0:00:03 > 0:00:06This is the magnificent Alnwick Castle in Northumberland,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09which has had rather a turbulent past -
0:00:09 > 0:00:13with links to rebels, gunpowder plots and Shakespearean knights.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16But today we are hoping for a slightly more serene experience,
0:00:16 > 0:00:20because this is the venue for our valuation day. Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:42 > 0:00:47The Castle has been home to the Percy family ever since 1766,
0:00:47 > 0:00:52many of whom were passionate collectors and furnished it with some incredible antiques.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56So with all these wonderful objects, it's a fitting location
0:00:56 > 0:00:58for one of our valuation days.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01We've got a marvellous crowd
0:01:01 > 0:01:04and they've had a rummage through their attics and cellars,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07looking for unwanted antiques and collectables
0:01:07 > 0:01:08to put through to auction.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11The lucky ones will be going home with a lot of money.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12So let's not waste any time.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Let's get our experts stuck into all those bags and boxes.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21And our experts today are the feisty lady auctioneer Anita Manning
0:01:21 > 0:01:23and the debonair David Fletcher.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29And Anita is taking no prisoners in her search for the ultimate antique.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31What have you got? Show me your goodies!
0:01:31 > 0:01:33And if at first you don't succeed...
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Stand and deliver!
0:01:36 > 0:01:39David is shooting people down too!
0:01:39 > 0:01:42- I think, probably, thank you, but no thank you.- No.
0:01:42 > 0:01:48Let's hope he finds something worth a hefty ransom later on in the show.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Today's programme is packed full of drama
0:01:52 > 0:01:55and I'll tell you a historic tale of kidnap and terror,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58as I visit Gibside pleasure grounds.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02And we've got our share of deadly items on the show too,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06but which will make the most at auction? These Victorian pistols?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Or these swashbuckling swords?
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Yes, there's a lot of people there,
0:02:14 > 0:02:16which means a lot of antiques to value.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20And it looks like Anita Manning is our first expert to spot a real gem.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Let's take a closer look.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Beryl, welcome to Flog It!
0:02:24 > 0:02:27You were the very first in the queue this morning
0:02:27 > 0:02:31and I thought that you might have something interesting.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34This is a lovely plate. Where did you get it?
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I was a home carer a lot of years in Alnwick
0:02:37 > 0:02:39and I was really attached to this old lady
0:02:39 > 0:02:42and she left it to me in her will.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44I used to clean it and look after it.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47- Right.- She was always telling me to go on holidays.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51I never thought I would part with it but I have got grandchildren
0:02:51 > 0:02:53and I am frightened it'll get broken.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Tell me what you liked about it, Beryl.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58The colours. It's pretty when it's up.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03Yes, well, the most obvious thing about this plate
0:03:03 > 0:03:06are these wonderful colours.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09It is called Imari and it comes from Japan,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12a little town in Japan called Arita,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and it was made in the 1880s and 1890s
0:03:16 > 0:03:19for the export market.
0:03:19 > 0:03:25And it is characterised by these wonderful blues, rust reds,
0:03:25 > 0:03:31golds and whites, and the British people loved that type of thing.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36And I think it's very attractive. If we look at the front,
0:03:36 > 0:03:42we can see these colours in all their glory and it's so fresh!
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Obviously you haven't got into it
0:03:44 > 0:03:47with a Brillo pad or anything like that.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51And we see these segmented designs here, right round,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54and this lovely scalloped edge.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56We see the motifs of dragons
0:03:56 > 0:04:01and these almost mythical creatures.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05So we have a lot going on on the front of that plate.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09And they always looked absolutely wonderful on the wall.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10Am I turning you back onto this?
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Now, if we turn it around to the back,
0:04:15 > 0:04:20we see a more restrained colour palette here.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21The blues and whites
0:04:21 > 0:04:27with this typical blue circle round the inside here.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28It's absolutely lovely.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33If it had been selling 10 or 15 years ago, it would have been worth more.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37- Right.- But this type of item has gone down a little bit in value.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39OK.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42I would like to put it into auction
0:04:42 > 0:04:45with an estimate of, say, £40 to £60 on it.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49- Right.- Would that be OK with you? - Um...
0:04:49 > 0:04:52It might go a little bit more than that, Beryl.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- Right.- It might go a bit more
0:04:54 > 0:04:59- but that's the correct estimate that it should go in with.- Right.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03- We could put a reserve of £40 on it. - Yes, yes.
0:05:03 > 0:05:09- If it doesn't get it, you'll know that it's to come back to you. - Yes, I'm happy if it comes back.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11It has been an absolute pleasure
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- to have you here with this lovely plate.- It's been lovely.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16I've enjoyed it.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Who'd have thought that Japanese plate would end up in a castle in Northumberland!
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Flog It certainly attracts the exotic and the wonderful
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and some of our objects aren't what they seem at all.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- Hello, Richard.- Hello, David. - Have you hurt your leg?
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- No, this is not really a walking stick.- Is it not?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37No, it's a Sunday stick, as it was called.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41You could go walking, on a Sunday when golf was not able to be played,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44and you could use this to hit the occasional ball
0:05:44 > 0:05:46and people would think you were walking with your stick.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49- Do you know, I have never seen one of these.- Oh, yeah?
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Tell me about golf. You weren't allowed to play on a Sunday?
0:05:52 > 0:05:55In certain places you weren't allowed to play on a Sunday.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58The Old Course at St Andrews is closed to let it rest.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01So out on a walk, you could take this as your walking stick
0:06:01 > 0:06:04and, when no one was looking, hit a few golf balls.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07So you would be in trouble if you saw the minister coming
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- on the opposite side of the road? - Possibly, yes.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14So that is when you swung it around and used it as a walking stick.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Yes, very good. Show us a swing, Richard. You're a golfer, I'm not.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Very good! It's a lovely crafted object.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26And it has a little hardwood face here
0:06:26 > 0:06:29and a little leaded weight behind it,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31as a normal golf driver of that era would have.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35- And we have here what I assume must be the maker's name.- Yes.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40"W Seelley". Might be Scully but I think it has to be the maker's name.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43I love the fact that it adds a bit of a risk
0:06:43 > 0:06:46to the experience of going out for a walk.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- I mean, it makes it almost illicit to be playing golf.- Yes.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Whether it was banned, as such, I do not know.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56- I suppose you might have got into trouble for playing on Sunday.- Yes.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59And what about St Andrew's these days?
0:06:59 > 0:07:02The Old Course is closed on a Sunday to allow the course to rest
0:07:02 > 0:07:03and a lot of people go walking on it.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- Really?- They just ask you to stay off the greens.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- They do not check to see if you have these?- I don't think so, not now.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12You could try it. I think it is great.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13What a lovely story.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16This will appeal to collectors, both of walking sticks
0:07:16 > 0:07:21and people like yourself who are golfers.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22How did you come by this?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25It belonged to my mother. She had it for many years.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Although she wasn't a golfer,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30she was very interested in golf and anything Scottish.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Right. So why are you selling this?
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Well, I don't collect golf memorabilia
0:07:34 > 0:07:37and it's been in the cupboard by my golf bag for years.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40So I thought I would try and flog it to see what I get for it.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45Now, I would be inclined to estimate this in the region of £30-£50.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49- Yes.- If it made 50 or 60, I wouldn't be surprised,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52but I can't see it making much more than that.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55I think, if we are going to sell it at that estimate,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58if we could sell it without reserve, it will find its level.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02There will be collectors all over the world for this sort of thing.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Let us hope it comes up to par
0:08:05 > 0:08:07and we have a successful sale.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- If we do, I will see you in the 19th.- That would be great.- OK!
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I can't bear all of these golfing puns!
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Now, Anita's about to tee off her next valuation.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19- Brenda, welcome to Flog It! - Thank you.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22It's lovely to have you along in this wonderful setting.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24- It is lovely.- I like this watch.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Tell me, where did you get it?
0:08:27 > 0:08:31I bought it from a little antique shop in Berwick about 25 years ago.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32I paid about £30 for it then.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Right, why did you buy it? What drew you to it?
0:08:35 > 0:08:39It was the face and it hadn't faded and I thought, "Yes, I like that."
0:08:39 > 0:08:41So where has it been for the last 25 years?
0:08:41 > 0:08:45- In a cupboard, in a drawer, in a plastic box.- Oh, right!
0:08:45 > 0:08:49I have never had it out. Never had it out.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- So it was just a casual buy at the time?- I just liked the look of it.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57Well, I can understand that. I see a lot of this type of watch.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00It is a ladies fob watch.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02This one is particularly pretty.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07These watches often have damage on the porcelain face.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08This one is in perfect condition.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10And I particularly like the numerals.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15And I also like this lovely gilt decoration,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18which goes round the face.
0:09:18 > 0:09:19The hands are still there,
0:09:19 > 0:09:25and, again, the gilt decoration is repeated in the middle of the watch.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26Yes. Yes, it is.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29So it is very pretty and it's very feminine.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33That is what I thought at the time, actually.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37And then you put it in a drawer and forgot all about it.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39It is Victorian.
0:09:39 > 0:09:45It dates from the latter part of the 1800s, early 1900s.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Now, it would have been attached to a long chain
0:09:48 > 0:09:51which she would have had around her neck,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54or she may have had it attached to a chatelaine,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58which was a device she'd wear on her belt to keep her little watch
0:09:58 > 0:10:02and the other little everyday things that she might need.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07- Right.- This little chain here is, perhaps, not the original chain.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11- It is not anything of any great substance.- No.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13We have looked at the front of it.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17If we turn it around and open it to look at the back,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21- we can see a mark, "935".- Right.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Now, this is a continental silver mark.
0:10:24 > 0:10:31It tells us that there are 935 parts of silver per thousand.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34So there is a little bit of base metal in there
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and that is just to harden the metal up.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40If we look at the back,
0:10:40 > 0:10:45we see this very nice chased and engraved decoration here.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49So, all in all, it is quite a nice little item.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53- Do we know if it's working or not, Brenda?- No, I've never used it.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56You've never used it? Maybe you felt you deserved a wee treat?
0:10:56 > 0:11:00- Well, we all do, don't we, sometimes? - I completely agree with you.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Let's think about price. You paid £30 for it.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- Yes, I am sure I did.- And you bought it in a retail situation?
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Yes, just a little antique shop.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14I would put an estimate of £30-£40.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19So it will not have increased a great deal in value and, perhaps,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23- we would put a reserve of £25. How do you feel about that?- That's fine.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27- That's fine.- I think the pleasure that was got from it was when you bought it.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- I think it was. I think it was! - When you bought it!
0:11:31 > 0:11:33I look forward to seeing you at the auction
0:11:33 > 0:11:37- and we will have some more fun. - Thank you very much.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Well, let's hope Brenda gets a great price for that watch.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Then maybe she can use the money to buy something fabulous
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and experience that buying buzz once more.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Now, what's going on on David's table?
0:11:49 > 0:11:51- Hello, John.- Hello.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- You look as if you are challenging me to a duel.- Yes.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57- We are in the right place for it. - We are indeed.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59I don't think I'd be very good at it, really.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02I'd run a mile if anyone threatened me with a sword!
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Anyway, I can't claim to be an expert on swords, so I will be led by you.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09- You obviously collect them.- Yes. - So you must know a bit about them.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11A little. Just what I found online.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Is this the extent of your collection, or have you got other ones at home?
0:12:15 > 0:12:19- No, I have a few more at home. Three more.- Right.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22So let's start with this one, which is presumably an infantry sword?
0:12:22 > 0:12:27An infantry sword from about 1820, something like that.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29And how did you come by this one?
0:12:29 > 0:12:31I was working for a pub,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35doing a job, and these were in the cellar, these two,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39all covered in paint and rust and they were going to throw them out.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42I asked if I could have them and they said, "Take them."
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I cleaned them up and I found this one was a Percy Tenantry one
0:12:45 > 0:12:47and this is a light cavalry sword.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52- So this is a cavalry sword, not infantry?- Well, I think so. I'm not so sure about that.- OK.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55I am sure you are right. Tell me more about that one.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58The Percy Tenantry were from Alnwick Castle here.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02It was Lord Percy who had a sort of Dad's Army in the 1800s,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06in case Napoleon invaded Britain. That is all I know about that one.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Thank heavens he didn't!
0:13:08 > 0:13:12- This one is the US Navy.- Right. And who is this one by?
0:13:12 > 0:13:16- Horstmann and Sons, Philadelphia. - Philadelphia. OK.
0:13:16 > 0:13:17So that was made in America.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21This looks to me as if it might be based on an earlier pattern
0:13:21 > 0:13:26- but I would expect that to have been made in the 20th century.- Right.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29It has "USN" on the guard, doesn't it?
0:13:29 > 0:13:33I guess, really, the most interesting one, because of where we are...
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- Percy Tenantry. - It has local interest, doesn't it?
0:13:36 > 0:13:40And I daresay they are not uncommon but have you ever seen one before?
0:13:40 > 0:13:45- Never. No.- I think that will generate some interest.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Any idea what the market value is?
0:13:47 > 0:13:51- I bought this one at auction for £80.- And these two you acquired,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53so they don't stand you in at anything.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56As far as you're concerned, are you looking to get money back?
0:13:56 > 0:13:59- I would like to get my money back on them, yes.- OK.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03I have a figure of £200 plus in mind
0:14:03 > 0:14:05for the three of them.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09I think they should be sold in one lot but the auctioneer may decide to split them up
0:14:09 > 0:14:12and sell them individually.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- We will be guided by them on that.- Yes.- OK.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17So let's go for an estimate of £200-£300
0:14:17 > 0:14:21- and a reserve of £200. - Right, very good.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Fingers crossed there are some bidders on the day
0:14:23 > 0:14:27determined to battle it out for those swords.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32So let's get our items over to the auction house in Tyne and Wear sharpish!
0:14:32 > 0:14:34And just to refresh your memory,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37here's a quick recap of what we're taking with us.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Beryl's Imari plate has travelled all the way from Japan.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42But will it be flying out of the saleroom,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45or flying back into Beryl's arms?
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Richard's Sunday stick might have once been illicit
0:14:52 > 0:14:56but I think David's given it a perfectly respectable valuation.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05You'll have to watch this space to see if Brenda's little timepiece makes Anita's estimate.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11And we're about to find out if David has been cavalier
0:15:11 > 0:15:14in his valuation of John's sword collection.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26This is where it gets exciting. It's auction time.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Today's sale is taking place at the Boldon Auction Galleries.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Hopefully it's going to be jam-packed inside.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Well, our luck is in. We've got a great turnout.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40But will the bidders be putting their money where their mouth is?
0:15:40 > 0:15:43And as Giles Hodges takes to the rostrum,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47there's no time to waste because our first sale is coming up right now.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51This is classic auction fodder, really. Imari plates.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56Japanese. Lovely. £40-£60. Should do that any day of the week.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- Why are you selling this? - It is big and cumbersome.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Where has it been for the last few years?
0:16:01 > 0:16:06In a drawer. It is too heavy to put on the wall.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08It is a shame, really, cos it is pretty.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11You should have things like that on the wall!
0:16:11 > 0:16:16- My mum would have that on the wall. - I have too many pictures of grandchildren and what have you.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Good luck. Going under the hammer now.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22We have the Japanese octagonal Imari wall plaque.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I am bid 20 to start it. At 25.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31- Come on!- 30. 35. 40. Five? At £45?
0:16:31 > 0:16:37- On my left at £45. 50 anybody? - Come on!- £45.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41- 50. I have got the hand at 50.- 50. - That is good.- 55.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45- 60. Five. 65. - Someone else is bidding now.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47- It is at £65.- Come on!
0:16:47 > 0:16:49At £65 for the last time. At 65.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52That's a good price!
0:16:52 > 0:16:56- That's a very good price.- Good, good.- Yes.- Happy?- You said 40-60.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58- Yes, I am thrilled.- Very good. Well done, Anita.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01It hovered about 40 for a wee while and then a fresh bidder.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05A fresh bidder came in. That is what auctions are all about.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- This was your first auction, wasn't it?- Yes. Yes.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Well, what a great start!
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Next up, Richard's Sunday stick.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16I wonder if this will find its way back to Scotland.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Have you done more research?
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Yes, well, I found it was the church that banned golf on a Sunday.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23- They disapproved of it strongly.- Yes.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27So the Sunday sticks were invented at the turn of the century.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29- A nice thing, though, a nice thing. - Yes, unusual.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33I have a mate who plays golf every Sunday. If he was prevented, he'd be furious.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- His world would fall apart, would it?- It would.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38I think this will go back to Scotland.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43There is a lot of golf memorabilia in Scotland. Good luck. Here we go.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48We have the Sunday stick in the form of a golf club.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50And I am bid 40 to start it.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54- At £40. 45. 50. Five. - That was good.- 60.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58At £60. Anybody else left? 65. 70.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02- Five.- Someone on the phone. - 80. At £80. Are you all done?
0:18:02 > 0:18:06At £80 and we are away. At 80.
0:18:06 > 0:18:1085. Just in time on the net.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14At £85. All done, ladies and gents? On the internet.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17The room is out too. At £85.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21- Yes, that is more like it, isn't it? - That is good.- That is a good price.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Someone was serious. That is going in a collection.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27- I hope so, yes. - Thank you for bringing it in.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29- We've learned something.- Absolutely.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Well, it is fast and furious today
0:18:36 > 0:18:39but up next we have a ladies fob watch belonging to Brenda.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Unfortunately, she can't be here
0:18:41 > 0:18:44but we do have Anita and we are looking for that top end.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48Yes. These little fob watches are quite common
0:18:48 > 0:18:51but this is a particularly pretty one.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54The porcelain face is in wonderful condition
0:18:54 > 0:18:57and it has lovely gilt and silver decoration.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59So I like this one.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Something a little different to catch attention.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Here we go. It's going under the hammer right now. Good luck.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09We have the ladies fob watch with the decorative dial
0:19:09 > 0:19:11and the little silver chain.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13And I am bid 10 to start it. At 10.
0:19:13 > 0:19:1715. 20. 25. Back of the hall.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19We are hoping for around £20-£25.
0:19:19 > 0:19:2130. 35. 40. Five. 50.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25£50 on the front row.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27At £50. Anybody else left?
0:19:27 > 0:19:31- That is good.- At £50. We are away at 50.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35That's a good result and they liked it because of the decoration.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- It was very, very pretty and the watch was very fresh.- Good.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42I'm sure Brenda will be chuffed with that result.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46They do say in the trade that the auction room is the cutting edge,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49so it's the perfect place to sell three swords belonging to John.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52We have a value of £200-£300 on these.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55I like the naval sword. Why are you selling?
0:19:55 > 0:19:59I just have one or two spare swords. I came to value them.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Hopefully we'll get the top end. There's three of them.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09John's a knowledgeable chap. He knows more about these than I do. He helped me through this one.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12- Thanks for saying that. - You do. It's a nice little lot.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16The US naval sword and two others. I have 200 bid.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20220. 250. At 250.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24280 now? At 250. 280.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27300. 320.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29It's on the phone at £320.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31To the phone.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34This is good. This is good. 340 now.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38360. 380.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40They are thinking about it.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42400.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45420. 440.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49At 440. It is on the phone.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- 460, it is on the net.- The suspense is killing me.- 460.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56480.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01- Still on the telephone. - It has all gone very quiet.- £480.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Are we all done, do you think? At £480. And we're...
0:21:05 > 0:21:08- 500.- Oh!
0:21:08 > 0:21:11520 on the phone.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14At 520.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17- Somebody really wants them. Somebody on the phone.- At £520.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Are we all done on the internet? The bid is on the phone.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24At £520.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29Yes, we will take that. 520. Well done. Well done.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32- I am very pleased.- I bet you had an idea it was worth that.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- About that, I thought. 400-500. - I said he knows his stuff.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40It's all going swimmingly here and we'll be back later on
0:21:40 > 0:21:43with three more lots to go under the hammer.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Auctions attract all manner of historical items,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49including diaries and personal letters.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54It's amazing how much they fetch. This letter sold for £550
0:21:54 > 0:21:56at an auction house in 2010
0:21:56 > 0:22:00and I want to explore the shocking history surrounding it.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05It describes a dramatic eight-year ordeal
0:22:05 > 0:22:10and it was written by the Countess of Strathmore in 1785.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16This is Gibside, a splendid 18th-century estate,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20nestling in the countryside ten miles outside Newcastle city centre,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23and it was built to display its owners' opulence
0:22:23 > 0:22:26but its history reads like a tragedy.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30OK, it looks like a fine house. It looks enchanting and inviting
0:22:30 > 0:22:36but for one woman it must have felt like a prison.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41In the beginning,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45it was simply a case of owner George Bowes showing off.
0:22:45 > 0:22:51He created these luxurious stables to rival his contemporaries' houses,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54designed an exquisite Palladian chapel for his own burial
0:22:54 > 0:22:55and became renowned as having
0:22:55 > 0:22:58one of the most impressive estates in the land.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00All this worked well for him
0:23:00 > 0:23:03but it was when Gibside was passed down to his daughter,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Mary Eleanor, that things took a dark turn.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Mary Eleanor was just 11 when her father died.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Overnight, she instantly became the richest heiress in the country,
0:23:20 > 0:23:26with an estimated worth of around £150 million in today's money.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28That's a staggering amount.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31It instantly made Mary Eleanor a very desirable young lady
0:23:31 > 0:23:34but it was also the recipe for disaster.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42As the years passed, she eventually settled on a suitor, a chap called John Lyon.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44They were in love and they married.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49But, sadly, the Countess was left widowed at the age of 28.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Newly single, she lived in London enjoying the high life,
0:23:53 > 0:23:58where she met a man who would dramatically change her life.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Andrew Robinson Stoney was an adventurer,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06conman and despicable rogue.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07He had his sights on Gibside
0:24:07 > 0:24:12and would do ANYTHING he could to snare Mary Eleanor.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Anonymous letters started appearing in a London newspaper
0:24:16 > 0:24:18blackening her name.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Stoney, apparently aghast at these accusations,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25penned replies in her defence, which were also published.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28When the letters continued,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Stoney challenged the newspaper editor to a duel.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34He lost and was seemingly fatally wounded.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Stoney asked to see Mary Eleanor.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39He had one final request -
0:24:39 > 0:24:42to marry the woman he was prepared to die for.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Moved by this act of kindness, Mary agreed.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49They hurriedly made arrangements to wed before Stoney slipped away.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50But what would you know?
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Shortly after the wedding, Stoney made a miraculous recovery.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59The duel was a set-up and Stoney had written all the letters himself.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04Unbeknown to Stoney,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Mary Eleanor had entered into a legal agreement
0:25:07 > 0:25:09with her first husband's family,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12ensuring that the estate be protected, in its entirety,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15for her eldest son to inherit.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19When Stoney discovered this, he went absolutely berserk.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21But, having married into wealth,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24he was determined to live the life of a millionaire.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Mary Eleanor afforded him this life of luxury
0:25:27 > 0:25:31because she had a rather generous monthly allowance.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35But Stoney ran up huge gambling debts
0:25:35 > 0:25:39and, much worse, he treated his wife despicably.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42The statue you can see behind me was built by her father.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45It's a representation of Liberty
0:25:45 > 0:25:48but, ironically, Mary Eleanor was held prisoner for eight years
0:25:48 > 0:25:51at the hands of this evil man.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56Eventually, after unspeakable torture at Stoney's hands,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Mary Eleanor managed to escape.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02She wasted no time in starting divorce proceedings.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07But Stoney was not giving up that easily.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12He knew that if Mary Eleanor was successful, he would be arrested for bankruptcy.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20As a child, Mary Eleanor would have seen teems of horse-drawn coaches
0:26:20 > 0:26:22coming in and out of these stables,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25delivering her father's rich guests.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28Never would she have imagined how one such journey
0:26:28 > 0:26:31would be so terrible for her in later life.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35The year after her escape, Stoney employed four thugs
0:26:35 > 0:26:38to kidnap her while she was out shopping in London.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43They forced the terrified countess into a horse-drawn coach
0:26:43 > 0:26:47and raced up the country with her friends chasing in hot pursuit,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50ending up in Streatlam castle, the Bowes' ancestral home.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Here, Stoney puts a pistol to Mary Eleanor's head
0:26:53 > 0:26:58and demands she stops the divorce proceedings at once but she refuses.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01She'd rather die than live a life of hell at Gibside.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04With her friends in hot pursuit, Stoney forces her onto a horse.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09They gallop off to Newcastle and from there over the Pennines.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12After 11 days of pursuit, they reach Darlington where,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15thankfully, a local blacksmith recognises Mary Eleanor,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18knocks Stoney out, and helps her escape.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23Divorce proceedings are resumed.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26The trial lasts two bitter years,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29where Stoney does everything in his powers
0:27:29 > 0:27:32to tarnish Mary Eleanor's reputation.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36He even feigns illness to try and win public sympathy.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40But at last, the countess gets her divorce.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Their high-profile case was groundbreaking.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Back then, divorce was very rare
0:27:45 > 0:27:48and it was even rarer for a woman to instigate it.
0:27:48 > 0:27:53Stoney was arrested for bankruptcy and put in debtor's jail.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Finally, Mary Eleanor was free of Stoney.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59She retreated to Hampshire to live a quiet life,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02where she made peace with her estranged children.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Mary Eleanor died in 1800, aged 51.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Stoney died in jail.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13The estate carried down Mary Eleanor's family tree.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16The best-known of the Bowes-Lyons is the Queen Mother,
0:28:16 > 0:28:20who would have visited Gibside in her youth.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24But increasingly the family were not interested in living here
0:28:24 > 0:28:25and the estate slipped into ruin.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30But in 1966, parts of Gibside were taken over by the National Trust,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33who have brought the estate back to life.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37Mary Eleanor's life was far from a fairytale story
0:28:37 > 0:28:41but undoubtedly this is a house with a story to tell.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43These days, the grounds are open to the public
0:28:43 > 0:28:46but, sadly, the house is a little too rundown to explore.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50The grounds are a wonderful place for families to visit.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53All the time and money George Bowes lavished
0:28:53 > 0:28:55on this estate all those years ago
0:28:55 > 0:28:57can now finally be enjoyed and appreciated,
0:28:57 > 0:29:01in a way that, sadly, Mary Eleanor was unable to do.
0:29:08 > 0:29:14Well, after that dramatic tale, it's fitting we are back at our valuation day venue, Alnwick Castle.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18And the weather has taken a bit of a dramatic turn too.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20So I am escaping inside
0:29:20 > 0:29:22to have a closer look at what Suzie has brought along.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30Hello, Suzie. At least we didn't get wet! Everybody ran for cover.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Right, let's get these out of the box. What can you tell me of them?
0:29:33 > 0:29:38Well, they belonged to a very dear friend's father.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42His father gave them to me as a present seven or eight years ago.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44OK. Well, these are fascinating.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47These are little muff pistols, designed to be in the muff,
0:29:47 > 0:29:51concealed in a hand muff, but generally they weren't used by women.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54They're more pocket pistols for gentlemen.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Tiny little things. I think a lot of people considered
0:29:58 > 0:30:02being shot by these was more of a hindrance rather than an injury.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05- Aren't they lovely?- Yes.- As you can see, the trigger is concealed,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08so it did not catch any fabric from the pocket or hand muff.
0:30:08 > 0:30:13If you pull the hammer, that enables the trigger to drop down there.
0:30:13 > 0:30:18And look at that lovely walnut stock. All crosshatched.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20So there is a nice bit of grip.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22You can see, look, there is a V with a crown.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25So we do know we can date these to the Victorian period.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28And I would say, circa sort of 1850-1870.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32- And there's a name. Can you see that? "AF Girding".- Girding, yes.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35- Do you think these were made for him?- I haven't a clue.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38The auctioneer may not know either but he will have people
0:30:38 > 0:30:43that collect arms and militaria. So we'll talk to him before the sale
0:30:43 > 0:30:45and we'll get a better picture.
0:30:45 > 0:30:50These unscrew and you can see where you put the black powder, just there.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52Not much at all. Not much at all.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54You load your bullet in there as well.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58A little bit of round lead. Screw the barrel back on.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03And there you are.
0:31:03 > 0:31:04POP!
0:31:04 > 0:31:07- And they are both working.- Mmm-hmm.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10- There has been a bit of damage to this one. Can you see that?- Yes.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14- Have you any idea of the value? - No, not really.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18If they were in immaculate condition, you may be looking at £500-£700.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21I think, because of the condition, I'd feel happy
0:31:21 > 0:31:24- if we put them into auction with a value of £300-£400.- Yes.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27- Would you be happy with that?- Yes. - Yes, happy?- Yes.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Fixed reserve at £300. See what happens.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33- Yes.- They are marvellous. The nicest thing I've seen today.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Proper history. You see real antiques turning up,
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and, for me, that's what the programme is all about.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Now, David is in the great hall with Heather,
0:31:42 > 0:31:46who has brought in a collection of picture postcards.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50One of your friends went on a lot of holidays if they sent all these!
0:31:50 > 0:31:54- It belonged to my aunt.- Oh, they're not yours?- It belonged to an aunt.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57And were you aware your aunt had this collection?
0:31:57 > 0:32:00- Oh, yes, as small children we used to look at them.- And is she still about?
0:32:00 > 0:32:05- Yes, she is. - She won't mind you selling them? - Not at all. Not at all.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09- So not too much of a surprise when she sees them on television?- No, no.
0:32:09 > 0:32:14Good. OK. We will have a look at them, page by page. Right.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17So far, I must say, a bit boring.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Although there is one of Alnwick Castle,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23where we are at the moment, of course.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28Oh, the Prince of Wales and his wife Queen Alexandra. They are a bit more interesting.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31But, generally speaking,
0:32:31 > 0:32:35they are postcards of views.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37And although they are saleable,
0:32:37 > 0:32:43they are probably among the least saleable of all postcards, really.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Why are you getting rid of them?
0:32:45 > 0:32:46They have been in the loft,
0:32:46 > 0:32:50so it is pointless keeping them if someone was interested in them.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54There certainly will be people who will be very interested in them.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57And, of course, in the days before mobile telephones and texts
0:32:57 > 0:33:00and e-mails and things, people did communicate.
0:33:00 > 0:33:05You sent one postcard, posted it after you got home, and everything was fine!
0:33:05 > 0:33:07- That's right.- No problems at all.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11I wish it were like that now! That's why there are so many postcards.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16You did draw my attention to this loose pile. And these are humorous.
0:33:16 > 0:33:21Whether you think they are funny or not is another matter but these are far more saleable.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24- Right.- I like this one. He is buying get well cards
0:33:24 > 0:33:27and he is a Scotsman, of course.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30And he says, "Have ye no one aboot saxpence?
0:33:30 > 0:33:33"It's for somebody no verra seek!"
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Terrible stereotype, isn't it, really?
0:33:36 > 0:33:40They are going to be worth a few pounds each.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44- You will not miss those ones either? - Definitely not, no. - Especially not those!
0:33:44 > 0:33:47So you want to sell them.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51- Have you any idea what they might be worth?- No.- OK.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56- I think we have got between £50 and £80 worth.- Right.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00- And I'd be inclined to put a covering reserve on of £30.- Right.
0:34:00 > 0:34:06- OK, I will see you at the sale. - And I am sure we will be fine. - That is lovely. Thank you very much.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09David may not have been taken by those postcards
0:34:09 > 0:34:12but on the other side of the hall,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Anita is getting very excited about something.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17Pat, welcome to Flog It!
0:34:17 > 0:34:23I absolutely love this wonderful, big pot.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Oh, that makes two of us!
0:34:25 > 0:34:29- Where did you get it?- It was a gift from my grandmother when she died.
0:34:29 > 0:34:34- It was left for me.- Can you remember it as a wee girl, Pat?- Yes.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38Towards the end of the war, I stayed with my grandmother in York
0:34:38 > 0:34:42and she used to always have this full of Victorian pennies
0:34:42 > 0:34:45and I was allowed to tip them out
0:34:45 > 0:34:48and drop them into this lovely vase.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Did you count them before you put them back in?
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Not always. I preferred the noise it made as they went in!
0:34:54 > 0:34:58Well, let us look at the item itself.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02I think it is absolutely beautiful. It is a big studio pot.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06That means that it wasn't factory made or mass produced.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10It was produced in a small studio or workshop.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13And every pot that they put out was an individual piece.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- Right.- When we look at the decoration here,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19we see these almost stylised fish.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Now, what has happened here,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27they have made this pattern, or this image,
0:35:27 > 0:35:31by scraping out the clay while it was still wet
0:35:31 > 0:35:35to make the lines which form up the pattern.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37And I love that.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39I like the fish motif.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43And this was very typical of this studio or workshop.
0:35:43 > 0:35:48It is the studio of Charles Brannam. And this was a Devon factory.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52Now, this studio started in the late 1880s
0:35:52 > 0:35:56and continued until the 1920s.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00And if we look at the base here,
0:36:00 > 0:36:05we can see the signature here for Charles Brannam.
0:36:05 > 0:36:11And this word here, "Barum", is a place in Devon.
0:36:11 > 0:36:17It also has a date on it and the date is 1892.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19So it's quite an old pot.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24- That's fascinating! - What did you like about it?
0:36:24 > 0:36:26First of all, the feel and the colours.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30And as a child, I don't know, it was just so different.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33As a child, can you remember it?
0:36:33 > 0:36:37Yes, the fish, and sometimes they would scowl at me.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41This one looks like a glowering fish! Where do you keep it?
0:36:42 > 0:36:46- Up in the attic!- Well, no wonder that fish is glowering!
0:36:49 > 0:36:54Well, I would put a value of between £100 and £200.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58It is fairly low and fairly wide.
0:36:58 > 0:37:03But I think that a collector would be prepared to pay £100 for that.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07I think it is certainly worth that. Shall we put it to auction?
0:37:07 > 0:37:08- Yes, please.- Wonderful.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10We will put it in with, perhaps,
0:37:10 > 0:37:14a reserve price of £80, just to protect it.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16But I am sure we'll get it away at that
0:37:16 > 0:37:20- and we might even get a wee surprise.- We might!
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Well, that is it. We have found our final three items to take to auction.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30You've seen them. You've heard what our experts had to say
0:37:30 > 0:37:33and you've probably got your own opinions but don't go away
0:37:33 > 0:37:36because there could be one or two big surprises.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39While we make our way to the auction room,
0:37:39 > 0:37:41it's time we said farewell to our host location,
0:37:41 > 0:37:45the magnificent Alnwick Castle.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48And here is what we are taking with us.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51I absolutely love Suzie's pistols
0:37:51 > 0:37:55and I hope they will make a real bang at the auction house.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01They might not be David's cup of tea but he is confident someone
0:38:01 > 0:38:05will have their head turned by this postcard collection.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13Whereas Anita has fallen for this Charles Brannam studio pot.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15But will the bidders agree and match her estimate?
0:38:23 > 0:38:27We are back at the Boldon Auction Galleries in Tyne and Wear.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Giles Hodges is overseeing proceedings
0:38:29 > 0:38:32and he is about to kick off our next lot.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Good luck, Pat. That is all I can say.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38A bit of West Country pottery going under the hammer right now.
0:38:38 > 0:38:44I like Brannam pottery. Were you searching, thinking, "It's Flog It! What can I bring along?"
0:38:44 > 0:38:46No, no. I went along just to enjoy the day
0:38:46 > 0:38:49and I thought, "Oh, I'll take the blue vase."
0:38:49 > 0:38:53OK. And you got talked into handing it over to Anita here.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56I love this vase! I love the decoration on it
0:38:56 > 0:39:00with these big, stylised fishes. It's lovely.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06We can talk until we're blue in the face but it is down to this lot. Here we go.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10The lovely, large stoneware vase by Charles Brannam
0:39:10 > 0:39:13with the swirled handles and fish decoration.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18- I've got two commission bids. 100 starts me straight in.- Yes!
0:39:18 > 0:39:21At £100. 10 will go. At 100.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24110. 120. 130.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27140. 150.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30160. 170.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33- 180. At 180. It's with me.- Come on!
0:39:33 > 0:39:38- 190. 200.- Yes, we've done it!- 220.
0:39:38 > 0:39:44240. Still with me at 240. Anybody left?
0:39:44 > 0:39:48- At £240, anybody on the net? - We'll take that.- At £240.
0:39:48 > 0:39:54For the last time at 240.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56- Yes!- £240.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00Somebody out there really wanted that. It's gone! It's gone!
0:40:00 > 0:40:04- But what a cracking price! - I'm so pleased.- Thank you.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08- Quality always sells, doesn't it? - Yes.- Quality always sells.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10And thank you for bringing in such quality.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12- Thank you for having me. - Have you enjoyed yourself?
0:40:12 > 0:40:14- I thoroughly enjoyed it.- Good.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18Well, that certainly made Pat one happy lady.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23Going under the hammer right now, we've got a collection of postcards belonging to Heather,
0:40:23 > 0:40:27- who is right next to me. Hello.- Hi. - Is this your first auction?- It is.
0:40:27 > 0:40:32- What do you think?- Good. Good, I'm enjoying it.- A big atmosphere here.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34It's electric, actually.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38Look, great little collection. We've had surprises before with postcard collections,
0:40:38 > 0:40:43- so fingers crossed there might be one or two valuable ones in there to push the price up.- Hopefully.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46But it's only the postcard collectors who really know that.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48Yes, they know their market well.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Going under the hammer right now.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56Large album of various postcards.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01I've got, again, three commission bids. I will start at £100.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03- We'll go in tens.- There you go! - 110. 120.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05130. 140.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08150. 160.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10170. 180.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12180 with me.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16- Have I missed anybody?- That's a nice little surprise!- Very surprising!
0:41:16 > 0:41:19190. 200. Still with me.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21You're both out.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25At £200 for the first and the last. At 200.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28- That's more like it!- Well, the bidders weren't mean, were they?
0:41:28 > 0:41:31- Very surprising.- There was something in there!- Must have been!
0:41:31 > 0:41:35There always is in a collection. What a first experience of auction!
0:41:35 > 0:41:39- Definitely. Good.- Got the bug? - Oh, I'll have to come back, yes.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42- Do more decluttering. - Find more things to sell!
0:41:42 > 0:41:46Despite David not being enthusiastic about those postcards,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49they've certainly gone down well in this saleroom.
0:41:49 > 0:41:55Well, I've certainly been looking forward to having a chat to Suzie. It's great to see you.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59We're about to put the percussion cap pistols under the hammer, the ones signed "Girding".
0:41:59 > 0:42:02- The jury's still out on whether they were made for him or not.- Hmm.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Giles has done some work.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08He couldn't find anything else that you and I didn't know.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12So it's all down to the bidders. I'm quite excited about this.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- Are you? - I'm nervous and I'm very excited.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18Here goes! This is it!
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Lovely lot.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25The pair of percussion turn-off barrel pistols, "AF Girding".
0:42:25 > 0:42:30Lovely quality. Unfortunately, no boxes for them.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33I have...one, two, three, four, five, six, seven,
0:42:33 > 0:42:35eight, nine, ten, 11 bids.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37We have phone bids as well.
0:42:37 > 0:42:42- Wow!- I can start them off at 850.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49- Weren't expecting that as a starting point, were you?- 900.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53It is on Caroline's phone at £900.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57900. 950. 1,000.
0:42:58 > 0:43:041,100. That is 1,100. It is on Lucy's phone. Anybody else?
0:43:04 > 0:43:09- At £1,100.- Short and sweet, isn't it?- The internet is quiet too.
0:43:09 > 0:43:14At £1,100 for the last time.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17- At £1,100.- Susie, Suzie...
0:43:17 > 0:43:19£1,100. Bang! Straight in at £900.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Oh, you have got some tears. Oh!
0:43:22 > 0:43:25Thank you for bringing those in. That is a lots of money, isn't it?
0:43:25 > 0:43:29Whoever has bought them, enjoy them and look after them.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31Aw! And I am sure they have gone to a good home.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33What a wonderful way to end a show.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36- OK? Are you all right? - I am absolutely fine.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39- We'll look after you, don't worry. - First aid, please!
0:43:39 > 0:43:42We have tears here in Boldon, but, whatever you do,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45join us again soon because there are going to be more surprises to come.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48- But until then, it is goodbye from us two.- Wonderful.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Yes, thank you so much.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:44:11 > 0:44:14E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk