0:00:06 > 0:00:10Today we're in the wonderful setting of Dunster Castle, in Somerset.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13A former motte and bailey castle, now a country house.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Here in the library you can see the centuries of history that
0:00:19 > 0:00:21have passed through the castle,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23a castle that's dominated the landscape ever
0:00:23 > 0:00:25since the Middle Ages.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27And, of course, if you relish discovering the chronicles
0:00:27 > 0:00:31of days gone by, like I do, then sit back and enjoy as we bring
0:00:31 > 0:00:35together the very best finds and auctions from around the country.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Welcome to Flog It!
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Dunster is located on the sweeping hills of Exmoor National Park.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10And as you know, "Flog It!" travels the length and breadth of Britain
0:01:10 > 0:01:15in search of exceptional stories and objects to take off to auction.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Today we have a real treat in store as we bring you
0:01:20 > 0:01:22some of our best finds.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25We'll be visiting Birmingham, Southall,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Edinburgh and Wallasey.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32And I'll even be taking you on a tour of the country's largest
0:01:32 > 0:01:34public library.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Cicero said a room without books is like a body without a soul.
0:01:41 > 0:01:42And I can't help feeling that "Flog It!"
0:01:42 > 0:01:46benefits from a bit of literature, too. So, on today's show...
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Thomas Plant judges a book by its cover as he values three
0:01:52 > 0:01:55leather-bound books dating back over 200 years.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Adam meets his ceramic nemesis.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03I've had egg on my face before with majolica, on this very programme,
0:02:03 > 0:02:08when I underestimated some. So I'm going to try not to do that again.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12And I find a fascinating funeral invite, from many years gone by.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20I can't wait. I can't wait for the auction day. I really can't.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Prepare yourself for a show filled with jeopardy.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Can you guess which of our items sells for four times over
0:02:28 > 0:02:31the estimate, and which doesn't sell at all?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33It's going to be a thriller.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Before we start today's valuations, let me
0:02:36 > 0:02:39just show you what I found in the Dunster library.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43The books that line these shelves are a fascinating insight into the lives
0:02:43 > 0:02:47and interests of the Luttrells, who have lived here for over 600 years.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And if you take a closer look, you can see there's a book on
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Eton College there, where many of the male members were educated, and
0:02:53 > 0:02:58here we've got the Diary Of Samuel Pepys, written in the 17th century.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02But then became a bestseller in the 19th century. I like this touch.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Look, something from the 1950s. James Bond. Live And Let Die.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10There really is a fascinating world to discover here.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13I can highly recommend it if you get the chance to come and visit.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Right now it's time to get on with those valuations,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and fingers crossed, we can make some history of our own.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25First up, Birmingham's museum and art gallery.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Thomas Plant has already navigated the territory...
0:03:29 > 0:03:32and found an 18th-century collection of books...
0:03:32 > 0:03:35on one of Britain's greatest explorers.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37And if you don't know who this is,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41perhaps you should be in the market for these books.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Hello, Nick, how are you?- I'm fine, Thomas. How are you?- So...
0:03:44 > 0:03:47What do you know about Captain Cook?
0:03:47 > 0:03:51He discovered, or went all round Australia, mapped it.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Shipwrecked.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- I don't know about that, yeah? - Oh, yes, shipwrecked.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Deliverance Bay, up past Port Douglas.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02What I know about Captain Cook I learned from my school days,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05so I've not, sort of, gone forward with it.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- But today you've brought along three books from a possible volume of sets.- That's correct, yes.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- Where did you get these from?- My uncle died, and we cleared his house.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17- Oh, really?- And found a few books. These are three of them.- They're leather bound.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19- Yep, that's why I like them. - Yeah, they're lovely.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- They are in slightly distressed condition.- Very distressed.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25I think "very" is putting it mildly, isn't it?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28They are the Voyages round the World: Performed by Royal Authority.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Captain Cook's first, second and third voyages,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33undertaken for making new discoveries.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35And these are dated 1790.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40- Quite a way after he started his little journeys, didn't he?- Yeah.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41Sort of 1768.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45- Yeah, that's it.- I like the plates in them. They are interesting.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47This one here is rather nice.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51"The distressed situation of the success between the fire of the Spanish fort,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53"Umata, and the ship in the harbour."
0:04:53 > 0:04:56I mean, you know, it's obviously very well-written and
0:04:56 > 0:04:59- quite interesting.- Yep. And there's some nice maps.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03There are some lovely maps. There are some fabulous maps.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- Why have you brought them here today?- To flog them, basically.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- Because they're just sitting there? - They're just sitting in a cupboard
0:05:09 > 0:05:14- and someone might be able to do something with them.- They do need some rebinding, etc.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17And having only three out of the six will affect the value.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21- Have you an idea of the value? - No.- No.- No.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24If you had the six in good condition it would be worth
0:05:24 > 0:05:25- you know, £100 a book.- Yeah.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Because they're in poor condition I'd be really cautious.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- Say just about £100.- That's quite a lot of money for three books.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33It is quite a lot of money for three books
0:05:33 > 0:05:35but I think you need to be conservative and put them
0:05:35 > 0:05:40in at, sort of, 80 to 100, with a discretion reserve at, sort of, £70.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- Are you happy with that?- Yes, I am. - So auctioneer's estimate.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Watch them go and make £500.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Those are books worth investing some time in.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Cook was a fascinating man.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56He recorded the first European contact with the
0:05:56 > 0:06:00eastern coastline of Australia, and circumnavigated New Zealand,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04creating amazingly detailed maps on his travels.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08He met his untimely end in Hawaii, in 1779.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12But of course, his legacy lives on today.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Our next item dates back to the same era as Cook himself.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Well, rather the brand of ceramics does.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Over to our expert, Adam Partridge, who's making himself
0:06:27 > 0:06:31comfortable in Hopetoun House, on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39We really should be outside on the lawns having a lovely Scottish
0:06:39 > 0:06:43afternoon tea. Strawberries, Scottish strawberries, of course.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49- Yes.- Cream and sugar, in these beautiful Wedgwood majolica dishes.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- Yes.- What can you tell me about them, Christine?
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Well, a friend was emptying her mother's house, and I was helping her.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57We had three boxes.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01One for what she was taking home, one for charity
0:07:01 > 0:07:03and one to go to the rubbish.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05And she handed me these out of a cupboard and said,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09- "Put these in the rubbish."- Oh, right.- And I said, "No, you can't."
0:07:09 > 0:07:13- And she went, "If you like them, keep them."- And do you like them?- Yes.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16- There was a hesitation there. - Yes, well.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18I like them but what use are they?
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Well, yes. I mean, ideally, strawberries and cream.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Of course, the strawberries would go in the main section here,
0:07:25 > 0:07:31and then you've got these little aperture recesses for cream and for sugar.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- They're by the famous Wedgwood factory.- Yes.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38And then majolica, as you know, which is the name of this
0:07:38 > 0:07:43glazed earthenware of this type. They date to 1879 exactly.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- I thought that.- We can tell that from the marks on the back.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50You've got the Wedgwood mark there.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52And then you've got this registration mark here,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55which is the Victorian registration lozenge.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59And we've worked that out to date them to 1879.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01There are a few notable manufacturers of majolica
0:08:01 > 0:08:05from the potteries. Wedgwood was one, Minton was another.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08George Jones was another. And they're quite collectable.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12In fact, I've had egg on my face before with majolica, on this
0:08:12 > 0:08:15very programme, when I underestimated some.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17So I'm going to try not to do that again.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Most of the time you see some sort of damage.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It's very vulnerable, and I don't think there's any damage at all.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Which is really quite unusual.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28I like the way they've picked out the strawberry details
0:08:28 > 0:08:31either side, and it's beautifully done.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Any idea on what you think they're worth?
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Well, um, I thought because they were a pair,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- they might have been worth about £500.- 500.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Well, I think that may be slightly optimistic.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Slightly.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50- I would have thought 3 to 500 estimate.- Right.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54- And they might make that.- OK.- Sure? - Yes, you're the expert.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55Well, I hope so.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00- £300 reserve?- Yes. - Yes. Any leeway or not?
0:09:00 > 0:09:04- Would you take 280 or not? - I'd take 280 rather than...
0:09:04 > 0:09:07You would? So let's give him 10% leeway or so.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- OK.- If they make the 500 you hope, what would you do with that?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13- My daughter's getting married next year.- Oh, congratulations.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- So it's going in the wedding fund. - Excellent. That'll be lovely.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Fingers crossed for a sweet result at the auction.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you.- Pleasure.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Let's hope for Christine's sake Adam's on the money with his valuation today.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Over to the rather splendid Southall Minster now, where our resident
0:09:32 > 0:09:36magpie Mark Stacey has spotted something rather nice.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Rachel, you've brought this lovely pocket watch in to show us,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45but I want to find out a bit more about you first. Are you local?
0:09:45 > 0:09:49- I am, yes.- From Southall? - Yes, I was born in Southall.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I was married in the minster, and christened, and so was my mother.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56- What, in this very church?- Yes.- How wonderful.- We go back a long way.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- So you go back several generations here?- Yes.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- This is a family piece, is it?- It is. It was my grandmother's,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and it may well have been her mother's before that.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06It might well have been your great-grandmother's,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10- because we have looked up the hallmark. It's 18 carat gold.- Yes.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- And it's hallmarked for 1849.- Yes.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16So it goes right back to the mid-19th century.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20And it's by quite an interesting firm, Bensons,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24who were founded with Samuel Suckley in 1847.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28- They were quite a prestigious maker of this type of item.- Yes.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- So the quality's very good. - Yes.- It's a lady's pocket watch.- Yes.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34I mean, how would she have worn it?
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Well, maybe on a chatelaine for a lady.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41- Of course, a gentleman would have had it in his waistcoat pocket.- Yes.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45And it's beautifully chaste on the outside here,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- and you see the little cartouche in the middle there?- Yes.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51That's what we call a vacant cartouche.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54That simply means that nobody's put their initials
0:10:54 > 0:10:55- or their family crest on it.- No.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58So if somebody did want to buy this,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01and have it as an ancestral item,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04they could put their little monogram or their family crest
0:11:04 > 0:11:05or motto in there.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09And it's beautifully chaste, on the front here,
0:11:09 > 0:11:14with little Roman numerals, with its engine-turned design.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17And it's just a very nice, quality little item.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- Yep.- You've looked after it very well.- Yes.- It seems to be working.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- You've got the original key with it.- I have, yes.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27- But the value is limited, because there's a lot of them around.- Yes.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- And the perennial problem of, what do we do with it?- Yes.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36- But I feel a sensible estimate is £200 to £300.- As much as that?
0:11:36 > 0:11:38- Oh, I think so.- Oh! - Just for the gold, really.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43But I think, because it's got a good name and it's a good age,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- I think it might go to a collector. - Yes, I would like to think so.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48I would hope so, I really would.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51- Because it is a super example of its type.- Yes.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- But I would like to put a reserve also on it, of £150.- Yes.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Fixed, so we won't sell it below that fee.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00No, I wouldn't like it to just...
0:12:00 > 0:12:02No, we don't want it to go for nothing, do we?
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- No. Thank you very much.- Thank you for bringing it in.- Thank you.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09It looks like Rachel may have timed that sale just right.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14But now, a quick recap of what exactly we're taking to auction.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Nick's books have been given a fair estimate
0:12:19 > 0:12:20considering their condition,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23so I'm hopeful they will sail away at auction,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26just like Captain Cook himself.
0:12:27 > 0:12:33But has Adam put a fair estimate on the majolica pottery this time?
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Christine's daughter certainly hopes so,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38as the proceeds of the sale go to her wedding fund.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Gold prices can fluctuate week by week, but I'm sure
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Rachel's 18-carat beauty will fare well under the hammer.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56First stop, we're off to the Midlands
0:12:56 > 0:12:59where auctioneer and expert Nick Davies is on the rostrum,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02and about to sell those Captain Cook volumes.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Well, hopefully.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Going under the hammer right now, the oldest thing
0:13:08 > 0:13:11in our "Flog It!" sale, dating to the late 18th century,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13in fact, 1793,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17leather-bound volumes of Captain Cook's voyages of discovery.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20And they belong to Nick. Now, these were Uncle Dennis's, weren't they?
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- That's correct.- Tell us about Uncle Dennis, and how he got them.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25I think he must have had them from school days, probably,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27the condition they were in.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Do you think he had thumbed through them?
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Mind you, the actual prints are really good,
0:13:31 > 0:13:32- and the images?- Absolutely.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35And there's very little foxing inside the pages,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37- that's the browning spots. - That's it.
0:13:37 > 0:13:38What do you think we'll get, then,
0:13:38 > 0:13:42- on this voyage of discovery today?- Not a great deal.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44If you get a 50, you'll be doing really well.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- I don't know if there's any buyers. - You'd be happy with £50?
0:13:47 > 0:13:49- Yes, yes.- OK, here we go.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51The three volumes of Captain Cook voyages,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54a bit of damage to them, but interesting books all the same.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- £150.- Ooh!
0:13:57 > 0:13:58Wow.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Do I see £160 anywhere else in the room?
0:14:01 > 0:14:05- A £150 for Captain Cook's travels. - Someone's got the other three.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08At £150, maiden bid, on commission, will take them then
0:14:08 > 0:14:11at £150, we're all sure now at £150...
0:14:11 > 0:14:16- Sold.- Wow! There you are.- There's so many surprises in an auction room.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18You can't guarantee anything, can you? You really can't.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21- We all thought that might struggle, didn't we?- Yeah, I did!
0:14:21 > 0:14:26There you go. Somebody knows something we don't know.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29- Well done. Thanks for bringing that in.- Thank you, yeah.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Nice to have it auctioned.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33A positive result there,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37but £150 is a good deal for such a lot of history.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44And now, over to our expert and auctioneer Anita Manning
0:14:44 > 0:14:47to put that Wedgwood pottery estimate to the test
0:14:47 > 0:14:49in her Glasgow auction room.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Going under the hammer now, two majolica strawberry dishes,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and we've seen these on the show before, and they always do well.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01This pair belongs to Christine, but not for much longer.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04I think you've got the right man. He learnt a lesson once on "Flog It!".
0:15:04 > 0:15:07I did. A few years ago we had a pair of George Jones examples.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09- Yes, great maker's name, that. - In Leicester.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11They were damaged, and I put them on at £80 to £120
0:15:11 > 0:15:13and they made about a thousand quid.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15These are a different story. Don't get your hopes up.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17No, they are different. They're not George Jones.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19But when I saw these at the valuation day,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23do you know who I thought of? Dear old David Barby. He loved majolica.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26He'd wax lyrical over those, and it reminded me of David,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28- and I miss him terribly. I really do.- We all do.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31He taught me so much about pottery, and I didn't know anything.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34He was a big fan of majolica. And of strawberries and cream, actually.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36THEY LAUGH
0:15:36 > 0:15:37- Good luck with these, OK?- Thank you.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42And hopefully Adam's spot-on this time. Here we go. This is it.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46A pair of Victorian Wedgwood majolica pottery three division
0:15:46 > 0:15:50strawberry plates. Can we see £500?
0:15:50 > 0:15:52£500? £300?
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Will you start me at £200?
0:15:55 > 0:15:57- 150 then?- It's frightening, isn't it?
0:15:57 > 0:15:59- Nobody wants them!- It's fine.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04160, 170, 180, 190, 200.
0:16:04 > 0:16:10- Here we go. We're going upwards and onwards...- 220, 230, 240, 240.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14£240. Any advance on 240?
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Any advance on 240?
0:16:17 > 0:16:20No! I can't believe this.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Not sold.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25- It's all right.- They are going home, it doesn't matter.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28We didn't undersell, that's the main thing.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- They were protected with a reserve. - They were.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33And they are worth that, so if you ever sell them again...
0:16:33 > 0:16:35I'll take them to my new house.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37- OK.- ..don't sell them for less than £300.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39They've had a nice outing on "Flog It!".
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Adam hasn't had much luck with his majolica valuations.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49First underestimating, and now overestimating, it seems.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53But it just goes to show how much the ceramic market can fluctuate,
0:16:53 > 0:16:58and the importance of selling at the right time.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00And now let's see how that gold pocket watch does
0:17:00 > 0:17:03at Mellors And Kirk auction house in Nottinghamshire.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09- Rachel, I bet this is a sad moment, isn't it?- It is.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13We are flogging Grandma's watch, and she was a real Victorian lady,
0:17:13 > 0:17:14- wasn't she?- Very.- A great spirit.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- You brought some photographs. - Yes.- There she is, wearing...
0:17:17 > 0:17:19That's Grandma, that's Great-grandma.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23And Great-grandma's got the watch on. Oh, dear.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25- This is your social history, do you know that?- It is.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30- Well, I have increased the reserve. - You've done what?- I'm sorry, Mark.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34- OK, so what was the reserve?- 150. - OK. And you've put it up to...?
0:17:34 > 0:17:37To 200, because I feel, because of the history...
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- I don't think that will affect it. - ..and all the detail on it.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42You don't appreciate it until somebody points it out,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44what quality you've got.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48It IS quality, isn't it? Well, I think we'll find a home for this.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- A loving home, OK?- Yeah. - That's the important thing.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53We're putting it to the test now. Here we go.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57And £150 for this lot, I'm bid.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00And 60, 170, 180, 190, 200, 220,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04250, 280, 280, anywhere?
0:18:04 > 0:18:06At £250, all done.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09280, I'm bid online. 300. 320.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- There's a bidder online. - £300 a room bid.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14You're out online. 320, you're back in.
0:18:14 > 0:18:19320, 350, 380, 380 for it.
0:18:19 > 0:18:26At 380 I'm bid. 400? £380, selling online at £380.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- Well, that was a good result. - £380. Yeah.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31- That makes the difference, doesn't it?- It does.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Sell it for that amount of money, you can be forgiven.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Sell it for 200 quid, it's kind of like, well, actually,
0:18:37 > 0:18:38should I have sold it?
0:18:38 > 0:18:41There's a chance there might be a private collector out there.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Well, I'd like to think it's going to a collector. That was my concern.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- It was more than the scrap value. - Yeah. Thank you very much indeed.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49And thank you for bringing
0:18:49 > 0:18:53those little wonderful documents of your own social history,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55- because that really is a window back in time, isn't it?- It is.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Well, that pocket watch ended up selling for a rather lovely price.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Now, remember, if you are buying or selling in auction, there is
0:19:10 > 0:19:13commission to pay, and the rates vary from room to room,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and there's also VAT added on top of that.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21So please, do your sums before the sale starts, because it can add up.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Now, if you like buying from auction as much as I do, you probably
0:19:24 > 0:19:28realise by now there can be quite a lot of time between your lots.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31It might be a good idea to bring a book along to read.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35But don't get too engrossed, cos you just might miss your item.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Now, at a time when many local libraries are closing down,
0:19:38 > 0:19:43one city decided to buck the trend by building a new library.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55This is Birmingham's spectacular new library.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Love it or hate it, you can't ignore it. It's huge.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00It's almost monumental.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05As you approach this building, you can't take your eyes off it.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08It's totally audacious. The design is unique.
0:20:08 > 0:20:09And now I'm up close,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13those interlocking circles remind me of that fine filigree work
0:20:13 > 0:20:16that the silversmiths achieved on their items of virtue
0:20:16 > 0:20:19back in the 18th century, which we see turn up in our valuation days.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24But it's also like shiny, glittering...wrapping paper.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27And these are presents stacked on top of each other,
0:20:27 > 0:20:28all waiting to be unwrapped.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30This is the perfect gift to Birmingham.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35The interlocking metal hoops decorating the outside
0:20:35 > 0:20:37reflect the city's heritage,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41the black rings represent its industrial gasometers,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44and the silver and gold, its famous jewellery trade.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55The circle motif continues inside, with the cavernous central space
0:20:55 > 0:20:59designed around a series of interlocking rotundas.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Ooh, and look at this. Even the lights are circular.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08I like that, because it softens the severe edge of the architecture.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13And radiating out from that central rotunda are the bookshelves,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17just fanning out so they catch the daylight from these big windows.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20There's ten floors here with over a million books,
0:21:20 > 0:21:21so there's plenty to read.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24There's also, sort of, little areas, little study areas,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26and booths where you can access the internet,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29free access to computers, so you can study here, you can work here,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33and you can play, because there are restaurants and cafes downstairs.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39Moving around the library is like a voyage of discovery.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42This futuristic concept has everything,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46from the latest e-book to the oldest book printed in this country,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49which is on display in the library's exhibition space.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Thank you very much.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Gosh, look at this. Come on in.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Obviously I'm not allowed to touch, but what a privilege.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02That book there, that's William Caxton's Cordiale,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05first printed in 1479.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09I believe only 200 were printed. Only three survived.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12This is one of them. It is exceptionally rare.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14It's all in old English,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18and it still so clear, considering it's well over 500 years old.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22By printing this, what Caxton has done is, he's standardised
0:22:22 > 0:22:25the English language in print for the very first time.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28That's why this book is so important.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29Another book I must show you,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33printed a few years later in 1482, is this, Cosmographia.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36That is beautiful pen and ink work, but coloured in.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39And the colour is still there, all these years later.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42It's by Ptolemy. He was a Greek philosopher.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45What he's done here, he's challenged those early
0:22:45 > 0:22:48medieval maps, and it's a bit of a mathematical equation.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51But what I find interesting are all the images of the angels,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54sort of blowing the wind across this globe.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57But it is to scale. You can make out Europe,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59you can make out the continent.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02I just don't know how he worked that out all those years ago.
0:23:02 > 0:23:03What a clever chap.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08But what do the locals think?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Well, I asked award-winning jazz musician Soweto Kinch,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15who grew up in the city and gave as an impromptu performance,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19what he thinks this library has to offer local people.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24You kind of grew up in Birmingham,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28so you must have gone to that old library, the sort of concrete,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31brutalist structure, with no windows, in the '60s and '70s.
0:23:31 > 0:23:32- Did you?- I certainly did, yeah.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37And I remember, its huge, imposing concrete frame very, very well.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39I think this new library has reacted
0:23:39 > 0:23:41to some of the criticisms of the old.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44It does feel like a more integrating place, a less foreboding place,
0:23:44 > 0:23:45less of an ode to concrete.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47If you just look at the way the circles
0:23:47 > 0:23:50kind of represent a new attitude towards integrating
0:23:50 > 0:23:53multimedia and different arts into the learning process.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56My first gut reaction after seeing this today was,
0:23:56 > 0:23:57"I've arrived in the future."
0:23:57 > 0:23:59It really is out there on another planet, isn't it?
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Yeah, and I think rightly so,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04as libraries everywhere are having to rethink, kind of, their purpose.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06I think it was the right thing,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08and a mission statement for the city to say,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11"We don't just want a place where books and shelves are housed,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13"we want somewhere where roof terraces are, and a cafe,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16"and some communal spaces, and the kind of spaces
0:24:16 > 0:24:18"where people of all ages can interact."
0:24:18 > 0:24:22I remember queues of people lining up to get into the library
0:24:22 > 0:24:23on its first opening day.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26I remember a comedian, John Simmit, saying to me in the queue,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28"There's so many people here queueing up
0:24:28 > 0:24:30"to get into the library in Birmingham."
0:24:30 > 0:24:32It kind of pooh-poohs the myth that we're not a city
0:24:32 > 0:24:35full of intellectuals, you know?
0:24:35 > 0:24:37And for someone like you, who's creative -
0:24:37 > 0:24:40you're a jazz musician - this must be the icing on the cake.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Yeah, for me it's a place for stories,
0:24:42 > 0:24:43a place where people congregate,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45and you can interact with them.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47And I think as Birmingham reasserts itself
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and writes its new story of self-identity,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53it's always going to be a place that people return to, to reference those
0:24:53 > 0:24:57stories, to find new stories, and to find new and interesting people.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02SAXOPHONE ECHOES AROUND BUILDING
0:25:02 > 0:25:06This is one of the most incredible buildings I have ever been in.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09It's world-class architecture. Please come and see it for yourself.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11It's got a feel-good factor about it.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16It inspires you, and you want to stay. Clever, clever Birmingham.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Woo! All right.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41From one hive of activity and learning to another
0:25:41 > 0:25:43of Birmingham's greatest buildings.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Thomas Plant is in the city's museum and art gallery,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49where he discovered Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53- Roger.- Hi.- Hi.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Are you a medal collector, or is this part of your family history?
0:25:57 > 0:25:59No, I'm a medal collector.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04- I've been interested in medals since about 1970.- Really?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06And what got you interested in medals?
0:26:06 > 0:26:10It was my late father-in-law who bought medals back
0:26:10 > 0:26:12from Germany after the Second World War.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14That's what started the interest.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Obviously, 2014,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18so it's 100 years since,
0:26:18 > 0:26:23the start... The commencing of action in Europe.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28And there will be a huge interest within the First World War.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Normally you'd just see those three.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Sometimes they're called Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34That is correct, yes.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38But the real names are the Victory, British War Medal and 1415 Star.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42And do you know the story and the history about the Military Cross?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45I do know that when it was instituted,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48it was obviously instituted for the First World War.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51You had the Military Cross which was given to the officers
0:26:51 > 0:26:54under the rank of major, I believe,
0:26:54 > 0:26:55and then you've got the military medal
0:26:55 > 0:26:58which was given to the ordinary ranks.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02What's lovely about this is that you have all the details of the action.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04The reason why
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Captain Thomas Henry Batty was awarded the Military Cross.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Yes, that is correct. He was awarded as a second lieutenant.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- As a second lieutenant?- Yes.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16The thing that's interesting about the group is that he obviously
0:27:16 > 0:27:18went in as a private ordinary soldier,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and he must have received a battlefield commission,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25and then obviously he won the MC...
0:27:27 > 0:27:30..supporting a company that's lost all its officers.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32He would have been massively respected by his men.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33I would imagine so, yes.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36- Because he's gone through the ranks, been through the ranks.- Exactly.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39You've got a number of things going for you here.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43It's a regiment. Not a corps. Which is great.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Because you get people who collect regiments. Lovely group.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50It's cork mounting, it's called, isn't it?
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- Yes, that is correct.- Cork mounted. It's well displayed.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- Quite a lot of people just polish them, don't they?- That's right.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59- Or put them in silver dip, it's best not to do that.- It is best.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01You bought these how long ago?
0:28:01 > 0:28:031976.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07I can't remember whether it was £250 or £300. I can't remember.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10- It's quite a lot of money then, isn't it?- Well, it was, yes.- So...
0:28:10 > 0:28:13You made an investment 38 years ago,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15and today they are still worth a lot of money.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19- And I would have thought an estimate of £2,000 to £3,000.- Oh, yes.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Definitely. What do you want to do about a reserve?
0:28:22 > 0:28:25You could put a reserve, say £1,800?
0:28:25 > 0:28:29- Fixed at 1,800.- Minimum, yes. - I think that's very sensible.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32A little bit of discretion, £1,800. I think these could do quite well.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36- Let's hope so. We'll see. Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- Pleasure to meet you.- OK, thank you very much.- What a fabulous item.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42Let's hope it does well at auction.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45And now, off to another stunning location,
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Hopetoun House, where James Lewis has been rather greedy
0:28:48 > 0:28:51and has two items on his table.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Hazel, I can honestly say I have never seen two more
0:28:55 > 0:28:59inappropriate objects to be paired together.
0:28:59 > 0:29:04- Well, they are connected, in that they both had the same owner.- OK.
0:29:04 > 0:29:05And who was the owner?
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Well, the owner was a distant relative of mine,
0:29:08 > 0:29:12and that was his christening mug.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15And he later in life became a chauffeur, and I've only realised
0:29:15 > 0:29:20today that that is actually a clock from a vehicle.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22- I always thought it was a ship's clock.- Ah, OK!
0:29:22 > 0:29:25So today, when somebody told me it was a car clock, that made
0:29:25 > 0:29:31perfect sense because he became a chauffeur in the early 1900s.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34A chauffeur in the early... What sort of period are we talking?
0:29:34 > 0:29:38We're probably talking about 1910, 1915.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42- So, this was his christening mug. - 1880.- So he was christened in 1880.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46- So he would have been working in his 30s in 1910.- Yes, probably 30s.
0:29:46 > 0:29:47- Around that sort of area.- Yes.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51OK. Which shall we start with? Let's start with the christening mug.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54- Let's start with that.- That comes first chronologically.- Yeah.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58I mean, that is a lovely, lovely mug. Look at the marks underneath.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02We've got a mark for William IV,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05a thistle.
0:30:05 > 0:30:06The Edinburgh mark.
0:30:06 > 0:30:11- And the Gothic capital B for 1833.- Right.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16So this is considerably earlier than you thought.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19We've got these scrolling foliate designs,
0:30:19 > 0:30:21with a stylised flower head at the end.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24And then these stiff acanthus leaves at the bottom,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27which is exactly what you'd expect to see on a pedestal
0:30:27 > 0:30:30- of a piece of furniture of the same date.- OK.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33So that really ties in nicely. Good example.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35So let's go on to this.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39So this would have been made and then attached to the dashboard,
0:30:39 > 0:30:40and...
0:30:42 > 0:30:43..it's a pocket watch.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Yes, I only found that out recently as well.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Of course, a normal pocket watch, when it's hung that way,
0:30:49 > 0:30:51- has the 12 at the top.- Of course.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55So of course, it couldn't possibly have been anything other than
0:30:55 > 0:30:58something that was made for this type of thing.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01It's got a winder. Now pre-1900,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- all pocket watches were key wound.- Right.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07So the fact that it's got a winder pretty much tells you of its period.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Do you have any idea what sort of vehicle it would have been in?
0:31:10 > 0:31:11No idea.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16But anybody who had a chauffeur and actually owned a motor car
0:31:16 > 0:31:20- in that period would have been incredibly wealthy.- Yeah.
0:31:20 > 0:31:26For the christening mug, that's going to be worth £70 to £100.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Right.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32- £40 to £60 for that. And I think it's a bit of fun.- Yes.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35- Is that all right for you? Are you happy?- I think that's probably
0:31:35 > 0:31:36- all right, yes.- Good.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38- Let's just see what happens. - Thank you very much.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Very different items, but similar values.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47And I wonder which will do best under the hammer.
0:31:47 > 0:31:48And now for something quite unusual,
0:31:48 > 0:31:51which I spotted at our valuation day in Wallasey.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57John, that looks pretty grim. Are you the bearer of bad news?
0:31:57 > 0:32:01- I hope not!- No, I don't think you are, actually. But I love that.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05I really do. It's macabre, but it's so interesting because it's so old.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10What we're looking at is an invitation to a funeral in 1688.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15- Now that's 320-odd years old. - Yes.- How did you come by it?
0:32:15 > 0:32:19It was left to me by my father,
0:32:19 > 0:32:23who found it in a house he was clearing in Bridlington in Yorkshire,
0:32:23 > 0:32:26- about 25 years ago.- Right. Did you grow up in Yorkshire then?
0:32:26 > 0:32:29- I did, yes. - So you're not a local chap?- No.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31- Who mounted it on a piece of card? - My father did.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35- Dad.- I think to preserve it as much as anything.- Yeah.- It's fragile.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36Yeah, you could see.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38In a way that's devalued it,
0:32:38 > 0:32:41- but at least it's kept it together in one piece.- That's right, yes.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44I'm going to read this out. This is quite interesting.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47"You are Defired to Accompany the corps
0:32:47 > 0:32:51"of Mr Samuel Reddington, late Deceased, from the Dwelling House
0:32:51 > 0:32:55"of Mr Charles Beardoe, by Fishmongers Hall on Sunday next,
0:32:55 > 0:33:01"being the Fifth of April 1688.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03"At Four of the Clock in the afternoon
0:33:03 > 0:33:08"precisely, to the Parish Church of St Michael, Crooked Lane.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10"And bring this Ticket with You."
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Now, I think this is London.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14- Fishmonger Hall is in London. - Yes, yes.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17I don't know where St Michael's Church is, Crooked Lane.
0:33:17 > 0:33:18I've had a look on maps,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21- and I think the church was probably lost in the Blitz.- Do you?
0:33:21 > 0:33:24- So you've done a bit of research?- Just a little bit, yes.
0:33:24 > 0:33:25But not a lot.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29I like the fact you've got the sands of time within the cherub
0:33:29 > 0:33:34wings above the skull. Look at this guy here, look. The skeleton.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36He's got a shovel, so he's the grave-digger.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Again,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41with another timepiece holding it up saying,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44"Your time is nearly up."
0:33:44 > 0:33:47This was block printed, wooden block printed.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49I mean, the condition does let it down.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52In perfect condition, I've seen these things sell
0:33:52 > 0:33:56for around about £400 to £600, because they are very, very rare.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58I'd like to put an estimate of...
0:33:58 > 0:34:01I know it's going to sound mean, £80 to £120.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03- But it's going to get people interested.- It's fine.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06And I think a couple of bidders might fight this out.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11- Happy to put it into auction with a value of £80 to £120?- Definitely.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12OK, well, I can't wait.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16I can't wait for the auction day, I really can't. Thank you so much.
0:34:16 > 0:34:17Thank you.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32And now, back to Dunster Castle.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Well, there's some great finds there,
0:34:34 > 0:34:39but none quite as old as this 13th century gateway.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42It's the oldest part of the original castle,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45and it survived the threat of demolition from various enemies
0:34:45 > 0:34:49and remarkably, it's the same gateway that visitors use today
0:34:49 > 0:34:51when they come to look around the castle.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55Well, right now, it's time for our final trip to the auction room,
0:34:55 > 0:34:57and here's what we're taking with us.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01Roger's World War I medals should attract collectors,
0:35:01 > 0:35:05so let's hope we hear more than just a pip and a squeak at auction.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12John's funeral invite is a hard item to value, but I'm hoping
0:35:12 > 0:35:15it will have a fitting sendoff and go over the estimate.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23And let's hope Hazel can have a celebratory drink after she sells
0:35:23 > 0:35:25her William IV christening mug
0:35:25 > 0:35:27and that rather unusual car clock.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36First up, back to our Midlands auction house
0:35:36 > 0:35:38where Nick Davies is on the rostrum again,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41hoping to sell Roger's medals,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44who's planning to use the money for a trip to the German dams
0:35:44 > 0:35:47to see some history first-hand.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Going under the hammer right now, we've got a fabulous group
0:35:51 > 0:35:54of medals, and one is the Military Cross that belongs to Roger.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56And we are just about to sell them,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59with a valuation of £2,000 to £3,000.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01The sale room's done their homework, we've all done our research.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- Let's hope we get that top hit. - Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06I'm quite excited.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Well, I'm...quite apprehensive.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11This is a roller-coaster ride for our experts and for you at home,
0:36:11 > 0:36:14but we can enjoy this. Here we go.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17The medal group, on top of the cabinet there. All framed.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22Where do we start on this one? Bid's with me at 1,600. 1,700.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25- I'll look for 1,800 in the room. - Wow!
0:36:25 > 0:36:281,700 with me, 1,800 anywhere in the room?
0:36:28 > 0:36:33- At £1,700 it will be. 1,800. Anyone coming in?- We need 1,800, don't we?
0:36:33 > 0:36:36- £1,700, I'll stay here with me.- No.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Are we all sure and done? At £1,700. All done and finished.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44- Hasn't got it.- Never mind. - What are you going to do, Roger?
0:36:44 > 0:36:46Take them home.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49- Take them home.- I'll take them home and put them back on the wall.
0:36:49 > 0:36:50The space is still there.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54What a shame. Thomas was right to be worried there.
0:36:54 > 0:36:55Sometimes you can just feel
0:36:55 > 0:36:58when something isn't going to sell in the room.
0:36:58 > 0:37:03But the medals definitely deserve their £2,000 estimate, so I hope
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Roger puts them to auction again soon and books his trip to Germany.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Next up, over to Anita Manning's auction room,
0:37:10 > 0:37:14as we sell Hazel's christening mug.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Good luck, Hazel. Fingers crossed for this. You're up next.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20We've got two lots, which James split up on the day, didn't you?
0:37:20 > 0:37:23We've got the silver christening mug and that little car clock,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25which I really like, actually.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28And I love the story about clocks, you know, in the dashboards,
0:37:28 > 0:37:30weren't really around then,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32so this one you could actually mount on your dashboard.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35So, how did you come across these? Remind us.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38- They belonged to my mother's second cousin's father.- Gosh!
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Good job you said that! I'd have mucked that up!
0:37:40 > 0:37:43It was his christening mug and his clock
0:37:43 > 0:37:46when he was a chauffeur in the early days of car driving in Edinburgh.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Right. That makes sense.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51A chauffeur's clock. Well, well. See?
0:37:51 > 0:37:53You learn something every day on "Flog it!"
0:37:53 > 0:37:56And that's what it's all about. Fingers crossed we get the top end.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59- Happy with that?- Absolutely, yes. - Let's go for it. Ready?
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Here we go, this is it.
0:38:01 > 0:38:07Lot 190 is the William IV christening mug
0:38:07 > 0:38:11and I can start the bidding at £60.
0:38:11 > 0:38:1460 with me for the Edinburgh christening mug.
0:38:14 > 0:38:1660, 70, 80,
0:38:16 > 0:38:2090, 100... 100 on the book.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24- 130. The book is out. - Never lets us down, does she?- No!
0:38:24 > 0:38:28- 130. With you, sir, at 130. - That's top money for that.- Yeah.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33Any advance...? 140, fresh bidder. 140.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36150. 160.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38160.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41With you, madam, at 160. All done at 160?
0:38:41 > 0:38:44All done at 160. 160.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- Hammer's gone down. £160. That's the first.- Excellent.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51I'm quite excited about the clock. I think it's quite unusual.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Here we go.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58Lot 241 is the vintage white metal eight day automobile clock.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Can we say £80?
0:39:01 > 0:39:0480? 60? Start me at £40.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06£40? 40?
0:39:06 > 0:39:08- 40 with me.- OK, we're in.
0:39:08 > 0:39:1140. 50.
0:39:11 > 0:39:1360. With you, sir, at £60.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17Any advance on £60? All done at £60.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21- £60?- Short and sweet, isn't it? Yes. Hammer's gone down. £220.
0:39:21 > 0:39:22That's brilliant!
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- That's not bad, is it? - No, I'm quite happy with that.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Going to put it towards a set of bagpipes.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30I'm learning to play the pipes!
0:39:30 > 0:39:33- So, how about that? - Oh, I pity the neighbours!
0:39:33 > 0:39:35BAGPIPES PLAY
0:39:35 > 0:39:38A respectable result there, but now, it's finally my turn.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42Will John's historic funeral invite get the auction
0:39:42 > 0:39:44crowd in Liverpool interested?
0:39:44 > 0:39:47I spoke to auctioneer Adam Partridge first.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50I found something at the valuation day, which is possibly
0:39:50 > 0:39:54the first time I've ever come across something like this for sale.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57It belongs to John and not for much longer because this will sell.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01It's a funeral card. An invite to a funeral, dated 1688.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04- It's a brilliant item.- Have you seen anything like this outside a museum?
0:40:04 > 0:40:06- No. Victorian ones all the time.- Yeah.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09But something that early, surviving in that condition, I think
0:40:09 > 0:40:11it's a brilliant item. Very hard thing to value.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14You can't look online and say one made this and one made that
0:40:14 > 0:40:18and it's this size and this shape. It's a real let the market decide.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20- But I think you've got your estimate right.- Great.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23And hopefully, we'll make £200 on it, or thereabouts.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26And if you could trace down the sort of, you know,
0:40:26 > 0:40:28the dynasty of that family and someone that's still alive
0:40:28 > 0:40:32today, through a family tree, that's worth an awful lot more.
0:40:32 > 0:40:33Isn't that a romantic notion,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36- that it's bought by someone who is a descendent?- Yes.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40- Well, good luck with that.- Thank you. I'm sure it won't die!- No!
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Oh, dear!
0:40:42 > 0:40:47Let's see if the invite invites much interest in the room.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50I know it's a little bit grim, belongs to John, not for much
0:40:50 > 0:40:53longer because this should fly away, like I said at the valuation day.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56I had a chat to Adam at the auction preview day yesterday
0:40:56 > 0:40:59and he said he's never seen anything like it, so it's pretty rare.
0:40:59 > 0:41:00It's pretty rare.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03And thanks to you, it's been cherished and looked after.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07- Yes, it's 326 years old.- Incredible. Absolutely incredible.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11I'd like to see £200 plus. We've given it a cheeky £80-120.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15- Let's see what happens. Ready for this?- I'm ready.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17- Let's do it! Here we go!- Thank you.
0:41:17 > 0:41:23It's a 17th century funeral invitation, dated 1688.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26And I'm already up to £200, already.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28At £200. I'll take 10 now.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32At 210 online. At 220 bid. 220. 230.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36- At 240 bid. At 250. - It's amazing!- 250.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Online at 250. 260.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44At 280. 280. Open-mouthed all round! Look at you all!
0:41:44 > 0:41:46300. At £300.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49At £300. At 300. A rare thing.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Brilliant!
0:41:51 > 0:41:53You won't find another.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57At 340. 360. 380. 380 bid.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01At 420. At 420. The funeral invite.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04At 440. 440 now.
0:42:04 > 0:42:09- At 440. 440. Any advance?- Brilliant! - Are we all done?- It's fantastic!
0:42:09 > 0:42:13Anyone in the room? We're selling online, then. At 460, a new place.
0:42:13 > 0:42:14At 480.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18Still going. 480. 500.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20- £500.- Wow!
0:42:20 > 0:42:23At 500. Where will you find another? 520 bid.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26520, we're still going on the funeral invite.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31At £520, are you all done? Last chances. At £520 we sell.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35HE BANGS GAVEL
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- Yes! £520!- Wow!- Wow! Well done!
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Thank you so much for bringing that in.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- You're a happy bunny, aren't you? - Oh, yes!- He's hopping!
0:42:44 > 0:42:47- Ooh, this is exciting!- A new fishing rod.- A new fishing rod for you!
0:42:47 > 0:42:50I was just about to say - what are you going to spend the money on?
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Well done, you. And what a way to end today's show, here in Liverpool.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56We had that wonderful little invite to a funeral.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59I told you we'd have a big surprise and I hope you've enjoyed the show.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02So, until the next time, it's cheerio from all of us.