Loughborough Flog It!

This marketplace dates back to the 13th century

and it's in the heart of a town

with its roots deep in the lace-making industry.

Welcome to "Flog It!" from Loughborough.

In the middle of Loughborough's marketplace stands the Fearon Fountain.

It marks the spot where Archdeacon Fearon brought the first pipe water

to Loughborough town centre in the 19th century.

Today it's a common meeting place.

And look who I've spotted.

Today's experts Elizabeth Talbot and Adam Partridge.

-Well, I tell you what. I am running a bit late.

-Yes.

-Ooh!

-Come on, Paul. We've got valuing to do.

Later in the show I'll be finding out how a train journey to Loughborough

organised by a local man, Thomas Cook, started the travel company we know today.

I wonder if any of this crowd have travelled in by train to today's venue, Loughborough Town Hall,

where all the action will soon be taking place.

Well, the room is filling up.

Most people are safely seated inside and raring to go.

And I think Elizabeth has already spotted something. Let's take a closer look.

-Andrew.

-Hello.

-What a magnificent item you've brought here.

-Thank you.

-Do tell me about it.

My father and his partner ran a jeweller's/clock, watch-repair shop

and one day while I was a teenager, it just appeared on the mantelpiece.

-Oh, right, like these things do.

-That's right, yes.

And it stayed there ever since until he passed away, when my mother passed it on to me.

-Right.

-And I'm afraid it's been stuck on top of a wardrobe gathering dust since then.

-Right, OK.

So your mother didn't like it or did she think that you'd appreciate inheriting it?

-I think so, yes.

-But you didn't like it.

-No, no.

-So it's lived its life hidden away since then.

-That's right, gathering dust.

I think the fact that it's been kept out of the polishes and dusting

and hands of anybody doing housework

-means that actually it's retained its freshness and its crispness.

-Yes.

The detail on the panels and on the clock have not been worn.

The gilding and the burnishing has not been worn so it looks today as it probably would have done, or close to

when it was first manufactured, and that, I think, will have been in the very early-20th century.

Yes.

On the face it says that it's an English case,

which in itself kind of is surprising but English case and a German movement.

Now, if we start with the movement itself, it's actually a very basic clock movement.

-It tells the time but it also strikes, so it is a clock rather than a timepiece.

-Yes.

Horologically there is very little intrigue in that, so the value of it is in the condition and the style.

-Yes.

-It's also rather nice.

This is called a garniture, when you have more than one piece. You've got the the matching vases.

And it's nice that they've remained together.

The clock and the vases are fundamentally made of brass and then they have introduced panels

of base metal which have been cast to take the very fine details of the animals and these fascinating hunting

subjects and themes, which take you apparently around the world as far as Africa.

But are then combined with a very sort of North African-Islamic...

-..Eastern look.

-That's right, yes.

It's a very interesting cross-section.

So therefore we have a piece which is not to everybody's taste but is very dramatic.

It's not important as a clock but it is a very stylish and good furnishing piece

-and I think that's where the market will receive it in terms of what we have here.

-Yes.

-I think on a fairly average day it should do £400-£600 without really trying.

-Good grief!

I would recommend an estimate in that sort of region.

-Now, would you be happy at that sort of level?

-Yes, yes.

And if we obviously put a reserve on, certainly at 400

so that if the worst thing happens and nobody bids, you've still got your desirable clock garniture left.

But I think that's fair and I think in this current market,

then it gives a fair chance to tempt people to bid and then we'll see how we do.

-OK, that's wonderful.

-Yes?

-Yeah, that's wonderful.

-Excellent.

-Thank you.

-Thank you for bringing it in.

Good afternoon, Brenda.

-Hello.

-How are you today?

-I'm fine, thank you.

Now, what's a lady doing with trains? It's normally associated with a boy's hobby.

It belongs to my husband's father.

-So they've been in the family a while?

-We found it 10 years ago

when we cleared the house out and so we didn't know it was there really.

-Oh, really? So your husband didn't even know about it?

-No.

-Was it tucked away somewhere?

-In the attic.

-Was it?

-Yes, it was.

-So it was an attic find.

-Yes.

-Excellent.

Well, I'm sure these original boxes have helped to preserve it.

And what a nice example, really.

It's by the Bowman firm from Dereham in Norfolk.

Obviously it says that on the lid and on the sides of the boxes, so no great prizes for that.

But Bowman was run by a chap called, I think, Geoffrey Bowman Jenkins and it was established in the mid-1920s

and they made trains throughout the '20s and '30s, and I think they went out of business in about 1935.

They made trains that were described as durable.

Apparently they even worked in the garden.

And very robust and efficient. But some people were quite unkind and said they were quite ugly.

Oh, right. Yes.

This one is the steam loco model 234 and that's the tender model 250.

They've obviously been used.

-You've got signs of use there...

-Yes.

-With some smoke damage or marks there because it's a real live thing, isn't it?

-Yes.

They are growing in popularity. They were a bit sniffed upon by train collectors

who were going for the more glamorous manufacturers.

But I think Bowman models have got better in recent years.

What's your impression of the value? Any idea?

Well, apart from this man offering £200 unseen...

Oh, you've had an offer?

Well, 10 years ago when we first had it.

We thought it must be worth more.

-Yeah, well that probably was quite a good offer, actually.

-Yes.

Because that was the sort of figure I was thinking of when you took them out earlier.

So my suggestion would be to put an estimate of £200-£300 on them...

-Yes.

-And a reserve of 200 so that they don't make any less.

Well, I thought about 250 reserve.

Right, if we put 250 we have to up the estimate, which may scare people off.

It may not but my recommendation would be £200-£300.

-It's up to you, really.

-Well, I'll go with your recommendation.

£200. I don't want you disappointed but if we put 200 at the very least.

-Least, yes.

-And then let's hope it goes to make the 250 or the 300 that we're really hoping to get.

-Yes, yes.

-As I say, the market for Bowman models has improved, so let's hope that it'll do that.

What we love to see on "Flog It!" is things of regional interest.

Local interest that sparks an awful lot of civic pride and we're in Loughborough,

we're in the marketplace and, I tell you what, it doesn't get any better than this.

Look at that. It's the Labour Exchange sign

which hung in the marketplace over 100 years ago.

-It's a wonderful enamelled sign and it belongs to John here. Hi.

-Hi.

If you put this into auction now, with the local interest in a local auction room,

you've got to be looking at £200-£300.

That's very nice to hear.

-Look after it.

-I certainly will.

-And thank you for bringing it in.

-Thank you.

Well welcome, Gillian and welcome, James.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Two generations of the same family.

-Exactly, yes.

-Bringing what I think are very exciting items.

Tell me all about your glass.

-Well, it was when we used to go out for the day, my husband and I.

-Right.

-And we thought we'd treat ourselves to a little bit of something.

-Right.

We did.

We went to London and we bought a piece of glass and then

when we went to another town we bought another piece.

Now, did you buy them knowing what they were? Do you know...?

-Not at the time I bought them.

-OK.

But you've seen them, perhaps pieces on "Flog It!"

-Some, yes.

-James, do you like this?

I like the orange one because it's really bright and I like bright things.

Yes? OK.

So, why are you wanting to sell them?

I need to pay for my skating boots and to go abroad.

So you're a skater?

-Yes. Ice skate.

-Are you nationally known, internationally?

Do you compete?

-At the moment I'm second in the country.

-Congratulations. I've never met a real ice skater.

-Congratulations. So second in the country and with aspirations to do bigger and better things?

-Definitely.

Well, I'll tell you that these are by the Whitefriars glass factory,

which is now looked upon as one of the leading lights

in terms of designer glass in the mid-20th century.

These two pieces were designed by Geoffrey Baxter.

You have probably one of the most famous shapes which is called the drunken bricklayer shape.

And this in the pewter colour.

It's part of the mould-blown series.

In fact, both of them are. And the tangerine one is commonly referred to as the television-shaped vase.

And in both cases, I've seen them both in different colours

and in different sizes and the bricklayer actually can be made, can be quite a large example.

-Do you have them out and about still do you?

-Oh, yes.

-Excellent.

So they'll leave a big hole if you part with them.

-Well, they will, but I can move the glass a bit further along.

-OK.

-They're in good condition, so you've obviously looked after them over the years, which is superb.

-Oh, yes.

In terms of value, I quite confidently believe

that they should fetch £100-£150 each.

-Wonderful.

-So if we look at a combined minimum of £200

so that they don't sell for less than that

-and we will see how we do on the day.

-That's lovely.

-Wonderful.

-I'm Adam.

-Yes.

-And you're Pat?

-Yes.

-Welcome to "Flog It!"

So you've bought in this very pretty Shelley set here.

-What can you tell me about it?

-Well, not much, really.

-I was given it just over 20 years ago by a late auntie-in-law.

-Right.

-And after she gave it me, I just put it in a cabinet and it's been there ever since.

-Have you ever used it?

-Never.

-Do you know, these are quite fun to use. Shall I tell you why?

Cause you drink out of it and it runs down the side of your face.

-Yeah.

-They're very pretty.

-Yes.

-But they're quite an impractical shape.

-As with many people, they haven't got the full set.

-No.

You've got five cups and saucers, but you've got the six tea-plates

and you've got the bread-and-butter plate and you've got the two pots.

-Yes.

-The pattern is number 11607.

-Yes.

-That's called the My Garden pattern and you can see they're decorated with a garden scene.

-Yes.

So the pattern's called My Garden.

The shape is called the Queen Anne shape with that octagonal-fluted shape.

And it's typically 1930s in its dates.

So, there we are. We've got it. A 1930s Shelley tea service,

part tea service, in the My Garden pattern. Why are you selling it?

Well, I don't need it any more.

I've loved it but now I thought it was time to go.

-Time to go.

-Yes.

-So you do like it?

I've always liked it but what with the grandchildren...

-OK, so it might end up as fragments if you're not careful?

-Yes.

-Any idea of the value?

-Well, no, I've never had it valued at all.

-No.

-I only mentioned it once to an antique dealer and he said it was worth £20.

Ooh! I'd like to meet him, give him a piece of my mind.

-And he says, use it.

-It's worth a lot more, well, a good deal more than that.

Because it's a part set I'm going to be a bit cautious

-but I'd put 100-150 on it.

-Yes. That's about right.

I'd expect it to make that, if not a bit more.

So, are you happy with that?

-Yes.

-Excellent. Bottom line of £80.

-Yes.

-Estimate, 100 to 150.

-Yes.

Put in the auction, see how it goes.

-And I reckon it'll make it and hopefully a bit more.

-Yes.

We've still got lots of people to see but we've found our first gems

to take off to Gilding's auction house just down the road in Market Harborough.

Our experts' valuations are just about to be put to the test

under the watchful eye of auctioneer Mark Gilding on the rostrum behind me.

But before that, here's a quick reminder of what we're selling.

Elizabeth had a lot of time for Andrew's garniture set

that came from his dad's shop, and valued it between £400 and £600.

But will the bidders agree with her and will they also be tempted by Brenda's boys' toys?

This 1920s train set is steaming into the auction with an estimate of £200-£300.

While valuing Gillian's Whitefriars glass, Elizabeth got a bit star-struck.

At the moment, I'm second in the country.

Congratulations. I've never met a real ice skater. Congratulations.

Well, now you have, Elizabeth.

And any money raised will help grandson James keep winning his ice-skating trophies.

And finally, it's not a full set but Adam is still hoping for £100-£150

for Pat's Shelley tea set but it's a pretty pattern, so I wonder if he's slightly underestimated his china?

Well, we'll soon find out

because these items are about to go under the hammer.

I've been looking forward to this. I love Geoffrey Baxter.

I love Whitefriars. We've got two items here.

£200-£300 and all the money's going towards ice-skating equipment.

-Hopefully we can get the top end.

-I'm hoping so.

Geoffrey Baxter is a great designer, good name to look out for.

And they are classics. Depends if the colour ways are right.

If the collector's already got these, they might not want them but they might want to make up a set.

-Absolutely, yes.

-Here we go. Let's find out what they make.

Two Whitefriars in lot 160 then.

And bidding starts here with me at £160. 160 I'm bid.

170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230.

-240.

-The flurry!

-240 bid right at the back there. 250. New bidding?

260, 270, 270 right in the middle. 280, new bidding on the telephone.

-Oh, there's another one. Telephone.

-290 now. £300. At 300.

320. 320, bid at 320.

I'll take 40 if you like. 340.

The telephone's in there at 340. All out in the room at 340 and selling.

-£340.

-We should be waving a national flag.

James, I hope you enjoyed watching that.

Unfortunately poor old James is at school today because he couldn't get the day off, could he?

-He's not allowed.

-How much were the boots?

500.

-Do they have to be specially made?

-Yes.

We wish him luck.

James, win us a medal.

Right, next we've got a live spirit-powered locomotive

in the original box made by Bowman's and it belongs to Brenda.

I hope we're on the right track, Adam, £200-£300.

-Full steam ahead.

-Ooh!

Why are you selling this?

-I just don't collect trains.

-Time to let it go. It's in good company.

Over there, there are a lot of locomotives.

There's more than one!

That's always good news.

They may not come for just the one, but if there's a whole load, they should be all right.

-I think we'll be all right.

-Good.

Here we go. Let's enjoy the ride.

Bowman steam locomotive and a tender,

both of them in the original wooden cases. 170. 170 bid here. 170.

170, 180, 190. I'll take 200.

200 on the telephone, 210.

210. New bidding at 210.

210 now, 210.

Telephone at 210. Selling away at £210.

That was good. We did it.

It was touch and go for a minute but we got there in the end.

There's commission to pay here. What are you putting your money towards?

Probably a holiday.

Where do you fancy?

-We're going to Ireland.

-Lovely.

-Will you go there on the train?

-SHE LAUGHS

Andrew is about to put the heirlooms under the hammer.

We've got a lovely mantel clock, a matching pair of vases and the clock strikes on a gong.

We've got £400-£600.

It's a real looker. It's unusual, but it's a decorative piece as well.

Will you be pleased to see the back of this?

Definitely. It'll free up a bit more space on top of the wardrobe.

We'll find out what the bidders think.

Early 20th-century garniture with a mantel clock.

More bidding with me here. £240 I'm bid.

240, 260, 280.

280, with me at 280. 300, 320, 340, 360.

380 on the telephone.

And selling at £380.

Yes, £380. I know we had a fixed reserve of 400,

but I think the auctioneer is going to make the difference

of the £20 up to you.

He's not going to let it go for £20.

-You'll be pleased with that.

-Yes.

-Elizabeth will be disappointed.

I am, I thought it would make more than that because it's a real good quality, unusual piece.

-Nonetheless, happy new home.

-Yes.

-It won't be stuck on that wardrobe any more.

-It's gone.

Next up, it's time for tea. Don't run out to the kitchen.

It's time to put the Shelley tea set under the hammer. It belongs to Pat here.

Great to see you.

We've had some good results on Shelley before. 150, Adam?

100, 150.

And you're going to treat the grandchildren.

-Guess how many grandchildren there are?

-Three.

Ten. You've enjoyed this tea set for 20 years. Yes. It's time to let go.

Shelley is always popular.

The highest percentage of bone in any bone china. Did you know that?

-No, I didn't know that.

-52% bone I believe.

Let's hope all the bidders know that as well. It's going under the hammer now

Lovely decoration on this one.

Look at all of these commissions.

180, 220, £240.

This is good.

-What you think?

-280, at 280, I'm in. 300, I'm out.

300, I'm out. 300 on the telephone.

I'll take 20. New bidding at 320.

320 telephone. Internet's out as well at 320.

Selling away now... 340 on the internet.

-Oh, that's a good price now.

-That's very good.

-340.

350. At 350 on the telephone.

They know there's a lot of bone in the china!

350. Telephone at 350. Selling at £350.

Yes! £350.

Shelley is always a little winner.

If you've got something like that, look after it

or bring it to us because we want to see it and flog it for you.

I think that's a minibus down to the seaside for all 10 kids.

After the drama of the auction I think I need a break and I'm not the only one.

Last year, we made 50 million trips abroad to discover different parts of the world.

But did you know this is largely due to one man?

A Bible salesman born at the beginning of the 19th century.

CHORAL SINGING

On 9th June 1841, one man set out on a 15-mile walk to Leicester to attend a meeting.

He had a brainwave, a brilliant idea because he had to do this again

and there were a lot of people involved.

He thought, "Why don't I charter a train?"

Little did he know that that trip would launch a brand-new type

of company that would change the way Britons saw the world, and his name was Thomas Cook.

Today the travel company that started from these humble

beginnings here in Leicestershire is now one of the UK's largest.

To find out how Thomas Cook went from organising one little excursion

to planning package holidays all over the globe, I've come to talk to company archivist Paul Smith.

Where better than the Great Central Railway in Loughborough, close to where our story starts.

Thomas Cook had assistants ready to assist at all stations around the world.

I've just spotted mine.

Hello, Paul. Pleased to meet you.

I love the uniform.

-Thank you.

-Thomas Cook and Sons Ltd.

-Absolutely.

-When does this date to?

This particular uniform dates from about 1930.

Tell me a little bit about Thomas Cook.

What was his desire to help open the world to the working classes?

Thomas Cook was very working-class himself.

He was the son of a labourer and the grandson of a Baptist preacher.

His father died when Thomas was only three.

His mother remarried and his stepfather died when he was only 10.

-Gosh.

-Thomas at that point was taken out of school and he was the main breadwinner for the family.

He had a lot on his shoulders at such a young age.

He originally worked as a gardener's boy and at the age of 14

-he was apprenticed to his uncle as a wood turner and cabinet maker.

-Interesting.

Really it was the religious side to his upbringing which was more important.

At the age of 20 he went off and became an itinerant Baptist preacher.

He covered more than 2,000 miles on foot, travelling round the villages

of Leicestershire, Rutland and as far as Stamford

just promoting the Bible, encouraging people to set up Sunday schools, that sort of thing.

It was on one of these tours in the village of Barrowden in Rutland that he met his wife-to-be.

Tell me about that life-changing trip, that walk to Leicester.

Basically Thomas had the idea to use these new-fangled trains to promote temperance,

to promote social improvement as he saw it.

He believed that all problems in Victorian England were down to alcohol.

Anything that he could do to encourage people

to explore the world, do something different, would improve society.

So his idea essentially was to charter a train to take people to a temperance meeting.

-And that was successful in itself?

-Yes, it was. About 500 people went on that first trip.

They paid a shilling, travelled in open carriages

and there were two newspaper reports on the trip.

So 500 people became the first to experience a Thomas Cook excursion, but Cook didn't stop there.

He arranged a succession of trips allowing thousands of people

to experience rail travel for the first time around the UK.

On moving to Leicester in 1841 Cook began printing his first small leaflets to accompany his tours.

Along with letters and timetables, these survive today.

What was Thomas Cook's first commercial venture?

His first commercial venture, believe it or not,

was a trip to Liverpool which took place in the summer of 1845.

-He produced a little handbook.

-A little guide.

This is his very first travel-related publication.

This was a far more adventurous trip than anything he had planned before.

Not only did it involve an overnight stay,

but also it involved negotiations with three different railway companies.

Linking them together.

In the back of this handbook he gives a list of hotels within Liverpool where people can stay.

Like a tourist guide. How many people were on the train?

He caused a sensation in Leicester.

He managed to sell 1,200 tickets initially.

That's a big train!

That didn't satisfy demand and he had to organise a second trip,

two weeks later, for a further 800 people.

2,000 people from Leicester went to Liverpool.

I guess with all this success in mind, he would soon be ready to cross the Channel.

Well, he was. By the end of the 1840s, Thomas had been to Ireland

and his tickets covered the British Isles, more or less.

And he was contemplating trips to places in Europe, to America, to the Holy Land.

So, where would Cook decide to go for his first venture off the mainland?

Well, the Paris Exhibition of 1855 beckoned.

But simply organising a trip direct to Paris was far too easy for Thomas Cook.

He then decided to organise a grand circular tour.

It would make sense, wouldn't it?

Absolutely. Which encompassed a trip to Brussels, a river trip down the Rhine,

visits to Heidelberg, Baden Baden and Strasbourg, and finally to Paris. So, a circular tour.

His original intention was just to sell a travel ticket

but so many people were asking him about accommodation,

about foreign exchange, what do they do,

how do they cope, so he offered to organise all of their accommodation for them for a five pound note.

-So this really was the birth of the package holiday right here?

-It was.

You've got accommodation, food and travel all paid for in advance.

In 1872, Thomas Cook was the first to lead a commercial trip around the world.

He was absent for 222 days in total and wrote lots of letters as he travelled.

He wrote a series of letters to the Times and other newspapers

which he published, on his return, in a little book.

He also wrote every Sunday to his wife.

We have one of those on display.

-That is Thomas's own handwriting.

-How charming.

-It is. They're wonderful.

By the time Thomas Cook returned from his globe-trotting,

his son sat firmly in the company's driving seat.

He built an impressive head office in London and was ready to move the company forward.

Thomas Cook continued to travel the globe by sea, rail and foot

right up until retirement, in 1878, at the age of 70.

But what he's left us with is a name, 130 years later,

that still conjures up images of sun, sea and sightseeing.

Back in the town hall, Elizabeth has been confronted with a strange item made out of bones.

Well, we do say, we are happy to value most things on show.

So, Janet, how did you acquire this set?

Well, I had it from a friend about 17 years ago.

And unfortunately she passed away just recently, at 98.

So you're looking to possibly find a new home for it?

-Is that your intention?

-Yes, I am.

Because it's such a beautiful thing.

It's delicate, and it's something so new and so different that I think that it deserves to have more show.

You're quite right. A very unusual set made of principally wishbones, chicken wishbones

and other little bones that have been stained to imitate mahogany.

This has been upholstered by a skilful needlewoman.

It has created a late-Victorian Edwardian parlour suite which copies

the furniture that was very popular in the late 19th, early 20th century.

It's a magical little set.

-As a novelty, it's a one-off, and a lot of love and attention's gone into it, hasn't it?

-It has, too.

It's almost suitable for a museum of childhood. It's that kind of calibre.

It's not the finest child's toy from the period, it never has been, but that's what's charming about it,

the fact that it has survived for a century, as well as it has, is a credit to the original maker.

It is, isn't it? It's lovely.

Almost like a folk art collector would be interested in this.

If I said £20-£30, would that surprise you?

-Erm...

-Disappoint you?

-Yeah.

-How about 40-60?

-Mmm.

-Still disappointed?

-Well...

-I think it should fetch 60.

It should fetch a minimum of 60.

-It might do 60-80.

-Yes.

It might, because it's so quirky, be worth more than that, but I think to be realistic,

to be fair to you and your friend, to price it so that we can encourage

serious people who would give it a good home, we need to pitch it at a level they feel they could afford.

So I think we should enter this for auction at an estimate of £60-£80.

We'll put a reserve of £60 on it so you can rest assured that it has a safety net.

Fingers crossed, and pull a wishbone it should make more for you. Is that all right?

That's lovely, thank you very much. Thank you.

Sue, you've got three very interesting pieces of silver

that span quite a period of time.

Can you tell me how you came to own them and what's the story behind them?

They came through my family

and my aunt actually took them on to a TV programme almost 50 years ago.

Really? What was the TV programme?

-Lunchbox.

-Lunchbox.

They have been in the family, but now they just sit there

and I just thought that, after 50 years,

they might still be of interest.

So, what you're saying is, these have been on telly before?

-Yes.

-50 years ago?

-Almost, almost.

-So there's a chance that most people won't remember them?

-Maybe!

-Those that do may be of an age that they may not remember them anyway.

You've got three pieces there, the earliest one being this one,

this little Queen Anne silver box with the profile portrait of Queen Anne on the top.

Of course Queen Anne was on the throne at the beginning of the 18th century.

Chronologically, the next one is this one here, the Georgian cream jug,

which is London hallmark there, 1771.

1771. So there we go. That one's been around a bit as well. And this one...

-I don't know actually where it came from.

-Wouldn't it be nice?

All these things tell a story. And you never know.

This one of course, it sounds funny to say it, but the most modern one.

It's still a Georgian piece of silver, a Georgian vinaigrette

by a well-known vinaigrette maker, Thomas Shaw.

His initials are in there, Thomas Shaw of Birmingham.

So, we'll just have a quick examine of that vinaigrette.

This is a silver gilt grille here and underneath that, if we just remove it for a minute, is the original sponge.

-Does it still smell?

-Sometimes. Sometimes they still do,

but I can't get much out of that.

And of course this would be carried around by a lady

to freshen up, or if she didn't like the smell of the streets, because the streets used to stink.

And of course she'd just open it up and have a little whiff.

That's very nice, in the form of a little satchel.

Cute little item there. Down to the value.

It would be irresponsible to sell them as three,

because you have got different appeals to collectors for each one.

Firstly, the vinaigrette, easy to value.

I would put £60-£80 on that and a reserve of £50. So it doesn't go for less.

And that will make £60, £80, even £100 on a good day.

This one I reckon should make £100-£150.

And I put a reserve of about £90 on that one to stop that one from under-selling.

This one I'd like to look into further.

We haven't had a chance to properly find out about that one,

so I don't want to go and quote something that isn't accurate.

Either we do a bit of research, or we ask the auction house to come up

with an estimate on that one, tell us before the show

and see what you think. Is that OK with you?

-That's fine. That's fine.

-Let's see what happens at the auction.

Whatever happens, you'll get a few hundred.

-Oh, that's lovely.

-Thank you very much. Good being part of the programme.

Pat, we see a lot of Moorcroft on the show

but I think this is possibly one of the best pieces I've ever seen.

It's not like your usual iris or pomegranate or things like that.

This is beautiful.

Tell me a little bit about its history.

Well, I believe my father bought it for my mother as a present.

It's always been in the family.

And it's always been well used by my mother.

She always had flowers in it.

How lovely.

What can I say about this?

This is William Moorcroft, it's a very early piece.

It is a wonderful example of their slipware, it really is.

But isn't it stunning?

-Look at the colour.

-Colours are gorgeous.

-You can tell it's an early one.

You can see there, the markings.

They were highly associated with the MacIntyre factory

up until the early 1900s, when they broke away from them.

You're right that it has been used because somebody,

who put the chip on it? Do you know?

-Yes, my mother.

-And it's been coloured in, hasn't it?

-Yes, she's painted it with ink.

Moonlit-blue fetches a great deal of money.

-It's one of the most sought-after patterns.

-Is it really?

-Yes.

I think we've only had one or two other examples on the show before, and nothing of this size.

If I said to you I've just looked on the computer

and done some research on

this particular size, this particular vase, in moonlit blue,

in perfect condition, has sold recently in auction for £3,000.

Uh! No! That's incredible.

It's a lot of money, isn't it?

The downside is the chip.

It's very hard to value this. The chip can get sorted out.

It's not a big deal, but it's always going to be not perfect,

it's always going to have restoration, and it's never going to reach another £3,000 mark.

Could I put this in with a reserve,

a price guide of something like £500-£700?

Yes, I'd be happy with that.

Let the auctioneer use a bit of discretion at £500.

-Right.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Very happy.

-Are you sure?

-Positive.

If we catch them at £500, hopefully three or four people in the room will bid it up to £1,000.

It's worth trying if you're prepared to let it go at £500.

Watch it fly away.

That's it. We've got our last items to take to auction.

And here's a reminder of what's going under the hammer.

If anyone's wishing they had a set of furniture made from chicken bones,

Janet's selling one with an estimate of £60-£80.

Then there's Sue's family silver. It was first on TV 50 years ago

and Adam's hoping that splitting them into three lots

would get them sold.

And finally... Pat, we see a lot of Moorcroft on the show

-but I think this is possibly one of the best pieces I've ever seen.

-Really?

It's fresh to the market having always been in Pat's family.

So, how will the bidders react?

Let's find out, because it's time to see these items make their debut in the auction room.

Next up we've got a lot of silver going under the hammer.

Split into three lots, it belongs to Sue and the first lot,

I know Adam's doing our valuations but you said, let the auctioneer

do a little bit of work on this, see what value he can put on it and here, we've got £60-£80.

It's a patch box.

-Queen Anne silver unhallmarked patch box.

-He's catalogued it as white metal which is understandable.

-Yes.

-This is the first of the three lots going under the hammer right now.

Let's see what this does. Good luck, Sue.

-Thank you.

-Early-18th century white metal pillbox and cover.

Bidding starts at £40. £50? £60?

60, all out at £60? With me, on commission, 5, 70?

5, 80, now, at 80.

Commissions in at £80, I'll take 5.

At 85, £90? Are you bidding?

95, 100? 100.

I'll take 10, if you like. Still on commission.

Selling away now on commission at £100...

Brilliant! Great start.

That's the first one down and here's the second.

Cream jug with a sea-scrolled handle.

Bids start here, £65, 65, I'm bid, 75, 85, 95, 100,

behind me now at 100, at £100,

it will sell now in the room and away at £100.

-Good result, that's OK, isn't it?

-Yep.

One more to go, and that's the vinaigrette.

-Two out of three!

-Ain't bad!

William IV silver vinaigrette,

Thomas Smith, the date mark is worn, possibly 1834.

Lots of bids here, £50 I'm bid, £60, £70.

70 I'm bid, 70, it will sell.

On the way, selling now at £70.

£70 - yes! £270.

That's very, very good. Isn't it?

What are you going to put the money towards?

Don't forget, there's 15% commission.

-We'll have a good day out for the family.

-Will you?

-Yes, a meal.

-Silver dealers were here.

-£70, just about the right money.

-Mid-estimate.

-I like that. I love it when that happens.

I love this next item.

It puts a smile on my face. A bit of folk art.

It's a little bit quirky, it's a miniature set of tables and chairs

made out of chicken bones and stained to look like mahogany.

They belong to Janet here who's looked after them.

I think they are so funny.

Why are you selling them?

I'm selling them because I think lots of other people want to be able to look at them.

It's an amusing piece.

It's not of huge value, but as I say, social times gone by.

This is what antiques are all about. Those kind of things are so hard to value, they really are.

There's no book price.

This is something that puts a smile on your face, that's hard to value.

-Isn't it? You've got a great smile as well, so hopefully we'll keep you smiling.

-Thank you very much.

-When we make lots of money!

-Lovely.

-Here we go.

Six-part suite of doll's furniture.

An unusual lot, this one, the bidding starts at £45. 45, I'm bid.

A bit of novelty here at 45, 55.

£60 bid, at 60 in the room,

£60 a commissioned bid, I'll take 5 if you like.

60, right at the back, and I will sell now.

£60 in the room and away at £60.

They've gone within estimate.

-We valued it at £60.

-We did, yes.

I think they bought it because they like it.

-You wouldn't buy it otherwise.

-No.

Hopefully, they're going to make their own little room sets up and backdrops and things like that.

You're quite enthusiastic.

I love things like this, I just love things like this.

The quirkier the better.

Wonderful, yeah.

And it needs to be shown about more, doesn't it?

People need to be able to use it and look at it.

And thanks to you, you've looked after it,

so we've all been able to appreciate it and enjoy something quirky.

Which you will probably not ever see again on "Flog It!"

Next is that beautiful Moorcroft vase, but before we put my valuation

to the test, here's what the auctioneer had to say about it.

Patricia's Moorcroft moonlit-blue vase.

It's absolutely stunning, isn't it? Caught my eye, anyway.

-Yes, I can see why.

-I've given this a value of £500-£700.

I did tell her, if it was in mint condition, £2,000-£3,000.

Sure, yes, I agree with that.

Since the valuation day, Patricia has removed the flexibility from the reserve.

We've now got a fixed reserve to work to but I don't think that should be a problem. It should do well.

Right, my turn to be the expert now.

Moorcroft, moonlit blue, it's the most beautiful vase.

It's got a little chip on it, it belongs to Pat here, but not for much longer.

We put £500-£700 on this, with a bit of discretion. I know that it's now changed to fixed.

I don't blame you. Had a chat to the auctioneer.

He said there's been some interest and he agrees with the valuation.

Fingers crossed, we both said, on a good day, it's going to do four figures.

Now, Patricia, we are going to find out. Here we go.

Moorcroft moonlit-blue baluster vase.

Starting the bidding at £380.

380 I'm bid. 400, 420, 440, 450,

460, 480, 500, bid at 500? 520.

540, 560. 580. 600. 650...

Got a few phones booked on this.

-How many?

-Three.

I can see them. Unless they're talking to friends at home...

At 700, 750, new bidding.

Telephone 2 at 750, £800. 850, I'm bid.

950, £900? 950.

We're gonna get those four figures.

-£1,000. £1,100 bid, £1,200.

-I can't believe it!

1,200 bid, on the telephone, 1,200.

1,300, new bidding, at 1,300.

Telephone 3 at £1,300.

At 1,300, any more?

1,300, and selling at 1,300.

-Wow!

-Settle for that, won't we? £1,300.

-Excellent.

What will you put the money towards?

I'd like to buy another piece of Moorcroft. Would you really?

-A small piece.

-Fantastic.

This is what we love to see.

Reinvesting back in the trade - that's what it's all about, making people happy.

Enjoy it, Patricia. It's been great.

We've loved making the show here today.

Join us again for more surprises on "Flog It!"

From Market Harborough, it's cheerio.

For more information about "Flog It!",

including how the programme was made, visit the website at bbc.co.uk

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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