Exmouth Flog It!

Welcome to Devon and the seaside town of Exmouth.

Nobody's clutching their buckets and spades today playing on the sand

but they are in a healthy queue clutching bags and boxes,

-hopefully full of treasure. And what are you going to do with all that lot?

-ALL: Flog it!

'Regarded by some as the oldest holiday resort in Devon,

'Exmouth has been a popular tourist destination ever since the 18th century.

'Its golden age came with the arrival of the railway in 1861,

'bringing with it mass tourism and it looks like we've also brought out quite a crowd today.

'Fingers crossed a few gems from that golden age make an appearance.

'Keen to keep on track and already in the queue

'looking for today's gems are experts Christina Trevanion...'

Oh, what is it that you've got? A Victorian scrapbook. That's beautiful, isn't it?

The colours are still so good.

-'..and Will Axon.'

-I've seen a lot of horses

and I don't think either of those are going to make that water jump.

'Both highly experienced valuers and auctioneers.

'I can guarantee nothing will slip past them.'

I'll give you this and we'll have a closer look inside.

Let's get the doors open and get the show on the road.

'While everyone takes their seats inside the pavilion, here's what's coming up later.

'Christina is amazed by what you can find if you're lucky.'

I actually bought it at a jumble sale. I paid 50 pence for it.

-Bought it from a jumble sale?

-Yeah.

-For 50p?

'Will has a little wobble at the unpredictability of the auction room.'

I hope it sells, you know.

'And I fulfil a boyhood dream.'

I tell you what, this is the life. This is the life every schoolboy wants.

Everybody is now safely seated inside.

This is where it gets exciting. Who is going to be one of the lucky ones to be whisked off to auction?

We'll find out because Will is first at the tables. Let's see who he's talking to and what he's found.

Well, Sue, I saw you looking very glamorous, I must say, in the queue this morning.

As soon as you pulled this little picture out of your bag, I knew exactly who it was by.

-Did you?

-Well, I knew it was Adam Buck but I don't know anything about it.

I looked on the internet and found nothing out.

-Found nothing out?

-No.

-Cos he's actually a pretty prolific artist.

Sort of early 19th century.

Just down here in this little bottom corner, he's kindly signed and dated it, 1821,

which is really the sort of prime of his career, early 19th century,

that's really when Adam Buck was painting his best work.

-Is it something that you've bought yourself or something you've inherited?

-Yes.

-It's been inherited by the family. My mother.

-Your mother's side?

-Yeah.

And does she remember where it came from?

Erm, it came down the family from my grandmother's side.

OK. So what I'm edging towards is whether or not this is a family member.

Well, that's what I'm wondering, cos there's two. My sister's got the other one.

-And is the other one a gentleman?

-No, it's a lady.

-Another lady.

Is there anyone in the family around this date? Have you got the family tree?

I haven't gone right back on the family tree, so I really don't know.

-That's the trouble. Unfortunately, you run out of people to ask, as well.

-Well, this is the problem.

The work itself is very typical of Buck's work.

And she's wearing this wonderful hat here with I suppose ostrich feathers.

-It's lovely.

-Ostrich feathers in her hat.

-And this delicate face with the eyes and the little rose lips there.

-I think it's lovely.

One thing I have got to draw your attention to that I'm not very happy about is the colour of this frame.

-I think someone's got the old spray paint out.

-Have they?

-I think so.

-Because looking at the back, it's actually an old frame.

-Yeah.

Let's just spin it over quickly and then you can see what I mean. You can see these blind holes

and the way the frame's been constructed is in an old way.

It's got this rather nice label, as well, on the back.

Carver and Gilder, picture frame manufacturer.

So he may well have made the original frame

-or, because it's on the back board here...

-Possibly the back board.

Yeah, could've come with it from another frame.

Now, value-wise, have you had any thoughts as to what you think it's worth?

No, but I would hope it's worth more than £100.

Well, I think you're in the right sort of ballpark figure.

I was thinking 100, 150 as an estimate.

So if we reserve it at that bottom figure, fixed reserve at £100,

I think she stands a good chance of making a little bit more

-cos she's a pretty face, isn't she?

-Very.

-It's not like it's a withered old whiskered gentleman,

which isn't terribly commercial, but a nice pretty period lady

in dress like that, I think 100 to 150 is on the money.

-So are we agreed?

-Yes, were agreed.

-100 fixed reserve?

-Yep.

I think you should say goodbye, cos I'm pretty confident she'll find a new home.

-Good. Thanks a lot.

-Not at all.

'And I'm confident, too, that she'll find some admirers in the saleroom. Next I'm in the driving seat.'

I've just been joined by Colin and this little chap here in the middle.

Tell me, this is a wild guess, but are you in the tyre business?

Yes, I was. I was a company director for Southwestern Tyres.

-Right, OK. Based where?

-In Exeter.

-In Exeter.

Looking at this, I'm pretty sure this is compressed card or felt.

Looking at it, you can see all brown grinning through.

I've seen a lot of these and they're normally late 60s, early 1970s,

made of fibreglass, more translucent,

so you can put a bulb up inside so they light up.

-That's right.

-This one is a much earlier one. This is very early 1950s.

-So does that correlate with how long you've had this?

-Yes, it does.

I was in business for 48 years

and I bought this more or less when I started off a local coach dealer.

-How much did you pay for it?

-I cannot remember. I think I gave him a tyre.

A tyre? That's a fair exchange, isn't it? And where have you had this bolted down? Onto the worktop?

-No, it was on top of my lorry.

-How long was this on top of the lorry for?

-About 20 years.

-Wow! He's had a good life!

-Did you give him a name?

-No, I didn't. No, I didn't.

-Colin.

-THEY LAUGH

-It's in relatively good condition. It needs a jolly good clean.

-Yes.

-So has this been in the garage in the last few years?

-It's been in my attic.

I retired so I sold the lorry and took this off.

I do like it. There's something about it, isn't there?

When I was at school, you grew up with these kind of images of this logo. It's that branding,

that iconic branding which sticks with you. Because you've seen it as a kid, you grow up with it

-and you never forget it.

-True.

-The good thing about trade signs like this one

and other early examples from the 50s is these were only available to people in the trade.

People like you, dealers. And the general public couldn't buy these back then.

So when this comes on the market, I think people will fight for this, if you're into automobilia.

-What do you think it's worth?

-I have no idea whatsoever.

If this was in brilliant condition, if this was in perfect original condition,

I think you'd be looking at £200.

Unfortunately, it's not. It's had its knocks and its wear, but that's only to be expected.

It's been on top of a lorry for 20 years.

Let's get this into auction with a value of £80 to £120.

And put a reserve on, if you're happy, of around £60.

-Are you happy with that?

-I'm happy with that, yeah.

I think we'll have a surprise. I think this is a come and buy me

and I think if we get this on the right website with the right search engines,

the automobile collectors and the trade collectors will love this.

'It always amazes me what turns up on a valuation day.

'However, Hilary's brought along something a little bit more familiar.'

-Hilary, you've brought in this collection of silver for us today.

-Yes.

You've got some teaspoons and then this rather lovely cigarette case here

-which has got Bristol & District Table Tennis Association on the front.

-That's correct.

-So are you a table tennis fan?

-Well, I was when I was younger.

My father was one of the members of the Bristol & District Table Tennis Association. He was the treasurer.

And in 1959, he was presented with this cigarette case

in recognition of the work he'd done for the association.

-And he obviously represented his club and did a lot for the club.

-He was mainly the treasurer.

I think that's why he got this recognition.

Well, what a lovely gift that they've given him. You've got the enamelled front.

-The case is solid silver.

-Right.

-And it's hallmarked for Birmingham 1957.

-And they've obviously engraved his initials in the top corner here.

-Yes.

If we open it up, it's still got its box there and a little dust case,

and you've got this rather lovely inscription here, which says,

"Presented to AG Norman on his appointment as a life member, B&DTTA,"

which is the table tennis association, "May 1959," which is lovely

because although it's hallmarked for 1957, it's contemporary within that two year period.

So it really is a quality piece. You've got this gilt interior, as well, which is really nice.

-Just adds to the luxurious feel of it. Do you know if he ever used it?

-Oh, yes.

-Oh, really?

-Yes. In fact, when I opened it up, it still had little bit of tobacco in which I brushed out.

Oh, wonderful! Aww.

So that was the first item you brought in to us.

And then you've also brought these very Art Deco teaspoons here, which are solid silver.

-Right.

-And they are hallmarked for Sheffield 1937.

-Right.

Marker's mark CB&S, which I can't track down.

-I think it may well be Charles Boyton & Sons.

-Right.

-I'm not sure. Where have they come from?

I don't know. They were my mother's and she's long dead, I'm afraid.

-There's nothing significant that I know of in her life at that time so I'm not sure how she got those.

-OK.

And then we've also got this nice retailer's label here for James Walker Ltd.

The spoons fit beautifully in this box, so I think they are contemporary...

-They look contemporary.

-..with the box. Exactly.

Then this second set of silver teaspoons, they're a little bit smaller and are monogrammed

and those are hallmarked for London 1923.

And that was when she was married first.

-And her married name was Faracre and the F monogram is for Faracre.

-Oh, right.

-So those would've been a wedding present in 1923.

-Absolutely.

-Why have you brought them in?

Well, I'm moving house and I've been turning out cupboards

and, frankly, I haven't seen these since I moved into the house I'm in,

which is 16 years, so it just seems that they're sitting in a drawer

-and somebody else might enjoy them.

-OK.

It is quite difficult to put a price on the items because they are very different.

-With regards to a value, I think what we would do is put them as one lot.

