Tavistock Flog It!

This classic market town was mentioned in Sherlock Holmes' most famous case,

The Hound Of The Baskervilles. But there's no mystery about today's show. Flog It is in Tavistock.

Tavistock forms the western gateway to the wildest area of open country in the south of England - Dartmoor.

It's not surprising that Conan Doyle's imagination

was fired by this beautiful and sometimes bleak landscape

with its isolation, wild weather and strange granite tors.

But we're safely in the centre of the town at the ancient Pannier Market,

which is our home for today.

It's just as hectic as a market day with everyone unpacking their boxes.

And Philip Serrell and Charlie Ross are doing their own detective work,

searching out the top names in antiques and collectables.

-Maggie, how are you?

-I'm very well, thank you.

-So is this a family piece?

-Yes.

-My aunt gave it to me 30 years ago.

-Did you like it?

-I've always liked it.

-Until now.

-No, not till now.

-My kids said we've got to have a sort out.

-Why?

-Or it'll all go to the charity shop.

-Why?

-They don't like it.

-They should get them looked at in case they're throwing the crown jewels away.

-Not that this is the crown jewels.

-No.

-But I like it because it's from Worcester. I'm from Worcester.

-And that scene on the top is either going to be Shakespeare's birthplace or Anne Hathaway's cottage.

-Yeah.

And if we turn it over, it says there, "Birthplace of Shakespeare."

And everything there is to know about Worcester is on the bottom.

So we can see it's Royal Worcester.

Then you can see some dots, some at one o'clock, some at 11 o'clock and some at 6 o'clock.

-You've got to keep count here. Six there and six there?

-12.

-And three down there, how much is that?

-15.

-Add that on to 1891. Come on. Quick!

-1906.

-So this was made in 1906.

-Oh, right.

-It's older than I thought.

-There's a 51 in the middle. A lot of people think that's either 1851 or 1751

and that's when it was made.

It actually refers to 1751 when the Worcester factory was founded.

-And this colour is called blushed ivory cos it's ivory coloured and it's blushed. It's lovely.

-Yes.

-It is a nice piece, but as I said...

-So it's go to go?

-It's got to go.

Value - if it had cattle on it, it would be £500-£800.

-But it hasn't.

-I could paint some on.

-No! Behave. You can't go around doing things like that.

-This is £30-£50 worth.

-Right.

-OK?

-Yes.

-It might do a little bit more.

-Estimate - £30-£50, reserve - £20. It'll definitely sell.

-Yeah.

-With a bit of luck it might make 80 or 90. But just think in terms of 30-50. That's it.

-That's lovely.

-What else are they sending to the charity shop?

-Well, I've got some Chinese vases and they're going.

-They've been in the loft.

-I think, my love...

-I'll come to the next Flog It.

-Come to the next Flog It.

-You could be in trouble here.

-I could bring a wheelbarrow next time!

This is fantastic. Patricia, where did this come from?

-Well, back in 1976, I was renovating an old shop that had been a very old grocer's shop.

-Here in Tavistock?

-Yes. And one of the floorboards had come away from the skirting board...

-Yeah.

-And there was this piece of brown paper underneath, which I pulled up. And this was rolled up inside.

-Wow!

-In pristine condition.

-I've been to the Guinness museum in Dublin

and they've got all the John Gilroy posters. And he was the first Guinness artist back in the 1930s.

-And they came up with the slogan, "My goodness, my Guinness."

-Yes.

-And you can remember the iconic images.

-But I didn't see this in the museum.

-No.

-Have you done any research?

A friend, who worked with me, her husband was a rep for the Guinness company all of his working life.

-And he said he'd never seen it anywhere.

-This is lovely as it plays around with Alice In Wonderland.

And look at this. "'Nonsense,' cried Alice, 'Guinness keeps its head!'" The condition is superb.

Yes. My father framed it for me in this tatty old frame, which was just right for it, to protect it, really.

-I'm pretty sure it's 1950s.

