Buckland Abbey Flog It!

Buckland Abbey in Devon is full of grand connections and history.

Sir Francis Drake, the great Elizabethan mariner,

bought the Abbey in 1580 as a family home.

Several generations of his family have lived here,

spanning 370-odd years.

So, will today's valuation day turn up any art and artefacts

worthy of the new golden age?

Stay tuned and you'll find out. Welcome to Flog It!

Buckland Abbey was built in 1278 by an order of Cistercian monks.

It was their home.

Throughout history, over the years,

it's been altered to suit different architectural styles and trends.

There are certainly Elizabethan elements.

There are Georgian doorways and entrances and of course, Victorian wings.

All of these elements, you might think,

all these different styles would be confusing but I tell you something, they're not.

They actually add to the Abbey's magnificent charm.

Owned by the National Trust since 1948,

today it's the glorious setting for our valuation day

and what a glorious turnout!

I think we're going to be in for a good day here.

The sun is shining, everybody's happy. You are happy, aren't you?

Yes, of course you are!

And to add to all the magic, we have Catherine Southon and David Barby,

two fabulous experts, sweet talking all the crowd here

into showing them items which hopefully will be worth a small fortune.

Someone's found something!

Hopefully it's the experts.

That is absolutely wonderful.

I love it.

Very, very interesting.

Among the many items passing across our tables today

is one that fetches a few thousand pounds.

So, let's put your antique knowledge to the test, shall we?

Is it this exquisite 200-year-old relic from the schoolroom?

This elaborately decorated French revolver?

Or these 18th-century glass goblets?

The answer may surprise you, so stay tuned!

There's a wonderful atmosphere here today.

Definitely an air of excitement as everybody's clutching something

they are hoping is worth a lot of money.

It looks like David Barby has spotted his first item.

Let's take a look.

Barbara, this is a lovely piece of glass.

Where did you get it from?

It was my grandmother's. I have a feeling it was a wedding present.

-They were married in 1910.

-Right.

Of course, my mum inherited it and then it's been passed on.

Passed on to you.

All of the stuff, it's just part of the whole clutter

that we have at home belonging to my grandmother.

-When you look at this, what do you think of?

-I think of my grandmother.

It was always on the mantelpiece.

You must have liked it or you wouldn't have kept it?

I do, I quite like it. I think it's very tactile to touch.

It is very tactile.

It follows a fashion at the end of the 19th coming into the 20th-century

for this iridescent glass.

The high point was Tiffany's, who produced this iridescent glass,

and they called their wares Favrile and that is very exotic.

This is made for the ordinary folk,

like you and I.

But this is of a certain period and you can date it

because of this very cheap metal band that goes all the way round.

That is stamped out steel

which would have been polished or it might have even been gilded at some stage.

If you look at the designs, it's all organic,

so it's rather like water lilies but exaggerated.

This is a blown glass and whilst it's still in its molten form,

it's been pushed down and manipulated,

so you get this sort of crushed feel about it.

Now, let's think in terms of value.

Allowing for the wear and tear that it's had,

we're looking at around £40-60, not a lot.

If there's going to be an enthusiast that could look at that

and just think of when it was made, how it was made

and the whole period.

I think it's fascinating.

What I think is good is that you can remember it

from your grandmother's home and she was married in 1910.

-Yeah.

-So, in 1910, she had this.

She must have been very, very fashionable. Was she?

-Not particularly, no!

-Oh, you disappoint me!

Is this the beginning of your declutter?

Yes, put boxes of stuff in the loft.

Before you do any more, get me to visit.

What a smooth talker!

But hurrah for all the hoarders -

without you, we would not have a programme.

Now, I've found something that simply oozes history.

I've escaped the main hubbub of the valuations

taking place on the far side of the Abbey.

I've sneaked off to this side. It's the Victorian garden.

I've just been joined by Wendy, who's holding the most interesting journal, that's dated 1796.

So, how did you come by this?

My mother looked after an elderly lady for many years

and she died when she was nearly 100.

She left these little bits and pieces to my mother.

My mother, who's now 93, has given me them

and I don't really know quite what to do with them.

Are you local?

Yes, I am. I'm from Whitchurch, Tavistock.

-So, you're literally right on...?

-On the edge of Dartmoor, yes.

-And what do you do for a living?

-We're farmers.

-What do you farm?

-Beef and sheep.

-And has it been a good year?

Not too bad, yes, but the weather's being a bit difficult.

Yeah, it has. Let's just look at this.

It is literally all about mathematical equations, isn't it?

-Yes.

-There are examples in here, look.

"Mr Thomas Serge bought from John Drab on September 2nd 1794,"

and then we've got yards of broad cloth, drab, yards of shallon, yards of drugget.

I just think this is an exercise in a classroom

that's been handwritten out and someone's used their imagination

and they've added up the pounds and the shillings and the pence.

I just love some of the little equations in here.

-The handwriting...

-It's incredible.

-It's discipline, is what it is.

-Yes, yes.

Unfortunately, we don't know how old he is and what he did for a living.

-This is not a child's hand, is it, let's face it.

-No.

I'd be tempted to get a calculator out and see if they do work out.

-Here we go, look at this! Here's a table, for instance, OK?

-Oh, yes.

And it says here, "Two pints make a quart.

"Two quarts make a bottle. Two bottles make one gallon.

"Two gallons make one peck. Four pecks make one bushel.

"Two bushels make one strike."

And it goes on and on and on.

So, you can see this is wonderful social history, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

-If only we knew who this chap Strong was and where he lived.

-Yes.

-If it had an address on that, we might be able to sort of...

-..trace him.

-Yeah, go to the county records, places like that.

If you want to put this into auction,

I think you should try it with a valuation of around about £40-£60.

Do you really want to sell it?

I'm just afraid to keep it, really, because I'm afraid that

the condition might deteriorate and somebody who really likes maths

and mathematical books will find it very interesting and conserve it.

-Shall we give it a go?

-Yes, see what happens.

-See you in the auction room.

-Yes, thank you.

-If you can get off the farm!

-Oh yes, I will!

'There's so much history in that book.'

Holding it transported me back to when it was written - a thrilling experience.

Now, let's see what attracted Catherine's attention.

-Lorraine, welcome to Flog It!

-Thank you.

-Thank you for coming

and bringing your selection of mourning jewellery.

Now, the big question that I have is, why mourning jewellery?

Because it's different and when I bought it many years ago,

I just wanted something different than what other people were wearing.

-So did you actually collect?

-I actually collected.

I used to go into antique shops or little shops

and if I found any mourning jewellery and I liked it, I bought it.

-So, when did you start collecting?

-In the 60s, 1960.

-Oh, wow.

-So, quite a long time.

-A very long time.

So, did you ever wear any of them?

All the time. This ring especially, I wore all the time.

And the locket, it actually opens up

and there's an inscription inside with the lady.

Oh, so it's actually got a photograph.

-And the lady's hair is behind it.

-Oh, wonderful.

And an inscription - 10th November 1875.

Perfect, it is obviously a Victorian piece. Most of these are Victorian.

This one, however, is Georgian.

Yes, yes, it is, isn't it?

That is lovely.

That is quite a sweet little brooch with the pearls around the outside.

I think that's quite a sweet one.

-The one that you mentioned first of all...

-..was the ring.

-That was the first piece I bought, actually.

-Really?

Now, that is absolutely lovely and it says,

"in memory of"

and the date is 1870.

It's very delicate and a very nice ring. I like that very much indeed.

That one, strangely, that is Russian.

I thought it was Hebrew when I bought it.

I couldn't understand the words, and I thought,

"Yes, it's probably Hebrew," but I found out it was Russian.

That's got a Russian inscription around the outside.

Why aren't you interested in these any more?

-Why have you come to us to sell them?

-I don't wear it any more.

I think I've grown out of that stage.

It's just in a box in the wardrobe.

Now, value, what I would suggest

is to put them all together as one lot.

-Would you be happy to sell at that?

-Yes, I would.

With an estimate of £200-£300? Would you be happy to sell at that?

-Yes, I would.

-And will you come along to the auction?

-No, I'm not!

-Oh, no!

You're not even going to see them sell.

I'm off to Cyprus. My husband will come to the auction for me.

OK, and we'll wish the jewellery well together

and we'll give you a call and let you know how it does.

For all their high morals and strict social rules,

the Victorians were famously sentimental

and the idea of mourning jewellery, a locket or ring containing hair from a dear departed,

was a popular way of keeping them close.

And now for my favourite part of the show.

This is where anything can happen.

We are off to auction to put those valuations to the test

and here's a quick recap of what we're taking.

David couldn't wait to get his hands on Barbara's Art Nouveau vase.

This relic from a studious 18th-century mathematician speaks volumes.

And Lorraine's mourning jewellery gives us an insight into the Victorian attitude to death.

Here we are at Eldreds auction rooms just on the outskirts of Plymouth.

This is where we're putting our valuations to the test

and as you can see, the car park is full, which means, hopefully,

inside that sale room, it's going to be packed full of bidders.

The auctioneer today is Anthony Eldred.

Before the sale begins, let's see

if Anthony is as intrigued with Wendy's historic notebook as I was.

I fell in love with this little maths book, I really did.

It belongs to Wendy and she no longer wants it, wants it to go to a good home,

so I put £40-£60 on this and I'm hoping it'll do the top end.

I'm the first to admit, I do not understand this maths book.

-It's beautifully written.

-Lots of different exercises within it.

-It's not terribly exciting to a buyer.

-It's not.

What do you do with it? This is the problem?

So, I'm a little bit cold on it, to be honest.

I'd find it hard to quote £40-£50 on it but I hope that you're right

and I hope that it's someone that's going to love it.

I understand she's now changed the reserve anyway.

Yes, I spoke to her and she feels that she'd rather keep it in the family

than sell it for less than £50,

so that's what we've agreed as a reserve.

-But it'll take a couple of special people to buy it.

-I'm sure it will.

It won't be me!

We'll find out how it does in just a minute but first up,

it's Barbara's Art Nouveau vase.

Why are you selling this?

Well, I've got one or two, or three or four vases belonging

to my grandmother and I thought, well, saw Flog It!...

-..bring it along.

-So I brought it along.

-It's a lovely thing.

You don't sound like you're from the West Country?

-No, I'm from the North, Lancashire.

-What brought you to Plymouth?

-My husband was in the Navy.

-That figures.

-We've been here ever since.

-Hopefully we'll get the top end.

-I hope so.

There's just one little bit of damage on the actual metal.

The overall concept is nice.

Righty-oh, it's going under the hammer now. This is it.

Lot 94. It's a little Art Nouveau iridescent green glass vase.

There it is, and I'm bid £40 for it.

-Straight in.

-£40, 2 if you want it.

At £40, 2, 5, at 45, it's still against you all.

Come on! At 45...

Yes, hammer's gone down!

£45, straight in, straight out, blink and you'll miss that one.

I'm really happy about that, thanks very much.

'Smiles all round and we're off to a good start.

'I hope our luck continues. It's my turn now.'

Now it brings us to that maths book dated 1796.

-How can you put a price on history like that?

-I know, I know!

-Although you did put the reserve up £5?

-I have.

-But that's no big deal, is it?

Had a chat to Anthony before the auction,

he said he thinks it might struggle.

Yes, I think if it doesn't sell, we might give it to a museum.

-Let's find out what the bidders think.

-Yes.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

Lot 240. It's a late 18th-century hand-written volume, it's a maths exercise book.

It's dated 1794 and I'm bid £55 for it.

Against you all at 55, 8 if you want it? At £55, then?

Sold straight in.

£55, 58 and 60. 2, at £62, seated here.

At £62, take 5?

All done then at £62? Quite sure?

That was a precious piece of our heritage, it really was.

-Thank you for bringing it.

-Thank you very much.

Items like that sum up my passion for antiques.

Vivid, tangible links to the past.

At £200 then, any more at 200?

Lorraine's jewellery is about to go under the hammer.

They have been split into two lots. We do have those.

We have our expert, Catherine, who is standing right next to me, but we don't have Lorraine.

She is in Cyprus, but we do have husband, Ray.

-So why aren't you in Cyprus with her?

-It's far too hot for me.

-I just don't like it.

-You don't like the heat.

-I don't like the heat at all.

Well, things are getting hot right now.

Our first lot is about to go under the hammer.

-What do you think of these?

-They're quite nice.

-Yeah.

-They look good.

-Did you encourage the collecting?

-No.

Next is lot 300, which is a mourning locket. I'm bid £90 for it.

Again at 90. 5. 105. 110. 115.

It's an acquired taste, isn't it?

It certainly is.

140. 150. 160.

That's very good.

180. 190. At 190, then.

All finished at £190.

-That is a very good price.

-It is, isn't it?

-Definitely.

Next is lot 301.

This time a little collection of mourning jewellery.

A lot of bids for this. £260 to start.

Who's in the money?

-290. 300. At £300 and 10.

-That chap is bidding there, look.

-330. 340.

£340. Still against you all at £340.

That's excellent. I think she'll be really happy with that.

-What a surprise as well. Someone is in the money.

-She is.

And she's not here. She's in Cyprus!

I think you should fly out there and surprise her.

That's a good idea, go on. Be Mr Romantic.

I'm sure that will put a smile on Lorraine's face.

As big as the one on Ray's tie!

Great results so far,

We'll be back for more auction a little later on in the show.

While I was here in the area,

I got the opportunity to visit a heritage centre with a difference.

It's a very big part of our childhood,

and they restore and collect all these items.

Take a look at this, it's going to put a smile on your face.

Carousels and coconut shies, ghost trains and goldfish.

When the fair came to town, you knew you were in for a real treat.

As soon as I walked into this barn,

childhood memories came flooding back to me.

I hope they will for you as well.

Because right now we're going on a nostalgic ride

through the golden years of popular fairground entertainment.

I'm here at Dingles Fairground Heritage Centre

to explore their incredible collection of fairground memorabilia.

Not to mention their wonderful, colourful artworks.

They have thousands of pieces here in their collection,

covering many aspects of fairground life.

From old stall prizes to huge travelling trucks.

But things have changed with trends and advancing technologies.

So let's go back a few years,

starting with how the rides got on the road.

Travelling fairs date back centuries,

with groups of tightly knit nomadic families

touring the countryside in a snake of living wagons and carriages just like this one,

carrying all their belongings and their rides.

This living wagon was owned by the DeVey family,

who commissioned it just before World War I.

It's a unique example of how a fairground boss and his wife

would have lived on the road.

The traditional fairground art

covering nearly every surface of the fair is all hand-painted.

And an attraction in itself with its bright, vivid colours.

This one is taken from one of the galloping horses rides.

It's painted beautifully by a scenic artist called Henry Whiting, who was born in 1839.

This is circa 1890, 1900.

Heavily carved borders, but look at that beautifully picked out in all of these colours,

so it makes the relief look even deeper.

Wonderful. Look, there it's signed Henry Whiting, painter.

And his family were based in Norwich.

The latest ride to be restored by the trust is Supersonic Skid.

And to tell me more about the process is trustee, Guy Belshaw.

-How much did it cost?

-It cost just under £15,000.

That was the cost of timber and the electrical installation.

But the labour was all voluntary.

Where does the labour force come from?

We've got most skills. We've got carpenters, electricians.

We haven't got any scenic painters, though.

That's one skill we haven't got here.

-Which is kind of the most important thing really.

-It is.

It's what we call "the flash" in the business.

-Once you've got over the health and safety aspect. The flash.

-Yeah.

-It's wonderful 1950s artwork you can see here.

-It's lovely.

-By Fred Fowl.

-It's fantastic!

-And the lights shine off the aluminium and gold leaf. It looks great, doesn't it?

I've got to ask you, though.

Where do you get the lightbulbs from, because you can't get these anymore?

-We can't. You have to go to China or India.

-So you can still get them?

We can get them but it's becoming more difficult. But we are going to maintain the incandescent lightbulbs.

They look the business.

You've kind of left little bits weathered with original paintwork.

It looks so authentic.

It's conservation.

We're trying to conserve it as it was rather than enhance it.

So there's no shiny varnish. It's all a bit of a pattern now.

But that's the way we want to preserve it, as it looks now.

But done in a professional manner, obviously.

-So do you have a favourite ride?

-This one, the Supersonic Skid.

-Without a doubt it's my favourite.

-Are we going to have a go on it?

-Let's try number seven.

-Lucky number seven.

-Lucky number seven.

Rock 'n' roll!

The heritage of the fairground is being saved here.

And there are even four working funfair rides

dating back from 1889, with the Rodeo Switchback.

To the mid 1930s with the Supersonic Skid...

The Chariot Racer...

..And the ever-popular dodgems, first built in the 1930s.

The funfair had its heyday in the mid-20th-century.

But today they are still really popular.

Let's face it, this is a fun day out

despite all the other modern entertainment facilities

that are vying for business against the fairs.

You'll be surprised to know there are some 4,000 show families here in the United Kingdom,

which means around 200 fairs each week are taking place.

So the next time you're out and about,

look out for a bit of nostalgia like this

because they attract all kinds of people from all walks of life,

including big kids like me who grew up on things like this.

And today I'm even bringing my son to the fair.

He loves the dodgems.

And for those of you who are a little bit scared,

you might want to look away now as I head into this restored ghost train from the 1940s.

-Here we go.

-# Cos this is thriller

# Thriller night

# And no one's going to save you from the beast about to strike

# You know it's thriller

# Thriller night

# You're fighting for your life

# Inside a killer

# Thriller tonight. #

Oh, you don't want to go in there, you don't want to go in there!

The side stalls are a big attraction to fairground visitors,

with many of us remembering the coconut shy.

Here goes.

And what about the plate smasher?

That was rubbish!

Oh! Yeah!

The Hall of Mirrors. Not flattering for everyone.

It's a great example of how simple an attraction can be

to entertain people.

This amusement was built in the 1930s.

And although it's been restored,

it still has some of the original mirrored glass recycled from other stalls.

Not only were the stalls a great source of revenue for the showmen,

but they were also a great attraction for the visitors

because everybody wanted to go home with something, they wanted to win something.

During the 1930s, the time of the depression,

one famous showman called Chicken Joe Barrack

actually gave away groceries and whole chickens as his surprises.

But at the end of the day, it wasn't just the noise of the fair,

the whole atmosphere, the lights, the music,

it was the face of the showman.

It was his job to attract you in, to make you spend your money

and keep you here.

I tell you what, I am so impressed with this place.

There really is so much to see, take my word for it.

This particular beauty is called the Rodeo Switchback ride.

It is a rare treat to see.

Not only is the oldest ride in the centre,

but it's also the most loved.

In its heyday this toured all over the British Isles.

It even had a residency on Southsea Pier for well over 25 years.

And then it went to the United States of America.

It's found its way back and in 2008, once again it's open to the public.

That is well after 100 years of it first being built.

That's what I call longevity.

You see, they certainly knew how to build things back then.

All this is only possible because of the Fairground Heritage Trust.

The skill, the dedication and the passion from their volunteers,

keeping the fun of the fair well and truly alive

for future generations.

Yeah, take it away.

Welcome back to Buckland Abbey. Now let's join up with our experts

and see what else we can find to take off to auction.

Who's Catherine cuddling up to?

Barry, welcome to Flog It!

and welcome to beautiful Buckland Abbey today.

You've brought along with you this rather nice bisque doll.

Can you tell me where you got it from?

We inherited it from a neighbour that passed away

and the wife used to go round and visit.

It was a favourite thing of the daughter's when she used to visit.

How lovely!

Your daughter used to go to your neighbour's

and play with this beautiful doll?

She did indeed so she got quite attached to it. She inherited it when the lady passed away.

What about these clothes that the doll's dressed in?

The clothes belong to my daughter

and those are the clothes that she wore as a baby.

That's very sweet. Your daughter, presumably, is grown up now.

Is there anyone else in the family who plays...?

My daughter's got a son called Alfie who's two and a half now

and he's become quite attached to the baby.

He was upset when it disappeared this morning. He was asking where the baby was going.

Let's have a little look more closely at the dolly.

The body of the dolly is composition, but the head, where 50%

of the value is, is actually made from bisque which is a type of porcelain, fired porcelain.

Looking around it, there doesn't seem to be any major cracks.

As I tip this head forward, I can see it's stamped on the back

of the neck with the initials A-M which stand for Armand Marseilles,

which was a doll factory, although it sounds French,

was actually in Germany.

Armand Marseilles were a factory that were set up around 1885

and were making dolls until about the 1920s.

It's a very famous factory and this has got a mould number of 341.

When we look at the value of dolls, we look at the characters

and the type of faces, whether they've got a nice,

pretty face or the expression, whether they're laughing or smiling.

This is quite nicely painted.

The lips are nicely painted and also, it's got weighted eyes

so when you lie it down, you can see that it closes its eyes.

If I suggest that we put it into auction

with an estimate of £40-60, and a 30 reserve, does that sound reasonable?

-That sounds very reasonable.

-You'll be happy with that?

-Yeah, thank you.

What about poor old Alfie?

What will you do when you go home and haven't got

this dolly in your arms? He's going to be devastated.

We're planning a visit to the circus this evening so I think

that will be good compensation for not taking the baby home.

I think that sounds fantastic. Good luck with that.

# What's it all about, Alfie? #

Some people will do anything to get on Flog It! But flogging the baby?!

David's discovering something a bit special.

I can honestly say that weapons have never really interested me...

until today.

You have brought the most wonderful piece of equipment in.

All the various bronze sections

and blued sections are covered in a gold.

The cross-hatching of the gun itself is beautifully done.

It's complete with all its requisites,

the powder horn is there, the cleaning rod and the gun

is in immaculate condition as though it's never been used.

It's a percussion gun with a revolving barrel.

The blued state of the barrel is such that I don't think

it's ever been used, which leads me to think

that it's a presentation gun.

Where did it come from?

My father's had it. It's been in his family,

I don't know, about 30 years, I can remember it.

This is much older than 30 years, obviously.

I find the actual velvet inside and the embossing in incredibly good condition.

-Lovely, isn't it?

-And it's all in its original state.

That is such a bonus when you're selling weapons like this.

The whole thing is governed by this here,

that these manufacturers, Laine,

gun manufacturers of Paris were awarded a first-class medal in 1855.

That doesn't mean that it dates from 1855, but it's very close.

I would think that this is a presentation set and I might

be wildly optimistic or completely off my rocker,

but I would think that we're looking at something in the region

of £2,500-3,000.

-Goodness.

-I think it's superb. As a decorative element, it's wonderful.

As a weapon of destruction, it's dreadful.

Yes, definitely!

We aim to please. Now it's Catherine's turn to spread the cheer.

Judy, welcome to Buckland Abbey

and thank you for bringing along your pair of chamber sticks.

Where did these come from?

They belong to my mother-in-law which she got 15-20 years ago

off an old lady she used to clean for.

So they were given to her as a gift or a thank-you?

A thank-you.

-Wonderful, so they've stayed in your family ever since?

-Mm-hm.

-Do you display them at home?

-Yes, they're on the mantelpiece.

-Do you know much about them?

-No, not really.

What attracted me to them was the design and the fact

that you've got a pair and they're complete with the snuffers

which is rather nice.

I love the handle

with this scalloped design mounted on the top.

The thing that's missing is,

originally, it would have had some glass liners.

So there would have been some cylindrical glass pieces here.

As you walked from room to room, the candle wouldn't have blown out.

Do you know anything about those liners? Do you remember them?

-No, no.

-They're silver plate, not solid silver.

They're 1900s in date, but today,

something like this would sit quite comfortably in modern homes.

Because it has quite a nice, stylised design. Do you like them?

Um, I like them, but I don't think my mother-in-law likes them.

-She's happy to sell?

-Yes.

They're worth £50-80, but with the glass liners, they would have been double that.

You'd be looking at more like 100-150.

-Are you happy to put them into auction at £50-80?

-Certainly.

That's great news. You're very relaxed here.

-Is there something you want to share with me?

-I've done some acting.

I was an extra with an A-list American actor.

-Tell me more.

-He's done quite a few films. He's very good looking.

-Ooh, I'm bound to know him.

-His initials are BP.

-BP, BP, BP. I don't know. Enlighten me.

-Brad Pitt.

-Oh! Really?

-Yes.

Gosh, that's far more interesting than chamber sticks.

-Is he gorgeous?

-He's very good looking.

-Oh, I bet.

Oh, how wonderful! Lucky you.

Well, sadly, he won't come to our auction,

-but we can still dream of him.

-Yes.

Continuing the theme, David's found someone after his own heart.

It's Christine and David. What a good name! Beloved.

It means beloved.

It's appropriate because we have in front of us

two goblets which are often referred to as marriage goblets.

You've got two and they're both dated with the same date of 1767.

-Do they date from then? Where did you get them from?

-His family.

They came down through my parents.

I believe they may have come from my father's parents

who were in service in a stately home in Surrey.

-So they came to their possession when?

-As long as I can remember.

-60 years?

-I'm 74. And they've always been in the family that I can remember.

-You must have had an easy life. That's all I can say.

-THEY LAUGH

These are expensive, I would say, tourist souvenirs.

These are not the normal heraldic devices

you bought as a souvenir from an English seaside.

These would be part and parcel of a grand tour

or an educational tour in the latter part of the 19th century.

All this enamelling is done by hand and is copying

a much earlier style.

If we look at this piece, we call this a conical bowl.

That section is called the base.

Normally, you would have a solid stem,

but that is hollow all the way through.

We are looking at a facsimile of a much earlier glass.

From the same source, we also have this small glass which says

"Holland 1761," but I think these are of 19th century origin.

And they're looking back the 18th century in style.

I think they have to have 20th century prices.

When these come up for auction, I think they're going to be

priced in the region of about 120-180,

that sort of price range.

That's including the small glass as well.

-Would you be happy to part with them for that figure?

-Yes.

-Yes.

Have you lots of ornaments and things?

Not a lot, cos I collect either Bristol Blue or Blue Mountain.

If you sell these, you might buy more Bristol Blue or Blue Mountain?

-It's our 50th wedding anniversary next year.

-How nice! What are you going to do?

-I don't know.

-but this will go towards a holiday fund or something.

-That's a good idea.

I hope you do better than I've stated.

If I had thought about value, I would have thought 50-100.

-Less than what you're saying.

-Shh!

-That's quite good.

-Hush my mouth!

-It's better than we expected.

There you are.

We've now found our final four items to take off to auction.

It's time to say farewell to Buckland Abbey,

our magnificent host location for today.

We have had a marvellous time here,

but, as we head off to the sale room to put those valuations to the test,

here's what we're taking with us.

It's time for Barry's German bisque doll to find a new home.

David surprised Lynne with his valuation

for her decorative French firearm.

Judy's elegant candle snuffers are sure to appeal to the silver

and Art Nouveau collectors alike.

And finally, Christine

and David were delighted with the estimate for their glass goblets.

Back to the auction room, let's find out

if the auctioneer Anthony Eldridge

concurs with David's valuation of the pistol.

I think this could be a bit special.

It's the nicest example of a revolver or pistol

that I've seen for a long time.

David has put £2,500-3,000 on this.

I think he's spot on with his estimate, very realistic estimate.

It could do a little bit better.

-We'd plump for a reserve of a little bit lower, at 2,000.

-It is,

for its time and day, something quite special.

It looks like the bling of all revolvers, doesn't it?

I think, when you start to research something like this,

this is when it tells you it's an unusual item.

There is little available.

Would you say there weren't that many of these made?

I would say there were virtually none of this particular one

made in this way.

I think it is, if not unique, it is very unusual.

So we just need a few people who are interested in arms

and militaria to bid against each other.

This is a one-off. It could really fly.

That's our job and, hopefully, we've done it well

and we should have plenty of people here for it.

We should hit the target later in the programme,

so whatever you do, don't go away, this could get very interesting.

First under the hammer, it's the baby doll.

It belongs to Barry, but it's not exactly a boy's toy.

-Not at all.

-It's not yours, is it?

-No.

-It's Alfie's.

His little grandson.

He was a little bit disappointed to see it disappear, so fingers crossed.

-It has to go.

-I'm on a win-win, cos if it comes home, he's happy.

If it sells, the daughter's happy.

Let's find out what happened. Here we go. This is it.

Next is lot 178. It's a doll,

fully marked on the back of the head

and I'm bid £50 for it.

-Against you all at 50.

-Sold it.

2, 5, 8, 70. At £70.

72, in the room now, at £72. I'll take 5. At £72.

-Finished at £72.

-It's gone. It's gone at £72.

-Fine.

-Happy?

-In one respect, yes.

-In one respect, no.

-Poor Alfie.

A diplomatic situation going on.

His third birthday's in two weeks so I'm sure he'll get a nice present.

Winners all round.

Next up, David and Christine's 19th century goblets.

-Good to see you. I've got to say, you look very smart.

-Thank you.

-They're co-ordinated beautifully.

-Exactly.

-Why are you selling these?

-They just sit on the shelf.

-They're not sentimental or anything like that.

-Just fed up with them.

This is a typical lot to flog. Let's find out what the bidders think.

Lot 585 is a pair of 19th century goblets. There they are.

-I'm bid £80 against you all.

-It's a good opening bid.

-At £90. 100, 105, 110, 15.

-Commission bid.

5, 135, at 135, I'm still against you all in the room.

You're done at 135.

Well done, David and Christine. £135.

We were all a bit worried at the very last minute.

-I know.

-That's what auctions can do for you.

And that's why I never tire of them.

Let's see what's in store for our next item.

Hopefully, we can light the room up with a pair of silver-plated

candle holders with snuffers.

They belong to Judy, who mixes with A-list celebrities.

-I do.

-Tell me all about Brad Pitt. Did he say anything to you?

-No. We were just filming.

-Is he is good looking in the flesh?

-Oh, yes.

-You like him as well, don't you?

-I wouldn't say no.

THEY LAUGH

I like these candle holders.

They're missing the shades, but they've got the snuffers

and the snuffers sometimes go walkies.

So we could get the top end here. Let's find out what the bidders think. Here we go.

Lot 363, it's a pair of plated candle holders.

Several bids for them. I'm bid £62.

-Straight in.

-At 68 now. Still against you all. At £68.

At 68, I'll sell them. Quite sure, at 68?

Maiden bid. Straight in, straight out. Hammer's gone down.

£68. Anthony did his stuff.

He worked his magic, just like Brad Pitt would have done.

-Certainly has.

-Can you compare the two?

-Not really.

-We'll take Anthony cos he's working wonders for us.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

That brings us to our final item, Lynne's decorative pistol.

Tension is building cos this is the one we've been waiting for.

I'm talking about that 19th century French revolver.

It's quality throughout.

-Lynne, what do you reckon?

-I don't know. I'm very apprehensive.

-Are you nervous?

-Yes.

We are as well, but I had a chat to Anthony earlier

and he said this has been viewed, handled by the gun specialists,

militaria and arms collectors, but they haven't given anything away.

It could literally fly out. It could go off with a bang.

Next is lot 158,

the fine-quality French percussion six-shot single action revolver.

Lot of interest in it. I'm bit £3,700.

-It's gone. £3,700.

-At £3,700, anything in the room at £3,700.

-At 3,700, then.

-That hammer is going down.

-No, no.

Anything on the phone at £3,700?

3,800, 3,900, 4,100. At 4,100.

At 4,100. It's against all the telephones.

At £4,100, then. Finished at 4,100.

-Gosh, that hammer has gone down.

-How do you feel?

-You were right.

-Wow.

Your first auction!

-Thank you.

-That's what it's all about.

We promised a big surprise and we didn't let you down.

I hope you've enjoyed the show.

Sadly, we've run out of time, but from Lynne and David here,

what an experience and what a day!

Join us again soon.

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Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd