Compilation 36 Flog It!

Today's show comes from Pollok House,

an 18th-century mansion in Scotland, the ancestral home of the Maxwells.

There are reports that the Maxwells have been on this land

since the 1200s, and they've played an important part

in the civic life of Glasgow and, throughout the centuries,

they've amassed the most wonderful collection of fine art and antiques,

which you can see on display here.

Welcome to "Flog It!"

Well, standing here in these lush, tranquil grounds

of Pollok Country Park, it's hard to believe

that Pollok House is situated in the centre of Glasgow,

Scotland's largest city.

The house was built in the 1740s, when Glasgow was booming

from the sugar, the cotton and the tobacco trade,

and the spoils of the Industrial Revolution

were just around the corner

Inside the house, the Maxwells were prospering, too,

and they used their wealth to indulge their passion

for fine art and antiques.

Sir William Stirling-Maxwell inherited the house in the 1860s,

and he was an avid collector. Now, while his contemporaries

were investing in Impressionist art by the likes of Degas and Renoir,

which was very much on trend at the time, Stirling-Maxwell

fell in love with Spanish art, which was less fashionable,

and, as a result, he amassed the largest collection

of Spanish art in Britain and this is the jewel in the crown -

The Lady In The Fur Wrap by El Greco.

She is beautiful and, later on in the programme,

I'll be looking forward to exploring more of the treasures here.

And I'll also be heading to one of the highest points in Glasgow

to find out about a special place where

Sir William Stirling-Maxwell's contemporaries were laid to rest.

There are a lot of very influential people buried here.

But before that, we head south to take a look back at some

of the fabulous valuation days we visited across the country.

We paid a call to another great stately home,

the 18th-Century Ragley Hall in Warwickshire,

where Charlie Ross set a challenge for the saleroom.

We'll leave it to those old auctioneers

to find Baron von Richthofen's grandson

-to buy it!

-We also visited the Milestones Museum

in Basingstoke, in Hampshire,

where, amongst the recreated historic streets,

James Lewis found something from a little further afield.

Well, Jenny, you have certainly brought with you

a taste of the exotic to Basingstoke.

But our first port of call on today's show is

the National Maritime Museum, Cornwall, in Falmouth,

where, amongst the backdrop of seafaring boats,

Caroline Hawley found a more land-loving creature.

Chris, thank you so much for bringing this gorgeous lady in

-to see me.

-You're welcome.

-So, first of all, tell me about you.

-Are you from this area?

-No. I'm from Kent, originally.

-Right.

And I've been down here about 24 years.

And how did you come across this gorgeous thing?

-I was at art college in Bromley, in Kent...

-Yeah?

..and, on my way to college one day, I saw this in a shop jumble sale...

-Mm-hm.

-..and I just fell in love with it and thought it was terrific

-and bought it for one and six.

-One and six?!

-Yes.

-And what date was that?

-That was about, well, spring 1970.

I'd had it for 24 years, when a friend of mine

discovered the button in the ear and said, "You've got a Steiff here."

And I said, "Oh!" I didn't realise.

Well, that's the first thing we look at when we see these toys,

-to find the magic name, Steiff.

-I've seen them on teddy bears,

-but I didn't realise they do a cow.

-No, exactly. Now...

There's the button in the ear. You've got these lovely

kid-covered horns, which some of the kids worn off.

-And the little hooves.

-Yes.

And, really, when you consider that this was made

in the late 19th century, it's in remarkably good condition.

-It's straw-filled...

-Yes.

-..mohair,

and it's been played with and loved, so, obviously, it's got some rubbing

to the hair, and it's missing just one of the wooden wheels.

It's gorgeous. Now, Steiff, the company,

-was set up by Margaret Steiff in 1880...

-Right.

..and it was the maker of fabulous quality toys -

bears, things such as this.

By the beginning of the 20th century, they were making

upwards of a million bears a year, and it's gone on ever since.

-Right.

-And they're still making them to this day.

-Yeah.

And they're top-quality things.

-This is knocked a bit by...

-Yes.

-..its lack of foot,

a little bit of wear, but I would fall in love with that.

And I think loads of people would. Have you any idea of value?

-I know you paid one and six, did you say?

-One and six, yeah.

So, have you any idea of today's value?

I don't know. Maybe £80? 75? I don't know. Maybe not?

I would put a pre-sales estimate of 100 to 150.

-Oh, really? As much as that?

-Yeah.

-And then I think, if we put a fixed reserve on it...

-Yeah.

-..what if we would say £80 as a fixed reserve?

-Yes, perfect.

-Lovely. Thank you.

-Thank you.

Chris must have been over the moon when he discovered

his cow had a Steiff button.

Next, we headed up-country to Ragley Hall, in Warwickshire,

where Charlie Ross was left high and dry.

Well, I find myself standing in a stately home, with Ian,

holding something about which I know absolutely nothing!

-What is it, Ian?

-It's a spar

and joystick from a First World War two-seater biplane.

-The joystick? Now, how on earth did that survive?

-That's the joystick.

That's the spar. It got whisked away by my grandfather

and never saw action.

-So, he worked in the factory?

-He worked in a factory

in the First World War, as a joiner, knocking up

all the bits of woodwork that they needed to get these things to fly.

So he sat there making joysticks?

-And spars.

-And spars?

-And other bits.

-And one day took them home with him?

-Yeah, I suppose so.

-What an extraordinary thing to do.

-Well, as you do.

-Now, specifically, what plane?

-An RE 8 two-seater biplane.

-Manufactured, started in 1916 and went up to about 1917.

-Yeah.

There was 4,077 made. Only two survived.

One is in the Duxford Museum in Cambridgeshire...

-Yeah.

-..and the other one is in a museum in Belgium.

And parts of the other one, until recently, have been in your house?

-Sitting in the wardrobe.

-The first item, the joystick, how did it work?

I mean, there must have been some sort of linkage at the bottom here.

I would imagine the bit of string would have had a metal attachment

-to it...

-Yeah.

-..which would've been linked to probably the engine.

-So, quite crude?

-I would think it was very, very simple.

What was the factory?

The factory my grandfather worked at was the Coventry Ordnance Works.

-There's a transfer on the spar.

-Yeah.

-And this strut, here, ran between the top and bottom wing?

-Yeah.

I would imagine they were attached with wires to keep under tension,

and the wing was at the top and the wing was at the bottom,

and that's how you got your biplane.

It was a pretty hairy existence in those days, wasn't it?

Well, they said not very many folks survived more than three months.

-No. And most of them were killed in training.

-Yes.

Presumably, if you were a joiner in a factory at that time,

-you wouldn't have been called up?

-No.

That's was the reason why he was working in the factory.

-LAUGHTER

-Incredibly sensible man!

In the right place at the right time.

I think whittling up the odd joystick

-instead of sitting in the trenches has got its merits, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

Joking aside, there was no problem with conscription

during the Great War - fit men rushed to join up.

This left factories, such as the Coventry Ordnance Works,

with a huge problem - a serious shortage of skilled workers.

To solve this, thousands of women were recruited to take their place.

The factory work was vital to the war effort,

as the women produced everything from aeroplane parts to munitions.

They learnt to do the skilled work alongside the remaining

male workers, like Ian's grandad.

It's an incredibly difficult thing to value.

Obviously, it's worth money. A collector is going to want that.

And I don't know how badly he is going to want it.

-Because he ain't going to find another one, is he?

-No.

I'm going to say £100-£200 - and watch for your reaction.

I'd want to put a fixed reserve of £150 and then see...

-Well, we're in the same boat, aren't we?

-I think so.

What a wonderful man!

You've listened to my £100-£200 evaluation, divided it up,

by two... I'll agree with 150. I can't guarantee that we'll sell it.

I realise that.

-But I rather sing from the same hymn sheet as you.

-Yeah.

So, thank you so much for bringing them in and we'll

leave it to those old auctioneers to find Baron von Richthofen's

-grandson to buy it!

-If he's around.

-LAUGHTER

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Charlie.

So, we put an estimate of £150-£200 on Ian's joystick and spar,

so that the reserve could be set at the lower end of £150.

Here at Pollok House, among the collections, there is

some continental furniture, with the most beautiful intricate inlays.

Just look at that!

Now, at our valuation day at Milestones Museum,

in Basingstoke, James Lewis found two items that were equally elaborate.

Well, Jenny, you have certainly brought with you

a taste of the exotic to Basingstoke.

These are super little bits of silver.

But they're certainly not the sort of things I was expecting to find.

They're possibly Indian?

And a different period and a slightly different grade.

-Have you been polishing that one?

-I did. I put nuts in it at Christmas!

-Oh, did you?

-So, I needed to shine it up a bit.

-OK, right.

This one, looks very grey and tarnished.

And I think exactly what you'd expect from a piece of silver

that hasn't been touched in years.

One of the first things you do when you pick up a piece like this,

to see if it's silver or silver plate, is to try and find a mark.

Now, I have looked and looked and looked.

-And I cannot find one anywhere.

-No, me neither.

Ah, I don't feel so daft now!

It has the colour of silver,

there isn't any wear coming through on the foot rim.

And do you see around the inside of that foot rim?

-It looks as if it has been hammered.

-Yeah.

-Planished.

So, it's been made from the solid.

So, it certainly isn't something that's been silver-plated.

The birds are interesting. Because they look almost swan-like.

-But then they've got a crest.

-Like a peacock.

-Which makes it look like a peacock.

-Yeah.

Now, of course, the peacock is symbolic of Rajasthan and India.

You see it all over the place on Indian silver.

So, my feeling is that this bowl would have been Indian,

possibly Anglo-Indian and late 19th century.

It would have started life with a glass liner.

So, I bet your nuts were falling through all the gaps, weren't they?

-No!

-And this one is the same. Lots of little gaps.

That again would have had a liner.

In terms of date, that, I feel, is slightly earlier. But look at that!

That central cartouche there is so angular

-and it's in total contrast to the whole of the style around it.

-Yeah, it is.

That's why you think it's probably Anglo-Indian. So, 1925-1935.

-So, where did you get them from?

-Charity shop.

-OK! Had them long?

-30-odd years.

-OK! How much did you pay?

-50p each.

-50p!

-Well done, you! What are they worth?

-No idea.

£80-£120, I should think.

-That's how much they're worth?

-Yeah.

-Lovely.

-Maybe £150.

-Brilliant.

-And I think they'll do jolly well.

-Yeah?

-All right?

-Yeah.

Let's see how we do.

-And I think your pound investment was worth it.

-Yeah!

-Well done, you!

All you have to do now is work out what to do with your nuts!

-Yes! Leave the nuts out!

-HE LAUGHS

It never fails to amaze me the items you can pick up at charity shops.

On valuation days, we like to see your collections that you show us

perfect and intact. Complete, if you like.

Because you get more money if you decide to sell them.

In auction, it puts the value up.

But here, at Pollok House, there is

a collection that's the complete opposite.

What we have here is a set of Chinese dinner plates,

beautifully hand decorated with coats of arms.

Armorials of important European families,

that would have requested these plates to be made.

Now, these date back to the late 17th century.

But unfortunately, there was a slight mix-up.

This is a collection of seconds.

What happened was, the families reordered the following year

and they wanted the same coat of arms, but the Chinese artists

got the designs wrong, so, they're not quite right.

Now, unless you're part of the family or you understand armorials,

you wouldn't really notice. I couldn't spot a fault there.

For me, they are beautiful and the condition is superb.

They've really lasted that test of time. So, they're still valuable.

But I think the rule's been slightly broken, don't you?

'It's time to leave Scotland now,

'as we see how our items fared at auction.'

Chris got his Steiff cow on rollers for one shilling and sixpence.

So, it stood a great chance of making a profit.

Ian's First World War joystick and spar were

commandeered by his grandfather.

As they were steeped in history,

they were certain to delight the collectors.

And finally, Jenny's intricate Indian baskets didn't have

any hallmarks.

So, although James was convinced they WERE silver,

they couldn't be catalogued as such.

We hoped the bidders would see their true value

when they went under the hammer at Andrew Smith & Son,

near Winchester, in Hampshire. On the rostrum was Nick Jarrett.

Remember, at every auction, there are varying rates of commission

and VAT to pay, whether you're buying or selling.

Jenny was at the valuation day, as you know, but she has made

Roger stand in, her husband, and do the duties for the auction.

-So, you are sharing responsibility.

-We are, we are.

Will we get that top end? I know they're not hallmarked silver,

so the valuation's not so high, is it?

I think they should be worth mid-estimate.

Fingers crossed, we're going to put it to the test right now!

Lot 75 in the two white metal bonbon baskets. These are nice.

We start bidding at 50 for them.

50 I have and five, 65...

75... 85...

-Come on, Roger. We're struggling, aren't we?

-90, can I say now?

At £85. 90, is it? Beg your pardon?

-130 on the net.

-Oh, great!

130 it is here on the net.

140, 150...

160... 170...

180... 190...

It's 180 in the room. 190 to be in. On the net... No?

At 180, then, in the room, have I missed anybody?

At £180, all done? No?

-At £180, then, have you done?

-Hammer's gone down! Well done.

-Thank you for bringing them in. Well done.

-Thank you very much.

I'm pleased with that.

I was a little nervy at the start of the day, but that's great.

What do we say? Quality always sells, doesn't it?

'A fabulous result and certainly not a bad return

'on an original investment of £1.'

Next, we travelled west to my home county of Cornwall,

to Jefferys auctioneers in Lostwithiel.

The man we hoped would get more than a few beans for Chris's Steiff cow

was auctioneer, Ian Morris.

Right, so far, so good.

Now, if I said to you, a cow on wheels, I know what you'd think - fast food.

Yes, a burger to go. But no, no, no,

this is a Steiff toy belonging to Chris, who's with me right now.

-You've had this for a long, long time.

-Yes. 45 years.

Well, good luck with that. I know there's lots of memories for you.

Lots of memories. This is a big window into the past.

And, sadly, you're saying goodbye to it.

But we're going to find it a new home right here, right now.

This is it.

Right, we move on to Steiff cow. Poor old Daisy had

a bit of a hard life.

-Daisy, there we go, look at that!

-Yeah!

£80 away. £80, at £80, bid's with me...

£90, £100, £110, £120...

At 120, the bid's with me. At 120, 130 down...

-At £120, I'm bid. 130 up? We're done at £120.

-Good price!

-Good price, considering.

-I think, yeah.

-Very good price.

And I'm pleased you didn't fashion up a modern wheel,

and stain it to make it look old,

-because it would detract from its character.

-Absolutely.

It's always better to sell it in its original state.

-There's still a bit of string tied on at the bottom where someone would have pulled it along.

-Aw...

-It's still on there.

-That's touching, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Thank you so much for bringing that in.

We have found that cow a new home. Job done.

And finally, we travelled northwards to Bigwood Fine Art Auctioneers

in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire.

We hoped that auctioneer Christopher Ironmonger could find a new home

for Ian's joystick and spar.

How much is an ash joystick from an old World War I biplane worth?

We're going to find out right now.

A brave man has to put a price on it and that was Charlie

-at the valuation day. But I love it.

-It's unusual.

-Yes.

We've had propellers on the show before from biplanes,

but we've never had a joystick or a spar,

so we're going to find out what it's worth right now.

355, it's the ash joystick from a Great War aeroplane

and also the spar in the same plane. I've got 400 on the net already.

-Straight in.

-On the net at 400.

-We're flying.

-Does anyone want 450?

It's 400 up on the net and it's going to go.

-It's going to be sold at 400.

-£400. Yes, the hammer's gone down.

-Chocks away.

-That'll do.

-That'll do nicely. That'll do nicely. £400.

There you go.

It just goes to show, we can all be pleasantly surprised

by how much items are worth.

If you have any unwanted antiques or collectables at home,

why not bring them along to one of our "Flog It!"! valuation days?

Situated in Glasgow, Pollok House still bears the marks

of its ancestral family, the Maxwells,

who lived on the estate for over 700 years.

The impressive building and contents stand as a monument

to their wealth and civic status within Scotland.

The most recent generations of Maxwells have been remembered

for their unstinting public service.

When it comes to legacies, not every civically-minded

citizen of 19th-century Glasgow was as fortunate as the Maxwells.

But that didn't mean they couldn't be venerated too.

In fact, they had their own place in the heart of the city.

It's this. Glasgow Necropolis. A Victorian garden cemetery.

The first of its kind to open in Scotland.

It was interdenominational and the first person buried

here in 1832 was Joseph Levi, a Jewish gentleman.

The Necropolis is built on a rocky outcrop, as you can see here.

It's useless agriculturally, so a park was put here.

That big statue there, towering up there, that's John Knox,

the founder of the Reformation in Scotland.

He was already here before the Necropolis was built.

But it looks to me like he's standing watch, keeping guard,

making sure everything is all right over the city of Glasgow.

Regardless of whether you were laid to rest in

an all-singing-dancing mausoleum or in an unmarked grave,

it wasn't cheap to be buried here at Glasgow Necropolis.

The closer you got to John Knox, in other words the higher up

the hill you were buried, the more expensive it got.

There are 50,000 people buried in this 37-acre cemetery

and 3,500 memorials.

Today, thousands of UK and international visitors

come to the cemetery every year.

However, only a decade ago, it was a very different story.

The Necropolis was going to rack and ruin

and many people were scared to visit it.

But thanks to the vision of Nigel Willis

and Ronnie Scott, the cemetery has been brought back to life.

They set up the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis,

but it's fair to say that Nigel's motivation to turn

this cemetery round was much more personal, as his great-grandfather

and his great-great-grandfather are both buried here.

So, as a young boy, your mother would presumably

-have brought you up here?

-Yes, very much so.

She used to come along with her secateurs

and cut the ivy back, so that the memorial wasn't completely covered.

And I can see, the next time I come,

-I'm going to have to bring secateurs.

-Aw.

So, really, this was what got you involved with sort of forming

-the Friends of the Necropolis, was it?

-It did, indeed.

-That set you off on this endeavour?

-It did, indeed.

-I'm glad to say that, now, things are vastly improved...

-Sure.

-..and it's a really good place to spend time.

-Yeah.

And you've got the history of industrial and commercial Glasgow

and the west of Scotland, really,

through the Victorian age and the two World Wars.

And there are a lot of very influential people buried here.

I'm taking you to see the Reverend Ralph Wardlaw DD...

..who, surprisingly, was given his Doctorate of Divinity

by Yale University in 1818,

-which must've been quite unusual for that time.

-Yeah, it must have been.

He was a Congregational Church minister and was very involved

with the anti-slave movement and a member of the Emancipation Society.

-A good man.

-Yes. He must have been.

-Who else strikes a chord with you?

Let's go and see Walter Macfarlane who's up the hill.

-So it's onwards and upwards?

-Yes.

So here we are. Walter Macfarlane.

I have to be honest with you, I've never heard of him before.

Round here, he's a well-known name.

He was a tremendous entrepreneur in his time

and formed probably the world's best-known architectural iron foundry in Glasgow.

And had customers all over this country and all over the world.

-You may have been to Singapore. Have you been to Singapore?

-Yes, I have been to Singapore.

-Have you been to Raffles Hotel?

-Yes, I have.

Outside Raffles Hotel, there is a magnificent fountain,

-all cast iron and made by Saracen Foundry.

-Wow.

So his products reached all over the world. Any personal favourites?

-Anybody?

-Yes, very definitely. I'll just take you and show you.

-A little bit different?

-Quite different.

-OK.

Now this looks very impressive, imposing, theatrical.

John Alexander. John Henry Alexander. Who was he?

He was the owner, manager

and frequent performer in the original Theatre Royal in Glasgow.

-So that's why it looks so theatrical?

-Yes.

If you look up at the top, we've got a whole lot of theatrical props...

-I can see, yeah.

-..on either side of him,

-with cherubs leaning on his head.

-Yeah.

-And then, we've got the stage.

On the back of this is his family listed as a supporting cast.

Victorian graves were often adorned with symbols of death,

such as a snake biting its tail to mean immortality,

or a winged hourglass that represents how time flies.

But like John Henry Alexander's theatrical tribute, there are

other monuments here that tell a tale of their owners' occupation,

like Malcolm Campbell, for instance. Now here's his monument.

He owned a chain of fruit and veg stores across Scotland,

so here we have an Iona cross, look, interlaced, starting right

at the top there and working its way down, interlaced with lots of fruit.

Can you see the apples here? That's a lovely tribute.

There's another monument here to a shipbuilding family and that is

actually shaped like the bow of a ship cutting through the waves.

Visitors come to the Necropolis

to admire the unique beauty of the monuments.

A special draw is the works designed by famous architects

and sculptors of the period.

With particular appeal are those by Scottish designers,

such as Alexander "Greek" Thomson, Charles Rennie Mackintosh...

and JT Rochead.

What does the future hold for the Necropolis?

We think we've got things going in the right direction now.

We've obviously got a lot more restoration work to do.

A lot more fundraising. But people come from all over the world.

And we are developing our website considerably.

It has been more successful than our wildest dreams, frankly.

And that's really in part down to you and the Friends, really,

that we can safely say it is in safe hands.

-Well, I would certainly like to think so.

-Yeah. Well, look,

-it's been a pleasure meeting you. Thank you.

-Thank you for coming.

It's time to leave Glasgow, though I'll be returning

later on in the show to look at more treasures at Pollok House.

But first, we are heading south to revisit the Milestones Museum in Basingstoke,

where, amongst the recreated shop fronts, something mathematical

crossed Elizabeth Talbot's path.

-Rosemary, hello.

-Hello.

I recognise this as a Fuller's Spiral Slide Rule,

-but it's very unusual to find it in its box.

-OK.

What does it do from its box? Does it do anything?

-It sets up on the end.

-Right, OK.

-Shall I set it up for you?

-Please do, yes.

-That slots into the end.

-Uh-huh.

And then this little jobbie comes up there and sits on there.

Look at that! My goodness me, what a fantastic piece.

-What's the story behind it?

-It belongs to a friend of mine.

Her father died, and it was amongst his possessions,

so I don't really know a lot about it.

-OK.

-Just that it's not of interest to her

-and she wants me to...erm, flog it!

-SHE LAUGHS

Well, I'm very pleased she does.

It's lovely, and hopefully I can enlighten you

-and then you can tell her.

-Yes, that would be nice.

This was a piece of equipment for civil engineering

which was patented originally in 1878

by a gentleman called George Fuller.

This model was made by the firm Stanley.

We know the name Stanley in terms of tools and equipment.

In their day, they were quite plentiful in production,

because, I suppose, it was a form of calculation.

They needed the calculator, and it was a clever way of converting -

I think it's weights, measures and also money

into pounds or percentages of pounds,

whether that's weighted pounds or money pounds.

And there's a way of doing it, which I don't know.

I'm attracted to it, because I just like the fact

it's such a beautiful piece of engineering in its own right.

Very clever to have worked it out,

but then, to produce this wonderful piece,

with the mahogany and the turned wood, is wonderful.

This is what I wanted to see, because so often I've seen these,

but they are lacking their... Certainly their fitment,

but also their box. So it's been kept in a beautiful state.

-It's been looked after, yeah.

-It has.

From what I can see on the brass here,

I think that this one is from about 1914.

And was your friend's father in... Was he a civil engineer, or...?

-Really don't know.

-No?

-I don't know at all.

-OK.

-Your friend obviously wants to part with it.

-Mm-hm.

Does she have any indication of value at all?

No, that's what we are here to find out, please.

I think a realistic guide price before auction on this one

-is between £100 and £150.

-Really?

-Is that a nice surprise?

That's quite good. Yeah, that's lovely.

Now, do think your friend would appreciate having a reserve on it?

-I think so, yes. She wouldn't want to give it away.

-No.

So if we place £100, the bottom end of the estimate, as a reserve...

-Yes, please.

-..but with a bit of discretion, so if the auctioneer got just close...

-10%.

-10% maximum.

-Yeah, that's fine.

-Then he can sell it.

But otherwise, we won't sell it for less than that. That all right?

-Brilliant, yes.

-You can report the good news to her, then.

-Yes, please.

That was a gorgeous object with a real practical purpose.

Here at Pollok House, the walls are adorned with fine art,

particularly portraits painted in oils.

But at another great stately home, Ragley Hall,

near Stratford-upon-Avon, it was some watercolours

that found their way to Christina Trevanion's valuation table.

Carol, looking at these wonderful pictures

you've brought in for me today, I feel like I've been transported

to a summer's day in York, and it's just splendid.

I suppose we can't really grumble about where we are now,

-though, can we?

-No, it's a rather nice place.

It's rather beautiful, isn't it? Yes, exactly.

And how appropriate that you've brought these pictures in.

Tell me a little bit about them.

We inherited them from my mother and father-in-law

about 45 years ago,

and they were an engagement present to my mother-in-law.

They were a York family.

And then, when my husband died, they were given to me.

And then we got the third one probably 20 years ago,

when the house was broken up.

Personally, I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely bowled over

by quite how detailed they are.

I mean, they're almost like little sort of miniature portraits,

aren't they? They're so fine.

And, like you very rightly said,

-they actually are pictures of York, aren't they?

-Yes.

We've got Marygate Tower here,

and we've got the water tower,

and then we've got the old walls there.

All by the same artist, George Fall, who was...

I think his dates were about 1848 to 1925.

So I think - did you say that they were bought in 1920?

-About 1920, as an engagement present.

-OK, splendid.

And I do love the fact that they sort of bleed out

of this wonderful oval.

-So it's almost like they're like bookplates, in a way.

-Right, yes.

They're just so beautiful. I mean, if we look up George Fall

and his works, he seemed to be

-an incredibly prolific York artist.

-Right.

And he specialised in these views of York.

So these are typical of the artist.

-Do you like them?

-I think they're very pretty, yes.

But at my age, I wanted to be able to leave them to my daughters.

Two daughters - I couldn't split one in half,

so I thought it would be easier to sell them, give them the money,

and then they can buy something in remembrance of their grandparents.

Oh, that's a good idea.

What are your sort of expectations of value for them?

-What do we think?

-Well, it's been very wide.

I was told 350,

-but that was because the American market was interested in them.

-OK.

-And then again...

-So 350 for the group?

-No, for...

-CHRISTINA GULPS

-Exactly.

-Right.

But then I spoke to somebody else,

and they said, "Oh, 150 each."

-So...

-Right, OK, yeah.

They might fetch 150 each.

I think, if we started to estimate them in that region,

-I think we would put a lot of people off.

-Right.

-I think that's quite top end.

-Yes, fine.

-I mean, personally,

-what I would suggest that we do is sell them as a group.

-Right.

And I would sort of put a "come and get me" estimate

-maybe of £200-£300 on them for the group.

-Right.

-How would you feel about that?

-Yes, but what about a reserve?

-We can put on a reserve.

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

-So the reserve in this case would have to be £200.

-Right, OK.

-Does that sound all right?

-Yes, that sounds all right.

-Splendid.

I sincerely hope they exceed that for you, because they are wonderful.

I mean, you see something new every time you look at them.

They are such miniature works of art. Beautiful.

-Thanks so much for bringing them in.

-My pleasure.

Shortly, we'll see if those watercolours found their market

when we reveal just how our items fared in the saleroom.

But first, we have one final port of call

as we return to the National Maritime Museum, Cornwall,

where Philip Serrell spied a treasure, me hearties.

-Ashley.

-Phil.

-How are you?

-Good.

-Silver tankard.

-Silver tankard.

Good, bad?

-Belonged to my aunt.

-Do you like it?

I have had it since she died,

-and I've never, ever got attached to it.

-Why?

It just doesn't appeal to me.

I've got to be truthful with you, I don't like it.

And there's a reason why I don't like it.

I can tell you now that this is...

This ain't what it seems.

This is an 18th-century silver tankard.

We're talking about a George III silver,

sterling silver tankard, which I'm hoping is going to be worth

a considerable amount of money.

It's better to travel in expectation than arrive in disappointment.

I said to you from the outset that this isn't what it seems,

and the reason why it isn't what it seems is because

our wonderful 1760s, 1770s silver tankard

has been got at by the Victorians.

And what they've done - all this scrolling decoration

and flower heads here, all this repousse work,

has been put on 100 years later. So it ain't what it was.

Now, if this was just a very plain, beautiful tankard,

I think you'd be looking at £1,000 plus.

But we're not looking at that.

So, if we look here, we can see a hallmark there,

which is about 1762, I think, London.

Maker's mark is William Cripps.

For me, the best part of this tankard now

is this wonderful thumbpiece here,

this wonderful scrolling handle, and this terminal down here.

That really is the only true bit

of an 18th-century silver tankard that's left.

And I see we've got an inscription here, which says,

"Presented to the..."

Lieutenant.

Is it something Battalion Staffordshire?

"By B Heath, Esquire, MP.

"Won by Lieutenant H Palmer,

"September 15, 1875."

And I wouldn't mind betting that, around 1875,

that's when all this was done.

So who was Mr Palmer? Was he a relative?

I know nothing of Mr Palmer, Lieutenant Palmer.

It's a complete mystery to the family.

Nobody knows who he was.

And because it has no sentimental value to me...

-We're hoping it's not going to be in your hands much longer.

-I'm hoping to flog it.

You're going to flog it. So I think we've really got to be aware

of what an auction room's going to give us for this.

And I think, being sensible, we should probably

put an estimate on it of £500 to £800,

and a fixed reserve of 450.

Now, if we have a bit of luck, it'll sell.

And if we don't have a bit of luck, it won't sell.

-I think it's time for it to go.

-I think the answer is...

Oi, no drinking on the job, Phil.

Back at Pollok House, I've also had my eye

on a couple of impressive silver drinking vessels.

Well, here's a real showy piece for you -

this coffee urn shaped as an ostrich egg.

The Maxwells would have definitely been at the cutting edge

when they bought this back in the 18th century.

That is solid sterling silver.

It must have cost a fortune.

But this was a time when coffee was just becoming fashionable.

But there's a piece I want to show you, and it's in another cabinet.

And here it is.

It's a little lady holding a bowl above her head,

but that's known as a wager cup, and it was used at weddings.

So if you take that and turn it upside down,

the dress becomes a goblet. You put a tipple in there.

The other bowl, that's on a gimbal, so that swings.

That also has a little tipple in,

and the idea was, the groom drank from the larger bowl

while the bride somehow twisted down and drank from the smaller bowl.

Can you imagine doing that after a few drinks?

But there we are, look - the wager cup.

Now we head south from Glasgow for our final visit to the auctions.

Carol's three watercolours, which depicted scenes of York,

were looking for a new wall to hang on.

From the 18th century with later Victorian additions,

Ashley wasn't too heartbroken to see his inherited silver tankard go.

But first, we sold that beautiful crafted Fuller's slide rule,

which Rosemary brought along on her friend's behalf.

The man we pinned our hopes on was auctioneer Andrew Smith,

as we returned to Andrew Smith & Son in Winchester.

This item is made for measuring weights

and calculating the value of things, and we have calculated -

well, Elizabeth has - £100 to £150, hasn't she, Rosemary?

-She has indeed.

-Did it work it out itself?

-Absolutely, yeah.

-I did no hard work at all!

-LAUGHTER

Well, this is a start, and it's going under the hammer right now.

Start me at £100. £100.

80. £80.

80 I have, thank you. And five.

At £80. And five.

At £80. 85.

90. And five.

£90 so far.

All done at £90? Any more?

At £90, then, very last time.

-It's gone. £90. Just peeped in, didn't it?

-Yeah, just a bit, yes.

That's OK. That's fine. Lovely.

-Thank you.

-At least it doesn't have to go home. You were saying,

-"Oh, I hope it sells, cos I don't want to take it home."

-No.

-So, in that respect, it was a good result, wasn't it?

-Yes, it is.

-Thank you very much. Lovely.

-Thank you.

-Well done, Elizabeth.

Hopefully, Rosemary's friend was happy with that result.

Next, how well do you think Carol's three watercolours of York did

when we headed back to Bigwood Fine Art Auctioneers?

Christopher Ironmonger was on the rostrum.

And they're not a lot of money for three, are they?

-We're looking at £200 to £300.

-And they are depicting

-one of the most beautiful cities in the UK as well.

-Yes.

-And they're just so detailed.

-My daughters -

they thought they were lovely, but they didn't like the colours.

They said, "York Minster is not pink."

LAUGHTER York Minster Turner-esque.

-That's what they are, aren't they?

-Yeah.

THEY LAUGH

It's all about the light, and it does change colour.

Right, let's put them to the test right now.

Next lot, 315,

George Fall, set of three scenes of old York.

Very nice little set indeed.

And I'm bid £100 as a commission bid.

100 as a commission.

120 now. At 100, 120 there.

140. 160.

-Brilliant.

-180. 200.

200. 220. At 200 it is.

The gentleman's bid at £200.

Are we done at 200? Are we finished?

-Well done, Christina.

-Fantastic. Well done, for three.

-Are you pleased?

-Yes, yes.

-Good.

Good to see them go, actually,

somewhere that's going to appreciate them.

Exactly, yes. The Pink Minster.

THEY LAUGH

I like to think they ended up hanging on a wall in York.

Right, it's time to see how Ashley's silver tankard did

when we sold it back at Jefferys Auctioneers in Lostwithiel,

where auctioneer Ian Morris was still doing the business.

Oh, those Victorians.

We owe them a great deal for our engineering achievements,

but crikey, didn't they ruin a bit of fine art and antiques?

Ashley has this silver 18th-century tankard,

which I think has been devalued.

-It was lovely, once.

-Yes.

Well, I'm hoping, through the magic of "Flog It!",

to convert it into something a bit more fun

than a tankard just sitting in a cupboard gathering dust.

What's the bit of fun going to be?

Well, it's my silver wedding anniversary

-later on this year.

-And you're selling a piece of silver.

So I'm sure my wife will let me know.

LAUGHTER

Look, good luck with it. I know we've been playing it down a bit,

but at the end of the day, it's still quality,

and it should...it just should do that top bid. Here we go.

736 there. The fine Georgian silver tankard.

29 ounces, it's a heavy one.

Bids on the books mean I'm going to start at £550.

-Yes!

-I'm happy already.

-Yeah, I'm happy.

600. 620. 650.

680. 700.

720. 750.

780. 800.

820. 850.

880. 900.

-That's brilliant.

-That's fantastic.

980. 1,000.

And 20. And 50.

1,080. Your bid on that on the books.

-Nice chunk of silver.

-£1,080.

At 1,080 bid.

1,100 an up? At £1080.

Thank you, gentlemen.

That silver wedding just got a bit better, didn't it?

THEY LAUGH

£1,080!

65 here, then.

At £65. Done at 65.

Well, sadly, we're coming towards the end of the show,

but we've seen some fantastic antiques from across the country,

and we've had some wonderful results in the auction room.

I'm especially pleased for Ashley and the silver tankard -

that went so well.

And I've also enjoyed showing you around

some of my favourite treasures here at Pollok House in Glasgow,

and I hope you've enjoyed the show.

Join us again soon, but until then, it's goodbye.