Exeter Flog It!

This charming, old Elizabethan pub, which is so full of character,

was only the favourite haunt of a couple of old sea dogs -

Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Drake.

And Lord Nelson used to stay in a hotel just up the road there,

but, believe it or not, we're completely landlocked.

We're miles away from the sea.

Where are we? Well, we're in the beautiful cathedral city of Exeter. Welcome to Flog It!

We're following in the footsteps of William the Conqueror,

who visited Exeter two years after winning the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Since Roman times, Exeter has seen invaders come and go,

from the Vikings to Hitler's Luftwaffe,

so let's hope there's no fighting today between our two experts.

David Barby and Will Axon are at St George's Hall, sharpening their wits for the day ahead.

Come on, you two! No scrapping over the antiques. There's plenty more inside.

First up, it's an old favourite.

Janet, thank you for coming in today,

We've already seen a few bits of Clarice Cliff here today,

unfortunately most of them damaged or cracked.

When I asked you what you had in your box, you said, "Clarice Cliff."

I thought, "Another cracked Clarice jug or chipped Clarice plate."

But you've brought along this rather nice conical sifter.

How did you come by it?

-I inherited it.

-From close family or...?

-Yes. Parents.

Do you know how they acquired it?

-It was probably a wedding present.

-They were married, when?

-1930s, perhaps?

-'36.

'36? That's exactly when this dates from. This shape and pattern - the Lorna pattern.

I didn't know that.

You've got the riverside cottage, the bridge, the river alongside.

Typical marks underneath - the Clarice Cliff transfer mark there.

Wilkinson, England.

Maybe not the original stopper. It could be - it's expanded over time.

-Just because it doesn't sit quite true.

-I didn't dare touch it cos it might break off.

Yeah. I didn't want to cork the bottle, shall we say?

Um...I understand you've had it valued in the past. Is that right?

Yes, I did. Several years ago now.

The good thing about this is,

it stands out as an icon piece, shall we say, for Clarice Cliff.

Whereas other factories were just painting new designs on old shapes,

Clarice was innovative in her shapes

and the design of the pieces, as well as the decoration.

What sort of value did they put on it when you had it appraised?

-You tell me.

-I tell you?

I mean, when I saw it, my gut instinct,

bearing in mind that a few years ago these could easily make into four figures,

but because of the way that the market's gone at the moment,

my instinct was, auction estimate, 300 to 500.

-What sort of figure did they quote you?

-Above that.

-Above that? Was it?

-Yes.

-Oh, dear. I'm going to have to try again.

-If I said to you, 400 to 600, is that closer to the mark?

-That's better.

-OK.

300 to 500 would have been ideal.

400 to 600, I think we could stretch to that.

And could we have a little bit of discretion, perhaps, on that 400?

-Un petit peu.

-A little 10%, perhaps, auctioneer's discretion?

-Yes.

I think that's the right sort of level to pitch it at.

£400 to £600. It's got to be worth that, surely. Perfect condition,

nice pattern, bright colours...

So if you're happy with that,

I think £400 to £600 at the auction,

-reserve of 400, discretion.

-Yes.

-Fingers crossed, we'll be looking at mid to upper end of the estimate.

-Lovely.

-Sylvia?

-Yes.

-Are you one of those ladies that like potted plants?

-Yes.

-As you can see!

-Oh, dear. On top of that table.

Which added to the shrapnel damage.

-What do you mean, shrapnel damage?

-During the war.

-Really?

-Yes.

-What happened?

-We got bombed.

-In Exeter?

-No, in south-east London.

-Your family came from London?

-Yes.

-Well, it is a shame, because the value of this table has been affected because of the damage.

-Yes.

-The whole surface here will have to be re-veneered.

-Re-done, yes.

And that is so costly.

Whether, in fact, the person who buys this

-will actually retain this decoration, I'm not certain.

-Yes.

But some skilled person might.

The table itself is a card table, as you know,

and what I love about these card tables is you've got this swivel action

and the top folds over.

Now, this was an improvement on the Georgian ones, where you had a leg that you had to swing out.

-Oh, yes?

-So here, you'd swing round the top.

-Yes.

These are quite good for anybody moving or downsizing.

-We used it as a dining-room table when we got married.

-Did you?

-Yes. 60 years ago in a fortnight's time!

-So you're celebrating?

-Hopefully.

-Let's hope we can sell this well!

The actual lining here, which is a pink baize, that's original.

There's no problem about having that replaced.

I want to see whether these hinges - lovely brass flush hinges - are in good condition, which they are.

The date of this table is of the middle Victorian period,

so we're looking round about 1865 to 1880, that sort of period.

Now, what I like about it, is the actual undercarriage.

Yes, they're very nice.

That is lovely, isn't it?

That's machine-turning at its very best.

-Look at those legs.

-Yes.

They are wonderful. The burr walnut and that lovely inlaid decoration.

All my children used to play with that.

HE LAUGHS

You can put your rings on it.

Then, if you look at the actual feet themselves,

it's acanthus leaves.

Is that what it is?

That's what they are - acanthus leaves -

-and they would have been finished off by hand.

-Oh.

So, altogether, it would have been a very, very high-class table.

-Yes.

-Where did the table come from? What's its history?

It came from my grandfather, who won it in 1897.

1897? Why did he win it?

He was rowing. He was an apprentice waterman.

-Was this in London?

-In London, in Deptford. Yes.

-Why do you want to sell this? Is there nobody in your family...?

-No.

I have four children. They didn't know my grandfather and they're not really interested.

-They said, "Mother, if you haven't got room, why don't you sell it?"

-Sensible.

-Do you think so?

You're not going to make a large amount of money, because of the damage to the surface,

and I think the auctioneer will say...an estimate of £300 to £500.

-Mm-hm.

-I would be happy if you put a firm reserve at 300.

Mm-hm. My husband kept saying, "You should get 500 or 600 for that",

but I haven't got a clue.

-£500 or £600 - might have been a few years ago.

-Yes.

-Brown furniture has taken a tumble. I think it's the condition that'll affect the market.

-Yes, I'm sure.

-Put it low and watch it build up.

-Right.

-Sylvia?

-Yes?

-Keep your fingers crossed.

-I will.

Liz, I'm having a superb day here in Exeter.

I know Bluebell's enjoying herself.

She's just met a little friend over there,

but I wonder who's going to be the leader of the pack!

I think someone amongst this group!

These are called painted bronzes. They belong to you, do they?

My husband, really.

He's just inherited them?

Well, a few years ago, yeah,

when my mother-in-law died suddenly.

-They're my children's inheritance, really.

-I'm mesmerised.

Every single one is absolutely stunning.

My eye is vying for attention. I don't know which to pick up.

If I had to single out a group,

I like the band, I like the orchestra,

but, for me, it's got to be this group. This is my favourite lot.

A group of four foxhounds there.

The weight is incredible!

It's all bronze. It's cast in bronze. Beautifully cast.

All the undercuts around the ears, the eyes... It's all there.

It's quality.

-These were done circa 1900 in Austria.

-Oh.

Once the bronze has cooled down,

they are then hand-painted with a very small brush

by a very skilful artist.

This little group alone, with these four hounds chasing the fox,

the poor little fox...

That's £1,500 to £2,000 alone.

They're divine.

-It's the best collection of Austrian bronzes I've seen.

-Right.

For me, anyway, because I'm a dog-lover.

The entire collection here, if you split up this group, the odd chap by himself,

you're looking at somewhere in the region of £5,000 to £6,000.

-Right.

-Lucky children. Had you any idea of their value?

We knew they were worth quite a bit, but not as much as you're saying.

Yes, so...

-Something to hang onto.

-Yes.

-Please cherish this lot.

-We will. Yes, definitely. Yes.

-Hello, Jill.

-Hiya.

-Thanks for coming along today.

-That's all right.

-You've brought two pieces of fishing interest for us.

-That's right.

My husband's had them in the drawer for ages.

I mentioned about coming, so he said, "Take it in, see what..."

-He's a fisherman, is he?

-Oh, yes, he's been doing it all his life.

-He's got me at it, as well!

-So you are a fisherlady?

-Yes.

-Is that what...? Fisherwoman! That sounds like you work in a fish market. Fisherladies.

-Yes.

Well, this boxed one here,

un, Distinctive Reels, a JW Young reel,

is relatively recent,

so, really, we're concentrating on this reel here,

which, as you say, it's a Hardy reel.

Now, in the world of vintage fishing tackle,

-Hardy is the Rolls-Royce of fishing tackle.

-Right.

They were a firm in Northumberland, the Hardy Brothers.

They started off in the late 19th century,

through to about 1930.

I suspect this reel is going to be towards the end of that period.

-Right.

-You can generally tell with the foot here, which would attach it to the rod,

in the earlier models was brass, and on this model, it's an alloy,

which is the same material as the rest of the reel.

It's nicely marked there - the Conquest - the name of the reel.

We've got the little dial at the bottom there,

-which is to variate the drag.

-I never knew what that was for.

All the screws and so on look original, and the rivets,

which is something you've got to look for in the Hardy reels.

Shame that one hasn't got its box. That would have completed the lot.

-It's just starting to pit slightly.

-Yeah.

Did your husband buy it or did he inherit it?

Is it a family of fishermen?

I think he was given it,

but I couldn't say when.

Just quite a few years ago.

Have you any idea what sort of value it would be worth?

About seven, eight years ago, somebody offered him about £98.

-98?

-98, 89, something like that.

OK, yeah.

They probably weren't far off the mark, to be honest.

One in good condition, perhaps in its box,

we might be looking at sort of 150, 160.

-Right.

-We have to take into account the fact that it's not boxed,

but I'm confident that if we put the two together, in a lot,

I think the Young reel, it's a bonus for whoever buys the Hardy.

All the value's in this one.

I would suggest putting it in with an estimate of 100 to 150.

-Yeah, that's fine.

-Would you be happy?

-Let's take it along and see if we can do something with it.

-We'll probably go to Cornwall for a week,

-so it all helps.

-That'll help pay for petrol down.

-That's right.

-Fingers crossed.

-Yeah.

So our first trawl of valuations has netted some very interesting items.

Good condition Clarice Cliff is always popular, and Janet's determined to get a good price.

The Hardy fishing reel is sure to catch the eye of an enthusiast.

And my personal favourite - the walnut card table.

Let's hope the water damage doesn't dampen the bidders' interest.

Just down the road from St George's Hall,

or, if you've got a boat like this crew have, just down the water from St George's Hall,

is Bearne's auction room, and today's auctioneer is Nick Sainty.

He's the man with all the local knowledge, so before our lots go under the hammer,

let's see what he's got to say about our experts' valuations.

I absolutely love this.

We don't get enough furniture on Flog It, so, please, if you've got some, bring it in!

It belongs to Sylvia and it was her grandfather's. Victorian.

Walnut. It's an amazing fold-over card table.

We've got a valuation of £300 to £500 on it.

All it needs is... a little bit of re-veneering.

It needs a lot of re-veneering!

I've subsequently spoken to the lady in question

and the family is so keen on it that they've raised the reserve to 400.

Ah... That's a little bit sticky, isn't it?

I can see why they've done it.

It means a lot to the family because the grandfather won this in a rowing race.

-She led me to believe the damage on the top was bomb damage.

-It needs £300 spending on it.

And that's a lot of money for a private person,

-so I'd be very surprised if this sells.

-It's got the look.

If you stand back and look at this, architecturally, the detail is superb.

I love the fact that you've got the four columns clustering there. It's beautiful. The inlay's stunning.

It's got that lovely nutty hue that you can only get with age.

You're a furniture man, anyway, so I can appreciate your love for it.

I look at it - the feet are nice, the legs are nice,

it's a shame about the face. It's not going to sell at that price!

-Oooh! Please try.

-I'll try very hard because it is a remarkable piece of furniture.

Put it this way - they have upped the reserve,

which means they're not really bothered if it goes home.

Fingers crossed, but I think the runes are against it to be honest.

We'll find out in just a moment. We'll let Nick get on the rostrum and weave his magic.

Well, it wouldn't be Flog It! without Clarice Cliff and we have a choice piece for you right now.

-And it belongs to Janet, here. Good luck.

-Thank you.

Do you need good luck at £400-600?

-Because we've seen these sell before and they've always done the top-end of the estimate.

-Fingers crossed.

Yes, she has her fingers crossed. There's no need for that!

Clarice Cliff always does the business.

-What I want to know is, why are you flogging it?

-I don't like Clarice Cliff.

I don't like Art Nouveau, I don't like anything like that.

I've got to admit, OK, I don't understand Clarice Cliff

and I certainly wouldn't pay as much as some people would for it.

-So, I'm kinda with you on that one.

-Oh, good.

Hopefully, what are you gonna put the money towards? More antiques...?

No, I hope to spend my winters in France. I'm looking for a house, so that'll pay for me to go and look.

-Go shopping for a house in France. That can't be bad, Will?

-Sounds good. A good lifestyle to live.

But, yeah, Clarice Cliff - a lot of it about. I like this piece

cos the conical sifter is an iconic shape.

Good luck! This is it, Janet. It's going under the hammer.

The Clarice Cliff conical sugar sifter in the Lorna design.

200, 210, 220... 30 with you. It's here at 220. And 30 with you.

-Oh!

-We're struggling at 230.

-Are you all done?

-230, thank you. 240, 250...

-Phew!

260, 270, 280, 290...

300, 320...

340, 360...

-Go on.

-380, 400...?

-It's in the corner at £400.

-Phew!

-Do I see 420?

-That was close, actually.

-Are we all done at £400?

-KNOCK!

Ooh! That is a sold sound. It wasn't top-end was it, Janet?

It wasn't, no. Never mind.

Ooh! I nearly bigged that up,

-and for a moment it struggled at 280 didn't it, or 230? Somewhere around there.

-Yeah.

I thought, "It's not going!"

Is this the turning point for Clarice Cliff? I wonder.

It did sound like a cheap lot to me, really.

You've got to take into account the rarity of the pattern and the design and so on.

But I've seen them make four figures before for more unusual patterns.

I thought Lorna was a sought-after pattern. But we got it away!

-That's the main thing.

-That's it. Thank you.

-All we can say really is - job done!

We've got two choice fishing reels going under the hammer.

-They belong to Jill.

-That's right.

-They're your husband's, really.

-Yes.

-He's the keen fisherman, isn't he?

-Very much so.

I love the Hardy reel and I think that's a choice lot.

-Yes.

-That's were the value is. Hopefully we'll get the top-end, that 150-mark. Will?

Hopefully, yeah. I mean, the reel's in nice condition.

-The Hardy's not in a box, is it?

-No.

-The more modern one is.

-That's right.

That would maybe have helped bump up the price.

-But...

-Nevertheless, I think we're gonna do this. I really think we're gonna do this.

-Good luck.

-We've got the reels, the fishing reels.

There's some interest here.

Oh! Some interest.

50...5, 60...5... £70 is bid.

-Commission bid of £70.

-We need somebody to start bidding.

-85...

-He's got a bid still left on there.

-90...

-He's moving it up.

-Doorway bidder at £95.

-95.

-So selling with a bit of discretion.

-In the doorway at 95.

I'm selling in the room then at £95.

-Jill, it's gone.

-Yeah, well, that's fine. Yeah.

-95 quid.

-Well, it's better than being saved in the drawer, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Well done.

-And I hope that the next fish he catches is the biggest one for you.

-I'm hoping.

-You're hoping.

-Yeah.

Now for one of my favourite items of the day, cos I love wood.

This has got everything, apart from the fact that it's a bit damaged.

It belongs to Sylvia, it's that lovely Victorian card table.

We had a valuation of £300-500.

-Now, you have since changed the value, you've upped the reserve, haven't you, to £400?

-Yes.

-Now we've got really a value of £400-500.

-Mmm.

I had a chat to the auctioneer... Let's bring David in, our expert,

-cos you don't know...

-I've just heard.

-..the reserve's gone up. Well...

the auctioneer said, since you've put the reserve up...

-Yeah.

-..it might just struggle.

-Right.

-Fair enough.

-He could have got it away at £300.

-Yes.

-Pity. Time will tell.

-We'll see.

-Time will tell.

-Oh, dear.

-It's going under the hammer now.

-Is it?

-I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

-David will as well.

-I've everything crossed.

-We want it to sell.

Lot 345, the burr walnut inlaid card table.

-Commission bid with me...

-Ooh!

-320... £340 is bid.

360 will you? 340 is bid. 360 will you?

Oh, it's close.

360...380...400...

We've done it!

Showcase bidder at £400.

-I'm shivering.

-We've done it.

-That's the book out.

-I'm so pleased.

-We're all done...

-Yes!

-..on the showcase and selling at £400.

-Whoo!

-That was good. That was good.

-It was so close.

-Well, I never.

That was good. Everybody got what they wanted.

-You got the value right. You got the money you wanted.

-Yes.

-Somebody would've had a good deal for the card table if it went for less. So...

-I'm very pleased.

They say every Englishman's home is his castle.

Well, not every Englishman has that luxury of having his very own castle designed and built to order.

But that's exactly what one successful businessman did back in 1910, and his name was Julius Drewe.

And surrounded by the beautiful rolling hillsides here,

on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, he built his home - Castle Drogo.

Drewe founded the Home And Colonial Stores -

one of the earliest chain stores in the world.

By the age of 33, he'd amassed enough of a fortune to retire

and dedicate his time to planning his grand project.

And coming, as he did, from new money,

Drewe was eager to buy himself a piece of illustrious history.

So, he did some research on his family tree

and he discovered, or he claimed he was a direct descendant of a Norman baron - Drogo de Teign.

And fresh with these visions of his ancient family roots in his mind,

he commissioned architect Edwin Lutyens to design and build

a baronial pile, here on the edge of Dartmoor.

Lutyens, the pre-eminent architect of his day,

was famous for his versatility and invention.

He specialised in adapting styles of the past

to the demands of modern living.

And that's exactly what we've got here at Castle Drogo.

And to find out a bit more about this VERY impressive building,

-I've come to talk to the curator - Michael Thompson. Hi.

-Hello.

-Thank you for showing me around.

-This place must have caused a stir in its day.

-It certainly did.

Nothing like it had been built before and it was making a very big stamp on the landscape

-and really making a big statement about Julius Drewe's family and his history and so on.

-Mmm.

So, Lutyens, the architect, incorporated everything he could into one house

to make it appear to be a very old house with a lot of history.

It must have cost an absolute fortune!

How did Drewe earn his millions?

He earned his millions through tea and through margarines.

He obviously had an eye for detail and for culture, didn't he?

-And wanted some kind of baronial past to cling onto.

-Yup. Everything about the house

takes you through all the different ages of architecture in Britain

and the details give away the fact that this is a modern house.

Yeah, but I love the way... I mean it is a modern house.

It's got the feel of a modern house, but this massive entrance hall

is a sort of...it's not had the granite plastered at all

or painted. It's in its austere sort of drabness, which is quite nice,

it takes you back centuries.

-Yes, indeed. We're in a kind of Medieval-feel here.

-It feels like it, doesn't it?

It does. And the granite appears to be coming out of the ground,

but there's all the mod cons and all the comforts available of the time.

Well, this very impressive entrance hall is great for starters,

-but let's have a tour and explore the rest. Come on!

-OK.

The 51-roomed castle is only a third of the size of its original design.

The advent of the First World War

reduced the scale of the men's ambitions,

but, even so, it still took 20 years to build.

Including this, the kitchen's very unusual domed roof.

It's so hard to imagine that this house was designed and built in the 1920s.

But then that is the secret of good design, isn't it? It's absolutely ageless.

Talk me through some of the creature comforts the lucky few would've had...in the 1920s.

The lucky few, certainly in this house, would've had things like electricity

powering an awful lot of bits and pieces around the house.

They had a lift, they had everything from electric teacup warmers to electric clocks.

So it's a very luxurious house.

It's got everything you could've asked for at the time.

When you look at this kitchen, you'd think this was designed yesterday,

cos this is all the rage now - big centre island, wonderful smooth lines on the work surface,

very easy to clean. Everything's here. It's so hygienic.

It's one those things, where Lutyens has really put a lot of effort into it to make it a workable kitchen.

It's got to be smooth-running. There can't be any faults. So you've got the ranges behind us,

-they're working almost all the way through the day.

-It's an architectural delight,

-but at the same time it is pioneering.

-Yeah. Definitely.

-I'd love this kitchen.

-It's very good, isn't it? Workable, without a doubt.

Why was it so important for Drewe to have everything so simplistic and modern?

Well, he was very much a man of his time.

Any kind of gadget, anything that was new,

that would really sort of catch his imagination,

-he was employing in the house.

-Yeah.

And so, he fed that into the whole of his lifestyle.

I love that light scoop that Lutyens has put in. I think that's wonderful.

-It also lets the whole kitchen breathe.

-Yes. Yep.

There's windows up there you can open. It acts like a flume - takes all the heat away.

But the cook was more worried about the LIGHTING in here.

-There's so much natural light up there!

-There is, but four electric lights, to her, were alien

and not what she was used to. She didn't want to cook in here for some time.

-What a moaner! It is stunning.

-You'd never change Lutyens' mind on something like that.

No. No, and I'm pleased he was so stubborn,

-and that's the quality of a good architect. You do not compromise.

-No.

Julius Drewe and Edwin Lutyens didn't go in for half measures

in the design and construction of Castle Drogo.

These solid granite walls were the last castle ever to be built in Britain

and it's a lasting monument and testament to the architectural ambitions of these two men.

In their ambition to marry the ancient with the modern,

no detail was overlooked.

Even the servants' quarters incorporated the latest mod cons

and in the 1920s, that meant the castle needed electricity.

I'd imagine it'd be difficult to heat a house this size.

-Every bedroom would've had an electric fire?

-Yes.

The whole house had central heating, but it was very hard to keep the place warm,

so you could heat locally by plugging in your little electric fire and hopefully it would fill the room.

-But that put a great demand on this consumer unit.

-Yes.

We have, nowadays, a button that you push in when the fuse goes,

but look at this - this is very sophisticated.

-All these are porcelain, aren't they?

-They are.

-They are your circuit-breakers?

-Yup.

If you have a problem with your electricity in a room, or if a fuse goes,

then you pull one of these handles down till you cut the electric flow off.

You get a great flash! And then you pull that out, put a new piece of wire across

-and then back in it all goes.

-Yeah.

-It's amazing. It looks like it's out of a Frankenstein movie.

-Yeah.

So, in the days before the National Grid, how did a big house like this, generate its own supply?

-Well, this one had its own turbine house down on the river at the bottom of the gorge.

-Right.

-And so, really, you were dependent on river flow as to whether you had adequate current.

-Hmm-mm.

But it's a good, self-sufficient system.

Maybe we'll be able to get it running some time.

Michael, thank you very much. It's been a pleasure wandering around here

-and it's definitely worth coming back. It's worth several visits. Thank you.

-Thank you.

And here's another two men whose ambition

is to unearth more of Devon's treasures.

Tim, I was hoping, today,

that somebody would come along with...

items I could relate to the area.

-Hmm-mmm.

-This is a wonderful collection of terracotta.

People call it slipware, motto ware,

produced late 19th, into the 20th century

and it's still being produced now.

Um, souvenir pieces, mainly from the sort of Torquay area.

Now, why did you start collecting them?

Because, like you say, it was local to the area

and being Devonshire born and bred myself,

with the mottos and that, I could relate to it.

Well, I think I would need some translation.

I can't read this.

There's one incredible inkwell here, which probably dates from the beginning of the 20th century.

There's a motto there. What does it say?

It says on that one, "Us be always glad to yer frume."

-So that means...?

-Which is meaning, we're always glad to hear from you.

-Oh!

So, it's colloquial English?

Yeah, Devon, the Queen's English as her is spoke.

These are delightful little pieces. I particularly like this candlestick.

This is very much in the Arts And Crafts style.

This whole industry was established to supply the tourist trade...

-That's right.

-..for the fairly wealthy middle-class,

who, because of the railway, were coming to the West Country on holiday.

-Yes.

-So very astute potters, particularly Aller Vale, Torquay,

started producing decorative pottery,

slip decorated like this piece here,

and then putting mottos on a bit later.

Where did you acquire them from?

One or two pieces I had given to me, birthday and Christmas, car boot sales,

market stalls.

I can tell you bought them from car boot sales and jumble sales,

because all of them have got slight nicks...

-some have got chips or hairline cracks.

-That's right.

The most important pieces, like the the candlestick and the inkwell, haven't.

I think that will carry the whole collection when they come up for sale.

Now I'm going to make a suggestion to you that we don't put a reserve on these.

-Right.

-We should let them run along in the auction.

As long as we've got two or three people there bidding away

it'll achieve the market price.

I hope they'll go for something in the region of about £60-80.

But I think at that sort of level, the auction will not take a reserve

-and they'll say exactly the same that I'm saying...

-Exactly.

-Are you happy with that?

Yeah, I appreciate everything you say.

You'll be there to join in the fun?

-Oh, too right!

-I can't say I'll be holding your hand, but I shall be there!

Jack, you've brought in this rather fine Royal Doulton figure.

Tell me about it.

Well, I don't really know much about it, but it belonged to my mother

and when we cleared her home in Aberdeen, we brought it down to Exeter,

we've never really showed it. It's just been up in the loft

or in odd corners, so...

Let's just take her out of that box.

She's not got any great age to her.

But with this sort of modern collectible,

what's all important to the collector is the fact that you've kept the original box,

you've even got the original packaging,

and you've got the all-important certificate of authenticity.

This is 4,614 out of 5,000.

For a firm like Royal Doulton

that can produce thousands and thousands of these figures

on a production run,

5,000 is actually quite a nice low figure.

You occasionally see certificates with "limited to 30 firing days",

and in 30 days, they can produce a lot of porcelain figures.

Royal Doulton figures started off early 20th century

when we started trying to compete against the early German imports,

the bisque figures.

Post-war, we were pushed to get these figures made in England,

a local industry, rather than importing.

And you had two factories mainly, Royal Worcester and Royal Doulton.

You can see it's Queen Victoria.

We've got some nice detailing here with the dogs jumping up,

the little cushion here,

the folds in her dress.

And you've got this hand-painted decoration

which again just...

allows the decorator to be a bit more subtle

in the colours used and the brushstroke,

which brings out the elegance of the figure.

Even this nice little flower on her dress here

is in perfect condition.

The cost of producing these figures

is actually quite high

which is why you get the retail price,

which can sometimes be a little top heavy,

-when these things again then come to market.

-Uh-huh.

I would say at auction,

for a figure like this,

in all its original packaging,

you should be looking

in region of £200-300.

-Is that a sort of figure that you would be happy with us...

-Yes.

-..taking her to auction at?

-Yes.

-Rather than languishing in the loft?

-Well, just thinking how pretty she looked there,

-so better somebody to appreciate her than...

-Yes, she was a pretty lady in her youth.

I'm happy at that.

-£200-300. And if we put the reserve at 200 with discretion...

-Yes.

Just gives the auctioneer a little bit of leeway.

If you're happy at that, we'll see if we can knock the hammer down to her at that sort of money.

-Yes, I think that would be satisfactory.

-Super.

Jane, this really does put a smile on my face.

It's a little bit naughty.

-Yes.

-Tell me all about it.

It came from my ex-father-in-law who lived in Birmingham.

-Ah.

-He died in 1983

and his elder brother had also had a jeweller's shop.

When he died, they were just clearing out his shop

and somehow we acquired this.

I don't know how!

You can't help but laugh and smile when you see it.

It's a lovely little silver cigarette case

and the key there, as you said, Birmingham.

I've looked through the glass and you can see the assay mark for Birmingham which is the anchor.

The silver lion passant moving to the left means sterling silver.

The maker's name is EML. I have looked in the book and I can't find him,

but the lower case "r"

set against the anchor for Birmingham,

-this was made in 1891.

-1891?

-Yes.

There's a fair bit of weight there and silver has shot up in value,

-as has copper and gold.

-Right.

A few weeks ago, that was about £2.75 an ounce.

It's now £5 an ounce.

-So it's a good time to sell.

-Right.

You had to have a little bit of money to afford something like this.

The enamel work is absolutely divine.

There's only a little bit of damage, just on the corner.

But it's got the touch

and it's got the silver marks,

and it's got a gorgeous lady,

who is sort of riding along topless on a pushbike!

Someone had a sense of humour. I absolutely adore this.

-It's not too naughty, is it?

-No, no.

-It's titillation, if you pardon the pun, rather than pornography.

I don't know what she's holding.

It looks like a cap.

Maybe people are putting coins in it!

And she's saying, "Come on, it's a bet!"

You never know, do you? I think you've got to use your own imagination here.

-If it was pornography, which they did depict a lot...

-Uh-huh.

-..it would be on the inside.

-Right.

Slightly more discreet.

I've not seen anything so charming and so witty and funny

-and I know this is going to sell well.

-Excellent.

Are you sure you want to sell it?

-Yes.

-Why do you want to sell it?

It's just been in a bag in the bathroom

and I spoke to my ex-husband

and we agreed that as it wasn't of any sentimental value,

that we'd sell it and split the money between the children.

-So they can get some use of it.

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

-Yeah.

I'm going to put a value of...

I'm going to be quite bold and say £300-400.

Not bad.

-Not bad at all.

-It's not bad at all, is it?

We'll put a reserve, a fixed reserve, of £275.

We mustn't sell it any less than that.

That's the wrong day and the wrong auction room. There's no bidders there. It's worth £300-400.

Not bad.

I think it's charming.

I just can't wait to see this one go under the hammer.

-Thank you very much, Jane, and hopefully I'll see you at the auction.

-OK.

Well, that's it for our valuations.

Let's see what's going off to auction.

Staying at home here in Devon, there's the quirky motto ware collection.

Will we get a king's ransom

for this delightful Queen Victoria Royal Doulton figurine?

And this naughty but nice silver cigarette case

may raise a smile, but will it raise any interest with our bidders?

Let's hotfoot it over to Bearne's auction house in Exeter and find out.

Something with a bit of local interest right now, Torquay ware.

Apparently it's all in the clay.

They belong to Tim. Various items.

No reserve, so there's no pressure on our expert.

Hopefully we're gonna get the £60-80 mark, Tim.

You've been collecting for a number of years, so why are you flogging?

-Is it, "That's it. Had enough now. Go on to something else."?

-Well...

my latest collecting habit of model and toy tractors,

-being in the farming fraternity...

-Oh, right.

..has sort of taken over

and it's room.

David, will we get that top end?

We should do. There's a nice mixture of Torquay terracotta companies in this collection.

Some are a bit chipped.

But they've all got these lovely local mottos on.

And it is good tourist ware, isn't it?

They were originally tourist ware.

They're going under the hammer right now. Good luck, Tim.

Lot 210, this mixed group of Watcombe Pottery.

Eighteen pieces in all.

Bidding's with me,

32, 35, 38,

-40, £42 is bid.

-Good start.

45. 48.

50. The book is out.

Lady's bid at £50.

5. 60?

5?

70.

-5?

-Go on, wind it up.

He says no.

-Lady's bid at £70. Are we all done?

-That's good.

Selling then at £70.

Spot on, David! Well done, Tim!

-Thank you for bringing those in.

-Better than a kick up the pants!

-Is that motto?

-My father always used to say nimble ninepence is better than a trundling bob.

THEY LAUGH

I've just been joined by Jack and he's about to flog some Royal Doulton and it is Queen Victoria.

Limited edition.

When you think limited edition, you always think one of 100 or 200,

but 5,000's quite a lot.

When you think about the amount that these factories produced,

in their terms, 5,000 isn't probably a lot.

-But in our terms, it probably is.

-Why are you flogging it?

Well, it's not our sort of thing.

-We collect bull terriers.

-Oh, do you?!

-Are you a dog lover as well?

-A bit of crystal as well.

Good luck. This is it.

255, the Doulton figure.

Boxed with its certificate. A number of commission bids.

Pretty close together. 50, 160, 170 is bid.

180 on the showcase.

-It's on the showcase at 180.

-He's selling at 180.

The book is out. It's on the showcase at 180.

He's using his discretion.

Are you all done? At £180.

It's gone down - just!

-It sold.

-It sold. Only just.

-We did it.

-Yeah.

-You didn't want to take it home, did you?

-No.

-I hope somebody will appreciate it.

-I'm sure they will.

I never really had her out of her box to look at her.

-Never really thought about her.

-It did struggle, but if you didn't have that box, it wouldn't have sold.

The box and the certificate made the difference.

Jack, what are you going to put the money towards?

Squander it!

-Put it to a holiday, I think.

-Oh, that's good.

OK, there's no need to ask for your full attention on this next lot

because it's that gorgeous, enamelled cigarette case which belongs to Jane.

It's about to go under the hammer. I'm pretty sure we'll get my valuation of £300-400.

We've got a packed room. It's the first of the silver lots, so let's see how it does. Confident?

-I am.

-It's going under the hammer now.

Lot 30. We now move on to this George V, enamel cigarette case.

I think the jokes have been exhausted,

so let's launch straight into this. The bidding's with me.

There is interest.

-Good.

-We're away at 300, 320, 340, 360, 380 is bid.

400.

And 20.

440.

460. 480.

500.

And 20.

-550. 580.

-Yes!

600. And 20.

They absolutely love it.

680. 700.

And 20. 750.

780.

-800.

-Wow!

And 50. 900.

And 50.

1,000.

-Oh!

-And 50. Out of the room at £1,050.

-It was that good.

-Are we all done? The book is out.

I'm selling distant at £1,050.

-£1,050!

-Brilliant!

Whoo-oo!

What are you gonna do with that?!

-I'll give it to my children, all three of them.

-You've got three kids?

-Yes. I'm going to split it between them.

-One of your daughters is with you. What's her name?

-Lucy.

Lucky kids! Thank you so much, Jane, for coming in.

Well, as you can see, the auction's still going on behind me.

But it's definitely all over for our rovers.

What a cracking day we've had here in Exeter.

The highlight of the show for me had to be that big smile on Jane's face

when we got a cracking £1,000 for that lovely silver enamelled cigarette case.

A bit naughty, but wasn't that worth watching?

Join me next time on Flog It! for lots more surprises.

Until then, it's goodbye.

For more information about Flog It,

including how the programme was made,

visit the website at bbc.co.uk/lifestyle

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 2006

E-mail [email protected]