Compilation 20 Flog It!

This is the House for an Art Lover. Yes, it really is called that.

And later on in the programme, I'll be back here getting some

tips on life drawing, which fits in beautifully with today's

programme, because it's like an artist's palette, full of colourful characters and stories.

So stay tuned for this special edition, as we bring you

some of the very best finds from all over the country.

Welcome to "Flog It!"

We've travelled the length and the breadth of Britain in search

of exceptional stories and objects to take to auction.

And we've been saving some of the best until now.

In today's show, we travel to Birmingham, Southall,

Edinburgh and Wallasey...

where our experts find a selection of fascinating collectables.

But can you spot which one of them

gets the bidders most excited at auction?

A painting by Albert Moulton Foweraker,

an artist obsessed by contrast...

-It's something that I bought at an auction...

-OK.

..in 1971, for ten shillings.

..an unusual 15-carat gold vesta case, dating back to the 1920s...

Most of them you see are either in a plated metal,

sometimes in silver, lots of them in silver, but you've got a gold one,

which is a very posh vesta case, Peter.

..or a pilot's watch made by one of the best names

in technical timepieces.

Do you know something, I have always wanted to own one of those.

One of our items fetches well over £1,000 today.

Can you guess which one it is?

Today's show comes from Dunster Castle in Somerset.

The original castle was built by a Norman lord, who fought alongside

William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

And, for his services, he was rewarded with Dunster.

Now, that seems to me like a pretty impressive perk

of the job by anybody's standards.

The castle is brimming with treasures and fine art,

and here's a good example.

Look, these very rare leather wall hangings.

They tell the story of Antony and Cleopatra and their romance.

Tragically, it went wrong, but here they are in happier times.

These were painted by a group of Dutch artists in the late 1600s

but nobody knows for sure who they were.

We love it when works of art turn up at our valuation days and

that's exactly what happened at Hopetoun House,

just outside of Edinburgh.

Pat, when I first started as an auctioneer, which would be 25

years ago, I was working for a firm called Neales in Nottingham.

And...a firm that...I...

We bought the firm back,

so I started there on work experience and eventually bought the firm back.

But I have to say, they wouldn't have let me if they knew I'd made mistakes like I did with my first

ever painting valuation.

-And it was one of these.

-Right.

I looked at it, I thought it was a print.

I put £20 to £30 on it.

And it made a lot more.

-And it was by this artist.

-Right.

And this is an artist called Albert Moulton Foweraker.

He was an artist that was obsessed with the contrasts of light

-and dark.

-Uh-huh.

Which is something that artists, way back through time,

have been interested in.

Rembrandt, again, the same, had that same passion,

that same interest.

And here we see a bluey-green scene,

a night-time scene. And he was well-known, Foweraker was well known

-for painting in these colours.

-Right.

With a single bit of light coming...

Just takes your eye right to it.

It's exactly where he wants you to look. And it's so effective.

Foweraker travelled a lot, especially in North Africa.

I think this is probably a scene, maybe in Tangiers,

or could be Tunis, somewhere like that.

-We see the dome at the top here.

-Yeah.

But...it's an artist that

-comes in and out of fashion.

-Yes.

At the moment, I have to say,

it's not the most fashionable of pictures,

and the value is not as high as it has been in the past.

I understand that, yes.

Is it something you've purchased?

-It's something that I bought at an auction...

-OK.

..in 1971, for ten shillings.

HE EXHALES

Well, in that case, it's not bad news, it's good news.

Can't go wrong.

Because, if you had bought it ten years ago at auction,

it would be a considerable amount of money.

Well, it was up on the wall for quite a number of years.

Now it's not up on the wall.

-So, tell me, do you deal, do you collect?

-No.

-I just collect.

-What do you collect?

-I mainly collect dolls.

-OK.

-Yeah.

So that doesn't go hand-in-hand with a Foweraker watercolour.

-No, it doesn't.

-Where does this...

I was at an auction...

over 40 years ago,

and I just really liked that.

Is this going to be an investment that goes into other antiques,

-like dolls, again?

-No, I think the money will go to my grandchildren.

OK, OK. Right, so...

how spoilt are your grandchildren?

Well, it's to make them appreciate that

if they hold on to some things, they can make extra money with them.

Well, it's a good picture.

And, although it's not making what it used to, I still think

your grandchildren are going to be spoilt with an extra £200 or £300.

-That would be very nice.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah, that'd be lovely.

Auction estimate, 200 to 300,

and a reserve of 2.

-That would be lovely.

-Super. Thank you very much for bringing it in.

-And well done, ten shillings.

-Yeah, marvellous.

The painting really is an excellent example of Fowerakers' use of both contrast

and the colour blue, but will the market appreciate his eye today?

Now, Christina Trevanion's eyes certainly lit up when she spotted

our next item in Birmingham's Museum and Art Gallery.

Oh, Betine, I do love an original box. There's nothing nicer than

seeing something in its original case, is it?

Let's have a little look.

Oh, OK, some silver apostle spoons. Where have these come from?

I inherited them from my mother, who was given them by a friend of hers.

-Right.

-Other than that, I don't know anything about them.

OK. Do you use them, or are they just in a cupboard?

-Just in a cupboard.

-OK.

So, they're called apostle spoons, they are solid silver, and we know

that because we have a really nice hallmark on the back of each one.

And we've got a Sheffield Assay Office mark, and then we've got

the lion passant mark for silver. The date letter U for 1887.

And a nice little Victorian Jubilee head as well.

And then we've got and maker's mark, which is RMEH,

which stands for Richard Martin and Ebenezer Hall.

They were great silversmiths and metalworkers, and great they've got that pedigree to them.

Now, we call them apostle spoons because they've got this very

decorative handle here. We call it apostle-style spoons, really.

Apostle spoons have been popular since the Reformation period

and they were to represent Christ's Last Supper with the Apostles,

so each of the finials would be modelled as an apostle.

And they were given as presentation pieces or commemorative pieces,

things like that. The really, really collectable pieces have each

apostle moulded on a terminal. Ours, unfortunately, just have a

generic apostle, so they've not been made individually, they've been made

as one. Having said that, they have got silver-gilt bowls,

which is really nice. It shows they are a little bit nicer than just being plain silver.

-What do you think of them?

-I think they're very pretty, actually.

They are pretty, aren't they? It's just a little bit difficult,

in today's market, to know how you would use them.

Value-wise, our auction estimate on them would be

somewhere in the region of £70-£100.

How would you feel about that?

-Mmm...I was hoping for a little bit more.

-Oh, were you?

OK, what were you hoping for?

More the other end, you know, sort of £100.

I think, because silver price at the moment is fluctuating,

we would need to be a little bit conservative.

To be perfectly honest with you, I think 70 to 100.

-All right, I'll leave it with you. That's good.

-Super.

Hopefully, silver will boom between now...

-Yes. I can't see the pigs flying.

-..and the auction. No.

There might be one over...

Let's hope, for Betine's sake, that Christina is being cautious

with her estimate.

And now from silver to gold,

and Adam Partridge has found a lovely piece back in Hopetoun House.

-Well, Peter, welcome to "Flog It!"

-Thank you very much.

You've brought along an item that we see very, very regularly in the auction rooms.

-A vesta case.

-Yes.

-Clearly not really something that

-anyone would use any more.

-No.

But they were made widely, end of the 19th century

and right through the first 30 years or so of the 20th century.

-A vesta, of course, for the famous matches.

-Matches.

So it's a match case, and the match would come out

-and there's this ribbed bit underneath.

-Right.

It's actually been quite well worn,

actually, must have used it quite a lot.

Then you would strike your match along there,

and the flame would come.

Usually for a pipe or a cigarette, I would imagine,

but sometimes, perhaps, for one of these magnificent

fireplaces of the kind we've got behind us.

Now, what is unusual about it is the fact that most of them

you see are either in a plated metal, in brass,

sometimes in silver,

lots of them in silver, but you've got a gold one,

which is a very posh vesta case, Peter. How did you come to own it?

-Well, the initials there are my paternal grandfather.

-Are they?

But he died 12 years before I was born, so I never met him.

And I inherited it when my father died in 1991. It's nice to look at.

Yeah, you're right, it's the sort of thing you just want to pick up

and it's got this lovely little curve on it to fit against the body.

It's a very tactile object.

And, of course, when you flip it up here,

they're always marked on one side there,

and we've got the mark there, WN & Co, which is

William Neill & Co, who were a firm of silversmiths, really,

and obviously goldsmiths, in Birmingham.

Prolific producers of pieces like vesta cases, cigarette cases,

cigarette boxes, accessories of that kind.

And we've got a mark there for 15-carat gold.

The Birmingham date letter for 1927.

A silver-plated one of this kind would be worth

£10 or £15. A silver one of that shape and description

would be worth £30-£50.

A 15-carat gold one, however, and the value hugely rises

up to £400 to £600.

I imagine it will make about £500.

How does that fit with your expectations?

-That's very nice.

-Oh, good.

I could fix it at 400. I don't think you should go for any less, because

the gold in it is going to be worth best part of that anyway.

And, as an object, it should make a bit more than that. Happy with that?

-Very happy, thank you.

-Excellent.

Let's get over to the auction room, shall we?

And here's a quick reminder of all the items going under the hammer.

Pat's painting by Albert Moulton Foweraker.

His use of light attracts the eye but will it attract the bidders?

Betine's apostle spoons were made by pioneering silversmiths.

But is that enough for them to top Christina's modest valuation?

And Peter wants to put the proceeds from the sale of his vesta case

towards a holiday.

But the question is, how far will he get?

First up, over to expert and auctioneer Anita Manning,

who's on the rostrum at the Great Western auction rooms

to try to sell that Foweraker painting.

Well, our next lot, the Foweraker oil painting, was

-bought for just ten shillings by Pat in 1971, at auction.

-Yes.

-You got it in the right place.

-Yes.

-You bought it trade, you bought it at source, didn't you?

-Yes.

And hopefully we can turn that into £200 to £300.

-And you've had the joy of looking at it.

-Yes.

-Haven't you?

-For a few years.

Just got to hope somebody's got a turquoise room to put it in.

Do you know what, you're right. Let's find out, shall we?

There's plenty of people here. Let's put it to the test.

Albert Moulton Foweraker. Here is a superb

and typical work of his.

Do we have phones here?

-Two phones, where are they?

-Two phones!

I can start the bidding at £150.

160. 170. 180. 190.

200.

220. 230.

240, on the book. 240. 250.

The book is out.

-250.

-Well, we've sold it.

-It's with David. The book is out at £250.

Any advance on 250?

All done at 250. 250.

Yes, £250. Spot on.

-Mid-estimate.

-It goes to somebody that wants it.

-Exactly, yes.

-Thank you for bringing that in.

-You're welcome.

'Remember, of course, that with every auction there's varying

'rates of commission and VAT to pay,

'if you're buying or selling.

'So make sure you find out how much in advance.

'And next up, expert and auctioneer Nick Davies is putting the spoons

'under the hammer at Fieldings Auctioneers.'

-Fingers crossed, Betine, good luck with the spoons.

-Yeah.

-It's been a long wait, hasn't it?

-It has.

-It has. Let's hope it's going to be worthwhile.

-I hope it is.

We've got six apostle spoons going under the hammer now. Sheffield silver.

-Hopefully they will sell well for you.

-I've got my fingers crossed.

-Good.

-So have I.

And things have been going well today, as well. Good luck.

-This is your lot coming up right now. This is it.

-Best of luck.

The apostle spoons with the gilt bowl, Sheffield, 1887.

Nice condition, I don't think they've ever been used. £70.

-In straight away at 70.

-We're in at £70.

-Oh, gosh.

90. And five. 100.

-110.

-Brilliant.

-120. 130.

140. Anybody else? At £130, it will be.

140 anywhere else? At £130. On my left, at 130.

All done and finished?

-Sold.

-Well done, Betine.

-That was marvellous!

You've got to be happy with that.

-I am.

-I think... Do you know what? I think

that's the start of a lot of clearing out, don't you?

I can see the auction rooms being very busy.

-I might see you again.

-With your chattels?

Yes, come along, won't you? Definitely come to another valuation day.

And if you'd like to join us, you're more than welcome.

Details of up-and-coming dates and venues, you can

find on our BBC website. Just log on to

bbc.co.uk/flogit

If you don't have a computer, just check

the details in your local press, because we would love to see you.

Time for the sale of one of the most impressive vesta cases

we have ever had on the show.

-Peter, good luck with this.

-Thank you.

-We see a lot of vesta cases on this show

but I think this one's got something special about it.

I think it's quite tactile. I know it's plain, but there's something wholesome about it.

-And it was Grandad's.

-It was Grandad's, yes. On my father's side.

-And it's got his inscription in it.

-It's got his initials.

-You like this as well.

-It's a high-class vesta case,

isn't it, Paul?

You see them in metal and brass and silver but 15-carat gold,

I mean, that's for a distinguished chap, isn't it?

Well, this is quality and hopefully we're going to get top prices,

-because you know what we always say, quality always...

-..sells.

Yeah. This is it.

Victorian 15-carat gentleman's vesta case.

400. Will you start me at £400?

300, thank you, sir.

I'm holding bids in the books.

Any advance on 300 on the floor?

320. 340. 360.

Any... 380. 400. 420.

440. 460. 480.

Any advance on 480? 500.

520. 540.

I'm pleased this is doing so well.

580. 600.

It's on the book at £600.

-Commission bids at 600.

-A striking lot.

Any advance on 600? All done at 600.

600.

I'm ever so pleased with that. And, as Adam said,

it's a striking lot, it really was.

That is a fantastic result. That's going to be cherished and treasured.

-Yeah, it's an investment piece. Invest in a vesta.

-Yeah!

Don't tell me you're going to put the money towards a holiday.

He's just come back from a cruise in the Caribbean, haven't you?

There's always time for another holiday.

Well, exactly. Look, enjoy the money.

You have to have commission here. It's 18% plus VAT.

Deduct that from that hammer price but, look, enjoy it, OK?

Thank you very much.

That deserved to go for top of the estimate.

A lovely little piece with a rather large price tag.

And now, back here at Dunster Castle, I've just time to show you this.

Nobody knows who this debonair-looking cavalier is,

but what we do know - it was painted in 1638 by the portrait

artist Edward Bower, who was in high demand during his lifetime.

He even painted a three-quarter-length portrait

of King Charles I at his trial.

Not many of us could ever hope of painting anything like that

but you don't have to be a highly trained

and skilled artist to produce a picture, as I found out

when I joined an art class in Glasgow.

I've been lucky enough to be surrounded by art all my life.

I grew up with it and I've always been so impressed with what an artist can achieve.

Something so dynamic with a few bold

strokes of a pencil on a piece of paper.

So I thought it's about time I gave it a go,

and what better place to do it than here at the House for an Art Lover?

This extraordinary building was designed in 1901 by Glaswegian

architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Today it lives up to its name as a vibrant space that ignites

the public's interest in art and design.

And it's where I'm going to try my hand at a drawing class.

Life drawing, in fact.

Is everybody ready with their new sheets of paper?

Life-drawing classes became popular in the 19th century but drawing

the human body has been around since the beginning of art itself.

The ancient Greeks were fascinated by the human form.

2,500 years ago, Greek artists studied it in the flesh

and created amazing sculptures that captured the whole body

with accuracy and beauty for the first time.

I've done a fair bit of still-life drawing, you know,

sort of bowl of fruit, that kind of thing.

But here, when you've just got a sort of a classical figure,

there's no space for errors or mistakes.

Guiding me through is our teacher Sheena Russell

and Sam Murphy is our model.

I'm hoping they'll teach me enough tips and tricks to draw

a respectable full-length picture of Sam by the end of the lesson.

First, counting heads.

So if everybody can look at Sam, pick up your pencils, close one eye,

measure from the top of Sam's head to her chin.

So I've got one, two, three,

four, five, six.

If you, say, put in her head you'll need six of that measurement

to fit the entire figure into the sheet of paper.

And remember, straight arms, straight arms.

Remember you can use this technique with the width as well.

This theory of proportion is demonstrated by Leonardo da Vinci's

seminal life drawing, Vitruvian Man.

It shows how the proportions of the body can be

measured against each other.

For example, the length of the outspread arms equals

the height of a man. Each part of the body is a fraction of the whole.

The proportions there look absolutely spot-on. Very good.

-OK, I hope that was helpful.

-Very.

-Good.

Yeah, it's a really clever little trick, that.

Very nice work, everybody.

The next exercise is all about tone,

using shading to create the picture.

Remember, with tonal drawing, it's the difference between

the light and the dark that gives something shape and depth.

Using a rubber like, yeah, lift some of that pigment off

so there's maybe some on the hip and a little bit...

Actually, you already have that highlight on the bum cheek, there.

The tonal exercise really proved how

-light and shade can bring a picture to life.

-Well done, everybody.

So, if I put all of Sheena's tips together, what will I achieve?

We'll probably spend about half an hour.

Half an hour's a long time, isn't it?

It is, it'll go really quickly, though.

-OK.

-OK, so whenever you're ready.

Really hard to have half an hour to make this look accurate.

The human form is said to be the most challenging

of subjects to draw and mastering it has been the pursuit of artists

throughout history.

I'm nearing in the end but I haven't got a lot of detail.

I'm scared to do it.

You could maybe put in a hint of spine there, as well,

-because then that'll help with the shape.

-Yeah, I can see...

I've got the back too long, I can see that now.

This here is a bit long but the legs in comparison is a bit...

-It's wrong.

-It's just a bit short.

OK, just one minute left now. Any final touches.

OK, everybody else can rest and breathe.

God, just about got the legs about three inches longer

and it's made me a bit happier.

-Sam, what do you think?

-Yeah, I think it's a really good effort.

I see what you mean about the back, it's slightly longer.

But for somebody that's never done life drawing before I think...

-But you've got the arm...

-I know.

-..well done as well.

-Yeah, the classical pose.

-So, would you do any more, then?

Yeah, I would, actually.

Great to hear it from Sam but what does my teacher think?

Good proportions and good tonal work with the charcoal as well, I think.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

Well, there you are, look.

There's the fruits of our labour and just looking down at these now,

looking at everybody's work all at once, I can see mine

is by far the darkest and the heaviest and that's

because I've got massive great big hands like a builder,

I'm club-handed. I need to lighten up.

Well, I don't think I produced a masterpiece like some

of the works that are on display here.

But I'll tell you what,

I've been surprised by what you can learn with a few quick, simple tips.

So, if you've got the inclination to pick up a pencil or a little

piece of charcoal and start drawing, then please do it right now.

There's no time like the present and I bet you enjoy it.

Well, this is a show that's jam-packed full

of fine art from wonderful masterpieces here at Dunster Castle,

to affordable investment pieces at our valuation day

and to distinctly amateur attempts by my good self.

Now, though, a work of art of a different form.

James Lewis has spotted a work of art of the technical variety

back up in Scotland.

Jeannette, do you know something?

-I have always wanted to own one of those.

-A Breitling watch?

So, if you don't mind, I'll just... Just have a look. Oh.

I've got such fat paws that it won't go on.

-Brian was very, very small...wrist.

-Brian your, your...?

-My late husband.

-Your late husband, gosh. And this was his?

And it was his, yeah.

Because, I mean, that must have looked massive on him,

-just look at that.

-But he liked the thickness of it.

-The big, yeah. Wow.

I mean, this is the most amazing of wristwatches.

It's a pilot's watch.

And it's called the Navitimer

-simply because it was like wearing a computer on your wrist.

-Ah, I see.

You could do absolutely everything.

This isn't something that just tells the time.

If we just take the book out.

It is marvellous because, here we go.

Operation as a slide rule.

So it can be a slide rule.

-To work out your ground speed. By the watch.

-By the watch?

Miles per minute, calculated by the watch.

Gasoline consumption, calculated by the watch.

Distance in climb or descent.

-So it definitely was a pilot's instrument.

-Yeah, yeah. Very much.

-Did your husband fly?

-No, he was a civil servant.

-Civil servant, just loved it as a watch?

-Just loved it as a watch.

Brilliant. Well, I don't fly either but I'd love it as a watch.

And when you start looking at the quality of these things,

you start thinking about the cost, new.

These were a lot of money. They really were.

The box is the original and, looking at the style of the box

-and the style of the watch and strap, looks to be 1970s.

-Right.

Mid to second half of the 1970s. '75, '78, something like that.

Condition is good.

-There is a massive following for wristwatches at the moment.

-Really?

What would it cost, new, to buy one of those?

I know they are very expensive.

-About £6,000.

-Are they really?

-Yeah.

-Gosh, that's huge amount.

-Oh, yeah, that's why I've never bought one.

Mind you, I'd never buy a new one anyway.

But, second-hand, still a lot of money

because it's now worth £700 to £1,000.

Which is really, really good.

Which, OK, not the same as a new one

-but probably a lot more than it cost all those years ago.

-Oh, yes, it must've been.

But I think we should protect it with a reserve, £700 reserve.

If it doesn't make that...

James, would I be able to put that up to maybe 800?

If that would be OK, I'd like to do that, then.

It's your watch, it's your decision. Let's do that.

800 firm but that reserve also has to be at

the bottom end of the estimate.

So at 800 reserve,

let's put 800 to 1,200 on it as an estimate.

That's lovely, then. Thank you very much, indeed.

-Good luck, I think you'll do well.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you.

Janet's husband was certainly a man of taste

and the proceeds of this sale will be going to his favourite charity.

So let's hope it does well.

What has four legs, a seat but you wouldn't want to sit on it?

Philip Serrell has found the answer in Wallasey Town Hall.

Dave, I have to say that, for you and I to sit on one of these,

-we'd want one for each cheek, wouldn't we?

-Not half.

That's about half, is what it is. Tell me all about this, then.

-Where's it come from?

-My grandmother had it.

I believe she got it when she was three years old.

-This is your granny's chair?

-Yeah. She was 84, 85 when she died.

-When was that?

-Oh, that must be about 44 years ago.

So 44 years ago is about 1970, isn't it?

-I've had it 45 years.

-Right, OK.

-So we're going back to around 1900ish, 1905, aren't we?

-Yeah.

So this is your granny's chair. It's been in the family for 80-odd years.

-Probably since it was made. And you're going to sell it?

-Yeah.

I've got two daughters and I don't want them fighting over it, you know.

I can sort of get that, I can sort of...

I think it's absolutely lovely.

What I love about this is it's just a miniature ladder-backed chair.

So we've got this ladder back here and we've got a lovely rush seat.

There's a very thin dividing line between patinate

and being completely worn out.

And there's...for me, there's three areas of collector for this.

You know, there's someone who collects what we call apprentice,

this is an apprentice piece.

You know, they're collecting apprentice-piece furniture,

or miniature furniture.

So, the first area of collectability is someone who's going to buy

small bits of furniture.

The next area of collectability is someone who's a doll or

a teddy-bear collector because what a fantastic prop that is.

But, for me, if you've got a child or a grandchild,

what a fantastic present to give them. You know, it is just original.

Look at this here. These legs are all chamfered.

There's an expression, "How does it turn up?"

This bottom here is just like the day it was made.

These spindles are all completely original.

If this was a full-sized chair, it's worth a fiver

but as a child's chair I think you could put a reserve on it,

a fixed reserve of £40, I think that you can

estimate it at £50 to £80

and I think that, if you have a real result at the auction, you might

just get three figures for it.

I think it's absolutely lovely, I'd love to own it.

So, what are you going to do - give your daughters half each?

-No, I'm going to go on holiday with it.

-I like him.

No, I'm going to go on holiday, I'm going to enjoy it.

Good lad.

Let's hope Dave manages to treat himself with

the proceeds from the sale and that the grandkids don't find out.

Mark Stacey has come across another unusual item

in the splendid Southwell Minster.

Sylvia, what a charming little object you've brought in.

Could you give me any of the history?

-It belonged to my brother who died about 12 years ago...

-Right.

..and left me quite a few things and I thought this was lovely.

This is a little miniature lamp.

-Coaching lamp or miner's lamp, something like that.

-Yes.

-And it's just very nicely made. It's hallmarked in Chester.

-Really?

The Chester Hallmark closed down many years ago now,

so it's quite an interesting little hallmark for 1912.

So it's just over 100 years old.

And it's got the maker's mark of Gray & Co, who specialised

in these little novelty items, little card cases,

little silver objects of virtue. And this is just what this is, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

-It's got a few condition problems.

-There's a little bit of wear to the top there.

-Yes.

-Somebody's been overpolishing it a bit. Not you, I hope.

-Not me, no.

-Does the bottom come off?

-Yes, it does.

You can undo it and it's been dropped at some time

and it's got a bit of a dent at the bottom.

Oh, can you put a light in there?

You can, it's got a little sort of mechanism inside, I think,

for putting a little sort of wick.

-And then I suppose the light magnifies out of there.

-Wonderful.

-But it's a really funny, quirky little item, isn't it?

-Yes.

Now, you've had it for a number of years.

Have you ever thought about the value?

Some time ago I did take it to be valued and he said up to £500.

I think if it was in very good condition it might make that.

But because of the condition issues that I've mentioned, I think

we've got to temper that down a little bit in today's market.

Because, at the end of the day, they're quirky items

-but what on earth do you do with them?

-Absolutely, yes.

-You have to be a collector, really, don't you?

-Yes.

-You know?

I think if we put it into sale we've got to think realistically

and maybe put an estimate of 200 to 300 but with a reserve of 200.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Indeed, yes.

-Wonderful.

-And let's hope it lights up the saleroom.

-Let's hope, yes.

Now, all the items that you've seen on the show

so far have been in good condition.

There's something I want to point out to you

here in the library at Dunster Castle.

It is the fabulously preserved wallpaper.

The Victorian embossed wallpaper.

And if you look closely you can see an image of a bird.

Now, that bird is a hoopoe bird.

During the Victorian time there was a real fashion for this cheaper,

embossed wallpaper because it was a cheap imitation of the real thing -

painted, embossed leather wallpaper, which would cost a small fortune.

Now, the trick here is to keep this out of the sunlight

and I think they've done a wonderful job here.

Right, it's time to put our expert skills to the test as we go

over to the auction room

and here's a quick recap of what's going under the hammer.

Philip has given a modest valuation to the miniature chair

but has speculated it could make three figures.

Dave will be keeping his fingers crossed.

Sylvia's novelty miner's lamp is a quirky one but let's hope it

attracts some attention and meets its reserve price at least.

And there's no doubt, surely, that Janet's pilot's watch will fly away.

But will it sell for the heady heights of that top estimate?

First, over to Mellors and Kirk auctions

where Sylvia's unusual miniature lamp is up for sale.

Sylvia, it's great to see you again. Who's with you?

-Who've you brought along?

-My daughter, Suzanne.

-Pleased to meet you.

-How do you do?

-Hi, hi, hi.

Well, Mark was excited about this silver miner's lamp

because you've not seen a silver miner's lamp before.

No, and quirky bits of silver always seem to do well, don't they?

Yeah, it's a novelty thing, it's different

and you can't do comparables on it.

So someone's going to want to own this.

-Fingers crossed we get that top end. Ready for this?

-Yes.

-Been to an auction before?

-Yes.

-Yeah, quite a few times.

Right, here we go. Let's do it.

£100, I have bid on commission at 100,

and 10, 120, 130, 140, 150,

clears my book at 150.

160, 170, 180? At 170.

180. 190, 190.

200, 220, seated? At £200 the gentleman...

-200 on the reserve.

-Yes.

-I shall sell.

It's gone, you did it, it's gone, just. It's gone.

-Well done.

-Well done, Mark.

-Enjoy.

-Thank you.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

Not bad. Now to expert and auctioneer,

Adam Partridge, as he puts the miniature chair under the hammer.

Well, I love this next lot going under the hammer.

It's a little child's leather-backed chair.

-It's got quality and it's got charm, Dave.

-Yeah.

-But it's also got family history.

-It has, yeah.

-Grandma's?

It was my grandmother's, yeah. She had it when she was a child.

Why are you flogging this?

Surely there's more generations of the family going on that

would love this, it's a great christening present.

I've got two daughters there and I don't want them squabbling over it.

-Does one of them love it?

-They both love it.

Look, I hope you come out winning all-round. That's all I can say.

Let's hope we get top money for this, then you can take them

all out for a meal.

It's going under the hammer right now.

Lot 45 is this little child's rush-seated chair.

There we are, cute little thing.

Nice for a child or a doll or a teddy bear. Lot number 45.

20, 5, 30, and 5. At £35, then.

I have 35, is there 40 in the room, or not? At £35, 40 in the corner.

At £40 in the corner now. At £40. 5, 45, 50. 50 bid.

It's £50 in the corner.

At £50, any advance on £50? Over this side now and we'll sell at £50.

Hopefully there's enough there to treat everybody.

-I'd just take the grandchildren out.

-No, it's going towards my holidays.

-Oh, is it? Well, good luck. Where are you going?

-Tenerife.

-Tenerife. Well, enjoy the weather, won't you?

-Oh, I will do.

Thank you, Dave.

Not quite the three figures we could have hoped for

but still a respectable amount and Dave seems happy.

Finally, I've been looking forward to this.

The pilot's watch is up for sale.

Time's up. No, don't go and put the kettle on. We haven't finished yet.

Going under the hammer right now we've got Janet's Breitling watch.

It's a navigator's watch for a pilot. And it was your husband's.

-All the money is going towards his charity, I believe.

-That's correct.

Deep down, I think we could double or triple this estimate.

-Triple would be amazing. But I'm hoping for above top end.

-Double.

-Double, come on, James.

-I'm hoping 1,650, 1,750, something that.

Look, I know it's out of our hands.

We can talk until the cows come home.

Right now it's all down to this lot. A room packed full of bidders.

Let's hand to the proceedings over to Anita Manning. Here we go.

A wonderful and rare watch, ladies and gentlemen.

I am able, from commission bids, to start the bidding at...

-£700.

-Oh.

-700.

It's a tease, don't worry, it's a tease.

750. 800.

850, 900,

950, 1,000, and 50.

1,100, and 50. 1,200, and 50.

1,300, and 50. 1,400, and 50.

1,500, 1,500.

-£1,500.

-Come on.

-1,500.

1,500 on the floor. Are you finished on the floor?

It's at 1,500.

Commission at 1,550?

1,580? 1,600.

You're there, James. You said 16, didn't you?

I'll take 20 if you wish? 1,620, the book is out.

Oh. Wow, that £20.

1,620, any advance on 1,620?

All done at 1,620, 1,620.

-Yes, £1,620.

-APPLAUSE

Brilliant, happy with that.

And that's going to two charities. You were spot on.

-Wasn't he spot on?

-Absolutely.

-Well done, James. And well done, Anita.

-Thank you for bringing something like that in. Good luck.

-Thank you.

Well done.

What an eclectic mix of collectables we've had on today's show.

Join us again soon to appreciate some art, relish some history

and enjoy some more exciting auction action.