0:00:04 > 0:00:08Look at that fabulous view! Today Flog It comes from just over there.
0:00:08 > 0:00:14We're in a historic fishing port on the northeast coast of England. Welcome to Whitby in Yorkshire.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Perched here on the cliff top above the town on a rather windy day
0:00:37 > 0:00:41there's something I must show you, it's simply quite stunning.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45This, the gothic ruins of Whitby Abbey. Just look at that.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47It looks so magical in this light.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53And in more recent history,
0:00:53 > 0:00:58these haunting ruins inspired one of the most famous gothic novels -
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Bram Stoker's Dracula, scary!
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Thankfully it's not so spooky here on the seafront
0:01:10 > 0:01:12where all the action is at Whitby Pavilion.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16It looks like the whole town has turned out - a massive queue.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20Our industrious experts are hard at work, Mr Philip Serrell and Kate Bateman.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24And do you know, there's not a fang in sight, is there?
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Thanks for turning up anyway.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30It's now 9:30am, it's time to get the doors open and get the show on the road.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Coming up later in the programme, we uncover the incredible world
0:01:38 > 0:01:41of Victorian photographer Frank Sutcliffe.
0:01:44 > 0:01:50But now, Kate is straight off the starting blocks with some porcelain which has been in the wars.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55- Hello, Jasmine and Linda. - Yes.- You've come to Flog It today
0:01:55 > 0:02:00with these vases. First of all, what relationship are you to each other?
0:02:00 > 0:02:02She's my nan.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07OK. So what we've got here are a pair of sort of Persian-inspired ewers, or jugs.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10And then there's also a pair of these.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14We can't fit them all on the table. Another one of these larger vases.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17- What do you think of them? - They're nice, they're pretty.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19You like them? OK.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Well, why are you selling them, Linda?
0:02:22 > 0:02:25I move about so much, and unfortunately,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29during all the movement, we've had a slight accident.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33We can see if we turn this around, let's have a quick look. Oh, dear.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36- I know.- So that's moving house and wear and tear?
0:02:36 > 0:02:38I do have all the bits, it was in bubble wrap.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41So I have all the pieces.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45- It's quite a big restoration.- Yeah. - When did you get them?
0:02:45 > 0:02:49They were my mother's. She bought them in Portobello Road
0:02:49 > 0:02:52in a second-hand shop over 60 years ago.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56And I just remember them on a cabinet but always with flowers in.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00When she died, they were left to me, plus some other...
0:03:00 > 0:03:04I have decanters and other things, which I'm actually going to keep.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09These, I really don't want them broken any more.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13I'll tell you a bit about them. They're by a factory called Zsolnay,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15and if you look at the bottom,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18you've got a mark on the bottom, Zsolnay Pecs - a place in Hungary.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23They're quite a strange factory, it's a little bit like Worcester with all this reticulated,
0:03:23 > 0:03:28sort of pierced decoration, and then hand-decorated.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31They are classic things of the Art Nouveau period,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34so late 19th century up to about 1910.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38They're decorated with this prunus blossom, flying cranes,
0:03:38 > 0:03:40oriental inspired for these ones.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43And then these ones are sort of Persian inspired,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46copying Worcester of the same period.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49All this pierced and reticulated work on these
0:03:49 > 0:03:52makes it quite interesting and very difficult to pot,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54- because you've got two layers.- Yes.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55Any idea pricewise?
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Oh, I don't know, between 100-200 probably.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02There are issues with damage and it's nice to get pairs of things.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04That's about right in terms of valuation.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07You could put an auction estimate of £100-£200 on them,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11and then reserve-wise you could put a reserve of maybe £90
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- so that it wouldn't sell for less than 90.- Yes, I would like that.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18- Are you happy with that?- Yes. - Do you think we should flog it?
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Yes, I think she should sell them so she can get money for them,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and then she can spend her money.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- Spend it on something else you want to inherit?- Yes!
0:04:27 > 0:04:30OK, let's do it. Thank you bringing them in.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Oh, yes.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45And my mother wouldn't tell me anything about it.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- I'm not surprised.- She said one day when you're old enough,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50I'll tell you what it's all about.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55- Gordon, do you know what it's called? - No, I know nothing about it at all.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Right. Clearly it's a walking cane, and that's a Stanhope, OK?
0:04:58 > 0:05:03- Right.- And a Stanhope is like a really small lens
0:05:03 > 0:05:06that's fitted into there.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11And I think Stanhope was a manufacturer of lenses.
0:05:11 > 0:05:17They're normally in little ivory pens, pencils, knives...
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Not seen one in a walking cane before.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Normally you'd have a view of Whitby, or a view of Scarborough.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27In this instance... I'm just going to check this out.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Well, for the benefit of the viewers at home,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36- she's about, what, 5'8"? - That's about right.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- Long, cascading brunette hair.- Yes.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Erm...
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Basically, she's got nothing on. - That's right.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48And she's... Actually, I'm just going to check this out again.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50She's a very shapely girl, isn't she?
0:05:50 > 0:05:53No wonder your grandmother wouldn't let you see this.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- I think it's a real good bit of fun. - It is.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01I should think it's probably...1890-1900?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- Yes.- I think it's interesting actually,
0:06:03 > 0:06:07because there we've got a cane that's, like, worth a fiver.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12- Yes.- And then we put a Stanhope in there, and if the Stanhope has got a view of Whitby
0:06:12 > 0:06:17or a view of Scarborough, it might be worth £20.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22But, you know, it's a sad indictment of us old blokes, really.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Put a naked girl in there and all of a sudden everybody wants to buy it.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31- I think at auction, you can put a very conservative estimate on it of £40-£60.- Right.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Fixed reserve of £40, and I think if you have a real good result,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37- it could go and make £100-£150.- Fine.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- Are you happy? - I'm certainly happy.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Purely for research, I just need to check it out one more time.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45Hellfire!
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- Hello, June.- Hello. - Welcome to Flog It.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58You've brought in this fantastic cabinet.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01What's inside? It has doors at the front.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Ah-ha! And it's a cutlery cabinet, by the look of it.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12And these have got inlaid brass campaign handles to help it travel.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13If we open it up,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18what we've got is silver-plated cutlery,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22not silver cutlery. Is this a family piece?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25- What do you know about it? - Yes, it belonged to my aunt.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30And I think it was their wedding present from his family.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32What sort of date would that be, early 20th century?
0:07:32 > 0:07:37- I would think so, yes. - It looks sort of Edwardian in style. And do you use it?
0:07:37 > 0:07:42I haven't ever used it but I used to visit and when I visited her,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44then yes, I used to use it.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48I notice a few gaps here, there's a few things missing.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52It looks like you've replaced some things with other items, so it's an incomplete set.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56- Yes.- Let's have a look in some of the other drawers.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59These are bone-handled knives, they have silver collars.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04Yes, there are actually two lots. There's another lot here, which are, I think, newer, probably.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06So it's kind of a mixed bag.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09It's incomplete but it's such a handsome case.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13It's quite difficult to get hold of them in this fairly good condition,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- even though I'd say there are a few scratches and things.- Yes.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20They don't make a huge amount, because they're not that popular
0:08:20 > 0:08:24- to stick in your dining room, but there are collectors out there for it.- Yes.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27So, any idea pricewise what you'd want to get for it?
0:08:27 > 0:08:32Well, I would have thought around £100 for it.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34OK. I think that's about right.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37I'd probably estimate it at auction at £100-£150.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- Right.- And maybe put a reserve just below that of £80.- Yes.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43There are a few issues with the condition.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- OK, are you happy to send it to sale?- Yes. Yes, I will.- Right.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50OK, we'll put that estimate on and then see how it does in the sale.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53- Good.- Brilliant. Thanks for bringing it.- Thank you.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- Emma, how are you?- I'm fine.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- These are lovely, aren't they?- They are, they were my great grandma's.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09So were they sent to your great grandma by your great grandpa?
0:09:09 > 0:09:14- They were.- So these are First World War silk postcards.
0:09:14 > 0:09:20They're interesting, that one's got Britons All, then we've got the various flags.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23This one initially would have had a little silk envelope in there.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27And it's now got a card, which says "Dinna' forget."
0:09:27 > 0:09:31And on the back it says, "I have fell in love with your photo."
0:09:31 > 0:09:36- Yes.- And that's from your great granddad to your great grandma?- Yes.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39The one that I like most of all
0:09:39 > 0:09:42is this one here with this aeroplane on with Good Wishes,
0:09:42 > 0:09:47because it's really stylistic and we've got the English and French flags there.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49And I just think that's great.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I have to tell you these aren't worth a lot of money.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57- I didn't think they would be.- But one thing that I really have to know,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00why on earth do you want to sell these?
0:10:00 > 0:10:05My grandma's given me them, and said "Do what you want with them."
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Don't you want to keep them?
0:10:07 > 0:10:11No, because I've got the ration books,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15so I've got, like, the memories of the war.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Yeah? And these are just superfluous?
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Yeah, they're just sat on the shelf in the cabinet.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Because I'd be thinking that if my great granddad,
0:10:24 > 0:10:29given that I'm a little bit older than you, if my great granddad
0:10:29 > 0:10:32was fighting in the trenches in the First World War,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34and he sent this postcard to my great grandma
0:10:34 > 0:10:39and on the back it says, "Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,"
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I don't know that I could part with that.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48I've got photos with my great granddad and with things like that,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50that were sent with the postcards.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54You're an old sentimentalist, I don't think so, are you?
0:10:54 > 0:10:58I think in terms of value, these at auction are going to make
0:10:58 > 0:11:02£10 or £20, no more than that, and we won't put a reserve on them.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06I think the one that's going to create the interest is this one here.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11And this is a real Flog It question, this, but if they make £10 or £20,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- what will you spend the money on? - I'll spend it on my son.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- That really is recycling, isn't it? - It is.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19I can't convince you not to sell them?
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- No, I want to sell them. - They're going?- Yeah.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Never argue with a lady.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Well, that's it for our first four items.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31We've crossed the Yorkshire border for today's sale,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35to Thomas Watson Auctioneers in Darlington, Co Durham.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37The sale is just about to start.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41I'll leave you with a quick rundown of what's going under the hammer.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Linda is so afraid of further damaging her four Zsolnay vases
0:11:47 > 0:11:49that she would rather sell them,
0:11:49 > 0:11:54and I suspect granddaughter Jasmine might be hoping to reap the rewards.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Gordon's Stanhope has a saucy secret.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02She's about, what, 5'8", long, cascading brunette hair.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04- Yes.- Basically she's got nothing on.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06That's right.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- Let's hope she will also attract the bidders.- Hellfire!
0:12:09 > 0:12:13The wooden cutlery cabinet which June inherited from her aunt
0:12:13 > 0:12:16is going under the hammer, as she never uses it.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20And finally, nostalgic old Philip is sad that Emma is parting with
0:12:20 > 0:12:24her great grandma's First World War silk postcards.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Auctioneer Peter Robinson is already in full swing,
0:12:30 > 0:12:35and the first of our items under the spotlight is Gordon's walking cane.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Something for the boys! It's a walking cane
0:12:40 > 0:12:44and it has a cheeky little picture, a Stanhope, of a lady inside.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Gordon's had lots of fun with this, I would imagine!
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- Yes.- £40-£60, it's a snip at that sort of price.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53It keeps a dinner party going!
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Why are you selling? It's such a good laugh.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58I'm downsizing, and I have that much rubbish.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- This came over from Canada? - Yes, and my mother never would show me it.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06I was nearly 20 when she said, "One of these days I will actually show you what it is."
0:13:06 > 0:13:09But unfortunately she died, and it was only by chance
0:13:09 > 0:13:13- that I actually saw the pinhole and I looked through it.- And?
0:13:13 > 0:13:14And I looked through it again.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- And?- I looked through it again and again!
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I couldn't believe my eyes. It was only by accident I found it.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Lovely talking point, get any dinner party going.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27- Here we go.- Stanhope cane, this time a wooden cane with a small
0:13:27 > 0:13:33peephole photographic image, at £30 to start. At £30, 40.
0:13:33 > 0:13:3750, 60. At £60 bid, at £60.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40All done at £60, 70 anywhere?
0:13:40 > 0:13:43At £60, it's near me, gentleman's bid at £60.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- Oh, come on, a bit more. - Selling now at £60.- It's gone.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51You'll note it was a gentleman's bid and not a lady's bid!
0:13:51 > 0:13:55- Who bought it?!- Shout his name out. THEY LAUGH
0:13:55 > 0:13:57# We know what you're doing! #
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Next up we've got the Edwardian wooden cutlery cabinet, it belongs to June.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14- And we've got a valuation of £100-£150 put on this.- Right.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16- This is a lovely thing, isn't it? - Yes, it is.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Proper piece of Edwardian kit.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Yes, and the thing they used to give for weddings at that time,
0:14:22 > 0:14:23a canteen of cutlery.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- To start you off really, doesn't it, in the house?- Yes.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29This is a cracking thing, actually.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32It's a handsome piece. It's a very attractive piece of furniture.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34That's what I like it for, yes.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36But it takes up a lot of space on your sideboard...
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- In a small house. - Yes, when you're downsizing.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42- That's why you're selling? - That's right.- Good luck.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Thank you very much.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47405, the cabinet this time.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Does have some cutlery in it,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51a collector's cabinet, nice lot in oak and walnut.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53At £60 to start me.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56At £60, at £60 for the cabinet.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01£60, all done at £60? 70 now, at £60 for the collector's cabinet...
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Can I say 70 anywhere?
0:15:03 > 0:15:0770, thank you. 75, 80 now.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09£80, 85. At £80 on my right.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14The lady's bid has it at £80. £80 on my right,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16selling then at £80.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21- Sold, £80. It's gone. - Oh well. Never mind, it's gone.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Lifestyles have changed and nobody has Sunday cutlery any more.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Let's see if the silk postcards can do any better.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34Next up we've got the First World War silk postcards with a valuation of £10-£20.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Unfortunately we haven't got Emma,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40but we've got her husband Alistair, who's right next to me.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42These were great grandma's and great grandpa's?
0:15:42 > 0:15:45- They were.- Been in the family a long time
0:15:45 > 0:15:48but I know Emma is keen to say, "Look, I can part with them,"
0:15:48 > 0:15:52- because she's got the ration books and lots of other items.- Yes.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53They are beautiful things.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56It's really hard to put a value on something like this.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Well, you know, they're sort of £10 worth of postcards
0:15:59 > 0:16:02and for me there's £100 worth of memories there.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Exactly, the sentimentality...
0:16:04 > 0:16:07I could never sell them, but you know...
0:16:07 > 0:16:09- Someone's got to sell something. - Yeah.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11We'd be no good, would we? Hopeless.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Fingers crossed we'll get the top end of the valuation. This is it.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Number 75, three little embroidered postcards this time,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22rather nice lots, one with the aeroplane on it.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25At 10 bid, at £10.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26At £10, all done at £10?
0:16:26 > 0:16:2920 on my left, 20... 30, 40.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32£30 in the balcony, at £30 for the lot now.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Selling at £30, selling now in the balcony at £30 for the lot.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39- Good lad, get in there. - Yes. Great, isn't it?
0:16:39 > 0:16:41£20... £30 sold, yours.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Blink and you'll miss it. That's a good result, a very good result.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- Ring Emma up and tell her, won't you?- I will.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57If you're hungry for pottery, you're going to love this next lot.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00It belongs to Linda, not for much longer I reckon.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- Four Zsolnay vases, one terribly damaged.- Yes.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07- How did that happen? - One of the moves.- ONE of the moves?
0:17:07 > 0:17:09- Yeah. - So you're always on the move?
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- I'm always on the move.- How many times have you moved now, then?
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Ten times in the last ten years.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Are you fussy?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- No!- You're just trading up all the time in property.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Have you got anything left that isn't broken?
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Why haven't you settled down, why do you keep moving?
0:17:26 > 0:17:28- Well, it's not my fault.- Whose is it?
0:17:28 > 0:17:33Well, you rent somewhere and they want the property back or they're selling or whatever.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- Oh, I see, right. - Therefore you move on.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Oh, that's a shame. It's really unsettling.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42And not good for your china, if it all ends up like this lot.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Let's see what we can do, let's see if we can get the top end.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47It's going under the hammer.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52These Zsolnay vases, two pairs. Commission bids here, 110.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- Straight in.- 110 I'm bid for the Zsolnay. 110, 120.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59130, 140... 150, 160... 170, 180...
0:17:59 > 0:18:01170 the bid's with me now.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03At £170 for the lot.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07180, 190, 200... 210, 220...
0:18:07 > 0:18:11240 with me, 250.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13260 with me, 270.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- Oh, they like them, don't they? - 270 on the phone.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- At £270, are we all finished now? - Someone with a tube of glue!
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Selling at 270, all done.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24£270.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26- My God.- That was good, wasn't it?
0:18:26 > 0:18:28A cautious estimate.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32- Thank you so much.- Just think if they weren't damaged...- I know.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34- ..if it was two perfect pairs. - I could retire!
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Well, they've got that great factory so that just shows it's strong.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- Yeah, good maker's name. - Oh, thank you so much.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45What are you going to put that money towards, not another deposit on another move?
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Well, yeah, probably!
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Well, that's the end of the first trip to the auction,
0:18:51 > 0:18:56and when we return later we'll find out what has made one lady so happy.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00I think Maureen's had the best day of her life here in Yorkshire, in Darlington.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10In Victorian times, the remote fishing port of Whitby came to be known
0:19:10 > 0:19:15as the photographer's Mecca and this was due to one man, Frank Meadow Sutcliffe.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18He was born in Yorkshire in 1853,
0:19:18 > 0:19:22just 14 years after the advent of photography, and as a young man
0:19:22 > 0:19:27he embraced this new art form to become one of the most prolific photographers of his time.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32It was here in his beloved Whitby and the surrounding areas
0:19:32 > 0:19:35that Sutcliffe used his skill to document a way of life,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39which was changing rapidly under the pace of industrialisation,
0:19:39 > 0:19:44and the subjects of his study were local farmhands and fisherman.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Strangely enough, Whitby today hasn't really changed that much
0:19:47 > 0:19:51from the time Sutcliffe was looking through his lens.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06I've come to meet Mike Shaw from the Sutcliffe Gallery,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09who's talking to me about Sutcliffe's photographs, methods,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13and the place he carved himself in the history of photography.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18Mike, thank you for meeting up with me and showing me around Whitby on such a beautiful day.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21You're welcome. It's fantastic, it couldn't be better.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23What brought Sutcliffe to Whitby in the first place?
0:20:23 > 0:20:29Well, Frank Sutcliffe was born near Leeds from an artistic background.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33- Frank Sutcliffe's father was a talented watercolour artist.- Yes.
0:20:33 > 0:20:39And the Sutcliffe family holidayed in Whitby when Frank was young, for quite a number of years,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41and they moved to Whitby when Frank was 17.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45- So they all loved it here, it was a calling anyway.- That's right.
0:20:45 > 0:20:51Sadly the year after they moved here, Sutcliffe's father died on the cliffs with pneumonia, painting.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54So Frank was thrust to the head of the family as breadwinner,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57and he chose photography as his career.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02He opened a portrait studio in a disused jet workshop, actually, and never looked back.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06He was probably one of the only photographers in Whitby,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08taking photographs for the tourists.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13- Yes.- The well-off people, he made his living from that,
0:21:13 > 0:21:18- but his passion was documenting the people of Whitby and the real town. - The social history side.
0:21:18 > 0:21:24That's right, which in those days was very unusual, it set him apart from other photographers.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Real characters, real expressions.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30I guess maybe he got that from his father being an artist, did he?
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Yeah, and probably his sense of composition as well,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36which is something that you can't necessarily learn, it's in you.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41So were they staged or were they spontaneous?
0:21:41 > 0:21:43They have a spontaneous look to them,
0:21:43 > 0:21:48- but they didn't have that luxury that we have of taking a candid photograph.- Yes.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52So he had to get people to pose, arrange them, and get them in general
0:21:52 > 0:21:57not to look at the camera, which again was an unusual technique really because Victorian photography
0:21:57 > 0:21:59is people looking straight at the camera.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04Almost ghostlike, never smiling or anything, it's straight there, isn't it?
0:22:04 > 0:22:05That's right, yes.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11It's a sign really that he had a good rapport with his subjects.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15He must have got to know them quite well for busy working people
0:22:15 > 0:22:20to stop what they're doing and be arranged maybe a quarter of an hour, half an hour, into a group.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26The exposures were for maybe a second or two seconds,
0:22:26 > 0:22:31so that it wasn't a massive exposure time but still long enough that if anybody moved, they blurred.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36Photography was a very different world compared to nowadays.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41Very basic equipment, and yet technically very complex
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- to accomplish a perfect photograph, really.- Yes.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47You had to be a technician and chemist, almost.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49He would be working on a tripod,
0:22:49 > 0:22:51whereas now we just hold a camera.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55- It's just point and shoot, isn't it really?- That's right.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58In his early days, he would take out the darkroom with him
0:22:58 > 0:23:03to process his glass negatives as soon as he'd taken the photograph, so it's just a different world.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08- It is, isn't it? He certainly earned his money.- Yes.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Was he well off at that stage?
0:23:12 > 0:23:15With his becoming famous with his exhibition work,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18he made a name for himself and people who were holidaying would flock
0:23:18 > 0:23:21to have their photograph to have their photograph taken by him.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25- So he would be the David Bailey of the day?- That's right, exactly.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30Incredible. So what were the social conditions like back then for a working person?
0:23:30 > 0:23:34When you take a look at Frank Sutcliffe's photographs, you can tell that it was a physically hard life.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Lots of work, but probably compared to nowadays it was a more contented life, more neighbourly,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42- and you could go out and not lock your door and things like that.- Yes.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44A nicer place to live, probably.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49Yes. You're painting a nice picture. I wish we could all go back in time,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53- don't you?- Probably not, not knowing what we know now, no.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55Let's talk about some of his other subject matter.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00He was really busy in the summer so the majority of his photographs are actually taken in winter.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04So there's some lovely snow scenes as well, rough seas,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07ones of boats with children, and also when he goes out
0:24:07 > 0:24:09into the country, farming scenes,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13ploughing, and just some lovely rural landscapes that he's taken.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17There are so many facets to his work, it's not just like a one-trick pony.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21No. It's documenting social history, which is the brilliant thing.
0:24:21 > 0:24:27- Yes. Even in their own day when they were contemporary photographs, they were acknowledged as fantastic.- Yes.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31- Nowadays they've got that added bonus of being social documents as well. - Exactly, historical.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35- That's right.- He was a true artist and a pioneer in his day -
0:24:35 > 0:24:39how does he fit into the history of photography moving forward?
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Well, he did see a lot of changes in photography.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Obviously when he first started, he was coating his negatives
0:24:45 > 0:24:50with the wet chemicals first of all and then moved on to dry plates.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Then really when he was thinking about retiring from photography,
0:24:54 > 0:24:59Kodak brought out the Box Brownie, which was a hand-held camera,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and Kodak asked a few prominent photographers
0:25:02 > 0:25:05of the day to endorse their new camera and gave Frank Sutcliffe
0:25:05 > 0:25:08a camera and some film to try out.
0:25:08 > 0:25:14The results from those, which we have, are OK but they don't quite have the same quality
0:25:14 > 0:25:21from his glass plate work where I think he had to think more about the results that he was producing.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25- But he certainly earned his place in history.- Absolutely. He was well respected in photographic history
0:25:25 > 0:25:28and just general history of this country really.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54Back at the Whitby Pavilion, it's still a full house.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59Kate has met up with Alison, who's showing her something exotic.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02You have brought in this absolutely fantastic African tribal piece,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04what can you tell me about it?
0:26:04 > 0:26:11Right. Well, it's from northwest Africa, Nigeria, from somewhere near Osogbo, I believe.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15My dad was stationed there during the war, 1942,
0:26:15 > 0:26:20and he was given this piece by a geologist that worked there,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24who was apparently a very important man to the Yoruba tribe,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28and he went drinking with him one night and they probably got chatting
0:26:28 > 0:26:31about this piece and he gave it to him.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33OK. Won it in a game of cards or something, could be.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36I wouldn't have thought so, but it's possible.
0:26:36 > 0:26:42I don't actually know 100% certain, but I think that this is the face
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- of Oduduwa.- I beg your pardon? - Oduduwa.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50- This one here? - Yeah, I think he was the creator of the Earth and first crowned king,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53and I believe that this is a crown,
0:26:53 > 0:26:58and that this is Great Earth Mother and that she's actually crowning him.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Right, so it's a kind of symbolic thing.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06- I think so, yes.- It's probably ceremonial, meant to go in a place of worship of something like that.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11I suppose date-wise, what sort of time did your father acquire it?
0:27:11 > 0:27:17Well, that was 1942, but obviously it wasn't made for him
0:27:17 > 0:27:21so it's been around a little bit longer than that.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- I think it is a bit earlier, it's probably like 1910-1920.- Really?
0:27:24 > 0:27:27It's certainly early 20th century, which is a good age for collectors.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29It could be a little bit older than I thought then.
0:27:29 > 0:27:34It's quite unusual. Think of the workmanship that's gone into it.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39All of these have been hand-threaded. In some areas of Africa,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42beads and this kind of thing was used as a type of currency
0:27:42 > 0:27:46because beads that weren't produced locally had to be bought in,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49so the more beads, the more status and the more money you had.
0:27:49 > 0:27:55This is a lot of beads so it was for somebody of high status, a king or somebody like that, a prince.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59- Yes.- Somebody that was highly respected in the community.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Now if we take the top off as well,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04it's a bottle with a cork.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07I don't know, presumably that is because it was something that was
0:28:07 > 0:28:09available that they could use as a base, because the rest of it...
0:28:09 > 0:28:12- she's a padded figure.- Yes.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Presumably there's some wood and some padding and things in there,
0:28:14 > 0:28:19- but I don't know what was in the bottle. I'm not going to sniff it and find out.- Beer, possibly.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22It's quite an interesting use of something that was around.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24OK, well it's a brilliant piece, why are you selling it?
0:28:24 > 0:28:32It sits on top of the wardrobe in a box, I don't display it because it is getting quite old,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36and it's getting fragile and I don't want it to be handled.
0:28:36 > 0:28:43So nobody gets to see it and it's a long way from home, and really it should be with items of its kind.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Yes, a collector of tribal artefacts.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50It's really good fun, but difficult to value.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55Price-wise I would have thought maybe between £300 and £400, something like that.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00- Is that the kind of figure you'd be happy with?- Yes, I think that's what I was thinking.
0:29:00 > 0:29:06OK, so probably put a reserve just below the low estimate of maybe £250 reserve and a £300-£400 estimate.
0:29:06 > 0:29:11- Yes. Good, good.- Brilliant. OK, we'll send it the sale. Thanks for bringing it in.- Thank you.
0:29:18 > 0:29:24Good morning, it's great to see you. And I wish I lived in this area because just driving
0:29:24 > 0:29:26- from Pickering this morning, it's stunning, isn't it?- Yes.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Do you know what you've got here?
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Not really, no. I just thought it's been lying around the house and I thought I'd bring it.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37- Was it your parents'? - No, my in-laws'.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40Your in-laws, OK. What do you think it's for?
0:29:40 > 0:29:45- I thought probably it was for wool or string.- I can see
0:29:45 > 0:29:50where you're coming from because you could put a ball of string in there and have the thread coming out,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53and cut it off at the right lengths, but do you know...
0:29:53 > 0:29:56it is in fact a tea caddy.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58Oh.
0:29:58 > 0:29:59It's from the Georgian period, the Hanover period.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02You have to be very careful when you say the Georgian period because there were three King Georges.
0:30:02 > 0:30:09This is George III so we're looking at the late 1700s right up to 1820,
0:30:09 > 0:30:13George III period, and it is a pear wood, fruitwood, tea caddy,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- shaped like a pear.- Oh, I see, yes.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20Lots of caddies appeared in different shapes and sizes,
0:30:20 > 0:30:23you could have larger ones, you could have smaller single cube ones.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Tea was very popular to drink, it became fashionable with royalty and
0:30:27 > 0:30:31the well to do in the late 1600s. It was a valuable commodity.
0:30:31 > 0:30:36Poor people couldn't afford to drink tea, hence it was kept under lock and key.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38These caddies had
0:30:38 > 0:30:42little locks on so the servants couldn't pilfer the tea.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45- Oh, I see, yes. - Because it was very, very expensive.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48It was brought back from the colonies and of course
0:30:48 > 0:30:52on great tall ships, which may have taken two or three months, so you can see the time and
0:30:52 > 0:30:58- the effort and the danger put in to bring spices and teas home.- Yes.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03This is stunning though, and it basically is a single blend tea.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07You could either have green tea or black tea, and if you look inside you can
0:31:07 > 0:31:09see there are traces of tinfoil.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14- Uh-huh.- That lined this little caddy, it kept the tea fresh.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19And that's really nice, you see, the traces of that just tells me that it's so right.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23That's got its original hinge, its original lock and escutcheon, and
0:31:23 > 0:31:28that's more than likely silver but it's blackened off over the years.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33It would have had a tiny little stalk coming out of there,
0:31:33 > 0:31:35just put in afterwards,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38but it's absolutely stunning, it's a lovely shape.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40The collectors really go for these.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43- Oh, good. - Have you any idea of the value?
0:31:43 > 0:31:48No, not really. £30?
0:31:48 > 0:31:50£30, right, OK.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53Well, the only thing that lets it down, the stalk's missing,
0:31:53 > 0:31:57that can be sorted out, and the colour can be brought back.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59I'm going to say to you...
0:31:59 > 0:32:00you think this is worth £30?
0:32:00 > 0:32:05Well, on a very good day in auction,
0:32:05 > 0:32:11- you might get £500.- Never.- Yes. - Gosh.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Yes, even without
0:32:14 > 0:32:18the work. I'd like to put this into auction with a value of £300-£500,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20have the reserve at £300,
0:32:20 > 0:32:25but on a good day in this condition, that's going to do £500.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Gosh, that's lovely.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Better than a string box, isn't it?
0:32:31 > 0:32:34Yes, absolutely.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40- How are you, Norah? - I'm fine, thank you.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- I love those earrings, they're sweet, aren't they?- Yes, they are.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46- What have you brought for me then? - I've brought you a vinaigrette.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Why's it called a vinaigrette?
0:32:48 > 0:32:52- Because they put something inside to smell nice.- To smell nice.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55- Yes.- What did they put in there?
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Some sort of perfume.
0:32:58 > 0:33:04- Let's have a look at it, right. This is a little silver box, OK?- Yes. - If we open it up,
0:33:04 > 0:33:06we can see a grill there.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09It's got this gilt interior, and it's hallmarked,
0:33:09 > 0:33:16and that hallmark tells me it was assayed in Birmingham in 1822.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20As early as that? That's older than you and me.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22And then this grill lifts up, but your grill's damaged.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Yes.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27There's a hallmark there, there's also a hallmark on here.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32So we've actually got three little bits of silver here - the top, the bottom, and the grill,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35and each piece is hallmarked to tell you that it's silver.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39- Thank you.- Just imagine living in the 1820s, right, I mean living
0:33:39 > 0:33:42- conditions weren't good, were they? - You mean it would be smelly.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48I wasn't trying to put it like that, but now you've summed it up so succinctly, it was very smelly.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50There was no sort of sewerage,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53you know, and living conditions weren't good,
0:33:53 > 0:33:57and if you were a Regency gentleman, man about town,
0:33:57 > 0:34:02you would put a little bit of sponge in there, and that little bit
0:34:02 > 0:34:06of sponge would have been soaked in aromatic spices
0:34:06 > 0:34:12and other fragrances, and as you were walking along the road, you would
0:34:12 > 0:34:19pull this out, open it up and just smell it, and it just took away the pungent smells that were around you.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21So would it be used more by men than women?
0:34:21 > 0:34:27Yes, I think so. This has got a few problems with it because silver is a very, very soft metal and if
0:34:27 > 0:34:33you polish something where there are highs and lows in the silver, you can get little holes in it.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Now my eyes aren't that special, but can you see just there?
0:34:37 > 0:34:40- Sort of, yes.- And just there.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42- I hadn't realised.- Just little holes, very, very small holes.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47- Because I've polished it too much. - You have polished too much, Norah.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Thank you.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52You know, these things ten years ago,
0:34:52 > 0:34:57that could have been worth £150-£250.
0:34:57 > 0:35:02- He tells me now.- I've always been behind the times myself, Norah.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04- These things aren't as fashionable as they were.- No.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06And you've got damage to it.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10I think in the auction you've got to make that appealing to someone.
0:35:10 > 0:35:16I think we can estimate it at £60-£90, and if you're lucky, it might just tip £100, you know.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21We'll reserve it at 50. Now a lot of people get a bit confused with reserves and estimates.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23An estimate is what you think it will make.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28- Yes.- A reserve is a price below which you won't sell it, so are you happy with that?
0:35:28 > 0:35:32- I'm fine, thank you.- Are you looking forward to the auction now? - Of course I am, it's my hometown.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36- Your hometown, well, that's got to be a result, hasn't it?- Thanks.
0:35:36 > 0:35:43Let's head over to Norah's hometown of Darlington now for our final trip to the auction, where we'll see
0:35:43 > 0:35:48if there's a market for Alison's African tribal statue, which was gifted to her father
0:35:48 > 0:35:52during World War Two when he was stationed in Nigeria.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54And Norah's silver vinaigrette, hallmarked Birmingham 1882,
0:35:54 > 0:36:00is going under the hammer, and it just has a weeny bit of damage.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04- I've polished it too much. - You have polished it too much, Norah.
0:36:04 > 0:36:09And finally my favourite item of the day, Maureen's pear-shaped pearwood tea caddy,
0:36:09 > 0:36:15which I think should do well over my top end of the estimate of £300-£500.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17And before we see these items going under the hammer,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20I caught up with auctioneer Peter Robinson to see if he agrees.
0:36:20 > 0:36:26- We've had some good interest for it. - I was just about to ask that, it's been viewed and handled?
0:36:26 > 0:36:30- It's been viewed and handled. - If you were a caddy collector,
0:36:30 > 0:36:37- you're going to want to have one that's pear-shaped because that is quite rare.- Well, it is rare.
0:36:37 > 0:36:43They do come in other fruit shapes but the whole concept of the fruitwood caddies are rare.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48They don't come up very often and because this one is in this original, although slightly
0:36:48 > 0:36:52distressed but original, condition it'll come back in a really way.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Let's just hope we can get the top end of the estimate.
0:36:55 > 0:37:00I'm hoping so. We've got bids on the book, we've got one phone line booked at the moment,
0:37:00 > 0:37:02we've got interest.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Maureen's face lit up because she thought this was worth £30.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09When she brought it in, she thought it was a string box or something you put wool in.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11Well, it's not obviously a tea caddy when you look at it from the
0:37:11 > 0:37:15outside, but for the collectors of caddies, it's a special one.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18- It's top of the range, isn't it? - It is.- And they'll be after this.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22- Hopefully, fingers crossed.- Fingers crossed, can't wait to find out.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25- It's definitely my brew, that one. - Jolly good.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29But I'm going to have to wait to find out how the tea caddy does, as
0:37:29 > 0:37:32first under the hammer is Norah's vinaigrette.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36- Now, this has been handed down through the family, isn't it?- Yes.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41So there's no real story attached to it, but I tell you what, it's a really good time, Philip's just
0:37:41 > 0:37:46- whispered in my ear, to sell precious metals, you know that? - Yes, he's just told me that.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50Yes, in times of recession, silver and gold way up in value. What's it an ounce now?
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- It's about £8 an ounce today, I think.- Is it?
0:37:53 > 0:37:58Yes, it's good. Paul's absolutely right, in times of a recession...
0:37:58 > 0:38:03- Quickly getting the top end of the estimate here, fingers crossed.- You never know.- You never know, do you?
0:38:03 > 0:38:08George IV Thomas Shaw vinaigrette, nice little lot this time, gilt
0:38:08 > 0:38:13interior at £30 bid, £30 a low start at £30 for the vinaigrette...
0:38:13 > 0:38:1740, 50... 60, 70... £60, 70...
0:38:17 > 0:38:20- 80, 90... 100.- Well.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22110... 120, 110 in the balcony...
0:38:22 > 0:38:25at £110, bid's in the balcony
0:38:25 > 0:38:31at £110, selling now at £110, the bid's upstairs.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33£110, the hammer's gone down.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35- That's good. - Great time to sell silver.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38- Are you happy?- Yes, I am, very.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Very happy. Well done, Philip. What are you putting the money towards?
0:38:41 > 0:38:47Probably going to France at the end of next month to see my grandson.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50- Ahhh.- It'll be nice.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Next up, some African tribal art,
0:38:57 > 0:39:02it's beaded, it belongs to Alison, and we've got £300-£400 on this.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Condition is fantastic, absolutely fantastic.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09Where's it been at the moment, on display in the house, or in the cupboard?
0:39:09 > 0:39:10No, it's been kept in a cupboard.
0:39:10 > 0:39:16It's been in the cupboard for... Oh, it must be the best part of 60 years.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Oh, gosh, it's getting a good airing today.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21Yes, seeing the light of day again.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Well, hopefully the bidders will pick up on this,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27there's some other tribal artefacts here so the collectors are here.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30- Oh, good.- It's going under the hammer right now.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34This African beaded item from Nigeria,
0:39:34 > 0:39:41lot 330, at 150, at 150, 150, 160 anywhere...
0:39:41 > 0:39:46- at £150 bid, 160... 180.- We're in.
0:39:46 > 0:39:51200... 220, 250... 280, at 250 in the doorway the bid...
0:39:51 > 0:39:57at £250, the gentleman's bid at £250... Selling then at £250.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Just on the reserve.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01Just, yes. That's still a sale.
0:40:01 > 0:40:06- Yes, £250, it's a good sale.- Yes.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08That was close, wasn't it?
0:40:08 > 0:40:11I wasn't sure, I thought that would be too low for a minute there.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14- Are you happy? - Yes, I'm happy with that.
0:40:14 > 0:40:15- Got to be happy, haven't you?- Yeah.
0:40:15 > 0:40:21- What are you going to put the money towards?- Well, it was going towards a motorbike for my husband.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- Was it?- Not for me! But it'll pay for a couple of helmets probably.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Of course it will, it'll go towards the cause, won't it?
0:40:26 > 0:40:28- Yes.- Well done.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38OK, it's my turn to be the expert now, and it's that gorgeous pearwood tea caddy
0:40:38 > 0:40:42and it belongs to Maureen here, and she's brought her husband along.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- Hi, Tony, is it? - Hello. That's correct.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47- This was your mum's, wasn't it? - That's right, yes, it was.
0:40:47 > 0:40:52So when Maureen got home from the valuation day, she said, "They've taken in the tea caddy."
0:40:52 > 0:40:57- She actually rang us on the mobile phone before she even got home anyway.- Very excited.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01£300-£500 we're looking at on an average day if this was
0:41:01 > 0:41:07in great condition, it needs a bit of TLC, but it'd be up there in the £800-£1,200 bracket, it's that good.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10- We'll see, with the defects, isn't it?- Have a chat to the auctioneer,
0:41:10 > 0:41:14he agrees with the valuation and he said there's been lots of interest, so that's good.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Fingers crossed. Good on your mum, she had a good eye.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19- Yes.- Excellent, yes.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Here we go.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24300, here we are, the pear-shaped
0:41:24 > 0:41:30tea caddy this time, lot number 300, and open the bidding at £300.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32- Straight in.- At £300...
0:41:32 > 0:41:36350, at £300... 350 bid, £400...
0:41:36 > 0:41:40£450, £500...
0:41:40 > 0:41:44£550, at £550 dead ahead, 600...
0:41:44 > 0:41:49650, 700... 750.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51800...
0:41:51 > 0:41:53850, 900...
0:41:53 > 0:41:56and 50, 1,000...
0:41:56 > 0:41:59and 50, 1,100...
0:41:59 > 0:42:03and 50, 1,200...
0:42:03 > 0:42:06- and 50.- They like it.- 1,300.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08- They like it.- And 50...
0:42:08 > 0:42:11- 1, 400.- Two got stuck in, they're bidding against each other.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14And 50, 1,500...
0:42:14 > 0:42:18and 50, 1,600...
0:42:18 > 0:42:23and 50, 1,700...
0:42:23 > 0:42:26and 50, 1,800...
0:42:26 > 0:42:31and 50, 1,900...
0:42:31 > 0:42:33you're out?
0:42:33 > 0:42:371,900... and 50, 2,000.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41- That's a lot of money.- 2,100...
0:42:41 > 0:42:462,200, 2,300... 2,400,
0:42:46 > 0:42:542,300 in front of me now, at 2,300. It's in the room at 2,300, all done.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58- £2,300! Put it there.- Amazing.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00- Yes.- Two people really wanted that,
0:43:00 > 0:43:04that's all you can say, and they bid each other right to the bitter end.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Yes, I never imagined that.
0:43:06 > 0:43:11Oh, gosh. Well, look, there's 15% commission to pay today.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14- All right.- But don't forget that's a lot of money to be going home with. - Very nice, isn't it?- Absolutely.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18- That's going to come in handy, isn't it?- Yes.- We haven't decided what for yet.
0:43:18 > 0:43:24You're shaking. I think Maureen's had the best day of her life here in the auction room in Darlington.
0:43:24 > 0:43:29- Thank you very much.- Good job she started out on a day out with her sister in Whitby, that's all it was.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31- Yes.- Thank you so much for coming in. - Thank you.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35And thank you so much for watching, we've had a cracking day here, I hope you've enjoyed the show.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38There's plenty more surprises to come next time on Flog It.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:49 > 0:43:51E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk