0:00:03 > 0:00:06Today, we're in a place known as Quaker Town
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and Cradle of the Railways. Can you guess where we are?
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Well, welcome to Flog It from Darlington.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Darlington's most famous Quaker, Edward Pease, also an industrialist,
0:00:52 > 0:00:57was fondly referred to as the Father of the Railways and he passionately
0:00:57 > 0:01:01believed steam locomotives were the transport of the future.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06And this notion gave birth to the world's first passenger-pulling steam engine.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09And here it is behind me, Locomotion One.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Look at that! Isn't that splendid?
0:01:11 > 0:01:14It's so humbling to be next to something that's nearly 200 years old
0:01:14 > 0:01:17that kick-started the transport revolution.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21And it still resides here in the town today.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24And also here in the town is the venue for our valuation day.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28At the Dolphin Centre, our experts - Will Axon and Adam Partridge -
0:01:28 > 0:01:32are already steaming ahead, and I'd better get stuck in too.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34So let's get the crowds inside and unpacked.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43- Kath, welcome to Flog It. - Thank you.- How are you today?- Fine.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Good, and you've brought in a very colourful vase.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Why have you brought this along today?
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Just something to bring along, cos I'm sick of it.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55- Really? You're sick of the vase? - Yes, sick of the vase.- How long have you had it?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58- About 25 years. - And where did you get it from?
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Off a market stall before there were charity shops.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06- OK.- Charities were allowed, in Darlington, to have a market stall
0:02:06 > 0:02:11once a year, and I just saw it one Saturday morning and bought it.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12Do you remember what it cost?
0:02:12 > 0:02:16- £1.- Oh, right. Not a lot.- No, no. - And what attracted you to it?
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- Just its colour. - Yeah, it's very colourful, vibrant.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23- Very bright.- It's a very Persian-inspired design, I'd have thought. Know anything about it?
0:02:23 > 0:02:25- No, not at all.- No, neither do I.
0:02:25 > 0:02:32- No, I do really. It is marked on the bottom. It's marked for Fischer.- I can see.- Fischer of Budapest.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36There were two major firms of Hungary that made this type of ware.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39One was called Zsolnay from Pecs in Hungary
0:02:39 > 0:02:42and the other's Fischer, and the Fischer ones are generally cheaper.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46But it's worth more than the £1 you paid for it. And it appears to be in good condition.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50And there's a little nick out of the base there. But that really doesn't matter at all.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54So there we've got the Fischer Budapest marks and patent mark there.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Believe it or not, it looks pretty new, doesn't it?
0:02:56 > 0:03:00- Yeah, I've looked after it.- Yeah. - It's been dusted.- It's 100 years old.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04- Is it?- Yeah. Late 19th century. And it really doesn't look it, does it?
0:03:04 > 0:03:09- I thought the gold was going a bit. - Yeah.- On the sides. A little bit.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10Value nowadays, any idea?
0:03:10 > 0:03:13- No idea at all.- No. Have a guess.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- 20 quid.- What if I told you it was worth £10,000?
0:03:16 > 0:03:20- I wouldn't believe you. - No, you'd be right as well. It's worth 50-80 in my opinion.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25- Very good.- And it just might make 100 if we're lucky or just over. That would be nice, wouldn't it?- Yes.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29- Are you happy with that estimate? - Yes.- Still happy to sell it? - Yes, yes.- Thank goodness.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33- What about a reserve?- Oh, yes. Best put a reserve on it. What do you think?
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- I would say £50.- Yeah, OK.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39If it doesn't make £50, then take it home again. Try it another day.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43- Oh, yes. Maybe.- Do you have it out on display still?- Yes.- You do.
0:03:43 > 0:03:50- Yeah, it sits high up on a cupboard. - Any thoughts on what you'll do with the money? If it made 100 quid...
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- Grandchildren.- How many grandchildren have you got?- Three.- Three.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57- All girls.- So split it between them and take your £1 back that you spent on it?
0:03:57 > 0:04:02- Oh, yes, yes. Never thought of that. - It's been good fun talking to you. - Yes.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06I'm going to be coming back to Darlington to see you at the auction and let's hope it goes well.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15So tell me, Violet, is this your snuff box? Do you partake in snuff?
0:04:15 > 0:04:17No, I don't, but it is my snuff box.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21It is yours. How did you come by it? Is it something you've inherited?
0:04:21 > 0:04:25It was a gift from a friend of mine about 35 years...
0:04:25 > 0:04:29And that would correspond with the name that's been engraved in the top.
0:04:29 > 0:04:30The lady who gave you it, was that her family name?
0:04:30 > 0:04:34No, it was her mother-in-law. It was her husband's mother's.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I see, so it's come through various families and generations to you.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- Yes. Yes. - Well, it's pretty self-explanatory.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Silver snuff box. We can tell that by looking at the hallmarks inside, which all English silver carry.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49We can see from the hallmarks there that it was made in Birmingham.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Birmingham was a centre of making these sort of small
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- pieces of silver, objects of virtue, that sort of piece.- Yes.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00I think the date letter on there is for 1853.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02I think we had a look up of the date mark.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07Then again, you've got the maker's mark there as well, which is "TD".
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Now, we tried to have a look, see if we could identify the maker,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15and I'm afraid he's not recorded, but that's nothing to worry about.
0:05:15 > 0:05:21There were a lot of silversmiths working in Birmingham at the time, producing these types of pieces.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24It's been well reported that silver
0:05:24 > 0:05:28is making good money at the moment, so I'm confident that something like this,
0:05:28 > 0:05:34which is small, portable, period, nice quality, is going to sell well at the auction.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Now, having a closer look at it condition-wise, we've got
0:05:37 > 0:05:40a small split here where we've got a small split in the silver.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44That's just literally wear and tear, opening and closing,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48and the other area to look at for any sort of damage is on the hinge.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50And you can just see that's just starting.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- It's a little bit thin there. - Yes.- Just starting to split.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57But I think we've got there just in time before that goes.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Nice silver gilt interior. Nice quality. What would you think it was worth?
0:06:01 > 0:06:06- Say I offered you £50, do you think that's fair for it?- No, no, no. - Little bit more than that.- Oh, yes.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Well, if I said to you, I suggest putting it in the sale
0:06:09 > 0:06:16- at an estimate of 120-160 and the reserve at 100... - Yes.- ..what would you think?
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- Yes, I think that's fair. - You think that's fair.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Any idea what you'll do with the money when it's sold?
0:06:21 > 0:06:26I'll just buy myself something nice, other than just looking at that.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- Cos where does it live at the moment?- On a unit.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33- So at least it's out on display. - Yes, yes.- OK, cos a lot of the time we find these,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and they're stuffed at the back of the drawer.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40- It doesn't go with the decor in my house.- It's a little bit high-Victorian, isn't it?
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- With that nice serpentine edge, scrolling acanthus leaf. - It's pretty.
0:06:44 > 0:06:51It is pretty. So, Violet, I think as I suggest, an estimate of 120-160 and set the reserve at 100.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55- I'm confident it will sell well on the day.- Yes. Thank you very much.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Right, and now for the moment of truth.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Some of you have probably guessed already, because you may own a set.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Geoff, what do you think they are? - We've had discussions.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14- We think that they might be cocktail sticks.- Yes, you're right. ..See, hubby knew, didn't he?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- We needed confirmation. - Definitely cocktail sticks.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21And so popular round the 1930s.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25The jazz age, the decadent period where everybody was drinking cocktails.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29- Have you noticed that two of the cockerels are facing this way?- Yeah.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33- And the others are facing THIS way. Ever wondered why?- No!
0:07:33 > 0:07:35It's because it's a matched set really.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I think two got lost originally and they've been replaced.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Oh! So what about the little hooks?
0:07:40 > 0:07:44- That was for just hanging on the side of the glass if the glass was deep.- Oh.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47How did you come by these? Are they yours, Chris?
0:07:47 > 0:07:51No. We found them in a house that we were renovating, and these were left.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Well, that's a nice little present, isn't it?- Yes, it was.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57So they are sterling silver. You know, precious metal.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00It does have a value, and at the moment silver's doing quite well.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03It would have been in a set of six from Sheffield.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I've looked under a lens there and I can see that there is
0:08:06 > 0:08:12- in fact a crown, and there's a date mark, which tells us it's 1927.- OK.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16But these two have been added later, because I think two have been lost
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- and these have been purchased separately. They're from the Birmingham Assay Office.- Oh!
0:08:20 > 0:08:25And there's an "L" there with a little lion passant moving to the left,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27which tells us it is sterling silver.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31And there is a little assay mark of an anchor, which says it was made in Birmingham.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35And that date letter "L" is in fact for 1935, so these were bought
0:08:35 > 0:08:39- later, which does devalue it really because it's not a complete set. - Yeah.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43But I think it's a nice story and, incidentally, the assay mark for Sheffield
0:08:43 > 0:08:49is a crown, and these two cities, Birmingham and Sheffield, they had a lot of silversmiths working there.
0:08:49 > 0:08:55And they lobbied Parliament in London to have their own assay mark, and all the meetings they had
0:08:55 > 0:08:59between the silversmiths were carried out in a pub called the Crown and Anchor.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03- That's the best bit.- Once they got permission to have an assay office, they basically flipped a coin
0:09:03 > 0:09:07- and Birmingham got the anchor sign. And that's how they got the assay marks, believe it or not.- Oh, right.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11So that's quite nice. And there's a nice bit of social history going on here.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16But because it's not a complete set, they don't have a great deal of value,
0:09:16 > 0:09:22because there's not a lot of weight in silver and that's how silver's determined - by scrap value weight.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26So, for auction purposes, we're going to be looking at around £20-£30.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29It's not a great deal of money, is it?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32- No, that's fine.- I feel it's a shame to sell them really.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37- If you want to sell them, we can put them into auction.- Yes.- Yes. - Shall we try?- Might as well.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41- Are you sure?- Absolutely. - Yeah, yeah.- Well, you found them for nothing, didn't you?
0:09:41 > 0:09:46- Yes, we did.- You never know, they might get you a bottle of champagne. - Or half a tank of diesel.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Half a...!
0:09:48 > 0:09:52I think I'd go for the champagne. Treat Chris!
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- Hi, Dave.- Hello.- How are you today?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- Not bad, not bad.- And what's made you come along to Flog It?
0:10:04 > 0:10:09- Well, I watch the programme and I've actually seen one similar to this sold.- Have you?
0:10:09 > 0:10:11- Without the heraldic bits.- Yep.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16- Got this one from a charity shop. - Did you?- How long ago?
0:10:16 > 0:10:19- About 18 months.- 18 months ago. How expensive was it?
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- £1.90.- £1.90?
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- Yes.- Yeah. And you're selling it.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26It appears to be a Georgian cannon.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28This bit is Georgian. The stand is later.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Little garrison stand there,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34which is probably in the last 50 years, I'd have thought.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36So, what attracted you, just cos it was a bargain?
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Well, I thought it was an excellent piece of workmanship when I saw it.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41And it was that that attracted me.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45It's a nice piece of brassware. It's a good piece of workmanship, and you've got
0:10:45 > 0:10:49the George III cipher on there. Any idea what it's worth?
0:10:49 > 0:10:54- Not really.- Well, I'd estimate that at £30-50 at auction. And
0:10:54 > 0:10:57I think it would probably make that, perhaps a little bit more.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58It's a miniature example.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02The big ones on the big cast-iron stands can make hundreds, even sometimes
0:11:02 > 0:11:05thousands, but this is fairly ordinary.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08So I'd expect that sort of money. Are you happy with that?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11- Yeah, yeah.- OK. Say it makes £80, what would you do with it?
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Probably most of it would go to
0:11:14 > 0:11:18- a computer programme or some such thing.- OK. Or back to the charity
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- shops for more bargains?- Oh, always.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- Yes, yes.- Do you scour them a lot? Is that a hobby of yours?
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- Well, I look. I look. - So, off to auction with it.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29We'll put it in the auction with a £30-50 estimate on it. Any reserve?
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Well, I would like a £30 reserve.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Bottom of estimate, see what happens.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- If it doesn't make that, we'll take it home.- Uh-huh.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Thank you for coming, I'll see you at the auction.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41OK.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Cor blimey, Linda! Where have you been keeping this album?
0:11:49 > 0:11:52In an attic. I don't know. I don't know where it's from.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Looks like it's been kept outside or something in the rain.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- In the chicken coop maybe.- In the chicken coop? I hope not!
0:11:58 > 0:12:00I'm holding onto it here. I might have to wash me hands!
0:12:00 > 0:12:04It's a shame. This has the potential to be a nice album,
0:12:04 > 0:12:08with these flags and this, I think, hand-painted decoration to the front.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10But, as is obvious, it has perished somewhat.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13But let's have a look inside and see what it contains.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Look at these. These are in slightly better condition.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Nice bright colours and so on. What can you tell me about them?
0:12:19 > 0:12:21They belong to my son's fiancee.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26Her parents are Slovakian, and the album's been handed down through the family.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28The Austrian postcards...
0:12:28 > 0:12:36and Austria was known as the "in" place for postcard production before World War I.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- It sounds like... - They're lithographic prints.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- They're lithographic prints. Well, it sounds like you've done... - Just a little bit.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45A little bit of research. That's good. I can't really add much more,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48other than to say, from a commercial point of view,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50I think they're going to stand a chance of generating
0:12:50 > 0:12:55some interest in the saleroom. There are obviously postcard collectors, we all know that.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57It's well documented that postcards have a market.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02But looking at the subject matter here as well, we've got some rather interesting battle scenes,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04scenes, I think, from the First World War
0:13:04 > 0:13:10- and earlier in some cases, and some rather interesting propaganda-type postcards in there.- Yes.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15And again, like you say, they're all lithographic prints, the postcards themselves.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- I haven't counted them up. Do you know how many there are?- 114.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23114. Well, you say they belong to your son's fiancee.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- She hopefully knows you've brought them here.- Oh, yes, she does.- Yes.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- Yes.- Value-wise, has she ever had them valued?
0:13:29 > 0:13:31- No.- Did she have any idea?
0:13:31 > 0:13:34They've only been given to her about a year ago.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Her parents gave her them, told her, "Do what you want with them."
0:13:36 > 0:13:40- They've just bought a house, they're getting married this year. - Yes.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- So the money, whatever they make, will go towards something. - Oh, that's a nice touch.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- That it's going to be put to good use.- For the future rather than the past.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52- So she inherited them from her parents and you say that they were from Eastern Europe.- Yes.
0:13:52 > 0:13:58OK, which would suggest why they are Austrian - European postcards rather than the English postcards.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00English postcards tend to be more collectable.
0:14:00 > 0:14:06- But, from what you've said, I think there is going to be interest in these. Well, it was 115?- 114.
0:14:06 > 0:14:12I mean, I've had a flick through. I haven't looked at every one. Some are more interesting than others.
0:14:12 > 0:14:18- Yes, they are.- Value-wise, I think we're looking in the region of sort of £50 upwards, so I would
0:14:18 > 0:14:22like to put an estimate on them of say £50-£80
0:14:22 > 0:14:25and stick a reserve at that £50. What do you think?
0:14:25 > 0:14:29They'd be happy with that, because they're just going to be stuck in another damp attic
0:14:29 > 0:14:31and deteriorate even further.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Exactly. We don't want that, because I think
0:14:33 > 0:14:36we've got to them just in time before the cards...
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- The cards are fine and they're all unused.- Exactly.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43- But they haven't been stuck down. - No.- And that's the sort of number one rule for postcards.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Don't stick them down - that just devalues them for the collector.
0:14:47 > 0:14:55- Right.- So we'll put them together, and if we value those at £50-£80, put the reserve at £50,
0:14:55 > 0:15:00- and then hopefully we'll get cash to put towards your son and his fiancee's wedding.- Yes.- Good.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02That would be lovely. Thank you.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16Now, 27th September, 1825, is certainly a date
0:15:16 > 0:15:19to remember here in Darlington, because it was the first time ever
0:15:19 > 0:15:23a steam locomotive was used to haul passengers on a public railway
0:15:23 > 0:15:28system, and the locomotive involved was Stephenson's Locomotion No. 1.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31It certainly was a piece of railway history.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34And today in Darlington, yet another is just about to unfold.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38I'm here at Darlington Locomotive Works to find out a little bit more.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45There's thousands of rail enthusiasts in the UK,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47but one group in particular took their
0:15:47 > 0:15:51passion, their energy and their enthusiasm a lot further than most.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55They turned a pipe dream into a reality. Meet Tornado.
0:15:55 > 0:16:0249 A1 locomotives were built between 1948 and 1949, and each and every
0:16:02 > 0:16:07one of them was scrapped by 1966, replaced by modern diesel engines.
0:16:07 > 0:16:13So the A1 became a missing part of railway history till 1990.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16The idea was hatched to build a brand-new A1 from scratch, and work
0:16:16 > 0:16:21began on the 50th locomotive of this class.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26Hopefully, Director of Engineering David Elliott can tell me how a seed of an idea with thousands
0:16:26 > 0:16:30of little parts like this can turn into something like this.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34The A1 was the last development in a long line of locomotives,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36which included the Flying Scotsman and Mallard.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Created as a simplified version of the earlier models,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43the A1 was developed for post-war conditions, when there
0:16:43 > 0:16:46was a combination of poor coal with a shortage of manpower.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50Tornado has also been tweaked from the original, but this time
0:16:50 > 0:16:55to compete with modern diesel trains on the UK's mainlines.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56David, great to meet you.
0:16:56 > 0:17:01Thank you for showing us around. I want to know who came up with the idea, because this is awesome.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05It was down to a group of enthusiasts who also happened to be businessmen
0:17:05 > 0:17:09and the rumour has it that it came out of a convivial party, and after
0:17:09 > 0:17:11they'd got past the first two or
0:17:11 > 0:17:16three bottles of wine, the question came up, discussing the whole railway
0:17:16 > 0:17:20movement about the engines which were missing from the national collection.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23And it wasn't very long before they decided that this A1 Pacific
0:17:23 > 0:17:27was the biggest omission from the collection of preserved locomotives.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Wonderful craftsmanship. How many are in the team here?
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Well, at the moment we've got
0:17:32 > 0:17:36about six people regularly working on it, plus a number of volunteers
0:17:36 > 0:17:39and others who come in just for specific activities as required.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Thousands of hours.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Many thousands of man hours. We haven't totted it up, but I should
0:17:44 > 0:17:47think it's heading for 90,000-100,000 when it's finished.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Gosh. Have you any idea of what it's cost so far?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Up till now, we're approaching £3 million, and by the time she's
0:17:53 > 0:17:55finished, over 3 million.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58That's a lot of money. So how have you managed to fund this?
0:17:58 > 0:17:59The vast proportion has come from
0:17:59 > 0:18:03individuals contributing regularly to the project.
0:18:03 > 0:18:04What have been the main problems?
0:18:04 > 0:18:08First, we had to establish whether there were any drawings for the engine.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Luckily, as a result of a major trawl
0:18:10 > 0:18:13through the National Railway Museum, we discovered they had
0:18:13 > 0:18:17- around of 95% of the original drawings for the loco.- Yeah.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21This made the whole project possible, because if we'd had to work just off
0:18:21 > 0:18:24an arrangement drawing and redraw all the detailed parts,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28it would have been a huge task, and really outside our capabilities.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31People said you could never build a new steam locomotive -
0:18:31 > 0:18:34- the specialist skills you need are no longer there.- Yes.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37The difficulty was, unlike the old days when there was
0:18:37 > 0:18:41a loco works that did everything on the same site, we've had to source this
0:18:41 > 0:18:44from all over the UK, and into Europe and South Africa and beyond.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Yeah. Can we take a guided tour?
0:18:46 > 0:18:49- Certainly, by all means. - Where do you actually start?
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Well, we laid the frames in the first instance.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54That is what everything else hangs off.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59- Yes.- We did actually have the wheels made early on.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01This enabled us to get going with
0:19:01 > 0:19:05- something that was very identifiable as part of a steam locomotive.- Yeah.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10Early on, the essential thing was to make progress to make it look as though we were building an A1.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11And the boiler, where was that made?
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Well, the boiler was and has been the biggest single problem.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18There's no manufacturing facility in the UK that
0:19:18 > 0:19:23produces steam-locomotive-type boilers on this scale. And finally, we chose the Mining
0:19:23 > 0:19:27and Locomotive Works in Germany, which is, astonishingly, still
0:19:27 > 0:19:31a fully-fledged steam-locomotive works here in the 21st century.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33What's been the highs and lows so far?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36One of the highest points was when we steamed this boiler for
0:19:36 > 0:19:39the first time. They invariably leak somewhere.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42- This didn't leak anywhere, which is what we'd hope.- Once you've
0:19:42 > 0:19:45got the steam up, you've got to generate it into power.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Yeah. In order to be able to create enough pull to start a heavy train,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53three axles are coupled together so that they all go round at once,
0:19:53 > 0:19:54and altogether, when this
0:19:54 > 0:19:59is running at, say, in the order of 75 or 80 miles an hour, she's capable of
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- producing about 2,600 horsepower.- Wow.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06That's equivalent to most of the larger diesels that are around today.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Have you had to modify the brakes?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Only to enable them to haul modern rolling stock.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15This must be special for the people of Darlington. Do they keep an eye on what's going on?
0:20:15 > 0:20:2023 of these were actually built in the Darlington Locomotive Works of British Railways.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Fantastic. Every morning when you come to work here and you
0:20:23 > 0:20:26look at this, you must go, "What a great day."
0:20:26 > 0:20:28It's not always like that.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31More often than not I'm coming in to sort a problem out, but
0:20:31 > 0:20:34there are times at the end of the day when I just stand back and look at it
0:20:34 > 0:20:38and think, "What is this that this team has created?"
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- Yeah.- Cos the opportunity to build a new steam locomotive of this scale
0:20:42 > 0:20:46and size in this century is just astonishing.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Wow! That's all I can say.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54I really wasn't expecting that.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58It's magnificent. What an incredible achievement, and the great thing is,
0:20:58 > 0:21:03Tornado's built right here in Darlington. That's history.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06One day I'm going to take a ride on her, and I'm sure all the
0:21:06 > 0:21:10people of Darlington will as well, and they'll feel extremely proud.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20So far we've had some lovely little items.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25So let's have a reminder of them before we make our first visit to the saleroom.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Will valued the silver snuff box at £120-£160,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33and I think he's definitely on the money with this one.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Kath's vase is certainly bright and bold.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Let's hope it catches the attention of the bidders
0:21:38 > 0:21:39when it goes under the hammer.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42The cocktail sticks won't make a lot of money,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45but I'm glad Geoff and Chris brought them along
0:21:45 > 0:21:49to the valuation day as they're such interesting little items.
0:21:49 > 0:21:55With a valuation of £30-£50, I'm convinced the cannon will go with a bang.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57And finally, the Austrian lithograph postcards
0:21:57 > 0:21:59are soon to go under the hammer.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Let's hope they make a picture-perfect profit
0:22:01 > 0:22:03at the auction.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15Today's sale comes from the heart of Darlington from Thomas Watson Auctioneers.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18The sale is just about to start, so let's hope the room
0:22:18 > 0:22:23is full of eager bidders all wanting to put their hands up for our lots.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27And the auctioneer selling our items is Peter Cartwright.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34- We've got Violet's little silver snuff box with a value of £120.- Aha.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39- Hopefully we're going to get a little bit more than that.- Hope so. - ..Will, will we get that top end?
0:22:39 > 0:22:43- We had a little bit of a haggle, didn't we, on the valuation day? - Did you?- Yes.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48I was looking for 100. You were looking for 150. I think we settled in the middle, 120.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51But silver snuff boxes always come...
0:22:51 > 0:22:55There's a fair bit of weight there. My theory is, you know, snuff in the 17th century
0:22:55 > 0:22:59was the elitist, fashionable thing to do if you could afford it.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03In the 18th century, it became a habit, because everybody did it
0:23:03 > 0:23:07- and everybody smoked as well and ground their own snuff from tobacco. - Yes.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Maybe because there's a smoking ban now,
0:23:09 > 0:23:14being inside pubs and clubs and things, people might start to take snuff.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17So we need some "noseologists" here to bid on this, don't we?
0:23:17 > 0:23:23- That's what they call them, "noseologists"...- Oh, very good. - Snuff-takers.- I wouldn't know...
0:23:23 > 0:23:27The Victorian silver snuff box. Birmingham, 1853.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30With a silver gilt interior and the engraved decoration.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35And I can start this away at £70 for the box. At £70. 80 now.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37At £70. You've made a bid at £70.
0:23:37 > 0:23:3880 surely now. 80. 90.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41100 in the room, the bid. At £100.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43110 now for the box. At £100.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48Gentleman's bid then at £100 for the box. Are we all done at £100?
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Yes! £100.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53- Bang on the reserve, Violet. - Yes, that's fine.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56We just got it away. Thank goodness we put a reserve of 100.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Otherwise I would have been in trouble with Violet.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02I thought it might have made a little bit more, but you know...
0:24:02 > 0:24:05We might offer them a quick profit. Who bought it?
0:24:05 > 0:24:07- Well...- That's it.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09- Are you going to spend the money on yourself now?- Yes.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13What are you going to treat yourself to, less the commission?
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- A nice piece of luggage. - Are you going on holiday?
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Yes, yes. No, I've just been, but we do go often.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- Just got back and you're off again! - Yes!
0:24:28 > 0:24:33Next up, we've got a late 19th-century Hungarian vase with a value of £50-£80.
0:24:33 > 0:24:39We've got the vase. Unfortunately, the owner Kath is on holiday, but we've got Adam, our expert, here.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41- Will we get that top end, Adam? - Erm, we should do.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46It's a nice-looking vase and it should make over 100, but I don't know if it quite will.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50I'd like to think it would as well, but we've got a room packed full of bidders. It's up to this lot.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55- My prediction is £70. What's yours? - No, I'm going to say a bit more. I'm going to say 85.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57- OK.- OK.- Let's see.- Let's see.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00The Hungarian vase by Fischer of Budapest
0:25:00 > 0:25:03with a floral and gilt decoration. Interest in the lot.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05I can start this at £40.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08At £40. Five now. 45. 50.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10He's got a bid left on the book.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12At £55, the lady seated. 60. Five.
0:25:12 > 0:25:1570. Five. At £70.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19- Centre of the third row at £70. - Oh, come on! A bit more.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- £70, all done then?- Who said 70? - You did.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24I can't believe that.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- That wasn't fixed.- No!
0:25:27 > 0:25:30£70. Well, it is a cracking result anyway.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Hit its money.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Chris and Geoff, it's great to see you again.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42The cocktail sticks are just about to go under the hammer. No reserve.
0:25:42 > 0:25:48- Well, you both look so well. You've got lovely tans. Have you been on holiday?- No, no.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53- We own a caravan park, so we're working outside all the time now. - Lots of caravans going in and out.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- That's right.- So you've got a bit of land, then?- Yes.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58- Yeah, just a bit.- Just a bit. - In lovely Richmondshire.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Lovely. Let's hope we get top money. It's going under the hammer now.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05The six silver cockerel cocktail sticks. In the box. 15 to start.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08At £15. 20 now for the six.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10At £15. Still in the box now.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12At 20, seated with the gentleman.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14- That could be it. - Five for the lot now. At £20.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19Gentleman seated then at £20. Are we all done now? At £20 the lot.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Well, they've gone. It was better than a fiver!
0:26:22 > 0:26:26It was kind of my low-end. I was hoping for a little bit more.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- Never mind.- 20 quid.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Well, it's a pub lunch.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- Exactly.- And it's been lovely to be on Flog It.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36- Yeah.- Oh, thank you so much. - Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40- You won't get a lot of a pub lunch either.- Not a lot.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Firing things right now for us, we've got
0:26:46 > 0:26:49David's little Georgian brass cannon with a value of £30-50.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Fixed reserve at 30. We're not giving this little gem away, are we?
0:26:53 > 0:26:56You picked it up for a couple of quid?
0:26:56 > 0:26:59- Yeah.- So you've got keen eyes.- Well, yeah.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00Any other bargains you've found?
0:27:00 > 0:27:02- 'Fraid not.- That's the only one.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04I've never found a bargain in a charity shop.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06- A little gem.- A sweet little thing.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08I thought it was a bit of you, actually, when I saw it.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Yeah, I do like it. It's a nice little desk toy.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13This should get the top end.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- Should be £50, shouldn't it? - Mmm.- Be nice.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18We're going to find out right now.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- This is it.- The Georgian model of a cannon on the mahogany stand.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Interest in the lot, and I can start this away at £30 for the cannon.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30- Good.- At 35. 40 upstairs. 45. 50.
0:27:30 > 0:27:3355. 60. 65. 70. 75.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35At £70 in the gallery now.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38At £70, your bid, sir, at £70.
0:27:38 > 0:27:4075 for the lot now. 75.
0:27:40 > 0:27:4480. 85. 90. At £90. Still in the gallery, then, at £90 for the lot.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Are we all done at £90?
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Yes! £90! That's fantastic.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53You see, quality always sells. What
0:27:53 > 0:27:57are you going to do with that money? Less a bit of commission.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Erm, Photoshop 6.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02So you're into your computers?
0:28:02 > 0:28:08Well, yeah, I'm getting there, getting there. I combine it with art.
0:28:08 > 0:28:13- Erm, merging watercolours with line stuff...- Yeah.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15- For pleasure, of course. - Hours of fun!
0:28:15 > 0:28:18You pretend you understand what he's talking about!
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Well, we've got £50-£80 riding on this next lot.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30It's Katrina's First World War postcard albums, and we've got Linda here.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- You're going to be Katrina's mother-in-law.- Yeah.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37- Hopefully we get £80 today and you can spend the money.- No, she's spending it. No, no.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42- She's putting it towards the wedding fund.- Yeah.- Well, it does mount up.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44I got married recently, and it does mount up!
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- You're still feeling it, aren't you? - Still feeling it!
0:28:47 > 0:28:51- Best day of my life though. - Good. Right answer.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Let's hope it's a good day here for Linda and Katrina. Going under the hammer now.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58It's an album of Austrian World War I postcards,
0:28:58 > 0:29:00approximately 120 in the lot. Interest in these.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03I can start these at £60. At 70.
0:29:03 > 0:29:0680. 90. 100. And 10, sir.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10110 in the room. 120. 130. 140.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13150. 160. 170. 180. 190.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16- Fantastic!- You were right on the day.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18- You did your research, didn't you? - I did.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23At £200. 210 now. Are we all done then at £200?
0:29:23 > 0:29:28Absolutely fantastic! £200. What was this..."You did your research"?
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- Did you have some insider knowledge. - No, I went on the internet,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34and they're supposed to be the golden age of postcards.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37They're lithograph prints. They're not just ordinary prints.
0:29:37 > 0:29:43And everybody from round the world went to Austria to learn how to make these postcards.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46- £200...- Brilliant.- For the wedding. - Oh, they'll be over the moon.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- I'll have to ring her tonight. - Oh, good.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10This wonderful Georgian stable block resides in the grounds of Ormesby Hall,
0:30:10 > 0:30:14which is owned by the National Trust and it's just a few miles outside of Middlesbrough.
0:30:14 > 0:30:20It's not the stable block that I'm interested in today, although it is a fantastic architectural delight.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23It's in fact what's inside it.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Now, these no ordinary horses.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38They are in fact police horses and there's nine of them here,
0:30:38 > 0:30:43along with one sergeant and eight constables, and they make up Cleveland's Mounted Police section,
0:30:43 > 0:30:48and I'm here to meet Sergeant Paul Johnson to find out exactly what the section does.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58- Hi, Paul. Pleased to meet you.- Hi.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02- What's his name?- This is Clyde. His official police name's Stranton.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04He's got to be one of the biggest police horses.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07We think he's possibly the biggest police horse in the country.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10- We don't know anybody else who's got one bigger, that's for sure.- My word!
0:31:10 > 0:31:13That is massive. He's good on crowd control, I bet.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17Tell me a little bit about what the role does here, what the section does.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21A lot of our day-to-day things is just doing crime patrols
0:31:21 > 0:31:23round the different districts that we cover.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26It's like a bobby being on foot really, but ours are on horseback.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29And what sort of typical scenarios do you get involved in?
0:31:29 > 0:31:34Obviously we do a lot of the football matches, crowd control, crowd safety,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38making sure everybody's going to be safe round some flashpoint areas.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40And if anybody starts misbehaving,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43we can use the horses to move them out the way and stop the fighting.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48You don't mess with these guys! They've got such powerful shoulders, they can nudge you sideways.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52He must be nigh on a tonne, something around that weight,
0:31:52 > 0:31:56- so if he was running towards you, you'd quickly get out of the way. - Where do you get your horses from?
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Sometimes we get them from dealers if we have to, but a lot of the time it's from word of mouth.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04We go and see the horses, see what they're going to be like, if they have the right temperament.
0:32:04 > 0:32:10Somebody will ride the horse out to make sure it's going to be good in traffic, round roadworks and things.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15- And then, if we think they're going to be suitable, what we do is we get them in on a month's trial.- Yeah.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18- I walked past a few on the way in. Can we look at those?- Course you can.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20You are absolutely magnificent.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Go back in. Go on. Back in.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25They've got wonderful, big stable boxes.
0:32:25 > 0:32:31- Yes, obviously they were built for them in the 1770s, so that... - Just the right size for these guys.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35- Anything smaller, they wouldn't fit in.- What's the history of this place?
0:32:35 > 0:32:37How long has the section been based here?
0:32:37 > 0:32:41The current section as it is has been here since the 1970s.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Are there many people that want to get into the mounted police?
0:32:43 > 0:32:46We do get a lot of people saying, "I'm going to join the police.
0:32:46 > 0:32:51"I'm going to be a mounted police officer." Well, if you take it that there's about 1,600 police officers,
0:32:51 > 0:32:55and there's only nine of us, the odds of getting on the mounted branch are quite small.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Tell us a little bit more about police training.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08What's the first thing a police constable would have to do
0:33:08 > 0:33:11before you take him out?
0:33:11 > 0:33:16We actually send our officers away, and they go away on a four-month course.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19So once they've done that four-month course, they get tested to make sure
0:33:19 > 0:33:24they'll be safe to go out on the streets and their horses aren't going to run off with them
0:33:24 > 0:33:26and end up killing a member of the public or themselves.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Will they bond with one horse and stay with that horse?
0:33:28 > 0:33:31Yeah. We do generally have our own horses here.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34And we use them most of the time.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38If we were going to go to a parade, you'd maybe not take one horse,
0:33:38 > 0:33:42because it might be a bit jumpy in a parade, you know. You'd have to take a more steady horse.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45What would be one of the things you could show me?
0:33:45 > 0:33:49I've got a couple of horses and I ride, but can you show me something?
0:33:49 > 0:33:53We can maybe show you some lateral manoeuvres that we might do
0:33:53 > 0:33:58at a football match or if we had a crowd in front of us and we wanted to move them sideways.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02We'd move the horse sideways into them and get them to move.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06- We'll show you a few things like that.- I've brought my riding hat with me.- OK.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08- We'll get you on, then.- OK.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26Move a little bit more towards me.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29Without moving her forward.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32See, if I stop, I'll pull him up level with you.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37- So if I wanted to close the gap up on you now, I'll open the right rein a bit.- OK.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41And then I'll... Leg on at the girth and you can get everybody like...
0:34:41 > 0:34:44- Like in next to you, then.- Yeah.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46Let me try and come tight to you.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00Yeah. Not bad. Not bad.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Not bad. OK.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06'I tried my best and I don't think I was too bad,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08'but now I'm going to leave it up to the professionals.'
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Well, what a day I've had here. I tell you what,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38you can't beat riding a police horse. You trust those things with your life.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43They're strong, they're beautiful, they're elegant. Look at the confirmation, the way they move.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46They are a great addition to the modern-day police force,
0:35:46 > 0:35:51and it's wonderful to have just a little insight into what the job entails.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01And back at the valuation day, it seems to be time for tea.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- May I call you Valerie? That's not too personal?- Yes.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07- Everybody calls me Valerie. - That's good. Welcome.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10- Thank you.- Thank you for bringing such a beautiful tea caddy along.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13I was really excited to see this when I unpacked it earlier.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17- Can you tell me a little bit about it and where you got it from? - Right. Well,
0:36:17 > 0:36:19I got it from my husband's aunt.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22There were three maiden aunts.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Never got married and they were all interested in collecting antiques.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30They didn't have the distraction of husbands and children, did they?
0:36:30 > 0:36:35No, they didn't. The last maiden aunt said, "Who wants to look after a man?"
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Well, yeah. Were you of that opinion as well?
0:36:37 > 0:36:42- Oh, no, no.- No, no.- Oh, no, definitely not. No, no!
0:36:42 > 0:36:46- Cos you've got grandchildren, haven't you?- I've got four grandchildren.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50- Granddaughters.- Granddaughters. - Granddaughters, yes.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54- Do they ever watch the programme? - I think they would watch it if I was watching it with them.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57- OK. Or if you were on it? - Oh, yeah, definitely.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01We have to get you on it somehow. Anyway, we've got this beautiful tea caddy. Why are you selling it?
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- Well, it's not on view anywhere. - Is it not?- No.- Where does it live?
0:37:05 > 0:37:09It lives in the wardrobe in the guest room.
0:37:09 > 0:37:10- In a wardrobe?- In the guest room.
0:37:10 > 0:37:15- Valerie, I'm getting disappointed about that.- I know. I know.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19Well, I don't blame you for selling it. Beautiful tortoiseshell tea caddy.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22It's from the early 19th century. We've got a silver escutcheon,
0:37:22 > 0:37:27and if we have a look inside, we've got this twin-lidded compartment as you usually find.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Unfortunately there's a little bit of damage on this one,
0:37:30 > 0:37:35but you can see the original lined interior, the foiled paper there to keep the tea fresh,
0:37:35 > 0:37:39cos tea was an expensive commodity. That's why they had these exotic caddies.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43And sometimes they have little gilt...brass ball feet
0:37:43 > 0:37:44or ivory feet.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47And this one has little tortoiseshell feet.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50It's in good condition. Any idea what it might be worth?
0:37:50 > 0:37:54- Well, only from seeing things sold on Flog It.- Right.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56So maybe round about £500.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00That's a pretty good guess. I was thinking estimate 500-800.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04- Right.- So you're on the lower end of that.- Mm-hm.- Which means hopefully
0:38:04 > 0:38:07- you'll be pleased with the result if it makes more.- I will. - Yeah.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11So I would suggest that estimate, 500-800. We'll put a reserve of 500.
0:38:11 > 0:38:16- Yes.- If it doesn't make that, it's not worth selling.- No. It's worth putting back in the wardrobe!
0:38:16 > 0:38:20Yeah, well. You might want to have it out on display perhaps.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Overall, it's pretty clean and tidy, and the back also.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26I'll just rotate that. Ooh, I do like that.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31So let's say it makes £800. I don't think that's out of the question. How would that be spent?
0:38:31 > 0:38:35Well, I've already said I've got four...quite expensive granddaughters.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Not £200 each, is it?
0:38:37 > 0:38:40- I'd split it for them. - Valerie, thanks again for bringing
0:38:40 > 0:38:44this in and I look forward to coming to the auction and standing with you and watching it make a fortune.
0:38:44 > 0:38:50- Let's hope it does.- I hope so too. And I've thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you very much.- That's a pleasure.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59Eve, it's been a long day here today at the Flog It valuation.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03We're on the final furlong and you've brought in two pieces
0:39:03 > 0:39:07of what's probably going to be easily identified as Royal Worcester.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09What can you tell me about them?
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Well, I inherited them about 20 years ago from my brother-in-law.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16They belonged to my sister-in-law and when she died, he just passed them on to me.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20- He wasn't interested in holding on...?- In keeping them? No.
0:39:20 > 0:39:25- And they're displayed, are they? They're in nice condition.- They're just behind glass in a cabinet.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29And value-wise, have you had any idea of what they might be worth?
0:39:29 > 0:39:34- No, not really.- Royal Worcester tends to be a factory that produces wares that, to be honest, you either
0:39:34 > 0:39:39love it or hate it. It tends to be very sort of floral, shall we say.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42This sort of beige or peach blush sort of ground.
0:39:42 > 0:39:47You say it was your brother-in-law. It's not exactly very sort of masculine porcelain, is it?
0:39:47 > 0:39:51- No.- So we can see why he perhaps handed them on to you.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55The floral painting on these is of nice quality. It's not signed anywhere.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59I can't see any artist signing. I see on one of the pieces there are some decorator's marks
0:39:59 > 0:40:03underneath, which, with some research, identify the artist.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07But really the Royal Worcester that makes the big money are those, you
0:40:07 > 0:40:14may have seen them, Stinton vases that are painted with cattle scenes and landscapes and birds perhaps.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16Do the artists always sign them or not?
0:40:16 > 0:40:20Well, it was sort of post-1900 that Royal Worcester encouraged
0:40:20 > 0:40:24people to this free-hand painting and it was really the artists
0:40:24 > 0:40:29that became most popular, that almost had a following in themselves,
0:40:29 > 0:40:31- and they will sign their work.- Yes.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36These have been signed beneath with the decorator's mark, so these would probably have been
0:40:36 > 0:40:41produced in larger numbers than those almost sort of exhibition pieces, shall we call them,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43that are signed by the artists.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47Now, date-wise for these two pieces, Royal Worcester introduced a system
0:40:47 > 0:40:52of dating their ceramics by adding dots to the marks underneath.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56What we can learn from that is that these have been dated from the dots
0:40:56 > 0:40:59underneath - 15 dots, we date them to 1907.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03That's a good, easy way of dating them that Royal Worcester have provided
0:41:03 > 0:41:07and that still continues to this day, the dating system they use.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Now, this one here nearer me, the flagon vase, shall we call it?
0:41:11 > 0:41:15These have gone off the boil recently in the marketplace, so I suppose on that
0:41:15 > 0:41:18you would be looking at a value of...say £50.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22The other piece you have - the shell-moulded bowl -
0:41:22 > 0:41:26- is a bit more eye-catching. - More about it, yeah.- There's a bit more about it.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30There's obviously more into the production of it and again it's nicely decorated
0:41:30 > 0:41:35and you've just got the hint of this sort of peach blush ground underneath the flower painting here.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39Again, dated the same, 1907. Now, value on that, I suppose,
0:41:39 > 0:41:42is going to be a little bit more than the vase.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45So I would say on that maybe 100-150.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50- Yes.- So if we're looking at the two together, we're looking at 150, that sort of level, 150-200.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54- It makes sense offering them together. How do you feel about that?- Yes, that's fine.
0:41:54 > 0:42:00And reserve-wise, I think we should reserve at the bottom figure, 150, and just give the auctioneer
0:42:00 > 0:42:05some discretion, so if it gets to 140, he'll sell them rather than not sell them for a tenner.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09- Yeah, that's fine. - You're happy with that? Good. So 150 reserve with discretion.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13- 150-200 as an estimate, and we'll see you on the day. - Lovely. Thank you.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24- How are you, Brenda? - Very well.- Good. Welcome to Flog It.- It's nice to be here.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Oh, really? I'm glad. Have you come far?
0:42:27 > 0:42:33- No. I live in Darlington.- OK. Now, I always find it quite sad when people are selling their family medals.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36- Yes, but they're not my family. - OK, so where do you get them from?
0:42:36 > 0:42:41My husband and I are avid car-booters, and I particularly like jewellery. He likes watches,
0:42:41 > 0:42:45but we collect anything. But because we do this, everybody thinks we can value things.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49- OK.- So there's always friends saying, "My friend has this, would you just come and look at it?"
0:42:49 > 0:42:54or "Can you value this?" If I can, I will, but more often than not I can't.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57And a friend said she had a friend that had some medals,
0:42:57 > 0:42:59would I come and look at them? So I said, "I will."
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Because I said, "I don't know anything about them,"
0:43:02 > 0:43:07she assumed they weren't worth anything. I said, "No! They probably are worth something."
0:43:07 > 0:43:10"I'll throw them away." I said, "You can't throw them away!"
0:43:10 > 0:43:13I said, "Give them to a charity." "No, I'll just throw them away."
0:43:13 > 0:43:17- I said, "I'll try and find out something about them."- OK.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20- And this is why you're here today? - And she said, "Yes."
0:43:20 > 0:43:23- So will she be watching this? - No, she doesn't know I'm here.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27- OK.- Because we've been on holiday and I got a phone call this morning
0:43:27 > 0:43:31- from my step-daughter to say, "Flog It's at the Dolphin Centre..." - You had to come.- "..Is there
0:43:31 > 0:43:34"anything you can take?" I thought, "I'll take the medals."
0:43:34 > 0:43:37- You're going to tell your friend before she sees it on the box?- Yes!
0:43:37 > 0:43:40You've got an interesting collection of medals.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43We've left those in there - standard-issue World War I medals.
0:43:43 > 0:43:48So there's not a lot of value there. The ones of interest are this trio here.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51And this is the particular one of interest.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53These again are standard World War I medals.
0:43:53 > 0:43:58This one however is the award for Bravery in the Field.
0:43:58 > 0:44:05So these are all awarded to the same person, who is Sergeant J Stott of the Royal Engineers.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09- Be interesting to know who he was.- It would, wouldn't it?
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Medal buyers will research these when they get them and they'll try
0:44:12 > 0:44:16and find out what it was he did to be awarded this Bravery Medal.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18So this is the one that adds the value.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21Without this, you might only have £50 for the whole lot.
0:44:21 > 0:44:26- But this one makes the whole lot probably worth £200-£300...- Wow.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29Something like that. So not a bad little haul.
0:44:29 > 0:44:35So what I'd suggest is that we sell them as one lot, this being the main focus and THIS being added on.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39- Put a reserve of £200.- Sounds good. - Yeah, and an estimate of 200-300.
0:44:39 > 0:44:44- I am confident that they'll make that, if not a little bit more perhaps. Happy with that?- Yes, very.
0:44:44 > 0:44:47- Are you going to tell your friend?- I definitely am, yes.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51I suppose the friend gets the money or maybe she'll help you out with a...
0:44:51 > 0:44:54No, just the pleasure of coming. I've just enjoyed doing it.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Good. Well, it's been nice to have you here.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00And I'll be coming back up to the North-East from Cheshire
0:45:00 > 0:45:04- in a couple of weeks' time to stand at the auction with you. You'll be coming?- Yes.- It's the best bit.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07- That's the enjoyment. - Let's hope we get a good result.
0:45:07 > 0:45:12- Oh, I hope so.- Yeah. Thanks for coming and at least you're not selling the family medals.- No.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20Dane, thanks for coming in today to see us here at Flog It, and
0:45:20 > 0:45:21you've brought with you
0:45:21 > 0:45:24a piece of jewellery. Now, we always like seeing
0:45:24 > 0:45:27good-quality jewellery boxes as valuers and auctioneers - that
0:45:27 > 0:45:31generally means the piece inside is going to be good quality, too. Let's have a look.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35If I open it up, well, there it is. Look at that. Quite a showy piece.
0:45:35 > 0:45:40What can you tell me about it? Is it something you've inherited? Purchased?
0:45:40 > 0:45:43Well, I did purchase it, but not how you think.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46I bought an old pine tool chest full of old tools.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48And in the bottom of there was
0:45:48 > 0:45:52an old Oxo tin, and inside the Oxo tin... There we go.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55- Don't tell me this was inside the... - Yeah, that was inside.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57And did you know it was there when you were bidding?
0:45:57 > 0:46:01I didn't, no. I was after the box, the chest itself, cos I like wooden
0:46:01 > 0:46:04- boxes.- So this was literally a bonus in the bottom of the box?
0:46:04 > 0:46:06- A good bonus.- And how much did you pay for the box?
0:46:06 > 0:46:08- £15!- No! Get out!
0:46:08 > 0:46:13- And where was this saleroom? You can tell me afterwards!- I will do!
0:46:13 > 0:46:15Quite a story. It's those sort of stories
0:46:15 > 0:46:18that make the auction room so exciting.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21That's why you've got to go to these places and view well.
0:46:21 > 0:46:26Right, well, let's have a closer look at it, if I take it out of its nicely-fitted box.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29We can see that it's fully diamond encrusted.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33We've had a look at the size of the diamonds, and we've calculated that
0:46:33 > 0:46:38there are roughly sort of 2.1 carats' worth of diamonds there in total.
0:46:38 > 0:46:39Good-quality stones.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42- They're old-brilliant cut, which is just the style of cut.- Yeah.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46And if I spin it over, with nice-quality
0:46:46 > 0:46:50jewellery, you can tell a lot more sometimes by the back of a piece
0:46:50 > 0:46:53than you can about the front.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56These are the parts you're not meant to see, not show, but
0:46:56 > 0:46:58the quality in the workmanship and the finish is top notch,
0:46:58 > 0:47:02which would suggest to you that someone's taken a lot of care over this.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05And here we've got the pin attachment.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08And have you ever noticed that you can actually take this piece off?
0:47:08 > 0:47:12Yeah, you can. I believe you could put it on a pendant or, like, a...
0:47:12 > 0:47:14That's generally how they worked.
0:47:14 > 0:47:15I'll see if I can take this off now.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19There we go. So I've taken that off, and you can see you've got an area
0:47:19 > 0:47:22there where you can either attach this perhaps to a pendant,
0:47:22 > 0:47:25and occasionally they would attach to a bracelet.
0:47:25 > 0:47:29So, very versatile. I'll pop that back on so we don't lose it.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32Well, let's pop that back in its case safely.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36The only other thing to say is that it's set in silver on gold.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Generally, they would set these diamonds in silver, because if they
0:47:39 > 0:47:43set them in gold, it would tend to discolour the diamonds, because of the
0:47:43 > 0:47:46yellow of the gold, and then that would just give a bit of a yellow
0:47:46 > 0:47:51tint to the diamonds, when really people are after the brilliant white.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54And I would suspect that this dates from that late 19th century.
0:47:54 > 0:47:561890, that sort of period.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58So why did you want to sell it?
0:47:58 > 0:48:01Well, it's not modern or, you know...
0:48:01 > 0:48:03It doesn't really have any practicability.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07Yeah. I mean, it's wearable. It is a wearable brooch.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10Value-wise, I don't know if you've ever had it valued?
0:48:10 > 0:48:15- I haven't, no.- No, you didn't go back to the auction you bought it from?!- I didn't dare!
0:48:15 > 0:48:17They'd say, "We'll have that back, thank you!"
0:48:17 > 0:48:20- Yes!- I think a sensible estimate for it
0:48:20 > 0:48:25at auction... I would like to see it in a catalogue at, let's say, £6-800.
0:48:25 > 0:48:26How do you feel about that?
0:48:26 > 0:48:29- Is that a figure you were thinking of?- That will get us
0:48:29 > 0:48:33- a painter and decorator in up the whole stairs and landing.- Will it?
0:48:33 > 0:48:36We're doing half the house already on that! Dane, it's been
0:48:36 > 0:48:39great seeing it, and I think it could be one of the stars
0:48:39 > 0:48:41of the show at the auction.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44And I'll see you there. £6-800. We'll reserve it at £600.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46We'll fix it at that, because
0:48:46 > 0:48:49I don't think the auctioneer's going to need any discretion.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51That's right, yeah. Good!
0:48:51 > 0:48:54Before we head back to the saleroom, let's have another look
0:48:54 > 0:48:57at all the items that are going under the hammer.
0:48:57 > 0:49:03I know diamonds are a girl's best friend, but at £600-£800, they could be Dane's, too.
0:49:03 > 0:49:04This is a delightful little lot.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08A think Valerie's tea caddy could be the most elegant thing
0:49:08 > 0:49:09in today's sale.
0:49:09 > 0:49:14Royal Worcester is very collectable and although these two pieces aren't
0:49:14 > 0:49:15the cream of the crop,
0:49:15 > 0:49:17I hope bidders like them and someone shells out.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20Brenda is selling the medals for a friend.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23Fingers crossed they pass the finishing line
0:49:23 > 0:49:24and she gets a cash prize.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28Well, back at the auction, let's have a quick chat with auctioneer
0:49:28 > 0:49:33Peter Cartwright and see what he's got to say about Adam's valuation of the tea caddy.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36Here's a bit of quality. I love tortoiseshell tea caddies.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38And this belongs to Valerie. She's selling this.
0:49:38 > 0:49:44We've got a valuation put on by our experts of £500-£800. Fixed reserve at 500.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48There is, as you can see, a little damage to one of the lids of the compartments.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51That is a bit of a worry. Also, for me, it is a bit dull.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53It doesn't have the usual tortoiseshell shine.
0:49:53 > 0:49:59No. A little bit of oil, a bit of TLC and that just might brighten the thing up, make it sparkle.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02It certainly needs it. For me, it needs brightening up.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06There's a little bit of damage, but I would have been happier at 300-500.
0:50:06 > 0:50:11Right, OK. So your top end is possibly our lower end, if we're five to eight.
0:50:11 > 0:50:16Hopefully we can meet somewhere in the middle. But you never know, auctions are a funny thing.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19- Funny business. - This could still do £700.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27We've got a diamond brooch. It belongs to Dane
0:50:27 > 0:50:30and it was found in a tool chest that you bought for £15.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33- That's right.- Gosh. 2.1 carats.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35- Good size.- £600, £800 possibly.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39Got to be worth that. I mean, if it doesn't sell, I'll be disappointed.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41At £600-£800, it's worth all of that.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43You walk down the high street and see what sort of equivalent they're
0:50:43 > 0:50:48putting on these sort of things in the shop window and you can put a nought on the end.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51- Had a chat to the auctioneer. He totally agreed with the valuation.- Good.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53I'm hoping for the top end.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55What went through your mind when you found that?
0:50:55 > 0:50:58Did you think, "It's costume jewellery," or something?
0:50:58 > 0:51:02No, I wasn't really interested at first, cos I was more interested in the handles what was on top of it.
0:51:02 > 0:51:07- Yeah. And then you saw it and you thought...- It looked a bit dirty and cleaned it up and I thought,
0:51:07 > 0:51:10- "Well, it's sparkling, so it's got to be something." - Did you get it valued?
0:51:10 > 0:51:12No, no, it's been in a cupboard.
0:51:12 > 0:51:17So the first time you knew exactly how much it was worth was when you met Will at the valuation day?
0:51:17 > 0:51:20- That's right, yes.- Mm. - That must have been a nice moment?
0:51:20 > 0:51:24It was and it's come at the right time, cos we're doing up the house.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27- Haemorrhages money, doesn't it? - Yeah, it does.- This is it.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29We're going to find out exactly what this is worth.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33This very good-quality, late-Victorian, diamond brooch
0:51:33 > 0:51:34in the form of a Catherine wheel.
0:51:34 > 0:51:39Interest in the lot. I'll open this up at £450.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43At 450. 500. And 50. 600. In the room the bid.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45- We're there.- We need another bidder. - 650 now.
0:51:45 > 0:51:49At £600, gentleman's bid. At £600. 650 surely now for this brooch.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52At £600. Are we all done? At £600.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56650. 700. At 650 beside me now.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00At £650. Are we all done at £650?
0:52:00 > 0:52:03£650! Phew, did it!
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Yeah, we got it away for you.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09- We've got the paint. - Yeah, got the paint. I think you've got some wood,
0:52:09 > 0:52:14- some screws, some nails. I think you've got quite a bit there... - I've already got the tools.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17Yeah, they're in the bottom of the box!
0:52:21 > 0:52:25Well, if a cup of tea is your brew, you're gonna love this next lot.
0:52:25 > 0:52:31It's a gorgeous, 19th-century tortoiseshell tea caddy belonging to Valerie. Not for much longer.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35We've got £500-£800 valuation on this. Did you ever use it?
0:52:35 > 0:52:39- No, actually I kept it in the wardrobe.- Kept it in the wardrobe!
0:52:39 > 0:52:42No wonder you're selling it, then. I'd be keeping this, wouldn't you?
0:52:42 > 0:52:48- Yeah. It's amazing how many things do live in wardrobes.- Yes.- We often find people..."Where d'you keep it?"
0:52:48 > 0:52:52- "In the wardrobe."- And you look at it and think, "Oh, it's still there." One day I thought, "Well, no."
0:52:52 > 0:52:55- As tea caddies go, it is the Rolls-Royce of tea caddies.- Right.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58Had a chat to the auctioneer just before the sale started.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02He said it might struggle, but I said, "I don't think so."
0:53:02 > 0:53:04- I don't believe that.- No. - I find they go very well.
0:53:04 > 0:53:09- Well, I've got a reserve on it anyway.- You have.- You've got a £500 reserve.- Yeah.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11And it will make 720.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13I'd like it to make a little bit more than that.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16We're going to find out anyway. We can't do any more talking.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21- It's down to this lot here in the room to find out what it makes. Good luck, Valerie.- Thank you.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24It's a Victorian tortoiseshell and ivory tea caddy
0:53:24 > 0:53:26with original interior and lids.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29Interest in the lot. I can start this away at £350.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31At 350. 360 now for the caddy.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35At 360. 370. 380. 390. 400.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38And 10. 420. 430.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41440. 450. 460. 470.
0:53:41 > 0:53:42- Yes.- 480. 490.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44500 in the room, the bid.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46At £500. 510 now. At £500.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49- Bit more. - Gentleman's bid then at £500.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52Are we all done at £500?
0:53:52 > 0:53:53Hammer's gone down. 500.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56On reserve. One bidder.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59- There was no-one here to push, was there?- No.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02If we had someone else bidding against it, we may have got another £100 or so.
0:54:02 > 0:54:07- Sorry if I got your hopes up - I thought it might have better.- You were right. You said five to eight.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09I'm quite happy with that.
0:54:09 > 0:54:13I'm sharing it between my four granddaughters,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16because they're quite expensive young ladies.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19And I guess it would have been their inheritance in a way.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23- Well, it would.- You can't split it up, so it's best to sell it.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25Well, that's what I thought, you know.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28They said, "Are we going to get the money in our hands?"
0:54:28 > 0:54:30I said, "No, it's going in your bank accounts."
0:54:36 > 0:54:41Now, this is a cracking lot. Eve's Royal Worcester vase. ..Why are you selling this?
0:54:41 > 0:54:44It's just behind glass, and grandchildren are running about.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46I think this is a keeper.
0:54:46 > 0:54:51Yeah, and as well as the vase, we've got the nice shell-moulded dish as well, which in my mind I think
0:54:51 > 0:54:54is more commercial than the vase, so fingers crossed.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57- We're looking at £150. - Well, for two pieces...
0:54:57 > 0:55:01- That's not bad.- Royal Worcester, good name like you say.- Yeah. Quality always sells.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03Everyone's after it, except for you.
0:55:03 > 0:55:08- You're flogging it. Why?- Well, it's just that the children won't want it, so...
0:55:08 > 0:55:11You've got it behind glass. It's protected.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14Most of our owners say they're selling it because it's in the wardrobe.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17I've got that much in the cabinet, you can't see what's in it.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20- You're thinning out. - Thinning out, yes.- Thinning out.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22Thinning out the collection.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26- Sell the best you don't like to buy pieces you do.- That's it.- Is that what you're going to do?- Yes.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28Good luck. This is it.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31Shell-shaped dish with a floral decoration with a jug.
0:55:31 > 0:55:32Two in the lot.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35Open this up at £110 for the two.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37At 110. 120 there.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40At 120. 130. 140 at the back.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44At 140. 150 now for the two pieces.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48- At £140. Gentleman's bid then at £140 for the two.- He's selling it.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50Are we all done at £140?
0:55:50 > 0:55:53- Hammer's gone down! - Sold at 140.- Yes.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56- A bit of discretion on the reserve. - We'll settle for that.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00- Yeah, that's fine.- That gets you on your way.- Yes.- Pleased with that?- Yes.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03Bit of commission to pay, but everyone has to pay that.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07That's how the auction earns their money and pays the wages.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09- Happy shopping! Yes.- Well done.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17We're just about to do our very own battle in the saleroom right now.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21We've got Brenda's First World War medals with a value of £200-£300.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24- You're selling it for your friend.- I am, yes.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27- We need to get top money, so you can go home with some good news.- Hope so.
0:56:27 > 0:56:32- Hard thing to value.- We had a medal specialist on the valuation, though.- Oh, did we?
0:56:32 > 0:56:37- That was fortuitous. - I'm giving away my secrets. So I'm quite confident that they'll sell.
0:56:37 > 0:56:41Sometimes it's down to the officer, the campaign, if there's a bit of history behind it.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Yeah. Morbidly, it can be when they died,
0:56:44 > 0:56:49if they were killed in action. I remember selling some Gallipoli medals years ago.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51They made thousands of pounds.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55- Gosh.- Yes, that would be nice. - It would be nice, wouldn't it?
0:56:55 > 0:56:58- I don't think that's going to happen here.- I'll be happy with hundreds.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00A few hundred would be nice, wouldn't it?
0:57:00 > 0:57:03- Yes.- Well, we're going to find out right now, because this is it.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06An interesting collection of World War I medals,
0:57:06 > 0:57:09including a band of three awarded to J Stott.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12And I can open these up at £240.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15- Straight in! Come on.- 280. 300.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18And 20. 340.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20£320 with me, the bid. At 340.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23- 360...- Oh!
0:57:23 > 0:57:26It's a good feeling. It's a good feeling when it keeps going up.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29At £390 in the room now. At £390.
0:57:29 > 0:57:33400 now. Are we all done at £390?
0:57:33 > 0:57:37- Yes! £390.- Wow, that's brilliant. - It's good.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40- Oh, go home with that good news. - Yes, I will.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48Well, how about that? Another great show.
0:57:48 > 0:57:52As you can see, the auction is still going on, but it's all over for our owners.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55They've gone home happy, wondering what to spend their money on.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59The highlight for me had to be the First World War postcards.
0:57:59 > 0:58:03They are so collectable right now, fetching top money.
0:58:03 > 0:58:08If you've got anything like that at home, we would love to see you at one of valuation days.
0:58:08 > 0:58:12Check the details in your local press, because we're coming to your area very soon.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15So until then, from Darlington, cheerio.
0:58:33 > 0:58:35Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd