0:00:07 > 0:00:11Today's show is full of drama, intrigue and bloodthirsty battles.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14We're in South Wales, and you're watching Flog It!
0:00:38 > 0:00:41We've pitched up our valuation day in Cardiff.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43It may be Europe's youngest capital city,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46but its history can be traced back 2,000 years.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49So let's hope we find some ancient antiques and relics
0:00:49 > 0:00:51on today's programme.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55The thing I love about a "Flog It!" valuation day
0:00:55 > 0:00:57is hundreds of people turn up.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59And I do mean hundreds,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02because the queue goes all around this magnificent building.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04People have come from far and wide,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06laden with bags and boxes full of unwanted antiques,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10and every item here in this queue will have a story to tell
0:01:10 > 0:01:13about its master, or its maker, or its social history.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Just like our magnificent venue today,
0:01:15 > 0:01:18the National Museum Cardiff, which is steeped in history.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Well, I can't wait to get this lot inside,
0:01:20 > 0:01:21because they want to find out...
0:01:21 > 0:01:23ALL: What's it worth?
0:01:23 > 0:01:24HE LAUGHS
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Today's experts are Catherine Southon and Mark Stacey,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33and they're always keen to find an item full of history.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34Aaargh!
0:01:34 > 0:01:35LAUGHTER
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Do you know, actually, Catherine, I have to be honest with you,
0:01:39 > 0:01:41YOU'RE more terrifying than this!
0:01:41 > 0:01:44LAUGHTER Thank you!
0:01:44 > 0:01:49We've got a great mix of local items and those from much further afield,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51but can you guess which one makes the most at auction?
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Is it the Welsh mining choir conductor's baton?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58This impressive French Art Deco bronze bird?
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Or these four delicate Swansea porcelain plates?
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Well, keep watching, and you'll find out.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09So what are we waiting for? Let's get this magnificent queue
0:02:09 > 0:02:11inside this wonderful building,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13all settled into the Grand Hall,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16where hopefully, it's going to be a perfect day.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17Are you ready to go in?
0:02:17 > 0:02:18ALL: Yes!
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Come on, then, follow me.
0:02:20 > 0:02:21HE CHUCKLES
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Now, this is what I like to see - rows and rows of happy people.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Which means hundreds of antiques to value -
0:02:31 > 0:02:33we really do have our work cut out today.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36But somebody here in this massive crowd
0:02:36 > 0:02:38has got something that's worth a small fortune,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and the beautiful thing is, you don't know it yet.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44You don't know it, but our experts are going to find it
0:02:44 > 0:02:47and put it through to auction, and hopefully make a lot of money, OK?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And it looks like Catherine Southon has made a very, very good start.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Let's take a closer look at what she's spotted. She's over there.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Christine, it's lovely to see you. Thank you for coming along.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01As soon as I saw the Teddy Bears Picnic Set,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03- I knew that we were going to have a bit of fun.- Yes.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Tell me about this, where does it come from?
0:03:05 > 0:03:08It was obviously a present, from my aunt, when I was very little.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10I haven't played with it an awful lot,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14- cos I wasn't so much into toys and little girly things.- Right.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16- It's just as it was. - Just as it was.- Yes.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Let's just have a look on the top, because I can just about make it out, in pen, we've got,
0:03:20 > 0:03:26"To Christine, from Paul, Aunty Beryl and Uncle Tom."
0:03:26 > 0:03:29That's my mum's sister, her husband and my cousin.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- Oh, isn't that lovely? - It's lovely, isn't it!
0:03:32 > 0:03:34- So they gave it to you as a... - As a present. Christmas or birthday.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- Do you remember being given it?- No. - Not at all?- Not at all.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39- So you were probably quite young. - I must have been.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Three or four, something like that, I would think, yes.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43Because, looking at the box,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I'm thinking it probably dates from the 1950s, early 1950s.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Right, yes. That does make sense.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51I don't want to be rude and ask when you were born!
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- SHE LAUGHS - But I'm thinking around that sort of date, would that be right?- Yes.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Let's have a look inside.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Cos it's that wonderful baby blue colour.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00- Isn't it lovely?- It is.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04- Lovely, isn't it?- And each piece has got the little teddy bear on it.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07It's in absolutely perfect condition.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09- Yeah.- Because sometimes, obviously, with these,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12- you find little chips or something round the rim.- Yes.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15But these are absolutely perfect.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Not something that you would hand down through your family?
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Well, not really, I've got three granddaughters,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24- so who would I give it to? You couldn't give it to one and not the other two.- No.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27So it's... If I'd only had one, I probably would have handed it down.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Are you sure you want to sell this,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- CHRISTINE CHUCKLES - cos I'm getting sentimentally attached to this!
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Yes, it's been in the cupboard for a long time,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36so there's...you know, might as well sell it.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Value-wise, it's not going to be a huge amount of money.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44- But I would suggest putting an estimate on of about £30-£40.- Right.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47With a reserve of £25. How does that sound to you?
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- That's fair enough. - Are you happy to let it go at that?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53- Yes, that's fine. - Well, you've never played with it!
0:04:53 > 0:04:55- I've never played with it, no! - OK, shall we flog it, then?
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Yes, flog it.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02That's a great little set of items to start with.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04And by the look of it, our team of experts
0:05:04 > 0:05:07are finding even more valuable objects by the minute.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Trixie, you haven't come on your own, have you?
0:05:11 > 0:05:12No, I've come with a friend.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- You've brought two gentlemen with you.- Yes.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16You've got two friends, I think.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Well, one I like, one I don't like.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19Oh, which one do you like?
0:05:19 > 0:05:23I don't mind this one, but this one, when he's on the wall,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27- he's watching you wherever you go, so I'm not...- He's scary.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29- I'm scared of him, I don't like him. - Where did they come from?
0:05:29 > 0:05:32My husband's godmother
0:05:32 > 0:05:34gave them to us as a wedding present 27 years ago.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Gosh, it's an odd wedding present, isn't it, for a young couple?
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- Very odd.- Cos they're very traditional, in a way, aren't they?
0:05:41 > 0:05:45- Yeah. They...- The frames and the subject matter.- Very old-fashioned.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48And have you looked the artist up, have you done any research?
0:05:48 > 0:05:51No, I can't even work out, is that an S, I don't quite know...
0:05:51 > 0:05:57No, it's actually W-O-LT-L-E.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- Wol... Woltle.- Woltle.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Or something like that. I think it's going to be Austrian or German.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07Now, these were very popular at the end of the 19th century.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- Right.- And they're often old geezers, old gentlemen.- Yeah.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14And they're exquisitely painted, I mean, the detail...
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- The detail's amazing. - Almost like a photograph.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- You can see the eyelashes.- Yeah, and you can see little bits of stubble
0:06:20 > 0:06:22on this chap's chin here.
0:06:22 > 0:06:27And they often are in pairs in these rather exotic frames.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30They're really nicely carved, gilt-wood frames.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31Erm...
0:06:31 > 0:06:33And they come up for auction quite regularly.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I haven't been able to find this, I found some examples,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- but not in his date, so we can't pin it...- What's the date?
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Well, I would say late 19th century,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- but I haven't found his actual date.- Right.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Have you ever sort of thought of the value of them?
0:06:46 > 0:06:51No idea. They've been on the toilet wall...
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Erm...and then we moved house five years ago,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- and we built and ultra-modern house, and they don't suit at all now.- No.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02- You know, they're really out of place.- I thought you said they were going to be IN the toilet!
0:07:02 > 0:07:04- THEY LAUGH - In the toilet bowl!
0:07:04 > 0:07:06- I mean, I adore them, I think there's...- Yeah?
0:07:06 > 0:07:09..a sort of cheeky charm to the faces.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13I would suggest maybe an estimate of £200-£300 for the pair,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16- with a reserve of £200. - I think that's fine.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18- Is that all right? - Yeah, that's absolutely fine.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21And we'll put a discretion reserve, it it's OK with you.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- Yes.- So, within 10%. Thanks very much for bringing them. - Thanks for seeing me.- You're welcome.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30Well, let's hope the bidders fall for those chaps' cheeky charm.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32In the decade that the show's been running,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35I've never tired of looking through all those bags and boxes,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39looking out for our next star item to take off to auction.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41And it's not just objects that catch my eye.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49I recognise a face here - this chap.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- I know you, don't I?- Yes.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- I don't know your name.- Ray. - I just remember your eyes.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Where have I met you before?
0:07:56 > 0:08:0110 years ago, in the first Flog It! we had over there in the City Hall.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05- In 2002?- 2002's correct, yes, yes.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07I'm a little bit attached to this one.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10This is very pretty, look at the glaze, look at the colour on that.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Isn't that stunning?
0:08:12 > 0:08:14I love this shape, this is used in carving an awful lot.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16It's called a trifoil.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18- Did that make about 150 quid? - It did, yeah, more or less.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Now, can you say what actually did you spend the money on,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- 10 years later? What did you do? - Well...- Go away on holiday?
0:08:24 > 0:08:26I've spent it in 10 years, I can assure you.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Well, that's exactly what we want to see -
0:08:29 > 0:08:34more of that today, more Welsh social history, Welsh folk art,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37because it's a nation full of wonderful sculptural things,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40so, erm...thank you so much for that!
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Pleasure. Thank you very much.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44And speaking of social history,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Catherine spotted a Welsh item with a great musical past.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Craig and Anne, welcome to "Flog It!",
0:08:52 > 0:08:56and thank you very much indeed for bringing along this wonderful piece.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Now, as soon as I saw this, I thought, "Fantastic."
0:09:00 > 0:09:02We've got a conductor's baton.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05But it's not a baton that would have been used on a daily basis,
0:09:05 > 0:09:07it's actually a presentation piece.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Now, do we know who that conductor was?
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Do we know who owned this?
0:09:12 > 0:09:14That would have been my great-grandfather.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- They were in a choir in the Rhondda Valley.- Right.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20All the different areas of the Rhondda Valley,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22with the mining going on in those days,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26- and possibly competing against other choirs in the Rhondda.- Right.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29And if his choir turned out the best,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31he would possibly have been given that.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35- He would have been given this as a prize?- That's right.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39So your great-grandfather was quite a prestigious conductor of his time, I should imagine?
0:09:39 > 0:09:43- Yes, yeah.- I looked in a book this morning relating to this,
0:09:43 > 0:09:44and there was, er...
0:09:44 > 0:09:48dating back to... what was the date on it, now?
0:09:48 > 0:09:52- 1876.- 1876, the book. - So a bit of provenance behind it?
0:09:52 > 0:09:55With... Yeah, the great-grandfather's book
0:09:55 > 0:09:57- with musical hymns in it. - Oh, how lovely!
0:09:57 > 0:10:00So that could be related to it as well.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04This is quite a special piece and it's really quite nicely made.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07At the bottom here, and at the top,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09we can see that it's been made from ivory.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14It's quite a sensitive subject, but this is pre-1947,
0:10:14 > 0:10:15so we know that this ivory is OK.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Now, this piece here is made from ebony,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20and it's been inlaid
0:10:20 > 0:10:23with these lovely little dots of mother-of-pearl,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25and at the bottom, we've got the pot,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27and then the flowers have been engraved,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30right the way around the top. It's a really lovely pattern, actually.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Now, these do, surprisingly, fetch quite good money at auction,
0:10:34 > 0:10:35and I would say one like this
0:10:35 > 0:10:39would probably fetch in the region of £120 to £180.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40How does that sound to you?
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Well, if it was up the top end, near the 180...
0:10:43 > 0:10:44- You'd be happy to sell?- Yeah.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47If it went to a good musical home that would appreciate it.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49- It would be lovely, wouldn't it? - Yeah.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Well, shall we put it in
0:10:51 > 0:10:53with a pre-sale estimate on of £120 to £180,
0:10:53 > 0:10:54and fix the reserve at 120,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56and not let it go for any less than that?
