0:00:07 > 0:00:09Today, Flog It! is in Tyneside,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12an area steeped in shipbuilding heritage.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14The larger-than-life vessels built on this river
0:00:14 > 0:00:18have defined the landscape and left a legacy for generations.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47It's hard to overemphasise the impact the shipbuilding industry
0:00:47 > 0:00:49has had on the people of Tyneside.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52For centuries, the majority of men in this area
0:00:52 > 0:00:54either worked in the district's numerous coalmines
0:00:54 > 0:00:56or in shipbuilding,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59driving forward incredible innovations
0:00:59 > 0:01:02now part of our nautical history.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07This is the first ever steam turbine powered ship.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Around the time of its launch in 1894,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13it was easily the fastest ship in the world.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16The Turbinia is a wonderful example of the shipping heritage
0:01:16 > 0:01:21that's housed here at Newcastle's Science And Local History Museum.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24And today it's the host venue for our valuations.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28The people of Tyneside are arriving in their droves.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32- Oh, look, a bit of maritime memorabilia. What's this?- Cunard.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Oh, look at this!
0:01:34 > 0:01:38We shall be talking about that ship later on in the programme.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40And to carry out today's valuations,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43we have the antique elite reporting for duty.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Always with a keen eye for detail, Anita Manning.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Oh, it's great fun, isn't it? Great fun!
0:01:50 > 0:01:51And he might like a joke,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54but Adam Partridge seriously knows his stuff.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58- How much do think it's worth? - It's going to be priceless! - LAUGHTER
0:01:58 > 0:02:00They're a lively bunch here today!
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Let's hope today's valuations are as entertaining.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07In today's show, Anita meets her match,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11when a legendary billiards champion challenges her to a game.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- You can give me a few tips.- It would be wonderful to get you in action!
0:02:14 > 0:02:16A lot of men have said that!
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- Thanks for coming along. - LAUGHTER
0:02:19 > 0:02:23And Adam is in heaven when he meets a fellow boxing fan
0:02:23 > 0:02:26with a signed copy of Muhammad Ali's autobiography.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Let's not forget, this is the century's greatest sportsman,
0:02:30 > 0:02:31some people say.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36The people of Tyneside have turned out in force today
0:02:36 > 0:02:39to get their antiques and collectables valued.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41This wonderful space is just one of the rooms used
0:02:41 > 0:02:44by the Co-operative workers, who were based here
0:02:44 > 0:02:47between 1899 and 1972, when this place
0:02:47 > 0:02:50was used as a distribution headquarters
0:02:50 > 0:02:52for all the shops in the local area.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53So we've got the lights,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57we got the cameras and the people of Tyneside have brought the action.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01The great thing about a Flog It! valuation day is you never know
0:03:01 > 0:03:03what you're going to find.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Somewhere amongst this massive crowd is a little treasure,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10and hopefully we can make some history of our very own
0:03:10 > 0:03:11right here, right now, on Flog It!
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Let's hand things over to Anita Manning. Could this be the item?
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Now, Alf, I know I have the privilege
0:03:20 > 0:03:24at this moment of being sitting next to a legend.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Indeed, indeed.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31But I want you to tell me first of all, Alf,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35where you got these napkin rings.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40I was English billiards champion and they asked me to play in
0:03:40 > 0:03:45the world championship. I was booked in at Karachi to play an exhibition.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49I made the highest break that had been made in Karachi - 319.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- So this was a little gift? - I wonder what they're worth.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56They've never been touched. I'm not going to put these on my table!
0:03:56 > 0:03:57SHE LAUGHS
0:03:57 > 0:04:02I'm not that - what do they call it? - aristocracy!
0:04:02 > 0:04:05They'd go well on the table at Buckingham Palace
0:04:05 > 0:04:07or the Duke of Northumberland's.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09But not on Alf's table!
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Not on my table! LAUGHTER
0:04:11 > 0:04:14But there are quite a nice present.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18Could you tell me when that match was? When you were in Karachi.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22- Yes, it would be 1964.- 1964. Let's look at it.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26It's a nice little box and I quite like the label, which says
0:04:26 > 0:04:32"Kashmir Silver Works," and it's from Karachi, the main city there.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35And if we take one of them out...
0:04:35 > 0:04:37They are what I would call white metal.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39White metal, is it?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41They could be a low-grade silver.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Very often in the Indian subcontinent,
0:04:45 > 0:04:51- you had silver which was of a lower grade.- Yes, yes.- A lower quality.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52So they can be that.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And they are quite nice things, and if you had a title,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59there's a little cartouche where you could have put your initials.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03- Yes!- They could have put "Alf the Champion."
0:05:03 > 0:05:04Yeah!
0:05:04 > 0:05:05Have you retired now, Alf?
0:05:05 > 0:05:10I've retired competitively, but I still go and practise.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12And once I get to a billiard table -
0:05:12 > 0:05:16not many people will think of this - I'm in heaven!
0:05:16 > 0:05:18You can forget about all the other heavens,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20that billiard table is heaven to me.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22And this is you as a...?
0:05:22 > 0:05:25That is me in London in 1955.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28That's the Northumberland and Durham Snooker champion.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- But I'm mainly a 3-ball... - You were quite good-looking guy.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32You still are!
0:05:32 > 0:05:37Now, Alf, tell me - why do you want to sell
0:05:37 > 0:05:42these things, if they are part of your career in playing
0:05:42 > 0:05:46- billiards and snooker? - Well, to me they're inconsequential.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50As soon as I die, they're in the recycling, or wherever.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- It's of no consequence. - It's only a...an object.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Yes. Yes.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58You have your photographs and you have your memories of Karachi.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00So shall we put these into auction?
