Hampshire Flog It!

"Flog It!" travels around the country

and, today, we're in the south.

This is Portsmouth Harbour. That's a naval ship coming into dock.

Over there, is a ferry leaving for the Isle of Wight.

And here is HMS Warrior, our venue for our valuation day.

Welcome to Flog It!

Portsmouth is well known for being the UK's only island city.

Considering this,

it's perhaps no surprise it boasts 800 years of British naval history.

Today, it's home to over 60% of its fleet.

Things are looking shipshape as the Flog It! fans start to queue

for our valuation day.

We're certainly adding to the buzz of the dockyards today.

But can you believe, back in the docks's heyday,

in the early part of the 20th century,

22,000 men and women worked here.

I know we don't have that sort of number here today,

in our massive queue,

but I tell you what, we're going to be working just as hard,

because our experts do have their work cut out.

All of this crowd of people want to know that all-important question,

-which is...

-ALL: What's it worth?!

-If they're happy with the valuation, what are you going to do?

-ALL: Flog it!

And the experts on the look out today are...

-You're my favourite, by the way.

-Oh, bless you.

Have you got that? Have we got that?

Michael Baggott manning the cannons.

-Hello, sir, how are you?

-I'm very well, thanks.

And our very own master and commander, Will Axon.

So let's not keep everyone waiting any longer. It's anchors aweigh.

Coming up on today's show,

two items picked up from a jumble sale.

One bought for 10p, one bought for £2.

Which do you think makes 3,000 times the purchase price at auction?

So, first to the table, a man with an eagle eye for a bargain.

-Derek.

-Hi.

-Um, you don't appear to have me anything today.

Where's it hiding?

-In my...

-Ooh, parcels and packaging.

In my bit of tissue.

-Good grief.

-My box.

Good grief. Are you a box collector, Derek?

No, I'm not a box collector.

Just things I like and I've just seen it and I buy it.

I got it from a jumble sale. So it didn't cost enough.

-Let me stop you there. Where did you get it from?

-From a jumble sale.

-Was it on the table top?

-No.

-Where was this jumble sale, Derek?!

I can't remember where the jumble is, because I go to loads of jumble sales,

but when I was at the bric-a-brac table,

where I normally go first,

I always look under the table. You never know what's under the table.

I see a box under the table

and I see all these bits of brass items in the box.

I've gone under the table amongst the legs and I've mooched through the box,

this cardboard box, and I've found this little box in there.

So, you haven't got time to think, really,

because of all the people around you. I thought, "That's nice."

I got up and held it up and said to the lady, "How much is that?"

She said 10p. I said, "OK, all right, I'll have that, then."

I paid my 10p and went round looking for other things.

I think I might have broken the sound barrier

getting the 10p out of my pocket and into her hand.

That's probably because you know what you're doing.

-Was this a long time ago?

-A couple of years ago, yeah.

That's not a long time ago, Derek.

It shows it's worthwhile persevering with jumble sales and car boots.

You bought it. Do you know what it is?

-Well, I've heard just recently that it's a pillbox.

-Right. It isn't.

-Go on.

-It just shows you how much I do know!

Honestly, to me, it was just a little brass box with a nice hunting scene on it.

I just liked it, so I've just kept it on my dresser.

-First of all, not a pillbox. It's a snuffbox.

-Oh, is it? Right.

It's a really lovely bit of genuine 18th-century silver gilt.

-Nice, that's nice.

-It's a proper thing.

-It is real, yeah. Nice.

-And it's rare.

-Is it?

Um, and probably the best snuffbox us we've ever seen on Flog It!

I don't believe that, honestly.

If we open it up, we would hope to find marks in the cover,

in the base and on the inside, if it were French.

Mm-hm.

But it's German in a French style.

This box, unmarked,

-dates to about 1760, 1765.

-Really?

-So it's mid-18th century.

-Is it really?

-The hunting scene...

-Beautiful, isn't it?

-..that's very typical of German work.

-Right.

But this ground, the geometric ground,

this is very typical of French boxes of 1760, 1765.

And we date it... How do we date it? It's the shape, it's the style.

It's the form of the engraving.

If we look underneath.

There are no marks, but there's a little bit of white showing through.

-I could tell you a story about that.

-What's the story?

Well, last night, in amongst... I thought it was engine turned.

There were bits of black there, so I got a little needle and scratched it out.

I thought, "I wonder...?"

I got a toothbrush with a little bit of Fairy Liquid on it.

You cleaned it all out?

-Yeah.

-Lovely. I'm glad to you did, because we can see it's silver now.

-So not brass.

-Nice.

-Is a shame it's not marked.

-Marked would make...

-A lot of difference, yeah.

-..a big difference to it.

-I don't want to build you up too much.

-Go on!

-No, I know.

Value.

Return on 10p. What do we reckon?

-I would have said 20, 30 quid, personally.

-Give you 40 now.

-Thanks very much.

-I expect you would!

-Um, let's put £300 to £500 on it.

-Really?

-Let's put a fixed reserve of £300.

-Really?

-Hallmarked, we would be 600 to 900, 700 to 1,000.

-Gosh!

It's a really super box

and it deserves to be in a really splendid box collector's collection.

And for 10p, I don't think you could ever beat it.

If it didn't look so nice, I'd have probably taken it down the car boot

and sold it for a few quid, wouldn't I?

-It was meant to be, Derek.

-It was. Thank you very much.

-Thank you for making my day today.

-You're a good man.

-Thanks very much indeed.

From a jumble sale to an auction with expert advice along the way.

That's what Flog It! is all about.

And next, Will's gone ashore to get his hands on a not-so-lethal weapon.

Well, Dennis, we've seen some big guns on board HMS Warrior

and you've brought along your own little gun.

The guns on there were never fired in anger. There's a fact.

-Tell me, was this ever fired in anger?

-No, not in anger,

but against some toy soldiers when I was about 12!

That's what it is. It's a proper boy's toy here.

I'm going to clear the decks,

because you brought it along in this box. Slazenger?

I don't think they made toy cannons. Tennis balls.

-Where's this come from?

-Well, when was in my teens,

I bought tennis balls that had been used at Wimbledon in 1950.

-You've got the date there, look.

-Yes!

-I tell you what, on another show in another universe,

we'll do that one, but we'll put it to one side for the moment

and concentrate on what you brought in with it.

At first glance, I thought it's just an old tin-plate toy.

An old cannon. I had a closer look and it's really well made, isn't it?

-Extremely well made.

-Super quality. You tell me.

It's got some little bullets. How did it all work?

-The bullets went into the breach like that.

-Yes.

These are rubber bullets, so they shouldn't do the soldiers too much damage.

And, um, you had to pull up the lever, which brings the breach out.

-You put some caps in there.

-Little percussion caps.

Which are difficult to get hold of now and I haven't got any, unfortunately,

otherwise I could have given you a demonstration.

-China, I reckon.

-And then to fire it, bang.

That sets off the percussion cap.

-And this bullet here.

-It goes ba-dum!

What fun. I see we've got a maker's mark on top.

I can see "and company".

"Cie", which is the French version of "and Co".

Is this something you brought over from France yourself?

No, the story of this was I had an uncle

who was a company sergeant major in the Lancashire Regiment.

-He came out of France at Dunkirk.

-Wow!

He always used to come to our London flat to see my mother,

who brought him up as a small boy.

He actually ran away from home and joined the Army at 14.

Lied about his age, probably?

-He did.

-Like my grandfather.

Anyway, he came back and said, "I've only got two things."

He said, "I've got my service pistol, which I should've handed in."

And he said, "I've bought a present for you." And this was the present.

-Wow.

-And I know nothing more about it.

Unfortunately, Uncle John, John Moss, he got killed in the Battle of the Bulge.

-Really?

-Which was a great shame, yes. Anyway...

-His legacy, as it were?

-His legacy.

I've had it is so long. I've had it about 72 years, I worked out.

But I think the thing is to flog it.

Well, that's the name of the game. The clue's in the title, isn't it?

With regards to value, what would have been really nice is if it had come in an original box.

I think with the box, as with everything,

certainly toys and the model market, that's what they're after.

Value-wise, I'm going to come in at around the £50 mark.

It may not sound like a lot of money for the amount of work that's probably gone into it.

-How do you feel about putting it in?

-I would put it in there.

What I think is probably whether we could put a £10 or £20 reserve on it.

Oh, don't be daft, I'd give you that now myself.

It's got to make £10 or £20.

Let's put a £20 fixed reserve on it.

Let's put the estimate at 40 to 60.

-Let's straddle the £50 mark.

-OK.

It's been a pleasure talking to you. I enjoyed listening to your story

-and I look forward to seeing you at the sale room.

-We certainly will.

I've never been to an auction sale.

-But you're a keen follower of "Flog It!".

-I am.

I record every episode that goes out on the television, I've got it recorded.

Good work, Dennis.

-Who's your favourite expert on the show?

-You.

Me?!

-Will.

-Will!

-Will?

Well it's a good job he's here today. And he's up there, look.

-He's spotted a real gem. And Michael Baggott?

-He's nice and cuddly!

Aw! I tell you what, all our experts are pretty good

and the more you listen to them,

the more you can learn, and that's what it's all about.

'And there's no-one better to pick up some tips from

'than Michael Baggott.'

You've brought in this lovely Morocco leather case.

I love Victorian Morocco leather cases, because they've usually got something fantastic inside.

-Let's have a look. Wow. That's rather impressive.

-It is.

-Not something you wear on a day-to-day basis.

-Not generally.

-What's the history with it?

-It belongs to my husband.

He believes it belonged to his great uncle, who was a Bishop of Selby.

-Good Lord.

-I don't know how far we're going back.

-He was also a Masonic Grand Chaplain.

-Fantastic. I'm glad you said that.

That's about all we know.

Looking at it, it looks initially to me to be a Masonic jewel.

-We've got the scales and we've got the compass.

-Yes.

Then you would expect to see plumb lines, hammers, the all-seeing eye.

But, instead, we've got the iconography of the crown,

the rose, the cross and the pelican in her piety.

OK.

Um, if we turn it over, and there we go,

we've got the egret almost resurrected, with the cross to its head.

We've got this lovely little rose in enamel.

-The whole thing, it's not silver or gold. It's gilt metal.

-Right.

So, basically, probably copper, which has been electro-gilded

-and silvered, but it's lovely, lovely quality.

-Yes.

-Um...

I mean, they're tricky things, because they're never things that,

-apart from within a Masonic Order, you would ever wear, or ever get out or use.

-No.

So it falls into a very narrow band

of collectors of Masonic regalia and memorabilia.

You said you weren't sure of date.

I'm pretty sure, from the style of the box and the way this is made,

-that it's somewhere between 1880 and maybe 1900.

-OK.

-So late Victorian.

-Yes.

-Um, why now has your... Because it's your husband's?

-It is.

Why has he said bring this along to Flog It?

We were curious to know a little bit more about it.

It's not something we have on display.

To be honest, we didn't realise we had it until a few weeks ago.

Well, at auction, let's be cautious, and let's say £50 to £100.

It's quite a wide banding,

-because I haven't seen this precise jewel before.

-Right.

So it has the potential to do more. It's lovely it's in its fitted case.

-There's nothing wrong with the condition of it.

-Good.

So let's put a reserve of £50

-and I hope it will make very much more than that on the day.

-OK.

Two Masonic collectors head to head,

-we could see a couple of hundred pounds.

-Great.

-Thank you for bringing it in.

-Thank you very much.

Over the years, we've seen many pieces of Masonic regalia

on Flog It! and some far exceed our expectations under the hammer.

Just like in Worcester, back in 2007,

when Jennifer's Masonic watch was given an estimate of £100 to £150.

But time would tell that it sold for a whopping £800

At £800, and I sell at 800, and done.

-Brilliant!

-What a wonderful moment.

That'll be good next week!

Let's hope the medal is as popular as its predecessors

and causes a stir at the auction room.

It's a real treat to be filming on board such a historic vessel

and it really is bringing history alive for me.

HMS Warrior was built in 1860.

It was the first iron-hulled battleship

and it was the heaviest in Queen Victoria's Navy,

weighing in at 9,210 tons.

She is not only powered by sail, but also by steam

and, later on, I will go below decks to see the heaviest anchors in the world

and I can't wait for that.

Right now, it's time to put our first valuations to the test.

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

Derek bought his snuffbox for 10 pence

and he's about to turn it into a profit.

But can you guess how much?

Dennis's toy's a well-manufactured miniature weapon.

But will a collector want it without its box?

Masonic regalia has a strong track record at auction,

so we're hoping this medal will get gold.

For today's auction, we've travelled 30 miles north-east

to Andrew Smith's auction house, where the sale is already under way.

So without further ado,

let's see how that Masonic medal fares under the hammer.

We've got that gorgeous Victorian Masonic medal

belonging to Ru, who's right next to me.

-Who've you brought along with you?

-This is my mum, Helen.

-Helen, hello.

How'd you do? Nice to meet you. What do you think of this medal?

-I've only seen it briefly. I hope it does well.

-A lovely thing.

We're looking around £50-100.

Yes, I mean, on the day, I haven't seen one before.

I've done a bit of research,

they're probably not as rare as I thought they were,

but I think we've got the price right.

Right. Let's flog it in this busy auction room. Good luck. This is it.

We have a commissioned bid.

I'm going to start the bidding at £50, is there 5 in the room?

55, 60.

And 5. 70 and 5. 80 and 5.

At £80 commission bid. Is there 5?

At £80. Any more?

At £80 with me. At £80.

The last time at £80.

-Well done with the estimate, Michael.

-Good.

It doesn't have to go home.

It doesn't go back in that box, in that drawer.

Don't have to go home and enjoy it!

It may not have made a fortune like some Masonic pieces we've seen,

but £80 isn't bad for something you didn't even know you had.

This next lot should go off with a big bang.

It's Dennis's toy cannon and it's good to be joined by you Dennis.

-You're smiling, you're happy today?

-Yes.

-Is it going to be a sad day, saying goodbye to this?

-Er, well, yes.

It was your uncle's. A lot of history here.

Well, yeah, I mean, but, you know, I shall be 80 in five months' time.

-Nearly 80. Have you got any plans?

-Yes.

My wife's taking me on a cruise from Halifax, Nova Scotia

via Bermuda to the Caribbean.

And, on the penultimate day of our cruise, is my 80th birthday.

That's what I call a plan.

Yeah. We're looking forward to it.

-We've got to give you some spending money.

-Yes. That's a good idea!

Yes, the bar bills can creep up a bit.

Those sundowners. A G&T on the top deck!

-HE CHUCKLES

-Anyway, good luck. Fingers crossed.

It's going under the hammer now.

Start me at £50. £50?

£50? £40, surely.

£40. 30, then, to get it going?

-£30? £30. £30 I have. Thank you.

-We're in.

32. 35. 37.

-Are you sure?

-I'm not too sure!

-It's always worth another go.

-Go on, then.

-37.

-40. And 2.

-It's away.

-45. 47.

At £45. On my right at £45, we are selling, make no mistake.

At £45. Last time.

-The hammer's gone down. £45, it sold.

-Good.

-You were spot on.

-Thank you.

-That's what you expected.

-Enjoy your cruise. I shall be thinking of you jealously.

-I am.

-I'd love to go to Nova Scotia.

-That will buy a few bottles of wine.

-It will do.

-Think about us when you uncork it.

-I will do. Yes.

This next lot, the gilt snuffbox, is a classic Flog It! story.

Picked up for 10 pence a couple of years ago.

The kind of stories we like to see, and good for you, Derek.

You're a self-confessed - get ready for this, Michael - moocher.

-That's a new one on me.

-Mooching about at the car boot sales and jumbles.

-Mooching.

-It's paid off.

-It has. And you do it every Saturday.

-Mooching about.

-That's right, yeah.

-How many jumbles did you do this weekend?

-Saturday, I went to three.

-Three?

-My Saturday is jumble-sale day.

-Is your house full of, sort of, well I can't say...

-Rubbish!

-LAUGHTER

-I was going to.

You're allowed to!

I was going to say sort of tat...

-There is tat amongst it.

-Somebody's trash is somebody else's treasure.

-Absolutely.

-Let's put your mooching to the test. It's going under the hammer right now.

-I wish you luck on this. It's a lot of money.

-It's a lovely box, though.

-Nice box.

-It is a nice box, yes.

We should have a telephone here. Where's the telephone? Right.

-Right down there.

-One phone bidder booked, Derek.

Um, so, lot 230, start me at £400. £400?

£400. Try 3. £300.

-We're in.

-300 we have. And 20. At £300 and selling.

Is there a 20?

At £300, to the telephone. Is there any more. At £300, are you sure?

Last time at £300.

-It's gone.

-Good return on 10 pence.

-That's fantastic.

-Absolutely fantastic.

-I'm happy with that.

-You've got to be over the moon with that.

-It's cool. It's nice.

-It's an ongoing passion.

-Of course.

-It throws up a gem like that.

-And that's a lovely little gem.

-It was, yes.

Thanks to that man there. Good man. Thank you.

So Derek multiplied the 10 pence he paid for the snuffbox by 3,000.

It just shows. Keep your eyes peeled at those jumble sales.

There you are. The auction's still going on in there

but that's the end of our first three lots.

Under the hammer and so far, so good.

Right now, it's time for me to return

to the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth

to explore the oldest-surviving commissioned warship in the world.

HMS Victory, a national icon, famous for her leading role

in the greatest British naval victory of all time - the Battle of Trafalgar.

Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson's flagship and his death bed.

A complex machine of war and a thing of beauty.

200 years after her active career has ended,

this warship is once again under threat.

But not from the Spanish or the French, but from time itself.

Dry rot and the sheer weight of the timbers

is causing this vessel to slowly falling on itself.

This old lady of the sea is in desperate need of a make-over.

And thanks to private investment to the tune of £25 million,

coupled with help from the Ministry of Defence,

I'm pleased to say restoration work is well and truly under way.

You can see it and you can hear it.

But with the economic climate as it is, some would argue

expenditure on this scale is hard to justify.

But I'm here today to tell you why HMS Victory rightfully deserves to be restored

and why she should take her place at the top of British maritime history.

This vessel carried 104 guns. She faced her enemy at close range.

And she's left a legacy which should never be forgotten.

Her story started in 1759.

Plans and designs were organised

by one of the greatest surveyors of the Navy at the time.

It took 250 skilled shipwrights to build the hull of this magnificent vessel

and they felled 5,000 oak trees to do it.

This is the original decking.

Once a hull was built, it was left to season in dry dock for three years,

far longer than you would normally expect wood to dry out.

But they left the wind to blow through it,

taking out all the moisture content, which closed the grain up even tighter,

making it impervious to rot and wear and damage.

That's possibly the reason why this vessel has lasted such a long time.

After all, she is the oldest commissioned naval warship in the world.

After being launched in May 1765, it was 13 years later

until HMS Victory was called to fight.

But once she started, she didn't hold back

and took part in more than ten battles under several different admirals.

But her biggest fight took place in 1805

against the increasing threat that was Napoleon Bonaparte.

HMS Victory would now set sail on its greatest voyage ever

under the command of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson,

who was now recognised for his unconventional tactics.

When he set sail on the Victory, he'd already lost an arm,

and the sight in one eye, in battle.

But it seemed he and the vessel were fearless in their ambition to protect Britain.

But could their combined might defeat Napoleon Bonaparte?

Britain's flagship, HMS Victory, spanned 227ft.

She housed 820 crew, could reach a speed of 10 knots

and displaced a weight of 3,500 tons.

But the French and the Spanish had twice as many flagships.

Napoleon was arrogantly confident.

He thought the combined might of the Spanish and French warships

would be too much for Nelson and his fleet.

But his military experience was on land, not at sea.

Nelson, however, understood the ocean.

He assembled his officers here in his cabin, around this very table.

There's history in the making here.

But Nelson's plan was simple and effective.

He would sail up behind the enemy, split his fleet into two columns

and surround the rear of the enemy line, isolating it.

His clever thinking was orchestrated to a devastating effect.

17 French ships were captured

and a knock-out blow was delivered to the flagship, the Bucentaure.

The battle was won.

But while HMS Victory survived, Nelson was shot, right here on this very deck.

That brass plaque marks the spot where he was shot by a French marksman.

He lived long enough to know the battle was won,

but later died below deck.

His body was preserved in a barrel of brandy for the long and arduous journey back home.

She returned to Portsmouth, where, ultimately, she would rest.

In 1922, restoration began

and it continues today.

I went to talk to curator Andrew Baines about the current work.

Talk me through some of the restoration you're doing. What are you tackling next?

Well, we're almost starting at the top and working down.

Almost every aspect of the ship is going to be examined

and repaired where necessary.

As you can see, she's without the top mast at the minute.

We need to fully refurbish the rigging.

We've got problems with rot in the ship, where we have rainwater penetrating.

That means some timbers are going to need to be taken out and replaced.

I gather you're using some pretty impressive technology today.

Yeah. We've with got both ends of the spectrum.

We've chaps on board using traditional caulking methods

that would have been used to build the ship 250 years ago, and we're coming right up to date

with 21st-century techniques.

We're doing laser scanning of the hull, both internal and external,

so we will be able to build a 3D computer model

that is accurate down to millimetre level.

We're going to be doing a lot of conservation work,

so making sure the original material we do have is protected.

So I or my replacement can stand here 50 years from now

and still say you're walking the deck that Nelson would have walked.

Having been on board HMS Victory,

I think the time and money spent on the restoration

is a testament to our historic naval past.

Standing here, it brings to life the accounts of how Nelson protected our country

and that is definitely worth investing in.

Just a few hundred yards from HMS Victory,

across the Historic Dockyard, is our vessel for our valuation day - HMS Warrior.

And Will has wandered ashore to value some art.

Lynne, it's a matter of fact that when it comes down to art at auction,

it's all about the artist's name.

You've got a piece that you've brought in by James Humbert Craig.

How have you come by this and do you know the artist?

I don't know it at all. I got it at a jumble sale about seven years ago.

My daughter looked it up on the internet

and said he's an Irish landscape artist.

You're right, yes. Born in the 1870s, died in 1944.

Born in Belfast.

An Irishman who was very passionate about his Irish roots, shall we say?

He really wanted to bring out the beauty and nature

of the Irish landscape, which we've got here.

I don't think this is one of his finished pieces.

Obviously, it's on a board.

It's on what we call an artist's board,

rather than on a finished stretched canvas.

But he's signed it for us, and dated it, 1912.

I suspect that he had that viewpoint when he was painting it,

because he was a man who liked to paint outdoors.

Au plein air, they call it, similar to the Impressionists.

They went out with their paint boxes, a bit of artist's board,

and he would plant himself somewhere

where he saw a landscape or view that he liked and he would paint it.

-Do you like it?

-I do. That's why I bought it.

-It's been on the wall for the past seven years.

-Oh, it's been hanging?

-Oh, yeah.

-That's nice. I see it's got a little bit of damage.

-Was that there when you bought it?

-That was like that when I bought it.

I suspect if you bought it for £2, whoever who sold it probably didn't realise what it was.

It probably wasn't looked after well and maybe that's when it got this scuff.

His work sells for thousands of pounds. He's a well-known artist.

His finished canvases and his big pieces sell for many thousands,

because the Irish like to buy his work, as well.

-What do you like about it? Is it the colours, the scene?

-The scene.

It caught my eye and I thought that is really nice.

It is as though I was looking at that area.

Like I say, his finished work makes thousands,

but I'm going to come in quite conservative with the estimate on this.

You've told me how much you paid for it.

Hopefully, we'll turn it into a little bit of profit.

-I'm suggesting putting it in at an estimate of £100 to £200.

-Really?

-Yeah. How do you feel about that?

-That's wonderful!

-It's all right, isn't it?

Find one of those a day, you're laughing. You can give up the day job.

Listen, I'm going to check out the jumble sales around Portsmouth

-and see if I can...

-Gosport.

Gosport. Pick one of these up myself.

-It's the pleasure talking to you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you for bringing the picture in

I hope it's enlightened you. We'll see if we can make you go home a little richer.

-Thank you very much.

-Not at all.

Wow, it seems the jumble sales around here are more like gold mines!

HMS Warrior is here to be explored,

so I took my chance while the experts were still in full flow.

This is one of the capstans that would help lift one of the anchors.

There's four anchors. Each anchor weighs about 5.6 tons each.

That's equivalent to four or five cars

and it would take 100 men to lift each anchor,

by virtue of these huge wooden beams put into this capstan.

That operation took five to six hours -

to get the anchor up from the bottom of the ocean sea.

That happened by virtue of the anchors attached to this huge, great big chain.

Look at the size of those links.

This would wrap around this, around the axle of that.

That would be turned by the guys hanging on to these great big oak beams,

driven into the sockets.

100 men turning this and winding it up and up and up and up

over a period of five hours just to get the anchor up.

You can imagine. Four anchors coming up - that's 400 men.

There was no such thing as a quick getaway at sea.

Valuations are still taking place on and off the Warrior.

So let's catch up with Michael and his latest haul.

Gerry, thank you for bringing in this table full of silver.

Does the house look bare at home, now you've brought these in?

HE LAUGHS Slightly!

-Where have you had these?

-In the glass cabinet in the front room,

-in the house where we've been for the last 50 years.

-Right.

Did you buy them, or were they inherited?

They were bequeathed to my wife,

I believe just before we were married in '53.

You've kept them in beautiful condition.

Normally, these vases get dents and knocks.

But I think being in the cabinet, out of harm's way, has done a lot to help.

What's very interesting is we've got two different towns, but the same dates.

So these four were made in Birmingham,

but this two-pair set, which I think were always a set,

because they have the same pattern, design and maker,

are also the same year, but made in London.

-Any idea when they were made?

-None whatsoever.

I had a look at the hallmarks here

and we've got the maker's mark of Horace Woodward & Co Ltd,

London, 1898. They've survived beautifully.

They are, of course, flower vases

for a little bouquet or a single posy.

We don't really use them any more.

You're more likely to get the old milk bottle out, fill it with water

and stick a flower in that!

From that respect, this is what affects their value.

Things either have to be collectable or useful to be of premium value.

And, sadly, because they were machine made,

they're not something that's really collected.

As a consequence, they're going to have a value.

It's not based on their silver value.

You might pick these up and think they're quite heavy.

They've actually got lead in the base to keep them steady,

so negligible silver weight.

They're just nice decorative vases.

Any idea of what the value might be?

No. I suggested 150, between 150 and 200.

I think that's on the low side, but it's sensible.

It's a sensible figure to put them into auction. Let's say £150-£250.

Let's put a fixed reserve of 150, if you're happy with that?

Very happy, yes.

We'll get them out of the cabinet

and hopefully onto a forward-thinking young person's dining table

with a flower in them. That would be the way to go.

Thank you so much for bringing them in.

-Thank you.

-It's a pleasure.

Will's back on the deck

and has also found himself some silver with a very special story.

Gillian, I'm used to seeing the mother-of-pearl-handled silver fruit knives,

but you've brought along its companion,

the little - let me open it up -

silver and mother-of-pearl-handled fruit fork, as well.

Tell me how have you come by them?

I was a mission nurse in South Africa

on an Anglican mission.

The matron there gave me this particular one,

she gave me the knife to begin with.

When she came home, she was unpacking her goods to go into her house

and she found the fork, as well, so she gave me that.

Oh, she had a good memory, as well. Well remembered.

That was lucky for you.

Because I think it's delightful, the fact that you've got both.

The knife and the fork,

because, invariably, the fork gets lost,

because it's the knife that's the most useful thing to carry in your pocket.

A light pocket knife. Let me take you back a couple of steps.

You say you were at a mission in South Africa,

that must've been something. When were you there?

I was there from '62 to '77.

-How was that as an experience?

-It was great.

I was working with people who had not seen other Europeans before.

They used to walk all day to the mission.

It kind of puts it into perspective.

You've got people who are living like that,

and that's in the mid-20th century and later.

But in 1822, there were some people who were lucky enough to have

refined pieces like this in their pocket for eating fruit.

So looking at the hallmarks, I can see they are Sheffield hallmarks.

You got them in South Africa,

they were taken out there by your friend the matron.

Then you brought one of them back. She brought the other one back and here they are in Portsmouth.

-What sort of value would you put on them?

-I have no idea.

-No?

I mean, I would like to put them in at £60-£80.

-How do you feel about that?

-That's fine.

What are you going to do with the money?

The money will go back to South Africa,

because my church supports an orphanage in Kalicha.

Oh, that's wonderful.

So the money will go to that.

Listen, you can't get a better ending for a story,

-going full circle.

-No.

-I think that's great.

That's it. Our experts have made their final choices of items

to take auction so, sadly, we have to say goodbye

to the Historic Dockyard here at Portsmouth

and, of course, to HMS Warrior, our venue for today.

What a wonderful connection to maritime history.

It doesn't get much better than this.

It makes you think of the voyages this boat has made

and also all the skill and craftsmanship that's gone into making this

and maintaining it. Sadly it's time to say goodbye.

Let's get to auction for the last time and here's the cargo

that we're taking with us.

Lynne's painting was bought for £2.

What percentage profit to you think it will make in the sale room?

And will it be Michael's silver vases, or Will's silver knife

and fork that will tempt the bidders to part with their cash?

So it's back to Andrew Smith & Sons for the last time.

What are you bidding on to make the most money?

But before our items go under the hammer, I caught up with auctioneer Andrew Smith

to get his thoughts on Lynne's £2 purchase.

Condition is slightly against it.

This is fresh to the market,

apart from that jumble sale seven years ago.

-We've only got £100 to £200 on this.

-How much did she pay for it?

-£2. So it was a good day.

-It was a very good day.

-What do you think?

Well, I'd confidently say we'll get over the top estimate for that.

-£400 to £600 on a good day?

-Yeah.

Irish paintings are still very much in demand.

I'd be disappointed if we don't get 3-plus.

Has this been picked up and handled, ie, lots of interest?

We've had a lot of enquiries on the internet

and we've got telephone bids.

-Great.

-It's looking hopeful.

-It's looking very good.

Will Lynne be the lucky one today? We'll find out soon.

First, the fruit knife and fork are up for grabs

under expert auctioneer Nick Jarrett.

Gillian, fingers crossed. It's been a long wait, hasn't it?

I know it's not so hot today,

but the heat is rising in the auction room as we speak.

-That's the jeopardy we like.

-It's a roller coaster ride.

-Gillian, are you here by yourself?

-No, my sister's here.

-Where is she?

-There she is.

-Hello, Wendy. She's reading a book!

LAUGHTER

Coming up now, we're looking at £60 to £80.

Yes, nice little travelling set.

Got one myself, but broken, of course.

-A fruit one?

-Yes, yes. I've got a fork and knife.

Let's find out what the bidders think. This is it.

I'm going to start you - again, I've got several bids -

I'm going to start you at 80.

-Straight in at 80.

-95.

100. And 10.

120. 130. £130, then.

In the room at 130. I'm out. At £130.

140? 140, new bidder.

150? 140 on the phone.

Anybody else in? At £140. All done? At £140.

-Finished.

-It's very good. That's very good.

-£140. The hammer has gone down.

-Brilliant.

On the telephone as well, so a collector picked up on that.

-Quality. Quality always sells.

-Brilliant.

And now you know what yours are worth.

Mine are broken, as is everything in my collection, unfortunately!

I can only afford broken things. But, you know, it's nice to know

that someone somewhere might offer me something for them.

-Thank you so much bringing those in, Gillian.

-Well done.

-OK.

Going under the hammer now, we have eight silver vases belonging to Gerald.

They've been in a cabinet ever since 1953, haven't they?

So it's time they've got to go. Who have you brought along with you?

-I've bought along my daughter, Julie.

-Hello.

-You've been looking at these vases in the cabinet for a long time?

-Yes.

You took it to the right chap. Michael is our silver expert.

I know you waxed lyrical over these.

They're lovely. The main thing is they're clean and commercial.

Nobody collects them, but they're usable and functional.

-I'm 100% sure we'll get away with them.

-There's confidence for you.

Let's find out if these bidders are going to put their hands in their pockets.

Let's put it to the test. Good luck.

I've got several bids. I'm going to start you at 250. 260 in the room.

At 260. 280 can I say?

At £260 in the room, at 260. Anybody going on? Are you in?

At £260. In the room. Sitting at 260.

-Have you done?

-Hammer's gone down.

£260. That was the first bid. The maiden bid.

These commercial lots are always going to be short and sweet,

because the trade value them roughly the same price.

So he had several bids, that was the top bid.

-One bid in the room went slightly more, that's it.

-Job done.

-Happy? That was quick, wasn't it?

-Yes, it was quick.

Next, Lynne's painting, and I reckon this could go sky high.

The name James Humbert Craig has got the phone lines booked today,

that's for sure. Lynne, it's caused quite a stir.

-That's good.

-And it cost you £2.

-Good gracious.

-It's an auction, anything can happen.

-You're right.

-Good luck.

-Thank you very much.

-It's going under the hammer right now.

We have a lot of interest in this. One, two, three commissioned bids.

Good for you, Lynne, here we go.

One, two, three we've got.

-Three phone bids.

-Three phone bids.

So I'm going to start with the highest bid of £380.

SHE GASPS

At £380. Commissioned bid.

Is there 400? Is there 400?

400 from the telephone.

Commissioned bids are all out. At £400 on the telephone.

Is there 20?

420. 450.

-Oh!

-Someone in the room now.

-At £420 on the internet. At £420.

-Back on the internet, see?

At £420 for the very last time.

-450.

-Just.

I like your sense of theatre. 450.

470? At £450 to the telephone.

Is there 470?

470. 500.

520. 550.

520 on the net. Is there 550?

550. 570.

-570.

-That's what you said.

-Yeah.

At £570 on the internet.

At £570 and selling.

-Lynne, you're in the money.

-£570 for the very last time.

And yes!

Thank you very much.

Oh, do you know, it was worth selling, actually, for £570.

-Not bad for a £2 investment.

-No.

Are you going to treat the family, or treat yourself?

We wanted to go to see Pompeii.

But we're going to see my sister in Lancaster,

so I might just put it towards a hire car and the rest towards a holiday.

-Well done. Good spot, Will.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

There you are. That's it. We're coming to the end of our day in the auction room.

It's all over for our owners

and what a cracking day it's been.

Lovely surprise for Lynne. She wasn't expecting that, was she?

All credit to our experts,

because it's not easy putting a value on antiques,

as you've just seen.

Join us again next time, but, until then, it's goodbye

from all of us here in Hampshire.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.