Wellington Flog It!

Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone in 1856 to this

extraordinary 19th century Baroque-looking building,

having agreed that a charitable educational establishment

should be set up in memory of the man who defeated Napoleon

at the Battle of Waterloo.

The Duke of Wellington.

Welcome to Flog It! from the magnificent Wellington College.

Still going strong today,

Wellington College aims to provide a transformative experience

for all of its pupils, maximising their potential to the full.

Let's hope we can transform a few people

in this queue today off to the auction room. Who will it be?

Well, stayed tuned and you'll find out.

Our experts are here to make sure everyone gets the valuations they need.

He's great! Does he growl?

The team is headed by Elizabeth Talbot,

all-round valuer, cataloguer and auctioneer.

Oh, he does!

Trust me, that's the best view.

And Flog It! favourite, former PE teacher, Philip Serrell

up to his old tricks.

It's worth a fiver but at a push, I could give you a tenner for it.

There'll be more high jinx from Philip a little bit later.

As I explore the area, I'll be delighting you with some

unusual artefacts, proving that antiques can be

displayed in a variety of novel ways.

-It's a timeless piece as well.

-Absolutely. Good gag!

But for now, we join Elizabeth at the tables

as she weighs up the worth of Margaret's Poole Pottery.

I recognise that you've brought a couple of pieces of Poole but I'm sure there's a story behind them.

They were given to me about 1980

when a girl came from France and she wanted to improve her English.

And I had two small children at the time,

so it was a good idea for her to look after them and improve her English.

And then she gave them to you?

-As a little gift.

-How lovely.

And do you like them?

Not really. I've had them on display

and then I remember her every time I see them,

but they don't do anything for me. I much prefer wood carvings

and I prefer to display a Japanese carving that I have.

Well, I don't know how much you know about the Poole factory.

The original factory was inherited in 1873

and by 1921, Carter, Stabler and Adams had set up a firm

making very versatile, usable products which went through

several stages in its history.

In the '20s and '30s, you would find that they made

pastel-shaded painted objects which were quite delicate in their tone.

By the time they got to the 1960s and 1970s,

they produced what they called psychedelic ware,

where they used bright, almost pop colours - Pop Art of that time -

along with interesting shapes.

I am more familiar with the red ground and also the blue ground.

-The green ground, to my eye, is actually quite pleasant. I like that.

-Really?

But they use these bright colours and several of their famous

designers and decorators were working to a theme.

A bit like the crazy stained glass look,

with big thick black lines and very bright, bold colours.

And they really produced this ware between about 1966 and about 1980,

so this was probably towards the latter end of this ware.

Now, you have two pieces here,

complementary, but each by a different artist.

I don't know the name of the artist here but this one is by

a lady called Carol Cutler. She monograms it CC

and she's one of the most famous designers and decorators

that they employed.

So that has a slight precedence over this piece in terms of the name.

For collectors, the names of the artists are very important, too.

As you also point out, this one has suffered a little bit of damage

with a chip on the underside of the rim. So from that point of view,

it's slightly hampered by that in terms of its value.

I would have said that this piece, with its damage,

would be roundabout £20 to £30.

Really?

And this piece, because of the name,

-more likely to be around the £40-£45.

-Really?

But if you're looking to sell and if you're happy at that value,

-I'd advise you to sell them together as a lot.

-Yes.

And put a combined estimate of around £60 to £80 on the two.

Would you like a reserve on them

or would you like to see how the market takes them?

I don't know. What do you suggest?

I tell you what, how about we put £60 to £80 as a combined estimate

but we put a £40 reserve on, because you're protecting this one.

-Is that all right? Then you've got a bit of leeway.

-Yes. That's fine.

You've got peace of mind they're being looked after.

Thank you for all that information.

I didn't realise about the stained glass.

It's just the influence that they were borrowing from

and probably one of many.

In the '60s and '70s, influences came from all sorts of places

which we can't go into. But if they sell, and hopefully they will,

will you be buying some more Japanese carvings with the proceeds?

No, I think what I shall do is put it towards an orphanage

we're building in Uganda.

Who's we?

There's some friends here who've brought some things.

There's quite a group of us now, raising money.

Really? That's a wonderful cause.

-Fingers crossed we will do well for you.

-I hope so.

We'll be back to find out whether Margaret's pottery makes a splash in the saleroom in a bit.

But first, over to Phillip Serrell as he gets to grips with a couple of candlesticks

that Maureen's brought in to sell.

How long have you had these, then?

50-odd years I've known of them.

-So shall we try and debunk the antique world?

-Yes.

-So these are candlesticks, aren't they?

-Yes.

What sort of column is that?

A bit like a Roman type...

Yeah, but if you look at it, we've got a column there

and then we've got one, two, three, four, five...

It's made up of lots of little columns,

-so it's called a cluster column.

-All right.

So it's a cluster column candlestick.

With wheat ears as the capitals, and the capitals are the top bit.

Is it silver or is it plate?

I don't know. There are some markings on it.

Let's have a look. The first thing to do...

-If you just take that off... This is called the sconce.

-Right.

-Any difference in colour?

-Yes, quite a lot.

That's silver and that isn't. Why?

-Coated?

-No.

Someone has cleaned all the silver off.

Oh, right, well that would explain why I couldn't clean it.

-Really? You've been trying to clean it?

-It wouldn't come off.

This is simply silver-plated

and if you polish it vigorously and vigorously,

it's a bit like cleaning your face, when you rub some skin cells off.

All you're doing is you're taking the silver off.

So you've got a pair of silver plated cluster column candlesticks.

These are by... I think this company is called...

R and B is Roberts and Bell.

Their mark is typified by that little Aladdin's lamp, got it?

Oh, right, yes.

A lot of manufacturers put marks onto silver plate

that sort of made it possibly look like hallmarks, but they're not.

I think they're decorative things.

I think at auction, they're going to make... I think you could put

-a £60 to £90 estimate on them all day long.

-Yeah?

If you have a result, they might make £100, £150.

But I think £60 to £90 as an estimate is fine.

I think a reserve of £60 is fine.

If you end up buying these or owning them...

one of the questions that I get asked so many times is,

should I get them repainted?

You can buy a solution that's almost like a polish

that you put on there and it leaves a fresh deposit on there.

For me, I don't like that at all.

I would much rather see something in its natural state, warts and all,

rather than looking at something like it was made yesterday.

Useful advice there, Phil. We'll return to see

if those column candlesticks notch up a good price.

For now, come with me as I introduce you to another set of columns

that have caught my eye.

I'm not quite sure what it is...

but it's like the ruins of something.

-That's quite nice.

-On a marble base.

A little scale model of a column.

Exactly. But there is more to this in the car. But it was so heavy.

I've got a Christie's magazine as well that shows...

-Can I have a look at that?

-Sure.

And there's more in the car?

There is more in the car, but it's dismantled and very heavy.

These architectural models

can sometimes fetch an awful lot of money, they really can.

It shows you the different order of the Roman capitals.

You have a Doric, you have an Ionic and a Corinthian

-and then you can mix it altogether and you have a composite.

-Wow.

-Yes, lovely fluted columns.

-Yes.

-So this one you've got the broken bit of?

-Yes, all three columns...

-And they'd be joined at the top?

-Yes.

It might be worth you having them restored.

That's OK, yep.

Because I have a feeling that something like that

-will be worth in the region of about £2,000.

-Really?!

-Yes.

-Are you valuing it now for me?

-That's it, that is what I'm saying.

-Wow.

-Wow.

It's pointless to us at the moment.

-I'm red! I'm matching the inside of my bag.

-Don't drop it!

Go and see a professional restorer, tell them what you've got

and let them give you a quote. This is the early 19th century.

-Do some homework, do some research, OK?

-Thank you, I will.

Have a look at what other architectural models have sold for.

-OK. I will.

-You can check online quite easily.

I thought because it looks so old and destroyed

that it wouldn't be worth anything.

-It's worth a lot of money.

-Ooh, wow.

-Thank you very much.

-Someone's had a surprise today.

-Can I go home now? Is that it?

Thank you so much. Very good news.

-That's all right. I love things like that, I really do.

-Wonderful.

But when it comes to eye-catching antiques, then you have to check out

the item that Elizabeth has set her sights on.

You've brought this wonderful leather case and inside

this leather case is what?

Some binoculars, or field glasses I think they were known as in those days.

Oh, my goodness, look at these. How fantastic.

Now, what is the history?

They belonged to my uncle, who was a medical officer in the army,

and in his later years he used them for watching birds

and scenery as he was on his walks, he liked to walk.

And he told us the history of them.

-They were used on the Royal Navy ship at some stage.

-Right.

We don't know quite when.

Then he passed on and I inherited them

and I've used them quite a bit

for looking at scenery and on walks in the Lakes and the Peak District,

but found they were just a little bit heavy for me.

-They certainly are very heavy.

-They are, yeah.

Well, I'm no expert on binoculars

but I do think these are rather special.

First thing to notice is that they were made by Barr and Stroud,

which is a good name of equipment makers.

I'm sure they are fantastic for ornithology and bird-watching

and so on because they must be high powered

for the original naval and military job.

So they will certainly do a good job seeing landscapes and nature.

That's correct.

Now, I notice that they have these wonderful ends.

-Would you like to demonstrate?

-I will, yes.

They twist out, both of them.

That, presumably, is for protecting the vision from spray on board ship

and light coming in at angles, so you can get a good view.

That's better, actually.

I am seeing the crowd, the distant crowd, very well.

I think they are superb.

Now, although I'm not an expert on binoculars per se,

I do know that military equipment is very collectible.

There are some people who will buy them because they know they're buying quality binoculars

that will do a good job, like yourself, who has enjoyed using them.

Some people will enjoy the historical nature of them,

the fact they're linked to the First World War and the servicemen

and all the activities that went on.

There'll be museums that will be interested in them.

There will be people who collect scientific instruments.

There are lots of categories of interest

-in this one pair of binoculars.

-Right.

I think for a pair as substantial and technical as this,

a fair auction estimate, open market value, would be

-between £80 and £120.

-Yes.

-Would you be happy at that?

-I would be happy at that.

I think that's fair to you, gives a good chance to sell but it's not too prohibitive

and it may be that if two collectors found them, they could compete and they'd make a little bit more.

So we'll put £80 to £120 on them and put a reserve on them of £80?

Yes, I'd be happy with that.

With discretion of the auctioneers.

Just to tweak it. That'd be fine. Thank you very much.

Thank you for bringing them in.

We'll find out if Brian's binoculars do the business in just a moment.

We are now halfway through our day. We've been working flat out.

We've found some real gems. I think you've got your own opinions

on what they're worth but let's find out what the bidders think.

Let's go straight over to the auction room.

And this is what we're taking with us.

Margaret whetted Elizabeth's appetite with her colourful Poole Pottery

and I hope it makes a good price for her charity.

Philip had plenty to say about Maureen's candlesticks

so let's see if they can attract any bidders.

And will the saleroom share Elizabeth's point of view

on Brian's unusual field binoculars?

You have to pay commission in all salerooms.

Here at Martin and Pole Auctioneers in Wokingham,

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

And first to go under auctioneer Garth Lewis's gavel

are Brian's lovely binoculars.

These have been in the family for a little while.

They have.

Good quality, great condition and we've got a classic £80 to £120 on these.

-Why have you decided to sell them?

-They got a bit heavy.

They're good binoculars but as you get older, they're a bit too heavy.

-Have you got yourself a pair of lightweight ones?

-I have now.

-You can keep them round your neck?

-That's right.

Yeah, I don't blame you in a way. Nevertheless, quality always sells.

Yes, unusual design. I was a bit taken aback by these

on valuation day because I hadn't seen something like that before.

Fingers crossed, it's all down to the bidders. Let's find out.

A good pair of Barr and Stroud field glasses.

I suspect naval glasses, actually.

Nice lot.

Interest here 48, 55 is bid.

55. Is there any further?

At £55? At 60, thank you.

And five here.

65 then, I can sell at 65.

If you're all done. £65.

£65, we've just scraped through that.

I'm saying just literary scraped through. £65.

-I'm happy with that.

-He used a lot of discretion there but they're gone. You're happy?

-I'm happy.

-That's the main thing. The owner's happy.

I'm disappointed on your behalf. But at least they've found a home.

I'm a little bit disappointed but I'm still happy they've gone.

Elizabeth hoped they'd do better

but at least Brian seemed happy with the £65 his binoculars made.

Next up, let's see if Margaret's Poole Pottery

sinks or swims in the saleroom.

I like it. I love the bright colours.

Margaret likes it but unfortunately she can't be here today.

-But we do have Elizabeth.

-Yes.

Not a lot of money's going on these two things.

We've got a vase and a plate. But there is a chip to the rim.

-That's partly why I brought it down to what I thought was a realistic level.

-Around £60?

Yes, and I hope it will make that because the 20th century market

for bright colours, the modern look, is very strong at the moment.

I hope that will carry it along.

-Exactly, fashion dictates these mood swings.

-Increasingly.

It puts the value up. We've got a reserve of £40. Hopefully we'll get there and above.

It's going under the hammer right now.

Delphis design, asymmetric shallow dish,

slight chip to it, unfortunately.

And a similar vase. Both with printed marks.

I like this colouring, cos it's greenier rather than orange.

Quite unusual that, actually. I prefer the green.

Well, she says in a bright red jacket, but I prefer greens!

Interest starts with me here at £30 against you. Is there further at 30?

32, thank you. 35 here?

35, 8, 40.

Yes!

Yes? 42.

Well, they've gone.

45.

It's my bid, 45, if you're all done?

Yes! Margaret will be pleased.

She will, she will, definitely.

-Shame she couldn't be here but they're gone.

-I am happy for her.

A nice mid estimate outcome for Margaret.

Now let's see how the candlesticks that Philip Serrell valued perform

as they're up next.

Candlesticks are always a nice thing to have on the table.

-Why are you selling them?

-Cleaning, really.

-The cleaning of them?

-Yes.

That's what all of our owners say.

That's why they're not owners any more.

-I thought these were attractive.

-So did I. They've got the look.

Yes, absolutely. I think they're great on anybody's table. Fingers crossed.

Let's find out what the bidders think. Good luck.

Nice pair of plated candlesticks, cluster columns

and stepped square plinths.

I have to start the bidding here at £65 against you. 70.

It's gone.

Thank you. And five? 75.

It's with me. Is there any further? 80. New place. And five?

Good, they're keen.

90. 95. Still here, 95.

100 now. And ten.

There's a commission, he's looking at the book.

20. 30. 130, then. It's with me, against you in the room, at 130.

-That's a good price, 130.

-Pleased with that.

A very good price.

Practical things, you see. Useful decorative items.

The thing is, OK, they're not real silver but they're a lot better

than spending 130 quid on something from a department store,

a pair of reproduction candlesticks.

Yes, that's good. I'm pleased.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

A great result for Maureen. I do hope she's pleased.

There you are. That concludes the end of our first visit to the saleroom today.

We are coming back here later on in the programme so don't go away,

because I can guarantee one or two surprises.

Put the kettle on and enjoy it. While we were here in the area,

I thought I'd go off and do a bit of exploring. Take a look at this.

Garden art is a fascinating subject

and I've come to Hungerford to find out more about it.

Collections can range from the historically elegant

to the truly bizarre and since they can do well at auction,

it's worth doing your homework.

Going back to classical times, the ancient Greeks and the Romans

graced their beautiful gardens with statues of the gods.

But back in England, gardening and garden ornamentation got off to a much later start,

possibly because we spend so much time indoors because the weather is so bad

but also, to appreciate and admire a good garden, you've got to have big enough windows

to actually see what you're looking at.

These pieces didn't really come to the fore

until the 16th century, in Tudor times.

Before that, large houses had to be fortified and of course,

arrow slits don't give you much of a view.

Over the next 100 years or so,

fashionable British gardens changed from being purely functional plots

where you would just grow your vegetables and herbs

to these wonderful, formal, elegant gardens with perfect symmetry all around,

influenced by the magnificent gardens of the Palace of Versailles in France

and the Vatican in Rome.

Classical statues and decorated urns made of lead

were hand-carved in stone became a must-have in the gardens of the wealthy.

Many of these were collected in Italy and France by the well-to-do,

completing their education on the grand tour of Europe.

Midway through the 18th century,

a more naturalistic landscape style of gardening took over,

especially on the big estates with works by designers

such as Capability Brown sweeping away the formality of those earlier years.

And by 1760, Arcadia in the shape of shepherds and shepherdesses was in

and classical gods were out.

By the Victorian times, the Industrial Revolution

was well underway, which meant the expansion of the middle classes and they had aspirations.

They wanted to and did own their own gardens, albeit more modest,

which meant the established Georgian landscape gardens

were sometimes superseded and upstaged by public parks

and smaller flower gardens, which were back in fashion.

This new breed of gardeners were eager for the mass-produced garden pieces

that were now being made in factories.

So, garden art began to be accessible to many more people,

as it is today.

'I've come to Hungerford to this centre to meet Travis Nettleton,

'a specialist in garden art, to get a few tips.'

-Have you made any mistakes? I've made loads.

-I have, I have.

I've raced into an auction, running late,

saw a pair of cast iron urns on the screen.

I leisurely put my hand up and kept putting my hand up till I got them

and it wasn't really until I went to collect them

I realised I'd made the fatal error of not looking at the size.

I was expecting them to be up to about here,

that is the standard urn on a plinth size.

-They turned out to be much smaller.

-Is that them? You're joking!

-They were in the photograph on the television. How funny is that?

-So...

-That's certainly one of my mistakes.

-Always check the dimensions.

Make sure they fit the space required. It makes you laugh though!

-We all make mistakes.

-Fashion in garden design has changed dramatically over the centuries.

Do you find there's something really hot people want at the moment, or is it across the board?

It's really down to the individual and down to the garden itself.

For a contemporary or minimalist garden you'd want something modern.

But if you still want the English country garden look,

maybe an 18th century Portland stone.

-That's very nice, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

For the 18th century pieces, you're paying maybe 4000 for that sundial.

-It's a beautiful thing.

-It's a timeless piece as well.

-Absolutely. Good gag!

We've just look at a bit of Portland stone.

Can we have a look at stone, say reconstituted 19th century stone

which could pass as that but obviously at a fraction of the price?

Absolutely. This was actually made by Austin & Seeley.

They were active from about 1828 to the late 19th century.

They were a very well-known maker and they used to make a lot of composition urns

and statues and fine urns.

What do you look for when you see a piece like this?

If you're looking for Austin and Seeley, you're looking for the chunks of limestone.

-Can you see they've raised out?

-Yes.

-They added this into their aggregate mix

and that's when you really spot an Austin & Seeley piece.

-Something like this, you're paying...?

-For the pair of urns, you'll be paying about £3,000.

-OK.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Looking at these classical statues and garden art in general, it's very much on a par with antiques.

-You do have to be careful of forgeries.

-You have to know what you're buying.

There are a lot of forgeries on the market.

I've got a very good example here. This looks like a Coalbrookdale.

Fern with a blackberry bench, but in fact this is a fake that has come in from China.

You can tell because of the castings. It's not very crisp.

-It's not that defined.

-And Coalbrookdale were renowned for fine casting.

That behind you obviously is the real McCoy?

This one is a Nasturtium pattern, Coalbrookdale. Original, about 1860.

-What would that set you back?

-a bench like this, about £3,500.

A bench like this, 400, 500.

If it was original, 1,500 to 2,000.

-You've got to know what you're looking at, haven't you?

-Absolutely.

There really is something for everybody, isn't there?

Any tips for the future? Where's it going?

If you're looking to invest seriously in garden statues and garden art,

I would always pick something that's either signed

or something that's solid stone and something with some provenance and a bit of history.

-That way you will always do well.

-It's the same old thing, isn't it?

-Quality always sells.

-Absolutely.

Come on. Let's get a cup of tea.

Here at Wellington College, we've still plenty of unbeatable bygones to value.

It looks like Philip's having a fun time putting a price on Penny's Dinky toy.

-How are you, my love?

-I'm fine, thank you.

-Bit old for this sort of thing, aren't you?

-I am, yes.

-How did you come by this?

-This was donated to one of my charity shops

and we didn't want to sell it and not get enough for it.

I always think that when someone brings you a toy

-that's never been played with, there's like a sad story behind it.

-It is.

Let's just look at the nuts and bolts of this first.

It's a Dinky toy and if you look just there,

it's model number 955.

It's nice you've got the original box with it.

If I knew my lorries I could tell you,

but I think that's either a Bedford or a Commer.

I would guess this would date and it is a guess,

the lorry would date round about 1960, give or take three or four years either way.

It's great because you've got this extending ladder and up it comes.

But the thing about this, let's turn it over and have a look,

there we've got:

"Dinky Supertoys Fire Engine made in England, Meccano."

So Meccano owned Dinky toys. But you look at that,

-this has never, ever been played with, as it?

-No, it hasn't.

There isn't a scratch or a mark on it,

which is great from a collector's point of view

but I always think it's such a sad story, isn't it?

Was it bought as a present for someone who perhaps had an illness?

Perhaps they didn't even like it as a toy

and they put it in a cupboard and it never came out again.

The net result is you've got a toy now that's quite collectible.

-I think that this toy is worth 60 to £90 like that.

-Right.

Take that away and I think it's worth less.

-OK.

-I think you need to put a reserve on it of £50,

but such is the demand for these things in their entirety,

-you can buy brand new fake boxes...

-Right.

..to match up to your toy.

But I just think that's such a lovely thing.

You must get lots of toys brought into your shops?

We do get a lot of toys donated but not often this old

-and not often in this condition.

-Has anybody brought anything really valuable?

We did once find a letter from Florence Nightingale

-which we sold at auction.

-What did it make?

-£900.

-£900?

-Yes.

-Hold on, I'll have a look in here.

-LAUGHTER

Beautifully preserved. Let's hope it amuses the bidders when it comes up for sale.

First, I've spotted a hot item of my own, with Geoff's stunning Moorcroft vase.

It looks like your baby there, doesn't it?

-Hello.

-Is it very precious to you?

It is to me, yes, but it won't be for long.

-It's going to sale, I'm afraid.

-What do you do for a living, Geoff?

-I'm a driving instructor.

-You must have nerves of steel.

-Some would say.

-Well you'll enjoy the auction room.

-How long have you had this piece of Moorcroft?

-Only a few months.

It was left to me, it was given to me by my elderly neighbours, who died recently.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

Yes, she was a lovely lady, I was doing odds jobs for her,

cutting the grass, defrosting the fridge, things like that.

Simple things, and she asked me to get rid of this.

I think she meant take to it the charity shop.

-Really?

-But I'm glad I didn't.

-Oh, gosh. Can I just have a look?

-Of course.

Well, you know what it is, don't you? It's a bit of Moorcroft.

William Moorcroft, a wonderful designer, not just a designer,

but let's say a chemist.

Credited for inventing the flambe glaze. You know, that lovely deep red.

-You know, that was his own personal touch.

-It's not to my taste.

I love it, actually.

I do like it.

Obviously started out life as McIntyre Moorcroft,

but by the time this piece was made, the factory was just known as Moorcroft.

-This is the pomegranate pattern.

-So I understand.

This lovely vase, and it was in production from 1913 to 1925.

And the condition is very, very good.

So is this something that you're intending to keep, it's not to your taste at all?

No. First of all, I wouldn't collect anything that's easily breakable.

Right, OK.

Secondly, the colours, I find them rather depressing.

If it had been a piece of Clarice Cliff, nice and bright, sunny colours.

-I might have liked it.

-Well, each to their own.

I prefer the softer muted, more bruised colours.

When you look at this, this looks like nature at work.

You know, when you see an apple on a tree and it starts to turn colour

and that red looks in harmony with the greens around it.

Nature has a way of working colours together,

whereas I think Clarice Cliff, that's more bizarre, more sort of in your face,

and for me, I don't like that, but I like stuff like this.

-As nature intended.

-Each to their own.

Yes. I'm sure the collectors will love this as well.

Any idea of value?

I saw a recent Flog It! and a similar size Moorcroft went for £2,000.

Yes, it wasn't the pomegranate pattern, though.

This is quite a popular pattern.

It was in production for a fair few years, hence it's not so desirable,

but nevertheless, something like this SHOULD fetch easily, £1,000-£1,200 as a starting point.

I'd like to think we'd get it somewhere near that £2,000, maybe £1,500 or £1,600.

-So would I.

-Happy?

Yes, indeed.

We'll be back to see how Geoff's vase fares when it goes under the hammer in just a minute.

But right now, it's time to put Elizabeth to the test with Julie's gold watches.

What is the story behind them?

My mum inherited them from her aunt, and my mother's Dutch.

-Right.

-So I know that they're not English in make.

And I know that one of them

was a wedding present to my great aunt, but I'm not sure which one.

-Right.

-The pendant watch, I know doesn't work.

The wristwatch, it's very small, and I'd never be able to wear it,

and in this digital age I'm not really one for a wind-up watch.

Now when was the wedding you referred to? Do you know when that was?

It would have been between 1930 and 1940. We're not sure of the exact date.

What we have is a continental watch here, a little fob watch, stamped 585.

It's very much in the sort of almost Victorian or Georgian style, in terms of the little circular watch.

It's enclosed by its case with a little hanging loop. And it's engraved with initials.

Now are these initials relevant to your...?

Yes, I believe the first letter is L, and my great auntie's name was Lily.

-Right.

-My mother's name is Lily. Which is why I think that she probably gave it to my mum.

If I can just open up the watch...

the face there again is very traditional in the sense of how you would find a Victorian pocket watch.

It has the Arabic numerals in black on the white enamelled dial, with a subsidiary seconds dial there.

Now you say it's never had a glass to your knowledge.

-No.

-It would have originally had a glass and it's an inconvenience that the glass is missing,

but the important thing is that the hands and more importantly still, the enamel is in such lovely condition.

Because that is difficult and costly to repair or replace. So I wouldn't worry about the lack of the glass.

The fact it doesn't work won't deflect too much from the value.

Watches tend to be sold as seen, with the expectation that they need

cleaning or a bit of tweaking any way at auction, so that's fine. That contrasts nicely with this elegant,

very svelte Connard watch, which is nice because it's manual,

and for some people the fact it's a manual wind is the advantage, because some people love to wear

and use proper wind up watches.

Good name, good make and the integral bracelet, which is a wonderful

sort of sinuous strap, mesh strap, I think is just gorgeous.

Very elegant watch. Again continental standard of gold.

I would think that we would put them to auction, if you wanted to sell them, as a group.

It would make sense to have a bit of competition.

Somebody might want the chain, or the wristwatch.

Put them in a little group, they complement each other, but if you had two people tussling to buy them

-the bidding might go up a bit more.

-OK.

But we will start it at a price of perhaps £120-£180.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yes.

Put a reserve on of £120.

-Yeah, that's fine.

-Superb.

-So thank you for bringing them in, they're really lovely.

-Thank you.

Here's hoping the watches clock up some serious cash for Julie.

OK, it's time to take our last three items over to the auction room,

but first here's a quick reminder of what they are.

Penny's pristine Dinky fire engine got Philip hot under the collar.

Jeff may not have liked it, but I thought this Moorcroft vase was a natural beauty.

And Elizabeth really struck gold with Julie's elegant fob and wristwatches.

So it's back to Martin & Pole's in Wokingham for the auction.

And there's just enough time for a quick chat with auctioneer Garth Lewis.

Well, time is definitely up for Julie's watches. I'm not sure about the wristwatch.

It's tiny and I'm sure women nowadays wouldn't wear a watch like that.

Most women wear sort of man-sized watches like this one, I think.

Nevertheless, we have £120-£180 on these.

Yes, and there has actually been a little bit of delay between the valuation day

and us speaking now, and that has been to the owner's great advantage.

Because it's gone up.

Gold is just sky rocketing, and I have taken it upon myself to up

the estimate a little bit on these, just to reflect the bullion price.

As you say, the watch is still a functioning watch

but there is a lot of gold in there, which might well end up being melted.

I think that would go to melt, that one, don't you.

Possibly not the other fob watch, it's very pretty. But it's the underlying bullion price.

So you have now adjusted the estimate to?

250-350 now.

That's sensible.

Absolutely, and very doable, too.

So let's get right on with it and see

if there are enough gold-diggers round to net Julie a good result.

Since the valuation day we've now got a revised valuation,

and the estimate's gone up to £250-£350

because the price of precious metals, gold and silver, for scrap value has gone through the roof.

Not that these are going to be scrap any way.

No, no, but it helps to set it.

Yes, helps the bottom level, to find a valuation.

And the auctioneer agreed with the new valuation, so we're all very happy.

We're going to find out what the bidders think right now, because they're going under the hammer.

Ladies 14-carat gold fob watch with engraved monogram,

and there's also a more modern Chopard 18-carat gold wristwatch

with mesh bracelet. We know what gold's been doing recently,

so where can I start with this?

150, may I say? 150, thank you.

It's bid 150, 160, 170, 180. 190.

200. 220, 220, all done at 220?

Yes! The hammer's gone down right on that new valuation.

-Spot on, yes.

-It pays to wait, it pays to be patient.

It's been three-and-a-half months since the valuation,

so that scrap metal price has gone through the roof.

-I'm very happy.

-Question is, is Mum going to be happy?

-I think so.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

'With the gold prices is at an all-time high,

'Julie couldn't have picked a better time to sell those watches.'

'It's Geoff's Moorcroft up next,

'so let's see if this stunning glaze catches anyone's gaze.'

I'm joined by Geoffrey and we're looking for £1,000,

hopefully £1,200, hopefully a bit more!

Hopefully a lot more.

That's what we like - an optimist.

We always like a bit more, don't we?

-Have you been looking forward to this?

-I have, yes.

Good. I had a chat to the auctioneer.

He agreed with the valuation and there's more Moorcroft in the sale. It's in good company.

-So, fingers crossed, the collectors will find this.

-Good.

-Good.

Right, let's put it to the test, shall we?

Now I'm getting frightened! This is it.

Here is a Moorcroft vase,

the renowned pomegranate pattern vase of significant proportions.

Good order. Waste no time, I need to start the bidding at £600, if I may.

Is there 600 for it, please?

500 if you like, I don't mind?

Is there no interest at £500?

On the right, thank you, 500 is bid.

Is there any further at £500 now?

550, thank you. 600. 650, 650.

If you're all done at 650, we'll have to move on.

650... 700, new place. 700 here. 750, now.

They're leaving it late, aren't they? Everyone wants a bargain here.

800, 850, 900, £900. I can sell at 900.

If you're all done at 900, I'm selling.

They sold at £900.

Do you know, we struggled, but we got it away.

It was trundling at £500.

Nobody wanted to put their hands up, they wanted it for nothing. God!

We're finding it tough here, having to lever their hands out of their pockets.

They're all sitting on their hands down at the front. It's gone.

Unfortunately, at the lower end, but there we go, it's sold.

'I wish it could have done better

'but at least someone took Geoff's unwanted vase off his hands.

'Now, let's see if that Dinky toy truck turns the bidders' heads in the sale room.'

Right, next up,

one of my favourite lots - not just of the programme but of the whole entire sale.

It's a Dinky toy. It's a little fire engine and it belongs to Penny.

Thank you so much for bringing this in.

Philip, our expert, beat me to this

but its boxed, the condition is fabulous, well looked after.

-It is.

-I would love to own this, because I know my little boy would love this little fire engine.

Why are you selling it?

I'm actually area manager for a charity and its one of a number

of items donated to our shop and we weren't sure of the value, so...

-You brought it along. And the money's going back to the charity.

-It is, yes.

-Fantastic.

-That's nice.

-That's what we like to hear, because we get lots of letters where people

buy things in a charity shop, bring them along to Flog It! and sell it,

then spend the money on shoes and really, the charity doesn't benefit,

-so hopefully this is a bit of payback, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Good luck.

-Thanks.

-It's going under the hammer now.

Scale model of a fire engine number 955,

in good original condition with the box.

This is a gem.

Try 50 to start, please. 40 if you like.

-Oh, come on!

-No interest at 40?

I'll go 30, then... Is bid, £30.

-Right, we're in.

-Just keep your hand up, sir.

32, 35, 38, 40.

£40, 42, a new place. 45, against you, sir.

-48, 50. £50, it's on the aisle. 55, if you like.

-Good.

-55, it's here at 55 if you're all done? 60, new place. 60.

-Fresh legs.

Against you, sir. 65? 70.

-Get in.

-75, 75, then.

Are you all done at 75?

-Look, that was pretty good, that was pretty good.

-Fantastic.

-I'm happy with that.

-Fantastic, thank you.

-Are you happy, Penny?

-Yeah.

-Thanks for bringing such a lovely thing in.

You're welcome.

'A great result, and I'm so glad the money is going to a good cause.'

Well, that's it. It's all over for our owners.

As you can see, the auction's still going on

but we've had a bit of a mixed day. You can't win 'em all!

It's not an exact science, putting values on things.

I wouldn't like to do it for a living, but we managed to send most people home happy.

I hope you've enjoyed the show.

Hopefully there'll be one or two more surprises in the future.

Until then, it's goodbye from Wokingham.

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