0:00:04 > 0:00:06Welcome to Wellington College in Berkshire,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10built 150 years ago as a tribute to the Duke of Wellington.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Today it's one of Britain's most prestigious public schools,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17so let's hope we find some quality items. Welcome to "Flog It!"!
0:00:40 > 0:00:43What treasures will we find at Wellington College today?
0:00:43 > 0:00:47With a queue this size, there should be plenty to choose from,
0:00:47 > 0:00:51and spearheading the team are two of our most experienced experts...
0:00:52 > 0:00:55..Elizabeth Talbot, who I think of as one of the jewels
0:00:55 > 0:00:57in "Flog It!"'s crown...
0:00:57 > 0:01:00- You're on half-term. - Yeah.- Perfect timing.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03- Morning, all! - Good morning.- Good morning.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07..and that's the bit which made me go, "Ooh!"
0:01:07 > 0:01:11..and Philip Serrell, who always brings a polished charm of his own.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14I didn't clean that one. That's the only one I cleaned.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Just whisper that to me. Go on. Whisper it again.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23I should look at someone else's. THEY LAUGH
0:01:23 > 0:01:27- You know what? She's right. - THEY LAUGH
0:01:29 > 0:01:32We've got a wonderful turn-out, even if it is slightly rainy.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36We won't let the weather dampen our spirits. We'll have a great day,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39and somebody is going to go home with a lot of money.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42It might even be this lady with her teddy. Thank you very much.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46You've all come to ask our experts that all-important question...
0:01:46 > 0:01:48- ALL: What's it worth? - If you're happy with the answer,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50- what are you going to do? - ALL: Flog it!
0:01:50 > 0:01:53It's time to get the doors open and get the show on the road.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Come on, everybody! Let's go in.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06'Coming up, people often bring in amazing discoveries of their own.'
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- Did you know what they were? - Hadn't got the faintest.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13And the normally confident Elizabeth gets cold feet.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Hopefully we can find all those bidders,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18but it might not be the time, that's all.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22- I'm covering all options today. - Cover all the bases!
0:02:22 > 0:02:25'Whilst everyone is settling into their seats,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'I get the chance to see what interesting things
0:02:28 > 0:02:30'people have brought in today.'
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Look at that! Ahh!
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Woof, woof, woof!
0:02:35 > 0:02:37HE LAUGHS
0:02:38 > 0:02:41How cute is that? Surely he's not for sale, is he?
0:02:41 > 0:02:43You're parting with him?
0:02:43 > 0:02:47I don't know if I want to, but it's one of those things.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51- You've got to downsize eventually. - My little boy would love this.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54He talks about dogs all day long. He would.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57- Oh, that's really cute. - I love him.- This looks like 1960s.
0:02:57 > 0:03:02Yeah, it could be. I'm... I'm old.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03THEY LAUGH
0:03:05 > 0:03:11Philip is first at the table with Amy, a young art enthusiast.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- Amy, how old are you?- I'm 23.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18Now, antiques and collecting is the preserve of elderly people.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Why are you here?
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Because I love anything to do with old things,
0:03:24 > 0:03:29old photographs, so I go to charity shops a lot.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33So what drives you - to buy or find something you really like,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36- and enjoy, or to make some money? - It's a bit of both.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to buy something
0:03:40 > 0:03:43unless I thought it was going to be worth something,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48but mainly if it looks nice, and I like it, then, that's the main thing.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52So, Amy, you trawled into a car-boot or a charity shop,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56saw these. If you'll pardon the pun, what floated your boat for you?
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Well, because I enjoy painting myself,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I appreciate it, the work that went into them.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05They're not amazing, but they just jumped out at me.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09because they looked old, and I just thought, "Yeah."
0:04:09 > 0:04:13"Be quite nice at home, maybe." But I've got too many things as it is.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16But it was the detail in them, really.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Well, for me, this is going to be a process of elimination.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21They're a pair of watercolours,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25and they're clearly continental, possibly Austrian or German
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- or Dutch. - Yeah, I thought they might be Dutch.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Yeah. And just down here we've got "H"... Is it "Woelke"?
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Yeah.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35W-O-E-L-K-E.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Now, I'm really flying blind here a bit.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42He's not an artist I know or recognise.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45I don't think they're of great quality,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- but I think they're fun.- Yeah, yeah.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51What I want the auction room to do is to do a little bit of research,
0:04:51 > 0:04:56- see if they can find anything out about our friend Woelke.- Yeah.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59But there's one thing here that, from looking at these,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03sort of becomes apparent to you in the background.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Um, it doesn't look like they've been finished.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09I'll tell you what I think. If you've got an oil painting,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11it won't fade. Its colour won't alter.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15But if you've got a watercolour, particularly skies,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18you can have a lovely vibrant blue cloud when it's painted,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21but over the years it fades.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25- Direct sunlight and ultraviolet light will do that.- Right.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30And I think these skies here have faded quite dramatically.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35- Yeah.- And by and large, a watercolour that's got a faded sky
0:05:35 > 0:05:37is a real, real no-no.
0:05:37 > 0:05:43- I think that they're worth £15 to £20 apiece.- Yeah.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47So I'd put an auction estimate on them
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- of probably £30 to £50.- OK.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- Now, what did you pay for them? - I paid £10 each.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55You paid £20 for the pair?
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Here's the deal, right? If they go and sell, sell well,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02- you've proved that you've got a really good eye.- I have, yeah.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05And if they don't sell, it's back to the drawing board for you, isn't it?