-Well, that would date with the shop,

-because this has obviously been under the floorboards a long, long time.

-Why do you want to flog this?

I have a very modern house and this won't go in it.

It hung in the shop for many, many years and all the customers loved it.

-But I feel it should be used or in a museum.

-I noticed a chap was trying to buy it off you this morning.

He didn't try to buy it. He said that it shouldn't go for less than 250. And he'll be there at the auction.

-So we've sold it at 250 then?

-Definitely, yes.

-I would say.

-Do you know what we should do? We'll put it into auction with a valuation of £250-£350.

-Right.

-With a reserve at 250.

-Yes.

-Fixed reserve.

-That's fine.

-We could have a bidding frenzy going on. I can't wait to get this one into the auction room.

-Sue and Karin, you're sisters?

-Yes.

-But it's Karin, not Karen?

-That's right.

-There must be a story behind that?

-I was named after my father's Swedish girlfriend, who wasn't my mother!

-What did your mother think of that?

-Well, she must've been OK by it cos she let me be called it.

-You never met the girlfriend?

-Never.

-I don't think Mum did either.

-Just as well. Anyway, what about these vases? What do you know about them?

-Well, they were our maternal great-grandfather's.

-Right.

-He was a captain in the Merchant Navy.

-Right.

-And he brought them back from Shanghai.

-Right.

-He confiscated them from one of the seamen and...

-Was he captain?

-Yes.

-So some poor chap went aboard with these and your grandfather said, "I fancy those.

-"A mere rating can't bring them back."

-Yes. And he took them back to his house.

-He's kept them very well.

Well, they haven't done badly. They've got a couple of little small chips in the rim of one.

-They went through the Blitz under the stairs...

-Good Lord.

-..but survived.

-And we put them away in a box 14 years ago.

-Do you two live together?

-No.

-So who had them?

-I did.

-Have you ever had them valued?

-Well, I asked somebody a while ago, and just from a photograph,

-he said they might be worth up to about 650 maximum.

-To sell or for insurance?

-To sell.

-To sell.

-Do you know where they come from?

-We don't know.

-Right. They're Cantonese, lovely bright colours.

The necks are decorated with dragons and some wonderful panels depicting fighting warriors.

And have you ever looked at the shields they're holding?

Not really looked that much at them.

There are court scenes one side and battle scenes the other.

-If you look at your battle scene, which is facing you, look at those shields. Aren't they wonderful?

-Yes.

That's to frighten off the enemy. They'd frighten you to death. Date, any idea how old they might be?

Well, we know they've got to be over 95 years old because my great-grandfather died before then.

They're a bit older than that. They're about 1880 to 1890.

They're over 100 years old. The value is interesting, not far out, actually, your valuation.

I would say that a sensible saleroom estimate would be 300-500.

So that's a bit below perhaps what you were hoping.

-I think we put a reserve of £250 and not to sell them for a halfpenny less. Is that OK?

-That's fine.

-Are you splitting the money?

-Father's having it.

-We'll see what Father says.

-Does he know what they're worth?

-He may give us a bit.

-If you tell him they made £30, you'll be fine.

But he always watches this. He watches this every week!

-Maria, how are you?

-I'm very well.

-What's the history behind this little beauty?

A friend of my husband's, it was his grandmother's. And he gave it to me because I do a lot of handicraft.

-He thought I could mend it.

-Were you meant to give it back?

-No. But my fingers are far too big,

so I sent it to a guy in Norwich, I think, who does antique jewellery.

-And it was over £1,000 to have it repaired.

-Hellfire!

Because I needed more seed pearls and I wanted him to put the safety catch on. I just thought it was so pretty.

-This friend of your husband's, where did he come from?

-He was from London. No, I think from the north.

-Not European?

-No.

-Cos I just wondered looking at this,

I'm not sure it's English. I think it's from that sort of 1900-1910 era.

It's wonderful quality because you've got diamonds, rubies.

