Exeter 60 Flog It!

A cloaked figure with empty eye sockets watches the road ahead.

A luring voice gently calls your name

as a large black beast runs across the deserted landscape.

I'm in Dartmoor, and with the mist coming down like this,

settling low, it really does create a spooky atmosphere.

In fact, this place is full of stories of ghosts and spirits

terrorising strangers that get lost on the moors.

Come to think of it, that should be my cue to leave.

Welcome to a rather spooky edition of "Flog It!".

Man has inhabited Dartmoor for the past 12,000 years.

So it's perhaps no wonder that legend, myth and intrigue

is steeped in every standing stone and tor.

From Spinsters' Rock,

said to be three maidens turned to stone for dancing on the Sabbath,

to the pixies,

who are said to leave fresh flowers on the grave of a local woman,

Dartmoor is Devon's most intriguing landscape.

But "Flog It!" are fleeing 25 miles east of Dartmoor

to take safe haven in Exeter's Gothic cathedral

for a valuation day to give you the shivers.

And today, bringing a little piece of history back from the dead

are the high-spirited folk of Exeter. It's great to see you.

What a turnout. Gosh, we've got our work cut out today.

In all of these bags and boxes

are items, mysteries and stories to be uncovered.

And that's the job for our experts to do.

Because somewhere here, there's a hidden treasure

that's worth a small fortune.

-You haven't come in to be valued, have you?

-No!

Have you come in to be valued?

Now, hunting down our items are Caroline Hawley and Mark Stacey,

both legends in their own right.

-They scare me, these, you know.

-Yeah, it frightens me.

-I put it away in a cupboard.

-Yeah, I know, me too.

It's like the Village of the Damned.

SOMETHING CLATTERS

WOMAN SCREAMS

-It is very spooky.

-Hmm.

I've just been told the hotel I spent the night in last night

is haunted.

I'll be investigating the spooky nature of all things Gothic later on.

But now to the business of valuing antiques.

Never before seen on "Flog It!", could this tiny walking stick

belong to the 19th-century star General Tom Thumb?

And I get my hands on a signed platinum album

from one of the biggest bands in the world.

How much do you think the fans will pay for Coldplay?

The founding of the cathedral dates to 1050,

but the building we see today

was built during the 13th and 14th century.

And it really is wearing well.

And so is one of our experts, Mr Mark Stacey,

who's found a collection of medallions.

Let's take a closer look.

Before I look at these, what's the connection here? Who are you?

My name is Sue, this is my daughter Emma,

and this is one of my grandchildren, Freya.

Well, I met Freya in the queue, didn't I, Freya?

-Are you interested?

-Are you interested?

-I don't think she is.

-Oh, she is. She's nodding.

-She's not really.

-I'm not sure she is interested, actually.

-No.

-Now, you've brought these items in.

-Yeah, I have, yeah.

Tell me, why are they in your possession?

Oh, well, unfortunately my father's had to go into a care home.

And going through all his bits and pieces,

we found these in a drawer.

I presume most of them come from my grandfather,

but my dad can't really remember much about them at all.

So they've just really, like a lot of family things,

they've been gathered over the years, put in a box,

-and people have forgotten who and where...?

-Yes.

They've gone from one drawer to another, because

-we don't know much about them. So...

-All right, go and find a drink.

Oh, right. Oh, I think we've lost Freya. She's bored.

Yeah, she's gone for a drink. She is, she's all right.

Are you going to come and sit back on Mummy, now?

-Yeah, come on then!

-Oh, look at this. Preferential treatment.

-What do you say?

-Are you happy now?

-Your dad's gone into a home, you say?

-He has.

He's all right, but he just can't remember where he got them from.

-He sort of forgets where...?

-Yeah. Well, at 93, you probably do a bit!

Oh, gosh. Well, I forget things now.

-And I'm only 33.

-Oh, that's all right then.

-Weird mixture, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-These, the football and swimming, we presume are my grandfather.

-Yeah.

Yes. And you've got three, well, two...

Three medals. Yeah, two First World War, which I presume,

again, are my grandfather's.

-Yeah, they would be, I think. And those are named on there.

-Yeah, that's it, yeah.

The Second World War medals, you don't have names on them,

unless it's, you know, a very senior medal like a Military Cross,

I think, or something like that. But it's a nice little group.

But not terribly valuable, because they were the medals -

it sounds awful - that everyone got.

I mean, if we just have a look at some of them.

-This is obviously a gold medallion.

-Yeah.

And it says on the back "Hastings Regatta".

Yeah, you don't often get silver or gold medals for swimming 60 yards.

No, well, obviously a very successful regatta in Hastings.

And then you've got various little silver, I think, medallions.

-Again, they're hallmarked.

-Yeah, some of them are football.

-I mean, whoever won them was quite sporty, in your family.

-Yeah.

What is that? We don't know.

Each link is hallmarked, and it has a little number. I wonder...

And on the front, it's got a picture of a tiny dragon on a link,

-so I presume it's Welsh.

-Oh, yes.

I wonder if it's something to do with the Welsh Eisteddfod,

-you know, the music festival.

-Yeah, I know the one, yeah.

Fascinating thing.

Sadly, of course, in these times of high bullion prices,

what will probably happen is that whoever buys this...

They'll get re-melted.

..will melt them down and it'll be made into something else.

-How would you feel about that?

-It's good recycling.

I'm into recycling, so...

That's a very, very good way of putting it, actually.

-And we should all be recycling.

-Yeah!

But I think that's what will happen.

Apart from the medals, of course, they will go to a collector.

And the little gold ring there.

But I think we're looking at an estimate of something

like 100 to £150.

-That's a lot more than we thought!

-More than what I thought, yeah.

-Is it?

-Yeah!

And we'd put a reserve on them, of course.

But I'd just tuck the reserve a little bit under that.

-Yeah.

-That's fine, yeah.

And maybe put a reserve of 75 so we don't give them away.

-That's brilliant.

-But hopefully, on the day,

-there's enough there to interest people.

-Yeah, very good.

-Wonderful. Well, will we see you all at the auction?

-Hopefully, yes.

-Yes.

And we'll make sure we've got plenty of orange juice for Freya.

So, David, Sharon, hello. Who is the Coldplay fan?

-Well, I guess I'm the Coldplay fan, really.

-Good taste!

THEY LAUGH

I just love Chris Martin's writing.

And he went to school here, in Exeter.

-I believe he was brought up here, lived here.

-He did, yes.

His family still live here, I believe.

And he went to Exeter Cathedral School.

-That's where he learned to sing.

-Yes.

-We have...

..Coldplay memorabilia here. An award for a platinum disc.

How did you come by it?

We went to a charity ballroom dance and it was being auctioned there.

I bid for it and very luckily got it.

Do you have any provenance with this at all?

Did anything come with this when you bought it?

-Would you have a piece of paper, a letter?

-Well...

Somewhere in the house is a note from Chris Martin's dad

when he gave this to the charity and said,

"Look, would you like to auction this?"

-We're still looking for it, but it's there somewhere.

-OK.

-We'll find it.

-We are turning the house upside down to find it!

Well, this was awarded to the band, look, as a platinum award

in recognition of sales exceeding 50,000 units, for the album X&Y.

Seeing that on a wall as a piece of contemporary art is great anyway.

-Yes.

-It's different, it's visual, it's vibrant,

but it's been signed by the band,

and that's really, really cool as well.

And how much did you pay for it? Are we allowed to know that?

-Oh!

-A princely £50.

-Is that all?

-That's all.

-Were you the only person bidding?

We were the only people.

-Well, in fact, I was the only one.

-I don't believe it.

I don't believe it! Well, that's why you've got it for £50.

Well, look, I think this is quite exciting, and it's something new

to "Flog It!", as well. We haven't seen anything like this before.

-Value-wise?

-No idea.

Why don't we say, for argument's sake, let's put one to £200 on this.

-OK?

-OK.

I think that's a fair opening gambit,

and I'm sure Coldplay fans everywhere, all over the world,

if they were alerted to this, would love to own it.

And you could have a very big hit on your hands.

We've seen it happen before on the show.

-This could top the charts, it really could.

-Excellent.

Excellent, thank you.

It's hard to imagine Chris Martin singing here as a boy.

Now, I wonder if our audience

are being inspired by their surroundings.

I love the venue. It's a beautiful cathedral.

I live in Exeter, so I come here fairly frequently.

Well, I'm an Exeter girl, so I've been here most of my life,

and it's one of the most beautiful ones in the country,

as far as I'm concerned.

And it...always, always looks lovely,

and there's always something interesting here.

The sun is shining, so Caroline's doing her valuations

and multiplications outside, with a very early calculator.

So, Lionel, you've brought this fascinating piece of equipment in.

Tell me about it, please.

Well, I saw it at an auction, back in Rhodesia.

And the reason I recognised it was because, years before,

our father gave me his old slide rule,

this type of cylindrical slide rule.

Yeah. And it's a cylindrical slide rule?

Cylindrical, before the straight, flat types came out.

-Yes, yeah.

-And then I saw this come up in an auction in Salisbury.

Harare, as it is called now.

And I went along and nobody there knew what it was.

-And when I opened the box and saw this magnificent thing...

-Yeah.

..I thought, "Come hell or high water, I'm going to get this."

Yes, I can well imagine, Lionel! And tell me, what did you pay for it?

-I ended up paying 22 for it.

-Which is equivalent to about...?

-At that time, it was about £8.

-£8.

As you can see, this is in a most beautiful box, a mahogany box,

-made by a very good London maker, Stanley...

-Yeah.

..which was established in 1854, which all adds to the value.

-This particular model is from 1927.

-Yeah.

And it was invented, the cylindrical slide rule,

by Professor George Fuller.

It really is wonderful quality and fabulous condition.

I'll just take it out of here.

This is, like, the centre stadia line on your...this type of slide rule.

-Yeah.

-That's where your answer comes up when you're finished.

-Right.

-And this goes up and down to pick up...

There's this notch in here where you pick up your numbers

-at the bottom.

-Yeah.

Multiplying by something, you pick it up off that one at the top.

And that's how you retrieve your answers.

And this moves up and down that.

These calculations here, the line, is a continuous line.

It's about 527 foot of one line. Around and round and round.

So, Lionel, you've decided now the time's right to move this on?

-Yeah.

-Why have you decided that now is the time?

-Well, I suppose I need to buy next week's groceries, don't I?

-Oh, gosh!

Well, let's hope, we have to put a valuation on it,

enough to buy them. Where do you shop? No, don't mention it!

I won't mention that!

I would think anywhere between 150 and £250.

It's nice, we've got the instruction books with it, and also

we'll put this later slide rule along with it,

but the value is really in this.

But if we put a reserve on it, and a fixed reserve...

-..are you happy with possibly £180, fixed reserve?

-No, that's too low.

Too low? What sort of reserve were you thinking?

I would not like it put on for anything less than 250.

Could we meet each other in between and say 200?

-200, all right.

-200, that's a deal. And we'll do our best for you.

-OK.

-That's fair enough.

-Thank you.

We won't have to wait long to see if our experts are on the money.

We're going over to the auction right now.

And here's a quick recap of all the items that are going

under the hammer.

It's not your normal set of medals, so will this mixed collection

get first, second or third prize in the saleroom?

Will the Coldplay fans be queuing out of the door

for this piece of music history?

Or will Lionel's antique calculator steal the show?

Find out in a moment.

Our auction today comes from the largest city in Devon - Plymouth.

Plymouth has a beautiful coastline and a newly-developed city centre.

Today's saleroom, however, is located

in the slightly less picturesque industrial estate at Roborough.

But beauty's in the eye of the beholder and, personally,

I can see some real stunners in today's sale.

First up in the auction, it's my turn to be the expert.

I am joined by David and Sharon, who are right next to me,

and we're just about to talk about the X&Y album,

the platinum disc sales from Coldplay.

On the day, we said one to £200, because it was a bit of fun.

We both couldn't gauge its value,

-because I know you only paid £50 for this.

-Yes.

But I know, since the valuation day, you've had a chat to Anthony

and you've now upped that valuation to 500 to 700, fixed reserve at 500.

-That's right, yes.

-Now, do I take it because you really want to keep it?

-Well, we would like to keep it.

-Yes.

But also, we know that, you know,

we're going to give half to the charity,

-and we don't want to...

-We don't want to reduce that.

OK, let's put it to the test. Here we go, look, this is it.

Coldplay, EMA platinum award disc.

And I must start it at £400.

At 410 if you want it. At £400, 10, 420.

At 420, then. Still against you all at 420.

Quite sure at 420. Finished, everyone, then, at £420?

430, 440.

450, 460. At £460, one more if you want it.

At £460, quite sure, then?

Hammer's gone down. He was asking for 460 in the room

and it didn't sell, so it didn't make its reserve.

-So it goes home with you.

-It does.

-It's not a bad thing, is it?

-And we're happy with that.

-It's not a bad thing.

-No, it isn't.

-You'll cherish it, won't you?

-And we will.

-It's lovely.

-Good.

So, the platinum disc is staying in Chris Martin's home county of Devon.

Next, will anyone want the precursor to the calculator?

Fingers crossed, Lionel, things are going so well.

Have we got the measure of this saleroom?

We're just about to find out with the cylindrical slide rule.

And I love this. I love the box, I love the way it stands.

We've seen them on the show before, but not in this condition.

-No, but it's pretty prehistoric, isn't it?

-It is.

-1927, that is.

And I would not know how to use one of those.

-You are lucky you were born in the push-button age. I wasn't!

-Yes!

It's got a revised estimate of two to £300 now,

with a fixed reserve at £200. It really is an academic's toy.

Let's find out what the bidders think, shall we? Here we go.

Let's put it under the hammer. Good luck.

On next to Lot 461. There it is,

a Fuller's mahogany spiral slide rule.

And it's got another little pocket calculator scale with it.

And two bids, I'm bid £210 exactly. At 210. At £210.

20 if you want it.

At 210, 220. 230, 240.

At £240.

-Come on, come on.

-At 240, then.

We're finished at 240? Quite sure?

Lionel, it's gone.

The hammer went down just under mid-estimate at £240.

Not as much as I know you were hoping for.

-I'm not going to miss it.

-You're not going to miss it, and it's gone.

-No, so it's fine.

-Job done. That's what it's all about.

Job done. At the end of the day, we got it away mid-estimate.

Whether you can use it or not,

items of this calibre will always be appreciated by someone.

Well, I've just been joined by Sue and Emma,

and going under the hammer we've got a good little

mixed lot - a group of medals there.

And it's quite an exciting little lot,

-and it's not a lot of money, either.

-No, it's not.

-Well, there is a bit of gold in there, as well.

-And some silver.

And some silver. So it's a nice little lot

-for a general sale like this.

-It's quite nice, yeah.

-Yeah.

Something we don't want, just sits in the cupboard.

-Could be earning you money.

-Certainly could.

-CHILD CRIES

-So let's put it to the test.

And that's little Freya on her way!

Overcome with excitement.

Yeah, but let's put this to the test, shall we?

It's going under the hammer. This is it.

Next is Lot 221, it's a signet ring

and another group of medals and various bits and pieces there.

A job lot, and I'm bid £180 for it.

-Oh, wow!

-Great.

-Wow!

-£180!

-210, 220.

At 220, then. It's against you all in the room. At £220.

-Quite sure at 220?

-Straight in, straight out.

-Wonderful.

Commission bids left on the book, bang, £220.

And the whole family's enjoyed that,

because I know little Freya is here.

Just there, there's little Freya with Dad, look!

THEY LAUGH

-I think Freya's trying to buy something.

-I hope not!

You never know, you could've just bought something.

-Look, great result. It happened so quickly.

-Yeah!

-It did.

It baffled all of us! Straight in at the top end.

Yes, and I think, actually, you know,

these little mixed lots are good,

-and they do fetch the prices.

-Yes.

-Very good.

-You've got to be happy with that?

-Oh, definitely, yes.

It's a bit more for... I've got four grandchildren,

so I've got four presents extra to buy for Christmas now, so...

-Brilliant.

-That's going to be good.

-Brilliant.

If you've got any little mixed lots like that,

we would love to see you bring them along to one of our valuation days.

Details of upcoming dates and venues,

you can find on our "Flog It!" website. Log on to...

Follow the links. All the information will be there.

Come on, dust 'em down and bring 'em in. We'll sell them.

Well, that's it, our first three items under the hammer.

Now, I'm off back to Exeter Cathedral

to take a look at the 12th-century architecture there

and tell you how it got its name Gothic,

a name which tends to send a chill down anybody's spine.

Gothic architecture, used to build churches,

cathedrals and monuments throughout the country in medieval times.

The ornate arched ceilings, stained glass windows and flying buttresses

were a progression from the Norman buildings of years past,

and took cathedral building to new heights.

Some 500 years later, however,

and the word has different connotations.

So, how did Gothic go from describing ecclesiastical

architecture like this at Exeter Cathedral

to evoking images of darkness, doom and gloom and misery like this?

It's a story of transgression, subversion

and misunderstanding, and it all started nearly 1,500 years ago.

The first Goths to make a name for themselves

were a group of Germanic people of the second century and onwards.

The Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, known simply as Goths,

were a powerful east-Germanic tribe

who helped bring about the downfall of the Roman Empire.

By bringing about the fall of the Roman Empire,

the Goths helped destroy what was thought of as classical culture,

and in turn they were thought of as primitive and barbaric,

and that's what the word Goth started to imply.

So, how could the architecture that surrounds me

here today be synonymous with the barbaric and the primitive?

I mean, there's nothing really brutal about Gothic architecture.

Or is there?

To find out, let's use Exeter Cathedral as our Gothic model.

Life started here in the 12th century,

and much of the structure typifies the ideals of the Gothic architect.

The stonemasons and the designers of the medieval period

were obsessed with verticality.

They wanted to build cathedrals that were filled with height

and light, making you feel closer to heaven,

and a few special features made this possible.

So, for a lesson in Gothic architecture.

First, the vaulted ceiling.

I'm walking below the longest uninterrupted

ribbed-vaulted ceiling in the country,

and it really is quite spectacular when you look down there.

But what do I mean by ribbed-vaulted ceilings?

Well, firstly,

I have to take you back before this period of Gothic architecture

to the Norman period,

where Norman buildings were built a lot lower,

because they didn't have this interlocking vaulted system

in their ceilings.

Their ceilings lacked architectural definition,

they were more of a solid mass.

A great deal of weight on the walls,

which meant they couldn't achieve such wonderful height like this.

The flying buttress.

To support the great height of the cathedral,

a new key feature was introduced -

the flying buttress, and here you can see a series of them.

They take the weight outwards and downwards.

So, in doing that, it frees up a lot more space inside

the building to add stained glass windows, adding a lot more light,

one of the distinguishing features of Gothic architecture,

completely at contrast to those dark, dismal days of Norman design.

And incidentally,

another key feature in Gothic design was the pointed arched window.

The Gothic arch.

Gothic architecture is renowned for its pointed windows.

Previously, as you can see here on this example

on the remaining Norman tower,

the arches were softer and rounder, much more benign.

Medieval architects liked the stronger

aesthetic of the pointed window,

which geometrically fed your eyesight upwards

into the ribbed-vaulted ceilings,

and then onwards into the heavens above.

Like you can see with the example there on that Gothic arch.

So, Gothic architecture hardly has the dark

and gruesome undertones we've come to associate with the word.

Well, maybe the odd bit has, but mostly it seems unrelated.

So, where is the link?

Now, this is where it gets interesting.

At the time of building this cathedral,

the architecture wasn't described as Gothic -

it was called Frankish work.

And it wasn't until the Renaissance in the 15th century

that the term Gothic was coined to describe it.

So, why choose such a word?

During the Renaissance, the classical culture of ancient

Greece and Rome was again revered, and the work of the medieval times

rejected as ignorant, and even vandalous, in comparison.

So, the term Gothic, which had come to mean rude and barbaric,

was given to our medieval architecture, considered by

the men of the Renaissance to be a blot on our landscape.

Despite the haters, the Gothic style was unstoppable.

By the mid-1600s it was reinvented for a more modern audience,

and fast-forward to the 18th century,

and its meaning migrated to a new form of literature -

fantastical, dark horror stories from authors

such as Horace Walpole and, later, Mary Shelley.

And Gothic doesn't die there.

In the next 200 years, it breathes life into film,

back into architecture with its very own revival,

and is expressed through music, art

and a rather particular way of dressing.

The word Gothic is as nuanced as it is descriptive,

from the broad brushstrokes of a sinister atmosphere

to the technicality that defines true Gothic architecture.

It's a bridge between centuries,

and a whole range of artistic and cultural endeavours.

Back at our valuation day, the cathedral looks rather different,

with "Flog It!" involved.

And there's some music to entertain the waiting crowd

from a local Devon band playing a traditional Devonian tune.

THEY PLAY FOLK MUSIC

From folk entertainment to an old-fashioned diminutive

circus performer.

David, this is a charming object, but please explain to me

what you think it is.

Well, the family legend has it

that it was given to my great-grandmother

by General Tom Thumb's mother,

and it was one of his theatrical walking sticks.

Good lord.

Now, Tom Thumb is supposed to be the smallest man alive?

He was born Charles Stratton,

and at the age of six months he had grown to 25 inches, two foot one,

and stopped growing until he was 12, when he shot up to 40 inches.

Which is still quite small.

At the age... Yes, and at the age of six,

he was discovered by Barnum, PT Barnum, the American showman.

Yeah, who brought a lot of circus acts together and things.

-The weird and wonderful.

-That's it.

And Barnum put him on the stage at the age of six,

and when touring England, performed in Portsmouth,

and apparently this was a parting gift to my great-grandmother,

who was the age of four, five, six,

-and sort of fell in love with this little man.

-Aw.

-I love it, cos it's such a tactile object.

-Yes.

I mean, it's got this lovely warm colour, where it has been

handled for a long time.

So, it's undoubtedly got a bit of age to it, this.

And it does look like a little miniature walking stick, doesn't it?

-Yes.

-And it's got a little silver nib,

or silver-plated nib on the bottom there.

I'd love to believe the story.

I mean, if the story's true, it's a museum piece.

Although you have brought this little photocopy

or photostat of a...

I found that on the web, and I thought that was a walking stick.

It was only actually two nights ago, I looked at it again

and saw that's the hilt of a sword.

Yes, a little miniature sword.

But this is almost an impossible thing to value.

That's why I've brought it here today, yes.

Well, people are either going to buy into the history of it

and then think, "Well, it's worth 100, 200, £300..."

I mean, if somebody out there thinks,

"I've got a photograph,"

or, "I've got more definitive proof

"that he used a little walking stick like this,"

then you could sell for a lot more.

But I think my gut feeling tells me sort of 100 to 150,

with maybe 100 fixed reserve.

-Right, that's fine.

-So, let's give it a go, shall we?

-Yeah.

And let's hope it makes a big amount of money for such a small thing.

-Walk off with a record.

-Oh!

And I've gone for a walk myself, to reveal the exquisite detail

within the cathedral that might have passed you by.

This is so typical of an oak pew end dating from the 13th century,

but look at this. Look at the ornate cresting on this.

And you have to remember, this has been carved

from one solid piece of oak, making this entire pew end.

Look how this angel holding her arms like this has been fashioned

by a master craftsman, a woodcarver, top of his genre.

A technique which was taught by the monks,

which was very, very fashionable during the 12th and 13th centuries.

It's remarkable. And look at the patination and the wear.

Thousands and thousands of hands over the centuries have rubbed this

over the years,

and this is just one of many simple things that sometimes goes amiss.

But just take your time and you can spot them.

That's a true work of art.

Now, we're out in the sun for more top-quality craftsmanship.

We've come outside, Ken and June, isn't it lovely?

-Absolutely brilliant.

-Wonderful.

And what's shining on me as well is the fact you've brought this

lovely vintage Rolex gentleman's wristwatch in.

-Are you a bit of a collector, Ken?

-Um, not really.

I've got several watches.

Many of them are old wind-up ones,

but this was one that the wife's auntie asked me to get them serviced.

-Right.

-That one and the mantel clock.

And, of course, had them done.

When I took them back, she actually gave them to me.

-Oh, wonderful. Have you ever worn it?

-Never.

-It's just been put away in the safe.

-Oh, that's such a shame!

Taken out every now and again. Give 'em a wind up.

Well, I think that's a real shame,

because it's a lovely-looking watch.

It's 1930s, which for you is a very good thing,

because the Art Deco period is really collectible

and is a hot area for watches.

Because I think that was the first time that people started to

design proper wristwatches.

Before then,

they converted little ladies' pocket watches into wristwatches.

And Rolex, of course, were in the vanguard of that.

I love that inner chapter ring with Arabic numerals on it.

And it's in silver as well, which is good.

They come in gold, of course, and other metals.

But it is a nice example of its type. Do you like it, June?

-Yes, I do. Yes.

-But it's a shame to see it stuck in the safe, isn't it?

Oh, yes. Definitely.

It's a really good-looking thing, and quite collectible.

Rolex is one of those top names in watches

that people like to collect.

Um, have you thought about the value before?

Er...several years ago, I took it to an auction room

that was doing free valuations,

and at that time they valued it between one and 200.

Ooh, that's good news for you, then, I hope.

Because actually, I think

a realistic estimate today is around three to £400.

And, you know, because it's in such good auction room condition,

the fact that it hasn't been messed around with,

it might even encourage the marker to pay a bit more for it.

They are still quite collectible.

And maybe putting the reserve at 280 fixed,

so we won't sell it below that.

-No, I'd gladly take it home again if it didn't sell.

-Exactly.

-I mean, it doesn't take up much room at home.

-No.

-No.

So, you'd get a lot of interest, I think,

countrywide, and possibly worldwide for it.

Ooh, well!

-But I guess, to use a pun, time will tell.

-That's it.

Well, thank you so much for bringing it in,

I look forward to seeing you at the sale.

-Yep, well, as I say, we'll be there, definitely.

-Wonderful.

There's still treasure to be uncovered

in the heart of the cathedral,

and it's not just Mark and Caroline who can spot a winner.

Do you know what? There's so much to see here.

-This is Chinese.

-Definitely Chinese.

Now, let's have a look at this, shall we?

Has this been in the family a long time?

Well, it belonged to my grandparents. Where they got it from, I don't know.

That could be worth an awful lot of money.

I'm going to get one of our experts to come here...

They might not like it,

cos we're putting them on the spot with the camera.

Andrew, have a look at this. This one's not marked.

-It would appear to be early 20th century.

-Yes.

-The blue's not as dark as I would like it to be.

-Yeah, yeah.

So, um, value-wise?

Yes, I'm quite intrigued.

I really wouldn't want to put a value on that.

I've seen similar things estimated around 80 to 120 or 100 to 150.

They've made a couple of hundred pounds sometimes.

It's in good condition.

-Yeah.

-Mmm.

-There you are, Michael, maybe a couple of hundred pounds.

Well, I thought it might be worth about 80.

Well, it's a lovely thing anyway. Enjoy it, won't you, as well?

I'm sure with the flowers in it, that'll look absolutely stunning.

SHE LAUGHS

-Did you like that, Margaret?

-I did, yes. I like blue.

And you never know what's going to roll up on "Flog It!".

-Hello!

-Hello.

-Monica, Megan. Tell me, how did you come by it?

-We were taking some rubbish to the local tip here in Exeter...

-Yes?

-..and it was there in the items to be sold.

-No!

-And how much did you have to pay for it?

-£5.

Oh, £5! Do you know how much Silver Cross prams retail for today?

-Never had to buy one.

-Around £1,000.

And they're actually really trendy with all the cool celebrity mums,

and these are really making a comeback.

-Buggies are out, proper prams are back in.

-Yeah. Ideal.

And the Silver Cross company was started by William Wilson

in 1877 because he needed transport,

and very smart transport, for his own children.

-Wow!

-And it's still going today.

You know, when this was made in the '40s or '50s, we didn't all

have cars. People... You know, there weren't so many cars.

So it didn't need to fold flat and go into the back of a car,

as things do now.

So it was altogether a different way of life, way of living.

Why did you buy it?

-Um...

-Apart from it's a splendid thing.

Yeah, my eldest daughter, Zoe, she was pregnant at the time.

We had quite a large country cottage

and it was something for the baby to go in when they came to visit.

-And did they enjoy being in it?

-They loved it, yeah.

Let's just have a look at it.

I mean, it's Silver Cross, it's marked here.

-It's got fabulous suspension, hasn't it?

-It's amazing.

It really is amazing.

And it's got the original leather straps here, holding it on.

The tyres are all right, this cream leather interior.

And if we look under here...

you can see, this, we lift it up, and it's to put baby bits in.

-And put this back here. You said you used that?

-We did.

-We went out on walks and picnics.

-Coach-built body.

-You can see the condition of it is fantastic!

-It is.

I can't believe you got it in a tip.

We've got to put a value on this.

We'll put an estimate in auction between 50 and £70.

And if we put a fixed reserve of £40, are you happy with that?

Yeah, we would be, wouldn't we? Yep, thank you.

And I think it'll give many more children a very happy start in life.

-It's lovely, thank you so much for bringing it.

-Thank you!

Cities often have a trademark, and this is definitely Exeter's.

Its architectural and artistic features are stunning,

but sadly it is time to say goodbye to Exeter Cathedral

as we head over to the auction room in Plymouth

for the very last time today.

And here's a quick recap of all the items we're taking with us.

This pram may not be that practical, but it's a classic make.

Will anyone want to stroll away with it?

Who wouldn't want to own a classic Rolex like this one?

But how much will the bidders pay for the privilege?

And we talk to an expert in America

about the alleged Tom Thumb walking stick.

Back at our auction house on preview day, it's research time.

Right, our Tom Thumb memorabilia. Remember this little walking stick?

Well, we've managed to track down an authority on Tom Thumb items.

Kathy Mayer, who is the curator of the Barnum Museum

in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where Tom Thumb was born.

OK, there's no better person to talk to.

Now, we've got a video link lined up for you to have a look.

It's a "Flog It!" first.

Here's Anthony, here's Anthony's wife.

Here's Anthony, look, behind the scenes on the computer.

Now...

I'm just going to put that down here,

because right in front of me, we have Kathy.

Good morning, Kathy, can you hear me?

-Good morning. Yes, I can hear you, yes.

-Thank you for talking to us.

I notice there's a carriage in the background behind you,

is that General Tom Thumb's?

Yes, it is, as General Tom Thumb's carriage

-is part of the museum's collection.

-Wow.

You've seen some images of our walking stick, what do you think?

It's wonderful for a museum to see something

that plausible as being authentic.

Not all artefacts that come to the museum

-have that much rich opportunity to investigate.

-Sure.

But this walking stick actually did.

It's the right period, it's the right size,

the story corresponds, so it's an intriguing object for a museum.

Yeah, this is fascinating.

Do you have any walking sticks in the museum? You must have a couple.

We do, we actually have writing props,

we have all types of artefacts,

but the walking stick that we have is probably from Tom Thumb

a little later, when he was a little bit taller.

Is this something you might be having a bid on later?

Ordinarily, we would probably follow it,

-but the Barnum Museum was hit with a tornado...

-Oh, gosh.

..two years ago, so sadly we've had to put a hold on acquiring

any kind of other items while we fix the National Landmark structure.

Oh, well, look, good luck to your repairs, good luck to you

as well and the museum, and thank you so much for talking to me today.

-Thank you, and good luck. We will follow it, though.

-Oh, great.

-Yeah, watch it go online. Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

Fabulous. Well, we've talked to the experts, and we're pleased.

And hopefully, this will hit the top end of its estimate

and do a little bit more.

It's lift-off time as the auction gets under way for the second time.

And first up, the vintage pram.

Well, so far, so good.

I tell you what, there's a wonderful atmosphere in here.

It can only get better, and right now we're going to try

and turn £5 into maybe 40 or £50 with Monica and Megan's help,

with that little pram that you brought into the valuation day,

-which you only picked up for a fiver, didn't you?

-We did.

-At the dump, was it?

-At the dump in Exeter.

-At the local dump.

-And it's transported three grandchildren in it.

-It has.

Now, that's what I call great value for money.

I mean, it really is good value for money.

They're very expensive to buy new, these Silver Cross prams.

Coach-built, fabulous quality.

And hopefully, somebody else can push three grandchildren about in it

-after today.

-Hope so.

Well, you know, that's what it's all about - classic recycling.

You can't get greener than antiques.

Let's put it to the test. It's going under the hammer now, here we go.

On next to lot 363, it's a Silver Cross pram.

I remember it well, I was wheeled around in one

till the age of about six, I think, which is a bit sad, isn't it?

But there it is. And I'm actually bid £40, and I promise it's not me.

At £40.

Two if you want it, at 42. Five, at 45 now.

Eight anywhere? At £45.

Quite sure then? At £45. I'll sell it...

It's gone, Megan.

-Won't be taking it home then, will I?

-It's gone, it won't be going home.

-That was a bit of fun.

-Oh, brilliant, and what a good return on £5.

-Very good.

-Very good investment.

That's nearly ten times what they paid for it.

Far from a rubbish result.

Well, time is definitely up for Kenneth and June's Rolex watch.

It is a little gem from the Art Deco period.

Hello, great to see you again.

-Do you wear a watch?

-Do you know, I don't any more.

No, I kind of clocked you, if you don't mind the expression -

that wasn't supposed to be a pun -

and I thought, "He doesn't wear a watch."

Well, hopefully it goes for the top end of the estimate.

I know you've tweaked the reserve slightly.

-Just upped it slightly.

-Just upped it to £300 fixed.

We should get that. Let's put it in under the hammer. Here we go.

176.

A gentleman's Rolex Marconi wristwatch.

There it is, and £260, at 260.

270, 280.

At £280. 290.

300...and 10.

At £310 at the back, there.

At £310 in the corner.

And finished at 310, then. Quite sure?

Just, we just got it away. 310. Phew!

-Not bad.

-Not bad.

Not bad. You happy with that?

-I would've been just as happy if it hadn't have sold, you know?

-Sure.

It's not a problem for me, it's just that...it's gone.

It'll be a bit of spending money for us when we go to Australia.

-Are you off to Australia? Have you been before?

-Yes.

-Good for you.

What a lovely country.

Going under the hammer right now, Charles Stratton's walking stick.

You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Yes, Tom Thumb.

Wonderful little walking cane, David,

thank you for bringing that in. Why have you decided to sell this?

Um, it's just been sat in a drawer for years and years, so...

At least it's been safe while it's in the drawer,

because condition is key here, and it's perfect, isn't it?

If I'm taking it just to an auction house,

they might've just dismissed it, or put it in a minor lot,

but bringing it here, you've done the research.

Well, we like it, let's find out what this lot think, shall we?

Here we go. It's going under the hammer now. Good luck.

The next lot is lot 400, which is a small or miniature walking stick,

there it is, attributed to General Tom Thumb.

Um, several bids for it. I'm bid at £210 to start it, at 210.

-Straight in!

-Against you all in the room at 210. 220, 230...

240, 250...

250, then. Still against you all at 250.

Finished in the room at 250.

-260, then.

-Another bid on the phone.

At 270, 280, 290.

At £290.

300.

I'm bid 10. At £310.

-At 310, 320. 330.

-Walking a bit further.

At £330.

340 now. At 340, bidding's on the phone.

At £340, last chance in the room, then. At £340. Finished?

That was a great result.

That wasn't a tiny result, that was a great result,

you've got to be happy with that.

It is. Probably a new fishing rod out of that.

THEY LAUGH

Well done.

Well, that's it. Another day, another auction for "Flog It!".

We started the show on spooky Dartmoor,

we unearthed treasures from Exeter Cathedral,

and the auction, well, that was daunting enough, wasn't it?

But we live to tell the tale.

I hope you've enjoyed today's show.

See you next time for many more surprises.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd