Duxford 11 Flog It!

Today we're in one of the country's five Imperial War Museums.

This one was an RAF training base during the First World War

and a fighter base at the heart of the action during the Second World War.

It's in the heart of Cambridgeshire and it's called the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

Welcome to "Flog It!"

Duxford started life as an aerodrome

and it became a fighter airfield in 1925.

It was the first to operate the Supermarine Spitfire.

-Tally ho!

-Duxford played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain

and it hosted the United States Air Force from 1943.

It's now one of the leading aviation museums in Europe.

And we're honoured to be here.

I must say, look at that for a backdrop!

Isn't that marvellous,

to be surrounded by so much aviation and history,

and, of course, history is what "Flog It!" is all about.

Today we'll be amongst those iconic names like Concorde, Spitfire and Hurricane,

but will our "Flog It!" crowd bring any iconic antiques in?

That's the big question we're about to find out.

So, strap yourselves in, settle yourselves down and enjoy the ride.

There are enough people in the queue to fill a Boeing 747 or two.

But will their collectibles be first class or economy?

Well, that's up for our experts to determine -

Captain James Lewis and First Officer Christina Trevanion.

And it's war, with Christina already defending her territory!

Nothing to see here, James. Move on.

Do you want a jewellery specialist to have a look?

THEY LAUGH

And James laying down the law. He's taking no prisoners.

Right, now, then, you lot, behave or else!

Our venue today has attracted people from far and wide.

And coming up on today's show, I hear something quite unbelievable.

Guess how much. You're not going to believe this.

It's so annoying I don't really want to hear it again.

-Say something.

-My heart is beating so fast.

I told you to come to "Flog It!"

And amongst the high fliers,

which of these items lands its owner the jackpot?

Is it these colourful ivory carvings,

these cute little terriers

or this regalia with a surprising history?

But first,

an unusual mechanical device has landed on Christina's table.

Lesley, Audrey, I'm intrigued. What's in here?

It doesn't look very much, does it?

It really doesn't. It's very unassuming, isn't it?

So it's a Curta...

calculator. So here it is.

-Um...

-Where has it come from?

Well, Audrey and I were having a sort through the garage cos

Audrey's been very kind to me since my husband died.

And we were having a look through some of his things

and she said to me, "What's this?"

So I said, "I haven't a clue."

So we opened it and went, "I still haven't a clue."

My husband was a good bit older than me.

I mean, I'm pre-calculator but I'm not quite into abacus! But I think...

I think... I think this is probably somewhere between.

I looked on the internet and you can use then for adding,

multiplying, things that you'd use a slide rule for.

Yes. It's an incredibly early version of a calculator,

-a modern-day calculator.

-Yes.

But it's nothing that we can use, so here we are.

They say that calculators are a life-saver and, in this instance,

this little machine was actually a life-saver for its maker,

whose name was Curt Herzstark.

And he was an Austrian.

And he was an Austrian Jew in the 1930s and '40s,

which was not a very good time, sadly, for the Austrian Jews.

Um, he came up with his design, the design for this, in 1939.

But then he was captured by the Nazis

and he was put in a concentration camp for the duration of the war.

And the Nazis rather spotted his rather fantastic ability

with mechanical implements and this machine saved his life

because the Nazis wanted him to make one as a gift for Hitler.

He built one very, very slowly!

THEY LAUGH

-And very, very complicated.

-Five years.

And he survived the war because of this machine.

It's post-war.

It obviously went into production. They were produced in Liechtenstein.

And they put them into production and they were very, very popular.

And I believe, in theory, we're supposed to be able to

adjust these little slides on here to the relevant numbers,

turn something.

-And then something else...

-And then something else is supposed...

The answer is supposed to come up on the top here.

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

hopefully, of about £300-£500.

-That sounds good.

-With a discretionary reserve at 300.

-Yes.

-And keep our fingers crossed.

-Let's hope we get two enthusiasts.

-Who can put us out of our misery.

-And show us how to work this.

Show us how to use it!

Who'd have thought that innocuous little canister would tell

such an extraordinary story of courage and ingenuity?

But James is going to lighten the mood right now with some pedigree chums.

-Well, Jill and Alwyn, are you Jack Russell lovers?

-Yes.

Well, that makes three of us. I love Jack Russells, I have to say.

I didn't use to but when I was an auctioneer working in Nottingham,

a little dog ran into the sale

in the middle of an auction and the doors are open onto a major road.

We put it behind reception, thinking the owner will come.

At the end of the day she was still there

and I had to take her home because there was nothing else to do with her.

And when I ended up taking her home for the second night,

the porter had put a lot ticket around her neck saying "Lot 1".

