Cheltenham Flog It!

This magnificent sun-kissed architectural delight is our venue for today's show.

It is the Pittville Pump Room. Can you guess where we are? Yes - Cheltenham.

Well, we have a spectacular venue today. A massive great big crowd,

hopefully exciting times ahead.

This crowd have come to have their antiques and collectables valued

and hopefully get a small fortune.

Our experts are led by Mr Adam Partridge and Mr David Fletcher.

Hopefully, somebody today is going home with an awful lot of money. Stay tuned.

-Right now it's time to get the doors open and let everybody in. Are you ready to go in?

-Yay!

'Coming up on today's programme: Andrea shows me a little something that leaves me lost for words.'

Oh, oh, oh.

'David Fletcher puts me on the spot.'

-How are you on botany?

-Not very good.

-'And Adam Partridge tells it how it is.'

-I thought you'd say, "Rubbish!"

Well, I've got news - rubbish.

'Or is it? Find out later.

'Our eager Cheltenham crowds are pouring in with their boxes and bags, packed full of treasure.

'And our Flog It experts are ready and waiting to see what the first valuation will be.

'Over at Adam's table, Mary wants to find out more about her silver trinkets.'

-Mary, welcome to Flog It.

-Thank you.

-What can you tell us about this?

-The box I bought in the '80s.

-Right.

-Cotswolds.

It has been used for snuff, but it isn't a snuff box. I think it's far too small.

And the brooches, I can't remember exactly where I got them,

-but I used to go to a lot of fairs.

-Right.

-So I would assume that they came from...

-Picked up.

-On the travels.

-And you're not likely to wear them any more?

-No.

They've been in a drawer now for a long time.

They're lovely little things. I presume it's not a space issue.

-Why bring them in to Flog It?

-Well, I'd often wondered about the box and whether it had any age.

-Yeah?

-And I couldn't find a silver mark on them anywhere I looked.

So I thought, "Right, I'll bring it in and see what people say."

I think it's probably a pill box.

-Yes, yes.

-Although not many pills.

-Little ones.

And on the bottom there we've got this 925 mark there.

-And import marks there. How old do you think this is?

-It was implied it has a little age.

Maybe not loads,

-but certainly I would imagine... I would have understood it to be about 70 or 80 years.

-Right.

-When did you buy it?

-You're going to surprise me now!

-When did you buy it?

-The '80s.

The import mark on it is for 1979.

-Good Lord!

-Did you pay a lot for it?

-Well, I suppose at the time it was fair.

-I paid £40.

-Right. Well, it could have been worse.

It's 925, sterling standard. A traditional hallmark on this typical Victorian brooch.

-Inlaid with little pieces of yellow and rose gold.

-Pretty.

-Isn't it?

-I do like that.

That's the standard model there. This one's dated 1885.

-Lovely.

-So that's your oldest by some distance.

-Yes.

-Although that's also Victorian.

-Are you happy to flog them?

-Yes, I am.

-I'm glad to hear that.

If we were to break them down into lots, we'd get 30 or 40 there,

-maybe 20 there and not an awful lot there.

-No.

-So I would suggest one lot with a conservative guide price of £40-£60.

-OK, yeah.

Would you rather have them back? Should we put a reserve on? Maybe a £40 reserve?

Or do you just want to take your chance on the day?

-Are you a risk taker, Mary?

-I'll go for it.

-No reserve? Trust in the sale room?

-Yes!

-OK, that's much more exciting.

-Life on the edge!

-It is!

'Any trip to the auction room can be a real gamble, but will it pay off for Mary?

'Stay tuned to find out.

'Over on the other side of the hall, I've found a real beauty.'

-Angela, thank you for coming in.

-Welcome.

-I know what you've got is very precious and incredibly small.

-Can you guess what it is? It's not in your pocket, is it?

-No.

-It's not wrapped up in a bag.

-No.

-Come on, show me.

-That's a sparkler, isn't it?

-It is. Beautiful.

-Who gave you that?

I bought it several years ago.

I wore it to lots of lovely functions which we don't go to any more.

It sits in a box and I get it out occasionally, then put it back.

-And get dazzled by it!

-Absolutely.

-It must be so nice to wear it

-and watch everybody go, "Oh! Oh! Oh!"

-That's right, yeah.

-When you're signing a cheque. "Ooh!"

-The problem is it's an old cut diamond and youngsters...

-The cut is quite important.

-Yes.

-It's the cut, the clarity, the colour. My wife likes diamonds raised and mounted up.

-As I do.

The light goes underneath them and it sparkles even more. A fine stone.

-And the centre diamond looks like a 4-carat.

-Something like that, yes.

And the others are three. My gut feeling is that's a four grand ring.

Now, in auction, maybe a little bit more.

Once a jeweller gets his hands on that, resets it,

it might be eight grand or a £9,000 ring.

Where are you going to buy diamonds like that on a ring for £4,000?

But you're not going to get eight for it on the open market.

If Philip gets this photographed and on his website, alerts everybody, this will create a buzz

-and a sparkle in the room.

-Lovely.

Let's call the valuation £4,000 with a reserve at £4,000.

I'd like to see you going home with £4,000,

-hopefully a little bit more.

-Right, OK. That's lovely.

-Are you happy?

-Yes, thank you.

'What a stunning ring!

'Now David Fletcher is with Marion, who has brought in something a bit more weighty.'

-Hello, Marion.

-Hello.

-You've brought me a silver punch bowl.

-I thought it was a fruit bowl.

-I think it probably is a fruit bowl.

A punch bowl normally has more clearly defined indentations where you hang the spoon, the ladle.

It's in the form of a Chinese ceramic bowl.

It's based upon one of those lotus head bowls that were exported from China in the 18th century.

And, as so often happens, once again China has come up with the design influence

that's been interpreted in an entirely different medium.

Tell me how you came by it.

-I bought it in a boot sale.

-You'll tell me what you paid for it?

-Yes.

-And what did you pay for it?

-£5.

-OK. And it was black?

-It was.

-These things are always black when people find them in car boot sales.

-The person who sold it had no idea it was silver?

-I doubt it.

They were silly. All they had to do was look at the hallmark. There it is - a socking great one.

And it's very clear. The crown, which tells us it was assayed in Sheffield.

And the date letter, a capital U, which tells us it was made or at least assayed

in 1937. And it was made by M&W. Who do you think that stands for?

-Maplin and Webb?

-Mappin and Webb. Not Maplin and Webb.

That was the holiday camp in Hi-De-Hi, Maplin's, wasn't it?

So the mark's very clear. It's there for us all to see.

It's not in 100% good condition, but it's not bad. More importantly,

it's been engraved. And that will put some people off.

This particular bowl was originally awarded as a prize by the Gloucester Area CSSA

Horticultural and Handicrafts Show. And it's a very nice thing.

And it's worth quite a lot of money, really. Certainly more than £5.

-Have you any idea how much it might be worth?

-Not really. That's why I brought it.

-Good answer. I think we'll make you a smallish profit on this.

-Good.

Because, in my opinion, and I have had the weight checked - it comes in at 50 ounces.

-So even at £10 an ounce, it's going to be worth 500 quid.

-Wow!

OK? And I hope it'll make a bit more. So could we put an estimate of £500-£800 on it?

-Yeah, that'd be great.

-And a reserve of 500.

-Lovely.

So that was a good find. I'd say to anyone at a car boot sale,

if you've got something you think might be silver, just clean it and make sure

-before Marion turns up.

-Don't tell them that!

-All right, OK! Good point!

'That bowl certainly scrubbed up well! We'll find out in a moment if buyers take a shine to it.'

Well, it's all going on down there, hundreds of people enjoying themselves,

and our crews working flat out. But we are halfway through our day and have our first batch of items.

This is where it gets exciting - my favourite part of the show.

It's not an exact science. Don't go away - there could be big surprises.

We're going over to Malvern to see Mr Philip Serrell. Here's a quick recap of what we're taking and why.

It's only three little pieces of silver from Mary and I don't think they'll break any records,

but she's taken the gamble with no reserve and I hope it pays off for her.

What would you pay for it? I think £4,000 is a good starting point.

It's now up to Philip Serrell.

This particular piece of silver would look great on your sideboard.

I think it'll do well and I'm confident we'll get £500.

Right, it's all now down to the bidders and, judging by the car park, it's going to be pretty full.

Today we're in Malvern and some of you may even recognise today's auctioneer.

Are you bidding, sir? There's a nice sale. 110 and done.

'Philip's sale room is buzzing as our owners and experts wait nervously in the wings.

'Commission here is 16.5% plus VAT.

'The auction is well underway and first up is Mary with expert Adam Partridge.'

-Two silver brooches and one little tiny pill box.

-And no reserve.

-I don't think there's any cause for concern, Mary.

-No.

-You like to take a gamble.

-Absolutely. As we said before, live on the edge a bit.

-That's right.

-This is really living on the edge.

-It is, isn't it?

As you see it catalogued, the brooches.

£20 to start me? 20 I'm bid.

-30 bid. £30. At 35.

-Come on. Let's see sort of 50.

-At £35.

-35.

-40. 40 bid.

-40.

-We're on the bottom end.

-At 45. 50, is it?

50. 5.

55. 60?

-60 bid. At £60, then. At 60.

-Well done, top end.

-At £60.

-That's very cool.

-Done.

-That is cool. Well done, Adam.

-I'm feeling pretty cool.

'Top end of the estimate. What a good start.

'On the auction preview, I had a chat with Philip Serrell

'who had some things to say about that diamond ring.'

I did this valuation. Andrea's five-stone diamond ring. I loved it.

We talked about not being raised-mounted. It's dated.

-I think whoever buys this will remount them.

-You're spot on in all respects.

I think it's a very dated Victorian mount.

-She knows that.

-The stones are lovely quality. I took this to a very good friend

-who is a jewellery specialist and he catalogued it for me.

-Yeah.

I also got my jewellery consultant to have a look at it

and both of their views are that it's around £3,500, sort of £3,000-£3,500.

So I spoke to the vendor. I know that she wanted £4,000.

-I said to her, "Your reserve..."

-She was adamant she wanted £4,000.

"Your reserve is what you think it'll make." A lot of people confuse an estimate with a reserve.

An estimate is what you hope it'll make. A reserve is a price below which you won't sell it.

I said, "If you want to sell this, you should lower your reserve."

So we had a long chat and let her think about it and she's come back with a reserve of £3,200.

-I'm happy with that.

-I think we'll get it away at 3,200.

-We'll probably both be proved ridiculously wrong!

-We just need two people to fall in love with it.

-It's a lovely thing.

-Good.

'It's now time to put it to the test.'

let's see if we can make this sale room sparkle. Going under the hammer is Andrea's lovely diamond ring.

-It is a bit of a whopper.

-It is.

-You're happy with the new reserve, a fixed reserve of £3,200.

-We'll see what happens.

-OK.

A big smile! Your smile is sparkly enough! Let's find out what bidders think.

This lovely five-stone ring.

Bid me £3,500, chaps.

Bid me £3,000. Two and a half.

£2,500 I am bid. At £2,500.

£2,550.

2,600. 2,650.

2,700.

2,700. 50 anywhere? 2,750.

2,800. 850. 2,900?

£2,900.

2,950. 3,000 I have.

At 3,000. 3,100.

-Nearly at the reserve.

-3,100.

-It's so close.

All out, 3,200 the book. At 3,200. Is there any more?

The book's in, you're all out at £3,200. Any more?

-At £3,200 and done, then. At 3,200.

-He's selling.

-Thank you.

-It's gone on the reserve.

-Right.

-Happy?

-Yes.

-It's gone.

It's better to have gone at £3,200 than struggled at £3,500.

-You'd be taking it home.

-Yes.

-For the sake of £300.

-That's true.

-And that is a lot of money still.

-Oh, it'll go a long way, yes.

That was close, wasn't it? Some of them are close. You are living on a knife edge.

You certainly are.

'I think that reached a fair auction value.

'Next we've got Marion's silver bowl.'

There's a lot of silver there with a value of £500-£800.

Unfortunately, we do not have Marion. She's not well today, so get well soon!

Now, David, lots of silver and hopefully we'll sell this.

-You know you go away and think, "Did I over pot that?"

-Happens to me all the time!

I'm a bit concerned I might have done. Also that it's not a lotus blossom. How are you on botany?

-I'm not very good!

-I wonder if it might be a lily. I might have made that error.

Oh, look, good luck. That's all I can say. We're only doing our best. Here goes.

The large, Mappin and Webb 49-ounce bowl.

400 I'm bid. At 400. 410. 420.

430. 440. 450. 460. 470.

480. 490. 500.

520.

550.

550 and the internet's out. £550. 580.

At £600. In the room at 600. The contraption's out.

620. 650.

At 650.

At £650.

And I sell, then, at 650 and done. Thank you.

-Well done. That's mid-estimate.

-And it doesn't matter if it's a water lily or it's not.

Not any more!

'What a great profit for Marion on the £5 she spent at the car boot sale.

'That's it for our first trip to the auction. We'll be back later,

'but first I want to tell you about some strange happenings back in Cheltenham's past.'

In Victorian times, Cheltenham was a magnet for people in search of a cure. Many would flock here

just to take the waters, hoping it would be good for their health.

But it was also a time when people were after more spiritual cures.

This was the place to come to indulge in more unorthodox treatment.

In the mid-1800s, there was a growing fascination with seances,

where spirits could, apparently, be summoned from the dead.

They might be held in private rooms or in packed theatres.

Here in Cheltenham, one man realised that many of these so-called spirit raisers were fakes

and he made it his mission to lift the veil on their activities.

In doing so, he became one of the most respected illusionists of his time.

John Nevil Maskelyne was born in one of the poorest parts of Cheltenham back in 1839.

He trained as a watchmaker and had an interest in mechanical devices and science.

And he was a keen amateur conjuror.

But a visit to the theatre was about to change his life forever.

It all started in 1865 when he went to see the American Davenport Brothers' spirit cabinet act.

It was staged in semi-darkness in the town hall

and it involved the Davenport Brothers being tied up by two members of the audience

in a big wooden crate, which was locked. As the act got underway, the audience heard strange noises,

music being played, hands waving, apparently from ghosts they'd summoned. At the end of the act,

members of the audience would undo the crate and there were the brothers,

still tied to a chair.

Maskelyne watched the show intently. He was convinced that their act was a magic trick

and not spiritualism. And he worked out how they'd done it.

He then staged an open-air show in Cheltenham before a huge crowd.

He and his friend George Cooke went out to perform the same trick

without any supernatural powers.

Maskelyne's exposure of the Davenports soon made him more famous than the brothers themselves.

He and George Cooke toured the country with their act.

He knew how to draw in a crowd and he really took to being a showman.

Inspired by the acclaim they received in Cheltenham,

Maskelyne and Cooke turned to magic as a profession, becoming well-established,

performing at the Crystal Palace before royalty. And in 1873 they took on a lease of part

of the famous Egyptian Hall in Piccadilly.

They remained there in residence for 30 years. Maskelyne used his scientific knowledge

to create even more mind-boggling tricks.

He developed his acts to include levitation, using carefully-constructed pulleys

to raise his wife high onstage

before astonished audiences.

When his partner, George Cooke, died in 1905,

Maskelyne started a partnership with David Devant, who became a founder of the Magic Circle.

Their headquarters in London still houses some of Maskelyne's stage equipment,

including a lifelike waxwork model of George Cooke's head,

used in a stage illusion in which he appeared to be decapitated.

It was an extraordinary time, a world rapidly changing.

Photography was in the hands of very few people, the motor car was seen on the street for the first time

and people were willing to believe absolutely anything.

Maskelyne didn't like the idea, though, of people being tricked.

That's why he spent so much time exposing fake spirit raisers like the Davenport Brothers.

Sue Rowbotham from the Cheltenham History Society has studied his life and work.

Sum up, in your opinion, Maskelyne's legacy.

Maskelyne's been called the father of modern magic. He took scientific principles,

physics, optics, that sort of thing and made it into a show,

but he never claimed it to be other than an illusion.

He and his family were all inventors and they actually took out more than 40 patents between them.

So they were not just performers. They were scientists, in one form or another.

What was the public's reaction when Maskelyne exposed the Davenports.

There was a lot of excitement locally. "Local boy made good".

But gradually the fame spread.

Their shows were reported all over the country as they travelled.

It started to make people think

because it was all too easy to go to a show and just believe it.

More and more people were thinking about the science behind it and questioning it.

Yeah. So I guess in a way he created his own free publicity

-by dispelling the myth.

-Absolutely.

-Getting his name known.

-Yes.

-Making his own act.

He actually did publicise himself as an anti-spiritualist throughout his career.

Was this then the turning point for spiritual acts to sort of, shall I say disappear?

-No, they didn't. They fought back.

-Did they?

-So there were fights in the papers

and Maskelyne published books

and then there were books published in response to that.

So it carried on for years.

Maskelyne's fame and influence continued to grow. In 1914, he founded The Occult Committee,

whose remit was to investigate claims to supernatural power and expose fraud.

John Nevil Maskelyne died in 1917. He was at the dawn of a new era

where science, not superstition, started to explain the world.

He didn't travel much out of the UK, so he wasn't internationally known, but he did inspire many people,

including Harry Houdini, who followed in his footsteps.

Maskelyne even started a dynasty of illusionists with two sons and three grandchildren in the profession.

Today the name Maskelyne is renowned worldwide among magicians.

Hello!

'We're at the Pittville Pump Room and the eager crowds are keeping us busy

'with all manner of exciting objects.

'Let's join David Fletcher who has met up with Sybil and Derek,

'who are keen to find out more about their oil painting.'

The artist's name - Arthur H Rigg. It's not known to me.

-What can you tell me about him?

-Well, I've had a quick look on the internet

-and I believe he was born in Bradford. I know he died in 1927.

-Yes.

He was a professional painter and I understand he exhibited

-in many of the large art galleries.

-Right.

I've looked him up and done a bit of homework. I can't find him in the Yorkshire records.

Let's think about what we know.

A typical late-Victorian, early-20th century picture.

-Sort of romantic, but a little bit gloomy.

-Yes.

I sense that Arthur Rigg was a good artist,

but hasn't probably put on his best show on this particular occasion.

-It's just a little bit boring, isn't it? I hate to be critical...

-Yes, yes.

We've got these two trees, a hazy autumnal colour here.

-A mallard flying across there.

-Yes.

-It almost needs something else, doesn't it?

I think it could do with a couple of birds going into the distance, just to liven it up a little bit.

-You weren't tempted to get your paintbrush out?

-Yes, I was!

Anyway, you haven't painted those two birds. Just as well, really.

-It does need a bit of life. It needs a figure, maybe.

-Yes.

That would just give it a bit more oomph and a little more interest,

but he wasn't a bad artist. It's competently painted.

It's suffered a bit.

-I've had a little look behind and you can see some damage...

-Yes.

-..verified by some bits of tape

-stuck on behind. Have you had it hanging up in your house?

-Oh, yes.

-We love the picture, actually.

-Yes.

-I bought it 45, 46 years ago.

-Right.

-I think it cost me... It could have been £23 or £25.

-Right.

If you like it, why sell it? It's an obvious question to ask.

There comes a time, I think, when you want to move a few things on

to replace them with something else you might like.

Given that you're not really concerned about its future

beyond obviously making sure that we do as much as we can for you,

-I would have thought an estimate of £100-£150.

-Yes.

And, you know, put a reserve in somewhere below that, ideally £90.

But with the important proviso that if we've done some homework

and we find out it's worth a lot more than that, we have a chat.

I don't want to let you down and I don't want to embarrass myself,

-which I do often enough.

-I'm quite happy with that. Absolutely.

-We'll do our best for you and I'll see you at the sale.

-Thank you.

'We'll find out later on if David discovers anything.

'Over at Adam's table, Cath's brought in a charger which has seen better days.'

-Nice to see you coming along with this great big plate in several pieces.

-I know!

-Spoiling us!

-I am!

-Where did you get it from?

-It was given to my husband.

-There was a pub opposite us being demolished.

-Where's that?

-This was in Gloucester.

It was going in the skip, so my husband took it. It's been on top of our wardrobe ever since.

-It is in a bit of a state.

-I know.

-Was it like that when he got it?

-It was.

-Which is why, I guess, it was heading for the skip.

-I think so.

-It would have been really nice.

-It would have been fantastic.

-It looks to us 19th-century Italian.

-Right.

A type of Majolica. Tin-glazed earthenware or Delft-ware to some.

-We've got a signature. M Rodrigue.

-That's right.

And we've got this Baroque style of an earlier period.

-So your husband decided to keep it.

-He did.

-What attracted him to it?

I don't know. He just thought it was old, that's why.

"Flog It's in town. I'll take along my big plate."

I thought you would say, "Rubbish." Out the door.

-Well, I've got news for you - rubbish.

-Yeah!

-Er, yes. You want to sell it. I suppose you just want it out the way?

-That's right.

-Would anyone be able to do anything with it?

-Yes.

-Oh, they would.

There's a few restorers who could turn that so you'd never know.

-That could be made good again, but it's a massive job.

-Yes.

-An expensive job.

Look at that. Just so you can see...

The fact that we've got these holes drilled in here also indicates that it's probably 19th century,

-rather than an earlier piece. Look at this repair!

-I know.

This was done a long time ago. Look at this old animal glue - brown, yucky brown glue.

-Right, down to the value.

-Right.

-It's a tricky thing to value.

-Most people say if it's damaged it's worth nothing.

-I would say!

-Estimate-wise, I'd put £100-£200 on it.

-Oh, that's a surprise!

-Well, it's a wide guide, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Do you want to put a reserve on it? Would you have it back?

-I don't really want it back.

-Let's gamble and put it in. No reserve.

-That's right.

-But in that condition it's probably not going to be fortunes.

-What would you put that money towards?

-I'm a metal detectorist. I really need a new probe,

which is like a mini detector that you can get in the hole with.

-They're about £80, so...

-Well, this might just get you it.

-Yeah, it might do.

-Excellent.

'That's the second time today Adam's sent something off with no reserve, but will it pay off for Cath?

'Now for something slightly more modern. Michael is at David's table with a table.'

I think this is great.

We so rarely see this sort of thing on Flog It.

-When did you buy it?

-About 1968.

-'68. And you'd have bought it new.

-Bought it new, yes.

-OK.

And at that time, of course, the 1960s,

-this was the height of fashion.

-Yes, it must have been.

-Can you remember what you paid?

-I've no idea, no.

Pounds, shillings and pence.

Furniture like this was bought because it represented everything that was up to date, you know.

Pared down,

modern materials.

That's the most important thing of all. A Formica top and metal base.

-Apart from the decoration on top, that's it.

-Yes.

-There's no carving,

no inlay. All those sorts of things are just dispensed with.

-What I really like about this is the fact it's decorated by John Piper.

-Oh, yes.

Or at least after John Piper. He's probably one of Britain's greatest artists of the 20th century.

His life spanned the century, very nearly. He was famous in particular for his stained glass work

-at Coventry Cathedral.

-Yes.

-And for working with John Betjeman

-on the Shell motoring guides.

-Oh?

In, I think, the early 1950s. So he is a big name.

But I've never seen his work represented like this before.

It's curious, really. You have these amazing classical, baroque buildings.

They're all after Christopher Wren, I think. All Wren churches. This is St Paul's.

And they find themselves on this ultra-modern furniture.

As was so often the case in the 1960s, anything went.

You could mix and match and people loved it.

-I would have said it's going to make £100-£150.

-Yes.

-But I wouldn't want to sell it for less than £100.

-No.

-So would you be happy with a reserve of £100?

-Yes.

-OK.

-It only came out of the attic yesterday.

-You haven't been using it?

-It's been in the attic for 20 years.

-Oh, right. That's interesting.

-Knowing you were in town...

-You came along.

-OK, we'll go ahead on that basis.

-Thank you.

-I'll see you at the sale.

And that's our last item from Cheltenham. What a great day.

It's time to head back to the auction house in Malvern,

but let's have a quick reminder of why the experts rate these items.

The artist, Arthur Rigg, was a good artist,

but I don't want to get it wrong, so we're doing a little homework

and if I have underrated this picture, we'll let you know.

You probably think I'm mad taking on a plate like this, in several pieces,

but I'm quietly confident that we'll give Cath a nice surprise.

I really recommend you start thinking about buying furniture like this. Uber-cool.

Buy it now before it's too expensive.

Philip Serrell's sale room is bustling, but before the hammer goes down on our final lots,

I want to show you something that I came across on the preview day.

This has caught my eye today. A leather blackjack mug. A pint mug.

Typical of a tavern mug, made of Russian cowhide.

Rock hard over the years. And it takes on the patina of a lovely lump of oak.

But what I really love about this is you see a lot of leather blackjacks, some really quite big.

This one is catalogued at £80-£120 and Philip's put a "come and buy me" on this.

He knows it will probably fly away at 300 quid plus.

But this is quite an early 17th-century one.

If you look at these little trifoils around this rim, look,

that's so typical of the mid-17th century.

There would have been touch marks on the silver. That right there.

Somebody over the years has nibbled that off

and those touch marks have probably been sweated on to another piece of silver, something more desirable,

so they can make a bit more money. It devalues this a little bit.

The silver around the handle has been added in the 19th century. It's still 100 years old.

The colour's right and that is a lovely example of a tiny little pint leather blackjack mug.

And I think that will do £300-£400.

The auction is in full swing and first up we've got that lovely old oil painting.

-Sybil, Derek, hello.

-Hello.

-You took this off the wall.

-Yes!

-Absolutely.

-Is there now a gap on the wall?

-We need something else.

We did a bit of homework on Mr Rigg and I think the research rather bears out my estimate.

-We were happy with the valuation.

-Good.

-Let's find out if this lot are, shall we?

Arthur Rigg, oil on canvas, silver birch trees

with a pond and trees beyond.

Put it in the bidding, someone.

55 I'm bid. At 55.

At 55. And 60.

65. 70. And 5. 80.

And 5. 90. Book's out. At £90 only.

Any more, surely?

- Here's the bid. - Someone...

100. 10 now?

Have one more, sir.

At £100. And I sell then at £100. Done. Thank you.

-It's gone. A nice round figure. You're happy?

-Yes.

-That's £100 towards something else to fill that space.

-That's right.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

'Let's hope they find something they love.

'Now it's Cath and her battered Victorian charger.'

So far, so good. Now a bit of classic Flog It recycling!

That's what antiques are all about. Especially when clearing out a pub.

-That's what you did.

-Correct. My husband...

-Dived in.

-..rescued it.

-A north Italian charger with a central portrait.

-One man's trash is another man's treasure.

-Do you know what the money's going to?

-No.

-If I went like this...

-Oh, yes, I do!

-Not hoovering.

-I've always fancied doing that. Have you done it?

-No. My dad did it on the beach in Cornwall.

-Let's have a Flog It field trip.

-Go metal detecting!

This north Italian charger, 19th century.

There we go. Bid me for that lot.

Bid me £100 to start me.

Bid me 100.

Bid me 50.

- It's here to go. - It's not going to go.

On the internet at 50. 50 bid. At £50 only.

My instructions are to sell. I've got £50 bid.

Who's got 5? At £50 only. At 50.

-Oh, come on.

-£50. I'll take 5 anywhere.

At £50.

Any more at all? The maiden bid will take it. At £50, done and sold.

At £50 and away.

-No reserve.

-That's fine.

It's £50 from nowhere. That's classic recycling. Someone will enjoy that.

-And you've done well.

-Yes.

-Something for nothing.

-And, as everybody says, the fun of the day.

-You can go back to that pub for a meal.

-It's all pulled down.

-You can go and detect the site.

-No, it's a housing estate now!

'If you dig up any more treasures, Cath, make sure you bring them in to show us.

'Now I've got my eye on that leather blackjack.'

It's just about to go under the hammer. Let's find out what the bidders make of it.

The antique leather and silver mounted leatherjack. There we are.

I think this is a lovely thing. Bids on the book start off at £180 bid.

190. 200.

210. 220. 230. 240.

250. 260. 270. 280. 290. 300.

310. 320. 330. At 330 on the book.

340.

In the room. You're out at 340.

At £340 and I sell, then, at 340 and done. Thank you.

Well, there you go. £340. A wonderful bit of history there.

If you've got something like that, bring it to a valuation day.

You can pick up up-and-coming dates and venues on out website. bbc.co.uk/flogit

Follow the links. All the information will be there.

Or check your local press. We want to see you.

'It's time for our final item of the day and it's Michael's John Piper-decorated table.'

-You bought this brand-new in 1968.

-That's right.

-And you've had it ever since.

-Yes.

He's got his money's worth.

-We talk about minimalism and the demise of brown furniture. This represents the future.

-It does.

There are over 150 lots of furniture in this sale and only one isn't made of wood.

Over the years, you get rid of all your brown furniture, but for some unknown reason I kept this.

-And you used it.

-And my son's used it. Then I had it back again, back up to the attic.

-Can you remember how much you paid?

-No, I can't.

I'm sure you'll make a healthy profit. We'll find out what it's worth right now. Here we go.

There you are. John Piper table. St Paul's and St Martin's.

£55 bid. At 55.

55. 55.

At 55. And 60. And 5.

70. And 5. 80. And 5. 90. And 5.

100. 110. 120.

130? One more, sir? 130.

140, thank you. At 140. 50 on the 'net bid. 150.

Here's the bid. 150. 160. 160.

Is there any more? At 160 bid.

170.

-180.

-Fresh legs.

-At £180.

180. At £180 in the room. Any more at all?

At £180 and I sell, in the room. And done then... 190.

Oh, yes! That was good.

At £200. At 200 in the room. The 'net's out. At £200. Any more?

At £200 and I sell, then.

At £200 and done. Thank you.

The hammer's gone down. £200. Top of that estimate. Well done.

That ticked all the right boxes - architecture and cathedrals.

-Someone's got a nice thing.

-They have. I hope they enjoy it.

-Good.

That's it. Another day in another auction room for our Flog It owners. Everyone's gone home happy.

I hope you've enjoyed the show. Do join me again soon. Cheerio.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011

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