0:00:13 > 0:00:15HORN
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Thank you so much.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21What a perfect way to arrive to our Valuation Day venue.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27just east of Belfast, in Northern Ireland.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29The museum is packed full of wonderful exhibits,
0:00:29 > 0:00:32just like that replica 1903 bus.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35I'm going inside to see a lot more and hopefully hundreds of people
0:00:35 > 0:00:37who've turned up laden with antiques and collectables.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40So, let's go inside and join up with them.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Northern Ireland is rich in folk history.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum celebrates traditional ways of life.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Historic homes and workplaces from all over Ulster have been lovingly
0:01:12 > 0:01:16rebuilt here, so we can take a step back in time.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Now, apart from all the magnificent exhibits on display
0:01:22 > 0:01:25here in the museum, it looks like, with this magnificent crowd,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27we're going to find some real treasures of our own,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30that tell a fascinating tale of Ulster's folk history.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Our experts are going to find the best items to take off to auction.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37And, of course, you lot want to know the answer to one question,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39- which is... ALL:- What's it worth?
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Stay tuned, and you'll find out.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45The museum is packed to the brim with wonderful artefacts.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Today, and dressed in traditional tweed, our expert, Caroline Hawley,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53is wasting no time searching for her items.
0:01:53 > 0:01:54Morning. Good morning.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57So, what time did you get here with these fine things?
0:01:57 > 0:01:59- Half past seven.- Half past seven.
0:01:59 > 0:02:00These are lovely.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04I can't wait to look into them more when we get inside.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05Not far behind is Mark Stacey,
0:02:05 > 0:02:10looking for those classic pieces with his own inimitable style.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Anybody got any Lalique?
0:02:12 > 0:02:13- No.- Oh!
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Like a couple of magpies, there's no stopping them.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20- They've got that sort of Renaissance feel about them.- Yeah.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23- Renaissance revival.- Yes. You know all about your jewellery, Mark.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27- I know a lot about everything, Caroline, don't you know? - I know you do.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29Which is just as well as today's "Flog It!" fans are
0:02:29 > 0:02:31descending in their droves.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38While everyone's settling in, I just had to show you this tram - the Fintona.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43Throughout its working life, it was always pulled by a single horse.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44In 1883,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48the Great Northern Railway opened a line between Enniskillen and Omagh.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Now their most economical route was to cut out the town of Fintona.
0:02:51 > 0:02:57So, at that junction, they laid on this tram, pulled by a horse.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01No-one knows much about the horses, except they were always called Dick.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Thankfully for the horses, the branch shut in 1957.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08So, there you have it, the Fintona.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12A wonderful example of early public transport here in Northern Ireland.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Before we make a start on those valuations,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18here's a quick look at what's coming up in today's show.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Caroline Hawley finds herself haggling
0:03:20 > 0:03:22with one optimistic owner...
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Do you have any idea what sort of value?
0:03:25 > 0:03:28- A thousand.- A thousand!- Right.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30- Thousands.- Right.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Thousands. No, no, no.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Mark Stacey sees his seller make a fantastic mark-up
0:03:35 > 0:03:37from a car-boot sale purchase...
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Did you buy this recently, John?
0:03:39 > 0:03:41No, about ten years ago at a car-boot sale.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Go on, shock me. How much?- Er...
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And I discover that a spade's not just a spade
0:03:47 > 0:03:50when I visit Europe's last water-powered spade mill.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54It really is labour intensive. That's hard work. That really is hard work.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59But right now let's make a start on those valuations with Caroline.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Alison, it's lovely that you've brought this jardiniere
0:04:01 > 0:04:05and stand along. It's fantastic. Is this your boy?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- Yes, this is Philip.- Hello, Philip.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12- Hi.- I was drafted in to carry this lovely vase for my mum.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15His lecture was cancelled, so he was available to bring some muscle.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18That's very, very lucky, because it's heavy.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20- Yeah.- And also we don't want to break it.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Now, tell me what you know about it.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26- I know from the bottom that it's Royal Doulton.- Yeah.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- That's about all I know. - Have you had it a long time?
0:04:28 > 0:04:30I've had it about four, five years.
0:04:30 > 0:04:36It came from my father's cousin's property. We cleared it out.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38That's what I was allowed to take.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Do you have it on display somewhere?
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Yes, I have a plant in it at home, a big fern.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Well, I think it's gorgeous.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Very often they've come separated and you'll see the pot by itself
0:04:48 > 0:04:51and no stand. This is great to have both.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53And it's beautifully decorated
0:04:53 > 0:04:56with this tube line decoration of flowers,
0:04:56 > 0:05:02which harks back to the Art Nouveau period to me, which is 1895, 1905.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Beautiful, Art Nouveau design.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07So, shall we have a look at the pot and see what we can see?
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Turn it over.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12And we've got the Royal Doulton mark here.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17This particular mark, without a crown under the lion,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21dates from between 1923 and 1927.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23So, we can be quite precise at dating this.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26So, it's beyond the Art Nouveau period,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30so I would think about 1925, 1924.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35What narrows it down even more, this is "MB" for Maud Bowden.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38And she was a long-standing ceramic decorator.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Started work there in 1903.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43And it's wonderful.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47It's great to have that mark, so we know lots about it.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51And we also know it's in perfect condition.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Says me, putting it back.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55And all is well. It's still in perfect condition.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Now, value. Do either of you have any idea of value?
0:05:59 > 0:06:00No. I don't really know.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Well, I would think that should achieve
0:06:04 > 0:06:08somewhere between £200 to £400 at auction.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- OK.- How do you feel about that?
0:06:10 > 0:06:12- Great.- With a reserve? Would you like a reserve?- Yes, please.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- Fixed reserve.- Fixed reserve of 200.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19- Yes, please.- It could well do more than that, because it's perfect.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22And what are you going to do with the cash for this?
0:06:22 > 0:06:24My little brother has just turned 17, so he's probably
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- going to get his first driving lessons.- Driving lessons.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30They're so expensive, aren't they? Well, with a fair wind,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33hopefully that will get him through his driving lessons.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- Well, get some of them anyway. - Get some of them.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38A fantastic find there from Caroline.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41While our experts are busy at it, I've made a discovery of my own.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Whose is this? Isn't that lovely?
0:06:47 > 0:06:49With a bit of original paint as well.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Is this yours? And that's your husband over there.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53- That's right.- Ah!
0:06:53 > 0:06:56I like that. I like that a lot.
0:06:56 > 0:07:03It was in a junk shop in Fermanagh that I found it many years ago.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05- What's your name?- Joyce.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Joyce. Where do you live?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09We live in Bangor now.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Oh, I know. Bangor, lovely.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Do you know what? You've made my day.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15I was hoping to find a stick back chair here today and I have.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19This is a wonderful example of Irish regional furniture.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22It's vernacular furniture at its very best.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Traditionally, it would have always been painted.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30You know, because sometimes, all of these sticks, the spindle backs,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34and the cresting, the top rail, would've been mixed woods,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37hedgerow material. Whatever you could get your hands on.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38I think this is fabulous.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40It's oak.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44And I'd say that's sort of circa 1810, 1815.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48And it's really, really nice. And if you put that into auction,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50I think you'll get around £200-£300.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52There's a bit of damage on the side here.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Someone's used it, look, as a saw stop, as a saw bench.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58They put some wood on there.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00But, do you know what, for me,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04that says it's had a useful and a loved life.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06And that's what you buy into
0:08:06 > 0:08:08with this kind of regional sculptural furniture
0:08:08 > 0:08:10because it wasn't made by a craftsman.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14- Not at all.- Someone who works with their hands, who works the land,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16that's what it's all about.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19For me, that's a great example of the Irish famine chair
0:08:19 > 0:08:22which you would find in a small cottage.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25It could tell many stories, and I hope somebody enjoys it.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Oh, I'm sure they will.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35The Great Famine occurred between 1845 and 1852,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38when a potato disease hit the nation.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41It had spread across Europe, but with so many
0:08:41 > 0:08:45dependent on the crop in Ireland, 1 million people died.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Mass starvation and disease ravaged the countryside
0:08:50 > 0:08:54and 1 million more people emigrated to flee the widespread devastation.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57The impact of the Great Famine was so horrendous,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00it has become part of Ireland's folklore.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05And when life was hard,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09music and dance was a great way to lift the spirits.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Irish dancing has been an important part of Irish life
0:09:12 > 0:09:16from the mid-18th century and continues to be so today.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21We invited along one of Northern Ireland's very best dancers
0:09:21 > 0:09:24and she's teaching Caroline a few steps.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Hop, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Arms in. Two, three. Hop back. Two, three.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34She's with Donna Revie, four times Northern Ireland dancing champion.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36So, she's in safe hands.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40It's difficult, isn't it?
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Donna, you are brilliant, and you come from a family of dancers.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44Yes, yes. We've all danced.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48My mother and my uncle were both Northern Ireland champions.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50My sister was a Northern Ireland champion, as I was,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54and my brother also danced before he went off to ballet school.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57So, all of us very much involved in dancing.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01How difficult is it to be champion of Northern Ireland?
0:10:01 > 0:10:02It takes a lot of practice.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05I started dancing when I was three years of age.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07We were at classes two or three times a week.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Practised every day.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11It takes a lot of dedication, a lot of very hard work,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14to build up the technique,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16and get to the standard where you're winning.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17And you're still dancing?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- Only after a few G and Ts! - LAUGHTER
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Are you passing on these skills?
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- Are you teaching them to anyone? - Yes, I have been teaching.- Great.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- Teaching to the young ones. Yeah.- Oh, brilliant!- So...
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- Can I watch? Go on. Do a little bit. Do a little bit.- Me, just on my own?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- Gosh, I don't know...- Do something, do something that you'd have to do
0:10:34 > 0:10:36to qualify in an exam or something.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Well, it's been a long time since I performed competitively,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- you've got to understand.- Well, stand back, we'll watch this...
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Let me see, oh, gosh, I don't know what to...
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Oh, I'm not good.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59- That's very good.- Excellent, brilliant.- Brilliant.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02While Caroline catches her breath,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05let's take a look at what Mark Stacey has found.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Janet, you've brought a charming portrait in to us.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Now, where did you get this from?
0:11:11 > 0:11:14I got it from my aunt. She gave it to me.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- When was that?- That was about 30 years ago.
0:11:16 > 0:11:1930 years ago. Do you know where she got it from?
0:11:19 > 0:11:20She got it from her sister.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23So it's been... It's come down through the family.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25- Yes, yes.- And have you enjoyed it all those years?
0:11:25 > 0:11:27I love it. I think it's a beautiful picture.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29It is a lovely picture.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32It's very much in that sort of Newlyn School, in Cornwall.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Now, the Newlyn School were fascinating.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37They were formed in the 1880s
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and tapered out at the beginning of the 20th century.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43And they moved to Newlyn for two reasons.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Firstly, it was relatively inexpensive to live there.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50And secondly, they were obsessed with light.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53And they liked the light nature of that Cornish coast.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58And they liked painting local workers, fishermen, you know,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01wives of fishermen, all the local activities.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03But on the ground floor level, if you like.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05She's full of contemplation, isn't she?
0:12:05 > 0:12:06She's looking into the distance.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11- Yes, she's beautiful.- And we've got a clear signature up here.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Which is, I can't read it, can you read it from there?
0:12:13 > 0:12:16- Ralph Todd.- Ralph Todd.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Ralph Todd is considered a sort of middle ranking.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- Right. - Now you know his dates, don't you?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Yes, 1856 to 1932.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27So he was born in 1856, died 1932,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30he carried on painting right through that, into the '30s.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35And what I particularly like about this is, if we turn it over,
0:12:35 > 0:12:36we've got...
0:12:37 > 0:12:42..his title, I Think, and then again, Ralph Todd.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46So we've got the title, and that really does sum up
0:12:46 > 0:12:50- the picture, doesn't it?- It does. - Because the lady is thinking.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Now, you've had it for a long time.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55- 30 years.- 30 years.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Why are you thinking of selling it?
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Because I'm getting on now, and I've got two girls,
0:13:01 > 0:13:02and they're not interested in it.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04They don't see the beauty of it like I do.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07In terms of value, 30 years ago,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09it would have been worth more than it is today.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11- That's understandable.- I think,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13if we were putting it into auction today,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16I think we should put an estimate of £200-£300.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- That's fine. - With the reserve of £200.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- Yeah, I'm OK with that. - And we'll fix the reserve.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Because if you can't get that, you can enjoy it back on your wall.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28- I think so, yeah.- But I love it, and I'd love it on my wall.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Well, there you are, we've been working flat out,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37our experts have found three fabulous items to put under the hammer.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41I've got my favourites, you've probably got yours, but right now,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43let's find out what the bidders think.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46We're off to auction. This is where it gets exciting.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Don't leave us, and here's a quick recap
0:13:48 > 0:13:50of all the items that are going under the hammer.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56So far, it's all about the interiors with Alison and Philip's delightful
0:13:56 > 0:13:57Victorian jardiniere,
0:13:57 > 0:13:58a perfect centrepiece.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Will someone love the rustic charm and simplicity of Joyce's
0:14:04 > 0:14:06famine chair like I do?
0:14:08 > 0:14:11And finally, what will the bidders make of Ralph Todd's pensive woman?
0:14:17 > 0:14:20We are heading into Belfast, which was the linen capital of the world
0:14:20 > 0:14:22by the end of the 19th century.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Let's hope today's auctioneer Daniel Clark can talk a good yarn
0:14:28 > 0:14:30and make some great sales for our sellers.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- At £440, I'm selling. - HE BANGS HAMMER
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Remember, if you're buying or selling at auction,
0:14:36 > 0:14:37there is commission to pay.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39It varies from saleroom to saleroom,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41so check the details in the catalogue.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Here today, it's 18.5% plus VAT,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47so factor that into the hammer price, won't you?
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Because it all adds up.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Right, let's get on with the sale.
0:14:51 > 0:14:52And here's our first item,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55and let's hope they don't have to carry this huge piece home.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Alison and Philip, it's great to see you. Fingers crossed.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04A bit of Royal Doulton going under the hammer of gigantic proportions,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06this really is showy, showy, showy, isn't it?
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- Let's face it.- Perfect condition. Really lovely.- Yeah.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Honestly, if you wanted a jardiniere, that's the one.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Yeah, this is the one. Yeah.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16But who does? I mean, you know, it's a hard thing to sell right now,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18but hopefully we'll find somebody.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21It needs to be in a guesthouse or B&B or something like that,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23- doesn't it?- Yes.- Really, so it's got that look.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Anyway, it's going under the hammer now,
0:15:25 > 0:15:26this is a tricky one. This is it.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28280.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33We have an early 20th-century Doulton Lambeth stoneware jardiniere
0:15:33 > 0:15:35on a matching stand.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Say £100, to open, please, for the jardiniere.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41100, and bid. It's a rather nice.. 120, 140.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44160. 180. 200.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- Brilliant.- Who was right, Paul? - You are.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49It's the name, Royal Doulton.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54240, at £240 in front here at 240.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59At £240, the bid for the jardiniere, at £240.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02I'm selling at 240.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07Gone down, sold to the person who's got no kids and no pets.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08Yes, exactly.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12And next up is that lovely painting from the Newlyn School in Cornwall.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Great watercolour, great artist as well.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17Always underrated.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Really didn't make any money out of his work at the time.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24But he was always accepted by his peers, and contemporaries, you know,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26great artist, but never made it.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29I've decided that the money for it can go to the children's hospice.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33- Oh, well, that's nice.- It should appeal to the online bidders, this,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35I think, but I think it's beautiful.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39- Yeah.- Yeah, I hope somebody likes it.- Great name, great artist.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43It's going under the hammer right now.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Newlyn School painter Ralph Todd, it's a watercolour.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52Open the bidding at £100. 100, 20, 40, 160,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56160, 180. £180.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00At £190, I'm bid now for the Ralph Todd.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03At 180, you're all finished.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Oh, here we are, 200 online.
0:17:06 > 0:17:07- Oh, brilliant.- 200 online.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11- At the last minute.- Brilliant. - Last call, at 200.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Yes! Well, that's the excitement of the auction room, isn't it?
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- That's right.- Online bidding does slow it up a bit.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18- But somebody loved it like we did. - Somebody loved it.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- Thank you very much.- Thank you. - Thank you for bringing it in.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Right, it's my turn to be the expert,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27and I love this little Irish famine chair.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29It's gorgeous. Joyce, it's great to see you again.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31- Are you here by yourself today? - No, with my husband, John.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35And he's just over there. There he is. Hi, John. Hello.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40Good luck. Good luck. Proper Irish provincial furniture.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43It's going under the hammer right now, and it's all gone quiet,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45so I'm really worried. Here we go. Fingers crossed.
0:17:46 > 0:17:52Lot number 270 is a 19th-century Irish famine chair.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Say £100 to open.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55100 and bid.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00120. 140. 140, now. Any more?
0:18:00 > 0:18:04£140 for the Irish famine chair.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06At £140.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Come on, a bit more, surely.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10He's going to sell, isn't he?
0:18:10 > 0:18:13At £140, you're all finished in the room.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16140.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20- Well, we just about got it away, didn't we? Happy?- Very happy.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22I'm happy as well.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25I'm happy, I'm so happy to meet you and talk about a lovely chair.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Enjoy. Enjoy, won't you?
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- Thank you.- Bidder at 280 online.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32At £300.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Well, that's our first three items done and dusted under the hammer.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39So far, so good. We are coming back here later on in the show.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42So don't go away. Now, while I'm here in Northern Ireland,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44I thought I'd dig into the country's past,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46and I found a place that takes you back in time
0:18:46 > 0:18:48to the Industrial Revolution.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Patterson's Spade Mill, here in Templepatrick,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00just six miles north-east of Belfast,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04is part of a long tradition of spade-making here in the country.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11At its peak in the mid-19th century, there were 37 mills like this,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14working away throughout Ireland,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16making 36,000 spades per year.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19That's a lot of digging.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23"Under my window, a clean rasping sound
0:19:23 > 0:19:25"When the spade sinks into gravelly ground.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27"My father, digging.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32"My God, the old man could handle a spade
0:19:32 > 0:19:33"Just like his old man."
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Wrote the poet Seamus Heaney.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39And for generations of Irish men and women,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42the humble spade has been a means of survival.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Everybody had one, whether it was to build a home, grow food,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50cut peat to fuel the fires,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54or to shape the land to pave the way for roads and railways.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58The demand may be less today,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01but this working mill is still producing spades
0:20:01 > 0:20:03thanks to the National Trust,
0:20:03 > 0:20:07who took over the premises when the last Patterson spade maker,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Robert Patterson, died, in 1990.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14The Pattersons had been making spades here at Templepatrick
0:20:14 > 0:20:16since 1919.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20But none of Robert's family wanted to carry on with
0:20:20 > 0:20:24what was increasingly becoming a non-profit-making business.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26There was one man, though,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29who was determined not to see the craft disappear.
0:20:29 > 0:20:3226 years after Robert Patterson died,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Colin Dawson is still making spades and passing on his knowledge.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42I'm hoping that Colin and his apprentice, James McCulloch,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45will be able to share some of their expertise with me.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Colin. Hello. This is just brilliant.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54I love it. I really do.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56It's like stepping back in time,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and I love the fact that everything is operational.
0:20:59 > 0:21:05All water parts, they are water turbines made in America in 1875.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Who taught you the trade?
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Well, it would have been Robert Patterson.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11I came here about the '80s,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14and I used to come and help him and watch him,
0:21:14 > 0:21:19but he wouldn't teach me and he said, no, he said, when I die,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21this dies with me.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25He didn't foresee the National Trust buying it and restoring it.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30Fortunately for us, Colin persisted and became an expert spade-maker.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35I know you make different varieties of spades
0:21:35 > 0:21:37for different varieties of job.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41In Ireland alone, there are 171 different types of spade.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- It's a lot, isn't it? - Now, I only know about 15,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48because the spade-maker kept all the designs
0:21:48 > 0:21:51in his computer or under his floppy disc.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53PAUL LAUGHS
0:21:53 > 0:21:55So nothing's really on paper, is it?
0:21:55 > 0:21:59- No.- So what type of spade do you predominantly make here?
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- I can see...- County Antrim spade, best county in Ireland.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04So there's regional spades?
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Oh, there is, yeah. For every county in Ireland.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- Right, would you like to have a go? - Oh, I'd love to, yeah.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- I really would.- Let's get you suited up for health and safety,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14and let's go.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Up to 12 pieces of steel, which form the basis of the spade,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21can be heated in the furnace at any one time.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22All start out the same size.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29During its heyday in the 1930s, 12 people would have worked here,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32making approximately 144 spades a day.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34That's about one each an hour.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38There, you grab hold of that tight.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Bring it over here.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Keep your hand nice and straight.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Now, keep pushing it in, right in. You can see that it's curving.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54- Yeah, nice.- Now watch what happens now, you let me have it.- OK.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59The incredible strength of this water-powered hammer
0:22:59 > 0:23:01is fast and furious and, once it sets off,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04feels as if it has a will all of its own.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Yeah? You widen it out now.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10This is certainly hammer action.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17So this is going back in there now.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20- Back into the furnace.- Heat it up a bit, right in, let go?
0:23:20 > 0:23:24- That's it.- This piece has already been heated and hit four times.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28So how many times do we have to do that to get it really flat?
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Probably in and out of the furnace about 15 times.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35- 15 times on one, just on one spade? - Yeah.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Draw that back. I said carefully. Rolling out.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Do you want me to flip it over?
0:23:48 > 0:23:50If you can, yeah.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Just as I felt I was getting into my stride...
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Oh, dear. It really is labour-intensive.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03You've got workers like me mucking up probably three hours' work.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07It's a humble reminder of just what a skilled job this is.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11James is, after all, only one year into his five-year apprenticeship.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Right, I'm going to do that flip.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16I can't believe what hot, heavy work this is.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20I had no idea how spade-makers would have made one of these an hour.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29I guess practice makes perfect.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33Give me another five years and maybe Colin will give me a job.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35It really is labour-intensive.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38That's hard work, it really is hard work. I mucked one up.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Redeem myself on the second.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46- You don't need to go to the gym at the end of the night.- No.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47Time for some expert help.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Once the spade has cooled down,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53it is cut into the correct shape for that particular spade design.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Today, we are making the County Antrim spade -
0:24:55 > 0:24:57that's Colin's favourite.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01So now I'm going to put the socket down into it, using the mandrel.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07OK, let her out.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12And then hold it up to show the socket.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14- That's all one piece of steel. - Yeah, that is brilliant.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17- That's fantastic. - Simple, if you know how.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19You just need to put the shafts in, I guess.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21- Yeah.- And you use ash, don't you?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23- We do.- And that's got a good, strong grain to it,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25and it grows quite straight, ash, doesn't it?
0:25:25 > 0:25:29Yes, you can see with this one here
0:25:29 > 0:25:31it has the long, straight grain.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Yeah. That's fantastic.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36So that's how it arrives. This is grown locally, yeah?
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Yeah, that came from Shanes Castle, just about ten miles up the road.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Traditionally, the Pattersons polished their spades
0:25:45 > 0:25:46using one big round stone,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49but, today, this was polished using a sander-belt machine,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51making it much easier.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55So now we're going to roll it on the strap rolling press.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Everything in here was hand operated
0:25:57 > 0:25:59because there was no electricity in here,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01and they were jobs done by young boys.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Yeah, they would have been, wouldn't they?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06They certainly knew how to make spades.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Thank you so much, and I thoroughly enjoyed making that.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Right up until the late 1940s, people worked long hours
0:26:15 > 0:26:18and life was based very much here, at the mill,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22where the workers lived on site with their families.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25From the age of ten, children also worked in the mill.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Now, here, you can see the remains of five stone cottages,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36where whole families lived right up until the 1960s.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39They had very little space, just two rooms,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41a single door and a single window.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46In one way, it seemed quite generous of the mill owner
0:26:46 > 0:26:48to provide a home for their workers,
0:26:48 > 0:26:52but it wasn't quite as benevolent as it might first appear.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Having the house so close to the mill tied the workers to the job,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58and it was a way of controlling them.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02You didn't want to lose your job or the family home would go, too.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Well, it's been really fascinating meeting Colin and James,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10who are keeping this time-old tradition alive
0:27:10 > 0:27:13for future generations and, thankfully,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16under less gruelling conditions than their predecessors.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Back here at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29people are still gathering to get their items valued,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31keeping our experts very busy.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Right now, it's over to Mark Stacey.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39John, what a wonderful object you've brought in.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41- Thank you.- It's a claret jug, of course.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42Did you buy this recently, John?
0:27:42 > 0:27:45No, about ten years ago at a car-boot sale.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Are you a great car booty fan?
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Well, certainly I like going to them, yeah.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54It's interesting and it's nice when you come across
0:27:54 > 0:27:57- something as nice as that. - Go on, shock me. How much?
0:27:57 > 0:28:01- £3.- £3! Did you know what it was?
0:28:01 > 0:28:02No.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Why did you like it, for £3?
0:28:04 > 0:28:06It's just a nice object.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09I can't believe it. Have you found any other bargains?
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Well, now and again, you find a few bargains.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13You're being very discreet, John.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Oh, aye. Then everybody would be following me!
0:28:15 > 0:28:19I need to follow you! That's a real bargain.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20When you looked at the design...
0:28:20 > 0:28:23When you first saw it, did you think it was Art Deco?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26- Yeah.- It looks 1920s, '30s, doesn't it?
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Very angular, very straight lines.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34In fact, it was probably made about 1880, 1885.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38- Right.- And it was designed by a very well-known designer called
0:28:38 > 0:28:43Dr Christopher Dresser, who was a modernist before his time,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46and he produced a range of wares for various firms.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Although this is not marked,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50this was probably made for Hukin & Heath,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54or "Hackin" & Heath, whichever way you want to pronounce it.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59And he made toast racks, teapots, all in this very modernist shape.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Very fashionable now. People like his work.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04He did design lots of things -
0:29:04 > 0:29:08furniture, metalware, lighting, ceramics, even.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11He worked for Minton and produced
0:29:11 > 0:29:14a range of modernist designs for them. £3?
0:29:14 > 0:29:15Yeah.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Where was this car-boot sale?
0:29:18 > 0:29:20It was just a local car-boot sale.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24I think I need to go there, if you find things like this.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29I think, because it's not signed and we haven't got any maker's marks
0:29:29 > 0:29:32on that, we've got to be cautious with the estimate.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36I mean, if it had been marked, it would be in the mid-hundreds.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39I think, if we were putting it into auction unsigned,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42we should be looking at an estimate of about £200-£400.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44- Oh.- Would you be happy with that? - Yeah, yeah.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47I think, if we put a fixed reserve of £200...
0:29:47 > 0:29:49- OK.- ..and it might just surprise us on the day.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52You can buy a decent bottle of claret for that.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55- I don't drink, so... - You don't drink! Wonderful.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59I love that we have such a wonderful array of items here today,
0:29:59 > 0:30:05and I can't help myself from homing in on this relic from rural Ireland.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07How old do you think it is?
0:30:07 > 0:30:10I'd say that's the golden era of hunting, shooting and fishing.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15That's Edwardian, that's sort of 1920s - 1910, 1920s.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Yeah. You walk along with your partridge or your pheasant,
0:30:18 > 0:30:20- your brace in there.- My brace!
0:30:20 > 0:30:22- There you go, there you go. - Thank you.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26In another part of the museum, Caroline has found a real treasure.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28So, John, hello.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32- Hello, how are you?- I'm well, all the better for seeing this.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35When I see a box of this quality,
0:30:35 > 0:30:39I absolutely know there is going to be something superb inside it.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41- Yeah.- And if we open it...
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Oh, my goodness!
0:30:43 > 0:30:47This is the most gorgeous easel clock.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51Howell James & Company, Regent Street, London.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55How did you come by this fantastic clock?
0:30:55 > 0:31:00My aunt, she's dead now, but she brought this over from Scotland.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02She was holidaying with us.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05- Yeah.- And she brought this over,
0:31:05 > 0:31:11and she gave it to me on the understanding I wouldn't sell it.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- You wouldn't sell it. - She said, I'll not be selling.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16- Right.- "Don't you sell that. You hang onto it."
0:31:16 > 0:31:18- Hmm.- So it's come to the time...
0:31:18 > 0:31:23I mean, I'm retired now and my family are not interested in it.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- They are not interested in the clock.- They don't like it?- No.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28So we've just decided to sell it.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Right, and this has come from a very fine house, I would imagine.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35- Oh, yes.- Do you know how your aunt came by it?
0:31:35 > 0:31:38Her husband worked in this estate.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43And he worked in it, and he was a chauffeur.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46- Right.- He chauffeured the old lady about.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Right. Shall we have a look at it?
0:31:48 > 0:31:52It's in its original box, obviously, and we'll open it up.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56It's an easel clock, as you can see.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01It would stand like this, and the maker on the back...
0:32:01 > 0:32:02I'll put my glasses on.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05It's Howell James & Company in London.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07- Yes, that's right. - Regent Street, London.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12And this company is a fabulous company, set up in 1819.
0:32:12 > 0:32:18I think this, however, dates from the late 19th century - 1870, 1880,
0:32:18 > 0:32:22that sort of period. It really is fantastic quality -
0:32:22 > 0:32:26and then, if you look at the box, silk, silk velvet,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28but look at this little compartment here.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31- That's where the key is.- That's where the key is, the original key.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33Now, have you had it going, John?
0:32:33 > 0:32:37I've had it going - not recently, you know, but we've had it going.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39This is absolutely gorgeous.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Having said all these wonderful things
0:32:42 > 0:32:47about this gorgeous, gorgeous clock brings us to value.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50Do you have any idea what sort of value?
0:32:50 > 0:32:52- Thousands.- Thousands!
0:32:52 > 0:32:55- Right!- Thousands, thousands! - Right, thousands!
0:32:55 > 0:33:02No, no, no. Now, I'm going to value this for auction at 1,000 to 1,500,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05with, I would suggest, a fixed reserve of 1,000.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10- 1,000, yeah.- And I'm sure this will go, for all the reasons I've said -
0:33:10 > 0:33:12one, the quality, two...
0:33:12 > 0:33:15I mean, the case - to have the original case,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18that has kept this in such good condition.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20- Oh, yeah.- It's pristine.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22So I think, if we put it in at 1,000 to 1,500
0:33:22 > 0:33:26with a fixed reserve at 1,000, are you happy with that, John?
0:33:26 > 0:33:28- Yeah, yeah.- Brilliant.
0:33:28 > 0:33:29So shall we go and "Flog It!"?
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Aye, go and "Flog It!".
0:33:31 > 0:33:34- "Flog It!" now!- Oh, well, thank you so much for bringing it.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36It really is delightful.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42We are seeing some real quality here today thanks to a fantastic crowd.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Let's take a look at what Mark's found.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49Jennifer, lovely to meet you. Now, these don't belong to you, do they?
0:33:49 > 0:33:52No, they belong to my best friend, Cushla.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55- Oh, that's a very Irish name, isn't it?- It is indeed.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57And she owns them, but she asked you to bring them along.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01- She did indeed.- So do you know where she got them from originally?
0:34:01 > 0:34:05She got them from her mother, but they are her great-grandmother's.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07Oh, are they? Does she know anything about them?
0:34:07 > 0:34:08She knows nothing about them.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- Really?- That's why she asked me to bring them here,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14to get a little bit more information on them.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Because we've got two contrasting bits of jewellery here,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19even though we're putting them in as one lot.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24We've got quite a glitzy piece of jewellery here, which, I must admit,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26I don't like very much. It's quite in your face, isn't it?
0:34:26 > 0:34:28- Yeah.- And it's a brooch, and, of course,
0:34:28 > 0:34:30not a lot of people wear brooches these days.
0:34:30 > 0:34:35- No.- And I think these are amethysts with a cultured pearl at the bottom,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37and it is marked nine carat gold.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41- Right.- But, when we move on to this pair of earrings, these, I think,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43are lovely. And I'll tell you why.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47Because, when you look at antiques, often, just like fashion,
0:34:47 > 0:34:49history repeats itself.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54- Yeah.- Because the original models of these were from the Etruscan period,
0:34:54 > 0:34:56which is thousands of years ago.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58- Right.- Where they wore this type of jewellery.
0:34:58 > 0:35:03- That's amazing.- But these are what is generally referred to
0:35:03 > 0:35:07as Etruscan revival jewellery, so these would be probably 1870s.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Although they are not marked,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13the Victorians liked using 15 carat gold,
0:35:13 > 0:35:19and this has the softness in colour of 15 carat gold -
0:35:19 > 0:35:20and they are a very simple design.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22You could overlook them.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25And they've got tiny little turquoise beads
0:35:25 > 0:35:29in the general design. Did she ever wear them, your friend?
0:35:29 > 0:35:32I would assume that her great-grandmother did wear them,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34but she never wore them.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37She never wore them. They are just kept in a drawer
0:35:37 > 0:35:40and she has no interest in them. It's just...
0:35:40 > 0:35:43They're not the sort of things you'd wear today, are they?
0:35:43 > 0:35:46- No.- But there are collectors of this antique type jewellery.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- Lovely.- So she has no idea about value?
0:35:49 > 0:35:50None whatsoever.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54- So I can say anything I wanted? - You could.
0:35:54 > 0:35:55Well, I will.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00Sometimes to ascertain the value of jewellery we weigh the metal.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02So we weigh it and says, you know,
0:36:02 > 0:36:06X amount of grams of gold, so, therefore, it is worth £80.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08In this case, these are quite light,
0:36:08 > 0:36:10but I think the value of this historically
0:36:10 > 0:36:12is worth more than just the gold value.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17- Yes, ooh, lovely.- We should put them in at say £120- £180.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21- Oh, wow.- With £120 fixed reserve.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22- Lovely.- How do you feel about that?
0:36:22 > 0:36:25- Do you think she will be happy about that?- Oh, yes, I think so.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28- Do you think she can make it to the auction?- I hope so.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- Will you come along with her? - I will, yes.- Good.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40There you are. You've just seen it,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43our experts have found their final items to take off to auction.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45This really is the end of the line for us.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49We had a magnificent time here at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
0:36:49 > 0:36:52and I know everybody out there has thoroughly enjoyed themselves -
0:36:52 > 0:36:53and that's what it's all about -
0:36:53 > 0:36:55but right now we're going to up the tempo,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57we are going straight over to the auction room,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00and here is a quick recap of all the items we are taking with us.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04Will this Art Deco-style Christopher Dresser claret jug
0:37:04 > 0:37:06appeal to a wine specialist?
0:37:06 > 0:37:09An opulent-looking horseshoe easel clock
0:37:09 > 0:37:11from London clockmakers Howell James & Co -
0:37:11 > 0:37:14but will it chime for bidders?
0:37:14 > 0:37:18And finally will these intricate Roman-style earrings and brooch
0:37:18 > 0:37:21find their way into the hands of a modern-day Cleopatra?
0:37:23 > 0:37:25With not a second to lose
0:37:25 > 0:37:27let's see if our auctioneer Daniel Clark
0:37:27 > 0:37:28can sell our final items.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36Right now, hopefully, we're going to turn that £3 car-boot find of yours
0:37:36 > 0:37:37into £200 or £300.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39It's a cracking claret jug.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43You've got to put a good expensive red into that, really.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Mine are all screw tops. Wouldn't work, would it?
0:37:45 > 0:37:48Condition is mint, as well, so, well done you.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50Whether or not we get the 200 or the 300, I don't know,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52but you're going to make a lot of money -
0:37:52 > 0:37:54and this is it, here we go, it's going under the hammer.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59A rather nice piece, this, I'll take 100 to open.
0:37:59 > 0:38:00100 I'm bid, 20.
0:38:00 > 0:38:0240. New bid at 160.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04At 180.
0:38:04 > 0:38:05£180.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10At £180 I'm bid, now, for the claret jug, at 180.
0:38:10 > 0:38:11I'm bid 200.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14- Brilliant, we've got 200, we can sell.- We've got the reserve.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16£200 I'm bid, now, for the claret jug.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19All done. At £200.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22All done at £200.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Fantastic profit, fantastic.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26It is, I wish I could do that.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29A great return, there, for John and his car-boot sale find.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Fingers crossed for John's clock.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35We have some real quality going under the hammer right now.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37This next item is exquisite.
0:38:37 > 0:38:38It's beautifully made,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41it's a horseshoe easel clock, and it is stunning.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43It belongs to John - and thank you for bringing it in,
0:38:43 > 0:38:45because I know Caroline fell in love with it, didn't you?
0:38:45 > 0:38:48It's amazing. When I saw it in the queue I just saw the box
0:38:48 > 0:38:51- and knew there would be a delight inside it. There was.- Craftsmanship,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53and that is what we're looking after,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56for the next generation to enjoy - and hopefully you'll enjoy this.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59Here we go, it's going under the hammer.
0:38:59 > 0:39:00Number 100.
0:39:01 > 0:39:08We have the mid-19th century cased horseshoe travel clock.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10A very unusual lot.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Lovely piece, £800 please to open.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18800 I'm bid. £800 I'm bid, now, for the clock.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20At £800.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22It's with you, madam at £800.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Come on, come on, come on. A couple of more bids.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28At £800, all done at £800?
0:39:28 > 0:39:30You all out?
0:39:30 > 0:39:34All finished at £800.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36It's not selling. I'm sorry, John.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39All done at £800.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43Well, I'm afraid that's not quite enough for that lot.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Sorry about that, we tried our hardest -
0:39:46 > 0:39:48but you don't want to let it go for too little.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51The top bid was £800,
0:39:51 > 0:39:55well below what it has been valued for in the past.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57- John, thank you so much for coming in.- Thank you.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00- Sorry, John. - That's auctions for you.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- Yeah.- The unpredictability of the auction room.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08I can't believe someone won't be keen to snap up our final items.
0:40:09 > 0:40:10Right, now something for the ladies.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12We've got a brooch and some earrings.
0:40:12 > 0:40:159-carat gold and 18-carat gold.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18Belonging to Jennifer. Jennifer, it's great to see you again.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20- Hello.- And you've brought someone else in. Who is this?
0:40:20 > 0:40:24This is my friend Cushla, who actually owns the jewellery.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27So they are yours? You couldn't make the valuation day.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29- I'm afraid not. - So you sent your mate along.
0:40:29 > 0:40:30- Have you known each other a long time?- Yes.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34I used to be an aerobics instructor and I met Jennifer
0:40:34 > 0:40:38when she came to my classes. We've known each other for so long...
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Do you think you could get old Mark into shape here?
0:40:40 > 0:40:43- Oh, yes.- That's too much of a tall ask, I think.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45So why are you selling the jewellery?
0:40:45 > 0:40:47My niece, she's going to Cambodia
0:40:47 > 0:40:50and we are trying to fundraise for her to go.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53- OK.- So she goes away... - Voluntarily overseas work?
0:40:53 > 0:40:56- Voluntarily overseas work. - Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59- Trip of a lifetime.- So I thought it was a good opportunity.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02- Right, we need as much as possible. Mark, good luck.- Thank you, Paul.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Good luck, girls. It's going under the hammer right now. This is it.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Lot 110.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12A 9-carat gold and amethyst three-stone dress brooch
0:41:12 > 0:41:16and a pair of 18-carat gold and turquoise drop earrings.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21Nice lot. We open the bidding, please, at £100.
0:41:21 > 0:41:26100, I am bid. 110. 120. 130. 140.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28150. 160.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30They are loving this. Look.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32180 online.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34£200 at the back.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36At £200 now.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38220 online.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39240 at the back.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41At 260, new bidder.
0:41:41 > 0:41:42280.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44Gosh, this is going well.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48300. 320. 340. 360.
0:41:48 > 0:41:49380. 400.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53400 with the lady at the back.
0:41:53 > 0:41:54At 420.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57- We haven't stopped yet. - 440. 440 now.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Back with you, madam, at 440.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02- Oh, my God!- £440 I am bid now.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05At £440 and I am selling.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Last call at 440.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10Hammer has gone down at £440.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13- That's brilliant, isn't it? - It's really good.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16- So good. She will be delighted with that.- She will, she will.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18I bet you can't wait to tell her.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Thank you so much for coming in, both of you.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21Put a smile on our faces.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24150, 160, 170, 180.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Selling at £200.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31As you can see, the auction is still going on,
0:42:31 > 0:42:33but it is all over for our owners - and what a day it has been.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36We've had a few ups and downs, but that's auctions for you.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40It's not an exact science, and that is why it is so exciting.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42Please come and join us in a "Flog It!" auction -
0:42:42 > 0:42:45but to get to the auction you've got to come to the valuation day.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Details of upcoming dates and venues you can find on our website
0:42:48 > 0:42:50or on our Facebook page. Come and join us.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Dust them down, bring them in and we will flog them.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Until the next time, from Belfast, it's goodbye.