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Today, Flog It is in St Albans which, even now, is based | 0:00:31 | 0:00:36 | |
on the medieval town that grew up around the abbey. | 0:00:36 | 0:00:40 | |
Many of the medieval buildings still exist and at its heart | 0:00:40 | 0:00:43 | |
was the market which has continued since those times, giving the town | 0:00:43 | 0:00:47 | |
its lively atmosphere. | 0:00:47 | 0:00:50 | |
There is no market today - the bustle you can hear behind me is this magnificent Flog It queue. | 0:00:50 | 0:00:56 | |
-You ready for this? -Yeah! | 0:00:56 | 0:00:58 | |
Thumbs up. An excitable bunch. | 0:00:58 | 0:00:59 | |
We've got two great experts, today. Kate Bliss and Mark Stacey. | 0:00:59 | 0:01:03 | |
They'll be setting their stalls up inside, valuing all the wonderful | 0:01:03 | 0:01:06 | |
antiques that are brought into the splendid Georgian town hall. | 0:01:06 | 0:01:10 | |
Kate's up first and it looks like it's tea for two. | 0:01:13 | 0:01:18 | |
Sue, we're all set for a rather grand tea party. | 0:01:18 | 0:01:21 | |
-Just need the cucumber sandwiches, eh? -Indeed. | 0:01:21 | 0:01:24 | |
What can you tell me about this? | 0:01:24 | 0:01:26 | |
Really, that it's been handed down in the family | 0:01:26 | 0:01:30 | |
-and I'm the last one to have it. -Right. | 0:01:30 | 0:01:32 | |
So, really, we now just don't have any room for it. | 0:01:32 | 0:01:36 | |
The boys don't want it. | 0:01:36 | 0:01:38 | |
-Your boys? -Yes. I've asked them. | 0:01:38 | 0:01:41 | |
-Not quite their sort of thing! -Definitely not their thing. No. | 0:01:41 | 0:01:44 | |
-They're very minimalist. -Are they? So you're sort of having a declutter. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:49 | |
I'm definitely having a declutter. Yes. This is the start of it. | 0:01:49 | 0:01:53 | |
Well, I have to tell you, unfortunately, | 0:01:53 | 0:01:55 | |
tea sets and coffee sets have gone down in value, I'm afraid, | 0:01:55 | 0:01:59 | |
in the auction market in the last few years, | 0:01:59 | 0:02:02 | |
whether they're in porcelain or in pottery or in silver, cos people just | 0:02:02 | 0:02:06 | |
really don't want to use them anymore, at the end of the day. | 0:02:06 | 0:02:10 | |
This is a lovely period part set. | 0:02:10 | 0:02:13 | |
I would put it probably at early Victorian, late 1830, 1840, probably. | 0:02:13 | 0:02:18 | |
And it's hand-painted decoration, so all the flowers on the inside | 0:02:18 | 0:02:23 | |
is all done by hand and then the gilt is overlaid over the top. | 0:02:23 | 0:02:27 | |
Now, you're going to ask me what factory this is, aren't you? | 0:02:27 | 0:02:31 | |
-Yes. -And I'm not going to be able to tell you. | 0:02:31 | 0:02:33 | |
There were all sorts of factories in England, | 0:02:33 | 0:02:36 | |
producing this sort of thing in the early 19th century. | 0:02:36 | 0:02:39 | |
The best quality botanical painting is normally signed. | 0:02:39 | 0:02:44 | |
And you see it at on the top class factories like Chelsea and Derby. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:49 | |
This isn't quite in that league | 0:02:49 | 0:02:51 | |
-and I have noticed we've got quite a bit of damage, haven't we? -Yes. | 0:02:51 | 0:02:55 | |
-So we've got the little finial here. It's been reglued? -It has. | 0:02:55 | 0:02:58 | |
-On the coffee cups, we've got a bad crack there and another here. -Yes. | 0:02:58 | 0:03:02 | |
-And the sugar bowl's had a bit of a knock? -Just a little. | 0:03:02 | 0:03:06 | |
There's a nasty crack there. | 0:03:06 | 0:03:07 | |
So all that, I'm afraid, is going to bring it down. It's also incomplete. | 0:03:07 | 0:03:13 | |
So we've got, I think it's three teacups? | 0:03:13 | 0:03:15 | |
And one, two, three little, four little, coffee cans. | 0:03:15 | 0:03:19 | |
I would have thought there would have been six of each... | 0:03:19 | 0:03:22 | |
or even more. | 0:03:22 | 0:03:24 | |
But, nevertheless, it's a lovely period part tea set. | 0:03:24 | 0:03:28 | |
The sort of thing that should go in a cabinet, really, on display. | 0:03:28 | 0:03:32 | |
-That's where it was living. -Right. | 0:03:32 | 0:03:34 | |
So, have you any idea of value? | 0:03:34 | 0:03:35 | |
-None at all. -OK. | 0:03:35 | 0:03:38 | |
Well, I think the major thing is the damage, I'm afraid. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:41 | |
That's going to affect it quite a lot and I think several years ago, | 0:03:41 | 0:03:45 | |
this would have made several hundred pounds. | 0:03:45 | 0:03:48 | |
Unfortunately, today, I'm going to say, at auction, anything from £80 | 0:03:48 | 0:03:53 | |
to perhaps 150, on a good day. | 0:03:53 | 0:03:56 | |
-That's fine. -The milk jug is probably one of the nicest pieces. | 0:03:56 | 0:03:59 | |
Undamaged. And just looking at that on its own, you can see | 0:03:59 | 0:04:03 | |
it's a really pretty thing, isn't it? | 0:04:03 | 0:04:05 | |
Typically Victorian. Quite elaborate, really. | 0:04:05 | 0:04:08 | |
-It's quite an eyeful, isn't it? Perfectly... -A little over the top. | 0:04:08 | 0:04:13 | |
-So, do I take it it's not quite your taste, Sue? -Definitely not. | 0:04:13 | 0:04:17 | |
No. So will you be quite pleased to see the back of this? | 0:04:17 | 0:04:21 | |
To flog it? Yes. I think that would be a very good idea. | 0:04:21 | 0:04:24 | |
-Well, we'd better get a good price for you. -That would be nice. | 0:04:24 | 0:04:28 | |
-Hello, Philip. -Hi, Mark. | 0:04:33 | 0:04:35 | |
Now, we see a lot of pocket watches on the show but none quite like this. | 0:04:35 | 0:04:39 | |
-Where did you get it from? -Well, it belongs to my mother | 0:04:39 | 0:04:42 | |
and has been in my mother's family for a good number of years, | 0:04:42 | 0:04:47 | |
but quite its origin, we're not absolutely sure. | 0:04:47 | 0:04:49 | |
-Now, you've looked the hallmarks up cos it is silver? -Yes. | 0:04:49 | 0:04:53 | |
-What have you found out? It's hallmarked. -The case is hallmarked Birmingham, | 0:04:53 | 0:04:57 | |
1828 and the watch is Birmingham 1840. | 0:04:57 | 0:04:59 | |
So it's obviously a bit of a marriage, there. | 0:04:59 | 0:05:02 | |
-Yes. I think so. -Maybe the original case broke | 0:05:02 | 0:05:05 | |
and they put it in to one that was hanging around the house. | 0:05:05 | 0:05:08 | |
The nice thing about this is we've got this very nice sort of enamelled | 0:05:08 | 0:05:12 | |
face here, which is The Society of Oddfellows. | 0:05:12 | 0:05:16 | |
-Have you found out any information on it? -Not a lot, really. | 0:05:16 | 0:05:20 | |
I did look up the Order of Oddfellows on the web and it seems | 0:05:20 | 0:05:26 | |
to have American origins, probably Salem and New York. | 0:05:26 | 0:05:29 | |
It's very nicely done, actually. | 0:05:29 | 0:05:30 | |
You've got some masonic symbolism, there. | 0:05:30 | 0:05:33 | |
Unfortunately, we have got a little bit of damage on the enamel around the rim, but not too much. | 0:05:33 | 0:05:38 | |
And also, we can see that the movement, itself, | 0:05:38 | 0:05:41 | |
was made by Richard Sullen of Nottingham. | 0:05:41 | 0:05:44 | |
And you've got this lovely chaste, nice fusee movement. | 0:05:44 | 0:05:48 | |
Now, what about value? Have you got any ideas, yourself? | 0:05:48 | 0:05:51 | |
Well, not really, other than that I did see one on your programme | 0:05:51 | 0:05:56 | |
a few weeks back and I think it was valued around the £100 mark, | 0:05:56 | 0:06:01 | |
but it made about £400 when it was sold and I think that was probably | 0:06:01 | 0:06:05 | |
because of the interest that somebody had in the Masons, really. | 0:06:05 | 0:06:09 | |
I'd still be tempted to keep it lowish - I didn't see that one | 0:06:09 | 0:06:13 | |
and it might have been something particular about it. | 0:06:13 | 0:06:15 | |
-Yeah. -Maybe a complicated movement or it was signed by the right maker, | 0:06:15 | 0:06:19 | |
or something like that, you know what I mean, which can often | 0:06:19 | 0:06:23 | |
change the value. I would still keep it around the £100-150 mark. | 0:06:23 | 0:06:29 | |
Why have you decided to sell it now? | 0:06:29 | 0:06:31 | |
Well, as I say, it belongs to my mother. | 0:06:31 | 0:06:33 | |
It's one of those items that sits in a drawer that nobody looks at. | 0:06:33 | 0:06:36 | |
We don't really know the history | 0:06:36 | 0:06:38 | |
so it's no real sentimental value to us, so we might as well just convert | 0:06:38 | 0:06:43 | |
-it into the cash, I think. -Have a bit of fun. -Yep. | 0:06:43 | 0:06:45 | |
We'll put it in with a 100 reserve, so we don't give it away. | 0:06:45 | 0:06:48 | |
I look forward to seeing you at the auction and time will tell. | 0:06:48 | 0:06:52 | |
Time will tell whether it's worth anything. Thank you very much. | 0:06:52 | 0:06:55 | |
-Les and Geoff, you're interested in all sorts of antiques and collectables? -We are. | 0:07:02 | 0:07:07 | |
-It's a bit of a hobby? -It is. -So what do you most like doing of a weekend? | 0:07:07 | 0:07:11 | |
Normally, we'll find our way out to the boot sales on a Sunday morning. | 0:07:11 | 0:07:15 | |
-Geoff, is it pottery you're interested in, or do you have a specific area? -No. | 0:07:15 | 0:07:20 | |
Myself, I collect carnival glass, but Les here, he collects Wade. | 0:07:20 | 0:07:25 | |
-But you've also got an eye for a bargain. -Oh, yeah. | 0:07:25 | 0:07:27 | |
Tell me about where this came from. | 0:07:27 | 0:07:30 | |
Right. We was walking round the boot sale about two years or so ago, now. | 0:07:30 | 0:07:35 | |
It was quite late in the morning. | 0:07:35 | 0:07:37 | |
I looked down in the grass and saw it laying there. | 0:07:37 | 0:07:40 | |
-In the grass? -In the grass. Yes. | 0:07:40 | 0:07:43 | |
I thought, it looks like Troika but it can't be. | 0:07:43 | 0:07:45 | |
Somebody would have bought it by now. So, when I picked it up and saw it was Troika, | 0:07:45 | 0:07:50 | |
I asked the gentleman how much it was, he said he didn't like it, | 0:07:50 | 0:07:54 | |
said I could have it for £2. I said well, | 0:07:54 | 0:07:56 | |
if you don't like it, what about £1 and he said take it away now. | 0:07:56 | 0:08:00 | |
So when he said £2, you even bartered him down to half price?! | 0:08:00 | 0:08:05 | |
That's right. That's a boot sale. | 0:08:05 | 0:08:06 | |
You have to make a bargain. | 0:08:06 | 0:08:08 | |
So what about you, Geoff? Did you know it was Troika? | 0:08:08 | 0:08:11 | |
Straightaway. As soon as we saw it, we knew exactly what it was. | 0:08:11 | 0:08:16 | |
-Bargain of the day. -I should say! Cor, I wish I'd been with you. | 0:08:16 | 0:08:21 | |
Well, yes, it is Troika, but it is what's known as a mask | 0:08:21 | 0:08:25 | |
which is slightly more unusual among the Troika wares that you see | 0:08:25 | 0:08:29 | |
available on the market today at auction. | 0:08:29 | 0:08:31 | |
And they are purely ornamental, but they show | 0:08:31 | 0:08:35 | |
the influence, really, of the very architectural | 0:08:35 | 0:08:38 | |
forms that some of the wares took. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:41 | |
And really, the forms of a very early civilisation, similar | 0:08:41 | 0:08:45 | |
to the Aztec empire in South America. | 0:08:45 | 0:08:47 | |
You can really see this here in the face. | 0:08:47 | 0:08:50 | |
I have seen them with a slightly more interesting kind of glaze, | 0:08:50 | 0:08:53 | |
with the bluey-green glazes, whereas this, for me, is slightly duller. | 0:08:53 | 0:08:58 | |
We've got this, sort of, beigey-brown and lighter green, so there isn't | 0:08:58 | 0:09:02 | |
a huge contrast. Well, not until you turn him over, anyway, | 0:09:02 | 0:09:05 | |
and you've got this striking orange | 0:09:05 | 0:09:07 | |
picking out what looks like this abstract nose, doesn't it? | 0:09:07 | 0:09:10 | |
-Yes. -Which is quite striking. | 0:09:10 | 0:09:12 | |
Again, the same beige and green. | 0:09:12 | 0:09:15 | |
And also, if we turn it over, we can see the mark in the base here, | 0:09:15 | 0:09:19 | |
just as it should be, but we have got a little monogram. | 0:09:19 | 0:09:23 | |
-Did you notice that? -Yes. Yeah. | 0:09:23 | 0:09:25 | |
Just by the name, there. | 0:09:25 | 0:09:26 | |
And I'm pretty sure it's the monogram for a lady called Honor Curtis, | 0:09:26 | 0:09:30 | |
who was actually head decorator at the factory, | 0:09:30 | 0:09:33 | |
so she had a pretty important position and was highly respected, | 0:09:33 | 0:09:37 | |
so that's going to give it a bit of help for a collector to have that. | 0:09:37 | 0:09:40 | |
So, do you like it? | 0:09:40 | 0:09:42 | |
To be honest, not really, no. | 0:09:42 | 0:09:46 | |
-You liked it for £1! -Well, I like it for £1. Yes! | 0:09:46 | 0:09:50 | |
And there's obviously people out there who do like it. | 0:09:50 | 0:09:53 | |
It's hard to come by now. So you look at it and think, | 0:09:53 | 0:09:56 | |
let somebody have it who likes it. | 0:09:56 | 0:09:58 | |
So, what would you like to get for it? | 0:09:58 | 0:10:00 | |
-You tell me. -£7 or 800. | 0:10:00 | 0:10:03 | |
Yeah. | 0:10:03 | 0:10:05 | |
I think I would value it, conservatively, at 6-800. | 0:10:05 | 0:10:08 | |
-I can see it making 800, 1,000 on a good day. -Yeah. | 0:10:08 | 0:10:12 | |
So, what a find! | 0:10:12 | 0:10:15 | |
-That's it. -Lovely. -Just hope it can go to some nice home, somewhere. | 0:10:15 | 0:10:19 | |
-Hello, Rosemary. -Hello. | 0:10:24 | 0:10:26 | |
What a nice object you brought to show us? Have you had it a long time? | 0:10:26 | 0:10:30 | |
It's been passed through the family, | 0:10:30 | 0:10:31 | |
-back to my great-great grandmother. -Where did she get it from? | 0:10:31 | 0:10:35 | |
The family'd descended from the Comptons. | 0:10:35 | 0:10:37 | |
And one of the female members ran away with the coachman. | 0:10:37 | 0:10:41 | |
-Oh. -And she brought that with her. | 0:10:41 | 0:10:43 | |
-So she ran away with the coachman and that? -Yeah. -Lucky woman! | 0:10:43 | 0:10:49 | |
It's a very interesting object. Where does it live at home? | 0:10:49 | 0:10:52 | |
It's been wrapped in bubblewrap under my bed. | 0:10:52 | 0:10:55 | |
Oh, that's a shame, isn't it? | 0:10:55 | 0:10:56 | |
-Cos it's meant to go on the wall. -Yes. | 0:10:56 | 0:10:59 | |
-And then you'd put dried flowers, or flowers, in here. -Yes. | 0:10:59 | 0:11:03 | |
What I particularly like about it, that distracted me in the queue, | 0:11:03 | 0:11:07 | |
-actually, are these wonderful posureness colours. -Yes. | 0:11:07 | 0:11:10 | |
You know, this iridescent, this lovely, sort of, ruby lustre. | 0:11:10 | 0:11:14 | |
The blue, very much copying that, sort of, Middle Eastern style | 0:11:14 | 0:11:18 | |
of several hundred years ago. | 0:11:18 | 0:11:20 | |
-They've wrapped it in this wonderful sort of Persian shawl, as well. -Yes. | 0:11:20 | 0:11:25 | |
Now, in terms of dating this, it's very highly Victorian. | 0:11:25 | 0:11:30 | |
I suppose we're looking at maybe 1860, 1870, something like that. | 0:11:30 | 0:11:37 | |
It isn't marked so it's difficult to decide where it's from. | 0:11:37 | 0:11:40 | |
I think it might be continental, but it's a lovely object. | 0:11:40 | 0:11:44 | |
Sadly, of course, over the years, it's had a bit of a bash. | 0:11:44 | 0:11:47 | |
We've got several little chips and a bigger one on the edge, here. | 0:11:47 | 0:11:50 | |
Yes. I think that's where grandmother had it in the fireplace. | 0:11:50 | 0:11:55 | |
-She had it in the fireplace? -Yes. | 0:11:55 | 0:11:57 | |
-And she kept flowers in it and it dropped over? -Yes. | 0:11:57 | 0:11:59 | |
But none of the family like it now? Is that why you decided to sell it? | 0:11:59 | 0:12:03 | |
Well, mum hasn't got room for it anywhere. | 0:12:03 | 0:12:05 | |
I don't like it. | 0:12:05 | 0:12:09 | |
-So you decided to flog it? -Yes. | 0:12:09 | 0:12:12 | |
We should put it into auction with a sensible estimate. | 0:12:12 | 0:12:14 | |
If it had been in perfect condition, it would have been more desirable. | 0:12:14 | 0:12:18 | |
-Yes. -But with the damage, I think we should put the estimate somewhere | 0:12:18 | 0:12:22 | |
-like £80-100. -Right. | 0:12:22 | 0:12:24 | |
-With an 80 discretion reserve on it. Would you be happy with that? -Yes. That's fine. | 0:12:24 | 0:12:29 | |
I think it's got great visual appeal. | 0:12:29 | 0:12:31 | |
-Yes. -And if you want something quite unique on the wall, this is it. | 0:12:31 | 0:12:35 | |
-And you won't be sad to see the back of it, then? -No! | 0:12:35 | 0:12:39 | |
That's good. I look forward to seeing you at the auction. | 0:12:39 | 0:12:42 | |
-Thank you very much for coming in. -OK. Lovely. Thank you. | 0:12:42 | 0:12:45 | |
So many people and so many wonderful items, | 0:12:49 | 0:12:52 | |
but right now, it's time to up the tempo. | 0:12:52 | 0:12:54 | |
It's time for our first visit to the auction room, | 0:12:54 | 0:12:57 | |
so here's a quick recap of all the items we're going to be selling. | 0:12:57 | 0:13:01 | |
Even with the damage, I love Susan's hand-painted 19th century tea set, | 0:13:01 | 0:13:06 | |
though she can't wait to flog it! | 0:13:06 | 0:13:08 | |
It's time, too, for Philip's Birmingham silver pocket watch | 0:13:08 | 0:13:11 | |
to head off to the sale room. | 0:13:11 | 0:13:12 | |
Kate spotted this unusual Troika mask. | 0:13:12 | 0:13:14 | |
I think Les and Geoff are going to make an excellent return. | 0:13:14 | 0:13:18 | |
They only paid £1 for it. | 0:13:18 | 0:13:20 | |
Mark is showing his taste for the exotic | 0:13:20 | 0:13:22 | |
with this Victorian wall pocket but will the buyers agree? | 0:13:22 | 0:13:25 | |
Next stop, Tring, which is the location of today's sale room, | 0:13:28 | 0:13:31 | |
with auctioneer Steven Hurn on the rostrum. | 0:13:31 | 0:13:33 | |
He knows the crowd well here at Tring Market Auction. | 0:13:33 | 0:13:37 | |
Fancy a cup of tea, Steven? | 0:13:37 | 0:13:39 | |
I think that's too good to drink a cup of tea out of, Paul, don't you? | 0:13:39 | 0:13:43 | |
It's not just a 19th century tea service. | 0:13:43 | 0:13:46 | |
It's in fact a bit of fine art for sale. | 0:13:46 | 0:13:48 | |
Well, yes, it's very interesting. It's not easy to identify | 0:13:48 | 0:13:52 | |
the factory, but I think by the shape and the handle shape, as well, | 0:13:52 | 0:13:56 | |
and the quality of the decoration, I think it's late New Hall. | 0:13:56 | 0:13:59 | |
And it's one of the tea sets that are presently doing quite well. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:03 | |
It's very decorative and it's one that the trade could split. | 0:14:03 | 0:14:07 | |
-Yes. -That's where its value lies. -Into little trios. | 0:14:07 | 0:14:10 | |
Into little trios. Selling them off. | 0:14:10 | 0:14:13 | |
-I can see it, actually. I can see that. -Sure. That's right. | 0:14:13 | 0:14:16 | |
Do you know, we've got £80-150 on this. | 0:14:16 | 0:14:19 | |
I think there's a lot of people that would like to buy it between 80 and 150. | 0:14:19 | 0:14:23 | |
But you'd like to sell it for a lot more than that! | 0:14:23 | 0:14:26 | |
I think it will fetch quite a lot more than that. | 0:14:26 | 0:14:29 | |
OK. Let me ask you to stick your neck out because I know | 0:14:29 | 0:14:32 | |
you want considerably a lot more. | 0:14:32 | 0:14:34 | |
I'd like to see more and so would Susan, cos she's decluttering | 0:14:34 | 0:14:37 | |
so the money's going to come in very useful. | 0:14:37 | 0:14:40 | |
Well, I'm going to, as you say, stick my neck out | 0:14:40 | 0:14:44 | |
and I'm going to tell you that that will fetch over £300. | 0:14:44 | 0:14:49 | |
Right, time's up. No, it's not the end of the show. | 0:14:56 | 0:14:59 | |
Time is up for Philip's pocket watch and we've got £100-150 put on this? | 0:14:59 | 0:15:04 | |
-Yes. -Should do this quite easily. Bit of quality. | 0:15:04 | 0:15:07 | |
It's been in a drawer. You don't want it? | 0:15:07 | 0:15:09 | |
-A long time. The family don't want it, so let's hope we can sell it. -It's going under the hammer. | 0:15:09 | 0:15:14 | |
If we had a key, we could test if it was working or not. | 0:15:14 | 0:15:17 | |
Oh, yes, but I think the collectors will know that. | 0:15:17 | 0:15:20 | |
And it's lovely with the masonic cresting on it | 0:15:20 | 0:15:22 | |
which is great. That should really help boost it a bit. | 0:15:22 | 0:15:25 | |
It's going under the hammer now. | 0:15:25 | 0:15:28 | |
Good watch. Richard Sulley. It's also decorated with the arms to the face. | 0:15:28 | 0:15:32 | |
What shall we say for this one? Shall we say 150 for it? £100. £80. | 0:15:32 | 0:15:36 | |
90. 100. 100, I'm bid. | 0:15:36 | 0:15:38 | |
Ten, I've got. | 0:15:38 | 0:15:39 | |
20, I'm bid. 30, I'm bid. 40. | 0:15:39 | 0:15:41 | |
Are you 50, 60? | 0:15:41 | 0:15:44 | |
160 I'm bid. 70 now. | 0:15:44 | 0:15:46 | |
£160. 70, is it? | 0:15:46 | 0:15:49 | |
At £160, then. | 0:15:49 | 0:15:51 | |
Yes! Top estimate. | 0:15:51 | 0:15:54 | |
-All right, I think. -£160. | 0:15:54 | 0:15:56 | |
-Hammer's down. Happy with that? -Very pleased. | 0:15:56 | 0:15:58 | |
-Brilliant. Less the commission. That's not bad! -No. It's very good. | 0:15:58 | 0:16:02 | |
I've been waiting for this one, the Troika mask. | 0:16:05 | 0:16:08 | |
We've got £8-1,200 on this. | 0:16:08 | 0:16:10 | |
I've just been joined by Kate, our expert and Les and Geoff. | 0:16:10 | 0:16:14 | |
Originally we got an estimate by Kate of £6-800, but these guys have | 0:16:14 | 0:16:18 | |
upped the reserve to 800. | 0:16:18 | 0:16:20 | |
Do you do this all the time, buy stuff at car boots | 0:16:20 | 0:16:23 | |
and put it into auction? | 0:16:23 | 0:16:24 | |
-No. -No. -No. I collect Wade and he collects carnival, | 0:16:24 | 0:16:27 | |
so we just look for what we want, but we saw this thing and well, | 0:16:27 | 0:16:31 | |
you're not going to leave it. | 0:16:31 | 0:16:32 | |
And here we are on Flog It! | 0:16:32 | 0:16:34 | |
What a great story. You see, it is out there. | 0:16:34 | 0:16:36 | |
You've got to get up early and go shopping for it. | 0:16:36 | 0:16:39 | |
Right now, it's going under the hammer. | 0:16:39 | 0:16:41 | |
Now this important piece of Troika. The mask, this time, lot 242. | 0:16:41 | 0:16:45 | |
We ought to be looking somewhere around 8-900 for this, | 0:16:45 | 0:16:48 | |
I would have thought. | 0:16:48 | 0:16:49 | |
What about 500 for it, then? Shall we say four? Yes. | 0:16:49 | 0:16:52 | |
Madam says 400. Thank you. | 0:16:52 | 0:16:54 | |
400, we're bid for it. At 420 now. | 0:16:54 | 0:16:57 | |
At 450 bid. 480 bid. | 0:16:57 | 0:16:59 | |
500. 520, I'm bid for it. | 0:16:59 | 0:17:02 | |
550, I'm bid for it. 580. | 0:17:02 | 0:17:03 | |
At 580. £600. £620. | 0:17:03 | 0:17:08 | |
At £620. At £650. | 0:17:08 | 0:17:12 | |
80 now. At £680. 700, is it? At 680. | 0:17:12 | 0:17:17 | |
At £680, £700, is it? | 0:17:17 | 0:17:20 | |
At £680, then? | 0:17:20 | 0:17:22 | |
Down we go, then. At £680. | 0:17:22 | 0:17:26 | |
We're just a few bids away from selling it. | 0:17:26 | 0:17:29 | |
We've got a fixed reserve of £800. | 0:17:29 | 0:17:32 | |
I think that just two more bids away, | 0:17:32 | 0:17:34 | |
-we'd have had it. -I think so. Yeah. | 0:17:34 | 0:17:36 | |
-With a bit of discretion, that would have gone today. -That's right. | 0:17:36 | 0:17:40 | |
But you wanted a fixed reserve. | 0:17:40 | 0:17:41 | |
-Win some, lose some. -Yeah. | 0:17:41 | 0:17:43 | |
This wall pocket is Rosemary's. It was her grandmother's. | 0:17:47 | 0:17:50 | |
And it was gran's, wasn't it? It's been right through the family. | 0:17:50 | 0:17:54 | |
-It's not going to be yours for much longer. -No. | 0:17:54 | 0:17:57 | |
Not with the valuation Mark's put on it! | 0:17:57 | 0:17:59 | |
I think it will exceed that. | 0:17:59 | 0:18:00 | |
We're got to do well over 150, haven't we, surely? | 0:18:00 | 0:18:03 | |
Well, there is a bit of damage on it, Paul, | 0:18:03 | 0:18:05 | |
-this is the thing. -I didn't see that. | 0:18:05 | 0:18:07 | |
And also, these sort of things, I mean, it's very highly Victorian. | 0:18:07 | 0:18:11 | |
I mean, I'd love to see it making 200 cos I think it's worth it. It's a lovely piece. | 0:18:11 | 0:18:16 | |
-That's what I'm rather hoping. -It's quirky. -I think this is a classic | 0:18:16 | 0:18:20 | |
decorator's piece and it's hard to put a value on that, isn't it? | 0:18:20 | 0:18:24 | |
-Yeah. -You're flogging it because of what? -I don't like it. | 0:18:24 | 0:18:28 | |
You don't like it! Well, | 0:18:28 | 0:18:30 | |
that's a damned good reason, isn't it, to sell it, so good on you. | 0:18:30 | 0:18:33 | |
Let's hope we get top dollar. Going under the hammer now. | 0:18:33 | 0:18:36 | |
That's certainly a different shape, isn't it, that one? | 0:18:36 | 0:18:40 | |
There you are. Lot 365. What shall we say for this piece? | 0:18:40 | 0:18:43 | |
I think, possibly, we might ask £200 for it. | 0:18:43 | 0:18:46 | |
£200 for it. | 0:18:46 | 0:18:47 | |
£50. That's a start, then. | 0:18:47 | 0:18:49 | |
£50, I'm bid for it. 60, I have now. | 0:18:49 | 0:18:51 | |
70, I'm bid. 80. £80. | 0:18:51 | 0:18:54 | |
90, is it? £90. £100 is bid for it. | 0:18:54 | 0:18:57 | |
110, I have. 110. 120. 120. And 30. | 0:18:57 | 0:19:02 | |
And 40. 150. And 60, I have now. 170. | 0:19:02 | 0:19:05 | |
80, is it? 180. 90. 190. And 200. | 0:19:05 | 0:19:10 | |
At £200. And 210, now? At £200. | 0:19:10 | 0:19:13 | |
No more? OK, then. 200, I shall sell. | 0:19:13 | 0:19:16 | |
It's going, I sell then, for £200. | 0:19:16 | 0:19:19 | |
Yes! I'm loving it. | 0:19:19 | 0:19:22 | |
-That's so good, isn't it? -Very nice. | 0:19:22 | 0:19:24 | |
It really deserved 200. So quirky. | 0:19:24 | 0:19:26 | |
-Quirky, the better. -Yes. | 0:19:26 | 0:19:28 | |
It's gone. You've got your £200, less a bit of commission. | 0:19:28 | 0:19:32 | |
-What are you going to do with that? -Give it to my mum. | 0:19:32 | 0:19:36 | |
Right. Susan's tea set. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:42 | |
We've got a fixed reserve of £50. | 0:19:42 | 0:19:44 | |
Top end 150, hopefully. Be happy with that, wouldn't you? | 0:19:44 | 0:19:48 | |
-Fingers crossed. -It's beautifully hand-painted and decorated. | 0:19:48 | 0:19:51 | |
Had a chat to the auctioneer just before the sale and he said he can | 0:19:51 | 0:19:55 | |
-see this doing upwards of £300 plus, so what do you think of that? -Yummy. | 0:19:55 | 0:20:00 | |
-Yummy. Yummy. Yummy. -Definitely. | 0:20:00 | 0:20:03 | |
You're buying a bit of fine art, here. | 0:20:03 | 0:20:05 | |
Every single little panel is so different. It's so uniquely painted. | 0:20:05 | 0:20:09 | |
Bit of damage, of course, but might put the collectors off. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:12 | |
Well, we set the reserve low cos Susan just wants it gone, | 0:20:12 | 0:20:15 | |
But I have to say, I think that's pretty optimistic, 300, | 0:20:15 | 0:20:19 | |
looking at the damage. Cos if you look carefully, it's quite difficult | 0:20:19 | 0:20:23 | |
to find a piece that is perfect. | 0:20:23 | 0:20:25 | |
There's some tiny chips and tiny cracks. | 0:20:25 | 0:20:27 | |
We've got a feeling it's going to be split up, | 0:20:27 | 0:20:30 | |
not kept as a set and sold in trios. | 0:20:30 | 0:20:33 | |
It is beautiful. | 0:20:33 | 0:20:35 | |
-Oh, well. We'll wait and see. -What's the money going towards? | 0:20:35 | 0:20:38 | |
-A tap. -A tap. Well, I think you can get a complete bath suite. | 0:20:38 | 0:20:42 | |
We're going to find out right now, | 0:20:42 | 0:20:44 | |
-because I'm quite excited about this. -That'll be nice. Me too! | 0:20:44 | 0:20:48 | |
Now we come to something very interesting. There you are. | 0:20:48 | 0:20:51 | |
A pretty part service. Now, where do we start on those? | 0:20:51 | 0:20:53 | |
Are we going to start at £200 for it? | 0:20:53 | 0:20:56 | |
It's a very pretty one. £200 for it. | 0:20:56 | 0:20:58 | |
150. I'm bid 150 for it. | 0:20:58 | 0:21:01 | |
150, I'm bid for it. | 0:21:01 | 0:21:02 | |
Thank you. 160 I'm bid now. | 0:21:02 | 0:21:04 | |
170, I'm bid for it. 180. | 0:21:04 | 0:21:07 | |
180, 190. | 0:21:07 | 0:21:09 | |
190. £200 is bid for it. | 0:21:09 | 0:21:11 | |
210, I'm bid now. £220. £230. | 0:21:11 | 0:21:17 | |
240. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:19 | |
Surely you're 50? Thank you. 260. | 0:21:19 | 0:21:21 | |
Reserve. I want to see a big smile! | 0:21:21 | 0:21:24 | |
Yes? 280. | 0:21:24 | 0:21:26 | |
290. 300. | 0:21:26 | 0:21:28 | |
And 10 now. 310, is it? Yes. 310. | 0:21:28 | 0:21:31 | |
And 20. Are you 30? | 0:21:31 | 0:21:33 | |
330. I want 40. | 0:21:33 | 0:21:36 | |
Yes. This is good! | 0:21:36 | 0:21:38 | |
£340. 50? | 0:21:38 | 0:21:39 | |
£340. One more? No? | 0:21:39 | 0:21:42 | |
At 340 then, I shall sell. It's going down and I sell. | 0:21:42 | 0:21:45 | |
For £340, then. | 0:21:45 | 0:21:49 | |
-Wow. -That's great, isn't it? | 0:21:49 | 0:21:51 | |
Hand basin, couple of taps. Plumber can fit that for you! | 0:21:51 | 0:21:54 | |
-Yeah. Brilliant. -Well, well, well. | 0:21:54 | 0:21:56 | |
It was quality, through and through, despite the damage. | 0:21:56 | 0:21:59 | |
You're buying a work of art. Lovely little hand-painted panels | 0:21:59 | 0:22:03 | |
and that's so unique. | 0:22:03 | 0:22:04 | |
Maybe somebody can restore it. | 0:22:04 | 0:22:06 | |
It'll get split up. It'll get split up into trios. | 0:22:06 | 0:22:09 | |
That did exceed my expectations. That's a great price. | 0:22:09 | 0:22:12 | |
That's the beauty of auctions. You can't put a price on something! | 0:22:12 | 0:22:15 | |
If you come to Tring during the school holidays, | 0:22:21 | 0:22:23 | |
you're going to find this building full of excited schoolchildren. | 0:22:23 | 0:22:27 | |
And they're absolutely loving this place. | 0:22:27 | 0:22:29 | |
They've been brought here by family that are in the know, | 0:22:29 | 0:22:33 | |
because this place, it's a real hidden gem. | 0:22:33 | 0:22:35 | |
It's part of the Natural History Museum. | 0:22:35 | 0:22:38 | |
Coming here to the Natural History Museum at Tring, | 0:22:42 | 0:22:45 | |
is like stepping back in time and visiting a museum straight out of the Victorian era. | 0:22:45 | 0:22:50 | |
The museum was built in 1889 for the second Baron Rothschild, | 0:22:52 | 0:22:57 | |
Walter, who turned out to be one of the country's greatest | 0:22:57 | 0:23:00 | |
collectors of natural history. | 0:23:00 | 0:23:02 | |
Walter had been obsessed by the natural world from an early age | 0:23:04 | 0:23:07 | |
and by the time he was ten, he had amassed a collection of insects | 0:23:07 | 0:23:11 | |
and birds large enough to start his first museum in a garden shed. | 0:23:11 | 0:23:15 | |
But before long, his collections were filling rented rooms and sheds all over Tring. | 0:23:15 | 0:23:21 | |
The museum was built as a 21st birthday present from his father, | 0:23:21 | 0:23:24 | |
to provide a permanent place for them all to be housed. | 0:23:24 | 0:23:28 | |
For the next 18 years, under duress, | 0:23:28 | 0:23:30 | |
Walter went to work for the family's banking business, | 0:23:30 | 0:23:33 | |
but during that time, he spent all his money, his energies | 0:23:33 | 0:23:36 | |
and his enthusiasm on this place, creating possibly | 0:23:36 | 0:23:40 | |
the greatest ever natural history collection ever assembled | 0:23:40 | 0:23:44 | |
by one man. | 0:23:44 | 0:23:46 | |
His collections included thousands of mammals, reptiles and fish. | 0:23:46 | 0:23:50 | |
It had everything from gorillas through to hummingbirds | 0:23:50 | 0:23:53 | |
and even a group of domestic dogs. | 0:23:53 | 0:23:55 | |
I'm here to meet Katrina Cook, who's a curator here | 0:23:57 | 0:24:00 | |
at the museum's ornithological department, | 0:24:00 | 0:24:02 | |
whose passion with animals also started when she was really young. Pleased to meet you. | 0:24:02 | 0:24:06 | |
So, when and where did it all start? | 0:24:06 | 0:24:09 | |
It was my mother's fault! When I was very, very young, | 0:24:09 | 0:24:12 | |
she'd bring me here to the museum | 0:24:12 | 0:24:14 | |
at least every week of every school holidays. | 0:24:14 | 0:24:17 | |
I can't remember the first time I came cos every time, | 0:24:17 | 0:24:19 | |
as you walk in the door, there's that great wow factor, when you walk in | 0:24:19 | 0:24:23 | |
and see the polar bear. Even now, I've spent a lifetime coming, | 0:24:23 | 0:24:26 | |
there's always new exhibits to see that you hadn't noticed before. | 0:24:26 | 0:24:29 | |
But also, I draw and I was obsessive about drawing. In fact, at 11, | 0:24:29 | 0:24:34 | |
I tried to draw all the birds on the British list. | 0:24:34 | 0:24:37 | |
-Oh, wow. Did you get through them? -I've got about halfway. Not too bad. | 0:24:37 | 0:24:41 | |
Always obsessed with animals. My room was a museum. | 0:24:41 | 0:24:44 | |
It was full of skins and wings and pinned insects and things. | 0:24:44 | 0:24:47 | |
-Fantastic. -I stuffed my first bat at seven. -Did you really? -I did. Yeah. | 0:24:47 | 0:24:52 | |
-At home? -At home. -What did your friends think of you doing this, | 0:24:52 | 0:24:56 | |
cos they're all into their dolls, probably? | 0:24:56 | 0:24:59 | |
I don't actually think I had many! | 0:24:59 | 0:25:02 | |
Most young girls get into ponies and horses. | 0:25:02 | 0:25:05 | |
You got into bats and taxidermy! | 0:25:05 | 0:25:06 | |
Walter must have been quite an incredible man. | 0:25:08 | 0:25:11 | |
Possibly, slightly eccentric, don't you think? | 0:25:11 | 0:25:14 | |
I think all natural historians have a slight tendency towards eccentricity | 0:25:14 | 0:25:18 | |
and Walter had the dangerous combination | 0:25:18 | 0:25:20 | |
-of, sort of, money with the madness. -He's got a lot in common with you! | 0:25:20 | 0:25:24 | |
-If only you could have met! -We would have got on like a house on fire. -Yes! | 0:25:24 | 0:25:28 | |
# Wild thing... # | 0:25:28 | 0:25:30 | |
Walter was a complete eccentric. | 0:25:30 | 0:25:32 | |
He had kept an extraordinary menagerie of exotic animals | 0:25:32 | 0:25:35 | |
at his home in nearby Tring Park. Among them were kangaroos, | 0:25:35 | 0:25:40 | |
a tame wolf, 64 cassowaries and a giant tortoise. | 0:25:40 | 0:25:44 | |
He could often be seen in his coach, being drawn by zebras, both locally | 0:25:44 | 0:25:48 | |
and on the occasional trip to the capital. | 0:25:48 | 0:25:50 | |
Some of the animals which Walter brought back, both alive and dead, | 0:25:58 | 0:26:01 | |
from his travels and the collecting expeditions that he financed, | 0:26:01 | 0:26:05 | |
you know, had never been seen before. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:07 | |
It's really important to remember that not only was he an | 0:26:07 | 0:26:10 | |
eccentric scientist and a man who did crazy things, but he was also a very | 0:26:10 | 0:26:15 | |
very, very serious natural historian and made an enormous contribution | 0:26:15 | 0:26:19 | |
to the understanding of science at that time. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:22 | |
Your department, the ornithological department, that's not open to the general public, | 0:26:22 | 0:26:26 | |
so can I have a sneak behind the scenes, please? | 0:26:26 | 0:26:29 | |
-I think we can arrange that. -OK. This way? | 0:26:29 | 0:26:31 | |
Follow me. | 0:26:31 | 0:26:33 | |
The Natural History Museum moved its ornithological collection | 0:26:35 | 0:26:39 | |
from London to Tring in the 1970s. | 0:26:39 | 0:26:41 | |
There are 17,000 specimens preserved in jars. And 16,000 bird skeletons. | 0:26:41 | 0:26:49 | |
Most impressively, there are almost 700,000 bird skins, | 0:26:49 | 0:26:52 | |
95% of the world's species. | 0:26:52 | 0:26:57 | |
How do the birds vary from the mounts, then? | 0:26:57 | 0:27:00 | |
What's the difference in stuffing them? | 0:27:00 | 0:27:02 | |
Well, these are what we call skins as opposed to mounts. So they're all | 0:27:02 | 0:27:07 | |
prepared just lying flat. | 0:27:07 | 0:27:10 | |
They've got just cotton wool for eyes. They don't need glass eyes. | 0:27:10 | 0:27:13 | |
They don't have to be wired into a lifelike position. | 0:27:13 | 0:27:16 | |
This way, they're easier for scientists to look at and measure and compare one with another. | 0:27:16 | 0:27:21 | |
Can I have a look at that? Is that a parakeet? | 0:27:21 | 0:27:23 | |
That certainly is. That's not just any old parakeet. | 0:27:23 | 0:27:26 | |
Why? What's different about it? | 0:27:26 | 0:27:28 | |
This is a Carolina parakeet, which is now extinct in the wild. | 0:27:28 | 0:27:31 | |
And this is also prepared by the famous artist, John James Audubon, | 0:27:31 | 0:27:35 | |
who produced a mammoth book of the birds of America. | 0:27:35 | 0:27:38 | |
-And you do this as well here, don't you? -Actually prepare specimens? | 0:27:38 | 0:27:42 | |
-Part of your job remit? -Oh, yes. It certainly is. Yep. | 0:27:42 | 0:27:45 | |
We're adding to the collection all the time. Nowadays, we're not going out and shooting. | 0:27:45 | 0:27:49 | |
We rely on people to bring birds in to us that they found dead. | 0:27:49 | 0:27:53 | |
How do you go about preserving this bird? | 0:27:53 | 0:27:56 | |
OK. When the bird's freshly dead, | 0:27:56 | 0:27:58 | |
you make an incision from here, mid-sternum, | 0:27:58 | 0:28:01 | |
down to the vent and then prise the skin away from the actual body. | 0:28:01 | 0:28:05 | |
Some of the bones stay in. The bones of the legs and the wings. | 0:28:05 | 0:28:09 | |
-OK. -Skull, that's the original skull in there, as well. | 0:28:09 | 0:28:12 | |
So you're literally just taking the skin off the carcass of the bird | 0:28:12 | 0:28:15 | |
and then when it's all off, | 0:28:15 | 0:28:17 | |
-make a false body the same size to go back into the skin again. -Right. OK. | 0:28:17 | 0:28:21 | |
It's not as gory as people think. | 0:28:21 | 0:28:24 | |
Now, I believe in this section somewhere, | 0:28:24 | 0:28:26 | |
there's something quite special you're going to show me? | 0:28:26 | 0:28:29 | |
-They're all special. -To you, they are, aren't they? -Yes. | 0:28:29 | 0:28:32 | |
I think you're probably referring to these little chaps. | 0:28:32 | 0:28:35 | |
-Gosh. -These are Galapagos finches. | 0:28:35 | 0:28:37 | |
Some of these were actually collected by Charles Darwin, himself. | 0:28:37 | 0:28:40 | |
Is that his handwriting, as well? | 0:28:40 | 0:28:42 | |
No, none of these bear Darwin's original labels, | 0:28:42 | 0:28:45 | |
but I can show you a bird, not a Galapagos finch, | 0:28:45 | 0:28:48 | |
but it is one of Darwin's. Most of Darwin's specimens | 0:28:48 | 0:28:52 | |
don't actually have his own labels on, anymore. They were taken off. | 0:28:52 | 0:28:55 | |
-But this chappy, this is a bobolink, an American bird. It's... -3374. | 0:28:55 | 0:29:00 | |
3374, in Darwin's own fair hand. | 0:29:00 | 0:29:03 | |
Absolutely incredible. It is such a fascinating place, Katrina. | 0:29:03 | 0:29:06 | |
Thank you so much for showing me around and especially behind the scenes. | 0:29:06 | 0:29:10 | |
You're welcome. My pleasure. | 0:29:10 | 0:29:12 | |
Back to St Albans Town Hall now, where Mark is getting very excited. | 0:29:16 | 0:29:21 | |
-Hello, Robert. -Hello. -You've bought this absolutely | 0:29:24 | 0:29:27 | |
exquisite piece of porcelain in. Tell me about it. | 0:29:27 | 0:29:31 | |
Well, my father-in-law was a polo pony trainer | 0:29:31 | 0:29:36 | |
and he was employed by a wealthy man | 0:29:36 | 0:29:39 | |
in the south of France, in the 1930s. | 0:29:39 | 0:29:41 | |
And he married a local French lady | 0:29:41 | 0:29:45 | |
and they lived down there quite comfortably until the war. | 0:29:45 | 0:29:50 | |
And at that stage, all English people were advised to get out | 0:29:50 | 0:29:54 | |
of the country within 24 hours. | 0:29:54 | 0:29:56 | |
When they knew they had to get out of France, | 0:29:56 | 0:29:59 | |
they decided to hide a few things, | 0:29:59 | 0:30:01 | |
-cos you couldn't take it with you. -Quite. | 0:30:01 | 0:30:04 | |
So they dug a hole in the garden, put that in it, | 0:30:04 | 0:30:07 | |
-but obviously with packing, of course... -And buried it. | 0:30:07 | 0:30:11 | |
-In 1946, they went back for a holiday, dug it up. -Oh, God. | 0:30:11 | 0:30:15 | |
So between burying it and digging it up, | 0:30:15 | 0:30:19 | |
that's where the damage occurred. | 0:30:19 | 0:30:20 | |
There is a little bit of damage to two of the legs and also to some of the beading. | 0:30:20 | 0:30:26 | |
If we actually look at the piece, | 0:30:26 | 0:30:28 | |
it's like a jewelled golden egg, isn't it? | 0:30:28 | 0:30:31 | |
-Yes. -You know, with this wonderful finial on the top and this wonderful | 0:30:31 | 0:30:36 | |
turquoise enamelling, forming these graduated beading decoration with | 0:30:36 | 0:30:41 | |
tiny, tiny bits at the top to larger bits at the bottom. | 0:30:41 | 0:30:44 | |
All this decoration behind it. | 0:30:44 | 0:30:46 | |
And then these, sort of, almost pearl-like beading down the side. | 0:30:46 | 0:30:51 | |
And when we open it up, we've got the mark | 0:30:51 | 0:30:54 | |
of one of Britain's finer porcelain makers, Worcester. | 0:30:54 | 0:30:57 | |
This is the Kerr and Binns mark for the last quarter of the 19th century. | 0:30:57 | 0:31:03 | |
But it's a lovely object. | 0:31:03 | 0:31:04 | |
It just screams quality. | 0:31:04 | 0:31:07 | |
I know. It does. Yes. | 0:31:07 | 0:31:09 | |
The whole thing is fabulous. | 0:31:09 | 0:31:11 | |
Now, value. | 0:31:11 | 0:31:13 | |
It must be worth a fortune. | 0:31:13 | 0:31:15 | |
They all say that, don't they?! | 0:31:15 | 0:31:16 | |
I think it's a very difficult thing to value. | 0:31:16 | 0:31:19 | |
I think in perfect condition, | 0:31:19 | 0:31:21 | |
-we could be looking for something like 500, £1,000. -Yes. | 0:31:21 | 0:31:24 | |
The damage will hold it back, so I think what we've got to do is put | 0:31:24 | 0:31:28 | |
an estimate at auction which reflects the fact that we know it's damaged, | 0:31:28 | 0:31:32 | |
-but it won't put off the buyers. -No, no. | 0:31:32 | 0:31:34 | |
I would like to put, maybe, 150 to £200 on it, with 150 reserve. | 0:31:34 | 0:31:40 | |
-It wouldn't surprise me if it doubled. -Oh, good. | 0:31:40 | 0:31:43 | |
Cos I think there'll be a lot of people who are saying, well, | 0:31:43 | 0:31:46 | |
-actually, I can have that restored better. -Yes. | 0:31:46 | 0:31:50 | |
Have you had it out on display all these years since you've had it? | 0:31:50 | 0:31:53 | |
It's been on my wife's dressing table all these years and it hasn't | 0:31:53 | 0:31:57 | |
come in the way of any damage or accidents, | 0:31:57 | 0:32:01 | |
-but you never know. And I would hate to knock that over. -Yes. Exactly. | 0:32:01 | 0:32:04 | |
-Your wife is happy to sell? -Yes, indeed. | 0:32:04 | 0:32:06 | |
-Fantastic. -That's why she sent me along today. | 0:32:06 | 0:32:10 | |
Our experts are working flat out upstairs at the Flog It blue tablecloths and downstairs, | 0:32:15 | 0:32:19 | |
there's still 100s of people sitting waiting patiently. And one of them | 0:32:19 | 0:32:24 | |
is Thelma, here, who's clutching, I believe, an accordion. | 0:32:24 | 0:32:27 | |
-Is that right? -That's right. | 0:32:27 | 0:32:29 | |
Squeeze box, my dad called them. Can I have a look? Is this yours? | 0:32:29 | 0:32:33 | |
-No. It's my son's. -It's your son's. | 0:32:33 | 0:32:35 | |
And where is he today, then? | 0:32:35 | 0:32:36 | |
-In Spain. -Is he on holiday, is he? -No. He lives there. | 0:32:36 | 0:32:39 | |
Oh, nice. Why hasn't mum gone out to join him, then? | 0:32:39 | 0:32:42 | |
-Somebody's got to sell it, haven't they? -Oh, I see. | 0:32:42 | 0:32:45 | |
-Do you know much about it? -No, not really. | 0:32:45 | 0:32:48 | |
-Where did he get it from? -I have no idea, cos when | 0:32:48 | 0:32:51 | |
he moved out to Spain, he just left it behind at home. | 0:32:51 | 0:32:54 | |
I phoned him last night and I said | 0:32:54 | 0:32:56 | |
to him where did you get it and how much? | 0:32:56 | 0:32:58 | |
-"I'm on my way to see Flog It!" -He can't remember. | 0:32:58 | 0:33:01 | |
He didn't think it was worth anything. | 0:33:01 | 0:33:03 | |
Wow. The box is rosewood. | 0:33:03 | 0:33:06 | |
-It is. -Yeah. So this is quite a nice instrument and it needed protecting. | 0:33:06 | 0:33:11 | |
-That's quite fortunate you've still got this little case. -Yes. | 0:33:11 | 0:33:15 | |
The first thing to check on these accordions is the bellows. | 0:33:15 | 0:33:19 | |
You can see they're in pretty good condition. | 0:33:19 | 0:33:22 | |
There's one little split there, but that shouldn't deter too much | 0:33:22 | 0:33:25 | |
from the value, cos there's only one. | 0:33:25 | 0:33:27 | |
It can be repaired, probably, yes. | 0:33:27 | 0:33:29 | |
Yes. Yeah. Again, we've got rosewood here, with pierced fretwork. | 0:33:29 | 0:33:33 | |
That's quite nice. | 0:33:33 | 0:33:34 | |
-There's a bit of damage. -Can that be repaired? -That can be sorted. | 0:33:34 | 0:33:38 | |
That's not too much trouble. | 0:33:38 | 0:33:40 | |
And, that's what I was looking for, a maker's label. Rock Chidley. | 0:33:40 | 0:33:45 | |
135. High Holbourn. London. | 0:33:45 | 0:33:48 | |
So it's a good London maker. Yes. | 0:33:48 | 0:33:50 | |
Yeah. And I'd put this at the turn of the 1900s, about 1910, 1920. | 0:33:50 | 0:33:56 | |
I wish I could play them. | 0:33:56 | 0:33:58 | |
-So do I. -Yeah. | 0:33:58 | 0:34:00 | |
Any requests?! | 0:34:00 | 0:34:02 | |
Sadly, I can't play. But I've valued a few of these on Flog It before | 0:34:05 | 0:34:10 | |
and to my surprise, they do quite well. | 0:34:10 | 0:34:12 | |
-Good. -And a little trick I learnt about valuing them was, | 0:34:12 | 0:34:15 | |
count up the little pegs. | 0:34:15 | 0:34:18 | |
-Yeah. -Yeah. We've got 24 there. | 0:34:18 | 0:34:20 | |
-That's a pretty good one. -Is it? -Yes. -Oh, good. | 0:34:20 | 0:34:24 | |
One recently sold in auction | 0:34:24 | 0:34:26 | |
and I think it had something like 32 pegs on it. | 0:34:26 | 0:34:29 | |
-And that got £1,200, in auction. -My goodness, me. | 0:34:29 | 0:34:33 | |
Yes. Lesser ones will fetch around about £80-100. If I said | 0:34:33 | 0:34:37 | |
that's half decent, despite the bit of damage, | 0:34:37 | 0:34:40 | |
I'm pretty sure we're going to find a collector that will want that. | 0:34:40 | 0:34:43 | |
-Yeah. -I was surprised when I valued my first one | 0:34:43 | 0:34:46 | |
and I put £80-120 on it and it was a speculative sort of estimate. | 0:34:46 | 0:34:51 | |
I'm surprised it sold for £200. | 0:34:51 | 0:34:54 | |
-That was jolly good. -Yeah. So you might get that, Thelma. | 0:34:54 | 0:34:57 | |
-That would be rather nice! -Yeah. Shall we put it | 0:34:57 | 0:35:00 | |
into auction with a value of £150-200 and see what happens? | 0:35:00 | 0:35:04 | |
-That would be super. -Yeah. | 0:35:04 | 0:35:06 | |
But I wouldn't be surprised if it made somewhere around | 0:35:06 | 0:35:09 | |
-the 200, £240 mark. -Oh, wonderful. | 0:35:09 | 0:35:11 | |
Marion and Jim, a lovely little period jewellery box. | 0:35:17 | 0:35:20 | |
Always nice to see jewellery in its original case. But what's inside? | 0:35:20 | 0:35:24 | |
Let's have a little look. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:25 | |
We've got a super little dress ring there. | 0:35:25 | 0:35:27 | |
-Now, tell me, is this a family piece? -Yes. | 0:35:27 | 0:35:31 | |
It was a family piece of my mother's at one time, we possibly believe. | 0:35:31 | 0:35:35 | |
So, do you remember your mother wearing this, Jim? | 0:35:35 | 0:35:38 | |
I remember my mother wearing a ring similar to that. | 0:35:38 | 0:35:41 | |
Because it was so long ago, I can't swear that was the actual ring. | 0:35:41 | 0:35:46 | |
-OK. -So I'm now thinking that is too large. | 0:35:46 | 0:35:49 | |
So we're not sure whether this is her engagement ring or not? | 0:35:49 | 0:35:52 | |
-No. We're not. -OK. Well, certainly, looking at it | 0:35:52 | 0:35:55 | |
from a jeweller's point of view, | 0:35:55 | 0:35:57 | |
it certainly could well be an engagement ring. | 0:35:57 | 0:35:59 | |
I would think, probably, between the wars. Possibly 1930s. | 0:35:59 | 0:36:04 | |
Maybe a little bit earlier. | 0:36:04 | 0:36:06 | |
We've got old cut diamond, what we call old cut. | 0:36:06 | 0:36:10 | |
These ones are slightly duller. | 0:36:10 | 0:36:12 | |
And diamonds are also graded according to their colour. | 0:36:12 | 0:36:15 | |
These are slightly tinged with a browney colour, | 0:36:15 | 0:36:19 | |
so that they're towards the lesser good quality end of the scale. | 0:36:19 | 0:36:23 | |
What you would expect from stones of this sort of size | 0:36:23 | 0:36:26 | |
in this sort of quality ring. | 0:36:26 | 0:36:27 | |
And then we've got a sapphire in the centre. | 0:36:27 | 0:36:30 | |
And the sapphire is called trap cut, or step cut. | 0:36:30 | 0:36:34 | |
You can see why with that square | 0:36:34 | 0:36:37 | |
shape and then the step up to what we call a table, the top of the stone. | 0:36:37 | 0:36:41 | |
And that's actually quite a good cut for an engagement ring. | 0:36:41 | 0:36:47 | |
It's in a rubover setting so it doesn't sit too proud. | 0:36:47 | 0:36:50 | |
So you could wear it every day as engagement rings were designed to be. | 0:36:50 | 0:36:55 | |
Even do the washing-up in that one. Having said that, | 0:36:55 | 0:36:58 | |
I think this one has been worn an awful lot as an everyday ring, | 0:36:58 | 0:37:02 | |
cos you can see the facet edges of the sapphire are really worn down. | 0:37:02 | 0:37:06 | |
You can see it with the naked eye. | 0:37:06 | 0:37:08 | |
-Yes. -So it's been much loved, I think. | 0:37:08 | 0:37:11 | |
That's good. | 0:37:11 | 0:37:12 | |
It's a lovely combination having a sapphire and diamond. | 0:37:12 | 0:37:16 | |
Typical combination for an engagement ring. | 0:37:16 | 0:37:18 | |
Sapphires vary a lot in their blue tone. | 0:37:18 | 0:37:21 | |
Sapphires from Burma and Sri Lanka and India tend to be | 0:37:21 | 0:37:25 | |
slightly lighter in colour and you can see that in mine. | 0:37:25 | 0:37:28 | |
That much lighter blue colour. | 0:37:28 | 0:37:30 | |
And that we call the more inky stones are generally from Australia | 0:37:30 | 0:37:34 | |
and from Thailand. What about value? | 0:37:34 | 0:37:38 | |
-Any ideas? -Haven't got a clue. | 0:37:38 | 0:37:40 | |
I think the condition of this sapphire will affect the value quite a bit. | 0:37:40 | 0:37:44 | |
At auction, I think we've got to be looking at probably 150 to 200. | 0:37:44 | 0:37:49 | |
I would hope it would make the 200, possibly 250 on a good day, | 0:37:49 | 0:37:52 | |
if two people like it. | 0:37:52 | 0:37:54 | |
It would be sensible to set a reserve at 150, if you're happy with that. | 0:37:54 | 0:37:57 | |
-Yes. -Yes. | 0:37:57 | 0:37:59 | |
-So no regrets about getting rid of it? -No. | 0:37:59 | 0:38:02 | |
-No. Don't think so. -No? -No. | 0:38:02 | 0:38:05 | |
Right now, let's jog our memories of our final three items | 0:38:05 | 0:38:08 | |
before we head off to the sale room. | 0:38:08 | 0:38:10 | |
First, the fabulous Worcester egg with its unforgettable story | 0:38:10 | 0:38:14 | |
of being buried during the Second World War. | 0:38:14 | 0:38:17 | |
Then Thelma's son's Rosewood accordion, | 0:38:17 | 0:38:19 | |
which I tuned into the moment I saw it. I've a feeling it'll do well. | 0:38:19 | 0:38:24 | |
Or will Kate's choice, | 0:38:24 | 0:38:26 | |
the sapphire and gold ring, turn out to be the real jewel in the crown? | 0:38:26 | 0:38:29 | |
Let's find out. | 0:38:29 | 0:38:31 | |
Jim and Marion, Kate, good luck. | 0:38:34 | 0:38:36 | |
It's just about to go under the hammer. | 0:38:36 | 0:38:38 | |
It's that gold and sapphire ring. We've got £150 on this. | 0:38:38 | 0:38:41 | |
You never thought of wearing it, did you? | 0:38:41 | 0:38:43 | |
-Too small. -Too small. Wouldn't get past the knuckle. | 0:38:43 | 0:38:46 | |
With jewellery, you have to wear it. | 0:38:46 | 0:38:48 | |
-There's no point sticking it in the bank. -No, no. No. | 0:38:48 | 0:38:51 | |
So, hopefully, someone's going to fall in love with it. | 0:38:51 | 0:38:54 | |
It's going under the hammer. | 0:38:54 | 0:38:55 | |
Good-looking gold, sapphire and diamond ring. | 0:38:55 | 0:38:58 | |
Are we going to bid £200 for it? | 0:38:58 | 0:39:00 | |
£100 bid. 100, I'm bid there now. | 0:39:00 | 0:39:02 | |
10. Thank you. 120, I've got. 130. | 0:39:02 | 0:39:05 | |
And 40, I'm bid. 140. And 50 now. | 0:39:05 | 0:39:07 | |
At 150. And 60? | 0:39:07 | 0:39:10 | |
A bit more. A bit more. A bit more. | 0:39:10 | 0:39:13 | |
No more? £160, then. | 0:39:13 | 0:39:14 | |
I'm selling at £160. | 0:39:14 | 0:39:19 | |
Yes! £160. The hammer's gone down. | 0:39:19 | 0:39:22 | |
Good valuation. It's a hard pitch, isn't it? | 0:39:22 | 0:39:25 | |
Yeah. I think it's cos that sapphire is really quite worn. | 0:39:25 | 0:39:28 | |
It's obviously been worn and loved and the wear on the stones | 0:39:28 | 0:39:31 | |
is going to count against it, but it's a fair price. | 0:39:31 | 0:39:34 | |
Robert, I don't know. How could he sell this after | 0:39:40 | 0:39:43 | |
that story we've just heard back at the valuation day? | 0:39:43 | 0:39:46 | |
This little egg has been through hell and high water. | 0:39:46 | 0:39:49 | |
The story's wonderful. | 0:39:49 | 0:39:51 | |
It's just so touching and it's lovely. It's absolutely lovely. | 0:39:51 | 0:39:55 | |
-It really is. -It's a pity it's damaged but otherwise, | 0:39:55 | 0:39:58 | |
-it'd have been triple the figure, I suppose. -Yeah. | 0:39:58 | 0:40:00 | |
But it is Worcester at its height of opulence. | 0:40:00 | 0:40:04 | |
The wonderful quality of that pearl beading. | 0:40:04 | 0:40:07 | |
And everything is decorated. I love it to bits. | 0:40:07 | 0:40:11 | |
Every little facet of it. | 0:40:11 | 0:40:13 | |
Any way you look at it, it just smacks quality. | 0:40:13 | 0:40:16 | |
Let's find out what this lot here in Tring think of it, shall we? | 0:40:16 | 0:40:20 | |
Because here it is, going under the hammer. | 0:40:20 | 0:40:22 | |
Lot 290, this time. | 0:40:22 | 0:40:24 | |
This is interesting, this one. | 0:40:24 | 0:40:26 | |
Worcester jewel ovoid vase and cover, there you are. | 0:40:26 | 0:40:29 | |
I think we ought to be looking for £200 for this one. At £200 for it. | 0:40:29 | 0:40:33 | |
200. At £100. Are we a £100 bid? 100, I'm bid for that one, then. | 0:40:33 | 0:40:37 | |
Thank you. 110, I'm bid for it. | 0:40:37 | 0:40:39 | |
120. And 30. 140. And 50. | 0:40:39 | 0:40:43 | |
Are you 60, sir? | 0:40:43 | 0:40:45 | |
160. And 70, is it? 180. | 0:40:45 | 0:40:48 | |
£180. At £180. At 190, now. | 0:40:48 | 0:40:53 | |
No? 180, I'm selling then. At 180. | 0:40:53 | 0:40:56 | |
90, is it? I'm selling at 180. | 0:40:56 | 0:40:58 | |
-Yes? £180, then. -Happy with that? | 0:40:58 | 0:41:02 | |
Oh, absolutely. Yes. | 0:41:02 | 0:41:04 | |
-Will the wife be pleased? -She's there. -Is she? | 0:41:04 | 0:41:07 | |
What the buyers have taken | 0:41:07 | 0:41:09 | |
into account, of course. they've got to get it restored. | 0:41:09 | 0:41:12 | |
That will take a bit of money, but it's a beautiful thing. | 0:41:12 | 0:41:15 | |
-A great story and it's wonderful to have something like that. -It is. | 0:41:15 | 0:41:19 | |
Guess what's up next. If I went like this - | 0:41:24 | 0:41:27 | |
give you a quick clue, wouldn't it? Thelma's accordion. | 0:41:27 | 0:41:31 | |
-This is exciting, isn't it? -Isn't it just exciting! | 0:41:31 | 0:41:33 | |
What does your son think? Have you phoned him? | 0:41:33 | 0:41:36 | |
Yeah, when you gave me the estimate. Yeah. He had to sit down. | 0:41:36 | 0:41:40 | |
-Did he? Did he really? -Yeah. | 0:41:40 | 0:41:42 | |
Have a couple of beers, putting his feet up in the sun out in Spain! | 0:41:42 | 0:41:46 | |
Yeah. I don't blame him, really. | 0:41:46 | 0:41:48 | |
Let's hope we do you both proud | 0:41:48 | 0:41:51 | |
and he treats you for sorting it all out, Thelma. | 0:41:51 | 0:41:53 | |
-Oh, yes. That'd be lovely. -He'll get you out to Spain? | 0:41:53 | 0:41:56 | |
Well, of course. That's it. | 0:41:56 | 0:41:58 | |
Going under the hammer now. | 0:41:58 | 0:42:00 | |
This is it, Thelma. Good luck. | 0:42:00 | 0:42:01 | |
Interesting one. There you are. | 0:42:01 | 0:42:03 | |
Rock Chidley. Not too many Rock Chidley concertinas there. | 0:42:03 | 0:42:07 | |
There you are. Where shall we say? | 0:42:07 | 0:42:09 | |
Are you going to bid 200 to start me for it? 100, then. 100 is bid. | 0:42:09 | 0:42:13 | |
Thank you. 100, I'm bid for that one. | 0:42:13 | 0:42:15 | |
120 is bid for it. 150. At 150. | 0:42:15 | 0:42:19 | |
At 180. 200. 200, I'm bid for it. | 0:42:19 | 0:42:22 | |
220. At £250. 280. | 0:42:22 | 0:42:26 | |
300, I'm bid. 300. | 0:42:26 | 0:42:29 | |
At 320, I'm bid. 350, I'm bid. | 0:42:29 | 0:42:31 | |
380. At 400. 20. Is it? | 0:42:31 | 0:42:35 | |
No. £400. 20 now. | 0:42:35 | 0:42:38 | |
No more? At £400. You lose it, sir. | 0:42:38 | 0:42:41 | |
At 400, then, I'm selling. | 0:42:41 | 0:42:43 | |
Yes? At £400, then. Thank you. | 0:42:43 | 0:42:46 | |
-Oh, Paul, that's super! -Isn't that good? -That's smashing. | 0:42:46 | 0:42:51 | |
Yeah. I got a tingle out of that. | 0:42:51 | 0:42:53 | |
-400! -Yeah. | 0:42:53 | 0:42:56 | |
-Oh! -400 quid. | 0:42:56 | 0:42:58 | |
Instead of 100. | 0:42:58 | 0:42:59 | |
-Yeah. -Cos that it was, the other one, wasn't it? -Yes. | 0:42:59 | 0:43:03 | |
Well, we hedged our bets, didn't we? | 0:43:03 | 0:43:05 | |
-We did, indeed. -We were hoping for 250. | 0:43:05 | 0:43:07 | |
-Well, they loved it. -I can't wait to get home and tell him, now! | 0:43:07 | 0:43:10 | |
-I bet you can't. I bet you can't! -Oh, lovely. | 0:43:10 | 0:43:15 | |
-I think we made Thelma's day there... -You have indeed! | 0:43:15 | 0:43:18 | |
..and I hope we've made your day, as well. | 0:43:18 | 0:43:20 | |
We thoroughly enjoyed being at Tring. Everyone's gone home happy. | 0:43:20 | 0:43:24 | |
There's plenty more to come on "Flog It!" in the future, | 0:43:24 | 0:43:26 | |
so join us next time. | 0:43:26 | 0:43:27 | |
For more information about Flog It, including how the programme was made, | 0:43:27 | 0:43:31 | |
visit the website at bbc.co.uk | 0:43:31 | 0:43:34 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:43:49 | 0:43:52 | |
E-mail [email protected] | 0:43:52 | 0:43:55 |