Bodmin Flog It!

This is St Petroc's Church in Cornwall and it's one of the largest churches in the county.

It's a Grade I listed building and it's big enough to fit the entire Flog It crew inside and

this massive crowd that have come to ask that all important question, which is...

ALL: What's it worth?

-And when you've found out, what are you going to do?

-Flog it!

Largely rebuilt in the 15th century, this church has its own treasure tale.

The relics of St Petroc were hidden during the Reformation and

they were only rediscovered here

over the porch of this parish church four centuries later.

That's quite incredible!

Our booty is likely to be much more modest and probably not as well hidden,

but on hand are experts Catherine Southon and Mark Stacey and we're hoping their eagle eyes

will uncover at least some surprises for us and our owners.

Well, it is now 9.30, it's time to open the doors and get this massive crowd inside.

As everyone takes to their seats, all that hunting in the queue has paid off.

Mark has managed to find something that looks perfectly at home in these surroundings.

-Hello, Margaret.

-Hello, Mark.

-Well, we're in a church, a wonderful church here in Bodmin.

-It is.

-And you've brought in something very appropriate.

Now, tell me where you got it from?

Well, it's been in our family for as long as I can remember,

but I think my grandmother, who was Portuguese but born in India...

-Oh, right.

-..must have brought it over when she came.

-Right.

-And it's just been there and when I moved into my own home, my mother said did I want it, so...

Well, it was quite interesting because as soon as I saw it

I thought it was a continental version of Mary,

-or as she is now wearing the crown Mary Queen of Heaven.

-Yeah.

I think it's a very Catholic-type figure.

You think of southern Europe for these type of figures where people are a lot more religious

and have a lot more shrines at home than we did in the United Kingdom.

And you've had it for how long now?

Well, getting on for 60 years I should say.

Well, I think it's probably 19th century, it's going back

to the 19th century, which I think is quite interesting.

These little religious artefacts can be quite collectable.

There is a little bit of damage on the circular base, but I think we've got this nice little gilt metal.

I don't think it's gold.

-No, nor do I.

-I think it's gilt-based metal.

-Yeah.

But she is beautifully carved through and I think somebody who's a specialist in this type of wares

would quite like it, either a collector or a specialist dealer and that's why I've chosen it.

-Plus, of course, it's quite nice to have something which fits in with the location so well.

-Yes, yes.

You've obviously had it a fair while.

Why have you decided to sell it with us today?

Well, we've always liked Flog It and when we saw it was in the area we thought what can I bring and

I've always been a bit interested in, you know,

its origins and I thought, well, let's see what they say, really.

Well, I think if we were putting it into auction, I would say maybe around £100 to £150.

I'm amazed at that, I really am.

-Really?

-I am, yes.

-Well, we'll put the reserve at £100, with a 10% discretion, if that's OK with you?

-Yeah, yeah.

I would hope that if two people liked it, we should get between the 100 and 150.

-I am amazed.

-But we'll guarantee it with a reserve of 90.

-Fine.

-So if it doesn't sell for that then you can take it back home and live with it.

-Yes.

-But I really hope it does well.

-Yeah. Thank you very much.

-We've showed the vicar and he quite liked it.

-He did like it. He even took a picture of it.

-Oh, did he?

-Yes, he did!

That could be divine intervention.

Maybe, who knows?

Angela, welcome to Flog It.

I love Teddy bears, so thank you very much for bringing along this beautiful example.

Tell me about him.

-Where did you get from?

-Well actually, he belonged to my husband.

I think he had it for his sort of second or third birthday, something like that.

-Fantastic, so he went everywhere with him.

-Yes.

-When he travelled, Teddy came too.

-Yes.

And he looks like he has been well loved. I can see here a little...

-A little bit of wear here.

-Yes.

Tell me, do you know anything about the history of the bear?

No, apart from the fact that I was told that he was a Farnell.

-Farnell.

-Yes.

-Right.

Well, I think he could well be a Farnell bear.

-Unfortunately there's no label or anything to tell us that.

-He had a label.

Ah yes, I can see, yeah. So it is quite possible

the label was here and it may have well have said Farnell.

Farnell were making bears from 1908 right up until the '60s.

Now this bear, I would probably date to about 1930s, so when was your husband born?

-1935.

-So, 1935. So that sort of ties in quite nicely. So, 1930s.

As I say, they were making from 1908 and Farnell was known

as the English Steiff, Steiff being the German make.

Farnell often adopted quite a lot of the Steiff characteristics,

this lovely pronounced snout here and the lovely nicely sewn nose.

He certainly is pre-war, 1930s, because pre-war bears often had these longer limbs.

After the war, we seen much shorter limbs and they start to get the sort of...

They lose the pronounced snout and they get the sort of flatter nose.

You can see here as well the lovely glass eyes.

I mean, the fact that he is very well travelled, I think he is actually in quite good condition.

-Quite often we see that these have been very well worn and sometimes they've been restitched.

-Yes.

But he seems to have all his original stitching and

it's that lovely colour, this lovely blonde colour which people often go for.

I've also noticed here he's got the lovely centre seam which is another feature

that we find with the Steiff bears.

I would probably like to say value wise, he...

I mean, bears unfortunately aren't making as good prices as they used to in, say, the '90s,

but value wise, I would probably like to see him still fetch between £100 to £150.

-How does that sound?

-Yeah, that would be fine. Yes.

I would like to see us put a reserve on of £90.

-Yeah.

-I don't think he should go for any less than that.

He's a lovely bear in great condition. We'll see what happens at the auction.

-Fingers crossed.

-Thank you, Angela. It's been lovely to meet you.

-Thank you very much.

Pat, thank you for popping in today.

And what do you think of our location?

-It is the largest parish church in...

-It's the largest parish church in Cornwall. Yeah.

-So you're local to Bodmin?

-I live in Bodmin.

-How long have you been in Cornwall?

-Since 1964.

-Is your house full of lovely things like this?

-I just like old things.

I don't mind if they're lovely or not or expensive or not.

As long as they're old. This is a lovely little sampler. It's absolutely divine.

What's the history to you?

Well, all I can tell you is I've known it all my life.

It was in my family home where I grew up, but the origin before that I honestly don't know.

Galloway sounds a Scottish name.

It does. It's not a Cornish one.

-My mother was Scottish, so I think maybe it came...

-Somewhere along the lines.

-Yes, some old cousin.

It's by Elizabeth Galloway and it was done in 1814. It's a shame that she hasn't put aged 11 or aged 13.

-I know.

-And this was a wonderful skill that was taught to young girls of the day.

The discipline in getting these stitches so right is an art form.

And this was taught to young girls by the seamstress of the house to teach needlework skills,

discipline and a way of educating and learning.

And to think that an eight to ten-year-old could sit down and do all this cross stitching and

get that in such a perfect straight line.

It's lost some of its chromatic hue.

-It's been in the sun somewhere, hasn't it?

-Well, yes.

Not with me. I've had it back to the window always, but when it's as old as that, I suppose over the years...

It's faded a bit, but otherwise it's fantastic.

It's got its house for symmetry. It's got its two trees.

Also, looking here, there's the initials...

I can't make out what that is but it's something G, and that one's AG, so that must be Elizabeth's parents.

Parents, I would think so. I'd think so.

-I have seen some that have come up in auction that were done by boys.

-Really?

They're extremely rare and when they do,

they fetch an awful lot of money, they're up in the thousands.

We can, we can sew, but we're just a bit lazy.

-Yes.

-I think our fingers are too fat.

But that's fantastic.

There's a couple of holes in there.

-Yeah.

-There's one or two up there I've just noticed.

-Yeah, I had noticed those.

-Also just there, look.

-Oh, yes.

There's two there.

But I've got to say, looking at the back...

Is it in a dreadful condition?

-It's... No, this is what the collectors like.

-Yeah.

A lot of textile dealers and interior designers and decorators will love this.

-They'll look at the back and they'll say, "That's never been touched or renewed."

-That's true.

-No.

-"That's just come from the wall of the house where it's sat for the last 100 years",

and that's what people will be buying into, the social history of this.

Especially if their name is Galloway or they know someone named Galloway, that's going to put the price up.

I think we could put this into the sale with a value of £250 to £350

-and I'd like to see it do that top end. Fixed reserve at £250.

-Yes.

-And hopefully we'll get 350 plus.

-That will be very nice indeed.

-I can't wait to see you at the auction.

-No, I can't wait to see you either.

-Roy.

-Hi.

-Welcome to Flog It.

-Nice to meet you.

And thank you for bringing along these three beautiful tortoiseshell boxes.

-Tell me a little bit about them. Where did you get them from?

-They came from my wife's mother

and I think they came from her mother.

But it seems a shame that we never really have anywhere to put them to display them that well, you know...

-So your wife remembered them as a child?

-Yeah, yeah.

See them in a glass cabinet, you know? Was not allowed to touch, you know?

Oh, absolutely. Well, I'm glad she didn't touch, because they are in absolutely perfect condition.

Let's just have a look at them.

First of all, we've got two lovely snuff boxes.

This one obviously slightly larger.

Gentleman would have put their snuff in here, taken...

Perhaps put it in their pocket, taken it out, take a little bit of snuff.

What I like about this is the colour of the tortoiseshell.

-It's beautiful, isn't it?

-It's that really beautiful colour here and it looks to be in pristine condition.

This obviously splits and cracks so easily, but in really lovely, lovely order.

And we've got four beautiful turned ivory finials here.

-And this one, I love the shape of this first of all.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

Oh, it's absolutely lovely.

Let's open this up.

And we can see a little thimble holder.

-Wonderful.

-Beautiful.

-So we've got ivory all around the edge there. I mean, date wise I'd say about 1830s on this.

-Right.

-So that probably coincides with your family.

-Yeah.

-Why is it...?

Why do you want to sell these?

Well, it seems a shame to be just tucked away.

I think somebody would appreciate them, you know, that collects that type of thing before they get to

-the point of central heating getting at them or something like that.

-Absolutely.

It is a material that does crack, it does damage quite easily.

Collectors will go for these because they are in superb condition and

the three of them work so nicely together.

Have you any idea on value of these?

I would have thought over £100, maybe two, but, I don't know. It depends.

And I know they are collectable and they are in good, you know, very good condition.

Mint condition, I would say. In perfect condition.

What I would do is put the three together because they do work together rather nicely,

probably put an estimate on of about 150 to 250.

I think we should fix the reserve at 150 because I wouldn't like to see these go any lower than that...

-No. I wouldn't either.

-But I would hope they would make more towards the top end of that because

they are some of the best snuff boxes I've seen for a long time.

-Lovely.

-And I... I love this!

People are going to go crazy for this. It's superb.

-I hope, I hope.

-I hope so, too, and I would like to see them make top estimate.

-Super.

-So 150, 250.

-Smashing. Deal.

-Are we going to flog them?

-Absolutely.

-Deal.

-Great.

-Thanks, Roy.

So now we have our first four items to sell off at auction and

first up, the 19th century statue of the Virgin Mary

brought in by Margaret, who was surprised by Mark's high valuation.

Angela's husband's Teddy and much loved toy by the looks of all those wear and tear marks.

This beautiful sampler that has hung on Pat's wall from as far back as she can remember.

And last, Roy's collection of tortoiseshell boxes that are in absolutely pristine condition.

I think we've found some real gems this morning, don't you?

And there could be one or two surprises, so watch out!

Right now, it's time to put those valuations to the test.

Let's make our way across to the saleroom.

And this is where our items are to be sold,

Jefferys Auction Rooms

down the road in the pretty town of Lostwithiel.

And it's a jampacked saleroom,

so auctioneer Ian Morris is in for a busy day.

Let's hope they're all here to bid on our items.

And first to find out is Angela with Teddy.

Now I wonder, will there be tears on this next lot because Ted is going

under the hammer and he belongs to Angela.

Oh, you've had Ted for, well, how many years? Since 1938?

-Well, it was my husband's.

-It was your husband's.

Well, me, I've only known Teddy since 1959.

-That's still a long time.

-Yeah.

-50 odd years.

-Yeah.

Did Ted have a name?

-No, he was just Ted.

-Ted, oh.

-Yeah.

-He is a lovely little bear, actually.

We've got 100 to £150 on him, a fixed reserve at 90, so he's not going cheap.

-And I noticed you brought in some photographs of Ted...

-Yes.

-..back in 1938.

-Yes.

-Wow, look at this!

That's lovely, isn't it? With his original owner on the third birthday.

Well, look, good luck, OK?

Ted's going under the hammer now.

-Here we go.

-It's the attractive beige Teddy bear there.

What shall I say? I've got three bids on the book, so...

-Oh, that's good!

-That's with me at £100.

At £100 for Teddy. 110. 120. 130.

140. 150.

160 and the bid is with me.

At 160. 170 now. At 160. 170 or not?

-Done at £160.

-Yes, we've done it!

-£160.

-Yes.

-The top end of the estimate. Well done.

-I'm very pleased with that.

At £40 now I'm bid. 45. £50.

55. £60.

65. At £65.

Good to see you again, Margaret. How far have you come today?

Just Wadebridge, up the road.

Oh, that's not bad, is it? We're just about to sell a statue of Mary.

-It's an ivory figure, possibly continental.

-I think so.

Yes. And we're looking at £100 to £150. This is it.

This is it.

It's the ivory statue of Our Lady.

Can I say £100? £50 I'm bid.

At 50. Five. 60. Five. 70?

70. Five. 80. Five. 90.

-Yes!

-Just.

We've got the... 90 is the reserve.

-Yes.

-I'll take five or not. Are we done? Then £90.

-The hammer's gone down. Just did it!

-On the reserve.

-Yes. Happy?

-That went well, yeah.

-Better than a tenner, isn't it?

Well... Amazed. I'm amazed to be honest.

45. £50. 55. £60. 65.

£70. 75. 75. The bid's at the back.

At £75. 80 or not? At 75. 80 or not?

Are we done? At 75.

It's my turn to be the expert and I've just been joined by Pat and

hopefully you're going home with lots of money.

Well, it would be nice.

I'd like to think on a good day in a packed saleroom, we could double the estimate on this sampler.

-That would be very, very nice.

-Here we go.

The fine Georgian colour dye needlework sampler at £200. Lot 751.

At £200 I'm bid. At 200.

-210. 220. 230. 240.

-It's not much.

250. 260. At 260. The bid's with me. 270 with two of you at the back.

280. 290. 300. At 310?

At £300 the bid's with me. 310 on the phone? At £300.

310. At 310 in the back there.

At 310. My bid's out.

Are we all done at £310?

Mid estimate. 310.

-It's OK though, isn't it?

-It's all right.

-It's OK. It could have been worse.

It ought to have been more.

-Yeah, I know,

-Never mind.

-But it could have been a lot less!

-Oh, it could! It could not have sold at all.

No, no. So there's commission to pay, don't forget.

-I realise that.

-What are you going to do with your money?

-It's going to the Cats Protection League.

-Oh, brilliant.

-My mum supports that, as well.

-Oh, good.

-That's where it's going.

-Thank you so much for coming in.

-Thank you.

-Brilliant.

80. 85. 90. At £90 to the left.

At £90. I'll take five or not.

At £90. Five or not? Are we done? At £90.

Next, we've got some tortoiseshell under the hammer.

Two snuff boxes and a thimble holder belonging to Roy.

We've got a group valuation of 150 to 250, put on by Catherine.

Love the detail, love the quality, nice and bright.

Why are you flogging these, Roy, because I would call these a keeper?

-And I think you would.

-They don't take up much space, do they?

-No, I was going to, but I've got a camper van...

-Right.

-..and the driveshaft fell apart.

-OK.

So, I'd rather be on holiday, than...

-Than looking at...

-Looking at those!

-Looking at snuff boxes!

-Fair enough!

Well, they are absolutely exquisite and I know that collectors will love them.

And here we go, Roy. Yeah, good luck.

Three tortoiseshell boxes.

Can I say £100, right in, quickly?

£100, I've got. At £100. 110. 120.

-130.

-Come on!

-140? 140.

150. 160?

-160. 170. 180?

-Well, they've gone.

180. 190? 190. 200.

-Yay!

-190 to my left. 200? 200. 210?

210. 220?

-220.

-Lovely.

-230? 230. 240? 240.

-This is good.

-250?

250. 260? 260. 270.

-280. 290? 290. 300? 300.

-They love these, don't they?

-Yes!

320, there, then. At 320 I'm bid. 340 or not?

Are we done? At £320.

-Brilliant result.

-Well done!

-£320.

-Fantastic!

-That will get the driveshaft?

-Absolutely.

-And the labour?

-And the labour.

-There you go, you're up and running.

And a whisky afterwards!

Is it 80? 80. 85.

That's the end of our first visit to the auction room today.

We had some sales, but no big surprises.

We are coming back later on, but before I go back to Bodmin to join up with our experts,

I'm going to check out a local craftsman, who is key to keeping

one of the county's oldest sporting traditions alive.

This small silver ball weighs about a pound and is about the size of a cricket ball.

Without it, the ancient game of Cornish hurling wouldn't happen.

It was made in this workshop and I'll talk to the man

who makes them, but first, I want to find out more

about this unique tradition.

Well, this is St Columb Major.

It may look like a quiet old Cornish town,

but twice a year, the windows and doors of all the shops and

the houses in the street get boarded over and the traffic comes to a grinding halt,

because an ancient battle takes place - one that's been fought since before records began.

TV COMMENTARY: Cornwall's beauty queen tossed the ball to the crowd.

It is made of apple wood.

Those who live within the town and those living on its outskirts.

Every Shrove Tuesday and the following Saturday week,

the whole town is given over to the sport of Cornish hurling.

Until the 19th century, the game was common all over Cornwall,

but this became the only place still brave enough to play it in its roughest and most traditional form.

Townsmen and countrymen are pitted against each other in a battle to win control over the silver ball.

There are no written rules, there are no referees and it can get really messy at times,

as keen hurler Colin Roberts is just about to explain.

Thanks for talking to us.

HE SPEAKS CORNISH

-Gosh!

-That's to say, welcome to the historic town of St Columb.

-Yes, in Cornish.

-Wow, you speak good Cornish.

A lot speak better than me and there's a lot more

eminent hurlers that have won the ball,

but they've asked me to do this and I'm very pleased to show your viewers a bit about St Columb.

-What's it all about and where does it start?

-It's about that.

That's the silver ball. You see the motto on there,

"Town and country do your best, for in this parish I must rest."

-So, where does it all start?

-Right here, in the Market Square.

The ball is called up over there, by the winner of the previous hurl.

At 4.30pm, it's thrown from the steps and that's the start of the game.

-Yeah.

-And it starts with a very big scrum.

-There will be hundreds of hurlers here.

-Just piling in?

Yeah, and then when that ball gets released it gets hurled

-up and down the town.

-And you all chase it?

Oh, yes, and you pass it between your teammates,

with a view to either, eventually getting it to one of the goals.

The town goal's a mile that way, the country's, a mile down that way.

Both involve a steep hill at the end.

-Ha-ha!

-Or it gets hurled

outside the town and gets taken outside the parish boundary,

which is between two a half and five miles, depending on your direction.

And if I was running to pick it up and someone was behind me -

let's say I was a townsman and they were countrymen -

-would they tackle me to get it off me?

-Yes.

-Is there body contact?

-That's exactly what would happen.

-It's quite rough?

-It can be.

That's why they board the windows and doors of the shops?

You don't want us to go through a window, which you would easily.

Is there an even number of townsmen and countrymen?

-No.

-Just who turns up?

-Whoever turns up.

-Do they wear kit to identify each other?

-No.

-We just know who they are.

-Ha-ha-ha!

I love it! Oh, I love it! Oh, crikey.

I'm going to come and watch one year, really.

Brilliant. We'd welcome you here.

I guess you have to stand out of the action, do you?

It would be like a raging bull moving up the High Street?

It's odd. We wouldn't recognise which team you were on, would we?

No, but I wouldn't want to play! No, I'll sort of stay at the back.

That would be all right, yeah.

Ready?

ALL: Yeah!

'The earliest written record of the sport was in 1602, but it's thought to have derived

'from an old pagan fertility rite, in which a silver ball was cast up in honour of the sun.

'It was with the coming of Christianity that it's believed Cornish hurling became a game.'

-What does this game mean to the town?

-Everything to St Columb.

Cornwall is itself a distinctive Celtic nation, we're very proud.

St Columb is right in the middle of it and this means everything to us

-and it'll never, ever stop in this town.

-Sounds good.

This is St Columb.

The all-important ball is crafted here in the workshop

of part time funeral director, Colin Rescorla.

How long have you been making the balls?

I've been making the ball since the early '90s.

So, tell me, how are they made, then?

-This is apple.

-Right.

-Apple's a beautiful timber to turn.

-Yeah, not a lot of knots.

-Not a lot of knots.

It is tough, it won't split, it holds nails and screws well.

-Yeah.

-And that is the reason.

-And it'll take all the shock?

-It takes it.

It's not always covered with this sort of silver.

-It could be covered with a thinner silver...

-Yeah.

-..like that.

-And that's the ball of 1906.

-Gosh, that was an old one.

And you can see there just how thin the silver is.

It's made in two? The silver's hand-beaten

-by hammer...

-Yeah.

-..in two sections.

-In two sections.

-And then you obviously hide the join with this ribbing or band?

-Is that right?

-Yes.

-I would imagine in days gone by,

would a carpenter have made the ball for you?

-The plumber?

-The wheelwright.

The wheelwright, in fact, made the ball, because he had the lathe.

He made the wood bit and the silversmith or watch jeweller,

he then beat the silver to put it around.

-Yeah, and the plumber...

-And the plumber...

-Put on with a soldering?

-Yeah.

Would put it together and solder it together.

-But now it's just you.

-It's just me.

I think you're doing a brilliant job, do you know that?

-And I think the quality of your work is fantastic.

-I enjoy it.

This is the ball for next Shrove Tuesday

and I've made the two halves,

I've put the band on.

-A slight change in tradition, now. What I've done...

-No screw holes.

No screw holes, but I've made special silver screws out of silver wire,

-which I've screwed in tight.

-Yeah. Then you cut off?

I shall cut it off.

Cut it off.

Rivet that one over, to form a head.

-Ah, like a Cornish boatbuilder would do?

-It's exactly the same skill.

On that copper rove, turn it over and hammer.

It's exactly the... It's exactly the same skill.

All I have to do now is a couple of hours polishing on this one.

And how long would one ball take you to make?

-This is about 20 hours, from the time...

-A lot of work, isn't it?

From the time the silver drops through the door,

there's about 20 hours work to get it up to the state where it can be hurled.

-I can see you are passionate about this.

-I enjoy it.

And the sons are going to take over?

-Oh, yes, the youngest boy.

-Yeah. Good for you.

Isn't that lovely?

-A bit of history going on, in your back garden!

-Yes, proud of it.

You must be a very proud Cornishman. And I'm proud to meet you, as well!

-Thank you so much for talking to me about this.

-You're welcome.

You've opened my eyes. I never knew this existed.

When you spend a bit of time here,

you can understand how important it is to keep this tradition well and truly alive,

not just for the people, but for the town itself.

And looking at the skill of the craftsmanship here,

you know it's going to be in safe hands for many years to come.

We're holding our valuation day in the heart of Cornwall,

at the incredible St Petroc's Church in Bodmin.

And there's still plenty more treasures left to unwrap.

Mark is delighted to have spotted this painting, by a celebrated local artist.

-Hello, Cecilia.

-Hello.

-Now, you can't come to Cornwall and not find a piece of Troika or a Fred Yates, I think.

-Perhaps not.

Now, tell us a little bit about it. Why have you got it?

Well, I knew Fred and he spent about,

I think, perhaps, ten years in Fowey, where I live.

And I didn't acquire the painting from Fred. I saw this at an auction

-about 30 years ago, perhaps, and it was for sale for £10.

-No!

I knew Fred sold his pictures for about £50 in those days.

I liked his paintings, so I bought it.

And I recognised the view, it's near where I live.

-So you snapped it up for a tenner?

-I did.

-Well done.

I mean, he's a funny artist, isn't he, because this is,

I think, an early work, as the colours are quite muted.

-Yes.

-I mean, I've seen a lot of his later work,

where the colours are really bright and vibrant and garish in some ways.

His watercolours are very, very bright.

So, they can... And they make quite a lot of money, those ones.

I mean, we have got a few problems.

It probably needs a good clean and an overhaul.

-There's a few weak patches, here and there.

-OK.

-But having said that,

-it's a nice big size.

-Yes.

It's typical of his rather heavy brushstroke style, isn't it?

Yes, I saw him paint. He would put loads on it.

I don't know how much paint he got through.

And then he'd paint with anything.

-He'd get a stick to make indentations.

-The little lines and...

-Yes, yes.

It's a good view and, of course, we're selling it locally,

so that should also enhance its appeal, I think.

-I mean, Fred Yates was born in 1922, he died in 2008.

-He did.

Of course, you know, sad though that is, it does reflect possibly an extra

-value to paintings, because no more are going to be produced.

-Exactly.

I've been looking at these and the paintings vary, honestly,

from a few hundred pounds up to, you know, several thousand pounds.

I think with this one, because it's not one of the vibrant ones,

because it's got a little bit of weakness,

-I would like to be cautious with it, you know?

-Mm-hm.

-I would probably suggest something like £800 to £1,200.

-OK.

Now, it wouldn't surprise me if it went over the £1,000 on the day,

but I think if we just show people that it's there to be sold.

-Are you happy for us to do that?

-OK.

What sort of reserve would you like on it?

-Shall I put £1,000 on it?

-Well, you...

Normally, if you're putting an est... a painting in at £800-£1200,

-the reserve has to be the low end of the estimate.

-Does it?

-So, it has to be around 800.

-Mmm.

If you want to put 1,000, then we'd put an estimate of 1,000 to 1,500, but I would...

I honestly would caution it a little bit.

I think it would attract people, at eight to 12.

Yes, on the other hand, you know, he's...

He's quite a a renowned artist now

-and I'd rather keep it, than not get £1,000 for it.

-Right.

-Shall we put the reserve at 900, then?

-Yes. Shall we comprise?

-We'll compromise.

-We'll meet halfway.

-Exactly.

-Absolutely.

That's a good target. Let's put...

Well, let's put the estimate at 1,000 to 1,500

-and then we'll put the reserve at 900.

-OK.

But, hopefully, you know, on the day we should get

-around 1,200, or more, for it.

-Well, it does depend, I know.

A good chance - a nice, honest painting.

-OK, then.

-You're happy with that?

-Let's go for it. Yes.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-Anthea, thank you for coming along to Flog It.

-That's a pleasure.

What have you got in your pouch?

I have got a little American compact.

That is absolutely beautiful.

I love it. I love the shape.

-Now, I have seen something similar to this before.

-Yeah.

Because I think they made these with the sort of lace glove on, as well.

-I did see those on the internet with the lace gloves.

-Exactly.

This is lovely, with the nail varnish.

-It is, yes.

-How pretty is that?

-Very elegant, isn't it?

-It is.

-Very 1940s.

-It is, yes.

Let's just have a look inside.

Has it got the original powder, because that's quite important?

-It has, yes.

-Wonderful.

Ah, and the name there - Veloute.

-So you've got the little sort of netting and gauze here...

-Yes...

They had loose powder in those days.

-Is it something you've ever used?

-No, no.

-Don't wear powder?

-Well, not really, no.

-Nobody really carries powder compacts these days,

-but in the...

-Yet they're lovely things.

-Absolutely.

In the 1940s, this was such an essential piece to have in the lady's handbag.

I'm just thinking about this and wondering if this is the original...

-I don't know whether it's original...

-The puff.

-I mean, it's the perfect shape, but the fact that it doesn't sort of fit.

-The bits fluff out, don't they?

-I mean, they do, they sort of overlap slightly.

-Yes.

I'm wondering if that is the original.

Nevertheless, it's in lovely condition

and I think what is really nice, as well, is that you've got

-the original...

-Case, yes.

-Pouch.

I think... I'm saying it's the original,

because it's in the same shape and often you can see

-where the pouch has actually got the shape of the hand there.

-Yes.

Lovely. This is all in lovely condition, as well.

-A slight chip there...

-Yes.

-..to the nail varnish

and a little bit of wear there.

-Yeah.

-But overall, really in very nice condition.

-For something 60 years old...

-We can expect that, can't we?

-You know.

-Well, 60 years plus.

It could be 60 years plus, couldn't it?

I would say, probably, early 1940s.

-Yes.

-So, as it's not something that you would use, how did you actually come about this?

-It was given to me by a family friend.

-Right, OK.

-And somebody who used it themselves?

-Yes. Yes.

They would have used it, definitely.

-Now, compacts are collectable.

-Yes.

People like to have a novelty piece,

-something slightly unusual and certainly that has the novelty value.

-Yes.

I would probably like to say, conservatively,

-I'd put an estimate on of around £80 to £120 on this.

-Yes.

-I'd probably suggest putting a reserve on of about £70.

-Yes.

But I could see collectors going for something like this

and would hope that it would make about £100.

-Oh, that would be lovely.

-Are you happy to flog it?

-Yes.

-Let's flog it.

Hello, Christine.

-Good afternoon.

-I'm charmed to meet you.

And you've brought a lovely, charming little object in.

Has it been in your family long?

No, I've had it for about 26 years, hidden away in a cupboard.

It was left to me by an elderly friend and I haven't thought any

more about it until recently and wondered if it was any value.

So, you saw that we were coming here today and you thought you'd

-wander in with a few items and let us have a look.

-That's right.

Wonderful. I'm so glad you did, because actually it's quite an exciting little carriage timepiece.

-Is it?

-Yes, it's got a very typical French movement,

but it's encased in this wonderful exuberant case,

-which is hallmarked silver...

-It is silver?

-..for London 1915.

-Right.

-And you...

Can you imagine at the time we were just starting the Great War?

-Yes.

-1914. But still, in the fashionable houses of London

and the rest of the country, when you went to stay with friends,

you packed up your own little bedroom timepieces.

-Ladies would have these to take with them...

-Oh, right.

And they would have them in their rooms, so you'd take the possessions with you.

I love that we've got all these scrolls here and little

-floral swags and things.

-It's pretty, isn't it?

It's a beautiful little thing. Raised on these lovely little feet.

-There's a little dent here or there, but I think, you know, considering it's nearly 100 years old...

-Quite.

I think we can forgive that. I've got a few dents and I'm nowhere near 100 yet.

I love these little things and they're very popular at auction now.

I mean, sometimes they're very plain or sometimes you can have them with enamelling on them.

It's very much a Victorian style, before the Art Deco period,

-when things became a lot more angular.

-Right.

And we're just after the Art Nouveaux period, where things were much more organic.

But I'm loving it. What do you think the value might be?

No idea, really.

I think if we put it into auction, say at £120 to £180.

-Right.

-And maybe put the reserve at 100, but I think it'll probably make a bit more than that.

-Would you be happy if we did that?

-Yes, fine.

If we got a good price, would you do anything in particular with the money?

Yes, I would give it to ShelterBox.

-To?

-ShelterBox? Which is a charity that was set up in Helston

by the Rotary Club and these ShelterBoxes go all over the world,

-where there have been terrible disasters...

-Oh, wonderful.

-It holds everything that would help a family in distress...

-Oh, wonderful.

-..that have lost their homes.

-What a lovely idea.

-I hope that it makes good money.

-We'll keep our fingers crossed.

-Lovely to meet you, Christine. Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

So, there we have it, our remaining three lots for auction.

Cecilia spotted a great bargain, when she snapped up this Fred Yates painting at auction.

But will she get the kind of return she's hoping for?

This unusual American compact, given to Anthea by a family friend.

And, finally, Christine's elegant little timepiece.

We've brought our items here, to Jefferys Auctions in Lostwithiel.

It's a small, but popular, auction room and today is no exception. It's heaving!

But before the sale got underway, I was able to have a chat

with auctioneer, Ian Morris, about Cecilia's painting.

Fred Yates. You're a Cornishman, you've got to like this,

because Fred was a local boy. Sadly, he's passed away now.

We've got a valuation of £1,000 to £1,500 on this, with a fixed reserve of 900.

That, if it came to the saleroom, is the kind of area I would like it to be in.

-Now, unfortunately, I spoke to Cecilia since...

-Yeah.

-Maybe wished not to sell it and...

-She's put the reserve up?

-Put the reserve up.

-To what?

-To £2,200.

-Oh.

-That's a lot. That's a big jump isn't it?

-Yeah.

She lives in Fowey, it's a Fowey scene. It would be hard to replace.

Erm...I think, because it's a local view, because it's a local artist,

we've got an outside chance, but it will take a lot of selling.

It sounds like it's going to struggle, doesn't it, really?

-2,200...

-Yeah.

-..is a lot of money. It's a lot of money.

It is. Since his demise, obviously,

his work has increased steadily and

we see a number of his works now making 1,500 to 2,500. Let's hope it's a good day.

I hope so. You never know, there could be a lot of local interest in it, something somebody wants.

Somebody like Cecilia may have that view.

Fowey is a good area and there is money around and if people would like the view and like the artist

it would probably be no problem to them.

-OK. Good luck.

-I think I'll need it for that one!

Well, we'll find out whether she was right later, but now it's time to auction off our first lot.

However, there is a little problem.

I'm getting a bit worried, because next up we've got Christine.

Her little Edwardian travelling clock is going,

but unless she walks in right now, she's going to miss this.

We do have Mark Stacey, our expert, here who's put a value of what, about 150 to 180 on this?

Absolutely. A pretty little thing.

It's a shame she's not here. I'm sure it's going to make that estimate, if not a little bit more,

because it's a nice, honest little object.

A lot of silver here, so fingers crossed,

this is going to fly out of the room.

Lot 702, there. It's the silver-cased clock

with foliate decoration.

Can I say £100 away? £100? £80 away?

£50, I'm bid. At 50. 60. 70.

-At £70, I'm bid.

-Come on, it should be a bit more than that!

-At £70.

-Come on.

-At 80. 90.

Is it 100? At £100, the bid's to my left. 110.

110. 120. 130.

140. At 140, there.

-Oh, that's all right, 140.

-£140.

Mid-estimate, well done. Christine will be pleased.

Just when we thought we'd have to break the news to her by phone...

Christine.

-Hello.

-Here she is. Where were you? You've missed your lot.

Oh, I was a little bit late.

I went up to the daughter's, just to have a rest.

-Does she live up the road?

-Yes, not far away.

-Do you want the good news?

-Yes, please.

-Go on, tell her, Mark.

-£140.

Oh, that's very good. And that's going to ShelterBox, as well.

-Wonderful. Well done.

-It's a very good charity.

-Well done.

75. At 75. The bid's at the back there.

At 75. 80 now? At £75.

Right now, something for the girls.

It's the lovely American compact.

It belongs to Anthea and I know you zoomed in on this at the valuation day.

I did, I did. It is right up my street.

You'd like to own that.

How long have you had the compact?

Probably about 15 years or so.

And where's it been? Just...

-In a drawer.

-In a drawer.

-Criminal!

-It is, isn't it?

-I know.

-It is, yes.

-But then that's why it's in that lovely condition.

-It is, yes.

It's going to go today, isn't it? It's a real collectable. Here we go.

The USA compact there in the form of a lady's hand.

-Can I say £80 away? £50 away?

-Come on, where are the ladies?

At £40 I'm bid.

I'll take five to get on. At £40 I'm bid. 45. £50. 55.

£60. 65. £70. At £70 seated.

At £70 the bid. I'll take five.

-Oh, come on, a bit more.

-At £70 then seated. At £70.

-Oh, well, it made its money, reserve.

-Yeah.

-Just on the reserve.

-Yeah.

I thought it'd make more cos of the condition, but...

-Yeah.

-There you go.

-You never know.

-It's gone.

-It's gone.

It's out of the drawer and it's gone.

Yes.

660. 680.

700. 720. 750. 780. 800.

820. 850. 880. 900.

At £900.

One of my favourite artists, Fred Yates, that's on the bill now

and lots of local Cornish interest I would imagine, Cecilia.

-Yes.

-Now, we had a valuation put on by Mark, our expert, of about 1,000 to 1,500.

-That's right, Paul.

-That's right, isn't it?

-But I know since the valuation day you've had a chat to Ian, the auctioneer.

-I have.

-You rang him up...

-Yes.

-And you've now put...

-Two and a half.

-..the reserve up...

-Yes.

-..to 2,200.

-2,200, yes.

Right, did you think we undervalued it slightly?

-I did.

-Hopefully, you can prove us wrong and we can go home with our...

I'm not unhappy to take it home.

I gathered that. You've protected it with a fixed reserve.

We need 2,200 right now before this painting leaves the room.

Let's find out who wants it, shall we?

Fred Yates, signed oil on canvas there.

Can I say £1,000 to start?

At £1,000. I'll take 1,100 now. At £1,000. At 1,000.

1,100. 1,200. 1,300.

1,400. 1,500.

1,600. 1,600 with me.

At 1,600. 17 now. At 1,600.

1,700. At 1,700. At 1,700.

My bid's out on the book at 1,700. 1,800.

At 1,800. 1,900. 2,000?

2,000.

At 21. 22? 22. 23? At £2,200.

You were right!

At 2,200. 23 or not?

-Cecilia!

-£2,200.

2,200 you were right.

Lots of local interest, that's what it's all about, isn't it?

Well, there we are. You see...

-Mr Meanie!

-No!

-No, I was with you, I agreed with you.

But also I think we would have got that anyway...

-Yes, of course.

-With an estimate of 1,000 to 1,500.

-Yeah.

-But I do understand from the vendor's point of view you have to satisfy your own...

-Interest and your curiosity.

-Absolutely.

-Protect your goods.

-Absolutely.

That's what it's all about and you've done that!

There's commission to pay, but what will you put the money towards?

I'll probably go and have a good time. Monte Carlo, perhaps?

-Would you?

-Maybe I'll make lots of money!

-Oh, wow! We've had a great time here.

I hope you've enjoyed watching the show, as well.

Sadly, this is it from Lostwithiel in Cornwall.

Until the next time, see you soon.

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