Poole Flog It!

What a fantastic turn-out we have here today.

The good people of Poole

have turned out in droves to see if their pictures, their pots and - look - their teddy bears

are going to be worth a king's ransom if we flog them at auction.

Expert Charlie Ross is hard at it today!

And his partner in crime is Mark Stacey.

Let's find out how they do.

How did you get this here without breaking it, Linda?

Just wrapped in an old curtain, that's all.

-It comes into bits, doesn't it?

-Yes.

-I put it together. I think.

-I think it looks right, yes, as I remember it anyway.

It looks magnificent. Magnificent. I love the glass.

-Do you know what it is?

-I assume it would be for putting flowers in.

It's a table centrepiece, but it has a French name, like a lot of antiques.

-It's called an epergne.

-Right.

E-P-E-R-G-N-E. French word meaning centrepiece.

It looks French, but it's English.

-Was it made in England?

-Yep. High decorative English piece of tableware.

Yes, you can put flowers in it, but frankly it stands on its own as a magnificent thing anyway.

Quite often you would put water in the bottom and float petals on it,

like a potpourri. And you could put flowers in the trumpets.

The Vaseline glass trumpets with the applied green glass on to the plainer glass.

I love the way it's phased from straight, plain glass

up to these wonderful...

um, petal edges to the fluting.

On the trumpets.

-It's just magnificent. Do you know how old it is?

-It's been in my husband's family for over 35 years.

Yes, it's a lot older than that. Late Victorian.

-It's 100 years old.

-Right.

-Which is why it's a joy to see one in this condition.

I've had three in my saleroom recently. Every one had damage.

-Oh, right.

-And...I suppose you think it's worth something.

-I would say at least £200.

-At least 200?

-Yes.

-That's a jolly good shout. I'd estimate £200-£300.

-£200-£300.

-Saleroom estimate.

-A reserve of 200. Perhaps the auctioneer could use his discretion if he got very close to it.

-Right.

-Happy with that?

-Yes...

-Marginally?

-Marginally.

-I think I would like to put a fixed reserve.

-Fixed reserve, good.

That's fine. Your prerogative.

I don't think you're being unreasonable. 200 fixed reserve.

-And I can't see it not selling. It can go to someone who enjoys it.

-Right.

-Which somebody will do. One of the nicest epergnes I've seen.

-Thank you.

-Well, a bit of Chinese porcelain, John.

-Yes.

-Where did you get it?

I acquired it from an old lady that I did a lot of work for years ago.

She had no family and she knew that I liked it.

She gave it to me as a gift.

-Wonderful. Do you have any other Chinese porcelain at home?

-No.

And where's it been living?

We had it on the wall for a while, but we were told to take the straps off, metal straps,

-and it's been in the cupboard for the last 15 years.

-Oh, dear. So you haven't appreciated it.

No.

It's Chinese export ware, meaning it was made in China for export to Europe.

And you've got a very typical Chinese temple scene, floral border.

All hand painted. And this nice sort of ochre ground on the border.

-I like that.

-In very good condition. Wonderful glaze, a very nice, clear glaze.

And the painting is very clear. In terms of the date,

I would put it towards the end of the 18th Century,

and very much for a European market.

-Yes.

-And I suppose, really, we'd call it a charger,

you know, a large plate.

And when we turn it over, a little decoration on the back.

No signatures or marks, but it's a very telltale sign of Chinese porcelain.

-This is hard paste porcelain.

-Yes.

-Whereas in Britain we use soft paste porcelain.

This is often referred to as true porcelain, the Chinese.

Now in terms of value, if I put this into a sale,

I'd probably put it in at... £180-£250.

-Right.

-Something in that range.

-And we'd pop a reserve on it of maybe 150.

-Yes.

-To protect it.

-And then let's just see how many people come in and buy.

-Yes, I'd like to do that.

-You'd be happy?

-Yes.

-Well, thank you again, John.

-Let's hope it's a success.

-Thank you.

-Hi, Ken.

-Hello.

-Now, what can I say?

-Well...

This has taken my fancy. Give us the history about it.

My father won it in a cribbage game and I inherited it when he died.

It's a lobster claw as you can see and has been made into a brandy flask.

-It's a charming, quirky object.

-Yes, I thought you'd like it.

It's really bitten me.

-It's just great fun. Obviously it was a massive...

-Must have been huge!

-..lobster.

-Much bigger than the table.

-Oh, yes.

It would have made a lovely meal.

I'm not a great lover of seafood, but people will find it a unique object, which it surely is.

They've mounted it in pewter mounts with some very simple decoration.

And it unscrews on the top there.

They've probably taken it to a local craftsman and said,

"I'm so proud of catching such a huge lobster, I want to remember the poor beast."

And they've made something that can last. I just think it's great fun.

-Why do you want to sell it?

-Well...I collect Poole Pottery because I work at Poole Pottery.

-Right.

-I need some extra room and I keep it in a box in a cabinet.

Mum said to look after it, but I said, "Can I bring it to Flog It?"

She said, "Yeah." So we'll split it.

-Oh, wonderful.

-See what happens. It's quite old, cos it's gone white.

In terms of date, I suppose it's the beginning of the 20th Century, 1910 or something.

-But I think it's just going to appeal to a quirky collector...

-Yes.

-..who wants to own it.

I don't think it'll be huge value.

-No.

-I would have put maybe £70-£100 on it.

-Oh, that's not bad.

Not bad, is it, really? And maybe we'll keep the reserve a little bit lower.

-To give it a fighting chance.

-50 or 60?

-Yes, 50 quid.

-All right.

-A reserve of 50.

-And let's see what happens.

-Right.

-It's a wonderful piece of nautica to take to auction with us.

-Thank you very much.

Anne, there's a mixture here, but they are all joined

so I suggest we talk about them together,

but we'll start with the watch, then the chain

and then a wonderful seal.

That is a seal par excellence.

-Right.

-Just give me a bit of background.

I assume this was my grandfather's.

-But it could have been somebody else's.

-Right. I'd be intrigued to know how they got together.

The watch, in my view, falls

almost between two stools. It's a little large for a ladies' fob,

-but it doesn't look masculine. Do you know what I mean?

-Yes.

It's slim, very ornate dial.

-Very dainty.

-Very dainty indeed.

Immediately attached to the watch is this chain.

-That IS masculine.

-Yes.

It's a big, beefy chain.

The links are beautifully made.

We'll stop briefly with a small seal here,

but then move on to what I think

-is the best bit of this collection.

-Yes.

-A seal which is Georgian, looking at the style.

-Really?

-I think so, looking at the top.

-I didn't realise it was that old.

Doesn't look Victorian to me.

And what I love here is a dog on one side, turn it round...

-What appear to be grouse on the other side.

-Yes.

A hunting scene on a seal.

The seal is...

virgin. It hasn't been used,

which means that if somebody wanted to, they could carve their initials into it and use it as a seal.

-I think this is gold, too. It's just too finely made to be anything else.

-Right.

And so we've got different periods.

That's arguably Edwardian, let's say 1910.

This is Victorian and that is Georgian. It's a wonderful mixture.

If we lift up the watch and look at the back,

there we go,

stamped into the back there - 18 carat, good quality gold.

Twice the quality of the chain.

The watch is an 18-carat gold pocket watch, worth £100-£150.

-Really?

-I think the chain is worth the best part of £100, maybe more.

And I think the seal is worth that sort of money, possibly a bit more.

-Right.

-And I think a £300-£400 estimate is a "come and get me".

-That's lovely. Wonderful.

-Splendid.

-Thank you very much indeed. It's a very interesting mixture of items.

-Thank you.

I'm nipping out of the valuation

to find out a bit more about the industry which Poole is world-famous for.

This is Poole Quay on a rather breezy day!

It's the holiday makers' side of a traditional working harbour.

For hundreds of years, you could see Poole Pottery for sale here.

The factory that made it was right behind these shops. Now it's relocated out of town.

That's where I'm off to right now to find more about the potted history of this distinguished firm.

Growing out of Victorian tile making, it wasn't until the 1920s

that Poole Pottery gained significance as good commercial, domestic and artistic wares.

They had rave reviews. The Royal Society of Arts declared they had good design, craftsmanship,

colour and skill.

I'm here with Ian Felton, a Poole Pottery collector - he has hundreds of pieces!

Thank you for talking to us, Ian.

What inspired you to collect Poole?

The early interest goes back to when I was a kid and the family used to come down here for holidays.

A highlight of the holiday was always a visit to Poole Pottery.

So it stemmed from that. I've only seriously collected for 6 or 7 years.

This is just a very small example of what you've got, but it shows the evolution of the range.

-When does it start for you?

-This is the earliest piece.

This is a candlestick from the early 1920s. At that time the patterns were very simple.

Geometric based. This was the start of Truda Adams, later Truda Carter.

Truda Carter was the designer. There were a number of ladies there decorating,

but Truda was responsible for production of the patterns.

-This is a name to look out for.

-It is.

-As you move on through the '20s...

-Getting busier.

The patterns got much more intense.

And she took a strong influence from Art Deco styles,

probably more so than a lot of UK potteries.

This was beginning to become more abstract.

As we move through the '20s into the '30s,

the company moved more into decorative house wares as well,

so taking a purely artistic piece and turning it into the useful household item.

To be used every day.

I've got to say this is my favourite period. I love that smoky look.

Very muted hues of the 1950s.

-Funnily enough, that's the era that I'm least interested in.

-Why is that?

I like the intensity of the early pieces and I very much like the '60s and '70s items.

This is what we see a great deal of.

The start of the '60s was really when Poole Studios was reinstated.

What the public recognises as Poole Pottery, the Delphis range,

that came in around 1963.

So Delphis, the Latin name for dolphin, which is actually Poole's symbol,

the range carried on right up until 1980, but it's the earlier pieces that are much more sought after.

This is very much a traditional Delphis piece.

And are you still collecting the 1990s, the year 2000, now?

I'm still collecting modern pieces, yes. Particular one-off pieces.

They're pieces of art and they come from Poole. They're all part of the history.

After 130 years of design-led production, Poole Pottery just keeps on going.

Today's designs are still inspired by the elements, nature and the world around us.

Very stylish items.

Now you get a sense of how you arrive at a sophisticated end form.

Poole Pottery, definitely a family heirloom of the future, and a Flog It item of tomorrow.

And so to the auction. It won't be to everybody's taste,

but Charlie was very taken with this Victorian epergne,

with its Vaseline glass flutes.

This piece of Chinese porcelain caught Mark's eye.

This charger would grace any collection.

And what can you say about this? Kenneth's lobster claw brandy flask.

It's certainly a first for Flog It and I reckon

it'll appeal to a buyer with a strong sense of the peculiar.

And finally, Anne's watch is nothing to write home about, but the gold chain and the seal

make this an intriguing lot.

We're far from the madding crowd in Dorchester, home of Thomas Hardy.

This high street is very busy. Let's hope the auction today is just as busy!

It's coming from Duke's, just down the road.

I wonder what Gary will make of this crustaceous oddity.

This is quirky. What do you think?

Well, it's...mildly appalling.

Kenneth's lobster claw! Converted into a brandy flask.

Early 20th century. And we have put £70-£100 on this.

It's one of those unusual things. It must have been a hell of a lobster when it was alive!

Unless it still is and is going round in circles.

You don't really know what it's worth. It hasn't got a finite value.

-You can't say that is definitely worth £200. It's on the day.

-There's no book price.

-No.

But it is amusing, it's late, it's quite collectable.

-Somebody might like it as a bit of fun.

-Exactly.

-You could say it's gripping! Will it get the £100 mark?

-Well...

If I had to say, I'd say it wouldn't. We might get £50-£60 for it.

I don't know that anyone will get to 100.

it'll sell because we've got a reserve of £50 on it.

-Let's hope we do.

-Fingers crossed we get the top end.

-OK.

Time to put that epergne under the hammer.

Will it be the centrepiece today, Linda?

-I hope so.

-It has been at your house.

Not my house, my mother-in-law's.

I've known it for about 30 years, in the family.

Then it passed into our family.

-And you're selling this now to pay towards your daughter's wedding.

-Into the wedding fund.

-£200-£300 is what we're looking for.

-Yes.

-Let's hope for the top end.

-I hope so!

-It's worth every penny. If it doesn't make £200, it's not worth selling. I'd like 320.

-320. There we go. Let's see if it is the centrepiece we're all hoping for. Good luck.

-Thank you.

Now 181.

This is a good high Victorian opalescent glass epergne.

200 for this Victorian epergne?

150 bid. 180.

200. I've got 200.

And 20, please? 200. And 20.

240. 260.

-Good.

-280.

-Good!

-At 280, will you?

300 is bid. Any advance? You're out.

300. And 20 if anyone wants. Are we clear with this lot?

Going now at £300.

-Hammer's gone down! £300. We are happy with that.

-Yes.

-Top end of the estimate.

-I like that. 300 will do.

-No, that's very good.

-So that's now going towards the wedding dress?

Or all the paraphernalia? The organising?

-Eh...all the paraphernalia that goes with it. It won't buy a wedding dress.

-No, it won't.

Weddings haemorrhage money!

-Enjoy it. It's a special occasion. What's her name?

-Sarah.

-Who's she marrying?

-Matthew.

Congratulations and good luck.

We're now serving up John's porcelain dish, the Chinese one.

-Were you surprised at its value?

-Yes, I was.

-Hopefully we'll do a little bit more. It is quality.

-A lovely strong design.

We see Chinese export porcelain a lot, and this design is nice.

Clear, nice strong blues, good pattern. I'm hoping for over 200.

-Hopefully.

-Fingers crossed. This is it, John. Good luck.

Lot 101 now is this late-18th, early-19th Century Chinese porcelain

blue and white charger.

Lot 101. I have a £100 commission bid and will take tens in the room.

110. 120. 130.

140. 150. 160.

170. 180. 190.

200. And 20. 240. 260.

-260. We're out now at £260 on the back wall.

-That's good.

Any advance on 260? I'd take 280.

Selling it now at £260. It goes...

Yes! That's worth £300 of anybody's money. By the time they pay commission, that's what it's worth.

-A brilliant result.

-I'm very pleased.

-What'll you put that towards? Commission comes out, too.

Yes, well, I've got a stepdaughter in America and her family.

-It may go towards a ticket.

-What part of the States?

-New York.

-That'll be a nice trip for you.

-Yes.

-Big city.

Yes. I've been there before, but I'd like to go again if possible.

-Good luck with that.

-Thank you.

-Great result.

-It's a good thing.

Quality. That's what it's all about.

Right, time is up, but we're flogging Anne's gold 18-carat watch

with that lovely fob and seal. £300-£400 we've got on this.

We had a chat with the auctioneer earlier. He loves it as well.

I absolutely adore it. The value is in the seal and fob.

-The chain is absolutely gorgeous. It's going to fly.

-It should do.

-You get a free watch with it!

-Exactly.

-We wondered about splitting it. The watch is not important.

-That seal with the grouse is stunning.

-It is.

-Let's hope so.

Lot 277 is the 18-carat gold gentleman's open-faced pocket watch,

together with a nice 9-carat gold chain and seal.

Start me off with this lot at...150.

150 bid. 160. 170.

180. 190. 200.

And 10. 20. 230. 240.

250. 260. 270.

280. 290.

300. And 20. 340. 360.

No? At £360. 360.

Going at 360.

-360, top end.

-Very good.

-That's fantastic.

-Thank you. Super.

Less a bit of commission, what will you put it towards?

-Probably a front drive.

-A front drive?! Tarmac or...

-pebbles or gravel?

-Haven't you got a front drive?

We have, but it's never been done and it needs doing!

-Re-Tarmac or gravel or...?

-Re-Tarmac. It's going in that fund.

-Well, that's a first!

-It is.

-This one's a bit of fun! Get to grips with this lobster claw. We're looking at £70-£100.

-Yes.

This is an absolute charming little item. It's a curio.

The auctioneer said you can't actually put a value on this.

I said, "Have you ever sold anything like it?" No. There's no book price.

Our expert, Mark, brave man, I think that's a correct valuation.

-£70-£100. Hopefully a little more.

-I hope so.

But how can you value it? Is there two people out there who'd like a curio?

-I love it.

-I do as well.

-Folk art.

-It was a huge lobster!

-Massive.

-My God!

-I hope it claws in the money!

-Ohhh! Boom boom!

This is it. Good luck.

Lot 37, which is an amusing lot.

One of the highlights of the sale, this lobster claw brandy flask.

What will start me off? £30?

I have £10 bid in a derisory manner!

At 10. 15. 20.

5. 30.

5. 40. 5.

50. 5. 60. 5.

70? No?

-At £65, but thank you. 70. 5.

-Oh, it's going on! Fresh legs.

Claws!

5. 100. And 10. 120.

130. 140. 150. 160. 170?

170, sir? 180.

190.

200. And 20?

220. 240. 260?

260. 280? 280.

300? 300.

And 20. Fresh bidder. 320. 340?

340, sir? Gone all this way, sir.

When will you get another one? LAUGHTER

At £320. We're fishing for them at the moment.

Going, then. I'll sell. All done? At £320 on the back row. Going...

The hammer's gone down! £320!

-Who'd have thought it, eh?

-Well, hard thing to value.

-I've never seen one.

-I was convinced and you said it on the day

-that the quirkiness of it creates interest.

-And the work.

It's a nice piece of folk art. And where would you get another?

-Kenneth, what will you put that towards?

-I thought a Poole pot.

I've got one that the girl quite recently just made three.

And so I have one of those. A friend said, "Get me the other one!" And there's only one left.

-Investing in his local heritage! Kenneth, thank you.

-Thank you. Thank you, Mark.

-Very welcome.

-What a great result!

-Wonderful. Another Flog It moment.

-Another Flog It moment.

Well, that's it. It's all over for our owners and that's all we have time for from Dorset.

We did grab some great results, especially Kenneth's lobster claw!

Who would have thought a price like that, eh? You never know.

See you next time on Flog It.

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