0:00:02 > 0:00:05The writer Robert Louis Stevenson once said of this city
0:00:05 > 0:00:07"No situation could be more commanding
0:00:07 > 0:00:11"for head of the kingdom and none better chosen for more nobler prospects."
0:00:11 > 0:00:16Well, today, Flog It, if you haven't guessed it, comes from a very busy Edinburgh.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Scotland's capital could be described as a divided city.
0:00:52 > 0:00:58There's the old, medieval town with the castle on one side and the Grecian-style New Town on the other.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03But in more recent times, it's public opinion that has split Edinburgh, and the cause?
0:01:03 > 0:01:07The new Parliament building, opened in 1997.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10It certainly makes a bold statement.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Here we are, surrounded by lots of Edinburgh locals.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15I'm going to ask them one question -
0:01:15 > 0:01:19what do you all think of your Parliament building, which is just over there?
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Does it get the thumbs up or the thumbs down?
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Oh, well, how controversial is that?
0:01:25 > 0:01:31Up or down, I don't know. But somewhere less controversial is our home for today, Our Dynamic Earth.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Our Dynamic Earth was opened in the year 2000 to celebrate the planet
0:01:36 > 0:01:41and it's one of the top destinations for Edinburgh's tourists.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44But today it's all about antiques.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49And leading the way are our experts, Adam Partridge and James Lewis.
0:01:54 > 0:01:55Hello, Isa.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59- Hi.- I'm Adam. - Hello, Adam.- Welcome to Flog It.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02You've brought along something that caught my eye -
0:02:02 > 0:02:05quite an interesting piece of Art Deco pottery.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Where did you get this from?
0:02:08 > 0:02:14From my mother. It was always kept in a drawer in my mother's house, wrapped in an old towel.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17When she died, I brought it home and I did exactly the same thing.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19I put it in a drawer, and it's been there ever since.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22How interesting. So it's never been on display?
0:02:22 > 0:02:23Not that I can ever remember.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25I'd have guessed it had some sort of plant
0:02:25 > 0:02:29in it, because you have this discolouration on the bottom here.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34Well, if it did, I have no recollection of that.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36It's never been on display.
0:02:36 > 0:02:41It dates from the 1930s and it's a piece by one of the most well-known
0:02:41 > 0:02:45ceramic designers of the 20th century called Charlotte Rhead, who worked in
0:02:45 > 0:02:50- the potteries at Stoke-on-Trent at a similar time to Clarice Cliff, who everybody has heard of.- OK.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Charlotte Rhead was known for these tube-lined designs.
0:02:54 > 0:03:01And most of her things were vases and bowls and big trays and chargers with various designs.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05This is quite an unusual design for her, because they're mainly stylised
0:03:05 > 0:03:09flowers and foliage, and here you have more trees, really, haven't you?
0:03:09 > 0:03:14- Yes.- Condition is pretty good, apart from this discolouration in the middle there.
0:03:14 > 0:03:20But apart from that, I can't see any major chips or cracks or anything like that.
0:03:20 > 0:03:26The most desirable of her pieces are the ones that are signed on the bottom. And luckily,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- yours is one of those that is signed on the bottom.- Oh, I see.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31This will be a pattern number. This number here.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34So you can look it up and find out what the pattern's called.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38And this mark here is the manufacturer's mark.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43Burleighware, Bur-leigh stands for Burgess and Leigh of Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47So we see a lot of these in the area where I'm based,
0:03:47 > 0:03:48quite near there.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51So they're not hard to value. It's not especially valuable.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53I think they're good value.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58They're undervalued. When you see sometimes the huge prices paid for Clarice Cliff and the likes of that.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- I know.- And this is probably going to make £40, something like that.
0:04:02 > 0:04:08- That's fine. That's fine. - We could put an estimate of £30 to £50.- OK.- What's made you sell it?
0:04:08 > 0:04:13Well, maybe somebody somewhere might enjoy it and appreciate
0:04:13 > 0:04:15the design. I'm afraid I don't.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Yeah. It's not to your taste?
0:04:17 > 0:04:23- No.- Not a big wrench?- No. The wrench was when my mum died. Anything after that...
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- It's just an object, really?- Yes.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Well, let's hope it does well at the auction, and I shall certainly be there to cheer it on
0:04:31 > 0:04:35- and hope it does well.- That'd be really good. Aye, I'd like that.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40What a fantastic pocket watch.
0:04:40 > 0:04:46You know, you really don't see many of these around today, but that is as good an example as you'll see.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48It's such a shame these things have gone out of fashion, isn't it?
0:04:48 > 0:04:52- Very much so.- I think the only people left that wear these are
0:04:52 > 0:04:59eccentric antiques dealers and the odd auctioneer, but as objects, people do love them and collect them.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03They come in so many different styles and, of course, they've been used
0:05:03 > 0:05:10in England from the 17th century right the way through until wristwatches took over in the 1930s.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13This is what we call an open face pocket watch.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18In other words, the dial, or the face as people call it, is completely open.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It's also a key wind pocket watch.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26In the 20th century, we tend to find that a little top winder has been put on the top there.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31You just wind it up in the same way as a wristwatch, without the use for a key.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33If we open up the back...
0:05:33 > 0:05:37a lovely set of hallmarks there. 18, for 18-carat gold.
0:05:37 > 0:05:43So it's a solid gold one. Then we've got the three wheat sheaves, which is the mark for Chester.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47And we've got a date code for 1870.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52So it's a really nice quality watch. Close it up.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56- So tell me, it arrived here at the Flog it tables...- Yes.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59What is its history up to now?
0:05:59 > 0:06:04Well, when it's been in my care, it's been lying in a drawer.
0:06:04 > 0:06:11Prior to that, I'd say 12 years ago, my grandfather died, and I got it when I was clearing the house.
0:06:11 > 0:06:19- I can't ever remember it being used. - Well, watches such as this, now, are worn predominantly at weddings,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- official functions, but they're not used daily.- No.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26So this will find its home probably to a collector.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Value...
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Any ideas?
0:06:30 > 0:06:32I would say
0:06:32 > 0:06:34over £100, £200?
0:06:34 > 0:06:36It will be over £100.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38I think it will be around £200.
0:06:38 > 0:06:44I think we ought to put an estimate of £180 to £250.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49- And probably a reserve of £180 so it doesn't go below that.- Yes.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53- And on that basis, I think it will do very well.- Good.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Let's take it along and see how it does.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56Good, thank you, yes.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06Mary, welcome to Flog It and thank you for bringing the best thing I've seen all day today.
0:07:06 > 0:07:12- In fact, the best piece of Monart glass I've ever seen.- Oh, right. - And I've seen a lot of it.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17- Probably not as much as up here in Scotland, because it came from Scotland, as you probably know.- Yes.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Where have you got it from?
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Well, it belonged to my granny and then my mother.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27- And it was passed down to my sister and myself.- So it's come all the way down the family?
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Probably from when it was made.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Monart was made at the Moncrieff Glass Works.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35A Spanish family started the business. The Ysart family.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39So you have the "Mon" from Moncrieff and the "Art" from Ysart
0:07:39 > 0:07:43- combined to make the name Monart.- Oh.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46And this is a wonderfully big piece. I mean, most of the ones I see
0:07:46 > 0:07:49are going to be this high and little bits and pieces.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53- Yes.- And that just completely blows them away.- It is, it's lovely.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55We've never seen a piece as big.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57No, I've never seen one either.
0:07:57 > 0:08:03And you've got the typical Monart effect, with the gold speckles of the aventurine that's used in there.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06And I'm sure, on the base, you'll have the raised mark on the base.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11Which, it's such a big thing, we'll just carefully lean it over and...
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Oh, you've got the original sticker as well. The original label.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Yes, the label is on.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20And a lot of Monart glass is distinctive by this raised circular pontil on the base,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24- but there is no further proof you would need than this here.- Yes.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26And I would call that exhibition quality.
0:08:26 > 0:08:32That's the sort of thing they would have taken to their shows to say, "Look at what we can do here."
0:08:32 > 0:08:35This is the top end of glass making, really.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38So, why have you brought it along to Flog It?
0:08:38 > 0:08:43Well, it belongs to my sister and myself, and we just wanted to find out what it was worth
0:08:43 > 0:08:47and we don't really have the space to sort of have it in the house.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49It's a big thing.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50- It does...- It needs...
0:08:50 > 0:08:54- A nice position.- You can't just stick it on the sideboard, can you?
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- So you can't split it with your sister.- No.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01So that's another problem. It's about the best piece of Monart you'll see.
0:09:01 > 0:09:08- In Scotland, people are going to fight for that.- Oh, that's good. - My estimate would be £800 to £1,200.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13I initially thought less, but because it's such a big piece, I think it should be achievable.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17- Oh, that's good.- How does that fit in with your expectations?
0:09:17 > 0:09:22- Yes, we thought about £1,000.- Well, that's right in the middle.- It's along the lines we were hoping.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25I don't think that's unrealistic.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28If we could put a reserve of £800, it won't go for any less.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30And I presume the money will be split?
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Oh, yes, 50/50.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37- And thank you for bringing just a wonderful piece of glass.- Right.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Kerry Rose, every time I see Beatrix Potter, it's childhood memories,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49isn't it? Did you grow up with them as well?
0:09:49 > 0:09:54They were in my gran's room a lot, and I learnt to play with them, so, yes.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56And did you get Beatrix Potter stories read to you as a kiddie?
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Yes, I did. It really interested me.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05I love everything to do with Beatrix Potter, the stories, the figures, anything I could get my hands on.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09- Who was your favourite?- It would have to be the frog or Sir Isaac Newton.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11And where is the frog?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- He's at the front.- Oh, it's a frog, I thought he was a toad.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17He's a frog.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19I have to say, my favourite is Mrs Tiggywinkle.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21I always remember Mrs Tiggywinkle.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24That was the story my parents used to read to me when I was small.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28And, of course, now, Beatrix Potter is bigger than it ever has been.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31And there is a massive following.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Now, the earlier the figures, the more valuable they are.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38And the original Beswick figures had a gold backstamp.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Then later they had a brown.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45Then, eventually, they were taken over by Doulton and Royal Albert.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47So if you've got figures like this at home, look underneath.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51And if we've got a brown backstamp, like this,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55- it's a reasonable age, but not the very early ones, late '70s or '80s. - OK.
0:10:55 > 0:11:01Individually, some of them are more rare than others.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03You do get some of them that are worth in the high hundreds.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08- There's none of those here today.- OK. - This little chap here, he's Pickles.
0:11:08 > 0:11:15He's quite rare. And the chap that I thought was a toad but isn't, Mr Jackson, he's quite rare as well.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20So those two are probably the best and they're worth £50 to £80 each.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22OK.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25And then the others are around £20 to £25 each.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30So if we have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32So we've got £160 there.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35And we've got...
0:11:35 > 0:11:41I think we ought to have an estimate of £250 to £300.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- Right.- And a reserve of £200.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- OK.- So we don't go below that.- Yeah.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50But if you love Beatrix Potter, why are you selling them?
0:11:50 > 0:11:52I've got a baby in the house now.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57So I can just see everything getting ruined, so I want to sell them on,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00get some money and get him toys that he can play with.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- Yes.- And he'll ruin these. And I can see them in pieces.
0:12:04 > 0:12:10Yes, exactly. So, I mean, I am sure they will sell no problem at all. I'm confident.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- Good morning, Emma.- Hiya.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22These are surely not your toys from childhood?
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- No, they're not.- No, they're rather older than that.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- Where did you get them from? - My aunty gave me them.- Right.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31She hopes they'll be worth a lot of money
0:12:31 > 0:12:35and I can flog them for a lot of money, but I'm not sure.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- She hopes or you hope?- I think she hopes, but I'm a bit more sceptical.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43- A bit more realistic.- Yes.- But they are interesting. They're fun and mildly collectable.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Do you know where she got them from?
0:12:45 > 0:12:48She got them from an old lady clearing out her attic.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50OK, clearing out the attic.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52You've got the twin tub.
0:12:52 > 0:12:58Hoovermatic washing machine by Chad Valley. Tin-plate washing machine.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- Have you ever used it?- No.- Because it does work.
0:13:00 > 0:13:06You've got your twin compartments there and your water and your switch for wash and dry, and wash only.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10You can drain it and you've got this winder on the side.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15So I think the idea was that little girls washed their dolls' clothing in it.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19And it's got the original box, which is nice to see. It cost 25s 6d.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23That's quite a lot, I think. So it was quite a posh toy.
0:13:23 > 0:13:29I actually sold one of these a few years ago, and it made about £20.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34So it's not worth an awful lot. Then we move on to the typewriter there.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Also works.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40It doesn't look as though would. But we've got instructions on the back.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42You insert the paper,
0:13:42 > 0:13:49turn the selector wheel to choose your letter and then press it and you can type away on it.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- Have you ever used that one?- No.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57It's not worth a lot, but probably worth more than a real typewriter.
0:13:57 > 0:14:03They're virtually impossible to sell now in today's age of computers.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06So I would suggest putting these in the same lot.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10An estimate of £30 to £50 on the two and see what they make.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14- What do you think?- Great.- You're not going to miss them?- No.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Where do they live at the moment?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- In a cupboard.- That's no good, in a cupboard.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Will you do anything with the money?
0:14:21 > 0:14:23It's not a lot, but...
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- I'm going on holiday.- So a bit of spending money on holiday.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30- Excellent. Well, have a good holiday, Emma, and thanks for bringing them. - Thank you.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43I've come to visit one of Britain's outstanding contemporary painters.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48Her name's Barbara Ray and she's chosen the city of Edinburgh to be her base.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Barbara is a member of the Royal Academy since 1999.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56She's been made a Commander of the British Empire, so she really does have a lot of talent.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Barbara travels the world collecting inspiration for her paintings,
0:14:59 > 0:15:05brings it back to here where she gets to work, so what better place to meet her than in her studio?
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Barbara's work is absolutely terrific.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16It's bold, expressive, abstract and exceptionally vibrant.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Just look at the piece that greets you at reception.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22I absolutely love it. It does put a smile on my face looking at that.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Now, I know some of you fight shy from so-called "modern art",
0:15:25 > 0:15:29and if that's your response, then I'll challenge you to stay with me
0:15:29 > 0:15:35for just a few minutes to meet up with Barbara, because she just might change your mind.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47- How did you start painting? - I went to Edinburgh College of Art.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51And the way that we were taught in the first two years there
0:15:51 > 0:15:57was very much study, study of life drawing, life painting, still life.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Looking for the vanishing point, perspectives, everything like that.
0:16:00 > 0:16:07Doing all the basics. And one of the lecturers there sent us outside once a week to go and draw,
0:16:07 > 0:16:14go and collect information, like go to a brickworks, go to a coalmine, go to a brewery.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19And so my work became based on what I'd seen outside.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22And so that kind of has followed me throughout.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25So it's not always about landscape.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27- No.- It could be about...dogs.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30People sometimes refer to you as a landscape artist, but you're not, are you?
0:16:30 > 0:16:35No. What I think I do is I use landscape, I think I use landscape...
0:16:35 > 0:16:38I use it as the starting-off point.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42There's usually something to do with
0:16:42 > 0:16:46what man has done to the landscape, whether it's farming in Tuscany,
0:16:46 > 0:16:50the way that they've changed the land over centuries.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55And in Spain, for example, what the Moors created in the landscape,
0:16:55 > 0:17:01all the terraces and the aquifers and the way that they left their mark.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06So it's what people have done to the landscape, and in the ruins that I've been doing quite recently,
0:17:06 > 0:17:13that's to do with somebody constructing something, and then over years, it's been left to go derelict.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18And then people come along and decide to decorate it with graffiti
0:17:18 > 0:17:20or posters or things like that.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24And so this is all about
0:17:24 > 0:17:26the ruined buildings. There's doorways.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28There's a couple of doorways.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31There's a doorway here. A yellow doorway there.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33And then this is...
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Graffiti that was on the wall that you were talking about.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40And there's torn posters here.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44And just all the things that might accumulate
0:17:44 > 0:17:46as a building deteriorates.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50That's fantastic. It's so colourful.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57So how's the travelling changed your work?
0:17:57 > 0:18:02Well, one of the things that really changed my work was being invited
0:18:02 > 0:18:07to go to Sante Fe, to work with another artist in his studio.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12So, when I went to Santa Fe, the first thing that struck me was the clarity of the light,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15you know, the fantastic blue skies,
0:18:15 > 0:18:20the adobe buildings, but more than that, working in Santa Fe
0:18:20 > 0:18:23in a much bigger space than I was used to,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27- that's when I started to work with the paintings on the floor.- Right.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32Using big brushes, sweeping brushes, that kind of thing.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36So these canvasses this size are done on the floor.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40- Yes.- Yeah.- Yep. Sometimes upright, sometimes on the floor,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44but as you can see, when they go upright, interesting things happen.
0:18:44 > 0:18:51- Starts to run.- Like the drips happen, and the drips are really part of the working process.- Yeah.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01What about Scotland? Obviously, you paint around here at lot.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02Yes. I like to work in Scotland,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06and of course, my studio is here in Scotland, but I haven't actually done
0:19:06 > 0:19:10very much work in Scotland over the last few years.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15When I'm working in an area, I'm thinking about the history quite
0:19:15 > 0:19:18often, and I suppose that comes through even in this ruined building.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23- Yes.- And in Skye, for example, on the west coast of Scotland, when I go
0:19:23 > 0:19:26there, I think about the Highland clearances and how the land has
0:19:26 > 0:19:33changed and all the people that have been cleared off the land, presence of them still being felt there.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Does it change sometimes when you're actually starting this, you stand back and you think -
0:19:44 > 0:19:47well, hang on, that's sort of happened by accident, but I like it?
0:19:47 > 0:19:51- Yes.- Let's go with it.- I don't have an end result in mind.- OK.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- I never know how it's going to turn out.- Well, that's quite exciting.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58It is. I would hate to predict what was going to happen.
0:19:58 > 0:20:04I'm creating something, or recreating an idea of what it was like to stand
0:20:04 > 0:20:07in front of this building.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15- You've got some sketch books over there.- Yes.- Can we go and take a look at them?- Yes.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19- Cos obviously that's like your personal diary, really, isn't it?- Yes.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23So this is in France.
0:20:23 > 0:20:31- OK.- So I would just go out into the countryside and do a study of what seems interesting,
0:20:31 > 0:20:38and in this case, it's a vineyard, and I don't have any idea when I'm doing this that this will become
0:20:38 > 0:20:41- anything else other than a sketch book.- Yeah.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Nothing else could happen to it, but it's a record of where I've been
0:20:44 > 0:20:47and a response to the area and the landscape.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54I've got to say, your work is so collectable, and it really has been
0:20:54 > 0:20:58a fascinating insight into you, the person, your memories and sharing
0:20:58 > 0:21:02- your studio space with me for the day, and it's been a real honour. - Thank you.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Now, this is a bit of fun.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17It's a Victorian modulator. What does it do?
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Well, it's a teaching aid for music.
0:21:20 > 0:21:21Basically, it's a tonic sol-fa.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24So, the teacher would stand here with the baton, and all
0:21:24 > 0:21:28the pupils would be singing, "Doh, ray, me, fah, soh, lah, te, doh."
0:21:28 > 0:21:31It picks out the fifths and the tonics and the fourths as well.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34And it helps you modulate. It's a fantastic thing.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36I've seen them printed on paper before.
0:21:36 > 0:21:42This one is a full drop and it's printed on linen, so it's had a lot of use and you can roll it back up.
0:21:42 > 0:21:48If you were to put that in auction today, it would fetch around £30 to £50 in that condition.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53And talking of auctions, right now, it's time for our first batch of antiques to go under the hammer.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02And first up is the toy typewriter and Hoovermatic washing machine.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06I wonder if it will clean up in the auction room?
0:22:06 > 0:22:11Isa's Art Deco bowl is one of Charlotte Rhead's more unusual designs,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14so my guess it is will be snapped up today.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17What a superb quality item this gold watch is, but it's time
0:22:17 > 0:22:20for it to go, and I'm sure it's going to do well for Gillian.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25It's fantastic to have a lot with local interest, and such a superb piece.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Monart doesn't get any better than this.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32And Kerry Rose is scared her new baby might wreck her childhood, favourites
0:22:32 > 0:22:35so it's time for them to find a new home.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Well, for today's sale, we've travelled just south of Edinburgh
0:22:42 > 0:22:46to Rosewell, by bus, to the Thomson Roddick Auction Rooms.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Fingers crossed we're going to have a fantastic day.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Today's auctioneer is Sybelle Thomson.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Let's see what she has to say about one of our lots.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02This is nice. It's not my kind of thing, but I appreciate good studio pottery.
0:23:02 > 0:23:03A bit of Charlotte Rhead.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08It belongs to Isa. It was her mother's, and Isa has just inherited it and doesn't want it.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13We've got a valuation of £30 to £50, which isn't a lot for Charlotte Rhead.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15No, Charlotte Rhead is very collectable.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19She probably has been a bit overshadowed by Susie Cooper and Clarice Cliff,
0:23:19 > 0:23:24but this is the Sylvan pattern and it is actually quite collectable.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27I think she might get double the bottom estimate.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29- That's good - £60-odd, then?- Yeah.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31I think that's still relatively cheap.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Yes. It's very collectable.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Fashion dictates prices, that's the problem.
0:23:36 > 0:23:42- A few years ago, that would have fetched quite a bit more money. - Oh, yes, £100 or £150 easily.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45But a nice piece, and her popularity is growing.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Next up, something unusual. A typewriter and a washing machine. Now, is this Flog It?
0:23:55 > 0:23:59They're tin toys and they belong to Emma here.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01- You're looking fabulous.- Thank you.
0:24:01 > 0:24:07- Are you looking forward to this? - Yes.- Let's hope we get the top end of Adam's estimate.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Unlikely, but you never know!
0:24:09 > 0:24:12We don't often get washing machines on Flog It, do we?
0:24:12 > 0:24:15But it is a bit of fun, isn't it?
0:24:15 > 0:24:17- Yes. - What are you hoping for?
0:24:17 > 0:24:19I hope it gets the top estimate.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23- You'll put the money towards what? - I'm going on holiday on Sunday, so...
0:24:23 > 0:24:25- Where are you going?- Mexico.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Fabulous, fabulous.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Let's hope we can get you there with a little bit of spending money.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33It's going under the hammer now.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38British Supertype tin-plate typewriter and a Chad Valley washing machine.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42A nice, interesting lot for the toy collector.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44And I can start these at £20.
0:24:44 > 0:24:4720 bid, 20 bid, 20 bid. 25, 30.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Yes, there are some hands in the room, that's good.
0:24:50 > 0:24:5545. Right beside me 45. Selling to the gentleman at 45.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Any advance on 45?
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Yeah. That put them in a spin.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04£45, that's good. That's great.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- That will help you in Mexico. - Yes.- Mum and Dad taking you?
0:25:07 > 0:25:09No, I'm going with my boyfriend.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11- For a month.- Oooooh!
0:25:17 > 0:25:22Gillian, it's nearly time. It's time for the pocket watch to go under the hammer.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27We see a lot on Flog It and I think this is one of the best ones I've seen for a long time.
0:25:27 > 0:25:33- It's a lovely one. It's gorgeous. - A great example of the period and it's in nice order. Yes.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35You would be keeping it if it was yours, wouldn't you?
0:25:35 > 0:25:41- Yes, I would.- So would I. It's not a lot of money as well, considering what has gone into making this.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44The equivalent today would be £3,000.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50And lots of people spend £1,000 on a watch today so it's a good thing to have.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51It's going under the hammer.
0:25:51 > 0:25:5418 carat gold open faced pocket watch
0:25:54 > 0:25:58and I have two closed bids and I'm a starter at £180.
0:25:58 > 0:26:05- Oh, straight in, Gillian, £180. - 220, 240, 260, 280, 300, 320.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Oh, this is more like it.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13340, 360, on commission at 360.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Any advance on 360? At £360.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19- Yes!- Oh, that is a great result.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Justice is done because that was a really nice watch.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25And you know, we're not allowed to buy things and I was thinking,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29"Gosh, if that went for £200 I would like that!" That was a brilliant result.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31- Yes.- That was quality throughout.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35- So what are you going to spend your money on?- A new dishwasher.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39- A new dishwasher!- Yes, absolutely.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41- Are you really?- Yes.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Has the old one packed up then?
0:26:43 > 0:26:48Yes, and I'm missing it. I'm on my second bottle of washing-up liquid.
0:26:48 > 0:26:49I can't be doing with it!
0:26:56 > 0:26:58It's big, it's bold and it's local.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01We've got a Monart vase just about to go under the hammer
0:27:01 > 0:27:04with a valuation of £800 to £1,200, belonging to Mary.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06I think it's absolutely gorgeous.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07We've seen them on the show before
0:27:07 > 0:27:12and we've reached £800 to £1,200 for smaller ones, so fingers crossed this is worth a little bit more.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14On a good day, it's got to be, Adam?
0:27:14 > 0:27:18I think it's a wonderful example and we're hopefully going to get
0:27:18 > 0:27:20- a good result today. - We're going to find out right now.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24The very impressive large, red Monart vase.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28- I'd like to see this do £1,800. - It won't.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33£1,000? 500? I've got 450 bid.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37- Who's on the telephone? 450?- Should be a good place to sell it, really.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41500, 520, 550, 580,
0:27:41 > 0:27:46600, 620, 650, 680, 700,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49720, 720, 720.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Anybody else want in at 720?
0:27:51 > 0:27:54750, 780, 800?
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Selling all the time at 800?
0:27:57 > 0:28:01800, 800. In the front row it looks a lot for the money at 800.
0:28:01 > 0:28:02Selling in front at 800.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05- It's selling.- Any advance on £800?
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Selling once, selling twice at £800.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Oh, you're so right.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Just a grand less than your prediction, Paul.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17You know, I was rather hoping for something special from that.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21- I was as well.- I was too, but never mind. That's good.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Kelly Rose, were you a big Beatrix Potter fan?
0:28:32 > 0:28:36I liked the figurines that used to sit in my gran's room and I used to sit and play with them all the time.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40- So you remember them when you were so high, looking at them?- Yes. - Oh, bless.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44We have a valuation of £200 to £300 put on by James. 12 figurines.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48Yes, they're not the oldest ones but they're all in nice order and there
0:28:48 > 0:28:51are a couple of rarer ones there, so fingers crossed they'll do well.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Let's hope we get the top end of James's estimate.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58- Hopefully.- Good luck. This is it. - 12 Beswick Beatrix Potter figures.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01£200 for the lot? 200, 100.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05100 bid. 120, 140,
0:29:05 > 0:29:13160, 160, 180, 180, 180, 180, 200.
0:29:13 > 0:29:19200, 200, 200, anyone going on at 200? The bid is on my left.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23Any advance on £200? At £200.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Sold it. £200.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28We just did it. Within estimate.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30- That's OK, isn't it? - Yes.- We'll settle for that.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Yes, maybe I'll get something nice for £200.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35I'm sure you will. Enjoy the shopping.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44If you're potty about pottery, you're going to love this next item.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48It's by Charlotte Rhead and belongs to Isa, but not for much longer.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51- No.- I can say that now definitely.
0:29:51 > 0:29:57- Yes.- It's a lovely bit of Charlotte Rhead. It's a gorgeous little bowl, so why are you selling this?
0:29:57 > 0:30:02Well, nobody has enjoyed it in my family and when I
0:30:02 > 0:30:07did a search on Charlotte Rhead I discovered that she had
0:30:07 > 0:30:10breast cancer and subsequently died from it.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14And because I'm in remission from breast cancer, if there's
0:30:14 > 0:30:18- any money that's where it's going to, cancer care.- Oh, bless you.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Let's hope we can get top money.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Charlotte Rhead is a great name, Adam, you know all about this.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26- I think her work's really nice.- On a good day will we get more than £50?
0:30:26 > 0:30:28On a good day we'll get about £70, I think.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Well, let me tell you, I had a quick chat with Sybelle, our auctioneer,
0:30:31 > 0:30:35and she said on a really good day it would double your bottom end.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38- So hopefully that's £60. - It will still be excellent.
0:30:38 > 0:30:43We're going to find out exactly what it makes right now. Here we go.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46For the Charlotte Rhead Art Deco octagonal bowl
0:30:46 > 0:30:49and I've two bids and we're started at £30.
0:30:49 > 0:30:5630 bid, 30 bid. 35, 40, 5, 50, 5, 60, 5, 70.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58£70 on commission. At 70.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02Any advance on 70? At £70.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Spot on.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07- That's great.- Great.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09- Well done, Adam.- Very pleased.
0:31:09 > 0:31:10- Brilliant.- And thank you so much.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12What a lovely lady.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Edinburgh is only one of a handful of cities in the world
0:31:23 > 0:31:28declared as a World Heritage Site because of its incredible and historic buildings.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Today I've come to visit one of its newest and most controversial.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36It's possibly the most talked-about building in Edinburgh.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38The home of the Scottish Parliament.
0:31:42 > 0:31:48When Scotland voted to govern itself back in 1997, its new Parliament needed a home.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51And what it got was something out of the ordinary.
0:31:51 > 0:31:56Catalan-born architect Enric Miralles was commissioned to build it.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04Miralles' vision was for Parliament to sit comfortably within its setting.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09So his concept focused on the relationship between the building and the landscape.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16The way the building juts out of the ground echoes the shape
0:32:16 > 0:32:22of the nearby volcanic mountains and the roofs of these buildings were designed to look like leaves.
0:32:22 > 0:32:29He died before the Parliament was finished so we'll never know what a lot of these features,
0:32:29 > 0:32:34like these granite and oak panels on the outside of the building, really mean.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37People think those shapes look like hairdryers.
0:32:37 > 0:32:43To me, they look like the Scalextric triggers for driving cars. But who knows?
0:32:43 > 0:32:48You've got the look at the building, work it out for yourself and enjoy it.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56So far so good, I've liked the outside.
0:32:56 > 0:33:02So let's find out how these architectural statements continue on the inside.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16This is the main entrance hall and the first thing you notice is these wonderful -
0:33:16 > 0:33:21there's three of them, great big, concrete vaulted ceilings
0:33:21 > 0:33:24and they are so incredibly smooth to touch.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27They contain Kemnay granite from Aberdeenshire.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31The stone floor throughout is from Scotland.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36Up there are crosses that have been cast into the wet concrete and that
0:33:36 > 0:33:40emulates 13th-century stonemasons' work on early cathedrals.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44And that shape represents the cross on the Scottish flag.
0:33:48 > 0:33:54Above these two great big oak double doors is a huge great big stone lintel up there,
0:33:54 > 0:34:00removed from the original building where Parliament was held until it was dissolved in 1707.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04The idea is today, members have to pass through there.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08They see that and it reminds them of their origins and history.
0:34:08 > 0:34:13How does this building work in the running of modern political life?
0:34:21 > 0:34:24This is the debating chamber, an incredible space.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28Today I've been shown around by the Presiding Officer, Alex Ferguson.
0:34:28 > 0:34:35- So pleased to meet you. Thank you for showing me around.- Not at all. - What is your role here, Alex?
0:34:35 > 0:34:40My role is similar to the Speaker at Westminster with minor differences,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43principally chairing debates in the chamber from
0:34:43 > 0:34:47the seat down there, above and in front of the members.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51Everywhere you look, it's beautifully put together.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56- Yes.- Some dynamics of architecture are beyond me. I'd need to spend time here.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58How long have you been here?
0:34:58 > 0:35:05We've been here over four years. Walking around this building, which I know well, I find new things.
0:35:05 > 0:35:11New dynamics. New spaces and different views and different symbolism.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14It's a constant exploration and voyage of discovery.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17It's definitely got an energy about it.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21I'm glad you feel like that, because I feel there is.
0:35:21 > 0:35:22There's a very different feel.
0:35:22 > 0:35:27You can walk into an area and feel a palpable warmth and another area
0:35:27 > 0:35:32where you feel much more light and openness and accessibility.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Almost every time you turn a corner there's a different feel.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50I like the symbolism cut through the louvre in the light there. Little men, are they?
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Indeed, little men. I commend you for
0:35:52 > 0:35:56picking that up, because most people think they're bottles.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01They represent the people of Scotland listening to their Parliament in action.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04You can see them all around the walls in different
0:36:04 > 0:36:08- colours as well. - And that's the public gallery?
0:36:08 > 0:36:13The public gallery stretches right along and you can get about 250 people in it.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14It's really close.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17That is something that people often comment on, how close it is.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20You can almost reach out and touch the members.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22We decided to keep it open and accessible -
0:36:22 > 0:36:26it's about the Parliament and people working together.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39What is the general public's reaction when they get inside?
0:36:39 > 0:36:43I like the bit when you say, "When they get inside", because
0:36:43 > 0:36:47what usually happens is that people come in with a frown on their face.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51By the time they've seen the sheer quality of the workmanship and
0:36:51 > 0:36:54the warmth and all the different aspects,
0:36:54 > 0:37:00nearly always they leave with a smile and I do find that exciting and encouraging.
0:37:03 > 0:37:09Miralles's attention to detail is second to none.
0:37:09 > 0:37:16It's absolutely mind-blowing, from these lovely sweeping curves of the laminated seats to the laminated
0:37:16 > 0:37:23oak beams that are trussing this roof over a vast expanse, and it's just a joy to behold.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26I love the natural light scoops everywhere.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31Looking through that window over there is an internal courtyard, but looking at it,
0:37:31 > 0:37:35it looks like 13th-century architecture with flying buttresses
0:37:35 > 0:37:38jutting out, supporting the building. It really is good.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41It's craftsmanship at its very best.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49This must be one of the most controversial buildings of modern times.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54It has been described as a concrete blot, a Lego set gone wrong.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58That's probably partly due to the fact that it cost over £400 million.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00But the dust has now settled.
0:38:00 > 0:38:08This building has won many great awards for architecture, including the prestigious Stirling Prize.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09It is unashamedly modern.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14The detail inside is absolutely incredible. It is full of vitality.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16You've got to see this.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18I absolutely love it.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21And if I'd have been one of the Scottish craftsmen
0:38:21 > 0:38:25working on this project, I'd be very proud of myself.
0:38:33 > 0:38:34With the minutes ticking away,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37it's time to get back to Adam at the valuation day.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42- Welcome to Flog It!- Thank you. - You've brought an interesting medal.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- Where did you get it from? - I don't know.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48It really just arrived in the house. It appeared with other things.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Any idea how long ago? Sounds a bit suspicious that, doesn't it?
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Maybe about... 20, 30 years ago.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Right. It just appeared one day. Well, I don't know.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59- It came out of a box or something.- Right.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03- Have you ever heard of Trooper S Telfer of the Scottish Horse?- No.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05- No. So it's not a family medal.- No.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09- There's no reason for you to keep it then, I suppose.- No reason, at all.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13OK. As you can see, it's the South African medal
0:39:13 > 0:39:17from the Boer War, which was 1899 to 1902, was it?
0:39:17 > 0:39:21- Something like that.- Something like that.- Yes. Turn of the century.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24It's one of the more collectable medals because there's a lot
0:39:24 > 0:39:28of different combinations of clasps or bars that you can get on these.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32There's about 16 different ones here and you've got the two
0:39:32 > 0:39:36South Africa, Transvaal, Orange Free State and Cape Colony.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38Any idea what that one's worth?
0:39:38 > 0:39:41- £50? - I think that's quite a good guess.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44It doesn't have its ribbons, unfortunately.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48- They're not lying around in another part?- No.- Sure?- Never seen them.
0:39:48 > 0:39:53If you had, they're orange and red type of ribbon affair on there.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56- No.- I'd put something like 50 to £80 on it.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58- Right. - Put a reserve of 40 on that one?
0:39:58 > 0:40:00- Yes.- So it doesn't go for less?- Fine.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Well, thanks for bringing it.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06I'll come to the auction and we'll stand together and hope it goes
0:40:06 > 0:40:09- for a good price, to a nice collector.- Thank you. Look forward to that.
0:40:14 > 0:40:20For a Scottish tea service, the last thing you would expect to entice you into eating
0:40:20 > 0:40:23cakes off this would be insects and bugs all over it!
0:40:23 > 0:40:26The reason is it's not Scottish, it's French.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28They eat anything, it wouldn't put them off.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31But here we have a Paris porcelain.
0:40:31 > 0:40:37French tea or coffee service from the early 19th century.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39What's it doing here in Edinburgh?
0:40:39 > 0:40:44It belonged to my granny who used to work for Lord Hamilton of the Dalzell Castle in Motherwell.
0:40:44 > 0:40:51And when he died, she was allowed to furnish a home from Dalzell Castle.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54And she took it from Dalzell.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56Oh, fantastic.
0:40:56 > 0:41:03We've got a tea or coffee pot there made around 1810, 1820, in France.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06And, I have to say, I love the decoration on it.
0:41:06 > 0:41:12The idea of painting insects on your porcelain came from Meissen in the 18th century.
0:41:12 > 0:41:18Whereas the porcelain was so valuable in those days, but once you fired it in the kiln,
0:41:18 > 0:41:25if it had a blemish on it, you wouldn't throw it away as a second, as they do today, you'd say,
0:41:25 > 0:41:30"Oh, I've got a black mark there, what can we do? I know, let's paint a little beetle over it."
0:41:30 > 0:41:35But this, 200 years old and in lovely condition.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39The gilding here is as good as the day it was made.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44Sadly, the finial has been off at some stage, but that could be restored, so you would never know.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Lovely.
0:41:46 > 0:41:51This is something that has graced your china cabinet for the last however many years?
0:41:51 > 0:41:53No, I don't have a china cabinet.
0:41:53 > 0:41:58- Since my mother died it's been in the cupboard. I've never taken it out and never used it.- Never?
0:41:58 > 0:42:02Never. I don't have a china cabinet or anything like that.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06Therefore, to stick it on the bathroom windowsill
0:42:06 > 0:42:09or something, I thought, "No, that's not what it's for."
0:42:09 > 0:42:11I'm sure somebody will love it.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16I hope somebody will have other parts that they can reunite.
0:42:16 > 0:42:23This would have been one of thousands of services made in this style at that period.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27So you will find people with a cup and a saucer, a plate and sugar bowl.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28Eventually,
0:42:28 > 0:42:34- if you can find people to buy other bits and reunite it, that would be lovely.- It would be.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36So now we need to come to a value.
0:42:36 > 0:42:43The teapot is the bit that is damaged and that's what people collect, really, as a main piece.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45We've got a coffee cup and no saucer.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50We've got a plate on its own and a milk jug with no sugar.
0:42:50 > 0:42:57So I think if we put an estimate of £60 to £100 on it, with a firm
0:42:57 > 0:43:02reserve of £60, so it didn't go below that, I think that would be OK.
0:43:02 > 0:43:03How do you feel?
0:43:03 > 0:43:06I had no idea how much it was going to be at all.
0:43:06 > 0:43:11And whatever we get, my sister and I have to share it, because it came from my mother.
0:43:11 > 0:43:18- There's not going to be a lot to share.- No, but then we can buy something different that we
0:43:18 > 0:43:21might not just spend normal money on.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25While you're here, have a look and see if there's a bit of porcelain
0:43:25 > 0:43:29or a painting or a vase or something that you might like to replace it.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31That would be a good idea.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38Megan, how are you today?
0:43:38 > 0:43:40Fine, thank you. How are you?
0:43:40 > 0:43:42I'm very well too.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44No-one has ever asks me back, so thank you for that.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48And how have you come to own this lovely little ivory box?
0:43:48 > 0:43:51When my Aunty Ceri moved into her new house,
0:43:51 > 0:43:56the guy who owned it before left a lot of rubbish in the attic.
0:43:56 > 0:44:01So he said, "You can keep whatever is in the attic and just chuck it out if you don't want it",
0:44:01 > 0:44:05so we chucked everything else out, but we kept that and a couple of other things.
0:44:05 > 0:44:10So he did left some quite good stuff in the attic, but he was too lazy to clear it out.
0:44:10 > 0:44:15- Yes.- And he thought he'd be generous and say you could keep it. Wow, that's quite good.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19- Do you like it? - Yes, it's different, I like it.
0:44:19 > 0:44:20It's very, very intricate.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22It's amazing carving, actually.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24- It's carved from ivory.- Yes.
0:44:24 > 0:44:30It dates from the end of the 19th century. So over 100 years old and it's Cantonese.
0:44:30 > 0:44:35Made for export. Export ware, but it is amazing, that carving on there.
0:44:35 > 0:44:36It's clearly been in an attic
0:44:36 > 0:44:39quite a lot, because it looks like you've got the contents
0:44:39 > 0:44:41of the vacuum cleaner underneath it.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44Which is quite hard to remove,
0:44:44 > 0:44:49because you don't want to snap any of this decoration off.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53A circular trinket box there, it's all carved, even on the bottom.
0:44:53 > 0:44:58Even the base is carved. Have you seen any damage on it anywhere?
0:44:58 > 0:45:00No, I don't think so.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03That's just an age crack there,
0:45:03 > 0:45:05nothing to worry about that.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09But that top is really very nice indeed.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13- So, you've decided to sell it? - Yes.- Why are you selling it?
0:45:13 > 0:45:16Because it's just lying about the house.
0:45:16 > 0:45:21We're afraid it'll get broken. If we sell it, I'll give half the money to my Aunty Ceri
0:45:21 > 0:45:23because she was the one who gave it to me.
0:45:23 > 0:45:29And the money I'm going to put some of it towards my mum, because my mum's a single parent
0:45:29 > 0:45:35and she does her best to get us everything we want, but sometimes she's struggling.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37That's nice. What a nice daughter you are.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40That's really nice to hear.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44- So you're going to not keep much of it yourself.- No.- No, very good.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46Any idea what that's worth? No.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48- £20?- Higher.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50- £50.- Higher.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52£100?
0:45:55 > 0:46:00- I'm not sure. - I think I would put the reserve about £80 to £100.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02And I think it will make £100 to £150.
0:46:02 > 0:46:09So, shall we put an estimate of £100 to £150 on it, with a reserve of £100 with a little bit of leeway?
0:46:09 > 0:46:13- If it gets to £90, £95, we'll let it go, but not less.- Yes.
0:46:13 > 0:46:14- Does that sound good?- Yes.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17Brilliant. Thanks for bringing it in.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27Now, Betty, who's the friend you brought along with you?
0:46:27 > 0:46:30- A doll.- Not a childhood sweetheart?
0:46:30 > 0:46:35No. No. It was a friend that gave me it and she's not here any more.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37- Oh, I see. So it's not something you've grown up with?- No.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41- Well, your friend, how old was she? - 80.
0:46:41 > 0:46:47Well, that would tie in, cos this doll was made around 1920.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50So, it was probably hers when she was a child.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54- Yeah.- I always think it's amazing, really, because these dolls are
0:46:54 > 0:46:57made out of such fragile porcelain, known as bisque,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00bisque headed dolls and they're given to children.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03People often say can't let the child have this, can't let the
0:47:03 > 0:47:08child have that, can't have antique furniture because, the child might damage it, but,
0:47:08 > 0:47:12100 years ago, children were given porcelain headed dolls to play with.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14And this is a classic example.
0:47:14 > 0:47:18Almost all of these dolls that we see, with these bisque heads,
0:47:18 > 0:47:20were made in Germany.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23Armand Marseille was probably the leader.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26The way we tell is by picking the doll up,
0:47:26 > 0:47:32lying her face down and lifting up the wig at the back.
0:47:32 > 0:47:38And there we see Heubach Koppelsdorf.
0:47:38 > 0:47:43That's for Ernst Heubach, who was a doll maker
0:47:43 > 0:47:47around 1910, up to about 1930.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49And whenever we're looking at a doll,
0:47:49 > 0:47:53there are various things that we need to look at to come up with a value.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57Rarity is one, but also, the complexity of the doll.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00This one has what we call sleeping eyes.
0:48:00 > 0:48:06If you watch the eyes when we tilt the head back...they sleep.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09- So, what do you think she's worth? - Haven't a clue.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13With everyone going minimalist, the doll market crashed,
0:48:13 > 0:48:16I suppose in the early '90s, early to mid-'90s.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19And really it never recovered.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23But the interiors now, they're coming back to a very warm personal
0:48:23 > 0:48:27interior, where people are making a home instead of a showhome
0:48:27 > 0:48:29with these horrible laminate floors.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33So I think the doll market is coming back.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35It's not as strong as it was once,
0:48:35 > 0:48:39but this doll in the height of the market would have been £150.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42Maybe a year ago, she'd have been down to 30 to £40.
0:48:42 > 0:48:47Now, I should think you'll get 60 to 100. So, it's on the up, again.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51- Yes.- So, on that basis, do you want to flog her? Take her along?
0:48:51 > 0:48:53- Yes.- Let's see what we can do.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56It's now time to head straight back to the auction room,
0:48:56 > 0:49:00and here's a quick reminder of all the lots going under the hammer.
0:49:00 > 0:49:01Let's hope the bidders award
0:49:01 > 0:49:06Marjorie's Boer War medal the attention it deserves.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09Also, it's time for Janet to let go of her decorative tea set.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12I wonder if the bidders will take a flutter on this one.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15James' choice of the 1920s doll
0:49:15 > 0:49:18will probably catch the eye of the collectors.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21And Megan wants to give something back to her mum
0:49:21 > 0:49:23with the sale of this ivory box,
0:49:23 > 0:49:25so let's hope it will fetch a good price.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Today's auctioneer is Sybelle Thompson,
0:49:32 > 0:49:35who has something to say about the Boer War medal.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38Nice piece of history, here.
0:49:38 > 0:49:43South African Boer War medal in absolutely mint condition, really.
0:49:43 > 0:49:49Belongs to Marjorie and she's had it in her house for 30 odd years, can't remember where it came from.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51Didn't know the owner so she's happy to sell it.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53And we got a valuation of sort of 50 to £80.
0:49:53 > 0:49:59It was a very hard won and hard fought medal to get because it was a very ferocious conflict.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01Particularly interesting are the clasps
0:50:01 > 0:50:06- because it refers to the region that the soldier was stationed in.- Yes.
0:50:06 > 0:50:07Yeah. OK. Rather than conflicts.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Well, the condition's superb, I must admit.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12Surely we've got to get more than £80?
0:50:12 > 0:50:14I would like to think we'd get round 100, 150 for it.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17That's more like it. 100 to 150.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19Yes.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28Betty, we've had lots of dolls on the show before and
0:50:28 > 0:50:31they always tend to do really well, especially the bisque head ones.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34This has been in your cupboard for a long time.
0:50:34 > 0:50:39- And were you surprised when James said "Oh, yes, that should do round about £60 to £100?"- Yes, I was.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44Yeah. Hopefully, it's going to do a little bit more than that, but it's not in good company.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48There's no other dolls here. There's no other kind of doll memorabilia, either.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51- That's the problem. - That is a slight problem but there
0:50:51 > 0:50:56are lots of interior designer type things that are used to dress a room.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00And this comes into that category, as well, so I've got my fingers crossed that it'll do OK.
0:51:00 > 0:51:01Yeah.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03Just have to take your chance.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05Come on, fingers crossed. Ready.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08Here we go. This is it. We're going to the hammer now.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10The German bisque doll with the sleepy eyes.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13I have interest in this and we've started at £50. 50 bid. 50 bid.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17- 55. 60. Five. 70. Five.- It's good.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21- Five. 90. Five. 100. 110.- Yes.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24They love it. This is more like it.
0:51:24 > 0:51:28140. 150. On commission at 150. 160.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30160. Bid's in the room at 160.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33Anyone going on at £160?
0:51:33 > 0:51:35Yeah. That's more like it.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38- That's a great result.- That's a good result.- It was, wasn't it?
0:51:38 > 0:51:41They always sell well, so I'm really surprised. That's really good.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44James was saying it had bitten its fingers off, as well.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46It had, it had chewed its nails.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55It's the moment of truth. It's a packed sale room.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59- Will we get the top end for that Boer War medal?- Fingers crossed.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02Fingers crossed. We've got a little battle to fight here.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06Let's talk to our expert, Adam. I had a chat with Sybelle.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09- Always worries me when you say that. - Doesn't it?! I get frightened too!
0:52:09 > 0:52:13When she wants to talk about some of my items.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16But she said it's in really good condition and there's been interest.
0:52:16 > 0:52:21- Good.- So she's hoping for 100 to sort of £150.- That'd be nice.
0:52:21 > 0:52:25That would be really good if we get it...if we get it.
0:52:25 > 0:52:26It should make 100, anyway.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29Don't want to build your hopes up.
0:52:29 > 0:52:34- Fingers crossed.- What have we said? We'll find out exactly what the bidders think right now, right here.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36This is it, Marjorie. Good luck.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38South African medal with five clasps.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41Various bids on this and we've started at £65.
0:52:41 > 0:52:4570. 75. 80. 85. 90. 95.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48100. 110. 120. 130.
0:52:48 > 0:52:49Oh, this is more like it, Marjorie.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52140. Bid's in the room at 140 for the medal, at 140.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56Anyone else going on, at 140. 150.
0:52:56 > 0:53:01- 160. Still at the table at £160. - HAMMER DROPS
0:53:01 > 0:53:06Yes. That's exactly what Sybelle said earlier before the sale.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08I put her on the spot and she said 100 to 150
0:53:08 > 0:53:11and I went, yes, the top end, come on. So we did get that.
0:53:11 > 0:53:15- We got £160. Well, done.- Great!- What are you going to do with that?
0:53:15 > 0:53:19I'm going to New York in December, so Macy's, here I come.
0:53:19 > 0:53:20- Shopping.- Yes.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29Next, the French teapot. That belongs to Janet.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31We've got the French teapot.
0:53:31 > 0:53:36We have Janet's sister, Helen, here. Can you remember this teapot?
0:53:36 > 0:53:40I remember it in my grandmother's house and in my mother's house.
0:53:40 > 0:53:45So how come that got divided up between the two of you? How come Janet got it?
0:53:45 > 0:53:49After our mum died, she kept it until decided what to do with it.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51OK. Will you split the money?
0:53:51 > 0:53:54- Yes.- Yes. It's going under the hammer right now.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58283, the 19th-century porcelain part tea set.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00A nice tea set. £50 for this?
0:54:00 > 0:54:0650 bid. 55, 60, 5, 70, 5, 80, £80.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08Any advance on £80?
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Anyone going on? At £80...
0:54:11 > 0:54:15That is spot on mid-estimate, James.
0:54:15 > 0:54:16- Well done.- Thank you.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19That was a hard one to value, it really was.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22- You've got to be happy with that? - Oh, yes, very happy.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Dividing the money?
0:54:25 > 0:54:27Half and half.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29Less a bit of commission.
0:54:29 > 0:54:35You've done the hard work here and Janet did the hard work at the valuation, so it's even.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45A little bit of the Orient comes to Edinburgh.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48A lovely little Cantonese trinket box.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50It belongs to Megan. Hi there.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54- Hello.- Since the valuation day, Megan has something to show us.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Let's just have a look at this.
0:54:56 > 0:55:03- What happened?- Well, I was on my friend's bike and I hit a curb and I went flying forwards.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05And you fell off?
0:55:05 > 0:55:07I went right over the handlebars.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09Oh, I bet that hurt, didn't it?
0:55:09 > 0:55:12- Yes.- Is it broken?
0:55:12 > 0:55:16It's broken right beneath my wrist, straight across.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19- Oh, so there's a few weeks with that on?- Yes.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22We wish you all the best of luck. I hope you get well soon.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24- You look fabulous.- Thank you.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27This is exciting. Is this your first auction?
0:55:27 > 0:55:29- Yes.- What do you think?
0:55:29 > 0:55:31It's really interesting.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34There's so much to look at you don't know what to look at,
0:55:34 > 0:55:37but right now we should concentrate on Adam, our expert.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40- Were you pleased with the valuation? - Yes.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43I think this is quality. Really, really good.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47Encouragingly, there is a lot of Oriental stuff in the sale today.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49- Exactly. - Which I was really pleased to see.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51And it's fetching good prices as well.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54It's in good company. Under the hammer now.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56This is it. Look over there.
0:55:56 > 0:56:03100, 110, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200, 220, 240, 260.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06Oh, they absolutely love this.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10300, 320, 340,
0:56:10 > 0:56:13360, 380?
0:56:13 > 0:56:15It's not stopping.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18- 400. 420.- This is a good price.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20- 440.- This is great.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24- Her first auction experience and you're going to end on a real high.- Oh, my God.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27460. It's against you. 460. 480?
0:56:29 > 0:56:35500, 500. 520. 550?
0:56:35 > 0:56:39- £550, Megan, they love this!- 600.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41There's a couple of phone bids.
0:56:41 > 0:56:43There's a guy on the phone bidding from home.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45650.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49My goodness me. Didn't you find it in a house?
0:56:49 > 0:56:51- Yes.- What is Aunty going to say?
0:56:51 > 0:56:53She's going to go mental!
0:56:53 > 0:56:55She's going to go mental!
0:56:55 > 0:56:59I'm going mental, never mind my aunty.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03- Listen to this. - 780, on Jocelyn's phone.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06Would anybody else like in at £780?
0:57:06 > 0:57:12Sybelle has just put the hammer down at £780!
0:57:12 > 0:57:17Now, that's a lot more than £150-odd, isn't it?
0:57:17 > 0:57:19Gosh, I'm tingling. You must be tingling.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22Adam, that went for a staggering amount.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24Not a great estimate in the end.
0:57:24 > 0:57:29- It doesn't really matter. As you said, there was a lot of Oriental.- The right sale.
0:57:29 > 0:57:33You were only planning on spending £100, weren't you?
0:57:33 > 0:57:35You have £780 to split, it should go a lot further.
0:57:35 > 0:57:39- I bet you can't wait to tell Aunty, can you.- No.- How exciting?
0:57:39 > 0:57:41Oh, it was so exciting.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43- Were you shaking? - Yes.- I certainly was.
0:57:50 > 0:57:55How about that! What a fantastic day, just south of Edinburgh.
0:57:55 > 0:58:00Sybelle is on the rostrum doing her stuff, but it's all over for our owners.
0:58:00 > 0:58:04All credit to our experts because we've sold absolutely everything.
0:58:04 > 0:58:08It's been brilliant. The highlight was Megan's face.
0:58:08 > 0:58:13It just lit up with a staggering £780 for the little Cantonese box.
0:58:13 > 0:58:17What a surprise. That's auctions for you. So join me for many more.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20Until the next time, it's cheerio.
0:58:30 > 0:58:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Limited