0:00:05 > 0:00:08Today, we're in the old promenade station in Morecambe.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Now, in its heyday, millions of passengers would have flocked
0:00:11 > 0:00:13through these doors to enjoy the
0:00:13 > 0:00:15delights the seaside town had to offer.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Nowadays, it's just a beautiful space for events and shows.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21And today, for one day only, it is home to our "Flog It!" valuations.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24It's lights, it's camera, it's action.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Welcome to "Flog It!".
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Morecambe Bay has attracted holiday-makers to the town since
0:00:49 > 0:00:52the 19th century, helping to make it one of the busiest resorts in
0:00:52 > 0:00:54the country and earning it the nickname
0:00:54 > 0:00:56"the Brighton of the North."
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Today, hundreds of people have been patiently queueing outside our
0:01:00 > 0:01:03venue, The Platform, eager to be part of "Flog It!",
0:01:03 > 0:01:06and now it's time to get them inside and unpacked.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Right, people are starting to settle in now, in the warm.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11This is where the real work starts,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14because somewhere in all of these bags and boxes,
0:01:14 > 0:01:15there's something so valuable.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19You don't know it yet, but it's our experts' jobs to tell you.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23And still outside looking for those special antiques are our own little
0:01:23 > 0:01:25treasures, Adam Partridge...
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Anybody want to show me something?
0:01:27 > 0:01:28..and Charles Hanson.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31I've heard you lots, I like your, I like your...
0:01:31 > 0:01:33- Patter?- Yeah.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35There we go. Well, you know, that's life.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Together, they're a bit of a handful.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Chocks away! Chocks away!
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Covers the bald spot, anyway!
0:01:41 > 0:01:43OK, that's enough, boys.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Let's move on to what's coming up later on in the show today.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Has Charles discovered an antique that could be worth big money?
0:01:52 > 0:01:54If this was the genuine article,
0:01:54 > 0:01:59it would be worth between £50,000 and £70,000.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Adam uncovers a necklace that was almost lost forever.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Until I happened down the lane one day, and what should I see...
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- No way!- ..but my necklace?
0:02:12 > 0:02:15And I get a chance to test my driving prowess as I discover
0:02:15 > 0:02:18the story of Britain's biggest motor company, Leyland.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Well, as you can see, everybody is now safely seated inside.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26It's time to find out what's in all these bags and boxes.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Well, that's our experts' job,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31so let's catch up with them and see who's the lucky owner at the table.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Welcome to "Flog It!", Patricia.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Thank you very much for bringing along this amber necklace.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Now, I'm not known as a jewellery specialist on this programme,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41but I'm very interested in amber, and also,
0:02:41 > 0:02:45prices for amber have risen a great deal in recent times.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- Oh, I didn't know that.- Now, please tell me what you know about it and
0:02:48 > 0:02:50how you came to own it.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Well, I thought it was just a bit of old tat, actually,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57given to me by my great-grandmother.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58And when did you receive it?
0:02:58 > 0:03:02It would have been in the late '60s, '70s, that sort of time.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- Right.- I don't remember exactly.- And you've never really prized it, then,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09- or...?- Well, I did prize it until I lost it in the snow.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11The string fell apart or...?
0:03:11 > 0:03:13The clasp at the back came undone.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17- Yeah.- And, I didn't realise, but it fell off
0:03:17 > 0:03:21and it lay in the snow for a long time.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25And then I happened to be walking down the lane one day and the gutter
0:03:25 > 0:03:28was running with rain and what should I see...
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- No way!- ..but my necklace?
0:03:31 > 0:03:32What a great story.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34And how long between losing it did you find it again?
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Probably a couple of months.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Gosh, as long as that? So, did it, did it affect its condition at all?
0:03:40 > 0:03:41It didn't look so good...
0:03:41 > 0:03:43THEY LAUGH
0:03:43 > 0:03:46- ..when I fished it out of the gutter.- Gosh. And have you worn it?
0:03:46 > 0:03:50I used to wear it a lot, but I haven't worn it since.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- Not since then?- It's just been in a box since the late '70s.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Since the late '70s, goodness me!
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Well, you were lucky to have found it again, weren't you?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Well, I don't know. That depends! That will depend.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03And how do you think it came into
0:04:03 > 0:04:05the family in the first place, through your great-grandmother?
0:04:05 > 0:04:08My great-grandfather was a merchant seaman and he would have brought it
0:04:08 > 0:04:11back to this country. I don't know from where.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13I suppose we'd better talk about the object, hadn't we?
0:04:13 > 0:04:16As you quite rightly say, it looks fairly ordinary on here.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18It doesn't look very special at all.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22No. Amber, obviously, has been around since prehistoric times,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24fossilised tree resin.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Some pieces are highly prized,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30especially when they encase an insect or something like that.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Yes. I have looked, but I can't see any insects.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35There don't seem to be, sadly.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37But I'm pretty sure it's genuine amber.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41You see Bakelite examples and plastic examples, but I'm convinced
0:04:41 > 0:04:44yours is genuine because of the cracks and the natural imperfections
0:04:44 > 0:04:48that you see there. I mean, highly prized for centuries,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52but probably never more so than in recent times.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54What they particularly want, the market, seems to be
0:04:54 > 0:04:56that sort of butterscotch colour with quite...
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Oh, that's very interesting.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Oh, really? There's another necklace from the same source in the family.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Oh, well. I mean, if that's a good size...
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- It is.- ..and they're very nice beads...
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- Yes, they are.- ..then it's probably worth thousands.- Wow.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13I must tell my sister-in-law!
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Yes, you must. But this one is perhaps a more regular example and
0:05:17 > 0:05:19still worth something,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22whereas ten years ago, we'd have put that in a mixed lot.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23- Yeah.- A job lot of jewellery.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- Five quid! - Yeah, well, not much more.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29These days, I think it might make between 100-200.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31- Right.- I think it probably should do.- Yeah, well...