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Are you happy to sell with that estimate?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Well, can we go a bit higher than 120?
0:11:00 > 0:11:04- You want to go a bit higher? How about 150?- Erm...start for 150.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Is that better? OK. Let's do £150-£200,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- with a fixed reserve at £150. - That's fine.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12And let's hope that the bands play and we make music,
0:11:12 > 0:11:13and this makes the top end.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17- That's it.- Thank you very much indeed for coming along to Flog It!
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- Thank you.- OK, thank you.- Thank you.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24That's definitely lights, camera, action going on down there.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27We've now found our first items to take off to auction,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29so let's see some auction action, shall we?
0:11:29 > 0:11:32And here's a quick recap of all the items that are coming with us,
0:11:32 > 0:11:33just to jog your memory.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Let's hope the auction is a picnic for this cute child's tea set.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Not to everyone's taste, but Mark really rates these old gents.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45And will this conductor's baton
0:11:45 > 0:11:48capture the imagination of our bidders?
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Well, we'll find out soon, because we're travelling over to Anthemion Auctions,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55just a few miles away in North Cardiff.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57But before the sale,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00I'm going to have a quick chat with our auctioneer, Ryan Beach.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02- Ryan, it's good to see you again. - And you.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04- And the room looks fabulous. - Thanks very much.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Some cracking lots. All the ingredients of a perfect sale.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Looking forward to tomorrow. And I know one or two of our things will fly,
0:12:10 > 0:12:11- and hopefully they'll go overseas. - Yes.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Which is what I want to ask you about, really.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Without the Internet,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19there would be no such thing as worldwide connection, would there?
0:12:19 > 0:12:22You wouldn't find the buyers in America or Canada or Australia.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- It's opened the market worldwide. - Which is good.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28It's good for the vendors, it's good all round, really.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33At my last auction, we had something like 40 lots of Moorcroft, I think I sold two to the room.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Obviously when you're bidding online, by phone,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38you've got to book the line in advance, you ring the landline,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40there are people at home picking up the phone.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41What happens when you're on a computer?
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Basically, we've got a webcam on me, and I'm microphoned up,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48and they will register online on their computer, their laptop,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51they put all their details in, we check their credit card details
0:12:51 > 0:12:54- against their address to make sure they're genuine.- In advance.
0:12:54 > 0:12:55- In advance.- Yeah.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58And they literally can see me on the rostrum, they can hear me,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00and at the click of a mouse, they can bid.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02- Well, good luck tomorrow.- Thank you.
0:13:02 > 0:13:03I hope the room will be crowded.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Despite the fact that people are buying online.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09I want to see lots of faces in here, because it adds to a terrific atmosphere.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10Don't go away - there could be a big surprise.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Well, it is now sale day, and time to find out
0:13:16 > 0:13:20if those Internet bidders are as keen as they sound.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26The day of reckoning, this is where we put those valuations to the test,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28and just look at that sight.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30A packed auction room, full of bidders,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32hopefully all eager to buy our lots.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34It doesn't get any more exciting than this.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36I'm going to catch up with our owners right now,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38cos I know they're feeling really nervous.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40So let's get cracking with our first lot.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44It's that super little tea set that Catherine picked out.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48- Christine.- Hi. - This is a terrific little lot,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51and everybody was looking at this at the viewing day yesterday.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53- Picking it up, putting it down. It's from the '50s.- Yes.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55- You had it when you were about two. - Something like that.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57- And it's in mint condition.- Yes.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59These days, we just...
0:13:59 > 0:14:01You've got children and I've got children,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03- you just have those horrible plastic ones.- Yeah.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- These are just so lovely, in wonderful condition. - Something to treasure, isn't it?
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- I can see the mum coming out! - I know, I got all sentimental!
0:14:09 > 0:14:12- You've gone all mumsy!- She has! - Yeah. You have, yeah.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- No, it's a great thing. - It's a lovely thing.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- Yeah, lots of memories as well. - Nice christening present, isn't it?
0:14:17 > 0:14:21- Mmm!- It would be for somebody, yes. - Well, good luck.- Thank you!
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Let's hope we get the top end of the estimate.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24Come on, these are going to do well.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Lot number 312, English pottery Teddy Bears Picnic Set.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Child's tea set here, in its original printed box.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36£12 I've got to start, £12 I have. 15.
0:14:36 > 0:14:3918, 20, 22, 25...
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Takes me out at £25, at 25 now.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43At £25, the gentleman seated, at 25 now.
0:14:43 > 0:14:4528.
0:14:45 > 0:14:4630.
0:14:46 > 0:14:4832, 35, 38.
0:14:48 > 0:14:5040, 42...
0:14:50 > 0:14:53- Good gracious!- Yeah, you love it! - Good buyer over there.
0:14:53 > 0:14:54At £48, have you got your teddy bears?
0:14:57 > 0:14:58At £48.
0:14:58 > 0:14:5948 I have, at 48 now.
0:14:59 > 0:15:0250, back in at 50.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04- Very good!- At £50, he's going to miss out...
0:15:04 > 0:15:06At £50, 55, thank you, 55...
0:15:06 > 0:15:0860.
0:15:08 > 0:15:1155 I have, at 55. With the gentleman at 55 now.
0:15:11 > 0:15:1255, are we all done at 55?
0:15:14 > 0:15:16BANGS GAVEL
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- Fantastic.- That was brilliant. - 55, well done!- £55.- I'm stunned!
0:15:19 > 0:15:20- Well done.- Absolutely stunned.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24- I think there's a lot of 50-year-olds buying in to that, their nostalgia.- Sure.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27- Look, thank you so much for coming in.- Thank you, thanks very much.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Are you going to split the money between the girls?
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Probably, yes. Thanks very much.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32What a great start.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Now let's see if we can make some music with our next item.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Going under the hammer right now, we have that wonderful...
0:15:40 > 0:15:43conductor's baton, the ivory conductor's baton.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Craig and Anne, whose is it, is it yours?
0:15:45 > 0:15:48- Great grandparents'.- So it's been in the family all that time.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49Yes, five generations.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51- And me the end of the line. - Are you musical?
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Not at all, no.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54- Then it's got to go. - THEY LAUGH
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Well, let's find out who's musical in the room, shall we?
0:15:59 > 0:16:01This is bound to find a new home.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Lot number 638, an ebony and ivory baton here, lot number 638,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11inlaid with mother-of-pearl jewelling here, lot 638.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13£100 I have to start.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15£100. At £100, and 10 do I see now?
0:16:15 > 0:16:16- Come on.- (Come on.)
0:16:16 > 0:16:19At £100, the ivory baton here, at 100, at £110,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21is there no-one?
0:16:21 > 0:16:24At £100, with me at 100, and 10, 120...
0:16:24 > 0:16:27130, 140...
0:16:27 > 0:16:30One more bid will clear the reserve, sir.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34140, with me at 140, at £140, with me at 140...
0:16:34 > 0:16:36- At £140...- Why not bid? He was wasting time.- I know.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38All done at 140...
0:16:38 > 0:16:40- BANGS GAVEL - Oh, dear!
0:16:40 > 0:16:42It's that close when you're in an auction, isn't it,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- it really is, it's...- One bid away.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46You built us up there!
0:16:46 > 0:16:48- Ohh...- We built it up, didn't we? - Yes.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Look, you know it's worth around that sort of figure, don't you?
0:16:51 > 0:16:55- Yes.- And on another day, that guy would have paid the extra £10.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Hang on to it for six months, and put it back into another sale.
0:16:58 > 0:16:59Try again.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- I'm sorry.- OK? - Thank you very much, thank you.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03- All right.- Thanks very much.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07I'm sure Craig and Anne will have better luck next time.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Let's just hope those bidders perk up for Patrizia's paintings.
0:17:13 > 0:17:14Going under the hammer right now,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17we've got two oil paintings of Tyrolean gentlemen,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19and I think that's a posh word, really, for Austrian, isn't it?
0:17:19 > 0:17:21- Nice word.- It's a good word.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22Wonderful detail.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- Beautiful painted. - Signed as well, great frames.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Everything going for it, ready to go on the wall.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29So why have they come off the wall?
0:17:29 > 0:17:31- Cos I don't like them! - You don't like them!
0:17:31 > 0:17:33And they were relegated to the toilet wall.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35- Oh, were they?!- Yeah!
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Do you know what, that's quite funny, really, isn't it?
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- I don't mind... I like art on the walls in the toilet.- So do I.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- And we're not talking graffiti. - Appropriate. Appropriate art.- Yeah.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Yeah. And I can see them working there.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50But you know, they're really, really good, they need to be somewhere...
0:17:50 > 0:17:53On the landing or in the hallway.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55- Yeah, or drawing room. - PAUL MUTTERS MOCKINGLY
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- HE LAUGHS - I thought you were going to say in the closet!
0:17:58 > 0:18:01- THEY LAUGH - Oh, I haven't been in the closet for years, Paul!
0:18:02 > 0:18:06The Tyrolean gentlemen here...
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Commission bid starts me in at £200, straight in at 200.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13- AUCTIONEER DROWNS THEIR SPEECH - 200 I have, and 10 I'll take at 200.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17At £200, at 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260...
0:18:17 > 0:18:21At £260, with me at 260 now, at £260.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23At £260, commission bidder at 260 now.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29At £260, are we all done?
0:18:31 > 0:18:33- At £260... - BANGS GAVEL
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Good auctioneering there - straight in, straight out.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- Very good. - Tell you what, they were lovely.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39They were, but I'll tell you something,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41at £260, plus a buyer's premium, don't forget,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44which takes them over £300,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47they're definitely not going on the wall in the loo, are they?
0:18:47 > 0:18:51- MARK LAUGHS - They're going pride of place somewhere.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52And that's our last lot for now.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Time to take a breather.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58As we see on the show, time and time again,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00the bigger the item
0:19:00 > 0:19:02doesn't necessarily command the higher price.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Sometimes the small accountables, the little antiques,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07the little delicate ones, that take an awful lot of skill to make,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10can command a very high price.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13But as I found out recently, on a trip to Caerphilly,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15which is just down the road, really,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19when it comes to castles, big is definitely better.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Take a closer look at this.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28Caerphilly Castle,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32one of the finest and most ambitious architectural creations
0:19:32 > 0:19:33of medieval Europe.
0:19:34 > 0:19:3630 acres.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38The second largest castle in the UK.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40The third largest castle in Europe.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Yes, this is what you call a castle,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57and today, I'm going to be finding out
0:19:57 > 0:20:00about the man who designed this immense beast.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02A man who, depending upon your viewpoint,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04was either a forward-thinking genius,
0:20:04 > 0:20:08r a deluded, deviously-minded egomaniac.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18Incredibly, this was not the work of a king, but a very wealthy knight -
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Gilbert "The Red" De Clare.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24And as the name suggests, yes, he was a red-headed nobleman
0:20:24 > 0:20:25of Norman descent.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29And when he inherited his father's estates in 1263,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33he became the wealthiest and most powerful man in England,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36second only to the Royal Family.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38He owned land in several counties,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40including an area of land around Caerphilly,
0:20:40 > 0:20:44here in the heart of South Wales.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49But what prompted him to build such an ambitious castle?
0:20:49 > 0:20:55Well, it all started in 1267, when arch-rival, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58was declared the Prince of Wales by treaty.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00But the wording was ambiguous.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Did upland Glamorgan belong to the Welsh lords,
0:21:03 > 0:21:04and thus to Llywelyn?
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Or to Gilbert, the Norman Lord of the region?
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Gilbert lost no time in starting work on the castle,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18to defend the land he strongly believed was rightfully his.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Now, he went above and beyond what anyone could have imagined,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23ploughing huge amounts of money
0:21:23 > 0:21:27into making the most formidable fortress of its day.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Now, unbelievably,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33most of the building work was completed within three years,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36from 1268 to 1271.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Its magnificence would have no doubt struck fear
0:21:40 > 0:21:42into the hearts of the local people.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47The true strength and majesty of the castle
0:21:47 > 0:21:50lies not only in the scale of the monumental architecture,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54but also in its outstanding defences,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57because it's surrounded by two very large moats, as you can see.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02Now, Gilbert was inspired by the water defences at Kenilworth Castle,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05so if you were attacking this castle, you were the enemy,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08you either had to swim across the moat or travel by boat,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11leaving you exposed to the soldiers on the inside
0:22:11 > 0:22:15firing down on you with a very high vantage point.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18You were literally sitting ducks, it rendered you useless.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21You couldn't exactly get an accurate aim and fire back.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24So what you see here is the most fabulous example
0:22:24 > 0:22:28of 13th century fortified architecture.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32But there's more - Gilbert was a complex man,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34and his castle was equally as complex.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37He was the first person to use concentric walls
0:22:37 > 0:22:39as a defence mechanism in Britain.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Circuits of walls, one inside the other.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44If the enemy managed to breach the first wall,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46as they struggled to scale the second,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48they'd find themselves trapped between the two,
0:22:48 > 0:22:52and easy targets for defenders firing from above onto their heads.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55And cleverly, the towers and the gatehouses
0:22:55 > 0:22:57built closer to the castle are taller,
0:22:57 > 0:23:02so during a siege, the garrisons on the inner defensive ring
0:23:02 > 0:23:04could easily fire over their comrades' heads
0:23:04 > 0:23:06without fear of hitting their own men.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16Now, in the unlikely event
0:23:16 > 0:23:19that an army had penetrated both concentric circles
0:23:19 > 0:23:21and reached the inner island,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Gilbert still had some pretty dirty tricks up his sleeve.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28If the enemy got this far, the defenders were in grave danger,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30so they had to be pretty determined.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34A portcullis would be dropped here, right down through that slit.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37And down here, through the murder holes,
0:23:37 > 0:23:41hot liquids, missiles and balls of fire would have been dropped down
0:23:41 > 0:23:43onto the attacking army.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45You wouldn't want to be in their shoes.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51But the inner castle walls were never breached,
0:23:51 > 0:23:56despite being attacked by an army of 10,000 in one siege.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58And in the late 13th century,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00the prince was killed in battle in Mid Wales,
0:24:00 > 0:24:02greatly lessening the threat to Caerphilly.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09With the prince out of the picture, the danger petered out,
0:24:09 > 0:24:14and the castle's short life as a frontline fortress came to an end.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17By the mid 14th century, the castle fell into disrepair,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19and into the hands of various owners.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20It led a quiet life,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23with the exception of the Civil War in the 1640s,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27when the Parliamentarians stormed the castle and tried to demolish it
0:24:27 > 0:24:30to stop the Royalists from using it.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34And it's thought that attack, plus natural land subsidence,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38has caused that tower there to lean.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40And it leans a whopping ten degrees -
0:24:40 > 0:24:44that's more than the Leaning Tower Of Pisa in Italy.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47In the late 18th century,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49the Bute family took over Caerphilly,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and slowly set about its restoration.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Today, the only marauding visitors are people like me,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00who come to simply take in its breathtaking scale and stature.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Gilbert created the archetypal concentric fortress
0:25:06 > 0:25:09and its design went on to influence many future castles.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Undoubtedly, Caerphilly's defences
0:25:11 > 0:25:14are a little more complex than necessary.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Perhaps Gilbert perceived his enemies
0:25:16 > 0:25:19to be a little more of a threat than they actually were.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Or perhaps he just built the biggest, strongest castle possible,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24because he could.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28A medieval show-off. Whatever the reason, I'm impressed.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40From a magnificent fortress designed to protect ancient lands,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44to a very different kind of battle, the one that's going on down there
0:25:44 > 0:25:46at the National Museum here in Cardiff -
0:25:46 > 0:25:48getting through all those bags and boxes,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51looking for more antiques to take off to auction.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Let's join up with Mark Stacey now and see what else he's found.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Pamela, whenever you come to Wales,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00you want to see, of course,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03something from Swansea Porcelain Factory.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05And you've brought in these cracking examples.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09- Thanks.- Maybe the wrong word to use. - Yeah, not cracking.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12But tell us the history of them.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14They were given to me by a neighbour of my mother's.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17She was quite elderly. First, she gave me the two with the single design.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19- The plainer two.- The plainer ones.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22And when she passed away, she left me the other two in her will.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25- I believe they were painted by William Pollard.- Excellent name.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29- Circa 1850, I believe.- 18...?- 1850?
0:26:29 > 0:26:32- Oh, a little bit earlier, I would've thought. 1815.- All right.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36So a little bit earlier. I think the quality of them is breathtaking.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38I mean, the richness of the gilding.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Some could argue, Swansea at its height
0:26:42 > 0:26:46was one of the best factories in the United Kingdom.
0:26:46 > 0:26:47If we look on this particular plate,
0:26:47 > 0:26:53- we've got a very faded Swansea mark here, in red.- Yes.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56These are real botanical studies.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00You know, these are not just flowers - tulips, roses.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04And the colours are so bright and delicate.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- They're wonderful, aren't they? - Yes, they are.- Absolutely wonderful.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09- Very pretty.- But very fragile.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- Yes.- And the condition of these is excellent.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14- They've lived at home, have they?- Yes.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16But they've been packed up and on top of my wardrobe.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Unless, you are a collector and have got cabinets,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20- you don't want to break them. - That's true.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- I have two young children, as well. - Two young children,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- that's not a good thing with fine porcelain in the house, is it?- No.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30On these lovely pair of exuberantly decorated ones,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33I think we should put an estimate of 800 to 1200,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36- with an £800 reserve.- OK, yeah.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39And on the two slightly lesser-decorated pieces,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42maybe around 400 to 600 for the pair,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44- with a 400 reserve.- That's fine.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46We are selling them in Cardiff,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48which is very close to Swansea.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50- I'm originally from Neath. - All right.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- Which is even closer to Swansea. - I didn't know that.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56If they make a lot of money, would you put it towards another form of antique or something brand new?
0:27:56 > 0:27:58No, I'd probably have my gardens done.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01I bought the house off the neighbour after she passed away
0:28:01 > 0:28:03and I decorated all the inside of the house
0:28:03 > 0:28:05and I would like to do the gardens.
0:28:05 > 0:28:06So, what we're hoping to do then,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11is to turn two pairs of very highly decorative Swansea plates
0:28:11 > 0:28:13- into a highly decorative garden. - Yes.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Well, I think it couldn't be more fitting.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18I'm sure your neighbour would thoroughly enjoy you doing that.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19Yes, I think she would.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24I just love to see locally-produced collectibles on the programme.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26But I found something that feels like
0:28:26 > 0:28:28it comes from a million miles away.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33I've just left our experts alone for a little while,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35working hard doing their valuations,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37and I've sneaked out into the museum here
0:28:37 > 0:28:39to show you something very, very special.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Now, we see a lot of things on the show
0:28:41 > 0:28:44that date back to the 16th, sometimes the 15th century,
0:28:44 > 0:28:45but nothing as ancient as this.
0:28:45 > 0:28:50It is called an Archaeopteryx, which translates as "ancient wing".
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Now, this dates back 150 million years.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57It's a fossil, which is in this lovely little piece of limestone,
0:28:57 > 0:28:59which is on loan to the museum.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Scientists are convinced this is in fact an early bird.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04You can see here... Look, you can see the skull up there.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07There's evidence of teeth in there.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Also, you've got the upper arm, the lower arm and fingers.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12There's two fingers stuck together there
0:29:12 > 0:29:15and one protruding upwards with a claw on the end.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18It just shows you how birds have changed over the years.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21And I'm pleased they have, because that looks frightening.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Well, that's enough of looking at the ancient,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25let's get back to looking at some antiques
0:29:25 > 0:29:27and join up with our experts.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Back in the hall, Catherine is with Aled,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33who's brought in a silver curiosity.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37When I saw this in the queue,
0:29:37 > 0:29:41I saw this, I opened it up
0:29:41 > 0:29:44and I looked at the initials - NM.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48NM is like music to my ears.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51NM in the maker, stands for Nathaniel Mills,
0:29:51 > 0:29:53who was a wonderful silversmith.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Now, you probably know what it is.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57- It's a vinaigrette.- Yes.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00But do you know what a vinaigrette is, or what it was used for?
0:30:00 > 0:30:02Not exactly, no.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06Well, a vinaigrette is actually where you would have
0:30:06 > 0:30:10a sponge soaked in vinegar and put inside here.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Then you'd close this little compartment here,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16so that you could smell something nice -
0:30:16 > 0:30:18not that vinegar smells particularly nice.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21But something nice, rather than all the horrible other rotting smells
0:30:21 > 0:30:24that you might have smelled in the early 19th century.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27So, it's really a 19th-century equivalent
0:30:27 > 0:30:30of 18th century smelling salts.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32- Right.- Where did you get this from?
0:30:32 > 0:30:36Well, it's not mine, it's my son's. He bought it in an antiques fair.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38I think he paid about £150 for it.
0:30:38 > 0:30:43So, he got his eye on that and he asked me for the cash, basically.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46- Right. Oh, right, he asked you for the cash?- Yes.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Looking inside here, next to the initials,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52we've got the anchor mark to say that it's assayed in Birmingham
0:30:52 > 0:30:59and we've got the initial there, the U, which dates it to 1843.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02- So it's a nice mid-19th century piece.- Right.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04How much did he pay for this?
0:31:04 > 0:31:06- About 150.- About £150.
0:31:06 > 0:31:13I would say, auction estimate on this would be about 250 to 350.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15- Right.- How does that sound to you? - That sounds good to me.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17So, has your son, has he just got into antiques,
0:31:17 > 0:31:19or has he been doing this for a while?
0:31:19 > 0:31:22- He started when he was about 12. He's got an interest in silver.- Right.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26And he'd like to be a dealer or possibly an auctioneer.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30- So how old is he now?- He's 15 now. - Wow, he has got a brilliant eye.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33- Oh, yeah.- He got this for 150? - Yes, he did.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36I think it should make around £300, possibly even more.
0:31:36 > 0:31:41- But let's put an estimate of 250-350, with a 250 reserve.- Right.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44And I hope that it does make him £300, then he's doubled his money.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47- And he can pay me back the money he owes me!- He can pay you back.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Well, thank you very much indeed for bringing it along to Flog It!
0:31:50 > 0:31:52- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Time to squeeze in just one more item,
0:31:55 > 0:31:57and it's certainly got Mark going.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- Denise, Peter.- Hi.- What a wonderful sculpture you have brought in.
0:32:05 > 0:32:06Tell me all about it.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10Well, it's something that we bought when we lived in France.
0:32:10 > 0:32:11We lived there for a few years
0:32:11 > 0:32:14and whilst we were there, in this little village,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16there was a lady that lived not too far away,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19used to live in Paris, and this was something
0:32:19 > 0:32:22she came along with one day in her shopping trolley
0:32:22 > 0:32:24and said, "Would you like to buy this, Peter?"
0:32:24 > 0:32:28And we sort of said, "Hmm..." But she was a wonderful saleswoman
0:32:28 > 0:32:30and we ended up buying it.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32Did you pay a lot of money for it?
0:32:32 > 0:32:33We're not really sure.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36We think it might have been about 150, possibly 200 euros.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39That doesn't sound a lot of money. The euro was probably better then.
0:32:39 > 0:32:40It was.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42So it would have been a lot cheaper.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44It's very, very French, I have to say.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48It looks and feels very Art Deco,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50the swinging '20s and '30s.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52- Yeah, that was the appeal of it to me.- Exactly. I mean,
0:32:52 > 0:32:55you've got, obviously, the seagull riding the crest of a wave.
0:32:55 > 0:33:00Great size, a real statement piece on a sideboard in an Art Deco home.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03And it did look lovely in the French house, but no good.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05- No good here.- No good here.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Well, we change over the years, we change properties,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11and what looks good in some houses doesn't look good in others.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14- Yes, yes. - I mean, it looks very 1930s.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18It could have been made as late as the early '50s,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20because the designs went on a bit.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22You often see a lot of these Art Deco clock garnitures
0:33:22 > 0:33:25with seagulls or animals on the top,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29and actually they were made in the late '40s, early '50s.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32But it is a good-looking object. I mean, that's what's going to sell.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36- You're looking doubtful there, Denise.- She doesn't like it.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38You don't like it?
0:33:38 > 0:33:42- I hate it.- Did you hate it when he bought it?- Yeah.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46- Was there the odd row about this piece?- Not really a row, no.
0:33:46 > 0:33:47A discussion.
0:33:47 > 0:33:52Monique, our friend who sold it to us, was very persuasive.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Well, I love it. This would fit in my Brighton home,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59because these fly squawking past my window on a regular basis.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03- Every day, yes!- So, I could lift it and throw the thing at them.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08In terms of value, I think it will not necessarily fly away,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11but I would suggest maybe around £300 to £400,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13with a 300 discretionary reserve.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15- Would you be happy with that? - Absolutely.- Fine.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18If you do get a lot of money, are you going to spend it this time?
0:34:18 > 0:34:20- Oh, yes.- Yes.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24- You're out, Peter, I am afraid. - I'm sure I am.
0:34:24 > 0:34:25But it won't be a bronze, I don't think.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27No, I don't think so. No, it won't.
0:34:33 > 0:34:34There you are, you've seen them.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Our experts have now made their final choices
0:34:37 > 0:34:38for items to take off to auction,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42so it's time to say goodbye to our magnificent host location,
0:34:42 > 0:34:44the National Museum Cardiff.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47Let's get over to the sale room and put the values to the test.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Here's a quick recap of what we're taking.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53These Swansea plates have been divided into two lots -
0:34:53 > 0:34:54this intricate pair,
0:34:54 > 0:34:56and the more modest plates.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Will the bidders sniff out this pretty 1940s vinaigrette?
0:35:00 > 0:35:02And can we find a new home
0:35:02 > 0:35:06which suits this impressive French bronze?
0:35:09 > 0:35:11We are heading back over to the auction
0:35:11 > 0:35:13to sell our final three items
0:35:13 > 0:35:14and we've got a full house,
0:35:14 > 0:35:18as well as phone and Internet bidders lined up.
0:35:18 > 0:35:19So, let's crack on.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23First up, it's that bronze seagull that belongs to Peter and Denise.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25- There is a big market for this kind of thing.- Very big.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28It is a very big, decorative lump, you know?
0:35:28 > 0:35:30And if you've got an Art Deco house,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33you've got a nice Art Deco hall table or a sideboard,
0:35:33 > 0:35:37you should our fingers crossed and I think this will fly.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40- OK. Good luck, both of you. - Thank you very much, indeed.
0:35:42 > 0:35:43The crest of a wave,
0:35:43 > 0:35:47the patinated and cold-painted bronze seagull here.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49£240 I have to start.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51£240.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55At £240. 250. It's at 250. 260.
0:35:55 > 0:35:56270. Takes me out at 270.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00At £270. On my right at 270 now.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04At £270, with the gentleman at 270.
0:36:04 > 0:36:05- Come on, come on.- Are we all done?
0:36:08 > 0:36:09At 270.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13Sell it. Yes, he sold it! The hammer's gone down. £270.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16We had a discretionary reserve, just got in there.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20That was a bargain. That was a bargain for somebody at 270.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22- But, look, it's gone, OK? - I hope somebody loves it.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26- Somebody will love it.- Yes. - Somebody will love it.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30- And you didn't, did you?- No, not at all. I didn't, Mark, no.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Not at all, not at all.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36Well, discretionary reserve is always a tough call,
0:36:36 > 0:36:42but I think that was the right decision to sell that bronze.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44We have some real quality on the show right now
0:36:44 > 0:36:46and a great maker's name - Nathaniel Mills.
0:36:46 > 0:36:47We've seen it many, many times.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50A wonderful, wonderful vinaigrette. Gorgeous.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Good to see you again, Aled. Who've you brought along with you?
0:36:53 > 0:36:55- Is that your son? - Yeah, this is my son, Pryce.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57- Pleased to meet you. - He found the item.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Oh, right. So, you... He's got it in the blood?
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- Yes.- Did you know what you found straight away?- Yep, straight away.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07Nathaniel Mills? That's incredible.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10He's pretty good. 15 years of age. He knows his stuff.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13He just took off when he was about 12 years old.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16- Fantastic. - And we haven't looked back since.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Gosh. So, you're actually testing the market now?
0:37:19 > 0:37:21- How much did you pay for this?- 150.
0:37:21 > 0:37:27150. Well, we've got a valuation of 250 to 350, which we should get.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Somewhere in there, we should get that.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32- He's very good. - That kid's got talent.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34He is going to be doing our job soon.
0:37:34 > 0:37:35I think so, yeah!
0:37:37 > 0:37:41The Victorian silver vinaigrette, Nathaniel Mills here, 1843.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46£160 I have to start. £160.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49At £160. 170 now? £160.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52At 170, 180, 190,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54200, 210, 220.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56230, 240.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58250. Clears the reserve at 250.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00At £250 at the corner now.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03At £250 at the corner now. At 250.
0:38:03 > 0:38:04Now at £250.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08Are we all done? At £250.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Well done. Don't forget, there's commission to pay.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13- Have you sold in auctions before? - Yeah.- You have.
0:38:13 > 0:38:1517.5% plus VAT.
0:38:15 > 0:38:20- Here...- Old hat. - I don't need to do...
0:38:20 > 0:38:24- Well, look, great to meet you again as well. Take care.- Well done.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Well, it's a good profit margin there
0:38:26 > 0:38:30and great to see someone so young with such a passion - for antiques.
0:38:30 > 0:38:36Just one more set of items to go, and it is Pamela's Swansea plates.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37On the sale preview day,
0:38:37 > 0:38:42I caught up with auctioneer Ryan to find out what he made of them.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45This lot is right up your street. We brought this to the right man.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47OK, Swansea plates, two pairs.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49She inherited them from her mother's neighbour.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51And keeping in with the botanical themes
0:38:51 > 0:38:53that are decorated on the front,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55she's going to spend all the money on the garden.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59This pair, £400 to £600. This pair, £800 to £1,200.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02You can see why, you can see the difference in quality, can't you?
0:39:02 > 0:39:05There's a lot more going on here. The artwork is incredible, isn't it?
0:39:05 > 0:39:06It is. It is lovely.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08You've the added provenance here as well,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10part of the Harry Sherman collection.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Can we talk a bit more about that?
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Well, Harry Sherman himself was a big collector.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17He died, intending to leave his entire collection to a museum,
0:39:17 > 0:39:20on the understanding that they displayed it fully.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24They couldn't fulfil that legacy, so they had to sell the collection.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28So they sold it for the prices, I believe, as I'm informed,
0:39:28 > 0:39:30for the prices he originally paid for them.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32And they were queuing for about half a mile down the road
0:39:32 > 0:39:34in order to buy from his collection.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37The irony is that he had this fantastic collection,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40but his wife hated Swansea, so all of it was in his office.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43This is exceptional quality. Do you have high hopes for these?
0:39:43 > 0:39:46I would hope they would make around the upper estimate, at least.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49OK, yeah. 800 to 1,200.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52- Good luck.- Thank you.- You'll enjoy selling these, won't you?- I will.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58Well, all very encouraging, but as you know,
0:39:58 > 0:40:01anything can happen in the sale room, so let's see how they get on.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Mark has split them into two lots.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07We've got 400 to 600 and 800 to 1,200.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10So, we've got a good entry level. 400 to 600,
0:40:10 > 0:40:12somebody can buy into this at the lower end
0:40:12 > 0:40:14and we've got the top end, as good as it gets.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16And that artwork is actually exceptional.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19They really are what we call botanical subjects,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21rather than flower painting,
0:40:21 > 0:40:22these are botanical subjects.
0:40:22 > 0:40:23They are wonderful.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26First lot going under the hammer.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30Pair of Swansea porcelain dessert plates here, lot 326.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35£290 I have to start.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37£290.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39At £290. 300 is there.
0:40:39 > 0:40:40At 300. 310.
0:40:40 > 0:40:44- He's got a commission bid. Bid on the books.- Oh, I see.
0:40:44 > 0:40:45330 now.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48340. 350. At 350 with me.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50360. 370 with me. 380?
0:40:50 > 0:40:53At 370 with me. At 370.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57390. At 390. 400 on the net. £400 on the Internet.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00Clears it at £400.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03At £400, clears the reserve on the Internet. At 410 on the net.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Oh, it's going on on the net.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09On the Internet at 410, are we all done?
0:41:09 > 0:41:12At £410...
0:41:12 > 0:41:13Sold, first lot.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15See, he had a commission bid of 400,
0:41:15 > 0:41:17so he was working the Internet to that
0:41:17 > 0:41:19and he took one bid higher, 410, on the Internet.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22- That's not bad, we sold, which is good.- That's good.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Now we need £800 to £1,200.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27Probably painted by Pollard here.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Nice provenance with the Sherman labels on the back.
0:41:30 > 0:41:35Commission bids here start me straight in at...
0:41:37 > 0:41:39..£900.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41They are by Pollard, it's as simple as that.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43- Definitely.- I'll take £900.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45At £900. 900.
0:41:45 > 0:41:46920. 950 with me.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49- This is better, isn't it? - Yes, much more exciting.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Better plate.
0:41:51 > 0:41:541,000 with me. And 50. 1,100 with me.
0:41:54 > 0:41:55At £1,100 with me, at 1,100.
0:41:55 > 0:41:581,150 on the net takes me out.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00At £1,150 on the Internet. At 1,150 on the net now.
0:42:00 > 0:42:031,150 on the net. Phones, 1,200?
0:42:03 > 0:42:06- Yes.- £1,200 on the telephone. At £1,200.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08- Top end of the estimate now, Pamela. - 1,250 on the net.
0:42:08 > 0:42:101,300 I have on the telephone.
0:42:10 > 0:42:11At 1,300.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14At 1,300 on the telephone. 1,350 on the net.
0:42:14 > 0:42:161,400 on the telephone.
0:42:16 > 0:42:181,400 on the telephone. 1,450 on the net.
0:42:18 > 0:42:191,500 on the telephone.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- At 1,500 on the telephone. 1,550 on the net.- Oh!
0:42:22 > 0:42:261,600 on the telephone. 1,650 on the net.
0:42:27 > 0:42:301,750 there. 1,800?
0:42:32 > 0:42:341,800. 1,850?
0:42:34 > 0:42:35At 1,850 on my right.
0:42:35 > 0:42:381,900? 1,850 on my right.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41In the room at 1,850.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43At 1,850.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46- £1,000 over, we'll take that. Well done.- Very nice, thank you.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49That was wonderful, wasn't it?
0:42:49 > 0:42:511,850, brilliant! Thank you for bringing them in.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53They are the kind of things we love to see,
0:42:53 > 0:42:56giving us a regional identity. That's what it is all about.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59- Absolutely. What do you always say, Paul?- Quality always counts.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03- Sells! It always sells. - It does. Quality always sells.
0:43:03 > 0:43:04Yes, and counts!
0:43:04 > 0:43:07You can't go wrong when you buy quality.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- No.- Yeah, thank you so much for bringing those in.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12We've had the most fabulous day here.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14We've sadly run out of time from Cardiff,
0:43:14 > 0:43:16but I hope you've enjoyed the show.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19We knew we'd finish with one big surprise, and that was it.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21And that's all thanks to Pamela. See you next time.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd