Birmingham 3 Flog It!


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This is Soho House on the outskirts of Birmingham,

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home of the great industrialist Matthew Boulton.

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Some of the greatest minds of the 18th century met here once a month,

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by the light of the full moon,

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calling themselves the Lunar Society.

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The ideas they discussed here would change the course of history -

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that's what comes from an enquiring mind.

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Welcome to Flog It!

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MUSIC: Get Lucky by Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams

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Birmingham's role at the heart of the Industrial Revolution

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was largely thanks to one man,

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the pioneering engineer and entrepreneur Matthew Boulton.

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He paved the way so that by the Victorian times,

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it was known as the city of 1,000 trades.

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We'll be hearing more about Mr Boulton

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and the Lunar Society later on.

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Today, we're on our own voyage of discovery

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here at Birmingham's Museum & Art Gallery,

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situated right in the heart of the civic centre.

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It's full of the finest examples of man's ingenuity and talent

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but meanwhile, our experts are on their own voyage of discovery,

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delving into all of these bags and boxes, looking for treasures

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to take off to auction and there's only one question on their lips,

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which is...

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-ALL:

-What's it worth?

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MUSIC CONTINUES

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On their own quest for enlightenment are our industrious experts,

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James Lewis and Thomas Plant,

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who'll be hoping to see lots of Birmingham's famous anchor hallmark

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on the gold and silver brought in today.

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# We're up all night to get lucky

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# We're up all night to get lucky... #

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Yeah, that's nice, it's Birmingham.

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James, James, that's not a magnifying glass.

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THIS is a magnifying glass.

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Thomas, size isn't everything, mate.

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Ha - I'm keeping well out of that debate.

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Coming up on today's show,

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Thomas shares his knowledge of technical terms...

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You know how stamps is philately or paper money is scripophily -

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fishing is called piscatoria.

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..James practises his bedside manner.

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-How do you feel?

-All right.

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I think if it made any less, I'd be disappointed.

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-So would I.

-OK.

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Oh, no.

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'..and one of our contributors makes a special effort at the auction.'

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Harry's in full dress with a swagger stick.

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Look at this. Ooh!

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We have taken over the museum's Rotunda Gallery

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for our main valuation day venue.

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It really is lights, camera, action right here, right now.

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In the very centre is the Archangel Lucifer

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by one of the 20th century's greatest sculptors, Jacob Epstein.

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He shows Lucifer leaving Heaven and as he's falling,

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his hands are shielding him from the flames of Hell as you can see.

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Before he falls, he's the bringer of light and the most beautiful angel.

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I think we should focus on that aspect

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and let's hope our next item has all of those qualities.

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Let's catch up with our experts.

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MUSIC CONTINUES

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And to kick us off is Thomas, who's spotted a real catch.

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-So, are you a fisherman, Luke?

-Yeah, I am.

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-What do you fish?

-Carp.

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-Carp?

-Yeah.

-That's in the big lakes?

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Yeah, fishing lakes.

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And is your whole family into fishing?

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My mum was. My dad still is and I am, yeah.

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-Now, you've brought along these two pair of reels here.

-Yeah.

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-Salmon reels by Farlow & Co. from London.

-Yep.

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How have you come by them?

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Well, my mum bought them in about 1960 or 1970

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-from a second-hand shop in Erdington.

-Did she pay much for them?

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She said, like, nine pounds, she said.

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-That's quite a lot of money then.

-Yeah.

-Did she use them?

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She hasn't used them, no.

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-She liked them, that's why she didn't want to use them.

-They're lovely.

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-Yeah.

-They are really nice.

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Now, do you know what the collecting term is called for fishing?

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I'm not sure.

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You know how stamps is philately or paper money is scripophily,

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fishing is called piscatoria -

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-pisca as in Pisces, piscatoria...

-Yeah, yeah.

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..so, a bit of piscatoria here.

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-I think these are rather special.

-I know, they're quite nice.

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I think they are lovely. How much is a modern reel now?

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Oh, they can be from five pounds to thousands, some of them can be.

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Yeah, yeah.

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Well, I have a funny feeling that at auction,

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-these are going to do quite well.

-Yeah.

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You've got lacquered brass. What do you think this is made out of here?

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-I'm going to guess ivory of some sort.

-It's not ivory. No, it's horn.

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-Oh, it's horn?

-You're quite right, it's an animal product.

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Well annotated here, patent lever number 1,850

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by C Farlow & Co., 191 The Strand, London.

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It's a pair of them.

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You've got, on here, you've got the initials of the owner -

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F R H 1 and F R H 2.

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-Even being conservative, I think 500-700 is conservative.

-Yeah.

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-They could end up making £1,000.

-Yeah.

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They are rare. To have them cased, they're 19th-century, numbered -

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-it's the most popular sport..

-It is, yeah.

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..and there are people with real money out there to spend on these.

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-It makes me want to go and start fishing, really.

-Yeah. It is good.

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MUSIC: Fishin' Blues by Taj Mahal

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# Any fish bites if you got good bait

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# Here's a little tip that I would like to relate... #

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I love fishing and those reels are a REAL catch...

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# I'm a-goin' fishin'

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# Yes, I'm goin' fishin'

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# And my baby goin' fishin' too... #

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..but is James as confident about our next item?

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Harry, anyone who knows me knows I gravitate towards anything African.

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You've brought a really interesting mass of Masai artefacts.

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Now, what are they doing here in Birmingham?

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How did you come to have them? What's the story?

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Well, the story is I was brought up in Kenya.

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I came back when Jomo Kenyatta became president.

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He basically booted us all out in '62

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and my father was in the government service,

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he worked for the Kenya government, British Home Office.

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Some Masai tribesmen lost some cattle.

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They were stolen overnight and my father rounded up some askaris,

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we called them, they were soldiers, basically.

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He got the cattle back to the Masai, the Masai said,

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"Thank you very much, have a shield and some spears."

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-How wonderful.

-Because they hadn't got any currency,

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-this was all they'd got.

-And what sort of timing was this?

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Early 1950s.

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So we're talking about things that were collected over 60 years ago.

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-Yeah.

-So people automatically think that these things

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are tourist objects that are post-war

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but it's not long before these actually become true antiques.

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-There were no tourists in Kenya in the 1950s.

-No, not many.

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We've got first of all the shield

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and the spears which are the classic warrior pieces.

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The shield made of cattle skin or vellum

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and then of course the dyes - the white is made from clay

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-and the red, I'm sure you know...

-I'd say, probably, some blood.

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-Blood, exactly, cattle blood.

-Yeah.

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Mixed with, again, a bit of soil, a bit of earth and then smeared on.

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And then we've got the two spears, both with a point at the bottom

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and for a Masai boy to become a warrior, one of his biggest tasks,

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the most important thing that he can do, at least it used to be,

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is to kill a lion.

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Originally, the idea would be the spear would be jammed in the ground

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and as the lion charges, it leaps just before it makes its kill

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and the shield hides the spear

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and then as the lion is about to kill the Masai warrior,

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away goes the shield, the lion falls on his spear.

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Absolutely right, yes.

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Traditionally, these are known as leaf spears

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but traditional Masai spears, lovely.

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But then we got a whole mass of other things - we've got the comb.

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-I've never seen these before - they're like pine cones.

-They are.

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-Seed pods, but I don't know what.

-Seed pods.

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-They're wonderful, aren't they? Very tactile.

-Yeah.

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A couple of knives, a fly whisk, necklace and a zebra skin drum.

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Together, I think the best thing to do with these

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is to put them as one lot.

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The shield is going to be worth 40 or 50, £60.

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The spears are worth about £30 each.

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We're talking about £100 there, 120, about £150.

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I would put 150 to 200 or something around there as an estimate.

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OK, what would you say as a reserve?

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I think 150 as a reserve - if they don't make that,

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hold them back and try them again another day.

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-Happy to go with that.

-Lovely.

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JAZZY MUSIC

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There's a huge crowd here today and I love seeing if I can spot

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some gems before the experts decide what they're going to take to auction.

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-Can I just have a look at this camera...

-Yes.

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..because look, look, here.

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There's a great example of great British craftsmanship.

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Look at that.

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J Lancaster & Son, made right here in Birmingham.

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There's its patent number, look at that, 1891.

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This is a later Victorian box camera.

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Now, plenty of these have survived

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but I'll tell you where the value is -

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It's in the bellows. It's a box bellows.

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If you pull this out, those bellows have to be in perfect condition.

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Also, the lens. That's very, very critical.

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If it's scratched, it's worthless but this one's very clean,

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it's in very good condition.

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-Kirsty, how did you come by this?

-It was my father's.

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Was he a photographer or a collector?

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No, I think he got it from his dad so...

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-It's been in the family quite some time?

-Yeah.

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I just wonder if it took photographs of your family,

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-you know, three generations back, let's say.

-Possibly.

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-That would be quite amazing, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

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This one looks to be in perfect condition

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and it's made of Cuban mahogany, I mean, there's no expense spared.

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I think it's absolutely lovely.

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I think if you put this in to auction,

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-you might be looking at around £150-£250.

-OK.

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..because it's a lovely piece of kit for a photographer.

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Photography items are highly collectable so who knows?

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Well, look, thank you for coming in anyway. Thanks.

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Now, Thomas has found an old friend.

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Ruth, Flog It! wouldn't be Flog It!

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without a piece of Clarice Cliff.

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This is what we have here, a piece of geometric Clarice Cliff.

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As far as I know, it's early Clarice, is that right?

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Well, it is early cos it's got this geometric design.

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I think Clarice has a bad press sometimes

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because some people don't like her because of the jazzy patterns

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but I think she's a really important person in 20th-century art.

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Some patterns are rarer than others

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and this is just simple, a Bizarre pattern and the gold backstamp,

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which is an earlier backstamp -

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Newport Pottery, went on to Wilkinson's.

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It rings well.

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-There aren't any major dings. There's a bit of paint loss.

-Yes.

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-Has it been in your family for a long time?

-Well, I think it has.

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It was my aunt's, my great aunt's.

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Why have you brought it here today?

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Well, the thing is I had nightmares that one of these days,

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it's going to just go crunch

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and then it's going to be worth nothing.

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Well, it will always be worth something to me

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but I think it's time that it went

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because I'm trying to save some money to put on another play.

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-Put on another play?

-Yes.

-So are you a...

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Do you write plays or are you a director? What do you do?

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A bit of both, actually.

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I write the plays, I direct them and I'm actually sometimes in them.

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-I mean, we're not going to get you a king's ransom.

-No, I know that.

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I think I could say auctioneer's estimate - one, 120.

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-Well, that would be all right.

-Reserve it at £80.

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Where we're selling it, the auction house,

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what he doesn't know about Clarice Cliff isn't worth knowing.

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-Oh, gosh.

-I haven't felt more confident

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about a piece of Clarice Cliff ever.

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Oh, I doubt that. Is that the truth? Really? No.

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-Well, because it's going to the right place.

-Well, that's fantastic.

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It's going to the right place where they specialise in Clarice.

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-Really?

-Yeah, he does.

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It's nice to meet you

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and I look forward to seeing you at the auction.

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-Thank you very much. Cheers, thank you.

-Thank you.

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MUSIC: How Bizarre by OMC

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# How bizarre, how bizarre... #

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Well, we've already seen hundreds of people

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and we're only halfway through our day.

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Our experts have been working flat out

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and they've now found their first items to take off to auction

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so don't go away because this is where it gets exciting.

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Anything could happen and here's a quick recap

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of all the items that are going under the hammer.

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MUSIC: Love Me Again by John Newman

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# I need to know now, know now

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# Can you love me again? #

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Ruth's classic Clarice Cliff fruit bowl

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with its striking abstract design is highly collectable.

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Harry's Masai collection with his dad's story

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gives a fascinating glimpse into our recent colonial history

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and I predict Luke's piscatoria -

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or fishing reels to you and me -

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will net a few bidders.

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# Can you love me again?

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# Now I'm rising from the ground

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# Rising up to you... #

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We've travelled a short distance to the market town of Stourbridge

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and Fieldings Auctioneers,

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where we're always assured of a warm welcome

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from our very own Nick Davies.

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Seller's commission here at Fieldings is 18%.

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First up is our old friend, Clarice Cliff.

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Clarice never lets us down.

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Well, it has on two occasions over about 13 years of filming

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so the percentage is up there. Look, good luck with this.

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-Thank you.

-I know you need the money, don't you?

-Yes, I do.

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Tell us all about this.

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Well, really, I'm selling it so that I actually can put the money

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into a new production and I will put my play on sometime in the summer.

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Is there a role for us two?

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Why not? Now then, my next play will be all about an auction house.

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Right, let's put this Clarice Cliff to the test, shall we?

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It's going under the hammer right now.

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Lot 170, Clarice Cliff Holborn fruit bowl

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in the original Bizarre pattern,

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£100, straight off on a commission at £100...

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Opening the bidding, do I see 110 anywhere...

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At £100 maiden bid, nice early bizarre pattern...

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At 100, 110 anywhere else...

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110, 120...

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You're out, 110 seated it is...

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At 110, 120 anywhere else...

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We're in the room at 110...

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Are we all sure and done at £110...

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Finished and done...

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-It's good.

-I think that's good as well.

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Yeah, I'm OK with that.

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Good luck with the play.

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Thank you very much. Cheers.

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Short and sweet, a confident result for Clarice.

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Now, our next item couldn't be more different.

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Going under the hammer right now,

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we have a Masai warrior's shield and some spears -

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good tribal artefacts and I've been joined by Harry,

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who's in full dress with a swagger stick.

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Look at this. Ooh!

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So, what's this all about, Harry?

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Well, my father was in the prison service in Kenya

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and one of the local Masai tribes gave him the spear and shield.

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This is what he wore every day.

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Oh, brilliant, hope it brings you good luck.

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It's going under the hammer right now. Good luck, Harry. This is it.

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Any bids and interest? I can open here at 130.

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-140.

-Right, we're in.

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150 in the room? 140 with me. 150.

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Right in the distance, I've got you at £150.

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Paddle aloft, thank you.

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Do I see 160 anywhere else?

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At £150, he'll take them home with him, be sure of that.

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At 150. 160 anywhere else? Last chance.

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At 150 to sell then, all done. Are we finished?

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-£150, they've gone.

-I'm very happy indeed.

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-They'll only rust in the shed.

-And I love this.

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And you're obviously going to keep this.

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-This is not for sale.

-This is part of the wardrobe.

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Fancy dress.

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290, 300, 310, 320...

0:15:330:15:35

'So far, so good.

0:15:350:15:36

'Our lots are racing off the podium.'

0:15:360:15:39

Well, it's time to reel in the bidders

0:15:400:15:43

as we cast out this next lot number.

0:15:430:15:45

And it is those wonderful salmon fishing reels belonging to Luke.

0:15:450:15:49

-I think these are quality pieces.

-Oh, they're just amazing.

0:15:490:15:51

-What's the biggest carp you've ever caught?

-21-pounder.

0:15:510:15:54

Oh! Man, that's massive. I've caught a five-pound carp -

0:15:540:15:56

I thought that put up a fight - but 21.

0:15:560:15:58

That is a fish that size, isn't it?

0:15:580:16:00

I mean, great fish. Great fish.

0:16:000:16:03

Oh, I love my fishing. Right, OK.

0:16:030:16:05

Hopefully, we are going to sell these.

0:16:050:16:07

£500 straight off, on a commission at £500.

0:16:070:16:10

Do I see 520 anywhere in the room?

0:16:100:16:12

-We're in. £500.

-500.

0:16:120:16:15

520, anywhere else for the reels?

0:16:150:16:17

At £500, maiden bid, on commission.

0:16:170:16:19

520, right in the distance.

0:16:190:16:21

540, 560?

0:16:210:16:23

-That's more like it.

-580?

0:16:230:16:24

600.

0:16:240:16:25

-620, 640...

-Yes.

0:16:270:16:29

£620, on commission at 620.

0:16:300:16:32

640. Anybody else want to have a go?

0:16:320:16:35

At £620 on commission.

0:16:350:16:37

With Alison at 620, all done?

0:16:370:16:38

Yes, £620.

0:16:400:16:42

-That's good, yeah.

-That proves fishing memorabilia

0:16:420:16:45

is big business.

0:16:450:16:46

What do you think Mum will do with it, give you some?

0:16:460:16:48

-I know you're studying...

-We're going to go halves, yeah.

0:16:480:16:51

-Going halves? That's all right, that's quite generous!

-Well done.

0:16:510:16:54

-Thank you for coming in.

-Yeah, thank you.

0:16:540:16:56

'Quality kit.

0:16:560:16:58

'What a great return.'

0:16:580:16:59

200 with you, sir. At £200, all done.

0:16:590:17:02

That's the end of our first visit to the auction room today.

0:17:020:17:04

We are coming back here later on.

0:17:040:17:06

Now, most of us have heard of James Watt, the great Scottish engineer

0:17:060:17:09

and inventor of the steam engine,

0:17:090:17:11

but who was the man behind him?

0:17:110:17:13

Well, he's Birmingham's most famous industrialist,

0:17:130:17:16

and he's even on the back of the £50 note.

0:17:160:17:17

Go on, go and check who it is.

0:17:170:17:19

Well, if you don't know, you're going to find out right now.

0:17:190:17:22

The 18th century was the age of invention,

0:17:290:17:31

discovery and expansion

0:17:310:17:33

on a level that had never been seen before.

0:17:330:17:36

So, it's no wonder that it became known as the Age of Enlightenment.

0:17:360:17:40

In Birmingham, one of the leading lights of the British Enlightenment

0:17:420:17:45

lived here at Soho House in Handsworth.

0:17:450:17:48

When Matthew Boulton moved to Soho House in 1766,

0:17:540:17:57

it was at the centre of a vast 200-acre estate

0:17:570:18:01

overlooking his famous Soho Manufactory,

0:18:010:18:04

the most complete manufacturer of metals in England.

0:18:040:18:08

It was just the first of a long line of visionary

0:18:080:18:11

accomplishments that he achieved

0:18:110:18:13

giving him international fame during his lifetime

0:18:130:18:15

and lasting fame in the history books

0:18:150:18:18

as one of the founding fathers of the Industrial Revolution.

0:18:180:18:22

'Boulton inherited his father's buckle and button business in 1759.

0:18:260:18:32

'And within a year, he had started building his great,

0:18:320:18:34

'one-stop Soho Manufactory

0:18:340:18:37

'that was to revolutionise production methods.'

0:18:370:18:41

Within a few years, it was turning out jewellery, coins, medals,

0:18:430:18:47

decorative objects, fashionable ormolu

0:18:470:18:49

and of course, silver tableware -

0:18:490:18:51

not to mention Sheffield plate -

0:18:510:18:53

and exporting them all over the world.

0:18:530:18:54

And here is a wonderful marble bust of Matthew Boulton himself.

0:18:540:18:58

But this is a Boulton masterpiece.

0:18:580:19:00

Boulton's greater skill was as an entrepreneur.

0:19:030:19:06

He could spot talent and an opportunity at distance.

0:19:060:19:09

He didn't need to think twice, he struck when the iron was hot.

0:19:090:19:13

And his greatest partnership was with James Watt,

0:19:130:19:16

the Scottish engineer and inventor.

0:19:160:19:18

'Recognising the potential in Watt's early designs,

0:19:200:19:24

'Boulton brought him to Birmingham,

0:19:240:19:26

'and the resulting Boulton and Watt steam engines

0:19:260:19:28

'became the driving force for much of the emerging

0:19:280:19:31

'Industrial Revolution.'

0:19:310:19:32

Boulton's wide-ranging and prodigious talents

0:19:360:19:38

attracted fellow enquiring minds.

0:19:380:19:41

And amongst them, they managed to discover oxygen,

0:19:410:19:46

harness the power of steam...

0:19:460:19:48

..pioneer the theory of evolution...

0:19:490:19:52

..and revolutionise the British pottery trade.

0:19:530:19:56

'In 1766, this elite group of friends

0:20:000:20:03

'founded the Lunar Society

0:20:030:20:06

'with the intention of meeting each month

0:20:060:20:08

'by the light of the full moon.

0:20:080:20:10

'Alongside Boulton were some of the leading thinkers of the day -

0:20:100:20:14

'James Watt,

0:20:140:20:15

'Erasmus Darwin,

0:20:150:20:17

'Joseph Priestley

0:20:170:20:19

'and Josiah Wedgwood.

0:20:190:20:20

'To tell me more about this extraordinary group

0:20:220:20:25

'is Professor Jennifer Tann.'

0:20:250:20:28

So, how and why did the Lunar Society start?

0:20:280:20:31

The Lunar Society was a group of friends.

0:20:320:20:35

It started with just three or four people

0:20:350:20:38

who were local to Matthew Boulton, in this place.

0:20:380:20:42

They were all hugely intelligent

0:20:420:20:45

in different trades and so on,

0:20:450:20:48

and they liked being sociable.

0:20:480:20:50

The 18th century was a coffee house society.

0:20:500:20:54

And it was a society where their business papers

0:20:540:20:58

were full of personal reminiscences as well.

0:20:580:21:00

Much more fun to work on than later times.

0:21:000:21:03

So, apart from their obvious intelligence and curiosity,

0:21:030:21:06

what sort of people were they? What sort of chaps were they?

0:21:060:21:09

Remembering that some of them were Nonconformists,

0:21:090:21:11

so they didn't belong to the established Church of England,

0:21:110:21:14

so they couldn't have gone to university,

0:21:140:21:16

to Oxford and Cambridge.

0:21:160:21:18

Er, others were sons of tradespeople,

0:21:180:21:22

like Matthew Boulton himself.

0:21:220:21:25

But it was a time when people could be very upwardly mobile socially.

0:21:250:21:29

And Boulton opened this house

0:21:290:21:33

to visitors from overseas

0:21:330:21:36

and, erm, the nobility from here.

0:21:360:21:39

He courted them for his own business.

0:21:390:21:41

-Sure. They were clients?

-Yes, indeed.

0:21:410:21:44

But he also loved it.

0:21:440:21:46

They played, they had fun.

0:21:460:21:48

Sure, and bounced ideas, as you say, off of each other.

0:21:480:21:51

-Indeed, I think they built on the ideas of each other.

-Yes.

0:21:510:21:54

There was a little bit of teasing about competition

0:21:540:21:57

between Josiah Wedgwood, the potter, and Matthew Boulton,

0:21:570:22:01

because Boulton wanted to make cameo brooches.

0:22:010:22:04

And he said, something like,

0:22:040:22:06

"Well, I think I might become a potter, too."

0:22:060:22:09

And Wedgwood sort of said, "What?!"

0:22:090:22:11

-But this didn't happen and they remained the best of friends.

-Sure.

0:22:110:22:15

All very successful men.

0:22:150:22:16

So, set the scene, OK? Let's say the Lunar Society are meeting.

0:22:160:22:19

It's not quite the full moon today,

0:22:190:22:20

but paint the picture of supper time here.

0:22:200:22:23

Well, they'd start about two o'clock in the afternoon.

0:22:230:22:25

So, they'd arrive in daylight in their carriages

0:22:250:22:29

and would travel really some distance.

0:22:290:22:31

Erasmus Darwin came from Lichfield,

0:22:310:22:33

which would have taken a while to get here.

0:22:330:22:36

But they rolled up about that time.

0:22:360:22:37

Dinner was a sort of three o'clock in the afternoon onwards kind of meal.

0:22:370:22:42

Lasting through to the early hours...

0:22:420:22:43

I think the "onwards" was the operative word.

0:22:430:22:46

-Lots of fine wine.

-Yes.

0:22:460:22:48

Boulton had a wonderful cellar.

0:22:480:22:49

But they'd sit round here and share ideas,

0:22:490:22:52

building on, "Have you heard about this?

0:22:520:22:55

"What about the other?"

0:22:550:22:56

For instance, when the Montgolfiers in France sent up the balloon,

0:22:560:23:01

Erasmus Darwin tried to send Matthew Boulton a balloon from Lichfield,

0:23:010:23:05

but it got blown some distance to Hagley Hall instead.

0:23:050:23:08

Fabulous, really, isn't it, to think that, you know,

0:23:080:23:11

some of the discussions and inventions that took place

0:23:110:23:13

from here have really shaped Britain's history in some way.

0:23:130:23:17

Yes, it has. It has made a huge contribution.

0:23:170:23:20

There were lots of other coffee clubs,

0:23:200:23:23

but nothing quite like the Lunar Society,

0:23:230:23:25

which was deliberately kept informal,

0:23:250:23:28

no minutes,

0:23:280:23:29

no membership list,

0:23:290:23:30

nothing.

0:23:300:23:32

Just a network of friends who had fun,

0:23:320:23:35

who played,

0:23:350:23:36

who sparked off each other intellectually.

0:23:360:23:39

And had huge, huge curiosity

0:23:390:23:42

about life and the external environment.

0:23:420:23:45

They were really extraordinary people.

0:23:450:23:48

And when Boulton died and it had really fizzled out,

0:23:480:23:52

and some of them had died already and left the area and so on,

0:23:520:23:56

it just got left as a sort of...

0:23:560:23:59

-..episode in time.

-Which is lovely, isn't it?

-Yes.

-It really is.

0:24:010:24:04

Since those heady days nearly 250 years ago,

0:24:100:24:14

Soho House has being a vicarage,

0:24:140:24:16

a girls' school, a hotel and a police hostel.

0:24:160:24:19

But thankfully, it has now been returned to its former glory,

0:24:190:24:23

when it entertained a group of friends

0:24:230:24:24

who would help shape our future.

0:24:240:24:27

And Josiah Wedgwood summed up the Lunar Society by saying,

0:24:270:24:30

"We were living in the age of miracles,

0:24:300:24:32

"in which anything could be achieved."

0:24:320:24:35

# One, two, three o'clock, four o'clock rock

0:24:380:24:41

# Five, six, seven o'clock, eight o'clock rock

0:24:410:24:44

# Nine, ten, eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock rock

0:24:440:24:46

# We're gonna rock around the clock tonight

0:24:460:24:49

# Put your glad rags on... #

0:24:490:24:51

Welcome back to our valuation day

0:24:510:24:53

here at Birmingham's Museum and Art Gallery.

0:24:530:24:56

It's now time to catch up with our experts

0:24:560:24:58

to see what else we can find to take off to auction.

0:24:580:25:01

Let's take a closer look at what James Lewis has just spotted.

0:25:010:25:04

Tom, I have to say, you're the sort of person I would expect to

0:25:090:25:12

be wandering around Birmingham with an iPad or a laptop.

0:25:120:25:17

An inkwell? I guess you've inherited it from someone, yeah?

0:25:170:25:20

No, no, I've bought myself a couple of years ago.

0:25:200:25:24

I bought it in the NEC.

0:25:240:25:26

-So you're a collector?

-Oh, yes, yes, yeah.

0:25:260:25:29

Lovely, OK, so what attracted you to that?

0:25:290:25:32

Well, I collect inkwells,

0:25:320:25:33

-so there was, like, a link there.

-OK, yeah.

0:25:330:25:37

And compared to my other ones, this one stood out to me,

0:25:370:25:41

-because of the decorative features to it...

-Yeah.

0:25:410:25:44

-..and the quality, which I like too.

-Yeah, let's have a look.

0:25:440:25:49

We've got a pineapple-shaped, hobnail cut,

0:25:490:25:52

clear glass well in the centre, with a silver cover,

0:25:520:25:56

hallmarked in the top. Rupert Favell is the maker.

0:25:560:26:00

We've got the lion and we've got the K,

0:26:000:26:02

-which is the date letter for 1885.

-Gosh.

0:26:020:26:05

Erm, the base is nicely engraved

0:26:050:26:07

and we've got a whole sea of leafy acanthus scrolls

0:26:070:26:12

on a matted ground.

0:26:120:26:14

-You see these little pinpricks that have been hammered in?

-Yeah.

0:26:140:26:17

Just gives the ground that bit of texture,

0:26:170:26:19

so that the engraving stands out.

0:26:190:26:22

Now, whenever you have a well that is detachable,

0:26:220:26:25

-the first thing you must make sure is that that matches that.

-Yeah.

0:26:250:26:29

And you've got that same engraving around the outside, so good news.

0:26:290:26:33

Now, value...

0:26:330:26:34

I don't want to know what you paid

0:26:340:26:36

-because that will affect what I tell you.

-Yeah.

-Erm...

0:26:360:26:39

£80-£120, I think it's pretty enough to make that.

0:26:400:26:44

-I think if it made any less, I'd be disappointed.

-So would I.

0:26:440:26:49

OK, oh, no. OK, what did you pay?

0:26:490:26:53

-I paid about 300.

-Did you?

0:26:530:26:56

OK, right, that's your difference,

0:26:560:26:58

a lot of the time, between auction price and retail.

0:26:580:27:02

-Yeah.

-And we all know that all the shows that are on the TV,

0:27:020:27:06

how difficult it is

0:27:060:27:08

-to buy retail, and sell and get your money back.

-Yes.

0:27:080:27:10

And of course, the dealer, he may well, he or she,

0:27:100:27:14

may well have bought it from auction, may have bought it for,

0:27:140:27:17

say, 130, £150, then paid the buyer's premium on the top,

0:27:170:27:22

and then they've got their petrol, their stall costs,

0:27:220:27:25

all the overheads...

0:27:250:27:26

-Yeah.

-..and they've got to earn a salary out of it.

0:27:260:27:29

So a lot of the time, you're paying double

0:27:290:27:31

-what your dealer has paid for it at the fairs.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:27:310:27:33

How do you feel?

0:27:330:27:34

-All right, all right.

-Sure?

-I think so, yes.

0:27:360:27:38

OK, so what are you going to do?

0:27:380:27:40

Are you going to reinvest the money in something different?

0:27:400:27:43

-Erm, antiques, still antiques.

-Brilliant, well done you.

0:27:430:27:46

Have a look at the auction when you go,

0:27:460:27:48

and the key to an auction is not to set your heart on one thing.

0:27:480:27:52

If you're going to buy and then sell it on,

0:27:520:27:54

it's go and look at that auction

0:27:540:27:56

and mark everything in the catalogue.

0:27:560:27:58

-Yes.

-It doesn't matter if you like it or not.

0:27:580:28:00

If you're doing it to make a profit, mark everything,

0:28:000:28:03

pick up the bargains, sell them and use the money to buy what you love.

0:28:030:28:08

-Sounds perfect.

-That's the way to do it.

0:28:080:28:10

It's so nice to see somebody of your age with an interest,

0:28:100:28:14

-and I hope you do really well with it.

-Thank you.

-Well done, you,

0:28:140:28:16

and I'll see you at the auction.

0:28:160:28:18

-Thank you very much.

-Lovely to see you.

0:28:180:28:20

Top tips from James.

0:28:200:28:22

MUSIC: Mr Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra

0:28:220:28:25

Now, I've got a story for you.

0:28:250:28:27

Now, have you ever wondered why Birmingham silver,

0:28:270:28:30

and I've got an example here,

0:28:300:28:32

has the assay mark of an anchor stamped on it?

0:28:320:28:34

You're completely landlocked, you're in the middle of the country,

0:28:340:28:37

yet you have an anchor as a hallmark.

0:28:370:28:39

Well, there is a rather simple explanation.

0:28:390:28:42

Matthew Boulton, the famous silversmith and manufacturer,

0:28:420:28:45

was lobbying for an assay office in Birmingham,

0:28:450:28:48

and also in Sheffield at the same time.

0:28:480:28:50

Now, he went down to London to do this,

0:28:500:28:52

and with his colleagues, they got granted the rights for one.

0:28:520:28:57

So they went off to a pub called the Crown and Anchor,

0:28:570:29:00

and legend has it, that's where they tossed the coin,

0:29:000:29:03

and Birmingham got the anchor,

0:29:030:29:05

which you can quite clearly see here,

0:29:050:29:07

and Sheffield got the crown.

0:29:070:29:09

And now over to Master Plant

0:29:110:29:13

for a lesson in English ceramic history.

0:29:130:29:16

-Roy.

-Yes.

-This is quite a feminine object, really, isn't it?

0:29:170:29:21

-Yeah.

-Two burly chaps,

0:29:210:29:24

sitting in between a Blue Children Doulton Burslem vase.

0:29:240:29:28

Tell me, how has it come into your possession?

0:29:280:29:30

Well, it was my mother-in-law's originally.

0:29:300:29:33

She was in service in the 1920s and '30s, at Reddings Road, Moseley,

0:29:330:29:38

and the lady who owned the house went to Canada,

0:29:380:29:42

-and she gave it to her as a going-away present.

-Oh, really?

0:29:420:29:45

-Yeah, she was an upstairs maid, my mother-in-law.

-An upstairs maid?

0:29:450:29:48

-Yeah.

-Fabulous, I bet you she saw some stuff.

0:29:480:29:50

-Oh, yeah, some of the stories she told.

-Yeah?

0:29:500:29:53

Like two of them working a vacuum cleaner,

0:29:530:29:56

one jumping up and down on the bellows

0:29:560:29:58

and the other one working the hose.

0:29:580:30:00

-Isn't that fabulous?

-Yeah.

-I hear this story quite a lot, actually.

0:30:000:30:04

Somebody's been in service, and their employer gave them a gift,

0:30:040:30:07

erm, and, you know, when they left their service.

0:30:070:30:10

And what a lovely gift. Did she prize it highly?

0:30:100:30:14

-She did, indeed, you know, it had pride of place in her house.

-Yeah.

0:30:140:30:17

And then, the last 20 years of her life, she came to live with us...

0:30:170:30:21

-Yeah.

-..and she gave it to us as a present, like, you know.

0:30:210:30:24

Well, that's very sweet.

0:30:240:30:25

So, it's a classical shape, almost campana.

0:30:250:30:28

Campana is a little different, it has handles here,

0:30:280:30:31

but ovoid Greek-urn-shaped.

0:30:310:30:34

And it's, as I've mentioned, it's by Doulton Burslem,

0:30:340:30:36

the art pottery. Part of Royal Doulton,

0:30:360:30:39

British, English porcelain, beautifully done.

0:30:390:30:42

And you've got the mark there, for Doulton Burslem,

0:30:420:30:44

and the little England mark,

0:30:440:30:46

-and that helps you date it.

-Yeah.

0:30:460:30:47

Dates it between 1891 and 1910.

0:30:470:30:50

The gilding is superb -

0:30:500:30:53

this lovely gold handle, the decoration here,

0:30:530:30:57

a quality piece.

0:30:570:30:58

And this type of decoration, we call Blue Children ware,

0:30:580:31:03

cos the children are always blue, and it's a lovely scene, isn't it?

0:31:030:31:06

-It is, indeed.

-You've got a little girl on a bench

0:31:060:31:09

with her dolly, talking to a toad.

0:31:090:31:12

-Yes.

-Is she imagining if she kisses that toad, it turns into her prince?

0:31:120:31:17

It could be...yeah. THEY LAUGH

0:31:170:31:20

Have you ever...had ideas of value?

0:31:200:31:23

Not really...

0:31:230:31:24

I did have an idea in 1988, but...

0:31:240:31:27

-1988, yeah?

-But evidently, it's gone down since then.

0:31:270:31:30

I'm afraid, this is my thing I was going to say to you,

0:31:300:31:33

it's great quality but it's one of these things

0:31:330:31:35

which is almost yesterday's antiques.

0:31:350:31:38

In the late '80s, early '90s, these were making £600-£800.

0:31:380:31:43

You know, good money.

0:31:430:31:45

-Yes.

-Today, it's probably not making as much.

0:31:450:31:48

-No.

-I'd probably almost half it, to be candid.

0:31:480:31:51

Between £300-£400, with a reserve at 200.

0:31:510:31:54

Don't give it away.

0:31:540:31:56

But the size is going for it.

0:31:560:31:58

Are you happy with that?

0:31:580:32:00

Yes, I think that's fair enough.

0:32:000:32:01

I mean, it's better to be sold than get broke on my sideboard.

0:32:010:32:05

Is that where it is at home?

0:32:050:32:07

Well, it's been on the sideboard, yeah,

0:32:070:32:09

but we've got a great-grandson who comes and...

0:32:090:32:12

-How old is he?

-He's three, now.

-You don't want to have it around

0:32:120:32:15

with him, he'd be like this.

0:32:150:32:16

I've got a four-year-old... "Can I have a look at this, please?"

0:32:160:32:19

They tend to kick and throw before they...

0:32:190:32:22

-before they let you know.

-Yeah, of course, of course,

0:32:220:32:24

I think you're doing the right thing,

0:32:240:32:26

and maybe your great-grandson might benefit from the sale.

0:32:260:32:29

That's right.

0:32:290:32:30

MUSIC: Time On My Hands by Al Bowlly

0:32:300:32:32

# Time on my hands You in my arms... #

0:32:320:32:38

Well, Joyce and Bob, welcome to Flog It!

0:32:380:32:41

Erm, I have to say, somebody about 130, 140 years ago,

0:32:410:32:46

has either left you together their entire personal timekeeping,

0:32:460:32:51

-one for the home and one for travel...

-Mm-hmm.

0:32:510:32:53

..or are these things that you've bought separately

0:32:530:32:56

or inherited separately?

0:32:560:32:57

-Yes.

-OK.

-The main clock, the large clock is an inherited timepiece

0:32:570:33:02

that goes back to pre-1900,

0:33:020:33:05

and that was owned by my father's mother and father.

0:33:050:33:09

Let me stop you there, because you've said "a timepiece".

0:33:090:33:13

And actually, as an auctioneer,

0:33:130:33:15

-I only learnt it relatively recently...

-Hmm.

0:33:150:33:17

..that there is a difference between a clock and a timepiece.

0:33:170:33:20

-Oh, right.

-Do you know what it is?

-No.

0:33:200:33:23

A clock chimes,

0:33:230:33:25

so it's got a gong, or if it's got a bell,

0:33:250:33:28

-then it's a clock.

-Oh, right.

0:33:280:33:29

If it hasn't, it's a timepiece,

0:33:290:33:32

-and that's the definition of the two.

-Oh, right.

0:33:320:33:34

So here we have one, and I think you've just about dated it

0:33:340:33:38

-precisely what I would have said as well, about 1900 in date.

-Yeah.

0:33:380:33:42

This is a mantle clock with mercury compensating pendulum,

0:33:420:33:47

and with the mercury,

0:33:470:33:49

you could add little drops of mercury into these glass tubes

0:33:490:33:53

to change the weight,

0:33:530:33:55

-keeping the time correct on the clock.

-Right.

0:33:550:33:57

We've got an ivory in-dial,

0:33:570:33:59

a visible escapement, Roman numerals.

0:33:590:34:01

We've got a circular gong,

0:34:010:34:03

which is associated with Continental pieces,

0:34:030:34:06

and again, that will date it to after about 1880.

0:34:060:34:11

Generally, before then, you would find a bell.

0:34:110:34:13

So, that's that, but this little chap,

0:34:130:34:16

what a beautiful little watch.

0:34:160:34:18

-Hmm.

-Gorgeous, isn't it?

-What's the story with that?

0:34:180:34:21

Well, that goes back to my grandfather.

0:34:210:34:24

He used to regularly go to a local pub

0:34:240:34:28

-on the edge of Birmingham...

-Right.

0:34:280:34:30

..and somebody came up to him and said,

0:34:300:34:33

-"Would you like this watch?"

-No, I don't believe it.

0:34:330:34:37

"Cos I need to have a drink."

0:34:370:34:38

So consequently, for about £2,

0:34:380:34:44

-he gave him £2 to buy...

-You hear these stories.

0:34:440:34:46

..quite a few pints in those days, I should think,

0:34:460:34:49

going back to the '70s,

0:34:490:34:50

and he ended up having that in exchange for the £2.

0:34:500:34:54

Well, it's a great little watch.

0:34:540:34:57

Well, the man in the pub was trying to flog a lady's fob watch.

0:34:570:35:01

-Yes.

-Yes.

-So we've got an outer case that's engraved

0:35:010:35:04

with foliate scrolls around the outside,

0:35:040:35:06

which is typical of the period.

0:35:060:35:08

And then inside, we've got a movement,

0:35:080:35:10

and the movement is inscribed,

0:35:100:35:12

-"The Waltham Watch Company, Massachusetts".

-Uh-huh.

0:35:120:35:15

Now, Waltham was the leading manufacturer

0:35:150:35:18

-of watch movements...

-Right, uh-huh.

0:35:180:35:20

..and they exported them in their hundreds and thousands,

0:35:200:35:24

probably millions.

0:35:240:35:25

And we've got a Continental ten-carat gold case.

0:35:250:35:30

You've got a top winder on there,

0:35:300:35:32

which would date it to 1900, or slightly later.

0:35:320:35:34

Pre-1900, they tended to be key-wound. Now, value...

0:35:340:35:39

-There's a bit of a chip to the enamel at the bottom, there.

-Mm-hmm.

0:35:390:35:42

There's also a chip to the glass case that

0:35:420:35:44

-I didn't see to start with.

-Yeah.

0:35:440:35:46

-But the biggest problem is that...

-HE TAPS ON GLASS

0:35:460:35:49

-That's a new piece.

-That's a new piece.

0:35:490:35:51

We've got three bevelled glass panels,

0:35:510:35:53

-and then a new piece here...

-Yeah.

0:35:530:35:54

-Yes.

-..which does considerably lower the value.

-Hmm.

-Oh, right.

0:35:540:35:57

So taking all that into consideration,

0:35:570:35:59

I think £100-£150 is the right sort of investment.

0:35:590:36:02

-This little chap, though, really like that.

-It's a very nice watch.

0:36:020:36:07

-I should think that's going to be worth around the same as this.

-Hmm.

0:36:070:36:11

-Around £100, probably.

-Yeah.

0:36:110:36:13

I would have hoped, maybe, a little bit nearer the 200 level.

0:36:130:36:16

-OK.

-But if you say 150, if that was a sort of reserve price?

0:36:160:36:21

-These things, you've got to be comfortable in letting them go.

-Yes.

0:36:210:36:24

-Hmm.

-So, if you feel that anything less than 150

0:36:240:36:27

you wouldn't be happy with, don't sell it at less,

0:36:270:36:29

-and let's put £150 on it.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Hmm.

0:36:290:36:31

-It's got a chance.

-I think so, yeah.

-Yeah, right.

-Certainly, yeah.

0:36:310:36:34

-But it would certainly be a pretty thing to have.

-Yeah.

-Right.

0:36:340:36:36

-So, sale it is.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

0:36:360:36:38

-Good luck, and I think we'll do all right.

-Thanks very much.

0:36:380:36:40

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

0:36:400:36:43

Well, it's now time to say goodbye

0:36:430:36:44

to our incredible valuation day venue,

0:36:440:36:47

Birmingham's Museum and Art Gallery.

0:36:470:36:50

And who'd think that when we started filming here this morning,

0:36:500:36:52

the incredible stories that we would uncover here today?

0:36:520:36:56

And I hope you've learnt a thing or two, because I certainly have,

0:36:560:36:59

but right now it's off to the auction room for the very last time.

0:36:590:37:02

This is where anything could happen,

0:37:020:37:04

so don't go away, it's going to get rather exciting.

0:37:040:37:07

We've got some gems to go under the hammer, and here's a quick recap.

0:37:070:37:10

Let's hope we can recoup some of the £300

0:37:140:37:17

budding antique dealer Tom paid

0:37:170:37:19

for his inkwell.

0:37:190:37:20

Roy's impressive Doulton vase, a beautiful example of

0:37:220:37:26

quintessential English porcelain,

0:37:260:37:28

at a knockdown price.

0:37:280:37:31

And a pair of stunning timekeepers,

0:37:310:37:34

and highly collectable.

0:37:340:37:35

We're back at Fieldings Auction Rooms in Stourbridge,

0:37:440:37:46

and it's a packed saleroom today.

0:37:460:37:48

All done and finished?

0:37:480:37:51

First up is Tom, our budding Flog It! expert.

0:37:510:37:55

I think every good old traditional partner's desk needs an inkwell,

0:37:550:37:59

-don't you?

-It does.

-There's definitely room for inkwells,

0:37:590:38:01

-they set the scene.

-Yeah.

0:38:010:38:03

Now, what do you think we're going to get?

0:38:030:38:04

-Will we get you your money back?

-I think that's a struggle.

0:38:040:38:08

-Maybe two.

-Two?

-Two on a good day.

-OK, it's a nice thing,

0:38:080:38:10

-I like the pineapple.

-Yeah.

0:38:100:38:12

That draws me in. OK, look, good luck.

0:38:120:38:14

-Thanks, fingers crossed.

-This could be an expensive lesson.

0:38:140:38:16

Here we go. We're putting it to the test.

0:38:160:38:18

402, which is a Victorian hallmarked silver

0:38:180:38:21

clear glass inkwell, London '80-'85, nice example.

0:38:210:38:25

-Straight in at £100. £100 then, that's the bidding at 100.

-Good.

0:38:250:38:27

Do I see 110 in the room anywhere?

0:38:270:38:29

At £100, maiden bid, first and last, it'll be.

0:38:290:38:31

110, 120, 130, says no.

0:38:310:38:34

120 on a commission it is, then.

0:38:340:38:36

120, with Andrew on commission.

0:38:360:38:37

130, anywhere else?

0:38:370:38:39

At £120, and I'm selling, all done at 120...

0:38:390:38:42

-And the hammer's gone down. You were spot on, James, spot on.

-Yeah.

0:38:420:38:46

-That's a knock.

-Yes.

-It is a knock.

0:38:460:38:48

Hopefully, your others that you have bought have given you good returns

0:38:480:38:52

or they will in the future.

0:38:520:38:53

Yes, yes, I briefly bought an ink Art Deco Bakelite,

0:38:530:38:57

and I sold it for triple the money,

0:38:570:38:59

-so I was very pleased with that.

-Oh...

-That's good.

0:38:590:39:01

This is the good thing about collecting,

0:39:010:39:03

-cos it does in the end balance out.

-Yeah, it does.

0:39:030:39:05

-You never make a big killing on something, a big profit...

-No.

0:39:050:39:08

..because that takes care of the losses,

0:39:080:39:10

but if you can break even, learn something, enjoy the journey

0:39:100:39:13

and have a great collection, that's what antiques is all about.

0:39:130:39:16

-What more could you want?

-Now, that's it. We're lucky,

0:39:160:39:18

being in this trade, aren't we?

0:39:180:39:19

We are, I mean, the thing is, also, you know, as you get older,

0:39:190:39:22

all the things you've made losses on, you will forget about,

0:39:220:39:25

but all those things you bought really well,

0:39:250:39:27

-that's what you'll remember.

-Yes.

0:39:270:39:29

So join the club - win or lose, we love what we do.

0:39:290:39:34

Going under the hammer right now,

0:39:340:39:36

we've got some Doulton Burslem belonging to Roy.

0:39:360:39:38

Now, we've got a little bit of a change here in the valuation,

0:39:380:39:42

because we had 300-400, Thomas,

0:39:420:39:44

-with a fixed reserve at 200...

-Mmm-hmm.

0:39:440:39:46

..kind of brings the valuation down to two to four.

0:39:460:39:49

-But you really want a fixed reserve at three.

-That's right.

0:39:490:39:52

So it has to make 300 on that hammer to sell.

0:39:520:39:57

Would you be disappointed if it only made 280 or 260?

0:39:570:40:00

-I would, to be honest.

-So it means something to you.

0:40:000:40:02

-Yes, it does, indeed.

-OK, OK, I'm sure it should sell.

0:40:020:40:05

We're going to put that to the test right now.

0:40:050:40:07

This is where it gets exciting,

0:40:070:40:08

cos we're all feeling quite nervous over this one.

0:40:080:40:10

-Roy, good luck, OK?

-Thank you.

-This is it.

0:40:100:40:13

The 20th century Doulton Burslem Blue Children vase, there we are,

0:40:130:40:17

twin-handled example, got telephone interest on this as well.

0:40:170:40:19

-Telephone interest, it's going to sell.

-Good, telephone interest.

0:40:190:40:22

Open at 270.

0:40:220:40:25

I look for 280 in the room. 280 in the room before I go to the phones.

0:40:250:40:28

270 with me, 280 in the room anywhere before I go to the phone?

0:40:280:40:30

280, 290 with me. 300, sir?

0:40:300:40:33

-300 out and down the room at 300.

-It's gone.

0:40:330:40:35

Do I see 310 now anywhere else, before I go to the phone?

0:40:350:40:37

At 310 on the telephone, Adrienne, would you like to bid 310?

0:40:370:40:40

320? Are you sure?

0:40:400:40:42

Can't tempt you?

0:40:420:40:43

320, anywhere else?

0:40:430:40:45

310, all done, on the phone...

0:40:450:40:46

Roy, it's sold, £310.

0:40:460:40:49

-Dead on the mark.

-So you didn't need to meddle with it, did you?

0:40:490:40:52

Mind you, I don't blame you protecting it.

0:40:520:40:55

And now, it's our final lot, Bob and Joyce's timekeepers.

0:40:550:40:59

The saleroom has divided them into two lots. First up is the watch.

0:40:590:41:04

So did you take a shine to this watch?

0:41:040:41:06

-It's a ladies' watch, Joyce.

-Yeah, it's pretty,

0:41:060:41:08

-but it's always in the drawer...

-It's very pretty.

0:41:080:41:10

-..you know, I've only had it for about 20 years.

-It's exquisite.

0:41:100:41:13

It's a shame it's not English,

0:41:130:41:14

-as we all know, it would be £300-£400...

-Yeah.

0:41:140:41:16

-..but nevertheless, it's quality, and it looks good.

-Lovely quality.

0:41:160:41:19

We're going to put it to the test now, here we go.

0:41:190:41:21

£120, takes the bid out at 120.

0:41:210:41:25

I'll go to the lady right at the back first, 130.

0:41:250:41:27

140, 150, 160, 170,

0:41:270:41:30

180, 190, 200, 210,

0:41:300:41:33

220, says no.

0:41:330:41:35

210, right in the back, paddle aloft.

0:41:350:41:36

220, anywhere else in the room?

0:41:360:41:38

For £210, she's stuck with it all the way at 210.

0:41:380:41:41

220, anywhere else?

0:41:410:41:42

-At £210, we're selling the little fob watch...

-£210.

0:41:420:41:46

-Wow.

-Jeez.

-Now, don't get too excited, OK?

0:41:460:41:49

That was just part one of this lot, because right now,

0:41:490:41:52

going under the hammer, the mantle clock.

0:41:520:41:54

This is it.

0:41:540:41:55

-£170...

-Oh.

-Oh, wow.

-Good.

0:41:550:41:59

180, 190, 200.

0:41:590:42:01

210, 220, 230,

0:42:010:42:03

240, 250.

0:42:030:42:05

240, the lady's bid. 250, anywhere else?

0:42:050:42:08

250, fresh bidder. 260...

0:42:080:42:09

-This is good, isn't it?

-It is good.

-It's wonderful.

0:42:090:42:11

290. 300, 310.

0:42:110:42:14

320, says no. Thank you, anyway.

0:42:140:42:16

310, gentleman's bid, now.

0:42:160:42:18

320, anywhere else?

0:42:180:42:20

At £310, are we all sure and done at £310?

0:42:200:42:22

Finished? All done?

0:42:220:42:24

-Well done.

-Yeah.

0:42:250:42:26

-So, begs the question, doesn't it?

-Wonderful, thank you very much.

0:42:260:42:29

-All that money, how are you going to spend it?

-Oh...

0:42:290:42:32

Well, we were going to buy something here,

0:42:320:42:34

some Moorcroft or something, but...

0:42:340:42:36

-we can't afford it.

-But we can't afford it.

0:42:360:42:38

£22, on my left, at 22, are we all done..?

0:42:400:42:42

£5 for this one...

0:42:420:42:44

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

0:42:480:42:51

Another day, in another saleroom, and how exciting was that?

0:42:510:42:54

Because it was so touch-and-go, I've nearly lost my voice,

0:42:540:42:58

I've been so nervous for our owners.

0:42:580:42:59

If you've got anything you want to sell,

0:42:590:43:01

we would love to do that for you.

0:43:010:43:03

Bring it along to one of our valuation days.

0:43:030:43:06

Details, you can pick upon our website or check the details

0:43:060:43:09

in your local press. Dust them down, bring them in, and we'll flog them,

0:43:090:43:12

but until then, it's goodbye from all of us here in Stourbridge.

0:43:120:43:16

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