0:00:04 > 0:00:07We've flown across the Irish Sea to Ballymoney,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09in the heart of Northern Ireland.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10And just look at this!
0:00:10 > 0:00:14What a magnificent, beautiful setting we have for today's Flog It!
0:00:37 > 0:00:41Lissanoure Castle dates back to the 14th century.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45It was largely destroyed in 1847, when unused caskets of gunpowder
0:00:45 > 0:00:48were accidentally ignited!
0:00:51 > 0:00:55And this Tudor archway is one of the survivors of that huge explosion.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58But it's out in the barn in the grounds of the castle, today,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00that scores of people have turned up,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03laden with bags and boxes full of antiques and treasures
0:01:03 > 0:01:05to be valued by our team of experts
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and hopefully sold off to the highest bidder at auction.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Joining us today is expert Will Axon,
0:01:18 > 0:01:19who likes handling the goods,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21especially when it's a handful of gold.
0:01:21 > 0:01:22What have we got?
0:01:22 > 0:01:26They're going to be of interest to someone. They've got the weight.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Catherine Southon has had an eye for antiques since she was a child.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33And when she finds something, she just can't let it go.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37You can't sell that!
0:01:37 > 0:01:40And, coming up, we take a trip down memory lane.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43'I've got my eye on the ball...'
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Oh, missed it completely!
0:01:45 > 0:01:47'..Will is in touch with his animal side...'
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Tigers attacking elephants!
0:01:49 > 0:01:51'..and Catherine gets flirty.'
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Put my number in your phone, give me a call.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Well, I'm Bally well done in after that!
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Well, everybody is now safely seated inside
0:02:02 > 0:02:04and somebody here in this massive crowd...
0:02:04 > 0:02:08And honestly, four or five hundred people have already turned up first thing this morning.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11..somebody is going to go home with an awful lot of money.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12It could be you.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14It could be you! It could be this chap, here.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Who knows, but keep watching and you'll find out.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20And it looks like Catherine Southon is our first expert to the tables.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Let's take a closer look at what she's spotted.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26It's Heather's vase that's up first.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Heather, I do love Charlotte Rhead.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30I do actually collect Charlotte Rhead myself.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32- Are you a collector of Charlotte Rhead?- No,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35not personally. But I think it's rather nice.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37So, where did you get this particular vase from?
0:02:37 > 0:02:39I bought it in Scotland last week, just.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- Last week?!- Yes, last week, yes.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Right, OK. So, did you buy it at a fair or auction?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- I bought it in an antique centre. - Right, OK.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50And can I ask how much you paid for it?
0:02:50 > 0:02:52- 30.- £30?!- Yes.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53OK!
0:02:53 > 0:02:54Well, let's just have a look at it
0:02:54 > 0:02:56- because it screams out Charlotte Rhead.- Yes.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59It's got all the characteristics that we know and love of Charlotte Rhead.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04The yellow and oranges of the 1930s
0:03:04 > 0:03:06and then obviously the tube lining, here,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10- which looks...I always think it's a bit like an icing bag.- Yes.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13- Yes, I appreciate that.- You know, when you're doing your icing.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15- It's as if it's been squeezed out of the bag.- Yes.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17What I think's quite unusual
0:03:17 > 0:03:20is that it's not a smooth piece, it's very bumpy, isn't it?
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Yes, that's what caught my eye when I saw it, yes.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25That textured look about it.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29- But the rest of it is all very... quite standard Charlotte Rhead.- Yes.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Now, let's just turn it over, here.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36And we can see the signature, there, of Rhead.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41- "C Rhead". And obviously she was the designer for the factory...- Yes.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43..the Crown Ducal factory.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46- Now, you say you paid £30 for it. - £30, yes.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49I was sort of surprised when he said 30
0:03:49 > 0:03:51and I said, "Yeah, that's fine!"
0:03:51 > 0:03:53So do you actually buy to sell or...?
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Well, I do for charity fairs, mainly.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00And I just love the buzz of buying and selling
0:04:00 > 0:04:02and it keeps the grey matter active!
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Oh, I think that's wonderful.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09- Now, you certainly will make a bit of a profit on this.- Yes, I'm hoping to!
0:04:09 > 0:04:14I'd like to see this vase, really, make between £60 and £80 at auction.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- Yes, that's fine.- It should make, really, £80.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21- But I think let's keep it at £60-80, with a £60 reserve.- Yes, that's fine.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- Yes, that's fine by me. - Does that sound good?- Yes.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- So this particular item you bought in Scotland last week?- Yes, yes.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30It's amazing! This must be one of the quickest items you've had!
0:04:30 > 0:04:31Yes, it definitely is!
0:04:31 > 0:04:34So you've probably had it in your possession about four days!
0:04:34 > 0:04:35I came back on Sunday night
0:04:35 > 0:04:37and this is now Wednesday!
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- So, three days...- Three days. - ..and then it's off.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- Well, I hope we do you justice at the auction.- I hope so.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- It's a wonderful story.- Yes. - And thank you so much
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- for coming along, Heather. - Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Well, things are moving along nicely, here, today.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56As you can see, it really is in full flow.
0:04:56 > 0:04:57It looks a little bit chaotic but believe me,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59everybody knows what they're doing.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01And this I have to show you,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03because it's the first piece of Irish silver
0:05:03 > 0:05:05that I've come across today.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08It's a wonderful Georgian ladle.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Instantly you can tell it's Irish or Scottish,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15because the handle is a lot longer than the English ones.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17But there's some nice weight, there.
0:05:17 > 0:05:18It's a good time to sell silver
0:05:18 > 0:05:21because everybody's investing in it right now.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22But if I show you on the back of the handle
0:05:22 > 0:05:25the owner has put some sellotape on the back of the assay marks
0:05:25 > 0:05:28because she's frightened of cleaning them too much
0:05:28 > 0:05:29when she's cleaning the rest of the ladle.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31If this was English,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35a ladle like that, dating from around the early 1800s,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39would realise, in auction, around about £100 to £120, tops.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41But because it's Irish,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43and it's from Dublin,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45this ladle is worth £300.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47I think she'll be pleased with that!
0:05:48 > 0:05:51From a dainty piece of silver to Sharon's mighty bronze.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Now, I hope you haven't had to lug this here all on your own,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56because there is quite a weight in this.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Have you got a big strong man helping you with this?
0:05:58 > 0:05:59Yes, I did bring him along.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03- Excellent, he's helping off-camera, is he?- Yes.- Keeping under wraps!
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Well, it's an impressive bronze you've brought along today.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08What can you tell me about it?
0:06:08 > 0:06:11My parents had it in their hall since I was a child.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15It always just sat in the hallway, nobody ever talked about it.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16Really?
0:06:16 > 0:06:19And then I inherited it about ten years ago.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21It's beautifully modelled.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23I mean, that's one of the key things with bronzes,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25how crisp and detailed it is.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29The bull's face here and the detail in his skin
0:06:29 > 0:06:34and this Japanese man, because that's what it is, it's Japanese bronze.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36We can tell that by this figure, who's very much similar
0:06:36 > 0:06:40to the kind of figures we see carved in ivory or kimonos
0:06:40 > 0:06:42- and that sort of thing.- OK.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46This is going to date from around late 19th-century, Meiji period.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Early Chinese and Japanese bronzes, they were ceremonial pieces.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Tigers attacking elephants, that sort of, quite, shall we say,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58macho bronzes that a lot of people aren't that keen on.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Now, this obviously doesn't have any,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03sort of, ritualistic connotations to it.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05The whole, sort of, fashion started to change
0:07:05 > 0:07:09with the rise of Buddhism, shall we say,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13when more naturalistic themes started to come into their thinking.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Sort of, farmers, rural workers, fishermen.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18The same applies to the ivory carvings that we get
0:07:18 > 0:07:20from Japan as well.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24So, you remember it from your childhood.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27You've got no inclination to hold on to it, really?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Well, I've tried to grow to like it.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33I've put it in my hall a few times and let it sit there,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35and then put it back in the garage.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- It's been sitting in the garage for about ten years.- In the garage?
0:07:38 > 0:07:41That's terrible. We hear that all the time on Flog It!
0:07:41 > 0:07:43If it's not in the bottom of the wardrobe,
0:07:43 > 0:07:44it's under the stairs or in the garage.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46I'm glad it's seen the light of day today.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49I think we can do quite well with this at auction, to be honest.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50Did your parents ever let on
0:07:50 > 0:07:52what they maybe thought it was worth or...?
0:07:52 > 0:07:54- No.- Have you seen similar items?
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- No, I didn't even know it was bronze, to be honest.- OK.- So...
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Well, look, bronze has got a scrap value as well,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03let alone what it's going to be worth for its artistic merit.
0:08:03 > 0:08:04But I wouldn't be surprised
0:08:04 > 0:08:09- if we could put this in the saleroom at around £400-600.- OK.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Is that something that you think would sit well with you
0:08:12 > 0:08:14and perhaps your sons,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17who might perhaps stand to get a cut themselves?
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Oh, I'm sure they would be happy enough!
0:08:19 > 0:08:20Yeah, I'm sure they are.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23They'll be watching now saying, "Yes, go on, Mum."
0:08:23 > 0:08:26But I'll be there with you on the day to hopefully see it sold.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27- OK.- Thanks for coming, Sharon.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31This is the bit I love at valuation days,
0:08:31 > 0:08:32dipping in and out of the queue
0:08:32 > 0:08:35before the experts see all the little treasures.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39So, I'm sitting next to Helen, who's got a little bit of tissue paper.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41What are you going to reveal, there?
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Oh, look at that!
0:08:43 > 0:08:45What's that going to do?
0:08:45 > 0:08:46THEY LAUGH
0:08:47 > 0:08:49And now it's Brian and Ellen,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51who have brought in some of the family silver.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Thank you very much for coming along to Flog It! today
0:08:54 > 0:08:57and bringing along this lovely piece of Victoriana.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59From first glimpse, we could think
0:08:59 > 0:09:02it might be a little Victorian handbag,
0:09:02 > 0:09:03but if we just open it up, here...
0:09:06 > 0:09:09..we can see that it is a plate...
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Probably a little food warmer of some description.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15So perhaps you used to put your water...
0:09:15 > 0:09:18I don't think you would have put candles underneath,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20cos it's probably a little bit dangerous
0:09:20 > 0:09:22because of this barrel shape here.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24So perhaps put your hot water
0:09:24 > 0:09:28and then you would have put something on the top, here, to heat it up.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Now, tell me a little bit about it. Where did you get this from?
0:09:31 > 0:09:36Well, my mother left it to me. It was her grandfather's.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40- Right, OK, so it's been handed down through the family?- It has, yeah.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Now, if we look on the front, here, it does say...
0:09:43 > 0:09:46There's a little inscription here and it says, "Presented to..."
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Just trying to make that out, "..N Luke Esq,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55- "by the pupils of the Metropolitan School of Art in Dublin."- Yeah.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59- Your grandfather was actually given this as a...- Retirement present.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03- As a retirement present. - He taught art in this college.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Are you an artist yourself?
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- He dabbles!- Oh, he dabbles! Oh, very nice.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13It says that it's, "A token of their esteem and affection."
0:10:14 > 0:10:19And that's May, 1879, so right at the height of Victoriana, here.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22And that works perfectly, with all this lovely decoration, here.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I mean, the Victorians liked to go over the top, really, didn't they?
0:10:25 > 0:10:28But, this, I love. It's really beautiful.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- Now, have you actually ever used this as a warmer?- No. No.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35I was sort of afraid to do anything with it, in case, you know,
0:10:35 > 0:10:36it wasn't the right thing.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39I thought at first, as you say, putting, like, muffins
0:10:39 > 0:10:42or something to warm them, but then I was afraid of that.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46I mean, I really think that's probably what you used to do.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Little muffins or something like that on the top.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53I have to say, it's been beautifully made.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54It's not silver.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56I mean, had it been solid silver,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00we'd be talking about something very special.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01If you turn it over here...
0:11:03 > 0:11:08You can see, there, the registration mark, which is actually 1876.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Have you ever had it valued before?
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Yes, about 1960 something
0:11:13 > 0:11:18- I got an insurance appraisal of - £10. £10?
0:11:18 > 0:11:21I'll give you £10 for it now! I'll give you 15!
0:11:21 > 0:11:25- Well, I would like to say, probably £100-150.- Lovely.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- Let's hope it makes more than that. - Thank you very much.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Thank you so much for coming along and I'll see you at the auction.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33- OK.- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Next up, it's aspiring collector Danielle.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41You are somewhat below the demographic age
0:11:41 > 0:11:44that we usually see on this programme, which I am pleased about.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I'm glad to see a younger generation coming through.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49And you've brought, what I would call,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52a piece of almost folk art, I suppose.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53That sort of, well,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56let's call it what it is, chessboard, draughts board, isn't it?
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- Yeah.- What can you tell me about this? Are you a chess grandmaster?
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Is this what you practise on?
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Me and my brother was actually just in a phase
0:12:03 > 0:12:06of playing chess and draughts at the time
0:12:06 > 0:12:09and me and my dad would be a regular goer to car-boot sales.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11And I spotted this and said it was nice,
0:12:11 > 0:12:15and asked how much it was and the lady told me it was £2.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18But I had £1 in my pocket so I said, "Would you take £1?"
0:12:18 > 0:12:19And she said, "Yeah, take it with you."
0:12:19 > 0:12:22So I was quite happy and me and my brother played on it for a while.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24- So you actually used it? - Yeah, for a while.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28And you've got her down to £1 from £2, I mean, good work.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Good haggling, I like your style.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32I don't think it's going to be hugely valuable,
0:12:32 > 0:12:33before we get too excited!
0:12:33 > 0:12:38But I just like its honesty and its simplicity, shall we say?
0:12:38 > 0:12:44I say simplicity, it's actually quite sophisticated marbling on here.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46We've got this border round the outside,
0:12:46 > 0:12:51with these wonderful shamrocks, sort of ribbon tied shamrocks,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55very apt being here in Northern Ireland.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59And in the corners, we've just got these compass-type stars,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01- aren't they?- Yeah. - It's that sort of feel.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04And all hand-painted, remember. This is all hand-painted.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06You've got these, sort of, double lines.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09This red line bordered in yellow
0:13:09 > 0:13:13and then you've got this marbled effect in the squares,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16to denote the black and white squares.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18How old do you think it is? Have you any idea?
0:13:18 > 0:13:22- Maybe ten, 20 years. - Ten or 20 years?
0:13:22 > 0:13:25So what are we talking, '80s or '90s?
0:13:25 > 0:13:27I think it's a bit older than that, to be honest!
0:13:27 > 0:13:30I'm going to say it's definitely 19th century,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- so we are talking, yeah, 1800s.- Yeah.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37So you liked it, you've used it, you didn't pay a lot for it,
0:13:37 > 0:13:38so why are you selling it?
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Daddy said just to take it today, to see what it was worth.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- Did he? Daddy said?- Yeah.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47So I've already, sort of, told you more or less that it's not
0:13:47 > 0:13:49- going to be worth a fortune. - That's fine.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52But I think, you know, as someone who likes it
0:13:52 > 0:13:55and would probably have a go at it if I saw it in a sale room,
0:13:55 > 0:14:00I would be prepared to pay, what, between 30, 40, maybe £50 for it
0:14:00 > 0:14:03so how does that sound as a return on your £1 purchase?
0:14:03 > 0:14:05That sounds fantastic.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Next up, I couldn't resist stopping to have a chat with Margaret
0:14:08 > 0:14:10and her granddaughter Alana.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13What have you brought in today? Apart from Alana!
0:14:13 > 0:14:16- And these wonderful sandals. - You're sitting on it.- Oh, am I?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Oh, can I have a look? Oh, that's nice, isn't it?
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Do you know, we always ask people to bring in furniture
0:14:22 > 0:14:24on Flog It! and not many people do.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Where has this come from?
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Well, when my husband and I got married,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32a year later we had some wedding money.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35We were married in 1947
0:14:35 > 0:14:40and we bought our antiques in Oxford.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Oh, how lovely. So you got this chair in Oxford?
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Yes, and I have another,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50a walnut one that was sold as two Queen Anne chairs.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55Oh, now you are talking! How much did you pay for two chairs, then?
0:14:55 > 0:14:59- Can I just...? I'm just going to do this.- That was 60 years ago.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00A dropping seat.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04- Yes, the seat actually belongs to the walnut chair.- Does it?
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Did you model them up, then, on the way up this morning?
0:15:06 > 0:15:07No, my daughter did!
0:15:07 > 0:15:10This is a lovely period piece, it really is.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13These date from the Queen Anne period.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15This is, sort of, early 1700s.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18If I just tip this upside down a minute,
0:15:18 > 0:15:19I just want to have a look underneath,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22because it's always good to turn a piece of furniture upside down.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24You've got to, really, to examine its toes.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28And look at those very generous, great big, pad feet.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30And just look at the quality of the wood.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33I mean, that's Cuban mahogany, wonderful, tight, straight grain.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35A very good colour.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39So much mahogany was coming into the country after around 1721,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41when William Walpole, the first Prime Minister,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45reduced the taxes and the levies on imported woods from the tropics.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47So all this wood was coming back from the Caribbean.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Look at the width of that wood.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Now, that's been cut from one section of Cuban mahogany.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56That width and that thick.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01My apologies to the monkeys that were done out of their residence.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05I'm really, really sorry, but they would have been dead by now anyway!
0:16:07 > 0:16:08Oh, dear.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Isn't that lovely?
0:16:10 > 0:16:12And if your walnut one is the same,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15then the walnut one is worth a little bit more money than this one,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18because walnut is a much more sought after and expensive wood.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Why are you selling them?
0:16:20 > 0:16:22- Because we are downsizing. - Oh, are you?
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Hey, this is your inheritance, Alana!
0:16:24 > 0:16:28- I know, but there's many more in her house.- Oh, is there?- Yeah.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29Would you like to sell them as a pair?
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Shall we put them into auction as a pair, one walnut and one mahogany?
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Well, yes, I would.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37The condition on this one does let it down because of the splits,
0:16:37 > 0:16:41unfortunately. I think it's still worth in the region of £100-150,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44and hopefully if your walnut is the same, we can double that.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46I'd like to get £150 a chair, top end.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51- So £200-300.- That's OK!
0:16:51 > 0:16:55- They have to go. - And let's hope we get the top end!
0:16:55 > 0:17:00- That's all I can say. Lots of money in Ballymoney!- Well, that's it!
0:17:07 > 0:17:11It is believed that Irish monks were the first people to produce whiskey,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13possibly as far back as the 12th century,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17making it one of the earliest distilled beverages in Europe.
0:17:20 > 0:17:26A licence to distil whiskey in the Bushmills area was granted in April, 1608, by James I.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30And some 400 years later, this area is still thriving, producing and
0:17:30 > 0:17:34bottling all of its own whiskey, to sell to people all over the world.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41I'm here to meet Colum Egan, the master distiller, to find out more.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46So, Colum, as master distiller, what does your job involve? What's the role?
0:17:46 > 0:17:50I have to ensure the whiskey that we're making today has the same taste
0:17:50 > 0:17:54and the same characteristics that they have been distilling 50, 100, 150 years ago.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58It's a great sense of tradition in this area, for making whiskey.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Start me through the whole process, from the beginning, from Bush River.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06Well, we take that water, and we take barley, and then we allow it to ferment.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- How long does that take? - It takes about 60 hours.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12At the end of that 60 hours, you get about 8% strong beer.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15At that point we're ready for distillation.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19When you see our wonderful stillhouse and the wonderful aromas and smells...
0:18:19 > 0:18:24I can smell them now, I can smell the yeast coming through in the breeze. You can smell that.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27It drags you into the distillery every morning.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Shall we get inside and have a look?
0:18:33 > 0:18:38The whole journey from grain to glass involves eight stages.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Irish whiskey is made in its own unique way.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44The key characteristic being that it's triple distilled,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47whereas Scotch whisky is distilled twice.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53How come that's clear? That looks like water.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54Where do you add the colour?
0:18:54 > 0:18:59When you distil something to that purity, you get absolute crystal-clear colour.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Whiskey is brown.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03That brown colour, that golden hue to it,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06that all comes from the type of wood it's matured in.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- Right.- So, by law, it has to be in that oak barrel for at least three years.
0:19:10 > 0:19:16During that time, the whiskey expands into the oak and draws out a lot of the flavours and the colour.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20And of course the older it gets, the more expensive!
0:19:20 > 0:19:22Absolutely!
0:19:22 > 0:19:23See if you can sell some of that!
0:19:23 > 0:19:25There is a big difference, isn't there,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28between a mature single malt to a three-year-old one.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Yes, the longer whiskey has in the barrel,
0:19:30 > 0:19:32the more chance it has to pick up little nuances
0:19:32 > 0:19:35and pick up different character from the wood itself.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37And that's where your expertise really comes in?
0:19:37 > 0:19:43Every day, I have to nose, I have to taste, and I have to make sure of the consistency of character.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48What goes in the bottle itself has to be the same today as it's going to be in ten years' time.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Can we see the barrels, see where the colour comes in?
0:19:51 > 0:19:59The barrels used in the maturation process are shipped in from Spain, Portugal and even as far as the USA.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02They'd have previously been used in making sherry, Madeira
0:20:02 > 0:20:06and bourbon, and add a certain flavour to the whiskey process.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Look at this! I just love the smell of mature oak.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13How many barrels are in here?
0:20:13 > 0:20:16These are actually all empty barrels.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20We will store about 2,000 barrels at any one time in this area, getting ready to be filled.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24I guess it's essential to use oak, for the taste, for the flavour?
0:20:24 > 0:20:29Oak is fantastic, because of the characteristics and taste it gives to the whiskey.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32There's also a very important factor in it, that oak is impervious.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37- Of course.- Because the whiskey spends so long in there, from three, to 30 or 40 years,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40we have to make sure that none of the whiskey gets out of there.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Well, the grain's always tightening, as well, with oak.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44It really does go dense, doesn't it?
0:20:44 > 0:20:48You said... This has been full of bourbon in its day,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50will that not affect the taste?
0:20:50 > 0:20:54To put triple-distilled Bushmills spirit into a brand-new oak barrel,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56you'd be overpowered with woodiness and oakiness.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00So, why I go to Kentucky is, bourbon actually strips out...
0:21:00 > 0:21:02They like that, heavy, oaky, woody notes.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04So, they strip out into their bourbon.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07What's left behind is some nice toasted wood, caramel.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- And a bit bourbony?- A touch.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13It's got to be, surely, hasn't it?
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Actually, it leaches out of the wood itself.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19They like every drop of their own bourbon in their own stuff!
0:21:19 > 0:21:22The next stage might look a bit alarming,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26but it's time for that whiskey, which has been maturing in barrels
0:21:26 > 0:21:29for anything up to 30 years, to enter a blending process.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32How many bottles do you think are in each barrel, here?
0:21:32 > 0:21:35There is probably about 1,000 bottles of whiskey in each of those.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37So what's that worth?
0:21:37 > 0:21:40- £20 a bottle.- £20 a bottle... about 20 grand.- Oh,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42that's a lot of money, isn't it?
0:21:42 > 0:21:45That's a lot of money per barrel! £20,000 per barrel!
0:21:45 > 0:21:49What I want to know is why you're letting it all out into this gully?
0:21:49 > 0:21:55What we do, we drain it out, put it into these troughs, and we bring it across and we put it into large vats.
0:21:55 > 0:22:01From those vats, we mix it in certain proportions, and that's what gives us our final brand of whiskey.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Oh, so this is another of the secrets of the Bushmills?
0:22:04 > 0:22:06What's all the black stuff, charred-looking stuff?
0:22:06 > 0:22:11The inside of American barrels are charred to sterilise them.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16The great thing it does for whiskey, it caramelises a layer of sugars in the wood,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18so you get these nice caramel and vanilla notes coming from them.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20I can smell them now!
0:22:20 > 0:22:23I think we should go to the tasting session.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- I think that would be ideal. - OK, come on, then.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38What are you smelling there?
0:22:38 > 0:22:42That's a nice vanilla, mixed in with a little bit of woody and oakiness.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45These lovely fruits beginning to come through, floral notes.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49I can't smell them yet.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51My nose isn't as trained as yours.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53A couple of weeks here, and you're there.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55I've got the vanilla.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57So, what would be the classic toast?
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Well you'll have to raise your glass,
0:22:59 > 0:23:00and it simply goes,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03there are tall ships, there are longships,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07there are ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships,
0:23:07 > 0:23:08and may they always be.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10- Slainte!- Cheers!
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Today, we're at McAfee's Auctioneers.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Good luck later on.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Hopefully, you're going to be bidding on some of our items.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Well, I hope so. It's a jam-packed saleroom here in Ballycastle.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Someone today is going home with a lot of money. But do you know what?
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Auctions are so unpredictable.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41It can be a roller-coaster ride for everybody.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Someone may be going home very disappointed. Right now,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46I'm going to catch up with our owners,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48and we're going to leave you with a quick rundown
0:23:48 > 0:23:50of all the items going under the hammer.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54We have Heather's textured Charlotte Rhead vase.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Eagle-eyed Danielle's bargain chessboard.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Brian and Ellen's silver-plated food warmer.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Margaret's early 18th-century chairs,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06and Sharon's Japanese bronze bull.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Sell it...
0:24:08 > 0:24:09Gerry McAfee is on the rostrum.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Let's hope it's checkmate in one. You know what I'm talking about.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14I've just been joined by Danielle,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17and we're talking about that lovely chessboard.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21We've got £30-£50 on this, and you got this for just £1.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- Yeah, at the car-boot sale. - At the car-boot sale.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- Have you been back since? - Yeah.- Any other bargains?
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Yeah, I've got a few teapots and a few books and stuff.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33And the good thing is, you've been playing chess as well.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36- Yeah, and draughts.- And beating her brother. Do you play chess?
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Yeah, I used to play a lot with my father, and my grandfather was good.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42It's nice to see someone who is keeping the tradition going,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44because I can imagine it's a game that's dying out somewhat.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Well, I tell you what. This is a lovely, unique piece.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48You could say it's a bit of folk art,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51and as we are here in Ireland, it's a bit of Irish folk art.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52It's beautifully painted.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54You could put any sort of chess figure on this.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58- Yeah.- Yeah.- Why do you want to sell it? Are you trading upwards,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00going to put the money towards something else?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Yeah, I'm just looking, because, like, it's worth so much compared to
0:25:03 > 0:25:06- what I bought it for, so I just think it's worth more money to sell it.- OK.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- And buy other things?- Yeah, buy other things.- That's the spirit!
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Always trade on and trade upwards. Right now, we're trading this one,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15and it's going right under the hammer. Good luck.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19We have a wooden chessboard. Very nice early wooden chessboard,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21being held up for the back of the room.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25What will we get for the wooden chessboard? £40? 30?
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Ten bid. Wooden chessboard at £10.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29That's cheap. We are in profit.
0:25:29 > 0:25:3116. 18. £20.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33I think they like it, Danielle.
0:25:33 > 0:25:3625. 25 for you. £25.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Good value at £25. This chessboard now £25.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41I'm selling it. We're all finished now at £25.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45The bid's here at 25. Last call. I'm selling it at £25, all right?
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- Hammer's gone down. £25. That's a good result.- Yeah, very happy.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51- You paid £1 for that.- Yeah.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Don't forget, there is commission to pay.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55But anyway, that's good for you,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- because you can now go off spending it and trade upwards.- Yeah.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03- What's on your shopping list? - Anything... Anything to make money.
0:26:03 > 0:26:04THEY LAUGH
0:26:04 > 0:26:08We've got the makings here of a real dealer, haven't we? Brilliant.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09She's great. It's good to see.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14Maybe Danielle will even be one of our future experts.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Next up, Margaret is going to find out the fate of her chairs.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Remember that lovely Queen Anne chair I saw?
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Well, there's now two, because Margaret and Alana
0:26:22 > 0:26:24brought the other one in, and I've just got to say,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26it's wonderful to see you both again.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29You're looking fabulous, and so are you.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31And hopefully, we've got some bidders here
0:26:31 > 0:26:33- to buy these two chairs. - Yeah, fingers crossed.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Otherwise, they're going home, and this is your inheritance,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38- and you have got to look after them. - I know!
0:26:38 > 0:26:40- Because they're Gran's. - They take up a bit of space!
0:26:40 > 0:26:42THEY LAUGH
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Use them, girl! Use them!
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- Enjoy the moment, won't you? - Yeah, oh, yes, I will.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- And I won't be sorry if they don't go!- OK.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51They're going home if they don't go.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56We have a pair of framed parlour chairs.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Very, very nice chairs, from a very early period of chairs.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05100 only bid for the pair now. £100.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09- We're in at 100.- And 110. 120.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12130. 140.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14150.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15This pair now at 150.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18- On the phone, 160.- Phone bid!- 170.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23New blood, 180. For the pair now, 180.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25190. On the phone at 190.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28On the phone at £190 for this pair now. 190.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32We'd like a little more now at £190.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36If we are all out here at £190...
0:27:36 > 0:27:38I'm going to sell to the phone at £190.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42- Two to three, we said, didn't we? - Two to three, yeah.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Are you OK with that?
0:27:44 > 0:27:46- Yeah. I think that's pretty good. - Oh, yes.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50I mean, we said 200 and got 190, so that was quite good.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51Well...
0:27:53 > 0:27:55All those memories of Oxford. It was Oxford, wasn't it?
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Oh, it was.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00It was early in our marriage too!
0:28:00 > 0:28:02SHE LAUGHS
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Thank you so much for coming in.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09Well, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be myself.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13So, Gerry the auctioneer used his discretion there,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15and someone's got a great deal.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16They were lovely quality.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24Brian and Ellen, it's great to see you. Love the American accent.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26- Come on, give us a bit.- Hi, y'all.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30- How long have you been in Ireland, then?- I've been here for 21 years.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Wow, and you were working here.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36- You were obviously working across the road, that's how you met.- Yes.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40- That was a good day, wasn't it? - Yes, it was.- That was a good day.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43- How many years ago was that? - That was 17 years ago.- 17.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47- My car had broken down, and he helped me out.- And he fixed it?
0:28:47 > 0:28:49- Aw, that's love, isn't it? - Love at first sight.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Good luck, good luck.
0:28:51 > 0:28:52I agree with the value, anyway.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Yeah, well it's a piece of Victoriana, isn't it?
0:28:55 > 0:28:59- A high Victoriana.- Very dressy. - It is. Really dressy.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03And I think it's quite good quality. It should do top end.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05It's got the look! It's got the look.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09It's going under the hammer right now.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14A fine silver food warmer or biscuit box, circa 1870,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17a lovely piece of early silver plate,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20and I can start it off with an internet bid of £70.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22£70 bid, £70.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24With me at 80. 85.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26£90.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29- 95, £100.- (Keep going!)
0:29:29 > 0:29:31£100 bid now, at £100.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Bid left with me at £100.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37£100 for the food warmer now. £100. 105.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41110. 110 there. 110.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44115. And I'm out at 115.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47The bid's in the room now at £115.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50And I'm selling at £115.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52- It's gone.- Great.- £115. Happy?
0:29:52 > 0:29:54- Yes.- Good.- Thank you very much.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Well, maybe you can treat yourself for a nice meal out,
0:29:56 > 0:29:58- the two of you together.- Thank you.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01- A romantic supper.- Yes.- Yeah? OK.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06Another meal, care of Flog It! It's good to be of service.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Next up, there's some more meat on the menu.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13We've got some real quality going under the hammer right now.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15It's the Japanese bull bronze. We have that.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Unfortunately, Sharon, the owner, can't be with us tonight,
0:30:18 > 0:30:22but we do have Will, our expert. £4-£600, a lot of money.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25- Well, it's got to be worth it, hasn't it?- I think so, yes.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26We've got a packed saleroom.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Let's find out right now what the bidders think.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Here we go. This is it.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36A large Japanese bronze of a bull and herdsman, nicely carved,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38very fine bronze here.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41On a lovely carved base. Very, very nice base.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Start at £300.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46£300, bid at £300.
0:30:46 > 0:30:47320.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49- Surely.- 340. 360.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54380. Big bronze now at 380. £400.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58The bronze now at £400. This big bronze now. 420 on the phone.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00We need someone in the room with that bull.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04£420. The bid's on the phone now at 420. 440.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07He's like a Jack Russell wrestling with an old sock. Won't let go.
0:31:07 > 0:31:08I was thinking that.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12And in the room at 440 and selling. At £440...
0:31:12 > 0:31:15It's gone down. 440. That's good.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18- I think we need to get on the phone and tell Sharon.- Yes.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- She's going to be really happy. - I hope so.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24If you've got anything like that, we would love to see it.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Bring it along to one of our valuation days.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30You can log onto bbc.co.uk/flogit
0:31:30 > 0:31:33go to the links, and hopefully we'll be coming to a town
0:31:33 > 0:31:35very near you soon.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Aspiring collector Heather followed this advice,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43and now her vase is going under the hammer.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Heather, I love the buzz as well, the thrill of buying and selling.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48It's good, isn't it? The hunt, the search.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50I've just been joined by Heather.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52We're putting the Charlotte Rhead vase under the hammer,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55- which came all the way from Scotland, didn't it?- Yes, it did.
0:31:55 > 0:32:00- Are we going to make a big profit? - We should do.- We should do.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02It screams Charlotte Rhead, though, doesn't it?
0:32:02 > 0:32:06It's got the colours, the patterns, that lining. It's a nice thing.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10- It's the only piece like that here today.- Yes. A good sought-after name.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13- Yeah.- Great name. That's going to get it away, isn't it?
0:32:13 > 0:32:15- I hope so.- So do I! - THEY LAUGH
0:32:15 > 0:32:18We're going to find out what the bidders think right now,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20because this is your lot.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24The Charlotte Rhead Crown Ducal vase.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26Again, lovely quality, lovely colours.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27Will somebody give me £100?
0:32:27 > 0:32:32£100 for the Charlotte Rhead Crowned Ducal vase. £100?
0:32:32 > 0:32:34- Go on, Gerry.- Started at £50.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36£50 bid for the Crown Ducal vase.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39- Fingers crossed.- 55 bid. 55. £60.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Crown Ducal vase now at £60.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Take another five. Anyone there at £60?
0:32:44 > 0:32:45(Go on! A little bit more.)
0:32:45 > 0:32:47We finish at £60.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51And I'm going to sell it, then, the Crown Ducal vase, at £60.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55- Just on its reserve.- No estimate. - It's gone.- That's OK.- Happy?
0:32:55 > 0:32:56Only cost me 30.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59It only cost you 30. That's a good result.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Doubled your money, haven't you?
0:33:02 > 0:33:06That's what it's all about. Profit, profit, profit.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07Well, so far, so good.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10That concludes our first visit to the saleroom today.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13We are coming back here later in the programme, so fingers crossed
0:33:13 > 0:33:15there's going to be one or two big surprises.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30The Irish are very passionate about keeping their traditions alive.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34THEY SING
0:33:39 > 0:33:42And this can be found in music and dance,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46and one very unique sporting event.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49'The All Ireland finals are national occasions,
0:33:49 > 0:33:51'arousing such passions, becoming an obsession,
0:33:51 > 0:33:55'overwhelming every other aspect of life for weeks before.'
0:34:02 > 0:34:05The team sport of hurling is one of the fastest
0:34:05 > 0:34:07field games in the world.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10It's frenetic, it's energetic, but most importantly,
0:34:10 > 0:34:12it's born of Irish tradition.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16'The men of the county hurling team
0:34:16 > 0:34:19'prepare for the All Ireland senior hurling final.'
0:34:22 > 0:34:27Hurling is an ancient sport. It came to Ireland with the Celts.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29For the past two millennia,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32the Irish have celebrated its legendary status.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34It's in their blood.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43So, what's involved in the game?
0:34:43 > 0:34:47Well, two teams of up to 15 players try to get a ball
0:34:47 > 0:34:49between two sets of extended goalposts.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52They get one point for doing that, and three points for getting it
0:34:52 > 0:34:54into the back of the net, past a goalkeeper.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58More recently, during the Troubles,
0:34:58 > 0:35:02hurling has become even more important. By uniting communities,
0:35:02 > 0:35:06it's helped to heal the divide in Northern Ireland.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10But on the pitch, things have been known to get a little out of hand.
0:35:15 > 0:35:16It is tremendously exciting,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19but what's caught my eye is the attention to detail
0:35:19 > 0:35:23in making this very simple piece of equipment.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30Michael Scullion runs a hurl-making business from his back yard.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35That's how it starts. You can almost see it taking shape now, can't you?
0:35:35 > 0:35:39- I can show you in the workshop now. - Sure, OK.
0:35:44 > 0:35:45How many do you make a year?
0:35:45 > 0:35:49We would make probably between eight and 10,000 of all sizes.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52- That's a lot, isn't it?- Yes, a lot of hurls.- That is a lot.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57Ashwood is used for its flexibility and strength.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Michael customises the hurdles for each player's needs.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09You made this so quickly. All of a sudden,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12you've turned it almost into a piece of sculpture.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14It feels so perfect. It really does.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17There's great balance there, isn't there, as well?
0:36:17 > 0:36:20That's what you're looking for, that balance.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23Do you know, I'm very impressed with that. I really am.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29If you've got a quality tool, surely you're halfway there.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Oh! Missed it completely. Maybe not.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34I think I might need an expert to show me how.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42You can dribble with it.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46And then as soon as you've got it up, you can...
0:36:46 > 0:36:48When you've got it up, you're allowed to take four steps
0:36:48 > 0:36:51with the ball in your hand, and so I'll try and get away from you.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55I can set it on there, and you're allowed,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58when that ball's free like that, you can try and tap it away.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00I see!
0:37:03 > 0:37:05The ball is coming in, and we're trying to win it.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09- HE LAUGHS - Do people get hurt in this?- Yeah!
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Hurling is fast, furious, and above all, fun.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19For the Irish, it's more than a sport, and it's vital
0:37:19 > 0:37:21that this tradition is kept alive
0:37:21 > 0:37:23and handed down to future generations.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27'At all the pubs on the roads, there were celebrations.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30'And at every one, they sang the same song, The Banks Of Lee.'
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Back at Lissanoure Castle, there's a buzz in the air.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43And all of these people have come here today to ask
0:37:43 > 0:37:45that all-important question, which is...
0:37:45 > 0:37:48- ALL:- What's it worth? - That's more like it.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51- And what are you going to do when you find out?- ALL:- Flog it!
0:37:51 > 0:37:55And that's just what Joan is hoping to do with her pottery.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57Can you remember how much you paid for these?
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Well, I know it wasn't any more than £2 each.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02- £2 each?- Yes.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05I tell you what, Joan, can I come with you next time?
0:38:05 > 0:38:08You certainly can, because it'd be great to have the expert!
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Well, I tell you, for £2 each, I think
0:38:10 > 0:38:11you did pretty well there.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Now, do you know anything about these at all?
0:38:14 > 0:38:18No, only what I've found out from you, watching your programmes.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20- Right.- At the time when I bought them, I didn't know at all.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23- So you didn't even know they were Moorcroft?- No.
0:38:23 > 0:38:28They are actually quite late in date. I would say they're probably 1930s.
0:38:29 > 0:38:36This one, the brown, and this sort of coral or orangey flower here,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39the pattern here is actually known as Hibiscus.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43This is probably like a little bonbon dish, something like that.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46I don't like this one so much.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49I mean, the colour, it's not so commercial,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52and I think also the shape, whereas this one,
0:38:52 > 0:38:55you could nicely display this in your home, and I think also
0:38:55 > 0:38:58the colour is more commercial. It's going to be more collectable.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02Now, the pattern on this one is actually called clematis,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05this dark, very dark blue.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08- Actually, it's quite dusty here, isn't it?- Yes.
0:39:08 > 0:39:09We could do with a bit of a clean.
0:39:09 > 0:39:16Value-wise, this one, we'd probably be looking at about £40-£60.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20This one, we'd be looking at about £80-£100.
0:39:20 > 0:39:21How does that sound?
0:39:21 > 0:39:24- That's lovely.- From £2, I think that's pretty good going!
0:39:24 > 0:39:26- Yes, a good return. - Not bad at all.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Now, why do you want to sell them?
0:39:28 > 0:39:33Well, I have grandchildren, and I'm scared sometimes,
0:39:33 > 0:39:37maybe they could topple it over and they'll be worth nothing.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41This way, if I sell them now, I can have a holiday to Blackpool.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43I love going to Blackpool!
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Well, I have to say, it's a pretty good return on £2 each.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49- Very much so.- Very good. Next time, I'm coming with you,
0:39:49 > 0:39:53so make sure you put my number in your phone,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56give me a call, and we'll be there together!
0:39:56 > 0:40:00But you've made everybody so wise now to it!
0:40:04 > 0:40:09Will has spotted something quite unique amongst the crowd.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11William, can I call you William? Are you a Will, or a Bill?
0:40:11 > 0:40:14- Willie, actually.- Willie.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18I was called Willie by my father, I'm William when I'm in trouble and Will by my friends.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21So, Willie, you've got an interesting item here.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25It really caught my eye when I saw you in the queue.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29Obviously, looking at it, it's a picture made up of tiles
0:40:29 > 0:40:31in this oak frame, which I think is period.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34I don't think they've ever been out of this frame.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37What really intrigued me was the scene we've got here.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40What can you tell me about this? How have you come by it?
0:40:40 > 0:40:47- It was given to me by my sister, who in turn got it from a friend who was doing a house clearance.- Right.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51- No idea of its history other than that.- She obviously didn't like it?
0:40:51 > 0:40:53- Didn't like it. - So she palmed it off to you.
0:40:53 > 0:40:58- Who doesn't like it! - So, it doesn't hang in your home? - No.- Where does it live?
0:40:58 > 0:41:03It lives in the study, under a large box.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07Under a large box! You really are trying to hide it away!
0:41:07 > 0:41:12Surely you can appreciate how well painted it is, and the unusualness of the scene.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15My family have quite a few connections with South America,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18and so my father used to go out there a lot.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22That kind of caught my eye, because I was trying to work out whereabouts it was.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24We're obviously near some rather large mountains.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28We've got this figure here. It does look a bit like a crow,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31but I suspect it's trying to be more of a condor, or something like that.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36And then we've got these rather fine-looking, shall we call them rancheros?
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Nice strong colours in the blues and greens,
0:41:39 > 0:41:44and then just this hint of the rockwork in these mountains.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48I've had a closer look down here at the bottom, and we've got
0:41:48 > 0:41:50a name here which we can just read.
0:41:50 > 0:41:55- "Joost Thouet and..."- "La Boucher."
0:41:55 > 0:41:57La Boucher. Well done.
0:41:57 > 0:41:58"Delft, Holland."
0:41:58 > 0:42:02That's helpful to us. It tells us who made it, it tells us where they made it.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05What's unusual, though, is with Delftware,
0:42:05 > 0:42:10obviously people associate it more with perhaps blue and white clogs and windmills.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14I think always intended to be displayed here as a tiled picture.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17And like I said, I think the frame is contemporary,
0:42:17 > 0:42:22so I think we're looking at around circa 1900 as a date.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26- I quite like it, because it's different.- Yes, but it certainly...
0:42:26 > 0:42:28no, it's not something I would hang on the wall.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Doesn't fit in with your scheme, shall we say?
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- What about value?- I have no idea.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Let's have a stab in the dark, shall we?
0:42:34 > 0:42:39I mean, I haven't seen one similar, so I couldn't tell you what the last one I saw made.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44Let's be mean and say £10 a tile, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49We're going to reach that magic estimate that we like, 80 to 120, aren't we?
0:42:49 > 0:42:52I think it's worth a go at that. I just think it's a bit different and like I say,
0:42:52 > 0:42:54that's what the market wants -
0:42:54 > 0:42:56quirky things that aren't run-of-the-mill.
0:42:56 > 0:43:01- Have you got to phone your sister, is she going to be upset? - No, no, not at all.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04She'll be relieved. I'm hoping that someone who likes it will buy it.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Now we come to the point of reserve.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10I don't think you'll be too worried if this just makes what it makes.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14- What it makes on the day, that's... Yeah.- You're a man after my own heart as well as my own name.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16We'll go 80 to 120, without reserve, then, yes?
0:43:16 > 0:43:19And on the day, fingers crossed it's going to fly
0:43:19 > 0:43:22- away with the condors even, perhaps. - It makes what it makes.- Well done.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25So, Willie is taking a punt on no reserve.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28I hope he doesn't end up regretting it!
0:43:28 > 0:43:29Time for some fresh air.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33Cherry and Hector have brought along a family heirloom.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38I've decided to do this one outside, and I know it's drizzling a bit,
0:43:38 > 0:43:42but this castle dates back to the 14th century, and I'm sure it's seen
0:43:42 > 0:43:44a lot worse, don't you? We don't mind a bit of drizzle, do we?
0:43:44 > 0:43:48- We call it mizzle.- Mizzle! Why do you call it mizzle?- I don't know!
0:43:48 > 0:43:49THEY LAUGH
0:43:49 > 0:43:52- Do you really? Mizzle? - Yes, it's mizzling.- It's mizzling!
0:43:52 > 0:43:55Well, hopefully it'll clear up a bit, anyway.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58But we don't mind that. It's not dampening our spirits, is it?
0:43:58 > 0:44:01We know what this is, don't we, Cherry and Hector?
0:44:01 > 0:44:03Do you know what this is?
0:44:03 > 0:44:04- Not really.- No, no.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06If I span that round...
0:44:08 > 0:44:10Have another think.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13It's an ornament of some sort, isn't it? It goes on a desk.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16- Inkwell?- Yes! Look.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18That's where the glass liner should be.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20Which sadly is missing.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22But that doesn't matter, does it, really,
0:44:22 > 0:44:24because hundreds of those have survived.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27Not many of these have, and I'm sure we can find a replacement for that.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30So, tell me, how did you come by this?
0:44:31 > 0:44:33Well, I think it came back from India
0:44:33 > 0:44:36with one or other of two great uncles of mine
0:44:36 > 0:44:40who worked there in the late 19th and early 20th century.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42Now, were they in the forces at all?
0:44:42 > 0:44:47They both worked for the railways in India, although one of them,
0:44:47 > 0:44:52I think, was a volunteer in the Armed Forces with the railway.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56Right, OK. It probably did come back from India, but do you know what?
0:44:56 > 0:44:59It found its way out to India.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Because this was made in England.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05It is, unfortunately, the downside, it's only silver plate.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09It's electroplated on a Britannia metal.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13Queen Victoria was made Princess of India and there was this whole,
0:45:13 > 0:45:16sort of, zest for anything that had the Raj influence.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20I think an officer and a gentleman, who was serving in the Army,
0:45:20 > 0:45:21took this out on campaign
0:45:21 > 0:45:24with all of his wonderful mahogany camping furniture.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27He would have stuck that inkwell on it...
0:45:27 > 0:45:30and that would have put a smile on his face and reminded him
0:45:30 > 0:45:31of home, and also of where he was.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33And it's obviously an Indian elephant
0:45:33 > 0:45:35because it's got small ears.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38It's got some wonderful ceremonial headdress on it as well.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41It is a very, very good casting. I like all this matte groundwork
0:45:41 > 0:45:44because that gives the texture of the elephant's skin,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47which is so thick and undulating and hairy.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49I think, if you put this into auction,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52we'll give it a valuation of £120 to £150,
0:45:52 > 0:45:56but it should do around that - 150, 180.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59- Well done. - Well, I like it a lot.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02- That's delightful, isn't it? Something you'd like to own?- Yes.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05Well, come along to the auction a bit later.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08- You never know, you could be the owner.- That's right.- See you there.
0:46:11 > 0:46:16There's just time for one more, and it's Frank's carriage clock.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18Frank, welcome to Flog It! today.
0:46:18 > 0:46:23And you've brought what we would call a four-glass mantle clock.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25Is this something that you've bought for yourself
0:46:25 > 0:46:26or is this a family piece?
0:46:26 > 0:46:31When my mother was a young girl, she was a servant.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34She was in service, was she? In the big house,
0:46:34 > 0:46:36- shall we say? On the hill. - Yeah, that's right.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39- And this was gifted to her, was it? - It was gifted to her.
0:46:39 > 0:46:40Well...a very nice gift,
0:46:40 > 0:46:43and we do hear that a lot in this business.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45Well, let's have a quick look at the clock itself.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48Four-glass - called for obvious reasons -
0:46:48 > 0:46:50- glass on each side.- Yeah.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54Nice, sort of, clean dial there, with the winding hole there,
0:46:54 > 0:46:56and then another winding hole there.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59I've had a quick look at the movement - it's stamped France.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02They're fairly standard movements, to be fair.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04They were produced in large numbers
0:47:04 > 0:47:08and they were imported into this country...
0:47:08 > 0:47:11It strikes on a gong rather than a bell.
0:47:11 > 0:47:15They're not the most popular striking mechanism, the gong.
0:47:15 > 0:47:16People tend to like the bells
0:47:16 > 0:47:18because that tends to suggest
0:47:18 > 0:47:20- that they're a bit earlier as clocks.- Yes.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23But the interesting bit that I like is the old mercury pendulum.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25They were looking for clocks to be accurate. Obviously, you don't
0:47:25 > 0:47:28want a clock that's going to start losing a minute every hour or
0:47:28 > 0:47:31something because, by the time you get to the end of the day,
0:47:31 > 0:47:32you don't know what time it is.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35So you go back to the old sundial situation.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37Heat expansions of the pendulums used to affect
0:47:37 > 0:47:41the distance of the arc, the tick, and that in turn would cause it
0:47:41 > 0:47:44to either lose time or gain time.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47Now, the pendulum that was filled with mercury would
0:47:47 > 0:47:50compensate for that temperature change
0:47:50 > 0:47:54and therefore, in theory, it would keep better time.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56Now, have you any idea what it might be worth?
0:47:56 > 0:47:57I have no idea.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59No idea at all?
0:47:59 > 0:48:03If I said it was worth maybe £100 or so, would that be a
0:48:03 > 0:48:06figure you would be happy with?
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Well, to be quite honest, I thought it might have been worth more.
0:48:09 > 0:48:10Well...
0:48:10 > 0:48:14with clocks, the buyers and the collectors are really after named
0:48:14 > 0:48:16makers - that's what they want.
0:48:16 > 0:48:21This is going to be too of a, shall we say, industrial model for them?
0:48:21 > 0:48:25A sort of mass-produced example of the four-glass mantle clock.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27Now, I know you want it to be worth more.
0:48:27 > 0:48:28I would like it to be worth more.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30The auctioneer would like it to be worth more.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33I'll tell you what, let's fix the reserve at £100.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35Are you going to let me run with this one?
0:48:37 > 0:48:40It doesn't stop it making more, remember, at an auction.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43Put a reserve of 125 on it.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45125? That's going to look a bit...
0:48:45 > 0:48:47I'll tell you what, let's go 120.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50You've seen the name of the programme, it's Flog It!
0:48:50 > 0:48:52- OK, right.- 120?- 120.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54- We'll fix it at 120.- OK.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57It will go and make £300 or £400 now, won't it?
0:48:57 > 0:48:58It's time to leave Lissanoure Castle.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01We're going to put those valuations to the test.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03We're making our way over to the auction room
0:49:03 > 0:49:05and leaving you the quick recap of all the items
0:49:05 > 0:49:07we're taking with us.
0:49:07 > 0:49:12Catherine was amazed by Joan's £2 Moorcroft finds.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14Willie's framed set of Delft tiles.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16Frank's clock ticks all the boxes.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20And Cherry and Hector are selling their exotic inkwell.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33We're back at McAfee's in Ballycastle.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36Frank and Will disagreed about his clock's value.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39What will auctioneer Gerry think?
0:49:39 > 0:49:43We've got a valuation of £120 to £150 on this.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46It should certainly make 120. It's a nice clock in working order.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48- The case is a wee bit plain. - It's very. Very.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51Which will appeal to some people and not to others,
0:49:51 > 0:49:54but it should certainly get away at the low estimate of 120.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57Oh, that's good. We just need two people that fall in love with this
0:49:57 > 0:49:58and bid against each other, really.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00That's what auctions are all about, isn't it?
0:50:00 > 0:50:03Getting two or three people going, that's right.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05It's time to see if the bidders are here
0:50:05 > 0:50:07because it's going under the hammer, right now.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Good luck. Good luck. It's jam-packed, isn't it?
0:50:10 > 0:50:12The tension's building.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15I think it's about time we found exactly what Frank's clock is worth.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17It's been in the family a long time.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19It was brought into my house
0:50:19 > 0:50:22and my grandchildren didn't like it striking.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24No, they didn't. Oh, dear. I love that sound, don't you?
0:50:24 > 0:50:29- Yeah.- It's a good sound. Good luck. Good luck.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31Let's find out what the bidders think. This is it.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35A very nice French brass carriage clock, folks.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37You all viewed it during the viewing.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39It's in very, very good working order.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41Nice, clean brass case here.
0:50:41 > 0:50:42The French glass carriage clock.
0:50:42 > 0:50:44Someone give me a couple of hundred for it.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47Couple of hundred for the brass carriage clock. Couple of hundred.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49180.
0:50:49 > 0:50:50£100. Starting at £100.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52The brass carriage clock. 110.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54110 beside me.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56110. 120.
0:50:56 > 0:50:57130.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59140.
0:50:59 > 0:51:00150.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02160.
0:51:02 > 0:51:03170.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05180.
0:51:05 > 0:51:06This is good. They like it.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09Gent's bid me out. £190.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12Nice carriage clock, 190.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15And I am selling to the gent's bid at £190.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19Yes, hammer's gone down. £190. Good result.
0:51:19 > 0:51:20- Happy?- Yes.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23What are you going to spend your money on, Frank?
0:51:23 > 0:51:26- Well, now...- The wife.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29- The wife will have to get some of it...- OK.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31..and I'll get some of it.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34And a digital clock for the grandchildren -
0:51:34 > 0:51:36- no chiming.- Oh.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40Sold over the estimate. Frank and family can now divvy up the cash,
0:51:40 > 0:51:43but will Hector and Cherry be as lucky?
0:51:43 > 0:51:46Well, if you've got a good memory, let's say, one like an elephant,
0:51:46 > 0:51:49you will remember this next lot belonging to Hector and Cherry -
0:51:49 > 0:51:51it's that wonderful elephant inkwell.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54Fell in love with this on the day. What a charming little thing.
0:51:54 > 0:51:55It'll grace any gentleman's desk.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58So, what have you been up to since we last saw you, anything?
0:51:58 > 0:52:00- Just sort of taking it easy, I guess.- Yes.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02- Bit of gardening?- Enjoying the good weather.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06- It has been beautiful. - Have you seen the inkwell here?
0:52:06 > 0:52:10- Yes.- Yes, up at the top there. It looks well.- It does look well.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12Hopefully we're going to sell it.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15If we don't, it'll go home and you won't mind.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17- We will welcome it home. - I bet you will.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21Cos it's a lovely thing. Let's find out if it finds a new home.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23It's going under the hammer now.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27A very unusual silver-plated inkwell
0:52:27 > 0:52:29in the form of an elephant.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31A nice bit of early plate.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34Silver-plated inkwell in the form of an elephant.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37A couple of hundred pounds for it? 180? 50 to start? £50.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Silver inkwell at £50.
0:52:40 > 0:52:41£50 bid now. At 50.
0:52:41 > 0:52:4360 bid.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45- 70 bid.- It looks fabulous.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47- It looks better...- £80.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49Surely worth more, folks? £80.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51The inkwell at £80.
0:52:51 > 0:52:5485? 85 bid.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56£90. The inkwell now at 90.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00The inkwell now at £90. We're hoping for more, folks. At £90.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04This wee silver-plated inkwell only making £90.
0:53:04 > 0:53:08We're going to have to leave this, folks, at £90.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10No. I'm pleased it's going home
0:53:10 > 0:53:14because it didn't sell at the price we wanted.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17- We protected it with a reserve. - Yes.- A sensible reserve.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19It's a lovely thing. Try and find another one.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21- I'm glad it's going home.- Oh, good.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25- Maybe appreciate it more.- I bet it never leaves your sight again.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Never again!
0:53:27 > 0:53:30Well, at least Hector's happy to be taking it home.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32That's just the way it goes sometimes.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36Next up, it's Willie's turn with the tiles.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39This is Willie's first auction. Come on, sum it up.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42- Yep, first time I've ever been to an auction.- It's packed, isn't it?
0:53:42 > 0:53:45- I think the whole town has turned out today.- It's brilliant.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48- There's no reserve.- That's right. - There's no need for that.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51Willie doesn't want them back, so let them make what they make.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54That's the great thing. He said, "I've never liked them."
0:53:54 > 0:53:56Exactly. Which is great,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59because someone is going to fall in love with them, hopefully.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Welcome to the rollercoaster ride. It's going under the hammer.
0:54:02 > 0:54:03Good luck.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07Lot number 65 is the framed set of eight Delft tiles,
0:54:07 > 0:54:09lovely tiles, in a hardwood frame.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12£50 for the set. Start at £30.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Set now at £30.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16I'm selling at 35 on the phone.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18- It's all right.- 35.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20£40.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22At £40.
0:54:22 > 0:54:2345 on the phone.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25On the phone at 48. In the room at £48.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29- 50 on the phone. At 50. Good value here.- Come on.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32I'm selling. Delft tiles, bid's on the phone at £50.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34£50.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36All out. Selling on the phone...
0:54:36 > 0:54:37At £50...
0:54:37 > 0:54:41- Would have liked a little bit more for you, Willie.- Yep.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Your first auction experience.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46- But that's it.- It was quick, wasn't it?- It was.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49- Blink and you'll miss it. - Yeah. Phone bidder,
0:54:49 > 0:54:52they obviously spotted them and I'm sure they'll be pleased with
0:54:52 > 0:54:54- what they bought. - I hope somebody will enjoy them.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Thank you so much for coming in.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Well, Willie took a real chance there with no reserve,
0:54:58 > 0:55:00but he's just glad to have sold them.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03Our last item of the day are Joan's Moorcroft pieces,
0:55:03 > 0:55:05which have been split into two lots.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08Going under the hammer, we've got some real quality.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12I've just been joined by Joan, and it's not you going under the hammer.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15- It's your Moorcroft. Two lovely finds.- Yes.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17- From a bric-a-brac sale.- Indeed.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20- How long ago?- At least ten years.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22Oh, OK. Not recently, then.
0:55:22 > 0:55:23No. No, no.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26So the first is the little vase. Yes, £80 to £100.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29Why are you selling now, then, Joan?
0:55:29 > 0:55:34Well, there's none of the family interested in it.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36- Aren't they?- No.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39And they're always telling me to downsize.
0:55:39 > 0:55:44I live in a fold, which... You only can have so much.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47- So I really have to downsize. - You live in a what?- A fold.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50- What's a fold?- It's... - I've never heard of that.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52I can't say I know what a fold is.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54What's a fold?
0:55:54 > 0:55:57It's... You're independent living,
0:55:57 > 0:56:00but you have a supervisor to check on you.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03- Oh, OK.- To see that you're all right.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06- So you do need to declutter a bit? - Yes. Really.- Good luck.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Let's hope all the collectors are here,
0:56:09 > 0:56:11because this is a name to collect.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15We're now into two very nice pieces of Moorcroft.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17We are starting at lot number 325, the Moorcroft vase.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19Who'll give me £150 for it?
0:56:19 > 0:56:21150? 125?
0:56:21 > 0:56:23- Come on.- £100, the Moorcroft vase.
0:56:23 > 0:56:2550 bid.
0:56:25 > 0:56:2860 bid. 70 bid. 80 bid.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30- Good.- 85.- We've sold this one.
0:56:30 > 0:56:31- £90.- Come on.
0:56:31 > 0:56:3495. £100.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37Standing here, at £100. The Moorcroft vase at £100.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39105 on the phone.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42110. At £110.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45- Excellent. We like.- On the phone at £115.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49I'm selling to the phone if we're all out. 120.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51Back in at 120. 125 on the phone.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55On the phone at £125, and I'm selling...
0:56:55 > 0:56:58- Yes, hammer's gone down. £125. - Excellent.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00Here's the second lot, it's the bowl.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03- Hopefully, we'll get £50, £60. - Unusual colours this time.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06Who'll give me £100 for this one?
0:57:06 > 0:57:08£100 for the Moorcroft comport?
0:57:08 > 0:57:11£100? 90? 80? £50 for this one?
0:57:11 > 0:57:1430 to start with. £30.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17£30 now. At 30. £30 for this Moorcroft. 135.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21- 40 here. 45.- Good.- £50.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23£50. The lady's bid at £50.
0:57:23 > 0:57:2555 over here.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27£60 here. 65.
0:57:27 > 0:57:31- £70.- This is great.- I'm very pleased about this. It's great.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33£75 over here.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36I'm selling at £75 if we're all finished...
0:57:36 > 0:57:38- At £75...- Marvellous.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40- Very good.- And we always keep saying on this show,
0:57:40 > 0:57:43quality always sells.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46Joan, that's marvellous, isn't it?
0:57:46 > 0:57:49- That's marvellous.- Not bad for £2! - That's going to come in handy.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52- £2 from a bric-a-brac sale. - Yes.- Good on you.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55Yes. And it was you who educated me.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59And are you going to spend the money on yourself?
0:57:59 > 0:58:00Well, I love Blackpool.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03I'll probably put it into a holiday to Blackpool.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05Holiday to Blackpool. Aw, lovely.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13That's it. We've come to the end of another day
0:58:13 > 0:58:14in another auction room.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17It's been a marvellous rollercoaster ride of emotions
0:58:17 > 0:58:19here in Northern Ireland - some highs and lows,
0:58:19 > 0:58:23some hits and misses - but that's what auctions are all about.
0:58:23 > 0:58:25You can't predict what's going to happen and I, for one,
0:58:25 > 0:58:28can't wait until the next one, so join me again soon, but for now,
0:58:28 > 0:58:32from Ballycastle in Northern Ireland, it's bye-bye.