Torquay Flog It!


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Today, "Flog It!" is coming from the English Riviera.

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Yes, we're down on the Devon Coast - a magnet for holidaymakers,

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and home to England's biggest fishing port.

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So will we land a prize catch? Let's go and see.

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The English Riviera

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is the name given to this stunning area of coastline

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which comprises three towns - Torquay, Brixham and Paignton.

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Historically all three were fishing ports, but today only Brixham remains in action.

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Later on, I'll be going sailing on an old fishing trawler

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which helped put the fishing industry of Brixham on the map.

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But before we go all fishy, let sail across the bay to Torquay where our experts Philip Searle

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and new boy David Fletcher are trawling the "Flog It!" queue outside the Palace Hotel.

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Will they net a valuable catch?

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I could have been one of the Three Musketeers!

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Let's get inside and find out.

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The people of Torquay have turned out in droves

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and Philip has the first catch of the day with Helen's Dinky toys.

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-Helen, how are you doing?

-Fine, thank you. Are you a Devonian? No, I'm a Midlander.

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-Where from?

-West Bromwich initially.

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-West Bromwich?

-Aldridge, Walsall way.

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Coming down here on the M5,

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the number of caravans was unbelievable

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and, as we're in Torquay, I thought "We've got to do a caravan, haven't we?"

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So I picked up this little beauty here which is a Dinky's toy,

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four-berth, model number 188, complete with a little opening door here, which I think is great.

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And then we've got two Corgi toys.

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We got a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE coupe,

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complete with spare wheel and a little suitcase ready packed for our holidays.

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And I love this. This is a Mark 1 Cortina.

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I remember Dad bought one of these, brand new, a Mark 1 Cortina, 1960-something or other.

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-Why do you want to sell them?

-They're just sitting in my cupboard doing nothing.

-Really?

-Yes.

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-Are these yours?

-Yes. I used to love playing with them as a child.

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I have to say you were very good.

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-You played with both these?

-Oh, I did a lot, yes.

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The thing about toys is they've got to be mint and boxed, and these are mint and boxed.

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-I always put everything away.

-You were careful with your toys.

-Yeah.

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I'm intrigued as to why a pretty girl goes and plays with boys' toys as a child.

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-I had a Sindy doll as well, which I loved just as much.

-I'll let you off.

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Anyway, down to value. We'll sell them as one lot.

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I think if we put a £40 to £60 estimate on them, right?

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-Right.

-With a £30 reserve, how does that sound?

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-Low!

-Low?!

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-Go on, what do you reckon?

-I just thought...

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I don't know, I would have thought they would be about £40 each.

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-We need to protect your interests with a reserve.

-All right.

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If you want to put a slightly higher reserve on them, I don't mind.

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But here's an expression I always use -

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a reserve is a price below which you will not sell the item.

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-It's not what you think it will make.

-No.

-OK?

-Yes.

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This hasn't got the box.

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50 to 80, call it 60 to 90.

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If you want to reserve them between 30 and sort of £40, £45, I don't have a problem with that.

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-OK.

-So what do you want to do, boss?

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-£40 reserve?

-£40 reserve.

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I'll put a 50 to 80 estimate on them.

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-Great, yeah.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-I don't want to be told off!

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-Would I dare?

-Oh, I don't know(!) You're a star.

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-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

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WHIRRING

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Now, this, Isabel, is a most striking thing.

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How long have you owned it?

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-All my life.

-You've owned it all your life, have you?

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-Yes.

-Did it belong to your parents?

-It did, yeah.

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What it is we're discussing

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is a cold-painted, Austrian bronze.

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The nature of the decoration is such that it's applied to a bronze figure

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without firing, hence the expression cold-painted.

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The result is that you get this rather attractive matte finish.

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It's by a very well-known sculptor,

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name of Franz Bergmann, who was born in the 1860s and lived until the 1930s.

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It is actually marked on the back with a B.

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I've never noticed that.

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That is actually impressed, or moulded I should say,

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into the cast that was taken from the mould.

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-Yeah.

-It depicts, doesn't it, a noble warrior who seemingly died

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in one of those North African colonial wars or skirmishes - that's a good word for it.

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What I think is so amazing about it, really, is its dignity.

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I mean, the dignity that you can sometimes find in death - beautifully, beautifully moulded.

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You sometimes find that Bergmann signed these works with his surname spelt backwards.

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-Right!

-Do you know why he did that?

-No.

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Well, he did it because he was Jewish and he was concerned about being persecuted,

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so you do sometimes find bronzes like this, signed Nam Greb - Bergmann backwards.

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-Oh, right.

-I must say that objects like this are very collectible, really.

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I think if we sold this at auction - WHEN we sell it at auction, I should say - we would expect it to make

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between £300 and £500. And it could even make just a little bit more than that.

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Do you like it as an object?

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-I do, but I wouldn't have it out.

-No.

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It beautiful thing, but I understand what you're saying about the subject matter, really.

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Well, as I say, I think if we estimate it at 300 to 500

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and put a reserve on it of £300, preferably with a little bit of discretion - say £280?

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-OK.

-Would that be all right?

-Fine.

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OK? We'll do our best for you.

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-HUSKILY:

-We're having such a fabulous day here in Torquay.

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Hundreds of people have turned up and I feel like I've probably spoken

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to almost every single one of them. That's why I'm losing my voice.

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But I have bumped into June here, who is looking absolutely fabulous.

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I think you're clutching something quite valuable in there, aren't you?

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Let's have a look inside your purse.

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Oh, look at that. A wonderful amber necklace!

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-Have you worn it much?

-I used to have hair that colour, Paul,

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so I used to wear it then and it used to look pretty good.

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But, as one gets older, one's hair colour changes.

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-I think you'd look pretty good with this on still.

-You reckon?

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Of course I do!

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This is timeless. It's amber and it's millions of years old.

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It really is.

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It's fossilised tree sap, basically.

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If you've got any insects trapped in it when it was a sticky liquid...

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There might be something in there.

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If you haven't got little insects,

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then look for pine needles or bits of moss that get trapped in this liquid.

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It's commonly found in the Baltic, the beaches of Poland, but it does get washed up in this country.

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-Really?

-Yes, it does on Southwold beach!

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I've been amber hunting and I actually interviewed a chap on "Flog It!"

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who collected amber from the beach.

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When it's washed up, it's sort of like

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-a rough pebble.

-Yes.

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A funny, little, odd-shaped pebble, but you have to polish it and cut into these facets like this.

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But let's see what it looks like.

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Shall we put it on? Yes, there we go! Look at that.

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And it still looks fabulous, doesn't it? Give them a twirl!

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THEY APPLAUD

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-How much did you pay for that?

-It was about £200 about 20 years ago.

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You'll get your £200 back.

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I just think it's stunning.

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I really think every woman would like to own that.

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There you are - that's the way. The big one at the bottom.

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Why don't we put it into auction with a value of...

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-£200 to £400?

-Oh, excellent.

-You need two women who try it on

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-and look as great as you do with it on.

-Oh, thank you!

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I'm surprised you want to sell it.

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I know, but it's sitting in the cupboard and I don't wear it any more.

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-OK, see you at the auction.

-Thank you very much indeed.

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I look forward to it. Thank you.

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-Barry and Malcolm, hello.

-Hello.

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Welcome.

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Now, you brought with you three silver spoons.

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What can you tell me about them?

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Not a great deal.

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They have always been at our parents' house, just in the cutlery drawer.

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-We used to use them every day.

-Really?

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It was just part of the household cutlery.

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Well, they are a bit worn.

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They're silver, as I'm sure you know.

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Two of them are relatively clearly marked,

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although I must say it's difficult to distinguish the date letter.

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I think these would have been manufactured in the 1730s or 1740s.

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-As old as that?

-Indeed.

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Assayed in London and made by a silversmith whose initials were JJ.

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I think that stands for John Jacobs, who was active at that time.

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The third spoon has even more indistinct marks

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and I really can't attempt to give that a date or a manufacturer.

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They're a typical Georgian pattern.

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They have a dog-nose finial, which I think speaks for itself.

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But the most significant thing about them is that they have been Victorianised.

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Now, the Victorians believed that unless anything was highly decorated, it wasn't old,

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and these would have been really quite plain.

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So, not content with the fact that they were - let's say 1860 -

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150 years old nearly, they wanted to make them look even older.

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So they had a go at them and they've chased up the handles.

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They've gilded the bowls and then repousse decorated them,

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which means they've been hammered from behind

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with images of a goddess, Ceres.

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And she holds the cornucopia containing fruit.

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That's significant because they are fruit spoons

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and that's why the bowls have been gilded,

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because the acid in the fruit juice would have caused the silver to corrode.

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Why are you thinking of selling them?

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Well, we were musicians about 30 years ago and we've started writing

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and we're going to book some studio time, so hopefully...

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-You'll put this towards your expense?

-Yeah, we're selling a few items and going for a studio.

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So you're making a comeback?

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-Yeah.

-You haven't thought of using them and playing them perhaps?

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Well, we used to play them!

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There were six originally!

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I've never actually met anyone before who played the spoons, but there is some potential there.

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They're not going to make the earth.

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They're not fabulously expensive, it must be said, and I think you have to bear in mind

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that in some people's eyes they've been damaged by the fact they've been Victorianised.

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I would have thought each one was perhaps worth about £15,

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-and I would estimate them at £40 to £60.

-OK.

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And we'll put a reserve of...

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Shall we sell them without a reserve?

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-Are you happy with that?

-Well, we can do, yes.

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Every little bit will help towards your comeback, isn't it?

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We've seen our first batch of items and now it's time to head west

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from Torquay along the Devon coast to the naval town of Plymouth for today's auction.

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And this is where all the action is taking place today - Eldreds Auctioneers & Valuers.

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The room's filling up. The auctioneer's just about to start.

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But before he kicks off, here's a quick reminder of all the items we're hoping to sell.

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Philip was surprised by Helen's minted and boxed Dinky toys.

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I'm intrigued as to why a pretty girl goes and plays with boys' toys as a child.

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I had a Sindy doll as well, which I loved just as much.

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David was impressed with Isabel's Austrian bronze warrior figure,

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but she just keeps it in a drawer so it's time to find it a new home.

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Shall we put it on? Yeah.

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'I absolutely loved June's amber necklace and it seemed I wasn't the only one.'

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Give them a twirl!

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Barry and Malcolm are hoping to raise funds towards their musical comeback

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by selling their Georgian silver spoons. Will they be successful?

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Let's find out as the spoons are the first of our items going under the hammer,

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and the boys are pinning their hopes on auctioneer Anthony Eldred, who's on the rostrum.

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Next up, Barry and Malcolm's three silver spoons.

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There are a couple of choice ones here - the London ones.

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-I really liked those. They were Mum's?

-Our mother used to use them.

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We used to use them in our house, for dishing the jelly out, etc.

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Next, three Georgian dessert spoons.

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Dishing the jelly - I like that!

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£30 bid for them. Against you all at 30. At £30.

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Two if you want them.

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At 32, 35, 38, 40...

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42, 5, 8... At £48 now in the room.

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Quite sure at 48, then?

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Well done, a good valuation.

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So a little bit towards the studio time, guys,

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because I know that's what you're putting the money towards. Doing some recording?

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Half an hour or something!

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330 at the back.

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Next up, some Dinky toys and something for all you caravan lovers.

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Well, you either love them or you loathe them.

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-You don't want to be stuck behind one, that's for sure.

-No, no.

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-Especially not that one.

-Let's talk value. Some Dinky toys fly through the roof.

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I've never valued a caravan.

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No, I haven't, and it was a bit of a sort of a suck-and-see job,

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but I just thought they'll appeal to the collector and, you know, fingers crossed.

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I mean, the car's even got the little suitcase and spare wheel and everything inside it, so...

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It's ready to go. Let's find out. This is it.

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Next are three Dinky toys. There they are.

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-A caravan in that lot. Several bidders.

-Oh, good.

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I am bid £65.

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Against you all in the room at 65.

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Eight anywhere? You finished at 65?

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68 and 70?

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Five. And 80?

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Five. And 90?

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At £90, then.

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Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

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Well done, Helen, £90!

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That proved to be a very good investment over the years.

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Yeah. I played with it a lot as well, so I got the enjoyment out of it.

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Gosh. You see, the power of the caravans.

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I'm really pleased with that. I think that's a good price.

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-That's good, I'm pleased with that.

-Thank you.

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Right, and now for our next lot. Unfortunately, Isabel can't be with us today,

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but we do have the cold-painted bronze and our expert David.

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We've got a valuation of £300 to £500 on this.

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What I want to know is, is he dead or is he asleep?

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-Because I don't know.

-In my view, he's dead. I think he's very dead.

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Anthony had described him as being sleeping, probably to make it a bit more commercial, I suspect.

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-I think so.

-But anyway, he's been immortalised, so whether he's dead or asleep, he will live forever.

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But he has been in Isabel's drawer for a long, long time.

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She wants to sell him and I think we've got the perfect market - a packed auction room,

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people are waving like mad, bidding on everything, so this should fly away, shouldn't it?

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-Absolutely.

-It's going under the hammer now.

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Lot 132, the Austrian cold-painted bronze after Bergmann...

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Fingers crossed for Isabel.

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North African warrior, £240 starts that. At £240, 50 if you want it?

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At 240, 250, 260,

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70, five, 280.

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At £280 now, £290, £300, and 10?

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320, 330, 340.

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At £340, still seated.

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At 340, then.

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-Yes, spot on, David.

-Well, I'm pleased.

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I'm pretty sure she will be.

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-Good.

-You've got to get on the phone and give her a call.

-I will do.

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Remember the amber necklace?

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Well it's just about to go under the hammer, and here's June.

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You can also remember the round of applause she got because that was great, wasn't it?

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-Everyone was going, "Yeah!"

-It was so embarrassing.

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-But you looked fantastic, and you do today as well.

-Thank you very much.

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If you like amber, this lot's for you. We've got £200 to £400 on this.

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I don't know what the feeling is in the room,

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I haven't talked to anybody, I haven't seen it viewed at all.

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So fingers crossed. That's all I can say.

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-Absolutely.

-We're going to find out.

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I don't think we can talk about it any more, can we?

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-It is down to this lot.

-Wait and see.

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On next to lot 489, which is a long necklace of 45 graduated, faceted

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orange and amber beads, and I'm bid £200 for them. Five, if you like.

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At 205, anywhere? And five. 210.

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15, 220? Five.

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At 225, 230, 240,

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250, 260, 270,

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280, 290, 300.

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And 10? 320, 330.

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At £330 on the telephone against you in the room. At £330.

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-That's a sold sound. £330.

-Not bad.

-Not bad?

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-I'm quite happy with that.

-Not bad at all.

-Very happy with that.

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-We were hoping for that.

-Well...

-And we got it.

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Thank you. I'm very happy about that.

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And your husband is really pleased as well.

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There is commission to pay.

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He thinks he's going to spend some of that, you know?

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Does he? Oh, he's got another think coming, hasn't he?

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I think we'll have a bit of fun with that, anyway.

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I bet you will. You look like a fun sort of girl, that's for sure.

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Well, there we are. Some great results so far.

0:19:100:19:13

We are coming back to the auction for some more action later on in the show,

0:19:130:19:17

when we'll be selling another of Philip's finds. But what is it?

0:19:170:19:20

Now I know that you know what it is.

0:19:200:19:23

-Yes.

-But I'm willing to bet that a lot of people at home don't know what it is.

0:19:230:19:27

Well, you've got about ten minutes to figure out what it might be.

0:19:270:19:32

Right now I'm heading back to the fishing port of Brixham to find out a bit more about its chief industry.

0:19:320:19:39

Brixham is the biggest fishing port in England, and the fishing industry

0:19:540:19:58

has been at the heart of its economy for hundreds of years.

0:19:580:20:01

Now, a staggering £18.5 million worth of fish is traded each year

0:20:010:20:05

from that busy fish market over there.

0:20:050:20:08

Now, not only does Brixham hold the accolade for the largest fishing port, it's also built its reputation

0:20:080:20:13

on developing pioneering fishing techniques which have been adopted by the industry the world over -

0:20:130:20:19

hence its nickname, the mother of trawling.

0:20:190:20:22

It was over 400 years ago when Brixham first started the fishing method of beam trawling.

0:20:280:20:34

This is when a fishing net is attached to a beam, which then drags in the water behind the boat.

0:20:340:20:39

The technique was first used on wooden sailing boats

0:20:390:20:42

and later adopted by motorised commercial fishing vessels.

0:20:420:20:47

And to find out more about beam trawlers, I've come to talk

0:20:470:20:51

to Bill Wakeman, who was a fisherman for 42 years, and now he's involved in a heritage project

0:20:510:20:56

to bring these wonderful wooden vessels back to the town and restore them to their former glory.

0:20:560:21:01

What better way to learn about fishing? I can't wait to hop aboard.

0:21:010:21:05

-Bill.

-Hello, Paul.

0:21:050:21:06

Lovely to meet you. Welcome aboard.

0:21:060:21:08

What a beautiful vessel!

0:21:080:21:09

-Ah, she's beautiful, ain't she?

-Can I get aboard?

-Course you can.

0:21:090:21:13

This is the Vigilance. She's a 78 foot sailing ketch,

0:21:320:21:37

and she's one of the last wooden fishing vessels built in Brixham.

0:21:370:21:40

In her heyday, she'd have had a beam for fishing.

0:21:400:21:43

Now that's gone. Today she sails the seas to give visitors a taste of Brixham's fishing history.

0:21:430:21:50

We're lucky enough to have a sizable crew, but when the Vigilance used to work as a beam trawler,

0:21:500:21:54

she would most likely have had a crew of just three men and one boy.

0:21:540:22:00

And today it looks like I'm the boy!

0:22:000:22:02

That's good for your stomach muscles.

0:22:060:22:08

Just let the jib out now, so that's gonna catch the wind, it's gonna turn us around and off we go.

0:22:100:22:17

How fantastic is this?!

0:22:170:22:20

What's her top speed?

0:22:340:22:36

I should say you should be able to get about 10 knots out of her when it's really going.

0:22:360:22:39

That's some going.

0:22:390:22:41

-That's shifting along.

-That really is, isn't it?

0:22:410:22:43

So what year does beam trawling date back to?

0:22:430:22:46

The earliest records, I think, is the early 1600s.

0:22:460:22:50

Folklore has it that beam trawling first started by accident

0:22:500:22:54

when a fishing boat from Brixham got caught in an awful storm off the coast of Grimsby.

0:22:540:22:58

The captain dropped the sail into the sea to try to stabilise the vessel.

0:22:580:23:03

There was that much wind, they were dragging the trawl back and they were fishing at the same time.

0:23:030:23:08

Which is... which is how it all started, really, isn't it? That's beam trawling, in a way?

0:23:080:23:12

-And when they did haul it up, they were full of Dover soles.

-Wow.

0:23:120:23:16

And the people in Grimsby wanted them to try it again, they did it

0:23:160:23:20

two or three times, and that's how Grimsby started, and Hull.

0:23:200:23:23

What a lovely story.

0:23:230:23:25

Brixham's fishermen went on to perfect this method, which has become part of the town's history.

0:23:250:23:32

-It was an ideal place with the tide here to be able to tow a beam.

-Yeah.

0:23:320:23:36

And they spread the beam trawl with these old sailing trawlers right the way around England.

0:23:360:23:41

And that's basically the birth of commercial fishing, in a way?

0:23:410:23:45

Yeah. Cos every little port would have their own little fleet of boats just to supply the local demand.

0:23:450:23:52

There was that much fish being landed with these type of boats that, like you say, it became commercial.

0:23:520:24:00

And with Brixham, once the railway came here, the fleet increased tenfold.

0:24:000:24:05

On a personal note, you were a fisherman.

0:24:050:24:08

I mean, that's a hard grafting job, isn't it?

0:24:080:24:11

It sounds romantic on days like this, but it's dangerous work.

0:24:110:24:15

Fishing's a strange thing. The amount of times that I was gonna pack it in the next day, or when you got in...

0:24:150:24:20

If anything was ever gonna go wrong in fishing it would be about

0:24:200:24:22

two o'clock in the morning, blowing a gale, sleet, that sort of thing.

0:24:220:24:27

You'd think to yourself... You've smashed the trawler up, you're on deck, mending the net,

0:24:270:24:31

freezing cold hands, you'd think, "I've had enough of this, that's it."

0:24:310:24:34

Next morning, sun comes up, cup of tea in your hand,

0:24:340:24:38

nothing to beat it.

0:24:380:24:40

But that's the way it is. Fishermen are literally the last hunter-gatherers.

0:24:410:24:46

It's the only job where you've got to go out and hunt for what you get.

0:24:460:24:49

-And you don't know what you're gonna get, do you?

-You don't know what you're gonna get until you come back.

0:24:490:24:53

Get her round, get her round.

0:24:580:25:00

More, more.

0:25:000:25:01

What a day!

0:25:090:25:10

The tradition of beam trawling

0:25:100:25:11

continues to play a large part in the lives of the Brixham fisherman,

0:25:110:25:16

and contributes to the 10,000 tonnes of fresh fish and crustaceans that land on Brixham's quay annually.

0:25:160:25:22

So the lifeblood of the fishing industry doesn't just end, does it, with catching the fish?

0:25:220:25:27

-It's got to be sold?

-Yeah. Yeah. You've got a fish market here.

0:25:270:25:30

You had the old fish market here years ago, in the days of the sailing trawlers.

0:25:300:25:34

They had to move it because of hygiene.

0:25:340:25:36

It's a newish building on the end of the quay, and they're operating all the time.

0:25:360:25:40

What time does it open in the morning?

0:25:400:25:42

In the mornings, for auctioning the fish, it's anything from six o'clock to seven o'clock.

0:25:420:25:47

You say auctioning the fish, it's actually auctioned off, is it?

0:25:470:25:50

There's no set price?

0:25:500:25:52

No. Its price on demand, sort of thing. If it's in demand, it'll make good money.

0:25:520:25:57

It's the same as any ordinary auction, like yourself, your sort of thing.

0:25:570:26:02

And the guy with the deepest pockets wins, at the end of the day?

0:26:020:26:04

The one with the biggest demand. If he's got an hotel or big supplier

0:26:040:26:08

up in London or one of the big cities that's got to have fish,

0:26:080:26:11

they'll really push it, even if they break even on selling it.

0:26:110:26:14

Well, Brixham's been a fishing town for centuries, really, and I hope it carries on to be.

0:26:140:26:19

-Can you see that happening?

-There'll always be fishing here.

0:26:190:26:21

Like you say, it's been here for centuries.

0:26:210:26:23

The first recorded thing on paper was around about the 1200s, when there was fish being landed here.

0:26:230:26:29

But fishing goes up and down.

0:26:290:26:31

Cuttlefish years ago, you used to put it through the scuppers and dump it over the side, nobody wanted it.

0:26:310:26:36

Then somebody found a market on the Continent, Mediterranean areas, you can't get enough of it now.

0:26:360:26:43

-Incredible, isn't it? It's fashions again.

-Yeah.

0:26:430:26:45

-Look, Bill, thank you so much.

-It's a pleasure.

-It's been a great

0:26:450:26:47

-insight into the life of a fisherman down here, especially taking out a beam trawler like this.

-Pleasure.

0:26:470:26:54

-And thank all the crew as well. Bye, guys!

-Bye, Paul!

0:26:540:26:57

It's still a packed house back at the Palace Hotel in Torquay, and a mystery box has caught Philip's eye.

0:27:050:27:11

-How are you?

-Fine, thank you.

0:27:110:27:13

Do you know, people from Torquay have just turned out in droves. It's been marvellous, hasn't it?

0:27:130:27:17

-Yes, lovely, yes.

-Do know the thing I love about doing Flog It?

0:27:170:27:19

-What's that?

-Well, A, you meet different people...

0:27:190:27:21

-That's right.

-I've met people from Darlington, from all over today.

0:27:210:27:25

And then people bring something like this along, right?

0:27:250:27:28

And I've got no idea what's in there.

0:27:280:27:30

-No.

-And it's clearly a mahogany box,

0:27:300:27:33

and we've got a brass inlaid plaque there.

0:27:330:27:37

But the first thing that this tells you, this is a really

0:27:370:27:39

-lovely quality thing, cos if I just hold that up there, there are these dovetails down there.

-Oh, right.

0:27:390:27:45

And they are so beautifully made.

0:27:450:27:47

Now, you know what's in here, don't you?

0:27:470:27:50

-Yes.

-Shell we have a look?

0:27:500:27:52

That's marvellous.

0:27:520:27:55

And it's a set, isn't it, of measuring rulers for an architect or draughtsman to use.

0:27:550:27:59

Sometimes they're made out of bone, out of ivory.

0:27:590:28:02

These are made out of boxwood. They're actually...

0:28:020:28:04

Each one is a different scale.

0:28:040:28:07

You can see this one's marked 80.

0:28:070:28:09

-Right.

-And the next one is marked 60.

-Oh, yeah.

0:28:090:28:13

So each one of these will be a different scale, so that when you're in your office, drawing your really

0:28:130:28:19

-accurate plan, you would use these for different scales for drawings that you were producing.

-Right.

0:28:190:28:26

And, do you know, life's changed so much, you know?

0:28:260:28:28

Cos the computer will do all this for you with the right programme,

0:28:280:28:30

-so all these have become redundant.

-Yeah.

0:28:300:28:33

And they're actually quite collectible. Not hugely valuable...

0:28:330:28:38

-No.

-And I would think these date to end of the 19th, early part of the 20th century.

0:28:380:28:43

If we look here, this set is produced by Stanley's of London.

0:28:430:28:49

Now, these are boxwood rulers.

0:28:490:28:50

-And if we lift each one up, you can see it just says here, Stanley's.

-Yeah.

0:28:500:28:56

But I suspect they're probably not all by Stanley's.

0:28:560:28:59

You see, there's a foreigner.

0:28:590:29:02

-That one's made in New Street in Birmingham.

-Right.

0:29:020:29:04

Let's have a look here.

0:29:040:29:07

Here's another one from Birmingham.

0:29:090:29:12

And there's another one.

0:29:120:29:15

So what that tells us is it's a composite set,

0:29:150:29:18

because there are some missing, and these three have been added in.

0:29:180:29:22

And how long have they been in your possession?

0:29:220:29:23

Well, it was my dad's.

0:29:230:29:26

It was given to him by his boss, and they were the boss's dad's.

0:29:260:29:32

Was your dad a draughtsman?

0:29:320:29:34

No, my dad was a gardener.

0:29:340:29:36

-Gardener?!

-Mmm-hmm. And he worked for his boss for years.

0:29:360:29:41

And was he a draughtsman?

0:29:410:29:42

-No, but his father was.

-Oh, right.

0:29:420:29:45

-So that's where it originated.

-Yeah.

0:29:450:29:47

-I think if you put these into auction we can put a 30 to 50 estimate on them.

-Right.

0:29:470:29:53

We can perhaps reserve them at £25.

0:29:530:29:57

-Right.

-Where the strength of selling these today is the Internet.

0:29:570:30:02

And going through a good auction room, which we are, they'll put them on the Internet and you'll find from

0:30:020:30:07

that that you'll have collectors from all over who collect this sort of thing and they're out there.

0:30:070:30:12

But I think you've got to estimate them at about £30 to £50.

0:30:120:30:14

It'll create interest and when they go on the Net, they'll make what they're worth.

0:30:140:30:19

John, this is every schoolboy's dream, isn't it?

0:30:250:30:28

It is really.

0:30:280:30:29

We have in front of us a Hornby railway set

0:30:290:30:34

designed and manufactured to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of our present Queen in 1977.

0:30:340:30:41

It's dated 1976, so the Jubilee Year was a year later than the year of manufacture.

0:30:410:30:49

We'll start by taking off the box which is

0:30:490:30:54

a little bit damaged, frayed at the edges.

0:30:540:30:58

That reveals a liner inside

0:30:580:31:00

illustrating a diesel locomotive Isambard Kingdom Brunel

0:31:000:31:06

which is appropriate for this part of the world because he built the Great Western Railway,

0:31:060:31:11

which brought me here yesterday, or at least its successor did.

0:31:110:31:15

This is in much better condition.

0:31:150:31:17

But the next layer of the cake is even better.

0:31:170:31:21

It's true to say it's never been out of its box.

0:31:210:31:24

That's right.

0:31:240:31:25

I think what's fun about this is the fact that we obviously have a period diesel locomotive and we have

0:31:250:31:31

examples of the sort of advertising that was fashionable at the time. Why did you buy it?

0:31:310:31:38

We were going to set up a railway system in our loft for the children, but we never really got round to it.

0:31:380:31:44

I can see that.

0:31:440:31:46

Were you buying it for them or were you secretly buying it for yourself?

0:31:460:31:49

A bit of each. I have two boys and I was interested in trains.

0:31:490:31:56

Why are you selling it?

0:31:560:31:58

We're downsizing and we want to get a bungalow, so

0:31:580:32:01

we've got to get rid of some of the stuff that's stuck in our loft.

0:32:010:32:04

I think from the financial point of view the most amazing thing about this is the condition.

0:32:040:32:11

Can you remember how much you paid for it?

0:32:110:32:13

£68.

0:32:130:32:15

That's interesting because I don't think it's going to make a lot more than £68 today.

0:32:150:32:21

But to look on the bright side if you had spent £68 on a TV set in 1977, it'll be worth nothing today.

0:32:210:32:30

Let's hope you get your money back and to that end I'd suggest

0:32:300:32:34

an estimate of £60-100 and a reserve of £60. Are you happy with that?

0:32:340:32:41

I'd have thought a bit more.

0:32:410:32:44

-So you're a bit disappointed?

-I am, really.

0:32:440:32:46

All I can say is that things come in and out of fashion, tastes change.

0:32:460:32:53

I think today if you had £100 to spend on a model railway, you'd probably treat yourself

0:32:530:33:00

to a single locomotive that was a little bit earlier than this and invest your money in that.

0:33:000:33:06

Let's hope we have a pleasant surprise, who knows? We may do.

0:33:060:33:10

I hope that you do turn out to be satisfied in the end.

0:33:100:33:13

-We'll see what happens.

-We'll do our best for you. Thank you very much.

0:33:130:33:16

-Joanna, how are you?

-I'm very well.

0:33:220:33:24

I've been doing "Flog It!" for a long time now and you see all sorts

0:33:240:33:27

of things, but very occasionally you see something that really does excite you.

0:33:270:33:32

I know that you know what it is.

0:33:320:33:34

-Yes.

-I'm willing to bet that a lot of people at home don't know what it is.

0:33:340:33:39

Let's let you tell them.

0:33:390:33:41

OK, it's a cheese coaster.

0:33:410:33:44

You'd put a full cheese in here

0:33:440:33:46

and then you'd push it up and down, along the refectory table,

0:33:460:33:52

and people would help themselves to cheese as it goes up and down.

0:33:520:33:55

-Don't get too good here because I'm supposed to be the expert!

-Sorry.

0:33:550:34:00

You're spot on. It's a cheese coaster or a cheese truck.

0:34:000:34:04

It's made in mahogany.

0:34:040:34:05

A lot of these originated from the 18th century.

0:34:050:34:09

I think this is a little bit later than that and I think it's probably from around 1825-1835.

0:34:090:34:16

There are key signs as to why I think that. If you look here,

0:34:160:34:21

that's called a bell push moulding.

0:34:210:34:24

Because it looks just like a bell push.

0:34:240:34:27

-Absolutely.

-These columns here are called cluster columns.

0:34:270:34:33

If you think of that Regency period which is about 1810-1815,

0:34:330:34:38

we've got hairy paw feet.

0:34:380:34:40

Not you and I, but hairy paw feet are typical of that period.

0:34:400:34:45

A lot of these over the time split

0:34:470:34:50

and you can see just down here we can see a split running down there.

0:34:500:34:56

One reason is modern central heating.

0:34:560:34:58

If you're going to keep things like this at home, always put a bowl of water under a radiator,

0:34:580:35:03

because the water comes out of the bowl.

0:35:030:35:07

And the other reason is the shape of the thing.

0:35:070:35:10

It's almost under stress and pressure with

0:35:100:35:13

its arc shape. Can you see that split along there?

0:35:130:35:17

It was like that when we got it, of course.

0:35:170:35:19

Why do you want to sell it?

0:35:190:35:22

We've run out of cheese.

0:35:220:35:24

Do you know, that's a good answer. I like that.

0:35:250:35:29

Why do you want to sell it?

0:35:290:35:32

It's really hard to display in a house.

0:35:320:35:36

It's our golden wedding anniversary year, so we thought we'd

0:35:370:35:42

try and raise a few funds, go and visit our daughter in Australia

0:35:420:35:47

-for Christmas.

-Do you have any expectations?

0:35:470:35:50

Well, I hoped it would be about £200.

0:35:500:35:55

-Ten years ago, that would have been between £600 and £900.

-Wow!

0:35:550:35:59

I think today you can estimate it at £300 to £500.

0:35:590:36:05

We can put a reserve of £250 on it.

0:36:050:36:09

Give the auctioneer 10% discretion.

0:36:090:36:11

-But I think it's absolutely lovely. Are you happy with that?

-Very.

0:36:110:36:14

Thank you for bringing it. It won't get you all the way to Australia, but it'll get you on the way.

0:36:140:36:19

Thank you so much.

0:36:190:36:22

Time for our final trip to the auction where Jan's scale rules

0:36:220:36:26

will be going under the hammer and I think this is a wonderful lot.

0:36:260:36:29

John is downsizing, so his Hornby train set just has to go, which is a pity as he's never used it.

0:36:290:36:36

We were going to set up a railway system in our loft for the children, but we never really got round to it.

0:36:360:36:43

Joanna is selling her cheese coaster to raise funds to visit her daughter.

0:36:430:36:47

It's a fantastic piece, but will the damage let it down?

0:36:470:36:51

Before we see it sell, I'm going to find out

0:36:510:36:54

what our auctioneer thinks of the cheese coaster.

0:36:540:36:57

This is a cracking cheese coaster, one of the best I've seen.

0:37:000:37:04

It belongs to Joanna and she's selling it because she wants

0:37:040:37:07

to raise some money to visit her daughter in Australia.

0:37:070:37:11

We've got £300 to £500 on this.

0:37:110:37:14

George IV, it's a lovely example.

0:37:140:37:16

I think it's a very sensible estimate.

0:37:160:37:19

If it was in really tip-top order, it could be 800 to 1,200 even.

0:37:190:37:25

You might get halfway to Australia on that one, I think.

0:37:250:37:29

-Has there been any interest?

-We've had some interest in it.

0:37:290:37:32

With furniture and works of art often you don't know until the day of the auction.

0:37:320:37:36

-We're confident we'll be able to get it away within that estimate.

-OK.

0:37:360:37:41

We're working on the right lines now and next up we've got Jan's set of scale rules.

0:37:490:37:54

Beautifully presented in a lovely box, made by Stanley and we've got a value of £30 to £50.

0:37:540:38:00

Very, very nice.

0:38:000:38:03

Who was the draftsman?

0:38:030:38:05

It was my dad's boss's father.

0:38:050:38:08

-It goes right back.

-How long have you had them?

0:38:080:38:12

20 years. Dad died 20 years ago and they were passed down to us.

0:38:120:38:16

Such a useful thing to have.

0:38:160:38:19

They're redundant now, computers have replaced them.

0:38:190:38:21

Yes, I know, but isn't it nice to actually be hands on with something like a scale rule?

0:38:210:38:26

And if you're planning something like jigging the bathroom around

0:38:260:38:30

or doing a bit of garden design and you can measure it out in feet and inches and you can use those scale

0:38:300:38:36

rules to scale it down on a piece of paper and be practical with them.

0:38:360:38:39

Next, a set of boxwood scales and rules all in a mahogany case.

0:38:390:38:44

-Let's hope the figures add up. Here we go.

-Several bidders.

0:38:440:38:48

I'm bid £30 for them.

0:38:480:38:52

-That's a good start.

-2, 5, 8.

0:38:520:38:55

At £40. Still against you all.

0:38:550:38:59

All done at 40.

0:38:590:39:02

Spot-on evaluation.

0:39:020:39:04

Not a lot of money unfortunately.

0:39:040:39:07

That's all right. We're going to put it towards my dad's plaque in the cemetery for renewal.

0:39:070:39:12

It all helps. Every little penny helps.

0:39:120:39:16

-Thank you, Jan.

-Thank you.

0:39:160:39:19

John is downsizing so the Hornby Railways set just has to go.

0:39:270:39:31

-It never made it up in the loft, did it?

-No.

0:39:310:39:33

One of those jobs that never gets done.

0:39:330:39:37

I've got a few ongoing jobs like that at home.

0:39:370:39:39

We've got a valuation of £60 - £100.

0:39:410:39:43

I hope it'll do well.

0:39:430:39:45

It's in superb condition, it's never been out of its box.

0:39:450:39:49

That's so important with something like this.

0:39:490:39:51

Condition is so important for the collectors.

0:39:510:39:54

Thanks to you it never got played with.

0:39:540:39:57

So if anything we should be getting top money right now.

0:39:570:40:00

Let's see how we do.

0:40:000:40:02

Next is the Silver Jubilee freight electric train set.

0:40:020:40:06

£50 starts that one. At 65.

0:40:060:40:09

Take eight.

0:40:090:40:11

At £65 at the back. 68, £70 and two.

0:40:110:40:16

At 72. In front of me.

0:40:160:40:19

All done at 72. Last chance?

0:40:190:40:21

Quite sure at 72?

0:40:210:40:23

That's a good result. Happy?

0:40:230:40:27

I'm happy with that. A good day out.

0:40:270:40:30

..Sell it.

0:40:360:40:37

Well, so far so good. You could say we're coasting along, which brings us nicely into our next item.

0:40:380:40:43

I've just been joined by Joanna and the Big Cheese!

0:40:430:40:47

Did you like that?

0:40:470:40:50

Not a smelly cheese.

0:40:500:40:52

But this coaster is beautiful.

0:40:520:40:55

It made Philip's day and mine, actually.

0:40:550:40:58

Why are you selling this now?

0:40:580:41:01

It's difficult to display in a house and we just had it poked under a table for years.

0:41:010:41:08

That's a shame because it should be viewed at table height.

0:41:080:41:11

Do you know what I'd do with it?

0:41:110:41:13

I know it's impractical to put cheese in it, but you could fill it full of fruit.

0:41:130:41:17

A quirky fruit bowl.

0:41:170:41:18

-We've tried all sorts of things and we love it, we're very fond of it.

-It didn't work for you.

-No.

-Right, OK.

0:41:180:41:25

You've got two people who would love to own it, but unfortunately we can't, but I know

0:41:250:41:30

there are plenty of people here in the room that are going to stick their hand up, so let's watch this.

0:41:300:41:34

On next to Lot 39, which is the George IV mahogany cheese coaster.

0:41:340:41:40

Quality.

0:41:400:41:43

I'm bid £260.

0:41:430:41:45

280, 300, 340,

0:41:450:41:49

360, 380, 400.

0:41:490:41:51

And 20. 440,

0:41:510:41:56

-460, 480...

-This is more like it!

0:41:560:42:00

500 and 20.

0:42:000:42:02

540, 560,

0:42:020:42:05

580, 600, and 20.

0:42:050:42:09

Not a Stinking Bishop, is it?

0:42:090:42:10

640, 660, 680, £700.

0:42:100:42:15

And 20.

0:42:150:42:17

740, 760, 780,

0:42:170:42:21

800 now...and 20.

0:42:210:42:25

At £820.

0:42:250:42:27

Any more at £820?

0:42:270:42:30

Yes, roll that out. £820.

0:42:300:42:34

Wonderful. Amazing.

0:42:340:42:36

-They absolutely loved it, Philip.

-I think the Philly was a bit light there.

0:42:360:42:41

What are you going to do with that? Don't forget, there's commission to pay.

0:42:410:42:45

Well, we're going to Australia for Christmas to see our daughter and grandchildren.

0:42:450:42:49

-What part of Australia?

-Northern New South Wales, Queensland.

0:42:490:42:53

We've been many times, but my husband is coming, too, and this will upgrade us from cattle class to cattle plus.

0:42:530:43:01

Travelling in style.

0:43:010:43:03

Thank you for bringing in such a quality item and quality always sells.

0:43:030:43:08

That's it. It's all over.

0:43:150:43:17

The auction has just finished, all our owners have gone home and the highlight for me had to be

0:43:170:43:22

the massive great big smile on Joanna's face.

0:43:220:43:25

The cheese coaster coasting its way to £820.

0:43:250:43:29

Quality always sells and I hope you've enjoyed the show.

0:43:290:43:33

We've loved making it, so until the next time, from Plymouth,

0:43:330:43:37

it's cheerio.

0:43:370:43:39

For more information about "Flog It!", including how the programme was made, visit the website at bbc.co.uk

0:43:500:43:58

Subtitling by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:43:580:44:01

E-mail [email protected]

0:44:010:44:04

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