0:00:07 > 0:00:11This beautiful stately home, surrounded by wooded parkland
0:00:11 > 0:00:13just a few miles north of Stafford is Sandon Hall,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16the ancestral home of the Harrowbys.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18It's been in the same family for nine generations -
0:00:18 > 0:00:21that's 250 years of British history.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25It's the perfect location for "Flog It!" Welcome to the show.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51The almost Gothic appearance of Sandon Hall doesn't quite
0:00:51 > 0:00:54prepare you for the riot of light and colour inside.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00This rare Chinese wallpaper is all hand-painted
0:01:00 > 0:01:02and every single bird is different.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Sandon Hall is a stern-looking building
0:01:11 > 0:01:15built in the neo-Jacobean style, very popular with the Victorians.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16And in keeping with its style,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19this stately crowd have turned up, laden with antiques
0:01:19 > 0:01:23and collectables, here to see our experts to find out what it's worth.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25And if you're happy with the valuations,
0:01:25 > 0:01:26what are you going to do?
0:01:26 > 0:01:28CROWD: "Flog It!"
0:01:31 > 0:01:35'Helping them to do just that are experts, Charles Hanson...'
0:01:35 > 0:01:39I'm going over here. It's often the back of the queue where the treasures are really lurking.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41'Oh, Charles, someone's beaten you to it.'
0:01:41 > 0:01:45- Quickly, before Charlie Hanson comes over. - It's Christina Trevanion.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Let's sticker everyone back here, you're all mine!
0:01:48 > 0:01:50And now they can't give it away.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54- Is it a "Flog It!" for you today or...?- Oh, yes, yeah, yeah, definitely.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56- I think it's one for you.- I think it's one for you.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59- I think it's your type. - I think it's definitely...
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Chill out, guys, there's plenty for everyone.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05First, let's see what's coming up on today's show.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Christina's transported back to the swinging '60s.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13- This book does read a bit like a Who's Who of the 1960s music scene. - Exactly.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15For once, we're speechless at the auction room.
0:02:15 > 0:02:16Huh.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22And I find out about some fabulous females at Sandon Hall.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24- I'll let you into a secret, too. - What are you going to tell me?
0:02:28 > 0:02:31And now it's time to get this massive crowd inside.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36We've literally taken over all of the ground floor.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Hundreds of people have turned up.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41We need to find some treasures of our very own to take off to auction.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44And we're going to make a start, right now, with Charles Hanson.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Margaret, what an amazing object.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50- Thank you.- It frivolous.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52It's floral.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54- It's almost outrageous.- Yeah!
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Where did it come from?
0:02:56 > 0:02:59- A boot sale. I paid a pound for it. - Recently?
0:02:59 > 0:03:00About a year ago.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03May I come with you next time, to the car boot?
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Because it would have been one of a pair.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09- Maybe the pair has long since been demolished...- Yeah.- ..and broken...- Yeah.- ..and lost in time.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13- Any ideas how old this is?- '30s. - You're right.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- But 1830s.- 18?!- Absolutely.- God.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20So we're going back to a time when William IV was King of England
0:03:20 > 0:03:24and to a time when we saw the early Victorians reviving
0:03:24 > 0:03:26the fashion for rococo.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30- And in this room, here, look at the wallpaper behind us.- Yeah. - It's frivolous.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32It's chinoiserie.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37And this is the Victorians almost reviving the vigour of the rococo.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39On the bottom, there's no markings at all...
0:03:39 > 0:03:42No, that's what I couldn't understand. There's no marking on there.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45No, it's what we generically call Coalbrookdale.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And, of course, Coalbrookdale was a Staffordshire, or even
0:03:48 > 0:03:55Shropshire, factory founded near Ironbridge in the late 18th century.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00And by 1813, the factory was obviously wanting to
0:04:00 > 0:04:03be at the forefront of design.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06And it really is that. Because look at the flowers.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09All these mouldings have been hand-applied
0:04:09 > 0:04:11onto the actual body of the porcelain.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15It really is, to me, a work of art.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17We have got some issues.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19- The tip of the handle...- Yeah. - ..here, has been lost.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21- There's a hairline crack on the rim...- Yeah.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- ..there. You got losses here.- Yeah.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25You've got chips to the flowers,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28but it's just a real glint of joy in my eyes.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Yeah, and I think by the time
0:04:30 > 0:04:33we're that age, we'll have a few chips and dents.
0:04:33 > 0:04:34Well, I have already, trust me.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40- Does this go in your decor? Is it your style at home?- Not really, no.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44But I love anything that, I think, took a long time to make.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Why would those holes be in there?
0:04:46 > 0:04:50- To show the extreme quality of what these potters could achieve.- Yeah.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52It was almost a dare, this vase.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- It was daring...- Yeah.- ..and they achieved it
0:04:54 > 0:04:56- and you want to "Flog It!"?- Yeah.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00These were making far more in the 1970s, '80s,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04- when we thought a bit more about the traditional.- Yeah.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08I think if I can guide it, perhaps between 30 and £40.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- That's OK.- And perhaps put a fixed reserve at 25,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14but I love it for what it represents.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18- OK, then.- Let's go for it.- Yeah.- All set?- Yeah.- Hold tight. Can't wait.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21A car boot fan to start the show.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Now, let's see what Christina's unearthed.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Helen, this is a very eclectic little mix of coins
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- you've brought to me here.- Yes.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- They've come through the family and that's how we've got them. - OK, all right.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- So, you, sort of, inherited all these?- Yes.- OK.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38So, this one, here, is the earliest
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- and, I think, the most fascinating. - Right.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42It's what we call a long cross penny.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45But the thing, for me, that I find quite fascinating...
0:05:45 > 0:05:47We've got this wonderful little portrait of what
0:05:47 > 0:05:49looks to be a little boy with curly hair and a crown on.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Well, THAT is Edward II.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56- He doesn't look particularly regal, there, does he?- No.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59But he dates to about 1307 to 1327.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00That's when he reigned.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04And that, I mean, most normal people at that date wouldn't
0:06:04 > 0:06:06often see a portrait of their monarch.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09So, it was fascinating to them to have this portrait on a coin.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13It was really the only way that it could be reinforced that this was your monarch.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14Where did that come from?
0:06:14 > 0:06:19Well, it was from our land which has a path through to the church,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22so we presumed that it must have been, you know,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24when people were walking to church.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- Ah. OK, so it was found?- Yes.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- You'd be gutted when you looked for your collection money and then... - And that was it.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33But I do find this quite fascinating.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35There is 700 years worth of history,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37here, in the form of this coin
0:06:37 > 0:06:40and, often, from this period there was a bit of a practice
0:06:40 > 0:06:42going on called coin clipping.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- Right. Yes.- And that's because this coin is made of solid silver.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49People would clip just the sides off the coin.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51So, they'd be taking a little bit of silver
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- and it was still worth the same amount of money even if it was clipped.- Right.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55But, obviously,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58these rather skullduggerous people, if they were, would be
0:06:58 > 0:07:01collecting all these little bits of silver which, individually, wouldn't
0:07:01 > 0:07:05- be worth a huge amount, but imagine if you did that to a few hundred coins?- Yes.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09- I mean, that would be worth doing, wouldn't it?- Yes.- Especially during those times.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11There was huge poverty in places.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13It was a very tumultuous period.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15If we move on to the gold coin,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17here, if we turn it over,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21we've got a picture of George III and it says round the edge, here,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Georgius III and, then,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25if we turn him back that way,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28we've got a nice little date on the bottom here,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30which I think says 1797.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Now, it is quite worn. You can still get these where you see, literally,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- every wisp and every strand of hair.- Right.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38You can still get them in perfect condition.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41And if they're like that, they are wonderfully collectable
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- and incredibly valuable.- Yes.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46If they're in this condition, unfortunately, it is going to
0:07:46 > 0:07:50- be just the gold value...- Yes. - ..because these are made of 22-carat gold.- Yes.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53So they do have an intrinsic value to them as well.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Again, if they've been mounted or they've been turned into a pendant like this,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01- coin collectors are really quite purist about it...- Yes.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03..and they don't like things that have been turned into pendants.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06And, then, we've got this shilling, here, dated 1896,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09which I THINK is an African one. Is that right?
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Yes, South African, yes.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14My maternal grandfather was in the Boer War.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Er, so, I presume it's come from there.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Again, cos it's been turned into a pendant,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- coin collectors won't be interested...- No.- ..in it, sadly, any more.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25- So, unfortunately, we don't have a huge amount of value.- No.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28I have sold quite a few little long cross pennies
0:08:28 > 0:08:30and although they are incredibly old,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- I mean, the last one I sold, I think, made about £30.- Yes.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- So your main value is the gold value...- Yes.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40..in this wonderful gold George III coin here.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43And I think as a group, we're probably looking
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- somewhere in the region of, maybe, 150 to £200.- Yes.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48- How do you feel about that? - That sounds very good to me. Yes.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50- Would that be all right? - Yes, that would be fine.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55- And we'll hope that gold price zooms up between now and the auction.- Yes.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57- Keep everything crossed. - Thank you very much.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01While the valuations are going on,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05I've met up with Caroline Sandon, the current lady of the house
0:09:05 > 0:09:09to hear about the achievements of some of her predecessors.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14Starting with the 2nd Countess who lived here in the early 1800s.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18She is the daughter of the 1st Marquess of Bute,
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Frances Coutts Stuart. And she's absolutely lovely.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24She's holding the 3rd Earl in
0:09:24 > 0:09:27her arms or the future 3rd Earl.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30And I think it's the most serene portrait of a wonderful woman.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32However,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36the 2nd Countess was, actually, quite imperious.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39They lived a lot of the time in Italy and when they came
0:09:39 > 0:09:42back from Italy, they were going to rebuild Sandon Hall
0:09:42 > 0:09:45and they commissioned the architect William Burn to build this
0:09:45 > 0:09:49marvellous, huge, Jacobean or neo-Jacobean house.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Now, Countess, decided that having lived in Italy,
0:09:52 > 0:09:57- she wanted large, Italian windows in her neo-Jacobean house.- Sure.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00And William Burn's pride was extremely hurt
0:10:00 > 0:10:02and for the next two years,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04apparently, they sacked each other,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06about 20 times, before finally
0:10:06 > 0:10:09coming to resolution and guess who won?
0:10:09 > 0:10:10She did.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- She knew what she wanted.- She did. This house could be incredibly gloomy.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17- And, in fact, we have huge, Italianate windows...- Yeah.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21..and that is why and it's all her legacy so I am very grateful to her.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27I think women are so underrated in the 18th and 19th century
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and these women were quite powerful women and, actually, the next
0:10:30 > 0:10:34woman I've chosen was equally powerful and did some great things.
0:10:34 > 0:10:35Well, let's have a look.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44This is the 5th Countess who was the daughter of a rather
0:10:44 > 0:10:46famous bookseller, W.H. Smith.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Oh, yes, I've heard of them.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Absolutely. I think most people have.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54And I am told that she's another rather grand Harrowby lady,
0:10:54 > 0:10:55which I'm not. It's so extraordinary!
0:10:55 > 0:10:58- Everyone else is so grand. - What was her name?
0:10:58 > 0:10:59Mabel.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02And she did two things which she should take huge credit for.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07The first was that she opened a club in London for overseas
0:11:07 > 0:11:09officers from all over the Empire so that
0:11:09 > 0:11:13when they were on leave, the trenches or wherever,
0:11:13 > 0:11:14they had somewhere to come back to
0:11:14 > 0:11:16and it was somewhere where they could relax,
0:11:16 > 0:11:21- cos they could hardly go home to India..- No, sure, yes, yeah. - ..to see their families,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24so it was a tremendous thing and everyone appreciated it
0:11:24 > 0:11:28enormously and then Sandon itself became a Red Cross hospital,
0:11:28 > 0:11:33- auxiliary hospital, during the First World War...- OK.- ..and she was an enormous part of that,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37so she was absolutely a tremendous woman and I think she's great.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38I like the photograph
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and I've just noticed it's taken a month before the Great War.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Are all these people connected to the estate?
0:11:43 > 0:11:47- They are. You've got Mabel there. - That's her. In the centre, there.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50- She is. Lord Harrowby, my husband's great-grandmother.- Gosh.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54- This is how life was in the great houses before the Great War.- Mm-hm.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57And then, of course, everything changed and by the end
0:11:57 > 0:11:59of the Great War, half of these beautiful young men were dead.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04They say a picture tells 1,000 stories
0:12:04 > 0:12:07and it's certainly true here at Sandon Hall.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Now, back at the valuation tables, Charles is a happy boy.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20- George, good to see you today. - Good to see you.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24And you've brought in a really interesting collection of wheels. Tell me about them.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27It's just what I've picked up at the car boot for the last five years.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31And had you gone there looking for these early, tin-plate,
0:12:31 > 0:12:36- clockwork toys?- No.- Or have you just been an enthusiast of all sorts?
0:12:36 > 0:12:39- All sorts.- Have you had some good finds over the years?- I have, yeah.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- What's been your best find? - Mainly little gadgets.- Really?
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- I'm very much a gadget man, myself, so...- Are you?
0:12:45 > 0:12:48- I'm a phone engineer by trade so... - Are you, phone?- Mm-hm.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49Wow, and that, obviously, I suppose
0:12:49 > 0:12:52goes quite well with the technical nature of what were
0:12:52 > 0:12:56fairly mass-produced toys.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58- Yes.- Have you a favourite?
0:12:58 > 0:13:02- I'd say that one.- This gorgeous, Express Transport vehicle, here.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06- Have you done much detective work into them at all?- A little.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09And what does this one tell you here?
0:13:09 > 0:13:13- I think it's from the '30s. Maybe mid '30s.- Yeah.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16- I mean, they are so simply made, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Here's your clockwork, wind-up.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- This one, I think, is still working. - They all work, yeah.- On the wire.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Then, of course, off it goes like that
0:13:24 > 0:13:28and it's still expressing its speed in that regard.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30They're really...
0:13:30 > 0:13:32It's a really nice collection.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Obviously, we've got the later Betal toys for girls
0:13:35 > 0:13:37and boys and they're just wonderful, aren't they?
0:13:37 > 0:13:42General transport, tin-plate with the wind-up key as well.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Aren't they neat? And this one,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47I think...I think my father had one of these.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48So, it just brings back, I suppose,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51that childhood memory, doesn't it? They're good.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Clearly, from the advertising slogans of what they're selling
0:13:54 > 0:13:56on the exterior, they are all British,
0:13:56 > 0:14:01they are all in that second quarter of the 20th century,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Competitors with Germany and France in making similar
0:14:05 > 0:14:09vehicles of this clockwork type in that period.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Now, they are what we call play worn.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15We can see, perhaps, some of them have been left outside,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17they've, perhaps, had some weathering.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20They've suffered wear and tear and, to me,
0:14:20 > 0:14:23condition, often, is part of its journey.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25It's had a life.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28They've been enjoyed, but to collectors who are pernickety
0:14:28 > 0:14:31when it comes to condition, they want the very best in this field.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35So, my advice would be, because of their condition,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39I would sell them as one lot. What have you spent on these tin-plate...?
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- About £75.- Have you? Well done.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43I think we would put them in a sale
0:14:43 > 0:14:47with a guide price between 80 and £120.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51- Let's "Flog It!" - Exactly. Can't wait. Can't wait.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It just proves there's still treasure at car-boot sales.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Well, here in Staffordshire, anyway. Well, there you are.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Our experts have now found their first three items to take off to auction.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03This is where it gets exciting. Anything can happen.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Is Christina on the money today? Well, we're just about to find out.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08- Who is your favourite expert? CROWD:- Christina.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Yeah, it has to be! She's right here.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12But don't forget, we have Charles Hanson on the show as well.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Who's your favourite, then, Button?
0:15:15 > 0:15:16Say something. Bit shy. Bit shy.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20But right now, we're going straight over to that saleroom and we leave
0:15:20 > 0:15:21you with a quick rundown,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23just to jog your memory of everything that's going.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Nearly 200 years old,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32this floral extravaganza in porcelain may have a few chips,
0:15:32 > 0:15:36but it's still a spectacular example of local pottery.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40Helen's coin collection travels even further back in history.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Just imagine losing the cross penny
0:15:42 > 0:15:44all those hundreds of years ago.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48And George should reap the rewards of building up his terrific
0:15:48 > 0:15:50collection of early 20th-century
0:15:50 > 0:15:53tin-plate toys from car-boot sales.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Well, the sun is shining and I've got a good feeling about today,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04because it is auction time
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and this is where we're putting those valuations to the test -
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Halls Auctioneers' brand-new,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12purpose-built saleroom just on the outskirts of Shrewsbury.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16We're going inside now to catch up with the auction action. Sit tight.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17Anything can happen.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Jeremy Lamond is our auctioneer today
0:16:21 > 0:16:25and the commission here is 19% plus VAT.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29First up, it's Margaret's Coalbrookdale vase.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Margaret got this at a car-boot sale a year ago for one pound.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Yeah, and we're going to turn that £1 into 40 right now. Aren't we?
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- Hopefully.- We are. We are. You love your car boots, don't you?
0:16:40 > 0:16:45- Yeah, I do.- And, hopefully, we can send you back there with 30 or 40 quid in your pocket. Ready, Charles?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47- I'm ready. Absolutely right. - Let's do it. Here we go.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Who's going to start me at £30 for it? 30. 30 on the internet.
0:16:51 > 0:16:52- Great.- £30 I've got.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54At £35 now. 40.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56At £40, it's an internet bid.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59At £40. Selling, then, at £40.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- Well done, you.- Yeah. - Where is this car-boot sale?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- Are we all allowed to know?- Erm...
0:17:06 > 0:17:07Is it a secret?
0:17:07 > 0:17:09Yeah!
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Wherever it is, I'm sure Margaret will be heading back for more bargains.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Next, it's Helen's coin collection.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Heads or tails - it's your choice.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24I've just been joined by Helen and Christina.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Going under the hammer, we have some money. Those coins.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30The long cross penny, George III gold coin and the shilling.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- We want top-dollar for this money, don't we?- We do, yes.- Top shilling.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34Why are you selling, anyway?
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Well, I really went to find out about the valuation,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- and then it all goes on!- Oh, you got your arm twisted, did you?
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- I pounced.- Hey, good choice, though, good choice.- I love this lot, yeah.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45Yeah, very good lot. Fingers crossed.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48There's 200 bidders here who feel likewise.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Lot 45.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- I can start this one at £150.- Ooh.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58At 150. At £150. At 150. 160, where?
0:17:58 > 0:18:00At £150, are we all done, then? At 150.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- Maybe bid.- Selling at 150.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Straight out.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10- It's not always that easy, is it? - No, it isn't, is it?
0:18:10 > 0:18:12- Fantastic. Well done.- You're very happy with that, aren't you?
0:18:12 > 0:18:16- That's fine. Thank you very much. - Oh, brilliant, brilliant.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Short, but sweet. Now for George's tin-plate toys.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24George, I've got to keep my fingers crossed for you, cos I think this one's going to be tight.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28The tin-plate toys. I loved them to bits, but they're a little bit play-worn for the collectors,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32- aren't they? And how much did you pay?- £75.- 75 quid at a car boot.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35We've got to get your money back. We're looking for 80 plus.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37We are, yes, and they are play-worn.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- Yeah.- But it's the man's heritage.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- OK.- Over the years, you've bought them. They're great.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44OK. We're going to put them to the test. Here we go.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48240. Various mid 20th-century,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50tin-plate, clockwork toys.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53I can start this lot at £75.
0:18:53 > 0:18:5475. Great.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57It's on the net, now, at £100.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59110. 120. 130. 130 now.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02140 in the room. 150 on the net.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04160 in the room. 170.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06170. It's an internet bid, now.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09180, internet, still. 190, now.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11At 190. 200. 210. 220.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15220. £220. Are we all finished? 230.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- 240. 240.- Amazing.- £240.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19- I'm speechless.- I am, as well.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- Just shows what you find in car boots.- £240.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Selling to an internet bidder.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27All finished, then. At £240. 240.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30£240. Hammer's gone down. Well done, you.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- You took me by surprise and you. - Very much so.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33That's just incredible.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37The collectors overlooked the condition. There was something they really wanted in that lot,
0:19:37 > 0:19:39and they just got it. And so did you!
0:19:39 > 0:19:41You got 240 quid. You made a big profit.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- Is it back to the car boot? - On Sunday.- On Sunday. Well done.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Look out for Margaret! That's our first visit to the auction.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Well, there you are. You've just seen them. Our first three lots under the hammer.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Now, before we return to our valuation day venue to find
0:19:57 > 0:19:59some more treasures to put under the hammer here,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01I'm going to be the curious house guest and find
0:20:01 > 0:20:05out something about some of the women in Sandon's history.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13MUSIC: It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World by James Brown
0:20:14 > 0:20:16# This is a man's world... #
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Looking back through British history,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23you could be forgiven for thinking it's a man's world.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Well, it's certainly a male-dominated one, judging by the portraits you
0:20:26 > 0:20:29come across at most stately homes, like here,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31in the Great Hall at Sandon.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37But we know that's only half the story and only half the history.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41# But it wouldn't mean nothing, nothing
0:20:42 > 0:20:45# Without a woman or a girl. #
0:20:48 > 0:20:49Here at Sandon Hall,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52it's the women of the family who are first to greet you.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Dominating the Great Hall is this painting of the Three Graces.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58In this case, the three daughters
0:20:58 > 0:21:01of Thomas Coutts, the famous London banker.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Now, not only is this is painting of women,
0:21:03 > 0:21:05but it's also a painting BY a woman.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06MUSIC: Ave Maria
0:21:06 > 0:21:07Angelika Kauffmann,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10one of the rising stars of the 18th-century art world,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12and the fact that this is the first thing you see
0:21:12 > 0:21:14when entering this great house
0:21:14 > 0:21:17says a lot about the importance of women to this family.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22It was commissioned by Thomas Coutts
0:21:22 > 0:21:24during a visit to Angelika Kauffmann's studio
0:21:24 > 0:21:26in Rome, in 1791.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29To find out more about the artist,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32I'm joined by art historian, Dr Clare Barlow.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36For a woman to succeed in the 18th century as a professional
0:21:36 > 0:21:39artist was a very unusual thing.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42How did Angelika discover her talent for painting?
0:21:42 > 0:21:43Well, she's very fortunate in that
0:21:43 > 0:21:46she has an extremely enlightened father,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48and her father is also a painter,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51and she grows up in Switzerland
0:21:51 > 0:21:55and Italy and has an amazing exposure to the arts.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00Crucially, the major problem for women in the arts is that they
0:22:00 > 0:22:02can't attend life drawing classes,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04because it would be indecorous
0:22:04 > 0:22:06- for them to see naked bodies.- Sure.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08But, because he takes her to Rome,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11she's able to learn from the classical sculptures,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15and learn anatomy, and that proves absolutely crucial to her career.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18She benefits from the fact that in the 18th century,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22there's a real desire to celebrate female talent.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26And although it's harder for a woman to get launched,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30once she is launched, there's a huge audience
0:22:30 > 0:22:32- who are desperate... - Everybody's interested.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33..to appreciate her work.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Yes! And she has this unique selling point, which is
0:22:36 > 0:22:38really helpful for her.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40I mean, just looking at that, you can see
0:22:40 > 0:22:42she is an exceptional talent, can't you?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Oh, she absolutely is, and one of the lovely things about it, too,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48is it's a portrait of WOMEN, by Angelika Kauffmann.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Kauffmann is really famous for her depictions of women, and that
0:22:52 > 0:22:56makes her the perfect artist to be promoting these girls.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59And some of the young sitters would be more comfortable with
0:22:59 > 0:23:00a female artist as well.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02And some of the families too, because of course,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05painting is seen as a slightly erotic art,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08that, you know, you have to really pay attention to the sitter,
0:23:08 > 0:23:12and really think about what they look like, and obviously, taking your eligible
0:23:12 > 0:23:14young ladies to a female artist
0:23:14 > 0:23:16is, perhaps, more decorous.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17And it's fascinating!
0:23:17 > 0:23:20The fact that they're in front of a bust of Minerva,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23that's very significant, because they don't only have beauty,
0:23:23 > 0:23:27And they clearly have wealth because they're being depicted by such
0:23:27 > 0:23:31a fashionable artist, but they also, in Minerva, have wisdom.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35She's the Goddess of Chastity and the Goddess of Wisdom,
0:23:35 > 0:23:40and I think that suggests their father is really promoting them
0:23:40 > 0:23:44- as having the whole package.- Do we know what happened to the girls?
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Well, we know that they made extremely good marriages,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48so clearly it worked!
0:23:48 > 0:23:51But it's Frances, the middle daughter, who's the connection
0:23:51 > 0:23:52to the Harrowby family.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56She marries First Marquess of Bute
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- and it's her daughter who marries the second Earl of Harrowby.- Right.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02- So that's why it's here.- Absolutely.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09'Sandon Hall has another great painting that puts women
0:24:09 > 0:24:11'centre stage.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14'This striking portrait of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the
0:24:14 > 0:24:16'pioneering 18th century traveller,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20'famous for her writings about the Middle East.'
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Unfortunately, the original is behind the scenes at the moment,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27we can't see it, so this is a photographic copy.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28Is Lady Mary well known?
0:24:28 > 0:24:32She is one of the absolute celebrities of the early 18th
0:24:32 > 0:24:36century. Certainly in her day, she was remarkably famous.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Who's the little black boy?
0:24:38 > 0:24:42There is a sort of convention in some Western portraits,
0:24:42 > 0:24:47of having elegant ladies with a black page boy in attendance.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Actually, in the Ottoman Empire,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53child slaves tended to be white, rather than black.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57I mean, I think this could possibly be a reference to the
0:24:57 > 0:25:01exoticism of the environment that she's coming from.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Her husband is the Ambassador to Turkey.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06And she goes with him.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Because she's a woman, she can go into spaces which men
0:25:10 > 0:25:14can't go, like the Harem, and that becomes this whole sensation.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16And when she comes back to London,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Turkish fashion becomes THE most popular masquerade dress.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23- But I'll let you into a secret, too. - OK, go on, what's that?
0:25:23 > 0:25:27If you met Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, her face wouldn't have
0:25:27 > 0:25:28looked like the face in the portrait,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32because, as a young woman, she'd had smallpox, and that had left her with
0:25:32 > 0:25:37terrible scarring, and it had also meant that she had no eyelashes.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39- Oh, dear.- Which was terribly sad.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42But it didn't hold her back in the slightest.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Through what I can only imagine is force of character,
0:25:45 > 0:25:50she still managed to launch this amazing career,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54and possibly partly because of her own experience, she helped to
0:25:54 > 0:25:57bring smallpox inoculations back from Turkey with her
0:25:57 > 0:26:02and she helped to encourage British aristocrats back in England
0:26:02 > 0:26:04to have their children inoculated.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- So she saved a lot of lives. - Wise lady!
0:26:06 > 0:26:10- She was definitely the "It girl" of the day, wasn't she?- Absolutely.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Well, I certainly enjoyed looking at these items here at Sandon Hall
0:26:21 > 0:26:24and hearing about the Harrowby women connection to them.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28They certainly show that history is as full of interesting women,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30as it men.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38"FLOG IT!" THEME TUNE PLAYS
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Welcome back to our magnificent
0:26:48 > 0:26:50valuation day venue location,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Sandon Hall. As you can see, there are still hundreds of people here.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58We need to find some more antiques to take off to auction, so we're
0:26:58 > 0:26:59going to make a start right now
0:26:59 > 0:27:02as we catch up with Christina Trevanion.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Christina stepped outside for her next item, where the
0:27:06 > 0:27:09dress-code today is...Purple.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Isn't it lovely to be outside in the fresh air, it's got
0:27:12 > 0:27:15so busy in there that it's actually really rather nice just to
0:27:15 > 0:27:18- be in these wonderful gardens.- Yes, lovely.- Isn't it beautiful?
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Very like your stunning necklace
0:27:20 > 0:27:21that you've brought in to me
0:27:21 > 0:27:23today, which is probably the most
0:27:23 > 0:27:24understated, most elegant,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28beautiful piece of jewellery that I've seen for a long, long time.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- That's very nice, thank you. - Do you wear it?- No.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34- You should, why...?- Don't think I ever have worn it.- You've NEVER worn it?- Don't wear jewellery.
0:27:34 > 0:27:35Well, I certainly wouldn't wear
0:27:35 > 0:27:37anything as delicate as that, to be honest.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39It's not my sort of thing.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42So tell me, where's it come from, how did it come to you?
0:27:42 > 0:27:46My father's mother gave it to me probably 40-odd years ago.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49I think it's stunning, I really do.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52We've got this very delicate little 18-carat gold chain here,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55now we know it's 18-carat, because on this bolt ring
0:27:55 > 0:27:59clasp at the back, there's a little pad to the right that says "18 CT".
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- Yes.- So 750 parts of gold per thousand so it makes it
0:28:02 > 0:28:05quite a substantial gold content to it.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09And it's quite a long chain, and then it's terminated
0:28:09 > 0:28:11by these really very beautiful
0:28:11 > 0:28:13three graduated pearls.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16I personally would say stylistically,
0:28:16 > 0:28:18it dates from the sort of 1920s,
0:28:18 > 0:28:221930s, would that make sense with it being... Was it your granny's?
0:28:22 > 0:28:23It was my granny's.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28She had a department store, effectively, at the time in Devizes.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30She'd done very well for herself.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33SHE had a department store?
0:28:33 > 0:28:35- She OWNED a department store? - Yes, it was hers.- Wow.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38- She was an entrepreneur. - In the 1920s?- Yes.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41She started off life as a milliner in the streets of London
0:28:41 > 0:28:45- and worked her way up to ending up with her own store.- Wow!
0:28:45 > 0:28:47- Pretty special, isn't it? - I think so, yeah.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Certainly, my father was always very impressed with her.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52- I bet!- She frightened the life out of me, but...!
0:28:52 > 0:28:55That's what happens isn't it?
0:28:55 > 0:28:56Frightening.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58And this was a gift TO her?
0:28:58 > 0:29:01It was a gift to her from the wife of a jeweller
0:29:01 > 0:29:03and I understand that he made that for her.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Specifically for her? Really, in the 1920s, using this white gold,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10was quite a new thing. Traditionally, up until that point,
0:29:10 > 0:29:14jewellery was very much in yellow gold and it's representing
0:29:14 > 0:29:18that era of freedom that we're coming into, Post-First World War.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20- Yes.- For me, as a jewellery expert,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23it seems really sad that it's not going to see the light of day,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25and I'm sad that you're not going to wear it,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29because these pearls here need the natural oils from your skin.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32- Ah!- They need to be lubricated in that sense to keep them
0:29:32 > 0:29:36- from cracking.- So it needs to be worn.- It NEEDS to be worn, yes.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39- I mean, I'll volunteer, frankly. - It'd suit you very well.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42- I think it's beautiful.- Try it on.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44So, commercially, it does have a value.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46A lot of young people do like white gold, I'm personally...
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Well, I don't really cast myself as young any more, I prefer
0:29:49 > 0:29:52- yellow gold, but white gold is what the market wants.- Good.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55So, I think a sensible auction estimate for it would be somewhere
0:29:55 > 0:29:59in the region maybe of £150 to £200. What's your thoughts about that?
0:29:59 > 0:30:02- That would be fine, no problem at all.- Would that be all right?
0:30:02 > 0:30:05I mean, it's a beautiful thing, I'm fairly sure it will sail away
0:30:05 > 0:30:07- and find a new home. In fact, I wish- I- could buy it.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09- It's beautiful.- Thank you very much.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Back indooors, let's see what Charles has turned up.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21Now I saw you in the queue outside that imposing facade which is
0:30:21 > 0:30:26Sandon Hall, and what excited me is this clock still ticking now,
0:30:26 > 0:30:30this pocket watch, and of course it was ticking many years ago
0:30:30 > 0:30:34- when this really was a home for a family.- That's correct, yes.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37The watch belongs to my mother-in-law, Dorothy, and Dorothy
0:30:37 > 0:30:44and her husband George were working here for the Earl and Countess.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Dorothy was a maid to the Countess,
0:30:46 > 0:30:47and George was the chauffeur.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Really?
0:30:49 > 0:30:51And so while they were living here,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54then the watch would be here on the premises.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56And tell me, we're talking about the Earl and Countess,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00take me back, how far are we going in Sandon's history?
0:31:00 > 0:31:02To when they were living and working here.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04They were living here in the 1950s,
0:31:04 > 0:31:06through to the early sixties,
0:31:06 > 0:31:08so most of the fifties.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12My husband was brought up here, at the hall.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16I love Sandon hall, because it's quite a sleepy hall, still.
0:31:16 > 0:31:22- It's beautiful. It's never lost its charm of when it was a family home. - Yeah.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24And of course, if this pocket watch could
0:31:24 > 0:31:27talk about the conversations it would have enjoyed
0:31:27 > 0:31:28in this dining room...
0:31:28 > 0:31:32- That's right... - With its gorgeous Chinese wall paper and of course,
0:31:32 > 0:31:36even conversations and discussions between the maid who was your...
0:31:36 > 0:31:39- mum-in-law, Dorothy...- Dorothy, and the Countess.- That's right.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42- And that's one of those moments. - That's right, yes, yes.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45- It wasn't a gift from the Earl, was it, at all?- No, not at all.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49Dorothy's great-grandmother gave it to Dorothy's
0:31:49 > 0:31:52grand-mother for her 21st birthday.
0:31:52 > 0:31:57This actually is a very pretty Swiss pocket watch.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00- OK, it has a German outer case. - Right.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03And the actual pocket watch movement is really...
0:32:03 > 0:32:06Well, it was made in that centre of excellence which was
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Switzerland in the late 19th century.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12We've got the key first and foremost,
0:32:12 > 0:32:14- which is lovely. - It's pretty, isn't it?
0:32:14 > 0:32:18The actual back and dust cover is all in good condition,
0:32:18 > 0:32:22and of course if we just lift that back-plate off, we can see
0:32:22 > 0:32:28the movement, it's a typical 15-jewel pocket watch movement
0:32:28 > 0:32:30of around 1890.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33- Right.- And, is it now time, here at Sandon hall to say,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35let's "Flog It!"?
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Well, what Dorothy's said is,
0:32:37 > 0:32:40she can't leave it to one person in the family,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42she's got so many grand-children
0:32:42 > 0:32:44and great-grandchildren,
0:32:44 > 0:32:46so she feels that it's the time to let it go.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50- And Dorothy is alive and firing, well?- Absolutely. Yes.
0:32:50 > 0:32:51I love it a lot.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55I think it's an endearing little pocket watch. Intrinsically,
0:32:55 > 0:32:57not worth a great deal, but we would love to give it
0:32:57 > 0:33:01a send-off with a guide price of between, let's say,
0:33:01 > 0:33:05- £40 and £60. - Oh, really? Yes, yeah, OK.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08It's very nice, perhaps put a reserve on with discretion,
0:33:08 > 0:33:12maybe if we bid £35, we can say au revoir,
0:33:12 > 0:33:16it's important to let somebody else enjoy its wonderful history.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17Is that OK?
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- That's fine.- Can we say we're going to start going... Going...- Going...
0:33:20 > 0:33:22- Gone.- Gone.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24That brings us to our final valuation.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28Christina's in the conservatory, and about to bring the house down.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Now, Catherine, normally when autograph books come to my table,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36I sort of start flicking through, and I'm flicking through yours,
0:33:36 > 0:33:40and I thought, "This one looks really exciting!".
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Tell me how you've managed to accumulate ALL these autographs in this book.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45The autograph album belonged to my Aunt,
0:33:45 > 0:33:48and she gave it to me when I was about nine years old.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52- Wonderful.- I didn't bother to collect any after that
0:33:52 > 0:33:55until I started as a teenager going to the clubs in Manchester,
0:33:55 > 0:33:57so we used to go to concerts and see Billy Fury
0:33:57 > 0:33:58and people like that,
0:33:58 > 0:34:01and then it was 1963, I'd gone over
0:34:01 > 0:34:04to my Aunt's to stay in Jersey
0:34:04 > 0:34:06with a friend, and she told us that the
0:34:06 > 0:34:10- Beatles were staying in a hotel just down the road.- No!
0:34:10 > 0:34:12We were so disinterested in The Beatles,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15because we were from Manchester and they were Liverpool
0:34:15 > 0:34:18but we were in the flat one day, and Paul McCartney was literally walking
0:34:18 > 0:34:21down the road to the hotel on his own, coming back from shopping.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25So we went out with a writing pad and he autographed that.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29So, that was then stuck in my album, and then the year after,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32when I went with a local girl to see The Rolling Stones who were
0:34:32 > 0:34:35over, they'd performed at a concert.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37The day after, my aunt ran us up to the airport
0:34:37 > 0:34:39so that we could wave them off.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41We were the only two fans who went up to the airport.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44We were tipped off by the airport staff that they wouldn't be
0:34:44 > 0:34:47coming through the terminal, they'd be going to a side entrance,
0:34:47 > 0:34:48and straight onto the tarmac,
0:34:48 > 0:34:50- so they showed us which gate to wait at.- Wow!
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Insider information, I love it, Catherine, my goodness!
0:34:52 > 0:34:55We waited at the gate, we were there most of the day,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58but then the taxi came, they got out,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00they were a few yards away from us,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02but they waved and said "Hi" and
0:35:02 > 0:35:06the manager came over and took our albums over and we watched them sign
0:35:06 > 0:35:09them, and then they waved to us and they got in the plane and flew off.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11- Oh, brilliant! - So, and it was really good,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14because of course it was Brian Jones, you know...
0:35:14 > 0:35:18- Brian Jones passed away, didn't he?- Yes, exactly, yes.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21- So you got Brian Jones.- So I got Brian Jones.- Oh, my goodness.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23And one of them, we didn't know which one,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25but one of them wrote, "The Rolling Stones"
0:35:25 > 0:35:27and put a circle around it in the middle of the page, so...
0:35:27 > 0:35:30So this really brings back some fantastic memories for you,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33doesn't it? And the fact that you've collected these yourself...
0:35:33 > 0:35:37- This book does read a bit like a who's-who of the 1960s music scene.- Exactly.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39You know, you've got Cliff Richard, you've got Stones,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42you've got Paul McCartney... You've got some great names in here.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45I mean, it is a very impressive autograph book.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49So how much do you think waiting at an airport for a day
0:35:49 > 0:35:51is worth?
0:35:51 > 0:35:53I know, it's incredible, really.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56What's Catherine's time worth, for a day waiting at an airport.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Well, I mean, in those days, it didn't matter,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01I mean, I've waited for a day here at Flog It!
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- so, there's not much difference. - This is very true.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09I mean, it was just so exciting, we couldn't believe that we were the
0:36:09 > 0:36:13only two fans who'd bothered to go up to the airport and wait all day.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14They do all obviously have a value,
0:36:14 > 0:36:18and we can put a value on each and every one of them.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Having totted them all up, I think
0:36:20 > 0:36:23an appropriate auction estimate for them would be...
0:36:23 > 0:36:26- Somewhere in the region of 2 to £300.- That's amazing, really.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Yeah. Brilliant, yeah.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- I just think it's wonderful, thank you so much for bringing it in.- Oh,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- well, thank you.- It's been lovely to see and hear all about it, as well.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Cos so often, as valuers, we see these books,
0:36:37 > 0:36:40but we never know the story, the human side behind it.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42It's just a faceless book, if you like.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45So, hearing your stories, and hearing that you've collected these
0:36:45 > 0:36:48yourself is brilliant, so thank you so much for sharing that with us.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51And, I mean, for me, I've got the memories, which
0:36:51 > 0:36:55I can think of any time, whereas the book's just in a drawer, so...
0:36:57 > 0:37:00Catherine's stories of the swinging sixties alongside those
0:37:00 > 0:37:01autographs are priceless.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08What a day we've had here at Sandon Hall.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Everyone has thoroughly enjoyed themselves
0:37:10 > 0:37:13and our experts have found some real treasures, so sadly, it's time
0:37:13 > 0:37:18to say goodbye to this magnificent host location. Right now,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21we're dropping in on the auction room for the very last time.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24And here's a list of the treasures we're taking with us.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30This elegant necklace made for Derry's grandmother
0:37:30 > 0:37:31is a true one-off.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36A return visit to Sandon Hall for this elegant lady's pocket watch.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41A bargain for a lot of craftsmanship and history.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44And Catherine's autograph book includes what some
0:37:44 > 0:37:47collectors might consider a Holy Grail.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50All five of the original Rolling Stones, including Brian Jones.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Back at the sale-room, first up, it's Ann's pocket watch.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06Ann, I like this watch. I love this little lady's fob watch.
0:38:06 > 0:38:07It's not a lot of money, Charles.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10I know it's not top-quality, but it's still working, isn't it?
0:38:10 > 0:38:13- It is.- And very good condition. It's very usable.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15This is a steal for me at £40.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18If I could buy it, I would, because I think it's worth every penny.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Hopefully it'll go for a lot more,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22- and then I won't be disappointed, and nor will you.- No.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24- And you'll be very happy.- Indeed.
0:38:24 > 0:38:25It's going under the hammer right now.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32OK, 135, the lady's sterling silver pocket watch at £30, now at 30.
0:38:32 > 0:38:38Where's five? At £30, it is, at 35 now. £35. At 35, 40, where?
0:38:38 > 0:38:42At £35... 35, we're going to sell it then, at £35.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44GAVEL BANGS
0:38:44 > 0:38:45Well it's gone, it's gone.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Hopefully to someone who loves it and is going to use it.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52- Yeah, and it's been so lovely having the "Flog It!" Experience.- Aww...
0:38:52 > 0:38:53So it's been wonderful.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56Well, the programme wouldn't work without people like you, or you,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59so if you've got anything like that, we would love to "Flog It!".
0:38:59 > 0:39:02Bring it along to one of our valuation days. Details of
0:39:02 > 0:39:05up-and-coming dates and venues you can find on our BBC website.
0:39:05 > 0:39:06If you don't have a computer,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09check the details in your local press, because fingers crossed,
0:39:09 > 0:39:11we're coming to an area very near you soon.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14So, dust 'em down, bring them in, we'll flog them.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19One!
0:39:19 > 0:39:20GAVEL BANGS
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Good luck, Derry! This necklace belonged to your grandmother.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Why are you selling this?
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Well, I've had it in a cupboard for 40 years,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30- and what's the point, really? Well, if you don't wear it... - Do you wear it?- No.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33May have worn it when I first had it, but wouldn't wear it now.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35- OK, will we get that top end? - Seriously hope so.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38I mean, it's a beautiful necklace. Really beautiful.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40And it's got its original box
0:39:40 > 0:39:44- and it's just got everything going for it, it's absolutely stunning. - And the condition's good.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Yeah, it's in white gold, so it's very commercial.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48It's a lovely thing, a very lovely thing.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51- It's what people will pay for it. - This is true!- Fingers crossed!
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Let's find out what the bidders think,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55it's going under the hammer now.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Lot 85, good lot, this.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00The 18-carat white gold and pearl
0:40:00 > 0:40:03pendant necklace at 100... 10...
0:40:03 > 0:40:06120... £120 now. At 120,
0:40:06 > 0:40:09at £120, 130 where?
0:40:09 > 0:40:14- Come on, come on, come on.- So are we all finished, then? At £120, at 120.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20- Not today for this one. - Didn't sell.- OK.- Do you know...
0:40:20 > 0:40:21It's a fashion thing.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- Well, thank goodness you protected it with a reserve. - Yeah, exactly right.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27- So we didn't let it go for nothing. - OK, so I haven't made my fortune.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29- Another day, another sale.- Aw!
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Well, that brings us to our final lot of the day.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35Catherine's included some signed photographs
0:40:35 > 0:40:39and fan letters to go alongside her autograph book.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Catherine, I love these autographs.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44I'm a big Stones fan. I really am.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49- You're either Beatles or you're The Stones.- The Stones. - Oh, Rolling Stones!
0:40:49 > 0:40:52- There is a Beatle in there, isn't there?- Yes, Paul McCartney.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55- Do you still listen to The Rolling Stones?- Oh, definitely.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58- Yeah, so do I. - I've got all their albums.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Hopefully, hopefully we'll have some rock and roll fans here.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04- Rock and roll memorabilia, here we go.- Here we go.- This is it.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Lot 200 is the collection of rock and pop autographs.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13- to include the Rolling Stones of course, as well...- Rolling who?
0:41:13 > 0:41:16- I'm joking, I'm joking! - ..Various other signatures...
0:41:16 > 0:41:21So I can start here 170, 80, 190... £190 now, 190.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24£190, 200, 210.
0:41:24 > 0:41:30220... Internet now. At 230, 240, 250, at 260. Still going up, 270.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31280, 290, 300.
0:41:33 > 0:41:40- At 320.- That's fantastic!- At £320, 320, 340, 360, 380, £400.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44- At £400, at 420, 440.- This is more like it.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:41:44 > 0:41:49460, 480. £500, 550. 550?
0:41:49 > 0:41:50Are you all right?!
0:41:50 > 0:41:54600. At £600? At £600.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57All finished, then. No? 650.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59- At £650.- Still going!
0:41:59 > 0:42:03One more internet? Yes. 700. £700.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05At £700.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07700. 50 again, yes or no?
0:42:07 > 0:42:12At £700, selling it then at £700.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Anybody else at £700? All done, 700...
0:42:16 > 0:42:18GAVEL BANGS
0:42:18 > 0:42:21- Well done!- Oh, fantastic! Well done, you!
0:42:21 > 0:42:23Thank you for bringing those in. Big, big Stones fan.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25Thank you for inviting me to come along.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29Aww, you go back and put the album on and put it on full volume. I do that in the car,
0:42:29 > 0:42:31it's the only chance I can listen to The Rolling Stones,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34cos, you know, my kids don't like it, my wife doesn't like it -
0:42:34 > 0:42:35I get in the car and I go "yeah!"
0:42:35 > 0:42:37All of a sudden I feel like Mick Jagger.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40But that was, I mean, you waited there for so long,
0:42:40 > 0:42:42- didn't you, at the airport? - Oh, yeah.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44But that's what you do when you're a dedicated fan...
0:42:44 > 0:42:47- When you're a fan, absolutely... - There was no-one else there.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51Anyway, thank you so much for bringing that in. Great way to end today's show.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53We really topped the charts, didn't we, with that one?
0:42:53 > 0:42:57I hope enjoyed it. Join us again soon for many more surprises.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59But until then, from Shrewsbury, it's goodbye.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02"FLOG IT!" THEME PLAYS