-And Lot 1 became...

-Lottie.

-And 15 years later I've still got her.

So, tell me, with these they haven't just been stuck

behind somebody's reception counter and unwanted, have they?

No. Unfortunately, for about the last ten years they've been in the loft.

And my husband went up the loft and he said,

"Your Jack Russells are up there." And I said, "That's a good idea.

"We'll take it to 'Flog It!' "

So that's how the Jack Russells got on the table.

-So are you breeders? Do you collect them?

-No, no, no. We, um...

had a Jack Russell puppy just before I had my eldest daughter.

She used to throw her toys over the side.

He'd run, pick them up, run up the hall, come back again,

jump on the chair, in her pram, ready for the next one to be thrown over.

I think they've got springs on their paws.

But having said that, these don't have springs on their paws,

but what they do have on their paws are little marks.

And that one is the mark of Beswick.

-Right.

-Beswick, England.

And these two both marked "Doulton"

and that one just stamped "England".

It's probably by Melba Ware or one of those other factories

that were making models of animals in the 1930s.

-He seems to have the best expression of a Jack Russell.

-Yeah.

That head on one side.

So, this one, the mark underneath, it's an unusual mark for Doulton.

That was used from 1930 onwards.

And this little model of the three pups in the basket

was made from about 1941 onwards.

And I think to put them in auction is to put them in a group.

That's the best way.

And I think if we put the old auctioneer's favourite,

-80-120, on as the guidance, I think that's about right.

-That's great.

-Would that be all right for you?

-Yes, it would be lovely.

-I just couldn't resist looking at the Jack Russells.

-I know.

Your face lit up. And you said, "I can talk about Lottie!"

Yeah, I love my Lottie!

# And they called it puppy love. #

Oh, you big softie, James!

While you've been indulging in doggy talk, I've been hard at work,

finding out about he most iconic aeroplane of the 20th century.

It's not just fighter planes that are exhibited here at Duxford.

Behind me we have the supersonic Concorde - we all know what that plane is.

Just look at the beautiful aerodynamic lines of that -

one of many civil aircraft at home here at the museum.

That's numbered 101 and it's a prototype version of Concorde

that made its first flight in 1971, full of test equipment

measuring the plane's performance in flight.

In fact, that very plane in 1974 reached

the highest speed of any Concorde during test-flight history.

And test flights like that are so important

because it allowed the general public to use that plane

when it went into full service in 1976,

allowing them to travel from the United Kingdom to America

at almost twice the speed of sound.

How about that? There's history in the making there.

Modern history.

Meanwhile, Christina is unpicking another 20th-century history mystery.

Val, what a jigsaw puzzle you've brought in for me today.

Yes, we have.

We've got silver and gold medals on here.

And some wonderful photographs.

Can you explain to me how these all connect

and where they've come from?

-This is my husband's grandfather.

-OK.

-And his name was John Bennett.

That's him dressed as a Red Indian.

We've got a procession here.

This procession was in Romford market in 1922.

And the gentleman on the end is my husband's father.

And here we have the Pearly King and Pearly Queen procession here.

That's right, yes.

It's a wonderful tradition cos you still see them together.

Oh, yes, they do a great deal for charity.

So, do you know whether your husband's father was a Pearly King?

-He was a Pearly Prince, he told us.

-A Pearly Prince?

-Yes.

-Wonderful, isn't it? So evocative.

-He was a very young man then.

Because we've got all these wonderful badges on here

and just trying to piece everything together

is quite complex.

But some of the badges have these wonderful initials on them,

which stand for... What do they stand for?

The Overland Park Kansas Hospital Society.

-Which is in America.

-Unbelievable.

So what we need to try and establish somehow is the link

between your husband's father and a hospital in Kansas.

The only thing that we can think of

is that the pearly kings and queens were obviously famous

for their generosity in raising money for deserving charities,

-not only in the UK but abroad.

-Yes.

And we can only assume there would have been some link

between that charitable cause, or charitable donation,

to this hospital in Kansas. It is a bit difficult, isn't it?

We've got all these dates on these medals. We've got 1930, 1929.

-The 1930 ones, especially, are in gold.

-Yes.

Can't believe that.

This is such a difficult thing to value

because how do you put a price on obviously so much hard work,

that they've raised so many funds and got so many badges

for all their hard work?

I think at auction we might be looking somewhere in the region

-of maybe £250-£300.

-Goodness.

-So, how do you feel about that?

-Very happy. Very happy, yes.

Hopefully, someone at the auction house will be able to shed some light

on to Valerie's unique collection.

Joining us at auction is Lesley's life-saving early calculator.

And finally, Jill and Alwyn's irresistible Jack Russells.

And this is where we're putting all of our items under the hammer today -

Rowley's Fine Art Auctioneers at Tattersalls in Newmarket.

Now, my advice to you if you're buying or selling at auction -

get a catalogue. All the information is printed in there about the lots.

All the sizes and the dimension and the history of the item as well.

Also, the commission and the buyer's premium are also mentioned.

You have to pay that in any sale room you attend.

Here today if you're selling something it's 15% plus VAT.

If you're buying something, the buyer's premium is 17.5% plus VAT.

So factor that in to the hammer price because it will make a big difference

when you come to pay the bill at the end of the day.

And wielding the gavel today will be auctioneer Will Axon.

160 on the telephone.

Before we go off to auction, let's hear if Will's found out

anything more about Valerie's Pearly memorabilia.

Since they've gone into the catalogue, we've done a bit of research

and they are definitely Pearly King and Queen medals.

Now, the OPKHS is the Original Pearly Kings Hospital Society.

-Right.

-And they are 1920s, London.

I don't think there's any American connection.

Even the costumes that you can see in the photographs

-I think are purely for novelty factor...

-Sure.

-..when they were doing these parades.

-For parades.

-To raise money.

This guy here - "Give what you can."

That is what the Pearlies were about, raising money for charity.

But it all started, like I say, back in the late 19th century.

Henry Croft is generally known as the man who founded the Pearly Kings and Queens.

He grew up - Victorian orphanage, workhouse orphanage. Hard life.

He got a job as a street cleaner and a rat catcher.

He wanted to give something back to the orphanage, so he started raising money for the orphanage.

And he wanted a way to stand out from the crowd.

-Something to remember.

-Exactly.

And they had what they call costermongers.

These were chaps who worked on the markets

and to make themselves stand out from the other market traders,

they used to line their trousers with pearl buttons,

the buttons on their waistcoats and the fronts of their caps.

Of course, he went to the other extreme and had a top hat, tails,

all covered in pearl buttons.

This is lovely. This is fascinating.

You're painting a picture of the heritage of London,

the charity-raising in the 1920s.

And the Pearly Kings and Queens are still going today.

They're still going today. I spoke to one of them...

-Have they been in contact with you?

-I've been in contact with them.

I spoke to a lady last night and she was fascinating with the medals.

I sent them copies of the pictures. They thought they were amazing. They loved them.

What's going through your mind? How much money?

To be honest, do you know what the motto of the Pearly Kings and Queens is?

-No, I don't, but you're going to tell me.

-I am.

It's "One never knows."

Well, there you go!

And indeed, one doesn't!

But we haven't got long to wait as Will steps up to the rostrum. It's our first item.

Had a chat to Will yesterday at the preview day

and he was absolutely fascinated by this lot

-and he's notified all the right people.

-That's brilliant.

So there is interest.

We're looking at £250-£300. And I think what you're buying into here

is a great deal of social history.

-Absolutely.

-London social history.

And if you added up how much money is on all those medals,

that's a phenomenal amount of money for the time.

Yes, for what they raised.

Let's hand it over to Will Axon.

The quantity of silver-gilt medals, et cetera.

These actually pertain to the Pearly Kings and Queens Society,

so there's a bit of social history interest here

as well as a bit of silver content in the medals, of course.

I'm bid 200 with me to start. At £200 I'm bid.

At 220. You bidding? 240.

You bidding? 260. 280.

At 280 it's in the gods now. At £280 now. Bid at 280.

With you sir. At £280 now. Looking round for other bidders.

At £280. Are you all done?

All it's going to be, ladies and gentlemen, at £280.

All done. Hammer's up at 280.

-We're happy with that.

-All right.

-You didn't think they'd sell, so that's brilliant.

-No, I didn't.

And Will's research has paid off.

Something for all you dog lovers. I think we're surrounded.

-Jill and Alwyn, you love your dogs.

-We do.

James, our expert, loves his terriers.

-I do.

-You've got a little one knocking about.

And I love my dogs as well. I really do.

And we have a little terrier. Not many people know that.

-My son, Dylan, had his first puppy a couple of months ago.

-Did he?

-And it was a little Jack Russell.

-Oh, smashing!

What did he call him?

Well, Dylan has called him Woof!

Woof! What a great name for a Jack Russell.

-Woof. Yeah.

-Mine's called Lottie.

-I know yours is called Lottie and I've met her.

-You have, of course.

We have met her. We did some filming with Lottie.

-You should have brought Lottie along with you.

-Ah!

-He did once.

-I did.

-You did.

-She was a little bit excitable, though.

She was.

Right, we're relying on this little Jack Russell

to brighten up our day.

Showing there, yes, is the four porcelain terrier groups.

There we are. I'm sure you've had a good look at them there.

Where do you start me? There's Royal Doulton and Beswick in there also.

I'm bid here... Where do we start? I'm bid 40, 50 here.

And 5 I'll take. 55, 60 bid.

In the room at 60. At £60 now.

Looking round. At £60 now. Can't see any bidding. At £60 it is.

Right in front I shall sell it, then. All done at £60.

-Fetched the reserve.

-Just on the reserve.

Oh, well, look, it's gone, OK, it's gone.

Well done, that little Jack Russell.

And we can confirm they found a new home with a fellow dog lover.

My Jack Russell at home, Mabel,

I just bought... She's just having the puppies now.

And so obviously I'm here buying antiques when I should be at home...

And cos I saw the Beswick dogs with babies in the basket

I had to have them.

As I bought them, she's had her first puppy.

So it's great.

I'm pleased with them.

And I'm sure they'll fit right in with Mabel and her new additions.

Next under the gavel is Lesley and Audrey with the calculator.

Do you know something, £300-£500 is a lot of money for something

-knocking around in the garage on a shelf.

-Yes.

-I would love to know how it works.

-There is a website, apparently,

devoted to them. Very American. And there's...

-We'll give that a miss(!)

-..all sorts of diagrams.

I just hope they're all on the phone.

Good luck, all of you. 3-5, this is what we're looking at, this is it.

The interesting Curta Type 1 mechanical calculator. There we are.

You need a degree in how to work it.

I'm sure the buyers will know what to do with it.

Where do you start me? Interest here with me at 250, 280, 300, 320.

350, 380 I'm bid. And 400 with me.

420, 450, 480, 500.

-500 here now. In the aisle at £500.

-Fantastic.

-Out in front, yes?

At 500 bid. With you, sir. At £500. Are you joining me? At £500, then.

-All done at 500.

-Bang on.

Hey, if you've got something like that at home

on one of your shelves in the garage,

now you know what it's worth. I've learned something today, I have.

-That was a very good tin of paint.

-It was a great tin of paint!

Bidders, at £280.

Are you all done? All it's going to be, ladies and gentlemen, at £280.

Well done, Mr Will Axon up there. That concludes our first visit to the auction room today.

Now, take those pictures behind me.

Finding the perfect picture with the right frame is harder than you think,

getting that match made in heaven.

But our stately homes are full of the most magnificent paintings

and frames, and it's the ideal place to learn about the art of framing,

and that's exactly what I did. While we were up here in the area filming,

I took the opportunity to explore a stately home. Take a look at this.

Have you ever found yourself looking at an oil painting

and your eyes wander from the image to the frame

because sometimes the frames are more interesting than the pictorial content?

Well, today I've come to Audley End, a magnificent Jacobean house in Cambridgeshire

renowned for its art collection, spanning the 16th century

right through to the 20th century,

and just as art differs, so do the frames.

To learn a little bit more about the history of picture framing,

I've been joined by art historian Peter Cannon-Brookes.

Peter, it's good to see you again.

Good to see you.

And thank you for joining up with me today in this lovely house.

We're surrounded by fine art works but also beautiful frames.

For obvious reasons, this one dominates this wall.

And it should do because it's the lady of the house.

So it has the biggest, the grandest frame in the room.

It was commissioned for this room in 1836

and it has a very swagger frame on it.

What can you tell me about that frame just from looking at it

without turning it over?

Basically, it is a mid-18th-century French frame

reworked in the 1830s,

with this decoration of criss-cross scratched ground

rococo elements across it,

and these large shell-shaped corners.

Is that what gives that away to you?

Instantly you look at the decoration, you say, "That's continental..."

Yes, the ornament is the word we use.

OK. OK.

This would be a pine gilded frame?

The carcass will be made of pine.

And then coated with gesso,

which is plaster,

and then the decoration, the ornament, would be applied

using moulds. You push the paste into the boxwood mould,

then you peel it out and then you put it onto a curved surface.

And that's how these are made.

And I can tell you, they're swines to restore.

-So it's very important to get the right frame for the right oil painting?

-Yes.

And also, you see, the frame is a mediator.

It looks out into the room to fit into the interior decoration of the room,

so there's continuity.

It looks into the picture, it has to support the picture.

There is one thing that is awfully important that people tend to forget.

And that is the amount of detail close to the painting

should not be in the same scale as the painting itself.

Otherwise, the painting bleeds out into it.

Interesting. There is so much to learn when you think about it, there really is.

It's a much more complicated subject than some people realise

-till they've made a nasty, expensive mistake.

-Hmm. Well, it's lovely.

That sums up the 19th-century frame. Can we go back in time

and look at an 18th-century one?

-Indeed.

-I'll follow you.

Peter, I prefer this frame. This is the 18th-century frame.

-This is the 18th century.

-It's architectural looking. For me, it's simpler.

It is indeed. In fact, it's almost severe

in it architectural forms!

It's what's called a palace frame.

Right. I didn't know that. It's called a palace frame. Why is it?

Paul Levi, probably our greatest frame maker of the second half the 20th century,

he always called them palace frames,

with extended corners. These are the extended corners.

I like that. I like that detail at lot.

But it's got the egg-and-dart decoration around the outside.

This repetitive form again.

That's egg and dart. That, of course, is taken straight from classical architecture.

The sanded area here, this comes from French frames of the 18th century.

OK. It's like a little, small, punched detail, pitted.

-No, it's actually sand.

-It's actually sand... Oh, I see!

You paint it with glue and then you sprinkle sand over it.

And then you gild.

And that gives it that granular effect and rather sumptuous.

-This really works with this portrait.

-Indeed.

-It really does work.

-This is a very good painting.

-It counterbalances the clarity of lighting and things of the painting

go well with the clarity of forms of the frame.

-Very appropriate to the Marquess of Granby.

-This is the Marquess of Granby.

And he was the British commander in Germany during the Seven Years' War.

It's very, very nice. And I like what's going on.

There's a little bit of fanciful baroque at the very top.

You have the shell-shapes ornament there.

And you have the swags down the sides.

These are all additions to the basic form and you can have it absolutely plain

or you can have it really very elaborate indeed. It's a wonderful, basic pattern.

This sums up the 18th century.

There's one more to see, going back to the 17th century.

Let's go and have a look.

-17th-century frame. Not a straight line in it.

-Not a straight line in it.

A mid-17th-century type.

This type of decoration is what's called auricular, in other words, "ears".

"Ohrmuschel" in German.

If you look closely at it, there are naturalistic elements in it.

There are leaves, there are flames,

there's even a mask in the bottom there, a shield on the top.

But it is this abstract flowing shapes,

and it's very typical of the rather grand frames

of the second half of the 17th century.

And the gilding is, I think, original. It's flaking...

I like that, do you know that? That's good.

You don't want to cover that up. That's restoration as opposed to conservation.

-It's carrying its history with it.

-Yes.

It's very nice. I've learned a lot today just looking at these,

I really have. Thank you very much for talking me through this.

Thank you for asking me.

Now it's time for me to put my new-found knowledge to the test.

I've heard there's a rather spectacular frame upstairs.

Well, here we are, behind the scenes in the servants' quarters.

And, well, it was worth the climb up the stairs. Look at that.

That makes a big impact. It's huge.

It's up here waiting conservation, so it's basically being stored out of view.

And what you're looking at there is an 18th-century carved picture frame

of architectural detail with these lovely extending corners

exactly like the one we saw downstairs, with later Victorian editions.

Now, for me, in my opinion, it kind of overpowers the picture.

A little bit.

In fact, a lot.

Not keen on it.

It really is one of the most over-the-top examples

of Victorian taste for embellishment I have ever seen.

Well, that concludes our journey of 300 years through the history of frames

here at Audley End.

And I've learned something today, and I hope you have, too.

I've learned how to identify the right frame

for the correct period in history.

And if you get that right, there's perfect harmony,

they complement each other, and you've got the complete picture.

Welcome back to Duxford. As you can see, there's still hundreds of people here,

which means hundreds of antiques to look at.

Let's now join up with our experts and see what else we can find to take off to auction.

We've got a lot to get through

and James has already worked up quite a sweat about his next item.

Sandra, let me take you back 100 years,

a time of great trade links between East and West,

a time when Hong Kong was the hub

and our access, really, into the East.

This is the sort of time when these three objects were made,

about 100 years ago.

We have two ivory plaques on padauk-wood stands.

-Padauk-wood is a form of rosewood.

-Yes.

And we have an ivory scent bottle.

So, tell me, how do three amazing bits of quality ivory

come into your possession?

Well, they were my father's.

He was out in Hong Kong before and after the war.

And he just loved curios, in particular, Chinese.

What was he doing in Hong Kong?

-He was general manager of Whiteaway Laidlaw, the department store.

-OK.

Both he and my mother and my sister were Japanese prisoners of war.

So they lost all the things that he collected.

My word.

He was a Hong Kong volunteer, so he was separate from my mother.

-So he fought in a volunteer regiment?

-Yes, yes.

-Gosh.

-And he actually was sent to Japan, in the end, to coal mines.

-So they were split up for how long?

-Four years.

-And he didn't see his daughter for four years?

-No, no.

My goodness.

So these were some of the first things

-that they would have bought after the war?

-Yes.

I mean, we've had the pleasure of it for a long time

but it's also a little difficult

if one plaque is mine and one my sister's

and we obviously don't want to split them up.

Yeah.

So we felt it was time now, really.

One thing you do have to mention when it comes to ivory

is the law in relation to the sale of ivory.

I'm a massive animal campaigner

and I'm not somebody who's an ivory fan.

But at the same time, you have to put your real head on your shoulders

and acknowledge that when you deal with antiques

it was a different generation, it was a different world.

And these things are 100 years old.

Today, of course, anything made after 1947 or imported after 1947,

is illegal to sell.

Anything pre-'47 is OK.

So what we have here are three pieces of Cantonese ivory.

And these were made around 1880-1900.

-And what makes them unusual is the colouring.

-Yes.

You often find plain ivory, but to have it coloured makes it a little bit more special.

The bottle in the centre is without question the finest piece.

And if you look around the outside, you'll see little figures

dancing, balancing things on their feet, and around the top

you see dancers waving these wavy ribbons.

So, very nicely carved, intricately carved.

The panels not so fine.

Um, but again, saleable. Let's have a look at values.

Being conservative, 400-600 for the pair here.

The bottle - wonderful. Wonderful-quality carving.

-1,000-1,500...

-Gosh.

-..for the bottle...

-Yes.

-..on its own.

-Gosh.

I think you've timed it to perfection.

And I think we're going to have a surprise at the auction.

Right, thank you.

Incredible items but an even more incredible story.

And there's more to Christina's next item than meets the eye.

So, Paul and Val, you've brought this wonderful silver condiment set in today.

-Is it yours?

-No.

Afraid not.

So tell me a little bit about it. Who does it belong to

and why are you here with it?

We were having a meal with our friends last night

and we told them we were coming to the programme.

And they said, "We've got something. Would you take it along for us?"

And this is what we've brought along for them.

-Brilliant. What are their names?

-Chris and John.

-Chris and John. OK.

And they're happy for you to sell it on their behalf?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant. OK.

Did they tell you anything about where it had come from or...?

-John actually found it when he cleared out his mother's house.

-Right.

-They've done nothing with it since 1991.

-OK.

It's lovely. Made by a chap called Henry Aitken.

-They've got two different hallmarked dates on them.

-Yes.

1935 and 1936.

Um, with silver, every individual part had to be hallmarked.

So it doesn't surprise me that we've got a duplicate set of hallmarks.

We've got this wonderful hallmark on the bottom here.

We've got the HA, obviously the maker's mark there.

We've got the date letter there, which is the S.

We've got the crown, which is for Sheffield.

The reason that it was the crown,

in 1773, when they were petitioning parliament

to create their own assay office,

because before that, everything had to be hallmarked in London,

the silversmiths would meet in a pub called the Crown and Anchor.

And when they eventually got their own assay office,

they divvied up who would have the crown and who would have the anchor.

-You'd think it would be something terribly sophisticated, wouldn't you?

-Yes.

And every piece is hallmarked, which is great.

And in the salts, again importantly, you've got the original blue glass liners.

And often these would get broken.

It's nice that they just lift out

and great that you can protect the silver

cos often the salt would corrode the inside.

So, they're in great condition. I think at auction

we might be looking somewhere in the region of £100-£150.

-So how do you think they would feel about that?

-They'd be quite happy.

-You think?

-He thought it wasn't worth a great deal at all.

Oh, super. OK. And who is going to be there on the auction day?

-It'll be us.

-We will.

-They're actually away.

-They're actually...

-Do they actually exist?

-Yes!

-They're going away this weekend for a month in Spain.

-Oh, wow.

-What do you get out of this, by the way?

-Nothing yet.

-We haven't discussed this yet.

-I think you need to discuss terms a bit, don't you?

They get a starring role on "Flog It!"

That's what they get.

And now Anne with her crown jewels takes centre stage.

Anne, you're holding some precious metal.

-We're surrounded by lumps of metal, aren't we?

-We are.

That's pretty precious in your hand.

It certainly is to me. It's continental silver.

Marked 950.

And enamel.

OK, any maker's initials on the back?

Yeah, marked for Murrle, Bennett & Co.

OK. Ernst Murrle, wasn't it?

-He was the German jeweller, an immigrant?

-He was, yes.

-Bennett was his business partner in London.

-Yes. That's right.

They supplied wares to Liberty & Co.

-It's got that Liberty look about it.

-It certainly has.

So typical Art Nouveau in design, it really is.

Very Germanic, though, with that pierced openwork,

that lovely fused enamel blue.

That's what caught my eye.

-I bet that caught your eye as well.

-It did. It shone out.

You are a car-booter, aren't you?

-I am, yes.

-Come on, tell us.

-You got this at a car boot?

-I did.

Yeah. Guess how much!

You're not going to believe this.

It's so annoying, I don't really want to hear it again.

-The gentleman wanted £5 but I gave him 4.

-So you knocked him down.

£4. How long ago?

-About seven or eight months ago.

-Oh, not long?

No, no. Haven't had it very long.

Do you know what that's worth?

Hmm. I've got a little idea but not exactly.

-£600.

-SHE GASPS

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Oh, my goodness.

Oh my word.

I'd put that easily at £500-£600 any day of the week.

Oh, that's fantastic.

SHE LAUGHS

-Are you shaking now?

-Yes!

Yeah, that's absolutely incredible.

Would you like to sell that for £500-£600?

Would you like to give it a go? Go on, put a reserve on.

It's tempting but I really want to keep it because I love it so much.

And it is a one-off. And I think it was sitting on that stall...

-For you.

-..waiting for me.

-That's a nice way of looking at it, isn't it?

So, Anne is not going to take it off to auction this time

but I'm so glad she brought it in to show us.

Meanwhile, James is making a bit of nautical history with Moira.

Moira, I have to thank you so much for bringing a watercolour in.

We see very few pictures on "Flog It!"

Is it something you've had hanging on your wall?

No. It was given to my father by a patient out in Rhodesia

-when he was a doctor out there.

-Really?

Was it an English pat...? English Patient!

-I can't avoid saying that.

-No, you have to.

I think she probably was English.

Have you been able to trace the artist at all?

I've tried, and the only Biddle I could find was a Royal...

-Academy.

-Academy, thank you!

-Royal Academy.

..artist and I can't find out anything else about him.

-Well, that is in fact a back-to-front R.

-Oh, I see.

And then the B.

-And then the head and the tail of the butterfly is a J.

-Right.

So it's R. J. Biddle for Richard Julius Biddle...

-Right.

-..who was an artist that was predominantly working

from about 1870, 1880, through to the 1920s.

-Oh, gosh.

-There isn't a lot recorded about him.

And he specialised in these very tranquil marine scenes.

Now, it looks to me as if these could be gun ports

-down the side.

-Right.

It does look remarkably like a military ship of some form.

But also, I have to say, I'd like to take credit for this,

but one of the camera guys just pointed out

that along the top there,

you've got a whole line of men walking on the top.

And there we've got the little launch that's leaving

with probably the captain going ashore.

It's an interesting little picture.

I think we should put an estimate of £100-£150.

-Right. Yes, that's fine.

-Is that OK for you?

-Yes, yes.

-And will you put a reserve on it?

-Would you like a reserve?

I think I would, yes, please.

-£100?

-OK, that sounds good.

-£100 firm, then.

-So if it doesn't make that, it won't sell.

-Right. That sounds perfect.

Fingers crossed, let's hope it does well.

So do I!

Well, that's it. Our experts have now made their final choices

and we've certainly found some gems here today.

I've got my favourites, you've probably got yours, but watch out,

there could be a big surprise in the auction room.

And we'll find out soon, but first here's a reminder of what's going off to auction.

Sandra's ivory plaques and scent bottle

stand out with their colourful carvings.

Bearing their neighbours' silver, Paul and Val are hoping to bring

a pretty penny back towards their next holiday.

And will Moira's delicate watercolour sail away at auction?

We're about to find out, as it's the first lot up back in the sale room.

Something for you fine-art lovers. It's a lovely little watercolour,

belongs to Moira. And you've brought in your husband, Derek.

-Hello, Derek. Pleased to see you.

-Thank you.

Has this come off the wall for the valuation day?

Sort of. It belonged to my mother.

OK.

And...it's a picture that neither of my brothers nor I really wanted.

It has no sentimental value. We've got other things that are more sentimental.

It's got a commercial value. It's got the look, hasn't it?

-It has, it has.

-And hopefully we'll get that figure. 100.

-Fingers crossed.

-Fingers crossed.

-Fingers crossed.

This is the Julius Biddle. Square-rigged three-masted warship.

There we are. Alighting. Where do you start me on that?

I've got interest here starting me at 70, 80, 90.

-I'm bid 100 with me.

-It's gone.

-It's gone.

And with me at 100 on commission. At £100 bid. All done? Seen enough?

At £100. I shall sell it this time.

At £100. With me. All done.

The hammer's gone down. £100.

-We have sold it, Moira.

-That's great.

-That's good news.

-Wonderful.

-I'm really pleased because we are landlocked here.

-We are.

It doesn't fit with the country set but we got it away, that's the main thing.

So Moira's watercolour has finally weighed anchor in its home country.

Next, it's Paul and Val with their friends' silver.

What are we looking at here? £100, £150?

Yeah, it's a nice, fairly standard cruet set.

Nice that it's got its box. Hopefully, it'll be used

cos it's just been sitting in the cupboard, hasn't t?

Let's put it to the test, shall we? What's it worth? This is it.

The George V silver cased six-piece condiment set.

There we go. Nicely cased. Ready to go. Ready to start me on that.

You've seen the estimate. I'm bid 60, 70, 80, here. 90, 100.

110, 20, 130, 40.

150. 150 here, right-handed. No? At 150. Come at me elsewhere.

At 150, 60. Change of heart. One more. 70 bid. 170 now. At 170.

One more might do it. At 170. Sure? At 170 now.

The hammer's up, then. Last chance. At 170, all done.

Yes, the hammer's gone down.

We like that, that "sold" sound.

Do you know, I love the sound of the gavel going...

Did you sort out your terms about what you were going to get?

-Another meal.

-Another meal.

-Another meal, I think.

Chris and John had better get cooking, then.

Now it's Sandra's collection of ivory,

which Will has agreed to sell in two lots.

Hello, Sandra. Who have you brought along with you?

-My sister, Brenda.

-Hello, Brenda. I was just about to shake your hand!

You poor thing. What have you done?

-I've got a shoulder op.

-Aw. Get better soon.

-I hope so, yes.

I think we're looking at £400-£600 and I think James is quite excited.

The Chinese market for this form of Cantonese ivory

has never been stronger. I'm hoping way over top end.

So we'll see.

-Excited?

-We'll keep our fingers crossed.

-Yes.

Well, let's test the market. What's it worth?

Carved and stained ivory plaques. There they are.

Where do you start me on this? I've got a whole hosts of bids

and we'll bypass the estimate and start these at...

-£1,000. £1,200.

-What?!

-1,400.

1,600. 1,800.

2,000. 2,2. 2,4.

At 2,400. My bidder. At 2,400.

-At £2,400 now. Looking for you in the room.

-Yes.

At £2,400. 2,6. 2,8. At 2,800. My bidder.

At 2,800. Yes?

-At 2,800 now with me.

-2,800.

-3,000. 3,2.

-You're very quiet, Sandra - say something!

-At 3,200 with me.

-My heart's beating so fast.

3,200. At... Either of you. 3,4.

-3,6.

-There's someone on the phone getting stuck in now.

At 3,600 with me.

One more might do it. 3,7 I'll take.

At 3,600, the bid's here.

And selling, then. At £3,600.

Are you all done?

£3,600?

All done and looking round.

Last chance at 3,6. All done?

And the hammer's going down.

I told you to come to "Flog it!". I said, "You must come to 'Flog It!' "

The market is exceptionally strong with things from the Orient.

-You've got the scent bottle now.

-I know.

We're looking at £1,000-£1,500.

-This is in a different league.

-Yes.

Right, are you ready?

This is the Chinese carved and stained ivory scent/snuff bottle.

Probably a table snuff bottle for sharing.

And interest here starts me at 800, 900, 1,000, 1,100 I'm bid.

With me at 1,100.

At £1,100. You bidding?

1,200. 1,300. 1,400. 1,500.

1,600. 1,700. 18, 19.

2,000. 2,2.

One more might do it. 2,4.

Now you're in at 2,400. Bid in the room at 2,4,

At 2,4 now. At 2,400.

Shakes the head at 2,4 seated. At 2,400. You're out?

At 2,400. It's in the room, then, and selling.

All done at 2,400.

-Have you just added that up in your head?

-No, I haven't.

-I have.

And it is a whopping £6,000.

Wow.

PAUL LAUGHS

What a lovely surprise. I told you there was going to be one!

-What do you say to that, Sandra? Come on.

-That's amazing.

-Yeah. Happy?

-Very.

-Big "Flog It!" fan

and now you're a big, big part of the show.

And everyone will be watching you

and, hopefully, they'll have something like that at home that they can cash in.

-Thank you so much for coming in.

-It's a pleasure.

Enjoy the money, won't you? And thank you for sharing such lovely things with us.

Sadly, we've run out of time, but what a high to end on.

That is what you call a thoroughbred result!

So, until the next time, it's goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd