0:00:02 > 0:00:05Today we've headed out to the coast in a county famous for mariners
0:00:05 > 0:00:10like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh, and writers like Agatha Christie.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Welcome to Flog It! from Devon.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40The Barbican here at Plymouth
0:00:40 > 0:00:44lies at the heart of the city's rich and colourful heritage.
0:00:45 > 0:00:51Although large parts were destroyed during the war, the spectacular Barbican area survived,
0:00:51 > 0:00:55preserving its medieval street layout and many fine Tudor dwellings.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01The Barbican was also once home to the studio of this chap,
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Robert Lenkiewicz, possibly one of the most prolific artists of the 20th century.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Later on in the show we'll be taking a look at his life and his work.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Whilst Plymouth is the location for our auction,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17we've headed just up the road to Torquay for our valuation day.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20The Victorians named Torquay Queen Of The Riviera
0:01:20 > 0:01:25and we've taken residence at the Palace. Well, the Palace Hotel!
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Our two experts are Philip Serrell and new boy David Fletcher
0:01:32 > 0:01:37and they're already hard at work rummaging through the people's bags.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42So, it looks like Philip has already spotted something a little puzzling.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44- How are you doing?- Fine, thanks. - Are these yours?
0:01:44 > 0:01:46- Yes, they are. - When did you get these?
0:01:46 > 0:01:50- I had them every year as a Christmas present as a child.- As a child?- Yes.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54- How old are they, then? - They're probably... I don't know.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58- You're not going to tell me. - I'd like to say 30 years. - 30 years old. Right.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00- Yes.- So... Right, OK, fine.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02- A little bit of artistic licence there.- Of course!
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Because I think these are probably actually...1960s?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08- Yeah, you could...- Could be right!
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- Could be right.- I would never, ever discuss a lady's age.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Which was your first one?
0:02:13 > 0:02:16I think the Alice In Wonderland was the first one.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- So, you had one of these...? - Yes, every year.- Every year.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21And so the idea of this is you have to get the blue on the blue.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23- Yes.- The red on the red.- Yes.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27- The green on the green and the black on the black.- That's right.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31- It's hopeless, isn't it?- I haven't got the patience for them now.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34This is one of those... This is a forerunner of those game...
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Nintendo-jobbie things, isn't it?
0:02:36 > 0:02:41If we look at this one here we can see that they're English made
0:02:41 > 0:02:43by Journet of London.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Always good to have a London maker, isn't it?
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Helen, I know a particularly sad bit of information about you,
0:02:49 > 0:02:54- because you memorised the verse on the back, didn't you? - Some of it, yes.- Go on, then.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59Popular portable puzzles proving positively perplexing and perpetually pleasing posers...
0:02:59 > 0:03:03- And that's as much as I can remember!- How bad is that?
0:03:03 > 0:03:07- You really need to get out more, you know. Honestly. - Yeah, that's sad, I know.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10I think they're lovely. They're not going to be worth a fortune.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14- No.- How many have you got? Two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve of them.
0:03:14 > 0:03:20I think you could put a £20 to £40 estimate on them, but I just think they're great fun
0:03:20 > 0:03:23- and they're a great memory of your childhood, aren't they?- Yes.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- So let's hope they do really well for you.- Lovely.- Good stuff.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34So, I love Moorcroft, so it's really good to see these.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Tell me how you came by them.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Well, I work at our local hospice, the Rowcroft Hospice in Torquay,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45and it's before my time, I think about 20 years ago...
0:03:45 > 0:03:51- Right.- A gentleman kindly donated them after his wife died in the hospice
0:03:51 > 0:03:58and they've been sitting on our mantelpiece in day services and somebody suggested that
0:03:58 > 0:04:04- they could be valuable and maybe, as we needed income, we would sell them.- That's lovely.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09It's great to know they're going to a good cause and I think you're very wise to sell them by auction
0:04:09 > 0:04:12because you know the market will be tested
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- and we can guarantee we'll get you the best price.- Yes.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17I've done a little bit of research on the patterns.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21I shall have to be careful really because my mum collects Moorcroft
0:04:21 > 0:04:23and if I get this wrong she'll be very cross with me.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27- I'm pretty certain that this is Clematis.- Right.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30And that these two are each Anemone.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35- Oh, right.- They're decorated, as we can see, on a green ground
0:04:35 > 0:04:39and each one bears the printed paper label
0:04:39 > 0:04:44which tells us that Moorcroft was potter to Queen Mary.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Walter Moorcroft, who took over the factory in the mid '30s,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53was very proud of this Royal endorsement
0:04:53 > 0:04:59and his wares bore the labour mark well into the '40s, until after the war in fact,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and I think we can safely date these after the war.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07So, they're relatively late, but they're charming.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12- Can I ask what would be put in this one because it's got the cork on top?- A very good point.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16This is a table lamp base, so it is possible to run a wire through the base,
0:05:16 > 0:05:22up to this attachment here, so I think it will one day be used again as a table lamp base...
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- Oh, that would be lovely. - ..rather than as a vase.- Yeah.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Have you any idea what they might make?
0:05:27 > 0:05:33No, no. Somebody just said they knew Moorcroft and, yes, they may be worth a few pound.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Well, Moorcroft is very collectable.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38The market goes up and down.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40It has been higher than it is now,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43but I'm confident if we sold these in one lot
0:05:43 > 0:05:46we would get in the region of £200 for this
0:05:46 > 0:05:50and, say, £80 for each of these, the tarts and the oval dish.
0:05:50 > 0:05:56That makes, my maths isn't very good, but round about £350.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00I would have thought, if we offered them with an estimate of 350 to 450,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- subject to a reserve of £300.- Yeah. - Does that sound OK to you?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- That would be really good for the hospice.- Jolly good.- Thank you.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- We'll go ahead on that basis. - Thank you.- Thank you, Sue.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- Alistair, how are you doing? - All right, thank you.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20- You're a collector?- Yes, I am.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24These are a real collectors' lot. Don't tell me yet, cos I'm trying to work out what they are.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26We've got little silver... When you pick them up first,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29they look maybe Chinese silver, but they're not?
0:06:29 > 0:06:33- English hallmarks on the bottom...- Yes.- ..which we'll look at in a minute,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and there's a hole in the top which can suggest a whole host of things.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40I've seen bougie boxes and wax jacks that have been altered look like that,
0:06:40 > 0:06:45and I've also seen bigger lignum vitae barrels with a hole in the top where strings come through.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50- Yes.- Am I getting close? - Well, yes, I think you are. I think you're well on the track.
0:06:50 > 0:06:51So go on, tell me.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57Well, I think I know what they are. I think they're cotton-reel boxes.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01So you'd drop your cotton reel, you'd pull the cotton out, thread it through there...
0:07:01 > 0:07:03And then you don't have any trouble.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- Pop that on there and then you just pull your thread out?- Yes.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Ah, right. So are these something you've bought or...?
0:07:09 > 0:07:13No, they belonged to my first wife's family.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Her grandfather, so I think they're 1870s or 1880s.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Let's just have a look at the mark.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21They're certainly late 19th century.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24The maker's stamp is A & J Zimmerman,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28and the anchor tells us that they were assayed in Birmingham.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31So why do you want to sell these?
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Well, they belonged to my wife's family and I've got quite a few
0:07:34 > 0:07:41mementoes of my wife, and I think I can pass those on and use the money to go and collect something else.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Eyes on anything in particular?
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Well, I have. I'm sure that one exists somewhere.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51I've got one or two English-hallmarked ring boxes...
0:07:51 > 0:07:55- Yeah.- ..which I like to collect, and I'm sure I have never seen one...
0:07:55 > 0:07:57There's a gold one somewhere.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Start saving, start saving!
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Well, I might pay the money if I can find one. I haven't found one yet.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I'd better bring you back down to earth sharpish, hadn't I?
0:08:08 > 0:08:09As far as the value of those.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11I think, at auction, these...
0:08:11 > 0:08:17- We can estimate them at £50 to £80. Is that all right?- Yes. - We'd need to put a reserve.
0:08:17 > 0:08:23We can put that at £50. If you want to give the auctioneer 10% discretion, you can.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24- Yes.- Or you have it fixed at £50.
0:08:24 > 0:08:31- I'll fix it at 50, thank you.- We'll estimate them at £50 to £80 with a fixed £50 reserve, and if you have
0:08:31 > 0:08:33a bit of luck, they might even creep up towards the £100 mark.
0:08:33 > 0:08:40I love these valuation days, but sometimes talking to so many people
0:08:40 > 0:08:44can take its toll on my voice, but just take a look at I've found here.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48- So, let me get this right, Barry and Malcolm?- Yes. That's right, yes.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49- Brothers?- Brothers, yeah.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51- And this was Mum and Dad's? - Yes, it was, yes.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55- OK, it's a family heirloom.- It is. - Who's been looking after it, then?
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Well, it's just been in Mum and Dad's house, you know? And now we've decided to...
0:08:59 > 0:09:01- Sell it.- To sell it, yeah.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- Do you know much about it at all? - No, we don't know much about it.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08- We know that, we think it's French... - Yes, it's definitely continental.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11And it's a Tantalus, but more than that we don't really know.
0:09:11 > 0:09:17It's the most stunning Tantalus I've seen for a long, long time and it's exotically inlaid
0:09:17 > 0:09:22with different veneers and it's just beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26- I mean, it's a cabinet-maker's dream, isn't it? - Yeah.- It is, yes.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31The whole construction, actually, is mahogany and then the face sides have been veneered.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36- Yeah. So it's made out of real good wood, then. - It's made out of good wood.- Yeah.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Look at the inlay for a minute, on the face side obviously you've got some ormolu here,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44sort of inlaid boulle work, which tells me it is definitely French.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- OK.- Right.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51It's bordered here, cross grained with a tulip wood,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55but it's amboina on all the face sides with this wonderful boulle.
0:09:55 > 0:10:01Very thin sheet of metal cut and inlaid into the wood.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03And what is the metal, is it brass?
0:10:03 > 0:10:05It is brass, yes.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08This is the beautiful thing about this, though,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10when you reveal what's inside here
0:10:10 > 0:10:12because this quite cleverly just lifts here,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15doesn't it, to reveal the featured interior?
0:10:15 > 0:10:18But this face side actually drops down.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23- Yeah.- Yes.- So now, on view from this angle, this becomes decoration.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- How clever is that?- Yeah.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27And then the business end of the interior.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31I'm sorry, I was responsible for...some of the glasses broke when I was younger.
0:10:31 > 0:10:32- Oh, were you now?- So this...
0:10:32 > 0:10:37Unfortunately, there is a bottle missing, isn't there? There's a little decanter missing.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42- It's down to me.- But looking at the glass, it is all original and the stoppers are original, as well.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47They're not loose. They fit beautifully and you've just missed a few shot glasses then.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Why do you want to sell it, though? It's a family heirloom.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Well, 30 years ago we were pro musicians.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Oh, were you? What did you play?
0:10:56 > 0:10:59- I played guitar.- And, Barry? - Keyboard and vocals.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03So we thought, we've been writing songs and getting started again
0:11:03 > 0:11:07about three years ago and we're ready to record some numbers.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11Right, so we need to raise money for the studio fees, basically.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16- Yeah, yeah.- Not only are there are collectors of Tantaluses, it's a fantastic decorator's piece.
0:11:16 > 0:11:24So, let's put it into auction with a value of 250, OK? To £350.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- Yeah.- Yeah.- Give it that sort of price range,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29- put a fixed reserve on at £250.- OK.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Because we're not going to let it go for anything less.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33- That's a good surprise.- Yeah, yeah.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36But hopefully, look, this could fly away.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Yeah, yeah. Buy us more studio time.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- And it's more studio time.- Yeah.
0:11:48 > 0:11:49- Hello, Barry.- Hello.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51This is a real eye-catcher, isn't it?
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- It is.- I think this is great fun. How did you come by this?
0:11:54 > 0:11:57It belonged to my mother-in-law.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00She was the chief cook in this small hotel just outside Chagford on Dartmoor.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- Right.- And when she retired several years ago
0:12:03 > 0:12:07- the American owners gave her this... - Right.- As a parting gift.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Right. What was the hotel called, can you remember?
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- It was the Easton Court.- Oh, right.
0:12:11 > 0:12:18OK. Interesting you should say that it was American owned because that's the key to this item, really.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21It's marked underneath S Kirk & Son Co,
0:12:21 > 0:12:27and beneath that, and this is important, 925/1,000,
0:12:27 > 0:12:32which tells us that it's 925 parts per 1,000 pure silver.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Now, if it were English it would be hallmarked.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39It would have a set of full hallmarks, they would tell us
0:12:39 > 0:12:42that it was 925 parts per 1,000 without stating that.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47It's the American practice to mark things 925 and that's what we have here.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52As I say, it's a maker called Kirk, who were American,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54they had a workshop in Baltimore,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58but whose descendants were 18th-century English silversmiths.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02The jug itself was made in about 1900
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and I note that it's monogrammed.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Well, the people that gave it to my mother-in-law were called Cobb
0:13:09 > 0:13:12and the monogram looks to be several Cs in there,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15so I should imagine that it was their family monogram.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20- That makes sense. And they were the people that owned the hotel, were they?- That's right, yes.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Good. So, that cements the American connection, which is nice.
0:13:23 > 0:13:29- It's decorated, isn't it, with cherries? There are bunches of grapes.- Cherries, grapes, all sorts.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33And strawberries. I love this shell motif just beneath the rim
0:13:33 > 0:13:35which just gives it that extra bit of class, really.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37Why have you decided to sell it?
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Well, it's just sitting in the cupboard. The children don't want it.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- No.- So, we thought, well, if it's... - And it's just another thing to clean.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46It's just another thing to clean, that's right.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48And I must say, I think when this is cleaned up,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52and it will clean up very easily, it will look a million dollars.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54It's a very imposing item.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56We need just to think about what it might make.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00I think American silver, generally speaking, is worth slightly less
0:14:00 > 0:14:02than English silver, we've got to be mindful of that.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06I would suggest an estimate of 120 to 160, and a reserve of £100.
0:14:06 > 0:14:13- That would be a fixed reserve of... - A fixed reserve of £100, but with luck it'll make more than that.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16- That's fine. That sounds fine. - OK, Barry. Thank you very much.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18- We'll do our best for you. - Fine. Lovely.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23Before we head off to auction, here's a brief reminder of the great items we're flogging today.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Popular portable puzzles proving positively perplexing
0:14:27 > 0:14:31and perpetually pleasing posers, and that's as much as I can remember!
0:14:31 > 0:14:34How sad is that? You really need to get out more, you know.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Yeah, that's sad, I know!
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Helen's tongue-twisting abilities leave Philip puzzled.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43How will her collection of children's puzzles fare at auction?
0:14:43 > 0:14:51We're selling on behalf of a local hospice, but how will the saleroom react to Sue's Moorcroft collection?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53And I love this lot, a pair of silver cotton-reel boxes.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Philip is confident he can pull in the bidders
0:14:57 > 0:14:59with an estimate of £50 to £80,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03and Alistair is hoping to use the money to buy his dream ring box.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08- It's a cabinet-maker's dream, isn't it?- Yeah.- It is, yes.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Barry and Malcolm, brothers and re-formed band musicians,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15are taking this beautiful mahogany Tantalus to auction,
0:15:15 > 0:15:16but will it be a hit or a miss?
0:15:16 > 0:15:19And Barry hopes his American silver fruit jug
0:15:19 > 0:15:22is going to make top dollar when it goes under the hammer.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31OK, so now it's time to put our first batch of items to the test.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34We've left Torquay and moved along the coastline
0:15:34 > 0:15:37to Eldreds Auction Rooms in the heart of Plymouth,
0:15:37 > 0:15:38so let's go inside.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42And on the rostrum today, the man with all the local knowledge, is auctioneer Anthony Eldred.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46First up, Helen's children's puzzles.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Well, Helen's been decluttering and this next item is certainly a lot
0:15:49 > 0:15:53that will keep you amused for hours on end. Well, it did you, didn't it?
0:15:53 > 0:15:57- Oh, yeah. I loved them. - We've got 12 puzzles and they're great fun, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- I saw Philip playing with them at the valuation day.- Without success.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04It takes a long time to get the hang of each one of those.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09- Yeah, yeah. But I haven't seen these around for a long, long time. - I think they're great fun.- Yeah.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13- Great fun.- They've been sitting in my loft for so many years now so I might as well.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16The condition's very good. We've got £20 to £40 on them,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18so hopefully someone's going to buy them. Good luck.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23Next is lot 350, which is 12 puzzles. There they are.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26- Fingers crossed, Helen. - Hours of fun with those,
0:16:26 > 0:16:27and I'm bid a tenner for them.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29At £10. 12 if you want them. At £10.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Against you all at 10. 12. 15.
0:16:32 > 0:16:3518. 20. At £20.
0:16:35 > 0:16:3822. 25. 28.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40In front here at £28 now.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Quite sure at 28?
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Spot-on, Philip, mid-estimate.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48- Yes.- £28. They've gone.
0:16:48 > 0:16:54- It's a manual computer game, isn't it, really?- Somebody's bought hours of fun with those, haven't they?
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- Yes.- Hours of fun. - A good investment.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00£70. Anyone in the room at 300?
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Quite sure, then.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05I think this is a super thing.
0:17:05 > 0:17:06I love this silver fruit jug.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10It's American. We've got a valuation of £120 to £160 put on by David.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12It's embossed with little shells.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- It's... It's got the look, hasn't it?- Yeah.- Yeah. It really has.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19- Why are you selling this? - Well, we thought whatever we get
0:17:19 > 0:17:22we'll probably put into Premium Bonds and see what happens from there.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I think you stand a good chance of winning on the Premium Bonds,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29- better than on the Lottery, that's for sure.- Certainly better than the bank at the moment.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- Yeah. This should do well, shouldn't it?- I hope so.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34It's quality. And it's unusual.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36It's got a shell motif, we're by the sea,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40hopefully there's a little bit of a maritime connection which might help it get away.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42We're going to find out right now.
0:17:42 > 0:17:48Next is lot 445, which is a 19th-century American silver jug.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50There it is, a lot of bids for it.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53I'm bid at £190 for it.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Against you all at 190. 200. And 10.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00220. 230. 240. 250. 260.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05£260. Finished then at 260? 270.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07- Oh, brilliant. They love it!- 280.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09290. 300.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12At £300. At £300 I'll sell it.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Yes! £300!
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- What a great result. - I'm very pleased.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20- That's quality for you. - I'm delighted.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25- That was rare, wasn't it? - It was rare. A nice thing to bring out to show off to your friends.
0:18:25 > 0:18:30Yeah. Well, there is commission to pay here, but that's a lot of money and that's a lot of Premium Bonds.
0:18:30 > 0:18:31- It is.- Yeah. I hope you win!
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Well, got as good a chance as anybody else.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36You do, exactly. Yeah, you've got to be in it to win it.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Next up are these lovely cotton-reel boxes.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52Alistair, cracking lot. My favourite lot of the day, I think, these two little silver cotton-reel holders.
0:18:52 > 0:18:58- Really?- They may be tiny but, for me, they are a big lot and at £50 to £80.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02I think I'd pay £50 to £80 for one, so buy one, get one free.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Had a chat to the auctioneer earlier.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06You don't know this, Alistair.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10We both kind of waxed lyrical over them, thinking, "Aren't they lovely?"
0:19:10 > 0:19:13And we thought they'd probably only be worth sort of 50 quid if they didn't
0:19:13 > 0:19:18have the hole in the top that you poke the cotton through, but they're so special, they're so different.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23- I think they are. - We were sort of thinking, "Well, surely they've got to do £200."
0:19:23 > 0:19:25I mean, that's what I'd like to see, but I don't know.
0:19:25 > 0:19:32- Maybe I'm bigging this up, but I would be prepared to pay £200 for them.- Are they scarce or rare?
0:19:32 > 0:19:34They're going to really appeal to sewing collectors,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36so if you've got two sewing collectors...
0:19:36 > 0:19:40They're more for that market, really, rather than the silver collector.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Let's hope they get well over £150, shall we? Here we go.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47It's a little pair of Victorian embossed cotton-reel holders.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51I'm bid £70 for them. Against you all in the room at 70.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54At £70, against you all. And five and 80,
0:19:54 > 0:20:00five and 90, five, 100 and five. At £105, ten if you want them.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03At £105 at the back there.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05All done at 105?
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Yes, £105!
0:20:07 > 0:20:08Not quite what I was hoping for.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11- I was hoping for a bit more, but that's a good price.- Yes.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13110, 15...
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Well, Barry and Malcolm, now the moment of truth.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22The Tantalus is just about to go under the hammer.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25We're hopefully buying some recording studio time.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- Hopefully, yes.- Now, do you need a drummer? Because I know one.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32We do, yes. It's funny you should say that, we do.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Well, I'm a bit rusty, but I'll give it a go.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40Good luck, guys, anyway and hopefully you can get in that recording studio
0:20:40 > 0:20:42and we might have a big hit on our hands.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44We certainly might get one right now. Here we go.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Next lot is lot 75, which is
0:20:46 > 0:20:51the Victorian walnut and brass bounded liqueur Tantalus
0:20:51 > 0:20:54and £210 starts that. At 210. 220.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57230. 240. And five. 250.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- At 250 now in the room.- Come on.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Quite sure then, at £250?
0:21:03 > 0:21:05I'll sell it at 250.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08It's gone. Tantalisingly close.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11- Yeah, tantalising. - But we got rid of it.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- Yeah, well, that... That'll buy some time, wouldn't it?- Yeah.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16- Yeah, yeah.- It will.- Yeah.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18- Knock out three or four songs. - Yeah, yeah.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21- Well, send me a copy, won't you? - We will, definitely.- Good luck.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Next up, we've got some real quality.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33It's Moorcroft just about to go under the hammer and all the money is going to charity.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37- So, Sue, tell us which charity. - I'm very proud today. I'm here for Rowcroft Hospice in Torquay.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41OK. Now, we've got a couple of lots because they've been split up.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Originally, David, you valued the lamp base and two bowls.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46- Yes, exactly.- Yes.- Three items.
0:21:46 > 0:21:52Three items. So, the auctioneer has put the first lot as the lamp base with a lower end at £150,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56- and also the two bowls at a lower end with a reserve at 150.- Yeah.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- So it still makes up the same value, but he thinks they'll sell better separately.- Yeah.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02- OK.- I'll take his advice.- Yeah.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04- So, we're going to find out.- We are.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09Next, lot 203, which is a Moorcroft bottle-shaped table lamp base.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14There it is, decorated fuchsias, and £130 for it. At 130.
0:22:14 > 0:22:1640, if you want it. At £130, then.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Against you all in the room.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Are we finished then at 130? 140.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25- Five.- Oh, good.- At 145. 150.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Five. 160 now, behind.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- That was a sticky start!- It was.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33At 160, then. Sell at 160.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39£160. The first one away. Now the two bowls.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43The next lot is lot 204, which is the Moorcroft circular Tazza,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46this time decorated with clematis.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51Two pieces in this lot and £150 bid for it. Five if you want it.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55- That's good. - £150 against you all in the room.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57At 150. Five anywhere? And 155. 160.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Five. At 165 there, seated.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Are you all finished at 165?
0:23:03 > 0:23:05- Yes, that's £325 to charity!- Yeah.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- Brilliant.- All going to our hospice. - Happy with that!
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- Thank you very much.- That was a good donation, wasn't it?.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Your maths is better than mine, I couldn't work it out that quickly.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Lovely, all money for the hospice. Thank you very much.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Coming up, someone gets overexcited.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26- Where's Margaret gone? - I can't believe it!
0:23:26 > 0:23:27Come back here, Margaret.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- Back here. Come back here. - I can't believe it.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Gosh, what an exciting moment. That's what auctions are all about.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34I was going to throw it in the bin!
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Come back here, Margaret.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48The Barbican here in Plymouth is home to numerous bars, restaurants,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51cafes and warehouses, but it was also home once to the studio
0:23:51 > 0:23:54of one of Britain's most prolific, but unrecognised,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58painting talents of the 20th century, Robert Lenkiewicz.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05Just 100 yards from the harbour you can find, tucked up on the corner of a warehouse wall,
0:24:05 > 0:24:09a 3,000 square foot mural Lenkiewicz painted in the early 1970s.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13As you can see, it's all clad in wooden batons now, holding it together
0:24:13 > 0:24:17and it's been seriously eroded and weathered by the elements over the years,
0:24:17 > 0:24:24and all that crumbling paint, well, that really is a sad reflection of its former multicoloured glory.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34Finished in 1973, the mural took an Elizabethan theme.
0:24:34 > 0:24:40Notorious for his self-portraits, Lenkiewicz also included himself in the painting.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44Complete with begging bowl, the picture reflects the fact
0:24:44 > 0:24:49that his efforts for this stunning piece of art went unpaid.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Lenkiewicz's love for painting began at an early age.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Born in London in 1941 from refugee stock,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58his parents ran a Jewish hotel
0:24:58 > 0:25:02whose residents included survivors of the concentration camps.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05He attended St Martin's College of Art.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09From there he moved on to the Royal Academy, but found the conformity
0:25:09 > 0:25:13too inhibiting and he was expelled for non-attendance.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16He had a studio in Hampstead, but moved to Plymouth in 1969.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20As one of Britain's most eccentric artists, during his lifetime
0:25:20 > 0:25:23his work was never really accepted by the art establishment.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28In fact, not one of Lenkiewicz's paintings hangs in a national or regional gallery.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32However, here at the Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery,
0:25:32 > 0:25:35his work has been given a temporary exhibition
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and it's the first since his death in 2002.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40And to find out more about the man,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44I caught up with Francis Mallett from the Lenkiewicz Foundation.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Why was Robert dismissed by the art world?
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Well, it's something I've thought about for quite a long time
0:25:49 > 0:25:53and I've come to the conclusion there are probably two main reasons.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55The first is, if you think about his work,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59it really has very little connection with the rest of what was going on
0:25:59 > 0:26:01in the art world in this country at that time.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04From the '60s onwards, if you think about the British art scene
0:26:04 > 0:26:08you have abstraction, you have pop art, photography, conceptual art,
0:26:08 > 0:26:14- installation art and video art, and Robert was a painter that painted in a much more traditional manner.- Yeah.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16His influences were very different.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Was he upset by that at the time?
0:26:18 > 0:26:22No, I think the other thing about Robert is he really couldn't care less about that
0:26:22 > 0:26:24and that was one of the great things about him.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26He really was an anti-establishment figure.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29He was very much a thinking painter.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32His subjects were often sociological observations
0:26:32 > 0:26:38of other people, and then later on, more personal observations about his own relationships.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Tell me a little bit more about the subject matter.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Yes, well, the first project was vagrancy, but then Robert went
0:26:45 > 0:26:50on to areas such as mental handicap, death, addictive behaviour.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55This was a study into human behaviour at its most basic level.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59And the other side of his work, which covered more personal relationships,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01he used himself as a guinea pig,
0:27:01 > 0:27:06looked at his own responses to the relationships that he was in
0:27:06 > 0:27:10to draw conclusions about human behaviour and psychology.
0:27:11 > 0:27:18Robert Lenkiewicz was drawn to the underprivileged and was fascinated with vagrants and street alcoholics.
0:27:18 > 0:27:24A compassionate man, in the early 1970s he would provide shelter for up to 170 tramps a night.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Lenkiewicz's treatment of one in particular was to prove highly controversial.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Well, this tramp was called Diogenes, nicknamed Diogenes by Robert.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39He came across him living in a barrel
0:27:39 > 0:27:43and Robert became very fond of him and nicknamed him Diogenes
0:27:43 > 0:27:47after the Greek philosopher Diogenes who lived in a barrel.
0:27:47 > 0:27:53- Long before Damien Hirst embalmed a shark in resin, Robert embalmed Diogenes, didn't he?- That's right.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55What was the meaning behind that?
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Well, it was a long-standing agreement
0:27:58 > 0:28:00apparently between Robert and Diogenes
0:28:00 > 0:28:05that when Diogenes died that that's exactly what Robert would do.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09- So it was a little pact.- It was, but it was also around the time
0:28:09 > 0:28:13that Robert was featuring death predominately in his projects.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17After Diogenes died, Robert explained his views on death.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20One is always strangely compelled by the total presence of the body
0:28:20 > 0:28:23running parallel with the complete absence of the person.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26I don't know if you've witnessed death, but if you see that,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29and I have many times, you'll see there's an interesting association
0:28:29 > 0:28:31and cross reference with witnessing birth.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32A very strange, haunting atmosphere
0:28:32 > 0:28:35and I want to become more familiar with that.
0:28:35 > 0:28:36It's entirely personal.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Could it become part of the exhibition in the future?
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Well, certainly in the context of perhaps one of Robert's themes,
0:28:42 > 0:28:44either Death or Death And The Maiden,
0:28:44 > 0:28:47or the project that he did called the Diogenes Con Show.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50I don't see any reason why it couldn't be exhibited.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Robert Lenkiewicz was certainly an unusual character, unconventional.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59He never really endeared himself to the press,
0:28:59 > 0:29:02understandable when you learn that in 1981
0:29:02 > 0:29:07he actually faked his own death to coincide with his Death project.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12Why did Robert fake his own death and what exactly did he do?
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Well, I think Robert really, partly was frustrated.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20He had an exhibition on that wasn't gaining as much attention as he thought it should.
0:29:20 > 0:29:21Was it a PR stunt, then?
0:29:21 > 0:29:25Well, partly, but as with everything with Lenkiewicz
0:29:25 > 0:29:27it also had a much more serious purpose
0:29:27 > 0:29:31and he was beginning his interest in the project on death
0:29:31 > 0:29:35and the thinking behind it was he could never know what it was like to be dead,
0:29:35 > 0:29:40- but he could know what it was like to be thought to be dead.- Right, OK.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45So, his brother, John, placed a very small low-key obituary
0:29:45 > 0:29:47in a London newspaper
0:29:47 > 0:29:50which got picked up on very quickly in the south-west
0:29:50 > 0:29:55and suddenly it was all over the local press.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57All of Plymouth was mourning and,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00from a lack of recognition for this artist,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03suddenly he was the greatest painter in the south-west.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Unfortunately, I think the stories got picked up on by
0:30:07 > 0:30:15the national tabloid press and Lenkiewicz became more known for those exploits
0:30:15 > 0:30:20than for the serious and skilful painter that he was.
0:30:20 > 0:30:26Controversial as he was, the art of Robert Lenkiewicz continues to attract divided opinion.
0:30:26 > 0:30:31Sadly, when he died in 2002 from a serious heart condition,
0:30:31 > 0:30:36150 paintings had to be sold off to help cover massive debts.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40The Lenkiewicz Foundation's aim is to open a permanent collection
0:30:40 > 0:30:42of Robert's remaining work in the near future
0:30:42 > 0:30:47and if he was alive today he'd probably shudder at the term The People's Painter,
0:30:47 > 0:30:50but in effect that's exactly what he's become,
0:30:50 > 0:30:55proving that art can be genuinely concerned with social and domestic issues,
0:30:55 > 0:31:01and to that end, he remains one of the serious contemporary painters of modern history.
0:31:08 > 0:31:13Now back to the Palace Hotel in Torquay for more valuations
0:31:13 > 0:31:17and Philip has spotted a rather nice necklace.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20- Lynn, are you local?- No, I'm a... I'm from Essex.- You're an Essex girl?
0:31:20 > 0:31:23- No, I wasn't born there, I was born in Lancashire.- Oh, right.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- You've got around a bit, haven't you? - Yeah.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28- I married someone from the south.- Yeah.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33- And when did you come to Torquay?- I bought a holiday home ten years ago.
0:31:33 > 0:31:38- Yeah.- And I've been visiting ever since and I heard the other day that the Flog It was on...- Yeah.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41And I decided to travel down yesterday so I could come today.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Good girl. So, you're not a Devonian, you're an interloper!
0:31:44 > 0:31:45Yes, I am afraid.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50- Where's this from?- This was given to me on my 18th birthday by my mother.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52- Not long ago.- Not long ago, no.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54- Yeah.- Doesn't seem it.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57And I wore it a lot, when I was given it, to dances.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01I asked my mother whether it was emeralds because emerald was my birthstone.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- That would be nice, wouldn't it?- But she said she couldn't afford that.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- Yeah.- So, we thought it was peridot.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10- Peridot.- Yes, peridot.- Yeah.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14And that's what I've always assumed they were, yes.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Well, I think this was made round about 1890, 1900
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- and I think it's lovely. - Yeah, it is pretty.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24I cheated a little bit because before I looked at it
0:32:24 > 0:32:27I got one of my colleagues, who's a jewellery expert,
0:32:27 > 0:32:31to look at the stones and she tells me that they're not peridots,
0:32:31 > 0:32:32but they're in fact glass.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34That's a bit disappointing, isn't it?
0:32:34 > 0:32:38- Well, a little bit, yes.- But... - I enjoyed wearing it though, so...
0:32:38 > 0:32:42There's two things about looking at that automatically that I would question.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47- The first thing is have you noticed that little, little circle loop just on the bottom there?- Yeah.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50- Well, that would have had a dropper on the bottom.- Yeah.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52- So, it's incomplete from there. - Yeah.
0:32:52 > 0:32:58- And the other thing that really amazes me is that you said you used to wear this often.- Yes, I did.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Well, does it not... Do you not think that's just for a very, very small neck?
0:33:02 > 0:33:08- I was very slim and I had a tiny neck.- Because, I mean, that is just... It's almost...
0:33:08 > 0:33:13- It was like for a... I know, it was for a young girl, you see.- Well, I'm not sure it was for a young girl.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18- What I think has happened is that this chain has been reduced in length.- Yes, probably.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23- So, we come to the disappointing bit now.- Yeah.- Because as a...
0:33:23 > 0:33:28- As peridot and gold, it probably would have been £300 to £500.- Yes.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31I think now you're probably going to be looking at £100 to £150.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36It might go and make a little bit more because it's so decorative, but are you happy to sell it?
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Yes, I am, yes. She gave me quite a few things.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41- Really?- And some of them I wear.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44- Oh, that's good.- But I've never worn this now for about 30 years.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47- So, we're going to get it flogged, are we?- Yes.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50What are you going to spend the money on? The trip back to Essex!
0:33:50 > 0:33:54- Coming back and forward to Devon! - Well, you've got to come back now to the auction, haven't you?
0:33:54 > 0:33:58- Yes, I have, yes. - Right, fingers crossed it'll do well.- Thank you very much.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06- Jennifer.- Yes.
0:34:06 > 0:34:12My friends will laugh when they see this because I'm the most unmusical person in the world, I'm afraid,
0:34:12 > 0:34:17but I do know that it's a euphonium and we know, too, don't we,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20- that it was made by Boosey & Co?- Yes.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Who are well-known makers of musical instruments.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28- Yes.- And indeed publishers of sheet music.- Yes.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33This must have been manufactured before Boosey became Boosey & Hawkes.
0:34:33 > 0:34:39- Yeah, we've traced the serial number back to 1920.- 1920. OK, that's good.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43- It has, as it tells us here, compensating pistons.- Right.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Which is just an extra sophistication
0:34:45 > 0:34:48which makes it just that little bit more interesting.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53But I must say, I think its value really lies in the fact that it's a bit of fun.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57I mean, there will be people who will be interested in buying this as a musical instrument.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00- It has a sort of sculptural quality, doesn't it?- Yes, it does, yeah.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04- It's quite pretty.- Have you ever played it yourself?- No.- No.
0:35:04 > 0:35:05I'm not sure I'd have enough puff.
0:35:05 > 0:35:11If Charlie Ross were here, sadly he isn't today, he would undoubtedly play it or at least try to play it.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15- Try to!- And he would scare everyone off. He would very quickly clear the room.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18- But it would be rather fun to hear someone play it.- Yes.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20- I'm not going to do it and obviously you're not.- No.
0:35:20 > 0:35:25- How did you come by it? - Well, my husband's younger sister used to be in a brass band.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29She plays the trombone, but they needed a euphonium player
0:35:29 > 0:35:32and I'm not quite sure how compatible they are,
0:35:32 > 0:35:36- but she used to play it in the brass band.- And why...
0:35:36 > 0:35:38Why do you want to be rid of it?
0:35:38 > 0:35:42Well, it's just taking up space that we haven't got at the moment,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45nobody uses it, so it needs to go to a good home.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50- Now, in my view, this is going to make between 60 and £100.- Right.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54I think it will be sold, actually, to someone who will use it,
0:35:54 > 0:35:58perhaps someone who has a son or a daughter who wants to learn to play the euphonium.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02There is a possibility that someone will buy it, you know,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05- as a bit of a joke really to show off to their friends.- Yes.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10I'm tempted to think in terms of turning it upside down and putting flowers in it,
0:36:10 > 0:36:14- but that's probably stretching one's imagination just a little bit too far.- Yes.
0:36:14 > 0:36:19- So, if we went ahead at 60 to £100 with a reserve of £50? - Yeah, that would be fine.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21- You'd be happy with that, would you? - Yes, yeah.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25OK, well, we'll do our best for you, and perhaps when it gets to the sale room,
0:36:25 > 0:36:29- there'll be someone there who can play it for us.- That's it, yeah, to see if it works.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Margaret, how are you doing?
0:36:35 > 0:36:38- I'm very well, thank you.- Very well.
0:36:38 > 0:36:39That is not a local accent, is it?
0:36:39 > 0:36:41- I'm from Glasgow.- Glasgow. - Originally from Glasgow.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44- I moved down here when I got married.- You got married.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Got married to Alec in 1962. How long ago was that?
0:36:47 > 0:36:50- Oh, don't go there, don't go there. - I can't remember.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52And what... And what did he do?
0:36:52 > 0:36:56- First of all, we moved down here, he was in the building trade.- Yeah.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01Then he, many years after the building trade, he self-taught himself to dive.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05- Really?- Three of them went out... - They were professional divers?
0:37:05 > 0:37:08- Professional diving. - And what was that for, for shellfish?
0:37:08 > 0:37:12Shellfish, scallops, crayfish, big lobsters and they made a really good living.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17- What about sunken treasure? Did he ever find any sunken treasure? - Oh, they found loads of stuff.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20So this, presumably, is from one of his expeditions?
0:37:20 > 0:37:23It was. He was diving and...
0:37:23 > 0:37:26It's unbelievable, a glint of the sun through the water
0:37:26 > 0:37:33- and a corner, just a corner of that, was on the seabed.- Right.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37And he scooped it away and there it was and he brought it up,
0:37:37 > 0:37:41and 30-odd years I've had it now, we've had it.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Where did he find it, then? Was he diving off the coast here?
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Off the coast of Torbay, way out.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48So, we've got here a brass plaque.
0:37:48 > 0:37:53- Yes.- OK, and it's got 355. I'm not sure what...- I don't know. - Not sure what that's all about.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55- No.- Palmers.- Palmers shipbuilding.
0:37:55 > 0:38:00- Shipbuilding & Iron Company Limited.- Newcastle upon Tyne.- 1877.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02- Yes.- So...
0:38:02 > 0:38:05And presumably this is your research?
0:38:05 > 0:38:09- Yes. I wrote to Palmers. - Yeah, who don't exist.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14Well, I didn't know that. And then, months after, I got this letter
0:38:14 > 0:38:19saying they'd passed the Palmers letter to Vickers shipbuilding.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23- Yeah.- And the chief Admiral, whatever he's called, sent me this letter.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26I think he's the chief architect, my love! He's not an admiral!
0:38:26 > 0:38:28- Oh, whatever. - You've promoted him well!
0:38:28 > 0:38:32And then they sent me this print of the ships they use to build.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34- So, if we just look at this here. - Yes.
0:38:34 > 0:38:40- He says, "I am interested to hear of your husband's find and would like to know more about it."- Yeah.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44- "Was there any indication as to the vessel from which the plate could have come?"- No.
0:38:44 > 0:38:51"Palmers started building ships in 1852 and had built some 350 by 1877."
0:38:51 > 0:38:56- Having looked at that, we've got 1877 here.- Yeah.
0:38:56 > 0:39:02- I wonder if that 355 is, perhaps that's the 355th ship they built. - It might be. I've no idea.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05I think at auction with this information allied to it,
0:39:05 > 0:39:09and I think it would be good to give that with it.
0:39:09 > 0:39:14- Yeah, you can.- I think we can put a cautious estimate of, sort of, 80 to £120 on it.- Right.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16- We'll put a reserve on it of £60. - Right.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20- I have sold a name plaque from a ship for the thick end of £1,000.- Yeah.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23So, it wouldn't surprise me if this really did take off,
0:39:23 > 0:39:27- but I think the fact that it's sort of lower down the level... - Yes, yes, that's fine.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31- It might be of interest to somebody. - Yeah. Why do you want to sell it?
0:39:31 > 0:39:33- I don't want it.- You don't want it?- I don't want it, no.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35What will you do with £100 if it makes it?
0:39:35 > 0:39:38- I don't know. Spend it. Spend it!- On that note...- Spend it!
0:39:38 > 0:39:42- Let's put it in the auction and spend it, shall we?- Yes, spend it!
0:39:42 > 0:39:43- Well done, you.- What the heck.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50- Hello, Heather.- Hello, David. - I love this.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53We have two for the price of one.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55If you like pocket watches, there's a pocket watch.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58If you like wristwatches, there's a wristwatch.
0:39:58 > 0:39:59Tell me a bit about it.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03Well, I inherited it from my mother, who in turn
0:40:03 > 0:40:08- got it from her great-aunt Julia who always wore quality jewellery.- Right.
0:40:08 > 0:40:13So it came as the two pieces, but my mother used to wear that piece
0:40:13 > 0:40:19just on a gold bow as a brooch that she used to wear most times that she went shopping.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21- So she used it every day?- Yeah.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24I think what's happened here is that,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27conscious of the fact that pocket watches
0:40:27 > 0:40:29were going out of fashion,
0:40:29 > 0:40:35somebody has made this bracelet mount to match the pocket watch.
0:40:35 > 0:40:40Pocket watches became unfashionable at the end of the 19th century.
0:40:40 > 0:40:48- The pocket watch is in an 18-carat gold case, which is French.- Yes.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52The movement is Swiss and the dial is enamel.
0:40:52 > 0:41:01The bracelet itself is English, marked 18-carat, and the two have
0:41:01 > 0:41:06been, as I say, married together to the extent that the detail here...
0:41:06 > 0:41:07the winder and the loop...
0:41:07 > 0:41:11have actually been copied on the mount, which I think is fascinating.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14So the whole thing is symmetrical.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19- Why do you want to sell it? - Well, in this day and age, you can't really wear it.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23It's not suitable or practical, so I'd rather see it go to someone
0:41:23 > 0:41:25that could enjoy it and have the lifestyle...
0:41:25 > 0:41:28And you can buy yourself a nice, practical watch.
0:41:28 > 0:41:35- Well, I'd like to buy a nice piece of jewellery that I could wear every day.- Something that's wearable.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Wearable, quality and small.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39I quite agree. That's a lovely thought.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43I consider these together, and of course they should
0:41:43 > 0:41:48be sold as one lot, to have a value in the region of £200 to £300.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52- Right.- I would suggest a reserve of just under £200.- That would be fine.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55- Say 180.- That would be fine.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Here on the South Devon coast, just along the shoreline from Torquay,
0:42:17 > 0:42:22is the Babbacombe Cliff Railway which was built in 1926.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26The need for this funicular railway grew out of Torquay's booming tourist industry
0:42:26 > 0:42:31as visitors flocked to enjoy the town's beaches and holiday attractions.
0:42:31 > 0:42:38This railway starts at the top of the cliff here and goes all the way down the bottom to Oddicombe Beach,
0:42:38 > 0:42:43and Oddicombe is one of the most popular beaches in Torquay.
0:42:47 > 0:42:52There are only 27 cliff railways in the United Kingdom.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55The one here at Babbacombe is one of only two in Devon.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58The other is at Linton, on the north coast.
0:42:58 > 0:43:03Now the Babbacombe Cliff Railway has recently broken new ground because it's the first cliff railway
0:43:03 > 0:43:09to be fully modernised in the last decade, making way for others to follow in its wake.
0:43:11 > 0:43:16I'm here to meet a chap who's a massive fan of funicular railways and he's responsible
0:43:16 > 0:43:19for modernising this one and his name's David Cooper.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Hi, pleased to meet you, and thanks for talking to me today.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24How did you get involved with the Babbacombe Railway?
0:43:24 > 0:43:28I got a phone call in 2003 to say there'd been an incident down here
0:43:28 > 0:43:31and they needed a chartered engineer to inspect it,
0:43:31 > 0:43:33and then I've been involved ever since.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36This particular cliff railway is called a funicular railway.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38They're not all called that, and what does it mean?
0:43:38 > 0:43:45- Well "funicular" in two terms is actually a Latin word and it means "of rope".- Right.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48And so even an ordinary traditional lift is a funicular.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Many people think it's because they're inclined, but that's not the case.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55There's various different types. Over at Padstow there's a rack and pinion one,
0:43:55 > 0:43:59the one you've already mentioned at Linton is a water-balance one,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02no electricity involved in that one at all, and some are drum-drive,
0:44:02 > 0:44:05so just like a crane and the ropes go round the drum.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Well, let's get down to the nitty-gritty.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10Can you explain to the layman, like me, exactly how this one works?
0:44:10 > 0:44:15Yes. This is an electrical traction one, so we've got a motor downstairs
0:44:15 > 0:44:19so we need to go down into the depths below the station and I'll show you how it all works.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22- Brilliant! Follow you.- Thank you.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Although the principal design hasn't changed since the 1920s
0:44:26 > 0:44:31the motor has been replaced to make it safer and more energy-efficient.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40I'm quite surprised, because it's a small engine. Is this it?
0:44:40 > 0:44:42This is it.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45Most of the stuff goes on outside on the track in terms of signalling.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48So talk me through how the separate components work.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52OK. This is the motor and it takes signals from the track,
0:44:52 > 0:44:56from the position switches and the encoder on the end of the motor here
0:44:56 > 0:44:58and that controls the speed of the lift.
0:44:58 > 0:45:03It accelerates it to make its speed and then it decelerates it into the station.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07This here is the brake and the brake holds the lift when it's in a station.
0:45:07 > 0:45:12The motor drives it to a stop and the brake holds it, just like a parking brake, or handbrake on your car.
0:45:12 > 0:45:13Yeah.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18Down here we have the gearbox and what that does is that takes this high-speed shaft which is rotating
0:45:18 > 0:45:23at 1,100 revs per minute and gears it down.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27It literally is just a gearbox and that in turn turns the traction tube over there.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30I can see that... Which drives that wheel as well.
0:45:30 > 0:45:35Indeed, through a double-wrap arrangement, then go up to the diverters and then out to the track.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37- Yeah.- To the end of the cars.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39Very simple. Very, very simple.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41I was expecting so much more!
0:45:41 > 0:45:44Well, if you think about it as well, with an ordinary passenger lift,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47the whole of the weight is taken by the gearbox and the motor
0:45:47 > 0:45:49whereas here, cos we're on an angle,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52a lot of the weight is taken downwards into the ground
0:45:52 > 0:45:56so, therefore, it's not as big as you might have been expecting.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59But it wasn't just the motor that was modernised.
0:45:59 > 0:46:04From 2005, David and his team also replaced the carriages and the track.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07So you actually oversaw all the restoration project.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10- How long did it take?- It took us two years, over two seasons.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13We took it out for the first season, then put it back in
0:46:13 > 0:46:16and then completed the works during the closed season.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19I see, so you kept it open all the time over the two years?
0:46:19 > 0:46:23During the summer, during the season when Torbay required it to be open.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26And what was the reception like? Was it a really nice opening party?
0:46:26 > 0:46:28Yeah. On...
0:46:28 > 0:46:31It was the 1st of April 2006, we all met here
0:46:31 > 0:46:36and we replicated the opening from the 1st of April 1926,
0:46:36 > 0:46:41so it was 80 years and in fact one of the ladies who rode on the lift car on that first date was here!
0:46:41 > 0:46:45Oh, brilliant! How lovely! Well, I can't wait to have another go.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47- Shall we get inside? - Yep, let's go and have a play.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55So how many people can fit in the carriage?
0:46:55 > 0:46:57This is a forty-person carriage.
0:46:57 > 0:47:02- Actually, it's quite a smooth ride, really, isn't it? How fast does it go?- Two and a half metres a second.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04And what sort of angle are we going down at?
0:47:04 > 0:47:07The incline is actually 22 degrees on this one.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10It looks steeper when you look in reverse, actually!
0:47:10 > 0:47:13- A trick of the eye!- Yeah.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16What a fantastic view!
0:47:19 > 0:47:23- This has got to be a great way of coming down the cliff!- Absolutely!
0:47:23 > 0:47:25There's obviously another operative, in here, yeah?
0:47:25 > 0:47:30Yes, we have two down here, we have a person operating the doors and a person taking your money!
0:47:30 > 0:47:34- Oh, right! We pay at this end?- You do!
0:47:38 > 0:47:41Lovely sea air!
0:47:41 > 0:47:44Gorgeous, gorgeous beach!
0:47:44 > 0:47:47I can see why it's important to keep this open.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50It's an absolutely stunning beach and it does get quite full.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54They sometimes see 100,000 people a year down here, but in its heyday -
0:47:54 > 0:47:58obviously the British holiday seasons back in the '50s and '60s -
0:47:58 > 0:48:01- it was regularly seeing a quarter of a million people down here.- Yeah.
0:48:01 > 0:48:07When you're up at the top, you know the flags are sort of blowing in a breeze up there and you think,
0:48:07 > 0:48:10- ooh, it's going to be quite gusty down here, but it's not at all, is it?- No, far from it.
0:48:10 > 0:48:15Because it's so enclosed with all this sandstone, it has its own little microclimate down there.
0:48:15 > 0:48:20Do you have to alert people on the beach because... When do they know it's the last car?
0:48:20 > 0:48:22What actually happens down here is we have a bell.
0:48:22 > 0:48:27- I saw that. A ship's bell? - It's an old ship's bell from a ship called Talca.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29Well, it's now quarter to five.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33- In that case, you may as well ring the bell.- Shall we? - Absolutely!- Let's alert them.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35This is like last orders, isn't it?
0:48:36 > 0:48:39- Give it a good old go. - Give it a good old go.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41BELL RINGS
0:48:45 > 0:48:47No time to build a sandcastle!
0:48:47 > 0:48:52Here's a quick reminder of what's heading off to auction.
0:48:56 > 0:49:01Lynn is hoping she'll be lucky and find a golden price for her necklace.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05My friends will laugh when they see this because I'm the most unmusical person in the world.
0:49:05 > 0:49:11David makes an admission, but can Jennifer's euphonium blow the buyers away in the saleroom?
0:49:11 > 0:49:14And finally, will the bidders fall for Heather's gold pocket watch,
0:49:14 > 0:49:17which David thinks is a real bargain?
0:49:21 > 0:49:25Will it be anchors aweigh for Margaret's brass plaque?
0:49:26 > 0:49:29But before it goes under the hammer I found a few minutes
0:49:29 > 0:49:33to sit down with Anthony, who's done a bit more research for us.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36There's a lovely story we've uncovered here, Anthony.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39It belongs to Margaret, this brass plaque.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42Now, her husband, whilst diving off Torquay, found this on the seabed
0:49:42 > 0:49:45and we've got a value of £80 to £120 put on this.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47- 80 to 120? Yes. - A bit of a come and buy me.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51It doesn't sound a lot, does it, for a piece of maritime history?
0:49:51 > 0:49:57I think the added interest to this, not only do we know which vessel it came from,
0:49:57 > 0:50:02but the company itself has a lot of history and it was sold in 1933,
0:50:02 > 0:50:05sold on and then closed down, subsequently.
0:50:05 > 0:50:11And the closing of this company was credited as part of the reason for the Jarrow March
0:50:11 > 0:50:14because so many people were made redundant at the time.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16Surely, we've got to do a lot more than 80 to 120.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Has there been much interest?
0:50:18 > 0:50:21We've had a bit of interest in it, certainly. And I...
0:50:21 > 0:50:24My initial reaction when I saw it was probably 200 to 300,
0:50:24 > 0:50:28something like that, but I think it will do even better than that.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32- Oh, thanks, Anthony. Well, this is certainly the one to watch later on in the show.- Indeed.
0:50:32 > 0:50:36That item could do really well, but before we see it auctioned off,
0:50:36 > 0:50:40let's see how we get on with the gold pocket watch.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42Heather, this is a super item. I know it was your mum's.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45It's the watch mounted into the bracelet, and she wore it a lot.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49We've got £200 to £300 on this, put on by David, our expert.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51It's rare and it's unusual.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53- Yes.- I can understand why you want to sell it.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55It's not that practical, is it?
0:50:55 > 0:50:58It's not practical but it's gorgeous.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Your mother used to wear this as a brooch.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03Yes, most days she'd wear it on a suit...
0:51:03 > 0:51:05- Oh, bless.- ..and she loved it.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09You could wear it either way, showing the clock or showing the back with the scrolling.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12She had real style, then, didn't she? Oh, I could just imagine it.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15- It is a good piece. - Yeah, absolutely. I love it.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18Well, let's find out what the bidders think. Here we go.
0:51:18 > 0:51:23It's a ladies' 18-carat-gold, cased, half-hunter keyless pocket watch.
0:51:23 > 0:51:28I'm bid £200 for it exactly.
0:51:28 > 0:51:35- Straight in. - 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38At £270. 280, 290.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41At 290, still in the room.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45300. And 10. Against you seated.
0:51:45 > 0:51:58320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 390, £400, and 10.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00At £410 now.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03Bidding's standing at £410.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07Last chance, then. All done at 410?
0:52:08 > 0:52:09That's a good sound.
0:52:09 > 0:52:13- A solid whack of the old gavel.- I didn't expect to get that much.
0:52:13 > 0:52:19I thought I'd get maybe a couple of hundred and I'd buy some Premium Bonds. It's something I've never had.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Well, treat yourself. Treat yourself, pamper yourself to a nice
0:52:22 > 0:52:24- little long-weekend break. - That'd be lovely.
0:52:30 > 0:52:35We're just about to sell Lynn's necklace and she's had it in a drawer for an awful long time
0:52:35 > 0:52:38- and you were given this when you were 18 years old.- That's right.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40- Gosh.- A long... No, not long...
0:52:40 > 0:52:46Not that long ago, was it? No, no, not really. I know we're looking for £100 plus, aren't we?
0:52:46 > 0:52:50It would be nice if it broke through that barrier. It just depends what people think it is, doesn't it?
0:52:50 > 0:52:52Yes, yeah. Why do you want to sell it now?
0:52:52 > 0:52:54- I know it's been tucked away in a drawer.- Yes.
0:52:54 > 0:53:00- Well, it won't really fit. It won't fit me any more. It's a very small chain.- OK.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03- And it's really for a Victorian maiden, probably...- Yeah.
0:53:03 > 0:53:07- Who had a slender neck. - It's late 1800s, isn't it?- Yes.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09But it is lovely. I like this.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12We need a lady with a slender neck in the saleroom.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14Let's hope there's plenty out there.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17- It sounds like a giraffe. - It does actually, doesn't it?
0:53:17 > 0:53:19Here we go, let's find out what it's worth.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Next is lot 506.
0:53:21 > 0:53:26It's a green paste set necklace in its box and I'm bid £110 for it.
0:53:26 > 0:53:27- Straight in. It's gone.- 120.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30- 130. 140. 150.- And there's more.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32- 150. 160. 170.- I can't believe it.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34- 180.- It's still going.- 180 now.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37At £180. I'll take five if you like?
0:53:37 > 0:53:40All done at £180.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42- 180!- Top job.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45There was, wasn't it?
0:53:45 > 0:53:47How about that? That's very good.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50- Yeah. I wasn't quite expecting that, really.- No, nor was I, actually.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54What a great result and I know that's covered all of Lynn's travel costs today,
0:53:54 > 0:53:57- because you've come down from Essex to see us.- Yes.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59Well, have a safe trip back as well, won't you?
0:53:59 > 0:54:02And it's been worth every moment seeing my favourite men.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04Ah!
0:54:04 > 0:54:06£70.
0:54:08 > 0:54:09In the room at 300.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14And now something for all you brass-band enthusiasts.
0:54:14 > 0:54:21We've got a euphonium, belonging to Jennifer here, with a value of 60 to £100 put on by our expert, David.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24Now, it's made by Boosey before they joined with Hawkes, isn't it?
0:54:24 > 0:54:26- Yes, it is. - I like the sound of brass bands.
0:54:26 > 0:54:30I think they are great. There's not too many down south, unfortunately.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33- No, not that I'm aware of. - Which is a shame, isn't it, really?
0:54:33 > 0:54:35- Yes.- But it's a good thing, though. Good thing.- I liked it, yes.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37The condition is there as well, so hopefully...
0:54:37 > 0:54:41Hopefully there's some brass bands in Plymouth and they might just want a euphonium.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43We're going to find out right now.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47Next is lot 152 which is a plated euphonium.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49There it is. And £40 starts that.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53At £40. At 40. Two anywhere? At 42. Five. Eight. 50.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55- Two. In front there.- That's good.
0:54:55 > 0:55:00£52. I'll take five now. 55. 58.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03At £58 in front.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06All out before. At £58 I'll sell it.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09- £58.- Good. - And the money is going to your son?
0:55:09 > 0:55:11Son, yeah. He's just turned 17
0:55:11 > 0:55:15and he wants this, that and the other for his guitars, so...
0:55:15 > 0:55:17- It costs a fortune! - I wish him luck, I wish him luck.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19- Is he playing in a band?- Not yet.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23Him and his brother are trying to get one together, so they're working on it.
0:55:23 > 0:55:24That's the fun of it, isn't it?
0:55:24 > 0:55:27You can't really play a euphonium in a rock band, can you?
0:55:27 > 0:55:28No, it doesn't quite fit.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36You know, I think you're brass ship's plaque is going to cause
0:55:36 > 0:55:39- a right old stir, Margaret, I really do.- Good.
0:55:39 > 0:55:4180 to 120, Philip's put on this.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45A bit of a come and buy me. But I had a chat to the auctioneer
0:55:45 > 0:55:48and we thought two to three, possibly more, even.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51I said on the valuation day, I've sold something like this before that's made £1,000.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55- But, yeah, it's a difficult thing to put a price on.- Yes.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58- But, look, let's hope... - Well, we all live in hope.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01- ..it just flies away. That's what auctions are all about.- Absolutely.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04- That's what auctions are all about. - Well, it establishes the value.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08Yeah, and if two people really want it they'll pay over the market value for it.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11Well, let's hope it goes and I can go and spend, spend, spend!
0:56:11 > 0:56:13Next lot is lot 113.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17It's the brass nameplate for Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Company.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19There it is up on the wall.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23Several bids for it. I'm bid £180 to start it.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27At £180 against the room. 190. 200.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29- And 10. 220. 230 now.- That's good.
0:56:29 > 0:56:35240. 250. 260. 270. 280. 290.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38- 300. And 20. 340.- Now we're flying.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41360. 380. 400. At £400.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Any more in the room at 400?
0:56:44 > 0:56:48And 20. 440. 460. 480.
0:56:48 > 0:56:53500. And 20. 540. 560. 580. 600.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56I was going to throw that out.
0:56:56 > 0:57:02And 20. 640. 660. 680. 700?
0:57:02 > 0:57:05- 750, if you like?- 750?- 780.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10- This way.- At 780.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13800 now. And 20. 850.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15- 850!- 880.- Wait a minute, get a seat!
0:57:15 > 0:57:18900. And 50.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20At £950.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23I'm... I'm flabbergasted.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25- £1,100.- 1,100?
0:57:25 > 0:57:28- 1,100, yes.- Oh, I feel sick.
0:57:28 > 0:57:311,200.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34At £1,200 then, last chance.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37Are you all done then at 1,200?
0:57:37 > 0:57:40- £1,200.- Yes!
0:57:40 > 0:57:42- Where's Margaret gone? - I can't believe it.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44Come back here, Margaret!
0:57:44 > 0:57:46- Back here. Come back here. - I can't believe it.
0:57:46 > 0:57:47Gosh, what an exciting moment.
0:57:47 > 0:57:51- That's what auctions are all about. - I was going to throw it in the bin!
0:57:51 > 0:57:54Come back here, Margaret! £1,200.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57- Good job I didn't throw it in the bin.- It was, wasn't it?
0:57:57 > 0:57:59Mmm. Philip, thank you.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02Don't thank me, I sort of got it wrong, didn't I?
0:58:02 > 0:58:04- You did. You got it wrong. - It was a come and buy me.
0:58:04 > 0:58:09- There's commission to pay, don't forget.- But I'll still come out with a few bob.
0:58:09 > 0:58:14What a lovely moment and what a fantastic end to our day here in Plymouth.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16- I hope you've enjoyed the show. - My friend said...
0:58:16 > 0:58:23My friends have said I wouldn't dream of kissing these men but I will...
0:58:23 > 0:58:25I hope you've enjoyed today's show.
0:58:25 > 0:58:29- Kiss them.- Please join us again soon for many more surprises on Flog It!
0:58:29 > 0:58:31Thank you. Goodbye!
0:58:38 > 0:58:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd