0:00:03 > 0:00:07MUSIC: "Wild Ones" by Flo Rida
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Today, we've come to a menagerie in the heart of the city,
0:00:10 > 0:00:14London Zoo. Home to animals of all shapes and sizes and, incredibly,
0:00:14 > 0:00:16a collection of listed buildings
0:00:16 > 0:00:19by some of Britain's most distinguished architects.
0:00:19 > 0:00:20Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:44 > 0:00:47# London Calling through the far-away towns
0:00:47 > 0:00:50# Now war is declared and battle come down. #
0:00:50 > 0:00:52In almost 200 years of the zoo's history,
0:00:52 > 0:00:56some of Britain's best-known architects have contributed
0:00:56 > 0:00:59to its design, building pioneering animal enclosures
0:00:59 > 0:01:01reflecting the architectural styles of the time.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06From Georgian tunnels to an art deco reptile house,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08a playful penguin pool
0:01:08 > 0:01:12to an elephant house designed to look like its inhabitants.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14The zoo is full of architectural history.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17# The ice age is coming, the sun is zooming in. #
0:01:17 > 0:01:22Opened in 1827 for the scientific exhibition and study of animals,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26the London Zoological Society opened its gardens to members only.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Thankfully today, it's open to everyone,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32and later on the show, we'll be learning a little bit more
0:01:32 > 0:01:35about our wonderful venue and the history behind it,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37but right now, we've got to delve into all of these bags and boxes
0:01:37 > 0:01:39searching for the best items to auction.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Welcome to Flog It!
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Hundreds of people have come from far and wide
0:01:46 > 0:01:47to see our experts today.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Wild at heart, Thomas Plant is going on the hunt
0:01:50 > 0:01:52for some exotic collectibles.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55- Are you excited about Flog It? - Yes, I am.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I hope we come up with a good valuation for you
0:01:58 > 0:02:00and your £5 investment will be marvellous.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02And just like Noah and the ark,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Will Axon's bringing his items two by two.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Quite nicely done, in a way, aren't they?
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Friend of a friend, she sold them to me for six quid.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15- Might do a bit more research on those inside, if that's OK? - I'd be grateful.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17But will we uncover any items
0:02:17 > 0:02:20with tales to match those of our historic venue?
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Which of these finds raises the roof at auction?
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Is it this snappy 1950s Ducati camera?
0:02:30 > 0:02:35Or will this collection of medals bring in an over-the-top price?
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Or maybe these gold brooches will shine with the bidders today.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Right, we're all raring to go so let's see what Thomas has found.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49John, I hope my valuation is going to be good enough
0:02:49 > 0:02:51for you not to throw me to the lions.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55- They look pretty asleep right now. - They're not ready for food yet.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Not really, no. Tell me, why did you bring this camera along today?
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Well, I've done quite a bit of research with it
0:03:03 > 0:03:05and what I found out, I can't find another one
0:03:05 > 0:03:08to match it up or even to price it up at all.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11I thought it would be a good idea to come here.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Let's be clear, this is a Ducati 35 mm, range-view camera.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17It's made in Italy.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Like all things Italian, it's extremely compact
0:03:20 > 0:03:23and actually quite beautiful to look at, isn't it?
0:03:23 > 0:03:28This being a Ducati is known as the Italian Leica,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and Leica are the seminal camera people.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34This company produced this very small camera
0:03:34 > 0:03:37for a very small amount of time.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40That's why you didn't find many on the internet
0:03:40 > 0:03:44or your research of working out have these cameras sold before.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47You type in Leica to a search engine,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49it will come up with reams of them.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- Mostly lenses I found. - Lots of lenses.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56This is a body, this does have a lens here which can be changed.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00It does come off completely. Tell me, how have you got it?
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Four years ago, my uncle died and we cleared out his place.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07What we done, with all his stuff in a box, put it in the loft.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Then in January this year, we done loft insulation
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and we came across it again. That's when I noticed "Ducati" on it.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15I decided, they make motorbikes, not cameras,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18so I decided to check them out.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Funnily enough, yes, I found out they made cameras as well,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23way back in the 1930s or something.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25'30s, '40s, and they had the war,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28then from about '46 to about '53, when this one was made.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33This was the Ducati Sogno, which means "dream."
0:04:33 > 0:04:36I didn't realise that's what it meant.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Now, value. This is why we're here.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43As I said, I mentioned Leica, the godfather of all camera production,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45and I said this is the Italian Leica.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50It is a rare camera, they do not come up very often for auction.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53But there is a little bit of corrosion on the button here
0:04:53 > 0:04:57and the shutter is not working, but there's a cloth shutter.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58They do deteriorate.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Saying that, I would believe a sensible estimate
0:05:02 > 0:05:04would be £800 to £1,200,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08I'd like to fix a reserve round about £600.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12- What do you think?- That sounds OK. 600's a good reserve.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17Reserve at six but we'll put it at £800 to £1,200 as the estimate.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- Try and build up the interest. - Yes, quite happy with that.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Next up, Will's been poring over this jug
0:05:27 > 0:05:30brought in by print artist, Rita.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Rita, I recognised what you brought in straight away
0:05:33 > 0:05:36from across the room. It's a piece of Doulton Lambeth, isn't it?
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- That's right. - The thing I don't know
0:05:39 > 0:05:41is exactly who it's by designer-wise.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43You're going to tell me, aren't you?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45You've done a bit of research on this, haven't you?
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I had, but already they did know who it was by because of his name.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52He's got his initials actually on the item itself.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54You're right, the initials are on the jug itself.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58It's George Tinworth, probably one of the most famous designers
0:05:58 > 0:05:59working for Doulton,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02established originally at the Lambeth School of Art alongside
0:06:02 > 0:06:05those other well-known names like Hannah Barlow,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07all the Barlow sisters.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- A well-known name in this sort of field.- Yes.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13We've got the Doulton Lambeth stamp there.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16We've also got it dated there, 1880, which is handy.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Actually, Tinworth's mark is actually in the decoration.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- It's very difficult to find. - There it is.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25We've got the interlocked "TG."
0:06:25 > 0:06:27And from what I've read, he did have
0:06:27 > 0:06:29some smaller types of things that are well sought after.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33This, to me, sounds a little bit unusual for him.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34It is. When you say George Tinworth,
0:06:34 > 0:06:39the first thing that comes into your mind usually would be "mouse."
0:06:39 > 0:06:41I've learnt that lately.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46He used to do various... Mice on bicycles, falling over each other,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49so little humorous, fanciful pieces.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52They really sort of struck a chord with people
0:06:52 > 0:06:54and they liked the light-heartedness of them.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56It's well collected, Doulton.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59This is Doulton Lambeth,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02that's what they called it with this association with the School of Art.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05You've got a good name there, Tinworth is a good name,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08very well collected. This kind of muted colour
0:07:08 > 0:07:11and the way it's decorated is quite typical of the time.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Doulton were known for these slightly subdued colours
0:07:15 > 0:07:18whereas other art firms, such as Minton and so on,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22tended to be a bit brighter and brasher.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26That's, again, part of the appeal. It doesn't necessarily clash.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29You could see that fitting in quite nicely
0:07:29 > 0:07:33in a modern, contemporary interior without shouting too loudly.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Do you have any idea what you think it might be worth?
0:07:36 > 0:07:40No, I didn't. I'm very, very keen to find out.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45It can either be almost thousands or nothing.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Gives me a nice wide range to work with.- Absolutely, I have no idea.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I know it's important but that's all.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58I see it around that sort of 250 mark, 250, that sort of figure.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Let's put it in at £200 to £300.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Fix that reserve at £200 and I reckon it will do £250, £300,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07- that sort of figure. How do you feel at that?- It's OK.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11I hope it goes to somebody who really appreciates Doulton Lambeth.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Rita, it's obvious from talking to you that you really appreciate
0:08:14 > 0:08:16the artistic merit of something like this
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and I'm hoping there will be two or three people at the auction
0:08:19 > 0:08:20that feel the same way.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It's out of our hands, it's all down to the auctioneer now.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25I look forward to it.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30We've got scores of people here today at London Zoo,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33but before they get to see Will and Thomas outside,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36they're all passing through our headquarters for the day
0:08:36 > 0:08:38here at the Prince Albert Suite.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45So many people and so many antiques to look at now.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- Ladies, what's your name?- Naomi. - Naomi, and?- Avril.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Have you seen what they're both holding? Silver spoons.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53You obviously got together this morning and thought,
0:08:53 > 0:08:54"What are we going to take in?"
0:08:54 > 0:08:56We didn't. We wanted something quite mobile.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58They say, you know, if you're lucky,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth,
0:09:01 > 0:09:02but look at the size of that!
0:09:02 > 0:09:06You're going to need a whopping great big...
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- You weren't born with that one, were you?- I wasn't, no.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- That's Tiffany, isn't it? - Yes, it is.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14There's a bit of weight there, and what have you got?
0:09:14 > 0:09:18That's a Georgian spoon. That's very, very nice.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20That's beautiful, isn't it?
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- Do you think that one's worth more than that one?- Maybe.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25- What do you think? - I think hers is worth more than mine.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28I can tell you, that one is worth more than that one.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32But that one is made by Tiffany so the name is very, very strong.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36It's good but it's a lot later. That's circa 1930s, 1940s,
0:09:36 > 0:09:40but it's got some quality. There's a bit of decent weight there.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Scrap value there on that spoon's around about £60.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- That's slightly heavier. - I'll wear it round my neck then.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Hey, look! Do that again.
0:09:51 > 0:09:58# A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
0:09:58 > 0:10:00# Medicine go down
0:10:00 > 0:10:03# Medicine go down. #
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Thomas has really got to the point with these Zulu spears.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12- How did you come by them? - They were given to myself and my late husband 37 years ago
0:10:12 > 0:10:17by a gentleman who was a warden of a National Scout campsite.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Why did he give you two spears?
0:10:19 > 0:10:21I think he was having a bit of a clearout,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24asked David and I if we would like them
0:10:24 > 0:10:28and we said "Yes" and we use them as decoration in our living room.
0:10:28 > 0:10:35I have this romantic opinion that Bert, your Scout friend,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38these were in the shed kicking about, and these have actually been
0:10:38 > 0:10:44brought back from South Africa by an older Scout, not Bert himself.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Maybe somebody who knew Baden-Powell.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Maybe, he was at the siege of Mafeking, you know?
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- Or had done all those things, you know what I mean?- Yes, I do.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56These are probably from South Africa
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and they most look like they're going to be from the Zulu tribe.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01They had three weapons.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Their shield, this, the stabbing spear,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05and they had a throwing spear and sometimes a club,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09but because they're so thin they had to keep them behind the shield
0:11:09 > 0:11:11and sometimes you see the shields
0:11:11 > 0:11:13- with the weapons all sticking out, don't you?- Yes.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15This would come behind the shield
0:11:15 > 0:11:17and they'd be able to hold it all in one hand
0:11:17 > 0:11:21and the other hand to do things like throw the spear and carry on.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23What caught my eye, I have to say,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26is this lovely rushing here,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29putting this blade on to the shaft itself.
0:11:29 > 0:11:35this rush work is just absolutely delightful.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38- To get them here, where do you live in London? South London?- Harrow.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Harrow, so North London. You got them here to the zoo.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Did you come on public transport?
0:11:43 > 0:11:45We did. We came on the Tube
0:11:45 > 0:11:48so I wrapped them in pillowcases and then brown paper
0:11:48 > 0:11:52so that we wouldn't be stopped from going on the Tube this morning.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55You didn't want to be arrested. Your collar being felt.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57"Hello, madam, what have you got there?"
0:11:57 > 0:12:01They probably would have thought they were canes for your allotment.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Or something, yes.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07So, realistically, we've got to think, what are they worth?
0:12:07 > 0:12:09They're not going to make a huge amount
0:12:09 > 0:12:13but I'd like to say a typical auctioneer's estimate - 80 to 120.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16- That's what I thought you would say actually!- Do you mind?
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- Not at all. - I know it's a big cop-out!
0:12:19 > 0:12:24- Regarding reserve, about £40, if that's all right.- OK.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27If we do all right with them, are you going to buy more weapons?
0:12:27 > 0:12:31- Certainly not. We're going to put it towards a house move.- Oh, really?
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- Yes.- Where are you moving? - We love Derbyshire
0:12:33 > 0:12:37but we can't go as far as that because my son and daughter
0:12:37 > 0:12:40are expecting my second grandchild today.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- She's in labour now.- Oh, really! - Yes.- And you're here?
0:12:44 > 0:12:48That's probably quite a good thing. They don't, you know...
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Granny can come later.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55We don't want to go too far away from them and they live in Hatfield.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Are you a granny, grandma or a nan or what are you?
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- I'm called Nannykins.- Nannykins!
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Well, I hope we do very well for you
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- and good luck with today. - Thank you very much.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08# Like a true nature's child
0:13:08 > 0:13:11# We were born, born to be wild
0:13:11 > 0:13:13# We can climb so high
0:13:13 > 0:13:17# I never want to die. #
0:13:18 > 0:13:20While our experts keep up the search
0:13:20 > 0:13:22for hidden treasures amongst the crowd,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I've decided to look for a bit of hidden history elsewhere.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27This is the east tunnel,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31one of the last surviving examples of the early part of the zoo.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33It was built in 1829
0:13:33 > 0:13:36and it mirrors the work of architect John Nash,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39whose work you can see all around Regent's Park.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42With its Doric screen above that wonderful arch,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45balustrades up there and reproduction stone finials,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47it's certainly stood the test of time.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51This was even used as an air raid shelter during the Second World War.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55Well, you've now seen our experts' first choices of items
0:13:55 > 0:13:59to take to auction. So, why don't we put them to the test?
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Why did you bring this camera along today?
0:14:05 > 0:14:09John's Ducati camera is a rare example of a classic design,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11a brand to die for.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Will Rita's Doulton jug
0:14:13 > 0:14:17be doing the Lambeth walk out of the saleroom?
0:14:17 > 0:14:19And Janet's exotic and historic Zulu spears
0:14:19 > 0:14:22are just straight out of the pages of Boy's Own.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32We're travelling west across the city for today's sale
0:14:32 > 0:14:34at the Chiswick Auction Rooms.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36The man with the gavel is auctioneer William Rouse.
0:14:36 > 0:14:43£100 fresh bidding, £100 shaking his head there. £100.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46First up, let's see if Janet and Heather's Zulu spears
0:14:46 > 0:14:48hit their mark.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50We've got a fixed reserve at £40 and I know, Thomas,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52you held your hands up at the valuation.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55You don't know anything about spears. I don't blame you
0:14:55 > 0:14:59because nor do I. I tell you something, they will sell at £40
0:14:59 > 0:15:01so you don't have to take them back on the Tube train.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Which is what I don't want to do.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05No, you don't want to be doing that, do you?
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Listen, there's a Scouting connection, isn't there?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12I see you're wearing a Scout's medal there.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Yes, this is the Medal of Merit for services to Scouting.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17How long have you been involved with the Scouts?
0:15:17 > 0:15:20I was involved for many, many years, I can't tell you exactly,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23but I was a district badge secretary for about 20-odd years.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- That's why I received it.- Were you a Boy Scout?- No, I wasn't.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28- I was in the Cubs. - I was a Cub and a Scout.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31- I even played in the Scouts band. - Did you?
0:15:31 > 0:15:36That's not surprising, is it, with the drums?
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Actually thoroughly enjoyed it. Absolutely enjoyed it.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44We did, many years ago, we were given the spears by a Scouting friend
0:15:44 > 0:15:47who was the warden at a national Scout campsite.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49I would like them to move on to somebody
0:15:49 > 0:15:52who would be able to appreciate them more now.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54- Tribal art is very collectible. - Right.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Hopefully, we'll find a home for them right now.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Here we go, this is it. This is exciting.
0:15:58 > 0:16:04Lot 130 - two African spears with the nice polished shafts.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Let's start this one at £20 to get going.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12I'm bid 20, 22, 25. £25 is all I'm bid. 28.
0:16:12 > 0:16:1930, 32, 35, 38, 40, 42.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22£42 I'm bid here, at £42.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25In the room then it is at £42, are you all done, finished.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27For the spears, 42, I'm going to sell them.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- There it goes.- That's fine.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- That is fine, just.- That's good, isn't it?- At least they've gone.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37The thought of you taking them back on the Tube!
0:16:37 > 0:16:41MUSIC: "Stuck on You" by Elvis Presley
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Coming up next, we've got John's Ducati camera,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50which is just about to go under the hammer
0:16:50 > 0:16:53and John, it's great to see you again. I really liked the camera.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57We had a chat to William, our auctioneer, on the preview day.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58He liked it a lot as well.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- It is quality and they didn't make that many of them.- Very rare.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03And they didn't sell that well either.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06That's why they went into transport, particularly motorbikes.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?
0:17:09 > 0:17:13It's going under the hammer right now. This is it, good luck.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Lot 70 is this rare Ducati camera. Where shall we start this?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19£400 to get things going.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23400 I'm bid, 420, 440, 460.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28£460 for the camera, at 460. 480, thank you.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31500, 520, 540.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35£540 it is, at 540, nearly there.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38At £540.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- So close, so close.- So close. - Couple of bids away, really.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45You've got a couple of options here.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48You can have a word with the auctioneer after the sale,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50see if he can find the underbidder.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53He might know who he is because of his registration number
0:17:53 > 0:17:55and maybe you could sell it at that price.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58What a shame, but it just goes to show,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02you can never tell what's going to happen when you're at an auction.
0:18:02 > 0:18:09I'm bid 110, 120, 130, 140, 150. Thank you very much.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Bit of quality going under the hammer right now.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16A George Tinworth Doulton jug belonging to Rita
0:18:16 > 0:18:20and it has to go because the cat might damage it.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23I still keep it on the shelf but behind another vase.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25This sort of high, up there, so the cat...
0:18:25 > 0:18:26He gets up there though?
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Much higher than the doors so I suppose about seven foot.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Come on, let's get this sold. Let's get it away from Stripes.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37160 is the George Tinworth jug. Lets start this at £150.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Someone on the phone there, look.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Maybe he's thinking to a colleague,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43"I'm in the room, I'll buy it for you."
0:18:43 > 0:18:48180, 190, 200. In the doorway then, it is at £200.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52In the doorway at 200. Anybody else want to come in then?
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- And going to sell it, for £200 it goes.- It's gone.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00- £200, the hammer's gone down, Rita. It's gone!- Sad.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03- I knew you would be.- I hope they like it as much as I liked it.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06That's the thing about auction, like we explained at the valuation day.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Whoever's buying these things is buying them because they want them.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11At least you know it's going to someone
0:19:11 > 0:19:13who's made a conscious decision that he wants it,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15so it's not like, you know,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18you're not letting it go to the dogs, as it were.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23- It's safe at least.- At £90 it's going, thank you very much.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29That concludes our first visit to the auction room today.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31We are coming back later on the programme.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Before we join up with our experts to see what else they can find,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37I'm going to take you on a tour of the zoo, but this time,
0:19:37 > 0:19:39instead of looking at the animals,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41we're going to be focusing on the architecture.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50# Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow
0:19:50 > 0:19:54# Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow, we can stay all day
0:19:54 > 0:19:58# We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo, how about you, you, you?
0:19:58 > 0:20:03# You can come too, too, too, we're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo. #
0:20:03 > 0:20:06London Zoo has seen many changes over the years
0:20:06 > 0:20:10since it was first founded by Sir Stamford Raffles back in 1826.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12This little corner of Regent's Park is now home
0:20:12 > 0:20:15to thousands of species from all over the world
0:20:15 > 0:20:18and they attract around a million visitors each year.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21But interestingly enough, the majority of the visitors that come
0:20:21 > 0:20:24probably don't realise that the zoo is also home
0:20:24 > 0:20:27to 13 heritage listed buildings.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Like the animals themselves,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35these listed buildings are conserved for visitors to appreciate.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39Let's take a walk in the zoo and have a closer look at them.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Now, this is the Giraffe House, built in 1836.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54It's the oldest building in the zoo still used for its original purpose
0:20:54 > 0:20:58and it was built buy Decimus Burton, the zoo's first architect.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02I know it lacks the flourishes that you associate with his earlier work
0:21:02 > 0:21:03but it does illustrate the challenges
0:21:03 > 0:21:05that the Victorian architects had
0:21:05 > 0:21:10when designing homes for exotic animals like these giraffes.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Burton had a heating system fitted into the interior,
0:21:12 > 0:21:17which was hot air which was pumped all around to keep the animals warm,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19and he also designed the doors large enough
0:21:19 > 0:21:22to let the 4.5-metre high occupants go in and out, as you can see.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24However, future architects were keen
0:21:24 > 0:21:27to really leave their mark on the zoo.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31They were more ambitious in their plans and layouts for the buildings.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Fast-forward nearly 100 years
0:21:35 > 0:21:37and we're off to see how Berthold Lubetkin,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41one of the most famous modernist architects of the 20th century,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43made his mark on London Zoo.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Now, this is the Round House for the gorillas,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51designed by Lubetkin and built in 1932.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54His revolutionary new approach to architecture
0:21:54 > 0:21:56was to blend function with form.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58The bold curves of this building
0:21:58 > 0:22:02make it one of the most instantly recognisable enclosures at the zoo.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05And it also incorporates some very clever functional design
0:22:05 > 0:22:08because there's a half drum inside there within another half drum.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13So, basically, it moves around like this to shelter the gorillas
0:22:13 > 0:22:18when the weather is cold and then slides back, so you don't see it.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21However, the gorillas are long gone.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24They moved out in 1939 when it was deemed too small for them,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27and it's now home to the lemurs.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36I've crossed the road to zoo's south side
0:22:36 > 0:22:38to see another Lubetkin creation,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41an instantly recognisable modernist classic,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43still popular with visitors today.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48This is Lubetkin's famous Penguin Pool.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Although the penguins are long gone,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54you can still appreciate its unusually elegant and playful design.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56This would have been really spectacular
0:22:56 > 0:22:58when it first opened in 1934,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00and looking back on it today,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02you can see it's so evocative of the period.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04But that was state-of-the-art technology.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07That's why it's earned itself Grade I listed status
0:23:07 > 0:23:10and this is my favourite building here at the zoo.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Unfortunately, the pool was unpopular with its residents.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Whilst concrete was perfect
0:23:23 > 0:23:26to create this double-helix centrepiece,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29it was really bad for their joints.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33And this whole exposed area was just too unnatural for the penguins.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Lubetkin's monument to modernist architecture
0:23:36 > 0:23:41proves how the zoo's attitude towards conservation has moved on
0:23:41 > 0:23:45because now they have the most perfect enclosure, a pleasure beach.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52'Robin Fitzgerald is the senior project manager here at London Zoo
0:23:52 > 0:23:57'and responsible for keeping the animals happy in their homes.'
0:23:58 > 0:24:01How have the attitudes changed towards the animals over the years?
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Enormously. Originally when the zoo was created in 1826,
0:24:05 > 0:24:09- animals were presented very much in a picture-postcard format.- Hmm.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11But since then we've moved on enormously,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13from animals in little boxes to what you see now.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Penguin Beach is a pinnacle of what we've created recently.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21We create more open enclosures, more naturalistic enclosures,
0:24:21 > 0:24:22and engage people with the animals.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27- Yes.- There's been a fundamental shift in the last 150 years.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28And you can see that.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Let's talk about comparing Penguin Beach to Penguin Pool.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33Each was built 70 years apart.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36How do you go about commissioning new projects here?
0:24:36 > 0:24:37When we commissioned the Lubetkin pool,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40it was an architect-led commission.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42The animals were designed around the structure.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44We've completely turned that on its head
0:24:44 > 0:24:46and now we take what's required for the animal
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and we build the enclosure around the animal
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and the architecture takes a back foot.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52It's often enclosed in the landscape.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- So it's a real fundamental change. - Yeah.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58That looks absolutely stunning, I've got to say.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02With penguins, you normally think about freezing-cold waters,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05but that kind of looks like a beach and it IS is a beach.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07It's almost tropical!
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Again, one of the things you find when you work at the zoo,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13penguins don't just come from Antarctica in the southern hemisphere.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16These penguins come from the Patagonia region of Argentina, Chile.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18- Where the waters are warmer. - That's it.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21So that reflects the enclosure you see here.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23There is a big difference here.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24I've just seen the Round House
0:25:24 > 0:25:27that was originally built for the gorillas in the '30s.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30They've obviously moved on somewhere larger.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32With Gorilla Kingdom, we took the same approach.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35We've seen what gorillas require and we put them in a landscape
0:25:35 > 0:25:37and gave them a more naturalist setting.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40And with the public, we've brought them into the exhibit as well,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42so almost at one with nature.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45You take down the barriers, you see what's there.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47You'll find everything is much larger,
0:25:47 > 0:25:48much more space for the animals,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51and again, you'll see, the proof is in the pudding,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53you'll see the animals are much more content.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- It's all about animal welfare now. - That's it. Very much so.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58There's a finite amount of space here, 36 acres.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02How do you go about re-designing new areas around the listed buildings?
0:26:02 > 0:26:04The whole site is a conservation area,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07so, unlike other zoos, we can't just build
0:26:07 > 0:26:10cheap and cheerful with agricultural buildings and chain-link fences.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12So the whole approach has to sit in with...
0:26:12 > 0:26:15English Heritage we have to consult, the Royal Parks,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17conservation committees.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19It is a challenge.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Certainly it's one of the hardest challenges
0:26:21 > 0:26:24I've ever had to face, working here.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Now we leap forward to the middle of the '60s
0:26:29 > 0:26:31to another building by a famous architect
0:26:31 > 0:26:33that has stood the test of time.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40That building, the Casson Pavilion, appeared here at the zoo in 1965.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42It was designed by Sir Hugh Casson,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46famous for his work on the 1951 Festival of Britain.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49And his style of architecture is New Brutalism.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53If you look at the walls, you can see that they are textured quite heavily.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56That's to emulate the skin of rhino and elephants,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58the animals it was designed to house.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00At the very bottom you see the brick plinth all around.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03They doubled up not only for extra strength
0:27:03 > 0:27:05but also for scratching posts for the elephants,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07which I think is quite amusing.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10You won't find elephants and rhinos here today
0:27:10 > 0:27:13but you will see camels and pigs. They now live here.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16The final elephants moved out
0:27:16 > 0:27:19for the wider spaces of Whipsnade Zoo in 2001.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33Looking at the listed buildings, it's clear that London Zoo is constantly changing.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36As animal welfare and conservation evolves,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39so, too, does the architecture.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41It's a lasting and ongoing legacy
0:27:41 > 0:27:44which London Zoo continues to this day.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Although there's plenty to admire around the zoo,
0:27:54 > 0:27:55we have still got work to do.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Marie wants to generate some pocket money
0:27:58 > 0:28:00for her granddaughter and her great-granddaughter.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04You ask any jewellery dealer
0:28:04 > 0:28:08and they will tell you that brooches are one of the harder pieces to sell
0:28:08 > 0:28:11because you don't see people wearing brooches.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14- You see me.- Really? You wear brooches?- I have, yes.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16I've got a brooch, I think,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19on every jacket and coat that I own.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Tell me about these. Do these sit in your jewellery box?
0:28:22 > 0:28:28- Yes, they've sat in that box I should think a good 30 years or more.- No!
0:28:28 > 0:28:31- I've never worn them.- Have you bought them? Were they a gift to you?
0:28:31 > 0:28:34They were a gift from my aunt. Um...
0:28:34 > 0:28:38I went to Malta about 30 years ago
0:28:38 > 0:28:41- and a had an aunt who lived over there.- Yes.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46And she said, "I want to give you something for you to remember me by."
0:28:46 > 0:28:49And she gave me that one.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52And I think those two were my mother's.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56We see a lot of these what we would call sweetheart brooches,
0:28:56 > 0:28:58late 19th century, that period.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02But a lot of them, usually coming out of Birmingham assay office,
0:29:02 > 0:29:03are made in silver.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06- Really?- What's nice about these is that they are in gold
0:29:06 > 0:29:08with these, I would imagine, semi-precious stones.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12It makes them a little bit more special.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14- You know why gold is popular at the moment?- Yes.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18- Is it still high up in price?- Yeah.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22The demand across the world for these sort of things is high,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26so therefore that's why we can put quite a generous figure on them,
0:29:26 > 0:29:28- I would have thought.- Yes.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31I think we should put a figure in around the £100 mark.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35- How do you feel about that? - Yes. Just 100?
0:29:35 > 0:29:37I'd like to sort of put them in at 80-120.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40- Yes.- And fix the reserve at £80. - 80.- Yeah.- Right.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42I think they'll do well because they're small,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46they've got value as per what they're made of, the gold,
0:29:46 > 0:29:47and they're pretty enough.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Someone might really take a shine to them and think,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53- "I'll have those and use them and wear them."- Right.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Are you happy at that figure?
0:29:55 > 0:29:59- Your granddaughter and great-granddaughter will be happy? - Oh, I think so.- Yeah?- Yes.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03- I'll see you there. - Thank you.- Not at all. Thank you.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06# I said, hey, sugar, take a walk on the wild side
0:30:06 > 0:30:08# I said, hey, babe... #
0:30:08 > 0:30:13Next Thomas takes a view on Mike's pastel landscape.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16I'm not great on pastel pictures.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20- I have to put that caveat in before we start to look at yours.- OK.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23But I believe you've done a bit of work on this, is that right?
0:30:23 > 0:30:24A little bit of research.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27I inherited it from my late father
0:30:27 > 0:30:33and asked my wife if she'd like to put it on the wall. She declined.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36So I thought, "We'll look it up, see if what can find out."
0:30:36 > 0:30:40It does have a name, which we think is Bernard Sickert.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44So I looked him up and there's not an awful lot of his work
0:30:44 > 0:30:48- but he is the brother of Walter Sickert.- Correct.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Beyond that, I don't know much more.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53There's three years' difference between them.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Walter Sickert is 1860, Bernard is 1863.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00Walter Sickert is a famous British artist,
0:31:00 > 0:31:02part of that Camden Town Group,
0:31:02 > 0:31:08that British impressionism, a genre of people, of life going on.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12This could be his brother. His father was an artist as well.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14They did work in pastel colours.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16The pastel is in the right palette
0:31:16 > 0:31:20and actually it's a wonderful picture.
0:31:20 > 0:31:21You look at it from afar,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25you actually get the feeling of the fields, the farmhouse.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28It's been done by quite a confident hand.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30This big large tree here, this outline,
0:31:30 > 0:31:32the pencil and the filling in.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36It's not been done by a happy amateur, do you know what I mean?
0:31:36 > 0:31:38I do. I like it.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41All things being equal, does it make it a valuable picture?
0:31:41 > 0:31:44The answer is, being a Bernard Sicket, no.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47- If it was Walter, thousands of pounds.- Sure.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50There are records of Bernard's work coming up for sale.
0:31:50 > 0:31:56It's not signed. I would say £150, £200. Reserve it at 120.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59- Sounds good.- Do you think so? - Yes, yes.- You want to give it a go?
0:31:59 > 0:32:01I do want to give it a go.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05I'd love to flog it because my wife won't allow it
0:32:05 > 0:32:09and therefore I'll use the money to take her out for lunch.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13- A good lunch. - Well, if it only gets £50...
0:32:13 > 0:32:16If it doesn't sell...
0:32:16 > 0:32:18- It might not.- Sure.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21..can I recommend one thing so maybe, maybe
0:32:21 > 0:32:24it might get hung in your house?
0:32:24 > 0:32:27- I'd get a better mount for it first. - Yes, yes.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31And actually frame it and it would look rather good.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33- I think my wife could be swayed by you.- You really think so?
0:32:33 > 0:32:34- I hope so.- I don't know.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37- Maybe she'll come to the auction. - But it might sell.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39# Worked so hard in the burning sun
0:32:39 > 0:32:41# Fever, fever, jungle fever
0:32:41 > 0:32:44# So let you know my work is done
0:32:44 > 0:32:46# Fever, fever, jungle fever... #
0:32:46 > 0:32:50I don't know about Jungle Fever but when it comes to bargains,
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Eva here is a terminal case.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55# Fever, fever, jungle fever... #
0:32:55 > 0:32:58So, Eva, I understand that these are some things
0:32:58 > 0:33:00that you've picked up from a car boot.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Is that something that you do regularly?
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Are you always on the look for antiques at the car-boot sales?
0:33:05 > 0:33:09(FOREIGN ACCENT) Um, yes. Because interesting and...
0:33:09 > 0:33:11I'm always learning something.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13You're right there.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16Because after I am checking the internet and there's lots of new...
0:33:16 > 0:33:18- Information.- Information.- Yeah.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21Exactly. Well, you've obviously brought along here
0:33:21 > 0:33:24what we can see in front of us, a Christmas tin here from 1914
0:33:24 > 0:33:27and also a selection of medals.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Now, looking at these, can I ask you what you paid for them?
0:33:30 > 0:33:36- About £10.- Yes.- And £9.- So you've done all right there, I think, yes.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40Let's talk about them separately. As you say, Christmas tin.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43These were produced... Princess Mary...
0:33:43 > 0:33:46There was an advert in the national press
0:33:46 > 0:33:48and they were asking for donations.
0:33:48 > 0:33:53Want they wanted to do was to reward people who were in the army
0:33:53 > 0:33:56fighting overseas, just to give them a little something from home.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59And so many donations were given
0:33:59 > 0:34:02that they had a lot of money to spend.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04So what they decided to do was produce these Christmas tins.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08- And they used to put little treats in them.- Yeah.
0:34:08 > 0:34:09Occasionally you see them
0:34:09 > 0:34:13- and they still have the contents completely intact.- Yeah.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15What they had in them depended on who you were.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20- If you were a smoker...- Smoker, yes. - And an officer...- Some tobacco or...
0:34:20 > 0:34:23- Exactly. Right.- Or a pipe.- You're dead right. Tobacco and a pipe.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- If you were one of the young boys who had signed up...- Sweet biscuits.
0:34:26 > 0:34:31Exactly. And if you were in the Indian army, sweets and spices.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34- Yes, yes.- Exactly. Sweets and spices.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37So these were gratefully received by the soldiers on the front
0:34:37 > 0:34:40- because it was a hard battle, it was a hard battle.- Yeah.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44- It was nice things. - So that's the Christmas tin.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46And the medals themselves...
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Medals are an interesting area of collecting in antiques.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53They can do very well indeed but what people are buying
0:34:53 > 0:34:58isn't necessarily just the medals, they want a story behind the medals,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00they want to know who they were awarded to,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03why were they awarded to them,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06at what battle were they awarded and how original are they.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09I've had a look and the first thing that catches my eye,
0:35:09 > 0:35:11they've done a sneaky tricky here.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13If I turn that one over, you can see
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- they're the same medal.- Yeah. - That's been reproduced.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19So they wouldn't have been awarded to the same person.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24So already I'm thinking, "Hang on, I think we may have a mismatch."
0:35:24 > 0:35:27- Oh, right. - Also the ribbons themselves.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30- Can you see the ribbons?- Yeah.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35These all represent different troops, different battles, um...
0:35:36 > 0:35:41So each medal itself has a distinctive ribbon.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43This ribbon is right. That goes with that victory medal.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47- This ribbon does not belong with this medal.- Right.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51So that's something that the serious collector is going to pick up on.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56And that will devalue them somewhat. Moving along, we've got...
0:35:56 > 0:35:58That's got the right ribbon and if you look on the side,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01can you see we've got an inscription?
0:36:01 > 0:36:08- Yeah.- "2347 Private WSG Insall. Hereford regiment."
0:36:08 > 0:36:13- And this?- So that should match what's on the side of this one.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18And it doesn't. So they've been awarded to two different people.
0:36:18 > 0:36:19That's important as well.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23- And looking at that one again, that one isn't inscribed at all.- Yeah.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27That's a little bit unusual. Usually they're inscribed.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31They're a reasonable group. If someone was interested in starting a collection,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34this would be a good area to start at.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Some groups of medals can make thousands of pounds.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39If you've got a Victoria Cross, for example,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41the sky's the limit for those
0:36:41 > 0:36:46because they were awarded for very specific acts of courage in battle and so on.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48So we know what you've paid for them.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51You've done a little bit of research.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54- What do you think they're worth now? - No idea.- No idea?
0:36:54 > 0:36:57I think they're worth more than you've paid for them, to be honest.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02If you would be happy to put them in auction at, say, £40-£60,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06how does that sound? It's not a bad return on a £9 outlay.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Well, 9 and 10. 19, so...
0:37:08 > 0:37:12I think I will try the auction.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Excellent. What's the money going to go towards?
0:37:15 > 0:37:18- Put it in your pocket and head to the Guildford car boot again?- Yeah.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20- Yeah?- I will, I will go, yeah. - Excellent.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Listen, Eva, I'm pretty sure that at the auction
0:37:22 > 0:37:24we're going to sell them for you.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27- Thank you.- I look forward to seeing you at the sale room.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31# My baby don't mess around because she loves me so and this I know... #
0:37:31 > 0:37:33It's been a fantastic day here at the zoo.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37Lots of friendly "Flog It!" faces and interesting objects.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Here's a quick recap just to jog your memory
0:37:40 > 0:37:42of all the items we're taking with us.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Marie's sweetheart brooches hark back to an earlier age.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53Let's hope someone will rekindle the romantic custom they embody.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Marie, please tell...
0:37:55 > 0:37:59It's a Sickert, but a Bernard, not a Walter.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04Will the connection be enough to budge Mike's pretty pastel picture?
0:38:04 > 0:38:07And finally the stories behind Eva's medals
0:38:07 > 0:38:09are still to be discovered,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12which should appeal to the militaria collectors out there.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Let's hope there are a few in the sale room.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25We've arrived back at the sale room in Chiswick in west London.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27£450 there. 450.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31We're going under the hammer now. We have three gold sweetheart brooches.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34- They belong to Marie and it's great to see you again.- Thank you.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37- Did you wear them? - No, they've always been in my box
0:38:37 > 0:38:42- because I'd always said I'd give them to my granddaughter.- OK.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44Let's put our Will to the test with his values, shall we?
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Let's see what they're worth in the auction room today. Here we go.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50- They're going under the hammer now. - Can I look?- Watch this.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54Lot 295 is a yellow metal filigree brooch.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57It would appear they do test for gold, and interest in the lot.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01I've got £60. 65 I'll take. £60. 65. 70.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03- 75.- Creeping up.- 80.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07£85 there in the blue at 85.
0:39:07 > 0:39:13- 90 at the doorway.- Fresh bidder. - 95. You bidding 100? 100.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18- That's nice.- 110. 120. 120, then. Thank you for the bid.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22- 120. 130 here.- Oh, dear.- You see?
0:39:22 > 0:39:24- You didn't like them but somebody else did.- 160.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26160 in the gallery, then.
0:39:26 > 0:39:33- At £160, 160.- Sold to someone up in the gallery up there. 160.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35That's great.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Now our penultimate item of the day is this family heirloom,
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Mike's pastel landscape painting.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Why do you want to sell this anyway?
0:39:46 > 0:39:48- I inherited it from my late father. - Yeah.
0:39:48 > 0:39:53And...my wife suggested it went to auction
0:39:53 > 0:39:55because it hadn't been put up
0:39:55 > 0:39:58and it had been lying there for five years, not hung.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02- Not framed either.- Well, I don't think she likes it, so...
0:40:02 > 0:40:04- It's got to go. - I can't get it past the missus.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Let's put it to the test. Here we go.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Lot 400 is this pastel attributed to Bernard Sickert.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13£60 to start it. £60 I'm bid. 65. 70.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16With me at £75. I'll take 80, though.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18That's £75, not quite enough.
0:40:18 > 0:40:24At 75. Anybody else? £75 it is, then. Not sold, I'm afraid.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27- It's going home.- It's going home. - I think you've got to remount it.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29- I think so.- It's a remount.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Remount, frame it and put it on the wall.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34Every cloud has a silver lining,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38although I'm not sure Mike's wife will agree.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41'At the preview day I met up with Will, our auctioneer,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43'to discuss our next lot.'
0:40:43 > 0:40:45Do you know, this group of medals
0:40:45 > 0:40:50and this Princess Mary Christmas box Eva got at a car-boot sale.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52- Guess how much.- No idea.- £10. - That's not bad.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56We had an evaluation put on by Will of around £40-£60 -
0:40:56 > 0:40:59definitely a come-and-bite-me. Christmas box is worth that alone.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Obviously, if it had its chocolate and its tobacco,
0:41:02 > 0:41:05and cigarettes, it would be worth a couple of hundred pounds
0:41:05 > 0:41:07in better condition. But it's empty.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09But what about the medals? In the catalogue
0:41:09 > 0:41:12we've got a revised estimate. Is that right?
0:41:12 > 0:41:14We put up the estimate because, like you say,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17the cigarette box is worth a few pounds on its own,
0:41:17 > 0:41:19and then you've got this group of medals which,
0:41:19 > 0:41:22even individually, even if you just say they're worth £20 each...
0:41:22 > 0:41:26So we've now got a revised estimate printed in the catalogue
0:41:26 > 0:41:30not at £40-60 but at £100-£200.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32That's a good start, and they haven't even gone under the hammer.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36Whatever you do, keep watching. We're about to put them to the test.
0:41:41 > 0:41:4595. 100. 110 it is there. At 110.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47If you're interested in making money, ask Eva,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49because she knows how to do it.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51- Yeah.- You will do in a moment, won't you?- Yes.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56Turning £10 hopefully into £100-£200.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59I know originally they were put on for £40-£60.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01The auctioneers had a look and thought,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04"Let's up that estimate to £100-£200." Did you know that?
0:42:04 > 0:42:06- Oh.- You didn't know that?- No.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09I think the auctioneer has spotted a couple of medals in there.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11There's an Italian aviation one, so hopefully...
0:42:11 > 0:42:13That would be a nice return.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Did you know what you were looking at?
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Or did you think, "I like the medals.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19"They look decorative, I'll have them"? It was that?
0:42:19 > 0:42:23- Yeah.- And the tin.- The tin, yes.
0:42:23 > 0:42:24Good luck, both of you,
0:42:24 > 0:42:27because I think this is going to be a great result.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28Let's see what the bidders think.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31I'm bid 30 straight away. 32. 35.
0:42:31 > 0:42:3438, 40, 42, 45...
0:42:34 > 0:42:36We're starting low but getting there.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38..50, 55, 60,
0:42:38 > 0:42:4065, 70...
0:42:40 > 0:42:43- He can take all day, as long as I'm concerned!- ..80, 85,
0:42:43 > 0:42:47- 90, 95, 100...- We're there.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50- 100. £100. - In the distance, at £100.
0:42:50 > 0:42:55At £100 I'm going to sell it, then. £100. It goes at 100.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58That's what we like to see. Well done, you.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00I'm very happy. Thank you so much.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03You're going to buy some more stuff now at the car boot? Reinvest?
0:43:03 > 0:43:04I will.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07120 there. 130, 140, 150...
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Well, that's it.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13It's all over, another day in the office for "Flog It!"
0:43:13 > 0:43:15I tell you what, we had our work cut out there.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19It was touch and go in places, a few highs and a few lows.
0:43:19 > 0:43:20But that's what auctions are about.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24It's not an exact science, putting a value on an antique as you've just seen.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Join us next time for many more surprises,
0:43:27 > 0:43:31but until then, from all of us here at Chiswick, it's goodbye.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd