Hampshire 44 Flog It!

The Solent in Hampshire is the busiest stretch of water in the UK.

The Solent Coastguards are keeping a watchful eye over our shores

since 1809.

Throughout the 19th century, they helped prevent smuggling.

Today, they put their own lives at risk,

working tirelessly to save hundreds of other people's lives.

I'm going to experience their search and rescue techniques.

But right now, we're flying over our valuation day venue -

Portsmouth's historic dockyard.

Welcome to Flog It!

The Solent separates the Isle of Wight

from the mainland on the south coast, and it's soaked in history.

The ill-fated Titanic left from the port of Southampton.

Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose,

sank off of Portsmouth in the 16th century

and was raised for restoration in 1982.

And we're making history today.

At the water's edge, a rather special event is taking place.

This is a first for Flog It! and no doubt, HMS Warrior.

Our valuation day is taking place up there on her decks.

A truly unique location, and what an honour to be here!

Let's hope all the antiques and collectables brought along

by the good people of Portsmouth and the surrounding areas do this venue justice.

They're here to ask our experts that all-important question, which is...

CROWD: What's it worth?

'The people of Portsmouth are shipshape and ready to climb aboard.

'First, out antiques experts Will Axon and Michael Baggott

'are dipping in their bags and rummaging in their boxes.'

Michael, you're that end of the queue.

No. Scrimshaw!

Scrimshaw, you say? There's a bit over there for you!

'It looks like we're on an even keel, so let's open the gangway to Flog It!

'We've got the three Cs on today's programme.

'Will it be the candlesticks,

'the concertina

'or the cigarette box that makes the most at auction?

'First, what value do you think Michael will put

'on these silver candlesticks?'

Ian, Phil, thank you so much for coming along today.

You've brought this lovely pair of candlesticks,

but they're a little tarnished.

Are they not polished up and put in pride of place?

I was going to clean them, but I was advised not to.

-I told him not to clean them.

-You're absolutely right.

Never clean things when you bring them to be valued or looked at.

-But they're not clean because they're not out in the house?

-No.

-My mum used to just have them behind the door.

-Behind the door?

-Like a doorstop.

-GASPING:

-Shouldn't... Shouldn't...

If anyone's watching who has a pair of silver candlesticks,

please don't use them as a doorstop, they're quite fragile things.

They're English and they're silver.

They will have a full set of hallmarks.

They're usually on the base. We've got them there.

We've got TB&S in a shield,

which is Thomas Bradbury & Sons.

They're a big manufacturer up in Sheffield.

But these are London marked,

so they would have been made in Sheffield,

marked and then sent down to London to have a full set of hallmarks

and probably sold by a London retailer.

We've got the leopard head for London,

the date letter for 1917 and the standard mark.

It's quite strange, in a way, to think that

when the First World War was going on and you had all these horrors,

that in London, people were buying nice pairs

of Corinthian column silver candlesticks.

It's odd, in a way. It's surprising, but life did go on.

It wasn't until the Second World War that we felt the impact at home.

The really great thing about these, these are, I think, untouched.

Even though they were doorstops?

You must have been very gentle with your door, your mother was!

These do come out, and this... Oh, my word!

-I can't remember my nan using them.

-Well, when the candle burns down,

you pull that out then pop the end of the candle out.

That's what they're for, just to protect that from damage.

And they're a really nice, clean, commercial lot.

Everybody wants a nice pair of candlesticks.

-Er... Ideas of value?

-No idea.

-No idea at all.

-What's a good doorstop cost?

-LAUGHTER

Depends whether it's silver or a stone!

-£50 to £100?

-Really?

£100 to £150?

£200 to £300.

We'll put them into the auction at a reserve of 300

-and an estimate of £300 to £500.

-Blimey!

They will... I say this sometimes and it's the kiss of death,

but they will make that all day long.

If they do well, what are your plans for the money?

My plan's, actually, to buy Phil a birthday present.

-Cos he's about to be 50 in June.

-Two days before the auction.

-Two days before the actual auction.

-You told him not to clean them.

-Told him to bring them along, so that works out well.

-It does.

I hope they make a substantial sum on the day.

-Thank you.

-Let's keep our fingers crossed.

CONCERTINA PLAYS SEA SHANTY

'Here's a test for you - which musical instrument

'is synonymous with life at sea?

'Looks like Will's got the answer.'

Well, Karen, in this business, we love something that comes in a box.

I'm going to ask you to hold that while I open it up. Let's see...

Well, there goes the hinge. Ooh! Look at this!

CONCERTINA SQUEAKS

A little concertina.

Is this something that you play? Is this yours?

-It's mine. I don't play it at all.

-So how come you've come by it?

I moved into a house 20 years ago.

There was a load of rubbish in the loft and that was part of it.

-I've not been able to throw it away.

-A little gift by someone who moved out.

-Yeah.

And look, we've got the paper label here.

We've got the London manufacturers, Lachenal & Co,

a well-known maker of squeeze boxes, as we call them.

And we've got the metal buttons. They made them in various grades.

They had the more affordable ones that had bone buttons.

They had metal buttons and they also had ones that had metal ends.

-So yours is a middle-of-the-road one.

-OK.

-You don't play. You've never been tempted to learn how to?

-No.

-I can try and get a sound out.

I can get a sound out of it, but I don't think it will sound very good.

As we're next to HMS Warrior, it should be a sea shanty.

Maybe I can get the right sort of tempo.

TUNELESS RACKET

That's terrible, isn't it? I'll stop before we get thrown out.

Any ideas of how old it is?

Was it wrapped in any newspaper, maybe with a date on the paper?

There was a newspaper in the loft from 1936, which I also have.

It's amazing, isn't it? Probably when it was put up there.

I've no idea how old it is.

I think you're looking at late 19th, early 20th century, circa 1900.

So it's got some age to it.

It's over 100 years old, so it's in pretty good nick.

Maybe because whoever owned it before you also didn't play!

-Probably.

-You can have a good go at these.

Once those bellows go, that can be an expensive job to put right,

and they never sound quite the same.

If I told you that it was worth between £100 and £200,

-how would that be?

-I'd be delighted. Absolutely.

-Not bad for something that someone's left in the loft.

-No.

We'll put it in auction with an estimate of £100 to £200. What will you use the money for?

I got married in April so I'll take my new husband out

-for something nice to eat and drink.

-That's a really good idea.

If I had £100, I'd have to invest in lessons.

-PLAYS TUNELESSLY

-Oh! My ears!

'We've seen several stunning concertinas over the years,

'and they've got a habit of smashing their reserve.

'In Glasgow, one was valued at...

'And it sold for...'

Yes! £1,100!

'And in Sunderland, a London-made concertina had a reserve of...

'The hammer went down...

'at £2,200!'

-Thank you very much!

-That is a brilliant result, isn't it?

-Excellent.

-Absolutely brilliant.

'Is the precedent set for Karen's concertina to make stacks of cash?

'The valuations are in full flow,

'so I took the chance to look around this historic ship

'and discover what life was like on board.'

HMS Warrior was the first iron-hulled warship built.

This really is a piece of history.

Despite advances in construction, life on board was pretty much

like it would have been in a wooden-hulled vessel from a century earlier.

On this deck alone, 600 men would have ate and slept and worked.

Boy! Would it have been cramped!

18 men would have dined at this table.

At night, hammocks would have been slung on those hooks,

and this would have been the sleeping quarters.

It would have been incredibly noisy, terribly smelly

because of all the smoke fumes and gunpowder.

But despite all this heavy armour, the Warrior never saw any action.

My word! Just being down here now

does give you a sense of what those poor guys went through.

'Back on deck, life isn't as tough for the people of Portsmouth

'who are waiting for their valuations and getting a sun tan!

'Michael's nipped ashore to tell Carol and Pete what their classic cameo is worth.'

This is a beautiful brooch. Where did it come from?

It came from an old friend, Sheila,

who gave it to me because she had no children or anybody to leave it to.

-Oh!

-About ten years before she died.

-Oh, my word! A lovely gift!

-It is.

-Is it something you've worn on a regular basis?

-I've never worn it.

I don't think they're as fashionable as they were.

20, 30 years ago, I might have worn it.

Do you know when it was made, anything about it at all?

All I've got is this. It was valued in 1967.

-Right.

-For £45.

-Good grief!

-In Guernsey. That was quite a lot of money then.

-14-carat gold.

Right. It isn't marked.

But it wasn't untypical for Victorian jewellery to be unmarked.

It's a very light-gauge frame.

In fact, between the mounting for the cameo and the bezel

it's started to split and pull away, cos it's very thin and fine.

The cameo itself is shell. It's conch shell cameo.

This is a lovely figure. I think we've got the figure of Flora,

one of the classical figures

with a bounty of fruit and flowers in her hair, and nicely done.

On the reverse, we've got two things.

One good and one bad.

The good thing is we've got a signature.

A lot of these were carved by Italian workmen

who, when it was felt it was good enough, would sign their name.

The down side, and you get this on a lot of shell cameos,

are stress cracks on the back.

There are just fine lines which over time open up.

You only have to knock it gently and it goes.

So, a little bit of damage to the gold frame

and the little fissures running in the cameo,

they're things that have to be taken into account.

I think we would be sensible... And I must be careful,

cos the auction house we're going to has my old tutor for jewellery.

So I don't want to get this wrong. Let's say £100 to £200.

-And let's put a little bit of discretion on the low end and say 10% discretion.

-That's fine.

I think that will find a home then.

I'm going to buy a piece of jewellery with whatever I get.

-Oh, so it will be recycled.

-Yes.

Something to wear. Absolutely perfect.

Thank you very much.

Our experts have made their first choices of items to take to the auction.

There are some gems there. They've got the pressure on them.

If they get it wrong, they'll be walking the plank!

Let's put them to the test and get over to the saleroom. Here's what we're taking.

PLAYS TUNELESSLY

'Will and Karen hope this concertina will find an owner who can play it!

'Silver candlesticks have an enduring appeal

'and can fit with modern or traditional design.

'Will Michael's estimate be on the money?

'And has the cameo got enough fashion cred to make the reserve?

'We take a short drive east to Andrew Smith & Sons auction house to find out.

'There's an eclectic mix in today's sale.

'One group of lots that are booming are vintage fashion items.

'I chatted to costume and textile valuer Annie Archer

'about her growing emporium.'

This is the kind of thing that some of our mums would have at home.

-The odd fur.

-I think people are coming back to wearing them.

I think they are. This is my favourite, the moleskin.

-There's a lot of moles there!

-It is a real 1920s moleskin coat.

-Beautiful design. Lovely cut to it.

-And it comes with the moleskin muff.

What would this go for under the hammer?

This is going for 80 to 120.

-That's nothing, is it?

-Along with the muff.

'Moleskin was very fashionable in the Edwardian period,

'thanks to Queen Alexandra, who made the coats a must-have.

'Today, however, wearing any fur is likely to cause controversy.'

Are there designer labels?

We've got this blazer that would be popular with young people today.

It's a Jean-Paul Gaultier Junior.

You're finding a lot more of this coming into auction rooms?

Definitely. Word's got round and people are bringing more and more.

-To buy one of these, these are £200 to £300.

-They certainly are.

But loose hats like this, you can pick up for about £30.

-And that one fits.

-That fits you perfectly.

-There we go. How about that?

-Lovely.

Sold to this gentleman!

'So, time to clear out the back of the wardrobe.

'Look out for big names and clothing with intricate detail.

'Even hats and handbags can sell well, too.

'Annie is just one of ten staff who make the auction house run smoothly.

'Today, that includes not one, but two auctioneers -

'Andrew Smith and Nick Jarrett.

'So, on to our first item.'

Up for grabs now, a cameo brooch.

Carol and Pete, I have to say, they are back in fashion.

We've seen a lot recently and they've been making top money.

-You don't like yours.

-I do like it.

-You've never worn it.

-No.

-But I do like it.

-If it doesn't sell, Carol has promised to wear it.

They'll be even more in fashion!

People will see Carol wearing hers and it'll increase the value of it!

Enjoy this moment. Hopefully, it'll go to the top end.

Good luck, Michael. This is it.

Lot 163. Start me at £100.

-100 I have.

-Look, the bidder over there.

And ten? At £100, any more?

-All done at £100...?

-Oh, come on!

At £100, then. Very last time...

-The hammer's gone down.

-It's gone.

-So I'm not going to wear it.

-No you're not, are you?

-It'll go towards my ring.

-It's going to that chap.

-He's not going to wear it, is he?

-No!

-Thank you, Michael. Good valuation.

-I never tire of hearing that, Paul.

-You always do, don't you?

-He's always spot-on.

-Good silver man.

-I hope that goes out on broadcast.

I'm sure it will!

'Of course it did, Michael! We wouldn't let you down!

'Now, on to that concertina.'

We've seen them before, but I love the story!

-Our owners tell us wonderful stories. Did you ever play it?

-No!

-No-one in the family had a go?

-Definitely not.

-I did have a go.

-I'm afraid I let the team down.

-I'm pleased I didn't hear it.

You might have done from the other side of the docks!

It'll certainly do bottom estimate. Hopefully, above top.

There are other musical instruments in the sale,

so hopefully the right people have seen it.

-Let's end on a crescendo.

-Come on!

-Over to the bidders. Here we go.

We have a commission bid. I'll start the bidding at £100.

-Oh, yes!

-At £100 and selling. Is there ten?

At £100. 110. 120. 130?

£120 and selling. Is there 130?

-130. 140. 150.

-The internet's coming in, see?

£140, commission bid. 150 on the net.

Commission bid's out now. 150 on the net. Is there 160?

-160 we have on the net. 160. 170?

-Two internet bidders!

-This is where it gets interesting.

-At £160 and selling. Is there 170?

170 we have. 180? 180 we have. 190?

At £180, then. Any more?

-Ooh!

-£180, I think has done it.

£180 for the very last time...

-The hammer's gone down. Brilliant! Top end of the estimate. Happy?

-Yes.

There's a big smile on your face!

-Not bad for something you find in the loft.

-Have to move again.

'Karen's concertina didn't have the quality to make it fetch over £1,000,

'but she was very happy with the result.

'Next, how much do you think the candlesticks make?'

Firstly, I'd just like to say to Phil, happy birthday!

-Thank you very much.

-It's a bit belated, but you don't look 50!

-Oh, I am!

-Thank you very much.

-He looks younger than you!

But he's not! I have been told that!

-And he is five years younger!

-Many times!

Hopefully, you can carry on celebrating today,

if we get that £300 to £500.

Hopefully, we'll get a little bit more because silver is red hot.

It is. They're fairly standard things, but they're nice and clean.

As I said on the day, they're ready to go.

-And the silver trade's here.

-Yeah. We might be in and out.

It might be one bid, a bid more and that'll be it.

-Yeah. It is a trade lot, isn't it?

-It is.

Right, are we ready to put it to the test?

Put them under the hammer.

I'm going to start you at 220.

240, now. 260? 260. 280.

300. And 20? 320. 340?

No? 320 here. 340. I should think so. 360?

-340, then, standing. Anybody in?

-Come on. Should be a bit more.

£340. No more? At 340, then...

-BANGS GAVEL

-They've gone. Happy, chaps?

-Yeah.

-What are you going to do with that?

-Buy a new doorstop.

-Buy a new doorstop for my mum and the rest for his 50th.

-Yeah.

'Don't go burning the candle at both ends now, gents!'

£30. Any more? All done at £30? For the last time...

That concludes our first visit to the auction room today.

Earlier on, you saw me flying in a helicopter with the Coastguards.

They've been operational on the south coast for over 200 years.

I went to discover how they've evolved from catching smugglers to saving lives.

'Her Majesty's Coastguard - a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year rescue service.

'Using helicopters, boats and thousands of staff and volunteers,

'they cover 1.2 million nautical miles of sea.

'Here, at the Lee-on-Solent HQ for the south,

'their watch happens to be the busiest stretch of water

'in the country.'

The Coastguards in the south perform around 3,500 operations a year.

They answer 999 calls and radio distress signals from people getting stuck in the mud

to huge great big freighters getting stuck with engine problems.

The Coastguard's primary focus hasn't always been about saving lives.

When they were established in 1822, it wasn't about rescuing people.

It was about stopping a certain group of people and their bootleg behaviour.

'Smugglers, prolific on the south coast throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

'They brought in tons of contraband from France to the south coast.

'It was no small operation. It's thought that, by the 18th century,

'two-thirds of the brandy drunk in the UK had been smuggled in.

'For years, the government tried to stop these tax dodgers,

'but it wasn't until the Coastguard joined forces with the navy

'that the smugglers' activities came under serious threat.'

Alongside preventing smuggling, the Coastguard had a secondary role,

to safeguard shipwrecks and save lives at sea.

You can see there's someone having fun now.

That's the sort of person that needs rescuing today.

Years on, the methods of search and rescue may have changed, but the principles remain the same.

I'm going to get first-hand experience of the Solent Coastguard operation,

and it all begins in this building, the ops room.

'I've come to talk to Watch Officer Veronica Taylor.'

This is where it all happens, the nerve centre.

-I gather this is the busiest stretch of water in the UK, that you're in control of.

-Absolutely.

We are the smallest area of sea

of any Coastguard station, but we are the busiest.

We have the Isle of Wight, so it's a sheltered piece of water.

We get an awful lot of leisure craft,

along with the three harbours - Chichester, Langstone, Portsmouth.

-What's the first thing that happens when a call comes in?

-Establish where the casualty is.

We can't do anything unless we can establish a location.

We try and find out what's happened, who the people are involved,

how many people are involved, what the conditions are like.

My colleagues in the room will be listening to the call

and they will start taking action, even before I finish.

They'll be talking to lifeboats, to the volunteers,

the Coastguard rescue teams, the aircraft, whoever we think can deal with the situation.

I'd imagine some of those calls can be quite distressing.

Yes. Of course they can. The people who are calling 999 are in distress.

They truly believe that either themself or people in their vicinity are in danger of their lives...

'While we're filming the interview,

'a 999 call comes in.'

-..something that has happened.

-Steve!

-It's a very occasional thing, but...

-I need to talk to Steve.

This is the Coastguard...

'A fishing boat is in trouble.'

Are you in the vicinity of this vessel that's in distress? Over.

Brighton beach...

'The Coastguard quickly establishes their whereabouts.

'The boat has broken down and needs help.

'Fortunately, this time, no lives are in danger.'

So somebody in the area has picked it up on their radio, another boat?

-Yes.

-A member of the general public? He's going to help.

-Yes.

Often, they are the nearest people on the scene. They're already there.

We have to page the lifeboat team.

They are VERY quick, but having somebody already on the water

in the vicinity just gets there quicker.

Veronica, thank you very much for talking to me. I know you're very busy.

I believe you've set up a training exercise for me to take part in.

Yes, we've set up a training exercise just off the shore here.

-I'm going to make my way there now.

-Have fun!

-Thank you.

'I don't know about fun, but I'm looking forward to seeing the team in action.'

This is the scenario. I'm on holiday in the area.

My car is parked two miles in that direction.

I've had a nice stroll along the beach.

I've fallen over and I've broken my ankle.

It's incredibly painful. I've got my mobile phone with me.

I've called 999, the Coastguards. They're sending a team out.

I've got a vague idea of where I am, but I'm not sure.

Fingers crossed they find me.

'The Coastguard don't only work on the water.

'They use volunteers deployed locally to search for people on land.

'For this training exercise, they've come to the area I've described.'

Yeah! I'm here!

Halt!

-Hi, chaps.

-How are you, sir?

-I'm all right. It's this ankle.

OK. Positive ID.

INDISTINCT VOICE ON RADIO

Solent Coastguard, this is Alpha.

He has a broken left ankle, which we are currently treating.

The only effective means of evac from this position

is to utilise the Coastguard helicopter. Over.

ALARM BLARES

So, I gather all you guys are volunteers, are you?

Yeah, all the Coastguard rescue officers around the coast

are all on pager call-out

-from their other employment or work.

-What do you do for a living?

-I'm a production manager.

-So you're actually on standby.

-And the firm lets you go?

-Yeah. They're quite comfortable with it.

'Helicopters are the fastest method of rescue.

'They can be in the air within 15 minutes of a call coming in

'and can travel at a top speed of 160 knots.

'That's 180 miles an hour.

'The winchman, Mario, was with the Royal Air Force for ten years

'and has been with the Coastguard since 2007 - I'm in safe hands.'

That was INCREDIBLE!

Such a smooth operation!

It really was seamlessly beautiful!

Incredible.

This is a rescue service at its very, very best.

These guys are heroes.

They risked their lives saving my life.

'Her Majesty's Coastguard - saving lives at sea for over 200 years.

'We're flying back to the valuation day on HMS Warrior,

'where hundreds of people are waiting for a valuation.

'It's not just Michael and Will who give them.

'We have a team of six off-screen experts

'who help to hunt for the special items

'and make sure everyone who comes to Flog It! goes away with a professional valuation.

'One of our pros, Will,

'has uncovered some silver from many, many miles away.'

A Russian cigarette box. How's this made its way to Portsmouth?

I collect Russian silver, but that piece came through my wife's family.

They came out of Russia. They escaped the revolution.

Since we've been married, we've had bits and pieces come into the family.

Right, OK. Interesting.

Russian silver-making, Moscow,

that late 19th century, early 20th century,

it's a real, shall we say, luxurious brand, isn't it?

-That's true.

-Highly enamelled, bejewelled, superior craftsmanship.

-Of course, the first thing people think when you think Russian silver is the magic name Faberge.

-True.

As you're a collector, I'm sure you've scoured over the marks

and you made quite sure before you brought it that it's not Faberge.

And it isn't, but even so, it's super quality.

You've got this little faux cabochon, which is actually paste.

Not a precious stone, as a Faberge one would be.

It would either be a jade button or a coloured diamond,

that sort of thing.

Then a typical decoration on the front of a troika in the snow.

If you think Russia, you think a snow scene with a troika.

-Even on paintings and so on.

-Yeah.

-We've had a look at the marks.

-We've got the Moscow marks. We've got the zolotniks mark.

-Good.

84 zolotniks, that's the purity parts per thousand of silver.

Similar to the standard that we have in this country.

Then the maker's mark of KC.

It stands for Konstantin Skvortsov - which I think I've said right.

-You speak Russian.

-I speak a little bit of Russian.

My wife is a fluent speaker, so it's handy,

because we can look at the items and work out where they're from.

So we've got a maker's name, which helps, identifies the piece.

We've got where it's made, when it's made - 1909, 1919.

-That's what I thought.

-Which ties in nicely with your story.

-Yeah.

-About the revolution.

So you're a collector yourself.

-You have an idea of what this is going to be worth.

-Yeah.

I'll tell you what I think it's worth.

I'd like to think it's worth around that £300 mark.

-I'd be quite happy with that.

-Would you?

-I think that's fair.

If we straddle that £300, say 250, 350.

-Yeah.

-Reserve it at 250.

-Yeah.

I reckon we're going to see this away. Russian silver is popular.

-So, say bye bye cos I think once this is bagged...

-My wife loves it. Does she?

-Yeah.

That's why you haven't brought her. She'll be clawing at it.

-I'm sure you've got some lovely pieces at home.

-We're still collecting.

-There might be something at the sale.

-I'm always looking to reinvest.

Paul always says about quality, and that's what I agree with.

Paul's mantra. I look forward to seeing you at the saleroom.

-Thanks, Will.

-Cheers.

CONCERTINA PLAYS "DRUNKEN SAILOR"

Rod, Liz, thanks for bringing your pretty little vase today.

It blends in beautifully with the colour of our tablecloth

and the blue skies behind us.

It shrieks at me, but what can you tell me about it?

Just that I like it. I always have liked it.

It used to belong to my mother.

When I went away to college, she gave it me cos I'd always liked it.

-I've had it ever since.

-So you like it, but you brought it to Flog It?

-Yeah. To see...

-Does it appeal to you? Is that why it's here?

-No. It doesn't appeal to me.

-There's a difference of opinion.

I don't need to pick it up to tell you what it is.

It should have Minton's on the bottom.

It should be part of their Secessionist range.

There we go, Minton Ltd, in that wonderful Art Nouveau script.

No 42, which will either be the pattern or the shape number.

And we've got a little date code.

If we had the Minton's book, we could tell you exactly the year.

-It's going to be around 1890 to about 1900, 1905.

-Goodness!

It's called Secessionist ware because it's influenced

by the Vienna Secession, the things that they were making in Austria.

It's their version of Art Nouveau,

which is a little bit more geometric, little bit more unusual.

You either love it or you hate it.

-Cos you love it.

-I do.

-And you hate it.

-I wouldn't say I hate it.

LAUGHTER

It's a nice size. It's a small size. It's a nice colour.

When you get the reds and green palette

it can look a bit too psychedelic for the pure Art Nouveau taste.

Bigger would be better. Pairs are better than singles.

Having said that, it's complete. There's no damage that I can see.

Why have you decided to pop it into an auction now?

I love it and nobody else does.

-I've loved it all these years.

-You want it to go to someone else?

I was very interested to hear what you say about it.

Well, it's a pretty thing. I think it was worth more ten years ago.

I think at auction it's going to be about £50 to £100.

A reserve of £50 would be sensible.

A fixed reserve, because you do love it.

-If it doesn't make that, you take it home.

-Absolutely.

-But let's hope for a resurgence...

-LAUGHTER

..beginning at the auction, in the market for Minton Secessionist ware.

-Thank you very much for bringing it in.

-Thank YOU very much.

He's caught my eye. Is he yours?

-He IS mine, yes.

-You're not parting with dear old Ted? What's your name?

-My name's Lucy.

-Lucy, hi. Have you given him a name?

-Mr Bear.

Mr Bear!

He's got a really nice weathered sort of tatty look,

which says, "Love me. Love me. Someone give me a good home."

-I think he's a Merrythought. I think he's English.

-Oh, right.

-I think he's about 1930s, 1940s.

-Oh, really?

-How much did you pay for him?

-He was for sale for 120.

Yeah. That's about right, really.

On a good day, with two people getting carried away,

falling in love with Mr Ted, here...

Just look at that expression. Isn't that something to hug and love?

-I think he's got the look to do, possibly, 180...

-Really?

-£200. Yeah.

-Gosh! I thought he was expensive!

-No. He's nice.

'Sadly, we can't take everything with us to auction,

'so Jennifer and Mr Bear will have to go it alone.

'We wish them luck.'

Well, Jennifer, I understand you're a fan of cruising, is that right?

Yes, as we've got older, it's a nice way to see lots of places

without having to keep packing up.

Let's try and get you some cash for your next cruise.

-You've brought in this eye-catching decanter stand and decanters.

-Yes.

What caught my eye when I saw you with these

is the colour of them.

If I hold that up to the light, you can really see that nice ruby red.

And beautifully etched with this scrolling grapevine.

-Which would, in turn, suggest what they were for.

-Port.

The only issue is the fact

that one of these stoppers has been broken off.

-And then the stand itself, as well. Really good quality, isn't it?

-Yes.

Very crisply cast, and I would imagine on copper as well.

So old Sheffield plate which in itself was good quality.

Now, there is something amiss with the pieces.

Any ideas what that might be?

Well, looking at this stand, these are square.

-Yes.

-And these bottles are round.

You're exactly right. If you were to carry these bottles around,

there'll be a risk of them toppling out.

They're going to rattle a bit.

Normally, in the saleroom,

we would try and talk it down,

but I think that the stand is of such good quality,

that it almost would stand alone, excuse the pun.

The decanters themselves, I think, are in good enough order

and eye-catching enough to stand alone as well.

-Yes.

-In a way, you've got two lots for the price of one.

I'm going to just see if you've been using them recently!

Let's have a little sniff.

Have these been used recently?

They haven't, as far as I know, ever had anything in them.

My father bought them. I've never seen him with anything in them.

-You inherited them from him?

-I inherited them.

I think the fact that they're associated,

I'm going to have to come in... I might be being mean.

I think around £100. I don't know how you feel about that.

-How far is that going to get you?

-Not very far.

-Up the gangplank!

'The stopper is chipped and the holder doesn't match the decanters.

'Will this put the bidders off? We're about to find out.'

Sadly, that's all the time we have

from our valuation day here on board HMS Warrior.

It's time to head to the auction for the last time.

Can you guess which of these items is going to give us the biggest surprise?

'John's cigarette case has all the attributes of good Russian silver,

'but will it go up in smoke in the saleroom?

'Will it be the Minton vase,

'part of the group of artists from the Austrian Secession?

'Cruiser Jennifer has a beautiful decanter and stand,

'but they don't match - will this bother the bidders?

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

'What are you bidding on to make the most cash?

'Next, the Russian silver cigarette box.

'Owner John has changed the reserve from £250 to £285, fixed.'

Going under the hammer, a Russian silver cigarette box belonging to John.

It's good to see you again. Why are you selling this?

I know you collect Russian silver.

I've had it a little while, enjoyed it, but really want to reinvest,

find some more items and keep the collection going.

-Always trading upwards.

-Yeah.

-Good luck.

This is a good thing.

Look, to clear bids, I'm going to start you here at 250.

-We've sold it.

-At 250. 280.

300. And 20. 350. At £320.

350 anywhere? At £320.

Anybody going on at 320? 350?

No? At 320, then.

All finished at £320. Any more?

-BANGS GAVEL

-That was quick, but it's over.

-Yeah. We said around 300.

-I think it's a fair price.

-I do.

-I think I'd agree. Good work. Pleased for you.

-Thank you, Will.

Right, something for you Art Nouveau lovers.

A Minton vase decorated with tube lines.

It's absolutely gorgeous and it belongs to Liz and Rod.

What I want to know is why are you selling this?

-To get the Flog It! experience.

-And is it working for you, so far?

-So far, it's been wonderful.

-So far, so good!

-We haven't sold it yet.

-Doesn't matter.

It's a nice thing. Minton's a strong name.

-It's a pretty vase.

-A very pretty vase, yes.

-Are you sure you want to part with it?

-Not absolutely, but that's fine.

-Did you twist her arm?

-No arm twisting!

-My hands never left the ends of my arms! There was no coercion.

-It was too hot!

It was. The sun persuaded you?

Let's put it to the test. This is it.

Lot 560. Start me at £50. £50?

-50 we have.

-We're in and we've sold.

We are selling. 55. 60.

And five. 70. And five.

80. And five. 90. And five.

100. And ten. 120. 130.

£120 right up at the top.

-Top end of the estimate now.

-130, on the net.

140?

At £130 on the net. Don't let it frighten you off.

At £130. Is there any more?

-At £130, for the very last time...

-Top end of the estimate!

-BANGS GAVEL

-Quality always sells.

That's what it's all about. Minton is a good name.

-Happy you sold it now?

-Well, very happy.

So, marks out of ten for the Flog It! experience.

-Oh, ten.

-11.

-Ten-plus?

-LAUGHTER

Job done.

Next up for grabs, three glass decanters belonging to Jennifer.

-See what they're worth. Bring them to one of our valuation days.

-Yes.

-It was very interesting.

-It was a fabulous day!

-Portsmouth historic docklands.

-It was a beautiful day.

That's what caught my eye, the coloured glass catching the light.

They shone out from the queue.

The stand is nice quality. The decanters are nice quality.

Hopefully, someone will spot that.

It's a classic 80 to 120, as they say in the trade. An auctioneer's dream.

Let's find out if we get the top end. Good luck.

We have one, two, three, four commission bids.

-Wow! Jennifer! Four commission bids.

-We start at...

-£180. Is there 190?

-Wow!

£180 and selling. 190. 200.

And ten. 220.

I'll bid 225.

Is there 230?

230. Commission bids are out. 230 in the room. Is there 240?

-240 we have now. 260?

-Still going.

£240 on the net. Is there a 260?

270! It's got a mind of its own.

-Internet!

-At 270.

Make it 300, then. At £270.

Any more? At £270, are you done?

At £270, then, for the very last time...

-BANGS GAVEL

-We're ever so pleased.

-Yeah.

-£270. Have to be over the moon.

-I'm very pleased with that.

-I'm surprised, to be honest.

-So am I.

It's a really good price, but good quality glass.

The fact that the bottles didn't belong to the stand, I never knew.

-Thank you very much for bringing those in.

-Thanks for coming along.

-Thank you.

'Despite the damage, Jennifer's decanters doubled the estimate.

'And all six items on today's show have made their owners some cash.

'It could be you next time on Flog It!'

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