son.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Tell him from me. He's very mean not letting you have it
0:11:29 > 0:11:32but I'm glad he's left it in for the show.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37- Yeah. I think so.- I would probably put an estimate of 150 to 200 on it.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41- We'll put a reserve fixed at 150. - Yeah, lovely.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Even after commission, we should get his money back at least.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46He'll be happy with that, his money back.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Hopefully it might go over 200. Fingers crossed.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51If they like it like we do then it should be well away.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Wonderful large chair, Pamela. The intention, presumably,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01- is that you wish to sell it. - I do, yes.- Why?
0:12:01 > 0:12:03What is the story around it?
0:12:03 > 0:12:05It was in the kitchen but we bought a larger dining table,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09so it looks a bit squashed in there, so I think it can go.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- So was this your after-dinner reclining chair?- Yes.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15- And very pretty, isn't it? - It's a lovely, lovely chair.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17- Is it a family heirloom? - No, it's not.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20I found it in an old barn in a very sorry state
0:12:20 > 0:12:24and I thought, "Oh, I'll rescue it." So I had it reupholstered and...
0:12:24 > 0:12:28But with the new dining table and chairs, it's just a bit too big.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30- So, time to move it on? - It's time to move on, I think.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32So, presumably, having found it in a barn,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34- it didn't cost you a great deal to start with.- No.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38But you've probably spent a little bit restoring it and...
0:12:38 > 0:12:40I mean, this is quite a complicated shape to have reupholstered
0:12:40 > 0:12:42- and so on.- Yeah.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45But I think your choice of fabric is good because it sort of...
0:12:45 > 0:12:47To the extent that you've not stamped
0:12:47 > 0:12:49your personal taste on it overly.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52What you've done is let the chair shape particularly speak for itself.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55So I think it's a good choice and it wears well, so that's nice.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57The chair, as you say, Victorian,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59a Victorian lady would have sat on this.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01It dates from the early part of Victoria's reign
0:13:01 > 0:13:05and...often come in two chairs, one slightly bigger than the other
0:13:05 > 0:13:07and they're often called ladies' and gentlemen's chairs.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11It's a typical spoon back, this wonderful sort of curved spoon
0:13:11 > 0:13:15with deep buttoning which has been really well reproduced there.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17And then these lovely scrolls which were
0:13:17 > 0:13:20popular at the period right down to these wonderful sinewy legs.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23And this is all done in walnut, which carves really well.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25- I wondered what the wood... - It's walnut carving.- Right.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- Do you think the casters are original?- I think they probably are.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29The original casters.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32So you have the component elements of a chair that just needed
0:13:32 > 0:13:35some TLC to the wood and to the upholstery.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Now, do you bring it with any expectation of value?
0:13:38 > 0:13:40- No, I've no idea.- No?- No, not a clue.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45Chairs are one of the first things to bounce back after the lower value
0:13:45 > 0:13:48price is achieved at auction for furniture and the prettier the chair
0:13:48 > 0:13:53or the more evocative of an era the chair, stylistically, the better.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55To be fair to you, I think the current market value
0:13:55 > 0:13:59for a chair such as this is round about £120-£180.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02- Oh, that's wonderful. - Pleased with that?- Good. Yeah, very.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Go back ten years, they were making at least double that,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06so we have in real terms come back quite a way,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09but they are picking up and, as I say, the market is still moving
0:14:09 > 0:14:12so it may yet be towards the top end of that rather than the bottom.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15- I think £120-£180 is a realistic estimate.- Good.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18£120 reserve, if you'd like a reserve. Would you like a reserve?
0:14:18 > 0:14:21- What do you think, 100 reserve? - 100 reserve, that's fine.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24We'll put £100 reserve on it and see it fly.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27- Oh, let's hope so. - And all your hard work will pay off.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30- Thank you.- Thank you. There was nothing else in the barn, was there,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32- that you can go back and retrieve? - No, there wasn't.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Pamela's chair may not be high value,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38but there's a big market for some antique chairs.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41This set of George III mahogany dining chairs
0:14:41 > 0:14:47sold at Sotheby's in 2011 for a shocking £67,250.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52And the price of a Chippendale can rocket sky-high.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56This armchair is worth around £30,000.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Now, that's what you call costly cushioning.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I'm here on the streets of Leicester,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16which is a wonderfully busy and diverse city.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Now, there's around 240 faith groups that run across 14 different
0:15:20 > 0:15:22religions here and one of them
0:15:22 > 0:15:25is the ancient Indian religion of Jainism.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30It's estimated there's around 12 million Jains worldwide
0:15:30 > 0:15:33and throughout the 1970s many of them left India to come
0:15:33 > 0:15:36and settle here in the UK
0:15:36 > 0:15:40and it's estimated there's around 1,000 Jains here in Leicester.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42So why am I talking about Jains?
0:15:42 > 0:15:47Well, because the only Jain centre in the world is right here.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52And what a building it is.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56You'd never guess, but it was originally a congregational chapel.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59This striking marble front is typical of traditional Jain style
0:15:59 > 0:16:03and imported from India, where there are over 10,000 Jain
0:16:03 > 0:16:04monuments and temples.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Inside the centre, original church features blend beautifully
0:16:11 > 0:16:13with traditional Indian design.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16The organ was removed, the altar has been lowered
0:16:16 > 0:16:20and the balcony was taken out to create this marvellous upper hall.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23The old church ceiling has been preserved
0:16:23 > 0:16:26and the windows are still stained glass, in keeping with what
0:16:26 > 0:16:30was originally here before but adapted to show images from Jainism.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35The centre opened in 1988 and its aim was to be internationally
0:16:35 > 0:16:39recognised as a hub for Jain heritage and religion to be shared.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42It's also a place of worship, study and meeting,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46and it's also the first place in the Western world to have
0:16:46 > 0:16:50consecrated images, which means senior monks in India have
0:16:50 > 0:16:53performed a ceremony of consecration over the figures,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55allowing them to be worshipped.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59So this makes this centre a unique draw for Jains far and wide.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I want to find out more about the religion itself.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Smita Shah is the centre's president.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Tell me a little bit about the fundamentals of Jainism.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18Jainism is an ancient religion and the word Jain is derived from Jaina.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20OK.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Jaina means to have victory over one's self and to conquer one's
0:17:24 > 0:17:29desires and passions, for example ego, greed and so on and so forth.
0:17:30 > 0:17:36So, Jainism's cardinal principle is non-violence - ahimsa -
0:17:36 > 0:17:39and it's ahimsa in a very subtle form.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44So it is about interdependence of nature, human life and animals.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46And you're vegetarian?
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Therefore, most Jains practise vegetarianism and also,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52it is very subtle in the sense that even
0:17:52 > 0:17:55when I'm coming from home to pray here, we enter the temple and
0:17:55 > 0:18:00- we say nisahi three times, "Nisahi, nisahi, nisahi."- What does that mean?
0:18:00 > 0:18:04It means that if in my journey, if I have harmed anybody inadvertently,
0:18:04 > 0:18:09from the tiniest form on insect, that I ask for forgiveness.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Do Jains worship gods?
0:18:11 > 0:18:17It's a very interesting point, Paul, because Jains worship Tirthankars.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22Tirthankars are the ones we revere and we equate them to God.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24They are the ones who show us... And they are divine,
0:18:24 > 0:18:30spiritual creatures who show us the path to nirvana.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33This is the only place in the world that brings together the two
0:18:33 > 0:18:35main sects under one roof -
0:18:35 > 0:18:39the Svetambara sect and the Digambara sect.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42There are actually five individual temples within the centre here,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44one for each sub-sect.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Although Jain art and architecture is breathtakingly beautiful,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Jains firmly believe their temples are first
0:18:54 > 0:18:57and foremost religious buildings and any artistic
0:18:57 > 0:19:00qualities are subsidiary to their spiritual requirements.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Having said that, you can't ignore this, can you, once you're inside?
0:19:05 > 0:19:07My word, it's spectacular.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11This is as elaborate as you'll find a temple in India,
0:19:11 > 0:19:16with its shimmering glass wall tiles everywhere, lots of colour.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18It's a kaleidoscope of colour and this lovely, big,
0:19:18 > 0:19:24heavy white marble shrines with figures dotted around.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25It's incredible.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33But the most striking part of the centre has to be the wonderful
0:19:33 > 0:19:37carvings in the Svetambara temple at the heart of the building.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41At first glance, these pillars look like they're made of wood
0:19:41 > 0:19:45but they're not, they're made of yellow limestone, and it took
0:19:45 > 0:19:53250,000 man hours to carve these 44 columns and assemble all together.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57They were then transported here to the UK in small sections.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01It then took ten artisans one year
0:20:01 > 0:20:04to jigsaw the whole thing back together.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06And the carving here, this intricate carving,
0:20:06 > 0:20:11that depicts mythological figures from Indian culture.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13But let me show you the ceiling above here,
0:20:13 > 0:20:17because it took six craftsmen six months to carve this one circular
0:20:17 > 0:20:21section with this wonderful, repetitive form of pattern.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26All of this has been done by hand with mallets and gouges,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28gently into all that wood.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Up there, those figures are deities and they protect the temple in life.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Everything around us, that's inner consciousness.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48The atmosphere here is really calm and peaceful, it's so relaxing.
0:20:48 > 0:20:49Yet on the other hand,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52the centre is a vibrant place of worship not
0:20:52 > 0:20:53just for the people of Leicester,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57but from everyone from all over the United Kingdom and worldwide.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59It's now a place of pilgrimage
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and it's been a real privilege for me today to come here
0:21:02 > 0:21:05and admire the outstanding craftsmanship,
0:21:05 > 0:21:10but also gain a little insight into this ancient Indian religion.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Well, it certainly has been lights, camera, action,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22but we're not going to stop there, right now we are off to auction.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26We've got our first four items, now we're taking them off to the sale.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Dorothy and Dennis rescued these pretty little wine coasters
0:21:31 > 0:21:33from the bin!
0:21:33 > 0:21:38But there's nothing trashy about Mark's valuation of £150-£200.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Clarice Cliff may be an old friend of the show, but Elizabeth
0:21:42 > 0:21:46was thrown by the bowl's rare pattern.
0:21:46 > 0:21:52Time will tell whether her estimate of £150-£250 was spot on.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55And Fats is reluctantly selling his son's Doulton Bulldog,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58which Mark valued at £150-£200.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Pamela's chair may have been discarded in a barn,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04but with the tender loving care she's given it,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07I'm confident it will fetch Elizabeth's estimate.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12This is where the action takes place,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Gilding's auction rooms in the heart of Market Harborough.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18I'm ready for this, I hope you are, because anything can happen.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19It's an auction.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26This is what I like to see. A packed auction room, full of bidders.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28We've got the ingredients of a classic sale
0:22:28 > 0:22:31so don't go away because there could be one or two surprises.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34In a moment, auctioneer John Gilding will take the rostrum.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38I'll catch up with our owners. I know they're feeling really nervous.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40This could get exciting.
0:22:40 > 0:22:4228 bid, 28, 28...
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Don't forget to factor in commission rates the auction house
0:22:45 > 0:22:48will charge when buying or selling in the saleroom.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53This can vary from anything around 16% to 20% plus VAT.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56And there's often lotting fees to take into account.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00So always check in advance before you take the plunge.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03And we've got a great atmosphere in Market Harborough today,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06so without further ado, let's get cracking with our first lot.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11Good luck, Fats, good luck, Mark, the British Bulldog is up for grabs.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13It's in battledress, it's in khaki.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Hopefully it will get £150-£200.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18They do make around £200 at auctions
0:23:18 > 0:23:21so hopefully we've priced it right at 150 to 200.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25It's Doulton, and I gather your son bought this in Belgium recently
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and he paid top money for it anyway, didn't he, around £200?
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Well, yeah, he did, actually, but, we'll have a go.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35We'll have a go. That's what it's all about. We'll do our best. And this is it. Here we go.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Now, this is a good one.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41This is the Royal Doulton khaki-coloured British Bulldog.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43We are in business if the auctioneer says this is good.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Never seen one of these before, so there we go.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Bit of an unknown quantity. £100, open to bidding.
0:23:49 > 0:23:55At £100 I'm bid, at 100. And ten on the net. 120. 130. 140.
0:23:55 > 0:24:01- There's a phone line.- 140, I'm bid 140. You're out on the net at £140.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03And the telephone's out.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07- 150 on the telephone. - We got the reserve.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11I'll take the bid on the telephone at 150. At 150 I'm bid.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13160 on the net.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18On 170 on the telephone. The net's out. At £170 I'm bid.
0:24:18 > 0:24:25All out in the room? I shan't dwell. It's £170. And selling at 170.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27That's a good price. It's a good price.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31We nearly got that £200 but well done, Fats. Well done.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34You cannot knock that for a great start.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Let's hope we're on a roll.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38HE LAUGHS
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Guess what's coming up next.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44It is the most obvious if we talk about antiques and collectables.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Yes, you got it. Clarice Cliff.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49And it wouldn't be Flog It! without Clarice, would it?
0:24:49 > 0:24:52- No, I suppose not.- Thank you for bringing a piece in.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- You're welcome.- And I know this is your first auction, for both of you.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56Yes.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Gosh, you've left it a long time, haven't you?
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- You've never been to an auction before?- No, honestly.- Sum it up.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07- What do you think?- It's exciting. Don't scratch my nose.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11We were warned that might buy such a lot.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Everybody says that, they're frightened to itch their hair or their ears.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18- It's not that bad really. - It isn't that bad, is it, no.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Canterbury bells.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Lovely bowl here, please. Bidding starts with me at £100.
0:25:25 > 0:25:31100. £100 I'm bid at £100. 110 anywhere, quickly.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34At £100. 110 bid, 110 bid, 110, 110.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37120 bid, 120 bid, 120.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40You're all out in the room. All out on the net.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42At £120 I'm bid.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44All done? Thought this would be more.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50I'm watching you all carefully. Finished away then at £120.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52We shall pass on that lot, please.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54I can't believe it.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Clarice, you've let us down.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59That's very rare. That's very rare.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02In Flog It's 10 years of being on the road and finding all the Clarice
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I think only three times it's let us down.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09MUSIC: That's Life by Frank Sinatra
0:26:11 > 0:26:15It's a gorgeous Victorian walnut ladies' chair with original casters.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16It belongs to Pamela
0:26:16 > 0:26:19and we're hoping for around about £150 for this.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- That would be wonderful. - A little bit more, even.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26It's quality, it's absolute quality. Now, you found this in a barn.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29- I did.- Not in this state, though. - No. I felt sorry for it...
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- Chickens living in it?- Yeah.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34I rang a friend and it was reupholstered
0:26:34 > 0:26:37after two or three weeks. It's lived in my kitchen for five years.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39- And you've used it every day. - Every day.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43That's what it's all about, great value for money, and you can't go wrong with Victorian furniture
0:26:43 > 0:26:46because you don't have to be precious about it, do you?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49It's built to do a good job, but actually, this chair particularly is
0:26:49 > 0:26:52a classic archetypal Victorian chair with a button back and lovely sweep.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- Very nice.- It's a really pretty chair.- I like the shape.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58And it's made of walnut, one of the most desirable and collectable woods.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Let's find out if the connoisseurs are here right now, shall we?
0:27:01 > 0:27:02It's going under the hammer.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07- The armchair.- Mmm.- £110 bid.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11110, I'm bid 110.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16110 I'm bid, 110, 110, 120, 130, 130, you're out in the room.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19- At £130, and I shall sell then if you're all done.- Good.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24- All out on the net.- We're happy.- All out in the room and selling at £130.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26That's good, that's good.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- You're happy, aren't you? - I am, very. Yes, that's lovely.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Thank you very much.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33That's all right, you've had the enjoyment out of that, now hopefully
0:27:33 > 0:27:36someone else will use that and get another 10 or 15 years out of it.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39And you can't go wrong when you invest in good-quality,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41mid-priced antique furniture.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Start shopping in the antique shops and auction rooms.
0:27:45 > 0:27:46What a brilliant find.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Well, I've just been joined by Dennis and Dorothy
0:27:50 > 0:27:53and we are just about to sell a pair of silver-plated
0:27:53 > 0:27:56wine coasters which were rescued from the dustbin.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59But you've hung onto them, all credit to you.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03- Oh, yes, we've had them on... - On display, polished up, used?- Yes.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05- It doesn't get better than that? - It doesn't.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07- It's classic recycling.- It is.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10- And I love them actually. They're really...- It was those fruity vines
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- attracted you.- How well you know me, and fruity vines, Paul.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17But, there was the condition really. I liked them a lot. And a pair.
0:28:17 > 0:28:18- People like pairs.- Yes.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22They're quite interesting actually. Yeah, very, very pleasing.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26A great decorator's item and they're a bargain for what you put on.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30They are. £150. I mean, hopefully they'll sell.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34It's such a strange market at the moment, we just don't know
0:28:34 > 0:28:37until you get them into the saleroom.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40- And now is the moment of truth. - The pair of coasters.
0:28:40 > 0:28:46Lovely pair of coasters here, please. £85 only bid. 95, 110.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49- Come on.- I'm tempted at 110. 120 bid, 120, 130, 130?
0:28:49 > 0:28:53- There's someone bidding, Dorothy.- 130 and 140.
0:28:53 > 0:28:59- On the net at 140.- 140.- 150 in the room.- 150 I'm bid, 160 on the net.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01170 at the door.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03170 I'm bid. 180 on the net.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06£180 I'm bid. Are you all done? All out in the room.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10All out on commission and selling at 180 to the net.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14- Done it. £180. Very, very happy. - That's right.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17For something that was going to be thrown in the dustbin.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21You see, you've got to keep... Good job he was alert!
0:29:21 > 0:29:25- And it's all down to finding the one pair basically.- That's right, yes.
0:29:25 > 0:29:30- You're pleased as well. - I am. As they say, in darts, 180!
0:29:30 > 0:29:31Pleased with that.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Standing at the door, £55.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Well, he polished up his goods, got a great price
0:29:36 > 0:29:38and impressed Dorothy to boot.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40Now, during my time in Leicestershire,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44I visited the home of someone willing to go to any length
0:29:44 > 0:29:45to wow a lady.
0:29:47 > 0:29:48Now, what would you do
0:29:48 > 0:29:51if you wanted to impress Queen Elizabeth I?
0:29:51 > 0:29:54Well, for a start, you'd build a house fit for a queen.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Something like this one. It's Kirby Hall.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02Building work started here in 1570 under Sir Humphrey Stafford.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04Lord Chancellor to the Queen.
0:30:04 > 0:30:05Shortly after his death,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08the house was completed by Sir Christopher Hatton,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11one of the Queen's favourite courtiers, built in the hope
0:30:11 > 0:30:14that one day she might stay whilst on one of her trips
0:30:14 > 0:30:16around the country.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20And my first impressions today are this is fairytale architecture.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23It's one of the most gorgeous houses I have ever seen.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44Christopher Hatton was a glamorous figure in the Elizabethan court.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46It's thought that he first caught the Queen's eye
0:30:46 > 0:30:48with his excellent dancing.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Kirby was at the forefront of new ideas and design
0:30:52 > 0:30:55and the courtyard here is particularly innovative.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58As you can see we've got these wonderful classical columns,
0:30:58 > 0:30:59or pilasters as they are known.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03They run around all four sides of this courtyard on two levels.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05The upper level and the lower level.
0:31:05 > 0:31:10Now, throughout the 16th century, smaller classical columns were being
0:31:10 > 0:31:13used as architectural ornamentation.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16But this is the very first time in this country
0:31:16 > 0:31:19that detail like this has been used to unite all four sides
0:31:19 > 0:31:23of the facade of this incredible building,
0:31:23 > 0:31:27creating this very powerful, dramatic effect.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Architecture started to reflect the revival of ancient Greek
0:31:34 > 0:31:36and Roman art in the 16th century.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Kirby embraced this trend with relish.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42The richly carved decoration in the courtyard is one of the most
0:31:42 > 0:31:47exuberant displays of architectural ornamentation in England.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50The carvings were copied from masons' pattern books,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53a kind of catalogue where you picked the design you liked
0:31:53 > 0:31:55and then had it replicated.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01Kirby's design was groundbreaking for its attitude towards symmetry.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05Everywhere you look you can see it is absolutely perfect.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09It signalled a brand-new attitude towards building, telling us
0:32:09 > 0:32:12that the Renaissance ideas of balance and proportion
0:32:12 > 0:32:15had finally arrived here, in England.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29The window at the extreme right is longer than the others.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31That's because it was designed to give off
0:32:31 > 0:32:35extra light for the lord, who sat at the high table in the hall.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38This layout has been balanced visually
0:32:38 > 0:32:40in the left-hand corner by another long window,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42which is purely aesthetic.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45In the past, architects would have not worried about maintaining
0:32:45 > 0:32:47this sense of symmetry.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50Kirby achieved this while keeping within
0:32:50 > 0:32:54the traditional layout of the grand home of the period.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Despite all the great effort that's gone into
0:32:57 > 0:33:00this wonderful building, it is a bittersweet story.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03There is no real actual evidence to suggest the Queen
0:33:03 > 0:33:06ever bothered to come and visit, let alone stay.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09And because its various owners were adamant that the best rooms
0:33:09 > 0:33:12should only be used for royalty,
0:33:12 > 0:33:16they were never lived in, and it just seems such a waste.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25After Christopher Hatton I died,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29the house was handed down through the generations.
0:33:29 > 0:33:34But in 1857 the 11th Earl of Winchelsea ran up
0:33:34 > 0:33:37such huge gambling debts and was so short of money that the only way
0:33:37 > 0:33:41he could pay them off was to strip the lead off the roof
0:33:41 > 0:33:45of this impressive building, leaving the house to fall into ruin.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51But that was by no means the end of the story.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Although the house remains derelict,
0:33:53 > 0:33:57the rooms are empty and the building is largely roofless,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00the gardens have been brought back to their former glory.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06What we see here is the restoration of the 1690s parterre garden.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10It's a lovely example of cut work and was created in the 1990s,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13by which time the hall was under
0:34:13 > 0:34:15the guardianship of English Heritage.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19It's thought one of the reasons this parterre style
0:34:19 > 0:34:22was a popular choice in this era was because the gravel path meant
0:34:22 > 0:34:25you could hear people sneaking up behind you.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28The layout of the house, with one room leading on to another,
0:34:28 > 0:34:32meant it was impossible to have a conversation in private.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37Therefore, it's thought any delicate conversations would be taken
0:34:37 > 0:34:40outside under the guise of walking in the gardens.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Kirby was described in 1694 as having "ye finest garden in England"
0:34:44 > 0:34:47and apparently Christopher Hatton IV
0:34:47 > 0:34:50was so dedicated to it, he committed so much time,
0:34:50 > 0:34:55that it caused him to miss many commitments in the House of Lords.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58He was so serious about the construction of this garden
0:34:58 > 0:35:03that he demolished a complete village to create
0:35:03 > 0:35:06what he thought would be a better-looking backdrop.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09There was once a medieval church on that grass mound,
0:35:09 > 0:35:11and he got rid of all of that,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14plus several houses running all along here.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21These formal gardens were designed to be most impressive
0:35:21 > 0:35:22when admired from above,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25and this mound was used as a viewing platform.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30All the work carried out on the hall from the 20th century onwards
0:35:30 > 0:35:34has been in the spirit of repair rather than reconstruction.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Yet, when you look at the stonemason's work
0:35:37 > 0:35:40it's still as crisp and clear as it ever was
0:35:40 > 0:35:43and it gives us that wonderful sense of magic and culture
0:35:43 > 0:35:46that this place would have exuded back in its heyday.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49For me, this has been a real treat,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52and I can guarantee it will be a great day out for you as well.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Welcome back to our valuation day here at Stapleford Park.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25There's still lots of people here, and they're all happy, aren't you?
0:36:25 > 0:36:30- Yes!- Let's find out what else our experts can unearth.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32- John.- Hi, Mark.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35We see a lot of tiles in our business, antiques,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38because they were very popular for generations.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41I must admit I've never come across a set of tiles like this
0:36:41 > 0:36:43with the various sporting subjects on them.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46- They're lovely, aren't they? - They are.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51They came from my father-in-law, who died seven years ago,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54and he used to work at the local garage in Melton Mowbray.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59And also used to do a lot of restoration of fireplaces
0:36:59 > 0:37:01and we assume that, obviously,
0:37:01 > 0:37:05when he was taking a fireplace out that he retained a lot of the tiles.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08That's what it looks like to me, as we've got some with stains on
0:37:08 > 0:37:12which look as though they've been around the fireplace.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14- Did he mount them as trivets? - Yes, he did.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17He mounted them for our copper kettles that we have at home.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19He's done a very good job on them.
0:37:19 > 0:37:20They're nicely done
0:37:20 > 0:37:23and they fit very nicely into the style of the time.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27Of course, they're by the very famous firm of Minton's.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29John, do you know much about the Minton factory?
0:37:29 > 0:37:31No, I don't know a lot.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36I've got one or two pieces of porcelain from Minton
0:37:36 > 0:37:38but I know it's one of the top factories.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41Yes, it's one of the oldest firms in the country,
0:37:41 > 0:37:45founded in the late 18th century, and right throughout their history
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Minton's have been known for great innovations.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49They employed the best artists
0:37:49 > 0:37:53and craftsmen in the potting industry,
0:37:53 > 0:37:55and we know them a lot from majolica,
0:37:55 > 0:38:00because Minton again produced the finest Victorian majolicaware.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03They're really quite a long-established firm
0:38:03 > 0:38:06and came up with a lot of good ideas.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08And these are one of them, I think.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11So, in terms of auction, I'd like to put them in
0:38:11 > 0:38:15with an estimate of £150-£200, with a £150 reserve and hopefully
0:38:15 > 0:38:19people will see what we see in them and they'll go for the top end.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21- Yeah.- I think they're really lovely, John.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Would you like to put them in for auction?
0:38:23 > 0:38:27Yes, no problem, because they're just lying around in the attic.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32- Let somebody else enjoy them. - Yeah, fine, you know.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35I think they're really fun, I think they're really good.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38I like the colour of them, I like everything about them
0:38:38 > 0:38:42and I think they could well set the auction room alight a bit.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44I certainly hope we'll get £150 if not £200.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- If not a bit more, actually.- Right.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51Well, let's hope someone in the saleroom loves them as much as Mark.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57I've moved outside the hall for a rather special valuation of my own.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02Well, I think if I do this and move my bishop here...
0:39:03 > 0:39:05..that's checkmate.
0:39:05 > 0:39:06Game over.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10I've decided to do my valuation outside
0:39:10 > 0:39:12purely because of what I found inside.
0:39:12 > 0:39:17And this is Jan and her chess set. Hello there. Did you like that?
0:39:17 > 0:39:20- I did.- Tell me a little about this, because this is cute.
0:39:20 > 0:39:21It really is.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24And such small proportions. They're ivory. Did you know that?
0:39:24 > 0:39:29- I did have an idea they were made of ivory.- They're beautiful.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33Yes, really exquisite. The detail is lovely. Where did you get them from?
0:39:33 > 0:39:37I lost my mum a couple of years ago and we found them
0:39:37 > 0:39:41amongst her items, and I think they were possibly my father's.
0:39:41 > 0:39:46He was in the forces and did a lot of travelling,
0:39:46 > 0:39:50so I don't know if that's how he came about having them.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53I do like them. They're quality, aren't they?
0:39:53 > 0:39:58- I'd say these were made around 1900. - Really?- 1900, 1910.- Really? Gosh.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01They're lovely. And the thing is they're complete.
0:40:01 > 0:40:07- And, as far as I can see, there's no damage.- No, no.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11- I don't think there is any.- Did you ever have a chessboard?- I didn't.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13- So you've never played?- No, I can't.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16It's quite astonishing how many people don't play the game.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20Its origins are from India 1,500 years ago.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24And it's been played in its present form ever since the 15th century.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27So it's nice to think that some things don't change,
0:40:27 > 0:40:30isn't it, really?
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Time has stood still.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35And just think of the people throughout history,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38probably here in this magnificent house we're at today,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Stapleford Park, have played chess.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45I think the first chess world championship
0:40:45 > 0:40:49took place in around 1886, so there's certainly a big history.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52- Yes, definitely.- Have you any idea what they're worth?
0:40:52 > 0:40:55No, I have no idea at all. No.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00- Would you be happy if they sold for £100?- Gosh, yes.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02I think there's a lot of chess collectors out there
0:41:02 > 0:41:04that just collect the pieces.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08They really do. They don't need the boards.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11But I think if you put these into auction they might
0:41:11 > 0:41:15just do the top end of what I'm going to say,
0:41:15 > 0:41:19- which is £150 up to £200. - Really?! Goodness me! Gosh!
0:41:19 > 0:41:23- Shall we put them into auction with a value of £150-£200?- Yes.
0:41:23 > 0:41:24Would you be happy with that?
0:41:24 > 0:41:29- And a reserve at £150 with a 10% discretion?- Yes, OK.
0:41:29 > 0:41:30So we can encourage some bidding.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33And in the meantime, can I teach you?
0:41:33 > 0:41:35- Would you like a game? - I would like. Yes.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38There's no time like the present. Come on.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45I thought I'd sneak you away from the busy valuation day and bring you
0:41:45 > 0:41:48into the Orangery because it's such a pretty setting, isn't it?
0:41:48 > 0:41:51- That's true, yes.- Now, you've brought these candlesticks in.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53Can you tell us a little bit about them?
0:41:53 > 0:41:54I inherited them from my father
0:41:54 > 0:41:58and I think it was my aunt that won them at the Gymkhana.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02- At the Gymkhana?- Yes, 1922. - So they're quite old, aren't they?
0:42:02 > 0:42:05They're pushing on for the 100 years old here.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07That's really what I find quite interesting about them
0:42:07 > 0:42:10and the actual candlesticks themselves are quite
0:42:10 > 0:42:11a regular piece that we see.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14I tend to refer to these as dwarf candlesticks
0:42:14 > 0:42:17- because they're tiny little ones. - Yes.
0:42:17 > 0:42:23But the nice inscription here is "Long Clawson Gymkhana, June 1922.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26"Bending 1st prize goes to Merry Legs,"
0:42:26 > 0:42:27which I thought was rather charming.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Now, could that be related to your aunt?
0:42:30 > 0:42:32Yes, yes, because the whole family...
0:42:32 > 0:42:37My father and grandfather bred horses and he was also a doctor.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41- So they won first prize at this Gymkhana?- Yes, yes.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43And Long Clawson is nearby, is it?
0:42:43 > 0:42:46- It is, it's about six miles the other side of Melton.- Oh, wonderful.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49So it's local interest. Yes.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52I mean, sometimes it's difficult to predict with these
0:42:52 > 0:42:55sort of things because inscriptions can devalue
0:42:55 > 0:42:57- a piece as much as increase a value of a piece.- Oh, right, yes.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01And these particular candlesticks are what we call filled.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04So when you pick them up, it won't be the total weight of the silver.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08- Oh, I see.- They'll be filled at the base with a material to give them
0:43:08 > 0:43:11an extra weight so they sit firmly on the table.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13- Oh, right.- So the actual silver is like a sheet of silver
0:43:13 > 0:43:16- that's gone on there, but it is silver.- It is? Oh, I see.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18I didn't know whether they were silver plate or...
0:43:18 > 0:43:20No, they are silver, they're hallmarked
0:43:20 > 0:43:22and they're rather charming. They need a jolly good clean,
0:43:22 > 0:43:25they've obviously been in the cupboard, have they?
0:43:25 > 0:43:29No, they weren't. I just found them in a box up in the box room last night.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32- Oh, right, so you haven't seen them for a long time?- No, no.- Gosh.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35I thought, "I'll bring them along," cos obviously I don't want them
0:43:35 > 0:43:37if I haven't been using them.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41- Exactly, we certainly don't need them on your dining room table.- No.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43I think if we were putting them in to auction, we'd be
0:43:43 > 0:43:48looking at something like £60-£80 for the pair, something like that.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50- Didn't think they'd be that much. - That's a surprise, is it?- Yes.
0:43:50 > 0:43:55Well, I'm going to have first prize today then, for surprising you.
0:43:55 > 0:43:56I think they're great.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00Hopefully somebody locally will want to buy them for a piece of history.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03- Do they still have a Gymkhana? - I don't think so.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05They did until a few years ago,
0:44:05 > 0:44:09- but it seems to have gone out of fashion to what they used to be.- Yes.
0:44:09 > 0:44:10What I would do is mention this
0:44:10 > 0:44:12in the cataloguing to the auctioneer,
0:44:12 > 0:44:16because that will hopefully add a little bit to the value of them
0:44:16 > 0:44:18and encourage a few extra bids.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20And we'd better talk about a reserve.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22I suppose if we put a reserve around the £50 mark...
0:44:22 > 0:44:26- That would be all right. - Cos you don't want to give them away for nothing, do you?- No.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28Hopefully we'll get a bit more.
0:44:28 > 0:44:29Well, there you go, Anne,
0:44:29 > 0:44:31you got that straight from the horse's mouth.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38- A little world of miniature here in front of us, Angela.- Yes, yes.
0:44:38 > 0:44:43Do these date back away in your life or have you recently acquired them?
0:44:43 > 0:44:47No, they date right back to when I was a youngster.
0:44:47 > 0:44:52I was given them to put in my doll's house and I played with them.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55And then, when the doll's house went,
0:44:55 > 0:44:59these were just put on one side and they've been around ever since.
0:44:59 > 0:45:0250-odd years, probably, sat in that box.
0:45:02 > 0:45:07The doll's house, I think, was bought by my parents,
0:45:07 > 0:45:12but this was given to me by my grandfather's cousins
0:45:12 > 0:45:16who didn't have any children themselves and they had a hardware
0:45:16 > 0:45:20shop in Sleaford, donkey's years ago, and that's all I know about it.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23How they acquired it, I don't know.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27OK. It's quite interesting because it is made out of a stamped
0:45:27 > 0:45:31and pierced metal, and is of German origin.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35There are two factories that it might be.
0:45:35 > 0:45:40It could be Marklin, Rock and Graner or it might be Waltershausen.
0:45:40 > 0:45:47And they specialised in doll's house and other small-scale toys,
0:45:47 > 0:45:50particularly made out of metal, which was machine-made.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53But very, very fragile and made for children in a period
0:45:53 > 0:45:57where toys were made but children were not supposed to play with them.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59So they are quite delicate and fragile,
0:45:59 > 0:46:03and it looks as though some of these have suffered a little bit
0:46:03 > 0:46:06over the years with a bit of damage.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10I can remember throwing the back of that chair away when it broke off.
0:46:10 > 0:46:11It's quite interesting.
0:46:11 > 0:46:17We have a little table which has fallen over a bit, that's lovely.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21A little salon suite, the two chairs and the settee.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Almost a bit of a laundry basket there, maybe.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27- This, you tell me, was a...? - A little treadle sewing machine.
0:46:27 > 0:46:28It was intact at one time,
0:46:28 > 0:46:31but I think the box it has been kept in has suffered a bit.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34I think this is probably my favourite piece.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38This little wall mirror with a little arm for a candle to stand in.
0:46:38 > 0:46:44Yes, I can remember a piece of metal being at the back of it
0:46:44 > 0:46:47- to give the effect. - A proper little mirror. How super.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49The plus side is there is so much there,
0:46:49 > 0:46:52so many different items all in one go.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55The downside is that there is the damage.
0:46:55 > 0:47:01So if you weigh those two elements up, there are records of toys
0:47:01 > 0:47:04of this nature from those factories
0:47:04 > 0:47:07making anywhere between, I gather, £100 to £500 per piece.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10I think that is too exorbitant for these.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13I think, as a collection, you would offer them
0:47:13 > 0:47:18for auction at around £200 or £300, that would be the sort of level.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21And if you would like to reserve on them, we can place that on for you.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23A low-end estimate.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26If you think there ought to be a reserve,
0:47:26 > 0:47:28- but I don't really want to keep them. - No?
0:47:29 > 0:47:33Well, how about we put on a very low reserve of £100, just in case nobody
0:47:33 > 0:47:37turns up at the sale and you're not giving them away for the sake of it.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41I've been meaning for years to take it to an auctioneer's and just
0:47:41 > 0:47:44sort of get rid of it, really, because it's not doing any good.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47It's just sitting in a box.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49- Time for it to move on.- Yes.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51So, on that note, let's get over to the saleroom
0:47:51 > 0:47:55and hope we can make Angela one happy lady.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58And here's what we're taking to auction with us.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00Mark was bowled over by these Minton tiles,
0:48:00 > 0:48:05which he's hoping will fetch £150 to £250.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09I honed in on Jan's chess pieces and I'm confident that
0:48:09 > 0:48:13their excellent condition will pitch them around £150 to £200.
0:48:13 > 0:48:18And whilst Angela seems happy to let this miniature furniture set
0:48:18 > 0:48:22go for next to nothing, Elizabeth is convinced it's worth at least £200.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25Anne's candlesticks may not be solid silver,
0:48:25 > 0:48:29but Mark's hoping they'll fetch a solid price in the saleroom.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33Well, we're back in Gilding's auctioneers in Market Harborough,
0:48:33 > 0:48:35and the sale is in full swing.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38But before we crack on with our lots,
0:48:38 > 0:48:41I had a chat with auctioneer John on the sale preview day
0:48:41 > 0:48:43and picked his brains on those Minton tiles.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46You will like this lot, I know you will.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48We're in the right part of the country to sell this item.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51Hunting territory. Now, this is a whole hunting theme going on here.
0:48:51 > 0:48:5415 Minton tiles.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56And we've got a value of £150, hopefully £250.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59All sorts of hunting.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02Well, I'll be very disappointed if we don't make that,
0:49:02 > 0:49:03because this is...
0:49:03 > 0:49:07I sell about 28,000 lots a year
0:49:07 > 0:49:09and I've not come across these before.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12- Really?- And I daren't tell you how many years I have been selling.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15Are these early Minton, are these circa 1880,
0:49:15 > 0:49:17or something a bit later?
0:49:17 > 0:49:21I would have thought you are about right. 1880, 1890.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25- I like the rat hunting. - It's an amazing collection.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29Do you think this would go somewhere in a shooting lodge may be? In a fireplace?
0:49:29 > 0:49:31It could have been a fireplace
0:49:31 > 0:49:36in a shooting lodge but I've got a gents' washroom or a cloakroom.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38You've got a cheeky grin on your face
0:49:38 > 0:49:40and hopefully we can double our estimate here.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43Hopefully, that would be good.
0:49:45 > 0:49:46So, what are we waiting for?
0:49:46 > 0:49:50Let's get back to the sale and see if John is right about those tiles.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53Going under the hammer right now, one of the greatest names
0:49:53 > 0:49:56in ceramics, Minton, but it's in the form of 15 tiles.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59They belong to John, but sadly he's not with us today.
0:49:59 > 0:50:03- But we do have Sue, his wife, and these were your father's.- They were.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06So quite fitting that you're here today to say goodbye to them.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09- Yes, that's right. He's probably up there watching.- You think he is?
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Did he come home with lots of tiles?
0:50:11 > 0:50:14Oh, he was a big collector of everything.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17Probably sick of the sight of them.
0:50:17 > 0:50:21- That's why they've been kept in a box, in the shed?- In the attic.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25- In the attic. What do you think of them?- Not a lot.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28Well, I know Mark, our expert, fell in love with them.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31Oh, I think they're fantastic. I've never seen some of those tiles.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33I've not seen them before.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36The hunting tiles, and you have so many different sports.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38Polo, otter hunting.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41I just think it appeals to so many collectors as well.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43Well, we had a chat to the auctioneer yesterday
0:50:43 > 0:50:46- and he absolutely adored them. - Did he?
0:50:46 > 0:50:49He also said we're in the right part of the country to be selling
0:50:49 > 0:50:51these because it is hunting, shooting, fishing territory
0:50:51 > 0:50:54and there is a great deal of social history,
0:50:54 > 0:50:55and that is what it's all about.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58That's where the money will go, in the social history,
0:50:58 > 0:51:01not just with the Minton tiles, but the subject matter.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03- Absolutely, absolutely.- Lot 23.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05The sporting tiles,
0:51:05 > 0:51:08a wonderful collection of sporting tiles by Minton.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10Brilliant little lot here.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12£100 opens the bidding, and you're all out.
0:51:12 > 0:51:19100. 110, 120, 130. 150, 160. 170 in the room.
0:51:19 > 0:51:26- The commissions are lost at 170. Phone, 180. 190. 200.- Yes. Phone.
0:51:26 > 0:51:31220 in the room. 240. 260.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Here we go.
0:51:33 > 0:51:38280. 280, on the telephone with Mary.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41At £280. All done?
0:51:41 > 0:51:45Mary on telephone wins at £280.
0:51:45 > 0:51:46Sold.
0:51:47 > 0:51:52That's good, though. Over the top end. We are happy with that, £280.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54- John will be pleased as well. - He will.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58Thanks for bringing those in because it gave us a big talking point.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01Something we'd never seen before and that's what the show is all about.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04If you've got something like that, we'd love to see it.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07Bring it along to our valuation days and you can pick up details on our BBC website.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09Just log on to bbc.co.uk/flogit,
0:52:09 > 0:52:12follow the links and the information will be there.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17And now it's time for one of my favourite items of the day,
0:52:17 > 0:52:19that super little chess set.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23- Jan, we never did finish that game of chess, did we?- No, we didn't.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27Nobody won, it was a stalemate but we'll get there in the end.
0:52:27 > 0:52:32But right now, hopefully, we are going to sell this ivory chess set without the board.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35- Fingers crossed.- Let's hope so.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38I'm feeling a bit worried, I've got to say that. I must admit.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41But the auctioneer hasn't said anything,
0:52:41 > 0:52:42and that's normally a good sign.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46- OK.- Because if he thinks they're going to struggle he'll say so.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49He'd normally want to talk about it but he hasn't said anything.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53- That's good.- Yes. - So he agrees with the value.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56It's whether or not of the bidders agree. That's what it's all about.
0:52:56 > 0:53:01Cantonese ivory and stained ivory chess set with a mahogany box.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04Another lovely piece here.
0:53:04 > 0:53:09And it's in very nice order. Bidding starts with me at £90.
0:53:09 > 0:53:14£90, 95. 100. 110. 110 bid.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18- 120. 130 with me. - Someone's bidding on the internet.
0:53:18 > 0:53:22140. 150 with me.
0:53:22 > 0:53:28Out on the net, £150. I'm bid 150. £150 I'm bid. Are we all done?
0:53:28 > 0:53:33I shall sell. All out on the net. All out in the room.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35Sold at £150.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39- Happy?- Yes, very. Cheers.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43Now, you could enjoy £100 of that
0:53:43 > 0:53:47and spend maybe £20 on a very cheap chess set and go and learn.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50- Then go and learn. - Yes, have some fun.- I'll do that.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54Thank you for bringing that in. I enjoyed our day at Stapleford Park.
0:53:54 > 0:53:55So did I. Yes.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01There are laws governing when it's legal to sell ivory,
0:54:01 > 0:54:03so always seek expert advice if you're unsure.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06In the case of this chess set, Jan was able to sell it
0:54:06 > 0:54:10because it is classified as a worked item which predates 1947.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Now, when I first saw this, I thought,
0:54:14 > 0:54:18"Gosh, pair of silver candlesticks, a pair with a value of £60-£80.
0:54:18 > 0:54:19"That's not a lot of money, is it?"
0:54:19 > 0:54:22But then I was thinking of something that size.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26- These are a bit of fun, aren't they? - They're about that.- They're tiny!
0:54:26 > 0:54:29- Yes.- Yes, and the inscription is fabulous. Why are you selling them?
0:54:29 > 0:54:31- Well, because they were just upstairs in a box.- Doing nothing.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34I just found them and thought, "Oh, I'll bring them along and see."
0:54:34 > 0:54:37I mean, they are nice, being a little dwarf pair,
0:54:37 > 0:54:39and I think it's a local interest with the Gymkhana
0:54:39 > 0:54:42and I think, you know, it's a sense of Leicester.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45- I just hope somebody finds them as appealing as I do.- Yes.- Good luck.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47- Thank you.- They are a bit of fun.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51- They're going under the hammer right now.- Oh, are they?
0:54:51 > 0:54:54Little dwarf candlesticks.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57Long Clawson Gymkhana, there you go. What would you say for that?
0:54:57 > 0:54:59£60.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03- £35 bid, 38...- Oh, come on.- 40. 45.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06Well, we're going in the right direction.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09- I know, we do need a bit more. - 45. Are you all done at £45?
0:55:09 > 0:55:12- Oh, no.- Yes, come on. - 45, in at 45, 45.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15Getting excited cos someone was putting their hand up.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17- Yes, I was.- 50, I'm at 50. At 50.
0:55:17 > 0:55:21I thought there'd be more than this, please. At £50, I'll have to sell.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25Are we all done, finished and away, then? At £50 all done...
0:55:25 > 0:55:29We placed a fixed reserve of £50 on them, so we just scraped in with it.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31- Spot on that lower end of the estimate.- Yes.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34Well done, Anne, thank you for bringing them in.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36Yes, thank you very much, yes.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38'Well, Mark was on the money, there.'
0:55:40 > 0:55:44Now, just time to squeeze in the last lot before we end the show.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46Remember the doll's house furniture we saw earlier?
0:55:46 > 0:55:48It's just about to go under the hammer
0:55:48 > 0:55:52and I've been joined by Angela, who's looking absolutely splendid.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55- Very summery.- Yes. - Now, after 50 years of having these
0:55:55 > 0:55:58in a box, I think it's about time we did sell them, don't you?
0:55:58 > 0:56:00True, very true.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04Because I know the more they get handled, the more they get damaged.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07- They do.- The backs of the chairs are falling off now.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11One of the chairs has lost its back which I threw away as a child.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15- The other one has a back that's very loose, if it hasn't already fallen off.- I think it has.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18We were having a chat to the auctioneer earlier,
0:56:18 > 0:56:23and both of the backs of the chairs weren't, err, on.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27- So fragile. It's amazing it survived so long.- He was slightly dubious.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31But having said that, I kind of turned it around by saying,
0:56:31 > 0:56:34if you do own a classic Victorian doll's house
0:56:34 > 0:56:36and you haven't furnished it,
0:56:36 > 0:56:40and this furniture does cost a lot of money, why not go off to auction
0:56:40 > 0:56:44because you can room-set one parlour with this furniture.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48- I would think it is mendable, quite honestly.- Yes, yes.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51So, will we find a buyer? Let's find out. Here we go.
0:56:51 > 0:56:56This is an unusual lot, doll's house furniture. Marklin, Rock and Garner.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00Waltershausen. £55 bid for the lot.
0:57:00 > 0:57:04The whole suite of furniture, £55 bid.
0:57:04 > 0:57:1160. Bidding on the net. Five. 70. Five. 80. Five. 90. Five.
0:57:11 > 0:57:16100. 110. 20.
0:57:16 > 0:57:21120 here. 130? 130. 140.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23150. 160.
0:57:23 > 0:57:28That's what you call a keen bidder. I've not seen that for a while.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31180. 190. 200.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36£200. All out on the net. And sold!
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Sold in the room for £200. That's brilliant!
0:57:39 > 0:57:41Ever so pleased with that.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44- I'm really surprised. - And the damage didn't bother them.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46- No.- They've got a doll's house.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49Simple as that. Thank you for bringing that in.
0:57:49 > 0:57:54Thank you very much. That's been really great.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57Here at 70. All done, sold.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02Well, that's it, it's all over for our owners.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04Another day in another auction room.
0:58:04 > 0:58:06As you can see, the sale is still going on around me,
0:58:06 > 0:58:08but it has been a bit of a mixed day.
0:58:08 > 0:58:12We didn't sell everything, but at least everyone's gone home happy,
0:58:12 > 0:58:15and that's what it's all about. I hope you've enjoyed the show.
0:58:15 > 0:58:19Join us again soon for more surprises, but until then, from Market Harborough, goodbye.