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- Shall we give it a go? - Yes, absolutely.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36They're notoriously hard to predict, this is my disclaimer, now.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39I think we should probably pop a little reserve on it to stop it
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- going for nothing.- What would you put on it as a reserve?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I think put maybe £75 or something like that,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- to stop it from going for any less.- OK, right.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50It's, it must be worth that nowadays.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52And I wouldn't be surprised if it gave us a little surprise.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55But if it was the butterscotch colour,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- then you would be looking at thousands of pounds.- Oh, right.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59So, thanks for bringing it, Patricia,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02and I'm looking forward to seeing what it sells for in the auction.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03A very hard one to predict.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Well done to eagle-eyed Patricia for finding that necklace again,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10and Charles also needed keen eyes to find his first item.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Irene, good to see you today.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Now, you've brought this in, and they say small is beautiful...
0:06:16 > 0:06:19- What is it?- It is, it's a beautiful little brooch.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21It's a wonderful brooch.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25It is vibrant. It's almost buzzing, isn't it, in colour?
0:06:25 > 0:06:29- Yeah.- What would you say this small insect brooch is?
0:06:29 > 0:06:31I should say it's an ant.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32- Sorry?- Ant!
0:06:32 > 0:06:36An ant? I think you're probably right. Tell me how you acquired it.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39By working for someone, and she gave it me in appreciation.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- By working for somebody? - Yeah, a lady.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Was this lady you worked for quite grand?
0:06:45 > 0:06:49- You said the word "lady". Was she a real lady?- Yes, a very real lady.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51She was a headmistress and she was brilliant.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53And why did she give you an ant?
0:06:53 > 0:06:57She gave it me so she wouldn't cause no mither with her family.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- Cause no...?- Mither in her family.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Fascinating. When I first saw it, I thought it's a real jewel.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05- Do you like it?- Yes.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06Do you like creepy crawlies?
0:07:06 > 0:07:08No!
0:07:08 > 0:07:09THEY LAUGH
0:07:09 > 0:07:11See, I don't like spiders.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14They make me jump. But you quite like this ant?
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I like that, yes, as long as it isn't anything
0:07:17 > 0:07:19that's crawling over me, yeah.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21And you wear it still?
0:07:21 > 0:07:24I haven't worn it for a bit, and so,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27my son said he was coming here today so I thought I'd bring it along.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31And why do you feel it's time now to say au revoir to your ant brooch?
0:07:31 > 0:07:33When you're getting on in years,
0:07:33 > 0:07:34you don't know how long you're going to be,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38and I've got too many granddaughters to fight over it.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41So you might split the money, the proceeds of sale?
0:07:41 > 0:07:44- Yeah.- And let them enjoy a bit each? - Yeah.- I think it's lovely.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49I really do. I look at this ant brooch and what I look at first of
0:07:49 > 0:07:52all is its head and body are made of glass.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Not any old glass. It's Murano glass.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00- I see.- It's Italian Venetian glass, from that great island of Murano.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04And if you look at the make-up of the glass,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07you've got what we call lattimo which is this opaque white.
0:08:07 > 0:08:12Oventerine, which is the wonderful specks of gold within the glass.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17So this body of this small ant really shows the advancement in all
0:08:17 > 0:08:21these experimental workings with this great material.
0:08:21 > 0:08:28Now, that sight of quality makes me think that the legs,
0:08:28 > 0:08:33antennae and brooch on the back should also be gold.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36But I've been looking at it quite carefully and I cannot see a gold
0:08:36 > 0:08:40mark on there. But I'm fairly sure, once it's tested,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43it will test as being nine carat.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45We'll often say to a client,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49if an object belonged to a certain lady of some distinction,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53was the previous owner, this headmistress,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55a fair lady of distinction who liked nice objects?
0:08:55 > 0:09:00- Yes.- That's always a good sign that she would only really buy or have on
0:09:00 > 0:09:02her quality. And this is quality.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05- How old is it? - Oh, it must be 100 years.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10I think so. I would date this maybe around 1900, 1920.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14I like it a lot. I'll be delighted to give you an auction estimate with
0:09:14 > 0:09:18a guide price of between £50-£70.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23- Right.- OK? And I propose, to give it a buzz...
0:09:23 > 0:09:25OK. It might crawl away!
0:09:25 > 0:09:27THEY LAUGH
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Irene, I would like to stand there with you and put a reserve on it at
0:09:31 > 0:09:34£40. How does that sound to you?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37- All right, yeah.- Shall we say going...?- Going, gone.- Gone.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Put it there. Thanks, Irene.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Thanks for coming in today. I can't wait for the auction.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43Well done, Charles.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Let's see if Adam's found something larger than an ant on his table.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Well, David, thank you for coming to "Flog It!" today.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51- Oh, you're welcome. - Are you a local man?
0:09:51 > 0:09:55- From Preston.- From Preston? Not so far, is it?- Oh, no.- Lancashire.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Well, this is a Yorkshire piece, not a Lancashire piece, isn't it?
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- Oh! So I've been told. - Is that why you're selling it?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Could be. Yeah.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06I don't know what that town crest is.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08It's clearly a Yorkshire town with those three roses.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09Any idea what that is?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Not really. We've not been able to find out much about that.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Somebody said it was a coat of arms.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16It looks like a town crest, doesn't it? But it's not York, anyway.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Where did you get it from?
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Well, we had gone on a coach trip to Shrewsbury.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- Oh, yeah?- We went in this little charity shop
0:10:23 > 0:10:25and bought it from there.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- Well, how long ago was that? - About five, six years ago.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Really? Goodness me. So why did you buy it?
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Because you liked it or because you thought it was something because of
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- the lizard?- I thought it was something, with the lizard,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38that it was something special, you know.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- What did you give for it, may I ask?- £5.- £5, not bad.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45- Oh, no.- Well, we've got the trademark adzed oak finish,
0:10:45 > 0:10:46you know, finished with an axe.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48So a lot of people watching this are going to think,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50"It looks like a bit of Mouseman."
0:10:50 > 0:10:54And they'd almost be right, but this piece is Lizardman.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- Oh.- So there was a group of Yorkshire carvers.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59They were all apprentices to Mouseman
0:10:59 > 0:11:01because he was so successful, and still is.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03If this was a Mouseman piece, it would be worth hundreds of pounds.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05- Would it?- Yes, certainly.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08But then you had Martin Dutton, who became Lizardman,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12and you had Malcolm "Foxman" Pipes, I think his name was,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14so he was the Fox man.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16I guess if you are being kind, they
0:11:16 > 0:11:19are a homage to Thompson or perhaps he might have been a bit fed up -
0:11:19 > 0:11:22"Oh, everyone's going off and nicking my mouse idea and putting a
0:11:22 > 0:11:24"different animal on it," I'm not sure.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27But this is after he'd left Mouseman,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29he'd started on his own and producing his own range.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Also known as the Yorkshire Critters.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33That's right. That's what I've been told, yeah.
0:11:33 > 0:11:34- Have you heard about those?- Yeah.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37So I presume this was made in the '50s.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39The gentleman who carved it died in 2009.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Do you use it? Does it sit in the home?- No, we don't use it.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44- No?- It has just been in a drawer, you know.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46It could do with a bit of a waxing, I think.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- It would bring out the colour nicely.- It would do, wouldn't it?
0:11:49 > 0:11:50I bet Paul would like to have that.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- Would he?- Never mind. He's not around.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55- Is he not about?- Well, let's get it done before he comes back.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58So we're going to put it in the sale and I would imagine it's going to
0:11:58 > 0:12:02make £50-£80, or that certainly should be the estimate.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Hopefully, it might make a touch more.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06- Right.- Reserve of 50, I think,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08because it really shouldn't sell for less than that.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- No.- And my view is it's worth maybe £80, £90, hopefully a touch more.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14- That's fine.- Is that all right? - Yeah, that's fine.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- Would you reinvest? - I'm always buying stuff, me!
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- Are you? Are you a bit of a wheeler dealer?- Oh, well, not dealer.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- No, hobby?- No, it's a hobby.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- A hobby.- Gramophones, old gramophones, stuff like that.
0:12:25 > 0:12:26OK. You're not winding me up now, are you?
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- No, no, no.- There's my gramophone joke! Thank you very much.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31HE LAUGHS
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Adam is right, I do like the bowl,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36especially because it's part of the Yorkshire Critters,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38craftsmen who made oak furniture
0:12:38 > 0:12:40with their animal on it as a signature.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44The man who they got the idea from, Robert Thompson, or the Mouseman,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47is a name that regularly crops up on "Flog It!",
0:12:47 > 0:12:50and he carved his mouse into all kinds of wooden items.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53He also liked to work the timber with an old-fashioned adze,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57giving the surface a characteristic dimpled appearance.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Thompson chose the mouse as his signature animal because he felt it
0:13:00 > 0:13:05was like him, poor and working away quietly, unnoticed.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08These days, Mouseman is very notable, and his items,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12like the other Critters, can fetch high prices.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Well, The Platform, Morecambe's old railway station,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17is proving to be a fabulous venue.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19We have found some super items, and right now,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22we're going to see if our experts are on track because our owners will
0:13:22 > 0:13:24be really chuffed if we get that top end.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Here's a quick recap of all the items going under the hammer.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31Patricia's necklace might have been lost in the snow, but I'm sure it
0:13:31 > 0:13:33will find a high price today.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37We're hoping the buyers will be
0:13:37 > 0:13:39swarming all over Irene's ant brooch.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43And David's charity shop find is a real beauty.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Can it bowl over the bidders?
0:13:48 > 0:13:49Our auction house, Silverwoods,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53is a quick jaunt across Lancashire to the pretty town of Clitheroe.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Inside, the buyers are sifting through the lots,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58looking for that special something.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Wilf, good luck.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Fingers crossed. Auctioneer Wilf Mould is now on the rostrum.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Any second now, the auction will start,
0:14:06 > 0:14:07so we're going to get on with our first lot.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09You can sit back and enjoy this
0:14:09 > 0:14:11as our owners take a roller-coaster ride.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Let's get on with that first lot.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15And don't forget, when you're selling at auction,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17you'll be paying commission on each item.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Here, that is set at 10% plus VAT.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23There are plenty of buyers checking out all the lots,
0:14:23 > 0:14:24eager to snap up a bargain.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Let's hope they get fired up by our items.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30And first to go under Wilf's hammer is that lovely lizard bowl.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32David, good luck, fingers crossed.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Hopefully, this should go. Nearly a local connection, isn't it?
0:14:35 > 0:14:37The Lizard Man. It's a wonderful wooden bowl,
0:14:37 > 0:14:39and we love our treen on this show.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42- Neighbouring county, but you mustn't get Lancashire and Yorkshire confused.- No, exactly!
0:14:42 > 0:14:45- At your peril. - They'd go to war over that!
0:14:45 > 0:14:47It's a nice thing. Why are you selling it?
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Well, I've had it about six years.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51- Yeah.- And I want to move on and sell it.
0:14:51 > 0:14:52OK, good luck. Right now,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55we're going to learn how much this is worth. Let's do it.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58The adzed wooden fruit bowl,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01this circular fruit bowl by Derek Slater,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03also known as Lizardman,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and it does have his carved lizard
0:15:05 > 0:15:09on it, and I'll start it at 55, £60.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11£60, 60 and five, 65 and 70.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13- That's OK, isn't it? - 65, looking for 70.
0:15:13 > 0:15:1570 is on my left.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18£70. 75. 80 in the room.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21£80 and five from anybody else for the bowl.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23At £80. 85, away at the very back.
0:15:23 > 0:15:2585, 90.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28- That'll do.- Really, that's really, I've been quite surprised, yeah.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30At 85.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32GAVEL BANGS Hammer's gone down. £85.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- Well done you. - That's all right, isn't it?
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Just over the top estimate. You've got to be happy with that.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39I didn't expect it would bring that much.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41And a pleasing piece of treen, and we know how much you like that.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Yeah, it's a nice piece of treen, yeah.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44Thanks for bringing it, well done.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- Thank you.- Good result. Well, that bowl carved out a nice price.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Can the little ant carry away a big profit?
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Irene, I love my creepy crawlies, and good luck with this ant brooch.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57I think it's jolly good fun. It's Murano glass, isn't it?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00You're a brooch lady. Did you wear the ant at all?
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Yes, I did, I wore it on a cream suit.
0:16:03 > 0:16:04Oh, I bet that looked good.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- Yeah.- I, I love the sky-blue suit as well, though.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09What was the reaction? Did people come up and go,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- "Cor, I like the ant?"- Yeah, somebody did point out how nice it
0:16:12 > 0:16:14looked on the suit, a gentleman.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Well, we like your brooch and it's different.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- Absolutely right. - It looks different,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21it's individual and that is what the buyers want, don't they?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- Correct.- Anyway, good luck, OK? This is it.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27The antique fashion brooch, modelled as an insect, an ant.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29There you go, buy something a bit different.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Start me at, what? £50 for this one. 50, for this little brooch.
0:16:32 > 0:16:3440, then. £40.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Any of you? 30, surely.
0:16:36 > 0:16:3828, 28, and 30 now.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40I've 28. 30, we're looking for.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42At 28. It's worth all of this.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Come on, don't miss this. 30 is there. £30. I've 32. 35.
0:16:46 > 0:16:5035, 38. 40 this time, if you like.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52You'll kick yourself tomorrow when you think about it.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54£40. 40 bid and two now.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56At £40, and 42 from anybody else in the room?
0:16:56 > 0:17:00- It's wriggling.- £40, and 42, this time, then, now, all finished,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03the lady in the middle there, at £40.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Yes, £40.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- It's gone, Irene.- Yeah. - The lady's bought it there,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09- and I'm pretty sure she's going to wear that as well.- Yeah, yeah.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13- It finally wriggled.- The perfect price for a perfect little brooch.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17And finally, Patricia's amber beads that are lucky to actually be here.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21You've caused a bit of a stir, haven't you? You have.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Well, amber is apparently red hot at the moment, isn't it?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26- Yes.- Everybody wants to buy it.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28We haven't got a lot of money on this because I think it's
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- the colour...- Yes, there's various factors.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33But the ones that make great big prices are bigger, heavier beads,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35the more butterscotch colour.
0:17:35 > 0:17:36They can make thousands of pounds.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- OK. They can, can't they?- But we've been quite cautious on this one.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41You never know, you might get a couple of speculators.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Fingers crossed we get top money, OK?
0:17:43 > 0:17:45- Hopefully.- This is what auctions are all about.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46This is where it could go crazy.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48As Adam says, it could sell comfortably at £100,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51we could do three, we might even do four. Let's find out.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54A large, graduated amber bead necklace,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56composed of 39 ovoid beads,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59which we shall start at £80.
0:17:59 > 0:18:0080 and five now.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02At £80 and 85 for this.
0:18:02 > 0:18:0685. 90. 95. £90
0:18:06 > 0:18:09is on my book. At 95 online now.
0:18:09 > 0:18:1595. 100. 110. 110. 110. 120.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17At £110. 120 is on the screen.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19At £120 online, then.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Anybody else for this?
0:18:21 > 0:18:23All done at £120.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26- You're spot on! - Well...- You're so spot on.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Do you know, if this was a sale somewhere else and I just turned up,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32I'd have a go at buying those to speculate myself.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Yeah, I think it's beginner's luck, Paul.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36I'm really relieved that I got it right.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39You do see people speculating and gambling on these, and they can make
0:18:39 > 0:18:41more, but I think you got the right money for it.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44I'm surprised. I didn't think it would sell!
0:18:44 > 0:18:45THEY LAUGH
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Adam certainly knows his amber.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49He got that price just right.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Well, there you are, our first three lots done and dusted, all sold,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55all credit to our experts.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57There's more to come later on in the show, so don't go away.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Now, it's not just about the value.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01It's not just about what's it worth.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05It's the stories behind those items that are so important.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Earlier on this week,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10I travelled across Lancashire to get under the bonnet of one of the most
0:19:10 > 0:19:12famous names in British motoring.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Trucks, vans, buses.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19These vehicles have been the driving force of Britain and one name has
0:19:19 > 0:19:22been behind most of them for over a century - Leyland.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29This is a Beaver, and it's a
0:19:29 > 0:19:32beautiful example of a 1930s truck that still
0:19:32 > 0:19:34works perfectly today.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36It was built to last. It's a workhorse.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39And it's part of British motoring heritage because it was built by
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Leyland, a company famous all over the world,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45made in the town it was named after.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49And this is where it all started, here, over 120 years ago.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53The fortunes of the company can be traced inside this building,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55the British Commercial Vehicle Museum.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Inside this cavernous space,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59which was once part of the Leyland factory,
0:19:59 > 0:20:04every square inch is taken up with trucks, vans, buses,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06machines designed to work.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10Most of them were built by the Leyland company which in its day was
0:20:10 > 0:20:12the biggest British vehicle manufacturer,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15sending out automobiles across the globe.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18The Leyland story starts in the early 1890s,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22with this very interesting-looking machine.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Can you guess what this is?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Well, I can tell you, it weighs a tonne, it's steam driven,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29and gardeners love it!
0:20:29 > 0:20:33And I've been told it's surprisingly manoeuvrable.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Yeah, you've got it. It's a lawn mower!
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Look, you've even got this wooden cradle here to collect all the grass
0:20:39 > 0:20:42cuttings. Wow, that is incredible, isn't it?
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It really is. I wouldn't fancy cutting the grass with this today,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48that's for sure, but what a piece of history.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51It was made by James Sumner,
0:20:51 > 0:20:53a Lancashire man who loved steam engines.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57His steam lawn mowers were so popular that he helped form the
0:20:57 > 0:20:58Lancashire Steam Motor Company,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02building their first steam-driven van in 1896.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04The company was an instant success,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07winning competitions all over the country.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09The orders quickly rolled in.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Within a few short years, the company was flying.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15It was worth over £5 million in today's money.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18And it even exported its first vehicle overseas,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22a steam-driven van, for delivering mail in Sri Lanka.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25The company continued to grow and grow,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29even adding new-fangled petrol engines into lots of its vans.
0:21:29 > 0:21:34And in 1907, the company name was changed to Leyland Motors Limited.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36When World War I broke out,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39the government turned to Leyland to produce vehicles for
0:21:39 > 0:21:44the War Department like this massive, great big RAF three-tonner.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47This really launched Leyland, and from here, the company took off.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Soon, it was employing over 3,000 people,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53and turning out all kinds of new models.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57And it wasn't just trucks and engines that the company pushed new
0:21:57 > 0:21:58boundaries. In the 1930s,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01they created one of the first-ever pin-up calendars,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05which is a million miles away from the risque calendars we see today.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08These were all hand-painted by an artist.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11And it is rumoured some of the models were women that worked here
0:22:11 > 0:22:13in the Leyland offices.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17For me, looking at these, it's a wonderful snapshot of the past,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19of how fashions have changed.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21It's rather delightful.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Leyland continued making trucks and buses of all shapes and sizes that
0:22:28 > 0:22:31were sold in every corner of the globe.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34But in the 1960s, it took on a whole new dimension,
0:22:34 > 0:22:39merging with the car company British Motor Holdings, or BMC.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42It took another name change and became British Leyland.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Suddenly, the company was now also making iconic British cars,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50names like Jaguar, the Mini, Range Rover, MG Morris.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53You name it, British Leyland probably made it in factories all
0:22:53 > 0:22:58over the UK. Neil and Geoff, who now help run the museum,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00worked for the company all their lives,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03seeing huge changes during their careers.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06You've both worked for Leyland for most of your working lives.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09So, what does it mean to you, this wonderful motoring heritage?
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Between us, we've 90 years here, so it was like family.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14That's a lot of time.
0:23:14 > 0:23:1690 years is a lot of time.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20We want to pass down the heritage of it and the stories behind it,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23and the stories that we can tell, we want to keep alive.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26A lot of people don't really realise Leyland, and what it really means.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30When you've worked and lived in Leyland all your life, it's in my
0:23:30 > 0:23:32blood, you know, Leyland.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34In its heyday, there were a lot of people working here.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37It must have been all of Leyland, the whole town worked there.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41When I started in '66, there was 13,000, but it did cover a big area.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Take it at lunchtime, the traffic stopped
0:23:43 > 0:23:46because they came out of the North Works like a river.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48- Yeah.- And in summertime, all the men,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51they would come out and buy pies and they would be all stood around
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- talking in the sunshine. - So what was the atmosphere like?
0:23:54 > 0:23:55It was family orientated.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58A lot of the older men, their sons usually started at
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Leyland Motors with an apprenticeship.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02- So it was man and boy?- Yeah.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04And that was the way it went.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08In the '70s, British Leyland was one of the biggest vehicle manufacturers
0:24:08 > 0:24:12in the world, producing millions of cars and trucks each year.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16But this very success brought about the decline of the company.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19British Leyland was almost too big to be practical.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Coupled with overseas competition and falling sales,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24the company slowly fell apart.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27The car side was sold off and, in 1993,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29this Leyland site was shut down.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33So how did it feel for both of you when it all ended like that?
0:24:33 > 0:24:36That particular morning, young men walking,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39they had pains in their chests because they had been worried
0:24:39 > 0:24:42because they had mortgages and how were they going to manage when they
0:24:42 > 0:24:45were fired out, you see? They were actually walking around, crying,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48some of them. They were that physically and mentally, they'd been tortured for weeks.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51The closure of this works was a painful chapter
0:24:51 > 0:24:52in the Leyland story,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56but it's great to know that people like Geoff and Neil are helping to
0:24:56 > 0:24:59keep the memory alive. And out of this great collection,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02there's a couple of vehicles that really stand out for me.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04This Lioness is not just a charming little bus.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07It's also had a very notable owner.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10It was bought by King George V in 1927,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13to be used on the Sandringham estate,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16to ferry the king and his guests around on shooting trips in the
0:25:16 > 0:25:20countryside. The driver's seat was made extra comfy just in case
0:25:20 > 0:25:23His Royal Highness wanted to get behind the wheel and have a go.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25If I was him, I certainly would
0:25:25 > 0:25:28because this seems like jolly good fun.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Now, whether he did or not is another thing, but if he did,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33he'd be the first monarch ever to drive a bus.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38And how about this for an unusual looking vehicle?
0:25:38 > 0:25:41It was created for a very special passenger.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43The badge on the side is a clue.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45It is the crest of the Vatican.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47In its day, this was nicknamed the Popemobile,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51a Leyland Truck specially created for the visit of Pope John Paul II
0:25:51 > 0:25:54to the UK in 1982.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58This is armour plated, so it's bulletproof, it's bombproof,
0:25:58 > 0:26:02it's very fast and it's very rare.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06From its start as a modest local firm to becoming a global giant,
0:26:06 > 0:26:11the story of Leyland really is an incredible slice of British history.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Making buses and trucks may not be glamorous, but I tell you what,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17they've given us some beautiful looking machines.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Time now to set the satnav to Morecambe and get back to our
0:26:28 > 0:26:30valuation day, and staying with the transport theme,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33it looks like an interesting collection has just parked
0:26:33 > 0:26:34on Charles' table.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36- Hello, Molly.- Hello.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38What a wonderful collection.
0:26:38 > 0:26:39Yeah, it's been collected for a while,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41but mainly it was my husband's
0:26:41 > 0:26:44collection and I just found a few tucked away, and so I thought it
0:26:44 > 0:26:46would be a good opportunity.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50You don't, Molly, look an oily mechanic type.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51- No.- But your husband was?
0:26:51 > 0:26:55- Yeah, you know, anything unusual... - Your husband's name was...?
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- Peter.- Peter put a wonderful collection of car badges together.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02There's 13 here. At home, have you still got the fleet of classic cars?
0:27:02 > 0:27:05- Oh, no!- Look at me, Molly. That's a shame.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10It's amazing how in the last 20 years, the sector of interest in
0:27:10 > 0:27:15vintage, classic cars really has revved up into fifth gear.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19- Yeah.- The market now for accessories of this sort of vintage,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22yesteryear car badge is now so popular.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24- Yeah.- When was your husband collecting these?
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Well, we both collected,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29did an odd car boot or an indoor thing on a Saturday,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31so we collected things from when the kids were little,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- you know what I mean?- Have you a favourite here, of car badge?
0:27:34 > 0:27:37I don't think it's my favourite, but I'm intrigued with that one because
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- of the crown. - The crown coronet, yes.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Yeah, and because Peter's been out and gone...
0:27:42 > 0:27:46I think he used to sneak out to auctions when I was...
0:27:46 > 0:27:48- Did you allow him to go?- Pardon?
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- Did you allow him to go? - Oh, yeah, he'd definitely go.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53But these are wonderful.
0:27:53 > 0:27:58Credit to his passion for collecting and they certainly tell a story in
0:27:58 > 0:28:03the history of the car badge, in the history of the RAC, and also the AA.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Are they the popular ones?
0:28:05 > 0:28:07They are indeed. I think, when we look at them,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11what I look for is colour and vigour of the badges,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14which almost reflect certain decades in style.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Yeah, some of them have a nice finish with them.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Yes, and of course, they would shimmer on the grille of your car.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22- Yeah.- And historically, they're interesting.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24We know the AA, established in 1905,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26they began to issue badges in this
0:28:26 > 0:28:30chrome plate, in this metallic finish.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34Some, of course, have oxidised, corroded.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37We have some enamel losses on this one, here.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Would that be enamel at the back of that, do you think?
0:28:40 > 0:28:42- That's... No.- Oh, no, the enamel on the top.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44It's what we call champleve.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47It's been filtered into a pool or reservoir,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49and when it's been knocked,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52that pool of enamel has fallen out.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Oh, I see, so it makes a channel?
0:28:54 > 0:28:56I hadn't realised that.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00Absolutely. But the really early ones would date to 1906.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04None of these are really pre-1906 because, by 1911,
0:29:04 > 0:29:08we had the winged car badges come in.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12- Yeah.- So these are after 1911, as are these down here.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15- What are they worth? - I'm asking you that.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Are you feeling revved up?
0:29:17 > 0:29:18Oh, yeah, raring to go.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Hold tight, OK?
0:29:20 > 0:29:22There's a bend coming up on my estimate.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26I would say we'll put a reserve on in case we don't get what we feel
0:29:26 > 0:29:31they are worth. They must be worth plus £10 each, times by 13, is?
0:29:31 > 0:29:35- I'm not going there, because it's 13.- Oh, sorry, it's 130.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38So I propose a fixed reserve of 120,
0:29:38 > 0:29:42with a guide between 120-150.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44- OK.- Is that steering you in the right direction?
0:29:44 > 0:29:46- Oh, yes.- I'm sorry.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- Shall we go?- Yeah.- Hold tight.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50To auction we go. Thanks, Marlene.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52- Can't wait.- Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54That's a lovely little collection.
0:29:54 > 0:29:59And over on Adam's table, he's found an interesting little picture.
0:29:59 > 0:30:00So, Ian, welcome to "Flog It!"
0:30:00 > 0:30:02A nice little portrait miniature.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05What do you know about it? Where did you get it from?
0:30:05 > 0:30:08I know very little about it. I bought it at a car boot.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10- How long ago?- Over 12 months.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12- Yeah.- It's been sat at home. I did a little bit of research on the net,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15- found out what I could. - What has your research told you?
0:30:15 > 0:30:18- I think it's Frederick the Great. - Yes.- The King of Prussia.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Yes, it's a portrait you see of him, you know, a famous portrait.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24- Yeah.- King of Prussia. Great to some.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27- Yeah, I believe so, yeah. - And not great to others.
0:30:27 > 0:30:28So he was around, what?
0:30:28 > 0:30:33Mid-18th, 1740-1780-something, 1786, something like that?
0:30:33 > 0:30:35'86, I think, yeah, '86, '96.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37And a very domineering character.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39I believe so, yeah.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Well, it's probably 100 years later to Frederick the Great.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45- Yeah, right.- I think this is mid-to-late 19th century.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47- All right.- This one isn't signed
0:30:47 > 0:30:49and it's a sort of, in a way, an old souvenir,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52something that you picked up on the Continent at the end of the 19th
0:30:52 > 0:30:55century as a keepsake. Lots of people collect miniatures, too,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57because they don't take up much room.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- No, they're small, aren't they? - And they're pretty pleasing to own.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03- Yeah.- But hand done watercolours, not printed.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06And with that stippled technique that you see in the background,
0:31:06 > 0:31:08classic miniature painting.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11If you can see, it's been in the back of that frame quite a long time
0:31:11 > 0:31:14and this is some sort of old stock number or reference tab on the silk
0:31:14 > 0:31:16backing. So you bought it at a car-boot sale?
0:31:16 > 0:31:19- I'm guessing that wasn't for a lot, then?- A pound.- A pound?
0:31:19 > 0:31:21- Yeah.- A pound. - In a junk box on the floor.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23A pound was not bad at all.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26I mean, I don't think it's going to be hundreds of pounds, but it's
0:31:26 > 0:31:28certainly going to be £40-£60.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30- Oh.- I would think that would be a sensible estimate.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33And do you know what? I was filming with someone earlier and I said,
0:31:33 > 0:31:35"What are you going to do with the money?"
0:31:35 > 0:31:37And they said, "I'm going to spend it on a portrait miniature".
0:31:37 > 0:31:40- Oh, right.- They're going to be at the auction, so you never know.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42- They might end up buying it.- We might have found you a buyer for it
0:31:42 > 0:31:46already. He's a famous historical character and there should be no
0:31:46 > 0:31:48problem in getting potential bidders at that kind of level.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Are you happy to put it in at that level?
0:31:50 > 0:31:53- Yeah, I am.- You could stick a 40 quid reserve on it, if you want.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56- Yeah, we'll do that.- Yeah. Yeah, and then if it makes less, so be it.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58- You like it anyway, so you don't mind keeping it?- I do.- Good.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01If it made 60 or 70 quid, which it's got a chance of doing,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04- anything specific you'd do with the money?- Not really, no. Just,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07I've been off sick for a while so every penny helps at the moment.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09OK. Well, I wish you a recovery.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12- Brilliant.- A speedy recovery and thank you for bringing it along
0:32:12 > 0:32:13and keep up the car boot finds.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16- Will do. Yeah. Well done.- Now, where exactly was this car-boot sale?
0:32:16 > 0:32:18What a find!
0:32:18 > 0:32:22You know, it never fails to amaze me what turns up at car boots.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27Next up, it's Charles, who's been served up an unusual little dish.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29- How are you, Stephen? - Fine, thank you.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33Yeah, do you know, I feel like your lobster, giving it all that,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36quite literally. Tell me about this great object.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38I bought it on a car-boot sale.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41It was either '89 or '90 and I paid £20 for it.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44- 1989?- 1989 or 1990.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46And I gave £20 for that.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49What drew you to this object?
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Well, I had some plates from Greece and I saw this and I thought,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54"That's going to look nice above the cooker".
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Yes, what I love about this is its three-dimensional form.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00- I know, yeah. - And just by lifting it up,
0:33:00 > 0:33:04we can see how realistic that lobster is.
0:33:04 > 0:33:05Yeah.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10Now, some people see these objects as dust gatherers, hard to clean,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13- aren't they?- I've never cleaned it. - Excuse me?- I've never cleaned it.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15So in 25 years, you've never cleaned it?
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Never, you can see the dust on the top, look.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- I like your style.- Look at the fat, look at all the kitchen fat on it.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Oh, don't! What's it made of?
0:33:22 > 0:33:24- Porcelain, I think.- It's pottery.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27- Yeah.- And in fact, it's a lead glazed earthenware.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29- Oh, right.- OK? And I dream
0:33:29 > 0:33:33that one day I would find an original of these.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36If this was original, dated to the 1550s,
0:33:36 > 0:33:40a very important man called Bernard...
0:33:40 > 0:33:41If only, if only.
0:33:41 > 0:33:46Hold that thought! Bernard Palissy was a very important man,
0:33:46 > 0:33:51who was born circa 1510, who died in the late 16th century,
0:33:51 > 0:33:57and he evolved this style of decoration on pottery in mainland
0:33:57 > 0:34:00France in the mid-16th century.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02If this was the genuine article
0:34:02 > 0:34:07and was by the Palissy School of the mid-16th century,
0:34:07 > 0:34:11it would be worth between £50,000 and £70,000.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13Look at me.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16OK? If only! If only.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20And our great Victorian friends revived the great
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Renaissance in the late 19th century.
0:34:22 > 0:34:28So I would date this marvellous lead glazed earthenware to around 1890.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32So when you bought it back in '89, it was 100 years old.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34- Right.- Does that surprise you?
0:34:34 > 0:34:39- Yeah.- We use the word encrustations, in this sense quite literally,
0:34:39 > 0:34:44because we've got this lobster on almost this seabed of seaweed.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48- And it's so real.- I love the way it's all, it's all been built up.
0:34:48 > 0:34:49- Absolutely.- I mean, obviously,
0:34:49 > 0:34:52they must have had a flat plate and then build it all up from the plate.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57Yeah, and that was Palissy's charm and why it was so popular on those
0:34:57 > 0:35:02great late medieval tables from 500 years ago.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06The next best thing for it to be a revival was, is it English?
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Is it made by Minton?
0:35:08 > 0:35:11They were making this in 1847, very early.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13So when I turn it over,
0:35:13 > 0:35:17what we can see on the back is the fact it's been pierced for hanging,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20and with this old wire, we can see,
0:35:20 > 0:35:25you've quite rightly had it on your wall in your kitchen for display,
0:35:25 > 0:35:27but there are no markings whatsoever.
0:35:27 > 0:35:33We've got a very Continental underside with this spun glaze.
0:35:33 > 0:35:39And that's a real Portuguese code, to the fact it is Continental.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44And I'm 90% sure this is Portuguese, from around 1890,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47with this majolica ground.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Fashion, though, now, Victoriana is slightly out.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53- Exactly.- The dust gatherers are not so in.
0:35:53 > 0:35:54We like the more minimal.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57But to some collectors, it really is a joy.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00- What's it worth? - Well, I was thinking £150.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03- Look at me. How much? - £150, I was thinking.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06I like your style! I like your style!
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Well, I was looking and they range...
0:36:08 > 0:36:10- Massively.- ..various prices.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12I mean, some Americans were quoting 499.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15You are quite right, and one thing I will mention,
0:36:15 > 0:36:21it is the Americans who do like this very outrageous design.
0:36:21 > 0:36:26I would like to guide it at between £50-£80.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28It might make 100.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32And I propose we put a reserve on at £40.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34That's OK.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37And I feel that's going to engage the buyers to really compete
0:36:37 > 0:36:41for this object which, for its age, although not original,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43is in mighty fine condition.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Let's hope there's some Americans at the...
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Let's hope the Americans are...
0:36:47 > 0:36:48- There.- Thanks a lot, Stephen.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51That plate feels quite at home here in seaside Morecambe.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55- Have you enjoyed yourselves? ALL:- Yes!
0:36:55 > 0:36:58Well, a big thank you to all the people of Morecambe and beyond for
0:36:58 > 0:37:00coming in today and making our show.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04We've had some wonderful items and we've had a fantastic host location,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07The Platform, but sadly, it's time to say goodbye.
0:37:07 > 0:37:08But there is no rest for the wicked.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12I can't sit down. It's straight over to the auction room, and here's a
0:37:12 > 0:37:14quick reminder, just to jog your memory,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17of all the items we are taking with us.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20We're hoping that Molly's car badges are getting everyone revved up and
0:37:20 > 0:37:22bump up the prices in the saleroom.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27That Russian watercolour was a great car boot find by Ian,
0:37:27 > 0:37:30and it's bound to get the bidders rushing in to snap it up.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36And Stephen's seafood plate is a great catch for us and is bound to
0:37:36 > 0:37:39hook the buyers in at auction.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45There is a great buzz in the room and Wilf Mould, the man with the
0:37:45 > 0:37:48gavel, is in full flow. GAVEL BANGS
0:37:49 > 0:37:52That's it, there's a lot of badges here,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54but you do need a chrome bumper for them.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56- Absolutely.- Ah, you've got to have a chrome bumper, haven't you?
0:37:56 > 0:37:58- Oh, have you?- Well, yeah,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00they wouldn't look right on a modern bumper,
0:38:00 > 0:38:02would they, some of those badges? They are just so gorgeous.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05I think he had a good eye and this type of thing is well sought-after
0:38:05 > 0:38:06at auto sort of sales.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09They do, they have a nostalgia to them.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11- They do.- Happy driving over the years.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Exactly, put them on the old classic cars and off you go.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Good luck, everyone. This is it.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20A collection of 13 vintage car badges,
0:38:20 > 0:38:27and we have interest on the phones and on the book at £75 with me.
0:38:27 > 0:38:2975 and 80 now.
0:38:29 > 0:38:3085 online.
0:38:30 > 0:38:3490. 95. 100. 110. 120.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37We're in top gear now. Look at that. We've shifted up.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39130 on the phone. 130, 140 from anybody else?
0:38:39 > 0:38:41At £130, I'm looking...
0:38:41 > 0:38:43140 is online now.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45- 150.- Hold tight.
0:38:45 > 0:38:46150. 160 now.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48At 150 on my left here.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52160. 170. 180 this time.
0:38:52 > 0:38:53- Come on.- At £170.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55180, anybody else?
0:38:55 > 0:38:57All done at 170.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00GAVEL BANGS Yes, hammer's gone down. £170.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02- Pleased with that.- Good stuff. Peter did a good job there.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04- Yeah.- You'd be proud of him, yeah.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05Those are really nice.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08And they will go to a great home, another collector.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10- Yeah.- And hopefully those badges
0:39:10 > 0:39:12will be on a chrome bumper somewhere.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14- One day.- Who's got the right classic for it.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16One down and two to go.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20The room is still busy with bidders and hopefully that bodes well for
0:39:20 > 0:39:22our next item. Going under the hammer right now,
0:39:22 > 0:39:26we have that classic Palissy majolica plate.
0:39:26 > 0:39:27I mean, it is lovely, isn't it?
0:39:27 > 0:39:30But they do collect a lot of dust when they're on the wall.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32- Oh, yes.- Did you have to dust this one a lot?
0:39:32 > 0:39:34- Never moved it.- Never!- Never dusted it, never touched it,
0:39:34 > 0:39:36- stuck it on the wall. - So why are we selling today?
0:39:36 > 0:39:37Because I've changed kitchen.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39OK. So it doesn't suit a contemporary style?
0:39:39 > 0:39:42No, it doesn't suit my kitchen at all. I've gone very modern.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44But what they say with these plates is the more creepy crawlies,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46the better, the higher the value.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48- Exactly.- Because obviously the work's gone into it.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50And also, Paul, all the creepy crawlies are in good condition.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52There's no knocks or nibbles.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54- So hopefully it will make a good sale.- Fingers crossed.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56It's not a lot of money for such a lot of work.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58And it's going under the hammer right now.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02We come now to this, er, majolica, Palissy style wall plaque.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04A nice thing again is this.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07And I shall start this one immediately at £28.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09- 28.- Oh, come on.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11- It went really quiet.- On the pad.
0:40:11 > 0:40:1330. 32.
0:40:13 > 0:40:1735. 38. 40. £40. 42 now.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19At 40, in the room, looking for 42.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23At £40, come on, they don't crop up that often. 42, there. 42.
0:40:23 > 0:40:2545. 48.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27At 48 from the lady at the back.
0:40:27 > 0:40:2848. 50 now.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31£50. 55? 55.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33- Yes.- 60 up here now.
0:40:33 > 0:40:3455 at the back of the room, there.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36All done at £55.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38No more, all done at 55.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Hammer's gone down, £55.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42- That's a good result.- It's gone.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44- £20, you paid for that, didn't you? - £20, yeah.- 25 years ago.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46That's a lot of money, actually.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- It was.- And the good thing is, it's been on the wall,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51out of harm's way, and that's the best thing for those little plates,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- isn't it?- Exactly. It's gone now. - Thank you for coming in.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- OK.- Good job.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59- Cheers.- And our final lot of the day, that royal watercolour,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02bought for the princely sum of £1.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05It's the King of Prussia and it belongs to Ian,
0:41:05 > 0:41:06who got this at a car boot.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09- Only for a pound.- Did you like the image and think, "Actually, yeah,
0:41:09 > 0:41:11- "I want to buy that?" - I'd have thought it was quirky,
0:41:11 > 0:41:14and then done a little bit of research on it and found it were the King of Prussia.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Good for you, doing your own research. And then obviously it
0:41:17 > 0:41:19went, ding, ding, ding, ding, there's money to be earned here,
0:41:19 > 0:41:22you thought. A bit of history. A bit of value in it, yeah.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Yeah, that's the way to make money. And I'd advise that to anybody.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Buy something like that, do some research, stick it into auction.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Because this platform here, the auction room,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32you can sell all over the world, can't you?
0:41:32 > 0:41:34Well, yeah, and certainly from the point of view of an auction house,
0:41:34 > 0:41:37it's nice to know when people come along and they know what they've got
0:41:37 > 0:41:40because they've some research. They may not know what it's worth, but if
0:41:40 > 0:41:42they can say, "We know this and this," then, yeah,
0:41:42 > 0:41:44it shows that that you've got someone who's interested.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Yeah. Look, good luck, I hope you make a good profit.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48It's going under the hammer now.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50We have this 19th century portrait miniature
0:41:50 > 0:41:52depicting Frederick the Great of Prussia.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Who will start me at £80 for this one?
0:41:54 > 0:41:5680, any of you? Straight on.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58- 90 now.- Go on, son.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00- Yeah.- We want some of that.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02I'll take 130 if you want.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05I've 120. 130. I'll take 130 on the phone.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Is that a bid of 130?
0:42:07 > 0:42:09130 is on the telephone.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11140 is online.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14150 now. 150, I'll take.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16At £140 online...
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Always popular, miniatures, as you see, as well.
0:42:19 > 0:42:20Nice things for a little cabinet.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24All done at £140, this time, and it's going.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27That's brilliant. £140. That hammer's gone down.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29- Put it there. - Thanks very much.- Great.
0:42:29 > 0:42:30Yeah, I'm with you on that, Adam.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Good for you. Back out there again, hunting?
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Just reinvest some of it.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38- Reinvest, probably, yeah. - That pound, take that pound out!
0:42:39 > 0:42:42- Got me money back! - Put it to good use again.
0:42:43 > 0:42:44All done at £32.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Well, there you are, that's it, it's all over for our owners.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51As you can see, the sale is still going on, but what a day we have had
0:42:51 > 0:42:54here. All credit to our experts and the man on the rostrum,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57our auctioneer, Wilf. Well done to all.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00I hope you've enjoyed the show. Join us again for many more surprises,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03but until then, it's goodbye from all of us.