0:06:05 > 0:06:07It is, yeah.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11We'll have to wait for the auction to see if Amy recoups her money
0:06:11 > 0:06:12on her purchases.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18My choice next, which is rather surreal.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Patch... I can call you Patch, can't I?
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- You can.- It's a rather unusual name. How did you come by it?
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- A mixture of...- A long story, is it? - Far too long to tell here.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- But it's a name you've given yourself?- Yeah.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32It's a cool name, anyway, and what wonderful cool tiles!
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- They really are, aren't they? Salvador Dali.- Yes.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38It doesn't get more surreal than this, does it, really?
0:06:38 > 0:06:43I've got to admit, no, and I had no idea what I was getting hold of
0:06:43 > 0:06:46- when I found them. - How did you come by these six tiles,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48with original box, I've got to say?
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Yes. I was offered a caravan that was going to be scrapped,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54went round, collected it. They were in there.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56I said to the people, "Do you want them back?" "No."
0:06:56 > 0:07:00- "We're not worried. Take them." - Did you know what they were?
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Hadn't got the faintest. It wasn't till I turned over
0:07:03 > 0:07:05- and saw the "Dali"... - Just turn this over.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09You can see. "Tiles by Dali, 1954."
0:07:09 > 0:07:11And look how clean they are!
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I don't think they've ever seen the outside of the box.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Wonderful, aren't they? Have you got a favourite?
0:07:17 > 0:07:21I would say this one. I don't know why. I just like it.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Well, judging by the way I've set them out,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26you can tell my favourite's the one in the middle.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28It's a vague idea.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32For me, that sums up Dali, that whole Spanish kind of thing.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35I think I have seen that in a print or something,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- so, yeah, it is nice.- But all these tiles are signed, aren't they?
0:07:38 > 0:07:43- Yes.- There's one there. - It's trying to find them.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45- One here.- One there.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Yeah. I can never find the one on this tile particularly.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- Oh, I think it's here.- Yes.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54It seems to blend into it.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Have you any idea what they're worth?
0:07:56 > 0:07:58None whatsoever.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02- We looked on our Art Sales Index guide...- Mm-hm.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05..for a similar set that have sold recently,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07and guess how much they went for.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09£400.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- Ooh! That would be nice. - Isn't that good news?
0:08:14 > 0:08:16- Very.- What do you do for a living?
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- Unemployed, unfortunately. - So if we going to £400,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23- that's an awful lot of money, and that will come in handy.- Yes, very.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Very handy.
0:08:25 > 0:08:30Can we pitch these at £300 to £400, with a fixed reserve at 300?
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- I'll go for that.- And hopefully we'll get that top end.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37And I think they'd look fabulous put together,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40inset in some marine ply with a piece of glass over the top,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43so you can enjoy them and put coffee cups down on them.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46I think they'd make an excellent table.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Rather than use them as coasters, cos they'll get chipped.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- They're immaculate. - Immaculate condition.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54I'm sure the bidders will be excited about these.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58- Hopefully there'll be some interior designers there.- Fingers crossed.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00- See you at the auction.- And you.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05Let's hope that Patch comes away with the top end of the estimate.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Elizabeth's picked out a small collection of pottery
0:09:09 > 0:09:11that has travelled from the Southwest.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16Chris, what a lovely collection! There must be a story behind this.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20- Yes. They actually belonged to a friend of my mother's.- Right.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24And she had no family, and she suddenly phoned me up one day
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- and said, would I look after things when she died.- Right.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30She didn't want the council coming along with a skip
0:09:30 > 0:09:32and clearing all her life away.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36So when it came to the time of arranging her funeral and everything,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38- I was there for her.- Wonderful.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41But I've got a house full of her things as well as my own.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45- So these are some of the items... - Just some of them, yes.- OK.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Do you know anything about this little collection?
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Did she have a story to tell about these?
0:09:50 > 0:09:54- Not really.- And was that in this part of the country that she lived?
0:09:54 > 0:09:58- She lived near Bournemouth way. - Bournemouth. Right. OK.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02I don't know if you know, but this is known generically as Devon Ware.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Several potters in Devon, including Watcombe,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07which I notice you have a few of here -
0:10:07 > 0:10:10some of them are marked on the bottom -
0:10:10 > 0:10:14produced things like this, and they were cheap and cheerful little souvenirs
0:10:14 > 0:10:17for people who went on holiday to that part of the world, came back
0:10:17 > 0:10:21and had something to show for it. It's very basic earthenware,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25which is then slip-decorated with a heavy, thick slip,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28mainly cream, and then using this very limited palette
0:10:28 > 0:10:30of the browns, the greens and the blues.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34The little brown-roofed house is a common image,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36and then the little scrolls and blobs
0:10:36 > 0:10:40and flowing-leaf type pattern. And what's rather nice is,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43they're not just a souvenir from Devon,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46but there's nice little sentiments and some Victorian sayings
0:10:46 > 0:10:51and little common-sense phrases which we no longer know these days,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54but if you read them, that's a nice thing to say.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56In terms of the market generally,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00the interest in Torquay Ware has faded a little bit
0:11:00 > 0:11:03in the modern taste for de-cluttering space.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06The good news is, that seems to have turned a corner
0:11:06 > 0:11:08in the last six to eight months,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12and we seem to have people who are looking to collect objects again
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- and have displays, and make nice little groupings of them.- Yes.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18But being sensible about this,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22and the fact that none of it is hugely valuable individually,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26we group it together at auction, and I think that, sensibly,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29you'd be looking at round about £20, £25 worth,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- maybe 30 on a really good day. - Yes.- Does that disappoint you?
0:11:32 > 0:11:35- Not really.- No?
0:11:35 > 0:11:38I knew they were for bringing home from the seaside from holidays,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41so I didn't presume they would be a lot of money at all.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45It's a good group, but it won't be borne out by a lot of money.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49But if we offer at £20 to £30, would you like a reserve on,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51or do you just want to let the market take it...
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- I think we'll take it as it comes. - I think that's probably sensible.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- Oh, I think so, yes.- And we might be pleasantly surprised!
0:11:58 > 0:12:01That would be nice. THEY LAUGH
0:12:01 > 0:12:03- Thank you for bringing them in. - Thank you.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Not a very high value, but let's hope Elizabeth is right,
0:12:06 > 0:12:11and it's back in fashion. Before we go to the auction,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14let's take another look at what we're taking with us.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Will Amy make a little money on the two watercolours
0:12:17 > 0:12:20that she picked up for £10 each,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23even though we don't recognise the artist?
0:12:25 > 0:12:28But most people will have heard of the artist
0:12:28 > 0:12:30who designed Patch's tiles.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33It's the famous Spanish Surrealist, Salvador Dali.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Closer to home with our next item,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41a collection of pottery from Devon.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50For today's sale we've travelled to Wokingham,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53to the Martin & Pole saleroom, where they charge a seller's commission
0:12:53 > 0:12:56of 15 percent plus VAT.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Auctioneer Garth Lewis will be on the rostrum.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05Well, this is what I like to see - a room packed full of bidders!
0:13:05 > 0:13:09The auction has just started. Hundreds of people are in here.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11I'm going to catch up with our owners,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13because I know they're really nervous.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16It's OK for you at home - you can put your feet up and enjoy this,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19but we're going to have a few tense moments.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21This is going to be a roller-coaster ride.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25First up, it's Amy's two little watercolours.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28We have the items. Unfortunately we don't have Amy,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31- but we do have Amy's mum. Hello, Sally!- Hello.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- Thank you for standing in for Amy. - You're welcome.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- What do you think of the paintings? - They're lovely.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40She's got a good eye, hasn't she? Why has she decided to sell them
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- after such a short time?- She just thought it might be the right time.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47It was lovely to talk to her on the valuation day,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49because we had a chat about what she'd got,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53and I think she's got a bit of a future ahead of her in this.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55- She'd like to think so. - Fingers crossed?- Yeah.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Here we go.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00A pair of small mid-20th-century watercolour drawings,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03depicting ships of the Hanseatic League
0:14:03 > 0:14:07in Lubeck Harbour. May I say £30 to start, please?
0:14:07 > 0:14:0930 anywhere?
0:14:09 > 0:14:1220, if you will. I don't mind, if you want them.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16We'll go ten. We'll have to move on if nobody wants them at £10 only.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I think Amy might be taking these home.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21- On my left, ten.- We're in at 10.- 12.
0:14:21 > 0:14:2415. 18.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28£18. Are you all done at 18? I'll have to move on at £18,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30if there's no further.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33There's no getting away, they are good watercolours.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37They've got to go home, but give Amy our best.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40- I will indeed.- Hopefully put them back on the wall and enjoy them.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43- Disappointing.- Yeah.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Sadly they didn't quite make it.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48It's always easier to sell with a known artist,
0:14:48 > 0:14:53so the Salvador Dali tiles should have a good chance.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55OK. My turn to be the expert now.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58This is where things could get slightly surreal
0:14:58 > 0:15:01and go completely wrong. I'm talking about the Dali tiles,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05and I've just been joined by Patch. The auctioneer absolutely loved them
0:15:05 > 0:15:09so there's lots of enthusiasm. Hard thing to put a value on,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11but he agreed with the price, so fingers crossed.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15- Just hoping now.- Just hoping, cos it's all down to that lot,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19isn't it, really? But thank goodness they were boxed,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22and they were in good condition, cos condition always counts.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25- This is it, Patch. - Here's an interesting lot -
0:15:25 > 0:15:29six of these Spanish wall tiles,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33in surreal designs, after Salvador Dali.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36I don't want to waste your time. May I say 200 to start, please?
0:15:36 > 0:15:38200, surely.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43- 150 if you like. I don't mind. - We're in. We're in.
0:15:43 > 0:15:4560 now. 160. 70.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47180. 190.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50200. 220. 220 on the right.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- He's got a commission bid, hasn't he?- Has he?
0:15:53 > 0:15:56220 on the right. It's against you, sir. 240 if you like. 240.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00240. Are you all done? I can sell at 240 if you're done.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- At £240...- We're not selling.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- Didn't sell. - PATCH SIGHS
0:16:05 > 0:16:09- Sorry about that.- That's life. - That is life, isn't it?
0:16:09 > 0:16:11I do think the value's right, though.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Some, as we said earlier, had sold recently,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16and they fetched around £400 and something.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19You know what they're worth. Save them for another day.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23I'll just hang on to them, and hope later on for a better price.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27- Yeah. Keep them in good condition. - Oh, yes, definitely.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32Oh, dear! The day has not started as well as we would normally expect.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Let's hope we can do a better job with the Watcombe pottery.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Going under the hammer now we've got a bit of Devon Motto Ware,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42something for you West Country collectors.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I like this traditional Watcombe pottery.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- Chris, this is your first auction, isn't it?- It is.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52- OK, tell us, how's it going so far? - Oh, it's really good fun, yeah.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54- Are you thinking of buying anything? - No.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57I've got so much stuff already. I've got to get rid of it.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Are you coming back here to sell?
0:16:59 > 0:17:02I thought I'd come and see what it was like.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Test the water. Test the water! Is it a good time to sell, generally?
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Generally, absolutely brilliant time,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11but Devon Ware is not everybody's taste.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14It does kind of skirt around the edge of the market.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17If you love country pottery, it's the kind of thing to have.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21OK. It's time to go. It's time for them to go under the hammer now.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23This is it.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25This small collection of Watcombe pottery,
0:17:25 > 0:17:30the Devon Motto Ware, as detailed. May I say £20?
0:17:30 > 0:17:3420 anywhere? 15 if you like. If nobody wants it I'll go ten.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- Oh, we have a bidder. - We've got a bidder.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40I can sell for ten. No, I can't. 12 now.
0:17:40 > 0:17:4512. 15. £15 with the lady. With my original bidder at £15.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49£15. Didn't get the top end, but we got the lower end. Is that OK?
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- Yes, that's fine.- At least it wasn't a complete failure
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- on your first day out in an auction room!- No.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Has that wet your whistle for another occasion?
0:17:57 > 0:18:01It encourages me to come again. I've got so many collections from Dorothy,
0:18:01 > 0:18:06costume jewellery, and she's got a selection of pen knives.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Well, good luck with those, and thank you for coming in,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and if you've got anything like that, we would love to see it.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16That's better, and it will help Christine with her de-cluttering.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Time to take a break from the auction,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22enjoy the fresh air, and look at a surprising revival
0:18:22 > 0:18:25of a traditional farming product.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40"Hanged up in houses", it "doth very well attemper the air,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43cool and make fresh the place, to the delight and comfort
0:18:43 > 0:18:46of such as are therein." Now, that's a quote
0:18:46 > 0:18:50from the famous English 16th-century herbalist, John Gerard,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53and he's talking about scented herbs,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55and more than likely this stuff - lavender.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59We've all seen it. You've probably got some growing in your garden.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01But have you seen it on a scale such as this?
0:19:01 > 0:19:07This is truly magnificent! The aroma is so overwhelming,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10I feel like I'm in heaven, and you could be forgiven for thinking
0:19:10 > 0:19:13that we've gone to the South of France to film this.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16But we haven't. We are in deepest Somerset.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18And take a look at that.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Indigenous to the mountain regions of the Mediterranean,
0:19:21 > 0:19:27lavender has been in documented use as a herb for over 2,500 years,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31used by the Egyptians for mummification and cosmetics,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and the Romans used the oil for bathing, cooking,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37and scenting the air.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39And we've probably got the Romans to thank
0:19:39 > 0:19:41for the modern-day word "lavender".
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It comes from the Latin verb "lavare",
0:19:44 > 0:19:48meaning "to wash", or "lavandula", meaning "livid" or "blue-ish".
0:19:48 > 0:19:51And the Romans recognised the antiseptic and healing qualities
0:19:51 > 0:19:56of lavender, so consequently over the centuries,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00lavender has become one of our most popular and versatile herbs.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03And it's said that, during the time of the Great Plague,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05if you tied bundles of this stuff to your wrists,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08it would ward off any disease.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Also, if you hung a little bit above a doorway
0:20:11 > 0:20:16or poked it through a keyhole or the little escutcheons of a door,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19it would ward off all the ghosts, all witches,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23and, of course, putting it underneath your pillow gives you a good night's sleep.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Another 16th-century herbalist, William Turner,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29wrote in his groundbreaking book A New Herball,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31"I judge that the flowers of lavender,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34quilted in a cap and daily worn,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37are good for all diseases of the head that come of a cold cause,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40and they comfort the brain very well."
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Whilst some claims were more fantasy than fact,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46there's no doubt that lavender does have
0:20:46 > 0:20:49some amazing medicinal and relaxation properties.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53I've come to Somerset Lavender in the village of Faulkland.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56It's a small family farm run by husband-and-wife team
0:20:56 > 0:20:57Judith and Francis Green.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Judith and Francis, hello! Oh, you lucky things!
0:21:03 > 0:21:05- HE LAUGHS - This is fabulous!
0:21:05 > 0:21:07This is your office.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10I've never seen so much lavender in one place.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12How many plants do you think you've got?
0:21:12 > 0:21:1435,000 in this five-acre field.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Wow! That's a lot of plants, isn't it?
0:21:17 > 0:21:20What type are they?
0:21:20 > 0:21:22This is Folgate, an English angustifolia.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25We grow it mainly for the essential oil that we distil
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- here on the farm. - So it's just the one type here?
0:21:28 > 0:21:31We've got a few others as well. There's some Maillette, Rosea,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34but they're all English lavenders.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36How do you know when this is ready to cut?
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I know it smells right now, and it looks perfect,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- but is it right for cutting for oil? - Not yet, no.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44We still need the flowers to come out.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Let me pick one. Let's have a look. What are you looking at there?
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Well, at the moment this has still got a long way to go,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55but what we tend to say is, "one flower open,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58one flower over and one flower yet to come".
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- OK. That's the maxim, is it? That's the golden rule?- Mm.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04How long will it take you to cut all this lavender?
0:22:04 > 0:22:07- About five weeks. - And how many of you will do that?
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Just myself. We've got this purpose-built lavender harvester
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- that we went to France and bought. - Is it like a little gizmo
0:22:14 > 0:22:16- that goes over the top? - Yes, and gathers it,
0:22:16 > 0:22:19and squeezes the plant together and cuts it off,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22and then it's been pruned all the way round. It's perfect.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25- And the soil's good for lavender here?- It is here, yeah.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27- Free-draining.- You don't need to water it that much?
