Shropshire Flog It!

We're on the border of Shropshire, a county rich in heritage - be it industrial, stately, rural or urban.

Over there, in that direction, is the Ironbridge Gorge,

a place that kick-started the Industrial Revolution.

It's now a World Heritage site.

We're surrounded by the magnificent grounds of Weston Park here,

once the family seat to the Bradfords,

and for one day only, it's our venue for our valuation day.

Welcome to Flog It!

Weston Park's history dates back to the Domesday Book,

but the house as we see it today was built in 1651.

Over the years, it has been modified and added to,

as and when the family who lived here wanted.

Today, any changes need to be given the approval of English Heritage.

But more about that later.

And around the side of this classical-style, Grade I listed

architectural delight, we have the most wonderful group of people!

-Good morning, everyone!

-CROWD: Good morning!

They're all here to have their antiques and collectables valued.

And to do that for them, we have our very own Grade I listed experts!

Mr David Barby...

I like that one, I really like that one.

And Michael Baggott.

-You want the jewellery?

-Yes. If you're giving it away, who am I to say no?

Here's one for you antique connoisseurs at home.

Which of these items is valued at around £1,000 in today's sale?

Is it this Victorian corkscrew?

A First World War retractable telescope?

Or this mid-20th-century Moorcroft vase?

This is the exciting part of the show because you never know

what's going to turn up in the queue.

Anything can happen! We could have something so spectacular

to take off to auction, it could be worth a fortune later on.

Whatever you do, don't go away. If you like surprises,

you're definitely going to get one.

I think we should get everyone inside now and get on with our work. Come on!

Today, our team of experts, both on-screen and off-screen,

will give their valuations to our crowd of hundreds.

And now, as everybody has made themselves comfortable,

I think it's time we got on with some work.

Let's take a closer look at what Michael Baggott is up to, shall we?

-Grace, Sophia, you're both friends, aren't you?

-Yes.

You've come along to "Flog It!" today.

You've brought this funny, rusty old thing.

What can you tell me about it?

It was, er, my granddad's.

My dad says he remembers using it as a child.

But other than that, it's been in a box for probably 20 or 30 years.

Using it as a child to open a bottle of alcohol

or...or just having a play with it?

Probably just playing with it, yeah.

Now, if we open this up, we've got everything we need to know.

We've got Wier's Patent, which is 1884,

so we can date this pretty accurately.

And we've got J-H-S and a B. That's J Heeley And Sons.

-I think they were working in Birmingham...

-Yeah, I think it was.

-..which is why you've got the B.

It's what we call a lever action.

A lot of corkscrews were developed with a lever action.

This is basically where you're screwing it in...

and then that grips the top of the bottle,

and then you pull. But what's very nice about this

is it's a double lever. This basically means

it's more complicated to make.

It's more expensive to make.

But it is not more effective as a corkscrew!

And they are rarer. What, of course, that translates to today is money.

What would you think something like that was worth,

a bit of metal old corkscrew?

I'd have probably said about £50?

They don't look like what they're worth.

And many corkscrews are £50, £80, £100.

Once you get collectors involved,

and to be fair, this is wine-related antique,

and they're wealthy collectors,

then they start to get very competitive

and prices go up.

Let's put £800-£1,200 on it.

-Right.

-And let's put a fixed reserve of £800.

Wow!

We might give the auctioneer a little bit of discretion on that,

but let's stick with that.

They have made £1,000, £1,100 before.

-Wow.

-Like every market, it goes up and down.

But I think it's been sufficiently long since one of these was offered for auction.

So that was a fantastic gift from your granddad!

Yeah! We only found it last week, we didn't really know what it was...

-You're kidding?

-No!

-You're kidding!

-We've been clearing out his room and we found it last week

-and we thought it might be worth getting checked out.

-Have you cleared it all out?

Yeah, there's a few other bits and bobs in there.

We must see you at another "Flog It!" then.

If there's any more of these, do let me know.

-That's fantastic, thank you both for coming along.

-Thank you.

While our "Flog It!" queue is expanding,

let's see what David's found in the library.

Mike, this is such a wonderful instrument

and in marvellous condition.

Where's it been?

-Er, in the top of the wardrobe.

-Top of the wardrobe.

-For 30 years.

-It's First World War, 1918 issue.

-Yes.

-And we've got a little stamp detail at the bottom here,

that refers to the fact that it is a War Office issue.

-Yep.

-And also, it was for the signals.

-Yep.

And all that information is stamped on to that particular section.

This is lovely. It's what we term as a four-section telescope.

And this is extended. So if it was very sunny,

you could create shade so you could see some distance

without the light shining direct into the lens.

This is a wonderful piece, and very expensive to produce.

This, I think, would have been an officer's,

because of the sheer quality of this instrument.

Not only that, we also have an additional lens,

which would have unscrewed that section and you just insert that in.

-Yep.

-You've also got the original straps that held the whole thing in place.

-Yep.

-And it's survived. The leatherwork is marvellous.

I note, with great interest, little spots of paint

on the leather, so it must have been out some time

when people were distempering or doing the ceiling.

Maybe guilty!

Really?

Well, this is marvellous. I'm just going to condense the whole thing.

-It's very smooth, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

Gosh, that is really very smooth and that's the lens to go with it as well.

That is a lovely, lovely piece. Have you polished the leather?

-WD-40, this morning?

-The leather?

-The leather and the brass, yes.

I can smell it.

It's almost as bad as diesel fuel!

This stitching here is incredible.

-If it's been tucked away, you've preserved it for posterity.

-Good.

-This will appeal to collectors of militaria.

-Yep.

The collectors of militaria will pay something in the region,

-I would hope, of 120-150, if not more...

-Good.

..because of its condition and the fact you've got your straps to go with it as well.

So it's going up for auction.

I think we should put the reserve round about 100 on it.

-Lovely.

-If that's agreeable.

-Yes.

-I think this is good. I hope somebody's going to appreciate it as much as I have!

-Excellent.

-Excellent, thank you.

-Thank you very much indeed.

When I saw Alison with this next item, I just had to stop her

and take a look.

Alison, I think this little spice cupboard is absolutely fabulous.

It's got charm and personality.

How did you come by this?

Er, it was my mother-in-law's. Well, it is my mother-in-law's.

She gave it to my husband.

I believe it was her mother that gave it to her.

Beyond that I know nothing more.

This has not been made in a city by a master craftsman.

You can tell that by the joint construction

and the way it's almost sort of cobbled together.

Looking at the hinges, you can see they've been hand-forged...

by a blacksmith on an anvil. And they're not quite the same size.

-No.

-They're not uniform. That all adds to the quirky charm of this.

That inset geometric pattern is so typically popular.

This is late 17th century, did you know that?

No, I didn't know it was that early.

-Yes. I'd say 1680s, 1690s.

-Goodness.

And spice, back then, was incredibly rare,

when this little cupboard was made with its enclosed fitted drawers

there for different spices.

A spice cupboard, like this, full of spice,

would be incredibly valuable.

Only the well-to-do, the nobility, the landed gentry

would be able to afford spices back then, in the early 1600s.

The contents of this cupboard, if it was full,

would equate to working out to be the same price

-as a small, little terraced house in Bristol.

-Gosh.

It's a shame about the damage,

-but nevertheless it's still worth about £500-£700.

-Gosh!

-And I know you don't want to sell it.

-No, no.

Which is such a shame because I would love to see this,

I would love to see this go to auction, it's absolutely charming.

Thank you so much for brightening up my day.

That's all right, a pleasure.

On "Flog It!", not everyone wants to sell their items

but it's always wonderful to see unusual pieces like this,

even if they don't make it into the auction room.

Our experts are working flat out today.

And here is another valuation by Michael Baggott.

John, Frances, thank you for coming along today

and bringing this lovely selection of jewellery.

Now, I take it, John, it's not your jewellery?

-No, I haven't worn it before, no.

-And not intending to!

-Frances, it's yours.

-It is mine, yes.

They're two lovely pieces. That, of course, is a gate bracelet,

so we've got all the different bars in it.

The good thing about that is, there is, sad to say, a quantity of gold in it.

And the gold price has gone up.

And that will actually outstrip its value as a wearable bracelet.

-Really?

-That is, for better or worse,

-a piece of bullion now.

-Right.

This is a different kettle of fish.

This actually shows the contrast up to, well...

The weight of gold in that is negligible.

It's inset with little seed pearls that have no value.

And it's got, very attractively set, a central and a drop opal,

little cabochon opal.

You can probably go down the jewellery quarter and buy all the constituent parts of that

for very little money indeed. But what makes it is the design

and the workmanship.

It's basically late Victorian, early Edwardian,

-so that's about 1900, 1905.

-Really?

-This is considerably later.

-Yes.

-That's a more modern fashion

of bracelet.

Any idea of what the values might be?

Not at all, no.

Surprisingly similar for two very different objects.

The bracelet we would put into auction at £150-£250.

Is that good shock, bad shock?

-It's good shock.

-Good shock.

Phew, close shave!

And we'll put a fixed reserve of £150 on it.

And it will make that.

-Really, wow.

-This is just lovely.

Just so pretty. Let's put that in at £150-£250.

Let's put a fixed reserve of £150 on that.

If they both do particularly well at auction,

have you got any plans for what you might do with the money?

Well, John and I are both celebrating our 65th birthday this year, if I'm allowed to say that,

so any money from that will help towards our party

or our little holiday that we hope to have.

Well, that's fantastic timing on Flog It's part, isn't it?

-Fingers crossed for the day.

-Thank you so much.

We are midway through our day and our experts have been working flat out.

It's time we went over to the auction room for the first time and here's a recap of what we're taking.

We really have found a lovely collection of items here today.

A late 19th-century corkscrew, made right here in the Midlands.

An officer's stylish First World War telescope.

And Frances' nine-carat gold bracelet

and her elegant Edwardian seed-pearl pendant.

From a Grade I listed country estate,

we're off to a town with an industrial heritage

for today's auction. The West Midland town of Stourbridge

has a 400-year-old glass manufacturing industry,

still a vibrant part of life here today.

And it's the industrial quarter where we're heading for.

Well, let's hope today's auctions will be a cause for celebration.

The buyers are certainly eyeing up the items on sale here today

but will their bids be high enough to see our "Flog It!" sellers

leaving with a big smile on their faces?

It looks like we're just about ready, standing up for a photograph of a family group shot.

In fact, it is! Grace, it's good to see you again. That's Gran,

-and this is Dad!

-Indeed.

And we are talking about selling that marvellous corkscrew

that Michael put a value of £800-£1,200 on.

Really, whose is it in the family then?

Er, it was my granddad's, I've been helping my grandma clear out his room.

Having a clear-out. OK, this is pretty special, isn't it?

It's helping to put Grace through university.

Ah, that's it. Can you tell us about Granddad, when he picked this up originally?

Do you know, I can't remember where we had it from.

It could have been my father's but I'm not sure.

-It's been around forever.

-It's real quality, it caught your eye.

It's a rare patent, we need the corkscrew collectors here

so let's see if they've come along.

It's going under the hammer right now, so let's put it to the test.

There we are. Where do you start me on this corkscrew?

I'll have to open bids at 750, I look for 760 in the room.

750, 760, 770, 780.

780, I'm out of the mix, it's in the room at £780.

Do I see 790 anywhere else?

At £780, I will sell at £780.

He's going to sell it.

Are you sure I'm done at £780? Just shy of estimate.

At £780, I'm selling.

Are you sure?

It's gone at £780, he's used his discretion, got that away,

which means that pays for a lot more things at university, doesn't it?

-Yes, definitely.

-And the money's going to come in handy.

-It will do. I'm a student at the minute

-so every penny counts!

-And students can blow £100 a night, easily,

-when they go out!

-They could do, yeah.

What do you mean, Paul, 780's a good weekend!

Going under the hammer right now, we've got a World War I three-drawer brass telescope.

We've seen them on the show before but this one is in mint condition,

-with leather carrying case. Absolutely lovely, Mike.

-It is.

Proper gentleman's toy!

Well, it is, really, let's face it.

You want to get that out and go...

And actually use it, you know. And it's a tangible thing, it's tactile.

-Beautifully made.

-Yes, would have been.

Why do you want to sell this?

Well, it's the first time it's come out for 40 years, out of the wardrobe!

-No, you're joking me!

-I'm not.

Oh, you should have used it on a daily basis!

-No!

-You should have done.

It's not... It's not that powerful as far as telescopes go these days.

But as an object to look at, it's lovely.

It really is. You know, these were made for officers and gentlemen.

The other interest is a point of militaria.

It comes in just at the end of the First World War.

So it has got a lovely, lovely pedigree to it as well,

with all the stamps that you would want on it.

-Yeah.

-And the spare lens.

-And the spare lens and the strap!

-Oh, the strap.

-Everything's there, isn't it.

-Everything's there, so it's ready to go...

-Ready to go.

-..to a top-end collection!

-We hope.

Hopefully the collectors are here today. Let's put it to the test.

Lot 810, the First World War brass and leather three-drawer telescope.

There it is, the telescope's coming out and where do you start me?

£100 for it? 100, quickly?

100, I've got you, madam, thank you.

100 I'm bid, 110 anywhere else, seems cheap at £100.

Lady's bid at 100, 110 anywhere else?

Come on, it is cheap!

I can't go any further if nobody's bidding. £100 I've got.

At £100, I'm selling it, first and last at 100.

The hammer's gone down at £100, that's gone.

Only just, that was disappointing.

Because with that case complete like that,

it should have done more than that.

-Anyway, it's gone.

-I'm pleased.

You don't mind, it doesn't go back in the wardrobe.

It's better that it's gone than going back into your wardrobe.

-Correct.

-And it's gone to somebody that wants it.

-Yep.

Don't forget, when you buy or sell at auction,

there's always commission to pay.

Here today, it's 15% plus VAT.

Frances and John, good luck. OK? Good luck.

Gold is selling well here today, we've seen a lot go through

under the hammer, so hopefully yours will be no exception.

-Hopefully.

-Why are you selling this bracelet?

Because John and I are both celebrating a nice birthday this year,

and we're hoping to get a little bit of money for some spends.

OK, good luck.

Since the valuation day, when Michael put the value on,

-we've now found another link to add to that.

-Have we?

So the gold value goes up, because it gets heavier!

The weight increases. That's a good thing, apart from when you're trying to diet!

Well, I know that!

I tell you, it will go for its gold weight anyway,

-but there are a couple...

-For the scrap rate.

-For the scrap.

But there are a couple of ladies bidding

who have come to the auction because they know it's a good place to buy.

Right, let's put it to the test, shall we?

Here we go, it's going under the hammer right now.

Lot 545 is the gate bracelet.

There we are.

-Er, 21.5, where do we start that one?

-150.

-150 straight off.

There we go.

Do I see 160 anywhere else in the room?

-160, the lady, 170?

-Yes.

-180?

-190?

-Yes.

-200?

When private people battle against dealers,

-that's when you get the best result.

-Ooh, there's no stopping!

200, the cap first. 200, 210?

-220, 230?

-I'm done.

220 in the room, 230 anywhere else?

At £220, I'm selling. 230 anywhere else? Last chance.

At £220, it goes out at 220. All done.

-There you go, Frances. £220! The hammer's gone down.

-My word!

That extra link made all the difference.

That was the extra weight. A lot of difference, in fact.

Well done, that's one down. 220 for the first lot,

second lot is coming up right now.

Something for you art-nouveau lovers.

Let's see if we can get about the same price, it's stylistically brilliant.

Lot 548, open-work pendant, this is a rather nice example, Edwardian.

I thought you'd want to keep this.

150 on a commission bid.

Straight in again!

-..150, do I see 160, 170?

-I'm out.

You're out but we've got 160, we're in the room now. 170 behind,

180, madam? 190, sir? 190.

The ladies are going mad, it's a good sign.

230. 240. 250.

260. 270. No, 260 the lady seated in the crowd.

270 anywhere else? At £260, are we all sure and done at £260?

Done and finished at 260.

£260!

That is fabulous! That is a combined total of £480.

-Very good.

-Fantastic!

So, less commission, what are you going to do with that?

We're going to take two of our grandchildren to France for a holiday.

How's your French, is it good?

-Mais non...

-Un peu, un peu!

-Very poor.

-What are your grandchildren's names?

-What are their names?

-Megan and Rhys.

-Enjoy it, won't you?

Thank you so much.

Well, after all that excitement, this statue is Diana,

the goddess of hunting.

She's coming up for sale later on in the programme, lot 736.

Now, our site for our valuation day, Weston Park,

also has another connection to Diana, the goddess of hunting.

There's a Grade I listed temple, named after her.

So not all the treasures of Weston Park are on the inside,

there's plenty on the outside, with many graded listed buildings,

as I found out. Take a look at this.

We're all familiar with the term "listed building" these days

but what exactly does it mean?

And what's the difference between Grade I, Grade II and Grade II star?

And when exactly did the whole process of listing our cherished sites begin?

I'm back at our valuation day location to find the answers.

Looking around from up here, it's quite sobering to think

that within this vast space, Weston Park looks after 36 listed buildings and monuments.

Over there ahead of me is the Grade I listed temple of Diana.

In the country as a whole, there are 400,000.

And one of them is right beneath me, the building itself.

That's Grade I listed.

But it's only relatively recently that we began to document

our historic sites.

Unsurprisingly, it was at a time when they were most at risk

of being destroyed.

ANNOUNCER: 'Here comes the Luftwaffe, in dozens of flights...'

Unlike the First World War, the Second World War was a war predominantly fought from the air.

'Hundreds of planes, bombers, fighters,

'dive-bombers...'

Millions of tonnes of bombs and rockets destroyed thousands of buildings.

LOUD EXPLOSION

'From September 7th to October 5th,

'the Nazis dropped 50 million pounds of bombs on the city.'

So, it was during the war that the government, and what became English Heritage,

started to draw up lists of buildings they thought

should be rebuilt if they were destroyed by the bombing.

And shortly after the war finished,

the Town And Country Planning Act of 1947 led to the very first list

of buildings of historical and architectural significance.

Weston Park certainly falls into that category,

with its ground designed by the renowned landscape gardener

Capability Brown, and outstanding buildings by the architect James Paine.

I want to find out how you go about making a building listed

and also what happens if you modify one.

I've arranged to meet Nick Molyneux from English Heritage,

the body behind the listing.

Tell me, what is the difference between Grade I listed,

Grade II and Grade II star?

There are about 400,000 listed buildings.

It's the top 1.5% that are in Grade I.

-They tend to be...

-What means Grade I?

Cathedrals, great country houses, those kind of buildings tend to...

-Big iconic landmarks.

-Iconic is a good work.

-Clifton Suspension Bridge.

-Clifton Suspension Bridge.

-Royal Albert Hall.

-Westminster Abbey.

-The ones everybody will know.

-OK, Grade II listed?

Grade II, that's the vast mass of listed buildings,

-that's the little thatched cottage down the road...

-A townhouse.

A townhouse in Bath and that kind of thing.

And Grade II star, what does that mean?

That's an intermediate grade, about 4% of buildings fall into that.

-What are you looking at?

-Lesser country houses,

buildings which have been altered a bit but are still highly significant.

Let's talk about the specific process of getting a building listed.

How do you go about doing that?

There's a form. Inevitably, it's electronic now,

you can fill it in on paper if you want to. So you go online,

on our website, that's the English Heritage website,

and fill it out.

2% of buildings in this country are listed.

50% of these are places of worship.

Listed sites are hugely diverse,

with The Beatles' Abbey Road crossing and even urinals making it into the categorisation.

Now, this particular sundial is Grade II listed.

It's thought that there are only three other surviving examples

of this particular design left in the country,

hence the need for it to be protected and listed.

It's got the most wonderful architectural quality about it,

and lots of classical motifs, which were so popular at the time.

This was made at the Coade factory in Lambeth in London,

in 1769, using Coade stone.

What that is, is clay fired at an extremely high temperature,

which gives you this wonderful, durable, almost sculptural quality to it.

And it really does look like real stone.

The factory shut in 1840 and with it,

the recipe and methods were lost.

Until recently, that is, when after extensive research

and experimentation, a man called Stephen Pettifer

rediscovered the formula.

Now, if Weston Park wanted to do any restoration work

to this beautiful sundial,

they would need to get permission from English Heritage first.

But with Coade stone now back in production,

that might prove a lot easier than it would have been in the past.

'I was interested to know what Nick would say about the building here

'at Weston Park that has been considerably renovated.

'The granary was originally known as the Great Barn.'

It was designed by the renowned architect James Paine,

who also designed the Temple of Diana.

It has two towers. The left-hand tower was used as a dovecot,

and the right tower was purely decorative.

Its primary role was to house grain from the fields.

The granary that we're sitting in now, this is Grade II.

Yes, this is classic Grade II in the sense it's undergone some change

-but it still retains...

-A great deal of change.

-Yes, quite a lot internally.

-Externally, it's still preserved.

-It's still got the facade.

-You've worked within the arches.

-Yes, exactly.

What we're about is preserving all the different phases of a building

so mostly we would expect, not to be obviously modern and contrasting,

but to be in keeping, rather than starkly modern.

The other issue is keeping buildings in use.

We actually want to keep buildings working so they carry on into the future.

There's always that compromise between some change

to enable something to keep going,

and not too much change as to destroy the character of the place.

I think it's a marvellous thing, I really do.

I'm so pleased it's been introduced.

It does stop anybody from getting carried away on a building.

That's the theory, it usually works as well!

'Nick has definitely helped me understand the complex system

'of listing our historic sites.'

Here at Weston Park, it's astonishing how many listed treasures there are.

At every head turn, there's always something different to see.

And let's find out what other treasures our experts have unearthed

inside the house here at Weston Park.

It's over to Mr Barby in the library.

Well, the AA have arrived.

Not Alcoholics Anonymous, but Alison and Anne!

And how are you related to this delightful little piece of ivory?

My mother gave it to me and she inherited it from a cousin,

about 26 years ago.

-Where's it been in your house?

-Sitting in a little cabinet

-up on the landing.

-Unloved, unadmired.

-Yes.

-Until you brought it here.

-Until I brought it here.

I think this is absolutely exquisite.

It's Japanese, it's of a period that we call Meiji

and that's towards the end of the 19th century,

when the Japanese influence had such effect on English and European design.

So much so, this design, everything became Japanese.

This is not in its original format, this has been altered.

And this would have been a parasol handle.

So this was a fashionable piece of ladies' accessories,

during the 1870s, that sort of period.

1870, 1880s.

It has all the elements that you find on Japanese netsuke.

It's intricate, it's undercut and and it's beautifully modelled.

The subject matter is a fruit bat, nibbling at a fruit.

And then just round the corner, we have a little fledgling,

who is nibbling at the fruit bat's tail.

-Yeah.

-So this is a lovely little piece

that was there to amuse, and also captivate the imagination.

Now, it has suffered.

And we've got whacking great dark, stained cracks down there

and also there. But it is exquisite carving.

If it goes up for auction, we've got to think in terms of it is altered and not in its original state.

So people are going to buy this as a work of art.

-It could go for over £150.

-Wow.

But because of the damage, I think we've got to box rather carefully

and bring it under £100.

-Right.

-I think we should put it round about 80 to 120?

-Yep.

-That sort of price range, if that's agreeable.

-Yes, that's fine.

-No regrets?

-No, I don't think so.

-You're not going to miss it in a cabinet, are you?

-No, no.

That poor little insignificant thing, which has so much beauty!

-I think we should be sensible with the reserve and put 65 on it.

-OK, that's fine.

That's absolutely fine.

-The reserve's 65 and I hope it goes over the £100 mark.

-OK, that's fine.

-If it gets more, I shall be delighted.

-So will I!

Because this ivory item was made before 1947,

current legislation allows us to take it off to auction and sell it.

There's no shortage of classical items here at Weston Park.

In the music room, our "Flog It!" fans are being treated to a piece

by one of the world's most loved classical composers, Mozart.

THEY PLAY A LIVELY STRING QUARTET

And now it's my turn to do a valuation and I've found a lovely corridor

to look at our next item in.

Wendy and John, tell me a little bit about this very early typewriter.

My gran passed away and we were cleaning the loft out,

and it was in the loft.

I thought it was too quirky to throw away,

so I took it and put it in our loft!

-So it's gone from one loft to another!

-Yes, yes.

-Did your gran ever use this?

-No, no, I don't think so.

It predates her generation.

This is sort of circa 1893.

I think this is lovely, I think this is now a piece of sculpture.

-This was early technology, wasn't it?

-Yes, yes.

I mean, it really was. Made by the Garvin Machine Company in New York,

so this is an American typewriter.

You can imagine all those early journalists and hacks

-using something like this.

-Moving it one word at a time.

Exactly. And this was, if I'm right, one of the very earliest

ribbon typewriters. One of the very first.

-First ones.

-Yes.

Here is the letter selection.

But look how it's wonderfully cast!

And obviously...

If we had some paper to roll onto that, do you know what,

I think we could tap out "Flog It!"

THEY ALL LAUGH

Just.

To put your name, we'd be here till six o'clock!

Oh gosh, we would be.

Do you know what, I think that's fabulous.

That is now a desktop toy...

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

..for...for a city boy, or just anybody, really, isn't it?

I can see that on a desk in a stately home

or in a contemporary flat as a piece of sculpture.

-It's a talking point.

-It's definitely a talking point.

And there are typewriter collectors out there.

Have you any idea what this might be worth?

No, we haven't a clue, honestly.

I think we easily start with a reserve at £100.

-Yes.

-And hopefully...

-I'd like to put £100-£200 on this.

-Fantastic.

-And hopefully, we will get that £200 mark.

-Lovely.

It is a real curio. It is for, I don't want to be rude, but for the anorak collectors, isn't it?

For people that are into typewriters, they will want

-to own this. Shall we sell it? Do you want to sell it?

-Yes, yes.

Fixed reserve at £100, and we'll call it £100-£200.

I know it's a broad margin but I want that £200 mark.

'So do Wendy and John, as they're off on holiday to Las Vegas.

'And daughter Joanne will be joining us at the auction.'

Our next item is part of a tradition of decorative pieces

that have been adorning our homes since 1897.

Congratulations, John.

Every programme that we do for "Flog It!" has a piece of Moorcroft.

You're the one today that's brought a piece of Moorcroft.

-Only one.

-Only one piece of Moorcroft but what a lovely piece.

Why are you selling this?

We've recently moved and we've got to have money for decorating the house

so we thought we'd sell it.

It's not going to realise that amount of money.

No, but it will help. It'll all help.

Pat, do you like it? Or is it something you can say,

"Oh well, it's going to be sold and that's it."

I do like it but we need the money for other things anyway, so...

Where did it come from? Is it a family heirloom you've inherited?

-No, it was given to me.

-It was given to you?

-Yes.

-How long ago?

-About four or five years ago.

-Somebody gave you this piece of Moorcroft?

-Yes.

-They must have thought a lot of you.

-He gave it to me for a boot sale.

-He didn't think a lot of you.

No...and I knew what it was, straight away,

when I opened the box. I offered it him back, he said, "No, I've given it to you, you keep it."

-Goodness me. Did you do the car boot?

-No!

-You just kept the vase instead.

-Yes.

-I love Moorcroft.

When my wife and I were much younger,

we used to collect Moorcroft, we had a huge collection

going right back to the earlier part of the 20th century.

This one dates from the middle of the 20th century.

The decoration is typical of Moorcroft.

It's tube lining and then it's filled in with colour

on this dark-blue ground.

What I love about Moorcroft is that no one piece is identical.

Each piece is unique because they can't judge how the glaze is going to run,

or how it's going to react from one colour to another.

That is a nice, nice piece.

Now, any regrets about selling? No, you want the money.

Next question is price.

Have you got any indication, John, as regards price?

Typically, auctioneer's estimate, 80-120.

80-120.

You're right!

I think 80-120, hopefully a little bit more.

It's a large piece.

But I think you've hit the nail on the head,

that sort of price range. I think we should fix a reserve at £80,

with discretion.

-OK.

-Are you quite happy with that?

-Yes.

-How many rolls of wallpaper is that going to buy?

-I don't know!

I look forward to seeing you both at the auction.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

I must say, we've had a fabulous time here.

Everybody's enjoyed themselves and we are now going off to auction

for the very last time, so it's time to say goodbye to this marvellous venue.

Surrounded by the most wonderful works of art everywhere you look,

you can see Thomas Gainsborough, you can see van Dyck, George Stubbs,

but right now, we're going to put our valuations to the test

and hopefully, one or two things will fly away.

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

That intricately sculpted ivory parasol handle,

from the Japanese Meiji period.

A predecessor to today's laptops,

this late 19th-century typewriter.

And finally, that classical little number,

John and Pat's Moorcroft vase.

Here, back at the auction house in Stourbridge,

the room is packed for today's antique and fine art sale.

First up, it's the A-team.

Alison and Anne, it's great to see you both again.

I think this is the most exquisite piece of ivory we've had on the show for a long time.

-It's lovely.

-It really, really is.

Why are you selling it?

We've not got a lot of value, 80-120, surely.

It's in a cupboard with a lot of other little bits.

Unless I'm going to display it, I just think, well,

-might as well go.

-Nice thing.

-26 years.

-It has to be obtained by a collector...

-Yes.

..of Japanese ivory.

Let's put the value to the test.

It's going under the hammer right now, this is it.

800 is the lovely Japanese ivory carved parasol handle.

800 we are on. There we are, as showing on your screens,

lovely example, and the bids tell me...

-160.

-£160 takes all the...

Straight in, 160.

We open at £160. Do I see 170 in the room anywhere?

Or it's going to be first and last at £160, on a commission

with Mark. 170 anywhere else? At 160 then, first and last,

on a commission, all done.

That was a good result, straight in, straight out.

-Goodness!

-That was good, wasn't it?

-Quality always sells.

-Goodness.

-And that was up there with the best.

Gosh! I am surprised, I am.

We thought about £80.

-Well...

-Oh ye of little faith!

I know!

That was very good. Quality, as Paul said, always will come out top.

Yes, it was nicely carved.

It's good to see you again, I know that was short and sweet

but I tell you what, David was able to wax lyrical on the valuation day,

-he fell in love with that. We've all learnt something from that.

-Thank you very much indeed.

A pleasure.

My turn to be the expert now. Going under the hammer

we've got that gorgeous little Champion typewriter,

belonging to John and Wendy.

We have the typewriter and as you know, John and Wendy are on holiday in Las Vegas!

They told me you'd be coming along, Joanne, it's great to meet you.

So now I've met the whole family.

Feel like I know you all!

What did Dad do with this over the years?

-He's just kept it hidden away, hasn't he?

-It's been in the loft,

and when we were little, we weren't allowed to play with it.

I remember him saying that, yes.

It's been in the loft. We used to move it every Christmas

to get the Christmas decorations out!

-And that's when you saw it.

-Yes. That's when we weren't allowed to touch it.

-Have you talked to them whilst they're on holiday?

-I have, yes.

But they weren't sober!

Oh dear! Having a good time then.

It's going under the hammer now.

Let's put it to the test.

Lot 780 which is the Champion wheel typewriter,

lacking spools but it's on its walnut plinth. A nice early one.

-175.

-£175. We're straight in at £175.

-We're straight in at £175.

-Wow!

Is that a bid at 180, sir? 180. 190?

You're out. 180 standing. 190 anywhere else for the typewriter?

At £180, standing in the room.

£180, straight in.

Are we sure I'm done at 180?

180 and the hammer's gone down!

You've got to get on the phone and hopefully they'll be sober!

-And awake.

-Well, they're going to gamble it, so...

What a holiday! I bet you wish you were there, don't you?

-No.

-No.

Well, it sounds like they're having a brilliant holiday so far!

What do you think they'll put the money towards?

-Gambling.

-They're going to put it on red or black.

While some sellers gamble it away, others use their takings

to slap a fresh coat of paint on the walls.

After this next lot, Pat and John have got their work cut out

because you're going home to your new house

-and you've got to start decorating.

-I've done some.

-A little bit but you've got to do a lot more.

And we need some more money. We're looking at £80-£120

for this Moorcroft vase.

Quality always sells. It's a great name, Moorcroft.

-Walter Moorcroft.

-It's a standard design

but it's still very much desirable.

-People like the dark blues and the...

-I like that blue, that's really nice.

-That's the colour...

-Especially when you get it for nothing.

Remind us of the story!

I was collecting for a boot sale, right?

My friend gave me five boxes and it was in there.

The last box we come to, I knew what it was straight away.

-You recognised it as Moorcroft.

-Yeah, through watching "Flog It!"

See, quality shines through and you watch "Flog It!"

you can pick up little bits of information, especially from the master here, Mr B.

Good luck. This is it, it's going under the hammer now.

Walter Moorcroft, anemone pattern vase is lot 160.

Lovely example, there it is, showing on your screens.

Who's going to start me at £70 for it?

70, thank you. Five anywhere else?

75, everywhere. 80, 5, 90, 5,

100, 110, 120, 130, 140...

This is great.

140 anywhere else? 140, fresh bidder.

150, madam?

Great name in ceramics.

170.

Thank you. 160 the gentleman's bid,

170 anywhere else. At £160, I'm selling the Moorcroft.

At 160, are we all sure and done at 160?

That's a good result.

-£160.

-Way above estimate!

-Yes.

-There's no need to say that, John.

THEY ALL LAUGH

It is really, really hard putting a value on something.

If two people really want it, they will pay well over the top in a saleroom,

that's the beauty of selling in an auction room.

I'm delighted for you. Thank you very much for bringing it in.

-Thank you.

-Yes. Best of luck in the new house as well.

That's it, it's all over for our owners.

Another day in another auction room.

I tell you what, this one was sizzling.

Everybody's gone home happy, all credit to our experts.

It's not easy putting a value on a priceless piece of art

and today, we've been surrounded by them.

If you've got anything you want to sell,

we would love to see you.

Bring it along to one of our valuation days.

You can pick up details on our website, log on to...

bbc.co.uk/flogit

Follow the links, all the information is there.

If you don't have a computer, check the details in your local press.

We're coming to somewhere close to you soon

so come on, dust 'em down and bring 'em in.

For now, from Stourbridge here, from all of us, it's goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]