Stapleford Flog It!

What are the ingredients for a spectacular evaluation day?

Well, for a start, a wonderful historical setting like this.

A great crowd of people. Some valued experts.

And most importantly, a sprinkling of antique treasures.

Put all that together and what do you get?

ALL: Flog It!

This is where the journey starts for our owners today -

Stapleford Park in Leicestershire.

We've got a great crowd of people that have turned up.

It's just started to rain but it won't dampen our spirits.

There are smiles on everybody's faces because they're all hoping they'll get picked

to go through to the auction, where they could be going home with a small fortune.

Who's it going to be? Stay tuned and you'll find out.

And our mix of experts today is the perfect combination of the very sweet Mark Stacey...

-Do you pour your champagne out of that?

-Sometimes!

...and the unusually sour Elizabeth Talbot!

No. The quality of that is not great.

The dream valuation day for me

has a generous dollop of antiques in all shapes and sizes

and by the look of it, Stapleford Park isn't going to disappoint.

Items on Flog It! come from all over the world

and on today's show one of them fetches over £600 at auction.

But is it the figurines flown in from Ireland?

The doll made in Germany? Or the Scottish pottery?

Time for you antique spotters to see if you can calculate the collectables!

Everybody's now safely seated inside.

We're all out of the rain and it looks like Elizabeth Talbot

is our first expert to spot something.

Let's take a closer look at what she's found.

You've struggled out of the house with this wonderful large chair.

-The intention, presumably, is that you wish to sell it.

-I do, yes.

-Why?

-It was in the kitchen but we bought a larger dining table,

so it looks a bit squashed in there. So I think it can go.

So was this your after dinner reclining chair?

-Yes. It's very pretty, isn't it?

-It's a lovely chair. Is it a family heirloom?

No, it's not. I found it in an old barn in a very sorry state and I thought I'd rescue it.

So I had it reupholstered.

But with the new dining table and chairs, it's just a bit too big.

-So time to move it on.

-Time to move it on I think.

-Having found it in a barn, it didn't cost you a great deal?

-No.

-But you've spent a little bit restoring it?

-Yes.

This is quite a complicated shape to have reupholstered and so on.

But I think your choice of fabric is good

because you've not stamped your personal taste on it overly.

What you've done is let the chair shape speak for itself.

I think it's a good choice and it wears well, so that's nice.

The chair itself is Victorian. A Victorian lady would have sat in this.

It dates from the early part of Victoria's reign.

Often, there would be two chairs, one slightly bigger than the other,

and they were called ladies and gentleman's chairs.

It's a typical spoon back.

This wonderful curved spoon with deep buttoning which has been well reproduced.

Then these lovely scrolls which were popular in the period,

right down to these wonderful sinewy legs and this is all done in walnut.

Is it? I was wondering about the wood.

Do you think the casters are original?

I think they probably are the original casters.

So you have the component elements of a chair

that just needed some TLC to the wood and to the upholstery.

-Do you bring it with any expectation of value?

-No. No idea.

-No?

-Not a clue.

Chairs are one of the first things to bounce back

after the lower value price is achieved at auction for furniture.

The prettier the chair, or the more evocative of an era the chair stylistically, the better.

To be fair to you, I think the current market value

for a chair such as this is round about £120 to £180.

That's wonderful. That's good.

Go back 10 years, they were making at least double that.

So we have in real terms come back quite a way but they are picking up.

The market is still moving, so it may yet be towards the top end of that rather than the bottom.

£120 to £180 is a realistic estimate.

£120 reserve if you'd like a reserve. Would you like a reserve?

What do you think? £100 reserve.

£100 reserve. That's fine. We'll put £100 reserve on it and see it fly.

-Let's hope so.

-And all your hard work will have paid off.

-Thank you.

-There was nothing else in the barn, was there?

-No!

Pamela's chair may not be high value

but there's a big market for some antique chairs.

This set of George III mahogany dining chairs

sold at Sotheby's in 2011 for a shocking £67,250!

And the price of a Chippendale can rocket sky high.

This arm chair is worth around £30,000!

Now that is what you call costly cushioning.

Now over on Mark's table, where Sue's brought in a sweet little pot.

Sue, how lovely to meet you.

-And you.

-You've brought a pot. Do you like it?

-Yes, I do.

-Why are you thinking of selling it?

-It just sits in the cupboard.

And you've brought it in today to have it looked at and hopefully to sell it?

Yes. I've had it for over 20 years.

-Did you buy it or was it inherited?

-No. It was left in the house.

When we bought the house, this was one of the things that was in the cupboard with a load more pots.

-That's where it came from.

-What a lucky find.

-We did get the dry rot as well!

-In that case, not so good luck! What do you think it was used for?

-Honey?

I thought I was going to trip you up there. I thought you were going to say jam.

It's honey, because we've got the bee hive and the bees painted on there.

But the nice thing about this is that it's made by a specific factory in Scotland called Wemyss.

It's got the mark underneath.

We've got 'Wemyss' and then 'T. Goode and Son', which is Thomas Goode and they were their London retailers.

This is a very collectable type of pottery.

It's quite fragile. It's got a high glaze on it.

It's very prone to chipping and crazing and this one has been crazed quite a bit

and there's the odd chip on it as well, which is a bit disappointing.

But it does happen, I'm afraid.

The late Queen Mother was a huge collector of Wemyss.

She had a very big collection. I like it very much.

-What do we think it's worth?

-You tell me.

I think we're looking around the £100. What do you think of that?

-I had looked on the internet.

-What did it say on the internet?

£50 to £60, but they weren't honey ones, they were jam ones.

OK. Well, the t'internet is quite good for most things.

I think £50 to £60 is quite reasonable actually.

Of course, you don't know the condition of them.

I think a honey one is slightly more unusual.

Although, they are well known for producing things with bees and honey pots on them.

It has got a little bit of crazing. I have to take that into consideration.

I would be happy putting £80 to £120 on it.

-I do think it tells people it's there to be sold, if you're agreeable to that?

-Yes, I am.

Wonderful. Let's hope lots of people buzz in to the auction and want to buy it!

-That would be good.

-I'll see you on the day. Thanks, Sue.

-Thank you.

Well, I think that pot is pure nectar,

but we'll have to wait and see what the bidders think!

One of the researchers told me there's a great big antique

outside that I might be interested in.

And here it is. It belongs to John.

-Hello, John.

-Hello.

Thank you for bringing this in. Surely it's not for sale?

-Absolutely not.

-This has been in your family a long time?

-It has, since it was two years old.

-Wow.

My grandfather bought it, and I travelled in it since I was a baby.

It's an Austin.

-It is, Austin 10/4.

-So this dates to what?

-It was first registered on December 25th 1933.

-Gosh.

Was it ever your father's?

No, it came straight to me really.

Does it drive well?

Beautifully. I've been to Cornwall and Devon this year in it.

-What does it go to the gallon?

-30mpg.

-That's not bad.

-Not too bad.

Bet it took a long time to get to Cornwall!

Not really, it cruises at 40-50mph.

I love the colour blue as well. A sort of Oxford blue.

What are these worth on the open market?

I would say around £5,000, probably.

One day somebody is going come along to a valuation day,

with something like this,

and they are going to say, "Paul, I want to sell it."

And if you're that person or you know somebody,

tell them to bring it along to one of our valuation days,

because we would love to sell something like this.

Thank you so much. Motoring history.

Hello, Jill.

Hello, Elizabeth.

Tell me what you've brought to Flog It! today.

I've bought this really lovely book of miniatures.

What can you tell me about your lovely book of miniatures?

I think I bought several books at the same time.

-So it was a mixed lot.

-Yes.

Came in with something else. Goodness.

Why did you buy it?

I think it speaks for itself. It's beautiful. It's a beautiful book.

I think this is marvellous.

I think it's a super book, and I can see why you're so fond of it.

It's a limited edition book, privately printed.

This is number 61 of 100.

It's a sumptuous volume which would have been very expensive originally.

It comes in its own presentation box, which is looking a bit tatty,

but these boxes were intended to keep the precious book really well,

and it's done its job. It is lovely.

It comes in this gilt-tooled vellum cover,

and it was printed in 1913.

-If we open it up, even that is just lovely.

-It's beautiful, isn't it?

Very Art Nouveau in its influence in terms of decoration,

but, there are 98 miniatures illustrated here,

some in colour, and most of them are photographs in black and white.

Interestingly, the colour ones are at the front, limited number,

and they're of royalty.

So, at the front here we've got the signature by Charles Turrell

and the fact that it's number 61, from 100.

Now, Charles Turrell is considered to be one of the finest miniaturists

that the late Victorian and Edwardian period saw.

And I just want to show some of these pages.

At the start here, we have Queen Alexandra.

She had her coloured one in a gilt frame, there.

Originally exhibited in the Royal Academy in 1884.

It's full of lovely information there about the painting.

I like this one. The children of Lord and Lady Warburton.

I think that's a lovely family portrait.

And then the other one that I quite like, a childlike one,

but quite appealing, Percy, son of Mr and Mrs Percy Rivington.

It's lovely. With his cat. So, Jill, why are you selling?

I just need the room, to be honest.

It seems stupid, but I do need the room.

Really, I've got so many books that I haven't got out.

-So, to sell one big book makes way for a few more smaller books.

-Yes.

Now, tell me. Have you any idea what the value might be?

I haven't any idea, really.

There was one sold at auction relatively recently.

And that one made £150.

So, that helps me to give a fairly current prediction

that I think, to be fair to you,

the pre-auction guide price for your one should be

in the region of £120-£150. So are you happy to sell it at that level

if we put a reserve on it for you?

Yes, I should hope so.

If we put a £120 reserve on it,

the auctioneer will catalogue it, all the details will be there,

and we will see what competition comes on the auction day.

And fingers crossed, we'll have lots to celebrate.

Thank you very much.

It's certainly very busy here.

We have been working flat-out,

and we have now found three items to take off to auction.

They are real gems and you've probably got your favourites.

Let's put those valuations to the test.

While we make our way over there, here's a quick recap

to jog your memory of everything that's going under the hammer.

Pamela's chair may have been discarded in a barn

but, with the tender loving care she's given it,

I'm confident it will fetch Elizabeth's estimate.

Mark's fallen for this lovely little Wemyss pot.

It hails from Fife in Scotland,

but what will it reach in Leicestershire?

And Elizabeth hopes the fact it's a limited edition

should mean this book of miniatures won't go for a miniature price.

We'll have to wait and see if she's right.

The sale is being held at Gilding's Auctioneers in Market Harborough.

On the sale preview day, I gave auctioneer John a visit

and he couldn't stop raving about one of our lots that he'd spotted.

This is exceptionally good. The quality's superb.

Book of miniatures.

It belongs to Jill. It's a limited edition. A series of 61 out of 100.

And we're only looking at £120-£150. Come and buy me.

Well, yes, I was going to say, would you like to not have

the excitement of the auction, and I'll have it from you at 110!

No, it doesn't work like that!

That's a very come-and-get-me.

-That's the sort of estimate we love.

-Yes.

Hopefully, we'll do it justice by working on it, and doubling the estimate?

I think so. It's fabulous quality, and it deserves that,

and as you know, quality always sells.

Yes, it does.

There is quite a big following on the miniatures.

I know they're probably prints inside

They're representative of what's out there, in the flesh.

And I think that should do extremely well. And limited edition. Only 100.

-And how many are surviving? We don't know.

-Exactly.

Looking at the condition of the actual book,

I doubt that it's, really, hardly been out.

And that's probably why there's lots of foxing on it,

because it's been shut in that case

and stuffed in the attic somewhere, where no air has got to it.

-Right, but look forward to having that one.

-Great. Great.

Well, John's certainly confident - but only the gavel will tell

if he's right to predict double the estimate.

That would mean a good profit, but you always have to take commission into account

when buying or selling at auction.

Rates vary, but here at Gilding's,

sellers are charged 16% plus VAT, as well as a small lotting fee.

The saleroom is filling up.

Our vendors are waiting nervously, so what are we waiting for?

Are you sitting comfortably?

Well, you could be, if you had this next lot.

It's a gorgeous Victorian walnut lady's chair with original castors.

It belongs to Pamela. And we're hoping for round about £150 plus.

A little bit more, even. It's quality.

-Now, you found this in a barn.

-I did.

-Not in this state, though.

No, I felt sorry for it.

-Chickens living in it?

-Yes!

I rang a friend and it was reupholstered after two or three weeks.

And it's lived in my kitchen for five years.

-And, you've used it every day?

-Every day.

-Great value for money.

You can't go wrong with Victorian furniture,

because you don't have to be precious about it.

It's built to do a good job

but this chair, particularly, is a classic up-cycled Victorian chair.

-Very nice.

-Very pretty chair.

-I like the chair.

And it's made of walnut, one of the most desirable and collectable woods.

Let's find out if the connoisseurs are here, right now.

It's going under the hammer.

The armchair.

Ooooh! It's going now.

THEY LAUGH

110, I'm bid, 110.

110 I'm bid, 110, 120, 130, where's 130?

You're out in the room. At £130, I shall sell, and it'll be all done.

-All out on the day.

-We're happy with £130. That's good. That's good.

You're happy, aren't you?

I am, very. Yes, definitely. Thank you very much.

You had the enjoyment out of that. Hopefully, someone will use that

and get another 10 or 15 years out of it.

You can't go wrong when you invest in good quality,

mid-priced antique furniture.

Start shopping in the antique shops and auction rooms.

Great start! What a brilliant find!

Now I love the story behind this next lot.

So, who would leave a Wemyss honeypot in the cupboard when they moved?

I certainly wouldn't, because I love my country pottery.

Sue, it's great to see you.

-Now, this, you inherited with the house you bought.

-Yes.

Do you think they got fed up with clearing and packing and thought, oh, we'll just leave that?

What a bonus. And you've used it ever since?

We haven't used it. It's been in the cupboard.

Did you realise it would be worth so much?

Not so much, but I knew it was collectable.

It's rather nice because it's got the beehive painted on it,

with the little bees flying around.

There is a great market for Wemyss. We just need to find the right buyer

and hope they pay the top end of the estimate. Good luck. Here we go.

The Wemyss preserve pot.

Everybody likes the Wemyss preserve pot.

And what will you say for that? Open the bidding.

£80 opens the bidding, with me at 80.

Well, we've got it.

Five, 90...

£90, at 90, is that everybody finished?

At £90 I'm bid. And five.

And five, 100.

-Great, he's got a bid on the book, as well.

-£100 I'm bid.

All out on the net. All out in the room. Commission takes. £100.

The hammer's gone down. You see?

Very collectable, yes.

For me, those little pots sum up living in the countryside in an old house.

Proper kitchen, all the family round, everyone mucking in.

That, to me, is brilliant.

They look great if there is a collection of them,

with all the different patterns. They're lovely.

Without little fingers!

-We're mid-estimate, we're happy with that.

-Yes, we are.

-Jolly good.

Good work, Mark. Now our next lot is something really unusual.

Going under the hammer right now, that superb book of miniatures.

Limited edition, 61 out of 100.

It belongs to Jill, and not for much longer.

This is going to sell.

Why are you selling this?

Because I can't display it.

And we've moved, and we haven't got such a big place now, so...

It's lovely. It shouts "quality",

and it's one of my favourite pieces in the sale.

And it's so tactile, as well. You can just sit and look through it. It's lovely.

And one of John's favourite pieces.

We had a chat with him yesterday on the preview day.

He fell in love with it, and he said it smacks quality.

The Charles Turrell miniatures.

A lovely book this is, limited edition, 61 of 100.

What will we say for that? I'm bid 85 on commission.

90, five, 100, and ten.

120. We're out on the net. £120.

He's got commissioned bids now, on the internet.

On commission now, at £130, I'm bid.

It's a lovely book, here, at 130, we're all out in the room.

-Back on the commission bid, the Internet.

-All out on commission.

-Selling at £130. All finished.

-That's a good result.

-The hammer's gone down. Are you happy with that?

-Very.

That was worth a trip, wasn't it?

to Stapleford Park, and the auction room, today.

Thank you so much, because it gave us so much to talk about. Quality.

Well, it might not have doubled the estimate,

but that's still a great price.

Now, during my time in Leicestershire,

I travelled to a place just 15 miles away,

but it feels like another world entirely. Take a look at this.

I'm here on the streets of Leicester,

which is a wonderfully busy and diverse city.

Now, there's around 240 faith groups

that run across 14 different religions here,

and one of them is the ancient Indian religion of Jainism.

It's estimated there's around 12 million Jains worldwide.

And, throughout the 1970s, many of them left India

to come and settle here, in the UK.

It's estimated there are around 1,000 Jains here in Leicester.

So, why am I talking about Jains?

Well, because the only Jain centre in the world is right here.

And what a building it is!

You'd never guess, but it was originally a Congregational chapel.

This striking marble front is typical of traditional Jain style

and imported from India, where there are over 10,000 Jain monuments and temples.

CHANTING

Inside the centre, original church features blend beautifully

with traditional Indian design.

The organ was removed, the altar has been lowered

and the balcony was taken out to create this upper hall.

The old church ceiling has been preserved

and the windows are still stained glass, in keeping

with what was here before - but adapted to show images from Jainism.

The centre opened in 1988,

and its aim was to be internationally recognised

as a hub, for Jain heritage and religion to be shared.

It's also a place of worship, study and meeting.

It's also the first place in the Western world

to have consecrated images, which means senior monks in India

have performed a ceremony of consecration over the figures,

allowing them to be worshipped.

This makes this centre a unique draw for Jains far and wide.

I want to find out more about the religion itself.

Smita Shah is the centre's President.

Tell me a little bit about the fundamentals of Jainism.

Jainism is an ancient religion,

and the word "Jain" is derived from Jinnah. Jinnah means

to have victory over oneself, and to conquer one's desires and passions.

For example, ego, greed, and so on and so forth.

And so, Jainism's cardinal principle is non-violence, ahimsa,

and it's ahimsa in a very subtle form.

So, it's about interdependence of nature and human life.

And you're vegetarian?

Most Jains practice vegetarianism.

Also, it is very subtle, in the sense that,

even when I am coming from home to pray here,

we enter the temple and we say "Nishihi" three times.

What does that mean?

It means that, in my journey, if I've harmed anybody

inadvertently, from the tiniest form of insect, I ask their forgiveness.

Do Jains worship gods?

It's a very interesting point, Paul, because Jains worship Tirthankaras.

Tirthankaras are the ones we revere, and we equate them to God.

They are the ones who show us, and they are divine,

spiritual creatures, who show us the path to Nirvana.

This is the only place in the world that brings together

the two main sects under one roof -

the Swetamber sect and the Digamber sect.

There are actually five individual temples within the centre,

one for each sub-sect.

INDIAN MUSIC

Although Jain art and architecture is breathtakingly beautiful,

Jains firmly believe their temples are,

first and foremost, religious buildings,

and any artistic qualities are subsidiary

to their spiritual requirements.

Having said that, you can't ignore this, can you, once you're inside?

My word! It's spectacular.

This is as elaborate as you'll find a temple in India,

with its shimmering glass, tiles everywhere, lots of colour.

It's a kaleidoscope of colour, and these lovely,

big, heavy marble shrines with figures dotted around.

It's incredible.

But the most striking part of the centre

has to be the wonderful carvings in the Swetamber temple at the building's heart.

At first glance, these pillars look like they're made of wood,

but they're not, they're made from yellow limestone.

And it took 250,000 man hours

to carve these 44 columns

and assemble them all together.

They were then transported here to the UK, in small sections.

It then took ten artisans one year,

to jigsaw the whole thing back together.

And the carving here, this intricate carving,

that depicts mythological figures from Indian culture.

But let me just show you the ceiling above here,

because it took six craftsmen six months to carve

this one, circular section of this wonderful repetitive form.

All this has been done by hand, with mallets and gougers,

gently, into wood.

Up there, there's figures of deities,

and they protect the temple.

Everything around us, that's inner consciousness.

The atmosphere here is really calm and peaceful. It's so relaxing.

Yet, on the other hand, the centre is a vibrant place of worship.

Not just for the people of Leicester,

but for everyone from all over the United Kingdom and worldwide.

It's now a place of pilgrimage, and it's been a real privilege

for me to come here and admire the outstanding craftsmanship.

But, also, to gain a little insight into this ancient Indian religion.

We're back at Stapleford Park just outside Melton Mowbray.

Our valuation day is in full swing and our experts are raring to go.

But hang on a minute, where's Mark?

I thought I'd sneak you away and bring you into the Orangery,

-because it's such a pretty setting, isn't it?

-Yes.

You've brought these candlesticks. Can you tell us a little about them?

I inherited them from my father.

And I think it was my aunt that won them at the gymkhana.

-At the Gymkhana?

-Yes, in 1922.

So, they're quite old, aren't they?

-Pushing on for 100 years old, here.

-Yes.

I mean, that's really what I find quite interesting about them.

The actual candlesticks themselves are quite a regular piece we see.

I tend to refer to these as dwarf candlesticks,

-because they're tiny little ones.

-Yes.

But, the nice inscription here is Long Clawson Gymkhana, 1922.

"Bending, first prize goes to Merrylegs."

Which I thought was rather charming.

Now, could that be related to your aunt?

Yes, because whole family, my father and my grandfather, they bred horses.

Oh, right.

He was also a doctor.

-They won first prize at this gymkhana.

-Yes, yes.

Long Clawson is nearby, is it?

It is, it's about six miles outside of Melton.

-Oh, wonderful. There's local interest.

-Yes, yes.

I mean, sometimes it's difficult to predict with these things

because inscriptions can devalue a piece, as much as increase value.

These particular candlesticks are what we call filled,

so, when you pick them up, it isn't the total weight of the silver.

Oh, I see, yes.

They've been filled at the base with a material,

to give them extra weight, so they sit firmly on the table.

So, the actual silver is like a sheet of silver that's gone on them.

I didn't know it was silver plate, or...

No, they are silver, they're hallmarked.

And they're rather charming. They need a jolly good clean.

They've been in a cupboard, have they?

No, I just found them in a box, up in the boxroom last night.

-You haven't seen them for a long time?

-No.

-Gosh.

I thought, I'll bring them along -

I obviously don't want them if I haven't been using them.

Exactly, you don't need them on your dining room table.

I think, if we were putting them into auction,

we'd be looking at something like £60-£80, for the pair, something like that.

-I didn't think they'd be that much.

-That's a surprise, is it?

-Yes.

-Well, I'm going to have first prize today, for surprising you.

-Oh, good!

I think they're great.

Hopefully, someone locally will want to buy them for a piece of history.

Do they still have a gymkhana?

I don't think so. They did until a few years ago,

but it seems to have gone out of fashion, to what they used to be.

What I would do is mention this in the cataloguing, to the auctioneer,

because that could, hopefully, add a little bit to the value.

And encourage a few extra bids. And we better talk about a reserve.

I suppose if we put a reserve of around £50 mark.

-Because you don't want to give them away.

-No.

And, hopefully, we'll get a bit more.

Well there you go Ann, you got that straight from the horse's mouth!

Back in the Grand Hall, Elizabeth's spied a doll.

But this one's more suited to traders than toddlers.

Thank you for coming in, Helen. You brought a little friend. Does she have a name?

No, I actually never got to play with her that much as a child,

so she didn't get named.

Oh, dear. What can you tell me about her history?

When I was a young girl,

my mum used to help out an old lady called Mrs Hawkins

who lived up the road, and would get her shopping for her,

and then, when she passed away, she left a few items to my mum and left her childhood doll to me.

Oh, how lovely.

Do you remember Mrs Hawkins?

-Quite vividly, actually.

-Quite fondly.

A Dickensian old lady sat in her front room,

because she didn't get out very much.

-So, do you remember the doll in her house?

-Yes, I do.

That's rather nice.

So you went out to play with her. Where's she been all this time?

Firstly, my mum, sensibly, decided to put her away

rather than her being played with or have her hair cut, etc.

Then when my Mum passed away, we found her again.

She was brought back into the light again.

-Do you like her? Some people don't like dolls.

-I do like her.

There's something slightly scary about the fixed face.

She's pretty.

Dolls have a variety of characters

and a lot of the value is in how amenable the face is.

That can add pounds or take pounds off the value of her.

She's got a bisque porcelain head,

which is typical of dolls made from the late 19th/20th century.

She's 100 years old or there about.

That would make sense.

Her hair is adhered to the back of her neck in a way

that I can't read the factory marks clearly.

I would suggest that she is of German origin.

She has a fabric body that goes down to the shoes

which have deteriorated.

For a collector, she's in lovely condition, although she looks tired,

she looks what she's meant to do, having lived for 100 years.

Her hair or her wig is made of mohair.

She's got these lovely hand painted cheeks and a rosebud mouth.

Really pretty with teeth at the top.

Little features like that are very important.

So often... you say you didn't cut her fringe or anything,

but at least the teeth haven't been pushed in.

Some children push the teeth in.

It spoils the aesthetic quality but also the value of the doll.

You're considering selling her

because she'd just go back in a box or cupboard?

Exactly and it does seem a shame.

She's probably spent the last 40 years in a box

and perhaps somebody could be enjoying her.

OK, in that case, looking to sell her,

I would be surprised if she made much more than £100-£120

as the markets stands at the moment.

I would propose that you put an estimate of £70-£100 on her.

With a reserve of 70, which you can have fixed if you wish.

I would advocate, from the auctioneer, a bit of discretion.

I think we should be very happy on the day.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for coming in. That's lovely.

Now this doll might not be to everyone's tastes

but it's unlikely to put off collectors,

as antique dolls can fetch a pretty packet in the saleroom.

Bidders regularly pay up to £1,000 for a good model.

The most popular types to collect

are French makes like Jumeau or Bru.

Bisque 19th Century dolls regularly fly in the saleroom too.

In fact, back in series nine,

we saw this one go under the hammer for a whopping £1,600!

Now, back in the orangery, Mark's found a Flog It! fan

who's flown in especially for the show.

Now that's dedication!

-Hello, Phylis.

-Hello, Mark.

I'm very impressed with you.

You've come all the way from Eire to show us your Beswick collection.

-I have. From County Wicklow.

-You love the show that much?

-Yes.

Well, I was so pleased that we managed to get you up to it.

You've brought this collection. Tell me about it.

You're obviously charmed by them.

I started collecting about 10 years ago,

all down to Flog It!

I thought I'd love to come on the show

and here I am today with my collection.

-You obviously love them.

-Some of them.

I wouldn't be into pigs or cats.

Why on earth have you built up the collection? I have to ask.

It was affordable and I had great pleasure collecting them.

-Did you let that collectors bug bite you?

-Yes.

-And you went mad?

-Yes.

-Every time you saw one you thought you had to have it?

-Yes.

Like all these new collecting areas,

Beswick figures are a bit of a rollercoaster.

I remember when the first Duchess, which we have here,

the black one with the pie, with a bouquet of flowers, was found,

and it made something like £2,000 or something.

Then of course as soon as you find one,

others come out of the woodwork and the prices drop.

I must admit, I'm never up to speed completely

with which figure is worth which amount.

We've had a scurry through the collection,

and there is one or two good ones, like the Duchess with the pie.

This piggy here has a different shade of blue that's in the book

which might turn out to be a different colour variation,

which might add value as well.

I'm a bit reluctant to sell them as a group

and what I was going to suggest to you,

is maybe separating them into two lots for the collection.

This little group that I'm moving now,

are the slightly more regular ones,

the ones you come across a little bit more regularly.

Those six figures there are the slightly rarer ones.

In terms of value, this little group here, around £150-£200 mark,

and that little figure group there, around 350 to 450.

We'll put a reserve on them at the low end of the estimate and fixed.

We won't sell them below that figure.

I think they should do quite well.

-Would you be happy to split them like that?

-Yes.

I have two ask though, you've been collecting them

and you've loved collecting them.

What made you now want to change? Have you gone on to something else?

-No.

-Or have you got so many, you can't house them any more?

No, that's my collection and I'm happy to sell them now.

I've had my pleasure.

-Had your pleasure, time for someone else to enjoy them.

-Yes.

That's great.

Thanks for bringing them and making that journey from Ireland.

-I hope you can make it to the auction as well.

-I hope I can.

Wonderful to see you again

and hopefully it'll be the little piggies who run all the way home.

I've had a lovely day today, anyway.

-It's been lovely to meet you, Phylis.

-And you too.

That's our last valuation of the day

and with such interesting items,

it's no surprise everyone's in good spirits!

We've now found our final three items,

so it's time to head off to the auction for the last time

and say a fond farewell to our magnificent host location,

Stapleford Park.

And here's a reminder of our fabulous items going to auction.

Ann's candlesticks may not be solid silver

but Mark's hoping they'll fetch a solid price in the saleroom.

By today's standards,

Helen's doll might be more frightening than fun,

but it should attract doll collectors

with this playful estimate.

And Mark's decided to split Phylis' figurine collection into two.

We'll have to wait and see if that boosts Phylis's profits

when they hit the auction house.

We're back at Gildings Auctioneers in Leicestershire.

Auctioneer, John, has been doing a sterling job

of seeing our lots away.

Don't forget the sellers' commission here is 16% plus VAT.

Next under the hammer, we've got a pair of silver candlesticks

dating from 1922, belonging to Anne.

When I first saw this, I thought, gosh,

a pair of silver candlesticks, with a value of £60-£80.

That's not a lot of money, is it?

I was thinking of something that size.

These are a bit of fun, aren't they? They're tiny.

And the inscription is fabulous. Why are you selling them?

Because they were upstairs in the box and I just found them

and thought I would bring them along and see.

They're nice being a little dwarf pair.

I think there's local interest with the gymkhana.

It's a sensible estimate.

-I just hope somebody finds them as appealing as I do.

-Good luck.

They're fun, let's find out what the bidders think.

Under the hammer right now.

Little dwarf candlesticks, Long Clawson Gymkhana.

There you go.

-What would you say about that? £60. £35 bid.

-Oh, come on.

-40...

We're going in the right direction. We do need a bit more.

-45, all done at 45?

-Yes, come on.

I'm getting excited.

-I thought someone was putting their hand up.

-£50 I am bid.

I thought there would be more. At £50, I have to sell.

Are you all done at £50? All done.

You placed a fixed reserve of £50, so we just scraped in with it.

Spot on that lower end of the estimate.

-Well done, thank you for bringing them in.

-Thank you very much.

Mark was on the money.

Let's see how Elizabeth fares with her next item.

Next up, the bisque faced doll and we're looking at £70-£100

and it belongs to Helen.

You can remember this as a little girl

because it was given to your mother by a next door neighbour.

-How old were you?

-I was about six.

-So there's memories here for you?

-Absolutely.

-Where has this been for the rest of your life? In a box?

Hidden from me by my mother so I didn't play with it.

Hence why she's stood in one piece.

Why have you decided to sell now?

A combination of things.

It's sitting in a box and nobody is appreciating it

and I'm going on a trip soon with my friend who's got a Lot here later.

That's quite exciting, isn't it?

Put your money together and blow it on a road trip somewhere.

We've sold them before.

I think we'll get this one away at that price.

Under the hammer now.

The character doll, lovely German doll again here.

All wrapped up in her own little clothes and 45, £55 bid.

55, 65, 70, you're out.

-We've got 70.

-At £70 I'm bid.

You're out at the door that way. Here at 70, all done.

-Sold underway at £70.

-It's gone, £70.

-You're happy with that?

-Very happy, yes.

It was the only one in the sale,

so it's a hard thing for people to find.

If there had been more here, more collectors would've come

and we'd have got a better price for it.

-I'm happy with that, so that's fine.

-Job done, I think, Elizabeth.

Another happy customer!

Now there's just time to squeeze in that Beatrix Potter collection.

Phylis, you started collecting your Beatrix Potter figures

when Flog It! first came out 10 years ago, didn't you?

10 years now. Was it Flog It! that influenced you?

In the first year, we had lots of Beatrix Potter figures,

all of those kind of things were the rage back then.

10 years later, here we are and you're on Flog It! now.

A dream come true!

Why have you decided to sell now after 10 years?

You were in the area where my daughter lives in England

and she's close by.

I came over and she brought me up to Flog It! for valuation day.

Unfortunately, she can't be with me today, she's working.

At least you get to come and stay with her again

and come and see her, which is nice.

Let's hope it's worth the trip.

I hope so, it's an interesting bunch.

We've split them into two lots, so fingers crossed.

This is it, Phylis, good luck.

-Let's hope it's worth that long journey.

-OK.

The first of these Beswick models.

Telephone in place.

I start the bidding at £140.

On commission at 140. £140 I am bid.

140. 140, me and you on the telephone. 150, on the telephone.

160 on commission.

It's on the net at 160. 170 on the telephone.

180 on the net? 190 on the phone.

The Internet is quite slow. It does slow the auction

because people take time to bid online and think about it.

He's monitoring the screen

and there's a battle going on with the phone.

All out in the room, all out on the net.

The telephone wins at £220.

Sold.

Well done, just shy of that £300, but £220 isn't bad.

It's above the low estimate which is good.

Very good start.

One more lot to go now.

Beswick models, six in this lot. A lot of interest here.

£200 opening the bidding.

£200 I am bid, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260,

270, 280, 290, 300...

This is good. This is what we like.

360, on the net.

380 in the room. 400. £400 on the net.

Telephone, 420 on the telephone.

420, I am bid, 420.

440, on the net. 440, I am bid.

460, on the telephone.

460, have you done then?

I shall close the bidding.

It's away at 460 to the telephone.

-Yes.

-Happy there, I think.

-Very good.

-Very, very good. The other one is a bonus.

-Exactly.

Thank you for bringing them in

and enjoy the rest of your time over here.

Thanks for taking part, it's been lovely to meet you.

Auctioneers may recommend splitting lots

like Mark did with this collection,

if they feel It'll generate a higher combined price.

Phylis' figurines have fetched a grand total of £680,

and I think that was a good call by Mark.

There you are, that's it, it's all over for our owners.

Another day in an auction room. What a wonderful time we've had.

We've learned something and so have our owners.

I hope you have at home and that's what it's all about.

If you've got antiques and collectables you want to sell,

we'd love to see you.

Bring them along to one of our evaluation days.

For now, from Market Harborough, it's goodbye from all of us.