0:00:05 > 0:00:08Today we're in one of the country's five Imperial War Museums.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11This one was an RAF training base during the First World War
0:00:11 > 0:00:15and a fighter base at the heart of the action during the Second World War.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19It's in the heart of Cambridgeshire and it's called the Imperial War Museum Duxford.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Welcome to "Flog It!"
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Duxford started life as an aerodrome
0:00:51 > 0:00:54and it became a fighter airfield in 1925.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57It was the first to operate the Supermarine Spitfire.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02- Tally ho! - Duxford played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain
0:01:02 > 0:01:06and it hosted the United States Air Force from 1943.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14It's now one of the leading aviation museums in Europe.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16And we're honoured to be here.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19I must say, look at that for a backdrop!
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Isn't that marvellous,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24to be surrounded by so much aviation and history,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and, of course, history is what "Flog It!" is all about.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Today we'll be amongst those iconic names like Concorde, Spitfire and Hurricane,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34but will our "Flog It!" crowd bring any iconic antiques in?
0:01:34 > 0:01:37That's the big question we're about to find out.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41So, strap yourselves in, settle yourselves down and enjoy the ride.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46There are enough people in the queue to fill a Boeing 747 or two.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49But will their collectibles be first class or economy?
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Well, that's up for our experts to determine -
0:01:53 > 0:01:58Captain James Lewis and First Officer Christina Trevanion.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01And it's war, with Christina already defending her territory!
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Nothing to see here, James. Move on.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Do you want a jewellery specialist to have a look?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08THEY LAUGH
0:02:08 > 0:02:12And James laying down the law. He's taking no prisoners.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Right, now, then, you lot, behave or else!
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Our venue today has attracted people from far and wide.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24And coming up on today's show, I hear something quite unbelievable.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Guess how much. You're not going to believe this.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30It's so annoying I don't really want to hear it again.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32- Say something. - My heart is beating so fast.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35I told you to come to "Flog It!"
0:02:35 > 0:02:36And amongst the high fliers,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39which of these items lands its owner the jackpot?
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Is it these colourful ivory carvings,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44these cute little terriers
0:02:44 > 0:02:46or this regalia with a surprising history?
0:02:46 > 0:02:48But first,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52an unusual mechanical device has landed on Christina's table.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Lesley, Audrey, I'm intrigued. What's in here?
0:02:55 > 0:02:56It doesn't look very much, does it?
0:02:56 > 0:02:59It really doesn't. It's very unassuming, isn't it?
0:02:59 > 0:03:01So it's a Curta...
0:03:01 > 0:03:03calculator. So here it is.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06- Um...- Where has it come from?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Well, Audrey and I were having a sort through the garage cos
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Audrey's been very kind to me since my husband died.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14And we were having a look through some of his things
0:03:14 > 0:03:15and she said to me, "What's this?"
0:03:15 > 0:03:18So I said, "I haven't a clue."
0:03:18 > 0:03:22So we opened it and went, "I still haven't a clue."
0:03:22 > 0:03:25My husband was a good bit older than me.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29I mean, I'm pre-calculator but I'm not quite into abacus! But I think...
0:03:29 > 0:03:33I think... I think this is probably somewhere between.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36I looked on the internet and you can use then for adding,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39multiplying, things that you'd use a slide rule for.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Yes. It's an incredibly early version of a calculator,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44- a modern-day calculator.- Yes.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47But it's nothing that we can use, so here we are.
0:03:47 > 0:03:52They say that calculators are a life-saver and, in this instance,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56this little machine was actually a life-saver for its maker,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59whose name was Curt Herzstark.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01And he was an Austrian.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05And he was an Austrian Jew in the 1930s and '40s,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09which was not a very good time, sadly, for the Austrian Jews.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14Um, he came up with his design, the design for this, in 1939.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17But then he was captured by the Nazis
0:04:17 > 0:04:22and he was put in a concentration camp for the duration of the war.
0:04:22 > 0:04:28And the Nazis rather spotted his rather fantastic ability
0:04:28 > 0:04:32with mechanical implements and this machine saved his life
0:04:32 > 0:04:36because the Nazis wanted him to make one as a gift for Hitler.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39He built one very, very slowly!
0:04:39 > 0:04:41THEY LAUGH
0:04:41 > 0:04:43- And very, very complicated. - Five years.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48And he survived the war because of this machine.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50It's post-war.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55It obviously went into production. They were produced in Liechtenstein.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00And they put them into production and they were very, very popular.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04And I believe, in theory, we're supposed to be able to
0:05:04 > 0:05:07adjust these little slides on here to the relevant numbers,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09turn something.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- And then something else...- And then something else is supposed...
0:05:12 > 0:05:14The answer is supposed to come up on the top here.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18I think at auction we'll be looking somewhere in the region,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20hopefully, of about £300-£500.
0:05:20 > 0:05:26- That sounds good.- With a discretionary reserve at 300.- Yes.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30- And keep our fingers crossed. - Let's hope we get two enthusiasts.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Who can put us out of our misery. - And show us how to work this.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Show us how to use it!
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Who'd have thought that innocuous little canister would tell
0:05:40 > 0:05:44such an extraordinary story of courage and ingenuity?
0:05:44 > 0:05:48But James is going to lighten the mood right now with some pedigree chums.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53- Well, Jill and Alwyn, are you Jack Russell lovers?- Yes.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Well, that makes three of us. I love Jack Russells, I have to say.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00I didn't use to but when I was an auctioneer working in Nottingham,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02a little dog ran into the sale
0:06:02 > 0:06:06in the middle of an auction and the doors are open onto a major road.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09We put it behind reception, thinking the owner will come.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11At the end of the day she was still there
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and I had to take her home because there was nothing else to do with her.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16And when I ended up taking her home for the second night,
0:06:16 > 0:06:21the porter had put a lot ticket around her neck saying "Lot 1".
0:06:21 > 0:06:27- And Lot 1 became...- Lottie.- And 15 years later I've still got her.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30So, tell me, with these they haven't just been stuck
0:06:30 > 0:06:33behind somebody's reception counter and unwanted, have they?
0:06:33 > 0:06:38No. Unfortunately, for about the last ten years they've been in the loft.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40And my husband went up the loft and he said,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44"Your Jack Russells are up there." And I said, "That's a good idea.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45"We'll take it to 'Flog It!' "
0:06:45 > 0:06:49So that's how the Jack Russells got on the table.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53- So are you breeders? Do you collect them?- No, no, no. We, um...
0:06:53 > 0:06:58had a Jack Russell puppy just before I had my eldest daughter.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00She used to throw her toys over the side.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04He'd run, pick them up, run up the hall, come back again,
0:07:04 > 0:07:08jump on the chair, in her pram, ready for the next one to be thrown over.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11I think they've got springs on their paws.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14But having said that, these don't have springs on their paws,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16but what they do have on their paws are little marks.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20And that one is the mark of Beswick.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- Right.- Beswick, England.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26And these two both marked "Doulton"
0:07:26 > 0:07:29and that one just stamped "England".
0:07:29 > 0:07:32It's probably by Melba Ware or one of those other factories
0:07:32 > 0:07:35that were making models of animals in the 1930s.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- He seems to have the best expression of a Jack Russell.- Yeah.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40That head on one side.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44So, this one, the mark underneath, it's an unusual mark for Doulton.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47That was used from 1930 onwards.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50And this little model of the three pups in the basket
0:07:50 > 0:07:52was made from about 1941 onwards.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56And I think to put them in auction is to put them in a group.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58That's the best way.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01And I think if we put the old auctioneer's favourite,
0:08:01 > 0:08:07- 80-120, on as the guidance, I think that's about right.- That's great.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- Would that be all right for you? - Yes, it would be lovely.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12- I just couldn't resist looking at the Jack Russells.- I know.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17Your face lit up. And you said, "I can talk about Lottie!"
0:08:17 > 0:08:18Yeah, I love my Lottie!
0:08:18 > 0:08:21# And they called it puppy love. #
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Oh, you big softie, James!
0:08:23 > 0:08:26While you've been indulging in doggy talk, I've been hard at work,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30finding out about he most iconic aeroplane of the 20th century.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34It's not just fighter planes that are exhibited here at Duxford.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Behind me we have the supersonic Concorde - we all know what that plane is.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Just look at the beautiful aerodynamic lines of that -
0:08:42 > 0:08:46one of many civil aircraft at home here at the museum.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50That's numbered 101 and it's a prototype version of Concorde
0:08:50 > 0:08:53that made its first flight in 1971, full of test equipment
0:08:53 > 0:08:56measuring the plane's performance in flight.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59In fact, that very plane in 1974 reached
0:08:59 > 0:09:03the highest speed of any Concorde during test-flight history.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05And test flights like that are so important
0:09:05 > 0:09:08because it allowed the general public to use that plane
0:09:08 > 0:09:12when it went into full service in 1976,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16allowing them to travel from the United Kingdom to America
0:09:16 > 0:09:19at almost twice the speed of sound.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22How about that? There's history in the making there.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23Modern history.
0:09:23 > 0:09:29Meanwhile, Christina is unpicking another 20th-century history mystery.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Val, what a jigsaw puzzle you've brought in for me today.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33Yes, we have.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35We've got silver and gold medals on here.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36And some wonderful photographs.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Can you explain to me how these all connect
0:09:39 > 0:09:41and where they've come from?
0:09:41 > 0:09:47- This is my husband's grandfather.- OK. - And his name was John Bennett.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50That's him dressed as a Red Indian.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52We've got a procession here.
0:09:52 > 0:09:58This procession was in Romford market in 1922.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02And the gentleman on the end is my husband's father.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06And here we have the Pearly King and Pearly Queen procession here.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07That's right, yes.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10It's a wonderful tradition cos you still see them together.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Oh, yes, they do a great deal for charity.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16So, do you know whether your husband's father was a Pearly King?
0:10:16 > 0:10:20- He was a Pearly Prince, he told us. - A Pearly Prince?- Yes.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24- Wonderful, isn't it? So evocative. - He was a very young man then.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Because we've got all these wonderful badges on here
0:10:27 > 0:10:29and just trying to piece everything together
0:10:29 > 0:10:31is quite complex.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35But some of the badges have these wonderful initials on them,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38which stand for... What do they stand for?
0:10:38 > 0:10:41The Overland Park Kansas Hospital Society.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- Which is in America.- Unbelievable.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46So what we need to try and establish somehow is the link
0:10:46 > 0:10:52between your husband's father and a hospital in Kansas.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55The only thing that we can think of
0:10:55 > 0:10:59is that the pearly kings and queens were obviously famous
0:10:59 > 0:11:02for their generosity in raising money for deserving charities,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- not only in the UK but abroad.- Yes.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09And we can only assume there would have been some link
0:11:09 > 0:11:13between that charitable cause, or charitable donation,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17to this hospital in Kansas. It is a bit difficult, isn't it?
0:11:17 > 0:11:21We've got all these dates on these medals. We've got 1930, 1929.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23- The 1930 ones, especially, are in gold.- Yes.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Can't believe that.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27This is such a difficult thing to value
0:11:27 > 0:11:31because how do you put a price on obviously so much hard work,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35that they've raised so many funds and got so many badges
0:11:35 > 0:11:37for all their hard work?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40I think at auction we might be looking somewhere in the region
0:11:40 > 0:11:43- of maybe £250-£300.- Goodness.
0:11:43 > 0:11:49- So, how do you feel about that? - Very happy. Very happy, yes.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Hopefully, someone at the auction house will be able to shed some light
0:11:52 > 0:11:54on to Valerie's unique collection.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59Joining us at auction is Lesley's life-saving early calculator.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07And finally, Jill and Alwyn's irresistible Jack Russells.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15And this is where we're putting all of our items under the hammer today -
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Rowley's Fine Art Auctioneers at Tattersalls in Newmarket.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Now, my advice to you if you're buying or selling at auction -
0:12:22 > 0:12:25get a catalogue. All the information is printed in there about the lots.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30All the sizes and the dimension and the history of the item as well.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Also, the commission and the buyer's premium are also mentioned.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36You have to pay that in any sale room you attend.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Here today if you're selling something it's 15% plus VAT.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45If you're buying something, the buyer's premium is 17.5% plus VAT.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49So factor that in to the hammer price because it will make a big difference
0:12:49 > 0:12:51when you come to pay the bill at the end of the day.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56And wielding the gavel today will be auctioneer Will Axon.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58160 on the telephone.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Before we go off to auction, let's hear if Will's found out
0:13:01 > 0:13:05anything more about Valerie's Pearly memorabilia.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Since they've gone into the catalogue, we've done a bit of research
0:13:08 > 0:13:11and they are definitely Pearly King and Queen medals.
0:13:11 > 0:13:18Now, the OPKHS is the Original Pearly Kings Hospital Society.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- Right.- And they are 1920s, London.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24I don't think there's any American connection.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Even the costumes that you can see in the photographs
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- I think are purely for novelty factor...- Sure.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32- ..when they were doing these parades.- For parades. - To raise money.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34This guy here - "Give what you can."
0:13:34 > 0:13:37That is what the Pearlies were about, raising money for charity.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40But it all started, like I say, back in the late 19th century.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Henry Croft is generally known as the man who founded the Pearly Kings and Queens.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48He grew up - Victorian orphanage, workhouse orphanage. Hard life.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51He got a job as a street cleaner and a rat catcher.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55He wanted to give something back to the orphanage, so he started raising money for the orphanage.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57And he wanted a way to stand out from the crowd.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59- Something to remember.- Exactly.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01And they had what they call costermongers.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03These were chaps who worked on the markets
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and to make themselves stand out from the other market traders,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09they used to line their trousers with pearl buttons,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12the buttons on their waistcoats and the fronts of their caps.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Of course, he went to the other extreme and had a top hat, tails,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18all covered in pearl buttons.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20This is lovely. This is fascinating.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23You're painting a picture of the heritage of London,
0:14:23 > 0:14:24the charity-raising in the 1920s.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27And the Pearly Kings and Queens are still going today.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29They're still going today. I spoke to one of them...
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- Have they been in contact with you? - I've been in contact with them.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35I spoke to a lady last night and she was fascinating with the medals.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39I sent them copies of the pictures. They thought they were amazing. They loved them.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42What's going through your mind? How much money?
0:14:42 > 0:14:45To be honest, do you know what the motto of the Pearly Kings and Queens is?
0:14:45 > 0:14:47- No, I don't, but you're going to tell me.- I am.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49It's "One never knows."
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Well, there you go!
0:14:51 > 0:14:54And indeed, one doesn't!
0:14:54 > 0:14:59But we haven't got long to wait as Will steps up to the rostrum. It's our first item.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Had a chat to Will yesterday at the preview day
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and he was absolutely fascinated by this lot
0:15:05 > 0:15:08- and he's notified all the right people.- That's brilliant.
0:15:08 > 0:15:09So there is interest.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14We're looking at £250-£300. And I think what you're buying into here
0:15:14 > 0:15:15is a great deal of social history.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- Absolutely.- London social history.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21And if you added up how much money is on all those medals,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23that's a phenomenal amount of money for the time.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Yes, for what they raised.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Let's hand it over to Will Axon.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31The quantity of silver-gilt medals, et cetera.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34These actually pertain to the Pearly Kings and Queens Society,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36so there's a bit of social history interest here
0:15:36 > 0:15:40as well as a bit of silver content in the medals, of course.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43I'm bid 200 with me to start. At £200 I'm bid.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45At 220. You bidding? 240.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47You bidding? 260. 280.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51At 280 it's in the gods now. At £280 now. Bid at 280.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55With you sir. At £280 now. Looking round for other bidders.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58At £280. Are you all done?
0:15:58 > 0:16:01All it's going to be, ladies and gentlemen, at £280.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04All done. Hammer's up at 280.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05- We're happy with that.- All right.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09- You didn't think they'd sell, so that's brilliant.- No, I didn't.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12And Will's research has paid off.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Something for all you dog lovers. I think we're surrounded.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- Jill and Alwyn, you love your dogs. - We do.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22James, our expert, loves his terriers.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24- I do.- You've got a little one knocking about.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27And I love my dogs as well. I really do.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29And we have a little terrier. Not many people know that.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- My son, Dylan, had his first puppy a couple of months ago.- Did he?
0:16:32 > 0:16:34- And it was a little Jack Russell. - Oh, smashing!
0:16:34 > 0:16:36What did he call him?
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Well, Dylan has called him Woof!
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Woof! What a great name for a Jack Russell.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43- Woof. Yeah.- Mine's called Lottie.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- I know yours is called Lottie and I've met her.- You have, of course.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48We have met her. We did some filming with Lottie.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- You should have brought Lottie along with you.- Ah!
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- He did once.- I did.- You did.- She was a little bit excitable, though.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55She was.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Right, we're relying on this little Jack Russell
0:16:58 > 0:17:00to brighten up our day.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Showing there, yes, is the four porcelain terrier groups.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06There we are. I'm sure you've had a good look at them there.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Where do you start me? There's Royal Doulton and Beswick in there also.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13I'm bid here... Where do we start? I'm bid 40, 50 here.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16And 5 I'll take. 55, 60 bid.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18In the room at 60. At £60 now.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23Looking round. At £60 now. Can't see any bidding. At £60 it is.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28Right in front I shall sell it, then. All done at £60.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- Fetched the reserve. - Just on the reserve.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Oh, well, look, it's gone, OK, it's gone.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Well done, that little Jack Russell.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40And we can confirm they found a new home with a fellow dog lover.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42My Jack Russell at home, Mabel,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45I just bought... She's just having the puppies now.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48And so obviously I'm here buying antiques when I should be at home...
0:17:48 > 0:17:51And cos I saw the Beswick dogs with babies in the basket
0:17:51 > 0:17:53I had to have them.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55As I bought them, she's had her first puppy.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56So it's great.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58I'm pleased with them.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01And I'm sure they'll fit right in with Mabel and her new additions.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Next under the gavel is Lesley and Audrey with the calculator.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10Do you know something, £300-£500 is a lot of money for something
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- knocking around in the garage on a shelf.- Yes.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16- I would love to know how it works. - There is a website, apparently,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18devoted to them. Very American. And there's...
0:18:18 > 0:18:23- We'll give that a miss(!) - ..all sorts of diagrams.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26I just hope they're all on the phone.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Good luck, all of you. 3-5, this is what we're looking at, this is it.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35The interesting Curta Type 1 mechanical calculator. There we are.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38You need a degree in how to work it.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41I'm sure the buyers will know what to do with it.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Where do you start me? Interest here with me at 250, 280, 300, 320.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48350, 380 I'm bid. And 400 with me.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52420, 450, 480, 500.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57- 500 here now. In the aisle at £500. - Fantastic.- Out in front, yes?
0:18:57 > 0:19:03At 500 bid. With you, sir. At £500. Are you joining me? At £500, then.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- All done at 500.- Bang on.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Hey, if you've got something like that at home
0:19:07 > 0:19:09on one of your shelves in the garage,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12now you know what it's worth. I've learned something today, I have.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14- That was a very good tin of paint. - It was a great tin of paint!
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Bidders, at £280.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Are you all done? All it's going to be, ladies and gentlemen, at £280.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Well done, Mr Will Axon up there. That concludes our first visit to the auction room today.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Now, take those pictures behind me.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Finding the perfect picture with the right frame is harder than you think,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32getting that match made in heaven.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35But our stately homes are full of the most magnificent paintings
0:19:35 > 0:19:39and frames, and it's the ideal place to learn about the art of framing,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43and that's exactly what I did. While we were up here in the area filming,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47I took the opportunity to explore a stately home. Take a look at this.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Have you ever found yourself looking at an oil painting
0:20:01 > 0:20:04and your eyes wander from the image to the frame
0:20:04 > 0:20:09because sometimes the frames are more interesting than the pictorial content?
0:20:09 > 0:20:13Well, today I've come to Audley End, a magnificent Jacobean house in Cambridgeshire
0:20:13 > 0:20:17renowned for its art collection, spanning the 16th century
0:20:17 > 0:20:19right through to the 20th century,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and just as art differs, so do the frames.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36To learn a little bit more about the history of picture framing,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38I've been joined by art historian Peter Cannon-Brookes.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Peter, it's good to see you again.
0:20:41 > 0:20:42Good to see you.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44And thank you for joining up with me today in this lovely house.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48We're surrounded by fine art works but also beautiful frames.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51For obvious reasons, this one dominates this wall.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53And it should do because it's the lady of the house.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56So it has the biggest, the grandest frame in the room.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58It was commissioned for this room in 1836
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and it has a very swagger frame on it.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04What can you tell me about that frame just from looking at it
0:21:04 > 0:21:05without turning it over?
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Basically, it is a mid-18th-century French frame
0:21:09 > 0:21:12reworked in the 1830s,
0:21:12 > 0:21:16with this decoration of criss-cross scratched ground
0:21:16 > 0:21:18rococo elements across it,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21and these large shell-shaped corners.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Is that what gives that away to you?
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Instantly you look at the decoration, you say, "That's continental..."
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Yes, the ornament is the word we use.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30OK. OK.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32This would be a pine gilded frame?
0:21:32 > 0:21:35The carcass will be made of pine.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37And then coated with gesso,
0:21:37 > 0:21:38which is plaster,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42and then the decoration, the ornament, would be applied
0:21:42 > 0:21:46using moulds. You push the paste into the boxwood mould,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49then you peel it out and then you put it onto a curved surface.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51And that's how these are made.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54And I can tell you, they're swines to restore.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58- So it's very important to get the right frame for the right oil painting?- Yes.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01And also, you see, the frame is a mediator.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05It looks out into the room to fit into the interior decoration of the room,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07so there's continuity.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10It looks into the picture, it has to support the picture.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13There is one thing that is awfully important that people tend to forget.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18And that is the amount of detail close to the painting
0:22:18 > 0:22:21should not be in the same scale as the painting itself.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Otherwise, the painting bleeds out into it.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Interesting. There is so much to learn when you think about it, there really is.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32It's a much more complicated subject than some people realise
0:22:32 > 0:22:35- till they've made a nasty, expensive mistake.- Hmm. Well, it's lovely.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38That sums up the 19th-century frame. Can we go back in time
0:22:38 > 0:22:40and look at an 18th-century one?
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- Indeed.- I'll follow you.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Peter, I prefer this frame. This is the 18th-century frame.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59- This is the 18th century. - It's architectural looking. For me, it's simpler.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02It is indeed. In fact, it's almost severe
0:23:02 > 0:23:04in it architectural forms!
0:23:04 > 0:23:06It's what's called a palace frame.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Right. I didn't know that. It's called a palace frame. Why is it?
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Paul Levi, probably our greatest frame maker of the second half the 20th century,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15he always called them palace frames,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18with extended corners. These are the extended corners.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20I like that. I like that detail at lot.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23But it's got the egg-and-dart decoration around the outside.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24This repetitive form again.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28That's egg and dart. That, of course, is taken straight from classical architecture.
0:23:28 > 0:23:34The sanded area here, this comes from French frames of the 18th century.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37OK. It's like a little, small, punched detail, pitted.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- No, it's actually sand. - It's actually sand... Oh, I see!
0:23:40 > 0:23:43You paint it with glue and then you sprinkle sand over it.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45And then you gild.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49And that gives it that granular effect and rather sumptuous.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53- This really works with this portrait.- Indeed. - It really does work.
0:23:53 > 0:23:59- This is a very good painting. - It counterbalances the clarity of lighting and things of the painting
0:23:59 > 0:24:03go well with the clarity of forms of the frame.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06- Very appropriate to the Marquess of Granby. - This is the Marquess of Granby.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09And he was the British commander in Germany during the Seven Years' War.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12It's very, very nice. And I like what's going on.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15There's a little bit of fanciful baroque at the very top.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18You have the shell-shapes ornament there.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21And you have the swags down the sides.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25These are all additions to the basic form and you can have it absolutely plain
0:24:25 > 0:24:30or you can have it really very elaborate indeed. It's a wonderful, basic pattern.
0:24:30 > 0:24:31This sums up the 18th century.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35There's one more to see, going back to the 17th century.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Let's go and have a look.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51- 17th-century frame. Not a straight line in it. - Not a straight line in it.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54A mid-17th-century type.
0:24:54 > 0:25:00This type of decoration is what's called auricular, in other words, "ears".
0:25:00 > 0:25:01"Ohrmuschel" in German.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04If you look closely at it, there are naturalistic elements in it.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06There are leaves, there are flames,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09there's even a mask in the bottom there, a shield on the top.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13But it is this abstract flowing shapes,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and it's very typical of the rather grand frames
0:25:17 > 0:25:19of the second half of the 17th century.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23And the gilding is, I think, original. It's flaking...
0:25:23 > 0:25:27I like that, do you know that? That's good.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30You don't want to cover that up. That's restoration as opposed to conservation.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32- It's carrying its history with it. - Yes.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35It's very nice. I've learned a lot today just looking at these,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38I really have. Thank you very much for talking me through this.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Thank you for asking me.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Now it's time for me to put my new-found knowledge to the test.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48I've heard there's a rather spectacular frame upstairs.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Well, here we are, behind the scenes in the servants' quarters.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59And, well, it was worth the climb up the stairs. Look at that.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02That makes a big impact. It's huge.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07It's up here waiting conservation, so it's basically being stored out of view.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12And what you're looking at there is an 18th-century carved picture frame
0:26:12 > 0:26:15of architectural detail with these lovely extending corners
0:26:15 > 0:26:21exactly like the one we saw downstairs, with later Victorian editions.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26Now, for me, in my opinion, it kind of overpowers the picture.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28A little bit.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29In fact, a lot.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30Not keen on it.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It really is one of the most over-the-top examples
0:26:33 > 0:26:36of Victorian taste for embellishment I have ever seen.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Well, that concludes our journey of 300 years through the history of frames
0:26:40 > 0:26:42here at Audley End.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45And I've learned something today, and I hope you have, too.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47I've learned how to identify the right frame
0:26:47 > 0:26:50for the correct period in history.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53And if you get that right, there's perfect harmony,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56they complement each other, and you've got the complete picture.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Welcome back to Duxford. As you can see, there's still hundreds of people here,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17which means hundreds of antiques to look at.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22Let's now join up with our experts and see what else we can find to take off to auction.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24We've got a lot to get through
0:27:24 > 0:27:28and James has already worked up quite a sweat about his next item.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Sandra, let me take you back 100 years,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34a time of great trade links between East and West,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37a time when Hong Kong was the hub
0:27:37 > 0:27:40and our access, really, into the East.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44This is the sort of time when these three objects were made,
0:27:44 > 0:27:45about 100 years ago.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50We have two ivory plaques on padauk-wood stands.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- Padauk-wood is a form of rosewood.- Yes.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55And we have an ivory scent bottle.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59So, tell me, how do three amazing bits of quality ivory
0:27:59 > 0:28:01come into your possession?
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Well, they were my father's.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07He was out in Hong Kong before and after the war.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12And he just loved curios, in particular, Chinese.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14What was he doing in Hong Kong?
0:28:14 > 0:28:18- He was general manager of Whiteaway Laidlaw, the department store.- OK.
0:28:18 > 0:28:23Both he and my mother and my sister were Japanese prisoners of war.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27So they lost all the things that he collected.
0:28:27 > 0:28:28My word.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31He was a Hong Kong volunteer, so he was separate from my mother.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34- So he fought in a volunteer regiment?- Yes, yes.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39- Gosh.- And he actually was sent to Japan, in the end, to coal mines.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43- So they were split up for how long? - Four years.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46- And he didn't see his daughter for four years?- No, no.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48My goodness.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50So these were some of the first things
0:28:50 > 0:28:53- that they would have bought after the war?- Yes.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55I mean, we've had the pleasure of it for a long time
0:28:55 > 0:28:57but it's also a little difficult
0:28:57 > 0:29:00if one plaque is mine and one my sister's
0:29:00 > 0:29:03and we obviously don't want to split them up.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04Yeah.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07So we felt it was time now, really.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10One thing you do have to mention when it comes to ivory
0:29:10 > 0:29:12is the law in relation to the sale of ivory.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14I'm a massive animal campaigner
0:29:14 > 0:29:17and I'm not somebody who's an ivory fan.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22But at the same time, you have to put your real head on your shoulders
0:29:22 > 0:29:25and acknowledge that when you deal with antiques
0:29:25 > 0:29:27it was a different generation, it was a different world.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30And these things are 100 years old.
0:29:30 > 0:29:36Today, of course, anything made after 1947 or imported after 1947,
0:29:36 > 0:29:37is illegal to sell.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Anything pre-'47 is OK.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44So what we have here are three pieces of Cantonese ivory.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48And these were made around 1880-1900.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52- And what makes them unusual is the colouring.- Yes.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56You often find plain ivory, but to have it coloured makes it a little bit more special.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00The bottle in the centre is without question the finest piece.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05And if you look around the outside, you'll see little figures
0:30:05 > 0:30:09dancing, balancing things on their feet, and around the top
0:30:09 > 0:30:13you see dancers waving these wavy ribbons.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16So, very nicely carved, intricately carved.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19The panels not so fine.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Um, but again, saleable. Let's have a look at values.
0:30:23 > 0:30:28Being conservative, 400-600 for the pair here.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32The bottle - wonderful. Wonderful-quality carving.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35- 1,000-1,500...- Gosh. - ..for the bottle...
0:30:35 > 0:30:37- Yes.- ..on its own.- Gosh.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40I think you've timed it to perfection.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42And I think we're going to have a surprise at the auction.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Right, thank you.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Incredible items but an even more incredible story.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54And there's more to Christina's next item than meets the eye.
0:30:54 > 0:30:59So, Paul and Val, you've brought this wonderful silver condiment set in today.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01- Is it yours?- No.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Afraid not.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06So tell me a little bit about it. Who does it belong to
0:31:06 > 0:31:07and why are you here with it?
0:31:07 > 0:31:11We were having a meal with our friends last night
0:31:11 > 0:31:13and we told them we were coming to the programme.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17And they said, "We've got something. Would you take it along for us?"
0:31:17 > 0:31:20And this is what we've brought along for them.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24- Brilliant. What are their names? - Chris and John.- Chris and John. OK.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And they're happy for you to sell it on their behalf?
0:31:27 > 0:31:29- Yeah.- Brilliant. OK.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Did they tell you anything about where it had come from or...?
0:31:33 > 0:31:37- John actually found it when he cleared out his mother's house. - Right.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40- They've done nothing with it since 1991.- OK.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42It's lovely. Made by a chap called Henry Aitken.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46- They've got two different hallmarked dates on them.- Yes.
0:31:46 > 0:31:481935 and 1936.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54Um, with silver, every individual part had to be hallmarked.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57So it doesn't surprise me that we've got a duplicate set of hallmarks.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00We've got this wonderful hallmark on the bottom here.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03We've got the HA, obviously the maker's mark there.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06We've got the date letter there, which is the S.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09We've got the crown, which is for Sheffield.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11The reason that it was the crown,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14in 1773, when they were petitioning parliament
0:32:14 > 0:32:15to create their own assay office,
0:32:15 > 0:32:19because before that, everything had to be hallmarked in London,
0:32:19 > 0:32:22the silversmiths would meet in a pub called the Crown and Anchor.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24And when they eventually got their own assay office,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28they divvied up who would have the crown and who would have the anchor.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32- You'd think it would be something terribly sophisticated, wouldn't you?- Yes.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35And every piece is hallmarked, which is great.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40And in the salts, again importantly, you've got the original blue glass liners.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42And often these would get broken.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44It's nice that they just lift out
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and great that you can protect the silver
0:32:47 > 0:32:49cos often the salt would corrode the inside.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53So, they're in great condition. I think at auction
0:32:53 > 0:32:57we might be looking somewhere in the region of £100-£150.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00- So how do you think they would feel about that?- They'd be quite happy.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02- You think?- He thought it wasn't worth a great deal at all.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06Oh, super. OK. And who is going to be there on the auction day?
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- It'll be us.- We will.- They're actually away.- They're actually...
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- Do they actually exist?- Yes!
0:33:10 > 0:33:13- They're going away this weekend for a month in Spain.- Oh, wow.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17- What do you get out of this, by the way?- Nothing yet.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21- We haven't discussed this yet. - I think you need to discuss terms a bit, don't you?
0:33:21 > 0:33:24They get a starring role on "Flog It!"
0:33:24 > 0:33:25That's what they get.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29And now Anne with her crown jewels takes centre stage.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Anne, you're holding some precious metal.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34- We're surrounded by lumps of metal, aren't we?- We are.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36That's pretty precious in your hand.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38It certainly is to me. It's continental silver.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Marked 950.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42And enamel.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44OK, any maker's initials on the back?
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Yeah, marked for Murrle, Bennett & Co.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48OK. Ernst Murrle, wasn't it?
0:33:48 > 0:33:51- He was the German jeweller, an immigrant?- He was, yes.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54- Bennett was his business partner in London.- Yes. That's right.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56They supplied wares to Liberty & Co.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58- It's got that Liberty look about it. - It certainly has.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01So typical Art Nouveau in design, it really is.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Very Germanic, though, with that pierced openwork,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06that lovely fused enamel blue.
0:34:06 > 0:34:07That's what caught my eye.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- I bet that caught your eye as well.- It did. It shone out.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12You are a car-booter, aren't you?
0:34:12 > 0:34:14- I am, yes.- Come on, tell us.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16- You got this at a car boot?- I did.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18Yeah. Guess how much!
0:34:18 > 0:34:19You're not going to believe this.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23It's so annoying, I don't really want to hear it again.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- The gentleman wanted £5 but I gave him 4.- So you knocked him down.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31£4. How long ago?
0:34:31 > 0:34:34- About seven or eight months ago. - Oh, not long?
0:34:34 > 0:34:37No, no. Haven't had it very long.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Do you know what that's worth?
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Hmm. I've got a little idea but not exactly.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48- £600. - SHE GASPS
0:34:49 > 0:34:52- Really?- Yeah.- Oh, my goodness.
0:34:52 > 0:34:53Oh my word.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57I'd put that easily at £500-£600 any day of the week.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Oh, that's fantastic.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01SHE LAUGHS
0:35:01 > 0:35:03- Are you shaking now?- Yes!
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Yeah, that's absolutely incredible.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Would you like to sell that for £500-£600?
0:35:09 > 0:35:13Would you like to give it a go? Go on, put a reserve on.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17It's tempting but I really want to keep it because I love it so much.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21And it is a one-off. And I think it was sitting on that stall...
0:35:21 > 0:35:24- For you.- ..waiting for me. - That's a nice way of looking at it, isn't it?
0:35:24 > 0:35:27So, Anne is not going to take it off to auction this time
0:35:27 > 0:35:30but I'm so glad she brought it in to show us.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Meanwhile, James is making a bit of nautical history with Moira.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39Moira, I have to thank you so much for bringing a watercolour in.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42We see very few pictures on "Flog It!"
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Is it something you've had hanging on your wall?
0:35:44 > 0:35:48No. It was given to my father by a patient out in Rhodesia
0:35:48 > 0:35:50- when he was a doctor out there. - Really?
0:35:50 > 0:35:54Was it an English pat...? English Patient!
0:35:54 > 0:35:57- I can't avoid saying that. - No, you have to.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00I think she probably was English.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Have you been able to trace the artist at all?
0:36:02 > 0:36:08I've tried, and the only Biddle I could find was a Royal...
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- Academy.- Academy, thank you! - Royal Academy.
0:36:11 > 0:36:16..artist and I can't find out anything else about him.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19- Well, that is in fact a back-to-front R.- Oh, I see.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21And then the B.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25- And then the head and the tail of the butterfly is a J.- Right.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29So it's R. J. Biddle for Richard Julius Biddle...
0:36:29 > 0:36:33- Right.- ..who was an artist that was predominantly working
0:36:33 > 0:36:36from about 1870, 1880, through to the 1920s.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40- Oh, gosh.- There isn't a lot recorded about him.
0:36:40 > 0:36:46And he specialised in these very tranquil marine scenes.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Now, it looks to me as if these could be gun ports
0:36:49 > 0:36:53- down the side.- Right.
0:36:53 > 0:36:59It does look remarkably like a military ship of some form.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02But also, I have to say, I'd like to take credit for this,
0:37:02 > 0:37:04but one of the camera guys just pointed out
0:37:04 > 0:37:06that along the top there,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09you've got a whole line of men walking on the top.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12And there we've got the little launch that's leaving
0:37:12 > 0:37:15with probably the captain going ashore.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17It's an interesting little picture.
0:37:17 > 0:37:22I think we should put an estimate of £100-£150.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26- Right. Yes, that's fine. - Is that OK for you?- Yes, yes.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28- And will you put a reserve on it? - Would you like a reserve?
0:37:28 > 0:37:30I think I would, yes, please.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33- £100?- OK, that sounds good. - £100 firm, then.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38- So if it doesn't make that, it won't sell.- Right. That sounds perfect.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Fingers crossed, let's hope it does well.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42So do I!
0:37:42 > 0:37:46Well, that's it. Our experts have now made their final choices
0:37:46 > 0:37:48and we've certainly found some gems here today.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51I've got my favourites, you've probably got yours, but watch out,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54there could be a big surprise in the auction room.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58And we'll find out soon, but first here's a reminder of what's going off to auction.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00Sandra's ivory plaques and scent bottle
0:38:00 > 0:38:03stand out with their colourful carvings.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Bearing their neighbours' silver, Paul and Val are hoping to bring
0:38:08 > 0:38:11a pretty penny back towards their next holiday.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16And will Moira's delicate watercolour sail away at auction?
0:38:19 > 0:38:23We're about to find out, as it's the first lot up back in the sale room.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Something for you fine-art lovers. It's a lovely little watercolour,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29belongs to Moira. And you've brought in your husband, Derek.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31- Hello, Derek. Pleased to see you. - Thank you.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Has this come off the wall for the valuation day?
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Sort of. It belonged to my mother.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37OK.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40And...it's a picture that neither of my brothers nor I really wanted.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44It has no sentimental value. We've got other things that are more sentimental.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47It's got a commercial value. It's got the look, hasn't it?
0:38:47 > 0:38:50- It has, it has.- And hopefully we'll get that figure. 100.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- Fingers crossed.- Fingers crossed. - Fingers crossed.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58This is the Julius Biddle. Square-rigged three-masted warship.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02There we are. Alighting. Where do you start me on that?
0:39:02 > 0:39:04I've got interest here starting me at 70, 80, 90.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07- I'm bid 100 with me. - It's gone.- It's gone.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11And with me at 100 on commission. At £100 bid. All done? Seen enough?
0:39:11 > 0:39:14At £100. I shall sell it this time.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17At £100. With me. All done.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19The hammer's gone down. £100.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- We have sold it, Moira. - That's great.- That's good news.
0:39:22 > 0:39:27- Wonderful.- I'm really pleased because we are landlocked here.- We are.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31It doesn't fit with the country set but we got it away, that's the main thing.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35So Moira's watercolour has finally weighed anchor in its home country.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39Next, it's Paul and Val with their friends' silver.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41What are we looking at here? £100, £150?
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Yeah, it's a nice, fairly standard cruet set.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Nice that it's got its box. Hopefully, it'll be used
0:39:47 > 0:39:50cos it's just been sitting in the cupboard, hasn't t?
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Let's put it to the test, shall we? What's it worth? This is it.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57The George V silver cased six-piece condiment set.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01There we go. Nicely cased. Ready to go. Ready to start me on that.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04You've seen the estimate. I'm bid 60, 70, 80, here. 90, 100.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08110, 20, 130, 40.
0:40:08 > 0:40:13150. 150 here, right-handed. No? At 150. Come at me elsewhere.
0:40:13 > 0:40:19At 150, 60. Change of heart. One more. 70 bid. 170 now. At 170.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22One more might do it. At 170. Sure? At 170 now.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26The hammer's up, then. Last chance. At 170, all done.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28Yes, the hammer's gone down.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30We like that, that "sold" sound.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Do you know, I love the sound of the gavel going...
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Did you sort out your terms about what you were going to get?
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- Another meal.- Another meal. - Another meal, I think.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Chris and John had better get cooking, then.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Now it's Sandra's collection of ivory,
0:40:44 > 0:40:46which Will has agreed to sell in two lots.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Hello, Sandra. Who have you brought along with you?
0:40:49 > 0:40:52- My sister, Brenda.- Hello, Brenda. I was just about to shake your hand!
0:40:52 > 0:40:54You poor thing. What have you done?
0:40:54 > 0:40:58- I've got a shoulder op. - Aw. Get better soon.- I hope so, yes.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02I think we're looking at £400-£600 and I think James is quite excited.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04The Chinese market for this form of Cantonese ivory
0:41:04 > 0:41:08has never been stronger. I'm hoping way over top end.
0:41:08 > 0:41:09So we'll see.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11- Excited?- We'll keep our fingers crossed.- Yes.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15Well, let's test the market. What's it worth?
0:41:15 > 0:41:18Carved and stained ivory plaques. There they are.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22Where do you start me on this? I've got a whole hosts of bids
0:41:22 > 0:41:25and we'll bypass the estimate and start these at...
0:41:25 > 0:41:27- £1,000. £1,200.- What?!- 1,400.
0:41:27 > 0:41:291,600. 1,800.
0:41:29 > 0:41:322,000. 2,2. 2,4.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36At 2,400. My bidder. At 2,400.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39- At £2,400 now. Looking for you in the room.- Yes.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44At £2,400. 2,6. 2,8. At 2,800. My bidder.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46At 2,800. Yes?
0:41:46 > 0:41:48- At 2,800 now with me.- 2,800.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51- 3,000. 3,2.- You're very quiet, Sandra - say something!
0:41:51 > 0:41:53- At 3,200 with me. - My heart's beating so fast.
0:41:53 > 0:41:563,200. At... Either of you. 3,4.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59- 3,6.- There's someone on the phone getting stuck in now.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02At 3,600 with me.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04One more might do it. 3,7 I'll take.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07At 3,600, the bid's here.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10And selling, then. At £3,600.
0:42:10 > 0:42:11Are you all done?
0:42:11 > 0:42:13£3,600?
0:42:13 > 0:42:15All done and looking round.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Last chance at 3,6. All done?
0:42:17 > 0:42:19And the hammer's going down.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21I told you to come to "Flog it!". I said, "You must come to 'Flog It!' "
0:42:21 > 0:42:24The market is exceptionally strong with things from the Orient.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26- You've got the scent bottle now. - I know.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28We're looking at £1,000-£1,500.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30- This is in a different league.- Yes.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32Right, are you ready?
0:42:34 > 0:42:39This is the Chinese carved and stained ivory scent/snuff bottle.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Probably a table snuff bottle for sharing.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46And interest here starts me at 800, 900, 1,000, 1,100 I'm bid.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48With me at 1,100.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51At £1,100. You bidding?
0:42:51 > 0:42:541,200. 1,300. 1,400. 1,500.
0:42:54 > 0:42:581,600. 1,700. 18, 19.
0:42:58 > 0:43:002,000. 2,2.
0:43:00 > 0:43:01One more might do it. 2,4.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05Now you're in at 2,400. Bid in the room at 2,4,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07At 2,4 now. At 2,400.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11Shakes the head at 2,4 seated. At 2,400. You're out?
0:43:11 > 0:43:15At 2,400. It's in the room, then, and selling.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18All done at 2,400.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22- Have you just added that up in your head?- No, I haven't.- I have.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25And it is a whopping £6,000.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Wow.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29PAUL LAUGHS
0:43:29 > 0:43:33What a lovely surprise. I told you there was going to be one!
0:43:33 > 0:43:36- What do you say to that, Sandra? Come on.- That's amazing.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39- Yeah. Happy?- Very. - Big "Flog It!" fan
0:43:39 > 0:43:41and now you're a big, big part of the show.
0:43:41 > 0:43:42And everyone will be watching you
0:43:42 > 0:43:46and, hopefully, they'll have something like that at home that they can cash in.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48- Thank you so much for coming in. - It's a pleasure.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Enjoy the money, won't you? And thank you for sharing such lovely things with us.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54Sadly, we've run out of time, but what a high to end on.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56That is what you call a thoroughbred result!
0:43:56 > 0:43:59So, until the next time, it's goodbye.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd