0:00:03 > 0:00:06What do an African prince, '60s musicians and carpets -
0:00:06 > 0:00:09yes, I said carpets - have in common? It's not a joke, believe me.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13It's the Worcestershire town of Kidderminster. Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Lying in the district of the Wyre forest
0:00:38 > 0:00:41and surrounded by beautiful, stunning countryside,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Kidderminster has long been famous for its carpet production.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46But that's not its only claim to fame.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48It's also where the inventor of the Penny Black
0:00:48 > 0:00:51and the modern postal system was born.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53And the claim to fame doesn't stop there,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56because today we're at Kidderminster Town Hall and back in the 1960s,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59the stage here played host to many great rock acts,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01including The Rolling Stones, The Who,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Tom Jones, Cilla Black, Donovan and of course, The Kinks.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07But today, we don't have anybody that musically famous,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10but we do have two dedicated followers of fashion -
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Kate Bliss and Mr Philip Serrell.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15- You don't want to sell it?- No. - Right, you can clear off, then!
0:01:15 > 0:01:16LAUGHTER
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Philip now runs his own auction house in Malvern
0:01:18 > 0:01:20but got his start in the trade when he took up
0:01:20 > 0:01:23the post of trainee auctioneer at Worcester Livestock Market.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27- They normally make 10 to 15,000. - You're joking! Don't joke!
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Hello!
0:01:32 > 0:01:35The daughter of an auctioneer, Kate has been a regular fixture
0:01:35 > 0:01:38at her dad's sales since she was a toddler, which shows
0:01:38 > 0:01:41you're never too young to start in the business.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43This is yours, is it?
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Well it is now 9.30.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48It's time to get the doors open and make a bit of history for ourselves.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Come on, everybody, let's go in!
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And what a Flog It! we've got today for you.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00The former Mayor and Mayoress of Kidderminster,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02come along to the valuation day with a Worcester vase
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and reminisce about how they met.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10We met here, actually, in the town hall, 1966.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11And then there's Stephanie,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14who wants to sell her grandfather's clockwork toys.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17My grandad, from 1897, remembered them.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20That's great, that you can remember that far back.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24- I can't remember to 1897!- No!
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Later, we'll find out if our owners were right to flog it.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Yes, hammer's gone down!
0:02:31 > 0:02:32- I'm happy, are you happy?- Yes.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38I don't know if I can stand the tension. I'm going to fall over.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40And that's all to come. But right now,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Philip's valuing a Worcester vase that's been brought in
0:02:43 > 0:02:45by Nigel and Jenny with a special reason -
0:02:45 > 0:02:47to be nostalgic about our venue.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51- Married 40 years next year.- Ronnie Biggs didn't get that long, did he?
0:02:51 > 0:02:57- No.- No, but it's a joy.- It's a joy? What a man, eh? What a testament!
0:02:57 > 0:03:00- We met here, actually, in the town hall.- What was that at, then?
0:03:00 > 0:03:03- They used to have the groups... - Concerts, probably Tom Jones.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06- ..The Who...- Manfred Mann, The Who, The Rolling Stones twice here.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09- Yeah.- They couldn't afford the Beatles, they were 1,200 quid.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13- Really?- But the Stones were about 800.- So you know all this.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14- Local historian?- Yeah.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- Definitely. Very passionate about Kidderminster?- Absolutely.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20I was the Mayor of Kidderminster and Jenny was the Mayoress.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23So you're real Worcester people, real Worcestershire.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27- I was born in Worcester, yeah.- Yeah, yeah.- Well, that's really quite appropriate, isn't it?- It is.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- Because you know where this was made?- Yes, yes.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33- How long have you owned it? - I've owned it since 1998.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35My father inherited it from his mother
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and then I've inherited it from my father.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- So why do you want to sell it? - Well, I've got lots of other pieces.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Of Worcester? - Yes, of Worcester as well.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47I had to get a cabinet to put all the stuff in.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49I thought cabinets having filled with stuff like this was
0:03:49 > 0:03:51old-fashioned, of course.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53So you're starting to be old-fashioned now, are you?
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- Well...- He's shaking his head over here! - It's true. I mean, we've got...
0:03:56 > 0:03:59That's not very politically correct, is it?
0:03:59 > 0:04:01I know, but we've a cabinet filled with this stuff
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and I don't even know what's in there.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- Well, this is a piece of Worcester. - Yes.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09And really, in the 20th century, Worcester was renowned
0:04:09 > 0:04:12for its hand-painted wares
0:04:12 > 0:04:15and they were the great exponents of the day, really were.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19You have the Worcester vase with sheep, that's Harry Davies
0:04:19 > 0:04:23and the Worcester vase with cattle, that's Stinton.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25And if you get a Worcester vase with blackberries on it,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28it's by Kitty Blake and if we spin that round, there indeed,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30that's her signature - K Blake -
0:04:30 > 0:04:35- and Kitty Blake painted blackberries and autumn leaves.- It's beautiful.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40It's lovely, it's really lovely. And it's quite simple.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42- If you look at those circles and dots just there...- Yes...
0:04:44 > 0:04:49That's just a date code and that tells us that this was made in 1937.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50Oh, right. Very good.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54In terms of value, I mean, these are fairly standard pots
0:04:54 > 0:04:58and you can put an estimate on that of £80 - £120.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00You can put a reserve on it of £60.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03If you have a good day, it might make £150.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06If you have a real good day, it might make a little bit more.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10- Let's hope it goes really, really well for you.- All right, thank you.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11Yes, fingers crossed.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Now, we get a wide variety of pottery and porcelain
0:05:14 > 0:05:17through our doors on valuation days but we also get unusual items
0:05:17 > 0:05:21such as the shepherd's smock that Andrew has brought in.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24So, tell me its life story and how did you get your hands on this?
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Well, going back to the mid-1940s, when I was a young lad,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31my mother used to wear it at fancy dress parties
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- at the Women's Institute.- Did she? Where did she get it from?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Well, I believe she got it from her mother because my grandparents,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40her mother and father, came from Bromsgrove round here,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44and they did tie up some with some land. I believe it was at Cookley.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Right. Presumably this was made then in the 1920s?
0:05:47 > 0:05:49It would correlate with your three generations going back...
0:05:49 > 0:05:51- Possibly, yes.- ..when it was made.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53And it's been beautifully hand stitched.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57It's 100% cotton. I don't think it's ever been worn in the field.
0:05:57 > 0:05:58I don't think so.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00But it has been made for a man.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04I can't believe that farmers and shepherds
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- would have worn something like this, I really can't.- Nor me!
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- Look, look at this. - It does suit you!
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Does it suit me? Well, I don't know.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15I can't see you going down the high street in it!
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- I'd get arrested, wouldn't I? - Yes.- It's fantastic.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Even the cuffs, when you turn them back,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25look at that - little tiny doily motifs.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- All the buttons have been handmade. - Yes, beautiful.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32I find this incredibly hard to value. I'm not an expert on textiles
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and I've asked a few of my colleagues here
0:06:35 > 0:06:38and we've come up with a figure of £80 - £120.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42- Yes, that seems reasonable. - Put a reserve on it of £80.- Yes.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44- Because it's worth every penny of that.- I'm sure it is.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48I think it belongs in a bygone museum, a local, small museum,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50where young children can sort of see
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- and appreciate what shepherds would have worn.- Yeah.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Thank you so much for bringing this in
0:06:56 > 0:07:00because it's put a smile on my face. I think it's wonderful.
0:07:00 > 0:07:01So, hopefully we'll find a new home
0:07:01 > 0:07:03for Andrew's mother's fancy dress outfit.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05While over at Kate's table,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Ruth's hoping to find a new home for her father's toys.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12We've got our very own war game going on here. Beautifully set out.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Tell me about this lovely collection.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16It was bought for my father by my grandfather.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19It's just been in the attic for quite a long time
0:07:19 > 0:07:21so I thought I'd bring it along today to show you.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24So, tell me a little bit about your grandfather.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25Did he fight in the world war?
0:07:25 > 0:07:27He was in the First World War
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and he did get shot in the First World War, too. He survived.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Luckily, he had a prayer book with him.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- And this is exactly what we've got here.- Exactly.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37This is just incredible, isn't it?
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- Presumably he was wearing this at the time?- Yes.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44And this is his catechism, his catechism of Christian doctrine,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47and this is the actual bullet hole?
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Yes, that's right.- That incredible, isn't it?- Yes, it is.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52So it's a case of really, literally,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55a Christian doctrine or a Christian faith saving his life.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57- Absolutely.- Just incredible!
0:07:57 > 0:07:59So, what about the toy soldiers?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Do you know anything about them particularly,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03about the maker, or when they were produced?
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I believe they're made in England but they are American soldiers.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08They are, which is quite interesting, isn't it?
0:08:08 > 0:08:12The fact that an English toy manufacturer is producing
0:08:12 > 0:08:15things for the American market, if you like.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17The manufacturer, you've got the box here,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21so you can see quite clearly, is Timpo Toys.
0:08:21 > 0:08:27Timpo started production of lead models like this in 1949.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30It was a hollow cast production, that was the method,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34and we can see on this soldier here, who has sadly copped it,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37that they are indeed hollow.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40He's lost his head, so you can see right inside there.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42But the use of lead stopped in the 1950s,
0:08:42 > 0:08:47in 1956, and really paved the way for a huge range of
0:08:47 > 0:08:51plastic models which are still produced today, I believe.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54And you've got a great little collection here.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59They were produced and sold in boxed sets, just like this one here,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01usually have six or more
0:09:01 > 0:09:04and I particularly like this little unit,
0:09:04 > 0:09:05which is a unit in itself, isn't it?
0:09:05 > 0:09:09These three pieces - one piece, of course, is the mortar itself
0:09:09 > 0:09:12and then you've got the two figures that make up the mortar unit.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14That would have been sold as a little set.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17And then you've got lots of other different figures
0:09:17 > 0:09:19in their fighting stances.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23This one's called "firing standing," for instance.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25This chap, obviously "crawling."
0:09:25 > 0:09:27And I love the detail of the barbed wire.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29So, why are you looking to sell it,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31if it's something that's been passed down in your family?
0:09:31 > 0:09:34It has, yes, but it's been in an attic for quite a while
0:09:34 > 0:09:37so just to raise a little cash.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Well, I think what you've got here is a lovely little set.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Sold, I think, or to be offered as one lot.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Because of the condition, I'm going to bring it down a little bit,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50but the box will certainly help and I think we could say at auction,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54an estimate of £60 - £80 with a reserve, perhaps, of £50,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56so they don't go for less than that.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- Excellent. I'm quite surprised, thank you.- Are you?- Yeah.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01So obviously, you'll want to hold onto this book.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02Yes, I'd like to keep that one.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05I'm sure, because that's a story which shouldn't be
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- forgotten about, should it? - Thank you.- Thank you very much.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16- Sally, how are you, my love? All right?- Fine, thank you.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19- How long have you owned these? - About 10 years.- Why?
0:10:19 > 0:10:23My uncle died about 10 years ago and when we cleared the house,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- those three were in, so... - Did you like them?
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- I do like them, very much. - What appeals to you?
0:10:28 > 0:10:30I think the pattern on that one's really nice
0:10:30 > 0:10:32and I think that one, because it's so old.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36I vowed never, ever, ever to do this commemorative ware on Flog It!
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- Oh, right!- Ever, ever, ever.- Why? - I don't really like them.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41- They don't have great value.- No.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45They're just sort of mass produced little trinkets, really,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48but having said that, there's a reason why I've done these
0:10:48 > 0:10:50and what I think is lovely
0:10:50 > 0:10:54is that this one is Edward VIII, May 12th, 1937.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56- He never made it.- No.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00But what I think is just fun on the back, it's got "long may he reign!"
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- Bit of a Freudian slip there, isn't it?- Well it is, really, yes.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06You know, this is produced in Radfords in Stoke.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08People think this stuff is valuable
0:11:08 > 0:11:12- because Edward VIII never went to the throne.- That's what I thought.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- But of course, it's the next one that's valuable.- Oh, right.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Because no one knew that he wasn't going to make it,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21so they still produced tonnes of it, but they only had about six months
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- to get ready for the next lot, the Queen's father, George.- Right.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27And so his commemorative ware is, in a way, more collectable.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29I'm going to sell these as one lot.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32And this one appeals to me, as I say, because of King Edward VIII
0:11:32 > 0:11:36and "long may he reign." That sort of appeals to my sense of humour.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40This one, I think, is terrific. VR, as you know, is Victoria.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42It is 1897.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Now, she came to the throne in 1837,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48so this was the 60th anniversary of her ascension to the throne.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- I see, yes. - And what I love about this one
0:11:50 > 0:11:53is we've got Victoria, Queen and Empress.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Because in those days, of course, you had the British Empire.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- That's right.- And this one here, and I love this one again,
0:11:59 > 0:12:03this is for Edward VIII, but my showroom's in Malvern
0:12:03 > 0:12:07and a great visitor to Malvern, in the '30s era, I suppose,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10- was Dame Laura Knight.- Yes?
0:12:10 > 0:12:12And if ever an artist is flavour of the month at the moment,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14it's Dame Laura Knight.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17And we've got the unicorn, there, and on the bottom
0:12:17 > 0:12:21we can see that this is designed and modelled by Dame Laura Knight.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25So, I'm going to suggest that you put an estimate of these of £20-£40.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29- Right.- And we'll put a fixed reserve of £15.- Yes.
0:12:29 > 0:12:35- I have seen this mug alone priced at between £40 and £60.- Right.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39And I think it's a real collector's piece and that's where our money is.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44- Yes.- So it's buy one...- Get two free. - You've got it in one!
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Why do you want to sell them?
0:12:46 > 0:12:48They're in the cupboard, they've been there for 10 years,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I don't ever look at them, so I think somebody might get
0:12:51 > 0:12:52some enjoyment out of them.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56- So you inherited them 10 years ago and now it's time to go?- Time to go.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58- Well, let's hope they do well for you.- I hope so.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10In this vibrant and busy part of Birmingham city centre,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13tucked away between all the restaurants and bars,
0:13:13 > 0:13:14there's a real historical gem.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Now, it's not just a poignant reminder of this city's past
0:13:17 > 0:13:19but of the country's heritage as a whole.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Now at first glance, this might look like
0:13:30 > 0:13:32any other ordinary sort of set of terraced houses.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35But it's not. In fact, this is incredibly rare,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38because it's the last remaining example of a style of living
0:13:38 > 0:13:40which has more or less been forgotten about.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Yet at one point in our history, most people that lived
0:13:43 > 0:13:46and worked in industrial towns and cities in England
0:13:46 > 0:13:50lived in accommodation like this - the back-to-back.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51I know what you're thinking,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54but our understanding of the term back-to-back
0:13:54 > 0:13:55has changed over the years.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58It's now applied to Coronation Street-style houses
0:13:58 > 0:14:02but it actually refers to something very specific -
0:14:02 > 0:14:06these houses weren't just attached to their neighbours on either side.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08The back walls were also shared
0:14:08 > 0:14:11and one house was built literally onto the back of another.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15They sprung up in their tens of thousands at the end of the 18th
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and throughout the 19th century.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24They were as much a part of the Industrial Revolution
0:14:24 > 0:14:27as anything that was manufactured in the factories and workshops
0:14:27 > 0:14:29and when thousands of people
0:14:29 > 0:14:31flocked to the towns and cities looking for work,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33property speculators saw an opportunity
0:14:33 > 0:14:36and a building frenzy began.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41By 1850, two thirds of Birmingham's population
0:14:41 > 0:14:45lived in courts just like this one.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Today, this is all that remains of this once common type of housing.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51It was fully restored by the Birmingham Conservation Trust
0:14:51 > 0:14:54and the National Trust back in 2000.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Chris Upton was the historian involved with the project.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02So, is this typical of most back-to-back courts?
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Yeah, sure, in that they're clustered around the yard.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10There is one entrance and one exit which could be tricky in a fire.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11They're real fire hazards.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15And there's 11 houses here, some of them have half a dozen,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17some of them have 20, 30 alleyways.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Depending on the plot of land the developer had
0:15:19 > 0:15:22and how many houses could be squeezed in on it.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24There's another court next door and another one beyond that.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27They weren't everywhere. You don't find them in London.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29You didn't find them in the North East.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34It's that middle bit of the country, Manchester, Liverpool, Hull, Leeds,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36down to Birmingham, was back-to-back living.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40It's tenements if you get further north and further south.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42What would it have been like in its day?
0:15:42 > 0:15:45It was described as living at the bottom of a well.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Because not much light gets in.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50And if there was light, it would be full of smog up there, actually.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52- In Industrial England. - Yes, that's right.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54In this particular court, how many people live?
0:15:54 > 0:15:57At most, 65 is the highest I've found.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Obviously, there's no loos inside,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03so there's only three outside loos, for 65 people.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Yeah, they could be death-traps because the water supply
0:16:06 > 0:16:09and the toilets were worryingly close to each other.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14So, people did pick things up, and once an epidemic got into the court,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16it was something that ran around fast.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19They were thought of as very unhealthy places.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Even though the people enjoyed living in them.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Can we go inside and have a look?
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Yes, sure. This way.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27MUSIC: "One Day Like This" by Elbow
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Hey, do you know what? It feels like you've landed
0:16:30 > 0:16:32right in the middle of the Victorian era.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34And we have. In about 1870.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37So, how many people would have lived in this particular house?
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Well, this was the home of the Oldfield family,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44and there was Mr and Mrs Oldfield and their eight children
0:16:44 > 0:16:48and a lodger and the lodger's girlfriend. In two bedrooms.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52So you had all those people in only two bedrooms.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Where did most of the people come from, to rent these places?
0:16:55 > 0:16:57All over the country and abroad.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59So there was a Jewish community,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01there were quite a few Italians,
0:17:01 > 0:17:02a lot of Irish, Scots,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05but the majority were from the surrounding countryside.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09- Coming from the countryside but wanting to work in a factory.- Yep.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14People were lured to the towns by better wages and guaranteed work.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16But the effect on their health was undeniable.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19So, what was the average life expectancy?
0:17:19 > 0:17:21It's difficult to answer that, Paul,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24because it depends very much which street you lived in
0:17:24 > 0:17:26and which area you lived in.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31In what we would now call the suburbs of Birmingham,
0:17:31 > 0:17:32only a mile or two out,
0:17:32 > 0:17:37your life expectancy was double what it would be right in the centre.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39There were streets in central Birmingham
0:17:39 > 0:17:43where half the children would die before the age of five.
0:17:44 > 0:17:50National legislation had banned the building of new courts way back in 1870.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52And local authorities were encouraged to demolish them.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56For cities like Birmingham, it would prove a monumental challenge.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58By the end of the First World War,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02the city still had more than 43,000 back-to-backs.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05In fact, some people still lived in them right up until the 1970s.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08A full 100 years after the ban.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Why did it take such a long time to knock them all down, then?
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Just the sheer number of them. There were 10,000 courts.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21So, you couldn't put that many people onto the housing market at the same time.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Well, thank goodness this one survived.
0:18:23 > 0:18:24What was it about this one?
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Really, I think it was accident. It was mostly a commercial street,
0:18:27 > 0:18:32Hurst Street, and eventually, people forgot what they were.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Have you actually chatted to people that lived here? What did they say?
0:18:35 > 0:18:38It's very different if you had a happy family life.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43You liked the back to backs. If you had an unhappy family life, you didn't.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45So, if the last tenants moved out in the 1960s,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47you would have known them and spoken to them.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48Yes, interviewed them.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51And what were their recollections of the place, then?
0:18:51 > 0:18:55They leave with excitement and then very quickly realise
0:18:55 > 0:18:58that they've lost something in the process, they've lost
0:18:58 > 0:19:02that sense of community, of knowing your neighbours.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03So there was a trade-off.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05But, to the last couple to move out said
0:19:05 > 0:19:06it was like a little palace to us.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Gosh, that felt like stepping back in time.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Thank goodness this court has survived demolition,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19because without it, a very important part of our social history
0:19:19 > 0:19:22would have disappeared, along with the bricks and mortar.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24And thankfully, it now remains a living testament
0:19:24 > 0:19:27to how thousands of people would have lived
0:19:27 > 0:19:29in industrial towns and cities all over the country.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33And it's just as valuable to our heritage as those big stately homes.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Well, everybody is certainly been working flat-out all morning.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46It's now time to take our first treasures off to auction.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48There's a few gems that we've spotted down there,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51so there's going to be one or two surprises later on in the programme.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Our first three lots at auction start with Nigel and Jenny's Worcester vase
0:19:56 > 0:19:58which Philip gave a value of £80-£120.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Another 80-120 lot next, and that's Andrew's shepherd smock.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07I've never seen one of these on Flog It! before.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08And it's in perfect condition,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10so I'm hoping for the very best in the saleroom.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Will the bidders see a bargain and potential
0:20:14 > 0:20:17in Sylvia's commemorative mugs?
0:20:17 > 0:20:21So, it's buy one, get two free. You've got it in one.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23And Ruth didn't get a fright from Kate when she said
0:20:23 > 0:20:25she wanted to sell her father's toy soldiers.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29And she was surprised by the estimate of £60-£80.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32There are plenty of cars outside in the car park, so hopefully
0:20:32 > 0:20:33inside, it's going to be jam-packed.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37And this is where all our items are going under the hammer today.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Fielding's Auctioneers in Stourbridge.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41One thing to be aware of at a sale
0:20:41 > 0:20:45is that both sellers and buyers pay commission plus VAT.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Check also for any extra costs before you start
0:20:48 > 0:20:49putting your items in the sale
0:20:49 > 0:20:52or putting your hands up in the auction house.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55On the rostrum today we've got Nick Davies.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Let's hope he gets some good results for our owners.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Good luck, Ruth. Going under the hammer right now
0:20:59 > 0:21:01we've got the American die-cast toy soldiers.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03It could be a good battle for them.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08£60-£80. They were dad's, and they were his dad's, I gather.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10- I think so.- And you have two girls?
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- Two girls. - I know why you're selling them!
0:21:13 > 0:21:15THEY LAUGH
0:21:15 > 0:21:16I do like these, though.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19They are a really nice set. You've got the box as well.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Fingers crossed, they're going to do well. Here we go.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27We have bids and interest and we can open at £60.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31£60, do I see five anywhere else in the room?
0:21:33 > 0:21:3660, well, we've sold, haven't we, straight in?
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Selling at 60. We're all sure and done at £60, and finished.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45First and last, £60.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Just! A little quick skirmish in the auction room for our soldiers.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Are you happy with that, Ruth?
0:21:50 > 0:21:51Yes, very happy, £60 is swell.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54They might have sold very quickly at the bottom of Kate's estimate
0:21:54 > 0:21:56but Ruth goes home a happy customer.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Well, now's your chance to buy a bit of Dame Laura Knight for just £30.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07What's the deal? Well, they're three commemorative mugs,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and they belong to Sally.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13A lovely lot but, for me, Paul, the one that stands out is the Laura Knight mug
0:22:13 > 0:22:15because I think she's such an icon.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18And her work is so collectable at the moment.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21You can go round an antique fair and see those at £65.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22So we have hopes.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Why are we selling? Because they were in a cupboard?
0:22:24 > 0:22:26They were in a cupboard, I'm afraid, yes.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29- For the last ten years, I gather. - Ten years, yes.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31- Oh, well, they're going to find a new home.- Well, I hope so.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Here we go, Sally. This is it.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35The Coronation mug, and the Dame Laura Knight example.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37There we are. There's three in the lot there.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Where do we see the nice Coronation ware?
0:22:40 > 0:22:43£15 for it all? 15, anyone?
0:22:43 > 0:22:4615, I've got you. 18, anywhere else?
0:22:46 > 0:22:48And 18, and 20, and two.
0:22:48 > 0:22:5225, 28, and 30, and two, 35, 38, and 40, and two,
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Thank you madam. £40.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56£40, the gentleman has bid at 40.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01We're all sure and done, for the Coronation mugs at £40, all done.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Top end, well done, Philip. £40 to you.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06- There is commission to pay, don't forget.- Yes, I know that, yes.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Have you got any other things you're going to get out of the cupboard?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Yes, I've got quite a few things I could bring.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14You're going to bring them along to another Flog It!
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Find a bit more by Laura Knight. Maybe some paintings!
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Oh, right. I haven't got any paintings. Not any good ones.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22I think the paintings would be a keeper.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23THEY LAUGH
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Andrew's turn next, and it's the first textile lot of the auction
0:23:28 > 0:23:31so I'm hoping that doesn't affect its chances.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Well now I think it's time to test the water.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34I've just been joined by Andrew.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37We've got a phone that's constantly ringing here.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38Hopefully, that's coming in on our lot.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41It's the shepherd's smock, just about to go under the hammer.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44It's beautifully displayed. They've got a tailor's dummy.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46It looks great on there, doesn't it? It doesn't look too bad at all.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Condition is very good, and this really belong in a bygone museum.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51And hopefully, it's going to end up there.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55We're going to find out because it's going under the hammer, now.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Lot eight is an embroidered cotton smock.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Some people thought it might be a shepherd's one.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04And we can open this one just below estimate at £70.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Do I see five in the room?
0:24:08 > 0:24:11£70 on commission, 75 anywhere else.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12£70 with me.
0:24:12 > 0:24:18£70 it will be, then. 75, anywhere else? All done and 70?
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- Didn't sell it.- No, we didn't.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23It won't go to our museum.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27That such a shame, but it was worth holding out for the reserve,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29because it's a beautiful piece of family history.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Last, by no means least, is the Worcester vase.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Will it get the local interest it deserves? Let's find out.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43I love this next lot. There's a touch of class about it, and so there should be.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47- It belongs to Nigel and Jenny, ex-mayor and mayoress. Yes?- Yes.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50I love the berries, I love the blackberries and the brambles.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53And I know you love this as well, didn't you? Hmmm?
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Why are you selling it?
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Well, I inherited it.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02But our son Keiran is running in the London Marathon for the first time
0:25:02 > 0:25:04and he's running for the Royal British Legion
0:25:04 > 0:25:08- and whatever it makes, I'm going to donate it to that.- OK.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09So, he's training for it?
0:25:09 > 0:25:13He is. He's running the miles and the country lanes around Bewdley.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14Good luck on this one.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18You know, her work, Kitty Blake, autumn leaves and autumn fruits,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21you can spot it miles away. It's hugely collectable.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24This should really do very well.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26- And he knows his stuff. - He does.- Yes, he does.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Here we go.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32The Royal Worcester posy vase,
0:25:32 > 0:25:33this is a Kitty Blake sample.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36And we've had lots of bidders interested in this.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37Lots of interest!
0:25:37 > 0:25:42£120 takes all the other commission bidders out, £120. Do I see 130?
0:25:42 > 0:25:44130, 140.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46That's what I call a really good start.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50150 in the room now, which takes the commission bidders out.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51Will I see 160 anywhere else?
0:25:55 > 0:25:59At £150 and I'm selling in the room at £150, all done...
0:26:00 > 0:26:02HAMMER STRIKES
0:26:02 > 0:26:03- Yes! Great.- Gosh!
0:26:03 > 0:26:05- Result!- Thank you, Philip.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07My pleasure, my pleasure.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09That's exceeded. Thank you.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11'Well, that was just brilliant.'
0:26:11 > 0:26:13The profits are going to a really good cause,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16so Nigel and Jenny were right to flog it.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20There you are, that's it. That concludes our first visit
0:26:20 > 0:26:22to Fieldings auction rooms here in Stourbridge.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25We are coming back later, but right now, I want to show you
0:26:25 > 0:26:28a little hidden gem tucked away in the local countryside.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Can you imagine living here? No?
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Well, not that long ago, people actually did. You see,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56for hundreds of years, this soft sandstone had been carved out
0:26:56 > 0:26:58to create homes for people to live in.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01The last occupants moved out in the 1950s
0:27:01 > 0:27:04but sadly, for 40 years or so,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06the caves fell into disrepair
0:27:06 > 0:27:09with a combination of natural weathering from the elements
0:27:09 > 0:27:12but tragically, a target for vandals. Look at this,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15carvings everywhere and bits taken off, but all that changed
0:27:15 > 0:27:18when the National Trust undertook a project of restoration,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21painstakingly restoring some of the rock houses
0:27:21 > 0:27:25back to their original condition as they were in their Victorian heyday.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Kinver Edge lies on the edge of the Black Country
0:27:31 > 0:27:34and during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century,
0:27:34 > 0:27:39a previously well-established ironworks flourished here.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Thousands of people migrated to the area and some of the people
0:27:42 > 0:27:45who worked at the ironworks lived here in the rock houses.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50The upper level three stone-faced houses have been completely rebuilt
0:27:50 > 0:27:53while the two cave houses show how the rock looked
0:27:53 > 0:27:55after it was left by the inhabitants.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00There are two more caves like this one on the middle level,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03but on the lower level, the restoration is extraordinary.
0:28:05 > 0:28:10Edwin Blunt has been site manager here for over 20 years.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14They continued to be a popular place for people to live in, didn't they?
0:28:14 > 0:28:16They even became a tourist attraction.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Oh, yes. Kinver Edge has always been very popular
0:28:19 > 0:28:24for day trips from the Black Country since mid-Victorian times.
0:28:24 > 0:28:30The coming of the light railway from 1901 brought incredible numbers
0:28:30 > 0:28:32on regular weekends.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36The maximum was about 17,000 in one day in 1905, I believe.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- Gosh, that's a lot of people. - Which is a lot of people
0:28:39 > 0:28:41- and they used to sell teas to everybody.- Did they?
0:28:41 > 0:28:43It was part of their additional income,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- for these were ordinary poor families.- Yes.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50And therefore, any possibility of earning extra money,
0:28:50 > 0:28:55and with 17,000 visitors in a day, everybody sold teas.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59How many houses were actually here? How many rock homes?
0:28:59 > 0:29:02At the maximum, we had 11 families living here,
0:29:02 > 0:29:04which is about 45 people.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08Because of the popularity of the tea rooms and the rock houses
0:29:08 > 0:29:12as a tourist attraction, a wealth of photographs and postcards exist
0:29:12 > 0:29:16of the outside, but there is a distinct lack of interior shots.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20However, the interior of one of the dwellings has been reconstructed
0:29:20 > 0:29:25thanks to a painting of Mr and Mrs Fletcher by Alfred Rushton in 1903.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30So what was it like living in one of these houses?
0:29:30 > 0:29:32Well, generally speaking,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35the temperature is quite even throughout the year
0:29:35 > 0:29:37so you tend to find that they're cool in summer
0:29:37 > 0:29:39and warmer than outside in winter.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41And with a good fire going...
0:29:41 > 0:29:44- Quite cosy.- Quite cosy.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Mind you, I saw the well outside,
0:29:46 > 0:29:50so they drew the water from the well, there was no running tapwater.
0:29:50 > 0:29:51They relied on the wells
0:29:51 > 0:29:54until the pumping station was built in about 1920.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57- Did they have electricity? - No, they never had electricity.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01- They had no mains drains.- Right up until the '50s?- Nothing at all.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05- All they had from the 1930s was an outside tap.- Gosh.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12Looking around there, the women were very house-proud, weren't they?
0:30:12 > 0:30:14This is a nice des res, put it that way!
0:30:14 > 0:30:17I mean, they'd keep the floors swept
0:30:17 > 0:30:19and the outsides clean and tidy
0:30:19 > 0:30:22and the things that everybody normally did in those days.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25I guess if the family got bigger, could they take it upon themselves
0:30:25 > 0:30:28to sort of start digging another tunnel to make another bedroom?
0:30:28 > 0:30:32- Could they work inwards? - Well, I don't see why not.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36Before 1900, there used to be three cottages in this bottom level here.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39After 1900, there was only one family, and they did just that.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42- Knocked through?- They tunnelled between and knocked through
0:30:42 > 0:30:45into next door and made it into one house.
0:30:45 > 0:30:46There's a really nice feeling
0:30:46 > 0:30:49when you walk through the door in one of these cottages.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52They kind of hug you. They almost embrace you, don't they?
0:30:52 > 0:30:54There's something really nice about it.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57The people who lived here were very proud and very happy to live here.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59They really enjoyed it
0:30:59 > 0:31:03and some of the families lived here for 150 years, the same family.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06- Passed down from generation to generation.- Yes.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08- There's no place like home, is there?- That's it.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Edwin, thank you so much for taking me back in time
0:31:11 > 0:31:14and making me feel like I'm in a little holiday cottage, really.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18- I've learned something today. Thanks.- Excellent. You're welcome.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26That is so fascinating.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29To think that people actually cut their homes into the side
0:31:29 > 0:31:33of this chunk of rock. That's so resourceful and so clever.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37The Holy Austin Rock Houses take you back in time to a bygone era
0:31:37 > 0:31:38with a real twist.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Our team of expert work their way through the queue,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50valuing every single item brought in
0:31:50 > 0:31:52and Kate Bliss has found an interesting box of tricks
0:31:52 > 0:31:54she wants to take a closer look at.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56Keith, first of all, tell me about
0:31:56 > 0:31:58this lovely little leather case.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02I spotted it in this shop in Coventry, an antiques shop.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05And that drew my attention, I just liked it.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07And when I picked the case up,
0:32:07 > 0:32:08I realised there was something in
0:32:08 > 0:32:10and the photographs were inside,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12and from that point on,
0:32:12 > 0:32:13I've just kept them together.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16So what makes you bring them today?
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Because I've just had them in a cabinet
0:32:19 > 0:32:22for probably nearly 18, 20 years.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26- I'm moving on, so I guess they've got to move on as well.- OK.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30They look like just a bunch of old photographs at first, don't they?
0:32:30 > 0:32:33- Yes.- What we've got here are known as
0:32:33 > 0:32:36cartes de visite, if you like, is the French term.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39In English and Victorian England particularly,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41they're known as calling cards
0:32:41 > 0:32:43- or visiting cards.- Oh, right.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47And this arose in the 1850s in France,
0:32:47 > 0:32:51where families who were fairly wealthy had their photographs taken
0:32:51 > 0:32:55and they were then transferred onto small cards
0:32:55 > 0:32:58and used as calling cards, so when they went visiting,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01they left their card with their photograph on it.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03That's lovely, isn't it?
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Now, just flicking through them,
0:33:06 > 0:33:08I see that this gentleman here
0:33:08 > 0:33:11has obviously written a lovely message on the back here,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15handwritten, "With a brother's love, John Butt."
0:33:15 > 0:33:18And it is the Butt family that you see the name appears a lot,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20- doesn't it, on the cards? - Yes, it does.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24And this one here is Waterloo, USA,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27so here we have some American calling cards
0:33:27 > 0:33:30and while we're talking about America,
0:33:30 > 0:33:32these ones have really caught my eye.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34And what's special about these is,
0:33:34 > 0:33:36we have possibly the same gentleman
0:33:36 > 0:33:42but in his American Civil War dress or uniform as a soldier,
0:33:42 > 0:33:44and on the back here, which is lovely,
0:33:44 > 0:33:46"Yours courteously,
0:33:46 > 0:33:50"Sir Knight Butt, Apollo Commandery,
0:33:50 > 0:33:51"Number 19, Indiana."
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Which is lovely, so we can date that precisely
0:33:54 > 0:33:57because of course the American Civil War was 1861 to '65
0:33:57 > 0:34:02- and that places that exactly in history, doesn't it?- It does, yep.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04These ones, looking through,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07are all English, some Coventry,
0:34:07 > 0:34:11this rather impressive Victorian lady,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14a number of different photographers,
0:34:14 > 0:34:15babies here from the family.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18But what about value, Keith? Have you any idea?
0:34:18 > 0:34:19Not a clue.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Well, it's always the subject
0:34:23 > 0:34:24as well as the photographer
0:34:24 > 0:34:27- who is of interest to the collector. - Of course.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31And I think these American Civil War ones are certainly of interest.
0:34:31 > 0:34:36- I love the personal inscriptions on the back.- Yes. Very dear.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39Having said that, I'm going to be quite conservative.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41It's a little bit of an unknown quantity to me
0:34:41 > 0:34:44and I think it really depends who we have at our auction.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47But I'm going to say with their leather case, I think
0:34:47 > 0:34:50they could make anywhere between 40, 60,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53- perhaps £80-£100 on a really good day.- Yeah.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56But I think a realistic, conservative estimate would be
0:34:56 > 0:35:00£40-£60 to attract those collectors.
0:35:00 > 0:35:01Yeah, that would be very good.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Lovely. What did you pay for them?
0:35:05 > 0:35:08- About £10, I think. - About £10. How long ago?
0:35:08 > 0:35:12- I would think about 1984, '85, somewhere about then.- OK.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16- Well, we'll certainly try and get you a profit.- That would be nice.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Isn't it amazing how people bring in
0:35:18 > 0:35:20items that originated from all over the world?
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Although that's not true of Godfrey's boxing poster.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26You couldn't get closer to home than this one.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30This is a boxing tournament that took place here.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32- Yes.- In this room.- Yes.
0:35:32 > 0:35:33- In 1928.- Yes.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35So how did you come by this?
0:35:35 > 0:35:37Bought it at an antiques fair
0:35:37 > 0:35:39about five to ten years ago
0:35:39 > 0:35:41and it's been up the loft ever since.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43Are you a collector of posters?
0:35:43 > 0:35:45No, I collect anything to do with Kidderminster.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48What I love about this is the names of these people
0:35:48 > 0:35:50and it's all a bit of local history
0:35:50 > 0:35:54because you've got Farrier Frank Berwick, who's from Bewdley,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57and he was the heavyweight champion of India for six years.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59He defeated Gunboat Jack.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01I won't say what it says there
0:36:01 > 0:36:03because it's not really politically correct, is it?
0:36:03 > 0:36:06And then we've got Arthur Holes of Worcester
0:36:06 > 0:36:11and then Young Crumpton from Kidderminster fought Reg Roberts
0:36:11 > 0:36:14and on it goes, and I love this bit here.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17"Ladies cordially invited."
0:36:17 > 0:36:19So I think it's absolutely brilliant.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24And you bought it primarily because you're interested in local history.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26- Yes.- What else have you got?
0:36:26 > 0:36:29- You're unlike to believe, really. - Really?- No.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Bricks. I've got crestware...
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- You've got bricks?- Yeah, with Kidderminster on and stuff like that.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Bricks with Kidderminster on. I bet your wife loves you, doesn't she?
0:36:37 > 0:36:41If anything, we used to go all over the countryside.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44And anything that had Kidderminster on, we used to buy.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46I'm not going to ask you what you paid for this.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49I'm going to tell you what I think we can estimate it at.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52If this came into my sale room,
0:36:52 > 0:36:53I'd go...
0:36:55 > 0:36:58..£60-£90 estimate, £50 reserves.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01- Right.- If it makes 150, I wouldn't be surprised.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03- OK.- What did you pay for it?
0:37:03 > 0:37:05Just over £100.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08- So you paid just over £100 for it five years ago?- Yeah.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11And now you're going to perhaps sell it a loss?
0:37:11 > 0:37:12Well, things have to...
0:37:12 > 0:37:15I've been out of work for 12 months now...
0:37:15 > 0:37:18- So it's got to go. - It's got to go, yes.
0:37:18 > 0:37:19So let's keep our fingers crossed
0:37:19 > 0:37:21and hope we get a real killer punch
0:37:21 > 0:37:25- and somebody pays £150 or £200 for it.- Lovely, thank you.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27So, while we leave Godfrey and Phil
0:37:27 > 0:37:29hoping for a knockout performance at auction,
0:37:29 > 0:37:33I've hunted out another item which in its day was very useful.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Jan and Dave, what have we got here?
0:37:35 > 0:37:39- I haven't seen one of those for a long time.- It's a moustache cup.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41- It is, isn't it?- Victorian.
0:37:41 > 0:37:42- You can see that!- Yes.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46Look at that. And that's where the gentleman would have a sip
0:37:46 > 0:37:50and not get his moustache covered in coffee or hot chocolate.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- That's right.- Well, I never. Look at that.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58And that commemorates 60 years of Queen Victoria's reign.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00And it's dated here, "1897".
0:38:00 > 0:38:02There's a bad chip just there. Can you see there,
0:38:02 > 0:38:06- where it's been restored?- Yes, we had a bit of an accident with it.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Someone with a moustache too bushy pushed it in?
0:38:08 > 0:38:11No, not really! No, Dave did.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15Actually, because this is damaged, this is only worth around £40-£50.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18- Oh, is it, as much as that?- If...
0:38:18 > 0:38:19Here's a little secret, OK?
0:38:19 > 0:38:23If this had been '87, ten years earlier,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26I think it would be slightly more collectable
0:38:26 > 0:38:29because 50 years is a time to celebrate,
0:38:29 > 0:38:3350 years on the throne would be worth a lot more money
0:38:33 > 0:38:35than 60 years or 70 years or 40 years. Yeah?
0:38:35 > 0:38:37So after 100 years, would that be...?
0:38:37 > 0:38:41- Well, they'd be dead then, wouldn't they?- True. Sorry!
0:38:41 > 0:38:43- Sorry.- What do you think of guys with moustaches, then?
0:38:43 > 0:38:47- Erm...- Did he ever have one? Dave, you ever had one?
0:38:47 > 0:38:49- No?- No.- You don't like them.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Not particularly, no.
0:38:51 > 0:38:52What do you think?
0:38:52 > 0:38:54Well, I absolutely love them!
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Well, there you are. It's a nation divided!
0:38:58 > 0:39:00- Thank you.- Now it's time for tea.
0:39:00 > 0:39:01'Well, I stand corrected.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04'Maybe the mug could be useful for some men today.'
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Well, from something for the dads to something for the kids
0:39:07 > 0:39:10and Stephanie's tin figures might be collectables now
0:39:10 > 0:39:12but they were definitely toys once.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16They've been in my family for as long as I can remember, certainly.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18So where have you had them at home?
0:39:18 > 0:39:21I remember seeing them when I was a little girl
0:39:21 > 0:39:24and being shouted at for playing with them, "Don't touch."
0:39:24 > 0:39:26They disappeared then for a while.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29My dad this year has gone into residential care,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32so I got the task of clearing out the house,
0:39:32 > 0:39:34and there they were, in the loft.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37- So you've unearthed them after all this time.- Yeah.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39- Have you any idea how old they are? - I haven't.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44I know that my grandad from 1897 could remember them,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46so I don't know how old they are.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49OK. Well, that's great that you can remember that far back
0:39:49 > 0:39:52- so it's passed down to your family. - I can't remember to 1897!
0:39:52 > 0:39:54No! I wasn't suggesting that!
0:39:54 > 0:39:55THEY LAUGH
0:39:55 > 0:39:57Which is your favourite here?
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- Which one do you like best? - Oh, gosh. Erm, I've got to say,
0:40:00 > 0:40:01this one, I think.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04- I think there's just something about him.- That's interesting.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08- He's a proper little character.- He is a proper little character, isn't he?
0:40:08 > 0:40:10That's what strikes me about all of these.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14They've all got their personalities, their quirkiness, if you like.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18But what we've got here are two known manufacturers
0:40:18 > 0:40:21and then three, these three figures here,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24could be made by a number of different manufacturers.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27But let's look at these two quirky figures first,
0:40:27 > 0:40:29because these are by the same manufacturer.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33- Any ideas what nationality they are, to start with?- I don't, no.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35I really don't know. As I say,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37I just remember them from when I was little.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Didn't mean a lot to me then. Don't know.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Well, if you look closely at these quirky characters,
0:40:43 > 0:40:45you can see on their hats,
0:40:45 > 0:40:48there is a little mark - F and an M.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53And they stand, those two initials stand for Fernand Martin,
0:40:53 > 0:40:54who was French.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58They're never in very good condition, his characters,
0:40:58 > 0:41:01because they were made from scrap metal
0:41:01 > 0:41:05that was scavenged from the streets of Paris, literally.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09And what we've got here is the drunkard swigging his grog,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12and he's got very pink cheeks,
0:41:12 > 0:41:14which I love, underneath that hat.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17And here, the fiddler in his checked trousers here.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22He's lost his cloth tunic, hasn't he? But otherwise, he's pretty good.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26So those are interesting. Then we have three very different ones here
0:41:26 > 0:41:29and if you go a little way across Europe from France,
0:41:29 > 0:41:30you come to Germany
0:41:30 > 0:41:35and these three are by one of the best-known German manufacturers
0:41:35 > 0:41:38of toys at that moment, a company called Ernst Lehmann.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41And they only produced novelty toys
0:41:41 > 0:41:45and were very well known for producing clockwork tinplate items
0:41:45 > 0:41:47just like these,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50and one of the characteristics of the toys produced by the firm
0:41:50 > 0:41:54were the bright colours they used and the lithographed designs.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56We can see that, I think beautifully
0:41:56 > 0:41:59on the wheels of this cart here.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00You can see the clowns
0:42:00 > 0:42:03printed on the wheels there.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07My favourite, I think, is Paddy and the pig, as he is known,
0:42:07 > 0:42:11- riding here. And he does go, doesn't he?- He does,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14- with a bit of encouragement. - If I give him a little tweak there.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16With a little bit of encouragement,
0:42:16 > 0:42:18there he is, riding the pig.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21And I think this is lovely.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24This is the Lehmann trademark, the insignia,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26and we have also on the base
0:42:26 > 0:42:29quite clearly dated, "1903"
0:42:29 > 0:42:33so this goes right back to that turn of the century period.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39- So what about value for this lovely collection?- I have no idea at all.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43- I really have no idea.- OK, well,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46these three are probably going to be less desirable
0:42:46 > 0:42:47because of the condition
0:42:47 > 0:42:50and because we can't associate them with any manufacturer,
0:42:50 > 0:42:54and I would advocate putting three in one lot at auction
0:42:54 > 0:43:00- with an estimate of £60-£100 on the three.- Right.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04The Fernand Martin, I think,
0:43:04 > 0:43:08are super. I love them as characters.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10£60-£80 each.
0:43:11 > 0:43:16And the Lehman, this one has an arm missing, unfortunately,
0:43:16 > 0:43:19- so that is going to really bring the price down, unfortunately.- Yeah.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23So I'm going to suggest putting that together with the clown
0:43:23 > 0:43:25in his cart and the donkey,
0:43:25 > 0:43:27and I think that as a lot
0:43:27 > 0:43:31should be estimated conservatively at £100-£200.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35- Paddy and the pig, however, I think should make £100 on his own.- Wow.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38So I would estimate him probably at just under £100,
0:43:38 > 0:43:4070-100 perhaps,
0:43:40 > 0:43:43and hope that he certainly makes the £100, if not a bit more.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47- So all in all, you've got several hundred pounds here.- Right.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50And I think with the right collectors at the auction,
0:43:50 > 0:43:54- they could significantly surpass my estimates.- Lovely.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59I couldn't resist this autograph book,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02which contains some truly top-of-the-bill signatures.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05Stan, I envy you.
0:44:05 > 0:44:06- Really?- I really do.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08You've actually seen the Beatles.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10What were the Beatles like and where did you see them?
0:44:10 > 0:44:14I saw them at Birmingham Town Hall in June 1963.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17They were in a pop concert alongside the Rolling Stones.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20It was a double bill, which was incredible, when you think about it.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22Did you work at the town hall?
0:44:22 > 0:44:25I worked at a steward. It wasn't my job, we weren't paid for it,
0:44:25 > 0:44:27we just got complimentary tickets
0:44:27 > 0:44:30so I had a chance to go backstage and talk to quite a few people,
0:44:30 > 0:44:33and I was able to nip into the dressing rooms and get them to sign.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37Wow. Wow. What was it like meeting all four Beatles?
0:44:37 > 0:44:39I bet you didn't know what to say, did you?
0:44:39 > 0:44:41I didn't have a lot of time, because there were two houses
0:44:41 > 0:44:44and as soon as you got rid of the one house,
0:44:44 > 0:44:46- you had to pack the next lot in.- Right.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48Were you lost for words? I would be.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50I suppose I was in a way, yes.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53They were just a bunch of young lads, you know.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56The Stones weren't quite so approachable, for some reason,
0:44:56 > 0:44:58but the Beatles were very friendly.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00You were either a Stones or a Beatles fan, weren't you?
0:45:00 > 0:45:03- Which were you? - I was more of a Beatles person.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05You have mentioned the Rolling Stones,
0:45:05 > 0:45:09and on the same bill, you were able to nab their autographs as well.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13And this is with Brian Jones in the band? In the early days.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman and of course Charlie Watts.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20Roy Orbison is in there, he's a strange character.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23- Was Roy Orbison on the same bill? - No, he came later. I think.,
0:45:23 > 0:45:27Well, you've got three names here which any pop rock memorabilia
0:45:27 > 0:45:30fanatics would love to get their hands on.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33- And now you are thinking of selling them?- Oh, indeed.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35There's a few other autographs in here.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37Mainly jazz musicians as well.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40- Acker Bilk...- Acker Bilk.- Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Springfields.
0:45:40 > 0:45:45- There's quite a few in there.- But it's those three big names, really.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47It's the Beatles, Roy Orbison - the Big O.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50And of course you have got all the Rolling Stones.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53Well, I think this little autograph book is around £3,000-£4,000.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55- Well, I would hope so.- Yeah.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58We have seen the Beatles' autographs before on the show,
0:45:58 > 0:46:00and they've always managed to do about £2,000.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03So I think that's a good price guide for the Beatles.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07And the Rolling Stones, as a complete set normally fetch around £800-£1,200.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10And I would imagine Roy Orbison alone would be worth
0:46:10 > 0:46:13in the region of £80-£120 as well.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15So I would like to put this into auction,
0:46:15 > 0:46:20- with a valuation of £2500-£3500. - Yes.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23With a fixed reserve of £2,500.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26- How do you feel about that? - Yes, I'll go with that. Yeah.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28If we get that top end, what would you do with the money?
0:46:28 > 0:46:30Well, I'm a philatelist,
0:46:30 > 0:46:34- I collect stamps and I also go to stamp auctions.- Oh, right, OK.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38- So I would possibly buy some decent stamps.- A Penny Black or two?
0:46:38 > 0:46:41I've got one or two of those!
0:46:41 > 0:46:43I can't wait to find out how that
0:46:43 > 0:46:45and our other lots do as they go under the hammer.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50At £40-£60, Kate thinks the bidders will come calling
0:46:50 > 0:46:52for Keith's box of cards.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56Philip was very excited about Godfrey's poster,
0:46:56 > 0:47:00finding it over 80 years after it advertised a fight
0:47:00 > 0:47:03in the very hall our valuation day is being held.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05Next there is Stan's autograph book.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison!
0:47:08 > 0:47:12Three big A-listers are bound to attract a lot of attention.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15Kate split Stephanie's clockwork toys into five different lots
0:47:15 > 0:47:18and put her estimates on the conservative side.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21The estimates vary from £60-£200.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25But auctioneer Nick has his own idea of what the toys could make.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29I think this is one of my favourite lots of the sale. As a group.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32They belong to Stephanie, they were her grandfather's and he was
0:47:32 > 0:47:36born in about 1890, and they have been in the family ever since.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Well, you don't get toys like this nowadays.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41Completely different, with all the computer games you get.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44- It's all plastic and batteries. - Plastic and batteries.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46- Love the German ones. - They are great.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49I mean, you've got really good examples
0:47:49 > 0:47:51of tinplate toys of the period.
0:47:51 > 0:47:57As separate lots, each lot, we've got around £80-£100 on them.
0:47:57 > 0:48:03I could see the German lot, just those two alone, possibly doing 300.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05- Wouldn't surprise me. - I really could.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08Wouldn't surprise me in the least.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11The cart and donkey you see quite a lot of,
0:48:11 > 0:48:14- the baker is a little more rare. - That is quite unique.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16It is quite unique.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20And Paddy and the Pig, as he is well known, is another rare example.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23And the thing is about these three, well, all of them,
0:48:23 > 0:48:26there has been no restoration. There has never been repainting.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29- No, original paint.- Original paint. All the mechanisms work.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31They are toys, they have been played with.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33There will be chips and dinks and small dents.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36But in general terms, they are not bad at all.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38No, I think they are slightly undervalued.
0:48:38 > 0:48:42- As a group lot, easily £1,000?- I would have thought so. Yes. Easily.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46Even with missing clothes and odd arms missing.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49They are just great fun and when they are wound up and working,
0:48:49 > 0:48:53- they are just great entertainment and they were cutting edge of their day.- Of course they were. Yeah.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55And they have got everything going for them
0:48:55 > 0:48:56as regards a good investment,
0:48:56 > 0:48:59because you are going to wait a long time to see these again.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02And hopefully, we will get over £1,000 for them.
0:49:02 > 0:49:03It will be a pleasure to sell them.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05We will see what they do a little later.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07But Keith is about to find out
0:49:07 > 0:49:11if his calling cards are anything to write home about.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13Well, we have got £40-£60 on it, Kate.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17- Hopefully, it is going to do well. - Yes, some interesting ones in this.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20- So I think the collectors certainly spotted them.- Hard to value.
0:49:20 > 0:49:21Here we go. Putting it under the hammer now.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Some English and some American examples.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25Not sure how they got over here!
0:49:25 > 0:49:27Featuring the Butt family. Nice examples, that.
0:49:27 > 0:49:32Where do we start, £35? 35 anywhere?
0:49:32 > 0:49:34No interest at £35?
0:49:35 > 0:49:41Nobody coming in at 35 for the calling cards and case?
0:49:41 > 0:49:4235...
0:49:42 > 0:49:4438, 40 and they're with you, sir.
0:49:47 > 0:49:5040? Thank you. 42 anywhere else?
0:49:52 > 0:49:56£40, gentleman by the cash office, £40. We all sure and done?
0:49:56 > 0:50:03- Yes! Hammer has gone down.- £40.- £40. - We just got them away.- That will do.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06Well, that was by the skin of their teeth as the cards just
0:50:06 > 0:50:07reached the reserve.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12There is a clue to what is coming up next. I hope it's a knockout.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15We've got that lovely boxing poster and it belongs to Godfrey.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18- Hello, Godfrey.- Hello.- When you brought it along to our expert
0:50:18 > 0:50:23Mr Philip Serrell, cos he's Mr sports expert... You are, now, anyway!
0:50:23 > 0:50:26You do all the rugby, all the cricket. This is your first boxing.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30It's my first boxing, but I love this. It's such a great thing and I think old posters,
0:50:30 > 0:50:33they are so evocative and of course, why would you keep that?
0:50:33 > 0:50:36They would have just been discarded after the event.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39So someone had a lot of foresight to keep that.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43- And I think it will do quite well. - Fingers crossed.- I hope so.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45We are going to find out right now.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49A great bit of fun, this one.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53Promotional boxing poster at Kidderminster Town Hall.
0:50:53 > 0:50:54There we are.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57Farrier Frank Berwick and Arthur Holes.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00I wouldn't want to cross Farrier Frank, I don't think!
0:51:00 > 0:51:03- I'm bid £50 on a commission. Straight off.- That's good.
0:51:03 > 0:51:04Do I see five in the room anywhere?
0:51:07 > 0:51:10Nice bit of local interest. £50 I am bid on a commission,
0:51:10 > 0:51:1155 anywhere else?
0:51:13 > 0:51:18- At £50 for the poster, then? Are we all done?- £50?
0:51:18 > 0:51:22First and last, £50 for Farrier Frank. All done?
0:51:22 > 0:51:25- £50. That's good. I'm happy. You happy?- Yes, very good.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28At least we weren't left on the ropes, were we?
0:51:35 > 0:51:40I've been waiting FOR this moment. I've just been joined by Stan. We've got the autograph collection.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Not just the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison
0:51:43 > 0:51:46- and a few others. - One or two others, yeah.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48Been in the drawer for 47 years, nearly.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51We're going to find out exactly what it's worth right now.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55The Beatles' autographs with Roy Orbison and the Rolling Stones.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58These were consigned by the vendors who was actually
0:51:58 > 0:52:01a steward at the Town Hall in 1963.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04We can open this one just below estimate at £2,400.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08- Anybody coming in at 2,400?- Come on, we need a couple of phones now.
0:52:08 > 0:52:102,400? 2450?
0:52:10 > 0:52:152,450. 2,500? Says no, I'll go to Claire then.
0:52:15 > 0:52:202,500, Claire would you like to bid? 2550?
0:52:20 > 0:52:22- This is a tense moment, isn't it?- It is, indeed.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26- 2,600? Claire? - It's two phones, obviously.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28That's why it's taking such a long time.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31- I can't actually see what's going on right now.- 2,800?
0:52:34 > 0:52:38Says no. 2,700 on Adrienne's phone, 2,700.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42Last chance in the room at 2,800. We are all done at £2,700.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44Sure and done?
0:52:44 > 0:52:46- Hammer has gone down. We sold 2,700.- That's OK.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48- We will settle for that, won't we? - Thank you very much.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51Gosh, that was a big moment, wasn't it?
0:52:51 > 0:52:54Because you were really frightened. You were adamant that 2,500 was...
0:52:54 > 0:52:56I wasn't too optimistic when I spoke to him,
0:52:56 > 0:52:58but obviously, the telephone bids...
0:52:58 > 0:53:03- I thought it wouldn't be sold in the room.- It's gone.- It's gone. - It's gone.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10I love these tinplate toys.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14I know the condition is poor on some of them but who cares, because they are early ones.
0:53:14 > 0:53:19A lot of them are quite damaged so I have deliberately pitched them fairly conservatively.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21I have seen similar ones at auction making quite a bit more
0:53:21 > 0:53:25than our estimate, but because of the damage, I've kept it low.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Let's find out what they slot in the room think, shall we? Here we go.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35Lot 734, bidding on the Lehmann clown
0:53:35 > 0:53:37and also the baker with a sweep.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41We have to open the bidding at 500...
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Oh, late bids. Sorry, Late bids for this.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46- MAN: That one is £680. - £680.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49Oh, straight in at 680!
0:53:49 > 0:53:51£680 for this lot.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54- Do I see £700?- 680.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57..760, 780, 800,
0:53:57 > 0:54:00820, 840, 860, 880,
0:54:00 > 0:54:05900, 920, 940, 960, 980...
0:54:05 > 0:54:06Wow! ..1,000.
0:54:07 > 0:54:111,050. 1,150. 1,200. 1,250. 1,300.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13This is just flying away, isn't it?
0:54:13 > 0:54:16- This'll do, won't it?- This will do! This will do for a start!
0:54:16 > 0:54:20- Don't forget there is four more to come!- Be still, my beating heart.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23- And my favourite is the pig later on.- 1,600 there.
0:54:23 > 0:54:28- 1,700 anywhere else in the room before I go to the phone?- 1,600.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32Adrienne, 1,700? 1,800, sir?
0:54:32 > 0:54:351,700 on the phone. Do you want to bid?
0:54:35 > 0:54:371,700. 1,800 in the room, sir?
0:54:37 > 0:54:41Thank you very much. 1,700. 1,800? Helen?
0:54:42 > 0:54:47£1,700 - on Adrienne's phone at £1,700.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54- The hammer is going down at £1,700. - All done.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58That's the first, here is the second.
0:55:00 > 0:55:04We open at £400 for this lot, £400.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07Do I see 420? 440?
0:55:08 > 0:55:12You are out. 420 there, 440 anywhere else in the room?
0:55:12 > 0:55:13At 420.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16£420 for Paddy and the Pig.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21We all sure and done at £420?
0:55:21 > 0:55:23£420 Paddy the Pig got.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25Yes, we're on a roll, aren't we? Here's the next lot.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31This is the chap playing the fiddle. And a bit of interest again.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34We are starting at £150 this time.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38160 there first, 170, 180, 190, 190...
0:55:38 > 0:55:40190, 200, 210?
0:55:40 > 0:55:43220? 230.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300...
0:55:47 > 0:55:50Everyone is in love with them.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52Everyone is in love with them.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54330 anywhere else in the room?
0:55:55 > 0:55:57At £320, all done and finished.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03Do you know something, I don't know if I can stand the tension!
0:56:03 > 0:56:07I'm going to fall over. OK, that's the first three. There are two more lots.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11There he is, he has had a bit of a bash to the face, this one,
0:56:11 > 0:56:12but bids and interest all the same.
0:56:14 > 0:56:15This is brilliant.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18This is a golden auction moment and it's not over yet!
0:56:18 > 0:56:21I thought they were something good when I saw them in the queue.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23And we open at £200 on the drunk.
0:56:23 > 0:56:28210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260?
0:56:28 > 0:56:33250. 260, Sir? 270, 280? 290? 300? 310?
0:56:33 > 0:56:37320? Says no. 310 nearest me again.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40320, he's back. 330. 340.
0:56:40 > 0:56:41340, sir?
0:56:44 > 0:56:46340. 350? 360?
0:56:48 > 0:56:51350, seated in the room. At 350.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53Oh, Stephanie, did you ever think they would be worth as much?
0:56:53 > 0:56:58- I had no idea. No, I didn't.- £350.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01The hammer has gone down and here's the last of the lots.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06We have the two soldiers and the policeman who has lost his arm
0:57:06 > 0:57:09- and is naked.- There's quite a bit of damage on these ones.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11- Yes, his arm is missing, isn't it? - Bless him, yes.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13- Bids all the same. And we start at...?- Huge amount of interest.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16- Not amount of interest.- £2,100.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19Straight in at £2,100.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23Ha ha, £2,100! Straight in at £2,100.
0:57:23 > 0:57:252,200.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29- I'm not joking, listen. - 2,300 anywhere else?
0:57:29 > 0:57:34£2,200 for the three figures. At £2,200, all sure and done.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36You finished?
0:57:37 > 0:57:43£2,200? Do you know something, that has taken us to a total of £4,990.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45Just under five grand.
0:57:45 > 0:57:47Give us a hug!
0:57:49 > 0:57:51Totally gobsmacked. Absolutely gobsmacked.
0:57:51 > 0:57:55Nearly five grand for those clockwork tinplate toys.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57Didn't matter about the condition,
0:57:57 > 0:57:59the collectors loved them - they were so rare.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01- What are you going to say? Come on!- I can't...
0:58:01 > 0:58:02I'm speechless!
0:58:02 > 0:58:07- I thought they were good, but I didn't think they were quite that good.- It was the combination.
0:58:07 > 0:58:09The damage ones, I mean I looked at them and I thought...
0:58:09 > 0:58:12- What do you need in the house? Do you need to money to spend?- Oh, yes.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15- Oh, I can find something!- You can spend that, can't you? - Don't you worry about that.
0:58:18 > 0:58:20Well, that's it. We have come to the end of our day.
0:58:20 > 0:58:25Our owners have gone home. As you can see, the auction is still going on. What a fabulous day we have had.
0:58:25 > 0:58:27I can't wait till the next auction.
0:58:27 > 0:58:31If you have not been to one, go and visit your local saleroom because you could get addicted.
0:58:31 > 0:58:34So from Stourbridge until the next time, cheerio.
0:58:49 > 0:58:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd