0:00:05 > 0:00:08I'm here in west London where later on the programme,
0:00:08 > 0:00:10I'll be finding out how one man
0:00:10 > 0:00:14revolutionised the way large gardens and parks were designed.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Of course, I'm talking about Lancelot Capability Brown,
0:00:17 > 0:00:19but first, I need to get to the valuation day,
0:00:19 > 0:00:21which is over 300 miles away.
0:00:21 > 0:00:22Welcome to "Flog It!"
0:00:44 > 0:00:47We're north of the river in Newcastle upon Tyne
0:00:47 > 0:00:49and our venue is the Discovery Museum.
0:00:49 > 0:00:54The museum's origins date back to the North East Exhibition of 1934.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59It celebrated what Newcastle was capable of,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02which is exactly what we're hoping to discover today.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06And it looks like there's no stopping
0:01:06 > 0:01:09the people of Tyneside today who have turned out in force
0:01:09 > 0:01:11to get their antiques and collectibles valued.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Somewhere in this queue,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15someone has something that's worth a great deal of money
0:01:15 > 0:01:17and it's our experts' job to find it.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Using his wealth of antiques knowledge,
0:01:21 > 0:01:22our expert Nick Davies,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25who's already delving through people's treasures in the queue.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Right, what have you brought today, what have you got in the bag?
0:01:29 > 0:01:32It's exciting - you know what's in the bag. I haven't got a clue!
0:01:34 > 0:01:37And following on full of flair and fun
0:01:37 > 0:01:39is the formidable Anita Manning.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42You've got a terrific lot of stuff in there, ladies,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45and we'll look forward to getting them all unpacked
0:01:45 > 0:01:46when we get upstairs.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51We're making the most of our special venue today.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53We're going to be carrying out valuations
0:01:53 > 0:01:55at the ground level in the entrance hall
0:01:55 > 0:01:57and in the great hall that sits at the very top
0:01:57 > 0:02:00of this wonderful, historic building.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02You're about to move in a minute!
0:02:02 > 0:02:06That's for sure. Come on, you're one step nearer.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09While everyone finds their seats,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11let's take a peak at what's coming up later.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Which one of these items from a bygone age
0:02:19 > 0:02:21will make double our expert's estimate?
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Will it be these ornamental buttons?
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Or this eclectic collection of jewellery?
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Or will this delightful little piece of silver steal the show?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Stay with us to find out.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Well, it really is lights, camera, action now.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39We have our on-screen experts,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43we have our off-screen valuers working away behind the scenes,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45but more importantly, we have this fantastic crowd
0:02:45 > 0:02:48all laden with unwanted antiques and collectibles,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50so let's hand the proceedings over to our experts.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54It's up to Anita Manning. Let's see if she can find that real gem.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Lisa, welcome to "Flog It!"
0:02:58 > 0:03:02It's lovely of you to come along today and to bring along
0:03:02 > 0:03:07this super little early 19th century silver vinaigrette.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Have you had this little box for a long time?
0:03:10 > 0:03:12- About ten year. - About ten years?- Uh-huh.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15- Had you never thought of selling it before?- Not really, no.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16It just lay about.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19- You didn't think that it was of any value?- No.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Why did you bring it along today?
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Because my friend, Lesley, wanted to come.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26I was coming with her and I said,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28"I'll just get it valued while you're there."
0:03:28 > 0:03:29Tell me where you got it.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32An ex-boyfriend gave it to us for a birthday present.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- Was that a nice birthday present? - No.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37- I couldn't believe it. - What did you say?
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Well, I didn't say anything. It was just the way I looked at him.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44- I wanted a car.- You wanted a car and you got a vinaigrette?- Yeah.
0:03:44 > 0:03:45Did you know what it was?
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Well, I didn't know. He explained to us what it was.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- But it didn't press your buttons? - No.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- Is he still your boyfriend? - No. Definitely not.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55- Did that have anything to do with it?- Might have done.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58OK, let's look at it.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02It's a little silver box and if we look in the box,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06we will see that there is a little decorative grill
0:04:06 > 0:04:08and it's quite a pretty-looking thing.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12What would happen is that underneath this grill,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15there would be some cotton wool or some linen or something
0:04:15 > 0:04:19and it would be soaked with an aromatic oil.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- Ah, right.- Now, this would be carried about by a lady
0:04:22 > 0:04:28and if she was overcome by unpleasant smells
0:04:28 > 0:04:34on the street or the fact that the bones in her corset were too tight,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36she would take out her little vinaigrette,
0:04:36 > 0:04:41- she would have a sniff of it and it would revive her.- Right.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44So that's what it was for and I don't know what sort of message
0:04:44 > 0:04:46your boyfriend was sending you.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50- Well... - This is a particularly nice one.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54I want to look first of all to the exterior of that.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Little vinaigrettes tend to be small things
0:04:57 > 0:05:01so that they can be tucked into a little pocket
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- or it can be hung on the end of a chain.- Right.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08This one is in the shape of a little purse
0:05:08 > 0:05:12or a little suitcase and that's unusual.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17It's a little bit different from the ordinary rectangular ones
0:05:17 > 0:05:20and this will make it a wee bit more appealing...
0:05:20 > 0:05:23- Good!- ..to the buyers. I've got you smiling now!- Yeah!
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I've had a look at the dates in there.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31It was made in Birmingham and Birmingham was a centre
0:05:31 > 0:05:36of the manufacture of small silver items.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41It was made in 1817, so it's nearly 200 years old
0:05:41 > 0:05:43and it was made by Simpson & Company,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46so we've got a lot of information there
0:05:46 > 0:05:50and as well as the information that the box is telling us,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- we have a story of how people lived...- Yeah.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57..and what they needed to carry about with them.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Now, does any of this information
0:05:59 > 0:06:02make you like this wee box any better?
0:06:02 > 0:06:03No, not really.
0:06:03 > 0:06:04OK, it's a lovely wee thing.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09The estimate I would put on it would be, say, £100-£150.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11That's great.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14If you want, we could put a reserve on it...
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- Yeah.- ..of £100, but to give the auctioneer
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- a little discretion on that.- Right.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- Would you be happy with that? - I've be over the moon.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24- You'd be over the moon? - Yes, I would.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25It's not going to buy you a car.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27No, well, a night out, though.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- A good night out in Newcastle.- Yeah.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Well, I look forward to seeing you at the auction
0:06:32 > 0:06:34and let's hope it takes a wee flyer,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36- cos it's a wee bit unusual.- Yeah.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Lovely, thank you very much.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40Well, it just goes to show,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44one person's trash really is another person's treasure.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Downstairs, Nick has found something much more commonplace.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Or is it?
0:06:52 > 0:06:54So, Ruth, have you come far today?
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- Just from Sunderland. - Excellent, so not too far.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Now, tell me how this has appeared here at "Flog It!"
0:06:59 > 0:07:00What's the history behind it?
0:07:00 > 0:07:02I don't much about it.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04I've always grown up with it
0:07:04 > 0:07:06and I think it was my maternal grandparents'.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08- Right, OK.- Yes.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11And then my mother had it and when she died, I got it.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13- OK, so it's been in the family... - And I have displayed it.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16- You have displayed it?- Yes. - I noticed a bit of wire on the back.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17It's always been there.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19- Being hanging off the wall, has it?- Mm-hmm.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Which is a bit odd, cos do you know what it's for?
0:07:21 > 0:07:22Yes, it's a teapot stand.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24It's a teapot stand, so it shouldn't be hanging on the wall,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27it should be sat on the table. In the wrong place all these years.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Never mind. We've got this faience tile in the middle, here,
0:07:30 > 0:07:31with the birds and the bees.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34It's probably going to be late-1800s, early-1900s.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38I think it's by a company called Thorns, who are Black Forest.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39- Oh.- It's that neck of the woods.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Might be Switzerland, German border, that type of area,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45but it has a little secret, doesn't it,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- which I'm sure you're well aware of.- Musical.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49It is a music box as well.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51It plays four tunes, which is lovely.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53We've got a little lever on the side here
0:07:53 > 0:07:55and if we just push that down nice and softly...
0:07:55 > 0:07:58TINKLING MUSIC
0:07:58 > 0:08:01..it plays a nice tune you can have your afternoon tea with.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Not a tune I recognise, I must admit.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06But then I've never had one of these before.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10So there we are - something a bit unusual,
0:08:10 > 0:08:11and that's what the market likes.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12So have you used it at all?
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Have you put any pots on it, or has it just been...
0:08:15 > 0:08:17- It's just been hung on the wall. - And do you play it often?
0:08:17 > 0:08:19No, I test it out about once a year.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- Very good. - And when I got it down yesterday,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26it wouldn't play, so I reckoned it needed a little drop of oil.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27OK.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32Some...in the mechanical music world
0:08:32 > 0:08:33would squeal a little bit at that.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37They try not to recommend it, so I think we've got away with it,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39it's fine, it's not making a great deal of difference to it
0:08:39 > 0:08:41and it's running smoothly now.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42There's some nice carving.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45This is typically Black Forest, the carving round the outside,
0:08:45 > 0:08:46and when I looked at it first,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49I thought, "Oh, no! It's got loads of woodworm!", but it isn't.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51There's tiny little dot details
0:08:51 > 0:08:54and these little scallops all the way round the outside.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56It's me being a pessimist, as I am, you see.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57It's a good size.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59I would put it in at round about 80-120,
0:08:59 > 0:09:00somewhere in that region
0:09:00 > 0:09:02and it should do fine at that sort of money.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Might do a little bit more, you never know.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06It'll be interesting to sell at auction
0:09:06 > 0:09:09and I don't think we'll have much of a problem selling it, to be honest,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11and I think probably a reserve at round about £70
0:09:11 > 0:09:14and just stress the novelty factor of it and I think it'll be fine.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15- You happy with that?- Oh, yes.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Thanks very much for bringing it down.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20I'll see you at the auction and fingers crossed,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22- it does well.- Thank you.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24A musical teapot stand, what fun.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29My turn next with a "Flog It!" favourite.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Valerie, you can recognise this a mile off
0:09:31 > 0:09:33and I bet you can at home as well.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Come on, come on, what is it?
0:09:35 > 0:09:39- Yes, you've got it, it's Moorcroft. - It's Moorcroft.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41It's just those distinct colourways.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44It sort of tells you the richness about it,
0:09:44 > 0:09:45the style of it.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Look at all that tube lining.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Make sure there's no chips on that, cos that's slightly raised.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Wonderful, wonderful piece of pottery,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54one of the great names in potters, really, isn't it?
0:09:54 > 0:09:58From Stoke-on-Trent and I think the company dates back to about 1902,
0:09:58 > 0:09:59when they were in production.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02William Moorcroft was working for MacIntyre-Moorcroft
0:10:02 > 0:10:06and then branched out in 1912 by himself,
0:10:06 > 0:10:08moving not far away, still in the potteries,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10and you have to credit Moorcroft, really,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13for not only being a very good potter,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17being a very good artist, but also an extremely good chemist,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19because those colourways are so particular to Moorcroft
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and they kept these sort of ingredients secret.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24They didn't want other potteries to know,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26cos they'd copy their colourways.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28- Do you know what pattern that is? That's the hibiscus.- Right.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Now, this isn't from the early period.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32- No.- I can tell that straightaway.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34The first thing you do - turn it upside down
0:10:34 > 0:10:36and take a look at the bottom.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38It's stamped "Moorcroft", can you see that?
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- Yeah, I can see that by...- But, also, it's got its original paper label.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45"By appointment", look, "to Her Majesty Queen Mary."
0:10:45 > 0:10:47- "The late Queen Mary." - "The late Queen Mary."
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Now, this tells us that this was stamped after her death, OK?
0:10:51 > 0:10:55And the stamp would last for 25 years, but Queen Mary died in 1953,
0:10:55 > 0:11:00so this stamp would be on there until 1978,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03so I can date this vessel now between that period.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Right, I had no idea how old it was, to be honest. Absolutely none.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08How did you come by this?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11We bought this when we were walking around in a shop, to be honest.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14We saw it, we liked it, but now we're collecting more local stuff.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18- Like what?- Linthorpe...
0:11:18 > 0:11:19- Maling?- Maling.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22- Well, I think you're going for the right thing.- Thank you.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25You're going for something slightly more academic,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27something slightly more niche
0:11:27 > 0:11:29and local, which I think is the right thing to do.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Can you remember how much you paid for this?
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Probably a couple of hundred pounds, because we did like it at the time
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and we thought it was probably a reasonable investment as well.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- I think it's got a lot going for it. - Smashing!
0:11:40 > 0:11:45I think we could turn your £200 into £300-£400.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- Brilliant. - We could double your money.- Fab.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49And I think it's a good time to sell that
0:11:49 > 0:11:51and then you can obviously trade upwards.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53That's what I would be doing.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Wanting to get something else to go with our own collection.
0:11:57 > 0:11:58Yes, to keep.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- Good for you. Look, it's been lovely talking to you.- Thanks.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03It's been great to meet you
0:12:03 > 0:12:05- and, hopefully, on the day we'll double your money.- Fabulous.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Valerie's got the right idea there.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Before we head off to the sale room,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12let's take another look at all the lots going under the hammer.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I get the feeling that Lisa's not going to be sad to see
0:12:16 > 0:12:18the little silver vinaigrette go.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Let's hope that quirky musical teapot stand
0:12:24 > 0:12:26strikes a chord with the bidders.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33And I'm full of confidence that the Moorcroft vase will do well.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35It has everything going for it.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43We're heading east towards the coast
0:12:43 > 0:12:45for today's fine art and antiques sale,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49courtesy of the Boldon Auction House in the small village of East Boldon.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Look, that chap's here to buy. He's picked up a bidder's paddle.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56In order to buy something, you've got to register your name
0:12:56 > 0:12:58and address and identify yourself.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01You can pick up a bidder's paddle, then you're free to bid.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Hopefully, he's going to buy some of our lots.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Now, remember, there is commission to pay
0:13:05 > 0:13:07and there is a buyer's premium.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Here it's 17.5% plus VAT,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13but it varies from sale room to sale room, so check the detail.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15It's all printed in the catalogue and do your sums,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17because it does add up.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18Right, let's get on with the sale.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Taking the hot-seat to sell our lots is auctioneer Giles Hodges.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Going under the hammer right now, we've got a silver vinaigrette
0:13:27 > 0:13:30in the form of a little purse, belonging to Lisa,
0:13:30 > 0:13:31stamped Birmingham 1817.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34This is quality. It's a really, really nice-looking thing
0:13:34 > 0:13:36and I think the collectors will like that.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Good story, I loved the story - you got this for a birthday present,
0:13:39 > 0:13:40you didn't know what it was,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42you didn't like it, you don't want it
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and you were expecting something completely different, weren't you?
0:13:45 > 0:13:46Yeah, I was expecting a car.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50- Doesn't get much different, does it, really?- No!
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Anyway, look, it's good quality, it's good craftsmanship.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?
0:13:55 > 0:13:56It's going under the hammer right now.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58A little silver vinaigrette.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Lovely little one in the form of a purse,
0:14:00 > 0:14:05with a silver gilt grill. Birmingham 1817.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Bit 80 to start it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:0985, 90,
0:14:09 > 0:14:105, 100,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12110, 120...
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- See, they like it, Lisa.- Yeah.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Good. I'm pleased somebody does.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18..150, 160,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20170, 180,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23180 downstairs. Now the internet.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25At 180, bid.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27190, 200.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30One more?
0:14:30 > 0:14:32At £200. 10?
0:14:32 > 0:14:35At £200, it's at the door.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38At £200 and we're... Oh, 210.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40At 210, we're seated.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Shake of the head at the back of the room.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45£210, are we all away at 210?
0:14:45 > 0:14:49- HAMMER FALLS - They loved it! They loved it!
0:14:49 > 0:14:52- We're happy, aren't we? Big smiles all round.- That's great.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- Good day out.- Good day out.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57I'm glad Lisa got a good price for that.
0:14:58 > 0:14:59Now going under the hammer,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03we've got a 19th century musical teapot stand belonging to Ruth.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07- Does it sing Polly Put The Kettle On?- I don't think so.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- No, we didn't recognise any of the tunes.- None of the tunes at all.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12It's such a novelty, really, though, isn't it?
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- Yes.- Obviously, you've used it, had a bit of fun with it.- No.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Didn't you put the teapot on it?
0:15:17 > 0:15:19- No.- Never?- He was shocked when I said it.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Never used it. Hung on the wall.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Well, in that case, it's in very good condition.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- That's why! - Yeah, it's actually not been harmed
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and that's probably one of its virtues.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31That's we should get the top end of the 80-120.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Why are you selling this?
0:15:33 > 0:15:37- Well, I love it and I'm missing it already...- Uh-oh.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39..but I've had my three-score years and ten,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41so I don't want it to end up in a skip.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Oh, that's a bit negative, isn't it?
0:15:44 > 0:15:46AWKWARD LAUGHTER
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Right, let's find out what the bidders think, shall we? Here we go.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51A late 19th century musical teapot stand
0:15:51 > 0:15:54with the tile decorations at the centre.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Bid 30, straight in at 30.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00At £30. 5, anybody else?
0:16:00 > 0:16:0135, 40,
0:16:01 > 0:16:035, 50,
0:16:03 > 0:16:055, 60...
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Getting there, Ruth.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09..5. At £75.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12It's in the room at £75.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13Have we got discretion?
0:16:13 > 0:16:15- It's fine. There was a reserve of 70.- Great.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19£75, ladies and gentlemen. We're all done...
0:16:19 > 0:16:20at 75.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22- Sold it! It's gone.- Yes.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Yes. Aw!
0:16:24 > 0:16:27I don't know whether to celebrate or not now,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29because I know you're a bit disappointed that it's gone.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31- I am happy.- Oh, good.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34At 220, 230 now.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Right, my time to be the expert, and we've got a great name in ceramics.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41It doesn't get much better than this - Moorcroft,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43belonging to Valerie, who's very nervous, aren't you?
0:16:43 > 0:16:46- Very nervous.- I know you are. Is this your first auction?
0:16:46 > 0:16:48No, I have been to a couple,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51but it's the first big thing that I've sold, I must admit.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- I've bought a few little things. - OK, OK.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Well, we're looking at the top end of this. You know that, don't you?
0:16:56 > 0:17:00- I'd like 450. I'd like a little bit more. So would you, I know.- Yes.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02There are some other bits of Moorcroft here,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05which really does help, because the collectors won't travel a long way
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- to buy one piece, but there's about ten items here, isn't there?- Yes.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09- Have you had a nosy?- I have.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- Are you going to buy anything?- I might.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13Come on, let us into the secret.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16There's some Maling saucers that I'm quite interested in.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20- Bit of local stuff.- Yes, definitely. That's what I'm into.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Exactly. Good for you as well.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- And we talked about that at the valuation day.- Yes.- Sensible move.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Right, the moment has arrived.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Let's hand proceedings over to Giles Hodges.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31The Moorcroft hibiscus-patterned baluster-shaped vase
0:17:31 > 0:17:33with the autumnal ground.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I'm bid 200 to start it.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38At £200. At 200.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39SHE GASPS
0:17:39 > 0:17:40220, 240,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42260, 280.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44At £280.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46300, 320,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48340, 360...
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- We've sold it.- Excellent. Yes, it's gone.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52..380. 400 now.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56At £380. It's in the room. On the right.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59At £380. Are we all done?
0:17:59 > 0:18:02At 380.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03Wasn't bad going, was it?
0:18:03 > 0:18:04- Not too bad, no.- Happy with that?
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- Yes, thanks very much.- And you can reinvest that...- I will do.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- ..in a bit of Linthorpe, you see. - I'm going to.- Yes.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11And that's the great thing about antiques.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12You got it in a second-hand shop.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15- Yes.- So now it's going to be third-hand, hopefully fourth
0:18:15 > 0:18:17and fifth throughout its life. Classic recycling.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- It doesn't get greener than antiques, does it?- No, not at all.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- It really doesn't.- No. - And you can learn so much from them.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26- So get out there and get buying. Thank you so much.- I'm going to.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Now Valerie's going to invest her money in something local,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34and we're going to find out more about a local man who's been
0:18:34 > 0:18:37referred to as England's greatest gardener.
0:18:51 > 0:18:52Over the years on "Flog It!",
0:18:52 > 0:18:55we've visited some of the country's finest stately homes,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58from Chatsworth up in the north to Petworth down in the south,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Ickworth in the east and Berrington Hall in the west,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05and like many of our great country estates,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07they all have one thing in common -
0:19:07 > 0:19:10their grounds have been designed by a man whose name has become
0:19:10 > 0:19:14synonymous with 18th-century English landscaping.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20Lancelot Brown was born in 1715 in Northumberland, just a short
0:19:20 > 0:19:23distance from where today's valuations are taking place.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28After leaving school, he got a job as a garden boy on a local
0:19:28 > 0:19:32estate, and slowly started to learn his craft.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35He worked at a number of stately homes and by the age of 23,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38he'd moved away from the north for a position on the gardening
0:19:38 > 0:19:41staff of Lord Cobham in Buckinghamshire.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44And it was there that he worked with an architect named
0:19:44 > 0:19:47William Kent, who is recognised as one of the founders of what
0:19:47 > 0:19:50is known as the new English style of landscaping.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55Brown admired and respected Kent - he even married his daughter -
0:19:55 > 0:19:58but it would be Brown who took this new style of landscaping
0:19:58 > 0:20:00to the next level.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04He set up his own company in London and was soon highly sought after
0:20:04 > 0:20:08by the aristocracy from all over the country.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11His gardens really were the height of fashion
0:20:11 > 0:20:15and anyone who was anyone had to have a garden designed by Brown.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19His style was to use wide, green lawns punctuated with
0:20:19 > 0:20:24clumps of trees, to give a feeling of a romantic, natural scene.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28But the irony was - nothing about it was natural.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Everything was planned, right down to the smallest detail.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36He described himself not as a landscape gardener
0:20:36 > 0:20:40but as a place-maker, and so radical were his changes that he's been
0:20:40 > 0:20:44criticised for destroying the work of previous generations
0:20:44 > 0:20:47to make way for gardens built to his own standards.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Lancelot Brown got his nickname "Capability"
0:20:52 > 0:20:54because of his habit of telling his clients their gardens had
0:20:54 > 0:20:58great capabilities - and in his hands they certainly did.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59He was hugely prolific,
0:20:59 > 0:21:04responsible for redesigning over 170 gardens, which is
0:21:04 > 0:21:08a fantastic achievement, because they're not small, suburban ones -
0:21:08 > 0:21:11they're all on a grand scale, and this is one of them.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Syon Park in west London.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Brown was so prolific because of the speed at which he worked,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22which enabled him to work on many gardens in parallel.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26He'd often spend just half a day surveying the land on horseback,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30and another half day marking out so the labourers knew what to do.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35The man responsible for maintaining Brown's work here at Syon Park
0:21:35 > 0:21:38is head gardener Simon Hadleigh-Sparks.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40- Hi. Pleased to meet you. - It's a pleasure.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43- This is absolutely beautiful. - It's fantastic.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45You'd think you were deep in the countryside,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- rather than five miles from central London.- Yeah.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50What were the grounds and the gardens like
0:21:50 > 0:21:52before Lancelot Brown got his hands on them?
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Well, actually, during the time of the first Duke and Duchess,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59the house and the grounds were pretty much run down,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02especially after the severe frost of 1739,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05So they called in Brown and he massively changed
0:22:05 > 0:22:08the entire landscape here at Syon Park.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11So what are we looking at here? Was this lake here?
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- No. This was actually the prehistoric channel of the Thames.- Right.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16And he built this lake on the prehistoric channel.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Diverting the water from the Thames back here?
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Well, it was a marshy land before that,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24and he removed a road which was over here,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27and then he landscaped the entire park,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- because Brown was very much a sort of trees-and-grass man.- Sure.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31How many acres are here?
0:22:31 > 0:22:35We're actually 200 acres, which includes the gardens
0:22:35 > 0:22:36and the parkland here.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39That's a lot of work, and obviously a lot of labour, at a time
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- when there was no machinery. - Well, yes, as you say,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44it's quite easy nowadays just to bring in some diggers...
0:22:44 > 0:22:46You can do a lot with a few diggers.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49..but in Brown's day, there was none of that,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53and just to emphasise that, he was here for 25 years,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55- creating the landscape you see now. - It took that long?- Yes.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59- That's a big project. This is not a small garden, is it?- No.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02So hundreds of men would have been employed throughout that 25 years.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04How many gardeners are there here today?
0:23:04 > 0:23:06There are eight of us at the moment.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10- Something like this landscape here, essentially, is untouched.- Sure.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13So this is as it was when he did it.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18- So his vision has lasted this long, and...- It was perfect.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20- It was perfect.- In its day, and it's perfect today.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22We don't have to do a lot, yeah.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Isn't that marvellous? And you wouldn't want to add to it anyway,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29- would you? There's nothing you could do, really.- Not really.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Lancelot Capability Brown continued his association with
0:23:36 > 0:23:39great country estates, but it wasn't just the rich
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and the famous who would enjoy the fruits of his labour.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45This is Wimbledon Park in southwest London.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48It also was designed by Lancelot Capability Brown,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51but this time for members of the public to enjoy.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55The 18th-century writer Hannah More said about this park,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57"I did not think there could have been
0:23:57 > 0:24:01"so beautiful a place within seven miles of London.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04"The park has so much variety of ground and is as un-London-ish
0:24:04 > 0:24:07"as if it were 100 miles out."
0:24:08 > 0:24:10And I'm sure that was his aim -
0:24:10 > 0:24:14to bring a part of the countryside to the city centre.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Brown died in 1783, but he lives on in the gardens he designed,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20and if you feel inspired by his work
0:24:20 > 0:24:24and want to see some of it, because of his prolific output, hopefully
0:24:24 > 0:24:27there will be a great example not too far from where you live.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Come and see the legacy he left behind, which is
0:24:30 > 0:24:33unparalleled in English gardening.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Welcome back to our valuation day venue, here at the Discovery Museum,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51the first science museum to be built outside of London in the country.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Let's now catch up with our experts to find more antiques to take off
0:24:54 > 0:24:58to auction, and hopefully we'll have that one big surprise.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01And something rather distinctive has caught Anita's eye.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Val, welcome to "Flog It!".
0:25:04 > 0:25:05It's lovely to have you along,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09and you've brought this very nice piece of Lalique.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13- Tell me, where did you get it? - From my sister. She just said...
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Well, she does a lot of clearing out.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19She says, "I'm getting old. Nobody wants this, nobody wants that..."
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- Where did she get it?- I've no idea.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25She's just had it for a long time, but she likes antique shops,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29she likes jumble sales, charity shops. If it's nice, she buys it.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32I thought, "And you thought that was nice?" she says,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34"Well, you're wanting it, aren't you?"
0:25:34 > 0:25:37I says, "Well, yeah, go on, then. I'll put a plant in it."
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- But what if that's worth a bob or two? Are you going to tell her?- No.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46- OK, do you know what it is, Val? - I just know the name Lalique.
0:25:46 > 0:25:47The name Lalique.
0:25:47 > 0:25:53That's one of these magic names in the world of art and antiques.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Originally, he made jewellery,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59and he made the most wonderful, wonderful pieces,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03and instead of using precious stones in his jewellery,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07which would have made them very, very expensive, and taken them
0:26:07 > 0:26:12out of the price range of so many of even the smart Parisiennes,
0:26:12 > 0:26:17he used glass, and this jewellery became very popular,
0:26:17 > 0:26:22and he developed from using glass in his jewellery to making
0:26:22 > 0:26:28pieces of wonderful glass, and this glass was made from the late 1800s
0:26:28 > 0:26:32up to this one, which would have been in the 1940s.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37When I look at it, the first thing that I do when a piece of glass
0:26:37 > 0:26:42comes in front of me, I will tend to lift it - and this has good weight -
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and that is some indication of the quality of glass,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47if it's a nice, weighty piece.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50I also look for the signature,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52and I'll perhaps show you that in a wee minute,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56but I want to draw your attention first of all to these lovely
0:26:56 > 0:27:00bands and embossed glass, as if they've been carved out.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04And these bands are decorated with grapes and leaves,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08so it's a sort of happy, rejoicing little vase.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Might even have been an ice bucket.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14When your sister gave it to you, was she just fed up with this,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- or did you ask her for it...? - She didn't use it for anything,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and it was just in the garage for quite some time.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22I said, "Well, that'll get broke."
0:27:22 > 0:27:26- She said, "Well, you can have it if you want it."- It's a nice thing.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- It just looks nice. - Now, did you notice a signature?
0:27:28 > 0:27:33Well, my friend who's in the antique thing said, "That'll be Lalique."
0:27:33 > 0:27:34I says, "What's Lalique ?"
0:27:34 > 0:27:37He said, "Well, if it's got a signature on, it'll be Lalique,"
0:27:37 > 0:27:40so that was when I started looking, but I couldn't find it at first.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41- It took some time.- Yeah.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46He used various different signatures or ways of marking his glass,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48and these ways often told us
0:27:48 > 0:27:52what period the things were made in, and this one here,
0:27:52 > 0:27:57it's like a hand-signed signature, and it's "R Lalique. France."
0:27:57 > 0:28:03Now, this indicates to us that it was made before 1945,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07but because of the stylistic qualities of it,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10it's putting it in that mid-'40s for me,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14so although it's not one of the most desirable pieces of Lalique...
0:28:14 > 0:28:18- No, I didn't think it would be! - But it still is, Val. It still is.
0:28:18 > 0:28:23- All right.- I would put a conservative estimate of £100 to £200.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27- Would you be happy for it to go to auction within that estimate?- Yeah.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29- Shall we put a reserve on it?- Yeah.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33£100, I would say, with a little bit of discretion,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36but I'm sure it's going to go much further than that,
0:28:36 > 0:28:38because it's a bonny, bonny piece of glass.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40- Thank you for bringing it along. - Thank you very much.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42- Are you going to tell your sister? - No.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45- Are you going to share the money with her?- No.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49No, I'll take her for lunch.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Well, that's only fair.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54This next lot that Nick has picked out looks like a little
0:28:54 > 0:28:56treasure to me.
0:28:57 > 0:28:58Well, hello, Clive.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Thank you for coming down to "Flog It!".
0:29:00 > 0:29:01And what have we got here?
0:29:01 > 0:29:03We've got a set of six buttons.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06- That's right.- How did you come by these?
0:29:06 > 0:29:08They belonged to an old aunt of mine.
0:29:08 > 0:29:13- When she died, they were in the house when we cleared it.- Right, OK.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15So you say they came from your aunt.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Do you remember the history behind her? Was she local, or...?
0:29:18 > 0:29:23She was local, and we think, but I'm not sure on this, that she
0:29:23 > 0:29:28- used to be a reporter for a local newspaper.- Oh, interesting.- Yes.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- That's a good thing. But she never had big buttons on her coat?- No.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33- That you can remember.- No.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Any idea how she would have come by them, at all?
0:29:36 > 0:29:40No. I just wondered if they'd been handed down to her by somebody else.
0:29:40 > 0:29:46- Right.- You know.- Now, I think these date from around about 1900.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49The ladies... Gainsborough-style lady,
0:29:49 > 0:29:53the portrait panel in the centre, is a transfer. It's not hand-painted.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54- It's transfer-printed.- Yes.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58And you can see on a couple of them, her neckline is slightly lower
0:29:58 > 0:30:01than the others, where the transfer's slightly slipped.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03But they're on porcelain.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05So if we just turn one over there on the back,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08you can see they're on porcelain, and they're overlaid
0:30:08 > 0:30:11with silver, probably a low-grade silver, I suspect.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14There's no marks on them whatsoever, but I'd hazard a guess
0:30:14 > 0:30:15that they're probably French,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18possibly Dutch, but Continental definitely.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20And the great thing about them
0:30:20 > 0:30:23is 100-odd years later we've got all six.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Often with earrings they lose one, let alone a set of six buttons.
0:30:26 > 0:30:27So that's brilliant.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30But for collectors of buttons - and there are plenty of them -
0:30:30 > 0:30:32they're something a bit different, unusual.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36We see quite a lot of silver buttons with Art Nouveau ladies' faces etc,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38but these Continental ones are a little bit different.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41And they're in a lovely box, as well!
0:30:41 > 0:30:42And it's the original box.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45They fit very snugly, and there's no doubt about that,
0:30:45 > 0:30:47so it will help increase the value.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Value-wise, I would probably put them in
0:30:50 > 0:30:53around about £50 to £60 at auction
0:30:53 > 0:30:55and put a reserve on them of around about 40.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59- Is that the type of price you expected?- Yes.- Surprised, or...?
0:30:59 > 0:31:01- In that region. - Somewhere in that region.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05And what do you think you'd do with the money if we get them sold?
0:31:05 > 0:31:10Well, we're going on a family holiday to Majorca, so that will be a help.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Well, it all helps. We can sell them for you
0:31:12 > 0:31:15- and hopefully make you a few pounds for your trip.- Very good!- OK?- Yes.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Well, Clive's face certainly lit up on hearing that valuation.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Now, before our next lot,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25I want to shed some light on something I've found in the museum.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30Now, what I have in front of me is something we all take for granted,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33and it's used in countries all over the globe.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37This is a replica of the first ever electric lamp,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40invented by Joseph Swan, a Gateshead resident.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43It was first shown in Newcastle in 1878,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46and it received a patent two years later,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50and Swan's home in Gateshead was the first domestic house in the world
0:31:50 > 0:31:53to be lit by the electric lamp.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56So there's a great piece of history right here.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58The manufacturing took place here in Newcastle
0:31:58 > 0:32:01until Swan went into partnership
0:32:01 > 0:32:03with American inventor Thomas Edison,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06and then the manufacturing process moved down to London,
0:32:06 > 0:32:08where it was known as Ediswan.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11And the rest, as they say, is history.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13And right now, it's time for us to make a little history
0:32:13 > 0:32:16as we find our next item to put under the hammer.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22Anita has found a group of items that also light up the room.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27Sally, I love playing with wee groups of jewellery like this.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29It's absolutely great fun.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31But tell me first of all, where did you get them?
0:32:31 > 0:32:34They're all from both sides of the family, mother and father.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38- So they've been with me all my life, or I've known about them.- Yeah.
0:32:38 > 0:32:39Have you worn any of these?
0:32:39 > 0:32:41I've worn the crescent
0:32:41 > 0:32:45and I wore the silver one about two months ago in the local show.
0:32:45 > 0:32:46I was a suffragette.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50- Ah!- So I had to wear something across my neck, and that fitted.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53- With the purple... - Yes. Yes. The right colours.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55The others, no, I haven't really worn.
0:32:55 > 0:33:00- Right. So just really kept in a box. - Pretty much, yes. Yes.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Let's have a look at them and go through them,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05because they're quite interesting wee lots here.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Do you know anything about what the bracelet's made of?
0:33:07 > 0:33:09- Well, it's beetles.- It's beetles.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Real beetles, but quite where from I don't know.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16So we have this scarab beetle bangle. Is this one that's escaped?
0:33:16 > 0:33:17It is!
0:33:17 > 0:33:21- An extra!- Is that an extra? Is that a "just in case"?
0:33:21 > 0:33:24- Well, I would assume so.- Maybe they've been breeding.- Possibly!
0:33:24 > 0:33:26I hadn't thought of that! ANITA LAUGHS
0:33:26 > 0:33:30So, it's not mounted in gold, but it's an interesting piece.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33- Mm.- You have some little pins here.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35Again, I've looked at them all,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37and I can find no hallmarks on any of these things.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- Oh, right. - And I was surprised at that.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43But that's not to say that they're not gold.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46It may be that they've been made specially and not hallmarked,
0:33:46 > 0:33:48and this can often happen.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51You've got two little pins here, one with a little pearl
0:33:51 > 0:33:53and a plain one,
0:33:53 > 0:33:57and these would have been used on a neckerchief or a little scarf.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59This one is a particularly lovely one.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01It's Edwardian, so it would have been
0:34:01 > 0:34:04some time at the very beginning of the 20th century.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08We have a crescent moon here, and the crescent moon, I think,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11is a beautiful symbol. It's a beautiful image.
0:34:11 > 0:34:17And you have these little graduated seed pearls along the crescent.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Now, the colour of it seems to indicate, to me,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22that it might be a higher-carat gold,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26so I would have expected that to be 15 or 18,
0:34:26 > 0:34:30- but there's no hallmark at all. - Again? I've never looked.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Yeah. This one here,
0:34:32 > 0:34:37your wee suffragette one, sterling silver, and a purple-coloured stone.
0:34:37 > 0:34:38It's not an amethyst.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41What sort of date are we looking at for the silver one?
0:34:41 > 0:34:46You could be looking 1930s, 1940s, that type of date.
0:34:46 > 0:34:52It's a fairly classic style, just a plain pin with a central stone.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56But this one here is the one that I find most interesting.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Again, no hallmark.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02The colour of the pin here is slightly different
0:35:02 > 0:35:06from the colour of the mount of this central piece,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08and I'm tending to think
0:35:08 > 0:35:11that this has been stuck on as an afterthought.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15It looks like gold. It's a sort of expensive safety pin!
0:35:15 > 0:35:16Mm-hm. Yeah.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19But if we look at this and if we look at it carefully,
0:35:19 > 0:35:22we can see an image of a tiger here,
0:35:22 > 0:35:28and what has happened is that it has been painted on the back.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31So this has been enamelled or hand-painted.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35- And if you look at it, the work is very good.- Intricate, isn't it?
0:35:35 > 0:35:37It's good-quality work.
0:35:37 > 0:35:43So, this part here is what I like most of all your items here,
0:35:43 > 0:35:47and I think it's the thing which will draw people to this lot,
0:35:47 > 0:35:52because to put that into auction I'd want to put it in as one lot.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54How do you feel about selling it now, Sally?
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Well, it's just sitting in a box,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59and it's silly for it to sit in a box, really.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01- That's right.- It's not the only stuff that I have,
0:36:01 > 0:36:05- I have other stuff. I quite like the tiger.- You like the tiger now?
0:36:05 > 0:36:07ANITA LAUGHS I always did like the tiger,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09- but I would never have worn it.- Yeah.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13I would put an estimate of 80 to 120...
0:36:13 > 0:36:16- Right.- ..on this little group. It may do more than that.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Would you be happy to put them forward to auction at that estimate?
0:36:20 > 0:36:25Yes. Yes, I think I probably would. If it was a fixed reserve at 80, yes.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27We'll put a fixed reserve, then.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31But I'm sure we'll get a good chance of these little bits taking a flier.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- Thank you!- Thank you for bringing them. I'll see you at the auction.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Yes, great. Thank you.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Some excellent workmanship there.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Well, what a marvellous time we've had here at the Discovery Museum,
0:36:42 > 0:36:45our host location for our valuation days.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47We've been surrounded by fine art and antiques
0:36:47 > 0:36:49and great advances in science.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51We've learnt a lot about local history
0:36:51 > 0:36:55and also history that has shaped this nation.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58But right now, we need to make some history of our very own.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01We're going to the Boldon Auction Galleries for the last time today,
0:37:01 > 0:37:03and here's what's going under the hammer.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05It may not be particularly early,
0:37:05 > 0:37:07but the vase does have the name Lalique on it.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09Need I say more?
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Clive's buttons are highly decorative.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17I think they will certainly appeal to the collectors.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21And finally, Anita's come-and-buy-me,
0:37:21 > 0:37:2580 to 120 for all those beautifully made pieces of jewellery.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27What a bargain!
0:37:34 > 0:37:36The saleroom is packed here in East Boldon,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39where auctioneer Giles Hodges is on the rostrum.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43Let's hope our final three items will race to a great price.
0:37:43 > 0:37:44120.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48And first up, it's Valerie with the Lalique vase.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Have you been thinking about this moment for the last few weeks?
0:37:51 > 0:37:54- Thinking of not coming. - Thinking of not coming?
0:37:54 > 0:37:57- Have you been to many auctions before?- No.- So this is the first.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00OK. Sum it up for us. What do you think?
0:38:00 > 0:38:01It's quite interesting, isn't it,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04- when you see a lot of things that's going on there?- It's chaos.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07It's chaos. You don't know where to look, to start with, really,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10because there's too much going on, fine art and antiques everywhere.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13The best thing to do is come to an auction preview day
0:38:13 > 0:38:16prior to the sale, look around, ask the auctioneer -
0:38:16 > 0:38:19they're duty-bound to help you, they've got all the knowledge -
0:38:19 > 0:38:21and feel a bit more relaxed.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25So, we see a lot of Lalique on the show, and it is quality, isn't it?
0:38:25 > 0:38:28It's good glass. And it's the name that attracts the collectors.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Right, OK, let's go over to Giles, shall we,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32and put this lot to the test?
0:38:32 > 0:38:33Got the piece of Lalique,
0:38:33 > 0:38:38the clear ice bucket with the bands of leaves, the graping vines.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41I'm bid 60 to start it. At £60.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44- 5, anybody else, now? - It's that typical cocktail era.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48- It's got the look.- For just putting ice cubes in.- Yeah. It's exceptional.
0:38:48 > 0:38:495. 80.
0:38:49 > 0:38:535. 90. 5. At £95.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55It's in the room. Again at £95.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58It's against the internet, as well.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00At £95 for the first. I'll use my discretion.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03- He's going to sell it. - He's going to sell it.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05We're away. At 95.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11Done. Good job. Giles has worked his magic on the rostrum there.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13That's what you call a man who believes in our lots.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17- And a great salesman, as well. So, we just got it away at 95.- Yeah.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19- Happy, everyone?- Yes, of course!
0:39:19 > 0:39:22There you go, quality always sells.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Now it's time for those fabulous buttons.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Clive, you don't look like the sort of chap
0:39:28 > 0:39:31to own six Continental enamelled buttons!
0:39:31 > 0:39:33- CLIVE LAUGHS - How did you come across these?
0:39:33 > 0:39:37I got them from an old aunt, who died when she was over 90.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41- Ah.- So they've been around for quite a few years.- Lots of memories, then.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44- Yes, yeah.- But time to let somebody enjoy them and, more importantly,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46- do something with them...- Yes.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49..because you don't see these every day of the week, Nick, do you?
0:39:49 > 0:39:52No, and the condition's great, and they're in the box.
0:39:52 > 0:39:57- No chips, no cracks.- They're just a good example of what they are, so...
0:39:57 > 0:39:59- Yeah.- Should be all right, hopefully.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01There's a lot of people browsing on the preview day and today.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04And this is the kind of thing that they didn't set out to buy.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07They'd probably come to buy a piece of furniture or something
0:40:07 > 0:40:09and thought, "Actually, they're nice.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11"It's not a lot of money. I'll buy those."
0:40:11 > 0:40:14- Yes.- That's the sort of punter we want right now,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17because it's going under the hammer. So this is it.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Continental porcelain buttons,
0:40:19 > 0:40:24each with a little portrait of a lady, and I'm bid 20 to start them.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27At £20 for a set of buttons. At 20.
0:40:27 > 0:40:315. 30. 5. We're in the room at 35.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35- 40. 5.- This is good.- We're at the back of the hall on the left at 45.
0:40:35 > 0:40:3750. 5.
0:40:38 > 0:40:45- 60 on the internet. At £60 it's away on the net. 65.- Clive, Clive...- 5.
0:40:45 > 0:40:4880. £80 right at the back of the hall.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53Are we 85? £85 on the internet. The room is now out.
0:40:53 > 0:40:5590. Lady's back in at £90.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58- Another fiver on the net, please. - This lady's determined.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01She's holding her bidding paddle up and not putting it down.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03"They're mine, they're mine, they're mine!"
0:41:03 > 0:41:07At £90 are we all done, ladies and gents? At 90.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Do you know, looking at those, Clive, I mean,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13they're subtle yet they say class, they say something exquisite.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15- A really good example of what they are.- Yeah!
0:41:15 > 0:41:17I'm glad other people appreciate it as well.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- Thank you so much for coming in. - Thanks very much, Paul,
0:41:20 > 0:41:22- and it's credit to you.- Pleasure.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Good job. I really like those.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Our next lot is a fashion item, but will it be in vogue today?
0:41:29 > 0:41:32We're going to find out. I've just been joined by Sally and Anita,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36and we've got six unique brooches. Did you ever wear them?
0:41:36 > 0:41:42I think I've worn one of them, but I'm obviously not a broochy person!
0:41:42 > 0:41:45- Anita's a broochy person. You are, aren't you?- I love my jewellery.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47You like the big, bright ones.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51Yeah. And what we've got here is a little collection of bijouterie,
0:41:51 > 0:41:52and the buyers love that.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55They think they're getting quite a lot for their money,
0:41:55 > 0:41:57so we're all together!
0:41:57 > 0:42:00What is your thing, then? You don't do brooches. You've got earrings.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02You like earrings and jewellery, things like that?
0:42:02 > 0:42:04I like going to the pub!
0:42:05 > 0:42:08Fair comment. Right, well, you could be doing that after this lot.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10It's going under the hammer now.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12We've got the unusual gilt-metal inset bracelet
0:42:12 > 0:42:17and the five other brooches, and I'm bid 80 to start them.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19At 80. 90. 100.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22110. I'm out at 110.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26- 120.- Yes! Good.- 140. 150.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30160. 170. 180. 190.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32200. 220.
0:42:32 > 0:42:37220. We've stopped. It's upstairs right, at £220.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40£220 all told.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42At 220.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47The hammer has gone down. Sounds like drinks all round, doesn't it?
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Oh, absolutely, yes! Yes, one or two!
0:42:54 > 0:42:57There you are, that's it, the hammer has gone down on our last lot.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00It's another day in the office for "Flog It!", and what a day it was.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you did, too.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05If you've got any antiques and collectibles you want to sell,
0:43:05 > 0:43:09we would love to see them. Bring them to one of our valuation days.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11Details of up-and-coming dates and venues
0:43:11 > 0:43:12you can find on our BBC website,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15or check the details in your local press. We'd love to see you.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19But for now, from the North-East, it's goodbye from all of us.