Buckland Flog It!

We are nine miles from the coastline, but looking over there at that backdrop,

you wouldn't believe it.

We're in the heart of the Devon countryside

and this magnificent building behind me is Buckland Abbey,

our venue for today's show. Welcome to "Flog It!".

ROOSTER CROWS

'Buckland Abbey was built in 1278,

'with this remote spot chosen by monks

'because it was close to running water -

'perfect for their cider making.'

ALL: Hello!

But the heady atmosphere here today isn't due to a lot of cider drinking,

it's because we've got a wonderful crowd of people, hundreds of them.

They're hoping they're one of the lucky ones

that go through to auction later with something that is worth a small fortune.

The beauty of this is they don't know what they've got yet.

It's up to our experts to find it.

'Taking on the expert challenge today are David Barby...'

-Oh, it's a sweetie pops! And it's just been washed.

-THEY LAUGH

DISCORDANT NOTES

-'..and Catherine Southon.

-Go on.

TUNELESS NOTES

'Buckland Abbey is proving to be a really popular venue

and today's show is fit to bursting with fascinating treasures.'

'Can any of you at home guess which of these three shiny,

'sparkly antiques makes the most money at auction?'

'A diamond ring.'

One carat. Brilliant cut. Old cut.

'A Georgian silver jug.'

This is an exquisite piece.

'Or a cloisonne brooch.'

What drew me to this is the stunning, vibrant colours.

'Well, I'll let you know later on, but let's not keep everyone waiting.'

Well, there's no time like the present.

We should get on with a few valuations, move the day along.

Look at this wonderful queue. And there is such an air of excitement.

Everybody hopes they have something that's worth a lot of money.

We're going to find out who the lucky ones are.

It looks like Catherine has spotted somebody.

Let's see what they've brought along.

'And it's Peter's colourful brooch which has caught Catherine's eye.'

A stunning brooch with lovely cloisonne enamel

in the form of a dagger.

Tell me, where did you get this from?

Round about the 1960s, I moved into an old house

and I was doing some decoration on the stairs

and moved the stair carpet and there it was underneath the carpet.

-So you found it under the carpet?

-I did, indeed, yes.

-What a gem! Was there anything else under the carpet?

-No.

SHE LAUGHS No, nothing at all!

-Is it something that you or your family have ever used?

-No.

Definitely. I put it in the drawer and it's been there ever since, really.

Do you know anything about it at all?

No, I don't. No.

Well, what drew me to this is really the stunning, vibrant colours.

You can see here these little individual sections of enamel.

And they've been put on to the brooch

and separated from one another with the wire that goes round.

And this type of enamel work is called cloisonne enamelling.

Now, opening this up,

we can turn it over and see a couple of marks.

First of all, I must tell you that this type of dagger is called

a kindjal dagger. Did you know that?

-I didn't, no.

-Well, there you go.

And turning it over...

I can see a kokoshnik mark which tells us it's from Russia.

Right.

Also, here there's a type of mark which is a maker's mark,

but, unfortunately, it's partially rubbed

so we can't actually tell you exactly where it is made.

But the fact that it's got this kokoshnik mark

enables us to date it to between 1899 and 1917.

So, it's probably around 1900, that sort of date.

Would you be happy to sell it at between £80 and £120?

Yeah, if that's the value of it, fine, that sounds great.

I think we should put it in at £80 to £120,

-with a fixed reserve of £60.

-Lovely.

-And I think it might surprise us.

-Oh, right.

'And I hope it's a good surprise.

'I've headed into the Abbey's gardens to talk silver.'

Emily, some lovely silverware, look at this, have we won the cup?

Well, I don't think so. Look, as you know, it's dated 1923,

but these are fascinating.

So, how did you come by these?

They're my grandad's, and he inherited them from his aunt,

and, um, I think it's time they went

because we have nowhere to put them and cleaning them...

So, they just go to waste, really.

-They've been in the family long time?

-Yes.

Who's been cleaning them, polishing all of these up?

-My granny.

-Oh, bless her.

Has somebody in your family won these in the past?

Yes, and, um...but they passed it down to my grandad.

-So, this could be your inheritance, really?

-Yes.

I know you are a keen show-jumper,

you're off to pony club straight after this little chat?

You never know, you could win some silverware.

These are fascinating, aren't they?

Look what it says here, "Tavistock Fat Stock Show, 1923."

That's presented for the best beast in the field, basically.

Ha-ha, I love that!

Who's going to get best beast?

Me, please!

Look at these marks on the back, OK, there's a makers mark.

There's the assay marks, there,

for Birmingham, it's the sign of an anchor.

And that's a lion, tells us it's sterling silver, so it's English.

And that capital X tells us that this was made in 1922,

a year before this cup was presented.

There's a nice piece of history, there.

Here is the largest one, look at this.

It's got this lovely, sort of, classical vase shape,

almost like an urn.

It's typical of the Georgian period,

although, this is an Edwardian piece.

Were your grandparent's farmers at all? Are they still farmers?

Yes, they still are, yes.

So, that makes sense.

And then, there's this one.

For the best animal in show, this one's 1927, this one's bit later.

Yes.

Slightly a different...

-I think it looks quite modern.

-..design.

It does, more contemporary looking. in keeping with the period.

Yeah.

It's a great time to sell silver right now,

it's at an all-time high.

Whenever there's a recession, or the economy's really low, investors,

not just in England, but throughout the world,

invest in gold and silver.

So the bullion prices and precious metal prices are very high.

If I said, I think you should get around £700

I think you'd be really happy.

I would be really, really happy, yes.

That's what they're going to get. Would you like to sell them?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Well, let's put them into auction with a value of £600 to £700,

-with a fixed reserve of £600.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Now you can go off and win a trophy, can't you?

-Yeah.

David loves his pots, but with his next valuation,

he's run out of space for them.

Val, I have two offer you an apology.

First of all, I haven't got a table large enough

to put your whole collection of Oriental ceramics.

I understand that you bought these in the 1970s?

Something like that, yes.

-When you were in Indonesia?

-Correct, yes.

Did you have a tea plantation, or something like that?

No, we didn't have a tea plantation,

my husband was in business in Indonesia.

Oh, right, quite high-powered.

-Oh, no, he wouldn't say that.

-Ha-ha!

But, how did you acquire all these ceramics?

Because they are predominantly late 19th and early 20th century.

Well, it was a very nice way to acquire them,

because in the evenings we would be sitting on the patio in our bungalow,

having a gin and tonic, and a tukang,

which was the name of the travelling salesman,

would come and he'd sit down and he'd spread all the wares out

and we'd have a happy couple of hours bargaining in Indonesian

and sometimes we'd buy something and sometimes we didn't.

Oh, right.

You've gone for a large number of these celadon glazes.

Now, I like these, sort of, soft greens.

There's a nice old piece, there,

and a more modern one here.

Which has a base metal mount, a white metal mount.

And you have blue and white wares.

I know you have a pair of these,

but only one with a carved wood stand and cover.

And you have, what you term as, what's this block here,

-what do you call it?

-I called it an opium pillow.

It could either be used as a pillow or it could be for flower arranging.

But this one is all printed design, it's not hand-painted.

Whereas this piece at the back, here, which I think is startling, of a serpent.

It's a dragon, isn't it?

A dragon, here, with very distinctive wings,

This is a beautiful piece.

Very spontaneously decorated, with great skill.

I think this would be my favourite piece.

I think it was my husband's favourite, that one.

Let's think in terms of price.

There's 11 pieces, all told, of varying quality and varying date,

predominantly 20th century.

I'm suggesting that we put the whole lot up for sale at one go.

The auctioneer may, in his wisdom,

wish to separate the celadon from the blue-and-white,

and that's entirely in his hands.

But I think we have to establish a price, probably between £200,

£250, £300, that sort of price range.

I think we need to put a reserve of 200. Would that be acceptable?

-Fine, fine. Absolutely.

-Why are you getting rid of this?

Because we are planning to move to Australia to join our family,

and I'm going to go all minimalistic

and not take lots of bits and pieces.

That's de rigueur in Australia. They have lots of mirrors

-and wide open plate glass windows, lots of light. It's wonderful.

-Yes.

Well, there you are, our first three items found and ready to go off to auction.

Let's find out exactly what they are worth.

let's put those valuations to the test.

Here's a recap of what's going under the hammer.

Peter's Russian brooch in the shape of a dagger.

Emily's three silver show cups.

And Val's 11-piece collection of Oriental ceramics.

And we're selling our antiques down the road, in Plymouth,

at Eldred's Auctioneers,

where the standard sellers' commission is 15% plus VAT.

Anthony Eldred is our auctioneer on the rostrum.

£50, quite sure?

The auction has just started, tension is building.

Let's find out who our first owner is.

Hopefully, they might go home with a lot of money.

Let's see how Val's collection of ceramics goes down

with the bidders, and they're all staying in one lot.

We've got a valuation of £250 to £350, David,

which you put on, with a reserve of £200.

Since the valuation day,

the auction room has reduced the reserve to £150.

They're slightly worried they might not sell.

Hopefully, we'll still get within your estimate.

-I would hope so.

-I think there is quality and quantity there.

So, the big move to Australia.

Well... Yes, we hope, but not for a year or so.

-Long-term plans?

-Yes.

-Let's see what the bidders think.

Here we go, they're going under the hammer.

It's a collection of mainly 20th century

and contemporary Oriental ceramics.

-I'm bid £240.

-Oh!

-We didn't need it, did we?

-£240.

-50 if you want it. At £240 then.

-There is a lot there.

Any more in the room at £240?

Finished at 240.

-Sold. Well done.

-Oh, we did very well.

-Well, I thought so.

That's good. And that's money towards the Australia fund.

-Well, no. Probably into my grandson's saving account.

-Wow.

One bidder just got a lot for his money with that 11-piece collection.

OK, next up, a Russian silver gilt brooch.

That, and Catherine Southon, our expert.

Unfortunately, our owner, Peter, cannot be with us, he's on holiday.

We've got £80 to £120 on this.

Were you being cautious or is that about right?

I probably was. I love the cloisonne enamel.

It's really pretty, lots of lovely colours. But it does seem quite cheap now.

So, maybe I was a bit conservative.

It does sound quite exotic, it's Russian. It ticks all the boxes.

It's a Russian gilt brooch. £50. Bid for that at £50 pounds.

-Five if you want it. 55. 60. Five. 70.

-Lots of hands going up.

-80.

-Five.

-Competition in the room.

-100.

-And 10. 120.

-I knew it was too low.

-It's on the top estimate now.

-£120, then. You finished?

All done, then, at £120.

Well done, Catherine.

I thought it would go for more than that, but 120, that's good.

-Peter will be pleased.

-He'll be pleased.

-We didn't let him down.

Top end of the estimate for that pretty little bit of cloisonne.

And now, it's my turn to be put on the spot with my valuation

of the three early 20th century cups.

They belonged to Emily, who's at the dentist today.

But we do have her older sister, Elizabeth.

-Hello.

-You do look alike.

-Yes, we do.

-And there is a younger sister,

-as well, is there?

-Yes, Alicia.

-So, there's three of you.

-I bet you all get very competitive with your ponies.

-Yes, we do.

This is where the money is going towards, if we can sell these,

-cos you need... What do you need?

-A new horse box. Yes.

I had a chat with the auctioneer yesterday.

-He said that it's going to be tight.

-Yes.

Because the price of silver has slightly, unbelievably, dropped.

-It's going to be close.

-OK.

-But we need that horse trailer.

-Yes, we do.

-Let's find out.

-Lot 406.

Two-handled trophy cups.

Local connection to the Fat Stock Show.

And £540 for them. 540. 550.

560. 570. 580. 590. 600.

-And 10.

-There we go.

-Wow.

-620.

630. 640. 650. 660.

670. 680. 690.

-At £690.

-That's our bid.

-At £690. Finished at 690.

Yes! The hammer has gone down. Sold, £690! That's great.

-That's really good.

-Pleased?

-Yes, very pleased.

-That's money towards that horse trailer.

-Yeah.

-Give Emily the good news.

-I will.

-Is she going to be happy?

-She will be very happy now.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

That's what I call a prize-winning result.

Anthony has literally just got off the rostrum.

We're halfway through our auction, so we're taking a break. So far, so good for all of our own,

as we're coming back here later on in the show. So, don't go away.

This next film is all about a personal passion of mine,

playing the drums, but this time with a modern twist,

something ancient.

I don't think there's anybody in the world who can say

they don't feel energised by the beat of the drum,

whether a marching band in a military procession,

dramatic introductions at the theatre

or gigs played all over the world.

Drumming gets you going! It gets your adrenaline going.

Now, many of you may know, at one stage in my life,

I was a professional drummer, many moons ago.

So, I'm absolutely delighted to come here today to the Barnfield Theatre,

in Exeter, to pick up the sticks once again,

albeit with a difference.

Modern Taiko drumming was invented by a Japanese musician

called Daihachi Oguchi in the 1950s.

His background was in jazz music and he saw an opportunity

for multiple drums to be played to different beats in a group,

rather than as solo percussion, amongst other types of instruments.

The drums used for taiko are traditional instruments in Japan

that have been heard and seen for centuries,

throughout the country's history,

and were most likely first used by the military.

The drums are still used today in temples, theatres and festivals.

In fact, the word taiko means drum or big drum.

There are many myths surrounding their introduction

into Japanese culture.

One of the first people to bring the taiko technique to UK

was Jonathan Kirby, who runs a performance group and drumming school,

Kagemusha Taiko.

I know a little bit about drumming, but nothing about taiko,

so explain a little bit further.

We talk about four principals when we play taiko.

-Attitude, so it's the way you approach it.

-OK.

Your kata, which is a martial arts term, meaning your stance,

the way you stand, the way you project in performance art.

-Technique is about doing simple things well.

-Yes.

And then we move on to chi, which is the energy.

That's what makes it so exciting. That's what you need to channel.

-Get the breathing right.

-Yep.

-Get focused.

What do you say it's a derivative of? Is it world music?

Or is it just purely Japanese rhythms?

Oh, it definitely a world music thing. Taiko is a creative thing.

There are some traditional Japanese rhythms,

maybe about half a dozen that taiko groups around the world would know.

-Which are your rudiments, in a way.

-Absolutely.

I think it's important to understand the history, know where it comes from.

-Sure.

-But, from that, you create your own music, which is what we do.

We create taiko that's influenced by Anglo-Celtic sounds, rock 'n roll.

-Really?

-Yeah.

What's this behind me? Is it some sort of cowbell?

It is a sort of cowbell. It looks like it fell off the bottom of a car, doesn't it?

It looks like an exhaust pipe. Let's look at it.

-Is it heavy? Where did this come from?

-This was...

It's a very special gift to us.

It came from Mr Oguchi, or Grand Master Oguchi,

the creator of that first group.

-Do you hit it?

-You do, with sticks.

-Is it tuned?

-It is.

It's a beautiful instrument. Mr Oguchi said, "Taiko is great.

"The wood of the drums is like a forest,

"but without metal percussion, it's a forest without birdsong."

Oh, that's lovely, isn't it?

I'd like to hear some of that with the drums later on, then.

-We can do that.

-So, how do you go about converting a kit drummer?

We introduce you to one of our group members.

My son, Oliver, is a member of the main performing group.

Thanks for helping us out today, Oliver.

-Where do we start?

-We can show you the ropes,

introduce you to some of our fundamentals

-and have a little go.

-Come on, then.

I'm excited, but with slight trepidation.

-No problem, we'll get you through it.

-OK.

As Jonathan said, much of taiko is about doing simple things well.

While the beats that we play are important,

it's also about how we play them

and the way we present ourselves when we play.

So, take your left leg and plant it behind the left corner of the drum. And then right leg, going behind.

To get your body weight down?

Yep, and you've got a nice foundation to work off.

The arms go out in front. There's space under the armpits.

-Open your diaphragm.

-Yep. Open your body out.

-So you can breathe.

Even this, a group of people doing this, is performance in itself.

-It's quite ceremonial.

-Absolutely.

It's a very powerful feeling, just standing here,

knowing you're going to hit this in a moment and it'll be really loud.

-Exactly. That feeling of tension...

-Suspense.

..goes to the audience as well.

-The first beat we'll play, we keep our arms in this position.

-OK.

The left hand is going to stay there and with the right,

we're going to drag up with the back of the hand.

So, we come up in a straight line, so the stick is line with your arm.

To hit the drum, we bend at the elbow,

so the stick is still vertical, then at the wrist, and then snap.

-You follow through. Basically, this is your power stroke.

-Absolutely.

Let it bounce off the drum skin when you hit it.

Under that, someone might play a base rhythm.

The one I'll show you now is called a dongo.

It's a swung base rhythm. And it sounds...

There you go, exactly.

I wonder if you're up to the challenge of playing a little piece with myself and Jonathan.

Come and get Dad on. Here he is.

The master.

-What are we doing? Is this a traditional song or one of your songs?

-It's one of mine.

Were going to play a piece called Congruenza, an extract from it.

It features Oliver playing a couple of melodies, as we call them, on that side.

I'll play a couple this side. And we'll have a little bit at the end.

-And you'll play the same as Oliver or me throughout.

-OK.

Here we go.

'Well, I can't tell you how much enjoyed that, but right now

'get ready for a special performance from some of the group's drummers.'

All of a sudden, there is a great feeling of suspense and dynamic.

Yeah! Fabulous!

Absolutely fabulous.

With a drumming beat setting off today's rhythm, let's keep marching

as Buckland Abbey is surrounded by "Flog It!" fans.

One quirky antique that has caught Catherine's eye is a stanhope.

Regular viewers of "Flog It!" may recognise them, but for those who don't,

they are Victorian novelties used to view microscopic images.

And it all started with the lens designed by Mr Charles Stanhope.

Over to Catherine.

Mary, I homed in on this because it is a stanhope,

but a stanhope with a difference - it's in the shape of a fish.

Where did you get this?

I inherited it from my father after he died some years ago.

When turning out the house, I found it with a couple of others.

But this was interesting because it had pictures of Plymouth on it.

Oh, it's got pictures! Even more perfect!

Should we just take a little look?

Let's see if we can see inside.

Now, if you peer in here, there is a tiny, little lens,

and you can see different images.

And I can see...the lighthouse and St Andrew's cross.

There's the pier, Breakwater and the Eddystone Lighthouse.

Well, I think that's perfect that you can see all the buildings,

the local attractions of Plymouth.

But what really excites me about this is the fact that it's carved,

quite beautifully, in the shape of a fish.

Really, we associate stanhopes as a novelty, a toy in the Victorian era.

-Yes.

-So, this item really dates from the late 19th century, I would say.

Stanhopes are quite collectable,

but I'm always amazed at how little they make at auction.

They don't make a great price.

You can get them in all different materials.

This one is made from bone. We know that because of the flecks...

-Yes.

-..on the material.

Estimate wise, I would say about £40 to £50.

I think people will be attracted to it

because of the fish, the Plymouth scenes and it might make some more.

-OK.

-Let's put a reserve on of £30 and hope it makes toward the top end of the estimate.

-That would be lovely.

-Hopefully, a bit more than that.

-How does that sound to you?

-Yes, that sounds pretty good to me.

Well, let's hope it swims away at the auction.

Now, that's caught my eye. Whose is it?

-Mine.

-What is your name?

-Jill.

-Jill. That's by Tony Warren.

I knew the artist. He was a friend of my parents.

-Very collectable in the '80s.

-Yes.

That's brought back memories for me. Good luck with that.

Something has caught David's eye - a bit of silver brought by Alan.

This is an exquisite piece of Georgian silver.

This is a jug, which might have been part of a tea set.

There's probably three or four pieces. But this stands on its own.

So you could use it for cream or milk on any occasion,

it doesn't have to be with the tea set.

Now, all the sort of elements of the late Georgian period

are reflected in this particular item.

Now, where does it come from? Is it a family heirloom?

It was given to my mother and I inherited it

when she passed on about nine years ago.

Right. First of all, I like the shape, which is very functional.

I love the fluted design.

On the front here, you've got what we term as a cartouche.

That's a wreath that leaves a space in the middle for either a date

or initials.

We've got the initials on the front here with a surname M.

What does that mean to you?

-That's Mackenzie.

-Mackenzie.

-Yes.

My mother worked in service for a family called Mackenzie,

obviously before I was born.

-Right.

-So, many years ago.

I believe it came down from a daughter of the Mackenzies,

who gave it to my mother.

They must have held her in high regard.

-She was a very strong person.

-Was she really?

-Yes.

The other element I like about this piece

is this bright-cut decoration all the way around, called garlands.

These lovely garlands with little pendules all the way around.

It's typical decoration round about the time of George III

and the Regency. We call that neoclassicism.

It's looking back to the ancient Greek, ancient Roman period

for inspiration.

So, this has all the elements of the late Georgian period.

The mark on the front there is for London, 1802.

And the maker, we think, is Thomas Whipham,

who specialised in jugs of that particular period.

Now, I've explained all the various components of that.

It sounds wonderful and it is wonderful.

Possibly I've over-embellished it and you think it's worth thousands, but it's not.

It's going to be worth something in the region, at auction,

of let's say £80 to £100.

I think we should put a reserve, to protect you, of around about 65.

-Is that agreeable?

-Yes, that's fine.

I know I shouldn't ask this, but would you do with 65?

Well, I'd like to put it towards a new set of golf clubs.

-Does the wife no?

-No.

I think I'll probably have to go on a holiday.

I think that's right, actually. Take your old golf clubs with you.

Thank you very much for bringing this along. I do appreciate that.

Buckland Abbey was not only home to an order of monks many centuries ago,

it was also owned by famous sailor, Sir Francis Drake.

Jean, one of the abbey's volunteer guides,

has brought a special book to show me.

You don't know what's going to turn up at a "Flog It!" valuation day.

We've got something signed by one of the descendents of Sir Francis Drake.

-Yes.

-That's marvellous. In the grounds of his home.

-Yes.

He was this country's first circumnavigator.

I mean, he was a hero in his days. Must have been a wealthy man.

-When he came back, yes.

-He wasn't born too far away from here.

Crowndale, just on the outskirts of Tavistock.

But his father, who was involved in prayer book wars,

had 11 sons, and they went and lived on a hulk on the River Medway.

-That's where Francis Drake began sailing.

-Really?

-Yes.

Apprentice to a old boy with a flat-bottomed boat that went across the channel.

-When he died, he left his boat to Francis Drake.

-Look at this.

-From Sir...

-Thomas.

..Thomas and Lady Drake, as a small token of their respect

-and affection.

-Yes.

-And it is signed and dated.

1833.

You've got a little bit of family tree somewhere.

Sir Francis Drakes' family. We should be able to find...

-There he is.

-Yeah.

-1813, the nephew, Thomas Trayton.

Thomas Trayton-Fuller-Eliott-Drake.

You didn't have cheques to write, I suppose, in those days.

HE LAUGHS

He probably had so much money he didn't need to write cheques.

How much did your husband pay for this?

-It won't have been much.

-It's in very good condition, let's face it.

It's in excellent condition.

-I'd be very annoyed if he had paid £100.

-Really?

-But he wouldn't.

I mean, I'm thinking in terms of eight or ten.

-Eight or ten pounds?

-Yes.

Do you think the person selling this didn't know it was signed?

I don't know any more about it than that.

I don't even know really what he paid for it. He doesn't tell me.

How about a value of £50 to £100?

Whatever you say.

-I think £50 to £100 is right.

-Thank you very much.

I'd like to think it'll get top-end.

There are a lot of people around this area

that have a big interest in San Francis Drake.

He's got a room full of books on Francis Drake, and associated.

He was just being kind to me fishing something out to bring today.

When you go home and thank him, will you say,

"Paul says thank you very, very much."

I'd love to meet him if he would come along with you to the auction.

-He will.

-OK. Let's put it in.

What a fitting item for our venue today,

a tribute to the Abbey's famous former owner.

Because it's inscribed inside - Mrs Lucas.

Claire has brought along two shiny and sparkly items

to magpie Catherine's table.

Claire, when I come along to film at "Flog It!" valuation days,

I always hope to see some real gems,

-and you've certainly brought some gems along today.

-Good.

Let's take this one, first of all.

Which is a mourning ring and is William IV. The date is...

Just inside here, we can see it's dated 1834.

Now, where does this come from?

It belonged to an aunt of mine, but before that, I don't know.

So, you've had it in your family for quite some time.

-For some time, yes.

-It's a really pretty ring,

but inside it's got the name - Mrs Lucas.

Do you know who Mrs Lucas was? There's no connection?

Well, let's just have a look at it. In itself, it is a very pretty ring.

We have diamonds here, and the diamonds are set in silver.

And then the pearls around the outside.

-Is it a ring you've ever worn?

-No, I don't think I have.

-I'm not a ring wearer.

-You don't wear rings?

-Not really.

-It's so pretty, though.

-It's very pretty.

And it's 18 carat gold, as well.

-Yes.

-Would it surprise you that it's worth about £200 to £300?

A little bit, yes. Yes, it would.

Well, if you are wanting to sell this, I would say that it's worth

£200 to £300. We'll put a reserve on of £180.

-Does that sound good to you?

-That sounds all right.

-Are you happy to sell it?

-Yes.

-But I'd like to come on to this one.

Which has been reset, we can see that straight away.

But it is a brilliant cut diamond.

And it's one carat, brilliant cut.

Old cut. Now, where's this from, because it looks like it has been remounted.

It was part of a brooch, which belonged to the same aunt.

I know she took the stones off the brooch and gave them

to her nieces, made them into rings.

-So, each niece got one of these.

-Got one of those rings.

-You're one of the nieces?

-I am.

-Have you worn this ring?

-I think I have, yes.

-You've worn this.

It's absolutely stunning.

It's a very beautiful, very beautiful diamond.

-I can see that there is a tiny, tiny, little nick in it.

-Oh, yes.

..which would affect the value.

But as it is, it is absolutely beautiful.

I would say, at auction,

you're looking at an estimate of £400 to £500.

-OK, yes.

-And a reserve of 350. Would you be happy to sell at that?

I think so, yes.

Now, these are quite an important part of your life.

Obviously, they belonged to your aunt and it's now come down to you.

-Yes.

-Are you happy to sell them?

-I think so.

I don't wear them. Why shouldn't someone else?

I'll look forward to seeing you at the auction.

-Thank you for coming along to "Flog It!".

-Thank you.

There are our final items ready to take off to auction.

You've heard what our experts have had to say.

You probably have your own opinion of what they're worth,

but I think we should leave it up to the bidders, don't you?

Amongst the three items we're taking with us, we have...

Mary's stanhope novelty in the shape of a fish.

Alan's Georgian silver jug...

Jean's book about the life of Sir Francis Drake

and Claire's diamond ring and mourning ring.

Now, over in Plymouth, our owners are patiently waiting to see

whether their items attract enough bids.

Mary's fish-shaped stanhope is something I really like myself.

-That's such a lovely thing!

-Yes, it is.

There is a lot of sentimental attachment.

And a lot of local interest, with the views of Plymouth.

Six views of Plymouth.

The only view we're interested in is that one out there -

-all those bidders hopefully bidding on this.

-I hope so.

Because there is a lot of local interest and it's quality.

-Yes, it is, it's a really nice item.

-Yeah.

I'm making you feel a bit guilty, aren't I?

Because it's something I wouldn't sell.

-What do you think?

-Me, too.

But, hey, this is "Flog It!", this is not "Collect It!"!

Right, let's find a new bidder. Let's find a new home for it.

-Brilliant.

-Here we go.

This is a small, carved-bone needle holder with a little stanhope in it,

souvenirs of Plymouth. There it is. Lot of bids for it.

-I bid £60 against you all in the room.

-Brilliant!

70. That's £70. Still against you all at 70. Five if you want it.

75. And 80.

-Great, he's got a commission bid on it.

-Good.

-At 85. And 90.

-It's quality, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is lovely.

Still against the lady at £90. Finished then at 90. Quite sure?

-There you are, Mary, it's gone. £90!

-Lovely!

-Amazing.

-Very good.

-A lovely result.

-I'm very pleased.

You see, quality always sells.

And there'll be a donation to Dartmoor Search And Rescue group.

-Really? That's where the money is going?

-Yes.

-Bless you.

Donations went there when my father died,

so I think it would be the right thing to do.

-So, I'm really pleased.

-How lovely. Good cause.

-Thank you.

That was a bit of a surprise result.

But will there be a shock in store for Jean

when her Sir Francis Drake book comes up?

So far, so good. Now, it could go horribly wrong, because it's my turn to be the expert.

Remember that lovely book of Sir Francis Drake?

It belonged to Jean. It was given to her by Alan.

Hello, Jean. And here is Alan, your husband. A gentleman.

Alan sorted you out with the right thing on the day,

didn't he? And I know you are a bit of an authority on Drake, as well.

-That's right, yes.

-OK, well, it's great to see you both.

Let's see what the bidders think, shall we?

Hopefully, there should be lots of local interest.

We're in the right place, let's face it. Here we go.

The Life Of The Celebrated Sir Francis Drake, there it is.

£40 bid for that one. £40. Two if you want it.

At 40 pounds, then. Two. Five.

-At 45 then.

-We have a reserve of 50.

£45. You're all done at £45.

Last chance at £45. Quite sure?

-Well, that one can't quite be sold.

-He didn't sell it, did he?

-No.

-We had a reserve of £50.

-That's all right,

we didn't come for the money.

Not sold this time, but definitely one book

to stay in Jean and Alan's collection.

Next up, will the fluctuating silver prices affect

Alan's silver jug sale?

It's great to see you again. Thank you for bringing in such quality,

because I know Mr Barby gravitated towards that piece.

David's a purist. You like those things.

It's something very simple. Lovely lines. Late Georgian,

so you've got this sheer, fluted design,

with that engraving all around.

We talk about silver at the moment being melt value,

but this will not be melted.

This won't go for scrap. It's quality throughout.

-General public interest, as well, one hopes.

-Yeah.

Anyway, good luck with this. Here we go, Alan.

It's a George III milk jug. There it is. £60 bid for it. At 60.

At £60. Two. Five. Eight.

-At £68. 70 if you want it. At £68 here.

-Come on.

-70. At 72.

At £72, against you at the back. All done at £72.

-Come on, come on.

-£72.

Not as much as we would've expected, but I tell you what,

we had a reserve of £65, so we did it.

-We just tucked it under.

-Oh, that's your favourite, tucking it under.

THEY LAUGH

Our final owner, Claire, has two jewellery lots to sell.

Will they live up to our estimates and our expectations?

There are two lots here. We've split them up into two lots.

£200 to £300 for the mourning ring and we've got that beautiful diamond coming up at £400 to £500.

-That's lovely. The old-fashioned cut on it.

-Yes.

-Now, that surely you should be keeping, shouldn't you?

-Maybe.

Tempting, yeah. But it's too late now, because they're going under the hammer. Good luck, this is it.

It's a 19th-century mourning ring.

£140 for that. At 140. 150.

160. 170. 180. 190. At 190 now.

-At £190. You're all done at £190.

-He's selling.

Yes, he sold. 190. Perfect! OK, now the one carat diamond.

It's a diamond ring this time. And £300 for that. 310.

-320. At 320 now. 330.

-This is good.

At 350 there against the wall. 360.

370. 380. 390.

400. And 10. 420. 430.

-440. 450.

-This is more like it.

-460.

470. 480. 490. £500.

And 10. 520. 530. 540.

-550. 560. 570.

-I like this.

-580.

590. 600.

620. 640. 660.

680. 700.

And 20. 740. 760.

780. 800. And 50.

-900.

-I don't think they're going to stop, actually.

-At £950 there.

-Wow, they really love this.

-1,000.

Fresh bidding.

At £1,050, against the wall.

You are all done at £1,050.

-Wow!

-Thank you very much.

-That sparkled, didn't it, Claire?

-Thank you so much for coming in with that.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

-Congratulations, that is great.

-What a way to end today's show, as well.

See, there is a big surprise, isn't there?

We want to see more of that.

Every sale throws up a new set of stories

and I'm sure they'll be more surprises next time.

But until then, from Plymouth, it's goodbye.

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