Eastbourne Flog It!

This is the life, isn't it?

Do you know, four million people a year

visit this stunning south coast seaside resort.

You can understand why, can't you?

It's full of the most wonderful attractions - a gorgeous pier,

lovely beaches to stroll along -

and to add to those attractions, today Flog It! is in town.

There's one other thing Eastbourne is famous for -

and you wouldn't guess what it is.

It's a little-known fact

but the world-famous banoffee pie was invented in Eastbourne in 1972.

In fact, just outside Eastbourne, in Jevington.

And here is the banoffee pie!

Look at that. What a good excuse to take a bite.

But before I do, let's get this massive crowd inside the town hall

and get the show on the road.

I don't think that banoffee pie's gonna be there very long.

Our experts, Mark Stacey and Jethro Marles, have been going bananas

as they hunt out the cream of today's antiques.

While our visitors polish off the pie, Mark gets stuck into his first valuation.

-Hello, Tony.

-Hello, Mark.

-What a great bust you've brought in.

-Yes.

-Has she got a name?

Yes, she has. It's a sort of a nickname -

-Madonna with no boobs.

-And did YOU give her that name?

-Yes, I did.

-Well, it does sound appropriate.

-Yes.

What do you know about her?

Well, she was my wife's grandmother's.

And it comes from France. It was in France.

And it was her aunt who had it in the end,

-who died, and my wife brought it back.

-Inherited it.

-Yes.

-When was that?

-20 years ago.

-20 years ago?

-Yes.

-Where does it live? Because it's quite big.

-On top of a high cabinet

and we put a bouquet of flowers round here just to brighten her up a bit.

-She's got quite a dour face.

-Yes, she has.

-Do you live in a big, baronial home?

-Oh, yes.

A two-and-a-half-bedroom bungalow in Eastbourne!

So she's quite a handful, really.

Well, yeah.

Well, almost. I like it.

-You're right with the French. It's Continental faience.

-Right.

-When I first saw it, I would have put it down as Italian but knowing the French connection...

-Yes. OK.

..I think we can call it French.

It's typical delft or tin-glazed pottery,

which has got this high glaze.

I think myself, in terms of age,

even though these can go back 400 years,

I think this is probably a late 19th-century interpretation,

even though the lady is wearing her hair and a costume of the 16th century.

-I think we're looking at something that's been made between 1880 and 1900.

-OK.

-Something like that.

I think the nice thing about her is she's in quite good condition.

She's had a bit of wear of the enamel paint

but there's no chunks missing, there's no big cracks.

Her nose is not missing or anything.

No. And I can see somebody who's got an interesting old house

with a couple of big alcoves and wants to fill it with this.

She's quite impressive looking.

In terms of value... Have you ever thought of the value?

-Not really, no.

-I think you could put her in

with what I hope is a conservative estimate of £200 to £300.

And if I'm right about that interior decorator out there,

-we might end up finding she makes £300, £400, £500.

-OK.

So if you're happy, we'll put it in at £200 to £300 with a £200 reserve.

-OK.

-And we'll go from there.

-We are happy.

-Fantastic.

-Very good.

Now, Mary, you have brought along a rather intriguing jug.

It's a jug typical of the middle of the 19th century,

1860s, 1870s. The design on the front...

we've got the depiction of a cock fight.

The "set too" of the two cocks.

Then there's "knock down blow".

Then, sadly, we have "the death".

This was an everyday event

150 years ago. Who's this character on the side?

I think it's Grimaldi, who was a clown.

-Victorian...

-Italian...

-Yes.

-I believe so.

-..pantomime jester.

That's right. Famous clown.

So it's a fairly odd mixture of characters. I wonder why, do you think?

I don't know. It's a puzzle jug.

-It is a bit of a puzzle, isn't it? In more than one way.

-That's right.

The handle continues down inside the jug.

And in the back of the handle, on the inside,

-there is a hole.

-Uh-huh.

-And also...

at the top of the handle, there's a hole up here.

There's a certain size of hole... which, if it's not too large

-and it's not too small, will allow water to be suspended without it coming out.

-Right.

If we look underneath...

Here is the hole underneath.

It would have been designed for a certain diameter

so that water won't come out.

-Yes.

-By virtue of the fact that if you put your hand on the handle

and put your finger over that hole...

If you move the jug back like that with liquid in it,

the handle is filled up.

Then you pass it along to the next person

and by dropping it down like that, you keep your finger over that hole

and a siphon effect will allow that water to come out.

To stop it, you take your finger away.

-So it...

-It plays a joke on the person you're passing it to.

-Right.

So it's a puzzle in every respect. When we turned it up

we did see that it said, "Warranted ironstone china",

"Elsmore and Forster".

I don't know much about this company, if anything at all.

I think they were one of the smaller companies producing ironstone china,

which was a type of pottery

which contained the same materials as bone china had in it,

-so it had certain properties that people liked.

-Yes.

-How did you come by this jug?

-I got it in Covent Garden.

-You bought it in Covent Garden?

-In the '70s or '80s.

-Why did it appeal to you?

-Being in the theatre,

being a professional singer and my hubby's well-known for his clown paintings, so...

-this was a must.

-What's its value?

-Ah!

-I would hope that you might get £80 to £100.

I'm hoping that. Only because it's in such good condition.

£80 to £100. Would you be happy with that with a reserve at £80?

-Yes.

-Just about.

-Yes.

-You were obviously hoping for more.

-No. On the day, you never know. But £80, yes.

-80 reserve?

-Yes.

-Let's put it in with a reserve of 80 and see what happens.

-Right.

Penny and Roger, I absolutely adore this. This could hang on my wall.

-I suspect it's been on your wall.

-No.

-No.

-No?!

-Why not?

-It's been in our shed for the last three years.

I don't believe it. In the shed?!

Why isn't this on the wall, Penny?

-It was your father's, wasn't it?

-Yes.

And it had been in the sitting room, I think, all my life

-and I hadn't even noticed it.

-So, let's get this right.

-You recently found it in the shed?

-No.

When we cleared out my parents' house, we brought it all back home.

-How long ago was that?

-About three years.

-Three years ago.

-Since that date, this has been in the shed.

-Yeah.

-I don't believe it!

Why didn't you look at it and go, "I like that, I want that on the wall"?

You don't like it?

-It's not one of my favourites.

-What about you, Penny?

No, I wouldn't have it in our house.

Well, I love it, I love it, I love it. There's something about it.

I reminds me of a lot of Welsh and Irish art, people like Paul Henry,

-early 20th century.

-Yes.

-British modern.

The artist...I have never heard of.

I've looked him up and I can't find any references.

Have you done any homework? Do you know who the artist is?

Alan Clutton-Brock.

He's got connections with the Slade College of Art,

-also with Hastings College of Art.

-Yes.

-And his pictures are on display at the Fitzwilliam Museum.

-Cambridge.

Yes, the Fitzwilliam's in Cambridge.

I can see his work fitting in nicely there.

Let's look at the back. You can tell a lot by looking at the back.

You can see it's been in an exhibition.

It's been in Bond Street in London.

"Exhibition of Recent Paintings, January 1954",

which is great, because...

When I first saw this I thought, "I love the oil on board".

It's a cheap way of painting instead of a canvas.

-But the frame put me off.

-There's a possibility that my father put it in that frame.

This was probably given to him by one of his customers

or the ladies he used to do some decorating for.

Not as payment, but just as a gift.

That's remarkable because that means your father really liked the painting.

Oh, yes, yes. He had several paintings up in his bedroom.

Not ones that we'd have.

It is subjective. And it's hard...

to put a value on it, which brings us round to this question -

what exactly is it worth?

I'm going on the fact that I like it.

If I saw this for sale...

for £200, I'd go, "Yeah, it's worth £200."

I think that would be its current market value.

I'd like to put it into auction with a valuation of around £120 to £220

and see what happens. Would you be happy to sell it for that?

-That'd be great.

-We'll call it 120 to 220.

-Yeah.

-It's got the look, the decorator's look.

Yeah, that's great.

-Hi, John.

-Hi.

-This is a nice little watch clock here.

-Tell me about it.

-It was my grandfather's.

He was a jeweller and he dealt in watches and clocks.

When I was a boy that was on the mantelpiece

and I used to push it in and out to wind it up.

It's come straight to you?

When he died, yes. Yes.

Well, it's a lovely little thing.

You don't really appreciate what happens here,

because if it's on the mantelpiece it looks like a little clock.

Maybe a slightly odd Art-Deco design.

-But apart from that, it doesn't look strange.

-No.

-It's a Movado.

It's a Movado pocket watch because this is completely separate.

If you don't want to check what the time is, you can close it up,

put it in your pocket and go on your travels.

Or it comes with that little ring for you to hang it

on your watch chain. That's how it used to be worn.

-I'd no idea.

-All you thought of it was a mantelpiece clock.

Yes, that's all I can remember.

You opened it up and there were two little springs...

Unfortunately, these are not there any more.

..with two little rods so that when you opened it and closed it,

it automatically wound the watch.

So if you kept looking at it and closing it, you could overwind it.

-I think I did that when I was a boy, then. Cos I'd go like that all the time.

-Did you?

-Yeah.

-It becomes a bit compulsive. It's wonderful engineering.

And Movado were the company that patented this mechanism.

Other people copied it.

And it's got this lovely little stand,

which is unusual.

That would signify somebody in the jewellery trade, probably,

-like your grandfather.

-Right.

-Because it isn't just any old stand.

This marble stand has been perfectly carved to accommodate

that little ring on there.

-I had no idea.

-So this was his pride and joy probably.

What's it worth, then? Now, we've lost the springs.

That needs to be attended to.

-That will affect its price.

-Right.

-It's probably worth £80.

-Right.

On a good day it might make £100.

If we were to put a reserve at £80 that would encourage people who'd like to put it right.

How much would it be worth if it was perfect?

In perfect order, it might make £150.

Sometimes they can make a couple of hundred pounds.

-Blimey!

-It's got a lot in its favour.

I think 80 reserve is a fair reserve. If somebody wants to,

they could get it in working order with time and effort.

I wonder what the bidders are going to think of our lots today.

Tony's tin-glazed Madonna is certainly big enough to attract attention.

There could be laughter or tears

when the puzzle jug goes under the hammer.

I love the oil painting brought in by Roger and Penny

but anything can happen at auction. Let's hope it's an open-and-shut case for John's watch.

It's time to take a trip down the road to Eastbourne Auction Rooms

where auctioneer Paul Achilleous is on the rostrum.

The sale is already underway.

Tony, this is real quality. We've got the tin-glazed statue of a lady

just about to go under the hammer. Why are you flogging this?

Uh...well, it's my wife's, actually.

-She doesn't like it?

-Well, it's got to go.

-OK.

-So we need the money, basically.

-Yeah.

-Pressure's on for Mark.

-£200 to £300.

-I'm not sure about it.

-To me, it's an interior decorator's bid.

-It is.

If you've got a nice alcove in a Georgian study, it'd look stunning.

Great space and a talking point.

Talking's over and done with, it's going under the hammer now.

Large Continental pottery tin-glazed bust of a young woman

decorated in blue, white and yellow glaze. Nice quality.

Plenty of interest. We start this at £260.

Oh, no. You see.

At 260.

Blink and you'll miss it.

All done, then, at 260?

Wasn't that quick? Straight in and straight out. £260.

-Well done.

-Less a bit of commission.

-What's the money going towards?

-My bathroom.

-Oh. Maybe that'll get the tiles and the grout.

-Just about, yeah.

-A couple of taps.

-Or the grouting.

No, we'll get more than the grouting.

-Are you doing the work yourself?

-Some of it.

Some of it. Good for you.

It's time to # Send in the clowns... #

The clowns on the Victorian puzzle jug which belongs to Mary.

-Mary, you used to sing on stage. And you still do.

-Still do a bit.

-West End musicals...

-Whatever. Like we do.

-Not so much now.

-Good luck. You're in good company,

because our expert Jethro put a valuation of £80 to £100 on this.

His son is on stage in the West End as we speak.

As we speak, he's treading the boards. Tap dancer, singer.

-What's he in?

-Mary Poppins.

And he plays the part of Neleus, the statue who comes to life.

-There you go.

-There we are.

They can swap stories afterwards.

-Absolutely.

-This is why I love this object.

Ceramics isn't really my subject

-but I love the association with theatre.

-That's why we got it.

It's a tricky thing,

cos it's a puzzle jug that plays a trick on somebody.

-A joke.

-It has worked.

-To make you laugh. Why are you flogging it?

It's time it went.

-OK.

-I'm trying to cut down, as you do as you get older.

This is it.

Lot number 149 is the Victorian Elsmore and Forster puzzle jug.

Hand-coloured and transfer-printed with cock fighting scenes and clown.

We start this at £80.

We're selling at 80.

5. 90. 5.

100. 110.

-Higher.

-Come on.

£120.

Is there 30?

At £120 then...

-It's sold.

-120.

£120. That's good, isn't it?

-It is.

-What are you going to put £120 towards?

-Christmas is coming.

-Christmas.

-I've got to go halves with my husband anyway.

-Well, good luck.

-Thank you.

-Happy shopping.

Right, now for my favourite item of the show. It's not a lot of money

but I did the valuation and I need a little prayer.

It's a gorgeous watercolour. It's owned by Roger and Penny.

It's by Alan Clutton-Brock and it's gorgeous.

I don't like these moments,

cos you run out of things to say when it all goes wrong.

If it doesn't sell, we've got a reserve on it, and you take it home

and put it in a fine art sale. I'm not making excuses.

But I'm gonna say a little prayer.

Alan Clutton-Brock.

Oil onto panel. With me at £100.

£100.

At £100. At £100.

Come on!

£100 only...

All done, then, at £100...

That was short and sweet, wasn't it?

That's the last picture I ever value.

Well, I'm quite pleased now, cos, like you say,

-we'll take it home.

-It's got to go home.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-I can't believe it.

I cannot believe it. That looks like £200 to me.

It's lovely. Take it home and enjoy it and think of Flog It!

-OK?

-Yes.

Yes.

Oh, dear.

The sale's buzzing along

and now it's time to see what the bidders think of John's watch.

I gather your grandfather... it was his. He was a jeweller.

-So you're flogging a bit of family history.

-Yes.

-Does that bother you?

-No.

-Not in the least.

-No.

-Why are you getting rid of it?

My mum died and we didn't want anything. You just hoard it.

I just want it to go.

-It is damaged.

-I did that.

-YOU did that meddling with it!

When I was a boy. I used to keep... Every time you open and shut it

-it winds itself up.

-Yeah.

-And I used to do that all the time.

-Fascinated.

-Jethro told me...

-Well, Jethro, I think that's the right valuation.

Well, yeah. It's a shame you kept doing that.

But it's a fascinating thing, isn't it? Great for a kid.

That is the kind of thing I would do.

-What, break it?

-Yeah. Break it. Bust it.

The Movado, Swiss-made travelling watch. Nice little lot.

Due to conflicting bids, we start this at 120.

-Straight in.

-120 is bid. 130. 140.

150. 160.

170. 180. At 180. Any more?

-My, my!

-Are you bidding, sir?

180 it is, then. At 180. We all done at 180?

-Yeah! Hammer's gone down.

-That was good.

-£180.

What are you going to do with that?

I'm going to split it with the two children.

They've both got champagne tastes and beer money.

-LAUGHTER

-What about the wife?

-Are you gonna spend some on her?

-No, just the kids. She has enough.

-She has...!

-And she's got me!

It may be a little too early to start celebrating just yet.

There's a break in the auction. More hammer action later in the show.

But I've been told there's a place nearby that's very interesting.

I've never been to one before so I can't resist going to have a look.

What a fantastic spot this is!

You'll have to agree, that is such a dramatic backdrop!

You may be forgiven for thinking we're in France.

Flog It! has gone to France?

We haven't - we're just outside Eastbourne. And, yes, these are grape vines.

English wine doesn't always get the attention it deserves.

But here on the South Downs the geology is almost identical

to that of the Champagne region in France.

I've come to meet Peter Hall who's been producing his own champagne here for more than 30 years.

And here he is. Hi, Peter.

What a beautiful, idyllic spot. It's stunning.

I do think I'm in France.

It's so sheltered. You can't feel a breeze.

Why is this region so good for growing grapes?

For a start, we're very near Champagne. I make sparkling wine.

-Uh-huh.

-Sparkling wine, just as they do 170 miles away from us

-just over that way.

