Glasgow 52 Flog It!

With scenery like this, we can only be in one place -

the west coast of Scotland.

This unspoiled wilderness is the perfect

antidote for the stresses of modern-day living.

And for one lucky city, it's less than one hour's drive away.

More about that later on in the show, but right now,

welcome to Scotland...and welcome to "Flog It!".

Surrounded by stunningly beautiful scenery,

Glasgow's mix of austere Victorian Gothic and brutalist architecture

reflects the no-nonsense industry at the heart of its wealth

and tradition.

This gaunt aspect of the city may explain the creative excellence of

many of its artists, having to turn inward to the landscape of the mind.

The Scots' famous industriousness

together with their creative talents has proved a winning formula.

Today's venue is the magnificent Kelvingrove Museum,

purpose-built to house the very best of Glasgow's fine art

collection, natural history and history collection.

Looking for some treasures of their own are experts James Lewis...

I think I'm a 22.

Have you got a size 22 in there?

..and Will Axon.

The trouble with these is...

-The trouble with them is everyone has kept them.

-Oh, shut up.

We've got a great show for you today,

where we get to see if the stereotype of canny Scots being good

with their money really stands up to auction scrutiny.

Today's items have come from both near and far,

but which one will sell at auction for 100 times its purchase price?

Our candidates include this very Scottish oil painting, this

naturalistic gold brooch and this not-so-Scottish piece of tribal art.

Just wait and see what happens at the auction.

Give that man a clap.

This great hall is filling up nicely,

so let's get started with our first item.

Ian, when I found you in the queue earlier, I saw this little circular

turned box and I thought,

"It's either going to contain a compass

"or it is going to be a very plain snuffbox."

But when I opened the lid

and saw what can only be described

as a box of miniature light bulbs...

I thought, "What on earth are they?!"

It says here,

"Hydrostatical glass bubbles

"for proving spirits,

"adjusted in the most accurate manner

"to the universally approved scale

"by the maker William Twaddle, Glasgow."

What a wonderful little set of beads.

Where did you find it?

-My grandfather died and I was given that as a memento of him.

-Really?

And whether he got it from his grandfather, I presume so.

Something like that.

-So it's been in the family a long time.

-Yes.

The only other set that I have ever seen is in the Glasgow Museum.

-Really?

-The National Museum Of Scotland.

-Oh, yes.

And they have a little box with these,

-but they don't have the label on the cover.

-Oh.

-I think these are better.

-Well!

Not hugely valuable,

but to measure the density of alcohol,

you would drop individually one bead after another.

Each one would have a number beside it.

If that bead, when you drop it, doesn't sink, doesn't float,

that should match the density of the alcohol in the fluid.

-I see.

-And then you look on the scale here.

And number 25 says it is likely to be the same density

as oil of olive.

-Oil of olive.

-For number 25.

Then we have... Number 22 says very strong.

All the way up to number 14 there,

-which just says alcohol.

-Mm.

So I guess pure alcohol.

And then down at the bottom, number 56, "grogg".

I think it is an amazing comment on the times,

something that I would imagine a weights-and-measures official

would have used to make sure that either

you weren't overselling or underselling your alcohol content.

-Right.

-And also to give them

a fairly accurate idea of what the alcohol content is in their fluids.

It would have been made between 1795 and 1810.

It is a really interesting object. Have you ever had it valued before?

Well, I did ask an expert once about it,

and he said it would be about £300 to £400.

300 to 400, yeah.

I think that's a retail figure for it.

It's one of those things that I think it might just put people off

-if we put that size of an estimate on it.

-Right.

-Would you be happy with £150?

-Yes, I would be. Yes.

Let's put 150 to 250,

-and see if that is OK with people.

-Right.

-I think that is a sensible figure.

-That's very good of you, thank you.

-All right?

-Yeah.

-Let's take it along and see what happens.

Excellent.

What a lovely and fascinating piece of Glaswegian history.

Up on the balcony, Will has found four very special pieces.

-Little works of art in themselves, aren't they?

-Yes.

-Little World War I silks.

-Yeah.

Now, a lot of the time, there is a story behind these.

What can you tell me about these?

Who are they from and who were they to?

Well, they were in the effects of my husband's auntie

when she died in '89.

And it was her brother, William, who was serving in France,

and he sent them to her, another sister and his mother.

-Oh, yes.

-So this is where they all came from.

He lived until he was 93, so he survived the war.

-Oh, so he survived the war?

-Yes.

-You've met him?

Yes, I met him in the 1960s when I first married my husband, yes.

Yes. So, William survived the war. That's a nice touch,

because a lot of the time these sort of things are tinged with

an element of sadness in that maybe a family member sent them

and then never actually made it back himself.

Now, these were generally made in France, obviously,

that's where they were bought.

The whole reason behind them was so that the soldiers could

keep in touch with their family, let them know how they were.

You know, if they got one of these,

at least they knew that everything was relatively OK.

Let's just have a quick look in here.

So, "Keep me in your heart," and then we just open that up.

We can see there is almost a little calling card there.

"Greetings from France," there we go.

I'll just spin that round.

Yeah, as you can see there, we've got the correspondence there.

No address. This was probably sent in a separate little envelope,

yeah, which, again,

means that the damage was limited as much as possible.

Let me just see if I can read this.

"Dear Maggie. I'm getting on all right so far,

"but I am dealing very bad with the heat.

"It's almost unbearable. Your affectionate brother, Will."

There we go. Well, short and sweet.

You know, part of family history -

what's compelled you to bring them along today?

Well, you were here, I thought, "We'll find out...

-"Let them have a look."

-A bit more about them.

And they are something that you are sort of happy to flog?

Yes, if... Yes.

I mean, like I said, I alluded to it earlier, the price of them

is not going to be terribly great.

I mean, you might be looking at sort of £5 to £10 each,

that sort of level,

which doesn't sound a lot,

but, you know, there are people that collect these,

so at least you know whoever is going to be buying them or bidding

on them will be wanting them, and they will form part of a collection.

So they are given a new lease of life, shall we say,

in someone's collection.

-Would you be happy at sort of £20 to £40?

-I'm amazed, yes.

Yes? Happy with that? Yes. Let's not put a reserve on them, let them go.

-If you are happy with that.

-Yes, that's fine.

And then at least we know we've got a guaranteed sale.

They might make a little bit less, they might make a little bit more.

But what they have got going for them is the condition.

All it comes down to now is the day,

-see if we can get them away for you.

-Yes, fine.

-Well, excellent.

I look forward to seeing you at the saleroom.

-And it was lovely meeting you.

-That's kind of you.

-Thank you.

We've seen a few similar items over the years,

so I am hopeful that these postcards, both historic

and personal, will attract a bit of attention at the auction room

and surprise us all.

Like the items on our valuation tables,

the details of this building also ooze history.

Now, this was the original entrance to Kelvingrove,

with its overpowering statue

of St Mungo to greet you here, at the door,

the patron saint of the arts of Glasgow, flanked by two

figures either side - one representing music, the other art.

And they have been skilfully executed, as you can see,

by one of the leading artists of the day, George Frampton,

who is also known for his statue of Peter Pan

in Kensington Gardens. Isn't that lovely?

Back inside the gallery,

Rose may have brought in her item at just the right time.

You know, it is a funny old thing

because I was given gold sovereigns when I was born by my grandparents.

Not many.

And I hung onto them, and I kept them, and I kept them,

and I kept them.

Then about ten years ago,

the Government decided to sell Britain's gold reserves,

and I thought, "Mm...

"They must know what they are doing, being the Government,"

and I sold my gold sovereigns.

At that time, when the Government sold its gold reserves,

my gold sovereign was worth £36.

-What do you think it is worth now?

-Double?

-More than double.

-Treble?

-Nine times.

-Wow.

-£220, approximately.

But you did the right thing, and you kept it.

And you kept it for times when the market was good.

Is it something you have put together yourself?

No, it was a gift.

Oh! Giving away a gift?

My husband and I have turned 60 this year.

-Right.

-So we're going away on holiday. A big holiday.

-Where are you off to?

-I want to go to New York and Vegas.

-Oh, fantastic!

-So that's... our spending funds.

I think this will do really well.

It's nine-carat gold.

It's just over 30g.

Any ideas in your head what it's worth?

-No.

-No? OK.

I think we should put an auction estimate of

-£280 to £350 on it.

-OK.

There's a buyer's premium and a vendor's fee

to sell at auction,

but I still think it is probably better

than putting it in a bag

and posting it off to somebody who you really don't know what

they'll give you. So, generally, it is a better way.

The other way of doing it is to sell it directly to a jeweller.

If you do it that way, you've got a fair chance of getting a good

result, but it just depends on what they are buying the gold in at.

Auction estimate, 280.

I think we should put a reserve of that on, firm - firm reserve.

If it doesn't make that, have it back and try

and directly sell it to a jeweller.

-Right.

-Because otherwise you are losing too much with the commission.

-Is that all right?

-Thank you very much.

-Pleasure.

Well, what an exciting morning we've had.

Everybody is thoroughly enjoying themselves. We're working flat-out.

We found our first three items, so let's put those values to the

test and, hopefully, they will hit the roof.

Here is a quick recap of what is going under the hammer.

Ian's alcohol tester, which was made right here in Glasgow,

should certainly float some interest at auction.

And Patricia's beautiful World War I silks deserve

pride of place in any collection.

And Rose feels the time is now right to sell her charming bracelet,

so let's hope she's not disappointed.

We haven't needed to go far today for our sale.

Straight across town,

to The Great Western auctions, where the wonderful Anita Manning

will be selling our items.

Now, I have got my idea of what is going to fly, you have

probably got yours, but right now it is down to this lot, the bidders.

It is up to them. And hopefully, you'll be bidding on our lots

and making them soar through the roof.

We're going to find out right now.

First up is one of my favourites, the hydrostatic glass balls.

A rare and unusual object, Ian.

A complete set, the condition is fabulous.

-I love everything about it.

-Good. I'm glad.

Can I just ask why you want to sell these?

Well, they've been kicking around in the wardrobe for a long,

long time, and I might as well sell them.

Yeah. It's not something easily displayable, is it?

Either you've got them in a box, in a drawer, or you have them out,

they might get damaged, they might get lost,

you might just be playing with them and they get broken.

-It is time to say goodbye.

-I hope so.

-Ready?

-Yeah.

OK, let's put under the hammer. Here we go.

One of my favourite items, ladies and gentlemen. Can we see?

£300. 300. 200.

Start me at £100.

100 bid.

Any advance on 100? Any advance?

-There is a little piece of history there.

-110.

120. 130.

140. 150.

160. £160.

160. Any advance on 160?

All done at 160? 160...

-Sold, 160. Just got it away.

-Yeah.

I'm pretty surprised, actually, it didn't go a bit farther.

Yeah, I was a little bit surprised.

Not easy things to sell, though, are they?

No, because it is a hard thing to display, as we have said.

You know, what do you do with them?

-You either want it or you don't, no in between.

-Yes, that's true.

And from one wonderful slice of history to another,

can Patricia's silks fetch a good price?

So you brought it into the valuation day to show Will,

thinking, "Let's put no reserve on them."

You know, you don't really look at them anymore.

But it has ignited this whole kind of research period

that you have gone through in the month since we saw you.

And you've found out so much more about them.

Of course, we have got three brothers,

and we have now got their military history as well.

Has this changed your mind about them?

Do you want to hang onto them now?

Not really, but it has made us go into the family history.

I am now going to start digging, you know, into more of the history.

Yeah. There are plenty of postcard collectors out there.

These are quality and they're going to sell. Here we go.

Lot 185, ladies and gentlemen, is this charming little lot.

It is a lot of World War I silk postcards.

They are quite beautiful and they are postmarked 1917.

Can we say £100?

£50 for the little piece of history there?

50?

-50 bid.

-Straight in at £50.

Any advance on 50?

60. 70.

80. 90.

-You're joking!

-£90...

-You're joking!

-That's good.

For that little piece of history.

£90.

Any advance on 90?

Any advance on £90?

All done at £90? £90...

-Short and sweet, £90.

-That's amazing!

That is a fabulous result for such a wonderful piece of history.

Really.

I thought £20.

Yeah, you know, like you said, they are not hugely valuable,

but it is the whole sort of awe around them.

It's amazing.

I thought those would do well,

and I am pleased they reached a good figure for Patricia.

Now, time to find out if Rose gets her Las Vegas spending money.

She is certainly up for a gamble.

Now, I know, since the auction, you've had a word with Anita.

-Yes.

-And you've put the reserve up to £400,

which changes the valuation.

-Why did you do that?

-I just feel it's a...

My auntie gave me it, and I wanted to get as much as I can

to spend in Las Vegas.

Right, OK, OK. That's quite a big jump, isn't it?

I don't know if the gold prices have really gone up that much,

-have they?

-No...

I mean, the thing is, if you want the best price,

you let the room decide.

As soon as you start saying what you want

and telling the other people in the room what you think it's worth,

then they tend to think, "Well, OK, take it somewhere else."

So, in a way, it is quite an aggressive move

and often a move that doesn't work, but you never know.

-The prices have changed slightly - you might be lucky.

-Hope for the best.

Fingers crossed. This one is going to be a tight call.

I think it's going to be a tight call.

It is a lovely object, though, and if somebody really wants it,

they will pay for it, that's the thing with auctions.

They're buying it as a bracelet, though, not as the gold value,

-if it makes that.

-Yeah.

-OK, fingers crossed. Ready for this?

-Yep.

OK, here we go. It's going under the hammer right now.

Lot 90, ladies and gentlemen, is a charm bracelet.

It's nine-carat rose gold.

Can we see £600?

600. 500.

200.

200 bid.

Any advance on 200?

Any advance on 200?

220. 240. 260.

280. 300. 320.

320.

330.

340.

350. 360.

Any advance on 360?

Any advance...? 370.

380.

385.

Oh, it is so close.

-Go on!

-385.

390.

390. One more.

390 with you.

-390.

-Gosh, we're close, aren't we?

-That's so close.

-Yep.

Will you go to 400?

So it's at 395.

395.

She's got to sell it for 395.

395. I need five more pounds on this.

Five more.

It's at 395.

I want you to get it.

Go on!

400!

£400!

It's sold!

Give that man a clap.

Brave move, brave move.

£400.

Any advance on 400?

-Another fiver.

-That is brilliant auctioneering.

All done at 400?

400... Well done.

-Well done, Anita.

-Well done, you.

-Well done, Rose, as well.

-Well done, both of you.

That's a brilliant auctioneer on that rostrum. And well pitched.

Oh, just!

A bit of luck, I have to say, as well.

That's the gambling streak, that's the gambling instinct, though.

-That's for Vegas.

-Exactly. Yeah, save it all, won't you?

-And hopefully you will go out there and be a winner.

-That's it.

What a result!

After some great work by auctioneer Anita, Rose's gamble paid off.

Gold prices do fluctuate, but she has got exactly what she wanted.

# Get out of here

# And get me some money, too... #

Well, that is the end of our first visit to the auction today.

We are coming back later on in the programme.

Now, you know I am a big fan of traditional arts and crafts,

and wherever we are in the country filming,

I like to see as much of it as possible.

It is a way of embracing these traditional skills.

And Scotland has one of the oldest skills in the world -

basket making, particularly in the form of willow weaving,

something I have always wanted to have a go at.

Take a look at this.

Now, here in Scotland,

the ancient tradition of basket-weaving can be traced back

a staggering 9,000 years to the early settlers in the Hebrides,

who weaved willow baskets to catch their fish.

Now, with these designs and patterns being passed down through

the generations, modern basket-makers today are carrying

on the tradition, using the same techniques as their forebears.

The techniques may not have changed,

but modern practitioners are adding their own contemporary twist,

creating objects of beauty and practicality.

I am here to meet Lise Bech,

who's one of Scotland's leading willow-weaving artists,

and hopefully I'm going to have a lesson in weaving willow

and make something of my own.

Lise is a one-woman weaving dynamo.

She and her husband, Ian, have turned a barren

patch of countryside in the Southern Uplands

into a veritable oasis.

In the middle of this patch, Lise has all the raw materials

she needs - lots of home-grown willow.

-Lise, hello.

-Welcome.

-Thanks for inviting me. Can I come in?

Yep, sure.

Lise is living the dream, having turned her hobby

into a career as an internationally renowned artist.

Lise, your work is beautiful. It is so sculptural and eye-catching.

The willow looks like it is alive and breathing,

and nature has intended these organic forms.

Well, I grow my own willow and I live in a beautiful landscape,

so I can go out, harvest the willow and really try to emulate nature.

-But I know I will never get there.

-But I think you have.

I can see where your inspirations are, you know, with nature

and your surroundings.

At the same time, you know, from a distance, you would think,

actually, these are centuries old.

Because you've copied those same traditions,

you've used the same techniques.

You've given it a different twist, a different flavour.

This could be a fish trap or a lobster pot,

and it is exactly those techniques that I have used.

There are so many different hues here.

You are using different species of willow, aren't you?

I'm using different species of willow.

I've got about 22 different varieties growing in the garden.

-And they all grow here?

-Yeah.

And some of them, you know, they do come in sort of greens

and browns and occasionally into black and orange.

And this one, to me, well, that is incredibly organic.

It reminds me of a seed pot, slightly.

-Mm-hm.

-Is that... Would that be fair?

-I am happy for how it speaks to you.

-But it's moving.

-It's got movement and it's got energy.

-Yes.

And it catches the light.

You can see that when you turn it, from whatever angle you look at it.

There is always something of interest.

It is a wonderful piece of sculpture.

-I'm making one at the moment.

-Are you? Are you halfway through one?

-More or less.

-Can we have a look at the technique?

-Yes.

-And just watch it develop?

-I'd love to show you.

-Brilliant.

Gosh, you are quick, Lise.

Obviously, this is really advanced, and I couldn't tackle

something like this, but could you show me

something very basic that you could make with a good master maker,

like you - let's say, something I could make in 30 minutes?

I can show you how to make... I call it a bird-feeder,

but you can use it to store your onions in, or garlic.

I like the sound of that. We can hang it up at the kitchen at home.

-Very useful.

-OK.

-I like useful items.

Learning from someone like Lise is a real privilege,

but what she calls a simple design may be a bit tricky.

-Now, I have to warn you, this can be addictive.

-OK.

You put the first one in,

around a stick, come back on itself.

That's good.

-Can you feel how meditative it can be?

-Mm.

-Lovely.

-You know, the rhythm of it.

Very therapeutic.

This weaving stroke is called three-rod waling.

Three-rod waling.

And where does this originate?

-Don't ask.

-OK.

I think it must be Anglo-Saxon.

In the past, woven baskets were an essential part of everyday life,

used for catching, gathering and storing food.

Keeping these skills alive is hugely important.

But as I am finding out,

it's not as easy as Lise makes it look.

Pull right in and bend.

Lise is right, however - once you get the hang of it,

it's actually quite relaxing and quite addictive.

And there is nothing better than picking up new skills.

Even if they are old ones.

In... Bend.

It won't be quite the art Lise can make,

but I think it's just as satisfying.

I can't believe I've made that.

Obviously, I couldn't do it without your help.

But it is possible for someone like me

to make something like this in half an hour

if you have got the kit and the tuition. So thank you so much, Lise.

I'll look out for your work in the art galleries, because

I know they will become collectibles and the antiques of the future.

-A big thank you.

-You are very welcome.

And here I have some willow cuttings for you.

If you put these in the ground, you will get your own willow bed.

-Will I?

-Yes.

-Fantastic! Thank you.

Because that has inspired me to do something at home.

If I had the willow, I will do something.

And then you can start a collection of different willow plants

and increase your palette as you go.

Thank you.

Well, there you are.

Look, something to hang the onions and the garlics in today.

Could be baskets tomorrow.

But seriously, though, I will go home, plant this willow up,

have fun watching it grow and be creative with it.

It's relatively easy if you have the right teacher.

And it is quite refreshing to meet people like Lise as well,

living the good life, being inspired by nature and the seasons

and creating something, well, out of nothing, virtually.

If I was you, I would give it a go as well.

It is a breath of fresh air.

Welcome back to Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery,

our host location for today.

And as you can see, we are surrounded by fine art and antiques.

Well, I think it's about time we joined up with our experts,

who are in the main reception area,

and find some more antiques to take off to auction.

And who knows, maybe we can make some history of our very own.

With so much going on,

Will has gone upstairs to search for his very own piece of Scotland.

What can you tell me about it? Is this hung...

pride of place at home?

It's kept in a drawer, away from the kids.

-Really?

-It's...modern-day houses.

-Oh, I've got you.

Yeah, I mean, that is an element that comes into valuing

antiques and so on, you know. How do we decorate our homes,

you know. Whereas in the old days,

there used to be a lot of pictures hanging on the walls.

You'll be surprised now the number of homes I go into

and there is not a picture in sight, you now. Not like my house,

where I think every spare inch is covered with pictures,

my collection of pictures by unknown artists, mainly, I might add.

But this isn't an unknown artist, is it?

Because we have got a nice, clear signature down there at the bottom.

-It's a McKenzie, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Now, you have done a bit of research, have you?

-Yeah.

He was born in 1800 and died in 1880.

OK, so spanned most of the 19th century.

He was part of the Scottish Academy and, I think, somewhere,

I don't know why, he got kicked out for some odd reason.

-Really?

-I don't know why.

Well, that would be an interesting thing to research further.

I mean, that is the slight disadvantage we have

on these valuation days, in that if you had come to see me at my office,

I would have given you a receipt for it,

I would have done a bit of research, gone on down that route that

you've suggested, just to dig out the facts, really.

Whereas here, at "Flog It!", it is very much, you know,

we are sort of on our toes

and, you know, we are very much

at the moment rather than having time to do a lot of research.

But looking at the style of picture, it is

not anything that is sort of...

shall we say pushing any artistic boundaries or experimenting

with, you know, different factors,

that certainly towards the late 19th century were really

sort of the birth of modern art.

He is what I would call... A professional artist.

He obviously had his formula for painting.

Like I said, the market for pictures changes.

Where did you buy it? Is it from a gallery?

-Have you got a receipt for it?

-It was off a car-boot sale,

-I bought it.

-Really?

What are the car-boots like around here? What did you have to pay?

Um... Roughly about £4.

£4, can you imagine?

You wouldn't be able to buy the paint to paint it

with £4, really, could you?

So £4 for a Scottish picture.

I would like to think it is worth between sort of,

200, 300, something like that.

-I mean, how does that fit in with...?

-Yeah, that sounds OK.

Yeah, not bad investment for... In return for £4, is it?

-Yeah, it's very good.

-We'll reserve it at 200.

-Are you happy to have a bit of discretion?

-Yeah.

If it gets to 180 or something like that?

Rather than not to sell it.

Excellent. So 200 reserve, with discretion.

-Thank you for bringing along your car-boot bargain.

-You're welcome.

Well, when you find a bargain like that, it's hard not to

blow your own trumpet.

Or should I say horn?

HORN

-I didn't think I'd be able to do that.

-You did well.

Well, Colin, I have to tell you, you don't look like

a Congolese tribesman.

-Well, I'm not.

-I didn't think you would be.

-I'm a Scotsman.

I mean, I love tribal art, especially things that were

made for the tribe to use and not made for the tourist market.

This is made from ivory,

but it was taken from an elephant

by the native people of the country

when the native people of Africa

worked with the animals,

hunted and killed, took what they needed

and didn't waste, for thousands of years.

It was only when the Westerners arrived and decimated the elephants

that the problems started.

But this would have been used as a horn

for contact in the forests, in the centre of Congo.

Sometimes they will be used in celebrations and in parties.

And it is known as an olifant.

Now, what is an olifant doing with you in Glasgow?

Well, it has come down through the family because it was originally...

My Great-Uncle Sandy, who was a civil engineer,

but he was also the Commissioner for the Upper Blue Nile, in Egypt...

This isn't Egyptian,

this is further into deeper Africa.

He was Upper Blue Nile, so who knows where he went?

I've actually got a photograph of...

I'm not sure what he was doing.

That is...

That is my Great-Uncle Sandy there. My dad's uncle,

his dad's brother.

-The classic look, with the pith helmet.

-Yeah.

So when do you think this was taken?

Well, this is what we're not sure about.

We're timing it...placing it about 1910, 1913.

But he died in 1933, I think.

So he really was an explorer of Egypt as well, really.

-This was before...

-Oh, yeah.

..the great Tutankhamen and all that sort of excavation.

What a lovely little picture.

I've got some more things here. Might be of interest.

They're all part of the one collection

that my uncle had, great-uncle.

Ah!

The original bag.

National Bank of Egypt bag.

OK.

They do look to be Egyptian, actually,

and probably made for the Western market, though.

I think they're probably napkin rings, something like that.

I mean, this is the most interesting piece.

It's probably 1890, something like that.

Way before the ivory laws started.

And anything pre-1948 is legal to sell.

It's not hugely valuable, so we will put them all together

as one lot, all three,

and put the Egyptian bank bag in as well.

And 80, 120, I think.

And I think if it made over 140, they'd be doing very well.

-Right.

-Now, reserve. Do you want to put a reserve on?

Yeah, definitely.

-What sort of thing were you thinking?

-I would think £50, £60.

-Well let's put...

-Is that fair enough?

-..at least that.

I think 70, we should, really.

-I think if they don't make £70, you ought to try them again.

-Keep them.

-I would keep them in the family.

-But it's Anita Manning on the rostrum,

-and she is a wizard with the gavel.

-Ah, Right.

-I've seen her in action.

-She'll do well for us.

We have had ivory items on "Flog It!" before,

but as James quite rightly pointed out,

selling and buying ivory

that was made after 1947 is illegal.

So any good auctioneer will always thoroughly check the origin

of a piece, helping the conservation of these beautiful animals.

Next, something far more modern has turned up on Will's table.

Well, Christine, I hope you don't mind me saying,

you look like a pretty trendy sort of girl.

-Is that right?

-Well, I like to think that.

-Yeah, exactly.

-One finger on the pulse of fashion and all that.

-Yeah.

-Very nice.

And is that what attracted you to this, I think,

pretty spectacular piece of jewellery?

Well, I do look for good things at charity shops.

-Charity shops?

-Yeah.

You know what, that makes me start thinking

that you haven't paid a lot of money for this, have you?

-No.

-Dare I ask how much you paid?

£4. £4!

£4, and was it in a job lot?

-£4 was quite a lot for a brooch in a charity shop.

-Was it?

You must have had an inkling that it was something,

-a little bit different.

-I just liked it.

It's, you know, a very stylish piece.

I can see why you were attracted to it.

Because it has got that almost sort of naturalistic feel about it,

hasn't it? With the gold.

Cos it is... It's solid gold, make no mistake.

I've had a look and there is no reason to suspect why

these stones aren't diamonds.

They are good stones, good clean ones, nice clarity.

I've had a look for maker's mark, can't see anything.

I would imagine, date-wise, it should be sort of post-war.

I think it's either going to be '50s, '60s,

maybe even into the '70s.

And that is a sort of era, period in collecting that is growing.

You know, people are starting to appreciate how the designs

evolved and how, you know, new designs emerged.

And they were sort of letting go of the old

-and really pushing forward to a new look, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

Um...

-Have you worn it?

-No.

-You've never worn it?

-No.

-No.

-But you just liked it?

-I just liked it.

-Funny, isn't it?

At the time, I was saving brooches,

-and that was one of the ones I picked up.

-Yeah.

Did you have an inkling when you bought it

-that it was something special?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Cos you can actually...

A good tip is if you turn a piece of jewellery over and look at

-the back, you can just see quality and craftsmanship, can't you?

-Yep.

That someone has taken the effort to make

the piece of jewellery from scratch.

-And the quality is obviously there from the back.

-Yeah.

The piece that you are not meant to see,

if they have taken the extra effort to make

the back as good as the front,

then you know somebody has put a lot of work and effort into it.

So £4 - what's that worth? 18-carat gold.

And it's well publicized that gold prices are high,

silver prices are high.

Stabilising a little bit, but still high. Um...

You know, I think you are probably going to turn your £4

into probably close to sort of...

Probably £400, I would have thought. So, I mean,

if we can sort of say £300 as a sort of figure to reserve it at...

-I don't know how you feel about that.

-That's smashing.

-That's pretty good, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Not a bad return.

And we can see that you have got a unique eye

and you are spotting the right pieces in the right places.

-So, you know, all I can say is keep doing what you're doing.

-Thank you.

# And I go... La, la, la, la, la

# She's got the look! #

Well, we have certainly seen some real gems come through

the door today, all worthy of our magnificent host location.

And I'm rather excited about some of these.

I can't wait to put those values to the test.

So we have to say goodbye to this magnificent museum and

art gallery, as we go over to the auction room

for the very last time today.

In case you've forgotten what's coming along with us,

here is a quick recap.

John's moody Scottish seascape could whip up a storm of local interest.

Ian's ivory horn may be far from Scottish, but, hopefully,

it will draw the attention of the big hunters at the saleroom.

And Christine's solid-gold find has all the makings of a modern classic.

Hopefully, it can fetch a price to match.

# I want good money! #

Yesterday, at the preview day, I caught up with the auctioneer,

the wonderful Anita Manning,

and this is what she had to say about one of our items.

It might just struggle.

She has done a bit more research into the painting

and found it's not the artist we thought.

There is a listed McKenzie artist,

but the signature is different

from the signature that we have on that oil.

Right, so it's a different McKenzie.

So the value is not two to three anymore. Have you adjusted that?

-I have spoken to the vendor.

-John.

I have explained to him and I have asked him

if it was OK to bring the estimate down to sort of 50 to 80.

So we have got 50 to 80.

He's going to be pleased because

he picked that up in a car-boot for £4.

-Well, it was a good buy.

-It was a good buy.

Fingers crossed, he's going to make a brilliant profit.

It just goes to show, if you get up early,

go to those car boots,

buy something and stick it in auction,

-there still is money to be made.

-Yeah.

A bit of extra research can make a lot of difference.

If only we knew who made this piece of tribal art.

Good luck, Colin. We are putting the ivory to the test now.

I love the olifant hunting horn.

I think that is a super little thing.

-It's a great lot.

-And typical of you to pick up on that one, as well.

Not a lot of money, £80 to £100.

-No.

-I thought it would have been a bit more.

They are relatively common, but the more decorative ones,

decorated with roundels, like the napkin rings,

they were used at weddings. They're the rare ones.

-And they come this big as well.

-Wow.

Well, look, good luck, fingers crossed.

Let's put it to the test. Here we go.

We have the elephant tusk

with the male's head handle, and you

have the two ivory rings

with the engraved, ebonized decoration.

19th century ivory, ladies and gentlemen.

Can we see £200?

200.

150.

Start me at £100 for the ivory.

£100. £50, then.

50.

£50.

Start me at 30. 30 bid.

Any advance at 30? 40.

40 with you, sir.

50.

60.

£60. Any advance at £60?

-No.

-All done at £60. £60...

They didn't sell, Colin. It didn't reach the reserve.

And thank goodness James put a reserve on for you.

I thought the olifant,

the trumpet horn, was worth that alone.

It was worth that.

The problem is, not many people understand tribal art.

And because it is such a specialist area,

maybe it wasn't the right place and the right day this time.

-Sorry about that.

-That's all right.

It stays in the family, which is actually a good thing.

And you didn't give them away.

Now it is time for John's painting.

It is a different artist to the one we thought,

but how big a difference will it make to its value?

Since the valuation day, Anita has had a chat to John.

Anita has lowered that reserve now to £50, £50 to £80.

-Not the D McKenzie we were thinking of.

-Right.

But I have a feeling this will meet both estimates.

I can see it doing... I can see

-it doing over £80 quite easily.

-Well, I hope so.

This is a nice picture, ladies and gentlemen.

Can we say 150? 100?

Will you start me at £50?

£30, then.

30 bid.

Any advance on 30?

40?

50.

-We've sold it. We've sold it, John.

-60.

£60.

With the gentleman at £60.

Let's think percentages here.

£4. It is a fantastic turnaround.

£60...

Yes, the hammer has gone down. £60.

Fabulous return on four quid.

I've got to say that.

It really is. Get back to that car-boot sale.

Or you could do what Christine did,

and find your bargains in a charity shop.

Remind us how much you paid for it.

£4.

Which, you said, you thought was a bit too much for a charity shop.

-Yes.

-That is cheeky! That is cheeky, Will, isn't it?

It's an outrage, Christine.

-You're after a bargain all the time, then?

-Yes.

-Did you beat them down?

No. I was... Because there was a stone missing.

-There IS a stone missing.

-Yes, a diamond.

-A diamond.

There are 15 others.

You didn't know at the time, though, did you,

that it was 18-carat gold.

-You had a gut feeling...

-It was good.

This is a wonderful piece, ladies and gentlemen,

an iconic piece from the 1960s.

Can we see £500?

-500.

-He's going to come straight in.

Three, 300.

You're saving me time.

300 with you, sir.

Any advance on £300? 300.

320. 350.

380.

390.

-390.

-£390.

-That's good.

-Mid-estimate.

Any advance on 390?

All done at 390? 390...

It was a £4 investment...

£390, hammer's gone down.

There is commission to pay, don't forget that.

-They will deduct that from the hammer price.

-Yeah.

But that is a very, very good result.

That is a classic "Flog It!" story. We love those stories.

Finding something for next to nothing

-and turning it into a profit.

-That's brilliant.

-That's what it's all about.

-Mm.

-Thank you. Thank you.

Well, there you are, that's it, it's all over for our owners.

The auction is still going on, but what a day we've had here.

Everyone has gone home happy, and that's what it's all about.

It's time for me to have a well-earned rest now,

that's for sure. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed today's show.

Do join us again, because there are going to be many more surprises

to come in the future.

But for now, from Glasgow, it's goodbye.

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