-OK.

Because the stronger items will help sell the weaker items.

-So I think, at auction, we're looking at somewhere in the region of £80 to £120.

-OK.

-For the group.

-Yes.

-The main value being in your cigarette case

and in your Art Deco spoons.

OK? So we're looking at £80 to £120, maybe with a reserve of £70.

-All right?

-Yeah.

-How do you feel about that?

-That'll be fine.

-Let's hope that Dad's many hard voluntary hours at the table tennis club pay off for you.

-Yeah.

-All right? Thanks for bringing them in.

-No problem.

'So we've got our first three items, but before we go to the saleroom,

'here's a quick recap of what we're taking to auction and why we're taking it.'

A pretty face by a known artist.

I think there's going to be plenty of admirers in the saleroom for this Regency beauty.

I want to put this into auction because I strongly believe he could still do £200 or £300.

It is absolutely fabulous and it's timeless, because that is good design.

Silver is selling particularly well at the moment. We've got the two sets of spoons

and this cigarette case with a wonderful sporting connection. They could be gems for Hilary.

'We're in Exeter at Bearnes, Hampton & Littlewood for our sale today.'

This is a really good sign. The car park is full. I've got a good feeling about today.

I think our owners are going to go home very happy, some with a lot of money, some within estimate.

But you never know what happens at an auction. That's why it's so exciting.

'We're lucky enough to have Chris Hampton auctioneering our lots

'and the seller's commission here is 16.5 percent plus VAT.

'So let's crack on. Our first lot is Sue's charming painting.'

Going under the hammer right now, a wonderful watercolour by Adam Buck, an Irish artist born in Cork.

We had an original valuation which Sue was pleased with of £100 to £150.

-Since the valuation day, you've had a chat to the auctioneer.

-Yes.

-And you've raised that reserve to £200.

-Yes.

-New valuation, £200 to £300.

-Right.

To be honest, I've sold prints by Adam Buck at £100 plus.

The only thing that made me hold back a bit was the frame.

This is it. It's down to the bidders.

Adam Buck, portrait of a young woman, half length,

wearing a splendid hat. £150 is bid.

-At £150.

-I hope it sells, you know.

-160.

170. 170.

Where's 180?

180. 190.

-200.

-It's sold.

-Good.

£200. Seated near me.

At £200. 10 will you?

-At £200.

-No, it's going on the reserve.

-At £200.

-HAMMER BANGS

-Well done. Good for you for putting up the reserve.

-Well done.

-It might have gone for much less.

-If no-one was bidding against you,

he would've got it at 100. Well done.

Thank you. I've got very sweaty hands. Nice to meet you.

-The tension.

-Nice to have met you.

-Thanks for a good day.

'What a great start! Let's hope it continues.

'I'm up next with Colin's advertising icon.'

It's the Michelin Man about to go under the hammer.

We've got a reserve of £60. I'm hoping to get around 80.

Unfortunately, Colin hasn't made it in yet.

We've been on the phone to him. He said he's left home but maybe he's having problems parking

because it is really busy out there.

I'm expecting him to run through the door any second now and join with me in this wonderful moment.

The seated advertising figure of a Michelin Man with mounting bracket.

£45 is bid. At £45. At 45.

50. 55.

At £55. And 60 now.

And 60 will you? 60 in the doorway.

At £60. 5 now.

-Come on, Colin.

-At £60 and selling it at 60.

Sold. Here's Colin now. Look at that.

-HE LAUGHS

-I'm not joking,

I've literally just said to the camera, "The hammer's gone down".

-The hammer went down.

-Oh, right.

-At £60.

-Is that OK?

-Yeah, that's quite all right.

-Colin, it's great to see you anyway.

-And you.

-We did it.

'Well, he got there in the end in the nick of time to wave goodbye to his old friend.

'And coming up next we've got a collection of silver all from the 1900s.'

It belongs to Hilary who's right next to me.

-And this is your first auction.

-It is.

-You're having a bit of a tough time at the moment, aren't you?

I am. I've just moved out of one house and I haven't moved into my next hour

-and I'm staying with a very nice friend.

-Stressful, isn't it, living out of boxes?

-Absolutely.

-Good luck in your new house. Where is it?

-Heavitree.

-Where's that?

-In Exeter. It's sort of the other side of town.

-You're staying in the area.

-Yes.

-Oh, good.

-Cos I have an allotment and I want to keep it.

-Ooh.

-Where I'll be this afternoon.

-We've digressed. We should be talking about antiques.

Your lot is next. Good luck, Hilary.

Silver cigarette case,

a set of six George VI teaspoons

and a set of six George V coffee spoons, cased. All together.

£70 is bid. At 70. 5. 80.

5. 90. 5.

100. And 5. 110. 120.

He's looking at his book. People have left bids on the book

prior to the sale. They've viewed it earlier in the week but aren't here.

-Selling at £160.

-HAMMER BANGS

-Result! £160!

-Excellent!

-Wow!

-That's really good!

Yes! You can now go from the tension, the high drama of the auction room

-to the calm of the allotment.

-I will, thank you, Paul.

-I quite envy you.

-Yes.

-On a day like today.

-Is that where you're heading off to?

-Absolutely.

'While Hilary heads off to the allotment, I've got my own journey to make, back to a bygone era.'

Now, I'm a bit of an old romantic and I'm passionate about nostalgia

and so I should be, because I love antiques and everything old.

Today we're going to relive the past. I'm going to take you on a trip down memory lane

on one of the best heritage railway lines in the country.

This is the age of steam, so come on, I've got a train to catch.

'And that train is here at the South Devon Railway.

'The UK's railway system in the oldest in the world,

'built as a patchwork of local rail links operated by small private companies

'which over time developed into a national network. This branch was part of

'the South Devon Railway Company and it joined the Plymouth to Exeter mainline.

'Opened in 1872, it originally ran for nine miles,

'from Totnes to Ashburton.'

Today it's a bit shorter. It runs for about seven miles,

from this station, Buckfastleigh, to Totnes, which is in that direction.

Now, you're probably wondering why I'm dressed like this.

Today I have the opportunity to fulfil every schoolboy's dream.

I'm going to be riding on the footplate and learning how to drive this locomotive and be the fireman.

Obviously, under instruction from Chris and Dave who are up here waiting for me.

I am prepared to put in a full-day shift.

I've even got my steel toe cap boots on. So let's get dirty.

Hello, guys! Pleased to meet you!

-Hi, Paul.

-Hello.

-Paul.

-Hi, Chris.

I've got to say, you're immaculately turned out.

Will we look like this at the end of the day, completely clean,

-or will we be covered in...

-We might, but you won't.

-THEY LAUGH

-How long have you been working on this railway line?

-I've been a member since 1968.

-Wow.

-Just before it actually started running. And I've been driving since 1993.

-You've got the hardest job. You're the fireman.

-No, you've got the hardest job.

I'm going to be the fireman today! I'll really work at this and put in a good day shift for you.

Is this really the apprenticeship for becoming an engine driver?

-Did you have to be a fireman first?

-You start off as a cleaner.

Gradually you learn how to light the fire and then you progress to the footplate

and then under the guidance of the driver and the fireman, you learn how to fire the engine.

You then progress to learning this side of the engine, driving that,

and you learn how to oil the engine up, where to look, all this sort of thing.

So it does take a few years before you get over to this side.

What do I have to do first? What is the first job of the fireman?

There was nothing in the firebox this morning,

so we've spent three hours bringing up the pressure and we've got 160 on the clock

and three quarters of water in the boiler.

-The boiler is the most important thing on the engine. If we lose water, we go bang.

-That's the gauge.

I tell you what, the size of the coal... Look at this!

That is a whopping great lump of coal!

-I shove it in there?

-Yep.

-There you go!

TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS

You guys have kindly got up at six o'clock this morning to sort this trip out for me today.

You do it day in and day out throughout the season. Why do you do it?

I thoroughly enjoy it. Somebody said to me, "What would you do if you won the lottery?"

I said, "I would do what I'm doing now". It was always a passion. I always wanted to be an engine driver.

-So I always felt privileged to get on a steam locomotive.

-Yeah.

-And what about you, Chris?

-I love doing it.

If you didn't love the job, you wouldn't do the hours, because it's such hard work.

-But you do get some satisfaction at the end of the day.

-Yeah.

This is a very important part of our heritage here down in the West Country.

Thank goodness it's alive for future generations to appreciate. What about the next generation?

We've got some youngsters coming through, we've got some 17-year-olds, 18-year-olds.

They can't take their fire exam until they're 18

and then once they pass, you have to wait till 21, that's the minimum age to become a driver.

-I need to put water in the boiler now. Would you like to do that?

-Yes. It's about time I did something.

Pull that lever there. That puts the water on.

-And then you turn the steam valve anticlockwise.

-This one?

Yep. You might have to crack it.

That's it. That way.

And then we listen for the sound. That usually tells you it's picked up.

-I can hear it whistling.

-Yeah. And if not, you look down the side

and if there's no water coming through, you just trim it with that there.

-As a fireman, you've got to think ahead all the time.

-Sure.

-It's really hot just here.

-Turn it off now.

-Off with the steam.

-That's off.

-And off with the water.

When was the 305 class, this type of locomotive decommissioned?

-Well, it was never decommissioned.

-Really?

No, it actually came off British Railways

and it actually came down to Totnes first off

and it did come up this branch back in the mid 60s.

And then it disappeared to the Severn Valley Railway

where it actually ran their inaugural train up there in 1970, I believe.

How many have survived? Do you know?

-This is it. This is the only one that survived.

-Really?

-TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS

-Wow! I was going to say, "Wow!" and he went, "Whoo-whoo!"

This is the only survivor! That is quite incredible, isn't it?

'Running along the stunning valley of the River Dart,

'the journey to Totnes takes approximately 25 minutes, stopping only once at Staverton.'

'But it gives you ample time to take in the breathtaking views.'

This is just beautiful. It's absolutely stunning. Nice time of the year to do this.

-Yes, the leaves are just out now.

-Isn't that spectacular?

Underneath a canopy of green foliage. This is the life.

This is the life every schoolboy wants.

I just love the smell. Everything about this journey is wonderful.

-What sort of speed are we doing now?

-We're doing approximately 20.

What would our braking distance be if we saw a cow or sheep on the line?

-Probably about quarter of a mile safely.

-Really? Quarter of a mile?

I mean, there's a lot of weight here to stop, really, I guess, isn't there?

That'll be enough now. Thank you. Lovely.

What happens at the end of the day when you're on your last route and you have a boiler full of coal?

Do you knock it out or let it die off gradually?

No, I work in advance, think ahead.

On the last trip, I won't put some much coal in the firebox so it'll be a lighter fire,

keep the boiler on full, and when we get back, the fire should be nice and flat

-and just about going out.

-OK.

You actually work non-stop. You work harder than Chris does, really.

-Drivers don't do anything, do they?

-Not really.

No, he's got the responsibility of being the engine driver and he's in charge of me, as well.

Dave, thank you so much. And you, Chris. I've thoroughly enjoyed my day here.

I'm going to do the return journey sitting in the carriage, soak up the nostalgia and the scenery

-and carry on enjoying the day. How did I do?

-You did very well.

And you didn't drop my shovel in the fire. THEY LAUGH

'So my job has finished, but Dave and Chris are still hard at it.

'As Totnes is at the end of the line, the locomotive needs to be uncoupled

'and repositioned at the head of the carriages.

'Once everything's secured, we're all set for the return journey. This time I get to enjoy a comfy seat.'

Isn't that just stunning out there, the beautiful Devonshire countryside?

Completely unspoilt, unchanged and not a trace of the modern world.

And I must say, it's a lot warmer and quieter here in this second class carriage.

It reminds me of being a schoolboy, growing up in Surrey and living near Hampton Court

and getting on the train there and travelling to Surbiton. Wonderful times.

'The history of the line commercially is quite a quiet one, really.

'It was used for transporting goods, things like coal, wool, cider

'and agricultural equipment and the local population.

But with the advent of the motorcar becoming a lot more popular in the early 20th century,

takings on the line here declined

and, sadly, it closed on 3rd November 1958.

It carried on transporting goods for a few more years,

but that finished also in 1962.

'In fact, the 1960s was a defining moment for all the railways in the UK.

'Richard Beeching, chairman of British Rail,

'became infamous for the reshaping and slimming down of a whole network.

'So it was with a sense of irony that in 1969

'Beeching was invited to open this picturesque line,

'named at the time the Dart Valley Railway.'

A group of enterprising businessmen decided to reopen this line and run it for tourists

and thank goodness they did. It's been running ever since and it's keeping our heritage alive.

Today it's a registered charity run by volunteers,

people like Chris and Dave who get up early in the morning

and make this journey so special. It's well worth the trip.

Love it to bits. I'm going to look out the window now.

'We've travelled back to Exmouth, where everyone has been waiting patiently for some more valuations.'

-Are you still happy?

-ALL: Yes!

-It's your turn next, believe me.

-THEY LAUGH

Welcome back to our valuation day here at the Pavilion in Exmouth.

Let's now catch up with our experts and see what else we can find to take off to auction.

'And it's Will who's spotted something first, so sit up straight as we listen in

'to what he has to say about Sally's chair.'

I'm pleased to see a bit of furniture at Exmouth today. We don't often get the chance,

us furniture experts or people who are geared towards furniture.

It's often too big or bulky to bring in.

-But no problem with this little piece.

-No.

-What can you tell me about it?

-Not a lot.

I bought it in a shop about 30 years ago now when I'd just moved into a new house.

-Has anyone perched on it since then?

-No, nobody's sat on it.

-Because someone at some stage has and would have.

-Yes.

These are generally called correctional chairs or deportment chairs where if you sat in them,

because of the very vertical nature of the back, it would stop you from slouching.

-Yes.

-Which is a natural position we fall into.

-Yes.

-And you can tell someone has used it by the natural wear on the turnings here on the stretchers.

-Yes.

-Can I ask you what you paid for it?

-I think I paid around £50.

-That's not too bad.

Because, of its type, I think it's a rather nice one.

Starting from the top and working down,

we've got a nice top rail that echoes dining chairs of the time.

-We're talking early 19th century to mid-19th, William IV, Victorian crossover.

-Yes.

This carved rail, as well, that's a nice touch of quality.

Someone's gone to the effort of hand-carving that.

And, again, that echoes the dining chairs of the time.

-You'll see a lot of dining chairs with that sort of splat on the back.

-Right.

-Nice little caned seat,

-which is actually in good order, which is nice.

-Yes.

-Looks like it could be original.

It could have been replaced. But it's been done sympathetically.

-Yes.

-And it's been done well. And then these long, elegant legs.

-There's a nice little splay at the bottom.

-Yes.

-It adds that little... It gives it that stability.

-Yes, I particularly like that, the way it splays out.

-That's another typical feature of the period.

That little splayed front leg. And the wood itself is in beech.

-Oh, right, yes.

-You can generally tell beech when you get these flecks...

-Yes.

-..just by the way the wood is cut.

-Right. I see.

-That's the way the rings appear on the surface.

-Yes.

-But up here, they've just added these little pen marks or paint marks,

-just to simulate the rosewood grain.

-Yes. That's interesting. I didn't know that.

So if someone was sitting on it, you might just see the top rail.

-So that's where they've made the effort to try and make it look more expensive than it is.

-Yes.

-I mean, I like it myself. Do you like it?

-Yes, I do like it.

-So why are you selling it?

-Well, since I had that, parents have died and I've inherited various other chairs.

-Yes.

There isn't really a lot of room left for chairs.

As this one isn't used, I thought it made sense to get rid of that one.

-OK, so if you got your money back...

-Yes.

-..that would be a good ending to the story, wouldn't it?

-You'd have had the enjoyment of it.

-Yes.

-So I'm going to say let me put the estimate at 40 to 60.

-Yes.

-Straddle that £50 mark.

-Right, yes, that's fine.

-Do you want to reserve it? Or are you happy for it to...

-Perhaps I should have a reserve on it.

-Let's put a reserve on at 30.

-Yes.

-If it's not worth £30 then I say take it home.

-Yes.

-It's got to be worth £30.

-That's fine.

-I'm pretty sure you'll have no trouble getting that away on the day.

-OK.

And thanks for bringing in a bit of furniture for me to look at.

-That's all right.

-Thanks very much.

-Thanks.

Chris, you brought this lighter in to show us. Tell me where you got it from.

Well, I actually bought it in a jumble sale about 30 years-plus ago.

-I paid 50 pence for it.

-You bought it from a jumble sale for 50p?

-Yeah.

-That's brilliant.

-I took it home and cleaned it up and realised it was nine-carat gold.

-It is.

Absolutely, nine-carat gold, yeah. And it's got a wonderful maker's mark.

-Did you recognise the name at the time, Dunhill?

-Yeah, I did, yes.

-I sent it away to Dunhill cigarette manufacturers in London.

-Yeah.

-And I asked if they could repair it, cos there was a pin broken on it.

-Right.

-They refurbished it fully.

-They sent it back to me with no charge.

-Oh, gosh, that was very generous, wasn't it?

And also they offered me £100 to buy it for their museum.

-Wow! So how long ago was that?

-That's got to be about 30 years ago because I didn't have it that long.

-I wasn't planning on keeping it anyway.

-Mm.

But when they said it was £100, I thought I'd hang onto it, you know?

Exactly. So why have you changed your mind about selling it?

Well, it's been in a drawer for 30 years now, and I watched the Flog It! programme,

-and I saw you were down at Exmouth so I thought I'd bring it along just to see what it's worth now.

-Brilliant.

Excellent. That's good news. They've done a very good job refurbishing it.

-And you haven't used it, because we've got this very, very clean...

-Never been used.

-No.

-Not since I had it refurbished.

-Fabulous, absolutely fabulous. And it's in very good condition.

It's in nine-carat gold. We've got a nine-carat gold coat here.

And on the bottom, all the information about it. Nice nine-carat gold hallmark there.

Which is also hallmarked Dunhill. So the case was also made by Dunhill.

Some of them weren't. Some were made by a different manufacturer, and they put the Dunhill name to it.

-Right.

-You do get them in a variety of different forms. You get them with engine turning,

also, rather than this oval shape, I have seen them in a facetted form.

-I think it's really quite nice in its simplicity.

-Yeah.

-You bought it from a jumble sale, you don't know who owned it before?

-No.

You would have been fairly affluent to have a nine-carat gold lighter.

-Yeah.

-From the hallmark, it's dated 1929.

So it's from the late 20s. It's nice we can pinpoint the date accurately.

Value-wise, we might be looking somewhere in the region of £250 to £350. How do you feel about that?

-Sounds good.

-Good. Excellent. So would you be happy if we put an estimate of £250 to £350?

-Yeah.

-And a firm reserve of £250. How would you feel about that?

-I was thinking more a £300 reserve.

-£300 reserve, OK.

So we'll say £300 to £400 with a reserve of £300.

I hope that's not a little bit too high, it might be, but let's keep our fingers crossed.

-I could always keep it and it would go up in value.

-That's very true. It will not go down in value.

-Brilliant. Thank you very much for bringing it in.

-Thank you.

-We look forward to the auction.

-Hopefully it will be very successful for you.

-Hopefully, yes.

-Thank you.

'Whatever happens, you're onto a winner, Chris.

'It's time for our final valuation, and it looks like Will has found quite a collection.'

Well, Jean, you've come in today with a real Aladdin's cave here of various gold items.

-Tell me, have these come out of your own jewellery box?

-No, I inherited them many years ago.

Inherited pieces, OK. So you're not going to feel a pang of sentimentality when you sell them?

-Was it a close family member?

-No, not at all. I think I met the relation once as a child.

So there's no sentimental or emotional attachment to them at all.

OK. Let's have a look at what you have brought in. I like this necklace you have brought in,

which I've had a closer look at and is marked 15-carat gold, so a reasonable purity of gold.

-But I love this wirework onto the cabochon beads...

-Yes.

-..tied on this strung necklace.

-Never been tempted to wear it?

-No, I think it's hideous. I don't like it.

-There's me talking it up.

What about this? I don't think that's going to be in your pocket, being a gents watch.

And the condition of it is rather poor. Was it like that when you inherited it?

-I think it was, yes. It's never worked since I had it.

-Never worked, OK.

Well, to be honest with you, that's not really a big problem because, even though it is a pocket watch,

-all the value in that is in the 18-carat gold case.

-Right.

Then over here we've got various little charms and sweetheart brooches on this little bracelet.

-Again, when was the last time you ever wore a charm bracelet?

-Oh, as a child.

-Exactly.

-They've really fallen out of fashion.

-Yes.

-But good news is they're nearly all nine-carat gold.

-So that has value in the material value of what they're made of.

-Lovely.

These little sweetheart brooches are nearly always nine-carat gold.

You see a lot of those late-Victorian period.

And then here a little charm that perhaps fell off a bracelet.

Or maybe was on a chain as a little pendant locket, perhaps.

So, we've got 15-carat gold there, we've got 18-carat gold here,

we've got various nine-carat gold items there. It pains me to talk in this way,

but with the price of gold being so high, these are literally going to be weighed in, I'm afraid.

-Yes.

-And their value is purely in what they weigh.

-On the weight, right.

Now, the watch case, 18-carat gold,

you're probably looking at £300, that sort of level for the case.

-That does surprise me.

-It's a lot of money, isn't it? For really not a lot of gold.

-Yes.

The price is up there. Nine-carat gold charms and so on,

you're probably looking at, say, £100, £150.

And then for the 15-carat gold necklace, again, you're probably looking at around the £300 mark.

-Very good.

-Surprising, isn't it?

-Yes.

-It soon mounts up.

So if we think we are looking here at £750-ish, that sort of level.

-Good grief!

-I think we're going to need to reserve these,

but a lot of the buyers of these things will go to the sales armed with their digital scales.

-And they will weigh the items there and then. So they know exactly where to bid.

-Yes.

You have to allow a bit compared to the bullion price, bearing in mind that buyers pay a buyers' premium.

But even so, I'm confident that if you were happy to put these in

at £600 to £800 with a reserve at £600,

-I'm pretty confident we will see these away. How do you feel about that as a level?

-Sounds good. Fine.

What's the money going towards, maybe some jewellery you do wear?

-I think a nice holiday.

-Oh, very nice. Let's swap this gold for the goldy, sandy beach, how's that?

-Very good.

-I'll see you on the day.

-Thank you.

Well, that's it. We've found our final items to take off to auction.

So it's time to say farewell to the Pavilion here in Exmouth.

We've found some real treasures. Hopefully there will be one or two big surprises on our second visit.

Here's our experts to give you a quick reminder of what we're taking along,

but more importantly, why we're taking them.

I'm not mean enough to make my kids sit on this chair, but look,

a nice, clean, good quality example of a model. I think this will do quite well at the saleroom.

Bearing in mind Chris bought this lighter for 50p,

I think any Dunhill collector would be delighted to add this to their collection.

Seems a shame to talk about this jewellery in terms of scrap weight,

but it's really a reflection of the market. And if Jean gets a holiday out of it, I'm all for it.

'So we're back in Exeter for a last visit to the saleroom

'with auctioneer Chris Hampton.

'And first up hoping his lighter sparks a bidding frenzy is Chris.'

These are the stories we like to hear.

Picked up for 50p on a jumble sale and hopefully it's going to achieve £300 to £400. Chris, good luck.

-Christina, these are the stories we love.

-I know. Isn't it wonderful?

-Nine-carat gold, George V. Why are you selling now?

-It's been in a drawer at home for 30 to 40 years.

I saw your programme in Exmouth and thought I'd see how much it's worth.

-And we're going to find out right now.

-Fingers crossed.

-Hopefully we get that top end.

-Selling now at £370.

-This is it. It's exciting.

Dunhill, the George V nine-carat gold

petrol-operated cigarette lighter.

£200.

200, thank you, at £200. At 200.

At 220. 240. 60. 280. 300.

-Ah!

-At 300.

At £300. Where's 20? At £300.

-It's sold on the reserve.

-Yes.

-Selling at £300.

We did it! That's not a bad return on 50p. Put it there.

-Pleased with that.

-Good spotting, sir!

-That was a bit tight, wasn't it?

-It really was.

-THEY LAUGH

-It is a rollercoaster ride.

-Well done. There's commission to pay, don't forget. It's 16.5 percent plus VAT.

-Yep.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you for bringing it in.

'Selling for 600 times the purchase price,

'it's a result that would have any of us on the edge of our seat.

'Talking of which, next is that lovely beech wood deportment chair.'

It's a lovely example. It belongs to Sally.

We're not looking for a lot of money, are we, Will? £40, £50.

Condition is really good. I like the bar back. It's nice and high. Makes you sit straight.

-Why are you selling today?

-Well, I've inherited quite a few chairs since I bought that one.

-And I need to do a bit of work on the ones I've inherited.

-Sure.

-So one has got to go.

-One has got to go, really, so hopefully it will.

Let's find out, shall we? And hopefully we'll find a home for it. Here we go!

The stained beech deportment or correction chair,

-and I've two bids at £40.

-Two bids straight in at 40.

-Excellent.

At £55. Where's 60? 60. 65?

In the room against the reserve.

-And I sell then at £65.

-HAMMER BANGS

Sally, it's a good result. Hammer's gone down, £65. Good clean example.

I'm glad that went, because if that hadn't sold,

-then the furniture market really would've been in the doldrums today.

-And that's quite sad.

-Exactly.

-I'm pleased about that.

-Good. Good. And thank you for bringing it in.

-Thank you.

'Before our final lot, on the preview day, I caught up with auctioneer Chris.

'Market values fluctuate in the antiques business, some items more than others.'

We've got a collection of jewellery belonging to Jean. No sentimental value.

She's raising money for a holiday. It includes charm bracelets, necklaces and a gold pocket watch.

With a value of £600 to £800 as a job lot, all that as one lot.

And we think it's a bit on the low side.

I think, given the value of gold, which has shown significant increase over the last year,

on the basis of that, the estimate, and therefore the reserve, does need to be a bit higher than we've got.

OK, currently we had a £600 reserve. What have you put the reserve up to now?

-We think £900.

-Wow! As much as that?

So, you're hoping this might do £900 to £1,200?

-I would hope 900 to 1,300. That sort of estimate.

-OK, wow.

And this is all down to the melt value, for scrap value. But hopefully a lot of this...

That won't get melted down, will it? There's collectables there.

-This is a very nice 18-carat gold watch.

-Yep.

-Nice charm bracelet.

So, all being well, those items will be bought for what they are,

-rather than to put in the pot.

-Yeah.

-Much interest?

-A lot of interest, yeah.

-Good. Good.

Well, it's your job to get on the rostrum and get that hammer going, I guess.

THEY LAUGH

'So there's no time to waste. Let's fill Jean in on what Chris said.'

-The original valuation, £600 to £800.

-Yeah.

-Gold prices have just gone up recently.

-Mm.

-Good news for you. Because I know the auctioneer has had a chat to you on the phone, hasn't he?

-Yes.

-The new estimate is £900 to £1,300.

-Amazing.

-Good news.

-You've got to keep your eye on those gold prices, haven't you?

-Exciting.

-It is, isn't it?

-If we wait ten minutes, hopefully the price will have gone up again.

-THEY LAUGH

It's going under the hammer now. This is it.

The gentleman's 18-carat gold, key-wound pocket watch,

15-carat gold rope-twist necklace with filigree beads,

a continental bracelet, ten charms attached, two brooches,

a chain and a book-form locket.

And I'm bid £750. At £750.

At 750. At £750. 800.

And 50. At £850.

-900. 50.

-I can't see who's bidding.

-Someone's left a bid on the book.

You don't have to be in the room, you can bid on the phone, online,

-or you can leave a bid on the book.

-1,200. And 50.

1,300. At £1,300 near me.

-Top end of the estimate.

-Selling now at £1,300. You all done?

£1,300, thank you.

-Oh, you must be so made up with that.

-I'm staggered!

-Worth getting up this morning.

-Oh, definitely.

'With that money going towards a holiday,

'I'm sure Jean will be packing her suitcase and feeling the sand between her toes in no time at all.'

How about that? Most people have gone home happy. That's what it's all about.

As you see, the auction is still on. We've had a terrific time here at Exeter.

Thanks to everybody here for looking after us. I can't wait to come back.

But until then, join me again for many more surprises on Flog It! Bye-bye.

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