-Just across there.

-Yes, it's not far.

It's northeast of Paris. People forget.

-So it's nothing to do with the soil content?

-It's the soil as well, because they grow on chalk,

exactly the same Paris basin chalk as on the South Downs here.

-Exactly the same.

-And how many vines do you have here?

-Nearly 10,000.

-Over six acres.

-And have you planted them all up?

-I have. From... 1974, we started.

-How long does it take to harvest a grape?

We normally harvest the third week in October. But this warm summer

has made us start already. With a crop like this,

when I'm looking at maybe 15,000 bottles, maybe more,

it's going to take ten days of picking.

And ten days of pressing and me staying up all night when my pickers go home.

-What's the process throughout the year? There's a lot to do before the picking.

-Yeah.

It starts in the winter once the leaves fall off.

If Christmas dinner's a bit too long, I might go out and start pruning.

-Pruning takes me about three months.

-How did you get involved in this?

-I'm half French, my mother was French.

-It's in the blood!

-Yeah.

Well, it's something... Privileged to be born in a household where we drink wine twice a day.

What makes a good wine? If I just pick a grape now...

Can you look at these grapes and say X, Y, Z about them?

Yeah.

Il faut manger. Delicious!

-Oh, that is good.

-It's got a nice big pip

which cultured table grapes don't have. They edit those out.

But it's nice and sweet and it's good acidity.

Fantastic acidity.

-Doesn't it taste almost like a glass of champagne?

-Exactly.

-You don't have to do much to it, do you?

-You're kidding. You're kidding.

-You do.

-Do you?

You have to start with good grapes

like a restaurateur has to start with good food.

Some are turning different colours.

-Shouldn't they have been picked?

-No.

When they're fully ripe, they'll be golden. I need ripe grapes to make good fizz but not over-ripe ones.

There's a leanness-meanness that you have in a bottle of brut champagne.

You want to retain that. You do that with this variety.

It's got a good variety and a high acidity.

What's the rule with champagne?

Because I do know... I've read up and heard discussions on TV.

-You can't call something champagne unless it's grown in Champagne.

-Yes.

Paul, people get hung up about this. It's extraordinary.

They've no business to. Champagne comes from Champagne.

When I was at college, some years back,

in Newcastle, you could buy Spanish Chablis.

That's an outrage.

Chablis is in north Burgundy.

That's all been outlawed now and so should this.

-I'm not making champagne. I'm making sparkling wine.

-Yes.

-Call it fizz...

whatever you like. Call it champagne method

so that the consumer knows what he or she is getting.

-They know the second fermentation has taken place in the bottle in my cellar.

-Two fermentations?

-Yes.

That's what constitutes a sparkling wine?

Yeah. You make a still dry white wine

and then you add extra sugar and yeast...

-Ferment again.

-And you bottle that in a champagne bottle with a crown closure. Put it in the cellar.

Then the second fermentation takes place in the bottle.

And the alcohol goes up by one degree, from 11 to about 12.

The CO2 can't escape, of course, and that's where you get your mousse.

-The fine bubbles.

-I'm going to pinch one more grape

and then I think we can go back down to the farmhouse.

-Yeah, yeah.

-And do some real sampling!

-OK.

-Mm!

-That is SO good.

-Yeah. Would you like to taste...?

-I would.

-I got that feeling.

After they've been harvested, the grapes are weighed

and then pressed almost immediately to extract the juice.

The sugar content is measured and more can be added to increase the alcohol strength of the wine.

Yeast is then put in and the wine is fermented for the first time.

They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating,

-in this case, Peter, in the drinking.

-Indeed.

-Why is it called Breaky Bottom?

Bottom is a common word in Sussex to describe a little dry chalk valley.

So there's Long Bottom, Frog's Bottom.

-Breaky Bottom. Break comes from old English from scrub.

-Breaky Bottom.

Somebody told me champagne was invented by an Englishman.

-Is that true?

-It is true. That's how to get up the noses of Frenchmen.

It's true. Christopher Merritt delivered a paper to the Royal Society in London

some 30 years before Dom Perignon was credited with having invented champagne.

Well, that's cleared that fact up.

-I can see Pepe the winery cat's come for a tasting as well.

-Yeah.

-Shall we open a bottle and have a taste?

-OK.

-Do you drink a lot of champagne yourself?

-A fair bit.

OK...

A lot of people may have two glasses and save the rest for later

and put a spoon in the neck of the bottle. Do you advise that?

Or do you think once it's opened it should be drunk straightaway?

It's a good way of selling spoons.

The gas is going to escape once you open the bottle.

There's only one thing to do and that's to finish it all off.

-Let's have a go. Cheers.

-To you!

Gosh, that is good.

That's very good. Should champagne have a nose to it?

-A distinctive...?

-Oh, Lord, yes.

-What are you smelling?

Well, when it's made into champagne in the bottle

the dead yeast cells lie in the bottom of that bottle

and impart flavours to the wine.

The description given by wine tasters is "biscuity", "bready",

"yeasty", "brioche".

-All those sort of things.

-So it should have all of that?

-That little...

That little sniff.

And then you're getting fruit. Wonderful fruit coming through.

Mm.

-This you could go on drinking until the evening.

-I could!

-Are you fussy about champagne? Is this the only champagne you drink?

-No.

Many other wonderful vintage champagnes, I'd be on my knees to the people who make it.

-But this is valid in its own way.

-When you started this 30 years ago

-people were very sceptical, weren't they, about English wines?

-Well, I was.

There were only about a dozen vineyards.

There are now nearly 500.

-So you've got lots of competition.

-Yes.

But Kent, Sussex, Hampshire...

good areas, especially in chalk downs.

-Do you think it'll ever get exported to France?

-It's possible.

I actually sell wine to my French cousin

-who has a restaurant in the south, in Provence.

-That's great!

-Yes.

That's really nice.

-Hello, Susannah.

-Hello, Mark.

-You've decided to have a little clearout.

-You've got far too much jewellery.

-Well, enough

and some of the things I don't wear I want to get rid of.

Let's have a little look.

A charming little bar brooch.

-Yes.

-Which is set with rose-cut diamonds

and five nice-sized sapphires going across there.

-Do you know anything about it?

-I've had this brooch for years.

And...I wear it so rarely.

So it can go. My daughter doesn't want it

and I thought I'd get rid of it.

-It's a nice piece, actually, because it's a simple design.

-Yes.

We've moved on from that very decorative foliate style of the Victorian period.

You know, with very over-the-top scrolls and leaf decoration

and floral subjects, insects, that sort of thing,

to a very simple line set with nice diamonds, five nice sapphires.

-We've got a piece here which is Edwardian, probably 1910.

-Uh-huh.

Just before the Art Deco movement.

I think it will appeal to a younger market.

-In terms of value...

-I've no idea.

I would put an estimate of something like £300 to £500.

That sounds great. I thought it was worth about £80.

Oh, no, no. Those sapphires are nice.

If we put £300 to £500 on it with a £300 reserve,

-if you're happy with that...

-I'm very happy with that, yes.

-Well, we look forward to seeing you at the auction.

-Indeed, yes.

Wonderful.

Now, Valerie, you've brought along this picture for us to look at.

-What do you know about it?

-Very little, actually.

Purely that I went to...used to go to Edgar Horn's auction rooms when they were down in South Street.

I used to go every time they had an auction

and I bought several things over the years.

It was about 14 years ago that I went there and saw this plaque.

-So you saw it as a plaque.

-Yes.

-It didn't have this frame on it.

-No.

When I first saw it I thought, "A bit of modern art."

Then you look more closely, take the frame off...

-..and this is the panel that you bought.

-Yes.

-Why did you buy it?

I fell in love with it. I thought it was well done and unusual.

It is unusual. It is lovely.

Decorated pottery and porcelain plaques do vary considerably

in the quality and the subject matter.

And the quality and subject matter will determine the value.

-And the factory where they were created.

-Yes.

-Berlin plaques are up in the higher echelons

-and subjects with naked women are always a good seller.

-Yes.

Here we have a lovely little countryside scene,

-almost a bit chocolate-boxy.

-Yes.

Painted by the artist GE Savage.

And we've got a lovely scene.

This little group of figures

pointing up to the children up in the tree,

and the little dog. What's the story as you can see it?

It looks to me as though it's a family that have gone out for a day

for a picnic and found this lovely piece of countryside

and settled down there, all playing with their children,

-having a good time.

-I couldn't have put it better myself. Spot-on.

Let's just turn it over and have a little look at it.

We've got a stamp here.

-I believe... I will need to check this out, because I'm not a porcelain specialist...

-No.

But I believe this is one of these smaller pottery producers

which produced plaques like this. Not in vast quantities.

They weren't big producers. But the quality is... They're nice.

They're good commercial pieces. When you purchased it,

-how much did you pay?

-I paid approximately £110.

£110. Well, after 15 years you'd hope that it would have appreciated.

But I think you're probably right. You'll get something back on your investment.

-Not a great deal.

-No.

-But it could appeal to somebody.

-Yes.

-Like it did to me.

-Absolutely.

I'd have thought an estimate of £150 to £200.

-Yes.

-But what about a reserve of £150? Shall we suggest that?

-Yes.

-That's fine.

-Let's put a reserve of £150 and put it in the auction.

-OK.

-Hello, Chris.

-Hello.

-Nice to see you.

You've brought an interesting object along.

Can you give some information?

-Where did it come from?

-Um, it belonged to my father's father.

That's basically all I do know. My father passed away

-two years ago, and we found it in the wardrobe.

-In a box?

-In a carrier bag!

-You didn't know it was there?

-No.

Do you think your grandfather it would be...?

-Yes.

-Did he serve in the First World War?

-Yes, I think so.

-It certainly dates from that Kaiser Wilhelm period.

The Great War, 1914-1918. And of course,

it's a German army officer's helmet.

With the imperial German eagle on the front, then the regiment.

It's in quite good condition.

You've known of its existence for a couple of years,

-and haven't done any investigating yourself?

-No.

You thought you'd bring it along today and flog it, hopefully?

-Hopefully.

-Did you have any idea of what it might be worth?

-No, not at all.

-Because it is an interesting object,

and it's a very specialist object. I'm hoping the auctioneers

would obviously put this on the internet to attract collectors

that would be interested in it.

Sometimes they can do very well. There's been a lot of discussion

with my colleagues about this.

There's all sorts of different estimates.

I guess we'll never know what it's worth unless it goes into auction.

Some of them think it's worth at least £300.

I think it's worth £150 or so.

I'm going to follow their advice and suggest we put it in

with an estimate of £200-300, with maybe a reserve of £200

with 10% discretion. So the lowest it can sell for is £180.

-I see, yes.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yes, yes, I would.

Perfect. Then, of course, the proof will be on the day.

-If we can attract bidders, we might have a surprise.

-Yeah.

Might even get more. What else are you going to do with it?

-Put it back in the wardrobe.

-That's no good, is it?

With such a nice-looking helmet, it needs to be shown.

-It needs to go to a collector.

-It does.

Somebody who especially collects this and will enjoy this object,

-and add it to their collection.

-OK.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yes.

Perfect. Thank you so much for bringing an interesting item in.

Thank you.

And it's back to the sale room with our next batch of items.

Susanne was surprised at the high valuation

for her diamond and sapphire brooch. But as you know,

it's up to the bidders on the day.

Valerie hopes she'll make a profit on the painted panel

she bought at auction. And what will the bidders make of the helmet?

Even our experts are unsure!

First, auctioneer Jeanette May is about to offer the brooch for sale.

Right, now for the jewel in our crown.

It's a diamond brooch with sapphires, it belongs to Susanne,

but she can't be with us today in the Eastbourne Auction Rooms.

But our expert who valued it can! Mark Stacey.

Mark, you put £300-500 on. Little bit of discretion there?

-A little bit, yes.

-Do we need it?

Possibly. I mean, jewellery is so funny.

Sometimes I can get it right, and others I get it completely wrong!

-And there's not a lot of jewellery in the sale.

-No.

Although it's quite stylish. It's Edwardian, very simple bar brooch.

-You know, 270, 300, we're hopeful.

-There's a lot of bidders here.

It's a ladies' item, the room is full of ladies.

The diamond and sapphire bar brooch.

There it is. Here with me on commission at 160.

Take 180 to move on? 160, 180 to move on?

-Come on.

-No, no.

-All done, £160?

-Oh, dear. In a way, it's a blessing Susanne wasn't here.

-It is a bit.

-I got that one completely wrong.

-You gonna ring her or shall I?

-I think you'd better.

-OK!

-Send her my apologies!

-We can't win them all.

-No, you can't.

Valerie is having a clear-out, she's downsizing and this is the first item to go.

-A painted panel.

-Yes.

-We're looking at £150-200.

It is quality, I love this.

I'm sure you could find a space on the wall to keep this.

No, I've had to make the decision, and that's it.

-I've got to be hard.

-Got to be ruthless in this business!

-Our expert who put the value on it is Jethro.

-Rrragh!

-It is quality.

-It is sort of quality.

You've got to have the right sort of place to put it.

It wouldn't go in my house, it doesn't go in your house.

-There'll be someone here who's got the spot for it.

-Let's hope we get the top end of the valuation.

-To put towards moving costs!

-Oh, yes.

-They haemorrhage money.

-Don't they just!

Whose house will it go into? We're gonna find out.

Let's hope the bidder is right here. This is it.

Lot 121, the rectangular Victorian china plaque,

with children by a stream, signed G E Savage.

It's got the factory mark to the reverse. Been a bit of interest.

We start this on reserve at 150.

At 150 only. At 150. I'll take 60 from you.

-At £150 only, then...

-That's OK.

150, 160 seeing you. 170, will you? At 170.

170 seated. 180, where? At £170 then,

seated at 170...

Good one. Nice, Jethro, spot on.

£170.

-Lovely.

-Not bad, is it?

-No, that's good.

I've just been joined by Christina in the nick of time.

We thought we'd lost you! The room is packed.

Your German WWI helmet, just about to go under the hammer.

I had a chat to the auctioneer. I'll bring you in on this.

You put £200-300 on this. I said, "It is a minefield, militaria."

-She agreed with me.

-Unless you know the subject.

I thought it was very interesting. It's got to be worth 200-300.

We agreed a 200 reserve, which we were both happy with.

-Anything above that is going to be a bonus.

-Yes.

But they have illustrated it, it's been focused on the internet,

-and I'm sure that's gonna tinkle all those...

-Condition is fantastic.

-It's tactile, and it's got the look.

-Untouched, as well.

-The brass isn't... You haven't tried to clean it.

-No.

And that's just what a collector wants.

We'll keep our fingers crossed.

Good luck on this, it's going under the hammer now. This is it.

The Prussian military helmet for the guardsman.

A lot of interest in this one.

We can start this one on commission at £220.

230, 240, 250. 260 on the telephone?

250 here. 260, 270, 280, 290.

-300?

-Quite a popular helmet!

300 on the telephone. 320, new bidder.

340. 340, 360?

380.

400. And 20.

440, 460.

-480. 500.

-Gosh!

-Wow!

500 on the telephone. 520 in the room.

540.

540, 560, 580.

-600. 620.

-(This is good! 620!)

-(I can't believe it!)

-620, 650. 680.

700? 700 in the room.

720 on the phone, 750. 750.

-780.

-(Oh, my God!)

-780 on the phone.

800. And 20.

820, 850. 820 on the telephone. Anybody else getting involved?

You all done at £820?

Hammer's gone down. £820!

I don't believe it!

Whew!

-God!

-That is a surprise. We had a chat with the auctioneer,

just before the sale. I said, "These are so hard to value.

"It could be 200-300, or it just fly out at £1,000."

She said, yes, she doesn't know either.

-There are people out there that do understand that kind of thing.

-Yes.

They wanted it.

That's a lot of money! What's the first thing that comes to mind?

-Shopping!

-No.

-No, what?

-No.

-It's going to go towards a memorial for my father.

-Oh, lovely.

-How wonderful.

-We all decided on that.

-That's lovely.

-That's fantastic.

-That's good. That's a good call, isn't it?

-Surprised?

-Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant.

That's it, it's all over.

And what a fantastic day we've had here in Eastbourne.

It'll be sad to leave. All our owners have gone home happy,

all credit to our experts,

because it's not an exact science doing those valuations.

Hope you've enjoyed the show. Until the next time, it's cheerio.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media - 2007

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