Southend Flog It!

All the clues are here, the deck chairs, the pleasure parks, the beach, the pier,

in fact, the longest pier in the world.

Today, Flog It is at the nearest seaside resort outside of central London. Welcome to Southend-on-Sea.

Southend-on-Sea in Essex has to be one of England's most renowned seaside resorts.

Wow, that looks a lot of fun!

Though international air travel has made a dent on visitor numbers here,

Southend still remains very popular

with day-trippers all wanting to escape that hectic city life and long may it continue!

Inland from the Costa del Southend is our very fine venue for today - Southend High School for Boys.

I've been joined by our two experts, Thomas Plant and Will Axon.

We have got a fantastic queue here today. It disappears right down the end of the car park.

It's now 9.30. It's time to get the doors open and get this massive class inside.

As well as hunting for antiques from here, later on, I'll be out and about.

I'll be meeting a local lady who can give me an insight into a factory

that not only produced some award-winning designs,

but also put Southend on the map.

But right now, everybody is safely seated at the blue tablecloths

and it looks like Thomas has already spotted something. Let's take a closer look.

-Ruth...

-Hello.

-Thank you for coming to Flog It.

-You're welcome.

This is a fantastic album of autographs. How did you get them?

I was a film extra in the '70s and '80s. I used to collect the signatures for my son.

-I've got some very interesting names in there.

-You have.

-Yes.

-I've got it open at a page which is lovely. It's Christopher Reeve. He's done a little Superman.

-He has, yes.

I heard that he's a very nice man.

He was. I worked with him on two Superman films and he was a fantastic person, really friendly.

-Then I just turn the page and there's Sean.

-Yes.

-What was he like?

-He was lovely.

-Yeah?

-He was a really nice man. A bit flirty, but he was very lovely

I worked with him on a film called Outland, an outer space type thing. He knew everybody.

He was very, very friendly as well, so it's nice, really.

And for me especially... I've just put my eyeglass chain here, so I can turn it over.

Talk about this one here. "Follow the force, Mark Hamill."

-That's a very rare signature.

-Right, OK.

My understanding is Mark Hamill does not like the limelight now.

-Yes, yes.

-He did the three Star Wars films and nothing else after that.

-There must have been a few roles for him.

-Yes.

-Where did you meet him?

I worked on a film called Return Of The Jedi, which was one of the Star Wars... I think it was 1985

He was also very, very friendly. He was lovely to work with.

I just went up, "Can I have your autograph?" He obliged and put, "Follow the force," which was great.

That's great. You've got plenty of other signatures.

-Oh, yes.

-Burt Reynolds I've seen in there.

-Yes.

-What was he like?

-Was he a big man, a big bear?

-Just lovely.

-Really nice.

-You must have had such a good time.

-It was a wonderful time in my life.

I collected some great names.

-You did. Why are you selling it?

-I used to collect them for my son. He doesn't really want it.

It's a shame. Somebody who would appreciate some of those signatures could keep it in their collection.

-The auctioneers will have to go through it and make a list of who's in there.

-Right.

Signatures are not worth huge amounts of money, but somebody like Mark Hamill will be worth £30, £40,

-Sean Connery 20 to 30, Christopher Reeve 40 to 60.

-Yes.

-We're already at £80.

-Yes.

-I think we've got some quite good signatures here.

-Good.

Now, I think it could make £120 to £180.

-That would be wonderful.

-I'd like to fix the reserve at 80.

-We've got a good chance of making some money there.

-Good.

-Will you be there at the auction?

-Definitely.

-Victoria, hi.

-Hi.

-I love this piece that you've brought in today.

It's just the sort of piece that I would go for at an auction.

-Is this something you inherited or bought for yourself?

-It's my mum's and it's come down from her family.

-Is he passing it on to you or are you selling it on her behalf?

-I'm taking the money.

-Are you?

-Yes.

It's a lovely thing. Any idea what we would call this type of bowl?

-Old?

-An old bowl. You could get a jo cataloguing if you're not careful(!)

It's an old piece of English Delft, dating from the 18th century,

probably circa 1770, 1780, something like that.

Really, it's a nice, genuine piece.

Delftware is an earthenware pottery, so it's not porcelain, it's an earthenware body,

covered in this tin glaze to try and make it look like porcelain.

It's cheaper and easier to produce than porcelain and because of that, it found a ready market.

From the colours used in this piece and the smooth glaze, I can decipher that it is English, not Dutch.

The Dutch had a much thicker glaze and it was a bit pitted, the glaze itself.

This bluish glaze is a bit more English, rather than Dutch.

The decoration, you might say, isn't English at all. It's a sort of chinoiserie decoration,

the Chinese blue and white that was being exported from China, very popular at the time.

The imperial kilns in China were out of order because of internal fighting.

The Dutch jumped on the opportunity of producing chinoiserie-decorated Delftwares

to replace the porcelain that wasn't coming out of China.

I've told you what I know about it. Have you any idea what you think it might be worth?

-Has your mum told you, "Don't accept anything less than X?"

-No.

-She's left it up to you?

-Yes.

I've had a close look at it to look for any damage. I notice if I give it a little ring...

It doesn't ring true, does it?

It's got a little hairline crack. That will affect it.

It won't make as much as one that was in perfect condition,

but even so, a nice piece like that, I think it's worth between 100 and maybe 200, something like that.

If it had been in perfect condition, you could at least double that.

-How do you feel about that?

-That's really good.

Let's reserve it at £100 with a bit of discretion for the auctioneer.

-What will the money go towards?

-Medical textbooks as I'm a medical student.

-You have a lot of study to do?

-Yes.

-Hopefully, we can raise some money to go towards your personal medical library.

-Thank you very much.

Tony and Linda, thank you so much for bringing in a maritime connection as we are in Southend.

-We're by the sea. What can you tell me about this?

-My uncle was given it by Henry Scott, a friend of his.

-What did your uncle do?

-He was a boatbuilder in his early years.

Say no more. Say no more.

-That's obviously how he met Henry Scott.

-Through boats, yeah. He gave it to him as a gift.

We didn't know anything about it until he died this year.

-My mum knew about it. He gave it to her.

-Why does Mum want to sell this?

I don't think it's something she'd like to have on the wall. She's got some nice pictures.

I think she'd rather have the money and buy something nice to remember her brother by.

When you talk about art, there are very few marine painters that can capture what Henry Scott can do.

He has a great maritime knowledge and I think he spent months on board these wonderful tea clippers.

-He's got to understand how these vessels move through the water.

-Yeah.

-He captures that.

Something's going on here. He started something. It's quite loose.

That's too impressionistic for Scott, so that leads me to believe that this is a study.

This is done hurriedly on canvas card, put together

and back in the studio, he would use this to paint something that size.

-Yeah.

-But at least it's signed, which is great.

But just the movement in the water, that swell.

-Can you see the wash coming off the side of the hull?

-Yeah.

The water, as it's hitting it, it's sliding back down.

It's just alive, it's moving, it's rolling the waves.

That's very hard to do. Have you any idea of value?

-No, really.

-I've looked on the art price guides

-and something about four times the size of that is fetching around £3,000 to £4,000.

-Right.

-Let's put it into auction with a valuation of £900 to £1,200.

-Right.

-I'm pretty sure we'll find somewhere in the middle.

-OK.

-Fingers crossed. We'll put it in with a fixed reserve at £900.

-Right.

And see what happens. It's tucked in the £1,000 mark.

Myra, thank you very much for bringing along Bruin the bear.

I call him Bruin because Alas, Poor Bruin is the bear of Germany and he's commonly called Bruin.

-Does he have a name?

-Yeah, Bruno.

-Was he Bruno, was he?

Tell me about him.

Well, my father brought him back when he came back from the war.

I was four years old.

It was the first time I'd seen my father because he'd been away

and I didn't even recognise him when he came up the path to the front door.

I saw him and screamed and went running in, but my mother went out and put her arms round him.

-That was when... And he gave us that

-That was the little present he brought back?

-Yeah.

-Was this 1940s? 1945?

-Yeah, '45, '46, something like that.

So do you think... When he brought this, did it look in this condition?

-Was it a little bit better?

-It was probably better, but it was second-hand.

-It was second-hand?

-Yes.

I think this could be a Hermann bear. I don't think it's a Steiff because it doesn't have a button.

But it could be a Hermann one.

I'm not 100% convinced because it's very difficult to date.

It's certainly before the bears we see normally which are jointed.

It's like a carpet bear or a pull-along bear.

I would say certainly 1900s, late 19th century, early 1900s,

first part of the 20th century, when this bear was made.

-And he's straw-filled, isn't he?

-Yeah.

-With this mohair. He's rather handsome.

I think it could make £100.

I don't think there's a problem with making 100 at all.

I would like to estimate it at 100 to 150.

I think it's delightful. It's just so fun.

And he's such a nice-looking bear.

And I think we should reserve it at sort of, you know, £80.

Now, when we do sell him, it will be quite sad, I know.

But you can take solace that he will be amongst other furry friends.

-Yes, he will have somebody to talk to.

-Absolutely.

Ellen, this is a rather attractive brooch you've brought in today.

-Is this something you would wear?

-No.

I bought it to put in a little frame so that I could have it on the wall.

That's what I intended, but that was over a year ago.

-You haven't got round to it?

-No.

-I've got plenty of jobs like that.

-You think, "I know what that's for."

-"I'll do it later."

So you bought it from a shop or you saw it at a fair?

-I bought it on an auction on the internet.

-On an auction site on the internet?

-Yes.

-You would have framed her and hung her on the wall?

-Yeah.

That's interesting. I suspect she's from Germany.

-Oh, right.

-I think she's a German porcelain brooch, Berlin, well-known factory in Germany.

-It was renowned for making these porcelain plaques.

-Oh.

They were instrumental as a factory that treated porcelain as a surface to be painted like a picture.

The real zenith of their production of these plaques was around the early 19th century, 1830, 1840.

Later in the 19th century, the subject matter became a little less formal, shall we say?

You started getting more scantily clad maidens, as you have here,

sort of topless young ladies who would be, I suspect, hanging in the gentleman's study or...

-Rather than sort of...

-Nicer to look at.

-Exactly.

They do say in this business that if you've got young, naked ladies, they're commercial and they sell.

-She's been mounted in this brooch frame.

-Yeah.

-I had a quick look.

-I couldn't see any hallmarks. Have you had a look?

-Yeah.

But I can't see no marks on it, no.

When you bought it, was it listed as in a gold frame?

-It said "rolled gold".

-OK.

-No, not rolled gold.

-Rose gold?

-Rose gold, yeah.

Looking at the colour and the quality of the painting, I'm pretty happy that that's a gold frame.

I've given you my opinion of what it is, where it's from and what it dates from.

What did you end up having to pay for it?

-If I remember, it was about 150.

-OK. £150.

-Yeah.

-Ideally, if I could have come in without knowing that and given you a value,

-I would have probably said around the £100 mark.

-Right.

-How does 120, 150...?

-Yeah, that's OK.

-With a reserve at 120?

-Yeah.

Then at least we've got that 150 in the picture, as it were. What will you buy with the money from this?

-I do collect Royal Doulton little dog figurines.

-Good.

Ellen, we'll put the money towards your collection, an eclectic mix of various whatever-you-fancies.

That's a good way to collect.

120 to 150, 120 fixed reserve, and I'm confident there'll be a couple of gentlemen in the crowd

-that are going to want this.

-Hopefully.

-I'll see you there.

-OK.

With Ellen's pretty brooch on board, we're ready to take our first trip to the auction,

so here's what we've collected to tempt the bidders.

Firstly, Thomas was seeing stars before his eyes on the pages of Ruth's autograph book.

I've got it open at a page which is rather lovely.

-It's Christopher Reeve and he's done a little Superman.

-He has, yes.

Will this super little collection fly at auction?

And Will's enthusiasm for this English Delftware bowl was just the tonic for Victoria

as she needs to raise funds to put towards her medical career.

The maritime painting by Henry Scott has the best provenance

as it was given to Tony's uncle by the artist himself. It now belongs to his mum.

I think she'd just rather have the money and buy something nice to remember her brother by.

I dived in with a £900 to £1,200 estimate.

Myra's father gave her this German bear on his return from the Second World War.

Although steeped with sentimental value, with three grandchildren,

it's hard to decide who should have him, so now she feels the time is right to sell him.

And finally, Ellen's painted porcelain German brooch.

Will thinks the glamorous lady should catch the eye of a bidder

and valued it at £120 to £150.

Here we are at Stacey's Auctioneers and Valuers in Rochford.

Let's get inside and catch up with the action.

Before the sale gets under way,

I want to get some local knowledge about one of Will's valuations.

Now it's time for our auctioneers' chat and this is a first on Flog It

because we have two auctioneers and they're both brothers - Mark and Paul Stacey.

-So no quibbling and no fighting.

-We'll try not to.

Let's start with Victoria's lovely 18th century bowl.

She's putting all the money towards medical books for her university course.

-You know how much students need the money.

-It won't be a problem.

One thing that's so good about this is its condition.

Often with Delftware of the mid-18th century, it's in much worse condition and there's more damage,

but the condition here is very good and the colours are very bright.

I feel it will exceed the estimate.

-What by?

-I'm going to say it will exceed the estimate by £100.

-Brilliant.

-It's a nice thing.

-Lovely thing. We've got no problem selling this.

You know the collectors are really fussy. Watch this space.

'Great news. The bowl will be sold shortly,

'but first, we "brooch" the subject of Ellen's internet purchase.'

Fingers crossed. I've been joined by Ellen. We're selling the porcelain brooch.

-It's wonderful. It's very decorative.

-Yes.

-You bought this for £150 not long ago.

-We've got to try and get you your money back.

-At least.

At least! I think that's putting pressure on our expert.

-Why have you decided to sell it?

-I wanted to frame it, but that was going to cost a bit too much money.

-I think this is going to go.

-I'm glad, a vote of confidence there.

We discussed the reserve. You were looking for 150, I was looking at 100. We met in the middle - 120.

A little rose gold frame, German porcelain brooch, hand-painted.

A lot of work has gone into that.

What you're buying is a work of art. That's what you're investing in.

I'm sure someone will do that right here, right now.

19th century, German porcelain brooch. Where are we going to be?

£100 to start? £100 in? £100?

80 then, let's get going. £80. 85.

90. 95. 100.

-110...

-Sometimes people bide their time before they bid.

-£120 now.

-Back of the room, are we all done? I'm selling at £120...

-£120.

Last time then... 120.

-Just got it away. That's good news.

-Yeah.

-Well, we got it away.

-That's all right.

-Happy?

-Yeah.

-Good.

Maybe a learning experience. To you, it was worth 150. In the room today, it was worth 120 to someone.

Swings and roundabouts. We all know being a dealer is not easy. You can't always make a profit.

I've been looking forward to this next lot. I've been joined by Ruth.

We've got that autograph book full of great names. We've got £120 to £180.

-Yes, we have.

-Why are you selling?

-It's been stuck in a drawer for 10, 11 years since I moved.

I just came across it. I haven't even looked at it.

That's the good thing about moving. You come across things that you'd forgotten or lost.

-There's lots of memories. They're in the book, but they're up here too

-Which was the favourite?

-Probably Sean Connery.

-Very suave, very sexy man.

-Good value for money, this.

-Really good value.

You've got some wonderful signatures there.

-It's like an end of an era for you, all these memories.

-Yes, it is.

-But they're all up here still.

-That's the main thing.

-You can treasure those.

-Yes.

-You can't sell those.

-No.

The autograph album as catalogued, plenty of autographs there.

Commission bids, two of them, and I'm clearing the book at £100.

£100. Are we all done? Here with me at 100. And 10.

-120. 130. 140.

-That's good.

-150. 160.

-That's very good.

-170 beats me.

-Yes!

-In the room at £170.

Against you on the phone at 170.

Are we all done then at £170?

Last time at £170...

Well done, auctioneer. Yes, 170. Good valuation, Thomas.

-I'm very happy.

-I've spent half of it already today.

-On what?

-I bought a lovely locket for myself.

-Today?

-Yes.

That's what we like to see - putting the money back in the trade.

-Go and visit the antique shops and the fairs.

-Yes, exactly.

-Thank you very much. I'm really pleased.

-Thank you.

It's my turn to be the expert. I fell in love with this little oil on board.

It's by Henry Scott, great maritime artist. It's got everything going for it, value - £900 to £1,200.

It belongs to Tony and Linda. Tony can't be here today, but Linda, you are, and of course...

-Tony's mum.

-Tony's mum. There, introduced herself!

-It's yours, really, isn't it?

-Yes, yes.

-Really, I'd like to have got this in at round about £700, just to get the ball rolling.

-I see.

-To generate the bidding frenzy that you get in an auction room. You know what I mean.

-800 then.

We can't reduce it any more.

-It's too late now.

-Oh, is it?

-Yeah.

Fingers crossed, OK? He's a recognised artist and you know that his works sell for thousands.

-Yes.

-The big canvases.

-That's right.

"Clipper Homeward Bound", signed by Henry Scott. Nice picture, that one.

£700 starts trading? £700?

£700 I'm bid, thank you. 720.

740. 760. 780.

800. At £800 now. Are we all done at £800?

Last time then at 800...

-Didn't sell.

-Never mind. I'll take it home.

-Take it home and enjoy it.

-Yeah.

-Put it back on that wall.

-That's right.

Let's see what happens to Myra's German bear.

We've got £100 to £150 on this gorgeous little toy.

I don't think he's a toy any more. He's more of a collector's item.

-But he's been a toy for you since you were four years old.

-Yes.

-Thomas, you fell in love with him. So did I.

-He's lovely.

A lovely bear. I can understand why you want to sell him,

but he's such a family piece now, isn't he?

-Poor chap.

-Yeah.

-Pastures new.

-I know.

Moving on, lot 580, we have a pull-along bear. Lot 580.

Nice little bear. Two bids I have. I'm clearing the book at £90.

-The bid's here with me at £90.

-90.

The bid's here with me. I'm selling at £90.

Maiden bid and going at £90.

Last time then...

-Just did it.

-Sold on discretion.

-Sneaked him in.

-He's gone off to a new home, Myra. £90.

-Yeah.

-It's a sad moment.

-Yes.

It is, isn't it? Oh, bless you!

Victoria, it's great to see you again. Going under the hammer, it's 18th century,

a Delft bowl and we've got £100 to £200 on this.

It's in perfect condition. I had a chat to the auctioneer and he loved it.

-It could fly through the roof. The collectors will be wanting this.

-OK.

-You're selling this because all the money is going to...?

-Medical textbooks.

-OK.

I agree with the valuation. This is almost mint condition and the colours are so vibrant.

Lovely colours, typical of that London Delft. To find a piece in good condition is really nice.

Small, dinky size. Not too big. Nice piece.

-I'd have it.

-I would as well. It's too late. It's going under the hammer now. Good luck, everybody.

London Delftware bowl. Interesting lot. Lots of interest here.

To clear the book, I must start the bidding at £180.

-Are we all done...

-180. Come on.

-190. 200.

-210. 220.

-We're in the room.

230. 240. 250.

260. 270.

-It's a nice lot, this.

-290. 300.

At £300 now. Still on the book. Are we all done at £300?

-Yes, £300!

-Brilliant. Excellent.

-Well done, Will, and well done, you!

-Thank you for bringing that in. That was a good result. Happy?

-Yeah.

'We'll be back later to throw some more antiques under the hammer.'

-This could fly through the roof.

-No? Really?

-Ssh!

-I think that's a great celebration coming up.

-Yes.

-Yes, fantastic! Well done, Thomas.

-Thank you.

-You've got to be pleased with that.

-I'm really pleased.

But now time for the story of a 20th century collectable that was once made here in Southend.

In 1922, Mr EK Cole started a small business making wireless sets.

By the 1950s, his range of EKCO-branded products, made right here in Southend, multiplied.

The company became one of the largest of its kind in the UK and the town's biggest employer.

EKCO had become a household name.

Sadly, a takeover in the early '70s meant the original factory was forced to close its doors.

But I can still explore Southend's industrial heritage here at the Central Museum

where many of EKCO's now iconic pieces and memorabilia have been brought together.

In the 1930s, the EKCO factory used high-speed presses to produce these cabinets for their early radios.

They're made of Bakelite, one of the first plastics.

During World War Two, the government enlisted factory expertise

to produce military items including dummy bombs and radar equipment.

After the war, Bakelite was replaced with new plastics

and mass-produced domestic items and injection-moulded industrial parts from other companies

were flying off the production line and popping up in almost every home in the UK.

The 1950s saw rationing coming to an end

and Britain was entering a period of increased affluence and freedom.

The American way of life heavily influenced British buying habits.

People now expected to have items once considered a luxury.

EKCO's products poured off the production line to supply this new demand.

By the mid-1950s, the company introduced its Gold Seal domestic wares.

Design was key and these innovative ideas were starting to win awards.

The company was having success after success.

In 1966, chief designer David Harman Powell came up with the novel stackable dinner service.

A few years later, this award-winning design,

known as Novaware, was flying off the production line.

'To work at a factory at the forefront of contemporary design must have been pretty exciting,

'but what made working at EKCO very special was the strong sense of community

'amongst the Southend employees.

'They still meet at the EKCO Social Club

'and proud member Minnie Bunn is keen to tell me all about factory life.'

-Take a seat and let's have a chat.

-Thank you.

-That's better, isn't it?

-Yeah, much better.

-I've got a lot of memories.

-I bet you have.

I want to ask you about your first day at work. When was it and how old were you?

It was in 1934 and I was 14 years of age. I was only three foot six in height when I left school.

So they had to make me a little thing, so I could reach some of the benches.

I was a bit nervous, but we were doing components for radios.

I worked my way up to a supervisor, then during the war years, I went into plastics.

I was working on the biggest machine there called Big Bertha.

-What was the atmosphere like during the war years?

-We were all happy and we worked together.

We enjoyed our life and made the most of it. You had to.

-Was it a hard day's work?

-It was. We had shift work during the war.

-Two to ten, six to two and all night.

-Really?

Sometimes 12 hours at weekends.

-Did you meet Mr EK Cole?

-Yes, I did. He was a very nice man.

He did a lot of work and he didn't take a lot of credit for what he did

So how important for Southend was EKCO?

Very important to Southend.

If it wasn't for Mr Cole, a lot of people would have had to go elsewhere to look for work.

-At one time, we got up to 8,000 people.

-That's a lot.

-It was a lot of people.

-He did Southend proud.

-What did you and your colleagues think of the products you were making?

We thought they were very good. We had a staff shop,

so we could buy any of the items a bit cheaper than you would in the shops.

And we were able to buy blueprints and make your own things.

I bought a blueprint of a television and made my own television. It lasted me for 15 years.

-Does it bring back memories, seeing this?

-It does. I was really sad when they pulled the building down.

That would have made a lovely museum that building that they pulled down,

a solid marble staircase...

-Wow!

-It was wonderful.

-How long did you work there for?

I worked there until 1966, but I broke service in between...

-So basically, most of your working life?

-Yes, nearly all my life I worked there.

I was very happy and I enjoyed every minute of it.

-I wish I could do it today.

-I bet you do. Do you miss it?

-Very much.

-It wasn't all about work. There was a good social club.

-It was very good.

We used to have tuppence docked out of our wages to be in the club.

It was in the canteen because we never had a proper clubhouse

until Mr Cole presented us with one on July the 16th, 1951.

In the factory, Christmas time,

I put a cardigan over my legs cos I didn't want to show my knickers and did cartwheels and splits.

-Did you get a round of applause?

-Definitely.

-You'll remember that well.

-Yes.

Now I go down practically every evening.

Sometimes I have Saturdays off because I like to watch the telly.

And I call the bingo for them.

-You call bingo?

-I book the DJs for Thursdays and Saturdays because we have ballroom dancing.

-Monday nights, we have jazz.

-All this at the age of 88?

-Yes.

-You're a great example to all of us, a good role model. It's been lovely meeting you.

-Lovely meeting you too.

The unique company that Mr EK Cole created may have sadly closed its doors,

but as well as leaving its mark on the design world,

it's clearly earned a special place in the hearts and minds of many people in Southend.

Now it's time to rejoin the action back at Southend High School for Boys.

Tony, I like this little piece you've brought in today.

What can you tell me about this?

It was given to myself and my wife by a close friend of ours. She now and again gives us bits and pieces.

I think she's just clearing her clutter out, but she just gave us this box.

-That's a nice friend to have.

-Yeah.

It has a continental feel to it to me.

-I don't think this is an English piece. I think this could be French or such like.

-Yeah, yeah.

Let's have a closer look at it.

Interesting sort of lozenge shape, this sort of diamond shape.

-A little trinket box, I suppose, a little casket.

-I would think so.

-The colour looks very right to be gold.

-Yeah.

But I don't think it is.

The various factors that suggest to me that it might not be

is the overall sort of quality of the whole...as a whole.

It is nice, but it's not that sort of premier league of quality.

-French craftsmen, if they were using the gold and silver, it would have been top-notch work.

-I see.

And then these panels...

It's had a bit of damage, obviously. We can seen that on the piece now.

-Are they leather?

-I think this is. This is like a red leather, isn't it?

-Yeah.

You've got these cherub figures and above one, I see a little lever.

If I press that, we can open up the lid

and then it's got this rather nice sort of lined interior

which leads me to think that it is a little trinket box.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Is that how it's used now? Where does it live?

-No.

We just keep it in a glass cabinet.

-So it's on display?

-Yeah. My wife shows it to everybody who comes around.

-Does she?

-Yeah, she's quite keen on it.

-And she's quite keen for us to sell it?

-I am.

-You are?

-Yeah.

-Don't you like it?

-I don't mind it.

I just try and clear out clutter.

-We collect things and accumulate things, but we need to make room for others.

-That's the way to do it.

You sell the bits that you've had a while and use the money that you get to buy better bits.

I was hoping with this to pay my mortgage off and emigrate(!)

-And invite me on a world cruise.

-It won't happen.

-I'm afraid not.

-Have you thought about value?

-Yes, of course. Definitely, yeah.

-The fact that some people thought it may have been gold-mounted...

-That was our hope.

-That was going to make a big difference to the value.

-Yeah.

-I think it's worth...

-I would suggest £40 to £60 as an estimate.

-Yeah, yeah.

We won't put a reserve on it. It's something I would be tempted on buying.

I can't, but hopefully, there'll be two other people who think like me

and they'll push it up past the top estimate.

Pat, Kim, thank you very much for coming in.

Tell me about this plate. Where did it come from?

I've had it since about the '60s, 1960.

We had moved into a new council flat

My mother-in-law came and saw all the lovely white walls because we hadn't decorated.

-She said, "I've got a lovely plate for you."

-Really?

-She brought it and we put it up on the wall.

-Why did you bring it today?

-I watch Flog It and the Antiques Roadshow.

Not that I've got any antiques, but I'm interested.

-Not that you've got any antiques, but you brought this?

-Yeah, but that's an odd thing.

But when we knew Flog It was on today, I said, "Shall we take that plate?"

And exciting it is to see.

We must clarify. It's a Worcester plate and this decoration is called pate-sur-pate.

It's French, but layer on layer, wet clay. It's called slip.

And they've painted it on there, layer and layer and layer.

It's been glazed in white, so it feels raised.

Oh, right.

Feel how raised it is against the dark blue.

We know it's Worcester and we know the artist. It's TJ Bott.

And it's dated "1882".

-Right.

-It looks like.

Very attractive. Do you remember it, Kim?

I remember the plate on the wall when we were small,

then when my mum and dad moved, we had it on the wall down here.

-You told me you've done some work on the artist?

-I looked up TJ Bott.

I found out he died at a young age. I think it was 41.

-Yeah.

-Of the arsenic poisoning from licking the paintbrushes.

-Absolutely.

-I said it might be worth something because of what happened to the artist.

-It said on the internet that he was a favourite of Queen Victoria's.

-Yeah, absolutely.

Do you have an idea of value?

-No.

-No.

-Not at all.

-It was that that livened us up, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

We said, "If that's the case, it must be worth something."

-Oh, yeah.

-More than boot sale price. We don't know.

-If I said £200, what would you say?

-That's good.

-That's good.

-If I said £300, what would you say?

-Better.

-Four?

-Better still.

-Five?

-No?

Yeah. I reckon I can put this in at £600 to £800.

-Oh!

-Never!

THEY LAUGH EXCITEDLY

-You like that?

-I love it.

-Well, you know...

-Really?

There are records of his work selling very, very well.

-Oh!

-There is a bit of damage. That's why I haven't gone really high.

-Where's the damage?

-A bit of scratching just here.

I think we should put a reserve on it.

I think we should fix it at £450 to give the auctioneer a big bit of discretion,

but estimated at 600 to 800, you've got a jolly good chance of it doing well.

If you're saying 600 to 800, can I put a reserve of a straight 500 then?

-I think if you offer it at 500 with discretion...

-That's fine.

-It's more than we thought, anyway.

-Yeah.

-Unbelievable.

It's a nice thing and it's got an extremely good chance of maybe achieving the upper end.

-Well done.

-Lovely.

-Thank you very much.

-You'll come along to the auction?

-Yes.

-Both of you?

-Yes.

-Good.

-Valerie...

-Hello.

-Thank you for coming in today

-and for bringing in this rather good-looking bronze.

-He is nice.

-How have you come by it?

-My son bought it for me at least 20 years ago

-because Mum liked pussycats.

-A very nice present.

You know the bronze is signed "Barye" who was Antoine-Louis Barye,

a very famous French sculptor who specialised in these animalier bronzes,

-mainly actually of big cats.

-That's right.

He's got this real skill of capturing the sinewy muscles

and the rippling effect of this animal as they should be in life.

Antoine-Louis Barye was renowned for not letting bronzes go

because he wasn't 100% happy with the detail, how crisp they were.

He got into so much trouble because of this, he had to declare himself bankrupt

-because he wasn't selling any bronzes as he was such a perfectionist.

-He was fussy.

-Very.

So to pay for the bankruptcy, the Barye moulds were sold on

which is why he lost a bit of control about what happened to the moulds and what was cast of them.

If you have a bronze, you can take a mould of it and then cast more,

so it's very difficult with bronzes.

It's really down to various factors such as the crispness of the piece.

You can really see the difference between a well-worked bronze and one that is taken from a flat cast.

So I'll just point out to you the various areas that raise a bit of doubt in my mind.

If I pick him up and we have a look, his face, for example, is a little bit loose...

-I know what you mean.

-..to be an original Barye bronze.

That makes alarm bells go off. Also if we look along his back,

the definition of the muscle is not quite naturalistic enough.

And we've got his signature here on the front, which is fine, but that doesn't mean anything.

And this base as well. You can't take it off and look underneath. That makes you suspicious as well.

I don't mean for you to kindly bring along your present from your son and I've shot it down in flames,

-but I'd like to explain to you...

-I see quite clearly what you mean.

I'm explaining the way I'm thinking so you understand me.

-Then we get to the valuation.

-Yes.

-You've told me what your son paid for it. £100.

-I think it is, yes.

-We know that a real 19th-century Barye bronze would be well into four figures.

-Yes.

-Even one of this sort of size. How do you feel about going in at £100-£150?

-Yes.

-Are you happy?

-Yes. But no less than 100.

-We want a fixed reserve.

-I don't mind a discretion if it's only 10%.

-That's good.

-That helps the auctioneer.

-I don't want somebody to pay 50 quid.

-So let's put £100 with discretion, £100-£150 estimate.

-You can tell I've watched the programme!

-Valerie, pleasure to meet you.

-And you.

-Hopefully he'll find a new home on the auction.

-I hope so.

-Well done.

-OK, thank you.

-I have a pair of sisters here.

-You have.

-Jenny and Susan. Thank you for coming.

I want to know all about this Dunhill lighter. Why and when and who owned it. And why bring it?

We found it in a drawer. It's my uncle's lighter. We came across it.

I noticed the Dunhill name, asked him about it and he couldn't really remember how it got there.

He said, "If you like it, take it." I said I'd find out more about it.

-Which is why we're here.

-And you've brought it along today.

-How old is your uncle?

-Uncle's 86 and he's always telling me

-that he gave up smoking 30 years ago.

-Right.

-So it probably went into the drawer 30 years ago

-and hasn't emerged since.

-It's a rather nice thing. A Dunhill aquarium lighter.

Made in about the 1950s. This is a good large-sized one.

We've got the two tropical fish on one side and then, if we turn it, one swimming upwards.

And it's in very nice condition. We can see the Dunhill mark here.

These are very popular with a lot of collectors. It's good to have three fish.

-Are they real fish?

-No!

-No!

-It looks plastic.

-It is. It's acrylic.

-Like a polished acrylic.

-Something's been tucked in there.

Like they're reverse painted and then foiled and decorated.

You've got a brief idea of what you want for it and I think we can achieve that.

But if we put it in at £800-£1,200, with a fixed reserve of £800, that's what you thought about.

-Yes.

-But I've got a feeling that it could surpass that.

But let's keep it at £800-£1,200,

with the reserve at £800. And let's see what happens. The auctioneer will work his socks off for us.

It will be well publicised, well marketed, on the internet and we'll have interested people.

-Thank you for coming.

-You're welcome.

-Our pleasure.

So Thomas's find completes our final line-up heading off to our Rochford sale room.

For hundreds of years, people living on the east coast of Essex have been harvesting this stuff.

That's sea salt. The first documented evidence of salt being extracted from the sea

was in the Domesday Survey of 1086

when it listed a total of 45 salt patterns here in the Maldon area.

The conditions are perfect in this part of the country for making salt,

due to the relatively low annual rainfall, as there is less rain water to dilute the sea water.

As well as this, as the tide recedes, exposing the mudflats,

a combination of the sun and wind evaporates the water, leaving salt deposits on the vegetation.

The salt that dries across the marshes is then reabsorbed by the spring tide,

thus making the concentration of salt even higher.

For hundreds of years, salt was skilfully harvested from the sea,

but during the 19th century a combination of heavy taxes and cheaper methods of production

meant the Essex salt traders soon began to disappear.

Today the Maldon Crystal Salt Company is one of only four sea salt manufacturers in England.

It's still a family-run business and headed up by Clive Osborne, who knows these salt marshes very well.

It is absolutely stunning here. You must love it. You were brought up here.

-Absolutely. Spent all my life here.

-Most people think of natural sea salt as white flakes on your food,

-but there's a lot more to it than that.

-Oh, the annual production, world production of salt,

-is approximately 110 million tonnes a year.

-Gosh, really?

The vast majority, though, is used in the chemical industry

for the making of chlorine, caustic soda and other chemicals to produce many man-made things.

It's a massive industry.

But we at Maldon, we produce a very small quantity of salt exclusively for food.

-Tell me how salt was used in the past.

-Well, salt was around...

-The Egyptians were using it.

-Absolutely. The Egyptians used it to preserve their meat.

Campaigning Romans were paid in salt money called salarium,

and that's how we get our word salary in today's language.

-So it was used an awful lot.

-I never knew that.

-So how do you get the salt from here?

-What we do at Maldon is the spring tides are high tides.

If conditions are absolutely right, we siphon off the water on the high tides.

And then it goes into large tanks where it's allowed to settle.

And after settling, we then filter.

And from there we put it into large, stainless steel salt pans.

-Why don't you come and have a look?

-I'd love to.

Maldon Salt has been a family-run company ever since 1882.

Clive's grandfather passed it on to his son Cyril who ran the company for 50 years

before passing it himself on to Clive.

Although the production of sea salt has become more efficient,

the basic skills and process remain the same today.

-So what's going to happen here?

-The water's pumped into these stainless steel pans.

-The water is then brought up to a galloping boil.

-OK.

Then the heat's reduced and then we get down to a saturated solution.

As more water comes off, the water gets saturated and the salt crystals start to form on the surface.

-What are you holding there?

-I've got some salt crystals that form on the surface.

These crystals are formed in a pyramid shape.

As they grow in size, they get heavier

and the water then flows in the top and they sink down to the bottom.

What's happening is the level of the crystals gradually build up on the bottom of the pan

as the water level drops. So you come to a period of time

where the level of the crystals meets the level of the water and the process is finished.

-So these guys work 24/7?

-They're here from six in the morning until six at night.

-OK.

Then it's on automatic. But one of us will come down at night and look to see it's going according to plan.

So what happens next?

Well, the salt makers come in early in the morning and the draw the salt pans,

-which you see over here.

-Yeah.

They're still using the same, traditional, long-handled rakes to hand harvest the salt.

The salt has been manufactured the day before. He's drawing it up into piles here.

Once he's drawn the pans, the salt gets shovelled into the bins

-and then more water is put in...

-And the process is repeated.

-It's repeated again.

So what happens after that? It goes in that bin?

The salt goes into the draining bins and is drained for 24 hours.

-OK.

-And then it's put into a low-temperature oven to adjust the moisture and finely dry

-before it goes up to be packed.

-Incredible.

-Nothing added, nothing taken away.

Naturally harvested like this.

-How much salt do you produce a year?

-It's about 1,500 tonnes a year.

-That's a lot!

-It's a lot of small little boxes.

-Yeah.

-About 65-70%, though, of what we produce is exported.

-Is it? Where to, mainly? All over the world?

-Literally, yes.

Our biggest markets would be Scandinavia, Australasia,

-but we go to South Africa and America.

-Good for you.

-I can't wait to have some on my salad tonight for supper.

-Great.

-I'm looking forward to that.

So the next time you sprinkle some natural sea salt on your meal,

spare a thought for its journey from these wonderful marshes here in Essex to your plate.

Let's have a quick reminder of all the items we're taking to auction.

This Worcester plate was a surprise housewarming gift.

And Thomas has got some more stunning news.

-I reckon I can put this in at £600-£800.

-Never!

-You like that?

-Oh, I love it!

-Let's hope the bidders like it, too!

And will they go for Valerie's big bronze cat. Is it by Antoine Barye?

I'll just point out the areas that raise a bit of doubt in my mind.

His face, for example. It's maybe a little bit loose.

Will the bidders be more convinced of its Barye pedigree? I wonder.

Tony is hoping his diamond-shaped trinket box will make enough money to completely change his life.

I hope to pay my mortgage off, give my notice and emigrate.

I'm pretty sure it won't fetch that much, but we'll soon find out!

And no one knows the fishy story of how this aquarium lighter got in Susan and Jenny's uncle's drawer.

Let's hope there's a happy ending to this tale at auction.

And it's brother Mark Stacey's turn on the rostrum ready to sell our next lot.

-I like the hat, Tony.

-Yes.

-Suits you. What do you do for a living?

-Park ranger.

-Are you? And you do that on horseback?

Em...I'd like to! Not quite, no.

Anyway, going under the hammer is a diamond-shaped trinket box. £40-£60. Good value for money.

A nice little trinket box. We were looking at it and it's got something about it.

-A little touch of quality.

-I was hoping it was gold!

-Mark tested it. It isn't - it's brass.

-But even so, it's got touches.

-It's got the look.

-Yeah.

-That'll get it away.

-And no reserve helps!

It's here to sell. Good luck. You don't need it. This is it.

Lot 460. 19th-century trinket box of diamond shape.

A nice trinket box there.

I've got to start the bidding at £90. At £90. 95. 100.

Against you. 105. 110. 115.

120. At £120. It's with me on commissions. Any advance on £120?

Last time at 120.

-Cracking result! £120!

-Good price, good price.

-We didn't need that "no reserve"! A bit cheeky.

-Just in case!

-Just in case.

-You've got to be happy with that.

-Yeah, it's brilliant.

Right, I've been waiting for this one and I expect you have as well.

Yes, it's that Worcester plate. It's absolutely gorgeous.

-Here to go at £600-£800 and it belongs to Pat and...

-Kim.

-Kim. I got that right, just!

-What do you think of this plate?

-I'm really surprised. We liked it, but not that much.

-Not 600-800.

-No way, no.

-Well, let me whisper in your ear a bit of a secret.

-I had a chat to the auctioneer and he said this could fly through the roof. Well over £800.

-No!

-Really?

-Ssh!

-So he was right. We didn't believe him.

-No, we didn't!

-What does Thomas think?

-It's a lovely thing.

It's so comical. That cherub whipping the other ones.

And they're saying, "Oi! Stop that!" I hope it should do well for you.

-There's only one snag with Kim.

-What?

-She's just had her bedroom decorated in blue.

And she said, "That plate would have looked nice, wouldn't it?"

The porcelain plaque. Worcester one, very nice, too. Let's start the bidding at £400.

£400 I'm bid. Thank you. 410. 420.

430. 440. 450.

-At £450 now. Are we all done?

-Oh, come on...

-460. 470.

-480. 490.

-It's on the phone.

500.

Against you. At £500 now. On the telephone at £500.

-Are we all done? Last time.

-He's selling.

-At £500 only.

-At £500.

-That's not bad.

-He sold on the reserve.

-He sold on the reserve. That's all right.

-Sorry I built that up.

-Yes, you're very naughty.

-He got really excited.

-We're happy with that.

-I'm naughty, aren't I?

I'm an optimist! My glass is always half full.

Valerie, I love this little bronze. Now Will put a valuation of £100-£150.

-I'm pretty sure it will do quite well.

-I hope so.

-Why sell it now?

I wanted to get on Flog It, I'm de-cluttering so there's not too much rubbish for my sons.

-What? Time's not ticking away for you!

-Oh, yes, it is.

-There's no rush!

-I'm 80 in the spring.

-You're not!

-I am.

80 years old. What's the secret? How do you look so fresh?

-Good living! Laziness!

-Let's introduce Will here.

-Will's 70!

-I don't look bad, do I?

I had to grow this so they'd serve me in the bars!

-No, but I know you're a good liver. You like champagne, nice pieces, fine art.

-That's right.

-A discerning eye we've got here.

-Yes.

-Hence the Barye bronze.

-Nice quality, good name.

-Going under the hammer right now.

A good quality bronze. A recumbering lioness on a rocky base.

A bit of interest in this. Let's not waste time.

I have bids on the book and must start the bidding at £280. Are we all done? On the book.

At £280. The hammer's up and I'm selling.

-£280!

-That's lovely.

-That's a great celebration.

-Yes!

-It'll go towards that. Enjoy it!

-We will, we will.

-Raise a glass to us When you celebrate.

-We will indeed!

We all love this next lot. Is there a flicker of hope at £800-£1,200?

I think so. Susan, Jenny, great to see you. I'm talking about that gorgeous aquarium Dunhill lighter.

We've seen one on Flog It before, a few years ago, and it sold for £800. So fingers crossed.

-Hopefully a bit more.

-Yes!

-I love the story. It was your uncle's.

-Yes.

He gave up smoking for 30 years, put it in a drawer and hadn't seen it for 30 years.

-Isn't that a great story?

-Wonderful.

-It's like jeans in a wardrobe with a £20 note in the pocket.

You go to put your hands in and you go, "Look at that!"

But £800 in a drawer we've got! That's just brilliant. And he'll split it?

-Oh, yes!

-The nieces have to have something, don't they?

-We'll take him to the pub.

-Surely he'll have most of it?

And then he shares it with us!

Cor, tough cookies!

The Dunhill aquarium table lighter circa 1953. Lots of interest here, ladies and gentlemen.

Straight in at £800. It's here with me.

Any advances on 800? 820. 850. 880. 900.

At £900 now. The bid's on the book and the hammer's up at £900.

920. 950.

Come on.

980.

-980.

-Yes! Four figures now.

At £1,000 now. The bid's on the book. The hammer's up. I'm selling.

At £1,000.

-Yes! Fantastic! Mid-estimate. Well done, Thomas. You've got to be pleased.

-Excellent.

Take him down the pub, buy him a pint and a pie.

-But I guess the shoes and clothes are coming your way.

-They might do!

Thanks so much for coming in. We've had a fabulous day here.

Join us again for many more surprises next time. Cheerio.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2012