Cardigan Flog It!

Today we're in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, West Wales, and we're here to rescue

all of those unwanted antiques to find them a new home. Welcome to Flog It!

Today we're holding our valuation day just outside the town of Cardigan at the Rhosygilwen Mansion

and this whole area is mainly a Welsh-speaking area full of tradition.

I know all of these people are so excited

because someone's going home with a lot of money

and they've come to ask our experts that all-important question.

-HE SPEAKS WELSH

-There you go. So I think it's about time

we got this big crowd out of the orangery into the main hall. Let's start valuing.

'Helping our crowd discover exactly what they have are our team of experts,

'headed up by Charlie Ross and Christina Trevanion.

'Charlie's a freelance auctioneer with a passion for cricket. Will he be bowled over by today's antiques?'

If you're thinking of a month in the Bahamas, I'm afraid it's more like a wet weekend in Tenby.

Hello. What have we got here?

'And Christina is an auctioneer and valuer who first became interested in antiques as a child.

'She's particularly drawn to jewellery and silver.'

-Is he a relative?

-I don't think so. SHE LAUGHS

'Coming up, we have a rollercoaster of emotions.

'Charlie battles with temptation.'

What an extraordinary collection! They're all fabulously interesting.

I wish I could buy them myself, but I'm not allowed to.

-'Christina has to handle some possible disappointment.'

-So it's a cheap brooch.

-It's mock agate and it's gold plate, not real gold.

-You said that.

-THEY LAUGH

'And I go from joy...'

You've made my day. Cos this is what it's all about, regional things.

'..to panic...' I'm feeling nervous about this!

'..and back again.'

They like it.

'Christina is first at the tables where she is assessing some gold coins.'

So, Christine and your tour boy Laurence,

welcome to Flog It! and thank you for bringing these wonderful sovereigns and half sovereigns.

-Tell me where they've come from.

-One gold sovereign and a half sovereign, I don't know which one it is,

-originally came from my mother-in-law.

-Right.

And they were left to my husband,

who mislaid them for the last 40 years.

And then he died two and a half years ago and I found them in a tin

-with a load of coins and that.

-OK.

-And then Laurence decided to put his four and bring them here today.

-Great!

So, we've got three sovereigns and three half sovereigns.

-Mm-hm.

-The sovereign was initially the first one-pound coin.

And the first sovereign was minted in 1489.

These, sadly, aren't as early as that. They are Victorian and later.

You've got a Victorian one here with a nice jubilee head

which is for 1887.

You've also got an Edwardian one there. I think that's 1902.

And a George V one here. So graduating nicely. You've got a nice set of monarchs there. Wonderful.

-Laurence, where did you get yours from?

-I've had mine since 1951.

1951? And where did they come from?

-From two aunts.

-OK. So what happens today? How are we going to split this money-wise?

-Is it going to be half and half?

-Yeah.

-Are we happy to sell them as one?

-Yes.

Yeah? OK, good, cos they are solid gold

and they do have, especially with gold weight at the moment, which is really peaking,

very, very high, I think at auction we'll be looking in the region

of about £150 for each sovereign and probably about £75 for each half sovereign.

So in total, I think that gives us about £650, slightly over maybe.

So I think our estimate needs to be somewhere in the region of 650 to 700.

-Oh.

-I think, at the moment, we'll be fairly safe with a reserve of 650.

-Yes.

-Laurence, what are we going to put this money towards?

-I've decided that if things go all right,

we're going to get a mobility scooter for Christine.

-A mobility scooter for Christine?

-A mobility scooter.

-Oh, fantastic!

-Cos you've got a bit of a poorly hip, haven't you?

-Yes.

-And he keeps dragging you around.

To all the agriculture shows and vintage car rallies and I can't keep up with him.

-So he goes round looking at new wheels and you're going to get a set of new wheels.

-That's right.

Fantastic. Thank you for bringing them in and I hope we get a really good price.

'Let's hope the bidders will want to snap them up. People bring a variety of antiques to our valuation days

'but there's nothing that gets me quite so fired up as furniture.

'I was so excited to see this next item that I intercepted Holly before she had a chance to get inside.'

Holly, thank you so much for bringing in a piece of Welsh furniture. You've made my day.

Cos this is what it's all about, regional things. Wherever we go,

it's always nice to see something that's made in the vicinity.

And this chair was made all over Wales, even on the Welsh borders around Herefordshire, as well.

-Do you know much about it?

-Not a huge amount at all.

I knew it was Welsh oak and that's it.

It doesn't get any better than Welsh oak. You know that.

It's got a completely different colour. I think there's something in the pH in the soil here,

because Welsh oak is slightly redder than Somerset or Yorkshire oak.

The patina is very, very good. That's what you buy into.

The colour, the patina. It's this skin, it's the surface on the skin.

Because over the years, oak tightens and the grain closes together.

Because it's so tight, it holds the polish, it doesn't sink in,

it sits on the surface and that's how you build up a patina.

All hand-sawn and it's all pegged.

-Can you see that? See these little pegs?

-Oh, yes.

All dowels driven right through a mortise and tenon,

so all of these stretchers, there's a little tenon in there that sits into a mortise

and to hold it tight, a hole's drilled through there and then a dowel is knocked through.

Gosh. A lot of work goes into them.

Yeah. But it stops the joint from moving. And look at that. Look how tight it is.

You couldn't even put a cigarette paper in that joint, could you?

This is a lovely thing to have, all these pegs showing.

But this chair has never been fiddled with because, if you turn it upside down,

-can you see it's as dry as a bone there?

-Yes.

If that's been polished, it means it's been polished to match in

with polished sections of these stretchers, so the seat wouldn't be original.

But looking at this, it's as honest as the day it was made,

and that's a lovely thing to have, because I date this chair to the latter part of the 18th century.

I'd say this is circa 1780, 1790.

-Gosh.

-Yeah, I would, honestly.

I've got a favourite part to this chair, apart from its overall look

and its dynamic, if you want, its personality.

It's that front stretcher. It's a set of peripheral stretchers that go around.

But look. Some youngest has rubbed his heels and the soles of his feet

and can you see that wavy wear?

-Yes.

-It's almost like a piece of waney-edged oak, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

-But see how shiny it is?

-Very.

That's taken 200 years to do that.

That's the real McCoy. That's lovely.

Really nice. So, value.

How much did this chair cost you?

I think it was about £60. Certainly no more than that.

Well, I think we could safely say let's put this into auction

at a value of £120 to £180, and I think she'll double her money.

-That's fantastic.

-We'll put a reserve of £100 on.

This will come in handy to anybody that loves Welsh furniture.

There's plenty of people here in Wales who'll buy this

because they'll make up a set around the kitchen table.

And it doesn't matter if it slightly mismatches another one of the style.

It may not have these lovely flattened bobbin turnings,

but that doesn't matter. Harlequin sets look really good.

-Yes.

-And they're full of character.

And it will last somebody another 200 years because it's so practical and functional.

-Yeah?

-Very pleased.

-See you at auction.

-Thank you.

'I can't wait to see how that does. It's real quality.

'Back inside, Charlie is just as excited by an interesting but eclectic collection.'

Gwyn, what an extraordinary collection.

I've been sifting through here to try and sort out

the valuable from the less valuable. They're all fabulously interesting

and there's some splendid West End theatre programmes.

But they're not the things that really excite me, I have to say.

-You've got Joe Davis's autograph there, haven't you?

-Yes.

-Greatest snooker player of all time, do you think?

-Yes.

-We would think that, wouldn't we? Our generation.

-Yes.

-And you've got one over here.

-Jimmy Wilde.

Jimmy Wilde, world flyweight boxing champion. You've got some pretty rare signatures here.

-I'm glad you say that.

-Ooh, they're things that excite me.

-The Barbarians rugby team here.

-Yes.

-Trevor Evans.

-Yes.

-Does that ring any bells with you?

-Yes, he's an old boy of the school.

-Old boy of your school? Where did you go to school?

-Llandovery.

-Oh, what a rugby school!

-Rugby was your game?

-Yes, I played hooker in the first team.

-Tough little nut. Did you have two good props?

-Yes, very good.

HE LAUGHS Excellent.

Well, I wasn't as good as you at rugby, I'll say that straight away.

Cricket was more my game. And that brings me onto this.

And I've looked at that programme and that's an Indian team programme.

-It's from about 19...

-1946.

-'46, is it?

-Yep.

-And you've got the Nawab of Pataudi's signature.

-That's right.

-What can you tell me about him?

-Well, all the boys were competing to receive autographs

so I wrote away to the manager of the Indian side and received that programme back.

He came over, he went to Oxford University,

he played cricket for England,

which is unique. Three times, I think.

-And he then went on to captain India.

-That's right.

So he played for England and India. How extraordinary is that?

-Most interesting to me, you've got here a letter with 10 Downing Street on it.

-Yes.

I thumbed through to think it might be signed by Churchill, but no.

-No, no.

-It's signed by somebody completely different.

-It's signed by Dawson, the Australian hooker.

Here it explains it. "This note paper may be of interest to you."

I should say. "It came from the Cabinet Room at Number 10 Downing Street when we visited Mr Attlee."

He took over from Churchill immediately after the war.

Well, I think it's just the most wonderful collection.

-Why do you want to sell them?

-Well, they're stuck in the garage

with a pile of other programmes that I have and...

I don't think that these generally have much value attached to them. £1 here, £1 there.

But I do think some of the signatures do.

Not a huge amount. It would be more exciting if Mr Churchill had signed the one from 10 Downing Street

and not the Australian hooker, but there you go.

I think you've probably got 100 quid's worth here. What do you think?

-Quite happy.

-You happy with that?

I think we might estimate the lot at £50 to £100.

-Right.

-And if the internet boils into a frenzy,

-we might just give you a surprise.

-OK.

£50 to £100, reserve £50. I wish I could buy them myself but I'm not allowed to.

'Poor Charlie. I know that feeling well.'

We're now halfway through our day. This is where it gets exciting

because we're going to put our first valuations to the test.

You've probably got your own opinions but right now it's down to the bidders

at Peter Francis Auction Room in Carmarthen as we put them under the hammer. Here's a quick reminder.

'Christine and Laurence's selection of gold coins.

'Holly's beautiful Welsh oak chair that I've fallen in love with.

'And Gwyn collection of theatre programmes and sporting memorabilia.

'Commission rates here are on a sliding scale,

'starting at 17.5% for items under £150

'and down to 10% for items over £3,000.

'The duties on the rostrum will be shared today between Jeff Thomas and Nigel Hodson.

'On the preview day, I managed to grab some time with Nigel

'to ask him what he thought of Gwyn's collection.'

Very interesting and mixed lot. We've got theatre memorabilia

mixed with sporting memorabilia and I think the sporting memorabilia probably outweighs the theatre,

but I'm not sure. We've got a valuation of £50 to £100.

Well, that sounds fine to me. I think there are a couple of issues here.

What's surprised me so far,

-in the run up to the sale, is that we've had more interest in the theatre programmes...

-Really?

-That is a shock.

-I wouldn't have expected that.

-No.

Usually it's things like rugby programmes, particularly in Wales, that we get a lot of interest in.

The Australian rugby team is very interesting because it's on 10 Downing Street paper

and that's a personal letter to a young lad who was playing rugby and I think that's very interesting.

So it's got lots of different angles to it. But the theatre is where most interest is coming from.

It seems like we've got someone from the theatre in the room right now playing the piano.

-Lots of interest going on all around us. Hopefully that person playing the piano...

-You never know.

-So are we top end or lower end?

-I'm going to hedge my bets and say it'll be somewhere between the two.

-I don't think it's going to fly away but I think the estimate is very fair.

-OK. Ready for Act One? We are.

'We'll soon find out if Nigel was right because it's the first lot to go under the hammer.'

Lots of autographs and they belong to Major Gwyn and he's brought along Helga.

-How wonderful to meet you. And I've got to say how fabulous you look, as well.

-Thank you.

A great collection. I had a chat to the auctioneer earlier.

Interestingly enough, he said the interest lies in...

-The Australian?

-No, not at all!

-The Indian?

-No!

I said, "The sporting memorabilia?"

He went, "No, no, no interest in that. It's the theatre programmes that people are sparked up about."

You'll be interested to know, I took a photocopy of the Australian team down to Cardiff

and I saw a very nice couple walking along the road

and I said, "Have a look at this memorabilia".

And what do you think? He turned around and said, "That's my grandfather".

-No!

-Wow!

-On my honour.

-Was that a rugby player or...?

-Winton.

-I saw the match.

-Cricket.

-Oh, no!

-Good grief!

-He played in that team in 1948.

-Did you tell him to come to the auction?

-Is he here?

-No.

-Oh, you missed a trick there!

-He would've paid twice as much!

That's the kind of thing you just dream of finding.

-Yeah.

-I was disappointed I didn't take his name and address

-because I've got a spare programme at home.

-Ohh.

-Missed out.

-But he played and Wales won 6-nil.

-Ooh!

-In the days when Wales used to win Rugby matches.

-Regularly.

-You're right.

-Let's just hope the sporting memorabilia does give it an extra boost.

They're going under the hammer now. This is a great lot. Watch this.

Collection of theatre programmes and sporting ephemera.

West End and other theatres. Crazy Gang, et cetera.

Start me there, what should I ask you on this lot? Start me at £100.

80? 50 to go, then. 50 I am bid.

-At 50. 50.

-We're selling, Gwyn.

70. 80. At £80 bid. At 80.

At 80. 90 now. At £80 bid.

At 80. Are you all done at £80?

-Hammer's gone down.

-Yep.

-£80. Happy with that?

-£50 to £100 we put on that.

-I'm cleaning the garage now.

-Are you having a sort out?

-Yes.

-Are you?

-Yes.

-Many more to come.

-Is there lots more?

-Yes.

-You count yourself lucky you won't get it.

THEY LAUGH

'I think Charlie would like nothing more than to have a root around in that garage.

'Next we're going to see if the crowd can be tempted with a bit of gold.'

Christine and Laurence, this is a great time to sell gold

and, believe me, gold's been flying out of the room.

Famous last words. You know what happens at auction. It doesn't always go right.

-Good luck. Three full sovereigns, three half sovereigns. Let's get top estimate.

-Best of luck.

So there we are, three sovereigns and three half sovereigns.

What are they worth? About £600?

Thank you, at £600 I'm bid. At 600.

Can I say 620 now? At £600.

At £600. 620 may I say? At £600.

620 is it now? 20. 620.

-640.

-Good.

-640. 660 do you want?

£640 in the room, 640 and I will be selling.

At 640. 660 do you want now?

-Selling in the room. £640.

-HAMMER BANGS

-Sold.

-Close.

-Yeah, close. Happy?

-Yes.

-There's commission to pay, don't forget, 15%.

-That's great.

'So, Nigel used a bit of discretion there and they sold, but it was for a surprisingly modest amount.

'Now, I'm starting to get cold feet about our next item.'

I keep saying bring lots of furniture in, we love seeing furniture.

Bless Holly, she did just that, a lovely Welsh regional chair.

It's about to go under the hammer. Fingers crossed. I'm really nervous.

I know everybody in the trade keeps saying, "Brown furniture is on its knees and it's a good time to buy".

-OK, it is a good time to buy, but hopefully it's going to be a good time for you to sell.

-Yes.

-This has got personality.

-It has.

-It's got great personality. Let's see what happens.

At late-18th century Welsh oak single chair. Lot 184.

What should I ask for this one? Start me at 180.

150. £100 I'm bid.

£100 I've got. 100. At 100. 120. 140.

At 140. 160. 180. At 180 bid.

-At 180.

-Brilliant.

-At 180. 200 do I hear now?

At 180. 200. 200. 220 with me.

220. At 220 bid. At 220.

-40 is it now? At 220.

-They like it.

-Yes.

40 is it, then? At 220. I'll let it go, then.

With me at £220. All quiet.

-Hammer's gone down. £220. Not bad, top end.

-Amazing!

I was really, really frightened

because the furniture had just come in and there were half a dozen chairs before our lot,

a mixed lot, a harlequin set, £180, six of them!

That one did £220. I'm ever so pleased.

'What a lovely artisan piece.

'But there's another area of Welsh craft

'that's currently experiencing something of a revival and I'm off to find out more.'

For centuries, the wool industry has shaped the British landscape

and provided livelihoods for generations of families.

But here in Wales, it's particularly deeply woven into the country's social fabric.

'Spinning and weaving have been an integral part of Welsh culture from the earliest of times.

'Starting off as little more than a domestic pursuit,

'large and successful woollen mills emerged and thrived

'to make it one of Wales's most important manufacturing businesses.'

By 1895, the three counties of Dyfed,

Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire,

boasted 325 wool mills between them.

But by the end of the Second World War, sadly the price of wool drastically plummeted,

forcing the mills to close down.

'The 1960s and 1970s saw a revival when tapestry-style cloth suddenly became fashionable

'and top designers, including Mary Quant, were keen to use it.

'But unfortunately, the interest didn't last.

'Blankets from that era and earlier have now become highly-prized collector's items.'

But Welsh weaving is definitely not an historical remnant.

There might only be 13 working mills left here in the country

but they're still producing exciting and innovative work

in this beautiful whitewashed stone building hidden away in a wooded valley on the Pembrokeshire coast.

'There's been a mill on this site since the 17th century

'when local farmers would bring their fleeces to be spun into yarn

'which was woven into fine Welsh woollen blankets.

'The current mill, Melin Tregwynt, has been in the hands of the same family since 1912.'

Today it's a thriving design and manufacturing business employing around 20 local people,

supplying fabrics that are in demand all over the world.

'It's owned and managed by husband and wife team Eifion and Amanda Griffiths.'

-So when did you both get involved in the business?

-I was born into it.

-Did you try and escape out of it?

-Yes, I did.

I trained as an architect and I went away and did it for a while

but I was an only child, so it was an opportunity to come back.

-If I didn't come back, nobody else would have.

-OK.

So I tried it, came back in the 80s and stayed.

What about you?

I came here about 25 years ago.

He made me an offer I couldn't refuse and I've been here ever since.

Was it always like this in this area when your grandfather was here?

Yeah. The mill hasn't changed that much.

He'd recognise it if he went in there now.

He wouldn't know the machines as they are but he'd know what was going on.

Some things have changed.

In his day, we used to do a little bit more of the processing of the wool.

-Sure. Cos that was more on site.

-Yeah.

-Local wool.

-Yes.

-Cos people didn't mind putting up with Welsh wool, which is quite coarse.

-It's not very nice on your face.

-No. I think, in those days.

you relied on local suppliers.

But that changed in the 50s

and I think my grandfathers was not very happy losing the connection with the local farmers,

but my father, being perhaps slightly more of a businessman, could see the advantages,

having a wider choice of raw material.

-And I guess the raw material, the sheep's wool, was coming from New Zealand.

-That's right.

How many men did he employ back then? Was it a bigger concern?

No, not really.

My grandfather worked in the mill, my father worked with him in the mill.

-We're talking half a dozen, if that.

-Right, OK.

I think what happened in those days was, the mill was roughly the same size as it is now

but they had more processes and they probably would take the product

virtually from the beginning through to the end.

So they'd be doing one thing at a time and perhaps moving onto the next machine.

So although we still occupy the same amount of space, we're more labour-intensive

and we make more than they did.

Interestingly enough, we're saying about the materials were cheaper abroad,

yet your clients are mostly overseas anyway, aren't they? You export all over the world.

Yeah, we do. Japan is a good customer of ours and they like the authentic part of it,

the fact that it's still made, in many ways, in the same way as it was in my grandfather's day.

And they like something with a story attached. And that, we find, is increasingly important.

-And the fact that we'll be 100 years old in 2012.

-You will? Wow!

-Yeah.

-Congratulations! And the products today will carry on for another 100 years.

Those throws and those blankets will last a long, long time, won't they?

-They will.

-Yes, I think so.

What's the latest thing you've designed?

-Have we got something nearby?

-There's probably a couple of cushions behind you.

-On the bed.

-Those ones?

-Yes.

-Shall I grab one?

-Yes, by all means.

-And the throw on the bed.

-Oh, this throw? That's beautiful.

-That's going back to a 60s design.

-Yep.

-But recoloured and reworked.

-Yeah.

-Palatable shades.

-Yes.

-Muted colours.

-Yep.

But then you've got bright, vivid colours, as well, so it's working for you really well, isn't it?

'Melin Tregwynt's on-trend fabrics are coveted by designers all over the world

'and it's a driving force behind the resurgence of interest in Welsh fabric.'

There's about 13 working mills left in Wales.

Are they all over Wales or are there a few concentrated in this area? Is this a good area?

Originally, this wouldn't have been one of the main areas, but I think because it's a tourist area,

it's meant that some of the mills have been able to survive here by selling to tourists.

But there were a lot of mills and it's now down to single figures.

-It is really?

-Yeah, virtually.

Well, long may it last for you two, that's all I can say.

-HE LAUGHS

-I'm surrounded by quality.

-Thank you.

-That's what we always look for in antiques, as well.

-Thank you very much.

I think it's absolutely marvellous that traditional Welsh skills are still being kept alive

by mills like this employing local people. It doesn't get any better than that.

And they've got that combination just right. Heritage meets contemporary designs.

It's onward going. There's a sense of connection to our past

but there's also inspiration for the future.

'Back at our valuation day at Rhosygilwen Mansion,

'there are still lots of antiques left to inspect.

'But Christina is pleased to have bumped into Vicky because she is very partial to a bit of jewellery.'

-I see you're a brooch fan.

-Yes.

-I'm a brooch fan.

-Yes.

-And you've brought a brooch in to show us today.

-I have.

-Tell me who it belonged to.

It was handed down in the family.

I presume it belonged to my grandmother and then my mother and then it came to me.

-Goodness me, that is a very long pedigree history.

-Yes.

The brooch dates to around 1880, 1890, something like that.

-Would that tie up with great-granny's dates?

-My mother was born in 1896.

-Right.

-So that would tie in.

-It would, wouldn't it? OK.

So we've got this wonderful star motif here, which is absolutely fantastic.

It's actually made of glass. The glass would've been made in layers, like a glass sandwich,

and then they would've carved it to produce this wonderful stellar, or star effect here.

It's trying to be hard-stone agate.

-Only trying.

-It's trying, yes, it's trying very hard.

And it would've been much more costly material to produce this in.

It would've been a mourning brooch originally and we can see that

-because it's got the plaited hair of somebody in the back of it.

-Yes.

-Might that have been great-granny's?

-I hope so.

I wish I had a name, but unfortunately I don't.

OK. Now, the Victorians were very involved with their mourning.

They really did mourn pretty much everything.

When Victoria lost Albert, she went into deep mourning and all Victorians had to follow suit.

And this was classic of that time. You carried a piece of them with you in your everyday life.

-I think it's quite a charming memento.

-Absolutely, it really is.

And, of course, from the front, you wouldn't know it at all.

I think this yellow metal here, having studied it quite carefully, is actually gold plate.

So it's a cheap brooch, it's mock agate and it's gold plate, not real gold.

-You said that.

-THEY LAUGH

Now, here we come to the crunch point.

I'm not going to get too excited at this stage.

Sadly, I think, because it's a bit tired

and because some people get a little bit squiffy about having mourning pieces

and having someone else's hair in the back of their brooch,

which is why so often now we see them empty,

that I think the value really is going to be relatively low.

Well, that's all right. It's just staying at home in a box so it might as well go to the auction.

If it doesn't get the reserve, then I'll keep it. Either way, I'm happy.

Good. OK, well, I think at auction, we'd be looking at

putting an estimate of £20 to £30, something like that,

-and hopefully we can find it a new home with someone who will wear it.

-Exactly.

-So what about a reserve? Generally, we tend to put the reserve at the bottom end of the estimate.

-Yes.

I think I'm going to be cheeky and put a reserve of 30.

-30?

-Yes.

-Gosh, OK. So that means we have to put the estimate at £30 to £40.

-Yes.

-OK.

-Which is being a bit optimistic, obviously.

I think it might be slightly optimistic, but I'm willing to give it a go

-and hopefully...

-Well, I won't get too excited and I don't mind either way,

-so that's the best way to be, really.

-Exactly, yes. Well, let's keep our fingers crossed and let's go for it.

-OK.

-All right!

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

'On a good day, I think it could do it, but as Christina suggested,

'it might well be a tricky sell.

'Next, Keith and Margaret are hoping Charlie will be able to give them some good news about their dolls.'

-Good afternoon!

-Good afternoon.

-Married couple?

-Yes.

-You look happy to be a married couple.

-We are.

-How many years?

-43, sir.

-That's fantastic! You've put up with him for 43 years?

-I have, yes.

-Has it been easy?

-No. THEY LAUGH

Right answer! Now, whose dolls are they?

-Mine. Well, my aunt's.

-Your auntie's?

-Yeah.

-You inherited them from her?

-Well, when we cleaned the house out after she passed away, they were there.

-You found these. How long ago was that?

-About ten years.

The trouble is today, they're the sort of things that live in a box.

It's nice to think of children playing with them, but they're porcelain-headed

and they're very easy to damage and then they're not worth anything.

-Do you have children or grandchildren?

-We've got a little grandson, 10 months old.

-He won't be interested in these.

-No.

-Do you know where they were made?

-I think they might be German.

-You think they might be German.

They date from about 1920.

So they're the best part of 100 years old.

They are indeed German-made. I've had a look...

The place to look at a doll is on the nape of the neck, at the base.

-I don't know if you've ever done that, have you?

-No.

No. So what we've got with one of them is simply "Made in Germany"

with a number, which is a model number.

The other one is plain. But this has got a name that I was hoping to find.

If we turn this over, take the hat off,

on the back here we've got a number

and I can just seen the D of Armand and the M of the Marseille.

That's all I need to see. So Armand Marseille.

Good maker. Beautiful maker.

The workmanship in these is phenomenal.

And to a great extent, I think they've got their own original clothes,

which is absolutely lovely.

Falling to bits really, but the lace is in good order

and I think somebody would like to buy these and do them up.

-Did you have an idea of what they might be worth?

-Not really, no. I thought £200, £250.

-Did you?

-Each or for the three?

-Well, for the three.

Yeah. I think you would've been right had you brought them to Flog It! five years ago.

I'm afraid to say it, but you're probably looking at £140 to £160

-with a reserve of about £120, in my opinion.

-Right, fine.

-So we fix the reserve at £120 and I think they'll find a buyer.

-Fine.

-So you'll get a little bit of money to celebrate your next 43 years of married bliss.

-Thank you very much.

'I hope the doll collectors will be out in force at the auction.

'Our last find of the day is down to Serena,

'who has some silver bearing the name of one of our finest retailers.'

-Time for tea?

-No. THEY LAUGH

Wow. Goodness me. Have you got very fond memories of cleaning this?

-My mother does.

-Oh, really?

My mother has very fond memories of keeping this very clean.

So I don't know anything about it. All I know is it's been used and loved

-since I was a child. And

-she actually used it every day?

-Yes.

-Oh, my goodness. How decadent!

Right, so, we've got a bit of a mixed bag here, haven't we?

We've got this wonderful four-piece service which is all solid silver.

It's got the most wonderful hallmark on the bottom of it.

It's got a nice lion passant for sterling silver,

a London town mark for the leopard's head

and then we've also got the date letter for 1942, London 1942.

And then, creme de la creme, we've got a retailer's stamp for Harrods, as well.

One of the best retailers at the time. So it's absolutely fantastic.

-It really is everything you could want in a silver tea service.

-I think this is a wedding present.

-Oh, really?

-Because my parents got married in November '43.

-Oh, well, that would make sense, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

-Fantastic.

This sort of date, 1942, we're really looking at the war period

and the shape of it, the fact that it's very sleek and very stylish,

reminiscent of the sleek lines of spitfires and the modern age of technology and steam.

-It's wonderful.

-So what about the handles? What are they?

Well, the handles are an ebonised composite.

Because wood kept breaking, they developed this early form of Bakelite or composite

-which was heat-resistant, so you could pick up the tea service without being burnt.

-Yes.

-But, surprise, surprise, where's this come from?

-I don't know.

-I don't know. I vaguely remember that sitting in a dresser, my father's dressing table.

-Right.

Cos this is silver plate, not silver,

but it does go quite nicely with this service. It's got that sleek line to it, that sleek silhouette,

that matches it really quite nicely.

Possibly a very similar date.

Moving onto the rest of the items here,

a set of three little salts.

The marks are very rubbed on those. It's quite difficult to see the marks.

We've got a silver eggcup. Tell me about that.

That I bought in the late 70s.

It was a christening present for my niece.

I got it home and I actually took it out and looked at it

and I thought, "I don't like those faces. She's a baby."

Those faces are spooky.

-Oh, my goodness!

-They are spooky.

-It has got some quite scary faces on it.

If we look at the bottom of it, it actually tells us this probably came from an egg cruet originally,

so it was probably one of about four or six on a stand.

So have we got the rest of its friends or is it just the one?

No, that was expensive enough. SHE LAUGHS

We've also got these here. Have we got sets of these or are these just individual?

Just bits, really. I can't say for those at all.

OK. I think... In all honesty, I think we're probably best selling it all as one lot.

Because we've got quite a few other entities going on here, these are relatively low value.

Your main value, really, is in the four-piece tea service.

-Yes.

-And I think we're looking somewhere in the region of about £300 to £500,

something like that. How does that sound?

-Nice.

-Excellent. I would suggest a reserve of £300 with some slight discretion.

So we'll leave it up to the auctioneer just to give him that little bit of leeway.

-But it's brilliant. I'm sure it'll do really well for you.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

Well, that's it. We've now found our final lots to take off to the auction room.

I don't know about you, but I'm getting really excited. While I make my way over there,

I'm going to leave you with a quick rundown of all the items our experts have just picked.

'There's that pretty Victorian mourning brooch belonging to Vicky.

'The three German porcelain dolls inherited by Margaret.

'And last but not least, that large collection of silver, including the tea set from Harrods.

'So, we're back in Carmarthen and that packed auction room.

'The first lot up for grabs are the dolls.'

We got a valuation of £140 to £160 on these. Good luck.

-Because I know you don't like them, do you?

-No.

They don't do a lot for me, either. I'm frightened of them. But there are people that do like them.

-But not as much as they used to.

-No, but that's why you've put that valuation on it and not 300 to 400.

-Cos they would've done.

-They would've made £100 each a few years ago.

-Exactly.

-They'll still sell.

-Here we go. This is it.

This is three early 20th century German bisque-headed dolls.

Armand and Marseille, which sounds very French, but they are German,

early 20th century. What do we say for those?

They're in your hands again. What are they worth? £100 away on these?

-100 for these? Some interest with me.

-Get your hands up.

-60. At 60.

-For goodness sake!

There's one doll there worth a couple of hundred!

90. 100.

120. 140 still here. On the book at 140. All quiet in the room.

-At £140 on the book.

-He's going to sell at 140.

-Going, then, at £140 for the three.

-Hammer's going down.

Sold. Sold. Just got them away.

-Happy with that?

-Yes.

-Didn't like looking at them, did you?

-No.

THEY LAUGH

You'll have a good night's sleep now.

'Well, for a while there, I was worried, but we got them away.

'Now, will we manage to do the same for Vicky's brooch?'

-Vicky, you're up next.

-Yes.

-With the mourning brooch.

£30 to £40. There's the part for the hair at the back, as well.

-It's a nice little thing, actually, if you collect this kind of thing.

-Absolutely.

-You were very determined about the reserve of 30.

-I'm afraid so.

And if it doesn't sell, you'll have it back. So winners all round.

I never wear it so I'm happy for it to sell but I'm happy to take it home again.

-Well, let's keep our fingers crossed.

-It's a win-win situation.

Let's find out what the bidders think right now.

A Victorian overlay glass leaf design pin brooch.

Pretty pin brooch with the woven hair panel to the back.

What's that worth, little memorial brooch? £50?

50 for it.

Surely. 30 to put me in, then. 30.

-Oh, 20 then, somebody.

-Come on. It's worth that.

20 I'm bid here. At 20.

Who says 30 now? At 20 only. At 20. 5. 25.

30 may I say? At 25. You want 30, madam?

At 25 only. At 25. At 25. 30 is it?

At £25 only. May I say 30 on the brooch? No more?

-It's not going to sell, is it?

-No, well, I'll take it home and love it.

Not to go then, I'm afraid.

-Take it home and love it.

-Exactly.

I just think, unfortunately, because they are quite heavy,

they're difficult to wear and some people are a little bit squeamish about mourning brooches.

So I think take it home, love it, wear it.

-And it's quite nice that it's staying in the family.

-Exactly.

'Just short of 30, but Vicky wasn't willing to let it go for any less. And quite right, too.

'Now it's time to sell our last item. But will we get a top price for the top-of-the-range tea set?'

Going under the hammer now we've got a top people's lot.

-It belongs to Serena, but not for much longer. This was your mum's.

-Yes.

-It was made for Harrods.

-Yes.

-Silver tea service.

-Yes.

-What are you hoping for?

-I'm not.

-You must secretly be hoping for something.

-No, no, no.

-Top end plus a bit more?

-Oh, definitely.

-Definitely.

It's time to find out what this big crowd here in Carmarthen think. It's going under the hammer right now.

This is a silver four-piece, plain-design tea set.

Made for Harrods. You don't have a better recommendation than that.

What can I say for the lot there? £300 away for the lot.

300. 200, then, to go. £200 I'm bid. 220 may I say?

At £200. In the room at £200 only.

240. Two bidders online.

260. 260 in the room.

Against you both online at 260. 280. 300.

At £300 in the room. Against you online at 300.

320. 340.

Taken 340 in the room. Against you online.

At 340 in the room. 360 online.

-380.

-Mum will be amazed.

-Mum will be watching now.

-Yep.

-At 420. 440 may I say?

-440!

-460.

-What's your mum's name?

-Pat.

-Pat.

480 may I say? Selling in the room at 460.

-Pat, it's at 460.

-480. 480. 500.

-500.

-At £500 bidding in the room. 520 may I say?

-At £500. Selling in the room against you all online at 500.

-Brilliant!

Is there any more? £500.

-Hammer's gone down.

-Well done.

-£500. Well done.

Pat, I bet you're pleased! Ohh!

-Get the kettle on!

-That's great news.

-She hasn't got a teapot any more!

-Oh, no!

-THEY LAUGH

-Get the coffee on!

-THEY LAUGH

'Great to end with such a fabulous lot.

'The bidders obviously recognised the quality.'

That is it. It's all over. What a marvellous time we've had here.

A big thank you to Peter Francis Auction Rooms and to you, our owners.

Without you, we wouldn't have a show. It wouldn't be possible.

You keep brightening up our days. Please bring in your unwanted antiques. We love to see you.

For now, from Carmarthen, it's goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]

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