0:00:03 > 0:00:08Today, we're in one of the most thrilling and vibrant cities in the North-West,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11famous for its creativity, comedy and culture.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12"Flog It!" is in Liverpool.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35MUSIC: "Live And Let Die" by Paul McCartney and Wings
0:00:35 > 0:00:40As a city, Liverpool is diverse, energetic and exciting.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45Situated by the River Mersey, the docks are central to Liverpool's history,
0:00:45 > 0:00:47with the best-known being the Albert Dock,
0:00:47 > 0:00:51the largest single collection of Grade I listed buildings in the UK.
0:00:51 > 0:00:57The city's role as a major port in the British Empire means that many of its finest buildings
0:00:57 > 0:00:59were built as headquarters
0:00:59 > 0:01:02for the shipping firms and insurance companies.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05The Pier Head is perhaps
0:01:05 > 0:01:08one of the most famous iconic images on the city's skyline
0:01:08 > 0:01:09and it's dominated by
0:01:09 > 0:01:13the Royal Liver, the Cunard, and the Port of Liverpool buildings.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Together, there's over a century of heritage between them
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and they're still fully functioning.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22They're known locally as the Three Graces.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Later on in the programme, we'll be looking at
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Liverpool's fascinating maritime history, but for now,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35it's anchors aweigh and let's get on with the show.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45And gracing us with their presence today are our two experts,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47the fabulous Mark Stacey and the gorgeous Kate Bateman.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Today's venue is St George's Hall, right in the centre of the city,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55and, by George, do we have a fabulous queue here,
0:01:55 > 0:01:56on a gorgeous sunny day.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59I can't wait to find out what's in those bags and boxes,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03so let's get the doors open and get "Flog It!" going.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06So, as the crowds rush in to this great hall, let's see what Kate
0:02:06 > 0:02:09has uncovered from this Liverpudlian treasure trove.
0:02:14 > 0:02:20Tony, you've bought in this vase. What do you know about it?
0:02:20 > 0:02:24All I can tell you is that I bought it from a jumble sale,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28approximately about 25 years ago, so when I was about eight.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30A jumble sale. What did you pay for it?
0:02:30 > 0:02:34I paid less than £1 for it. No more than £1.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38It's quite a weird thing for a small boy of eight or so to buy.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42- What attracted you to it? - I've no recollection of buying it.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45I just know at that time, I bought a lot of things,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47spent most of my pocket money on junk.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49- On junk.- On junk.
0:02:49 > 0:02:50- This is an item of junk.- Yeah.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52OK. Do you know anything else about it?
0:02:52 > 0:02:55- I know it's Troika. I know it comes from Cornwall.- Right.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58I know it's featured a lot on Flog It!
0:02:58 > 0:02:59It is a favourite of our Paul Martin.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I have to say, I disagree with him on this.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04I am not a big fan of Troika.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06It just doesn't float my boat,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08but you obviously liked it.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10I don't particularly like it, actually.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13I have no feelings about it, at all, actually.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- Ambiguous on the whole subject of Troika.- Yeah.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18And, obviously, it's graffito decorated,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20so, scratched into the wet clay before it's fired
0:03:20 > 0:03:22and you've got all these different
0:03:22 > 0:03:26sort of highly-painted geometric designs. Quite funky.
0:03:26 > 0:03:27All different on each side.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32Pricewise, £60 to £90 is a fairly normal estimate
0:03:32 > 0:03:34for something of this size.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36And the condition's good.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39It's obviously quite a mark-up from £1.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41- Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. - So quite a good investment.- Yes.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- I want to know what else you've bought.- I'll have a look. - Have a rummage.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- Is that the kind of figure you'd be happy with?- Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52- Reserve-wise, what's the least that you'd take for it?- Maybe about £40.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54What will you do with the money?
0:03:54 > 0:03:56I'm going to spend some of the money on the garden
0:03:56 > 0:03:59and also, I'm going to treat my mum to a bunch of flowers
0:03:59 > 0:04:02because she thinks I gave it her many years ago but I don't remember.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- You're not going to be tempted to buy more junk, are you?- Absolutely.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09- You'll be at the next car boot, out there with- £1. Yes.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- You've clearly got a good eye. - Thank you.- Shall we give it a go at the sale?- Yeah. Absolutely.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- Thanks for bringing it in. - Thanks very much.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Now it's time for something of a change - a lovely pocket watch.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Catherine, you've brought this lovely item in. Tell me about it.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30This was my late father's.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33He was an avid watch collector -
0:04:33 > 0:04:35marine chronometers, anything.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Anything scientific or with a mechanical movement.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Yes, but it had to be working.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43If it didn't work, he didn't want it.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47- Or he spent a lot of money doing it up, I suppose. - To restore it, he spent £400
0:04:47 > 0:04:51and nearly two years of a man's time to restore the watch.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53He wanted to see it working.
0:04:53 > 0:04:59- Well, he was quite determined, cos £400 is quite a lot of money and that was some time ago.- 1979.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03- Good Lord. Unfortunately, of course, we can't add that on to the value of the watch...- No.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06It doesn't work like that.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07What I can tell you about it is,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10it's by a very good maker, Joseph Martinez,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14and it's going to date to the, sort of, second half of the 18th century,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16so it's a nice George III period piece.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20The case is engraved with this lovely design here.
0:05:20 > 0:05:25The face has got a few cracks in the enamel but it's a very typical face for this maker.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29What I like, also, about it... If we close it up and have a look at it...
0:05:29 > 0:05:32the glass here is bevelled and faceted
0:05:32 > 0:05:34so when you actually look,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37you get a sort of almost like an insect's eye view of the face
0:05:37 > 0:05:39and it's very nice.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41- And of course, it repeats.- Right.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44So when you press it like that... WATCH CHIMES
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Now, what that will tell you when it chimes like that,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51it'll give you the how many quarter pasts...
0:05:51 > 0:05:53quarter past, half past, quarter to,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- and then the last two are the last hour.- Oh, right.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00So you know that it's, you know, the time is coming up or has just gone.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02That's the first time I've actually heard it.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06- Oh, really? You've never been tempted to squeeze the top?- No. No.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Well, the thing with these, of course, is,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12the gentleman would put this by the side at night on a watch stand,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16so when he woke up, he maybe didn't want to light his candle,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19so he'd press that and it would give you an approximation of the time.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22What I would say to you, as well, with this,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25this is the central bit of the pocket watch.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29It would have been enclosed in an outer case...
0:06:29 > 0:06:32either a full case to make it a full hunter,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35or a glass open face to make it a half-hunter.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37So, you are missing that bit.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Now, value.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42£400-600 would be my suggestion to you,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44with a reserve of 400.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49And, hopefully, it'll knock up a bit on that. How do you feel about that?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52I'd just like the watch if it went to somebody who'd appreciate it.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Well, it's certainly going to go to either a specialist dealer
0:06:55 > 0:06:56or a specialist collector.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01One way or other, it's going to go to somebody who's going to appreciate it slightly more than sitting...
0:07:01 > 0:07:05- ..In a drawer.- ..for 30 years.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10- I look forward to seeing you at the auction and let's hope it chimes the right note at the sale.- Thank you.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Wendy, this is a fabulous postcard album.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Yeah. It's very musty.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I know. It's...
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- It's got that smell.- Yeah.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Fresh to the trade, they say.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34I think the collectors are going to like this
0:07:34 > 0:07:37because it's not been through the auction rooms or an antique shop before.
0:07:37 > 0:07:43- Never. No.- No, which is great. - And if you read, originally, it came from an old friend of ours.
0:07:43 > 0:07:49- Her name was Mabel and she lived in 150 Great Homer St, Liverpool, which doesn't exist any more.- Oh, really.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54- It's all been bombed down now, pulled down.- This is the beauty of postcards like this from the early 1900s.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- It captures social history which has been lost.- Yeah.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02- And that's why individual images are so highly sought after...- I see.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04..because these buildings don't exist.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09Well, whoever put this album together has obviously travelled to all the right destinations,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13- sort of, towards the end of the 1800s, early 1900s.- Yes.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16So, they're topographic scenes you expect to find in a lovely album.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18They've toured all of North Wales, look.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22Going through Snowdonia, Betws-y-Coed,
0:08:22 > 0:08:28- We've got Colwyn Bay.- That must have been the old original pier. - Yes. That's not there now.- No.
0:08:28 > 0:08:35You see what a wonderful document it is of past civic history, can't you?
0:08:35 > 0:08:38You can see why the collectors want things like this.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Oh, look at that one of Southport.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- Isn't it beautiful?- Now that really does sum up the 1920s.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Yeah. It's lovely, isn't it?
0:08:45 > 0:08:49and I think this should do somewhere in the region of sort of high 300s.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51That's what I'm hoping.
0:08:51 > 0:08:57Can we put this into auction with a value of £225 to sort of £325...
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- with a reserve on at 225? - Yes.- Can we do that?
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- Yes. That's fine. - Fingers crossed.- Yeah.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- Fingers crossed we get that top end. - OK. Thank you very much.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17Now, you've brought a lovely little item in to show us, Jean. Have you had it a long time?
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Quite a while. It's come out of our garage, because my husband
0:09:20 > 0:09:25is a watchmaker, retired, but has all his bits and pieces in the garage.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27So, out of the box that came, and I quite like it.
0:09:27 > 0:09:33Well, I think we need to have a little look at it, because it's actually quite an interesting object.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36First of all, it's two-pronged.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40- We've got this rather nice little eagle's head here in gold...- Yeah.
0:09:40 > 0:09:48- With this little seal here, and then the item going through it is an actual clock winder...- Winder.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53Which is wonderful, actually, and you could just imagine it on a Victorian gentleman's watch chain.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Pocket watch on a chain, yes.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59His pocket watch. And what a wonderful thing to have on, your own seal.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01And it would seal letters, I think, would it?
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Yes, it would. It's quite small.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Normally, the seals for letters are quite big, as you can imagine big envelopes, but this is, yeah...
0:10:07 > 0:10:12It's only initials, so it's not from a titled family or anything like that...
0:10:12 > 0:10:14- Right.- ..where you've got a family crest.- Yeah.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16So would it be quite old, then?
0:10:16 > 0:10:20- I think so. I think we're certainly looking at the 19th century.- Yeah.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22And looking at the shape of the shield here and the
0:10:22 > 0:10:26type of decoration, I would have thought we're probably looking at...
0:10:26 > 0:10:31- maybe the last quarter of the 19th century, so maybe 1870, 1880, something like that.- Yes.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34And why have you brought it in today?
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Well, it hasn't got any sentimental value, because it's obviously not
0:10:38 > 0:10:42really ours, but it's come to us, so it doesn't mean anything to me.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- Oh, well, that's it, so I can say anything I like...- Yes, you can.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- And you'll say yes, wonderful. - I won't get upset.- Fantastic.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51- I don't think we're looking a huge amount of money.- No.- But it is a collector's object.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55- Yes.- And I think with these, sort of, things, it's best to put a rather modest estimate on them
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and then just let the market place itself wherever it wants.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00- Yes.- If you know what I mean.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04- So, I would suggest, sort of, £40 to £60.- Right.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08- Now, what about a reserve? Do you want to put a reserve on it? - Well, do you think we should?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Well, we don't want to give it away for £10, do we?
0:11:11 > 0:11:13- No.- So shall we put a reserve of 30?
0:11:13 > 0:11:15- Right. - Just to give it a bit of protection.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- Yes, that's fine.- Wonderful.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21- Well, let's hope we wind up a good price at the auction.- Right. OK.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34- Andy.- Hi.- Welcome to Flog It! You've brought me these two Doulton figurines in.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- They're a study of contrasts. - They are.- I think it's fair to say.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40- I know which one's my favourite. - Is it this one, by any chance?
0:11:40 > 0:11:44- Definitely.- Yeah. You've got two very different styles
0:11:44 > 0:11:45from the same factory,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48so you've got the Flower Seller's Children, here,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50which is quite an early piece.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Lovely colours. Probably early 1930s.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55And then you've got Old Father Thames here.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59He looks fairly ancient, but in terms of a model, he's not very old.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- No.- Probably a 1980s. Some people like this one.- Yeah.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I think what you've got is much more collectable on the terms of this one.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07We always moan about condition on these things.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11I'm going to play devil's advocate here and have a whinge. A few bits missing.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16A few little chips and cracks and things on the flowers, which you expect. They all fall off.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19It's in pretty good condition other than that, though.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21- No heads off.- No. - Fingers are fine.- No.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23It's a nice piece. Why would you be selling it?
0:12:23 > 0:12:27I want to take the daughter and the wife down to Great Yarmouth
0:12:27 > 0:12:30to see two good friends of ours who run a hotel down there.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35- And fed up of dusting it.- Well, I don't mind looking at this one.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37I just want this one to go, you know.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41This is a strange piece. I mean, it's not going to be everybody's cup of tea.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42In terms of pricing,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I think the best thing to do is put them in two separate lots
0:12:45 > 0:12:48- because they'll appeal to two different kinds of people.- Right.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51And this one is the lower figure.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53- Maybe an estimate of £40-50 on him.- OK.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58- And this one's slightly more collectable, so £100-150.- Right.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Would you want to set some reserves on them?
0:13:01 > 0:13:04- On this one. I wouldn't like to see it go for less than 100.- OK.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07So put a fixed reserve of 100, cos if it doesn't make that,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09- you can always have it back. - Of course.- Brilliant.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13- Well, I'll see you at the auction. - OK. Yeah.- Fingers crossed it will go.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23# From Liverpool to Bristol
0:13:23 > 0:13:26# A-rovin' I went
0:13:26 > 0:13:29# But a stay in that country Well, it was my intent
0:13:29 > 0:13:32# For drinking strong whisky Like other damn fools
0:13:32 > 0:13:37# So, not need transported back to Liverpool... #
0:13:37 > 0:13:42The docks have always been central to Liverpool's rich history
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and the most famous of them all being the Albert Dock here,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49which Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, gave his name to.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Its heyday was the second half of the 19th century,
0:13:52 > 0:13:58but within a fairly short period of time, it became obsolete, spiralling into decay and disuse.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Once considered a blot on the landscape, some 30 years later,
0:14:04 > 0:14:09it's now become the jewel in the crown of Liverpool's rejuvenation.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12It's now a global tourist attraction...
0:14:12 > 0:14:13with museums, restaurants,
0:14:13 > 0:14:18bars, luxury apartments and offices to visit. So, let's go back in time.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21How did it all begin?
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Until the early part of the 18th century,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26vessels used to unload upon open quaysides,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29but they were at the mercy of thieves and smugglers.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Ships' contents were taken to around 200 bonded warehouses
0:14:34 > 0:14:36scattered all over Liverpool
0:14:36 > 0:14:42and, consequently, the government found it very difficult to impose customs taxes.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47When St Katherine's Dock opened in London, in 1828,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51it was the first enclosed dock with quayside warehouses.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Ultimately, a much better port system to control tax evasion.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58The Albert Dock was based upon this pioneering design.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I've come to Liverpool's Maritime Museum to meet Stephen Guy
0:15:01 > 0:15:05to find out more about this amazing dock.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Who was behind the design and when was it built?
0:15:08 > 0:15:14Jesse Hartley... he was...an engineer.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17He had no experience, really, of port engineering,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21but he created this role which he fulfilled in Liverpool,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23and he designed and built this dock
0:15:23 > 0:15:27and, of course, it worked tremendously well.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32- Yeah.- But, really, if you were going to choose a place to put a port, Liverpool isn't it.
0:15:32 > 0:15:38The engineers had to overcome these problems with the tides and with the docks,
0:15:38 > 0:15:43and he created the template for dock engineering throughout the world.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49By February 1845, the dock was ready to receive its first ships,
0:15:49 > 0:15:54but it was only on July 30, 1846 that Prince Albert formally opened the docks.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58It was truly a grand occasion.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02It was the first state visit by a member of the British royal family to Liverpool
0:16:02 > 0:16:06and it was a time to celebrate. After all, Liverpool had arguably the world's first
0:16:06 > 0:16:12fully-enclosed fireproof and theft-proof system of dock warehouses.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17When you look around you,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21everything you can see, apart from the modern frontages etc,
0:16:21 > 0:16:27is original Victorian engineering at its very best.
0:16:27 > 0:16:33- It really is.- It's incredible because this is the largest group of Grade 1 listed buildings in Britain.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36It's amazing and it's all done by hand.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41You know, look at all those bricks, all laid by hand, all that cast iron,
0:16:41 > 0:16:46granite, sandstone, and it's a great place to be.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49- It is. It feels good, doesn't it? - It does. Yeah.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Now, is that part of the original mechanical loading system?
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Previously, it was blokes hauling ropes.
0:16:55 > 0:17:01- Pulleys and tackles.- Push and pull, push and pull, labour intensive. - So that really did speed things up.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04The machine changed. I mean, this was the Industrial Revolution, you know.
0:17:04 > 0:17:10This was a major change, and so, obviously, you could shift cargos so much quicker.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11What were they unloading?
0:17:11 > 0:17:14All sorts of things were brought in from all over the world.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19- It must have been colourful and vibrant and the smells would have been wonderful.- It was.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21In Victorian times, the smells of the spices,
0:17:21 > 0:17:26the smell of the cotton, the smell of the rum, the tobacco.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31Everything was incredible and the characters, of course, they would have been all round here.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35- Yeah.- You know, tremendous characters, including Jesse Hartley, was a great character himself.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39You can imagine him shouting, "Get on with this," you know.
0:17:39 > 0:17:46- He was the ultimate foreman and he either altered or built every dock in Liverpool...- It's incredible.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49..during his time. He was a colossus.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52And I guess it employed, in its heyday,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54thousands and thousands of people.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56This area down here would have been total noise,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59- the clanking of machinery. - A hive of activity.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Total hive of activity.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06# As I walked out one morning fair down by the Liverpool docks
0:18:06 > 0:18:09# Heave away, me Johnny Heave away! #
0:18:11 > 0:18:17Although the dock prospered hugely, slowly the demands of ships began to change.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Consequently, a downturn in the life of the Albert Dock was almost inevitable.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Why did the docks go out of favour? What was their demise?
0:18:27 > 0:18:33Well, you can make all the great plans for a dock, but, really, what happened was the ships got bigger.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Right. OK. And I guess access is quite tight here.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Well, you look at the lock gates.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43- Yes.- They weren't able to predict how big ships were going to go.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46They couldn't predict the leviathans of the sea which were coming,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49but a simple thing like the lock gates not being big enough
0:18:49 > 0:18:55really sounded the end for this dock as a major dock in the town.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58What happened in the 20th century, then?
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Throughout the '70s, this was a very, very bad area.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Nothing was happening here and the dock board crashed. It went bust.
0:19:06 > 0:19:13- It went bankrupt. And at about that time, there was an accident here, where a ship rammed the gates.- Here?
0:19:13 > 0:19:18Yeah. Rammed the gates to the Canning Dock and because of the state of the dock board at that time,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20there was no repairs done.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24So what happened was, this area became tidal.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29All the tide came in and it silted up, so if you'd look behind you here,
0:19:29 > 0:19:33you know, 30 years ago, it was just a mass of silt.
0:19:33 > 0:19:39I mean, the Piermaster's House over there, the warehouse round the back there, they were ruined.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43It was a very sad time for Liverpool.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48But it was Michael Heseltine who spearheaded turning around the fortunes of the Albert Dock.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52In the early 1980s, the newly-elected Conservative government
0:19:52 > 0:19:58appointed him Environment Secretary, and under his guidance, the Merseyside Development Corporation
0:19:58 > 0:20:05was set up to take over the responsibility of regenerating and redeveloping Liverpool South Dock.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10Thank goodness it's been preserved, cos this is Liverpool's social history, isn't it?
0:20:10 > 0:20:12It's all here. It's a world history.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17- These buildings are really quite symbolic of that.- Yeah.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23And so the transformation slowly began to take place.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29With new plans for leisure usage, the docks had a new lease of life.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, this place has now become a huge tourist attraction,
0:20:34 > 0:20:39giving you a sense of connection to the past to Liverpool's glorious maritime days,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43but also offering the city inspiration for the future.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Let's get the excitement going.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55We're going to make our way over to the auction room in Mold
0:20:55 > 0:20:59and leave you with a rundown just to jog your memory of the items that are going under the hammer.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Kate's not a fan of Troika,
0:21:03 > 0:21:10but having paid the price of just one English pound, how will Tony's vase fare under the hammer?
0:21:10 > 0:21:12It is a favourite of our Paul Martin.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16I have to say I disagree with him on this. I am not a big fan of Troika.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Catherine wants her father's pocket watch to go to a good home.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23How much will she pocket at auction?
0:21:23 > 0:21:27- You press it like that. - That's the first time I've actually heard it.- Oh, really?
0:21:27 > 0:21:32Will Wendy's album of just over 250 postcards gain a stamp of approval?
0:21:32 > 0:21:38- It's very musty. - I know. It's got that smell.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Fresh to the trade, they say.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41Boxed up for years,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Jean won't be missing her watch key and seal either.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- It doesn't mean anything to me. - Ah, well that's it.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51- So now I can say anything I like and you'll say, "Yes, wonderful." - I won't get upset.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55And Andy is expecting a decent figure for his Royal Doulton figurines,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57but will he get it?
0:22:05 > 0:22:09This is where we're putting all our experts' valuations to the test,
0:22:09 > 0:22:11in Dodds Auction Rooms, in the heart of Mold.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15There's an air of excitement and anticipation, all the ingredients you need for a classic auction.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Who knows what's going to happen, but we're going to find out.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23'And the man with the all-important gavel in his hand today is auctioneer Anthony Parry.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28'First up, Tony's £1 piece of Troika.'
0:22:28 > 0:22:32£60-90. Kate here doesn't really like Troika, do you?
0:22:32 > 0:22:35If I said here's 50 quid, would you go out and spend it on Troika?
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- Not a chance.- Not a chance. - Not a chance. No.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43In fact, there must be insanity in your family cos you're mad to buy something like that. Honestly.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46No. I think Troika is really lovely.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48- It's a matter of taste though, isn't it?- Well, exactly.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- And lots of people like it. - I think it's quite ugly.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- I'm not really a fan of Troika. - A man after my own heart.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56- You're outnumbered.- I know.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58I'm flying the flag here.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01So we're going to find out what the bidders in Mold think.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04It's going under the hammer right now. Fingers crossed.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Right. Nice little Troika vase.
0:23:06 > 0:23:1130. 40. 50. 60. £60. 60.
0:23:11 > 0:23:17- 60. 60. 70. 80. £80.- Oh, wow.
0:23:17 > 0:23:2080. Going to have 90? No. £80. 80.
0:23:20 > 0:23:2280. Anybody else? £80.
0:23:22 > 0:23:2885. 85. 85. 90. Five, is there?
0:23:28 > 0:23:3090. All done at £90, then?
0:23:30 > 0:23:32We've finished at £90?
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Well done. Well done for you.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39- I had a really nice time.- What next? You can spot the next thing.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- I'm going to root through the rest of my drawers and see what I've got.- Brilliant.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48160. 160.
0:23:48 > 0:23:54And next under the hammer we've got a silver-cased verge pocket watch belonging to Catherine and Peter.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57We've got a value of 400-600 put on by our expert, Mark Stacey.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01This is real quality, and was it your father...?
0:24:01 > 0:24:03My father bought it. Yes.
0:24:03 > 0:24:09And since then, the watch has just been kept in a little green box in a cupboard.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Well, that's one of its virtues, really, the fact that you've looked after it. It's not been damaged.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16It's still working. It's in mint condition.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19- This is true.- And it's superb. - It's lovely. It's a very good maker.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22- We've looked it up. It's, sort of, mid-to-late 18th century.- Exactly.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26- So we've put a sensible estimate on it and we protected it with a reserve.- Good.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28- So, fingers crossed. - Something for the purists.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33It's definitely the oldest thing in the sale. Let's hope the bidders fall in love with this. Here we go.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37We've got a very nice Verge pocket watch here to start off with.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39200, I'm bid. £200.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43200. 225. 250. 275. 300.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48£300, up there. 300. 300. 25 is it?
0:24:48 > 0:24:54All done at 300? 325. 350. 375. 375.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59- 375. 375. 400.- Yes. We've got four.- 400.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02400. Take ten up here, if you want.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05£400 is there. All done at £400?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Missed no-one?
0:25:07 > 0:25:09We just did it - £400.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13- That's a good result. - Yes.- It's a good result.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25Right. It's my turn to be the expert today and I've been joined by Wendy, who's looking absolutely fabulous.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28- You really do. Love the scarf. - Thank you very much.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- Bit of Marilyn Monroe and some other film stars there.- Yeah. Ava Gardner.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- Talking about photographs, we've got lots of photographs and postcards, really...- Yeah.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37..just about to go under the hammer with your album.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41- And I think there's about 240 odd in total.- Yeah.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45We've got a value of £225-325.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Let's hope we can find a new home today. Here we go, Wendy.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50It's going under the hammer.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55Lot 100 now. Lot 100 is the album of 264 photographs.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- What shall we say for that? Nice album.- Come on.
0:25:58 > 0:26:0150, I'm bid. £50. 50. 60. 70.
0:26:01 > 0:26:0780. 90. 100. And ten. 120. 130. 140.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12150. 150. 150. 160 is it?
0:26:12 > 0:26:16150, not much money, that isn't. 150. 150.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18All done at £150, then?
0:26:18 > 0:26:20We finished?
0:26:20 > 0:26:22It's worth a lot more than that.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25I'm pleased we put a reserve on, that's for sure.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27They're easily worth over £200.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31So I think the best thing you can do is - no-one in the room wants them today -
0:26:31 > 0:26:34take them home, keep them at home for three or four months,
0:26:34 > 0:26:39and if you decide to sell them, then put them in maybe to a different sale.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- You can definitely come back here, if you want.- Yeah.
0:26:42 > 0:26:48Watching other valuers value these postcards and I've done them myself and they've been fetching £300-400,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51so there's no reason why those ones shouldn't.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Well, I've just been joined by Andy and Kate, our expert here.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03We've got two Doulton figures to go under the hammer.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06We're splitting the lots. The first one is the flower seller.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11- Yes.- Very collectable. We've got £120-150.- Yeah.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14We've upped it slight from that 100.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16- I think that was the wife, wasn't it?- It was the wife.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19- Saying, "Come on, we want a bit more than that."- She must be obeyed.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21- Right. Yeah.- Don't blame you there.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23And the other one for £40-50.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Less popular. Hardly any colour, just a bit of gilding on that one.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- This one's Old Father Thames.- Yeah.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Yeah. Hopefully, we've got the collectors here. It's a great name.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Let's just hope the price is right.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38- Well, we'll see.- We will... right now. Here we go.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40We come onto the Royal Doulton section now.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44165, the flower seller's children.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48A nice one there. 50. Thank you. £50. 55.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52- 60. Five. 70. Five.- Started low.
0:27:52 > 0:27:5575. 75. This is not much money. 80.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Five.
0:27:57 > 0:27:5990. Five.
0:27:59 > 0:28:0195.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04£95. 95. Who's following it up? 100.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06And five.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10And ten. 115. 120.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- This is good. Well done. We've sold it.- 120. And five, is it?
0:28:13 > 0:28:16120. 120's close to me.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19120. Are we missing anybody?
0:28:19 > 0:28:24- 120, it's gone.- Brilliant. First one down. Here's the next one.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26165A. Old Father Thames.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28There he is.
0:28:28 > 0:28:3120. £20. 20. Two. 24.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35£24. 24. 24. Where's six?
0:28:35 > 0:28:3924. 26. 28. Have one more, Michael.
0:28:39 > 0:28:4430. £30. 30. 30. 30. I'm very grateful to you for that.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47£30. 30. Two, is there?
0:28:47 > 0:28:50All done at £30, then?
0:28:50 > 0:28:52- That's not bad, is it?- No.- £150.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55- So I think the wife will be really happy.- Yeah. I hope she is.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Jean, let's hope we get the top end of Mark's estimate,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06which is £40 to £60 for this lovely watch seal and fob. I think it's cracking.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09It is gold, but it's not hallmarked.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13- Yes. Well, we couldn't find the hallmark on it, but it's very pretty. I love the eagle's head.- Yes.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17- Yes. Gorgeous. It's quality. - It's a lovely little object. - It's only tiny, though.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22- I know, I know, but it's lovely actually and I'm sure it's going to find a new home right now.- Right.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25- It's the kind of thing that the collectors always want.- Absolutely.
0:29:25 > 0:29:30It's not a lot of money to part with for something so different. You're not going to see this every day.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Particularly if you're a watch collector or a specialist watch dealer.
0:29:33 > 0:29:38- You like this sort of thing to add to another quality item or to put on a nice fob chain, you know.- Yeah.
0:29:38 > 0:29:43- And some of the best things come in the smallest packages. We know this, don't we?- Exactly.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48Well, we're going to find out anyway what the bidders of Mold think of this lovely small package.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52It's going under the hammer right now.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54401, a very nice watch key.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57What shall we say for that? £20, thank you. £20,
0:29:57 > 0:30:0120, 5, 30, 5, 40, £40.
0:30:01 > 0:30:0240, 40,
0:30:02 > 0:30:095, is it? £40. 40, 5, 7.50, 50...
0:30:09 > 0:30:10- That's good.- Yes.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15£50. Over here at £50. Are we done at 50?
0:30:15 > 0:30:18- Made estimate. That's good, isn't it? - Not bad.- That's very nice.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20£50. It's going to come in useful.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23- Yes.- A little bit of commission - it's 15%.- Right.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26- You'll be able to treat yourself. - It's not the money - it's being with you.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30- Oh, well, that's nice. Can't put a price on that!- No.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Coming up, we go from minor to major, with Royal Doulton.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41It cost a fortune to post,
0:30:41 > 0:30:46but can Tam find an over-the-top price for his vase from down under?
0:30:46 > 0:30:51- It must have cost you a fortune to have it shipped over. - Just over £300.- Good Lord.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53But right now, I fancy a bit of fresh air,
0:30:53 > 0:30:58so I'm going to do some sightseeing on the waterfront in Liverpool.
0:31:04 > 0:31:10Standing here on Liverpool's iconic waterfront are the Royal Liver,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13the Cunard and the Port of Liverpool buildings.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18Now, known collectively, they're the Three Graces, but I'm not here today to see these historic buildings -
0:31:18 > 0:31:22what I'm here for is that one, that's caught my eye, that ultra-modern one.
0:31:22 > 0:31:28Now, as of yet, it's unfinished, but it's soon going to play a key role in the city's history.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32The Museum of Liverpool is a landmark modern design,
0:31:32 > 0:31:36built here at the Pier Head in the heart of the city's old docks district.
0:31:36 > 0:31:43It's based on a striking geometrical pattern and will eventually house a collection of 6,000 items,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46telling the city's history from its origins
0:31:46 > 0:31:51as a small tidal inlet to European Capital of Culture and beyond.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54As you can see, it's a work in progress, but when it's opened,
0:31:54 > 0:31:59there'll be 8,000 square metres of exhibition space on three floors.
0:31:59 > 0:32:06The museum will focus on four themed areas - port city, creative city, people's city and global city -
0:32:06 > 0:32:09all reflecting different aspects of Liverpool's history
0:32:09 > 0:32:13and including many exhibits which have never been on display before.
0:32:18 > 0:32:24Part of this building's genius is its complex steel frame, which forms the structure's core.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27This cutting-edge design means the museum's largest exhibition areas
0:32:27 > 0:32:32are free from columns and pillars and so maximise the gallery space.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35I've come to meet Martin Hemmings, buildings operation manager
0:32:35 > 0:32:39for the National Museums Liverpool, who is overseeing the build.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43It's a stunning building, there is so much light here.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45What are the highlights of the design for you?
0:32:45 > 0:32:48I think particularly the spiral staircase in the middle of the building.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52We can't see it in all its glory today.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56It's a superb self-supporting staircase from the ground up to second floor.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01It seems to float in the air, there's no columns or support,
0:33:01 > 0:33:05and it does look magnificent with the roof light over the top and the natural light coming through.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09You've got these wonderful architectural scoops of daylight coming in from all over the place.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Yes, yeah, and that's very unusual
0:33:11 > 0:33:14for a museum to have such large glazed areas,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17particularly on the upper galleries with the big gable windows.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19The views are just fantastic.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21They are. They're striking, really.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24The whole form of the building, it's very much of this age,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27but very much in keeping with the Three Graces, we think,
0:33:27 > 0:33:31and there's a real good balance and scale to the whole thing.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Are you allowed to talk about costs? Are they quite frightening?
0:33:34 > 0:33:36We had a community group along a couple of months ago,
0:33:36 > 0:33:40and one of the little lads asked me how much it was going to cost,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42and when I said 65 to 70 million...
0:33:42 > 0:33:46there was this audible gasp from the mothers and fathers and teachers,
0:33:46 > 0:33:50and I pointed out it was about the same as a couple of Premiership footballers, in reality.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52So I asked him whether
0:33:52 > 0:33:55he'd rather have a couple of footballers in his football team
0:33:55 > 0:33:58or this place to come and see for the next 100 years
0:33:58 > 0:34:02absolutely free for him and his children and their children, and he chose here.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04I don't blame him.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07This is special, and I think people know it.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15It must be fantastic to have a purpose-built space.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18It can give you a lot of freedom to work with.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20- Yeah, very much so, for the designers.- Yeah.
0:34:20 > 0:34:26Bearing in mind this is the largest new museum that's been built in the country for over 100 years.
0:34:26 > 0:34:27- Is it really?- Yeah.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31It's enabled us to bring some key objects out of storage that have never been on display.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35So you do know some key items that have already been...
0:34:35 > 0:34:40Yeah, many of them. For example, here we're overlooking the Port City Gallery,
0:34:40 > 0:34:45and the recess in the balustrade at the side there will be taking a very special railway coach.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57And here it is. Just look at this - isn't it marvellous?
0:34:57 > 0:35:00An original carriage from the Liverpool Overhead Railway.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Now, I'm lucky enough to be in the museum's workshop,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06getting a sneak preview, as this is being restored,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08ready for display in the Port City Gallery.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16The Liverpool Overhead Railway was the world's first elevated electric railway line.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Known as the Docker's Umbrella,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21it is still remembered by many Liverpudlians
0:35:21 > 0:35:23as one of the city's lost icons.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30And I'm sure it's going to be a runaway success.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32And here to tell me a little bit more about it
0:35:32 > 0:35:36is Sharon Brown from the Port City Gallery. Hello, pleased to meet you.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39- Hello.- And thank you for talking to us today.- No problem.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41Now, you're in charge of the Port City Gallery
0:35:41 > 0:35:43and, I guess, in choosing the exhibits.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45Was that a hard decision?
0:35:45 > 0:35:47It's not really a hard decision
0:35:47 > 0:35:50when you've got such fantastic collection to work with.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55- Well, you've got to leave something out?- Well, you do have to leave some things out unfortunately, yes.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59But the nature of some of the objects which is the Overhead Railway coach,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02they're a dead cert, really, there's no way you could leave them out.
0:36:02 > 0:36:07The Port City Gallery is all about the growth of Liverpool as a port city.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11It's a fascinating story, and I think even local people will be surprised
0:36:11 > 0:36:14at what we've managed to get into the gallery.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16How many items are going to be there, all told?
0:36:16 > 0:36:18- Gosh, hundreds and hundreds. - Hundreds.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23- We still haven't reached the final number yet... So it's going to go up. - So why is this coach so important?
0:36:23 > 0:36:30This is the only surviving motor coach from the Overhead Railway that ran along the docks in Liverpool.
0:36:30 > 0:36:36- It ran from 1893 to 1956, so still within living memory.- Yes.
0:36:36 > 0:36:37There's a lot of people
0:36:37 > 0:36:40that still have great affection for the Overhead Railway,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43not just as a railway, but as a piece of the landscape as well.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45And there was one lady who came in
0:36:45 > 0:36:48and she was really interesting.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50She'd worked as a ticket collector on the railway,
0:36:50 > 0:36:54but she'd also met her husband during the course of her work.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57He was a messenger boy for the Mersey Dock and Harbour Company,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00so he used to ride up and down the docks on the Overhead Railway.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03He liked the look of her and asked her out, and she wasn't sure.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07- They ended up being married for a very long time. A nice happy ending.- That's fantastic.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10- So a personal story...- Yes.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13And also information about how the railway operated from her.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Are there any other items here that are going to go on display?
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Yes, there are, and if you look just out the window behind you,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23you'll see a Lion locomotive.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25'Lion was an early locomotive
0:37:25 > 0:37:29'which ran on the Liverpool to Manchester railway. Opened in 1830,'
0:37:29 > 0:37:36this railway was vital to Liverpool's growth and prosperity as it provided cheaper faster transport
0:37:36 > 0:37:38of raw materials and finished goods
0:37:38 > 0:37:42between the city's ports and the mills of Manchester.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47- So why did you choose this locomotive? - The Lion is really the star object
0:37:47 > 0:37:51in the whole of the Port City Gallery, it's a really important locomotive.
0:37:51 > 0:37:57It was built in 1838 by Todd Kitson & Laird in Leeds to run on the Liverpool to Manchester railway.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01- It was the first ever timetabled railway for passengers...- Really?
0:38:01 > 0:38:06..and freight, and it was incorporated under an Act of Parliament,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09so it was a really big thing and it set the precedent for railways
0:38:09 > 0:38:13- really around the world. - Must have done. So she's had a colourful life, hasn't she?
0:38:13 > 0:38:18- She's had a really colourful life. - Oh, good old girl.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20She had a film career, as well.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25- Has she?- She's actually been in three films - Victoria The Great, The Lady With The Lamp,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28but most famously in 1952, the Titfield Thunderbolt,
0:38:28 > 0:38:30the Ealing comedy.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35So she got a new audience and a new band of fans through that market.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37- A new lease of life.- Yeah.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39'What a treat to get a look behind the scenes
0:38:39 > 0:38:42'and see some of the work that goes into creating a new museum.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46'There's still a lot more to do before the exhibits can take their place in the galleries,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49'not least, finishing the building work!'
0:38:49 > 0:38:53Now, once this magnificent building has been completed,
0:38:53 > 0:38:57it's going to stand proud alongside its famous neighbours here,
0:38:57 > 0:38:58and who knows, maybe, just, one day,
0:38:58 > 0:39:02it might be known as the Fourth Grace.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14And now it's back to St George's Hall,
0:39:14 > 0:39:18and Kate's found a little pot with a big name.
0:39:18 > 0:39:23- Judith, hello and welcome to Flog It! - Hiya, Kate.- You've brought along this vase. Tell me a bit about it.
0:39:23 > 0:39:30I had it given to me about 30 years ago via my aunt
0:39:30 > 0:39:34- and apart from that, it's sat in the cupboard ever since.- Do you like it?
0:39:34 > 0:39:39Yes and no. I like it, but it doesn't go with my home. I like crystal and things like that, so...
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Right. Well, there are lots of collectors for Moorcroft obviously,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45- and if we look on the bottom, it will tell us a bit more about it.- Mm-hm.
0:39:45 > 0:39:52Obviously you've got the WM signature and the potters to the late Queen Mary, which allows us to date it
0:39:52 > 0:39:55- to Walter Moorcroft, as opposed to the earlier William Moorcroft.- Right.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58- And about the 1950s.- Mm-hm.
0:39:58 > 0:40:04Now, the pattern is Anemone, so it's quite a well-known pattern, but it's usually in a different colourway.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08- You usually have a blue background and then sort of pink flowers and green leaves.- Mm-hm.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11This is quite an unusual, almost like autumn colours.
0:40:11 > 0:40:16- Yeah, yeah.- Mushy green and brown, red, it's quite attractive.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21It is nice. It looks better with the lights, to be fair, but when it's in a dark room,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25- it looked really dark. - It doesn't float your boat? - It doesn't. No not at all.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28So any ideas, price-wise, what you think it would be?
0:40:28 > 0:40:32Don't know. Around 250, 300.
0:40:32 > 0:40:33A reserve of at least 225.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Right. OK, well, I was going to say a little bit lower.
0:40:36 > 0:40:42I was going to say between £200 and £300, but you don't want to sell it for any less than you're happy with.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- No, not really. - So it's a bit of speculative one.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48- What we'll do is put a reserve at 225...- Mm-hm.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52- ..an estimate of 250 to 300...- OK. - ..and see if we can get it away at the auction.- Right. Fine.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56- Would you be happy with that? - That's fine.- All right.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58So it may or may not go. It's a bit of an iffy one this one...
0:40:58 > 0:41:01If it does, it does - if it doesn't, it'll go home.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03That is the way to think about it. Brilliant.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14- What a lovely group of silver and you've brought lots of pieces in to show us which is fantastic.- Yes.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17But we've chosen this little group as a mixed lot
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- because they're all of a type, aren't they?- They are. Yeah.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24The designs are not the same, but very similar.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27Well, a lot of them are quite lightweight silver.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31This is actually quite a good weight, this little bonbon basket, I suppose.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34You know, you'd use it at the end of a table, in a bygone era really,
0:41:34 > 0:41:37when you had maids to do all the silver cleaning for you.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40This one is hallmarked for London, 1895.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43And then this little dish is Chester, 1901, I think, isn't it?
0:41:43 > 0:41:48So they're all from that sort of general late-19th century, early-20th century period.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52And we've got a little mustard pot and two pepperettes there.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55- We've decided to put them in as a group lot and you're happy with that, aren't you?- Yes.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00Now, they're a nice little group of pieces. Where did you get them from, Michelle?
0:42:00 > 0:42:02- I bought them off the internet. - Off the internet.- Yeah.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04Are you a dabbler on there? Do you like it?
0:42:04 > 0:42:09Well, I had hoped to be a dabbler, but it's not working out.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14Oh, dear. I'm sorry to hear that. You need an awful lot of money you know, these days, to be a dabbler.
0:42:14 > 0:42:19- I found that out.- What did you pay for the group? Can you remember?
0:42:19 > 0:42:23- Probably about £120-130. - Well, that's not too bad.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27I mean, I think I would probably suggest putting them in at 100-150,
0:42:27 > 0:42:33with a reserve of 100. And then, hopefully, they'll drive a little bit towards the upper estimate.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36So you're happy with that then? You're happy if we put £100-150 on it?
0:42:36 > 0:42:39That would be fine. Yeah.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43- And why have you decided to sell them with us now?- I just need the money. - You need the cash.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46- Well, we all do at this credit crunch time, don't we?- We do.
0:42:46 > 0:42:47I wish I had some things to flog.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59Mike, you've bought in this wonderful painting.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03- What can you tell me about it? - Well, it belonged to my father.- Yeah.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08It hung over his mantelpiece for about 40 years and I've inherited it essentially. Yes.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12Right. There is a little bit of background about this history.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14It's a fairly well-known painting.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18It's a copy of a Rubens, which has got a very long-winded title,
0:43:18 > 0:43:23Night Scene With An Old Lady With A Basket And A Candle. As you can see, you can tell she's uplit
0:43:23 > 0:43:27as if she's got a candle out of shot here and she's uplit by the light of the candle.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31It's a very beautifully painted thing. If you've not hung it, do you not like it?
0:43:31 > 0:43:34Well, some people say it's a bit spooky.
0:43:34 > 0:43:40My father was fond of it, but if I can get a fishing rod and reel out of it, I'd rather catch a trout.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44Right. OK. Obviously, we all go on about the subject matter.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48This was part of a larger painting that has a young child in the same picture,
0:43:48 > 0:43:53and that's a nice contrast between young girl and old crone.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55But it's still a beautifully painted thing.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58If you look at how well it's done, it's not signed so we don't know who did it
0:43:58 > 0:44:02and it's certainly a copy, a late-18th, early-19th century copy of the original Rubens.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06They've left quite a lot of thick paint, which is known as impasto, here on her forehead you can see.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09And the uplighting's wonderful.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12And all of this darkness is called chiaroscuro which is shadow.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15It's a really dramatic painting.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18I don't think it's spooky. I think it's lovely.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22The original sold at auction recently for £2.4 million.
0:44:22 > 0:44:27- Wow.- I would love to say, "Here it is, another one." - I'd love you to say it, too.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30This painting, actually, this particular one is a known copy
0:44:30 > 0:44:34so it has been catalogued as a known copy of this original.
0:44:34 > 0:44:40And I think a cautious estimate would be £700-900.
0:44:40 > 0:44:45- I mean, would you be happy with that or what do you think?- Well, it'll find its own value, I guess.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49I think what you're saying is probably right and I'd be happy to go with that.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52So maybe if we put a reserve of 700,
0:44:52 > 0:44:55we can put a guide price of maybe straddling the £1,000,
0:44:55 > 0:44:59so maybe 800 to 1,200 as the guide price in the catalogue.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02- And then hope it makes about the £1,000 mark.- Yeah. Smashing.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06- Hopefully a new fishing reel for you.- Hope so.- Or two.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17- Hello, Tam.- Hello, Mark.- Now, who's this charming young lady with you? - That's my daughter, Keeley.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19- Hello, Keeley.- Hello.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23- And what do you think of Dad's huge pot?- Horrible.- Horrible?!- Yeah.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27- You don't like it at all. Does it give you nightmares? - No. It's just the horrible colours.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30- The youngsters don't appreciate these things, do they?- No.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33- But it is a real corker, isn't it? - It's an absolute beauty.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36I've never seen a Doulton vase of this size
0:45:36 > 0:45:39by, of course, the famous Hannah Barlow and Frank Butler.
0:45:39 > 0:45:40That's correct.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43I mean, an amazing combination.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45I think we ought to look at it straightaway, really,
0:45:45 > 0:45:46the quality of it.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49We've got a very typical frieze in the centre
0:45:49 > 0:45:51of the horses and the cattle.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54And then it's flanked either side, top and bottom,
0:45:54 > 0:45:56by this wonderful glazing on the top of it,
0:45:56 > 0:45:58the green and the blues, by Frank Butler.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01Again, a top-notch Doulton designer, so you've got, really,
0:46:01 > 0:46:03two leading names.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05I haven't even had the courage to try and pick it up,
0:46:05 > 0:46:08but I'm sure it's marked underneath - Doulton.
0:46:08 > 0:46:13And I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't made for some sort of ceramic exhibition somewhere.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16Now, tell me, where did you get this pot from?
0:46:16 > 0:46:19Actually, I bought it online from an auction in Australia.
0:46:19 > 0:46:25- It must have cost you a fortune to have it shipped over. - It cost just over £300 for shipping.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28- Good Lord.- Yeah. - Now, we've got to think about price.
0:46:28 > 0:46:34- We know Keeley wouldn't give her pocket money for it.- No.- But I'm sure she'll be happy to know the value.
0:46:34 > 0:46:40- I would suggest maybe putting it in at a £2,000 to 3,000 estimate, with a 2,000 fixed reserve.- That's fine.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42But five or six years ago,
0:46:42 > 0:46:46- we probably would have been saying £3,000 to 5,000.- Without doubt.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50But that's the nature of the beast, isn't it? Are you happy with that?
0:46:50 > 0:46:52Yeah. That's fine. That's fine.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54I think I almost saw a smile with Keeley then
0:46:54 > 0:46:56when she heard the 2,000 figure.
0:46:56 > 0:47:00- Do you like it more now that it's worth that much money, Keeley?- Yeah.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04Thank you very much for bringing it in, Tam.
0:47:04 > 0:47:10Ranging from small to large, here's a quick reminder of all the items heading off to auction.
0:47:10 > 0:47:16Michelle hopes she can polish off a decent profit on her silver collection.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19- Why have you decided to sell all of this now?- I just need the money.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22- Well, we all do in this credit crunch time, don't we?- We do.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24I wish I had some things to flog.
0:47:24 > 0:47:29Crystal-loving Judith just doesn't really like her dark-coloured Moorcroft vase.
0:47:29 > 0:47:34It looks better with the lights, to be fair, but when it's in a dark room it looks really dark.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37- It doesn't float your boat? - It doesn't. No, not at all.
0:47:37 > 0:47:42Can Tam find a giant price for his giant vase?
0:47:42 > 0:47:46We know Keeley wouldn't give her pocket money for it, but I'm sure she'll be happy to know the value.
0:47:46 > 0:47:52And, finally, will Mark's dark, Ruben-style painting brighten up the saleroom?
0:47:55 > 0:47:57And before it goes under the hammer,
0:47:57 > 0:48:03I've found a few minutes to sit down with Anthony to get his opinion.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07- Now, would you like this on your wall at home?- At home?
0:48:07 > 0:48:09- Not in the saleroom. - Not in the saleroom.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13No. I wouldn't like it at home. It's a very dull-looking picture.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15I find a lot of Rubens are quite sort of spooky.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17This is after Rubens, obviously.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21- Yes.- It's A Night Scene With An Old Lady Holding A Basket And A Candle.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25It belongs to Michael. He doesn't like it. He keeps it in bubblewrap.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28- Oh, right.- So he wants to sell it to buy a fishing rod and a reel.
0:48:28 > 0:48:32Oh, I think we might manage that, a fishing rod and a reel out of it.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35- But you haven't heard the valuation. - Oh, right.- OK. 800 to 1,200.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37- There has been a fair bit of interest in it.- Has there?
0:48:37 > 0:48:42- Yeah. We've had international interest in it, as well.- Good.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45- So, hopefully, it'll make money. - Fingers crossed. Could we double the top end?
0:48:45 > 0:48:48Oh, don't be greedy.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01Whenever we say invest in antiques, we say invest in a good name, and quality and condition,
0:49:01 > 0:49:05and this lot does have the lot. A Moorcroft vase of bulbous form.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07- It belongs to Judith...- Yes, indeed.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10- ..and we've got £250 to £300 on this.- Indeed. Yes.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13Fingers crossed we'll get a bit more.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16- Well, we'd like a bit more, but we shall see.- It's a lovely thing.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20It's nice form and lovely colours, autumny colours, so that's quite rare for Moorcroft. I quite like it.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24And I agree with you on the valuation and I'm pretty sure we're going to sell this.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26So there's a lot of bidders here, it's a packed saleroom.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28- It is a packed saleroom. - You can't move, can you?
0:49:28 > 0:49:32There's no chance to view now, but hopefully they're going to buy this lot.
0:49:32 > 0:49:33We're going to find out right now.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36Anemone design.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38100 I'm bid.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41£100, 100 and 10, 120,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44130, 140, 150.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48150, 160, 170, 180...
0:49:48 > 0:49:52It's OK though, cos it's going in the right direction - upwards.
0:49:52 > 0:49:57..180, 180, 190, 200, 210, 210.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00- Go on!- 210, 210, 220,
0:50:00 > 0:50:02- 220.- 5? Yes.- Keep going.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Five in the doorway. 220's in the room.
0:50:05 > 0:50:09Are you all done at £220, then? It's in the room. 220.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12- £220 - just.- Just.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14- That was close.- It was.
0:50:14 > 0:50:18- Would have been nice more, but never mind.- Yeah, but it'll come in handy. - I'm sure it will.
0:50:18 > 0:50:22Well, it's a shame we had to rely on the auctioneer's discretion.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26Let's hope we don't need it for our next lot.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30Fingers crossed, Michelle. We're going to find out and so are you,
0:50:30 > 0:50:34because all the silver collection is just about to go under the hammer.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37We're selling it because...
0:50:37 > 0:50:39- got to pay some bills, haven't you? - Got to pay a lot of bills.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43Fact of life, we've all got them and we all have to pay them, Mark.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46- We do.- We've got a top end of the estimate at £150.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50And there's a lot of silver here, bonbon dish, all sorts of things, mustard pot.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53Nice little mixed lot, actually. Should appeal to the trade buyers,
0:50:53 > 0:50:59- cos there's a lot there, or private collectors who want to furnish their little silver cabinets with it.- Yeah.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02All different assay offices so there's something for everybody.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05And I know they've been wrapped up at home ready to go for a long time.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09- Yeah.- Let's hope this is the day, shall we?
0:51:09 > 0:51:11Good luck, both of you. Here we go.
0:51:11 > 0:51:1336. A mixed collection here.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16A mixed collection of silver, a swing-handle basket.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18Three ounces. London hallmark.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20Bonbon dish. Chester, 1901.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23A pair of pepperettes. Birmingham...
0:51:23 > 0:51:27- It's a long list- It is.- He's getting out of breath describing it.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31Sheffield, 1889. Five items.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34- Have you got them all, Mike?- Yes. - Right. What shall we say for those?
0:51:34 > 0:51:3650. Thank you. £50 the lot. 50.
0:51:36 > 0:51:415. 60. 5. 70. 5. 75. 80.
0:51:41 > 0:51:435. 85. 90. 5.
0:51:43 > 0:51:48- 100. 5. 110. 115.- Oh, good.
0:51:48 > 0:51:54- 120. 120. 120. 120. 120. 120. - A bit more.- Five, is it?
0:51:54 > 0:51:58All done at 120 then? Are we finished at 120? And they're gone.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02- 120. That's not bad. - It made estimate.
0:52:02 > 0:52:08- It's going towards those bills, that's for sure.- Absolutely.- I'm happy.- You're happy?- I'm relieved.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19It's after Rubens, it's a wonderful oil on canvas and I know you love this.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22- Yes.- And I know you want to sell it.
0:52:22 > 0:52:27- I do.- And I think, I just think, we've got a new home for it somewhere here in Wales.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30I had a chat to Anthony, the auctioneer, before the sale started.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33Well, he said he's had quite a bit of interest.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35There's been a lot of viewings.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39- If you could just find a signature in the bottom-right, that would be quite helpful.- Just a bit.- No,
0:52:39 > 0:52:42- it's beautifully painted and I love it.- Why do you want to sell it?
0:52:42 > 0:52:47- Well, it's a legacy from my father and it's got to be split three ways. - OK.- It's got to go.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50It's an easy way of dividing up the value then, isn't it, really?
0:52:50 > 0:52:56- Quite.- It's hard to value unless it goes into an auction like this where everyone has the chance to buy it.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00I think the talking's over with, don't you? We can't really say any more about it.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04We all love it and we're going to find out what the bidders here in Mold think of it. Here we go.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06It's going under the hammer.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10After Peter Paul Rubens, I wish it was Peter Paul Rubens.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12The study of the old lady. Part of
0:53:12 > 0:53:17A Night Scene Of The Old Lady Holding The Basket And The Candle.
0:53:17 > 0:53:23The original was sold, as we've got in the catalogue, for 2.4 million,
0:53:23 > 0:53:28in 2004. So there's a chance for you all now to have a Rubens.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30What shall we say for it?
0:53:30 > 0:53:34We won't ask you for 100,000 to start.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37500. Thank you. £500. 500.
0:53:37 > 0:53:44£500. 500. 500. 550. 550. 550. 550.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48600. £600. 600.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52£600. 600. 600. And 50.
0:53:52 > 0:53:57650. 650. 650. 650.
0:53:57 > 0:54:02£650. 650. 650. Where's 700?
0:54:02 > 0:54:05£650 then. All done at £650?
0:54:05 > 0:54:09- Not enough, is it?- No. - Are we finished at 650?
0:54:09 > 0:54:11I'm really surprised.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14- So am I.- Oh, dear.- Oh, dear.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17- Oh, well.- What a shame. - You're taking it home.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21There was somebody on the phone, wasn't there, as well, but they didn't want to be pushed?
0:54:21 > 0:54:24- That was the highest bid on the phone - 650.- Was it to the phone?
0:54:24 > 0:54:27Yeah. Yeah. If someone was in the room pushing that,
0:54:27 > 0:54:31the phone bidder may have gone 750, 800, which would have just sold it.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34- Yeah.- Which just goes to show, you can't get it right all the time.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36- No. That was so close.- It was.
0:54:36 > 0:54:41What I would do if I was you is have a word with the auctioneer after the sale...
0:54:41 > 0:54:44- he'll have the phone number of the phone bidder.- Right.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48They might be able to see if he's prepared to go that one bid extra to get it to the reserve.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51- Yeah.- It's worth trying. - It is.- Ask him. Yeah.- Yeah.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54- Ask him cos it's so close.- Yeah.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59Are you over at 55?
0:55:01 > 0:55:04We're looking for £2,000-3,000, for the Royal Doulton.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06It's made by Hannah Barlow.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10It's absolutely gorgeous. It belongs to Tam. Why are you selling this, Tam?
0:55:10 > 0:55:14It's just that it's a big, massive lump and I just really haven't got room for it.
0:55:14 > 0:55:20I've had it about 2½ years now and I think it's just time to sell it and move on to something else.
0:55:20 > 0:55:21- It is big, isn't it?- It's huge.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25- Where's it been at home then? - Stuck in the corner, basically.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28- Stuck in the corner.- Yeah. - What, on the floor?- On the floor. - On the floor.- On the floor.
0:55:28 > 0:55:32- Not a good way to display something like that. No.- No.
0:55:32 > 0:55:34But it is kind of the wrong size, isn't it, really?
0:55:34 > 0:55:37That's the only thing it's got its downsides on.
0:55:37 > 0:55:42If you were a collector at a very big house and you had a big jardiniere stand to put it on or something,
0:55:42 > 0:55:46- in the corner of the room, and you really wanted to appreciate it, that's fantastic.- Yes.
0:55:46 > 0:55:52But I love the combination of the Frank Butler border and the Hannah Barlow and I agree with you,
0:55:52 > 0:55:57I think it's an exhibition piece, but it's fingers crossed because it's a specialist market.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59Which means it could be a lot rarer.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03- It's a one-off.- Yes.- How can you do your price comparables? You can't.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06That's what auctions are all about. This is what makes this so exciting.
0:56:06 > 0:56:08Right now, it's going under the hammer.
0:56:08 > 0:56:12- We're going to find its real value. Good luck, both of you.- Thank you.
0:56:12 > 0:56:17181. Are you showing it? You're not even picking it up. 181.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20We've got this heavy jardiniere, the Hannah Barlow decorated one.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24Doulton Lambeth, 1885.
0:56:24 > 0:56:30Never seen one that size before. £500. 500. 500. 600.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33700. 800. 900.
0:56:33 > 0:56:361,000. 1,100. 1,200.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40£1,200 there. 1,200. 1,200.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43- We're a long way off. - Yeah. We are, a bit.
0:56:43 > 0:56:4813. 50. 14. 50. 15. 50. 16.
0:56:48 > 0:56:5550. 17. 50. 18. 50. 19. 50.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57Yes.
0:56:57 > 0:56:58One more.
0:56:58 > 0:57:011,975, was it, to you?
0:57:01 > 0:57:08Go on. 1,975. 1,975. 1,975.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12- Great year.- Are you going to fill it up for me? No. 1,975. It's going.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15At 1,975...
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Yes. We've done it.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20I think the auctioneer's going to make up the extra £25
0:57:20 > 0:57:22because it was fixed at £2,000,
0:57:22 > 0:57:23but what a great result.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27I'm pleased with that, cos I didn't have high hopes, in fairness.
0:57:27 > 0:57:32- I thought it was the wrong sale. - You were getting the wobbles this morning, I could see that.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34I had the cobbles this morning, I can tell you.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36Your reputation was on the line.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40Oh, it's been on the line for some years.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42Naughty boy.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45Look, that's great, isn't it? What are you going to do with the money?
0:57:45 > 0:57:49I'll reinvest it into something nice, another piece of pottery, probably.
0:57:49 > 0:57:53- Something smaller.- Yeah. Definitely. Something lighter.- Yes. Yeah.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02We've had a brilliant day here in Mold
0:58:02 > 0:58:07It's not been a 100% sales success, but that's what makes auctions so unpredictable.
0:58:07 > 0:58:11It keeps them exciting. And I think our owners have gone home having enjoyed themselves,
0:58:11 > 0:58:14and I hope you've enjoyed watching the show today.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16So until the next time, it's cheerio.