0:00:07 > 0:00:10This castle was once the grand home to an aristocratic family
0:00:10 > 0:00:13who shared the name of the town we're in today.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Welcome to Flog It from Dudley.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53Dudley Castle became home to the ambitious Duke of Northumberland,
0:00:53 > 0:00:55John Dudley, in the 1500s.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57He married off his son to Lady Jane Grey
0:00:57 > 0:01:01in a plot to prevent Mary Tudor from becoming queen.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05The plan backfired. It went horribly wrong and the young couple were beheaded.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Shortly after that, John Dudley's head rolled too.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Needing to keep their heads today are our experts, Thomas Plant and Adam Partridge,
0:01:19 > 0:01:24as they hunt out the best items to do battle with at auction.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28The crowds are keen to get into today's venue, Dudley Concert Hall,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31to see if their items can catch the experts' eye.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35First to put his skills to the test is Thomas Plant.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Hello, Nick.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38- Hi.- Tell me about this collection
0:01:38 > 0:01:43- you've brought along. - This collection belonged to my grandfather. He worked on it
0:01:43 > 0:01:48most of his life and I recall him bringing me first-day issues
0:01:48 > 0:01:50and so on and showing them to me.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Was he more passionate about collecting stamps
0:01:53 > 0:01:57or collecting money or postcards? What did he like the most?
0:01:57 > 0:02:01It was the collectability factor.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03He just liked to have things to keep.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Yes, I can understand that. Why have you brought them today?
0:02:07 > 0:02:10I was curious, really, to see if anything was of value.
0:02:10 > 0:02:17But I also thought cos I'm not continuing the collection, I have no interest in that kind of thing,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21that I'd like to pass them on to somebody who would add to a collection
0:02:21 > 0:02:25- or think, "Oh, wow! I'm after that." - Absolutely.
0:02:25 > 0:02:31You're doing the right thing. Although it's not going to be worth a king's ransom, it's of value.
0:02:31 > 0:02:38Postcards, people like to collect them because they fit into their collections and they tell a story.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40These here are really quite interesting
0:02:40 > 0:02:43- because they're all First World War. - Are they?
0:02:43 > 0:02:48- They're moralising ones as well. This is what we call a sweetheart card.- Right.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53- It was bought within Flanders, somewhere like Ypres, and sent home. - I see.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57To their loved one. Though it's a myth it was done by the soldiers.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01That's a myth. These were done to be bought by soldiers to send home.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- Right.- And these are the flags of the Allies.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08You get collections of these and they make quite a lot of money.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11- OK.- I like this little stamp group
0:03:11 > 0:03:13cos you don't see things like this.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15They're lovely, still intact.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19You sometimes get sheets of stamps and people get very excited.
0:03:19 > 0:03:25But the main interest when I saw you in the queue and looked through the album was this paper money.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28This was obviously something quite tempting to spend
0:03:28 > 0:03:32- but he's kept it.- No, he kept it. That's right.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37He kept it in an album and he used to add to it, especially the pound notes.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40- He was keen on that.- There's quite a few of these in the albums.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44- Yes. He was keen on that.- They're worth a bit more than a pound.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48These are worth between five, three pounds, five pounds.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- And about 25 to £30.- Oh!
0:03:51 > 0:03:55- How does that grab you? - Crikey. OK, yeah.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58So even with what you've got with the paper money,
0:03:58 > 0:03:59there's over £50 there.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04- If you think about all the first-day covers you've got, quite a few. - Yeah.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09They're probably worth between 50p and £1 each.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- So you're looking at £100-plus. - Right. OK.- For the collection.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16It's not masses of money. It's not £200,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20- but I would say if we generally say between 100 and 150...- Yes.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23..for the whole collection, with a reserve of £100.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25I think you need to protect this.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29- OK.- You don't want it to go for nothing, do you?- No, no. I mean, no.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33- Will you come to the auction?- I'd love to. I've never been to one.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Tell me, how do you feel about this going up for auction?
0:04:36 > 0:04:42- Fantastic. Really excited. I'd love it.- And you have those memories.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Nobody will take them from me.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48But I'd like this to go to somebody who's already got an interest.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- I'm sure it will, and we'll have a good day.- Fantastic.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- I know you're Dot because I remember seeing you this morning. - You did.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05And it was a great experience meeting you then and it's really
0:05:05 > 0:05:09nice to have you back at the table with your Worcester vases.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Oh, you are nice!
0:05:11 > 0:05:13- You can see straight through it. - I can, yes.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16You've got a lovely pair of Royal Worcester vases.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Can you tell me how you came to own these?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Yes, a gentleman gave them to me.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26I used to go into his mother when I was a district nurse and he gave them me when she died.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28So, very nice to be given these.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Were you familiar with the vases before?
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- No.- So you never said, "Ooh, I love your vases"?
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Oh, no, no, no.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- No hints there.- Oh, no, no. - They just ended up with you.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40And what do you think of them?
0:05:40 > 0:05:41Oh, yes, they're lovely.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43So why are you selling them?
0:05:43 > 0:05:46I thought somebody else might appreciate them.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Oh, come on!
0:05:48 > 0:05:50That's what I've heard said on Flog It!
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Well, that's what everyone says, so let's have another reason, Dot.
0:05:54 > 0:05:55Why are you selling them?
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Um... Well, I don't do anything with them.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02You can't really put flowers in them.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04- No.- They're not a great deal of use, are they?
0:06:04 > 0:06:08They're very pretty to look at for the collector.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11You're not a collector of fine china and things.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15- No.- Do you collect anything at all? - Spoons.- Souvenir spoons?
0:06:15 > 0:06:16Yes. Any spoons.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19How many have you got?
0:06:19 > 0:06:25- About 300.- Yeah. See, when I first met you this morning, I had you down as a stirrer!
0:06:25 > 0:06:28I guess we'd better talk about your vases.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32- We're very much alike.- I think so - although you've got more hair.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37- Yeah, that's true.- These are Royal Worcester as you can see from the mark on the bottom.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Puce-coloured mark of the Royal Worcester
0:06:39 > 0:06:41and then we've got these five dots,
0:06:41 > 0:06:47a star and then another five dots, which is how we date Worcester.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52And the star with ten dots is 1926.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Now they're mirror image, so they're clearly a pair...
0:06:55 > 0:06:58One of them's signed... Here's the signature there.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01M. Hunt, that's Millie Hunt.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04A well-known paintress of roses... were her speciality.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09They usually specialised in various roses or flowers or animals or whatever it might be.
0:07:09 > 0:07:15Condition's pretty good. The only thing I've noticed, a tiny, tiny little chip just there.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Very minor but it would need to be pointed out.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20So, any idea what they're worth?
0:07:20 > 0:07:21No.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24No, no idea at all?
0:07:24 > 0:07:26- No idea at all.- Have a guess.- No.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28- You're not having a guess. - No.- I thought you were fun.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33No, cos I don't think you'd come up to £2,000.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- No, £150-250.- How much?
0:07:36 > 0:07:38150-250.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40- You're joking.- No.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42- Is that good or bad joking?- Good.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Oh, good.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47I thought you were suddenly expecting loads and loads.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51- No.- No, they should make £150.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Really?- Yeah, that would be the reserve I'd put.- Oh, lovely.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57And if they don't make that, you can take them home again.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- Thank you.- I think if they were absolutely perfect,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04they would probably make the top end £250.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Dot, it's been really nice to talk to you and very nice to meet you.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- It's been very nice to meet you. - Stop it! That's not true, is it?
0:08:11 > 0:08:13- It is true. - You're desperate to go, I can tell.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- No, I watch you on telly and it's very nice to meet you.- OK.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19You look much younger than you do on telly!
0:08:19 > 0:08:22OK, can we up that valuation or is it too late?
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Now you've said something pleasant, we could make it higher!
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- Cliff.- That's me.- This is fantastic.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Thanks so much for bringing in some natural history.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39It's a sawfish bill, which is a cross between a ray and a shark.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41It's a fantastic example.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45A sawfish is found in temperate waters around the South Pacific.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Australia, New Zealand, all the islands round there.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52A very dangerous fish. Imagine coming across this in the water!
0:08:52 > 0:08:55This is quite an old fish, actually.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58It's reached maturity. It's got 30 teeth either side.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01And looking at this,
0:09:01 > 0:09:07I would say this example dates back to around about 1850, 1860.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10It's a nice early Victorian one.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Tell me about how it came into your possession.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15It was given to me by an old friend,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17about 25 years ago.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- Yes.- He asked me if I wanted it.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23I said, "Yes, I'll have it."
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Was it on the wall in his house when you saw it?
0:09:26 > 0:09:30No, he hadn't got it in his house. I don't know how he came by it.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34It's been treated with a borax acid.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36That's how they treat it to stop it rotting.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41That was one of the early sort of things that was applied to any form of taxidermy
0:09:41 > 0:09:43from the late 18th century.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Taxidermy, incidentally, the name comes from the ancient Greek -
0:09:47 > 0:09:50"taxi" meaning to move around, "dermy" meaning skin,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54so you moved the skin around. Hence taxidermy.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58And the Victorians, they just loved it.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03There were so many practitioners in Victorian England, it was unbelievable. Hundreds of them.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Everybody wanted a little piece of something from a faraway land.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09They wanted their own private museums.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Because England ruled the waves. We had the best navy in the 18th century
0:10:13 > 0:10:18and we were conquering everywhere, bringing back exotic specimens.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22I think this would have been one. Imagine it on the wall in a Victorian parlour!
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Over a doorway or something.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27It's... I think it's incredible.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29I really do think it's incredible.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31And the teeth are so sharp.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Of course, you know what the good thing is.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38- There's not one broken one. - No, there isn't.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42If you had one damaged tooth on this,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46it would devalue it possibly by 30%.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49That much, just for one broken tooth.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Why do you want to sell this?
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Well, it's just in the cupboard at home.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59That's the first time it's been out the cupboard for...
0:11:00 > 0:11:03A lot of people do find these things quite frightening.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05They're a little bit put off by it.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08But it's becoming fashionable again.
0:11:08 > 0:11:14There's a resurgence. People are collecting mini museums of taxidermy items.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17I think this will sell well
0:11:17 > 0:11:21to an academic, somebody who likes this kind of thing on their wall.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24So what sort of figure do you have in mind for this?
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Well, I was told it was worth 500.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31But I'm happy with what I get.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36I'd like to think this will fetch around 100 to £150.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38- Somewhere in that margin.- Yes.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42- OK? We'll put a reserve on of £100. - Very nice.- Very nice, too.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45I'll see you in the auction room, Cliff.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Thank you very much.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54- All right, David?- Hello. - How are you?- Not bad.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58You brought along a violin. Everyone heads for me with violins.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- I'm known as the violin man, these days.- Very nice.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Hopefully, you're in good hands.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08- First of all, where did you get it from?- I had it out of a skip.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10- Someone threw that in a skip?- Yes.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- The case and everything? With the bow?- Bow, spare strings.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15- Amazing, isn't it?- It is, yeah.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20- What were you doing in a skip, David?- Just going through. - Having a scout.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23- A lot of people find good things in skips.- I've had many a good thing.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- What else? Tell us some good stuff you've found.- Bits of jewellery,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29pottery and plates.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34- Ever had a really good find? - I had a silver hand mirror once.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37I took that into a second-hand shop and got a fiver for it.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42- OK.- About 20 years ago. It was OK for me at the time.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Back to the violin. What it is,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47it's a fairly ordinary violin, too good to throw out.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It's a factory-made violin.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54It's 20th century, probably somewhere around 1930,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57or thereabouts. So it's got a bit of age to it.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01It's hard to be specific about it. It's almost definitely made in Germany.
0:13:01 > 0:13:07Most old violins were factory-made in Germany. It's not rubbish, but it's not particularly valuable.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12You've got a pine table here. The belly of the violin is called the table.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16And the back is maple. Made from maple.
0:13:16 > 0:13:22It's a two-piece back. You can just see the dividing line round the back.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24How would you describe the condition?
0:13:24 > 0:13:26- A mess.- A mess!
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Yeah, basically!
0:13:28 > 0:13:30It looks a bit of a mess.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34But it's not that bad. With the back, here, a few scratches,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36but nothing major, no cracks.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Once you've got cracks and splits, it is knackered -
0:13:40 > 0:13:42for want of a better word!
0:13:42 > 0:13:46- Because of the resonance. - It wouldn't give a proper sound.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Presumably you've brought it in to flog it - for what reason?
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Cos you don't play it and you want to sell it.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57It's been left under the stairs and if somebody could do something with it,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59it would be nice restored or whatever.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02That's right. You could clean it up quite easily.
0:14:02 > 0:14:08- So cutting to the money, it's probably worth about 40 to 60 in auction.- Yes.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11- So it's not too bad.- It's a good find.- It'll find its value. Yes,
0:14:16 > 0:14:22Just down the road from the auction house is Solihull, the home of a true British icon.
0:14:22 > 0:14:28The Land Rover can be classified as one of Britain's motoring success stories.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Originally built as a basic utilitarian vehicle for working on the land.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36At 60 years old, it's survived the ups and downs of the British car industry
0:14:36 > 0:14:41and has developed from being a tough workhorse into the ultimate off-roader...
0:14:41 > 0:14:45even sparking the move into the luxury four wheel drive market.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48So, what's that workhorse like to drive?
0:14:48 > 0:14:53Well, the man who knows all about it is behind the steering wheel in that Land Rover.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Roger Craythorne has led the demonstration team here for 25 years.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01He even shares his birthday with the vehicle, so he's got a wealth of experience.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Let's flag him down and have a chat.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Roger, it's great to meet up with you.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22I can't wait to get into one of these later on and go for a drive.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27But tell me about the conception of the Land Rover, its early days.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29It started immediately after the Second World War,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32when the Rover motor company wanted to start building motor cars,
0:15:32 > 0:15:37and unless you could export your vehicles, it was very difficult to obtain steel.
0:15:37 > 0:15:43The British Government would only allocate steel for building vehicles if you could export them.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47The Wilkes family were very involved with the Rover company...
0:15:47 > 0:15:51SB Wilkes was the Managing Director and his brother was the technical director.
0:15:51 > 0:15:58At the time, he owned an ex-World War jeep and he thought that he could do a better job.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01He thought, if I can build something better than the jeep, I can export
0:16:01 > 0:16:06that and then we can get enough steel to start building Rover cars again.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09The Land Rover was only developed originally as a stop-gap...
0:16:09 > 0:16:11but of course it very quickly took on.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16In the first year alone, we built over 1,700 vehicles.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20This one's a '49 but '48 was our first year of production.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25This one here was owned by the British Army, originally,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27when they first bought them in 1949.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32But they were successful from the moment they were released on the market?
0:16:32 > 0:16:38It was successful because, although we have a fondness for jeeps, the jeep only had a three-speed gear box.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42This had a four-speed gearbox. It also had permanent four wheel drive
0:16:42 > 0:16:46when it was first launched and the jeep had selectable four wheel drive.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50I think that's one of the reasons the Land Rover got so popular so quickly...
0:16:50 > 0:16:55- because the vehicle generally didn't get stuck and didn't get trapped. - What about this one?
0:16:55 > 0:17:00The vehicle very soon became very popular and some people suggested that we should
0:17:00 > 0:17:02have vehicles with a little bit more power.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07To make it perform a little bit better, we went from a 1.6 litre engine to a 2 litre engine.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12But also, at the same time, we decided to go to selectable four wheel drive.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15OK, we're sort of getting up to the '60s there, aren't we?
0:17:15 > 0:17:19- That was the Series three Land Rover. This was launched in 1971. - Oh, was it?
0:17:19 > 0:17:25The vehicle was in production right up until the '80s, when we introduced the Defender with coil springs.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Tell me a little bit more about your role in the company.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Well, I started, like most engineers here, as an apprentice
0:17:32 > 0:17:36and fortunately qualified just at the time when the Range Rover was conceived
0:17:36 > 0:17:40and was selected to work on the Range Rover development programme.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45A lot of the work that I was given during that time was developing the off-road
0:17:45 > 0:17:50credentials of the vehicle, making sure the vehicle was as capable off-road as current Land Rovers.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- Yeah, and we've got one there. - We have, yes.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Can you remember this particular model?
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Oh, yes. I mean this is a four-door Range Rover.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03We actually started off with two-door Range Rovers.
0:18:03 > 0:18:10This one is in lovely condition and it's part of the Land Rover Experience fleet here at Solihull.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Tell me a little bit about the course.
0:18:12 > 0:18:18The site is around 300 acres and we've got 15-20 acres of off-road driving...
0:18:18 > 0:18:23with approximately 10-15 kilometres of track.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26What is it about off-roading that you love?
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Well, you can take these vehicles where other vehicles can't go.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32The fact that you have the confidence
0:18:32 > 0:18:37to drive over terrain that most other vehicles...as I say...
0:18:37 > 0:18:39can't traverse.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43What makes a good off-road driver? What are the pointers?
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Somebody who's got a good feel for vehicles, understands the geography
0:18:47 > 0:18:51inside and outside, can read the ground ahead of them...
0:18:51 > 0:18:55probably only 50-100 metres, where normally when you're driving
0:18:55 > 0:18:58on the highway you've got half a kilometre ahead of you.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02And it's having an appreciation of the environments around you...
0:19:02 > 0:19:06you just definitely wouldn't damage that environment in any way.
0:19:06 > 0:19:12If you're a good off-road driver, you've got care for the environment, care for the countryside, along with
0:19:12 > 0:19:16your experience that you gather from years of off-road driving.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21The most important thing is not to drive too fast, to understand where your steering wheels are pointing
0:19:21 > 0:19:26and to generally be in the right gear for the right object or incident that's in front of you.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30And don't put your thumbs right around the steering wheel.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35- And don't put your thumbs round the steering wheel, no. You've done it before!- I want to have a go.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41Roger's let me loose in a brand-new Land Rover to attempt part of the off-road course.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46I'm very excited but slightly apprehensive, as I don't know what Roger has in store for me.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49But I'm about to find out.
0:19:49 > 0:19:55- Where do I go now?- Up the stairs here, so...- Oh, wow... look at that!
0:19:55 > 0:19:58So, second gear, just a little bit of acceleration.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01OK. I wouldn't want to tackle this without you.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08That's wonderful. Brilliant.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22How about that? That was the elephants footprints!
0:20:22 > 0:20:24This car can do absolutely anything.
0:20:24 > 0:20:30The only thing that's missing is a button to push, wings would come out and we could fly.
0:20:30 > 0:20:37- What's next?- We're going to go for the collapsing bridge next.- The collapsing bridge. OK, here we go.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Wow.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Oh, that's fantastic.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00That's not for the faint-hearted.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04The horizon disappears right in front of you.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Big thanks to Roger for such an adventurous day out.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11No wonder Land Rover has survived 60 years, it's just fantastic.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13It's going to go on into the future.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18It's a great British icon. And, by the way, I stalled then.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Let's start up.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23I couldn't get it right first time.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Time for a reminder of this morning's catch
0:21:33 > 0:21:35and who's heading off to auction.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40Nicky hopes a keen collector will want to pick up where her grandfather left off
0:21:40 > 0:21:42and take on this collection.
0:21:42 > 0:21:49Dot thinks her Worcester vases are pretty but impractical, so it's definitely time to flog them.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Cliff's sawfish bill is coming out of the closet
0:21:51 > 0:21:54but will the bidders be excited by this unusual piece
0:21:54 > 0:21:57of marine taxidermy?
0:21:57 > 0:22:02And will the violin prove to be David's best skip-diving prize
0:22:02 > 0:22:05as it goes under the hammer?
0:22:05 > 0:22:08This is where all our experts' valuations will be put to the test,
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Fieldings auction house in the heart of Stourbridge.
0:22:15 > 0:22:21And the auctioneer flogging our items for us today is Nick Davies. So, let's get things under way.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23First up is the pretty pair of Worcester vases.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25They belong to Dorothy here.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27- Not much longer, though.- No.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29You can wave goodbye to them.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Adam's got £150-200 on these?
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- I think so.- We'll get that top end.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Dorothy's just come back from Scotland.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39She's been on a spending spree with one of her friends.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41- Have you?- Yup. - What have you been buying?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- Whiskey.- Whiskey!
0:22:44 > 0:22:47..which is a pair of Royal Worcester posy pottery vases.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49And we have bids I believe.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52The bid's telling me £150 on a commission, straight in at £150.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Do I see £160 in the room, anywhere?
0:22:54 > 0:22:57£150 on a maiden bid commission.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59It's on commission.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04First and last at £150 and on a commission, £150, all sure?
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Well, straight in and straight out.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Had a commission bid on the books, no-one here to bid it up.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13But we've done it anyway!
0:23:13 > 0:23:15- No, I'm fine.- Lucky we put a reserve on them.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Yes, yes. It is.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Otherwise we could have been less than that, couldn't we?
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Yes. That's fine, yes.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24- He's a canny chap, you see. - He is, yes.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26A lot of experts would have said, no reserve.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Let them find their own level.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30No, no, Adam didn't do that.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33I wouldn't want Dot asking me if they'd made £80, that's the thing!
0:23:33 > 0:23:36I've got to protect myself as well as the object.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44- This was found in a skip.- It was.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Unbelievable. It's a classic bit of recycling,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50turning this into hopefully 40 or £60.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53I can't understand why anyone would throw it in a skip.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55It'll make that.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57- Here it is.- Here it comes.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01And a bow as well with it, in the case.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06- Been some interest, I believe? - Interest?- I'll open at £60. Six-zero.
0:24:06 > 0:24:1165? 70? You're out. 65 in the room now. The commission bid is out.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13- I'm happy.- 70, anybody else?
0:24:13 > 0:24:15At 65 I'm selling it.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18All done for the fiddle at 65? Done?
0:24:18 > 0:24:22- How does he know it? It's got to be a fiddle!- They're easy!
0:24:22 > 0:24:25When you know, they're easy.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- That's great news. - It is for me. Yeah.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33- A little birdie tells me you're taking the wife out. - Anniversary meal.- Anniversary meal.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- Nick, you're selling off grandfather's collection.- Yes.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46- Lots of paper money, postcards, first-day covers.- Yep.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Nice little lot, actually. Will we get that top end of the money?
0:24:50 > 0:24:52It would be nice if we could.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- These items of social history do really well.- I've done well with some postcards.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59This is mainly first-day covers in this collection.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02And paper money. Extraordinary.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06You've heard what we think. Let's see what that lot think.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08It's under the hammer. Good luck.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Three 1970s and '80s first-day cover albums.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16A small selection of First World War postcards in the lot as well.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19And I can open these, and I'll look for in the room,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23I'll open at £85. I'll look for 90 in the room.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24Anyone coming in at £90?
0:25:24 > 0:25:26We've got £100 with discretion.
0:25:26 > 0:25:2890? Anyone coming in?
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- No bids.- I'm going to have to pass these, I'm afraid.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Anyone coming in at £90? Any interest? No?
0:25:34 > 0:25:36- No.- Unsold.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39- They're going home.- Oh, no!
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- Ooh!- Sorry about that. - It's not your fault.
0:25:42 > 0:25:48- Maybe it's meant! Maybe Grandad's thinking, "Keep these." - "Hang on a second"!- Yes.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56- Cliff, great to see you again. - Good.- You look smart!- Thank you.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00This sawfish bill is the only item of natural history here.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02So it stands out alone a bit.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05But I hope we're going to sell it. I had a chat to Nick,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08the chap on the rostrum, the auctioneer, there.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- He liked it.- Good. Good.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13He kind of hinted bottom end.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Not his thing, but he said, "Paul, it should sell."
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- I'm sure it'll sell.- Let's hope.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Time to wave goodbye. Here it is.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Lot 673, which is a sawfish bill,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26properly known, apparently, as a rostrum.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Where do you start on this? Lot 673. Bids and interest.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31- We open at...- Three bids!
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- This is good.- £195.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Wa-hey! Yes!
0:26:36 > 0:26:38£195.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42I'll even it up and ask for £200. Anyone coming in in the room at 200?
0:26:42 > 0:26:47195 takes all the other bidders out again. 200 anywhere?
0:26:47 > 0:26:50- Last time of asking.- Brilliant. - At £195, I'm selling it.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Yes! Hammer's gone down at £195!
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- I'm ever so happy with that. - Yes, very nice.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01- Nick was slightly doubtful at first, but that's good news, isn't it?- Yes.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04He's done us proud. He had three or four bidders on the books
0:27:04 > 0:27:06and worked it up for us.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09- You've got to be pleased with that? - Very nice. Very nice.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13The grandchildren will be pleased. There's one here.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- The eldest, isn't he?- Thanks, Cliff.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Before we head back to the valuation day,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24I'm nipping across to Dudley's museum to learn about a local talent.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39In 1943, a German bomber dropped his explosives
0:27:39 > 0:27:42on the cliffs at Brighton. A lone walker lost his life.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47That man could have become one of the most celebrated British artists of his generation.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Yet over the last 60 years, only a few people have heard of his name.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01His name was Percy Shakespeare
0:28:01 > 0:28:06and his artwork was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and at the Paris Salon.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09But this is where his incredible talent was first displayed,
0:28:09 > 0:28:14the town's art school, which is now Dudley's museum and art gallery.
0:28:15 > 0:28:19But for young Percy, becoming an artist was not going to be easy.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26Percy was born in 1906, one of eight children
0:28:26 > 0:28:29living in Dudley's crowded terraces, a slum area.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32He was the son of a steam engine fitter
0:28:32 > 0:28:37and after a basic education, Percy was expected to head out to the Black Country
0:28:37 > 0:28:41and find similar work to help his struggling family.
0:28:44 > 0:28:49But for Percy Shakespeare, just across town, through all the smog,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52shone one bright light - the art school.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57In 1919, the principal of the art school, Ivo Shaw,
0:28:57 > 0:29:01confronted a scruffy 13-year-old boy wandering through the corridors,
0:29:01 > 0:29:03peering into the classrooms.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06He recognised an artistic talent in the youngster
0:29:06 > 0:29:09and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime -
0:29:09 > 0:29:11a place at the art school.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Percy thrived under Ivo's strict approach to teaching.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Ivo believed that the disciplines of life drawing
0:29:18 > 0:29:23should be mastered before launching into freer forms of expression.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Since Percy's death, his work has almost been forgotten
0:29:26 > 0:29:31had it not been for the dedicated work of the Dudley Museum and one man.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34And the man who put Percy Shakespeare back on the map
0:29:34 > 0:29:38is the principal's son, Robin Shaw, and he's right here.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Robin, pleased to meet you. Thank you for talking to us.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45What made you play detective and research this wonderful local talent?
0:29:45 > 0:29:50When I was an eight-year-old boy, I remember my father's dismay
0:29:50 > 0:29:54when Percy Shakespeare was killed at the age of 39. My father,
0:29:54 > 0:29:59Ivo Shaw, was terribly upset because he had such high hopes of Percy.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03- Your father nurtured him, didn't he? - My father discovered him.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07I grew up with drawings of Percy Shakespeare on the walls
0:30:07 > 0:30:09and paintings on the wall.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13I made a resolution that when I retired, in 1999,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16I would find out more about Percy.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20- Can we have a look at them? - Certainly. They're round here.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29I've lived with these all my life. As a boy, these were on the wall
0:30:29 > 0:30:31and I've had them at home ever since.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33These are art school studies.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38- Most of these were done when he was 18, 19, 20.- Gosh.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42They've got so much movement. So much maturity for an 18-year-old.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Yes. Of course, these two are my mum!
0:30:45 > 0:30:48- Aw!- She was a fellow student.
0:30:48 > 0:30:53Later, of course, she married my father, Ivo Shaw.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56He was in his 40s and she was a student
0:30:56 > 0:31:01and it caused a bit of eyebrow-raising in those times!
0:31:01 > 0:31:03But he married her, didn't he?
0:31:03 > 0:31:06- It was a happy ending. - Yes, a happy ending.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Percy drew the people that surrounded him.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Friends and colleagues became his models.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18One was the daughter of the gallery's curator, Barbara Wilkinson,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21now Barbara Jennings.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Barbara, it's definitely you. You haven't changed much!
0:31:24 > 0:31:27How old were you there?
0:31:27 > 0:31:30I think six or seven, something like that. I'm not sure.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Can you remember what he was saying when he was sketching you?
0:31:34 > 0:31:37He was sort of chatting generally.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42He asked me about my pet canary, which he was acquainted with, having visited the house.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44- So he kept you entertained?- Yes.
0:31:44 > 0:31:50It shouldn't have been boring, but I was too young to sit for any length of time!
0:31:50 > 0:31:53- Were you pleased with it when you saw it?- Yes, I was quite impressed.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56And what happened to this picture?
0:31:56 > 0:32:02My parents kept it always, and finally, when my father died,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05it was stored away and I noticed the mount was getting foxed.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09It would have been a matter of time until the picture went as well
0:32:09 > 0:32:13so I thought Dudley Gallery was the proper place for it.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19In 1923, Percy left Dudley and moved to Birmingham art school
0:32:19 > 0:32:20to broaden his horizons.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24Here, he developed a new body of figurative work
0:32:24 > 0:32:27that was in keeping with his European counterparts
0:32:27 > 0:32:31who were rejecting the experimentation of the post-Impressionists.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39I like these two portraits. Different mediums - oils on canvas.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Tell me about them. Start with that one.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44It looks like the Rhine. Did he travel abroad?
0:32:44 > 0:32:48A local lad from Dudley didn't do much travelling!
0:32:48 > 0:32:51It was probably the first time he went abroad, with some students
0:32:51 > 0:32:56to the Rhineland, the Mosel part of Germany.
0:32:56 > 0:33:001934. The Nazis were just coming to power
0:33:00 > 0:33:02and this picture reflects it.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05There's a Nazi flag in the back of this thing
0:33:05 > 0:33:08and there was a celebration of youth, which is part Nazism,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10which is there, in this portrait.
0:33:10 > 0:33:16- She's a powerful girl!- Healthy, powerful, outdoor woman, yes!
0:33:16 > 0:33:20- And this one? - That's called The Mulatto.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24That was the term used then for people of half black, half white origin.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26It's clearly a celebration of her beauty.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28I think Percy really likes that girl.
0:33:28 > 0:33:33It was the first painting which was accepted by the Royal Academy.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37He must have been so proud because acceptance by the Royal Academy
0:33:37 > 0:33:40gives you so much kudos, such a lot of weight as an artist.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44- And it puts the value of your work up.- That's right. It does.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46And it was a proud moment for Percy
0:33:46 > 0:33:50and particularly he would feel very proud
0:33:50 > 0:33:56when Dudley Arts Circle organised a public subscription to buy the painting
0:33:56 > 0:33:59- for Dudley, for the art gallery. - Wonderful.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03And, of course, Dudley paid for it. It was our first sale, I think!
0:34:03 > 0:34:07And he wasn't going to get many more sales.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14These, totally different. We're moving on now.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17He's teaching by now, isn't he? He's a serious painter, isn't he?
0:34:17 > 0:34:20He is a serious painter.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24He embarked on these compositions, he called them. He did drawing after drawing
0:34:24 > 0:34:28for each figure in these paintings and built up a composition.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33- The sketches.- Together they show what life was like, leisure, in the '30s.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36And this one again. More Impressionistic,
0:34:36 > 0:34:40but this little figure is Barbara, who we've just chatted to,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42in her straw hat.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45- Whereabouts is this? - This is Dudley Zoo,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47the opening of Dudley Zoo.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Dudley was very proud of its zoo
0:34:49 > 0:34:51and Percy painted this to celebrate it.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56Wow. He's really stamped his mark at this stage.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58He is the master of the genre.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01But this is what I want to get to cos I love those legs!
0:35:01 > 0:35:04I really do! That's a cracking pair of legs!
0:35:04 > 0:35:09- Who is that?- Well, I was told that it was Dorothy Round,
0:35:09 > 0:35:14a famous tennis player who came from Dudley, in the 1930s,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16but it's not Dorothy Round, it's a model.
0:35:16 > 0:35:22But it's about the same time as Dorothy Round was winning the ladies' singles at Wimbledon.
0:35:22 > 0:35:27And this one, this is the lazy, hazy summer days, I guess, in the 1930s. A leisure scene.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32Yes, I think it's Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham. "The Boat House".
0:35:32 > 0:35:34It's an interesting painting.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38- The angle. It's painted as from above.- Yes, you're right.
0:35:38 > 0:35:45- He was very influenced by the cinema. He loved the cinema.- The wide lens, moving the perspective.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49The way he positions some of the figures are like camera shots.
0:35:49 > 0:35:55These last few paintings are very much like a snapshot of the 1930s
0:35:55 > 0:35:58- and the leisurely times people had. - Exactly.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02He was building up a body of work which showed what the '30s was like.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Mainly outdoors, leisure pursuits.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10Sadly, these were the last paintings that he did before he was tragically killed.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13Yes, the last few, really.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18He was showing them at the Royal Academy right into the beginning of the Second World War.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Then he was called up by the Navy.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23He tried to keep on painting, right to the very last.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27And then he was killed by chance
0:36:27 > 0:36:29on the cliffs.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36So, who was Percy Shakespeare?
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Thanks to Robin's hard work, we've got a glimpse of this very private man
0:36:40 > 0:36:42with an extraordinary talent.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44If his life hadn't been tragically cut short,
0:36:44 > 0:36:48who knows what great works he would have gone on to produce?
0:36:48 > 0:36:50We can only wonder.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01We're still drawing in the crowds at our valuation day.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06Adam has met two ladies happy to part with their little friend.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09- So, Thelma and Joy.- Hello.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12- And who's this chap?- Little Monk. - Is that his name?- It is.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15OK. How do you two know each other?
0:37:15 > 0:37:20- We met on holiday in 1989, in Rome. - Really?
0:37:20 > 0:37:24- And ever since we've been...- Friends ever since.- Friends ever since.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28- You met completely by chance?- Yes. - Isn't that funny, how that happens?
0:37:28 > 0:37:32- Fate threw you together.- Exactly. - Now, let's get back to Little Monk.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37You've brought him in cos presumably, it's Flog It, you want to sell him.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41Well, we haven't got any children, nobody to leave anything to.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43- And we're downloading!- Downloading!
0:37:43 > 0:37:46Diamond wedding tomorrow.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49- Really?- 60 years.- 60 years! Congratulations.- Thank you.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52- So he's surplus to requirements. - He is, yes.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57- Where did you get him from? - My cousin was an estate agent and auctioneer.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00My father used to help when he had auctions.
0:38:00 > 0:38:06- He came home one day and said, "I've brought you something." He gave me that.- Were you pleased?
0:38:06 > 0:38:08I didn't know it was a candle snuffer then.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13- When did you find out it was a candle snuffer?- When I went to Worcester.
0:38:13 > 0:38:14- And saw the other ones.- Yes.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17It's by Royal Worcester, of course.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19They produced a range of candle snuffers,
0:38:19 > 0:38:26all different types and this one, the monk has the puce mark on the bottom
0:38:26 > 0:38:29and a series of dots - 22 dots I counted on there -
0:38:29 > 0:38:31which date it to 1913.
0:38:31 > 0:38:37The vary in terms of their desirability and commercial value quite considerably.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Some make hundreds and hundreds of pounds,
0:38:39 > 0:38:43and some make 30, 50, that sort of thing.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48- Joy, what's your opinion of Little Monk?- I think he's very sweet.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53Very sweet indeed. He doesn't look to have been used much.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56- I wonder if they ever were. - There's nothing inside.
0:38:56 > 0:39:02- You don't see many that show signs of usage. He's very clean inside. - Very clean.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06So this one, I would estimate at 50 to £80 at auction.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10- Right.- So it's not great, but it's better than nothing.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14- If somebody likes it, that's best. - That's right. Happy to sell him?
0:39:14 > 0:39:18- Oh, yes.- Yes? We'll put him in the sale with 50 to £80 estimate.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22We'll put a reserve of 50 so that he doesn't go for any less.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- Is that all right?- That's fine, yes.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29It's not a lot of money so I presume it'll be spending money for your next holiday?
0:39:29 > 0:39:32- Which is on Monday! - Really? Where are you going?
0:39:32 > 0:39:36- On a cruise to Madeira and the Canary Isles.- That'll be good.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- Off to celebrate the diamond wedding anniversary.- Yes.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43We'll take care of Little Monk while you're away and deliver him to auction.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45I look forward to seeing you there.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48- Thank you very much.- Thank you both.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59- David.- Yes.- Thank you for coming. - My pleasure!
0:39:59 > 0:40:04- Tell me about your train set. - This is a quarter of a set that my father had.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07Four locomotives and loads of carriages.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11When he passed away, my three brothers and I shared it.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13- So this is my quarter! - This is your part.- It is.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16But it's been sat in my loft ever since.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18- You've never run it since?- No.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22Tell me, when your father was alive, did you run it with him?
0:40:22 > 0:40:24- We did, every Christmas! - Really?- Yes.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27- On the lino floor! - And when did it stop?
0:40:27 > 0:40:30- When we had fitted carpet!- Fitted carpet instead of lino floor.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33- That would be 1958, '59. - Really?- Oh, yes.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36So it hasn't been played with for a long time?
0:40:36 > 0:40:40It's certainly not been played with for 40 or 50 years.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43So it needs to go to an enthusiast, doesn't it?
0:40:43 > 0:40:49- It needs to go to somebody who would look after it and treasure it and use it.- Absolutely.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54But you have got a big mixture of tin plate trains here.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- But they're all O gauge.- Correct.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00- That's the gauge we're looking at. - The wide gauge.- The wide gauge.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05- We've got O-gauge signals, made by Hornby series here.- Yes.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07The fitted box for one of them.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11- We've got a Hornby Pullman's restaurant car.- Indeed.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14Then we've got a LMS Bing.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19- This is a German-made tin-plate O-gauge carriage.- Right.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21- Two Bing LMS carriages here.- Yes.
0:41:21 > 0:41:26- And a Bowman's spirit-fired locomotive.- Meths.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28- Runs on meths.- A huge mixture!
0:41:28 > 0:41:32- A dream to some person! - Maybe a dream to some person.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35- But it's a headache. - It's a mix. It is a mix.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39There's Hornby, there's Bing, spirit-fired locos. But it's all O-gauge.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43- And to top it all off, you're running on a three-rail track.- Yes.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45- Which is an electric track.- It is.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Which had green boxes.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51- Which my brothers had.- Which are more valuable than anything else!
0:41:51 > 0:41:54- My two elder brothers had the expensive ones!- I've got you.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57OK. But still, they're very attractive.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00But because you've got quite a big mixture,
0:42:00 > 0:42:04it's best to sell it as a lot rather than dividing things.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- Yes.- I don't want to put a huge amount of money on it,
0:42:07 > 0:42:11but probably you've got over a couple of hundred pounds here. When you add up
0:42:11 > 0:42:16- the certain bits and bobs together, I think we get to that figure. - Indeed.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. It's fine.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22So if we put it in at two to three hundred pounds
0:42:22 > 0:42:27- and hope it makes 250.- Fine. - How do you feel about a discretionary reserve of 200?
0:42:27 > 0:42:31- I'm happy and content with that. Yes, indeed.- Brilliant.
0:42:31 > 0:42:37- We'll do that for you. Will you come to the auction?- I will. I will. Look forward to seeing you there.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41- Absolutely. I'm excited to see how well they do.- I'm excited as well!
0:42:47 > 0:42:49- Hi, Val.- Hello.- How are you today?
0:42:49 > 0:42:52- Fine, thank you.- Welcome to Flog It. - Thank you.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56I'm glad you came cos you've brought a lovely set of napkin rings.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58Where did you get them?
0:42:58 > 0:43:01They originally came from my great-grandmother.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05- My grandfather had them and then they came to me when he died.- OK.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08How long have you had them?
0:43:08 > 0:43:12Oh, I would say it must have been in the 1960s
0:43:12 > 0:43:16- when he died.- So you've had them 40 years or so, probably.- Yes.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18It's always interesting to find out.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22A lovely set of napkin rings, hallmarked silver, all numbered.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25One, two, three, four, five, six in their fitted case.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Presumably you don't use them?
0:43:27 > 0:43:32I have used them when we were in our bigger house. We've downsized now.
0:43:32 > 0:43:37I haven't got a dining room. I did use them when we had a party.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41- I bet they looked fabulous.- When we used to have friends round.- Sure.
0:43:41 > 0:43:46They're nicely decorated as well. Let's take out number two.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50They seem to be decorated with vine leaves and grapes,
0:43:50 > 0:43:55which is in keeping with a dinner party, wine flowing and everything.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58We've got a hallmark on here as well.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01- Which is Birmingham. - It was Birmingham?
0:44:01 > 0:44:03The anchor for Birmingham.
0:44:03 > 0:44:08And that little "Z" there is the date letter for 1899 to 1900.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12- Right.- So they're just on the turn of the century. It makes them late-Victorian.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16- Lovely!- They're rather nice quality. If you look inside,
0:44:16 > 0:44:18- they're gilded inside as well.- Yes.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22Which is very nice. They've obviously had very little use.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26- Why are you selling them?- We're trying to raise a bit of money
0:44:26 > 0:44:30to go back to Mauritius where my son got married in 2000.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32He'll be married ten years in 2010.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35He wants us all to go again.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39So we're going to put any money we make on anything towards that.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42- Good idea. Ten-year celebration of the marriage.- Yes.
0:44:42 > 0:44:48- It's still going, then?- Yes! Past the seven-year itch!- You can't say that for all marriages!
0:44:48 > 0:44:54- I mean, the value's not huge. I would estimate these at 80 to 100 for auction purposes.- Right.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58- I would expect them to make 100.- Oh, right.- How do you feel about that?
0:44:58 > 0:45:02- I thought about the 100. But I'd want to put a reserve on them.- OK.
0:45:02 > 0:45:07- I would suggest £80. How do you feel about that?- Yes, that's fine.- Fine.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10- Let's cross our fingers for over 100.- Lovely.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18Hello, Jill, Tania.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21- Thank you for coming along. - You're welcome.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24You've brought this rather fantastic deco figure.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27- Who owns it and tell me the story behind it.- Well, it's mine.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31I've had it for over 25 years.
0:45:31 > 0:45:37It was given to me by my daughter's father. That's all I know about it,
0:45:37 > 0:45:39And is it on display at home?
0:45:39 > 0:45:42- Yes, I have it on the fireplace. - Do you like it?
0:45:42 > 0:45:45The figure's nice, yes. I like her.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48I'm not that bothered about it, though.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52A little bit of scratching... Has it always been like that?
0:45:52 > 0:45:56- It's always been like that.- Yes, this is quite soft, this marble here.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59It looks like something's knocked against it.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02But she's rather elegant, isn't she?
0:46:02 > 0:46:04- She is.- A lady of high fashion.
0:46:04 > 0:46:11I love this coat she's wearing with this frilly collar round here and this great design.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14It's lovely, isn't it? Very pretty.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17Really handsome. Tania, do you like it?
0:46:17 > 0:46:22Yeah, it's nice. I remember it when I was a kid and I'd lean my Barbies up against it.
0:46:22 > 0:46:27- Really?- Yeah. - Well, I've just had a quick look at her and had a good look over.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30she's great quality and I thought she was going to be a Spelter.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34But I had another look and there's some rubbing of the paint.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37She certainly looks bronze from here.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39Have you always known her as being bronze?
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Well, I wasn't sure.
0:46:41 > 0:46:46Sounds like bronze and certainly I can see that coming through.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48She is rather handsome, sitting there.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51What I like is she's got these lovely, elegant legs.
0:46:51 > 0:46:55- They are, definitely. - And her arms are lovely and thin.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58She's looking... She's obviously
0:46:58 > 0:47:02contemplating a recent love or something. I don't know!
0:47:02 > 0:47:04Is it like an Art Deco?
0:47:04 > 0:47:09Absolutely. It's probably made between the 1920s and the 1930s.
0:47:09 > 0:47:14Up towards about '38, '39 and then obviously things stopped because we had the war.
0:47:14 > 0:47:19- I think it would have been one of a pair and they might have been book-ends.- Book-ends?
0:47:19 > 0:47:23- It's very heavy.- It's very heavy... have your row of books...
0:47:23 > 0:47:27and then you have another one. That's why she's sitting there thinking, probably.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31But you've just got the one, which could go against the wall.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34We've got the mark... can you see that mark there?
0:47:34 > 0:47:39- Oh, yes.- A bit indistinct because the painting has gone over it
0:47:39 > 0:47:43and got in the way but that is the foundry mark or the designer's mark.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45- I've never noticed that. - It's great, isn't it?
0:47:45 > 0:47:48So why are you selling it?
0:47:48 > 0:47:53Well, I've had them over 25 years and I just don't want it any more.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55You don't want it any more?
0:47:55 > 0:47:58- No.- So, the all-important question is the price.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02I mean, I think she's going to make about £100, maybe a bit more.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05Very fashionable, quite desirable in today's market.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09However, being an auctioneer, I want to be cautious and I want to use my favourite estimate...
0:48:09 > 0:48:14- our favourite estimate is £80-120. Is that all right?- That's fine.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18- So are you guys going to come along? - Yes.- Both of you?- Yes, we will do.
0:48:18 > 0:48:24That's all from our valuation day, so let's head off to the auction room for our last lot of sales.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28If some candles need snuffing, Thelma's Royal Worcester monk is just the thing.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34Secondly, some fancy Victorian napkin rings belonging to Val.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39And the Art Deco figure would probably sell better if it was still part of a pair.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43But it's so stylish, I'm sure it's going to be the star of the saleroom.
0:48:45 > 0:48:48And finally, David's train set.
0:48:48 > 0:48:52This varied collection should track down some bidders!
0:48:54 > 0:48:57Jill and Tania's Art Deco figure, just about to go under the hammer.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01I think you've picked the perfect expert because this really is your field.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04- Yeah, the Deco is.- The Art Deco. £80-100?
0:49:04 > 0:49:06- Bit more?- Maybe a bit more.- £150?
0:49:06 > 0:49:09- I'd say we get it away first.- OK.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12OK, why are you selling this? Cos this is your inheritance.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14- Yeah.- Don't you like it?
0:49:14 > 0:49:17I'm never going to use it. It's not really my sort of thing.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19- Just don't like it any more?- No.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23- I've had it years, so I just thought...- Flog it!- Yeah!
0:49:23 > 0:49:26- Let's do it. This is it. - The Art Deco, there she is...
0:49:26 > 0:49:30as illustrated and described in the catalogue.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33Lot 662 we're bidding on. Where do you start me on this one?
0:49:33 > 0:49:37£75? £75.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39We're in, £75.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41£80. £85.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43You're out. £80 at the back.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45£85, and £90? And five?
0:49:45 > 0:49:47£100? £100. £110?
0:49:47 > 0:49:49- It's good.- £120?
0:49:49 > 0:49:53- £130? £140?- Ah, fantastic.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57£150? So it's now at £140. At £140 it'll be.
0:49:57 > 0:49:58I'll open it up.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01£140, bidding in the room at £140.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04Are we all sure and done at £140?
0:50:04 > 0:50:06She looks good and they love her.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10- £140, the hammer's gone down.- That's great.- You'll settle for that?
0:50:10 > 0:50:13- Yeah!- Is that lunch out for the two of you?- Definitely.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16- And some new shoes, I bet.- Yeah.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Oh, good. New shoes, brilliant.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Thelma and Joy, good to see you again.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28- Don't they look great? - Wonderful.- Very smart.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31I'll have to smarten myself up, I think!
0:50:31 > 0:50:33We're selling your candle snuffer.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35It's Worcester. It's a little monk.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37Do you like the candle snuffer?
0:50:37 > 0:50:40- I do, yes.- Never used it.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42- No, it's very clean inside.- Yes.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47We've seen them before, Adam, and they always tend to sell cos they're quite rare.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49There's lots of different models.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53- They vary massively from £50 to a few thousand sometimes.- Wow!
0:50:53 > 0:50:56- Did you hear that? - Ooh, the Little Monk!
0:50:56 > 0:51:00Like me, I'm a bit of a monk with my hair loss!
0:51:00 > 0:51:04But the Little Monk is quite a common one so I don't expect any major shocks,
0:51:04 > 0:51:06- unfortunately.- 50 or £60.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10- Around there. Any more would be a nice bonus.- This is it. This is it.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13A candle extinguisher, candle snuffer.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16The model is a monk. Lot 115, we're bidding on.
0:51:16 > 0:51:21I can open this one at £45. Do I see 48 in the room anywhere? £45
0:51:21 > 0:51:24for the Royal Worcester? 48 anywhere else?
0:51:24 > 0:51:26At 48. I've got you. 50 anywhere else?
0:51:26 > 0:51:31At 48. Gentleman's bid. It's in the room. 50 anywhere else? £48.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35I'm going to sell it. Are we all done for the Worcester snuffer? £48.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37- Last time. All done.- That's OK.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39It's down, the hammer. It's gone.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41- It's gone.- £48.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43Just a couple of pounds shy of that £50 mark.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47- I don't mind.- You don't mind, do you?- Thank goodness!
0:51:49 > 0:51:53- I'm trembling.- He was. He was scared!- Scared!
0:51:59 > 0:52:03We've got the silver napkin rings and a valuation of 80 to £100.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06Unfortunately, we don't have Valerie,
0:52:06 > 0:52:09but we do have Valerie's daughter's father-in-law.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12- Hi, what's your name?- Alan. - Pleased to meet you.- And you.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16- Have you seen these napkin rings at all?- I haven't, actually.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19You can't really comment on them. Fingers crossed.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24- Adam's well on the money for this. - Should be all right. Not a tricky thing to value.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27There are six of them. Could we see a little surprise?
0:52:27 > 0:52:31Could see 120, 150, perhaps, but unlikely to be more.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33I'm not promising that, but they should sell.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36Let's find out right now. This is it.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40Hallmarked silver napkin rings in their original case, numbered.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44- Lots of bids and interest. - Ooh! Lots of interest.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48- £140, I believe.- Straight in, Alan!
0:52:48 > 0:52:51£140. Do I see 150? Thank you. 160?
0:52:51 > 0:52:54150 in the room now.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56160 anywhere else? At £150.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58In the room at 150 for the napkin rings.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02- All sure and done? £150.- I love it!
0:53:02 > 0:53:05Yes, a good sold sound. The hammer's down.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09- A nice result.- £150. She's going to be so happy with that.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12- I think she will.- We'll leave it to you to ring and tell her.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14I'll tell her straightaway.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17Do you think she'll share the profits with you?
0:53:17 > 0:53:19I don't know about that!
0:53:23 > 0:53:27This is a cracking lot. I like this and Thomas fell in love with it.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30David, I'm surprised you're selling this
0:53:30 > 0:53:32because I'd keep it for the rest of my life.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35I love those carriages and that lovely engine.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37O-gauge, large-scale.
0:53:37 > 0:53:42A large collection from my father's days. He had four engines.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45The three brothers split them between us.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48- And this is the last of your section?- It is.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51Will we get £300, that's what I want to know.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53We've got a good chance.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56It's the only train in the sale, but it is superb.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58It should have dragged people here to buy it.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00We'll find out right now.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Lots of bids and interest.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06225 I'm bid. Do I see 230 to get us on an even keel?
0:54:06 > 0:54:11230. You're out? 230 at the back of the room. 230 in the room.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13Do I see 240 anywhere else?
0:54:13 > 0:54:15At £230 I'm selling. At the back of the room.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18£230 for the trains.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21- Hammer's down.- That's all right. - Yes.- He's chuffed with that.
0:54:21 > 0:54:26- I'm happy.- Yes, I know!
0:54:26 > 0:54:27I know!
0:54:32 > 0:54:34That's it. It's all over for our owners.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37Nick's still weaving his magic on the rostrum.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40We've had a great day and everyone's gone home happy.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43One or two surprises, but we've enjoyed ourselves.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Hope you've enjoyed watching the show too.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48From Stourbridge, until next time, cheerio!