0:00:04 > 0:00:07This Worcestershire town is the birthplace of a man who came up
0:00:07 > 0:00:11with one of the nation's greatest inventions - the postage stamp.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Today, Flog It is in Kidderminster.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive stamp
0:00:43 > 0:00:46and it was introduced in 1840, as a result of reforms
0:00:46 > 0:00:48by Sir Rowland Hill,
0:00:48 > 0:00:54to create an affordable standardised way of posting a letter from A to B.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58It was the birth of the modern postal system as we know it.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04And his statue stands right at the heart
0:01:04 > 0:01:06of the busy town of Kidderminster,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08right in front of the town hall,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10which is the venue for today's valuations.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14And looking to put their stamp on today's programme are our experts,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Philip Serrell and Kate Bliss, and judging by this crowd,
0:01:17 > 0:01:21they're bound to find plenty to write home about.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24So let's get them inside, and get the parcels unpacked.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Coming up, Maureen is keen to sell her husband's gold fob.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32I think it's a load of junk.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36- You think it's a load of junk? - That's what I says to him, "What do you want that for?"
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Philip has found a mug that tickles his taste buds.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42If ever an artist is flavour of the month,
0:01:42 > 0:01:46it's Dame Laura Knight, and I think it's a real collector's piece.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48- That's where our money is.- Yes.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51I meet Stan, whose autograph book could be music to the ears.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56You've three names here which any pop memorabilia fanatics would love
0:01:56 > 0:02:01to get their hands on, and now you're thinking of selling them.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05And Annalise thinks it's time to move on her Troika vase.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07I take it you don't particularly like it?
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Well, I do like it, and I do have an interest in ceramics,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13but if I'm going to keep it in the cupboard that long
0:02:13 > 0:02:16I might as well see whether it's worth selling.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20With a packed hall we've got dozens of items to get through today,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and keen to catch the first post,
0:02:22 > 0:02:27Kate's immediately intrigued by an item she spotted in the queue.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32Maureen, you've produced a little black box, and I'm dying to see inside. What have you got?
0:02:32 > 0:02:33It's my husband's.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35- Mm-hm.- It's a little fob.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38- Ah, I see, and not the right box for it, is it?- No.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40- Did you just pop it in this box to bring it here?- Yes.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Well, let's put the box aside and have a look at this,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45cos this is much more interesting.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48So it's your husband's, where did he get it from?
0:02:48 > 0:02:51He brought it second hand from the jewellers. It's a load of junk.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55- You think it's a load of junk? - That's what I said, "What do you want that for?"
0:02:55 > 0:02:57So why did your husband like it?
0:02:57 > 0:03:02He just likes unusual things, he's always picking little bits up
0:03:02 > 0:03:06and then he gets fed up and throws them in a drawer and then goes off and resells them
0:03:06 > 0:03:08to the jeweller,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10and says, "How much will you give me that on something else?"
0:03:10 > 0:03:12So he likes a bit of buying and selling?
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Mm-hmm. Never makes a profit though!
0:03:15 > 0:03:17- Oh, well that's no good!- No.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21So why have you rescued this from him then?
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Well, I watch the programme every day
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and I thought, "I'm going to watch it being made."
0:03:28 > 0:03:31So he says, "Take my little fob with you."
0:03:31 > 0:03:34I says, "No, it's a load of junk, I'm not taking that,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36"they'll laugh at me." So I was surprised...
0:03:36 > 0:03:38- When I pounced on it!- Yeah!
0:03:38 > 0:03:43This is a sweet thing because not only have we a little compass
0:03:43 > 0:03:47built into the fob, but if you turn it over,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50on this side you've got what's known as a rock crystal,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- sometimes they're called Essex crystals.- Oh, right.
0:03:53 > 0:04:00And what we have here is a little cabochon, which is a domed piece
0:04:00 > 0:04:05of rock crystal, and on the flat side it's been carved
0:04:05 > 0:04:08with a little image in what we call intaglio,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11so it's carved into the rock crystal.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- Oh, right! I wondered how that got in there.- That's right.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18So the image is this horse, with rider, galloping over the fence,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20a racing horse, beautifully captured,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24and then once that has been carved out in minute detail
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- it's then been hand-painted. - Oh, right.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30To produce all the different colours, and the detail of the picture.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35Now once the image was carved out and painted, the flat side was covered
0:04:35 > 0:04:38with a very thin slice of mother of pearl, sometimes gold,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42- but usually mother of pearl, which gives it that lovely sheen.- Yes.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Do you see, when you look at it?
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- Now the actual rock crystal itself is slightly damaged.- Right.
0:04:47 > 0:04:53- Which makes the image look a little bit blurred and unclear, can you see that?- It looks smoky, doesn't it?
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- It does a bit. But you can see why it lends itself to carving.- Yeah.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00And depicting things like this. This would have been worn on a chain,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03it probably would have jangled around with other objects,
0:05:03 > 0:05:04or it would have got worn.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09- Yes.- It's also set in nine-carat gold, which is marked here,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and also dated for 1892.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14So that tells me that it's a Victorian piece.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18So what did he pay Maureen? Let's come to the important question.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Well, he wanted £100, but being my husband he wouldn't pay it,
0:05:21 > 0:05:22so he got it for £75.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Well, I don't think that's too bad, to be honest with you.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26Won't pay full price for anything.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31At auction today I'm going to be a little bit conservative about this,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34because of the slight damage to the rock crystal,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36so I'm going to put it at £60 to £80.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- Right.- I hope that it would make a little bit more than that,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42in fact it might well make towards the £100,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45which is what the jeweller originally asked
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- but I think that damage will maybe put off a few collectors.- Yeah.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50But still I think it would be nice
0:05:50 > 0:05:54if he could make a profit for once, wouldn't it?
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Yeah, for once. I shall be very surprised if he does.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Well, are you happy to sell it at that?
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Yes, yes, no problem.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03Well, I think if we said £60 to £80.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08- Yeah, yeah.- We'll put a reserve at £60, which I think it should reach
0:06:08 > 0:06:14no problem at all, and hope that it surpasses that, and you've got a nice surprise for him. What do you think?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Right, OK then, thank you, yeah.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25- Sally, how are you my love, all right?- Fine, thank you.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- How long have you owned these? - About ten years.- Why?
0:06:28 > 0:06:33My uncle died about ten years ago, and when we cleared the house those three were in, so...
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- Did you like them?- I do like them, very much.- What appeals to you?
0:06:36 > 0:06:38The pattern on that one is really nice,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40and that one, because it's so old.
0:06:40 > 0:06:47- I vowed never, ever, ever to do this commemorative ware on Flog It. - Oh, right.- Never ever ever.- Why?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50- I don't really like them, they don't have great value.- No.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- They're just mass-produced little trinkets really.- Right.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57But having said that, there's a reason why I've done these,
0:06:57 > 0:07:01- and what I think's lovely is that this one is Edward VIII.- Yes.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04May the 12th 1937, he never made it.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08- No.- But what's fun is that on the back it's got "Long may he reign".
0:07:08 > 0:07:12- I think it's a bit of a Freudian slip there, isn't it?- It is really, yes.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15And, you know, this was produced in Radford's in Stoke,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- and people think this stuff is valuable...- Yes.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22- ..because Edward VIII never went to the throne.- That's what I thought.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25- But of course it's the next one that's valuable.- Oh, right.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Cos no-one knew that he wasn't going to make it, so they still produced tons of it,
0:07:29 > 0:07:34but they only had about six months to get ready for the next lot, the Queen's father, George.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36so his commemorative ware is, in a way, more collectable.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40I'm going to sell these as one lot, and this one appeals to me, as I say,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43because it's King Edward VIII, and "Long may he reign",
0:07:43 > 0:07:45that appeals to my sense of humour.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- Yes.- This one I think is terrific. VR as you know is Victoria.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50- Victoria.- It is 1897.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Now she came to the throne in 1837,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57so this was the 60th anniversary of her ascension to the throne.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02- Oh, I see.- And what I love about this one is we've got Victoria, Queen and Empress.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05- Yes.- Cos in those days we had the British Empire, didn't we?
0:08:05 > 0:08:08And this one here, and I love this one,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10again this is for Edward VIII,
0:08:10 > 0:08:18- but a great visitor to Malvern in the '30s era was Dame Laura Knight.- Yes.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21And if ever an artist is flavour of the month at the moment
0:08:21 > 0:08:24it's Dame Laura Knight, and we've got the unicorn there.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- That's right.- And on the bottom we can see that this is designed
0:08:28 > 0:08:30and modelled by Dame Laura Knight.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34So I'm going to suggest that you put an estimate on these of £20 to £40.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- Right. - And we'll put a fixed reserve of £15.
0:08:37 > 0:08:44- Yes.- I have seen this mug alone priced at between £40 and £60.- Right.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48And it's a real collectors' piece, and that's where our money is.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50- Yes.- So it's buy one...
0:08:50 > 0:08:53- Get two free. - Get two free, you've got it in one.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56- Why do you want to sell?- They've been in the cupboard for ten years,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58I don't ever look at them,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01so I think somebody might get some enjoyment out of them.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- So you inherited them ten years ago and now it's time to go?- Time to go.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- Well, let's hope they'll do well for you.- I hope so!
0:09:10 > 0:09:12I couldn't resist this autograph book,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16which contained some truly top of the bill signatures.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Stan, I envy you.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- Do you?- I really do.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22You've actually seen The Beatles.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24What were they like, and where did you see them?
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Birmingham Town Hall in June 1963.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31They were on a pop concert alongside the Rolling Stones,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34it was a double bill, which was incredible when you think about it.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36- Did you work there? - I worked as a steward.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40It wasn't my job, we weren't paid for it, we just got complementary tickets.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43So I had a chance to go backstage and talk to quite a few people,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47and I was able to nip into the dressing rooms and get them to sign.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Wow, wow! What was it like meeting all four Beatles?
0:09:50 > 0:09:52I bet you didn't know what to say, did you?
0:09:52 > 0:09:56I didn't have a lot of time cos there were two houses and as soon
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- as you got rid of the one house you had to pack the next lot in.- Right.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Were you lost for words? I would be!
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I suppose I was, in a way, yes.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06They were just a bunch of young lads, you know, and the Stones,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09the Stones weren't quite so approachable for some reason,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12but the Beatles were very friendly, and...
0:10:12 > 0:10:15You were either a Stones or a Beatles fan, which were you?
0:10:15 > 0:10:17More of a Beatles person.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21And of course you've mentioned the Rolling Stones, and on the same bill
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- you were able to nab... - Yes, all five, yes.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28..their autographs as well, and this was with Brian Jones in the band, in the early days.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Roy Orbison's in there, he was a sort of a strange character, but...
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- Was he on the same bill? - No, he came later on.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41You've got three names here which any pop memorabilia fanatics
0:10:41 > 0:10:43would love to get their hands on.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47- And now you're thinking of selling them.- I am, yes.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51- There's a few other autographs in here.- Mainly jazz musicians as well,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Acker Bilk, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Springfields, quite a few.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59But it's those three big names really, The Beatles, Roy Orbison,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03the Big O, and of course you've got all the Rolling Stones.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07I think this little autograph book is worth around £3,000 to £4,000.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11- I hope so.- We've seen the Beatles' autographs before on the show
0:11:11 > 0:11:14and they've always managed to do around £2,000,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16so that's a good price guide for The Beatles.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18And the Rolling Stones,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21as a complete set, normally fetch around £800 to £1,200.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23And I would imagine Roy Orbison
0:11:23 > 0:11:27would be worth in the region of £80 to £120 as well.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32I'd like to put this to auction with a valuation of £2,500 to £3,500.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Yes.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37With a fixed reserve at £2,500. How do you feel about that?
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Yes, I'll go with that.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42If we get that top end, what will you do with the money?
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Well, I'm a philatelist, I collect stamps. I also run a stamp auction.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50- Oh, right, oh, OK.- So I'd possibly buy some decent stamps.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- A Penny Black or two. - I've got one or two of those.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Have you? They've gone down in value, haven't they?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58As an investment, and maybe make a bit more money on top.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Oh, good for you. Quality always sells, doesn't it?
0:12:01 > 0:12:05And that's why this little book of autographs is definitely going to sell.
0:12:05 > 0:12:06- Hopefully.- Yeah.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Annalisa, this is obviously a very distinctive form of pottery,
0:12:15 > 0:12:16where did you buy it?
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Actually this piece was in my father's house
0:12:19 > 0:12:22when I was clearing it out, and my sisters didn't want it,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26so I took it home and it's been in my cupboard ever since.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31- So I take it you don't particularly like it then?- Well, I do like it, I do have an interest in ceramics,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33I went on a ceramic course,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36but if I'm going to keep it in the cupboard that long
0:12:36 > 0:12:38I might as well bring it here for a valuation
0:12:38 > 0:12:40- and see whether it's worth selling.- OK.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- What do you know about Troika pottery? That's exactly what we've got.- Yes.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49Not a vast deal really, apart from obviously being handmade,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52I like the piece cos it is quite tactile
0:12:52 > 0:12:54and it's still modern today, really.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57It is, absolutely, yeah.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- Yeah.- Well, this is not a rare piece of Troika,
0:13:00 > 0:13:05in fact this coffin shape is quite a usual form that the factory produced.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09It all comes down to three men who got together,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12named Illsley, Sirota and Thomson.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15And Illsley in particular had a background as a sculptor,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18together they bought what was called the Wells Pottery,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22in St Ives in Cornwall, and they renamed it the Troika Factory.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25And instead of just producing tiles,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29which is what the Wells Pottery had done, they started making vases
0:13:29 > 0:13:35and decorative objects, and really exploring techniques in texture,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38and in the type of glazes that they used.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42And the Troika Factory actually opened in 1963, and some of the more
0:13:42 > 0:13:48avant garde techniques they used were such things as melted broken glass,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50or emulsion paints.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53They took their inspiration from the landscapes around St Ives,
0:13:53 > 0:13:59but also the Swiss artist Paul Klee was a huge influence, and his works.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03And I think what you can see here are motifs that we see on Troika pottery.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07- Yes, yes.- From the '60s through to the early part of the 1980s,
0:14:07 > 0:14:08before the factory closed.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12But the thing I like about Troika is that some of the motifs you see
0:14:12 > 0:14:16- could almost be a shape or a very recognised design.- Yes.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20That almost looks like a fish, that almost looks like a mask,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24- and you can look at it and take your own version of it.- Yes, you can.
0:14:24 > 0:14:25Now if we look on the bottom,
0:14:25 > 0:14:29most Troika was marked, and we see here the distinctive name there,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32but we also see a monogram, who was the modeller or designer,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and this one is an H and a J, for Holly Jackson.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39And that also dates it to between 1977 and '78.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42So what's it worth, Annalisa?
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I was given a quote of £60 to £80.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Right, well I think that is pretty much spot on.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52You might make a little bit more at auction if two people really want it,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56but I think that's a realistic auction estimate for today.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58- Yes, that would be nice.- Yes.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05So now we have four lots ready to go under the hammer.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08There's the gold fob compass,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11so let's hope the bids go north when it reaches the sale.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Will the bidders see a bargain and potential
0:15:15 > 0:15:17in Sylvia's commemorative mugs?
0:15:17 > 0:15:22- That's where our money is.- Yes. - So it's buy one...- Get two free.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24You've got it in one!
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Next there's Stan's autograph book.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Roy Orbision,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33three big A-listers are bound to attract a lot of attention.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38And lastly we have the firm favourite, Annalisa's Troika vase.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Today's auction comes from Fielding's Auctioneers in Stourbridge.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48The sale is already underway, so let's see how the first item fares.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Well, now's your chance to buy a bit of Dame Laura Knight
0:15:51 > 0:15:53for just £20 or £30. What's the deal?
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Well, the three commemorative mugs, and they belong to Sally.
0:15:57 > 0:15:58Now, a lovely lot.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02- For me, Paul, the one that stands out is the Laura Knight mug.- Yes.
0:16:02 > 0:16:03Cos she's such an icon.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Her work is so collectable at the moment, you can go to an antique fair
0:16:07 > 0:16:10and see those at £65, so we have hopes.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Why are we selling them, because they were in a cupboard?
0:16:13 > 0:16:17- They're in a cupboard I'm afraid, yes.- For ten years I gather.- Yes!
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- Well, they're going to find a new home, for sure.- I hope so.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21Here we go, Sally.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25The coronation mug, and the Dame Laura Knight example, three in the lot.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Where do we see the nice coronation ware, £15 for it all? £15 anywhere?
0:16:29 > 0:16:31No interest at £15?
0:16:31 > 0:16:35£15, I've got you, £18 anywhere else, £15, and £18, and £20,
0:16:35 > 0:16:40and £25, £28, and £30, and two, £35, £38, and £40, and two.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- Yes! - So that's no, and thank you madam.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45£40, the gentleman's bid at £40,
0:16:45 > 0:16:46are we all sure?
0:16:46 > 0:16:48The coronation ware at £40, all done.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Top end, well done Philip, £40 for you Sally.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55- Yes, good.- There is commission to pay, don't forget.- I know that, yes.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Any other things you're going to get out of the cupboard?
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Yes, quite a few things I'd bring.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03You're going to bring them along to another Flog It?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- Find a bit more by Laura Knight!- Yes. - Bring us a painting next time!
0:17:06 > 0:17:09I haven't got any paintings I'm afraid, not any good ones!
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I think the paintings would be a keeper.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Well, I hope Nick the auctioneer is going to do a proper job
0:17:20 > 0:17:24on our next lot, and there's a clue to what's going under the hammer,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26a bit of Cornish Troika, and it belongs to Annalisa here,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and it got a valuation by Kate of about £60 to £80.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31I like this, Holly Jackson, it's nice,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35so fingers crossed it's been picked up, it's been handled
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- and viewed, and people want to go home with it.- Yes, exactly.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39We'll find out right now.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Nice little bit of Troika again, Holly Jackson example.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45There are bids and interest again,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47popular thing here, and we open at £90 I believe.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49- Yes!- Oh, wow!- That's good.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54At £90, do I see five bid in the room anywhere? £95, £100.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57You're out, £95 in the room standing, £100 anywhere else?
0:17:57 > 0:17:58£100 - I've got you.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01£110, £120, £130...
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- This is it, this is good! - Yeah, it's really good!
0:18:05 > 0:18:06£120, £130 anywhere else?
0:18:06 > 0:18:11At £120 for the Troika, all done then at £120, all done?
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Yes! Well, done, top end of the estimate at £120.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19You could say that was a proper job, Cornish pottery sells well anywhere!
0:18:19 > 0:18:22I think that's a great price, must be your lucky day.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23Yes, I'm really pleased.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33I've been waiting for this moment, I've just been joined by Stan,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35we've got the autograph collection, not just The Beatles,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38the Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison and a few others.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39One or two others, yeah.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Been in a drawer for 47 years nearly.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45We'll find out exactly what it's worth now.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49The Beatles autographs with Roy Orbison and the Rolling Stones.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53These were consigned by the man who was actually a steward
0:18:53 > 0:18:55at the Town Hall in 1963.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Can I open this one just below estimate at £2,400,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00anybody coming in at £2,400?
0:19:00 > 0:19:03- And they're bringing a couple of phones now.- £2,400, £2,400 or not?
0:19:03 > 0:19:08- £2,450, £2,450. £2,500...- Come on!
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Says no, I'll go to Clare then, £2,500, would you like to bid?
0:19:11 > 0:19:13£2,550.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18- This is a tense moment, isn't it? - It is indeed!- £2,600. Clare?
0:19:18 > 0:19:22It's two phones, that's why it's taking such a long time.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Can't actually see what's going on.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25£2,800.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Says no, at £2,700 on Adrianne's phone, at £2,700.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Last chance in the room at £2,800, we all done at £2,700?
0:19:38 > 0:19:40- Hammer's gone down. We've sold at £2,700.- That's OK.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43- We'll settle for that, won't we? - Thank you very much.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Gosh, that was a big moment, wasn't it?
0:19:45 > 0:19:48You were really frightened, you were adamant, £2,500 reserve.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51That auctioneer wasn't too optimistic when I spoke to him,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55but with the telephone bids, I thought he wouldn't have sold in the room.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57- It's gone.- It's gone.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Well, time is definitely up to put that nine carat gold fob and compass
0:20:06 > 0:20:10under the hammer, we've got that, but we don't have its owner Maureen.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12But we do have Sally, Maureen's daughter.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15- I know mum's on holiday, isn't she?- Yes, in Benidorm.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18- She told us at the valuation day. - She did. Is she having a nice time?
0:20:18 > 0:20:23- Yes.- Hang on! She's still there? That means she's been there for four or five weeks!
0:20:23 > 0:20:25About five weeks, yeah. She comes back today.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- But the weather's not been very good to them.- Oh!
0:20:28 > 0:20:30That's a shame. But has she had a good time?
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Yes. She's had a very good time.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- Right.- She's very disappointed she's not here today.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- Oh, you can tell her the good news hopefully, straight away.- I can.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41- Or are you going to let her watch the show?- I am, yes.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43I like it. Give her a surprise.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- That'll be fabulous.- Hi, Maureen! Here we are!
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Well, it's a good time to sell gold, precious metals are right up,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53people are investing in that, so I hope they're here today. Here we go.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56The lovely Essex crystal, detail of a horse rider,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00the little fob, nice example, this one, and I'm going to open this
0:21:00 > 0:21:01at £50, and I look for five in the room.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04£55, £60, and five, £65 it's with you sir.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07£70, the lady, and five, £80, and five,
0:21:07 > 0:21:11£90, and five, £100, £110, £120?
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- £120.- They love it! They love it.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15£130 standing, £140 anywhere else?
0:21:15 > 0:21:21At £130 for the fob, are we all sure and done? At £130, all done.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23They loved that, Kate!
0:21:23 > 0:21:25- That's great!- Great!- Well done!
0:21:25 > 0:21:30I was just a little bit concerned about it which is maybe why I kept the estimate conservative
0:21:30 > 0:21:32cos the image of the horse jumping
0:21:32 > 0:21:34wasn't as clear as it could have been,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36but anyway, they liked it!
0:21:36 > 0:21:38- Obviously.- Jumping the gate.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41- It didn't fall at the fence, did it? - No, it certainly didn't.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- OK, unfortunately you can't ring mum up and say! - No, not going to phone.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47So I hope you're enjoying this right now, Maureen!
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Well, what a result. The sun might not be shining on Maureen in Benidorm,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53but it certainly is here in the auction room.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56It just goes to show her husband did know a bargain when he saw it.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00There'll be more surprises coming up later in the show.
0:22:02 > 0:22:03Philip's hoping to set a new Flog It record.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07I think we're going to go in for an award, right, so probably the
0:22:07 > 0:22:11cheapest thing that's ever been sold on Flog It, but I admire your cheek.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15And Kate can't believe what this little vase has been used for in the past.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- She used it as a doorstop. - Did she?- Yeah.- It's not that heavy.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20It's not really, no, no.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24I'm constantly surprised by the items we find on Flog It.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28It's amazing just what can be hiding right under your nose.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41In this vibrant and busy part of Birmingham city centre, tucked away
0:22:41 > 0:22:45between all the restaurants and bars, there's a real historical gem.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50Now it's not just a reminder of this city's past, but of the country's heritage as a whole.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Now at first glance this might look like any other ordinary set of terraced houses,
0:23:02 > 0:23:07but it's not - in fact, this is incredibly rare, because it's the last remaining example
0:23:07 > 0:23:11of a style of living which has more or less been forgotten about.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Yet at one point in our history, most people that lived and worked
0:23:14 > 0:23:20in industrial towns and cities in England lived in accommodation like this, the back-to-back.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25Now I know what you're thinking, but our understanding of the term back- to-back has changed over the years.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29It's now applied to Coronation Street-style houses.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32But it actually refers to something very specific.
0:23:32 > 0:23:39These houses weren't just attached to their neighbours on either side, the back walls were also shared.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42One house was built literally onto the back of another.
0:23:42 > 0:23:48They sprung up in their tens of thousands at the end of the 18th and throughout the 19th century.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57They were as much a part of the industrial revolution as anything that was manufactured
0:23:57 > 0:23:58in the factories and workshops,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02and when thousands of people flocked to the towns and cities looking for work,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06property speculators saw an opportunity and a building frenzy began.
0:24:08 > 0:24:14By 1850, two-thirds of Birmingham's population lived in courts just like this one.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19Today this is all that remains of this once-common type of housing.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24It was fully restored by the Birmingham Conservation Trust and the National Trust back in 2000.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Chris Upton was the historian involved in the project.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33So is this typical of most back-to-back courts?
0:24:33 > 0:24:37- Yes, sure, in that they're clustered around a yard.- Yeah.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39There's one entrance and one exit, which could be tricky in a fire.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- Yeah.- They're real fire hazards.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47I mean, there's 11 houses here. Some of them had half a dozen, some of them 20, 30 houses,
0:24:47 > 0:24:52depending on the plot of land the developer had, how many houses he could squeeze in on it.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- I guess...- And there'd be another court next door and another one beyond that.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00They weren't everywhere - you don't find them in London or in the north-east.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01It's that middle bit of the country,
0:25:01 > 0:25:07Manchester, Liverpool, Hull, Leeds, down to Birmingham was back-to-back living.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11It's tenements if you get further north and further south.
0:25:11 > 0:25:12Right. What would it have been like in its day?
0:25:12 > 0:25:15It was described as living at the bottom of a well
0:25:15 > 0:25:18sometimes, cos not much light gets in, the walls are high.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20No. If there was light it'd be full of smog up there probably.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22- That's right. - Industrial England.- Yeah.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25In this particular court, how many people lived?
0:25:25 > 0:25:28At most 65 is the highest I've found.
0:25:28 > 0:25:3365. But obviously there's no loos inside, so there's only three outside loos for 60-odd people.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Yeah, yeah. They could be death traps because
0:25:35 > 0:25:38- the water supply and the toilets were worryingly close to each other.- Sure.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42And so people did pick things up.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46- And once an epidemic got into a court...- It was rife. - It ran round fast.
0:25:46 > 0:25:52So they were thought of as very unhealthy places, even though the people enjoyed living in them.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56- Can we go inside and have a look? - Yes, sure. This way.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Hey, do you know what, it feels like we've landed right in the middle of the Victorian era.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05And we have, in about 1870.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08How many people would live in this particular house?
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Well, this was the home of the Oldfield family,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15and there was Mr and Mrs Oldfield and their eight children.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19- Wow.- And a lodger, and the lodger's girlfriend, so two bedrooms.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23That's a lot of people! Yeah, I was just going to say, there's only two bedrooms.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- Yeah.- Where did most of the people come from, to rent these places?
0:26:26 > 0:26:32All over the country and abroad, so there was a Jewish community, there were quite a few Italians,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35a lot of Irish, Scots, but the majority from the surrounding countryside.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39- The countryside, coming in and wanting to work in the factories. - Yeah.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44People were lured to the towns by better wages and guaranteed work,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46but the effect on their health was undeniable.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50So what was the average life expectancy?
0:26:50 > 0:26:54- It's difficult to answer that, Paul - it depends very much which street you lived in.- Right.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57And which area you lived in.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01If you lived in what we'd now call the suburbs of Birmingham,
0:27:01 > 0:27:07you know, only a mile or two out, your life expectancy was double what it would be right in the centre.
0:27:07 > 0:27:14There were streets in central Birmingham where half the children would die before the age of five.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18National legislation had banned the building of new courts
0:27:18 > 0:27:23way back in 1870, and local authorities were encouraged to demolish them.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27For cities like Birmingham, it would prove a monumental challenge.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32By the end of the First World War, the city still had more than 43,000 back-to-backs.
0:27:32 > 0:27:40In fact, some people still lived in them right up to the 1970s, a whole 100 years after the ban.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Why did it take such a long time to knock them all down then?
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Just the sheer number of them. There were 10,000 courts, so you
0:27:47 > 0:27:52- couldn't put that many people onto the housing market at the same time. - You couldn't rehouse them.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Well, thank goodness this one survived. What was it about this one?
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Really I think it was accident - it's mostly a commercial street,
0:27:58 > 0:28:03Hurst Street, and I think that eventually people forgot what they were.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07- Have you actually chatted to people that lived here? What do they say? - It's very different.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11If you had a happy family life, you liked the back-to-backs.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13If you had an unhappy family life, you didn't.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18So if the last tenants moved out in the 1960s, you would have known them and spoken to them.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22- Yes, interviewed them.- And what were their recollections of the place?
0:28:22 > 0:28:28They leave with excitement, and then very quickly realise they've lost something in the process,
0:28:28 > 0:28:32they've lost that sense of community, of knowing your neighbours.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37So it was a trade-off. But the last couple to move out said "It was like a little palace to us."
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Gosh, that's like stepping back in tune.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Thank goodness this court has survived demolition, because without it,
0:28:47 > 0:28:53a very important part of our social history would have disappeared, along with the bricks and mortar.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57And thankfully it now remains a living testament to how thousands of people would have lived
0:28:57 > 0:29:00in industrial towns and cities all over the country.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04And it's just as valuable to our heritage as those big stately homes.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Welcome back to the Town Hall here in Kidderminster.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18As you can see it's still full of people, which means
0:29:18 > 0:29:22hundreds of antiques to look at, so let's catch up with our experts.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26Philip's quite taken aback by what Graham has brought in.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Well, Graham, have you seen Flog It?
0:29:29 > 0:29:34- Yes.- It's sort of an antiques-based programme where people bring along
0:29:34 > 0:29:39- antiques, and we take them to auction and sell them.- Yes, that's correct.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44- And you've brought along some hair clippers, hair brushes, a police whistle and a penknife.- Yes.- Why?
0:29:44 > 0:29:46- Why? - Clearly you don't use them much.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Actually, you like any Teasy Weasy here?
0:29:49 > 0:29:52- Well, in fact that's what my dad did.- Your dad was a...
0:29:52 > 0:29:55- He went to college with Teasy Weasy Raymond.- Did he?- Yeah.- Really?
0:29:55 > 0:30:01- Yeah.- Tell you what, that makes us old, doesn't it?- I know. - Teasy Weasy Raymond.- Yeah, god.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03So your dad was born in about 1926.
0:30:03 > 0:30:04Something like that, yeah.
0:30:04 > 0:30:10And all this stuff really came to light when my daughter rung me up that she was doing a family tree,
0:30:10 > 0:30:14and she asked if I'd got any information on my mum and dad and stuff, and...
0:30:14 > 0:30:17- He dug this out.- Yeah.- So we've got all this hairdressing stuff.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21- Yeah.- Just... this just intrigues me.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24- Why a police whistle? - That was my granddad's.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29Cos in his shop he used to get all the drunks in Whitechapel coming in.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31- Yeah.- And he'd blow the whistle and they'd sort of run away.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35- So your, your granddad had this barber's stuff in Whitechapel.- Yeah,
0:30:35 > 0:30:40- Any trouble, he'd just blow the whistle and that was that sorted.- Yeah.
0:30:40 > 0:30:46- Now listen, you've brought along two pairs of scissors, two clippers, a penknife and a police whistle.- Yeah.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48I think you need to get out more. Right, I really do.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52I think we're going to go here for an award, right, for probably the
0:30:52 > 0:30:55- cheapest thing that's ever been sold on Flog It, but I admire your cheek. - OK, why not?
0:30:55 > 0:31:00- I think we're going to put a £5 to £15 estimate on that.- Right.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02We're not going to put any reserve, we'll tell the auctioneer we do not
0:31:02 > 0:31:05want to see them at any price ever again.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09- Right, good man, we'll get them sold. I hope.- OK.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16- Carol, this is an intriguing little vase.- It is.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18What can you tell me about it?
0:31:18 > 0:31:20I acquired it by being a carer.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Right.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26The lady I was looking after moved into a flat, which this little vase
0:31:26 > 0:31:30- was in, and when she moved in she used it as a doorstop.- Did she?
0:31:30 > 0:31:34- Yeah.- It's not that heavy, is it? - It's not really, no, no, she just
0:31:34 > 0:31:39didn't like the lounge door shut so she used this as a doorstop to keep the lounge door open.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43- OK.- When she passed away, her granddaughter says to me,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46pick a piece of whatever Nanna got that you like and you can have it.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49- So...- That's what you picked. - That's what I picked.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51How interesting. So do you like it as a vase?
0:31:51 > 0:31:57- It's not something I would go out and buy.- Right, so it was more something to remember your friend.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00- It was to remember Nan by, yeah,. Yeah.- Do you know what sort of pottery it is?
0:32:00 > 0:32:01All that I know is that it's Ruskin.
0:32:01 > 0:32:07That's right, it's marked on the bottom, isn't it, but you have to have quite a sharp eye to see it.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10- But on the bottom, can you see?- Oh, just about, yeah.- Ruskin.- Yeah.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14Well, as Ruskin pottery goes, it's quite a nice example.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19I'd just prefer it if it was a bit bigger, but still, I'm sure, it made a great doorstop.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Yeah.
0:32:21 > 0:32:26Well, this kind of pottery is very collectable in an art pottery market,
0:32:26 > 0:32:31and it all comes down to two gentlemen who founded the factory, and it was a father and a son,
0:32:31 > 0:32:37a chap called Edward Taylor, and his son William Howson Taylor founded the
0:32:37 > 0:32:43Birmingham Tile and Pottery Works, which then became subsequently known as the Ruskin Pottery.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Now why the name Ruskin?
0:32:45 > 0:32:50- Well, Edward Taylor was head of the Birmingham School of Art at the time...- Right.
0:32:50 > 0:32:56And was hugely influenced by John Ruskin, who was the most important art critic of the 19th century.
0:32:56 > 0:33:02- Right. - His respect for Ruskin led him to call his pottery after him, and what
0:33:02 > 0:33:07they produced in the Ruskin Pottery was something very much following the Arts And Crafts movement,
0:33:07 > 0:33:15and indeed a lot of their pieces were launched and exhibited at the Arts And Crafts Exhibition of 1903.
0:33:15 > 0:33:21Now what William Howson, the son, was particularly interested in, which really made the pottery develop,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24was the glazes that they used as well as the shapes.
0:33:24 > 0:33:29Now they produced utilitarian ware, domestic wares as well as decorative wares like this vase,
0:33:29 > 0:33:34but it was the glazes really that William was interested in, and the effects that could be produced.
0:33:34 > 0:33:41And it wasn't really until the 1920s to the later Art Deco period really that they looked at bolder,
0:33:41 > 0:33:48- heavier Art Deco forms, and they developed this matte glaze, which is exactly what we've got here.- Right.
0:33:48 > 0:33:56So this dates from about the 1920s, and this lovely blue, it almost looks as though it's sponged on.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00- Sponged, yeah.- But it's very mottled, isn't it, it's that lovely mottled effect, and so what you've
0:34:00 > 0:34:04got here is a classic piece of Ruskin really from the 1920s.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08It is perhaps the more dramatic glazes, like the pearly lustre
0:34:08 > 0:34:13kingfisher blue glaze, which is quite dramatic, that fetch the highest prices in Ruskin pottery,
0:34:13 > 0:34:21but we're going to the right auction house, because Fielding Auctioneers specialise in decorative arts,
0:34:21 > 0:34:23of which Ruskin falls quite nicely into that category.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28And so I think in the current market a little Ruskin vase
0:34:28 > 0:34:30like this is going to fetch somewhere between £40 and £60.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32So how does that sound?
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Fine.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38Will you be sad to get rid of it, with all the memories that it conjures up for you?
0:34:38 > 0:34:44Yes, I will be sad, but I need to de-clutter, and my grandchildren will enjoy the money.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46That's a good way of looking at it.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54- Ian, how are you doing? - All right, thank you, Phil.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57I have used my considerable antique knowledge to work out that this
0:34:57 > 0:35:00is a set of scales. What's so funny about that?
0:35:00 > 0:35:04Well, that's about my knowledge of it as well, it's a set of scales, that's all I know.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09- What else do you know about it? - It's made by Avery, they've got a factory in Smethwick.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11W & T Avery, Birmingham Limited.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14- That was the clue. - That's the clue.- That was the clue.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16We've got to use a few more clues to work out what it is.
0:35:16 > 0:35:23From looking at the construction, the style, I would think it dates from somewhere between 1910 and 1920.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27- That old?- I would think so. Might be a little bit later, but I would guess that's how old it is.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31- Yeah.- If you mention scales in this country, they're Avery scales, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35They did everything from the scales you find in butchers',
0:35:35 > 0:35:39- in greengrocers', in doctors' surgeries, right up to weigh bridges...- Yeah.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42- That would have weighed lorries at ten, 15, 20 tons, wouldn't they?- Yes.
0:35:42 > 0:35:48So Avery were the premier scale makers in this country.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Now all this unscrews, and I mean these lift off, don't they?
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- Yeah.- Like that,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57- so the whole thing unscrews, and that includes this column.- Yes.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02- The pans, the beam, the whole lot, it all fits in this drawer here.- Yeah.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05- And so it's a travelling example, isn't it?- Yeah..
0:36:05 > 0:36:07I wonder whether this was an example that
0:36:07 > 0:36:11Avery's salesmen might have travelled around with, to sell their scales?
0:36:11 > 0:36:15Yeah, possibly, you could see it as like a rep's...
0:36:15 > 0:36:20But I mean these are already on the deck, aren't they, and so you put your weight on there,
0:36:20 > 0:36:25and then you just pull that down, and the scales go up.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26And if they were level,
0:36:26 > 0:36:30this little fulcrum there would meet just there, wouldn't it?
0:36:30 > 0:36:31- Yeah.- And as it is, I haven't got the weights right.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34Is that right?
0:36:34 > 0:36:38- No. We'll get there in a minute. - That's it.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40- That's not far off, is it? - No, that's not far off.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42I'm going to put it down and settle for that.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45We haven't told you what you didn't already know.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49Truthfully, I think these will make somewhere between £100 and £200.
0:36:49 > 0:36:54- Yeah.- I think you should put an estimate on them of £80 to £120 and a reserve of £60.- Yeah, that's fine.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56That's what I think. Why do you want to sell them?
0:36:56 > 0:37:01Well, they were a gift to my wife from an ex-boyfriend
0:37:01 > 0:37:05before I met her, so they basically stayed in the loft.
0:37:05 > 0:37:06- So you're happy to get them sold. - Yes, yeah.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Right, yeah. Well, thank you for bringing it along.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11Thank you very much.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14We're now about to find out what the bidders make of our final items,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16which we've brought to our auction room in Stourbridge.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Here's a quick reminder of what's going under the hammer.
0:37:22 > 0:37:27There's Graham's hairdressing bits and pieces which includes, confusingly, a policeman's whistle.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Philip has such high hopes for these.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33I think we're going to put a £5 to £15 estimate on them.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35- Right.- We're not going to put any reserve.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39We'll say we do not want to see them at any price ever again.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43Ian's hoping to get rid of his wife's ex-boyfriend's scales..
0:37:44 > 0:37:51and Carol's Ruskin vase - thank goodness it's not still being used as a doorstop.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53I managed to catch up with auctioneer Nick Davies
0:37:53 > 0:37:57before the sale started to see what he thought of the Ruskin vase.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Now this is something you will absolutely love, a bit of Ruskin.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Personally I love it, it's great.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08I mean it's from Smethwick, it's local, I was born and bred in Birmingham so
0:38:08 > 0:38:12it's a favourite, and we see quite a lot of it round here cos it's so close to the factory.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Yeah. Believe it or not - I've got to tell you - it belongs to Carol.
0:38:15 > 0:38:21- Before she inherited it, it was used as a doorstop.- A doorstop?- Well, it must have been a small door.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23It must have been a light door. It's not a heavy vase.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- I mean you see Ruskins...- Ruskins up there.- Three-foot vases, etc.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28They're the ones, they're the ones.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32But it's a nice starting point I assume, we get a lot of collectors in here.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36- Yes, yes.- Great place to start collecting. Great example, no damage, no chips, no restoration.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38- And at £50...- Should be fine.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43- Nice impressed marks underneath it, it's just the perfect starting point for someone.- Yeah.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45- I think we'll be fine.- Good.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53This'll put a smile on your face cos it's made me laugh all day.
0:38:53 > 0:38:59This next lot, it's a real eclectic mix.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03We've got some hair clippers, a penknife, a police whistle.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Good to see you, how are you?
0:39:05 > 0:39:07- Yes, I'm well thank you. - Who have your brought along, this is your son, isn't it?
0:39:07 > 0:39:10This is my girlfriend's son Will.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Will. Is this your first auction?
0:39:12 > 0:39:14- Yeah.- What do you think?
0:39:14 > 0:39:18It's pretty good actually, it's interesting.
0:39:18 > 0:39:19Trust Philip to pick something like these.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22We've got a valuation of £5 to £15 and there's no reserve.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26It might not even make that, might it, it could be our lowest ever lot on Flog It, couldn't it?
0:39:26 > 0:39:31Mind you, looking at him, I don't think any of it's had much use, has it?
0:39:31 > 0:39:32Oh, dear.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34A crime whistle for the Metropolitan Police
0:39:34 > 0:39:38with some hair clippers and a barber's scissors and a penknife.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Who knows.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42Where shall we start this? Is anyone at £10?
0:39:42 > 0:39:47I'm sure they'll, someone can sell at £10, nice period barber, anybody need a quick trim?
0:39:47 > 0:39:50£10, anybody going to bid? Must be someone out there
0:39:50 > 0:39:53who'll think these are good, police whistle's got to be worth a tenner.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56Nobody interested in this? I'm not going to go on and on about this any longer, are you sure?
0:39:56 > 0:39:58£10, thank you, madam.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01£10, straight in and straight out, he put the hammer down really quickly
0:40:01 > 0:40:03so they didn't change their minds.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05You could say it was a close shave, couldn't you really?
0:40:05 > 0:40:08That's ten quid, less commission.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11You owe him a pound!
0:40:17 > 0:40:20You could say it's all in the balance, which brings us
0:40:20 > 0:40:25to our next lot, it's a set of brass scales that belongs to Ian, and we've got about £60 to £80 on this.
0:40:25 > 0:40:26- It's good to see you Ian, hello. - Hello.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29- And who have you brought along with you?- This is my wife Carol.
0:40:29 > 0:40:30- Carol, hello. - They're actually her scales.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33And you're selling them because...
0:40:33 > 0:40:36They were given to me by an ex-boyfriend.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40Hey, I don't blame you, I tell you what. Get rid, get rid.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Good scales, made in Birmingham, lots of local interest hopefully.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46And some weights as well, and I think that's half the attraction.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49And they look good on the shelf in the kitchen.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51They're decorative as well. Look great as well.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53- Happy?- Yes. Nervous.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55- Yeah.- Let's hope. Nervous?
0:40:55 > 0:40:58So am I, always nervous cos you never know what's going
0:40:58 > 0:40:59to happen in an auction, but we're about to find out.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04Good example of a set of balance scales, W & T Avery Birmingham, made down the road.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Where do you want to start with these? Bid's with me at £50. I'm looking for five in the room.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10£50 with me and five, £60 and five?
0:41:10 > 0:41:12It's still in the balance.
0:41:12 > 0:41:18£65 the gentleman's bid, £70 anywhere else, at £65 I'm selling the scales, all done at £65...
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Just, just on the reserve, hammer's gone down.
0:41:21 > 0:41:26- I want to know if the ex-boyfriend is watching, is he going to claim half the proceeds?- I hope not!
0:41:26 > 0:41:28I don't think he knows where we live.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30He will now!
0:41:34 > 0:41:38Well, our next item just about to go under the hammer was used as a doorstop,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40believe it or not. What's that all about?
0:41:40 > 0:41:45Well, it was a Ruskin vase, belongs to Carol, and I'm pretty sure this is going to sell.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50- Hopefully.- A lot of local interest here, but why a doorstop? It's so small!
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Well, because the lady moved into accommodation where it was left
0:41:53 > 0:41:57there and thought nothing of it, so she just left it as a doorstop.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59Incredible, isn't it, that is survived actually.
0:41:59 > 0:42:04Yeah, it's great that it's in one piece, and where better place to sell it, because this auction house is
0:42:04 > 0:42:07well known for selling decorative art, so it's the perfect place to put it under the hammer.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10A lot of local interest as well, great colourway, blue and tan,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13love that - let's hope we have a bit of a surprise, shall we?
0:42:13 > 0:42:15- I hope so.- You never know what happens at an auction.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19- No, you don't.- Well, let's find out, it's going under the hammer now.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23Ruskin, there we are, little crystalline shouldered vase, nice little example,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26good collector's piece, a lot of interest and we open at £70,
0:42:26 > 0:42:30takes all the other bidders out at £70 straight in. £75 in the room...
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- That's a good start. - It is.- £80, £85, and £90.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36£85, the lady's bid £85 in the room, £90 anywhere else, for
0:42:36 > 0:42:40£85 you'll take the Ruskin, we all sure we're done at £85, finished.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43- £85.- Brilliant!
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Ruskin. That's what it's all about.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48- It is.- Yeah, that's much better than I thought actually, yes, it's really good.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50- Thank you.- As I told you, this is the place to sell it.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52It is, isn't it? So there's commission to pay, don't forget.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56- Yes.- 17%, but are you going to invest in antiques, do you think?
0:42:56 > 0:43:00No. My two little grandchildren are going to invest.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04- You're going to invest in them. - They're going to spend it. - Oh, are they?
0:43:10 > 0:43:14That's it, we've come to the end of our day, our owners have gone home.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16As you can see, the auction is still going on.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19But what a fabulous day we've had, and I can't wait till the next auction.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23If you've not been to one, go and visit your local sale room cos you could get addicted.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26So from Stourbridge, until the next time, it's cheerio.
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