0:00:08 > 0:00:10I'm standing on the roof of our majestic
0:00:10 > 0:00:14valuation day venue - Highcliffe Castle in Dorset.
0:00:14 > 0:00:1748 years ago, this roof wasn't here.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19This whole place was a fire-ravaged wreck.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23To find out how the castle was rebuilt, stone by stone,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25stay watching.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28All will be revealed. Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Our valuation day venue, Highcliffe Castle,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54sits overlooking the Dorset coast,
0:00:54 > 0:00:59an area famous for its geologically rich soils and prehistoric remains.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03The clays around here have been used for some of our most famous
0:01:03 > 0:01:05collectibles, like Poole Pottery,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and the local marble has been used in some of the finest buildings
0:01:08 > 0:01:13in Britain, including our valuation day venue, Highcliffe Castle,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16which has been built from the stones and materials around here.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22We'll be finding out more about the bricks and mortar used to build
0:01:22 > 0:01:24this magnificent architectural gem later
0:01:24 > 0:01:27on in the programme, but right now, let's meet the crowds of people.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Hundreds of them have turned up today and they've brought along
0:01:30 > 0:01:34some wonderful antiques and collectibles for our experts to see.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Of course, they're here to ask that all-important question, which is...
0:01:37 > 0:01:39- ALL:- What's it worth?!
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Stay tuned and you'll find out.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Our experts are getting a head start
0:01:45 > 0:01:49and Christina Trevanion has already found something she likes...
0:01:49 > 0:01:50GASPS
0:01:50 > 0:01:53That is beautiful. Right, bye.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55LAUGHTER
0:01:55 > 0:01:59..while Adam Partridge has also found something in the crowd.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Goodness me, I've only been just five places down the queue.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08- You've got lots, have you? - There's some really lovely things.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- I bid...- Back of the queue. - Right, OK.- Go, go, go!
0:02:12 > 0:02:14- But Christina is playing games. - I've already done it.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20I'm joking, I'm joking!
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Well, all is fair in love and Flog It!
0:02:23 > 0:02:27So, on with the show and, today, Adam's reliving his childhood.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30I mean, imagine getting that as a little boy in the 1950s,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34for Christmas Day, unwrapping it, gleaming in British Rail livery.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38- And Christina is enjoying some name-dropping.- Really?- Yes.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42- THE Joan Collins? - Yes, and Jackie.- Oh, goodness.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45And there's still more surprises to come at auction.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49- Last chance.- Last cheeky bid there.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51And I'm going to be helping putting the castle back together,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53piece by piece.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58The venue for today's valuation is
0:02:58 > 0:03:01the Gothic-inspired Highcliffe Castle.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Dating to the early 19th century,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06it was constructed by Lord Stuart de Rothesay,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10but in the 20th century, two fires entirely destroyed the roof.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14For two decades, it stood empty, but finally it was reconstructed,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17and you can see the results here today.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19And later on in the programme,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21we'll be taking a closer look at some of the remarkable ways
0:03:21 > 0:03:24they are continuing the restoration here, but right now,
0:03:24 > 0:03:29as you can see, hundreds of people are safely seated on the lawns.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Let's get valuing, yes, you up for this?
0:03:31 > 0:03:32- ALL:- Yes!
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Who's going to be the first lucky person to go off to auction?
0:03:34 > 0:03:36We're just about to find out right now,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39and they're with Christina Trevanion.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43- So, Margaret and Ken, this is interesting, isn't it?- Certainly is.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44Where has this come from?
0:03:44 > 0:03:48It was my mother's brother, who was working at Wembley Stadium,
0:03:48 > 0:03:49building it.
0:03:49 > 0:03:55- So your uncle...- Yes.- ..was building the Wembley Stadium. My goodness.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56So, how did he get this?
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Well, each of the workers were given the souvenir.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I would say this is a little twin-handled sugar bowl,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05and it probably would have come as a set,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08with a teapot and possibly a cream jug or milk jug originally.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09Goodness.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11And if we have a good look at it, we've got this wonderful,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13"Souvenir from Wembley, 1924."
0:04:13 > 0:04:17And the British Empire Exhibition was on at Wembley,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and Wembley was the showcase of the British Empire Exhibition.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22And I love this symbol, this wonderful lion.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24I mean, he was really symbolic of the power
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and the pride that we had in our nation at that time.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28Yes.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30And it's littered with these wonderful Union Jacks
0:04:30 > 0:04:31and Union Flags.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34So, we've got Paragon China, England,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37made expressly for Bradbury Pratt.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Now, I can only assume that Bradbury Pratt was a retailer,
0:04:40 > 0:04:45and often when we see Paragon China, it's typical 1920s, 1930s,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48very Art Deco, florally decorated.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51We see a lot of tea services made by Paragon.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- But there are collectors for this commemorative ware.- Yes.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56And commemorative ware really has been popular
0:04:56 > 0:05:00since the mid-19th century, when people started going on the package
0:05:00 > 0:05:03holiday, if you like, and they would come home with a souvenir.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06I would imagine this would have been made for somebody who'd
0:05:06 > 0:05:09gone to the stadium, gone to the exhibition, potentially, and
0:05:09 > 0:05:13taken it away with them as a memento of a lovely day that they've had.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14This is a really difficult one for me,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17because it hasn't got a huge amount of value.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19No, we appreciate that.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I love the fact that your uncle was building this amazing building
0:05:22 > 0:05:27that was just such a showcase for our country, really, and still is.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31But I think the key to this piece is cataloguing it with that provenance.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36I'm going to say, at auction, we're going to be looking at £20-£30.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39I personally would like to see it go without reserve.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- What's your feelings about that? - Yeah, that's fine.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46It's an unusual shape, so I'm hoping that it will fetch more for you,
0:05:46 > 0:05:47but I think we need to be conservative.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- Yes, of course.- All right.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51And it's been an absolute honour to meet you two,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53so thank you so much for bringing it in.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Thank you for looking at it.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57While most of us associate Wembley with football,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01the original buildings had nothing to do with "the beautiful game".
