Nottingham Flog It!

Today, Flog It! comes from Nottingham, and we all know why Nottingham's so famous, right?

That's right! The first genetically engineered tomato was produced here,

and Nottingham Forest was the first ever football team to wear shin pads.

But the city is also home to someone who belongs in the canon of truly great Britons,

and his name is F Garton,

and he was the inventor of HP Sauce.

And here's two fellas who like a bit of sauce... Today's experts,

Philip Serrell and Adam Partridge.

Later on in the show, we'll go to the auction room to put all those valuations to the test,

but now, let's see what Adam's looking at.

Karen, you've brought some interesting toys in, haven't you?

-Yeah.

-Are they yours?

Yeah, they was mine as a child, Dad got them for me.

-So they're not that old, then?!

-I hope not! I'm not saying!

-I'd think these are 1960s, in my...

-Yes, roughly.

I'm looking at the toys, of course!

-'Course!

-So we've got three here, all with their original boxes...

-Yes.

-Did you play with them a lot?

Not really, no. They was mainly in the cupboard.

They're all Japanese manufacture, aren't they?

-I think you're right.

-And they're all working, aren't they?

-Oh, yeah.

So we've got first of all, the clockwork musical merry-go-round...

MECHANISM WHIRRS AND RASPS

There we are...

Needed a bit more winding up, probably!

And then we've got this Golden Falcon train.

It's a good one, isn't it?

-Yeah. This one smoke comes out of.

-Does it?

-Yeah, it's brilliant.

-Can you show me?

-Yeah.

-When it bumps into things, it turns back and forth.

-Oh, really?

MECHANISM WHIRRS

WHISTLE HOOTS

There was the smoke!

I saw some smoke, yeah!

Excellent! Whistling and smoke...

It's like a night out with Philip Serrell!

-That's one's good!

-Yeah.

And we've got the battery-operated Capsule 5 here as well.

What does this one do?

That one, his head goes backwards and forwards,

and the coloured lights go round.

-Can we have a look?

-Yeah!

MECHANISM WHIRRS

Oh, he moves? Oh, wonderful!

-Is that sensitive to where it goes as well, does it reverse?

-Yeah.

Karen, why have you brought these in to Flog It! today?

I've had them in the cupboard for ages, they're not doing any good there,

-so I'm quite happy to sell them.

-Never out, no-one to give them to?

-Well, there's my daughter, but she's not getting them.

-Sell 'em instead!

There's going to be a bit of value in them.

-How much, d'you reckon?

-I dunno,

-I'd like as much as possible, to be honest with you.

-Good answer!

-I'd say, £60-£100 for the group.

-Oh, right.

-Probably a bit disappointing, but they're not that old.

-Mm-hm.

But they're boxed, they're collectable, so if we put a reserve of £60...

-Yeah.

-..then, hopefully they'll make towards 100, or maybe even just a bit more.

-Yeah.

-But I don't think they're gonna really fly away.

-Fine.

-Would your daughter get any of the money?

-Definitely. Take her out and spoil her.

-That's nice. How old is she?

-Eight.

-Want to say hello?

-Hello, Jade, I love you!

-Aw, ain't that nice?

Whenever you see a box like this, Brian,

you know exactly what's going to be in there - a little clock.

-And more importantly, a little carriage clock. Right?

-Yes.

-How long have you owned it?

-It was my mother's, originally.

-Yeah?

-My grandfather gave it to her...

-Oh, right.

..for looking after him.

That's a good present. Let's look inside.

There we are... That's lovely.

The interesting thing is, this front here, will just slide out, so that then you could close that up,

and still see the case in there.

-And someone's been at work with this bit of handmade tape - is that you?

-No!

No, my mother.

So, there we are, there's the case. We've got the little key just here.

This is really, really sweet, isn't it?

So this is a carriage clock, and it would date to about...

end of the 19th century, perhaps 1905, something like that.

And it's just got a super face on it. This is all enamelled,

and we've got foliage and birds down here,

and a lovely little gilt butterfly up at 11 o'clock.

Have you seen him before?

-Oh, yes.

-Lovely, isn't he?

-Yes, it is.

And there's the retailer's mark, which is Finnigans of Manchester,

and they really were a good retailer. If you just look up in this top corner just there,

-can you see there's what looks to be a little bit of damage?

-Yeah.

Now, I suspect that's probably on the glass rather than the enamel.

Enamel's a very difficult thing to repair. Once you've damaged enamel, you're in trouble, really.

What I love about this is that architectural form, there.

-It's almost like a Chinese pagoda, isn't it?

-Yes.

And that form there, is replicated just there.

It's a really sweet thing. Why d'you want to sell it?

-Got some repairs to do at home, that's it!

-Right, so...

I think at auction, that we can estimate this at £150-250,

-and we'll put a reserve on it for you of about £120.

-Uh-huh.

-And I think that will do very well.

-OK.

Gosh! This looks very architectural, Ann, and I absolutely adore it.

It's got everything you want from a teapot,

all the sort of classical styles - rococo, neoclassical, Queen-Anne -

I think it's a sort of a Victorian melting pot, as a teapot, really.

How did you come by this?

Well, it's come from my family. It was my grandfather's.

There was a teapot, and a bigger coffee pot.

-You've got a matching coffee pot...

-No.

Somebody else has, I haven't. When my mum died, it was split between my brother and myself,

-so I have this one and he's got the coffee pot.

-Well!

And have you looked after this? Polished it, and had it on display in the house?

-I have, actually.

-Oh, great! So it's not been in the loft or in a box under the bed.

-No, it's not. It's been on show.

-Why d'you want to flog it now, then,

if it's been on show and you've been enjoying it?

Because I've enjoyed it and, erm, I feel that my son and his wife,

they've entirely different house styles...

Minimalistic, and it wouldn't look right.

It would be put up in a box in the loft, more than likely.

Let's have a look. What d'you know?

-It's been in the family three generations...

-Yes.

-Have you done any research on this, to find out a little bit about it?

-No, I haven't, actually, no.

Well, it's quite easy to do. You just get yourself a little book,

from any good bookshop, £10. It'll tell you where everything was made,

cos you can identify the assay office, it gives you a date letter,

and hopefully the maker's name, so you know who they are.

And you need a jeweller's loop, or a good magnifying glass.

So, kit yourself out, and you can tell the history of your silver.

So, I'm going to turn this over and have a look. Instantly...

you see the lion, look.

Now that's a mark to say it's sterling silver.

If you look at this one, that's got a leopard's head.

That says the assay office is in London.

Now, that's the important one - the initials G A.

Now, that's George Angel, and it's 1855.

Isn't that stunning? But look at all the influences.

See these little C scrolls just there?

You see this pattern repeated on furniture a lot as well,

where legs and arms terminate and they roll around,

that's called a C scroll.

-And that detail was pioneered by Thomas Chippendale, the ultimate cabinet maker.

-Yes, quite.

I've noticed, when you look at it head-on, the spout's slightly skewwhiff there.

That can be straightened up.

The finial is a little bit bent.

-The handle could do with tightening.

-Oh, yes.

And see these little ivory insulators?

There's a little bit of damage,

but they can be repaired as well.

-So, have you any idea of value?

-No, not really.

-It's a nice weight.

There's a good four ounces there. Isn't that lovely?

I think we could easily put this into auction, with a valuation of £300-400.

Is it something that you'd consider selling at that price?

Yes, it is now.

-Yeah.

-We'll put a fixed reserve on it of £300.

No discretion, absolutely nothing. It's got to get more than £300.

-Shall we do it? Shall we flog it?

-Yes, we'll flog it.

-Andrew?

-Yep.

-I'm Adam.

These are by Charlotte.

-Certainly are.

-Charlotte Rhead.

-What can you tell me about them?

-I only acquired them about two months ago, so, not a lot.

-Where from?

-An antiques shop, near where I live.

-In Nottingham?

-Long Eaton.

-So that's outside of town, isn't it?

-Yeah, yeah.

So, you got them from an antiques shop a few months ago.

How much did you pay? Cos it always worries me that you might have overpaid, I dunno.

Well, I didn't give any money over. I just took lots of stuff in, and we just sort of swapped them.

So, you did a swap. OK... What did you swap?

Erm... Perpetual calendars, some Art-Deco clocks...

Perpetual calendars? How many of them?

-Oh, I dunno, there must have been about ten...

-Right.

-What else?

-Some Art-Deco clocks.

-Right.

-And some other bits and bobs that I can't remember.

-Quite a lot of stuff. Equivalent value of, how much?

-£100.

-Is that what they were asking for them in the shop?

-Well, that's what he said he wanted.

Right. So why sell them two months later?

I want to get a Drunken Bricklayer vase by Whitefriars.

OK. I thought you meant just a drunken bricklayer!

You could probably find one in most pubs

-on a Friday afternoon at 4.30...

-Not that sort of thing!

-So, you're into Whitefriars glass...

-Well, any glass, really, but Whitefriars is my favourite.

-So if you were to sell these, you might put the money into a Drunken Bricklayer?

-Yes.

OK, so they're by Charlotte Rhead, as we all know, Staffordshire again.

These are made at the Crown Ducal factory which is marked on the bottom there.

This is a pattern reference number here,

-and that's the Charlotte Rhead signature.

-Right.

People like to see them signed, and decoration's the stylised flowers,

typical 1930s pottery, a tube-line decoration which people are going to be very familiar with as well.

Now, collectors of ceramics are fussy,

and there's a little, very light, hairline crack

on the rim of that one. Goes down a little bit, inside and out.

So that's going to detract from the value a little bit.

What I'd suggest is an auction estimate of £60-100,

-so you may be a little bit out of pocket...

-Mm...

-But, you've got to have a go, haven't you?

-Yeah.

At auction, one day you could do better than another,

-so we'll put a reserve of £60, cos we wouldn't want to go for any less.

-OK.

-Let's hope we can get your £100 back or maybe more. But I don't think an awful lot more.

-OK.

-So that'll go some way towards a Drunken Bricklayer vase, won't it?

-It certainly will!

You'd probably have to give, for a small one, £300,

-or more for that?

-Yeah.

-So it goes some way towards it. See you at the auction...

-OK.

-..and let's hope we get these sold for a good price.

-Good.

Right, now it's time for my favourite part of the show.

It's time to turn up the heat, put the pressure on our experts, put those theories to the test.

So while we make our way up to the auction room at Neales, here's a run-down of all the items.

These mechanical toys dating from the 1960s have survived very well.

Adam thinks they could make a tidy sum.

Brian's mum has always looked after this carriage clock.

But now it's time for it to find another home.

I think Ann's High Victorian teapot is a real beauty and it should go for a high price.

A pair is always a good bet, and these Charlotte Rhead Staffordshire vases

are bound to catch a collector's eye.

And this is where it all ends up. Neales sale room in the heart of Nottingham.

Before the sale starts for our owners, let's catch up with auctioneer Stuart West,

and see what he's got to say about our owners' items,

but more importantly, our experts' valuations.

I think these are a good investment. Charlotte Rhead studio pottery.

Great name, great design, and it's a pair.

-Yeah.

-You can't go wrong. Value £60-100.

I think this is where the next investment is.

I couldn't afford to invest, let's say, in Clarice,

I don't know it well enough, and don't really like it.

But good studio pottery, there's always a market.

Definitely. The quality of these, for that kind of money, really is exceptional.

Very nicely decorated, great shape, and, like you say, a pair.

Really, really nice. They should do well.

And it's an odd pair, slightly, as well.

Same decoration, but one's slightly bigger,

so you get that little bit of uniqueness about the whole thing, that it's hand-thrown.

It's not, let's say, from a mould like Whitefriars glass is, fetching loads and loads of money.

But is studio pottery a good investment?

It is. These haven't really increased in value over the last few years dramatically,

just a steady increase in price. They're never going to be as big as Clarice Cliff.

-Will it just top the £100, do you think?

-I think we'll be lucky.

This is a choice lot, the two Charlotte Rhead vases. We're looking at £60-100.

They're quality. We chatted to the auctioneer, and I'm just about to tell Andrew what he said.

-Oh, right!

-He agreed with Adam's valuation - spot on - and these are an investment for the future.

-Right.

Not fetching a great deal, but they're an investment,

-so we're going to get them away, at the top end, we hope.

-Good!

We will, won't we, Adam? Fingers crossed. Everything you touch turns to sold!

-Usually!

-Usually! Well, we're going to find out right now.

This is it! Good luck, both of you.

A pair of Charlotte Rhead decorated Crown Ducal baluster vases.

Lots of commission bids,

one slightly high, so I have to start it at £122.

Straight in! At £122!

Commission bid of £122, then, all done and selling at £122.

That was lightning fast! One commission bid left, £122.

Job done.

The funny thing is - you're not going to believe this -

when I was having a chat to the auctioneer, we said, "Charlotte Rhead - good studio pottery,

"unique, individual, something to invest in, and that's worth its money...

"Unlike Whitefriars, cos it's all come from a mould! Where's the value there?"

But I can understand what you see in Whitefriars, cos I do like it. So, good luck - happy shopping!

Well, that's it, time's up! No, it's not the end of the show.

-And I'm not flogging my watch but we are flogging Brian's clock, aren't we?

-Yes.

Hopefully we'll get £150 for this. I think Philip's value was spot on.

-Will we get the top end value on this?

-Time will fly.

-Time will fly.

We're going to find out right now.

The gilt carriage clock there,

in its original travelling case, nice quality clock.

And...lots of bids on this one,

I have to start it at £160. Any advance on...

Yes! Good. Straight in.

Any advance at £160...

70... 80...

He's got a bid left, he's working it up.

..180... All done then, selling,

commission bid of 170.

We'll take that, won't we, Brian?

£170. What are you going to put £170 towards,

-less a bit of commission?

-Well, I've got a loft insulation to...

-Sorry?

-I've got a loft insulation.

-Oh, have you?

-I've never heard that on Flog It! before, he's insulating the loft!

-Ah, well!

Can't beat it. I like a bit of lagging, now and then.

This has got to be my favourite lot of the whole day.

Luckily enough, I picked it!

-I joined Ann at the valuation, and got to see it, absolutely gorgeous!

-Thank you.

I would be keeping that teapot if I was you. I fell in love with it.

We've got a valuation of £300-400. Detail's superb.

-It should get the top end.

-Hope it does!

We're going to wave goodbye. This is a sad moment.

Very nice, good quality piece of silver there,

the Victorian silver teapot by George Angel,

and where are we with this one, please?

£300? £300 to get it started.

280 then, to get any interest.

Any interest in it at £280?

Nobody interested in it, £280.

Pass that lot by.

I don't believe it!

That was the steal of the day at £300.

-I'm so pleased we protected it with a reserve of £300.

-Yes.

It means you can take it away.

There's another sale, on another day...

I would go to a specialist silver sale next time,

cos this is a general sale and there's a lot of furniture.

Yeah, that's right.

-Ann's piece of silver was the only silver, virtually, in the whole show, wasn't it?

-Yes.

-Apart from a little figure.

-Yes. Never mind.

Next up, the Japanese toy brought in by Karen. We're looking at £60-100.

-Were they yours?

-Yes.

-Why are you getting rid of them?

-They're in the cupboard and I thought, "Holiday money!"

-And where would that be?

-Benidorm.

-Oh! Oh, lovely!

-Christmas!

Christmastime, we need some spending money in Spain!

-Yes!

-Will we get it, Adam?

-Should do, should do.

-OK, top end?

I think we were probably fairly accurate with the estimate.

-You normally are, aren't you?

-Well, I hate to rub it in, but...yes.

A collection of Japanese toys.

Interesting lot there, and all in their original boxes.

May I say £60 for them?

£60 to get them started, £60 is bid.

And 5. And 70. And 5. And 80.

And 5. And 90. And 5.

100. 110. 120. 130.

-140...

-Those are doing well.

-I'm pleased.

-This is great.

-180, 190, 200. And 10.

-Ah!

-We're at 200, do I see 210?

-Viva Espana!

All done, then, at £200.

-Yes! £200!

-Yeah, that's well good.

-That's well good, isn't it?

-Job done, that is!

-Yes.

-Great result, that is!

Well, some great results so far.

But don't go away, there's plenty more auction action to come.

But right now I'm going to nip outside

and take a look at an extraordinary piece of local history.

In 1945, Clement Attlee was the Prime Minister,

and his government introduced the welfare state to Britain.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, people demanded a new, and much more just society,

where money could be paid into one big tax pot, to look after the most vulnerable.

In the 19th century, before the advent of the welfare state,

Britain was a much tougher place if you were old and infirm or out of work.

In those days, each parish was responsible for looking after its own poor,

and this was funded by a collection of taxes from local property owners.

Sometimes the parishes would club together and form a union,

and build a house, a house that they could put the unemployable in.

And these houses were known as workhouses.

Southwell workhouse, 12 miles northeast of Nottingham, was built in 1824.

Today, it's the best preserved building of its kind in England,

and stands as a reminder of what it was to be poor.

Even now, workhouses occupy a dark place in our collective memory.

The very mention of the word "workhouse" conjures up real fear, especially amongst the elderly.

There was a terrible stigma and shame attached to being in a workhouse,

and it was often the last resort of the desperate.

For the unemployed, it was an indignity. They were set mundane and arduous tasks,

such as breaking stones or unpicking old rope.

For the old and infirm, it was a place where they came to die.

I've come to meet Nikki Williams, the house manager of the Workhouse Museum at Southwell.

It IS a big place! I never thought workhouses would be as big as this.

It's on the scale of a grand mansion, really.

-What room are we in now?

-We're in the able-bodied men's room.

But though it is huge, remember you'd probably only see three rooms this size, as an able-bodied man.

What would the able-bodied men be doing in here? Is this for sleeping, or walking around, or...

This was a rest room, so got very little use.

They'd probably have eaten here. There would have been benches.

You would have had signs on the wall to tell them the rules, such as "No Gambling", "No Swearing".

-So even things like racing two bugs along the floor...

-Which obviously went on!

..would have been scorned upon, because that was something typical of an idle person,

to want to while away the hours through gambling. It's a very judgemental system.

-What sort of person came here?

-Mostly for us, it was going to be agricultural people,

a very seasonal job, so come the end of the harvest, nobody would want to keep these people,

cos they couldn't really employ them and make use of them through winter,

so they would literally become homeless people, out on the street.

-They had no rights, there was nothing that was theirs...

-Pushed from pillar to post.

So they had to put themselves into the workhouse, and that's the thing.

You didn't get put in, you got yourself in there.

Cos they would have been caught in a cycle of seasonal work, coming here, seasonal work, coming here,

and would have felt very used by the whole system.

But there were some people, particularly for children, there was an education -

it's before the Education Act - so they were getting something

that poor children outside would never have got.

Whole families would enter the workhouse, but men, women and children lived separately.

Children were discouraged from seeing their parents, never mind talking to them,

because it was felt their young minds would be corrupted by the sight of adult idleness.

-So as we come through this room, it brings us into the central stairway space...

-Oh, yes.

What was the discipline like in here, because all of a sudden,

this feels like we're in prison.

Absolutely. The whole idea was that it was a very regimented and strict system

that these people lived within,

so there was a lot of discipline, because you were here to work,

that's the nature of the name "workhouse".

So were there wardens walking around to ensure there was law and order?

Yes, the master and matron's job was to ensure that everything was being ran efficiently, effectively,

and that people were here doing the work that they needed to do,

and living by the timetables that the workhouse system set.

Families were in here, and were segregated.

Did they ever get to meet, one day a week, or a couple of days a week?

If you were well-behaved - meaning all members of the family -

then you would have a special dispensation on a Sunday morning, accompanied by a member of staff,

to meet together to see the rest of your family,

but it would have been only when you were all

very much pulling your weight and behaving as you should be,

that they would have allowed that to happen.

The system seems cruel to us now, but it wasn't designed to be.

It was supposed to offer rehabilitation to those considered idle and undeserving,

but as the system grew, conditions deteriorated.

GHOSTLY LABOURED BREATHING

I gather there were workhouses all over the country, 15-20 miles apart,

-an awful lot of them.

-Absolutely.

-Was there much corruption?

As they got bigger, particularly into the cities, you still got the same amount of staff,

so just three or four staff trying to run a workhouse for thousands of people...

-You just can't control...

-..it became impossible, so you hear of things like

the Andover scandal, where men were nibbling the raw marrow out of bones that were rotting,

that should have been used for fertiliser,

trying to survive off that, they were so emaciated.

The masters and matrons just couldn't cope,

or maybe they were corrupt in themselves, and if you imagine, this is a seven-day-a-week job,

no-one comes in to relieve you, there's no weekends or bank holidays for them.

They are here, permanently, 24 hours a day, responsible for this house and those inside.

So eventually, they cracked, just as the inmates cracked.

The Reverend James Becher masterminded the workhouse at Southwell,

and many of his ideas provided the prototype for workhouses

which were built across the country under the New Poor Law of 1834.

-This room holds the final symbol that Becher put in place for this workhouse.

-What's that?

When you look out of that window, you will see the spires, over the top of the trees,

of Southwell Minster and it stands there as a symbol of the pillar of society,

the community that you want to get back to, by no longer being idle and profligate,

and getting yourself back on your feet, and getting out to work and being part of those people.

The system may have been austere and harsh, but some inmates were able to make a better life for themselves.

And would you believe, one of Hollywood's highest paid stars

spent some of his childhood in a workhouse.

All those experiences gave him the inspiration for one of his main characters,

a very famous character, the Tramp. And his name...

was Charlie Chaplin.

Back at the valuation day and it looks like Adam's spotted something.

-Heather, this is a lovely bronze figure, isn't it?

-It is, yes.

What can you tell me about it? Have you owned it a long time?

-Yes, it was my mother's. I can remember it ever since I was a child.

-Your whole life...

-Where did it live when you were growing up?

-It lived on the mantelpiece.

-Well, it's survived quite well, hasn't it?

-Yes.

And you've brought it in today, presumably cos you want to sell it. Can I ask you why?

-Well, I thought I'd like a holiday.

-Right.

Well, this is an Art Deco period bronze figure of Pierrot, a boy, there,

and it's marked by J Garnier. I think that Jean Garnier is a French bronze sculptor.

We've also got these foundry marks on the bottom, showing a Hamburg foundry.

And you mentioned something about Hamburg. What was the connection?

Well, my father was in the army, and just after the war we were one of the first families to go over.

-Oh, right! So is that when it became part of...

-I think that's when it became...

-OK.

So overall, it's in pretty good condition. I think there's a slight little dent there, on the base.

You see, just slightly misshapen. I don't think that will affect it too much.

What's nice to see is the original patination on it.

It's that nice chocolate brown colour that you expect to see on a bronze.

And d'you know, so many people clean them up and we had a lady, she brought a bronze in,

and it was lovely and we told her what it was worth. She came back a year later...

-"I've cleaned that bronze up for you!", she said, and it was all brass...

-Oh, no!

..and worth nothing compared to... It was about £500 and it turned into £50.

So, erm... Don't clean your bronzes! Just a light dusting!

So, erm... Nice original condition. Price-wise, have you got any idea about the value?

-I haven't, no.

-Just as a signed bronze of a nice subject like that,

-it's got to be worth £200-300.

-Oh, right.

-So, if we put that on provisionally, with £180 reserve, so it doesn't go for any less than that...

-Yes.

-Thanks very much for bringing him in, he's delightful.

-Thanks.

-How you doing, Mark, all right?

-Very well, thanks, yeah.

Let me guess. You are...47 years old.

-Slightly older!

-Really? Go on, then.

-51.

-Oh, you're making me feel better.

-Oh, thank you.

-I'm 52, and these are like toys of our childhood, aren't they?

-They are. Absolutely fabulous.

-I love them to bits. There's some great cars here,

I mean that is a Ferrari 250 LM -

Le Mans is the LM -

-the old back lifts up, look.

-Beautiful.

D'you know, that would be worth about £3 million if it was the real model.

I know, but it's a dream world!

-Absolutely. Then you've got a great Lotus Elan...

-Yeah.

..and it's the old Esso, Tiger In My Tank.

-That's right, one of my favourites.

-Tiger In The Tank on the back, there.

And they're all boxed. And we've got the Wall's ice-cream van up here.

These are all Corgi, so they all date from, what? Probably 1960s, aren't they?

About '67-'70... Up to late 60s, most of these.

They started to produce different sorts of things to make the cars quirkier,

so some of them had suspension.

-I think the mini was the first one to have some sort of suspension.

-That's right, yep.

And then others would have lights, the engine lifted up. This is a great one - look at that - steering!

-Yeah.

-You just turn the thing on the roof, and off it goes.

-Yes.

It's a driving school car, with the L-plates on the front...

Absolutely brilliant. Look at that!

-So you are now going to sell your childhood.

-I am.

Well, I think they're going to show you a fairly healthy return, this little group here.

-What would that have been about? Four and sixpence?

-Six and thrupence!

Hold on, six shillings is 30 pence, so that's 31 pence, isn't it?

So you've probably got under £10 worth of cars here.

I think this little lot at auction is going to make £200-300.

-And we'll put a reserve on this little lot of £150 for you.

-Mm-hm.

Now I've pulled one out separately,

cos it's James Bond Aston Martin DB5,

and it was that car, that when Bond flicked over the gear lever, and pressed the button on the top,

-he shot the little guy, Mr Goldfinger's assistant out through the roof...

-That's right.

-That's the one in the film.

-When Corgi made these, they knew what we were like, didn't they?

And they knew that we'd lose that one little guy in the blue overall.

-So they put two guys in.

-Correct.

-Have you still got the two guys?

-Yes.

-Let's see.

-This is really sad, so sorry about this.

-Awful, isn't it?

-So we've got this... You press that there...

-That's right, just...

-Oh, there's the man. And then we press...

-Press the...

-Did you press the exhaust?

-It brings the screen up.

The screen comes up. Then do you press another one at the front?

-That one there?

-Yeah,

-And something happens...

Oh, yeah, machine guns at the front, we've got a bulletproof screen,

we've catapulted the little guy in the blue overalls into kingdom come...

-And still with the car, there's the spare man...

-The spare man.

-..and the top secret instructions.

-Top secret! It doesn't get any better than this, does it?

-Goodness me!

-That's authentic.

-Why are you selling that?!

-It's been in the collection a long time, it's sitting there.

Well, I can't believe it. That is going to make, erm...

£50-80, reserve £40.

-But I just think that's a top car. You happy to sell them?

-I am, yes.

-I think you're bonkers!

-Probably am, but...

-We'll find out later!

-They've gotta go, haven't they?

Yeah, they gotta go.

-Welcome to Flog It!

-Good morning!

-Thanks for coming. Do you live in Nottingham?

-Yeah, just outside.

Excellent. And we've got an interesting-looking leather pouch on the table here.

-Let's have a look what's inside.

-Yeah, go ahead.

Have a look. There we are. Isn't that sweet?

-A Coronet Midget camera.

-Yep.

-Where did you find this?

It was in my uncle's flat when we cleared it out earlier this year.

It just appeared and my mum was going to throw it away.

And so you thought, hang on a minute, that's a bit too good to throw out.

-We'll have that.

-We'll have that.

Well, I know you've done a bit of research on it,

but I know a little bit about these, and it actually works.

A lot of people think they were just a novelty, but it is a functioning camera,

you can look through it and press that down, and take a photo of glamorous directors.

And these were made in Birmingham by the Coronet Camera Co, and it took 16mm film.

-I sound very knowledgeable, eh?

-It says it there...

-On the front.

And there, of course, is where your film goes in the back.

They made them in three colours -

this is a bakelite body from the 1930s -

-and they did them in a green and a blue.

-Yeah.

As far as I know, the most valuable's the blue, is that right?

-Yes. Then green...

-..Then your one...

-..brown!

-..which is the common one!

-But that's the only common thing about you, isn't it?

-Yeah, OK!

So the blue ones were worth £150-200, I believe,

-green ones less than that, and the brown one is a humble £30-50.

-Yeah.

But d'you know what? This fellow here, he probably started out using one of these.

SHE CHUCKLES

-So we'll put it in the auction with an estimate of £30-50.

-Lovely.

-Is that all right?

-That's fine.

-Reserve of £30?

-Great.

And we'll see what develops, shall we?

-Very good, yeah.

-Yeah!

So, straight off and back to the auction room.

This well-patinated Art-Deco bronze has some slight damage

but Adam doesn't think that will matter.

Phil was transported back to his boyhood by this fantastic collection of Corgi cars,

which he suggested selling as two separate lots.

And finally, Tracy's Midget Corona camera

is not the rarest of its type,

but it's a good example, all the same.

Let's see how the estimates measure up.

This brings back childhood memories for me.

I HAD one of these!

I've still got the car, but not the box and there's a lot of value in the box.

We've got a value here of £50-80, and it is Aston Martin DB5.

It's not the real one, but it's the next best thing!

-And I think that's quite cheap.

-I agree. It should really outstrip that estimate quite easily.

Lots of other toys on sale, as well...

-So there's going to be interest.

-Yes.

The toy and juvenilia buyers will be there, and, fingers crossed, we'll do well.

-It's a cracking little car, isn't it?

-Good condition, with the box.

-Just a shame the box isn't 100%, then we would have been talking...

-£200!

-Easily, easily.

-It's all in the packaging now, isn't it?

It is. Not just the car, they want the whole thing.

If it does sell at only £80, somebody's got a bargain.

I personally think that should do the £100-120 mark.

-Let's hope so.

-Fingers crossed, it's gonna screech away.

I love this Art-Deco bronze, Heather.

We are just about to flog this, we're looking at £200-300.

There's a lot of furniture here, not a lot of bronzes. I just hope the collectors and the buyers are here.

Why are you flogging this?

Well, I'm just clearing out and trying to tidy the house a bit.

OK. And what are you hoping to put the money towards?

-Well, towards a holiday, I think.

-Where d'you fancy going?

-Erm...Cornwall.

-Oh, I was hoping you'd say that!

Oggie, oggie, oggie! Yes!

-St Ives, I love.

-Somewhere down there.

-Trip to Cornwall is on offer here, if we can get...

-For me?

-No!

-I was gonna say! This gets better and better, this programme!

If it makes a thousand, you can take me as well!

Take your earplugs as well!

Art-Deco bronze of a boy,

signed J Garnier. Nice quality thing.

Where are we with this one? £200 for it, please?

-£200 to start...

-Should be worth that.

-Yeah.

-All day long.

£180, then, to get it on... Any interest at £180?

-£180's bid...

-We're in!

With me at £180, any advance on £180?

All done, then, at £180...

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!

He's put the hammer down, the gavel has gone down. £180.

-That's a couple of nights in Cornwall.

-Yeah.

St Mawes maybe... Yeah?

-Enjoy it, won't you?

-I will.

-Bye-bye!

-Thank you.

-So sorry I can't come.

-Never mind!

-180 - under the threshold!

Tracy, we're just about to find out if the price is right! £30-50 for this little camera.

Hopefully, it's had full exposure in the sale room, and we get that top end.

-It's a nice little thing, isn't it?

-It's cute.

I just hope, Adam, we've got a lot of camera collectors here, cos it's a nice little bit of memorabilia.

-I hope they've seen it, cos it's tiny!

-As I said, it needs full exposure!

-Let's see what develops, shall we?

-Yes, don't be negative! Here we go!

Lot 60 is the Corona Midge 16mm camera,

and £30 for it, please. £30 for it...

£25 to get it started, £25's bid...and 8...

and 30...

and 2...and 35...

-Ooh!

-They like it!

..and 40... With you at £38, do I see 40?

Standing at £38, are we all done then? Selling at £38.

Bang! 38 quid!

-That's a meal out!

-It is, definitely!

-And that's the top end of the estimate.

-The middle, Paul.

-Oh, was it?

-£30-50.

-Oh, right!

-It's pretty much the middle! Happy with that.

I love this next lot, it brings back so many boyhood memories for me, as I said earlier.

I'm just about to tell Mark. I had this car. I played with it a lot,

I pushed the ejector seat button, I lost the man in the first week,

then I think I trashed the box and threw it away and now the box is possibly a third of the car's value.

Anyway, you've looked after it!

Yeah, from boyhood. Played with them, but put them back in the box!

-Lots of memories there. Why are you flogging?

-The time's come to move on, y'know.

Let's hope we get that top end of Philip's estimate.

I reckon, Philip, we'll get 80, maybe 120.

-I would hope so. We're all boys at heart.

-Yeah!

-Disappointed to hear you were a naughty boy, though.

-Nah...

That's the nearest thing to an Aston Martin DB5 I'm ever going to get to!

Lot 100 is the Corgi Toys model 261,

Special Agent 007,

being shown with its original box,

and I'm bid, on commission, £40.

Any advance on 40?

2, and 5 and 8, sir...

With you at £48, 50, 5...

-C'mon, c'mon, steady climb...

-It's got to go.

..and 5, and 80. With you at 75, do I see 80?

80's bid.

Seated at £80, any advance on 80?

Gentleman seated at £80, all done then, at £80...

-80 quid!

-Very good.

-That's good.

Bang on your top estimate there.

Now, let's see what the rest of Mark's collection does.

Lovely cars, all in their original boxes. That's the secret!

-Keep the packaging, that's where the value is.

-It is.

Hopefully we'll get just over the 300, might get 400, you never know.

We need two eager bidders fighting it out, Philip, will we get it?

I hope so, because there are some classics amongst this lot. Ferrari, Lotus...

Let's just hope they race away.

-Yep. And which was your favourite?

-My favourite, probably, was the ice-cream van.

-The ice-cream van? Why was that?

-It was so unusual.

Y'know, you don't see them. It was just a beautiful toy.

Nice collection here of Corgi toys.

Various models, and nicely boxed as well.

Lots of bids on these with me on commission,

and I have to start it at...

£190. Looking for £200...

200. 210. 220.

Your bid of 220. 30. 40.

50. 60. 70. 80. 90.

300. 320, sir.

-This is great...

-320, sir? No, you're out.

With you at £300, and 20 bid...

and 40, 360, 380, 400

-420, 440...

-They keep going up.

Your bid at 420, do I see 40? Any advance on 420?

All done then. 40's back in.

460... No, you're out. With you at 440.

All done, then, at £440.

-Yes! What a result!

-Absolutely!

What are you gonna put all that towards?

£440, less a bit of commission?

Probably add to my cigarette card collection.

-How long have you been collecting?

-About...15 years.

OK, how many hundreds, or thousands, have you got?

-About 100,000.

-Ho-ho!

-Do you know exactly what each one is?

-Nope!

-Philip! 100,000 cigarette cards!

-A lot of smoking, that is, isn't it?

Is your throat all right?

-I've never smoked in my life!

-That's the best way!

Well, happy hunting and great results.

-All credit to you, for keeping them boxed.

-Good result.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Well, that's it. It's all over. The saleroom...

Well, it's empty, everybody's gone home!

Our owners have gone home happy and we've had some cracking results.

It was really nice to see that big smile on Mark's face

when those Corgi toys raced out of the saleroom with a staggering £440.

Not bad, hey? Join me next time for more surprises on Flog It!

For more information about Flog It!

including how the programme was made, visit the website at bbc.co.uk/lifestyle

Subtitles by Heather Middleton Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]