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- Put them in and see... - Property of a gentleman.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08- They're not worth a lot of money, Alf.- No, no.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10But if we put them in, maybe, er...
0:06:13 > 0:06:16£50 to £70, something like that.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20That... That is a...terrific amount of money.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21I started work
0:06:21 > 0:06:2344 hours a week in the rag trade
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- for one pound.- Oh, right.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27One pound.
0:06:27 > 0:06:291941.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31We'll put them in...
0:06:31 > 0:06:34We'll maybe put a reserve of, say, 35 on them.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36- I'm sure they will do that. - Yes.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39But maybe if we do well with these,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41we can have a game of billiards afterwards,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43and you can give me a few tips.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45It'd be wonderful to get you in action.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47A lot of men have said that.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48Thanks for coming along.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51THEY LAUGH
0:06:51 > 0:06:52What a really interesting man!
0:06:52 > 0:06:57You never know what or who is going to turn up on evaluation day.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Now, over to Adam Partridge.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01- Sally.- Hello.- Do take a card.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Thanks. Any card?
0:07:03 > 0:07:07It was a good way of illustrating what this object is.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09A ivory card case.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11So, where did you get from?
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I don't know. It's always been in... in the family.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16It's just always been there?
0:07:16 > 0:07:18It's not inherited from someone or...
0:07:18 > 0:07:22- I don't which side of the family, but it's a family thing.- OK.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24And, of course, our first concern with anything ivory -
0:07:24 > 0:07:26is it old enough?
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Instantly, the answer's yes with this.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30The date line is 1947.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33If there's any doubt, it should not be sold.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35But this is late...right at the end of the 19th century.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- From Canton. Canton in China.- Right.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Its name is Canton export ivory,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42because there are a lot of these about.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46And they were made for the Western market, for cards,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and shipped it to Europe.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52And they are all a similar type of style.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Heavily carved, intricately carved, on both sides and, erm...
0:07:58 > 0:08:02There's been a resurgence in the Chinese market.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Most of these are being bought by Chinese people...
0:08:04 > 0:08:08erm...interested in their history and heritage, et cetera.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11So, in the last couple of years I have noticed some pretty
0:08:11 > 0:08:14strong prices for ivory card cases.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Why are you selling it?
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Well, basic decluttering.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Got lots of stuff that, yeah, time to go.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24- No sentiment attached.- No. - Get it sold.- Absolutely.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26- Let's get it and flog it! - Yes.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Now, there's been a bit of a conflict of opinion
0:08:28 > 0:08:31between me and my off-screen consultant valuers
0:08:31 > 0:08:34who think I am rather too keen on it,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37but my estimate is higher than theirs.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39- Do you have any idea on what it's worth?- No.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41I am going to suggest 300 to 500.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43- Right.- Yeah.- Very good.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45- Which is a pleasant surprise, isn't it?- It is.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48And I think you should make that.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50The only things that draw me back a little but,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53which was pointed out by one of the other valuers,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55is a little bit of damage.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58- Just a very small bit of a crack on the top there.- Right.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00I really don't think that matters that much.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02And I think it's a pretty good example.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Well we'll take it to auction and see what happens.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06I'm really looking forward to it.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Because my feeling is that it might make a bit more.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11- Thank you very much. - That's a pleasure. Lovely thing.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12Thank you.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15And from an antique with minute detail,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17to something on a slightly larger scale.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21The museum has a wonderful maritime collection
0:09:21 > 0:09:26and here with me now is curator Ian Whitehead to talk through something
0:09:26 > 0:09:28which looks like it's from the vibrant 1970s -
0:09:28 > 0:09:31something I'm familiar with, these colour schemes!
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Yes. It is very much of that period.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39It is from the 1973 cruise ship Vistafjord.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- These were the original swatches for this vessel.- The original swatches.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45The interior designers would have worked from these.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Chosen colours from the layout,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50- obviously, with the client, said, "Yes, let's go for that."- Yes.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52And I'm not big on cruise ships,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54but if I had to go on a cruise right now,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56if I could be in some kind of boutique set-up like that
0:09:56 > 0:09:58surrounded by colour like this,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00I'd be a happy bunny.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Well, the ship is still running as Saga Ruby.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04She's 40 years old.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Does it have a colour scheme like this?
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Eh, I doubt it, she's been majorly refitted three times.
0:10:11 > 0:10:151973, last cruise ship built on the Tyne.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19She was a very high-quality ship that came out of the
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Neptune Shipyard of Swan Hunter. Great testament to the work of...
0:10:23 > 0:10:27- Yeah, sure.- ..the workers there. - This is the golden era, isn't it?
0:10:27 > 0:10:29This is what Great British engineering was all about.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- Superb lines on a superb vessel. - Absolutely.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35- Thank you so much for showing me this.- It's been a pleasure.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37And later on in the programme I'll be visiting the yard
0:10:37 > 0:10:39where the Vistafjord was built
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and finding out more about the last shipbuilders on the Tyne.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46But right now, it's time to join Anita on our
0:10:46 > 0:10:50final valuation before our first visit to the auction house.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Jenny, welcome to Flog It! It's exciting with all this stuff
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- going on round about, isn't it?- Wonderful, yes.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02You've brought us a wee couple of scamps along today to look at.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05So tell me a wee bit about them, tell me where you got them.
0:11:06 > 0:11:12Well, in 1947, my husband, he was 16,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16befriended a German prisoner of war.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19In Halifax.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21The camp was fairly open, you know,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25they used to work in the fields, agriculture,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28so they became friends of the family,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32and the family always kept in touch long after the war,
0:11:32 > 0:11:37and long after George - that was his name - went back to Germany.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Did you ever visit him in Germany?
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Yes, we visited several times, him and his wife Carla.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47One of the times they gave us these two figures, Max and Moritz.
0:11:47 > 0:11:53- Had you admired them?- No, I'd never heard of them, I'd never seen them.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57- Do you like them?- Not really. They're not really my thing.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01They're charming.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04They're German characters from a children's book
0:12:04 > 0:12:08and they're very well-known to German children.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12The first book that come out containing these characters,
0:12:12 > 0:12:18by Wilhelm Busch, came out in about 1886,
0:12:18 > 0:12:24- so these little figures are from that time...- Really?- ..1890 to 1900.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29And they were BELOVED of the German children.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31This wee guy here is bronze.
0:12:31 > 0:12:38He's well cast, he's well modelled and he's sitting on a marble base.
0:12:38 > 0:12:44Now, I have looked quite carefully and cannot see any name,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46cast mark or anything that gives us
0:12:46 > 0:12:51an indication of who did the bronzes.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55But what I can say is that they are of quality,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57and that makes them interesting.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Price-wise, I would say...
0:13:03 > 0:13:09- ..in the region of 150 to 250. - Really?!- Yep.- Gosh!
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- Would you be happy to sell them at that?- I certainly would.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Have you been dying to get rid of them for years?
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Well, no, I hadn't even thought about it, but that's very nice.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22What would you do with the money?
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Well, my friend who I've come here with today, Di,
0:13:25 > 0:13:30we go everywhere together looking at car boots and antique fairs,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34so I think we'd have a day out at an antique fair.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Oh, right, and perhaps buy something that you DO like
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and that you will fall in love with? Maybe a bit of jewellery.
0:13:41 > 0:13:47- That'd be nice.- Shall we put a reserve on the little figures?
0:13:47 > 0:13:48Yes, if you think...
0:13:48 > 0:13:55We'll put a reserve of maybe just 130, just to protect them.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58I'm sure that they will fly
0:13:58 > 0:14:03and that they will be well-fancied by the buyers at the auction.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- Good, I look forward to it.- Thank you very much for bringing them along.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07Thank you.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Well, our experts have been working hard, we're halfway through
0:14:13 > 0:14:17our day now, which means it's time for our first trip to the saleroom.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20So while we make our way over to the Boldon Auction Galleries,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23here's a quick recap, just to jog your memories,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25of everything that's coming along with us.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30Will Alf's unused silver napkin rings draw in the local nobility?
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Let's hope the bidders don't play things too close to their chests
0:14:33 > 0:14:37when it comes to Sally's ivory card case.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40And loved for years in Germany, will Jenny's playful
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Max and Moritz figures
0:14:42 > 0:14:43appeal to a buyer today?
0:14:45 > 0:14:47For today's auction, we're in East Boldon.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52The famous Jarrow March went through this area in 1936,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56when protestors took a stand against the extreme poverty
0:14:56 > 0:14:59and unemployment suffered in Northeast England
0:14:59 > 0:15:00during the Great Depression.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Whether it's boom or bust, the auction house seems to
0:15:03 > 0:15:06serve both, and is often a measure of the times.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Let's see what today serves up.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Now, look, that chap's here to buy, he's picked up a bidder's paddle.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18In order to buy something, you've got to register your name
0:15:18 > 0:15:20and address and identify yourself.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22You can pick up a bidder's paddle, then you're free to bid.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Hopefully, he's going to buy some of our lots.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Now, remember, there is commission to pay,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31and there is a buyer's premium. Here, it's 17.5% plus VAT,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35but it varies from saleroom to saleroom, so check the detail,
0:15:35 > 0:15:36it's all printed in the catalogue,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38and do your sums, because it does add up.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Right, let's get on with the sale.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44At the helm today is auctioneer Giles Hodges.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Two...sixty.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49And the next item to go under the hammer is that set of
0:15:49 > 0:15:52silver napkin holders from Pakistan.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55And it's a real honour to be standing next to Alfred,
0:15:55 > 0:16:00who is - who WAS, I should say - English billiards champion.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04- He's got a good tale to tell. - He's a wonderful storyteller.- He is.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- 78 years, you've got a lot up there, you know.- He has got a lot up there.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Our lot is coming up now.
0:16:09 > 0:16:16I'm bid 40 to start with. 45, 50, five, 60, five,
0:16:16 > 0:16:1970, five, 80...
0:16:19 > 0:16:23With me at £80. Anybody else?
0:16:23 > 0:16:2585, 90, 95?
0:16:25 > 0:16:30Knocks the bid out, at £95, to the room,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33at £95, all done, at £95.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- Aww.- That's marvellous.- That would be a great break in snooker.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39- Marvellous.- A poor billiards break, but a great snooker break.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41- Do you know where the money's going? - No.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Cos I'm going to double that, it's going to go to
0:16:43 > 0:16:47the under-19 boys championship and
0:16:47 > 0:16:50the under-16 boys and girls championship
0:16:50 > 0:16:53of the English Amateur Billiards Association.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55Oh, fantastic. Know what?
0:16:55 > 0:16:57What you're doing is helping to encourage
0:16:57 > 0:16:59the youngsters to come into the sport,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02because without any fresh blood, this sport would not carry on.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03'What a great guy!
0:17:03 > 0:17:05'Still passionate after all these years,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08'and thinking of the players of the future.'
0:17:09 > 0:17:11If we play our cards right we could get
0:17:11 > 0:17:13the top end of Adam's estimate here.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16I love this, absolutely love this Chinese carved ivory...
0:17:16 > 0:17:19- It's a good 'un, isn't it? - Yeah, exquisite detail.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22- I mean, it's incredible, where'd you start?- Don't know.
0:17:22 > 0:17:23And you've had this knocking around
0:17:23 > 0:17:26for a little time now, don't know where it came from.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29All my life it's been around, just sort of sitting in a cupboard.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Well, hopefully we should do the top end.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34And I think, yeah, I'm going to go for top end estimate.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36I'd like to think as well, fingers crossed.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38This is where it gets exciting.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41The Chinese carved ivory calling card case,
0:17:41 > 0:17:45and I'm bid 160 to start me.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49160, 170, 180, 190, 200,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52220, 240, 260...
0:17:52 > 0:17:56- At 260, 280 now... - Worth a bit more, I think.
0:17:56 > 0:17:5880, anybody else?
0:17:58 > 0:18:02At £260, are we all done and dusted?
0:18:02 > 0:18:04At 260.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- He's sold, he's sold. - Reserve was 250.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Well, it's gone, and we're happy.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Yeah, not sitting in a box any more.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17- It's gone to somebody that'll enjoy it, hopefully.- Sure, a collector.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20'And it's the specialist collector we need for our next item,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23'or perhaps just someone with a playful nature.'
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Well, our next lot is bound to put a smile on your face.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Max and Moritz, the German comic figures. Jenny, I love them.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32And you can't help but smile, can you?
0:18:32 > 0:18:34- Well, no.- And Anita spotted them.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38They were absolutely wonderful, they do bring a smile to your face
0:18:38 > 0:18:42and I can just imagine them, cheery little figures on the mantelpiece.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44Now we're going to put it to the test in the room.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Let's find out what they think, shall we?
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Fingers crossed there'll be a couple of phone lines on this.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51- Hope so.- Ready for it?- Yes.- This is what you've been waiting for.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53This is what we've all been waiting for.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Hopefully there'll be a surprise - here we go.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59The small pair of bronze figures, Max and Moritz,
0:18:59 > 0:19:04little turned marble plinths. I'm bid 100 to start them.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08100, 110, 120, 130...
0:19:08 > 0:19:12At 130. 140, 150, 160...
0:19:12 > 0:19:15In the room, the commission's out,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17at 160, it's in the room.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20170, no? At £160, all done?
0:19:22 > 0:19:24160.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28- Sold!- Yep, yep, they're gone. - It's gone.- Fantastic.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- You're happy, aren't you? - Yes, absolutely.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Well, the bidders certainly enjoyed that, and I hope you did too.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39That concludes our first visit to the saleroom today.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42We are coming back here later in the programme.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Now, wherever we are in the country, we're constantly reminded
0:19:45 > 0:19:49and surrounded by artefacts from the Northeast shipbuilding heritage,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51so while we were here in the area filming, I thought
0:19:51 > 0:19:55I'd check out the last shipbuilders on the Tyne.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Magnificent cruise ships,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04world famous ocean liners like the Mauretania,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07larger than life supertankers, the Ark Royal,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11and other naval vessels have all been built on this river.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15The Tyne's depth and connection to the North Sea at Tynemouth
0:20:15 > 0:20:18makes it the perfect location for shipbuilding.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22For 600 years, shipbuilding was the lifeblood of this area.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25In fact, the ferry we're on today - the Pride of the Tyne -
0:20:25 > 0:20:28was one of the last to be built, in 1993.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33For centuries, shipbuilding provided an income
0:20:33 > 0:20:35for thousands of families in this area.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Much of the work was contract work,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41but there was no shortage of it, so it wasn't surprising that
0:20:41 > 0:20:45sons often followed their fathers and grandfathers into the yards.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48We met some of the people whose lives
0:20:48 > 0:20:51revolved around the shipbuilding industry.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55The bit I always loved was the process.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57One day there wasn't a ship there,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01the next day the shipwrights were there, the keel went down,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05the ribs went up, the frames, then the plates went on,
0:21:05 > 0:21:10and at the end of the process was something you could be proud of.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13It's got nothing to do with egotism, but you can look at something,
0:21:13 > 0:21:18and in your small way, there was part of you in that.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22The river was home to over 20 shipyards during the
0:21:22 > 0:21:2719th and 20th centuries, employing thousands of workers.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29There was Readhead's, there was Brigham's,
0:21:29 > 0:21:30there was the Middle Docks,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33there was Smith's Docks on the other side of the river -
0:21:33 > 0:21:35that's where the energy came from.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39The activity of all the shipyards, that was the heart, the soul,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41the life of the river.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49It's impossible to underestimate the impact the shipbuilding industry
0:21:49 > 0:21:54had on the people whose livelihoods depended on the Tyne,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and even if one of your relatives didn't work in the industry,
0:21:57 > 0:21:59you knew somebody who did.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06I can remember my father, who worked on the river in latter days,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08he had been at sea for most of his life,
0:22:08 > 0:22:14but he worked as a rigger on the river in the 1950s and 1960s,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17and if it was very busy
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and ships had to be docked or undocked or shifted - which is where
0:22:20 > 0:22:24you took a ship out of its tier for another one to move in or
0:22:24 > 0:22:28move out - we might not see him for a couple of days at a time.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31And then he would come home and sleep the clock around.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35And then he would go back and it would start all over again.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Family life was governed in many ways by tides and ships.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45At Wallsend you had the great big supertankers,
0:22:45 > 0:22:50these huge great supertankers looming over basically a back yard wall.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52And I think people had pride in them.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56They could see where their husband went. The kids could see it.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58"My dad, my dad's working on that."
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Even if you couldn't see the ships, the sounds of them
0:23:03 > 0:23:05being built echoed up and down the river.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11You constantly heard the sound of ships' hooters,
0:23:11 > 0:23:16of shot-blasting, of hammering.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20It went on all day and all night.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24I think the main thing on the river in those days was the buzzer.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Each yard had its buzzer, the buzzer determined
0:23:27 > 0:23:30when you started and when you finished.
0:23:31 > 0:23:37And I suppose people around that way, they lived their lives to the buzzer.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40But time was running out for the industry towards the end
0:23:40 > 0:23:42of the 20th century, leaving huge holes
0:23:42 > 0:23:44both emotionally and physically.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Everywhere you look along the river bank here you can see
0:23:49 > 0:23:52signs of a once thriving shipbuilding industry.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Just here you see this massive concreted area,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58that was once Smith's shipyard.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09I've come to look at the Tyne's last shipbuilding yard, Swan Hunter.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10It was the biggest yard here.
0:24:10 > 0:24:16In total, 1,600 ships were built here between 1864 and 1994,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19when the last workers left the site.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Now that is what I call a view.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Just look at that - the Tyne in all its magnificent glory.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34You can imagine the manager standing up here, can't you?
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Sort of saying, "This is our shipbuilding empire."
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Not only could they keep an eye on the workforce,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43but they could join in the celebrations of the launch days.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45They must have been such a wonderful spectacle,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49thousands of people here in the docks and on the quayside.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54The day a ship was launched, it was a special day.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59There seemed to be a buzz went round the yard.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02"There's a ship being launched today.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06"Join us at the launching platform." There was usually a band there,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09all the speeches are made, all the ladies are there
0:25:09 > 0:25:10with their fancy hats on.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14The final chocks are knocked out.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19And sometimes there's a slight pause because the ship hasn't moved,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and there's a sort of, "Ooh..."
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Then slowly, off she goes.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26And it's graceful.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Not in any hurry, just making her own slow way down into the river.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Everybody's hip-hip-hooraying, "Three cheers for the ship",
0:25:34 > 0:25:37and if you're stood in the right place,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40as the ship went off into the drophole,
0:25:40 > 0:25:45to me in my imagination, the ship looks as though it was curtsying.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49And to me, it was magical. The ship looked as though it went...
0:25:51 > 0:25:55And there was a space there for the next one.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58For the past 20 years, there has been no next one.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02The shipyards began to shut due to the lack of industry investment,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05modernisation and competition from abroad.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Entire communities fought hard for their way of life
0:26:09 > 0:26:10and very existence.
0:26:11 > 0:26:17There was meetings, marches, the unions were involved.
0:26:17 > 0:26:24There'd be a lot of sad, disappointed and I would think angry people.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30They've been building ships on the river here for hundreds of years,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34and then for a whole industry to disappear...
0:26:37 > 0:26:43The generation that lost its jobs in the shipyards
0:26:43 > 0:26:46was effectively written off.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48I think it was anyway.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Men who were only in their forties and fifties,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53they never worked again.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58And that was so tragic. And it still makes me angry today.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Countless families were affected in the region, and when the
0:27:05 > 0:27:09largest shipyard - Swan Hunter - finally closed in 1994,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Allen was there.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15The very last day at Swans, we had to come out of the yard,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18and then I walked up the top of Swans Bank,
0:27:18 > 0:27:23and I watched all those proud men, and they looked proud to me,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25coming up that bank,
0:27:25 > 0:27:31and some of them had a black plastic rubbish sack...with them.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36It must have been their bits and pieces of a lifetime of working
0:27:36 > 0:27:41in a shipyard, coming up that bank, and I thought, "This is not right."
0:27:43 > 0:27:47It might have made sense to somebody, it didn't to me.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Today, many people on Tyneside are still struggling to come
0:27:53 > 0:27:55to terms with the repercussions
0:27:55 > 0:27:57caused by the end of the shipbuilding.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00But the pride around the incredible ships built on this river
0:28:00 > 0:28:02will live on for generations.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08If, when you come into this earth, and you leave something
0:28:08 > 0:28:12when you've gone that wasn't there...
0:28:12 > 0:28:18before you, your life's been a total success. You've created something.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31We're now back at the Discovery Museum in the centre
0:28:31 > 0:28:35of Newcastle, the location for our valuation day.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37People are still arriving as I'm speaking,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40which is good news for us - more antiques to value.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Let's catch up with our experts
0:28:42 > 0:28:45and see what else we can find to take off to auction.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48It's over to Adam Partridge.
0:28:48 > 0:28:49Well, John, my eyes lit up
0:28:49 > 0:28:53when I saw you with the Muhammad Ali boxing memorabilia.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55Tell me, how did you come to own this?
0:28:55 > 0:28:59Well, I went, like it says on the programme, in 1978 to watch him.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02- You were there?- Yes. - At the Las Vegas Hilton.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06- Must have been a pretty exciting trip.- It was.- Great memories?
0:29:06 > 0:29:08- Great memories.- Wow.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12So you've got the biography, signed by the great Muhammad Ali.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Where were you when he signed it?
0:29:14 > 0:29:18- That was in the lounge of the hotel at the Hilton.- The hotel lounge.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22- And what was he like, did he sign it with pleasure?- Oh, yes.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25Let's not forget, this is the century's greatest sportsman,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28some people say, and possibly the most famous boxer
0:29:28 > 0:29:30there will ever be.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34- Muhammad Ali, I think he won the Olympic gold medal in 1960.- Yes.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37And then he was a very young heavyweight champion
0:29:37 > 0:29:42- at the age of 22. This is 14 years later, isn't it?- Yes.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46So, sadly, he's on the wane by now, and he lost this fight,
0:29:46 > 0:29:47didn't he, to Leon Spinks?
0:29:47 > 0:29:51- Yes, lost on points.- And are these photos you took yourself?
0:29:51 > 0:29:54- I took them...- Was this in the build-up to the fight?
0:29:54 > 0:29:57- Yes, used to... - Was this the weigh-in?
0:29:57 > 0:30:00- No, training, you could pay to go and see them train.- OK.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04- They were all training in the Hilton. - Was that impressive?- Oh, yes.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Ali, that's how he lost really, cos he didn't train that well.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Do you think he was cocky enough to think he'd just walk through him
0:30:10 > 0:30:12and didn't train properly enough?
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Well, his training sessions were good,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16but he wasn't as good as Leon Spinks.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19Spinks trained solid and everybody knew...
0:30:19 > 0:30:22It just shows I suppose, that even if you're "The Greatest",
0:30:22 > 0:30:25- you still have to put the work in. - Yes, yes.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Now then, why have you suddenly decided to sell them, John?
0:30:28 > 0:30:30I've just had them in the drawer.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33We've got grandchildren and I'm frightened somebody
0:30:33 > 0:30:34takes them out and starts...
0:30:34 > 0:30:37It'd be a shame if someone took a crayon...
0:30:37 > 0:30:40- "Aw there's a book, I'll write on it."- It would ruin it, wouldn't it?
0:30:40 > 0:30:42I'm really glad you've brought them,
0:30:42 > 0:30:44there's an interest in sporting memorabilia,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46you've got a great name, the downside is the value's
0:30:46 > 0:30:48not that high because he signed a lot of stuff.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51He was a nice guy and he'd sign and sign and sign,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53so the signature's not that rare.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55But as a collection of items there, I think
0:30:55 > 0:30:59you're probably worth £30-35. Sound all right?
0:30:59 > 0:31:03That's all right for me, I've not a clue, I'll take your word for it.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Is there any price at which you'd rather have them back?
0:31:05 > 0:31:08- No, just let them go. - No reserve?- Let them go.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11There are lots of collectors of sporting memorabilia out there
0:31:11 > 0:31:13and hopefully this is going to appeal,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15because they don't come much bigger.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20- No.- So I'm looking forward to seeing how it sells.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23- Hopefully we'll get a knockout price.- Thank you very much.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29Time there for Adam. It's over to Anita now for round two.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Ann, welcome to Flog It! It's lovely to have you along
0:31:32 > 0:31:38and it's lovely to see these terrific bits of Mason's.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43Tell me, how did you come by them, is this the kind of thing you like?
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Tell me about your association with Mason's.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50Well, 30 years ago I moved into a Victorian terrace, a three-storey
0:31:50 > 0:31:52big one, and of course it needed
0:31:52 > 0:31:55quite a lot of filling out, as it were,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58and I started picking up bits and pieces here and there,
0:31:58 > 0:32:02- and now I've got over 60 pieces. - 60 pieces?
0:32:02 > 0:32:05And the other things are just spread through the house?
0:32:05 > 0:32:07- But why are you wanting to sell them, Ann?- Ah.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11Well, sadly, I'm moving. My house is up for sale at the moment.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15And I'm moving into a 1930s bungalow.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19And I will have to buy things that match my new house.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21I will take some of these things with me, but not these pieces.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24Tell me, why Mason's in particular?
0:32:24 > 0:32:31I just think they're robust and strong and decorative.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35Let's have a look, we've got a pair of matching vases here,
0:32:35 > 0:32:41they're transfer printed, and let's have a wee look underneath.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47We have the backstamp for Mason's there,
0:32:47 > 0:32:53but we can see an engraved or an incised stamp for Ashworth's.
0:32:53 > 0:32:59Now, Ashworth's bought over Mason's in the late 1800s,
0:32:59 > 0:33:04they bought over all the patterns and moulds and so on.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09But, I mean, these things are from the 1870s/1880s,
0:33:09 > 0:33:10so they are a good age.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15We have some damage on this, but it's a very pretty early piece,
0:33:15 > 0:33:17and this, the finial on this teapot here
0:33:17 > 0:33:21has been repaired, it has been stapled.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24- I think it's interesting the way they staple things, don't they?- I know.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26I love that as well.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30So, estimate on them, I would say...
0:33:30 > 0:33:32£50...
0:33:32 > 0:33:35- £50/£60, £50 to £70... - Oh, that would be fine. Yeah.
0:33:36 > 0:33:41..and perhaps give the auctioneer some discretion on a reserve of £50.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44I'm not really worried about a reserve, really,
0:33:44 > 0:33:48I just want them... to be loved somewhere, really.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51- You want them to be loved.- Sad, isn't it?- No, it's not sad at all.
0:33:51 > 0:33:52I mean, they are just pots, aren't they?
0:33:52 > 0:33:56- I think it's absolutely lovely, it will certainly draw the bids in. - Thank you.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00- It's been lovely to meet you and good luck with your new house. - Thank you very much.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03And we're on the move too now as Adam marches in
0:34:03 > 0:34:05for our final valuation.
0:34:07 > 0:34:08- Jim and Jean.- Yes.- Yes.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Very nice to see your collection of regimental swagger sticks.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15I feel I should be standing straight when I talk to you with these.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19And you're a former Lancashire Fusilier yourself, aren't you, Jim?
0:34:19 > 0:34:21Yep, I was a physical training instructor.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24OK, is that what gave rise to the collection?
0:34:24 > 0:34:29Well, I saw one online and with it being Lancashire Fusiliers,
0:34:29 > 0:34:33I bid for it and won it, and my interest grew from that.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36People watching this, some people aren't going to know what a swagger stick is,
0:34:36 > 0:34:38so perhaps you could explain that.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40I'm standing with it like that, probably not correctly,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42what were they used for?
0:34:42 > 0:34:48Well, when you were on parade, say, 18th/19th century,
0:34:48 > 0:34:51and you wore long hair, improperly dressed...or button undone,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54the NCO might just come along and give you a whack on the back.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57- Give you a little crack on the back with it?- Yeah.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00- And then later it became just a sort of ceremonial thing?- Yeah, yeah.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02- A mark of more... - A mark of your rank and that.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05- A mark of your rank and station. - Yeah.- Very good.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08This one's particularly interesting and is why we've singled it out.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- Of course, it's a Lancashire Fusiliers' one, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14But it's engraved here to... GE Tallents.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18- Yeah.- Now, you've done a bit of research about this, haven't you?
0:35:18 > 0:35:24- Yeah. He was a young lieutenant in 1915 at Gallipoli...- Yeah.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29..where he won the DSO... attack on Hill 114,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32then later on, 1920, became a major,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34he took over the barracks in Bury
0:35:34 > 0:35:37and in 1923 he was a lieutenant colonel,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41he took over the 2nd Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers in India.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44- So he had a pretty distinguished military career, didn't he?- Yeah.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48So, how did you find this one? Was that online as well?
0:35:48 > 0:35:50- Yes, that was online, I was quite lucky with that one.- Were you?
0:35:50 > 0:35:53Go on, you're smiling, it was cheap?
0:35:53 > 0:35:55- Yeah, very cheap.- Go on.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Well, it just... I put my bid in and I got it for £19.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01£19, that's not bad at all.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Jean, what do you think of the collection?
0:36:03 > 0:36:07I think it's brilliant, I've really had to force him to bring them today.
0:36:07 > 0:36:08- Really?- Yes, I really have.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- What, you've forced him, but yet you are an enthusiast, so what...?- I am.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15- He's downsizing and we need to get rid of quite a bit of stuff.- Yeah.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19- It'll hurt him doing this, but it needs to go.- Really?
0:36:19 > 0:36:20- Yes.- Oh, dear.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23What sort of thing do you think they are going to fetch?
0:36:23 > 0:36:27- I've got an idea of 300 or 400 quid. - Yeah, probably, yeah.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30- Well, there's 12 of them, aren't there?- Yeah.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33- And simple maths... They're worth more than 20 quid each, that's 240, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37- 30 quid each is 360, so they must be worth that.- Yeah.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39And some of them are going to be worth a bit more,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41but on average, 30 quid a lot.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43- So if we put 300 to 400?- Yeah.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Jean's nodding anyway!
0:36:45 > 0:36:46- Is that all right?- Yeah.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48- Put a reserve of 300?- Yeah.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50If they don't make it, nothing lost, there's no charge,
0:36:50 > 0:36:53- but you'll be able to take them back home...- Back home, yeah.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57I can understand the pain that you might feel when they move on,
0:36:57 > 0:36:59but if it's any consolation - if and when they sell -
0:36:59 > 0:37:03- they're going to go to a collector just as passionate as you. - Yeah, exactly.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Thanks very much for coming, I've really enjoyed talking to you and...
0:37:09 > 0:37:10- Any good?- No.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Well, I think you missed the boat there with a military career(!)
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Better stick to the day job, Adam!
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Sadly it's time to say goodbye to our host venue today,
0:37:21 > 0:37:22the Discovery Museum.
0:37:22 > 0:37:23We've had a brilliant time here,
0:37:23 > 0:37:27but our experts have now found their final items to take off to auction.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30So, as we say goodbye to the Discovery Museum,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32it's hello once again to the Boldon Auction Galleries
0:37:32 > 0:37:36and here's a quick recap of all the items we are taking with us.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41Will John's signed Muhammad Ali autobiography pull in
0:37:41 > 0:37:42the bidding heavyweights?
0:37:42 > 0:37:46Ann says they've got to go, but will the bidders think so too
0:37:46 > 0:37:49when it comes to these Victorian ceramics?
0:37:49 > 0:37:52And there are niche markets, so will the military collectors
0:37:52 > 0:37:55be standing to attention for Jim's swagger sticks?
0:38:00 > 0:38:02In Boldon, the sale is in full swing
0:38:02 > 0:38:06and auctioneer Giles Hodges is about to test our next lot.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Well, I've just been joined by James, Jean and Adam, our expert,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14and we all have a swagger in our step, because so far we've sold all our lots.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17We have the swagger sticks coming up now, there's a collection of 12.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19You never know, if there's a collector out there that really,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21really wants these, James, like you -
0:38:21 > 0:38:25you've made this a big part of your life - they will buy heavily into them.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29- I hope so.- Yeah. You're going to be sad, aren't you, when these go?
0:38:29 > 0:38:30On three or four of them.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33On three and four, we'll talk about that in a minute
0:38:33 > 0:38:35because it's going under the hammer right now.
0:38:35 > 0:38:36These collection
0:38:36 > 0:38:38of 12 fusilier swagger sticks...
0:38:38 > 0:38:41I'm bid 200 to start them.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43At 200 for the swagger sticks.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46At £200, 20 now.
0:38:46 > 0:38:51220, 240, 260, 280, 300.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54It's in the room at £300.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57At £300, are we all done?
0:38:57 > 0:39:03At £300, and we shall be away at £300...
0:39:03 > 0:39:06There we go, they've gone, well done. Well done, both of you.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Which ones will you miss out of that collection?
0:39:08 > 0:39:11- The Lancashire Fusiliers and the Northumberland Fusiliers.- OK.
0:39:11 > 0:39:16- Have you got any other memorabilia at home?- Yeah.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18- Yeah. So you haven't sold everything?- No.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22- Jean's enjoyed the experience, haven't you, Jean?- I have. - The flogging experience!
0:39:22 > 0:39:26'Perhaps not so enjoyable for Jim, who is being very dignified
0:39:26 > 0:39:30'about his downsizing, and our next seller is in the same boat.'
0:39:30 > 0:39:35Well, I've just been joined by Ann who is in the process of downsizing,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38you're moving from a Victorian terrace to a bungalow, smaller?
0:39:38 > 0:39:40- A '30s bungalow.- A '30s bungalow? - Yeah.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43So you going to go for a little bit of Art Deco look, then, or?
0:39:43 > 0:39:46- Yes, but not Clarice Cliff.- Not Clarice... No! No, I don't like...
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Don't get me going, whatever you do!
0:39:48 > 0:39:51I love Clarice Cliff, stop knocking it!
0:39:51 > 0:39:55But anyway, we got a lot of lot here - we've got some vases,
0:39:55 > 0:39:57you got a teapot and stand... there's a lot
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- and there's no reserve, so it's here to go.- No, no.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Fingers crossed we will get that £50 to £60 and not the £10.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Right, let's put the value to the test.
0:40:05 > 0:40:06Giles is on the rostrum,
0:40:06 > 0:40:09let's hand the proceedings over to today's auctioneer.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13There we are, I'm bid... I've got two commission bids
0:40:13 > 0:40:16and 50 starts me, straight in at £50.
0:40:16 > 0:40:17Five, anybody, now?
0:40:17 > 0:40:21At £50 for the lot, five anybody?
0:40:21 > 0:40:23At £50, it's all quiet.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25At £50, the internet's quiet too.
0:40:25 > 0:40:32At £50, ladies and gents, for the first and the last time, at £50...
0:40:33 > 0:40:36- It's gone! - Just on the bottom reserve, though.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- You said no reserve on this, didn't you?- I, well...
0:40:39 > 0:40:42- I said no reserve, you know... - Could have gone for a tenner!
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- I think we're all happy with that, don't you?- We're happy.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48'The auction house can be the perfect location
0:40:48 > 0:40:49'to trade the old for the new.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52'Let's hope Ann finds what she's looking for
0:40:52 > 0:40:53'to decorate her new home.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56'It's the countdown for our last lot.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58'Let's hope we get a good price.'
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Right, we're just about to deliver that knockout blow with this
0:41:01 > 0:41:05next lot belonging to John, and a little bit of Muhammad Ali,
0:41:05 > 0:41:07- who you saw fight.- 1978, yes.
0:41:07 > 0:41:08- In Las Vegas.- Yes.
0:41:08 > 0:41:09Spot-on valuation.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12I was rather hoping it would sort of be more punchier than that,
0:41:12 > 0:41:16but it is a knockout, isn't it? Let's face it, this is a good thing.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Yeah, yeah, and if it doesn't sell well, we'll take it on the chin.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- Yes.- There you go, you thought about that one.
0:41:21 > 0:41:22It's a good 'un, aye!
0:41:22 > 0:41:26Let's see if we can deliver that knockout blow right now,
0:41:26 > 0:41:28it's going under the hammer, good luck.
0:41:28 > 0:41:34I have, again, one, two, three, four bids. I start at 75.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36- Oh, yes.- 80 now.
0:41:36 > 0:41:3980, five. 90, five.
0:41:39 > 0:41:46100, 110. 120, 130, 140, 150, 160.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49It's on my left at 160. 170.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52This is, this is two people, as you say, getting carried away,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55punching it out with each other. Who's got the deepest pockets?
0:41:55 > 0:41:58At £180, are we all done at 180?
0:42:03 > 0:42:07- £180. That's very nice.- That's a big smile on your face, isn't it?
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Well done, Adam, for spotting that in a queue as well.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13- Well, I'm surprised.- It's just cos the wife said, "Oh, you'll be lucky to get 50 for it!"- Yeah.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16- I thought we had it bang on there, but...- Wow.- ..two people...
0:42:16 > 0:42:19It just goes to show if you've got anything like this at home,
0:42:19 > 0:42:21bring it in to one of our valuation days and you could be
0:42:21 > 0:42:24standing in an auction room like this, going home with 180 quid.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26- Very nice.- Wow.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28It also proves that when you are collecting autographs,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31the big names always hold their value.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33'And that one was definitely a winner.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36'Luckily for John, the bidders went the distance
0:42:36 > 0:42:39'and it's time for us to ring that final bell.'
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Well, there you are, that's it, the hammer has gone down on our last lot,
0:42:42 > 0:42:44it's another day in the office for Flog It,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47and what a day it was, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I hope you did too.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50If you've got any antiques and collectables you want to sell,
0:42:50 > 0:42:51we would love to see them.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53Bring them along to one of our evaluation days.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57Details of up-and-coming dates and venues you can find on our BBC website
0:42:57 > 0:43:00or check the details in your local press, we'd love to see you.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04But for now, from the North East, it's goodbye from all of us.