Wellington 2 Flog It!

It's typical British weather, it's either too hot, or it's too wet,

but we're not going to let rain dampen our spirits, are we?

We've got a massive turnout here today, all eager to find out

if their treasures are worth a few bob or not.

Somebody in this queue is going home with an awful lot of money.

I don't know who it's going to be, but stay tuned and you'll find out.

Well, by my watch, it is 9:30,

so it's time to get this massive queue inside.

All of these people have come here to ask that all-important question, which is?

ALL: What's it worth?

And if you're happy with the valuation, what are you going to do?

ALL: Flog It!

Let's get on with the show.

Our experts are on hand to offer valuations and the best items

will be taken off to auction later on in the programme.

Elizabeth Talbot is already on the lookout for something eye-catching.

Oh, my goodness, toys and toys and toys!

You've collected all these, have you?

She's been in the business 25 years

and does regular antique phone-ins on BBC radio.

Of all of what we've seen so far, that's the bit

which makes me go, "Oh!"

I do clean that one, it's the only one I've cleaned.

Philip Serrell has always been at home in amongst the

cut and thrust of the antiques trade, though he fancies

himself as a bit of a matchmaker.

-They're military badges, aren't they?

-They are.

-What have you got?

-Did you two know that you were both coming, or...?

-No.

-This is by accident?

-Yes.

-That's just the wonder of television, eh?

As everyone settles in,

here's a glimpse of what's to come on today's programme.

An eye-catching young lady gets Phil all a-fluster...

I...I really don't know what to say.

-Well, hopefully you've learned something.

-Yes, I have. Yes.

And Elizabeth's hopping about with excitement at auction...

170, 180...

Oh, this is more like it.

Which of today's antiques will hit the hundreds?

You'll just have to stay tuned in and find out.

So, to our first item of the day, and it's with Philip Serrell.

-Stuart, how are you doing?

-Fine, thank you.

Do you not think you're a bit big for this?

Well, I am slightly now.

Yeah...

I have a view with this stuff, you know, I think

we can create a new word here, a new "Flog It!" word of rememorabilia,

because this is memorabilia that you remember from a time in your life,

clearly your childhood.

It's just a fabulous collection.

I mean, were these bought for you when you were a little one?

Yes, all the Magic Roundabout stuff was bought for me

when I was about two or three. I think that one...

-Lord knows how old I was when I was given that.

-Laurel and Hardy?

Laurel and Hardy... I just acquired them.

I think I must have picked them up when I was a kid at a jumble sale,

-or something.

-Well, Noddy here, he's probably, I would think, '60s,

-and he's like that bendy, sort of squidgy stuff, isn't he?

-Yeah.

And these are Corgi models.

We've got Miss Piggy here from The Muppets, was that right?

Yeah, The Muppets.

My guess is that this was probably '80s and I would think...

-That's an old Citroen Safari, isn't it? And these would probably be '70s.

-Yep, I would say so...

But who would... They were a bit sort of, "heavy," weren't they?

Well, when you were about two or three,

you didn't really pay much attention to that.

We've got Dougal, he was a bit of a hero of mine.

-Who's this one here?

-That is Dylan.

-Dylan.

-And that's Brian The Snail.

-Brian The Snail. Zebedee.

-Zebedee, yeah.

-"Boing!" said Zebedee. You've got all these off pat, haven't you?

-Yeah!

Why Magic Roundabout?

Well, it's the thing I was brought up with as a child.

I just think it's great fun, really, because they're not hugely valuable.

I mean, this one here, this Corgi Magic Roundabout Citroen,

-it's just a diecast toy, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Produced in thousands.

I just think that, at auction,

-I'd sell the whole lot as one collection.

-Yeah.

I'd probably put £40-£60 on it,

and a fixed reserve of £30.

So, what's going to replace your life in the Magic Roundabout?

-Well, my other passion is actually movie musicals on the West End theatre.

-Really?

-Yes.

Well, that's good, it's a bit more grown up, that.

-You can talk about that with some confidence with your mates, can't you?

-Yeah.

Well, absolutely. Let's hope they sell at the sale

really, really well. Thank you so much for coming.

It's not just Phil and Stuart who seem to have toys on their minds today.

We always see a few at our valuations,

proof that "rememorabilia," as Phil calls it, is always popular.

Let's get back to grown-up collectables now.

Elizabeth has spotted a beautiful micro-mosaic brooch.

A fine, quality piece of jewellery you have brought here today, Adrian.

-It's very nice.

-Is it something you've inherited?

-It is, yes.

It belonged to a good friend of mine's mother.

I believe she acquired it from a jeweller friend of hers

after her first husband died in the First World War.

It's a charming piece of late Victorian jewellery

and I'm a great admirer of the production of micro-mosaic

- this is micro-mosaic jewellery - because of the time and effort

that goes into producing a picture in absolute miniature,

using tiny fragments of coloured glass and ceramic

to make up the picture. In a way, we're used to seeing, these days,

through computer imagery.

You know, you can imagine breaking down a well-known scene into

little squares through computers and sort of building it back up.

In those days, they had nothing, it was all done through

precision work, through magnification.

It's a piece of jewellery which, I would suggest, dates from

the last quarter of the 19th century.

It's losing the fussiness of the mounts,

which a lot of Victorian jewellery would have.

I actually think it's better for that, because it then

sets off the scene of the Roman columns

and the temple, almost, in the middle there,

in a way which doesn't detract from the focus of the picture.

And the micro-mosaics were produced in lots of countries,

but primarily in Europe.

Particularly in places like Italy,

who were very well known for the manufacture of such things.

They often set them off in black, whether that be in jet or in ceramic, or in glass.

And then this, although it's not marked, the big, gold mount.

And it is very important to find them in such good condition

and this one looks to be perfect, I can't find anything that suggests

-there's been anything wrong with that.

-That's great, yes, very nice.

Micro-mosaic jewellery is extremely collectable these days.

I've had success with other examples on this programme in the past as well,

and I'd be tempted to put an auction estimate between £80-£120, really.

I think it's more likely to be over £100 than under £100.

-That's very nice, yes.

-Reserve of 80?

-Yes, absolutely.

-Happy with that?

-Yes.

-We'll do that, and I think that will find favour.

Thank you very much.

We're all enjoying the glorious surroundings of Wellington College,

and I'm enjoying getting to know some of the fascinating people

who've come to meet us.

Oh, Mo, what are you holding there? I like the look of that.

-My little

-pepper pot. Isn't that lovely? How did you come by that?

Well, my mother-in-law gave it to me, but originally it was her mother's.

-It was bought at a jumble sale...

-How much for?

-Sixpence.

-Really?

-Yes, yes.

-Gosh. Can I have... Can I hold her?

-I think she's really cute.

-Be careful.

-I will do.

-What's on the bottom? Oh, look, it's still got its cork stopper!

-Mm.

Copenhagen, Denmark.

This is a bit of earthenware, this is what is called faience, OK?

It's not a pepperer, no, it's a sugar caster.

-The holes are too fine.

-Oh, I see.

-Can you see that?

But she's definitely meant to be in the kitchen.

Pretty ugly face on her,

but do you know what I love about this little thing?

What caught my eye, not just the pretty, floral dress,

but because of the waisted shape.

She's got this sort of bosom which is very much like Thora Hird.

-Do you know what I mean?

-Yes.

-Really buxom.

Proper country piece, and that will look fabulous on an old

pine dresser in the kitchen, wouldn't it? Or something like that.

A lot of people collect pottery like this.

-This is quite rare, it's not valuable...

-No?

But it's very collectable.

Purely because of the figure, purely because of that.

Oh, right. We always thought it was a pepper pot, you see.

-And we wondered if there was a salt pot somewhere to go with it.

-Which would be nice.

I'm sure they made versions like this, though.

But the holes would have been slightly bigger.

It's got a value.

If you put this into auction, I could see it quite easily

fetching £50, because of the novelty factor.

And I'd like to put it into auction with a value of £50-£80,

-if you're happy... Do you want to sell it?

-No, no.

-No, I love her too much.

-Do you know what, for £50, I wouldn't part with her either.

-No, no.

-And I'm so pleased, I'm so pleased you want to keep her.

This is one that got away. This isn't "Flog It!", is it?

-It's "Keep It!", today.

-It's "Keep It!", definitely.

Thank you.

We need to pin down our third item to take off to auction

and it looks like Phil's found it, or rather, them,

a pair of candlesticks owned by Jonathan.

Do you know, when I first saw these, I got really, really excited.

Because I thought they were a pair of 18th-century candlesticks,

and I thought, "Wow, we are looking at a four-figure lot here."

And so, you know, I was just a touch disappointed when I saw...

They are silver, you've got an English silver hallmark there,

but what's all this bar code all about?

Because I bought this from a charity shop.

I always watch "Flog It!" and I know it's silver,

because of the hallmarks, it's very cheap for its price, so...

I thought I had a real bargain with it, so I bought it from them.

You can be the expert now, all right?

So, explain the hallmarks to me.

-The anchor sign...

-Yeah?

I thought it was Birmingham

and then the lion sign, it's silver.

It's London.

-And I looked on the internet, I can't find that...

-That's the maker's stamp.

The maker's stamp.

And what about the K, did you date it?

Yeah, it's about 1930s, but I don't know the exact number.

You're getting good at this, aren't you?

-You knew that was silver, but the charity shop didn't?

-No.

How much where they?

-Five pounds for a pair.

-Five pounds for a pair?

Well, Jonathan, I think we taught you really well.

You ought to be highly delighted, because I think, at auction,

I think we can put £150-£250 on these.

So, there's potentially like £150, £200 profit in these for you.

What you going to spend the money on?

-At the moment, my wife is pregnant.

-Really? Don't look at me.

-No.

-Go on, then.

-Yeah, at the moment my wife's pregnant,

she is due next month, so probably the money will go to the baby.

Oh, that's brilliant, isn't it? And do you know what?

If you had a little baby boy, you could call it Philip.

Philip? No, it's a girl, sorry.

My turn now, and I've really hit the jackpot with

Sally's exquisite Lalique bowl.

-Sally, shouldn't you be at work?

-I am at work.

Sally actually works here at Wellington College. What do you do here?

-I'm PA to the bursar.

-Oh, wonderful job.

-How long have you worked here?

-I've worked here for 24 years.

You must know every part of this wonderful school.

I think I probably do. But I'm retiring at Christmas.

I hope you're getting a nice watch, or a clock or something. My word.

Tell me a little bit about the history of the Lalique bowl.

It belonged to my grandmother, and my grandmother gave it to my mother, and my mother gave it to me.

-So, it's been in the family for three generations?

-It's been in the family for at least

-three generations.

-And now you're telling me you want to sell it?

-Yes.

-Why?

I don't use it and I'm afraid I store it in the cupboard where

-I keep my shoes.

-You keep it in the cupboard where you keep your shoes?

-So, do you keep your shoes in the kitchen?

-No, I don't.

Underneath the... In the bedroom? So, what's that doing in the bedroom, then?

-I just think it's a safe place to keep, so it's all wrapped up.

-Oh, I see. That's OK, OK.

Well, it doesn't get much better than Rene Lalique,

when you talk about glass design.

Born in France in 1860, Lalique is still made, it's all stamped,

Lalique, it's moulded glass.

And they'd just stamp Lalique after his death. The pieces that were

made during his lifetime were always stamped, "R Lalique,"

and you can see it moulded into the glass there, right at the centre.

It's a wonderful, opalescent glass.

It's not quite clear, so you can see little flecks of blue, sometimes yellows and sometimes green.

If I hold that up to the light, you can see what I'm going on about.

-Oh, yes.

-And there's the stamp right in the middle, "Rene Lalique".

-Can you see that?

-Mm-hm.

Classic size, classic shape. 24 centimetres.

It's the mistletoe and berries pattern,

it's not the rarest of designs.

When you think of Lalique and you think of those sexy ladies,

all flowing around the vase, or you think of those gorgeous

dragonflies, they are the ones that fetch the top money.

But the key to the value here is, just look at that rim...

Look down there and run your finger around the edge, go on.

-Oh, yes, it's...

-There's not one chip, is there?

-No, no, it's perfect. Isn't it?

-We see a lot on this show,

and there's always one little chip of glass that's been slightly

polished out, there's a little dink.

Collectors are so fussy, it will put them off a bit.

This is in very, very good condition, so I think if we put this

into a sale tomorrow, let's say,

it's got to have an auction price guide of £200-£300.

And that way, it's bound to sell,

and hopefully will get the £300 top end.

-But they have done 220, I saw one do 250.

-Mm-hm.

-Let's put a fixed reserve on at £200.

-OK.

-Don't let it go for a penny less.

-Right, OK. OK, that's fine.

-Happy?

-Yes, I'm very happy.

-You're sure?

-Very happy.

Three generations here you're saying goodbye to.

-No, I'm happy.

-And obviously the money will go for a pair of shoes now, now there's space

in the shoe cupboard for another pair of shoes.

Highclere Castle, built by the third Earl of Carnarvon in 1842.

It's everything a stately home should be.

It has beautiful grounds, the house itself is splendid

and is much in demand as a setting for costume dramas.

The Herbert family have lived here for generations,

and many of its members have played their part

in the history of the nation.

But it was the fifth earl who had the greatest impact worldwide,

because it was his friendship and belief in

Egyptologist Howard Carter that led to the discovery

of the only complete royal tomb of a pharaoh.

And it was that of Tutankhamen.

I was very lucky to meet the present Lady Carnarvon at Highclere

when I was filming here a few years ago.

She very kindly showed me her recently-opened Egyptian exhibition,

which I found absolutely fascinating,

and I'm delighted to say she's invited me back

to share it with you.

Lady Carnarvon, why did the fifth earl become interested in Egypt and Egyptology?

He went to Egypt because he was really ill.

He'd nearly killed himself several times,

driving the early cars far too fast, turning them over

and his doctor said he had to go somewhere warm for the winter,

because he would pack up here in England. So, they gave him a choice

of places to go and he decided to go to Egypt.

When he got there, he was much more than a kind of social butterfly,

he really liked doing something. He was a very clever man,

really intellectual.

So, he bought a concession to excavate and they thought

he would be there for a season and gone, like some sort of rich toff.

And he became completely obsessed.

He sat out on his dust heap

and he discovered a mummified cat.

-You know, he dug for three months.

-He was actually mucking in as well?

He did it. If you didn't sit there with your team of men working,

you wouldn't come up with anything at the end.

They'd have disappeared off into the bazaars and sold it.

-Did he know Carter at this stage?

-No, never had met Carter.

He was doing it all on his own.

Everyone, as I said, thought he would get bored and go away.

He knew he'd been given a really dud site,

so the next year he went back, and he went to Cairo,

and he organised the site for himself,

where he thought there was a tomb

and he found a rather fabulous tomb of a mayor of Thebes,

that of Tetiky. Fab.

Talk me through some of the things you've got in the exhibition.

I have arranged the exhibition thematically.

So, there's groups of pottery, or groups of jewellery,

or groups of faces and figures.

One of the most lovely things is an offering table

from the tomb of Tetiky.

It was probably in the innermost sanctum of Tetiky's tomb

after he died, and it's got inscriptions all about, you know,

giving offerings to the gods in his name.

You'd have left some flowers and some oil in it

and it's 3,500 years old. It's amazing.

There's another wonderful 12th-Dynasty inscription

about the great Chamberlain from Abydos.

The line drawings and the hieroglyphs are so clear.

Well, actually, you or I probably couldn't have done them yesterday,

but...they look as if they were.

It's an extraordinary piece of art, which I simply love,

it's very special to have there as well.

This is wonderful, this coffin. The children who come here love it.

Oh, I bet they do!

You can see the goddess Nut, who caught you up in her arms

and took you on to the world of the resurrection, the next world.

Were all the royal coffins highly decorated like this?

This is, kind of, a lady of the house, so it's a noble woman,

not a royal coffin.

But she could afford to be mummified.

Although Lord Carnarvon made many discoveries of his own,

it was his famous 13-year patronage of Egyptologist Howard Carter

that was destined to make ripples across the world.

So, when did Carter come on the scene, then?

He met Howard Carter, I have now found out, in 1909.

So, two or three years after he started

and this is through some diaries of Gaston Maspero, kept in Paris,

who was head of the antiquities.

He introduced Carnarvon to Carter, thinking he needed a right-hand man

out in Egypt, someone to be there and help him.

But soon, the dawn of the First World War put a stop

to the pair's exploration.

When their search resumed,

they continued for five long years, with little reward.

It was the last chance. Carnarvon was at this point running out of money.

This was 1922, it was post the First World War.

Just about to give up.

For Carnarvon, it was the last shot.

Howard Carter had gone ahead of Lord Carnarvon that season and he had

discovered a few steps, cabled Lord Carnarvon,

who rushed out to be there.

And then they went down the steps, cleared the passageway and

they were confronted with this bricked-in wall

and they chipped away at it.

And then Howard Carter held in a candle

-and he saw this extraordinary range of gold...

-Unbelievable.

..from another culture, another world.

Lord Carnarvon was next to him, sort of whispering in his ear,

-saying, "What can you see?"

-I know, "What can you see?"

And turning around and saying, with a peephole, "Treasure."

Wonderful things, what wonderful things.

It just sounds like a movie, doesn't it? It really does, like a film set.

I mean, looking at that, it's like a film set. But that's real,

that's history captured.

What happened, because I know the earl never actually saw

-the inner chamber, did he?

-Not at all.

He got bitten by a mosquito, which ultimately led to his death.

But the bizarre thing is, I find the most bizarre thing,

is that Tutankhamen's famous gold mask, which you're right,

he never saw,

is made of two sheets of gold,

of amazingly equal thickness throughout.

It's weaker and less thick at just one point, which is here,

exactly on the left cheek,

where Lord Carnarvon was bitten by the mosquito.

And in some ways, the mosquito, it seems like,

was also responsible for Tutankhamen's death.

So, there is some kind of curse going on, do you think?

Well, I just think... Hold steady!

Well, I'm certainly careful.

What happened to all the treasure?

All the treasures from Tutankhamen's tomb went to Cairo.

What we have here is the remains of his collection, pre-Tutankhamen.

The majority of his collection was sold after he had died,

to pay death duties.

-Tutankhamen is such an icon, isn't he?

-Yes.

He is an icon throughout the world, and I thought, "We are so lucky,

"we've got the story, we've got the story of the discovery."

It's the treasure trail of all treasures.

So, this is the famous mask, and obviously a replica of it.

-But it's quite beautifully made.

-It is an iconic image, isn't it?

It's an extraordinary image.

So, this was found on top of the mummy,

which was then inside a gold coffin, which was inside

a rishi coffin, like the one over there, inside a gold coffin

over wood, inside a sarcophagus, inside four different shrines.

Extraordinary.

Well, it's time to put those valuations to the test.

This is where we go to auction, where everybody sits on the edge of their seats, because we're

-feeling really nervous for our owners. Our experts are normally pretty good, aren't they?

-Yes.

They're normally on the money,

but as you know, anything can happen at auction.

We're taking Stuart's collection of toys, and while Phil's not expecting

Noddy and his chums to break any records,

he has a hunch that nostalgia will help the sale go along.

Elizabeth chose this Victorian micro-mosaic brooch.

She is hoping its class and beauty will attract the bidders.

We have a pair of 1930s candlesticks.

Jonathan's £5 charity shop bargain,

which Phil thinks will easily sell for 30 times that amount.

Sally's Lalique was pure quality, and I'm hoping that someone

in the sale room will love it enough to give it a decent home.

For today's sale, we've travelled to Wokingham,

to the Martin & Pole sale room,

where they charge a seller's commission of 15%, plus VAT.

Before the sale kicks off, I want to find out

if auctioneer Garth Lewis thinks Sally's Lalique can do the business.

Well, they say quality always sells,

-and I think this Lalique bowl has it in abundance, don't you?

-Absolutely.

-The name says it all.

-It's an early one as well, Rene Lalique.

But the rim's not chipped at all...

It seems to be in pretty good order.

There are one or two slight knife marks, I fancy, in the bottom there.

-She did that, Sally did that.

-Did she?

-Yes!

OK, well, we'll blame her.

But it's very nice, it's an unusual design, the mistletoe design.

It sells, absolute banker.

It is in company with a couple of other Lalique lots in the sale.

-Good, I noticed that.

-Hopefully, the people will be here for it.

And I like that word, it's a complete banker. That's what you

-want to hear from the auctioneer.

-Did I just say that?

-Yes, the complete banker.

Which is good, isn't it?

Well, fingers crossed that there are some rememorabilia lovers

here today, because the toys are our first item up.

I've just been joined by Philip.

Unfortunately our owner cannot be with us.

Stuart can't make it, but we do have all of his toys,

and hopefully they're going to reach the top end of the estimate.

-Because I had a chat with the auctioneer...

-What did he say?

We're in the money?

# We're in the money... # Are we?

-Ready for this?

-Yeah.

-Could double our money.

-Well, that's because...

-I always thought Dougal was really cool, you know.

-So did I.

-He was my favourite, Dougal.

-And Zebedee!

-No, Dougal was...

I wasn't keen on Miss Piggy, but I tell you what he did say,

Miss Piggy is the most valuable one there.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-How do you know that?

-Well, he told me. Because she's more collectable.

-I... I really don't know what to say.

-Well, hopefully you've learned something, because I have.

Yes. I still like Dougal the best.

I do as well, but anyway, let's find out

what the bidders think, shall we?

27 is a little collection of toys,

including some Magic Roundabout Corgi figures,

and, most memorably, Miss Piggy's car.

So, I'm sure you've had a good look through. Interesting little lot.

May I say 40 to start, please? £40.

30, if you like. I don't mind.

-Nobody want it?

-You should have told everybody else...

Here we go. Someone's in.

30 bid, thank you. At 30... 32, now.

35. 38. 40.

42. 45.

48, with the lady. New place.

It's 48. Lady's bid. At 48, then, if you're done...

-50.

-Great.

-He was right. He knows his Miss Piggy, doesn't he?

-55. 60.

-This is good!

-Mm.

-£60. On my left here at 60.

-Boing!

£60, sold!

Well, I have learnt something.

Miss Piggy. That's where the money is.

I wonder if Kermit the Frog was amongst the bidders.

Now, on to serious stuff and that micro-mosaic jewellery,

valued by Elizabeth at £80-£120.

It belongs to Adrian here, who's just joined us in the nick of time.

Phew. Sweat's on, hey?

Hopefully.

I'm quite confident about this,

because I think this is pure quality.

It is, but you formulate a piece of jewellery,

you see this fairly regularly, but it is such

a strong field for collectors.

You've got a nice sort of pictorial one, and condition is good.

So, all these, it ticks all the boxes.

It ticks the right boxes. Let's find out what the bidders think.

Nice example of a small, oval micro-mosaic brooch.

Decorated with a colonnaded Roman building.

May we say 50 here, please? £50 for it.

It's bid, thank you. At 50. Any further?

-And five with the lady.

-Good, someone down the front.

-Yes.

-Competition.

-I'll come to you in a second.

70, and five. 80.

And five. 90. Five. 95.

Was there a bid here?

95. Lady's bid. Are we all done?

-100, new face.

-Bang on, mid-estimate. 110.

-Sold at 110!

-Brilliant.

-Happy with that?

-Thank you.

-Excellent.

Quality always sells, doesn't it? That's what you've got to

keep remembering when you want to invest in antiques.

Look for quality, condition, good maker's name and provenance,

if you can find it. Well done, and thank you

for bringing in such a great example.

-Thank you, Paul, it's great.

-Mid-estimate and a solid sale.

We're on our way and the bidders are warming up.

I've just been joined by Jonathan. It's great to see you again.

And since the valuation day, you've got some good news for us,

haven't you?

On the day of the valuation, my wife was pregnant.

Now she is three and a half months.

-A wonderful baby, a little girl or boy?

-Girl.

A little girl, and she's just over there, and there's your wife.

Give us a wave, hello.

Hello, beautiful baby.

-What's her name?

-Zoe Gabriel.

-Zoe Gabriel, that's cool!

-Oh, Philip, look.

How sweet. Her first auction, she's starting young.

You never know, she could be a jewellery expert when she's older.

Or a fine art expert. But good luck with this,

it is a great time to sell.

Why are you selling them?

-I just bought it in the charity shop for £5.

-No, you're kidding?

Yeah, a week before the valuation, so...

Hey, hey, keen eye.

You got your eye through "Flog It!", didn't you?

-Yeah, I just learned through watching "Flog It!"

-And that's what

it's all about, giving you information so you can take it

a bit further, lots of inspiration.

Here we go, this is it.

Good pair of early 20th-century silver sticks.

Say £100 to start, please. Surely? 100 for them is bid, thank you.

Any further?

100, and 10. 120.

120. 130. 140, 50.

60. 70. 180.

190. 200, now.

20.

40. £240.

My original bidder at 240. If you're done...

£240, well done. Well spotted, that's all I can say.

If it's out there, ready to be bought, get in there and buy it.

Last, but not least, it's Sally's lovely Lalique.

It's great to see you again, Sally, and I love what you're wearing.

That colour's this year's colour.

-Everyone is wearing that.

-Thank you.

-Are you excited?

-I'm very excited.

-It's been a long wait, hasn't it?

-It has been a long wait, yes.

I had a chat to the auctioneer. You know what he said.

He agreed with the valuation, it's good, everything's right about it.

It's an early one, like I said, so, fingers crossed.

It could either be 200, it could either be 300.

-It could be a bit more, if we want to be greedy.

-We'll have to see.

Because, as you know, it's not an exact science. Right.

It's going under the hammer now, good luck, Sally.

This is the mistletoe bowl. Nice example, impressed mark.

-I have interest here on the book. I'll start it at 150.

-There we go.

£150 against you. £150 is bid.

Any further, at 160? Thank you. 170 here.

170. 80. 190.

190...

-It's against you at 200. 220.

-Right, now it's gone.

Mine at 220, then, if you're all done. Is there any further? £220...

Come on, a bit more...

220. Well, we didn't get the top end, but at least it went.

-That's fantastic, wonderful.

-Happy?

-Very happy. Thank you very much indeed.

-Big smile.

There is commission to pay, here it is 15%,

but it does vary from room to room. So, enjoy the money.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you. It's good fun.

Today, I'm rolling back the years.

I'm in Windsor Great Park, and this is Virginia Water.

Now, the first time I came here,

walking down this tree-lined avenue, I was about that high,

with my mother and father and sister and our dog, Bella, the boxer dog.

We grew up, oh, about four miles away from here in a place

called Windlesham, before I moved to Cornwall, when I was 12 years old.

We came here most weekends and I was absolutely fascinated by this,

this 100-ft high totem pole,

which was a gift to the park from British Columbia.

It's still here, look at that.

Still looks as impressive.

Oh, gosh, I am reliving some happy memories.

The park started out as a hunting forest under William the Conqueror.

The most active period of landscaping took place in the

18th century under William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland.

He created Virginia Water, and with it,

introduced a new form of garden design, with a more natural,

picturesque landscaping, adorned with follies...

and swans!

Virginia Water was first dammed and flooded in 1753, making it

the largest man-made body of water in the British Isles at the time.

The lake was once a place of pageantry and spectacle,

with follies and fishing temples built on the shore.

Visitors can still admire a Roman temple,

built from the columns and lintels brought from the ancient city

of Leptis Magna, and ornamental cascades from the 18th century.

Windsor Great Park covers 1,000 years of history

over 1,000 acres of space,

and this is the most recent garden design.

The Savill Garden.

It was built in the 1930s and '40s by Sir Eric Savill.

The Savill Garden is 35 acres of contemporary

and classically designed gardens and exotic woodland.

It began as a woodland garden, with native oak,

beech and sweet chestnut trees, but has since evolved by

incorporating many new plants over the years.

Now, if you want a tour of the park in absolute regal style,

there's only one way to do it, and that's to meet up with Jo Buick,

who runs Ascot Carriages. And here you can certainly embrace nature, can't you, Jo?

-Hello, Paul.

-Hello. Thank you for meeting up with me. Who's this?

-This is Delwyn.

-Hello, Delwyn. How old are you?

-He's about 15 now.

-Is he?

-Yeah, he's very experienced. He's a Welsh Cob from Mid Glamorgan.

Oh, he's lovely, isn't he? And how long have you been doing this?

We've been very fortunate, we were invited to do this for the visitors a year ago.

-So, this is your business?

-This is, yes,

and we work here in these glorious surroundings.

-And tours take about, what, half an hour to an hour?

-About half an hour.

-You can book what you like, really, yeah.

-Weddings, parties, anything like that?

Yes, romantic proposals...

-Really? Have you had proposals on board?

-Yes,

underneath the spreading oak tree, or by the lake.

Oh, how romantic.

It's very romantic and they've been a 100% success rate.

-Have they?

-Yes.

Well, thank you for letting me jump aboard today.

Thank you. Delwyn, I'm relying on a smooth ride.

To find out a little bit more about the work of the Crown estate,

I've come to talk to keeper Mark Flanagan. Hello, Mark.

-Paul, hello.

-Pleased to meet you.

-Thank you.

-Climb aboard, then.

-Travelling in style today.

-Absolutely.

-This is lovely, isn't it?

-Wonderful.

-And a great way to take in the view.

The best way, I think.

So, tell me a little bit about your work. What does the job title mean?

Well, keeper of the gardens means that I manage about 1,000 acres of Windsor Great Park.

Gosh, that's a great responsibility.

Great responsibility, a wonderful job, but it includes the well-known

areas, such as Virginia Water lake, the Savill and Valley Gardens.

-Features like the totem pole.

-Gosh.

And what's the biggest headache, do you think?

The responsibility of all that past history, we need to be very

clear about what we're doing and why we're doing those things.

We work as a team to present the park in the best way

we can for visitors.

I guess the most exciting thing must be the planting up, but it

must take years to actually see the fruits of labour, doesn't it?

It does, I mean, obviously trees take quite a long time to mature.

But we're putting new features in all the time.

Last summer, for example, we opened a new rose garden,

a contemporary rose garden. Very different from the Savill Garden.

-And that's an instant splash of colour, isn't it?

-It is, absolutely.

Oh, this is nice. Look, we're coming to the water now,

with all the lilies. This is a royal park.

Do many of the royals still come and visit?

Well, obviously the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are residents

of Windsor Castle, four miles from where we are here, through the park.

-Any other plans for the future?

-Always, yeah.

Always, we're looking at Virginia Water,

to do some of the historical restoration work as well.

But the framework of the landscape that people enjoy, obviously

very long term, and we have to take that into account.

I guess the estate must attract hundreds of thousands of visitors now, each year?

The estimate for the whole of Windsor Great Park is about two million visits a year.

That's fabulous, and it's the perfect family day out, isn't it?

Well, wonderful opportunities for all kinds of recreation.

You know, cycling, dog walking, jogging, roller blading,

-picnicking...

-You've got some lovely restaurants on site.

We've got lots of refreshment outlets as well,

so, it would be a great family day here.

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip, everybody. Mark, thank you

for my tour, it's brought back so many happy memories for me, especially as a young lad.

Let's catch up with our experts back at the valuation day.

What I love about you, is you've brought this specifically

because it colour coordinates in with our tablecloth, doesn't it?

-Well, we've got to try.

-Oh, brilliant job, brilliant job.

This screams at you, Poole.

It's a piece of Poole Pottery, and it's delphis ware,

which was started in...that range was started in 1963.

And I bet you'll never guess where Poole comes from.

Poole?

You've done so well, yeah. It was founded on the quayside in Poole.

Yeah, by the Carter family in mid, sort of, 1870s, I would think.

And this is so obviously Poole Pottery that we don't

really need to turn it over, but I better just had.

And there they are, we've got the Poole transfer label there,

and then, just impressed here, we have Poole as well.

How have you come by this?

I inherited it from my mother-in-law when she died.

My husband's younger brother was one of the principal dancers with

-the Royal Festival Ballet.

-Really?

-Yeah.

He died very young, unfortunately.

But, while he was at the top, with the ballet,

he used to buy her things

from all over the world.

Would he have bought this for his mum?

I would have thought he would have bought it, because most of the stuff

that she had, you know, nice stuff,

would have come from Paul.

It looks to be in good order.

I think this stuff's come back a little bit over the past

five or six years, in terms of value.

And I think you've got to pitch this just at the right level...

..that makes it attractive to people coming to the auction.

So, I'd recommend 40 to 60 as an estimate.

£30 as a reserve.

-How does that grab you?

-That sounds fine. That sounds fine.

I'm not going to ask you what you're going to do with 30 quid...

Why have you decided to sell it, though?

I would love to have room to put everything on show,

but with something like this, you know, the colour and all that,

it's just in your face.

I think, if it can go to someone who would like it enough to hang

it on a wall, and look at it and really enjoy it, I think, well,

let someone else get the pleasure of it.

And I can maybe put the money... and buy something else.

I think that's a great sentiment, and on that note, we're going to

-leave it just at that.

-OK.

There are still plenty of people wanting items valued,

and Elizabeth Talbot is ready with our next owners.

-Hello, Pete. Hello, Ben.

-Hello.

-I understand you must be on half-term this week.

-Yes, I am.

-So, you've come along with your grandfather?

-Yes.

-To produce...

for us, today...

Now, this. What can you tell me about this?

It was my nan's, and I hadn't even seen it, but, when she died

-and we were clearing out the house, we found it in a cupboard.

-Right.

My dad said he could remember listening to it,

-but we just couldn't find the horn.

-Oh, look at the horn.

-That's a shame.

-That IS a shame. So, have you seen this before?

I haven't, until this morning, actually, when my grandad

has brought it over to my house and said, "Ben, we're going to Flog It."

Oh, very good, then.

So, you had your day planned out for you by your grandad?

-Yes, it's great.

-Well, I'll tell you a little bit about it.

It's called a phonograph.

Now, phonographs were invented in 1887 by Thomas Edison,

who was an American. The original usage...

-Do you know what the original usage of these was?

-No.

-No?

It was originally intended to capture dictated human voice,

so that it could be played back in office use, basically.

-Like early dictaphones, OK?

-Wow.

And they would record on these very delicate wax discs,

and there were grooves on the wax discs

and the needle would run into the grooves and then the voice

would be broadcast through the horn, which as you say, in this case,

is sadly missing.

Now, the earliest ones were for office use.

Then, by the early 1900s,

they were used for home entertainment, in effect.

For playing favourite, you know, musical songs and classical

pieces, and perhaps a bit of human voice that was recorded as well.

This one dates between 1900-1910.

The most usual colour would have been black.

This is unusual because it's a sort of maroon colour. It actually

reminds me of the early Hornby trains.

-It's got that colour combination.

-Same with the coach lines as well.

Exactly right. Yeah, very much of its time.

It was called a maroon gem, and its little horn, which you

possibly imagine being brass, was actually also maroon coloured.

-Wow, that would've been nice.

-It would have been nice, wouldn't it?

I have seen them with horns sell for as much as £300, but I think, to be

realistic on this occasion, it's in very good condition, so that counts

for it, but I think we need to look at about £100, £150 as an estimate.

Wow, that's nice.

-Yeah? You're happy with that?

-Yeah.

-Yes. Very fair.

-And would you like a reserve on that?

-No.

See how the market takes it.

I think, to be fair, it should achieve its value quite comfortably,

because it is quite a rarity in its own right, even without the horn.

-So, fingers crossed.

-Yeah, yeah. Got your fingers crossed?

-Yep!

With that many fingers crossed,

the phonograph should do really well at auction.

Knowing Phil Serrell, he won't be leaving anything to chance.

He's zoned in on Rosemary, who has a large collection of postcards.

You've got a fascinating collection here of postcards.

-Who's collected these?

-Well, as a family, we are well into postcards.

And I think we inherited, from my grandmother,

most of these movie stars going back to 1904/1905.

She started collecting them.

Then my mother inherited them from her.

This is Granny's? This is Mum's? Where's yours?

-Well, they are still to come, we are hoarding those.

-Really?

In years to come they will come on to "Flog It!" in 50 years' time.

-Do you collect them, really?

-Yes, yes. We have boxes and boxes.

Do you think this is genetic?

There is something because my nieces and nephews,

they are well into sending postcards, as well.

I think this is.... I bet you're a wow at Christmas, aren't you?!

Let's deal with them.

I think we've got two lots here. These are all musical stars?

-Movie stars, really.

-Movie stars.

-Yeah.

Well, I had a quick flick through earlier

and I'm not going to profess to being an expert on early

20th century movie stars and personalities but I would guess...

-..that that lot is worth around £50-£80.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

That's fine.

Put a reserve of £50 on them with 10% discretion.

-That's those.

-Yeah.

-OK?

-Yeah.

-I mean, for me, these are so much more fun.

-Yeah.

-Your mum had a sense of humour, yeah?

-Yes.

My mother was a huge "Flog It!" fan

-and she passed away only about 18 months ago.

-Oh, really?

So she's up there watching, I think...

Better get it right, Mum!

I just think this is lovely. Look at this one here.

"Any business today?" "No real business but I put the wind up

"a couple of typists this afternoon!"

And you've got these two storks and then,

I mean, you look at these sort of irreverent children in a way.

You don't even need to see the artist's name there

because you know they are Mabel Lucie Attwell and she, of course,

did some of the designs for the breakfast plates

and the Bunnykins plates that we get to sell.

I just think they're lovely.

They are just wizard. I think these are really collectable.

-I think these will fly through £60-£90.

-Yeah?

But we should sell them as two lots.

-£50-£80, 10% discretion.

-Yeah.

£60-£90 and we'll perhaps give them £10 discretion, if they have to.

I think these will do very well.

I think they are lovely cards. They are a great bit of fun.

-Hopefully, we'll keep Mum happy, will we?

-I'm sure we will!

And that's our aim on "Flog It!", to make you

happy by selling your unwanted collectables for a decent sum.

We'll find out later how those postcards get on at auction.

But first over to Elizabeth, she's with Paul.

Your painting caught my eye, Paul. What can you tell me about it?

-It doesn't belong to me, it belongs to my mother.

-Right.

It was handed down from her mother when she died.

And you have come along on behalf of your mother today to...?

Exactly, because she is in a care home being looked after.

Is there anything that the family has found out about it up to this point?

Do you know anything about it, or links to the artist, or anything?

-No.

-I'm quite intrigued. I like the style of it.

It was the bold artistic style

and use of the brushwork which caught my eye.

It's signed very boldly at the bottom, Johnson Hayward.

I haven't been able to find anything about him at all,

even with the facilities I have here today, which is quite frustrating.

I like the style and I feel as though it's somebody

if they hadn't got full potential at this stage,

-was certainly showing a lot of potential.

-Really?

The sky is very good.

I like the fluffiness of the clouds, very bright sky.

I like the viewpoint going across the river valley

through to the little town about there.

The foreground with these almost gorse bushes in the foreground,

it's very atmospheric, very bold, very vibrant.

All that enthusiasm and not having been able to find

anything about the artist makes the valuation very difficult.

-I bet, yes.

-I'd be tempted to keep it fairly modest

because there is no precedent found to be able to tie back to,

you know, the last one sold by this gentleman was X, Y, Z.

I think instinctively my feeling says it should be £200-£300

but I would recommend a reserve of around £150 for it

-so we're not pushing it too hard.

-I would like it to be more, obviously.

Yes, absolutely, indeed.

But I wouldn't want to dangle carrots in front of you and say...

-I think that's fair. Is that all right?

-Yes, yes.

-So we'll do that and who knows?

-Who knows? Fingers crossed.

Well, we've had a marvellous day here and we've now found our final items.

We're just going over to the auction room for the second time to put those valuations to the test.

It's time for us to bid a very, very fond farewell to Wellington College.

So this is what we're taking off to auction with us.

Philip reckons Margaret's Poole plate will be a smash.

Pete and his grandson, Ben, brought in the Edison phonograph.

It's missing the horn but does include a number of musical cylinders.

Phil chose the albums of postcards

and photos collected by Rosemary's mother and grandmother.

And the Hayward oil painting, valued by Elizabeth at £200-£300.

Let's test those values now as we send them all off to auction at

Martin & Pole in Wokingham, and our auctioneer for today is Garth Lewis.

We're starting with the first of Rosemary's two lots.

We'll sell her cheeky postcards later

but right now it's those film star photos.

Going under the hammer right now, Grandma's inheritance.

Rosemary, you should be hanging on to this, shouldn't you?

Maybe, but they've been in the family a long time.

It's time for somebody else to enjoy them.

I guess you know what we're talking about, if you've got a good memory,

that wonderful album. There's 90-odd postcards in there, black-and-whites of movie stars,

-singers, all that kind of thing.

-Yes.

-Some nice memories.

-Very fond memories.

-Let's hope we get that top estimate, Philip.

-Yeah.

-What a lot.

-I'm hoping that we get any estimate at the minute.

I think they should sell, shouldn't they? They should do.

They're going under the hammer now.

Strangely enough, it's gone very quiet. The tension's building.

It is here. It is in these shoes!

A small album of Edwardian photographic postcards,

mostly actors and actresses. I have interest on the book here.

We'll start at £50 against you. I have 50. Five, thank you, 55.

-I have 60 here.

-We have a bidder right near us.

Hopefully he's a postcard collector and he's not put his hand down yet,

which is good. Keep your hand up, sir.

70? Five. 80. Five. 90. Five.

I'm out at 95.

-It is in the room at 95.

-A determined bidder.

If you're done.

Sold. It's £95. Gone, straight in, straight out.

One down, one to go and we'll see how Rosemary's postcards do in

just a moment but before that,

here's Paul with his mum's oil painting.

Good luck, Paul, good luck. Fingers crossed.

-We have a jam-packed saleroom. Have you been to this room before?

-Yes.

-You have?

-Yes.

-Buying and selling, or...?

-No, just poking my nose.

Just poking your nose in.

Today, hopefully, we'll be selling big time.

We're looking at £200-£300. It's a wonderful oil.

It's been kept under glass, so the condition is very, very good.

-It was Mother's, wasn't it?

-Yes, it certainly was.

-I like this, this is good.

-That's my style, I could live with this.

It's lovely and I hope other people like it too.

We're going to find out. Let's find out if the bidders like it. Let's see what it's worth. Here we go.

Lot 179, Johnson Hayward the artist.

Early 20th-century oil.

Pleasant country scene with a river meandering through water meadows.

I can start the bidding at £100 against you. 100 bid.

Any further?

110, thank you, 120?

-A lot of picture for that money.

-130.

140?

It's against you at 140.

-I'll have to pass the lot at 140, if you are all done.

-One more?

-Didn't sell.

-Didn't sell. Got so close but not enough.

-Unbelievable.

That is worth every single penny plus another hundred pounds!

We didn't overcook it at all.

I thought it was a bit of a come-and-buy-me.

I thought it was fair for what it was.

-Well, now you've got a decision to make.

-We tried.

You can either leave it here for the next sale,

take it away with you, put it in another auction room, or you can

take it home and live with it and enjoy it because Mum liked it.

I might do that. Good idea.

And it is Margaret's Poole plate.

So, are you going to downsize eventually or thinking, "No,

-"I want to be minimalist now."

-I'm clearing out for the next lot!

Oh, are you? What, there's stacks of it, is there? Stacks of Poole or just stuff?

-Just stacks of stuff, boxes and boxes.

-A bit of a hoarder, are you?

Yes, I told Philip last time I am a magpie!

-Absolutely.

-There's nothing wrong in that, is there?

All these collectables add up over the years.

It is going under the hammer right now.

Poole Pottery, delphis pattern, circular charge.

A nice example,

red and orange ground in that striking abstract design.

I have interest on the book. I'll start at £32 against you.

Is there any advance? 35, thank you.

38, here. 40, 42. 45, 48.

£48.

Telephone's out. I am here at £48. Against you in the room.

50, new place. And five, here. 60.

£60 if you are all done, I'm selling.

I'm so pleased that Poole is still desirable.

It is a good bit of 20th-century modern.

-And they are still making it. You will miss that.

-I won't!

-THEY LAUGH

-A cracking top end result.

We're back with Rosemary, her photo sold for £95.

Now we are selling the seaside postcards

and just as we start we have a late arrival at Rosemary's side.

-Who have you brought along? What is your name?

-My name is Lucy.

I am Rosemary's sister.

It was our mother who sadly has died

but she enjoyed sending postcards, collecting postcards.

-So, the money is being divided between you.

-Absolutely.

We will share it. We shall go out and enjoy ourselves.

-Treat yourself to a bit of lunch.

-Oh, yes.

-After the auction.

-More than lunch!

-You never know, do you? Plus supper as well.

This could get top money.

I like these. I think the McGills and the Lucie Attwells are so evocative.

It is the Donald McGills for me. They are the best. So funny.

I can remember as a ten-year-old boy looking at these with my mum

and dad on the pier on holiday in Cornwall and Mum and Dad

would walk further away from me so I could glance back and

look at this without being noticed or I got a clip round the ear.

Paul Martin, there you are.

Terribly naughty when you are only ten but so funny.

Look, let's hope they cheer everyone up in the saleroom

and people put their hand up and bid on them.

They're going under the hammer right now.

Another album of postcards, mostly coloured, humorous subjects,

Donald McGill, Mabel Lucie Attwell amongst them. About 55 in total.

I have a bid here starts at £35, against you. Any further at 35? 38.

40, here. 42, 45, 48. 50. Five.

The same bidders.

-I am out at 55. Selling again then.

-Yes!

-£55.

-He meant to have them, didn't he?

-Well, that was quick.

-Excellent.

It goes to show, postcards are so collectable.

If you have something like that at home, we would love to see it.

Bring it along to one of our valuation days and you can pick

up the dates and upcoming venues on the BBC website...

Follow the links, all the information will be there plus a lot

more about what is going on behind the scenes.

If you don't have a computer, check the details in your local press

because it could be you in the saleroom the next time.

The auctioneer used his 10% discretion

and let that one go at £55 and now to our last lot of the day.

The Edison phonograph is valued at £100-£150.

We're taking a few risks here. There's no reserve.

I've been joined by Pete

but unfortunately Ben cannot be with us today. We do have Elizabeth.

We are looking for around £150. It does have the horn missing.

I like the colour and the condition of the rest of it is good.

You had a few wax rolls as well.

-It is all heading in the right direction.

-It's coming together.

Hopefully it'll end on a crescendo.

I wonder what the bidders think. Why are you selling this?

Well, I found it in my nan's house when we cleared it out

so I thought, it's no good to me.

If someone's got the horn, it may be a perfect match for someone.

I'm sure someone does!

It is the Edison phonograph, it is as viewed - I'm afraid

the original horn is missing. I'm sure we've had a look.

What can I say here? £100 to start? 100.

80, if you like. I don't mind.

£80 is bid. Thank you. Any further?

It is worth every penny.

90, 95. 100. And ten. 120.

It is near me here at 120. Against you on the telephone.

-There is a phone bidder.

-130 now. 140.

150. 160.

-Battling it out for the commission.

-170. 180.

This is more like it.

190. 200 now.

20. 240.

260. 280.

280, telephone's out. £280, against you in the room. Are you all done?

-It was worth looking in Nan's attic.

-Good price.

-I didn't think it would get that much.

-Happy?

-Well pleased.

Well over the top. £280.

That is what it should be worth with the horn.

Did you ever not think of trying to find a horn for it?

-I wouldn't know where to look.

-You never heard it played?

No, my dad said they sat around and heard it.

-It is the most wonderful sound.

-Magical sound.

It is time stood still, isn't it?

Well, that's it. It's all over. Another day in another saleroom.

I hope you've enjoyed watching our show today.

It was a bit of a mixed day, a few highs and lows.

The interesting thing is, the things we thought that would fly away

struggled and the things that we thought wouldn't do that well

absolutely flew away.

It goes to show, you can't predict what something is worth.

See you next time on Flog It!