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- No. We don't water at all. - It's very good!
0:22:30 > 0:22:32It really is quite self-sustaining.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35How long have you been lavender farmers?
0:22:35 > 0:22:39This is our fifth season that we've been open as a lavender farm.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43What were you farming prior to this? I gather you were a farmer.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- I was a dairy farmer.- A dairy farmer? - Milking 70 Channel Island cows, yeah.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Gosh! What made you go for lavender in the first place?
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Many farmers diversify now, and stop dairy farming
0:22:53 > 0:22:57and go into, say, growing asparagus. Why did you choose lavender?
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Well, we spent a long time wondering what to do,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04and everything we thought of, either we crossed off
0:23:04 > 0:23:07because somebody else nearby was already doing that,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10and then we hit on the idea of lavender,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13and we realised how versatile lavender is.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16There's so many different things you can do with it.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19The key to that versatility is the oil.
0:23:19 > 0:23:2280 percent of the crop grown here
0:23:22 > 0:23:24is for the production of lavender oil,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and, like, everything on this farm,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29the extraction is done by Francis and Judith.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Once the lavender has been cut and dried a little,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36it's packed into large containers, or stills.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42It takes approximately 100 lavender bundles to fill one still.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46The distilling process is an ancient one.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Steam works its way through the flowers,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52releasing the essential oil and capturing it as it goes.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Finally, as the moisture condenses, the oil is collected.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02This is nice. We're surrounded by products of lavender,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05and it's quite diverse - lots of soap, and even food.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09But really it's the oils. This is your oil, which I'm interested in.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12- This is what we distil on the farm. - Yeah.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- This is incredible. Can I have a dip in there?- Yes! Go ahead.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- That's our pure... - Ooh!- ..English lavender oil.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- Gosh, that's concentrated, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- And that's how you leave it, is it? - Yeah. We don't add anything to it,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31- or take anything away.- So, how many lavender plants would it take
0:24:31 > 0:24:34to get just a little bottle of oil that size?
0:24:34 > 0:24:38For a tiny bottle like this, it takes about five plants.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41So is it five of these, that you get in the garden centre?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- Oh, no. Much bigger than that. - What - that?- At least that.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48- Five of those? That's a lot of lavender, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Last year was just the best year we've had for many years,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- because it was sunshine... - So in respect of that,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57was the oil a lot stronger, more scented,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00or did you just get more oil per bundle of lavender?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03We had more oil per bundle of lavender,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06- and it had a nice perfume to it. - The quality, yes.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Gosh, it's like wine, isn't it? I mean, you know...
0:25:09 > 0:25:13It is slightly different every year, and I think that's a good thing,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17because you know it is what nature's given us this year.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- It makes it interesting, doesn't it? - Yes.- Very, yeah.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Did you nip over to France and ask farmers over there?
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Yeah, but not being able to speak very good French...
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- We didn't get very far, did we? - It was more looking and learning.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Did you learn much, though? Traditional techniques?
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Yeah. We watched them harvest it, and knowing the height to cut it
0:25:38 > 0:25:43was a key point to our venture, I think.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47How does English lavender vary to French lavender?
0:25:47 > 0:25:50It's very different,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53because the English lavender is in a whole other group of plants.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57French lavenders, all the intermedias, are much bigger.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00They are, and a slightly different colour, and more fluffy.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05They're hybrids, and they've been bred to produce lots and lots of oil
0:26:05 > 0:26:08- and they do that very well. - They don't smell as much, though.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- They don't smell at all, in fact. - Not so nice,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13and we thought, we'll do the best we can
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and really go for the top quality.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Well, long may it continue, and I've thoroughly enjoyed my day here.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21I really have. Thank you very much!
0:26:21 > 0:26:24- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Back at Wellington College, Elizabeth's attention has been drawn
0:26:34 > 0:26:38by a sparkling brooch belonging to Sue.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42They say diamonds are a girl's best friend, and I do like your brooch.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44- Thank you very much. - What is the story behind it?
0:26:44 > 0:26:48It belonged to my grandmother. She's wearing it in the photo here.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- Ah, so she is! - It passed down from my mother to me.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55- And do you wear it?- No, I don't. It stays locked away in a box,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59because I lose things, and it's too nice to lose.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01So it's a bit of a responsibility to wear it...
0:27:01 > 0:27:04- That's right. - ..and worry about losing it.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07It's a shame, because it should be out and about and seen.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10That's what it was created for.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Was your grandmother the first owner of it?
0:27:12 > 0:27:16I have absolutely no idea. It could have belonged to somebody before her.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18I don't know how old it is.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Your grandmother was wearing it when? 1950?
0:27:21 > 0:27:25- The photograph was taken in 1950. - I think it's earlier than that.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28It probably dates from any time in the decade prior to that.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31It's very stylish, in the late-'40s, '50s design patterns.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34It's unlikely to be much earlier than that.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37They're collet-set diamonds with collars around them,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39in a very sinuous pattern
0:27:39 > 0:27:42reminiscent of the Art Nouveau period,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46but a little bit more restricted, not quite as sinuous.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It has a collet-set ruby in the middle,
0:27:49 > 0:27:53and at the bottom it would have had hanging down a little pendant,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56one little stone or something,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00but not to detract from what's left there, which is a stunning brooch.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Have you had it valued before?
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Yes. Mid-'70s, I had it valued for insurance purposes,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09and they valued it at about £500.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13Right. Insurance is higher than sale value, obviously,
0:28:13 > 0:28:17replacement value, and prices and markets do fluctuate
0:28:17 > 0:28:21quite dramatically, but it's a good time to be selling jewellery.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23People are buying it with great enthusiasm,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25partly because people enjoy wearing it,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28and they collect it and they see it as investment,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31a nice way of investing their money where they can see it.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33So it is a good time, at the moment, for that.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36In terms of value for open market now,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40I think it should achieve somewhere between £600 and £800
0:28:40 > 0:28:42- quite comfortably.- Oh, OK.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47So it's almost saleable just above where you were insuring it for 30, 40 years ago.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51But given the wearability of it and the size of the diamonds,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54and the composition of it, if it made more, I wouldn't be surprised,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57because I think it has a very commercial take on it.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00It's beautifully made, good quality, not too big.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Quite ageless, really, timeless.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06It's quite elegant. Ageless, as you say.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09You're wearing the perfect top for it. It would look stunning.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12- If you're comfortable at £600 to £800...- Yes.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15And we'll place a reserve of £600 on it to protect it,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18and we will see how the auction takes it.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21- Thank you.- Thank you for bringing it. - Thank you.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25How lovely to see the brooch being worn in Sue's family photo!
0:29:30 > 0:29:33- What have I got next, then? - We've got Richard and Margaret.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Well, it looks like lights, cameras, action,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38and it is a well organised event.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41It can only be possible with a floor manager. Hi, Phil.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44This is Louise, our floor manager! How's it going today?
0:29:44 > 0:29:47- We've had a really busy day. - About 400 people have come in.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50- It's been brilliant.- What's the hardest thing about the job?
0:29:50 > 0:29:55Making sure we get to film all our items at the right time.
0:29:55 > 0:30:00- Two tables working simultaneously. - Making sure we coordinate them,
0:30:00 > 0:30:04they're busy at all times, having lunch breaks when they should,
0:30:04 > 0:30:08- so, yeah, it's quite busy today. - Ruling with an iron rod, aren't you?
0:30:08 > 0:30:11I certainly am. You should be moving. Get to work!
0:30:11 > 0:30:13OK. Thank you.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Well, I've been given my orders.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20Meanwhile, Philip is keeping busy at the valuation tables.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23- So you're...- Harry.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27- Lee.- And is Lee looking after Harry, or is Harry looking after Lee?
0:30:27 > 0:30:30- Lee is looking after me. - Do you need looking after?- No.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33I didn't think you did. Does he need looking after?
0:30:33 > 0:30:36- No, not really.- Looking after, or keeping an eye on?
0:30:36 > 0:30:38- Keeping an eye on.- I thought so.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41- What do you reckon this is, Harry? - A box.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45A box. Spot-on. There's three words I'm going to use to describe this.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48You got the last one right. What's the first word?
0:30:48 > 0:30:50- It's to do with the colour.- Silver.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53Well done. I don't expect you to know the last one,
0:30:53 > 0:30:56- but I'll ask Dad. - Snuff box.- A silver snuff box.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00Absolutely right. And this criss-cross decoration on here,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03that's called engine-turning. You can see where this has been...
0:31:03 > 0:31:05- Worn away.- Yeah.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09The first thing we've got to ascertain is that it is silver,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11so we're looking for a thing called a hallmark.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14And there it is. We've got a little lion there.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17- That tells us that it's silver. - Yeah.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Then there's that letter of the alphabet there. Can you see it?
0:31:20 > 0:31:24- Yeah.- And that tells us that this was assayed in 1894.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28And then, can you see those initials there on the right-hand side?
0:31:28 > 0:31:30- Do you know what they are?- No.
0:31:30 > 0:31:35- It's a G and U, and that stands for a man called George Unite.- Oh!
0:31:35 > 0:31:38Right. And that in there, Harry, is snuff.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- Do you know what you do with snuff? - No.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44You get a pinch of it like that, and you put it in there like that,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47and I'm not going to do this, and you go like that,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49and you sniff it. Oh, that's still strong!
0:31:49 > 0:31:51How long's this stuff been in here?
0:31:51 > 0:31:54That snuff's been in there a good 25 years.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58- Have you ever tried it? - Yes, when I was around Harry's age,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- around ten. I wish I hadn't. - Really?- Yeah. It wasn't very nice.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- Sneezed for a fortnight?- Yeah! - So it's clearly not good for you,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08but it's a form of ground-up tobacco.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Now, I've told you all I know. What do you know about it?
0:32:11 > 0:32:13I know, obviously, it was my granddad's.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16- Yeah. - I remember him using it.- Really?
0:32:16 > 0:32:20- Yes.- It was your granddad's, and you want to sell it?- Yeah.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23We're down on our luck with funds at the moment.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25I haven't worked for six weeks. Broke my collarbone
0:32:25 > 0:32:29- in a charity football game. - Oh, Lord!- So, yes.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32You've put me on the spot now. I sort of don't want you to sell this.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36- Oh, right.- But you want to sell it, and you need to sell it,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39and I understand that. You can do one of two things.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42You can either put an estimate on it of £80 to £120,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45and that way, I think you're guaranteed a sale.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47- Right. - Or you can be a bit more bullish,
0:32:47 > 0:32:51and I don't think you should sell it for less than 100 quid.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- No. No, not at all. - I really, really don't.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57- Because it's going to go on, isn't it?- Yes.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00- So let's put an estimate of 120 to 180 on it.- OK.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Fixed reserve's £100, and I really hope you don't sell it.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09I really do. On the way home, I hope you get a winning lottery ticket.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13- That would be nice. - And I really hope you don't sell it.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15- OK. Thank you. - And I don't often say that.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Short-term, I think selling it's the right thing for you to do.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21- Long-term...- No.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23- OK.- What do you reckon?
0:33:23 > 0:33:25- He should sell it.- Definitely?- Yeah.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27Out of the mouths of babes!
0:33:27 > 0:33:29- Thank you. - Come on, Harry. Shake my hand.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Well done, matey.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35I do hope the collectors notice Lee's silver snuff box,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38either in the saleroom or on the internet.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Elizabeth has made a real find. It's a lovely casket,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44with a bit of age to it.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Richard, you've brought a very fine and generous casket here.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49What do you know of it?
0:33:49 > 0:33:53Not an awful lot, except it belonged to my grandmother,
0:33:53 > 0:33:57and has been handed down to my mother,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00and that's now handed down to my family.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04So you've obviously grown up with it and lived with it around...
0:34:04 > 0:34:05- For a few years.- Yes?
0:34:05 > 0:34:09But the problem now is, it's just been in a cupboard for the last few.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12It's not the sort of thing that I would want to leave out
0:34:12 > 0:34:15so somebody might have an accident with it.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18You're custodian of it now, which is a lot of responsibility.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22- Do you actually like it yourself? - Yeah. I think it's quite pretty.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Have you done any research on it as an object?
0:34:25 > 0:34:27I've tried to look it up on the internet,
0:34:27 > 0:34:32and I found this E Collet chap on the internet,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35but I couldn't find an example of that particular pot.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Well, it's a French porcelain casket.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39It's big enough to be called a casket,
0:34:39 > 0:34:43and the French have a long history of making boxes in ceramics,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46whether that was snuff or patch boxes that were quite tiny,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49right through to sort of big jewel caskets,
0:34:49 > 0:34:51which were possibly even bigger than that.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54These days, it's quite common to find smaller examples,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57less so such sizeable pieces.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01In terms of date, I would put it in the late 19th century,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04but it is actually harking back to the 18th century,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06and it's very much the Bombay shape
0:35:06 > 0:35:09that was very popular in the 18th century,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13and it's decorated in the rococo style with scrolls, etc,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15centred by this beautiful scene in the middle.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18You mentioned Collet. He was a professional artist,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21and had a calibre over and above many artists
0:35:21 > 0:35:24who would just have sat there painting flowers on things,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27and in the same way that an artist who's professional
0:35:27 > 0:35:30and is painting a canvas would want to record his work,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33he was of a calibre that he would put his signature on the front.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36It's debatable whether he would also have done the floral panels.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39They could have had two people working on this.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43These are slightly harsher in their execution
0:35:43 > 0:35:45- than this lovely, soft... - It's almost blurred.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Yes. He's got a wonderful way of using enamels on the surface.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52I didn't appreciate that. I thought one name would be one person.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56No. You'll find, again harking back to the fine-art world
0:35:56 > 0:36:00of painting on canvas, it's not unusual for the big-name artist
0:36:00 > 0:36:03to paint what he specialised in, and he had a studio of people
0:36:03 > 0:36:07who would do the background or the other brushstrokes.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10So you've got two artists' hands there at least.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13And the mounts and the trim, they're a base metal
0:36:13 > 0:36:16which is then gilded, so it's a kind of ormolu finish
0:36:16 > 0:36:18which complements this nice rich casket.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21But interestingly as well, if you open up the lid,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24there's no expense spared, either. There's a lovely interior
0:36:24 > 0:36:26with a floral pattern inside.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29What would somebody have used it for originally?
0:36:29 > 0:36:33- What was the purpose?- You could have stored in there whatever you chose,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36and there's a good chance, given its condition,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39it's never had anything in it. It was just appreciated
0:36:39 > 0:36:42as quite a flamboyant thing to be able to possess
0:36:42 > 0:36:44and enjoy for what it is. So, in your research,
0:36:44 > 0:36:48- have you come up with an idea of what you think it's worth?- Yes.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52I did make some enquiries, and it was indicated to me to be £500 to £800.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57Mm-hm. In certain situations, that would be not far off the mark.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02I'd be happier to look in the region of £400 to £600, that sort of level.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05If it had been an 18th-century one, I'd have said no problem.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08- Not quite old enough, then! - It's not quite old enough.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11I ought to keep it for another hundred years.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15I'd like to meet you in 100 years' time and see what we can make of it.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18I think 400 to 600 is probably a more realistic chance
0:37:18 > 0:37:21- of it making a good sale, if you're happy at that.- Yeah.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Would you like a reserve on it? I should think the answer will be yes.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27I think so. It would be silly to let it go for nothing.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30I think the auctioneer would look after it anyway,
0:37:30 > 0:37:34but if we put £400 on it, would you be happy with a bit of discretion?
0:37:34 > 0:37:38- That would be fine.- Hopefully we'll be proved to be very pessimistic
0:37:38 > 0:37:41and modest on our expectations on it.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44- Thank you for your comments on it. - Thank you for bringing it in.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47That's a quality item, in good condition,
0:37:47 > 0:37:49so there really is nothing to stop it doing well.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54Right! So we're off to auction, and this is what we're taking with us.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Elizabeth hopes Sue's brooch will dazzle the bidders.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Lee could do with a bit of good news,
0:38:02 > 0:38:06so let's hope his silver snuff box does the business.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10And finally, Richard's French porcelain casket,
0:38:10 > 0:38:12which just screams quality.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22Back to the saleroom now in Wokingham,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25where auctioneer Garth Lewis will be doing his very best
0:38:25 > 0:38:27on behalf of our owners.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32And he's starting with Sue's beautiful family heirloom.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34- A very exciting moment! - Yes, I hope so.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38£600 to £800 is riding on this. Had a chat to the auctioneer.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43- He said...?- The quality and the age of it will make it sell.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46- And it is quality, isn't it? - It's beautiful.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50It's a ladies' item, and there aren't that many ladies
0:38:50 > 0:38:53in the saleroom. I think this is a dealer's lot.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56We ladies rely upon you gentlemen buying them for us.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Of course you do. How silly of me!
0:38:58 > 0:39:02It's going under the hammer right now.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07Little Edwardian Belle Epoque openwork diamond-encrusted brooch.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11Very pretty it is, too. Don't want to waste your time.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13May I start at £500?
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Four is bid. Thank you. I have four.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- Oh, wrong direction. - Do I have 20 now?
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- 440. - He looks quite determined, though.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25480. 500.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28And 20. 540.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31- Is there any further? £540.- Come on!
0:39:31 > 0:39:36- Pass the lot, I'm afraid, at 540. - No. Didn't sell.- Didn't sell.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- Ooh, dear. Ever so sorry about that! - It's all right. It's OK.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Just wasn't your day, was it? I totally agree with the valuation.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45The auctioneer agreed with it. But nobody was here today
0:39:45 > 0:39:48that really wanted it. It was as simple as that.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51You could put it in this saleroom in a month's time,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54five people would want it, and it would shoot through the roof.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57That's the unpredictability of auction rooms. Ever so sorry!
0:39:57 > 0:40:00That's a shame, but there will be another day
0:40:00 > 0:40:03for a brooch as lovely as that. We need a better outcome
0:40:03 > 0:40:05for our next item.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Hopefully this lot is a real pinch at £120 to £180.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11It's that silver snuff box. It belongs to Lee.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15We've got Philip, our expert, here, and the price of metal has shot up,
0:40:15 > 0:40:17so it's all in your favour. Good luck.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20- It's a family heirloom going under the hammer.- Thanks very much.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22This is it.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27Little silver snuff box with overall engine-turn decoration
0:40:27 > 0:40:31and a monogram. Good maker. George Unite, the maker.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33There is some rubbing to the case.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35- May I start at £60? - Bit of quality, this.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- Oh, come on. That's mean. - 60 is bid, thank you.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42On the left now, 60. Five. 70. Five.
0:40:42 > 0:40:4580. Five. 90. Five.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47It's going in the right direction, Lee.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51£100 here on the left. If you're all done at 100...
0:40:51 > 0:40:55And ten. New place. 110. Just in time. 110.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58- If you're all done now... - Yes! We did it.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02We had a fixed reserve of £100, and we just did it. Well done, Lee.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05- Thank you.- Well done, Philip. - Pleased with that.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09- I think it went in the room to a bidder.- Just over there.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12Let's hope that means Lee's luck has turned.
0:41:12 > 0:41:17Finally, Elizabeth's choice, the hand-painted French casket.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Gosh, I really do like this, Richard!
0:41:19 > 0:41:23We're talking about this little Sevres trinket box.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26A lot of money - £400, £500, maybe. I think this is such quality.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Why are you selling it? It's a keeper!
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Yes, but it's been in a cupboard for nearly 20 years.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35It should be on display, shouldn't it, Elizabeth?
0:41:35 > 0:41:37It should be, but it's a big piece.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41But I just have to err on caution here.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43It is a bit of a fish out of water at this sale.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46But quality does sell, and if you've got a good website,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49and people can find it, there should be no excuse.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52Hopefully we can find those bidders. But it might not be the time.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57- I'm covering all options today! - Cover all the bases.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59I would be keeping this, but he's selling it,
0:41:59 > 0:42:03and hopefully it'll go for top money. Let's find out right now.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06This very impressive Sevres trinket box,
0:42:06 > 0:42:08beautifully painted, floral sprays overall,
0:42:08 > 0:42:15- and interest here on the book. It starts with me at 360.- Ooh!
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Against you. 360 is bid. 380. 400.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21- 420. 440. - I was worrying over nothing!
0:42:21 > 0:42:24I was worrying over nothing!
0:42:24 > 0:42:27520. 540.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31- 560. 580.- See? Quality always sells!
0:42:31 > 0:42:34If you're done... At £580, then.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38- Oh, well done! - 580! You were starting to bottle it.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Thank you so much for bringing that in.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43There is commission to pay. It's 15 percent.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46What do you think you'll put that money towards?
0:42:46 > 0:42:49Oh, my wife wants to go away for a weekend.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53- Lovely. Where you going to take her? - No idea yet.- Let her choose.
0:42:55 > 0:42:5712 now. 12?
0:42:58 > 0:43:01That's it. It's all over. The auction is still going on,
0:43:01 > 0:43:04but I tell you what - it has been a bit of a mixed day.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06At least our owners have gone home happy.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08Some things are meant to be kept.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11If you've got any antiques you want to sell, though,
0:43:11 > 0:43:14bring them to one of our valuation days,
0:43:14 > 0:43:16and hopefully we'll send you home with a small fortune.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20Pick up details on our BBC website of up-and-coming dates and venues.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23Just log on to bbc.co.uk/flog it Follow the links.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25All the information will be there, plus a lot more
0:43:25 > 0:43:27about what is going on behind the scenes.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31If you don't have a computer, check the details in your local press,
0:43:31 > 0:43:34because we would love to see you, and you could be in a saleroom
0:43:34 > 0:43:37just like this one, flogging your goods.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40So, until the next time, it's goodbye.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:44 > 0:43:48E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
0:43:48 > 0:43:48.