And then you've got this really fine enamelling

going around this gold border. Some of the seed pearls need replacing

-or it would be beneficial to do that.

-I thought they'd done that.

-There's just the odd bit of staining to some of these pearls.

-Maybe they were the original ones?

-Yeah.

-And then some of the enamelling has just chipped off. I think it's lovely. Have you ever worn it?

-Yes.

-I think that would make you feel really special.

-It's beautiful.

-This type of jewellery is very sought after.

-Right.

-What's it worth?

-I don't know.

I paid over 1,000 mending it, so...

I'd actually got in mind the figure of £1,000 as a reserve before you mentioned that.

-An auction estimate will be £1200 to £1500.

-At least I'll get my 1,000 back.

-You'll get your money back.

-You might get a profit.

-It's a worry having it at home.

So, Maria, you're happy that if we can get your money back, that's good?

-Yes.

-Best get it flogged then.

-Yes.

Well, I think we've struck gold with all our items we've found so far.

So let's remind ourselves of what we're taking to the auction room.

As it is Philip's speciality, it was no surprise that he picked out the little Worcester pot.

We could see plenty of bidders losing their heads over Patricia's splendid Guinness poster.

The Cantonese vases survived the Blitz under the stairs. Now let's see how they fare in the auction.

It's utterly charming, but will Maria's bracelet recoup the £1,000 she's already spent on it?

For today's sale, we've come to Eldred's Auction House in Plymouth.

Before the sale gets underway,

let's see what auctioneer Anthony Eldred has got to say about one of Philip's items.

£65 with the lady. 105. 110. 115.

Maria's Edwardian bracelet - Philip's put £1200-£1500 on this. Now, Maria was given this bracelet.

She tried to fix it. She couldn't, so she sent it away to be restored,

-and the cost was around about £1,000 for it to get fixed. So she wants her money back.

-Gosh.

-Yes, I know.

-That is a lot.

-And we have got a fixed reserve of £1,000.

-It is a lot to spend on a piece of jewellery,

which if you're going to wear and enjoy, yes. But to re-sell, I don't know if it'll all come back to her.

I know nothing about jewellery, but it looks OK for £1,000.

Yes. And if you look at each particular oval, it's very pretty.

-But whether we reach the 1,000, I'm not sure.

-What would you like to have put on that?

I think I would have quoted £600-£800 on it. And expecting it to make something towards the upper estimate.

-So this one just might struggle.

-We'll need that bit of luck.

You heard what Philip had to say about Maria's bracelet.

You've also heard what our auctioneer had to say, which you two don't know.

He says it just might struggle.

It just might. We've got a fixed reserve of £1,000 because you've had this fixed, haven't you?

And it cost you £1,000, so you need your money back. It will sell, but it'll only sell at the lower end.

-I think it will sell.

-But I told him not to go lower than 1,000 because I might as well take it home.

-Exactly.

-I think it's one of those instances when your valuation is driven by expenditure, not value.

-Yes. So good luck, both of you.

-I had to have it all re-strung and more seed pearls put in.

-Don't spend any more money.

-Don't spend any more money on it.

-OK.

It's going under the hammer right now.

Next is lot 487. It's an Edwardian bracelet of seed pearls.

At £800 for this one. At £800. And 50. 900.

At £900. 50, if you want it? At £900 then. Finished in the room at 900.

At £900 then, are you bidding? All done then at £900. And 50.

-1,000. At 1,000 then. All done at 1,000.

-Oh, yes, we've got the 1,000.

-We just got 1,000!

-By the skin of our teeth.

-That one struggled.

-But we got it away.

-Good auctioneer.

-Yes. The person on the phone was bidding but they backed out at 950. Happy?

-Mm-hm.

-Got your money back.

It's off with my head if this doesn't sell, and it's all down to Patricia,

-because you did sort of persuade me, because you said you'd been offered £250 for this Guinness poster.

-Yes.

-So hopefully they'll be here in the auction.

-I hope so.

-And there might be someone to bid against them.

-And we might get that top end at £350. What's that?

-A photograph of the old shop that I was renovating

-and found the poster under the floorboards.

-That takes you back in time.

-Bit of Tavistock history.

But you're getting rid of a bit more social history.

-Maybe you should hang on to this poster?

-Well, I kept it in the shop.

-But now I've got nowhere to keep it.

-It really is the end of an era.

-It is.

-Let's hope we get top dollar.

It's going under the hammer now.

This is the Guinness advertising poster.

There it is. And at £180 for that. At 180. 190. 200. And 10. 220.

-230. 240.

-Yes!

-250. At the very back there at £250.

60 if you want it? At £250 then?

All done then at £250.

-We're happy.

-It's sold, yes.

-250. You said you wanted 250.

-Yes.

-I think that chap bought it.

-I don't know. Yeah, probably.

-He was very keen.

-You're happy, aren't you?

-Yes, it's fine.

-And what will you put that money towards?

The grandchildren. I thought I'd pop it into premium bonds for them and they might come up with a big sum.

OK. Next up, the Royal Worcester, but we don't have its owner, Maggie.

-She cannot be with us today. But we've got our Royal Worcester expert standing next to me - Philip!

-Paul.

-Not a lot of money on this. Is that because it's the blushed ivory?

-Yes.

If you'd had a Stinton cow, you're talking loads of money.

-Good luck for Maggie.

-Let's do it for her.

Next lot, 307, is a Royal Worcester oval pot and lid. There it is.

And I'm bid £18 for it against you all. At 18. 20. 22. 25. 28. 30.

In front then at 30. 32. 35. 38. 40.

At £40, still in front here. Are you all done at £40? And 42. 45. 48.

£50. 52. At £52 here.

Are you done at 52 then?

You said £50 at the top end, we got 52 under the hammer.

-Maggie will be pleased. She wanted to get rid of it.

-And she has.

Sue and Karin are definitely flogging off the family heirlooms as these belong to Great-grandfather.

So you've got one each now. They're only valuable in a pair, so the best thing to do is flog them, yes?

-We've got another sister.

-Really? Does she know you're flogging them?

-Yes.

-Aw!

-We did tell her.

Well, you can't split a pair three ways, can you? So who's had them over the last few years?

-At my father's house. He's asked us to bring them.

-Dad's getting the money, really.

-We might get some.

-For all the hard work.

-Lunch expenses.

-Yes. Good luck. They're going under the hammer now.

Next is lot 383. It's a pair of Chinese Canton vases.

I'm bid £200 for them. At 200. 10, if you want them? 210. 220. 230. 240.

250. 260. At £260 now.

Is that all? Oh, 270. Hang on.

At 280. 290. 300. 310.

320. At 320, seated now. Any more in the room? At 320.

330. 340. 350. 360.

-Competition, that's what we like.

-I like this.

390. 400.

420. At £420 now. Against you all at £420.

Quite sure then at 420?

-Splendid!

-I'm very happy with that. The top end of the estimate.

-Happy, girls?

-Yes, thank you.

-We don't have to look at them either.

-I think they're quite nice.

-They're not bad.

-They're not "bad bad", are they?

-No. And the condition's good.

-Yes, well...

-Whatever!

LAUGHTER

Well, that's the end of our first visit to the auction room today and so far, so good.

But now I'm taking advantage of being right on the edge of Dartmoor

and going off to do some exploring.

'In bad weather, Dartmoor can be a wild and forbidding place.

'But on a sunny day, there can be no better way of visiting the moor than in a horse-drawn carriage.

'John Arden has spent years teaching carriage driving and driving tourists across the moor.

'Today, he and I are going to take a trip across Holne Moor on the south-east side.'

-That was quite a climb from the farmhouse.

-It's a 500-foot climb from Holne up to Dartmoor.

Our house is 500 foot above sea level. Anywhere on Dartmoor is 1,000 foot above sea level.

-How big is Dartmoor?

-Um...364 square miles, I believe.

And do you know it like the back of your hand?

I know most of it like the back of the hand, yes. I've ridden horses on it, all over the moor.

You are a Dartmoor boy, aren't you?

IN WEST COUNTRY ACCENT: I'm a Dartmoor boy, you know! Yeah!

John's father was a farmer and master of the local fox hounds.

His mother was also an enthusiastic rider in point-to-points,

so much so that John may be the only person to have won one before he was born.

So not surprisingly, horses and John have been inseparable ever since.

And this combined with his passion for the moor makes him the perfect guide.

-That's absolutely beautiful.

-Steady, boy, steady.

-I think you've got a great job. It can't get any better.

I don't think so. I just love the horses and it's a very nice way to be able to work.

We've been doing it 30-odd years now, doing these trips out over the moor,

based on what the old men did years ago

because a tremendous industry grew up round about the 1880s or so when the railways first came to Devon.

And each town, they used to take people out over the moor just as we're doing,

with either a pair of horses or four-in-hand of horses. And we had an old man who worked on Father's farm

who had taken part in that and encouraged me to have a go at it.

"You ought to do it like they did years ago, boy, right over Dartmoor!"

-It's a nice sitting-down job.

-So was there an industry here at one time?

Yes. There was a lot of peat digging on the moor.

All the farmers had their own peat, what they called "peat tie", out over the moor, out in the middle.

And there was a lot of tin mining and that's all gone, along with the quarrying.

I think really that the '14-'18 War, as much as anything, spelt the death of a lot of it.

'The First World War may have caused the demise of these industries.

'But Dartmoor had another resource that proved invaluable to the troops.'

Way back, in my mother's time, which is in the '14-'18 War,

a war-time job was collecting this sphagnum moss from all over Dartmoor.

They used to use it to treat the troops' wounds with.

'Sphagnum moss grows all over Dartmoor and it was invaluable as a dressing due to its high absorbency,

'soaking up twice as much blood as cotton wool.

'But John's parents' war-time exploits weren't just limited to World War One.

'Their contribution to home defence in the Second World War has become something of a local legend.'

Father was in charge of the mounted home guard and they patrolled the moor.

And one night he was out on patrol when Mother got a message

that the Germans were coming down the road from the Warren Inn.

She got a sports car and she got some old retired veteran of the First World War to come and help her.

-And together they went up there with shotguns and rifles, you see.

-Yes.

And they saw these grey shapes creeping up through the darkness, so they blazed away at them, you see,

and they went off to tell everybody.

The Germans never turned up, but there were two dead sheep on the road.

-A real Dad's Army story.

-That sounds like a classic Dad's Army, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

-It really does.

'The most notorious tale of Dartmoor is the elusive Black Beast,

'of which there have been many sightings. And it is something which John has experienced first-hand.'

-So what's the rumour, the Beast of Dartmoor?

-Well, lots of people...

-Is it a black panther or something?

-I'm sure it is. We were actually coming up right where we are now,

in broad daylight, and we saw him on the right here. And he was very big, as long as a yearling bullock,

but not as high, and black with a mottled white stripe down his back. And this was in broad daylight.

-And we were stone-cold sober.

-You had to add that, didn't you?

-Well, yes, I might get accused of it otherwise.

And I didn't shout too much because he looked very big and I thought, "As long as he's running away from me,

-"let him keep going that way."

-This is absolutely breathtaking.

-Yeah.

-Getting up to the top of the world up here.

-We are on top of the world, aren't we?

-Yes, this is it.

-You can see for miles.

-Yes. Away to the right, that's all the north moor.

-We're on the southern half of Dartmoor.

-You can see the weather change quite rapidly from here.

-Yes.

It doesn't look too bad at the moment. Can you see it coming in over those hills, boy?

Look out, you're going to get wet.

Coming out on Dartmoor with John has been an exhilarating, entertaining and educational experience.

I can't think of a better way to enjoy the history and beauty of this unique place.

Back to the Pannier Market

where Charlie has encountered something that wouldn't be out of place on the moor.

-Pat, I don't want to be rude, but this is not the best thing we've seen on Flog It.

-Sorry about that.

But it's got BBC connections. I've looked at the bottom of it and you know who this is - Larry the Lamb.

-You wouldn't remember the programme, would you?

-Way before my time.

But I remember Larry the Lamb, who spoke with a rather strange voice,

who was produced on the radio and then on TV.

"La-a-arry the La-amb," spoke like that, which is rather sad, especially done by me.

It's potted by Midwinter's. It's got the Midwinter mark on the bottom, a Staffordshire pottery,

-mass-produced, presumably for children who liked listening to Larry the Lamb.

-Right.

Midwinter factory started in about 1920, I think. But we know it can't be earlier than the 1950s

-as that's when Larry the Lamb was born. How did you get it?

-I bought it at a market a few months ago.

-You bought it?

-Mm-hm.

-Blimey, I'm on the spot here! You paid money for it?

-Yeah.

-It was so quirky, I thought I'd have it for the sake of it.

-Yes, but not for long. How much did you pay?

-About five pounds.

-Well, may I suggest we sell this without reserve?

-Mm-hm.

I think we can put an estimate of perhaps 20-30 on it.

And like Beswick animals are making money today,

-in 30 years' time, I wouldn't be at all surprised if something like that was worth £200 or £300.

-Possibly.

Because it will become collectable. Anyway, we'll put it in and we'll sell it.

-We'll think of the BBC while we do so.

-OK.

-We'll get more than a fiver.

-We better, otherwise we'll set a new Flog It record for all the wrong reasons. Thank you.

-No problem.

-Mary, how are you?

-Well, I'm fine, actually.

-You look pretty good.

-Good job too.

-And who's this then?

-Is this your minder?

-Yes! This is my younger son.

-Younger son? Mary, I'm going to be really rude here.

-How old are you?

-I'm 93, nearly as old as the plates.

-Blimey.

-I can't see me ever doing that.

-You never know. You never know what's in store.

-You reckon you're nearly as old as these plates?

-Nearly, yes.

-So if I said these were mid-19th century, you'd be staggered?

-I'd be astonished.

-Well, they're not.

-Oh, well.

-No, they're mid-18th century.

-18th!

-They're even older.

-Oh, dear, is that a fact?

-Yeah.

-Good gracious.

-I think that these were made some time between about 1730 and about 1760.

-Really?

-Right.

-Good gracious.

-Where do you think they came from? What are these designs?

-Well, they look a bit, um...

-A bit Chinese?

-Yes.

-Do you know why that is?

-No.

The Chinese made wonderful porcelain. And we tried to make porcelain like the Chinese did,

really fine quality porcelain. Because we were trying to copy the Chinese,

-our porcelains were all decorated to look like Chinese.

-Ah!

But prior to us creating porcelain factories in this country, we had this stuff called tin-glazed Delft.

And this is tin-glazed Delft.

-And it's called Delft from the town in Holland.

-Yes.

-But we used to produce Delft in this country.

And there's Bristol Delft. There's London or Lambeth Delft. And I think this might be Liverpool Delft.

-Do you? Liverpool?

-Yes. And it's called tin-glazed because tin was added to the glaze

-and it produces a sort of milky colour.

-Are these painted individually?

-Yes.

I think of someone painting that, it is pretty marvellous.

-Why does your mum want to sell them?

-Well, they've sat in a cupboard as long as I've ever been around.

They're not collecting dust, but they're never seen. What's the point of keeping something,

which you're not enjoying to look at, when other people, who might like it,

-would buy it?

-I think it's nice to be able to pass them on to somebody else.

-Yes.

-So, what are they worth?

-I think that these are worth between £50 and £100 a piece.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

-Goodness gracious.

And I think we'll put an auction estimate of 250-450 on them.

We'll put a fixed reserve of £200. They're absolutely lovely. Are you happy to sell them?

-Quite happy, yes.

-It's a joy meeting you.

-And it's a joy looking at these.

-I'm very pleased to have met you too.

Val, he's a great-looking chap on top of your umbrella, which is not a parasol. Where did it come from?

It was my great-aunt's. Other than that, I really don't know anything of its history.

-So it went from your great-aunt to?

-My parents. And I've had him for the last ten years.

-And where's he been?

-In a cover in our umbrella stand.

-It's just as well you haven't used it cos it's in fantastic condition.

-No connections with the Indian army?

-I don't know.

-Because I was trying to work out where it was done.

If the quality of the carving was better, you'd point to the Far East. If it was the Far East,

I would expect the umbrella part of it not to be waterproof material, which it obviously is.

-I'd expect it to be perhaps fabric for protection from the sun.

-Yes.

-But thinking of perhaps monsoons, you could say perhaps Indian?

-Right.

-Anglo-Indian?

And to a certain extent you could say that was a vulture, rather than an eagle.

-And the quality is good, but not priceless.

-Right.

The beak is a bit crude. I love the way the glass eyes are still there.

I love the little ivory knots here. We won't open it out because it'll only stretch the fabric.

-Yes, it is quite stiff.

-And I think if you opened it to its fullest extent, you might tear it.

-Yes.

Date? Looking at the elastic on it, we're not looking into Victorian times.

-We're looking at 1930, I think.

-Right.

-Super condition.

And people collect walking stick and parasol tops.

-Right.

-And the more intricate and the more unusual, the more valuable.

This is not particularly unusual. It's ivory, which is good news, except in some people's minds.

-Not everybody appreciates it.

-But when this was done, people didn't mind about things like that.

-And you brought it along hoping it had a value, presumably?

-Well, we've brought one or two other things,

-which people didn't seem to take much interest in...

-What a rotten lot!

-And this is the one that's caught your eye.

-Yes, I just saw you there.

I'm glad his head was sticking out of the top, otherwise I'd never have seen him. Have a guess at a value?

-No idea whatsoever.

-Not a clue?

-£50? I don't know.

-I reckon it's worth at least three times that.

-Oh, very nice too.

-In fact, I would go as far as to say it ought to be worth £200.

-That would be nice.

-Yes.

-I would like to put an estimate of 150-200 on it.

-Right.

-And put a discretionary reserve at £150.

And if the auctioneer gets pretty close, he would then sell it.

-Thank you for bringing it along.

-Thank you.

-Bit of a bonus then?

-Yes.

There's just time to re-visit the items our experts have picked to tempt the bidders.

Larry the Lamb, Patrick only paid a fiver for him. What a baa-argain!

At 93, Mary is a mere youngster compared to her Delft plates, which date back to the 18th century.

The Anglo-Indian 1930s umbrella is in super condition.

If the collectors are in the room, there's no need to be overcast.

I wonder what auctioneer Anthony Eldred will make of it?

This is real quality. It belongs to Valerie. Anglo-Indian, an ivory-handled umbrella,

circa 1920s, 1930s. And Charlie's put £150-£200 on this.

Yes. It is, as you say, lovely quality and the detail. They've even tipped the spokes with ivory as well.

It's in good condition considering it's been in an umbrella stand.

I don't think it's had a lot of use because the material becomes frayed and the spokes start to poke through.

-And I think the quote is a nice quote. I think it'll make that and hopefully more.

-Fingers crossed.

This'll bring back some childhood memories for many of you. It's Larry the Lamb.

Patrick, you bought this for a fiver at a flea market and he's off to market again.

-Charlie, you've got £20 on this.

-20-30, no reserve.

-No, it's here to go.

-It's got to make five quid!

It's reasonably modelled, if you like that sort of thing. I think it'll make £15.

That would be a nice result. If you could keep doing that to everything you buy at a flea market, well...

-Do that ten times a day and you'd have a good week.

-Let's find out.

It's a Midwinter pottery figure of Larry the Lamb.

-I'm bid £8, which doesn't seem a lot.

-£8!

-We're in.

-At £8. 10. 12.

-Profit.

-15. 18.

-It's steaming away!

-At £20 now.

-£20.

-At £20, take two if you like? At £20 then. All done.

-That's four times what you paid.

-You thought it would go for £20.

-I did.

-Excellent.

-And as Charles said, if you could keep doing that every day,

it's a nice bit of pocket money.

-And it's a fun thing to do because you learn a lot.

-Yeah.

-I'm not going to ask you what your £20 is going towards!

-No.

-No.

-A sheepskin coat.

-A sheepskin coat down the market, yeah.

Five Liverpool tin-glazed Delft plates about to go under the hammer.

-They belong to Mary and Brian. But Brian can't be with us.

-No. He's working today.

-What does he do?

-You can explain what he does.

-Who have you brought along, Mary?

-My daughter-in-law.

-What's your name?

-Hilde, short for Hildegard.

-Pleased to meet you, Hildegard.

-Happy with the valuation?

-Oh, yes.

-Yes. Yes.

-Philip's got a keen eye as I know you absolutely loved them.

-And they could possibly do that 400, couldn't they?

-I think they'll do well. They're a lot I'd love to own.

I'm with you on that. It's a purist's lot. Proper antiques. Let's hope we get a proper job here today

and somebody pays top dollar. This is it. Good luck.

Lot 274 is five 18th-century Liverpool, glazed Delft dishes.

And there they are. And £150 for those. At 150. 60, if you want them?

160. 170. 180. 190.

200. And 10. At £210 now.

At 210 there. Are you all done then? At £210.

Hammer's gone down. We've sold them, £210.

-What are you putting the money towards?

-I'm not sure.

-It'll go very quickly.

-It will. Once you've paid the bills, it's gone.

-That's right. Yes.

This lot will make you smile. It's that lovely 1930s ivory umbrella.

Normally, umbrellas make you feel miserable. "Oh, no, it's raining!"

-But this one is real quality. And it's been in your umbrella stand for ten years?

-Yes.

-All credit to you because condition is paramount in something like this.

-Absolutely.

-Quality and condition counts. And it is all there.

-There's a lovely photograph of it in the catalogue.

And you just can't help but feel it and touch it. And that's what antiques are supposed to do -

-inspire you and make you feel good.

-I'm glad you like it.

-Why are you getting rid of it?

-I don't like it!

-Sorry! It's as simple as that.

-Well, let's hope we get you top money.

-OK.

-It's going under the hammer now.

Early 20th-century lady's ivory umbrella. There it is. Carved handle.

And I'm bid £130. Against you all in the room at 130. I'll take five.

135. 140. 150.

-And five.

-It's gone.

-160 now.

At 160 there. 170.

180. 190. 200. And ten.

-220. 230.

-The collectors love it!

-240. 250. 260.

270. At £270 at the very back.

-280, fresh bidding.

-I was hoping for 3.

300. And ten. 320. 330.

340. At 340. 350 now at the very back.

-Are you all done at £350?

-That's bought it, at 350.

Yes! The hammer's gone down! £350.

-It certainly isn't a rainy day for Valerie.

-Wonderful.

You've got to be so happy with that.

They are so collectable. And I've a feeling that this may be converted

-and put on the top of a walking cane. It's that good.

-Yes.

With an umbrella, once the fabric's gone, it devalues it.

-The top will be taken off and put on a walking cane.

-Brilliant.

-What are you going to do with the money?

-It's going towards the fund for a new Aga.

-Do you have an Aga?

-Yes. So it's going into the fund for replacing that.

-They're quite pricey and very heavy.

I could be back selling the old one.

One minute the saleroom's packed and the next, it's empty. The sale's over and everybody has gone home.

We've had a cracking day. All credit to our experts, they were bang on the money,

and also to our auctioneer, Anthony Eldred. He did a great job. What can I say? Join us next time on Flog It.

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