0:00:02 > 0:00:09This magnificent sun-kissed architectural delight is our venue for today's show.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14It is the Pittville Pump Room. Can you guess where we are? Yes - Cheltenham.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44Well, we have a spectacular venue today. A massive great big crowd,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46hopefully exciting times ahead.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50This crowd have come to have their antiques and collectables valued
0:00:50 > 0:00:53and hopefully get a small fortune.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58Our experts are led by Mr Adam Partridge and Mr David Fletcher.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04Hopefully, somebody today is going home with an awful lot of money. Stay tuned.
0:01:04 > 0:01:11- Right now it's time to get the doors open and let everybody in. Are you ready to go in?- Yay!
0:01:11 > 0:01:17'Coming up on today's programme: Andrea shows me a little something that leaves me lost for words.'
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Oh, oh, oh.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23'David Fletcher puts me on the spot.'
0:01:23 > 0:01:26- How are you on botany? - Not very good.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31- 'And Adam Partridge tells it how it is.'- I thought you'd say, "Rubbish!"
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Well, I've got news - rubbish.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36'Or is it? Find out later.
0:01:39 > 0:01:46'Our eager Cheltenham crowds are pouring in with their boxes and bags, packed full of treasure.
0:01:46 > 0:01:52'And our Flog It experts are ready and waiting to see what the first valuation will be.
0:01:54 > 0:02:00'Over at Adam's table, Mary wants to find out more about her silver trinkets.'
0:02:00 > 0:02:05- Mary, welcome to Flog It.- Thank you. - What can you tell us about this?
0:02:05 > 0:02:10- The box I bought in the '80s. - Right.- Cotswolds.
0:02:10 > 0:02:17It has been used for snuff, but it isn't a snuff box. I think it's far too small.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22And the brooches, I can't remember exactly where I got them,
0:02:22 > 0:02:28- but I used to go to a lot of fairs. - Right.- So I would assume that they came from...- Picked up.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33- On the travels.- And you're not likely to wear them any more?- No.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37They've been in a drawer now for a long time.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42They're lovely little things. I presume it's not a space issue.
0:02:42 > 0:02:48- Why bring them in to Flog It? - Well, I'd often wondered about the box and whether it had any age.
0:02:48 > 0:02:54- Yeah?- And I couldn't find a silver mark on them anywhere I looked.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59So I thought, "Right, I'll bring it in and see what people say."
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I think it's probably a pill box.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06- Yes, yes.- Although not many pills. - Little ones.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10And on the bottom there we've got this 925 mark there.
0:03:10 > 0:03:16- And import marks there. How old do you think this is? - It was implied it has a little age.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Maybe not loads,
0:03:19 > 0:03:25- but certainly I would imagine... I would have understood it to be about 70 or 80 years.- Right.
0:03:26 > 0:03:32- When did you buy it? - You're going to surprise me now! - When did you buy it?- The '80s.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35The import mark on it is for 1979.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40- Good Lord!- Did you pay a lot for it? - Well, I suppose at the time it was fair.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45- I paid £40.- Right. Well, it could have been worse.
0:03:45 > 0:03:51It's 925, sterling standard. A traditional hallmark on this typical Victorian brooch.
0:03:51 > 0:03:58- Inlaid with little pieces of yellow and rose gold.- Pretty. - Isn't it?- I do like that.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03That's the standard model there. This one's dated 1885.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08- Lovely.- So that's your oldest by some distance.- Yes. - Although that's also Victorian.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13- Are you happy to flog them? - Yes, I am.- I'm glad to hear that.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18If we were to break them down into lots, we'd get 30 or 40 there,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22- maybe 20 there and not an awful lot there.- No.
0:04:22 > 0:04:29- So I would suggest one lot with a conservative guide price of £40-£60.- OK, yeah.
0:04:29 > 0:04:35Would you rather have them back? Should we put a reserve on? Maybe a £40 reserve?
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Or do you just want to take your chance on the day?
0:04:38 > 0:04:46- Are you a risk taker, Mary? - I'll go for it.- No reserve? Trust in the sale room?- Yes!
0:04:46 > 0:04:51- OK, that's much more exciting. - Life on the edge!- It is!
0:04:51 > 0:04:56'Any trip to the auction room can be a real gamble, but will it pay off for Mary?
0:04:56 > 0:04:59'Stay tuned to find out.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05'Over on the other side of the hall, I've found a real beauty.'
0:05:05 > 0:05:11- Angela, thank you for coming in. - Welcome.- I know what you've got is very precious and incredibly small.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16- Can you guess what it is? It's not in your pocket, is it?- No.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20- It's not wrapped up in a bag.- No. - Come on, show me.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25- That's a sparkler, isn't it?- It is. Beautiful.- Who gave you that?
0:05:25 > 0:05:27I bought it several years ago.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33I wore it to lots of lovely functions which we don't go to any more.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38It sits in a box and I get it out occasionally, then put it back.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42- And get dazzled by it!- Absolutely. - It must be so nice to wear it
0:05:42 > 0:05:47- and watch everybody go, "Oh! Oh! Oh!"- That's right, yeah.
0:05:47 > 0:05:54- When you're signing a cheque. "Ooh!" - The problem is it's an old cut diamond and youngsters...
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- The cut is quite important.- Yes.
0:05:56 > 0:06:02- It's the cut, the clarity, the colour. My wife likes diamonds raised and mounted up.- As I do.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07The light goes underneath them and it sparkles even more. A fine stone.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12- And the centre diamond looks like a 4-carat.- Something like that, yes.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17And the others are three. My gut feeling is that's a four grand ring.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Now, in auction, maybe a little bit more.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Once a jeweller gets his hands on that, resets it,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30it might be eight grand or a £9,000 ring.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35Where are you going to buy diamonds like that on a ring for £4,000?
0:06:35 > 0:06:39But you're not going to get eight for it on the open market.
0:06:39 > 0:06:46If Philip gets this photographed and on his website, alerts everybody, this will create a buzz
0:06:46 > 0:06:48- and a sparkle in the room.- Lovely.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52Let's call the valuation £4,000 with a reserve at £4,000.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I'd like to see you going home with £4,000,
0:06:55 > 0:07:00- hopefully a little bit more. - Right, OK. That's lovely.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02- Are you happy?- Yes, thank you.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05'What a stunning ring!
0:07:05 > 0:07:12'Now David Fletcher is with Marion, who has brought in something a bit more weighty.'
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- Hello, Marion.- Hello.- You've brought me a silver punch bowl.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20- I thought it was a fruit bowl. - I think it probably is a fruit bowl.
0:07:20 > 0:07:27A punch bowl normally has more clearly defined indentations where you hang the spoon, the ladle.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33It's in the form of a Chinese ceramic bowl.
0:07:33 > 0:07:40It's based upon one of those lotus head bowls that were exported from China in the 18th century.
0:07:40 > 0:07:46And, as so often happens, once again China has come up with the design influence
0:07:46 > 0:07:50that's been interpreted in an entirely different medium.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Tell me how you came by it.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58- I bought it in a boot sale. - You'll tell me what you paid for it?
0:07:58 > 0:08:03- Yes.- And what did you pay for it? - £5.- OK. And it was black?
0:08:03 > 0:08:08- It was. - These things are always black when people find them in car boot sales.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13- The person who sold it had no idea it was silver?- I doubt it.
0:08:13 > 0:08:20They were silly. All they had to do was look at the hallmark. There it is - a socking great one.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26And it's very clear. The crown, which tells us it was assayed in Sheffield.
0:08:26 > 0:08:32And the date letter, a capital U, which tells us it was made or at least assayed
0:08:32 > 0:08:39in 1937. And it was made by M&W. Who do you think that stands for?
0:08:39 > 0:08:44- Maplin and Webb?- Mappin and Webb. Not Maplin and Webb.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48That was the holiday camp in Hi-De-Hi, Maplin's, wasn't it?
0:08:48 > 0:08:52So the mark's very clear. It's there for us all to see.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57It's not in 100% good condition, but it's not bad. More importantly,
0:08:57 > 0:09:03it's been engraved. And that will put some people off.
0:09:03 > 0:09:09This particular bowl was originally awarded as a prize by the Gloucester Area CSSA
0:09:09 > 0:09:15Horticultural and Handicrafts Show. And it's a very nice thing.
0:09:15 > 0:09:20And it's worth quite a lot of money, really. Certainly more than £5.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25- Have you any idea how much it might be worth?- Not really. That's why I brought it.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30- Good answer. I think we'll make you a smallish profit on this.- Good.
0:09:30 > 0:09:36Because, in my opinion, and I have had the weight checked - it comes in at 50 ounces.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41- So even at £10 an ounce, it's going to be worth 500 quid.- Wow!
0:09:41 > 0:09:48OK? And I hope it'll make a bit more. So could we put an estimate of £500-£800 on it?
0:09:48 > 0:09:52- Yeah, that'd be great. - And a reserve of 500.- Lovely.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56So that was a good find. I'd say to anyone at a car boot sale,
0:09:56 > 0:10:02if you've got something you think might be silver, just clean it and make sure
0:10:02 > 0:10:06- before Marion turns up.- Don't tell them that!- All right, OK! Good point!
0:10:06 > 0:10:13'That bowl certainly scrubbed up well! We'll find out in a moment if buyers take a shine to it.'
0:10:13 > 0:10:19Well, it's all going on down there, hundreds of people enjoying themselves,
0:10:19 > 0:10:25and our crews working flat out. But we are halfway through our day and have our first batch of items.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30This is where it gets exciting - my favourite part of the show.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34It's not an exact science. Don't go away - there could be big surprises.
0:10:34 > 0:10:42We're going over to Malvern to see Mr Philip Serrell. Here's a quick recap of what we're taking and why.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48It's only three little pieces of silver from Mary and I don't think they'll break any records,
0:10:48 > 0:10:55but she's taken the gamble with no reserve and I hope it pays off for her.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00What would you pay for it? I think £4,000 is a good starting point.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03It's now up to Philip Serrell.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07This particular piece of silver would look great on your sideboard.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12I think it'll do well and I'm confident we'll get £500.
0:11:12 > 0:11:19Right, it's all now down to the bidders and, judging by the car park, it's going to be pretty full.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24Today we're in Malvern and some of you may even recognise today's auctioneer.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29Are you bidding, sir? There's a nice sale. 110 and done.
0:11:31 > 0:11:37'Philip's sale room is buzzing as our owners and experts wait nervously in the wings.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42'Commission here is 16.5% plus VAT.
0:11:42 > 0:11:49'The auction is well underway and first up is Mary with expert Adam Partridge.'
0:11:49 > 0:11:54- Two silver brooches and one little tiny pill box.- And no reserve.
0:11:54 > 0:12:00- I don't think there's any cause for concern, Mary.- No. - You like to take a gamble.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- Absolutely. As we said before, live on the edge a bit.- That's right.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08- This is really living on the edge. - It is, isn't it?
0:12:09 > 0:12:13As you see it catalogued, the brooches.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16£20 to start me? 20 I'm bid.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23- 30 bid. £30. At 35. - Come on. Let's see sort of 50.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- At £35.- 35.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28- 40. 40 bid.- 40.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32- We're on the bottom end. - At 45. 50, is it?
0:12:32 > 0:12:3450. 5.
0:12:34 > 0:12:3855. 60?
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- 60 bid. At £60, then. At 60.- Well done, top end.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- At £60.- That's very cool.- Done.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50- That is cool. Well done, Adam. - I'm feeling pretty cool.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57'Top end of the estimate. What a good start.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01'On the auction preview, I had a chat with Philip Serrell
0:13:01 > 0:13:05'who had some things to say about that diamond ring.'
0:13:05 > 0:13:09I did this valuation. Andrea's five-stone diamond ring. I loved it.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14We talked about not being raised-mounted. It's dated.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19- I think whoever buys this will remount them. - You're spot on in all respects.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24I think it's a very dated Victorian mount.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29- She knows that. - The stones are lovely quality. I took this to a very good friend
0:13:29 > 0:13:34- who is a jewellery specialist and he catalogued it for me.- Yeah.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38I also got my jewellery consultant to have a look at it
0:13:38 > 0:13:44and both of their views are that it's around £3,500, sort of £3,000-£3,500.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49So I spoke to the vendor. I know that she wanted £4,000.
0:13:49 > 0:13:55- I said to her, "Your reserve..." - She was adamant she wanted £4,000.
0:13:55 > 0:14:01"Your reserve is what you think it'll make." A lot of people confuse an estimate with a reserve.
0:14:01 > 0:14:07An estimate is what you hope it'll make. A reserve is a price below which you won't sell it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11I said, "If you want to sell this, you should lower your reserve."
0:14:11 > 0:14:17So we had a long chat and let her think about it and she's come back with a reserve of £3,200.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22- I'm happy with that. - I think we'll get it away at 3,200.
0:14:22 > 0:14:29- We'll probably both be proved ridiculously wrong!- We just need two people to fall in love with it.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- It's a lovely thing.- Good.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36'It's now time to put it to the test.'
0:14:37 > 0:14:44let's see if we can make this sale room sparkle. Going under the hammer is Andrea's lovely diamond ring.
0:14:44 > 0:14:50- It is a bit of a whopper.- It is. - You're happy with the new reserve, a fixed reserve of £3,200.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53- We'll see what happens.- OK.
0:14:53 > 0:14:59A big smile! Your smile is sparkly enough! Let's find out what bidders think.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04This lovely five-stone ring.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Bid me £3,500, chaps.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Bid me £3,000. Two and a half.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17£2,500 I am bid. At £2,500.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19£2,550.
0:15:21 > 0:15:232,600. 2,650.
0:15:25 > 0:15:262,700.
0:15:27 > 0:15:302,700. 50 anywhere? 2,750.
0:15:30 > 0:15:332,800. 850. 2,900?
0:15:33 > 0:15:35£2,900.
0:15:36 > 0:15:392,950. 3,000 I have.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41At 3,000. 3,100.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45- Nearly at the reserve.- 3,100. - It's so close.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50All out, 3,200 the book. At 3,200. Is there any more?
0:15:52 > 0:15:56The book's in, you're all out at £3,200. Any more?
0:15:58 > 0:16:04- At £3,200 and done, then. At 3,200.- He's selling.- Thank you.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08- It's gone on the reserve.- Right. - Happy?- Yes.- It's gone.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13It's better to have gone at £3,200 than struggled at £3,500.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18- You'd be taking it home.- Yes. - For the sake of £300.- That's true.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23- And that is a lot of money still. - Oh, it'll go a long way, yes.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28That was close, wasn't it? Some of them are close. You are living on a knife edge.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30You certainly are.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36'I think that reached a fair auction value.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40'Next we've got Marion's silver bowl.'
0:16:40 > 0:16:44There's a lot of silver there with a value of £500-£800.
0:16:44 > 0:16:50Unfortunately, we do not have Marion. She's not well today, so get well soon!
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Now, David, lots of silver and hopefully we'll sell this.
0:16:54 > 0:17:00- You know you go away and think, "Did I over pot that?" - Happens to me all the time!
0:17:00 > 0:17:06I'm a bit concerned I might have done. Also that it's not a lotus blossom. How are you on botany?
0:17:06 > 0:17:13- I'm not very good! - I wonder if it might be a lily. I might have made that error.
0:17:13 > 0:17:19Oh, look, good luck. That's all I can say. We're only doing our best. Here goes.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26The large, Mappin and Webb 49-ounce bowl.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32400 I'm bid. At 400. 410. 420.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35430. 440. 450. 460. 470.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37480. 490. 500.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40520.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45550.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49550 and the internet's out. £550. 580.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55At £600. In the room at 600. The contraption's out.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58620. 650.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00At 650.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03At £650.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08And I sell, then, at 650 and done. Thank you.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13- Well done. That's mid-estimate. - And it doesn't matter if it's a water lily or it's not.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Not any more!
0:18:16 > 0:18:21'What a great profit for Marion on the £5 she spent at the car boot sale.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25'That's it for our first trip to the auction. We'll be back later,
0:18:25 > 0:18:31'but first I want to tell you about some strange happenings back in Cheltenham's past.'
0:18:41 > 0:18:47In Victorian times, Cheltenham was a magnet for people in search of a cure. Many would flock here
0:18:47 > 0:18:51just to take the waters, hoping it would be good for their health.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55But it was also a time when people were after more spiritual cures.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00This was the place to come to indulge in more unorthodox treatment.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04In the mid-1800s, there was a growing fascination with seances,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08where spirits could, apparently, be summoned from the dead.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13They might be held in private rooms or in packed theatres.
0:19:13 > 0:19:19Here in Cheltenham, one man realised that many of these so-called spirit raisers were fakes
0:19:19 > 0:19:23and he made it his mission to lift the veil on their activities.
0:19:23 > 0:19:29In doing so, he became one of the most respected illusionists of his time.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34John Nevil Maskelyne was born in one of the poorest parts of Cheltenham back in 1839.
0:19:34 > 0:19:40He trained as a watchmaker and had an interest in mechanical devices and science.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42And he was a keen amateur conjuror.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48But a visit to the theatre was about to change his life forever.
0:19:51 > 0:19:58It all started in 1865 when he went to see the American Davenport Brothers' spirit cabinet act.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01It was staged in semi-darkness in the town hall
0:20:01 > 0:20:07and it involved the Davenport Brothers being tied up by two members of the audience
0:20:07 > 0:20:14in a big wooden crate, which was locked. As the act got underway, the audience heard strange noises,
0:20:14 > 0:20:20music being played, hands waving, apparently from ghosts they'd summoned. At the end of the act,
0:20:20 > 0:20:26members of the audience would undo the crate and there were the brothers,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28still tied to a chair.
0:20:28 > 0:20:34Maskelyne watched the show intently. He was convinced that their act was a magic trick
0:20:34 > 0:20:40and not spiritualism. And he worked out how they'd done it.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44He then staged an open-air show in Cheltenham before a huge crowd.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49He and his friend George Cooke went out to perform the same trick
0:20:49 > 0:20:52without any supernatural powers.
0:20:53 > 0:20:59Maskelyne's exposure of the Davenports soon made him more famous than the brothers themselves.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03He and George Cooke toured the country with their act.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08He knew how to draw in a crowd and he really took to being a showman.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Inspired by the acclaim they received in Cheltenham,
0:21:12 > 0:21:18Maskelyne and Cooke turned to magic as a profession, becoming well-established,
0:21:18 > 0:21:24performing at the Crystal Palace before royalty. And in 1873 they took on a lease of part
0:21:24 > 0:21:27of the famous Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly.
0:21:27 > 0:21:33They remained there in residence for 30 years. Maskelyne used his scientific knowledge
0:21:33 > 0:21:37to create even more mind-boggling tricks.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42He developed his acts to include levitation, using carefully-constructed pulleys
0:21:42 > 0:21:45to raise his wife high onstage
0:21:45 > 0:21:47before astonished audiences.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51When his partner, George Cooke, died in 1905,
0:21:51 > 0:21:59Maskelyne started a partnership with David Devant, who became a founder of the Magic Circle.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04Their headquarters in London still houses some of Maskelyne's stage equipment,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08including a lifelike waxwork model of George Cooke's head,
0:22:08 > 0:22:13used in a stage illusion in which he appeared to be decapitated.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17It was an extraordinary time, a world rapidly changing.
0:22:17 > 0:22:23Photography was in the hands of very few people, the motor car was seen on the street for the first time
0:22:23 > 0:22:27and people were willing to believe absolutely anything.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32Maskelyne didn't like the idea, though, of people being tricked.
0:22:32 > 0:22:38That's why he spent so much time exposing fake spirit raisers like the Davenport Brothers.
0:22:38 > 0:22:44Sue Rowbotham from the Cheltenham History Society has studied his life and work.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Sum up, in your opinion, Maskelyne's legacy.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53Maskelyne's been called the father of modern magic. He took scientific principles,
0:22:53 > 0:22:58physics, optics, that sort of thing and made it into a show,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01but he never claimed it to be other than an illusion.
0:23:01 > 0:23:09He and his family were all inventors and they actually took out more than 40 patents between them.
0:23:09 > 0:23:15So they were not just performers. They were scientists, in one form or another.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19What was the public's reaction when Maskelyne exposed the Davenports.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24There was a lot of excitement locally. "Local boy made good".
0:23:24 > 0:23:27But gradually the fame spread.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32Their shows were reported all over the country as they travelled.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It started to make people think
0:23:35 > 0:23:39because it was all too easy to go to a show and just believe it.
0:23:39 > 0:23:45More and more people were thinking about the science behind it and questioning it.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Yeah. So I guess in a way he created his own free publicity
0:23:49 > 0:23:55- by dispelling the myth.- Absolutely. - Getting his name known.- Yes. - Making his own act.
0:23:55 > 0:24:02He actually did publicise himself as an anti-spiritualist throughout his career.
0:24:02 > 0:24:08Was this then the turning point for spiritual acts to sort of, shall I say disappear?
0:24:08 > 0:24:14- No, they didn't. They fought back. - Did they?- So there were fights in the papers
0:24:14 > 0:24:17and Maskelyne published books
0:24:17 > 0:24:22and then there were books published in response to that.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24So it carried on for years.
0:24:25 > 0:24:32Maskelyne's fame and influence continued to grow. In 1914, he founded The Occult Committee,
0:24:32 > 0:24:39whose remit was to investigate claims to supernatural power and expose fraud.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43John Nevil Maskelyne died in 1917. He was at the dawn of a new era
0:24:43 > 0:24:47where science, not superstition, started to explain the world.
0:24:47 > 0:24:54He didn't travel much out of the UK, so he wasn't internationally known, but he did inspire many people,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58including Harry Houdini, who followed in his footsteps.
0:24:58 > 0:25:04Maskelyne even started a dynasty of illusionists with two sons and three grandchildren in the profession.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Today the name Maskelyne is renowned worldwide among magicians.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23Hello!
0:25:23 > 0:25:28'We're at the Pittville Pump Room and the eager crowds are keeping us busy
0:25:28 > 0:25:32'with all manner of exciting objects.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36'Let's join David Fletcher who has met up with Sybil and Derek,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40'who are keen to find out more about their oil painting.'
0:25:40 > 0:25:45The artist's name - Arthur H Rigg. It's not known to me.
0:25:45 > 0:25:51- What can you tell me about him? - Well, I've had a quick look on the internet
0:25:51 > 0:25:58- and I believe he was born in Bradford. I know he died in 1927.- Yes.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02He was a professional painter and I understand he exhibited
0:26:02 > 0:26:06- in many of the large art galleries. - Right.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12I've looked him up and done a bit of homework. I can't find him in the Yorkshire records.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Let's think about what we know.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20A typical late-Victorian, early-20th century picture.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23- Sort of romantic, but a little bit gloomy.- Yes.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28I sense that Arthur Rigg was a good artist,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32but hasn't probably put on his best show on this particular occasion.
0:26:32 > 0:26:39- It's just a little bit boring, isn't it? I hate to be critical... - Yes, yes.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43We've got these two trees, a hazy autumnal colour here.
0:26:43 > 0:26:49- A mallard flying across there.- Yes. - It almost needs something else, doesn't it?
0:26:49 > 0:26:56I think it could do with a couple of birds going into the distance, just to liven it up a little bit.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00- You weren't tempted to get your paintbrush out?- Yes, I was!
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Anyway, you haven't painted those two birds. Just as well, really.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08- It does need a bit of life. It needs a figure, maybe.- Yes.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12That would just give it a bit more oomph and a little more interest,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16but he wasn't a bad artist. It's competently painted.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18It's suffered a bit.
0:27:18 > 0:27:25- I've had a little look behind and you can see some damage...- Yes. - ..verified by some bits of tape
0:27:25 > 0:27:30- stuck on behind. Have you had it hanging up in your house?- Oh, yes.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36- We love the picture, actually.- Yes. - I bought it 45, 46 years ago. - Right.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41- I think it cost me... It could have been £23 or £25.- Right.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45If you like it, why sell it? It's an obvious question to ask.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49There comes a time, I think, when you want to move a few things on
0:27:49 > 0:27:53to replace them with something else you might like.
0:27:53 > 0:27:58Given that you're not really concerned about its future
0:27:58 > 0:28:03beyond obviously making sure that we do as much as we can for you,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07- I would have thought an estimate of £100-£150.- Yes.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12And, you know, put a reserve in somewhere below that, ideally £90.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16But with the important proviso that if we've done some homework
0:28:16 > 0:28:21and we find out it's worth a lot more than that, we have a chat.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26I don't want to let you down and I don't want to embarrass myself,
0:28:26 > 0:28:32- which I do often enough. - I'm quite happy with that. Absolutely.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37- We'll do our best for you and I'll see you at the sale. - Thank you.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42'We'll find out later on if David discovers anything.
0:28:42 > 0:28:48'Over at Adam's table, Cath's brought in a charger which has seen better days.'
0:28:48 > 0:28:54- Nice to see you coming along with this great big plate in several pieces.- I know!- Spoiling us!
0:28:54 > 0:28:58- I am!- Where did you get it from? - It was given to my husband.
0:28:58 > 0:29:04- There was a pub opposite us being demolished.- Where's that? - This was in Gloucester.
0:29:04 > 0:29:11It was going in the skip, so my husband took it. It's been on top of our wardrobe ever since.
0:29:11 > 0:29:16- It is in a bit of a state.- I know. - Was it like that when he got it? - It was.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21- Which is why, I guess, it was heading for the skip.- I think so.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25- It would have been really nice. - It would have been fantastic.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29- It looks to us 19th-century Italian. - Right.
0:29:29 > 0:29:35A type of Majolica. Tin-glazed earthenware or Delft-ware to some.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39- We've got a signature. M Rodrigue. - That's right.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43And we've got this Baroque style of an earlier period.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48- So your husband decided to keep it. - He did.- What attracted him to it?
0:29:48 > 0:29:52I don't know. He just thought it was old, that's why.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55"Flog It's in town. I'll take along my big plate."
0:29:55 > 0:29:59I thought you would say, "Rubbish." Out the door.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03- Well, I've got news for you - rubbish.- Yeah!
0:30:04 > 0:30:10- Er, yes. You want to sell it. I suppose you just want it out the way?- That's right.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15- Would anyone be able to do anything with it?- Yes.- Oh, they would.
0:30:15 > 0:30:20There's a few restorers who could turn that so you'd never know.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25- That could be made good again, but it's a massive job.- Yes. - An expensive job.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29Look at that. Just so you can see...
0:30:29 > 0:30:35The fact that we've got these holes drilled in here also indicates that it's probably 19th century,
0:30:35 > 0:30:39- rather than an earlier piece. Look at this repair!- I know.
0:30:39 > 0:30:46This was done a long time ago. Look at this old animal glue - brown, yucky brown glue.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50- Right, down to the value.- Right. - It's a tricky thing to value.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55- Most people say if it's damaged it's worth nothing.- I would say!
0:30:56 > 0:31:00- Estimate-wise, I'd put £100-£200 on it.- Oh, that's a surprise!
0:31:00 > 0:31:06- Well, it's a wide guide, isn't it? - Yeah.- Do you want to put a reserve on it? Would you have it back?
0:31:06 > 0:31:11- I don't really want it back.- Let's gamble and put it in. No reserve.
0:31:11 > 0:31:17- That's right. - But in that condition it's probably not going to be fortunes.
0:31:17 > 0:31:23- What would you put that money towards?- I'm a metal detectorist. I really need a new probe,
0:31:23 > 0:31:27which is like a mini detector that you can get in the hole with.
0:31:27 > 0:31:35- They're about £80, so... - Well, this might just get you it. - Yeah, it might do.- Excellent.
0:31:36 > 0:31:43'That's the second time today Adam's sent something off with no reserve, but will it pay off for Cath?
0:31:43 > 0:31:49'Now for something slightly more modern. Michael is at David's table with a table.'
0:31:49 > 0:31:51I think this is great.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55We so rarely see this sort of thing on Flog It.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- When did you buy it?- About 1968.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02- '68. And you'd have bought it new. - Bought it new, yes.- OK.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07And at that time, of course, the 1960s,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11- this was the height of fashion. - Yes, it must have been.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15- Can you remember what you paid? - I've no idea, no.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Pounds, shillings and pence.
0:32:18 > 0:32:24Furniture like this was bought because it represented everything that was up to date, you know.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26Pared down,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28modern materials.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33That's the most important thing of all. A Formica top and metal base.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38- Apart from the decoration on top, that's it.- Yes.- There's no carving,
0:32:38 > 0:32:43no inlay. All those sorts of things are just dispensed with.
0:32:43 > 0:32:49- What I really like about this is the fact it's decorated by John Piper.- Oh, yes.
0:32:49 > 0:32:56Or at least after John Piper. He's probably one of Britain's greatest artists of the 20th century.
0:32:56 > 0:33:03His life spanned the century, very nearly. He was famous in particular for his stained glass work
0:33:03 > 0:33:07- at Coventry Cathedral.- Yes. - And for working with John Betjeman
0:33:07 > 0:33:10- on the Shell motoring guides.- Oh?
0:33:10 > 0:33:14In, I think, the early 1950s. So he is a big name.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19But I've never seen his work represented like this before.
0:33:19 > 0:33:26It's curious, really. You have these amazing classical, baroque buildings.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31They're all after Christopher Wren, I think. All Wren churches. This is St Paul's.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36And they find themselves on this ultra-modern furniture.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40As was so often the case in the 1960s, anything went.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44You could mix and match and people loved it.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48- I would have said it's going to make £100-£150.- Yes.
0:33:48 > 0:33:53- But I wouldn't want to sell it for less than £100.- No.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57- So would you be happy with a reserve of £100?- Yes.- OK.
0:33:57 > 0:34:03- It only came out of the attic yesterday.- You haven't been using it? - It's been in the attic for 20 years.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08- Oh, right. That's interesting. - Knowing you were in town... - You came along.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13- OK, we'll go ahead on that basis. - Thank you.- I'll see you at the sale.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17And that's our last item from Cheltenham. What a great day.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24It's time to head back to the auction house in Malvern,
0:34:24 > 0:34:29but let's have a quick reminder of why the experts rate these items.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32The artist, Arthur Rigg, was a good artist,
0:34:32 > 0:34:37but I don't want to get it wrong, so we're doing a little homework
0:34:37 > 0:34:42and if I have underrated this picture, we'll let you know.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47You probably think I'm mad taking on a plate like this, in several pieces,
0:34:47 > 0:34:52but I'm quietly confident that we'll give Cath a nice surprise.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57I really recommend you start thinking about buying furniture like this. Uber-cool.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01Buy it now before it's too expensive.
0:35:02 > 0:35:08Philip Serrell's sale room is bustling, but before the hammer goes down on our final lots,
0:35:08 > 0:35:14I want to show you something that I came across on the preview day.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18This has caught my eye today. A leather blackjack mug. A pint mug.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22Typical of a tavern mug, made of Russian cowhide.
0:35:22 > 0:35:29Rock hard over the years. And it takes on the patina of a lovely lump of oak.
0:35:29 > 0:35:36But what I really love about this is you see a lot of leather blackjacks, some really quite big.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41This one is catalogued at £80-£120 and Philip's put a "come and buy me" on this.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45He knows it will probably fly away at 300 quid plus.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49But this is quite an early 17th-century one.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53If you look at these little trifoils around this rim, look,
0:35:53 > 0:35:57that's so typical of the mid-17th century.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02There would have been touch marks on the silver. That right there.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Somebody over the years has nibbled that off
0:36:06 > 0:36:12and those touch marks have probably been sweated on to another piece of silver, something more desirable,
0:36:12 > 0:36:17so they can make a bit more money. It devalues this a little bit.
0:36:18 > 0:36:24The silver around the handle has been added in the 19th century. It's still 100 years old.
0:36:24 > 0:36:30The colour's right and that is a lovely example of a tiny little pint leather blackjack mug.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35And I think that will do £300-£400.
0:36:40 > 0:36:46The auction is in full swing and first up we've got that lovely old oil painting.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53- Sybil, Derek, hello.- Hello. - You took this off the wall.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58- Yes!- Absolutely.- Is there now a gap on the wall?- We need something else.
0:36:58 > 0:37:05We did a bit of homework on Mr Rigg and I think the research rather bears out my estimate.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10- We were happy with the valuation. - Good.- Let's find out if this lot are, shall we?
0:37:12 > 0:37:16Arthur Rigg, oil on canvas, silver birch trees
0:37:16 > 0:37:19with a pond and trees beyond.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22Put it in the bidding, someone.
0:37:22 > 0:37:2455 I'm bid. At 55.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27At 55. And 60.
0:37:27 > 0:37:3065. 70. And 5. 80.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33And 5. 90. Book's out. At £90 only.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Any more, surely?
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- Here's the bid. - Someone...
0:37:39 > 0:37:42100. 10 now?
0:37:42 > 0:37:44Have one more, sir.
0:37:45 > 0:37:51At £100. And I sell then at £100. Done. Thank you.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54- It's gone. A nice round figure. You're happy?- Yes.
0:37:54 > 0:38:00- That's £100 towards something else to fill that space.- That's right. - Good luck.- Thank you.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04'Let's hope they find something they love.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08'Now it's Cath and her battered Victorian charger.'
0:38:08 > 0:38:13So far, so good. Now a bit of classic Flog It recycling!
0:38:13 > 0:38:18That's what antiques are all about. Especially when clearing out a pub.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23- That's what you did.- Correct. My husband...- Dived in.- ..rescued it.
0:38:23 > 0:38:29- A north Italian charger with a central portrait.- One man's trash is another man's treasure.
0:38:29 > 0:38:36- Do you know what the money's going to?- No.- If I went like this... - Oh, yes, I do!- Not hoovering.
0:38:36 > 0:38:42- I've always fancied doing that. Have you done it?- No. My dad did it on the beach in Cornwall.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45- Let's have a Flog It field trip. - Go metal detecting!
0:38:47 > 0:38:51This north Italian charger, 19th century.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54There we go. Bid me for that lot.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Bid me £100 to start me.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Bid me 100.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Bid me 50.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06- It's here to go. - It's not going to go.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09On the internet at 50. 50 bid. At £50 only.
0:39:09 > 0:39:14My instructions are to sell. I've got £50 bid.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Who's got 5? At £50 only. At 50.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21- Oh, come on. - £50. I'll take 5 anywhere.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23At £50.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27Any more at all? The maiden bid will take it. At £50, done and sold.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30At £50 and away.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33- No reserve.- That's fine.
0:39:33 > 0:39:38It's £50 from nowhere. That's classic recycling. Someone will enjoy that.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43- And you've done well.- Yes. - Something for nothing.
0:39:43 > 0:39:50- And, as everybody says, the fun of the day.- You can go back to that pub for a meal.- It's all pulled down.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54- You can go and detect the site. - No, it's a housing estate now!
0:39:56 > 0:40:02'If you dig up any more treasures, Cath, make sure you bring them in to show us.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06'Now I've got my eye on that leather blackjack.'
0:40:07 > 0:40:13It's just about to go under the hammer. Let's find out what the bidders make of it.
0:40:15 > 0:40:20The antique leather and silver mounted leatherjack. There we are.
0:40:20 > 0:40:26I think this is a lovely thing. Bids on the book start off at £180 bid.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28190. 200.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30210. 220. 230. 240.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35250. 260. 270. 280. 290. 300.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39310. 320. 330. At 330 on the book.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41340.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45In the room. You're out at 340.
0:40:45 > 0:40:50At £340 and I sell, then, at 340 and done. Thank you.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54Well, there you go. £340. A wonderful bit of history there.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58If you've got something like that, bring it to a valuation day.
0:40:58 > 0:41:04You can pick up up-and-coming dates and venues on out website. bbc.co.uk/flogit
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Follow the links. All the information will be there.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Or check your local press. We want to see you.
0:41:12 > 0:41:18'It's time for our final item of the day and it's Michael's John Piper-decorated table.'
0:41:20 > 0:41:26- You bought this brand-new in 1968. - That's right.- And you've had it ever since.- Yes.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28He's got his money's worth.
0:41:28 > 0:41:35- We talk about minimalism and the demise of brown furniture. This represents the future.- It does.
0:41:35 > 0:41:41There are over 150 lots of furniture in this sale and only one isn't made of wood.
0:41:41 > 0:41:48Over the years, you get rid of all your brown furniture, but for some unknown reason I kept this.
0:41:48 > 0:41:54- And you used it.- And my son's used it. Then I had it back again, back up to the attic.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57- Can you remember how much you paid? - No, I can't.
0:41:57 > 0:42:04I'm sure you'll make a healthy profit. We'll find out what it's worth right now. Here we go.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08There you are. John Piper table. St Paul's and St Martin's.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13£55 bid. At 55.
0:42:13 > 0:42:1455. 55.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17At 55. And 60. And 5.
0:42:17 > 0:42:2170. And 5. 80. And 5. 90. And 5.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23100. 110. 120.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26130? One more, sir? 130.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31140, thank you. At 140. 50 on the 'net bid. 150.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35Here's the bid. 150. 160. 160.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Is there any more? At 160 bid.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42170.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- 180.- Fresh legs.- At £180.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50180. At £180 in the room. Any more at all?
0:42:50 > 0:42:55At £180 and I sell, in the room. And done then... 190.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Oh, yes! That was good.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02At £200. At 200 in the room. The 'net's out. At £200. Any more?
0:43:02 > 0:43:05At £200 and I sell, then.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08At £200 and done. Thank you.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12The hammer's gone down. £200. Top of that estimate. Well done.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16That ticked all the right boxes - architecture and cathedrals.
0:43:16 > 0:43:22- Someone's got a nice thing.- They have. I hope they enjoy it.- Good.
0:43:27 > 0:43:33That's it. Another day in another auction room for our Flog It owners. Everyone's gone home happy.
0:43:33 > 0:43:38I hope you've enjoyed the show. Do join me again soon. Cheerio.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk