0:00:04 > 0:00:07Welcome to the home town of Francis Crick on a rather wet and rainy day.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09But that won't dampen your spirits
0:00:09 > 0:00:12when you walk through sculpture like that.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15And it celebrates his incredible genius. Intrigued?
0:00:15 > 0:00:19Well, you should be, so stay tuned and welcome to Flog It!
0:00:19 > 0:00:21from Northampton.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Some of the antiques that we'll see today
0:00:56 > 0:00:59have been handed down from generation to generation.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02But we all possess one priceless inheritance
0:01:02 > 0:01:05handed down from our ancestors that we cannot see,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07and that is our DNA.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Northampton's very own Francis Crick, along with James Watson,
0:01:11 > 0:01:16unlocked the future of genetics by cracking the DNA code.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20In 1962, they were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26And on this very rainy day in Northampton,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29investigating some of these treasures that
0:01:29 > 0:01:32have been handed down to you, are our very own prize experts here,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Mark Stacey and James Lewis.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Looks like you've both been Tangoed by Blackfriars!
0:01:40 > 0:01:44We're at the Guildhall, and the owners of some of the treasures that you can see
0:01:44 > 0:01:47in the queue behind me are getting rather excited.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Wondering who is going to be first at the blue Flog It! tablecloth.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Well, let's go inside and find out.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Annie, it just would not be Flog It! without a bit of Moorcroft.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03You've saved the day and brought a bit along.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07- Is this a family piece? - No. It's not.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10My brother used to do odd jobs for an elderly couple,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13look after the house while they were on holiday,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16- and they were throwing two vases away.- Throwing them away?!
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Yes, and he gave them to me, and the first one, I did like.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22This one, I've never liked.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26It was used as a door stop. It's had the odd flowers in.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30- You used it as a doorstop? - Yes.- Oh, my goodness.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33In this day and age, if you watch Flog It!
0:02:33 > 0:02:36or Bargain Hunt or any of the other antiques programmes,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39you must know what a bit of Moorcroft looks like.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41I do now, yes. It is only down to Flog It!
0:02:41 > 0:02:43I realised it was a Moorcroft.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48I have had it for about 15, 20 years.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51OK, well, this is a classic piece of Moorcroft.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53It is one of the most popular designs.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54It is the hibiscus pattern.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57And this was produced from the 1930s onwards.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01It came in different coloured variations.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05You had the orange flowers on the green background, which was done later.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07This is a much nicer colour variation.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Quite subtle reds and pinks on a pale blue ground. Much, much nicer.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13And it has got a good shape, as well.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14The ovoid shape.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18And that's classic 1930s. Is it something you treasure today?
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- No!- Obviously not, because you want to flog it.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24The shape's and the colours are not too bad,
0:03:24 > 0:03:25but it's just not my cup of tea.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27It's just I don't like...Moorcroft.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29It's a classic piece.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32And this WM is for William Moorcroft.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34That's his signature in green.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38So there we are, a good vase. What's it worth?
0:03:38 > 0:03:41I honestly haven't a clue.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42Would you sell it for £30?
0:03:42 > 0:03:46- Well, a year ago, I would have given it away!- Yes?
0:03:46 > 0:03:48It'll make more than that.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- I reckon it is going to make between £80 and £120.- Really?!
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Yeah. Auctioneers' favourite estimate, but I think that is what it's worth.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Oh, blimey!
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- Is that all right for you?- Yeah!
0:03:59 > 0:04:00Let's put a reserve of £80 on it.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03£80 firm, so there is no discretion.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05If it doesn't make 80, take it home and try another day.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Yes, fine. That is lovely.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- I hope somebody enjoys it.- We'll take it along and see how we do.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- Hi, Linda. How are you? - I'm fine, thank you.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Now, you have brought a wily little fox in to show us today.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- I have, indeed. - Tell us about the history.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27I have had it around about nine months.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31I bought it at a small antiques fair, locally.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34I bought it because I liked the red glaze. I like flambe glazes.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37And I liked the shape of it.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41It's quite nicely modelled. It is quite stylised, really.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43It is a stylised pose.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Whereas a lot of foxes are depicted either sitting or standing.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50This is really crouching and stalking something, isn't it?
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- Yes.- So it has got quite a fierce look to it,
0:04:52 > 0:04:57particularly with that bright, raw red flambe glaze.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59It is quite effectively done.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02This is made by Royal Doulton.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05And underneath, we have got a full set of marks for Royal Doulton.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08The signature of Noke, which stands for Charles Noke.
0:05:08 > 0:05:15He designed a lot of pieces in the 1920s and '30s for Doulton.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19And we have also got at the end of the toe an impressed number, 298.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- Yes.- So all in all, a very nice piece.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24The mark is very faint there.
0:05:24 > 0:05:30We have got the standard mark of a lion above a crown in a circle with the word flambe.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35And that was used, I think, between 1902 and about 1934.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37- Oh, so it is earlier than I thought it might be.- Yes.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41You do have to be slightly careful with flambe, actually,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44because it was originally brought out in the 1930s.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48But then was brought back again in the 1960s.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51So you have to be careful about that.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- Yes.- But all in all, it is quite a nice figure.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58I think we should try it at maybe 100 to 150.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02- Right. - With a 100 discretionary reserve, so we'll give the auctioneer 10%.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04So, we can sell it for 90 or so.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06- Yes. - Are you be happy with that?
0:06:06 > 0:06:11Yes, I'd be fine with that, as long as it's got a reserve on, that would be fine. Perfect.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Are you prone to breaking them?
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Absolutely. I've not got a good record.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19We don't want that bushy tail breaking off, do we?
0:06:19 > 0:06:21- Certainly not.- Or the ear chipped.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25- The ears are particularly vulnerable, I think.- They are very vulnerable.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Thank you very much, and I look forward so seeing you
0:06:28 > 0:06:30at the auction, let's hope we get a good price.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Chris, if there was an award for bringing the heaviest thing ever
0:06:37 > 0:06:39to Flog It, I think you'd have won it.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43These are incredibly heavy, aren't they? You can hardly lift them.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46The first thing to say is they're clearly cast in solid bronze
0:06:46 > 0:06:52and they're plaques of Gladstone and Victoria and are they family pieces?
0:06:52 > 0:06:55They look as if they've been somewhere dirty.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58They were found in my grandfather's garage.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00- Really.- 18 months ago.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02No idea at all of family history?
0:07:02 > 0:07:06- No.- How long they've been there, why they were there?- No.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Well, they clearly have a value.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13I know this sounds really crude but I think the first thing we need to do is actually weigh them
0:07:13 > 0:07:18and make sure we don't sell them at less than scrap value, but these are too good for that.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20They really are.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25They've survived for 120 years and I'd like to see them survive another 120.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29They're marked on the back. I'm sure you've seen it there.
0:07:29 > 0:07:36It says, cast by D Smith, 28 Clerkenwell Close, London.
0:07:36 > 0:07:44The only thing I can suggest is that having looked on the internet and finding no D Smith at all,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46and no trace of a caster,
0:07:46 > 0:07:51what I believe these are are probably a commission
0:07:51 > 0:07:54to be made as special individual objects,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57which is why we have no trace of them.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- You bought them along so you obviously want to sell them.- Yes.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03- Any idea of value?- None at all.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06When it comes to market value,
0:08:06 > 0:08:11- they aren't the easiest things to place.- No.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16Who would want a solid bronze plaque of Queen Victoria
0:08:16 > 0:08:19that would actually probably cause incredible damage
0:08:19 > 0:08:24to any piece of furniture it was put on and wouldn't be able to be hung on a wall either?
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- No.- Gladstone is probably a little bit easier to sell
0:08:28 > 0:08:31because of course there's the political history with Gladstone.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34He was one of the most popular prime ministers of the 19th century
0:08:34 > 0:08:39and actually was Prime Minister for four terms,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43starting in 1868 and eventually out of office in 1894.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48And this plaque is dated 1888 on the back there, as I'm sure you've seen.
0:08:48 > 0:08:54I reckon we ought to put an estimate of £120 to £160 on them
0:08:54 > 0:08:58and if they don't make that, then you might as well keep them.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- Yes.- They've got to be worth that for scrap.- That's right, yeah.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06- Yeah? How do you feel? - That's fine, yes.- Brilliant.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Lynn and Chris, good to see you, and thank you for bringing some
0:09:16 > 0:09:19furniture in, we love to see furniture on the show.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22We don't get a lot of it. How long have you had the Davenport?
0:09:22 > 0:09:27I have had it probably about five, six years now.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31- Did you inherit this?- It was my grandmother's, and I think it was her mother's.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32Oh, lovely.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Walnut is the most expensive and the most decorative wood,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38so it has got a bit going for it, anyway.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Captain Davenport, a sea captain, commissioned Gillow,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43a very famous furniture maker,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46to make him a portable writing desk with a slope
0:09:46 > 0:09:50that he could take on board and off board ship with him.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Gillow's was so impressed with his drawings
0:09:52 > 0:09:56that they carried on making them, and as a tribute to him,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58they called them Davenport.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01That was the birth of the Davenport, 1790.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03This particular model is late Victorian.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07We are looking at 1880, somewhere around there.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Here we have got the faux drawers and they don't open.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12But this side,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15you can see they do. And that is very, very handy.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20And they are all beautifully made as well, all dovetailed and lap-jointed.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22I like that. That is a little drawer stop.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25That tells you when the drawer has reached the back.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28So it finishes flush at the front.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34The keys have gone walkabout over the years.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Yes, and there is a bit of damage to the veneer.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39It is good quality veneering.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Moroccan tooled leather, I am a big fan of black rather than...
0:10:42 > 0:10:45That is why, years ago, I actually took a liking to it
0:10:45 > 0:10:49when I was younger and that was the bit that set me off.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52I like the black more than the reds and the greens.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54So, let's have a look inside.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Another veneer finish inside, which is quite nice, birdseye maple.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00It lightens up the whole thing.
0:11:00 > 0:11:06Pigeonhole sections there for stationery, a couple of little drawers.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08It's really quite cute, actually, isn't it?
0:11:08 > 0:11:10I love that you haven't polished it.
0:11:10 > 0:11:16- We haven't touched it.- No. This will take a polish, and this will glow.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- I thought it might, but I wasn't sure.- This will really glow.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24Wonderful golden variegated hues will just burst out of this.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Brown furniture has dipped quite a bit.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29And I would like to call my valuation 3 - 5.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32But I'm pretty sure it'll make that £400 mark.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36- Are you happy with £300-500?- Yes.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38A fixed reserve.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40It is not going to sell for anything less than 300.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42- Is that all right?- That's fine.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Stephen, what fantastic fun.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53We have taken a real step back into Georgian England here
0:11:53 > 0:11:57with political and royal caricatures of the period.
0:11:57 > 0:12:03These are all dating to the late 18th and early 19th century.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06And we've got some really fantastic and famous names here.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11They are collected widely, and there is a great market for them in the States.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15And there are also very good collectors for them here in the UK.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Each individual one takes a little bit of time.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21If you're not a specialist, it takes time to do some research.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26And today here in Northampton, we are not going to have the right time to do it properly.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29So before we go down the line of value, I can tell you now,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32I am not going to put a figure on these.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Because I want to do the research properly.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38For example, here, we have got this chap hanging.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40It is wonderful, the sentiment.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42People obviously don't like this chap.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45We have got a little voice bubble coming up from here,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48"May our heaven-born minister be supported from above."
0:12:48 > 0:12:52What a wonderful bit of fun that is.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Not for him, obviously.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56This is dated at the bottom here.
0:12:56 > 0:13:001797, so we are in late 18th century England.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03That's probably going to be William Pitt the Younger.
0:13:03 > 0:13:10Because he is the main political character of the time, he's looking
0:13:10 > 0:13:13young and unpopular, which he was at this period of time.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Then we've got others.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17We've got here,
0:13:17 > 0:13:23a cartoon by one of the most famous people of the time, and that's George Cruikshank.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28Now, George Cruikshank took over as being the most popular character in about 1811.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33This one is obviously something to do with the English and the Irish.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38We have got the Irishman here saying shillelaghs, but also offering his shoes to the French.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Offering anything to the French in the 18th century,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44later 18th, early 19th century, wasn't greatly popular.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Now, having waffled on and told you very little about values,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51tell me how you've come to have them.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Well, I picked them up at a car boot sale, a local car boot sale.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55Fantastic!
0:13:55 > 0:13:58In the summertime, for £10.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01I had actually been there for about three hours,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05and it was about quarter past one, and I happened to see the folder.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07It's incredible, isn't it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10It does just show you that bargains can still be had.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13When it comes to these caricatures, they vary in value.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18Some like this that have been torn and ripped and stuck down, will be worth relatively little.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22So, value. I'm going to, as I say, avoid the subject.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26Because they can be worth as little as £5, and as much as £5,000.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Now, there is nothing here worth £5,000.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32There is nothing of huge value.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37I will take them away do some research, and between us, we will come up with
0:14:37 > 0:14:40a valuation for you and organise a reserve.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42- Is that all right? - Yeah, that's great.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46- Keep hunting at the car boots, you've got a good eye. - I certainly will!
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Now, before we go back to valuation day,
0:14:52 > 0:14:58I'm heading to a futuristic landscape, and I haven't had to travel too far.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03These stylish new homes here in Oxley Wood went on the market
0:15:03 > 0:15:08in 2007 adding colour and vitality to this rather leafy suburb.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12They're the result of an unlikely partnership between a building firm
0:15:12 > 0:15:17and a firm of architects that brought us such iconic landmark statements
0:15:17 > 0:15:21as the Millennium Dome in London and the Pompidou Centre in Paris.
0:15:21 > 0:15:27Yet choosing to build 145 houses here in Milton Keynes was no accident.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Milton Keynes landed on the map in the late 1960s, born out of
0:15:33 > 0:15:37a government initiative to relieve housing congestion in London.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41It dared to be different, designed using modernist principles,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44which put function before decoration.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46The roads were laid out in a grid system.
0:15:46 > 0:15:52Straight lines connected areas designed for living, work and recreation.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56As the largest of the British new towns it has stood the test of time
0:15:56 > 0:16:01far better than most, proving to be flexible and adaptable.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06More than 40 years on, this new development keeps that tradition very much alive
0:16:06 > 0:16:09and this too was also born out of a government initiative,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12but this time the challenge was to build a house
0:16:12 > 0:16:18that tackles the ecological and energy efficient demands of the 21st century.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23As well as meeting these demands,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26the architects also wanted to create homes that were visually striking.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31The modernist principles came into play yet again.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36Function over decoration, using materials that met the demands set,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40but also using a colour palette that makes these homes exciting to the eye,
0:16:40 > 0:16:45like the striking red pyramid on each roof.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50Now, it might look like decoration, but it's actually a new generation of chimney stack,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54efficiently filtering and warming air throughout the home.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57But it's the way it all goes together that is key.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03To meet the brief of eco-friendly, energy efficient homes
0:17:03 > 0:17:05the architects turned to the prefab.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09It's a way of manufacturing houses on a factory production line
0:17:09 > 0:17:11and then assembling them on site,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13and it's an idea that's proved useful before.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21After the Second World War, close to 160,000 cement-panelled
0:17:21 > 0:17:24prefabricated houses came off the factory production line.
0:17:24 > 0:17:30They were bolted together on site to make temporary shelters for the homeless.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33They have survived long beyond their intended ten to 15 years,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36and some, well, they're still in use today.
0:17:36 > 0:17:42Such housing has long suffered from the stigma of uninspired design and shoddy construction.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45But in recent years all that's changed.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Architects have taken the idea of the flat-pack, and literally
0:17:48 > 0:17:51run with it, creating bold, bespoke homes.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55And there's another really big advantage to these new houses.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59They go together pretty quick, saving on construction costs.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02The main structure is made in the factory in seven days.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Then it's assembled on site in just two weeks.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10But this is not just a story about the modern prefab.
0:18:10 > 0:18:16These new homes at Oxley Woods might prove very tempting as they reduce carbon emissions by almost 40%
0:18:16 > 0:18:19and could save plenty of money on energy bills. So how do they work?
0:18:19 > 0:18:23It's all about effective insulation,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26utilising natural light as much as possible and, of course,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30using energy-efficient recycled materials.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Let me just show you a cross-section of the wall here.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37Now, the main construction of the building is made of wood,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40and 90% of all the wood on this project
0:18:40 > 0:18:45is from responsibly managed forests, which means there's an ongoing planting scheme, which is fantastic.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49But just looking at this cross-section of wall here
0:18:49 > 0:18:55you can see you've got an inner cladding of plasterboard which can be emulsioned to any colour.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57This could be your sitting room, let's say.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59And you've got the outer, industrial skin.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Now, 85% of that is recycled materials.
0:19:03 > 0:19:09It's very easy to clean, it's completely weather resistant and it comes in a variation of colours.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14This one's a sort of off-white but, as you can see behind me, there's a wonderful aubergine colour.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17This cross-section shows the cavity wall
0:19:17 > 0:19:22and it's filled with recycled paper which forms the insulation.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25And, believe it or not, it's recycled telephone directories
0:19:25 > 0:19:29which are pumped in afterwards, so this could be your number!
0:19:29 > 0:19:32And it's all topped off with a new roof. Let me show you this.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34It's made of timber construction, it's quite heavy.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38It's got a sandwich there of foam for your insulation,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41but it's all covered with this pink waterproof membrane
0:19:41 > 0:19:45which is going to last for the rest of our lives, anyway.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Completely waterproof.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51And this roof doesn't sit flat, it inclines towards the back of the house, as you can see.
0:19:51 > 0:19:57The water runs off and is collected in water butts to be recycled.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00It's quite ingenious really.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Well, that's all well and good,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06So what's it like to live in one?
0:20:06 > 0:20:08So what d'you think of Milton Keynes?
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Well, I like it very much. I came down here about 30-odd years ago.
0:20:12 > 0:20:13- Where from?- From Sheffield.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16- And what do you do as a profession? - I'm an architect.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Oh, well, that's great, your head's in the right space here anyway.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21- Yeah.- It's an architect's dream.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25- Yeah.- The first thing I have noticed, it's a wonderful feel here.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27It really is really nice.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Yes, as soon as I walked into the show house when
0:20:29 > 0:20:34I came to look at the development I thought, wow, this is where I'd love to live when I downsize.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Has this space forced you to become minimalist?
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Very much so. It has done, yes. I had a much bigger house before
0:20:41 > 0:20:43and I had to get rid of a lot of things, yeah.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45What are the best bits about the house?
0:20:45 > 0:20:48I like the space, the feeling of spaciousness,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50even though it's quite small.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54And the light, I like the fact that it is energy efficient but I haven't actually counted up over the years...
0:20:54 > 0:21:00- Have you had your bills yet? - I've had some and they haven't been too much of a surprise.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04They've been quite good. And the eco features, the fact that it was built partly
0:21:04 > 0:21:08from sustainable materials, water saving features.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13All those sorts of things, they're all an added bonus to actually liking the design of the house itself.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Are there any down sides?
0:21:15 > 0:21:18I suppose there is a bit of a lack of storage.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21In this smaller unit, I've got a good space under the stairs,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25but upstairs there isn't a lot of space for wardrobes and things.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29And the house functions as a really good office because upstairs,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32in one of your spare rooms, there's a draughtsman's desk.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35I'm using it in the largest bedroom actually, I'm using that as a study.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40It's great, there's a lovely view. And there's a high-level window
0:21:40 > 0:21:43which, on good days, has a superb view of the sky.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Every time you walk in, there's virtually a different picture on the wall.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Now, these homes might not be the answer to all of the questions.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56A lot of people say they're hard-looking,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00they're too far removed from our love affair with bricks and mortar.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04But they're a massive step forward towards environmentally conscious house building.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Not to mention the fact that there's a bit of colour,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09there's a bit of vitality about the place.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11It puts a smile on your face.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15I think they sit right at home here in Milton Keynes as this place continues
0:22:15 > 0:22:18to develop as a thoroughly modern forward-thinking town.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30We've just crossed over the border into Leicestershire for today's sale
0:22:30 > 0:22:34in the heart of Market Harborough where we find Gilding's Ltd.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37On the rostrum today's auctioneer is Mark Gilding.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Before we learn the fate of our items,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42here's a reminder of what's up for sale.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Off the kitchen floor and into the sale room for Anne's Moorcroft vase.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49I'm amazed there's not more damage to it!
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Lynda's little glazed fox caught Mark's eye.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54And he has high hopes for it at the auction.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57How nice to have a bit of furniture on Flog It!
0:22:57 > 0:22:58Especially a Davenport desk.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Let's hope, like me, the bidders fall in love with it.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04The money is on these bronze plaques winning gold
0:23:04 > 0:23:06and not turning out to be a dead weight.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11And James eventually decided on a value for Stephen's interesting caricatures,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15and they're off to auction with a fixed reserve of £200.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Good to see you again. Who have you brought?
0:23:21 > 0:23:23- James, my husband.- Hi, hello there.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25You don't like Moorcroft.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- No. - You've been using it as a doorstop?
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- That's right.- We've heard some odd things on our time in Flog It!
0:23:30 > 0:23:34but I think Moorcroft for a door stop is the first! Well look, good luck.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37I think it's here to sell. We've got a full house.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Moorcroft is a cracking name.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43And there are lots of other pieces of Moorcroft in this sale.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45If it doesn't sell, it's my fault!
0:23:45 > 0:23:47THEY LAUGH
0:23:47 > 0:23:49- I hope so! - It's going under the hammer.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50Good luck, both of you.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Lot number 20. A Moorcroft pottery ovoid vase.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55Commissions start here at £85.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57On commission. 85 I'm bid.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00At 85 here. At 85. At £85. 95.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01You are both out. 100. 10.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05120. 30. 140. 150, if you like.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10Anyone else at 140? 140, it will be sold. At £140.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13- It's a good result.- Brilliant.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16We had 80 - 120 on that, you've got to be pleased with that.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17It's really good.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19£140. And that was going in the skip, wasn't it?
0:24:19 > 0:24:21A friend gave it to you.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24What do you prop the door open with now?
0:24:24 > 0:24:26We'll have to find something else now!
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Now, remember that flambe - that lovely red fox?
0:24:33 > 0:24:37We've got that little critter, but we don't have Lynda.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- She can't make it today. - Oh, what a shame.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41- But we have Mark! - I'll have to make up for her!
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- I tell you what, we are in hunting territory here.- We are.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46We are surrounded by...
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Hunting and horse-y things.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51- Should this do well, this little red fox?- It should.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Flambe is an interesting market.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57It's by Noke, of course, and it's a lovely little model.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00I think it's captured that sort of fox mid-run.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- The tail is out, the face is there...- It's alert.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08And the colour really matches that mood, I think. So, fingers crossed.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10320, then. It's a Royal Doulton flambe model of a fox.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Signed as Noke. Commission bids start at £100.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15- We're in at 100.- 110.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20120. 130. 140. 150. 155, on commission. 160,
0:25:20 > 0:25:21and I'm out.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22Oh, 160 - perfect.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24£160.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28£160! She will be so excited.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Get her on the phone.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Christopher, it's going to be interesting to see
0:25:37 > 0:25:40what the bidders think of these two bronze plaques,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42they're going under the hammer right now.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45We had a chat to the auctioneer earlier. Let me bring James in.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49We agreed with your valuation, it's going to do around about that
0:25:49 > 0:25:50but what do you do with them?
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Do you melt them down, put them in the garden as a bit of garden art?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57It's a shame to melt them down, isn't it?
0:25:57 > 0:26:01But I have to say there's such weight in them, it's possible.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04People are buying copper kettles and things now and scrapping them.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Yeah. Will the new buyer buy them and put them back in the garage?
0:26:08 > 0:26:11That's where they end up, in the garden shed again, isn't it?
0:26:11 > 0:26:12So these were Grandad's.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- That's right, yes.- What did your father think of them?
0:26:15 > 0:26:17He doesn't think a great deal of them.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19That's why he put them in the garage.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23I don't blame you for getting them out because they do need a new home,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27so hopefully they'll find one and they won't get melted down.
0:26:27 > 0:26:28They're going under the hammer.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33140 is a Victorian cast bronze portrait plaque of Gladstone,
0:26:33 > 0:26:38marked cast by D Smith and a similar portrait plaque of Queen Victoria.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44Bids here £55, 55 bid, 65, 75, £80 in the room,
0:26:44 > 0:26:48at £80 at the back, at £80, 85, 90, 95, 100.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50That's OK.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Your turn, 110, 110, at 110, 120 if you like it.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58110, 110, selling at £110.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Yes, the hammer's gone down. £110.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05We were thinking along the lines at the lower end, £40 per plaque,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08we'll get them away, so 110 is a bonus.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Good for you! You found them, hopefully all the money's going to you and not Dad then?
0:27:12 > 0:27:14No, it's going to my children.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15Oh, great!
0:27:21 > 0:27:24I've been joined by Lynn and Chris. And it's my turn to be the expert.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27We've got that fantastic Davenport desk.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31What's going through your mind? "Oh, I'm not sure. Will it sell?"
0:27:31 > 0:27:34I think it will, you know. I had a chat to the auctioneer.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Three to five - sensible money on that.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40That's a come and buy me at 300. It's quality brown - that's walnut.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43That's not the run-of-the-mill Edwardian mahogany.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45- So...- Wait and see..
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- It's going to sell! The auctioneer thinks so.- Does he?
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Yeah. That's just winding you up! But how much for?
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Well, we're going to find out.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Nice little Davenport there. Some bids. Start me here at £250.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59250 I'm bid. 250, you are all out?
0:27:59 > 0:28:03£250. 250. 260. 270. 280. 290.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06£300. At £300. £300 bid. At £300. 300 now. In the room at £300.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10300 with the lady. 300, and selling now
0:28:10 > 0:28:11at £300.
0:28:11 > 0:28:17It went. They weren't fighting over it.
0:28:17 > 0:28:18Right on the reserve.
0:28:18 > 0:28:19Well, it's gone.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22We said three to five. We're going to stick to our guns.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25- We're happy we got rid of it! - You got rid of it. Exactly.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34We've got a car boot sale lot here which is valued at what, £10?
0:28:34 > 0:28:35You got it for 10 quid.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38It's good to see you. You brought along a mate with you?
0:28:38 > 0:28:39My friend David.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Hi, David. It's so good to see young guys interested in antiques.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47It's about getting in the game at a young age and learning the knowledge.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Because there is money to be made, as we're going to prove right now.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Because James, you put £200 - £300 on this folio of caricatures.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Not many people would buy them, but I think they are great.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01I really do. Good for you for picking them up.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04It's one of the most difficult things I've valued on Flog It!
0:29:04 > 0:29:08And really, one or two of these are worth 1,000 individually
0:29:08 > 0:29:12if they had been crisp, perfect, with the margins.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15But there are sections missing. They are faded, they are cut.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17So, fingers crossed.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21I don't care - if they go wildly over my estimate, I'm pleased.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23I'll be more pleased to be wrong.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26- I hope they do sell. - Good. We find out right now.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30- Good luck, guys.- A collection of 18th and 19th century caricatures.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Bids start with me here, I'll say £130.
0:29:34 > 0:29:35130 I'm bid. 140.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39- 150. 160. 170.- That's good. There's interest in the room.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41200. 210. 220.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43- Come on, keep going!- 230. 240.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47250.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51260. 270.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53280.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54290.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58- 300.- Come on!
0:29:58 > 0:30:00This is good news, Stephen, isn't it?
0:30:01 > 0:30:03320 on the telephone.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06£320. 340, back in at 340.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Telephone too, then, at 340.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11360 on the telephone. At 360.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14360, at 360. Looking round the room again. At 360.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17360 and selling at £360.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21The hammer's going down. £360.
0:30:21 > 0:30:22- Thank you very much. - That's great.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25- Brilliant.- Well done.- Brilliant.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26What will you put that towards?
0:30:26 > 0:30:31Perhaps put it towards a holiday in the summertime.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34I think you should buy James a big drink for that!
0:30:34 > 0:30:37That's fantastic, I'm very pleased. Well done.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40He's done a lot of research to find the buyers for this one.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Stick half of that into car boot money and invest it.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47- I will do over the summer time. - Brilliant. Well done.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51It's all out there if you to get up early in the morning to find it.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56Some great results. We are coming back here later on in the show.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58I'm going to take a quick break.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01I'm going to go round the corner and find out what used to be
0:31:01 > 0:31:05the industrial mainstay of Market Harborough back in the 1800s.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16Christian Dior once said, without proper foundations, there can be no fashion.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19That red brick building in the heart of Market Harborough -
0:31:19 > 0:31:24once housed the market leaders in women's foundation garments.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And they were called R and WH Symingtons.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34In 1835, James and Sarah Symington set up a workshop to make corsets
0:31:34 > 0:31:36for the wealthy women in the area.
0:31:36 > 0:31:41The business grew, particularly with the introduction of the new-fangled sewing machine.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50This magnificent staircase is all that remains of the original building.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55Now, Philip Warren, who now looks after the Symingtons corset collection, is going to show me
0:31:55 > 0:32:00a few examples of what would have run off the production line in the late 19th century.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06What an incredible collection!
0:32:06 > 0:32:08- Philip, there you are.- Hi.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Thanks so much for putting this together for us today.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13They look so splendid!
0:32:13 > 0:32:15But my first impressions are -
0:32:15 > 0:32:18very tiny! Is that the standard size?
0:32:18 > 0:32:20- Well, they do appear tiny, don't they?- Yes!
0:32:20 > 0:32:24For the purposes of the displays, we have to actually have them so that
0:32:24 > 0:32:27the corsets are closed at the back, so laced up very tightly.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31But most women were perfectly sensible about their corset.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33They tended to leave them open slightly at the back.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Partly because it gave you air to breathe.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38- A bit more breathing space. - A bit more movement, at least!
0:32:38 > 0:32:42And I think also, there's a little bit about buying a small size
0:32:42 > 0:32:44and then leaving it slightly open at the back, as well.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47Just to make you feel a bit better in the morning!
0:32:47 > 0:32:50They are incredible. They are beautifully made.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54There are amazing. Not just as garments, just as pieces of design,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58but also as feats of engineering, because they are very complicated.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Lots of different pattern pieces and, obviously, the way that the boning works
0:33:02 > 0:33:07dictates exactly how the finished corset is going to alter and change your body.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09And I guess women would take pride in choosing the right corset?
0:33:09 > 0:33:12It had to look right. It was a fashion statement.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14Absolutely. Most people were sensible.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16You know, they chose the one that was comfortable.
0:33:16 > 0:33:22They chose the one that was obviously going to be beautiful, because, you know, sometimes they were seen.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24And you had to be comfortable.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27There are lots of stories about people who would over lace their corsets
0:33:27 > 0:33:31and that they would pass out or that they'd distort the organs in their body.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35But I think most people were actually quite sort of pragmatic about it.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38And you couldn't actually get dressed without one.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40A dress like this, from the 1890s,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42without a corset underneath it,
0:33:42 > 0:33:48you couldn't have possibly hoped to achieve the shape that you needed to have.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51But these were all corsets that you would buy off the peg.
0:33:51 > 0:33:57These different styles all really relate to the different needs of individuals.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00This American corset, because the Symington collection
0:34:00 > 0:34:03includes different corsets from all over the world.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05They were buying in competitors' work and we presume,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08looking at how they were made and how they could make them cheaply.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- OK.- Nothing changes!
0:34:11 > 0:34:15So, this one is actually made... it's supported with preformed steel.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19So were the Symingtons making their corsets with whalebone, or were they using steel?
0:34:19 > 0:34:21Whalebone I think was the ultimate,
0:34:21 > 0:34:26although it was becoming increasingly hard to find and more and more expensive.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29And they liked it because it had that flexibility and give.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33And if you did need to actually launder your corset, which was quite unusual,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35then it didn't rust, obviously.
0:34:35 > 0:34:40Whereas the steels did. So that was one of the major drawbacks.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43There's one hiding behind this. Should I bring this forward?
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Now, this looks slightly simpler.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50Well, I think it's one of the most fascinating garments that's in the Symington collection.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53It's one of their speciality corsets called the "Pretty Housemaid".
0:34:53 > 0:34:55And it evolves in the 1890s.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59As a direct response, really, to Symingtons recognising
0:34:59 > 0:35:01that there's a massive market out there,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04which is working class women who want to have,
0:35:04 > 0:35:08not just a supporting garment that helps keep their body upright
0:35:08 > 0:35:11during incredibly hard and really dull domestic work,
0:35:11 > 0:35:15but also, you know, they want to have a fashionable figure as well.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17And feel more feminine and sexy?
0:35:17 > 0:35:22Absolutely! You know, it's about having a real pride in your appearance,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25as well as doing that whole thing which is to support your body.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29And instead of just saying to the customer, "Here's our cheapest corset,"
0:35:29 > 0:35:35they actually engaged with the customer by saying, we've got something specially for you.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37We called it the "Pretty Housemaid" corset.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39It's got the most beautiful box top.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42- Good branding there.- Absolutely!
0:35:42 > 0:35:45- And there she is.- Admiring herself in a mirror with a pinny on!
0:35:45 > 0:35:51Absolutely! She's just stood at the mirror and now she can see herself in all her glory!
0:35:52 > 0:35:55So it wasn't just the wealthy women that wore the corsets.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57There was something for everyone.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02Hard to believe that some of the wealthy women would have changed up to three times a day,
0:36:02 > 0:36:04with different corsets for each outfit.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07What a relief it must have been to take them off at the end of the day.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11These look incredible.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Obviously, marketing and advertising was quite important.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18Absolutely. They were in competition with every other retailer
0:36:18 > 0:36:22that would have put their goods into a large store, a department store.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24And so it was about capturing the imagination.
0:36:24 > 0:36:30- It was about establishing brand loyalty and it was about handing over that hard earned money.- Yes!
0:36:30 > 0:36:31A really kind of special moment.
0:36:31 > 0:36:36And I think they were as brand conscious and as image conscious as we are today.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40I think the advertising was just as sensitive and I think it was certainly just as clever.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45They did do one corset where they actually sprayed it with rose water
0:36:45 > 0:36:47before it actually went into its box,
0:36:47 > 0:36:52so there was that whole different sort of senses that came into play when you were buying it as well.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56Not just, did it fit, did it work, but actually, it smelt beautiful too!
0:36:56 > 0:37:00That's a nice touch actually, isn't it? These look slightly different, Philip.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Can you talk me through these corsets?
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Well, we talked a little bit earlier about each individual woman
0:37:05 > 0:37:09requiring something particular from the corset of her choice.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11So, these two are sports corsets.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15And that was really because at the end of the 1890s,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19you've got a whole mass of women who are wealthy enough
0:37:19 > 0:37:23to have the leisure time, to start playing active sports.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25So you've got the riding, hunting, cycling.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29So, you can see that these are designed to fit lower underneath the arm.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32- They fit higher over the hip. - There's more freedom, isn't there?
0:37:32 > 0:37:37More freedom of movement and also, there are elements of change in the front of them as well.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40So, you can actually unlace these two sides around the bust.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44So, you can actually get a bit more movement in there.
0:37:44 > 0:37:49And these have got early elasticated panels inset into various different parts of it.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54Unfortunately, the rubber in the elastic has started to degrade and they've gone saggy.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58But it would have meant that your diaphragm could actually expand
0:37:58 > 0:38:01and you could take deep breaths as you were doing exercise.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05So, the average woman would have four or five different types of corset, then?
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Absolutely. You know, if you were wealthy enough to have that sort of lifestyle,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11then certainly, you would have had a corset for the daytime.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15You would have had a corset for the evening, a sports corset,
0:38:15 > 0:38:17and obviously, as we know, in the Victorian period
0:38:17 > 0:38:21you are looking at women having a large number of children,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25you would have had a special corset made for the period that you were pregnant and nursing.
0:38:25 > 0:38:30And that's what this next corset over here is.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32They are all so tiny!
0:38:32 > 0:38:37It seems very strange to us, doesn't it? That idea of wearing a corset when you're pregnant.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39But you can see that the design of it,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42it has these little elasticated lacing sections here.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Which would allow the corset to open slightly
0:38:46 > 0:38:50and to grow as your pregnancy was developing.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52And of course, it did support your back.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56But it's clever, again, in that it gets women to buy another corset.
0:38:56 > 0:38:57Absolutely.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02And I think it shows the brilliance of the design and manufacturing skills of the Symington factory.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Well, it's back to the valuation day
0:39:09 > 0:39:12and Mark has found something rather intriguing!
0:39:12 > 0:39:13Marion, you have brought in
0:39:13 > 0:39:16- the most fascinating object today.- Thank you.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19But before we have a jolly good look at it,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21give us a little bit of the history.
0:39:21 > 0:39:26Well, it was found in my mother-in-law's drawer after my father-in-law died.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28We were searching through, just sorting things out,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31and came across it along with lots of other bits and pieces.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33And I didn't think much of it.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36I thought, perhaps it's gold, and it's sat in the drawer ever since.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40I haven't done anything with it. We opened it up, we know what's inside it.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43So, have you ever had it tested to see if its gold?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45No, we've never had it tested.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47And it's got no marks as far as I can see on it.
0:39:47 > 0:39:48No. Well, it's intriguing.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52Because when you look at it like this, it looks like a locket.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55And indeed, that's what it is. If we look at it here, we can open it up.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59We've got a lovely little interior cover as well,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02with a little dove of peace engraved on it.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04And when you open that up,
0:40:04 > 0:40:08there is a tiny little photograph inside it, which is wonderful.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14But intriguingly, on the other side, when we open that up,
0:40:14 > 0:40:18we've got this lovely little pierced top here for a vinaigrette.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21But, of course, two explanations.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25One explanation is that when you were walking around
0:40:25 > 0:40:29the streets of London 100-200 years ago, the place stank.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31So, of course, sometimes it was so obnoxious
0:40:31 > 0:40:34that you kept a little bit of smelling salts in there
0:40:34 > 0:40:36to keep your pecker up, as it were.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39The other explanation, particularly as this is a ladies' one,
0:40:39 > 0:40:44is that during the Victorian period they wore those really, really tight corsets.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Oh right, yes.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49And people often fainted because it constricted you so much,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52so this was a way of bringing you back round, as it were.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55And what's very nice about it,
0:40:55 > 0:40:57is if we open the vinaigrette up,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00we've got this lovely little lock of hair
0:41:00 > 0:41:04which I think belongs to the person in the picture.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Well, the unusual part about it is,
0:41:06 > 0:41:10we don't know who this person in the photograph is,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12or who the lock of hair belonged to.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15It's a lovely little intriguing object.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18I think it's fair to say that it's had a hard life.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21I think it's been well worn, don't you?
0:41:21 > 0:41:26It's been well worn. A lot of the pattern is a bit rubbed and it's had some reinforcement on it.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29But I've never seen the combination of a love token
0:41:29 > 0:41:33in the form of a locket and the little vinaigrette.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36I don't think this is the original chain, of course.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39- No, no.- But a lovely little object.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42- Would it be First World War? - Oh, even earlier than that.- Really?
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Certainly this is a Victorian locket.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49We could be looking as far back as the Crimean War, I suppose.
0:41:49 > 0:41:55- But, of course, coming to harsh practicalities that you've never had it valued before.- No.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58But I think I'm going to plump for the auctioneer's cliche.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01- Can you guess what it is?- 80 to 120!
0:42:01 > 0:42:05- You've got it. You've got it. With an 80 reserve.- Yes, definitely.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09And then just see where it turns up. Would you be happy with that?
0:42:09 > 0:42:11Very happy. As I say, just sits in the drawer,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13got no interest in it at all as an object.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Well, let's leave it to a collector, shall we?
0:42:15 > 0:42:17I'm sure somebody would enjoy it.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23Donald, do you often come out on a Sunday
0:42:23 > 0:42:25with a pocket pistol with you?
0:42:25 > 0:42:29- Not really.- It's a special Flog It! occasion, is it?- It is, yes.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33What we have in front of us here are true antiques.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37- These are both what we call percussion pistols.- I see.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39And this one is a little box lock
0:42:39 > 0:42:43because the lock is in the form of a box.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46And we have a detachable barrel that is rusted solid.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50- It is, that's right. - We can't see the proof marks there
0:42:50 > 0:42:54but they're likely to be Liege in Belgium.
0:42:54 > 0:42:59Most of these little pocket pistols were made around 1840, 1850.
0:42:59 > 0:43:04- That's a standard little one with a slab-sided grip that we see a lot of.- Oh, I see.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07It's a nice example but lots of them about.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09- I see.- This is the one.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11- That's the one, is it?- Yeah.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14If we pull the trigger back like that,
0:43:14 > 0:43:17there's a little piece there that you push,
0:43:17 > 0:43:21push in, and that's a lock so you can't pull the trigger.
0:43:21 > 0:43:22I see.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25But this is what we call an Over And Under Pistol,
0:43:25 > 0:43:28so you can turn the barrels like that,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30so you can prime both barrels.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33As soon as you've fired one, you pull it back to half-cock again,
0:43:33 > 0:43:37turn it, and you have a second option.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41Now, this would have been carried by a gentleman in a waistcoat pocket
0:43:41 > 0:43:45or maybe a lady while travelling on a stage coach or something like that.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49And they were personal protection pistols rather than something from military issue.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53You can see the name "Pinches" - P-I-N-C-H-E-S.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57And this manufacturer was working in London,
0:43:57 > 0:44:02in Westminster between about 1825 and 1835.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04That is the date of this pistol.
0:44:04 > 0:44:09- Oh, I see.- Walnut grip and this is chequered so you didn't slip.- I see.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12And the nice thing about it - fold away trigger.
0:44:12 > 0:44:13Look at that.
0:44:13 > 0:44:18Folds completely flush but then you pull the hammer back
0:44:18 > 0:44:21one little bit and you can see a little bit there,
0:44:21 > 0:44:24all the way and your trigger folds out. Clever, isn't it?
0:44:24 > 0:44:26It is clever.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30So there we are. That is a little work of art, really.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33- That would be quite sought-after. - I see, yeah.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35And then we've got two powder flasks here
0:44:35 > 0:44:37but we're in trouble with these.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39Are we? Oh dear.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43- Because this contains gunpowder. - Yeah, black powder.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45- And this contains shot.- Lead shot.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49Yeah. And what I will always do is hand them over to the local police.
0:44:49 > 0:44:54So, I reckon that these two are worth fairly little,
0:44:54 > 0:44:58probably about £25-30, something like that.
0:44:58 > 0:45:03This one, probably worth again £30, £30-40.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05So, we've got about 70 there.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09This is a good one. This is worth about 150.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11- I see, yeah.- How do you feel?
0:45:11 > 0:45:13They've just been lying about for such a long time,
0:45:13 > 0:45:16my father had them, grandfather before then.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19Really? Where have you had them, lying in a drawer somewhere?
0:45:19 > 0:45:21They've just been in the cupboard.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23The good thing is, if you've got guns at home,
0:45:23 > 0:45:27it is very, very important to make sure you know what you've got
0:45:27 > 0:45:30because really they're not things to be lying around in drawers
0:45:30 > 0:45:33but this one doesn't need a licence.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36- Oh, I see.- It is important that if you do have a hand gun lying around
0:45:36 > 0:45:38to get it checked out. But with these, you're fine.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45- Hello, Alan.- Hello, Mark.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49Now, this is a fascinating item you've brought in to show us, it's really charming, actually.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52I know what it is but I've never handled one before.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55Tell us about the history, where did you get it from?
0:45:55 > 0:45:59- It's from a local Kettering factory that made children's clothes.- Right.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03The factory's sadly closed down and now's apartments,
0:46:03 > 0:46:05and this is part of the clearance from it.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09- Did you work at the factory?- No, no, I had a cousin who worked there.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12And they were throwing it out, were they?
0:46:12 > 0:46:14- They were just clearing it out, yes. - What a shame.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16And what sort of attracted you to it?
0:46:16 > 0:46:22I suppose because it is a nice item but, you know...
0:46:22 > 0:46:24- What do you do with it?- Exactly.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28Now, I like it because if we look at it now straightaway
0:46:28 > 0:46:31we've got this nice ebonised wooden base with a tripod base,
0:46:31 > 0:46:35the legs are a little bit heavy, but there's some nice turning here.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39Nice turning up here. Nice little fill-in for the arms there.
0:46:39 > 0:46:45So, I guess looking at the type of work on it we're looking at 1900-1910 as a date.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49Then we've got this nice Parisian maker on the front.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51I think it's just a charming item.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53I think if somebody's collecting dolls
0:46:53 > 0:46:57or is interested in collecting period children's clothes,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00or something like this, or just as a nice object
0:47:00 > 0:47:02as a piece of work of art if you like,
0:47:02 > 0:47:04it's nice just sitting in the corner of a room.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06I think it's rather charming.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09So what have you done with it since you acquired it?
0:47:09 > 0:47:12It's been in the attic for many years. So, that's it really.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14That's the reason for bringing it.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16"It's surplus to requirements" as they say,
0:47:16 > 0:47:17like the factory unfortunately.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20- Yes.- It's a very difficult thing to value
0:47:20 > 0:47:24because it could be something nobody wants at all on the day.
0:47:24 > 0:47:30On the other hand, it could be several interested parties who just like it as an aesthetic object.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33- Yes.- So I think if we're going to put a value on it, I suppose
0:47:33 > 0:47:37- my gut feeling is maybe £80-100, something like that.- Right.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40- Are you happy with that? - More than happy, yes.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44Wonderful. It's difficult with something like this whether to put a reserve or not.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46It depends how much you want it back.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48No, I mean I'm happy to run with it with no reserve.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51You know there's an inherent risk with that
0:47:51 > 0:47:54because if the highest bid on the day is 20 quid,
0:47:54 > 0:47:55it'll go for 20 quid.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57But it's a bit of fun, isn't it?
0:47:57 > 0:48:00So ,I suppose we take a gamble. Dare I ask if we get £80 for it,
0:48:00 > 0:48:02would you go out and buy another one?
0:48:02 > 0:48:04No.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18Sandra, imagine you're in late 19th-century Paris
0:48:18 > 0:48:23in one of those wonderful big townhouses that you would find,
0:48:23 > 0:48:27and you walk into your living room, this is the sort of thing you'd find on the fireplace.
0:48:27 > 0:48:33These are French, these are 1870, and I think they're fantastic.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35Really good quality.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39- Did you find them in France? - I did not find them in France.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43I found them in Northampton at an antiques and craft fair,
0:48:43 > 0:48:47and two things attracted me - the design on them, which I thought was lovely,
0:48:47 > 0:48:52and I'm curious about them, I've never seen anything like this.
0:48:52 > 0:48:58There was a great fashion in the late 19th century for opalescent glass, glass that's slightly opaque,
0:48:58 > 0:49:04slightly different colour, and it came in browns, beigey colour, like this, blues, greens, pinks -
0:49:04 > 0:49:08every colour you could imagine, and a lot of these pieces
0:49:08 > 0:49:12were made plain and they were then farmed out to cottage industries,
0:49:12 > 0:49:15where people would paint them and then sell them on.
0:49:15 > 0:49:20Whereas these are a far more classy type of vase.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23These are factory-produced,
0:49:23 > 0:49:28decorated by a professional artist, and almost certainly French.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31And the shape is wonderful.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34They're hand-gilded, great scrolling feet on there.
0:49:34 > 0:49:39And the aesthetic movement was inspired by the Japanese,
0:49:39 > 0:49:42and, of course, the Japanese in the 19th century -
0:49:42 > 0:49:48we didn't have trade links with Japan, and Commodore Perry, an American commodore,
0:49:48 > 0:49:50went over to Edo, Tokyo,
0:49:50 > 0:49:54and signed what we now call the Treaty of Edo.
0:49:54 > 0:49:59That allowed trade links to start again between the West and Japan.
0:49:59 > 0:50:04Imagine you go into this great big hall and you see Japanese stuff for the first time.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07So why sell them?
0:50:07 > 0:50:10I'm selling them because my central heating's broke down.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13- Oh no!- I want to replace it so I need some money.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17And I can't display them anywhere. I'd rather someone enjoyed them.
0:50:17 > 0:50:22We need to raise a bit of money for a full central heating system. I don't think we'll get there.
0:50:22 > 0:50:23I'm nearly there.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25- Just need a top-up?- Yes.- OK.
0:50:25 > 0:50:32I reckon they are going to make £70 to £100.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35Is that top-up going to be enough? Not quite, probably.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38- Well, yeah.- Lovely.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41That's it for the valuation day, but before we go to the auction,
0:50:41 > 0:50:43let's have a quick recap.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48Sandra needs to fix her central heating
0:50:48 > 0:50:52so we hope these Japanese fish vases will be a big catch.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56Marion's locket isn't hallmarked, but it's so unusual
0:50:56 > 0:50:58I think it may attract the bidders.
0:51:00 > 0:51:05Let's hope Donald's percussion pistols fire up some interest in the sale room.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08And well done, Alan, for rescuing this pretty mannequin
0:51:08 > 0:51:10from a lonely life in the attic.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14First under the hammer is Marion's locket.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18This is quite unusual cos it's a vinaigrette, it's a locket,
0:51:18 > 0:51:20not sure if it's gold though.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23Well, we couldn't quite tell on the day.
0:51:23 > 0:51:28It's a very unusual object, to have the combination of both.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31With the locket of hair as well and the photograph.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35- Exactly. It's quite an interesting item, who knows what it'll make? - Oh. Fingers crossed.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39We're just about find out. Why are you flogging this?
0:51:39 > 0:51:41Well, it was found in a drawer
0:51:41 > 0:51:45when we sorted out my husband's mother's effects.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47Didn't mean anything to us
0:51:47 > 0:51:51so we thought we'd come and see what it was worth and have a go.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54Hey presto, here we are on Flog It! Right, let's do our best for you.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57Vinaigrette with hinged covers, unmarked.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00- I bid here £65. 65.- Come on.
0:52:00 > 0:52:0275. 80. And I'm out at £80.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05- 5.- 90.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07Come on, we need to double that 60, don't we?
0:52:07 > 0:52:10- 120.- Yes.- 130. 140.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12150. 160.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14You're right, Mark, it's so unusual.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16190. 200. And 10.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19- 220.- Very keen bidders.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23Seated at 220 and selling at £220.
0:52:23 > 0:52:24Yes! Fantastic.
0:52:24 > 0:52:28- That was quite hair-raising. - It must have been gold.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31That was really good. Really, really good.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33What are you going to do with the money?
0:52:33 > 0:52:36We've got some antique fob watches
0:52:36 > 0:52:39and we thought we might get them restored.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42So, it's going to pay for the restoration?
0:52:42 > 0:52:46I think so. You can always have a holiday another day, can't you?
0:52:55 > 0:52:59Right, Sandra, two glass vases just about to go under the hammer.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01£70 to £100 we've got the valuation on.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05I know you've got a very keen eye and you love car booting and all the fairs.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07Yes, and I love auctions.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10Has anything caught your eye here today?
0:53:10 > 0:53:13- Yes.- Come on, whisper in my ear!
0:53:13 > 0:53:14Behind you, that picture.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18- Right. Are you going to have a bid? - No.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21- Why not?- I've got to take it home.
0:53:21 > 0:53:22I have to walk and go by bus.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25- Do you?- Yes. I just like looking at stuff at the moment.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29I think you could be in for a nice surprise with these vases.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31I'll keep my fingers crossed.
0:53:31 > 0:53:3465 is a pair of opaque glass vases in tapering form
0:53:34 > 0:53:35on gilt scrolled feet.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38Enamel decoration of carp. I start with commission bids here.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40£70 I'm bid.
0:53:40 > 0:53:41Straight in at 70.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Five, 80. Five, 90.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46Five, 100. 110, 120.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48- Are these my vases?- Yes, listen!
0:53:48 > 0:53:53160, 170, 180, 190, 200.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56£200 here then, at £200.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58210 I'm looking for. Look around.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01£200. Selling away at £200.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05Yes. That's a good sound, isn't it?
0:54:05 > 0:54:07That hammer going down. £200.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11- I'll have to go back to Norfolk. - I think you will, do you know that?
0:54:11 > 0:54:13You have got a cracking good eye.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16I'm surprised at that. It's really good.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19They're quality, aren't they? And the condition was bang on.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22I'm going back to Norfolk.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24It's all up there in Norfolk.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Take aim, we're just about to fire off Donald's pistol.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35Not literally! But I think the auctioneer will soon!
0:54:35 > 0:54:37And you've bought along Dorothy.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40- My neighbour.- The auctioneer has decided to split the lots.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42We talked about it, didn't we?
0:54:42 > 0:54:46I wasn't 100% sure whether to put them together or split them up.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49Perhaps, 150 to 200 on them.
0:54:49 > 0:54:54It still adds up to James' original valuation of 260-odd pounds. Fingers crossed.
0:54:54 > 0:54:5619th century pistol, percussion cap,
0:54:56 > 0:55:00with a swivel breach, over and under barrels, marked "Pinches, London".
0:55:00 > 0:55:04- Commission bid starting me here at £150.- Yes! Yes, yes, yes.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08160. 170. 180. 190. 200. 210.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11220. 230. 240. 250.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14260. Will be sold at £260.
0:55:14 > 0:55:18Telephone's out. 260. Sold at 260.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21That's excellent. £260.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25Let's see if we can double up on the £30 for this one.
0:55:25 > 0:55:2919th century pistol, percussion cap, plain handle.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31Bids start here at £45. On commission at 45.
0:55:31 > 0:55:3450's in the room, £50.
0:55:34 > 0:55:3755. 60.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Your turn. 65. 70, you're bidding.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42- Oh, good.- Right at the end £70.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45Selling then, fresh bidder, at £70.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47- That's very good. - That's a good price.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50- Totally different buyer.- Absolutely.
0:55:50 > 0:55:51One more to go.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53260 is 19th century shot flask,
0:55:53 > 0:55:55embossed with stars and a leather shot flask.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58Have to start here at £30.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01- 5, 40 now, £40. - We're hoping for 60.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04With me at £40. Here at £40. I'll take five if you like?
0:56:04 > 0:56:06And away at £40.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10I'm afraid the powder flasks didn't sell
0:56:10 > 0:56:13but that's not going to dampen our spirits, is it?
0:56:13 > 0:56:15We sold the other two lots.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19- Yes.- We got £310.- Yeah.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23- It's quite a bit of money.- Yeah. - What are you going to do with that?
0:56:23 > 0:56:25Treat the neighbours?
0:56:25 > 0:56:28Eventually we'll go and see my son in Australia.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30- Oh, brilliant.- Extra spending money.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33- How long's he been in Australia? - Just seven months.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38- Has he emigrated then?- Yes, he has. - I bet you miss him already. - I do, yeah.- Oh!
0:56:40 > 0:56:42Next up, a decorator's dream,
0:56:42 > 0:56:45and it belongs to Alan here, who's brought along Rose.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49I tell you why it's a decorator's dream because if you've got a space that's slightly awkward
0:56:49 > 0:56:53and you can't fill with anything, put one of these little mannequins in it
0:56:53 > 0:56:57and shove a top hat on it or a scarf around it, and you've created a bit of theatre.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59I tell you what, this will sell,
0:56:59 > 0:57:02especially as you've only put £100 on it, £80-100.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04You're quite right about the decorative feature.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06We haven't put in reserve on it
0:57:06 > 0:57:09- so I hope that we get a decent price for it.- It just looks great.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12It's a charming object. Better then the full-size.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14I think so. You can do more with the child's version.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18Child-size mannequin by Stockman.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21Have to start on commission at £100.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25- Oh.- On commission here at £100. 110. 120. 130 and I'm out.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28- 140. 150.- The telephone bidder.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30160. 170.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33- I told you it would do well on the day, didn't I?- Yes, you did.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36200. And 10. 210 in the room.
0:57:36 > 0:57:41- 210!- At £210...- Yes!
0:57:41 > 0:57:46I honestly thought it wouldn't make your reserve.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48There was no reserve, was there?
0:57:48 > 0:57:51Mark said to me at the valuation day, "Paul, what do you think?"
0:57:51 > 0:57:54And I said, "Decorator's dream." Size, she's beautiful.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57- I had an antiques shop and I'd have paid 150 for that.- Would you?
0:57:57 > 0:58:00- Yes.- There was nothing small about that price, was there?- No, no.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03- Excellent.- Wonderful. - Excellent. Thank you very much.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08It's all over, we've come to the end of the show.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10The auction is just about to end.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12We've had a fantastic day here.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15Wonderful contributors and, as you can see, a superb crowd.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18So, join me next time on Flog It! for many more surprises.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21So, until the next time, it's cheerio.
0:58:28 > 0:58:31Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd