Dover Flog It!

See those cliffs way over there in the distance?

That's France, which means today we're in the nearest town,

albeit on mainland Britain, to the Continent.

This is Dover and you're watching Flog It!

Being so close to mainland Europe,

Dover has always had a great strategic significance.

So it's hardly surprising it has a wealth of military history

and one of the most striking and vivid monuments to its past has got to be the impressive Dover Castle.

The castle is probably most famous for its maze of underground tunnels

and the role they played during the Second World War,

including the planning and orchestration of the Dunkirk evacuations.

And later in the show, I'll be heading down the coast

to visit another relic of Kent's rich military past.

Now it's time to head to today's location, Dover Town Hall, where the crowds are flooding in,

armed with bags and boxes, and have caught the eye of today's experts,

Catherine Southon and Mark Stacey.

And it doesn't take Catherine too long to find a friend.

Rose, I do love teddy bears, so thank you so much for bringing such a beautiful example along.

I especially like those with a bit of a question mark over their heads,

whether this one is or isn't a Steiff,

because I'm not quite sure and we'll have to have a little look at him.

Can you tell me about his history, where you got him from?

I don't really know his history, but I did find him

in my mother-in-law's house after she died and we were clearing.

So something that your mother-in-law has ever talked to you about?

No, no. I didn't know he was there. He was wrapped up in an old curtain.

-Oh, really?

-Yes.

Really collecting a lot of dust.

He's absolutely filthy.

He looks like he's black but in actual fact, if you look closely at him, he was probably once golden.

You can see there he's got remnants of the golden plush.

He's in appalling state but he's very well loved, which is nice to see.

The question mark is, is he or isn't he a Steiff bear?

He's got that appearance,

that pronounced snout, which is what we find with Steiff bears.

He hasn't got a the black boot eyes.

He's got glass eyes, but then they did use glass eyes later on, around the 1920s.

But one of the main characteristics that we find on a Steiff bear is, of course, the button in the ear.

We know that the very early ones didn't have Steiff written on,

they had a little elephant on, and the later ones actually had the name Steiff.

There's no button in the ear whatsoever. Also, there's no real evidence that there

perhaps was once a hole showing that there was a button in the ear.

I can't say hand on heart that this is a Steiff.

Nevertheless, I think we could catalogue it and we could say

that it's in the manner of a Steiff and it's possibly a Steiff, but we can't say for sure.

With that in mind, I'd probably estimate him at around £200 to £300, with 180 reserve.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yes.

-Not bad, considering you found him in a blanket.

-He could have been thrown out, couldn't he?

-Very easily.

I think if he were a Steiff,

we could say £400 to £500 estimate, and I think he'd easily make 600, 800, perhaps.

I think it would be great to take him off to auction

and really give him to someone who's going to love him. I'd love him.

-Sure you don't want to take him home?

-Quite sure.

It looks like you're going off to auction. Shall we say bye-bye?

Bye-bye! Off we go.

Joanne, you brought this exquisite little porcelain toilet box in.

Tell us, where did you get it from?

I got it from auction in a box of other items for £5.

No! Was it a local auction?

Yes. I won't tell you where.

-No, don't tell us where.

-Tell me after and I'll pop there myself.

I think the first thing that strikes us is this fabulous armorial crest on the top of it, which immediately

tells you it's quite an important box, because it's so beautifully decorated with the two-lion rampant

and the various crest and shield.

And we have to be careful because first of all you try to pull the lid off.

You actually find you have to unscrew it.

And the second clue to this is when we open it up, it says, Lady Barrett Lennard.

-Have you tried to find anything out about this woman?

-I did look her up on the internet.

She did exist.

I think she was about 1780, 1790.

-And that's her family motto on the front and that's, "Goodness brings success."

-Yes, it would do,

-wouldn't it? I don't think the box is 1790.

-No.

I think it's probably another Lady Barrett Lennard.

I think it's exquisite. I think the box is probably the first half of the 19th century.

It's certainly part of a toilet set.

-Oh, right.

-I think it would have been other little jars decorated like this with the family crest on it.

-This would have been for keeping powders or rouge or something like that.

-Face cream or something.

Yes. But I just think it's absolutely wonderful.

This will appeal to several collectors.

It will appeal to collectors who like nice 19th-century porcelain.

-It'll also appeal to collectors who collect armorial items.

-Right.

Have you got any idea of value, yourself?

No.

-Not really. I paid a fiver for it.

-It doesn't matter, does it, to be honest?

With these sort of things, I try to say to you to be as realistic as possible.

I'd have thought if you put it in at something like,

let's say 70 to 100, it's got every chance of making over 100.

And put a reserve, of course.

To protect it. Because we don't want it suddenly selling for £20.

But if we put a reserve of £50,

that will just give us a safety net. Would you be happy with that?

-Absolutely, yes.

-I'm glad because I think it really will sell.

I love it. You were very lucky. I hope it continues.

I might give you a rub. It might rub off on me.

Let's hope it's equally as successful.

-Thank you very much, Joanne.

-You're welcome.

Hi, Bonner, shall we have a little look inside this box?

What have we got, a writing slope, or...?

A little workbox. It was either going to be one or the other.

Ever used it as a working box?

No, I haven't. I do do sewing.

Never used it as a sewing box.

We've this nice compartmented interior here

and then this almost silk pincushion lid.

But I'm not so much interested in it as a workbox.

But I quite like the lid of it. I think it's lovely.

-Where did you get this from?

-It was given to me by an elderly gentleman whose house I lived in as a child.

My parents had a flat in it.

It belonged to his wife and it was her father who made it for her.

-Oh, really?

-So I'd think about 1900, somewhere around there.

That would probably coincide with the date.

I'd probably date it towards the late 19th century, probably about 1890, somewhere about there.

What I really like about it and why I honed in on it is

the lovely geometric shapes all around the edge.

We can see the tiny little pieces of wood that have been inlaid,

ebonised wood here and then some boxwood, all in little tiny sections.

Can you imagine the amount of work that has gone into this?

It's quite incredible. This pattern is repeated on every single panel.

You've it on the top and then on the sides as well.

From a distance, it looks fantastic.

Coming up slightly closer, I can see that some of the panels have lifted slightly.

There's a crack along here, which will put some buyers off but nevertheless, it's a lovely piece.

Is it something you're interested in?

I do do sewing but it's not of any use to me in this day and age.

It's not big enough.

-Your sewing box needs to be bigger?

-Yes, it does.

Have you any idea of how much it would be worth at auction?

I was hoping it would be worth sort of £50, but I wasn't sure.

I think it should comfortably make £50.

-I'd probably estimate it at £60 to £80.

-Right.

I'd put a £60 reserve on because it's at least worth £60.

-Are you happy to sell it at that?

-Yes, I am.

-Shall we give it a go?

-Yes, please, that would be lovely.

-I'll take it along to the auction.

I shall see you there and let's hope it makes top estimate. Thank you very much.

-Hello, Mick.

-Hello, Mark.

-You're a great fan of Flog It!, aren't you?

-Yes.

-And you've brought a pocket watch and an Albert with you today?

-Yes.

-Is it yours?

Yes, I inherited it from my father.

Where he got it from, I don't know.

-And do you remember your father wearing it?

-Yes.

-In his little waistcoat?

-Oh, yes.

-Very fashionable, of course, back in the early part of the 20th century.

We've got quite a straightforward example here,

nine-carat gold case on the watch and quite a straightforward movement.

I do like the little subsidiary dial, there.

And then the Albert is what we call a hollow-link chain, because it's not a solid gold chain.

It is gold but it's hollowed in the middle. And then a pretty little fob

with this bloodstone, there, and another agate underneath.

And often, those have got initials. But it is a nice little thing put together.

So I suppose it's just been in a box for a while?

Yes, I'm keeping it in a little purse and every now and again I take it out, wind it up,

just to keep the movement going.

It's been locked away for about 20 years.

Such a shame, really.

I always feel a bit sorry for these because they were, at one time,

the main way for a gentleman to tell the time.

Therefore, a lot of these standard examples arrived and they come up very often in nine-carat gold.

The values become much more when they are 18-carat or 22-carat gold,

or if they've got enamel or something particularly special about them.

This example, if it was going in for auction,

we would probably be looking at somewhere around the £150 mark.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yes.

I would probably suggest putting the estimate at 100 to 150

and putting a firm reserve of 100, so we don't sell it below that.

Gold is fluctuating quite a lot so if, on the day,

the price has gone up a little bit, we might get over the 150.

-But we have just got to bear that in mind.

-OK, fine.

-Is that all right?

Great, yeah.

And if we got a good price for it, is there something you would like to put the money towards?

-Well, yes. Put it towards a holiday.

-Anywhere nice?

-I would like to go to Malta.

-Oh, I love Malta. Have you been?

-Yes.

-I love Malta. It's a wonderful island. The people are so friendly.

-Yes.

And I love the little buses.

Oh, yes. You've got to duck and dive out there.

Fantastic. I hope we get you lots of money.

-I hope so.

-I look forward to seeing you at the auction.

-OK. Thank you, Mark.

So, will Mick get funds for a holiday? It's almost time to find out.

So here's a reminder of all four items heading off to our auction house up the road in Canterbury.

Catharine loved the look of Rose's 1920s bear.

Despite being a bit shabby,

this chap is showing signs of being made by the German firm Steiff,

a name that would certainly pull in the bidders.

Joanne acquired this personalised 19th-century porcelain box for a fiver.

And some internet research revealed...

-That's her family motto on the front. "Goodness brings success."

-Yes, it would do, wouldn't it?

That's very apt, as Mark is sure of a good return, valuing it at £70 to £100.

Bonner was given this 19th-century inlaid sewing box as a child.

She's never used it, so Catherine's confident her £60 to £80 valuation has got the sale of it all sewn up.

And finally, this fabulous gold pocket watch and chain belonging to Mick's father.

Mark thinks it should easily fetch £100 to £150.

This is where all our items will be going under the hammer today,

the Canterbury Auction Galleries, right in the heart of the town.

On the rostrum is auctioneer Cliona Kilroy.

The sale is just about to start but I've got enough time to catch up

with her and see what she says about one or two of our items.

Were you able to do any research on the coat of arms?

We were just looking up the family. There's a lot of information.

They were involved in landowners in Ireland in the 18th and 19th century.

We were just trying to pinpoint whether it might fit in as a wedding gift or something like that,

because it's a very elaborate piece of decoration on such a small trinket.

-It's great quality.

-Beautiful quality. Beautiful painting.

And there's decoration all over, inside, underneath. So it's something quite special.

And the condition is superb.

Absolutely.

Amazing if it was found in the bottom of the box in another saleroom,

that it's all nicely intact. I think it's fabulous.

It just shouts out quality.

So stick your neck out. On a good day, packed auction room...?

Here's hoping it might get £100 plus.

Time is up for Mick's pocket watch, with that lovely double Albert chain and the swivel.

I'm in love with this.

Mark, our expert, put 100, 150 on. I know the auction room think it could do a little better.

They've pushed it to 200.

-There's a lot of gold there.

-Yes, probably was a little bit bid,

and of course, the prices have risen. We have an up and down moment.

It's a great time to sell precious metals.

We've seen it in the salerooms all over the country. Gold and silver is flying through the doors.

I've had experience of that, yes.

-This is a family item. It was Dad's. Why are you selling it?

-Well, it's just stuck in the wardrobe.

-Never fancied wearing it yourself, getting a waistcoat?

-No.

-It's got the look.

-It has.

Lot number 249 is the George V gentleman's nine-carat gold case

open face pocket watch and the Albert, lot 249.

-Five bids, we're starting at £320 and we're looking for 340.

-Wow!

£320 straightaway.

I'm looking for 340. Any bid at 340? Any interest in the room at 340?

We're looking for 340...

£320, now. Any further offer?

Otherwise I'm selling at £320, then, if we're all done.

Wow. Straight in, 320.

There's a lot of gold, there.

Really good. Thank you very much.

That was a surprise, wasn't it?

-I honestly didn't think it'd make the 100.

-What a good result.

I know. That's the last time I value a gold watch.

-It was a bit over my estimate.

-I'm really pleased.

I've just been joined by Bonner and I think that's a lovely name.

First time I've ever heard that. Is it Irish?

No, it comes from Scotland.

We're selling this late 19th-century needlework box, which Catherine's put a value of around £60 to £80 on.

It's gorgeous.

Why are you selling it?

-It collects dust.

-It collects dust?

-You could put things in it. It's useful.

-It's not big enough for the sewing I do.

-Are you a keen sewer?

-Yes.

I do dressmaking and make clothes.

-Have you...?

-No, nothing I've got on.

-Nothing I've made today.

-Let's see what the bidders think. Here we go.

Lot 391 is the Victorian walnut rectangular work box, lot 391.

-Starting at £90 with a commission bid.

-Straight in.

That's fantastic.

On my left at £90, now. Who's in at 100?

110? Anybody at 110? 110?

-120? 130, 140?

-Wow.

-Anybody at 140?

The bid is with the lady at £130 here, now, and selling at 130.

Yes!

£130.

Worth every penny of that.

What are you going to put the money towards?

I'm starting out a new project, making things to sell at a craft fair.

Ooh! A new adventure. That's scary.

What will you be making, scarves and tops and bags?

Pyjamas, cropped trousers, aprons, peg bags, that sort of thing.

You're a lady of many talents.

-Good luck.

-Thank you very much.

Joanne, that was a great little find in the auction room.

Local auction room, general sale.

You've got to get under the tables, look through those boxes.

You could have a little porcelain box like that. Why don't you want to keep it? It didn't cost anything.

Because I took it to Flog It! and they said it might be worth something.

You bumped into Mark. I love the armorials.

-Such good quality, isn't it?

-It's good.

Fantastic. The colours are so vibrant.

I spoke to the auctioneer earlier. You know what she said.

And she agreed with your valuation.

She had done a bit of research on the armorial. It does come from an Irish family.

Big landowners. And who knows, might end up back there.

But hopefully it'll put the price up. Here we go.

Ten is the old English porcelain circular box and cover

with the arms of Lady Barrett Lennard.

Lot number ten. Two bids starting at £110. I'm looking for 120.

Who's in at 120? Bidders on my left at £110, now.

I'm looking for 120.

Any interest at 120?

120, 130, 140.

150, 160, 170, 180?

190, 200.

210? Anybody at 210? Any interest at 210?

It's at £200 on the telephone, now.

Selling at £200 if we're all done...

Yes! £200.

Doubled your money, there!

What's is it you always say?

-Quality counts.

-Yes, it does, actually.

Quality always counts and the condition was perfect.

Absolutely perfect. All credit to you.

Next up we've got the most gorgeous 1920s teddy bear.

He's a little play-worn but he's been loved and he belongs to Rose here. Great to see you.

-And you.

-Yeah, he has had a little bit of a going-over, hasn't he?

Someone has loved him a lot. Mind you, you've still got £200 to £300 on him.

He's not a bear we can put a name to, so that's still good money.

-Here we go.

-Lot number 373 is the teddy bear in the Steiff manner.

Who'll start me at £150?

150, I'm bid. Who's in at 160?

170? 180?

190? 200.

And 10? 220?

230, 240. 250, 260.

-He has got a lovely face.

-270, 280.

-290, 300.

-They absolutely love him.

320, 340. No? The bid is on my left at £320, now.

Any further offer?

On my left at 320. 340?

-Yes!

-360. 380.

400, 420.

Oh, this is brilliant.

-440, 460.

-I am so pleased.

480? Anybody at 480?

It's on the telephone now at £460 and selling at 460.

If we're all done at 460.

-Yes!

-£460.

He was well worth it, wasn't it?

He was lovely. The personality sold him, as well.

Great face. And a good colour, as well.

Some good results there. That concludes the end of our first visit to the auction room.

We're coming back here later on in the programme so stay tuned.

Coming up, back in Dover, some damage to two rare Moorcroft vases causes me to have a few words.

Angela, what's happened to them?

I didn't do it, I promise.

But when the bidders catch sight of this quality pair, will it be a very different story?

But before all that, I'd like to show you some unusual local attractions.

I've brought you here to Greatstone near Dungeness to show you these strange looking concrete structures

that lie abandoned at the edge of a waterlogged gravel pit, here.

They look like early forms of abstract art but they're not.

They played a significant part in the history of Britain's defence system.

After the First World War, the biggest threat to Britain's security was from the air.

What the country needed was an operational edge,

a way of pinpointing incoming enemy bombers before they reached the English coast.

The old system relied on sight, using spotters with binoculars.

Enemy aircraft over the Channel. Flying due west.

But it wasn't effective at night, or in bad weather conditions.

The solution lay with one man, Lieutenant William Tucker.

Tucker had spent much of the First World War

in trenches using listening devices to search out enemy locations.

By the 1920s, he decided to apply the same listening techniques to the skies.

The result was a series of concrete structures, like these, along the south coast.

They reflected the sound waves of incoming aircraft onto carefully-placed microphones.

And various sound mirrors survive, dotted along the south coast.

But this is the only place you can see all three designs side-by-side.

To explain how they work, I've come to meet Owen Leyshon

who's warden for the Dungeness National Nature Reserve.

-Owen. Hiya.

-Hello.

-Pleased to meet you.

-These are absolutely fabulous.

-Brilliant, these sound mirrors.

-I love the location.

-Yes, very good.

-This is a 20ft sound mirror.

-This is the smaller one?

-This is the sound smaller one, the first one.

-How does the technology actually work?

-Well, it's pointing out into the English Channel.

It's collecting sound waves from the enemy aircraft, or potential enemy aircraft.

So you had a guy standing where I am, with a sound trumpet pointing back into the 20ft dish,

so he's got his back to the sea, and he would have a stethoscope on, and he's moving that trumpet around,

trying to get a bearing of where the aircraft is.

-And remember, with this one...

-It's quite vertical.

-It's vertical, indeed, so....

-It's picking up things that are low?

-That's right.

So if the planes were coming in very high, they were in trouble.

So what they did then is they designed the 30ft mirror, where they tilted the dish higher up

into the sky, to get the higher aircraft as they were coming in,

and also they had like a little room underneath

where the listener was able to manoeuvre the microphone or the trumpet in the dish,

so he was out of the elements.

-Can I go and look at the big one?

-Yeah, come on.

-Very impressive.

-How big is that?

-That's 200ft.

-My word.

All the information gathered here would be sent back to military HQ

at Hythe by phone, where it would be plotted out on a map.

That would then give the RAF a chance to send up planes to meet the enemy.

-An incredible sight when you get up you it, isn't it?

-Very impressive.

-200 feet!

Indeed, yeah. Concave lengthways but also vertically, as well.

-I can see that when you look at the edges.

-Hm.

-How does this one work, then?

-Well, you've got a set of microphones in a big arc around the forecourt

of this 200-foot mirror, and you would have had a guy in the office and this window up here.

He would have had several people, as well, listeners out on the front.

He would've directed those listeners to get the bearings of where the aircraft were coming from.

Right. So they've scaled up the operation.

-They've gone big now!

-You can certainly say that, can't you? Yeah. And was that accurate?

Yes, it was more of an accurate system than the smaller mirrors.

But the length was still the same, 20, 25 miles.

And it's back to the same old issue - the aircraft got faster,

and so as an early-warning system it was becoming quite obvious

that it was struggling as time went on in the 1930s.

-Gosh! I'm so pleased they're still here.

-Yeah.

This is a real eye-opener for me.

What was the downside?

Well, the downside was we are very close to the sea here and the housing development

or the pressures were creeping down the coast.

Remember, these were built in a very bare, hostile, quiet environment.

And also, radar came along in the late 1930s.

So, quickly, the range that they could pick up the aircraft was much

better than these sound mirrors, and they became obsolete quite quickly.

-Impressive structures, though.

-Oh, they are, aren't they?

Well, I'm pleased they're here today, I really am.

So, noisy urban development in this once-desolate area

combined with faster planes meant the sound mirrors were already struggling.

But it was the advances in radar that produced the final nail in the coffin.

It was all over for these sound mirrors, and Tucker retired,

thinking all his efforts were in vain.

But these structures do stand as a monument to a man whose work

was to have a profound effect on the outcome of World War Two.

The communications systems that Tucker developed between his mirrors and HQ were so effective

that it was copied by the radar team and led directly to their success.

And now it's time to follow the sound waves back to all the action in the Dover town hall.

And it's not long before something gets picked up on my radar.

Angela, real quality.

-Thank you!

-William Moorcroft.

What's happened to them?!

-I didn't do it. I promise! Not responsible for that!

-I am not accusing you.

-No.

-Tell me their story, anyway.

And thank you so much for bringing in something so beautiful.

Thank you! Well, I agree, I think they're absolutely glorious.

I was given them about 40 years ago by a couple I knew in London who were antique dealers.

And they were emigrating to Canada, and they had a very old cat

that they couldn't take because it wouldn't have survived the journey.

I had four cats at the time, and I was moving out to the country, and I said, "Don't have him put down.

-"I'll take care of him."

-Oh, good for you.

So I took him along with my four to move down to Kent,

and before we left, she came round and she gave me those.

And they had red chintz shades with fringes!

So did they convert them to lamp bases, do you think?

I honestly don't know. I didn't feel it sort of appropriate to ask when she gave them.

I was horrified when I saw what had happened, but I was so thrilled to have them.

-Did you realise they were very early Moorcroft?

-He told me. He said they were good.

And look at that, there's the MacIntyre stamp, James MacIntyre.

-Yes.

-These are sort of around 1910.

Unbelievable. Unbelievable.

The condition is fantastic.

Florianware. A little bit of sort of slip trailing in the glaze. Can you see that?

I was just looking at this bit here that's dropped down.

The glaze has watered down slightly and it's just dripping.

-Well, that is known as the slip trail decoration.

-Right.

I like this, this little knot here.

-Yes.

-A Chinese influence, isn't it, really?

-Absolutely.

-But it's the blue and red anemone pattern.

-Yeah.

And that is quite rare.

-Is it?

-Yes. It's good for you.

Well, that's probably because I've never been able to find it when I've looked it up on the net.

-Yes.

-Not been able to find that one.

I can see they've been done sensibly, though, at least who did convert them to lamp bases.

The flex comes out of the plaster and not out of a hole at the bottom.

-I know.

-That would just be too unbearable, wouldn't it, really?

What they've done is they've melted this bayonet fitting

in a lot of putty or something like putty or plaster.

I think it's plaster, because this one I soaked and it came out.

-It dropped down.

-There's a wooden bit that goes down.

-A little bit of cork.

But it came out quite easily. I really didn't want to have another go at this one.

-No.

-That was already broken.

So this can just be soaked in warm water and that plaster should just dissolve slightly and loosen up.

I used the end of a plastic spoon to just help it on its way a bit.

I was very, very careful.

If you can soak this one out, and the buyer, the collector or the dealer

is going to do that and enjoy doing it, very carefully, then they have one perfect vessel.

-Why do you want to sell them now, though?

-I need to upgrade my daughter's car.

I know. Well, they're hers eventually, and at this point we really need...

She has a lot of driving, heavy mileage.

-What does she do for a living?

-She works in operating theatre

in hospital, orthopaedics, and she's got an hour and a half's journey every day from here to Maidstone.

-Right. A lot of travelling.

-A lot of travelling.

-So she needs a new car.

She needs a car with air bags and that kind of thing,

because the motorway an hour and a half a day gives me the shivers, honestly.

So this is going towards...

This won't buy the car, obviously, but there's lots of other bits and pieces that I want to get rid of.

-Big fan of Moorcroft.

-I know!

I like these. I like these a lot. And so will the collectors and the buyers, despite the damage.

The damage is going to hold them back.

I think if this pair was perfect,

it'd be up around about the £1,500 to £1,800 mark.

On a great day, they still might do £1,100 or something like that.

But I think a sensible estimate, to get everybody excited, is £400 to £600.

-OK.

-OK?

-Yes.

-Fixed reserve at 400.

-Yes.

-But on a good day, we'll get four figures.

That would be absolutely wonderful.

And that's towards the car fund.

-Absolutely, yes!

-We can talk about what model at the auction room, depending on how well we do!

-Exactly, yes. Yes.

-I'll see you there.

-Thank you!

-Hello, Les.

-Hello.

Now, tell me, where did you get this dish?

-I purchased it in a local charity shop.

-No?

Really? Recently?

-Recently, yes.

-And how much did you pay, do you think?

-£1.49.

-£1.49? So they obviously hadn't looked at it at all.

-No.

It was very dull when I purchased it.

-So you've cleaned it up a bit.

-Yes.

What made me...was the mark, when I saw the mark on the back,

that I realised it was perhaps WMF.

Well, yes, I think it is WMF.

And WMF is a German manufacturer, and they produced a lot of these

sort of German secessionist wares and Art Nouveau works.

This is very typical of their work.

You've got a little water maiden here in a lily pond.

What is quite nice is you've got the serpent here, which obviously represents

all sorts of naughty things, coming up here, and the flower in seed.

And she's very well modelled, actually.

She's got a nice body to her.

And as you say, it's very, very typical of their work.

-We've got underneath a shape number, as well, 249, as well as the little WMF mark.

-Yeah.

And this is a small card tray. This would have been placed in a hallway of a grand house,

and you would call on the owner of the house and leave your calling card.

It's got a few problems, actually.

You've got a few little dents here and there, and there's one here. There's a little bit of wear.

It's basically silver-plated, and I think it's just suffered a little.

-It's a little tired. But then, what do you expect for £1.49?

-That's right!

-You know?

If we were putting it into auction now, I'd keep it fairly conservative.

I think we'd be looking at £60 to £80, which is still a good return on your £1.49.

A few years ago, it might have been a little bit more,

but I think at that sort of estimate it might tease people in and we might just get over 100 for it.

-Yeah.

-You know? In terms of date, of course, we're looking at around about 1900, I suppose, 1910.

Would you be happy to put it in at £60 to £80 and we'll put a £50 reserve on it?

Yeah, that's fine.

-Fantastic. Well done, Les!

-Thank you.

-And I look forward to seeing you at the auction, and let's hope that it makes a good price.

-Thank you.

Marion, what a charming little Royal Worcester figure you've brought there.

It's quite modern, but nevertheless. Where did you get this from?

I got it from my father's home.

I was clearing a top shelf for him and found it, covered in

mess and dust, gave it a wash and thought it looked quite sweet.

Do you remember it from your childhood?

No, I don't. And when I asked him about it, he said he thought his mother gave it to him.

Right, OK.

Because date-wise, I said it's not terribly old.

As you turn it upside down there, you can see there

a series of numbers and some markings.

-I looked it up, and I can probably date it from around 1950.

-Right.

-So does that coincide with your dates?

-Yes.

Right.

Well, as I say, it's made by Royal Worcester, modelled by FG Doughty.

We can see the name there.

-Yeah.

-Doughty made quite a lot of modelled figures.

We've seen the days of the week, the month of the year figures, lots of sort of childhood figures.

You mentioned that you thought this is quite sweet. Indeed it is.

It's actually taken from her woodland series.

So it's quite nice to have something slightly different.

Actually called Dandelion, and you can see there in the little boy's hand

that he's got the tiny little dandelion.

-Was it actually covered in black dust?

-Oh, it was absolutely unrecognisable.

-The legs were black, and I didn't know these were white rabbits.

-You've cleaned it rather well, though.

I have. Yes, washing-up liquid.

And considering it was completely neglected, it is in rather good condition. It's in lovely condition.

-Did you actually show it to your father once you'd cleaned it all up?

-I did.

-And what did he say?

-Well, he couldn't remember it, to be honest.

-He couldn't remember it?

-No!

-That's quite sad, isn't it?

-Yeah.

And he said it had no sentimental value to him

-and if I could get anything for it he'd be more than happy.

-He'd be happy to sell.

Well, do you think he'd be happy with an estimate of about 80 to 120 with a 60 reserve?

-I think he would.

-He'd be happy?

-He'd be very happy with that.

-He just wants to get rid of him. He's a neglected little boy.

-Yeah.

He needs a home to love him.

He does, he needs someone to love him. And hopefully, we'll find that person at the auction.

-Good.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

So before we take our final trip to the auction room in Canterbury,

here's a quick reminder of what's coming up in the sale.

Angela was given these beautiful Moorcroft vases as a thank-you, and despite being crudely made

into lamps, they are real quality,

and I'm sure the bidders will be excited by my £400 to £600 estimate.

What will the bidders make of Marion's Royal Worcester figure? Her father left it on the top shelf.

I found it, covered in mess and dust, gave it a wash and thought it looked quite sweet.

Now it's been dusted, will it clean up?

And finally, Mark was impressed by Les's charity-shop find,

this silver-plated WMF tray, and valued this German piece at £60 to £80.

Now let's head over to the saleroom to see what our auctioneer thinks.

I like this. This belongs to Les.

German silver-plated dish. It's so art nouveau. It's beautiful.

And it's typical of WMF.

Les wants to sell this, and we put a value of £60 to £80 on it.

Yep. Yep. I think that's a pretty good value.

I'm sure it'll make a little bit more than that.

I hope so, because Les wants his money back.

And what does "his money back" mean?

-Well, he paid a lot for it.

-Did he?

-Yeah. He got it in a charity shop, and I think he paid about £1.50 for it.

-Ooh!

-All those bargains are still out there, they really are.

-That's fantastic.

You were getting a little bit scared, though, weren't you?

Well, it just goes to show, really, doesn't it?

But I think sometimes things like this can get a little bit overlooked.

But, y'know, WMF is quite popular, is quite collectible, so there's a good market out there for it.

So, y'know, he's definitely gonna get all his money back and a whole lot more.

Well, now it's almost time for the bidders to make their mind up about Les's tray.

These are the stories we love to see on Flog It! We've seen them before.

We're talking about charity-shop buys,

where you get them for a couple of quid. WMF, it's a great name.

What a great find. You've got sharp eyes.

But obviously...

I saw it on the top shelf. And it was quite dirty when I saw it.

Unbelievable, isn't it?

It's a delight, though, you see, Paul.

-It never happens to me, though.

-Well, they know who you are.

-Well, exactly. The price shot up!

Lot number 218 is the early 20th century WMF plated oval pen tray

in the art nouveau manner. Lot 218.

Three bids, start at £120.

Three bids, we're starting at £120. I'm looking for 130.

-Strolls in at 120, fantastic.

-Starting at £120. Who's in at £130?

130. 140. Anybody at 140?

It's on the phone now at £130.

Any further offer? If not, I'm selling at £130.

Are we all done?

Short and sweet, short and sweet, 130. Yeah.

It would have done a little bit more if

there wasn't a little dent in it. But hey, you know, what was it, £1.56 or something?

-£1.49.

-£1.49.

Well, it's nearly 100 times,

-what it made.

-Good for you.

Quality always sells.

-Anything with a good maker's name.

-Absolutely.

I've just been joined by Marion, and things are hotting up. It's packed in here.

Temperatures are rising.

Under the hammer now, the Worcester figure from the Woodlands series dated 1956.

-And who have you got with you?

-I've brought my father Peter. And it's his piece.

Oh, it's your piece, is it? Do you mind us selling it?

I'm pleased to see it go.

Well, Catherine our expert has put a value of £80-120 on it.

I know it's tweaked a bit. You've reserved it at £60.

-That's right.

-Hopefully we'll get it to that top end.

We're going to find out, it's going under the hammer.

Lot 15, the Royal Worcester porcelain figure of the dandelion.

Lot 15. Two bids and we're starting at £120, and we're looking for 130.

Any interest at £130? 130. 140. 150.

No? It's on my left still at £140, any further offer?

If not I'm selling at £140.

Oh Peter, fantastic. £140.

-Excellent.

-I don't believe it.

Good on you for bringing this in. Are you going to treat yourself, Peter?

I'll treat Marion.

A bit of lunch in Canterbury I think today, don't you?

It's my turn to be the expert now.

I'm not brilliant on pottery and ceramics,

but Angela's beared with me and we know we're going to do well on this.

-Absolutely, we have to.

-At the valuation day we said, look,

if these were in perfect condition we'd be looking at around £1,200 to 1,500.

I know they've upped the value a little.

They got in touch with you. But £400-600 is a great starting point.

This is it.

Lot number 42, a pair of early 20th century Macintyre Moorcroft

pottery bottle-shaped vases. Four bids on the book.

We're starting at £820.

Straight in at 800!

820. And I'm looking for 840?

Any interest at 840? 860. 880.

We said at the valuation day, keep them keen.

940. 960.

980. 1,000.

1,050. 1,100.

1,150.

-I did say, didn't I, I bet it could go higher.

-1,300. 1,350.

There are two people on the phone bidding against each other.

Any interest at 1,350?

Online at 1,350.

1,400.

1,450. Online 1,450.

-Are we bidding?

-Yes.

-1,500.

You've got your lucky mud colours on today.

1,600.

1,650.

Hey, who cares about the damage?

-Obviously they don't.

-1,750.

-Yes.

-1,800.

-Oh, this is what auction rooms are all about.

1,850.

-No.

-The bid is at £1,800 on a telephone. Anybody in the room?

If not, I'm selling at £1,800.

Yes! £1,800! Give us a hug.

What are you going to do with all that money?

-It's for my daughter's car.

-Oh, the car, the car fund.

There's half of it paid for.

Well, maybe not half because there's commission and stuff.

-Yeah, you've got to pay commission here.

-About £1,000.

That's a lot of money isn't it?

-Wow, didn't they love it?

-They did.

Angela, thank you so much for coming in. If you've got anything like that, we'd love to see you.

It brings us to the end of another fascinating day in the auction room for Flog It!

Do join us again soon for many more surprises.

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