0:06:01 > 0:06:04The complex was purpose built for the British Empire Exhibition.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08The pavilions, including the iconic towers of Wembley, reflected
0:06:08 > 0:06:14the 58 British colonies, and housed the best of British industry.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17To be sure no-one had any doubt about the might of the empire,
0:06:17 > 0:06:21the British lion was emblazoned on statues and memorabilia,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23just like Ken and Margaret's sugar bowl.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Adam Partridge has come across something that
0:06:27 > 0:06:33derives from another imperial power, in its heyday, when this was made.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Well, Kay, what a beautiful day it is here in Dorset.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- It's been wonderful, yes. - Hasn't it? A lovely location here.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- It is, excellent.- Highcliffe Castle. Do you live nearby?
0:06:41 > 0:06:44- Yes, four miles away from here, so not far.- Oh, very good.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Well, far be it from local things, these are Japanese items.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49How did you come to own these?
0:06:49 > 0:06:53They were left to me by my father, who passed away recently, but
0:06:53 > 0:06:57as a child I do remember seeing them in my grandparents' display cabinet.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58Oh, do you?
0:06:58 > 0:07:00I assume, rightly or wrongly,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03that my father may have brought them back from India.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05He was in the RAF
0:07:05 > 0:07:08and stationed out there at the end of the Second World War.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Yeah, I doubt that he brought them from India,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12because they are definitely Japanese carvings,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14and obviously, with them being ivory, the first
0:07:14 > 0:07:17thing that we need to mention is that they're perfectly legal.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22- These fit in perfectly to current legislation, which is pre-1947.- Yes.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26These are turn of the century, what they call the Magi period,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29which spans the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- Right.- And these were made in quite large numbers
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and carved often for the western market.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38So, let's have a look at this first one.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39He's got lovely features, hasn't he?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42He's had some damage, but he's quite nicely carved.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I think also, often on the base, there's a signature.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48We have a signature there, some cracks as well,
0:07:48 > 0:07:49commensurate with the age.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53But he's a good, large, Japanese ivory carving, known as an okimono,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56- these big carvings. - Oh, right, yeah.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59On the wooden stand, I'm not sure whether they started life together.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01- I think probably not. - I don't think so, as well.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03- It just doesn't quite fit, really.- No.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Then, you've got your second one here and, again, we've got
0:08:06 > 0:08:07a couple of condition issues again.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- See, the head's been off.- Right. - See that line of glistening glue?
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- Yes.- But they're not bad, are they?
0:08:13 > 0:08:15They've been around 100 years or more,
0:08:15 > 0:08:16so you expect a little element of damage,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and then the final one, we'll just slip him off the base there.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22And that one doesn't look too bad, does it?
0:08:22 > 0:08:25No, I can't see that there's any damage or anything on that one.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29These sorts of okimono always depict occupation scenes.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Fishermen, traders, so they're a nice snapshot, really,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35of everyday life in Japan 100 and something years ago.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39I was thinking maybe £200 or £300, as a guide price,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41and they might make that four or five. Is that all right with you?
0:08:41 > 0:08:42That's fine. Yes.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45So, if we go with an estimate of £200-£300, a reserve of £200,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49with just a little bit of leeway, I think they'll make a bit more,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53hopefully £300 or £400. And thank you so much for coming along
0:08:53 > 0:08:56- and a really interesting item to talk about.- Thank you.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00I agree, they are very unusual.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04So, let's hope they sell well when it comes to the auction later.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09It's a hot day and people are making the most of the sun,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11in all kinds of ways.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13It's good to see that most people are wearing sun hats,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15because the sun has come out.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19There's plenty of water, OK? Don't dehydrate. There's free water.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20Free refreshments.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- Not free Pimm's, then? - Not free Pimm's, no!
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Often, it's the people who come to our valuation days who hold
0:09:30 > 0:09:31the memories of the place.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36At Highcliffe Castle, the story of who lived here and how this
0:09:36 > 0:09:40place looked has all been carefully documented by Ian Stevenson, a local
0:09:40 > 0:09:45resident with a passion for the castle and a collection to match.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46Let's make a start, then, shall we?
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Because I know there's a lot to look at. Where does it start for you?
0:09:49 > 0:09:50I think postcards.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54I mean, I've got a whole album here, with probably over 200.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I think it's quite interesting to look at the interiors.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58It's brilliant.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59This is the drawing room
0:09:59 > 0:10:03and you get an idea of how elaborate it was, with the candelabra,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06wonderful French furniture and a bedroom there.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12Oh, look at that. So, who lived here in the 20th century?
0:10:12 > 0:10:14The Stuart-Wortley family.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16They weren't particularly wealthy people
0:10:16 > 0:10:18and he was in the army, so he was spending time away.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20The needed money to keep up the castle,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22so it would be rented out for periods.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23Sort of a holiday let!
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Hey, I fancy that as a holiday let, don't you? Wow.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Gosh, and it attracted all of these important people.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Yes, indeed. Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Here's the king of Spain, Alfonso XIII,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39planting a tree in the garden here.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43- And then, the Kaiser, of course. - "Kaiser's visit, 1907.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44"The Emperor of Germany". Gosh.
0:10:46 > 0:10:47And who's this?
0:10:47 > 0:10:51That's the future King Edward VII, who was then Prince of Wales,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55in a Daimler, in 1900, outside the castle entrance there.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59I've got the original glass negative. It's invaluable, really.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01That's one of my treasures.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05- Are you still collecting?- Oh, yes, yes. I think it's a lifetime's work.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08And thank goodness, because the history of that castle is in safe
0:11:08 > 0:11:11hands because of people like you.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12- Thank you.- Yeah, well, thank you.
0:11:14 > 0:11:15Back to the valuations,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and Christina's found an item that would have been right at home
0:11:18 > 0:11:21decorating the arms of some of the female residents
0:11:21 > 0:11:23of Highcliffe Castle.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- Right, so you've brought this lovely watch in to us today.- Mm-hm.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- Where's it come from?- Well, I inherited it from a distant cousin.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30BABY CRIES
0:11:30 > 0:11:32That's William. Don't mind William. He's agreeing.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34No, he's not my cousin.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41- Yes, it was hers, and I think it might have been her mother's.- OK.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44I believe there was a slightly unorthodox... Where it was found.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45Is that right?
0:11:45 > 0:11:46Yes, she was in hospital, and she said,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50"You'd better go into the spin drier in the kitchen."
0:11:50 > 0:11:53So I opened up the spin drier and underneath the dishcloths,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55was this and all her jewellery.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- No! Really? She kept it in the spin drier?- Yes.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Forgive me, but how often did she do any washing?
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Well, um... They probably came out, occasionally.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Well, that's fair enough.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Yeah, I mean it's better than the freezer, I suppose.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12- Yeah, it's a bit different. - Keeps them clean.- I would think.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13Do you mind if I take it?
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Just because I can't stand here for much longer and not touch it,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18frankly. It's just stunning.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Little diamond-set, Art Deco cocktail watch.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25I mean, for me, it's just so decadent, so elegant.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Can you imagine waltzing around London in the 1920s,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30going for cocktails at the Ritz with this on?
0:12:30 > 0:12:32I mean, you would feel like the bee's knees, wouldn't you?
0:12:32 > 0:12:34It's beautiful.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36It's got this wonderful diamond-set face and it's in white gold,
0:12:36 > 0:12:41which is stamped 375, so that tells us that's in nine-carat white gold.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45It's the lower-grade gold, but nonetheless, a beautiful thing.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48It would have been fairly commonplace, really,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50in the 1920s and 1930s, when this was made,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53to have a cocktail watch, to bling up your outfit, if you like.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Do you know if your cousin, was it hers?
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Yes, and I think it was her mother's, because her mother used to
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- be in that circle, in London. - Oh, did she?
0:13:02 > 0:13:04What did she do? Was she quite racy?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- I think she might have been. - Really? Ooh, I like it.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10We like that, don't we, girls? We do, yeah.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13She used to babysit and it turns out that it was probably
0:13:13 > 0:13:18- Joan Collins that she used to babysit.- What?! Really?- Yes.- Really?
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- Yes.- THE Joan Collins? - Yes, and Jackie.- Oh, goodness.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24That's pretty exciting. How do you know that?
0:13:24 > 0:13:28- Cos my cousin told me.- Oh, wow. I love family stories like that.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29Going back to the watch,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31it's got a nice little stamp on the strap as well.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Now, I think that it may have had a replaced strap.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36She's probably done some wild dancing at some point,
0:13:36 > 0:13:37and the strap may have broken slightly.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39- I've got the receipt for the strap.- Oh, have you?
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Because I've tracked this hallmark down,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43and it's actually dating to Birmingham in about 1957.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44Ah.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48But that is much later than the actual watch face itself,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51which I would say is absolutely either late 1920s or early 1930s.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53And I would say at auction, we're probably
0:13:53 > 0:13:56looking at an estimate somewhere in the region of £200-£300.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57OK.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00- How do you feel about that, Sue? - Well, yes.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- So, shall we put it forward to the auction?- OK.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04So, we set an estimate of £200-£300
0:14:04 > 0:14:07and perhaps, a reserve of maybe £180, should we need it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08Mm-hm.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11I don't think we will. I think it's a lovely thing, I really do.
0:14:11 > 0:14:12Oh, thank you very much.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14You'll have to stick an elastic band round me,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17so I can't bid on it. What do you think about that, William?
0:14:17 > 0:14:18Do you agree with that?
0:14:18 > 0:14:20WILLIAM CRIES
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- He's not looking convinced, is he?- No.
0:14:24 > 0:14:25Well, I agree.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28This gorgeous watch will surely have the bidders excited
0:14:28 > 0:14:30when it goes under the hammer.
0:14:31 > 0:14:32Well, there you are.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Our experts have been working flat out,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and we have now found our first three items to take off to auction.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Fingers crossed, we have one or two surprises with those valuations,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43but before we do that, I want to show you something really quickly.
0:14:43 > 0:14:44Look on the outside of the building
0:14:44 > 0:14:47and you'll see this wonderful ornate doorway.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50It's being framed by two cheeky court jesters,
0:14:50 > 0:14:54which are just tucked underneath that bay window up there.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57But if you look closely, all is not what it seems there.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01That is actually an oversized fire surround, which has been
0:15:01 > 0:15:05re-used, and that's a clue to the provenance of this building.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07But right now, it's straight over to the auction room,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10and here's a quick recap of what we're taking with us.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Ken and Margaret's collectible sugar bowl, which could be
0:15:14 > 0:15:18a wonderful reminder for someone of the original Wembley stadium.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Kay wants to sell her Japanese figurines that reflect
0:15:23 > 0:15:26everyday working life in a bygone era.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31And there's Sue's diamond watch, a touch of Art Deco elegance,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33that put a sparkle in Christina's eye.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35But will it dazzle the bidders, too?
0:15:39 > 0:15:42We're heading to Wareham for our auction today.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45At one time, this was the centre of the clay-mining industry.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50The products that came from the unique minerals in the clay
0:15:50 > 0:15:53ranged from clay pipes to fine ceramics, such as Flog It!
0:15:53 > 0:15:55favourite, Wedgwood.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00And this is where we're putting our valuations to the test.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Cottees in Wareham.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Let's go inside and meet with some very nervous owners.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05The sale is just about to start
0:16:05 > 0:16:08and, fingers crossed, we can dig up a few great results.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Don't forget, you'll be paying commission, which is
0:16:13 > 0:16:1620%, plus VAT, at this sale room.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19So, with auctioneer John Condie on the rostrum,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22let's get on with our first lot - the commemorative bowl
0:16:22 > 0:16:26created for the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28For me, it looks like a sugar bowl with cover.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30It's about the right size, rather than a tureen.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32- And the story just made me think it was so brilliant.- Yeah.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35So, Jack was a builder? And all the builders got one of these.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37- Yeah.- Real piece of history, there.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- Well, we're bigging this up and there's no reserve on it.- I know!
0:16:40 > 0:16:44- I know.- Hopefully it won't be an own goal. This is going to sell.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47- This makes me very nervous. - The question is, how much?
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Right, we're going to find out right now.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54Paragon China Wembley souvenir, from 1924.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Who can give me £20 for it?
0:16:56 > 0:17:00- Ooh, straight away, bidder in the room.- Yeah, that's good.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- £35. £40.- Ooh!
0:17:03 > 0:17:05£45... £50, I've got.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09- £55, sir? £55 now, in the room. - That's fantastic, guys.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10£60, anybody else?
0:17:12 > 0:17:19- At £55, then, I'm selling it.- £55. - Well done, that's fantastic.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22That's good. That's a very good result.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- I'm delighted.- Yes, so am I!
0:17:24 > 0:17:26I don't like no reserves, I get really worried.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- And that was your first auction? - It certainly was, yes.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31Well, what an experience.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33At least we're sending you home happy,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35and that's what it's all about.
0:17:35 > 0:17:36Thank you very much, indeed.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39And may there be many more for Margaret and Ken.
0:17:41 > 0:17:42£440.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46The next lot is Kay's early 20th century Japanese ivory figures,
0:17:46 > 0:17:50depicting everyday life, and with just a little damage.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54You're selling them because they're not your cup of tea?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- That's right, yes.- Do you know what? I'm not really drawn to these.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Some ivory figures, I am, but these, I don't know.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02What is it with ivory figures that you have to look for?
0:18:02 > 0:18:05I think you've got a good eye for quality, and these are the
0:18:05 > 0:18:09- fairly ordinary ones that you'd have bought as an export piece.- Sure.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10They're not the finest ones.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14When you see a fine one, they're absolutely staggering.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Every single detail of fingers, and then there'll be signs with
0:18:17 > 0:18:19red lacquer tablets, all different sizes.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22And the other thing with these, there are some damages to them,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24which you can't really repair.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Hopefully, we'll do Adam's top end of the estimate.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28- You'd be happy with that, wouldn't you?- Oh, I would.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Because you don't like them, you want to get rid of them.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33No, I don't have anywhere to put them, either.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36No. Let's put them under the hammer. Here we go.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42Three Japanese ivory okimono figures. £150, I'll start. £150.
0:18:42 > 0:18:49£160. £170. £180. £190. 200.
0:18:49 > 0:18:55£200 I've got. £220 now. £220, on the internet. £240, anybody else?
0:18:56 > 0:19:01Last chance, then. I'm going to sell at £220.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Anyone else? It's going...
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Hey, doesn't matter. You're happy, look at the big smile.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- Didn't like them, didn't want them, they had to go.- That's right.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- Yeah, you'd rather have the money. - Yeah, I'm very happy.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15And that's what counts.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Now, Christina was very happy when she found our third lot -
0:19:18 > 0:19:22the super-chic 1950s diamond-set watch.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25I really do like this, girls.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27It's not something I'd want to buy or own,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29but I think it's got the look.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32It's elegant, it's stylish, it sort of says Art Deco,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- the cocktail party.- Mm-hm.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37£200-£300, I don't think it's a lot of money.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41I know it's not precious stones or anything, but it's beautifully made.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- It's diamonds.- Yes.- You can't get much more precious than that.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46OK, but...
0:19:46 > 0:19:49- Martin!- ..we're not talking about the big carat here, are we?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52No, we're not talking about huge great big stones, but you're right,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55- it's got that look, and that's what people like about it.- Yep.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57But also, it looks like it's a one-off,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00and no-one else is going to have something like this.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Anyway, let's find out what the bidders think.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05The Art Deco platinum and diamond set cocktail watch.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08I've got a start at £150.
0:20:08 > 0:20:14£150 bid. £160. £170. £180. £190.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16- £200.- There we are, £200.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20£220 bid. £240 now?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22- Yes.- £240. £260, make it.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27At £240 on the little watch.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28Last chance, anyone else?
0:20:29 > 0:20:35- £240.- Sold. Well done, Christina. Spot on.- Fantastic.- Yeah.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- She's good.- Thank you.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- Well done, anyway.- Thank you. - That was good.- Brilliant.
0:20:45 > 0:20:46Well, there you are.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49That's our first three lots done and dusted, under the hammer,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51and some good results, so far.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Now, for centuries, Dorset clays and stones have been
0:20:54 > 0:20:57used in construction and for architectural detail.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Our valuation-day venue, Highcliffe Castle, is no exception.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03It used around 14 different varieties of stone
0:21:03 > 0:21:05in its construction.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07But also, as well as using local materials,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11it's also built up of elements from quite an unexpected source.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Highcliffe Castle might look as solid today as the stones
0:21:22 > 0:21:27it's made from, but over 240 years, it's had several incarnations,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31and has been partly reduced to rubble on more than one occasion.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39I'm going to find out how the stone and the bricks have been reused
0:21:39 > 0:21:42and, to do that, I need to climb this temporary staircase made
0:21:42 > 0:21:45out of scaffolding, which is high above the ground floor.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55And just look at this!
0:21:55 > 0:22:01Pile upon pile of doorframes, window shutters, dado rail, architrave.
0:22:01 > 0:22:02You name it, it is all here.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07This is an architectural salvage hunters' dream.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10When the castle burnt in the 1960s, all of this was saved,
0:22:10 > 0:22:14catalogued, and put up here, high up in the store room.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16But it's where all of this originally came from
0:22:16 > 0:22:19that makes Highcliffe Castle so interesting.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27The story goes back to 1775, when a grand house was built here,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30perched above the cliffs.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33The trouble was, it was poorly constructed and, add to that, it was
0:22:33 > 0:22:37a little too close to the cliff face, which was ever-eroding.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41The house was sold off, abandoned, and eventually demolished,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44but that wasn't the end for Highcliffe.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50In 1808, Charles, Lord Stuart de Rothesay,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53bought the land back, determined to build a new house
0:22:53 > 0:22:56for his family, near the site of the original house.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Charles, an ambassador to France,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02took the opportunity to do two things.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05He stockpiled local bricks, but more importantly,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09he gathered vast quantities of stone and medieval stained glass from
0:23:09 > 0:23:13buildings that had been destroyed during the French Revolution.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21This print from 1824 shows the great French house,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25La Grand Maison a les Andely, as it was being demolished.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31And here, you can see exactly that oriel window, now in pride
0:23:31 > 0:23:36of place, and I must say, standing from here, it just looks superb.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38But you can imagine all of this stonework being
0:23:38 > 0:23:42shipped across from France and then strewn across the cliff top,
0:23:42 > 0:23:44as work began on the castle.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49We can take a peek into the past at Lord Stuart's grand-scale scheme
0:23:49 > 0:23:52with these 20th century postcards and photos.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57They reveal a Gothic English castle, with medieval windows,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02a baronial staircase, gilt embellishments and Gothic turrets.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08There was one person, however,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12who was less impressed with his efforts - Lord Stuart's wife.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15She was the one with the money behind her.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18During the building work, she left for two years,
0:24:18 > 0:24:23to nurse her sick father and, upon her return, she discovered how
0:24:23 > 0:24:28much of her money he'd lavished on this building - and she was furious.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30She wrote in a letter,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34"I wish the whole thing would just fall off the cliff."
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Despite Lady Stuart's hope this castle would crumble into the sea,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41it was as robust as the heavy stone it was made from,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44standing secure as a home over several generations.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50But the building that had emerged from the rubble returned to rubble.
0:24:50 > 0:24:56It suffered two devastating fires, in 1967 and 1968.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58The fire completely destroyed this roof,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00rendering it uninhabitable again.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05For almost 20 years, the castle languished,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09its stonework deteriorating and suffering vandalism.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11But from the early 1990s,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14it received funding, to install structural support,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18recreate the crumbling masonry and rebuild the roof.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20But this was just the start.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Today, the store room, full of medieval wooden ornamentation,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28is being sifted and examined by volunteers, like Maurice Ballard,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31who devote their time to bring the place back to life.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35What did you have to do, Maurice, when you first saw
0:25:35 > 0:25:38all of these architectural elements in a great big pile?
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Obviously, sort them out, but how?
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Well, we tried to put matching items together, so that we could
0:25:43 > 0:25:47then start trying to define which rooms they came from.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51So, we've tried to put things together for the octagon
0:25:51 > 0:25:54and the great hall and the drawing room.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56And how do you know what goes where?
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Are you looking at archive photographs?
0:25:59 > 0:26:02- That's what we're having to do now.- I love these.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Where has this come from?
0:26:04 > 0:26:05Now that, we definitely know.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07This was the original drawing room,
0:26:07 > 0:26:11- and you can see the detailing of the boards.- Oh, yes.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- It went round the picture. - OK, that's the picture frames.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17And all of these, of course, were gilded, but in the heat
0:26:17 > 0:26:21of the two fires we had here, it stripped all the paint off of them.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25- This is oak as well, isn't it?- It's all oak. It was all oak panelling.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26Wow.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31- That's why it survived.- Yeah.- Oak is such a solid hardwood, isn't it?
0:26:31 > 0:26:33It's got a very tight grain structure.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35You're not going to put it all back together
0:26:35 > 0:26:36- and make sort of a pastiche?- No.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38You're just going to use certain elements,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42stand it against the wall in the right place, fix it there,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44so it gives you an idea of what it would be like.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46That's what we would hope to do, to put it back
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- in the rooms that they came from. - There's some lovely bits of detail,
0:26:49 > 0:26:50isn't there? I love the carved pieces.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53That is part of a mirror frame, I'm almost certain.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54That's nice, isn't it?
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- It's fantastic.- Yeah, look at that.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00It really gives you a clue, doesn't it?
0:27:00 > 0:27:03The sort of ornamentation, the detail, the frilliness,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05it's so typically French.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10When you look at these pictures and think how he built it in 1836,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14the main thing that we can see here is the fact that,
0:27:14 > 0:27:15because of the two fires,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19we've gone back to all the brickwork in most places, and I'm almost
0:27:19 > 0:27:24certain that the building itself was built as a brick structure,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27and then they hung the stonework on the outside,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29and put all the panelling on the inside afterwards.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Yeah.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Because we're back to the brick structure, you can
0:27:33 > 0:27:35- also see how areas were built.- Sure.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Which if you go to a house that's still got all its original
0:27:37 > 0:27:40- panelling and other things... - You can't see it.- You can't see it.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43I mean, we can even see some of the original panelling that's
0:27:43 > 0:27:46still on the wall, there. And this was a bedroom.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48That's actually survived, it's still hanging there.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51That survived in that position, yes.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Wow. And you would know all about this.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55You're a building surveyor and you do this as a volunteer.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57That's right.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59- This must be like a busman's holiday for you.- Oh, it is, it is.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Must be the biggest project of your life.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Well, when I retired, I wanted a building or somewhere to come
0:28:04 > 0:28:07- and build up my... - To play with.- To play with!
0:28:07 > 0:28:10I've picked rather a large one, though!
0:28:13 > 0:28:16But there's one more part of the story of the building's
0:28:16 > 0:28:17reincarnation.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Over the years, people have returned architectural embellishments
0:28:20 > 0:28:24back to the castle that they had kept for safekeeping.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28These tiles, a lady had these. The clean ones that you can see.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30She sent them back to the castle by post,
0:28:30 > 0:28:34and they are an identical match to these tiles here,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37which have been salvaged, later to be cleaned up.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38The paint will be removed.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43This is the last piece of the jigsaw. That goes there, like that.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Hopefully, one day this will be reinstated on the castle walls,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51on the inside, as a panel, for people to appreciate.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Now, that's a good ending.
0:29:00 > 0:29:01Back to our valuations,
0:29:01 > 0:29:04where our experts are also piecing together
0:29:04 > 0:29:07the stories of the objects our crowds bring us.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11Adam's found something I always love to see on the show.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Christine, thank you very much for coming along.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15You brought an item that I really like,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18and something that appeals to my own personal collecting taste.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20As soon as I saw this come down on the table,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23I knew instantly it was a piece of Newlyn Copperware.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Very distinctive, arts and crafts, so it's handmade,
0:29:26 > 0:29:30hand-beaten, rivets, hand-decorated with these birds,
0:29:30 > 0:29:34and of course, the fish is a tell-tale sign, isn't it,
0:29:34 > 0:29:38of the fact it was made in Newlyn in Cornwall, early 20th century.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Of course, the most famous name there is John Pearson,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44of the metalworkers, but there were a number of metalworkers,
0:29:44 > 0:29:48and I think that's a lovely example of a piece of Newlyn Copper.
0:29:48 > 0:29:49How did you come to own this?
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Well, we used to live in Penzance
0:29:51 > 0:29:54and we bought it while we were there.
0:29:54 > 0:29:59We've had it about 20 years now and we're quite fond of it,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02but I don't really want to polish it any more.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04Oh, is that the reason for selling it?
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Well, it doesn't need that much polishing, does it?
0:30:06 > 0:30:08No. We are supposed to be downsizing, as well.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12- Oh, are you moving, are you?- Yes. - It's a pleasing shape, isn't it?
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Angular, geometric, with a decoration,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17and the Newlyn mark there on the front, clearly stamped.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19Yes.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21And these sorts of things are very popular these days,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24in the market, so you've chosen a great time to sell, really.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Do you remember what you paid for it, all those years ago in Newlyn?
0:30:27 > 0:30:33- No, I don't.- No. What about an idea of its current value?- Eh...
0:30:35 > 0:30:39- £100? £150?- Very good, you don't need me, do you?
0:30:39 > 0:30:42No, that's absolutely right. I think £100 to £150 is its value,
0:30:42 > 0:30:46really, and I think it'll make a little bit more towards £200 or so.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Well, that's good. It would be nice to be £200.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52- Shall we do £120 reserve? - That would be fine.
0:30:52 > 0:30:53I think it'll make more anyway,
0:30:53 > 0:30:55- you have to trust in the system a little bit.- Yes.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00- And we can put the estimate £120 to £180?- Yes.- Nice big range.- OK.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03- And hopefully, I still think it'll make the best part of £200.- Good.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Who knows, on the day?
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Two people competing, it might make a little bit more.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10- Oh, well, that would be nice. - It would be lovely, wouldn't it?
0:31:10 > 0:31:14It certainly would. I have high hopes for that Newlyn Copper.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19Christina's found her last object today, but before she reveals
0:31:19 > 0:31:20what's hidden in the bag,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24she's getting nosy about the ladies who've brought it in!
0:31:25 > 0:31:27You look very similar. What's the relationship?
0:31:27 > 0:31:29We are. This is my lovely niece, Juliet.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31And this is my lovely auntie.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34- Ah. But you look so similar. - And my mum was her twin sister.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38- Oh, your mum's twin sister. That makes sense.- That's the thing.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- So, whose is this?- This belonged to my husband's granny.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43To be perfectly honest, when I saw this, I thought,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46"Oh, it's a nice little bag," and then I looked at what was inside.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51And it's just stunning, isn't it? Look at that.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55We've got the most beautiful gold cigarette case.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Tell me where it's come from.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00I've got no idea whereabouts in the world it came from,
0:32:00 > 0:32:04to be honest, cos my husband's grandfather was in the RAF,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07- so it could have come from anywhere.- Really?
0:32:07 > 0:32:09To me, even just looking at it from the outset,
0:32:09 > 0:32:13it just screams good quality, beautiful thing.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15- It's just so tactile, isn't it? - It's beautifully made.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Yeah, it's beautifully made.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21Even just looking at the cover of it, the hinge is totally flush.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23- I mean, can you imagine engineering that?- No.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26It would be really quite a feat of engineering, to make that
0:32:26 > 0:32:29so perfectly flush like that.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32We've got this wonderful, what we call, cabochon sapphire
0:32:32 > 0:32:33to the clasp here.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Now, when I say cabochon, it means it's cut into that dome,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39so it's beautifully soft and smooth,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42rather than being a faceted stone, like you'd see...
0:32:42 > 0:32:44Generally a diamond is faceted, isn't it?
0:32:44 > 0:32:48So we've got a wonderful mark, which is stamped 585.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Now, that is indicative of gold, 14-carat gold, OK?
0:32:52 > 0:32:55And then, more interestingly, we've got
0:32:55 > 0:32:59what we call an import mark, because if I looked at this piece,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02I would have from the outset said, "It doesn't look like
0:33:02 > 0:33:03- "a British piece."- No.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07The quality of it, the stylishness of it, I would say it was French.
0:33:07 > 0:33:08Right, OK.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10And we've got a little import mark here, which shows
0:33:10 > 0:33:14it was imported into this country in, I think, about the 1950s.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18- Would that tie in with granny owning it?- Oh, definitely.- Beautiful, OK.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20So, at auction,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23it's such a beautiful thing, with such exquisite quality to it,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25I really think that we're going to be looking
0:33:25 > 0:33:29somewhere in the region of about £1,000 to £1,500.
0:33:29 > 0:33:30Wow!
0:33:31 > 0:33:35- Oh, look...- We did actually... - "Oh, look, you can come again!"
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- We did think about that, didn't we?- Well, yes.- Did you?
0:33:40 > 0:33:43- I think, firm reserve at £1,000.- Mm-hm.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45I don't think we need to let it go for any less than that.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47Why are you selling it?
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Well, it was left in a drawer at home, doing nothing,
0:33:50 > 0:33:54so my husband's decided to redo our roof on our shed,
0:33:54 > 0:33:57which is quite a big project, and it's
0:33:57 > 0:34:01cost £800 already and, hopefully, selling this will go towards it.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Go towards the new shed roof. Gosh, how romantic(!)
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Every time we sit in that shed, we'll go, "Thanks, Granny."
0:34:09 > 0:34:11- Do you often sit in the shed? - Yes, we do.- Really?
0:34:11 > 0:34:15- To get rid of the children.- Don't tell her why you go to the shed!
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Well, it's just a place where we go and sit.
0:34:18 > 0:34:19Maybe I need to get myself a shed.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23- They have very posh sheds now, don't they, Jules?- Oh, yes.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30You have the knack of bringing us some of the most unexpected things,
0:34:30 > 0:34:34like these Aboriginal shoes, apparently used for ritual purposes.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39So I was told, if you want to do something bad to somebody,
0:34:39 > 0:34:44if you just went with your ordinary feet, then they could track you.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48- But if you wear these...- They couldn't follow your footprints.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50And also, they'd see that it was this
0:34:50 > 0:34:52and get very frightened, you know?
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Gosh, I'd never heard of that before.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59That's fascinating, isn't it?
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Just amazing that those have ended up here, on a Flog It!
0:35:01 > 0:35:04valuation day, 10,000 miles away from Australia,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07on the other side of the world.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11Over to Adam now, who's on more well-trodden ground, with an iconic
0:35:11 > 0:35:15collection brought in by father and daughter, David and Shannon.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Well, a very famous name in model railway, Dave,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20- and your daughter, Shannon? - That's correct, yes.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Thank you very much for coming. Where did you get it from?
0:35:23 > 0:35:25It's my father's. It's been up in the attic ever since I've known it.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29- I was allowed to look at it once. - Look at it, but not touch it.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Not allowed to play with it, but then it was put back
0:35:31 > 0:35:34up in the attic, and that's where it stayed for the next 40 years.
0:35:34 > 0:35:35Really?
0:35:35 > 0:35:37We've just converted the house into two, and so everything had
0:35:37 > 0:35:40to come out of the attic, and that's when he decided to get rid of it.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43- OK, so you're really here on behalf of your father?- Yeah.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46It's pretty clear that it was made in the 1950s,
0:35:46 > 0:35:48but actually there's a date code on the corner of here,
0:35:48 > 0:35:54and if you see that, 17/254, the 254 means February, 1954.
0:35:54 > 0:35:55Oh, right.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57So, very exact.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00And it's a fairly standard set - type 51, O gauge -
0:36:00 > 0:36:02but you've got it in lovely condition.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06You've got the O gauge key there, clockwork, of course.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08They started producing electric trains in, I think,
0:36:08 > 0:36:131964 or thereabouts, and electric trains are still being made,
0:36:13 > 0:36:16but you can't beat the magic of the clockwork, I don't think.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Testament to British engineering that these things still work,
0:36:20 > 0:36:21and they work beautifully.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Really nice set, but not a particularly rare set.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26One thing I think that's really to its advantage is that it's
0:36:26 > 0:36:27still in really good condition.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30I mean, imagine getting that, as a little boy in the 1950s,
0:36:30 > 0:36:34for Christmas Day, unwrapping it, gleaming in British Rail livery.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Would have been such an exciting moment.
0:36:36 > 0:36:37This was a really special thing
0:36:37 > 0:36:40and I think the fact that it's still in such good condition,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43with the box, all the instructions, everything's there,
0:36:43 > 0:36:47that should be commanding a premium price when it comes to auction.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51- That's what's going to get the collectors excited.- Lovely.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52So, what do you think it's worth?
0:36:52 > 0:36:55- I don't know, £40? £50?- I think it's a bit more than that.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59- I reckon it's going to be £100. - As much as that?- Should make £100.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01What I'd like to put is the old £80-£120.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06Stick an £80 reserve on it, and I reckon it'll make £120, £130,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08- something like that, I hope.- Very good.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12All right. Well, we're on the right tracks. No, no more railway puns.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15So, if it makes £100+, would you do anything specific with the money?
0:37:15 > 0:37:18No, I daresay my father will take us out for a meal or something.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21- Yeah, of course, got to give it back to your father, haven't you?- Yeah.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Well, thanks for bringing it along. It's nice to see one in such
0:37:23 > 0:37:26good condition and rarely played with, so thanks for coming.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28- We'll see you at the auction. You both going to come?- Yes.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30Very good, see you there.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33Yes, Adam, I hope that steams away at the auction.
0:37:36 > 0:37:37Well, there you are.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Our experts' final items have now been found,
0:37:40 > 0:37:44so sadly it's time to say goodbye to our host venue, Highcliffe Castle.
0:37:44 > 0:37:49One day, hopefully this rebuilt roof will become a viewing platform,
0:37:49 > 0:37:53so you can stand up here and take in these glorious surroundings.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56I think you'll agree we found some treasures worthy of our venue,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59but right now, we've got to put those valuations to the test in the
0:37:59 > 0:38:04sale room. Here's a quick recap of what's going under the hammer.
0:38:04 > 0:38:05The Newlyn Copper teapot.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07It might be cluttering up Christine's house,
0:38:07 > 0:38:11but there are plenty of arts and crafts collectors who would love
0:38:11 > 0:38:12to take it off her hands.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15There's the elegant cigarette case,
0:38:15 > 0:38:19that's going to pay for a roof for Juliet's garden retreat.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22And the Hornby train set,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25that's got to appeal to any toy train enthusiast.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Back at the sale room, our lots are underway,
0:38:30 > 0:38:35with one of my favourite pieces today - the Newlyn Copper teapot,
0:38:35 > 0:38:38brought along by Christine and husband David.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40- I'm a big fan of Newlyn Copper. - Yes?- I really am.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44- You lived in Cornwall for a little while, I gather?- Yes, St Just.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- Very nice.- Just outside. It's a special place.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Did you start to collect more or just this one piece?
0:38:49 > 0:38:53- No, it was just something from the area we thought we'd like.- OK.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55£120 to £180 - I think that's sensible,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59- I'd like to see the top end. - It's really pleasing, isn't it?
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Yeah, it's well-made, it's tactile. That's the key to it.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Those edges are folded and rolled, and hand-beaten and hammered,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08and all that repousse work is beautiful.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11And it's got the fish motifs, as well, which you expect.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14Anyway, this is the fun part of it, going under the hammer right now.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18This is impressed Newlyn, rather nice example.
0:39:18 > 0:39:19Start me at £100 for it.
0:39:19 > 0:39:26£100 bid, £100. £110. £120. £130.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29£140, £150, £160.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33£160, £170, £180.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37£180 bid. £190, £200.
0:39:37 > 0:39:45At £220 now, on the internet. £220. £230. £230 I've got, £240.
0:39:45 > 0:39:50£240 here. £240, £260 now. £280, anyone in the room?
0:39:51 > 0:39:56At £260, I'm going to sell it then, your last chance.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58It's on the internet.
0:39:58 > 0:39:59£260.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04- Yes! Proper job... - I was just going to say, proper job.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Adam and I knew we were on to a winner with that lovely piece,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10so what about our next lot?
0:40:10 > 0:40:14The Hornby train set that's been stashed away in the attic,
0:40:14 > 0:40:16for 60 years.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18- Shannon and David, good luck.- Thank you.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Fingers crossed you go home happy, or "chuffed," I should say.
0:40:21 > 0:40:22Oh, very good.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25- Hornby train set, I had this exact one.- Did you?- Do you know what?
0:40:25 > 0:40:28I never really looked after my toys, which is so sad.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30- Toys are to be played with.- Yeah.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33- I have to say, the box is in fabulous condition.- Yeah.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35It's been kept in a dry place, as well.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- I mean, there's a lot of the value in that packaging.- Yes.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Let's see how much difference it's made, because it's on right now.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Hornby tin plate O-gauge model railway set. Nice thing.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47We'll start at £50.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51£50 bid. £55, £60.
0:40:51 > 0:40:52Five, £70.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59£70. Five, anyway. £80, five, £90, on commission.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05£95, anyone else coming in? Commission bid at £90, then.
0:41:06 > 0:41:12Anyone else? Your last chance, I'm selling at £90.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15- Look, we did our best, OK? - Yep, lovely.- OK, great.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17- And thanks for coming.- Thank you.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Still, I'm quite sure that's going to take
0:41:19 > 0:41:21pride of place in somebody's collection.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27Time for our final lot today, the gorgeous gold French cigarette case.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Right, good luck, both of you, Jan and Juliet.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34- This is yours, isn't it, Juliet?- Yes, it is.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38Did you realise this cigarette case was worth that sort of money?
0:41:38 > 0:41:41- Not that sort of money.- What were you thinking, at the valuation?
0:41:41 > 0:41:43- Maybe £500.- OK.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47- There's a lot of gold there, isn't there?- Oh, it's just too beautiful.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49They're becoming more popular again, aren't they?
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Yes, and you just hold it, and it's just so tactile,
0:41:51 > 0:41:53and it's the epitome of lux. It's just gorgeous.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56- Beautifully worked. - It really is very, very beautiful.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59- So...- Best of luck, guys. - Good luck, OK?- Thank you so much.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Here we go, it's going under the hammer now.
0:42:01 > 0:42:06Lots and lots of interest in this. I'll start you at £700.
0:42:06 > 0:42:11£750, £800, £850, let me go, £900.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14- Yes.- £1,000, £1,100.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17£1,200, £1,300.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22£1,400. £1,500, I've got here.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27- £1,500.- And 50.- And 50. £1,600...
0:42:27 > 0:42:28- Oh!- Brilliant.
0:42:28 > 0:42:29At £1,600.
0:42:31 > 0:42:3250, anyone else?
0:42:32 > 0:42:37I'll sell, then. £1,600, it's going to go.
0:42:37 > 0:42:38Last chance.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41- 50.- 50. £1,650.- Ooh!
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- £1,650, at the last minute. - A last cheeky bid there!
0:42:46 > 0:42:51£1,700, anyone else? At £1,650, then.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53It's going. Going.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56- Fabulous, £1,650!- How exciting.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00Well done, and this is your first auction, as well.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02That's such a lot of money, isn't it?
0:43:02 > 0:43:05- That's fantastic.- That's going in somebody's cabinet somewhere.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07It really is, isn't it?
0:43:07 > 0:43:11What a way to end today's show, on a lovely highlight there.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13I hope you enjoyed today's rollercoaster ride.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16Join us again soon for many more surprises,
0:43:16 > 0:43:18but until then, from all of us here, it's goodbye.