0:00:03 > 0:00:07Today I'm at Margam Country Park, near Port Talbot.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Now, over the years, this castle and its magnificent grounds
0:00:10 > 0:00:13have required an army of staff to keep it running,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16from housekeepers to maids, gardeners to butlers.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18But one of them met a very grisly end
0:00:18 > 0:00:20and he's said to haunt this place.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23More about that later. Welcome to "Flog It!".
0:00:44 > 0:00:48Creating this impressive estate has taken centuries of hard graft.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52The Victorian Gothic revival castle took ten years to build
0:00:52 > 0:00:57from locally sourced materials, and was home to CRM Talbot,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00a wealthy landowner and industrialist.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05The impressive Georgian orangery is the longest in Britain and was
0:01:05 > 0:01:08carefully crafted by specialist artisans.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Behind that lie the remains of a Cistercian abbey
0:01:11 > 0:01:13founded in 1147.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18The monks were pioneers of coal mining and the wool trade in Wales.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21So this place has been a hive of activity for centuries.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24And today is no exception.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Well, the crowds have already started to gather here,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30hundreds of them, laden with antiques and collectibles.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Who knows what's hidden in these bags and boxes?
0:01:32 > 0:01:35I know they're eager to get started and there's only one question on
0:01:35 > 0:01:37everyone's lips, which is...
0:01:37 > 0:01:39- ALL:- What's it worth?
0:01:39 > 0:01:40Stay tuned and you'll find out.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Our "Flog It!" team is ready to start today's valuations.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49We have our own army of researchers and behind-the-scenes valuers
0:01:49 > 0:01:54and our busy cameramen and sound recordists are here to capture everything.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Today's experts are the highly industrious Catherine Southon...
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Saucy!
0:02:00 > 0:02:03We love a bit of sauce on "Flog it!".
0:02:03 > 0:02:04And Charles Hanson,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08who can truly be described as an artisan of the antiques world.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11In those immortal words, what's languishing in that bag?
0:02:11 > 0:02:16Everyone is keen to get started, so here's a glimpse of what's coming up.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Charles is considering an alternative career.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22I always think I would make a good Redcoat.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23You would have no bother.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Catherine finds an unexpected star of the show.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30This is wonderful! Oh, I'm so pleased.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32And can pigs really fly?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34- Here it goes.- I can't believe it.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I really can't believe it.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42Let's get straight over to the valuation tables and join up with Catherine Southon.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46And Catherine's found a piece of Welsh social history.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Patricia, this is a lovely sampler you've brought along.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52I'm always interested in samplers.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55I'm always interested about how they were done.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00And they were often done by children, young girls, of such a young age,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04who would make these wonderful pictures up,
0:03:04 > 0:03:09often with letters of the alphabet or numbers or pictorial scenes.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13This one has been done by a lady called Mary Perrott.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14Who was Mary Perrott?
0:03:14 > 0:03:17She was my great-great-grandmother.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21How wonderful. So this has been handed down through the generations?
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Yes, well, it came to me through my aunt.
0:03:24 > 0:03:25My aunt died about 20 years ago.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- OK.- I inherited it from her.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29And was it framed?
0:03:29 > 0:03:33It was framed, but the frame was in such a poor state,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36it was full of woodworm. We had every intention of reframing it,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39- but of course, it never happened. - Never happened, OK.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40Well, it's quite...
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I'm amazed at the condition of it, because so often,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48these get so badly faded and the threads are very loose as well,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50so they might come out.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54It's lovely to see that we've got the house here, we've got birds,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58we've got flowers, we've got some animals going down here.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59And what's this at the bottom?
0:03:59 > 0:04:01- Is it a church?- A chapel, I think.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03A chapel. You don't know where that is?
0:04:03 > 0:04:09Well, she lived in Ebbw Vale, so whether it is local to Ebbw Vale...
0:04:09 > 0:04:10- Right.- ..I really don't know.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15Well, we can date it precisely because we've got the date, 1847.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I love the cat and the dog.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Of course, yes, the little cat and dog.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- Very sweet.- The more you look at it, the more you see. - The more you see.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Do you actually have this on display at home?
0:04:28 > 0:04:30It's been on the top of the wardrobe for 20 years.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Has it really?
0:04:32 > 0:04:34- Yes.- But you are happy to sell it?
0:04:34 > 0:04:36- Yes.- Because it is a family piece.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39It's a family piece. The children don't want it.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42And we've got to the age now, we've got to get rid of some stuff.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Got to move on.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48- I think if we put an estimate on of perhaps £60 to £100...- Yes.
0:04:48 > 0:04:55- ..with a reserve of £50 and then hopefully it will make towards the top end.- Yes, that's fine.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00It's such a shame that's been on top of the wardrobe,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03so it's time to find it a new home.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08And talking about time, Charles has spotted a very impressive clock.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Margaret and Sue, I feel like saying ding-dong.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16- Bell.- Ding-dong, and what a belle you are, Margaret, and what a handsome clock.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Absolutely.- Whose is it?
0:05:19 > 0:05:20- Mine.- And you're Mother?
0:05:20 > 0:05:24- Yes.- Margaret, how many years have you had this clock?
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Oh, gosh, 60, probably 70?
0:05:27 > 0:05:28Yeah. Long time.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32I like it a lot, because we don't often see what we call tavern clocks.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37And if there's ever a clock which is the more commercial today,
0:05:37 > 0:05:38it's the tavern clock.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42- Oh, good.- I also like this mahogany veneer,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46which is rich and quite deep and well patinated,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50within this really nice cushion moulding.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53And you can see the level of age by the dirt within the crevices.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58It's clearly late 18th or early 19th century.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03OK? What concerned me were these square veneer pegs here.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07To me, it's a country-made tavern clock.
0:06:07 > 0:06:14Because these square pegs here actually support the pillar movement within.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18It may have been played with a bit, because, to me,
0:06:18 > 0:06:23these ought not be too obvious on the actual face of the clock.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Right. Mind you, I think it does give the clock character.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28It gives it a life, yeah.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32What I like is this minute finger, which is weighted -
0:06:32 > 0:06:34that's original,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38and I believe this finger, too, is probably original.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41And of course it's something, Margaret, which, in its heyday,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44with your husband, you had to wind up every day?
0:06:44 > 0:06:51- Every day.- Yeah. So it's a fairly simple 30-hour single train movement
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and, looking at the movement back here,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58what excites me is these little bobbins to support the train
0:06:58 > 0:07:03are a treen, or a turned wood, rather than being metal, so, to me,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05if I was to date this,
0:07:05 > 0:07:12I would suggest it's circa 1790, as late as 1815.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16And the giveaway to date is this ivory escutcheon.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18That would be about 1810.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21So, I like it. It needs some TLC.
0:07:21 > 0:07:26So I feel, realistically, we ought to put a fixed reserve on at £400,
0:07:26 > 0:07:32and put a guide price on of between £500 and £700.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34And I hope that meets your approval.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Yes. It needs to go to a good home.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Yeah. Shall we shake on it?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42And say, five to seven, reserve at four,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44we'll be going, going, gone.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47That's a great item.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50It makes me think about how many people have looked at this clock
0:07:50 > 0:07:53over 200 years, and kept time by it.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58But while the valuations continue, I'm off to explore the Margam estate.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05In its heyday, the estate ran to some 34,000 acres,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08and gamekeepers were essential outdoor servants.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11They maintained the pheasant and partridge stocks,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14but they also had to deal with poachers who came on to the land
0:08:14 > 0:08:17to find rabbits, hare and deer.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19On one occasion, that led to tragedy.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26On the 8th June 1898,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29a young gamekeeper named Robert Scott went up onto the hills
0:08:29 > 0:08:34overlooking the estate to investigate some suspicious gunshots.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37He was accompanied by an under-keeper and a constable.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Scott was unarmed.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40As he tracked down the poacher,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44the poacher disappeared through a hole in a stone wall
0:08:44 > 0:08:45and, as Scott approached,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48the poacher fired at him and he got him in the face.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53He then fired a second, fatal shot before disappearing without trace.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00Now, I've found a report in a local newspaper archive that tells the story
0:09:00 > 0:09:04of the dreadful events and the outcry it caused.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06And here is a copy of the newspaper.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11If I flick across, look, that is an artist's impression of the gamekeeper.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12There he is, Robert Scott.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17But here is the poacher. Here is the murderer, and his name was Joe Lewis.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Now, he could have got away with this,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23but he started bragging and boasting to friends about the events that happened that night.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26They obviously shopped him.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29He was arrested and sentenced to hang in Swansea prison.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33And here is an image of Swansea jail, look,
0:09:33 > 0:09:37with a great big crowd gathering as the black flag was being raised.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41But before he died, he wrote a letter to Scott's widow,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43and here is a copy of the letter.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45It says, "Dear Mrs Scott,
0:09:45 > 0:09:47"I want to say to you that I sympathise with you
0:09:47 > 0:09:50"in the sorrow I cause you to be in.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54"What I did, I did in self-defence, and I am praying for him,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57"and I hope you will forgive me.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00"Yours truly, Joseph Lewis."
0:10:01 > 0:10:03No-one lives on the Margam estate any more.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08But it's said that the ghost of Robert Lewis now haunts this place.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12What a dreadful story and a dreadful waste of a young life.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19I've not spotted any ghostly figures amongst our crowd today,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23but Catherine has spotted a very intriguing vase.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- It's Mark.- It is, yes.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29And you brought along this lovely Longwy vase.
0:10:29 > 0:10:30And where did you get this one?
0:10:30 > 0:10:34- It's through my family.- It's a jolly nice vase.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36The colours are really superb.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Lovely finish to this.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41What strikes me first of all is this crackle finish
0:10:41 > 0:10:44that we've got throughout,
0:10:44 > 0:10:49which is very similar to a lot of the Oriental vases that you were getting of a similar period.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52This probably dates to about early 20th century.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56So the 19th-century vases that you had
0:10:56 > 0:10:58had a very similar finish
0:10:58 > 0:11:02but they were often cloisonne enamel vases.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06So the vases that you had, the Oriental vases, in Japan,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10they had this Oriental cloisonne finish.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15And this French vase, this Longwy vase, has taken inspiration from that
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and almost recreated, not with enamel,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22but they've recreated that sort of finish, that cloisonne finish.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26And the lovely crackle panels to the side.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30It's lovely. But what I like here is this.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32That really sells it to me.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34This beautiful peacock on the side.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Yes. Lovely.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Super colours. The way that the tail trails behind,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42you can see all those lovely colours.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46One of the reasons why we know it's Longwy, apart from the decoration
0:11:46 > 0:11:50which is so typical of the French factory,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- is the impressed mark underneath. - I didn't see that.
0:11:53 > 0:12:01It's so faint but you can just about make out the L and the O for Longwy.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Longwy and go right back to the 17th century,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07when the factory was east of Paris.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Unfortunately, this piece doesn't go back quite that far.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14We are looking more early 20th century, so perhaps 1910,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17something like that. Now, price.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19You've had enough of it on your mantelpiece?
0:12:19 > 0:12:22It hasn't been out. It's been wrapped up.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24- Has it?- In the garage, so... - In the garage?
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Oh, right, so it really is time to move it on.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32Well, I think we should put about £80 to £120 on it at auction,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35perhaps with a reserve of about £70.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- How does that sound to you?- Fine. - Are you happy to sell it at that?
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- Yes, thank you, yes. - This really is a stunning piece
0:12:41 > 0:12:44and the peacock on it just does it for me.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Well, there you are. Our experts have been very busy.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54They've now found their first three items to take off to auction.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56But before we do that,
0:12:56 > 0:13:01I want to tell you about another worker who was very busy here on the estate.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04In 1802, Lord Nelson came to visit
0:13:04 > 0:13:08and it was the responsibility of the duty gardener
0:13:08 > 0:13:11to show him and his party around the orangery.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Nelson had such a marvellous time,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16he gave the gardener a three-shilling tip.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Now, that was a lot of money back in the day.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Let's hope our owners have as much luck as we now go off to auction
0:13:22 > 0:13:23for the first time.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26And here's a quick reminder of all the items that are
0:13:26 > 0:13:28going under the hammer.
0:13:28 > 0:13:34Patricia's hand-embroidered sampler has taken hours of painstaking work.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38It's time, gentlemen, please, for Margaret's tavern clock.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42And Mark's Longwy vase has been liberated from the garage
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and is bound to make an impact in the saleroom.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47We're heading to Cardiff for today's auction.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Its wealth was built on its busy port,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53but Cardiff Bay has undergone a huge makeover in recent years
0:13:53 > 0:13:57and it's now an important cultural centre.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Well, the sun's shining. I've got a good feeling about today.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03It's going to be a good day. We could have one or two big surprises.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05We are putting our valuations to the test
0:14:05 > 0:14:06right here at Rogers Jones & Co,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09one of the oldest auction rooms in Wales,
0:14:09 > 0:14:10and it's a family run business.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12We're going inside to catch up with our owners,
0:14:12 > 0:14:14and let's get on with the action.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16There are plenty of potential bidders milling around,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19and Ben Rogers Jones is on the rostrum,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21so let's crack on with our first lot.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24It's the sampler, beautifully hand-stitched
0:14:24 > 0:14:29by 12-year-old Mary Perrott almost 170 years ago.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- Oh, do you feel sad for selling this?- A little bit.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34A little bit. But it's something you want to do,
0:14:34 > 0:14:35because it's been on top of the wardrobe?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38- Yes.- And no-one else in the family wants it?- No.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40That's not your fault, is it?
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Isn't that lovely that we've got Patricia here,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47- and it relates directly to her family?- It's going under the hammer right now.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49A good sampler here.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Straight in I go at 50.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- 60, online.- Oh, good, if it's online.
0:14:53 > 0:14:5670 in the States on the phone.
0:14:56 > 0:14:5980 online, 90, 100.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01I'm so pleased. You've got a phone bid on it.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04110, 120. 130 on the phone.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06140 online.
0:15:06 > 0:15:0750 online...
0:15:07 > 0:15:10They might be your distant relations buying it!
0:15:10 > 0:15:1470, 80, 90, 200.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16- 220.- This is really good.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20- 240. 260.- They're bidding in the States.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Lovely sampler. 280, second thoughts online.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24280, come on, come on.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- Push it a bit more.- £300.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27Yes!
0:15:27 > 0:15:29This is wonderful. I'm so pleased.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33- This is wonderful.- Last call at 300.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Hammer's going down. Well, at least we didn't give it away.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38- £300.- Thank you very much.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Because sometimes they can be a bit iffy,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43but what's nice about that one is the pictures, the animals.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45It had everything, didn't it?
0:15:45 > 0:15:47And now it's gone.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50I feel sad. I'm more upset than you are!
0:15:50 > 0:15:53That was five times what we expected,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and it's heading for a new home in America,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58where it will be given pride of place.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Next is the quirky vase with the very distinctive decoration.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04It belongs to Mark.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Not for much longer, at 80 to 120.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08It's a come and buy me, isn't it?
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Yes, it's got everything going for it.
0:16:10 > 0:16:11Why are you selling it?
0:16:11 > 0:16:14I can't put it out anywhere, because it's just too small, the house.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- Oh, is it?- I've only got a bungalow, so...
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- Right, so you are kind of decluttering a bit.- Yes.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22OK, right, it's got to sell.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25We're going to put it under the hammer. This is it. Good luck.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30Wonderfully decorated Longwy faience ware vase.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33- I'm straight in at £50.- 50...
0:16:33 > 0:16:35And 60, and 70, and 80 and 90, 100.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37- Oh, good!- 110.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39- Oh, lovely!- At 120, 120.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42In Belgium. 130, 140, 150, 160...
0:16:42 > 0:16:44It's the handles, Paul.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47OK, Belgium, you're out. 170.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49The UK has it online at 170.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Is everybody done at 170?
0:16:51 > 0:16:52Here we go, at 170.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55And the hammer's up.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57- £170.- Yes!- Well done.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Well done, you, Catherine, as well.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Thank you for bringing that in, Mark.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Well, I think the elephant handles swung it.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Now it's the tavern clock.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07These were also known as Act of Parliament clocks,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09after a tax levied on clocks by William Pitt,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12the Prime Minister in 1797.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14I've just been joined by Margaret and Susan, mum and daughter,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16and our expert, Charles.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18We're putting that lovely Act of Parliament clock,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20the tavern clock, under the hammer.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23And the value was 500 to 700.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25- Indeed.- The auctioneer has reduced that value.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27He thinks it was a little bit too high.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29- He's put 400 to 600.- Indeed.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33With a reserve at 400, still, but you've upped the reserve to 450.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35So it's gone backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39all for the sake of £50, and I'm pretty sure this will sell.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42- I hope so.- I reckon we'll all be right at the end of the day, don't you?
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- I hope you're right.- OK, here we go, ding-dong, this is it.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49I've got to start, it starts with me at £300.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53At 320 online, 40, with me, 60, 80, 400, and 20.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54We're going to sell it.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- Ding-dong.- 440. 460 on the phone.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00- Yes, we've done it!- 480 online.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- Right, here we go.- 500 on the phone.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Anybody in the room now?
0:18:04 > 0:18:07550? 600.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09I'm taking two first.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11OK, I won't forget you, sir. 650.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- 700.- 700!
0:18:14 > 0:18:17It's all ticking. It's all ticking.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19800. And 50.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21- Brilliant!- 900.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23- And 50.- Make it the big one.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25- Yes, £1,000!- £1,100.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27The phone is out. £1,100.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Before it goes, then, all done?
0:18:29 > 0:18:31- £1,100.- £1,100.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34That gavel went down, and that was a sold sound.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36And that's the beauty of an auction.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39- That's why we love them!- Yes!
0:18:39 > 0:18:42I don't think any of us were expecting that.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45It made more than twice its estimate.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Hopefully someone has the right place to show it off.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Well, there you are - so far, so good.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53That's our first three lots under the hammer.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55I just love auctions.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58You know, it's not just about the value, it's not the price,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01it's about the stories behind all of these items.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Each one has a unique story.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Before we find some more antiques,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08there's something I want to show you. Just down the road from here,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10there's a place called St Fagans National History Museum.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13It's unique because it doesn't just focus on the great and the good,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16it focuses on ordinary people.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17And that's what I love.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20Since 1948,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24buildings of special interest from all over Wales have been carefully
0:19:24 > 0:19:28taken apart and reassembled on this site near Cardiff.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Every brick, slate and piece of timber is numbered so it can be
0:19:31 > 0:19:34reconstructed exactly as it was.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38The oldest domestic buildings here date back to the 15th century,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41like this traditional Welsh farmhouse from mid-Wales,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45which gives us a glimpse of how people lived in rural communities
0:19:45 > 0:19:47some 500 years ago.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50But the buildings that I've come to see today give us an insight
0:19:50 > 0:19:53into our industrial past.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales
0:19:54 > 0:19:58was a boom town of the Industrial Revolution.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01In 1800, a new terrace of houses was built at Rhyd-y-Car
0:20:01 > 0:20:03for the town's ironworkers.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09But by the early 1980s, the terrace was derelict and facing demolition.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13The National History Museum stepped in to rescue part of the original
0:20:13 > 0:20:16terrace for a unique project.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19The idea was to use the fabric and interiors of these buildings
0:20:19 > 0:20:23to shed a light on the lives of the people who had lived in them.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28What made this so special was the history spanned almost 200 years,
0:20:28 > 0:20:33from the early 1800s when they were first built, right up to 1985.
0:20:34 > 0:20:40Six houses, numbers 17 to 22, were carefully reconstructed here.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45The interior of each house represents a specific year in its history,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48and the first one dates to 1805.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53It has one multipurpose room, a small rear bedroom and one upstairs.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58I like this. I like this place a lot, actually.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00It's got a good feel about it.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04What strikes me about it is, it's very rustic, yet it's in an urban setting.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08So the couple that originally lived here came from the countryside.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12They moved to the area to find employment in the ironworks,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14like many other people.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18So the furniture they brought with them was traditional Welsh furniture.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20It's all handcrafted. It's beautiful.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22It's a multifunctional room.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Everything in here has a purpose.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Now, the fireplace, not only a focal point in this little room,
0:21:28 > 0:21:30but it keeps you warm.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33That's your source of central heating for the whole house.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36You did your cooking on there and you boiled up the water to make a cup of tea
0:21:36 > 0:21:39in that massive, great big old iron kettle.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41And if you wanted a bath, well, you had a tin bath.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45That would be hanging up on the outside wall, out back.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48You plonked it down there, filled it up with water,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51heated it up and jumped in it.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55'At this time, the windows of the houses didn't open.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59'The lack of ventilation meant that disease quickly spread.'
0:22:02 > 0:22:07Now, a local newspaper article at the time said that the streets were in a state of disgusting filth,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11abounding in fermenting and putrefying substances,
0:22:11 > 0:22:16equally offensive to decency and injurious to public health.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Now, due to the lack of sanitation, and overcrowding,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23cholera struck in Merthyr Tydfil in 1849.
0:22:23 > 0:22:29Now, sadly, in Rhyd-y-Car Terrace alone, five people died.
0:22:29 > 0:22:35It says here, in the surrounding area, 884 people also lost their lives.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39The third house in Rhyd-y-Car Terrace
0:22:39 > 0:22:43shows the impact of the Industrial Revolution on people's lives.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Now, this house dates to 1895 and, as you can see instantly,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52it's completely different.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53It's absolutely full of things.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55This is the Victorian age.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57The era of mass production.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Industry moving at full tilt.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03And it's the first time that working-class people could afford things.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Not just practical, functional things, but decorative things,
0:23:07 > 0:23:08as you can see here, look.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Loads of jugs hanging up, polished brasses,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Staffordshire flatback figures, all the rage back then.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Country pottery. It's all very, very homely.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23But I'd like to hear about the actual people who lived in these houses,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26with the person responsible for the project,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30former director of the museum, Dr Eurwyn William.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33What sort of people lived here?
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Well, the houses were originally built for ironworkers,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39and they were the creme de la creme of the working class, if you like.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Dangerous occupation but very well paid.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44But from about 1850 to 1860,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47the majority of the men worked in the coal mines.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52So, you know, lower paid, so it was a quite difficult lifestyle, I think.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Now, you've got some photographs of people that lived in the original terrace.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Can you talk me through some of them?
0:23:57 > 0:24:02Yes, surely. These are two sisters, Bessie and Letitia Thomas.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04These are studio photographs from about 1900.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- So this is 1900?- This is 1900.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10And they lived next door but one to each other, in the terrace,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12for the whole of their lives.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Oh, that's lovely! So they looked after each other?
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Yes, Bessie, number 18, Letitia, number 20.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20And here they are again in 1945.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Oh, look at that!
0:24:22 > 0:24:25This is Bessie, and this is Letitia,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28celebrating the end of the Second World War.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32And these two lived next door but one to each other all their lives.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36- Don't they look alike? - They look exactly the same.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39- Isn't that lovely?- But one of them, Bessie, in fact,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43she was one of the last inhabitants of the terrace and she was still
0:24:43 > 0:24:46living here in her 90s, in the 1970s.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48- Oh, how sweet.- Yes.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53This chap, Tom Davies, from number 17, 9st in weight,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57and he was a professional wrestler and a strongman.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01- Oh, I see!- Yes, he was professionally known as Saldo.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05My favourite of all the many dozens, perhaps hundreds,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07of photographs we have gathered is this one.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09These are the children of Rhyd-y-Car
0:25:09 > 0:25:12in front of one of the tips which surrounded the terrace.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13That's a lovely group shot.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15This is late Victorian.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17And the donkey is significant,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21because there were so many donkeys used for transport and so on
0:25:21 > 0:25:24in the terrace that, to the rest of the inhabitants of Merthyr,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Rhyd-y-Car was known as Donkey Town!
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Oh, was it? How sweet!
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Look at all those people together.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34One community, looking after each other.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Yes.
0:25:36 > 0:25:41By 1955, Britain was rebuilding itself as a modern post-war nation.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45In Merthyr Tydfil, heavy industry was replaced by manufacturing,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48and the terrace reflects this modern era.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52The outdoor shed is now a kitchen with practical, modern furniture,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56which means the sitting room can be used for relaxing and socialising.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04Long gone are the traditional pieces of Welsh furniture, all handcrafted.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07What we have here, mass-produced pieces of furniture.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Still in oak, but lightened up and softened in style.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Not so heavy. Here is the fireplace, look.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Not that pretty.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17No longer the focal point of the sitting room.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21That space now belongs to this, ta-da!
0:26:21 > 0:26:25The TV set. That is the future.
0:26:25 > 0:26:31The final house in the terrace dates to 1985, which isn't that long ago,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34but it really shows how much this community had changed.
0:26:37 > 0:26:38It doesn't look remotely Welsh.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40We're not in Merthyr Tydfil any more.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43This could be anywhere in the UK.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Look at this. It's full of things you could buy
0:26:45 > 0:26:49on any high street in Britain. We could be in Basildon in Essex.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Look. Fish and chips on the G Plan furniture.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54My mum and dad had an electric fireplace just like that
0:26:54 > 0:26:58with a couple of bars, and if it was really cold, you put both bars on.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Yeah, this is familiar,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04but there's something rather special in the kitchen I want to show you,
0:27:04 > 0:27:05so come through here.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Right, here we are.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09The fully fitted kitchen.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Something we're all familiar with.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14But this is the piece de resistance. This is what I wanted to show you.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15Are you ready for this?
0:27:15 > 0:27:16Here we go.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Ta-da! Look at that.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23No longer do you have a bath in the front room in an old tub.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26You can now have a bath in the kitchen!
0:27:26 > 0:27:28So you can sit in there, saying, "Mum?
0:27:28 > 0:27:30"Make us a cup of tea!"
0:27:30 > 0:27:32She hasn't got far to bring it.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40This terrace could've been knocked down and lost for ever.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41I'm so glad it was saved.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Now, compared to a castle or a magnificent stately home,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48it may seem insignificant and uninteresting,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50but the fabric of these buildings,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53the items inside them and the people who lived here
0:27:53 > 0:27:56all have a fascinating story to tell.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59It goes way beyond this terrace.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01These homes are about the story of all of us.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11What a fantastic place.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14It's exactly the kind of history that fascinates me.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17So time to return to the valuation day
0:28:17 > 0:28:20to see what other stories and items our experts have uncovered.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23And it looks like Charles is in the mood for a holiday.
0:28:25 > 0:28:31Sometimes, to me, a happy holiday is finding something that just has that
0:28:31 > 0:28:35within its make-up. And these badges have that, don't they?
0:28:35 > 0:28:40- Tell me about them.- Yes, well, I was a Butlin's Redcoat in 1967.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42I collected a few badges on the way
0:28:42 > 0:28:46and at the end of the season I had 96 different ones.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49So, back in the '60s, you were a Redcoat at Minehead.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50I'd always dance.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55And I did magic, so put that down on my form, and they said start May 21.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58And these badges are part of your story.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00And it's a lovely collection.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03I can see Skegness Butlin's.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06There's only one of Blackpool, which is very rare.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08And then we've got three Christmas ones.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11And then we've got Scottish ones
0:29:11 > 0:29:14and Ayr, Ireland.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16When was the golden age for Butlin's?
0:29:16 > 0:29:18'60s, early '70s.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22But then people started feeling they had jobs, they had the car,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25they had the money and in came the foreign holiday and then...
0:29:25 > 0:29:27I always think I'd make a good Redcoat.
0:29:27 > 0:29:28- You could do, yes.- Would I pass?
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- You would have no bother! - Thanks a lot, yeah.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34- Thanks a lot. And that wasn't pre-prepared, was it?- No.
0:29:34 > 0:29:35Thanks a lot.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37There's another badge here
0:29:37 > 0:29:42which was a benefit of a second week at Butlin's. I mean, what a luxury.
0:29:42 > 0:29:43How many badges are here?
0:29:43 > 0:29:45There's 96 different ones.
0:29:45 > 0:29:5196. My value with a view to auction would be between £50 and £80.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53- Is that OK with you? - Yes, fine.- Fantastic.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57I think we'd put a reserve on of maybe, say £40,
0:29:57 > 0:30:01just to protect them, and hopefully we'll see a good sale.
0:30:01 > 0:30:02What an unusual collection.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05It's a real slice of nostalgia.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08So let's hope it brings back memories for the bidders in the auction.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12And it looks like Catherine has found something equally quirky.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18Linda, you've got a charming pair of little clockwork toys here.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Tell me where you got them from.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23My sister and I had them when we were children,
0:30:23 > 0:30:26so they are about 65 years old.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29And we had them as a gift from my uncle,
0:30:29 > 0:30:33who was in the Merchant Navy, and he used to travel around the world,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36and wherever he went, he used to bring us a little something back.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40- He used to bring you a little gift? - Yes, and he brought us these.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Because these date back to the '50s.
0:30:43 > 0:30:44About 1950.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47So you were given them as a child.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50- That's right. Yes.- Shall we have a little go and see if they work?
0:30:50 > 0:30:51Let's try him first.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57Oh, look at that.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01He does move, actually. I think it's because of the velvet that he's not.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Well, we won't let him walk.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05We'll let him just play his drums.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11And do you remember playing with them as a child?
0:31:11 > 0:31:13Because they are in lovely condition.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16They are in lovely condition and that's probably because we weren't
0:31:16 > 0:31:18allowed to play with them as a child.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22- You weren't? You were given them and then they were put away in the cabinet?- In the cabinet, yes.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25But we did have them out now and again and played with them and we really
0:31:25 > 0:31:29- enjoyed playing with them. - So, which one belonged to you?
0:31:29 > 0:31:31Mine's that one, with the violin.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33My sister had the one with the drum.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Right, OK.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39Well, they're lovely and they are made by Schuco, a German factory,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42founded in 1912 in Nuremberg.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46And these are made out of tin plate, but they're clockwork.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50But the clothes are absolutely immaculate, these wonderful felt clothes.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52In lovely condition.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57Schuco carried on producing toys throughout the years.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00They stopped in the '70s when they went bankrupt,
0:32:00 > 0:32:02but have then come back into fashion
0:32:02 > 0:32:04and they are still actually producing toys today.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06Oh, I didn't realise that.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08Still producing toys today. It is a good factory.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Now, this one hasn't got its key.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13No. So they have to share the key.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15They have to share the key. So they need to stay together.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18- Yes.- So, it all comes down to price.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20And we want to keep them together.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24I would suggest an estimate of about 80 to 120
0:32:24 > 0:32:26with a reserve on of £80.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28Are you happy with that?
0:32:28 > 0:32:30I'd like to put it up a little bit more.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34- Do you think that would... - I'm very happy to do that.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35What sort of price would you like?
0:32:35 > 0:32:3790 or 100 for the two?
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Shall we say 100 to 150
0:32:40 > 0:32:42with perhaps a £90 reserve?
0:32:42 > 0:32:43Are you happier with that?
0:32:43 > 0:32:45- Yes.- Right, OK.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Right, let's give his little friend a little go.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50I think this is the nicer one, actually.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52I think you got the better deal.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58- There he goes.- They're cute, aren't they?- Very cute.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01They're nicer than the toys we get today, aren't they?
0:33:01 > 0:33:05And let's hope they cause lots of amusement at the auction.
0:33:05 > 0:33:06I hope so.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12While the valuations continue in the shadow of Margam Castle,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15we're actually lucky to have this as a backdrop
0:33:15 > 0:33:17because on 4th August 1977,
0:33:17 > 0:33:21the castle hit the headlines in a very dramatic way.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24While work was being carried out on the house,
0:33:24 > 0:33:26the lower-ground floor caught fire.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29The flames spread rapidly and, within minutes,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32engulfed the entire house.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35And in amongst our research area here,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38within this part of the old ruin,
0:33:38 > 0:33:40we have one of the firefighters, Mike Osborne.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Pleased to meet you. Thank you for coming in today.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45So, how bad was the fire that day?
0:33:45 > 0:33:48When we arrived, the ground floor was well alight.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51It had gone through the ceiling, through the upper floors.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54That was quite spectacular because flames were coming out the window
0:33:54 > 0:33:57and licking up the outside walls.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Eventually it went through the roof,
0:33:59 > 0:34:01which collapsed into the fire.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04The heat must have been intense.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Very much so. Because you had the smoke, the heat,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10the hot embers coming up with the heat.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14In addition, you had the steam from the water application.
0:34:14 > 0:34:19All this represented difficulties in seeing what was happening.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Once you got the fire under control and it was sort of smouldering,
0:34:23 > 0:34:27what was it like seeing this historic building in such a state?
0:34:27 > 0:34:33It was so sad to see this piece of local history, culture, heritage
0:34:33 > 0:34:36going up in smoke, as it were. That was sad.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39All firemen, as far as I'm concerned, are heroes.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44You risk your lives to save other people's lives and you've partly saved this building, which is great.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47- So thanks to you. - Glad to be of help!
0:34:49 > 0:34:52While I've been talking to Mike, our valuations continued.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55We need one more item to take to auction
0:34:55 > 0:35:00and Charles has found a wee pig that is far from home.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05Sharon, I often wonder, what is a Scottish pig doing here in Wales?
0:35:05 > 0:35:06Ah, mystery.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09- I wouldn't know. - How did you acquire him?
0:35:09 > 0:35:13I bought him in a church fair for £4 about two years ago.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15- Really?- Bargain!
0:35:15 > 0:35:19- You saw him and you thought, ah, I know.- Wemyss.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22- Hopefully.- That magical word.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24The factory began in 1882,
0:35:24 > 0:35:30when Karel Nekola and Robert Heron got together and they put this factory together.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34The name was based on the local big family,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36the Wemyss family at the castle.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38By 1930,
0:35:38 > 0:35:43they had stopped and the rights to these pigs had been sold to a factory on the south coast.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46So, hello, pig.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Let's have a look at you.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51What I love about him first of all is, the ears are in good condition.
0:35:51 > 0:35:57There are a few minor little signs of wear on the tips.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02I love what appear to be almost clovers.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06And I look in the crevices to make sure there's a level of wear
0:36:06 > 0:36:11to suggest this pig's been around 125, 130 years.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14And the body is good, but there's no tail!
0:36:14 > 0:36:16- No.- There's no tail.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18- Sorry about that.- What happened?
0:36:18 > 0:36:20It was like that when I bought it.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24And just in the crevice down here, you can barely see,
0:36:24 > 0:36:28- have you found it yet?- My husband found it but I find it hard to see.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31But there is a number as well and it looks like a double-S on the end.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Yeah, that is your Wemyss mark.
0:36:33 > 0:36:38So, in that regard, I'm quite happy it does come from the Fife factory.
0:36:38 > 0:36:39And if I was to date him,
0:36:39 > 0:36:44I would say that your Wemyss pig would date to around 1900 -
0:36:44 > 0:36:461910 at the very latest.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48I like him. How much do you like him?
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Well, I like him, but, you know... I'd like to sell him!
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Is it time he goes to a Welsh market?
0:36:55 > 0:36:56Yes, I think so.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00We can ask that question, how much is that pig in the window?
0:37:00 > 0:37:01With our problem, he's without the...
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- Waggly tail! ALL:- Waggly tail! - Exactly, I like that a lot, yeah, yeah.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08I think the tail will affect value.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10But even so, he is commercial.
0:37:10 > 0:37:15And my instinct would be between 150 and 250.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20- Right.- Put the reserve at about £120.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22- Yes.- Does that figure meet your approval?
0:37:22 > 0:37:25Yes, it's more than £4, so it's fine!
0:37:25 > 0:37:29It just... It just shows, doesn't it, what you can still find.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31But he isn't the one with the...
0:37:31 > 0:37:34- ALL:- Waggly tail.- Thank you very much.
0:37:34 > 0:37:35Lovely.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39If anyone spots that missing tail, do let us know.
0:37:39 > 0:37:40Will that hold the Wemyss pig back?
0:37:40 > 0:37:42We'll find out soon.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46You've just seen them -
0:37:46 > 0:37:49our experts have now found their final items to take off to auction.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Let's hope it's going to be a productive day.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54We need top money in the saleroom right now.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58And here's a quick recap of all the items we're taking with us,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01as we say goodbye to our magnificent host location.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05But right now, we've got some unfinished business to do in the auction room.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Donald's collection of Butlin's holiday camp badges
0:38:09 > 0:38:11from all over the UK.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Linda and her sister's pair of German clockwork toys.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21And this decorative Wemyss piggy is heading to market.
0:38:22 > 0:38:23Back at the auction room,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Ben Rogers Jones is holding the fort on the rostrum.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30It's been a hectic sale today, so let's crack on with our first lot,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32the Butlin's badges.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34This is a first on "Flog It!".
0:38:34 > 0:38:36We've never sold a collection, or had a collection,
0:38:36 > 0:38:38of Butlin's badges on this show.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40They belong to Donald, who is right next to me.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44Did you get into collecting badges because you were a Redcoat, then?
0:38:44 > 0:38:45Well, yes.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48I didn't know I had so many until the end of the season
0:38:48 > 0:38:51when I put them together, and they've been in a tin ever since.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53And now you want to sell them. OK.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55They capture a moment.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57They do. Not a lot of money, but here we go.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00This lovely Butlin's... Wonderful collection.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03I'm straight in at £70.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05A bid, sir? Five, I've got £80.
0:39:05 > 0:39:06Five, and 90.
0:39:06 > 0:39:07Five, 100.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09£100. Is there ten?
0:39:09 > 0:39:10110, your bid.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Before you, 120, 130, 140, 150.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16- £150...- This is fantastic.
0:39:16 > 0:39:17Wonderful.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Yes. I won't forget you, sir. At 180.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- Get that coat back on.- 200. 220.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24220!
0:39:24 > 0:39:26240, 260. 260.
0:39:26 > 0:39:27At 260 online.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29Just a happy facet of history,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31but the public... The sun's shining on us.
0:39:31 > 0:39:32Yes, and it's still going strong.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35At 280, 280, 300.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37- 300.- Wonderful!
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Is there 20? At £300.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41At £300.
0:39:41 > 0:39:42Yes!
0:39:42 > 0:39:45- £300.- Well done.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48That was a great price. I mean, there were a lot of badges there.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51And good on you for collecting them. Good on you.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54It's great to see Donald's collection fetch such a good price.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58It's obviously brought back holiday memories for someone.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00And now it's the pair of quirky tinplate toys.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04These are great fun and in mint condition.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06We've got two of them right now, belonging to Linda.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08One was your sister's and one was yours.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10- That's right.- And you're selling them together,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13which I think's really nice because, whoever buys them,
0:40:13 > 0:40:15hopefully will keep them together.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17They will be lonely without each other, won't they?
0:40:17 > 0:40:19We want them to go together.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22And who have you brought along with you today?
0:40:22 > 0:40:24My granddaughters and my daughter.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27They're over there, look, give us a wave.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Lots of moral support!
0:40:31 > 0:40:32These are great, aren't they?
0:40:32 > 0:40:34Really good.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38You must have hardly ever played with these because they're in such good condition and working.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41They're going under the hammer now. This is it.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43These wonderful Schuco clockwork felt-covered figures.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45- This is it.- 70 to start?
0:40:45 > 0:40:46At £70, is there five?
0:40:46 > 0:40:50At 75, 80, five, 90, five, your bid.
0:40:50 > 0:40:5195, 100 bid.
0:40:51 > 0:40:52- Is there ten?- 110 now.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Is there 20 online?
0:40:55 > 0:40:58- 110.- You can get sentimental now.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00At 110, here we go.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02110. They've gone.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04£110.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Hopefully they're going to stay together and go to a good home.
0:41:06 > 0:41:07- Yes.- I think so.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09And thank you for bringing them in,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12because we've had hours of fun with those at the valuation.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17I think it's the condition of these that has paid off.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20That's exactly what collectors want.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Now it's the turn of the Wemyss pig.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26No-one has turned up with his tail yet, so will that put the bidders off?
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Why are you selling your Wemyss pig?
0:41:29 > 0:41:33It's not that I've gone off it, it's just sort of, you know...
0:41:33 > 0:41:37I'm waiting to build a wall, and the funds will go towards it.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Right, OK, and that's a really good starting point.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42I tell you what, picking that up for four quid is a bargain,
0:41:42 > 0:41:46- even with a bit of damage. You don't care.- It's a great find.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Well, OK, let's try it, shall we, Charles?
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Here we go. This is it.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53This charming Wemyss pig.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56- Bids all over the place, from all over the country.- Hold tight!
0:41:56 > 0:41:59I'm straight in at £700.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01- Unbelievable!- Is there 50?
0:42:01 > 0:42:06At 750, at 780, 800 or nine?
0:42:06 > 0:42:08At £800.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Would you like 50?
0:42:10 > 0:42:1150 on the phone.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13850. 900.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16£900. 950, new phone now.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19- At 950.- 950.- I can't believe it.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21I can't, actually. Considering the tail is damaged.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25- Would you like 11? - Very good spot for £4.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27- At £1,100?- I can't believe that.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Is there 12 now? At £1,200.
0:42:29 > 0:42:30Why not? What's £100?
0:42:30 > 0:42:34- Yeah, why not?- £1,300, at £1,300 for the little pig.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36What did you put on this, Charles?
0:42:36 > 0:42:40- It's a lot of money.- What did you put on it?- 100 to 200.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42Because the condition is wonderful.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44At £1,400, have we all done?
0:42:44 > 0:42:46At £1,400, here it goes.
0:42:46 > 0:42:47I can't believe it.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50I really can't believe it.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54- What did you put on it? - 100 to 200, and it had legs.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- Literally.- Amazing.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58What do you think about that?
0:42:58 > 0:43:01- I'm shaking.- That is fantastic! - Well done.
0:43:01 > 0:43:02Thank you so much.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06Oh, wow, what a way to end today's show.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09What a surprise. We never saw that coming.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11I didn't see that coming either.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13I was with you on that value.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15You never know. We can never stop learning on this show.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17And I hope you don't, too.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21Join us again for many more surprises but, until then, it's goodbye.